#SHIT I FORGOT HER LEG BRACE

[seypia]

them but like. if they met under normal circumstances

[stevieschrodinger]

Everything is going slowly foggy. The fear is fading. Eddie's vaguely aware that it's probably because he's dying. What was terrifying a couple of minutes ago, is only vaguely of interest now. An ephemeral pressure on the back of his brain. Present, yet easy to ignore.

All he can taste is his own blood, but it's not so bad. At least he can tell Dustin how much he loves him. And Steve's there. Steve Harrington. Who knew he would turn out to be such a great guy? So, yeah. It all feels alright.

Eddie feels sleepy, vaguely aware that he's, actually, probably dying.

He closes his eyes.

There's a strange sense of vertigo, strange enough that Eddie notices he's standing up before he notices that someone's kissing him. It's a soft press of lips. It's wonderful.

Eddie blinks his eyes open, and from an inch away, he's looking at Steve Harrington.

He's standing in a kitchen. it's nice. Eddie's clean; he's wearing sweats and a tee. Barefoot. The kitchen smells like coffee, and sun is shining in through the window.

Somewhere in the house, a child sequels; Eddie startles. "Steve?" He asks, carefully. "I mean...not that it isn't-"

The child comes barreling into the room. It's a little girl. She's wearing the smallest Dio shirt Eddie's ever seen. She throws herself at Eddie's legs, screaming "Papa!"

Eddie has no idea what his face is doing as he looks down at this little girl, but Steve is taking his hand, tugging it, Eddie looks up, "it happened again, didn't it? You forgot again?"

"I...what?"

Steve scoops up the little girl, throwing her over his shoulder, she squeals again, laughing like this is the best thing ever, "come on pumpkin patch, Papa's not feeling so hot today and auntie Robin's going to be here in two whole minutes."

He looks back to Eddie, mouthing 'just wait, okay?'

Eddie, at a loss, just nods.

He creeps to the doorway, watching, fascinated, as Steve Harrington fixes the little girls hair into pig tails. Helps her get her socks straight. Helps her tie the laces on her sneakers. Gets her back pack on her, "eat your carrot sticks today, okay Ronnie?"

'Ronnie,' Eddie mouths to himself.

Watches as Steve puts her little hand into Robin's, standing on the front porch. Robin looks different. Older. She's smartly dressed.

Steve whispers something to her, and she looks at Eddie. Smiles a sad smile. They leave.

Steve stands there for a moment, waves them off, then closes the door. He seems to steal himself, and then he turns and comes back to Eddie, "I have to go to work, but, come on, let me show you something."

Eddie follows Steve into an office, there's shit everywhere, "I don't come in here often, your mess drives me fucking batshit," Steve digs into a desk drawer, brings out a notebook. "I have no idea what's in here, I've never read it. Something about...what happened. You did die. You were oxygen deprived long enough to cause a brain injury, so sometimes you...forget everything. After the second time it happened, you started writing letters to yourself. So, yeah...you call it your instruction manual, I get it for you when this happens."

It takes Eddie what feels like a really fucking long time to process this, and he can't help but notice that Steve's eyes are wet, Eddie feels crushingly guilty about it.

"Okay so what do I...do?"

Steve shrugs, "read it, I guess. You add to it whenever anything important happens...Eddie...just, the bats, they did a number on you...when you, when you look at the scars, the first time, just, brace yourself, okay and...don't forget that I love you, no matter what, I love you."

And Steve just...leaves the house. Leaves Eddie in this absolute disaster of an office. Leaves him holding a notebook that's ratty and untidy and feels like it's bursting at the seams.

Eddie reads.

So, I'm going to try and keep this simple, but I'm you, from the past, and our dumb ass has fucking brain damage...

You're not going to fucking believe this...we bagged Steve Harrington...

Hold on to your hat big boy, but we got fucking published! And if you're reading this, then you are in for a treat, because it means you get to read our genius for the first time all over again...

Okay, so this one was a bad one, we initially, didn't react so well, so, here's what I was worried about, and I'll talk you through it...

So, I need you to not fuck this up for us, okay? So, this is the Steve Harrington play book. The man is romantic, buy flowers, do nice shit. I cannot stress this enough - just pick up your crap man, he hates it when the place is messy. Now, we have to get it right so here's everything I know, I'll start at the top and work down. He loves having his hair played with, and tugged, but not too hard, gentle but firm, there's a sweet spot. The neck, the whole thing is an erogenous zone, I really can't downplay the importance of the neck...

We bought a fucking house! Look at it! Just look at it! And Eddie does, because there's a Polaroid stuck to the page.

So, this might sound dumb, and I probably should have written to you sooner, but...Steve jizzed in a cup for Robs, and Nancy turkey basted it, you know. Anyway, the point is...Rob's pregnant. With our baby. And then me and Nance got drunk, like, to celebrate, and she got all sad that her and Robin weren't having a baby, stay with me, I know this is mad as shit, but Nancy wanted our kid and their kid to grow up together....

Look, I don't know if it's the stress of like, imminent fatherhood, but we've been forgetting a lot lately, so, here's the plan for when Rob's in labor, and everything you've talked to Steve about when it comes to being the stay at home parent, okay...

The next page is just a Polaroid, a little scrunched up face. A little pink potato swaddled in blankets, and underneath it says 'Ronnie Jamie Harrington'...

And the next page, another Polaroid, another scrunched up face, another little pink potato swaddled in blankets, and underneath it says 'Stephanie Edwina Wheeler'...

Steve comes home. He looks exhausted. Like, drained. And, worried and scared and pale and lots of other things Eddie can't even begin to imagine. Eddie holds his arms out and Steve practically throws himself into them, "how long does it take, for me to get back to normal?"

Steve shrugs, "it's different every time, but it's a good sign you're still here, sometimes you run. Those times are the worst ones."

Six weeks later, Eddie writes to himself, "do not, under any circumstances, run away..."

Eddie thinks he's seeing things. Thinks maybe he's going senile. But he hasn't forgotten for...well, it's been years now. At least seven or eight. And yeah, Ronnie might be about to finish high school and Steve might be stressed to fuck over her college applications, but...Eddie's glad. He's glad she's spreading her wings. He's glad they managed to produce a stand up human being.

He's really glad her and Steph are trying for the same colleges, they're always going to have each other.

But yea...he's worried his mind is kind of...slipping. Hasn't told Steve. Doesn't want to worry him. They're both sprouting a few gray hairs, no need to add to those.

But sometimes. Sometimes when Eddie looks out of the window, he thinks, for a moment, that the sky is dark and...it looks like snow?

And sometimes, Eddie catches himself in the mirror, and he's sure he's dirty. A mess. Covered in blood but...no. He walks back a step, checks again. Everything is fine.

Sometimes he's sees movement out of the corner of his eye.

Sometimes, in the beat of the music or the rumble of the car engine, he swears he hears things. Sometimes a voice. Sometimes it sounds like they're yelling.

Sometimes it sounds like Steve.

And once, he blinked awake, Steve bringing him a coffee. But it wasn't Steve, for the time between startled, half asleep blinks, it was Vecna.

It gets worse.

Something isn't right. The house is empty, and it shouldn't be.

He can hear Steve, but he can't find him. And that's silly because the house isn't that big. He searches and searches, growing more frantic. He calls back to Steve, but Steve...doesn't seem to hear him.

There's something dim about the light, but the light has always been that way, hasn't it? Something...dusty, in the air. Eddie feels like he's dreaming. He has to be dreaming; there's a crack in the living room wall. A crack that spreads and lengthens until the whole house is crumbling and Eddie can see clearly now that the sky here flashes red.

That it's always been flashing red.

How did he not see before? The dust on every surface? The pages of his notebook are blank. Eddie knows. He's always known.

Steve.

Steve is here. He's hanging from Eddie's fist, bruised and bloodied and begging Eddie. Begging Eddie to stop this, to hear him, to see him. It's Steve.

It's Eddie's Steve.

Next to him, Vecna says, "finish it."

Eddie has something in his hand, the hilt of something he's sure of, long and sharp and dependable.

Eddie doesn't think, he just moves.

He drops Steve.

He doesn't need to look. Eddie turns, and he swings.

Part Two

[lot-of-nothing]

Entwined (Ch. 2)

Melissa Schemmenti x Reader

After what you thought was a wonderful night together, Melissa leaves you feeling cold.

Warnings: Toxic Melissa, smut, and very veiled internalized homophobia

Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for all the love with the first chapter. And a huge thank you to @alexusonfire for being my beta <3

Link to Chapter 1

While a comfort show played in the background, you swiped mindlessly on a dating app. There was a part of you that felt as if you were betraying Melissa by doing so, but then again, she dated and even married without much of a thought about you or your relationship. The women you swiped on all seemed nice enough, but they were no Melissa Schemmenti. 

You were drawn from your phone when the redhead let herself into your home and held up a Tupperware container to you as she walked past you and into your kitchen. Your eyes followed her sweat pant clad hips the entire time she spoke to you, “I brought puttanesca, and I forgot my show is on in fifteen, so we have to postpone the sex for an hour.”

“You didn’t have to come.” Your response was automatic. By no means were you trying to get her to leave, but she shouldn’t feel so beholden to come by when your relationship was so casual. 

Mel paused briefly, glancing over her shoulder with furrowed brows, “Since when did you play all hard to get?”

Rather than respond to her, you turned back to face the television with a roll of your eyes. It was never really worth starting trouble with Melissa. Instead, it is best to just pick and choose your battles. 

When she emerged from the kitchen, she was carrying two bowls that she must have pulled from your cabinets. There was a pang in your chest at seeing Mel be so domestic in your own home. It was a sight you yearned for, yet you knew it was best not to get used to it. 

She passed off a bowl to you with a commanding tone,  “Eat.”

Taking the bowl into your hands, you passed off the remote in return, “What are we watching?” 

“Real Housewives.” Mel asked with her mouth full and her forearm covering her mouth from your view. When she finished chewing, she took the phone from your hand and began flipping through the channels in search of her favorite tv show. 

You rolled your head over to stare at Melissa with an unenthused reaction - a bit overdramatic, but it reflected your overall disinterest in the reality program. 

Mel wouldn’t even give you a glance as she found the right channel. She only held up a hand and sassed you, “I don’t need your shit. Now shhh! It’s starting.”

—

Melissa was on you in an instant when her show was through. She threw her leg over your lap, straddling you with a smirk, “And now I’m ready for ‘ya.”

“Now you’re ready?” You let out a breathy laugh and ran your fingers up her thighs to squeeze her hips. Watching her lips expectantly, you began moving her shirt up slowly. You couldn’t help it as your heartbeat quickened in pace - Melissa was just far too gorgeous. 

Melissa began rocking slowly in your lap and you nearly melted as her manicured hands found your cheeks with a hum, “Mhmm...”

She dove down for your lips without any further hesitation. Her kisses were deep and hungry which was often evidence of her impatience. Mel moved her hands from your face and used them to brace herself on the back of the couch. She would always do this, grinding and bucking against you so you would cave in and touch her. 

Like clockwork, you did as you were silently commanded, knowing she would only maintain control over you for a few minutes longer. You pulled down on her hips, guiding her to grind against you and earning a groan from her. 

The sound was your kryptonite. It was addicting.

You maneuvered swiftly to draw more sounds from her. One arm around her waist, guiding her to grind back and forth, while the other was pushed beneath the waistbands of her sweats and underwear. 

Satisfying her needy desires earned you deeper kisses and she moaned into your mouth as your fingers slipped through her folds, “Oh, Jesus..”

When you found she wasn’t as damp as you liked, you withdrew your hand from her underwear. Parting your kiss, you pushed your fingers past your lips and swirled your tongue around the digits. 

Spit drenched your fingers when you guided them back to her clit, and the newfound wetness caused her to gasp. 

She looked so perfect like this. Forehead pressed to yours. Flyaways of red hair framing her face and dancing in your periphery. Jaw slack with her eyes screwed shut. Soft moans rising from her throat with every shift of your fingers. Her soft breasts threatened to spill from her tank top with every thrust of her hips. Every few moments your name was huffed in the most beautiful, desperate tone. Her hands shifting rapidly between the couch and your shoulders as she sought contact while also attempting to brace herself. 

You cooed to her softly, knowing all she needed now was praise. “Pretty girl… so beautiful aren’t you?” 

She knew the drill. Melissa knew to answer your question promptly if she wanted you to continue playing with her. She let out a strangled hum to avoid taking away too much of her attention from her own orgasm, “Mhmm.”

Your fingers danced gently at the edges of her face, tucking hair behind her ears. You wanted to kiss her cheeks, but you refrained from the gentle intimacy to avoid spooking Melissa.Your next question flowed from your lips with a tone dripping with intense desire, “Are you gonna make yourself cum on my fingers?”

Mel was doing all the work at this point. Her hips ground erratically, hinting she was getting incredibly close to her climax. She could only answer your question with a strangled hum. “Mhmm.”

“What was that, hon?” You drew your hand back an inch, earning a desperate and frustrated gasp from the redhead. 

Her eyes flickered open and you were suddenly face to face with her wild, green hues. Mel was obviously upset with how you were teasing her, but it was laughable with how quickly she folded in the bedroom. Her willpower was all but nonexistent when your hand was down her pants. 

She gasped and bucked her hips upward in search of your hand, “Yes… Oh god, yes please…”

“It almost sounds like Melissa Schemmenti is begging.” Your grin was evil as you slipped your fingers back to where they had been previously. The redhead went crazy in your lap, gasping and moaning as her hips writhed in order to achieve her orgasm. 

It only took her mere seconds to find it, and with a final buck of her hips, her face was buried into her crook of your neck as she rode out her orgasm and choked out, “Fuck you.”

—

Melissa was running her hands up and down your thighs as she went down on you. She would always get so lost in giving you head that she would come up for air with big gasps. And rarely did she ever stop right away after your orgasm, it typically took writhing and begging to pull her from her pussy eating trance.

When you came, your hips lifted into the air with Melissa’s face still attached - a sight to behold. Your final orgasm (or orgasms) came in a final set of three, rolling together in a way that had you sobbing out in search of reprieve. 

When you finally settled, Melissa rested her cheek on your mons and tucked her hands under your sides to better snuggle against you. “Give me a few minutes and then I’ll be ready for another go.” 

She always was so avid about giving head to you - a little fact that made you raise your eyebrows in questioning. After all, it seemed a little fruity for her to enjoy it as much as she did.

You had no complaints at the suggestion as your blissed out mind mulled over the events of the past half hour while your eyes focused on the lazily moving ceiling fan, “Mm... Sounds good to me.”

It was hard to draw your attention away from the red hair draped over your middle. And against your better judgment, you began twirling and untwirling the locks around your fingers. Her hair was silky to the touch and the smell of her rose scented shampoo and conditioner wafted up to you. 

“Wuddya think you’re doin’?” Mel’s tone seemed slightly annoyed, but she made no effort to move away from you or to get you to stop. 

“Oh, relax, tiger.” You teased Melissa, pushing your fingers against her scalp to rub gently. “You aren’t any less tough just ‘cause I’m playin’ with your hair.”

“Hmph.” Melissa begrudgingly turned her attention to the reality show that now graced the tv  She told herself that she would only have to allow for it until she was ready for another round of sex. 

Rarely would you get these soft moments of intimacy from her. Often she would leave or move away to prevent any prolonged contact like this, but something about spending time together before sex must have softened her up. This moment alone gave you the bittersweet feeling that you fit so well together, but you had to remind yourself of the constant heartbreak she caused you.

Episode after episode of miscellaneous reality television played before you checked in again with the redhead to see if you were done for the evening, “Mel?”

When no response came, you sat up at a low angle to look down at the woman who had fallen asleep on top of you. With a gentle hand, you combed red curls from her face to expose her features softened by slumber. Even with a quick glance of her sleeping face, you were pained by your yearning for her... as you knew the odds were not in your favor. 

No one could feel sorry for you. For decades you had inflicted this pain on yourself, letting her back in a moment's notice. And tragically, you worried this pattern was destined to repeat itself as Melissa had a way about her that felt addictive for you. 

So while you knew Melissa spending the night would not be good for your heart, you continued played with her hair until you finally fell asleep.

---

The next morning you woke up feeling incredibly stiff from your night spent on the couch. Worst of all, the redhead that had once been sleeping on your stomach was absent. Propping yourself up on your elbows, you looked around your home for evidence of Melissa’s presence, but her purse and jacket that once sat on a chair near the front door were now gone. 

As you looked around, you noticed that you were draped in a blanket and the television had been turned off. When you stood and glanced into the kitchen, your eyes caught a glimpse of the dinner dishes in the drying rack. 

You felt your cheek grow warm from the embarrassment. She couldn’t stick around to say goodbye, but she was a decent houseguest and washed the dishes? 

Retrieving your phone from the coffee table, you drop yourself down on the couch as you furiously type out a message to the redhead and hit send. 

Couldn’t say goodbye before you left?

Her reply came a few minutes later, and you could feel her attitude emanating from the screen - We aren’t dating. 

Maybe you should have thought it through more when you replied, but you sent the text anyway - That doesn’t mean I don’t care.

And it was no shock that all you received was radio silence from Melissa. It infuriated you that she couldn’t even send a simple text, a like, or even an emoticon in response. One day turned into a week which turned into a month, and finally there you were three months later with no response. 

You were so over it at this point. It was painful and embarrassing that you thought your night together of dinner, tv, and fucking felt so natural and fun - only for her to leave you high and dry before the sun rose. 

There was no reason to let Melissa Schemmenti make you feel like this again. It was finally time to move on, and you did with a simple notification from a dating app.

Link to Chapter 3

Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta

[trendywaifus]

nezuko x reader where only mc can calm down demon nezuko in a fit of rage (missing tanjiro as he sustained a lot of injuries and is still crawling back to your wherabouts)

this is a very old draft, but i wanted to finish this for the new ds ep! so spoilers to those who haven’t seen the anime or read the manga! I kind of cut sum stuff out to avoid making it longer. hi there anon bud uh hope you’re doing okay!

you screamed in horror as nezuko hungrily lunges at the innocent injured woman with the intent to devour her. as fast as your aching legs can take you, you jumped onto nezuko’s back, and slot the blade between her teeth to prevent her from hurting the poor woman. you cringed as her teeth nearly sinks into your (f/c) blade. you forgot how strong she was!

“ nezuko, please calm down!! fight it! you have to resist it! “ blinded by her intense hunger, nezuko hustles around, growling, screaming as she tries to remove you from her body. you held on tighter, squeezing your eyes shut as you desperately beg for the girl to snap out of it.

“ don’t worry! [name]’s here! your brother will be here soon too, we’ll make it okay! just—“ you gasp as your back harshly met with the celling. crying in pain as the two of you fell back to the floor with you still on nezuko’s back, refusing to let go, you desperately prayed that tanjirou would hurry back and help you calm her down. “ nezuko, please! you mustn’t give in!-“ in attempt to get you off her body, she throws herself into the thin wall, crashing into another room full of bystanders. the angry demon blindly clawed at you repeatedly and managed to scratch your cheek and ear. “ ow, ow! shit you feisty minion, you’re scratching me! “ the bystanders in the room cowered on fear, stupidly watching the scene unfold. “ why the hell are all of you standing around for, run! is everyone here just stupid bimbos and stupid horny bums?!-“

abruptly, nezuko braces herself and jumps through the ceiling to another floor. you coughed horsely at the dust filling your throat and you’re starting to lose the remainder of your strength. the grip you managed to hold around her waist weakens. the bystanders around you screamed at the sight of you and nezuko coming through the floor. much to your luck, daki who seemed severely burnt, angrily stalks towards you two with her sashes ready to strike. you cursed under your breath, you can’t just let nezuko go with innocents near by! in a flash, tengen appears beside you, marveled by nezuko’s transformation. he comments on her violent behavior completely ignoring the demon behind him.

“ tengen! you lame ass wannabe sissy, can’t you see the weight of the situation here? help me out! “ the hashira shrugs, uncharacteristically unbothered by your insult. “ what do you want me to do about it? it’s quite a shame that kamado boy is having you babysit his own sister. not very manly of him when he talked so big in front of master. why not sing her a lullaby? make it quick, the fight isn’t over yet. “ before you can curse out the man for his lack of support, growling, nezuko suddenly lunges herself backwards, smashing through the wall and throwing you two out of the building. your stomach dropped at the gut-wrenching realization that it was going to be a hard fall.

your body hit the ground roughly, knocking the wind out of your lungs. your vision filled with black spots as you peer up at the cloudless night sky in exhaustion. your consciousness is slipping, nezuko’s violent growls and grunts of anger grew more and more distant. at this point, nezuko is halfway from finally ripping herself from your body until a familiar voice booms from the distance.

“ (name)! please, hold nezuko off for just a little more, i’m almost there! she’s trying to get away! “ snapping back to reality, you swiftly snatched nezuko back to your front by the blade still pressed between her teeth. she aggressively reaches her hand out towards the building and you followed suit, grabbing ahold of it in a tender manner. you take a deep yet shaky breath, leaning down towards her ear and whispered, “ it’s time to simmer down now, your big brother tanjirou is going to be here soon. we’ll all be together again.“ the warmth in your voice, your tender words, and the way your hand is grasping hers strikes a familiar nostalgia within her.

her aggression seizes and much to your surprise, she bursts out crying. you released the sword from her mouth and tossed it to the side to comfort her until she reduces to a small weeping child asleep in your arms. the sound of rapid footsteps approach and tanjirou bends down next to you to drink in the sight in front of him. he places his calloused hand on her temple gingerly. “ are you alright (name)? thank you, thank you for looking out for her when i couldn’t. if i only got here sooner. .”

“ don’t start with ifs now, tanjirou. tengen and the upper moon is still inside. “

“ r-right! “

[so-long-soldier-writes]

drabble #8 - jumpscares

kai parker x reader

summary: a short drabble in which kai has the worst timing for wanting your attention (best friend!kai)

tags: horror movie, halloween, minor worry, reassurance / fluff

word count: 575

a/n: i totally meant to post this on or near halloween aaaannnd forgot. here it is now!

For the last twenty minutes, you’ve been on the edge of your seat. The Conjuring starts out slow, but once the paranormal disturbs the girls’ sleep, it’s all downhill from there.

Currently, it’s Carolyn who’s up against the demon. She had just stupidly taunted it, and then it pushed her down the basement steps. You brace yourself for what comes next, having seen this movie before, but somehow the knowing anticipation just makes you more antsy. At some point, Rory will clap behind her. You know it. You’ve seen it. You shouldn’t be this scared.

Your body freezes, just waiting for the jumpscare. Any second now. 

Then, something touches your shoulder. You scream, throwing off your headphones, and flying out of your seat. You turn quickly in hopes to identify who or what touched you. Upon seeing it’s just your friend, you slap a hand over your heart. 

“Kai! Holy fuck!”

The poor boy stands a whole arm’s length away from you now. When your body jolted in reaction to his touch, he flinched and nearly toppled backwards. He stares at you, wondering what could have had you so startled.

Both of you are out of breath. You look at each other full of questions, and when you finally gain your breath back, start to speak at the same time. 

“You scared the crap out of me!”

“Are you okay?” He asks, seeing just how badly he had accidentally scared you. He’s a bit worried, honestly. Never has he seen you so terrified. 

“I’m fine. I wasn’t expecting that.” You notice how he looks equally scared, for reasons of which you’re unsure. “Are you okay?”

“Your jumping scared me,” he admits, “I thought you were okay with me touching you.”

“Oh,” you pant. “Baby, it’s not that. I mean, yes, you can touch me, I don’t mind that at all. But this movie was on the edge of a jumpscare.”

“Oh,” he visibly relaxes, “okay.”

“Come here.” You reach out to him. When he comes to your side, you give him a side hug around the waist. 

“What movie is this?” He watches it for a moment, head cocked curiously. 

“The Conjuring. Horror movie.”

“Ah. Just in time for Halloween.”

“Mhm. Do you want to watch it with me? I can start at the beginning.”

“You don’t have to, if you’re already partly through it.”

You nod. “Hey, um, did you need anything?”

“What?”

“When you came in, and I jumped?”

He smiles. “No, I actually, uh, just wanted to come see you. See if you’re busy. Just to hang out, I guess.”

“Oh. Did you have anything in particular in mind that you wanted to do?”

“No. Just wanted to be with you.” He mumbles that last part, like he’s embarrassed at his own confession.

You, on the other hand, think it’s adorable. “Well then stay here. I can take my headphones out and we can go back to the beginning.”

“You sure?”

“Do you want to?”

“Well I’ve never seen this movie before, but it looks good.”

“And then you can protect me from all the scary shit.”

He smiles again, seemingly liking the idea. 

“Come on, we’ll move to the couch. Grab that blanket.”

“Okay.”

The two of you then curl up together on the couch, the laptop across your legs. Kai wraps a protective arm around your shoulders.

“Feel safer now?”

“Much.” You grin at him. “Ready?”

“Mhm.”

“Okay. Brace yourself!”

[dirtywrestling]

Double Duty - Hook

Pairing: Hook x Female!Reader

Summary: Your friend accidently double books babysitters for one night.

Warnings: None, Fluff, Babysitting, Horror Movies, Asthma Attack, Kissing

Word Count: 2,108

Note: So sorry I didn't publish this on Friday!

Follow My Side Blog!: @dirtywresling102

Hook jogged up the few steps onto the porch of his sister’s house. Raising his fist his knuckles collided against the wooden door echoing throughout the house. Hook smiled hearing the pounding sound of feet running towards the door, he braced himself to get tackled by little children. 

The door swung open revealing two small kids. “Uncle Hook!” They both screamed, rushing towards him. 

“Hey you little boogers!” Hook bent down picking his five year old nephew, Nicky and three year old niece, Taylor up. His biceps flexed as he held the children in each arm. “You two causing any trouble?” Hook entered the house, kicking the door shut behind him.

“Nooo!” Nicky had a grin on his face as he giggled. 

Hook entered the kitchen seeing his sister rush around. “No my butt, they’re both little trouble makers.” Hook smiled as his sister was fixing her ear ring.

“I’m so sorry to contact you on such short notice.” She looked through her purse making sure she had everything.

“You’re fine, Ash.” Hook bounced both kids in his arms making them squeal in giggle. “I’m just glad you caught me on a day when I wasn't wrestling.” Hook dances around the kitchen, making the children giggle at his movements. 

“I owe you one, it’s been awhile since I’ve been out.” She paused looking at her children. “By myself.” She mumbled the last part. 

Hook frowned, he knew where his older sister was coming from. She didn’t have the freedom like he did, traveling everywhere and going to bars almost every weekend. It also didn’t help that she too had to take care of him when they were growing up. With their father being Taz, he wrestled all throughout their childhood and mom was somewhat around if she wasn’t on a bender.

“You don’t have to owe me anything, sis.” Hook set the little ones down, having them rush about chasing one another around the kitchen counter. “I mean, I was going to come and visit you guys anyways.”

“I wanted you to come and visit when I’m not out trying to get drunk and have a one night stand.” Ash huffed, applying another coat of lipstick on.

Hook only shrugged, still understanding that she was a woman with priorities and being a single mother Ash wasn’t at clubs or hanging out with her friends at coffee shops. She was mostly at doctors appointments or doing some type of baby stuff to make the kids learn and grow. 

The doorbell rang throughout the house making Hook arch his eyebrow looking over at his sister. “You order pizza?” Hook stomach growled at the talk of food. 

Hook heard the door being open and the kids squealing loudly. “It’s Y/N!”

“Oh shit.” Ash said, face palming herself.

“Who’s, Y/N?” Hook asked, following his sister into the living room. 

“Hi guys!” You got down onto your knees, hugging the two kids that rushed into your arms. “I miss you two.” You smiled as they giggled and told you they missed you too.

“Shit, Y/N. I forgot that you’re babysitting.” Ashlyn said, making you look up at her with an arched eyebrow. 

You got up from your knees, standing. “Forgot?” You questioned, your eyes shifting behind her to see a slim built male and messy brown hair behind your friend. 

“Yeah, my brother here is babysitting the kids tonight, he’s in town and I forgot to text you to cancel. Maybe you can come out to the club with me?” Ash smiled widely and wiggled her eyebrows. “You can be my wing girl and help me get laid.”

You smiled at the thought, it has been awhile since you’ve been out and being out of a two year long relationship you did need to blow off some steam. “That actually sounds-”

“No! No! Y/N, stay!” Taylor tightly hugged your leg, pressing her cheek against you. You looked down at the little girl then back up at your friend.

“Taylor, I’m sure Y/N here has other plans for the night. Your uncle is here now.” 

“Uncle?” You asked under your breath.

“No! Double babysit, both stay!” Nic pouted, stomping his feet. 

Ashlyn pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a loud sigh as her children were now pouting and on the verge of throwing a tantrum. “I don’t mind staying.” You smiled over at Ashlyn’s brother who seemed to not have his eye leave you for one second. “I’m Y/N, by the way.” 

“This is my uncle Hook!” Nic rushed towards Hook and hugged his leg, giggling. 

Hook cleared his throat and extended his arm out for you to shake his hand. “My friends call me Hook, but my real name is Tyler.” 

You grabbed onto his soft hand, giving it a shake and him a smile. “Nice to meet you, Tyler.” 

“Please, call me Hook.” He flashed you a smile.

“Hook.” You nodded, saying his nickname as it rolled off the tip of your tongue. “Nice to meet you, Hook.”

“Okay, well. I am leaving. You two have fun on double duty and I’ll be out until early morning or whenever I feel like coming back.” Ashlyn slung her purse over her shoulder, bending down and kissing her childrens forehead. “You two will be good tonight, understood?”

“Yes mommy.” Both children said at the same time and hugged their mother before she left.

“There’s money on the counter to order a pizza, don’t let them stay up too late or too much sugar!” Ashlyn waved goodbye, snagging her car keys as she was out the door. 

“So, what shall we do first?” You asked the two kids who grinned widely at you.

“Tag!” They both said at the same time. 

Nick slapped your thigh showing that you were ‘it’ as he started to run as fast as he could away from you. Taylor squealed loudly as she ran away from you too. 

You looked at Hook with a smirk on your face as his eyes widened and he bolted out of the living room. Chasing after him, you jumped over toys and other obstacles around you.

The back door burst open as Hook, Nicky and Taylor all screamed running to the backyard. You tapped at Taylors shoulder running past her only for her to giggle and squeal loudly. Her eyes went to Hook who was running in slow motion for Taylor to tag him. 

“You’re it!” She laughed loudly, slapping the back of Hook’s leg, not knowing her own strength. 

“I’m gonna get you, Nicky!” Hook jogged behind the younger boy. Nick laughed and screamed trying to run away from Hook. His laughter soon became heavy coughs as he stopped running. “Tag, you’re it!” Hook tapped Nick on the top of his head. 

Nick stopped in his tracks, coughing hard as he was trying to catch his breath. Your attention went to Nick as you quickly rushed towards him. “What happened?”

“I- I don’t know. I was chasing after him and he was laughing and then he started to cough.” Hook sounded worried, he didn’t know what was wrong with his nephew. 

“Shit, hold on. Nicky breath, okay? Keep breathing.” You ran towards the house, leaping over the few steps of the back patio and ran inside. You looked through the medicine cabinet in the kitchen and grabbed an orange inhaler. Rushing back outside, you slid on your knees in the grass to Nick. “Open bubba, open.” You ripped the cap off and placed the inhaler in Nick’s mouth. Pressing down a few times you rubbed his back. “Breath, slow breaths.” You did a few more times until you knew he was breathing easily. 

“T- Thank- Thank you.” Nick breathed out.

“Nicky has asthma, he can’t really run too much or it triggers it.” You tousled Nick’s hair. 

“I- I didn’t know he had asthma.” Hook frowned, looking down at Nick. “Is he going to be okay?” 

“Oh yeah, he’s a tough boy.” You got up on your feet and smiled at Nick who was already running around again playing with his sister. “He just needs to take it easy now, so it’s probably best we don’t play tag anymore.” 

Hook nodded with a frown still settled on his face. You bit the inside of your cheek, the tension of Hook feeling guilty about not knowing his nephew had asthma lingered in the air. “Should we order that pizza?” You asked him with a smile, trying to change the subject. 

“Pizza sounds great.”

Two large pizza boxes laid out on top of the coffee table. Children plates with half cut eaten pizza laid on the surface of the table. Your feet were propped up on the edge of the coffee table while you were watching the cartoon movie play on the flat screen. You turned your head to see Nicky and Taylor in between you and Hook fast asleep.

“Full bellies and their favorite movie on, easy night for us.” You smiled at Hook who nodded. 

“I uh, I wanted to thank you for helping Nick out.” 

You cocked your head to the side. “Well of course, I look at him like he’s my own nephew.” 

You could see Hook sucking the side of his cheek. “No, you don’t understand. I…” Hook paused only to inhale a breath and exhale out. “I didn’t know Nick had asthma.” 

“Oh.” You looked at the sleeping boy who mumbled a few words in his sleep.

“If you weren’t here to help him I wouldn’t have known what to do.” 

“It’s alright Hook.” You tried to reassure him.

“My job, I’m a professional wrestler so I travel all the time. This is the first time I’ve seen it in over six months.” Hook watched the two siblings. “They’re getting so big.” 

“Yeah, it seems like that’s all they do is grow.” You teased. “Come on, let's get them to bed and we can put on an adult movie.” You stood up, easily grabbing Taylor in your arms in a slow and soft manner so you wouldn’t wake her. 

“You mean like a rated R movie.” Hook had a smirk on his face that made you blush.

“If you want it to be.” You gushed, you didn’t plan your wording out right, you just meant something that wasn’t a cartoon.

With the two little ones to bed, Hook picked the movie. “Friday the 13th? Really? What are we middle schoolers?” You snickered as you watched the movie.

“Hey this is a classic.” You jumped as the music got intense and Jason came out of nowhere doing a jump scare. “Seems like it still lives to its expectations.” 

“It just caught me off guard.” You lied, basically hiding underneath the blanket. 

Hook laughed at you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder he pulled you close to him. “Come here.” He whispered. You laid on his chest, hearing his heart pumping against his ribs as your eyes were glued on the screen. 

“Seems like you’re scared too from the way your heart is thumping.” 

“Not from the movie.” Hook mumbled.

You pulled away from him only to look up at him, he was already looking down at you. His brown eyes shone as the movie in the background became white noise. His face leaned down further towards you as you leaned towards him. Your lips collided against one another in a soft manner. 

Moaning softly against his lips, Hook’s tongue slid past yours and explored your mouth. His tongue grazed against yours as you moaned slightly louder. Hook was the first to pull away. “Shh. You don’t want to wake up-”

“Are you two married now?” A tired voice yawned out. You blushed, quickly pulling away from Hook while Hook grabbed the blanket from you and tossed it over his lap. You looked at the blanket and up at Hook whose face was a deep color red and gave you a shy smile. You had no idea you had this effect on him and it was just a kiss.

“What are you doing up, sleepy head?” You asked, quickly pausing the movie so Nick wouldn’t see anything bad. 

“TV is too loud.” Nick shuffled towards you and climbed onto the sofa and into your lap. 

“Oh, okay Nicky sorry.” You grabbed the remote and put it on a different channel. You clicked Bluey on for the young boy to fall asleep to. 

Once Nick’s eyes were shut and his breathing was steady you looked over at Hook. “We can finish what we started later.” You winked at him, making Hook’s face brighten.

Hook's Masterlist

[birdsaredinosagenda]

more

Character: Kuroo Tetsuro

Warnings: smut, 18+ content, a bit of angst(?), it’s straight to fucking, friends with benefits

Sounds of moans and groans and the slapping of skin on skin mixes with the audio of the movie that plays forgotten. The two people—you and Kuroo—who took way too long to pick it are too busy with each other to even bother hitting pause.

“This is why you should get a girlfriend,” you tell him in between sighs.  

“She can do this with you when you have a bad day.”

Having you bouncing on his cock with one hand on his shoulder and the other grabbing a fistful of his hair is just what he needs after a fantastically shitty day.

He almost forgot that you’d be at his place picking up the books and sandals you left last week. A greeting of ‘hey, you’ from you as the door opens had a funny effect on him. Like the first sip of chilled soda, bright and sweet and stings just right. But you didn’t need to know that.

You sit on him fully and take his entire length, you roll your hips and set a pace and pressure so you can grind your clit on his pubis while your cunt is filled. Doing this to him is definitely more fun than riding a stack of pillows.  

“Why should I when you’re already doing-” His arrogance fails a bit as you clench your pussy around his cock. “Ah, fuck!”  

He sucks air between his teeth and pulls you closer to capture your lips with his. Your mouth opens right away to welcome his tongue. He tilts his head a bit so he can kiss you like how you like it. He leans forward and put his weight on one knee so he can fuck you how he wants.

“Your pussy feels like heaven.”

A soft chuckle gets lost with the sound of rain that falls in the living room of the couple in the movie.

He gets a good, strong hold of you and puts you down on the bed. Pulling out his cock, creamy with your juices, Kuroo is almost shaking with urgency and desire to bury his length in you again.

He crawls over you and tucks his face in the crook of your neck. You feel his teeth graze your soft skin.

“See, if you have a girlfriend, you can do this with her anytime and you won’t have to share.”

Hilarious. You’ve always had a quite a mouth on you. One of the things that make you so attractive.

He braces himself with his left arm and his right hand finds the back of your knees to lift your leg up.

“I can just not share” he says as he lines up his cock at your entrance.

“You can just forget about that one.” He pushes the head of his dick back in your pussy.  

“Mmm, I dunno…I like Ren.”

His lips crack into smile. He pulls out completely then sheathes himself to the hilt. Deep and hard thrusts bring out load moans from you. Hips rising to meet his. Kuroo’s breathing starts to speed up and in between hard breaths he curses and groans. 

“More than me?”

You pretend to not hear his question and he pretends to not notice your evasion.

Shit.

Two sensations compete for his attention—both intense and demanding to be felt. He chooses to focus on the incredible friction on his cock over the annoying tickle in his chest.

You both know what you signed up for, ground rules were clear from the start. You even had it in writing because you both are weirdos who just can’t help themselves.

Just fucking.  

No titles, no feelings.

Can have other partners but needs to be disclosed.  

You want something, you say something.

It stops when one party wants it to stop.  

It ends when it’s not fun anymore.  

It ends when one party gets weird about shit.

He gets the drinks, you get the snacks.

Signature here. Initials here. Shake my hand here. May this friendship bring many fun and frequent benefits. (It did. It does.)

Kuroo feels your legs wrap tighter around his hips, bringing him closer and deeper. Every nerve ending of your sensitive spots firing simultaneously.  

His orgasm hits him like a tsunami. One big wave, anything and everything on its path wiped out. But he doesn’t stop his movement. Can’t think about anything else if he fucks his own brains out. And he doesn’t want to feel think about anything else. He just wants this. Just you and your nails scratching up his back. Just your cunt squeezing his dick. The feeling of your warm skin. The taste of the melon candy you were eating and your flavor when he ate you.

He tries to maintain the cadence of his pumps as yeses and fucks tumble from your lips. He pumps through tight shoulders and buckling hips. He grabs your ass so he can fuck in you in the way he knows would have you screaming. He takes pride in knowing how to get that angle perfectly. You can be standing or on all fours or dangling at the edge of the bed. He knows how to position his hips and yours to get the same result.

His fingertips dig into your flesh as he thrusts and grind to give you your release. You reach your peak and he almost comes again.  

This part. This part is always his favorite. Fucking you is amazing but having you lose yourself after you cum around his cock is unbeatable. Reducing you to whines and whimpers is always the goal.

The pleasant buzz of endorphins fills his head and he stays in you for a few more moments to feel the tiny tremors that are running up and down your thighs. He rolls off you with a hiss, turning over as he catch his breath  

On screen a man runs hand in hand with a red-haired woman as people around them disappear one by one.

“No.”

He turns to you with half-lidded eyes, his breathing starting to slow. “What? D’you say something?”

You take one big breath and sigh.

“I said, no. Not more than you.”

[deathxwalkerxx]

Finding Home

Pairing: WandaNat x F!Reader

Warnings: Mental Abuse, Physical Abuse, Anxiety.

Summary: You’ve been abused for most of your life, by the person you trusted the most in this world. Until two women come and take you from there.

A/N: Still no WandaNat gifs I’m sorry panda’s. Also I’m sorry that you had to wait so long for this chapter. Promise I won’t leave that long again, things just got so hectic over here, had to take a step back.

part 1

Chapter 2

When Wanda came back into the room the young girl was still passed out. Natasha was checking over her wounds and she could see that her wife was seeing which ways she would need to break her bones in order to fix them back up. “I got some morphine.” Wanda says, knowing that might help the young woman make sure that she didn’t feel what her wife was about to do to her. The last thing either of them wanted was for you to go through more pain. Wanda isn’t sure who had done this to you, but she knew that she wouldn’t stop looking for them. You weren’t the first person that Wanda had helped out of these situations, but you were the first that had the most injuries. How anyone could treat someone like this, didn’t sit well with Wanda. She couldn’t even try to think about her harming Natasha in this way, or Natasha harming her in this way. 

Their lives weren’t exactly the greatest but they didn’t make their trauma and their pasts turn them into something ugly. They turned into very caring and beautiful people, and whoever hurt you, was ugly in every way. She moved to rest on the bed by your head, using her magic to hold you down while she was watching as Natasha began to strip you of your clothes, and checking over the wounds that were just covering your body.  It disgusted Natasha with what she was seeing over your body. Not to mention how thin you were also. Did no one care about you? And why didn’t they care about you? Emerald hue looks at Wanda’s now, seeing that her wife had you secure and Natasha moved down to your leg, running her fingers over it, feeling where it was broken, then she was bracing her hands tightly around your leg, before she was snapping it back into place.

You let out a howl from the pain that was now coursing through your leg, it was throbbing, but you were still out of it from the injuries that you had endured. “Shit, I forgot to give her the morphine.” Wanda says now, but Natasha was shaking her head, her hue snapping to Wanda’s. “We’ll give it to her after. I have to set a few more bones, and then we can maybe call Bruce in to put her leg in a cast and her arm.” Natasha says to Wanda who was still holding you down, as Natasha then set your arm back into place. They clean you up before taking you to the med bay where Bruce and Cho were fixing you up a bit better. They set you up with an IV that was giving you some morphine and the other that was giving you some nutrients that you were clearly lacking. 

Wanda and Natasha didn’t leave your side of course. Considering you were just a civilian and you weren’t meant to be in the tower. They also didn’t want you waking up alone. Or waking up with Steve in the room asking you questions that you might not want to answer and wouldn’t have the answers to. You mumbled in your sleep and Natasha and Wanda came to realize that you had nightmares a lot. It was understandable considering all that you had gone through, it was no wonder that you were having nightmares. Both women were there to soothe you back to sleep, hoping that you could find at least something peaceful to dream about. It was about just after midnight that you woke up with a gasp. 

The room was dim, and you could make out the sound of beeping that came from your left side. You felt a bit out of it, and you realized you couldn’t feel the pain that would have been coursing through your body. You also realized that this was not your place. The monitor started to beep a little faster as you became terrified. If you weren’t home, your girlfriend was going to be mad. You weren’t supposed to leave the house, you were told to stay there and keep it clean. What was she going to do to you if she found out that you weren’t there? You tried to move, but your body was heavy and you were whimpering as you tried to get your legs to move, it was then that you found that your leg was in a cast. So was your arm. Your girlfriend wouldn’t have patched you up, you knew this. Your head was foggy so you couldn’t recall how you even ended up here.

As you scanned the room you realized there were two figures sleeping on either side of you, their heads resting on the side of the bed. You were sure they were going to have sore backs when they woke up. But why were you here? Why would they bring you here? What did you do? And how were you going to get out of this? The beeping was still going fast and it was Natasha who woke when she heard it. Her eyes immediately went to you and she nudged Wanda awake seeing that you were awake now. She could read the fear in your eyes and it was all over your face as you were trembling under the blankets that they had covered you in. “We’re not going to hurt you, sweetie.” Wanda says to you now, watching the way you flinched when she rested a hand on your good arm. 

“Where am I?” You ask them both now, your eyes darting between the both of them, trying to read their faces but you weren’t good with reading people, you never had been. You knew you had to get back home, god knows what was going to happen if your girlfriend found out that you weren’t at home, it would probably be a lot worse than what you received the other night. “You’re safe.” Wanda decides to go with. She wasn’t sure what you’d think about them breaking into your place and bringing you back to the compound. She wanted to let you know that you were safe first, so you wouldn't have to panic about them hurting you. Wanda could see how you were curling up on yourself, and she didn’t want you to move, she wanted you to be able to relax. 

“You’re in the med bay of our compound.” Natasha tells you as she moves to grab you some water. She figured you’d want to go back to your house, it was a natural instinct. Someone who had been hurting you for no one knows how long, your natural instinct is to go back there, to avoid it. She knew that Wanda wouldn’t want you to go back and neither did Natasha, but she also knew it wasn’t up to them to decide this for you. If you wanted to go back, they’d have to accept that and let you go back. “When can I go home?” Natasha was expecting this question and seeing the way her wife’s shoulders dropped she could see that Wanda wasn’t. She passes you the water before sitting down on the bed. “Whenever you’re healed. Unfortunately you’ve been lacking food. Not to mention your arm and leg had been broken. If we send you back home now, chances are you won’t survive through the day.” She wasn’t exaggerating this. You were weak, and if whoever was hurting you decided to really go for it? You really wouldn’t survive. 

You on the other hand had a choice to make. You weren’t suicidal, and honestly, did you really want to go back? Maybe you could stay here and heal and then disappear. Of course you had no money to your name so you couldn’t go anywhere. You laid back down in your bed, the water just being held in your hand as you stared up at the ceiling. The way you thought about your life going, this wasn’t it. “I supposed, just until I get better.” You mumble out, fear still radiating through you though, because if she did find you here, you were sure you wouldn’t be staying here for very long. You could hear a sound that you deciphered as a squeal but you didn’t look to see where the noise came from. To be honest with each sound that was happening had you flinching, your eyes closing tightly like you were expecting something awful to happen.

“You are safe here.” Wanda says again as she stands beside Natasha, a hand running through her short curls while the both of them were staring at you now. “Yeah. I’ve heard that before.” You mutter under your breath, before you were placing the water back on the table not feeling like a drink right now, you actually felt pretty tired and soon enough you found yourself falling asleep once more, while Natasha and Wanda make plans on where you’d be staying while you were healing. It was better to have you close to them, so as you slept they began to organize a room across from theirs, making the bed, making sure the tv was working, and the room looked inviting for when you were able to come and stay here.

[ivpapaemeritusiv]

 Chapter 28: Meliora

Summary: In this chapter, Addeline gives birth to her fifth child, but it doesn't go as smoothly as she had planned!

Word Count: 2,500 Words

In this chapter, we see Addy and Swiss welcome their child into the world. We have no reason to believe that the delivery won't be a smooth one except for the fact that this is Addy and of course something is going to happen.

The 2027 North American tour began without a hitch. Being pregnant, Addy had to watch most of it from the sidelines, but she enjoyed the show, nonetheless. During their show in Tampa, she even got a chance to catch up with Ellie, who was taken aback by Kaisarion's growth and even more astonished to discover her friend expecting her fifth child.

Their destination in Europe proved much more eventful. Finding themselves in France, Addeline was lending a hand to the crew, helping them unload their instruments for a show that night. Despite all the warnings about lifting heavy equipment at nine months pregnant, Addy’s stubbornness could not be swayed. She was three days away from her due date, an accomplishment that filled her heart with immeasurable pride.

She was helping Mountain lift his drum set into the bus when she felt a gush of water drench her feet. Mountain felt the splash of water and quickly jumped back, “Gross, Addy! You got your baby juice on me.”

“Shit!” the woman said. She was nervous but this nervousness was not like before. This time, her nerves were different. She wasn’t afraid for her baby’s life but rather fortunate and thrilled about the upcoming birth.

Having experienced a natural birth and two preterm births before, she was now grateful for the opportunity to have a normal, full-term pregnancy in the hospital with pain management tailored to her preferences.

“Mountain,” she regretfully informed him, “I’m sorry but I gotta go.”

“Yeah!” he shouted with a know-it-all tone, “Don’t worry about it! Go find your baby daddy!” He yelled good luck as the woman vanished from sight.

In the intensity of the moment, she completely forgot about the need to search for Papa Emeritus. Instead, she began feverishly searching for Swiss, asking everyone she encountered on her way back into the venue if they had seen the ghoul. With the help of a few kind souls, she was pointed onto the right path, and she hurriedly followed their directions, determined to find him back on stage. As she ran towards him, he extended his arms, bracing himself for the impact of her full-force sprint. He eagerly wanted to catch her when she reached him.

Just as she found her way into his arms, she couldn’t contain the news any longer and blurted out that her water had broken. Suddenly, Papa emerged from behind the curtain. Swiss placed his hands on Addy’s stomach as Papa rushed to his wife, unable to contain his excitement. He didn’t even mention the mix-up with Swiss because he was so overjoyed.

Addy was aware of Swiss’s strong desire to be present for the birth of their son. She pondered on a way to subtly prompt Papa to extend an invitation to him to the hospital. Unlike with the twins, where it happened organically, she wanted to avoid any suspicion of a secret relationship.

Fortunately, they wouldn’t need to plot. Addy felt an intense pressure building inside her, reminiscent of the moment when a baby begins to crown. It’s impossible, she thought, realizing she hadn’t felt any contractions yet. Her water had just broken, so how could she bypass the typical stages of labor? Reflecting on the past two days, she pondered if the mild cramping she had felt could have been contractions.

Swiss quickly understood Addy’s distress and exchanged a knowing glance with her. “GO GET THE PARAMEDICS OVER HERE,” he shouted to a random passerby. Then, he turned to Addeline and Papa and began to give them directions, “Okay, Addy, you need to lay down and spread your legs. Cardinal, you need to check to see if the baby is crowning.” The urgency in his voice was evident as they all sprang into action.

Papa swiftly obeyed the man’s instructions, lifting up Addy’s dress and confirming what she had felt, “I see the head,” he revealed, his nervousness evident, “What do we do?” he asked anxiously.

“We wait for the medics to get here,” Swiss reassured him.

Addy’s discomfort intensified as the labor pains finally found her, and still, no one had come to help.

“Shit!” Swiss exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice.

A crowd had gathered around the young woman by this time. The passerby returned with news that the medics were unavailable.

“Shit, shit!” Swiss repeated, feeling the weight of the situation, “Does anyone here know how to deliver a baby?” He was hopeful that at least one person in the crowd had experience.

When no one volunteered, Swiss turned to Papa. “Cardinal, I’m going to need you to trust me,” he said urgently.

Papa, already on the verge of a breakdown, asked, “What do you mean, trust you?”

Both Papa and Addy were overwhelmed, tears streaming down the young woman’s face as she realized that this birth was not going as planned either.

Swiss, being observant and resourceful recalled every detail of the twins’ birth. He quickly recognized Aether in the crowd and asked his fellow ghoul to call an ambulance immediately. He knelt between Addy’s legs and reassured her, “Okay, Adds, listen to me. You know what to do, okay? When you feel a contraction, you push, and I’ll count to three. Got it?”

Addy, her face a mess of emotions, looked down at him and nodded, indicating that she understood. The Cardinal stepped aside, putting all his trust in the multi-ghoul.

Swiss heard Addy’s moans and asked, “Is that a contraction?” She nodded in confirmation. “Then push, now!” he urged. Addy pushed with determination as the crowd gathered around. Cirrus had arrived at the scene and knelt beside Swiss to offer support. She was amazed by his bravery and ability to take charge in an emergency. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of delight seeing him deliver his own child.

This pattern continued for what felt like an eternity, with Addeline pushing longer than ever before. Tensions ran high as Papa, who had been quietly supporting his wife, finally broke the silence, asking, “Is everything okay? Why is it taking so long?”

In the midst of the anxiety, Swiss remained calm and confidently announced, “I got it! The shoulders are out!”

Suddenly, the tense atmosphere transformed into a defining moment for the crowd, who had become fully invested in the well-being of the mother and baby.

“Addy, one more push!” Swiss encouraged. With one final, determined push, Swiss skillfully delivered a baby boy, and the joy in his eyes was undeniable. Cirrus let out a sigh of relief and rushed to check on Addy, while Papa hurried to Swiss to ensure the newborn was okay. Swiss couldn’t help but admire the child’s precious facial features.

In that moment, the question that had been on everyone’s mind was finally answered. This baby, with his mixed features including his skin color, was undoubtedly Swiss’s child. The resemblance was clear to everyone except Papa.

Swiss and Cirrus exchanged glances, their unspoken understanding spoke volumes. They shared a look filled with both worry and hope, silently communicating their uncertainty about whether Papa would notice the resemblance.

Papa, unaware of the cryptic conversation, took the baby from Swiss and knelt beside Addy, asking, “My darling, what’s his name?”

Addy, noticing the surprised look on Swiss’s face, mirrored his expression as she laid eyes upon her son. Swiftly wiping away her own look of dread, she confidently answered, “His name is Meliora.”

As the ambulance arrived to take Addy and the baby to the hospital, Addy silently bid farewell to Swiss. They gently placed her and the baby on a stretcher for transport, with only Papa allowed to accompany them. Cirrus, sensing Swiss’s sadness, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and offered words of encouragement, saying, “You did amazing, Dad.” Swiss looked into Cirrus’s eyes and planted a friendly kiss on top of her head. The two embraced tightly, displaying a strong bond of friendship.

Swiss and Cirrus arrived at the hospital shortly after the ambulance whisked Addeline away. Cirrus remained calm while the frantic man rushed up to the lobby desk demanding to know where the maternity ward was, "I'm looking for an Addeline Copia," he shouted.

The unphased receptionist pointed the two in the right direction.

As Swiss's nerves got the better of him, Cirrus begged him to calm down, "Get it together, dude. She's in a room. She's not going anywhere."

"I know, I know," he boasted, "I'm just excited to see my son."

Cirrus whipped her head around, "He’s not your son, here, Swiss. He’s Copia’s. Don’t let your emotions give yourself away.”

Swiss having to maintain the pretense that the child belonged to another man definitely cast a shadow over his mood, “I guess we can just call you little sunshine,” he snapped back.

Addeline was sitting on the bed with Meliora when the ghoul and ghoulette walked in. a wide smile lighting up her face upon seeing Swiss. The scene was heartwarming as Swiss extended his arms to welcome the new bundle of joy. With a natural ease, he took the child from Addy, cradling the infant gently as if it were second nature to him. "Hey little man," he whispered, tenderly playing with the baby's tiny fingers.

Wanting to remind Swiss of what they discussed, Cirrus asked, "Where is Papa Emeritus?"

"He stepped out to call Sister Imperator," Addeline said.

Swiss remained unphased by her words. He had seen Addy give birth before, he witnessed the growth of all her children, always there for the highs and lows, but the moment he gazed down at his own flesh and blood, the magic he felt was unparalleled. The realization that he had created this life filled him with a profound sense of wonder. Even Cirrus couldn’t help but smile.

The ghoulette turned to look at Addy, who was admiring her secret lover gazing down upon their son, “How do you feel?”

“I don't know," the mother replied, "I actually feel kind of dizzy.”

Horror overtook Cirrus as she noticed the alarming amount of blood around Addy, "Unholy Satan, Addy you're bleeding!”

Addy's heart rate began to increase, causing one of the monitors to beep relentlessly as she slipped out of consciousness.

"Swiss!" Cirrus urgently called out for help, her voice filled with desperation. The man was already outside the door, shouting for assistance.

Papa Emeritus, upon seeing the medical staff rush to his wife's room, ended the call with Sister Imperator and hurried back to the woman’s side.

The tension in the hospital room escalated as Addeline began to hemorrhage. Panic and urgency filled the air as medical staff rushed to stabilize her condition. Swiss and Cirrus stood by, their faces etched with worry and fear as they witnessed the sudden turn of events.

Papa Emeritus began yelling over the commotion, “What in the hell is happening?”

The staff swiftly started to wheel Addy out as a doctor urgently stated to Copia, "Your wife is hemorrhaging. We need to rush her into surgery to save her life. Can she receive blood?"

“Yes, yes,” she can receive blood,” he responded frantically.

The doctor didn't pause as she continued, "We may need to perform a hysterectomy on your wife..."

Copia instinctively interjected, "Don't you dare take out her womb!"

Swiss, initially upset about Addy's condition, now directed his frustration at Copia, "She could lose her life, and you're concerned about her giving you more kids?"

Papa, coming to his senses, regained his composure and allowed logic to prevail, "No, of course, just… save her! She has five little ones."

The doctor acknowledged his comment and left the room, with the trio of musicians following closely behind.

Fear gripped the hallway as Swiss, Papa, and Cirrus anxiously paced outside the surgical room. A tense silence filled the air during the seemingly endless moments. Finally, after an hour, the doctor emerged, removing her scrub cap and wiping her brow. Papa rushed to her, with Swiss and Cirrus following closely, "Is she alright?" his voice filled with desperation.

"She did fantastic!" the woman revealed, "The bleeding was minimal, and we were able to fix her right up! She can stay here overnight with the baby and go home in the morning."

The one question still lingered in everyone's thoughts, "What about her womb?" Papa asked.

The doctor placed an ungloved hand on his shoulder and smiled, "She can still have babies, Mr. Copia."

A look of relief overtook the man's face.

After the news of Addy's recovery sank in, Cirrus reluctantly reminded everybody, "Um… Papa Emeritus… what about the show?"

He touched his forehead, regretfully informing his ghoulette, “The show must go on I’m afraid."

"Shouldn’t someone stay here and wait for Addy to wake up?"

Papa shook his head, "You both return to the venue and let the others know to continue with the soundcheck. I'll stay here." Swiss felt disheartened to be asked to leave. He longed to be by Addeline's side when she regained consciousness, but he understood he couldn't insist. The ghoul passed Meliora to Papa and he and Cirrus took their leave.

Addy opened her eyes, dazed and confused about what had transpired. A fragment of her day had disappeared, and it startled her upon awakening from her slumber.

Directly in front of her, Papa sat in a chair slumped over, taking a nap in his hands. He’d been patiently waiting for her to regain consciousness for nearly an hour.

Addeline jumped up, gasping as she pulled out the nasal cannula from her nose. This stirred Papa awake. Rising from his chair, he gently took her by the arms to calm her, "Amore... Amore..."

She began to relax, looking around, recalling that she had just given birth. She frantically placed her hands on Copia’s cheeks, sandwiching them between her hands, “Meliora?”

“My dear, he’s fine. They’ve taken him to the nursery.”

“What happened?” she asked, confused.

“Well, you lost a lot of blood, so you passed out. They had to do surgery on you.”

“Surgery?”

“Don’t fret, Tesoro,” the man could see she was frightened, “It wasn’t invasive at all. The doctor was able to fix you up without cutting you open or taking away your womb.”

“My God!” Addeline was shocked to discover everything that had happened to her, “Am… am I okay?”

Copia laughed and pulled the woman’s head down to his lips. He kissed the top of her head as he assured her, “You are perfectly well, darling.”

“Swiss? Cirrus? They were here, weren’t they?”

“They were,” he told her, “But I sent them back to the venue so that—”

“The show! Papa your show!”

“You are a nervous Nellie, my pet. I will make the show. That is not for you to worry about.”

Maintaining eye contact with Copia, she nodded and let her head fall back onto the pillow. A subtle smile graced her lips as he reciprocated the gesture. He held her hand tightly, determined to stay with her until he would reluctantly have to depart.

[reverend-dog]

Beneath the Sand

A low, wavering moan resonated through Maya’s helmet, almost too low to be heard. She knelt on the rocky soil, the nozzle of her hand vacuum just above a pocket of sand sheltered by the surrounding rock. A hazy day, the sky overhead nearly matched the color of the ground, while the pinhead-sized sun struggled to deliver light.

“Sound drives me crazy,” Lamont’s voice crackled through her speakers. “Reminds me of a really old film, Ghosts of Mars. How do you stand it?”

“Just wind,” Maya supplied without interruption. “You get used to it.”

“What if it kicks up into a sandstorm?” Lamont worried.

Maya snorted. “Did you sleep through orientation? The only danger from sandstorms is solar panels getting dirty. The atmosphere’s too thin to generate any real wind. Just relax and enjoy the moment. Or would you rather be back at base, at another of Meissner’s ‘voluntary’ team-building exercises? I heard it’s mime karaoke night.”

Lamont groaned in disgust. “Point taken,” he conceded.

The vacuum sucked up the sand with enough force to overcome its natural static-adhesive properties. The excavated depression revealed a tubular shape of startling symmetry, and no hint of a bottom yet.

“So what are we looking for out here?” Lamont inquired.

“Not sure,” Maya replied. “But drone radar found exactly four thousand holes all around this butte. All the same diameter, all evenly spaced.”

“’And though the holes were rather small,’” Lamont sang. “So, what? Are you saying they’re man-made?” Lamont’s tone betrayed his skepticism. “Oh, sorry. Martian-made?”

Maya shrugged, forgetting that her suit muffled the motion. “Natural forces have been known to produce symmetrical formations,” she conceded. “But there’s really only one way to find out.”

“Well,” Lamont concluded, “I’ll grant it does beat mime karaoke.” He realized that Maya had pulled the vacuum up, and knelt motionless by the hole. “Maya?”

A raised hand to beckon Lamont forward was Maya’s only reply. He clambered from the rover, covered the distance to her in one bound, and bent to look down into the hole. “Holy shit,” he breathed.

Both of them stared down. Smooth, white, dome-shaped, with two round sockets close together on one side, a triangular gap between and just below them. Sand buried it further down, but no doubt existed in either of their minds as to the thing they saw.

Lamont tried, though. “Impossible!” he cried. “No fucking way!” He straightened and spun away, but in his panic forgot about Martian gravity.

Lamont’s scream overloaded Maya’s helmet speakers. She rose more cautiously and looked up, to see Lamont in the middle of a somersault twist. A reflexive calculation told her he would most likely land face-first, and the ground here sported enough jagged rocks to crack even an impact-resistant faceplate.

“Lamont!” Maya called, and leaped. She caught him around the midsection and wrapped her arms around, and kicked with both legs to pull them down. “Oh shit!” she cried as she glanced down, to see another of the mysterious holes too close beneath them for a course correction. Her boots sank into the sand, she felt something brittle crunch underfoot, but she kept going. “Lamont!” she cried. “Spread out! Try to grab the edges!”

A panicked howl crackled in Maya’s speakers, and the sand rose over her faceplate as she sank further, blinding her. Lamont’s landing jolted through her, and her grip around his waist slipped free. “My faceplate!” Lamont screamed, and the most terrifying sound for a spacesuit to make, decompression, drowned out whatever else he had to say.

Vision suddenly returned, but the sight offered little comfort. Open space yawned beneath Maya, and even in Mars’ weak gravity, she knew a fall could be dangerous, even lethal. Light bloomed below, green, blue, purple, too faint to paint any details at this height.

Ground appeared below, with just enough warning for Maya to brace for impact. She rolled as she hit, careful to protect her faceplate, and wheezed as the breath exploded from her lungs. She came to a stop on her back, gasping, unable to inhale, eyes wide as she stared upward.

She could not see the dome of the grotto, but tiny, brilliant specks covered it to give the illusion of a night sky. The sight further confounded her, and her mind offered its best approximation of a rational explanation, that she had fallen completely through the planet and come out the far side.

Motion from all sides caught her attention, and Maya’s eyes slid to follow it. Dark, bulbous eyes stared at her, pair after pair bulging from round heads. No other features presented themselves, but tentacles sprouted beneath each head, coiled or writhing, and one set wrapped around a multicolored ball.

Maya was trained in how to recover lost breath, but panic overrode everything else at the moment. She gasped a few more times, then slumped as darkness overtook her.

Maya awoke with a cry, and sprang to a sitting position before she realized she could breathe. She looked around, and recognized the infirmary. A transparent plastic tent draped over the next bed, and she saw Lamont under it, a breathing mask over his nose and mouth.

“You’re awake!” A voice full of relief cried from the infirmary entrance. Maya’s eyes snapped that direction, to see Dr. Marian Lazarus. The base doctor hustled forward and wrapped both hands around the rail of Maya’s bed. “What happened out there? No,” Marian interrupted herself, “save it. Rest now. I’ll let Director Meissner know. Don’t worry,” she counseled, “I’ll keep him and everybody else out until you’re ready for visitors.” She turned and jogged toward the door.

“Marian!” Maya called. “How did we get here?” she asked when the doctor turned.

“Lamont’s suit alarm went off when his faceplate cracked,” Marian explained. “Rescue found you both just past the base perimeter. I guess you carried him that far before you collapsed. Did the rover fail?”

Maya opened her mouth, paused, then shut it and nodded. “I couldn’t get it start,” she offered. “Maybe I was too panicked by Lamont.”

“Well,” Marian accepted, “you’ll be glad to know he’ll be okay.” She nodded at Lamont. “He’s just sedated while we flush his system with pure air. Now, you rest too!” She waggled a finger at Maya before vanishing through the door.

Maya lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “I know where you are,” she murmured. “And it’s not going to stop here. Just too many questions.”

[snippychicke]

For the Sake of a Smile (V.2) Chapter Twenty

Title: For the Sake of a Smile (Revised)

Overall Rating: Mature (18+)

Chapter Rating: M for Mature. We've begun the 18+ content

Trigger warnings: Nothing beyond the child abuse hinted in the series, though we do explore the consequences a bit more.

Main Pairing: Balam Shichiro/Reader

Summary: Hell on earth was your motto for your job. Granted, you were pretty sure earth really was hell, considering the shit you had seen in your life. And the fact your coworker was a child. 

A child named Suzuki Iruma, in fact. A kid who’s life was decidedly worse than yours, but yet he smiled despite everything. It wasn’t long after meeting him that you decided you’d do a lot for his smile. Including summoning a literal demon and signing your soul away.

But as it turns out, hell (The Netherworld, actually) was a lot better than living on earth. Demons were more humane than a lot of humans you knew.

And Iruma’s smile wasn’t the only one that would change your life.

Masterlist | Ao3| Mairimashitai! Simps Discord

You and Balam were hanging near the back of the auditorium during the Music Festival, enjoying their performances from the other first-years. Shichiro's height allowed him to easily look over the crowd, and so could you, considering you were sitting on the demon's shoulders. No one seemed to blink an eye at the sight, but that was likely due to the performances. 

Each one struck a chord in you. But especially Class A and their play 'Rise of the Spirit Prince,' teaching the opposite of nearly every fable from Earth. 

Be greedy for power, for knowledge. Bare your fangs at those who would dare look down on you. 

The words echoed in your heart even after the ballad ended and Class C started their powerful duel/duet. The play reminded you of the question Sullivan and Shichiro had both posed to you. 

What is your ambition? Reach for it. Grab it, no matter whether or not you think you deserve it. 

You… wanted everything. You wanted what you had now, and more. You wanted to not worry about the future and instead enjoy the love, the life, you had now. 

Class B's play struck another chord in away with their tragedy titles 'A Bloodstained Marriage' with the star-crossed lovers of a princess and dragon. A demonic twist to the fairy tales you had grown up with. 

"Will you choose me above all else?" 

"Always."

And god, the ending lines of: "I don't regret anything in our life together. You are my whole world." left you misty eyed as you stoked Shichiro's hair. You had a feeling he was thinking similar thoughts as he rubbed circles with his thumbs on your lower legs that were slung over his shoulders. 

When it was finally time for the Misfits, the whole auditorium became abuzz with energy. You clung on to Shichiro a little tighter in excitement. After all, Iruma had wanted the whole thing a surprise, so he had refused to tell you any details about the play. 

And gods, Lilith's Red Carpet was amazing. You forgot you were watching your favorite students perform and was swept away by the magic of the play. Music became your heartbeat, the song your thoughts as the teenagers that were near and dear to your heart morphed into their characters.

Lilith, searching for the perfect love, and refusing to settle for anything less. She didn't care about being selfish, or being unreasonable. She reveled in the love and passion that others showed her, proud of her desires. 

You were shocked once it was over, ripped from the story and back into reality as everyone clapped and cheered, and soon you were joining them as you clapped as hard as you could, your heels braced against Shichiro's chest as he did the same. 

Your kiddos had definitely won. With Soi's triumphant ending and return, how could they not? 

 Even if you were slightly biased, you refused to think they could lose. Not after that brilliant performance. 

The judges seemed to agree once the clamor died down. Six from Judge Kyupa. Six from Judge Meimei.

And a one frome Judge Three, Amduscias Poro. The one who had been the strictest so far. 

You hadn't expected a perfect score - no matter how much you believed they deserved it - but a one?!

"WHAT?!" You snarled, your pride turning into rage in an instant. Shichiro gripped your legs tight, preventing you from jumping down. You fought against his thick arms, too fueled by rage to think rationally. "Damn it! Let me go! Let me give him a fucking piece of my mind!"

"You're causing a scene, dearest," He mumbled quietly, aware of the looks you were oblivious to.

"I don't care, Shichiro!" You shot back with a growl. "He's being unfair! There is no way in hell they deserve a one!"

"Shhh," he chided gently, and you were on the verge of swearing when you realized Poro was talking. The giant demon tapped the sign boasting a one, and it shifted into a music note.

Which looked like a six.

Meaning your kids had won.

You were sure your throat was going to be raw as you cheered, Shichiro now holding on to make sure you didn't fall as you clapped as hard as you could in between wooping and screaming. 

Anything to make sure your kids knew how proud you were of them. 

--+--

A few hours later, you found yourself with both Kalego and Balam, watching over the students as they celebrated.

The after-party of the festival was much like the harvest festival, with music and talk filling most of the hall, both food and drinks overflowing. Except this time you had no fear of Raim and Momonoki or any Rumors that could spread. If anything you spurred a few on being plastered to Shichiro's side, occasionally sneaking a drink from his cup or carefully threading a piece of food through the vents of his mask for him to try. 

Kalego, for the most part, just rolled his eyes whenever he saw you being affectionate, but didn't say anything. 

"Devi, he's coming this way," Kalego suddenly muttered, disappearing as you looked up, trying to spot Opera's red hair. After all, they were the only person Kalego seemed to fear beside your father, and Sullivan had been busy with Poro.

Except you didn't see Opera, but the towering judge stalking towards your direction- with your adoptive father at his side. You hadn't formally met Poro yet, though you had heard brief anecdotes from Kalego and Balam as well as from the Misfit class. 

You thought they had exaggerated his height but now that you were able to see the demon up close… he was tall. Taller than Sullivan, taller than Balam, whom you instinctively pressed closer to.

"So this is the mother of that child?" Poro spoke with a melodic voice despite his narrowed eyes as he reached you and Shichiro, not even bothering with a greeting. 

"My lovely daughter, yes," Sullivan confirmed, beaming with pride as he introduced you. "She is my pride and joy next to my wonderful grandson." 

Poro glanced between you and Sullivan, doubt evident on his face. "You don't exactly resemble each other. But you swear she's not Delkira's?"

Your heart skipped a beat before Sullivan laughed. "Thankfully! Could you imagine if she and Iruma looked like me? And for the last time, they are not Delkira's heirs."

Poro laughed slightly at that, making you relaxed. "Her melody matches yours and Iruma's at least, though unique," Poro acknowledged, still talking about you and not to you. Which was rather annoying. You were about to insist that they talk to you and not about you when Poro’s next words made you freeze. "And…tied to his." Poro's attention shifted towards Balam, his eyes narrowing once more. "Wait, are you the boy's father?"

"What? No, no," Shichiro quickly answered, face turning red. Though, there was a hint of a smile behind his mask as he rubbed his neck. "I mean, well, not strictly. I do care for him as if he was, and I do want children someday, but we're still courting and--"

"Shichiro," You whispered as both elder demons had conspicuous smiles on their faces as he continued to dig himself in a hole. Your hand twined with his, pulling his attention to you. Despite the situation, his words thrilled you. He cared for Iruma in such a way? And he did want to have children? With you? 

Shichiro looked down at you, his face bright with a blush but looking awkwardly happy at the same time.                                 

"I think you're going to get more grandchildren in the near future," Poro faux-whispered, bringing you out of your thoughts with a deep blush. "It seems perhaps your curse has lifted." 

"I am rather hoping," Sullivan chuckled, though there was something in his expression. Something that seemed a bit… haunted when you looked towards him.

Curse? What curse? 

He seemed to notice your worry and smiled reassuringly at you. It didn't calm your curiosity, but you understood he didn't want you to worry about it.

Instead you turned to Poro. “By the way, about your little stunt with the one earlier….” 

The towering demon raised an eyebrow as Shichiro sighed deeply. To your relief and excitement, Sullivan nodded his head in agreement, a smile forming beneath his white mustache. 

--+--

Ten hours after drinking the energizing tea, and as Shichiro predicted, Iruma was dead asleep.

You had to bite back a smile to see him curled against Clara and Asmodeus, all three teenagers completely passed out in what you could only describe as a cuddle pile. Thankfully, the party was virtually over with, so no one really noticed. 

There was a click of a camera shutter, and you looked over your shoulder to see Shichiro taking a picture with his phone. A quiet beep a second later confirmed he had sent it to you without you even needing to ask. 

"I should get him home and into bed," You sighed as you turned back to the three. Although he was still quite tiny for his age, he wasn't skin and bones anymore, making you dread the walk back home. Back on Earth, you could pick him up like a bag of rice and carry with just a little difficulty. You highly doubted that was the case anymore after months of being able to eat as much as he had wanted.

Maybe you should call Opera or Sullivan to see if they could help you. 

Before you could reach for your phone, Shichiro stepped forward and carefully picked Iruma from the cuddle pile.

And oh, that needed a picture. One you quickly took while Shichiro was still adjusting his hold on the boy. Maybe it was the late hour; or the few drops of Netherworld alcohol you mixed with your juice, or your earlier conversation still ringing in your mind - but you felt like your heart was about to burst at the sight.

"Shall we? The other teachers will take care of Valac and Asmodeus." He reassured, holding Iruma with one arm to offer you the other. You silently nodded your head as you accepted his arm, unable to speak because of the lump in your throat.

It felt like a fairy tale as you walked home hand-in-hand with Shichiro. The moons were bright, lighting the way and casting shadows that moved beyond the trees. But you felt completely safe with Shichiro by your side, knowing nothing could even dream of hurting you or Iruma with him near.

Or maybe this was a taste of days to come. Of your happily ever after that was quickly taking shape. A sense of happiness and joy you had never dared to dream of. 

This was your dream. Your ambition. A loving father, Opera (while no familial title fit, they were absolutely part of your family), a darling son...

And now, a partner. A mate. A sire for future children.

"Do you want me to carry you too?" Shichiro asked honestly as you leaned against him with a sigh.

"No," You answered, smiling up at him. "I'm... just really happy right now."

His grip tightened slightly, dark eyes crinkling in a smile. "Me too."

--+--

Getting Iruma back to his room and tucking him into the oversized bed was easy. If you took a little longer than usual to fuss about the blankets and brushing your fingers through his slicked back hair, Shichiro didn't seem to mind.

"You did great today," You whispered before pressing a kiss to his forehead. "You do great everyday. I am so proud of you." Iruma shifted in his sleep with a smile on his face before you followed Shichiro out into the hall.

"I know you didn't give birth to Iruma," Shichiro started, "but... you're a very good mother to him. And a good mentor to many of the students."

"You too," You deflected, flushing at the praise as you bumped your shoulder into him. "I think you're a pretty amazing teacher. Not just to your protégés Asmodeus and Sabnock - or even me and Iruma - but to all the students."

He pulled you into a hug, his chest pressed to your back. "My sweet vixen. I... have one last thing for you."

"Oh?" You mused, heart thumping as your mind whirled with possibilities, both innocent and not so much. "You've given me so much already, Shichiro."

One arm let go of your waist, and there was a rustle of a pocket before he presented a wrapped box. Small, about the size of the book. 

"Love stories were never much interest to me, until recently," he all but purred into your ear. "You are my dream, my Lilith."

If your heart wasn't beating wildly in your chest before, it was now. You accepted the box, well aware of Shichiro's anxious hold on your waist as you carefully undid the wrapping.

Courting a Princess.

"Shichiro..." You gasped as you took in the beautiful - adorable - art of the book, no question who the protagonists were supposed to be. A demon with wild white hair, clawed feet, and green feathered wings.

And a very human looking woman across from him. 

--+--

The princess of the Sullivan family was as beautiful as she was rare. Many demons gave her offerings of gold, gems, and magical treasures beyond value. Yet she denied them all, returning their offerings to them upon their return in a month. For she did not seek wealth or power as most demons would.

She sought knowledge. She was a lover of literature and the wisdom of ages past.

One demon in particular admired her for her thirst for knowledge and boundless curiosity, as well as her beauty. But he figured he had no hope of courting the princess. He was high ranking, but scarred horrifically from the days of his youth - and had already pledged to serve Babyls.

To his surprise, the princess herself approached him one day - going as far as covering her horns and hiding fangs in deference. "Please, sir, they say you have knowledge of realms unknown to most. Would you please teach me?"

He could deny her nothing, and took every opportunity to teach her everything he knew. Hours spent talking with her felt like brief moments, and he found himself falling even more in love.

So although he feared he would end up just another rejected suitor, he approached her one day; bowing with his wingbase bared and offered her a book. A rare book - worthless to many demons - but he hoped that perhaps she would accept it.

Her laugh echoed through the room, making him look up. She revealed an equally priceless book as she knelt before him. "I was about to ask you the same thing. Please, be my Intended."

--+--

It was late in the evening of the following day of the music festival, with everyone retired to their rooms for the night. Kitten was happily curled up in your lap as you read Shichiro's gift to you (for probably the hundredth time - though each time you swore you loved it more) when suddenly his head perked up; his little nose twitching in the air. Before you could react, the kitten jumped from your lap and dashed out the room and down the hall.

You quickly followed him, surprised by his behavior. Yes, he usually developed 'the zoomies' in the evenings, but nothing like this. The way he was darting down the carpeted hallway - body low to the ground - made you think he was stalking something.

Something that was apparently in Iruma’s bedroom. Kitten was able to slip silent through the partially-opened door before you could catch him. You had just barely reached the door when you heard a scream from inside.

No. Two screams - only one which you recognized. Startled, you slammed the door open before freezing. A dark - as in an unnatural black as a shadow - person(?) was in bed with Iruma, sitting unusually close to the boy.

You barely noticed Kitten clutching to the shadow-person with his claws and teeth. Not when a feral snarl spread across your lips before you launched yourself at the person. You used every tactic Opera taught you as you tore at them, your maternal instincts in a rage at this bastard who dared to be in your son's bed. Iruma was a child, and whomever - whatever - this thing was, it was not one of his many friends.

Yet it felt like punching an overly soft pillow, or even a cloud. You could feel your fists make contact but yet there was no substance to crack your knuckles against.

"Mom! Mom, stop!" Iruma's voice broke through your rage as your boy wrapped his arms around your body, trying to restrain you.

"What the fuck?!" You snarled, at whom you weren't sure. The creature you had pinned beneath you, or your son trying to defend the bastard. "Who the fuck are you? What is he doing in your bed? What the hell is going on!"

"Ma'am, I'd be happy to answer your questions if you get your cat off me." The being spoke, acting more bothered by Kitten's continued attempts at gnawing his hand than your own assault.

"Give me one good reason why I should," You shot back, hand still gripping his… top? It looked like a coat label but felt like unearthly fog between your fingers. Like any moment it would slip away through your fingers.

"Ali's my friend - my partner," Iruma answered. "It's okay, I promise."

"Fucking devibullshit!" You snapped at without thinking, part of you hurt that he would lie to you. Or maybe that this asshole had convinced him of such a thing. "You would've introduced him if that was the case!"

"Well, to be fair, until now no one but Iruma could really see me," Ali tried to defend, earning your harsh glare. Instead of being intimidated, he tilted his head towards Kitten. "Please, the cat?"

You hesitated, your mind trying to advise you to give the one-eyed creature a chance to explain, while your heart continued to demand that you rip him to shreds.

Except - you hadn't really been ripping him to shreds, or even ruffling his suit. Against your better judgment, you gripped the kitten by the scruff and pulled him off Ali, causing the kitten to whine as if you stole him away from his favorite toy. You shifted into a sitting position while holding Kitten in your lap. "Now. Either you tell me what's going on, or I will release Kitten again."

--+--

About an hour later, your mind was still trying to comprehend what was going on.

Apparently, Iruma's magic Gluttonous Ring was haunted by Ali - or rather - Alikred. Who had been helping Iruma from the literal shadows since before you even arrived in the Netherworld; he only seemed to grow in strength and sentience as Iruma himself grew stronger.

Some part of you felt distrustful of the being (spirit? demon? Something else?), but you weren't sure if it was intuition or just paranoia and suspicion of a magical being that was closely linked to Iruma, which was causing your mother-hen instinct to balk.

One thing was sure; Kitten was determined to attack Ali. During the whole conversation, he squirmed and yowled more than he ever had before, confusing you until you recalled Shichiro stating something about his kind eating lost spirits in the wild.

Ali seemed very cautious of Kitten in return, his one eye drifting to the ball of fluff in your arms with suspicion evident. So no matter what, you did have a weapon against him should your fears become reality.

"Do you understand now, mom?" Iruma spoke softly once he finished his story, his big blue eyes pleading like a puppy's. "Ali is harmless."

"Ow," Ali muttered quietly with a pout despite not having much in the way of facial features. You weren't sure how that worked. "Iruma my boy, do you really need to call me harmless?"

You glared at Ali. Iruma was your boy. And if Ali wanted to continue to be Iruma's 'partner', he'd better be harmless.

You turned back to Iruma, your expression softening. It was hard to remember how strong and independent the young teen was despite his soft appearance. He was so used to facing the world by himself; not asking for help.

Which was probably why he never mentioned this before.

But - he did know danger and avoided it like the plague, so… you could trust him on this….

Right?

"I'm always going to worry about you," You said after a moment, reaching forward to cup his face tenderly. "That's just a part of who I am. But I will trust you about this, because I know you're so strong and responsible. But I want you to know, to feel, that you can talk to me about anything. Please, don't feel like you have to carry these burdens by yourself."

Iruma's own worried expression softened, tears forming in his eyes as he nodded. "Of course, mom. And I will, I promise."

----

"Are spirits that possess objects anything to worry about?"

Kalego held up Kitten by the scruff. Who - for the hundredth time that week - had wandered off and went to attack Ali. Or as everyone else saw it - play with Iruma. "Did you not hear what I said? You need to control your cat."

"Are you not a teacher?" You replied back without explanation as you crossed your arms. To be fair, you had tried to keep Kitten from stalking Ali - but it seemed that instinct to hunt spirits was stronger than anything else you tempted him with.

You had planned to speak with Balam about it, but seeing as Kalego was right here, and he was quite intelligent as well plus didn't get off on tangents as Balam was known to do. (Though you loved him for it, watching him grow excited made you so happy.)

"Are you not a librarian surrounded by one of the largest collections of books in the Netherworld?" Kalego shot back, unamused. "Besides, it's common knowledge that spirits who possess objects are rarely a danger for a demon beyond aleph…" He trailed off after a moment, realization lighting his dark eyes. "Except - you're rankless, aren't you?"

"Which does not mean I'm powerless," You quickly defended, realizing the possible unintended consequence of your inquiry. "But… you're right. I can do my own studying."

Besides, he had answered your main concern; sort of. You didn't care about Ali's danger to you, you just cared if he was a danger to Iruma. And yes, while Iruma wasn't exactly a demon, he was strong…

Thanks to his ring; which was possessed. Oof, this would require more research. It probably wasn't a question you were going to get a simple answer for either.

You recalled creating a section for magical artifacts, and tried to remember any books on possessed items of power.

"And this?" Kalego interrupted your train of thoughts as he held the kitten out for you to take.

"... He's a work in progress," You admitted as you struggled with Kitten as he fought against your hold until you gripped his scruff firmly like a mother cat would. Even then, you knew he would take off as soon as you set him down. You hated the idea of locking him up in a room, but honestly couldn't think of any other options at this point.

"If you can't control him, then he shouldn't be allowed at Babyls," Kalego rebuked as he crossed his arms, his typical disapproving scowl gracing his face. "What kind of example are you setting by allowing him to run wild in the halls?"

You huffed, sufficiently chaisened as you held Kitten closer. "I told you, I'm working on it. So, unless you have any pointers or tips, you can go let me continue my work in relative peace."

A smile spread across Kalego's face. Not a pleasant kind smile that you would never expect from him anyways, but the sinister smile that the Misfits often spoke about. The one that promised pain and misery. "Actually…"

In a blink, an electric-like crackle filled the air as Cerberion appeared. Both you and Kitten flinched, feeling the magic and fierce nature of the beast bear down on you. "He's not that different from a familiar. Rankless or not, I'm sure you can control the fuzzball with my… guidance."

----

Cats and dogs were two very different things on earth, so you had assumed feline and canine creatures of the Netherworld were just as different. After all, there were a lot of parallels between Earth and the Netherworld that you and Shichiro enjoyed having long discussions about. And while there was an undeniable vast difference between the two, there was a growing list of similarities as well.

But while Shichiro knew creatures inside and out - along with some of their social behaviors - Kalego was the expert when it came to asserting dominance and creating a bond.

Though for Kitten, Kalego asserted that the best way for a bond to be forged was for him to understand the fact that you were safe. As long as he stayed near you, Cerberion left him alone.

Simple, in theory. Except it meant that in practice Cerberion would randomly appear out of thin air with a thunderous growl whenever Kitten tried to test his boundaries, spooking not only Kitten, but yourself and whomever else happened to be in the library at the time.

Thankfully, for you and the rest of Babyls’ population that was tired of one heart attack after another, Kitten was a fast learner. The next step was teaching Kitten how to accept guidance - which was tricker.

Usually, familiars reacted to their summoner's mana more than physical or verbal commands. But considering your 'unique' situation, that was nigh impossible.

You eventually reached out not just to those you felt most comfortable with (Kalego, Shichiro, Opera, and Sullivan) but to the other Babyls staff. Furcas was especially interested in the challenge, tearing through the library in an uncharacteristic whirlwind, leaving you scrambling to put it back in order.

But with her help, you were able to create a sigil that both looked and acted somewhat like a summoning seal. Soon you had it traced upon the back of your hand, using it to focus your mana as well as communicate your intents to Kitten.

"Now the little fluff won't be disrupting my classes," Kalego stated with a very vague hint of approval in his voice as he watched Kitten fetch the small stuffed toy. You were still amazed that a feline was behaving more or less like a well trained dog. "I also suggest you stop telling students he isn't a familiar."

"But he isn't," You defended as you took the toy mouse from Kitten, scritching between his ears as well as sending mana to the sigil as a form of praise.

"That may be. But it's drawing attention and raising questions that I doubt you want."

His words made you pause. Kalego had dropped hints that he knew something was up, but he didn't care to dig deeper into the truth. It still sent a shiver of fear whenever he implied he knew about your origins. "I don't like lying," You answered slowly.

Kalego huffed and crossed his arms. "Lying and allowing people to believe what they assume to be true are two seperate things. Especially when it could possibly put you in danger. Being unranked is unusual enough - alongside being unable to perform magic without the use of sigils. But having a creature following you around that is not a familiar will have others start to take notice."

You still couldn't figure out how - or why - demons didn't quite have the concept of pets. Just like the lack of the term friendship.

"As part of Babyls staff, you are considered one of ours," He continued. "But too many flags will still raise suspicion."

"... I suppose you're right," You sighed.

"Of course I am," He snorted, sounding offended yet a glance showed a small smirk on his face. "You may be surrounded by books, but it's obvious you still need education on the finer aspects of our culture."

You paused again, shooting him a suspicious look. How much did he actually know? Did he know the truth, or was he just referring to the backstory of you and Iruma coming from a different region of the Netherworld?

He caught your gaze - and the expression behind it - and raised a brow, challenging you. Part of you wanted to take the bait. To just bluntly ask how much did he know. Yet you knew you shouldn't in case he didn't know anything and he was either baiting you to spill the truth, or it was all a misunderstanding on your part.

So instead, you forced a smile as you teased. "Aw, Kalego, I knew you really do like me, deep down."

There was a brief look of surprise on his face before he scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. I only do this because you are a part of Babyls staff as well as the fact you are Shichiro"s Intended."

"Mmm, no. This is more than that. We're friends now, aren't we?"

"There's that ridiculous term your son and his classmates are spreading through the campus…"

"It's not ridiculous. It's very important for people of all ages to have friends. You're just going to have to deal with the fact that I see you as one of my friends. And there is nothing you can do about it."

He grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Devi. I will never understand why Shichiro decided to choose you."

--+-- Su-Ki-Ma--+--

Balam enjoyed spending time with Iruma; especially after Poro's insinuation of being the boy's father. It wasn't true, of course.

But… he could be fatherly towards the boy and pretend at times. It was rather easy to fall into the thoughts of ‘what-ifs’ and wonder if Iruma would be agreeable to such a thing. Especially considering Iruma seemed to love their time together. Even when Balam carefully clutched the boy's feet with his own, allowing Iruma to stretch out his back while they talked. Truthfully, it was something he remembered his father doing when he was smaller, and was happy to do the same with Iruma. Granted, his father had done it partially to help him strengthen his then-new wings, which Iruma didn't quite possess. 

But the human seemed content to just hang upside down for fun, his grin as bright as his blue eyes as he listened to the demon’s stories. 

Today, Shichiro felt bold enough to share the story of how he received his scar - - glossing over the worst part of the memory -- and confiding with him the fact that you reminded him a lot of that mother bird in a way. How protective you were of your 'chicks', ready to take on whoever or whatever threatened them without regard for your safety.

That mother bird changed his life, both in the obvious way as well as give him a new passion and respect for life. And then you had appeared and had changed his life once more, giving him another ambitious goal. 

To pursue romance, to daydream of having both a mate and maybe even a family of his own.

The last part he didn't share, though it was certainly on his mind.  Shichiro wondered what the boy would think of the situation. Demons didn't always get along with their half-siblings when those types of situations occurred. But humans were so much more accepting. 

Would Iruma's compassion extend to your possible future children? Would he look upon them as siblings? Or more distantly like younger cousins? Or would he see them as rivals for your love and affection as some demon children were prone to do when new children were born into the family...

(He tried to keep his thoughts from straying to those of you carrying his children, or how wonderful of a mother you would be - which was rather difficult. But Iruma deserved his undivided attention, so he would give it to him)

"When is your birthday?" Balam asked Iruma after a while, gently lowering the boy to his chest after his face started to turn pink from being upside down too long. Shichiro thoughtlessly ran his hand through Iruma's wild blue hair as he thought. Did humans even celebrate their birth - their life - like demons did? After all, their world wasn't as dangerous as the Netherworld. More human babes probably survived to adulthood than their demonic counterparts, so perhaps they didn't revere and cherish life as they did.

It was also one topic he had yet to discuss with you. There were far more fascinating topics to talk about usually. Or, lately, far more interesting activities to occupy both his attention and mouth when he had a moment of your time

Iruma smiled brightly again. "My birthday was October fourth! I turned fifteen!"

Balam beamed, caught up in the prospect of learning something new than to realize how Iruma worded his statement. "What do humans do to celebrate birthdays?"

"Well, most have parties where all their friends and family bring presents," He started, his smile faltering slightly. "But, well, before it was just mom and I, since neither of us really had friends or any other family." Just as quickly as it faded, Iruma's smile returned fondly as he recalled the birthdays he had shared with you. There had only been a few, but they meant so much to him.

He couldn't remember any time his biological parents even acknowledged the day, after all.

"Mom would make as much food as we could eat, including sweets while we played games all day. Or one time, we went to town to see a movie and even bought popcorn at the theater, and then went and got ice cream afterwards. Then, at the end of the day, we'd give each other our gifts. Just one was the agreement, but mom always found a way around it and would spoil me for the entire week. This year things got kind of crazy with coming to the Netherworld, so I guess we both kind of forgot."

The last sentence made Shichiro pause as he recalled the date. Oh.

It was October twenty-fifth.

Had you truly forgotten Iruma's birthday?

[nostalgiachan]

Once more, it's 100 OC time, and here we have the second half of the main party members, in both full-size and PS2-output style. As always, new images up top, old below, and detailed character info (and essentially the story of the game) below the cut.

#69 (lol, lmao): Ilya Node Idea: The (World's Angriest) Mechanic Story: Silmerein

#70: Dorom Kolos Idea: The Surprisingly Cultured Drunken Ogre Story: Silmerein

#71: Nalien Urymere aka Nenali Maelstrom Idea: The Acrobatic Witch Story: Silmerein

#72: Dynn Mortar Idea: The Scientist Story: Silmerein

Continuing where we left off in the story summary from the last post...

So next, you head to the badlands, just the rockiest, craggiest piece of shit land you ever did see. And as the party's heading through this bullshit, they see a rail-thin, scraggly-looking girl dragging herself across the road.

They bring her to the wagon, fix her up, and ask where she lives, but she is determined to get to Silmerein. Eventually, after the party tells her "Nah, we're taking you home, you're fucked to shit," she gives up and tells the party where she lives: a super-secret city lost to history deep in the badlands.

So back when the end times were happening, the few survivors had huddled together in this city. And once Silmerein had saved the day, most people left and never looked back. But some folks were far too paranoid to leave. And they were determined to make sure that anybody who left never found their way back. So over the centuries, people forgot it was there, and anybody who still lived there wasn't allowed to leave.

So this girl, Ilya Node, telling the party where it is is A Problem.

When they reach the city, they're lucky enough to be met by Ilya's mentor, a fairly dorfy engineer. And he welcomes them inside and whatnot, but once they're in, he tells them they're not leaving again. Meanwhile, Ilya is fucking pissed. She's healed up enough that now she's practically frothing at the mouth to get out of the city again, because she is on a fucking mission.

See, she and her younger brother, Leon, were orphans, getting along as you do. But one night, her brother was snatched right out of his bed, and Ilya happened to see it. She couldn't do anything about it because the plague had caused her legs to stop working, but she swore he had been taken by a Silmereinian. Nobody believed her, though, because how could a Silmereinian still have knowledge of the city? Pff, nah, can't be me.

So she had managed to hobble her way out of the city and walked far enough across the badlands that her leg braces and crutches totally shattered and she was forced to crawl. She was powered by THE FUCKING FURY. Well, as you're learning her backstory from her mentor, she revs up a mining mech and BAILS. She takes off for the mines, which are just a horrible labyrinth of caves, and figures she'll pick a point and start digging her way to freedom this time.

And unfortunately, this is about the point where the plot gets just slightly more vague because I hadn't quite worked out all the details. But the important thing is that somehow, Lima had to get into close enough proximity to directly touch Ilya off-screen. Because as we'll find out later, the only reason the big boss-fight-inducing freakouts happen is because Lima's causing them. So Ilya becomes a giant rabbit monster.

They have a fight, Triangle wins, Triangle man.

So Ilya's like "I guarantee you I'm burning Silmerein to the fucking ground when I get there, let's go." She's your big heavy hitter character, pilots a mining drill to fight.

Anyway, after badlands, our next stop is further into the mountain to meet the Mountain Ogres, specifically this guy, Dorom Kolos.

The Mountain Ogres are in a pretty constant war with the Sea Ogres as the Sea Ogres ran the Mountain Ogres out of their ancestral homeland. I don't remember what the exact arc of Dorom's story was going to be, but tl;dr his infection is in his spine, which is now wholesale jutting out of his back, leaving him in a constant state of pain that he medicates with alcohol. He's your drunken berserker whose super mode is a demon bear.

bearserker

This is about the point where you'd be properly introduced to the Paladins of Silmerein, the goon squad who are your initial direct antagonists as they're trying to keep you from reaching the city and/or kill you. Mostly kill you.

[I briefly cover the first one you'd probably run into, Gamel Jugrenon, but I'll leave that solo sentence to when I actually redraw her]

One way or another, you fight Dorom's demon bear mode and ward off the Paladins, and you head on to the next bit.

Next is a spooky little forest in a mountain valley where you run into a circus featuring one Nalien Urymere aka Nenali Maelstrom.

Nalien comes from a village in said woods which is horribly superstitious and believes magic use and consorting with monsters to be a capital offense. So when she grows bat ears thanks to the plague, her parents are terrified for her safety but don't think they'd be able to leave without raising suspicion. Fortunately for them, the circus had come nearby, and they asked if they would be able to take in Nalien for a short while. The ringmaster agreed, took Nalien in, and started training her in magic and acrobatics.

[Fun fact: the bat ears also reduced her eyesight, which is why she wears glasses.]

As with Dorom, I didn't quite get into when the Paladins would show up and how Lima would get Nenali alone to cause her freakout, but big bat battle under the big top happens. I presume the spooky villagers would probably show up to ruin everything.

The last place before hitting Silmerein is a laboratory high in the mountains that the party stumbles on. There, they meet this fellow, Dynn Mortar, a magitek scientist.

It's here that they'd find out a lot more about the Paladins, chiefly that they're all missing body parts for which Dynn had fashioned prosthetics. [I make a brief swerve to cover all of the Paladins. We'll get to them next time.]

So back to Dynn, as you can surmise, he's the final host needed, and his infection's in his heart. So he turns into a monster squid. Because squids have three hearts. Look, I tried to relate the monster forms to the parts, and spine and heart gave me problems. Just like in real life amirite. [For some reason, I didn't mention how Dynn's infection properly manifested, but: basically, it caused severe heart arrhythmia and wholesale heart failure. He had to build and install his own pacemaker to keep functional.]

But yeah, at this point, the We Have Horrible Demon Infection Crew is assembled, and the only thing left is to get into Silmerein, get to the monument, and get this party started. So by this point, there's been a budding romance forming between Talin and Lima, and you either get a confession before the big event or it edges real goddamn hard, I don't remember which I was going to go with. But you get to the city, you get to the monument, and that's when everything goes to absolute balls.

The romance was completely calculated on Lima's part.

Because, as mentioned, the whole point of this trip was for Lima to go about, collect the now gestating parts of the avatar of Rodimir, and return them all to the source so the avatar can rise again.

So Lima Does the Thing, but after all this time Being a Person, she doesn't want to just go back to being an unconscious part of the avatar. So she pulls a Pope Zera and subsumes his will. So now the avatar is well and truly dead and it's Lima's time to be in charge. Talin is fucking crushed, everybody's just lost a lot of power now that they're not hosting body parts anymore, Clarine [the leader of the Paladins] is freaking out because "Wait, didn't I do everything Imosene told me to? Why didn't this work?" And here's where we get into what her plan was.

See, while the avatar was busy seeding the plague, Imosene was functionally doing the same thing. But she had to expend a lot more juice to do it and wasn't able to craft a wholesale person like Lima to do the collecting. The best she could do was grab the first person who could hear her, and that happened to be Clarine. And all she was really able to tell her was to "gather the parts" and show her who she needed to find.

And Clarine interpreted that literally. She found everybody on her list, but thought she needed to remove the parts from them, not really knowing about the whole gestational period thing. So now we've got a whole lot of underpowered Jesus parts that can't be used for much.

Things are looking pretty fuckin' bad.

At least until this guy shows up.

And he'll be covered in the next batch, along with the first three Paladins of Imosene. So stay tuned, same Silmerein time, same Silmerein channel!

[littleperson404]

Hooooooo boy arcane s2.. i'll vent below the cut lol. in short, this whole show has got me like

Vi and cait just fucking... disolving!! Cait what are you doing noooo. I mean she felt a lil weird from the get go and i just kinda hoped it would be fixed but nah...

And then jinx kinda being adopted by isha and her adopting isha oh my GOD. Adorable mute lil child. And using what looks to be sign language in a couple scenes

Btw i forgot the name of the orange haired girl, but why the FUCK she in bed with cait right after she and vi basically "broke up". Looooord i wanna PUNCH HER

Rip jayce, just... in general. Poor man is fucked. I mean a beard does look good on him, and the what looks to be improvised leg brace(s?) Is really cool.

Viktor becoming a messiah was NOT on my bingo card. He actually looks like every depiction of jesus i've seen 😂 and the fuckin staff too god damn.

And viiiiiii oh poor girl. Going thru so much shit ugh. Vi need therapy and an actual friend.

Also VANDERRRRRR AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

And mel... mel pls be ok

Ambessa... idk what to think about her tbh. But ngl i enjoyed watching her beat cait up a lil in sparring lol

Oh right and cait shooting off jinx's finger holy fuck. Then AIMING AT A CHILD. As i saw someone else put it, she either could have royally pissed off jinx by killing a child, created another jinx through isha, or get pummeled by vi for shooting her sister. Fucking... AAAAAAAAAA

And now im gonna be typing as i watch episode 6.

I love isha being nice to vander. Adorable. And vi and jinx tentatively working together for him is mmmm.

Please viktor, at least bring his mind back

Aw isha has clouds drawn on her arm. They dont look like tattoos, i think its just chalk.

Aw the watercolor memories hhhhhhhhh.

WAIT JINX AND VI'S HAIR COLORS MIX TO MAKE THEIR MOMS HAIR COLOR! Its simple but i love that shit.

I wonder if we'll meet their dad at all.

Oh god damnit cait and co wtf are they doing near viktors place. Fuck off leave them alone.

Arcane is also just so gd pretty mmmmm. Every scene is a piece of art

Viktor stop being pretty

Oh right jinx's new finger is pretty cool ngl

Also vi hot help. Im too queer for this

Pff, calling cait a mongoose. And the return of "cupcake" ugh my heart.

Cait saying "a bloodthirsty muderous beast" followed by vi saying "my dad". Oh cait im glad you can put shit together. You smart but blind dingus. The look on her face all "wait a damn minute".

Jayce... jayce what are you planning

Oh no... just oh no. So much oh no

Have i said i love isha? Cuz i love isha

Oooohhhh they were PLANNING OOOOOOO

Jayce is NOT ok. This man needs help. Serious help. Bro almost shot a child

Ah, single leg brace. Or did he get that from the explosion... ah fuck im bad at details.

Oh the soundtrack of this show is so GOOOOOD. Tho i have to agree that the imagine dragons opening never really fit to me

Oh god he hit vander. Pls dont revert, vander.

Jayce... jayce no. Jayce istg.

FUCK

JAYCE

VIKTOR NO

Wait... nooooo nononononono oh no viktor- VANDER! VANDER NO NOOOOOOOO

Oh he's in so much pain oh no. And whats with the lava. And oh no her guard, i forogt his name.

Wait was her guard the fling?

Noooooo isha. Isha what are u doing. I s h a. ISHA PLS NO!

ISHA

I need act 3 yesterday pls oh god

[shih-coulda-had-it]

6 kink nanahiko!

6. car sex || wc: ~700 || continuation of this ficlet! (so, a fuller entry into the nana lives!AU... hm)

//

“What happened to not having sex inside the car?” Sorahiko demands, as Nana takes advantage of Float to leave the driver’s seat and hover over him in the passenger’s, pinning him with one hand while reaching down to crank the lever with the other. He lets out a startled huff when the chair--previously lowered--forces him to sit upright.

Nana hadn’t had many opinions about the construction of the supercar, but she was very insistent about two things: a roomy footwell for long legs, and the capability to polarize the windows.

“You looked like you were having a good time,” she says breezily. There is a click as Sorahiko releases the seatbelt lock, and Nana withdraws her hand before it snags on the retracting line. She shrugs off her jacket and slings it to the backseat.

“Your eyes weren’t on the road?”

“I’m a great multitasker.” For example, first Nana unzips the upper half of her top, and then while Sorahiko struggles to piece together a good response, she seizes the waistband of his underwear and yanks it down to join his jeans where they’ve been left at mid-thigh. 

“You are a romantic,” Sorahiko says, unfairly, because he draws her in for a kiss, cupping her face with both hands. It is soft for the occasion, sweet and chaste despite Nana’s intentions to make the supercar a site of raunchy memories. Nana feels herself melt into it and valiantly keeps to her plan.

She’s Floating and the windows are polarized. Nana grasps Sorahiko’s thin wrists, breaks the kiss but keeps her mouth near his ears, and as she guides his hands to her own jeans, she whispers, “Help me take ‘em off.”

He acknowledges the order with a groaned, “Yes,” and deftly unbuckles the belt, undoes the button and the zipper. Her jeans and underwear are dragged down. They make it past her knees, but Nana’s forgotten to unlace her boots. Shit. 

Ah, it’s fine. The position Nana has in mind works without her being able to kick Sorahiko’s ass.

“You Floatin’ for this?” he asks.

“One second.” Nana spins around. She tucks her legs in and point her boots to the footwell, braces her hands at the ceiling and the safety handle, fits herself against Sorahiko. His erection is very present against her rear; Sorahiko clutches everything but Nana and hisses a curse. “Should I re-tie my hair?”

“It’s in my mouth,” he reports miserably. “I’ll do it.”

And he does. From the half up-do, Sorahiko tugs the band free and collects her long hair into one unbroken stream. He sweeps it up into a low ponytail, then kisses the sensitive space behind her ear to signal a job well done. She shivers. She drops Float and sits heavily in his lap, eliciting a louder, clearer, “Holy fuck--”

“This is cozy,” she says, smug. Nana snatches one white-knuckled hand and flattens it against her abdomen. She slides it down, down, until Sorahiko’s touching the core of her blind. 

“You forgot the condom,” Sorahiko rasps. “You’re gonna ride me and put me away wet?”

“Hey, we’ve got several hours before Toshinori’s plane lands. We can ventilate the car and get a quick shower before parking in Narita.”

He grinds the heel of his palm against her clit, tests her readiness to take him without fingering. They haven’t had time or space to have full penetrative sex for a bit, but Nana’s dreamed about fucking Sorahiko in this car since the Commission’s techs entrusted her with the key. She whines out loud when he sinks two inside, straightaway, and his other hand gropes at her chest, holding Nana closer.

“Yeah,” she breathes, bearing down on the fingers, breasts heaving against the restraint. “Yeah, Sorahiko, that’s exactly it. Come on. Give it to me.”

“How are you this wet,” he says. He sounds dazed with the wanting. “You weren’t even the one touching yourself for the past fifteen minutes.” (Yeah, so she probably broke a speeding law getting to this secluded parking point, but they’re off the expressway. When Sorahiko tells her to hurry the fuck up, Nana puts her foot on the gas pedal. Sue her.)

“Multitasking,” Nana answers, and she laughs when he grumbles.

[medicinelost-a]

hc dump ??? hc dump, these are in no particular order, so! <3

>was visiting extended family w/ their parents in nebraska when the apocalypse hit. holed up in the house until the military safe zones were set up a few weeks in. met vitali and buricko there. >unfortunately, arvo and natasha were separated from their family during a raid a month or so later, eventually escaping with the aforementioned duo, plus a few others. namely, a pregnant mother, her teenaged son, and another man. >the man left fairly early on with an armful of their supplies, the teenaged son ending up getting bit, and his mother, not able to handle it, went soon after.

>is sick, along with his sister. he has type 3 ehlers-danlos syndrome, hence the leg brace, obviously, and natasha has sickle cell anemia. ‎‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ >burnt out gifted kid. his parents, particularly his dad, was a determined overachiever, and pushed arvo to be perfect. he always held him to an un -reachable standards, esp when it came to school + extracurricular activities. his older sister grew up much differently, and came out fairly rebellious and free-spirited, which their dad didn't like, hence the sudden shift in parenting. >basically, he has 'i speak six languages' from putnam spelling bee energy. ㅤㅤ >was in the chess club, and the science club at school, partly due to his dad's influences, partly due to a genuine interest in both things. >his specialty in science is robotics, able to make different little contraptions, which does come in handy at times, even nowadays. plus general biology, making him team medic, most of the time. >also has an interest in gardening, and collecting/studying insects. ㅤㅤㅤㅤ >dungeons and dragon nerd……… points and laughs………. (affectionate)

more about his family, and old friends, pre apocalypse:

- iiris izmaylov, maiden name 'võsu', mid-40s, a jewish estonian woman who moved to russia with her family when she was a teen. she works as a wedding planner, and sometimes helps out in the small old-school bakery her sister and her sister's husband opened. - mikhail izmaylov, late 40s, a russian man, a traditional homebody who has never left the town he was born and raised in, he owned a car repair shop, and has since his twenties. always wanted arvo to turn out 'better then him'. - roza and pyotr, arvo's aunt and uncle, and their two kids, zia and luka, they were the family that they were visiting when everything went down/started.

- zakhar vasiliev, d&d club, arvo's childhood / family friend, them practically being like siblings, but also like arvo was this close to strangling him at any given time, asdfghjkl (friendship!) - tamara alekseyeva, science club, met in middle school when they were paired up for a science project which almost blew up the classroom. they, of course, got detention together. - veronika petrova, science club, yearbook club, fellow stressed overachiever and group mom-friend (bonding!)

ok back to misc headcanons:

>arvo's childhood nickname was 'bambi', along w/ being called referred to as rebenok (child), teasingly by the rest of his group. which he disliked. >another song that has him vibes is 'top of my school' by katherine lynn-rose. >arvo may seem like he had his shit together pre-apocalypse, but really, he was a big dumb disaster (affectionate)--some examples:

-snorted the powder from caffeine pills in a attempt to stay awake for a test. -went to make coffee while half asleep and forgot to put the coffee mix in, drinking half of a cup of just hot water before he realized his mistake. -got rlly stressed one time while studying, and not being able to find his glasses made him almost burst into frustrated tears (they ended up just being on his head) -forgot to eat / drink anything other then one (1) singular muffin and like 646954 cups of coffee for like, a week and got confused when he almost passed the fuck out in class.

>due to his fondness for insects/arachnids/bugs in general, instead of a normal pet, arvo had a pet tarantula as a child/pre-apocalypse, her name was zoya. natasha also had a pet, a in-training service dog, a rough collie named bolshoi, and lost him fairly early on. >i totally forgot to add these last time i drew him, so. whoops, but arvo has braces, with rubberbands, too. yes, he is tempted to go at them with pilers somedays. >at one point, arvo found a old journal, and he still uses it tbh, basically using it like a diary. he also tends to doodle in it a lot, nothing rlly good just bored scribbles. he'll also sometimes draw on his arms/skin in general. sometimes when hes bored enough, he’ll ‘doodle' math and science shit in his journal too, like catch him filling up pages with long ass polynomial problems and calculus. he finds it calming, its like second nature to him and he doesn’t have to rlly think about it. >carries around a tape recorder + tapes, he uses alongside his journal to document his days and keep track of things. >though he technically wasn’t supposed to watch them growing up, arvo is kind of a horror junkie ?? like horror movies/books/games are his kinda thing, ok. sometimes his old group used to tell stories to pass the time while traveling, or at night, and arvo highkey got banned from participating bc his stories were always scary. arvo vc: u guys are nooooo fun smh !! >a big reason arvo is into botany/plants and gardening as much as he is, is partly because he was a kid he used to help his mom garden and stuff, which sparked his interest in it. >used to take a bunch of different music lessons when he was a kid, but the only one that really stuck was piano. tho hes a lot better with copying music (playing by ear, sight reading) then he is making some thing new, or making stuff up on the spot. he tends to always think of it more logically / math-like, almost bc that's just what he finds easier. >arvo has a really bad nail biting/picking habit! it’s an anxious tic, he’ll bite/pick them down super short until they start bleeding, and will probs continue to bite them anyway bc hes stupid, asdfghjkl? he’ll also bite/pick at his cuticles until the same shit happens, (someone pls yell @ him 4 it).

>is autistic, because i said so.

[knowlessman]

bnha s3e14-16

new OP. …okay this is pretty good. -- huh. the end shot of it puts Hagukure front and center.

"the last sparks of One for All have gone out, and I can't really keep my muscle form any more. except for a couple frames now and then for a laugh"

"oh yeah, I'm not at home." you can tell your all might shrines apart?

what… why DOES iida do that arm thing now? what is it? did he use to do it before and I just didn't notice? is… is he stimming? is iida autistic rep

two signature moves. wonder if bakugo will have an issue since his power does basically one - wait a minute, what constitutes a signature move for hagukure? just like with the physical exam, I have questions about how a static Quirk that doesn't enhance or grant any active abilities interacts with this and don't think I can expect them to be answered : / -- …if hagukure was secretly also able to throw her voice that would be amazing -- random thought: melissa's gauntlets are the #1 thing from the first movie that I wish would show up in the show but definitely (?) won't. #2 is hagukure's rock-paper-scissors signs

you already have ultimate moves, Deku. : / you just stole them from All Might. and in theory, you should eventually be able to do that stuff without breaking your arms? in theory?

"I thought about doing a lightning sword or something" …Kaminari, if you learn to do that without going saitama-face, and stop palling around with mineta, you just might go up a tier or two

("teaching for dummies") 'XD well at least he's making an honest effort?

"if there was some sort of brace that could support the movement of my arms…" IF ONLY, HUH. IF ONLY SOMEONE COULD INVENT SOME KIND OF PROTECTIVE GEAR FOR YOUR ARMS. IT'D BE AMAZING IF SOMEONE LIKE THAT EXISTED, HUH???

: | I was looking forward to seeing Mei again, but now it looks like she's here to enable uraraka's… whatever-this-is nonsense (I don't think it's tsundere? just regular pointless denial?). well, long as she's also here to do cool gadgeteer shit -- "I'm the guy you used as a billboard during the tournament!" hehe. good times, good times.

"midoriya, you fight with your fists and fingers, right?" …yeah, he does. kinda weird now that you say it out loud, but that's how he was doing things up to now, just cashing bits in one at a time.

…and hatsume moves down a tier (from wherevertf she was, idk I forgot about her tbh) with the groping : | dangit

mei: "if you want to cool off your legs, why don't you run with your arms?" deku (having an epiphany): "oh yeah… I have LEGS…" -- "it's like…" oh boy, how is he gonna tie microwaves into this one -- (aw we didn't get another wacky metaphor : [ )

"you should have changed your whole look" says the diaper pervert

tokoyami how are you this edgy and somehow not cringe

"Armor-Piercing Shot!" some uncharacteristic restraint from God Explosion Murder

we get it kaminari, you got a duel disc

(neutral) goddamn high school romance bullshit

is this other school actually just a police academy. why've they all got cop hats -- Ed! that's who he's reminding me of! Ed from Ed Edd n Eddy

VAMPIRE ALERT. I think. I think that's vampire girl, with Joker's school? she got pointy teef. …I forget whether knife girl has those

touchy guy alert. : / He's grabbing everyone's hands because of something to do with his quirk, I just know it.

…laser tag? no, dodgeball. a combination of the two. weird

"The keys will be teamwork and cooperation, and information gathering" also aim. Aim seems kind of important.

"Shikkui Makabe! Quirk Name: I'm Putting a Rock in This One!" also you sir are a pokemon

you sir are literally saitama in a wig

aw, why did you have to save diaper pervert, I was looking forward to seeing less of him

…you madam are… not a vampire, I guess.

another cowgirl? wonder what they've gone and named this one

…okay Ed is OP, I can't even pick a joke, that was some heckin stuff

(ninja girl's shown up) everybody wants to invade deku's personal space all the time, damn -- …whuh - oh. mimic -- ohhhh so ninja girl's a mimic. well dang, that's powerful -- : | great, we got two nudists in this show and only one of them has the "I'm invisible but we don't have invisible clothing technology" excuse

wait where are her target thingies? she's cheating! …are hagukure's targets on her gloves and shoes? why's this show got to have mineta and nudists in it

"WAS SHE NAKED" GODDAMMIT TAPEFACE

an entire school is just the ninja clan hidden in the… uh… it's a straight fucking line and I'm tired, I got nothing. they're all different primary colors, so it's the clan hidden in the teletubby house I guess

-- you fight like a Kirby boss

it is… irresponsibly late, as usual, so I guess I'm cutting it here