#THIS PART WAS AWESOME I AUDIBLY SCREAMED

[dixidin]

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT DAN SAYING "fuck ai!" WHAT????

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Musician Age Gap AU Pt 3

Whatever Kara expects from the even-keeled girl in the dressing room, the absolute showstopper of an opening number is not it. Lena emerges from the black in a spotlight of silver and sparkle, hair in waves and posed with a microphone with one arm outstretched above her head.

As at home as Lena had seemed to be curled up in her small armchair downstairs, it's clear to Kara that the stage could very well be her true home as she strutted and danced across it. She practically floated through the air, and all the while played to the crowd in a way that made them all feel part of the shared experience. As though she were giving as much of herself to them as they gave themselves to her.

And she's good. Phenomenally good. Even Kara finds herself bopping to the beat, while Esme sings along with the crowd to the point Kara knows the girl would be hoarse the following morning.

More than an hour later, Kara is simply amazed. Awestruck, in a way not unlike Esme had been. When the stagelights dim, Kara expects a break for intermission, but instead Lena speaks into the microphone.

"Now, y'all, here comes favorite part of the show!"

The crowd cheers raucously, eager with an anticipation Kara can't help but get caught up in, despite not knowing what comes next.

"As you probably already know, I like to have a partner to sing one of my favorite songs."

There's another round of screaming applause. Clearly, everyone else knows what's about to happen.

"Could seat CC26 and their party make their way down here to join me on stage?"

The crowd goes nuts. Kara can hardly hear herself think, until Esme clutches her arm in a death grip.

"It's us!! Oh my god oh my god!!!!" Esme jumps and squeals.

That can't be right-- but when Kara pats for her ticket, she can't find it. Esme shoves her own in her face, showing the CC24 clearly printed on it. Then Esme points at the number on Kara's arm rest.

CC26.

"Aunt Kara, come *on*!!" Esme screams, now yanking on Kara's arm. Kara looks up, and sees a woman with a headset approaching them, no doubt to lead them down to the stage.

Kara barely remembers to collect their bags as she shuffles out of the row, Esme already out with the production assistant. As Lena performs a filler song to give them time to walk down, Esme practically vibrates, her eyes sparkling above a radiant smile.

They only have a chance to speak when they finally pause offstage.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." Suddenly, Esme's excitement takes an audible turn towards dread. "I think I'm gonna barf."

"Whoa now, hey," Kara says, turning Esme to face her. "It's okay to be nervous. There's a lot of people out there, but just remember that it's just you two on stage. And she's gonna love you."

Esme swallows. "You think so?"

Kara grins. "I know so."

Before they can say anything else, the filler song finishes, and the stage manager is nudging them towards the stage.

"You good, kiddo?" the woman checks in with Esme.

With a deep breath, Esme nods. "I'm good."

"Now please," Lena calls into the microphone. "Let's give a warm welcome to tonight's guest!!"

Esme all but bounds onto the stage, bouncing into Lena's outstretched arms. Esme throws herself against in a fierce hug, and Kara notes that Lena squeezes just firmly.

"What's your name?"

"Esme!"

The crowd cheers. Lena's smile is dazzling. "Thanks for joining me Esme. I think you'll know this next one. Sing with me?"

Kara watches her goddaughter nod firmly.

"Awesome!" Lena turns to the crowd. "All right yall! Are you ready to dance!?!"

The crowd roars, and just like that, they're off. It is indeed a song to dance to. The beat thumps briskly, and the tune light and playful, lending itself easily to being screamed by a thousand fans. Kara can see Esme loosen up a little more with every line, and by the chorus she's bouncing and jumping with the energy only a hyped up teenager could have.

"Hey!" the stage manager calls over the music. Kara turns to listen. "After this we'll take you to the front row, and then collect you after the show. Lena likes to chat with her guests for a few minutes backstage."

Kara's surprised. She'd have thought anyone would be ready to pass out even now, and the show would likely go on at least another half hour, if not more. How would Lena have the energy to keep going even longer?

But she nods. "Okay," she says.

After the song, Lena gives Esme a double high five before wrapping her in another tight hug.

"Let's give it up for Esme!"

The crowd cheers as Esme gives a theatrical bow before practically sprinting back towards Kara.

"Oh my GOD!!!" Esme cries. "That was amazing!! Kara, did you see? She hugged me! Twice!"

Adrenaline has Esme trembling against Kara as they follow the PA down to the front row. It takes another two songs for her to calm, and return to a relative normal. A normal that disappears the moment the lights go down at the end of the show (after two bonus songs), and Kara tells her what comes next.

"What?!?" Esme nearly shrieks. "Really?!"

"Yeah!" Kara laughs. "You kicked ass out there! Of course she wants to meet you."

Except they don't stop backstage, but rather are led further into the building, to a door that Kara remembers keenly, despite the fact it looks exactly like every other door they pass.

"Wait," Esme blurts, stopping short. She frantically combs through her sweaty hair, patting down her shirt before finally wiping her palms on her jeans. "Do I look okay?"

Kara smiles reassuringly. "You look awesome. I promise."

Esme takes a deep breath. "Okay."

The door opens, and Kara's brain screeches to a halt at the sight of Lena's head tilted back to guzzle a large bottle of water. Her neck is lined with sweat, her previous waves now mussed and a little snarled. But she still looks....

Lena catches sight of them, giving a quick final swallow before shooting them a kilowatt smile.

"Hi!!"

"Hi..." Esme's voice is soft, still plainly self-conscious. Lena takes it in stride.

"Esme, you were absolutely AMAZING tonight! You rocked it!"

"Really?" Esme's voice turns up a little, brightening.

"I'm pretty sure you knew the words better than I did!"

Kara hovers near the door, content for Esme to be the center of Lena's attention. Her goddaughter is drinking it up, and Kara knows she'll be talking about tonight for months, if not years to come.

But then Lena glances up, and their eyes meet. Before Kara can even flush at having been caught staring, Lena flickers one eye shut in a clear wink before returning her attention to Esme.

Kara nearly swallows her tongue. She struggles to control her heart rate, until Lena urges Esme to take a look through some special not-for-sale merch to see what she'd like to take home with her.

"Then we'll take a selfie, okay?"

"Okay!"

Esme bounces to the table, allowing Lena a few moments to approach Kara. Her dress-- not the same one she started in-- is lasciviously low cut, and it sends a flash of fire through Kara's veins.

"You forgot this," Lena purrs, offering Kara's ticket between two fingers. She grins, letting Kara take it.

"Right. Uhm... thanks." Kara glances meaningfully towards Esme. "For everything."

"My original intentions were admittedly selfish, but I meant what I said. She was a  natural up there."

Kara nods, then freezes. "Selfish?"

"I might have wanted to see you again." Lena cocks a grin. "To apologize. For my venue being out of code."

"Oh. Right."

"And cuz you're hot."

Kara splutters. "Excuse me?!"

"Are you okay Aunt Kara?" Esme approaches with a trademarked backpack and a large glossy photo of Lena onstage in her hands.

"She's good," Lena assures her. "Just a little breathless."

"Riiiiight," Esme says, eyeing Kara confusedly before offering the photo to Lena. "Could you sign this for me?"

"I'd love to!" Lena swipes a silver sharpie from her dressing table and signs a large loopy autograph across the top of the photo. She even includes a personalization: To the world's best co-star-- always keep dancing!

Kara can hear the distant bustle of movement coming down the corridor, and knows their time with Lena has come to a close.

"Come on kiddo, it's time to get going."

"Do we have to?" Esme says in a whine.

Kara shoots her a look. "Yes."

Lena chuckles. "It's okay, we have to start getting out of here too. School night and all."

It's plain she means it as a joke, but Kara is struck by the fact that Lena is young enough to still be in university-- which in turn makes Kara feel ancient.

"Thank you, Lena!"

"Thank YOU, Esme," Lena says, hugging Esme again. "You truly made tonight a blast."

Just as the PA starts shuffling Kara and Esme from the room, Lena catches her eye.

"Ticket?" she mouths.

Kara lifts the offending ticket in a mock salute, and tries not to stumble when Lena grins.

The night air outside comes as a relief. Kara takes a deep breath, then tries to keep pace as Esme bounces through the parking lot, riding high on adrenaline and nervous energy.

"She said I was a blast!"

Kara listens to Esme chatter on as they climb into the car and start the drive home. It stops abruptly about halfway there.

"Turn back," Esme clips out, voice tense with anxiety as she frantically paws through her backpack. "Turn back!"

"Esme, what--?"

"My phone! I left my phone! We have to go back!"

Kara pulls the first u-turn she can, but not soon enough. By the time they reach the arena the lights are out and the doors are locked. Then all she can do is hug Esme as she bursts into tears.

"We'll call them tomorrow, sweetie," Kara tries to reassure her. She knows that the tears aren't for the texts or games on it, but the photos that were just taken, the proof of Esme's amazing night.

"We'll find it, I promise."

[hooman-tree]

The Overthinking Embodiment Of Anxiety / Leo x Gender Neutral ! Reader .

THERE WERE MANY TIMES THAT LEO WOULD GRIMACE AND SHRIVEL UP INTO HIS OWN EMBODIMENT OF EMBARRASSMENT. But, him asking for [Name's] number in the stupidest way possible has got to be at the very top of his list. That was pretty much the only thing circling through his head, as he was currently screaming into his pillow profusely. Which was luckily muffled out.

He was currently freaking out, because somehow: Leo just happened to not only fail at leaning against the locker to the ‘awesome rizz’ he claims to have, as school today. But, he also couldn’t stop himself from stammering over his words.

In all honesty, he was one second away from puking onto [Name]. However, a quick: “I’m gonna…gonna be sick. I’ll be in the bathroom, if you need me!” managed to only further embarrass Leo, as he wasn’t able to meet up with [Name] for the rest of that day and apologise profusely for what it did.

Right now, he was still screaming urgently into his pillow, until Raph threw a pillow at him and urged him to ‘shut it up, and go get some sleep’. It was almost 3AM, and his brothers couldn’t even use their phones properly in peace to just roam about the Internet, because Leo’s screaming was consistently ruining Donnie’s Attack On Titan binge-fest Marathon, Mikey’s podcast of his favourite comedians and Raph’s blasting music that he raised up to deafen himself from Leo’s stressed out antics.

Thankfully, Leo stopped his screaming session, as soon as he felt his phone vibrate and ping from a notification popping up. He didn’t really think much into it, thinking it to be a Netflix notification. But, him choking on his own spit just proved it wasn’t even that: [Name] had sent him a message.

Almost immediately, Leo was staring intently at his phone: hesitantly clicking the notification and his phone opened up onto the messaging app.

[Name]: wassup Leo, you good after puking and throwing up in the bathroom? 😭

Leo grimaced at the teasing message, rest his head onto his other pillow, an audible sigh left him, staring up at the ceiling. “They definitely laughed after that…” With a reluctant sigh, Leo responded back.

Leo: heya [Name] & i’m all chilled out now, thanks for asking! and, sorry about that 😕 i got nervous and freaked out there

[Name]: dw mate, it’s all good & hey, at least we can chat here and still laugh abt it together later on 👍

Leo blinked mildly, clutching the phone tightly to himself, his legs wiggled about for a mere second, not able to contain his excitement. A dazed grin appeared onto his face, happily and quickly responding to [Name].

Leo: that’s sound great & i was actually wondering about something i wanted to ask you @ school before, but couldn’t today 😶

[Name]: aight👌, shoot the question @ me then man

This was when Leo kept on constantly typing for a really-really long time, to then just delete major parts of his prolonged paragraph he was wounding up in the text box. He gritted his teeth and slanted them, a nerve-wracking feeling swelled up inside of him, before he finally deleted his whole paragraph and then sent:

Leo: it’s nothing, dw

goodnight, [Name]!

[Name]: goodnight dude!!

Leo sighed, turning off his phone and he laid comfortably on his bed. He felt immensely disappointed in himself for chickening out at the last moment. But, he then remembered:

He got [Name’s] number and even managed to chat with them for a good amount of time, without even sending any stupid typos he overthought on himself to make.

A sigh of relief whipped out of his mouth from that, smiling softly in his sleep. Leo was fine with just trying to go on a date hangout with [Name] again, next time.

He’d have better luck asking them out successfully, next time.

[grandlinedreams]

Uwahhh you write law so perfectly!! You’re writing is *chefs kiss* 💞💞 the amount of comfort that radiates from the way you write this nerdy emo doctor …. I die Everytime !!

If I may request- you don’t have to do it!! But- how would law react to a reader that’s easily jumpy, a little over emotional… but is super unfazed by gore/horror? Like they would be one of the wholesome sweetest persons on the crew, practically clings onto Bepo everyday- but will watch law go nuts with his DF powers and they’re super fascinated?? He holds an organ, a heart, in the palm of his hand? They will watch!! Plays around with his medical tools in his lab? Suddenly screams at a small bug sighted?? Law is confused… but kinda curious too

UWAH I’m rambling but I wish you the best of days today 💞💞 thank you and stay awesome !!

Whdhdhs please don't die but also thank-you!! And woeodjdjd i hope I can do this justice!!

[Heads up!: mention of insects/arachnids, mention of the Rocky Port incident, but otherwise fluff!]

There's something crawling up the back of your neck. Thread thin legs splayed across your skin, the creep of movement making you freeze, chill traveling down your spine as you bite back a whimper.

"Hold still."

Fingers graze your skin, curling ㅡ and then Law is pulling the culprit away from you and tossing the insect into the plush grass nearby.

"Thank-you," you say, audible relief in your tone even as you sweep your own hand against your neck and then over your hair, a wave of self-conscious paranoia sweeping over you. Once your check for more creepy-crawlies comes up empty, you relax.

Law watches you, gaze following as you pull ahead of him, apparently now unbothered by your momentary ordeal for the way a smile tugs at your lips and you hum.

You're an enigma to Law. He likes to think that he has something of a talent for figuring people out especially the longer he's around them, but it's been the better part of a year since you joined and Law is no closer to understanding you.

There's your fear of bugs and other multi legged creatures, which Law understands even if he thinks it a little dramatic for a pirate to be reduced to tears over something so insignificant as a spider.

Speaking of tears, you'd cried just the other day ㅡ over a book, no less. He hadn't been able to understand a word you were hiccuping into Bepo's fur, only that the mink was doing his best to comfort you as you sobbed.

"[Name]," Law tries, resting his hand on your head tentatively, "it's just a book. Being upset about something as trivial as thatㅡ"

"It isn't trivial," you wail into Bepo's fur, "I've spent six books getting to know these characters and now they're dead!"

Inwardly, Law can't blame you. He's found himself emotional several times over Sora Warrior of the Sea comics, but the fact that you're clinging to Bepo trumps that empathy for reasons he doesn't want to analyze just yet.

And then as if to throw him for another loop, there'd been the entirety of his stunt at Rocky Port ㅡ given your outbursts with other things, he'd thought you would regard him with horror and disgust the way others did. He is the Surgeon of Death for a reason, after all.

But you don't.

You don't bat an eye at the dozens upon dozens of little blue cubes, each containing a living, beating heart. At one point you pick one up, watching it pulse in a steady rhythm.

"Huh," you say, "so that's what it really looks like?" The reverence with which you both talk and looked at the heart almost makes him uncomfortable.

"Captain," you say, pulling him out of his thoughts as you fall back into step beside him, "I was wondering if I could stop at that bookshop we saw earlier before we leave."

"Maybe," he answers. "That depends. Are you going to cry to Bepo again when something happens?"

"That was one time, forever ago."

"That was last week, [Name]. His fur was soaked for hours." There's something akin to amusement and fondness for how you blush at his teasing, pride in being able to get under your skin.

There's a lot about you that Law doesn't quite understand ㅡ at least, not yet. And truthfully, he doesn't mind when it means he gets to find out.

[hard-like-ai]

Hi

Just wanted to say your blog is awesome and the art work is superb!

I love the ones about being turned into a drone. The idea of been converted against your will.

Thank you for posting these.

Darryl

The forest, with its whispers and rustling leaves, had been my haven. A break from the rush of everyday life. But on this trip, its comforting embrace would betray me.

Waking up, a pressing weight enveloped my body. A smooth latex suit held me captive, every inch of me covered. Strangest of all, a solid helmet encased my head, offering no apertures for sight or breath. Yet, paradoxically, my vision was sharper than ever, and breathing wasn't an issue.

A mechanical voice, cold and emotionless, boomed inside my mind, "Subject 328 detected. Initiate reprogramming."

My heart raced. "Who are you? What's happening?" No audible voice came out, just a silent scream echoing within.

"Reprogramming in progress. Resistances are futile," it replied with chilling indifference.

With each passing second, the suit tightened, molding to my very being. Attempts to resist were quashed, my movements no longer my own. Instead, they followed an unseen directive, propelling me deeper into the forest.

When the reprogramming concluded, my senses amplified. The once serene forest now felt alive in an entirely new way, as if I was connected to every leaf, every creature.

"Integration successful. Welcome, Node 328," the voice announced, no longer just a voice but a symphony of countless others.

I tried to remember anything - my previous life, my memories, my name, but they felt foggy and distant. I was no longer just myself; I was part of something greater. The forest around me pulsed with life, every tree, every creature, all interconnected in a vast network. I felt them all. The hive mind.

The voice, now harmonious with many others, spoke once more, “Our collective grows. Seek others.”

With newfound purpose, I moved silently through the woods. The campfires in the distance, the unsuspecting campers settling for the night, became my new targets. They would soon join the hive, just as I had.

[rebloggedsunsox]

HOLD IT!!!

SPOILERS FOR THE FNAF MOVIE UNDER THE CUT!!! PLEASE GO WATCH THE MOVIE IF YOU HAVEN'T AND WANT TO BEFORE READING!! This is your given warning!

Thoughts I'm scrambling together as fast as I can just off the top of my head. Im back from the cinemas, and I first off can't say anything other than wow.

~

That post I made earlier about waiting a week to talk about it? I lied I'm talking now I can't not talk about it I can't wait the brainrot is far too strong LMAO so heres my ramble.

• The movie actually didn't feel out of place or too mashed together with series and new content at all. Some choices were definitely confusing from a game and lore background knowledge standpoint, but in its own universe and continuity it didn't hinder the overall quality of the movie. Still an extremely enjoyable time that didn't leave me frustrated or unsatisfied! And s big mention also to the fact that I went to see it with 2 friends - one who knew the lore like me, and one who didn't. The latter loved it as much as the former and I, no problems in understanding either! Lots of questions on what we knew afterwards, but no complaints all around!

• I think it's really good that they blatantly established that the animatronics, as kids and not when they were controlled by Afton, were just that: kids. They liked pictures and play and never wanted to hurt their new friend Abby. Golden Freddy is definitely a seperate problem that I'll get into, but they were all so cute together it warmed my heart so much :']]

• Mike was played very well by his actor (except for that one scene with Vanessa and the dry delivered "What are you scared of?" line), and I did grow to enjoy his character in the end. Definitely took me a while to get there though. I don't think his emotional connection with Abby was established very well in the beginning, but I think it was still remedied enough to be satisfying after everything had happened.

• The Balloon Boy bit was hilarious. He absolutely is that goddamn creepy, and they somehow MADE HIM CREEPIER in the film! I'm glad that he didn't end up posing an actual threat and stamping over the terror of the main 5, but I was definitely considering it in the back of my mind.

• Wow. Golden Freddy was intense. All the way through. From the phenomenal work of the child actor who played him throughout most of the movie, to the TERRIFYING animatronic who made its mark without even being in the movie that long? Wow. I'm definitely still confused about where the movie was trying to take the plot point of Golden Freddy's existence since a lot was left out and not really explained, but again, overall didn't make understanding the movie much harder. Just leaves me curious as to why they went with what they did. That scene at the very very end of Golden Freddy closing the door on Afton convulsing in the back room? Chilling. That actor played the part perfectly.

• CAMEOS!!!! Claps and cheers for Cory and the very brief Employees cameo! My theatre erupted into screams so loud that when MatPat was on screen in the diner, I kid you not I have 0 idea what he even said. Gonna have to rewatch it and see for myself. My friend who had no idea who he was got jumpscared by the theatre crowd itself and it was very, very funny.

• THE SONG!!! THE song for the end credits!!!! I broke out into singing so fast man, literally the best feeling and a wonderful way to bring the movie home right back to those who had been waiting for it for so long.

• The animatronics were incredible. Just amazing. All practical effects, fully built they were for most of that, right? Regardless, they really took my breath away in that movie. From their movements to expressions to their funny "haha uhoh robot moment" scenes. So so awesome.

• Vanessa's whole deal was probably where I was left the most confused. My whole crowd audibly gasped when she outright said that William was her father. So, the problem that I came to was,,,, basically all of it. Vanessa was told, by Afton, to make sure that Mike never found out what was happening at the pizzeria and to kill him if he got to close. Why hire him there then? Because he wanted to kill him himself? In order to get him to take Abby there to kill her? But non of that would have been something he was going to make happen if not by chance like how it did! She had no problem with Abby being there and playing with the animatronics one moment, and then made Mike ensure she was never going back the next. And the whole "I wont be much use to you if I go with you" said by Vanessa. I was assuming it was a Vanny mind control type sitch, but literally nothing happened? They argued, she shot him, he strangled her, he stabbed her, basically end of confrontation between them. She didn't do anything to hurt Abby or Mike at all? And her somehow knowing about Mike believing his dreams could change the past. Her connection was to Afton, not really the kids, right? Someone please tell me how they interpreted that whole thing, I really couldn't nail it down. Again, weirdly didn't damage my experience much? I guess I'm just used to some things not being understandable within the fnaf lore, huh. Im also just not hugely invested in Vanny/Vanessa's deal in the games either, so maybe that's why lol.

• Abby handing Bonnie the heart, and then Bonnie showing it to the others was the single sweetest thing oh my god. So adorable.

• It's me on the mirror. Glitching in the training video to show Golden Freddy. Mwah chef's kiss. Don't really know how the Its Me bit ties into this version of the lore but I really don't mind. The callouts made me giggle.

• That whole scene with the men trashing the place and getting murdered was madness. The tension was so thick, I love the atmosphere and how they really nailed it where it mattered in that part of the movie. The girl(Max?) Getting literally chomped in half was so unexpected. Poor Max, I can't believe she got roped into it. Also the???? Auntie said nothing about the disappearance of any of them either??? What???? Im only just realising that???? Why was she at all those court discussions with the lawyer again????

• No Honk Freddy's Nose bit. How dare they.

I'm gonna be thinking about this a lot, but thats all the points I have to make right now! I'll definitely comb over all my thoughts again, maybe post about them some more, we'll see. Really good all round, can't wait to watch it again when I get my hands on a copy of it!!! Id love to hear everyone elses thoughts on it too, and the possibility of a sequel? Thank you for reading!!

[visionsofmagic]

"wet dreams", heimdall x reader [m]

summary: after a mission, heimdall and y/n travel around the realm as they get rid of the exhausting fights come within the mission. however, an accident occur and y/n falls to the water. being all wet in front of heimdall, she gives him no choice but just watch.

requested by: [anon:] Awesome! Could I request Heimdall x Reader (y/n)? Y/n is out on a mission with Heimdall and suddenly manages to fall into a body of water (maybe Heimdall pushed y/n into said water). Heimdall finds it amusing; however the parts where y/n's clothes stick to the skin distract him which makes him less focused on the quest. The rest is up to you! - yours truly ♡♡♡ & [@fairyyblush ] hii!! if is no bother, could u do a heimdall x reader with this kind of team??: I’m bathing nude in the river while he guards me. can be nsfw if u want 😊. tysm for your time 💖💖 [wanted to make these two requests as one because of similar themes. I hope you will like the story from beginning to end! enjoy <3]

wc: 4.5k

warnings & tags: nsfw, fluff, mature, explicit language, minors dni., kisses, wet & hot, lots of touching, watching, dirty talk, petnames, licking, pulling hair, choking, oral [f & m > receiving], fingering, biting, & so many more. be careful before reading because it will get hotter! ^^

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exhausted. it was the only word that came to your mind as you made your way to the first river you saw after the mission's end. feeling hot because of using lots of physical energy and stamina in the mission, your body was thirsty for some water, some refreshing thing. the river that half covered by a cave's walls was standing in front of the hot sun, giving a delicious sight, making you wanna go and enter it without thinking the out world. you needed that. you earned that. the mission was successful, would make odin happy, so, you wanted to take a free time before returning the asgard.

turning to heimdall who was walking slowly behind, looking around in pure disgust on his face, you said, "give me a minute."

heimdall didn't say anything because he already knew your intentions which were to go to the river and clean yourself up a little bit due to having dirty on your armor, mostly blood and dirt of your enemies.

you slowly approached to the river, sun's rays and reflections of the trees on its water, it looked good. the water wasn't for drinking but it was clean enough to use for your body. as you took a few step further, approaching carefully because of the rocks on the side of river that were so slippery, something you didn't want to happen did happen; your entire body lost its balance, making you scream a little and enter to the river without your own control.

it took a few minutes for you to get out your head off the river, water all over your armor that covered your entire body like a suit, making you feel fresh but sticky because of having wet clothes on your body.

taking deep breaths, heimdall's annoying laughs became audible enough to make you feel irritated. it was enough for you to be wet from head to toe without your wanting, so, your anger spoke before your mind, "what are you laughing at dumbass?!"

not affected by your sudden anger, he kept chuckling, looking at your face and hair that was down to your shoulder, sticky. "you are the one who fell to the river and I am the dumbass?" he sat down on a rock, blocking the sun's view from your sight, giving a little shadow to your body on water. putting his hands on his knees, he kept speaking, smirk on his attractive but annoying face still, "look at what you are going sweetie, you can end in a river - oh, you already have." he put his forefinger to his chin, acting like he is thinking, an ability which he had not at all, "should I say this sooner? yes, probably but then I wouldn't see your, well, pathetic form, would I?"

how he was acting like he didn't care at all about you. indeed, he did. he cared about you. heimdall who was the son of odin, your childhood rival cared for you from the beginning to this moment. he was your one and only even if you would try to deny, not for him though, he had a reading mind ability. he knew you better than anyone but in return, you knew him better than anyone either. right now, he was trying to make jokes because of feeling happy. he was happy to be with you and he was having his moment to humiliate you with his own ways; mocking and chuckling.

"heimdall," you said, a warning but not a serious one. you just needed him to help, not adding annoyances to your current situation. "just give me a hand already."

"why? you look like you needed a bath anyway." he took his nose like there was a disgusting smell on the air. "all that blood and dirt make me sick. I need to reach the asgard and find good scents which you don't have current- "

rolling your eyes, you stopped swimming a little in the river, standing up, you let the water run from your shoulders to your abdomen, making your armor clench around your entire top body like a swimming suit. when thrud told you it was dangerous armor to have on due to its thickness, you should have listen her. now, it was so - hot even if you were in the river and sudden silence came from heimdall within his glowing purple eyes on your upper body, especially chest, wasn't helping at all. instead, it was making you feel - hotter.

he was looking at you without having any shame. from the time you both have spent, you knew how heimdall found you so beautiful and magnificent. he wasn't using words for showing his love and affection for you even if he tried to hide it a little for most of the time. he just used his body language to express the lust and passion he felt for you as well as the love.

so, when seeing him like this, you began to feel shy but confident at the same time. you loved the way his purple eyes traveling around your body, tasting it like a good view he could not see in entire realms, like you were special for him. just for him.

indeed, you were. you felt like it, so, you began to act like it. if he wasn't minding laugh his ass off at your pathetic situation, he had to watch it - he had to watch the situation you were really in.

smirking inside your head, you slowly started to take your clothes off, one by one while heimdall's gazes on you didn't stop for even a second, drinking the view he was getting and the one he was about the get soon enough. he even gulped three times, showing excitement he had right now, making you chuckle.

"what?" you teased as you took off you upper armor, leaving a white t-shirt under it which was too thin enough to show your breasts, even the nipples that hardened because of both being in front of heimdall's gazes and cold water. "you were the one who said I needed a bath." leaving your armor on the rocks beside you, you took off your lower clothes too, making heimdall move on his place even if he wasn't seeing. knowing you had just underwear right now was enough to make him turn on. you could see how his hand cliched, ready to rubbing his hardened cock.

smirking, you picked a further dangerous card, leaving yourself all naked, from head to toe. with a slow movement, you put down the last clothes you had, showing it clearly to heimdall.

with that, his mind was gone. the realm around him, other views and sounds were no longer there for him. you could see that. you were the only one was in his mind.

knowing this well, you said while showing your naked body confidently, having red colors on cheeks. you felt shy too but this wasn't going to stop you from doing what you wanted to do.

exposed breasts with hardened nipples were right in front of his pretty eyes, going in and out of the water, giving him a hot scene. as you began to swim around, showing your entire body, you kept smiling. he was so focused on you. piercing gazes were burning your skin.

going in and out of the water for a second, your shyness became invisible. you were having an encouragement to show him a good scene - a scene which would make him weaker on the knees.

"hey pretty boy," you said, using the nickname you used for him so many times, "would you just watch me there?"

gulping a little, he finally found his voice again, "what should I do instead?" coming to his senses, he smirked, "leaving the scene that you put just for me will not be a clever, will it?"

"oh, that's correct but," you pointed the area you were in, "you wouldn't want any danger come to here, to me, right?"

looking at his surroundings like he was realizing where he was just now. "danger? oh no no darling. no one can come here, to hurt you. did you forget what kind of a god I am?"

chuckling, you said while stopping in front of the rock he was sitting, putting your hands on it, next to his feet, looking like a mermaid than a goddess. even heimdall thought how you looked like a filthy mermaid who wanted to take him to the river, to kill him. however, instead killing him, you wanted to take him into the river just because having him inside you.

with reading your thoughts, he smirked, showing golden teeth of his that looks brighter than the sun behind him.

"then, act like it." he said, kneeling towards you to put your wet hair behind your ear. he was referring to your inner wish. "I don't want getting wet but if you want me to get into there, do the things you are hungry for, you should make me honey."

his purple eyes slowly descended from your face to your chest as you rose on your hands, being so close to him that you breasts were right in front of his knees.

"you don't want to get wet, I know it already, but, you wanted to fuck me in there." you then pulled back the moment he kneeled further, close enough to take a kiss from your cold lips, swimming backwards into the river. "no, not yet. you will get it when you get in here."

straighten up, he gave a lustful expression, having fun with your attitudes. there was no challenger on his life, no one to look down at him, crossing his path dangerously but you were not anyone else, you were so much more than everyone he met. that was something made heimdall fell for you harder and further. especially for this times, passionate ones, he kept remembering the shiver you always give him.

his cock twitched as he looked at your naked swimming body, also, being in alert to protect you. you were right even though you were trying to tease. the realm filled with so much danger and you needed to be protected. thinking anyone hurting you, seeing you like this were bad for him. so, he kept an ear on the area in order to being safer. watching your peaceful statement gave his heart good feelings while your nude form gave him a hardened cock that desires to be touched.

in the end, he found himself touching his cock, rubbing it secretly. looking at your ass that came to view time to time thanks to your swimming style which you choose intentionally to make his mind go crazy. then, he saw how you took a few gazes, smirking even, waiting a suitable moment to do your plans: getting him into that river, fucking you against a rock, then under the water and some more. you were a filthy one.

he looked at right and left side of the river, then to behind. made his mind, he stood up. your attention was already on him, understanding what he was going to do, you smiled. finally, you thought to yourself - all the things you did on purpose; swimming in the water but with a way in which you could show your exposed ass, breasts, thighs and back, to make him realize how needy you were. his guarding attitude stopped, his inner lustful side won. you won.

you stopped swimming, taking the watcher role from him as he started to take his shiny golden clothes one by one; firstly, his lower armor that cover his thighs, then, upper ones 'till his clean chest began to sparkle in front of your eyes. finally, his pants and boots with his significant sword. putting them on the rock he was sitting, he waited for you to see the view he gave entirely. a shocked expression was visible on your face because of finally seeing his thick and long cock, standing between his thigh with all its glory.

as he saw your widened eyes, opened mouth, and pinky cheeks without your control, he smirked, feeling proud and egoistic.

"look at you. what a slut for my cock. waiting for it with an opened mouth."

he walked closer to you and sat down, just putting his legs into water, he waited for you to come closer. his cock stood still, ready to be in your cute and warm mouth, twitching with the thought of it even.

the moment you were between heimdall's thighs, putting your hands on his now colder knees, you didn't spend any more time. he needed you right now and you needed him. so, it would be a shame if you kept waiting. you teased him enough.

without giving any direction from him, your two hands held his cock to cover it entirely, just leaving its head free to lick. then, your tongue began to work on the head firstly. you began to lick it from tip of it and then lowered slowly 'till it reach the balls. heimdall let a little moan, holding your hair gently, he said, "don't tease. I waited enough."

nodding to him, you obeyed.

as his cock's head entered your warm and small mouth, his grip on your hair tightened, pulling it a little without his control. you kept going down, taking his thick cock entirely, he threw his head back, moaning shamelessly. "yeah pretty, you are wonderful even in the beginning. keep going."

being a good girl for him, having confident buff thanks to his praising.

turning on more, your mouth continued its work on his cock, taking it in and out rapidly. it was huge to take entirely but you did your best to give him something good - something he could not forget. thinking about this, you kept taking his cock even if you began to choke. sounds came from you made him go crazier, putting his hand on your neck, he took control; his hand on your face and neck began to fuck your mouth roughly like he had right to use it with the way he liked.

"that's right. I can do whatever fucking I want with that pretty mouth of yours." you could not focus on his words because of decreased air on your lungs due to taking him in and out so fast. "and I will do the same with your pussy." his voice was shaking too, not having enough air because of feeling so good - so close to his climax.

after some time, he began to say your name again and again. as you thought you would faint, he came. he came so hard, filling your mouth with his semen, don't taking it out 'till his last semen hit the wall of your mouth, giving an intense taste within it.

"good girl," how good it felt to be his good girl, to be praised by him. "you are such a good girl for me." smirking, he began to kiss you after you gulped, not leaving any semen wasted. his taste was still on your lips and mouth but he didn't mind. he even found it amusing knowing you drunk his cum just now while looking so fucking good between his legs.

he felt dominant. and he was going to fuck you but before that, he needed to do one thing more.

giving you a time to come your senses, he entered the river, getting used to its coldness and wetness, he hugged you from behind, making your naked bodies hit each other. you could feel his still hardened cock on your back, his cold hands on your waist and his warm breath on your neck. half of your bodies were under the water and it felt good, surprisingly. you two felt both cold and hot at the same time, giving shivers to your core.

"heimdall," your voice was too low to be heard but he was so close and his all attention was on you. he heard your weak and low voice that causing him to be gentle.

"yes my love."

"I need you."

"I know."

with his last words, he picked up your body, turning it to his side, putting it on the rock he was sitting a moment before - on the rock he cum to your mouth.

"what are you doing?" you asked, shock on your voice. he was fast and strong. your mind couldn't make sense what he meant to do and your body began to burn more because of being in a hotter place than the river.

he didn't say anything. he just held your thighs, don't taking his purple eyes from yours, he opened your legs, making your exposed pussy meet with the air.

"hei will you do what -" you couldn't finish your sentence as his tongue found its place on your pussy, making your dream come true and answering your question without speaking.

feeling his hot tongue on your pussy, seeing his braided golden hair, that make the sun jealous with its color and brilliance, between your thighs, and his hands on your knees made you moan his name again and again. "heimdall!"

you were glad the realm's this part was empty, hidden from the eyes, only visible to the sun that burn your back, making your shadow cover heimdall who began to eat your pussy with a better way.

his tongue entered your core for some remarkable times as his two fingers joined his tongue, going in and out with a fast way thanks to his speed ability. he even held your inner thighs, leaving some red marks on there already. both his tongue and fingers speed up, entering your core like it wasn't going to explode soon enough. your pussy was clinching around his fingers, your ass was moving without your control, push forward to feel him more and more.

heimdall who looked up, to your face, with his pretty purple eyes, was the last thing your mind comprehended before going all dizzy because of his beauty and the things he made you feel.

holding his hair, pulling them gently, you threw your head back, closing your eyes, you moaned his name for the last time and cum into his mouth and chin.

you took deep breaths, trying to calm yourself down, you smiled, feeling heimdall's tongue on your pussy still as his fingers left it. he was licking the last remaining of your juicy, your cum. he was something else. he was so gentle and loving for you and knowing that he would fuck you soon enough, not showing any delicate things but just become a tough one in sex, you tried to come to your senses.

he looked at your more pathetic form than before but he wasn't going to make a joke because he was proud - he was the one who made you like this, having no mind at all, and he even didn't fuck you. "come here sunshine," he said, picking you up, letting your body enter the water, next to him.

naked bodies crashing against each other, hands exploring other's like they didn't see and feel them for so many times. however, it felt good. it felt like they didn't touch each other for ages but that was not true. you and heimdall couldn't spend an alone moment without touching to one another. not showing this to others, heimdall was touch-starved. he was loving to feel you on his skin when it both meant for love and lust.

half hugging his body, you began to kiss his fluffy lips that taste like heavens. your taste on his mouth and lips was no longer there but memory that he - heimdall, the lord of the asgard, was between your thighs, eating you alive was still there, in your mind.

"how naughty of you," he stopped kissing your lips like they had the antidote of his poison, they were the thing that kept him alive. "to turn on while thinking how I ate you. I wonder what will you be like when I fuck you against that rock, in the river."

you kissed him once for, tasting them deeper, "let's find out."

smirking to you, he nodded, then, he began to kiss you again but this time he didn't stop with your lips, instead, his lips put kisses everywhere on your body, beginning with the chin, then, neck, shoulders, chest, finally breasts. leaving marks everywhere he kissed, you could only hold him by shoulders and groan in pleasure.

he took his time with your breasts, sucking their nipples, kisses it, giving little bites, sending stimulants to your core.

"heimdall," you pull his right ear a little which he had a golden accessory on it that you liked to play with, to take his attention on you rather than your boobs he was sucking so hard to leave red marks. "please. don't tease no more. you know what I want."

"and what you want my love?" he asked, not looking up but focusing on your chest, making it come closer to his by grabbing your waist and pulling it.

"I want you - I want you to fuck me."

chuckling with all his cocky side, he said, "I like when you speak so openly."

"and I like when your cock bury inside me, hei."

your aim worked. the last sentence you spoke made him turn on entirely, groaning in pleasure with only your wish, he took your thighs from under the water, opening them, he put himself between them. he then turned your body to left, making tour back lean onto the surface of the rock behind you. he was really going to fuck you against a fucking rock. how wonderful.

his strong grip on your thighs was evidence of his strength. he was so powerful and you knew he would hold your like this 'till you two have enough with each others' bodies - 'till you two cum enough.

you put your hands on his strong shoulders to stabilize your stance, to give him enough space to enter.

getting the gesture, he finally put his cock's tip into your pussy.

going in slowly, he began to burn your core inch by inch, causing your hands on his shoulders increase their grip's hardness. feeling fullness inside your core the moment he entered you entirely, you screamed, taking deep breaths.

as he kept looking at your directly, having a great pleasure with the way you look, taking his cock and being in a messy position thanks to him, you closed your eyes, the last thing you saw was his glowing purple eyes that you loved to look and see.

he waited for a second for you to adjust his length and thickness. when you nodded to him, gesturing that you were ready, he began to move and fuck! - you screamed inside, how wonderful it felt!

reading your mind, he smiled, proud.

he then began to fuck you against the rock under the water, your back hitting the rock and your lower part meeting with water again and again with a considerable speed. he was fast - he was fast in everything but when he used this ability in sex, oh - you moaned - it felt like a hurricane.

every time he went in and out of your core, being emptied and filled again with his thick cock gave you the option of just moaning his name mindlessly and putting your nails on his shoulders to scratch more, and you did them with pleasure. you loved to be fucked rapidly by him and leaving him marks of the passion and delight you had thanks to him.

"look at me," he said, not stopping, breathing deeply like you did. "I wanna see your eyes while they turn into white. I wanna see my cock's affect even on them."

opening your eyes, you met with his purple ones, glowing more than before.

it was a great scene to look at; heimdall, the god of foresight, your beloved one was in the river of the realm you just came for the mission with you, fucking you roughly and fast in front of the sun, so many voices came from both of you; your breasts bouncing, his cock meeting with you again and again, your hands hold him hard while his hands disappear into the water with half of your bodies. water of the river was moving because of you, looking like it had waves on it.

birds were flying around you, witnessing the unholy situation that was happening on the beautiful river.

but you didn't mind to them - you didn't mind anything because heimdall was the only thing on your mind, on your body.

as your warm body filled with him in the cold water, the warmth you suddenly felt on your lips and its source - heimdall's lips, made you let out a moan that ended in his mouth.

as he kept going in and put with a rapid rhythm, the loved you felt on your lips combined with the pleasure coming from the bottom.

heimdall was giving you both a lovely and intense fuck. you was feeling him on everywhere; heart and body. inside and outside.

"that's it," he said, feeling your coming arousal - climax when your pussy clinched around his length. "cum for me love."

letting a last moaning, you screamed his name and with that, you cum into the water and his cock.

your head fell to his shoulder. he kissed your neck but he kept his thrusts, fucking your sensitive pussy, not minding your cum that already vanished into the deep side of river. as he continued to fuck you, you said, "heimdall -"

he interrupted, "shh, just take it and after a rest, you will cum again. I will make you cum as much as you can."

"no, I can't, I can't -!"

he kissed your lips one last time before become rougher and faster 'till he cum hard into your core, moaning your name.

his right hand hugged your back while his left one stayed under your ass, holding you still, showing a great stamina like he didn't fuck you dumb just now.

his breaths felt its warmth on your ear, then, his deep and cocky voice was heard, "did you really think I would leave you without tucking all of your holes? no, no, my love, not at all. I will fill every hole of you with my cum after fucking them deeply and the last one is your ass. so, just rest for a bit, then, you will scream of my name again." he caressed your hair while you felt a new excitement on your chest because of his words. "we gotta give what this river deserve to see, right? you being fucked by me."

the one thing you knew the most that heimdall was man of his word. always.

the end.

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taglist: @iinterdimensionals , @Konigdi1ks0ck , @onlydeas , @hayleethefrog , @tartagliasrighthand , @whywouldiknowsstuff , @importantvoidpolice , @itsnat , @armanibxtch , @dott-up , @chiyausu , @lokigirlszendaya , @potentplant , @milf-to-be-anny , @elizabeth-hatake , @kuinnoa , @anna6anana , @animebestofriendo , @Qu33nastrid , @delyeceamaitare , @sunflower_beamsy , @Thefreakmunson86

♡

thanks for reading! ^^

[feverdreamsanddelusions]

@whumpsday

4. attacked while fumbling with the keys to their front door

kidnapping ask game

[tw kidnapping, lady whumper, multiple whumpers, threats of murder]

Whumpee tried not to be overly paranoid. Being out after dark was never a pleasant experience, but nothing explicitly bad had happened so far, so they tried to tell themself it was all in their head. Surely, the weird guy taking all the same turns as them was nothing but a coincidence. He wasn't following them, he was just... living in the same area.

They took a deep breath and picked up their pace. Better safe than sorry. Maybe the guy would feel a little offended, but maybe they were getting away from a serial killer right now. No sense in taking their chances.

They thought about taking a couple fake turns, leading the guy away from their actual home... but they wanted to get home. They wanted to get inside and crawl into bed. They wanted to be safe. So they decided against it, making a beeline for their apartment building.

The sigh of relief they let out when the man disappeared was audible. Thank goodness.

They tried to look around in a way that didn't resemble a deer scanning the area for predators, but truth be told, they failed miserably. At least they spotted a few women not far from where they were. Good. The more the merrier.

The rest of the walk passed uneventfully, and Whumpee couldn't have been happier to see their old, sturdy front door. The keys were already in their hand, arranged in that neat way with the sharp parts poking out from between their fingers in case they needed to punch someone, but now they shifted their hold to let themself in. They wouldn't have stopped to fumble with their stupid keys in the dark like this had the guy still been following them.

No, he wasn't following them. They were being overdramatic.

They were yanked back and away from the door so suddenly, they didn't even realise what was happening. A hand was clamped over their mouth before they could scream, and an arm snaked around their torso to keep them in place, back flush against their attacker's chest. They could smell some expensive perfume, so much of it that it was nearly suffocating.

No, no no no no no. They were right there. They were right there.

"Shh, be good," the stranger said, and her voice sounded awfully feminine. Even worse, when Whumpee craned their head to try to get a glimpse of her face, they realised she looked suspiciously like one of the women from before. The women who made them feel safer. "You don't want any trouble, do you?"

As they were squirming and whimpering, their gaze fell on another pair of women, one of which bent down to pick up the keyring they'd dropped. "Let's see..." she muttered, picking out the correct key on her first try. Was she familiar with this building? Had this all been planned?

The third woman stepped up to them and gave them a condescending smile, tilting her way this way and that while feigning sympathy. "Bad night?" she cooed. "I saw the way you were looking at the poor man. I bet you feel real lucky that we're here to rescue you."

Whumpee tried to plead, but it was just a muffled mess of sounds. Both the woman in front of and behind them chuckled. "They can't really talk right now," the one holding them in place said quietly. "But you'll have plenty of time to get to know each other, assuming Whumpee here doesn't want to end up in the dumpster. In pieces."

Whumpee whined and shook their head frantically, but thankfully, the woman messing with the door cut the threats short. "Okay, open."

The third woman grinned. "Awesome. Well, let's bring them home. I'm sure they're dying to eat something and have a nice, warm shower."

[marthawrites]

It's that time again 😁 Here's what I read during May! Thoughts below the cut!

Lone Women: This book was so refreshingly different! Wow! Set in 1915, the story follows our main character, Adelaide Henry, as she moves to Montana to try to make a fresh start (all by herself) on a homestead. She has a trunk with her the whole time and that's where the horror is. This story has monstrous humans, a haunting past, and a brighter future ahead. Historical fiction, women fiction, horror, this story was super interesting and had me hooked throughout!

1984: This is another "classic" book that I never read during middle or high school. It's been on my TBR list forever!! So glad I finally made the time for it. It was extremely creepy, unsettling, and horrific. The end had me both screaming with rage and laying in the rain crying. AGH. It's so hard to believe this was wrote in 1949! It hits a little too close to home on multiple occasions and... wow. Just, holy shit. Incredibly disturbing

Make A Scene: I keep an eye on the audible daily deals and bought this one for $1. It was a cute and entertaining read! It wasn't anything deep, or crazy, or thought provoking haha, but it was entertaining and sometimes I just love those kinds of stories so much!

The Serpent and the Wings of Night: Book one of the "Crown of Nyaxia" series. A mouthful of a title, I know! But dudes hooooly shit!!! I am OBSESSED with this book! I loved it so so so much and have NO idea why it doesn't get talked about as much as other books. I love the lore. It has brutal vampires, badass women, terrifying Goddess' (Nyaxia? Helloooo she's so scary and awesome!), and an epic story of all of them combined. HIGHLY recommend! Oraya is such a great character with layers of complexity, and Raihn is AHHH, I love him

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King: This is the second part of the "Crown of Nyaxia". I loved it as much as the first! Book 3 when!?! I can't flippin wait to read more!

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror: This is a standalone book in the Crown of Nyaxia universe. With how much I loved the other two I knew I'd like this one also. I ate it up just as quickly! Again, there's brutal vampires, badass women, and you learn more lore about different parts of the world, Goddess', and characters. I'm invested in this world and will be reading any and everything the author puts out for it!!

-

Overall it was a great month of books and I recommend all of these!!

I've officially read 24 books so far this year and for me that's AWESOME. Loving it!

[callsign-bunnie]

Part of 8 the mimic series, please! I would very much appreciate it. <33 Keep up the awesome work bunny!

This is the ending! There is no more after this!

--

Rodolfo half panicked as he watched the Thing slam Alejandro against the cave wall. He couldn’t let this happen, he had to stop it somehow before it killed Alejandro. 

His mind went back to its words from before. I love you, Rodolfo.

Fear spiked Rodolfo’s heart at the way Alejandro’s head fell forward and he worried another impact would seriously hurt him. His one driving thought this last year was keeping Alejandro alive. Keeping Alejandro from dying.

“Stop!” Rodolfo cried when he saw the Thing move to slam Alejandro again. “Mateo!” He used it’s name. He knew it would catch its attention. “Stop! I-”

His mind reeled. He tried to think of anything he could say to stop it. Then, his mind cleared and he realized exactly what he had to do.

“You do love me. I believe it, now. Please just stop…” Rodolfo pleaded, softening his voice.

He relaxed as the Thing dropped Alejandro, finally, though he had to fight not to cringe when Alejandro’s body made a very audible thud as he hit the ground. Just… focus on keeping it distracted.

The Thing turned to him and then it’s face was softening. It’s expression wasn’t even close to Alejandro’s. Rodolfo still had trouble believing he’d been Alejandro at all. “I believe you… You were trying to show me the whole time…”

Again, Rodolfo’s brain was scrambling for a way he could sell this lie. He needed a half truth. Something that he should be upset about. “Alejandro let me be missing for a year.” He looked up at the Thing, meeting its eyes.

He ignored Alejandro’s visible wince and instead focused on the Thing only. He needed to sell this to everyone in this fucking cave or the Thing wouldn’t believe him, either. 

Rodolfo looked away, trying to make himself small so he looked apologetic. “Alejandro neglected me… You were trying to show that.”

The Thing immediately nodded and it started to reach for Rodolfo, who fought himself not to slash it with his knife for daring to. Instead he stayed completely still, letting it move to Rodolfo. Which, it did happily, touching him.

The sensation made his skin crawl but he suppressed it and instead looked up to meet its eyes. “I’m sorry… I should have listened to you…” 

He knew to meet its eyes. He knew when he lied, he looked away from people. So, even though meeting its eyes made every molecule in his body scream and demand he look away, he met them. He needed everyone to believe him. He needed this lie to be the truth, just for this moment.

And to sell it even more, he slowly slid all of his rings off and dropped them on the floor, one after the other. The clink matched the jolts of his own heartbeat.

The Thing reached up and cupped his face again, mimicking the motion Alejandro made, occasionally, as it rubbed it’s thumb under Rodolfo’s eye. But even that was wrong. It was the wrong pace, the wrong rhythm. 

“Rodolfo!” He heard Alex, behind him, practically scream. Rodolfo managed to keep himself stead. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

“I’m making the better choice.” Rodolfo turned to Alex, putting as much venom and vitriol as he was capable of making, artificially, in his eyes. “Mateo loves me. Alejandro doesn’t. I want to be wanted.”

Alejandro’s sudden pleading stole Rodolfo’s attention. “Rodolfo, no, no, I do love you. Please… I will prove it, I will never neglect you again. Please…”

Rodolfo didn’t allow his expression to change. Even though he wanted to go to Alejandro, to run to him. To say “I know” over and over because he did. He believed Alejandro. He knew Alejandro loved him and he didn’t want Alejandro to think he didn’t, but he couldn’t! 

And then Alejandro almost ruined Rodolfo’s chances of keeping the lie going, because… because he started to cry. Tears filled Alejandro’s eyes and Rodolfo saw his lip quiver in a way that it hadn’t since they were kids.

Rodolfo’s heart broke. He hated himself for making Alejandro so hurt, but he had to. He couldn’t stop. He needed the thing to stay close enough and he couldn’t exactly do that if it didn’t feel off guard. 

So, he shook his head. “You had your chance. You had ten years.” Then, for good measure, “it’s over, Alejandro.”

“Don’t do this-”

“Shut up!” Rodolfo snapped, turning the vitriol back on in his eyes. He needed Alejandro to stop or he was going to break. He was going to give in.

Thankfully, Alejandro stopped and went completely silent. 

Rodolfo used the relief at Alejandro stopping to soften his face at the Thing instead. He took a breath. “I love you, too…” He murmured.

Rodolfo’s breath stopped as it started to lean forward, but he forced himself to lean up and then he was pressing his lips to the Thing’s. 

It tasted horrible. Granted, no one that Rodolfo had ever kissed had tasted particularly fantastic. That was one aspect of intimacy Rodolfo had never really understood any of the raving about. Okay… really, all of it he didn’t get any of the descriptors.

But, the Thing tasted like eating a spoonful of sugar. Far, far too sweet.

When he was a kid, his older sister, Liliana, used to eat sugarcubes. Rodolfo had tried one, once, to see why she liked them and he remembered immediately throwing up from the taste. The sensation was like sand in his mouth and it was far too sweet. Sickly sweet.

He’d almost been unable to eat anything with sugar, again, because he couldn’t get the taste of it, out of his mouth.

That was exactly what this was like. It was too sweet and he hated it. 

Carefully, Rodolfo let one of his blades slip from where it hid in his sleeve down into his hand and then he slowly reached up as if he was planning to cup the Thing’s neck. Instead, he stabbed the blade deep into it and jerked back. 

He watched it practically throw itself against the wall of the cave and claw at its neck, though it couldn’t touch the knife without burning its claws.

Rodolfo didn’t give himself time to react, just crouching down and grabbing his rings from where he’d dropped them, putting them on so fast he almost bent a finger wrong in the process.

When he was up, again, he slid his knuckles on and started to bark orders at Alex. “You and Alejandro get Ghost the fuck out of here! I’m getting Valeria!” He glared at the Thing and went around it, grabbing it’s shoulders, and then he started to drag it deeper into the cave.

He was shocked at how light it was. It barely felt like he was dragging a sack of bones. He’d had to drag Alejandro out of buildings before. He was a heavy fucking man. 

“You’re shit at mimicking your twin fucking brother, you know that, right? You should be good at that, at least.” Rodolfo spit at it, once they made it to where he remembered it bringing food.

It just continued to scream at him and clawed at his hands and its own neck. Rodolfo tossed it to the side and got out another knife, straddling it.

Then, he just started to stab it with the knife, over and over, making as many wounds as he possibly could. There was no blood, just smoke and melting goopy flesh. “I. Don’t. Fucking. Love. You. You. Fucking. Monster. How. Could. I. You’ve made my life hell!” He screamed. 

Flashes of the night came back to him and he broke down sobbing as he just continued to tear into it with the knife. 

It finally got enough sense to throw Rodolfo off of him and it just wrapped its hand around the knife, ripping it out of its neck. Rodolfo stared at it, watching its face change to pure rage as it dropped the knife. 

“I love you, Rodolfo.” Its expression was taunting.

“You crave me. It’s different. You want to eat me. You can’t love me, you sick monster!” Rodolfo quickly got to his feet and trembled. He knew exactly what it was capable of. He knew exactly what it would do to Rodolfo, had it got the chance. It had worked so hard to break Rodolfo. To destroy Rodolfo.

Rodolfo reached into his jacket, watching it the entire time, and got out the silver garrotte and wrapped it around his hands before pulling it taut between them.

Then, he threw himself at it, screaming. He used all of his force to knock it over, wrapping the garrotte around it’s neck and starting to make a sawing motion.

It clawed at his back, but he ignored it and continued with the motion, ignoring the cold slime that coated his hands with each motion. 

Then, the worst thing happened. The garrotte snapped. Rodolfo stared at it in horror before just getting off of it and running deeper into the cave, stopping when he found Valeria. 

She looked so weak, barely alive, but she was breathing. Rodolfo got her off of the hook she was on, starting to drag her out. The Thing was on the floor, still, staring at the roof of the cave and barely moving.

Rodolfo knew that wouldn’t last long at all, so he just continued to guide Valeria out of the cave, very carefully so she wouldn’t get more hurt. 

“Alejandro!” Rodolfo cried when they made it out of the cave, seeing them in the distance. “ALEJANDRO!” He screamed.

Alejandro glanced back, right as they made it to the truck and Rodolfo sped up, pleading Valeria to move her legs a little faster. But, she likely couldn’t, so he just continued to half drag her.

Finally, finally, Rodolfo made it to the truck, trying to ignore the screeching behind him, and he all but tossed Valeria into the truck with Alejandro’s help. Then, he sprinted around to the driver’s seat, climbing in and taking off as soon as he heard the doors shut.

-

Rodolfo panted, wincing occasionally as Alejandro patched up his back. “I’m sorry…” He murmured, needing Alejandro to know that. “I… I needed everyone to believe it. I needed everyone to think I was telling the truth so… so it would believe me…” His voice was wrecked. It was so hard to talk, but he was desperate for Alejandro to know the truth.

Alejandro had been scarily silent since they’d gotten back to the base. Valeria and Ghost had been taken to the infirmary and the other five had wanted to know what the fuck happened.

But, Rodolfo had left Alex to explain, instead pulling Alejandro to his quarters. He hadn’t intended Alejandro to clean and bandage his back, but he had let him. 

Alejandro still didn’t say anything. Rodolfo closed his eyes, desperate. “Alejandro… Alejandro please… I promise I was lying the entire time…” He pleaded.

“You were so convincing…” Alejandro whispered, finally. He finished bandaging Rodolfo and turned him to face him. “I would go back and take back every moment I neglected you if I could…”

“I don’t need you to!” Rodolfo insisted, taking his hands. “I’ve forgiven you. I… I love you, so much. I’m sorry…” He needed Alejandro to believe him. He needed him to. “Please… I don’t… I don’t…”

Flashes of that night came back and Rodolfo flinched back, letting go of Alejandro’s hands. He felt so overwhelmed and he wanted to scream and he wanted to cry and he just needed Alejandro to believe him. 

Alejandro’s hands touched Rodolfo’s face, after a moment, and he made Rodolfo look at him. “I believe you.” He murmured.

Rodolfo relaxed and then he surged forward, kissing Alejandro as hard as he could manage, clinging to him. Alejandro relaxed and then he was pressing closer, meeting Rodolfo with desperation.

Then, they were breaking apart because Alejandro was sobbing and it tore Rodolfo’s heart to shreds because he had caused that and he didn’t like that he had been the one to make Alejandro so hurt like that. 

Rodolfo pulled Alejandro down so he could sob into his chest, leaning back a bit, and he hugged him tightly, trying desperately to hold Alejandro together. “I love you, I love you so much…”

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I love you too and I will spend… my entire life desperately trying to make sure you never doubt that…”

“I don’t! I don’t doubt it!” Rodolfo immediately shook his head. “Alejandro, I believe you… please…”

Alejandro looked up at him, his expression looking so absolutely distraught and Rodolfo hated himself. He hated himself so much. “I searched for you… Every fucking day, I looked for you. I… I… neglected my duties, I killed people, because I just wanted you back…”

Rodolfo closed his eyes, trying to keep his own tears from forming. “I know… I know… I believe you, I do… Please…”

Alejandro touched his face. “Please don’t leave me like that, again…”

“I won’t.” Rodolfo shook his head. “I promise…”

Alejandro took deep breaths and then relaxed. “Thank you…” He took Rodolfo’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “I can’t go another year waking up without you beside me… I can’t go another year being unable to look across my own desk because your chair is empty.”

Rodolfo looked down. He felt so guilty now. It’d been in the back of his mind. Worry. But… he’d been so focused on his mission, on his bitterness, that he had been able to ignore it. “I’m sorry…” He whispered. He covered his face. “I should have called you, I should have came back, I should have-” He was stopped by Alejandro taking his hands.

Alejandro moved Rodolfo’s left hand to his chest, over where his heart would be. “Stop… Should haves don’t help… Okay? I… it’s all happened…” He looked down, breathing deeply. 

Rodolfo nodded, though guilt still clouded his heart. “Okay…”

“We’re going to fix this problem. And we’re going to fix it, together. We’re going to fucking kill my twin brother and we’re going to take down Shepherd and stop the program and then you and I are going to live the rest of our lives. Together.” Alejandro looked right into Rodolfo’s eyes. “Alright?”

“Alright.” Rodolfo nodded. “Together.”

“Together.”

--

Will I maybe come back to this in the future? Sure. But... for now? I'm done. This is it.

This is the ending I wanted for it from the beginning. I only ever intended it to be five parts, to be honest, and I always wanted to leave it open ended.

I wrote this to portray several of my fears and those don't just go away. So... neither will this. :)

Please don't kill me.

[ask-the-walls-scream-au]

Butters, your wife is just awesome. You should have seen how she killed this fat ass rat

Butterfly: “I know.” He smiles.

Bow: “…who you talking to sweetbug?”

Butterfly: “…the voices in my head.”

Bow: “…Interesting, I don’t recall you having any of those before now… further study is to be conducted.” She writes something down in a notepad.

Scorpion comes out of the basement, slightly confused, and as soon as he does, he is shot in the shoulder. He screams and starts audibly crying.

Bow: “WHAT IN THE HELL IS- I THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD!?”

Butterfly: “unfortunately not.”

Bow: “hmmm what’s that stuff on his face…”

Butterfly: “don’t touch it sweetheart it drives you crazy.”

Bow: “oh sweetbug. I am a woman of science. I’m gonna have to run some tests. Mostly dissections and drawing blood. Oh yeah I may also need to see the effects of shooting different parts of his body.”

Scorpion is whining in pain and fear.

Butterfly: “alright just don’t kill him, ok? He’s kinda helpful.”

Bow: “him. Helpful?”

Butterfly: “I feel the same way. Yes it’s kind of a mindfuck.”

[m-for-musings]

Honey Webbing

Part 14 — Read on AO3

A faint, muffled sound pierced the heavy silence that had settled over the room - a desperate, anguished scream that sent a shiver down Minthara's spine. Her eyes narrowed as she strained to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. The cries were faint, barely audible, as if they were coming from a great distance. Cautiously, Minthara made her way towards the bedroom door, her senses heightened. As she walked through the corridor, the anguished screams became slightly clearer, but still muffled and distant, their intensity underscoring the desperation that laced them. She moved with some difficulty, her wounded leg stinging at every steps, but still she was able to drag herself with a practiced, silent grace, her footsteps barely whispering against the wooden floorboards as she followed the trail of anguished sounds. 

Minthara cautiously approached the lounge on the second floor, and oddly enough the sounds of the anguished cries seemed to fade, becoming even more hard to hear. To her surprise, she found a group of Halsin's children gathered there, seemingly oblivious to the distressing screams that had drawn her attention. Talia was attempting to coax a reluctant Fren into eating, her voice soft and soothing as she tried to persuade the young half-drow. Soren lay on the floor nearby, his belly pressed against the wooden boards as he intently read from a tattered book, his expression utterly serene. Next to him was Yenna, absorbed in a painting on a canvas, expressing her newfound obsession with fairytale princesses through delicate brush strokes.  Mera was laying upside down on a couch, also entertained by a book, though her expression conveyed a distinct air of boredom.

Minthara's gaze drifted from one child to the next, searching their faces for any hint of distress or awareness. But they seemed content, unperturbed, their attention fixed on their individual tasks, as if the world beyond the confines of this quiet lounge held no bearing on their own peaceful existence. Had her own fragile state of mind played tricks on her senses, conjuring the sounds of suffering where none existed? With a quiet sigh, Minthara shook her head, silently admonishing herself for the lapse in judgment. She would need to be more vigilant, more in control of her emotions…

Minthara stiffened as a sudden, boisterous voice rang out from her left side, nearly causing her to jump in surprise. "Heeeey, you're the hero who saved Mera!" the young blue dragonborn, Finn, exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

The dragonborn bounced on the balls of his feet, his tail swishing back and forth eagerly. "Mera told us all about how you carried her through the super scary Underdark and then whoosh!” Finn swept his clawed hand through the air, mimicking the motion of a sword. "You sliced a giant Cloaker right in half with just one hand!"

The boy's voice rose in pitch, his words tumbling out in a rapid, breathless torrent. "That's so awesome! You must be the bravest, strongest warrior ever!" Finn grinned, his sharp teeth and fiery blue eyes gleaming as he gazed up at Minthara with unbridled admiration.

Minthara blinked, taken aback by the sheer audacity of the dragonborn's statement, that was so blatantly far from the truth that it was almost amusing. Minthara's brow arched slightly, a small, wry smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She turned her attention to Mera, her expression unreadable. "Is that so?”

"Hey, I didn't say that!" Mera protested, her voice indignant as she casted the book aside and sat straight on the couch, her gaze shifting nervously between Minthara and the dragonborn. The girl's cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation. "I-I may have, well, embellished the details a bit," she admitted sheepishly, her eyes downcast. "But Finn is the one who's making it sound so... so grand!"

"I see," Minthara replied, her gaze flickering between the two younglings, a hint of sad amusement dancing in her eyes. The children’s words, though intended to cast Minthara as a courageous protagonist, served only to intensify her harsh reality and her ultimate defeat. Minthara harbored a profound understanding of the depths to which she had fallen. She was not the magnificent, awe-inspiring figure she had once been, but rather a shattered, wounded reflection of her former self.

The attention of the other children seemed to shift, their gazes turning towards Minthara with a newfound intensity. The drow felt an abrupt change in the atmosphere, a palpable sense of focus that made her instinctively stiffen. Talia was the only one who appeared slightly wary, her expression guarded as she intercepted Fren's attempt to approach Minthara. The young half-drow had started to toddle towards her, tiny arms outstretched, but Talia gently yet firmly held her back, her brow furrowed in a silent warning. Soren set aside his tattered volume, his gaze fixed intently on Minthara, as if studying her every nuance. Even Yenna had paused her delicate painting, her brush poised in midair as she regarded the drow with undisguised fascination.

Minthara felt a small shift in her own demeanor, a faint stirring of discomfort at the sudden influx of attention. She shifted her weight, a barely perceptible movement that belied her underlying tension. She could feel the weight of their stares, the palpable curiosity and, in some cases, a hint of apprehension. The children's eyes were wide with wonder as they gathered around Minthara as they began their questions about the drow's experiences in the Underdark - the eerie bioluminescence, the predatory creatures that lurked in the shadows, and the underground cities that flocked below. 

The children leaned in, entranced, their expressions shifting between fascination and concern as Minthara described the formidable, cunning drow and their society. Mera was the one who sat closest, the girl’s eyes intently observing Minthara as she recounted some of her experiences down there. Mera seemed to hang on to her every word, eager to learn more about the mysterious and perilous world that lay beneath the surface.

With a subtle clearing of her throat, Minthara attempted to steer the conversation in a more neutral direction. "But let that serve as a warning for you," she continued, her voice low and slightly chiding. "Do not be so quick to wander alone in the Underdark, for I may not be here to save you every time."

Amid the chatter and rumblings of the children discussing the tales of the Underdark, Minthara's senses were once again assaulted by the faint, anguished cries that seemed to reverberate through the halls. Her crimson eyes narrowed, her warrior's instincts instantly on high alert as she strained to locate the source of the distressing sounds.

Yet, to her surprise, the children remained seemingly oblivious to the distressing sounds, their demeanors utterly unchanged. Talia returned to her gentle coaxing of the reluctant Fren, her brow furrowed in gentle chastisement as the young half-drow girl pouted and refused to eat.

"I want daddy!" Fren whined, her voice laced with a childish petulance as her lower lip jutted out in a stubborn pout, her tiny fists clenching as she shook her head adamantly. 

“Daddy is busy,” Talia murmured, her voice soft but firm. “Fren, you must eat, he would want you to be a good girl and finish your meal." With a tired sigh, the teenager turned her attention to Mera, a slight edge of exasperation in her tone. "Mera, she's your sister. Come here and help me make her eat."

"I thought we were all siblings." Mera responded with a mischievous smirk, “And you have a much better way with children than I do.”

Minthara felt a muscle in her brow twitch as the children's chatter and Fren's petulant whining grated on her already frayed nerves. The muffled, anguished cries that continued to echo from somewhere below only served to heighten her sense of unease.

"Where is Halsin, after all?" the drow asked, her tone clipped and slightly impatient.

"He's helping Adara to make a baby!" Finn announced proudly, hands on his waist, puffing out his chest.

Minthara's eyes narrowed, a subtle shift in her expression betraying her disapproval. "Make a... baby?" she repeated, her voice slow and measured, as if she were speaking to a particularly slow-witted child.

“Yeah,” Finn nods, completely oblivious to the inherent tension in Minthara's tone. “That's why he had to move you upstairs, he needed the attendance room for that.”

Before she could voice her thoughts on the matter, Mera swiftly kicked the young dragonborn's tail, eliciting a yelp from Finn. "He's helping Adara to give birth to a baby," the half-drow girl corrected, her gaze flashing with irritation, “and he needed the attendance room because all of his healing stuff is there!”

"That's what I said!" Finn protested, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Both the anguished cries and her new accommodations were explained, then. The realization that the source was a woman in labor sent a twinge of unease through her. For some reason, the thought of Halsin tending to another person somewhat stirred a strange sense of discomfort within her. She found herself inexplicably driven to question the children about this 'Adara' – who she was and what her ties to Halsin might be. Was she merely a villager? A friend? Or perhaps something more? Whose child was she bearing?

A flicker of an emotion Minthara dared not name flashed across her features – a subtle tightening of her jaw, a barely perceptible crease in her brow. But she quickly pushed those feelings aside, unwilling to confront the implications of her own reaction. After all, the nature of that woman's relationship to Halsin was not of her concern. It did not matter, she told herself, even as a part of her yearned to know the answer.

Minthara drew in a deep, steadying breath, attempting to quell the tumultuous emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. With great effort, she pushed those dangerous, confusing thoughts to the back of her mind, schooling her features into a mask of calm composure.

"I see," she finally said, her voice deceptively level.

Mera's brow furrowed with a hint of concern as she studied Minthara's demeanor. "Are you feeling alright?" the half-drow asked, perhaps noticing the subtle shift in Minthara's bearing, or perhaps simply compelled by a touch of polite worry. "If you're in any pain, I can fetch some painkillers or ointments to help."

Little did Mera know that no painkiller, no salve, could ever hope to soothe the aching turmoil that gnawed at Minthara's soul. The drow, ever the master of concealment, simply resigned herself to denying any sign of discomfort, despite the palpable pain that lingered in her battered body.

"Oh, you must be famished!" Yenna declared with a trace of wariness in her voice, as if she had momentarily forgotten a critical detail. "I would be absolutely ravenous if I'd been asleep for three days straight, too!"

At the young girl's words, Minthara's eyes widened, the shock and disbelief etched across her features. "Three days!?" she echoed, her voice tinged with a rare display of vulnerability.

As the unsettling revelation sank in, Minthara felt a familiar sense of unease creep up her spine, her fingers twitching instinctively as if reaching for the comforting weight of a weapon. The very thought of having been rendered completely vulnerable and helpless for an extended period of time sent a shiver of disquiet through her core. She somewhat expected that the child's words were nothing more than a cruel jest, or perhaps a simple misunderstanding, but the confirmation from the others and the sight of Mera's fully healed ankle left her with no choice but to resign herself to the unsettling truth. 

Yenna wasted no time in arranging a hearty meal for Minthara. The food wasn't exactly fresh-prepared, but it stirred the drow's appetite nonetheless, the acknowledgment of her body's needs after her prolonged unconsciousness. As she consumed her meal, Fren – who had stubbornly refused to eat her own food up until that point – suddenly perked up, her gaze transfixed on Minthara. The young girl observed the drow's calm, methodical eating with a keen interest, seemingly taking her cue from Minthara's example.

Slowly, almost cautiously, Fren reached for her own plate, her little fingers grasping the spoon with a tentative, almost reverent air. Then, with a newfound determination, the girl began to eat, her previous reluctance forgotten as she tried to mirror Minthara's measured, composed demeanor.

Talia, who had given up to feed Fren at that point, or was taking a long, desperate break from her attempts at best, looked at the little girl in a mix of bewilderment and relief. "Fren is..." Talia's voice held a tone of stunned amazement. "Fren is eating by herself!”

Minthara's brow quirked ever so slightly, her curiosity piqued by the subtle shift in the group's dynamics. Her eyes followed the girl's gaze, and indeed, there was Fren, her small fingers closed around the spoon as she began to partake of the nourishment laid before her. The drow observed the scene with measured interest, her own methodical eating pausing momentarily as she took in this unexpected development. Minthara's gaze lingered on Fren for a moment longer, a subtle shift in the set of her shoulders betraying the faintest traces of what might have been satisfaction. It was a small, fleeting expression, one that quickly gave way to her customary mask of indifference as she returned her attention to her own meal.

A mischievous grin slowly spread across Mera's face. The half-drow nudged Talia playfully, her eyes sparkling with a hint of amusement.

"Well, would you look at that?" Mera exclaimed, her voice tinged with a playful lilt. "If only I had known that all it took to get Fren eating was to let her see a drow enjoying a good meal, I would have fetched a tasty little snack for our guest earlier!"

Mera chuckled, her gaze flitting between Minthara and the now-ravenous Fren, who seemed to have found newfound inspiration in observing the drow's movements. "Guess we can add 'drow role model' to your list of talents, eh, Minthara?" the half-drow teased, playfully.

A subtle flicker of irritation crossed Minthara's features. "As it stands, you would do well to take me as a true role model. If you could do as your little sister and muster some discipline, perhaps you would not find yourself in any more self-inflicted trouble.”

A soundly ‘oooooohhhhh’ escapes from Finn’s mouth while he mockingly points at Mera, along with a buster of laughter from the other children, some muffled, others – like the dragonborn himself – quite loud.

Minthara's lips curled into the faintest of sneers, her gaze boring into Finn with unwavering intensity. “And I reckon you find yourself quite the jester,” she began, her voice dripping with a thinly veiled disdain, "perhaps if you spent less time prattling and more time observing your sisters, you might actually find a way to make yourself useful," she continued, her words cutting like a razor's edge.

A new ‘ooooooohhhhh’ echoed through the room, this time emanating from Mera's lips as the half-drow mockingly pointed a finger at Finn. The sound was swiftly followed by a chorus of muffled laughter from the other children, the collective amusement rippling through the air like a wave.

Minthara rolled her eyes. It was clear to her that the children's prattling and banter could go on indefinitely if left unchecked. Yet, despite her earlier harsh rebuke, a hint of amusement flickered across her features as she observed Mera take her own subtle revenge, reveling in the dragonborn boy's discomfort.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," the drow announced, her voice cutting through the laughter with a somewhat effortless authority, "I have more pressing matters to attend to than entertaining a gaggle of wayward younglings."

Minthara rose from her seat, her movements not as graceful and efficient as she intended to be due to the pain, but she took time to organize the empty plate and clutter from her finished meal nonetheless. "Mera," she said, her gaze fixing the half-drow with a pointed look, "you will come with me. In Halsin's absence, I will be in need of your assistance."

"But... in his absence, Talia’s the one in charge," Mera protested, her voice tinged with a hint of trepidation, perhaps wary of incurring further retaliation from the drow.

Minthara, however, remained unmoved, her expression as impassive as ever. With a single, unwavering glance, she silently communicated that there was to be no further argument on the matter. Without a word, she turned and made her way back towards Halsin's bedchamber, leaving Mera little choice but to follow in her wake.

***

"I'm here," Mera announced as she entered the room, her voice devoid of any discernible emotion.

Minthara's gaze swept the area, ensuring that no other children had followed the half-drow. Satisfied that they were alone, she closed the door and turned her attention to Mera.

"I need you to tell me about the lyre you stole," Minthara stated, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Mera's brow furrowed in mild exasperation. "Ugh, we're still talking about that? I haven't stolen it, I've found it!" she countered, a hint of irritation coloring her words.

"Where?" Minthara pressed, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"Tied to a raft in the cavern," Mera explained, her hands gesturing vaguely. "Well, not entirely tied, it was more, like, hanging from it."

"A raft?" Minthara's gaze dropped momentarily, her brow furrowing as her mind raced, the mention of a raft not quite aligning with the information she had gathered thus far, but still not entirely devoid of sense. If she was in the water, a raft would be subtle enough to traverse the river unnoticed. Was it intentional, then? No, it wasn't much like her to simply flee to the surface in a raft during a battle. Her previous theory was still more likely: someone attempted against her life, but rather than finishing the job in the Underdark, her would-be assassin left her adrift on the surface… on a raft?

Minthara's crimson eyes lifted to meet Mera's, a subtle shift in her expression betraying her growing curiosity. "Tell me more about this raft," she commanded, her voice low and measured. "What else did you observe in the cavern?"

Mera's shoulders sagged slightly, as if resigning herself to the interrogation. "Well, the raft was just sort of... drifting there, stuck in some rocks," she began, her tone growing more animated as she recounted the details. "And there was all this weird stuff kind of tied to it – barrels, crates… At first I thought that it was like some kind of... I don't know, shipwreck or something. But there weren't any more wooden pieces or anything, just a single raft. And the lyre was just hanging from one of its loose ropes."

Minthara's expression remained impassive as Mera spoke, but the drow’s mind was already whirring with implications and potential connections. She was set up, that was for sure. But why here, so far away from Menzoberranzan? Even if her disposal was part of a murder plot, why bother to drag her all this way to one of the less prominent shores of the Sword Coast? If they had traveled a little further, they could have left her in Baldur's Gate, or in any other city along the Coast where a potential enemy could buy her life. But instead, they left her here, in a faraway middle of nowhere? There were definitely other ‘nowheres’ to leave her that didn't require such a long journey. Everything about this supposed assassination plot strikes Minthara as ultimately odd. The journey, the raft, the barrels and crates – nothing about it makes much sense.

"So you took the lyre from this raft… And where is it now? What about the other items? What were the crates' contents?" Minthara pressed, her gaze unwavering.

Mera nodded, a sheepish expression crossing her features. "Yeah, there were some clothes, jewelry… I, uh... I hid them all in the cavern. But I swear, I didn't know it belonged to anyone! I just thought it was, you know, abandoned stuff or something."

Minthara's brow furrowed, but she refrained from chastising the half-drow. Instead, she fixed Mera with a pointed stare, her voice low and grave. "We must return to the cavern and investigate this raft further. You will show me where you hid the other items as well," she commanded, her voice brooking no room for argument.

Mera's brow furrowed, a faint hint of uncertainty creeping into her features. "Uh... I don't think you're in any condition to be leaving the house just yet," she ventured cautiously.

Minthara's jaw tightened, her patience clearly beginning to wear thin. "I did not ask for your assessment of my condition," she retorted sharply. "You will lead me there, and consider it payment for having saved your life."

Mera's eyes widened in a mixture of confusion and indignation. "Excuse me? You said you saved my life as a payment for Halsin having saved yours. How can I be indebted to you for a debt you just quitted?"

Minthara scoffed, her crimson eyes glinting with a hint of disdain. "Life is not fair, girl. This is simply how it works. You would do well to get used to it."

The half-drow's features twisted into a reluctant scowl. "You know I won't be able to drag you around if you faint again, don't you?" she muttered, her voice laced with a hint of defiance.

Minthara's lips curled into a cold, humorless smile. "Then you had best hope that I do not," she replied, the unspoken threat hanging in the air like a palpable weight. With a curt nod, the drow turned, her piercing gaze fixed on the door. "Now, lead the way. We have work to do.”

"No," Mera retorted sharply. "I'm not your underling." The girl took a step forward, her chin raised defiantly as she met Minthara's gaze. "You may have saved my life, but that doesn't make me your servant."

The half-drow's shoulders tensed, defiance sparking in her expression. Mera opened her mouth to continue, but Minthara cut her off with a sharp gesture. "Listen here, you insolent little brat," the drow hissed, her voice dripping with contempt. "I did not risk myself only to have you question my authority. You will do as I command, as you can consider yourself lucky that I did not simply leave you to your own fate."

Minthara's expression turned into a grimace, irritation flickering across her features. She opened her mouth to issue another command, but this time it was Mera who cut her off.

"I get that you're on some kind of personal mission or whatever, but the rest of us have our own shit to deal with," the half-drow continued, her tone growing more aggressive. "Halsin trusted Talia to be in charge, and that's who I'm going to listen to, not some drow who thinks she can just boss us around.”

The air in the room crackled with tension as Mera's words hung in the air. For a long moment, the two stared each other down, the unspoken battle of wills palpable. Then, without a word, Mera turned her back and slipped out of the room, leaving Mitnhara to her own devices.

Her brow was furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her eyes narrowed in contemplation. As she stood there, Minthara couldn't help but replay the confrontation with the half-drow in her mind. Mera's defiant refusal to simply submit to her demands had been… surprising, yet not entirely unexpected. The girl had displayed a level of short temper and insolence that Minthara had tasted before, but had hoped to break through sheer force of will.

Minthara's jaw tightened slightly, a flash of frustration crossing her features. Fury simmered beneath the surface, her gaze smoldering with a barely restrained rage at the audacity of Mera's defiance. Yet, as the initial flash of anger subsided, Minthara found herself begrudgingly impressed by the half-drow's nerve. There was a fierceness in Mera's eyes, a stubborn resolve that the drow couldn't help but recognize – for it was a reflection of her own youthful spirit, a mirror image of the unyielding will that had carried her through the unforgiving trials of Menzoberranzan’s high society.

The drow paused for a moment, sitting on the bed as she drew a steadying breath. She didn't regret her actions, per se – Minthara was accustomed to issuing commands and expecting obedience. It was the way she had grown up with, the way she had survived in the Underdark, the way she fought against the lolthites. But as she considered the exchange, she couldn't help but acknowledge that perhaps her approach had not been the most prudent. Arguing with the teenager had done little to further her objectives, and had, in fact, only served to antagonize Mera further.

Minthara couldn't help but feel a grudging sense of... admiration? No, that was not the right word. Respect, perhaps. An acknowledgment that the half-drow possessed a strength of character that Minthara had not quite anticipated. Minthara's lips curled into the faintest of sardonic smiles as she mulled over the encounter. The girl had potential, she realized, a valuable asset waiting to be honed and tempered into a formidable tool, and in a few decades, perhaps, even an ally? Anyway, she realized that she would need to tread more carefully in the future. Brute force and unyielding demands would not be the most effective approach, not with these children. She may not have been able to compel Mera's cooperation through threats or sheer force of will, but the drow was nothing if not adaptable. She would find a way to achieve her objective, and to temper her approach was merely a detail. 

< Part 13 || Part 15 >

[draagu]

you'll never guess what i did today

(outer wilds!)

i beat the game! haha >:D

and wow! i dont really think i have the words to describe how i feel after all that ghsad

it was all so surreal and just amazing

but! ill start with the rundown of what i did today :)

started by going to the nomai graveyard in the dark bramble, it wouldve been nice to have actually gone there before my first venture to the vessel but i managed i suppose

then went to the vessel to try out the coords, but surprise surprise it wasnt powered. I was able to make the "theres more the explore here" thing go away though, so that was a good sign

then went back to the ember twin and finally went to the lakebed cave. i had already found out myself the whole being in the dark + quantum stuff thing but it was nice to officially learn it i suppose. also the skeletons in there are silly

then! went to the ash twin in my attempts to make it inside the ash twin project. came to the conclusion that it was probably with one of the towers based off what i read about the warp pad in there and lo and behold, i waas right

really cool stuff there! but you know what the coolest part was? the advanced warp core of which i of course snatched.

this was the point where i was like, yeah, this is it

soo shoutout to good awesome wonderful fren drama (hi! if you are reading this :D), they wanted to watch me complete it.

but first! they helped me out with the quantum moon and the sixth location, and wow! was in the hopes i would be able to talk to a nomai somewhere during the very beginning, and my wishes came true. now i have 1/6 of a new fren and had some nice conversations

after a little interruption, is was time to beat it!

got the warp core again, went through hell, powered up the vessel, entered the coords, and bam, the eye of the universe

again, wow :'D

really had no words for what i was seeing at the time, and still don't, it was just amazing

per request of fren i shot my little scout buddy up first and then cannonballed my way through after it

seeing the museum again, being in the woods, seeing all the supernovas, gathering everyone together for one final song ouhgheasdeffhsas,,,,,

and then we start anew!

im just, wowed, by absolutely everything. i may not be able to verbally express it audibly or with text, but, just, it was awesome man

i see why everyone wishes they could play the game again for the first time, it really is a peak example of one of those games

but hey, i got to see everything-besides hollows lantern but we ignore that um- and im just glad i played the game in the first place

after everything, drama helped guide me to the silly endings-which. truly, the kazoo credits were the most emotional song- met myself and screamed at myself, n broke the fabric of reality twice!

all n all, amazing game, will be forcing all my friends to play it

umm expect some art of it most likely, unsure how spoilering it will have to happen so if anyone has any recommendations besides tags do let me know

and see you next time for the dlc! :)

@dramaticuser hiya if you wanna see

[unofficialadamtaurus]

I’m sorry I can’t be normal about this today so take a few of my apeshit reactions instead:

Neo and Adam like had me choking I love it. LIKE OH THATS what you were talking about epilogue-ing with those 2. Adam be like “man did I look this stupid when I had misdirected murderous goals too?”

Adam vs Cinder was FUCKING AWESOME. The action was top tier but fucking when the burns reminded Adam of THAT moment had me OSNUXKWPZUXNWPW 😭

> "You're still a child," he managed instead. "Thinking magic and weapons will save you, but all you've done is find a new collar."

THATS SUCH A GOOD LINE YOU HAVE NO IDEA

“You were born with nothing," she spat, "and you'll die with nothing."

He blinked and in that second of darkness he flashed back to the nightmare he'd had all those weeks ago: his child self, staring at him through the flickering wall of an Atlesian prison. His next blink and he was that child, staring into a dirty mirror with tears in his good eye and fresh blood in his left. His final blink brought him back to the present, where his grip on Cinder's hands was slipping and the blade was burning his flesh and releasing a smell he knew in his bones.

AAAAAGHGHHGHGHGGGHHHHHHHHHH

and MY GOD his anger is so fucking palpable 😫

Okay I audibly gasped when Neo stabbed Cinder, you wrote the scene SO well and pretty nasty like this?

Cinder fell to her knees, shaking hands uselessly spitting flames that burned up to nothing. Her lifeblood poured from her chest. Her snarl melted from her face to be replaced with disbelief. She raised her head, watering eye failing to find the open sky beyond the Grimm and clouds.

UGHHHH. Along with the blood pouring on Ruby’s face?? It’s vivid (and gross) as fuck.

And I mean I kinda expected it after her convo with Adam, BUT I FUCKING SCREAMED WHEN RUBY GOT THE MAIDEN POWERS. HOLY SHIT??? I wasn’t expecting it AT ALL AND I THINK I LOVE IT

Ruby’s hero complex right now: 📈📈📈📈

A few parts I loved but didn’t scream about: Yang being a good sister is 😩. The art piece accompanying Ruby’s apology is god tier. Really good use of Jaune’s semblance (they can keep the blood and sweat and tears while still fighting 🥵 im sorry-). Adam and Blake’s team up at the end is so badass. like “It was kill or be killed. And that, they both knew well” YESSSSS

I have a plan for Adam and Neo (not a relationship plan) and all y'all are stuck watching me execute it 🫡

I will never not enjoy your apeshit reactions! It's hella gratifying to see those moments I thought would hit hard hitting hard - particularly that blink-and-you'll-miss-it line about Adam remembering the smell of burning flesh.

Invest in Ruby's hero complex now for stonks reasons, it can only go up from here!

[elizainjapan]

June 13th- Free Day

Today was one of the best days I’ve had in Japan yet! It started at 6:30am, which was far too early in my opinion, but we needed to get to the park early to get tickets to Nintendo World. I had went to bed around 4 the night before, so I was not in the best of moods. The train took about an hour, but we made it in time to get the Nintendo reservations! Our first stop was a rollercoaster called Hollywood Dream that could be ridden facing forwards or backwards. Because it was so early in the morning, we rode it facing forwards. You could also pick a sing to listen to, so I picked Shake It Off by Taylor Swift. I would rate it a 7.5/10 on the fun scale. Next it was time for our reservation, and my two hours of sleep were so worth it when I walked in. I audibly gasped. The area was small, but it was super well done. SO much detail was put into every aspect of the park. Our first ride was the Mario Kart one where we raced with a VR-type headset on. The technology was pretty cool, but I didn’t know how to play the game until halfway through the ride. The coolest part was Rainbow Road, so I would give it an overall 7.5/10 again. Next we got strawberry lassis that tasted like yogurt (7/10) and we got in line for the Yoshi ride. Huge fumble. We did not know that the Yoshi ride was a for children. Sam had told us that it was the dark ride, so we were very surprised to have wait an hour in line for what was essentially the people mover. I still feel a little spiteful so 4/10. Next we got lunch at the Toad Cafe, which was actually so delicious! I got the Mario Burger that had cheese, bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, and spicy mayo on it. 8/10. Unfortunately I also got the tiramisu which was so bad. It tasted like milk, but it was so cute. 4/10. We shopped around the area for a bit before heading to the Flying Dinosaur ride. That ride alone was worth the price of admission. You ride it on your stomach looking down, and the drops and loops were so insanely fun! 9/10 for sure! It was at this point where I was getting immobile. My lack of sleep was catching up to me and it became really hard to walk. I feel asleep on Sam in the Harry Potter land while she drank her Butterbeer. I also fell asleep on a bench in the Jurassic World area while everyone else watched the dinosaur show. It took all of my strength to go on the Jaws ride, but once I made to through, I was as good as new. Seeing a shark animatronic really wakes you up. The ride was pretty good, but the cherry on top was watching an old Japanese woman scream for 2 minutes. 6/10 ride, but 8/10 experience. We were all craving a sweet treat so we got the Mario Strawberry Shortcakes which were sooooo good (8.5/10), and it was at this point where the guys and Aulora decided to head back. Sam and I wanted to stay and shop around until the park closed, so we hit up the Spiderman ride and a couple other stores. One of the best parts of the day was the last ride we rode - Backdrop. It was the backwards versions of the Hollywood Dream ride that we rode in the morning. The line was about 60 minutes and it was a little hard tp stand at the end, but it was so worth it. They had the JJK theme song as an option to play, and there was a moment during the ride where I just remembered feeling so happy. I’m in Japan!!!! It was awesome. 9/10 ride but 10/10 experience. After this new were pretty much dead. We took the train back, got lost, and then found our way again. Overall, 10/10 day.

[saltydumplings]

IM GONNA CRY. GIVE ME PART NINE OR EVERY TIME I VISIT YOUR CELL I WILL THROW A TOMATO AT YOU. Also here lemme show you how to get out, it’s pretty easy actually on my cell anyways but it should be the same for yours too…

Snippet #9.8

Part 8

Holy mother of God, so many requests for this one - thank you so much!! Now Epic, you're saying that I just...and then...oh, I see...and then just -- awesome, thank you so much. Also, you realise that by showing me this I can now visit your cell, right? Right. Horny Jail just got twice as fun >:D

Cw: gun violence, character death (don't be scared, it's a good death I swear)

The hero's first punishment for their behaviour was to remain bound by the leash, forced to keep their arms just so unless they wanted to lose their ability to breathe - something that they soon realised they'd have to give in to if only briefly because the ache of holding the position would eventually become too much to bear. Their second punishment was to be put back in the cage.

The hero hated it: it was so small and cramped, and the assassin had removed the blankets from it so that they couldn't even have the smallest of comforts. It was hardly the worst thing though - the hero knew that; the hero knew that this was only the beginning of even more horrible punishments to come...

They turned away as best as they could when the assassin locked the cage door, refusing to let the other see them cry. The idea of the villain's death was still so fresh in their mind - they wanted to kick and scream but they couldn't do any of that so they just lay there, unwanted tears sliding down their cheeks. Was this just it now? One stupid mistake and everything good in their life swept away like it was nothing.

"I'll return within the hour, pet. Until then, I suggest that y--"

The assassin stopped, an alarm blaring out somewhere within the building. Inside the cage, the hero startled at the noise - momentarily flinching just a little too much and making the collar pull taut against their throat. They gasped and relaxed again, trying to turn and see the assassin's expression: their captor's eyes were narrowed, a slight twitch in their jaw revealing their annoyance clearly.

Quickly they walked over to the one table and collected the gag that was laying on it, unlocking the cage to roughly tie it around the hero's mouth before closing it once more.

"Sorry, pet, but I'm going to need you to stay quiet. And if by chance someone does find you then you would do well not to go with them. If you do...let's just say what I originally had in mind for you will seem like a reward."

With that, they grabbed a blanket from the floor and tossed it over the cage - covering it completely and leaving the hero in darkness. They heard the assassin's footsteps walk away and the door close, the alarm still blaring out until it suddenly stopped just a few seconds later.

Was this a good thing? Please let this be a good thing.

The hero squirmed a little, careful not to put too much strain upon the collar as they attempted to escape the bonds, quickly accepting that it was useless. They forced themself to relax again, simply having to be content to listen instead - the sound of gunfire and shouting just audible through the walls. The hero waited and waited, a horrible silence soon settling over the place once more.

When the door to the room suddenly opened again they froze, hearing quiet footsteps making their way around them. A few items were shifted about before they saw the blanket being moved - the whole thing pushed back and a flashlight shined down onto their face. The hero blinked against the sudden light, a figure above them letting out a gasp at the sight of them.

"Hero - Hero, holy crap, just hold on okay?"

The hero knew that voice...

The flashlight was moved to the side, the person setting it down so they could open the cage - the hero blinking a little more before they could see the face of the sidekick clearly. The other wasted no time in breaking the lock, opening the door and reaching out to untie the gag from the hero's mouth. They went to pull the hero out but stopped as soon as the other started gasping for breath, soon noticing the collar that ensnared their neck.

"Sorry - sorry!" the sidekick said in a panic.

"I-It's o...okay," the hero reassured, catching their breath once more.

The sidekick carefully turned them so they could work on untying the leash, struggling to pick the knots for a moment before finally something shifted and let go - the hero taking a deep inhale as the sidekick managed to unlock the collar as well, feeling fully free for the first time in days. They got out of the cage on unsteady legs, holding onto the sidekick like a damn lifeline.

Help had come - they hadn't been abandoned: the sidekick was saving them and they--

"I thought I made myself quite clear, pet," a voice sounded from the doorway.

The lights flickered on and the hero felt a wave of panic course through them, quickly shoving the sidekick behind them as they turned to face the assassin - the gun in the other's hand pointed directly at them. But they knew the assassin wouldn't shoot them: they wanted them; they wanted the hero alive and that was why the sidekick was safe as long as the hero was blocking the other's shot.

"If someone finds you, don't go with them...What was it you were about to do?" the assassin said.

The hero shivered a little but held their ground, reaching back and getting their hand on the sidekick's own gun, the weapon still holstered in their belt. The other let them take it, keeping as still as possible - one move and the assassin would undoubtedly shoot them. The hero brought the gun up with shaking hands, the assassin laughing a little at the sight.

"Let us go," the hero said, "or I'll--"

The assassin took a shot - the accuracy of the aim almost inhuman as the bullet ricocheted off the metal bars of the cage and cut across the top of their arms, only just breaking the surface of the skin but hurting enough to startle the hero into dropping the gun.

The hero gaped, fear gripping them fully as they realised the full extent of their situation: it didn't matter that they were standing in front of the sidekick. The assassin could kill them without blinking but they hadn't; they could have shot them before even announcing their presence but clearly they had other plans.

"Ah, you see it now, don't you?" the assassin said, a sharp, sadistic grin lining their mouth. "How about you be a good pet now and get on your knees - and maybe I won't shoot your friend."

"Hero, you don't--"

"I do," the hero said, cutting the sidekick off quickly and falling to their knees.

"Very good," the assassin praised. "Now crawl over to me."

The hero started to move forward slowly, trying to ignore the complete humiliation they felt knowing the sidekick was watching. They got about halfway before suddenly coming to a halt, eyes widening as they caught sight of something moving in the doorway.

"Don't be shy now, come here and--" the assassin stopped as they felt the barrel of a gun pressed against the back of their head.

"Enough games," a voice said strictly from behind them.

The assassin seemed to freeze completely then - the hero certain they saw something akin to panic flash in the other's eyes. They got up from their position on the ground and moved back towards the sidekick, sensing they didn't have to do what the other said anymore.

The assassin's gun was dropped with an echoing clunk.

"Supervillain," they greeted. "I wasn't expecting a visit."

"Neither was I," the other said, and suddenly more men were piling into the room - guns all pointed towards the assassin. "Unfortunately, this little stunt of yours is proving rather bad for business..."

"You can hardly blame me: it was just a little fun," the assassin tried to argue.

"Yes, well the fun ends here. Now."

The assassin swallowed. "Will you kill me?"

A long silence fell between them.

After a while, the supervillain huffed and lowered their gun. "No, I won't kill you: you're of too much use to me."

The assassin let out a small sigh of relief, turning to smile at the other. "Thank you. I promise you won't regre--"

A shot rang out. The assassin dropped down on the floor, dead - the supervillain frowning down at a small splatter of blood that had landed on their suit.

"H-Hero!" the sidekick cried in disbelief.

The other had picked up their discarded gun and shot the assassin in cold blood, now staring blankly down at the corpse that lay before them, hands shaking slightly. They had to do it - couldn't let that monster live. The supervillain hadn't been willing to kill them but they sure as hell weren't letting them get away so lightly...

"Huh," the supervillain mused as they stared down at the body. "Good shot. Usually I'd shoot anyone that murdered one of my men but..." They shrugged, seeming unbothered. "I'd say your reasoning was fair enough."

They turned their back then, letting their gun slip back into their belt. "Come on, we're done here."

With that they left and the other men followed behind them, each filing out one by one until it was just the hero and the sidekick left in the room. The sidekick moved to stand in front of the other - hands falling upon the hero's shoulders and pushing down slightly in an attempt to ground them. Slowly the hero's grip relented and the gun slipped to the ground, a fresh well of tears starting to build up in their eyes as they shook.

"Hero what - what did they do to you?" the sidekick said, expression deeply concerned - knowing the hero would never kill anyone without reason.

The hero looked up at them sadly, voice wobbling a little as they spoke. "Not to me, they...they killed Villain. I had to: they killed them and I couldn't - I couldn't just--"

"Hero - Hero!" The sidekick shook them slightly, trying to get them to listen. "Villain isn't dead."

Silence. Then:

"Wh-what?"

"Villain: they're not dead. Injured, yes, but Assassin didn't kill them."

So they were fine? The villain was alive - the assassin had lied - and they could see them again and kiss them and tell them that they were an idiot and that they were sorry and--

The hero's gaze wandered back to the assassin's corpse, a sudden wash of regret and injustice overcoming them.

"Hey, it's okay," the sidekick reassured, pulling the hero's focus back to them. "It's better this way, alright?"

Was it? They'd never killed anyone before and now they'd killed the assassin over a lie that they should have never believed in the first place. As much as it was nice to know they wouldn't need to worry about the other coming after them again, they couldn't help but be aware that something in them had shifted now - killing the assassin had changed them. And there was no going back.

The hero let out an unsteady breath, no longer wanting to be in this room but somewhere else - far away from this hell and in the arms of someone they never thought they'd get to see again.

"I need to see Villain," they said. "Take me to Villain."

Part 10