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magicalbats · 5 months ago

Text

Fantasies Play Out

Rating: R-18+

Word Count: 18.921

Warnings: aphrodisiacs, pining & yearning, pathetic soggy men. femdom, overstimulation, handjobs, PIV, cowgirl position, dacryphilia, rimming, anal fingering, prostate massage, edging & orgasm denial

A/N: Alright, here's my longest comm yet. I'm so, so happy the commissioner gave me permission to post this because I simply MUST continue to spread my femdom agenda, and what better candidate exists for tribute than Kaveh? lol This was written using one of the lovely @tearsofcalamity's OC's, her name is Jeanne and she's ... quite the woman, haha. If you're anything like me you shouldn't have any problem at all self inserting with the text left as is so ... please enjoy! ❤️

⭐

Peering sullenly into his open wallet, Kaveh breathes out a single lamentable sigh over how much lighter it now was. Practically empty by all accounts, and what little mora he did have left would go very quickly. This he knew a little too well.

He was struggling. No ifs, ands or buts about that. Between trying to stay caught up on the rent and his considerable debt payments (which hardly even put a dent in the total sum he owed to the renowned Lord Sangemah Bay) as well as the quite necessary bottles of wine he purchased for himself at the taverns and the shops, it was all going to be gone again in frustratingly quick order. And he’d only just returned from his most recent job out in the arid desert too. What a shame.

It couldn’t be helped though. He’d needed these components for Mehrak and there wasn’t any getting around the costly price tag that came with them when one was working with a piece of complicated machinery as old and mysterious as his little helper was. He couldn’t exactly begrudge her for that. Mehrak may have been a costly sinkhole, an extra expense he hadn’t needed, but she was also an exceptionally good assistant. And, well. Perhaps she also helped chase away some of the isolated loneliness he’d felt closing in around him since he’d lost everything he’d worked so hard for, but there was no sense in dwelling unnecessarily on that.

Mournfully clasping the purse shut and tucking it away into the safety of his pocket, Kaveh says to the ironworks shopkeep, “Thank you, Rahid. I appreciate you always keeping these bits and baubles on hand for me.”

Because of course Mehrak needed parts of a very specific dimension that weren’t found anywhere else in modern Sumeru so they needed to be custom made. A costly sinkhole indeed.

Sitting behind the counter, the elderly man sends him what can only be a sympathetic look from under the bushy, dusted gray droop of his eyebrows. He was happy to make the petite screws and nuts, and odd shaped bolts Kaveh needed since it kept food on his family table but evidently he wasn’t without his scruples. He’d certainly been around long enough to recognize when someone was limping steadily towards his last leg, yet he could only discount his wares so much without giving them away for free.

His sympathy just makes the blond’s stomach flip in on itself though, and he quickly busies himself with gathering up the handful of metal pieces laid out between them on the counter of the small shop. Pity was the very last thing he needed right now.

“You should take it easy, old friend. You’ve been working an awful lot lately.” Rahid says in his usual low rumble, his voice permanently raspy after a lifetime spent working the forges, breathing in all the hot steam and iron smoke of his craft.

“Ah, thank you but I’m afraid I don’t have any time for that at the moment. Someone is always in need of an architect, aren’t they? Busy, busy, busy.” Kaveh tries for nonchalant, tries to laugh it off like it’s no big deal as he slips Mehrak’s new screws into his other pocket where they wouldn’t stab him the next time he reaches for his wallet, but Rahid hardly seems convinced.

In fact, the way he stares at him over the counter would seem to suggest that he could smell bullshit from a mile away, and he wasn’t impressed with Kaveh’s attempt at deflection.

His deliberately casual laughter quickly morphs into nervous chuckling. “Hey, now. What’s with that look, huh?”

Rahid narrows his eyes as if he wanted to give Kaveh a right and proper tongue lashing but says instead, “Well, as true as that may be - and I don’t doubt that it is given the quality of your work - you should still make some time for yourself. Take it from an old coot like me. You’re still young and capable. Don’t get so focused on your livelihood that you forget to live a little. You’ll regret it when you get to be my age. Surely there are some girls around the city who have caught your eye that you’d like to get to know?”

Well, there was one, but she wasn’t from the city, or even Sumeru for that matter.

She also wasn’t what Kaveh would call a girl either.

Thoughts drifting idly to Jeanne only to inevitably take up camp there, Kaveh decides that she’s all woman and what a woman she was.

Fontainian by birth and blood, she was an enforcement officer of the Maison Gardiennage who came to Sumeru on business with some amount of regularity. What that entailed was more often than not tracking down scoundrels that thought escaping to the opposite shore of the vast sea would save them from her wrath, or mora hungry merchants with a penchant for trouble and a bit too much free time on their hands.

They’d happened to run into each other during one such incident involving a Fontaine trader who was underreporting his earnings to avoid paying all the taxes he owed. Having been in the wrong place at the right time, Kaveh, young and just as naive as he was now, had very nearly gotten duped out of a month's worth of pay by the shady businessman. But then Jeanne suddenly appeared like the hero in a storybook to interrupt the transaction before it was too late, saving him from what, in retrospect, had clearly been a scam. She’d made quick work of the lout and the two of them had become fast friends after that. Even now it struck Kaveh as being curiously fateful, that initial encounter. Like he was some hapless damsel in distress and Jeanne the noble chevalier of justice.

But that was about where the fanciful tale ended. Years later they were still just friends despite Kaveh’s occasionally wistful thoughts to the contrary of someday being more and it’s not as if anyone could really fault him for that.

Jeanne wasn't only pretty, she was downright stunning. And not in spite of the bisecting scars that ran across her face but because of them. He’d never seen someone quite so beautiful or captivating, and he more than anyone else had an eye for that sort of thing. There were very few in this world who understood the concept of aesthetic objectivity quite like he did, especially when others were much too focused on their own predefined subjective tastes to look past that. In many ways, Jeanne was the kind of woman he could see himself wanting to spend the rest of his life with.

Unfortunately for him, she was unflappable and largely oblivious to the puppy faced looks of wanting he’d sometimes catch himself leveling at her, especially when they were drinking together. She always seemed to think it was just the wine talking, influencing his behavior and making him more needy (and whiny) than he normally was. Of course she wasn’t exactly wrong about that, but it was beside the point. While Kaveh undoubtedly appreciated her willingness to humor him in her own curious way during such moments, it didn’t exactly do much to soothe the yearning in his heart. More than anything he wanted Jeanne to take him seriously, but it looked like that was never going to happen.

He's so caught up in these spiraling thoughts that he doesn’t even realize he’s letting out another groaning, long suffering sigh until Rahid chuckles a knowing sound in return.

“That bad, eh?”

Kaveh snaps his attention up, surprised at his own slip. “What? No. Nothing’s bad. Everything’s great, in fact.”

The aging ironworker pins him with a critical, wisened look that seems to speak volumes. Clearly there would be no fooling a man nearly triple his age who’s been around long enough to have already seen and done it all, but that doesn’t exactly make Kaveh feel any better about being so damn transparent.

“I’m afraid there’s no hiding it, boy. You can lie to yourself if you like but there’ll be no pulling one over on this old dog. I’ve heard that kind of sigh before. You’ve got a little sweetheart, don’t you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He huffs, fluster quickly creeping up on him like a potent, thrumming buzz. “She’s not little. Th — I mean. I mean she wouldn’t be, if there was someone like that. But there’s not. I don’t have the time–“

“Alright, alright,” Rahid mercifully cuts off his floundering with a wave of his wrinkled hand. “I get it. There isn’t a girl you’re soft for.”

“A woman.” Kaveh can’t help but correct him even when he knows he’s only digging his own grave deeper still.

“Yes, of course. But if there was … what would be stopping you from courting the young lady? Surely you don’t lack for confidence? A handsome and successful architect such as yourself should have no problem getting anyone at all you set your sights on.”

The blond hesitates, opening his mouth and then closing it again in favor of chewing on his bottom lip instead. He was tempted, oh, he was very tempted to lay it all bare. It’s not like he had anyone else to confide in about this sort of thing without running the risk of being laughed right out of the room. Or worse, stared at in contemptible silence and wordless judgment by the likes of that blasted Al-Haitham. He’d sooner take all his secrets to the afterlife before ever trying to have a discussion like this with the scribe.

But Rahid was an old friend whom Kaveh has known for many years now and a decidedly trustworthy individual. He’d never sold him faulty parts or tried to price gouge him, hadn’t even asked what he needed these peculiar components for like many others might have. If there was anyone who could be trusted with this information it was probably him.

Cautiously, Kaveh sends him a slow look of consideration. “Hypothetically speaking?”

The old man nods in agreement. “Aye. Hypothetically.”

“Well … if there were someone — and do keep in mind that this is purely speculative conjecture — if there were someone like that and they genuinely didn’t seem to realize I wanted to pursue them, what else could I possibly do to get my feelings across? Especially if they don’t even live here and I only get to see them on occasion …”

Rahid lifts his brows in surprise. “She’s not from Sumeru?”

“Hypothetically!”

“Hmm. Well, I can see how that might cause you some trouble then. Trying to make a long distance relationship work is always hard. But, tell me boy, have you actually told her what you’ve just told me?”

“I — I have, just … not in quite so many words, I guess.” Feeling his cheeks grow hot at the unbidden memory of grumbling out a half baked attempt to flirt with her the last time Jeanne had been in town, Kaveh drops his gaze and anxiously shifts from one foot to the other. It hadn’t worked, of course. He’d been so drunk and vibrating with liquid courage that he couldn’t even remember what exactly he’d said to her. All he knew with any certainty was that she’d softly tutted at him that he’d had enough for one night before wandering off to fetch him a glass of water. The lingering embarrassment was almost enough to make him feel faint.

But at Rahid’s pressing sound of encouragement, Kaveh jumps at the chance and recounts the whole sorry tale to him in an impulsive rush that comes pouring from his mouth, unable to stop it even if he’d wanted to. He tells the old man everything; how they met, how simultaneously wonderful and imposing Jeanne could be at the same time and yet how oblivious she still seemed regarding his feelings. He even lamented, ad nauseum, how she never lost her composure while they were drinking long into the night together and how he couldn’t figure out how to crack her shell because of it.

Eyes brightening at that last bit, Rahid abruptly leans forward against the rickety counter as if in great interest. “That right there sounds like your chance, boy. If she won’t hear you out sober, then you should do it when her guard is down. Everyone is more open to suggestions when they’ve got alcohol in them.”

“But that’s the problem. No matter how much she drinks, she never lets her guard down. I don’t exactly consider myself a lightweight but she’s got the tolerance of a bear!”

“I see.” Murmuring thoughtfully, Rahid leans back to cross his arms in consideration. It’s clear he’s pondering over something with all the appropriate weight and gravitas the situation calls for. But he reaches his conclusion surprisingly quickly — much more quickly than Kaveh could ever make up his mind — and he stands with a soft scrape of his stool against the shop's floorboards. “Give me a moment. I think I may have something that could help you.”

Blinking owlishly, Kaveh tracks his steps over to a stout cabinet pushed up against the side wall where he slides open one of the drawers with a dull jostle.

“What do you mean? Don’t tell me you’ve got some hundred year old snake wine waiting on standby for just such an occasion or something?”

“Ehh, not quite. But this should do just as well, if not better. Here we are.” Pulling out something that remains unseen in his blocky fist, Rahid closes the drawer back up and returns to the counter. Kaveh isn’t quite sure what to expect, but the petite glass vial he holds out to him is somehow the very last thing he could have guessed. There’s a faintly pinkish liquid inside that sloshes against the interior at the slightest shift and, squinting, Kaveh leans closer to get a better look.

“What is that, some sort of alchemical potion?”

“You’re not wrong, but you’re not exactly right either. Just take it. Trust me. You’ll be grateful you did the next time this young lady is in Sumeru. A few drops of this in her drink will have her, uh, loosening up quite a bit and you’ll have your chance to talk to her as much as you want.”

Kaveh shoots him a plainly horrified glance. “Are you telling me to drug her? She’ll kill me, Rahid, have you lost your mind?”

“Archons above, this isn’t going to incapacitate her or nothing like that. Relax. My wife and I use this stuff to get in the mood with one another in our old age, that’s all. It just helps us with the warm up, if you get what I’m saying.”

The blond offers a soft sound of enlightenment as if he understood perfectly now but, given the way Rahid critically eyes him, it’s clear the older man isn’t entirely convinced he does.

For better or worse Kaveh is much too preoccupied with staring at the small vial in rapt fascination to notice though, and his hands idly clench into greedy fists where they’re braced against the counter. Regardless of his understanding or not, there was no denying the wisdom in Rahid’s suggestion. If Jeanne wouldn’t allow herself to drop her walls naturally then giving her a little nudge in the right direction was just the logical next step, wasn’t it? He was always much more loose lipped with a few drinks in him so if he could coax her into being the same …

This really might be the thing that would finally tip the scales in his favor where the Fontanian woman was concerned.

“How … how much would you want for that?” He finally brings himself to ask.

“Nothing, old friend.” The soft note of sympathy in his voice is clear as day, and it brings Kaveh’s attention up with a snap. Ignoring his hurried protests, Rahid reaches across the counter and bullies the glass bottle into his fumbling hands, adamantly refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer. “Like I said, just take it. You need it more than I do, don’t you boy? My wife and I can get by without. Besides, it sounds like your situation is much more dire anyway. Just promise me you’ll take a break from working so much and put it to good use, eh?”

Gently cradling the vial in his palms like it was some sort of precious, highly fragile artifact, Kaveh gropes for something to say. He couldn’t very well let it slip that he didn’t have much choice and reveal just how far from grace he’d fallen in the process, not without permanently staining his reputation as a capable and respected graduate of the Akademiya.

But the greater meaning behind this gesture is not lost on him. Not by a long shot, and he finally settles on, “Thank you, Rahid. A thousand times, thank you. I hope you know how much I appreciate this.”

Dismissing him with a brief wave of his hand, the old man quickly turns away, giving him his back. “Not another word about it, Kaveh. Now get out of here. Before I change my mind.” Then, like an afterthought, he adds, “I’ll make sure to have more of those components on hand for the next time you need them. Take care of yourself out there.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The little bell over the door chimes a merry sound as he steps out into the street and the humidity dense, year-long heat of Sumeru. The city is a constant buzz of noise and bustling activity, myriad smells from nearby cafes and vendors, but Kaveh hardly notices any of it while he makes his way down the road. His attention is all for the petite vial in his hand, so slight yet monumentally heavy against his palm.

It was strange to think that something this small and seemingly benign could potentially be the answer to at least one of the many problems in his life. But as they say, matters of the heart are some of the most significant and challenging one can face, and he was inclined to agree.

Financial problems could be parsed and sorted out in due time. Hell, even his living arrangements seemed stable enough for him not to have to worry about it too much at the current moment. Al-Haitham, for all of his bad attitude and unreasonable nature, seemed perfectly content with the way things were, even if Kaveh did sometimes suspect he’d only reached out a hand to lorde it over his head. Did that really mean it was okay for him to be expending this sort of energy on the issue of Jeanne rather than any of his other troubles though?

“Well,” He murmurs softly under his breath, consideringly turning the bottle this way and that to watch how the rosy liquid inside reflects in the sunlight. “There’s no telling when I’ll even get to see her again so I think this should be fine. At least I’m prepared now.”

Which was more than could be said before that exchange with Rahid. He’d have to remember to thank him properly for it later when he was back on his feet again, especially if the mysterious concoction ended up working a veritable miracle. Hopefully that wouldn’t be too far out in the future.

Moreover though, the implication of what he was holding in his hand was a bit too tempting for him to think any better of it or reconsider his ready acceptance of this gift. Rahid had only said it would loosen her up but what exactly did that entail? He’d never seen her lose her composure before so Kaveh had no idea what that might look like. Would a truly inebriated Jeanne be clingy and soft with him? Prone to whining, the way he sometimes was? Or perhaps she would allow herself to laugh more openly, more freely without her self imposed walls there holding her back.

The thought alone makes him huff a quiet laugh as he makes the turn into the packed market square, intending to cut through to get home a little quicker. “Yeah right, maybe when shroomboars sprout wings and fly. That would be awfully cute though …”

And if her lips were loosened enough to coax a long anticipated yet never realized confession out of her? All the better then. She may not have taken him or any of his prior attempts at flirting seriously but surely she wouldn’t discredit her own actions once everything was said and done, right?

Feeling oddly optimistic about the situation, Kaveh lifts his head to pay attention to where he’s going only to damn near drop the bottle in surprise when his eyes immediately alight upon a tall figure. The height as much as the manner of dress makes her stand out in the crowd, a feathered cap and a heavy coat worn over the shoulders that are at complete odds with the common attire. The burgundy red hair is what truly strikes a familiar note of wanting in his heart though, and he comes to an abrupt, lurching halt to stare at her in disbelief.

She hasn’t noticed him just yet, only halfway through the motion of turning away from the owner of the shawarma stall she’d stopped at, but it didn’t really matter. He still recognized her on such an intrinsic, bone deep level that a shock of static electricity promptly surges through his entire body to set him abuzz from head to toe. Mouth going drier than the desert plains, he openly gapes at her like a beached fish.

She notices him standing there another heartbeat later and, blinking at him in her closest approximation of startlement, Jeanne moves to face him. “Oh, what a coincidence. I was just on my way to pay you a visit. How have you been?”

Kaveh fumbles desperately for something intelligent to say, coming up decidedly empty handed. It was like just the sight of her had short circuited his brain so beyond repair that no amount of trying to kick start it back into gear was working. There was simply no way, no way she’d just so happened to appear before him like this though. Was someone playing a cruel joke on him? Or had he finally cracked under the building pressure piling up around him and he was now hallucinating the singular object of his desires?

But the longer he goes without responding the more her usually stoic expression pinches in vague concern, and he finally has to force himself to clear his throat with a rough cough so he can speak. “I - I’m fine. Good. Better than ever, in fact. What about you? I wasn’t … I didn’t expect to run into you like this.”

Her suspicions evidently alleviated, Jeanne allows her expression to fall back to her usual neutral mask again. “I'm well. I thought about sending you a letter of correspondence prior to my arrival but I figured a surprise would do just as well. It’s not often I get the chance to drop in unexpectedly like this, after all. And for the better, it seems. Were you just on your way home?”

“Oh, yes, I was just …” Kaveh trails off when a cold note of terror races down his spine. She didn’t yet know he’d lost everything. All of his furniture, his house, his beautifully maintained garden on the veranda that now belonged to someone else who’d no doubt swooped in like a vulture to buy up the gorgeous property he’d had no choice but to sell. He didn’t have a home to go back to unless you counted Al-Haitham’s largely minimal space and there wasn’t a god strong enough in this world or any other that could make him take her there. Even if she had sent him a letter there was a very real chance he never would have gotten it.

“Kaveh?” Jeanne’s voice breaks through the muddled mess in his head as abruptly as if she’d sucker punched him, and he snaps out of it with a jolt. “Are you quite alright? You look a little pale to me.”

“I’m fine!” He insists, a bit more loudly than he’d intended, only to grimace when she narrows her eyes again with renewed suspicion. “Sorry, sorry. I promise I’m fine, honest.” He quickly tries again, much more softly this time. “I just got back from a job out near Aaru Village, that’s all. I guess I’m still feeling a bit fatigued but it shouldn’t be anything a glass or two of wine won’t fix, haha… Come on. What do you say? For old times’ sake?”

At his nervous attempt at laughter, Jeanne breathes out a quiet sigh and shakes her head. “Wine isn’t the solution to all of life’s problems, Kaveh. Haven’t I told you that before?”

“Well, you’re not wrong of course, but in this case it most certainly is. You’ll see. Why don’t we just go down to Lambad’s for a drink? You’ve already got a snack to go with it.”

Kaveh gestures towards the single serving of shawarma clasped in her hand and, as if she’d forgotten she was even holding it, Jeanne contemplatively glances down at the shishkabob skewer. Taking his chance while she’s not looking, he covertly slides the little vial into his pocket and safely out of sight before she can notice it. He hadn’t quite gotten so far as figuring out how he was going to slip a few drops of the mysterious substance into whatever she was drinking but thankfully she wouldn’t have reason to question him about it just yet. That solved at least one of the many problems her sudden appearance had presented.

Now he only needed to stall her long enough to decide what he was going to tell her regarding his living situation. One issue at a time here.

“I suppose I could do with a drink.” She says, bringing her attention back up just as he’s withdrawing his now empty hand from his pocket. “But you need to hydrate yourself before anything else if you’re feeling unwell after your travels. Promise me you’ll make sure to drink some water when we get there?”

“Deal.” He gratefully blurts even as his heart gives a dully subdued flutter inside his chest. Jeanne, feared enforcer of Fontaine and scourge of all wrongdoers, worried about him? Kaveh would’ve been tempted to giggle over it like a schoolgirl had he not been so weak in the knees with relief. As long as he could keep her distracted enough that she didn’t start asking any prying questions, there was a very real chance he could still salvage this.

Nodding once to indicate that the decision has been made, Jeanne leans down as if to grab the stately, heavy looking luggage at her feet. But even in his frazzled state Kaveh is still quick to jump into action and he lunges forward, snatching it up off the ground before she can. He falters though at the weight, a small grunt leaving him when he encounters more resistance than he’d anticipated. He quickly recovers though and bounces upright again with a victorious grin aimed at her even as his arm threatens to buckle under the weight of his new burden.

Not looking particularly amused, she levels him with a frown. “You needn’t concern yourself with that, Kaveh. I’m perfectly capable of carrying my own suitcase, seeing as I’ve been doing just that up until now.”

“I know that but please, I insist. Isn’t this what they call chivalry back in Fontaine? I’m just making sure you feel at home, that’s all.”

She tries to fight it but a brief, rueful smile still manages to grace her mouth. It’s as beautiful as it is fleeting, and Kaveh has to work very hard to keep his free hand from coming up to touch at the spot over his chest where his heartbeat is pounding out a staccato rhythm. He really did have it bad. Not that that comes as a surprise when he’d already known full well but there was something reassuring in having such a tangible confirmation that his feelings for her haven’t changed or lessened one bit since the last time they’d met for a meal and drinks.

It fills him with a fresh surge of hope for the prospects of this unexpected chance encounter as they start to make their way down the road together. Still, though, he can’t shake the feeling that something seemed a bit unusual about her demeanor this time. Far be it that he was complaining but Jeanne wasn’t typically in the habit of being so laid back or relaxed, and that makes him shoot her a curious look. Her posture was as proud as ever yet seemingly less severe in the set of her shoulders and the sure sway of her hips. Most anyone else probably wouldn’t have caught on that anything at all was different but he certainly had.

“You must have only just gotten here if you haven’t even dropped off your luggage yet. Talk about good timing. And forgive me for being blunt but you seem to be in a good mood today. What kind of job are you here for this time?”

Another small smile pulls at her mouth, but this time it doesn’t immediately disappear. “There is no job. I’m on vacation. Lucky me, right?”

Kaveh’s lips slowly part. She’d been given holiday from her obligations within the Gardiennage and she’d decided to spend that time in Sumeru? With him? He almost doesn’t believe his own ears even as he blurts, “Oh, that’s wonderful! You’re always working so hard, you’ve certainly earned yourself a break by now. But … you could have gone anywhere, right? Why here?”

Jeanne sends him a lingering glance that he can’t decipher quickly enough before she turns her attention forward again with a quiet sniff. “Why not? I like it in Sumeru, and it’s not a very long trip. I’m familiar enough with the roads and the people that it just seemed like the logical conclusion.”

“Ah, right. The old stomping grounds, eh?” He laughs, trying to cover up the distant note of disappointment that creeps in. Of course she wouldn’t choose to come here for him, specifically. He was just one of probably many faces that made up the familiar tapestry of the foreign city in her mind. His wishful thinking was going to get him in trouble some day.

The physical manifestation of that was a heavy burden in his pocket that he couldn’t ignore when each step seemed to emphasize the weight of the vial resting against his thigh. Perhaps accepting Rahid’s offer had been a mistake after all. If there was nothing there in the first place then no amount of loosening up was going to improve his situation with her, would it?

And that was to say nothing of the fact that he still had no idea what to tell her about his descent into poverty.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lambad’s Tavern isn’t particularly busy in the middle of the day but it’s not quite empty either, so Kaveh makes a point of picking out a secluded booth seat in the far back corner. He’d cited wanting to be away from the oud player and the crowd naturally drawn in by live music when she’d given him an odd look, but in reality he’d needed the relative privacy to get his head on straight.

Over an hour later and he still hasn’t quite accomplished that, nor has he made a single decision on how to proceed from here. Not whether to tell her the truth or come up with a convenient excuse as to why he couldn’t invite her back to his place for a nightcap as he customarily did. Not whether to slip her some of the pink concoction when she wasn’t looking or toss it in the trash at his earliest opportunity to be rid of the evidence. Kaveh wasn’t normally this hesitant or irresolute but the situation was so littered with proverbial land mines that he feared making the wrong move a little too much to make any move at all.

And Jeanne, in all the splendor and glow of the relaxed mood brought about by her holiday away from the court of Fontaine, was not making it any easier on him.

“I did miss having your company, you know. Since I’m not on the clock this time I say we try to make the most of it while we can. I think we should go sightseeing together, actually.” She says, perfectly casual about it while she picks up her stout goblet from the table and takes a sip. He can’t help watching from the corner of his eye how the elegant line of her throat daintily bobs with the swallow but he quickly averts his gaze before she can notice.

There was very little he wouldn’t give to press his mouth to that pale strip of flesh and nuzzle into her pulse. He felt like he was going mad. Jeanne de la Roche herself wanted to spend that much time with him? Willingly? It almost seemed too good to be true.

“It occurred to me that I haven’t ventured out from the capital city or the port towns very much,” Jeanne goes on, idly swirling the glass in her hand now. “But Sumeru is a rather large country, isn’t it? I should think I’d like to see more of it.”

Eager to busy himself with something so he can hide his jittery nerves, Kaveh leans forward to take up the decanter from the table and refills his own cup. He knew he was drinking a little too fast for a situation as precarious as this one but it couldn’t be helped. It would’ve seemed far more strange if he’d hardly touched his wine at all after pleading with her to come here.

“Why, of course we can.” He tells her as amicably as he can manage. “I already have a few places in mind that I’d love to show you. I’m probably not the best candidate to play tour guide but … if you think you’re up for it, I can probably move some stuff around in my schedule.”

Never mind the fact he didn’t yet have another job lined up after only just completing the last. His financial troubles had forced him to be a little more cautious about where and how he spent his time. Long gone were the days where he could leisurely mingle at the parties and grand openings hosted by wealthy businessmen or dignitaries who were keen on networking with him lest he run the risk of his secret getting out. Reputation was, unfortunately, a key factor in such stuffy social circles and he’d largely distanced himself from that particular crowd under the guise of being too busy to humor them. It was a vicious cycle and he could feel the pressure steadily closing in around him even now.

But Jeanne didn’t need to know that. She’d probably understand it, given her own experiences dealing with courtiers and unreasonable noblemen who were accustomed to things being done a certain way, but he didn’t want to unload all of his woes on her. Not yet.

Or preferably ever, if he was lucky enough to get out of it entirely.

And she seems pleased enough with his willingness to accommodate her that he’s certain he’s made the right choice. Her smile is private and brief when she flashes it at him, but the teal of her eyes takes on a stunning warmth that very nearly makes his heart give out on the spot.

“Excellent. Of course I won’t take up all of your time though. I know just how busy you usually are but I must admit I’m looking forward to it. Are you certain a day or two of exploring Sumeru’s countryside together won’t hurt your productivity too much?”

“Certainly not.” He swallows hard. “I’m looking forward to having a break of my own. All the better if it’s with you.”

Offering up a brief sound of agreement, Jeanne thoughtfully glances down into her cup with that same secretive smile still in place. It strikes him as oddly curious, like there was more at play behind her good mood than just the vacation or the drink, but as always she doesn’t allow him enough time to parse what it might mean.

Unfolding her legs where they’d been neatly crossed one over the other, she sets her goblet back down on the table and rises to her feet. “Then it’s settled. Excuse me for just a moment. I’m afraid I need to visit the powder room.”

“Please, take your time.” He murmurs, attentively watching as she steps out from the booth before disappearing further into the tavern. Kaveh feels vaguely like a clingy puppy at the vague sense of loss that comes with watching her go but he quickly snaps himself out of it.

This was his chance, wasn’t it?

Surreptitiously, he glances at the glass she’s left behind. It would be all too easy to slip a few drops into her drink and no one would be none the wiser when their table was sequestered in the far back corner, away from where any prying eyes would be able to see it. Except he still hadn’t quite made up his mind yet. Was this a step too far? Would he be breaking some unspoken trust between them if he went through with this?

The clock was ticking. He’d have to make his decision fast.

“Dammit,” Cursing under his breath, Kaveh fumbles to get his hand inside his pocket. The glass vial feels warm from his own body heat as he wraps his long fingers around its slight circumference but he hardly even notices it in his flustered state. If he really went through with this … if he actually slipped her something without her knowledge …

Oh, Jeanne was going to string him up like a solstice turkey if she ever found out.

“I can’t do it.” He murmurs, hating the sinking feeling of defeat that makes his stomach feel like a solid lead weight yet he knew this was a line he just couldn’t bring himself to cross. No matter how badly he wanted to see her punch drunk and giggly (if such a Jeanne even existed) there was simply no way he’d ever be able to reconcile it with his conscience. In truth, he felt something like a slimy creep for even considering it in the first place.

So he sits there for the next odd minutes, just sullenly regarding the little vial in his hand until she comes back and slides into the booth next to him again. His slumped shoulders must catch her attention, because she leans close to him to inspect what it is he’s looking at.

“And what is this? Some sort of alchemical potion?”

That manages to make him smile. “Hah. I said the same thing, you know. A friend gave this to me. He said a few drops in your drink would increase the efficacy and make it more potent.”

Or something like that. Kaveh had been drinking a shade too fast since they got here to properly remember what exactly Rahid had told him. Not that that had been much to begin with, in retrospect.

“Hmm. Interesting.”

He’s not sure why he does it. Perhaps it’s the wine making his head feel fuzzy and muddled, or perhaps it’s nothing more than a last ditch effort on his part to win her over, but he holds it out to her in offering. “Wanna give it a try? I’m not sure how much effect it’ll actually have on you but …”

She noises a brief sound of consideration, making up her mind surprisingly quick, and giving an elegant shrug. “I don’t see why not. I can’t even remember the last time I felt truly drunk.”

“I’ve noticed that.” Numbly passing it over to her, Kaveh watches in disbelief as she uncorks the petite stopper and lifts it up to her nose for a sniff. He can hardly believe the situation would turn out this way after all the indecisive grief he’d endured leading up to this moment.

Not only had he saved himself from dealing with the long lasting guilt of doing something so nefarious behind her back but she was also willing to drink it on her own accord? It truly seemed too good to be true.

But, to his continued surprise, she does indeed reach out to position the vial over her waiting cup. A deliberate turn of her wrist sends a few pink droplets falling into the wine, dying it a faintly rust color in the center where it slowly starts to bleed out towards the edges. Jeanne appears to hesitate though, and at first he assumes she’s rethinking this decision – which he couldn’t exactly fault her for if that were the case. But then she tips the glass bottle again, spilling another healthy dose into her goblet, and his brows take a very expeditious trip up to his hairline.

“Uh, don’t you think that might be too much?”

“We’ll find out, won't we?” She shoots back, and he doesn’t realize she’s teasing him rather than issuing a challenge until she sends him a confidential smile. “It’s just as you said, Kaveh. There’s no way to know how much effect this will even have on me so I don’t see what harm it could do. You’ll have to forgive me though if I start acting like a fool. Can I trust you to watch over me if that happens?”

Kaveh starts to open his mouth, wanting to reassure her that everything is fine, of course he would, and to not give it another thought. But before he can even get a single word out she abruptly leans forward to snatch up her glass. In one smooth motion she brings it up to her mouth, tips it bottoms up, and drains what must be a good half of its contents all at once.

Eyes widening to the approximate size of dinner plates, the blond lurches forward to grab at her elbow. “Woah, woah, hey! Slow down, there’s no rush is there? Don’t — you can’t drink it that fast!”

She lowers the goblet enough to say, “And why not?” before decisively lifting it again.

“Because -“ He fumbles for something to say, anything other than the humiliating truth, even as he grips her tight in an attempt to stay her hand. It’s no use though. She’s much too strong, stronger than him by a very noticeable margin, and there’s nothing he can do to stop her from taking another healthy swig.

Such a realization probably would have hurt another man’s ego, left him feeling emasculated and lesser than. But Kaveh, on the contrary and much to his growing horror, only feels a dizzying rush of sharp edged excitement swell in his gut when her bicep powerfully flexes under his fingers. It’s like she doesn’t even notice he’s holding onto her at all and it is with a great deal of buzzing trepidation that he realizes just how easily she could have overpowered and pinned him down. It wouldn’t have even been much of an accomplishment. Despite the biological advances he naturally possessed as a man, he never could have gone toe to toe with her and hoped to come out on top.

He quickly yanks his hands away as if she’d scalded him, his breath coming out in a quick rush now. His cheeks feel like they’re positively blazing while he watches in dismay as she finishes off the rest of the wine before reaching for the decanter. This wasn’t so strange for her, in truth. Jeanne seemed to enjoy dropping some of the stuffy aristocratic manners she’d been raised on when she was with him and she could hold her alcohol perfectly well under normal circumstances. But he had no idea what effect that strange liquid was going to have on her, especially not when she’d consumed so much of it all at once.

And that was to say absolutely nothing of the unmistakable tendrils of arousal curling hot in his lower belly now.

Practically shaking, Kaveh self consciously huddles into the corner of the booth and tries to get his bearings straight again. He’d known Jeanne was physically fit and strong, of course. It was a big part of the attraction, after all. But he hadn’t fully comprehended the actual differences in their strength, not like this. He’d never had it quite so poignantly displayed right in front of his very eyes before.

And something told him he’d just made a grievous mistake when he decided to open up Pandora’s Box with that mysterious concoction.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thirty minutes later and Kaveh knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has indeed made a monumental mistake.

Jeanne, to her credit, doesn’t appear to be drunk or even particularly tipsy for that matter — not the way he and many others get, at any rate. She was still a steady, unflappable presence sitting next to him in the booth, neither faltering in an intoxicated daze nor slurring her speech like most did when they were inebriated. By all accounts she seemed to be almost entirely sober.

Except the way she looks over at him is so hungry and pointed that he feels vaguely like a cornered prey animal staring down a half starved beast. The change had come on gradually at first and then more quickly when whatever he’d slipped her really started to kick in. Now she looked like she was seconds away from pouncing on him right then and there, and he wasn’t so sure he would have had the strength of will to tell her no.

If this was Rahid’s idea of ‘warming up’ with his wife Kaveh was going to have to have another long talk with him.

In the here and now, he fumbles for something to say. Anything at all to diffuse the situation and give him a chance to figure out how to fix this newest screw up in his long list of a track record. It seemed that no matter what he did, he really just kept digging his grave deeper and deeper.

“Are you alright, Jeanne? Y - you look thirsty. Why don’t I grab you some water?”

He quickly stands, but Jeanne is just as quick to grab his wrist and tug him back down. Her fingers are reminiscent of iron manacles, and he rather helplessly collapses into the seat again. Surreptitiously glancing into her darkened expression, he decides that this would have been a rather terrifying experience had he not been so embarrassingly aroused by it. There was clearly something very wrong with him.

“No water.” She murmurs, her voice noticeably huskier than usual. If he didn’t know any better he’d think it was the sultry, intimate tone she would use with a lover in their most private of moments, and that doesn’t do much to help him fight down the erection trying to spring up in his pants. He needed to think fast.

“Alright. Can I … can I get you something else, then? Maybe something to eat? That might — it might absorb some of the … wine in your system.”

Jeanne gives her head a slow shake, burgundy forelocks swaying gently with the motion. “No. I’m not hungry for food, but thank you.”

Oh.

Unsure what else to do, Kaveh lets out a threadbare little laugh. “Ah, I - I see. Then are you in the mood for something else? I can get you whatever you want. On me, of course.”

It’s not like he had the extra money for that but it doesn’t really seem to matter. She only drops her gaze as if in thought, deeply considering something that only she was privy to in that moment.

Those cool, sea-green eyes snap back up almost immediately though.

With a single minded decisiveness that makes his heart lodge itself in his throat again, she nudges closer to him in the booth. Stammering, he quickly brings his open hands up to indicate surrender but she just reaches right past them to grab his chin without so much as pausing. Completely ignoring the surprised squawk he lets out, Jeanne rather demandingly angles his face up at her as she leans in, pressing her body right up against his side until he's practically pinned back into the seat.

She looks like she’s about to devour him whole, her entire frame practically vibrating with the urge to act on whatever is going through her head, but she manages to stop at the last possible moment. Visibly holding herself in check she takes a deep, faltering breath and lets it out on a slow exhale, trying to regain her composure.

“I’m not sure what's happening but … I think we need to leave.”

“A - are you alright?”

“I don’t know. I just suddenly feel so damn hot.” She slowly shakes her head, clearly unable to make any sense of it. It is with a great deal of effort that she forces her fingers to unlatch from his chin and she stiffly returns to her side of the booth, panting softly under her breath.

Kaveh can’t help the worried guilt that rushes over him as he takes in her new demeanor, the hunched set of her shoulders and the fine sheen of sweat starting to form across her face. If he didn’t know any better he’d think she was suddenly coming down with a cold. This was not at all what he’d expected to happen based on Rahid’s vague description but, well. She had consumed more than just a few drops worth. He just hoped it wasn’t making her sick.

“It’s okay, Jeanne. Let me pay the tab and then we’ll get out of here,” He tells her, consolingly reaching over to place his hand across her back. “Your place is closer than mine so lets - -”

“No. I’ll pay.”

“But I already said it was my treat - -”

In lieu of a proper response, she merely reaches up lightning quick to snag his wrist and Kaveh can’t quite help the startled yelp he lets out in response. Unperturbed by his reaction, she stands up in a rush and half drags him after her. Another blinding, white hot surge shoots through his body at the demanding way she steers him out of the booth, stopping just long enough to snag her luggage up off the ground before making a beeline up to the front counter. He’s helpless to do anything but follow along right in tow when she’s got an ironclad hold on him like this, and Lambad sends them an odd look from behind the long bar at their approach.

“Leaving so soon? It’s not even been two hours yet.”

“O - oh, you know,” Kaveh nervously laughs, scrambling for an excuse that wouldn’t sound as incriminating as the current scene looked, but Jeanne is quick to cut across him.

“We might come back tomorrow. I’m not feeling very well, unfortunately.” That much is clear in the way she shivers just ever so slightly as she sets her suitcase back down so she can dig into her pocket. The fact she refused to let him go, as if she was worried about him making a break for it, is not lost on him but there wasn’t much he could do about it at this point.

A handful of mora is slapped down on the counter with enough force to make Kaveh wince and then she’s physically dragging him towards the exit. By the time they make it outside and step into the dense heat, Jeanne is full on panting like she couldn’t quite catch her breath, and the two of them stumble to a halt just on the edge of the road. Realizing she was hardly in any condition to navigate the city streets on her own, the blond cautiously steps closer to put his uncaptured hand on her shoulder, hoping to steady her a little bit.

“Here, let me lead the way. Do you feel like you’re going to be sick? Maybe I should take you to a hospital …”

“No. That's not necessary.” She groans very softly, keeping her head hung forward so that her hair keeps her face mostly hidden from him. “Just want to go home. I think – I think I need to lie down for a while.”

He was decidedly in agreement with that, so he gently coaxes her into motion until she at last gives in and shuffles after him on heavy feet. Luckily the house she rented year-round for her stays in Sumeru while on business was conveniently closer to the tavern than his old home would have been, so that saved him from having to break that particular news to her just yet. It was one of the very few breaks he seemed to be getting today.

More importantly though he isn’t quite sure what to do with her in this state. She’d said she didn’t need a hospital but was she sure about that? Did she have the presence of mind to make those kinds of calls right now? In many ways this was the exact opposite of what he’d been hoping for. Instead of a clingy, affectionate Jeanne he’d gotten one who looked like she was either going to collapse or start retching everywhere. For all he was aware, she might even end up doing both and he had no clue how to handle any of it.

But for once the gods seemed to be on his side because they eventually make it to her single sized home without incident and only a few curious stares from people wondering what was going on with the Fontainian woman. There was no telling what kind of rumors about them might be circulating around the city come morning but that was the least of his concerns. With her help, he manages to get the door unlocked and the two of them stumble inside.

Immediately dropping her luggage, Jeanne moves to lean heavily against the wall while he gets the door closed. Even with her hair hanging forward he can still make out the furious flush that stains her cheeks and he cautiously approaches her, idly noting that when she was slumped like this they were at almost perfect eye level with one another.

“Are you positive you don’t want me to fetch a doctor for you, Jeanne? I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be,” She insists, lifting a sluggish hand to vaguely wave off his concern. “I’ll be fine. I must have just drank too fast. I wasn’t expecting that brew to hit me so hard.”

Deciding that was a major understatement, Kaveh reaches up to tug her coat off her shoulders. That probably wasn’t helping her current condition much, and it strikes him as oddly domestic. Like he was a housewife welcoming her hardworking husband home from a long day.

His belly painfully clenches at the thought and, struggling to fight down the erection that tries to spring to life in his pants, he tosses her jacket on the nearby coat rack and then stiffly takes her by the shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed before you collapse on me.”

Much to his relief, she complies without a fuss and pushes off from the wall. Leaning into him for support, Jeanne allows Kaveh to guide her further into the house and down the hall. He’d only seen her bedroom once or twice before in passing, when he’d helped her with her luggage on previous trips, but this time there’s enough static tension hanging in the air that he can’t quite stamp down the mounting excitement in his lower body. It’s a shameful thing to realize his self control was this bad but he makes a valiant effort to keep it at bay while he gets her directed over to the waiting bed.

“Here we are. Once you’re settled in I’ll go get you some water to drink.”

She doesn’t immediately sink onto the waiting mattress though. Even at his encouraging nudge, she just stands there breathing heavily, and he anxiously bends his head close to try and get a better look at her.

“What’s wrong? Do you feel like you’re going to be sick?”

“No.”

“Then why don’t you - -“

It happens much too fast for him to comprehend any of it.

One moment he’s standing on his feet, helping Jeanne support her weight, and the next she’s flipped him forward to hit the bed, sprawled out on his back. Kaveh barely has enough time to draw a sharp gasp as he bounces once before she’s on top of him, pinning him down against the sheets. Staring up at her, he’s so surprised in the aftermath of that sudden rush that he doesn’t even have the wherewithal to do anything else but gape at her.

What in the seven hells was happening now?

“Kaveh,”

He gives a slight jolt. “O - oh. Yes – yes, Jeanne?”

“I’m going to kiss you.” She announces with so little fanfare that he very nearly does a double take.

“W - wha —“

“Kaveh,” She cuts across him, the strict command in her tone making the blond obediently snap his mouth shut. Apparently satisfied with that, she goes on. “I’ve thought about doing this for a while now. Quite a while, in fact. I’m not sure what was in that vial but I want you far too much right now to deny it any longer. I won’t force myself on you though, so speak up if you don’t want it. This is your chance to reject my advances. If you don’t take it I’m going to kiss you.”

His eyes grow so impossibly wide it looks like they just might fall right out of his head and go rolling off across the floor, and with it comes a sudden realization. What Rahid had said about that pink concoction. He’d never come right out with it but he also hadn’t stated that it would make her drunk either. That had been his own jump to conclusions on the matter. What he’d told Kaveh was that it would warm her up and that he used it with his wife in their old age. He’d said it would give him plenty of time to prove to Jeanne that he was serious about wanting to pursue her. It wasn’t an elixir for drunkards, it was an intimacy potion!

Kaveh’s brain stumbles over that thought, hardly even daring to believe it, but the proof was looming over him with a hungry, voracious look of wanting darkening her face. That explained everything. Why she was so short of breath and her skin flushed with perspiration. He’d thought she was feeling ill after ingesting all that wine on top of the mystery fluid but clearly that was not the case. She was so worked up because she was indescribably aroused.

And he was the sole focus of all her attention?

The poor architect very nearly faints dead away on the spot.

Desperately groping for some semblance of a hold on his composure though, he starts to open his mouth. He’d wanted to tell her he would rather talk this out instead of making any rash decisions when she was so obviously under the influence and her judgment was clouded, but his silence must have stretched on for much too long at that point. Because Jeanne abruptly swoops in and he just manages to suck in a surprised gasp before her lips crash into his. He violently jerks as if she’d electrocuted him but, in truth, she doesn’t even seem to notice it. She’s much too busy trying to devour him, claiming his mouth and dominating the kiss before he even has a chance to try and take the upper hand for himself. Like her role of total power and control in their dynamic was already a foregone conclusion.

Hell, maybe it was.

In a truly dizzying rush, white hot static surges through his system with all the subtlety of a powerful explosive going off and Kaveh instantly gives over to the intense, bone rattling yearning he harbors for her. Tipping his head, he hungrily kisses her back, softly groaning into her mouth. His lips tremble under the demanding push and pull of hers even as he instinctively brings his arms up to wrap them around her shoulders, clinging to her while his long fingers dig into the soft fabric of her blouse. Noising a brief sound of approval, rewarding him for his eager response, she gives his bottom lip a taunting bite before lowering herself to languorously stretch out on top of him.

There really isn’t much difference in their builds, he suddenly realizes with her body pressed up tight against his like that. They were almost the same height and her shoulders not much wider despite the obvious strength residing in them. In truth, they probably would’ve been just about evenly matched if only Kaveh had taken Al-Haitham’s advice and he’d spent a bit more time exercising his muscles instead of hunching over his drawing table late into the night on various projects. Not that it really mattered now, at this crucial juncture. It was clear he’d be no match for her in his current state even if he’d wanted to fight and wrestle with her for dominance.

He doesn’t, though. He really, really doesn’t want to pretend to be something or someone he’s not, especially when Jeanne herself never made any qualms about who she was either. This was in many ways exactly what he’d been dreaming of. To have her on top of him, pinning him down and taking whatever she wanted from him, so he happily surrenders, all but melting against her and letting her set the pace however she saw fit.

And she doesn’t hesitate to do so, either by virtue of her proud, natural inclination for being in control or perhaps it was just in response to his submissive body language. Where once they’d barely touched each other beyond an occasional friendly brush of their hands, Jeanne now shamelessly presses herself flush against him like her claim on the blond man was already a bygone matter of fact. It was as if every single one of his shameful fantasies was coming to life in real time and he almost chokes on the boiling rush of emotion that swells in his chest.

A pathetically small whimper escapes him and in response the hand that had come up to possessively wrap around his throat relaxes before falling away altogether, sliding up to cup his cheek instead. Her fingers are feminine and dainty yet rough with worn callouses. The grip she usually used for holding her sword is especially powerful, and it has him shuddering against her as blunt nails dig in just enough for him to feel the pinprick, drawing another muffled gasp out of him. But she quickly releases his face in favor of reaching further back to sink her fingers into his hair. Closing her fist at the back of his head, Jeanne gives it an experimental yet no less insistent tug that has his lips warbling open with an accompanying mewl.

To his groaning surprise, she doesn’t hesitate to take this chance and she plunges her tongue into Kaveh’s mouth to suggestively caress over his in a long, wet swipe and savor the taste of him on her palette. The buzzing daze that encompasses him only grows stronger still and he feels downright delirious even as he dips his head back against the sheets to better accept her conquest of him.

She's quick to pull away though, leaving him sprawled out and panting underneath her. Issuing a faint groan of disappointment at the loss, he cracks his eyes open to peer up into her face.

He’s only slightly surprised to find Jeanne’s breath is coming even quicker than before, her cheeks flushed hot in what he now recognized as eager excitement, but somehow she still didn’t look half as worked up as he felt. It probably would have made him laugh, if only he’d had the extra oxygen to do so. Even when that blasted potion was wreaking havoc on her self control she still managed to keep some hold on her composure. It was in many ways astounding.

“You … you didn’t have to stop.”

A quietly strained laugh rises in her throat, soft and husky, to accompany the slow lift at the corner of her mouth.

“Oh, is that so? What an unexpected surprise this is turning out to be.” She murmurs, uncharacteristically doting in the way she speaks to him now. Looking confident and svelte in her eager glow, she pushes up to get a better look at him. “I must admit, there was a very real part of me that hoped things would turn out this way eventually. I didn’t want to approach you with unwarranted expectations though. We’ve already danced around each other for far too long for me to start making assumptions now, wouldn’t you agree? But I suppose I had nothing to be worried about this entire time. You’re a good boy, aren’t you Kaveh?”

His throat cinches shut, making him cough around the startled sound that materializes from his mouth unbidden. She doesn’t seem to pay it much mind though, shifting her weight more to the side so she can glance down the length of his body with a pointed look. Obediently, and not knowing what else to do, Kaveh hesitantly tears his eyes from her face and follows suit.

The straining tent in the front of his pants comes as more of a shock to him than it does her. She’d probably felt it as soon as she’d flattened herself to the front of him but that doesn’t stop Kaveh from sucking in a sharp, deeply embarrassed gasp. His cheeks feel like they’re on fire as he shyly draws his knees together in an attempt to conceal his arousal from her but it’s no use. He’s much too hard, and the tent remains. The sharp sting of humiliation almost brings tears to his eyes, and he whimpers softly in his distress. Not only was this unbelievably shameful but he also feared the possibility that she might dismiss him from her presence because of it. This wasn’t exactly the kind of overly enthusiastic reaction most women would want out of their potential partners, was it?

But Jeanne, evidently, is not most women. She practically purrs, in fact, when she brings her hand down to gently trace the center line of his chest, down over his nervously flexing stomach and even further than that to finally reach the jutted bulge between his legs. Possessively, she curls her fingers around it and palms him with a subdued, taunting squeeze. He almost sobs right then and there, whining softly at the first glorious touch of her hand on him.

He’d been anticipating this for so long, dreaming and fantasizing about what this exact moment might look like, and he was ashamed to realize how dangerously close he already was to busting in his pants. This was the effect Jeanne had on him. This is what she turned him into.

“My, you’re certainly excited aren’t you? And to think, I hesitated so much for fear that you might not reciprocate my interest …”

“P - please,”

“Hush, Kaveh. Now that I’ve finally got you in my bed I won’t be letting you go anytime soon. You’re going to be good and do exactly as I say, aren’t you?”

He quickly nods, swallowing so hard it almost makes him gag. “Yes. Yes, ma’am. I will. Anything.”

Jeanne draws a slow, carefully controlled breath in response even as a distant shudder of anticipation wracks through her. “Ooh, look at you. Already so eager to please me. Is it possible you’ve also thought about this before?”

At his needy little whimper she offers another soft, velvety laugh that rushes straight to his cock, making it twitch in her hold. He’s so hard it almost hurts but he can’t quite bring himself to complain about that right now. Not when she was holding him like that and he could still taste the glorious flavor of her mouth on his tongue. So out of his mind with sharp tinged arousal, all he can do is offer up a faltering moan to accompany the dazed nod of his head.

“I see. Then we are both fools, aren’t we? But are you certain you want to do this, Kaveh? I’m not the type of passive woman who will just indulge you long enough to get you off. If I’m to have you then I’ll have all of you.”

He quietly seethes at the suggestion of what she was saying. It made it sound like he was some kind of honorable maiden about to be bedded by a chivalrous knight of the court, and the way his cock jumps in her hand makes it quite clear just how much he liked that idea. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced and yet so deeply attractive that he wasn’t so sure he would’ve been able to reject anything at all she asked of him from here on out. She could have told him to go jump off the highest point of the Akademiya’s tallest spire and he wouldn’t have given it another thought.

“I … gods, I think I’d be mad if you didn’t at this point. Please, Jeanne. I’m yours, however you want me.”

Humming a brief sound of approval, she gives his straining erection one last, lingering squeeze before dragging her hand up to fiddle with the brooch that holds his mantle in place over his shoulders. While she works on that, she leans close again and brushes a teasing, featherlight kiss over his lips. Struggling to keep his breath evened out, Kaveh needily kisses her back but no amount of desperation on his part manages to prepare him for when she abruptly sits upright and throws one leg over his middle without any further buildup to that pivotal moment.

Settling on top of him, she shoots him a sly little smile even as she reaches down to take his slack wrists in her hands. Folding them up above his head, she pins them down to the bed with her weight before hunching close again so she can claim his mouth the way he’d been hoping she would. Jeanne’s hunger is obvious in the way she kisses him as if she were trying to consume his very life force, and in the way she not so subtly grinds her pelvis against him. Even through the many layers of clothes still separating them he can feel the intense heat radiating out from between her legs, and he issues a soft whine when his balls draw up in warning.

This wasn’t good. If he shot off in his pants before she even properly touched him skin to skin, he was never going to forgive himself. She may not have been very put off by his other shortcomings but he had a feeling this was one she wouldn’t be quite as willing to overlook.

So with a great deal of effort he tears his mouth from hers, sucking in a ragged breath. “Nghn, J - Jeanne … I might - -“

She unexpectedly shoves her face into the line of his neck, nipping at his pulse, and he physically shakes straight down to his toes. This was exactly what he’d thought about doing to her back at the tavern and the irony of that isn’t lost on him. Having the roles reversed so completely, being on the receiving end of such amorous attention …

“Ooh, I think — I might need a moment, please.”

“Aww, what’s the matter, Kaveh? Do you already feel like you’re going to cum for me?” She purrs against his skin, laughing softly when he trembles so violently in response the bed distantly rattles. “Don’t worry. I know exactly how to get you ready for another round if I need to, so there’s nothing to fret about. You’re in good hands, I promise.”

“W - what does that mean?” He squeaks, unable to keep the nervous trepidation out of his voice.

Ignoring the question, Jeanne sits up on his stomach and lifts her hands to make quick work of her red tie, her finely made courtiers jacket and then her blouse which she practically rips off in her rush to get undressed. Kaveh, feeling unexpectedly scandalized by the unprecedented strips of creamy flesh being revealed to him, almost brings his hands up to shyly cover his face. He can’t quite rip his eyes away though and he outright stares at the full cups of her satiny brassiere in something not unlike disbelief. He’d never been so blessed with a more tantalizing, beautiful sight in all his life.

“Now it’s your turn.” She murmurs, hungrily licking her lips as she sets her sights on the sash at the front of his waist. Giving it a good tug is all it takes to have it loosened and then she’s flipping the bottom of his flouncy shirt out of the way so she can get at his pants.

Kaveh starts to protest, wanting to ask her to at least slow down, but a quick look at Jeanne’s expression makes him think better of it. She was going to chew him up and spit him out one way or another, there probably wasn’t any point in stalling the inevitable.

Clenching his hands into tight fists, he simply watches as she gets his slacks unfastened and then roughly yanks them down. A soft whimper rises in his throat but she pays it little mind, much too focused on getting them yanked off right along with his shoes. She doesn’t hesitate to come back for his underwear and his cock is soon springing up to arc through the air with a rigid bounce, making him hiss at the sensation as much as at being suddenly exposed. Feeling rather self conscious of his sudden nudity, he snaps his attention up to fretfully gauge her reaction.

The pleased smile that slowly pulls at her mouth catches him off guard, and he nervously fidgets under the watchful spotlight of her attention.

“Well, Kaveh, I must say you’ve got a rather pretty cock, don’t you? I expected as much given how lovely you are in the face, but …”

Eagerly, Jeanne reaches out to wrap her fingers around him and he jolts at the abrupt contact, teeth clenching in an attempt to stave off his impending release. She hadn’t seemed worried about it but he really had no idea what she’d meant by knowing how to get him ready for another round. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to find out.

“Mm, and you’re sensitive too. How delightful. I wonder what would happen if I just …”

With a tauntingly slow motion of her hand, she tugs up on his cock and drags her hand from about mid shaft up to the head. Kaveh gives a full bodied, lurching jerk in response, letting out a gutted moan when her fist makes the foreskin bunch over his tender glans. He clenches his toes so hard it actually hurts, desperately trying to will his orgasm away, but if she felt any sympathy for him she certainly doesn’t show it. She simply pulls her fist down, retracing the path she’d already taken once, and he outright chokes when it draws the skin back from the glans entirely with a sticky wet click.

“Oh my,” She breathes out, sounding a little surprised and a lot excited. “That’s quite a lot of precum, isn’t it? You must have really wanted this bad.”

“I - I’m sorry,” He whimpers, his flat stomach dramatically flexing under the tension. “I can’t — I don’t think I can hold it …”

“Is that so? And if I tell you I’ll give you a reward?” He shoots her a harried look of confusion and Jeanne smiles rather magnanimously in return. “If you can avoid cumming for the next five minutes, I’ll treat you to something really nice. How does that sound, hm?”

Archons above, she was trying to kill him!

At his helplessly weak nod, she offers a quiet sound of approval and an encouraging squeeze to his shaft. His hips fruitlessly buck under the sensation but he quickly stills them again when she starts to drag her hand back up at a painfully sedate pace, caressing him in torturous slow motion. Full on wheezing, Kaveh screws his eyes shut and forces himself to stay still even when his muscles start to vibrate with the intense urge to give in. To follow after her grip and thrust into her fingers, to let loose and spasm for all he was worth. Even putting aside the reward she’d mentioned, he just didn’t want to disappoint her.

So he simply lies there and takes it while she jerks him off at such a staggered, halting pace he really feels like he just might go mad. It was hard just to breathe around it let alone think, and as a result the only thing he can do is focus his cotton stuffed head on not cumming. He repeats it again and again, like a lifesaving mantra, but he’s so close that it feels like a lost cause. His balls are heavy and they ache fiercely where they’re drawn up tight against his scrotum, so close to shooting off but forced to hold back. This was hell. Glorious, mind numbing hell and it existed squarely within the confines of this bed.

“Such a good boy you are,” She coos another moment later, making him heave and desperately arch up off the bed at the inviting sound of her voice. His narrow, shaking hips are the only part of him that stays rooted to the mattress while the rest of him desperately twists with back bending need, grunting at the effort of trying to stave off his release. “You’re doing so well for me. I can tell how close you are. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just let go and - -“

Cutting her off with a strangled, partially horrified moan, Kaveh can’t stop himself from thrusting up into her grip any longer and he does so with such force it makes something in his lower spine pop. That’s all it takes, just that one hurried rush of movement, and his cock pitifully erupts in a sudden stream of milky white discharge. He cums with a hardly dignified sound, gutted and elated in equal measure. Spurt after spurt, it just keeps coming to paint her knuckles white and stain the bottom of his loose fitted shirt, until finally it runs dry with one last aching twitch that leaves him desperately wheezing.

“Oh, god!” Bonelessly, Kaveh collapses back into the bed, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. It takes him a prolonged moment to get his bearings straight, or at least enough to comprehend that he was still alive and Jeanne was very much not a figment of his imagination, and he slowly lifts his head to glance down at her.

Smiling slyly, she rather daintily releases his cock and holds her hand up to show off the incriminating evidence coating her hand. “I’m afraid you only lasted about two minutes and thirty seconds but …”

“Please, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” He says in a rush, but she continues on as if he hadn’t even spoken.

“I’ll admit that was still longer than I thought you’d manage to pull off. With the way you were acting, I’d half expected you to lose it in under a minute.”

Practically withering in shame, Kaveh shyly draws his knees together but Jeanne is quick to palm his legs apart again. A soft whimper escapes him at the sticky smear she leaves along his thigh, like a reminder of his failure. This was not quite how he’d envisioned this unfolding.

“Don’t fret, now. I told you I’d take care of you, didn’t I? Besides,”

Peeking up at the pointed tone in her voice, the blond warily follows her line of sight down to his groin and a soft mewl escapes him at the sight of his cock, still half hard and stirring with interest. He’d cum so hard he almost felt numb from the waist down now but there was no getting around what he was looking at. It wasn’t going to take much to have him at full strength again. That much was obvious.

“I can go again,” He quickly stammers before she can jump into action and take care of it for him. “I’m sure I’ll last longer this time too. But you should — you should really let me take care of you first. I promise I’m good with my mouth.”

“I’m sure you are.” She agrees, smiling at him like she knew he was stalling for time and she thought it was cute. “But I don’t think that will be necessary. You’re going to take care of me another way, Kaveh.”

Pulling back from him completely, Jeanne takes a moment to withdraw a handkerchief from the pocket of her trousers with her unsoiled hand and she uses it to wipe the cum off the other. Carelessly tossing it aside, she then sets her hands to work on her pants and he tenderly winces when his spent cock bobs with growing excitement at the implication of what was to come. She genuinely was trying to kill him, he decides. And she was doing a spectacular job of it so far.

“Be a good boy and take off the rest of your clothes for me, hm?”

It takes everything Kaveh has not to outright sob as he obediently sits up and starts tugging off his shirt. Soon the both of them are completely naked, save the sleek black bra Jeanne leaves on for the time being, and he self consciously brings his arms up to wrap them around his chest when she returns to him on the bed. He feels more than a little foolish for it, like some awkward maiden that wasn’t used to being seen in such a vulnerable state — and, really, that actually wasn’t far from the truth — but she doesn’t seem to be half as disappointed by that as he may have once feared she would be.

If anything, Jeanne actually looks quite pleased with the blond in her bed, and she reaches out to gently take his shoulders once she’s kneeling next to him. “Lay down?”

He complies, eager pinpricks erupting along his skin where her hands touch him. Of course he’d known he was pathetically, regrettably weak for her long before this, but looking up at her now he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she really was the one for him. Who else could even compare? No one was as strong as Jeanne, nor as pretty. No other woman came from a background of aristocratic opulence while behaving like she did. She was — everything, wasn’t she?

“Good. Now, be good for me and let me have my fun, okay?”

Swallowing his nerves down, Kaveh offers a single nod and Jeanne coos at him very softly in response, assuring him that he was making the right choice for once in his life. Bracing her hands against his narrow chest, she confidently throws her leg over his middle again but this time she keeps her pelvis angled up rather than immediately settling on top of him. He feels downright hysterical when she reaches for his cock and possessively wraps her fingers around it. Despite the fact he was still recovering from his first orgasm, it immediately flexes in her hold to stand at attention. Obedient and loyal, just like his heart was, apparently.

He seethes softly under his breath at the ache in his overwrought loins but doesn’t try to fight it as she angles him towards her cunt and the glorious thatch of red hair there, a shade darker than that on her head. A vague sense of panic does make his chest expand with a sharp gasp though, and he fumbles his hands down to grab hold of her hips. So soft and womanly under his fingers, yet indescribably powerful when they flex with the motion of lowering herself onto him.

Truthfully Kaveh hadn’t thought it was possible to get any more worked up then he already was, yet the first silky soft brush of her wet lips against his glans has him feeling dangerously close to passing out. Contrary to his earlier statement, he was not going to last any longer than he had the first time.

“W - wait —“

“Are you nervous, Kaveh?” She laughs, the sound so inviting and teasing it very nearly has him going cross eyed with the intense surge of fresh arousal that sparks in him. “Don’t overthink it. Just lie back, relax and let me have my fun, hm? You want to please me, don’t you?”

“Ahh … y - yes, ma’am. I do.”

Breathing out a clipped, anticipatory sigh, Jeanne sedately drags him back and forth through the wet folds and creases of her cunt, ensuring that he was nice and sticky too. Not that he thought he needed it when she already felt like she was soaked so penetration was sure to be a nonissue, but it certainly felt good. Heavenly, actually.

Fingers sinking into the soft give of her hips, he silently pleads with any god willing to listen for his stamina not to give out at the worst possible time.

Another anticipatory moment later, she finally angles him back towards her entrance and starts to sink the rest of the way down. The blinding rush of heat that all at once envelops him damn near sends him careening over the edge right then and there, but he valiantly holds it back with a sobbing little hiss. Clutches at her like his life depended on it, and it very well might, while Jeanne gradually takes him deeper and deeper into her body one inch at a time. Just as he’d suspected, she was already perfectly lubricated and he gives a powerless curse under his breath, stealing a harried glance between them to watch her swallow him down to the base. Her thick curls are a poignant contrast to his coarser, ashen brown ones, but they look right at home mingling together like that.

“Bless the seven - -!”

“Mmnn, you feel so good, Kaveh. You’re just where I want you to be.” Giving a taunting wriggle of her hips to make him sensitively wince, Jeanne reaches for one of his hands. Slides it around to the front of her abdomen and presses down on a certain spot along her lower stomach. “Right there. Can you feel it? That’s how deep you are.”

The wordless noise he lets out is rife with distress, and he sucks in a horribly frazzled breath in an attempt to steady his nerves a little bit. She just laughs though, another soft, liltingly husky sound that makes him want to cry out.

And he does, mewling a huffy noise into the statically charged air when she leans forward to square her balance in the center, on her toes and with her hands palming his chest. She starts to move then, keeping her motions short and experimental at first while she gets a better feel for him and how he hits her most pleasure inducing spots. It doesn’t take long for her to pick up the pace though and she begins to bounce in earnest, taking him in long, drawn out plunges now.

Flicking her long braid over her shoulder mid bounce, Jeanne pins him with a salacious grin. “Yeah, right there. You’ve got it. Ahhn, you’re such a good boy for me. You’d better not, nghn, bust as quickly as the first time. Not before I get mine.”

“J - Jeanne —“

He sounds incredibly whiny even to his own ears but he can’t help it. Not when he could feel his cock throbbing inside her, still tender from getting hard again much too soon after already cumming once, and she didn’t seem to care. She was clearly much more concerned with her own pleasure now, enthusiastically chasing that gratification on top of him, but that just seems to ratchet his own excitement up even further. The more she took from him the more he wanted to give, the higher his arousal seemed to climb.

It is with no shortage of horror that Kaveh realizes he’s going to cum again, not because she was riding him so expertly, but because she was using him for her own pleasure and that was getting him off more than anything. Even in all his fantasies and wistful daydreams, he’d never imagined that having her treat his cock like her own personal toy would turn him on quite this much.

“Oh! Shit! I - if you don’t slow down, Jeanne, I’m - -“

Her hips start to come down faster, harder in response, and the sharp slap of skin meeting skin rises louder in the air. He practically chokes on it, squirming underneath her as every muscle in his body rapidly tenses up in preparation to blow another load and simultaneously to try and stave it off. It wasn’t just overwhelming, it was downright mind numbing, and he pathetically whimpers even as his eyes start to roll back in his head.

Too much. It was too much.

“Please — please —“ He’s babbling, his mouth running on autopilot now, but still she doesn’t seem to care.

His cock was hers to use however she saw fit and it was clear she wanted it thrusting deep into her guts right now. It feels like every ounce of blood in his body rushes down to his groin all at once, making it swell to uncomfortable proportions as his balls tightly draw up again. He tries to hold back, really, but it’s all too much for him to bear. The wet warmth of her body gripping him like a vice, the breathy sounds that slip from her mouth and the all encompassing smell of her cloying on the back of his tongue. He was powerless before it.

And he cums again, just like that. His strangled, frantic moan is high pitched and bordering on frantic as he shoots off inside her but even then she just keeps going. Even when his cock finishes spraying her inner sleeve with white, creamy clumps, she just keeps riding him. The only response he gets that indicates she’s even aware of it happening is a low, huffy groan in the back of her throat but it doesn’t so much as make her pause.

His hands practically cramp up from how hard he’s clutching at her, roughly sucking in a series of wet, faltering breaths. His body can’t take it when every conceivable inch of him was painfully throbbing in protest at the continuous stimulation. The sensation is sharp and stabbing, and he finally throws his head back against the sheets to helplessly wail up at the ceiling.

“Oh, Kaveh,” She finally murmurs another moment later. “Are you crying?”

His eyes snap open so suddenly it takes them a heartbeat or two to catch up and make any sense of the visual input. Just in time to watch Jeanne lean over him, getting close to his face and alternating her previous bouncing motion to a slower, more savory grind that makes him wince in his oversensitized state. She doesn’t seem to pay it any mind though, her teal eyes taking in his face with obvious delight.

“You poor thing,” Breathing out softly, she slides one hand up from his chest, over his neck and higher still to cup his cheek. “You really are tender, aren’t you? I wasn’t expecting to make you cry until at least the third round.”

Kaveh’s taxed heart nearly gives out right then and there. “T - third round? You … you can’t be serious - -“

“I’m very serious, I’m afraid. I’m not sure what else you expected when you gave me an aphrodisiac though. Don’t tell me you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?”

“Aph - wait, you knew?”

“Well, I didn’t at the time but I’ve certainly figured it out by now. In all honesty, I picked up very early on that you were acting rather strange today but I hadn’t expected you to go to such lengths just to get me into bed. All you’d had to do was ask, you know.”

He just gapes up at her, big, wet glistening tears beading along his lash line to make them clump together. What she was saying wasn’t just inconceivable, it didn’t make any sense! If she’d suspected something amiss, if she’d had any doubts about his intentions then …

His eyes suddenly go big and round. “You — that’s what you meant earlier … about unwarranted expectations?”

She smiles at him, a vaguely mischievous, sly little smile, and exhales a savory sigh. “Yeah, but I’d say that’s a moot point now, wouldn’t you agree? I’ve already made you cry so …” Closing the distance, Jeanne’s tongue flicks out to lap up a salty tear from his cheek and he startles like she’d shocked him. That only makes her laugh though, and she pulls back to sit upright again so she can reach behind her to unclasp the hooks on her bra. “Let’s continue, shall we? I’ve got something special in mind for that overly eager cock of yours.”

Satiny cups fall away, revealing her bare breasts to him at long last, and Kaveh sucks in such a harsh, flustered gasp it almost sounds like he’s choking. Pleased with his reaction, she tosses the garment aside and then much to his slack jawed surprise, she moves to dismount from him. His spent cock slips free humiliatingly fast and wetly flops down to rest across his lower belly, completely soft now.

Self consciously, Kaveh reaches down to gingerly cover himself from her scrutiny but she merely turns to climb down off the bed as if it were none of her concern. Maybe it wasn’t, and he practically withers at the thought.

“Get on your hands and knees for me.” She says, not bothering to look back at him while she tugs open a drawer on the nightstand.

“Please, Jeanne, I don’t think I can handle another round so soon.” He groans, even as he slowly pushes himself up to sit. It wasn’t just his cock that felt sore and achy, his entire body hurt at this point. “If you just give me, I don’t know, an hour, I’m sure we’ll have much better results.”

“You really expect me to wait that long?”

“W - well, no, but - -“

“Hands and knees, Kaveh. Now.”

Whimpering softly, he does as he’s been told and turns over to assume the position. He wasn’t sure what, exactly, she had in store for him but there were certainly a few sinking suspicions running through his mind, and he wasn’t sure if he was prepared for any of them. Mentally or physically, it seemed he really had bitten off more than he could conceivably chew.

She soon returns to him, evidently having found what she was looking for and crawling up onto the bed to kneel just behind him. He can’t quite bring himself to look back at her, a little too embarrassed by everything that has already happened here today as much as the unseemly pose he was currently in to face her head on. He was also more than a bit nervous too, and he decidedly did not want her to see that reflecting back at her in his expression. Sure, Kaveh may have been fruitlessly grasping at straws here, but he was dead set on preserving whatever minuscule amount of his pride he still had left.

Which was decidedly not much at all.

“Relax for me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I know that …”

But did he really, though? He trusted her, yes, but there was a very real part of him that didn’t know what to expect in the coming moments and that made him understandably a bit jittery.

That fact is very poignantly highlighted when she touches him, placing her hand along his lower back, and he jolts so hard he nearly comes right up off the bed. Chuckling softly at the reaction, Jeanne rubs comforting, coaxing circles into his skin as if she were encouraging an overly skittish pup to settle down.

“So jumpy. Have I actually done anything to make you this nervous yet?”

He grumbles a low, noncommittal sound, not entirely sure he trusted himself to speak when he was as naked as the day he was born and spread out on her bed on full display. His reticence quickly proves to be a moot point though, because when she drags her hand down to the cleft where his ass starts, he outright yelps in surprise.

“Wait - -“

“Unfortunately I don’t have the time or the patience for that right now. You said you were going to be a good boy for me, didn’t you?”

“ I — I did, but …”

“Then do as I say and relax. I promise you aren’t going to hate this half as much as you think you will.”

Groaning softly, Kaveh hangs his head in a clear sign of defeat and Jeanne takes that chance to readjust her position behind him, settling directly between his knees now. Both of her hands come up to cup his cheeks, giving them each a savory, appreciative squeeze, and he mewls very quietly when she spreads them apart. His face positively blazes with the knowledge that she was looking at his most private areas uninterrupted and he restlessly fidgets as a result.

He feels her lean close then and he braces himself — for what, he isn’t sure, but it’s certainly not the wet swipe of her tongue across the tight pucker of his asshole. The sensation is unmistakable and jarring, and he instinctively tries to shy away from it with a frazzled yelp.

“Jeanne!” He shrills, further embarrassing himself with the high pitch of his voice.

“Goodness, you really are like an innocent virgin, aren’t you?”

He doesn’t exactly have a comeback for that, not when he was certainly acting like one, so he just settles on a vague sound of disagreement.

Chuckling, she leans into him again and, now that he actually knows what’s coming, he clenches his teeth to stay any of the humiliating sounds that rise in his chest at the next swipe of her tongue. It’s a bit less shocking this time but no less confusing when he can’t make any sense of why she would be doing this. Surely she wasn’t … she didn’t plan to - -

“Don’t tense up so much,” She murmurs against him, warm breath fanning over his skin and tickling the sticky wrinkle of his hole. He feels a slight twitch in his groin in response to the featherlight sensation but it’s not near enough to have him springing back up to full attention again.

So he simply takes it with as much grace as he possibly can, passively letting her lap at him without protest until he can eventually feel the tight rim start to puff up under her ministrations. The muscle was slackening and giving way, allowing her more freedom to poke and prod at the center to tease the suggestion of penetration. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that or any of this, but he doesn’t protest even when she seals her mouth around him and gently starts to suckle. Now he felt overwhelmed in a completely different way than before, and he wheezes quietly under his breath. This was unfamiliar territory for him, completely uncharted, but it is his implicit trust in Jeanne that keeps him from bolting like a frightened rabbit.

And just like the easily frightened hare, he all but quails when she finally pulls back some moments later to fiddle with something behind him. He didn’t want to look, couldn’t bring himself to look, but he quickly figures out what she’s up to when her fingers come up to touch him and they’re unnaturally sticky with grease, genuine surprise making his heart stutter a beat.

Dear god, she was really going to do this!

“Ah, J - Jeanne, are you sure that’s - -“

She carefully pushes, dipping one digit just inside the tight ring of muscle without stopping long enough to hear him out, and he instantly blurts out a wordless sound of startled shock. Unable to stop himself anymore, he snaps his head around to peer over his shoulder at her but she just offers up a vaguely conspiratorial smile.

“You’re tensing up again.”

“Well, can you really blame me!”

“No, not really. But trust me, you’ll find you’re much more keen here in just a moment.”

He doesn’t believe that. He doesn’t believe that at all, not when his hole was weakly pulsing around the intrusion in a way that made him feel panicky and trapped, and that was to say absolutely nothing of the sharply felt pangs of embarrassment he could feel creeping up his neck.

But then she pushes in a little deeper, slipping in down to the second joint, and his entire body seizes in response, igniting a red hot, tingling sensation low in his gut. His mouth drops open in surprise but nothing comes out, his chest rapidly contracting with the quick gasps he pulls in. It still didn’t exactly feel good, or at least he’s pretty sure it doesn’t, but he felt … something from it. Something that takes his breath away and threatens to suffocate him. He’d never been penetrated like this before but to have Jeanne doing it, carefully fingering his body open, it occurred to him much too late that she was probably right. He probably was going to like this if she was the one doing it.

“Oh, oh, oh,” He wheezes, fighting the instinctive urge to pull away when she just keeps going, dipping her finger further in until he feels the obvious press of her knuckle flush against his hole. Swaying unsteadily on his hands and knees, he frantically gropes for his frazzled thoughts for something to say. “That’s — hold on, please, just … take it slow, okay?”

“Didn’t I already tell you I don’t have time for that, Kaveh? You’re going to take what I give you however I see fit to give it. Do you understand?”

Not waiting for him to respond (as if he even could respond to that), Jeanne angles her finger down and gently massages along his inner wall. The sensation is strange and he still can’t quite decide if it was pleasurable or not, so he just squirms in place while she feels along his guts. At least it didn’t hurt. That seems to be his one and only consolation in this confusing situation he’s gotten himself in, and for that he was thankful.

“Ah,” She suddenly blurts. “Found it.”

He almost finds himself asking what it is she’s found in his ass of all places but he doesn’t quite make it any farther than opening his mouth. She abruptly angles that insidious digit downward, digging into his interior wall, and a shock of static electricity immediately shoots through his entire system with enough force to damn near bowl him right over. He comes very close to full on wailing in response even as his hips subconsciously buck under the pressure and his cock gives a distant, muted twitch.

Icy fear promptly races down his spine. No. No, it couldn’t be —

She repeats the motion, massaging down into that unimaginably sensitive bundle of nerves with a forceful curl of her finger, and his knees almost give out in response. He understood now what it was she wanted but he was helpless to stop it at this point, outright sobbing while she expertly turned his own body against him. No matter how much he tries to fight it or will it away, his cock was slowly coming back to life with each twist of her hand even when it hurt to do so. He was still much too sore after two consecutive orgasms but even through the discomfort he still gradually starts to harden again.

Left with no other choice, Kaveh finally allows his upper body to sink down onto the bed where he folds his arms and buries his face in their protective cradle. He’d never be able to look Jeanne in the face after this. It had already started off bad enough when he’d shot his load in under four minutes but it had only continued to get worse from there, and now she was fingering his asshole to coax yet another erection out of him.

Somehow it doesn’t even come as a surprise when the tears start up again.

“There you go. Just look at you.” She murmurs approvingly some odd minutes later when his cock has finally finished filling out and it was now a heavy, hanging weight between his legs. “If I didn’t know any better, I wouldn’t even think you’ve gone one round yet.”

“Nnghnoogh, please, Jeanne. This is hardly, aghhn, the time for jokes.”

“You’re right. Well, let’s get you fitted then.”

Kaveh blinks through the tears, wondering what she was talking about now, but he doesn’t get the chance to ask. She starts to slowly pull her finger out without any further warning and he whines at the resulting drag against his guts when the muscle tries to cling to her on the way out. It’s like she doesn’t even notice though, or perhaps she doesn’t care, and she slips free with a tiny little slurp from his clenching entrance. Physically cringing at the sound, he shoves his face further into the comfort of his arms and tries very hard not to sob.

He can hear her fiddling with something behind him but he’s a little too far gone to wonder about what the next trial might be. He’d find out sooner or later anyway, and in this case it turns out to be quite soon.

Carefully, her hands slip something over his rigid cock and draws it up to the base. It feels vaguely like leather, and that thought is quickly solidified in his mind when she tightens it until the material cinches around him in a tight squeeze that is resoundingly uncomfortable on his already nerve sensitive skin. Sucking in a sharp breath, Kaveh shoves himself up on his elbows so he can peer down at himself. Sure enough, the black thong secured around his scrotum is obvious and speaks for itself. The message was clear. If he couldn’t control himself enough to hold back his orgasms until she was satisfied then she’d help him out. Give him a nudge in the right direction.

He absolutely hated how familiar that sentiment sounded.

“You can’t — you can’t do that, Jeanne! It’s too tight and … that’s not fair, is it? I could have used my mouth.”

“Ooh, are you whining, Kaveh? Such a sad little thing you are. Unfortunately it’s not your mouth I want right now though.” Rising up, she leans over him so she can press herself flush along his back. Her hand comes around to curl under his chin and manually turn his face up at her, and he offers her a tiny little sniffle to go with the puppy eyed face he makes. “What I want is that pretty cock you’ve got between your legs and you’re going to give it to me, aren’t you? Hm?”

“Nnghn … yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now switch me spots.”

She peels away from him so she can move up a little higher on the bed while he gingerly gets himself situated on his knees. Even just a brief glance down at the state of his poor cock, swollen and darkened by the tight band cutting off the circulation to keep him hard and ready, is enough to make him feel light headed with overwhelm. He’d wanted this though, had practically begged any god willing to listen for even just one real chance with Jeanne, and he knew better than to fight it. He’d dug this hole for himself so, with an accompanying sniffly, he compliantly moves to position himself between the bend of her knees when she gets settled on her back. And looking down at her spread out like that, he dully realizes that he’s never been happier in all his life.

It wasn’t just that she was pushing his body right to its limits while simultaneously keeping the important bits of him grounded in reality, although that was certainly gratifying in its own right too. It also wasn’t a simple matter of fulfilling and acting on his long held attraction for her, making his fantasies a reality. Rather, there was something about this power dynamic between them that just made him feel whole and complete, like he’d been born just to play this role for her. He’d experienced felt anything quite like it before, and it is with an immense amount of nervous anticipation that he lines himself up with her entrance.

“I’m going to do it.” He announces, thinking it was for her benefit, but she immediately shoots that idea down when she tsk’s very softly in response.

“What did I tell you about relaxing, Kaveh? Don’t worry. I’m confident you’re going to do an excellent job.”

As if to prove that, she reaches between them and wraps her fingers around his straining length, giving it a tight squeeze. He shudders, feeling every little thing in high definition when the nerves were so sensitized and swollen with excess blood. It’s hard just to breathe through it but she helps him with this as well by gently guiding him back into place and encouraging him with a slow tug.

Clutching her soft thighs in a death grip, Kaveh follows the suggestion with his hips and pushes forward, spearing into hot creases and folds in torturous slow motion. He can’t quite bring his body to move any faster than that and he lets out a frazzled, high pitched keening sound when he starts to sink inside her body again. It felt even more intense than it did the first time, and he surely had the black thong cinched tight around his scrotum to thank for that. Almost like having a transcendental experience, it makes his soul feel like it’s flickering out at the edges.

He keeps going though, a little too far gone within the heightened daze of his arousal to think of anything else other than burying himself as deep into Jeanne as he could reasonably go, and he doesn’t stop until his pelvis is flush with hers. Letting out a wounded, faltering grunt, he sways unsteadily over top of her. Tries to ground himself to no avail. He wasn’t going to come out of this on the other side the same person he’d once been. Of that he’d never been more certain.

“Kaveh,” She says his name so soft, so dotingly, as her hands come up to cup his face and angle it down at her. “You’re crying again, my love. Do you really like being inside me that much?”

Numbly nodding his head even while the tears continue to streak hot tracks down his cheeks, the blond fumbles for something to say before finally settling on, “I do. Of course I do, but … I want to make you feel good too.”

A slow smile curls Jeanne’s mouth, more sly and knowing than it is sweet, but like a loyal dog Kaveh is just happy to get whatever he can. He doesn’t mind the way she looks at him like a hungry, powerful predator sizing up its prey and he doesn’t mind the way she reaches down to possessively grope at his chest either. Despite him being almost totally flat and lacking in much to grab, that doesn’t stop her from pinching at his poor little breast until he hisses, half in discomfort and half in pleasure. This, too, he was happy to be on the receiving end of.

“You are making me feel good, you silly thing. But I’d feel even better if you started moving already. I’m not much for cock warming, you know.”

He blushes straight up to his ears, stammering out a quick apology. Unconcerned, Jeanne slides her hand further down and then back to reach for his tight ass, giving it an appreciative jostle.

“Quickly, now. If you don’t act soon I’ll have to fuck you instead and show you how it’s done. Considering the way you reacted just from having my finger inside you I don’t think you’re quite ready for that yet, are you?”

“N - no, ma’am. I’m not.”

“Didn’t think so. Then get moving.”

⭐

Crossposted: here

#genshin impact #kaveh #kaveh x oc #self insert bullshit #technically

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crushedsweets · 1 month ago

Text

emptying my askbox :3

half is creepypasta related half is random chatting

ahhh. i used to roll you guys around the playground

i feel like theyd be pretty evenly matched actually.... but im on kates side anyway

THE PLUG COSTUME IS INSANEEEEE BUT ALSO TRUE HE WOULD GO TO SPIRIT HALLOWEEN W HER AND GRAB THAT SHIT AND SHED GET SO HEATED HAHAHA

i also see liu as older!! swapping jeff n liu would be crazy. i think i already kinda talked about it but i cant remember ? ! something along the lines of jeff trying to protect liu but also toughen him up and he ends up just being an asshole T_T

if he told me to get out of bed id be scared as hell that this random grown man is in my home

iim so grateful. i needed this

what r these depressed ass men being toxic about....

please be wary this will lead to infection

yes i have but its not super my thing!

me when im buff as fuck

i love her music

the way i said id do this and then got nervous and stressed with school. i wanna open comms with only 1 slot at a time. LMFAO

?!??! DO WHAT

thank you anon!! <3 i hope ur doing good

this is so funny to me but also im glad u get to enjoy the beast

i like when i get asks that have nothing to do with me/creepypasta/my blog and i just have to be a little confused about it

please this man is not good for you please pleas eplease be cautious

dont do this to me

please.

i SWEAR i responded to this but apparently i didnt???! anyway i see it i hear it i understand it i think itd be funny to make a tiktok w a breaking bad audio

true.... i shouldnt be embarrassed to let this man eat..

WHY R U HATINGGGGGGG

i just know ej is pretentious as hell abt fast food

he's drooling EVERYWHERE. he's sick and just staring blankly at a wall with a paper towel under his cheek n its hella wet. GGROSS

please financially compensate me

ok so i cant draw this cuz im sleepy and also i think it would be hard to draw BUT. nina would fail and hurt herslef. toby would fail but keep doing it over and over and over until he does it, and now hes really good at backflips.

thank you.

thank u sm anon!!!!!!! :3 i like loser toby too he's goofy

THANK YOUUU TEDDY BEAR ANON such a cute emoji tysm

i really think youre onto something here anon.. i really do

#asks #chatterbox #next imma just count how many damn ship asks i have and see which ship is the most popular in my inbox LMAOOO #im betting on ticcij*ck #censoring so it doesnt show up in their tags and clog it..not cuz its a bad word.. LMAOOO

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innocent-cat · 1 year ago

Note

I saw the Vox Machina with an Eda like reader and liked it, can I get a platonic one for Reader who is like King?

Not human thinks they are something related to monsters (but it turns out they are powerful creatures), are basically like a kid who gets frustrated when something doesn't go right and releases a squeak of rage, and is on a journey to find their family.

Waitttt I actually love this idea?

HEY!!! YOU!!!! my comms r open!! please request me!!

PartTitan!Reader x Vox Machina

HEADCANNONS

warnings - none

"Temper Titan", Titan!Reader x vox machina

everyone at once (devil emoji)

Nobody really quite KNOWS what you are, but they know you're part.

Referencing to the title, Percy has said he thinks your part titan, but due to advancements, there is no way to know for sure.

Because of that, Vox Machina had become known for having a "Temper Titan."

It's kind of embarrassing, at first when you heard of it, but you are pretty terrifying when you're mad.

Much like King and other titans, when you stomp or yell, the ground shakes and often things that should be strong enough to be stable such as a boulder, break.

Vox Machina also calls you this… but.. at least they accept you?

Anger issues goes crazy as a titan. you're real sensitive, but you can often end up sad instead of angry when they try to wind you up mid-battle.

Scanlan often tries to make fun of you during a battle but instead he just tugs on your strings and makes you cry.

A little upsetting when it happens, and you end up not talking to Scanlan for a while.

called you a whole loser dude

He was MEANNN man.

Of course, your cries are just as powerful if not more powerful than your stomps and yells.

he likes to pretend you couldn't drag him with and without magic

Sadly, when you do have a temper, Keyleth can feel it through her plants.

Its a downside, so when you're going nuts, Keyleth is down and coping with the fact the ground and plants are in pain.

its also a battle field issue a lot.. thankfully Scanlan's bard magic can always lift them up, but, it makes them a big, chunky target.

You being a little kid they don't want to be up too long without you.

Percy is especially careful about this.

Vex and Vax on the other hand could not care LESS.

swim or drown in their little world.

Keyleth scolds them about their carelessness for you, but when it comes down to it, they are the first ones to dive in and save you.

Vax especially.

They both see you as a younger sibling.

They try to keep your temper under control, but it doesn't work out sometimes, and you guys end up having to run away while in public

Like.. literally mid tantrum they'll just pick you up and put you on trinket.

sent away for poor behavior!!!

Vax buys you literally anything you want and its crazy..

its not even because he doesn't want you to be mad, its because he wants you to have what he didn't in his childhood, but Vex has a different view, and still wants you to grow up and be a responsible person.

BUT ANYWAYYYYYYY MORE KEYLETHH??? YES MORE KIKI

she often likes to take you out to nature just because

her connection to it makes her feel you have one too because they all think(know) you're a titan.

its really nice because you'll literally just lay there and you'll feel vines and grass growing around you comfortingly

like a big ol' blanket

Sometimes, you'll go out to her little spot without her, and you'll literally just be there for HOURS.

You gave Percy a heart attack.

he kinda scolded Keyleth for it so you started crying.. and.. titan tantrum.

he kinda just sighed and picked you up and brought you home with Keyleth

Grog is also low-key protective of you???

a lot like how he is with Pike

Pike might have told him to protect you, but either way, he is quite the man for the job.

consider him a body blocker

PIKE WILL MAKE YOU FUCKING MEDITATE WITH HER

not for religious reasons, just to help you calm down sometimes.

She's super sweet to you man.

mama pike

usually the one cooking for you because she strongly believes you should not be eating all the crap Vox Machina eats because they're all raging alcoholics with mommy or daddy issues(most of the time both)

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nightcorecarseatheadrest · 1 year ago

Text

Hey! I’m Astor/Four

White tme

Zionists and transmisogynists are not welcome here

Art is “four draws tag”

Incest/pedo/loli or whatever please leave me alone

I post httyd and splatoon and im kind of weird about agent 32 and snotlout. I’m also currently into dimension 20 and LOTR. My faves r all murph pcs + kipperlilly, who I will defend with my life and boromir too

my art blog is @nightcoresidneygish I will open comms at some point I prommy

If u send me asks I will love you forever

#blinkers from glittergroovy s website

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venbubbless · 8 months ago

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day 1 of asking people to commission me because I'm desperate...

I'm currently opening some emergency comms rn (examples provided) these r 5-10$, grayscaled, lineart done, and shaded too bur grayscaled. currently only doing till bust! 10$ is if ur adding a second character since 5$ per character. single character only 5 :>

(pls commission me I beg)

for more details or to commission pls text me on Insta or comment under this post that ur interested, I'll dm u TT.

some extra detail about the commissions:

☆payments r done thru PayPal, venmo and cashapp only! I dont take zelle or any ebits wtv those r!!

☆payments will be taken AFTER u finalize the rough sketch ! it will take me approx a day to complete the drawing! or maybe even less depending on my schedule!

☆there aren't any payment return options once u have received the final drawing btw, however I will give a 24 hour time limit in case ur not satisfied to let me make any changes that u may need!

☆ u will also not receive the final product until u have paid, I understand that there r times ur waiting on a paycheck and stuff but I'm charging only 5-10$ and I've been scammed way too often w ppl running away w my art so please understand this 😭🙏

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melishade · 3 months ago

Text

Attack on Prime: What if Soundwave arrived in AOT and caused trouble? AKA The Chaos Timeline

Main Story

Peaceful Timeline Pilot

Beloved Timeline Pilot

TFP Optimus in Episode 1 Pilot

War Timeline Pilot

So I had promised this months ago with that pilot poll that I ran, but I never got around to it because I was so focused on the main AOP story line. But I had time, and the inspiration! And I was finally able to write the pilot for one of the first AOP AUs on my Tumblr blog: What if Soundwave was in AOP, aka the Chaos Timeline! Now let us begin!

Summary: Soundwave's loyalty was unwavering. True in the face of hardship and suffering. He believed in the Decepticon cause, and he believed in Megatron. He's held onto the hope that Megatron would lead them into a bright future, which is why he immediately searched for him the minute he got out of the Shadowzone. However, when he found Megatron on this strange world, all of those years of loyalty and service went out the window. And he finally snapped. Also TW Gore and TW Blood

Soundwave tried to attack those human pests. He tried to kill them. He tried to remove them from the controls of the ship and stop them, and in turn, the Autobots, from gaining the advantage. But he couldn’t even touch them. His body phased right through them like it was nothing. But he wasn’t wearing a phase shifter. This happened because these children somehow managed to cross streams with the bridges. And now he was stuck in an alternate dimension where he couldn’t touch anything. He tried accessing his comm. link, but no one responded to him. What was going on?!

Soundwave realized that the rest of the Decepticons were left unattended. Megatron was left alone to fight the Autobots! Soundwave bolted out of the deck of the ship, racing down towards the Omega Lock. Their numbers had already dwindled so much after the infestation and the loss of the Insecticons. The Autobots had a chance to end the war in their favor! And Megatron! Megatron would be killed!

Soundwave noticed to door to the Omega Lock was open and he bolted through the opening. He looked down the opening of the ship to the cyber matter and the Lock’s structure. But it was too late. Soundwave had bare witness to Bumblebee ramming the Star Saber directly through Megatron’s chest. Soundwave felt his spark drop at the sight, and he ignored Laserbeak’s cries to him, trying to pull him back to reality. But…Soundwave couldn’t even hear. His master. His friend. His brother in arms, was fell by the lowly scout Megatron had mutilated eons ago.

Soundwave snapped out of his shock when he saw Megatron’s corpse slide off of the Star Saber and plummet to the Earth below. Soundwave jumped off the Nemesis and onto the Omega Lock structure. He leaned forward while gripping one of the pillars of the lock, seeing Megatron’s body starting to burn upon reentry. Soundwave contemplated diving after him. He had to go back to his friend. He was even prepared to jump, but the Nemesis jerked and began to move. Soundwave held onto the pillar as he felt the Nemesis go through the spacebridge, taking the ship and everyone who was still on board back to Cybertron. Soundwave reached out towards Earth, to where Megatron was, but the spacebridge closed, leaving any chance of him returning to Earth null and void.

Soundwave hated these clowns. He despised them with every fiber of his being.

The Cybertronian had believed that once the Quintessions were disposed of, his people would create a just society. One that didn’t require putting down the common bot and forcing them into unhealthy working conditions. But the new council decided to take a page out of the Quintessions’ books and implement their own caste system. This caste system didn’t allow those in it to move above their station if they so desired. It didn’t allow those who were built differently to receive services that would help them thrive on Cybertron. It just used the bots and scrapped them the moment their usefulness ran out.

He gave them chances. Time and time and time again. He pleaded his case, and gave them every opportunity to repent and fix the system before any long term damage had settled in. But they all refused. They didn’t care about freeing Cybertron. All they wanted was the power for themselves. And he was done.

He had left the council right in the middle of one of their meetings, stunning quite a few of them. Someone did approach him and begged him to stay. The bearded one: Alpha Trion. But Soundwave quickly pulled his shoulder out of bot’s grip. He took a vow of silence. He had covered his face. He had changed his appearance to prevent the council from finding him. If Soundwave could not change the system through reason, then he would destroy it with force.

Soundwave worked tirelessly, trying to get out of his prison. Whatever commotion was happening outside of the Nemesis, he chose to ignore it. It wasn’t a priority at the moment, and nothing outside of this dimension could harm him, which allowed him to maximize his efforts. He ignored the shaking and jerks of the ship. He ignored the arguments the Autobots were having, and the mutiny that Starscream tried and failed to achieve. He had heard words being thrown around regarding Unicron the Chaos Bringer, and that did make him hesitate a little. He didn’t want to deal with Unicron again, but he also didn’t want to stay here until he perished. He was going to get out of this place first, then he was going to deal with Unicron.

Laserbeak was chirping at him, trying to tell him something important, but Soundwave ignored the mini-con for the moment. Nothing could hurt them in this dimension; he didn’t have to worry about Laserbeak’s safety. The spymaster became elated when he realized that he could still connect to the spacebridge, but grunted when he felt the Nemesis crash into ground. He immediately checked on Laserbeak, seeing if he was alright. Maybe that was what the mini-con wanted to tell him. Laserbeak signaled that he was alright, allowing Soundwave to breathe a sigh of relief and continue working, ignoring an unfamiliar aircraft fleeing the planet in shame.

Soundwave didn’t realize how hard things would be on his own after leaving the council. He had to burn all traces of his original existence to prevent himself from being tracked. No home. No assets to his name. Just his new armor and covered face.

He scoured the streets of Kaon, doing odd jobs here and there in order to get some energon. But he had no roof over his helm, and he refused to work under someone in a place like the mines. He’s aware that the bosses there will bind poor Bots into unbreakable contracts, and work them until the rust away or get crushed to death. He would maintain his freewill, no matter how hard it would be. Soundwave winced when he felt something sting his shoulder. He noticed his armor was beginning to erode and quickly bolted to take cover. Acid rain. It was worse in these parts of Cybertron than in the upper caste sectors.

Soundwave scrambled towards an alley and took cover under an awning. He could hear the sizzle of the metal eroding and he could see the acid rain hitting the ground hard, but he chose to ignore it. He was safe for right now.

Then he heard shrill cries for help. Soundwave raised his helm and followed the noise to see…a mini-con. A mini-con that was getting pelted by the rain, unable to fly away and take cover due to its damaged wings. Soundwave initially decided to leave it alone, and let nature take its course. He didn’t want to receive any more damage from the rain. But the mini-con kept on crying, begging for salvation. Those cries grew weaker and weaker, until…it stopped flapping its wings and fell limp to the floor. Soundwave internally swore as he ran out into the rain, feeling the searing acid all over his body once more as he snatched the mini-con and ran back to his shelter. He examined the damage the mini-con had suffered, and they looked severe. He wasn’t sure if it was even going to make it. But no creature deserved to die like this.

Soundwave immediately got to work, taking parts of his own damaged armor and surgical tools lying around to seal and repair the mini-con’s wounds. He worked as quickly as he could, ignoring the rain and ignoring his pain to keep this Bot alive. After grueling hours of work, Soundwave managed to repair it enough to keep it stable for the time being. He then used a syringe he found lying on the ground, thankfully not too severely damaged from the rain, and injected it into his neck, siphoning out some of his own energon to transfer over to the mini-con. As the energon in the syringe continued to decrease, Soundwave saw the visor of the mini-con flicker to life. It was still weak and frightened, so Soundwave used his E.M. field to reassure it that it was alright and that it was safe. It was safe from the rain and Soundwave promised that he would keep it alive.

He wasn’t going to abandon it like the council abandoned its people.

====

Soundwave waited patiently in the shadows while the Autobots were distracted. With their rebuilding and reconstruction of Cybertron. He listened to their talks of peace and ceasefires, knowing full well they didn’t have the same charisma and leadership as Optimus Prime. The only Autobot who came close was Ultra Magnus.

He had tested the range he had from the Nemesis controls to that of the newly installed spacebridge that the Autobots were constructing under their name. His spacebridge could reach theirs. Now he just needed to time it right. He waited. Waited and waited until they least expected it. And then the opportunity arose when the spacebridge opened and a large ship came through. Soundwave activated the spacebridge from the Nemesis, causing a third portal to open up. Soundwave made sure that Laserbeak was fastened to his chassis before transforming and flying through and making it to the other side.

Soundwave transformed into his bipedal mode hearing panic and surprise from the other Autobots. He saw the Autobots drawing their weapons and aiming it at him. Soundwave immediately got into a fighting stance, prepared to attack and defend himself.

“Soundwave, stand down!” Ultra Magnus ordered him, but the spymaster refused. He wasn’t going to bend to their will.

“Soundwave, stop! The war is over!” Soundwave felt his anger flare when he heard Bumblebee speak. He snapped his helm towards him, contemplating tearing out Bumblebee’s voice box again himself for killing Megatron!

“The war will continue in Megatron’s name!” Soundwave had compiled the voices he had on file to speak.

“Wait…you don’t know?” Bumblebee was surprised.

“Know what?” Soundwave demanded.

“Megatron…he came back to life, but he forfeited the war,” Bumblebee explained.

Soundwave nearly lost his composure right then and there. Megatron was…alive?! That should have made him elated! Happy! But he didn’t go back for his master and merely stayed on the Nemesis as it took him back to Cybertron. But the confusion came. Forfeited? Megatron would never forfeit the war! Megatron would never quit! His attention fell to the other Autobots, but they didn’t have any expressions or features that would indicate that they were hiding something. Were they…were they actually telling the truth?

“His body got hijacked by Unicron, and Unicron tried to destroy Cybertron, but Optimus sacrificed himself to defeat Unicron, and that was before Megatron forfeited the war and left,” Bumblebee continued explaining. “We do have proof. I used the cortical psychic patch to show the memory.”

The patch doesn’t lie, and the Autobots don’t even have enough information on the schematics to even attempt any forms of manipulation. The fact that they were so confident to use it and show it to others meant that they were telling the truth. Megatron was alive, but he had forfeited, but it sounds like they didn’t have him.

“Where is he?” Soundwave demanded.

He heard Ratchet scoff. “You really think that we would tell you that-!”

“We don’t know,” Bumblebee answered truthfully, earning surprised cries from his allies, “I saw him fly off world, but I don’t know where he went.”

Soundwave took a look at his surroundings one more time. He was outnumbered, possibly outmatched, and he didn’t have the resources to repair himself if he got hurt. Not to mention, he still had Laserbeak to consider. Without giving any of the Autobots time to consider, he transformed and quickly flew off into space. He could hear the cries of the Autobots fade as he continued flying upward and out of Cybertron’s atmosphere.

“Bumblebee, what were you thinking?!” Arcee demanded.

“I figured if we answered him truthfully, he might’ve left us alone. Which he did!” Bumblebee retorted.

“And everyone here knows that Soundwave is fiercely loyal to Megatron and the only ‘Con that Megatron would even consider listening to!” Ratchet reminded.

“Soundwave has no leads! We’re talking about the span of infinity! How in the Allspark is Soundwave going to find Megatron through that?! And even if he did, it would take him eons?! Long after the war is over!” Bumblebee reasoned.

“And what if you’re wrong?!” Ratchet demanded.

“Then!...” Bumblebee trailed off, realizing the point to Ratchet’s words. Soundwave: the third-in-command to Megatron was now roaming freely in space. And will no doubt use his freedom to restart the Decepticons.

“If Soundwave is ever to return, then we will prepare plans to counteract him and any other Decepticons that choose to align with him,” Ultra Magnus declared, “For now we need to focus on rebuilding and bolstering our forces in the event of a Decepticon invasion.”

Soundwave’s first decision was the land on Luna-1. He knew he had no leads to go off of in order to locate Megatron, but he did inform his master that he had sent Airachnid to Luna-1. There was a chance that Megatron came to the moon in order to permanently dispose of her. When he stepped over a hill and saw the remnants of Insecticon carcasses rusting away on the surface, he knew that he was correct. He walked towards the carcasses that remained and examine the ground for any information that would direct him to Megatron. He found the outlines of spider legs in the ground, no doubt belonging to Airachnid, but he also saw a new set of pedeprints one that he did not recognize. But he noticed the way these new pedeprints tracked in the ground. The steps and patterns were familiar, unforgettable. These were Megatron’s pedeprints! Megatron was here on the moon, and based on the pedeprints, he had fought Airachnid, probably killing her in the process. Bumblebee did mention that Unicron had hijacked Megatron’s body. There was a possibility that his appearance was altered in the process to compensate for the damage he had undertaken from the Scout. But Megatron was here and he was still alive. But where did he go from here?

Soundwave looked up towards the expansive throws of space. He knew it would be a fruitless effort to try and find Megatron in the vast universe. Megatron could have gone anywhere, and disappeared to a place no one would ever find him. But Soundwave wasn’t going to give up. He refused to believe that Megatron would abandon the Decepticons. Not after all of the hardship and sacrifice.

Soundwave transformed and flew off of Luna-1 and away from Cybertron. He had Megatron’s signal on file, and even though his range was small compared to the Nemesis, he could use it to find him. The Decepticon movement could wait. His new mission was to search for his master and friend and bring him back to his senses to finish what they started.

Soundwave didn’t mean to acquire more mini-cons. It ended up just happening if he was being honest.

Soundwave was still taking care of Laserbeak and helping him regain his strength when he encountered Ravage. The feline mini-con was savaging for energon nearby, and Soundwave took some pity on it by providing a small cube. It wasn’t much, but it should have kept the creature alive for another night. Besides, he was focused on keeping Laserbeak alive.

The next thing he knew, Ravage had returned, and in its mouth was a rare metal meant to help repair wounds. Specifically for Laserbeak. Soundwave couldn’t help but be surprised, but Ravage had wagged his tail, expecting praise for his hard work. Soundwave thought he would be useful and let Ravage stick around. He did not bind the cat to him, and let him choose to follow him. He wanted to give him a choice. It was going to be the same for Laserbeak. With Ravage’s help, he had managed to repair the mini-con’s wounds and bring him to full health. Soundwave gave him the option to fly free, and expected the avian creature to never return, but Laserbeak merely turned back around and landed right back on Soundwave’s arm. Soundwave couldn’t help but be moved at Laserbeak’s loyalty while Ravage purred, rubbing up against his leg. Soundwave kept them both as companions from that point on.

Rumble and Frenzy tried to con him when they first met. Rumble was meant to be the distraction while Frenzy was trying to pickpocket him. Ravage sniffed him out and grabbed Frenzy’s arm with his mouth. Soundwave stopped Ravage from tearing the arm off while Soundwave grabbed the twins and lifted them high into the air. Soundwave was prepared to turn them over to the authorities. He had two mouths to feed. He didn’t need two mini-cons trying to steal from him. Soundwave’s anger dissipated when he noticed the way their optics flickered, and he realized that they were experiencing energon deficiency as well. Soundwave also remembered punishments were harsher against mini-cons. The discrimination against the mini-cons were stronger.

Soundwave decided not to turn them in; however, he had to force them to stay by his side as punishment and to keep them out of trouble. Soundwave did his best to keep all four of them fed, and it was difficult. Soundwave expected the twins to run when they had the chance. Pits, he actually played coy to let them run, but they continued to stay. They wanted to stay by his side. It was extra mouths to feed, but they kept him alert and they kept him alive.

The five of them helped each other survive in the worst of Cybertron.

Soundwave searched but found nothing.

He searched the cosmos for Megatron, trying to find any leads on Megatron. He had infiltrated both Autobot and Decepticon ships that he encountered for any leads, killing the Autobots aboard their vessels and stealing their basic supplies while sparing the Decepticons in order to build allies and maintain relationships.

The Decepticons he encountered willingly lent him their ship’s navigations in order to locate Megatron’s signal, but so far, the ranges that were provided yielded nothing. He thanked them in his own way by informing them that Cybertron was alive and provided them the map he had recorded for himself to get back home. He informed them of the dangers of an Autobot driven world, but what they decided to do was completely up to them. The Autobot’s navigation systems weren’t any better; he still had no leads regarding Megatron. Even so, he used the information from both Autobots and Decepticons to chart a map of this particular sector of space. Which places were safe to cross and which places were not.

Laserbeak had informed the Decepticon that he needed to rest, and Soundwave couldn’t help but agree. He landed on a barren asteroid, lying back against the dirt and sighing to himself. He expected Laserbeak to eject, but the mini-con chose to stay on his chassis of his own volition. Soundwave enjoyed the simple act of comfort, and powered down to regain his energy.

Soundwave heard the rumors of a gladiator making a name for himself throughout Kaon. An undefeatable champion that was not only strong with his combat, but wise with his words, which was considered a feat for many low caste workers. Many were cut off from a proper education in order to keep them locked in their caste position.

Still, Soundwave was intrigued at this gladiator, who had gone so far as to naming himself after one of the Thirteen Primes: Megatronus. Soundwave had witness both ends of the caste system, and his ultimate desire was to change it. However, he had no true leadership skills. He was someone who worked in the shadows and stayed away from the spotlight. Hiding and waiting was his specialty. If Soundwave wanted to change the system, he needed someone who could influence the sparks and minds of all Cybertronians.

Soundwave entered the Pits and signed up for the gladiator matches immediately. He used his skills to rig the match so that he would be fighting Megatronus, much to the dismay of the mini-cons. They advised and begged him not to fight Megatronus. They’ve seen his matches. He hasn’t lost a single one since he started. But Soundwave needed to know. He needed to know if Megatronus could help bring about the change he so desperately desired.

Soundwave stepped into the arena when he heard his name being called, sword and shield in servo, and was immediately met with boos and jeers from the crowd. None of the onlookers knew much about him, and a fresh face usually meant a fresh kill. That was made especially clear by the energon stains on the ground from the previous match. It was a massacre.

Soundwave then looked ahead when the announcer started to hype up Megatronus, getting the crowd excited for their champion. Soundwave watched as the gladiator stepped into the ring, and was met with an interesting sight to say the least. This gladiator was mostly silver, and his appearance wasn’t as intimidating as some of the other gladiators tried to make themselves. A shield resided on his left arm, showing signs of damage and use. He saw red marks around the gladiator’s joints, and his optics were a common blue. What made him so special?

The announcer declared that this would be a fight to the death, causing Soundwave to snap his helm towards the announcer in surprise. A fight to the death? This was supposed to be a fight to the first wound. Who rigged this system? Soundwave searched the crowd and glared through the mask, seeing mob bosses transferring credits to each other. Slag. He should have been more mindful.

Soundwave stared ahead to his opponent, who merely clenched his right servo into a fist, summoning a sword of his own. He got into a fighting stance, shield in front of him while sword behind him. Soundwave got into his own fighting stance, preparing himself to fight. He needed to live. He needed to live for them.

Fight! Both combatants raced towards each others, swords clashing upon impact. Soundwave did his best to plant his pedes into the ground as Megatronus pushed him back. He was strong, but he was putting too much force in the attack. Soundwave released his sword, letting it drop to the ground before bending backwards, causing Megatronus to lean forward. The gladiator was looking at Soundwave in surprise, but Soundwave curled his digits around the handle of his shield and smacked Megatronus in the face with it, sending him flying sideways across the arena. Everyone gawked at the sight while Soundwave straightened himself out, grabbing the sword that he dropped in the process. He wasn’t going to go down easily. Soundwave was also a skilled combatant, but he made sure to keep that hidden in order to have the element of surprise.

Soundwave saw Megatronus standing up, looking just as surprised as everyone else. The gladiator wiped some energon pouring from his mouth and examined it. And then, Soundwave saw it. Megatronus neutral expression so far, had turned to such a maniacal grin. Megatronus snatched his shield and raced forward towards Soundwave, but Soundwave dodged the swing of his sword at the last minute. Soundwave saw the sword swinging upright and quickly bent backwards, the edge of the blade just narrowly missing his mask. Soundwave swung his own sword downward, but Megatronus raised his shield above his helm to absorb the attack.

The announcer declared that they had a true match on their servos as the crowd became divided. Half of the members cheered for Megatronus while the other half cheered for Soundwave. As the cheering continued, Soundwave and Megatronus’ swords continued to clash. They twirled and danced with each other, locking blades and shields before releasing each other to gain some distance. Soundwave was lighter than Megatronus. He was able to jump into the air to gain a height advantage, but Megatronus was prepared for that, blocking and countering his attacks so easily. It was impressive.

But Soundwave wouldn’t be able to achieve his dream if this was a fight to the death. And Megatronus had no real connection to him. The gladiator wouldn’t throw the match for his own dreams. Neither Cybertronian wanted to die, but it was apparent with every swing, every punch, every kick, and every cut that neither would relent. Soundwave had to live. If not for his dream, then for the mini-cons he had sacrificed everything for. He wouldn’t let them go back into the dark.

Soundwave and Megatronus had forced each other to the other ends of the arena before charging at each other. Megatronus let out a battle cry, but Soundwave remained silent as the familiar sound of metal tearing through metal was apparent. Both had stopped in their tracks, arms and swords extended outward, both covered with energon. Soundwave could feel the searing hot pain in his side, but he remained standing. He wasn’t going to buckle, or waiver. The whole arena waited with silence. They wanted to know who would collapse first. Soundwave heard cries of shock and disbelief and looked behind him to see Megatronus bending the knee first. He had bested Megatronus, and caused the crowd to be in an uproar, but this fight was still a fight to the death. Those were the only options given to him, and he had to abandon his ideas for a better Cybertron to protect the mini-cons. Soundwave tried to limp over to Megatronus to deal the killing blow, but Soundwave found himself collapsing to the ground in response. Scrap. The wound was deeper than he anticipated. Soundwave held his side, trying to force himself upright. He heard the crowd cheering and careened his helm to see Megatronus standing up. The gladiator walked towards him with his blade still protruding from his arm. Soundwave saw Megatronus looking down at him, but he didn’t waiver. He would face his death right here and now. He just hoped the mini-cons would be able to survive without him.

However, Soundwave, and the crowd was taken aback when Megatronus discarded the shield and recalled his sword before extending his servo out to him. What was Megatronus doing? This was a fight to the death.

“This combatant is filled with great strength and pride! The mark of a warrior!” Megatronus addressed the crowd, “To have someone like him die here would be a waste of such strength! And I defy anyone who believes that he deserves to die!”

Megatron addressed Soundwave. “Can you stand?”

Soundwave forced himself upright, and took the servo that was offered to him. Soundwave wobbled and forced himself to stand, but Megatronus was kind enough to offer his own body for support. Both warriors were injured, leaking energon, but Megatronus raised his clenched servo high into the air, causing the crowd to cheer wildly.

“Raise your servo,” Megatronus advised in a whisper. Soundwave was confused at the idea, but decided to take his advice and raised his fist in the air, causing the crowd to act like madmen.

“We gave them a good enough show, and you’ve made a good impression,” Megatron explained, “Both of us will get to live, regardless of what the mob bosses say. Trust me on that.”

Soundwave nodded his helm in response.

“Let’s get you patched up.” Megatronus assisted Soundwave in walking out of the arena, “And if you’re willing, I wish to discuss possible arrangements.”

Soundwave looked up at him in surprise, and Megatronus smirked. “Over a match, of course.”

Soundwave couldn’t help but smile behind his mask. Perhaps there was hope for the future.

It’s been six months. Six months since Soundwave started his search for Megatron. The farther he flew out into the universe, the less Cybertronians he found. The less help he received. The less hope he had in finding Megatron.

By the Allspark, where would Megatron even go? He had nowhere to go. Was he really just abandoning the cause because of Unicron? Or something else? Megatron has dealt with Unicron before and he still remained the same. He still fought for the Decepticon cause…whatever that was now. But all that effort. All that sacrifice and energon spilt, it couldn’t have been for nothing, especially after going through the Pits together and back.

Soundwave found himself begging a little. He wanted to find Megatron. He wanted an explanation. If Megatron said he was tired, if Megatron was showing adverse effects of Unicron’s influence on him, he could accept that. Unicron was a powerful entity. Megatron would have been influenced by him.

Megatron wouldn’t abandon everything after all this time. Not of his own free will and volition. Not after all of that sacrifice.

Soundwave was devastated. Sparkbroken. He let rage consume him earlier, but now his processors were silent. He couldn’t think of anything else.

Peace talks had failed, and Megatron declared war against the Autobots, against Optimus. Megatron apologized to Soundwave for not properly considering the consequences of bringing someone from a higher cast into the fold, but it was too late now. The war raged on, it consumed the planet. Both Autobots and Decepticons were killed.

And so were Rumble, Frenzy, and Ravage.

Soundwave had heard Ravage scream out in pain before the comm. links were cut. He ignored protocol and raced out towards the battlefield to get to them. But it was too late. His mini-cons were dead, Laserbeak only being spared because he wasn’t assigned to this mission. And the Autobots there celebrated their deaths. They had taken out the minions of Soundwave, they had said. Well, Soundwave didn’t have much to say. He never did. He let his actions do the talking, and he slaughtered all the Autobots in the vicinity. He ignored their screams of pain and pleas for mercy. They didn’t deserve any of that.

The Decepticons had only arrived moments after the carnage, stunned to see the damage the quiet and reserved spymaster had caused. Everyone except for Megatron. The Decepticon leader approached his third in command who was on the ground, gently holding Ravage’s corpse in his servos.

“Soundwave-!”

“The Autobots need to burn,” Soundwave used his audio recordings to declare, “The whole system needs to burn. They did this. No more negotiations. No more peace talks. They will not change.”

Megatron placed a clawed servo on his shoulder. “We will conquer Cybertron and kill the Autobots, and bring about a new age.”

Soundwave didn’t say anything regarding his declaration.

“Take time to grieve,” Megatron ordered him, causing Soundwave to snap his helm towards him, “I never liked mini-cons. You know that well about me, but I know how much they meant to you. And they had contributed greatly and fought valiantly. We will give them proper burial rites.”

Soundwave nodded his helm at that, grateful that his master was being considerate and showing mercy.

Soundwave searched for a year for Megatron’s location, slowly giving up hope that he would ever find Megatron at all. The thought of Megatron giving up, and not wanting to be found ached him. It made him angry and desperate. After everything that they had been through, Megatron couldn’t have abandoned the cause like this. Abandoned him like this. Soundwave needed the fight to continue and they needed to be victorious so their efforts wouldn’t be in vain. That was when Soundwave came across something.

It was a ship that crash landed on a moon a while ago. It looked like it was still operational to a degree, and wasn’t claimed by the harsh and cold environment of space. Soundwave landed on the ground and stepped inside the ship to investigate. He walked down the quiet halls, keeping watch for any signs of life. He didn’t want to deploy Laserbeak in an unknown environment just yet.

Soundwave found an open door leading directly to a console and saw that it was operational. Soundwave instantly used his tendrils and attached them to the keyboard, downloading information into his databanks. Soundwave saw that the weapons systems were still maintained and operational and quickly disabled them. Instinct kicked in as Soundwave turned around and smacked the Autobot that was trying to ambush him, sending him flying across the room and slamming into the wall. Another Cybertronian appeared from the shadows and tried to attack, but he wrapped his servo around his neck cables and lifted him high into the air.

“Let go! Let go!” The second Cybertronian screamed at him. Soundwave ignored him as he continued searching through the ships logs. The spacebridge they somehow managed to construct had been used over eleven months ago. Soundwave searched the video feed to see what it was used for, and froze when he saw video of Megatron stepping onto the ship. He never expected his leader’s form to be so different because of Unicron’s influence and control, but the optics. The optics were the same! It was him!

Soundwave quickly pulled up the last set of coordinates used on the spacebridge and opened the portal to that location. Looking closely at the map of the planet, it looked like Megatron was sent to an island. That might make the search easier for him. The spy master slammed the Autobot into the floor of the ship before overheating the energon tanks of the ship through the console. Soundwave bolted through the unstable spacebridge before landing in a grassy field on this new world. He felt the heat of the explosion of the ship on his back, but the spacebridge collapsed in on itself before it could do any real damage to him. Soundwave then took a moment to examine his surroundings, noting how similar it was to the scenery on Earth. He then ignored the sight before widening his search radius for Megatron. He nearly gasped when he finally, finally, managed to pick up Megatron’s signal. He was here! He was here on the island! He was alive!

Soundwave immediately transformed and flew towards Megatron’s location, feeling more excited and elated than ever.

Soundwave felt like he should have said something when Megatron’s obsession with dark energon grew. The way that the substance seemed to have called Megatron to him, and the fact that Megatron carelessly stabbed the shard into his chest with no consideration for the consequences or even his own life. He still made the decision to trust Megatron’s decision and not question his actions, even though he could help but agree with Starscream and some of the other sentiments whispered among the vehicons.

But still, Megatron had changed. Sure, change was bound to happen when engaging in war, but Megatron changed for the worse once dark energon got involved. He was obsessive, more controlling, more violent at times.

But Soundwave decided to trust Megatron. He decided to trust his judgment as he had always done, because Soundwave believe that he wouldn’t abandon them or turn his back on them.

Soundwave flew over a set of large walls when he saw Megatron’s signal getting closer. He was about to land and greet him directly, but stopped when he realized that there was another signal that was next to him. Soundwave landed a safe distance away and hid within the trees to get a closer look without being seen. He peered through the gaps, and saw Megatron standing there, looking so different, looking annoyed, but alive. After a year, Soundwave had finally found him. Soundwave grew tempted to approach once more but froze when he saw…

Optimus.

Optimus Prime was there. He had approached Megatron and the two were talking. They weren’t being hostile with one another. They were on speaking term. What? What was this?! Why was Optimus alive and in his previous form?! Why was Megatron getting along with him?! Soundwave heard loud footsteps and gawked behind his mask, at the sight of some organic titan that was big. Taller than all three of them, and it had no lips, revealing its teeth. Soundwave looked at his surroundings further and saw humans on the ground, staring up at all three of them, but they weren’t bothered by the sight. They weren’t afraid of Megatron. One of them was even throwing insults Megatron’s way which Optimus scolded them for.

Megatron was alive…working with Optimus…working with humans….working with…whatever that massive thing was! Megatron had let them, left him! He had abandoned the Decepticon cause for Optimus and lowly humans! He couldn’t believe it! Megatron had betrayed them! Megatron-!

Laserbeak tried to calm Soundwave down and reason with him, but the spymaster could only see red as he lunged forward.

Sasha was bored today. She shouldn’t have been. Hanji declared that they were all going try some new battle plans when going up against Marley. It’s why they were all equipped in their 3D gear and why Eren was in his titan form. Still, Megatron was kind of throwing a fit about it as they were discussing battle plans.

The teen yawned, resting her chin on her hands, waiting for something to happen, when she picked up on something. It happened so quickly that she couldn’t properly register it, but it was like a predator, waiting in the shadows to strike unsuspecting prey. It was filled with rage and murderous intent, and it was heading for Megatron.

“DUCK!” Sasha screamed, causing everyone to be on high alert, but a purple object rammed directly into Megatron’s gut sending him flying across the field. Megatron rolled across the dirt as the purple object flew up into the air and transformed into another titan. It landed on the ground with grace, and everyone took notice of its strange features. It was skinny and nimble, coated completely in purple, but the titan had no face. Its face was just a black mirror.

Eren looked over at Optimus to see shock in the Prime’s optics. Eren then snapped his head forward to see of Megatron was alright, but he looked just as shaken as Optimus at the sight of this new titan. Megatron’s mouth moved and uttered a single name.

“Soundwave.”

Soundwave bolted towards Megatron, forcing the ex-con to flip backwards and dodge a strike clearly meant for Megatron’s head. The strike hit the ground instead, and the Survey Corps was stunned to see the new titan create a crater. Soundwave rushed him, forcing Megatron to take out his shield and block a flurry of attacks, each one meant to be more lethal than the last, causing more damage to his own shield. Everyone was stunned to see Megatron struggling and getting overwhelmed, but he didn’t go on the offensive at all.

“Damn it! Attack!” Hanji ordered as they flew towards the fight.

“Are you serious-!”

“Just do it!” Hanji screamed at Connie.

Levi followed close behind, prompting the rest of the Scouts to follow.

“Wait, wait! Soundwave might still have Laserbeak!” Optimus snapped out of his shock and called for them.

“Who?!” Jean snapped his head back towards the Prime. Mikasa snapped her head to Soundwave, and the spy master took notice of them closing in. Soundwave drop kicked Megatron to create room for himself and extended his arms outward. Everyone was shocked to see his chest move and drop off of his body. His chest then transformed into that of a strange bird who flew directly towards them. With its sharp wings, it managed to cut the cords of both Connie and Armin’s 3D gear, causing them to drop to the ground. It then flew back around and started firing red bullets at the Scouts, forcing them to scatter. Jean gasped in horror when Floch was hit by one of those bullets, causing his body to be incinerated in one shot.

“Fall back! Fall back!” Hanji ordered as they all scrambled to get away and make some room for themselves.

"Eren, stay back! Do not engage!" Optimus ordered as he activated his battle mask and charged at the faceless titan who went back to attacking Megatron. The titan shifter was still baffled at the sight of Megatron refusing to attack Soundwave, ordering him to stand down and talk this out. Eren turned to his friends in his titan form, and saw they were preoccupied with the strange bird that detached itself from Soundwave's chest. They kept on dodging the flying creature in a panic, not really sure how to approach this thing or even respond.

He didn't know what was going on. He was so confused and afraid. Why did Megatron seem afraid of him? Eren examined Soundwave's movements. He was fast and agile, dodging attacks from Optimus like it was nothing while striking Megatron with all that he had. And despite that small, nimble, frame, he was actually causing some push back against the massive titan.

Eren gasped when Soundwave managed to grab Optimus' arm and throw him over his shoulder towards Megatron. The two crashed into each other before slamming into multiple trees. Eren had no choice. He knows listening to Optimus' advice was probably the best way to go, but he had to engage. They were in danger. Eren charged at threw a punch at Soundwave's back, but gasped when Soundwave dodged the attack without even looking behind him.

Eren looked at the faceless titan, and despite everything. Despite the size advantage, despite the fact that Soundwave had no face, the titan looked furious. He saw his own reflection mirrored on the screen, but he could've sworn he saw eyes glaring at him. And he could feel the murderous intent radiating off of this thing!

Soundwave raised his slender arm and slammed it down on the back of Eren's neck. Eren felt his senses shut down and he almost passed out from the hit. It actually broke his connection to his titan body for a brief moment. Eren slammed face first into the ground and groaned, feeling his human body reconnecting with his titan body. Eren gasped when he noticed out of the corner of his eye Soundwave reaching for the nape of his neck once again. Eren quickly rolled out of the way as Soundwave's fist hit the ground hard.

“We need to tag team and coordinate a single shot!” Hanji ordered.

“How?!” Jean demanded, “Oh fuck!” The bird had its own set of long tendrils that grabbed Jean midflight and tossed him into a building. He crashed through the window and hit the floor hard.

“Mikasa, with me!” Levi ordered the other Ackerman, “Hanji!”

“Hey pretty bird!” Hanji called out to the purple bird, waving around frantically and drawing as much attention to themselves as possible, “Look at me! Come and get me!”

Laserbeak’s attention was now on Hanji as he tried to chase them down. He then noticed Sasha grabbing a thunderspear and firing it at him, but he quickly flew upward, dodging the attack and letting the explosion go off. However, Laserbeak felt two hooks latch onto him and looked up to see Levi and Mikasa flying down towards him with two thunderspears. Laserbeak couldn’t help but notice the blue in their eyes mirroring that of energon before the thunderspears were wedged into his wings. They flew past him, and pulled the pins off the spears, causing them to go off. Laserbeak screeched in pain while Mikasa got caught up in the explosion.

“Mikasa!” Levi saw Mikasa hit the ground hard, dislocating her shoulder and arm in the process. Levi flew over to her, ignoring Laserbeak spiraling out of control and crashing into the ground.

Eren scrambled to stand upright and charged again, but yelled when a long, glowing, snake-like appendage emerged from the side of Soundwave’s body and wrapped around his arm!

"What the hell?!" Eren screamed in the nape, but Soundwave seized Eren's moment of weakness and used his appendage to crush and rip off Eren's lower arm.

Eren forced himself to regenerate quickly, thankful for the recent injection of the energon serum, but Soundwave was unrelenting. Another appendage emerged from the other side of his body before jamming into his ribcage. Eren screamed when Soundwave started electrocuting him from the inside out. Eren couldn't retain his proper bodily functions as Soundwave pulled out the appendage in his side. The titan shifter noticed small tendrils at the end buzzing with electricity at the tips. Eren tried to smack him in the head, but the faceless titan ducked before digging his hand into the open wound in Eren's ribcage. Eren was stunned to find his wound didn't even regenerate, but ignored it as he tried to kick Soundwave away. However, Soundwave's appendage quickly wrapped around his leg and began crushing it.

Eren screamed out in pain as he felt the crushed leg get torn off. Eren then felt something heavy get ripped out of his chest, and he was horrified to see that it was the beating heart of his titan form.

Soundwave didn't crush it though. He merely tossed it aside before wrapping both appendages around Eren's waist. Eren yelled in fear as Soundwave swung him around with his whole body before throwing him across the grass. Eren's body skidded to a stopped, destroying the foliage and whatever else was underneath him. Eren tried to regenerate, but...he couldn't. Why couldn't he regenerate? What was he even hit with?

Eren's gaze forced himself to see Soundwave approaching him. He didn't understand. Who was this...this thing? Soundwave's appendage reached for his neck and wrapped around it, ready to crush it, and him, but Megatron quickly rushed Soundwave and slammed him in the face with his shield. Eren was shocked at the sight of the screen shattering on impact as the appendage let him go.

Soundwave rolled across the ground rather violently as pieces of his mask scattered across the grass. Eren tried to force himself onto his arms, but his body felt so weak. He could only adjust his head to see Soundwave scrambling to get up. Those long fingers of his right hand were pressed upwards against his broken mask, trying so desperately to hold it in place and keep it intact. But broken glass still fell to the ground, and Eren managed to catch a lone red optic staring in horror at Megatron. It looked so betrayed at Megatron's single act, but why?

"Soundwave! I am ordering you to stand down!" Megatron commanded.

"Traitor!" Eren couldn't tell if that was Soundwave's voice. It sounded like someone else was speaking, but even then, the voice that came out was broken and distorted.

"The war is over and we lost!" Megatron yelled, "There is no need for this senseless fighting! Now stay down!"

"No."

Eren managed to blink at that. That sounded real. That sounded like a monster. It sounded like the voice of a monster that would hide in the closest or under the bed. It was the stuff of nightmares. The lone red eye that stared in horror now burned with rage towards Megatron. Megatron seemed to think Soundwave was something that came from nightmares too, since he looked horrified at the sight of Soundwave speaking.

"Megatron: No longer my master."

Before Eren could think, Optimus had shielded his body as Soundwave used his appendage to fire red bullets at everyone in sight. In all the chaos and confusion, Eren saw Soundwave grabbing the bird that was on his chest before transforming and flying off to who knows where.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Hanji screamed at Megatron as they landed on the ground, "Go after him!"

The Commander ended up pausing when they noticed just how horrified both Optimus and Megatron looked at the figure that was flying off. They had managed to catch Megatron's lips moving, mumbling something about 'breaking a vow'. What the hell did he even mean by that? Hanji nearly scowled at Megatron’s catatonic state before turning to Sasha. “Go get Jean!”

“Got it!” Sasha flew up towards the window that Jean had crashed through and pulled him out before flying over to them and setting him down on his back.

Optimus quickly cut Eren out of his titan body and laid him down on the ground. “Are you okay?”

“God, I feel sick,” Eren groaned in pain.

“Eren!” Armin ran over to his friend to see if he was alright. Connie could only limp over, feeling that he had a bruise on his leg.

“Optimus…who was that?” Sasha asked, still shaken by the experience as Levi helped Mikasa over to everyone else.

Optimus deactivated his mask as he stood up. “Soundwave: Megatron’s third-in-command during the war, and his minicon companion: Laserbeak.”

“The what?” Hanji demanded.

“That was one of your soldiers?!” Levi shouted at Megatron, but stopped his shouting when he noticed how shaken he still looked.

“Soundwave is a very skilled, very powerful combatant,” Optimus continued explaining, “He was once a gladiator like Megatron, and a fiercely loyal ally. He was Megatron’s eyes and ears during the war, listening for Autobot intelligence and for Decepticon traitors.”

"…He was the only one I trusted as Leader of the Decepticons," Megatron finally spoke up, "We fought together in the Pits of Kaon. He was the only one who had ever come close to besting me in combat. He took a vow of silence long before I met him, and had not spoken a word during the war.”

Megatron turned his attention to the humans on the ground. “He just broke his vow today."

The Survey Corps couldn’t help but be shaken at Megatron’s declaration. They turned his attention to Optimus, who’s expression looked just as grim as his former enemy.

"...oh fuck," Levi swore.

Soundwave didn’t know how long he was flying, but he ended up landed in the desert out of exhaustion. He still held Laserbeak close to his chassis and was mortified at the damage those humans managed to do. They had damaged his wings, and the poor mini-con was croaking in pain!

Soundwave’s feelings of mortification quickly turned into rage when he saw more pieces of his mask falling and hitting Laserbeak. Megatron. Megatron! Megatron you liar! You traitor! All those years spent on his war! All of those eons promising change! Going against the council! Going against Optimus! Everything! He just abandoned it all! All the loss! His mini-cons! Dreadwing! Anyone that was still loyal to him! He just casted them all aside! He abandoned them for weak organics and a Prime!

Soundwave let out a scream of rage and fury, causing the birds in the area to fly away in a panic. No more. No more waiting in the shadows! No more serving under anyone else! If Soundwave was going to enact the change that he desired, he would do it with his own two servos!

(A few notes:

-The Chaos Timeline does take place a year before the Azumabito Clan show up. -Yes, this is more Soundwave centric and the AOT cast don't show up until the end, but I gotta build background and character motivation since we don't have much on Soundwave in the actual show. -Speaking of, I had to dip within the aligned continuity in order to build a story for Soundwave. His motivation, his loyalty, his mini-cons, why he went batshit on Megatron. -Yes, I brought in the other mini-cons and yes I decided to have them killed. We never see them in the TFP show so I assumed they died in the war. -Soundwave really just came in, rocked everyone's shit and left.)

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quendiviner · 3 months ago

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Hiiiiii I have a question about long haired Toby!!! What are the differences (in as much or as little detail as you'd like) between Baltimore Toby and Miami Toby 🤔

JEJFBFBJFJF THANK YOU SM

tw: this has mentions of overworking, mental health problems, unhealthy habits and substance use 🤧

Baltimore Toby is back when it was working on the first project/getting its phd (Baltimore bc I think the university the program belonged to was Johns Hopkins or something. haha. obviously we're talking about 2260's here though.) meanwhile Miami Toby is when Aleena & co. asked him to join the skincare start up as a co founder and head of comms.

Side tracking/additional info that's not so important: Okay so funniest thing is that i was like. basically thinking at first that hey i'm sure toby had lots of free time during the project as well. Then I saw a post abt my uni being on top 100's again in Shanghai ranking and went "hm what r the top universities" which then led me to google tuition fees in different places. I went to see john hopkins tuitions and kind of went 👁️👁️ when I saw that students would basically spend around 100k$ a year during phd (indirect fees included) so i was like. hm!

ANYWAY! While I did mention that in Cynosure worldbuilding most universities are free and all, there are still some private ones some parents like to send their children to and with which some corporations like to do collabs). Now, while Tobias did in fact probably get some scholarships and Mackie was like "oh if you keep working for us we'll pay all of ur uni debt" and Toby, 17 years old, naive and just wanting to show what it can do to help people, went "oh ofc that sounds great!". poor guy.

While he did think he would stay there after the project too, Toby's also "a bit" anxious and like, finds it hard to trust promises like that, so it goes on and does extra work like ta:ing and volunteering and all stuff like that. Which led it to basically have no free time at all hahaha. :/. It did attend a book club and get a game console to play its favorite video games at home but like, that's kinda it. It also liked to do work at home btw. Jack would literally come by sometimes and its just sitting looking through some data or something. lmao.

This also led to the fact that Toby basically had no other human contacts except for, well, it's coworkers, some people from university, the book club and Jack (who is also in the coworker section).

ANYWAY! After it left the project it was basically like, "hm what do i do now," especially after looking at its bank accounts and seeing a debt that would be like, almost one million dollars in our modern currency (bc he also hasn't paid for his bachelor's in MIT either. his mom sent him there. he didn't want to go there). Plus he's "just a bit burnt out" (Toby's words) and, well, trying to ignore all its thoughts and feelings re: Jack.

Week later after leaving Mackie Tobias opens its email and sees Aleena's message asking it to call her or meet up with her. So he goes there and she's like "hey so remember our project at that one cosmetics chemistry course? we were thinking abt turning it into a start up and i was wondering if you'd like to join," to which Toby's all like "uh. yeah. sure." not like it has anything else going on. Aleena makes it the head of communications bc Tobias loves public speaking, presentations and stuff like that. And so he moves to Miami.

NOW, despite having a title like that, it's surprisingly easy and has very little work tasks especially since it has a comms team. Toby has no idea what to do with all that free time. It's the first time in its life when it has so much free time (not counting age 1-5).

So it asks Aleena what she tends to do during her free time bc it kinda finds it hard and she's like "well i go to clubs sometimes. and meet with people. and do some other stuff hmm..." and toby, in its brain, basically went "oh so i gotta go to a club."

Well. He did. Many times. Maybe like five times a week or something. It doesn't drink alcohol but picked up some Other Substances to use and, well, basically got a bit too much into things like one night stands or quickies bc 1) its people pleaser brain somehow thought that would be fun and 2) it needed someone to care about it at least in some way and 3) it helped to not think about Jack. Then Frank also showed up so... 😬.

THAT SAID it's not that he only spent time there, Toby also liked to going to museums and got into playing basketball with Aleena. AAAAND it also started spending lots of time at home doing stuff. Or staring at the wall while being bored.

SO UM. How do I conclude this. Both were very bad to its mental health in different ways and the biggest difference is that Baltimore Toby had no free time and Miami Toby had too much. Another difference is that Baltimore Toby tended to limit its substance use to stimulants only, Miami Toby tended to, well, it was high almost all the time. :/

After it got done with everything it basically sold all of its shares for super cheap, which was enough to pay off most of its debt and have some savings, and then it just Left (tm) and went to start things over. Good for it.

#asks #oc: tobias #🔍 cynosure #OUGHHHHHH poor toby. i want to give it a hug so bad.

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haldenlith · 5 months ago

Text

Finally got around to the Wild Card mission (which had a lovely cutscene). Got inspired to do a fic chronicling the mission with Hal in it, making my boy a bit more of an active participant. I did rewrite with a lot of included dialogue and such, so obviously, spoilers.

Also on AO3.

It really did feel like old times again. Cayde-6, whispering an idea to him in fake hushed tones, pulling him away on some grand adventure he cooked up.

Only this time, apparently Crow was in on it, too. This should be interesting.

“C’mon, kiddo. You’ve been lookin’ a little blue. Well, bluer than usual. Let’s go, kick some bad guy butt, and revel in the victory. You always perked up after a mission or two with yours truly. I know, I know, I have that effect on people.” Cayde paused. “But, you know, kick butt all hushed like. Shh.” Hal rolled his eyes behind his helmet and shrugged. Alright. Fine.

It’d take his mind off of the cracks in Ghost’s shell, if nothing else.

As he was investigating the indicated area, he heard the chatter between the two Hunters over the radio. “Okay, first step of ever successful mission is a codename.” Hal silently wondered if the silly codenames of missions in the past were all Cayde’s idea. He had originally pinned that bit of blame on Zavala, but now he wasn’t so sure. “I’m thinking ‘Operation Finger Guns.’ Think about it.”

“Really?” Crow sounded utterly unconvinced. Hal snorted.

“Such a lack of enthusiasm from a man that unironically used finger guns when debriefing me…”

“HAL. I… we… it was a successful mission! I was being enthusiastic!” Hal had temporarily forgotten comms were open when he made his comment. Cayde brimmed with gleeful laughter.

“Oh that had to be hilarious. Yup. Operation Finger Guns.” An exasperated sigh sounded from Crow.

After a round of investigating and dodging screebs, it seemed it was time to set up camp. Admittedly this was a… less familiar task for Hal. He rarely ever made camp anywhere but his ship, on it, under it, or around it. A Hunter, he most certainly was not. Part of him wondered a bit about their arrangement, really. It sounded like the start of a bad joke, of the “two Hunters and Warlock walk into a bar…” variety. Then again, he wasn’t the average Warlock. Though, it seemed this time his combination of brains and brawn would be put to use for the greatest task yet: … actually setting up the camp, while the other two were… doing something?

It was Hal’s turn to let out an exasperated sigh. Part of this felt like Crow very subtly getting back at him for the small comment earlier. Oh well. He eyed the barrel that would store the Dark Ether.

He couldn’t help but feel like this was… not the greatest of ideas, but he wasn’t the one leading the mission, so he kept his mouth shut as per usual.

A glance was offered to the entirely too small tent. It probably didn’t see much use, honestly, considering how Crow seemed to operate. Hal was pretty sure the man only slept either on his feet for a few spare minutes at a time, leaning against a wall… or when he finally crashed at Hal’s apartment. Thinking of his apartment made his mind wander. The tent was small, and any hanging out in it would require being in very close proximity to the other individual.

It’d been a while since he and Crow had been that close, physically. They’d been so busy prior to Crow jumping into the portal that they hardly saw each other outside of missions. It’d certainly be nice to feel the warmth of Crow’s body pressed up against him aga- “Yo, Cayde to Hal, paging Major Hal. Snap out of it! I don’t know where your brain went, and I don’t wanna know. Let’s get moving. Crow was just saying something something Screebs.” Hal shook his head, shaking out the lurid cobwebs.

“You… weren’t even listening, were you?”

“Sure I was! Something about Screebs, something about corruption, something about we need to shoot them. See? I was listening. Hmm… Screebs. Essence of Screeb. Screeb musk. Eau du Screeb, if you will.”

Hal and Crow recoiled in disgust in near unison. Any frustrated and perverted thoughts Hal might’ve had lingering were completely gone now, replaced with the disgust of “Eau du Screeb”. Not that he imagined any of them were going to smell particularly great at the end of this.

Well, except maybe Cayde. Exos don’t sweat, after all. Hal still wasn’t sure if they were lucky or not on that front.

“Cayde, this is serious.”

“Which is exactly why it needs a stupid name! It helps keep it light! Ugh! I know at least one person appreciates my stupid names, ain’t that right, kiddo?”

Hal was a little too busy shooting the war beast latched onto his arm to respond. This was one of those times that he felt lucky that Striga’s poison didn’t seem to affect him. Perhaps the gun knew not to bite the hand that feeds it. It was a handy little implement, if not hungry. Still, the blue tide of Screebs, with a nice accompaniment of war beasts seemed to be keeping it sated. It was more than enough to dispose of them, however many there were.

A few good shakes of his arms slung off the bit of Screeb juice that had gotten onto his armor. He wondered if the water he saw about this place was actual water, and if he could use it to wash the viscera off later. He only half paid attention to the exchange between Crow and Cayde. Enough to hear that the dark ether was attracting the beasts. So, naturally, going to the heart of it was the next task. How did Crow refer to it? “We’re about to walk into a feeding frenzy.”

Nothing they couldn’t handle.

After dispatching of crazy war beasts and Taken (and having the “alpha” of those beasts rip off a section of his trenchcoat), it was time to regroup back at the little camp “they” set up. Only some Shanks decided to join them. As the trio examined the aftermath, and the missing barrel, Hal couldn’t help but give a sidelong stare at Crow, complete with pursed lips.

Yeah, this was exactly why Hal thought the barrel was a bad idea.

Crow noticed.

“Don’t give me that look.” Cayde snickered off to the side.

“Don’t sweat it. He used to give that look to me all the time. It’s his patented ‘that was a dumb idea, I knew it was a dumb idea, but I let you do it anyway and here we are’ look. Amazing how much he can say with a look.” Cayde wasn’t wrong, not entirely. Crow’s metaphorical feathers ruffled a little.

“I can track it, figure out a likely location, just give me a minute.” Cayde plunked down on one of the little fold out stools.

“Yeah, well, while your calculations are cookin’, pull up a chair. There’s something I’ve gotta talk to you about. Hal, hang tight. Maybe shine the horns on that helmet o’ yours. Nice to see you’re still usin’ it, by the way.” The Warlock sauntered off to the side of the two Hunters, kneeling down and pulling off Nezarec’s Sin, proceeding to do just that. He knew it was in vain, since he figured more guts would be splattered on the metal’s near mirror finish, but… buffing the blue juice off the metal was something to do.

He pretended not to listen. Part of him didn’t want to listen when he heard Cayde open up with, “You know, between us, I think part of me always knew it wasn’t the Traveler that brought me back. I ain’t that special.” Right. The wish. Hal bowed his head down a bit further, focusing harder on the helmet.

He didn’t want to listen, but he was listening.

“That’s not true.” Crow refuted the statement, of course. That Cayde wasn’t that special. Listed off all the people that needed him, though he left Hal off the list. Hal felt him glance back at him. He didn’t need to say it, and Hal didn’t need to see him look his way to know that he did.

“No, that’s the thing. See, I’m not sure they do anymore.” And he didn’t need to look up to feel Cayde’s Light-eyes level on him for a moment, looking past Crow. Hal suddenly wished he’d ignored Cayde’s suggestion of “hanging tight” around them. Still…

He couldn’t deny that Cayde was right. Everyone missed him, deeply, terribly, but did they need him? Old wounds have mended into old scars. Time ticks on. He was mourned, he was loved, but… Hal couldn’t speak for anyone else, but he could speak for himself – he moved on. He was pretty sure everyone else had, too.

“I’ll tell you a secret.” Hearing that from Crow made Hal pause his cleaning of his helmet, amber eyes sliding to watch the two of them from the corner of his eye. “I’m not always so sure I have one either… A purpose. I tell myself I was chosen for a reason, but…” That’s new. Crow… hadn’t mentioned that to him before. It really was a secret. “We all crave meaning, Cayde. That’s just life, no matter who or what gave it to you. Do whatever you want with it.”

It was odd. It felt like the lecture wasn’t just for Cayde, though it most certainly was. There was a nugget of something there Hal, himself, could hold onto. He held up his helmet a moment, inspecting it, before putting it back on and straightening his back. Well, with their chit-chat over, there was little better to do than wait.

He could meditate on the lessons of the day. One: don’t let Crow talk you into storing barrels of dark ether in your camp when ether hungry beasts prowl around. And two: … well… it seems the universe was telling him for a second time to stop with the self-loathing and just live his life.

Well, he’d heard it before, from Ghost, but that was Ghost’s job. The little guy was always there to cheer him on. At this point, Hal partially tuned him out. Not out of malice, but out of habit. He was a noise Hal was accustomed to always hearing, even if that “noise” was true sentiment and encouragement.

Almost instinctively, Hal sent a shard of Stasis singing through the air at a Taken thrall that was approaching the camp.

“We’ve got Taken approaching the camp.”

“I noticed. It’s almost like they knew where we were...”

Hal calmly stood, pulled from his meditation. How long did they let him meditate there? Cayde might not know better, but Crow certainly did. Hal could meditate for hours and hours on end, uninterrupted.

“You’re still mad about the barrel?!”

“I’m not mad, I’m surprised you didn’t realize it was a bad idea sooner.” A soft irritated growl sounded over the comms from Crow.

“Speaking of our stolen barrel, Cayde’s out there tracking it down.”

“And then the Taken appeared.”

“And then the Taken appeared. I spotted them closing in. Apparently, so did you, judging from that shot with the Stasis. Thanks, by the way. You clear the blights, I find the commander of these things. Taken don’t act without a leader.”

Six blights and two Subjugators later, the issue was dealt with.

Hal hated Subjugators. The comms crackled with life again.

“… You sure you’re not mad at me?”

“If I’m mad at you, you’ll know.” Crow winced, remembering the time Hal decked him right in the jaw. Right. Hal’s not the passive aggressive type. He’s the aggressive-aggressive type.

“… So I’m safe to say, ‘hey, come back to camp’ and you won’t try to punch me?”

“Mm, I’ll think about it,” Hal replied teasingly. He returned to find Crow peering off into the distance at the Taken blights as they blinked out of existence. He glanced over at Hal as he approached.

“Nice work out there. Not that I expected any different.” Hal lifted a shoulder in a shrug, stowing Striga. “You know, Cayde… has his own way of doing things. I respect that. He might not think he’s special, but… he’s got a special something. The type of heroism that doesn’t typically lead to a line of succession.” Hal canted his head to the side.

“Sounds familiar. Very familiar.” Crow blinked and laughed softly.

“Flatterer.”

“Not flattery. I mean it. You both definitely have something in common. A spark.”

“Yeah, well, I agree to disagree. But you are right in that he has a spark. The kind of spark that attracts people. Makes them loyal to him. Makes Hunters loyal to him. It’s why many still are. It’s why the Vanguard is still incomplete.”

“They could be loyal to you, you know.”

“Loyal to shooting at me.” Crow turned his gaze to Hal. “… You were certainly driven by it, at one point. It’s why you hunted down Uldren.” A low rumble of discontent sounded from Hal as he turned his head, his own fiery gaze away and out into the distance. He crossed his arms of his chest, falling into a spell of brooding.

Silence fell over them for a few uneasy moments.

He finally looked back to Crow when he felt his hand on his arm. “I thought we agreed to leave the guilt about that in the past?”

“… Says the guy insistent on apologizing to the man he killed.”

“Halcyon…” Crow sighed out with a touch of frustration, letting his gaze fall, but it was then followed up a huffed laugh. Even though the expression was hidden by his helmet, a look of bewilderment settled on Hal’s face. Crow looked back up to Hal. “We’ve spent so much time around each other that we’re picking up the other’s bad habits.” Oh? Hal tilted his head to the side. “You’re picking up my sass.”

He supposed Crow wasn’t entirely wrong. He had gotten sassier when he did speak. Hal chalked it up to the general exhaustion of the war. He never considered he picked it up from the sassiest man he knew.

Well, aside from Cayde.

“And what have you picked up from me?” Crow peered at him with an intensity that made him a bit uncomfortable. It was like he could see clean through the helmet.

“… Go back to meditating. I’ll keep watch.” Hal narrowed his eyes at Crow not just dodging the question but ignoring it entirely, but didn’t press the issue. He merely stepped away, slowly, and went back into the tent, returning to his meditations.

He swore he saw Crow smirk.

Hal opened his eyes to see the camp empty. A blue brow arched at this curious situation. He stood and started to examine the area, but was stopped by a voice over the comms. Crow.

“Hey! Cayde found out who stole our barrel of Ether.”

“It was those Shanks! Or possibly some different, unrelated Shanks. Either way, c’mon over! We’re shootin’ Shanks!” Cayde gleefully exclaimed over the comms. Hal perked. Now Shanks… that was something he could get behind using for target practice.

“Sending you our location. Come and meet us… and bring some bullets. You’ll need them, given how often you miss your shots.”

“Oooooh. You gonna take that from this guy, Hal?” Hal sighed, hanging his head. He should’ve been prepared for that. You don’t sass Crow and come out with him not returning fire. Still, he had nothing of his own to fire back with at the moment. The best he could counter with is how often Crow dies, but he had a bad feeling Crow would have something better to counter that with, and he didn’t want to find out. He simply resigned himself to silence and headed to the location.

As expected, Cayde started getting antsy during the stakeout.

“Sit still! Weren’t you the one who suggested this?”

“Y’know, the only thing better than my first ideas… are my second ideas.” Uh oh. “What if we let Hal do what he does best and just unleash hell?” Hal sighed. There it is.

“And let his fire draw out the leader – smart! Sounds like a plan!”

“You were supposed to disagree.”

“Why would he? Admit it. It’s a great plan.” Hal pulled out his bow and knocked an arrow, muttering to himself about the pitfalls of working with two Hunters.

Granted, Cayde’s done this to him before, so it definitely came with a touch of nostalgia. At least this time he wasn’t flying someone else’s ship, using a stolen cloaking device, towards an even bigger ship that obliterated an entire fleet. Ah, back when he didn’t know any better about listening to Cayde.

Not that knowing better stopped him.

Contrary to Crow’s quip, he was actually quite a good shot at least with a bow. The large Shank finally showed itself a few Shanks in.

“Nine! Ten!” Hal arched a brow at Cayde’s outburst.

“Are you keeping count?” Crow echoing his own thoughts, as usual.

“No, no no, just shootin’ things and sayin’ numbers. That’s 12, by the way.”

“Oh okay. As long as you didn’t think this was a competition… because I’m at 13.” Hal sighed as he ducked behind rocks, letting the Heavy Shank’s shots pelt the rock instead of him.

“Oh THAT’s how it’s gonna be?!”

“C’mon, old guard! I dare you to beat me.”

Oh yes, let’s have a competition while he deals with the big guy.

“… I’m at 20.” Hal muttered.

“Doesn’t count. You got a head start. Ha! 16!” The Warlock pursed his lips at Cayde’s response.

“Aww, sore that a man that’s got terrible aim is beating you? 18.” Hal bristled, letting loose an arrow at a cluster of shanks approaching him. How appropriate they explode in fire as his temper flared for a moment.

“25. Exploding shanks. Shoot smarter, Crow.”

“Yeah, kid, I think he’s beating both of us…”

“Doesn’t count. He got a head start.”

“Glad to know you agree.” Hal growled.

“I am adding both of you to the tally if you don’t cut it out!” An arc round from a Tracer Shank pinged off one of the metal horns of his helmet. Laughter howled over the comms in reply. Irritated as Hal was…

This was kind of fun.

Even if they were only getting to play at Shooting Shanks in a Barrel because he was the bait. Speaking of, he’d lost track of the Heavy Shank. Where’d it go? It’s not like something that large could hide any-

A shot landed square in his helmet and knocked him back.

Ah.

There it is.

He rolled behind cover and disposed of the entourage that came with the Heavy Shank. Then he disposed of the big guy with a handy dandy rocket. He’d already worn it down enough.

Crow and Cayde joined him shortly thereafter to examine the Ether left behind in the wreckage.

“Look at all this raw Ether. Our barrel is still missing, though.” Hal sat down on a rock nearby as the two sifted through the wreckage. Annoying as they were, they were both better trackers than he was. “Well well, got the coordinates this Mega Shank originated from.”

“Sounds like the perfect place to continue our investigation. ‘Operation Boom Pop Wow’ is back on track!”

“What about… Operation ‘Pop-Scorn’?” Hal struggled to suppress a snicker at the terrible pun, standing up.

“Once you pop, the fun don’t stop?” The Warlock added. The three of them had a small chuckle at that addition.

“Now you’re getting it!” Cayde cheerfully exclaimed.

“37, by the way,” Hal stated matter-of-factly. He wasn’t going to let it go. The Hunters exchanged a look before replying, in unison,

“You got a head start.”

Hal chased them back to camp.

Hal sat off to the side, meditating – or pretending to, anyway – while Cayde and Crow talked. Crow, of course, made it a point to apologize, again, for everything he’d done in the past. Cayde, of course, made it a point that it wasn’t necessary. Hal didn’t need deepsight or foresight to see that coming. Though… there was something that sat with him. Something Cayde had said.

“Everybody makes mistakes, kid. And everybody, I mean everybody, pays for ‘em. Don’t you think we’ve both paid enough?”

Hal could only hope Crow listened.

Tracking the source was simple enough with the data Crow had gotten. Everything was going fine. At least, until Crow said the word “Screeb-hole”.

“Screeb-hole! Great. Name.” While Cayde may have appreciated the moniker for the lair, Hal did not. He felt dirty just hearing it. Ugh. A shiver of disgust ran down his spine. Screeb-hole. It was made worse when they found the Screeb-hole.

“Judging by the smell alone… this is our Screeb-hole,” Crow barely managed to gag out. He wasn’t kidding. The smell was… potent. Though, disgusting as they were, Screeb were incredibly satisfying to shoot. The chain reactions were fun to start.

The smell was still awful, though.

When they found the barrel, Crow expressed surprise. “Why’d they drag it in here?”

Because this was clearly a trap. That was the feeling Hal got, anyway. A groan sounded from part of the cave as a strange abomination of a Scorn made his presence known. It was the worst of both worlds, Screeb and Abomination.

And it made baby Screebs. Oh goody.

Though he was battered and bruised with ringing ears by the end of it, he did manage to take the big thing down. Or at least, he thought it was down, observing from a good few paces back as Cayde and Crow approached the corpse. The corpse that proceeded to move and swing at them.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t dead. Crap. He was running low on Light, and ammo. The resulting explosions shaking the cave foundations apparently gave Crow an idea, as Hal took notice of him examining the shaking stalactites.

“We can cave ‘em in!”

It was a blur after that for Hal. He… might’ve been a little too distracted by watching Cayde and Crow work. And keeping the Screeblings off of him. He’d had quite enough of being blown up for one day. When the fighting was done, he slowly approached, looking over at Crow, and his armor splattered in Screeb gunk.

“… You look good in blue.” Crow looked down, then looked at Hal, giving him a once over. Hal’s own black and gold Seraph issued trench was also covered in Screeb.

“Thanks. So do you,” he replied with a small smirk, and a wink. Cayde brushed past the two of them.

“Yeesh, get a room, you two.” The two Awoken exchanged looks as Cayde nudged a bit of rubble with his foot, just to be sure this time. “Pretty good idea,” he tossed back to Crow with a glance. Crow approached, looking at their handiwork.

“Thanks. I have those sometimes.” Crow might’ve shot a quick look at Hal at the end of the statement, but didn’t say anything else otherwise on the matter.

Hal simply sighed, planting his hands on his hips, looking off to the side.

He lagged behind them when it came to returning to camp. He wanted to at least get the Screeb junk off his helmet. When he arrived, he found Crow holding a new cloak, talking with Cayde.

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s a new cloak. If you’re gonna be the next Hunter Vanguard, you’ll need one.” Hal was thankful he had his helmet on as he grinned from ear to ear. He quickly busied himself with beginning to break down camp off to the side, doing his best to be otherwise invisible. Crow needed to hear it from someone other than him. Besides, he’d say Hal was biased. Which… was a fair point to make. He was biased. He listened to them talk. “This needs to be your choice. If you don’t want it, or you’re not ready, don’t do it.”

“But you’re Hunter Vanguard.” Sometimes the sheer density of Crow’s skull astounded Hal.

“Not anymore! Too much paperwork. What, you want purpose? This is it, kid. Me, I can’t be tied to a desk if I’m gonna find mine. Just… think about it. I dare ya.”

“I will.” Crow meandered off with a stunned look, if not somewhat confused look. “Make sure you celebrate, yeah?” Cayde called out after him. “Take this kid with you when you do, by the way. Lord knows he needs some spice in his life. Warlocks, am I right?” He added. Hal finished up breaking up camp, glancing back to Cayde standing there with his hands on his hips, muttering to himself. He jerked, as if coming back to his senses, looking around. “Well wouldya look at that! You got that done lickity split and without any help! I should’ve brought you along more often, back in the day. Man! Anyway, big fight comin’ up. Let’s get to it.” Hal let Ghost transmat the supplies back now that they were packed up. As he stood up, he felt Cayde lightly nudge him, leaning in to add, “You’re still my favorite, by the way. Just thought you should know. Race you back to the City?”

Hal smiled, shook his head, and followed after Cayde.

Just like old times.

#haldie writes #destiny 2 fanfic #OC: Hal #destiny crow #Cayde-6 #destiny 2 spoilers #the final shape spoilers

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