#I hate finishing illu

[collophora]

Found a cool color palette. Might finish it later. (Probably not.)

[queenkamisama]

idk how many of you noticed but Jason’s proportions (especially his arms) always seem so off to me. like if they doesn’t even care about basic human anatomy, they always give my man those underdeveloped(?) arms as if he was 4 or smth:/ are they always in a rush? or maybe they just don’t care. or they’re blind lol. if i were the artist in a company that is this big, i’d rather stare at my art for DAYS before i send them the finished piece. i’ve always been so critique about myself, i could work on a drawing for WEEKS (that happens me all the time cuz I’m never satisfied with my work) until i see it as “perfect”. i know that in the og mcl the proportions are really bad sometimes, but that was like 10 years ago and i just can’t believe they didn’t see this big deviation(?) (cuz when i saw the illu the first thing i noticed were his arms), or are they just really don’t care? btw this is NOT a hate post or anything like that, i’m just thinking loud as always lol

i know there’s a lot of work in these illustrations, most of them are beautiful, but sometimes i feel like they just focusing on the quantity not the quality (for ex. the paid packs are always more detailed than an episode outfit, but!! i already see some changes in the newest ep, because the clothes are really really cool!!)

anyways, i got tired of seeing my man with t-rex arms so i fixed it as much as a could!!

love u babe🦖💔

[mikashisus]

sole salvation of a fallen nation

SYNOPSIS: in order to return back to your home planet, you’ve had to make multiple sacrifices. and one of those was to leave behind the last piece of home you had.

CHARACTERS: sunday (kind of), blade

TAGLIST ! @wystiix @milksnake-tea @snobwhimsicality

warnings: none

word count: 1.1k

notes: this is a short excerpt from a scrapped sunday fic i had planned, which was titled “carnage.” i had to scrap it due to just overall frustration + multiple crash outs LOL. im officially handing the entire idea over to my good friend illu. if they decide to do anything with it, then i know they’ll do it justice - especially since it’s a sunday fic. anyw enjoy this small excerpt!

The bar was quiet, empty. All the patrons had left for the night, and now it was you and the bartender all alone in the establishment. 

A puff of smoke left your lips and you dabbed your cigarette into the nearby ashtray. The smell of cleaner entered your nostrils as the bartender, a good friend of yours, wiped down the counter and the tables. 

He took one glance at the unconscious body on the floor and sighed. “How long will he be out?” 

“A few hours, give or take,” you said nonchalantly, “enough time for me to get him to headquarters before he wakes.” 

The man in front of you hummed. He tossed Sunday a disgusted look. “Rotten to the core, that one. Be careful.” 

“I’ll be fine, Mari.” You sent him a warm smile, one filled with reassurance. “You should be more worried about him.” 

Mari shook his head. “Maybe you’re right.” 

You chuckled. “When am I not?” 

The embers from your cigarette fizzled out in the ashtray as the door to the bar swung open, the bell above the doorway jingling with the sudden movement. 

Mari’s head whipped up, a retort ready on his lips for whoever was entering, when he spotted the familiar face of your coworker. His shoulders relaxed and he tossed the tall figure a curt nod of respect. 

Upon seeing the never changing, stoic face of the undead man you’ve come to know all too well these past years, a smirk curled onto your lips. 

“Well if it isn’t my favorite—“ 

“Mind your tongue, mutt.” He spat before you could finish. 

He didn’t hate you… but he didn’t necessarily like working with you. You were a bit of a pain in his ass. You were too reckless, too willing to throw your life away. It was the one thing he didn’t like about you. You’d tell him the same— that he was too reckless and arrogant, though all that’d leave his mouth was a dissatisfied grunt. 

Then he’d say “you’re not immortal” and the conversation would end there. Not because you gave in, but because you didn’t feel like arguing with him further. 

“It’s time to leave,” he told you, “enough playing with your prey.” 

You let out a sigh and slinked away from the bar. Pulling out your phone, you sent a quick payment to Mari for the drinks. The fairly disheveled man was staring at you. You couldn’t quite place the look in his eyes, but you knew it had to be urgent. 

Telling Blade to wait outside for a few moments, you leaned your elbows on the counter. You heard the man grumble behind you in annoyance, though he made no move to object. 

A slight thump was heard as he hauled the former Oak Family Head over his shoulder like a ragdoll and walked out of the bar. 

As soon as the door slammed shut, you climbed onto the bar counter— much to Mari’s chagrin (he just wiped down that counter) —and hummed as you ran your fingers through the man’s hair. He subconsciously leaned into your touch, letting out a heavy sigh. 

“Do you have to leave?” 

You were quiet for a moment. “Yes. Per Elio’s script, I must.” 

The expression on his face was one you were all too familiar with. Although others couldn’t see past his deadpan facade, you could. 

(It was a perk of knowing him for several Amber Eras). 

Worry and longing laid beneath the stoic lines of his visage, though his lips were pulled into that same tight-lipped frown he always wore. 

Mindlessly, you pressed a finger between his creased brows and gently smoothed them out. His striking gray eyes fluttered closed. 

The outside world faded away as the two of you sat there, suspended in time for what felt like eons as you hummed a soft tune. It was a tune from your homeland— a homeland that was now forgotten in another star system. 

Mari’s memories from back then were a hazy blur in his mind. He remembered next to nothing about the planet you once called home. In a way, it was a sort of freedom. To be able to forget those harsh times was just a pipe dream to you, while he now lived blissfully unaware— except for the looming, invisible shackles that tied him to an unknown being.  

There were invisible chains on your limbs too. They weren’t visible to the naked eye, nor did you physically feel them, but you were well aware of their existence. 

Their grip was strong, like a wolf’s jaws locking around the neck of its prey. 

“I have to go now.” You muttered. 

His striking gray eyes trailed your form as you slid off the counter, memorizing every single detail as if this was the last time you’d see him. And it would be… for a while, at least. 

The next time you’d see him, you hoped he’d take up a new hobby besides people watching and mixology. 

“Be careful.” He gave you a warning look, the smallest bit of concern lying beneath his glare. 

You sent him a rare, genuine smile. “I’ll try.” 

With a final deep breath, you pressed your forehead against his and gently placed your hands on either side of his head. A small, almost invisible smile twitched at his lips. 

The ancient language of a lost civilization left your mouth, the sound garbled and distorted and heavy on your tongue. 

With those final words, you left the unconscious man alone in the bar and didn’t stop to look back. If you did, you’d surely run back in there. And per your contract, you couldn’t do that. You weren’t allowed to.

It had been many Amber Eras since you stopped knowing what it felt like to cry and what it felt like to feel a deep, impenetrable sadness. But every time you left your dear friend, both of those feelings came flooding back. 

Looking up at the false sky above Penacony, you had the sudden urge to scream until your vocal chords tore. But you didn’t— you couldn’t. The false sky above you felt way too familiar, and the more you stared at it, the more you wanted to rush back into that bar. 

“Are you done with your goodbyes?” Blade’s low and monotone voice questioned, snapping you out of your stupor. 

Sending him an exhausted glance, you nodded slowly. You held a hand over your chest to convey the pain you were currently experiencing. There were no words needed between you and Blade. 

He hummed thoughtfully at your gesture. “The burden you carry is massive. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed.” 

Silently agreeing, you opened your mouth again. “I hate it… All these thoughts.” They swirled around, lingering in the back of your mind like ghostly whispers. 

“You’re tired,” he noted, “just a little longer.” 

You stood up straight and regained your composure, your stoic demeanor returning. “Just until that day finally comes.”

Blade pushed off from the wall he was leaning against. “Until then, you follow the script.”

© 2024 mikashisus. do not plagiarize, copy, repost, feed to ai, or translate my works to any other platforms.

[duck-era-lexi]

mcc 30 thoughts

- okay i have no idea anything abt this event except for i watched the update video and i know the aqua team.

- yk maybe 5up is just a guy. but also it will be good bcuz illu kinda sucks at leading

- reddit predicts yellow for the best chance at winning but the odds r very even imo. like red and green for example are cracked

- 5up needs a better mic

- i’m not turning my auto caps on ever bcuz i don’t want them on here

- i missed the first section of teams so i still don’t know the teams before cyan LOL

- griddy 👍 i’ll talk during decision dome prob

- i hate bananas

- omfg emotional rollercoaster 😭😭

- guys it’s just first game copium

- My streamers kinda stupid… goddamn he’s not gonna finish

- #notlast

- event order in their favor!! lockin in 💪

Dutch braids for mcc slay

- illu + sot makes me so happy

- OMFG LITERALLY HEART ATTACK

- ok i see a 9th place finish in their future so i am going to watch all the first place teams in every game after this (top frag on each)

- Green 4 vaults? what the fuck dream is rolling in his grave LMFAO

- AGREED! No pkt!!! fiveup is so real for that

- wait Hbomb is in this mcc? what

- i think i just hate 4 lap ace race. it’s so stupid i miss the three laps

- sapnap and punz 11 and 12 💀💀

- STREAMER DID SO GOOD !!!

- Movin on up!!

Hate this game

- Blank space (sylvee’s version)

- OMFG I LOVE MELTDOWN!! FAV GAME IS PUNZ AND FOOLISH IN THIS ONE

- sapnap 💀

- Why is illumina actually so funny

- get the gold !!

- fruitberries dub 👊

- Yo why is sapnap the biggest opp ever

- mcc is scripted (real)

- i have a feeling pkt will be last. This team wouldve benefited from an ace race finale but things are just simply looking dark

- yo i might not watch the rest tbh they’re gonna go 5/9 in bb or worse … i think i’m gonna go out to grab some stuff

[triska19]

eldarya - halloween 2022 thoughts 🇬🇧

this event was the WORST shit on the world. literally, i HATED it with all my heart!!

let me explain.

not like mcls event, this shit had nothing to do with halloween. literally guys, what was that candy crush ☠☠☠ at xmas time its fine w this look, but on halloween... not even a halloween design bruh

i know, i know, lately eldarya events are made by the same template: explonations -> collecting ingredients -> transformation -> outfit pieces -> disgustingly boring, monotonous and hard candy crush minigames -> transformation -> outfit pieces -> illustration/final dialogs

and this is all that i can say about this system: fuck u, beemoov.

this event without real money is IMPOSSIBLE. even with real money, its still FCKN HARD:

first. i have a zarali with 160 energy points. i sent him to places which had 10 energy points/10 mins, bc i thought that this is the best tactic.

ohoho, idiot riska. life isnt that easy.

my comp brought 300 (!! not even always 500!!!)/500 brown shits from every FOURTH exploration-

second. candy crush. it was ugly and so bad. (and the music lagged so hard, i couldnt even turn it down xD) too bad. mostly i got 50 brown things/game, you can imagine, how slow it went...

third. outfits. they werent bad, but not gonna be my favs-

fourth. pay to win. normally i dont have problem w ptw, IF it doesnt have effect on the basic game.

but here, literally pay to win was the ONLY way, and even w this way, the event was UNBELIEVABLY HARD. 50 golds/125 brown things to the third shit, where 500 brown shits is one item, and you needed 10 to the illus??!?!?!?!!! WTH BEEMOOV

fifth. the community item. luckily my server kinda easily got it, but i didnt hatch it, so i cant speak about it that much

sixth. the illustration. it was beautiful and cute, but so so sooo hard to get, so obv i didnt get it 🥲 how sad

conclusion: mcls event was a hundred times better, even though, that that was based on the same, yearly used template too, BUT at least it was enjoyable, cute, halloween themed, and POSSIBLE (!!) to finish; and bonus: it had separately illus w every crush.

personally, eldarya events are so damn hard, that i can never complete them. and this is so sad, bc there would be sm potential in the event-stories.

...finally, here is my halloween fit:

i really liked it:)

so, i hope at least you enjoyed somehow the event and/or got the illus/outfits!

ģñ<3

[shirophantomvox]

How Illumi, Hisoka, and Chrollo would react to their S/O in the hospital

Hi, anon! You are welcome to join my Discord Server if you are a fan of Hxh, Voltron, or both! I promise this is a safe environment! This is an interesting topic for sure! To the other anon(s), I am working on your request! This will contain both fluff and angst. I forgot to include Leorio in this, so I’ll include him in the next HxH post. You’ll have to forgive me, I have 2 more requests in my inbox and I am not feeling the best. I just got my second Covid shot and it is hurting like hell. Nevertheless, I encourage you all to get your shot if you can. I will be on this site one and off and I should be on it for real next week. I have run out of ideas to write and I began to think I was annoying people with my HxH content (no one said this I just assumed). This post has 1974 words. After these requests are finished, I plan on doing a character analysis for Leorio.

Anyway, let’s get into the post!

We’ll start with Hisoka this time.

Hisoka

In all honesty, this man has heard of a hospital (since he sends a lot of people to it after fights) but has never been in one.

The signs, floors, staircase numbers, and elevators all confuse him. He has only been in one once when he was a kid and has never been again.

He isn’t a social butterfly in this setting because this is a professional establishment and not a college party. Asking for directions takes quite a toll on him because of his established pride. You know guys act when they want to find a destination on their own and will go miles out of the way instead of just asking for direction.

He doesn’t talk to anyone; all he wants to do is find you and make sure you are alright.

He is the tallest person in the freight elevator. So tall that everyone at turns to look at him at once for at least 10 seconds and turn back around surprised.

“How tall is he,” one of the nurses ask.

“Tall enough to be my house!”

This annoys him. He takes out the Joker card and lays it against his thigh but realizes he cannot make any hasty decisions. His bloodlust was activated merely out of irritation and not by threat. You were on his mind and destroying these worthless humans wasn’t an option for today.

He approached the guest desk and waited for about 2 minutes before he was acknowledged.

“May I help you,” a smug receptionist asked. Wow, these people do not know who they’re talking to.

“I’m here to see y/n.”

“Y/n is in room 345. Go down the hall and to the right all the way down.”

This man nearly ran with a quickness! His jester shoes somehow made the floor shake as he ran.

You were awake, eating the horrible food the hospital provided and watching TV. It seemed like you were doing ok, but you had just been in a car accident. Your arms and right leg were still sore. It was so bad that you’d be fine with Hisoka carrying you everywhere.

When you two are alone in serious public places, he doesn’t play games or tricks. He is often portrayed as a ruthless man, but in settings like this, he places the jokes and games aside for later. When he enters your room, he is silent for 30 seconds. Much too long. He was shocked; he walked around your hospital bed, pulled up a chair, and stared at your cast. It had many names written on it.

“Yes, I am ok.”

“I apologize for not being there for you,” he began to say.

“Shh… it’s ok. This is life. It hurts like hell, but I’m a trooper!”

Admiring your cast and its multiple fonts of handwriting and messages, he grabbed a sharpie marker, wrote his name, with a heart and spade next to it. Surprisingly, his cursive was very neat and legible.

“I didn’t know you knew how to write in cursive! Why don’t you write me letters?”

“I see you every day and it hurts my hand.”

The doctor wouldn’t be in for another 1 ½ hours, so Hisoka used your thigh as a pillow as he took a nap. He had been up for countless nights thinking about you. He was screwing up so bad, Chrollo let him leave early.

“As soon as your better, we will fight again. I won’t go easy on you. You won’t be in the hospital but you get the jest.”

Illumi

Illumi isn’t the type of man to overreact in these types of situations. When you both agreed to date each other, you knew you all were tough cookies. You were aware of the dangers of dating an assassin and he knew about the dangers of dating a bounty hunter. People hated you both and you targeted.

One night you both were caught in a vulnerable state. While you both enjoyed chocolate milkshakes at a laid-back 1950’s styled diner, two men were previously thrown out for fighting. While your back was turned one of those men shot your arm, causing you to carelessly throw your body to the ground due to impact.

While everyone else was screaming, Illumi jumped to the ground and tied his hair tie around your arm to temporarily stop the bleeding.

“Illu, why does it feel cold in here,” you managed to breathe out.

His heart dropped to his stomach for the first time in history.

“Don’t say things like that!”

Illumi is already horrible at displaying emotions, but all he could do is frown in fear. Once the EMS came barling in, he demanded that he ride with you.

Illumi hadn’t experienced anything like this since Killua had been injured when he fell from a tree.

You and he were separated when you were rushed into surgery leaving him alone in the waiting room.

When Illumi is stressed and cannot properly display how he feels, he tends to act in “odd” ways.

He begins to furiously turn pages in magazines or bother the receptions every 2 minutes about the status of your surgery. When the woman finally says that you’re still alive, he tones it down a little.

Illumi is open to conforming advice from strangers; he has been receiving it secretly from strangers. Since Silva was busy abusing him, he often found comfort from “the streets”.

He has a bad habit of pacing back and forth and fidgeting in his seat while horrific images fill his mind. All he has seen is pain and even though he was used to it, he didn’t want you to go through it as well.

While sitting in his seat (finally!) and head in his lap, doubled over indescribable sorrow, a little girl walks up to him with her hands folded and a doll under her arms. Illumi feels her presence and looks up. The girl’s curly hair covered her endearing eyes and her smile is wide.

“They’ll be alright. I just know they will,” turning around returning to her mother, the girl said with confidence.

On cue, Illumi placed his hand over his heart, smiling just a little.

He walked quickly to your room once you were out of surgery.

His speed walk mimics one of a soldier; his left arm in since with his right leg. His shoes echoed throughout the hall.

As soon as he enters the room, he shuts the door harder than usual and gives you a tight embrace. This surprises you! You’re lucky if he lays his head on your shoulder!

Illumi had been working out lately. He wanted to beat you in the “squish the melon” contest. He is very competitive and even if he lost, that doesn’t hurt his ego. Not in the slightest. Since it was just the both of you alone, he bends down to hug you tight, so tight that your face is squished against his.

This behavior is only surprising because he usually doesn’t coddle you even when you get hurt, but this time he realized that you could have died from the gunshot wound.

After that he kissed your forehead and almost simultaneously the doctor barreled in just missing the sweet moment between you and your beau.

Chrollo

When Chrollo is holding meetings with the Phantom Troupe, he always appears to be neutral. That is very important. A leader has to show strength even through the worst/hurtful times of their lives.

Chrollo had gotten a call from Nobunaga that you had gotten hurt on a mission and had actually gotten captured by the enemy. Phinks was able to get you back but you suffered horrible injuries.

This is protocol; they do this for any of the members. The troupe was oblivious to the fact that you and Chrollo were dating. They thought you were here to replace Uvo.

In situations like this, he is calm on the outside but screaming on the inside. Common sense will tell you if you are startled by the news you’ve just received and you begin to drive, you could cause more harm on the way to your destination.

Chrollo is very silent; he doesn’t call to check on your status or anything; he would rather see it for himself.

You were a trooper! After all, you are dating a dangerous robber.

Chrollo already knew what room you were in so he just went.

“I knew I should have kept y/n by my side. Y/n insisted on doing my dirty work that they almost died! How foolish could I have been?” He constantly cursed himself for letting his guard down with you.

He always gave you room to think and complete your own tasks but he can’t help his protective nature; one he has for the troupe but times 10.

His childhood friends had been shot by law enforcers, his home was horrific, and the last thing he needed was for you to be gone. You were keeping him afloat in society.

When he opened the door, Phinks was sitting in a chair, one leg over the other, laughing at a TikTok video.

Nobunaga on the other hand was watching the world news and seemed invested that he didn’t hear Chrollo enter the room. Once they both saw, they stood to their feet.

“Y/n is ok boss. They suffered a few cuts and burns, but they're breathing.”

Chrollo’s straight face remained as he stared at you.

Chrollo’s silence is something the troupe has internalized as a sign of anger, rage, or both. When he didn’t speak and just stared, everyone knew that their next mission was going to be a brutal one.

Chrollo is a man that isn’t afraid to express how he feels. He could cry right now if he wanted to and no one would dare laugh at him or insult him. After all, Nobunaga cried when he realized Uvo was dead.

Nobunaga and Phinks excused themselves as they saw him place his hand over his mouth.

Once the door closed, He pulled up the chair, grabbed your hand, and gently squeezed it. His warmth woke you up instantly and you turned your head. You winced in pain causing Chrollo to jump from his seat, moving to your right side so you wouldn’t turn your head too much.

“I’m glad you're alive, darling. What were you doing putting yourself in danger? Feitan could have handled the beast!”

He isn’t trying to doubt your ability to fight, he’s just concerned for your safety. Even so, why would he insist that you join the spiders?

A tear dropped from his face as he silently kissed your hand three times. You smiled warmly and placed your right left hand on top of his.

“I am fine, boss. You need not worry. I’m a trooper, remember?”

He placed your hand against his dry cheek and continued to kiss it. You were his lifeline and he wanted to spend every moment with you.

[forcefulkitten]

bare my burden

[illumi zoldyck x fem! reader]

summary: feeling powerless and out of control due to his mission not going as planned, Illumi makes you feel the same way.

warnings: 18+, nsfw, rough sex, deepthroating, face-fucking

word count: 1,956

It had been a week since your husband, Illumi Zoldyck, left the estate to complete a mission. He said he’d be back two days ago, and he wasn’t back yet. Punctual as he is, he normally arrived before he estimated. You liked to lie to yourself by thinking he did this to surprise you by his early arrival, but you know that he actually used his timeframes as a deadline and made sure to complete things before then. 

The weather out was gloomy on this evening.. Storm clouds filled the sky and heavy rain fell right onto the buds of the beautiful flowers in the Zoldyck Estate. It was always such a sight to see. You had just finished taking a relaxing bath, enjoying a cup of tea and were laying down under your warm comforter when you heard a familiar knock at the door. This knock was Illumi for sure, his signature way to let you know it was him and not one of the butlers. As unapologetic as he was, he always made sure to knock before entering. Two days after his predicted arrival, you were thrilled to finally have him back after missing him and being so worried that things had gone awry.

“Illumi~.” You sang in a tired voice when you heard your door open. Turning around to face him while laying in your bed, your eyes followed his muscular build walk straight into the bathroom as he closed the door behind himself. You thought nothing of this since Illumi loved to jump straight into the shower after he returned from a mission. As you lifted the comforter off your legs, you heard the bathroom door lock. ‘That’s weird’ you thought to yourself. Illumi never locked the bathroom door, since you two always showered together upon his return from a mission. It was routine that you’d jump in and help him clean off and unwind. You then heard the shower water start, and decided to lay back down. He was 2 days late and locked the door behind him, perhaps he needed some time alone. The sound of heavy rain hitting the windows, the warm comforter over you and the subconscious protected feeling of having Illumi back home quickly lulled you to sleep.

“Get up, Y/N.” 

“Wake up. It’s too early to fall asleep for the night right now.”

“Y/N.”

You were woken up after hearing Illumi speaking sternly beside you and feeling his grip on your arm shaking you back into reality. You sat up rubbing your eyes and looking over at the time. It had only been an hour since you’d fell asleep and were grumbling that Illumi wouldn’t allow you some rest especially since he needed some as well.

“Illu.. I missed you. You were gone longer than you predicted. Did everything go as planned?” Finally opening your eyes completely and meeting Illumi’s glare, you took note of the scowl on his face. His glare was colder than normal, and if looks could kill then you’d be dead. This could’ve meant a million different things but you assumed it was regarding his mission and attempted to slice the tension in the room by leaning over to kiss Illumi. He leaned back and grabbed you by your chin. “No. It didn’t. But you already knew that, didn’t you?” Illumi’s tone was sharp and full of annoyance. He knew that you could pick up on his moods and were always analyzing him to figure things out because the nature of his personality. It was going to be a long, merciless night. Illumi rarely became stressed out about his job. Years of torture masked as “training” subjected him to so many different scenarios that the man could quite possibly survive and endure anything. But when he felt powerless or out of control, you were the one person who felt that wrath while things were temporarily out of his reach. Illumi would always be sure to complete the job even if he has to restrategize, but not before subjecting you to the same feeling he has at the moment.

Illumi leaned back against the headboard and sighed. You crawled over and onto his lap, looking into his eyes that could burn a hole in hell if he wanted to. You wished he would melt into your touch but his frustration engulfed his tense body just like your desire to help him feel better. You fell into his hands so easily all the time, making it your number one responsibility to always ease Illumi into feeling like the human he never got a chance to be. You began to straddle his waist and wrapped your arms around Illumi’s shoulders, leaning your breasts against his chiseled chest. Threading your fingers through his hair while kissing and licking his neck, Illumi didn't give in to your ministrations. “Y/N,” Illumi spoke out, voice void of any emotion like usual and you leaned off of him to meet his gaze. He grabbed the back of your neck and pulled your lips into a harsh, needy kiss which made you moan out at the unexpected force. His tongue delved into your mouth aggressively, tongues dancing and heavy breaths eliciting from you that filled the previously strained room with lust. Illumi’s free hands grabbed your ass, playing with your cheeks before spreading them and bringing his hand to your already soaked pussy. He swiped at your wetness and brought his deft fingers to play with your clit. His fingers swirling perfectly, the coil in your stomach began to build while you moaned his name out desperately. Your hips grinded harder against his hand and you leaned in to make out with him, needing something to ground you from your growing orgasm. A few more ruts onto his hardened cock, swollen lips fighting each other and his fingers precisely rubbing your swollen bud made your orgasm hit quicker than you hoped and you rode out your high as much as Illumi allowed.

Your face was flushed, mind clouded and full of desperation for him to make love to you but you were snapped back into reality when he wrapped his arms around you and picked you up while scooting himself off the bed. He took his briefs off, long slender cock springing out while you positioned yourself on your knees. When he looked down at you it was with dangerous eyes. You knew the pleasure you felt previously was only a build up for whatever merciless fuck he wanted to put you through right after he used your throat.

You began swirling your tongue around the tip of his length before attempting to take him in fully. Illumi’s cock is big, and you always had to focus on not hitting the back of your throat too quick. Before you could even bring Illumi’s sex fully into your mouth, he weaved his fingers in your hair and began bucking his hips into your mouth. Drool spilled out the sides while you’re focusing your breathing through your nose & bobbing your head back and forth. Low grunts left his lips and hearing his husky, lust filled noises made your entire body feel warm. You didn’t understand how gagging on his cock could bring you such euphoria. Bracing yourself to deepthroat him, you repositioned yourself to get the best angle and began slipping your mouth further onto his cock. You wanted to send him over the edge. This was a dangerous game to play with Illumi. His fingers that were laced in your hair found their way to your scalp and he then moved one hand to the back of your neck before slamming his cock all the way into your throat, your nose touching his body. Illumi’s quite literally fucking your face at this point, and you’re trying so hard not to pass out, squeezing his thighs with your fingers in hopes that he’ll notice you’re nearly past your limit. He continued his ministrations, bucking into your mouth hard just to chase his release. Black is starting to encompass your vision and you think you’re going to pass out before he pulls you off his cock. A slick line of spit from your mouth to his penis breaks and falls onto your chest and you finally bring air back into your lungs. Illumi looks at you with a dangerous, cold look, before grabbing your soaked chin and making you look at him. “Up, now.”

Illumi began kissing you while guiding you backwards onto your comfortable bed. Pushing your shoulders down once you fell seated onto the bed, he crawled above you, caging you between his arms. You leaned up, sucking and biting Illumi’s neck, trying to mark him up. Much to your surprise, he wasn't complaining or resisting even though he always verbalized how much he hated the look of hickies. Humping you slowly, you feel his aroused length prodding your inner thigh and shudder. You want him so badly. He can see that you’re practically begging him to have his way with you, release some tension, you want to feel close with him, you want him to know that he can let go of his frustration with you.

Illumi lined his cock up with your wet slick, rubbing the tip against your clit deliciously before inching himself all the way into your cunt. The stretch always so pleasantly painful. He began thrusting at a slower pace, lifting one of your legs over his shoulder and hitting the perfect spot that made you moan out his name incoherently. Illumi leaned towards you, kissing and biting your neck, repaying you for leaving marks on him. You can hear his breathing hitch in your ear and it sent more arousal to your core. “Fuck.” Illumi moaned while continuing to thrust into you with perfect precision. Physically you were there with him, mentally you were on cloud 9. “You’re, squeezing me, so tight.” Illumi emphasized every word with a hard slam into your pussy, all of which threw you back into reality.

Grabbing both of your legs and folding them onto your body as far as they would go, Illumi brought you into a mating press. Using your ankles as leverage, he slammed into your abused cunt with all of his body weight. Each thrust forced a whimper out of your mouth and Illumi loved the helpless look on your face as he overpowered you. You could do nothing but enjoy the onslaught in this position. The room was filled with your wanton moans, his heavy breathing and it felt like everytime his cock hit your cervix that you were about to be sent over the edge. A few more heavy and hard thrusts caused the coil to break again, your orgasm coating your inner walls and spilling all over Illumi’s cock. He continued fucking into you as you came down from your high, so overstimulated at this point. His orgasm hit soon after, and his grip on you became even tighter. Desperate to ride out his orgasm, he continued plunging into you, slower and gentler while he filled your core with every drop of his seed. The feeling of his dick twitching in your cunt was amazing. Pulling out of your cunt, you missed the feeling of him inside you already. He released your legs from his hold, your legs falling onto the bed as he looked at you all fucked out and beautiful for him. Chest heaving, heavy lidded eyes, you stared back at him with adoration. “Feeling better, Illu?” Your words sounded desperate, almost sorry, and definitely vulnerable. Illumi leaned forward and kissed your forehead, rubbing your cheek with his thumb. “A little, but I’m not done with you yet.”

[cherryskyies]

Forgotten- Illumi x Fem!Reader

Hello! I've had this sitting unfinished in my drafts for a while, so I went ahead and finished it!

Word count: 905

Warnings: None I believe.

Genre: Angst

Main Masterlist

How could you love a man like Illumi?

Better yet, how could you believe a man like Illumi could ever love you. Love wasn’t something he learned growing up. Instead of hugs, he learned pin throwing, instead of affection, he was taught pain.

So what made you think he would ever love you? 

“What are you thinking about, (Y/N)?” Illumi asked, watching you closely with those empty, big eyes of his. Most found them scary, but you loved them.

“Nothing important,” You replied, looking up to him. “When is your next mission?” 

Illumi knew you were changing the subject, but he never pressured you to tell him things. “Tomorrow. I’ll be gone by 5 am and back by next week.”

You nodded, disappointed that he will be leaving so soon again. It felt like Illumi never spent time with you, like actual quality time. Not sitting in uncomfortable silence, hoping he will say something.

“Could you please wake me up before you leave, illu?” 

“Of course.”

----------

He was gone. It was 6 am, and he was gone.

“He never woke me up,” you said to yourself, glancing at the clock beside you. 

Illumi always said he would wake you before he left, but he never does. You’re not even sure why it still hurts every time it happens.

You were angry with Illumi and you were angry with yourself. 

You were angry at Illumi for always making empty promises and lying, the two things he knew you hated the most. And you were angry at yourself for making the same mistake and expecting a different outcome. 

It was stupid to get your hopes up because every time you hurt yourself when things aren't as expected.

There was a knock on your door, "(Y/N), breakfast is ready. May I come in?" one of the butlers asked.

"Yes, you may come in."

You've made it clear to all the staff that they can call you by your name. Illumi didn't like that you allowed them to be so informal, but the names, "Madam," and, "Lady (L/N)," weren't exactly your favorites.

The butler walked into your room and laid your food out. "For today's breakfast, master Illumi has ordered your favorites," and with a nod of your head and a quiet thank you, he left the room.

How bittersweet, you thought. He can't wake you up so you can see him once more before he leaves, but he can tell the workers to prepare your favorites.

Nonetheless, you still ate. There is no way you'd pass this food up.

As you ate, you thought over your options for the week. There wasn't much you could do. Illumi had you confined inside the manor, and though the manor was huge, you still felt trapped. 

It gets boring after a while, roaming the same halls a thousand times, wishing you could leave for just 10 minutes and feel normal again. But normal was a thing of the past.

You sighed, it wasn't that you lacked money or sex. Illumi regularly provided you with both. Instead, you lacked those tender moments shared between lovers when they are cuddled together and just talking. 

But Illumi has never been that type of person, he doesn't even see the importance of it. In his mind, he believes if he provides you with sex and money, all is good and you're happy.

And I suppose some of it is your fault. You've never taken the time to explain to him why you need more. You sit in silence and hope he gets your hints, but he never does.

With all these thoughts on your mind, the week flew by.

"(Y/N)? Master Illumi has returned. He is currently downstairs if you'd like to see him," the butler said, waiting for his cue to leave.

"Thank you for notifying me, but I will be staying here and hopefully sleeping," you responded, turning your back to him and attempting to sleep.

"Very well,".

Hours must have passed before the door to your room opened. 

"(Y/N), dinner is ready, and master Illumi has requested to send you down to join them," the same butler from earlier said.

You didn't end up sleeping, instead, you stayed still under the warm sheets, hoping Illumi would come and join you.

"Must I?" You asked, not wanting to get up.

You heard the butler sigh, "I am afraid so, I can escort you if you wish,"

Moving the sheets off your body, you nodded. "Let me get dressed real quick, then you may escort me," 

Opening your closet, you picked a simple but elegant kimono and changed into it, touching up your hair and doing a quick look over your face. 

"Okay, I'm ready," you said, opening your door and allowing the butler to bring you downstairs. 

"Ah, (Y/N). Thank you for joining me," Illumi said, his face emotionless per usual. 

You thanked the butler and sat down. "Illumi, how was your mission?"

"Everything went smoothly, no complications," he responded, continuing to eat his food. "How was your week? I've been told you only left your room once."

"It was fine, I was quite tired this week," you said, not lying entirely. You really were tired this week.

Illumi hummed in response, you were sure he knew there was more to it, and you wished he would ask.

But he didn't, the rest of dinner was silent.

[maybeimavillain-byleif]

I'm finally able to play ep 5 of ANE, I had to collect a lot of maana, not even for the episode but for the outfit🙄 maybe later I'll update this to say what I think of it since it's the first time I'm playing it

-

Update: okay so, first of all, after finishing the episode I watched on YT the parts when you speak with Nevra and Mathieu and Lance (I'm on Leiftan's route here) out of curiosity. The conversation between Erika, Leiftan and Koori was interesting regarding the stones but not when it was becoming a fight between the two of them. Nevra and Mathieu were just trying to understand why that building was there and then there's Lance. I was actually curios to understand what she meant when saying he looked sad so I went to see on YT (even though it was in Portuguese because I didn't find it in English but it's not a big deal). Yo he's a cutie🥺 he was worried about the draflayels and had always these thoughts of what he did 7 years before to those creatures. He got softer for sure (not that I doubt it) I felt bad for him🥺 You know, even though he was the villain I never hated him lol. And that's the first thing. The second is at the end when they do turns at night. First of all when Erika pointed out that she couldn't see Leiftan I went in panic mode 'cause HOLY SHIT WHERE'S MY MAN?!?!?! and I got even more scared seeing he was freezing😭😭 poor baby🥺 well, regarding the illu, Erika seriously has to stop saying things like "I'm an aengel, I'm powerful, no one and nothing can win against me" 'cause she'll just clown herself lol I also saw the scene with Nevra and Lance. I took it a bit bad that with Nevra we get to talk a bit with that human and with Leif I didn't even see him🥲 but if I have to be honest, I really liked what happened with Lance. In the end he could touch the draflayel (beside the fact that I'm in the background lol yes because my name is Aurora and there was the aurora there lol) but it was a nice scene😌 also talking about him, it was cool riding him but GOD Mathieu could shut up so Lance didn't have to do all those acrobatics😭😭 I felt as terrorized as Erika😭 I'll never do something like that in my life, you want me dead! Also after, when going around the building, he came to her to stop her from entering the elevator and it was actually cute and funny the fact that he doesn't know what electricity is😆 but it's totally understandable since they don't need it as they have magic and maana. Last things: Tenjin is just an asshole lol I had to say it. Also, another scene I foud funny was when Erika got mad at Leiftan and Nevra because, as usual, Nevra was trying to make Leif mad and she started talking to them like a mom who's trying to make her two sons stop the fight💀💀💀

[ligiawrites]

All the content on Ko-Fi

I've been feeling too shy to share my ko-fi posts here on Tumblr (I post a lot more around there i.i#), so I created a Master Post to keep everything organized and easy to browse, just in case you'd like to see more of LtGBtK or support the game's development. I intend to keep this updated + to link it in my original master post. ♥ Some of it is here on Tumblr too.

We have:

(AU) for............... AU. 8) ♥♥♥

(CS) for comic strips

(L) for lore

(P) for programming

(S) for studies/sketches

++++ Subscribers-exclusive:

(S) WIP: 1-year anniversary wallpaper;

++++ Free Content (alphabetical/per type):

> Amazing LtGBtK-related commissions I made:

Dragon Commander Caric of Opala (Portrait), an OC by the lovely @re-med-y ♥

> Everything AU:

>> Mermay 2021:

(CS) Drowning, pg 1;

(CS) Drowning, pg 2;

(CS) Drowning, pg 3;

(S) Love the Sailor, be the Merman-King;

(S) Mermandie;

(S) Mermattie (silhouette);

>> Vampire AU:

Vampire Prince Mathias (cue Vampire Princess Miyu opening);

> More about the characters:

Love, Hate, and Love Language (Mandra & Mathias);

> Previews and Sneak peeks:

(S) An Art Book page - Mand;

CH03 video preview; blinking sprites + GUI + redraw;

CH03 Kastian of Inara - sneak peek;

(S) Lots of Sprites sneak peeks;

Sneak peek (GIF) of the new colored illu for CH03;

Yvanson siblings' sprite test;

> Short Stories (per year)

8:18 - Another Crown Prince (Curio's POV);

8:25 - An arrival at the Castle (Mathias's POV - soon);

8:42 - Introducing Lady Melike (Melike's POV);

8:43 - Mandra's attempt at 'Subtlety' (Mand's POV - soon);

> Updates (major), Game Dev, and Bugs:

How I keep track of choices;

(S) Melike's first finished study;

(P) My simple approach at Programming Body Language and Sprites;

New Main Menu

Update notes LtGBtK v 2.5;

[feverfiction-archive]

Owls vs Cats!

[mcl-pauly]

I FINISHED EPISODE 2 FINALLY i loved it it was so funny i got 0 illu but i enjoyed myself so much also im actually getting along with one (1) of the LI proving that im definitely not making all of them hate me on purpose 😌

[tetrakys]

with the 2 first roures finishing what are your takes on Vladimir and Beliath so far? What you dislike and like about them? And how would you rathe their routes based on story, romance, illus and their personalities? Would you change something about them? Maybe counting with Eloise too what do you think about her personality in each route? 👀

Mmmhh... I think I’ve talked about this here and there many times, but let’s see... I’ll put all my thoughts into one post.

The Characters

I liked both Vladimir and Beliath, they were not the guys I was aiming for from the beginning, but by the end I really ended up liking them both. Vlad is so calm and elegant, but then he gets mad and goes wild and I like this dichotomy a lot, I find it very hot 👀 the fact that he has such a passionate side hiding behind his cold, calm exterior. And the fact that he is always so melancholic, the moment he smiles it’s so meaningful, it makes my heart burst 💕. Also, I just love his hair. Beliath is... hot, there’s no word around it, he managed to make me look past his clothes, I thought it was going to be impossible. This experienced aura that surrounds him... plus him being half incubus... you know he has skills 👀 and it turns out he’s such perfect boyfriend material? Who would’ve ever thought? Once he finally cut the crap with the secrecy and admits his real nature I have really nothing to blame him for relationship-wise.

The routes

Again, I like both, for different reasons. Vladimir’s route is very clean cut and easy to follow. They start not being able to stand each other and chapter by chapter you see them getting closer and closer. His route has more the classic structure of a standard romance: they meet, they become friend, they kiss and fall in love, they have sex, they deal with the enemy and then live happily ever after. Beliath’s route is more mature and tangled, their relationship is not clear at all at first, they provoke each other all the time, it’s such a back and forward, but the moment they really get together, as I said before, relationship goals. Still, I think it’s significant that we get a kiss illustration only in the happy ever after. Contrary to Vlad, that’s where the fairy tale begin, right at the end.

So, while on one hand Beliath’s route was more intriguing, Vlad’s route was... logic, if the word makes sense in this context. Once I figured out how the system worked, it was “easy” to understand him and how the different choices would work with his reactions and his endings. Beliath, instead, was a nightmare, I managed to unlock all his endings eventually, but I still don’t know why and how. I haven’t grasped yet the logic behind most of his choices (and at this point I never will).

One of the winning points of this game is that it keeps you guessing and chapter by chapter you learn bits and pieces about the characters, their story and background. It seems, from what we have seen so far, that Vlad’s is the true route, his story is intertwined with Eloise’s, while both Beliath’s and Ivan’s (from what we have seen so far) are all about them. Plot-wise I found Vlad’s route probably more intriguing partially because it’s the first so you know nothing about Neil and Eloise’s story, Beliath’s route has Leandra and Asmodee as additional characters so it was also interesting to find out about them.

The endings

I absolutely loathed Vlad’s endings. Luckily they fixed the good one so I’m happy about that, but I find his neutral one very yikes... the bad one is better than the neutral one in my opinion, but the topic of suicide is something that I don’t really like to see in my escapism. Nevertheless, I think it fits well with the character and all in all it worked. On the other hand I liked Beliath’s endings much more, I think his neutral ending is probably my favourite ending so far, because it’s both romantic and meaningful, a bit sad but also full of hope for the future. His love for Eloise saves him, pushes him to accept something he had ran away from his whole life and chooses life, exactly the opposite of what happens with Vladimir... Beliath’s bad ending is also very romantic, his words about how he really only started to live when he met her... how can the others top this?? Honestly, loveboy set the bar veeery high.

Eloise

I like Eloise, I don’t care what people say, I like her, she can be both a badass and a nice person. On Beliath’s route more than Vladimir, probably. She is not perfect of course, there are some things I wish she did differently, like she should be more assertive in pointing out that that’s her home and she should find something to occupy her days with. But it’s also true that she has to come to terms with a lot of life-altering news and situations so I can only partially blame her. 

The art

I adore ML’s art. I find the backgrounds particularly beautiful and the illustrations are also chef’s kiss. Yes, I know they are not perfect, but I have 0 art skills myself so I don’t care. My favourite illustrations are Vlad 5 and 6, and Beliath 5 and 7.

Things I didn’t like

As I mentioned before, I would have liked more agency for Eloise, make her do something else other than revolving completely around her vampire. Maybe we could see her learn about her powers, study them, use them for her own agenda. Another thing I didn’t like is that I think Beliath’s chapter 10 has a plothole, I don’t understand how he left the house, but maybe I missed something. I also didn’t like how they clearly decided that one vampire was supposed to die in each route, just for shock value, fortunately they fixed this in the good ending. Oh and yeah I hate how they write women-against-women, but what’s new? BV does that all the time... the day they will stop making their MC’s jealous of other women I will throw a party, you are all invited.

This is pretty much it from me, I like the game, you see how much time I put into it. Feel free to jump in with your impressions anon. 

[meg-eldaryaml]

If this is the season finale, and we'll get a 2nd season, I don't think Gardienne will break up with the LI

Note: Have on mind I haven’t read the spoilers. Usually I even risk the illus making sure I don’t know what happens on the episode, so please, don't spoil it to me.

Well, since we’ve had a lot of flirting options with the other boys, and there are supposed to be 5 routes, whoever may be, it points to a second season with Gardienne single again. It would be the right way to introduce the 5th crush and actually flirt with him without doing an Alexy move. 

In my personal opinion the current relationships are trash, and they should break up, all of them. I was and still am a little hoping for a plot twist that would make Gardienne decide to break up with her boyfriend (there are a thousand of reasons and excuses they could use for it) and start all over again with the flirting on season 2. Now, why I don’t think this will happen?

For starters, I don’t think Beemoov is actually doing the relationships this bad on purpose, it would be cool, but I think they really thought they were doing it good, and maybe if they’ve read some opinions, realized later that they were giving us the wrong impression. It can happen. Let’s hope they do it right next time.

Secondly, there are a lot of things that should happen on the next episode, and Gardienne is convinced right now that her current boyfriend is the love of her life, and they’ll be together forever, and face every further obstacles because now they are stronger than ever, and work as a team, and defeat any villains, and, and, and, and, and. The point is that I really doubt there’ll be enough time for her to remove her blindfold, because there’s a war going on, and even when I think there are a lot of things wrong in the relationship, non of the reasons is strong enough to make her suddenly decide to break up. Non of them are deal breakers like Leiftan being the one behind all the mess, which is the 3rd point.

If Gardienne was able to forgive Leiftan after all he’s done (yes, he had his reasons and lots of us wanted him to succeed, but those were relevant lies and actions for the relationship), I really don’t know what on earth they could do worse than that to make her hate them enough to put an end to their relationship after all this time.

So, yeah, my bet is that the break up will not happen, but thinking about all the story, moments when I’ve been shocked by the decisions Beemoov has made for this story (like the potion thing, Mery’s death, entire villages massacred, or even Ykhar’s poorly written death and all its mysteries), and the fact that I have literally zero clue of which story will they approach if they finish the crystal arc now (yes, there are many plots that haven’t been approached yet, but we all know the main plot is the crystal one/the fate of the world), a quick thought came through my mind. Is not original at all, but I think I like it better than a forced new problem that wouldn’t be related to the first one, so I think it is possible for it to have either a time travel or a memory loss.

In the first case I guess the aim would be trying to avoid Leiftan and Lance's past successes and save the day. If it was back to the first episode, she’ll have more than enough time to try another route, but it could still feel like cheating on her side.

On the second one, I think taking her memory back to the moment of the potion would do the trick. She would hate them again, so I’d say it works as a break up, so she can go with any other LI (although, all the deaths and stuff wouldn’t change).

Now, if they mix both (time travel to the potion moment with her not remembering what is supposed to happen later), it could be boring if they do it too slow, but if she constantly “follows her instincts”, it could be fine.

Personally, I LOVE time travels, but I think they are very complex to approach, which scares me a little if Beemoov wants to do it, but however, the only thing about this whole post that I feel certain about is the fact that Gardienne and her LI won't be breaking up this week.

[bloomellaa]

There’s a story behind this illustration, I wanted to make myself a customized sweater and there was a promotion till the 22nd nov', and i made a first version, I hated my colo so much I started it all over again and finally finished it in time, so here is the finished illu version, the sweater (low quality there’s no bigger image) and the one i hate. 

[incomplete-nano-stash]

Mneme the Forgetter Chapter 1

              Footfalls. Breathing. The only sounds coming to the young man’s ears as he frantically rushed through the brush back to the village were the sounds of his own body in panic mode. He crashed through bushes and trees, barely cognizant of the brightly lit sky, the moon hanging high overhead.

              Run, boy, or you are finished. The one thought pouring through his mind. Run. Survive.

              The dense forest began to lighten, the surest sign that he was approaching the village he called home. Desperate to reach safety, he clung to his satchel, the one thing the beasts had been after, with the passion of a drowning man thrown a rope. His breathing became ragged and quicker as he saw familiar buildings … a smithy here, a residence there … the market roundel where the crop workers brought their harvests …

              Where would be safe to hide? Who would hide him?

              His senses suddenly became aware of another sound invading his personal space, the loud roar of creatures pursuing him, dragging themselves and each other to push their party faster to catch up. The young man caught a glimpse behind him, catching a quick count of his assailants.

              Fifteen. Heavily armed, and all greedy and wanting what he had.

              He stumbled, regained his footing, and ran into the closest building, the village inn. Rumor was that zomroll bandits would not go inside human-made constructs. Right now, he prayed that rumor was true.

              “Alec! Boy, you know the rules!”

              The innkeeper’s booming voice echoed above the din of the assembled crowd within the inn’s modest pub. Slamming down a pint tumbler on the bar, he scowled at the young man.

              “Sorry, Theric, but it’s an emergency, and I need to get away.”

              Theric, slapping his bar towel over his shoulder, crossed his arms suspiciously. “Sure. So was the last time, when you said you got chased by wolves. I’m not buying it. Are any of you?”

              Laughter, derisive and biting, chimed from around the room. Alec was keenly aware of his reputation in the place, knew that it would take a lot of talk, a lot of convincing, to prove his case. His eyes scanned the occupants of the place … many of them were field hands, all of them locals, all of them knew him and wanted nothing to do with him.

              Wait, there was one figure that he did not recognize. A slumped figure at the bar, fully cloaked, the only visible part of their body being a single, gloved hand which kept motioning for drinks. Occasionally a silver lock of hair dropped from the cloak’s hood.

              Theric quickly passed his eyes between Alec and the stranger, then back to Alec. “No. Don’t even think about it.” He leaned closer to the younger man. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to generate foreign custom in these parts? I’ll not have you chasing my first out-of-town guest in five years away over your blasted issues.”

              Alec swallowed. He looked over the stranger carefully. The shape under the cloak was slightly slender, but seemed too muscular to be someone not wearing some sort of armor. A long lump along the figure’s spine seemed to confirm it for the man. This person could help him. He shrugged off Theric’s warning and made his way over to the stranger.

              “Alec, what wild stories are you telling today?” A mocking voice bellowed from the back of the room. “Dragons? Orcs? Fairies?” More roaring laughter.

              Alec slowly made his way to the shrouded figure’s position, taking the stool next to the mystery individual. He faced the bar, trying not to seem conspicuous, in case the person wouldn’t …

              “Seems that the custom here has an issue with you and your actions in the past.”

              The enigma’s words interrupted Alec’s train of thought. He jumped slightly at the sound. The mystery figure had an androgynous, neutral voice.

              “They don’t understand me. I am pursued by many of the creatures that inhabit this world, and for no reason I can calculate I am meant to be their prey.”

              The figure nodded their hooded head slowly. A gloved hand raised. Alec, this close, could see the glove was ringed with plate armor: a gauntlet. “Publican, more mead. And one for my companion here.”

              Theric grumbled, but dutifully poured two tumblers of mead, bringing them over to Alec and the mysterious figure. As he set them down, he leaned close to the enigma. “Are you sure about this, my friend? Alec is a well known liar in this town, he makes up stories and sets up panics left and right.”

              The gloved hand dismissively waved Theric away. He glared more daggers at Alec … a dirty look that clearly said “don’t bother the clientele” in non-verbal terms … and returned to cleaning up the opposite end of the bar.

              “You entered the inn with great urgency,” the enigma continued, catching Alec’s attention again. “Like you were being pursued.”

              “Yes.”

              “Could you tell who was pursuing you?”

              Alec sighed. “You won’t believe me even if I tell you the honest truth.”

              The enigma chuckled. “Try me.”

              Alec cast worried looks around the rest of the room, at the disapproving looks of the other occupants. None of them gave Alec as much as the time of day any other time in the village, and those that did bother would only give it if it meant they could accompany the information with a clap to the back of Alec’s head. Many felt he was touched, not right mentally. A few questioned his family.

              The young man bore up his fears, took a deep breath, and responded. “Zomrolls. A bandit party of fifteen.”

              The room’s temperature seemed to chill as soon as the words left his mouth. Alec watched the enigma’s shoulders jump upward. The figure raised up from their slouched posture, taking up their mead tumbler and chugging down the contents in a single swallow. The empty vessel clattered to the bar’s surface, and the figure reached their gauntleted hands up to drop their hood.

              She, Alec decided. Definitely she. The stranger’s eyes focused on Alec with fiery intensity. “Fifteen, you say?”

              Alec nodded, suddenly struck mute by the woman’s intensity. He picked up his mead tumbler and shakily took a sip to calm his nervousness.

              “Very well. You have my sword. We will discuss payment later.” The woman dropped four coins on the bar counter, as Alec finished his mead. “Publican, a little extra for your trouble.”

              She stood up, having struck the entire room silent with the revelation of herself. She turned toward the assembled group of rowdies.

              “Good villagers, I understand the problem you have had in the past with this young man … what is your name, boy?”

              Alec cleared his throat. “It’s Aleciares, but most folks here call me Alec.”

              She nodded. “Alec it is, then. I intend to investigate young Alec’s claim of trouble, and if it is proven to be false I shall be dealing with him post haste. If it is proven to be true, however …” Her eyes narrowed and grew more intense. “If his claim is proven true, then all here had better beg his forgiveness, or I shall be hearing of it.”

              The collected men in the room looked around at each other, confused. One finally chimed up. “Milady, what puts you in position to back up a bold claim like that?”

              She had heard this all her life, it seemed. She pulled the cloak behind her and drew her sword. “I am the slayer Mneme, bane of dragonkind and destroyer of zomrolls. I will come to this man’s aid, for if he speaks truth then your village is soon to be under assault by the zomroll hordes, and may your gods be merciful if that should come to pass.” She motioned toward Alec. “Come, boy, take me to the trouble.”

              Mneme strode confidently through the crowd in the inn, many of whom had forgotten about their drinks on the tables, simply to watch her move through their midst. She sheathed her sword on the move and, after making sure Alec was following her, pushed the door of the inn open and walked into the darkness.

              They walked quietly through the streets of the village until they reached the outskirts, where buildings became sparse, before the silence was broken. Mneme turned around to her new companion. “Where were they?”

              Alec was startled by the woman speaking to him, lifting his face up to hers. “Oh … yes, they were here, they chased me to this point at least. I saw them following me.”

              Mneme cleared her throat. “Why were they following you, anyway?”

              Alec clutched his satchel closer. “Well, to tell the truth I’m not sure why. I have been foraging all day, there’s really no reason for it.”

              Mneme looked back at the village, then back at Alec. “Foraging? You live in a village, why do you need to forage?”

              Alec shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I’m not the most rowdy and social person in town.” He sighed deeply. “I don’t have a field position, I don’t have an establishment in town.”

              “No income, eh?” The woman sighed. “That explains some things.” She turned her attention back to the thick woods.

              “I do odd jobs around town, and I’m generally just the kid people call when they need someone to abuse.” Alec sighed. “It’s my lot, that’s all.”

              Mneme’s eyes focused intently. She motioned quickly behind her to quiet Alec down, crouching lower to the ground. Her eyes narrowed, her hand went quietly and smoothly to her weapon. In the distance, a clatter arose, making the woman prick up her ears gently.

              “Is it …?”

              “Shh!” She planted her hand on Alec’s mouth. The commotion approached faster, the sounds of marching boots and battle cries. Mneme growled. “I hate barbarians, and I hate zomrolls more.” She ground her teeth, unsheathing her sword and coming out of concealment. Alec stood behind her, approaching slowly as she rose to her full height.

              The zomrolls, for their part, finally noticed the woman standing up to them. The largest one, clearly the leader of the party, brandished a battle axe and hunched in a threatening pose. He stepped forward and bellowed at Mneme with a scratchy voice. “Woman, you better run if you know what’s good for you!”

              Mneme growled. “This village is out of bounds to you and your party.” She assumed a two-hander posture, raising her sword. “Approach at your own peril. Turn back or die.”

              The leader’s eyes took on a yellow glow, illuminating the sickly skin of his party, peeling and sallow and rotting. His voice took an even more hellish timbre as he responded. “Woman doesn’t know when to run. Time to die!” He raised his axe and broke into a run toward Mneme, the rest of the party on his heels.

              Mneme raised an alarming cry, raising her own sword and rushing toward the fight. The clash of the two weapons reverberated around the field, loud as a thunderclap.

              The commotion roused some of the people of the village, one of which approached Alec. “What’s going on, boy?”

              Alec turned and pointed toward the battle. The villagers assembling around him turned their attention toward the fight, as Mneme launched herself deep into the party of zomrolls. Weapons clanged, their reports filling the air with the symphony of violence. Soon the screams started.

              Screams from the zomrolls.

              Mneme was oddly quiet as her sword started cutting through one zomroll after another, as their limbs flew away from the battle site, separated from their original hosts by the woman’s sword. The zomrolls were nowhere near as quiet, emitting howls of anguish as the woman cut through them with little resistance. Blood flew into the night air, the scent becoming heavier the more damage the zomrolls took.

              Finally, the only remaining adversary was the leader, cowering at Mneme’s feet. He had no hands, having lost them far earlier in the fight. “Mercy, great warrior, please!”

              Mneme glared at the leader, taking in his pathetic display, his kneeling and prostration before her. She crouched down to his eye level, narrowing her own eyes at him. In the moonlight, they seemed to take on a glow of their own.

              “No.” The whispered word hit the zomroll like a gunshot, quickly followed by the woman’s sword running through his skull, pinning him to the ground until his body stopped thrashing. When she was satisfied with her work, Mneme withdrew the sword, wiping it gently on the zomroll’s tunic before returning it to her scabbard. She stood completely upright, turning back toward where Alec had been waiting for her.

              Alec now had a large crowd of villagers surrounding him, watching the action along with him. Consternation flashed on every face as the woman approached, breathing deeply to relieve herself from the tension of the fight. The glow in her eyes subsided, her breathing deepened, and she slowly approached the assembly.

              “They will not be a bother to you any more. To be safe, though, I would recommend taking two of their heads and piking them at the entrances to your village, just to keep others away.” Mneme approached Alec. “Thank you for alerting me to their presence, boy.”

              Alec swallowed hard, nodding in acknowledgment. Behind him, though, Theric scowled. “He got lucky, that’s all. I swear, boy, if this had been any other time and another of your stunts …”

              “But it wasn’t, right?” Alec challenged Theric directly. “The danger was real, and it’s lucky for us Lady Mneme was here to …”

              “Yeah, lucky.” Theric narrowed his eyes at the woman. “Why are you passing through here, warrior? This is a peaceful village, we have no need for this kind of trouble …”

              “This trouble came to you. I am hunting it.” Mneme’s calm, neutral voice belied the violence she had been participating in just minutes before. “Perish the thought that those zomrolls were allowed free rein in your village, there wouldn’t be a village left in that case.”

              Theric grumbled. He turned his back on both Mneme and Alec. “I think it’s best that you leave by morning, milady. Our village does not need your brand of trouble here.” He began walking back into the main part of the village, with several of the other villagers following him. The crowd dwindled until simply Alec and Mneme stood at the scene.

              Mneme looked over at the lone young man. “And you? Are you going with your village?”

              Alec sighed sadly. “It’s not my village. Not anymore.” He turned back toward the woman. “Let me come with you, Lady Mneme. I can make myself useful to you, I swear.”

              Mneme sighed, picking up her cloak and wrapping it around her shoulders once again. “I’m afraid that the life I lead is not one for men such as yourself. I would be upset if you were to come to harm at my aid.”

              Alec scoffed gently. “And the way the village treats me doesn’t cause me harm? I’m the village bastard, how much worse can being with you be?”

              Mneme shook her head. “I’m afraid my answer is still no.” She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. “Thank you for your assistance tonight, my friend, but I must ask that our affiliation end here and now. At morning’s light I will be gone.”

              Alec let out a sad sigh, nodding. “As you wish, Lady Mneme. You have my thanks.”

              Mneme gave an encouraging squeeze and what looked like the beginning of a smile to the young man before making her way back toward the village inn. Alec took a deep breath, looking back toward the moonlit battlefield, where the dead zomrolls remained piled where they had dropped.

              “There must be a way.” Alec steeled himself for the gruesome task ahead, and marched over to the pile of zomrolls.