#CAUSE TWO THIRDS OF THE REPLY TO VANISH

[safyresky]

Hullo bestie, it me. So sorry for the late(ish) ask but since the weather's been warming up I have a question about CS. Specifically about how a Beach Episode would go lol.

Cause Away with the Fae is kinda almost like that considering that they go to a beach at one point. But I wanna get inside your head and wanna know how a true to form Beach Episode of Crystal Springs would go.

Considering that the Frost Fam aren't exactly beach people (I wouldn't think) this has gotten me curious as to how this would play out. Would there be snowball fights at the beach? Would the twins try and make glass by super heating the sand? Would they make it such a mess for every other beach goer? Idk, just a fun thought that I thought you could answer 😌

ANDIE GET OUT OF MY HEAD! I HAVE BEEN THINKING OF A BEACH EPISODE OF CS ALL WEEK! (probably bc of the post I saw earlier this week that mentioned how gr8 filler episodes are tbh)

And this isn't the FIRST TIME I have thought of the Frosts at the beach >:). this shit's been BREWING!

First off, surprisingly, the Frosts are beach people! 5/6 are, of course. Three are Summer Sprites and enjoy the day spent on the sunny shores of the Southern Province; and for the other two, the summer sprite blood gives them a penchant for occasional tropics, and this includes beach days :)

The only Frost that ISN'T a beach person is Winter, but she goes anyway because she does enjoy her beach ritual. BUT I AM GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF, OF COURSE! FIRST THING'S FIRST.

WHAT. DO. THEY. WEAR.

I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS FOR SO FREAKING LONG, BEHOLD!

I cannot decide for sure if both Blaise and Jack wear that old timey stripey shorts tank top one piece swimsuit, or if it's funnier if only Jack does and Blaise goes for the swim trunks and open Aloha shirts, or vice versa, or they BOTH go for the funky shirt and swim trunks combo!

The mental image of the pair of them in this number absolutely sends me tho, tbh:

Though when I picture beach episode they are both in the funky shirt and swim trunks :)

but GOD if the old timey trunks aren't funny as FUCK

Winter covers tf UP. She wears a HUGE sunhat, absolutely GINORMOUS, and just as big black shades, probably like Gucci or Prada or something, to shield her eyes. She burns SO easily (being made of snow and ice and love would do that to a gal, she supposes) so she covers tf UP

Something victorian-esque for her as well, like this:

but with longer pants and a longer skirt, if not a full on bathing gown from way earlier like the lady behind the first one there, lmao

Jacqueline is ALSO in big sunhat mode, but not as big as Winter's. She does not burn as easy as Winter does, but does burn--usually the tops of her shoulders, her cheeks, and her nose! Her aviators are PLANTED on her face, they do NOT come off

She and the Twins are more modern in terms of swimwear. She wears a one piece, with your typical asymmetrical long beach sarong

The Twins are pretty versatile! I think usually they BOTH wear swim shorts and tops, though Fiera will switch out for a swim skirt every so often! she deffs prefers the shorts, though, since they are always running around on the beach and in the water like the wild hellions they are

SO LET'S GET INTO BEACH DAY ITSELF! AGAIN! SINCE I IMPLODED THIS ASK LAST NIGHT IN MY EXCITEMENT AND LOST THIS PART COMPLETELY!!!!!

AND UNDER THE CUT SINCE I WENT AHEAD AND UH, GOT EXCITED ABOUT ✨✨FASHION✨✨ AND THIS WILL BE V LONG

but in point form because I'm not that much of a monster!! ANYWAY, BEACH DAY

Winter's beach day ritual is as follows:

bundled up as breezy as can be when you burn as bad as she does, she finds a nice, shady corner, preferably up against a rock side or cliff face

sets up her umbrella, which Blaise has enchanted to keep her out of the sun at all times (like moving solar panels but opposite)

lays her blanket down beneath the umbrella, sits down with a good book in one hand and sunscreen ready to attack all four kids with it if necessary

She stays put in her shady corner ALL DAY.

Blaise, meanwhile, goes to the bar, gets himself a drink, plants his reclining beach chair with attached umbrella that is never deployed down right beside his wife, sits down with drink #1 (tells the bartenders to keep them coming when they see it empty) and does not move at ALL.

he sinks into the chair, kicks his feet out into the sand, and BEACH BUMS. He melts into the ground. he becomes one with the beach. he is in MAXY RELAXY mode and the ONLY THING that could move him is if Winter, in a moment of cloudy weather, asks to go for a walk or swim with him

he'll be out of that chair SO FAST

But that's IT

Some say he COINED the term beach bum; he INVENTED it! He is the OG beach bum

He will also on occasion substitute the sand for the water, and his chair for a beach floaty

these leads to a fun game Jacqueline, Fino, and Fiera enjoy called TIP DAD INTO THE WATER! They never win. Unless Jack plays. Jack always wins

(Both of these Blaise scenarios work best picturing him in the trunks and funky shirt >:)

If Summer finds out that her sister is at the beach, she will put everything aside to go hang out with Winter! The pair will spend the ENTIRE day chatting up a storm (literally on one occasion. the resulting tsunami was surfed by Jack and averted by Summer being the literal season and the one with the fastest reflexes) and lounging about together for the day while Blaise melts beside them

I never thought about the twins trying to make glass out of sand, but I am thinking about it now! Summer shows them how. They have yet to master it, but they're getting close!

(Summer fears the day that they learn she can do much the same but with diamonds, as they both will want to learn it immediately!)

The Twins are the most active people you'll ever see on a beach! They spend a LOT of time swimming, mostly splashing the crap out of each other (and the cold front if they join, but Jacqueline is really good at splashing them BIG TIME)

They make HUGE sand structures and run amok, with NO concept of beach spot boundary etiquette which means a lot of people have to deal with, you know, messy blankets, sand flying up as the pair rush by, sparks threatening to set fire to their dry beach towels, and so on and so on. The lucky ones only have to deal with a sand structure potentially cropping up beside them!

Aside from that, most people actually don't mind too terribly when the Frosts hit up the beach! Which is gr8, bc they be in situations a LOT, and Blaise deals with the dumbest people sometimes, so they're more than happy to see them chillin'

A lot of magibeans are quite happy when the twins are in the water! It warms up NICELY. Not that it's FREEZING. I mean, the South is HOT so the Arctic Sea can be refreshing, and Summer pulls some strings to take the edge of that portion of the CS shoreline--it's just nice to have warm water knowing it is because of magic children gifted with fire manipulation and not, you know, PEE

Though Fiera sometimes snickers when people say that, which gives Fino cause to be SUS

Fiera gets buried in the sand at some point by Fino and hangs out there, watching her twin wading in the shallows, trying to catch some minnows with a little net

Like. The Twins try to do ALL the beach things at once!

ALL OF THEM

And if they make rivals via sand castles or any other beach sport, it's an EXPERIENCE

Since Blinter is checked out, Jack usually takes up the "parent" part, but in the most big brother way you could imagine: very irresponsibly, encouraging the rivalries and participating until all four kiddos end up defeating said rivals

This has happened more than once. Jacqueline has lost count.

SPEAKING OF THE FROSTY BASTARD HIMSELF, He camps at the bar! He gets ALL the local gossip on beach days. ALL OF IT

Later he shares with Blinter and when Blaise gets into work the next day, my GOD do people get OWNED and does shit get DONE.

Everyone's like wow Blaise! Relaxing looks good on you!

And Blaise chuckles like thanks, but inside he's just a gossipy old man and so is his son >:)

BUT ANYWAY Jack deffs wades into the surf, ankle deep, sipping his drink and freezing the water as people drift by. He gets a kick out of it; it's very amusing, even more so when they can't tell why it's happening, AND DOUBLY SO when he does it to the Twins

who THEN proceed to warm it up again, only for him to freeze it again, and it goes on and on and Jacqueline watches from her chair like "Fino and Fiera are two halves of a whole idiot"

Jacqueline would be the person roped into a volleyball game and kicking ass with her new magibean pals

She also will go for swims too! And beach walks! And she'll hang out in the shores with Jack to shoot the sleet as he antagonizes the swimmers

That's how Jack gets his Legate gossip >:)

Joke's on him, bc that's how Jacqueline gets the latest goss on the Legends

>:) >:) >:)

SOMETIMES DITE APPEARS! And when this happens, it's bc she heard there was a beach day and jumped at the opportunity to stare at her beautiful curvy lil girlfriend in one of her fave locations

Jacqueline LOVES when this happens bc then she can spend the entire time staring at her strong gf bc Dite goes full bikini and Jacqueline is positively ENTHRALLED with her all day

And vice versa with Dite @ Jacqueline 😂😂

On these occasions, Winter scoots closer to Blaise's chair, rousing him from his zen mode to try and once again figure out where on earth Jacqueline gets her curves from

"You're curvy," says Blaise. "Well yes, but also, not quite; I have some unfortunate lankiness here and there. Perhaps she gets it from your mother?" To which Blaise SCOFFS and says "That woman was ballroom gown shaped, I am convinced. She may not have even HAD legs." And Winter giggles and says "Well, it shall remain a mystery, I suppose."

the things parents discuss about their kids! (my parents have this discussion about my nose quite often. I think wedding photos finally put that debate to rest tho)

Jacqueline, funnily enough, actually gets the curves from her maternal grandmother, the Snow Queen.

She was a very curvy woman, so much so that the Winter Warlock called her "Bodacious Bianca", and, well, Bianca simply didn't have the heart to tell him that "bodacious" doesn't quite mean what he thinks it means.

(had she, he would've replied like so: "Ah, yes, but you see, that's the beauty of words! They can mean whatEVER you want them to! And that's why I'm one of the best Warlocks there has been >:)" and she would laugh in kind at her silly little warlock)

(Queen Frost probably HATED him, given that she considered herSELF the best Warlock and did NOT appreciate this man in dress pyjamas and bunny slippers and pointy hats bouncing around claiming to be better than her)

(it was a very one sided rivalry, for certain)

(Unless Winter Senior knew she hated him and hammed it up just to piss her off more, which, goofiness aside, is highly probable)

BUT YEAH

BEACH DAY

I think that about cover all my musings! Honestly, a CS beach episode would go SO well. The Frosts would just have a very good time, probably at the expense of a couple of disgruntled magibeans but hey, can't win them all, Blaise always says.

but yeah! It'd go VERY well! An enjoyable day for them all! I think in an actual beach episode, Jack would be gossiping, Jacqueline would be chilling, the Twins would have a BEACH DAY BUCKET LIST and try to do it all, upsetting a few people on the way. By the end of the day, they have a small angry mob and Fino and Fiera look at each other like >:) because guess what the last thing on their list was?

When it's time to head home the Twins are soaked (crowd tossed them into the sea and they love every second of it), Jack is burnt af bc he BURNS BAD, Winter is chipper, Blaise is seven shades darker and so relaxed he's actually slouching, and Jacqueline has a first place volleyball trophy in her hands, a group of magibeans waving bye to her, one of them miming CALL ME.

They return later once the beach is clear to collect abandoned/forgotten sand toys, bc I used to do that with my cousins and our grandfather and I can see Blaise walking on the beach in the sunset, twins skipping ahead and collecting loose toys, tossing them into their big red bucket!

When they get home, the Twins pass out bc long, energetic day, and Blinter enjoy a quiet evening with Jack, who they chat with all evening while Jacqueline sleeps on the couch!

[taffycandyqt]

Please No

You can't sleep and seek company in your misery through your best friend. However he's not at home.

Masterlist

Request Rules

OH MY GOSH IM NOT DEAD! In all honesty I haven't been super motivated lately but I started this personal project a LOOOOOOONG time ago and felt I couldn't move on to other requests before I finished it. When I started this I felt really inspired to make it solely because I feel there is simply not enough Donatello fluff in this world, especially in 03' and 12' s case. So I hope you like it!

2012 Donnie x reader

Aged up, all characters are college/older adult age, depends on how you want to read it.

Fluff, slightly angst if you really want it to be there

Fem reader

Sleeping was always a struggle for you. Logically you knew you needed sleep, physically you felt tired, but mentally you just couldn't bring yourself to do it. Your body hated the idea and actually laying down and sleeping, so you went to the only person you KNEW would be up right now.

Casey Jones.

He was annoying when you first met him be he was chill enough that he grew on you pretty quickly. Not to mention that if it weren't for him you wouldn't have met your now boyfriend. You always enjoyed spending time with Donnie but trying to pin him down was hard especially since you didn't know where he lived. He didn't want you to meet his brothers just yet, says he wants time to adjust to your guys relationship before being teased. Which, fair. SO! To Casey's you went. You two usually met up at grueling times of the night so it was customary to clime up each other's fire escapes and practically break into the other person's house. You'd either scare each other awake or find the other sitting in their kitchen shoveling cereal into their mouth watching conspiracies on YouTube.

Tonight though, nothing. Like the dude up and vanished. You checked the kitchen and his room. You even went as far as to check the bathroom. THAT WAS HIS WHOLE APARTMENT! Did he have just as an abhorrent sleep schedule as you? Yes, but he never left the house to make it a strangers problem. So to ease your nerves you decided to call him, if that doesn't work, your gonna pray Donnie is awake enough to answer the phone.

One ring. Two ring. Third ring...

"This is THE Casey Jones." You breathed out a sigh of relief. He isn't kidnapped, dead, or lying in a ditch high of weed somewhere.

"Hey man, just dropped by your place, where you at?"

"Oooooh, one of those nights huh?"

"Isn't it always?"

"heh, I feel ya. Here I'll text you my location so we can chill." after that you heard talking from the other side of the phone. Someone that wasn't Casey. But before you could ask any questions Casey quickly responded to whatever it was that they said.

"SHUT UP! ILL KICK YOUR BUTT INTO NEXT WEEK, BUD!" ending with extra sass on the 'bud'.

That's when you got his text. Perfect!

---

Orrrr not. You swear you followed the directions exactly, so why are you standing in the middle of an alleyway being told to go forward when THERE IS NO FORWARD! Being the reasonable person you are you blamed it all on Casey and let him know of your little predicament.

And, 'wait there, just a sec was his reply.' You didn't think Casey would be the kind of person to plot someone else's demise. Not that he he hasn't caused someone else's demise, he just doesn't have the forethought to think ahead about it. However this whole, standing in an alley in New York at 2 am alone, is really starting to feel like a plot.

Once again, your nerves started rising. You looked around the old bricks, worn with water damage and scraping and covered in graffiti. The dark distorted your surroundings making it unclear if you were really alone in that alley or not. The stench of the trash bags shoved as close to the corners and walls as possible started to get to you. Your breathing got a little heavier. The ominous lighting from the street lamp didn't help either. Then a sound rose above the scampering feet of rats. You turn to see the man hole cover slowly scrap along the concrete as a large gloved hand shoved it away. The darkness of the alley clouded the figure and with the covering gone the hole left seemed like a endless pool of inky nothingness. You were stiff as a board and you could hear your heart thrashing in your ears. This is it. This is where you die and it's all Casey Jones's fault.

"Hey you did make it! Nice!"

Your threw a scrapped can square at his face.

"Ow!"

"CASEY! YOU SCARED ME!"

"Yo chill! I told you I was coming to get you!"

"YOU TOLD ME TO WAIT, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE FRICK YOU WERE DOING! GOSH CASEY! WHAT WERE YOU EVEN DOING DOWN THERE!?"

"Hehe, come on. I'll show you," he winked at you before gesturing you to enter into the manhole first.

"No."

"Oh come on! Don't you trust me?"

"NO! Also gross. I'm not going down there just for the heck of it Casey. I have never been curious what New Yorks sewer system looks like."

"It's not about the sewers! We just have to walk through the system to get to the place," he told you mildly annoyed.

"And your purposely being suspicious about 'the place', because?"

"Because that's a surprise,"

"Oh joy. I just love surprises at 2 in the freaking morning, in the sewers, wearing my pajamas," you snarked as you lowered yourself down the manhole scowling slightly.

Casey led you through the sewers keeping a brisk pace. You asked him about the voice you hear over the phone earlier and all he told you was that it was part of the surprise. To which you rolled your eyes.

"You seem pretty confident on where your walking," you remarked.

"Well I sure hope so!" he laughed to himself, "I've only been coming here since highschool."

Him saying that struck a possible idea of what his "surprise" could be. But you couldn't be sure.

You initially met Casey in college. Not that he went to collage, he just crashed a class that you shared with his friend. He called her red, talked about her a lot too. You didn't really know her outside of that one class. It felt strange to know so many details about someone you've never talked to. He did mention that she was Donnies first crush but Donnie never talked about her though so you didn't really care much for that detail.

You knew that Casey had known Donnie, his brothers, and "red" since high school. He told you about their adventures all the time. Sometimes it made you feel a little disconnected, especially since the only people you ever knew from the group were Donnie and Casey. But you tried not to let that feeling get to you. It would simply take time. Besides, even if you're newer and don't know the whole group, neither Donnie or Casey ever made you feel like you weren't a part.

The thing is though, is that Casey only mentioned highschool when talking about the turtles. So while it is a loose assumption, you had an idea of what he might be planning. Part of you really hoped it wasn't what you were thinking. The other part really REALLY wanted it to be what you thought. But the majority part was to tired to care and just wanted something to do.

After a short walk you noticed the sewer transition into an abandoned subway station. That's when you heard the sounds of videogames and people. The smell of pizza lingered in the air the closer you walked to the sound. Eventually you got to the part of the station where lights lit up the dark space.

When you got to the entrance, you saw two turtles playing videogames. Pizza boxes littered the floor, some of them containing pizza, some completely empty. You were a little stunned honestly. Donnie had a genuine reason for not introducing you to his family, you didn't want to cross that line. But at the same time, you really needed a brain rotting distraction. You hesitated. But when Casey gestured you to go first through the turnstile first, that hesitation crumbled. You just wanted some pizza, was that so wrong? I mean you were already here, might as well just commit. You and Casey passed through and neither of the brothers tired to look at you. The one in red acknowledge the sound by saying,

"Welcome back Case."

"What didja need to do that you left so fast brah?" Asked the orange one.

"My best bud needed A.M. pizza, so I figured here would be the best place for her to get some," Casey told them patting your back before taking his seat next to the orange brother and picking up an abandoned controller. You followed, feeling out of place, you sat beside him.

This got reds attention.

"I'm sorry, she?" He paused the game to look over at you.

"WHAT?! CASEY WHO THE HECK IS SHE?? YOU CAN'T JUST BRING RANDOM PEOPLE DOWN HERE!"

"Dude chill out! First of all, shes not random, she's y/n," reds eye twitched, "Secondly, it's no biggie, she already knows Donnie, she's no snitch."

You smacked Casey's arm and shook your head.

"Hey! your already here aren't you?" he whined at you.

"Wait, how do you already know Donnie?" orange finally spoke up.

"Yeah, who are you anyways?" red questioned you.

"I-um. Hi, I'm y/n" you stiffly introduced.

You felt very awkward about this whole situation.

"And you know Don, how?" red reiterated impatiently.

You decided to play dumb.

"What do you mean?"

"How do you know Donnie?! Oh my gosh are you dumb?!"

"No, I get what you asked, but in what way?"

"THE FRICK DO YOU MEAN 'IN WHAT WAY?' HOW DO YOU KNOW MY BROTHER?!"

You both went back and forth like that for a while. Little did you know that this was Casey's plan all along. He had talked to Donnie about introducing you the family but he always said it "wasn't the right time". You and Donnie had been dating for almost a year now and had known each other even longer. Yet his brothers had yet to know you even existed! Knowing you, you wouldn't push the issue because you didn't want to pressure your poor boyfriend. You were under the false pretence that he would come around eventually. The truth is, he wouldn't. And it wasn't because of his brothers teasing.

They would still tease him yes, but they've grown, they know the line. The real reason Donnie hadn't introduced you was because one; he wanted you to himself. And two, the biggest reason; he was embarrassed of where he lived. Yes his home was cleanly and all but it was still a sewer. It had taken a long time for him to begin to believe that you actually thought he was attractive and not some kind of monster. Living in the sewer though? What if that breaks your entire image of him? What if you think he really is some slimy gross sewer monster after? He couldn't bear the thought. After being with you for so long, he doesn't think he could live without you.

It took a lot of nagging but when Casey finally broke him and that was the explanation he gave? Casey was so done. So he took matters into his own hands. He waited for the opportunity to present itself and tonight was the night.

"Dudes!" orange interjected, "Chillll. Ever consider that maybe she won't say cuz we haven't introduced ourselves yet?? Hmmmmmmmmm?"

He chewed red out. Red just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Mikey, and that grump is Raph," he told you, "He's been awake too long, he gets fussy without his nap."

You giggled at this, but before you could say anything back Raph had tackled Mikey to the floor. As they rustled you made a small laugh.

"What is going on in here so late?" you heard someone say from behind you. You turned to where it was coming from and saw the third brother you had yet to meet. Blue.

Before he could say anything to Raph or Mikey though, he made eye contact with you.

"Who are you?"

"This is my best bud y/n. Y/n, the fearless leader Leo," Casey introduced.

"Don't call me that Casey," he told him sternly. He walked over to you guys and took a seat in the other side of you.

"You know Case, if I wasn't half asleep I'd be way more upset about you bringing a stranger to the lair."

"She's not a stranger though, she's known Donnie for a while now. Besides we already got yelled at enough by Raph," Casey told him.

He humm and nodded in a 'that makes sense type' of way.

"So you've know Donnie for a while?" he asked.

You felt like could tell Leo just as much as you could tell Raph. Which was nothing. But you felt like Leo would be more receptive to a reasonable answer then Raph was.

"I'd tell you, but I'm not at liberty to say right now," you said.

"That's not suspicious at all," he teased.

"Hey!" you laughed at him and he laughed back.

Casey elbowed you and smiled proudly. He acted like he deserved a thank you for introducing you to your boyfriends family behind his back. All you did was elbow him in the ribs. That was he really deserved. You would be lying though if you said it wasn't an oddly fun situation.

That's when Raph had pinned Mikey and he started screaming.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I COULDN'T HEAR YOUR BEFORE?!" Raph yelled at him with this hands pushing Mikey's head to the floor.

"AAAAAAAAA!!" was all Mikey said him response.

Leo sighed next to you, "I guess I'll be taking care of that."

Before he could make a move though, you heard a familiar voice.

"What is going on out here?! I can't work with all this RACKET!" Donnie grumply shouted.

He stopped right in his tracks when he saw you though.

The only time you had seen Donnie that worked up was when an experiment failed or his brothers got on his nerves. Even then though, it was just venting after the fact, so you never witnessed the brunt of his frustrations. Safe to say you were a little startled, not put off or anything, just surprised mostly.

"Y- y- y- y Y/N?! What in Earth are you doing here?? At this hour? Here? I- ??" he was completely flabbergasted and udderly mortified.

He looked a mess, bags under his eyes, mask lazily pushed above his eyes, and not to mention yelling like an angry old man! Oh nononono. It was bad enough you were in his sewer home, there's no way you don't think his a monster now!

"Would you look at that, guess you did know Don after all," Raph said, head in hand while an elbow laid on Mikey's head.

You turned back to Raph, "Why would I lie about that?!"

This boy was unbelievable.

"Raph get off Mikey," Leo told him.

"Not until he says it!"

"Really Raph? I though you stopped doing that when we were teens."

Deciding that you needn't be involved in that conversation, you turned back to Donnie who had a horrified expression on his face.

"H- how long have you been down here?" he asked quietly.

"Not super long, Casey and I only got here like, a few minutes ago," you answered him.

Donnie took a deep breath, he looked like he was about to loose it. You didn't blame him honestly.

"You. Brought. Her. Here?!" he asked Casey. Clearly hanging by the thread of his last nerve.

"Yeah, s'not like you ever would have, so I took matters into my own hands. Besides she's my friend just as much as she's your girlfriend, I have a right to introduce her to my closest buds."

"Wait. Did you just say, girlfriend?" Mikey asked. Leo was helping him off the floor with a displeased Raph standing to the side. They all froze after Casey's statement and started at you and Donnie with wide eyes.

"JONES!" you both yelled at him in unison.

"What? They were gonna haft'a know eventually, I just got the awkward part out of the way for you," he shrugged and winked at you both.

You were gonna kill him. And by the looks of it Donnie and you were on the same page.

You pinched the bridge of your nose and let out a sigh.

"Okay, I think Donnie and I need to have a private conversation. When we're done we'll clear everything up with you all. Okay?"

"That sounds good," Leo nodded while everyone else complained.

You turned to Donnie signaling to lead the way to wherever you two could have some alone time. He seemed nervous and jittery, but led you none the less. He let you in first through a big sliding door that opened up into what seemed to be a garage. It had tables with tools and other electronic equipment strewn around. There were chemistry supplies as well along with some posters in the walls.

"So," Donnie started, fixing his gaze on the floor, "you wanted to talk?" He adjusted his mask to fit back over his eyes.

"Uh, yeah," you answered. Why was the air so thick all of a sudden? Donnie was so closed in on himself it was almost like he was afraid of you. Honestly, you wanted to ask him why Casey said he would never take you down here. But now wasn't the time for that.

"What do you want to do now? I know you wanted to introduce me on your own terms but now that that's not really a possibility. So where do you wanna go from here?" You asked.

You figured it would best to have a game plan before explaining everything to his brothers.

"I understan- Wait what?" He looked at you confused.

"Uuhhh, where do you want to go from here? Ya know, now that your brothers know?" You repeated yourself. Now you were confused.

"I. Wha. That's all you have to say?" Donnie said mouth agape, shocked.

"What? I mean, about this situation yeah? I mean, I am curious why Casey felt the need to do this but that's not really my first priority right now. Am- am I missing something here?" You asked him.

"I- I thought... I live in a sewer," he told you.

"You thought you lived in a sewer?" Your confusion increasing, "Like. You didn't know?"

"No! I know that! I just... you don't care?"

"Why would I care? I'm sorry," you put a hand to your forehead, "did you think I would judge you for your living conditions? Which are honestly pretty cush. Who do you take me fore Don?!"

"I! Well it's not that I thought you would judge me, it's just... I'm a mutant. Living in the sewers just- I don't know. The only things you think of living in the sewers are creepy gross monsters or rodents. On top of that it's the sewers! Most people find that pretty gross."

"Donnie. We've known each other for longer then a year. If I was disgusted by you, you would know by now," you spoke dryly.

"All this time I thought you just needed to get used to things. But you were just assuming the worst about me? What the heck Donnie?" You were hurt. You loved him so much, and he thought you would leave him because of where he lives? He really thought you were that judgemental?

"What?! No! I wasn't assuming the worst about you! I was just afraid you'd realize you deserve better than me!"

"BUT YOU'RE ALL I WANT!"

He stopped and looked at you, eyes wide.

"Really?"

"Yes! And I hate it when you talk like you're not deserving of love just because you're mutant."

"I just... I just don't see what you see in me," he admitted.

"Then stop assuming things and closing yourself off. Talk to your family, talk to your friends, talk to me. I never worry about whether or not you love me, you've seen me at my worst and never left my side. You're so scared of how I'll react to your worst you never even give me a chance to show you," you grabbed his hand and looked him in the eye.

"You don't get to decide how I feel or what I think, only I do."

"You're right, I'm sorry. Sorry for assuming things, things about you, and for taking so long to introduce you."

You kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you," you smiled at him. Then pinched his neck and pulled him to you.

"Ow ow ow ow!"

"And never do that again," you let him go.

"Yes of course absolutely never again," he nodded and smiled at you. You smiled back and patted his chest.

"Now before we continue the conversation of how to approach your family, I feel like we should address the eavesdroppers in the room," you said pulling back the door all the way. It was already cracked open to allow the peepers better visuals for your conversation.

As it slid open you noticed Casey and the three brothers trying to run away from the door.

"What! Guys! What part of private conversation do you not understand?!" Donnie yelled at them.

"I told you guys you shouldn't have done that," Leo scolded them.

"YOU LITERALLY JOINED RIGHT AFTER SAYING THAT!" Raph pointed an accusatory finger at him, "AND FOR THE RECORD IT WAS MIKEY'S IDEA!" He yelled moving his pointing to the youngest.

"Wow dude, I thought we were in this together," Mikey put a hand on his chest hurt.

"Well in the end it doesn't matter cuz it already happened right?" Casey shrugged and took a seat on the couch again.

Out of everyone here you and Donnie were most ticked at Casey.

Both you and Donnie approached him from behind and grabbed one of his shoulders.

"W-what? Uhhh. You dudes need something? Eh heh..." he stuttered nervous. Only just now did he realize the hole he had dug for himself.

"Why don't we have a chat Casey," you smiled but it was less of a question and more of a statement.

"Privately," Donnie finished, no smile to be found.

You both were gonna have fun with this. Then Donnie could take you home and tuck you in. What a great boyfriend girlfriend bonding activity!

------------------------------------------------------------Listen y'all, I know Google maps don't work like this, but just for the sake of plot pretend like it does.

[echobx]

the one with the notes - JJ Maybank × ex!fem!reader

summary: you get to know someone knew, but it doesn't feel right

warnings: miscommunication, reader getting hurt (accident), angsty

word count: 2k

author's note: apparently I can write as long as it helps me avoid my life, so yeah. part 2 bc I have an important project to finish and my brain won't let me. but at least I can write, right? right? 😭😭😭😭

part 1

It starts slow. Simple glances, sharing smiles, a drowned out “hi” in a hallway.

For two people who had been attached by their hips just three months ago, you really don't seem like you are even more than acquaintances at this point. But you know there's more.

It's in the way he looks at you, how he flips you off when he feels you stare, how he makes you laugh from across the classroom.

It's in the way you don't even notice that the new guy has been standing next to you, trying to ask you out for prom; because all you can think of is how good JJ would look in a tux.

“So, do you wanna go to prom with me?” he asks again, and you blink twice, then a third time.

“Sorry?” you don't mean to be rude, but you can't picture yourself at prom, even with the right person it would feel wrong.

“You and me, prom?” Sammy asks, and you shake your head to clear your thoughts.

“Uhm, I mean- Can you give me a day? I don't, uhm- I have to check my schedule, my mom has a dinner sometime that week that I have to attend,” you reply, and he nods, a smile spreading on his face.

“I can color code with you, if you say yes,” he suggests and hands you a small piece of paper. “That's my number, probably easier that way.”

The whole lesson, your mind is running haywire. Was it really just acquaintances? People who say hi in the hallway, who smile at each other in passing. None of it had any meaning, and you had to convince yourself of that. Because anything else would cause you to spiral, and if it wasn't real (it couldn't be) you'd just end up worse than the first time round.

You hold onto the paper, unsure what to do, but when you look up again he has vanished.

You walk to biology, head a complete mess, and out of pure habit of heart your feet carry you to JJ. Sitting down beside him without saying a word, and all he can do is look at you.

“You know, I don't think Steven will like that you're stealing his lab partner,” he whispers, and you finally snap out of it and look up at him.

“What?”

“You don't sit here anymore,” JJ reminds you, but when you nod to get up, he holds you back. “It's okay, stay.”

“I should really get to my seat,” you look at him, and he lets go of your wrist.

“Will you tell me why you are so out of it, or is it a secret?” JJ holds his index to his lips, indicating secrecy, which makes you chuckle. He looks good, his shirt is clean and there are no rings under his eyes. All in all he looks more put together than you felt all month.

“Uhm, I don't know, it's just-” you take a deep breath and look down at the balled up paper in your hand. “Sammy asked me to go to prom with him,” you whisper and JJ huffs.

“Who?”

“Sammy, the new guy,” you mumble and look up at him. You had expected him to be displeased with it, to hate the idea, but instead he was simply surprised.

“He seems nice,” JJ shrugs and turns to look out front. “Does he know that it's still a whole month until that thing?”

If you didn't know better, you'd say there's a little jealousy swinging in his voice. But you do know better, and throw the idea straight into the mental trash can, the same one that is filled to the brim with the idea that you could win him back somehow.

“No, I think he does. Just wanted to give me time to shop for a dress. Color matching and all,” you mutter, and JJ nods, scrunching up his nose as if he was about to start making fun of the guy.

“Color matching,” he repeats and shakes his head, not saying a single thing as you get up and walk over to your actual seat, making space for Steven, who had just walked in and was giving you a confused look.

You spend more time with him over the following month. He helps you pick out the dress, he is all in all a good friend to you. And you know it's not just friendship that he seeks, but you aren't ready for more, not yet. Yet, he's understanding of your situation, of your feelings and for some reason you don't even question why he would be interested in you. Getting to know Sammy is inherently different from how it was with JJ.

The next day you tell Sammy that it's okay, and he's rather giddy over it, more so than you.

Sammy is sweet and nice, and he has your mom wrapped around his finger, but if you are truly honest with yourself, it's not enough.

And you can't stop comparing him to J. To how he would make you laugh with stupid, childish things. To the way he'd look at you, especially before bed when you felt like your worst. JJ is all you had ever wanted, and more. But you had fucked it up because you have issues.

You know deep in your heart that JJ would've never cheated on you, he loved you too much to hurt you in such a way. But your brain and its stupid chemicals didn't let you love him in peace.

He'd just have to talk to a girl that wasn't you or Sarah or Kie and your blood would start boiling. It didn't even make sense to you, which was the worst part. You didn't understand why you were jealous like that, and you hated yourself for it. And no matter how hard he had tried to make it easier for you, it didn't help.

But you don't think much of it. You don't know the handwriting, and the most likely culprit is Sammy after all. He's the one who showers you with compliments every single day, so it doesn't seem far off that he'd slip a few notes into your locker.

That month is also when the notes start. Small folded colorful pieces of paper with words on them. “You look beautiful, today” or “I love your smile.”

You spend most of the time dancing, with Sammy, not even noticing the pair of eyes that linger in the dark, always watching you.

You arrive at the school that night in your light blue dress, ready to have at least a bit of fun before the year ends.

When you go to the bathroom, you run into Kie, and she almost falls over, but you catch her.

“Thanks, y/n,” she smiles, but it's not the genuine smile you know of her.

“No problem,” you mumble and keep walking when she speaks up.

“You know, it's pretty fucked up that you keep stringing him along like that.”

“What?” you turn to look at her.

“He left you all those notes, and you are too caught up with the new guy to even look at him anymore. That's fucked up, and you know it,” she scoffs, and you feel like you got hit by a car. It takes some time for it to settle, but by that point she is already gone, back towards the gym.

“What?” she turns and snaps. “I think you've done enough.”

“Kie! Kie wait!” you scream while running after her. It doesn't matter to you that you might cause a scene, not when it's this important.

“It's your handwriting,” you pant and she laughs.

“Of course it's my handwriting. And the fact that you didn't even think of that- What's it like in that head of yours? Cozy? Cuddled up and ignoring the pain you cause the people around you?”

“That's not fair,” you shake your head. A few people had turned to see what was going on, but most were still unaware of it all. Of the mess you had created unknowingly.

“It's not fair to fuck someone over the way you did. That's what's not fair, y/n! Fuck, I don't even know why he still loves you,” she sneers and your heart drops some more. It hadn't occurred to you that he had been honest that day. It hadn't occurred to you that he hadn't just said it to calm you down.

“But that's not- I will fix it,” your eyes jump around the room, not fixing on anything in particular, especially not the painful expression on Sammy's face. “I can fix it.”

“You can't fix shit, y/n/n. Couldn't even fix yourself,” Kie scoffs.

“I'm gonna fix it, I have to.”

“Why should he ever care?” she snaps, and you stare at her in fury.

“Because I love him, Kie. I love him. I love JJ,” you yell at her, but the sound of a glass shattering on the floor makes Kiara turn.

You run after him, yelling his name, but he's faster than you, mainly because you are in heels. And there it is again, the overwhelming feeling of guilt, and the pain that comes hand in hand with it. It's the same as the night you had broken up with JJ, the same you had felt waking up to an empty bed after-

The glass filled with punch, that Sammy had held, has slipped out of his hand, but his eyes are fixed on you. It takes a second for him to turn and walk away, and you don't know what to do. You never meant to hurt him, that had never been the plan.

“Y/n/n, wake up. Please, my love,” JJ begs, and you open your eyes. His blue eyes are filled with tears, but he starts to smile, brushing over your cheek.

“Y/N?” You can hear someone calling out for you, but it sounds far away, too far to be real. “Wake up, baby, come on,” JJ's voice buries itself in your mind, but you know it can't be true. He doesn't even go to prom, he wouldn't be here, you're hallucinating.

“Hi,” your voice is raspy and doesn't sound at all like you.

“Hi,” he grins, tears wetting his cheeks.

“What happened?” you hush, and then you feel a stinging pain on your forehead, but when you reach for it, he stops you.

“It's okay, we're taking you to the ER. You fell down the stairs in front of the gym,” he explains.

“I can't remember,” you whisper, the pounding in your head is making it hard to concentrate.

“I know, I'll tell you when you're better. Please just, stay still, all right,” he whispers and you nod a single time.

“I love you,” you mutter before losing consciousness the second time that night.

“JJ?” you ask quietly, but the noise of the engine is drowning out every other sound, and you can only see him move his lips, no words coming to your ears.

When you wake up at the hospital, you are alone. You can see your mother outside your room talking to a doctor, but the person you needed most isn't there.

Your heart clenches, it hurts worse than your head.

“How do you feel?” your mom asks after sitting back down by your side.

“Like I was run over and trampled on by a herd of angry rhinos,” you mutter.

“They say you have a concussion, on top of that laceration,” she says and points at your head.

“Where's JJ?” you ask and her soothing smile drops.

“I told him to go home.”

“Why?”

“Because he's the reason you are in this mess, honey,” she tries to hold your hand, but you pull away.

“That's not true. He saved me,” you whisper and turn away from her, facing the window and wishing you had never made the mistake of breaking up with him.

please don't copy and/or post my work onto other platforms! ~e©ho

taglist: @ijustwantttoread @spideysimpossiblegirl @redhead1180 @princessmaybank @kys4-20 @drwstarkeyy @immyowndefender @julczimozart

[lostmykiliel]

MileApoBasTong Live

[29.02.2024]

There were so many cute moments that I need to share:

It was announced as Tong hosting the IG live but instead Apo hosted, which confused Mile as well. [Translation]:

Shortly after Apo praised/teased Mile again, with something like 'The person who just became a friend of high jewelry brand is so cool and good looking':

Then Bas & Tong joined and third-wheeled throughout the whole live, like here where Mile is trying to use the same filter as Apo:

Followed by two moments where Mile is entirely smitten:

A little brand promotion:

Tong speaking nothing but the truth:

Bas (about Mile's reaction to Apo's cuteness): 'Look, P'My likes it. Haha. Look at the smiley face and love it hahahaha! I'm sorry':

And last but not least this:

Apo (trying to be flirty with fans): 'Previously we say “Do you want to see the cat in my room”, but now we say “Let’s watch Netflix in our room, watch Mansuang”'

Mile (intervening, from fans perspective*): 'I don’t go, I answer I don’t go because I have the same app (on my hand)'

Apo: 'Ahhh, if they say watch on the phone. It’s ok. If you’re not watching in the room, I’ll take…then I’ll take you to watch it everywhere. Aye~ cause you can watch it on the phone right? Going on the plane or anywhere, you can watch it, right?'

*Explanation:

Not his smile vanishing and replying for us, so we won't get any weird ideas...

[whoisshel]

The Vanishing of Will Byers

pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

word count: 2075

tw: swearing

It’s late on a school night as Y/N Y/L sits on your bed reading with just the bedside lamp on. Too deep in your book, you don't notice the bedroom window slowly opening until something falls through it onto the floor. As the thing lands on the ground with a loud thud, you let out a high pitched scream before throwing your book at it.

“Ow.” Came from the thing on the ground causing you to open your eyes and look at it as it rubs his head full of wild long, curly hair.

“What the hell, Eddie!” You hissed at your boyfriend, who stood up from the ground with your book in his hand.

“I should be the one saying that, seeing as you just hit me in the head with your book.” Eddie said, shaking the book, with a growing smirk on his face.

“You’re the one who just broke into my house.” You replied walking towards Eddie, grabbing onto his leather jacket to pull him closer, “My parents aren’t home, you could’ve used the front door.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“What are you doing here anyways?” 

“I wanted to see my favorite girl.” Eddie answered, leaning down to give you a kiss wrapping his arms around your waist.

Pulling back to look straight at Eddie, wearing a small smile, “I thought that was your guitar.”

With the smirk on his face and mischief appearing in his eyes, you knew something bad was coming, but before you could turn around and run, Eddie picked you up by the waist twirling you around as you squealed.

“Noooo, Eddie!” You yelled, before he dropped you on the edge of your bed, falling on top of you.

Moving his hands up from your waist to your face to push your hair away, before grabbing your cheeks, “You just think you’re so funny, don’t you?”

“The funniest.” You answered, leaning up to kiss him longer this time.

You started taking Eddie’s jacket off him as the both of you moved up the bed to get more comfortable. He still had one hand on your cheek while the other moved down to your thigh to lift it up. As you continued kissing, you moved your hands under the back of his shirt, lifting it up a bit. 

Muffled voices from outside caused them to break apart, both of them thinking it was your parents. Eddie got up moving to the window to peek outside, seeing it was just a group of four boys.

“Just your kid neighbor and his friends.” Eddie said, walking back to sit on the bed next to you.”They still play Dungeons and Dragons?”

“Last I’ve heard.” You answered, “Why, going to ask them to join Hellfire Club, nerd.”

“Who are you calling, nerd, Theater geek.”

“Theater is not geeky.” You said, putting a hand over your heart, pretending to be offended. All Eddie did was give an ‘Are you serious?’ look to get you to drop the act. “It is geeky, isn’t it?”

Both of them burst out laughing, Eddie replying with an over exaggerated nod and a big smile. “But your cuteness makes up for it.”

 You lightly shoved his shoulder in a joking manner, but Eddie still fell back on the bed, not before grabbing your waist to take you down with him. You now laid with you hovering over him, your arms holding you up, and his legs still on the ground. Eddie raised one hand pushing your hair away and keeping it there, his eyes searching your whole face. You watched as his eyes roamed your face, “You’re so cheesy.”

“Just for you, baby.” Eddie moved his hands to your waist as you moved to straddle his, before you both continued the kiss from earlier. 

The next morning, you are heading for school listening to Joan Jett and the Blackhearts by yourself in the car, Eddie having left in the middle of the night. 

On your drive, you passed your neighbor, Mike Wheeler, riding his bike with two of his friends instead of three. “That’s weird.” You mumbled with a confused look on your face. Thinking the third kid might be sick or something, you thought nothing more of it.

Slowing down, you honked at them, making the boys jump a little, waving at them to which they returned with a wave back. 

—----------------

You walked into the school and over to your locker that was next to your friends, Jonathan Byers, who was standing at his locker.

“Hey, Jonathan.” You said, snapping him out of his thoughts. You noticed the stressed out look on his face, concerning you. “Are you okay?”

“Um, actually have you seen Will,” Jonathan asked, sadness becoming more evident on his face. “He wasn’t home this morning, I thought maybe he just left for school early, but he wasn’t there.”

Becoming concerned for the young boy and sad for your friend that’s missing his brother, “He left the Wheeler’s last night with the rest of the boys, that’s the last I saw of him.”

“So, you did see him leave Mike’s?” Jonathan became more hopeful with that news.

“Well, I saw him get there, but I only heard them leave.” You confessed, watching some of the hope leave his eyes. “Eddie looked out the window when they left, he might’ve seen something, I’ll ask him.”

“Can you, please?” Jonathan asked hastily, needing answers.

“Yeah, yeah of course.” You answered, still concerned for your friend you put your hand on his arm, looking up at him now noticing his eyes starting to water. You pulled him into a hug saying. “I’m so sorry Jonathan.”

Pulling back from the hug, “Thanks, Y/N, I’m going to go and look for him.”

“Okay, just let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.” Jonathan said, putting a small, fake smile on his face then turning to leave.

“Everything okay with him?” Your other friend, Robin Buckly, asked, coming up behind you.

Turning around to face Robin, You answered, “His brother might be missing.”

“Oh shit, seriously?” 

“Yeah, apparently he wasn’t there in the morning and wasn’t at school.”

“I hope they find him, that sucks.”

“Yeah,” You said, looking down at your feet, before looking back up at Robin, “I’m going to head to the bathroom before class starts, wanna come with?”

“Why not, got nothing better to do.” Robin replied, shrugging her shoulders, walking beside you.

“What else is there to do, go to class early?” You chuckled at your bad joke.

“Gross.” Robin said, laughing with you, about to push the bathroom door open until Nancy Wheeler barged through it.

“Sorry.” Nancy muttered, a blush appearing on her cheeks as she kept walking past the two girls before either of you had time for a reply.

You and Robin looked at each other with a confused, but slightly amused look on your face, before turning back around to head into the bathroom.

When you walked into the bathroom, you both once again stopped in your tracks as you ran into Steve Harrington.

“What are you doing in here, this is the girl’s bathroom, perv.” You knew exactly why he was in here after seeing Nancy leave.

“Oh please, like you and Eddie don’t come in here to do the same thing.” Steve scoffed 

“Eddie and I are classy we makeout under the bleacher or in his van.” You corrected with a smirk. Dropping the smirk, your face turned into a scowl, “Now, get the fuck out of here.”

Steve also had a scowl on his face at your words, shoved past the two leaving the bathroom. You and Robin once again turned to look at each other, bursting out laughing. Calming down a little, you, finally able to talk, said, “We better get to class.”

“Don’t you have to go to the bathroom?”

“I’m good now.” You replied, turning towards the door, walking out.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Robin asked, with a grossed out look on her face, but still chuckling at her friend’s weirdness.

—-------------------

After school is over, you are at your locker putting away books, taking out your backpack and about to close the locker when two hands pull you back by the waist, causing a squeal to leave your mouth. Quickly turning around you sees that it’s Eddie, once again trying to scare you and succeeding.

“Why do you always have to do that?” You asked, hitting Eddie on the chest.

Pushing you back into the lockers, Eddie replied, “It’s fun and your squeal is really adorable.”

“You’re ridiculous.” You snorted, wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss him.

Pulling back, Eddie gave your forehead a kiss, “Alright, I’ve got to get to Hellfire Club, do you have theater?”

“Yeah.” You answered, before you both parted ways, you remembered what you were supposed to ask him, “Oh, did you see Will Byers leaving the Wheeler’s house last night?”

“Which one is he?”

“The scrawny one, with the light brown bowl cut.”

“I’m pretty sure I saw him leave off on a bike, why?”

“You’re only pretty sure, not positive?” You insisted, wanting to know for sure if Will was there or not.

“I don’t know, I just saw three kids leave on a bike.” Eddie persisted, confused on why you were so worried for this kid.

“Three?” You beamed, “That means Will was one of them.”

Grabbing onto your arms, Eddie persisted, “Y/N, what’s going on?”

“Apparently, Will wasn’t home this morning, so Jonathan was asking me if I saw him last night.” You said, letting out a sigh of stress, “But I told him I didn’t see him, but that you may have.”

“Oh man,” Eddie ran a hand through his hair, feeling bad for the Byers family, “There were three kids leaving on bikes last night.”

“Thank you, Eddie.” You said, happily grabbing his cheeks and giving him a big kiss.

“If I get kisses like that, I’ll help out more often.” Eddie joked.

“Alright, Casanova, you get to your nerd club and I’ll go to mine.” You pushed Eddie back, “I’m going to stop at the Byers’ tonight to let him know what you saw and see what else is going on.”

“Okay, be safe.” Eddie said, resting one hand on your hip, giving you a soft kiss before taking a step back.

“You too.”

—------------

Once theater practice was over, you got into your car to head over the Byers’. When you pulled onto their road, you saw the many police cars in their driveways. 

You pulled into the driveway and put the car in park, getting out of the car and walking over to the front door. Seeing it already open, you walked into the house looking around for Jonathan.

“Jonathan!” You called out into the small house.

“Hey, Y/N, I’m in my room!” Jonathan yelled back to his friend.

You walked over to his room, seeing two police officers also in the room, “Hey, what’s going on?” You pulled him into a short hug.

“They found Will’s bike on the side of the road, so they’re checking to see if he might’ve come home.” Jonathan answered, turning back to the cops in his room to ask them a question, “What’re you looking for exactly?”

They both ignore his question as they continue searching the room, you scoff at them. One of the cops kept staring at an “Evil Dead” poster on Jonathan’s wall, “What’s going on there?”

“The tree’s possessed, it’s,” Jonathan paused before continuing, “Going inside her.”

“Yeeeeeesh”  The cop exaggerated.

Before the cop could say anything else around the two teenagers, the other cop cut in, “Hey kid, you got some water or juice or something? Dying here.”

Jonathan only nodded, before the two left the room towards the kitchen.

“Well, I guess I don’t need to tell you that I talked to Eddie and he did see Will leaving Mike’s house.” You said once you two reached the kitchen.

“Thank you for asking him though, and for being here.” Jonathan said, looking down.

“Of course, I wanna help out as much as I can.” You assured him, “We’re going to find him, he’s a smart kid.”

Jonathan smiled, “He really is.” You pulled him in for another hug, this time longer as you felt him start to shake as he held in his sobs.

[neoninky]

TWST Fic: 'Her Devoted Shield': Prologue

Hello friends

It is TIME That's right friends I am beginning to write and post the third full story in my Sacred Crown Chronicles series, "Her Devoted Shield" aka the Diasomnia canon x oc story, featuring my OC Petra Revie and other OCs that will introduced in the prologue and throughout the story.

I will be posting each chapter here and on my AO3 page. If you are a new reader to my series, check out my Masterlist and start with the first story (if you haven't already) "Her Ivory Crown" or else very little in this story will make sense lol. So here we have the (extended) prologue. Likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated. I hope y'all enjoy!

Tagging ze peeps: @foxwitchaine @iscarlettappel @nuitthegoddess @1ndigowitch @wysteriadelights @victoria1676 @yunaemiya @ladyrosemoon @honeyuuyuu @honey-milk-depresso

-Prologue- Outcasts: The Prince and The Guardian

The sun gleamed off of the large, sacred bell as a soft song filled the space inside the bell tower. A freshly carved wooden figure was added to a table already full of other figures. Many trinkets inspired and collected from the City of Flowers surrounded the workspace. A satisfied smile spread across the artist's face as their collection grew. A soft gasp escaped their lips as quickly as they vanished within the shadows as soon as multiple footsteps were heard coming up the stairs. 

"...The Bell of Salvation is this way."

Rollo Flamme entered the open space first, his eyes silently noted the new addition to the table but said nothing as a group of strangers followed behind him. The hidden figure watched the strange boys fill the small space with a pair of curious, bright eyes from their hiding spot and made mental notes about each one. They were an intriguing group for sure, but the tall horned fae stopped their breath in their throat. He paused at the cluttered table to observe the carvings, picking up the newest piece in his gloved hand with a grin.

"These little carvings...did you make these, Flamm?" 

Rollo's brow creased at the little trinkets left out in the open but replied with a simple white lie, "I did not. Our students sometimes come up here for reprieve. Must have been one of them, I suppose."

He looked over his shoulder into the dark corners of the room with a stern look of disapproval. The hiding pair of curious eyes ignored the look as they roved quietly over the new faces. Seeing the amused look on Malleus' face as he gently placed the wooden figure back on the table caused a stir of butterflies in the artist's belly.  They silently shifted among the rafters, watching Rollo and the newcomers talk amongst themselves. Their eyes drifted back to Malleus magnetically. His joy in seeing the gargoyles that also occupied their hideaway made them smile. They were glad that their friends were appreciated by the intriguing visitors. The boys in black uniforms were a diverse bunch: humans, mostly, ones that smelled of roses, of spices, another smelled of salt water and ink, and another possessed a head full of blue flames! Their eyes shifted back to the tall horned fae's two companions, one with hair of moonlight and the other of electricity.  The group soon moved back downstairs but Rollo slowed his pace until he remained alone, again by the table and glaring into the shadows, "...You are being careless, Moselle."

A young woman, seemingly no older than her early twenties, stepped into the light, "They didn't see me, Rollo," she pouted her pink lips as she tucked a pale strand of lilac-colored hair behind her ear, "Who are they?"

"Students from the famous Night Raven College. They will be on our campus for the academic summit," he scowled as he brought the starry cloth to his nose, "it's is important that you stay hidden until they are gone...especially from Malleus Draconia."

The spark in Moselle's dark emerald eyes didn't go unnoticed, "The dragon fae? But why? He's like me..." Her fingers traced along the set of horns on her head. Unlike Malleus', hers curved down and back. Her curious, wondering expression enflamed Rollo's distaste for the draconian fae even further.

Bitterness burned in Rollo's gut as he snapped at her, "He is not. Put it out of your mind. He is a Draconian with terrible power. You are...different. And you must stay here, within your sanctuary. Do you want to end up like the others?"

Moselle shuddered at the memory of her parents, grandparents, and friends disappearing one by one as Fleur City grew over the years. While most fae were left alone in most cases, rare kinds like Moselle were prime targets for hunters. And now she was the only one left. "N-No I don't. I am sorry. I will be more careful." The human that had come to care for her over the years, softened, "Thank you, Moselle. You are a precious bastion to this campus and its students. When night falls, you can sneak down to the river again. But only then." 

Affection had never been his strong suit but the woman smiled warmly nonetheless. She too was a dragon fae but not a Draconian. She wasn't even the same as other dragon fae from Briar Valley. No, her kind resided in the river for several generations until they were hunted and depleted anyway. Though her kind had become somewhat legendary for inspiring the gargoyles that were now famous in Fleur City. It was because of that she and the gargoyles in the bell tower got along so famously. Only the students of Noble Bell knew about her presence on their campus and she was revered as somewhat of a campus guardian for protecting the campus during the violent stormy seasons with her influence on water. Her existence was kept secret from anyone outside the campus for her safety nonetheless.

Rollo's stoicism returned in a heartbeat, "I will be going into the city with our guests. Remember: do not leave until it is dark and do not be seen, Moselle."

"Yes, Rollo," her soft voice followed him as his stern figure descended the stairwell. A wistful sigh escaped her as she sat on the edge of the large opening and looked down at all the people roaming the streets below like ants. " 'Do not be seen...' " she muttered in a deeper voice mimicking Rollo's, "What is he up to anyway? He seems extra stern lately."

She had known Rollo since he was a young boy. She was there when he lost his younger brother. Moselle was given her name by the brothers when they first met. It had been many, many years since she lost her family to poachers, but there was something about the city that kept her close by in its waterways and hidden in plain sight. She was glad she was there on that particular day...

It was raining hard and fast during autumn. The streets were starting to flood in some places causing panic in the city's people. Two young boys were trying to find their way back home to safety when the youngest slipped and was carried into the river's unforgiving waters. Rollo was petrified. He couldn't have been any older than nine years old and his brother barely seven. 

The younger brother's screams could barely be heard over the storm as the young Rollo chased the river currents that stole his brother away with all his might. The tiny human caught the eye of the creature flowing with the water. The scaled titan gently caught the boy on the back of her long neck and lifted him out of the water. The other boy fell over in fear at the sudden appearance of this strange water creature, but the fear soon waned. The younger brother slid off of the creature's neck once she had carefully lowered it onto solid ground, always aware of the other boy and the surrounding buildings. Once the brothers were reunited, they found themselves under the protection of the creature's large wing as she swam alongside them until they reached the main street that led to their house. That's as far as she could go and she remained watchful until the young brothers were out of sight.

No one would believe them, naturally. Even though the storm was swiftly steered away from the city as if guided by magic. That or some other mysterious, unexplainable force. Even so, Rollo and his younger brother spent any spare moment searching for the creature in the river until one clear night, there she was. A beautiful young woman with porcelain skin and curved horns sitting on the banks, waiting for them. There she would stay until the next big storm that she would shield them and others from.

Moselle gave a defeated sigh as she recalled the one incident she could not protect Rollo and his kin from. She had seen his pain, his suffering, from the outside. She saw how he grew cold, more stone-like in his own right as time passed. Rollo had become stern and obsessed with something he kept hidden deep within. The fae looked down into the city just beyond the campus walls and pondered. The colors, the music, and the smells of delicacies flooded the streets, each spreading like wildflowers. Being cloistered away from it all left a massive ache in Moselle's chest. Rollo's words echoed in her restless mind over and over.

Do not leave. Do not be seen. Wait until nightfall...

Or perhaps? The most important part of the equation was that she wasn't seen, yes?

-

The students from Noble Bell and the visiting campuses were in the thick of festivities right as Moselle peeked out of the empty alleyway. Her whole being buzzed with excitement...until she realized how plain her clothes were in comparison to the rest of the people on the street. It couldn't be helped honestly. It's not like she got out that much! True yes but, the raggedy shawl she wore around her head in an attempt to cover her horns along with the faded dress made her stand out even more! Not to mention she was rather tall as well, being a dragon and all.

"Ugh this was a mistake," her frustrated mutters were interrupted by a sudden burst of fireworks coming from the center square. The entire crowd was enraptured with the display coming from various clusters of young mages. So much so that a nearby cart of masks and other accessories was left unattended. Moselle saw an opportunity and took it with a tiny bit of remorse. 

"Sorryyy," she whispered to the distracted merchants as she quickly grabbed a few items before scurrying back to the empty alleyway. With a few makeshift adjustments, Moselle had herself a mask with flowers and ribbons in a crown-like fashion to make her horns look like they were part of a headdress. The final touch was a higher-quality cloak. At least that's what Moselle told herself it was. The reality was some leftover fabric from a ten not being used. It was a nice shade of deep purple and enough to cover most of her height so it would do. 

"Much better," Moselle gave herself a nod of approval before scouting out the area. Moments after spotting Rollo speaking with a teacher from Night Raven, the fae tried to make her way in the opposite direction. She didn't make it far before a drunken, elated festival goer pulled her into a circle of other excited dancers. Any protests she gave were drowned out by the fireworks and cheers from the enthusiastic crowd. She wasn't sure if this feeling was excitement or fear. Moselle didn't have time to decide before the wild dance ended up pulling her straight into another circle of dancers. 

The poor fae was twirled and passed from partner to partner until finally, her balance flew right out the window, landing her right into someone else's shocked arms and chest that she face-planted right into. Her head was spinning as a mumbled apology came tumbling out of her mouth.

"Oh?? Are you alright, Miss?" 

The voice was calm and soothing even with the understandable tinge of surprise. The man's arms caught her instinctively, gently holding her without trespass. Two young men in matching attire were staring at her on either side of her savior. The silver-haired one had a look of concern while the electric green-haired one was somewhere between alarm and defensiveness. Moselle got her bearings right as recognition shocked her entirely making her stand straight up to almost eye level as her savior. The man's voice pulled her gaze into his and two pairs of wide, draconic eyes locked together. It was him. Malleus Draconia felt his entire body tense up. He clocked several things at once: this woman's beautiful slitted eyes, her sleek horns that she was trying to hide, the palpable aura of dragon fae magic radiating off of her, and the stirring buzz in his gut that intensified by having her so close. 

"Hello..." Malleus' voice was soft and curious. Hers was in kind as she gave him a skittish greeting in return. "You're like me," the prince's pupils seemed to dilate slightly with happy surprise.

The pair were momentarily frozen in wonder by each other. Sebek's protest at the stranger's proximity to his lord was swiftly cut off by Silver's gloved hand smacking over his mouth. The older boy would talk with him later but for now, he didn't wish for Malleus' rare moment to be ruined. He had never seen Malleus so entranced by another like this before. 

The austere tone Rollo took with her when Moselle voiced the same thought earlier pricked at the woman's thoughts. "I-I'm not," her shy eyes looked away momentarily, "n-not really."

Betrayal came in the form of her lilac dragon tail suddenly popping out from under her skirt and wagging nervously back and forth. The sight made Malleus chuckle in earnest, "But you are a dragon fae too it seems. Is your family from Briar Valley as well?"

Her confused look threw him off for a bit. Perhaps not? There were still some dragon fae in the world outside the Valley though Malleus had only heard about them from either Lilia or the Senate.

"No? I've never been to this Briar Valley-"

It wasn't until Moselle remembered that wasn't even supposed to be there did she finally took stock of her surroundings. Only one person in the wild crowd had noticed her and it was the last one Moselle ever wanted to be seen by in that situation. Frollo's face was dark with anger once he processed exactly who the woman was and whose arms she had fallen into. Moselle quickly pulled away from the draconian prince with a frightened look in her eyes.

"I-I-I'm so sorry! P-Please excuse me!"  She was gone before Malleus or his companions could say another word. She ran from the square as far and as fast as she could amongst all the chaos the festival had brought. The fireworks boomed overhead as Silver called out to Malleus over the sound. Both rang dully in Malleus' ears as he stood stuck in place, his arms still outstretched from holding the unknown fae women moments before. For one cruel short moment, the prince had felt a warmth he never had before. 

Between Moselle's disobeying him and the brief wistful look on Malleus' face, Rollo's blood began to boil under his re-composed poker face. Well, no matter, he thought to himself, I've already come so far...

-

Moselle watched the sunset from the bell tower. A myriad of feelings were running their course in her mind as she heard voices of the visiting students walking through the school's gates. She had not seen Rollo since she returned. He would be furious with her no doubt. Still...something wasn't right. He did mention going to the river at nightfall which was strange. Normally he was very strict about keeping her hidden away in the tower no matter what. So Moselle stayed put as the sun sank below the horizon. The night was still at first, eerily so. 

"Where is he?" She still had not seen hide nor hair of Rollo since the festival. The breeze seemed to bring an omen with it as it broke the silent night with a burst of chaos and color.

-

"Run! RUN! Into the river!!"

The fading cries from the enchanted gargoyles that had warned Moselle of the aggressive blooms crawling all over the campus echoed in her head as they pushed her toward the open spaces that let her escape outside the bell tower. The dragon fae lept and slid down the metal rooftop, her eyes were clouded with panicked saltwater as she lept from one roof to the next, ever getting closer to the river. The city burned with the consuming light of the red pyres that spread, chasing its denizens into every corner like scurrying rats.  

"What is happening?!" she sobbed before taking one final leap over the outer walls and dove straight into the water. Moselle knew the river like her own skin and was by the underground waterways in seconds. She surfaced only to quickly plunge herself back down when a loud thud kicked up a cloud of dust on the pathway above. Her eyes widened as she slowly poked her face out of the water to see a disgruntled group of boys in disarray. Despite their fancy attire, Moselle remembered them from the bell tower. They were arguing about something...

Crimson flowers...the flowers were draining the magic?! The boys seemed confused as to the motive but they made it clear who was responsible: Rollo. Moselle's blood ran cold. She didn't want to believe it, but...how could she not? Yes, knew exactly the hows and the whys. Rollo had always kept his cards close to his chest, but Moselle knew the truth. 

"Brother, help me!!"

The fire was too much for them both and Moselle wasn't there. Not that time. By the time she knew, it was too late. Rollo hated her for it. 

"Why weren't you there?! You could have stopped it!" Rollo screeched at the top of his lungs at the dragon. Even in her true form, her eyes were heartbroken. She let him scream, shout, cry, and even throw a rock or two at her before Moselle climbed out of the water and into her human form to embrace the distraught boy before her. 

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. From now on, I will protect you."

How could she keep that promise now? Moselle started to lose hope when an explosion of power swept over her and the others. It came from Malleus Draconia. He was furious and carried it in every fiber of his being. It was impressive and terrifying all the same. Moselle could only stare at his back in mixed awe. The words that came from his mouth and the others were all on fire in their ways, and despite their differences, they reached one conclusion: the flowers and Rollo had to be stopped. 

"We have to ring the bell."

Moselle felt a jolt of clarity: she would help protect Rollo, but this time from himself. She sank back into the water and transformed into her true self before jetting towards the bridge that connected the school to the city itself. She knew she was putting herself in danger by revealing herself to the city, but how could she stay hidden when so many other humans were in danger and unable to protect themselves?

The night boiled over with screams of terror and hands desperately tearing away at the magic-hungry blooms. The water dragon remained in her true form as she rose her long neck out of the water. The group of students trying to make their way into the city was blocked by a fiery barricade of living flowers. Moselle quickly blocked them further, gently pushing them back onto the bridge with one wing to shield them from what she was about to do. A powerful geyser of water burst out of her mouth and slammed into the flowers. The sheer force of the blast uprooted the majority of them and cleared the path for the stunned humans. Once they realized the giant beast was an alley and not a foe, cheers erupted from them as they raced forward along the open path. 

Moselle continued to aid the city with her strength, getting as close as she could to the city's borders in an attempt to block the spread. She had no idea how much time had passed. Only that she had grown weak. Finally, sweet relief came with the familiar ring of a bell. The terror was over.

Her vision was blurry at best as Moselle stumbled into the courtyard in her human form. How long had it been since she exerted herself like this? The dragon could only wonder as the familiar voices of Noble Bell's students called out to her. A few of the boys surrounded her trying to hold her steady, concern and gratitude in their kind voices. Moselle couldn't register the weak voice coming out of her as her own just before gravity and darkness pulled her under.

-

Hours had passed and the night settled into much higher spirits than before. The school's lecture hall was filled to the brim with the recovered students along with a few locals invited to celebrate the joining of mages for both the summit and the city's rescue. Rollo stood before the crowd, giving all due credit to the students of NRC. The rest of the crowd would be none the wiser of the truth. Its secrets would stay hidden so long as Rollo's pride withheld them. 

The audience applauded the heroic mages from Sage Island, catching the boys off guard, as Rollo took a deep breath. A great part of him hesitated to keep the promise he had made earlier in the bell tower, but...it was what she wanted.

Moselle awakened in her makeshift bed with a pounding head and loss of time and place. The dull excited thuds she recognized from her stone friends came from all around her along with a familiar frustrated tone.

"Do not crowd her so! Back up and be still!" 

Rollo's furrowed brow as he scolded the excited gargoyles was a welcomed sight. Moselle smiled tiredly as she slowly sat up, "Y-You're alright..."

The boy's surprised expression gave her a glimpse of their first meeting before Rollo's poker face hid it away once more, "That's not important. Are you hurt?"

The two old friends filled in the gaps of the night's prior events. He felt remorse only in that she had gotten involved thus putting herself in danger. She, however, held no regrets in the matter. As an unspoken apology, Rollo offered her a gift that his students had prepared just for her ahead of time.

Moselle's eyes lit up at the large box's contents: a proper masquerade mask and gown. The human boy groaned as he relented, "They had this planned as soon as the ball was arranged. They asked me to present it to you, but...I withheld it in fear of...well..." 

She understood, she always had. Even so, Rollo decided that perhaps it was time to loosen his tight hold.

"You've been seen. Many people know you exist now and they'll want to know more about you, especially if you go to the ball. Do you wish to be known like this?"

Moselle's eyes sparkled with excitement, nervousness, and most of all, readiness.

"I do."

The spotlights left the stunned NRC students and suddenly shifted onto another figure in the middle of the room. A masked woman with lilac hair, and horns, dressed in a fine ball gown that matched her emerald green eyes. She stood tall, holding her shakey hands folded together in front of her. Curious whispers erupted around her, some turning into excited speculation and recognition upon seeing the familiar horns on her head. Rollo let out a breath and spoke again.

"I must also thank this benevolent fae for lending her strength to this fair city not only during its most dire hours. Until now, she did so without praise or recognition but that never stopped her. Without her, we would be lost. Thank you, Mademoiselle Moselle." 

She felt electric as the people surrounding her didn't hesitate to show her acceptance and appreciation following the lead of the Noble Bell students who already knew her well. Moselle pushed her nerves aside and gave the crowd a curtsy, something she had seen done during festival dances and practiced in the bell tower many, many times before. The ball continued in a swell of music and energy that washed any previous anxiety away. Across the room, Rollo had one final conversation with his enemy. The Draconia prince was smug at the very least which irked Rollo to no end. What's worse is how distracted the dragon fae suddenly became once he noticed Moselle on the dance floor.

"Who is she really, Flamme?"

The soft questioning look in Malleus Draconia's eyes as they gazed across the room to Moselle openly, freely danced to her heart's content turned the boy's stomach. He had made his peace in allowing Moselle her freedom, but whatever intention this draconian had in mind was unacceptable. Unstoppable? Unfortunately not, but that didn't mean Rollo had to like it by any means!

"She is the precious guardian of Noble Bell, if not the Fleur City itself. I assume she was born by the river just like the others before her many years ago," his tone was somber but ended in a warning, "She is very important to us, to me. Remember that, Malleus Draconia." 

Rollo stepped away from the prince, silently releasing his dearest friend from his overbearing protection just as he had decided. It felt heavy, a bit sour. The only medicine for it was seeing how happy she was. That was enough for now.

-

Moselle had met and danced with quite a few of the mysterious NRC boys, including Malleus' two companions who both proved to be very good dancers. Silver was currently keeping her company when a certain prince decided to cut in.

"Silver. May I?" 

Malleus already knew the answer but manners must be upheld, especially in the presence of a lady. Silver politely bowed out and left the two their privacy. The flurry of butterflies returned immediately as soon as they were back in each others' arms. The woman's eyes sparked with recognition.

"It's you!" 

Moselle's enthusiasm overshadowed her nerves as the prince took her hand leading her into a waltz in time with the music. Both of them silently prayed for their tails to remain hidden lest they both found themselves betrayed out in the open. 

"Your name is Moselle?" Saying her name was sweet honey on his tongue, "You never told me when we met earlier."

A wave of embarrassment flooded her expression, "Oh my goodness, I'm so s-sorry. I am Moselle. It's so nice to properly meet you again...Malleus?" 

The briar fae's name sounded better than music on her lips, "A pleasure. I am Malleus Draconia, prince of Briar Valley." 

Moselle stopped in time with the fading music with wide eyes, "You're a prince?!" 

His expression deadpan matched her own before laughter rushed out of him before he could stop it. Malleus almost couldn't stop it. When was the last time he had laughed this much? The female fae in front of him glowed with embarrassment.

"Is it really strange that I didn't know?!" She was now even more hyper-aware of how little of the world she knew. She had been allowed to sit in on some classes at NBC to learn some things but her actual life experience was very slim. Malleus cleared his throat with an amused grin.

"Forgive me, it's alright. I just haven't met many who didn't know who I was as soon as they knew my name. Even less that weren't immediately running in fear."

Understandable, he was very intimidating but...

"But I'm not afraid of you. So...why would I run? I mean, I-I did run before but it wasn't because of you. I didn't want to leave. I just had to at the time..." 

Malleus felt his heart thump and lighten at the immense innocence in her eyes and voice. There were other dragon fae remaining in his homeland, but none of them gave him the same feeling, the same acknowledgment or honesty that she did. The same loneliness from before began to crawl into Malleus' veins once again. It reminded him how short the night truly was. It dragged him back into reality and all the conditions that came with it. He began to feel a bit desperate as each dance they shared came and went, ushering the night to an end far too quickly.

"Can we meet again, Moselle? Or at the very least, keep in contact perhaps...?" The prince felt embarrassed by his nerves holding his breath captive. The sweet lady didn't keep him waiting too long, however.

"Of course! I would love to!"

Her answer, her genuine enthusiasm warmed him to the core. The two of them were enthralled by the possibility so much that they didn't even notice that the rest of the room kept dancing without them. 

Rollo turned his back to the pair across the hall. It couldn't be helped any longer. He tried to ignore the memory of his brother's face, struck with wonder by magic, by her their dearest protector. Her fate was in her own hands now. He could only pray it would be kind to her in the long run.

-

Moselle had grown too fond of the school's campus to leave it entirely. Strolling through the city openly had become an everyday affair for the fae since the masquerade as was exchanging letters with the Draconian prince. She never had a cell phone and never desired to acquire one even though they were more convienant for a few reasons. Like her human friend, Moselle appreciated the near-lost art of written letters even if they did take longer to receive. Fortunately, Malleus agreed and wrote often. So much so that Moselle had a collection of letters, postcards, and even printed photographs he had sent her. The pair had wished to meet in person again - and told each other so in writing - but unfortunately, Malleus couldn't make the trip to see her for some reason he never explained. Moselle never questioned or guilted him for it. Instead, she would continue to write and sometimes send him small gifts, especially after learning about his birthday. It was something both fae greatly looked forward to day after day, week after week, month after month. And then one day....it stopped suddenly. Moselle had sent yet another letter and after? Silence. 

"Perhaps he's busy." 

"Maybe something happened and he never received it?"

Each time she made some excuse, her smile faded a bit. Rollo heard and met her concerns with vague assurance. Though she never accused him as such, he assured Moselle that he did not intervene in the two dragons' communication. He never hid the fact that he didn't approve of this budding friendship but her also didn't want the fae to feel that her trust in him had ever been betrayed. 

Moselle tried sending another letter and another. Finally, she received her answer after weeks of no response: the last batch of letters she had written were returned, still sealed and unread. When asked if any explanation was given by the post, Rollo merely said this.

"They could not be delivered. That's all I was told," His expression gave nothing away.

Moselle grew fearful. Did something happen to Malleus? Was he alright? She stopped writing and began to wait to hear more. Anything at all. Rollo encouraged her to leave the bell tower and take her strolls through town during the day to keep her from fretting. He meant well, he truly did. Unfortunately, the truth couldn't be kept to whispers of gossip that rang throughout the Noble Bell campus. One sunny day, Moselle heard them as she was leaving the campus.

"...Night Raven College was completely shut down."

"All because of Malleus Draconia?"

These words were enough to freeze her in her tracks. She turned and saw the small group of students talking outside of a classroom. Their expression turned various shades of embarrassed or ashamed once they saw that Moselle overheard and was now looking at them, frozen in confusion. They had said too much.

"What did you say?" She approached them in earnest, "What has happened?"

The boys of NBC had always treated Moselle like a beloved older sister and they always made room for her whenever she did come down from the bell tower. The fact they were acting so reluctant to speak with her now made Moselle anxious. They fidgeted on sight, some even scurrying away before they could be further interrogated. The student council vice president soon appeared to usher the gaggle of students along to their respective classes. He stopped when he saw the concerned look on the fae's face.

"Moselle? Is something wrong?"

Why would they not answer her if it wasn't something terrible? Moselle's heart thumped in her chest as she directed her questions to the VP, "Did something happen to Night Raven College?"

The young man's expression fell, "Oh...well...I don't know everything but, there's word that the school was recently closed down completely because of a major overblot incident It happened about a month ago, I think. I believe the school is back to normal now but it sounded like quite the affair. It affected the entire island and the nearby Sacred Crown Hall's island as well." 

The fae's throat tightened at the word 'overblot'. In her time on NBC, she had seen the word in different textbooks and heard it in lectures. It was never brought up in a good light either. The danger it posed to the affected mage and potentially those around them when in that state, all of it was discussed as if speaking of a disaster. 

"Did it have anything to do with Malleus Draconia?" 

Moselle was on the brink of tears. She felt scared and desperate to know if something had happened to her friend. She had her answer as soon as his name left her lips. Any students, even faculty, remaining in the halls seemed to tense up just from hearing it. The VP lowered his voice with a pitiful look in his eyes.

"Did President Flamme not tell you...?"

-

The night came and a downpour of heavy rain chased everyone on the streets toward their shelters. Rollo stared into the massive fireplace with a heavy scowl and a sigh deep with exhaustion and some regret.

"It was for her own good..." 

He kept telling himself this over and over as the rain pelted the windows with fury. Rollo kept his word and never meddled in Moselle and Malleus' letters to and from each other. He never kept her from continuing to write to him, to grow closer to him. Never. What he did do hurt her still. 

Rollo knew the truth about Malleus' overblot since it first happened and he kept it secret. Though he had no idea why Malleus had originally stopped writing, he did know that the dragon's massive overblot was the reason her letters were returned. He knew because the postman had told him everything. The island had been completely covered with monstrous thorns. No one could get in or out. No one knew the source at first but soon after word got out and one name slipped through the cracks: Malleus Draconia.

Rollo was bitterly vindicated. He knew something like this would happen if a mage as powerful as that dragon was free to do as he liked! Was he not right all along?! Normally, Rollo might have even felt some sort of peace knowing his hatred of the fae prince was justified. Normally, yes, but...when he saw Moselle growing more and more worried, more somber as the silence between the two fae grew, well, Rollo felt any but peace. So when Moselle had hunted him down earlier that day, demanding answers, he gave them without pretense. Of course, Moselle bit back, angry that he had kept her in the dark, and when asked why, he said...

"I kept my promise and didn't stand in your way as long as you were safe. Malleus Draconia has only proven me right. He is dangerous as I said before. Now you know I was speaking the truth."

Moselle bristled and began to sob, "He is not! He has a good, kind heart! Overblot happens when a mage is under immense stress, maybe something terrible happened a-and he couldn't help it! It was probably just an accident-"

Rollo scoffed and argued back, dismissing her claims, "An accident? Lesser mages cause accidents. This dark prince consumed an entire island by letting his outrageous power run wild! He put several lives aside from his own in danger! Had he not been stopped, the entire world could have been overrun! Would a good, kind person let such a thing happen? Did you know him as well as you think, Moselle? On a far lesser point, was it kind to suddenly cut ties with you without a word or reason?"

Moselle began to shrink in on herself, tears spilling down her crestfallen face. Rollo felt swayed by her clear heartache but refused to let her fall back into that devilish fae's undeserving hands. He gently approached and embraced her as he landed the final blow. 

"In his wicked cruelty, he did you an immense favor. You should move on for your own sake, Moselle."

The howling wind shook the windows, making the rest of the room feel cold despite the roaring fire before Rollo. Up in the bell tower, Moselle was hiding away in her bed. The harder she sobbed the more the storm outside raged. 

Across the vast oceans, the capital city of Briar Valley was experiencing an unseasonable bout of winter. In the dark of his room, Malleus Draconia sat in bitter silence by the window staring at nothing as the outcry from the senate echoed through his mind. He was alone and far away from his friends and companions back on Sage Island, no clear hope of seeing them again or having the chance to apologize for his actions. The snow fell hard and fast as his heart grew heavier. By now, all of Briar Valley no doubt heard the news of the decree:

"Due to the actions of Prince Malleus Draconia resulting in his expulsion from the esteemed Night Raven College, the Senate has come to the rightful conclusion that Prince Malleus, though the only rightful heir of Her Majesty's throne, shall not inherit the crown at this time. Until further notice, Briar Valley will continue under the graceful and just reign of Her Majesty, Malefica Draconia. May her reign continue to bless Briar Valley with eternal glory of the night."

-Prologue End-

------------------------------------------------------------ *starts a cliffhanger tally* Good news I'm working on chapter 1 as we speak. It'll be up later this week. In the meantime...yes, it's gonna be very intense story so strap in, folks lol. Don't worry there are happy soft moments too

[fandomsaligninstories]

Year Two: Just Another Monday

Chapter List WC: 1,401

By the following morning, things had gone from bad to worse.

At breakfast the next morning, it was announced that Professor Dumbledore had been removed from his position of Headmaster, replaced by Professor McGonagall. And, on top of everything, Hagrid had been taken to a prison called Azkaban. 

With the new rules in place, it was impossible for Violet to meet up with Draco, which she had been desperate to do after his vanishing act the previous day. 

Classes continued as normal, and Violet was thankful for her first class of the day to be Herbology. The previous week they had been studying Aconite, most commonly known as Wolfsbane, for its use in the Wolfsbane Potion. Despite being extremely toxic, Violet couldn't help but find the flower rather pretty, as well as intriguing. 

Their studies on werewolves had been minimal, as the only discussion of it had been in D.A.D.A, where Professor Lockhart used the time to brag about how he had saved an entire village from a werewolf. 

Violet found many subjects in D.A.D.A. interesting, despite Lockhart's clear lack of teaching skills, and lycanthropy had been one of them. She had heard from some third-years that lycanthropy was taught more in-depth, and Violet was looking forward to it. Plus, her third-year had the added bonus of not having Lockhart as a professor, as the yearly curse would bring in a new D.A.D.A professor. 

"Violet Ellis!" The girl's eyes snapped to Professor Sprout, who was frowning at her, "Am I interrupting your daydreaming?"

Violet flushed with embarrassment, "No, Professor, sorry."

Professor Sprout observed Violet for a moment before returning to her lecture on the Wiggentree. 

"What's got you so lost in your head?" Aimee asked after they had left the greenhouse.

"Nothing in particular." Violet replied.

Hannah laughed, "You're an awful liar."

Violet hadn't been lying, per say. Really, she had so much going on in her mind that she couldn't focus on any one thing. Working with the Wiggentree's had given a small reprieve, if only for an hour. But now, on the way to potions, she was on the verge of being overwhelmed.

"Out with it," Hannah urged, "Before you need the calming draught."

"What's Azkaban? Why were so many people freaked when they found out Hagrid had been sent there? And who gave the order to remove Dumbledore? Without him, the attacks are going to increase by the day!" Violet was rambling, all of her thoughts coming out at once, "And who is behind these attacks? No one will confess, and there's no obvious answer. So how do we stop it? How do we protect ourselves?"

"Woah, woah!" Aimee stopped and turned to face Violet, "One question at a time, please."

"Azkaban is a prison for the most deranged and dangerous witches and wizards. It's guarding by dementors, who are said to torture the inhabitants." Hannah explained calmly, "For Hagrid to be sent there, when he hasn't committed a crime? It's inhumane, it's the worst thing they could have done to him."

"The board of Governors voted to remove Dumbledore," Aimee continued, "It's twelve witches and wizards who oversee Hogwarts. I'm not sure who all is on the board, but... Violet, Lucius Malfoy is on the board."

They had arrived at the potion dungeon, so they weren't able to continue their conversation. Professor Snape was in a particular mood, though no worse than usual. They reviewed the properties and he provided a demonstration of the Hair-Raising Potion. Their assignment was to recreate the potion by their next class, which for the Hufflepuffs, was the next afternoon. 

When Violet and her friends left the dungeons, they were all feeling frustrated, having struggled to follow Professor Snape's instructions. Hannah had commented previously that she believed Snape made his instructions as hard as possible to follow, in hopes of causing students to fail. Violet had started to believe it. 

On their way to lunch, Aimee restarted the conversation from earlier, "Violet, you know there's not much we can do, right? No one expects us to find out who's behind the attacks, much less how to stop them."

Violet sighed, "I know. Still, this has been going on for months, and they're no closer to finding out who's behind it."

"Don't worry," Hannah linked an arm with Violet, "Aimee will protect us."

Aimee made a noise of indignation but laughed when she saw the look on Hannah's face, which was telling Aimee to shut up and go along with it.

"Yes, I'll absolutely protect Hannah. Violet, though..." Aimee pretended to consider it, until Violet was shaking her head laughing, "I suppose I could protect her too."

"Wow, thank you." Violet held a hand over her heart, "It means so much to me."

All three girls were laughing as they sat down for lunch.

"What's so funny?" Cedric asked from across the table. 

Violet had been pleasantly surprised that morning when Cedric had walked with the girls to breakfast. She'd grown used to his silent treatment over the last few months, though she hated it. He'd apologized that morning for his behaviour, but he made sure to tell Violet how much he disapproved of her hanging around Draco Malfoy. She, without hesitation, told Cedric she didn't care for his approval, just his friendship. And just like that, they were friends again, though there was an uncomfortable strain between them that hadn't been there before. 

"Aimee's going to protect Hannah and I from being attacked. She's the most skilled witch out of all of us, you know." Violet was smiling as she loaded her plate with food.

"No, I take it back," Aimee chimed in, "I don't think I want to protect you anymore, you're being mean."

"That's okay, I know a certain pureblood who will protect her." Hannah laughed, looking over her shoulder at the aforementioned boy, who was staring at them across the Great Hall.

Violet's laugh was a little less genuine as her friends', but she didn't take the comment personally. After all, Draco was a pureblood, and he had been protecting her all year, just from other threats. 

She looked over her shoulder, waving at him as their eyes met. He waved back, but Violet felt a wave of unease at the blank expression he wore. She'd seen it frequently, as he wasn't one to show his emotions around others, but something was off. Luckily, they had History of Magic together in an hour, so she just had to wait until them to check on him.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

Draco was avoiding her. 

When they were escorted into the History of Magic classroom, Violet had to push through the throng of students just to get to her seat. She dropped her bag and made to move towards Draco's seat, but he wasn't in it. He was at the front of the class, surrounded by a group of Slytherins. Normally Violet wouldn't care about interrupting their conversation, but something about their body language had Violet staying away.

The group finally broke away when Professor Binns started his lecture on a topic Violet couldn't bother to focus on. Instead, she tried to catch Draco's attention. He was at the table across the aisle from her, so usually she could get his attention with a simple wave or whisper, but not today. 

She frowned as he stared at the front of the room, his attention seemingly on the professor. So she tried a different tactic, writing a quick note and sending it to him with a simple levitation charm. It landed on the desk, right atop his book, but still Draco paid it no mind. 

Violet turned to Aimee and Hannah, who had been watching her with shocked expressions.

"Is he ignoring you?" Hannah whispered.

"Seems so." Violet replied, slouching back in her chair. She tried to focus on the lecture, but she was too upset to care. 

Why was he ignoring her? Had she done something wrong? She wasn't sure what she could have done. The only thing that stuck out in her mind was the incident yesterday, with the calming draught. Did her asking for help upset him? 

One thing was for certain. Violet was not going to let him continue ignoring her. She was tired of her friends ignoring her when they were upset or angry, especially when she had no clue what she'd done wrong. She had only just started speaking with Cedric again, and she wasn't about to lose another friend she cared so deeply for.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't have the chance to confront him any time soon.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━

TAGLIST:

@stellarlune-love @helendeath @skz-xii @cherriesfine

[staticl0ve]

Forget Me Not (Connor x Fem!Reader)

Pairings: Connor/Female Reader Rating: Mature/Explicit/NSFW 18+ Link (AO3): Forget Me Not (oneshot) Words: 3.5k Warnings: Established relationships, angst, death, smut, PnV sex Summary: Post revolution, Connor settles into a new life where he’s chosen a path of marching in protests and writing speeches. He’s met the one and has never been happier. How would he manage if it were to all vanish in the blink of an eye? Notes: Third person POV for a bit, nondescript afab reader/female pronouns. Really wanted to explore some darker, sadder topics involving our favorite android. I promise I’m still the queen of happy endings!

-

Do not stand By my grave, and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep— I am the thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glints in snow I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle, autumn rain. As you awake with morning’s hush, I am the swift, up-flinging rush Of quiet birds in circling flight, I am the day transcending night. Do not stand By my grave, and cry— I am not there, I did not die. Immortality (Clare Harner)

A ghost haunted Connor.

She did not moan nor groan. Nor did she travel underneath a sheet. She was the crease on an untouched pillow. She was the gap in their bed—not that he bothered pretending to sleep anymore.

S-She was…everything.

How could a machine measure half a century? In daylights? In sunsets? In laughter?

How about regret?

During the revolution, many androids were victims to a massive, countrywide recall. Not all hope was lost, the data in their hardware was still intact and transferred to New Jericho for storage. As androids began to enjoy their new freedoms, hair thin fractures settled between the peace like glass waiting to shatter. Nothing could stop the honeymoon period. Civil rights, land, and bodily autonomy.

The first public union between man and machine caused the last crack in the glass. 

There was outrage.

A minority voice bared their teeth, spurred their followers to act…inhumane. Coalitions formed, going by the nickname Meat Boys, proud men of flesh and bone. They brought guns to protests for ‘keeping’ the peace. Then came written threats and mild property damage, escalating to a massive fire at an android housing block—allegedly.

And then one day, a bomb.

The weapon’s location was clever, placed dead center in a building containing the decommissioned hardware. It was the hope of Connor’s kind to one day resurrect the data. But those lives were technically already gone, stuck in stasis.

So where was our beloved RK800, the brave deviant hunter, in all of this? He left his old detective job to pursue a life filled with speeches and political movements. He thought it was the safer route, talking and marching.

So much for that.

Of all the days his lover decided to grab something from work, she chose today. Something was beeping in the background of their call and Connor had the misfortune of being able to hone in on the exact make and model of the explosive. This was serious, not meant to be left in the hands of an amateur.

“It’s okay. If you think about it this way, humans don’t live nearly as long as androids,” she pondered. “Think of all the lives we’re saving.”

He heard her hiss in pain as her voice crackled over his comms. Their distance only made him feel more helpless.

 “You should be proud of me! All of your self defense lessons paid off. I got to punch out the guy who set this up,” she exclaimed. She never quite mastered punching without bruising herself. Metal clinked and a lid unclasped. “Oh shit, four minutes?”

His knuckles clenched tighter around a steering wheel. The car’s navigation indicated he had only a few miles before the next exit. Two time estimates blinked side by side, one far smaller than the other. Despite the odds being against him, he pushed on.

“Sweetheart. I need you to listen to me—”

“Connor,” she replied sternly, with a defeated sigh. This was an echo of conversations they’ve had before. Arguments on nights where he retreated to the solitude of a cold, dark living room couch. At the last protest, she faced the barrel of a gun and spat back at the opposition, ignoring his advice.

Don’t be a hero. Stay safe.

He was often the first to cave, his shadow darkening their moonlit room.

I am sorry.

No, I’m sorry. Connor, you’re right to worry. It’s only human.

That was the problem wasn’t it?

“Please. You must go,” he begged.

The headlights of his car frantically swayed from one lane to the next as he weaved around late night commuters. Rubber squealed, leaving a trail of black as he raced against the clock. Fire plagued his circuits. Static clogged his head until he felt it may pop off from the pressure alone.

Connor was fine. In fact, he was in the best shape of his life with newly installed upgrades and a more optimal power supply. It was the worst case scenario, him, safe and sound while a timer blipped away the seconds left of their time together.

“There’s got to be scissors around here somewhere. I think…” she paused and he heard a heavy clatter of an object being placed on a wooden surface. “I think this is the only bomb in the building. If I just clip—wait—was it the red wire or not the red wire?”

She chuckled and he barely heard her say “just kidding.” Given the circumstances, it was so like her to try and ease his nerves. It worked and it didn’t, a bittersweet smile rose and fell on his face. A car honked as he swerved.

“You don’t have to do this yourself. Help is on the way,” Connor insisted.

He didn’t know she volunteered to stay behind.

“I can’t just leave. This is gonna take out a major chunk of New Jericho. What if—”

“The others have evacuated. Please, you’re only saving buildings.”

“It’s more than just cement and glass and you know it,” she snapped back.

She owed the androids. One saved her life on a rainy evening, when it was too dark and stormy for anyone to see her strolling into traffic. Connor hadn’t changed out of his old android blazer then, his model number branded into her mind.

They got coffee.

Then dinner. And later, a movie. When he officially asked her to be his, he bought flowers and she bought him a new jacket.

Their union was not an easy one. It took time for loved ones to come around to it. When they did, all was well in their happy bubble. The famous deviant hunter turned lecturer, traveled and talked. He never stopped counting his lucky stars, grateful that he could take her along on his journey.

Silence followed and a mess of blocked up traffic slowed Connor’s car to a halt. Familiar vehicles with flashing red, white, and blue lights whizzed by. It brought him some relief.

“I got it!” she shouted and the beeping faded from the call. She huffed and laughed. “See, I told you it wasn’t going to be so bad.”

A few rooms away, hidden in the basin of a planter, a timer once ticking stopped.

He saw the flash of white long after his processors could accept the sound of the blast. His world came to a halt, his mind tearing seams into reality until he was but a mere observer—a heap of plastic, frozen stiff and utterly useless. Crimson light from his LED bled over his face, spilling into the darkness of his car.

He imagined the worst: her face, dipped in red. Blood, soaking into carpet like spilled wine. Hollow eyes latched onto the ceiling, never to see again.

Streets away, black plume drifted up into the star dusted skies. Sirens blared, trucks in red sped past the intersection. His mouth opened, emptying his lungs in an anguished scream. The call ended only moments ago and still he shouted for her. His grief bounced around the metal shell of his car as if volume alone would summon a response from the other side.

Forgotten in the passenger seat, was her coat, a remnant from their morning stroll.

-

Later investigations would reveal that the blast was small and localized to just her floor. It was likely setup as a cruel contingency plan to ensure collateral damage should the larger bomb fail. She succeeded in saving the data, every byte of it.

There was nothing left of her, no bones to burn for ashes.

Only memories and sorrowful glances from their friends and family.

In place of her body, they planted flowers at her gravesite. An assortment of colorful petals framed her gray headstone. Some were small and blue. In time, the flowers would wilt. Only then would a stray passerby see it; an engraved box, the perfect size for a ring.

In so many ways, she was right. Humans operated on a much shorter timeline than their machine counterparts and yet Connor had hoped—had wanted to know what it may have been like to gaze upon her over the years, to have had her company. Knowing her, she would have laughed while poking and prodding at her face.

“Is this a new wrinkle or did I sleep on my pillow funny?”

“I see nothing that isn’t already the most beautiful thing on Earth,” he would answer, knowing she’d grin at his reply.

“How do you manage to sound charming while saying the lamest things?”

He wished he could hold her now, plant a kiss so deep she’d know that there could be nothing more splendid than a reminder of their years spent together. To have that time…well, it was only a distant fantasy now.

That was all it was, fantasies and virtual constructions. He over indulged with what was and what could have been until her face and voice began to distort. Like old tape recordings or a hard drive in need of defragmentation, what little remained of her became streaks of static, covered in distortions and broken shards of color.

Some nights he was lucky. Intact memories played out like not a day had passed. He could feel her: her throat vibrating with a laugh as he nipped gently on her skin. The light pressure of a hand pushing at his chest.

“Is something wrong?” Connor asked without a hint of genuine concern.

She noticed, palm pressing more firmly against him.

“No marks!” she laughed. “I have a presentation tomorrow.”

He made a noise that sounded like he agreed but his eyes sparkled with devilish intent. Trailing down her chest, he pressed his cheek where her heart hammered between ribs. Steady thumps quickened when his hand slid up her thighs. He could listen to this all night, lie with his head on her chest, wanting to believe it’d beat forever.

“Magic word?” he slurred with his tongue lapping her breast.

“No marks!” she said between bubbling laughter.

Admittedly, this machine took advantage of all his freedoms, namely the one that allowed him to disobey. They’d explored it before in the bedroom, with her eager consent. He had her teetering at the edge for the millionth time when she stopped begging and yanked his hair to insist.

“No,” he smugly replied. “Not yet, love. Color?”

She couldn’t contain her annoyed sigh, nodding and going limp in the bed.

“Green.”

Sometimes, they switched and he role-played as the obedient RK800 he once was. Tonight was one of those nights where he was in that mood. His canines grazed over her sensitive nipples, and he smirked.

“Order me.”

Her eyebrow rose curiously, the corner of her lip mirroring its movement.

“R-RK800,” she began, her voice a low whisper in the quiet of their bedroom.

His frame shivered over her. There was a quality to her voice that always got to him, etched itself between his panels. When he first heard it that one rainy night, he uncharacteristically lingered by her side.

City traffic had resumed, autonomous cars unaware of the accident that nearly occurred. She thanked him through clattering teeth, her clothes drenched from the rain. His arms wrapped securely around her shoulders and waist. The frantic pattern of her breath fogged the cool air. They must have looked strange, standing frozen beneath a streetlight with rain spilling down their necks like two lovers caught in a heartfelt embrace. But even an android new to deviancy could recognize it would be inappropriate to overstay a hero’s welcome. Shortly after, they parted ways. Through luck, she managed to find him before he quit the DPD. Connor couldn’t drink coffee, but he graciously accepted her invitation to talk.

It was the least romantic of settings, a busy cafe at noon with customers accidentally bumping their chairs. She could barely hear him over the clamoring of drink preferences and order numbers. He watched her nervously stir her drink, shrinking shyly whenever they met eyes. She’d never admit it was her doing, but it was her lighthearted and casual suggestion that changed his life.

He wasn’t sure what was next. Becoming a dog walker for Sumo? Pestering Hank about his lunch choices as a health adviser? He was pretty sure the Lieutenant was going to hate that. 

“I dunno much about detective work, but I’ve heard how people talk about you. You’re a hero! You could inspire others just by reaching out.”

She knew a thing or two about public outreach and he had selfishly sought her help with speeches as an excuse to work his way to a date. Connor didn’t expect to love giving lectures and debates. He thought it was more of Markus’ wheelhouse but humans found his awkward charm endearing, reminding them he wasn’t machine perfect.

Their first time was in a hotel, the both of them travel weary and worn from a day at a convention. Her skin was wet, wrapped in a plush bathrobe and his processors were working their hardest to keep him modest. He was going to attempt stasis on the communal couch when she suggested he try the bed.

Connor wasn’t the same man since.

As his model number left her lips, his hand retracted to its android shell, shifting to white and gray as his plastic fingers prodded her wet folds. The data he gleaned never failed to pull a groan from his lips. This was for him: her trust, her love, her lust. Brown eyes bore into hers, coaxing her to say the words he needed to hear.

“What are my orders?”

“Fuck!” she moaned as one finger glided into her. Who was calling the shots? “Connor…”

He blinked slowly, pumping his finger into her. Not a single synthetic muscle betrayed his amusement, his face neutral and blank. She corrected herself, struggling to maintain the level of cool he was presenting.

“RK800, if you do not fuck me tonight, I swear you’re sleeping on the couch.”

“I’m afraid I require more specific directions,” he explained. A second finger joined the first, curling over tender nerves. His cheek twitched as she gasped and squirmed. He was incredibly hard, cock buried between tangled sheets and he was tempted to grind against them to relieve some of the tension.

Not yet, he had to remind himself.

“Is this…” His thumb found her clit, rolling the nub in tandem with his thrusting fingers. “…Not what you asked for?”

Incoherent words muffled behind her palm as she tried to ground herself.

“P-please. I need…”

His chin rested on her abdomen, nose blowing hot exhaust on her twisting muscles. He loved how her back arched as he twisted his fingers.

“Is this not satisfactory?”

A warm, wet tongue flattened over her clit, rolling back and forth as she twitched. Her nails gripped the sheets and she glared at him.

“RK800, I demand you fuck me with your cock,” she finally ordered.

“Your request,” he added a sharp ‘tst’ at the end of the word, “Has been accepted.”

Rising upwards, he hovered over her, his thighs spreading her legs apart. Her calves wrapped around his ribs. Eager to reward her patience, he didn’t hesitate, pushing the head of his cock into her. Nothing could compare to the feeling of the initial stretch, her pillowy walls welcoming his intrusion. It took a few gentle rocks of his hips before he could slide home, her gasps sharp in his ear.

“My stamina is endless,” he muttered into her ear. She already knew this about him, but wanting to be as immersed in the fantasy as he was, she played ignorant. Connor was meticulous, shifting his weight and reliably making her spasm around him. He was coated with her, his cock shiny as it slid halfway out. “Unlike an organic partner, I am capable of maintaining the same rhythm…as long as you’d like.”

He licked a stripe up her neck and towards her slack jaw. She replied with little moans, small eyelash flutters, her nails scraping down the muscles of his back. His sensors warned him of temporary damage should she persist. It only made him thrust harder.

“…If you ask, I could keep you suspended in bliss.”

He studied her carefully, enjoying the beads of sweat that dripped down her brows. His plastic hand lingered between their pelvises, glowing blue with a buzz. Her hips jolted at the contact, first away and then greedily grinding into his fingers. Lines of statistics flickered in his HUD of her arousal state, heart rate, combining with what he could feel of her: pulsing, hot, and alive. He leaned onto an elbow to stroke her cheek.

“Would you want that?” he asked, voice low and husky.

“Yes!”

His hips left a bruising pace and she ached for more, her ankles digging into his back. Parts of his chassis became exposed, patches of shiny plastic spreading across his torso and arms. A vibrating thumb stroked circles around her clit. Her eyes rolled, clamping shut as her breaths quickened.

She did love a machine.

“Connor, I…”

His forehead met hers. Breaking character, he muttered words of devotion, and kissed away tears that clung to her lashes. Small hands held his face in place, her eyes snapping open briefly.

“I…” she tried again.

She mouthed the beginnings of an L-shaped letter before she succumbed to the pressure that finally scorched her nerves. Their lips met as he swallowed her words of affection, his hips trying their hardest to fuse with hers. Her hands threaded through his soft locks as he moaned, spilling as deeply as he could.

He didn’t realize how soon he’d no longer see her teeth sparkling in a sweet smile.

“I love you, Connor.”

After the funeral, Jericho offered their support. A monument was erected in front of the repaired building, a permanent reminder of his loss. It was more than his machine heart could bare. Once Connor suffered the loss of another human companion, he left Detroit in search of distractions, either in the form of work or a pretty face that looked vaguely like hers.

Nothing ever came close.

It was the 50th anniversary of her death and Connor received a message from the one and only deviant leader, Markus.

“It’s been too long old friend. Come back to New Jericho. I promise it’ll be worth the visit.”

And return he did, driven by a hopeful promise.

Once androids became active participants in society, technology advanced faster than ever before and well, the sky was the limit. The impossible became possible. Organic could become synthetic.

Deep in the vaults of New Jericho was something too good to be true. A gift of extraordinary circumstance.

Stainless steel doors, thick with a dull sheen held a blurry reflection of the RK800’s silhouette. He dressed in the hopes of appearing familiar, in a style that matched his old gray suit. In one hand was a bouquet of roses with small blue flowers intermingled in the red petals.

Forget me not.

One by one, three bulbs beside the door lit up: red then yellow. A screen produced wall after wall of status checks, all passing with flying colors. Idle fingers began tapping anxiously on his slacks.

rA9. Please. Please.

With a ding, everything flashed green. Air hissed and popped, the doors sliding open as light flooded the room. His tense expression broke, his face lifting in relief.

“Connor?”

You blinked, uncertain. A ring of light cycled on the temple of your head, flickering red then gold. Everything was new and old, byte after byte of sensory overload. Your eyes landed on his face and used it as a familiar anchor. You were a ship lost at sea, finally finding safe harbor. Connor was exactly as you remembered him: a little awkward and perfectly handsome.

“Connor!”

He collapsed to his knees as you moved forward for an embrace. The flowers fell, rolling between your feet. Nothing else mattered.

Only you.

His hands were everywhere, on your face, patting down your back, gripping your arms and back up to your face where he held you at eye level.

“You’re here,” he whispered. “Y-you’re really…here.”

Your eyes crinkled with a soft laugh. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

No longer was the voice in his head a worn and faded memory. It was right beside him with a breath that warmed his cheeks. Perhaps now, he could resuming measuring time in daylights, in sunsets, and in laughter.

Or…

How about love?

[kotoprotranslations]

EPISODE 7 LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 6-5 English Translation

“Very well... let us speak again.”

The next day found Owl and his companions face-to-face with an even more haggard-looking Fossanova in the director’s room. The young man was as well-groomed as ever, but the hollow cast to his eyes signaled that his mind was elsewhere.

“So much happened yesterday that I fear I wasn’t able to explain properly.” Fossanova directed everyone to the sofa, then walked up to the bookshelf in the corner of the room and picked up a picture frame. “I first asked Mr. Clemens here to investigate Daniel’s... the first body’s cause of death, as well as to search for two missing researchers.”

He walked back over to the couch and handed the picture frame to Owl. Elnora leaned over to peek as well. “Aww, how cute. You looked way different then,” she cooed, staring at the four smiling young students in frame. The one smack dab in the middle was clearly a younger Fossanova, shoulder-to-shoulder with the now-dead Daniel. Two other young men stood on either side of them.

“You wanted him to hunt down missing people?” Owl asked, notebook at the ready. “Not investigate the strange dead body?”

“Yes. The body with the protruding stone spires was only discovered after I’d already asked him about Daniel and the missing people.”

Owl turned to stare incredulously at Clemens. The priest shrugged a shoulder. “He’s right. Partway through our examination of Daniel’s body, lightning struck a mill on the grounds, which is where the second body was discovered. I knew at a glance that the new dead body was beyond my capabilities, so I called you in to help. I didn’t expect a third person to die, though.”

“Did Daniel have any connection to the two other deceased? Were they acquaintances, or... did someone bear a grudge against them...?”

As he spoke, Owl passed the photograph over to Clemens. He stared at it for a while with a nostalgic smile. “I would hope not, but I’m afraid I couldn’t say for sure. There are scores of people here, and no one wants their ties to other factions exposed. Besides, I was only here for a short while. I don’t exactly have the greatest grasp on everyone’s interpersonal relationships.”

“Yeah, makes sense... then I guess we’ll just have to go around and ask questions. You don’t have any suspects in mind, do you?”

“Suspects...? So you really do believe this was murder.”

“Did they look like accidents to you? You saw the scenes of the crimes yourself.”

Clemens hesitated. “... Well....”

Owl turned to Fossanova. “Did you ever hear about anyone possibly resenting Daniel for anything?”

“Of course not,” Fossanova immediately replied. “Daniel had a strong sense of justice. I can’t even fathom the idea of anyone bearing him any ill-will.”

Owl locked eyes with him. “Then did you notice anything bothering him, maybe?”

“Ah... that’s....” The color slowly drained from Fossanova’s face. His breathing turned shallow as his head drooped, brows creased as if in pain.

Clemens rose from the couch to sit by Fossanova instead, pressing an encouraging hand to his back. “Fossanova, the situation has become extremely grave. If there were any time to speak the truth, it would be now.”

“... Yes.” Still, Fossanova took a little more time to compose himself before he slowly raised his head and confessed, “To be honest... upon investigating, it would seem that the two missing researchers vanished shortly before Daniel’s body was discovered.”

“The two you wanted Clemens to look for?” Owl checked.

“Yes... the other two in the photo.” Fossanova nodded to the picture frame left lying on the sofa. “Archie and Oliver.”

“Ahh.” Owl picked it up again and took another look at the two students on the left and right sides. Everyone in the photo looked so earnest, their shoulders knocked together in a way that indicated how close they all were. A bookcase was visible behind them, and each of them held a single book in their arms – their favorites, most likely. They were clearly diligent students. It was, all told, a wonderful picture. “Have you asked the police to investigate yet?” Owl asked as he inspected the photo.

Fossanova shook his head. “I have not.”

“Why? If a person goes missing right when a body’s found, they’re obviously a person of interest. The police wouldn’t leave them be, they’d search high and low for them. It’d be quicker and easier to get them on the case than a detective or a priest... unless there’s some reason it’d be inconvenient to have them around?”

“No, it wouldn’t be inconvenient in the slightest,” Fossanova denied. “The only reason I didn’t call them is because this is a medical institute, no more and no less. We have many patients here and it would cause them undue stress to have the police coming and going throughout the facility.”

Owl raised his eyebrows. “Not because you just became the director and a massive incident like this would have major repercussions for your career going forward?” he bluntly pointed out.

Anger flashed across Fossanova’s face for a brief instant, but it quickly faded as he sat up and bowed stiffly. “... I will not hide the truth any longer. It is as you say, at least in part. I must safeguard my position no matter what occurs. However, that is not the only reason I haven’t informed the police. I’m convinced that Archie and Oliver are still somewhere in the institute.”

“You are? On what grounds?”

“I explained this to Mr. Clemens previously, but....” Fossanova’s eyes flicked briefly to Clemens before he pointed out the southern window. More specifically, though, he pointed to the gate visible beyond the window, a view afforded to him thanks to his room being on the upper floor of the bergfried. “You cannot leave the grounds without passing through the checkpoints. The only way in and out is through the single gate, and there are several inspection points set up as you pass through that require you to record your name and present identification. Yet there are no records indicating that either of them passed through those checkpoints.”

“... Inspection points, huh.” Owl stood up and moved to the window. The only entrance/exit was the lone gate. He scanned the grounds for any other possible infiltration or escape routes, but the entire fortress stood atop a cliff that made entering and leaving any other way impossible. They’d passed by business folks carrying the deceased’s possessions, but he also saw people carrying corpses through the gate when they’d normally keep those out of the public eye, so it was unlikely they had a hidden path anywhere, either.

“It’s rather easy to make it into the facility, but leaving is a chore,” Clemens explained. “Everyone is subjected to a thorough search ensuring they don’t bring any beneficial treatment or otherwise confidential information to the outside world. They’ll turn your underwear and soles of your shoes inside out, even. It’s easier if you’re with Director Fossanova, though.”

Elnora snickered. “Did they turn your underwear inside-out?”

Clemens winced. “They made me take it off,” he admitted.

Owl returned to the sofa. “... So you assume they’re still here,” he said to Fossanova. “Do you have any clue as to where they might be hidden?”

Fossanova shook his head again. “I’ve already searched everywhere I could think of, but there are many areas of the institute I don’t know about... so my search wasn’t exhaustive.”

“I did hear how people with one faction aren’t allowed to enter another faction’s territory, but surely you’re exempt from that as the director?”

“Alas, no, I’m not. I’m the head of the Lapertes faction, so any areas controlled by the Castille and Briars factions are....” Fossanova trailed off, then grimaced. “Well, no. If I were to give my reasons and press the issue, I could gain entry. But while we may be fractured, we’re all, at our cores, comrades in arms dedicated to making advancements in the medical field. As the director, I cannot cast doubt on my peers without conclusive proof.”

“So you’re saying there’s a chance Messrs. Archie and Oliver have been concealed in one of the other factions’ buildings,” Owl summarized.

“Rather than ‘a chance,’ I believe that’s the only option....  Archie was the leader of the Castille faction, and Oliver the Briars faction.”

“I see. So you called Clemens, a trusted, unaffiliated lecturer, to look into the areas you couldn’t reach.”

“Correct. And they both respected him as well. He’s well acquainted with the internal layout of the institute.”

Owl had up until then diligently been taking notes in his notebook, but here he paused and glanced up at Clemens. “Were you actually taking your teaching job seriously?” he questioned with a hint of awe.

Clemens raised a single eyebrow back. “... You’re well-aware of how I act as a tutor,” he pointed out. “Need I remind me who asked me to help Ellie with her studies?”

Owl shut his notebook. “I understand,” he told Fossanova, ignoring Clemens. “I’ll believe you that they haven’t left the premises, and I’ll start my investigation with the Castille and Briars sections of the institute. It seems like prioritizing finding the two who may have a hand in the murders is the better play, given that I’ve got my own person to find as well. I’ll save solving the mystery of the impossible corpses for after they’re found.” He slipped his notebook into his pocket. “Would it be possible to call up the students Dio Tis Tifnie and Samuel Hubert? I’d like to ask them to guide me around.”

“Dio and Samuel? The two at the chapel yesterday?” Fossanova blinked, bewildered. “Why those two, if I may ask? I didn’t intend to involve any students in this....”

“Of course. I won’t expose them to any danger while they’re with me. But in order to not stand out during my investigation, it would be best if I was with people my own age. They were courteous enough showed me around yesterday. Plus, if we’re looking for someone, it’s most efficient to split up.” He was about to add that he’d let it go if it interfered with their classes any, but he held his tongue and instead simply said, “Please.”

Fossanova looked rather like he wanted to say something, but he swallowed back whatever it was and shut his mouth. “... Very well. Please wait in the plaza.”

■■■■■■■■■■

“... I don’t think he was lying, but I do think he’s still hiding something,” Owl told Clemens as they headed for the plaza.

“I thought the same,” Clemens replied.

“Aside from how slow his investigation is going, there was one other thing that caught my interest.”

“What was it?”

“Don’t you think it’s too quiet?”

“Too quiet?” Clemens glanced around. The plaza wasn’t deserted; researchers and patients were strolling around, whiling away the time as they pleased, along with groups of chatting students and some children running around by the fountain. There was even some music playing from somewhere off in the distance. All told, a lively scene. He turned back to Owl with a raised eyebrow. “You think?”

“Yes,” Owl replied with an inscrutable cast to his face. “No one’s talking about what happened yesterday.”

“Ah.” Clemens blinked. He had a point. The body had caused a fair bit of a stir yesterday after it’d been found, but today no one was saying a word about it. He didn’t even hear any rumors floating around. No one seems frightened or even all that concerned about the possible contagious outbreak. The atmosphere in the plaza felt very “business as usual.” “You’re right... it’s very quiet.”

“Right? It’s like yesterday never happened. I don’t care how big the institute is, they found a dead body – you’d think that’d get some people talking, at least.”

“Perhaps they ordered everyone to not say anything?”

“Even so, everyone’s too cheerful. I’d be less concerned if they seemed even a little nervous, but this....”

They both might have thought it weird, but next to them, Elnora cocked her head and pointed out, “Yeah, but this is a hospital, right? Maybe they don’t think it’s abnormal having a body show up. There’s something way more important to focus on, anyway!”

“There is? What?!” Owl unconsciously leaned toward her. Was there something he missed?

“Yeah, those two students you namedropped!”

“Students?”

“The ones you said you wanted to show you around!”

Owl tilted his head. “... You mean Dio and Samuel?”

“Yeah! I know I’ve heard that Dio kid’s name before. Give me his full name again?”

“Dio Tis Tifnie?”

“That’s it! That’s his name!”

Owl arched a single brow, watching Elnora nearly almost tremble with... excitement? Agitation? Whatever the reason, he had no idea why a student’s name elicited such a reaction. Clemens seemed to be of a similar mind, because he said, “I’ll warn you right now, Elnora, he’s not with the American luxury jewelry brand.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Clemens and Elnora blinked at each other. The former was absolutely convinced she was thinking about a famous jeweler’s company with the same name, but apparently that wasn’t the case. “... Clemens, you...” she started.

“Hm?”

“... Oh.” Elnora’s voice dropped to a mumble. “Right, I guess I never told you.”

“What are you talking about?” Clemens asked.

Elnora harrumphed, lip jutting out in a pout. “Nooothing.~ Ugh, you’re so boring.”

“You have plenty of jewels already, don’t you?”

She raised her chin. “Not that brand,” she shot back. She thought for a second, then brightened. “Ah, but maybe he’s related to the family somehow? It wouldn’t hurt to get in good with him, right? Hey Owl, introduce us.”

Before Owl could reply, a familiar voice spoke up from behind them. “S-Sorry, but I don’t have any relatives in America. I-I’m just the son of a backwoods doctor, so it’d be best if you didn’t get your hopes up. S-Sorry I’m so boring.”

Elnora yelped and whirled around at the sudden address. Dio and Samuel were standing there. The latter raised his hand in a tiny wave. “Hey, the director told us to come. You wanted to tour around again, right?” He peered at Clemens and Elnora from behind his long bangs. “Three of you today?”

Elnora recovered from the little surprise quickly. “Oh, hi, I’m El... um, I’m Anatra. You’re Samuel, and you’re Dio, right?” She strode up to examine them both, pressing her face so close to theirs they could probably hear her blinking. She hummed to herself. “You guys are both pretty rustic,” she told them. “You might want to think about doing something about those bangs and those glasses if you want to be popular.”

“Don’t be rude, Anatra,” Owl chided.

“Oh, sorry.” Elnora drew back with a titter, swaying back and forth with a dip of her head. “You both have such cute faces, I think it’s a shame to keep them hidden. Forgive me.”

“Ah, u-um, no, it’s fine.”

“I don’t mind.”

However, Elnora couldn’t leave it there. “Unless it’s on purpose?” she wondered aloud. Her head tilted to gaze meaningfully at them. “Maybe you’re not hiding your faces, you’re hiding... something else?”

Neither of them had any response for that.

Elnora giggled again. “Oh, come on, don’t look like that! I was joking! Funny, right? Everyone’s got one or two secrets, especially guys your age.” She poked them both in the chest above their hearts. “Ah, but you better go easy on the sweet stuff, okaaay?~” She twirled on her heel and started trotting away.

“Oi, E... Anatra, where’re you going?” Owl called.

“I’m going to go look for Jack,” she tossed over her shoulder. “I’ll ask the welcoming committee up front if I can see their list of names, so you do whatever you want, okay? See you later!~”

“Wha –?” Owl could only stand there, mouth agape, as Elnora sped off.

Clemens said, “Well, then, I’ll go take a look around the inpatient ward. They may be hiding among the patients,” before also heading off.

Owl scratched his head. Once again, those two were doing as they pleased. “Guess there’s no helping it,” he sighed.

“Ah!” Suddenly, Dio let out a flustered yelp and glanced this way and that in a tizzy, sending his long ponytail flying through the air. “W-Wait, did she find out that we’ve been bringing snacks into the chapel when there’s supposed to be no food or drink allowed? Wh-What do we do – no, no, I’m not eating anything in there, she’s mistaken! Ohh, this is bad, this is bad, if she tells the teachers our grades will be docked! This is why I said we shouldn’t be having that stuff in there! I-It’s all Meg’s fault...!”

Samuel patted Dio on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll tell the teachers you weren’t eating any if it comes to that.”

A new voice piped up, domineering and loud. “Oh, come on, like they’d really dock points for some measly sweets. You’re making a big deal over nothing.”

“Meg!”

A young student came racing up to them – Meg, the girl who’d been with Samuel and Dio yesterday. She scowled at the two as she approached. “You’re such a coward,” she told Dio haughtily. When she turned to face Owl, some of that ire lessened. “Hello. You’re the guy from the garden yesterday. Rossignol, the new student, right? These two told me.” She stuck out a hand. “My name’s Meg. I’m a senior pharmaceutics student. I heard you took a tour of the facility yesterday with these guys, right? I’ll tell you up front, you should join the Lapertes faction. You won’t be sorry.”

Owl, after a brief moment’s hesitation, took her hand and shook. “... Hello, Meg. I heard from Samuel and Dio that Lapertes is the biggest faction of them all.”

Meg narrowed her eyes. She shuffled closer to Owl, clinging to his arm and laying her head on his shoulder. “They’re right. You’re pretty cute – you’d be wasted on Castille or Briars. The sun fits you way better than a snake.”

“The sun?”

“Hey, do you want to hit up the cafeteria together? I want to hear more about you.”

Owl didn’t respond. The arm she had in a vice grip bumped against her chest... or, more specifically, she tugged it to her chest. When he realized what she was doing, making such blatant contact, he stared at her, eyes wide.

Meg’s eyelashes fluttered coquettishly when she noticed his attention. “Your eyes are such a lovely color,” she simpered. “What a beautiful shade of violet. I’d love to get a closer look.”

Most red-blooded young men his age would have their hearts fit to beat out of their chests when faced with such bold physical advances. Most. “... Are you... coming onto me?”

“Huh?”

Of all the ways Owl could’ve responded, that was what came out of his mouth. He was excited, but not because of how Meg was acting. No, he had the same gleeful look as a student who’d studied a very specific question before the test only to walk into the exam room and find that exact question on the test. He’d prepared for this. He’d learned all about bold women with certain intentions approaching him from the free-spirited nun known as Elnora. He didn’t think he’d run into another girl like her here, though...!

Unfortunately, he had yet to learn what to say to a woman like that in this situation.

“Isn’t your corset a little too tight? It’ll just give you anxiety if your body’s bound so tight like that. Are your internal organs functioning properly when they’re so constricted? No failures in your stomach or bowels?”

His response went far beyond the level of mere disrespect, delivering a counter punch so powerful it pulverized every last shred of interest she had in him. It was almost impressive, in a way.

“... Huh?”

For a moment, Meg simply stared at him, too dazed to do much else. However, twin spots of scarlet slowly began to rise in her cheeks as her eyebrows shot up, and she shoved Owl away and raised her right hand high.

“What’s with you, jerk!”

Not one second later, a resounding SMACK echoed throughout the plaza.

■■■■■■■■■■

“Hey, is the Castille faction’s research lab up ahead?” Owl asked.

He, Samuel, and Dio were walking through a section of single-story buildings all lined up in neat rows. A chemical odor hung thick in the air, and the walkways were so narrow they kept nearly bumping into people heading the other way.

“Mm... Mm-hmm, yeah... pff....”

“Because it seems to be pretty far along this narrow road,” Owl continued.

“Yeah... it is, pff-haha....”

“Samuel’s the only one who’s allowed to go inside, though, right? Would you mind waiting for us somewhere outside, Dio?”

“Yeah, yeah, he’ll do it... pff-hahaha....”

“... Would you stop laughing already?”

“Yeah, sorry, it’s just – hahaha...!”

Samuel finally lost the battle against himself and burst out laughing. Behind him, Owl scowled, a prominent red handprint still on full display on his pale cheek. The poor detective looked downright pathetic. Meg’s explosive rage had certainly left its mark. Samuel and Dio had stood there unmoving for a while after Meg stormed off, too stunned by the sudden turn of events, but now Samuel shook with unrelenting laughter. He’s been snickering to himself the whole long walk to the Castille faction’s research lab.

In contrast, Dio was nodding to himself admiringly. “I-It was rather satisfying. I’d thought that someone ought to get that aggressive viper of a woman to fold once, s-so I really respect your insensitivity. Wonderfully done. I-I learned a lot from it. I’ll have to try it later.”

“It’s just, pfft... no one really knew how to deal with her brand of selfishness. She’s got great grades, but she seduces the teachers, turns the male students into her servants, and bullies the more timid female students. But you – pff-haha – your complete lack of tact trumped even her strong personality...!” Samuel wheezed. “Ow – haha, Rossignol, you’re the best!”

“I don’t think those are compliments,” Owl deadpanned with a glare. They weren’t even trying to hide their glee.... “By the way, she mentioned something about being a ‘sun’ over a ‘snake’. The snake is referring to the symbols of the factions you want to join, Castille, and Briars, right?”

“That’s right,” Samuel confirmed, still grinning.

“But she referred to the faction she’s planning on joining, Lapertes, as the sun. Not a rose. Even though the Lapertes’ symbol is a wild rose,” Owl pointed out. Meaning she wasn’t referring to the symbol, but rather.... “The Lapertes faction must worship the god Apollo, then. That’s why there are bronze statues of him all over the place, right?”

“Yup. Since he’s not just the sun god, he’s also the god of healing.”

“So the snakes on the Castille and Briars crests must represent the god of medicine Asclepius?”

“Th-That’s correct! Since they split off from Lapertes, they took the symbol of his son Asclepius as their own. B-But it’d be confusing if they both had the same symbol, so they made them face opposite directions... i-it’s still confusing, though.” Dio barked out a short, strained laugh.

Asclepius... the same god hidden in the McCreech estate’s horoscope. According to Greek myth, he was an all-powerful doctor capable of even resurrecting the dead. The Rod of Asclepius had been adopted in many places as a symbol of medicine as a whole – one could find it almost anywhere.

“But doesn’t it cause misunderstandings, having two snakes?” Owl glanced between them both.

“Misunderstandings?” Samuel echoed.

“Because –”

Whatever Owl was going to say next got lost beneath the screaming.

“HEY! Someone! Anyone! Come quick!!”

The three turned toward the source of the panicked shouting just in time to see a bone-white man come staggering out of a side street and fall to the ground. He crawled on his hands and knees toward their group and screamed:

“Someone’s... someone’s dead...!!!”

Then his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed in an unconscious heap.

■■■■■■■■■■

The second he saw the body, Owl couldn’t help but hiss, “Another one...!”

Another dead body.

What else could he even say?

And just like the previous two, grayish stone spires lanced this new corpse as well.

The body lay at the end of the side street, draped in the dim shadows cast by the Castille faction buildings all around it. An old, forgotten well stood in the center of the space right at the end, and there the body was, collapsed atop the well’s cover, lying on his side. Thick tree branch-like protrusions stuck out of his chest and stomach, the ends of which flickered and wavered like flame as if reacting to the faint beams of sunlight trickling through the gaps in the buildings, casting eerie shadows on the opposite wall.

“These are... torches...?” Owl wondered aloud. The way they flickered in the sunlight, the stone growths sure looked like a multitude of torches this time around.

He slowly approached the body and ran his hands over the dead man’s clothes. He had an inkling he might find a certain something on this man’s person....

“... Thought so.”

And he was proven correct when he stealthily pulled a glittering shard from the man’s pocket – another piece of the same mirror the other two bodies had. Inscribed on the back was another piece of the alchemical sigil.

“I wonder if this means more bodies are going to keep showing up until the mirror’s complete...?”

Was the killer playing around or something? Owl clicked his tongue.

He’d just finished putting the man’s pocket back to rights when Dio rushed up and stammered, “Rossignol, y-you’re not allowed to come in here! S-Samuel went to go get the director, s-so leave everything as-is until they get back!” It was only then that Dio’s eyes fell on the body. “O-Oh, oh my, another... oh, how horrible....”

Owl watched Dio shuffle closer to the body, fixated on the state of the poor corpse. “You probably shouldn’t look, Dio,” he warned. “It’s not the most pleasant sight.”

Dio furiously shook his head. “Absolutely not! I-It’s an intriguing sight! Please, let me examine the body as well! I-I am a doctor in the making, after all!”

“... If you say so.”

Dio joined him by the body and peered closely at where the stone jutted out of the flesh. “It appears as though the body has transformed into stone... how in the world did something like that happen...?” he mumbled to himself thoughtfully. His eyes slid to the body’s face, and he perked up. “Oh, it’s him.”

“You recognize him? Is he a classmate?”

“N-No, not a classmate, but I remember him. He skipped his prayer shifts a lot. H-He just became a research fellow this year, I think his name was... Aaron? I think – yeah, yes, th-this is Aaron Hughman. He didn’t have the best reputation. He felt like he would’ve fit better with the Lapertes faction than Castille.”

As Dio chattered on, something else diverted Owl’s attention. “It’s here, too....” There were words carved into the wooden lid of the old well. Familiar words.

“The third. Not here.”

Unfamiliar unease snaked along Owl’s spine. It was almost like....

Not here.

... So then, where?

The question taunted him as it echoed in his brain.

It called forth a memory of his childhood. Of his adoptive father Tristan’s voice.

“Owl, I’ve hidden a present for you somewhere in the manor. Go ahead and try and look for it. These codes will tell you where it is.”

Tristan handed Owl several encryptions. As per usual, each one was a difficult, nigh-unintelligible alchemical formula, and Tristan provided no other hints. The boy beat his head against the wall for days trying to decode the formulas, and when he finally thought he figured it out and raced to the designated spot, all he found was a single note:

“Disappointing! Not here!”

“It seems you put the pieces of the code in the wrong order at some point, hm? Well, nothing for it! Try and solve it again, from the top!”

That was how Tristan taught competitive young Owl: with challenges and games and pranks.

He’d been innocent back then. He’d loved those riddles back then....

“How long will this go on? And... where is ‘here,’ and what will we find there?”

But now, with an unknown something nipping at his heels at every turn, Owl turned his gaze skyward, to the clouds slowly gathering over the clear blue skies.

original written by Nagaya Kawaji here

[chierafied]

The Silence - Part 10

Voiced

As Sesshoumaru flew them back to the east, Kagome was lost in thought. The spot on her forehead Sesshoumaru’s mother’s lips had briefly brushed in a kiss of goodbye still faintly tingled. Her mind kept going over the conversation she’d had with the demoness. Of all the things said—and more importantly, unsaid.  

There were so many restless thoughts swimming in her head, so many emotions that had arisen that hadn’t fully sunk in yet. In many ways, she was still reeling. 

But the gears in her head were now roaring in full spin, jump-started by the elder demoness. 

Perhaps it was because of the easy acceptance his mother had shown her, or the many ways she’d managed to encourage Kagome during their brief interaction. Perhaps it was the demoness’ ready conviction that Kagome and Sesshoumaru were a suitable match: the first validation for their relationship from a third party, as this had been the first time the two of them had openly admitted to being a couple to anyone. Or maybe it had been the burst of grief she’d allowed herself. How she’d finally admitted aloud her greatest flaw and been told by Sesshoumaru’s mother that her body wasn’t broken. And by doing both, she’d started to let go of some of the shame and heartache she’d carried inside for far too long.  

Or maybe it was all of it and the fact that Sesshoumaru had been willing and eager to defend her, even against his mother.  

Whatever the cause, as the many miles ticked by, the myriad layers of insecurities Kagome had wrapped herself in since the disastrous end of her relationship with Inuyasha began to peel off. As they neared Edo, she stood straighter by Sesshoumaru’s side. Deep within her a resolve was building and with it came clarity. It was time—past time—to take Sesshoumaru’s mother’s final advice. 

She turned to Sesshoumaru and broke the silence. 

“Let’s stop when we reach Inuyasha’s forest. We need to talk.” 

“Very well,” he replied.  

She couldn’t read his expression and his voice lacked any inflection. Kagome bit her lip and clung to her newly found determination as they continued towards the village. 

As soon as they landed by the Bone Eater’s Well, Kagome pushed away from Sesshoumaru and strode a few steps away, gathering her thoughts and her courage. She was so tired that standing upright was an effort. The crying and the battle with her grief, however cathartic, had sapped her strength. But Sesshoumaru’s mother had been right in that a frank conversation was long overdue. No more putting it off. She whirled around to face him. And the words, once again, got caught in her throat. 

He stood there by the well, silent and stoic. His expression was infuriatingly blank and his spine stiff. The wind ruffled his hair. His golden eyes were steady on hers, but so carefully guarded they might as well have belonged to a stranger. 

She stared at him, the sound of rustling leaves filling the air between them.  

Then, Kagome laughed, brief and wry. 

“I don’t even know where to begin,” she said, shaking her head in defeat. “Because we’ve never really talked. You’re not big on talking to begin with and I came to you with a mountain of baggage and a broken heart, so the odds were stacked against us from the start.” 

“We may discuss whatever you wish,” Sesshoumaru said evenly.  

“What we need to discuss is our relationship. We can’t keep going on like this.” 

Sesshoumaru inclined his head and spoke in a grave voice. “Agreed.” 

Kagome’s busy mind blanked. The words she’d strung together, the careful sentences she’d constructed vanished. And the old insecurity that she’d battled back just moments earlier swelled with the force of a tsunami. Her heart stalled and she felt frozen all over, numb down to her fingertips. For a fleeting second, she thought this was it. The moment Sesshoumaru would announce he was leaving.  

But behind the sound of her own heartbreak, she could hear a small, angry voice. Faintly sounding like Sesshoumaru’s mother. That voice was yelling at her to stop her sorry spiral.  

Earlier in the day, Sesshoumaru had introduced her to her mother. And at the end of their visit, thinking his mother had made her cry, Sesshoumaru had stood up to his pack-elder, making his stance clear. He had chosen her. Over his own mother.  

That was not the behaviour of a man about to walk away from a relationship.  

Kagome covered her face with trembling hands and let out a frustrated scream.  

For the first time, she could hear hesitation in Sesshoumaru’s voice. “Kagome?” 

“I can’t keep doing this,” she burst out, shoulders slumping with exhaustion. “I can’t keep taking apart every action you make and spin it around trying to figure out what it means. I can’t keep clinging onto every stray word you deign to toss my way and tear it apart while overanalysing every letter. I can’t let my hang-ups sabotage what we have.” 

She started to pace, raking her hair with her hands. The words had built into a torrent now and couldn’t be leashed. The emotions she’d been holding in and bottling up were breaking free. And given voice. 

“I have work to do on myself, okay? I know that. I admit that. But this relationship we have? Hell, I don’t even know what I should call it. Because we’ve never sat down and talked. About what we are to one another. About where do we want this thing to go. What it means to us. And I know it's as much my fault as it’s yours and that you’re not the chattiest demon around but damn it, Sesshoumaru! This silence between us has been strangling me.”

Tears burned in Kagome’s eyes, and she turned to face him, her furious blue eyes pinning him down with the sharpness of a knife. 

“What we’ve had so far has been stolen nights. Lovely and precious. And painful. We’ve been sneaking around everyone’s backs and stuck to the shadows. At first, I thought it was because I wasn’t good enough for you. Now I’m not so sure. Still, all this time, I’ve been convincing myself that what we have cannot last. That one of these nights you’re not coming back. That you’ve realised I’m too flawed, or too human or too—” she choked on the word, forced it out, “—barren to build a life together with.” 

“Kagome...” 

“Shut up. I’m not done yet. I think most of that was my own lack of confidence twisting things. I wanted to convince myself that what we had was enough. To content myself with any sliver of yourself you wanted to give me, no matter how small. But it’s not enough. Not anymore. I want more.” 

She strode up to him and poked him in the chest. “You took me to see your mother. I’m not sure why. But even though you’ve given me no promises, no reassurance, today’s visit was proof of something. And it has given me hope. It’s brilliant and it’s terrifying. Because at this point, I don’t think I can bear to lose you.”  

A single tear finally slipped, carving a line down her cheek. Her shaking fingers clutched at the front of his kimono, burrowing into the silk with startling ferocity. 

“I need to know why we went to see your mother today. I need to know we have a future together. I need you to use your words, Sesshoumaru, and tell me what you feel for me. Please. Talk to me.” 

-

Part Eleven

[crashpill]

What if he doesn't come back?

A quiet evening falls upon Wellington Wells as Edie and George have dinner. After they finish eating, Edie diligently does the dishes while George gets ready for his night shift. When George is ready, he returns to the kitchen.

"I'll wish you a good night later, take care, and don't go out. See you in the morning. I love you, Kitten," he says, giving her a final kiss before Edie sees him off to the door.

"Take care, my Puppy," Edie replies, closing and locking the door after he leaves. After finishing the dishes, she prepares for bed in the bathroom, putting on her pajamas and brushing her teeth. When she's done, she turns on the bedroom television, and Uncle Jack's Good Night Show begins, with the second episode of Hansel and Gretel playing. She lies down in bed and falls asleep quickly.

George's shift is relatively quiet until he hears something in a dead-end alley. It's a foggy night, making it difficult to see with his flashlight. He grips his nightstick and cautiously enters the alley.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Show yourself!" he calls out, but there's no response. He continues further, scanning the area. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Suddenly, a rat leaps out from a trash can and runs past George. "Damn vermin!" he exclaims, startled. He retreats to his post and continues his rounds.

A few calm hours pass until he finds himself in the same alley again. This time, he hears something, but he dismisses it, thinking it's another rat. "Not again," he mutters, moving closer and catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure with two red eyes in the fog. He stops, fear creeping in. "Is someone there?"

Naturally, he receives no answer but takes a few more steps. "You'd better not be another rat..." He looks around but finds nothing. Suddenly, a figure appears behind him and laughs.

"I'm afraid you've come to the end of your time." the figure says, startling George. He reaches for his nightstick, but before he can strike, he receives a cut on his arm. "Damn it!" he cries out in pain, dropping his nightstick.

Before George can react, the figure in the fog strikes again, causing George to fall to the ground, screaming. George isn't dead yet; he struggles to defend himself. He manages to grab his nightstick and hits the figure's legs.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching Bobbies can be heard, likely drawn by George's screams. The figure in the fog vanishes as the Bobbies arrive at George's side. They rush to him as he fights for his life, trying to stop the bleeding.

"George! Hang in there, buddy... a doctor will be here soon!" one Bobby says, but George can barely see anymore, mumbling.

"Foggy... Jack... it... was... Foggy... Jack," George stammers before closing his eyes and dying in the arms of the two Bobbies.

Both of them, who tried to keep him alive, remain silent and briefly remove their helmets. "Thank you for your service, George. You were a good comrade."

When the doctor arrives with the third Bobby who fetched him, they pronounce George dead. They take him away and cordon off the alley. The Bobbies continue their night shift.

The Bobby who had spoken with George makes a detour to the Pride residence. He hesitates as he stands before the house, just as the sun rises. He knocks loudly on the door.

Edie is awakened by the knocking and rushes to the door. "ONE MOMENT, PLEASE!" She goes down the stairs, forgetting to put on her Joy mask, and opens the door. She is surprised to see a different Bobby than George.

"Good morning, what can I do for you?" she asks.

The Bobby looks at her with a serious and sad expression. "Miss Pride? I have something to tell you..."

He struggles to deliver the news, knowing how much she loved George. Normally, Bobbies and doctors only say that the deceased are on "holiday."

"I'm sorry to have to tell you, but your husband George passed away during his duty last night..."

Edie can't believe his words, and tears start to flow before she can speak. She hopes it's just a bad dream, but the Bobby's hand on her shoulder makes her realize it's not. She breaks down in tears and collapses into the Bobby's arms. He allows her to cry and comforts her as best he can. It's hard for him not to cry as well, but he tries to remain strong and hands her a Joy. He knows that Edie often forgets to take her Joy, but he doesn't want to burden her with it now.

Several minutes pass, and Edie is still crying in his arms. The television sets in the house turn on, playing Uncle Jack's Good Morning Show.

"Edie... I know this is difficult for you, and I'm here for you. Stay home for now and be with your friends. I'll come back later this afternoon to check on you. George asked me to tell you the truth, even though it's difficult, but I wanted to be the one to tell you. Take care, and George still loves you, and he's always with you," he says before giving her another brief hug.

Edie looks at him with tear-filled eyes and nods. "Thank you... Constable."

With that, she closes the door and collapses to the floor, continuing to cry. She repeats to herself through sobs, "George... I love you... why did this have to happen?"

A few hours pass, and Edie is still sitting on the floor, her tears now dried up. Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. Edie startles and gets up, wiping away her tears. She remembers to put on her Joy mask before answering the door.

She opens it to find a doctor standing there. "Good day, Miss Pride. I must inform you that Mr. Pride is on leave starting today. After such strenuous work, he's earned it."

Edie knows he's lying, and due to her fear of doctors, she only nods slightly. The doctor sniffs lightly and extends his hand with a Joy pill in it. "I think you should take your Joy, Miss."

Edie silently takes the Joy, but this time, it doesn't seem to have any effect. The doctor doesn't notice and bids her farewell.

Edie is puzzled as to why her Joy isn't working anymore. She knows it should make her feel better, but it doesn't. Panic sets in, and she picks up the phone and dials the number of the Bobby who had been with her earlier that morning. A woman answers, but before Edie can say anything, the Bobby picks up the call.

"Edie? Is that you? Should I come over? Can I bring you something?"

"Please come over... I'm not doing well... I..." Before she can finish her sentence, he interrupts.

"Don't worry, I'll be right there. Give me a few minutes; I'm on my way."

He hangs up and rushes over to Edie's house. Edie hangs up as well and sits on the sofa. She starts to panic, wondering why her Joy isn't working. She's grateful that the Bobby told her the truth.

After a while, there was a knock on her door. She got up and opened it; it was Bobby. He entered and closed the door for their safety. He was doing things for Edie that he shouldn't. They both went to the living room and sat on the sofa.

"What happened, Edie?"

"A doctor came... and told me he's going on vacation now. He gave me my Joy, but... it's not working."

"How? It's not working?"

He was confused, not knowing what else to do. "Do you want one of mine? I know they're not for regular use, but maybe it'll help you."

Edie nodded and took the Blackberry Joy he offered. But she showed no reaction either.

"Damn... I think it's not working for you either."

She panicked and didn't know what to do anymore. Bobby held her and tried to calm her.

"It's okay, Edie. No one will betray you to the doctors. You just need to avoid getting caught by them. Try to calm down for now."

Edie nodded slowly. "Yes, but George... he's gone... forever. I don't know what to do without him. He was... he was my everything."

The Bobby nodded. "I and the other Bobbies are here for you. Whatever happens, we'll help you. We're so sorry it happened to him tonight. He was a good person."

"Why? Why him? ...he didn't do anything to anyone... who was it?"

"We think it was Foggy Jack... he mentioned him, and the crime scene looked almost like the others, just not as severe... but we couldn't catch him, let alone save George... I'm sorry, Edie."

Edie remained strong, as she couldn't cry anymore; she simply stayed silent. After a while, she looked at him. "Can you stay here today? I can't be alone..."

Bobby looked at her and nodded. "Of course, I'm off today anyway, and I told my girl I'd let her know if I stay with you. I was prepared for this."

Edie was so grateful and hugged him. She was thankful that he told her the truth and that he was staying with her.

"Thank you... George would be proud of you for doing all this for me."

"I know how important he was to you. He only spoke good things about you. Plus, I heard you're a good cook?" He tried to lighten the mood. "Maybe I'll get something good from you tonight!"

Edie smiled slightly at his words and nodded. "Of course, whatever you want! We just need to go shopping."

He was glad to see Edie smile briefly. "It's on me today! We'll go shopping together, and then you'll cook us something nice."

Edie nodded. Suddenly, the TV turned on, and Jack with Famous Britons came on in the living room. Edie looked at the TV and rushed to turn it off.

Bobby looked at her in surprise. "Why did you turn it off? You love Jack!"

Edie sat back down with him. "I can't handle it right now... that was his favorite show..."

"Oh, I see. How about we go shopping now?" Bobby and Edie spent the rest of the day shopping for the evening and cooking together. The distraction seemed to help Edie a bit. Fortunately, the day passed quickly.

After dinner, they both sat on the sofa and talked when Edie suddenly fell silent and looked at him.

"Do you think we can secretly make a grave for him somewhere? So I at least have something to go to and talk to him?"

He looked at her and nodded. "We can try. We'll find a place for him. Don't worry about it. Try to get some sleep for now, and tomorrow we'll look for a place, okay?"

Edie nodded and got up. She brought a blanket and pillows for him to sleep on the sofa.

"If you need anything else, help yourself. I'll be upstairs... trying to sleep."

"Alright, Edie. Sleep well, and feel free to come to me if you can't sleep, okay?"

Edie nodded and went upstairs. "Goodnight." She turned on the TV in her room, Uncle Jack with Red Riding Hood part 1 was playing. It took her a while to fall asleep, and she didn't sleep through the night. She was plagued by a nightmare and woke up in a panic. She jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to Bobby, waking him up.

He immediately got up, wrapped her in a blanket, and sat her down next to him, comforting her until she fell asleep. When he noticed that she had fallen asleep after a while, he carefully lifted her and took her to her bed. He put his blanket back on the chair in the room, covered Edie with her blanket, turned off the TV that was still on but showing nothing, and sat in the corner chair in the room. He covered himself and, after a while, fell asleep in the chair.

[alien-hybreed]

OVERTIME - Part 2: Home Time

Read Part One Here!

Mike was only the beginning. As Laura becomes more accustomed to her alien form, she sets her sights on assimilating Luke as well.

Now with two hulking alien Drones at her service, Laura is ready to be treated like a queen in more ways than one...

Luke shrieked as a thick, bright purple tentacle shot from Laura's pussy to snap around his engorged penis. He strained against her vice-like grip, kicking his legs in vain as she pinned him to the desk in her office. Minutes ago, he'd been happily making out with his boss while she slowly undressed him. Then once she was naked, she'd become rough. Luke insisted on being on top in all his intimate relations but Laura didn't have a bar of it. They fought, he tried to blow her off and leave. Laura had started to growl and began forcing herself on him and that's when Luke noticed the petite blonde growing head and shoulders taller than him. Now the tentacle sprouting from her pussy was massaging his cock and pulling it into her slit.

"No no no, please God, someone help! Help!" Shrieked Luke as Laura pulled him into her. She was perplexed by his unwillingness to submit to her and the pleasures she offered. Mike had been much more compliant. Perhaps Mike had been more willing to join her than she'd originally thought. Luke was proving to be much more of a challenge.

Rather than reply to Luke, Laura simply hissed as her mouth began to split I'm half and spread outwards, revealing the second fanged mouth behind it. Her breasts jiggled as their nipples began to extend, wriggling as they became thick, ribbed tentacles. Luke screamed, tears streaming  down his eyes as his cock vanished into Laura's gaping slit. Throwing his head back and wailing louder, Luke felt a rush as the warmth of Laura's womanhood engulfed him. Yet Luke remained horrified despite how pleasurable as it was. He had very quickly assumed Mike had met a similar fate last night...

"Please don't ah-ah- eat me!" He whimpered as he tried to pull his cock free. Instead the prickling sensation around his shaft intensified, causing him to involuntarily thrust instead. Laura's hands and tentacle squeezed him tighter as her skin began turning blue and scaly. Luke tried to protest again only to have one of Laura's nipple tentacles dart between his lips while the other coiled around his throat. His screams became muffled as he gurgled and choked on the strange appendage.

"I said we do this my way" hissed Laura as her hair began to shrink into her head. Her hips began to gyrate against Luke's, working his cock up and down in her vagina as she moved. Luke's eyes widened with a confused mix of terror and arousal as he stared up at her.

"You like it my way now" she purred, her voice echoing with a second, deeper growl as if two voices were speaking as one. Luke winced as the prickle on his cock became a sharp stabbing pain. The tentacle around it pulled tighter and he was horrified by how increasingly pleasurable the sensation was. He let out a muffled, involuntary moan as his hips bucked up to Laura's while he thrashed in vain. She tightened her grip til he could barely move and began to raise her hips til only the tip of his cock was still in her. Luke tried to scream despite the tentacle gagging him as he watched her pussy tentacle massage his exposed shaft.

"Was I unclear, Luke?" She snarled in his ear. "You like it like this now. You always will." Another pussy tentacle slithered out from her slit and coiled around his cock until it reached his balls. Again, came the prickling sensation, a sharp stab and then an invigorating rush of pure horniness. It was like Luke had taken a Viagra. "Whatever you thought you were into, this is what you really needed" purred Laura, her tongue lashing against his ear as she spoke. "You just needed a woman who was enough to break you in. Control you. You just needed me" She continued. A third tentacle slithered from her womanhood and began massaging the underside of Luke's shaft. "That's why you stayed back tonight, Luke. You knew what I wanted. You needed to give it to me." Chuckled Laura, her feminine human voice sounding sweet and playful while the monstrous, growling voice terrified Luke to his core. Despite all that, he plunged his cock back into her. Closing his eyes as he fought his body for an ounce of control, Luke's hips shuddered as he tried to stop the motion but was unable to resist thrusting his cock back and forth. The tendril in his mouth pushed deeper down into his throat, forcing his eyes to roll backwards as sensation began to overwhelm him. There was no fight left in him now, too tired, too aroused, his brain too shocked by everything it was trying to process. Luke stopped struggling, his muscles relaxed as he conceded defeat. Sensing her victory, Laura gripped even tighter as she quickened her pace. Grunting and angrily moaning as she slammed against Luke, the desk creaking and shaking underneath them from the force of her movement.

Finally, a long, muffled groan started to come from Luke as Laura felt a surge of warmth erupt inside her. Her moans built to a delighted howl as her triumph over Luke tipped her over the edge into an explosive climax of her own. Her hips shuddered, grinding against Luke's while her nipple tentacle in his mouth began releasing thick streams of mutagenic goo into his body. As her orgasm continued to send shivers through her, she slid the tip of her second nipple tentacle into his now eager mouth. The surge of additional goo it spurted, overflowed and spilled out over Luke's face. Luke didn't seem to care as he stared vacantly up at the ceiling as his eyes began to glaze over. He didn't even flinch when his bones began audibly cracking, his flesh squelching softly as his flesh and organs began to reshape and rearrange themselves.

He lay calmly under Laura as he began to morph into a creature, just like Mike had transformed the previous night. Laura smiled as she felt his teeth grow long and sharp, delightfully scraping at her nipple tentacles. His tongue was elongating as it lapped at the mutagenic juices around it. Luke's chest heaved as glassy, translucent ribs began extending from it, his collarbone and forearms extending shortly after. Sandy brown hair littered the desk as it fell from his rapidly swelling head.

Laura's tentacles twitched and flicked as she watched her latest conquest turn into another loyal drone. She desperately wanted to plant his beautiful, inhuman face between her thighs and have him eat her out, coaxing her fourth pussy tentacle out to grip his face and pump him full... but not yet. At least not here. Despite how strong the urge was, Laura had expected it and was learning to suppress it. For now at least. Once Luke was fully transformed and mobile, she needed to get him home and fast, before she got too impulsive...

* * *

The red hatchback slowly crept up the narrow driveway, passing by the densely packed rows of trees that surrounded the large, two story house on the hill. The car's lights were off though it made no difference to Laura, she could see as if it was daylight and had honestly forgotten to even turn the headlights on when she'd bundled her new drone into the back-seat and left the restaurant. She'd originally bought the car because the interior was perfectly sized for a petite girl like herself. But now? Even when changed back into her human form, this felt awfully cramped and restrictive. Or maybe that's just how it felt to force herself back into her old appearance. She couldn't wait to reach a point where the pretence of humanity would no longer be necessary.

Laura still lived with her parents much to her embarrassment, though they had retired early and gone overseas for two months shortly before Laura had undergone her transformation. So Laura wasn't worried at all by the possibility of discovery, this was easily the safest and most private place for her to hide her drones.

Pulling up in the carport, she hopped out and opened the back door for her new drone. Slowly, the seven foot tall monster slid out from the car and took the hand she offered as she led him to the house. Laura had to force herself to not stare at his giant cock throbbing in it's bony sheath. Just like Mike te night before, his erection had hardly waned at all. Her drones seemed to be in a state of permanent readiness for her and while she had achieved a remarkable level of self control, Laura knew the longer her gaze lingered on it, the likelihood of her and Luke rutting right here and now was too high. She'd learned that the hard way with Mike last night. There was still a splatter of dried slime and cum across the carport, doorstep and kitchen floor where they'd been unable to resist their urges. Laura was a little wiser tonight.

Guiding Luke inside and leading him through the empty house, they headed upstairs to Laura's room. Gingerly she opened the door. Inside, her room's decore had been bold contrasting colours, hot pink walls and bright white furniture, deep purple bedsheets were neaty folded on her bed along with dozens of fluffy pillows and oversized plushies. It made the giant, skeletal, blue creature perched on the foot of her bed seem particularly out of place. But stranger still were the thick webs draped across the room as if a giant spider had been nesting in there for a long time. Dark blue and impossibly strong, the webs felt more like a soggy fabric than the soft silk they appeared to be. Mike had clearly been busy.

"Mike, Luke, I believe you've met" chuckled Laura as she let go off Luke's hands. Like a person in a trance, Luke shuffled over to stand by Mike before turning to face Laura, obediently standing to attention as he awaited her command. Laura smiled warmly as she looked at them both.

"Boys. My boys..." She started before trailing off as she began to bite her lip. Before she even knew what she was doing, her work uniform was off once again and flung across the floor as she threw herself between her drones. She could sleep later. First, she had needs.

Oversized, clawed Hans roamed her supple body as the two creatures pressed against her, one on either side of her. She moaned softly as they kneaded her buttocks and breasts, stroked her sides and thighs. She felt hot breath on her neck as their lips trailed across her neck and shoulders from in front and behind. Laura couldn't tell which drone was Mike and which was Luke, not that it mattered now. They were identical in every way, both proving equally adept at pleasuring her.

Laura let out an excited squeak as she felt their cocks simultaneously slide into her, stretching her pussy like nothing had ever done to her before. Gasping as the two enormous shafts pressed deeper into her, Laura coiled her legs around the drone in front of her and allowed them to hold her up, impaled on their cocks while their arms stroked and supported her. Heaven. This was heaven. Individually her drones made for spectacular lovers, but at the same time? This was a whole other level of adoration and physical pleasure. Laura was already imagining what she could do with a third drone added to this blissful mix...

As her drones lovingly massaged her body and alternated pistoning in and out of her slit, Laura struggled to keep her composure. Again, the urge to revert to what she considered her 'true form' was overwhelming. She wanted to cut loose, throw her lovers around and take everything from them. Yet there was something oddly soothing about being so small and vulnerable, yet  so adored. As a human, she'd never had a threesome this good, those had never been about her. But in this, she was all that mattered and she desperately wanted to savour that a while longer.

Her drones however could only exhibit so much control over their bodies. Grunting and snarling as their breathing became heavy and laboured, their cocks began throbbing in Laura as her pussy tentacles began coiling around them both. Their thrusting became synchronised and Laura shrieked with glee as their combined thrusting bounced her like a bucong bronco ride. Despite her momentary desire to remain human and drag this out a while longer, she should see her body was changing. This seemed to further excite her drones as they quickened their pace. Laura gasped as she felt herself climax the instant her drones unloaded in her.

With the utmost reverence, they slowly slid free of her and gently sat her down on the bed. Laura was now fully in her true form and growling loudly as she struggled to keep herself upright. Her mind also seemed to have made a transition of sorts as her more human thoughts seemed to have been silenced, leaving only pure instinct in their place. There was a blissful peace to not worrying about anything else, how to acquire more drones or ponder what she wad working towards. There was only need.

Her jaws trembled and the red in her eyes blazed brighter than ever before as she spread her legs, inviting her drones to partake of her womanhood and pleasure her further. Obediently, one stepped forward, chambering onto the bed between her legs and pressing its mouth to her slit. Content with being excluded, the second drone began awkwardlvmoving about the room in a trance like state. As it did, it spun fresh webs from it's saliva and began to extend the webbing into the hallway outside. Leaving Laura with the drone hungrily licking at her clit.

Laura shrieked and hissed, lazily writhing n the bed as the drone continued to stimulate her and caress her insides with its lips and tongue. Gripping either side of it's elongated head with her clawed hands, Laura pressed it hard against her opening. She growled as one of her pussy tentacles slithered into her drone's mouth, the other two sliding out to coil around his neck. He licked harder, pressing at her clit and making her purr loudly. Without her human thoughts to hold back her mating instinct, two mandibles rapidly slid from her opening and clamped around her drone's face. Unphased by this development, it continued to lick at her and opened its mouth wide. Laura rasped and moaned with orgasmic delight as her forth pussy tentacle thrust into her drone's mouth with a wet slurp.

Last night and earlier this evening,  she'd greedily sated her appetite for cum and gone well beyond that to stockpile more than enough for her altered physique to achieve peak fertility. She'd held back on this process to the point where her body was incapable of going any longer without this next step.

Looking down at her drone, she shrieked louder as her climax steadily built to a dizzying new high. Her fourth pussy tentacle was longer, thicker and lacked the delicate prickles laced with aphrodisiacs that her other tendrils sported. She cried out as she felt it glide down her drone's throat and begin to unfurl like a flower. This was it.

The drone obediently gulped at the throbbing tendril, its tongue gently coiling around it as the drone instinctively locked itself in place. The sensation made Laura shiver as the large tendril began to throb and undulate. Throwing her head back and arching her spine, Laura roared as one by one, dozens of tiny pods began pumping into the drone. Laura couldn't tell how long this went for, it felt like minutes went by between each pod's implantation but it could have been seconds. With each pod it received, the drone seemed to change. It's exo skeleton seeming to extend  forming bumps and ridges, mostly around its arms and shoulders. Laura could also see its scrotum begin to bulge as the pods gradually made their way into the rapidly swelling sack. She knew instinctively this was the next stage for her drones, a more resilient form that their young could safely gestate in until they were ready for implantation in a new host. After that, the drone would revert to its previous form, ready to inseminate Laura so she could prepare to implantation them with more pods and the cycle could continue, rapidly expanding the population of her hive each time.

The more Laura thought about this, the more she moaned. She barely even noticed her tentacle stop throbbing as her pussy mandibles released her drone and her fourth tendril retracted back into where her womb had once been. Her more human cognitive functions  were slowly coming back to her, but she was too tired to feel anything but elation as her drone moved up to snuggle against her. They were both completely spent and desperately needing to rest. The afterglow of this process gently pushing her into the most relaxing slumber she'd ever had. As she slept, Laura dreamed about the world she was creating. So many drones, so much sex...

After the last two nights, who knew what tomorrow night would bring...

Read Part 3 - Promotion here!

[alldragonsaregood]

Hey y’all Draggers, Rev here!

It’s been awhile since I’ve made an actual post :P Been thinking this past year, I wanna do something cool with all y’all again!

So, excluding the silly “Build-A-Dragon” post with my friend Pheel, I haven’t done anything cool inna while. Once I was doing weekly hoard reblogs, but sadly that got too much for me to handle :( Same with the weekly Dragon themes I also used to do 😔 And while I do have my friend Tom with me as well, we’re busy creatures and I don’t see us being able to revive a daily series. Another thing I did was hold periodic raffles from followers to get their Dragons drawn! For all the Dragons who didn’t have art of theirselves, I made a raffle for those people, winner got a ref art piece paid by me (: First two went successful, but the artist for the third kinda, vanished :( I only lost $5, artist did a dual payment system, but piece never got finished, and I stopped those raffle things :(

I wanna do something new! What ideas do y’all have that can cause interaction with us? I’m not gonna start the raffles up again I don’t think, and while the daily themes were cool I don’t see that restarting either. But! I am open to ideas :) Shoot them in the replies of this post. I’ll be looking

[angel-of-reckoning]

Chapter 33 in-progress scene

Hoping that sharing a scene from Chapter 33 will help motivate me to finish it.

Mitsumi wasted no time in getting started on her new mission. The next morning, she demanded a battle with Silver as the first of the Gym Leaders she’d challenge. It did take a mild amount of convincing for him to break the customary order that placed Viridian Gym last, but once they got to the Celadon City Trainer House, any reluctance he had vanished.

The first match-up of their contest saw Mitsumi’s Electivire pitted against Silver’s red Gyarados. It had been a short but brutal affair; while Electivire capitalized on her type advantage to achieve victory fairly quickly, Gyarados managed to land two blows with Aqua Tail and a third with Ice Fang, weakening Electivire enough that Silver’s Mamoswine finished her off immediately upon entering the battle. Mitsumi responded by sending in her Infernape. The two dueled to a swift draw, with Infernape’s Raging Fury balancing out his type disadvantage to bring Mamoswine down at the same time he fell to Mamoswine’s Earthquake.

With one Pokémon left on each side, Silver sent out his Weavile, while Mitsumi decided to take a risk. If she were to complete her mission to defeat Polaris, she reasoned that she wouldn’t be able to play things safely. On top of that, she’d made promises both to others and herself that she would do what she was planning to try. With all of that in mind, she placed her hopes of winning the Earth Badge on the Aether Foundation's synthetic Pokémon.

“What is that Pokémon?” Silver questioned once it appeared. Weavile stared at it, sharing his trainer’s confusion.

“We’re going to officially call it Silvally, but for now it’s classified as Type: Null,” Mitsumi replied. “I’m taking care of it on the Aether Foundation’s behalf. Right now it has a power it can’t control, so it has to wear that limiter helmet. It’s my hope that I can help it gain control over that power.”

“It looks strong, even if its power is limited. Weavile, let’s see what it’s made of! X-Scissor!”

“Type: Null, you use X-Scissor too!”

The two Pokémon pounced at each other, both baring their claws. They clashed in the middle of the field, their respective cross-slashing attacks holding the other’s back. As they fought for dominance, a vicious growl echoed out from under Type: Null’s helmet, causing Weavile to shudder.

“Don’t give in, even if we don’t know what it can do!” Silver shouted. “Poison Jab!”

Weavile pulled his right claw back, partially disengaging from the X-Scissor clash. He charged it with venom, making it take on a purple glow, and jammed it into Type: Null’s neck, shoving the chimera Pokémon back.

Intending to press his advantage, Silver balled his right hand into a fist and called out, “Ice Shard!”

A soft, white aura surrounded Weavile’s body, giving shape to a number of jagged ice chunks around him. With a swing of his claw, he flung them into Type: Null, battering it further. It roared and thrashed around under the impact of the shards, its frustration seemingly causing it to start regressing into the feral state Mitsumi originally discovered it in.

“You can do this!” she reassured it, extending her hand in its direction. “Calm down. Focus on my voice… breathe.”

Mitsumi’s guidance did wonders for Type: Null, helping to subdue its wild, erratic behavior. It managed to grow still again, and much as she had instructed it, the sound of deep breathing could be heard from underneath its limiter.

“So it’s got a better handle on itself than I thought. That won’t make a difference. You’ll need more than that to beat Polaris! Weavile, use Ice Shard again!”

“Type: Null, Tri Attack!”

Weavile was able to act first, sending another swarm of Ice Shards flying toward his opponent. Instead of simply taking the blows, however, Type: Null swung its head, using the protrusions around its neck to knock them down. Once most of them were neutralized, it lifted its head back and roared again, a trio of glowing orbs forming around it. These spheres - one yellow and sparking with electricity, one a red fireball and one blue and radiating freezing cold - converged on Weavile when Type: Null swung its head back down, hitting him from multiple sides at once. The onslaught brought Weavile to his knees and left him with multiple burn marks dotting his his fur.

“We aren’t done yet!” Silver defiantly argued, even in the face of his and Weavile’s shifting fortunes. “Weavile, show them! Night Slash!”

“The advantage is ours,” Mitsumi countered. “Iron Head!”

Weavile tried to stand back up, but before he could act, Type: Null jumped at him. The entirety of Type: Null’s helmet had taken on a silvery, metallic sheen, making plain the threat the move posed to Silver’s Pokémon. Still on one knee, Weavile attempted to drive Type: Null back by stabbing at it with his claw, but with the burn sapping his strength, Type: Null easily pushed past it and headbutted him at full force. The collision sent Weavile flying all the way across the battlefield, and when he landed near Silver’s feet, he did not get back up.

“Weavile is unable to battle!” Silva, who had been standing on the sidelines and acting as the referee, announced. “That means the winner is Type: Null, and the victory goes to Mitsumi!”

Mitsumi breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way to Type: Null’s side and put her hand on its head. “Well done, Null,” she praised it, earning a pleased bark in response. “You keep working like that, and you’ll have control over your power in no time. Then we can take that mask off.”

“Very pleased President Lusamine will be when that day arrives,” Looker said as he joined his apprentices on the field after watching the battle. “And the Silvally will make a fine partner for our operations.”

“Hmph,” Silver scoffed, approaching the International Police trio while clutching a small object in his hand. “I haven’t reached my full strength yet. Right now, this is the limit of what I can do… I have to get better if I’m going to draw out my partners’ full strength. You better keep up, or I’ll leave you behind.”

“I’ll come back after this is all over,” Mitsumi promised him, “then we’ll face each other, no holds barred.”

“Make sure you’re ready, because I will be. For now, just take this…” Silver tossed the object he was holding to Mitsumi. When she caught it, she saw that it was a small, green pin in the shape of a tree. “...I don’t think that’s ever going to stop feeling strange, giving out the same Gym Badge the old man used to. Tch…”

[ramuneempiremtl]

Slave-kun's Happy Life in Another World: Chapter 7

"Calm down, Nove. Let's hear Hulk out."

"……Okay."

The knight-like person appeases the person in white.

There are two other people in the room, glancing at us but not joining the conversation.

My master is causing you trouble.

"It's exactly as it sounds. You've been looking for someone to do chores at the base. I bought him because he was cheap."

"……I was looking, but he's cheap for a reason. He's still a child, and the base isn't in this town. Please think before you act…"

I completely agree.

Being free is great, but freedom comes with responsibility.

"I am thinking. He was with that merchant group. It was perfect timing, we can hear what he has to say."

"What, really? Good job!"

"Right?"

It was a complete coincidence.

The person in white's anger vanished, and their mood instantly improved.

I was worried because of my master, but the party members seem to be decent people. Maybe my master is just really lucky.

The (temporary) leader glanced at us.

"So, did you get the story?"

"Yeah, he can't talk, so I'll tell you. But first, a bath and some food."

"Right. Let's talk after we calm down. A lot has happened while Hulk was gone… Aki, can you make something for us?"

"Yes."

The person the knight-like person called out to was a slender person with wild white hair and brown skin. They had the presence of a feline.

The feline person headed to the simple kitchen.

Is the feline person a cook?

"Ah, Daine, when you get out of the bath, take a look at him. He doesn't seem to have been healed properly."

"Whaaat? Healing?"

"I'm counting on you."

My master spoke to the person sprawled out on the couch. He was the largest person in the group. He might be a healer since they mentioned healing, but he's definitely a shield. He's a shield person. I can tell.

As I was observing the group, I was suddenly lifted up and taken to the bathroom.

This inn even has a bath in the room?

Amazing.

Before I knew it, my clothes were off, and I was covered in bubbles with my master. The soap lathers well. It smells like a good civilization.

I washed off the bubbles (there was also a shower, civilization is the best! Civilization is the best!), and I sighed as I sank into the hot water in the tiled bathtub.

How blissful.

It's like the days of hell were a lie. I wonder if they were a dream.

For the past month, or maybe even longer for this body, the accumulated fatigue seemed to melt away.

This is the first time I've taken a bath since coming here.

My master also has a blissful expression.

But wait.

Is it okay for me to take a bath as a slave? Shouldn't I be the one giving baths or something?

Why am I being taken care of?

"What's wrong? You look upset."

"I'm not."

"Hmm, you always have a grumpy face."

"I do not."

I replied grumpily. I was just fighting with my slave pride a little.

It's true that when I looked in the mirror, the face on this body was that of a grumpy, unhappy child. I'm not used to the messy, reddish-brown hair and pale green eyes, and I still can't believe I've been reincarnated or, rather, switched.

Let's change the subject.

"What's the Black party?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's the rank of an adventurer's party. They're divided by color. The lowest is white, and the highest is purple. You move up as you gain achievements."

"What about black?"

"It's the third from the top."

"Wow."

"Yeah, it's amazing."

So, they call the ranks of adventurer parties by color.

If it's the third from the top, it would be like a B-rank if you converted it to letters.

It's probably amazing.

"I want to be green next."

"Why?"

"Because green is a nice color!"

Green is a nice color.

My master seems to like the color green. I'll add this important, yet somewhat useless, information to my mental notepad.

We continued to talk about what kind of work adventurers do and what the royal capital is like, where the base is located.

I hadn't been able to talk for so long, so I asked about everything. My master answered dutifully. Talking is fun.

We talked for so long that we were all warm and cozy by the time we got out of the bath.

[peachsayshi]

 ·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ minors / ageless blogs / blank blogs - do not interact.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ tags: fluff; domestic; slightly angsty mentions of past and fighting battles; mentions geshu lin; canon-ish; mentions love triangle(ish); only alludes to smut in the end

"...I'll have to meet with Madam Magistrate in the morning to discuss," Jiyan explains, one hand holding his left shoulder which he rotates in circles.

An old injury from battle that still has a way of resurfacing.

You bring your palms to his broad chest and lean forward to kiss his cheek. "Shhh," you mumble against his skin, "no more talking about work tonight..."

He exhales, dropping his hands firmly to his side before leaning back against the bed frame. His fingers find your thighs, the pads digging into the exposed flesh while his amber eyes gaze up at you with ease.

You curl your arms around his neck, kissing his forehead.

Moonlight seeps through the open window, a cool breeze brushing you from behind while the sound of crickets and running water from a distant river echo around your quaint bedroom.

Your husband presses a kiss against your sternum, but his eyes flare with mild concern.

Always thinking, even when he doesn't need to.

You trace the shell of his ear, "what's on your mind?"

The front of his thin brows pinch together with uncertainty. "The night before Geshu Lin vanished, he came to see you didn't he?"

Now it's your turn to furrow your brows. You cup your husband's face in your hands and tilt his head upward to look down at him.

You swallow hard, "how did you know?"

Jiyan sighs, "I wanted to see you that night but hid way when I noticed him leaving your campsite."

"Jiyan..."

"You never said anything. All this time. After everything that happened. You kept it from me, and I just...I just don't understand why..."

Your heart ached hearing the shiver in his voice, an unspoken pain that you never meant to cause. You kiss the crease between his brow, and leave a trail by planting another on the tip of his nose and a third to his cheek.

"I never said anything because it doesn't matter. The general..." you pause, biting your bottom lip to stop yourself because he wasn't the general anymore. And yet, you weren't comfortable to address him so informally either. "He..."

"Loved you," your husband finishes off. "I could see it. The way he spoke about you. How the two of you fought on the battlefield...He practically revered you..."

Your throat grows tight. Both Jiyan and the former general have always praised your stealthy abilities. You were the only person who could sneak up on them and give them quite a fright. That's why Geshu Lin wanted you by his side during battle.

The night he showed up at your encampment sends a shiver down your back. A heated conversation which turned into an argument that resulted in you rejecting to stand by his side during his final battle.

Maybe that's why you have such a hard time bringing it up.

When Geshu Lin vanished you were sure he took a part of your conscious with you.

What might have happened if you were there instead?

Could you have probably saved him?

"That wasn't love," you decline.

Your husband slips his hand underneath your cotton nightgown, the fabric so thin he can see the outline of your naked body underneath. He draws his touch upward, higher until he latches his grip around your waist.

"Of course it was," he confesses, "because he looked at you in the same way that I did. In the same way that I still do..."

You part your lips slightly by the blunt delivery, but your husband wears his honesty on his sleeve.

Your heart instantly rejects his sentiments because you have always been immune to the attention of others except when it came to the man you were currently straddling.

You even remember faking multiple injuries just to have a little one and one time with the former medic. Your thumb sweeps across his cheek, "no he didn't," you reply with conviction, "nobody looks at me the way you do"

You lean down then and seal that statement with a kiss, parting your husband's lips to glide your tongue over his. The straps of your night gown fall to our shoulders, and Jiyan then moves to undo the buttons at the front. He slips off the material, and brings the blanket up a little cover your lower body slightly from behind. Meanwhile, you can feel the two of you sinking. Jiyan's long frame extending horizontally, his head delicately falling to the pillow as you remain on top.

You break away from the kiss and lift yourself upright, straddling your lover properly while his eyes fall to the tacet marks just under the curve of your right breast.

He's the only person who knows where they are.

Mirroring the placement on the left side was a scar, the discoloration an imprint of a traumatic memory.

Of the last time you fought alongside your husband.

He'll never get the image of the enemy piercing its golden claw into you out of his mind.

You both still weren't officially together then, but it was quite clear that you were both undeniably attracted to one another. He'll forever be indebted to the magistrate for ensuring you received the best of care. You woke up to him by your side in the infirmiary, an unfamiliar sight of Jiyan with tears in his eyes as he greeted your awakening with a kiss that had you believing you were in heaven.

After that, he begged you to retire.

His hand mindlessly traces the line of your scar and your expression softens at the gesture. You circle your hand around his wrist and bring it to your lips, kissing the inside of his palm. "I worry about you too, you know? Especially since I'm not there..."

His hand cups the back of your neck, with the lightest pressure he gestures you to lay back down on top of him.

Jiyan preferred moving out of the city and into a more rural environment after you got married, and on nights like this you were grateful for his decision. Everything was far more peaceful here. Your home a sanctuary away from the chaos. You both moved to this village, a place where the population is small but felt familiar. You naturally gained a reputation as a leader; with your only time seeing battle now is when defending the community against tacet discords or rogue exiles who show up. In the mean time you've been busy with your tea shop, specializing in medicinal blends and living quite comfortably.

You may not be an active in combat anymore, but your resignation to that life didn't feel so empty whenever Jiyan looked at you.

His hand ripples up and down your spine mindlessly, back and forth with a featherlight touch. "I know you do."

You lift yourself up, your chest pressing into his, your foot grazing his muscular leg which only makes his cock twitch beneath you.

"How's your shoulder?" you inquire, drawing a tiny circle on his pec with your index finger.

"Sore," he mumbles with exhaustion.

You hum and slither underneath the sheet, watching him quirk his brow before releasing a sudden gasp when you tenderly squeeze his shaft.

"Just relax, my love," you reassure, your pussy aching at the sound of him moaning when you rub the slit on the tip. "Just relax and let me take care of you."

& what if I said I'm just the worried wife waiting for my husband (general jiyan) to come home so I can tend to his injuries and kiss his pretty, pretty face.