#I can put those fellas in any situation and they’ll be fine

[hana-bobo-finch]

iwant to write bug fables fanfic SO BAD but I have ZERO ideas what do i do my brain wants to write SOMETHING but I just

[tigerkirby215]

5e Mordekaiser, the Iron Revenant build (League of Legends)

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

K-POP IS TEMPORARY; IRON STANDS ETERNAL!

Guess I just don’t really want to make nothing but K-Pop builds. Been playing Morde a lot and he’s fun, and Morde in D&D is actually a build I’ve been thinking about for awhile. I don’t have to use Tasha’s content either for this build so I figured I’d make something other than eGirls in anticipation for Pentakill’s comeback album.

Please for the love of god give us a new Pentakill Mordekaiser skin, and actually turn his mace into a guitar!

GOALS

Shed the frailty of flesh; embrace the cold edge of iron - The iron revenant needs iron, with a giant mace and armor that can block even the strongest sword. For iron stands eternal.

In my clutches! - Those who try to flee will be brought back by Death’s Grasp. There is no escaping fate.

Accept your demise - Tired of your foes running? Bring them to a Realm of Death where they’ll have to fight.

RACE

I know that Mordekaiser is technically a revenant but in my continued attempts to make my builds “Adventurer’s League legal” while not using Adventurer’s League rules we’re going to go with a Warforged, because of course we’d pick the race made of metal. As a Warforged your Constitution increases by 2 and you can increase another stat of your choice by 1: bump up your Charisma to be just a little bit scarier.

As iron stands eternal you have Constructed Resilience for advantage against being poisoned, resistance to the poisoned condition, immunity to disease, and no need to eat, drink, or breathe. You also don’t need to sleep and can’t be put to sleep by magic: instead to sleep you enter a Sentry’s Rest, where you stand motionless for hours but are still fully aware of your surroundings.

But most importantly to resist all blows you have Integrated Protection. It flat out increases your AC by 1, and also makes it so that instead of “wearing” armor you integrate it into your body. While the armor is integrated into you it can’t be removed by any means.

Finally you have Specialized Design for a skill, tool, and language of your choice. For your skill I opted for Performance to show that you’re the chosen: you are the guardian, the guardian. (But feel free to take something more practical.) For your tool a Lute is the closest you’ll get to a guitar to lead a Yordle city destroying band. And for your language choose whatever you think the spirits of the dead would speak: I opted for Abyssal personally. Definitely not because Abyssal is the first option alphabetically.

ABILITY SCORES

15; STRENGTH - Iron stands eternal, and iron is heavy.

14; WISDOM - Morde speaks in very sagely ways, and this is a rather big requirement for one of our classes.

13; CHARISMA - Charisma is tied directly to being the scariest revenant around, and indirectly tied to kick-ass guitar solos.

12; CONSTITUTION - Twice slain and thrice reborn doesn’t happen if you’re not a sturdy fella.

10; INTELLIGENCE - Being alive for eons means that you would know a thing or two about history.

8; DEXTERITY - Iron stands eternal, and iron is heavy.

BACKGROUND

There’s a lot of potential backgrounds for Mordekaiser (I honestly really like the Knight background because Retainers are fun) but the most accurate one for abilities and lore would be a Soldier. You gain proficiency in Athletics but I’m going to suggest swapping Intimidation out for History proficiency, since you’re an ancient being who was around for many wars. You also gain proficiency with land vehicles and a gaming set of your choice, both of which don’t matter much: see if you can maybe grab another metal instrument instead.

Your background with a Military Rank means that your followers recognize you as their general (or possibly a lower rank if your DM isn’t a fan of OP level 1 backstories.) They defer to you if they are of lower rank, and you can use your military influence to requisition supplies as needed.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - PALADIN 1

An oath sworn to death is still an oath. Paladins get proficiency in two skills from the Paladin list: this is where we’ll actually be grabbing Intimidation, and we’ll also take Religion. Yeah turns out that Morde’s obsession with death is actually a religion.

Regardless Paladins at level 1 have Divine Sense. You can spend an action to sense any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type of being but not its identity, and you can also use this ability to determine if an area has been consecrated or desecrated. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier plus one, and regain all uses at the end of a Long Rest.

You also have some healing for your Indestructible body with Lay on Hands. You have a pool of healing power equal to five times your Paladin level that you can spend to heal anyone you touch (including yourself.) You can spend any number of your remaining hitpoints on the heal, or you can spend 5 hitpoints to cure a disease or neutralize a poison. You can stop multiple poisons and diseases at a time (spending 5 hitpoints for each) but seeing as iron resists poison and disease you should be fine. Your puny allies however may need the help.

Now may also be a good time to mention what weapons and armor to take. For a giant two-handed mace take a Maul, and for heavy armor take heavy armor. For now that will just be Chainmail (granted by default with Paladin starting equipment) but you can transition to Platemail in the future hopefully.

LEVEL 2 - PALADIN 2

Second level Paladins get to choose their Fighting Style to augment their non-abilities. To be completely unbreakable take Defense for another +1 to your AC.

You also get access to Spellcasting. You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier plus half your Paladin level (rounded down.) The main spell we’re here for is Compelled Duel to force foes to face you and make it a lot harder for them to fight. It’s not a full 1v1 dimension but it works pretty well. Other than that if you want some Nashor’s Tooth damage Divine Favor will make your strikes a lot more painful, and if you want even more defense Shield of Faith will block any blow that may come your way.

Of course you can ignore all this and Obliterate your foes with Divine Smite, spending a spell slot and turning into magic Radiant damage. A smite with do 2d8 for a first level slot plus an additional d8 per slot above first, up to a maximum of 5d8 with a 4th level slot. If you hit an undead or fiend however the damage increases by another d8, for a maximum of 6d8.

LEVEL 3 - PALADIN 3

Third level Paladins get Divine Health which literally doesn’t impact you since you’re a Warforged, so instead we’ll talk about your Sacred Oath. As fun and flavorful as an Oathbreaker would be that subclass is kinda... bad? So instead look to the Oath of Conquest to shatter your foes!

You get the Armor of Agathys spell for some Thornmail, and the Command spell for Death’s Grasp. Telling someone to approach doesn’t have the same impact as grabbing them with a spooky ghost claw but it works just as well. You also get two Channel Divinity options. Conquering Presence will make everyone near you frightened, and Guided Strike will let you add +10 to an attack roll which will guarantee that you’ll hit in most if not all situations.

LEVEL 4 - PALADIN 4

4th level Paladins get an Ability Score Improvement: seeing as our Strength is uneven we can take a Feat like Heavy Armor Master, increasing our Strength by 1 and making it so that our foes’ puny non-magical weapons bounce off us like nothing.

You can also prepare another spell but we’re going to wait a bit on that.

LEVEL 5 - PALADIN 5

5th level Paladins get an Extra Attack, giving you enough attack speed to swing Nightfall twice before your opponent starts to run.

You also get access to second level spells. Oath of Conquest gives you Hold Person to keep your foes in place and Spiritual Weapon for a ghostly soldier to fight alongside you. You can also prepare a spell like Aid to further boost your health, making it even harder to slay you once more.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 6 - CLERIC 1

Despite being a big metal man Mordekaiser is an AP champ, but he also hits people quite a lot with his mace. Hence we’re going into the AP class that also hits people with a mace. Now you may think that we’d want to go into Death Cleric for a revenant... THAT’S WHERE YOU’RE WRONG FOOLISH MORTAL! IRON STANDS ETERNAL! FORGE DOMAIN! At level 1 you get Blessing of the Forge allowing you to turn a weapon or piece of armor into a magical +1 weapon or armor. My tip? More armor. Iron stands eternal.

As a Cleric you also get Spellcasting that relies on your Wisdom instead of your Charisma. You also actually get cantrips! You are the master of death and you choose when people die, so take Spare the Dying to make them not die. To make sure your subjects hear your words Thaumaturgy will let all hear you. And just because Mordekaiser is a melee champ doesn’t mean you can’t have a ranged damage option, so take Toll the Dead so none can escape what comes for all.

Check page something-or-other to see how many spell slots you have, but what’s important to know is that you can prepare a number of spells equal to your Wisdom modifier plus your Cleric level. As a Forge Cleric you also get Identity to find the perfect weapon, and Searing Smite to seal your foes away with Nightfall’s Kiss. To keep usurpers away Protection from Good and Evil will make it nye-impossible for them to harm you, and to command your allies as an army Bless will strengthen their weapons and resolve. Other than that? I mean someone should probably have Detect Magic. Truthfully there isn’t much we need from first level spells.

LEVEL 7 - CLERIC 2

Second level Clerics get Channel Divinity options that use the same Channel Divinity charges that your Paladin Channel Divinity uses. Luckily these ones are a little more situational: Turn Undead lets you... turn undead. (Please just read the ability’s description as I’m sick of explaining it in every Cleric build I make.) Artisan's Blessing meanwhile lets you craft something from eternal iron... or whatever other metal you may have. The cost can’t exceed 100 gold, but you can arm your soldiers with weapons and armor... within reason.

You can also prepare another spell but we’re going to wait for...

LEVEL 8 - CLERIC 3

Third level Clerics can prepare second level spells. As a Forge Cleric you have Heat Metal innately prepared, as well as Magic Weapon. This is why I suggested you use your Blessings of the Forge on your armor, because Magic Weapon will let you improve Nightfall. And Heat Metal is surprisingly one of the best spells to counter you, so good thing you have it in your arsenal.

Speaking of arsenal: for the power to carry all that iron Enhance Ability will make you the perfect being for anything you may wish to do. Warding Bond is perhaps not as useful for you, but strengthening your allies strengthens you through relation.

LEVEL 9 - CLERIC 4

4th level means more Ability Score Improvements. Strength is tied to just about everything we do currently (and is notably needed if we want Platemail) so increase that by 2, making Nightfall all the deadlier.

You could also prepare another spell but there isn’t much to take from second level either, so it would be good to wait for third level spells. You do get another cantrip though and even the strongest warriors can use some otherworldly aid, so take Guidance for that aid.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 10 - CLERIC 5

5th level Clerics can Destroy Undead of CR 1/2 with their Turn Undead Channel Divinity. Perhaps it’s odd for a revenant to destroy undead, but I’d rule it as culling the weak.

But more importantly you can prepare third level spells! Forge Clerics get Elemental Weapon for an upgrade to Magic Weapon, and Protection from Energy for an Adaptive Helm. May you rest in peace in Season 11. We’ve yet to get our passive yet, so to make Darkness Rise take Spirit Guardians to damage foes near you. And you know what we don’t have a lot of as an undead revenant? Undead minions. Animate Dead will bring forth your legion, so they can’t bring you down easily.

LEVEL 11 - CLERIC 6

6th level Clerics can use their Channel Divinity twice per Short or Long Rest, which is nice because this also affects your Paladin Channel Divinities. Additionally Forge Clerics get the Soul of the Forge for resistance to Fire damage and EVEN. MORE. AC!

And you can prepare more spells! Want to keep your domain safe? Glyph of Warding will deter anyone trying to stop you before you can awaken again.

LEVEL 12 - CLERIC 7

Level 7 in Cleric? Level 4 in spells. Forge Clerics get Fabricate to craft tools of war. But more importantly you can stop people from interrupting your 1v1s with a Wall of Fire! People can still butt in, but being surrounded by flames definitely makes it harder!

Additionally you can grab Death Ward, to stop anything from taking you down... at first. You may crack iron, but you can never break it.

LEVEL 13 - CLERIC 8

Level 8 gives another Ability Score Improvement which means it’s finally time to max out your Strength! This is great because you now also have Divine Strike to make Nightfall do an additional d8 of Fire damage on hit!

And how about more spells? Banishment is like your ultimate but you can’t join them in the Death Realm. And without you there isn’t much death. It’s honestly fairly harmless. But at least if they don’t belong in this realm you can hopefully lock them away for good.

Oh and your Turn Undead now can Destroy Undead of CR 1 or lower. So mind your minions.

(Artwork by Teddy Tarnando.)

LEVEL 14 - CLERIC 9

Who likes 5th level spells? As a Forge Cleric you know Animate Objects to bring unholy life to iron, and Creation to create said iron. For a burst of darkness that does Radiant damage Flame Strike is a good tool to level any battlefield.

LEVEL 15 - CLERIC 10

10th level Clerics may be blessed with Divine Intervention. You may pray to the god of death (or I guess the god of the forge too) for assistance before rolling on a percentile die. If you roll a number equal to or lower than your Cleric level, the gods intervene. If you receive aid you can’t use this ability for 7 days. If you aren’t heard the ability comes back on a Long Rest.

You know what else comes back after a Long Rest? Spell slots. You know what doesn’t come back after a Long Rest (normally)? The dead. So grab Raise Dead to bring the dead after a notably Long Rest. You can also add another cantrip to your list, and for times when iron doesn’t stand eternal you may want some Mending.

LEVEL 16 - CLERIC 11

11th level Clerics can prepare 6th level spells. Blade Barrier is perhaps not the most practical spell but it’s metal as fuck in more ways than one, blocking your foes with whirling death. Say it with me now: iron stands eternal! You can also now Destroy Undead of CR 2.

LEVEL 17 - CLERIC 12

At level 12 you get another Ability Score Improvement or a Feat... hey wouldn’t it be funny if we literally completely ignored our spellcasting modifiers in favor of just hitting things harder with our mace? This perhaps would’ve been stronger to take earlier but we’re finally grabbing Great Weapon Master for the hardest, most deadly strikes with Nightfall’s Kiss.

And more spells prepared? Well it’s perhaps not the most practical more undead minions from Create Undead will serve you well.

(Artwork by Sunny Pandita, Concept Artist at Riot Games.)

LEVEL 18 - CLERIC 13

13th level presents you with 7th level spells and damn there are a lot of good ones, but I’m actually going to suggest Regenerate to keep you or any allies in the fight.

LEVEL 19 - CLERIC 14

Another level, another spell. Even though there’s some really great stuff at 7th level you don’t have many spell slots there, so I’d instead suggest going back to fountain to resupply. Word of Recall (a 6th level spell) can help in a pinch to escape from danger and retreat to regroup.

Your Turn Undead now can Destroy Undead of CR 3 or lower. But most importantly: your Divine Strike now increases to 2d8 fire damage! So if Nightfall is a regular maul it’s doing 2d6 bludgeoning and an additional 2d8 fire damage on your first hit!

LEVEL 20 - CLERIC 15

15th level gives you an 8th level spell! You’ll only have one of these so make sure it counts! Clerics don’t have that many 8th level spells to choose from but you may be surprised to hear that I’m suggesting Holy Aura. Why? It’s the ultimate spell to stand eternally, making your foes attacks bounce off you like nothing while the weapons of your legion strike hard and strong!

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Flesh constrains; iron liberates - You know what’s fun? Having 20 AC with just (+1) Chainmail, and up to 22 AC with standard (+1) Plate! All I can say is that your DM will be thanking the gods that you didn’t decide to grab a shield.

Thus begins the slaughter - Ha ha Nightfall go bonk. If your sick of hearing people say that Martial classes don’t do a lot of damage show them a Martial character with Smites, Divine Strike, spells to boost their weapons, and Great Weapon Master to add a flat +10 to your damage! Not to mention that Guided Strike practically guarantees that you’ll land your blows, and you have two Channel Divinities per Short Rest!

I’m actually making a second paragraph for this: the most damage you can do in a turn (using two fourth level spell slots on Smites, a 7th level Elemental Weapon spell applied to your weapon, and assuming you use Great Weapon Master on both attacks) is... 4d6 + 36 Bludgeoning damage, 2d8 Fire damage, 6d4 Elemental Weapon damage (of your chosen damage type), and 10d8 Radiant Damage. This, on average, will do 130 damage! (Not accounting for Resistances.) To put this into perspective: Tiamat has 615 HP. A lot of resistances too yes, but not accounting for those resistances you in-theory are doing 20% of Tiamat’s health in one attack!

Power eternal - You may not have 9th level spells but you have 9th level slots, and tons of spells that will level the battlefield no matter how likely they are to hit. Buffing spells work regardless of your spellcasting modifier, and do so to great effect.

CONS

A fleeting delay of the inevitable - Hey you know what’s good to do as a spellcaster? Cast spells. Both your spellcasting modifiers are at the bare minimum required to multiclass. Perhaps see if you can build this character with Point Buy so you can dump every stat except for Strength, Wisdom, and Charisma. (Well Constitution is still good too.)

Such meaningless struggle - Dumping ability scores also means that your own saving throws are subpar, and unlike usual with Paladins you don’t have Aura of Protection to save you. Notably a -1 to DEX means you won’t be dodging any skillshots anytime soon.

Enter the crucible of anguish - You are a big, slow, bulky lad who needs to rely on a big smacc sticc to do just about everything. Anyone who can outrun you will quickly make you useless as you have to get closer to beat the shit out of people.

But you needn’t come to them: death shall befall them either way. They can stay away and hide from the inevitable, or approach and accept their fate. Nothing will break you, nothing will stop you. Twice slain, thrice reborn, you are Mordekaiser, and you stand eternal. Along with your kickass metal album.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

[voltrontranscript]

VLD S1E1: The Rise of Voltron

Season 1 Episode 1: The Rise of Voltron

Transcript by @dragonofyang

Summary: Out on the edge of the solar system on Kerberos, Shiro, Sam, and Matt are extracting ice cores from Kerberos’ surface when they’re abducted by a mysterious alien race. One year later, cadets Lance, Pidge, and Hunk pick up alien radio chatter that leads them to find the missing pilot Shiro when he crash lands back on Earth, and they meet Keith, who was attempting to rescue him at the same time. Together, Shiro, Lance, Pidge, Hunk, and Keith find the Blue Lion, one of five alien spaceships shaped like lions that forms the mysterious Voltron, and they fly to Arus, their next mission is to find and pilot the other four missing Lions of Voltron with the help of Princess Allura and her advisor Coran of the planet Altea to defeat Emperor Zarkon.

[Google Doc]

Sam: Easy, son. This ice is delicate.

Matt: Amazing. Isn’t this exciting, Shiro?

Shiro: You guys get a little more excited about ice samples than I do.

Sam: This is history in the making. Not only have we traveled farther than any human ever has, but this ice could hold microscopic clues about the existence of life outside Earth.

Matt: Think of it, Dad. We could use those clues to become the first people to meet aliens.

Sam: My life’s work would be complete. What is that? Seismic activity?

Shiro: We should get back to the ship.

Sam: What? What is that? It can’t be.

Shiro: Run. Come on, run!

Unnamed Galra Commander: Emperor Zarkon, we were scouting System X-9-Y as ordered when we found these primitive scientists. I don’t think they know anything useful.

Zarkon: Take them back to the main fleet for interrogation. The Druids will find out what they know.

Shiro: Please, we come from a peaceful planet! We mean you no harm! We’re unarmed!

[Scene change to an unmarked hallway lined with holding cells in the Galra ship.]

Male: Look, they brought in another one.

Female: Who is it?

Second Male: Over there. It’s another one.

Shiro: Huh?

[Scene change back to Kerberos, labeled “One Year Later”.]

Lance: Galaxy Garrison flight log 5-11-14. Begin descent to Kerberos for rescue mission.

Hunk: Lance, can you keep this thing straight?

Lance: Relax, Hunk. I’m just getting a feel for the stick. I mean, it’s not like I did this! Or this!

Hunk: Okay, unless you wanna wipe beef stroganoff out of all the little nooks and crannies in this thing, you’d better knock it off, man!

Pidge: We’ve picked up a distress beacon!

Lance: Alright, look alive, team. Pidge, track coordinates.

Pidge: Copy.

Hunk: Knock it off, Lance! Please!

Lance: Well, this one’s on you, buddy, we’ve got a hydraulic stabilizer out.

Hunk: Oh, no.

Lance: Oh, no. Fix now, puke later.

Pidge: I lost contact. The shaking is interfering with our sensors.

Lance: Come on, Hunk!

Hunk: It’s not responding.

Lance: Oh, never mind, fellas. Thar she blows. Preparing for approach on visual.

Pidge: I don’t think that’s advisable with our current mechanical and gastrointestinal issues.

Hunk: Agreed.

Lance: Stop worrying. This baby can take it, can’t you, champ? See? She was--she was nodding. She was nodding. Pidge, hail down to them and let them know their ride is here.

Pidge: Attention, lunar vessel--[screams]

Lance: What are you doing? Buckle your belt. And Hunk, stop that shaking!

Hunk: I’m try--oh, no.

Pidge: Attention, lunar vessel, this is Galaxy Garrison Rescue Craft One Victor Six Three Tango. Coming in for landing and extraction, against crew recommendations.

Lance: No time for your mutinous comments now, Pidge. They’re going under and we’re going in.

Pidge: Look out for that overhang!

Lance: No worries, my first year in flight school, you know what they called me? They called me “The Tailor” because of how I thread the needle. Come around, come around! Come on, come on!

Hunk: We lost a wing!

Lance: Oh, man.

Computer: Simulation failed.

Pidge: Nice work, Tailor.

Iverson: Roll out, donkeys! Well, let’s see if we can’t use this complete failure as a lesson for the rest of you students. Can anyone point out the mistakes these three so-called cadets made in the simulator?

Student 1: The engineer puked in the main gearbox.

Iverson: Yes. As everyone knows, vomit is not an approved lubricant for engine systems. What else?

Student 2: The comms spec removed his safety harness.

Student 3: The pilot crashed!

Iverson: Correct. And worst of all, the whole jump, they’re arguing with each other. Heck, if you’re gonna be this bad individually, you’d better at least be able to work as a team! Galaxy Garrison exists to turn young cadets like you into the next generation of elite astroexplorers, but these kinds of mental mistakes are exactly what cost the lives of the men on the Kerberos mission.

Pidge: That’s not true, sir!

Iverson: What did you say?

Lance: Sorry, sir. I think he may have hit his head when he fell out of his chair. But point taken.

Iverson: I hope I don’t need to remind you that the only reason you’re here is that the best pilot in your class had a discipline issue and flunked out. Don’t follow in his footsteps. Next!

[Scene change to outside the Galaxy Garrison compound.]

Iverson: Lights out in five! Everyone back to their dorms, now.

Hunk: We shouldn’t be doing this.

Lance: You heard Commander Iverson. We need to bond as a team. We’re gonna grab Pidge, hit the town, loosen up, meet some nice girls and--

Hunk: I-I’m just saying this here, right now, on the record. This is a bad idea.

Lance: You know, for someone in a space exploration program, you don’t have much of a sense of adventure.

Hunk: All of your little “adventures” end up with me in the principal’s office. Oh, man.

Guard: L-5 north all clear.

Hunk: I’m fine.

Lance: Where is he going?

[Scene change to the roof of the Galaxy Garrison.]

Lance: You come up here to rock out?

Pidge: Oh, Lance, Hunk. No, um, just looking at the stars.

Lance: Where’d you get this stuff? It doesn’t look like Garrison tech.

Pidge: I built it.

Hunk: You built all of this?

Pidge: Stop it! With this thing, I can scan all the way to the edge of the solar system.

Lance: That right? All the way to Kerberos? You go ballistic every time the instructors bring it up. What’s your deal?

Pidge: Second warning, Hunk.

Lance: Look, Pidge, if we’re going to bond as a team, we can’t have any secrets.

Pidge: Fine. The world as you know it is about to change. The Kerberos mission wasn’t lost because of some malfunction or crew mistake. Stop touching my equipment! So, I’ve been scanning the system and picking up alien radio chatter.

Hunk: Whoa, what? Aliens?

Lance: Okay. So, you’re insane. Got it.

Pidge: I’m serious. They keep repeating one word: “Voltron.” And tonight, it’s going crazier than I have ever heard it.

Lance: How crazy?

Iverson, over PA: Attention, students. This is not a drill. We are on lockdown! Security situation Zulu Niner. Repeat: all students are to remain in barracks until further notice.

Hunk: What’s going on? Is that a meteor? A very, very big meteor?

Pidge: It’s a ship.

Lance: Holy crow! I can’t believe what I’m seeing! That’s not one of ours.

Pidge: No. It’s one of theirs.

Hunk: So, wait, there really are aliens out there?

Pidge: We’ve gotta see that ship!

Lance: Hunk, come on!

Hunk: Oh, this is the worst team-building exercise ever.

[Scene change to the cliffs where the mystery space ship landed.]

Lance: Whoa! What the heck is that thing? And who the heck is she?

Pidge: Lance!

Lance: Ow! Right, alien ship. Man, we’ll never get past all those guards to get a look.

Hunk: Aw, man. Yeah, yeah, I guess there’s nothing to do but head back to the barracks, right?

Pidge: Wait, they set up a camera in there and I grabbed its feed. Look!

Shiro: Hey! What are you doing?

Iverson: Calm down, Shiro. We just need to keep you quarantined until we run some tests.

Shiro: You have to listen to me! They destroy worlds! Aliens are coming!

Lance: That’s Shiro, the pilot of the Kerberos mission! That guy’s my hero!

Hunk: Guess he’s not dead in space, after all.

Pidge: But where’s the rest of the crew?

Iverson: Do you know how long you’ve been gone?

Shiro: I don’t know. Months? Years? Look, there’s no time. Aliens are coming here for a weapon. They’re probably on their way. They’ll destroy us. We have to find Voltron.

Pidge: Voltron!

Man: Sir, take a look at this. It appears his arm has been replaced with a cyborg prosthetic.

Iverson: Put him under until we know what that thing can do.

Shiro: No, no, no! Don’t put me under! No! There’s no time!

Pidge: They didn’t ask about the rest of the crew.

Lance: What are they doing? The guy’s a legend. They’re not even gonna listen to him?

Pidge: We have to get him out.

Hunk: Uh, I hate to be the voice of reason here, always, but weren’t we just watching on TV because there was no way to get past the guards?

Lance: That was before we were properly motivated. We’ve just gotta think. Could we tunnel in?

Pidge: Maybe we could get some hazmat suits and sneak in like med techs.

Hunk: Or we dress up like cooks, head back to the dorms, sneak into the commissary, little late-night snack.

Lance: No. What we need is a distraction.

Hunk: Is that the aliens? Is that the aliens? Are they here? They got here so quick!

Pidge: No. Those explosions were a distraction for him. The Garrison’s headed toward the blast, and he’s sneaking in from the other side.

Lance: No way! Oh, he is not going to beat us in there! That guy’s always trying to one-up me!

Hunk: Who is it?

Lance: Keith!

Pidge: Who?

Hunk: Are you sure?

Lance: Oh, I’d recognize that mullet anywhere!

Pidge: Who’s Keith?

Man: These readings are off the chart. Hey!

Keith: Shiro?

Lance: Nope. No, you--no, no, no. No, you don’t. I’m saving Shiro.

Keith: Who are you?

Lance: Who am I? Uh, the name’s Lance. We were in the same class at the Garrison.

Keith: Really, are you an engineer?

Lance: No, I’m a pilot! We were, like, rivals. You know, Lance and Keith, neck and neck.

Keith: Oh, wait, I remember you. You’re a cargo pilot.

Lance: Well, not anymore. I’m fighter class now, thanks to you washing out.

Keith: Well, congratulations.

Hunk: Oh, man. They’re coming back and they do not look happy. We gotta go. Uh, do you mind if we catch a ride with you?

Pidge: Is this thing going to be big enough for all of us?

Keith: No.

Pidge: Why am I holding this guy?

Hunk: Hey, we did all fit.

Lance: Can’t this thing go any faster?

Keith: We could toss out some non-essential weight.

Lance: Oh, right! Okay, so that was an insult. I get it.

Keith: Big man, lean left!

All: Whoa!

Hunk: Aw, man! Mr. Harris just wiped out Professor Montgomery! No, no, he’s fine.

Keith: Big man, lean right!

Hunk: Guys? Is that a cliff up ahead?

Lance: Oh, no, no, no!

Keith: Yup.

Pidge: No, no, no!

Lance: What are you doing? You’re going to kill us all!

Keith: Shut up and trust me!

[Scene change to outside Keith’s home.]

Keith: It’s good to have you back.

Shiro: It’s good to be back.

Keith: So what happened out there? Where were you?

Shiro: I wish I could tell you. My head’s still pretty scrambled. I was on an alien ship, somehow I escaped. It’s all a blur. How did you know to come save me when I crashed?

Keith: You should come see this.

[Scene change to inside Keith’s home.]

Shiro: What have you been working on?

Keith: I can’t explain it, really. After getting booted from the Garrison, I was kinda lost and found myself drawn out to this place. It’s like something… some energy was telling me to search.

Shiro: For what?

Keith: Well, I didn’t know at the time… until I stumbled across this area. It’s an outcropping of giant boulders with caves covered in these ancient markings. Each tells a slightly different story about a blue lion, but they all share clues leading to some event, some arrival happening last night. Then, you showed up.

Shiro: I should thank you all for getting me out. Lance, right?

Pidge: The nervous guy’s Hunk. I’m Pidge. So, did anyone else from your crew make it out?

Shiro: I’m not sure. I remember the mission and being captured. After that, it’s just bits and pieces.

Hunk: Yeah, sorry to interrupt, but back to the aliens. Where are they now? Are they coming? Are they coming for all of us? Like, where are they at this very moment?

Shiro: I can’t really put it together. I remember the word “Voltron.” It’s some kind of weapon they’re looking for, but I don’t know why. Whatever it is, I think we need to find it before they do.

Hunk: Well, last night, I was rummaging through Pidge’s stuff, and I found this picture. Look, it’s his girlfriend.

Pidge: Hey, give me that! What were you doing in my stuff?

Hunk: I was looking for a candy bar. But, then, I started reading his diary--

Pidge: What?!

Hunk: --and I noticed that the repeating series of numbers the aliens are searching for looks a lot like a Fraunhofer line.

Keith: Frown who?

Hunk: It’s a number describing the emission spectrum of an element, only, this element doesn’t exist on EArth. I thought it might be this Voltron, and I think I can build a machine to look for it, kinda like a Voltron Geiger counter.

Lance: Hunk, you big gassy genius!

Hunk: It’s pretty fascinating, really. The wavelength looks like this.

Keith: Give me that.

[Scene change to the canyons leading to Blue Lion’s hiding place.]

Lance: Okay, I admit it. This is super freaky.

Hunk: I’m getting a reading. Whoa. Whoa.

Shiro: What are these?

Keith: These are the lion carvings I was telling you about. They’re everywhere around here.

Lance: Hmm. Whoa. Whoa!

All: What?

Keith: They’ve never done that before.

Lance: They are everywhere.

Pidge: Is this it? Is this the Voltron?

Shiro: It must be.

Keith: This is what’s been causing all of this crazy energy out here. Looks like there’s a forcefield around it.

Lance: Does anyone else get the feeling this is staring at them?

Shiro: No.

Lance: Yeah. The eyes are totally following me.

Keith: I wonder how we get through this.

Lance: Maybe you just have to knock. Whoa. Uh, did everyone just see that?

Hunk: Voltron is a robot. Voltron is a huge, huge awesome robot!

Pidge: And this thing is only one part of it! I wonder where the rest of them are.

Shiro: This is what they’re looking for.

Keith: Incredible.

Lance: Hmm. Mmm… hmm… Here we go. Uh? Huh.

Pidge: Whoa.

Hunk: Whoa.

Lance: Alright! Very nice!

Hunk: Okay, guys, I feel the need to point out, just so that we’re all, you know, aware. We are in some kind of futuristic alien cat head right now.

Lance: Whoa. Did you guys just hear that?

Keith: Hear what?

Lance: I think it’s talking to me. Hmm… Um… Okay, got it. Now, let’s try this.

Keith: You are the worst pilot ever!

Iverson: What in the Sam Hill is that?

Garrison Officer: It appears to be a flying blue lion, sir.

Lance: Isn’t this awesome?

Hunk: Make it stop. Make it stop.

Lance: I’m not making it do anything. It’s like it’s on autopilot.

Keith: Where are you going?!

Lance: I just said it’s on autopilot! It says there’s an alien ship approaching Earth. I think we’re supposed to stop it.

Pidge: What did it say, exactly?

Lance: Well, it’s not like it’s saying words. More like feeding ideas into my brain, kind of.

Hunk: Well, if this thing is the weapon they’re coming for, why don’t we just, I don’t know, give it to them? Maybe they’ll leave us alone. Sorry, lion, nothing personal.

Shiro: You don’t understand. These monsters spread like a plague throughout the galaxy, destroying everything in their path. There’s no bargaining with them. They won’t stop until everything’s dead.

Hunk: Oh. Never mind, then.

[Cut to space.]

Hunk: Uh… Holy crow! Is that really an alien ship?

Shiro: They found me.

Pidge: We’ve got to get it out of here!

Lance: Hang on! Alright, okay! I think I know what to do!

Pidge: Be careful, man. This isn’t a simulator.

Lance: Well, that’s good. I always wreck a simulator. Let’s try this.

Shiro: Nice job, Lance!

Lance: Okay, I think it’s time to get these guys away from our planet.

Unnamed Galra Commander: Lord Zarkon, the escaped prisoner and his people found the lion. It attacked us and is heading out of the system.

Zarkon: Follow that lion and alert all ships in the area to intercept. Capturing that lion is your first and only priority.

Unnamed Galra Commander: Yes, Your Majesty. Full power after the lion!

Hunk: Oh, no!

Pidge: They’re gaining on us!

Lance: It’s weird. They’re not trying to shoot us. They’re just chasing.

Hunk: Okay, seriously, now we think having aliens follow us is good? I am not on board with this new direction, guys.

Keith: Where are we?

Shiro: Edge of the solar system. There’s Kerberos.

Pidge: It takes months for our ships to get out this far. We got out here in five seconds.

Hunk: What is that?

Lance: Uh, this may seem crazy, but I think the lion wants us to go through there.

Pidge: Where does it go?

Lance: I-I don’t know. Shiro, you’re the senior officer here. What should we do?

Shiro: Whatever’s happening, the lion knows more than we do. I say we trust it, but we’re a team now. We should decide together.

Lance: Alright. Guess we’re all ditching class tomorrow.

Lance: Whoa. That was…

Hunk: So sorry.

Pidge: I’m just surprised it took this long.

Shiro: I don’t recognize any of these constellations. We must be a long, long way from Earth.

Lance: The lion seems to want to go to this planet. I think… I think it’s going home.

Lance: Guys, personal space. Hunk, your breath is killing me.

Hunk: Um, is it just me or is anyone else having second thoughts about flying through a mysterious wormhole? Why are we listening to a robotic lion anyway?

Lance: Got us away from that alien warship, didn’t it?

Keith: I don’t know if you noticed, but we’re in an alien warship.

Lance: Oh, are you scared?

Keith: With you at the helm? Terrified.

Shiro: Alright, knock it off. No one’s happy to be in this situation, but we’re here now. If we want to get through this, we’ve got to do it together.

Pidge: So, what do we do?

Shiro: First, we find out where we’re headed. Lance?

Lance: I don’t know. I’m sorry. The lion’s not talking to me anymore. Wait! Wait, wait wait! Shh! Listen. I think I hear something.

Keith: I’m hearing it, too.

Hunk: It’s uh--it’s kind of a--a high-pitched squeal?

All: [exclaim in disgust] Come on, Lance!

Lance: But seriously, there’s a castle up ahead.

All: Wow.

Shiro: Keep your guard up.

Pidge: Something wrong?

Shiro: My crew was captured by aliens once. I’m not gonna let it happen again.

Hunk: Oh, no! No! I knew it was going to eat us! No! Oh, the door is open. Guess I was wrong about you.

Hunk: Hello?

Pidge: From the size of the lion, I expected these steps to be bigger.

Computer: Hold for identity scan.

Pidge: What?

Shiro: Why are we here? What do you want with us?

Lance: Whoa!

Pidge: Whoa. I guess we’re going that way.

Hunk: Hello? Hello? Hello?

Lance: Where are we?

Pidge: It’s some kind of control room.

Hunk: Are these guys… dead?

Allura: Father!

Lance: Woah! Hello.

Allura: Who are you? Where am I?

Lance: My name’s Lance, and you’re right here in my arms.

Allura: Your ears…

Lance: Yeah?

Allura: They’re hideous. What’s wrong with them?

Lance: Nothing’s wrong with them! They heard exactly what you said about them!

Allura: Who are you? Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my castle?

Lance: A giant blue lion brought us here. That’s all we know!

Allura: How do you have the Blue Lion? What happened to its paladin? What are you all doing here? Unless… How long has it been?

Shiro: We don’t know what you’re talking about. Why don’t you tell us who you are? Maybe we can help.

Allura: I am Princess Allura of Planet Altea. I’ve got to find out where we are and how long we’ve been asleep.

Pidge: Okay, that’s how that works.

Coran: Enemy combatants! Quiznak! You’re lucky I have a case of the ol’ “sleep chamber knees”. Otherwise I’d grab your head like this, wrap you up like so, one, two, three! Sleepytime!

Lance: Well, before you did that I’d--[grunts repeatedly] like that.

Coran: Oh, really? Well how could you do that when I’ve already come at you with this? Ha, ha, ha, hey!

Hunk: Man, these guys are good.

Allura: It can’t be.

Coran: What is it?

Allura: We’ve been asleep for ten thousand years.

[Transition to a flashback, ten thousand years ago.]

Alfor: Zarkon.

Zarkon: Your fleet has been destroyed, Alfor. I will be there shortly to claim Voltron.

Allura: Father, we must form Voltron and fight before it’s too late!

Alfor: It’s already too late. We must send the lions away. We can’t risk them falling into Zarkon’s hands.

Allura: We can’t give up hope!

Alfor: I’m sorry, daughter. If all goes well, I will see you again soon.

Allura: Father…

Alfor: I love you.

[Transition back to the present.]

Allura: Planet Altea and all of the planets in our solar system have been destroyed. Coran, Father is gone. Our entire civilization… Zarkon.

Shiro: Zarkon?

Allura: He was the king of the Galra. A vile creature and enemy to all free people.

Shiro: I remember now… I was his prisoner.

Allura: He’s still alive? Impossible!

Shiro: I can’t explain it, but it’s true. He’s searching for a super-weapon called Voltron.

Allura: He’s searching for it because he knows it’s the only thing that can defeat him, and that’s exactly why we must find it before he does.

[Cut to an unspecified location full of floating purple crystals.]

Haggar: Ah…

[Cut to an unspecified location on Zarkon’s command ship.]

Haggar: The Blue Lion has returned, and now I feel a resurgence of Altean energy.

Zarkon: Alfor’s daughter lives? How?

Haggar: I know not, but it is time to reclaim what is rightfully ours.

Zarkon: Yes. I shall wipe that foul race from the universe forever and take back Voltron. Contact my commanders.

[Cut to a Galra cruiser in deep space.]

Male voice: Emperor Zarkon requests an audience.

Zarkon: Commander Sendak, the Princess of Altea is alive and hiding in your sector. We believe she alone holds the whereabouts of the remaining lions. Your battle fleet is the closest to her location. Retrieve her and the lions. With them all, the Galra Empire will be unstoppable.

Sendak: I fight for the empire. I conquer in the name of Galra. No foe has ever stood in my way and none ever will. Vrepit Sa! Set a course for Arus.

[Cut to the Castle of Lions.]

Coran: Princess, you must eat. It’s been ten thousand years.

Allura: I’m not hungry.

Lance: Man, ten thousand years? That's like one thousand plus ten.

Keith: That’s times ten.

Lance: Whatever, dropout.

Hunk: I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I’m starving.

Pidge: Yeah, but you’ve thrown up, like, five times.

Shiro: I can’t believe your civilization created such advanced technology ten thousand years ago. It must have been an incredible place.

Coran: Yes, it was… but now it is gone and we’re the last Alteans alive.

Allura: Looks like we’re not the last, after all.

Coran: A Galra battleship has set its tracker to us!

Allura: How did they find us?

Lance: I’m not sure, but I bet it’s Keith’s fault.

Keith: Say whatever you’ve gotta say to make yourself feel better. After getting us stuck on the other side of a wormhole!

Lance: I’ll stick you in a wormhole!

Shiro: Stow it, cadets! This is no time to place blame, it’s time to work as a team. How long before they arrive?

Coran: At their speed? Oh, well, uh, carry the two… I’d say probably a couple of days.

Allura: Good. Let them come. By the time they get here, you five will have reformed Voltron, and together, we will destroy Zarkon’s empire.

Hunk: Sorry. Food goo.

Shiro: Princess, there are five of these lions. How are we going to find the rest?

[Transition to the bridge of the Castle of Lions.]

Coran: King Alfor connected the lions to Allura’s life force. She alone is the key to the lions’ whereabouts.

All: Whoa.

Pidge: These are coordinates. The Black Lion looks like it’s in the same location as the Blue Lion.

Coran: Look at your primitive synapses firing away in their little brain cage!

Allura: Very observant. That’s because the Black Lion is in the castle.

Coran: To keep the Black Lion out of Zarkon’s hands, King Alfor locked it in the castle. It can only be freed if the other four lions are present.

Allura: As you have found, the lions choose their pilots. It is a mystical bond and cannot be forced. The quintessence of the pilot is mirrored in his lion. Together, they form something greater than science can explain. The Black Lion is the decisive head of Voltron. It will take a pilot who is a born leader and in control at all times, someone whose men will follow without hesitation. That is why, Shiro, you will pilot the Black Lion. The Green Lion has an inquisitive personality and needs a pilot of intellect and daring. Pidge, you will pilot the Green Lion. The Blue Lion--

Lance: Whoa, hold up, let me guess. Takes the most handsome slash best pilot of the bunch?

Allura: The Yellow Lion is caring and kind. Its pilot is one who puts the needs of others above his own. His heart must be mighty. As the leg of Voltron, you will lift the team up and hold them together. The Red Lion is temperamental and the most difficult to master. It’s faster and more agile than the others, but also more unstable. Its pilot needs to be someone who relies more on instincts than skill alone. Keith, you will fly the Red Lion.

Lance: What? This guy?

Allura: Unfortunately, I cannot locate the Red Lion’s coordinates yet. There must be something wrong with the castle. After ten thousand years, it might need some work.

Coran: Don’t worry, we’ll find it soon. They don’t call me “The Coranic” for nothing. It’s because it sounds like “mechanic.” So… Coranic, mechanic. It’s not--it doesn’t sound… exactly like it. It’s similar.

Allura: Once all the lions are united, you will form Voltron, the most powerful warrior ever known, the Defender of the Universe.

Lance: Awesome.

Pidge: Oh…

Hunk: Wait. Okay, we’re going to be in there and flying lions. Got that part. How do lions turn into legs? Also, is this going to be a long trip? Because I have to pee. Do you people pee?

Shiro: We don’t have much time. Pidge and I will go after the Green Lion. Lance, you take Hunk and get the yellow one. Keith, you stay here. If you locate that Red Lion, go get it.

Allura: In the meantime, I’ll get this castle’s defenses ready. They’ll be sorely needed.

Coran: I’ll ready a pod and load the coordinates so that you can reach the Green Lion.

[Transition to the launch of the lion and the pod.]

Coran: We can only keep the wormholes that lead to the other lions open for two of your Earth hours, so you’ll have to be quick about your work. The good news is that according to my readings, both planets are relatively peaceful. So, if you do get stuck, they could be relaxing places to live out the rest of your lives. Enjoy the trip!

Lance: Wait! What? No!

Hunk: I did not receive the memo on this.

[Scene change to a lush green planet where Shiro and Pidge land.]

Pidge: Look! It’s just a… whatever that thing is. I… uh, I think he wants us to get in his canoe.

Shiro: Then, I guess we should go.

Pidge: Huh.

Shiro: I’ve been locked up by aliens for a year. This is nothing.

Pidge: I wonder if Hunk and Lance are having as good a time as us.

[Cut to a sandy planet, where Hunk and Lance are not having as good a time.]

Hunk: Oh, no! No, no, no! Oh! Oh, no! I thought Coran said these planets were peaceful!

Lance: Maybe “peaceful” means something else in Altean!

Hunk: According to the coordinates, we’re right on top of the Yellow Lion. It’s below there, where they’re mining for the ore. They don’t even know the lion is there. Or maybe they just got here and they’re digging for the lion? What do you think, Lance?

Lance: Who cares? Just go get it! I’m dropping you down there.

Hunk: Me? Down there? No. No, no, no.

Lance: Yes, I’ll cover you.

Hunk, You know, what if the Yellow Lion doesn’t work? W-What if--what if I can’t get in the mine? What if I start crying? It’s too late. I’m already crying!

Lance: Sorry, no time for questions.

Hunk: Oh, yeah, sure, just drop me off in an alien planet. That’s cool, man. It’s only occupied by mean purple aliens that want to kill me, but whatever. Just ignore them and go connect with a big, yellow, mechanical cat. Easy-peasy. Yeah. That all makes a ton of sense to me. Cool.

Hunk: Okay, I’m in a giant hole. Now what, Hunk? Huh? Whoa. Pretty. How am I gonna get through that? Hmm? Hmm...

[Cut to Blue Lion on the surface, then Hunk drilling through the rock, and back to Blue as Lance fights the Galra fighters.]

Lance: Oh, no! Hunk!

[Scene change to Shiro and Pidge on the river with the alien.]

Pidge: I know the princess said this is supposed to be my lion, but what if she’s wrong? I mean, she’s probably not wrong. She’s a princess, but I’m not a pilot, even though I’ve always wanted to be a pilot. I mean, I read all the fighter manuals, but never got to fly the simulator, but, hey, I can’t be all that worse than Lance. He crashed all the time, but what if I get in there and it doesn’t respond? What if I get in there and it’s too big and my feet don’t touch the pedals? What if there aren’t even pedals?

Shiro: You’re rambling. Listen, our commander on the Kerberos mission is the smartest man I ever met and he always said, “If you get too worried about what could go wrong, you might miss a chance to do something great.”

Shiro: Go. Be great.

Pidge: Woo-hoo-hoo!

[Cut to Blue Lion on the sandy planet.]

Lance: Hunk, come on! Please, buddy! Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Going down! We’re going down! Oh, no.

Hunk: You okay, Lance?

Lance: Hunk! I thought you were dead! You jumped in front of all those shots to save my life!

Hunk: Well, actually, I was trying to get out of the way. Thankfully, what this thing lacks in speed, it more than makes up for in armor. Man, can it take a beating! Ooh. We’ve got incoming!

Allura: Paladins, please hurry back. I can’t hold the wormhole much longer.

Lance: Let’s get out of here!

Hunk: Ugh, not this again.

Lance: Quit screwing around, Hunk! The wormhole is closing!

[Cut to the bridge of the Castle of Lions.]

Allura: You made it.

Lance: Yeah, just barely. That was a nightmare. I almost puked out there. I felt like Hunk!

Hunk: Think how I felt. I am Hunk.

Pidge: Yeah, we had a tough time, too.

Shiro: Did we find the Red Lion yet?

Coran: Allura just located it. There’s a bit of good news and bad news. The good news is the Red Lion is nearby. The bad news is it’s on-board the Galra ship now orbiting Arus. But wait, good news again. We’re Arus!

Shiro: They’re here already?

Coran: Yes. Guess my calculations were a bit off. Finger counting is--it’s more of an art than a science. Hmm?

Sendak: Princess Allura, this is Commander Sendak of the Galra Empire. I come on behalf of Emperor Zarkon, Lord of the Known Universe. I am here to confiscate the lions. Turn them over to me, or I will destroy your planet.

Shiro: Alright, let’s not panic.

Hunk: Not panic? The scary purple alien thing is driving his battleship toward us. We only have four lions.

Pidge: Technically, only three working lions.

Hunk: That’s right, thank you, Pidge. Three working lions a-and a castle that’s, like, ten thousand years old.

Coran: Actually, it’s ten thousand and six hundred years old. You see, it was built by my grandfather--

Hunk: Thanks, Coran. Thank you for that. See? Now is the perfect time to panic!

Allura: Wait! This castle has a particle barrier we can activate.

Lance: Girl, you���ve already activated my par--

Shiro: Lance!

Coran: The particle barrier won’t hold Sendak’s ion cannon forever. The Galra technology must have advanced since we fought them last.

Hunk: Panic now?

Shiro: No, we’ve just got to figure out our plan of action, and figure it out quickly.

Lance: I say we pop through a wormhole and live to fight another day.

Hunk: I second that, yes. I mean, we tried to find all the lions, right? We gave it the ol’ college try. Couldn’t do it. We only have three. We can’t form Voltron. I mean, I guess we could form a snake. Or a worm! To go through that hole, Lance, that you were talking about.

Lance: Then, it’s settled. Allura, you ride with me. One of you take the old guy.

Pidge: We can’t just abandon Arus. The Galra will keep destroying planets and capturing prisoners until we stop them.

Hunk: Okay. If we run, then maybe Sendak will follow us and leave this planet alone, like when we left Earth. We form the snake-worm thingamagjig and we--[hisses] out of here.

Keith: Sendak could destroy the planet, then come after us anyway. Staying is our only option.

Lance: Here's an option: shut your quiznak.

Keith: I don’t think you’re using that word correctly.

Lance: What do you know, Mullet?

Keith: We’re staying.

Lance: Leaving!

Pidge: Staying!

Hunk: Snake!

Shiro: Guys, stop! Princess Allura, these are your lions. You’ve dealt with the Galra Empire before. You know what we’re facing better than any of us. What do you think is the best course of action?

Allura: I… I don’t know.

Coran: Perhaps your father can help.

Allura: My father?

[Transition to the computer room that hosts Alfor’s AI.]

Allura: Coran, what is this?

Coran: King Alfor knew that there was a chance he might never see you again. So his memories, his very being, were stored in this computer for you.

Allura: Father! Father, it is so good to see you.

Alfor: Allura, my only child, how I’ve missed your face.

Allura: I’m so frightened. A Galra ship is set to attack, and I don’t know what to do. Please, Father, I need your help.

Alfor: I would do anything to take this burden from you.

Allura: I don’t know if we should run to preserve what we have or stay and risk everything. I want to fight, but the paladins of old are gone. I know what you would do.

Alfor: I scattered the Lions of Voltron to keep them out of Zarkon’s hands. You urged me to keep them and fight, but, for the greater good of protecting the universe, I chose to hide them.

Allura: I think I understand.

Alfor: No, daughter, you were right. I made a terrible mistake, one that cost the universe countless lives. Forming Voltron is the only way to stop Zarkon. You must be willing to sacrifice everything to assemble the lions and correct my error.

[Scene change to Allura entering the bridge once more, looking determined in her flight suit.]

Allura: You five paladins were brought here for a reason. The Voltron Lions are meant to be piloted by you and you alone. We must fight, and keep fighting until we defeat Zarkon. It is our destiny. Voltron is the universe’s only hope. We are the universe’s only hope.

Shiro: We’re with you, Princess.

[Cut to the armory of the castle.]

Allura: Your suits of armor.

Lance: Cool!

Shiro: Outstanding.

Keith: Nice.

Pidge: Oh, neat!

Hunk: Hmm…

Coran: Princess, are you sure about this? They aren’t exactly the best and brightest the universe has to offer.

Allura: No, but they’re all we’ve got.

Shiro: Boys, it’s time to suit up!

Allura: The bayard is the traditional weapon of the Paladins of Voltron. It takes a distinct shape for each paladin.

Lance: Whoo! Aw, you got a cute little bayard.

Pidge: Yeah, it is pretty cute.

Allura: Shiro, I’m afraid your bayard was lost with its paladin.

Shiro: I guess I’ll just have to make do.

[Cut to the bridge.]

Allura: You’ll need to retrieve the Red Lion from Sendak’s ship.

Keith: That’s a pretty big ship. How are we gonna know where the Red Lion is?

Pidge: Well, it’s not a matter of “we.” It’s a matter of “you.”

Hunk: Pidge is right. Once we get you in, you’ll be able to feel its presence and, like, track it down.

Lance: Yeah. You know how you felt that crazy energy while we were in the desert?

Keith: Yeah. You made fun of me for that.

Lance: And I’m proud of that, but turns out it’s exactly like that mumbo-jumbo.

Allura: Keith, the Red Lion is extremely temperamental. You’ll have to earn its respect.

Shiro: Alright. Here’s our plan of attack. The Galra Empire knows about the Blue and Yellow Lion, but they don’t know we have the Green Lion, too.

[Cut to outer space.]

Shiro: Hunk, Lance, you’ll act as a decoy by pretending to give yourselves up.

Lance: Attention, Galra ship. Do not fire. We’re surrendering our lions. Hope this works.

Shiro: While Sendak is distracted, Keith, Pidge, and I will sneak onto the ship in the Green Lion. Keith and I will find the Red Lion while Pidge guards our exit. Hunk, Lance, find some way to take down that ion cannon.

Lance: Pidge, what’s your ETA?

Pidge: We’re in.

Sendak: Activate tractor beam.

Hunk: What’s that thing?

Lance: I think that’s our signal to get out of here!

Sendak: They lied to us. Launch fighters!

Lance: Hunk, you dismantle the ion cannon while I take these jerks on a space ride.

Hunk: Ten-four!

[Cut to inside the Galra ship.]

Shiro: I’ve been here before. After I was taken by the Galra cruiser off Kerberos, they brought us here.

Pidge: So, that means your other crewmembers, they might be held captive here. We… We’ve gotta rescue them.

Shiro: Pidge, we don’t have time. We have to get the Red Lion and get back to Arus.

Pidge: But we can’t just leave prisoners here!

Shiro: Look, no one understands that more than me, but in war, we have to make hard choices. Now, let’s get moving.

Pidge: No! Commander Holt is my father. He and my brother were the ones on the Kerberos mission with you.

Shiro: Commander Holt is your father?

Pidge: Yes. I’ve been searching everywhere for him and my brother and I’m not going to give up looking when I’m this close. I won’t!

Shiro: I’m coming with you.

Keith: What?

Shiro: I remember where the prisoners are held. Keith, you go find the Red Lion.

Keith: By myself?

Shiro: Minor change of plans. You’ll be fine. Just remember, patience yields focus, so--run!

Keith: Great. Now which way?

[Cut to Yellow Lion flying outside the Galra ship.]

Hunk: What the quiznak? What is that? A forcefield?

[Cut to the castle on Arus.]

Allura: Particle barrier up!

Coran: Is that what’s supposed to happen? Oh, the barrier crystals are out of alignment.

Allura: We have to fix it immediately. Without the particle barrier, we’ll be defenseless.

Coran: We’re both too big. What can we do?

Allura: The mice!

Coran: How do they know how to do this?

Allura: I can hear them talking to me. I think our minds are connected. It must be from sharing the sleep pod for ten thousand years. Thank you, friends. Coran, what are you doing?

Coran: I’m trying to get them to make me a sandwich.

[Cut to Keith on the Galra ship.]

Keith: You’ve gotta be kidding me! Patience yields focus. Gotcha.

[Cut to Pidge and Shiro on the Galra ship.]

Shiro: That thing saw us. We should get out of here.

Pidge: Wait, I think this might come in handy. Now I’ll just reset the controls… and it’s working for us! I’m gonna call you Rover. Follow me! Open up.

Shiro: Excellent, Pidge.

Pidge: Dad?

Shiro: Don’t be afraid. We’re here to help you escape.

Prisoner: It’s you… It’s you, the Champion. If anyone can get us out of here, he can.

Shiro: Wh… what did you call me?

Pidge: We don’t have much time. Let’s get to the escape pods.

Shiro: Let’s go. Come on!

[Cut to Lance in Blue Lion.]

Lance: Whoa-ho-ho! Yeah, buddy! This is way more fun without Hunk’s barfing!

[Cut to Keith in a hangar where Red is floating inside a shield.]

Keith: Bingo. Let’s get out of here. Open up. It’s me. Keith. Your buddy. It’s me! Keith, your--I am your paladin! I’m bonding with you! Hey! Come on! We’re connected! You’re not getting this lion! Good kitty. Let’s roll.

[Cut to Shiro and Pidge by an escape pod with the prisoners.]

Pidge: Hurry!

Drone: Halt!

Pidge, distorted: Shiro, what’s wrong?

Prisoner: Thank you, Shiro.

Shiro: Wait! How do you…?

Pidge: Shiro, that was amazing! Where did you learn to fight with that?

Shiro: No idea.

[Cut to Yellow Lion.]

Hunk: Come on, just break, you stupid thing! Score one for Hunk! You guys made it!

Pidge: Kitty Rose has left the stage!

Lance: Let’s get the heck out of here!

Hunk: I hope I stopped that cannon. I could barely make a dent in it.

Haxus: They stole the Red Lion!

Sendak: After them! Either we get those lions or we blow this whole planet to cosmic dust! Fire the ion cannon.

Haxus: Sir, the ion cannon has been damaged.

Sendak: Then send the drones to fix it!

[Cut to the Black Lion’s hangar in the Castle of Lions, then to the bridge.]

Allura: Oh…

Coran: Oh, quiznak!

Allura: Sendak is entering the Arusian atmosphere. We need Voltron now!

[Cut to the bridge of Sendak’s ship.]

Haxus: The ion cannon is back online!

Sendak: Fire!

[Cut to Hunk inside Yellow Lion.]

Hunk: Man, those Galra guys repair things fast.

Coran: The barrier gets weaker with every blast. Once that shield goes down, the castle will be defenseless.

Allura: I can give you cover with the castle defenses for a while, but you have to form Voltron now or we’ll all be destroyed!

Hunk: Jeez, no pressure.

Shiro: Listen up, Team Voltron! The only way to succeed is to give it all you’ve got! This looks bad, but we can do this! Are you with me?

Hunk: I’m nodding. Is everyone else nodding?

Keith, Lance, Pidge: Yes.

Shiro: Let’s do this!

Lance: Uh, how?

Keith: Good question. Does anyone have any ideas of how to form Voltron?

Hunk: I don’t see a “combine into giant robot” button anywhere on my dashboard.

Pidge: This is insane! Can’t they just ceasefire for one minute so we can figure this out? Is that too much to ask?

Keith: We’ve gotta do something!

Hunk: Combine!

Keith: Hey!

Hunk: Okay, that didn’t work.

Allura: Quickly, Paladins! Our energy levels are getting low!

Shiro: Maybe if we fly in formation, we’ll just combine. Take off on my cue. One, two, three, Voltron!

Keith: Here we go!

Lance: Come on, come on!

Shiro: Nothing’s happening.

Lance: Hey, wait, wait, wait. I feel something!

Hunk: I do, too. I feel it. It’s like we’re all being pulled in the same direction!

Shiro: Uh, guys, I think I know why. Look up.

Lance: What the cheese?

Pidge: Sendak’s ship is sucking us in like a black hole!

[Cut to Sendak on the bridge of his ship.]

Sendak: Send a report to Emperor Zarkon: “The day is ours.”

[Cut to the castle, then to Shiro in Black.]

Shiro: Oh, no!

Hunk: I don’t care what you say, Shiro. I’m panicking now!

Pidge: It can’t end here!

Lance: This is it!

Keith: It’s been an honor flying with you boys.

Hunk: Oh, no!

Shiro: No! We can do this. We have to believe in ourselves. We can’t give up. We are the universe’s only hope. Everyone is relying on us. We can’t fail! We won’t fail! If we work together, we’ll win together!

All: Yeah!

[Cut to Sendak on his bridge.]

Sendak: Voltron!

[Cut to Voltron outside the Galra ship.]

Keith: I can’t believe it!

Pidge: We formed Voltron!

Hunk: I’m a leg!

Lance: How are we doing this?

Shiro: I don’t know, but let’s get that cannon!

[Scene change to outside the Castle of Lions at sunset, after their victory.]

Allura: Good work, Paladins!

Lance: Thanks, pretty lady.

Shiro: We did it.

Keith: Heck yeah, we did.

Shiro: How did we do it?

Hunk: I was just, like, screaming the whole time. Maybe that did it.

Shiro: We’re not gonna stop searching until we find your brother and father. Wherever they are, I know they’d be proud of you.

Allura: We won the battle, but the war has only just begun. I’m afraid Zarkon will not stop until he gets these lions.

Coran: Good thing you paladins know what you’re doing, because you’re going to have to form Voltron again and again.

Hunk: Totally. Wait, what?

Lance: We barely survived forming Voltron this one time.

Coran: And you only had to fight one ship. Wait until you have to fight a whole fleet of them! It’s not going to be easy being the Defenders of the Universe.

Shiro: Defenders of the Universe, huh? That’s got a nice ring to it.

End.

[reddeadmort]

Hey can I request an Arthur x female reader where the reader gets kidnapped by the O’Driscolls and they take advantage of her. Which then Arthur finds her a couple days later with John and takes her back to camp. The reader asks Arthur to help her forget about the last couple of days (smuttttyyyyyXD) and Arthur’s like really soft and slow with her but has his hand on her throat the entire time bc she’s is a kinky bitch! Btw your stories fucking SLAPPPPP they sooo goood gosh

Okay, this has been sat in my inbox for ages, sorry anon! This story is a bit different from the request as I really didn’t want to leave the reader alone with the O’Driscolls for too long and didn’t want there to be any actual ‘taking advantage of’. So, instead, the reader is *almost* taken advantage of, with some minor sexual assault (groping) implied as happening during the kidnapping. Obviously, big trigger warning, please don’t read if any of the guidance notes will make you uncomfortable.

This is my longest and most explicit attempt at smut, hopefully it *hits the spot*!

Arthur x f! reader | Safe places and words | NSFT

Guidance: Violence, threats of sexual assault, implied minor sexual assault (groping), almost major sexual assault. Smut, but unrelated to/separate from mentions of assault. Smut includes blowjob, choking, and biting. NSFW/NSFT

Words: 4k (this just kept on going).

“That’s great Jack, well done!” You patted Jack on the back as he carefully reeled in the small fish. “See I knew you’d manage it! Uncle Arthur’s been giving you some fishing tips hasn’t he.” Jack jumped up and down excitedly as you carefully unhooked the fish from the line to show to him. “Here, hold still, lift it up, I’ll take a picture for your parents before we throw it back.” You took the picture as quickly as you could – you were pretty sure it would be blurry, thanks to Jack being incapable of holding in his energy.

“Thanks Auntie Y/N, maybe this isn’t so boring!” Jack said as he threw the little fish back in the river. You were both watching it swim away when you heard a voice behind you.

“Well ain’t this…. Sweet”. You turned sharply to look at the three new arrivals, instinctively moving jack behind you, one hand resting on you revolver. Shit. O’Driscolls. What the hell are they doing this close to camp?

“Look, fellas, I don’t want no trouble. I’m just relaxing with the kid.” You wanted to back away further, but you were already at the edge of the water. Two of the men were moving slowly towards you, one on each side, blocking any escape; you were fast with your revolver, but not fast enough to take down all three, and you couldn’t risk anything happening to Jack.

“We can see that girly” the leader sneered, standing in front of you. “Tell you what, why don’t we help out? We can teach the lad a thing or two….” As he said this, the leader nodded to the man to your left, and before you could do anything he grabbed at Jack. You launched yourself at him, only to be grabbed from behind by the other man. He pulled your arms behind your back as you kicked and screamed, hoping desperately someone might hear. Jack had started crying; the noise of his sobs made your adrenaline surge even further.

“You really don’t want to do this, his dad and the others will come after you.” You tried to slow your breathing, bring your heart rate under control. The only way you were getting out of this was with words.

“Oh, we know girl, we know. That’s exactly why we’re doing this.” The leader smirked at you as your heart sank. “You’re going to go back to your little camp and tell Marston that we’ve got his precious little boy. Then you’re going to tell him to come to us, alone, tomorrow at noon. We’ll send a message tomorrow with a location, maybe with a bit of….motivation attached. If he doesn’t come, or if he doesn’t come alone, we’ll start using bits of little Jack here for fish food.”

“You bastards! They’ll kill you all!” you screamed at the man, unable to control your rage.

“No, missy, they won’t. Because if they try, Jack’s mother will be burying him as well as his father. Well, burying whatever is left of him anyway.” Jack was still sobbing, he didn’t really understand what was going on, but he knew from your reaction that you were in trouble. “Come on lads, let’s get going. Give her a clout, best if she’s out for a while.” The man behind you released one of your arms, drawing his pistol and raising the butt above your head, ready to strike.

“WAIT!” you yelled, breaking free and rushing forwards. Your mind was racing, you had to get Jack out of this situation.

“Take me. Take me instead, let Jack go back to camp.”  The men laughed at this, you were going to have to try harder. “I’ll be quieter than him. I won’t cause trouble.” The man holding Jack was starting to walk away, and you could hear the man behind you moving closer again. Think, think! “I…..you….. you could have some fun with me.” The words almost made you puke, the thought of these men touching you, but you’d do anything to save Jack.

That got their attention. The leader stepped closer to you, still grinning a horrible, evil, gappy grin. “Nah, missy, as tempting as that sounds, you ain’t as valuable. Dutch ain’t going to send one of his main men out looking for one of you camp bitches.”  

“I ain’t just one of the girls.” You were going to regret giving this information away, you knew it, but you had to convince them to make the trade.

“Well then missy, who are you exactly?” The man leered at you, moving even closer, so you could feel his breath on your face.

“Y/N. Y/N Morgan.”  That name had the desired effect, and the leader gave a low whistle.

“Arthur dead would hurt Dutch more” the man holding Jack grunted at him.

“It sure would, Peter, it sure would…..” Before you could do anything, the man in front of you had grabbed you by the throat.

“Right, girly, I think we’ll take you up on your offer. And I mean all of your offer” the man’s face was almost touching yours now, and his breath made you almost gag. “You’ll only scream when we want you to. And believe me, you’re going to need to scream. You ain’t getting out of this. We’ll make sure Mr Morgan sees us slit your delicate little neck, and we’ll make him watch as you slowly die.”

Your heart was racing, but you kept your face perfectly still; you didn’t want to give them the pleasure of seeing the fear you were experiencing.

“I’ll be quiet” you said, through gritted teeth. “Just let me put Jack on my horse and send him off, it’s too far for him to walk.”

“Fine. Be quick. And only because we need him to get back to camp to tell Mr Morgan where you are.” He released you and practically threw you at Jack. Shaking, you walked over and took a still sobbing Jack from the other man. You carefully placed him on your horse, and quickly started scribbling a note.

“Girl, what the hell do you think you’re doing” the man snatched at the paper, but you pulled it away from him.

“I’m writing down the instructions, you bastard. He’s only young, even if he does remember them he’ll be too upset to say anything” you snarled back at the man. He sneered at you, before calling out to his men.

“You two, check the note.”

“Hey, you know I can’t read.”

“Me neither.”

“Goddammit” the leader muttered. You guessed that neither could he. “Just hurry up girl, before I decide to send the boys lifeless body back on the damn horse” he snapped at you before walking over to his own. You quickly finished the note and handed it to Jack.

“Right Jack, I know you’re upset, but I need you to be a brave boy for me, okay? My horse should take you directly back to camp, don’t worry. You hold on as tight as you can, and when you get to camp you give this note to Uncle Arthur, okay?” Jack swallowed and nodded, tears still dripping down his face. “I love you Jack, remember that.” With those last words, you slapped your horse on the rear, sending it trotting off back up the path.

With your back to the O’Driscolls, you quickly and silently slipped a knife from the sheath strapped to your thigh and sliced the blade across the palm of your hand. You winced slightly, staying as still as possible, hoping they hadn’t noticed. Keeping your fist clenched, you turned just as they grabbed you, pulling off your weapons and knocking the knife out of your other hand.

“Nice try missy. Now, you’re riding with me. I want a little…..preview of the fun we’re going to have tonight.”

You said nothing, and let the man bundle you onto his horse, sitting behind you. One hand on the reins, the other gripping you tightly – and not by the waist – you set off. You held your cut hand out as far as you could, under the pretence of needing balance, and squeezed, feeling the blood run over your fingers. You just hoped you could keep it bleeding for as long as possible.  

——

John was the first to see Jack and your horse as they gently trotted back into camp. At first, he wasn’t too concerned, expecting to see you right behind; but as they got closer, he realised you weren’t there.

“Jack, what’s happened? Where’s Y/N?” Jack immediately burst into tears, and John quickly hoisted him off the horse and hugged him tight.

“There….was…..some…..men” Jack managed to get the words out between sobs. “I have a….” Jack held the crumpled note up to his father; it was slightly damp from his tears.

“ARTHUR!” John yelled, opening the note.

“John, what the hell do you want” Arthur grumbled as he walked over.

“O’Driscolls have got Y/N” John said, his voice cracking slightly, as he handed the note to Arthur. Arthur’s face paled as he read your hastily written instructions. “Any idea what those last two words are?” John asked before handing Jack to Abigail, who had been attracted by his shout.

Arthur looked at the two words at the end of the note. ‘Strawberry Doe’. You hadn’t dared write more than that. But Arthur didn’t need anymore to understand what you’d done.

“John, get your guns. We’ve got some killin’ to do.” Arthur growled.

“But Arthur, we don’t know where they’ve gone.” It wasn’t really a protest - John was already prepping the saddle on his horse -  more a panicked comment.

“She’s left us a trail. We’ll track ‘em down like the animals they are.” John didn’t think he’d ever seen Arthur’s eyes like this. They were cold, emotionless, like he’d shut down.

As the two men rode out of camp, pounding towards the fishing spot, Arthur finally felt something other than rage start to sweep over him. It was fear. The fear of losing you, the fear of not being able to protect you…….

—–

It was early evening when you finally stopped at an abandoned old hut. Stuck in front of this lecherous, disgusting creature of a man, you had basically frozen, letting your mind disassociate. The ride was horrible, uncomfortable, but nothing more than you’d experienced in many saloons; at least those drunk bastards got their comeuppance when they groped you.

You were pulled roughly off the horse, your hands tied behind your back, and led into the dark basement. You knew what was coming, you just prayed that you could endure it for as long as it took Arthur to find you.

To your surprise, the leader shoved you to the floor before turning to leave.

“Me and the boys are going to eat before our fun starts, sweetheart” he leered at you. “Need to make sure we’ve got plenty of… energy.” He paused, licking his lips, before shutting the doors to the basement behind him, leaving you in total darkness.

Finally alone, you let a little sob escape from your throat. All you could think about was Arthur. Would you ever see him again? Would he even be able to look at you if he did?

And so you sat, in the cold, in the darkness, waiting.

——

Arthur and John rode in silence, occasionally stopping to search for the next part of your trail. There was nothing to say; there was no plan, only anger and fear. These men were going to die, and not well.

“Arthur…. I can’t see anythin’.” It was early evening and the light was fading fast.

“John, just keep lookin’!” Arthur snapped. “There has to be somethin’. Has to be……”

John didn’t retort, he knew it wasn’t him Arthur was angry at. He looked around, and spotted something in the distance.

“Arthur! Smoke. Looks like it’s comin’ from a cabin. Might just be normal folks though.”

“It’s our best hope. Come on.”

——

You had no idea how long you’d been down there in the dark. You’d done your best to keep calm, concentrating on your breathing. Stumbling around in the dark, unable to use your hands, you’d found a chair and a table; you’d crawled under the table and sat in the corner, back to the walls. It made you feel a bit safer; you tried to pretend that it was Arthur’s chest you were leaning against, not this damp, slimy, old stone.

Eventually, you heard the creak of the basement door hatches, and a figure made its way down with a lantern. Very briefly, you let yourself pray it was Arthur; but no, he was too short, too fat. You swore at yourself for even thinking it; of course it wasn’t Arthur, you’d heard no commotion, no gunshots. You didn’t even know if he was coming. Had Jack made it back? Had your horse actually gone back to camp, had Jack managed to cling on? Had Arthur understood your message?

Your slightly panicked thoughts were interrupted by the man grabbing you by the ankle, pulling you out from under the table, causing the back of your head to slam into the floor.

“It’s playtime girly! Now you better make some noise for me you little whore.” He lifted you up roughly by the front of your shirt then grabbed you hard by the chin. He moved his face next to yours and slowly, disgustingly, licked your cheek. “Just pretend I’m your big, bad outlaw. But don’t get too excited, me and the boys will be taking turns all throughout the night. And we don’t want you passing out now… it’s no fun if you aren’t awake to feel it.”

You wanted to fight back, to do something, anything but you couldn’t. You were completely frozen.

“Not even going to beg me? Well you’re a nasty girl ain’t ya.” With that, he turned you around and slammed your face and chest into the table, bending you over. Using your bound wrists to keep you pushed down, he pulled at your trousers with one hand, pulling them down to your knees. You heard him fumbling with his belt buckle, and you could have sworn that you were suddenly looking down on the scene from above; you could see yourself, bent over, face completely emotionless, and him, pulling at his trousers, pushing them down.

Suddenly, a familiar crack of a gunshot sounded above you, followed quickly by a series of others. You could hear yelling and screaming mixed in with the gunfire. The man released you, scrabbling over to the chair where he’d put his gun belt, reaching it as the basement doors flew open. He’d just pulled his gun out of the holster when a shot rang out, shattering his hand and sending the gun flying. Deafened slightly by the noise, you tried to stand up, struggling, and turned just enough to see the familiar shape of Arthur smash his revolver across the man’s face, sending what few teeth he had left flying. You’d never seen him hit anyone that hard before; sometimes, his strength was almost scary.

Arthur’s heart almost exploded with pain when he looked at you, trousers roughly pulled down, struggling to stand up. He quickly moved to you, leaving the unconscious man behind him. One brief flick of his knife and you were free; the first thing you did was grapple with your trousers, trying to pull them up. You never wanted Arthur to see you like this, not with another man, willingly or not. There were tears in the corner of his eyes as he grabbed you by the face, scanning yours for any injury.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here sooner Y/N, so sorry” he said, choking on the words slightly.

Finally, with him stood in front of you, your adrenaline started to fade and a wave of relief washed over you. You threw your arms around him, breathing in his familiar, musky smell. You tried to say something, but all you could do was cry. In between sobs, you managed to explain that Arthur had arrived just in time. He held you tight, his arms and warmth seeming to form a protective bubble around you. After a few moments, he picked you up and took you up the stairs to a waiting John.

As soon as you saw John, your first thought went to his little boy. “Jack…. Is Jack okay? They were going to take him, John, I’m so sorry…..” As you spoke, Arthur gently let you down, standing you upright. John pulled you in for a hug, holding your face to his chest.

“He’s fine Y/N, he’s fine. Thanks to you. I’ll never forget this, you hear? Never.”

“John, you wait with her and the horses. I’ve got somethin’ to finish.” Before you could say anything, Arthur had grabbed some rope and walked away back into the basement. You thought about stopping him, but it only took a moment for you to decide the man deserved whatever was about to happen. John led you and the horses a little way off, but you could still see Arthur drag the man out by his hair, sitting him against a tree and tying him to it. You heard the man’s bloodcurdling screams as Arthur took his manhood from him, then begging as Arthur chucked what looked like bait on his bloodied lap.

Arthur walked back to you and John, wiping his blood-stained knife with a cloth.

“You finished?” John asked. He’d not seen Arthur do anything like this before; beat a man, yes, threaten, of course, even kill; but this….. this was a whole other level of rage.  

“I’ve done what I needed. I’ve left the wolves to do the rest.” Arthur muttered as he climbed onto the saddle behind you.

The ride back was silent; no-one knew what to say. Arthur held you tightly to him by the waist, clinging to you as if for dear life. Occasionally he gently kissed you on the neck, but only after asking you if he could. He’d never asked before; you knew he was just trying to be kind, make sure you were okay, but you hated it. You just wanted things to be exactly like they were before; you were scared he’d never look at you in the same way again.

When you arrived back at the camp, everyone came to fuss over you. You entertained them for as long as you could before pulling Arthur away to your shared tent.

Arthur was surprised when you grabbed at his face as soon as he’d pulled the flaps down. You kissed him hard, hungrily, biting at his lips. He kissed you back, but more hesitantly, causing you to pull away.

“Arthur……”

“I’m sorry Y/N, I just…..I’ll go, you’ll want some time alone.”

“Arthur Morgan, you have never tried to tell me what I do and don’t want. Do not start now.” You didn’t give him time to reply before once again pulling him back in for a kiss. This time, he didn’t resist, and gently brought his hands up to rest on your shoulders.

You let your hands drop from his face as you slowly undid his shirt buttons. As your hands moved back up his chest, you let them brush lightly over his nipples, making him moan, before pushing the shirt off his shoulders. Once again, you moved you hands over his chest, this time down to his belt. He grunted slightly as you pulled at it, swiftly undoing it and the top button as his hips pushed forwards. You slowly slipped your thumbs under the waistband and gently pulled his trousers down, levering them forwards over his erection.

You knelt as you guided his trousers to the ground, and Arthur’s hands moved to the back of your head. He let out a little grunt as you licked the head of his cock, before you took him in your mouth in one swift movement. He groaned and gripped your hair as you slid him in and out of your mouth, soaking him. You moved your hand up to his on the back of your head, wrapped it around his fist, and used it to pull your own hair. Arthur understood the signal, and pushed his hips forwards, driving himself into the back of your throat, making you gag. He pulled out slightly, letting you recover, before using his firm grip on your hair to dictate your speed. Soon, the movement of his hips became slightly erratic, and panting, he pulled away from you. This was just the prequel, he wasn’t about to ruin the main event.  

You stood up, undoing your trousers as Arthur made short work of your shirt. You lay down on the bed as Arthur pulled your trousers off, pausing momentarily to stare at you, completely naked before him. You shouldn’t have worried; his gaze was just as it always was, hungry, desperate to touch you, mind blank save for the thought of you.

Arthur was quickly on top of you, one hand tucked under your shoulder, the other moving between your legs. You moaned softly as he gently rubbed you, spreading your wetness up and over your clit. As he massaged it with his thumb, moving in steady circles, he slipped a couple of fingers inside you, testing you. No matter how much he wanted you, how much he needed you, he always made sure you were ready. And you were. 

He shifted forwards, replacing his thumb with the tip of his cock, rubbing against you. He kissed you as he pushed in, all the way, making you gasp and shudder. He bit your neck as moved back a fraction, before pushing deep again. He enjoyed this bit the most; every time felt like the first time you’d ever taken him, your reaction always the same. He gently started to move his hips backwards and forwards, kissing you, building up a rhythm as his hand moved to massage you breast. Your hand moved from his back to his wrist, and gently guided it up to your throat. He paused, looking into your eyes, slight concern showing on his face.

“You sure darlin’?” You nodded and bit your lip.

“Arthur please…. I want to feel normal. I want to feel loved…. I want to feel safe.” To anyone else, safe would have seemed like an odd choice of word to use, with a large man lying on top of you, hand on your throat. But it was true; this made you feel safe. Arthur would never hurt you, was always guided by you; you were always in control, even if it didn’t look that way.  

Arthur delicately kissed your lips before thrusting hard into you. His grip on your throat tightened, just enough to restrict your breathing and blood flow slightly. You kept your hand on his wrist, guiding his pressure, gently pulling at it if he put too much weight on you. He always responded immediately. Every time he pounded into you, he’d stop briefly when he was fully enveloped, grinding himself into your clit, just like you’d shown him. It wasn’t long before you were both on the brink. You came first, digging your nails into his skin, gasping his name. As soon as you had, he removed his hand from your throat and you lifted yourself up, biting his nipple; this took him over the edge, and he swore as he pushed into you hard, almost uncomfortably deep. He collapsed onto your chest, and you both stayed there for a moment, not moving, just listening to the other’s breathing.

“Thankyou Arthur. I needed that. It might not make much sense but….I….needed to regain some control.”

“Darlin’ that don’t surprise me. Though, honestly, you don’t ever make much sense to me.” He grinned, before sitting up, releasing you. “Now, we best get some rest. I think Jack wants to spend tomorrow with his favourite Aunt.”

“He’s a sweetheart, he really is. I might stay in the camp this time though” you chuckled, sitting up and resting your head on Arthur’s shoulder. He kissed you softly on the top of the head, stroking your lower back.

“You do whatever you want darlin’. I’ll always be here.”

[hangonimevolving]

Au Revoir, my little friends!

So an update on the Monarch Butterfly situation:  we had a number of friends join (or perhaps I should say REJOIN) our household this week!

On Friday, June 5th, we had the exciting experience of witnessing our first four monarchs eclose - that is, emerge from their chrysalises!  It was pretty spectacular to behold.  We sat mesmerized for the approximately 5-10 minutes it takes for the butterflies to emerge, then efficiently sit still while pumping fluid from their thorax cavities into their wings, to straighten them out completely, before the fluids on the exterior of the wings helps to stiffen the wings into their appropriate position for flight.  How amazing!

The following day, we saw two more butterflies join the gang!  So of our initial batch of nine caterpillars, we now had six fully-formed, flightworthy butterflies in our custody.

The kids had named several of the caterpillars, back when they were caterpillars and not butterflies.  There names were: Stink, Slink, Wink, Sink, and Sudalo.  And yes, those are only five names, and yet we had nine caterpillars.  And no, we didn’t exactly know who was who.

While it was really wonderful to be able to see them and enjoy their beauty - we knew that as soon as they seemed ready, it would be better to send them into the great outdoors where they could find their own food sources, and continue on with their miscellaneous butterfly activities.  Our decision to help them move on with their lives was also made more steadfast by a couple of other things:  firstly, Dr. Spouse and I were able to plant our brand-new butterfly garden areas in our backyard today!  So we knew there were ample butterfly-approved favorites right there in our own backyard for them, if they wished to stick around and enjoy them.  Also, the weather today was pretty good - mostly sunny, with low winds.  By Sunday night or Monday morning, it looks like we’ll be getting some rains - so I thought it better to let them go today rather than risk running into bad weather.  And then, there was a third important reason why we decided they were better off getting on their way....

Err, yes, our Pixel girl, who had hardly noticed the giant mesh enclosure full of caterpillars and chrysalises all these days, was suddenly befuddled and flummoxed by the large clear box full of GIANT, FLAPPING insects, and had an awful lot of interest in them.  We could tell by her body language and persistence in sitting there, just staring with pupils blown wide open, that we were probably tempting fate by keeping the healthy, clearly able-bodied and flying butterflies in our house for too long. 

So it was time to say goodbye.  We took a couple of pictures for posterity...

And then, it was time for the release.  It took a few moments for Dr. Spouse and I to strategize how exactly to carry the enclosure to our backyard, because a) it still had a large potted milkweed plant inside, which was cumbersome and somewhat heavy, plus there were still three chrysalises inside and we did not want to disturb them, or risk hurting the six butterflies who were fluttering around in there.

But we managed it, and then we had ourselves a wonderful “Bon Voyage” ceremony for our butterflies before letting them free.

What a thrill!  Sigh.  The circle of life.

We still have our three more chrysalises to go, and I anticipate that one will be ready possibly by late tomorrow or Monday, and the other two maybe by Wednesday?  We shall see.

But the kids, now besotted with this whole butterfly thing, have had even more plans and schemes cooking than I have.

Introducing.... Lalloo.

Lalloo has a funny story:  So, remember how I said that our neighbor gave us nine caterpillars?  Ha, funny thing.  Turns out, there were TEN.  Nine of the ten were the large, nearly-chrysalis ready ones that I’ve been talking about all this time.  But apparently, there was a teeny, tiny, hardly visible caterpillar hidden somewhere in the milkweed plant, and we had no idea... The other nine caterpillars essentially DECIMATED the milkweed plant, there wasn’t a single leaf left by the time the final one made the chrysalis, and then they all pupated but we left the plant in there out of laziness/lack of desire to disturb them/I dunno.  Then suddenly one morning, when all the chrysalises were silently hanging there, we saw some movement of a a piece of the spindly, sad-looking stem, and I gently reached in to turn the pot around - only to discover a little caterpillar there, way smaller than any of the others.  I quickly moved him into his own plastic container with a paper towel and some milkweed leaves, and we kept him in there for a couple of days, refreshing his paper towel and food supply as needed.

We named him “Lalloo,” which basically translates to “dumbass” or “slow fella” in Gujarati :) But I promise, we use that term affectionately :). Because, he was truly a lalloo, slower than his peers, not even bothering to reveal himself until he had nearly starved.

Anyway.  I had intended to hold out a few days, keep Lalloo in a plastic container till the other critters emerge and we set them free - but Lalloo the dumbass in the last two days has essentially doubled in size, and today I noticed he was looking a little slower than usual.  Uh oh - with the other butterflies, a sudden growth spurt and a slow-down in activity was the first sign that they were thinking of pupating.  I worried maybe Lalloo had found himself at that stage already.  So now that the mesh enclosure has been vacated of all flapping butterflies, I decided, even though it isn’t ideal to put him in with a few chrysalises that are nearly ready to emerge, I’d take a chance and do it.  There’s only one of him, and if he decides to pupate and gets in there before the others eclose, it should be fine.  Stay tuned... it remains to be seen if I’ve made an error in judgment here.  But I’m not to worried about it.

There’s more!  The kids weren’t happy enough just to have Lalloo.  They adamantly insisted that they wanted to raise some butterflies “all the way from the egg.”  So one morning last week, a monarch butterfly from (I think) our neighbor’s yard visited our butterfly garden, and we saw her sitting repeatedly on one of our milkweed plants, lingering on various leaves for a few moments at a time.  We have literally watched every monarch butterfly on YouTube Kids at this point, and could tell she was laying her eggs.  So that afternoon, we went out to find some leaves with eggs on them, and whaddya know - we found some.

I allowed the kids to select three leaves with eggs (one egg per leaf, or so I thought) to bring in.

Within a day or two, we had evidence that at least one egg had hatched - we could see a little bit of powdery black frass (caterpillar poop) on the paper towel in our container.  Sure enough....

Can you see it?  It’s at the top of that leaf, the tiny little light green line that is about 1/10 the length of the top of my fingernail.  Soooo tiny!

We have three, possibly four of these babies - still aren’t sure, because the leaves have curled a little as they’ve dried, and I think the baby caterpillars are kind of nestled in the curled part of the leaf but I don’t want to try and uncurl it and risk disturbing them yet.  They’ll grow fast, so we will probably know in a day or two what exactly we are dealing with here.  But even if its four, that will be easier than nine on our first go-round!  And I am assuming our other residents, including Lalloo, will have literally flown the coop long before these guys are even ready to make their way into it.

The three baby caterpillars that we know of are for now named: Lipster, Hipster, and Master.  Names chosen by Dey this time around, and I have no idea how on earth he came up with these.  

So!  The circle of life continues.  I am going to be buying a LOT more milkweed this summer, I can just tell.

[painted-cherries]

lingering

pairing: mark tuan x reader

warnings: mention of a gun and drugs, but no use and no death or shooting.

genre: fluff, slight angst but purely for the sake of plot I swear

words: 2.4k +

request: “ Can I have mark tuan soulmate au where he's a workaholic cop,and doesn't believe in soulmates, but then falls for her when he sees her? Please and thank you. Hope this makes sense :) “

a/n: yes! I am a fool for a good soulmate prompt, especially with Mark, he has the perfect image for this. I may or may not have projected my love for B99 in this fic as well... I am still accepting requests! You can drop one in my inbox if you click here.

March had passed, spitting out the few last cold fronts and mini snowfalls it could before April would take its place. Spring was on the verge of spilling to full bloom; what better time to find your soulmate than when the earth is renewing herself with luscious evergreen and flowers? The search for one;s soulmate is always random, but typically when someone would least expect it. There had been stories of people finding their respective partner in little moments like needing to borrow change in line at the cafe, or even sharing a seat on the bus. Every situation was very unique to each couple, and it was hard to anticipate when or where they’ll meet- sometimes in not very graceful situations. Spring time meant that there would be a plethora of new soulmates discovering each other; spring was a popular season, as well as that small period of time where fall slowly freezes into the coming winter. Many of these couples could be found around every corner and on every curb, hand-in-hand grateful to finally find comfort in someone’s arms. The soulmate system is a work of wonders for everyone right?

In the spring, Mark could be found working overtime at the station, catching up on potential hours he missed in the winter, when he had left to visit family for the holidays. He dreaded those visits, despite being able to see his family, the extended was always hounding him about not seeking out his soulmate more actively, He was well into his mid-twenties now, and was still without a girlfriend, let alone a wife. The truth was, Mark was already committed. He worked every day at the station, and not unwillingly. He practically begged other for the shifts that they didn’t want, and the chief himself had to limit him in his overtime that he worked so often. Mark Tuan was married to his job, and that’s how he preferred to live his life. His job gave him a type of natural high. Car chases, and drug busts exhilarated him. to no end. He was constantly working new cases and excelled so high that other detectives were practically begging him to assist them on their cases. 

He would go on and on for hours about a new murder or robbery that was filed to anyone who would listen- if he even had time in the first place- but love was not up for discussion. He had never trusted the link between soulmates- he thought it was madness that two people could be destined to be together for the rest of their lives without knowing or choosing to be with said person from the get go. He didn’t believe in predetermined destinies; he had grown up on his own accord with the ideology that we create our own fates, that we choose what we do and who we love- if we want to love at all.

The controversial animosity he felt for the soulmate idea was something he would never express to anyone- not his parents-who were happily put together by through their souls- or especially his friends, whom most of them had already fallen victim to the link. He had witnessed it everywhere and anywhere, yet he still refused to believe that there was another person out there who was destined to be his forever, before they were even old enough to know what love was. 

The day was young, and on this fine Monday, Mark Tuan was unsurprisingly working yet another shift at the Los Angeles Police Department. He walked with a spring in his step and clocked in. Mark’s daily routine never changed. Sometimes his hours shifted, but that was the most change he had seen since he became so invested in his work. Every day he would wake up and take a shower to wake himself up since he wasn’t naturally very upbeat in the morning. After that, he would eat exactly one bagel with as much cream cheese as he desired, and a banana as he walked out the door on his way to work. That was how he lived; he ate the same thing, combed his hair the same way, and worked the same shifts. It was monotonous, but Mark wouldn’t prefer it any other way. He didn’t need anything different because he obtained his thrill in car chases and drug busts, making arrests and receiving praise for his work.  

Today he was going to follow up on a lead that he had found the day before. Recently the department had finally discovered some lower level criminals that could bring them right to the door of their most wanted: a man who ran all of the drug deals throughout LA, a man that only referred to himself as The King... Not humble or subtle. His real name was Jackson Wang, and he wasn’t even on the down low. This man flaunted his success, but his ability to slip away from the LAPD is what kept him out of a cell to this day.

Mark sat at his desk skimming through files and prepping for the endeavor; he and his partner, Jinyoung, were planning to have an undercover meeting with one of The King’s best dealers, hoping that his arrest could help them locate where every single one of Wang’s hide outs were so that he could no longer slip through the department’s fingers, or more specifically Mark’s. He had been working the case tirelessly for the past three months, and he was tired of letting him get the best of him. Today was going to be a big day, he could feel it in his bones.

He was deep into the case file when Jinyoung walked up, and sat a chocolate muffin on his desk next the open manila folder. 

“Okay what time did you want to head out for the rendezvous spot?” 

Mark looked up from the paperwork and tore a piece of the muffin top off and popped it into his mouth.

“Well I was thinking,” he said with a mouth full of muffin. “that maybe we should go early and scout potential spots that he could escape in case he knows it’s a set up.”

“Okay, okay. Do you want me to see if Officer Kim and his partner could provide some back up?”

Mark rolled his eyes. “No ask Sarge if he’ll cover us. Those two aren’t bad cops but this bust could really lead to a big break in our careers.”

Jinyoung let out a sigh of relief and nodded his head in agreement. Yugyeom and Bam, as he liked to be called, always managed to get on Jinyoung’s nerves. They excelled at policing minor things like busting large college parties at night shift, or giving tickets to people who jay walk downtown. This was a large scale deal that Mark didn’t have time to play around with, and Sargent Lim Jaebum would be great for the job. He was refined, and took things seriously. He helped the captain keep things in order but was still a great friend to get a drink with. He was able to appropriately set a boundry between the workplace and friendship, and Mark knew that he was reliable no matter what the circumstances.

“Okay Tuan, you ready to head out?” Jinyoung called out. 

“Let’s go make an arrest fellas,” Mark replied as he excitedly stood from his chair, and walked out the door with his gun and badge in hand. 

The ride there consisted of a comfortable silence, and JB followed the two in his own car. After scouting for spots that the other two could maintain in case of a chase, Jinyoung dropped Mark off a block from the empty, blocked off parking garage that they were using as a meeting point, and drove off to remain inconspicuous. 

Mark took out his phone and started so scroll through meaningless social media so that he could remain undercover. He was always very hyper aware of his surroundings, as a detective should be. He thought about how warm the air was, just now realizing that the weather was finally changing. He thought about how it was practically yesterday when the weather would barely go above 50 degrees, and it hit him how quickly life was moving by. It literally hit him. Mark had the air knocked out of him when he felt himself collide with another person that was walking in the opposite direction. He landed hard on his back, and the person that caused it came tumbling down with him. 

“Oh shit I am so so sorry,” the person said in a hurry. He opened his eyes to see a young woman being to scramble off of him, and stand. She offered a hand to him, and the moment he took it, he felt a warm sensation spread throughout the cavity of his chest. He could barely get a good look at her before he realized that he was minutes from being late to meeting Wang’s dealer, and took off, muttering a ‘thanks’ under his breath. The girl stood there stunned, shocked by the sudden pull towards the strange man, and confused that he hadn’t stopped to acknowledge the obvious link between them. She wasn’t sure of the reason he ran off so quickly, but she decided that if that was her soulmate then she needed to know who he was, and proceeded to follow him.

Mark couldn’t stop seeing the small glimpses of her face after he ran off. He couldn’t stop thinking about the warmth that has taken over his better judgement, even as he comes face to face with what could be his big break in busting this underground drug ring. His mind was so preoccupied that he couldn’t help but flinch when the dealer slammed the grams of coke on the table between them. 

“Three grams of coke like discussed. Now where’s my payment, pretty boy?” the man spat at Mark.

“I-I have it right here just a moment,” and he pretended to fumble for his wallet. On cue he counted 5 seconds from when the man asked for money, and pulled out his PD badge exclaiming “LA PD”, just as Jinyoung busted into the building as they planned.

“Oh shit,” the guy grunted to himself, and not wanting to take an inventory loss, he grabbed the goods and started to run out what had appeared to be a blocked off exit, but opened for the man with ease.

“Jinyoung! Let JB know they’re taking the southwest exit now!” Mark said as he sprinted after the man. 

This dealer had obviously been trained to avoid being caught at all costs; he was using every resource available to keep Mark four steps behind him at all times. He dumped over crates, threw things carelessly behind him, and ran up the stairs from the lower levels nearly three steps at a time. Now more than ever, Mark cursed his short legs. Once the two reached ground level, the man narrowly slipped past Jinyoung after attempting to knock him to the ground. Mark ran past his partner and was so hyper focused on the perp in front of him, he didn’t notice the woman who was approaching him, oblivious to the chase happening before her. For the second time that day, Mark Tuan landed flat on the ground alongside a mystery woman with an unforgettable gaze.

Mark blinked and could hear the sarge yell from a distance, “LET’S GO TUAN, PICK IT UP.”

He began to recollect himself from the ground, this time he was up on his feet  before the girl in front of him. He offered his hand to her like she did the time before, almost like fate was trying to rewrite their meeting herself. The woman took his hand, and stood before him, brushing her disheveled hair from her face. This time around, Mark got a proper look at her face. He felt his pulse nearly pop from his veins, and his heart fell to his feet and remained there on the sidewalk, stunned. He knew in that moment that this was it, he was becoming what he would categorize as a victim to the soulmate link. But in this moment it didn’t feel like he was a victim. He felt light. There was sunshine pouring from his soul, shinning bright from the hollow behind his eyes and his rough touch on her small hand was weightless. 

‘Who are you?” was all he could ask.

She felt his aura engulf her. This time he lingered long enough for her to notice his more than handsome features. His jawline was strong, tense because she knew this wasn’t an experience he had ever anticipated, especially at this timing. His features were solid and defined, almost as if he had been a model in a past life. But that didn’t matter because he was meant to be hers in this lifetime, until the sun’s light burnt out and the tides stopped crashing for the moon. She placed a hand on his face and grazed it softly, dragging her thumb over his lip ever so slightly. The silence was broken when JB’s voice claiming that he and Jinyoung had caught the dealer, rang out loud over the earpiece he wore for undercover operations such as this one.

“My name is Mark. Ask for me at the LA PD,” he said to her quickly before taking off to help his friends with the arrest. 

As Mark ran, he couldn’t help but think about the woman now clearly identified as his soulmate. He was no longer worried about the countless days he would endure working to bring himself a peace of mind that he couldn’t obtain alone. He thought about the radiance in her eyes, and how even standing together made him feel something whole rather than apart and scattered. He felt her touch linger on his lip and cheek. He continued to feel her ghost touch as he handcuffed the man, and even after arriving back at the station, floating around on a high that wasn’t from booking a criminal for once. He no longer felt it lingering after he saw her waiting at the front door of the department, and walked straight up to her, pressing their lips together then and there before she could even utter a ‘hello’ to him. He pulled back and looked at her with a smile that he had never produced before.

“I’m y/n,” she said with a grin.

Mark no longer felt like a man with a blind fate, but a man who had a new blind faith in a love he didn’t know he was waiting for.

[thedarkbluelake]

Back on his feet (Part 1)

Ampth hadn’t moved after Callie had left. Still in such disbelief that the ones he cared about were taken.

Unable to move, He kept replaying the events in his head. 

“How could I have been so damn slow!?!!?” His head filled with these thoughts. 

“I’m expected to lead an entire kingdom and I couldn’t even protect my friends!!!” He rest his head in his hands. 

“I’m such an idiot!!” He began to cry again.

Completely alone he suddenly heard a voice 

“You promised me, you’d look after my girls.... How are you gonna do that when you’re making a river?” The voice of Cecil, Cell’s and Mercury’s adopted father. 

“Remember Kid?” Ampth raised his head 

“I have failed you, Cecil..” The voice had a bit of let out a chuckle 

“You’ve only failed to see the signs before its to late. You an’t down for the count only after having them taken, are you?” Cecil asked

Ampth looked around 

“I’m going crazy, I’m hearing the voice of their Father..” For a moment it was quiet. 

“I may be dead but I can’t rest till they’re safe. You promised you’d help them... Help them find their reason to live,..” Cecil said to him. 

“Now on your feet Ampth Lefire Octavio. You’ve got work to do...” The voice faded away...

Ampth looked at the time... Its 5:25 PM, He took in a breath 

“Thank you... Cecil... Go back to sleep.” He placed his hand on his chest 

“We’ll save them, so rest well knowing they’ll be home, even if I have to carry them 1000 miles!!.” clenching his fist. 

“You have my word... Even if... Even if they have to see what I really am....”

He began to walk towards to the door. 

“I’ll check in on Cyn, Molly, and Cameron. Then I’ll regroup with Callie and Marie, and begin searching Calimari County.” He said to himself. He put his hand on the door, after he opens it he finds himself facing a little Octoling 

“H-Hello...” Ampth looked down at her. 

“C-Callie asked me to c-check on you. I-I’m Agent 8...”

Ampth took a moment 

“Ah.. I’m fine now, thank you.” He walked out, Agent 8 backed up letting him though 

“S-Sorry, just, you’re a lot larger then I thought” Ampth looked at her 

“Its fine,” She walks away 

“I’ll b-be returning to Captain Cuttlefish and agent 3, N-Now...” She leaves 

“What a shaky kid... Why was she so afraid of me?” Ampth began to make his way to the stairs. Time has began moving for him once more.....

After a 20 minute drive he comes to the hospital Cyn is in. Entering her room seeing her in a deep asleep. 

“Mrs. Lockfin....” He said to himself. 

“I’m sorry.. I failed you once.. I’ll make it up to you, I’ll bring them home to you... I promise...” Molly walked up behind him 

“Making a promise Octavio-boy?” Ampth closed his eyes 

“Yeah....” Molly nodded 

“Just a reminder, none of this is your fault. We all didn’t notice the signs...We got so use to the nice quiet life, that we weren’t ready for something like this” She stated.

She walked him out 

“Cyn’s heart was already heavy after Cecil’s death, but this... Her drive to live is gone... I don’t think we’ll be able to reach her without Cell and Mercury....” Molly said. Ampth looked at her 

“Cameron is in the other room. Fellas got some serious fight in him for someone so soft. His Toxin took down about 4 of em.” Molly directed Ampth to Cameron’s hospital room.. 

“His family is just as angry as he is in there right now.... His sister’s got a serious mouth on her.....” Molly said.

Ampth looked at her 

“Not sure if I can face him.. I’m the one that put him in that situation.... “ Molly looked at him 

“I told ya, it an’t your fault.. You should at least make an effort to at least visit him as some point.....” She Stated 

 “I’m gonna stay here, to make sure she doesn’t try offing herself and to force feed her too... Ya shouldn’t keep Those Squid Sisters waiting any longer...”  Ampth nodded in agreement 

“Y-Yeah.. Let me know if anything changes, Molly...” He begins to make his was to the exit. Hoping that Callie and Marie can point them in the direction.

[outlawshootist]

How did you lose your arm, McCree?

   He watches the other members of his team with a calculated gaze. Sanchez was fine, he came from a military background, Navy Seal. The man boasted eating nails for breakfast and Jesse is inclined to believe the chain-smoker. Even now, cuffed like the rest of them, he’s watching all exits and looking for a way out. Jesse was only too happy to have the man on his team, watching their backs.

   The Hirayama twins were a little more worse for wear, Jun sporting a pretty nasty broken nose and Kiyoshi’s left eye had swollen shut beneath a garish black and blue bruise. They’d been the first to try and get the small team out of the shit they’d fallen into and they’d gotten the snot beat out of them for it. It was only at Jesse’s command to stand down that the two of them gave in. Tail between their legs, they huddled together, more pissed than anything.

   And then there was Alpha Team’s last member, Penny. She was unharmed so far, thanks to the combined efforts of the team. The moment someone had dared put their hands on his sniper, Jesse had surged forward and bit the asshole’s ear off and, in not so nice terms, explained what would happen if they did it again. It hadn’t happened since.

   “What now, boss?”

  He’s looking back at Sanchez as the older man speaks and the team turns to him for leadership, something he didn’t think he’d ever get used to. He shifted and let out a long breath.

   “They’ll be makin’ demands soon. I think we’ve been here, what, five hours with nothin’?”

   “Five hours and six minutes.”

   “Right, thanks Jun. Anyhow, Jefe will be pullin’ shit t’gether by now, prolly sendin’ in Genji t’scope it out. Find us. I say we sit tight an’ wait’n see. If;n they ain’ done nuthin’ yet, then they’re prolly bluffin’.”

–

   They weren’t.

   Seven hours in and the first demands were made. Overwatch secrets and they’d get to leave. No one, predictably, spoke so they broke Sanchez’s arm.

   Another hour and this time they demanded names. They left with three of Kiyoshi’s teeth.

   Four more times the lackeys came and demanded some kind of Overwatch secret or information or name and four more times they’d left him and his team with broken bones and bruises.

   “ Ya’ll okay?” he choked out, trying to breathe as gently as possible. The last boot to his chest had broken a rib, maybe two, and he didn’t want to risk a punctured lung and the pain was shit as it was. He received a few groans in response and that was good enough for him. They were making noise, that meant they were alive. That was good. ‘C’mon Genj, where are ya?’

–

   When the door next opened someone else they hadn’t seen walked in with the two lackeys who had been part of the trio that had done the most damage. They weren’t playing anymore. This one looked like he had more clout, more importance than the ones they’d met up until then. Jesse had learned enough from Reyes to know when a situation shifted into new territory. It just had.

   “Gentlemen,” A snort from Penny, “And lady, I think we’ve all finished with the games, haven’t we?”

   “Shit son! I thought ya’d never let us go!” Jesse crowed.

‘Always keep the attention off the team,’ Reyes’ voice echoed in his head, ‘ Expand, take up the room, make yourself so big they become invisible.’

   “Churros on me t’night! Yay tequila!” What he wouldn’t do for a good, hard sip right about now.

   “I believe you’ve misunderstood me, Gunslinger. You will not be going anywhere,” the new one said, bringing a metal arm up to stare at his fingertips.

   “Shit, really? Ya playin’ with us now, doc. Ya are a doc, righ’? I mean, lab coat an’ all.”

   “Somebody shut him up, for god’s sake.”

   The fist to his cheek, though he saw it coming, jarred his jaw and made his vision blank with fireworks. He saw Sanchez move and shook his head imperceptibly

   “Gotta mean right hook there fella. Y’hitcher wife with them meaty mitts?”

   Another hit. This one ringing with Gabe’s voice.

‘Keep their attention, mijo. Annoy the hell out of them. Pause them for as long as you  can to give your rescue time to mobilize.’

   “Jesus, he has a mouth on him, stupid punk.”

   “ENOUGH. Let us keep this simple. Give me information and keep your limbs,” The doctor finally snapped, on the edge of angry and annoyed, a dangerous place for their captor to be. It made the situation more volatile, less likely to go the way Jesse was steering it.

   “Oh c’mon now doc, that’s cliche villain talk. Y’don’ want us t’think yer a joke now, yeah?”

   “Your blond team made is very pretty, Gunslinger. Don’t you think so, Donovan?”

   ‘Donovan’ grinned and grabbed between his legs, chuckling as he eyed Penny up. She tried to press back into the twins, nearly hissing like a cat at the asshole.

   Jesse immediately dropped the funny man act, eyes sharpening, break calming and mouth thinning into an almost snarl. He could see Sanchez watching him carefully for any signal to move. He knew that look. Jesse had learned enough from Reyes to be able to copy it.

   “Y’remember yer buddy, Donovan? Donny? Big burly bitch, missin’ his ear? Mighty tasty, that was. Remember what I tol’ him after I ripped it off? Still stands, compadre.”

   Donovan paled and stepped back into line with the other burly chucklefuck, Reyes in the back of his head again. ‘ and when the jokes fail? When they get serious and things steer clear of your intended path? When they get ugly? YOU get ugly, Jesse. Show them YOU’RE a threat, show them who you are.’

   “So you’re the brute who maimed Lesnitsky? Is that what they’re teaching Overwatch agent now? Cannibalism?”

   “Hardly. But it’s mighty fittin’, eh? Reyes had to teach someone the tricks of th’trade, who better’n his second in command. Did I do a good job? Y’know, report card home t’th’boss?”

   And just like that, there it was. That was just enough information to send all attention on him, rendering his team nearly invisible. Good. Good.

   “Gabriel Reyes’ second, hmm? What an HONOR to meet you then! Why, had I known sooner, I’d have given you the proper welcome, given your station.”

   “Penthouse suite and Patron?”

   The doctor smiled at the humorless joke, all sickly sweet and perfectly white teeth. There was a reason Reyes had warned him about using rank. He had a lot of enemies, which meant Jesse had a lot of enemies.

   “Oh, I had something much MORE fun in mind. Donovan, Verity, hold him down if you would.”

   Jesse struggled as the two burly bodyguards uncuffed and held him down, arms spread. His team started protesting, yelling and being held back by the faceless lackeys against the wall with their guns and batons. 

   “S’okay guys! We’re gonna have fun! Don’chu worry none.”

   Keep silent. Please. Don’t get hurt too. Silent. Stay invisible.

   To say he expected some dropped trow and a sore ass was an understatement. It was the usual MO when the villain in the story had two large ass tweedlefucks to do his bidding. He’d witnessed it enough… witnessed it first hand in Deadlock. They hadn’t been nice in any sense of the word and Jesse had been young and PRETTY. And now? If he could keep the tweedle-dipshits focused on him instead of Penny and the twins?

He was a captain. THEIR captain. This was his job, he had to do–

   “Whatcha got there… doc?”

   “Oh it’s nothing much, Gunslinger. Just a small payback, you see. Reyes owes me an arm, and he’s become increasingly hard to contact.”

   He’s approaching Jesse with that nasty looking bone saw. Too many nights watching gory horror movies and Jesse knew exactly what that tool was for. His fear levels rise, his chest feels like it’s about to be torn open with the beating of his heart. He starts to struggle.

   “I suppose, since he’s not so forthcoming with his presence, I’ll just have to take yours. PAYMENT, you understand. A simple transaction.”

   His heart leaps into his throat with fear, his already painful chest hurts more with it’s pounding and he finds he can’t breathe, can’t focus. His team’s protests renew, they start yelling, struggling.

   “Hold him DOWN, gentlemen.”

   What follows is something that he’s unable to describe later in life other than as the most excruciating pain he’s ever had to endure. Each heave and ho of the saw sent white-hot pain to his fingertips, to his heart and his brain. His nerves scream in protest as the sharp teeth of the tool slice into flesh, muscle, and bone. He chokes on screams that tear from his throat, blinks through tears of pain until he passes out, only to be brought back with those fucking smelling salts and the pain starts again and again. It only stops when his arm falls to his side with a wet squelch and plop.

   He finds himself looking, eyes wide, to the limb laying in the pool of blood. He’s mortified, watching like a train wreck as his fingers twitch. He can still feel it! He can bend his elbow! He CAN!

   “Uncuff them and give them something to wrap it with. I want to send a message, not a dead body.”

   A blur, it’s all a blur as they were left alone, he and his team. They crawl to him, lift him. Penny is brushing his hair back as Sanchez takes off his belt and tightens it at the end of the stump. Jesse screams in pain again, writhes in her lap when he does. It’s a blur, blur, blur. Pain. Nausea. Pain, PAIN, pain, PAIN.

   He blanks, wakes, blanks again and Genji is there, eyes wide, fearful, angry… red. 

   More darkness, swimming shadows, shimmering voices.

   “Jesse, WHERE’S Jesse!?”

   Gunshots. Voices, pain, pain. His fingers hurt. They’re twitching. He’s sure he can feel them.

   “In here, Reyes!” 

   “Shit, those fuckers.”

   “Gabriel, QUICKLY!”

   Oh, boss was there. Good, good, he did GOOD. Boss, he did GOOD.

   “What the he– JESSE!”

   He can vaguely see a Gabe shaped blur kneel over him in the red that swims in his vision. He’s all shaky concern, steady hands.

   “Gabi–”

   “Shh, Mijo-”

   “Did good. Stopped em. Didn’ t’ch… Penny.”

   “Shh, Jesse, c’mon, s’ok– Get Angela!”

   “Took m’arm boos.. bu’ did goo; d’goo….”  

   “He’s going into shock! Get Angela NOW. hurry, call transport–JESSE. Jess, c’mon Jesse, stay with me kid,C’MON.”

   “M’tire’, fin’ers hur’, t’k m’han’… th’hur’… did gooooo..”

   “That’s right Jesse, that’s right, you did GOOD. You did good quickshot… you did good…”

[wavemaker9]

i’m late again for Day 3: Childhood but in my defense i think i rewrote this about 10 times since this afternoon before settling on a direction to roll with it. 

Title: A Big Kid Characters: Australia(Kyle), Belgium(Camille)

Camille picks up a set of hats, lifting each up to look over before lowering it and returning her attention back to the other one. There are a lot of noises, people talking, kids shouting, babies laughing and crying, and she wishes for a bit more silence to make her attempt at comparing easier, but it’s been no different at any other time during the day in this zoo, so why should she be surprised now?

“What do you thin-?” she starts to ask, turning to look to Kyle over her shoulder, but stopping and raising an eyebrow when he sharply sucks his tongue back into his mouth and drops his hands to his sides, flashing a bright grin at her. “What… what were you doing?”

He shrugs and shakes his head, waving off the question with a simple. “Nothing; don’t worry ‘bout it. What did you need?” He leans in a bit to look at what’s in her hands. “The hats?”

She nods, holding them up slightly for him to see better. “I like the pinkish red color more and the bear on it is cute, but the blue has the most adorable penguin on it and I don’t know which to get.”

Kyle glances up and over her shoulder, trying to hide a grin, before his eyes fall back on her face. “Get ‘im both. I’ll buy, but who gives a shit? If you like ‘em, get ‘em.” He shrugs carelessly, turning to look at the hats himself, picking up a gray one with an alligator on it, but putting it back after a moment. His eyes skim the options again, then up, over, and back to Cami. “Though, I’m kinda surprised you wouldn’t want that purple one with the big cat over there.” She follows the direction of his hand as he gestures to the next rack over, where a hat matching the description sits on the shelf. It’s the only one of its kind there, the only hat at all sitting there, so it looks more like it was set there by another person in the gift shop who decided against it last minute.

“Oh, that one’s so cute! Hold on!” She turns and starts to set the other two hats down, before stopping and considering them again. After a moment, she declares, “I’m getting these, too,” and turns to hand them over for Kyle to hold. However, she stops again when she catches him swiftly turning his attention back to her. She could have sworn she saw his eyes crossed, his cheeks puffed out, but he just grins at her like there’s nothing wrong.

She thins her eyes at him, but says nothing, instead finishing handing the items over and then rushing back to the stray hat. She tries it on her head, finding a mirror nearby to see how it looks, and the brightest smile falls to her face when it seems perfect. She glances in the reflection to where Kyle stands, planning to tell him she’s going to buy this one, too, but frowns when she sees he’s got his hands, still holding the hats, up by his face, waving them around while making a goofy expression. She spins on the spot, frowning at the other. “Kyle, are you making faces behind my back?”

He looks back to her, surprised, but still not really seeming guilty. He processed her words, then grins and shrugs. “Kin-da? Behind your back, but not at you,” he offers, before gesturing for her to come stand to his side. “C’mere.”

She listens, moving to where he gestures and then turning back in the direction he’s facing. Immediately she sees what he was doing, spotting a baby held to their parent’s chest, face just popping up over a shoulder.

“Watch this,” Kyle says to her, before looking at the tot for a moment and then striking a dumb face, eyes crossing and tongue sticking out. It takes a second, but the baby babbles out a bout of laughter once it recognizes the silly look. Kyle rights his expression, spares a quick, “They love it,” before making another strange face for the baby to giggle at again.

Camille playfully bats at his arm, a scolding gesture in name only. “You big kid,” she teases, before reaching to pull the hats from his hands and head to the cashier.

He laughs and follows after her, wrapping his arms around her to pull her into a hug, before moving his hands up to grab at her cheeks, tugging to pull them out a bit. “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he shoots back, before he leans his head forward. His hand moves away just long enough for him to press a kiss to her cheek that then turns into blowing a raspberry against the skin. She squeals in surprise, but scolds him through laughter until he just settles to hug her before letting go.

They turn and start towards the cashier, but Kyle suddenly reaches out, grabbing for Camille’s arm to stop her. She glances to him, confused, but he just nods towards the open door by the checkout counter. There’s a young boy standing nearby the front outside, looking around with a seemingly growing sense of concern. “Kid looks bit too worried, doncha think?” he asks, and Camille looks the boy over for barely a moment before agreeing. “Y’wanna go check out your things? I can go see if he’s alright.”

“Hold on,” she simply says in response, pulling her arm free and lifting the hand to show a single finger to the southern Nation. She crosses to the counter, sparing just a couple moments to ask the cashier to hold their items for a moment, please. The request is accepted easily, and Camille turns back to Kyle with a smile and a nod in the door’s direction. She starts out and he sets into a light jog to catch up, pressing another quick kiss to her cheek and complimenting her on the idea.

Camille’s pretty confident about her ability to handle children. It’s all about being sweet and tender, striving to be understanding and caring. She can be firm when needed, but it’s important to start out gently and with a big smile. Kyle gets one of those right.

Just as they approach the kid, as she opens her mouth to speak up and ask if the young boy is alright, Kyle steps up next to the kid, grinning widely and nudging the boy’s shoulder with his elbow to get his attention. “Oi, look like you’re looking for something. Need any help?” He glances around, checking for any obvious signs in the area of where the kid should actually be, but he can’t see anything. “Lost mum or something?”

The kid shows an uncertain frown up at him, before admitting, “No, uh- I kinda lost my class. The tour guide fella was talking to us ‘bout some of the monkeys and… I was worried I wouldn’t get to see the giraffes before we had to go-.”

Kyle laughs, reaching out to lightly pat the kid on the back. “But now ya can’t find your way back. Ha, I know how that feels. I was kinda a troublemaker as a kid m’self. Ran out on more lessons from my teachers than I attended.”

The boy’s expression seems to brighten a bit at the story of solidarity. “Really?”

“Oh yeah, fuc-.” Camille elbows Kyle hard, making him jump slightly and yelp. The young boy laughs, but the young nation looks at her, startled and confused. “What?” he starts to ask, before shaking his head and continuing. “Heaps’a times, though. I got punished so much as a kid for skipping out on lectures. Which like, if they wanted me to stay, they shoulda made it interesting, but-.” He feels the elbow hit his side again and nearly stumbles to try sidestepping it. “What!? I didn’t even say ‘fuck’ that time!” he practically hisses out in frustration, before adding, muttered under his breath, “It ain’t even considered swearing anymore. It’s fine.”

The kid is snickering almost uncontrollably now, so Camille waits a moment or so before leaning down slightly to insist that Kyle isn’t implying that’s good behavior to keep doing. “Your teacher knows what you need to know-.”

“Sometimes.”

“Kyle.”

When Camille shoots a look over her shoulder at him, the older Aussie puts his hands up in defense. “Fine, fine,” he mutters before turning back to the kid. “She’s right. Now you just missed out on the monkey info and probably a lotta other cool animal facts, too. And now you’re all worried about missing your ride home and getting in trouble, instead’a just missing the giraffes.”

The kid grumbles but, with a little prompting from both of them, agrees that maybe it was a mistake and he shouldn’t have done it. With that, Kyle drops slightly, crouching in a smooth motion so he’s eye level with the other. “Okay, kiddo, we’re gonna help you get back to your class then. Y’wanna tell me your name? Or any name, really. Can make one up. I ain’t picky,” he adds with a shrug. “‘Less you want me to keep calling you ‘kiddo’ this whole time.”

The boy hesitates, considering the request, before offering up the name ‘Pete’. Both nations can tell in the way the boy gives it that it’s not his actual name, but Kyle accepts it as if it is when he continues speaking. “Right! Pete! Well, I’m Kyle, this is Cami.” He lifts a finger and gestures to a building across the way. “Y’see that building, Pete?”

Pete turns to look, nodding, but then asking what it’s for. Camille is already following Kyle’s logic, recognizing it as well. She explains that’s the building helps with services for visitors, that one of those services should be to put out an announcement that he was separated from his class and needs someone to come get him.

“What?” Pete immediately shoots back in a whine. “But- but if they know I left- Mr. King and Kim’s mum’re gonna be so mad!”

Camille gives a somewhat sympathetic frown, understanding why he would not exactly be thrilled about such a situation, but pointing out, “It’ll be the easiest way to get back with the group, and maybe that way it’ll help remind you why not to try something like this again.”

Kyle seems to shrug, less careless and more understanding, yet accepting. He offers the additional silver lining of, “‘Sides, i mean, we can try to track them down so you can slide back in, but the longer you’re gone, the more you’ll miss and the more likely they’ll notice you’re missing. Plus, this way, you can say you just got split from the group and came to get help finding them right away. Mr. King can’t be too mad about that, can he?”

The kid already seems to know there’s not a better option, but he still makes an exaggerated pout and a large show of resigning to his fate when he starts towards the building. Camille and Kyle both share a look immediately; neither seem to take the reaction with too much weight, both wordlessly just telling the other, ‘Adorable.’

They follow after him, helping him put in the call and acting very shocked when he reveals his name is actually Mike and that Pete is his little brother’s name instead. They wait with him there for his teacher or chaperone to show. Camille isn’t exactly thrilled when the conversation falls back to Kyle telling stories of when he was younger, sneaking away from his own teachers and getting up to all sorts of mischief, but it keeps Pete- now Mike- interested and helps to pass the time. And honestly, it’s not like she doesn’t have a story or two herself of going against the rules as a child. She just thinks it’s not best to brag about them to any current children.

The pair are thanked for helping when someone finally arrives to pick Mike up and bring him back to the rest of the class. More importantly, though, Mike makes sure to hug each of them in thanks, both returning it warmly.

“You be good!” Kyle calls after him as they all exit the building, turning back to Camille as the two groups split. “Nice kid,” he says with an easy smile, before reaching to slide his arm around Camille’s waist as they return to their previous focus.

The northern nation nods, agreeing with the declaration as they start back towards the gift shop. A couple seconds pass before she leans her head against Kyle’s shoulder, noting, “You know, I didn’t realize you were so good with kids.”

Kyle smiles down at her, a little surprised but largely pleased at the compliment. He hides it, though, classic irony slipping into his response instead. “Yeah, helps when you’re still one yourself-.” When he’s told she’s being serious, he counters he is too. “I just talked to him like how I wanted to be talked to at that age. Honestly? I skipped a lotta lessons cause I was bored, yeah, but also cause most of my teachers were kinda dicks. I was this dumb prison colony they were put in charge of keeping out of trouble and trying to ‘civilize’ or whatever. It was on the good days they just treated me like a child.”

Camille frowns, reaching to take Kyle’s hand and squeeze it. He squeezes back, leaning over to kiss the side of her temple, but shrugs off the sympathy of the action, admitting he knows it’s nothing special. That he’s sure her childhood had its own rough points- that pretty much most if not all of their kind has.

“I coulda had it a lot worse, I get that. But I also get how just talking to a kid like they’re just a regular person usually makes them like you more- or how being played along with when you’re younger can bring a smile to even a baby’s face.” Kyle shrugs again, before adding that he’s also had a good deal of practice with different micronations over the years. “I mean,” he adds after another second, “you were good, too. Think it’s just surprising for me ‘cause I ain’t a fucking sweetheart like you. You’re super kind to everyone. Not to mention, ‘course you’d be good at dealing with kids,” Kyle begins, before wrapping the other hand around Camille’s waist again, pulling her close into another hug as he presses his lips to her cheek and blows a raspberry against the skin once more. “You deal with me all the time!”

Camille squeaks in laughter again, rolling in the grip until she can spin around to hug him from behind instead. She rubs her cheek against the back of his shirt, cleaning the spot off. She’s still laughing though when she playfully says, “Stop, you big kid. We gotta buy our stuff!”

Kyle laughs, too, looking back over his shoulder to get the closest he can to having a good look at her. “Y’say that like it’s a bad thing,” he repeats, but seems to agree, starting to walk forward.

He stops when he feels Camille release her hold on him, only to jump up onto tip-toes and wrap her arms around his shoulders instead. Her breath is at his ear for exactly a moment before she counters, “Mmmm, no, I don’t!” She pops her pointer finger into her mouth and then right to his ear before he can react. She breaks out into a fit of snickers when he cries out in surprise, letting go of him with a quick, “Gotcha!” before racing inside the shop.

[ohgodsnowwhat]

Fantasy in Metal

Yes; I am posting my first fanfic after my second fanfic. I'm a rebel like that. I have also come to the conclusion that I suck at endings, which may be why I don't always finish what I start. Oh well. Please feel free to offer concrit. I'm not used to writing stuff that isn't one-on-one smut. Thanks to @neko-otaku13 for her encouragment on this!

The light had returned to Lucis – to all of Eos, for that matter. King Noctis and Lady Lunafreya, the Oracle, had passed over into the realm of much-deserved happily-ever-afterlife.

Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis, however….

Look, not even Astrals are perfect. Clerical errors happen.

****

“What do you mean, they’ve been reincarnated into another universe?” thundered Bahamut at the little fennec fox. “For their service, they should have been transported to the same region as King Noctis and Lady Luna!”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine; those guys always manage. Nothing to be too concerned about, but when their time is up here maybe, um, you can take a more personal interest to see that they get to the right place? I was supervising the moogles in charge of reassignment, and with the chocobos on strike there were some issues getting everyone to the office. We are lucky that there aren’t more souls floating around in Limbo!” Carbuncle looked up at the Draconian Astral, gulped nervously and said, “But of course I will supervise their next reassignment myself.”

“If they had been born into their new roles it wouldn’t be so bad,” offered Shiva, “but they have been, well, stuffed into pre-existing personas! This is a DISASTER!”

“At least they will be worshipped as gods in that realm,” put in Ramuh.

Titan sighed and poured himself another whiskey-and-soda.

****

Charles Offdensen pushed up his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. He had been going over the band’s financial statements when he was hit with the idea for a new recipe. This was odd because he didn’t cook; Jean-Pierre was more than adequate to fulfill his nutritional needs. “I must be working too hard,” he thought; when he was interrupted by another thought, this one in a more refined tone of voice: “Nonsense! It is a duty and privilege to serve one’s liege! And furthermore… One moment, where am I?”

****

Nathan Explosion was busy, working on the 67th of his hundred beers and putting the final touches on “Go Forth and Die”. Except… those weren’t the words he originally wrote, were they?

Trapped inside a crystal Ten long years Hiding from the world Forgotten by your peers

“Huh,” he growled, “sounds more like the plot of a video game. Well, these beers aren’t gonna drink themselves. New song idea: Self-drinking beer.”

****

Toki Wartooth was in his room, happily working on his model planes when a little voice in his head told him that he should see if there were any new pupper videos. Toki was okay with this, and hummed happily to himself as he flipped on YouTube. After about a half hour, the voice asked about video games, to which Toki replied, “We amsk gots a room full of video games! Is you my new friends in my heads, little voice? Is yous gots a names?” “Well,” the voice answered back, “I’m Prompto, but where am I and how did I get here?” “I don’tsk knows Promptos but let’s go play DDR! Yous is Toki’s friends now!”

****

Pickles noticed that there seemed to be something a little off about his manager and bandmates. Nathan was doing a lot more reading than drinking; although he still churned out songs unnaturally fast, now they were more about crystals, lost kings, and something called “chocobos”. The latter made Toki ecstatic and he would go on for hours about them. This was puzzling as Toki was known to have had an austere and abusive childhood, and whatever these “chocobos” were, Pickles was sure they weren’t native to Norway. Skwisgaar, as self-centered as he was, had mentioned that to Pickles. Sweden was practically Norway anyway, but Pickles knew if he said that, the blond guitar-slinger would retreat to his room for a week to get over his sulk with the assistance of various GMILFs. Normally that wouldn’t bother Offdensen, as he didn’t have to worry about paying for abortions or child support (Skwisgaar was SO. MUCH. CHEAPER in that regard than the rest of the band), but Pickles had noticed that Offdensen was now more prone to lecture the band about personal responsibility, hygiene, and the need to be cost-efficient. Well, he WAS their CFO, but he hadn’t minded before… Were they in financial trouble? Even countries went belly-up from time to time, and Dethklok’s income when ranked beside the GNP of other countries was at a healthy and respectable 7, so maybe…?

Pickles decided then and there to visit Charles Foster Offdensen in his office.

****

Murderface didn’t care. He drank another beer, belched, and scratched his belly over the “Pobody’s Nerfect” tattoo. That had been some night when he got that – too bad, he thought, that he didn’t remember it.

****

“Yo, Robot!” exclaimed Pickles as he burst into Offdensen’s office. “I been meanin’ to talk to you about how you’ve been acting lately and-” He came to a sudden stop as he took in Toki and Nathan already seated across from their manager, heads close together conspiratorially. “What is this? I know something has been going on, but this better not be fucking with our bread and butter here.”

“Ah, yes… Pickles…maybe it is time to explain,” came the odd cultured voice that had been emanating as of late from Offdensen. “From my observations, I believe you would have a better grasp of the situation than, say, Mr. Skwigelf or Mr. Murderface.”

“Yes, that is true,” came the more typical Offdensen voice. “Pickles does have a greater intellect than he lets on, despite the mass quantity of chemical substances he indulges with.”

Pickles was taken a bit aback and tried to recover as best he can. “This better not be some touchy-feely type of intervention, ya douchebags. Because that is so not metal.”

****

“Ignis”, as the cultured voice called itself, launched into an epic tale of kingdoms lost, love lost, Hell even daylight lost; lots of attacks from every angle, deep and mysterious dungeons filled with monsters and demons beyond imagination, and eventual redemption at the price of a blood sacrifice. When it came to drug-induced imaginings, no one – hands down – could come close to Pickles, which is what finally made Pickles realize that he was being told the truth. It also accounted for, he thought, a greater element of story-telling in Nathan’s lyrics recently (although he could do without the gothic romance stuff – so not metal).

The “Gladio” voice that resided in Nathan chimed in… well, more like “contra-bassooned” in - with “It’s not all bad; I think this could be fun for a bit. I’ve always liked writing poetry and I feel I am good at this songwriting. Not entirely sure what you and your resident blondie mean by “metal” but I’m sure I’ll pick it up. And women! And beer! I don’t have to stay sober and celibate all the damn time to watch over everyone else’s dumb asses!”

Toki’s resident “Prompto” piped up, “Yeah! It would be like totally cool to be rock stars! I…” and here the sunshine voice faltered and whispered, “I just wish Noct was here with us.”

The tone was so heartbreaking that even Pickles wanted to comfort Toki, much like Nathan and Offdensen were doing, even though he knew it was really the three specters within his friends that were engaged in a cuddlefest at the moment.

After a while, Pickles grew visibly uncomfortable at the snuggly intimacy before him. He cleared his throat. “Um, hey… so…like… Is there anything we can do to get you back to where you belong?”

Offdensen qua Offdensen shook himself loose from the huddle and said “Well, if Ishnifus were still with us, he would probably be able to help. I am the new High Holy Priest, but not all avenues are open to me yet. Right now, though, the only person who could possibly assist is the one person we are absolutely unable to turn to for help. Nathan, Toki – I am referring to Mr. Salacia. “

“You means the big creepy fella?” asked Toki. “The ones who tried to haves us killed?”

Nathan perked up. “Yeah, that guy is bad news. Probably at least as bad as if not worse than that Ardyn fellow you were telling us about.”

Here is where Pickles felt he could shine. “I have a better idea – Nathan, remember that tribe you are related to in South America? Honey Mangoes or something like that?”

“Yaneemango. Chief Otoe is my grandfather, but yeah, why – Oh. Yopo. That released our spirit animal forms, but – “

Here the “Ignis” voice jumped in. “What? That may be the answer. How can we best achieve this? I have noticed geography is vastly different than what we are used to, but I believe we can make it there from this Mordhaus of yours in a matter of 4 days, including stops for curatives and provisions. Prompto, Gladio, we must confer with our host bodies as it will be them bearing any physical discomfort caused by this experiment.”

Nathan qua Nathan softly growls “Close your eyes and become the animals that you once were… Yeah, I’m down for this. It was cool becoming an alligator. But we have to bring Murderface and Skwisgaar – you too, Pickles.”

“Like I would turn down a chance to be an octopus again? I could play drums and guitar at the same time.”

****

Ignis had no problems with traversing a rainforest. Neither did his fellow Crownsguard really; Prompto just liked to complain about his feet hurting and question if they were there yet with a whine in his voice. Quite the trouper, he was. But despite sharing hotel rooms and tents around Eos and being accustomed to the sight of each other’s bodies, at least while they had corporeal bodies, nothing could have prepared Ignis for Murderface splayed out on deck completely nude. It was a small relief that rest of the band felt the same way, since the retching noises did nothing to deter the bass player from sprawling naked on a lounge chair while reverentially whispering “Ah, freeballing”. Ignis supposed he should be grateful the man refrained from urinating over the side of the boat, after it was relayed to him by Skwisgaar how a fish called a “Candiru” managed to lodge itself in Murderface’s urethra the last time they made this journey. While Ignis respected Skwisgaar’s talent, he had a limited tolerance for the man, as aspects of his personality were too similar to Loqi Tummelt for his taste. He felt that in Charles Foster Offdensen, he found a kindred spirit. They would often have silent conversations about the importance of lighting, and what separates the good lamps from the cheap lamps.

Gladio-within-Nathan thought this was a fine adventure; very few critters were trying to kill him, and the resident large, spotted cats kept to themselves and didn’t throw lightning bolts with the wrath of Ramuh at him. He was also silently communing with Nathan, and wishing he could stay a little longer – beer, booze, women, fame, money, lack of people trying to murder you just for being associated with royalty – yeah, a guy could definitely get used to this.

Prompto liked Toki and could relate to the child-like nature of his host body; they had much in common. Animals, video games, models of aircraft (even though what Toki worked on was nothing like the aircraft Prompto was familiar with), not to mention a brutal and lonely childhood – Toki, much like Prompto himself, often exhibited a warm and cheerful exterior to hide the small, scared child inside. At least Toki had parents, but Prompto reflected that maybe having no parents was better than having parents that were outright cold and abusive. That clown, though… Prompto admitted to himself that Dr. Rockzo was on the creepy side, even for a clown; and that was saying something.

Offdensen genuinely liked and respected his spirit resident; he wished he had an army of Ignises around. He just wanted his body back with himself as the sole occupant.

Nathan thought Gladio was a bit of a tyrant with his extensive exercise regimen, but Nathan could appreciate the results in himself. For one thing, it extended the time he could go between liver transplants; for another, it gave him new perspectives and topics for writing songs. “Battle Coeurl” had gone quadruple platinum overnight! Dick Knubbler had practically came in his boxers when he heard that, and Abigail…. Nathan smiled slightly at the memory of Abigail practically dragging him to the floor for that one.

Toki was happy to have a new friend that liked the same things he did and could relate to a bad childhood. He felt sad at the prospect of losing Prompto, but he was excited to see if he would become a shamanistic bunny again.

Skwisgaar Skwigelf was completely unaware that anything had changed with either the robot or his bandmates. He continued running scales and arpeggios on his custom Thunderhorse and gloating to himself over how superior it was to Toki’s Snow Falcon. He experienced mild disappointment when Toki didn’t play “Stops Copies Me” at the gear library, something Pickles called “sporting goods store, ya douchebag – and now my blood sugar’s low again.”

Pickles was at a bit of a loss. He kind of wanted to have a spirit buddy to talk with, but at the same time he didn’t think he was ready for that kind of intimacy. He was actually pleased; he had been looking for a reason to go back down for another dose of Yopo, but it would have been awkward dropping in on his bandmate’s relatives without Nathan in tow. If he’s gonna die, might as well die high!

Murderface napped, occasionally belching and scratching himself in awkward places in his sleep. He was looking forward to being a white tiger again; as a bass player he didn’t get a lot of respect, but as a tiger? Wow! No one would dare turn a tiger down in the mix, or have the lead guitar player (that damn Skwisgaar!) record new notes over a tiger’s bass leads!

****

Both Offdensen and Ignis thought having hordes of Klokateers drag their boat over a mountain and through the jungle was a bit excessive, but not a single member of Dethklok showed any inclination of making the final trek under their own power. Gladio was fuming and silently berating Nathan for this lack of industry, and Prompto and Toki were too caught up in playing “I Spy” to pay attention.

They knew they had reached their destination when they found themselves surrounded by spears, which were lowered as the Yaneemango tribe recognized the faces on the mountain. Offdensen found he was able communicate their issues to the shaman, having briefly studied the tribe’s language after the last time the band ran off to experience Yopo. The shaman had recognized quickly that there were foreign spirits residing within, and agreed to perform the Yopo ceremony to attempt to free them.

****

“BOSS!” yelled a moogle to Carbuncle, “You gotta come here, Kupo! This realm where Noct’s entourage ended up is going to try to separate their souls, Kupo!”

Carbuncle scurried to the moogle viewing device as fast as his four furry feet could carry him. “Quick! Patch me through to Bahamut!” The communication device crackled to life. “This had better be important,” came the deep voice over the speaker. “Sir! The primitives are going to try separating their souls from their bodies! Can you please lend your assistance?”

In less than the time it took to blink an eye, Bahamut was in the control room. He didn’t feel there was anything he could do, but it would let the moogles feel as though everything was in order. He wondered for a moment if it was blasphemous on some level for an Astral to pray.

****

The fires were lit, the chanting had begun. The shaman blew Yopo into the faces of Dethklok and their manager/CFO/legal advisor/High Holy Priest of the Church of the Black Klok. From their bodies rose the form of a hawk (Skwisgaar), white tiger (Murderface), octopus (Pickles)… and instead of an alligator and a rabbit from Nathan and Toki, there were the ghostly figures of a mountain of a man with long dark hair, glowing amber eyes, and chiseled abs; a fluffy-headed blond with eyes like a sunny afternoon and a smattering of freckles, and drifting over from Offdensen was the figure of a tall, lean man with glowing green eyes and medium brown hair; although they could see remnants of massive scarring around his eyes, he had the most beautiful smile and he gazed peacefully back. The three linked hands, slowly dissipating into small blue glowing orbs, then a sudden flash of light as –

****

The moogle crew, Carbuncle, and even Bahamut were whooping it up in the control room. It was a success! Souls retrieved and Bahamut made a mental note to add a paycheck bonus for all those involved. Even himself.

****

The three Crownsguard found themselves abruptly in what looked like the throne room of the Citadel, before Niflheim attacked. Prompto was the first to recover, yelling “NOCT!!!!” as he barreled up the stairs and was met by a charging King Noctis, wrapping their arms around each other, swiftly followed by Ignis and Gladio. Tears were shed, and no one spoke – or could speak – for the longest time. There was no need. They were home.

[adambstingus]

20 Times that Total Strangers Saved the Day by Shutting Down Major Creeps

These stories of total strangers selflessly stepping up to save others from major creeps serve as a reminder to all of us that there are good people in this world. But they also remind us that, when someone or something makes us feel uncomfortable, we must speak up.

Many times, this is easier said than done; no one wants to make a scene, overreact, or assume the worst about a person or situation. And while some of these stories star seemingly harmless creepoids of the garden-variety, others feature far more threatening figures.

Besides, who among us can honestly make that sort of distinction prospectively? Sadly, there are many people who never make it home at night to lie in bed and wonder about whether or not they may have overreacted to a certain situation.

And while we’ll never know for sure whether or not the strangers in these stories overreacted, we do know one thing for certain. The people they tried to protect all made it home at the end of the day.

Although they never learned the names the kind strangers who reached out to help them, they’ll never forget their faces. And because they are unable to personally thank their everyday heroes, they pay tribute to their kindness by sharing their stories with us.

They remind us to be careful, to be kind. To always follow our intuition. And when it whispers in our ear that something there just isn’t right, get creative. Screw saving face. Step up. And just maybe save a life.

Here are 20 times that total strangers saved the day by shutting down major creeps and sending them on their way.

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“I tell this story whenever I can, in the hopes that maybe my thanks will find them.”

“I was 17, and this older guy (maybe 50) started talking to me while waiting for a train. All I wanted to do was read my book, but I was too polite to ignore him.

By the time we get on the train, I realize I made a mistake. I could smell the beer on him, and he put his arm around me, heavy as a rock, and kept trying to kiss me. Actually, he did, on my cheek because I turned away.

He followed me through my transfer, even though I tried to lose him. By this point, I am terrified and just waiting to have a signal to call my dad. Well, a few different men noticed my distress, started asking if I was okay.

But I was scared and didn’t want a scene… They were persistent, and finally asked- “do you know him?” I said no, and so they all grabbed/pushed him off the train, loudly making sure everyone knew not to let him back on.

I wish so much I knew who they were, so I could tell them how much it meant to me. I think that’s why I tell this story whenever I can, in the hopes that maybe my thanks will find them, and that it can encourage other people to protect those who look scared.

I’ve had so many bad experiences with random men, but this is always my reminder that “all men” is a fallacy. So to you strangers from years ago, I still thank you.”

 –Aaaaanimaaaaniacs

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“She got him to apologize and buy me a beer, then we hung out.”

“I was at the bar and some burly guy decided to get real aggressive (like trap your princess in the corner aggressive). I am trying to work my way out of the situation when this tiny woman comes over.

All of a sudden she whips out a huge New York attitude, screaming and pushing this guy for talking to her “girlfriend” like that. She got him to apologize and buy me a beer, then we hung out. It was pretty great.”

–UnicornMeatTaco

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“Best bus driver ever.”

“I was coming home from like an indie club on the bus at1 am in my college town. The bus is nearly empty when a get on, with a few people including this one guy who won’t stop staring at me.

As the bus leaves, he asks if I mind if he sits next to me. The bus is nearly empty, so I said I’d mind, I’d like to put my purse there. He sits in front of me, instead.

The entire bus ride, the dude will not stop talking to me. I clearly don’t want to talk, but he keeps talking at me, and asking me about my classes, what I’m into, what I like. I give pretty short, but polite answers, hoping he’ll get the hint.

Nope, he keeps talking and telling me how beautiful I am and how I seem so smart and cool and nice. Made me really uncomfortable, especially since I’m barely answering the dude, so how could he know any of that stuff? I even drop the boyfriend bomb–my beau was home sick–and the dude continues unfazed.

Get to about three stops before mine and the bus takes “a break” where they wait about 10-15 min because they’re running fast on the route. The route sort of doubles back, so I’m pretty close to my apartment. At this point, there’s only one other person on the bus besides me, the dude and the bus driver.

I say, “well, I’m pretty close, I don’t want to wait the fifteen minutes, I’m just getting off here.” Mostly to get away from this creep. But the dude asks if he can stop by my place! “No, no, I’m going to sleep, I’m fine.”

So he says, “oh, I wouldn’t want a pretty girl to walk home alone. I’ll walk you.” HELL. NO. I do NOT want this dude knowing exactly where I live, let alone walking me home.

I was young and terrified of being rude, so I just kept saying, no I’m fine. Just stay here. Please, I’m fine. He’s insisting.

Then the bus driver, who apparently was watching the entire ride yells, “Boy, she said she was fine. If you get off this bus, I swear I’ll call the cops.

Best bus driver ever.”

–OtterPunch

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“Guys took a sip as an invitation.”

“Bartended for years and saw this happen constantly. A weird passive thing guys tried to do was send drinks to women they didn’t know from across the bar.

I always asked if ladies wanted the drink because if I just served it w/o warning, guys took a sip as an invitation.”

[email protected]martin_plural

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“What, you’re boyfriend doesn’t let you have friends?”

“guy: …just one drink me: no thank you

guy: come on it’s just a drink

me: look, I’m sorry I just want to read my book while I wait for my bf

guy: what ur bf doesn’t let you have friends?

random woman: Clara? Hi! *hugs* (whispers) u ok?

women are great”

–@AGlasgowGirl

“I will forever be grateful for that person just watching out for a stranger.”

via: Shutterstock

“One night in college, I was walking home. I was in the nightlife area right by campus, only a couple of blocks from my apartment.

Some guy (30s-ish) asks to bum a cigarette, which then leads to him being all, “So what’s going on tonight beautiful? You busy? You got a boyfriend?”

Me being young and afraid to anger a strange man, I sort of play along, uncomfortable and trying to break away but wanting to play it off naturally.

At one point someone rode past on their bike. They slowed down and stopped about half a block up. They turned around and stared back at us – it was too dark to see their face or who they were, but we could both see that they were there. They stayed like that until the guy left me alone.

… I will forever be grateful for that person just watching out for a stranger.”

–lady_moods

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“I am so thankful for this woman, and it was an incredible moment of recognition for the both of us.”

“Earlier this year I purchased an IKEA side table from some students moving out about 8 blocks away from me. I am very small/weak and was having trouble carrying it all the way but I was determined to get it home all by myself.

About half-way through my journey, a man approaches me on the street and asks me if I need help. I’m already skeptical about this man because I saw him several feet in front of me talking to some obviously bothered teenage girls who looked really uncomfortable and ran away from him.

I said no thanks, I’m good (creep radar is going off and even though I’m having trouble carrying it I do NOT want this fella to know where I live), he keeps walking alongside me and getting angry, saying stuff like “I just want to help a pretty little girl like you to be nice! I’m a gentleman!” And he wouldn’t leave me alone. Adrenaline starts rushing and suddenly the table isn’t so hard to carry anymore. But I can’t shake the creep.

At the other end of the block, I spot an older woman walking her dog. I stare her down, determined to make eye contact. She looks up and we share this look together. We are strangers but she knows whats up, and then she springs into action.

As we walked past her she grabs his attention and says, “HEY! Mister! Do you know any good parks for dogs around here? I’m new in town!” The weirdo is VERY easily distracted and I SPRINT home in the other direction. I am so thankful for this woman, and it was an incredible moment of recognition for the both of us. Girl code!”

–7minutesinheavn

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“I’ll always remember that time he was looking out for me.”

via GIPHY

“We were coming back from a work outing one time at my old job and I had a really bad sinus infection. This guy who was fairly drunk sat next to me on the bus and started hitting on me.

I was pretty unresponsive towards him and was just putting up with it, hoping he would go away. I’m normally pretty good about getting guys to leave me alone but I really wasn’t feeling well and he was my workmate’s brother so I just didn’t have it in me to deal with it at the time.

My boss, who could be a total ass, was sitting in front of me and was apparently listening to what was going on because he turned around and said something like “Buddy- she doesn’t want to talk to you. Leave her alone”.

And the guy grumbled something back to him but he left me alone. So, along with all the negative stuff I might think about that boss, I’ll always remember that time he was looking out for me.”

–GetInHere

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“It is the only time in my life anyone stood up for me.”

“I was 17. This guy catcalled me outside a store. I told him to shut up. He laughed. When I came out the store the guy was gone.

Another man, much older, came up to me and told me he overheard the exchange, and couldn’t stand to see the guy harassing people. So the older man told the first guy to leave or he would call the police.

Now, I’ve been harassed from 14 onwards and it is the only time in my life anyone stood up for me.”

–Robinspeakeasy

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“Did not know him, but was super grateful.”

Hello Dad. GIF from Daughter GIFs

“In line at a concession stand a dude was asking very creepy and forward questions, and just kept trying to converse with me after I told him I didn’t feel like talking.

The muscly guy behind me just tapped me on the shoulder, gave me a look of shock and said, “Anna! Oh my god how long has it been! How ARE you?! Still dating that football player?” and gave me a hug like we were old friends.

Did not know him, but was super grateful.”

–swallowthewhale

“Women know.”

http://bookspoils.tumblr.com/post/158192771613

“I got separated from my friends in a club.

A guy grabbed me to dance and all I had to do was look at a random girl to save me, and she came over and excitedly screamed like we were long lost besties, and got me out of a bad situation.

Women know.”

 –@marissad415

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“He scooped me up and screamed Sis.”

“Had this stalker at a bar. Found the biggest guy who was with a woman. Said, ‘dude is stalking me, pretend you’re my brother.’

He scooped me up and screamed, ‘Sis!’ His girlfriend played along and my ‘brother’ told the dude he needed to pound sand.”

–@lyndajorn2

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#grateful

“Once I was being hit on at work by a persistent older guy in a really fancy department store. It was quiet & I was the only one in my department.

Thankfully a lady came over ‘for help.’ As she paid for her items she said: “you looked like you needed rescuing! ”

– Nariece Sanderson

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“The bathroom attendant saved the day”

“1st year at uni, [a] guy would not leave me alone in a bar. Started with just dancing near me, then dancing on me (shudder) then he’d follow me to the bar, wait outside the bathroom. I was in a big group of people and we didn’t really know each other so I guess they thought I knew this stranger.

So I’m in the bathroom in tears because I’m freaking out a bit. The bathroom attendant sits me down, gives me a lollipop and asks me to describe one of my friends. She finds them and explains what is going on.

When I come out of the bathroom they’re all there and immediately create a human wall, separating this guy from me. He starts kicking off, they begin to walk as a group towards the exit, forcing him towards the bouncers. They quickly kick him out for trying to start a fight.

So the bathroom attendant saved the day (we gave her a great tip to say thank you). From then on, if any of us were receiving unwanted attention we’d text/tell/suggest through interpretive dance ‘lollipop’ and we would protect each other.”

–IvyKingslayer

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“I figured you needed an out.”

“One time my ex was berating me at a bar about getting back together and this dude came up next to me and said “hey can I still get that ride home?” so when my ex stormed off he was like “I don’t need a ride.

I figured you needed an out. Are you okay?” that was the greatest, ever.”

–@meleadawn_

“He was 20 feet away from me but stayed so I would be safe.” 

“I love when people are kind like this. I once was sitting in a bus station late at night and one of the male off-duty bus drivers chilled with me outside in the cold. He was 20 feet away from me but stayed so I would be safe.”

–TokuSwag

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“Luckily the bride had our backs”

“Was invited to a small wedding with exactly three single people; me, my (and the bride’s) BFF, and some guy on the groom’s side who was affectionately dubbed ‘undatable’ by his friends.

About half-way through the reception, I had a sinking thought ‘the bouquet. Oh shit.’ Luckily the bride had our backs and opted out of that little ritual entirely to save me and our friend the awkwardness.’”

–prettypinkdork

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This knight-in-shining-tow-truck went the extra mile.

“I was once rescued by my rescue service when my car broke down on the A3. The driver got out of the truck and said, “I brought my girlfriend with me because I thought you’d be happier if there was another woman with us for the drive back.”

–legionseagle

.

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“10 years later he is her husband.”

“Some dude was bothering this lady once on the train and she was alone so my brother pretended to be her husband and the guy left.

10 years later he is her husband.”

–@JamielPridgen

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“Still proud of myself tbh.”

I was 16 &saw a girl in street avoiding a guy who was following her, she was telling him “I don’t know you’ He was like ‘Let’s have a drink.’

I was super shy but still walked 2 her & said “Here U are!! Where have U been??Everyone was waiting for you!!!” Still proud of myself tbh.”

–The Reading Gal

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/20-times-that-total-strangers-saved-the-day-by-shutting-down-major-creeps/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/180117888527

[fostertoforever]

And now for something different...

This post doesn’t really have anything to do with fostering, but it does have something to do with my life and health. And I use this blog as a way to express my thoughts and feelings about life. Mostly, my life centers around P and Baby C, but I’ve had something else on my mind for almost a year now, and perhaps if I share this story, others can give me some direction, learn from my experience, or sympathize/emphasize with this crazy health situation. I would also like to preface this post by saying there’s a lot of personal stuff in here that the fellas, in particular, may not want to read. Ladies, you’ll be fine, but unless you’re an open minded dude you might wanna sit this one out. Either way, here goes…

I’ve talked before about my infertility and the issues I’ve had with my lady parts. Basically, I’ve been told there’s no eggs in the basket and even if there is, they’re old and chances are, won’t make a baby. Boo. Anyway, this diagnosis creates another issue for me and that, my friends, is early menopause. I’m freakin 35 years old, so that’s a lot to digest. I’m 5 years into this diagnosis too, as I was told when I was just 30 years old. Since then, I have gone through hell in the female department. Without actually being pregnant, going through labor, and giving birth, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve served my sentence in the hellacious female issue department. My periods were so bad I sent myself right into anemia. I felt weak and useless. Pale and gross. Aunt Flow set up shop in my body and would stay for MONTHS. Bitch. I lost complete faith in my body and was always frustrated and…well….sad. It was a constant reminder of what my body couldn’t and wouldn’t do- reproduce. All I was producing was anger…and a lot of tears…and ya know, grossness.

So..in December 2016, I started getting a harsh, sharp pain in my left side. It took my breath away. It was so bad, it hurt to stand up, walk or sit for periods of time. I lived with a steady flow of Ibuprofen and my heating pad constantly at my side. I went to the chiropractor. I went to an urgent care clinic. This was right before Christmas, and our first Christmas with P as our adopted son, so I was determined, even though I felt like garbage, to make it a magical Christmas. But my body didn’t go for it. I remember baking Christmas cookies with P and wanting to just cry because of the pain. I finally went to my family doctor, who ran a slew of tests, XRays, and a CT Scan of my abdomen. It was concluded I had an ovarian cyst and some “concerning lymph nodes,” that could be reactive from the cyst. They referred me to my OBGYN and wished me luck.

Not seeing this as an urgent situation, two weeks later, still in pain, I go to the lady doctor, who does an ultrasound and decides “Nope, that cyst is too small and couldn’t cause this pain or those lymph nodes” and referred me back to my family doctor. She put in an IUD (worst freaking pain ever) and said that would take care of the early menopause crap (Why she hadn’t done this years ago, I’ll never know but yes, indeed, it helped!) Anyway, Christmas came and went, and my pain actually got more tolerable. Result of the IUD? Who knows. I think it was actually resting and not doing much over the holidays.

In January, after another CT Scan (#2) and blood work, I went back to my family doctor, who told me a story about her aunt having uterine cancer. Uhhhh, why was she telling me this???? With the cyst, the location of the lymph nodes, the early menopause issues, the infertility stuff, and the pain, she thought it was all uterine related and recommended a complete hysterectomy. She thought it was all GYN problem related and again, referred me BACK to my OBGYN, who again, said no, and referred me to a surgeon to do a biopsy of the lymph nodes. During this ordeal, as you know, we got the call for Baby C, and suddenly I had a newborn to take care of. My pain in my side was gone, but I was still feeling like crap most the time. Sleeplessness from a newborn? Perhaps? Or something else? So, in February, I went to the surgeon, who looked at my blood work and scans and said, “Nope, you’re fine. They’re reactive lymph nodes to lady problems, and they’ll probably clear up with time. Plus, your pain is gone, and the IUD is working, so that’s all well and good!” I was relieved and thought that was the end of it, even though I continued to feel sick and tired. I chalked it all up to having a newborn and being stressed with all foster parenting involves, and continued forward.

BUT…by March, I could barely stay awake during the day. I was sweating like crazy and was running a constant fever. I went back to my family doctor and literally cried and said, “Please figure out what is wrong with me! I’ve got two kids to take care of!" She, again, ran more tests, and another CT Scan (#3). Turns out, I had Mono. I was so grateful! I had a diagnosis! No more cancer, no more scary thoughts! This was all mono! No hysterectomy! Yes, I felt like absolute crap, but at least I knew what it was now! I struggled to finish the school year, with a newborn, a toddler, and mono. But, I was thanking God I had lunch and a plan period back to back, and my boss was ok with me taking naps in my car when I didn’t have students. I controlled the fever with Tylenol and ibuprofen, discovered a love of iced coffee and shots of espresso, and took frequent naps when I could.

By July, the mono symptoms were subsiding and I went back for a check up with my family doctor. Confident that these lymph nodes had gone away with the mono, I agreed to yet another round of tests and another CT Scan. (If you’re keeping track, this is Scan #4. Pretty soon, I might be radioactive.) Once again, it showed those concerning lymph nodes in my abdomen. Still there! My blood work was a bit funky too. And my doctor was super concerned again. She wanted a definitive diagnosis. So did I! Ugh. So, she referred me to an oncologist. I was scared just hearing the word. Oncology is cancer! Do I have cancer? Are we back to this?

A month later, again, in no hurry, not seeing any urgency in any of this, I went to the oncologist. He ordered more blood work and a CT Scan of my neck and chest. He told me he wanted to see if those concerning lymph nodes were also in other parts of my body. Plus, he said, doing a biopsy of the nodes in my abdomen would be impossible without a big surgery, and it’s much easier to biopsy lymph nodes of the neck. So, off to CT Scan #5. The results came back about a week later and my family doctor called me this time with the news. She told me “Be prepared, you might be sick, Jess.” Apparently my neck was filled with “concerning” lymph nodes, just like the ones in my abdomen. I asked if it could all be mono related and she said it wasn’t likely because the mono should’ve cleared up by then. So..back to the oncologist I go a few weeks later. He told me the same thing as my family doctor, and referred me to an ear, nose, and throat doctor to get his opinion on doing a biopsy of my neck. It’s September by this time, guys.

So, last week, I went to the ENT, who wasn’t even there. I saw his nurse practitioner, who told me that he’d talk to the doctor and get back to me on what we’d do next. I literally spent $40 copay to have him tell me he’d have to wait and talk to the doctor. Seriously. This week, a receptionist from the ENT doctor’s office called me and told me that that the actual doctor “cannot take your case right now. He thinks it is too ‘complex’ and since he only works a few days every other week, he feels you should see someone else, so they can devote more time to your case.” So, I was dumped by my local ENT. And guess what guys? There’s no other ENTs in this area!! So, I’m going to have to be referred to another ENT 1.5-2 hours away from my home. This is absolutely ridiculous.

It’s almost October and I STILL don’t have an answer. I STILL have “concerning” lymph nodes all over my body and I STILL don’t know what’s causing them! I STILL feel like crap most days, but better than I did in the depths of mono. I honestly haven’t felt like myself since November of last year. We’re going on almost ONE YEAR of this crap and I still have no answers. I’m certainly hopeful it’s NOT cancer or anything very serious that’s growing or multiplying inside me, because all of this back and forth bureaucratic doctor BS is making my head spin. I’m now waiting for this new ENT to call me with an appointment, to hopefully do the biopsy of my neck, and to hopefully, finally get a definitive diagnosis! Is this why people, who finally get a diagnosis, are already at their death bed? Or at Stage 4 Cancer? Is this really how health care in this country works? Or am I just choosing the wrong people? I certainly don’t feel like I’m dying and definitely have high hopes it’s nothing too serious, but still. It worries me my family doctor is concerned. When does this end?

In other news, I’m still reeling from last week’s incredible disappointment. I’ve been hugging and kissing my littles a lot more the last two weeks, especially Baby C, who I fear, our time together is short. It’ll all make sense in the end, I know. And I’m hoping the same goes for my health. The court system and the health care system are two things that I’m incredibly frustrated with right now, but I’m hoping and praying, it all makes sense soon. And big hugs and a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who has sent good thoughts, prayers, love, support, and alcoholic beverages my way. You guys make me smile!

Until next time, Mama Jess

[reddeadmort]

Hey, love your writing, keep up the good work! I was just wondering, and it's perfectly a-okay to say no, but would you consider posting a version of the fic where reader is kidnapped in place of Jack n'rescued by John & Arthur where you edit out the choking part? I loved the setting, drama, the brave n'resourceful protag, the inclusion of Jack(!!) n' I want to read the smut too but I have a strong phobia of not being able to breathe so I just can't deal w/anything that has to do w/choking :/

So I was perfectly happy to do this, especially for the lovely @nordic-breeze :) If any of you have already read the previous version, you’ll probably want to skip this one, it is almost exactly the same except with choking/breathing triggers removed. 

If anyone else has a request like this, please feel free to send it; I may not publish all alternative versions, but it really isn’t much effort for me to edit an existing text, and I can always send you a google doc link or something :) 

If you send requests in, please feel free to be specific with details like this; I don’t want a whole plot planned out in a request, but I am more than happy to include specific details or actively avoid certain triggers

Arthur x f! reader | “Safe places and words” - Alternative version | AO3

Guidance:

Violence, threats of sexual assault, implied minor sexual assault (groping), almost major sexual assault. Smut, but unrelated to/separate from mentions of assault. Smut includes blowjob, reader being pinned down by wrists (initiated by reader) and gentle biting. NSFW/NSFT

Words: 4k

“That’s great Jack, well done!” You patted Jack on the back as he carefully reeled in the small fish. “See I knew you’d manage it! Uncle Arthur’s been giving you some fishing tips hasn’t he.” Jack jumped up and down excitedly as you carefully unhooked the fish from the line to show to him. “Here, hold still, lift it up, I’ll take a picture for your parents before we throw it back.” You took the picture as quickly as you could – you were pretty sure it would be blurry, thanks to Jack being incapable of holding in his energy.

“Thanks Auntie Y/N, maybe this isn’t so boring!” Jack said as he threw the little fish back in the river. You were both watching it swim away when you heard a voice behind you.

“Well ain’t this…. Sweet”. You turned sharply to look at the three new arrivals, instinctively moving jack behind you, one hand resting on your revolver. Shit. O’Driscolls. What the hell are they doing this close to camp?

“Look, fellas, I don’t want no trouble. I’m just relaxing with the kid.” You wanted to back away further, but you were already at the edge of the water. Two of the men were moving slowly towards you, one on each side, blocking any escape; you were fast with your revolver, but not fast enough to take down all three, and you couldn’t risk anything happening to Jack.

“We can see that girly” the leader sneered, standing in front of you. “Tell you what, why don’t we help out? We can teach the lad a thing or two….” As he said this, the leader nodded to the man to your left, and before you could do anything he grabbed at Jack. You launched yourself at him, only to be grabbed from behind by the other man. He pulled your arms behind your back as you kicked and screamed, hoping desperately someone might hear. Jack had started crying; the noise of his sobs made your adrenaline surge even further.

“You really don’t want to do this, his dad and the others will come after you.” You tried to slow your breathing, bring your heart rate under control. The only way you were getting out of this was with words.

“Oh, we know girl, we know. That’s exactly why we’re doing this.” The leader smirked at you as your heart sank. “You’re going to go back to your little camp and tell Marston that we’ve got his precious little boy. Then you’re going to tell him to come to us, alone, tomorrow at noon. We’ll send a message tomorrow with a location, maybe with a bit of….motivation attached. If he doesn’t come, or if he doesn’t come alone, we’ll start using bits of little Jack here for fish food.”

“You bastards! They’ll kill you all!” you screamed at the man, unable to control your rage.

“No, missy, they won’t. Because if they try, Jack’s mother will be burying him as well as his father. Well, burying whatever is left of him anyway.” Jack was still sobbing, he didn’t really understand what was going on, but he knew from your reaction that you were in trouble. “Come on lads, let’s get going. Give her a clout, best if she’s out for a while.” The man behind you released one of your arms, drawing his pistol and raising the butt above your head, ready to strike.

“WAIT!” you yelled, breaking free and rushing forwards. Your mind was racing, you had to get Jack out of this situation.

“Take me. Take me instead, let Jack go back to camp.” The men laughed at this, you were going to have to try harder. “I’ll be quieter than him. I won’t cause trouble.” The man holding Jack was starting to walk away, and you could hear the man behind you moving closer again. Think, think! “I…..you….. you could have some fun with me.” The words almost made you puke, the thought of these men touching you, but you’d do anything to save Jack.

That got their attention. The leader stepped closer to you, still grinning a horrible, evil, gappy grin. “Nah, missy, as tempting as that sounds, you ain’t as valuable. Dutch ain’t going to send one of his main men out looking for one of you camp bitches.”

“I ain’t just one of the girls.” You were going to regret giving this information away, you knew it, but you had to convince them to make the trade.

“Well then missy, who are you exactly?” The man leered at you, moving even closer, so you could feel his breath on your face.

“Y/N. Y/N Morgan.” That name had the desired effect, and the leader gave a low whistle.

“Arthur dead would hurt Dutch more” the man holding Jack grunted at him.

“It sure would, Peter, it sure would…..” Before you could do anything, the man in front of you had grabbed you by the chin.

“Right, girly, I think we’ll take you up on your offer. And I mean all of your offer” the man’s face was almost touching yours now, and his breath made you almost gag. “You’ll only scream when we want you to. And believe me, you’re going to need to scream. You ain’t getting out of this. We’ll make sure Mr Morgan sees us slit your delicate little neck, and we’ll make him watch as you slowly die.”

Your heart was racing, but you kept your face perfectly still; you didn’t want to give them the pleasure of seeing the fear you were experiencing.

“I’ll be quiet” you said, through gritted teeth. “Just let me put Jack on my horse and send him off, it’s too far for him to walk.”

“Fine. Be quick. And only because we need him to get back to camp to tell Mr Morgan where you are.” He released you and practically threw you at Jack. Shaking, you walked over and took a still sobbing Jack from the other man. You carefully placed him on your horse, and quickly started scribbling a note.

“Girl, what the hell do you think you’re doing” the man snatched at the paper, but you pulled it away from him.

“I’m writing down the instructions, you bastard. He’s only young, even if he does remember them he’ll be too upset to say anything” you snarled back at the man. He sneered at you, before calling out to his men.

“You two, check the note.”

“Hey, you know I can’t read.”

“Me neither.”

“Goddammit” the leader muttered. You guessed that neither could he. “Just hurry up girl, before I decide to send the boys lifeless body back on the damn horse” he snapped at you before walking over to his own. You quickly finished the note and handed it to Jack.

“Right Jack, I know you’re upset, but I need you to be a brave boy for me, okay? My horse should take you directly back to camp, don’t worry. You hold on as tight as you can, and when you get to camp you give this note to Uncle Arthur, okay?” Jack swallowed and nodded, tears still dripping down his face. “I love you Jack, remember that.” With those last words, you slapped your horse on the rear, sending it trotting off back up the path.

With your back to the O’Driscolls, you quickly and silently slipped a knife from the sheath strapped to your thigh and sliced the blade across the palm of your hand. You winced slightly, staying as still as possible, hoping they hadn’t noticed. Keeping your fist clenched, you turned just as they grabbed you, pulling off your weapons and knocking the knife out of your other hand.

“Nice try missy. Now, you’re riding with me. I want a little…..preview of the fun we’re going to have tonight.”

You said nothing, and let the man bundle you onto his horse, sitting behind you. One hand on the reins, the other gripping you tightly – and not by the waist – you set off. You held your cut hand out as far as you could, under the pretence of needing balance, and squeezed, feeling the blood run over your fingers. You just hoped you could keep it bleeding for as long as possible.

——

John was the first to see Jack and your horse as they gently trotted back into camp. At first, he wasn’t too concerned, expecting to see you right behind; but as they got closer, he realised you weren’t there.

“Jack, what’s happened? Where’s Y/N?” Jack immediately burst into tears, and John quickly hoisted him off the horse and hugged him tight.

“There….was…..some…..men” Jack managed to get the words out between sobs. “I have a….” Jack held the crumpled note up to his father; it was slightly damp from his tears.

“ARTHUR!” John yelled, opening the note.

“John, what the hell do you want” Arthur grumbled as he walked over.

“O’Driscolls have got Y/N” John said, his voice cracking slightly, as he handed the note to Arthur. Arthur’s face paled as he read your hastily written instructions. “Any idea what those last two words are?” John asked before handing Jack to Abigail, who had been attracted by his shout.

Arthur looked at the two words at the end of the note. ‘Strawberry Doe’. You hadn’t dared write more than that. But Arthur didn’t need anymore to understand what you’d done.

“John, get your guns. We’ve got some killin’ to do.” Arthur growled.

“But Arthur, we don’t know where they’ve gone.” It wasn’t really a protest - John was already prepping the saddle on his horse - more a panicked comment.

“She’s left us a trail. We’ll track ‘em down like the animals they are.” John didn’t think he’d ever seen Arthur’s eyes like this. They were cold, emotionless, like he’d shut down.

As the two men rode out of camp, pounding towards the fishing spot, Arthur finally felt something other than rage start to sweep over him. It was fear. The fear of losing you, the fear of not being able to protect you…….

—–

It was early evening when you finally stopped at an abandoned old hut. Stuck in front of this lecherous, disgusting creature of a man, you had basically frozen, letting your mind disassociate. The ride was horrible, uncomfortable, but nothing more than you’d experienced in many saloons; at least those drunk bastards got their comeuppance when they groped you.

You were pulled roughly off the horse, your hands tied behind your back, and led into the dark basement. You knew what was coming, you just prayed that you could endure it for as long as it took Arthur to find you.

To your surprise, the leader shoved you to the floor before turning to leave.

“Me and the boys are going to eat before our fun starts, sweetheart” he leered at you. “Need to make sure we’ve got plenty of… energy.” He paused, licking his lips, before shutting the doors to the basement behind him, leaving you in total darkness.

Finally alone, you let a little sob escape from your throat. All you could think about was Arthur. Would you ever see him again? Would he even be able to look at you if he did?

And so you sat, in the cold, in the darkness, waiting.

——

Arthur and John rode in silence, occasionally stopping to search for the next part of your trail. There was nothing to say; there was no plan, only anger and fear. These men were going to die, and not well.

“Arthur…. I can’t see anythin’.” It was early evening and the light was fading fast.

“John, just keep lookin’!” Arthur snapped. “There has to be somethin’. Has to be……”

John didn’t retort, he knew it wasn’t him Arthur was angry at. He looked around, and spotted something in the distance.

“Arthur! Smoke. Looks like it’s comin’ from a cabin. Might just be normal folks though.”

“It’s our best hope. Come on.”

——

You had no idea how long you’d been down there in the dark. You’d done your best to keep calm, concentrating on your breathing. Stumbling around in the dark, unable to use your hands, you’d found a chair and a table; you’d crawled under the table and sat in the corner, back to the walls. It made you feel a bit safer; you tried to pretend that it was Arthur’s chest you were leaning against, not this damp, slimy, old stone.

Eventually, you heard the creak of the basement door hatches, and a figure made its way down with a lantern. Very briefly, you let yourself pray it was Arthur; but no, he was too short, too fat. You swore at yourself for even thinking it; of course it wasn’t Arthur, you’d heard no commotion, no gunshots. You didn’t even know if he was coming. Had Jack made it back? Had your horse actually gone back to camp, had Jack managed to cling on? Had Arthur understood your message?

Your slightly panicked thoughts were interrupted by the man grabbing you by the ankle, pulling you out from under the table, causing the back of your head to slam into the floor.

“It’s playtime girly! Now you better make some noise for me you little whore.” He lifted you up roughly by the front of your shirt then grabbed you hard by the chin. He moved his face next to yours and slowly, disgustingly, licked your cheek. “Just pretend I’m your big, bad outlaw. But don’t get too excited, me and the boys will be taking turns all throughout the night. And we don’t want you passing out now… it’s no fun if you aren’t awake to feel it.”

You wanted to fight back, to do something, anything but you couldn’t. You were completely frozen.

“Not even going to beg me? Well you’re a nasty girl ain’t ya.” With that, he turned you around and slammed your face and chest into the table, bending you over. Using your bound wrists to keep you pushed down, he pulled at your trousers with one hand, pulling them down to your knees. You heard him fumbling with his belt buckle, and you could have sworn that you were suddenly looking down on the scene from above; you could see yourself, bent over, face completely emotionless, and him, pulling at his trousers, pushing them down.

Suddenly, a familiar crack of a gunshot sounded above you, followed quickly by a series of others. You could hear yelling and screaming mixed in with the gunfire. The man released you, scrabbling over to the chair where he’d put his gun belt, reaching it as the basement doors flew open. He’d just pulled his gun out of the holster when a shot rang out, shattering his hand and sending the gun flying. Deafened slightly by the noise, you tried to stand up, struggling, and turned just enough to see the familiar shape of Arthur smash his revolver across the man’s face, sending what few teeth he had left flying. You’d never seen him hit anyone that hard before; sometimes, his strength was almost scary.

Arthur’s heart almost exploded with pain when he looked at you, trousers roughly pulled down, struggling to stand up. He quickly moved to you, leaving the unconscious man behind him. One brief flick of his knife and you were free; the first thing you did was grapple with your trousers, trying to pull them up. You never wanted Arthur to see you like this, not with another man, willingly or not. There were tears in the corner of his eyes as he grabbed you by the face, scanning yours for any injury.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here sooner Y/N, so sorry” he said, stumbling over his words slightly.

Finally, with him stood in front of you, your adrenaline started to fade and a wave of relief washed over you. You threw your arms around him, breathing in his familiar, musky smell. You tried to say something, but all you could do was cry. In between sobs, you managed to explain that Arthur had arrived just in time. He held you tight, his arms and warmth seeming to form a protective bubble around you. After a few moments, he picked you up and took you up the stairs to a waiting John.

As soon as you saw John, your first thought went to his little boy. “Jack…. Is Jack okay? They were going to take him, John, I’m so sorry…..” As you spoke, Arthur gently let you down, standing you upright. John pulled you in for a hug, holding your face to his chest.

“He’s fine Y/N, he’s fine. Thanks to you. I’ll never forget this, you hear? Never.”

“John, you wait with her and the horses. I’ve got somethin’ to finish.” Before you could say anything, Arthur had grabbed some rope and walked away back into the basement. You thought about stopping him, but it only took a moment for you to decide the man deserved whatever was about to happen. John led you and the horses a little way off, but you could still see Arthur drag the man out by his hair, sitting him against a tree and tying him to it. You heard the man’s bloodcurdling screams as Arthur took his manhood from him, then begging as Arthur chucked what looked like bait on his bloodied lap.

Arthur walked back to you and John, wiping his blood-stained knife with a cloth.

“You finished?” John asked. He’d not seen Arthur do anything like this before; beat a man, yes, threaten, of course, even kill; but this….. this was a whole other level of rage.

“I’ve done what I needed. I’ve left the wolves to do the rest.” Arthur muttered as he climbed onto the saddle behind you.

The ride back was silent; no-one knew what to say. Arthur held you tightly to him by the waist, clinging to you as if for dear life. Occasionally he gently kissed you on the neck, but only after asking you if he could. He’d never asked before; you knew he was just trying to be kind, make sure you were okay, but you hated it. You just wanted things to be exactly like they were before; you were scared he’d never look at you in the same way again.

When you arrived back at the camp, everyone came to fuss over you. You entertained them for as long as you could before pulling Arthur away to your shared tent.

Arthur was surprised when you grabbed at his face as soon as he’d pulled the flaps down. You kissed him hard, hungrily, biting at his lips. He kissed you back, but more hesitantly, causing you to pull away.

“Arthur……”

“I’m sorry Y/N, I just…..I’ll go, you’ll want some time alone.”

“Arthur Morgan, you have never tried to tell me what I do and don’t want. Do not start now.” You didn’t give him time to reply before once again pulling him back in for a kiss. This time, he didn’t resist, and gently brought his hands up to rest on your shoulders.

You let your hands drop from his face as you slowly undid his shirt buttons. As your hands moved back up his chest, you let them brush lightly over his nipples, making him moan, before pushing the shirt off his shoulders. Once again, you moved you hands over his chest, this time down to his belt. He grunted slightly as you pulled at it, swiftly undoing it and the top button as his hips pushed forwards. You slowly slipped your thumbs under the waistband and gently pulled his trousers down, levering them forwards over his erection.

You knelt as you guided his trousers to the ground, and Arthur’s hands moved to the back of your head. He let out a little grunt as you licked the head of his cock, before you took him in your mouth in one swift movement. He groaned and gripped your hair as you slid him in and out of your mouth, soaking him. You moved your hand up to his on the back of your head, wrapped it around his fist, and used it to pull your own hair. Arthur understood the signal, and pushed his hips forwards, driving himself deep into your mouth, making you gag. He pulled out slightly, letting you recover, making sure you could breathe comfortably, before using his firm grip on your hair to dictate your speed. Soon, the movement of his hips became slightly erratic, and panting, he pulled away from you. This was just the prequel, he wasn’t about to ruin the main event.

You stood up, undoing your trousers as Arthur made short work of your shirt. You lay down on the bed as Arthur pulled your trousers off, pausing momentarily to stare at you, completely naked before him. You shouldn’t have worried; his gaze was just as it always was, hungry, desperate to touch you, mind blank save for the thought of you.

Arthur was quickly on top of you, one hand tucked under your shoulder, the other moving between your legs. You moaned softly as he gently rubbed you, spreading your wetness up and over your clit. As he massaged it with his thumb, moving in steady circles, he slipped a couple of fingers inside you, testing you. No matter how much he wanted you, how much he needed you, he always made sure you were ready. And you were.

He shifted forwards, replacing his thumb with the tip of his cock, rubbing against you. He kissed you as he pushed in, all the way, making you gasp and shudder. He bit your neck as moved back a fraction, before pushing deep again. He enjoyed this bit the most; every time felt like the first time you’d ever taken him, your reaction always the same. He gently started to move his hips backwards and forwards, kissing you, building up a rhythm as his hand moved to massage your breast.

“Pin me down, Arthur” you whispered into his ear. He paused, looking into your eyes, slight concern showing on his face.

“You sure darlin’?” You nodded and bit your lip, resting both wrists together on the bed above your head.

“Arthur please…. I want to feel normal. I want to feel loved…. I want to feel safe.” Arthur smiled, and with one large hand pinned your wrists down.

To anyone else, safe would have seemed like an odd choice of word to use, with a large man lying on top of you, effortlessly pinning you down. But it was true; this made you feel safe. Arthur would never hurt you, was always guided by you; you were always in control, even if it didn’t look that way.

Arthur delicately kissed your lips before thrusting hard into you. His grip on your wrists tightened, just enough to keep you pinned down, not enough to hurt. If he put too much pressure on you just tapped the back of his hand with your fingers; he always responded immediately. Every time he pounded into you, he’d stop briefly when he was fully enveloped, grinding himself into your clit, just like you’d shown him. It wasn’t long before you were both on the brink. You came first, gripping his hand, gasping his name. As soon as you had, he removed his hand from your wrists and you lifted yourself up, biting his nipple; this took him over the edge, and he swore as he pushed into you hard, almost uncomfortably deep. He collapsed onto your chest, and you both stayed there for a moment, not moving, just listening to the other’s breathing.

“Thankyou Arthur. I needed that. It might not make much sense but….I….needed to regain some control.”

“Darlin’ that don’t surprise me. Though, honestly, you don’t ever make much sense to me.” He grinned, before sitting up, releasing you. “Now, we best get some rest. I think Jack wants to spend tomorrow with his favourite Aunt.”

“He’s a sweetheart, he really is. I might stay in the camp this time though” you chuckled, sitting up and resting your head on Arthur’s shoulder. He kissed you softly on the top of the head, stroking your lower back.

“You do whatever you want darlin’. I’ll always be here.”

[instarsa-blog]

An ACNL Town Makeover: Icestar into Starivu

It’s been a little over a year since I’ve started life in Icestar. For the longest time, I’ve been having issues living there, too. The boulders would keep hugging the buildings, and I just wasn’t happy with the map overall anymore. It was a hard decision to do - starting over EVERYTHING; my badges, my main street... but I’m sure many other players have gone through this same thing, and it will probably be fun to redo a lot of things!

New person, new town... this is my journey so far in the life of Starivu.

Of course, there’s always some massive differences in town beginnings. In Icestar, I decided to answer Rover’s questions genuinely to see what I’d get, and if I didn’t like the result, pull up a guide to choose what I would like to have. This time around, I decided to just answer Rover’s questions genuinely, period. No do-overs, just that I’d go with whatever I’m meant to have. I gotta say, I love the result! The choices I made were “I don’t remember”, “I’m moving”, and “Yeah, probably”. My reason for choosing “I don’t remember” is because my island in Tomodachi Life is also named Starivu. How was my person suppose to know if it’s two different places, or one in the same but animals just took over?

The snow on the ground was mighty tempting, so how could I not build a snowperson? In all honesty I wasn’t even trying to build anything in particular, but this little doll came out perfect. Blessed in the art of snow crafting, ay? I’ll keep that in mind...

As you can also see here, I have a pear tree - pears are my new native fruit! They were cherries before, but I’m more than ok with this, pears being one of my actual favorite fruits!

Of course, after seeing Isabelle and doing some of the tutorial things in the beginning, I went to go see this fella as she said to do. It’s honestly so weird to not see the Home Academy folk there, but it’s something to get use to for a little while... Also, “low-paying, part-time employment” tho... sounds familiar, whatcha implying, Nook?

So, after running around collecting seashells and selling them rapidly for my TPC photo to give to Porter, it was about time I paid a good visit to Rapo. In the beginning of this post, I had put a bulletin that she posted in Icestar before the grand re-create. You could say she, as well as other Raverton residents, definitely have had a hand of help in all of this, so it was important for me to visit as soon as possible. I’m sure plenty of other players have gotten to see this message in the screenshot, but this was the first for me and I laughed pretty loud about it.

Unfortunately at the time, although I was ready to go to Raverton, my internet connection wouldn’t be having it. I deal with satellite internet connection, so it’s definitely far from the best... not to mention, I also had to re-download the Welcome Amiibo update, since I deleted it in hopes for better map decisions in the beginning. {Call it placebo or not, that actually seemed to work.} So in the meantime, I saved up the bells to do a little bit of shopping. Got a fancy wig and some pants, bought a shovel and went around searching for some extra monies. What are the odds tho that the first ore in this town would have been a sapphire? lul. To compensate for lack of snowflakes, due to no net yet, I gave dear ol’ Snowmam over there some white roses.

Say, Hugh, did you know you’d be making it into a blog post? Say hi!

I’m actually very happy this little boi is living here, I already love him so much!~

Eventually, I got into the time of night where my internet connection seems just fine, and discovered I need to get the Welcome Amiibo update before any other online activities in-game. I mean, it makes sense, so I ain’t complaining.

I feel you Isabelle, I was getting sleepy at this point, too.

With the Welcome Amiibo update out of the way, it was finally time to go to Raverton! And wouldn’t you know...

...Perfectly enough, there was a meteor shower going on over there. This game has some great timing sometimes. If you look behind the tree veeeeeeery closely that’s behind me, you can see the star I wished on. All those white carnations and white roses tho, with the random pink rose? Those are all mine. Rapo offered that I could put a bunch of my previous belongings from Icestar that I wanted to keep over into Raverton, and later pick them up when I created Starivu - that’s why I had to pay a visit. As of typing, I still have things over in Raverton, but I grabbed the essentials last night when I could, meaning when my internet played nice. Good thing is, she’s incredibly understanding as to my internet connection situation, and I’m hoping to get all my litter off her beach when I get the new storage room that came with the Welcome Amiibo update. Heck, she even gave me the 3k to use her Shampoodle, although I had the necessary bells on me to do so. She’s a sweetheart, to say the least.

Speaking of sweethearts, this little bab seemed to be following us around while I was grabbing some of my items. I was in Raverton after all, so who wouldn’t talk to Marshalmallow when you know he’s around?

After grabbing my essentials and doing a bit of redecorating in Starivu, as well as on myself, I thought it was a good time to invite the bae over. Here’s Rave Queen Rapo herself just getting off the train, looking to party her way into the new town!

I’m glad I invited her, because at least someone could get Snowmam some snowflakes. Collecting those sparkling beauties is her life purpose, afterall. I just chilled in her roses meanwhile. Speaking of roses, the Starivu decorating I did before inviting over Rapo...

I decided to make a little garden, right near my home! It’s far from complete, I can tell you that much for sure! You can clearly see my tent, so I may as well go inside...

I can’t hold much in my tent, but I can safely say that the bitterling in its tank is completely necessary. I have a few more furniture items - as well as clothing items - in my ice dresser, that I’m sure I’ll be using once I get my house built...

Speaking of, just earlier gave Nook my down payment! Expecting to have my house tomorrow! I chose the blue roof, of course.~

It was then when I realized I hadn’t yet checked the campground, so I figured now was the best time, since I didn’t have much else to do yet. When I walked in I talked to Harvey, bought a few items I saw and liked, and realized the van currently residing there was one I hadn’t seen yet...

Oh. My. FUCK.

yEAH, sure you are. Let’s go with that.

Why this why anything anymore what was seen will never be unseen

WELL with that out of the way, I’m glad to say I have all of the patterns I’ve made in Icestar as QRs, safely stored away in files. It’s a shame they won’t technically be “mine” anymore, but...that’s actually a GREAT thing!

In other words, a lot of patterns I’ve made before will have REBOOTS. There’s a lot that are pretty bluh, but plenty I actually like, and will be recreating. Maybe they’ll look better, maybe they’ll look worse, but the point is I’m planning to post the QR sets for plenty of them when I get the QR Machine! Feel free to keep an eye out for them in the near future!