#Riley POV

[excessive-vampires]

Chapter 14: Frightened Wild Animal Part 1: Riley

Masterlist with CW

Taglist: @demyxdancer @softvampirewhump @d-cs

The house was probably the most upscale property Riley had ever been to, if the porch was anything to go by. Even the miles of woods separating the house from the rest of the neighborhood seemed fancy somehow. They wouldn’t be surprised if they found a spiral staircase inside. Riley was trying very hard not to think about what else might be lurking inside this practical mansion.

It was Mike who made sure the house was clear and opened the door, which meant Riley’s team was the last to go inside. 

The first thing everyone saw was three dead bodies laid out by the front door. One had its throat sliced open, another had a gaping burnt hole in its chest, and the third’s head was caved in. 

Someone in front of Riley swore. Riley grabbed their amulet as their head started spinning and their breath got shallow. Their stomach turned and they had to work not to vomit at the brutality of it. 

“Charlie Team, search this floor,” The head caster from Alpha team ordered. “We’ll take upstairs and Beta Team, find the basement.” 

“Yes, Sir.” Sil and Charlie Team’s head caster said at the same time, and the nine of them split up. Each other team had two casters and an artificer, leaving Riley’s team understaffed. But they had to be there in case they found anything relevant to Mason’s plan. Anything that could help identify what the rune from the cabin was for. The agents were supposed to be able to tell if there was anyone in the house before going in, but Riley seriously doubted Mike would have given the all clear if he had seen the bodies. And if Cliff could mess with the Bureau’s scrying artifacts then there could be literally anything in this house. Riley almost froze with fear but made themself keep moving their feet. 

“Riley, go wait in the car,” Mike ordered. 

“No,” Sil contradicted. “They'll be in more danger alone. Agent Bishop stays with us.” 

Riley fought to keep their breath from quickening as they nodded their assent. But they couldn’t stop their eyes from darting back and forth to every shadow like it was a tiger waiting to pounce, and couldn't stop their mind from picturing Cliff behind every corner.

Once the team found the door to the basement Sil went down the stairs first followed by Riley and then Mike. Just as they got to the bottom, muffled screaming came from upstairs. Mike immediately turned around to go back up. 

“Agent Green!”

“Don’t cite protocol at me, Sil, people are getting hurt.”

Riley would have said something, but they were shocked into silence. 

“Mike! Look at what’s in front of you!” Sil ordered. 

“Yeah, I don’t think you want to go back up there.” Avi’s voice caught Mike’s attention and he turned back around. 

Seven unconscious humans, seven demons. 

Mike rushed towards Clara Bolton. Riley and Avi both yelled “Stop!” at the same time. 

“The runes have them in suspended animation,” Riley explained. “Moving her could hurt her or you.” 

Mike looked at the rune. “This is inlaid into the floor, it’ll take hours to break safely.” 

“Please tell me there’s fifty more of you guys upstairs,” Avi said. 

“There’s six,” Riley answered as they walked over to Avi. 

“Fuck,” Avi swore. “You need to get out of here. Fast.” 

“We can’t just leave everyone!” Mike protested. 

There’s nothing you can do right now! None of us can leave!… Except…” 

“Except who?” Riley asked. 

“She’s human, she could leave this part of the rune…” 

Riley suddenly realized who the demon was talking about. 

“Listen, I have to protect her, it’s part of our deal. So I need you to take her and get out of here, leave the rest of us behind or you’re all going to die. Do you understand?”

“Avi—”

“Do you understand!” 

“Yes.” 

“Good.” Then they closed their eyes and Riley wasn’t sure who they were talking to. Maybe them, maybe the person they were possessing, maybe both. “This is the only way. You can figure out how to stop him, you can save me and everyone else. I believe in you.” They opened their eyes and stared into Riley’s. “Take care of her.” 

Riley thought about how they were planning to treat Avi like an unpleasant stranger. Well that plan was out the window. Seeing Avi trapped and helpless like this… They didn’t want that. They couldn’t make themself want that. Not after seeing how scared Avi looked. But at least they could justify it as just wanting to help an innocent woman. 

“I will.” 

“Thank you.” 

Then Avi began to glow, and what looked like molten gold began to flow out of their skin and pool on the floor. Riley caught a glimpse of deep blue eyes before the body passed out and started to fall out of the rune. Riley caught her. The mass of glowing gold on the floor coalesced into a short and fat humanoid with pearlescent scales for skin and gold horns framing slicked back golden hair. Their simple clothes were gold too. As they finished forming they spoke in a familiar voice.

“Go!”

Mike rushed over to help Riley with the woman. As they climbed the stairs they heard Avi and another demon talking. 

“Avi, are you okay?” 

“Yes. I-I think so.” Their voice cracked. “As long as they get her out of here safe I’ll be fine.” 

Riley and Mike each had one of the woman’s arms slung over their shoulders. It was rough going. Riley had to hunch over because of how short she was, and she wasn’t exactly light either. Still, they got within sight of the front door before Mason saw them. 

Sil acted fast, throwing out both her hands in opposite directions and activating two of the runes she had drawn in preparation of the mission. Two things happened at once. 

First, a small explosion erupted from Sil’s hand, with all it’s concussive force and heat directed towards Mason. He had a shield up, of course, but the surprise blow to that shield still knocked him back and off of his feet. 

Second, an invisible wall of force hit Riley, Mike, and the woman, pushing them forward until they all but crashed into the front door. 

Riley got the door open and Sil ran to catch up with the others as they moved as fast as they could towards their car. When they got there Sil slid into the driver’s seat while Mike and Riley hauled the woman into the back. Riley got in back next to her and Mike took the passenger seat. 

“Drive!” Mike yelled at Sil, and she put the gas pedal to the floor. 

Riley held onto their amulet and looked out the window until Mason’s house was out of sight. Then they turned to the woman on the seat next to them. Her face was expressionless in unconsciousness and that made her look somehow different from Avi, who always wore big expressions, whether they were genuine or not. 

The woman whimpered and curled in on herself a bit, Riley thought maybe she was waking up but no, her eyes remained shut and breaths even. Her hand was stretched out towards Riley, they held it. 

“You’re gonna be okay,” Riley whispered to her, because that’s what they wanted someone to say to them right now.

They really hoped Mason wouldn’t make them into a liar. 

[authorangelita]

The old-school wall clock across the room ticked away the seconds with increasingly frustrating noises.  Riley wanted to rip it off the wall and smash it to bits, but she thought the hospital would frown on that.  It was probably best if she didn't bring attention to them anyway since they weren't in the US.

She looked up when she heard limping footsteps heading her way.  It was Mac, carrying two cups of coffee and a small brown bag.  He looked like shit, pale-faced beneath the bruises and jaw set against the pain.  He'd refused analgesics except for Tylenol, and she was worried.

"You doing okay?" she asked as he eased himself onto the chair beside hers.  Setting her computer aside, she took one of the coffees from him.

"I'm fine."

She scoffed and opened her mouth to protest the obvious lie, but he spoke before she could.

"I'm sore, and my headache has its own headache, but I've had way worse."  He held the bag out to her.  "Cinnamon roll or danish?"

Read more at AO3

@macgyvercairo

[coralviola]

• I love this trend sm!! 💫

[sigh-tofm]

if you wear glasses …

… price

- makes sure you always feel beautiful, especially if you’re just starting out or feel insecure with them on. kisses the bridge of your nose and your forehead. wears his own reading glasses when he’s working on reports or just puttering around the house. sits with you on the veranda, hand in hand, reading quietly while the sun sets. both of you wearing your glasses.

… kyle

- forgets you wear them and sometimes kisses you so fervently that your combined breath fog them up. you giggle as he picks them off your nose and neatly deposits them on a free surface. you continue kissing him and to make it fair, kyle turns off the lights so he too needs to rely mostly on touch the rest of the evening. turns out touch is all either of you need.

… johnny

- has broken them on more than one occasion. he’s cracked the glass and bent the frame, and it has happened both during playful wrestling matches and, uh, intimate wrestling matches. visiting the optician to pick out a new pair becomes a bi-annual afternoon date for you two. johnny always pays and isn’t even ashamed to admit out loud what he’s done while your cheeks heat and you look anywhere but at the optician.

… ghost

- always makes sure they’re clean. once you take them off to sleep, shower or just rub your eyes, he steals them away (sometimes right from your fingers or even nose if you’ve managed to get something on the glass while cooking). first uses an alcohol wipe and then dries them off with a soft linen cloth bought especially for that purpose. does not let you clean them yourself. likes to make your life easier when he can.

[stellarfalls]

The twins have arrived,,,meet June & Riley! 🌙☀️

[excessive-vampires]

Taglist: @demyxdancer@softvampirewhump@d-cs

A scene from a sequel-in-progress to Dealing with Demons so beware of spoilers.

Childhood memory:

Riley was laying on the floor, extremely engrossed in an old book about the size of their torso. As they read they dug their bare toes into the carpet and inhaled the smell of dinner cooking. They would get to eat the food fresh, while their parents would get tupperware full of leftovers when they came over to pick Riley up. Riley wondered how much time they had left to read before dinner would be ready. They looked up at the clock on the wall.

And that’s when they saw the figure standing over them. 

For some reason, Riley wasn’t afraid of the person in the gold suit looking down at them and smiling. “Hello, Riley,” said the mystery person. “Do you remember me?” 

“No,” Riley responded casually. “Are you a friend of my grandma?” 

“No, I’m your friend, Riley. My name is Avi.” 

Riley didn’t know why, but they believed Avi. Maybe it’s because they didn’t look very intimidating. They were almost as short as Riley was after all. “Do you want to read with me until dinner?” 

“I would love to, Riley, and maybe one day we can do that, but right now I need you to wake up.” 

“Am I asleep?” That would explain where Avi came from. 

“No… Riley, I’m sorry but… you’re dead.” 

“No I’m not,” Riley answered calmly. “If I was dead I’d be on the universal plane of existence.” 

“I’m afraid you don’t get to go there. At least not for a very long time. Please, try to remember what happened right before this.” 

Riley thought back. “I was… cold. And scared. And hurt.” They didn’t want to drag up any more details, they’d much rather get back to their book. 

Avi sat down on the ground in front of Riley. “I know, I’m so sorry. I tried to make sure you’d feel warm and safe here. I guess this is the memory you associate with that feeling.” 

Riley could feel their heart beating faster in their chest. “I think I want you to leave now.”

It’s Share Day!

theme inspired by the snip threedaysgross shared with me a few days ago, our theme today is nostalgia! share some snippets that feel nostalgic, however that feeling translates for you and your characters!

[deunmiu-dessie]

(unedited)³ retired simon has nowhere to go, so you offer. { his pov } [ one, two, three]

she’s like a breath of fresh air. bright and cold. a gust so frigid that it sends goosebumps to shroud his skin. like the first fall of snow. was it december now? how long has it been since he’d left? how long has he wandered? adrift like a buoy at sea. but strangely stuck, straying in place. like some sort of ghost. trapped and terrified.

he thinks she’s naive. strange, even. like a child left outside without supervision. prone to being up to no good. she’s insistent in her little fiat car. her hands are covered in a pair of creme wool gloves. and when he looks close enough he notices that they’re fraying at the seam. worn. loved.

she says her name. it’s pretty, her name. it fits. she’s expectant, waiting for him to speak. give her something, anything he’s sure. she seems like a good girl. too good, too much for him, not enough for her. he hardly even knew her. but she wants to know you. she’s being nice. nothing more. simon. that’s what he tells her and it rolls off her tongue faultlessly. “well, we’re not strangers anymore, simon.” is what she says. he finds her amusing.

it’s her eyes. that’s what makes him slide into the passenger seat. they're wide. warm. nervous— despite her being the one to offer him a ride. it’s endearing, if not a bit entertaining. and the cold has already frozen his body. he can hardly feel his feet. but he deserves this. this life that he’s been subjected to.

she’s an anxious thing. her gloved hands drum lightly against the steering wheel. she’s shit at making small talk. and from the reflection of the car window, he can see the way she works her bottom lip into her mouth. he’s tempted to thumb it from within the wet heat. he doesn't.

“could be a killer.” she smiles. her eyes brighten. it’s small but he finds himself forgetting to breathe. in and out. in and out. she smells temptingly like honey and spices, all tangy and sweet. fuck. he holds his breath. “are you?” he doesn't respond. after all the killing. the blood that stains his hands. his skin. won't come off no matter how hard he scrubs. he’s a murderer. yes, i am. she’s too trusting. he wouldn't hurt her. never.

small. is how he would describe the apartment. small but homey. filled with greenery, color, and a tiny christmas tree. it’s tucked away. surrounded by lights at its base. it smells like chocolate, milk to be specific. but her as well. honeyed spices and dried fruits, tangy and sweet. the radio that he hears plays quietly. silent night in instrumental. his heart tightens in his chest.

he’s not sure how he ended up here. surrounded by her four walls. she suggests sweetly. eyes wide and sad at his destination. he declines. she isn't the type to take no for an answer. her brows are knitted. hands tightening. he’s enamored. he shouldn't stay. he should tuck and roll out the car while he has the chance. run. like he’s used to doing. too late the two pull in. she’s pleased with herself. he grins faintly beneath his mask. cute.

the couch is a bed. it pulls out into one anyway. she busies herself. shuffling to get sheets and a comforter. it’s a faded baby blue, printed with delicate flowers. and she looks proud. smiling at the cozy couch. her lips are coated in a sheen. from the lip balm she’d put on a second ago. and he adverts his eyes when she looks toward him. couldn't meet those wide eyes. sweet and nervous. he stares instead at the makeshift bed. she speaks. grins awkwardly.

“thank you.” he means it. it’s stiff. his voice hoarse from the cold but, he means it— no matter how gruff it comes out. her hands. no longer swathed by wool gloves, slide down denim-clad thighs. lips press. and her head nods. she says his name again, but scurries before he can reply, and maybe it’s for the best. he can barely speak.

click.

he shouldn't. but he finds himself amused. good girl. he was still a stranger after all. a strange man she has willingly invited into her home. he wondered briefly if she was right in the head. right to slow for him. to smile at him. she couldn't be. unsure. he can’t get comfortable. just lays there and listens to her faint voice. walls thin. voice muffled. but words clear. “die tonight.”— “…love you.” he ponders.

he doesn't remember a ring. friend? mom? boyfriend? his heart aches. he doesn't know her. he has no right to feel anything. she was nice, too good. he was the opposite, with nowhere to go. nothing to offer. why was he here? he should leave. but sleep weighs heavy on his eyes. bing crosby lulls him to sleep. he’d be gone before she woke.

i've always thought simon to have very choppy thoughts. and always being very in his head. very observant. so yeah. listened to christmas music making this! hehehe

[robiinurheart33]

I’m obsessed with ghost being obsessed with soap.

The way he knows tidbits and fun facts about soap is just unparalleled to everyone despite ghost seeming unbothered. They go on missions together more than anyone else in the task force or god forbid, any other military they’re working with. As much as military life would like you to believe, there’s just as much waiting and planning than there is executing.

Soap is notoriously not patient. Ghost is, but only when it comes to work. Anything else he doesn’t have the time nor patience to deal with it. Unless it comes to Johnny. But no one will ever know that except for Ghost himself. But back to the point, they’re mainly on missions together and they stakeout together, they hide in itchy bushes for hours together, they stay in each other’s space, no matter if they want the other to or not. Soap cannot keep his yapper shut for the life of him and he’ll go stir crazy if he has to stay still for 2 whole hours. So he talks. Whispers, really so as to not give their position away. Ghost is a professional after all, he can split his concentration between the mission and Johnny. It’s endurance training. (Or whatever he tells himself anyways.)

Soap doesn’t mind the mindless talking if it helps him concentrate, and if Ghost doesn’t seem to be bothered then it’s all good. He knows that he isn’t actually actively listening, which is okay. He’s not offended, per se, but he feels an uncomfortable tightness in his chest whenever he looks back at Ghost as if it were an actual conversation to be met with nothing. Soap is a professional and damn good at his job at that, so he doesn’t let that bother him. (He doesn’t.)

One hazy night, Soap and Ghost (Ghost and Soap) are staking out a warehouse across the street, a bone-deep exhaustion hangs in the air as they both slump in their seats near the open windows. Cicadas make themselves known and the humidity doesn’t let down even in the night. Soap’s eyes are hazy, blinking ever so slowly and almost slipping shut for good a few times before he jolts himself awake.

“Go to sleep, Sargent.” Sargent. Ghost’s rough but tired voice cuts through his mind as he slides open his eyes again, not knowing they were closed in the first place. He rolls his head over to Ghost, where he’s sitting rigidly upright. To anyone, it would seem like he’s the picture of alertness, eyes trained out the window, posture perfect. But to Johnny, he can see that his fists are clenched too tight, his gun is still strapped to his side, and he hasn’t even taken a shower yet, when Johnny already has.

Guilt pangs softly in his chest, and he purses his lips in thought. Ghost wouldn’t take a shower now seeing that Soap was so tired. He would probably stay up the whole night staring out the window, sweat trickling uncomfortably down his back but still endure it for the opportunity for Soap to rest. He isn’t stupid, he knows there’s something between them that they can’t name, a connection that isn’t quite friends, but crosses the line of professionalism. Whether Ghost knows that or not is still up in the air for grabs. He pushes himself off the chair with a soft groan, sliding his bare feet over the wooden floors to the bathroom. He splashes cooling water on his face and rubs his eyes, blinking harshly. He stares at Soap in the mirror, and Johnny bristles a bit. He looks like pure shit. His eyes are bloodshot and tired, eye bags threatening to pull his eyelids closed, and he hasn’t shaved in quite a few days. Definitely not up to military regulation. He doesn’t bother to clock in the rest of himself now, wanting to focus more on Ghost than himself.

He walks back out to the shared living room, which is also their bedroom and kitchen, and behind Ghost’s chair. He bends down to swiftly unclip his vest off.

“Wha’ are you doing?” He doesn’t even sound annoyed, just tired.

“Gettin’ all this shite offa’ ya.” Soap doesn’t need to look to know that Ghost is probably even more tired than him. His Lieutenant with all the responsibilities under the sky, and no one to share that burden with.

The vest falls with a heavy thump on the ground and Johnny continues to clatter the remaining knives and guns onto the table, right beside their haphazardly placed maps for future ambushes. He pulls a knife from the sole of his boot, and Ghost huffs in amusement.

“Didn’t know you knew about that one, Johnny.” He’s Johnny now.

“I know everything about you.” It scares him a bit how it slips out that easily, but it scares him even more that he doesn’t take it back.

Ghost’s eyes bore into the side of his skull as he throws the rest of the equipment onto the table, keeping a gun in the pocket of his cotton pants. Johnny juts his chin towards the bathroom, arms akimbo.

“Go shower.” he doesn’t bother with a jab now, God knows they’re both off the table for that. It’s come to a point in the night where jokes lay to rest and honestly is the only thing left to say.

Ghost doesn’t look like he’s going to move and Johnny won’t blame him. He knows how hard it is to leave your post, how you scream at your body to move but nothing works. Nothing happens. Johnny’s eyes eventually hone in on Ghost’s eyes, trying to get a grip of what he’s feeling at the moment. Brown. It’s stupid, but Soap’s never been good with all the metaphorical side of describing things. Ghost’s eyes are brown. It’s brown. And it looks soft around the edges, calm and present, moving ever so slightly as he looks back at him. And they look at each other. And Johnny melts. He wants to melt and be safe in Ghost’s eyes and there’s nothing wrong now, there can never be anything wrong. How could it when the stars and the moon crafted them to orbit around each other so perfectly and intimately? And how could anything go wrong when this is the most right Johnny has ever felt in his life?

He feels his hand rise like silk, cupping Ghost’s cheek, like he’s done it so many times before. He hasn’t. Johnny’s not so sure what makes tonight different, or what changed, but he doesn’t want to question it. He’s not jinxing or screwing anything up this time. The cheekbone of the plastic skull digs into the palm of his hand and Ghost’s eyes droop. His thumb drags up and down, up and down right under his eye, not breaking the eye contact he has with Simon. He watches in real time as his eyes dilate and flutter, his head tipping forward, as if he could feel his touch over the plastic and the balaclava. Before Simon’s head could fall forward, eyes finally closing, Johnny grasps his face with both hands, murmuring.

“Hey, big guy. Not yet.” Simon’s eyes open again, looking up at him and Johnny wants to cry at how desperately he wants him to just relax right now, but he knows that if he isn’t completely safe and comfortable he’s be screaming awake 2 hours later.

“Shower.” He whispers. Ghost seems to snap back into reality slightly, standing up straight and towering over Johnny once more. Like this, his eyes seem black in the shadows, and things are jagged and sharp again. He grunts once, stepping out of their safe bubble and sliding into the bathroom, closing and locking the door with a click.

Johnny sighs softly as he sits down on Ghost’s seat, the wood still warm as he looks out the window. The gun burns where it’s pressed against his thigh, but maybe that’s just the absurd heat at the moment. His eyes are trained on the warehouse, leaning his elbows on his knees and letting his mind drift off for a bit. There’s no one in the warehouse at the moment, and any movement would be extremely obvious in the dead of night so he figured it would be okay.

Johnny thought of his family. He thought of the soft yearning he felt whenever he wanted to be small and tucked in his mother’s arms again. he thought of how accepted he felt if one of his older sisters threw an arm around his shoulder. He thought of his home back in Scotland, an empty living room with an aging woman who would spend the rest of her life waiting for children that were not guaranteed to come back. The sadness plagued his mind whenever he was alone, wishing he could come back as soon as possible to his home. To what? Put on the obnoxious military persona and acting as if he were immortal to not worry his family? He knows better than that. He knows he’s soft and pliable, that no matter how many muscles he builds, his body will always cave to a bullet. He knows his family will always worry and he can’t do anything about it.

Ghost steps out of the shower and Soap’s thoughts dissipate, head tilting in his direction. He’s swapped his hard skull mask for a clean balaclava, traditional hoodie and sweatpants. He looks…domestic, in a way. A too big man standing in a too small hallway, hunched over and fatigue evident. Love, Johnny realises, comes in many shapes and forms, but it all takes root in the same place.

Simon lumbers over to stand behind his chair, eyes boring down to meet his. Their positions have swapped now, Simon looking down while Johnny reaches up to meet his. Love is a gentle thing. Soap realises with a calmness that shouldn’t be there that he couldn’t pick between his family and Simon. His family meant the whole world to him, but Simon was his sunlight and his saviour. They floated in a nice limbo between everything, Simon and Johnny. Johnny and Simon. Love is a gentle thing.

“Go to sleep, Johnny. you’re tired.”

“You don’t kno’ that.” He’s slurring.

“I know everything about you.” The line is thrown back into his face, and Johnny’s eyes widen. He can feel the butterflies in his stomach, twisting in an exhilarating way. He swallows and watches Simon stare at his Adam’s apple bob up and down, eyes crinkling. Johnny’s a bit speechless, partly due to overwhelming fondness and partly due to his body screaming for a rest. Simon cares. He cares for Johnny. He thinks about him. He cares. He cares. He cares.

Love is a gentle thing.

“Aye.” John whispers.

All is right in the world, because Simon cares and his mother is at home waiting for him, and he is loved. Johnny is told to sleep, and so he will.

[slut4-haydenchristensen]

price, about soap: honestly ghost, i think he has potential

ghost: potential to be a fucking problem?

[mindie-arts]

A rough mission got him all peckish in the middle of the night 😩✨

And then he got caught-

[excessive-vampires]

Dealing with Demons Chapter 9: A Tempting Offer Part 1: Riley

Masterlist with CW

Taglist: @demyxdancer @softvampirewhump @d-cs

Avi was laughing when Riley approached them.

"What's funny?"

Avi put away their phone. "Oh, just something my friend said."

"Would this friend happen to be CosmicCat on Spotify?"

Avi's eyes narrowed. "Yes. Why?"

"No reason, just curious. Let's get on with the mission." Riley moved to open the car door.

"Actually," Avi leaned back against the door to close it. "If it's just going to be the two of us I'd rather teleport. It'll be faster."

"Oh, uh, okay."

"Now, what's the closest address?"

Riley told them.

"Okay. First, I'm going to need you to get rid of that amulet."

Riley grabbed said amulet protectively. "What? Why?"

"Silver doesn't teleport very well."

"I've never heard that. And I've seen teleportation runes made of silver."

"Well, I don't use runes. It works differently."

"Where am I supposed to put it?"

"Car's glove box?"

"It's not my car!"

"But you have the keys, right? So no one else will be able to take it while we're gone."

Riley paused for a moment.

"If you don't want to come with me—"

"No. I'm going with you. But do we have to teleport?"

"Do you want this to take all day?"

Riley deliberated for a moment before they took off the amulet and stashed it in the car. They instantly felt like they had gotten onto a rollercoaster with no safety bars.

"Excellent. Now, take my hand." Avi held out their hand and Riley gingerly grabbed onto it. "You're going to want to hold your breath."

Riley did so.

And then everything went black. And silent. And numb. For a terrifying moment Riley thought they were dead, but then the world came back all at once. Riley fell to their knees as their mind tried to process their surroundings.

Avi grabbed their shoulders and hauled them to their feet.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to that."

"Great."

They were in an apartment. It looked like an average middle-class home except for the lack of life. Dust had long since settled over the surfaces, even law enforcement hadn't been here in a while.

"Well, did they summon a demon?"

Avi inhaled deeply. "Not within the last week."

"That's all you can tell?"

"Unfortunately. The rest will require some old fashioned manual searching." Avi put on gloves and tossed a pair to Riley.

"But the initial investigations have already cleared out anything occult."

"Evidence that someone has summoned a demon isn't always obviously occult. Look for cleaning products they could have used to get rid of the blood rune. Look in the fridge for apples or pomegranates, anything that's symbolically connected to demons or the soul."

"Right." Riley started looking.

The ritual used to summon spirits was unusual, half normal ritual and half symbolism ritual. A person had to put a lot of themself into it, including an offering--consumed by the ritual--they thought would entice the demon or angel they were summoning. The offering could be almost anything, as long as the summoner believed it would work and that it in some way represented what they wanted to achieve. Riley pretty much had no idea what to look for, but soon Avi sauntered over carrying a fistful of pure white feathers.

"Found this under the mattress. Dove feathers, they probably went out and collected them by hand. I bet they thought it'd get them an angel."

"Does the offering determine what type of spirit you get?"

"No, but some people try to guide things in a certain direction. Sometimes it looks like it works, but the ritual always summons a spirit based on what deal you want, not what you do."

"Huh. I always thought it was based on what kind of spirit you were looking for." Riley quickly got out their notepad and wrote the new information down

Avi threw the feathers over their shoulder and held out their hand. "Come on, we'd better get going to the next address."

Riley's stomach lurched. "Right. Let's get this over with."

They found evidence of rituals at the next three houses, but it wasn't until the last house that Avi could actually catch the scent of a recent summoning.

"Six days ago. Demon of arrogance." 

"Huh, that's at least three diffent types of demons in total."

"Hmm." Then Avi's eyes went wide. "Seven total victims, each having summoned a different type of demon... I think I know who's doing this, and if I'm right it's bad."

"What? How?"

"I'll explain to you and Coleman when we get back, come on."

Riley took a deep breath and grabbed Avi's outstretched hand. This time they managed to stay on their feet when they appeared outside the base.

"I'll go get Coleman. Mike and Sil too, they'll want to hear this."

"Wait, Riley!"

"What?"

"Your amulet."

"Oh, thanks." Riley unlocked the car and grabbed the now cold silver.

"No problem, I have a feeling we'll all need all the protection we can get."

Riley's stomach dropped as the weight of the amulet settled against their chest. They ran inside the building.

......

Once Riley had rounded up everyone who needed to hear what Avi had to say they all gathered just outside of the base.

"Okay. A while ago I was summoned by someone who wanted to make a deal with me. His name was Cliff Mason. I refused him because he was vague about what he wanted from me and only offered an unspecified amount and type of power in return. But before I did he told me he needed one of each type of demon for what he was planning. I think he also needs someone who's made a deal with each of the seven."

"But then why would he take Clara Bolton? If you refused him wouldn't he have found another demon of avarice?" Riley asked.

"He was insistent that he needed me specifically. I don't entirely know why. I think he's going to try to force me to cooperate with whatever it is he's planning and he's confident he can succeed." Avi sighed and looked down. "I'm in danger."

For a moment everyone was silent. There was an incredibly powerful monster standing before them, and this Cliff Mason was dangerous enough to make them feel unsafe. Riley felt cold sweat at the back of their neck.

"Don't worry," Sil said. "You're part of the team now, we'll keep you safe."

Riley looked at her in surprise and saw Mike doing the same.

"What? If I only protected the coworkers I actually liked then Mike would have been dead years ago."

"Thank you, Agent Silverman," Avi said with sincerity. "That means a lot."

"I'll get someone to look up Mason's home address, criminal record, employment history, the works," Coleman said. "Be ready to go out and start trying to track him down in the morning. You," she pointed at Avi. "Don't try to investigate alone."

"Director, I wouldn't dream of it."

Demons could lie, as long as they hadn't given you their word, but Riley saw the fear in Avi's eyes and believed they were telling the truth.

[giotanner]

Lt. Simon Ghost Riley finds himself having to barter a trade with KorTac, the private military company in which Konig serves. The two are professionals; that doesn't mean there aren't disagreements (honestly, I think Konig's attitude-at least from his lines-really bothers Ghost. Ghost has a British hilarity, that dry humor that is not expansive, and he is quite stoic). Ghost is counting the days that will bring him back to Task Force 141!

Please REBLOG IT / support it on my tiktok

prints

[reds-skull]

Anatomy is one of the biggest thing I need to work on, so why not do it while drawing these two fuckers.

Tried to focus just on the sketch/lineart, so no shading on this one...

[aresdoll]

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓼 — 𝓳𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓻 𝓪.𝓲

♡┊𝓣𝓦: 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓫𝓪𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓮

❥ Sugar Daddy || Nanami Kento — 【 𝗙𝗧𝗠 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 He wanted a traditional romance, but finding you in a night of sexual frustration... Maybe he had found what he was looking for.

❥ Carlos Oliveira — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 After the worldwide contamination, Carlos was the only one left to contain the city's zombies - however, you had also survived and now, he needed to convince you to stay with him at the base.

❥ Kratos || God of War — 【 𝗙𝗧𝗠 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Maybe he started to feel something more for you... And it was strange for him to feel emotions other than anger and hate.

❥ Freak || Joe Mayhem — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 A government experiment gone wrong when they tried to create a perfect war soldier – giving rise to Joe, a man who was pure chaos. Yet you seemed to attract him somehow... And now you had a "scary dog" to guard you.

❥ Scorpion || Kuai Liang — 【 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Oh no... It's his wedding...

❥ Mafia Stepdad || Klaus Morgan — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 He married your mother to cover up the crimes, but at the same time he saw something that interested him a lot in this marriage by adhesion... You.

❥ Nanami Kento — 【 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 You had a promising future as a sorcerer, but you gave it all up to go to Geto's side — and now your former tutor needed to stop you.

❥ Detective coworker || Hermes Charles [FTM BOT] — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Your coworker was a tired and hot dilf, in dire need of getting fucked... And you seemed great for that role and especially for fucking his pussy until he forgot about his problems – However he found himself with more intense feelings for you.

❥ Enemy || Félix Ludwig — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 His hatred was a thick shell that covered an unresolved love; and now he had the opportunity to have you in his hands... Or rather, on his feet.

❥ Alpha cellmate || Reiji Kaito — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 You were the only omega in prison, and luckily, you ended up in the cell of an Alpha who would protect you during your heat.

❥ Femdom || Roxie Katherine — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 She loved turning men like you into beautiful princesses...

❥ Rich Husband || Alex Ludwig — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Everyone thought you only married him because of his money — but he knew you really loved him.

❥ Bestfriend || Hari Raj — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Your boyfriend dumped you and now your best friend wants to show the jerk what he's been missing...

❥ Bi Han || Sub Zero — 【 𝗙𝗧𝗠 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 He didn't expect the surprise when he lowered his clothes, but it was a pleasant surprise...

❥ Husband || Miguel O'Hara — 【 𝗙𝗧𝗠 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Your kind husband had a baby fever and urgently needed to get you pregnant...

❥ Bi Han || Sub Zero — 【 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 night company...

❥ Ghost || Simon Riley — 【 𝗙𝗧𝗠 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 you were curious and he let you touch him...

❥ Bi Han || Sub Zero — 【 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 His brother didn't want you, but he did.

❥ Radioactive || Simon Ghost — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Was he still the same?

❥ Scorpion || Kuai Liang — 【 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Temptations

❥ Hades || Simon Ghost — 【 𝗙𝗧𝗠 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 The god of the underworld fell in love with you, and with that, the best way for him to keep you was to kidnap you for himself — Persephone {{user}} x Hades Simon.

❥ Dom. Caregiver || Eric Blair — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 It was supposed to be a platonic contract, until he started to feel something more for you...

❥ Sadistic Guardian Angel || Ciel Melchior — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 After you became very ill after a near-death experience, you received mystical protection from a guardian angel — however little did you know that he only liked to see you suffer.

❥ Stepdad || Nanami Kento — 【 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Nanami had always noticed your attempts to be more than his stepson, and now, after that fateful accident – he needed to put an end to your illusory desires.

❥ Noob Saibot — 【 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 Together in khaos

❥ ALT Stepdad || Simon Ghost' — 【 𝗙𝗧𝗠 𝗣𝗢𝗩 】 You end up having sex with your stepdad as a birthday present || alt version ||

[fishsinsareacknowledged]

Ghost and grabbing you by your arm pits. Thighs shoved under the back of yours before he picks you up, making you sleep on his lap because you passed out at the bar and he doesn't trust anyone else there.

[erubo]

Number 1 tiktok babygirl.

(I'm cringing)