#alpha tonic work

[eggyrocks]

THE MANEATER CHAPTER SIX: phantom

masterlist

divider credits to roseraris

extras!

akaashi was in yn's room trying to lace up a leather corset for like twenty entire minutes

he said i am a better friend than oikawa and i am going to prove it

sometimes yn goes through these periods of getting worn out from her job (staying up all night on her feet and drinking and then going home to get just a couple hours of sleep before she gets back up again to work on her mixes)

for the most part she's able to maintain a routine that works well for her but occasionally it just catches up to her and brain stops working like normal

iwaizumi has another job at the velvet bar from @causenessus's smau tonics which you should absolutely read if u havent already

maneater goth night playlist

yn goth night style guide

taglist: @wyrcan @thechaosoflonging @deluluforcarlos55 @localgaytrainwreck @cherrypieyourface @eclecticeggknightpsychic @httpakkeiji @does-directions @needtoloveoutloud @kawaii-angelanne @thatonecroc @v1oletfury @lonesomedrive @nnnyxie @guitarstringed-scars @nbcvs @garfieldissocool @iheartpinky @mollyrolls @yogurtkags @yuminako @michivrse @19calicos @sunnyskiezzzz @bailey-reeds @staileykout @kitskasoboring @loverlunaire @iluvaquaphor @lllaw @alpha-mommy69 @acowboykisser @karasyuu @aquariarose @torkorpse @wave2mia @southernfrogprincesd @mfcherry @adorerinn @soulfullystarry @jaynawayna

[undeadcourier]

This is the second in a series of posts meant to explore both real-life cases of radiation sickness and the sci-fi concept of ghoulification in some depth. Graphic descriptions of the physical deterioration of the body are included for informative purposes; reader discretion is advised.

For this second case study, I examine the effects on the human body of exposure to moderate levels of radiation over a long period of time, with a focus on the real case of the Radium Girls, in particular Mollie Maggia. 

Marie and Pierre Curie discovered radium in 1898, launching the Radium Craze. Radium was believed to have numerous health benefits and restorative properties and was used to treat arthritis, hypertension, schizophrenia, and even stomach cancer. It was also used in tonic water, toothpaste, and cosmetics, among many other products. 

After William J. Hammer created a glowing green paint made from radium and zinc sulfide, radioluminescent paint became popular in use on watches and clock dials. Three factories that used radioluminescent paint on watches and clock dials saw incidents of severe radium poisoning in workers, in Orange, New Jersey, Ottawa, Illinois, and Waterbury, Connecticut. 

Dial painters working for the U.S. Radium Corporation, most of whom were between ages 14 and 20, were assured they were safe and were not given appropriate personal protective equipment while exposed to the radium dust they used to mix the paint for the dials. Managers encouraged them to use their lips to create a fine point on their paintbrushes, necessary in the precision work they did, which caused them to ingest small amounts of radium during their shifts. In addition, the radium dust coated their hair and dresses, and some women, believing the radium to be harmless, even deliberately painted their teeth and nails to make them glow. Dial painters ingested about 76 microcuries of radium per year.

In addition to consuming radium in the paint, the dial painters were exposed to the radon gas that resulted from the decaying radium, increasing their exposure to around 13000% more than the maximum annual dose. For comparison, standing next to the Chernobyl meltdown would result in about 30 rem of radiation exposure. 10 rem is the lowest annual dose linked to an increased risk of developing cancer. 200 rem is enough to cause severe radiation sickness and death, and between 300-400 rem is regarded as a lethal dose.

When ingested along with food or water, roughly 80% of radium is excreted, but the remaining 20% travels throughout the body where it is deposited in the bones, emitting alpha particles as it decays and irradiating the cells on the surface of the bones. New bone growth results in radium being deposited deep into the bone where it remains.

The typical period of exposure among the dial painters was two years. Some developed mouth sores after only a month of working at the factories, but for others, symptoms took longer to appear.  First, the women would have felt fatigued and anemic as their damaged bones could no longer replace their red blood cells. 

Because they were primarily ingesting the radium, their mouths were often the most affected. By October of 1921, Mollie Maggia—who'd already had to have a tooth removed—returned to the dentist's chair to have even more of her teeth extracted. The radiation damage to her bones inhibited blood cell production, which in turn prevented the wounds from healing. The ulcers became necrotic and constantly oozed blood and pus. 

Throughout that November, Mollie's condition grew steadily worse, and in addition to the pain in her teeth and jaw, her hips and feet became sore.

As the painters' radiation sickness progressed, their joints would become stiff and severe pain in their limbs limited their mobility. The radium ate through their bones, leaving them perforated in a honeycomb pattern and prone to spontaneous fractures. The women's spines and long bones fractured and shortened.

Some of the women’s skin became so thin that even a fingernail scratch could cause it to split open.

Tumors the size of grapefruits or footballs developed on their bodies, and they suffered from blood disorders, menstruation issues, and sterility.

By January of 1922, Mollie was in constant, unbearable agony. Her teeth were rotting in her mouth and falling out before they could be extracted. In May, Mollie’s dentist was horrified when her jaw crumbled at a gentle touch. He proceeded to remove her jaw, not by an operation, but simply by pulling the disintegrating pieces out by hand. That summer, Mollie’s throat became painfully sore, and she experienced spontaneous bleeding from the jaw. By September, the radiation had eaten through the tissue of her jugular vein to the point of hemorrhage. Mollie's mouth and throat flooded with blood, and she died.

Mollie Maggia was the first from the U.S. Radium Corporation to die, just short of her 25th birthday, in 1922. 12 more women died the following year and another 50 fell severely ill.

[yandere-sins]

It's really morbid but considerinh how yandere omega pumps his darling full of known and unknown (not FDA/EMA approved) drugs. I wouldn't be surprised if he overdosed his darling a few times due to his impulsiveness and desperation.

Assuming that the alpha hormones acted as steroids, It wouldn't be too farfetched that he had Corticosteroid/ or an ABO equivalent overdose like he suddenly had seizures,highblood pressure,Nausea. Hell, corticosteroids can also cause heart attacks and stunted growth- an opposite on what the omega wanted in mind.

If it goes to the worst scenario like the darling's body breaking down like having a heart attack or a tonic seizure due to too much alpha hormone usage, what would the omega do? Considering that they live far away from any local population- let alone a hospital

While I did set up the whole secluded mansion thing, I, of course, have thought about the problematic of illnesses occuring at the mansion (;

I'd like to think the omega has some basics down, so they don't need to call someone for every little cut, but like I mentioned before, they also get food deliveries (to minimize being seen and recognized outdoors) and a doctor can come from the nearby village or a helicopter lands in their front lawn or the like (it's a big place even if the beta only gets to see a portion of it). Those people are all long in on the things that are happening at the ominous, secluded mansion they work for, but the money is too good to break their silence even if they find some very questionable things while they do their work. Discretion can be bought much more easily than one might think. Even if something happens like an injury, the omega just needs to make a quick dial for the doctor to be notified and though they need a little bit of time, it's just the drive up a hill and through the jungle, on a dirt road only a selected few people know. They'll arrive either way and be paid greatly for being discreet and helpful.

Yan!Omega is most likely not to learn from their mistakes though, so mistakes like these are very likely and happen every now and then. Poor Beta ):

[softsan]

NCT WEREWOLF AU (AESTHETIC)

A remake of this: X

Taeyong

alpha

seven hundred and one years old

suspicious and dubious of humans

puts his pack above all

can be rash and unforgiving

encounters his mate on a non-routine hunt

mate: councilman's daughter

Taeil

elder

eight hundred and fifty-six years old

oldest member of the pack

works as an adviser to the alpha and the betas

breaks up and resolves pack conflicts

stumbles onto his mate who's wearing a disguise

mate: physician

Johnny

hunter

four hundred and eighty-nine years old

has the best sense of smell in the pack

the pack's number-one tracker.

exceptional at mauling his enemies.

left heartbroken by his mate's rejection

mate: rival pack member

Yuta

hunter

four hundred and sixty-seven years old

incredibly quick and stealthy

is labeled the 'ambusher' for his cut-throat hunting tactics

despises the prospect of a mate

believes fate is cruel and callous

mate: city guardian

Kun

beta

six hundred and eighteen years old

second in command

rules in taeyong's absence

known to be morally strict and stern

goes against his beliefs by stealing his mate away

mate: stolen bride

Doyoung

delta

five hundred and thirty-two years old  

is the support unit of the pack

on standby to fulfill the duties of ill or injured packmates

finds himself in a hopeless situation

accidentally marks his mate in a poisoned haze

mate: north's princess

Ten

head scout

five hundred and sixteen years old

has an unparalleled control of his inner wolf

works as the pack's eyes and ears in the city

warns the pack of dangers outside their territory

overcomes his heartbreak by meeting a nifty pickpocket

mate: thief

Jaehyun

delta

four hundred and forty-nine years old

strongest member of the pack

formidable opponent in battle

responsible for guarding the pack's territory

comes across his mate in the scorching sands

mate: she-wolf

Winwin

sentinel

four hundred and three years old

routinely patrols the pack's territory

greats new visitors and learns their intentions

will harshly punish aggressive and disrespectful intruders

accidentally kidnaps his mate instead of his actual target

mate: royal governess

Jungwoo

scout

three hundred and twenty-one years old

has great command of his inner wolf

can avoid shifting on a full moon

gathers and shares information for the pack

blown away by his sweet mate

mate: royal maidservant

Mark

delta

three hundred and twelve years old

known to be sunny but stubborn

incredibly fast learner

teaches hunting skills to younger pack members

saved by his mysterious and magical mate

mate: thread coven witch

Renjun

salutary

two hundred and sixty-three years old

is the pack's herbalist

makes tonics and concoctions for his fellow wolves

plagued by dreams of the past

gives the cold shoulder to his mate

mate: old soul

Jeno

hunter

two hundred forty-eight years old

a distinguished pack fighter

often organizes hunts

is the first to volunteer to go on nightly patrols

captured by his formidable mate

mate: general's daughter

Haechan

omega

two hundred and twenty-four years old

rash and impulsive

has poor control over his inner wolf

frustrated by his low status within the pack

taken in by his beloved mate

mate: baker

Jaemin

hunter

two hundred and twenty-two years old

very talented tracker

is the most versed with their territory's terrain

lovestruck by the idea of love and fate

has his memory wiped by his elusive mate

mate: siren

Xiaojun

scout

one hundred and eleven years old

has mastered controlling his inner beast

recently elevated to the position of scout

is eager to prove himself within the pack

rescues his mate from the cruelty of humans

mate: seer

Hendery

hunter

eighty-three years old

loves running under the moon's light

known for his great speed and stealth

recently elevated to the position of hunter

taken down by his fearless mate

mate: assassin

YangYang

omega

twenty-three years old

only recently had his first transformation

is the pack's forager

searches for plants and provisions to help feed the pack

is reunited with his childhood friend and mate

mate: greenskeeper

Chenle

pup

twenty-two years old

is eager for his first transformation

spent his early years on the run with his aunt

thankful to be accepted into a pack

ambushed by his wicked mate

mate: star coven witch

Jisung

pup

twenty-one years old

is nervous about his first transformation

last to join the pack

spent years hiding underground from humans

shyly taken by his doting mate

mate: seamstress

[sarahowritesostucky]

📖"Alpha, Beta (& Omega)"

Rated: Explicit

Chapter Rating: Teen

Word Count: 3627

Pairing: Steve x Bucky

Tags: a/b/o, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, nobility/royalty au, alternate history, dom/sub elements, beta bucky, anal sex, oral sex, hurt/comfort, first time, age gap, domestic discipline, spanking, head of household, wedding night, Edwardian time period, m/f/m poly marriage

Summary: To save House Barnes from scandalous ruin, James must agree to a contracted marriage, accepting Lord Senator Steven Rogers as his Alpha, Husband, and Headship.

To read previous parts of this series first, got to the story's masterlist

14. A Headship's Rebuke

This Chapter: If Bucky ever wants to get out of this marriage and get his independence back, he’s going to have to really buckle down and remember his mission.

Bucky has a hangover the size of Long Island the next day.

Steve isn’t too sympathetic about it, which irks Bucky. He’s already feeling like shit, he doesn’t appreciate Steve’s continued scolding.

Only … he doesn’t exactly scold him. He’s crisp and curt, which in itself is very un-Steve-like. He barely says a word to Bucky when they wake, making himself scarce after they dress for the day. Sharon is the one who gives Bucky what he needs. He’s provided with a tonic to help relieve his headache, a mild breakfast and absolutely no words of comfort. It’s not Sharon’s job to do that. She’s just household help, and while she may have a relationship with Steve, to her Bucky’s nothing but a mandatory duty. He’s the man her employer married whom she now also has to wait on, so she does, but she extends him no courtesies or gestures of kindness. Bucky wonders if she’s always this cold, or if Steve told her what happened last night and she’s decided to stand in solidarity against Bucky. 

Either way, Bucky’s left on his own to figure out what to do all day. “Where did Steve go?” he asks Sharon, when he notices that the apartment is empty save for the two of them.

“Pietro took him to a meeting, I believe,” Sharon says. She’s carrying laundry in a basket, and she continues on down the hallway, leaving him alone. 

“Oh,” Bucky says to no one. He twists his lips and looks around the room with a sigh. “Okay.”

Steve returns around eleven o’clock, just before lunch. Bucky forces himself not to ask where he’s been. He doesn’t want Steve to think he cares. Steve appears in the living room and looks down at him where he’s sitting on the couch. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I received a telegram,” Steve says. “A motion was called and I had to send instructions on how I wanted my vote to go.”

Bucky wants to ask what the motion was, but he forces himself not to. “Kay,” he says.

Steve stares at him. “What’ve you been doing this morning?”

“Nothing. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to go out.” He says it with a modicum of sarcasm.

Steve frowns. “What? Of course you could’ve.”

“Well how would I know that?” Bucky snaps. “I don’t know what these new ‘boundaries’ are, Husband.” He uses the title in an obnoxious show of formality. If Steve wants to be all Headshippy on him, then Bucky will treat him like one. He gets a small measure of satisfaction as he watches Steve realize this.

“Oh. Well okay.” Steve seats himself in the room’s armchair. “I suppose you’re right. Would you like to discuss that now?”

“Not particularly, but I guess it’s whatever you want, right Husband?”

Steve huffs. “Is that how you’re addressing me now?”

“Unless you’d prefer ‘Alpha’.”

Steve’s jaw works in frustration. “I’d prefer my name, in private company.”

“Fine.”

“Oh stop it,” Steve snaps. “Just because I scolded you last night doesn’t mean I’m suddenly your jailor. Grow up.”

Bucky feels anger flood through him, though it’s followed quickly by embarrassment. “I’m eighteen, Steve!”

“I know that,” Steve growls. “Am I supposed to feel bad about that? I don’t. You think it's tough being married so young? Try being shoved into a Senate Seat at twenty-eight. You’re eighteen, not eight. Act like it.”

Bucky huffs and crosses his arms, refusing to say anymore. Steve watches him for a moment before speaking. “Boundaries. Okay. Let’s talk about it. I won’t expect you to tell me your every move, but I will expect to know what your general plans are during the day.”

“Even on this trip?”

“Especially on this trip, our honeymoon.”

Bucky snorts. “For as splendidly as it’s going.”

“And you were raised as a gentleman and Senatorial heir, just like I was,” Steve says. “So I expect you to conduct yourself as such in public. No drunken escapades, rudeness or disrespecting our union.”

Bucky can’t manage any snide comments toward that. Steve’s right—he was raised as a gentleman. He feels a small bit of shame creep in at the reminder of his ridiculous behavior last night. That’s what it’s going to take though, he reminds himself. If he wants to make Steve want a divorce, then he’s got to continue doing things like that, and worse. “Okay,” he says. “Fine. Those are the rules. Now I know them.” Now he knows exactly which ones to break.

“Good.”

“Good.”

Steve seems to relax a bit. “Well … What would you like to do today?”

“With you?”

He sighs. “Yes, with me. We’ve got another two days in London before we head to the continent. Is there anything you’d like to do, see?”

Bucky shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess.”

Steve nods curtly. “Well come on then. I’ll get Pietro to hail us a hackie.”

Despite his efforts to remain despondent, Bucky winds up having a good time while he and Steve visit some of the more popular tourist sites around the city. His hangover ebbs, and after Steve buys them lunch at a café, he feels back to normal. He finds himself slipping back into friendly territory with Steve, and he scolds himself each time he laughs at something the alpha has said, returns a smile, or gets drawn into enthusiastic conversation without realizing. Steve is a reasonably easy guy to get along with, so If Bucky ever wants to get out of this marriage and get his independence back, he’s going to have to really buckle down and remember his mission.

They see most of the places that Bucky had on his list of things to see. London bridge, Big Ben, Parliament and Buckingham palace take up most of the day, and Bucky finds himself growing antsy as he realizes that he’s been friendly with Steve the whole time and not managed to create any incidents that might add to their fighting.

This marital discord stuff is hard.

They get to Westminster Abbey and step out of the hackie together. “We’ll head home after this, yeah?” Steve suggests.

Bucky nods. “Yeah, I’m hungry.”

Steve smiles and takes his hand. “Sharon told me she’s making a roast for supper. It should be good.” Bucky doesn’t comment. Instead he’s quiet as he looks at their joined hands. Steve guides him into the abbey. “Wow,” he says once they’re inside. “It’s huge.”

Bucky nods, looking up at the ceilings. “It doesn’t seem any bigger than the national cathedral though.”

“You’ve seen it?” There’s a modicum of surprise in Steve’s voice.

Bucky scoffs, yanking his hand back to himself. “My family did keep a residence in D.C., you know. I’ve been to the capitol tons of times.”

“Of course. … I wasn’t making a jab at your circumstances.” Steve looks away sadly, visibly putting on a cheerful face after that. “There are over three thousand people buried here,” he tells Bucky. “Tennyson, Dickens, Queen Elizabeth, Chaucer, Darwin …”

Bucky keeps examining all the fancy architecture, not looking at Steve. “I suppose we would’ve gotten married there, if it hadn’t been such a rushed affair.”

Steve pauses in his listing of famous names. “At the national cathedral? Yes. I suppose so …” Bucky can feel Steve peering at him, probably trying to figure out why he’d bring that up. “... Either there, or at St. Patrick’s in New York,” he says quietly. “It’s customary.”

Bucky nods. Privately, he’s grateful that they hadn’t had to have a grand State wedding. Even if he’d chosen the marriage, he wouldn’t have enjoyed saying his vows in front of a thousand people. He continues looking around the cathedral, eventually wandering away from Steve, who lingers in the section where the poets are buried.

A man in church robes approaches Bucky near the nave of the church and greets him with a smile, asking if Bucky has any questions about the history of Westminster. Bucky shrugs, stepping away from the plaque he’d been reading. “No, not really,” he says. “I was just looking around.”

“I see,” the man says.

“Are you a priest?”

The man smiles. “No. I’m a deacon here.” He holds out his hand. “Deacon Aemes.”

“James Bar— erm, Rogers, that is.”

“You’re American?”

“Yes. I’m here with my husband, Senator Steven Rogers.”

The man’s eyes seem to light up with recognition. His posture straightens. “I see! Is this your first visit to London?”

“Second. We’re honeymooning here.”

“Wonderful!” the man beams, which is annoying. Bucky has had more than his fair share of experience with being treated differently once people figure out who he is, and he can tell that’s what’s happening now. He tries to think of a way to get out of having to talk further with this man. “I think I’d better go find him, actually,” he starts to say. “We were just about to—”

“Are you interested in worship services during your visit?” the deacon asks. “We have seven services each Sunday. I’m sure with your husband’s Societal standing I could arrange for reserved seating.”

Bucky frowns. “No. Thank you. I—” His eyes catch on movement out of the corner of his eye, and when he glances over he sees Steve heading their way. He pauses, reconsidering his words. This is an opportunity, he thinks, nerves quickening his pulse. “I … actually don’t go to church.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. I’m an atheist,” he says, forcing back a sly grin and inserting disdain into his tone. “It’s silly to believe in God.”

Deacon Aemes’ face is turning pink. He looks mortified. “Well … that’s—”

Steve has come up to Bucky’s side, and Bucky continues his spiel, “Religion is the root of all evil, if you ask me.” It’s a wild exaggeration and just about the rudest, most-awkward thing Bucky can think up on the spot to say. Not to mention it’s a lie: He’s always held a general belief in God. But he continues his rude speech now that Steve is there to listen. “When was that last kiddie fiddler scandal, after all? Half a year ago?”

“Bucky!” Steve says in shock.

Bucky forces a scornful laugh. “What? It’s true. Religion is just the opiate of the masses: people too scared to use their own brains, so desperate for comfort that they'll believe anything, giving corrupt men power that they don’t deserve. Christianity spreads intolerance and hate, and it generally fucks up other people’s lives. It’s fucking awful.”

It’s a trifecta of obscene behavior for which Bucky is somewhat proud of himself. If the insults to religion and the shameless mention of lewd acts weren’t enough, he’s also made sure to top it off with a nice smattering of curse words. Bucky sneers at the deacon. “As far as I see it, ‘God’ is nothing but a rapist, murderer, thief and pedophile, himself.”

Unsurprisingly, deacon Aemes is starting to look enraged. “Sir! You are in a house of worship. Have some respect.”

“‘Respect’?” Bucky scoffs. “For what? The Church of England? It’s been responsible for more abuses than—” Steve’s hand closes around the back of his neck and scruffs him so fast that Bucky’s speech cuts off in a gasp. 

“Sir,” Steve practically growls at the deacon. “I am so sorry for this rudeness. Please, excuse us.”

“Well I never,” the deacon sputters. He looks utterly outraged, though Steve’s taking control of the situation seems to have kept him from outright yelling at Bucky himself. “I’d suggest you leave,” he says tightly. “Don’t come back, and take your disrespectful Spouse with you.”

Steve nods tightly. “We’re going.” On Bucky’s neck, his fingers tighten cruelly and he steers him away. “Come on.” He marches him down the length of the cathedral and shoves him into a narrow side hall near the front doors. He crowds Bucky in against the wall. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” he hisses.

Bucky fights back the victorious smirk that wants to come. “What?”

“How could you say those things to that man?!”

“Well it was all true,” he says. “You want me to lie?”

Steve’s face darkens. “Don’t play coy, it doesn’t suit you. You went out of your way to provoke him.”

“Sorry,” Bucky says, putting no apology into the word. 

Steve seethes at him. He steps back. “Come on. We’re going home.”

“What if I don’t feel like—”

“Follow me, now,” he Voices, already walking away.

Bucky’s eyes widen at being commanded, though he knows he honestly shouldn’t be surprised at this point. Steve seems to have no problem coercing him with his Voice whenever he gets truly mad. Bucky’s feet start following, and even though it’s not pleasant seeing Steve so pissed off, he does thrill a little at having accomplished his goal.

This was just one small step, though, he thinks. He’s still got to do far worse to make Steve want a divorce.

Steve is silent and terse on the ride back to the apartment, but once they’re inside and the door is shut, he gets right to work in ordering Bucky about. “Sit,” he says, pointing at the writing desk in the living room. “There. Grab a pen and paper.” He stalks out of the room, leaving Bucky to do as told and worry what’s next. He returns after only a moment, a stack of envelopes and papers in hand. 

“What’s that?” Bucky asks.

“The post. Our mail was forwarded. These are the nuptial congratulations and well-wishes we’ve received.” He sets a large part of the stack in front of Bucky, then a single open sheaf of paper. “This is a list of the guests who were at our wedding, and their titles.” He sets down one last envelope. “And this is a letter from your mother.” 

“My mother?” Bucky starts to reach for it.

“No,” Steve says, making Bucky’s eyes snap back to him. “You’re going to answer the other letters first. Then you’ll write thank you responses to each and every person who attended the wedding.”

Bucky winces. “You can stop Voicing,” he says. 

“No, Bucky. I can’t.” Steve is looking down at him with icy eyes. “You obviously don’t know how to listen without it.”

“You should’ve told me I wasn’t allowed to speak my mind to strangers,” Bucky throws out. “How was I to know that was one of your ‘boundaries’?”

“Shut up,” Steve says. “You’re not going to say anything smart for the rest of the evening. Sit here and answer the letters. Do a good job. I’ll be reviewing them before they’re mailed.”

Bucky huffs. “Fine.”

Steve raises an eyebrow at his tone, but doesn’t command him any further. He makes to leave the room. “I’ll be in my office,” he says. “I’ll come get you when dinner is ready.” He stalks from the room.

Well.

Bucky twists his lips to keep himself from saying anything as Steve leaves. He supposes that as far as consequences go, this isn’t so bad. He sets in to opening the envelopes.

Most of them are from high Society: other Senatorial families or congressmen and women. A few letters from prominent common folk have made it into the mix, though. Bucky recognizes the name of a famous singer on one. Everybody writes nauseatingly cheerful messages, all in the general theme of: Congratulations! Blessings for your union and best wishes! Here’s hoping you find your Third and have butt-loads of children as soon as possible!

Bucky crafts three versions of the same reply, which he cycles through depending on the type of person he’s responding to.

The aforementioned list of names and titles also makes mention of all the wedding gifts that’ve been given, and it becomes clear that Bucky and Steve will have a front hall full of packages when they arrive back to Steve’s Brooklyn residence back in the States. The promise of a state-of-the-art gramophone, in particular, holds Bucky’s interest (he writes that individual a genuinely customized response).

Over an hour later, he’s still writing, having answered all of the well wishes and moved on to the list of wedding attendees that he needs to thank for simply showing up to his and Steve’s farce of a wedding. His hand is cramping and he’s just set the pen down to wince and rub at his palm, when Steve appears. 

He clears his throat at the door. His eyes are fixed on Bucky’s hand. “You’re hurt?”

“No.”

He stares at him for a few seconds, as if he’ll say something else, but he doesn’t. “Sharon says dinner’s ready.”

“I haven’t gotten to read the letter from my mother,” Bucky says. “Can I—”

“No. Come on. Dinner.”

Bucky tucks his lips in and follows meekly after Steve. At least he’s not using his Voice anymore.

Dinner is indeed a roast, and it’s just as delicious as Steve said it would be. Bucky moans a time or two during the meal, and though he isn’t trying to entice Steve, he does catch his husband pausing to consider him each time he moans. Bucky finishes chewing another bite and says, “Sharon’s a much better cook than Agatha”

“That’s your family’s cook?”

“Yes.” He frowns. “Though I’m not sure they’ve been able to keep her on staff since … you know.”

“I’m sure they have,” Steve says. “The marriage contract stipulated that they be well-provided for.”

“How much?” Bucky asks. It’s quite a gauche thing, for men of their breeding to talk about money, so Bucky masks his embarrassment by reaching for his wine glass and taking a sip. “How much per annum?”  

“That’s between your mother and I,” Steve says, though there is a degree of amusement in his tone. “Honestly, Bucky.”

“Come on Steve. Please tell me? I’d like to know. I’d like to not have to wonder what my mom and sisters are able to afford.” He looks down, abashed. “I’d like to not have to worry.”

Steve softens at that, and he begrudgingly admits, “Twenty thousand per annum, Buck.”

Bucky inhales harder than he intends to, choking on his mouthful of table wine. He coughs and carefully sets the glass down before he’s able to choke out, “Seriously?”

“I told you not to worry.”

He’s shocked, he can’t hide it. Steve’s paying Bucky’s family just as much as they ever earned on their own from taxpayer dollars. “You can … you can afford that?”

Steve shrugs. “I wouldn’t pay it if I couldn’t afford it. House Rogers is wealthier than most. Surely you must’ve realized that.”

“Uh, yeah,” Bucky says. “I guess I just didn’t know how much you’d be willing to pay for my family.” Suddenly, he feels very, very embarrassed; very small, and very grateful to Steve for what he’s just admitted. “Um, thank you,” he murmurs.

Steve nods. “You’re welcome.”

That’s all the more they talk about it, both of them finishing their meal in silence. When his plate is cleared and his belly is full, Bucky sighs and stands. “Well I guess I’ll get back to it. I’ve still got a bunch of letters to do.”

“You can take a break, Buck,” Steve says. “You’ve done a lot. Finish tomorrow.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Why don’t you go read the letter your mother wrote you, okay? I’m going to finish up a few things in my office, then I’ll get ready for bed.” He doesn’t say anything about Bucky doing the same, but it’s clear that he expects it.

Bucky nods. “Okay. I’ll uh, I’ll see you in a bit.”

“See you in a bit.”

Bucky goes back to the living room and reads the letter from his mother. It’s a kind and heartfelt note, but nothing that Bucky hadn’t expected from her. He takes the time to write her back, then seals that envelope and sets it aside to be sent out with the next day’s post. Briefly, he wonders what she’ll think of it when he and Steve divorce.

When he goes to bed, Steve is already washing up in the en-suite, so Bucky has privacy as he changes into pajama pants and a shirt. He trades places with Steve in the bathroom and then they both tuck in. “I’m tired,” Bucky manages to say—half because he is, and half because he isn’t at all certain what Steve wants to be doing right now. Will Steve always be obvious when he wants sex? Or is Bucky supposed to ask for it?

“Okay, Buck. Me too.” Steve leans over and cups the back of his head, pulls him in and pecks a kiss to his forehead. “Goodnight.” He lies down and adjusts his pillow, closing his eyes. Unlike the night previous, he’s lain down facing Bucky, this time.

Bucky bites his lip, staring at Steve’s face for a moment. God, is the man ever good looking. And what did that kiss just now mean? “… Steve?” he says after a moment.

“Mm?” Steve doesn’t open his eyes.

“Are you still mad at me?” Bucky isn’t sure if he wants the answer to be yes or no. Steve getting mad was the point, but it instinctively doesn’t feel good to know his husband is angry with him. It feels rotten. He angsts about it until Steve responds with his eyes closed, sounding tired.

“Just … go to sleep Buck. It’s over. We can start fresh in the morning.” 

Well.

Bucky huffs and lies down—also facing the center of the bed. He watches Steve’s face for a long time, deep in thought. Steve doesn’t open his eyes again, and Bucky eventually sighs and closes his eyes as well. Being married to Steve is … confusing. He needs to get this divorce thing going before he does something stupid, like develop feelings.

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[erstwhile-elster]

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Going to take this opportunity to talk about my lancer oc Vigil. Here's a list of fun facts listed in no particular order.

- 24 years old.

- Has a tattoo of the word 'Alpha' under her right breast.

- Used to play guitar, got bored of it, but every once in a while will pick it up in for a week. She's okay at it.

- Wants to have sex on her motorcycle (not while in motion) refuses to accept how uncomfortable it'd be.

- Her favorite sport is sex. Her second favorite sport is kickboxing.

- On her first mission with MSMC she got 14 confirmed kills, setting a record in the company for most kills by a rookie in a single mission.

- Doesn't smoke as much weed as she wishes anymore.

- Go to cocktail is a Gin and Tonic

- Got a box of cigars to celebrate her first year working at her merc company. They made her nauseous. Didn't start actually smoking until year 2.

- Came out as trans in her second year at a Naval Academy.

- Grins at every pair of naked boobs she sees like it's her first time seeing boobs.

- Favorite position, predictably, doggy style.

- Her first mech was called "Weapon of Choice"

- Keeps track of how many people she's slept with. Has a "bodycount" of 43.

- Has a 2 year old Siberian Husky named Lady.

- Heavy sleeper. Learned to sleep through artillery shellings. Will refused to get up for drills. "If I die, at least I won't die tired."

- Has made exactly 1 actual friend in her time at the merc company. A pilot named Gargoyle who acts as kind of a mentor, kind of a mom. Vigil will never admit this.

- Loves snow. Will play in it if no one is looking.

- Her current mech is named Good Dog Bad Girl. It has teeth.

- If she existed in our world, her dream bone would be Zoe Kravitz

- She's an asshole

[gojotenshi]

No one should have found out that she was an omega, least of all the crown prince of Yuei.

But Izuku Midoriya was smart.

With two other lives on the line, Lia made the choice of accepting the deal given by the prince - her submission for his secrecy.

It should have been an easy arrangement, if not for the group of homicidal maniacs that had been using omegas as a bartering coin in order to take over the kingdom and the prince’s penchant for wanting more than she was willing to give.

Fate was just one big joke, was it not?

Chapter One - fight so dirty, but you love so sweet

a/n: Hello, this has been first posted to ao3, where you can find me under the pen name pcrscphcnc. It's uh, a very long chapter that I hope you guys like. Not beta'd

wc: 12 538

warnings: oral ( m receiving ), coercion, blackmail, general foul language, manipulative behavior, dubcon, omegaverse dynamics, omegaverse based sexism.

Dark pink liquid slipped through parted lips. The taste was a strange mix of bitterness and sweetness, as if the potion couldn’t find in itself to be happy with just one flavor, but neither of the women actually bothered much with it. They had gotten used to the taste, after all.

“God, I hate the flavor.”

Maybe not.

There was no helping the laughter that left the other two at their partner’s voice rang out, a respite over the tension that had filled the room. The three of them had been friends all their life, and Lia trusted the two with her life, and having into account what could happen were anyone to find out exactly what the pink liquid they had drank was… well, she was very sure that both Mina and Ochako also trusted her implicitly.

“Do you think the dose will be enough?” brown eyes met green and the brunette had to grimace at the thought that what little they could produce wouldn’t suffice. But really, they had to up the dose every few months to keep the effectiveness. God, she really hoped that they could find a way to make the tonic way more effective than it was.

“I don’t know.” Lia sighed “What we’re doing, it’s…”

“Crazy?” Mina chimed in, arms resting on the shoulders of the two smaller brunettes.

“Unorthodox?” A quirk of Ochako’s lips.

“And more.” Her fingers flexed around the vial before it was dropped in the table with care that she didn’t really want to give at that moment. She was glad for Mina’s willingness for physical proximity, it meant that the swirling of anxiety on her stomach could be staved off until both women went back to their own quarters. “But if we wanted to achieve anything, it’s also an inevitability.”

A frown from Ochako “Because we’re women.”

A huff from Mina “Because we’re omega.”

A nod from Lia “Because we’re both.”

Silence fell stifling on top of the three of them, though Mina made sure to cling even tighter to her and Ochako with a sort of restless energy that most times was contagious and that now was obviously just making things even tenser for the pink haired girl. Mina was the extrovert of the group, the one that always bounced into everything head first and that had made it easier to blend into the crowds of betas and alphas that populated the bustling city and as proxy the castle where they all worked and resided.

Omegas were… rare. As in hide them inside four walls and wait for the highest bidder kind of rare. Betas had become the norm these past few centuries, but alphas didn’t really dip in number from before, did they? No, omegas had been the ones that had been the only dipping statistic, with omega births declining over the years as if the magic that had sparked on their veins had somehow had to do with the change. No, no one had understood what had led to such a change, but the fact was that the lesser omegas there were, the less probably one was to be born. It was simply a matter of genetics, really.

And as they became rarer, the search for them caught on fire. Omegas were taken to be the most fertile, the best parents, the best healers. Their quirks often revolved around something that would help with day to day chores, from healing small cuts to producing food. Quirks as theirs… well, they should have belonged to alphas if customs were to be taken into consideration.

Having into account the three women in the room could very well care less about what the fuck everyone thought was customs…

“Can you secure more ingredients for the next batch?” Lia asked Ochako with a tilt of her head, watching as her friend leaned her head against Mina’s arm in thought.

“I’m not due for scouting for another two weeks, so I’ll have to wait until then.” Part of the royal guard, Ochako Uraraka was on the lower ranks, but still making a steady climbing for someone who had only been through training for the past three months. The fact was that her gravity manipulation quirk was well suited for both stealth and combat, and she was a damn good asset for anyone.

And to think that would have all been wasted if she had been carted off into a marriage at a young age like it happened to any omega that appeared on society’s radar.

Sold to the highest bidder, locked away between four walls and bred over and over again. Only there to look pretty and nothing else.

“I can get my part by the end of this week.” Mina chimed in with a thoughtful nod of her head. “Aiwaza is out on a diplomat mission until the end of the month and he has left me in charge until he comes back.”

Poison specialist Mina Ashido was a force to be reckoned with. The acid she could produce was highly corrosive, and as such, more than potentially dangerous. But it was her knowledge of how to actually apply it to her mastery of other dangerous materials that had allowed her to raise through the ranks as Aiwaza’s apprentice. Another good mind would have been lost in the lack of omega rights if they hadn’t grabbed life by its horns.

“I know I can count on you.” Emotion swirled on her green eyes, deep and unsettling as it was, those two women were her friends. Her family. They had been together when their small village had been raided and the three hidden away by her mother’s protective quirk. They had been together as grief struck at the loss of what had been their everything. They had been together as their quirks first developed. They had been together as they followed the old journal her mother had left and found the ingredients for the potion. They had been together as the first rounds made them so sick they thought they wouldn’t survive. They had been together and found ways to change the recipe, make it better, more effective.

They had been together when they had succeed.

And now they were together as they passed as nothing more than betas, scents and cycles halted and hidden away by the concoction that had been their salvation. There were still instincts, and though their own scents couldn’t be felt by anyone, that didn’t mean that they couldn’t smell the world beyond. It wasn’t like betas didn’t have scents because they did, it was more of the fact that they had to actively want them to come out that was the difference. Their pheromones were hidden, untapped.

They could have never passed as alphas, but betas was good enough. Betas had given them more than enough cover for what they wanted to do. They just wanted a chance to be themselves, to utilize their quirks to the best of their abilities and make a name for themselves. Well, Mina and Ochako wanted to make a name for themselves, be the heroes of their own story. Get revenge on the band of bastards that terrorized the kingdom. The same one that had murdered an entire village just to get to the few omegas that had presented that year. The same ones that hadn’t noticed the three little girls hidden away in a secret space.

Oh, it didn’t mean that Lia didn’t want revenge. No. Her blood still boiled and her heart still ached and she would have their bodies on the ground in front of her. But… fuck, she didn’t want to draw attention on herself, didn’t want to be indispensable to the castle and the military like Mina and Ochako. She was going to finish her studies and then she was going to leave. She would never stop her friends, no, her sisters, of searching for the life that had been denied to them after the designation had been found. But well, her suicide mission would be her own.

“We should return.” Ochako finally said. There was a shared nod, a finger on a shadow and the room was suddenly cast in darkness. It was the closest one to all of their quarters, but at a safe distance from the most frequented parts of the castle. She had found it during her first few days, back when they had arrived. Knowing very well just how important it was to know every corner of the place. They need a spot to meet, one where they wouldn’t be found.

Ochako slipped away first with a kiss to their cheeks, a smile, and a promise to see them after breakfast. Because of her entanglement with the army, the brunette was the only one of them that didn’t reside on the castle per se but its grounds. On the barracks that were site for the female dorms. Mina slept in the ground level of the castle, near the large doors that led to the private gardens of the herbalists, doctors and of course, poison experts. And Lia, well, Lia slept two floors up, and two doors down from the library and hall of records she was the keeper of while Nezu was busy doing gods know what. Her bets were on espionage. The elderly man had always been too smart for his own good, and she had been scared at first that he would have sniffed the ruse the three women had put up the first couple of weeks.

Mina slipped out after enough time had passed that it wouldn’t be too suspicious. There was the same affectionate kiss to her cheek, a meeting of their foreheads in a silent please be careful gesture, and then she was alone. The darkness didn’t bother her, and it did give her time to gather the three vials and secure them on the hidden pocket of her skirts. They clinked together, but the sound was muffled by the heavy fabric of her winter dress. Hm… things would be more difficult as the season changed and so did her clothes. Then the sound wouldn’t be so easy to hide in the silent halls.

No matter, that was something that she had to consider later. Maybe wrap the vials in some kind of fabric to make them less likely to make sounds. As enough time lapsed, Lia finally moved from her place near the door, being careful when closing it so the sound didn’t carry. She had expected the click of the door, what she didn’t expect where the words that rung in the air.

“You know…” the tone was light, familiar, shining with amusement. “I always wondered why a librarian would meet with a foot soldier and a poison’s apprentice.”

The breath got knocked out of her body by surprise, heart hammering on her chest as she was quick to turn and bow, eyes coming to rest on his shiny leather boots. Fuck, she had not smelled his approach. Why hadn’t she smelled his approach?

“Your highness.” A greeting, she still did not straighten up. “We traveled together for a long time before arriving on these four walls.” Be as close to the truth as possible, do not let him see through the omission and lies. “We’re kindred spirits and we enjoy being together for some tea.”

Finally, she did straighten up, but her eyes still did not meet his. Not because of his station, but because crown prince Izuku Midoriya was a menace.

“Tea, uh.” His voice was so jovial. There was probably a smile etched on his face right now, and as much as she tried not to, Lia had to see for herself. Green met green and ah yes, there it was.

Sharpness, interest, mirth.

His eyes never lied, did they? Izuku was smart, cunning, a throve of knowledge that was impressive to everyone around him. Statistics of the battles his kingdom fought, names of not only those closest to him but the every living soul that lived on the castle. He knew their quirks, and she would bet her own ass that he knew their weaknesses.

“Why have tea at such a late hour?” still that trivial tone, as if this was a mere conversation between friends. As if she didn’t think that the prince was hiding something very well lethal. Izuku was friendly, charismatic, never once had he ever acted like he had something to hide, something that he couldn’t let come to light. Everyone was always dazzled by the sunshine that was his personality. She had been dazzled by it at first.

“My friends live very busy lives, this is the only time they have for themselves.” Her words were careful, thought over so she didn’t make him think they were spies. Well, not more than he probably already thought, because why would he be in such a dark corridor? Why would he have waited until both her friends had made their way out only to stop her on her tracks? No, he had something planned, and she wasn’t going to be fooled.

“That is true.” A gloved hand was raised to his lips in thought, but his eyes never left hers, even when her own decided to focus on his boots again. She hid the sniff of the air with a heavy breath, his scent was still somewhat hidden, she could only smell the distinctive sharpness of an alpha, but not exactly what made it his own scent. Hm, maybe moonclover, that explained why he had managed to get the drop on her.

Silence stretched in the air and Lia tried not to fidget, he made her too anxious, too nervous.

“Is that all, your highness? I find myself tired and I have to be up early to open the doors of the library for the scholars.” A step towards her. Ah, no, that wasn’t good. “Your highness?”

“I saw the funniest papers before I took my night stroll.” Oh, so that was what the excuse he was giving to having been in this part of the castle? Smart, anyone would fall for it, hell, she should fall for it and use it next time anyone caught her out of her quarters after hours. “Have you heard of the League?”

Suddenly her heart was on her throat and her palms were clammy and why the hell did darkness have to be so effective in fucking up her power? It hid the shadows that she could touch, that she could manipulate. She just needed one touch and she could immobilize him and make her escape. He didn’t need her to speak to continue.

“Of course you haven’t.” That same jovial tone, but as Lia dared to look at Izuku’s face, there it was, that same sharpness in his eyes. And his smile was different too, it had an edge to it. Lia was sure that she had been very thorough in hiding the papers in the hall of records, and her research never left her private quarters. “I mean, that is very confidential information.”

There had to be a point to his prodding, right? “Confidential?” play dumb, play dumb. “Your highness, I must say I do not know what you are speaking about.” It was good that she couldn’t really smell him, she didn’t need that weighting on her mind and instincts. “I only keep things organized at the library and records, I do not have the permission to read the documents.”

“Of course not.” A laugh, so sweet and tilting that it almost relaxed her. She wanted to relax, and if it had been coupled with his scent, she would have definitively had a harder time keeping her muscles tense and ready to bolt. Izuku Midoriya was a menace. “And you’re a good girl.”

There was no helping the way the drop in tone washed over her, how the two words affected her. It was silly and idiotic, but beneath her buried scent and halted cycle, she was still an omega. And omega that had just been praised by an alpha that she was attracted to. A hitch of her breath that she covered with a cough, green eyes looking anywhere but at the prince. Alarms were blaring on her mind and all she wanted to do was book it, but fuck, if she gave as much as a step, she would give up the fact that it had been something illicit that the three friends had been doing. That she had done more than read over the classified records.

“I try to be, your highness. All I want is to be of help.” Not a lie, really. She did enjoy being of help, but the fact was that her help would be in making sure the League couldn’t get to more villages like her own. Couldn’t keep wrecking terror in the lives of the people in the country. She just needed to solidify her information, needed to know exactly how many they were, what their quirks were. Needed to have a plan at ready so it wasn’t a suicide mission without a point. After all, she already had the perfect bait. “Is there anything else?” The can I go went unsaid.

“Their last attack was two days ago.” Her heart halted, her breath hitched and against her will, her eyes were once more meeting his own. That was new information, one that had yet to be recorded so she could have a look at it. Izuku continued through her shock “There was a small force of the army stationed at the town because we knew it would be their next target, one of them survived, so we finally know what they’re really after.”

“Did you not know before?” she did. Ochaco did. Mina did. They had never shared it with anyone else. After all, they didn’t even know the League was the one responsible until Lia had found out the name of the band just last month. They were after the best bargaining chips of all. The one thing that could buy entire battalions. The one thing that could give them enough riches to arm said battalion.

“A cremated village does not give much of information.” His comment was so light but it still brought grief to choke at her throat. She would have nightmares that night, she was sure of it. Of charred bodies and debris. Of the sickly scent of death and cut off pheromones. Of destruction and loneliness. Fuck, the years did not make it easier, did they? “As I was saying, one of the betas stationed there survived. I think you knew him. Yo Shindo.”

“He is part of my friend’s training group.” What was his quirk? Something to do with vibrations, right? She didn’t really know the guy, not more than her friends did, if she was honest. They still kept everyone at a safe distance.

“Correct, part of the thirteenth battalion. It’s really a miracle he has survived with such extensive burns, not to speak of the smoke inhalation.” His eyes did that hazy thing they sometimes did when he was about to spout his knowledge. Lia was enraptured. “We still don’t know if he will survive the next few days, but he was lucid enough to give his testimony. It’s impressive really, what someone can do with adrenaline in their systems, with the need to protect ingrained in every fiber of their being. Shindo said they destroyed half the men in one single hit. Awful fire power, blue flames.” Dabi. That had to be Dabi. “Then there was a woman, wicked aim, thirst for blood.” Toga Himiko. “A lizard hybrid, so I can only guess it’s an animal traits quirk.” There wasn’t a name on the files, but during the attack she had heard the name Spinner called out. “I guess the most dangerous is the leader, though, Shindo said he decayed one of the warriors to ash with just a touch of his hand.” Tomura Shigaraki. “It’s impressive just how much destruction four people can do.”

Lia opened her mouth but found that she could not get her voice to cooperate, so she closed it again. His eyes still hadn’t focused so it wasn’t like he wasn’t going to keep spewing information. “Shindo said they had a very specific reason for attacking that village. And you really have to wonder where they get their information, because it had just been submitted the week prior to the attack.” A thoughtful hum “They must really have a far reach, so I doubt that they don’t have accomplices. All black market traders must have them. And if not accomplices, at least helpers, people who will dispose of the goods.”

She wanted to run, so damn much, but he was still talking and it was information. It would come at a price eventually, but for now he was still spewing it and she was still very much taking it all in “They had registered an omega the week before.” Finally the sharpness returned to his eyes, and oh, it was so much worse to have the full force of his gaze on her. “They’re trading omegas for power, connections to the most ruthless of families.” The cape he was wearing shifted as he tilted to the side, weight coming to rest on just one of his legs. “Shigaraki wants the throne.”

Again with the silence, the stretchy kind. The one that seemed to wrap around her and suffocate her because what could Lia say that wouldn’t incriminate her, that wouldn’t show Izuku just how privy to that information she had been? The League had brought her village to the ground in search of the three of them, had killed over a hundred people in the matter of minutes. They were terrifying. Horribly so.

She would still like their head on a plate.

“Why are you confiding this on me, your highness?” she tried to play it as if she was confused, but her voice was so tired. She was so tired.

“You know, at first I thought you might be working for them.” He didn’t let her gasp of outrage interrupt him “But you never looked for information about battle strategies, about defense. They were all at your grasp, you could have been as careful with that as you were with the actual information you were looking for.” Something was thrown to her feet, something that made a soft thud as it landed. Lia bent to pick it up, paling at the small ring that had been wrapped in silk. It was nothing fancy or expensive, it was made of steel, after all. But it had been locked together with her research.

“You’ve been to my room.” She felt violated in a way. No one had ever dared to intrude upon her privacy, not even the people she considered family.

“I did always think you had pretty handwriting.” Izuku commented lightly, but there was a flash of teeth, and suddenly he wasn’t so jovial anymore. He was a predator, dangerous and callous and oh very ready to strike. “Those notes were very meticulous, you know? Mine are better though.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. She really needed the clouds to get away from the moon so she could have a way to reach a shadow, any shadow. At least all he knew was that she had an unhealthy obsession with the League, there was no way that he could know about the real reason of it all.

“So, I study the League. I am in no way in cohorts with them, you don’t need to worry about me, your highness.” His eyes were too sharp, too dangerous.

“I have an extensive record of their previous attacks.” There had to be a point to why he was telling her this, right? It just had to be. “So of course, with this new information I just had to search the records to see if there was a pattern of omega registrations and their attacks. And can you guess what I found?”

A hole. He had found a hole of her own making because the first thing that Lia had done when she had been alone in the hall of records was find the damn omega registration corner and make sure no one could ever find their names on that list. “You found what you were looking for, your highness?” she tried for light, for curious, for something that would get his off her scent as if he wasn’t a bloodhound ready to pounce on its prey.

“I found an outlier.” Of course he didn’t get the bait, what was she expecting? “Every single village attacked had registered an omega sometime before the attack, all but one.”

Breath in. Breath out. Steady. No emotion on her face. She could do it, couldn’t she?

“So that left me with a very big question. Why would they go off pattern? I would understand if it was a port of commerce or even if it held a noble that put their full support on the kingdom, but no, it was a small village with just one trait. An uncommon number of omegas.”

Mei was a very small village, but it had boasted really good fertility rates. In all accounts.

“Maybe they hoped that by killing the mates they could get the omegas.” Please take the bait, please take the bait.

“We both know it doesn’t work that way.” No, it didn’t. Once fully mated, an omega would be crippled by the death of their mate. Some had lost their quirk, others had lost their will to live. But she didn’t think it would have mattered much to the league of villains. But it probably mattered to those that were counting on a whole omega, not just a shadow of themselves. “So that led me to think about the quiet little beta that I’ve seen sneak out of the hall of records more than once.” He had seen her? How long had he been watching her do her research on the league? How long had he concealed his presence and how long had he been planning to confront her with it?

And what did he have to gain by doing so?

“Your highness, I have done nothing to hinder your power or reign.”

“That’s the thing, what could you possibly achieve by collecting information about the League’s patterns?” Hints of pine and leather, his scent was starting to unravel. “You have not contacted with anyone besides your friends, you spend most of your time on your duties. You have nothing to gain in all of this. You do not wish for the downfall of the king. You don’t wish for the downfall of the kingdom.”

A step closer. Leather boots on the ground and an increase of her heart rate… and her need to bolt for the nearest exit. Could she jump out of the window and make a run for it? Probably not, prince Izuku was already quite quick on his feet, let alone if he used his quirk to improve his speed.

Leather, pine and lightening. His scent hit her full force as whatever he had taken finally wore off. It was as overwhelming as it always was, and in such close proximity nonetheless.

“So you can only wish for one thing - secrecy.” He stopped halfway towards her, enough that he could lower his voice “But secrecy over what? The three of you are already pretty secretive about your past, no one really knows where you come from and you’ve claimed that you’ve been nomads all your life. So why settle now?” oh. She had given him a mystery to solve. He liked mysteries. “So that had to be part of it, right? That little village, no records of new omegas in the registry. It all didn’t add up.”

“Your highness.” Her voice was high pitched even to her ears, fuck, how the fuck had he gotten all this figured out? “I do not know what you are hinting at, you can smell it for yourself. We’re betas. We’ve always been betas.”

He stilled, and suddenly his gaze was back on her. “I didn’t say it was the omega part that didn’t add up.”

Oh.

She had fucked up. Would the ground just swallow her up?

“Which begs the question. Why are you so keen on saying you’re a beta when I can obviously gather that on my own?” alarm bells all around her. Loud and chaotic and was it her heart? Beating at a mile a hour? “You’re not worried I think you’re a spy.” It wasn’t a question, so she didn’t even bother to answer. She could see the cogs on his head turning, could see the pieces falling into place.

He relaxed. “It has crossed my mind, but I put the possibility as an impossibility because one could never mask it that well. Even when I make use of moonclover I can never get the scent of alpha to stop clinging to my skin, then there’s the fact that you’ve been here enough for your cycle to have hit already. And it has not.” It would not, the potion they took halted it. It was a stasis of sort. But she wasn’t about to tell him that and give him more ammunition. “But that’s exactly it, isn’t it? You’re…”

His words were halted by her hands pressing to his lips. Lia hadn’t even felt herself move before he was on the tips of her toes, palms covering his mouth so the word would not pass through it. Her heart was beating so fast and her breath was coming in pants, she was becoming dizzy. His gloved fingers wrapped around her wrists, and she had never been gifted with strength, so it was easy for him to pull her hands from his face.

His smile was positively demoniac.

Lia had just confirmed what he thought was only a possibility.

And still he did not let go of her.

“Interesting.” It was very deliberate the way each fingers pulled away from her skin, it was even more deliberate the way he pushed past her to open the door of the room she had just been in with her friends. Was it that night? Or was she in a strange time warp? It felt like so long ago. “Do enter. Or would you rather discuss everything else in the open?”

No, she would not. And he was well aware of that, wasn’t he? How could he not be? Lia entered the room without complaint, but she did make a play to light the lantern she had turned off. Once more his fingers found her wrist. How had he approached her so quickly? “Ah, ah, ah.” He chided with a shake of his head “I’m not going to give you ammunition to run away.” Of course he knew about her quirk, of course. “I didn’t plan for this to be your secret, but it does not change the outcome.”

“The outcome.” She let her hand fall down to her side, so Izuku let go of her. Good, because Lia put as much distance between them as possible.

“Well, yes, you see. Blackmail.”

She blinked at that. “What? I have nothing you could possibly find useful, your highness”

“No? I guess you are but a peasant with no information to give me. Your quirk is useful, but you did not go into the army as Uraraka has done. You also do not have the expertise of a poison master like Ashido does. What can I possibly want from you?”

Lia frowned. All that he said was the truth, and she had no shame in that, after all, she wasn’t there to give her skills use, she was there to gather information and then bolt towards what was probably certain death. “Then what do you wish from me?”

“Entertainment.” His smile was easy going again, but there was still that edge to it that didn’t let her fall into the lull of security. Not that she would have when he had let the mask fall just a few minutes ago.

“Hire some bards for that.” The words escaped her mouth before she could stop them, and Izuku seemed surprised that she would bite back. But his smile seemed to widen at that.

“There it is. I’ve wondered where your claws were hidden, kitten.” Of all times that her mouth had to run its own course, it had to be when she was being threatened with exposure by the damn crown prince himself. “I’ve seen you use that sharp little tongue on a few soldiers before. But you’ve always been so polite to me.”

“You’re the crown prince.” She countered.

“Ah yes, that puts a dampener on tempers.” Was he mocking her? “But not that kind of entertainment.”

Lia frowned at that “I do not understand. What kind of entertainment can a prince wish for? You have a full library at your service. A kitchen full of the best chefs. A purse full of coins for what you cannot make for yourself.” His mirthful eyes egged her on “You have courtesans at your beck and call. I have nothing you do not already have.”

“You have my attention.”

“What?”

“I could destroy your life with this information, you know?” his comment was so flippant it made her want to slap him. “Omegas are supposed to be nothing but caretakers of children and home.”

“Then destroy my life.” How was it possible that his smile only increased? What was he getting at? She felt more like a mouse than a cat.

“Do you wish to bring Ashido and Uraraka down with you?” her heart dropped.

“What do you mean? I’m the omega.” She paled, but thankfully it was hidden by the darkness in the room. “Do not bring them into this.”

“Do you think I’m stupid, kitten?” he leaned his hip against the table, worked his gloves off his hands “You’ve made it a point to defend that the three of you were betas, not just that you were, as if I was going to wonder about their designation as well. You keep meeting up in this very room. And you have come together to work at the palace. If you’re capable of hiding so well, what’s to say you can’t hide them as well?” He leaned forward “They’d lose their jobs, the positions they earned through effort and merit. Such a shame.”

“You would not.” Would he?

“Want to bet their lives on it?” it wasn’t like Izuku didn’t know the answer that would leave her lips.

Shoulders sagged in defeat “No, I do not.”

Lia thought he would be speaking after that, instead she was met with silence. One that didn’t waver until she was looking at him once more. When had her eyes moved from his frame? Maybe during his speech about destroying the lives of the two people Lia would give her own for. “Alright.” She finally allowed “State your terms.”

Once again with that sharp twist of his lips, that smile that was more teeth than anything else. It was strange how attractive it was. “Your submission for my silence.”

Her mouth opened in surprise “My what?”

“Your submission.” He gave a tired sigh “I believe you are smarter than this. Why do you keep parroting that question?”

“You must know that I still don’t understand what you gain with any of this.” Besides pleasure that was, she wasn’t going to play dumb and pretend she didn’t know exactly what kind of submission he wanted from her. “Money buys everything, even submission. You have no need for blackmail to achieve that.”

“I have no need for money to achieve that.”

“Alright, so that makes it more baffling that you’re using blackmail to get what you can do with a few sweet smiles and words.”

Izuku chuckled. He chuckled as if it was funny that she was questioning his reasons for wanting such a thing from her. “You forget the value of entertainment in all of this. I could very well charm a pretty thing or buy the favors of a courtesan, but then where would be my fun?”

“In sex?” she looked at him as if he had grown another head. Maybe he had.

“You find sex fun?” Oh she’d fallen for that one.

“I would not know.” No point in lying if she was going to go through with this. “But your soldiers are pretty vocal.” So was Mina. But she wasn’t about to sully her friend’s name in front of the crown prince when the dirt wasn’t even dirt to begin with. Not if she had been anything else than a woman, than an omega.

His glee increased “Untouched.”

“Would it have mattered?”

“Not really.” He admitted with a shrug of his shoulders “But I can’t help but be pleased.”

“You also shouldn’t have been surprised. An omega is rarely touched before marriage.” It didn’t matter that marriage was usually so quick the ink had barely dried on the registration, it was still the truth. “So you wish for submission because it’s entertaining?”

A nod of his head and that damn smile “And because I’ve always wondered.” He didn’t continue, so she sent him a pointed but questioning look. He still left her to wait for a couple of unnerving seconds. “How you look with tears running down your face.”

Oh. Her face burned and once again she was glad for the cover of darkness, though by his chuckle, Lia could bet that Izuku knew very well the state his words had left her in “Pain achieves the same effect.” Would she rather have pain? She truly didn’t know.

“Maybe. I much prefer to see the tears for another reason.” A shrug of his shoulders, as if he was rolling her words off of them. So annoying. “Though I guess a little pain mixed with pleasure only heightens the sensations. I’m no stranger to some spanking from time to time.”

“You’re not going to put me over your knee like a misbehaving child.” She ground out with a huff, arms crossing over her chest.

“No, not like a child. You’ll see.” He waved her words as if they were nothing “You are in no position to make demands, are you? If I say jump, all you have to ask is how high. Secrecy of this magnitude comes at great cost, you know.”

“My self worth and agency, you mean.”

“You measure your own self worth, and the beauty of this arrangement is that your agency is to bend to my will. To fulfill my every whim. You’re going to submit out of your own free choice, kitten.” Lia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, which was a mistake as it did give her a whiff of his scent. He had no right smelling as good as he did. When he didn’t continue, she opened her eyes “Don’t try and fool yourself into thinking you had no agency in all of this.”

“The other choice is rubbish.” A glare directed at him, another laugh from his part.

“Ah, but a choice nonetheless.” Did he make fair deals? Probably not, but the fact was that it was a deal, one she could back out of. But doing so would have consequences that she could have shouldered if they had been hers alone. But she had Ochako and Mina to think about.

“My submission for your silence.” Lia finally agreed with a nod of her head, hands clasped behind her. “When should we do it.”

He leaned backwards, one hand idly reaching for the lantern to flick it on once more. Light filled the room, weak at first and then growing in strength as more fuel was added to the flame. “You seem to think it’ll be an one time thing.”

Lia frowned “Is it not?”

“Of course not. For as long as I want. Or at least as long as you want your secret kept.” He returned to his initial position, as if he hadn’t just dropped her in what seemed like a bathtub full of ice for all the cold that had sunk in her veins.

She grit her teeth. Stupid smart alpha. Instead of biting the bullet, she instead tried a diversion “You were against me turning the light on before, so why did you do it now?”

“You hadn’t agreed to anything before. You were still undecided, but now you have given your word for our deal, so I know that you won’t try and skirt away from it.” Izuku tilted his head “Who could have said that you wouldn’t have commandeered me through my shadow? Killed me and then ran away?”

“I would have not killed you, your highness.” As much of a manipulative guy as he was, she held no ill intent towards Izuku.

“Master.”

“What?” ok, maybe she was starting to harbor ill intent towards the crown prince.

“When we’re alone, that’s what you will call me. Because that’s what I am to you know, your master.” Oh, that was so self satisfaction on his tone. Lia did take back her words, she could very well kill him. But that would have meant putting herself in the shoes of a fugitive, and she still hadn’t gathered enough information to be sure she could take out at least one of the main elements of the League.

But the fact was that with him forcing her hand, well, the idea was something she couldn’t shake out of her head. His eyes are darker than hers, still a vivid green, but not the aqua that her own vision held. And they were amused, the sharpness in them out in the open because he had already shown her just who he was behind the smiles and laughter. Izuku was a good strategist, had always been, and he probably had been planning everything for a while had he not?

“You look positively murderous.” He leaned forward then, fingers stretching and catching onto a lock of brown hair, twirling it around without much thought. “How much of a difference is it to call me one thing over the other? As your prince, I still hold power over you. My word is only surpassed by my father’s, you know that.”

“As a prince, you do not hold full power over my free will.” He was studying her again, fingers letting go of her hair so he could grip the table instead. “A Master does.” She pressed her lips together. “So no, it’s not just a change in words and you know it very well.”

“Aren’t you a sharp one, kitten?” once again with that nickname, Lia frowned but did not comment, instead, she crossed her arms and looked out of the window and into the night sky. What could she say? What more could the omega voice out that hadn’t been said already? “So will you do it?”

Fuck, he was pushing her buttons.

Her shoulders tensed and then… And then she was relaxing because she was trapped and he had her in the palm of his hand because one wrong move, one wrong word and all they had built these past months would be crumbling down.

“I will.”

The sound of his hands clapping together brought her attention back to the alpha, his scent swallowed up the room, slowly digging into her reserves until the way her muscles relaxed wasn’t due to her defeat, but by her own genetic make up. The concoction that halted their cycles and hid their scents didn’t actually erase their instincts. Scents still affected them, as did alpha behaviors in general. Lia wasn’t sure how an alpha tone would make them react because that hadn’t happened yet, but she didn’t doubt that if it ever did their cover could be blown.

“Come here.” It was a soft request, and one that she heeded, walking the few steps until she was near enough for one of his hands to grasp her hip. The heat of his hand was searing even through the fabric of her dress as he moved her to his liking, his legs opening so she could fit between them. His eyes were darker, and finding herself not really capable of handling them, she slowly moved hers to the side. Her eyes caught the earing he was wearing, an onyx pendant in the shape of a diamond that reached the raised collar of his cape. It was pretty, and it fit him in a way that she wasn’t expecting.

They spent a few minutes like that. Her hands twitched as she wondered if she was supposed to do something but she didn’t really want to ask, and Izuku didn’t seem very keen on going further than just being close to her. He wasn’t touching her anymore, his hand had fallen away the second she had slotted herself between his thighs, and even them were parted enough that the omega had enough space to leave her hands at her side and still not touch him. Once again she was met with the question of what exactly did he want? Why her?

And still he was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

Her hands twitched again and she finally gave into the temptation to cross her arms over her chest, if only for something to do. The alpha reached for her wrists before she could actually do it, though, thumbs running over the scent glands on her wrists and leaving her heart a stuttering mess.

It was enough to snap her out of silence. “You cannot do that!” He let her pull her hands away, back to her sides, and she would not think she had actually been strong enough to get out of his grasp. That would be fooling herself because Izuku was and would always be stronger than her. “I cannot smell like you or rumors will spread.”

“Uh.” From the corner of her eye Lia watched his head tilt as if he was in thought “I guess it would be strange if you suddenly had the scent of an alpha on you.”

She didn’t bother to tell him that it would be even stranger that the scent came from the crown prince himself. He wasn’t supposed to have his attention on her, that was for certain.

“How do you manage it?” curiosity laced his tone and it brought her eyes to him, he was looking at her with the biggest and most expectant eyes, they weren’t a ploy, that was just what he looked like when he was faced with shiny new information, with a shiny new puzzle. “I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that you do not have a scent on you.” He was talking faster now and it was almost endearing, the way he appeared almost child like in his curiosity. “Me and Kachaan used to try and see who could stretch their scent in the widest area right after transitioning, but then it’s been more than a nuisance when dealing with political ambassadors because they are always waiting for that one tell from you and your scent just gives it away.”

Like his was now, becoming brighter, lighter, the pine in a sunny day, well worn leather from good use, and the field after a thunderstorm. In lieu of herself, Lia couldn’t help but take a heady breath of it. He didn’t seem to notice. “You don’t know how good it’d be for us if we could just tamp down the scent for longer than a couple of hours, especially for Kachaan, he never quite got the hang on control of his emotions. And father sent him in a political tour of the kingdoms, that wasn’t the smartest decision if I can be honest. But if I was the one to go then I would have probably missed you.”

And just like that his attention was back on her even though her mind was still reeling for all that information dump he had decided on giving her. Was she even supposed to answer him? Apparently not as he continued.

“You would have passed right under his radar.” That would have been a dream come true “He’s really good when it comes to battles, and heck, he as a mean brain inside that thick skull of his, but he also doesn’t really pay attention to most things that don’t revolve around a battle field.” Was he complimenting his brother or was he insulting him? Lia was unsure and Izuku kept spewing information at a quick pace and she had to listen really closely to be able to actually take it all in “I barely noticed. If I hadn’t seen you sneak into the hall of records I might have thought you an innocent bystander on all of this.”

“I am an innocent bystander.” She was a victim. Family slaughtered. Life thrown in the air. And when she had tried to make something out of it, the rug had to be once again pulled from under her feat in the form of an alpha with too sharp green eyes. “I am not a spy, your….”

His eyes dared her to continue. His earlier words resonated in her mind, so she closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. “I am not a spy, Master.” Lia corrected herself.

“I am still unsure about that.” His hands came up to grab at her hair, not really to pull but to move the strands until they were framing her face, tips falling down to her hips. Maybe she should have cut it short like Ochako and Mina’s, but they had done so in favor of practicality, after all, one was a warrior and the one dealt with poisons every day of her week. She dealt in bound tomes and loose papers. “Tell me, why the interest in the League?”

“Don’t you have everything figured out already?” her voice was bitter. “I offered you my submission, I never said anything about my secrets or my mind.”

“You’re right.” The sting to her scalp was so sudden it made Lia hiss and open her eyes, he had caught a handful of brown hair in his hands and tugged. In a way it felt like punishment for her refusal to give him the answers that he sought “But you must also know I will find out eventually.”

“If you wanted answers that bad you could have made that your deal.” His fingers let go of her hair to massage her stinging scalp, and the attention felt too good. A soft exhale from her frame as her body relaxed even if he had been the one to cause the pain in the first place. “Does that mean you want to change your deal?”

A pause. He surveyed her with those green eyes of his, this time she didn’t shy away from his gaze, not even when his fingers moved down her neck and over her shoulders. Down through her arms until his hands came to rest on her elbows and bent her arms, it was instinct for Lia to clutch his forearms, and it was probably his intention on all of this, was it not?

“You’ll tell me.”

“Alright.” She was going to continue but Izuku shook his head, making her frown in confusion. “Isn’t that your way of telling me that you want information now?”

He smiled at her “It’s my assurance that you’ll eventually tell me.” A hum, drawn out, his arms retreating so he could grasp her hands and lead them to his thighs. The fabric beneath was soft, and she thought they might be satin. What a strange detail to hang on. “For now I’ll be happy with the fact that I have you under my gaze. If you truly are dangerous, there is not much you can do if I keep you occupied, is there?”

“So you still…” she frowned.

“Yes, the deal still stays.” She didn’t know if she should feel disappointed or not. The fact was that there wasn’t much harm about telling him why she was so interested with the League. It was more a question of principle when Izuku had already figured out so much about her past, even though what was one last piece, it was still hers to give. And Lia liked the fact that she got to keep something for herself. “Hey, look at me.”

She set her eyes on his, why did they keep wandering? Why was it so hard to actually look the prince in the eyes for more than a couple of seconds? Maybe because she felt like he could read her like an open book whenever his gaze stayed on her for too long, maybe because getting such undivided attention was strange and climatic and she really did not know what he truly wanted.

A pressure on her lips, the brunette was going to look down to see what it was but his voice kept her locked in place “Eyes on me. Do not look away.” A couple of seconds ticked by and when her gaze stayed on his, he finally gave a nod of approval. “Open up.”

Oh.

Her lips parted, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was pressing two of his fingers into her mouth. A blush raised on her cheeks as he stopped just short of the second knuckle, not really doing anything but staying there. And yet, she still squirmed under his watchful stare, still tried to will herself relaxed because she didn’t really know the why or how of things. God, everything was strange and she was caught in his web and in a way, at that moment, it all felt a bit dreamy.

His fingers were long, and though they had seemed thin and lithe when in contrast with his own body, they were obviously thicker than she expected when near her own. When inside her mouth. And God, it was filthy the way he pushed them further in, just up to his second knuckle, only to pull them out to the tips and push back again. Was she supposed to do anything? Should this be heating up her body like it was? To take her mind out of everything, her eyes focused on the freckles on his cheek, barely visible as his body mostly blocked the light from the lantern, but if she could count them…

Izuku stilled, a disapproving sigh leaving his lips “Thought I told you to look at me.”

She could only form words because his fingers left her mouth, wet with her drool that he traced over her cheek and down her jaw, leaving a wet trail that cooled down in the night air. “I am looking at you, your highness.”

Another heavy disapproving sigh “You do not do well with direct requests, do you?”

Her mouth opened to retort, his words stopped her.

“You looked away from my eyes. You called me by the wrong title. If I had issued another order, would you have also breezed past it as well?” she hadn’t even noticed. Her lips remained closed, though, she didn’t really care to give him an apology when she wasn’t sorry about her behavior. A beat of silence, he was waiting for an apology. Lia still didn’t give him one.

His laugh was unexpected, so loud she wanted to cover his mouth because she was afraid it would be heard out of the room. Did he want to be caught? It wasn’t like his reputation would be the one to fall into shambles. So did he even care? “Brat.”

“What?”

“You keep repeating that question.” Another full body chuckle that she felt because her hands were still on his thighs. He leaned forward a bit, still not fully entering her personal space in a way, but still too close for comfort. “But yes, a brat. I had something else planned, but can’t really let you get away with defying me twice in a row.”

Something different planned? Was that the reason he had his fingers in her mouth? She couldn’t really see how having them between her lips would have aided anything that would give her pleasure. Lia tried to wrack her brain for the details of sexual exploits that Mina had told her, but really, all she could think about was…

“Kneel.”

His hands moved to her own, stilled them from moving and helped her steady her body as she moved to her knees. Now she was eye level with his crotch and could notice the obvious raise on the fabric. She half wondered what was he drunk on, if on the control he held over her in that moment or the fact that he had watched his fingers do a facsimile of what he was going to do now.

As she settled into the knew position, Izuku’s hands moved to the ties that kept the front of his pants closed, undoing them with a dexterity she wasn’t sure she would have. But unlike what Lia was expecting, he didn’t reach to take himself out of the confines. She chanced a glance at him and oh, he was watching her.

“Do you know what I want from you?” his question caught her off guard.

“Overall? Sex. Right now? My bet’s on my mouth.” A quirk of her lips, not really a smile, but close. He hummed and his fingers were once again pressing against her lips, this time, he didn’t have to tell her to part them. Izuku resumed what he had been doing before, thrusting them in and out at a leisurely pace, as if they had the whole night for him finish what he wanted. In a way, she guessed that they did have it.

“Yes.” His voice was lower now, and as Lia looked up at him, his eyes were transfixed by the sight of his fingers on her mouth. “More than that.” His eyes darkened as his fingers stopped their thrusts to push farther into her, until they were down to the last knuckle and her throat was constricting around them in an effort to get them out. “You’re going to take me in this pretty mouth of yours.” His fingers pulled enough that they weren’t testing her gag reflex anymore “And I’m going to fuck it until you’re a sobbing mess.” He pushed his fingers forward once more, showing just what he meant by forcing them even further down if that was even possible.

His words were dirty and his actions were dirtier, and yet, surprisingly, she found herself aching between her legs at the idea of being used by him. She was going to blame that one on his scent still clinging to her nostrils and making her light headed. Or maybe that was the way that she had stopped breathing the moment his fingers had pushed down her throat again.

A heady gulp of air as they finally pulled back, a thin strand of saliva connecting her shiny lips to his equally shiny fingers “Breathe through your nose when you have something on your mouth, otherwise you’re going to pass out.”

“Okay.” That was good advice that she didn’t know if she would remember when it was his length in her mouth instead of his fingers, but really, it was almost sweet the way he was trying to ease her discomfort in some way. Or maybe it was just to heighten his own pleasure? But Lia thought she had heard some of the soldiers mentioning they liked when someone gagged on their cock?

The hand that hadn’t been on her mouth slipped inside his pants, and her attention was stolen away from her own mind towards the length that was taken out of the fabric. A shade darker than the skin in his body, somehow she had expected it to be harder than it was, or angrier looking. It was definitively thicker and longer than she had expected though, not that she had any kind of comparison. Maybe they were all that size. Lia could feel Izuku’s eyes on her, as if he was expecting her to say something, what was she supposed to say? “Uh. I don’t know what to think.” That did sum it up and it would probably be enough for him.

“Would it help if I told you it’s not fully hard yet.” Her eyes snapped to his face to be met with the most amused glance that she had ever gotten from him, she flushed furiously and looked back at his cock with narrowed eyes. What did he mean when he said it wasn’t fully hard yet? It certainly didn’t look floppy to her.

He laughed at her reaction, increasing her embarrassment by twofold. Her eyes watched in fascination as his hand started to move up and down the length, his chest expanding as he gave a pleasurable breath that somehow made that dull ache between her thighs grow thicker. And it was then that she understood that he hadn’t been kidding, as more blood flowed to his length, he grew harder and thicker, the head of him becoming redder. Okay, so that was obviously way thicker than his fingers had been.

Lia licked her lips, and she could feel the way his eyes had zeroed in the motion. A drop of liquid collected on the tip of his cock, and Izuku swiped it with his thumb, but instead of rubbing it on himself, he brought it against her lips. The invitation was clear. Once more she opened her mouth, and once more his finger found its way inside.

This time her tongue touched the pad, took in the drop with a small swipe. It tasted salty sweet, not unpleasant, but at the same time strange. A pleased hum from him as his thumb slipped from her mouth but he still didn’t really tell her she should start, was he waiting for her to make the first move? Should Lia bend down and take him into her mouth? Or maybe she should lick him just as she did with his finger?

God, she really didn’t know what to do and a part of her really, really wanted to make sure she pleased the alpha. That was the omega in her, wasn’t it? The one that was taken by being on her knees in front of an alpha that only had eyes for her at that moment, one whose scent enveloped her in a way that made her tremble. His scent had become headier with arousal, she hadn’t even noticed before, but it was impossible not to now.

What was he waiting? Why wasn’t he saying anything? Lia squirmed, nervous and unsure, trying to make sense of the thoughts running through her mind though some of them didn’t really seem to be hers. They were flashes of instinct, the omega inside of her unfurling because of the situation she found herself in.

Finally, Izuku took pity on her. Or maybe he had worked her up to the place he wanted her to be. One of his hands cupped the back of her head, applying pressure so she leaned forward, mouth opening tentatively as the distance became smaller. His grip on her hair stopped her just shy of pressing her lips against what she thought would be a very soft skin. Lia swallowed, not really keen on breaking the silence that enveloped them like a blanket. It flitted across her skin and left her feeling wired and aching, it was a strange kind of adrenaline that had the brunette huffing out a breath wondering just what he had planned for her.

Her heart hammered on her throat, eyes closing as she tried to get her breathing to fall back to the regular rise and fall of her chest. The waiting was killing her, literally leaving her breathless and squirming and Lia still didn’t know what the alpha wanted and it was too damn frustrating. His fingers wrapped around her throat. Her eyes shot to look at him, and it was… her lack of breath had nothing to do with the hand splayed on her neck. The green of his eyes was dark, pupils swallowing up his iris, under that gaze one would think that they were the most desired being on the planet. She hadn’t doubted him before when he had told her he could get submission without paying for it, but the idea was burned to ashes just by that look. Anyone would have killed to be pinned by such a stare.

Her fingers curled on the fabric of his thighs, looser now that they were untied and pushed just bellow his hips, her breath puffed against his cock and she could see more precum glistening on the tip of it. How strange was it that in that moment she almost thought it pretty? What a silly concept. Lia still didn’t know if the arousal was for her or simply for the headiness of control over her.

Maybe she was no better than the sluts someone claimed omegas to be when faced with a dick so close to her face, maybe all she needed was an alpha looking at her for more than a second and she was weak. Or maybe, just maybe, it was her own reaction to him. To Izuku.

“Tongue.” His voice was pure sin. Low and growly and her thighs pressed together in answer as though he had said it between her legs instead of above her. Would his sounds of pleasure be voiced in that same tone? Oh, she really hoped they would.

Lia stuck her tongue out, amazed when he finally pressed his length to the small muscle. The skin of him was saltier than the taste she had of his precum, but as he rubbed the head of his cock firmer against her tongue she felt the taste of it again. A soft hum from her, eyes half lidded but still looking up at him, watching as the corners of his eyes crinkled just so when she gave a tentative lick. She did again and was rewarded with a soft groan, his hand giving so she’d be allowed to move as she wished.

The brunette still didn’t move her hands, kept with fingers curled on his pants, even as she leaned further into him, tongue running down the vein on the underside of him. He was velvety and warm, the taste wasn’t unpleasant, and his heavy breathing made her conscious of her own. The two of them stayed like that for a while, green eyes settled on her frame as she explored the length of him with varying strokes of her tongue.

It was slow, it was bewitching, she had to break it.

Her cheek pressed against his thigh, aqua eyes looking up at him “You said you were going to make me cry. I don’t see how this will achieve that.” Was that her voice? It was as breathy as his had been a couple of minutes prior, an octave lower than her normal tone.

His laughter was as unexpected as the hand that cupped her free cheek, Lia looked up at him dumbfounded, not really understanding what was so funny about what she had said. “You’re a brat.”

Heat filled her cheeks at his words, face pressing against his thigh as she groaned “Shut up.”

“I’ve been going slow because this is your first time taking a cock inside of your mouth, just because I’m not immediately jumping to have those pretty lips wrapped around me doesn’t mean I won’t get to my end goal just the same.” Okay, yeah, that kind of made sense and made more embarrassment flush deep inside of her. She shouldn’t have said anything, should she? His fingers tugged at her hair, bringing her attention back to him, letting him lead her head from his thigh back to his cock. “But I’ll bite this time.”

The blunt head of him pressed against the seam of her lips and she opened without qualms, letting him thrust the length into her mouth with another one of those groans that made her thighs press together. His hand weaved itself into her hair, tugging at the scalp as he guided her up and down his cock. Lia pressed her tongue against the underside of him and was rewarded with a breath that sounded more like a moan, so she knew she had done well. With every tug of her hair, her mouth went farther down, though he was still only letting half of it slip inside of her mouth.

She discovered why when she forced herself to take him further than he was pushing her, cock slipping into her throat and making her shudder and gag. The panic was immediate, and his look as Izuku allowed her to pull away from him was the visual of ‘I told you so’. Lia squirmed under the gaze, upset with herself for pushing but at the same time upset at herself for not being able to take it. A determined breath was given before the brunette was returning to his cock, taking him into her mouth again.

“Relax your throat.” His thumb rubbed against her jaw and she looked at him before closing her eyes with a hum. And oh! Did he just twitch against her tongue? Did that mean that humming against him felt good? Maybe it was the vibrations… Taking his previous advice, his newest and poor sheer stubbornness, Lia pressed on, taking more and more of him until her lips were pressed against his navel.

It was an accomplishment that was uncomfortable, and she had to pull back up straight away because her throat constricted around him so much she was afraid she would forget how to breathe. She would probably have chocked if she didn’t pull away straight away. Still, she looked up at Izuku with triumph in her eyes and lips shiny from her own saliva.

His thumb rubbed the wetness down to her chin “Such a good girl.” Oh, oh. The praise traveled down her spine and to her core, making it clench around nothing, making her feel empty and pent up. “I wasn’t going to make you deepthroat me yet, but you did it all on yourself.” Was that whine her? By the way his eyes sparkled, yeah, it had been. Izuku straightened his posture so he wasn’t leaning against the table anymore, and Lia did have to raise on her knees so she was still eye level with his length. “So you’re going to let me cum down your throat too, won’t you, kitten?”

“Yes.” She breathed.

“Yes, what?”

A beat of hesitation “Yes, master.”

“Very good.” She didn’t have time to deal with his praise before he was pushing into her parted mouth again, and this time? He let go of all pretenses of keeping himself in control, the grip on her hair sent tingles down her spine, his pace wasn’t punishing, but it wasn’t soft either.

She gagged and choked more than a couple of times, forgot to breathe through her nose, forgot to relax her throat. He slowed down then, but it soon picked pace once more when she calmed down. Her jaw was starting to ache from being open without reprieve, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes from the times she had gagged on his cock. And yet, she found herself enjoying having him take control of her, enjoyed being used for his pleasure in a sick sort of way. His praise was still ringing on her ears and her core felt empty and neglected and how bad would it be if she snuck a hand under her skirts to touch her aching clit?

Lia didn’t even get to try. With one last groan, he pushed her head as further down as it could go, buried himself in her mouth, down her throat. She chocked as the first spurts of cum shot, panic welling inside of her and tears streaming down her face. She was dizzy by the time he pulled away, coughing up spit and cum into her hand with cheeks red and shiny from tears.

When she finally stopped coughing, Lia looked up at Izuku only to find him already tucked back into his pants, clothes as straight as if nothing had happened. There was a tell tale flush to his cheeks, and his eyes were still dark and lustful, but no one would have said he had just finished orgasming. “And that’s why you have to breathe through your nose.” He ran his fingers through her hair, soothing her bruised ego with his touch and then his words. “You were a very good girl letting me use your mouth like that.”

He didn’t miss the way her thighs rubbed together, green eyes following the movement before his hand moved under her skirts, pressed against the thin shift, felt her heat through the flimsy material. Lia had the thought of his fingers doing what hers usually did when she brought herself over the edge, but all he did was give a pleased hum at her state before withdrawing.

She must have been staring incredulous at him, because Izuku let out a laugh “Next time you think about being a brat, remember that ache between your legs, kitten.” He tapped her nose before making his way to the door. “I hope you have a pleasant evening.” And with that he was gone and Lia was left alone and frustrated, aching and unfulfilled.

Her legs were gathered against her chest, arms coming to wrap around them, allowing the brunette to crawl into a ball and press her face into her knees. Eventually she would have to leave to go to her own room, but for now she just wanted wallow in a bit of self misery fueled by sexual frustration.

Crown prince Izuku knew the secret she and her friends carried, and she had just given him her submission as payment for secrecy. She didn’t regret it, but she also wasn’t pleased with herself over having been so careless as to have allowed for him to follow the crumbs right back to her.

It didn’t matter. What was done was done, and all she had to do was continue on the path she had been and hope to get enough information to form a plan against the League. She’d find them, enact her revenge and then… Lia didn’t know. But that was for another introspection.

Raising, she once more taped the shadow of the lantern, using her quirk to turn it off before leaving the small room quietly. It was much later, after she had washed the taste of semen and him out of her lips and the evidence of her unfulfilled arousal that she would have a very cathartic thought.

If the League wasn’t her death, Izuku Midoriya might very well be it.

[ojerasgigantes]

Muévete bien (que nadie como tú me sabe hacer café) CHT. 9

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Pairings: Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton

Characters: Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers

Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, PTSD, Alpha!Bucky Barnes, Omega!Clint Barton, Slow Burn, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Young!Clint Barton, Explicit Sexual Content, True mates-ish

Words: 46.5k

Fic Summary:

So, nothing dangerous is happening, just so you know." Bruce said reassuringly. "It just seems that you two, genetically speaking, align very well, almost perfectly."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that your body is more inclined to want to reproduce with him, because your compatibility level is extremely high.” Bruce explained, and after a moment smiled. “Or would I dare to say, you two are true mates."

AO3 LINK

The club smelled of sweat, alcohol, and sex. The strobing lights were disorienting at best, and blinding at worst, lighting up the swarm of bodies pressed against each other in flashes. It was loud.  Loud enough that you could feel the bass beat on the floor. And loud enough that Clint wished he had accidentally left his hearing aids back at the apartment.

Getting into Merlin wasn’t as hard as they thought it would be. They didn’t have an invitation or someone working on the inside, so being let into a club with as much demand as this one, seemed to be a challenge in itself. It didn’t really have a dress code, but in order to fit in, they had to wear similar clothes as the other customers. So, now Clint was forced to wear tight fitting dress pants and a short sleeved button-up shirt to match. He refused to wear long-sleeves in this hellish weather. Those were reserved only for when he was threatened into wearing them to one of Tony’s charity functions. 

Anyways, they were lucky that the bouncer had liked what he’d seen, and let them through without a second glance. The security was tighter than they expected, Clint got patted down two times and they almost took his aids, which doubled as a comm device. But some puppy eyes and a little of the ‘woe me’ act, and they let him through. 

Clint walked through the crowd easily, happy that it was a Thursday, and that even though the floor was still full, it wasn’t nearly as crowded as it would be if it was the weekend. 

He approached the bar, and leaned against it.

“A local beer please.” He asked the bartender, who just nodded at him and left to do his job.

“Gin and Tonic.” Bucky's voice buzzed in his ear.

Clint turned his head to where Bucky was standing, about 10 feet away at the other side of the bar. There were some people standing between them, all different levels of drunk. But it was extremely easy for Clint’s eyes to find him.

Thanks to the crowd that surrounded him, Clint couldn’t smell Bucky at all, especially now with how far they were from each other. The scent of other people invaded his senses, sweet and prominent, typical of those who were looking to get laid. And even though Clint felt like he should feel relieved at the break from Bucky’s scent, it made him feel on edge.

Also forced to wear something less casual, Bucky was wearing both black pants and shirt. He had opted to use the long-sleeve to hide his vibranium arm, and wore some black leather gloves to conceal his hand, matching with the rest of the outfit. The black fabric fitted him perfectly, accentuating his body beautifully. Clint felt his gaze traveling down Bucky’s body, admiring the way the shirt made his back and arms bigger. 

After yesterday, something had changed in Bucky’s behavior. Firstly, he now seemed to be comfortable around Clint again. Even more comfortable than before. Now, Bucky would just  comment on meaningless things, like the TV being skewed slightly on one side, or how he still couldn’t believe that Clint spoke fluent Italian. The best development of this was that there were no awkward silences to fill anymore, the silences that existed around them seemed natural.

Other more noticeable ways his behavior had changed, was his sudden apparent disregard of personal space. Not in a creepy way, necessarily. More like he wasn’t refraining himself from coming close to him if he needed a cup behind him, or to accidentally brush his hand to his thigh when reaching for the remote sitting next to him. Not that Clint was paying attention to that.

That wasn’t the only thing though, he was scenting him too. Clint might act oblivious, but he knows when someone is leaving his scent on him. It would happen quickly, and in ways that were non invasive. Like a hand on his back asking him to move to the side, their arms brushing while walking, and the back of Bucky’s hand brushing his neck every now and then as he tried to fix the collar of his shirt. Ok, that one wasn’t as quick, but it was the most obvious one.

Clint knew that it was just another part of their whole issue. By scenting him, Bucky was just trying to appease some hindbrain urge of his, telling the competition to stay away. And even though he knew it was most likely an unconscious way to alleviate the need to get on him, Clint still felt somewhat endeared by it.

The bartender came back with his drink, and Clint thanked him with a small nod as he took it in his hand.

“You know,” Clint whispered, eyes back on Bucky, and barely loud enough that it would be picked up by the mic, “you look like you fit right in, all dark and broody...” and he let out a low whistle between his lips.

Flirting shouldn’t be on the table, but the knowledge that Bucky’s rejection had been about something else completely, made something in Clint unwind, made him feel bold. 

“Focus, Clint.” Bucky said, and even though he was facing the other way, he could perfectly visualize his smirk.

A sly smile spread on Clint’s face as he nursed his drink.

He turned around, his elbow resting against the bar, eyes scanning the mass of people in front of him. Both had taken their time getting to know the man they were looking for, not wanting to appear suspicious by having to pull up a picture of him every now and then.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t had the luck of spotting him.

“See anyone familiar?” Clint murmured, glass concealing his mouth.

“Not yet.” Bucky answered.

Out of the corner of his eye, Clint saw a woman approaching Bucky. And even though he knew he should be paying attention to the crowd, he couldn’t help as his eyes settled on them. The woman was petite, her dark curls flowing freely and all the way down to her waist, a black tight dress hugging her curves in all the right ways. 

She leaned close, eyes lidded and playful. Bucky leaned towards her, probably to try and listen to what she had to say. One of her hands covered her lips as she whispered something that he couldn’t workout to Bucky’s ear. The other hand landed on his arm, as if she was trying to balance herself on him. 

Clint’s hold on the glass in his hand tightened. The urge to step in was strong enough that he was actively putting effort in staying put.

Bucky tensed, but only barely. A motion so small that only a trained eye could perceive. He stepped back and away, giving a charming smile to the woman in front of him.

“Sorry, sweetheart, you are barking up the wrong tree.” Bucky told her, his voice honey smooth.

Clint’s mind short-circuited, his nape feeling warmer at the nickname falling off his lips. He wondered how it would be if that was directed at him.

Clint took another swig of his drink. It felt necessary.

He watched as the woman gave Bucky a pout and then was pulled away by one of her friends. Bucky’s smile slowly turned more genuine.

“I can feel you staring.” He said.

Clint finally averted his eyes, pretending that the tip of his ears didn’t just turn red. He hummed against the rim of his glass.

“It’s just funny how easy you clam up.” 

It took a couple of seconds for the answer to come, “Only when I’m not interested.” Bucky’s voice seemed clear in his ear, back to that same tone he had heard directed at the woman.

Clint didn’t say anything, unsure how to respond. He didn’t turn to look at him, even if he knew Bucky’s gaze was rapt on him. 

His attention turned back to the task at hand. 

It was only a moment before Bucky’s voice came back, this time urgent and professional.

“Possible asset on your 2.” He said.

Clint’s eyes rapidly tried to find the man in question, taking him less than a second to do so. Tall and imposing, Simon Reyes walked through the crowd so seamlessly that it almost looked as if people were making way for him. 

“On it.” He confirmed, and detached himself from the bar, stepping away and into the dancing crowd.

Clint had managed to walk for all of three seconds before a figure stepped in front of him. Thinking it was just a guy with no sense of his surroundings, Clint tried to walk around him. But the man just stepped in front of him again.

Disgruntled, Clint looked past him, making sure that Reyes hadn’t left his sight. Fortunately, he had stopped to talk to some patrons.

The man moved closer, and the smell of inebriated alpha invaded his nose. Clint finally looked at the man blocking his path. The stranger, smelling of lust, greedily looked him up and down, licked his lips, and swayed into his personal space.

“Excuse me.” He said, voice hoarse, breath smelling even worse, “I couldn’t help but notice you when you were standing by the bar, and I wanted to buy you a drink.” His hand shot out to encircle Clint’s waist.

Clint sidestepped, avoiding the touch, and gave his best apologetic smile to him.

“Thank you very much for the offer, but as you can see I already have one.” Clint said, raising the half-full glass in his hand.

Looking past him again, he noticed Reyes was still in the same spot, now speaking quietly to a man. Clint, again, tried to walk around the alpha, doing his best to read their lips. However, he was stopped again, this time by someone grabbing at his wrist.

Clint looked back confused, facing the same alpha, who again breached into his space, this time trying to pull Clint into him.

“What’s happening?” Bucky said in his ear, sounding alarmed.

“Aw come on,” The alpha slurred, and this time yanked Clint towards him, “someone as good-looking as you, all alone in a club like this, must be looking for some company.”

“You have the wrong idea, dude.” Clint told him, anger rising, and he tried to free his wrist, but was met with resistance,  “And I’m only going to say this once, keep your hands to yourself.”

The man just chuckled at him, “Are you looking for a chase?” He whispered hotly.

This time, he lowered his head trying to fit his face against Clint’s neck, Clint leaned away. The man still attempted to smell him, his mouth opening as if he was trying to taste it on his tongue.

“I love omegas who can revert to their more primitive ways.” He muttered lowly.

Disgusted, he pushed him away, trying to make as little commotion as possible.

“For fuck’s sak-”

The sudden scent of rage, mixed with the freshness that he already knew very well, brimmed his senses. Clint’s head snapped towards the source, and found Bucky standing next to them, staring the alpha down. His right hand, the metal hand, was clasped tightly around the arm that was holding Clint.

The thick stream of pheromones pumping out of Bucky made Clint want to cause that same commotion he was trying to avoid, just so he could get away from the offending smell contaminating Bucky’s. It was heady, making Clint feel drunk even though he had very little alcohol in his system. The need to calm Bucky down, and at the same time fall to his knees thrummed under his skin. 

He felt a shiver run down his spine, and he fought to keep his thoughts from going astray.

It was so strong, in fact, that the alpha faltered, trying to step away from Bucky, but his hand was still firmly on Clint.

“He said to keep your hands to yourself, didn’t he?” Bucky said, a threat thinly veiled under the way he spoke.

The whole situation must have really taken the stranger aback, because at that moment his hold lessened. And Clint snatched his hand back, rubbing his wrist, knowing that the scent of the alpha will not wash away anytime soon.

Clint immediately looked around, trying to find the asset, and saw him entering a room in the VIP area. He was about to follow him, but the sound of the alpha grunting made him turn back to the situation unfolding.

The faint smell of pain reached him.

Bucky was still holding the alpha by his arm. When the man in front of him started struggling to free himself, the scent of fear got stronger. And then Bucky grinned, teeth on show.

Clint tried not to think too hard on why he found that incredibly hot.

The alpha tried to pull his arm free again, but obviously couldn’t.

“The fuck?” The man whispered under his breath, looking shocked. Then he raised his voice, “Let go of me.” He demanded.

Some patrons had turned to look at the scene, and it hit some sense into Clint’s brain. 

“Bucky!” Clint yelled, loud enough to be heard over the music, stepped closer to him, trying to get his attention. But Bucky didn’t appear to notice him.

Instead, the man hissed in pain again, pawing at Bucky’s hand in an uncoordinated manner. Clint's eyes jumped around to see that more people were starting to seem interested in their altercation.

“Barnes!” Clint’s voice a little louder. 

When Clint got no reaction again, he closed the little distance they had between each other, placing his face on Bucky’s line of sight. Clint’s hand landed on his shoulder for good measure. He only spoke when he managed to catch the other’s eyes.

“Are you done with your dick measuring contest?” Clint asked him, aggravated.

It took him a beat, but Bucky finally met his eyes. However, he only gave him a harsh expression, jaw set, teeth grinding, scent heavy in the air. And he still wasn’t letting the man go.

Clint didn’t cower away, he just stared him down.

“Let go of him.”

Bucky’s gaze went from Clint to the alpha now stinking of fear, and then back to him. Finally, after a couple more grueling seconds, Bucky opened his palm. The alpha quickly took his hand back, retreating fast and away. 

“Next time keep your bitch from looking like a slut.” He spat at them as he turned to disappear in the crowd again.

The people who were looking at them, continued with their night, and Bucky’s scent receded. Even after a moment had passed, they were still holding eye contact. Clint watched as Bucky’s expression shifted, his eyebrows scrunching in a way that made him look like a confused, cute puppy. 

That specific line of thought made Clint realize he really needed a lobotomy.

Clint took a deep breath and didn’t say anything. He started walking towards the exit, knowing fully that Bucky would be just behind him.

Once they stepped out into the cool air of the night, Clint took a deep gulp of the fresh smell of garbage that any downtown area of a big city had, and actually felt thankful for it. He looked up at the sky, begging for patience to whatever entity had devised this odd punishment.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Clint finally said, turning to face Bucky.

Bucky didn’t meet his eyes, instead, he started rummaging through his pockets. Out of them he pulled out some cigarettes, putting one of them between his lips, before taking out a lighter.

Leaning back into the wall of the building, he busied himself by lighting it, taking a slow drag out of it. The smoke coming out from Bucky’s mouth partially hitting Clint in the face due to the wind. A stray question of whether shotgunning with nicotine instead of weed was a thing ambled through his mind.

Clint was so mesmerized with the sight of it that he almost didn’t notice that Bucky hadn’t answered him. 

Almost.

Exasperated, he crossed his arms. Clint felt like he was being treated as if he was weak, as if he wasn’t able to protect himself. And after the conversation they had yesterday, it felt as if he had thrown salt on an open wound.

“Do you think I am not capable of handling something as simple as a creep?” Clint asked, half genuine, half provoking.

Bucky blew smoke and instead of speaking, offered a cigarette to Clint. He blinked, looking down at the pack and then up to Bucky again.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he reached for it. Bucky threw the lighter at him, and he catched it seamlessly. Clint joined him on the wall, and took a slow drag of his cigarette once he had lit it.

The last time he had a cigarette had been a couple months ago. He had felt the need to make his lungs warm enough to forget how cold his body could become, when he had basically been a dead man walking. A time when he was a corpse with no real life beneath its flesh, long gone cold under the lack of blood moving through his veins. The smoke in his chest had made it dissipate for at least a few moments, enough that it had distracted him, enough to bring back the sensation of his fingertips.

His eyes traveled to Bucky, standing next to him, looking decidedly forward. Clint sniffed the air as discreetly as possible, trying to gauge Bucky’s mood, as his body language didn’t give him anything. Under the smell of nicotine, he could still perceive some of that anger, although subdued. More importantly, was the dull smell of anxiety.

Because of that, and Clint’s stupid softening heart, he decided to not say anything. 

Patiently, he smoked his cigarette in silence, the music of the club bleeding mutedly through the wall. 

It wasn’t until it was almost done that Bucky said something.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Bucky apologized with no preamble, sounding tired, “I acted impulsively, and just-” 

Stopping mid-sentence, Bucky held his breath, closing his eyes. As if he was willing away his anger and uneasiness. Or, as if he didn’t want to say the next words. 

A moment passed, and Bucky finally exhaled, meeting Clint’s eyes for the first time since they were outside.

“It won’t happen again,” He stated.

Clint raised his eyebrows at him, a bit incredulous. But honestly, he didn’t want to call him out on the improbability of it. Clint wanted to believe that Bucky was deluded enough to think he had the situation under control. In a way, both were lying to themselves, and to each other. There was a desperation to seek normality. Desperation of not wanting to admit that, maybe, their issue was not fixable.

So, Clint just bit the inside of his cheek, and nodded.

He went for his last puff before saying anything, and then dropped it on the ground when he was finished.

“Ok.” Clint used his shoe to smother the fire of what was left of it on the ground. 

He stared at it for a few seconds, and the frustration of losing the man they were following rose suddenly and quickly.

Clint grit his teeth, “Thanks for the apology, man.” Sarcasm dripped from his words, “Not that it really fixes anything.”

Bucky didn’t speak, or changed his neutral expression.

The lack of reaction irked Clint, and he felt his irritability grow in less than a second. He turned fully towards Bucky.

“Now, thanks to the little scene you caused, we are going to have to come back tomorrow.” Clint told him, his arms flailing around. 

Bucky didn’t flinch at his outburst, but his eyes left his face. Clint thought that he was avoiding eye contact, and his anger just became worse.

“It’s probably going to be even more crowded and we had the asset right there-“

Bucky suddenly took Clint’s flailing arm by the wrist, interrupting Clint mid rant. Clint gasped at the abrupt contact, his annoyance fading quickly, being replaced by confusion. Bucky, eyes focused on the wrist he was holding, brought it closer to him slowly and carefully. As if glued in his position, Clint felt paralyzed, as he watched Bucky sniff at his pulse point, nose barely brushing the skin.

The blood on his body rushed to his face, and Clint felt his neck and cheeks warm up. Bucky appeared surprised by his own action, but didn’t stop. His finger started rubbing circles on the inside of his wrist delicately.  Finally, Clint came to the realization that that is the same wrist that the strange alpha had held on to. 

At that, Clint felt his blush spread towards his cheeks, knowing that Bucky was trying to get rid of the scent that he left behind. 

Bucky shifted, and Clint felt his lips grazing the skin of it. Clint suppressed a gasp, not knowing what to do with himself, how to react. Logically, he knew he should yank back his arm and then kick the shit out of Bucky. But, he really didn’t want that.

No, Clint just really wanted to let that happen.

After a few seconds, Bucky closed his eyes, his eyebrows scrunching just a little.

“This is going to be harder than I thought.” He mumbled, before pulling Clint’s wrist away from his face, and slowly letting it go.

Clint forgot how to speak, or think. So he didn’t process what Bucky said, not until after he was stepping away from him.

“Huh?” It’s the only sensible thing that Clint managed to pull out of his mouth.

Bucky shook his head, and ran a hand through his hair, looking away.

It was incredibly unfair that he could do all that and then act like it was normal.

“Nothing- Look,” Bucky started speaking, “we don’t have to come back tomorrow, we don’t have to leave at all."

Clint chose to ignore the blatant subject change. So, he raised a curious eyebrow at him.

“God knows how many people get into fights in these clubs.” He continued, “We weren’t even escorted out.”

Clint pondered Bucky’s words, looking back towards the entrance of the club. Technically, he was correct, they could slip back in and act like nothing had happened. Clint knew that the asset had disappeared somewhere in the VIP area, and that they’d just have to find a way in. 

“You know we don’t have access to the VIP area, right?” Clint told him, out of the need to be contradicting.

“No. But you can get in.” Bucky said. Frowning at him, Clint tried to understand what he meant by that.

“How am I supposed to do that?” Clint asked, truly baffled.

Bucky didn’t say anything, instead he just slowly dragged his eyes down his body. Clint’s mouth fell open at what he was suggesting, and he felt the need to smack him for the second time in the evening.

Bucky smirked at Clint’s offense, and walked towards the entrance of the club.

Clint shut his mouth as he watched him wait for him at the door. Teeth grinding and frown deepening, he followed him. 

“I could accuse you of discrimination just for that, you know.” Clint shot at Bucky as he walked by him.

Hearing the deep rumble of Bucky’s chuckle as he crossed the threshold of the building made Clint want to turn around and leave him to do it by himself. Instead, he took a deep breathe, and braced himself for the show he had to put on. 

[misspetsyourcats]

Things men have offered me in exchange for ownership, a nonexhaustive list:

- goats

- heroin

- “as much alcohol as I want”

- “the good weed”

- a farm full of goats

- a house

- a cruise every year

- shoes

- an apartment

- legal guardianship over said man

- more goats

- dabs

- “you’ll feel better trust me”

- enlightenment and the knowledge of gods

- weed and a massage

- $5

- a boat

- canadian citizenship

- the truth behind the CIA

- goats but only 3 this time

- a nice fish

- a truck

- also a truck but it was a toy and he was 6

- 16 alpacas and 2 goats

- plumbing work

- a space on his private bunker homestead

- sex with his wife

- a nice rifle

- the blessings of the old gods on my womb

- the “joys of birthing the next aryan generation”

- an enchanted knife and spoon

- a gold thumb ring with some sort of spirit in it

- not making me pay for condoms

- a whiskey tonic

- carrying my bag

- a tick

- “my heart”

- his virginity

- 150 goats

- tricare

- a house in Canada

- the position of holy whore in his totally-not-cult

- a joint that was 90% sage

- “the privilege of being owned by a true alpha”

- a collection of automatic rifles

- position as head of the harem he did not have

- “it’s a secret drug formula from the russian mafia, just lick the powder off my hand”

- goats AND the pen they live in

- he will make me toast

- airfare to his apartment

- “if you never have to be sober you’ll be happy by my side regardless, just pick your poison”

- free tattoos

- a coffee

- a coffee and a trip to france

- just the trip to france

- a cell phone that he would pay

- a single goat

- pretty rocks

- “I won’t hit you”

- a whole group of goats and a nice dress and wellies to tend the goats

- 40 acres of logging and gravel pits

- his dad’s house

- a few goats and some sheep

- to never give me a traffic ticket

- a nice pocketknife

- his ex’s lingerie

- as much vodka as I want but no jäger

- a four course homecooked meal

- everything in my etsy favorites

- his sister

- his FAVORITE goat

- a beach house

- position as his first wife

- position as his second wife

- a firearm he made in his garage delivered to me every few weeks

- protection from his militia

- the blessings of a god from dungeons and dragons

- to never need to see him again (as long as we had sex)

- only 8 goats (the ninth was his mother’s)

- health insurance

- use of his home gym

- literal godhood, as in he would bestow the power upon me

- meth.

- him stabbing me 37 times (not 81, that was for more important people)

- I could meet his ghost

- he would keep the ghosts away

- psychic powers

- keys to a nissan altima currently located in a ravine 20+ miles offroad

- his plug’s phone number

- cheese

- a pen

- a goat pen *but not the goats in it*

- his dad’s house (don’t worry the dad will die soon)

- an illegally imported russian sniper rifle

- a dog

- flowers once a week forever

- “if you don’t marry me my mom will be sad”

- a horse

- country club membership

- shrooms

- his left kidney

- a few acres of forest and pasturelands

- a new iphone

- good grades in x class

- a baby goat

- a tractor WITH the gas in it

- cocaine

- a free tattoo (but only one)

- a plant (iirc a lily)

- a gangbang every month

- a cashew farm

- a room in his house to be mine forever

- goat cheese

[ofwolfandmuses]

@frmalphatoomega

He smiled as the other let be known that he wasn’t expected to drop what he was doing. He knew eventually he would have that expectation from some alpha. The idea of it being Zakar was one that made his insides tingle. He had only pleased the man orally but he knew he wanted more just wasn’t sure how to ask for it. He moved to hand out some more of the tonic before standing in front of the alpha give him all of his attention not caring that it upset others in the healers house.

“It’s a simple cough suppressant rosemary lavender and honey for taste with some clove as well” he spoke as he pulled out the dropper to place some on the man’s tongue. He blushed a little as the thoughts of him being alone with the alpha. “About dinner tonight,” he paused as he looked at him. “Instead of having it with the others could we go to your quarters there is something I want to ask you in private” he knew the blush on his face was giving away his thought as well as the scent of his growing arousal at just the thought of it.

Eyes simply watched as the young wolf pulled out a dropper that housed the concoction he was referring to, and once he was instructed, he held out his tongue and allowed the omega to place a drop. The taste wasn't too pleasant, but he supposed that since it was supposed to be something that was good for you, it wouldn't necessarily be so. Still, he smiled lightly as the other wolf spoke, admitting that he wanted to speak with him privately.

"I'm not sure how private my quarters will be..." He wasn't sure if the new wolf, Castor, would still be in the room, and who knows whether Heath or Jasper would be around to interrupt them. "How about after we dine together, we take a stroll by the river? I bet you practically radiate underneath the glow of Selene's light," Zakar whispered, reaching forward to let his fingers brush against Abril's reddening cheeks.

His own wolf didn't fail to miss the scent of arousal in the other, and he could feel his own arousal respond in turn - his cock twitching with life as blood began to pool southward - but he had to reign himself in. "Will you be able to continue to work with my being here, or would you prefer I come back? I'd love to see you in your glory, tending to the wounded and helping expectant omegas..."

[jackjolene]

BioShock/Sinking City/Vampyr: The Return to Rapture

In summer of 1969, Jack, Liz, Tenenbaum, Porter, and Eleanor bid farewell to Masha, Leta, Sally, Daisy, Annabelle, Charles, Joy, and their friends before boarding the Mary Catherine and departing for Rapture. The second expedition to Rapture is larger in scope and in goal. The first expedition was meant to simply find and rescue the kidnapped little girls. This time around, a small fleet of vessels accompanies the Mary Catherine, their captains and crews paid well to keep quiet about their goal: To rescue the survivors of Rapture itself.

Their Forward Operating Base (FOB) will be Minerva’s Den; it is an ideal place thanks to its disconnection from Rapture and to its lack of splicers, courtesy of Porter. Hopefully, they will find it already set up as a base for them and with allies waiting for them.

Subject Sigma, Porter, wasn’t the only Alpha Series Big Daddy that Tenenbaum thawed out. There was another one, unique in that their designation wasn’t a Greek letter, but the name of a Greek deity: Subject “Artemis”.

While Delta was tearing through Sofia Lamb’s Family to get to Eleanor and Porter was working his way through Minerva’s Den, Subject Artemis was aiding Tenenbaum in rescuing Little Sisters and taking ADAM from the Family. In fact, Tenenbaum was able to make a unique Gene Tonic, “Master Protector”, for Porter from the ADAM Artemis took.

Prior to picking up Porter from his office in Minerva’s Den, Tenenbaum gave Artemis a mission to perform until she returned to Rapture with the ADAM cure: To do anything and everything to prepare for their return. The main directive of this was to find every unspliced survivor in Rapture and get them to Minerva’s Den for easy rescue. Also, Artemis was to gather supplies for them: Food, first aid kits, ammunition, ADAM, anything they or the survivors might need.

While the unspliced survivors are evacuated from Minerva’s Den to the Mary Catherine and the other ships waiting above, the five of them (Jack, Liz, Porter, Eleanor, and Artemis) will scour through the unflood buildings of Rapture for the Splicers. This time around, they will be utilizing non-lethal tactics to allow them to cure the splicers with SERPENT and then take them back to Minerva’s Den for evacuation to the surface. Once they’ve cured every remaining splicer in Rapture and evacuated every living person, Jack will activate the self-destruct from Ryan’s office and they’ll finally put his dream to rest as they rise to the surface.

Upon arriving at the Lighthouse, the Mary Catherine‘s radar and sonar systems pick up that Rapture’s defense system is still active (top of the line tech for Jolene Industries!), which makes using their new submersible to go directly to Minerva’s Den a DOA. With that little hiccup in their plan, it’s decided that they’ll go down the same way Jack did when he arrived in 1960, via the bathyspheres at the Lighthouse. 

After a lengthy argument with Tenenbaum that she should wait on the Mary Catherine until they’ve disabled Rapture’s torpedoes (and also instructing the crew to not let Tenenbaum anywhere near the NEW submersible), Jack and Co. retrace his original steps into Rapture and descend via a bathysphere. 

Andrew Ryan’s old introductory speech starts up just as before. About ten seconds into it, Eleanor tears the projector out of the wall. Everyone applauds. 

 When they arrive at the Welcome Center, Jack and Liz find that not much has changed in Rapture, other than it has decayed further and the banners that declared “No Gods or Kings, only Man” and “The Great will not be constrained by the small” have been torn down and replaced with graffiti that “Babylon is Fallen” and “We will be Reborn in the Cold Womb of the Ocean”. Even these though, are showing signs of neglect.

As they make their way through the Welcome Center (they have to make the hole in the Kashmir Restaurant’s restroom bigger for Porter to squeeze through), they find that it’s quiet, not the good kind of quiet. And the bodies, well, fresh bodies that they come across look like they’ve been torn apart by some kind of large animal.

In the Medical Pavilion, they find that a new kind of monster has moved in to replace Dr. Steinman’s madness. This creature is unlike anything they’ve ever seen, even in Rapture, like a Human candle whose skin and features have melted away to almost nothing, multiple octopus tentacles lining the arms, legs, back, and even protruding from their mouth and other orifices. Dr. Steinman would have been elated by the lack of symmetry.

Upon sensing them (it can’t see them as its eyes sockets boast tentacles instead of eyes), it attacks, its cry a horrible, wet, garbling sound. Despite her horror, Eleanor has enough presence of mind to freeze the creature’s feet to the floor to immobilize it and then shoot it with a dart of SERPENT. Rather than curing it, however, the SERPENT acts like an acid instead, dissolving the mutated splicer and killing it.

Moving on after a moment of processing, Jack and Co. move on, hoping that there’s nothing like this ahead of them. It goes unspoken, but everyone knows they’re not that lucky. 

It doesn’t take long before they’re fighting for their lives against more of the things. The old types of splicers (Thugs, Leadheads, Spiders, Houdinis, and Nitros) have been replaced by new and far more horrifying kinds: Octopus, Crab, Fish, and some that are beyond classification. The one thing they all have in common is that they’re incredibly animalist, vicious, and brutal, and they’re out for blood.

The SERPENT darts are effective at killing the Mutants (”Splicers” doesn’t really cut it anymore) in one shots, but the dart guns can only kill with one shot. They left their guns on the Mary Catherine, and while their plasmids are effective, more and more of the creatures just keep on coming. Just when it looks like Jack and Co. are about to overrun and killed, aid arrives.

Gunfire interrupts the creatures advance as another Big Daddy enters the room, blazing away with a huge machine gun in one hand and its other using Incinerate! like a flamethrower. At its sides are two others who seem to wield some sort of teleportation plasmid, but nothing like the Houdini splicers. While the Big Daddy bulldozes his way through the Mutants, the other two prefer a more tactical approach. They select their targets, dart in, deal damage with either various melee weapons or guns, dart back out, dodge their targets attacks, repeat, occasionally mixing it up with strange plasmids that seem based on shadow or blood.

Between Jack, Liz, Porter, Eleanor, the new Big Daddy, and the two splicers(?), they are able to repel the Mutants and get to safety. Introductions are in order: Jack and Elizabeth Jolene, Charles Milton Porter, and Eleanor Reed give their names. The two newcomers introduce themselves as “Dr. Jonathan Reid” and “Lady Elizabeth Ashbury” (for all the plasmids they have, the closest thing that says “splicer” is the discoloration of the man’s eyes (slightly bloodshot)). The Big Daddy is none other than Subject Artemis.

When Eleanor hears Dr. Reid’s name, she recognizes it from her father’s memories. Back in the late 1800s, an Englishman with the surname Reid married “beneath his station” and then left for America rather than deal with his family’s criticism and High British society’s disdain. Somewhere along the way, the “i” in Reid was exchanged for a second “e”, making it “Reed”. 

Right after World War I, back when it was the “Great War” or the “European War”, the Reeds in America learned about a member of their family back in Britain, a “Dr. Jonathan Emmet Reid”, who had disappeared shortly after arriving back in London during a particularly bad stretch of the Spanish Flu. Charles had wanted to honor a family member who was also a veteran of the First World War, and thus, “Jonathan Emmet Reed” had gotten his name.  

Despite noticing Dr. Reid’s reaction to her (adopted) surname, Eleanor decides it’s best to hold off investigating possible familial relations. Besides, he can’t be “the” Dr. Jonathan Reid; that was forty years ago!

Dr. Reid and Lady Ashbury explain that they were investigating the origin of a Big Sister that was killed in London. The trail led them to Rapture, where they arrived shortly before Tenenbaum, Porter, and Eleanor escaped themselves. Having lost the chance to get out with them, Reid and Ashbury elected to help out Artemis with preparing for their return.

A little while afterwards, a man by the name of “Orrin Oscar Lutwidge” arrived in Rapture. From what they’ve learned of the man, he aided Andrew Ryan in building Rapture and keeping it a secret, only to become incensed when Ryan didn’t allow him to take up residence. He managed to come to Rapture by himself, only to find in the midst of its Civil War. He left prior to Jack’s own arrival, but has returned.

The first thing Orrin did was to bring order to the splicers by giving them ADAM from the corpse of Dr. Alexander “Alex the Great” Gilbert. With the former members of the Rapture Family now in his thrall, he sent them out to gather the bounty of Rapture for himself, so that he could bring its technological advances to the surface and make a fortune.

Something was greatly wrong with that ADAM, however. The splicers who took the ADAM from Alex the Great’s corpse became more and more aggressive, insane, and finally animalistic, their bodies mutating further into the monstrosities they’ve faced just now. Most splicers have become these Mutants, leaving few original splicers and unspliced individuals alive. The final de-evolution of Rapture has arrived.

Liz has an “episode” right there, just like when she was in Rapture trying to save Sally: A gothic city, its streets a confusing maze of twists and turns, its citizens either turned into slavering monsters or hiding in their homes in terror. A masked figure wearing a tricorn hat and armed with strange weapons is the only one to stand against the monsters in the end.

When Liz’s episode ends, she apologizes as Jack gives her a bandage to wipe off the blood leaking from her nose. She can’t help but notice Dr. Reid and Lady Ashbury’s eyes flicking to her nose before quickly looking away, an odd look like hunger in their eyes.

Orrin Lutwidge has sequestered himself in Arcadia. To protect himself from the Mutants, he has enlisted the services of the “Diamond Partners”, a group of veterans from the Rapture Civil War. They were part of Sinclair Solution’s “Home Consumer Rewards Program”, testing “products” for “home defense” during the war. The best of the best, they banded together after the war to work for the highest bidder. Right now, the highest bidder is Lutwdge and he’s getting out of Rapture, one way or another.

When Eleanor asks about the Big Sisters, she learns that after Sofia Lamb’s disappearance and the dissolution of the Rapture Family, the Big Sisters just up and left. They seem to have withdrawn into the old Little Sister’s Orphanages; anyone who goes into them, unspliced, spliced, or Mutant, is never seen again. Sometimes, they are heard though, screaming very briefly.

Thankfully, Subject Artemis, Dr. Reid, and Lady Ashbury have been largely successful in rescuing the unspliced survivors and escorting them to the safety of Minerva’s Den. There, they’ve gathered food, weapons, ammunition, first aid kits, and enough ADAM to splice an army. 

Funnily enough, the Robotic Little Sisters from McClendon’s Robotics in Minerva’s Den have been great for that last job. Unlike the mindless Bouncers, Rosies, Rumblers, and Lancers, Alpha Series Big Daddies are perfect for this; they don’t need to be bonded to the Little Sister to protect them, and thus, the Little Sister doesn’t need to a little girl at all.

Right now, they all need to get to Andrew Ryan’s Office to shut off Rapture’s defenses. Otherwise, their evacuation is going to go very slowly. Also, they need Tenenbaum to come down and figure out how to alter SERPENT to be able to cure this new kind of ADAM, or make an entirely new cure altogether. 

The good news is that Dr. Reed has been studying the new ADAM and has a good understanding of how it works and what they need a cure to be able to do. The bad news is that they don’t have much time; the Mutants are constantly evolving, and how long will it be until they develop fully-functioning gills and are able to leave Rapture without the aid of a submersible?

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 9, 2023

Enhancement of hippocampal-thalamocortical temporal coordination during slow-frequency long-duration anterior thalamic spindles. Alizadeh, Z., Azimi, A., & Ghorbani, M. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(38), 7222–7243.

Dynamics of Hierarchical Task Representations. Cellier, D., Petersen, I. T., & Hwang, K. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(38), 7276–7284.

Causal Inference of Body Ownership in the Posterior Parietal Cortex. Chancel, M., Iriye, H., & Ehrsson, H. H. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(37), 7131–7143.

Alpha oscillations track content-specific working memory capacity. Chen, Y.-T., van Ede, F., & Kuo, B.-C. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(38), 7285–7293.

Tonic and phasic effects of reward on the pupil: implications for locus coeruleus function. Cole, L., Lightman, S., Clark, R., & Gilchrist, I. D. (2022). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 289(1982).

Circadian rhythmicity of pain sensitivity in humans. Daguet, I., Raverot, V., Bouhassira, D., & Gronfier, C. (2022). Brain, 145(9), 3225–3235.

Observers penalize decision makers whose risk preferences are unaffected by loss–gain framing. Dorison, C. A., & Heller, B. H. (2022). Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 151(9), 2043–2059.

Local field potentials reflect cortical population dynamics in a region-specific and frequency-dependent manner. Gallego-Carracedo, C., Perich, M. G., Chowdhury, R. H., Miller, L. E., & Gallego, J. Á. (2022). eLife, 11, e73155.

Two types of motor inhibition after action errors in humans. Guan, Y., & Wessel, J. R. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(38), 7267–7275.

Reverse engineering of metacognition. Guggenmos, M. (2022). eLife, 11, e75420.

Human value learning and representation reflect rational adaptation to task demands. Juechems, K., Altun, T., Hira, R., & Jarvstad, A. (2022). Nature Human Behaviour, 6(9), 1268–1279.

Direct eye gaze enhances the ventriloquism effect. Lavan, N., Chan, W. Y., Zhuang, Y., Mareschal, I., & Shergill, S. S. (2022). Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 84(7), 2293–2302.

Task specificity in mouse parietal cortex. Lee, J. J., Krumin, M., Harris, K. D., & Carandini, M. (2022). Neuron, 110(18), 2961-2969.e5.

Scene memories are biased toward high-probability views. Lin, F., Hafri, A., & Bonner, M. F. (2022). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 48(10), 1116–1129.

Social inferences from physical evidence via bayesian event reconstruction. Lopez-Brau, M., Kwon, J., & Jara-Ettinger, J. (2022). Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 151(9), 2029–2042.

Controllability boosts neural and cognitive signatures of changes-of-mind in uncertain environments. Rouault, M., Weiss, A., Lee, J. K., Drugowitsch, J., Chambon, V., & Wyart, V. (2022). eLife, 11, e75038.

How does visual working memory solve the binding problem? Shepherdson, P., Hell, L., & Oberauer, K. (2022). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 48(10), 1137–1152.

Dynamics and Mechanisms of Contrast-Dependent Modulation of Spatial-Frequency Tuning in the Early Visual Cortex. Tanaka, H., & Sawada, R. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(37), 7047–7059.

Reward prediction errors, not sensory prediction errors, play a major role in model selection in human reinforcement learning. Wu, Y., Morita, M., & Izawa, J. (2022). Neural Networks, 154, 109–121.

Common Neural Mechanisms Control Attention and Working Memory. Zhou, Y., Curtis, C. E., Sreenivasan, K. K., & Fougnie, D. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(37), 7110–7120.

[mermaid886]

As they enjoyed their bath, Harriet chatted about their day, completely unsuspecting of Severus’s plans to propose.

“Professor Sprout said the greenhouse may need more Butterfly-Wing Tonic for the spring too……” Harriet went on, “I don’t think I mentioned it earlier, but she stopped by while you were out.”

Severus gazed at Harriet in silent adoration while she spoke.

The weight of her plump breasts made him want to lean forward and steal what remained of his child’s sustenance.

The marks that lined Harriet’s soft abdomen served as a physical reminder she had borne his daughter.

Harriet had been slender all her life, but the small amount of added softness on her most delicious bits had given Severus something lucious to hold onto during-

“........Sev?” She interrupted his musings as she gasped in consternation, “Are you listening?”

Although she pretended to be annoyed, she couldn’t help but delight in her alpha’s hungry gaze.

“Forgive me, my love…….” Severus whispered as his black stare bore into her, “Your beauty distracted me.”

——————————————————————-

[star-crossed-juliet]

In Love and Loss

It was quite a long time before Juliet left Jason and Dane. Both of them clearly crashing a bit again. She'd made it clear that she was only leaving long enough to sort out food for them, whether they actually ended up eating it or not. But still, she made them a full meal and then decided to give them a bit of breathing room for the time being.

She made her way back down to the front of the shop, a full plate of food in her hands. Desmond wasn't sleeping, even despite the time of night. A common theme for the four of them that night, apparently. She passed him the food, which he took without arguing, though he only set it on his lap. Juliet sat down next to him on the steps, looking over at him briefly before turning her gaze up to the moon. "I don't blame you if you have no appetite. It's understandable."

He grunted a bit, rather than properly replying. Not a people person, from the memories of what she'd been told by Ivy and Thaddy. Though the bits she'd heard from him were few and far between. But he was the love of Thaddeus' life, and that meant that he meant something to Juliet too. "They told me that he threw you back through the portal," she added after a moment. "And that you've worked for Marcus." She noticed him wince. "And I can tell that's a bit of a grey area for you and them... but it isn't for me."

Desmond's brow furrowed as he took in the shifter. He knew well enough who she was, both from the bits he'd heard from Thaddeus, to her characteristic closeness with nearly every powerful warlock in Chicago, and having been on the arm of the pack's alpha--or, at least, the only alpha of note for an onlooker's sake. Juliet Pierce. He'd imagined her demeanor to be similar enough to how she was presenting herself now, but that statement still managed to take him aback. "Rather a lot of confidence to have in a stranger," he replied, his voice somewhat hoarse from tiredness and lack of use.

Juliet smiled at that, shrugging her shoulders. "I trust Ivy's judgement implicitly... after all, it's not like you could hide anything from her. And Thaddeus does love you, so that doesn't hurt your case either."

The comment about Ivy filled him with another wave of guilt. Because some part of him was convinced that this could have all been avoided if he'd been quicker, sought Ivy out the second he realized she wasn't in the shop when him and Thaddeus arrived. Poor kid might know a lot, but it didn't mean she knew what she was in for. Not truly. "She's a nice girl. Shocking that she was raised by Ophien," he half-joked, though the humor fell rather flat in the moment.

A bit of laughter from Juliet surprised the both of them. "He's more of a softie than we all give him credit for. But yes, she's a good kid."

Silence fell again, that choking reality settling upon them. And it hurt. Desperately.

"You know you can head home to get a bit of rest if you want to," Juliet said eventually. "I'll be happy to stand guard."

Des considered the idea, sighing slightly. "In a bit, maybe. I just..."

"I know... you don't want to miss any updates."

Another beat of silence. "You really love them, don't you?"

She looked up at him, examining the sad-eyed warlock before she nodded. "With all my heart. They're my family. And I've never been the type to consider that to be blood relations only." Juliet reached over to place her hand on top of Desmond's, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You are too. And I fight tooth and nail for my family... We'll get them back."

Her words were a tonic as much as a worry, but he tried to take it for a positive for once. For now, at least. He returned the squeeze of her hand. "Thank you, Juliet."

She offered him a warm smile. "No need to thank me, Desmond."

And then their focus shifted back to the idle noise of the night streets, with watchful eyes intent on protecting the last of them left.