#He sleeps but it's hard when you're used to sleeping in a cavern with a couple of thousand other Trench

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

All skeletons

I NEED TO KNOW WHICH ONES CAN PURR AND WHAT MAKES THEM PURR

All skeletons can purr, they have the physical capacity to do it. Do they want to though?

Undertale Sans - He usually has a very good control on his purring and it's extremely rare you hear it. One way to make him purr is by petting his head while he's deep asleep. But he's rarely deep asleep and all the other times he might just stare at you in confusion lol.

Undertale Papyrus - Too much praise. It's rare though as Papyrus never lacks praises, but sometimes too many praises are too much and he blushes, purring loudly. He hates it though.

Underswap Sans - It's extremely rare and only when he's so happy he loses complete control of himself. His purr is also very low so it's hard to tell he is purring.

Underswap Papyrus - He's a big purrer and he doesn't hide it. When he's happy, he likes to show it. His purr is not that loud so it's hard to tell when he is, but he is, often.

Underfell Sans - Only in private and when he feels really really safe with his S/O. He doesn't want anyone else to know he can purr, think of his reputation.

Underfell Papyrus - Even though he will act like that never happened, Edge can sometimes purr when you're flirting with him. It's never for long though as he's very self-conscious about it and will do all he can to hide it, including throwing you by the window.

Horrortale Sans - He's not purring, he's making tractor noises. Oak purrs for all sorts of things, very loudly. When he wants attention, when he gets attention, when he's happy when you looked his way for two seconds... He's not hiding it. He purrs so loud that sometimes his brother has to take you to another room to have peace lol.

Horrortale Papyrus - Even though he hates it, his body instinctively mimics his brother's purr sometimes lol. He has no control over it and it makes him curse every time because he doesn't know how to stop it???

Horrorfell Sans - Only when he worried and you start petting him. It helps him to calm down. He's not purring other than that.

Horrorfell Papyrus - When you praise him, it can happen. But he immediately starts to cough to hide it because, duh, of course, he doesn't purr what are you imagining?

Horrorswap Sans - It might happen once or twice when he feels very comfortable, but other than that, he's not purring. He has other ways of showing affection.

Horrorswap Papyrus - That's one of the last sounds he can make without his jaw so he will certainly use it as often as he can. It's his way of saying "I'm fine today". It can be more or less loud with what he's trying to say.

Swapfell Sans - He can sometimes purr in his sleep, but that's his max lol. Don't you ever call him out on this because he will bite you and fight you.

Swapfell Papyrus - He purrs when he's flirty. It makes his voice more cavernous and sexy. Well, he thinks at least. It's not working that much in reality lol.

Fellswap Gold Sans - He can purr but you'll never catch him alive. Maybe one time in a coma, but that's all lol.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - He has a low purr for long cuddle sessions. It means he feels very safe and happy right now, which is actually not that hard.

Outertale Sans - It can happen when he feels a bit lonely. It helps to soothe himself. Moon has a bit of separation anxiety.

Outertale Papyrus - He's purring to make the children he's looking after sleep for their nap. It's working really well!

Dancetale Sans - Only when he's half asleep on your lap and you pet his head to make him sleep.

Dancetale Papyrus - He purrs rarely, but it can happen once or twice when he's really excited and happy. He's self-conscious about it though and quickly grasps a hold of himself so no one notices.

Dancefell Sans - He doesn't purr often, but not rarely either. He loves having attention and he's favorite things ever is the shower of kisses. He starts to purr hard when it happens.

Dancefell Papyrus - He purrs very rarely, mainly when he's having a very good time.

Farmtale Sans - He can purr. But you'll never catch him alive either. He's a very secretive guy. Maybe after a few years of deep relationships, but it will be a one-time experience.

Farmtale Papyrus - He purrs rarely, he's too shy to assume it. Usually, it happens for ten seconds and then he stops himself and blushes deeply. He might do it longer if he's really comfortable around you.

Mafiatale Sans - He has a spot on his neck that activates the purring. He hides it really well though so good luck to find it.

Mafiatale Papyrus - Nah, he's not going to show you. You can barely see any expression from him in the first place, so a purr? Never.

Mafiafell Sans - He only purrs when he's with his dogs. He loves his dogs. You're not sure if you should be offended or not.

Mafiafell Papyrus - He never purrs except in bed with his S/O while he's... You know.

Ink - He doesn't have enough focus to relax and purr, sorry. His brain is working 200% every second of his life so no time for purring.

Error - He only purrs when he's eating chocolate. He never eats chocolate in front of anyone so chances are you're never hearing him purr.

Disbelief Papyrus - Like Papyrus, intense praising is what send him into purring mode. He's resisting better to your attacks though, so it's harder to get him.

Killer Sans - He's purring when you're praising him. It's not that hard. He likes attention. He likes attention so much he won't let you go before two hours so you can continue praising him.

Dustale Sans - Uh... He purrs randomly, mostly at times he's staring at you intensely without blinking like he's going to hunt you down. It's not cute, it's scary.

[antimatterz]

haiiii!!! so ur recent post abt how hsr characters would take it if u didnt log in for a while got me kind of thinking,,,, me personally i always log in at the most ungodly hours. 2 in the morning farming planar ornaments for jing yuan....,, i have never played hsr at a regular time. this is not a flex this is a cry for help. what do you think abt hsr characters having to rise and grind at hours that no man should be awake at ? :3 every single day ? :3

late-night game sessions

dan heng, gepard, blade, sampo, jing yuan x gn!reader

summary: you have a habit of grinding and farming and just being online at the most ungodly hours of the night. how do they react?

cw: fluff, humor, self-aware au

enyo's note: okay i absolutely loved this idea. also it's such a mood? i used to log in at the strangest hours in genshin hehe. with honkai i try to keep it normal but it was still so funny to imagine their reactions ^^ i might do a part two with the girlies !

content under the cut | masterlist

dan heng

it's been a few months since you started playing honkai star rail and nothing has changed about your habit of logging in late at night – or early in the morning. yet, dan heng has a hard time getting used to it. every time you awake him at four o'clock he gazes at you, dazed and confused, before he realizes it's that time again. "y/n, this isn't healthy for you," he mumbles every time, but he still gets up and accompanies you with no further complaints. give him a few minutes to adjust and he will be the sharp warrior he is by daylight! but as soon as you're done and log out, he'll pass out too lol.

gepard landau

he's definitely the most concerned out of everyone. and the most sleepy, too. he has a hard time waking up, and as soon as his eyes are open, they gaze at you with worry. "y/n, you should be asleep, don't you know what time it is?" he asks groggily, but he gets up regardless and readies himself to go out with you. i sincerely hope you're not at full 180 trailblaze power because this guy struggles to stay awake and provide shields, but he tries so so so hard for you and it's adorable. and he manages, just barely so, as he's super sleepy. please promise him that you'll go to sleep when you log out, or else he will remain worried.

blade

he might not show it, but you habit of skipping sleep and logging in at night to farm planar ornaments kinda worries him. he himself might not need much sleep so he isn't too bothered by having to work with you late at night, but he clearly sees the darkening bags under your eyes as you lead him through the simulated universe. but again, he doesn't really show it and silently does what you ask him to do. only when you're finished farming and are about to log out for the night, he makes you look at him. "go to sleep now, okay?" he sternly demands, but his eyes are softer than usual.

sampo koski

out of everyone, he would be the least bothered. he's practically nocturnal himself so it's not much out of the ordinary for him if you log in at three in the morning and ask him to join you on another farming trip to grind for relics and ascension materials. okay, maybe he slightly realizes that the two of you should be asleep but does he care? not really. he doesn't complain, is happy to spend time with you, and does everything you ask him to without spilling as much as a yawn or complaint. if any, he enjoys your nightly adventures!

jing yuan

well, this is an interesting combination. a sleepy general and a nocturnal being who asks him to grind at night, meaning jing yuan has to skip on his precious sleep. don't get me wrong, he doesn't complain and accompanies you without hesitation, but he isn't a night owl and it shows. he's waaay more quiet and not as smooth, yawns a lot and is pretty droswy in general. he's still a skilled warrior who clears the caverns of corrosion with ease but you can tell he is a tad bit out of it. please let him rest as soon as you're out of trailblaze power lol.

[clus444]

John Price vs H.O.A? More like H.O.E

The first part is the same as the snippet, and there will be an indication (RP) that the repeat part is done, but I recommend reading all of it. fair warning this is long to me.

Warning: Mature content, Despcritive words,

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John Price is a lot of things.

He is a captain of the 141. He's the man that people rely on to get home. Especially three men in particular. He has to be four steps ahead while you're at one. Not only are lives in his hands, blood, that cakes on his skin for however long it takes for them to evacuate. Every move he makes is calculated, not only for himself but for his team.

He is a friend when his boy's pride is too high to go to anyone else for help. They need someone to talk to but how can they when the aftermath of a mission is too much. He's the tough love, words of encouragement, or hell even drinks, whatever it takes to help them get up the next day. In some cases fight.

He is a husband to Y/n Price. He is her protector even when he's away. Call it obsessive but he'll be damned before his woman is left astray. But to focus more so on when he's home...Since the beginning of their relationship, he finds it easier to sleep with her around.

Whether he wraps her up in his arms to pass his warmth to her, as he knows his wife gets cold, or when she wraps him up when the world is too loud. Those were the days when the ringing was non-stop and he couldn't bear to get up. Though those were rare she still forced him to cut back on smoking.

He always thanks her when his body's personal alarm clock wakes him up before her. Like clockwork, John gets up at the ass crack of dawn. He takes that time to get important business matters out the way. But when the sun rises a light blue starts taking over as a sign for the rest of the world to wake up.

He slides the covers off you and pauses his movements as you shiver from the cold. He notices your nipples tense as a reaction as well. He licks his lips like a hungry beast looking at his prey. He takes the straps of your silk nightgown and slides them down to reveal your breasts. He leans down and lightly pecks both nipples. Soft whimpers come out of her mouth.

John pushes his tongue out and he circles his tongue around the pebble. He takes his left hand and circles his pointer finger around her other pebble before, lightly squeezing. He pushes himself away and makes his way down to her wet cavern. He slides the dress completely off and my god was it slow. His patience is on a thin line with it.

He opens her legs and takes a whiff. It sends tingles from his head down to his dick. He rolls his tongue out to let spit that piled up roll off his tongue and dribble down to her folds. Not a moment later he goes in for the kill. He laps at your clit like no tomorrow and you jolt awake," F-Fuck!"

Let's come back to the main point of this.

John Price is a lot of things, but someone's bitch?

I think the fuck not.

(RP)

Imagine this... John is pulling up in his drive-through after a tiring day of training recruits. It seems this batch of 'em are as hard-headed as they come. Between sticking their nose and sometimes dick in things they shouldn't (Quite literally), and trying to find loopholes in any and everything.

He sighs as he turns off the car and leans back in his seat. He closes his eyes and runs a hand over his face. Soft lines on his face show the hard work and dedication he's put forth to his job. At the very least his job has granted him a week off.

He's gonna use that time to bury himself into forgotten hobbies and maybe his sweet juicy wife if she's feeling up to it. He grunts and hauls himself out of his truck. John landed on his feet with a soft thud. As he's walking up his pavement to his door he sees a white paper taped to it. He takes a second to survey his surroundings, trying to find anything suspicious. He runs through different scenarios in his head.

He sure as shit pays his bills on time so his pretty wife can have a roof over her head. All loose ends were tied and cut off from his previous mission but god help anyone that tries to reattach. He walks closer to his door, inspecting it cautiously. Call him paranoid but when you make as many enemies as him, he's sure they wouldn't go above lacing the paper.

Red lettering that read ' H.O.A' catches his attention. He grasps the paper, slightly crumbling it as he opens it.

H.O.A of Shefield.

8/6/24 Type of complaint: Written Warning/ fined

We regret to inform you that we will be charging you for 3 violations that you or someone in your household have been found guilty of.

$100- Not using the H.O.A garbage disposal that we kindly provide.

$75- Excessive amount of cars in the driveway/Lots of guest.

$50- Grass is the embodiment of needs help.

Total: $225

Any questions or concerns please make a report and leave it at the committee office.

Now john wasn't a sensitive man. He didn't cry when watching the boy in the striped pajamas, hell! He doesn't even get mad when the protagonist does something stupid in a horror movie. But like stated before John is a protective man especially when it comes to his wife.

How was this person who wrote this supposed to know that, and that his wife cut the grass for him as a way to give him a break. When he found out, he nearly had a heart attack and spanked that attitude right out of her (All in good fun). It feels like his whole body has taken offense to this paper.

But honestly, 225 dollars is nothing to John. It was more of the fact that this H.O.A. person had the nerve to want to make his family their new victims. Johns heard talk of the power-tripping H.O.As that were newly elected in office. His wife even had a run-in with them and he had almost given them a piece of his mind then and there. But his oh-so-lovely wife always wanted to be the peacemaker. He knew that this bud should have been cut the first time.

But you know what they say... Happy wife, Happy life.

John grumbles as he heads inside and looks for his wifey. His footsteps are heavier than before as he finally spots her. "John? What wrong-," He walks closer to her and picks her up to take her to the bedroom. When she lands she uses her elbows to hold herself up. She sees the wild look that takes over his features. She bites her lip.

He grabs the end of his shirt and yanks it off before quickly disposing of his pants, leaving him in his boxers. "That oll of this off," He gives her a hard look as he yanks her down by her legs. She takes care of her clothes as fast as she can but I guess she was too slow because in the end, he ends up tearing her panties off.

He palms himself as he looks over her bare body. Her soft, plushy thighs stay raised and open. " John-" he slaps the fat of her cheek and she shrieks.

"Did I say speak," He questions leaning down and she quickly shakes her head no. He raises a brow as if daring her to defy. He'd be lying if he said he hoped so but knew his good girl wouldn't. John runs his pointer finger through her folds. Feeling her slick on his finger as he plays with her a little, she lets out a moan. " I see you did as I asked," He starts fingering her with two fingers," Stretched yourself out for me, huh?" Her muscles tense as she responds, "Y-yes Captain."

He stops and brings his fingers to his mouth and cleans them. Her mouth parts as she watches him, she puts her hand over her breasts and squeezes. Her nipples tingle and she pinches them to keep the feeling going. He slides his boxers down and pumps his cock. Spreading the precum to slicken him up, she feels her hole clench as she watches him.

Her walls moisten up more to prepare for the beating she knows her pussy is about to take. She can already feel the delicious and painful stretch which causes her to get more excited. He takes his tip and moves it against her clit a few times before pushing in. She feels the air gets punched out of her as John tries to pushes his way through. He grunts at the feel of her gripping him like a vice. " Let... Me... In"His words match his long and deep strokes as he tries to fit more.

It sometimes amazes her that even with all the natural lube they both produce she still has a hard time taking it sometimes. With no patience to wait, John circles her clit with his thumb as he pounds at her pussy.

*pat pat pat pat*

The bed rocks from the strength of John's thrust. Y/n cries out as her back arches, her toes tightly curl and her nails dig into his back. "Captain," she moans as it feels like John's harsh thrust is digging for gold. He grunts and groans as he starts moving to hit the spongy spot that makes her see stars. "oo ooo oooo," her breath comes out in pants as she throws her head back.

"W- why are youuu... f-fucking me l-like thissss," y/n tries to get out as coherently as she can. John grins as he fills her tighten around him. A couple moans slip past here and there as his balls begin to tighten.

He puts her into a deeper mating press. Her hands are around the backs of her knees and her ankles land where her ears are. Their moans and grunts become tangled as one as he fucks her. " They have the audacity," He stops to thrust into her deeper," to make fun of my wife," He says it like he cant believe it even as the words come out.

He pulls out and quickly manhandles her onto her stomach. He pins her hips to the bed and grabs his cock to slide it back into her. Her moans sound like music to his ears. He lifts a leg onto the bed to fuck at a better angle. " Whoooo," she whines out as her hole clenches again. The pressure quickly built up in her lower abdomen.

" The fucking H.O.As! I'll show them the embodiment of needs help," He grunts as he takes them closer to the edge. His head leans back as he gets lost in her pussy.

" Fuck! Captain, Im comingggg, please, please," She begins begging. He speeds up and her hand goes to her clit to draw herself closer.

*pat pat pat pat pat*

Y/n cums first and the hand that was gripping John's back draws his blood. He lets out a couple more grunts before releasing and pushing all the way forward to plug his wife. They breathe heavily in unison and Y/n can swear that her body is floating. She starts fighting to close her eyes as a wave of fatigue washes over her. She holds tight onto John as he moves to start his aftercare," Stay please."

He nods and kisses her before laying on her chest and plotting against the H.O.As. He doesn't care how crazy it is. They think they can run people with their fines and threats that scare others. But he's seen true terror. Things that regular people would try to get him sent to the loony bin for. He's been up close and personal with the things children would call monsters and adults would call murderers.

To others, it may be fines and words on paper about his grass, the garbage disposal, and guess parking. But to him it's so much more. His wife rightfully chose another garbage company because they care about the environment and won't just dump it anywhere. His wife needs her friends because it can get quite lonely and who are they to isolate her! His wife, although warned to not do it again, tried her best to take care of his chores on the week that he failed to do so. Plus he'll be damned if he employed another man to take his job.

So yes, maybe it wasn't a big deal to others but John always hated those who abused their power. He had no problem telling people to fuck off and mind theirs.

So if I had to add to the list of things john is and ask his wife to weigh in.

It would be that John fucking price is crazy.

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How good did I just cook right now?

anywayssss hope you enjoy!!! I honestly couldn;t stop thinking about writing this i had so much fun.

Requests are now open!

Snippet

Original thought

Masterlist

[soanliawriter]

Stress Reliever (Levi Ackerman)

( // NSFW WARNING // ) ( Oneshot )

Context: pwp (p*rn without plot), penetration, lewd language, blowjobs, creampie, sucking and fingering pussy

Summary: Your boyfriend is a firefighter, Levi's libido would often activate when he needs some sexual stress relief.

"F*ck baby" Levi groans and whimpers when you started giving him a blowjob, you both stayed in his sleeping quarters, trying his absolute best to keep in his moans, it's hard for him when you're sucking him off good.

"I love it when you suck my tip like that baby-- f*ck!"

You hummed in response as you fondled with his smooth balls and taking him in whole, licking his tip the way he likes it.

Pussy was throbbing bad hearing his suppressed sounds, later the sounds of you sucking him is heard, good thing Levi's sleeping quarters is just for him, meaning he has no roommate.

"Let me eat you baby" he said tiredly as you got off his cock with a satisfying pop as he lightly pushes you down on his bed, making it creek a little from the impact.

He kisses you roughly opening your mouth using his tongue, you gladly accept his invitation for him to explore your cavern, tongues kissing each other, pulling away with another satisfying pop, string of saliva connecting you both.

"Hurry baby" you moaned out as he kissed your sweet spot on your neck, your turn trying to suppress your moans, biting on your bottom lip and finger, he trails down lifting your shirt up removing it, seeing you were wearing a sports bra with a zipper in front.

He unzips it, seeing your boobs jiggle a bit, he fondled with it and pinch your erect nipples sucking on them delicately, your back arched as you tugged on his raven hair.

"Love it when I pleasure your sensitive nipples?"

He hums as he sucks them again, lightly bitting your nipples, tugging on it a bit before pulling away, his kisses trails down your ribs and stomach, finally reaching your throbbing wet pussy.

He inhales your scent down there, his cock twitched at how aroused you are.

"Try not to make a sound, if you do I stop"

You huffed out a moan looking down at him as he kisses the pussy folds before thrusting in in middle and ring finger, sliding it in no problem.

"F*ck Levi!"

He chuckles, teasingly licking and kissing your sensitive clitoris, as he heard your muffled moans, he went it and fully sucking and licking your clitoris.

The pleasure was sending your to orbit, stars was showing on the sides of your vision, mouth agape but no moans came out, only muffled whimpers.

Gripping on his bedsheets hard as you start to feel a knot coming in close.

"I'm gonna cum Levi! F*ck!"

"Cum, cum, cum, cum"

He's thrusting his fingers in great speed that made your whole body move back and forth at how strong his thrust the his fingers are being.

The bed was surprisingly not creeking.

He chuckles as he did a quick few flicks of his tongue on your throbbing clit before finally cumming all over his face, he used his other hand to catch the rest, making sure it doesn't go to his bed.

Levi licked and sucked on his fingers and hand clean as he kisses your pussy that made you jolt and huff out a moan before he trails up to you.

Kissing your forehead before you felt his tip teasing your entrance, going up and down your clit a couple of times before finally thrusting it whole inside you.

"Levi!"

You whisper shouted at him as you gripped his muscular biceps, nails digging into them as he groans, "f*ck baby, so wet, warm and tight for me" his moans shuddering as he finally thrusts in and out of you in a steady pace.

"Oh f*ck!" He moans out as he fels your legs wrapping around his hips pulling him closer, you were a moaning mess, trying not to suppress your sounds anymore.

A sinful sound of skin to skin contact and the wet sounds of your pussy was echoing his sleeping quarters, turning him on so much.

Levi's thrusting started getting faster, "like that baby? Huh? Oh f*ck yeah!" His thrusts was so powerful that your body couldn't help but be filled with so much pleasure running through your veins.

Arms lazily hanging off his shoulders, fingers tiredly intertwined together, legs loosing strength cause of pleasure.

"F*ck I'm cumming baby, want it inside?"

"Yes please Levi, please~"

You breathlessly say as he speeds up his thrusting, it was animalistic and it was perfect witnessing it, he grabs your arms and pinned them above your head, finger intertwining together, he kisses and sucks your neck as he kisses his wrists and licking it up.

"I'm cumming!"

"Inside, inside baby~"

After a few hard thrusts you both finally cummed together, feeling the warm juices filing you up, moaning softly body twitching from the intense pleasure, pussy was uncontrollably twitching so much, Levi pulled out to see he made you have a creampie.

He smirks and used his index finger rubbing your pussy up and down, swirling the cum, he lifts his finger, licked and sucked on it clean.

"Round 2 in my shower?" Levi asked as you smirked, lifting you off his bed and carrying you bridal style, finally reaching the showers, immediately starting round 2.

( // a/n: cheeky gander of the shower sex you and Levi will have, let your imaginations run wild loves 🥴🤭😏 // )

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Melusine reader, slowly turning into an abyssal moth reader, creator reader...I love them all but has someone asked for a puppet reader yet?

Another discarded creation of the Electro Archon, maybe the failed attempt of those who wanted to create an artificial god back in Sumeru, or somehow they're related to Catherine or Sandrone, but whatever the origin is...Puppet reader with a body that will never change nor wither away, puppet reader who has witnessed many things (or not at all, I'll leave that up to anyone else), puppet reader who's unaffected by the abyssal energy and therefore can just be around Foul Legacy or even venture into the depths of the abyss without being corrupted. But also, puppet reader who was built not that seamlessly, puppet reader who's body is delicate and can crack if they get hit, puppet reader who sometimes needs someone to wind them up with a key or something. Puppet reader who looks so so human yet is used to not feeling nor being human at all, who has a heart that beats (probably with elemental energy) and visible doll joints. Do they feel what they touch? Do they have warmth? Maybe they'll never physically feel Legacy's hands, or they'll never feel the sensation of being embraced, and they'll never be able to not be cold to the touch or a bit hard because they're like porcelain. And Foul Legacy treats them exactly like that, like porcelain, as if they were to break at any given moment but Reader always says that they're not that delicate– aaaanyways I'm rambling, sorry sorry, just a random thought I had

Are puppets light or heavy? That means Foul Legacy can carry reader around like a doll, right? That'd be super cute

*riffles through files* i KNOW we've gotten some puppet asks, you all need to meet each other :D

you're a curious paradox to him, alive yet not, made of delicate porcelain yet tender and sweet. for years you've simply been wandering the land, abandoned by your creators and without purpose, until you met him- your Foul Legacy, a feared creature of the Abyss. you're worn and a bit battered, he's scarred from countless battles, and he wakes up one morning with you peacefully leaning against his leg. Legacy almost thinks you're a toy- a rather large, intricate toy- until you move and he almost leaps into the air out of surprise. his wings flutter and his head tilts as you introduce yourself, holding out a hand for him to shake. when he tentatively obliges, it's cold like ceramic, and Legacy trills in amazement, soft fur ruffling up as he curiously sniffs your cheek and hair, caution entirely forgotten in the face of a potential new friend

after that, you're never apart. wherever Legacy goes, you go, and vice versa. he keeps you safe, repairs any cracks you have, and you do the same for wounds and gashes. you tell him the stories of what you've seen on the surface world with him gently curled around you, listening with awe and intrigue. Legacy fights for you, purring happily when you clap at the sight of electricity and water snapping and shifting around him. every night you sleep like death, unmoving and cold- do you even need sleep? he wonders, but simply cradles you carefully in his arm, rumbling for you in your dreams. slowly, that cavernous hole in your chest begins to fill, the hum of elemental energy glowing ever brighter with your adoration for this curious Abyssal creature. you make for a strange pair together, a beast and a porcelain doll, but perhaps you can be peculiar together

[thebluestbluewords]

Torture Devices

Going to the museum and talking about which torture devices you’d use on each other IS the cutest date idea for your evil polycule. They deserve cute things.

+

"You'd look good in this one," Mal whispers, leaning over to drape her whole body weight across Jay's back. She's the shortest member of their crew, but she's dense even in her human shape, like all the muscle of her dragon-shape just gets compressed into her usual little fairy body when she's not transformed. "You'd squirm so pretty for me, I bet." 

A shiver rips through Jay's spine at the thought. "Bet."

Mal's tongue hits his ear. "Sure. I'll take that one. We can sneak back in tonight, after close. You, me, and--" she pulls back to squint at the tag on the machine, and Jay nearly whines at the loss of her body heat.  "The 1602 Cinderellasburgh Torture Rack." 

"Kinky," Jay manages, in his most normal tone. He's feeling super normal about this museum trip, except for how his brain maybe got a little bit fucked up by sleeping under a shelf of heavy electronic crap for the first sixteen years of his life, and now he's sort of hard wired to associate imminent danger with feeling safe and secure and... 

Okay, even thinking that he feels loved is a step too far, but he likes being hurt. The threat is good. It's like a double shot of those peppermint mocha things straight to his brain, and it tends to leave him warm and sticky, also like peppermint mocha shots. 

"Do not," Evie hisses. "Do not make the torture museum horny. I am banning both of you. You're not allowed." 

Mal grins. "Ooh, will you punish us if we break the rules?" 

"No—“

"You could use the 17th-century water torture machine. Get us really wet."

"You're both terrible people." Evie sighs. "And get real, I wouldn't waste perfectly drinkable water on torturing you. I'd use the Iron Spider over there." 

She points at a spiky tong-like thing mounted to the wall. There's a helpful illustration mounted next to it of a woman with a gold halo and a suspicious sort of cavern where the front of her chest would usually be. There's no bloodstains on the spider, but Jay's pretty sure he knows where they'd be. 

Mal throws herself bodily off of his back and into Evie's arms. "I love spiders!" 

"This one rips your breasts off," Carlos reads calmly from the placard. "So it's perfect for you, Eves. You can follow in your mom's footsteps and use it to torture anyone with better boobs than you."

Evie laughs. "Oh, so nobody then. Pity. I'll use the choke-pear instead. Ooh, this one was allegedly used in the nineteenth century for homosexuals, so it's perfect for us. I'll get a whole line of them."

"I've kissed boys before," Mal says, from where she's laid herself in the gayest fucking princess hold Jay's ever seen. Her head is in Evie's tits. 

Evie clutches her closer. "Oh no. I am so surprised. How could you. You'll have to be spared the pear." 

Mal snickers. "Tragic. I'll put myself in the iron maiden instead." 

"Yeah, you love being inside maidens." Carlos says under his breath. Mostly. "Totally straight people behavior there."

"WHAT." Mal shrieks. "SLANDER."

"I said nothing." 

"BLASPHEMY. LIBEL. I'D NEVER WANT TO BE INSIDE A MAIDEN." 

Carlos sighs. "I would." 

"I know, baby," Evie says soothingly, dropping Mal so she can reach out and pet his hat instead. Auradon is depressingly obsessed with pairing guys and girls off into picture-perfect straight couples. In the last few months Jay's been on the receiving end of more polite flirting from girls than he got in a year back home. And that's with his whole vibe. He's doing something wrong, obviously, but they haven't figured out what it is yet. He's got the long hair, the shitkicker boots, and he's even tried being worse at eyeliner on purpose. 

It's like the Auradon Prep student body is so used to looking at a boy and seeing prince that they can't see bisexual goth jock when they've got one right in front of them. 

Not that being hit on by girls is bad, necessarily, but he'd really appreciate mixing it up a little. 

"I'd be so good at being somebody's lame-ass boyfriend." Carlos says wistfully. "I'd carry her books and everything." 

"We know, baby. It's a tragedy that being bisexual doesn't give you any game with women." 

"I'm not even SURE about girls, I just want the opportunity to find out." 

"You like Jane," Mal points out. "Come on, stop moping. I'll pretend I'm her, and you can tell me which torture device you'd put me in if I were a good fairy." 

"Stocks." 

"That's not torture. Try again." 

"Stocks," Carlos repeats stubbornly. "Bondage is fun." 

"You're supposed to be the one getting tied up," Jay points out helpfully. "Girls like doing that." 

"Not a girl," Mal sing-songs. "And not an example."

"You're being Jane right now." Evie reminds her. "Jane wouldn't know which way she likes to be tied up, because Auradon kids don't do that. I asked Doug, and he said he's never once looked at the stocks and thought that being restrained in public would be hot." 

"His loss." 

[kobbers]

I continue to love Dwarf Fortress' ability to tell you a story, if you're paying attention.

My current fortress is my first time back in DF in a good 5+ years, and obviously first fort in the shiny new Steam version. I've been a little impulsively reckless because I tried out the tutorial, which autopicks your starting location and supplies. I breached the caverns, had some Fun sending squads after forgotten beasts a little above their level, and after an ettin dropped an adamantine slab on death, that winter's goblin raid spiked to ~100 strong. Most of my soldiers were wiped out stopping the wave of goblins who'd managed to climb over my half-roofed-pasture walls, but the fortress endured.

We've been bunkered in pretty safely ever since, while I try to rebuild my military. The exterior has been secured and meatier defenses have been installed, and the caverns have been walled off while grotesque procedurally-generated monsters roam around down there and tear up all the native serpent-people and troglodytes. I'm not exploiting any mechanics to train my soldiers more quickly (yet), so day-to-day fortress management has settled into a largely hands-off routine.

Except for one very unhappy dwarf, one of my tavern keepers, who began appearing in the logs having mental breakdowns (stumbling around obliviously). These finally escalated to a full tantrum, where he started fistfighting everyone in sight until he'd burned off enough anger to calm down. The disorderly conduct landed him in jail - he served his time, but lost his cool again soon after. This time, he fatally paralyzed a fellow citizen in the brawl.

Back to jail he went. Desperate to try and manage his mood before his mental health reached irreversible lows, I sent dwarves to smooth and engrave his prison cell (dwarves appreciate art!), and build him a bed (to avoid negative thoughts about sleeping on the floor). Unfortunately he threw another tantrum while this work was going on, and killed another dwarf who was just trying to draw pretty pictures on his wall. (Interestingly, this all still counts as "disorderly conduct" and not murder to the justice system, probably because his intent was only to punch people. It just so happened that he punched them in the spine, and injured the nerves that allowed their lungs to function.)

I looked at the unmet needs in his profile. What could I do to help resolve some of the things that were making him unhappy, to help pull him out of the emotional pit he was in? A too-long unfulfilled need to be with family caught my eye. Sometimes you can't do much about this, because the dwarf left their family behind to emigrate to the fortress, but when I checked his relationships I saw his two children were babies. Probably in the fortress, then! Where?

When I zoomed to the location of one of his children, it took my cursor to an empty tile in the caverns, and I had a full-on flashback, suddenly realizing who this man was.

Forgotten beast, four years ago. A giant three-eyed spider invaded the caverns. I sent our primary squad of nearly-legendary fighters to engage, but there was a problem. It was sheltering up in the mushroom trees, spitting from range, and most of our troops used melee weapons. The captain of the guard threw herself into battle regardless, climbing into the mushroom tree and braving the beast's globs of deadly spittle. During the fight, the creature ripped one of the newborn twins she was carrying away from her (dwarven mothers, istg), and threw it out of the tree to the cavern floor. Then it did the same with the other twin. It followed them down and easily stomped them to death, and the captain flew into a rage. Their duel was sadly brief, but unlike so many fights where the loser passes out from pain/exhaustion and gets coup de grâce'd, she stayed on her feet and fought to her last breath. Her squad was able to finish the kill after she perished.

This was why our troublemaker was having such a hard time. I'd built a fancy tomb for my badass captain and the babies who fell in battle back when it happened, and this tavern keeper was the husband left behind. As goblins seiged the fortress and his pining for family only intensified over time, he'd finally reached his limit and could no longer hold it together.

I went back to trying to fix him, with the understanding that it was probably a lost cause. Maybe making sure he could have booze in jail instead of water would help? I waited for his next tantrum, where he helplessly canceled tasks to fight people because he was chained firmly to the prison wall. Then once he calmed, I swooped in and made a stockpile for alcohol that he could reach. Now to wait for someone to bri-- wait, what are those combat logs? There's no new tantrum ongoing, what...?

Turned out he'd earned a beating in addition to his prison sentence this time, and a fortress guard had finally come by to deliver it. The guard was armed, but as this was just a disciplinary beating, she only used her fists. Unfortunately she was still too strong, and it was the tavern keeper's turn to get a badly bruised spinal cord. I deflated a bit as I watched him suffocate, but couldn't help but feel it was a little bittersweet. He was no longer left behind.

[greetingfromthedead]

5. The Long Journey Ahead

Series: Apple Blossoms

Pairing: Knives x GN!Reader

Word count: 3.3k

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The twin suns hang low in the sky, casting a warm orange glow over the desert landscape. Cliffs tower over you, painted by the setting suns in shades of red and gold. The air is still and quiet; not even worms disturb the peaceful silence; it is only two pairs of tomas feet shuffling through the sand.

"I know of a little cave up ahead. We will make camp there for tonight," you say, turning your head towards Knives, who appears to have gone back to his silent protest. His hands grip the lead, and his eyes remain forward. He doesn't seem thrilled, but he hasn't complained or made any attempt to go off on his own either.

"I would have thought you were in a hurry," the man replies to your surprise. "Wouldn't you want to ride through the night to get there sooner? Instead, you want to waste the night away? The man sounded distressed; he made it seem serious, and you promised to hurry."

"The nights get dark and dangerous, and I will not be able to help anyone if we get hurt or injured. You're in no condition to travel for so long in one go either; the toma have to carry a lot too. And I am getting tired. A clear head is better than a cloudy one," you state simply, explaining without the condescending tone he used for his comment.

"You didn't sleep much when you were taking care of me," Knives replies.

"Yeah, and it was very hard." you smile a crooked smile at him. "I remind you that you have yet to thank me for saving your life."

"I never asked you to do it." The man looks forward as if avoiding your gaze.

"I guess that is true."

The remainder of your way to the cave's entrance is spent in silence again, only broken by your remark that you have arrived and instructing him to get off the bird. You take a flashlight and head into the cavernous space; the air almost immediately gets cooler. The tunnel makes a bend, hiding anyone there from the outside world, and that's where you decide to spend the night. You ask Knives to take off the gear from his tomas, but as he just stares at the numerous belts and ropes, you go to help him.

Knives looks down at you as you start talking about bag straps and saddle bags. You keep rambling about things he doesn't pay attention to. He simply stares at your lips moving and your fingers pointing at buckles and clasps, not taking in a single word you're saying. As you speak, you are clear, your tone is gentle, and you don't seem to be mocking him. Perhaps there are jabs hidden in your words, but they simply slip through his brain without leaving a single mark behind. His head swims again. Perhaps it is the thirst and hunger he has been ignoring. Such human needs have never been a priority to him, so why start now? It would also mean he needed to ask you for things, admitting to his shortcomings and weaknesses. Or maybe his head is too filled with thoughts of you. The way you act around him and others, your motivations, and your actions. Your presence consumes his mind, and he simply can't help but wonder about you constantly. You make so little sense to him. You're very human; you act human, yet somehow he finds it hard to be repulsed by you the way he should.

Knives is shaken out of his trance as the saddle and all the bags attached to it hit the stone floor with a loud clatter.

"You were supposed to hold on to it!" you say, slightly annoyed, and these words finally retain their meaning in Knives's mind.

He simply looks at you. The expression doesn't match the tone of your voice. Your eyes are gentle, almost the same as when you take care of him. A hint of a smile lingers in the corner of your lips, but a small crease forms between your eyebrows. He doesn't understand. What does this expression mean? He can't ask either unless he reveals more of his inadequacies, and that's the last thing he wants to do. So he simply turns away with an uninterested face and goes towards the cave entrance to look at the last light of the sunset, painting the heavens in shades of pink and orange.

Knives uses the moment of privacy to listen to his complaining body. The hunger and thirst are still there, nothing much he can do about it. The wound in his side stings with each movement, but no longer is it the blinding flash of white, hot pain that it once was. A dull pain lingers in his back and shoulders. He carefully stretches and rolls his joints, trying to ease the tension. He isn't used to feeling this way. He isn't used to being weak. He isn't used to relying on the mercy of someone else, let alone a human. Not that he remembers, at least. It is frustrating. All of it. From the patchy memory to you taking care of him.

He looks out into the emptiness of the sandy plain, wondering if he should just go. But the illusion of freedom doesn't call him; it doesn't tempt him. Knives tries to rationalize it. His body seems to be weak like a human's, and as things are, he doesn't have supplies. He doesn't have a plan either as to where to go. He can use you to get an idea of where he is or how he should proceed. This is all there is to it. That's why there is no point in wandering off right now. He will have you as a guide to help him figure out his next steps; he will stay until he has a plan. That's all this arrangement is.

Darkness starts to settle in as the colors of the sky fade. Knives looks over his shoulder to see the faint light of a flame dancing on a wall, accompanied by some clattering that echoes down the hallway. This feels familiar. He got very used to the sounds of your kitchen—your spoon hitting the side of a pot, the scraping of food against a pan, the sizzle of oil. He always listened. Even before he regained control over his body, he tried to piece together what was going on by the sounds in the room. You must be cooking. As soon as that thought crosses his mind, the smell of stew reaches his nose, and his stomach rumbles. He thinks back on how you used to constantly talk. At first, he found it annoying. Nothing of substance was ever said, but as the weeks went by, you started to speak less and less. A tiny part of him realizes he somewhat misses constantly hearing your voice; the silence feels heavier than the annoyance of your empty words.

The last thought irritates him to the point of a sneer. He quickly runs his hand over his face, up into his outgrown black hair, and immediately the sharp pain in his side makes his breath hitch and a hiss escape his teeth. He gently presses his other hand on the injury that still gives him trouble, feeling relief as the ache settles and he can relax again. This only frustrates him further.

Knives hears your approaching footsteps, but he doesn't let on that he does; he never does. The less you can see through him, the better. The more he hides, the more secure he feels. He doesn't need you to realize just how much he perceives; he wants to keep everything he can close to his chest. It is better that way; he can only trust himself in this human infested world after all.

"My my, you don't usually pout this much. Did a worm bite you, or do you really hate being out of the house so much?" you chuckle slightly, and from the very corner of his eye, Knives sees you leaning forward to see his face better. "Or perhaps you're hangry. I get it; you must be starving. Come on, dinner is ready."

With that, you turn back again. Knives can still hear the smile in your voice; it rings in his head, and he can't understand why you would be so cheery. Were you just making fun of him? It would make sense, and the irritation in his gut grows more insistent. Or perhaps it's the hunger pains. Whatever the reason, Knives is not happy as he turns his back on the desert and goes back into the cave.

He turns the corner to find the little campsite you have set up. The birds lay side by side, looking up at him with curious eyes. A little further away, you have set up a tiny gas burner with a mess kit on top. Some stew cooks in the little pot, with two bowls waiting beside the fire to be filled. The smell of the stew wafts through the air, making his mouth water. You have set up two spots for sleeping. You sit on a thin mat, a flimsy looking sleeping bag rolled out beside you. The other setup has a pillow that you lack; the blanket looks warmer, but the mat on the ground looks just as uncomfortable. Knives goes to sit on the setup across from you, on the other side of the burner.

Knives's face remains cold and distant, but his eyes watch you intently, never leaving your hands as you pick up the pot to divide the food among the two bowls. You stick a spoon into the concoction of vegetables and meat before handing the dish to him. He takes it without saying a word. As you turn off the little gas burner, you are plunged into darkness, but only until you turn on the flashlight and set it upright on the stone ground. It casts a circle of light on the ceiling, illuminating the space with a dim glow. Before picking up your own bowl, you push a flask of water closer to Knives, and you see his eyes dart quickly to it, but he doesn't show any urgency to grab it.

You eat in silence; the only noise filling the space is the scraping of metal on metal and your chewing. You're tired and worried. Your head is filled with grim thoughts of what could be waiting for you in Silvercrest. The man who came by your house was beyond distressed. He said people are rotting from the outside in. That can't be good. You go through the possibilities of what this could be. It is most likely an infection, but you haven't heard of anything like that before. Your supplies are low, critically so. If things are as bad as they sound, there might be very little healing you can do. Even bringing relief to the dying will be a challenge. Your only hope is that merchants have been through the neighboring settlements. There is a trade route running past that might have supplies to help, but you are most likely not the first one to come to that conclusion, meaning that the supplies will have already been used up.

"You finally give yourself a decent sized portion, and then you let it get cold too?" Knives asks, and snaps you out of the spiral of depressing thoughts.

"Oh," you simply say, blinking at the bowl in hand, "I guess you're right. I was just thinking."

"How come you suddenly have supplies to spare?" he asks, putting aside the empty bowl to pick up the water.

"You mean food?" you ask, but he doesn't answer. "It's not like we have anything to spare. I was trying to ration everything out over a week, but now we will hopefully arrive at a settlement the day after tomorrow. And while they probably lack food too, it will be easier to get more. This decision might bite me in the ass, but we will deal with it then."

The food has indeed gone cold, the vegetables taste bland, and the warmth doesn't distract from the chewiness of the meat. But on an empty stomach, it still feels better than nothing. Your chest feels heavy with anxiety; even breathing takes a touch more effort than it should. You try to push the thoughts of Silvercrest away, but they linger in the back of your mind like a persistent shadow.

"It is strange of you to say one thing and then contradict yourself the next moment," Knives says as he dips the flask away from his lips.

"The things you ask about are subjective." You speak to him calmly, almost like to a child. "My medical supplies, for example. It is the truth that I am running low on essentials like painkillers, antibiotics, disinfectants, suture kits, and more. If you appeared on my doorstep now, in the condition you were in, there would be almost nothing I could do. Perhaps I could only help you go into the night with some comfort and peace, but nothing I could do would heal you is what I mean. But that doesn't mean I am not in a position to help those who don't have one foot in the grave already. I can still clean some wounds, I can dress them, and I can share knowledge. To those who have nothing, even a little bit is more than they currently have."

Knives's eyes are cold and stern, and his low eyebrows cast shadows, making him look angry, but you know him slightly better than to assume he is upset with you. He seems genuinely confused and frustrated with you. Not really because of your actions; he doesn't appear to care about those, but because he doesn't understand you. Knives keeps asking questions that sound obvious to you, yet no answer you give him ever seems to satisfy him.

"Food that's enough to cover three days is a feast to those who only need it for one, but it is not enough for those who need it for a week. That's how life has always been here. If you have more than necessary, you give it to those who need it, and when you are in need, hopefully someone will help you if they can." You look into his eyes; they remain unchanging.

"What about other lifeforms? What about Plants? Humans don't seem to have the same level of empathy towards them as they do towards other humans, and even that seems lackluster to me." Knives's tone sounds accusatory. He doesn't turn away his gaze from yours, as if he is waiting for an answer, demanding an explanation.

"You're right, it's not the same," you speak calmly, and from the slight shift in his gaze, you assume he did not expect this response. "Humans are survivors. We adapt and evolve; even in the darkest of times, we use what we can. We band together to be stronger, and we rely on each other. It is not pretty, and both despair and greed bring out the worst in us. We have always used other lifeforms for our own benefit. Animals were used for more than just meat. They were also used for labor, transportation, and other commodities like milk and wool. But it's not simply exploitation; it has never been quite that simple. It's a complex relationship that has evolved over time, shaping both our society and the animals themselves. It became co-existence. One can't be without the other, and it became more than just labor and resources. Why do you think there are cats and dogs on this planet? Humans brought them with them. They spent precious resources to take these animals, but it's not for pest control or hunting like it used to be. It's because they provide companionship and emotional support. Humans need Plants to survive here. Since the beginning, we have been trying to move away from relying on them so heavily, but this planet is unforgiving and cruel. On a different world, we might co-exist differently by now, not just surviving with the help of each other but thriving, much like the dogs and cats we brought with us."

"You mean like pets?" Knives nearly spits the last word, clearly disgusted by the idea.

"No. Like friends, like family," you reply gently.

"Humans treat even those closest to them like trash," he continues, slightly less enraged.

"Sometimes. I'm not saying they don't, we don't. I am not saying humanity is great, and lovely, and perfect. That's simply not true. There are awful people out there. Nightmarish beyond comprehension. But not all humans are like that, and it's important to remember that. A few rotten apples don't mean the whole barrel is spoiled."

"You sound like you're defending them," he says in an accusing manner.

"I am not. But you sound like you want us all to rot in the ground," you reply matter-of-factly as you get up. "Now let me check on your wound. I want to make sure you didn't rip it on our way here."

Knives watches you with slight distaste as you grab the flashlight from the ground and walk over to him. He remains silent, his eyes following your every move, even as you kneel next to him.

"Do you mind?" you ask, pointing at his side. He doesn't reply to you in any way; he just turns his head away from you to look at the birds instead. Indifference appears on his face again, a very familiar sight to you.

Pulling up the layers of the hoodie and shirt reveals clean bandages. As Knives makes no moves to aid you in any way, you put the flashlight between your teeth to hold up the clothes with one hand and to peek under the dressing with the other. The wound looks clean and healthy; there is no sign of any ripping, bleeding, or oozing.

Knives turns his head back. He watches as you hunch over to look at his wound, the torch in your mouth, making the words you try to speak unintelligible. He doesn't say anything, and you don't try to repeat yourself either. You still don't make any sense to him. It's like you speak in riddles. Knives thinks himself to be smart enough that he should see through your deception and lies, but he doesn't even detect any. It's like you're speaking a different language altogether. It's infuriating. Yet his anger is not directed at you. It's directed inward, at himself. In his eyes, you don't act as he thinks a human should.

He feels your warm fingers on his body; they tug gently at his skin, a bit further away from the wound in his side. A slight, dull pain accompanies the sensation of your soft push. The impression lingers even as you put the bandages back and pull his clothes down. He hasn't noticed it before. The feeling of your touch stays with him, and Knives presses his own hand over where yours had been to erase the ghostly impression of your fingers.

"It looks good," you say as you take the flashlight from your mouth. "I can remove the stitches in a few days; I just want to be safe for now as I still worry about the journey ahead. I am so glad that we're finally at this point."

Knives watches you smile as you get up again. He notices the way your eyes shine with joy and relief. He doesn't quite understand this either. Why do you beam with happiness just because he is healing? Do you simply take pride in your work? He remembers you saying that you would worry about him if he disappeared, but it all doesn't quite fit together in his head. He wants to run his hand across his face, and lace his fingers into his hair to tug at it, but this move would reveal his frustration to you, and Knives can't have that.

Taking a mental health break so no update next week and we'll see from there.

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[starryknight-dragonarts]

Vicious Mockery

Here are some examples I have come up with and collected for the D&D spell Vicious Mockery. For those who are not D&D nerds like me, vicious mockery is a spell where you roast your enemy with insults and it causes them actual mental damage! You can insult somebody till their head actually explodes! Sometimes it can be hard to come up with a roast on the fly, they are usually better when they fit the situation but here are some examples that could start you off.

“By the way is your Boyfriend Single. He should be.”

“I would be afraid to do your husband. I’m more woman than you and all 4 of his current mistresses combined”

“In order to learn something you would first have to listen to something other than the cavernous sounds of your own ignorance”

“You are so ugly, that if somebody painted your picture you wouldn’t need a nail or hammer to hang it, the Picture would hang itself for looking like you.”

“Do you use your right hand or your left hand to wipe your ass? Because I use Toilet paper!”

“Of the 4 men your wife is currently fucking, are you one of the side hoes or the idiot who doesn’t know about the others?”

“One day you will have to face whatever saw fit to let you exist in the universe and you’ll have to justify being a complete waste of space.”

“If you spoke your mind, you’d be speechless!”

“I’d like to have an intelligent conversation, so please stop talking.”

“You’re not worth me taking the time to come up with another quip. You’re just another dumb minion.”

“The day you were born, neither of your parents showed up!”

“Your mother is a whore, which is much more successful and respectable than anything you have done with your life.”

“I would try to see things from your point of view but I would never be able to fit my head up my ass.”

“Which hurts more, thinking or seeing your own reflection.”

“Do you know the difference between your face and your ass? Neither do I!”

“You couldn’t even cast a Shadow.”

“I wrote you a poem. Roses are Red, Violence is too. No one here is afraid of you.”

“You seem ill equip for battle, of martial or of wit.”

“You could have asked my permission before showing me something so hideously disgusting.”

“I guess combat is over since there are no significant threats left”

“Was that stick always up your rear, or was it a failed attempt to pleasure yourself.”

“You look like something your father shat out.”

“The last thing you vanquished was your mother’s respect.”

“I need to know, is your head only for decoration? I think you need to get yours replaced.”

“Sorry to interrupt your evil monologue, hold on…what was your name again?”

“You could not pour water out of a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel.”

“Go back to the sewers and be among the shit where you belong.”

“I know you are an assassin but I didn’t know you were hired to kill fashion.”

“This fight will last longer than you do in bed.”

“S’cuse me, I would like to talk to the real boss, cause I know this operation wasn’t cooked up by somebody who’s IQ is below Room Temperature.”

“You have three active braincells but lost one and the other two are still trying to find it.”

“As an outsider what’s you perspective on intelligence”

“You make it really difficult to underestimate you”

“You don’t need beauty sleep, you need a coma.”

“Your family tree is a cactus cause you’re all pricks”

“You’re not a complete idiot, some parts are missing”

“You are non of your best friend’s best friend.”

“Your Mother was a Hamster and your Father smelt of Elderberries”

“Your body is a Temple to an Idiot God!”

“I’m glad you're tall...It means there's more of you I can despise!”

“Ugh. What the hell is that all over your face? Oh...its just your face!”

“I swear, if you were any worse at this, you'd be doing our job for us!”

“Some day you'll meet a doppelganger of yourself and be disappointed!”

“Are you always stupid, or are you making a special effort today!”

“Some day you'll go far and I hope you stay there!”

“I’d like to leave you with one thought...but I'm not sure you have anywhere to put it!”

“I would insult you, but your very existance is the greatest insult to all”

“I’d insult your parents, but you probably don't know who they are!”

“I’ve met Wheels of Cheese sharper than you”

“I see some small village is missing its idiot”

“Tell me, did you run away from your parents, or did they run away from you!”

“I expected you to be taller”

“If I paid for 20 idiots and all I got was you, I’d still have gotten my money’s worth.”

“If you were any dumber, you’d need instructions to breathe.”

“I’d fight you with my pocket knife, but I think it would give you length envy”

“If I had a copper piece for every time someone complimented your face, I’d be in debt.”

“I thought this was a battle, not a comedy show.”

“Will you hit me already, you are boring me. You are boring.”

"Congratulations! You're a failure."

"I didn't cast Feeblemind yet."

“If ever there was a wise decision you were to make in your entire life, you’d fall to your knees right now and beg for mercy.”

“In a land of the stupid, you are crowned king.”

“You are about to eat more shit than the last person in the human centipede.”

“Ooh, I'm a ghost! I get to moan all day and whine about how sucky my life was!”

“Only a God could have meticulously crafted every detail about you so intricately to be this much of a pathetic loser.”

“In the battlefield or the bedroom, this won't take long"

"All powerful yet you hide from me in the shadows"

"Surrounded by ghouls and zombies yet you're the most hideous thing I've seen"

"Which god's teet are you latched to these days?"

“Pardon me my good Bitch. Do you see all the fucks I give?”

“I’ve seen better asses on the donkey ranch!"

“I cant decide if your a criminal or an orphan.....but then again, a criminal is actually WANTED”

"Not even Hells outhouse can make you into Hot Shit!"

"You look like the type of person who would have 1-2-3-4-5 as the combination on your luggage."

[runnning-outof-time]

A Moment of Respite | Tommy Shelby x Reader

Request: yes by @dandelionprints

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x reader

Summary: Tommy has a dream of the woman he met in France.

Warnings: talks of war, PTSD-induced dream, one ‘f-word’

Word Count: 2775

A/N: this was such a unique story to write. I found myself battling with the structure of it at times, so I hope that it makes sense to y’all. Enjoy! :)

Let me know if you want to be tagged in future stories similar to this one!

———

Tommy laid his head down on the pillow, finally ready to - try to - sleep after completing his night time routine and getting his mind ‘right’. He always hated this part of the day, and tried his best to avoid it as much as he could. But after going on a four day rally of avoiding sleep, his body needed some rest. So he closed his eyes and hoped that he'd be able to at least keep the shovels at bay.

But of course, it didn't take long for him to be transported back to the dark and dingy tunnels that he spent so much time in both during, and after, the war. Except tonight, he was the only member of his company in the tunnel. There was nobody with him, but yet the sounds of the shovels were intensifying. He needed to make it out before the German soldiers broke through and he was forced into an unfair fight.

He quickly started moving, trying to get to the end of the tunnel where he knew the ladder was. Disaster struck before he could get very far. The walls and floor of the tunnel started to shake after he took only a few steps from his starting point. Panic coursed through him as he felt like the walls were closing in, about ready to crumble around him. He reached his arms out, finding the hard clay on either side of him, and he used that as a guide to get through the cavern quicker.

It felt like the walls were getting smaller with each step he took, to the point where he wasn't sure if he'd make it out of this alive. Maybe today the shovels would win. But just as he thought the walls would pin him in, a light shined at the end of the tunnel. A feeling of immediate relief washed over him as he rushed towards the light, no longer caring that the walls of the tunnel were closing in around him.

The light was so bright that it was blinding and as he fully stepped into it, he was surrounded by white, enough to make him think that maybe he'd actually met his end in the tunnel. But someone's voice pulled him out of nothingness.

"You comin', Shelby?" it was the voice of one of the men in his company, Marcus, and when Tommy focused again, he realized that he was standing in front of a pub's doors surrounded by four other fellow soldiers.

"Yeah," he answered, trying to make his voice sound steady as he walked back to the group so that they could all enter the pub.

They all walked to the bar and ordered a drink of their choice before going off and doing what interested them. It wasn't often that they got time off from the trenches or tunnels, and they sure as hell were going to enjoy it. Tommy wasn't quite sure how he'd managed to show up here, but he also wasn't going to let this moment of reprieve slip past him. While the other men meandered about the pub, Tommy stayed seated on the stool he'd sat down on upon first coming to the bar.

"Not interested in what your friends are doing?" a woman's voice came from beside him, her accent one of the sweetest things to grace his ears in a long time.

"Excuse me?" Tommy asked as he turned to look at the woman, who he'd swore he'd met before in his life.

"You're sitting here, by yourself, while your friends are over there having a good time," she pointed out, nodding over to where the three other men were talking loudly in a group with some of the pub's other patrons.

"Not in the mood, I guess," he shrugged her statement off, taking a drink before looking at her again. "Have I met you before?" he came right out and asked her, his brows furrowed.

A smile formed on her face as he asked her this question. "Of course you have, Tommy," she answered him, saying his name like she had thousands of times before. This only made him more confused. "I'm surprised your company leader allowed you to come back so soon," she added then, leaning against the bar after she finished speaking.

"I...I'm the company leader," Tommy just about stammered out, trying to make all of this make sense.

"Oh...so you must've really enjoyed the time we spent together," the woman commented, her grin growing even more.

"I must've..." Tommy trailed off, racking his brain to try and figure out who this woman was. He couldn't believe that he'd forgotten this literal angel that had supposedly been sent to him. He looked her over, taking in her features in hopes that something would click in his mind. Then it did. "(Y/N)?" he asked, hating the fact that his statement sounded like a question.

"Yes," she smiled, nodding her head as she let out a slight laugh. "I thought you wouldn't remember," she said, sounding a bit more timid now than she had before.

"I remembered, I just...I'm a little confused is all," he admitted, shaking his head as he tried to come to terms with what was going on. This wasn't the part of war that he normally remembered. Seeing (Y/N) again was like a breath of fresh air.

"Confused?" (Y/N) phrased the single word statement like a question.

"I'm a bit unsure of how I got here," he answered, not realizing the fact that his statement made him sound slightly crazy until after he said it.

"You've surely been granted leave for some time...that's why you're able to travel into town," she tried to explain to him. Tommy had a feeling that that wasn't the case - he'd been brought right to the pub from a crumbling tunnel, but he didn't argue with her on it. He himself couldn't quite wrap his head around what was happening.

"Never mind it," he brushed her off, waving his hand to show that he wanted to move away from the topic, "let's enjoy the time we've got, eh?" he prompted her then, a slight grin forming on his face. Hell, he wasn't in the tunnels with the shovels hitting against the walls for once...he was going to make the most of this time.

"I like the sound of that," (Y/N) shared his sentiment, a similar grin forming on her face, "but I feel like we'd have a better time somewhere other than this dingy pub," she added, her eyebrows raised slightly as she hoped he'd catch her drift.

"I..." Tommy trailed off with a breath of a laugh, "I feel like it'd be a bit improper to make my way to your house this early," he told her, hating the fact that he was acting like this around her.

Luckily, (Y/N) didn't comment on his nature. "I wasn't suggesting we go to my home, Tommy," she said, pushing his shoulder playfully. She leaned in next to his ear then, and he had to bite on his bottom lip as the feeling of her breath on his neck roused goosebumps to form on the skin. "But that wasn't something you worried about last time," she reminded him, the grin apparent in her voice.

Tommy swallowed, hating how her simple sentence affected him immensely. "I'm not lookin' for that tonight," he told her after he gained his footing again. Although he'd happily welcome anything of that nature, especially if it was with (Y/N), he wanted to get to the bottom of all of this. He wanted to know why he wasn't trapped in the tunnels tonight.

"No?" (Y/N) pulled back, looking at him with surprise. She didn't let the expression stay for long, and she moved her entire body slightly closer to him this time so that she could gently rest her hand on his clothed forearm. "What exactly are you looking for tonight then, hmm?" she asked him, her voice sounding saccharine; like music to Tommy's ears.

"I'm looking to make sense of this mess that I'm in," he answered her, his eyes staying locked onto hers as he spoke.

(Y/N) sent him a closed mouth, sympathetic smile as she heard what he was looking for. "I'll try my damnedest to help you," she told him in a soft voice, squeezing his arm gently before she slipped her hand down it to take hold of his hand. "Why don't we still get out of here though? Can't do any real talking while in the midst of all of this noise," she suggested, then squeezing his hand in hopes that he'd get the idea and follow her to the door.

"I like the sound of that," Tommy agreed with a slight nod before he allowed her to take the lead and walk them to the pub's door. He ignored the hollers from his company mates and continued walking with (Y/N), out of the pub and down the dark street.

It had just finished raining, and Tommy admired the fact that the streetlights glowed off of the puddles that had been left behind. Everything looked so normal, and it was like he could, if only for a second, try to imagine that the war wasn't going on.

"The war hasn't hit our town yet," (Y/N) commented as they walked, surely reading his thoughts.

"No," Tommy agreed, "it still looks so...normal," he finished his thought while glancing around. There weren't many people out, but those who were seemed to be carefree and having a decent time. It's like they didn't even know, nor care, that a war was being fought in their country. Tommy felt a pang of jealousy in his stomach from the mere thought.

"Doesn't feel it though," (Y/N) mused, bringing him back to the conversation, "with all of the men gone and the shops nearly closed...it feels like we're a shell of what we used to be," she pointed out, making Tommy realize that this town probably had been affected much like his...the men who didn't know better, or felt like they could help their country, were out on the frontlines while those who had the money or the means stayed behind and got to continue on with everyday life.

"I'm sure it does," he said in a somber voice, his eyes downcast to the road. "You'll come out on the other side of this though," he tried to give her some hope.

"You think?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly as she looked over at him.

"I think," he affirmed with a nod.

"How can you be so sure?" she questioned him.

"I..." Tommy paused, feeling a hesitance in him. He knew that it came from the fact that he'd come out on the other side of the conflict, and had learned that the town that he'd visited with his company, this town, had remained mostly untouched. But he couldn't get himself to admit this here. "I just have a feeling," he settled with a vague statement, squeezing her hand as he tried to offer some extra insurance.

The two walked slowly down the street, enjoying being in each other's presence. "What are you worried about, Tommy?" (Y/N) asked him after they'd been quiet for some time.

"Me?" he asked even though she'd addressed him.

"Yes," she nodded.

"I'm worried about my family," he answered with a sigh, "we've been met with some potential moves to make within the business; moves that can really set us on our way to becoming more cemented in the area we work in..." he trailed off, not feeling funny at all that he was recounting these recent business moves to a woman he hadn't physically seen in two years, "but my family won't budge on it...so I'm stuck between doing what I know will earn us our take, or doing what will keep my family in tact," he ended his dilemma by stopping and looking (Y/N).

"So you've got the classic case of a fight between the head and the heart?" she asked him, quirking one eyebrow as a slight smile formed on her face.

"I guess so," Tommy responded with a slight chuckle.

(Y/N) pursed her lips as she thought about what advice to give him. Tommy was willing to wait, desperately wanting some outside opinion from someone who wouldn't benefit from him choosing either side. After a few moments, (Y/N) finally spoke: "go with your head. Your heart will follow along if you explain why you made the decision you did. They're in your heart for a reason."

"Ok," Tommy nodded his head as he digested the advice he'd just been given.

"You'll go for it?" (Y/N)'s eyes lit up.

"Yeah," he nodded again.

"Good," she affirmed, a smile on her face, "and you'll come out better on the other side of it. I just have that feeling." she turned his previous words around on him and he recognized that, chuckling in response. The two smiled at each other then, coming to a silent understanding that finalized in Tommy's mind what he should do. He'd take her advice and move forward with the business strategy that he'd planned out before the opinions of his family became known. "Should we go back now?" (Y/N) asked him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"So soon?" Tommy asked her, hesitance in his voice. He didn't want this peaceful moment with her to end.

"Your men are probably looking for you," she pointed out.

"Fuck 'em," he brushed her statement off.

She giggled at his response. "It's time to go, Tommy," she told him once her laughter had subsided.

He let out a soft sigh, knowing the deeper meaning of her statement. "Ok," he finally agreed with her, turning with her then so that they'd be facing the pub's direction again.

They walked in silence until the pub came into view. Tommy brought them right up to the building before stopping, making (Y/N) look at him with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "What're you doing?" she asked him, her eyes searching his.

"I wanted to thank you before we go back inside," he told her, turning towards her. She, in turn, leaned her back against the brick building, having no care for how dirty her dress might get. Tommy fought back the grin as he moved closer to her.

"Thank me?" she sounded even more surprised...if that was possible.

"Yes. For all that you've helped me," he answered her, "for giving me a moment of respite."

(Y/N) smiled at him as she heard what he had to say. She was about to respond when the sound of whistles came from behind Tommy. "Way to go, Shelby!" one of his company mates called, making him sigh and shake his head.

"Sorry 'bout them," he apologized to her, wanting to turn around and tell them off.

"It's not a problem," she brushed his apology off, giggling slightly as their wolf-whistles continued. "And it’s not gonna stop me from doing this..." she trailed off, grabbing ahold of his uniform’s lapels so that she could lean in and kiss his lips. Tommy fastened his hands onto her waist, holding her tight against his body. The kiss ended too soon, but he swore he saw heaven when she pulled away to smile at him. "Stay safe, soldier," she whispered, searching his eyes once more as she gripped onto his lapels.

Tommy leaned in again, wanting one more kiss before this moment had to end. As his lips pressed against hers, everything around him started to shake. He gripped onto (Y/N) tighter, holding her as close to his body as possible as he heard her gasp against his lips. He kept his eyes shut tight, not wanting to watch her disappear. Things stayed black until the overwhelmingly bright, white light overtook him.

He sat up in bed with a start, breathing deeply as he felt the sweat beading on his forehead. He looked around the small bedroom that sat on the second floor of his Watery Lane home, the realization quickly washing over him. (Y/N) wasn't with him; she was just a part of his dream.

But the sun was starting to shine through his window - this was the first time he'd managed to sleep the entire night in a long time. Seeing her again granted him a moment of respite, and he couldn't be more grateful for it.

———

Tagged: @mgcllovdrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick @rangerelik @lovemissyhoneybee @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @raincoffeeandfandoms @itscheybaby @gypsy-girl-08

MASTERLIST

[aceofstars16]

Next chapter is up! It's the climax...hehehe

Ford takes a drastic measure to stop Bill…

You can read on AO3 or below the cut

Chapter 10 - Desperate

“This was no accident, Stan; you did this!

“And until you make us a fortune, you're not welcome in this household!”

“Stanford? Don't leave me hangin'. High six?”

Stan looked up at the window, looking desperately at his brother. Then the curtains closed and he was alone. For a moment, the word seemed to grow dark. Then he yelled up at the window.

“Fine, I don’t need you, I don’t need anyone!”

“So why should you help him now?”

The thought entered Stan’s mind, unbidden, but he couldn’t entirely reason away. Ford had pushed him away. He had left him to his own devices. And now he had called him here because he needed help. When Ford hadn’t helped him in his desperation. When he was just a kid…

“Would he do the same for you now?”

Once again, the thought felt disconnected to the scene, but it was something Stan had wondered. Had Ford changed? Had he realized he'd made a mistake in pushing Stan away? Or had he changed so much that none of the brother he remembered remained?

“Stanley?”

The voice echoed around the dream, then everything started to fade away. In a blink, the memory was gone and Stan was looking up at the ceiling. A hand shook his shoulder and he batted it away.

“I’m up, I’m up.” Truthfully, sleep still clung to him. The thoughts in his dream were still ringing in his head, planting seeds of doubt in his mind. Which only grew as he sat up and saw Ford looking at him, a frown etched on his face. The eyepatch he had been wearing was nowhere to be seen.

“Good, I...I need your help with something.” Ford looked at the ground as he spoke. There was an edge to his voice that made Stan uneasy.

“You want me to tie you up again so you can sleep?” It was the logical assumption. Ford still looked exhausted, and sleep could only be good for him. Even if it meant having another frustrating conversation with the stupid triangle guy.

“What?” Ford glanced at him and shook his head. “No, it’s…something else.”

“What is it?” Stan could practically hear Bill mocking him, telling him that Ford only wanted him to come to his house to send him away again. Was he finally going to learn the truth?

“I…” Ford let out a breath, still not looking at Stan. “Come on. I…I need to show you something first.”

So much for answers. Trying to push aside the disappointment, Stan stood up, shaking the remnants of drowsiness from his body. “Uh…lead the way I guess.”

Ford nodded and stood up, not even looking at Stan. Then he headed out of the room and lead Stan to a bookcase, with an elevator behind it.

“Woah…this is fancy…” Stan muttered. It was hard not to be a little jealous that Ford had a nice house with an elevator when he only had his car.

Ford hit a button in the elevator and it descended, the silence only broken by the rumbling of the mechanics. And as the seconds ticked by, Stan could feel a weight growing in his chest. The door opened and he was immediately met with a room full of a bunch of machines that he didn’t understand. It looked like a nerd’s paradise. So it made perfect sense for Ford.

“Hope you don’t expect me to work any of this stuff.” Stan placed a hand on one of the machines.

“Don’t touch-!” Ford snapped, and Stan quickly removed his hand, feeling a spark of annoyance as his brother’s aggravation. Why bring him here if he was worried about Stan messing something up?

“I…” Ford shook his head. “Sorry. I just…I need you to understand that this is dangerous.”

The heaviness in Stan’s chest grew. “Is this what the kids were talking about?”

Ford looked at Stan in confusion, then it cleared and he sighed. “Yes, it’s…one of my biggest mistakes.”

Stan swallowed down any resentment at knowing that Ford leaving him behind wasn’t his biggest mistake. However, the thought was quickly chased away as Ford pulled a switch, resulting in a cavern outside of the room lighting up.

“Woah…what’s…?”

“It's a trans-universal gateway, a punched hole through a weak spot in our dimension. It connects to…Bill’s domain.” Ford huffed. “I suppose I should tell you about Bill.”

“The weird triangle that wants to take over the universe?”

“What? How did you-?”

“Dipper told me while you were gone. Granted, it sounds like something out of a TV show or something, but…” Stan paused, not sure if he wanted to admit that he'd talked with Bill while Ford had been asleep.

“He’s real.” Ford said, glancing at the portal. “And I need your help to get rid of him.”

“Me? What do you want me to do? Punch you really hard or something?” Stan couldn’t imagine how he was supposed to stop something that lived in Ford’s mind.

Ford let out a strained laugh. “No…not…not exactly.”

There was silence for a moment.

“Stan…” Ford looked at him, maintaining eye contact for the first time since he had woken Stan up. “I need you to promise me that you will do what I ask of you. No matter what.”

The words hung in the air. Stan found himself frozen in place. There was something in Ford’s gaze that made him hesitate. He couldn’t pinpoint it at first. Then it hit him. Ford was scared. No, not scared. He was terrified.

“What…what are you wanting me to do?” Stan could barely get the words out. He had never seen Ford look so…shaken.

Ford’s gaze flicked away. “I…I need your word first, Stanley.”

“Ford, what’s going on? What are you thinking? Please, talk to me!” Anxiety was growing in Stan’s body with each second. He didn’t know what Ford was thinking, but everything in him was screaming that it wasn’t good.

Ford swallowed hard. “I…I have to get rid of Bill, Stan. But I can’t do it without you.” He glanced up, looking at Stan again. The terror was evident in every line of his face – he wasn’t trying to hide it any more. But there was something else lying underneath it. Desperation.

 “Please, Stanley. Promise me.”

Every bit of Stan’s common sense screamed at him to decline. There was something bad going down. This was not right. But the absolute desperation on Ford’s face stopped him from telling his brother that he was crazy and he’d never agree to do something until he knew what it was. Because Ford needed him. So, despite his better judgement, Stan found himself nodding.

“Alright…fine…I…” He swallowed and met Ford’s gaze. “I promise.”

Ford’s shoulder’s relaxed and he drooped in relief. “Thank you, Stanley…”

Stan tried his best to smile at his brother. “Yeah, so uh…what’s the plan?”

Swallowing, Ford dug into his coat and pulled out a gun of sorts. He fiddled with it for a bit, seeming to input something into it. “I need you to…take this and…” His fingers froze for a moment, panic crossing his face. Then he shook his head. “I need you to shoot me with it.”

“WHAT?!?” Stan stared at his brother in shock. “I’m not going to shoot you, Stanford!”

“It’s not a normal gun, Stanley. It’s…it’s just something that will get Bill out of my head. That’s all.” As he spoke, Ford held out the gun for Stan to see more clearly.

Trying to taper his dread, Stan looked at the gun. It definitely didn’t look like a regular gun, but still… “It won’t hurt you?”

Ford looked away for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before looking back at Stan. “No, it won’t hurt me.”

Stan found the words less than reassuring. But he trusted his brother. He had to. It would be okay.

“There is one more thing.”

The dread returned full force. “What?”

“To make sure that Bill is fully in my head, so he can’t survive, I need to let him take over my body.” Ford frowned. “And unfortunately, he knows what I’m thinking, so he will try to convince you not to do it. He will say anything, Stanley. But you can’t listen to him.” The desperation was back, creeping into Ford’s voice and covering his face as he spoke. “Do you understand?”

Despite the unease that had been haunting Stan since he came down here, he felt a resolve overwhelming him. This thing had been hurting his brother. And now he could get rid of it. “I understand.”

Ford nodded. “Good. Now…let me show you how this works…”

-----

Dipper woke with a start. Wind was battering against the windows, and as he sat up, a branch hit the house, resulting in a loud BANG. Which explained why he’d woken up.

Rubbing his eyes, Dipper looked around. It was fairly dark in the room, but there was a small lamp on, showing Fiddleford conked out on the table with the time machine. He vaguely remembered sitting down with Mabel and talking about Stan and Ford. She hadn’t seemed to learn much about what had happened between them, but Stan had told Dipper everything. Or at least, everything from his perspective. Mabel, of course, had been crushed, and Dipper himself couldn’t shake the uneasiness at how such a little mistake could tear twins apart.

Before they had had fallen asleep, they had promised not to let anything like that happen between them. Though there was one thing that Dipper found himself worrying about.

“We have to help them make up!”

“But, Mabel, we don’t know how that would affect the future!”

“But they need each other, Dipper!”

“I…I don’t know, Mabel. Maybe we should sleep on it.”

The hurt on Mabel’s face still haunted Dipper as he glanced at her. She was still fast asleep. It’s not that he didn’t want to help Stan and Ford, but he also didn’t want to do something that would destroy the timeline. For all he knew, if they did something drastic then they might cease to exist.

Sighing, Dipper slowly got up, careful not to move Mabel. He needed some water to help him clear his head. But as he walked by Ford’s room, he noticed that the door was open. And poking his head in, he saw that no one was inside. Where were Stan and Ford?

All thoughts of water forgotten, Dipper quickly made his way around the house, looking for the brothers. But they weren’t anywhere to be found. Which only left…the basement.

Memories of his last time down there played in his mind. He didn’t really want to go down there by himself again, even if Stan was down there too. Swallowing hard, Dipper made his way back to Mabel and gently shook her.

“Mabel. Hey, wake up.”

“No more Smile Dip.” Mabel muttered in her sleep and Dipper shook her again. This time she jolted awake.

“Huh? What? Dipper? What time is it?”

“I…I’m not sure. But I can’t find Stan or Ford. I think they might be…in the basement.” Dipper said, glancing in the direction of the bookshelf.

“Why would they be there?” Mabel muttered, sitting up.

“I don’t know but…with everything going on I…I think we should check it out.”

Mabel frowned. “Do you think Bill is doing something?”

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t mention that name.”

Dipper and Mabel both looked quickly towards the table.

Fiddleford was blinking hard, but frowning at them.

“You know about Bill?” Dipper couldn’t help but ask.

Not meeting his gaze, Fiddleford nodded. “A little. I don’t remember much but…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Bill can’t be trusted.”

“We know that.” Mabel said.

“Which is why I want to go down to the basement to make sure everything is…okay.” Dipper said, trying to ignore the goosebumps growing on his arms.

“I’m not going down there again it’s…” Fiddleford trailed off. “Wait a second. How long have I been asleep?”

Dipper shrugged as did Mabel. “I don’t know, you were still awake when we fell asleep.”

“I remember working…and then…Ford brought me some coco…I never could stay awake after drinking a cup…” Fiddleford sat up straight, then grabbed for the bag that he had brought with him and dug around in it. “No, no, no! Where is it?”

“Where’s what?” Dipper and Mabel asked at the same time.

“My memory gun, it’s…it’s gone!”

“Your what?!?” Dipper blurted out.

A shadow grew over Fiddleford’s face. “I don’t know what’s going on but…” He let out a huff. “We have to find Stan and Ford.”

-----

“So, it shoots light or something?”

Ford could hear the uncertainty in Stan’s voice, but he did his best to ignore it. Stan had already agreed to his request, all he had to do was make sure that it went according to plan.

“Not light exactly, it’s complicated. But it does look like light.”

“Right…” Stan said, and Ford could feel his eyes on him. Ford knew that Stan wasn’t a huge fan of this plan. After all, despite what had happened ten years ago, Ford knew he wouldn’t want to wipe Stan’s mind. Not that Stan knew what the gun would do but…Ford knew that if he told him, he wouldn’t do it. And Bill needed to be stopped. This was the only way.

“Right. And there are a few things I…need to make sure you do after Bill is gone.” Despite his exhaustion, Ford found himself pacing. After all. that would aid him in letting Bill take over.

“Woah woah, what do you mean? You can just make sure they get done, right?”

Ford made the mistake of looking at his brother. He caught the concern in his gaze and quickly looked away., blinking a few times to try to ease the discomfort in his eye. “Yes, well…I will probably need to rest afterwards. And these things should be done as soon as possible.” It wasn’t a full lie. Ford would need sleep afterwards. It just…wasn’t the full truth either.

“Ford…” Stan’s hand rested on his back and Ford skittered to a stop at the familiar gesture. “Is there something I should know?”

For a moment, Ford considered telling Stan the truth. But he couldn’t. Swallowing he shook his head. “No…I mean, yes. After everything is done, I need you to make sure that the portal gets dismantled. Fiddleford should be able to help with that. And he can use parts from the portal to fix the time machine as well.”

“Okay…I can do that I guess…” Stan glanced at the portal and Ford followed his gaze before quickly looking away.

“Good. Make sure the kids get back and…” Sighing, Ford pulled his journal out of his coat. “I need you to hide this somewhere too.”

“What? Hide it? Why?”

“It…it has too much dangerous information in it. No one should ever find it. I’ve already hidden the other two.” Ford held the book out and Stan hesitantly accepted it, frowning.

“Doesn’t Dipper have one of them?”

Ford let out a breath. “Well, yes, but…that’s in the future. I…maybe Fiddleford should check my hiding place and make sure it can’t be accessed….” He muttered to himself, his thoughts going faster than his mind could keep up with. Shaking his head, he brushed aside his mutterings. “But someone needs all of the journals to understand the portal anyway, so it…it should be fine.”

“You sure?” Stan was looking at Ford again, doubt clouding his gaze.

Quickly looking away, Ford nodded. “Yes. I…I think that’s everything. I’m…I’m going to meditate. Bill used to use me that way. And if not…”

“You’re tired enough you’ll probably fall asleep anyway?”

Ford quickly looked at Stan as he said exactly what he was thinking.

“You look dead on your feet, Sixer. It’s not that hard to put together.”

“Oh…right…” Ford sighed, then gestured to the journal in Stan’s hand. “You can put that away. Focus on the gun right now. And remember-”

“The creep is gonna try to convince me not to shoot you. I got it, Ford.”

For a moment, Ford looked at Stan. Not for the first time, anxiety grew in his chest. He didn’t want to lose his memory. He didn’t want to forget everything. Panic started growing in his chest. Then a hand rested on his shoulder and their eyes met.

“It’ll be okay, Stanford. I promised, remember?”

There was nothing in Stan’s voice that left any room for doubt. Ford could trust his brother. For a moment, he opened his mouth, wanting to tell Stan what would really happen. And how scared he was. Then Stan grinned and patted his shoulder.

“Now, you go on and meditate or whatever.” He held up the memory gun. “I’ll get rid of that jerk.”

Ford’s gaze grew blurry and it took him a moment to realize that his eyes were watering. No, not watering – tearing up. He quickly looked away and nodded. “Right.”

Then he sat down and crossed his legs. Looking up, he saw Stan giving him a thumbs up. That was the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes.

-----

Stan watched as Ford sat there. He had never meditated before so he didn’t really know what to expect. After a few minutes he started tapping his foot.

“Stan, I can’t focus when you do that.”

Letting out a breath, Stan stilled his foot. “Right. Sorry.” It wasn’t his fault that his anxiety was building. After all, he didn’t know exactly what to expect, and just the thought of pointing a gun – even one without bullets – at Ford just felt wrong.

Time ticked on again. Stan tried to hold his tongue, but patience was never his strong suit. “How long does this normally take?”

A frustrated sigh escaped Ford. “Stanley, please this…this is hard enough as it is.”

Trying his best to swallow down his anxiety, Stan tapped his fingers on the gun. It wasn’t as loud as his foot, and Ford didn’t comment about it, so he figured it wasn’t too loud. As he did so, he glanced at the gun, his gaze resting on the screen at the end of it.

Wait. Why did it say…Stanford Pines? Wasn’t it supposed to get rid of Bill?

“You know, he doesn’t really trust you.”

Stan jumped at the voice, immediately pointing the gun at Ford. Because despite the voice being his brother, he knew that it wasn’t really him. His finger found the trigger, and he started to pull it.

“He didn’t tell you what that thing would actually do to him.” Ford looked up at him and smiled knowingly, which effectively stopped Stan’s finger.

“He told me it would get rid of you.” Swallowing, Stan started pulling on the trigger again.

“Ah, yes. But he didn’t tell you that it would get rid of him too.” Ford held up his hand and studied it. “Would be a shame for you to destroy your brother, wouldn’t it?”

The words made Stan’s skin crawl, and his finger stilled again. Then he shook his head, remembering that Ford had told him Bill would do this. He’d try anything to keep Stan from shooting him. “I know your game, triangle. You can’t fool me.”

Ford tapped his chin thoughtfully then grinned in a way that mad Stan’s skin crawl. “I’m not trying to fool you. I know what your brother didn’t tell you. He’s so desperate to get rid of me, that he asked his own brother to destroy his mind.”

 “I…he wouldn’t…”

“Wouldn’t he?” Ford grinned. “Why else do you think his name is on that gun?”

Against his will, Stan found his hand lowering. He knew this had to be a game, just Bill trying to get into his mind too. But…Ford hadn’t exactly explained how this gun worked…

“That’s right...” Ford slowly stood up. “You are only a tool for him. He doesn’t actually care about YOU!”

At the last word, Ford lunged for the gun. Stan tightened his grip on it too late. It went clattering to the ground, a slight chinking sound filling the air as it did so. Stan lunged for it but Ford slammed him into the ground sending the gun skittering further away.

Kicking hard, Stan tried his best to shove Ford off of him.

“Oof, you are a fighter, huh?” Ford growled, then bolted forward.

Stan quickly swung out his leg, tripping his brother. Lunging forward, he reached for the gun. Something grabbed his leg and he kicked without thinking and thrust his arm forward, grabbing the gun.

“Give me that!” Ford screamed and in that split second, instinct took over.

Stan rolled over and fired.

Light erupted from the gun, hitting Ford right in the head. The scream that escaped his brother chilled Stan to the bone, but he couldn’t force his finger to leave the trigger.

The whirring of the gun grew louder and higher pitched. Then the bulb shattered, cutting off the light. Stan quickly threw the gun to the side, grimacing as a few pieces of glass cut his hand.

For a moment, Stan just sat there, catching his breath as adrenaline continued to pulse through his body.

A groan shook him from his shock and he looked at Ford.

His brother was kneeling on the ground, holding his head. Panic overwhelmed Stan and he quickly scooted forward. “Ford, are…are you…?”

Ford slowly looked up, his hands falling from his head as he did so. He narrowed his eyes in confusion as he looked at Stan. “Wha-?”

Stan sagged with relief. Deep down he knew that Ford was himself again. Bill wasn’t in control. “Oh thank goodness.” Stan couldn’t stop himself from reaching forward and pulling Ford into a hug.

Ford didn’t return the hug, and Stan realized maybe he needed a little space after having Bill in his mind. Leaning back, he let out a breath and smiled reassuringly. “You’re okay. I thought that stupid triangle might actually be telling the truth.”

 “T-triangle? Wh-what?” Ford muttered, looking around in confusion.

“Don’t worry about him. He…I think he’s gone now. Come on.” Stan stood up and held out his hand, finding a real smile growing on his face. It was over. He had helped Ford, and Bill was gone.

“I…okay…but…” Ford looked at Stan’s hand then up at him, confusion etched on his face. “Who are you?”

[norbezjones]

June Of Doom Day 23: "You're Doing Great." (Romance The Backrooms)

Continuing @juneofdoom with my Romance The Backrooms characters!

RtB may be an F/M game, but in my heart of hearts, I'm a Glarence & Adiel shipper. A Gladiel shipper, if you will.

This story may or may not be canon. Idk if it's still whump if there's a nice ending, but oh well.

This is Day 23: "You're doing great." I did incorporate the keyword "Trembling".

Takes place: before Romance The Backrooms occurs

Contains: stressed out & overworked Adiel

Other things to know: this story takes place in the backrooms. Adiel travels in a group of 4 other entities, including Glarence. Adiel is an entity that doesn't "need" the things most people need to survive, like food or sleep. As a result, he usually keeps watch while the others rest. However, the other members of the group do need those things.

___________

While the others slept on the cavern floor of Level 8, Adiel was keeping watch. He always volunteered to keep watch. After all, he didn't need sleep, so why should anyone else take on the task? It only made logical sense.

He stretched, blinking a few times. He was tired, he had to admit. Even if he didn't need sleep, resting once in a while could do him good. But somebody had to make sure that everyone was safe. And he was the leader, so that person should be him, of course.

It was always him. It always had to be.

"Geez, you look like shit."

Adiel jumped in surprise and turned around to see Glarence standing behind him. "You scared me!" Adiel said, letting out a relieved laugh. "I thought you were asleep."

The green-haired entity shrugged and sat down next to Adiel. "Couldn't," Glarence replied. "My brain is talking like crazy; it won't shut up long enough for me to get some shut-eye. So I figured I'd come over and hang out with you."

Adiel smiled. "Well, I do appreciate the company."

Glarence nodded. Then, he cleared his throat and asked, "So, are you going to talk about what's going on with you?"

Adiel started. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Come on, I know you're holding something back," Glarence grunted, giving his friend the stink-eye. "It's all over your face every time I look at you."

Adiel laughed, trying to joke the situation away. "Is my face really that good at giving me away."

"Yes," Glarence replied. His face softened, and he said quietly, gently, "Look, it's just you and me here. You can be honest, ok?"

Adiel sighed. He looked up at the stalactites on the ceiling of the cave. "I guess I'm a little . . . stretched thin," he admitted. "I've been doing a lot for the group--and don't get me wrong, I'm happy to do it! But I try so hard to make sure everyone is ok, and it's just so much sometimes."

His hands were shaking a little bit now, and the emotions Adiel was trying to hold back came rushing out. "And I didn't want to say anything, because that probably makes me a bad leader!" he exclaimed, feeling himself tear up a bit. "I should be better than this, I should--!"

"Stop," Glarence demanded. "Just stop it."

Surprised, Adiel stopped talking. Glarence continued, "Look, you're not a bad leader, first of all. You're doing great. You really are. But even the best leaders need a break once in a while, and need to delegate tasks. So I need you to learn to rely on us more so you don't get stressed out like this. Got it?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Adiel asked.

"Is bringing you to your limit a better idea?" Glarence asked, folding his arms. "Because if you ask me, it's a worse one."

"Ok, you have a point there," Adiel muttered. "I suppose I can talk to the others when they're awake. . . See what responsibilities they can help me with."

Glarence smiled. It was rare to see a genuine smile on Glarence's face, and it made Adiel feel like he was doing something right. "That's what I like to hear," Glarence said, nodding in approval. "Now, why don't you get some rest? I'll take watch."

"Are you sure?" Adiel asked. "Don't you need sleep?"

Glarence shrugged. "I'll live if I miss it for one night. Go get some rest."

Adiel smiled. "Thanks, Glarence."

Glarence shrugged again. "Don't mention it."

Adiel lay down on the cave floor and closed his eyes. With enough focus and concentration, he was able to fall asleep.

[secondsonaym]

"Nonsense." The Fox growled with a shake of his head. "I--"

It was then that Beryl stirred, coughing loudly. Flecks of dark ooze shot from her mouth and onto both the Fox's hand and the floor. Where they touched his skin, he felt an icy chill.

"Easy," He mumbled, putting a warning hand to her as she tried to sit up in his arms. "Try not to move."

"Remember what happened last time." Lapis chided, though Beryl wasn't looking in her direction.

"Sorry." Beryl mumbled, reaching up to weakly rub away the residue around her mouth and eyes. "I panicked, I didn't have any other options-"

"You're not in trouble." Lapis insisted. "We're just glad you're safe."

Beryl grimaced, but didn't try to say otherwise.

"Let's get you to bed." the Fox said, starting to walk to one of the cavernous hallways, but stopped when Beryl gripped the front of his shirt tightly.

"Don't leave me, dad." She said, starting to curl up into a ball.

Ah. Right. He supposed it wasn't exactly appropriate to just slide by what had happened without any sort of acknowledgement. Beryl had been panicked to the point of using her powers, after all, fearing he was in danger.

In some faint, relieving way, it was endearing. It was so similar to how she had been as a toddler, clinging to him or Lapis at all hours. Granted, the circumstances causing it weren't very nice, but...

It was also a bit discomforting, knowing she was more worried about him than herself--she had been the one to exert herself, and take a bite from that snake, after all.

"I'm perfectly fine, dear." He managed, reaching to rub her back all the same. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You are not." Lapis signed with a disappointed frown. "How many times am I going to have to tell you? You need rest, too."

"I can still move, can't I?" He growled back, ignoring the incessant ache in his ribs that begged to differ. In truth, he had been moving about in spite of the pain, but nobody had to know that.

"Ichigo."

That name, plain and clear, made him stiffen. She only ever used it to get his attention, to emphasize when she was serious, and it worked every time. It was his name, after all.

"You don't need to keep up the strong act." Lapis said, letting out a sigh through her nose. "Go take a nap with Beryl, please. Everything will be fine for a few hours."

He stood there for a moment, staring at her with a hard expression. He knew she was right. He knew arguing wasn't going to do anything. But he couldn't just sit and do nothing. As if he'd trust those old fools to handle the matter of the bishops and the Red Crown!

But... He also wouldn't be able to do much if his injuries got worse. Not to mention, Beryl needed him right now.

"Fine." He said, avoiding Lapis' eyes. "Fine, I'll go rest."

"Thank you, dear." Lapis signed, her expression relaxing.

The Fox leaned down and gently nuzzled her face, and she briefly stroked his chin in return.

He then made his way down a hall, off in the direction of the chamber they called their sitting room.

Much like everywhere else in the cave system, it was cluttered with various bones and trinkets that Lapis had accumulated over the years. Many large crystals were piled in the corners, emitting a gentle blue glow that bathed the room in a calming light.

With a loud exhale, he dropped down onto the layer of cushions that covered the floor, though was careful not to jostle Beryl too much.

He didn't need to get into any specific position to get comfortable--He could sleep pretty much anywhere, really. So he merely laid there on his back while Beryl shifted, settling for snaking under his arm to drape herself over his chest.

As much as he hated to admit it, he was actually pretty tired. All the energy from his earlier anger had left, and he hadn't had time to properly rest after first returning home.

So as he lay there, Beryl already snoring, he found his eyes steadily growing heavier and heavier.

And soon enough, he was asleep as well.

[jjungkooksthighs]

You lie.

His tail swishes frustratedly behind her.

It isn’t nothing, or you wouldn’t be red as a berry.

His back legs fold under him, his rump making contact with the ground. The action has her fingers closing even more around the handful of his fur she has between his fingers, and to steady herself, she has to squeeze him between her thighs.

It would have been a good plan, in theory. But unfortunately for her, the spot she’d been sat on is now entirely covered in her essence.

If it was nothing, you wouldn’t be dripping for me right now and falling all over yourself because of how much your cunt has wept all over my back.

She squirms on his back, a low series of whines and whimpers emerging from her. She can't seem to find that confidence to speak anymore. And not especially of intimacy. Not especially with the one that has her breath stolen away. Not especially with him.

But, she knows he's trying to teach her to be more confident around him, and to be more vocal. And, she'd rather not have him think she's trying to disobey him. Oh hell no! She couldn't take the consequences. The thought has her scrambling for an answer, but, she doesn't have the right words to express herself.

So, she decides to tell him the truth. If she can't explain her thoughts in detail, she'd at least tell him that.

"You're right, sir. I.. was lying. I apologise, alpha. I just.. i am all to shy to speak of what I remembered." His gaze on her is unrelenting, and his tail swishes about frustratedly one more. So, to try and placate him, she gives him a small hint of what it was.

"b-but, i can tell you that i was.. thinking of.. um... the dreams.. the ones of you before I'd officially met you." She confesses, her eyes fliting about, tryng to look at anyting vut him, for she knows that : one, she wouldn't be able to handle his gaze, and two, that he wasn't happy with her compensatory answer.

When he lowers his front onto the ground as well, sitting down on the floor of the rocky cavern, she knows he isn't playing around.

So, she tries pleading.

"Alpha.. don't make me say anymore.. you know i can't." She begs, a small whimper leaving her yet again.

When his eyes bore into hers without pause, and her eyes flicker about before landing on his proud, velvetty, ears.

Ah.. if only there was a way to get him to go weak in her hold..

Her gaze flickers between his eyes and ears, and a small giggle threatens to leave her at her thoughts. But, she bites down on the inside of her cheek, trying oh so hard not to giggle or laugh.

If there's one sensitive spot she know he had.. it was that.

Rather confidently, she cocks an eyebrow up at him, a small smirk adorning her face.

Her eyes squint as she continues looking at him smugly, and he tilts his head, his demanour shifting.

"Oh, come on, alpha.." she coaxes, with a small giggle, her hands flying out to stroke the fur on the back of his ear, the action, much to her surprise, eleciting a small purr from him.

She laughs heartily, absolutely loving the show.

And to think he said he couldn't be adorable.

As nice as that feels, female, trying to distract me will not work. How many times have you tried that and it actually has?

He puts his head on his paws, nonetheless enjoying the continual pass of her nails behind his ears.

When she’d been smaller, she used to pet him like this all the time. But as their bodies changed with maturity that took with it their innocence, she’d stopped doing so.

He remembered the night that her hand had wandered down his neck, her fingers playing with the knot of fur over her scent gland. He’d spent the night tossing and turning against the hard metal floor in a cage his father had built for him, his father quick to monitor him in the obvious signs of his first rut.

Sleep had taken him eventually, but in their dreams that night, he’d been especially ruthless. Especially aggressive. Especially territorial.

There had been this inexplicable need to hunt, to claim that which was his was undeniable.

And the female that frequented his dreams had not made it easy for him to keep control of his raging hormones, pheromones, and emotions. Everything was amplified two-fold. His new, burgeoning needs included.

He’d found her that night lain on a nest of leaves, grass and moss. She’d been crying, her sobs catching at his ears so that he could locate her in moments. No matter how he tried to console her, she wept harder. When he’d attempted to lay by her, she’d latched onto him, rubbing her face into the scruff of his neck and wrapping her arms around him.

He’d curled around her, that drive to protect, to be near her raising its head.

He’d waited until sleep had taken her, too, before he rose. The sound of her stomach gnawing on itself was unacceptable and he needed to rectify it.

He knew she loved rabbit. He’d watched her long enough by then. His once short legs had grown longer, and where he’d once been wiry along his legs, stomach, chest, and arms, he was now corded with muscle.

It had been no challenge to get six rabbits before shifting back to his human form so he could put them on a spit and roast them for her. She liked her food cooked. She hated it raw. Had since she was little. He’d watched her in the forest, in the schoolhouse, and even at her den when she unknowingly left the windows open for him to see her.

When she awoke to the six browned pieces of meat set neatly before her whilst nestled against lupine form, her eyes had watered once again, but this time, it wasn’t because of sadness.

This time, when the tears trailed down her face, her eyes twinkled with appreciation and some other emotion it would take her some time to figure out.

She’d devoured four of the six, ensuring that she offered the last two to him. He’d almost been successful in pushing them toward her with her nose, but then a loud growl rumbled from his abdomen.

The skin around her brows had crinkled then, and it had taken a hand on her hip to get him to accept the rabbits from her hands.

He’d thought it had been the rabbit that tasted sweet, but it soon became obvious as his tongue lapped at her palm that it was she who he had a greater hunger for. Even with two rabbits in his belly, it wasn’t enough.

He’d wanted more.

And the budding female in front of him was the forbidden fruit he could not yet have.

His tongue passing over her wrist had silenced her, her mind forgetting how to speak. She’d tried tugging at his fur, not knowing what to do or say in the new sensations she felt in her belly.

He remembered the way her eyes had glazed over when his tongue had trailed over her collarbones, the tip of it skidding along the slowly protruding gland along her own neck.

Her eyelids had fluttered as he’d dragged it up and over that pert of her throat, the only word that she could think of leaving her in short, hurried breaths.

“Alpha….”

The word made him grow harder every time it left her lips.

Hunger the likes of which he had never felt before began to take over, and before he knew what he was doing, he’d been standing over her prone form.

And she’d let him as he licked and lapped at her neck. When his tongue had travelled down, right between the ‘v’ of her dress that eagerly exposed the beautiful canvas of her chest, that’s when she did something she’d never done before.

She’d arched for him, her own need awakening inside her as her wolf took over to whisper the words that would send him forever down a spiral of craving for her.

“Please, alpha.”

She’d been unable to say anything else. Hadn’t known what else to do or speak into existence with the newness of it all.

He’d been about to rip the damn dress off her. And she probably would have let him, if he’d been allowed to dwell in that wonderful, beautiful dream.

But he had been awoken by his shaking of his body by his own father, who had had to wrap his body in chains he’d attached to the top and bottom of the cage.

That cage had lasted two minutes, his father only managing to get him strapped against the tree it had been next to because he’d been distracted by the scent of his female pervading the air, his muscles spasming and locking under that intoxicating aroma.

And gods, her scent had been divine. He’d wanted nothing more than to find her and then make her his.

[tetsunabouquet]

Heir To The Lands Chapter 14

Arriving Before The Entrance Masterpost

Kit and Ty had been preparing themselves for their travel to Faerie. They had tracked down the Tunnel of Dewshine, a mystical cavern entrace that only opened itself on the 3rd rainy day of the month. The tunnel system led somewhere deep under the North Sea, and there were technically three caverns leading to the Tunnel of Dewshine, one located just outside of Edingburgh, one on the Dutch island Schiermonnikoog and one near Mandal in Norway. There had been a fourth entrance in Denmark, but it had been wrecked by mundane construction sites a couple of deacdes ago. Not that the Faeries had let it happen without retaliation, almost every constructive worker had been cursed with a lifetime of sickness, and the project eventually got a lot of heat from the Danish government of having been suspected to have been working with dangerous chemicals, as to explain the reason why everyone got sick. Kit and Ty had created a big sack of everything they'd need, and Ty was annoyed Kit had packed too much. "This travel is going to be long. We need to travel more lightly." Ty stated. "If it were just the two of us, I'd agree. But I have a feeling Dru won't accept getting left out, which is why I texted her to find a way to get here." Ty blinked in surprise, that Kit had just included his sister like that. He didn't knew wether he should be feeling happy Kit was so sweet to Dru, jealous of their closeness or worried about losing yet another sister in conflict. Ty pursed his lips, deciding to remain silent until he knew what to say. But one thing he could say to himself, at least, and that was how happy he was to have Kit back by his side, being friends once more.

Dru bit her lip as she stalked around the abandoned hallways. It was night, and everyone had gone to sleep. She didn't wanted to abandon everyone without saying a word, she left a detailed letter to Thais, explaining where she was going and what she was doing. Thais would cover up for her, Dru knew she would. Yet, she felt guilty for slipping out in the middle of the night like this. "You know, I wish Tavi was wrong, but clearly she was onto something." Dru nearly jumped when she heard Zeynep's voice out of nowhere, and saw the tiny girl sitting in a corner. Dru's witchlight reflected on the thick glasses of Zeynep's pair, hiding Zeynep's eyes underneath the bright sheen. "Look, tell Tavi to keep her nose out of my bussiness and pretend you haven't seen me." "Dru, I know most people see us as intimidating and don't actually really know us so heads up, Tomas is right now on cloud 9 with Thais. Your brother is autistic like Tavi, right? You probably know how they like to think in doom scenarios. Tavi went over any potential scenario that could destroy their happiness and she's made it her mission to prevent every single one of them. However, because she doesn't wants to burn any bridges with Thais' friends, I am on look-out. " Dru sighed. Were all autistic people detectives? "Alright, I really have to go Zeynep, it's important. Like, Clave investigation important?" "Important enough to send a training Shadowhunter?" "It has to do with my family, trust me, please." Zeynep pursed her lips. "I'd like to, but trusting kids going behind the backs of the Clave has gotten lots of people killed, including your sister. Know what you're getting everyone into." Zeynep emphasized before she disappeared into the directions of the bedrooms. Dru swallowed, and with a heavy heart she left for the lake, where a warlock of little important who wouldn't rat her off, was waiting with a Portal. It was time to go back to the UK.

Ty and Kit had been waiting for almost an hour until they saw Dru pop up. She could see her brother was tense, and Kit was trying very hard not to look like they had spent most of the time in awkward silence. "Are you ready to enter Faerie?" Kit asked. Dru nodded, and much to her surprise, Ty took her hand as he led her into the glittering curtain of raindroplets and cobwebs, into the Tunnel of Dewshine. Kit followed after, and the mundane world behind them as they knew, vanished from sight in the luminous cave.

[electrivolt]

@rockheadcd asked : "Mm... where should we get married..?" Oh, so that's his sleepy one in the morning conversation before he inevitably passes out. "There's a buncha places we can go that mean a lot to us.. like the beach.. or like Iron Island.. or even the backyard. I'm sure part of the Park could be reserved.. or even Twinleaf. Ehehe, can we get hitched in the underground? I promise I'll find a pretty cavern." All sleepily spoken while nuzzling into his love and getting comfortable. Good luck sleeping with any normal thoughts.

It isn’t unusual for those occasional sleepless nights to be spent in bed held in each other’s arms, sometimes simply lazing around and watching anything that crossed their mind and whatever they found first, other times just quietly chatting in ushered voices until sleep finally claimed them. Even as they had started becoming rarer the more they settled into this life together and adjusted to the care and affection they never knew before to need this badly, sometimes sleep just escaped them, still. And tonight is another one of those nights, apparently. Well, at least this does mean a few more cuddles before sleep, much appreciated.

And finally he's feeling the pull of sleep, just about ready to fall asleep, snuggling a bit more into his love and leaning into the arms holding him, so cozy and comfortable—and then Roark speaks up again, and no matter how sleepy he sounds, voice barely a whisper in the night, it's enough to pull Volkner right back, suddenly feeling completely awake and burning up to top it off. Oh. Oh, he really is asking—

“I— I don’t know—” and of course that’s the first thing he manages to say, his own voice cracking at the thought alone. Of all the things to bring up at this hour, when they both really need to just go to sleep already, he just had to—  there is just no way for Volkner to function now, let alone think about any sort of answer, is there? Does he even have an answer for this?

( he really doesn’t. he never had much of a reason to think about all those finer details, did he? not when the thought alone of the two of them getting married was enough to make him shortcircuit, daydreaming a little too hard of that thought to do much else. he really just wants to marry him so bad it hurts, nothing else matters, does it? )

“I just... I haven’t thought about it.” Really, though... where would he like to get married? Oh Arceus, and he really has to entertain the thought, now, even when he keeps losing it a little more just trying to consider any options this seriously. Roark can’t complain if he ends up sleeping in now, can he? "I don't think I care as much as I do as marrying you, you know..." Ah, but that wouldn't really do for an answer, would it? These are things they do need to consider and settle on, sooner or later... A harder decision than expected while his poor little heart is not aure how to keep functioning anymore.

( they really have reached the point where marriage and a proper wedding are going to happen... and volkner still can't believe this is real, at times. he really got so lucky he found someone that loves him this deeply and wants nothing more than to keep him at his side. he doesn't even need to wonder why anymore, does he? )

"Mh... we can talk about it when you're actually wake, right...? I just wanna make sure we have our quiet private moment." That's the most he can really say at the moment while his mind struggles to even process everything, instead choosing to lean enough into his love to press a soft kiss against lips and trying to settle once again. Harder said than done, a quiet huff masking an exasperated chuckle. "You pick the best timing, don't you...?"

He certainly is not going to sleep any time soon, now. At least he can admire his sleepy love and be smitten all over again.

( married... they really have come such a long way, haven't they? and he can't put into words just how happy it makes him. maybe he'll do something for roark tomorrow, just in that need of his to show him all of his love and appreciation all over again. they worked hard enough already, they've earned this. )