#and lets me test my feeling for structure/anatomy

[shirecorn]

Your reindeer designs give me such childish joy I can't wait to see the rest. What's your process (aka any advice) for designing from scratch with something like just a name or concept?

Redbubble (buy reindeer swag) || Patreon (see all early!) || Ko-fi

See more free tutorials!

You can see my process unfold in real time by joining any tier of my patreon discord. Which doesn't even have to go through patreon! If you want, you can just pay me $20 and let you in for a year (and then lose track and probably keep you anyway)

Here's a preview using comet! (nevermind the preview thing I wrote you a whole lecture lol)

initial sketches in 2021:

Revisited in 2022 and 2023

I was constantly asking which design was the weakest, why, and how to fix it. Whenever I tested without the magical comet behind it, people could only guess who comet was by process of elimination.

I didn't want to rely on throwing icons into the design. I wanted each one to communicate through shape and silhouette alone. It would be like drawing a little cherub with a bow and arrow floating along with cupid. If you have to include a nametag to communicate, your design can be improved.

So I tried a few different strategies to say "comet" before I realized I could twist the antlers into any shape I wanted. I was worried I would have to discard the drawing and restart from scratch! Which is what I did for rudolph about 6 times before I had a breakthrough.

Then I gave my patrons a brief lesson in antlers to explain where and why I was placing the tines. When I stray from the caribou structure, I do so knowingly in order to achieve something that cannot be achieved within the caribou shape, like dancer's tutu. Know the rules before you break them. My goal is to make animal nerds (myself chief among them) happy when they see species-specific anatomy instead of cop outs.

I tried a few things before figuring out antlers could become comet

Another thing that often caribou have is an unsymmetrical "spork" that comes forward off only one antler. I figured this out by looking at hundreds of reindeer pictures and saving them to my reference folder. A few of my designs have this, that's what the little spiral is in the final comet antler design.

When I put comet in my lineup, I realized that the antlers I drew were way more stylized, chunky, and "tribal" than the others. I had already changed the proportions on one of my designs to match, so then I had to hack away at the basic comet rack to make it look natural.

I already knew that comet's colors would be easy because a basic reindeer already Has the big comet on the shoulder. But here's a peak at all the reindeer images I posted for my patrons to look at.

As you can see below, I chose reindeer markings for all my designs instead of other deer or animals. Even vixen is tied to actually possible reindeer patterns rather than copy-pasting a fox. Almost all of my designs have light-colored anklets on dark colored legs, which is very common with caribou of any color. This is the sort of thing no one tells you; you have to observe it yourself.

Ft cupid's early design! I was continually testing out my reindeer silhouettes and colors on new people, taking their feedback, and fixing what wasn't clicking.

I know I could have made vixen sexy and curvy to play into a recognizable trope, but I really wanted them to be scary and fox-like. Sometimes you gotta do what you want and not what you think will appeal to audiences. Reindeer Days is a purposeful exercise in audience resonance. Most of my art is 100% me and what I feel like doing with no regards to anyone else. So it was a fun challenge!

My patrons also got to see me making fun of corporate designs for recognizably/cliches at the expense of literally anything good

One of these is going to get a lot more "that must be vixen!" results from people who aren't constantly thinking about animal colors, markings, hunting strategies, and teeth.

And one rocks.

Vixen changed the least from the initial 2021 concept!

A Vixen is a female fox. In english slang, it means a cunning, fierce human woman, and sometimes sexually attractive or promiscuous. Quite often an insult to someone because she won't date you!

But to me, a vixen is an animal. A predator.

When designing to reference something, I like to hit it at multiple angles, referencing obscure trivia about something to delight and educate. This is done by researching a topic deeply, far below surface level and beyond what you think you need to make your design. Or in my case its just knowing a bunch of animal trivia already.

After researching/dredging your knowledge, sit there and Think. Don't draw anything. Come up with several ideas and then throw them all in at once for the ultimate trivia design.

Trivia about red foxes:

They have Long bushy tails

They have teeth that include large sharp canines, flat incisors, triangular premolars, and chunky molars with points on them that slide scissor-like with the molars above to cut meat via chewing

They hunt rodents in burrows under the snow by jumping into the air, arcing, and slamming down with their face through the snow

They are orange

They have a dark vertical stripe on their snout

They have black legs, with the backs and bottoms being orange

Translated into the design:

Pose based on a fox jumping, about to land in the snow

Antlers twisted to resemble teeth

Long (for a reindeer) bushy tail

black mark on snout

Some adjustment to the pose to be at the top of the arc and flow better.

Tinkering with the design to make it recognizable but not 100% copypasta fox

I was finally happy with a design that absolutely showed "fox" while still being creative and plausibly caribou shaped. This would absolutely communicate who it is! I thought!

The most obvious one of the bunch! After all, everyone knows what a vixen is!

Nope! No they do not

Want to be part of the design process, help me with WIPs months before everyone else, see exclusive doodles every day, and join a funky little community?

(you also get to see photos of my dog)

Connect your discord to your patreon and join any tier to automatically get added to the server. Not a fan of patreon or monthly subscriptions? message me here, on ko-fi, or via email (shirecorn.art@ gmail.com) and ask if you can pay $20 to get put in the server for at least a year and longer if we work it out later!

This was supposed to be a preview to get you to pay me but instead I wrote an entire lecture for free because I can't help myself.

Want to thank me for the free info? Tag me when you use what you learned! Comment and give feedback! If I could pay rent with attention I would never need anything else in life.

You can also thank me by tipping my ko-fi! I use it to buy pens since I die if I have caffeine. But could you imagine??

[marsi-is-depressed]

Study stress

Soft!Amber Sweet x fem!reader

You and Amber had only been dating for a week when she visited your home for the first time. You lived mostly on your own, with your parents working five to six days a week at Geneco, leaving you at home alone the entire time. It was a tiny, one-story home with two bedrooms.

But Amber enjoyed it. Her residence was not a house; it was a very large structure with the words Geneco on it. Her father wasn't around much, constantly sitting in the same chair in his office, watching and waiting for the next graverobber to get caught.

It was finals week at college, so you sat down and studied all day every day. Amber Sweet didn't get it; she avoided college and waited for her father to depart from the company so she could take over. She went with the flow and continued to take Zydrate, adding to her list of surgeries and her ever-changing appearance. Which was something you didn't get.

When she came over, you were studying for your biology final, which prompted you to have several mental meltdowns. It was your worst class, and the final could make or break your grade.

Your eyes were red and swollen, and your nose had backed up. You had been sobbing out of irritation and fury. You were wrapping up an anatomy problem when you heard someone knocking on your bedroom door.

You turned over and saw Amber standing there with a vial of Zydrate and two cups of coffee.

"Look what I-" she began, still wearing her Zydrate pickup disguise. When she realised what she was seeing, she raised her brow.

You were covered in a black and furry blanket. You wore sweatpants and one of her silk robes. Your hair was arranged in a bun on top of your head. Your left foot was in the chair, and your knee was resting on your chest. It was clear you'd been sobbing.

"Babe, are you okay?" She enquired, a little high on zydrate.

"No." Your speech sounded nasally, and you sniffled.

"What's wrong?"

"This is my biology final. I'm going to flunk it, and then I'll fail the course." A sob escaped your lips.

She cautiously stepped over, stumbling a little on the way and squatted next to you.  She grabbed the pencil from your fingers and set it down, shutting your book with your paper inside.

"What are you doing?" you questioned.

"You deserve a break."

"No, I can't. It's late, and my test is at eight in the morning."

"Sh. "Come here. She rose up and grabbed your hands, dragging you to your feet. "Tell me what you need." She spoke softly, slurring, but rapidly recovered.

"What is it?"

"Please tell me what you need. Anything. "Food, medication, music, whatever." She cut you off as you were saying, "I need to study." "Something other than studying." You exhaled.

You understood just what you needed: a hug. You simply wanted someone to embrace you and allow you to weep, but you didn't know how to ask for it.

Your capacity to beg for affection was hampered by the lack of your parents' presence to provide you with hugs and comfort. Amber learnt about this a week after you two met.

You had a huge exam coming up in your chemistry class, and she offered to hug you, which you declined, perplexed by how nice she was being. She attempted hugging you many more times, but each time you became more upset, so she rolled her eyes and ultimately gave up.

"Come on, Babe. "I know you need something." She smirked as she stated this.

"I need to study."

"No. There will be no more studying for now. You are taking a break. Then you may study until your heart's content. "I just..." "I hate seeing you upset and stressed."

You grumbled in confusion but were pleased to see her be kind to you. "I know what I need, but it makes me uncomfortable."

"If it helps you feel better, let me know. "You know I'm not going to judge."

You nodded. "I think I just need… a hug."

"Is that it? "Just a hug?" You nodded. She opened his arms and drew you within. You did not hug back at first. You were not used to having someone's arms around you. But the longer she embraced you, the more comfortable it seemed. the more natural it felt.

You lifted your arms and tucked them beneath her breasts. You buried your face into her chest, and another uncontrolled sob filled the room.

"Sh, it's okay," she said. "I'm here, and I won't leave until you ask me to, okay?"

"Okay," you whispered.

“You wanna lay down?” You nodded. “Alright. First, let me do something.” Amber pulled the hair tie out of your hair and let your hair fall to your shoulders, smiling. “Beautiful,” she purred, feeling her breath reach your ears. You smiled. “There’s that smile.”

She led you to your bed and laid next you, wrapping her arms around you and bringing you into her neck, one arm over your shoulder and the other softly combing through your brown hair.

"Thank you," you responded.

"Absolutely. "Do you think I'm going to let my girlfriend struggle in silence?"

You smiled. "What a softy."

You gazed up at her, and she kissed your forehead. "I wish we could just stay like this all night."

"We could."

"I have to study, Amber."

"Yes, I understand. But we are doing this after your final. You're already much more calm. "I can tell."

"You're not wrong."

"I'm never wrong." She triumphantly stated, smirking.

"Not wrong about that, either."

It wasn't long until Amber fell asleep. You listened to her slumber and watched her chest rise and fall for a few minutes before carefully removing yourself from her arms and returning to your workstation to resume working on your study guide.

Having Amber there made it less tense and more relaxed, and you finished pretty quickly with her there.

[marcelamedeirosarts]

You are not Alone - Process

I'm finally organizing a post to show you guys a little of my process. I thought it would be a good start to do it with an personal piece that could got me open to more experimentations :)

This is a personal piece I created for Cynthia Sheppard's "Illustrating the Emotional Narrative" Class. I had an idea of Medusa and the illustration would be about a friendship that overcomes the character's curse. 

Based on the method Cynthia presented to us, I structured a briefing for my image focusing on Medusa's character as it follows:

GOAL/MOTIVATION

Being relaxed with her friend's visit.

OBJECTIVE

To feel happy and cared for by her friend regardless of whether she is a monster.

ACTION

Relax, rest, to let her guard down.

TONE/MOOD

Medusa feels calm with the presence of her friend.

Melancholic and grayish colors in the surroundings to represent Medusa's lair. But with room for hope that she will not live a life forever alone.

Based on this infos, I made some thumbnail tests where Medusa's friend would be visiting her in her lair.

From here I asked some colleague's opinions and we came up to the conclusion that thumbnail E would be the best. Then I started testing light and values.

Next, I colored the thumbnail and made some adjustments. I usually sctructure my thumbnails up to this point so that I can be sure of how I am going to paint the scene definitively later on.

Now for some ref time! I took some photos to simulate the light so I could answer any doubts about anatomy, light and shadows. I won't post the images since they are a little too personal :) In addition, this step helps me with a clearer ideia about interactions between the two characters. With organized refs, I was able to start definitively structurig the piece. Next, time for sketch the characters.

After the characters start, I focused a bit on the background to help me moving along with the image.

Back to the characters. I always begin with a lighter base for them to keep the shadows from getting too dark.

After starting to paint Medusa, I thought it would be better to change the angle of her face a little to make the details of the side wings and the orange eyes clearer from afar.

And to finish it off, the final rendering and polishing phases :)

I hope this post can help someone out there :) and I hope you enjoyed it!

[lesbianhalflifeposting]

(Hello again sorry for coming by so much this literally came to me in a dream. Also to note Dr. Helen Hahn is the shadow that can be seen talking to the Combine Advisors in Half Life Alyx I just like. I have ideas and she fits the bill. This is also in fic form. I am also taking creative liberties because I am under the firm belief all characters voiced by Ellen McLain deserve toxic yuri.

Dr. Hahn rarely ever went this way, she had no need to. In fact, she thought the whole idea of having the Combine Overwatch stationed on Earth was a stupid idea, and she had said so. It didn't matter. All the mattered is that she was summoned. The door was unassuming, but the room itself…

A giant column of wires, crackling with energy and pulsing with some sort of unidentifiable organic matter. It was grey and breathing, looking half like canvas and half like a worm grub. Dr. Hahn felt the distinct urge to touch it, but she kept her hands behind her back. The room was also incredibly hot. She felt her clothes sticking to her, even though she hadn't been in the room for long. She tried to unstick her pantyhose, but was interrupted by the echoing voice of the Overwatch.

“Dr. Hahn.”

She looked up. “Hello. May I ask why I was told to come here? Do you need something from me?”

“I suppose. You have been loyal. We wish to reward your loyalty.”

“Why can't an advisor do that? Why you?”

The room crackled. “Dr. Hahn, you may be able to talk back to others, but not to me. I don't encourage insubordination.”

Helen found herself bowing her head. She didn't know why.

“Good.”

A long, thin appendage snaked out of the massive tangle. Helen recognized it immediately and her whole body tensed.

“Wait! No, I promise I will hold my tongue. You don't want to kill-”

“Stupid girl. I am not killing you. I can attach to you without killing you. Now stop moving.”

Hahn stood stock still as the appendage stuck into the back of her neck. She gasped, but it hurt much less than she thought it would. Something tingled right up her spine, and she immediately covered her mouth. As soon as she touched her mouth something shocked her.

“Keep your hands down. You don't get to keep your mouth shut now.”

The tremble sent down her spine again. She tried her best to keep herself together, to not give in, but the trembles were beginning to increase in intensity. Tears filled her eyes but she refused to give in.

“Can you stop being stubborn? I am trying to reward you. The units like this just fine, is there something wrong with you?”

Helen let out a gasp, then drew in a shaky breath. She tried to reply, but all she could do was let out tiny noises. Another shock wracked her body, and she wasn't able to take it anymore, sinking to her knees. She was trembling, mumbling incoherently.

“Are you broken? I thought you could take it. We all hoped you could take it.”

She forced a breath in and stood up, putting her hand on the wall.

“I can…take it…”

Another shock wracked her body, and she nearly collapsed again. That was the last one. She stood up, still shaking. She expected a sense of relief it was over, but she just felt a bit…upset. She wanted more.

“I do have to apologize. I may have put too much into that. I wanted to test you. Also you get more than a little annoying, but that's beside the point.”

“Was that all of my reward?”

The air crackled again. “You want more of that? Genuinely?”

“I can handle it. You just surprised me.”

“I thought you were in pain.”

She stares up at her monolith structure. It didn't have a face, so she directed her glare generally at it. “Yes. Pain.”

“Please be less sarcastic.”

Her wiped the sweat off her brow. The room didn't feel any colder, and her head was starting to hurt.

“Do it again.”

“I don't do anything on command, especially from you.”

“Is there any way I can make you?”

A long, loaded pause. “Come back soon. I would like to do a study on the human anatomy. It would be…educational.”

There was a suckering notice as the appendage removed itself from her neck. She immediately went to touch it. There were only two holes there, but she expected more bleeding. She opened her mouth to ask, but got cut off.

“I have thought of everything. You won't bleed out, I ensured the entrance points are fortified. I want to experiment with you, killing you isn't my goal. You're quite lucky in the regard.”

“I should say thank you.”

“You should.”

Instead of doing that, she turned on her heel and left. It's not like she wouldn't be back.

-G-man (I need to get better at writing these things jeez)

A+ No Notes, so hard right now I can't see straight.

[caitlinphleb]

Open Your Future: Download Our Free Phlebotomy Study Guide for Success!

Unlock Your Future: ‍Download Our Free Phlebotomy Study Guide for Success!

Unlock Your Future: Download Our Free Phlebotomy Study⁣ Guide⁢ for Success!

Phlebotomy is an essential‌ role in the healthcare industry, serving as a bridge between patients and their diagnoses. If you’re considering a career as‍ a​ phlebotomist,⁤ you’re on the path to a rewarding profession.‍ To help you succeed, we proudly ‍offer our comprehensive Free Phlebotomy Study Guide. This guide is ‌designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary for acing your certification exam and⁣ starting your journey in phlebotomy.

Why Choose Phlebotomy?

Phlebotomy is not just about⁤ drawing‍ blood; it’s about patient care,⁢ communication, and precision. Here are ⁢some compelling reasons to pursue ⁢a career in phlebotomy:

High Demand: The healthcare industry continually needs skilled⁤ phlebotomists.

Quick Certification: ​ You can become certified in a relatively ⁣short time (often less than a year).

Versatile Opportunities: Phlebotomists can work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and⁤ laboratories.

Job Satisfaction: Helping patients and being⁤ part of their healthcare journey can ​be profoundly fulfilling.

What’s Inside Our Free⁢ Phlebotomy ⁢Study Guide?

Our Phlebotomy Study Guide is meticulously ‍crafted to cover all the topics you’ll‍ encounter on your certification exam, including:

Introduction to Phlebotomy

Understanding Anatomy and⁣ Physiology

The Phlebotomy Procedure: Step-by-Step

Patient ‍Interaction and Communication Skills

Safety and​ Infection Control Practices

Emergency Situations and How to Handle Them

Practice⁣ Exam Questions with Answer Explanations

Benefits of Using Our Phlebotomy Study Guide

Our study guide offers numerous advantages to optimize your learning experience:

Structured Learning: Our ⁣guide provides a logical flow of information, making it easier to digest complex topics.

Exam-Ready​ Material: The content is aligned with the latest certification exam standards.

Practice Tests: Test your knowledge with included practice ‌questions to gauge your understanding.

Accessible Format: Download it in PDF for easy access on ⁤any device.

Practical Tips for ⁤Phlebotomy Success

Alongside our free study guide, here are some ‌practical tips to enhance⁢ your preparation:

Practice, ⁢Practice,​ Practice: Acquire hands-on experience through internships or ‍on-the-job training.

Join ‌Study Groups: Collaborating with peers can ‍reinforce your learning⁣ and expose you⁤ to different viewpoints.

Stay Updated: Regularly review the latest phlebotomy techniques and regulations.

Take Care⁤ of Yourself: Prioritize your physical and mental health to ensure effective study sessions.

Case Study: Phlebotomy in the Real World

Let’s take a look at Anna, a newly certified phlebotomist who transformed⁢ her career through dedication and thorough preparation:

After downloading our free study guide, Anna set a study schedule that allowed her to ⁢cover all topics⁤ systematically. She participated in study groups and practiced​ blood draws on phlebotomy trainers. Post-certification, Anna secured a position at a local hospital, where she now plays a crucial role in collecting and processing patient blood samples.

A First-Hand ​Experience from a Certified Phlebotomist

Here’s a brief testimonial from⁤ Mark D., a seasoned phlebotomist:

⁣ ⁣ ‌”Using​ the study guide was a ​game-changer for me. It broke down complex topics into understandable ​segments,‍ and‍ the practice tests helped me feel prepared. Thanks to ⁣this resource, I passed my certification exam with confidence and‍ now love my job!”

Download Your Free Phlebotomy Study Guide Today!

Equipping yourself with the right tools is crucial for success. Download our Free Phlebotomy‍ Study Guide today and take the​ first step towards a fulfilling career in phlebotomy. Just click the link below:

Download Now!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question

Answer

What is phlebotomy?

Phlebotomy⁣ is the practice ⁢of drawing⁣ blood from patients for clinical or medical testing.

How long does it take to become a certified phlebotomist?

Certification programs typically take 4 to 8 months to complete.

Is certification necessary?

While not always mandatory, certification enhances job prospects and reliability.

Conclusion

Embarking on‌ a phlebotomy career ⁤can be one of‌ the ‌most⁣ rewarding⁤ decisions you make. Our Free Phlebotomy Study Guide is ⁣your companion to ensure you are well-prepared for your certification examination. From invaluable insights to practical tips, we are here to support you every step of the way. Don’t wait—unlock your future by downloading the guide now and set yourself on the path to success in the thriving field of phlebotomy!

https://phlebotomytechnicianschools.net/open-your-future-download-our-free-phlebotomy-study-guide-for-success/

[conniephleb]

Unlocking Your Career: The Essential Guide to Certificate Phlebotomy Training and Opportunities

Unlocking Your Career: The Essential Guide to Certificate Phlebotomy Training and Opportunities

Are you looking to take the next step in your healthcare career? Phlebotomy training could be your⁣ key to success!‌ In this comprehensive guide,‍ we‍ will explore certificate ⁢phlebotomy training, job opportunities, benefits, and tips to help you thrive in this rewarding field.

What is Phlebotomy?

Phlebotomy⁣ is the practice of drawing ‍blood from patients for medical‌ testing, transfusions,⁤ donations, or research. Phlebotomists ⁣play ⁣a crucial role in the healthcare system by ⁣ensuring ‌that samples are collected accurately and safely.

Certificate​ Phlebotomy Training Details

Acquiring a phlebotomy‍ certification enhances your⁢ employment prospects significantly. Below are the key elements of phlebotomy ​training programs:

Training ‌Program Structure

Course Duration: ⁢ Typically ranges from a‍ few​ months to a year.

Curriculum Overview: Courses usually cover anatomy, blood collection ⁤techniques, patient care, and safety protocols.

Hands-on Experience: Clinical ⁢internships provide practical exposure under supervision.

Typical Subjects ⁣Covered

Anatomy and Physiology

Blood Collection Procedures

Infection Control

Safety Regulations

Patient Interaction

Benefits of Certificate Phlebotomy Training

Investing in phlebotomy training provides numerous⁣ advantages:

High‍ Demand: Phlebotomists ⁢are in⁣ demand in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories across‍ the country.

Job Security: The healthcare industry ‌is stable and⁢ continues to grow.

Quick Entry into the Workforce: With a relatively short training period, you can start working quickly.

Opportunity for Advancement: Experience in⁤ phlebotomy may lead to advanced roles in healthcare.

Phlebotomy Job Opportunities

Here⁣ are some job positions you⁢ can consider after obtaining⁣ your phlebotomy ⁣certificate:

Job Title

Typical Employers

Salary Range

Phlebotomist

Hospitals, Clinics

$30,000 – $50,000

Laboratory Technician

Laboratories, Research Facilities

$35,000 -‌ $55,000

Donor Center⁤ Technician

Blood Donation Centers

$28,000 – $45,000

Practical Tips for⁤ Success in Phlebotomy

To excel‌ in a phlebotomy‍ career, consider the following tips:

Develop Strong Communication Skills: Interacting with patients ⁣effectively is crucial.

Stay Calm Under Pressure: Handling ‌stressful⁤ situations will improve patient experiences.

Practice‍ Makes ⁢Perfect: The more you practice, the more ⁢proficient you become in blood‍ collection ⁢techniques.

Network in‌ the Industry: Connect with professionals to​ learn about job openings and advancements.

Case Studies: Success⁢ Stories from⁢ the⁢ Field

Let’s take​ a⁤ moment ⁤to ​showcase some individuals‌ who have benefited from pursuing certificate phlebotomy training:

Emily⁢ Johnson started⁣ her career as a medical assistant but transitioned ⁢to phlebotomy after completing a certification program. Within a⁤ year, she secured a position in a local hospital and praises the hands-on training she ⁤received, which built her confidence and skills.

Mark Thompson had a background in⁤ retail ⁣but always had⁣ an interest in healthcare. ⁤After completing a phlebotomy course, ⁢he found a‍ job in a blood donation center. He appreciates⁤ the job stability and opportunities for advancement that came with his new career.

First-Hand Experience in ⁣Phlebotomy⁢ Training

Many phlebotomy students ‍share similar experiences during their ‌training. Here’s what they have to‍ say:

“The practical training was invaluable! It helped ⁣me understand the intricacies of ⁤blood collection ‍and patient care, and made me feel ready to start my career.” — Sarah K.

“I never imagined ⁢I could have a fulfilling career in⁢ healthcare with such short training. Phlebotomy ⁣opened up so ⁤many doors for me!” — James T.

Conclusion

Certificate‌ phlebotomy training is a gateway to numerous opportunities in the healthcare ‍field.⁣ With a combination of expert training,⁣ hands-on ‌experience, and a willingness‌ to learn, you ​can unlock​ a successful and rewarding career as a ‌phlebotomist. Invest in your future ⁤today and ⁣take the first⁢ step⁢ toward⁤ a fulfilling career in healthcare!

https://phlebotomytrainingcenter.net/unlocking-your-career-the-essential-guide-to-certificate-phlebotomy-training-and-opportunities/

[sensitive-virgo]

Crush Your Dental Assistant Certification Test: Everything You Need to Know!

**Title: Crush Your‍ Dental Assistant Certification Test: Everything You ​Need to Know!**

**Introduction:** Are you preparing for your dental ‍assistant certification test and‌ feeling a bit anxious? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In ⁤this comprehensive guide, we will provide you⁣ with everything you need to know to ace‌ your certification test with confidence. From study tips to practical advice, we will help you⁢ crush your exam and kickstart your career as a certified dental assistant.

**Benefits of Becoming ⁣a Certified Dental Assistant:** Before diving into the nitty-gritty of exam preparation, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of becoming a certified dental assistant: – Increased job opportunities – Higher earning potential – Professional recognition – Enhanced job security – Opportunities for career ⁣advancement

**Practical Tips for Exam Preparation:** Now that you’re aware of the benefits,⁢ let’s focus on how to prepare for⁢ your‍ dental assistant certification test: 1. **Create a Study Schedule:**⁣ Break ‍down your study material into manageable chunks and create a study schedule that suits ‌your learning‌ style. 2. **Use Study Guides:** Invest in ⁤high-quality study guides and ⁣practice tests to familiarize yourself with the exam format and content. 3. **Practice, Practice, Practice:** Taking‍ practice tests is a great way to identify weak areas and gauge ​your readiness for the exam. 4. **Join Study Groups:** Studying with peers can be both motivating and effective, as you can discuss‌ concepts and quiz each other. 5. **Stay⁢ Organized:** Keep all your study materials organized and create ‍a conducive study environment free from distractions.

**Key Topics to Focus on:** When preparing for your dental assistant certification test, ensure ⁤you have ​a solid understanding of the following key topics: – Dental‍ Terminology – Dental Anatomy – Dental Procedures – Infection Control – Radiology – Orthodontics

**Case Study:** Let’s take a look at a real-life scenario where proper exam preparation led to success for a dental assistant candidate:

**First-Hand⁤ Experience:** “I was feeling overwhelmed ⁣while preparing for my‌ dental assistant certification test, but I followed a structured study plan and dedicated time each‍ day to ​review the material. Practicing with sample questions and seeking‌ clarification from my instructors helped build ⁤my confidence. On the day of‌ the exam, I felt well-prepared and managed to pass ‌with flying colors. Becoming a‌ certified dental‌ assistant has opened up numerous‌ opportunities for me, and I’m grateful for ⁢the knowledge and skills I gained during the exam preparation process.”

**Conclusion:** acing your dental assistant certification test‍ requires diligent preparation, ‍dedication, and a strategic approach.‌ By following our practical tips, focusing‍ on key topics, and staying organized, you can crush your‌ exam⁤ with ease. Remember, becoming a certified dental assistant opens up a world of opportunities and ‌paves the way for a successful career in the dental ‌industry. Good luck⁢ with your exam preparation, and we’re confident you’ll pass with flying colors!

https://dentalassistantclasses.net/crush-your-dental-assistant-certification-test-everything-you-need-to-know/

[clikintech]

The anatomy of a successful media pitch

Pitching the media is somewhat of a bet. There's no assurance that a columnist will get on your story thought, regardless of how incredible it is.

On the off chance that you're curious about the pitching system, it includes composing a short section or two, as an email, introducing your story thought to a solitary writer. There is no set "style" for a media pitch other than it ought to be conversational in tone. It contrasts with an official statement in that the last option presents more point-by-point data in a similar style and structure as apparently in a genuine news story, making it simpler for news work areas to use the data. Official statements are likewise shipped off a rundown of designated distributions as opposed to a solitary columnist.

Those are the nuts and bolts. Presently, you might be asking, what's the secret to standing out as a writer when their inbox is overflowed? Here are a few strategies I find valuable in making my own media pitching to a lesser extent a bet and to a greater degree a genuine chance:

•            Assemble associations with the media. If columnists get to know you and your capacities as a PR individual, they are substantially more liable to open what you send them. I keep a psychological rundown of writers I've pitched effectively throughout the long term and contact them first whenever I have a story thought that matches their inclinations. Multiple times out of 10, they carve out the opportunity to answer me regardless of whether they generally chomp on the thought I pitched them.

•            Do all necessary investigations. Let's assume you have a business-centered story that you'd very much want to see set in The New York Times. Try not to simply go to your media information base and pick the primary business correspondent you see. Use Google or The New York Times's information base to reveal stories like the one you are pitching that have been distributed as of late. The New York Times columnist who composed those accounts is the one to pitch.

•            Be know of crafted by the media you are focusing on. "Generally cared about" writers and news sources are those that have the best potential to impact your interest groups. Peruse what they are expounding on so you understand what kinds of story points interest them. Likewise, individuals from the media truly feel a debt of gratitude when you can specify something they have composed and make an association between it and the thought you are pitching. It shows you've been getting your work done.

•            Use an eye-catching headline. On the off chance that you're sending an email to a journalist you don't have the foggiest idea, these are the absolute most significant considered terms regardless of whether your email gets opened. The headline should be short so they can peruse it completely without opening the email. It shouldn't sound salesy. I ponder the individual I am focusing on and pick words connected with my story that will greatly affect them given their inclinations.

•            Tailor your pitch. Address the person by name in the hello of your email. Notice the name of their news source. Make sense of why this specific point would be ideally suited for their particular paper, public broadcast, TV program, and so on. Tell them you composed this correspondence explicitly for them, and it's not simply one more mass email.

•            Make it short. This is the greatest test, as far as I might be concerned, recorded as a hard copy of a pitch. I need to incorporate every one of the truly extraordinary insights concerning my plan to truly astonish them . . . be that as it may, assuming that it's significantly longer than two short sections I get their eyes are about to coat over. What I do is compose my most memorable draft and afterwards rehash it repeatedly to abbreviate it, refine it, and make it more grounded. Recollect you are simply attempting to catch their advantage. You don't have to recount to them the entire story.

•            Use boldface text. This is one more strategy to assist with beating the limited capacity to focus. In the body of your email, mark key realities and significant data of interest in striking so they stick out. Simply don't overdo it with it. Restrict it to a couple of brief expressions, greatest.

To amplify your advertising return for capital invested, I urge you to incorporate media pitching among the PR strategies you as of now use.

[tomtenadia]

Thicker than blood  - 13

another week another chapter. Things are starting to develop and next chapter is a big one. This chapter continues from Connall’s autopsy and we discover what was done to him.

I had to go take off the shelf my cell biology books to write a a few things. I hope it makes some sense. 

CW: death, de[piction of a dead body and autopsy. murder arson, Hamel.

When Aelin exposed the body all she saw were blue marks. 

She went to grab the morgue’s camera and started taking pictures.

“That is not normal and it was not this bad when I went to see him.”

Aelin ignored him.

She started her initial checks and notations and took all the possible samples, including swabs for DNA testing.

Rowan sat opposite from her and watched with interest all of her movements.

Aelin grabbed her scalpel “He is your friend, are you sure you want to see me cut him open?”

Her mate nodded.

Aelin looked at him one last time.

I’ll be fine.

The words had come in her head. She looked up at him. 

Was that the bond?

I guess it’s a nifty trick. She saw him grin.

“Definitely,” she said out loud “I can make all my naughty jokes in private now and watch you squirm.”

“I thought you were working.”

Aelin stuck out her tongue at him “yes, and now shut up both telepathically and verbally.”

Finally she started the cutting and when she removed the ribcage she gasped. What had they done to him?

“I am not an expert in anatomy but I know that does not look normal.”

Aelin shook her head. His organs were all enlarged and it looked they almost fused together. She could see the traces as well of heavy bleeding. It was horrifying and had no idea where to start. She took a few histological tissues for further analysis. She had been an ME for a long time but that was a first. Aelin took a few photos with her phone and sent them to Elide.

���I have an idea but I will need the tests to prove it,” she said quietly searching for his gaze “It might be a genetic game gone wrong. Vampire physiology is slightly different, but when you play god with DNA you risk fucking up a lot and I have a feeling they have introduced some heavy mutations.”

“Can you prove it?”

“It will take me a while. This is not stuff that can be done in hours,” she almost sounded apologetic “I will have to check his DNA for anything unusual.”

Rowan nodded “all the time you need.”

“I will need Elide. Could you pick her up at the train station for me?”

“Let me know when she arrives.”

She walked to him and kissed his cheek “Thanks, hubby.”

Rowan delivered Elide a few hours later. She had been buried in her lab surrounded by very expensive equipment and petri dishes. 

She only noticed the arrival because the bond with Rowan tugged at her at his closeness.

“Hey,” 

“I bring guests.”

Elide dumped her bag on the floor and sat at Aelin’s side and took position at the spare microscope.

Rowan smiled and got out and joined the rest of the team on patrol. A few more vampire group had started to cause problems and his unit was due to take care of such problems.

“How are your genetic skills?”

“Not as amazing as yours but enough to see if something is wrong.”

Aelin smiled and passed her a sheet “I ran a few genetic test already. Mark anything that is unusual. Look for deletions, substitutions and anything affecting the base pairs and protein making.”

The two women fell silent until Elide froze “Have a look, I think I have something.”

Aelin moved closer to her friend and had a look at the section of DNA she was analysing.

“That is not normal vampire DNA,” she whispered and then was silent once more “There is a bit of human DNA and a strand that I have a feeling has been created in a lab.”

“The amino acid sequence is messed up and it’s affecting protein structure.”

“The original base pairs are rejecting the new ones…”

“Deletions, Elide, I found deletions.”

The two women kept talking back and forth after each discovery.

Connall’s DNA had been heavily tampered with and Aelin had a feeling that was something that had been ongoing for a while. That level of mutation took a while. But whoever played god on Connall had caused a destruction so profound to mess up protein production too. The ones providing structure to the cells had broken down and that is what caused the mess of his organs. Enzymes went haywire too and causing blood clotting and possibly all the blue marks. It was stuff out of an horror movie and probably when it failed they just disposed of him. His body so beyond repair that he had no use as a lab rat either. Aelin felt deep pain for the guys outside. The news she was going to give them was not nice.

What happened?”

Rowan must have felt her anguish.

Connall did not deserve this.

It was many hours later when the two women emerged from the lab with exhausted faces. Lorcan had joined them too and Aelin knew that shit was getting serious.

She spoke in layman terms and told them of all they had discovered, of the heavy genetic manipulation that had been done on Connall and the catastrophic effects on his body.

Fenrys was silent in a corner and Rowan worried.

“Can we escalate this?” Asked Gavriel.

Lorcan shook his head “this was not an authorised autopsy and done on a cadaver of a person taken out of a maximum security centre.”

“What do you expect, Salvaterre? We had no fucking way to access it legally. This stuff cannot stay hidden,” Aelin threw the folder on the table “The human government is trying to transform vampires into humans and it’s killing us.”

“I understand Miss Sardothien, but I cannot do anything.”

“So your title of chief of the paranormal unit is just for the big bucks and a cozy office, I assume.” Elide moved in front of him and the height difference was remarkable. Lorcan looked down at her in surprise “My hands are tied.”

“Then untie them,” growled the petite woman.

The males left the morgue and went back on patrol while Aelin and Elide stood behind as Aelin got some work and a new body dumped on her. She just hoped it was not government or vampires related.

“So Lorcan, a sexy arsehole?”

Aelin snorted. The stand off between the two had been interesting “I can ask Rowan some juicy facts about him.”

Elide waved her hand “Ach, I will find out myself. I have a feeling I will be in Orynth a lot.”

“You can stay at my place at night. I don’t want you on a train on your own.”

“Hubby might not like it.”

Aelin sighed “Rowan and I do not live together. We are still keeping it casual with our lives separate.”

“Ae, whatever you two are, you are not casual.”

Aelin explained her the arrangement behind their union and her problem.

“Still, arranged or not, you are well past that stage. It’s clear to everyone.” 

She then stood and filed away all the documents of the autopsy and placed the cadaver in the cellar until she got the go ahead from the hospital about the next step.

“Fancy, joining the boys on patrol?”

“So long that I can wind up Salvaterre.”

Aelin laughed “be my guest.”

*

The scene was a mess. The club was surrounded by firefighters who worked hard to put off the fire. PD was around too and had cordoned off the area. The firefighters had managed to save a lot of people but ten vampires had perished in the blaze.

Rowan stared at the club still smouldering and old memories came back. Flashback of the Great fire of Orynth. It had started small. Until it spread so much it had taken down the entire city.

“This is getting bad again,” Gavriel’s voice reached him and the man joined him at his side.

“We have humans dying in the streets after being drained, vampires dying in government centres and now this. Humans torching a vampire club. Gav, this is going to shit again.”

“I thought that all those rules were meant to help us co-exist. But it’s not working. The humans are not accepting us,” the older man growled “we are drinking shitty blood so that we have the chance to live normally and this happens?”

Rowan knew that Connall’s death had taken a toll on his friends and they all had started to doubt the government they were meant to serve. After the horrible discoveries Aelin had made he was starting to doubt everything too.

“I know Gav, but our job is still trying to protect vampires and humans alike.”

They heard the shouts from the fire department to call the all clear and Rowan and Gav went back talking to some of the survivors for some ideas. It had been a vampire exclusive club. Rowan knew that it was not an accident. That was arson and murder.

His head whipped to one side when he scented Aelin. He turned and she was walking to him with Elide at her side. 

“Looks like the wife is coming to check on you…” joked Gavriel patting his arm “Glad to see she is fine.”

Rowan nodded at his friend and walked to the two women “what are you doing here?”

“We thought about joining you on patrol but then we saw the sirens… what happened?”

Aelin stared at her mate and saw his features hard and his eyes full of pain. 

“Someone set fire to a club for vampires, humans. probably. Ten of them are dead.”

Aelin gasped “Rowan…” her voice shaky as she leaned against his chest to comfort him.

She felt his hand brush her back gently “They were all young, some of them barely of age.”        

She pulled back from the embrace and saw deep sorrow in him.

“I need to go back to work,” he pulled back and walked away without saying anything else.

Aelin and Elide stood and the blue lights of the fire department and police lit up the dark night.

“This is atrocious.” Added Elide.

Aelin just stared at Rowan. She could feel his pain through the bond and she had no idea how to help him. She had never done the relationship thing. She was not good with feelings, but now with Rowan… there was something there. She could not put a label on it yet, but what she had told him in bed was true. All of a sudden she cared deeply about that tall brooding man who had decided to help her and tied himself to her rather than shove her in a rehab centre.

Elide had left her side and was now talking with the rest of the patrol unit and noticed Lorcan’s gaze linger on her friend. Oh yes, she could totally see that giant of a man falling for Elide. Her friend was a force of nature.

Aelin decided to help and started speaking with some of the survivors. they all said the same thing: they heard an explosion from behind the bar and then the fire spread. The bartenders had been killed instantly. The front doors had been locked from the outside and the owner directed everyone through the back.

They had been locked in. That was cold blooded premeditated murder.

Aelin saw Rowan talk with a dark-haired man whose hands had been treated by the healing unit. She walked to them.

“I was in my office upstairs balancing the books for the week when I heard the fire alarm go off,” the man’s voice was shaking “I ran downstairs and saw chaos and fire. My patrons were trying to flee but the main doors were shut so I ran to the back and started to let them out via the emergency exit and I went back in and saved a few,” he lifted his burnt hands.

“Did you receive any threats?” The question had come from Rowan who was taking notes.

The man sighed “all clubs that cater to vampires only are not faring well. No threats but the government is making it very hard for us to stay afloat,” he continued “I only serve synthetic blood, I follow the rules to the dot, but the prices have sky rocketed. I had to apply for new licenses, my team and I are submitting to all the test as required and still it’s hard.” He sighed hard.

“I am sorry, mr Owens.”

The man looked at Rowan “a friend of mine offered me a job in his construction company out in Allsbrook. I might just move there. According to him, things are quite nice there.”

“If you remember anything that can help us with the investigation, please call me.” Rowan passed him his business card.

The club owner nodded and walked away.

Aelin moved closer to him and her hand brushed his face very gently and he leaned into her touch “I need to stay and work. Go back to your place, please.”

“I can stay and help.”

His hand covered hers “no, please. It’s not safe.” He stooped for a kiss and Aelin sighed against his lips.

“You stay safe too, hubby, please.”

*

Hamel was still at work in his office when his phone rang.

“Yes?”

“It’s done. The first club is gone.”

The mayor hung up and a wicked smile spread on his face.

“I will eliminate you all… one by one.”

TAGS:

@rowaelinismyotp​ @swankii-art-teacher​ @whimsicallyreading​ @elentiyawhitethorn​ @aelin-bitch-queen​ @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity​ @acreativelydifferentlove @mis-lil-red​ @thegreyj​ @sailorsassley​ @leiawritesstories​ @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire​ @sv0430​ @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon​ @rowanaelinn​ @backtobl4ck​ @susumaus98​ @gracie-rosee​ @mybloodrunsblue​ @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah​ @whoever-you-choose-to-love​ @theywillnotsingforme​ @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water​ @goddess-aelin​ @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart

[wannabecoyote]

Sasha woke up, she didn’t remember falling asleep but that’s just every Tuesday for her. Her whole body is sore and lethargic, also a normal Tuesday. What isn’t a normal Tuesday however is WAKING UP IN AN UNFAMILIAR CELL. She very much does not appreciate being imprisoned for god knows whatever reason or at all really. She sat up and tried to practice the breathing exercise she and her friends found.

Breathe in for four seconds. Hold for seven. Breathe out for eight.

Rinse and repeat.

She swallowed once she feels calm enough and looked around the room. She’s very surprised that she isn’t descending into yet another panic attack but she ain’t gonna question her good luck now.

She felt for her phone and breathed out a sigh of relief when she found it is still in her pocket. With trembling hands she typed a message to her friend.

‘dude I could be dying rn. im pretty sure I was kidnapped. no cap. idk where I am. keep my witch stuff.’

She took a picture of the cell and sent it to Dylan.

She pocketed her phone with another inhale to fortify herself. She looked around and found her cell sealed with a laser beam thing. Like a sheet of light keeping her in. Like some real Steven Universe shit.

She walked up to it and tried to touch it. She pulled her hand back with a curse when she was zapped unceremoniously by the rude laser. She started flicking her hand trying and failing to shake the pain off.

She put her singed finger in her mouth and looked around for something that could help her. To the opposite of the laser gate was her cot, a raised platform that comes up to her thighs and padded with cushion. To the right hand side was a sink with running water and a glass near it. She assumed that was for her to drink. All she found that are detachable from their posts are pillows, the glass, and blankets. She walked over and snatched the pillow from the cot to test it against the laser.

She held the pillow forward and slowly touched the other side to the laser. She was startled from this when a something moved in the hallway. She threw the pillow away and focused on the figure that slithering closer to her cell by the minute.

She pulled a face of disgust when a weird hybrid of gorgons, aliens from the movie Aliens, and freaking predators came in front of her. It was very disconcerting.

“Human, you are before your queen, bow.” The talking monstrosity said.

The audacity!

“I’m sorry but you ain’t my queen. My queen is Sappho and you don’t look anything like her,” she said and the guards beside the queen gasped.

The queen’s face distorted in anger. Sasha’s face showed her disgust at how uglier the queen became.

“Eugh, dude seriously ngl you look like someone punched your mother’s stomach when she was carrying you and then when she gave birth to you she somehow dropped you multiple times because she always gets surprised by how ugly you are,” she said with a shrug. If she was gonna die, she’s gonna make the most of what she has right now.

The guy on the left let out a noise that sounded a lot like a laugh. Sasha smiled proudly and gave the alien a wink. It feels good to know someone appreciates your humor. They stepped back a bit, spooked. The queen’s face becomes more distorted but this time she was looking at the alien that laughed.

“You find this amusing? You are nothing but dust in the cosmos. You are nothing. Remember your place [species slur]!” she shouted at them. The poor guy bowed their head and uttered a silent acquiescence.

“HEY DON’T YOU FUCKING SAY THAT TO THEM YOU NIGHTMARE IN ELMS STREET LOOKING ASS!” Sasha shouted. NOBODY, FUCKING NOBODY FUCKS WITH THE ALIEN GUY. HE IS B A B Y.

Both aliens looked at her, one with a look of horrified admiration, and the other with pure contempt in her eyes. Nine of them. Creepy. Why’s it gotta be a fucking odd? Why fucking nine? It’s fucking gross. Eugh.

She was startled out of her disgust for the nine eyes by the sound of someone pressing in the code for her cell…presumably. The laser wall disappeared and the queen loomed ominously over her. She bolted as soon as she can. Narrowly dodging the disgusting snake alien thing that tried to strike her. She took the alien’s appendage and ran. Dragging them along with her to wherever the fuck.

“Why are you doing this human? I am not an ideal hostage, no one cares about me,” the alien said. Sasha’s heart broke with the way that they said it. As if it was something factual. No one should be made to feel like that. If she was gonna escape she’s gonna take this bean with her.

“You are not a hostage,” she said. Behind them the queen is screaming profanities at everyone and the soldiers are gaining on them. “You’re a friend, I can see that you hate it here. You’re as much of a prisoner as I am. We’re gonna get out of here, yeah?” she looked back and her alien friend nodded with a look of disbelief on their face.

“Why?”

“Because they don’t treat you right.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with you, besides, I will slow you down.”

“Of course it does! I made you laugh, you’re my friend now.”

“What exactly is a friend? You’ve mentioned it twice now.”

“You don’t know what friends are?!”

“I do not. I am sorry,”

“No! Don’t be! I wasn’t mad at you or anything.” She sighed, this is difficult. “A friend is someone that you like, someone you spend your time with. Someone that you can rely on. Someone who can rely on you.”

“…and I am your friend? How?”

“Like I said, you laughed at my joke.”

“That sounds superficial, especially compared to what you mentioned friendship entailed.”

“It doesn’t have to be really deep, does it? I like you because I do. Do you not want to be my friend?”

“It is not that I do not, it is that I do not understand why you would want to be mine.”

“I just do okay? You’re a great dude.”

She looked at the soldiers chasing after them.

“How many?” she asked the confused alien. “Few. There aren’t much.” She nodded and asked where they are as they ran for their lives. They yelled out directions and she followed as best as she could.

She ran faster than she ever has in her life. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Her alien friend tried but they couldn’t keep up with her. They lagged behind but she wouldn’t leave them. She couldn’t.

They reminded her too much of herself.

So she stood. In front of him. Shielding him from the soldiers that had caught up with them. Her friend told her to run. To leave them. To save herself. She didn’t.

The first soldier engaged her and she punched him. Remembering all those self-defense lessons from tiktok. They were bipedal and has almost the same structure as humans so she assumed they have similar anatomy. Her assumption proved true when the alien she punched in the throat gasped and flailed for air. Her confidence renewed she jumped to the next alien. She tore through them, using everything she has on her arsenal. Her hands, fingers, nails, feet, her teeth, and everything else that she has.

They were fragile. They were easy to destroy. She has cuts all over her body but she cannot feel pain right now. Her friend is looking around at the carnage she has brought with fear in their eyes.  All the fight left her body when they looked at her with fear. She moved forward to reassure them that everything was going to be okay but the queen arrived.

She was holding a gun of a sort and she was pointing it at Sasha. She ran straight for the queen, her teeth barred, screaming at the top of her lungs.

The queen expecting her to run was thrown off guard when she slammed against her. Sasha rained punches on her captor. Blindly smashing and hitting. The sound of pounding of flesh and bones crunching filled the air. She did not stop until two arms wrapped around her and restrained her.

“…okay, it’s gonna be okay. It’s alright, you’re alright. You’re safe.” It was a familiar voice. She didn’t know whose voice. She can feel the strength leaving her body. She hasn’t slept in two days.

“Alien… friend… safe..?” she asked, slowly losing her consciousness.

“Yes, your alien fiend is safe.” He sounds like he’s smiling.

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Cover of Darkness.”

Good morning everyone. Hope you enjoy the story,. :)

“The Duos Seems to be doing better.”

“Yes, yes we are very relieved. We think it was stress related, nothing to take it out on.”

“And the puzzles weren’t working?”

“No, food doesn't seem to be a good motivator for this creature.” The scientist shook her large head and neck, the entire body wiggling with the distributed energy.

“Than why did it stop?”

She sighed, “We cannot be sure, though perhaps it has grown used to its new environment. It may have just been early on.” 

The two of them walked through the park, mostly closed now except for the cleaning drones.

“And the other creatures.”

“They seem alright.” Together they moved to the side where they could see into one of the other new enclosures, where the small plant-like creature was floating at its center. This one didn’t move much, for it didn’t really need to, and inside the cage -- which was heavily climate controlled -- it didn’t have to worry much, “I am most worried about the duos. It has taken to hiding at the top of the cage.”

“The top?”

“Yes, it hangs from the upper bars upside down. If it were to fall, I am worried what might happen. I did some calculations, and I don’t think the creature was meant to be doing that. Based on it’s current anatomy, I would consider it a ground-based animal.”

“That is strange. Do you think it is stress related?”

“I believe so?” She responded, the two of them walking past the other enclosures and towards the duos cage, which was down towards the center of the park.

They stopped just outside the enclosure.

“You see it, just right there?”

“Huh, that is strange.”

“IT likes to hook its legs through the bars.”

They shook their head, “That cannot be comfortable, can it?”

“I wouldn’t imagine so. We think it is trying to get away from the crowds. So we are thinking about building a little tower for it, so it can be high up without causing harm to itself?”

“That sounds like a good idea, do that.”

“Yes, right away.”

***

I didn’t exactly expert my plan to work of course, but it turned out better than expected. For the last few days, I had been spending time up at the high far end of the cage furthest away from the cameras. I was sort of hoping that they would take note and do something about the situation, because my legs and hands were getting soar as hell. I knew I could pull off my plan without their intervention of course, but a little unwitting help was nice.

Imagine my gleeful surprise when the cleaning drones came into the pen, and started rigging up a tarp from the top of the cage bars. They even went and filled that bitch with leaves and shit. They pretty much made me a hammock thirty or fourty feet in the air, which would have been cool to sleep in, but was even cooler when considering my escape plan.

I crawled over, and tested it after they were gone, pleased with how secure it was.

Then I did a bit of building myself, grabbing some leaves and vines and making a sort of curtain in the direction of the cameras. After that, I slept for most of the day, making sure to go down a few times to get food, so my sudden absence wouldn’t arouse suspicion. I wanted them to think I was nice and comfortable, and I wanted myself ready for that night.

For tonight was my great escape.

I went out one more time late that night. I know it was probably spiteful of me, and very childish, but I definitely peed on the viewing window. Not that anyone was there to view, but it made me feel better, and they would have to clean it up if they wanted to use the pen again. I imagine that would be the least of their worries by the end of tonight.

Lying up there in my hammock, I waited a few minutes listening and watching for the late night drone activity. Predictably, a drone came and left from my pen and then the neighboring one, cleaning up after us. It even came to check on me with it’s cameras.

I made to look asleep, and it flew off.

Once it was gone I rolled onto my hands and knees, and began piling leaves in a human-shape towards it’s center.

With that done, I rolled onto my back reaching up to grab the bars with my hands and then pressing against another with my feet.

I took a few quick, breaths and then pushed.

At first, nothing happened. It was just me straining against metal, but sensing the increased activity and the straining, the iron eye suit booted up with a sharp hiss. The pneumatic actuators on the legs and arms strained with me. I dropped off the pressure for a second, and waited. A sharp rumbling started up in the next pen over, and with one sharp movement, and a burst of power from the actuators and slammed my feet against the metal straining with my back and arms as leverage.

There was a sharp squeal, and I nearly pulled something in my leg as the bar gave way.

I had to stop myself from shouting in triumph, and quickly hunkered down, listening to make sure no one had been alerted by the noise. In the other pen, that large creature let off from its moaning, and the zoo grew quiet once again.

Heart hammering in my chest, and hands tingling, I turned towards where my feet had been and peered at the broken and bent bars. It would probably be just barely big enough.

And when I say just barely big enough, I mean, getting through that hole was like pulling on a pair of wet skin tight jeans, where you have to practically do a rain dance to the god of clothing in order to get out.  By the time I was crouched on top of the cage, my back and arms were marred with livid red marks from where my skin had scraped against the bars.

Crouched atop the structure, I looked around at the zoo for the first time, and what I saw there made my jaw drop to the cage floor forty feet below. The place was huge, stretching on in all directions for miles and miles. I couldn’t see the end. And in all that,I could hear a thousand animal calls from all areas of the enclosure.

I had to quickly pick my jaw up off the floor and quietly scramble across the top of the enclosure, dropping down to one of the viewing pathways quietly knees bending with cat-like stealth.

The Iron eyes suit helped to cushion the fall, and I quickly moved up the path, avoiding some cleaning drones, and moving over to the next cage.

I wanted me to be the last thing they had to worry about.

I knew what the locking mechanism looked like, and it wasn’t anything complicated. It required a series of patterned actions to open, too complex for animals, and to complex for park guests to manage, but I had been watching from the cage.

I grabbed the locking mechanism and began pushing the pieces into position.

WIth a soft hiss, the door opened, and I hurried off in the other direction, not entirely sure what I had just let out of its cage.

I went around like that, under cover of darkness, opening cages and working to create mayhem.

Most of the animals didn’t notice the open doors at first, which was all fine and good for me. The last thing I needed was to be noticed by something that could eat my face.

The first animal I saw wonder by was some kind of large bird, about the size of my chest and with a thick beak and large stumpy feet.

I only had to make an expeditious retreat once , up the side of an enclosure, when a massive ass snake thing came chagrin up the pathway. It slithered past as I clung to the bars and continued on its merry way.

“Whose there!”

The voice froze me in place,and with my eyes wide, I turned down to look into the cage hardly able to believe my eyes.

***

The battle on the ground was going more poorly than the battle in the air.

Burg warships and their stealth capabilities made it much easier to fight the invasion force from space.

Seven GA ships had been destroyed, one of them a human ship, and one of them --- to the glee of the Burg -- a Celzex ship, but despite GA losses, it was clear who was going to win, and it was not the burg.

If anything, the battle on the ground would decide what was happening. Large swaths of the burg population had already surrendered and were being occupied by human shock troopers, a large number of which, who had not died despite grievous injury in some cases.

They were still a distance form the main hive, and pushing forward was becoming harder and harder as the burg fell back and began to rally. Of course none of that really mattered for the small group of insurgents that had dropped down behind enemy lines. Most of the burg had pushed forward to defend their queen and central hub against attack, leaving much of the middle ground open for attackers.

Sunny was the first down into the cave system, sliding over slimy rocks and plants into the darkness of the burg cave.

Behind her came Ramirez and Maverick, shadowed at the rear by Thomas and Cannon.

Sunny landed on her knees nearly silent, spear held tight in one hand behind her back and at the ready.

The other two slid into a kneeling position beside her, their guns held up.

She motioned forward with one hand, and the group of them quietly moved forward into the darkness. Voices, from further inward, and Sunny motioned them all into a side passage as a burg troop marched by. 

They hurried from their cover as the group passed, heading silently inwards, through the dripping tunnels, occasionally cut through by warm beams of light which somehow managed to make their way through cracks in the cave walls and ceiling.

A burg century stood guard just up ahead  blocking the path.

Sunny held up a hand, but Maverick was already moving.

She cut silently over the rocks coming up behind the burg.

Before the creature knew what was happening, the sharp steel of a blade snaked around front and cut a quick slash over the creature’s throat. Maverick knew what she was doing, for it severed the creature’s voice mechanism, making it unable to scream as she finished the job with a hard jab to the back of the head.

The body was concealed, and they continued forward.

Ramirez nodded with an impressed look on his face, Sunny shot them a look.

Thomas was wide eyed and open mouthed staring at Maverick who just grinned wolfishly.

They moved through another few passageways heading towards their target, when they heard another group of voices coming up the hall. This time it wasn’t just a small patrol, but the shouted voices of troops heading towards the  front, what must have been an entire company of them as their voices rattled through the cave.

Even with their skill, there was no way they would survive that.

They had to act fast, and it was Sunny who first spotted the open crack in the nearest wall, and ushered the others through. Luckily it was just big enough for Cannon, and they all made it through into the small tunnel as the burg passed by, marching feet causing stones and droplets of water to trickle from the ceiling. At the front of the group, Sunny quietly motioned them forward. Hurrying them further down the path so as not to be spotted.

They cut through another small crack forced to push a large rock aside as they spilled into a large, dark room.

There was hardly any light here, only a small illumination catching them from behind and filtering in across the floor. 

A large white green mushroom sat before them, and as Sunny moved forward to examine it, the mushroom began to glow softly, diffused green light spilling out across the room.

Sunny stepped back as another mushroom winked on not some distance off, followed by another, and another and another until the entire room was lit.

Sunny and the others stepped back as the entire room began to move, the floor churning and the walls shifting.

A sharp shuffling rose up through the interior of the cavern.

And the churning walls coalesced into shapes 

Moving 

Shapes 

Before them, a mass sitting next to a mushroom shifted and turned.

A Large yellow eye glittered at them from the darkness and antenna wriggled above its head.

Ramirez and Maverick raised their weapons, Thomas cursed violently.

Cannon and Sunny drew their spears.

A murmuring rose up around the room as a thousand bright yellow eyes fell upon them.

And then.

“You seem to have taken a wrong turn.”

The burg’s voice rose up before them, and they raised their weapons. Sunny cursed inwardly knowing that she had killed them all.

The light form the mushrooms continued to brighten.

Until a shape coalesced form the darkness.

Their weapons quivered in their hands in confusion as the shape walked towards them from the darkness

IT had shiny black carapace, large golden eyes, eight appendages, two long antenna and two gently folded, magnificently colored wings.

The thing, the burg, or the thing that spoke burg stopped in front of them, its hands folded before it.

“I assume you are the advance force to the invading army?”

When they did not answer it simply waved its antenna.

It didn’t seem concerned.

“Welcome to the burg capital. I don’t suppose you have a few moments to spare?”

[artificialqueens]

Gigi Has an Intelligence Kink (Crystal x Gigi) - A-tresia

Life gets a little bit more interesting when Crystal fully embraces the fact that Gigi has a thing for her brain.

In the same universe as Slow Hands. But you don’t need to read it to get this.

The first time it happens, Crystal thinks it’s just Gigi rewarding her for a job well done.

Crystal is obsessively refreshing her Twitter feed, waiting for an announcement that the MCAT scores have been released.

Refresh.

Nothing.

Refresh.

Still nothing.

Refresh.

“Crys.”

“Hmm? What?”

Gigi gently takes her phone off her fidgety hands. “Just turn your notifications on, hun,” she says, doing it herself.

“But –“

“I know. It’s been a month and they’re scheduled to release today,” she repeats what Crystal has been telling her for the better part of the day.

“It’s been a month and they’re scheduled to release today,” Crystal sighs.

Gigi pulls her in closer and sets her phone under their pillow. “Now, try to concentrate on this instead,” she suggests, motioning to the laptop where an episode of Gigi’s new favorite TV show has been paused. Crystal nods in agreement, hits the space bar, and snuggles in closer.

It takes another episode and a half for Crystal’s phone to vibrate, making them both sit up quickly. If Gigi’s being completely honest, she’s just as nervous as Crystal. And she didn’t take the damn test. But she makes the conscious effort to be the calm one here. One of them has to. And it surely won’t be Crystal.

Gigi hits the space bar to pause the show while Crystal gets up from bed to pace while she loads her account. She watches Crystal, jaw slack in apparent shock, stare at her phone before she gets up on her knees to take a look herself. The torture is killing her. She pulls on Crystal’s shirt to maneuver her closer to the bed so she can peek to see.

521.

“Is that good?” Gigi asks.

Crystal hands over her phone to Gigi, still in quite a bit of shock.

“Crys, is this a good score?” Gigi asks again before looking through the lines and numbers on the screen.

Crystal points to the bottom of the screen. “I would hope so because a perfect score is a 528 and this score is in the 99th percentile.”

When she realizes what this means, Gigi drops the phone on the bed to jump on Crystal who stumbles backward, barely catching her. “Your brain, it’s amazing. I’m so proud of you,” she says in between dropping loud wet kisses all over Crystal’s smiling face. “It’s enough for your dream school, right? With your GPA?”

“More than enough, I hope,” Crystal says.

“Is Crystal happy?” Gigi brushes a thumb over the apple of Crystal’s cheek.

“Crystal is still in shock but Crystal is very, very happy.” The pride in her voice makes Gigi’s heart swell.

Gigi takes Crystal’s face in her hands to give her a proper kiss on the mouth — slow and wet and full of tongue and obviously leading to something else.

“Okay, med school talk later.” She slowly slides off Crystal, gently planting her feet onto the floor. She walks them back to the bed, pulling Crystal down with her when the back of her knees hit the edge. “I think you deserve a treat,” she says reaching up underneath Crystal’s shirt.

“I’m not a dog, Gee,” Crystal laughs.

“Shut up, don’t ruin the moment.”

The next time it happens, Crystal thinks it’s just Gigi being her usual clingy self.

She’s on the floor, as usual, three videos deep into her cadaver dissection videos, her anatomy atlas splayed open on her lap, and drowning in paper and pens and colored pencils. She’s struggling to draw and take notes and memorize all at the same time. Maybe, she thinks, she’s bitten off more than she could chew.

Crystal’s muttering anatomic structures under her breath when she hears Gigi whine her name from behind her. If she wasn’t busy, she’d drop everything she was doing to attend to that very needy whine. But she’s too busy, too tired to even think about doing anything other than studying. She doesn’t even have time to sleep. So she ignores it.

“Crystal,” Gigi calls out again. It’s longer. And breathier. And needier.

Crystal turns to look at Gigi, comfortably nestled on the other end of the couch, making grabby hands at her.

“Sorry, babe,” she says before turning back to her work. Her tone is regretful. The smile on her face is tired. But the feeling at the pit of her stomach is telling her to just go for it. It’s Gigi. And she can’t ever say no to Gigi.

“I don’t want to have to deal with things on my own,” Gigi huffs.

“You know what to do with your hands.” She continues this conversation without looking up from her drawings.

Honestly, she doesn’t know why Gigi is even here in the first place. She knows it’s a busy night. She could be home catching up on sleep or hanging out with her friends. But she’s here. Doing what?

“Crystal.”

“Can I make it up to you tomorrow? Please?” She really doesn’t have the patience for this right now. She looks at the time on her phone, it reads 11:27 PM. “Look, I have less than 12 hours until this test and then I promise I’m all yours. I’ll come straight home after. I don’t mind if you do it right there on the couch if you really have to.” Gigi pouts at her so she reaches for Gigi’s hand to kiss her fingers. “Sorry, really. I am.”

She turns back to her notes before Gigi can make a face that she can’t resist. Suddenly, the dwindling time until her test gives her tunnel vision. Nothing else occupies her mind but this, Gigi’s whining is long forgotten.

Crystal doesn’t know what she expects Gigi to do while she studies. Scroll through her socials? Watch a movie? Online shop?

She doesn’t know what to expect.

But she didn’t think it would be this.

Not Crystal being pulled out of focus by the sound of Gigi’s moaning.

And that moan sounds like she just finished.

Crystal slowly turns her head towards Gigi, looking at her with narrowed eyes in disbelief. When she said she didn’t mind, she didn’t think Gigi would actually do it. “Gigi motherfucking Goode, did you just –“

Gigi looks at her smugly, raises a brow at her as she wipes her fingers on her shorts. “Yes. Yes, I did. You said you didn’t mind.”

“Really, Gee? Did the cadaver video do it for you?”

Gigi scrunches her nose at Crystal. “No, that’s gross. It was you studying and being smart.”

“What?” Crystal chuckles.

“It’s hot, okay? You’re hot. It makes me feel things.”

“What?”

“When you’re being your normal smart self – it’s a turn on, okay?”

“What?”

“Shut up!”

It happens again on Gigi’s birthday and Crystal thinks Gigi is losing her mind when she directs Crystal’s hands to her pussy and asks to be fingered while telling her about the cardiac cycle she was studying earlier today. Crystal thinks this request could have quickly pulled her out of the mood but oddly enough – with her whispering in Gigi’s ear, with her fingers inside Gigi, and with Gigi writhing and moaning and babbling against her – she finds that it makes her feel things too.

Life gets a little bit more interesting when Crystal fully embraces the fact that Gigi has a thing for her brain. Once in a while, when they’re bored of just moaning and groaning and panting their way through having sex, Crystal would look at Gigi – hair fanned out on the pillow, red in the face, chest heaving and sweaty – and lean closer to her ear and indulge Gigi in her ridiculous idea of dirty talk. She’d count the number of ATPs produced in the citric acid cycle, explain to her the mechanisms of action of cephalosporins, run down the cardinal movements of labor, practice on her techniques for a thorough physical examination.

When she passes major exams. When she aces her boards. When she graduates medical school with high honors. When she gets accepted to the surgical residency program of her dreams. Gigi is there – willing and ready and able to reward her, generously, for a job well done. Going as far as buying a new strap, saved and used only for occasions like these.

Crystal is in the middle of her orthopedic surgery residency training and there’s barely any time left for alone time. So Gigi takes what she can get. Even if it’s just a night out for drinks at the bar a couple of blocks away from the hospital with Crystal’s other doctor friends.

She listens to Crystal and her friends (Jackie, a urology resident, and Widow, an anesthesiology resident) exchange stories from their day in the operating room. Gigi is perfectly fine absorbing the excited energy they all seem to have; perfectly fine holding Crystal’s hand under the table; perfectly fine being close. She doesn’t mind that they go into graphic detail; doesn’t mind that they use medical jargon; doesn’t mind that they seem to have forgotten that they have a non-medical person in the group; doesn’t mind that all she is there is present.

When Jackie and Widow get up to get the next round of drinks, Gigi slips a hand up and in between Crystal’s thighs. Crystal catches her wrist before she can go further. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just playing,” she shrugs.

“I know. I meant, why?”

Gigi shrugs again. “You know shoptalk gets to me.”

Crystal knows but she still raises a brow at her. “That wasn’t too graphic for you?”

Instead of answering, Gigi takes Crystal’s hand and positions it underneath her skirt, letting Crystal trail her fingers upward, toward the seam of her underwear. Crystal’s fingers brush over a particularly damp spot. “Already?” Gigi nods like it’s nothing out of the ordinary. And Crystal thinks it really isn’t, at least for Gigi.

“I bet you are too.” And Gigi’s right; she’s always right.

Crystal looks up to see her friends walking back to the table so she signals that they’re going to the toilet. Jackie nods at her so she pulls Gigi up onto her feet and towards the back. It’s a one-person toilet and Crystal wants to thank all the gods looking down at her that it’s empty.

The door is barely locked when Gigi pushes Crystal against the wall and connects their lips and bodies together in a movement that’s demanding and hungry and contagious – hands tangling in hair, lips and tongues desperate to connect with the other, bodies arching and pressing.

“Listening to a story about me pounding at metal and bones got you this hot?” Crystal asks when she pulls away for a breath.

“I want you to pound me instead,” Gigi says, latching her lips onto Crystal’s neck and worming her hand into Crystal’s pants. Crystal moans and drops her head onto Gigi’s shoulder when she feels Gigi slip a finger into her. “But you can do that later.”

Gigi’s thankful Crystal isn’t wearing jeans; her slacks are loose enough for her hand to move freely. She slips another finger in and angles her hand so Crystal can grind against the heel of her palm while she pumps in. And out.

And in.

And out.

Faster.

And harder.

She nips at Crystal’s earlobe. “I expect a good pounding at home.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Crystal pants, head now resting against the wall, eyes now glazed over, breath now ragged, hips now following the pace that Gigi has set – slow enough that it builds, fast enough that it’s not frustrating.

Gigi concentrates on pumping and rubbing and kissing and licking and biting and making Crystal hum and moan and whimper. She feels Crystal’s body tense against her, feels Crystal getting wetter, feels her fingers slipping easier. Her muscles are strained but she speeds up the movement of her hand and Crystal speeds up the movement of her hips against Gigi’s palm.

“That’s it,” Gigi encourages as Crystal squeezes her closer and tighter, gasping and shaking as she comes. Gigi keeps a slower, gentler pace, shifting so she can rub her thumb against Crystal’s clit to drag out her orgasm.

She pulls Crystal in for a languid kiss as she waits for Crystal to stop trembling. When she does – it takes a little longer than a moment – Gigi pulls her hand out of Crystal’s pants and holds it up. Her hand is glistening in the low light, covered in Crystal’s slick. Crystal looks up in time to see Gigi lick her fingers, sucking them into her mouth with a sound so needy, Crystal is sure she needs to take care of it. Right now.

“Home time?” Gigi suggests as she straightens up Crystal’s pants.

Crystal manages to shake the clouds away. “There’ll be more later but I think I can get one out of you now,” she says, turning Gigi towards the sink and bending her over with a hand between her shoulder blades. Crystal leans over her to keep her bent, makes sure she’s braced herself on the sink, and slides a hand down the length of Gigi’s back to the curve of her ass, slowly lifting her skirt to expose her now soaking panties. “Missed you this week,” she says, dropping a kiss on Gigi’s jaw while she lets her fingers slip underneath the wet fabric.

Gigi wants to say she missed her too; wants to say she’s happy to have her at home for the next two days; wants to say they should just leave their friends so they can continue this at home. But Crystal is already on her knees behind her, not caring if the floor is dirty; already moving her underwear aside – one Gigi isn’t sure why she even wore in the first place; already burying her face into the heat between Gigi’s legs.

She puts both hands on Gigi’s ass to grope and fondle and squeeze and spread while she licks and nips and sucks at her folds. She feels Gigi squirm; arching and pressing back into her mouth, encouraging her to do a little more. A lot more. All of this is exciting and overwhelming and extremely naughty – a far cry from the white coat wearing, scalpel yielding, professional front Crystal puts on just two blocks away.

Crystal keeps her mouth on her clit as she presses two fingers into Gigi and lets her control the pace, lets her rock back and forth to chase her own pleasure. She feels Gigi contract around her fingers and she thinks it’s time to change things up.

Yes, Crystal thinks to herself, the bathroom of a bar you’re a regular at is the best place to change things up.

She licks long and hard from her clit to her hole, around her fingers, up her perineum, and over her asshole – something she thinks Gigi doesn’t know that she knows Gigi secretly likes. Crystal feels her freeze for a split second before reaching behind her to grab Crystal’s head to keep her in place.

“Fuck, Crystal,” she pants.

Gigi’s rhythmic movement is now jerkier and erratic and Crystal knows she’s close. Very close. Crystal continues to lick and pump and rub while Gigi continues to moan and rock and chase. She hangs her head between her arms and whines and pants and shakes as she comes.

Crystal gets up and leans over Gigi’s body, fingers still pumping inside – prolonging and intensifying. She’s wrapping her free arm around Gigi’s torso, nuzzling her nose into her hair to kiss the back of her neck when she feels her mewl and tremble and shudder into another one – unexpected but highly welcome.

“Love you,” she whispers into her ear.

Gigi turns her head to Crystal – her eyes are glassy, her forehead is sweaty, her cheeks are flushed. “Love you too,” she whispers back before catching her lips for a kiss.

They take their time straightening up; not worried about a line possibly forming outside, not worried that they’ve been gone from their friends for too long.

When they make their way back to the table, she sees Widow look at them with a knowing smirk. And Crystal can’t find it in herself to make up an excuse – there’s no excuse for being gone that long and they’re all adults here anyway. So they gather their things, say their goodbyes and see you laters, and rush home to give Gigi what she promised.

When Crystal graduates from residency, of course, she bags the outstanding resident award and the best scientific paper. All on top of being chief resident in her final year. Because of course, Crystal doesn’t do anything half-assed. Gigi decides, when they’re both stripped off their gowns and heels from Crystal’s hospital graduation dinner, that it’s an important enough occasion to use their special toy – there’s really nothing special or different about that strap; Gigi just uses it particularly on days when she wants to celebrate Crystal. It’s Gigi’s turn to prove that nothing in this house is done half-assed.

Gigi gives Crystal one final lick before trailing up her torso with wet open-mouthed kisses, lingering momentarily on her breasts, taking a nipple in her mouth – licking and biting and sucking. She drops herself onto Crystal’s side, hooking her legs over Crystal’s, and kisses her way up her neck, across her jaw, skipping her lips, and bumps their noses together, “Congratulations, baby.”

Crystal reaches up to cup her cheek and pulls her in for a kiss, tasting herself on Gigi’s lips. “You know I couldn’t have done all of this without you, right?”

“Nope, all you,” she says, nuzzling her cheek against Crystal’s palm before taking Crystal’s hand in hers and kissing the rings on Crystal’s finger – the rings she only usually wears around her neck when she’s at work are now on her left ring finger, where they’re supposed to be. “This is all you. I was just there. I’m just here.”

Gigi gets up to step into the leather harness – fastening the straps and adjusting the cock, all while watching Crystal rub at her clit, flicking back and forth lazily. There’s a satisfied smile on Crystal’s face that Gigi wants to keep there forever. She leans over Crystal, peppering her face with kisses, whispering how immensely proud she is of her, how she loves her dearly, how lucky she is to have her. She braces her arms on the bed, resting the length of the cock against Crystal’s wetness, just content with being skin to skin.

“What’s taking so long?” Crystal whines, breaking the little tender bubble Gigi created.

Gigi chuckles at Crystal’s impatience and decides, yes, okay, tonight is about her. She sits back on her heels and realigns her cock, settling the tip at Crystal’s entrance. With steady pressure, she presses inside; one hand guiding the dildo, the other stroking gently over Crystal’s clit. She stretches over Crystal, letting her weight rest on her when she’s buried deep inside. She pulls back a little and gently slides back in, hooking Crystal’s leg over her hip as she goes. Gigi keeps a slow rhythmic pace, hoping to stretch this out the whole evening.

Sure, the slow thrusts are good. Satisfying, even. But Crystal knows she could take more. And she knows Gigi could give more.

So.

Much.

More.

“This feels lovely and all but I need you to fuck me.”

Gigi thinks for a beat and reminds herself again that what Crystal wants, Crystal gets. At least tonight.

And Crystal will get all her favorite things.

“Up,” she instructs as she pulls out.

“What?” Crystal is confused at the sudden emptiness.

She pulls Crystal up from the bed and pushes her on her knees on the floor. Understanding dawns on Crystal’s face as Gigi steps forward, gripping the base of the cock – still wet with Crystal’s slick, guiding it towards Crystal’s mouth.

“I want to see you take it all.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Crystal murmurs, her eyes locked onto Gigi’s as she takes the dildo inside her mouth, slowly working her tongue along its length. Gigi groans at the sight of Crystal taking a silicone cock all the way to the back of her throat without gagging. She remembers asking Crystal why she likes doing that. All she got was a vague answer about liking the force. Whatever that means.

Crystal makes a show of licking and sucking and deep-throating. The way the harness rubs against her is not enough to tip her over the edge but it’s there and looking at Crystal taking it all oddly makes Gigi feel like this appendage is hers.

Gigi groans a she watches Cyrstal swallow the full length of her cock. “God, baby. That’s so fucking hot.” Crystal responds by making sure she’s tugging at the base harder so whatever part of it that’s brushing against Gigi is hitting her right. She grits her teeth and buries her hands into Crystal’s hair as Crystal slips a thumb beneath the harness to press on Gigi’s swollen clit.

“You’re going to make me come,” Gigi breathes out.

And she does.

Her body really doesn’t give her a choice.

When Crystal presses particularly hard on her clit, her thighs tremble and she thrusts forward and tightens her grip on Crystal’s hair.

And Crystal is quick to grab onto Gigi’s ass, clutching and pulling, keeping her there – nose pressed against Gigi’s pubic bone – as she rides it out.

Gigi pulls back quickly, aware that she’s cutting off Crystal’s air supply. She looks down to see Crystal reluctantly let go of her cock with an exaggerated slurp, looking up at Gigi with needy eyes and pouty lips, blinking away involuntary tears.

She helps Crystal to her feet and kisses her senseless, not minding that saliva has dribbled down Crystal’s chin.  Crystal grips Gigi’s side for balance as Gigi walks her backward against a wall.

Crystal is startled out of her daze when Gigi grips her waist and turns her around, effectively disconnecting their lips and pushing her flat against the wall. She looks over her shoulder to see Gigi squat, suddenly she’s very aware of the very aroused state of her pussy.

“Always so wet for me,” Gigi says, running a finger over Crystal’s lips. Crystal bites on her lower lip as she resists the urge to quote WAP lyrics and for good reason – Gigi hates that song. She, on the other hand, secretly loves it – the OR nurses may or may not have caught her attempting to do the dance in the dressing room.

Gigi spreads her lips apart, a moan stuck in her throat when a string of clear juice dribbles down her finger and onto the floor.

“Crystal, you fucking just dripped on the floor. Jesus fucking – “

Crystal shakes her ass in Gigi’s face. “Please, fuck me. Please.”

And Gigi gives her what she wants. Gigi gets up and slides the full length of her cock easily inside Crystal in one quick fluid motion. She’s rewarded with a deep moan and expletives begging for more.

Crystal’s pussy clamps down on the dildo when Gigi moves to give her a short quick thrust. “Yes, more, like that.” She isn’t sure where this savage need to fuck Crystal like this is coming from but she decides to embrace it. So she grips Crystal’s hips tighter and slams hard repeatedly, making them both grunt. She would have been worried that she’s being too rough if Crystal hadn’t instantly pushed back against her with a very enthusiastic, “Fuck, yes!”

It’s a pace they’re both surprised they both can keep up with. And they’re both determined to keep going. The jumbled words and incomprehensible sounds coming from Crystal’s mouth spurs Gigi on – orgasm after orgasm stealing her words from her.

Gigi is getting frustrated trying to chase an orgasm of her own. With a yelp from Crystal, she pulls completely away and flips Crystal around so her back is against the wall. She hikes a leg up, hooking it over Gigi’s hip. Crystal reaches between them to guide the cock back into her pussy and encourages Gigi to keep on pounding into her. She coos in Gigi’s ear, her hands groping Gigi’s breasts, her lips busy kissing Gigi’s face and neck. Soon, their sounds turn into whimpers and pants and sharp moans as they both race towards another orgasm.

Gigi gropes Crystal’s ass hard and leans to bury her face in Crystal’s neck as a strangled moan works its way from her throat. She thrusts one last hard thrust up into Crystal before she comes. Hard. Leaving them both trembling against the wall.

Gigi shifts to help Crystal regain solid footing, letting the cock slip wetly out of her, scattering kisses over her neck and shoulders.

“God damn,” Crystal breathes out.

“That was intense,” Gigi muses, holding on to Crystal tightly, still leaning themselves against the wall.

Crystal with her vision still cloudy and marked by black spots, pushes herself upright and pushes Gigi back into bed, and crawls over her. “No more for me,” she says trailing a series of wet kisses down Gigi’s body. “Your turn now.”

Crystal takes her time – So. Much. Time. – to let Gigi know how she’s wrong. How she wasn’t just there. How she isn’t just here. How the past almost ten years with school and training was because of her, for her, and with her.

[archxvxd]

(mod; isn't oil hard to paint with? idk but for some reason i think it's hard?? and yeah, human anatomy is a bitch, jeez)

*shrugs, taking another bite of food* Yeah, I ordered two rounds. Don't worry, we can always get more. *winks at you*

*chews slowly, nodding as you answer my question, somewhat relieved. swallows food, pondering your question*

I knew you'd ask sooner or later. *chuckles* Well, you're hot.

*sees the look you throw me and puts hands up in defence* Alright, alright, princess. Hm, since the kid doesn't really train with you guys, it wasn't your fighting that caught attention. Rather it was when you kept nagging the brat about why he can't train with you. You said you wanted to see me just once and that he should let me come forth. *laugh softly, shaking head* I just thought "which fool wants to see a curse face to face?" - I guess you did. So I did come forth. *tilts head* A hook up and some handjobs later, here we are. *licks lips* Thought you were interesting because of that. Determined, strong-willed and not easily scared. Maybe with a deathwish too. *grins* Remember when we first met and you were being an absolute brat? I nearly let you pass out. Could've killed you. *winks at you* But I didn't.

*takes sip from drink, leaning backwards into the chair* Me next. Why did you want to meet me?

- Sukuna

*laugh incredulously and shakes head at you* You’re a bad influence but I guess I should expect as much from a curse. *smiles at you*

*gives you a condescending smile then rolls eyes* Oh c’mon…

*listens to you intently slightly surprised by your answering and then blushing* I was feeling a bit reckless. I never understood why no one would let me meet you? It seemed that everyone else had encountered you but me and I’m supposed to be the strongest of all of them. *grumbles* Aside from Yuta and that idiot Gojo. *pouts* I guess that’s part of the reason I wanted to meet you. The other being that I was genuinely curious how you came to be and what you would be like. I wanted to see what the person Yuuji was constantly complaining about because there was no way you were that bad.

*becomes flustered thinking about our first meeting* Uh yeah… I was testing ya there. But uh…. *look away and mumbles* I kind of that it was really hot…

*takes a generous swig of my drink* Alright. I’m curious. What do you do all day when you’re stuck in Yuuji’s head?

{ oil is hard to blend on canvas but once you get it down it’s so much fun and comes out so pretty! human anatomy is the worst. drawing hands alone takes forever and getting a facial structure right with the angle sjdjsjd :((( }

[kimjoongs]

—ateez college au series [psh]

so seonghwa is a nursing major bc why not and no this isnt bc im also a nursing major or maybe it is idk shh

he wanted to become a nurse bc his mom was one, and he saw how much she adored her job

plus seonghwa is a self-less and caring person, so this was the perfect choice for him

he lives in an apartment on campus with his roommate hongjoong and it’s both a blessing and a curse

it was a blessing because his and hongjoong’s personalities matched very well, so they rarely had arguments

but it was also a curse bc joong was a music production major so he’d be producing music in his room, which normally wasn’t a problem, but on nights where seonghwa was studying for his exams, hongjoong would be in the room next door blasting music

usually all seonghwa had to do was knock on his door and ask him to keep it down, but there were nights where he would just pack up his stuff and study at the campus library instead

he often stayed for about 3-4 hours or more if he had an exam the next day

hwa really liked anatomy and phys but absolutely despised chemistry

“what the hell is the difference between polar and nonpolar? wait, why does this lewis structure only have 2 bonds? shouldn’t it have 3? ah shit i forgot an electron–”

sometimes hongjoong would come out of his room to get a glass of water only to find hwa asleep at the kitchen table with a copy of the periodic table on his head

he loves getting to wear his scrubs on lab day bc 1) scrubs are super comfortable and 2) it gets him excited thinking about the future

he also started volunteering at the nursing college in the labs

he’d help the lab ops set up the labs, refill the fluids, repack the medication, or clean up the simulation rooms

this also gave him the opportunity to get to know his future professors, and he would never admit it, but whilst he was volunteering, he would admire the older nursing students wearing the official university scrubs

it made him that much more determined to get into nursing school

during his first semester his second year, he had less of a workload compared to his first year, so he had more free time and was able to go out more

one day hongjoong asked seonghwa if he wanted to hang out with a few of his friends, and he said yes

so the two of them went out to this nearby boba cafe where hongjoong’s friends mingi, san, and wooyoung were waiting for him

you were there as well, tagging along as a mutual friend of san’s, and he introduced you to the two them

“hey hongjoong, seonghwa, this is my friend y/n! i hope it’s cool if they come along. i needed to drag them out of their room or else they’d be studying for hours on end,” san teased, knocking your head lightly w his fist

you stuck your tongue out at him then turned to shake hongjoong’s and seonghwa’s hands

when you made eye contact with the latter, his face lit up with recognition “oh wait, y/n? you’re in my pathophysiology class right?”

“oh yeah, i sit right behind you. nice to meet you, seonghwa!” you flashed him a smile, and he smile back

after everyone introduced themselves, you all found a table and ordered your drinks

mingi, san, and seonghwa sat on one side of the booth whilst you, wooyoung, and hongjoong sat on the other

you were quite surprised, and quite relieved, at how well you were fitting in and getting along with hongjoong and seonghwa…especially seonghwa

during the time that you all were together, seonghwa found out that you were a nursing major too and the two of you launched into a full blown discussion about it, unaware of the looks the others were giving you both

hongjoong had a faint smile on his face, mingi was chuckling and shaking his head, and san and wooyoung were giving each other knowing smirks

at the end of the night, seonghwa had asked you for your number in case yall wanted to study tgt, and you happily obliged

then you all said your farewells and went your separate ways

a few days pass and you don’t hear from seonghwa, which was quite understandable considering the fact that it was midterm season and you were both busy

but you were also kind of looking forward to study with him, he seemed really smart and self-disciplined which was exactly the type of study buddy you needed

but another couple days pass and lo and behold you receive a text from the one and only park seonghwa that reads: hey you wanna study tgt for the patho exam at the library today?

ofc you said yes and half an hr later, you found yourself at the library sitting right across from seonghwa

the two of you had your laptops, notebooks, and handouts spread all over the tables and were completely in the zone

after an hr or two of straight studying, you suggested taking a small break and that’s where the two of you got to talking abt nursing and why you both chose to major in it

“well my mom’s a nurse, and when i was younger she would always talk about how much she loved her job. she’s super hardworking and cares about her patients, and that’s how i want to be someday. plus as a nurse, if i could just make someone’s day just a little bit better, then that’s all that matters to me.”

needless to say, you were captivated by the raw passion and love seonghwa had for his future career, and you couldn’t help but admire him for it

after your short break, the two of you went back to studying, but this time yall would often make eye contact and send each other encouraging smiles

you found yourself slowly becoming more comfortable with seonghwa as the time passed by

and after that, the two you started having more and more study sessions, growing closer and closer

whenever an exam or quiz was coming up, you two would always be found studying tgt whether it was at his apartment or the library

and that’s when the hesi exam came in

the amount of time you guys spent studying for regular exams was nothing compared to the amount of time yall spent studying for the hesi

on the day of, you and hwa were practically freaking out

“oh my god y/n i’m so scared. what if i forget how to do the conversions? what if i forget everything i learned in anatomy? what if i forget basic grammar–”

“hwa shut up you’re making me nervous!”

basically yall are a wreck from the beginning of the exam all the way to the end, and once yall walk out of that testing room you almost collapse

anyways fast forward a few weeks later it’s almost the end of the semester and also around the time where you would be receiving your letter saying whether or not you were accepted into the program

it was a friday night and the entire gang was at your apartment having a movie night

you were looking thru your emails when you stumbled upon one from your university, and when you saw what the subject was you screamed, scaring the living daylights out of mingi who was sitting next you

“y/n what the hell–” “guys, guys my nursing school letter came in oh my god, oh my god!”

the entire room went silent for a millisecond before san let out a shriek and soon everyone was crowding around you

hongjoong gripped seonghwa’s shoulder “did you get yours yet?”

the latter’s eyes widened in realization and he also whipped out his phone, letting out a choked gasp when he saw the same email “mine came in too!”

at this point all of yall were freaking the hell out, and you and seonghwa somehow found each other’s hands and held them tightly tgt

“okay, okay, okay!” you reposition yourself on the couch so you were facing your fellow nursing major “on the count of three we open it at the same time, yeah?” all seonghwa did was nod

“alright, one…two…three!” everyone held their breath and it seemed like an eternity had passed…and then you and seonghwa jumped up from the couch

“i got in!” you yelled at the same time, which caused the others to belt out the loudest cheers you’ve ever heard

overwhelmed with excitement and pride, you threw yourself onto seonghwa and gave him the tightest hug, and he wrapped his arms around your waist, gently lifting you off the ground

when you guys separated, both your eyes widened at the lack of space btwn the two of you, and you immediately jumped away from each other

“um,” you cleared your throat “i’m…i’m really proud of you, hwa.” he gave you the softest of smiles, one that made your heart race even more than it was right now

“i’m proud of you too, y/n.”

aaaand fast forward again to the beginning of the next semester! you and seonghwa were officially in the clinical portion of the nursing program which meant you two were now able to wear the university’s official nursing scrubs seonghwa probably cried a little when he first tried his on

and since yall were in the program tgt, you saw each other more frequently, even more compared to the previous semester

which certainly didnt help alleviate the strong emotions you were feeling ever since the two of you shared that small, intimate moment just a couple months prior

before you didnt use to feel anything when you hung out with seonghwa, but now just thinking abt him was enough to get you all giddy and nervous at the same time

it had reached a point where you couldnt take it anymore, so you decided to seek help from the one person who knew seonghwa best: his best friend and roommate, hongjoong

when you met up with him and poured out what it was you were feeling, hongjoong sent you a fond, knowing smile “y/n…you like him. romantically, i mean.” 

you gaped “i…what?”

“you, y/n, have romantic feelings for my best friend, seonghwa.”

“i..i like him? i don’t…i don’t have–” you froze upon seeing the way hongjoong raised his eyebrows at you

“i…i like…i like seonghwa,” you finally breathed out. hongjoong’s gaze softened and he chuckled “took you long enough…now if only seonghwa could stop being a coward and just ask you out already,” he mumbled the second part under his breath

not knowing what to do with the information you had just uncovered abt yourself, you thought it’d a good idea (read: it was the stupidest idea) to distance yourself from seonghwa for a bit, just long enough for you to process the thoughts racing thru your mind

you were unaware, however, of how you distancing yourself might look like from seonghwa’s pov

he’s noticed you not hanging out with him as much anymore outside of class, and during class whenever he’d try to talk to you, you’d just scurry over to the other side of the room

he started getting worried and, ironically, he went to hongjoong for advice

upon hearing what’s been going on, hongjoong sighed loudly and slammed his hands down on the counter

“okay, initially i wasn’t going to say anything because i wanted the two of you to find out on your own, but obviously that isn’t going to happen so i’m just going to say it. y/n’s avoiding you because they realized they’ve fallen head over heels in love with you and don’t know how to react. so hwa, please be a nice guy and help them figure it out if you catch my drift.”

at that, hongjoong walked out and into his room, leaving an open-mouthed seonghwa frozen in the kitchen, he was at a loss for words

he knew hongjoong knew abt his feelings for you, but he didn’t think you’d feel the same

after contemplating whether or not what he was abt to do was a good idea or not, seonghwa simply said “screw it” and dashed out the door, heading straight for your apartment

once he arrived, he knocked rapidly on your front door

you had barely opened the door when seonghwa practically slid right in

“seonghwa? what are you doing he–”

“y/n, i’m sorry for just barging in but i need to ask you something really important and i want you to be completely honest.”

you gasped softly at the way he was looking at you, it was so intense and so serious you’ve never seen him like that before

“uh, okay? what’s going on?” you asked nervously

“do you have feelings for me?”

you choked “w-what?!”

“i talked to hongjoong and asked him for advice bc you’ve been avoiding me the past few days, and he said it’s bc you like me. is that true?”

you didn’t know what to say, the familiar warm feeling in your stomach came back and you found it difficult to maintain eye contact with seonghwa

a few seconds of silence passed, and you could see seonghwa’s serious gaze slowly start to crumble and all of a sudden you panicked

“yes! y-yes…it’s true. i do have feelings for you,” your voice trailed off at the end, but you knew he heard you when he saw him stiffen up

he let out a shaky breath “how long?”

“huh?”

“how long have you liked me, y/n?” he asked more firmly

“u-um, i’m not sure? i honestly didn’t start noticing i felt like this until about two months ago when we found we got accepted. although, the more i think about it, i’ve been attracted to you since our first study session together. the way you talked so passionately about your future and how dedicated you were into making it come true made me feel something, and what you said was really inspiring to me and i just–”

your sentence was interrupted by a pair of lips connecting with your own, and it took a second for you to realize that…seonghwa was kissing you

oh my god…oh my god seonghwa was kissing you

once you finally registered what was happening, he pulled away from you, eyes wide and cheeks flushed

“oh..oh shit, y/n i’m so sorry! i didn’t mean to–i should’ve asked for your permission first. i’m so so sorry!”

seonghwa tried to take a step back, but you grabbed his wrist before he could

“y-y/n?” he stared at you

you couldn’t wait anymore. not after that.

“please, do that again.”

now it was seonghwa’s turn to choke on his breath “h-huh?”

you tightened your grip on his wrist “seonghwa, this is me giving you permission. kiss me again.”

and he did

unlike the first kiss, this one was much longer and more heartfelt. you felt his arms snake around your waist, tugging you closer and closer

you could feel the way your cheeks were heating up, but at the moment you didn’t care, wanting this moment to last forever

but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end

“hey y/n, who was at the doo–holy shit!” at the sight of you and seonghwa, mingi let out the loudest screech, causing the two of you to jump away from each other

“oh fuck i forgot san and mingi were here,” you cursed under your breath. seonghwa stood next to you, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck

mingi still remained where he was in the hallway, mouth wide open in shock before he recollected himself “ohoho my god, san! text wooyoung and tell him he owes me dinner!” and with that, mingi took off running down the hall and into one of the rooms

and once again you were left alone w seonghwa

for the longest time, the two of you just stood there, refusing to speak nor look at each other

the room was so silent you could practically hear both of your hearts racing

“so uh…does this mean you and i are…?” seonghwa asked sheepishly, taking a small step towards you

you glanced up at him and couldn’t help but giggle at the hopeful look on his face

you turned towards him and flashed him the brightest grin “yeah, we are.”

the smile that appeared on seonghwa’s face at that moment was enough to take your breath away, and you had to physically restrain yourself from kissing him again

instead you opted for taking his hand in yours and entwining your fingers tgt

now that you and seonghwa were officially dating, it made studying that much more fun

when you guys started doing your clinicals, it became hard for yall to see each other, but it made your time tgt much more special when you did have time

seonghwa is a very touchy and cuddly person, so whenever there’s a short break in btwn lab or lecture, he’ll either be sitting next to you with his head on your shoulder or his arm around your shoulder and your head on his chest

the other nursing students (and sometimes the professors) would scream at how cute yall were

and bro if you thought seonghwa was your biggest motivator before you started dating, then he’s even bigger motivator now

when he quizzes you, he’ll always give you a kiss on the cheek if you answer a question correctly, or when you come back from a particularly rough shift he’ll be there to hold you and tell you that you did your best

oh yeah and to cheer you up he’ll say a bunch of anatomy jokes

“hey y/n, i aorta tell you how much i love you”

“oh god, hwa don’t even start.”

“oh c’mon, quit ovary-acting.”

“park seonghwa”

“you’re going tibia okay”

“i’m breaking up with you”

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Chromosomal Rearrangement

(Read Anne as Courtney!Anne)

A sequel to this fic

Word count: 3804

Prompt: “Would it help if I stayed?”

TW: Vomiting

———————

“You can leave...” Joan mumbled.

“Would it help if I stayed?” Anne asked. She doesn’t look away from George, who has his bony snout resting in her hands.

“I don’t want to upset you further.”

“I’m already upset, Joan.” Anne said. “And you hiding anything else will only upset me even more.”

“There’s a lot to know.”

“My schedule is clear.”

Joan’s bottom lip trembled, but she wiped her eyes to stop any more tears from coming out. She took a deep breath and nodded.

“Alright. If you really want to know everything...”

“Joey!!”

“...then we’ll start with that.”

Anne’s head finally snapped up from her brother and she looked around frantically. That voice sounded alarmingly human and very young. The thought that Joan might have experimented on a child makes her stomach turn.

“Who is that?” Anne asked. “You said there were only four!”

“Four that I wanted you to know about...”

Loud thumps came from the overhead vents, and then something was lunging down from one of the hatches and clinging to Joan’s face. The sudden appearance causes Anne to scream and scramble backwards. George’s arms fling out at her panic and he wraps her in a protective embrace. They both watch as Joan attempts to pull a furry mass off of her, but fails as it squirms from her hands and clambered onto the top of her head, then squeezed her skull with all four limbs in a hug of sorts.

“I missed you!” The new creature chirped, and it's clear, understandable English startles Anne because, out of all the things she’s seen, this one looks the least like a human.

It’s about the size of a house cat with a round body resembling a wooly sheep, but instead of wool, it had dark purple, almost black fur that stuck out in every direction. The wrists and ankles is where the fluff turns to flesh. It has human hands on the front legs and rat feet on the back. A long, hairless, pink rat tail also swished behind it. And, like George, it had an animal skull for a head.

“Hi, Eddie,” Joan smiled thinly, reaching up so the thing could nuzzle her hand.

“Eddie...?” Anne muttered.

“Oh! You’re Anne Boleyn!” The creature shouted excitedly. “Hi! I’m Edward! Jane’s son!”

“Jane’s son?!” Anne exclaimed.

“Surprise!” Joan said weakly. “Anne, this is Edward, as he said. He is my most...intriguing creation.”

Edward puffs out his fluffy chest proudly. His little child hands curl into Joan’s hair for balance. Seeing them on such a creature doesn’t sit right with Anne- it makes her skin feel weird.

“He... Well, a rat sorta jumped into the Gene Pool when I was working on bringing him back.” Joan tried to explain. “Hence why he looks like this.”

“It was kinda weird at first, but four legs is a lot more mobile than two!” Edward helpfully added.

Anne is silent for a moment. She looks from Edward and Joan, to the other three creatures, and then up at George, who is still holding her. He looks down at her and his mouth opens in a small, bony smile.

“I don’t— Joan, you have to explain all of this. Now.” Anne said. “What’s a ‘Gene Pool’? How did you get them to come back in the first place? I need answers!”

“Okay, okay! Calm down!” Joan said. “I’ll tell you, just—“ She hurried over to the door and locked it, seeing as they would be down there for awhile.

“But, like— don’t test anything on me.”

Joan looked at Anne with sad, wide eyes. She looked down as she turned the key in the lock.

“I wouldn’t do that to you, Anne. I wouldn’t do that to anyone.” She said. “I’m not like that...”

She sighed, shook her head, and began walking further into the boiler room with her creations tailing after her. Anne hesitates, then she and George follow.

“It was raining when we all came back,” Joan began. “So I assumed that water had to have played a part in our return. I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but water is like a base substance for this all. So that’s what the Gene Pool is. It’s water.”

She stops in front of a large tank with a step ladder pressed against one side of it. Joan glances at it for a moment before feeling around in the darkness and finding a desk. She uses a lighter resting there and lights a candle, then flips on a switch. The overhead lights crackle to life, but are still very dim. However, Anne could now see the complete mess that was the table.

Journals and papers stacked a mile high with even more books about human anatomy and anthropology open up to diagrams and explanations. Sticky notes and pages are stuck to the wall, too, with various notes written down by Joan, along with pictures and graphs. She really was putting a lot of work into this twisted project.

“I’m assuming the water isn’t just regular water, right?” Anne asked.

Joan smiled slightly. “Now you’re getting the hang of it.”

She reaches up and pats Edward’s leg, causing him to jump off and onto the table with a scatter of several papers. Isabel makes a small disgruntled noise at the mess and leaned over and began picking up. Anne notices how delicate her touch is; she’s being careful so she won’t rip any of the papers with her pointed fingers.

“The water has to be...enhanced, I guess.” Joan said. “You can’t just fill up your bathtub and have a person from the Tudor era appear. There’s a process.” She grabs an arm-length glove from the table and slipped it on, then stepped onto the ladder. “It’s called a Gene Pool because the water needs DNA to ‘activate’, as well as other substances like bones or certain herbs that are used in black magic. Stuff like that. You and the queens are what I call Organic Cadavers. You were brought back by those college kids through literal necromancy.”

“How does that make us ‘organic’?” Anne asked.

“Because there was no necrotic process to your reincarnation.” Joan answered. “No DNA or bones were needed. Some teenagers just drew some symbols and chanted a spell and BAM! You were back. However, me and the other ladies in waiting are Inorganic Cadavers. A Gene Pool wasn’t needed, but we weren’t summoned, either. Your existence drew us out of the Abyss. That’s what I call the place where the dead roam, by the way. And a Gene Pool is a direct gateway to it.” She pats the edge of the tank with her gloved hand, smiling slightly. There seemed to be pride glinting in her eyes.

“What are these then?” Anne looked at the creatures surrounding her.

“Incomplete Cadavers.” Joan specified. “In which, something went wrong with the creation and they turned out like so.” She gestured to them. “And so they ‘wear’ these false forms to shield their core.”

“Wait— false forms?” Anne furrowed her eyebrows. “This...isn’t what they actually look like?”

Joan looked her in the eye and said, “No.”

Anne swallowed thickly. Her skin was crawling, but her own intrigue kept her listening and asking questions.

“They’re made out of a compound called Necrosis—or that’s what I call it.”

Suddenly, Joan plunged her gloved arm into the tank. She leaned far over the edge, jerking slightly like she was struggling with something. Then, she pulls back swiftly and shows Anne the writhing black mass with dozens of red eyes in her hand.

“Necrosis is an inorganic material that’s created through the mixture of water, DNA, some base materials for stabilization, and just a little bit of black magic.” Joan said, literally winking as if she weren’t holding an ungodly abomination in her hand. The gooey thing opens up a mouth and makes a terrible gurgling cry that twists Anne’s stomach up in knots. It squirms slowly as if it were drenched in molasses, and a thin, inky tendril slid out from its bulbous body with a horrid smacking noise and whipped around one of Joan’s fingers, pulling on it sluggishly. “It gravitates toward living beings and life force so it can feed. Once it finds a source, it latches onto the sentient being and begins to basically parasitize and replicate the cell structure until it’s a near direct copy. Then, it, well, breaks down the person, essentially deteriorates them, and takes over their body. But that’s on unregulated conditions! That’s why you always have to keep bare skin covered up when dealing with these little guys because even the smallest bit of Necrosis on a living person can end in their very painful demise.”

Joan let Anne look at the mass of Necrosis for a moment longer, then dropped it back into the tank. She shakes her arm over the top to rid the glove of any goop, then stepped off of the ladder and walked over to a bucket of a whitish liquid, which she dunks her arm into. Anne watched as the surface hisses and bubbles in reaction.

“Salt water kills the bacteria,” Joan clarified, noticing the queen’s expression. “Now, I bet you’re wondering about what happens when Necrosis is regulated. Well,” She gestures to the Incomplete Cadavers. “this happens! Or, well, it shouldn’t happen. They should be more human, but—but I’m working on it!”

She momentarily searched her desk and then pulled out a piece of paper with a diagram of a human on it. Necrosis seemed to be melting from the body.

“You see, when combined with certain DNA, Necrosis will begin to form into the closest thing it can locate in the Abyss to the DNA given. So when I threw in clumps of your hair, he came out.” She nodded to George, who looked up and waved. “He’s the closest thing I’ve gotten to a full Inorganic Cadaver. He just has that skull because a deer skull was one of the base substrates I used for stability in the formation.”

Anne studied the paper she was given, not quite understanding, but trying her best. Then, her head snapped up.

“Wait— when did you get clumps of my hair?!”

“Why is that the thing you zeroed in on from all of that?” Edward asked from where he had been observing her confusion. He has his head tilted at the queen. The glowing orbs in the skull’s sockets blinked.

“Your hairbrush.” Joan said as if Anne should have known that. “It’s not that hard to get DNA when you work in a theater, Anne. I just go to your dressing room and pull out the hair in the brush. Simple! Of course, blood is the best reactant for Necrosis, but asking for that would just be weird.”

“Yeah...” Anne agreed. She hands the paper back to Joan, who puts it on the table.

“Moving on,” Joan said. “After the Necrosis has finished locating a host from the Abyss, I’ll pull it out and place it on the ground. There, it’ll begin to grow into whatever form it chooses. So I can’t really tell what age they may be in. The Necrosis chooses what’s easiest for it to replicate. And once it’s done with that, the substance should melt off and the Inorganic Cadaver will be there, good as new!”

“But that’s not what happened with these guys?” Anne said.

“Bingo,” Joan said. “I tried it too fast with John. I was too desperate and too stupid to regulate what I was doing. So I tried again with Juana. But I went too slow and so she didn’t come out right, either. Then a rat fucking jumped into the tank when I was working on Edward, and I don’t even know why Isabel is so tall!” She sighed and rubbed her temples. “And they’re not even the worst ones.”

Anne looked at Joan fearfully.

“Oh, Joan, no... Who else is here?”

Joan shuffled her feet nervously.

“Joan.” Anne said sternly.

“Maggie’s brother.”

“Thomas-?!”

“And your sister.”

“MARY?!”

A deep, guttural snarl sounded from further back when Anne yelled her sister’s name. They both look in that direction worriedly. George passed them and walked over to a labyrinth of pipes, then stopped. He appeared to be looking down at something.

“Mary and Thomas are not my best attempts,” Joan said, wincing. “They’re not in pain, so don’t worry. They’re perfectly okay, they just—” There’s another low snarl. She gets to the point. “I call them Necrotizing Fasciitis’.”

They walk over to the outstretched pipes and Anne meets her sister for the first time in five hundred years.

Mary wasn’t recognizable at all. She was a long, bestial mass of viscous black material- it couldn’t even be called fur or scales or feathers or flesh because it wasn’t. It wasn’t skin or a pelt it was just a material that coated her body. She was covered in clumps of red eyes that just stared in various directions aimlessly. There are several human arms that act as her front legs, while the back are huge and monstrous, fit with sharp talons curling out from the toes. A dozen more limbs are growing out along her spine, and a long, vertebrae-shaped tail lays curled across the floor. Her head is shaped into a snout and adorned with a mane of bone fragments. Three real eyes, although still deep crimson, actually blink and move and see. When she opens her mouth to growl, there’s several rows of reddened teeth inside.

“Mary, be nice.” Joan said. “This is Anne. Your sister.”

Unlike George, Mary seemed less than happy having to see Anne again. She merely sneered in a monstrous way and laid her head back down on her front legs. Her tail flicked back and forth in an agitated wail.

“You know, I expected nothing less,” Anne said, somehow managing to make a joke. Perhaps she was starting to ease up on seeing everything. Nothing would shock her after this, that’s for sure.

Mary hissed, and it sounded as if several people were trying to imitate a cat at once. George made a chuffing noise back at her and she glowered at him.

“She’s a little grumpy.” Joan said gently. “Here, I’ll show you Thomas.”

The man in question could barely be considered a man anymore. Stomach down, he seemed to be completely normal, but then you looked up slightly and got to see the writhing mass of Necrosis engulfing his head and torso that was covered in so many red eyes that it looked almost scarlet. Like Mary, he had human limbs and a few crags of bone fragments sticking out of the substance. He was sitting against the far wall, just staring at the floor—or maybe he couldn’t see at all. Anne wasn’t sure where the Necrosis began and ended on him.

“Hey, Thomas,” Joan said, causing him to look up. “You remember Anne, don’t you?”

Thomas held up one hand, had it hover in the air tentatively for a moment, then gave them a thumbs up. Edward bounds over eagerly and latches onto Joan’s arm. He scrambled up the side of her body until he could sit on her shoulder.

“I taught him that,” He said proudly. He gave Thomas two thumbs up with his human child hands (which still made Anne uneasy). “Good job! Now you’re getting the hang of it!”

Thomas made a blissful moaning noise, reminiscent of a happy whale.

“What happened to them?” Anne asked. “Why do they...?”

“Look like that?” Joan finished for her. “I messed up. More than I did with the others. I added too many base materials and not enough DNA, so, even though they were pulled out of the Abyss, they couldn’t create a proper body at all. Nor can they take a false form like the Incomplete Cadavers. So they look like this.”

Mary peered at them from where she’s lying down, made a sigh-like noise, and crawled out. She makes sure she “accidentally” flicks Anne with her tail as she’s walking to Joan’s side.

“Wow,” Edward commented. “She does not like you.”

“Yeah...” Anne said. “We didn’t have the best relationship growing up.”

Mary growled and then began making a variety of noises, and Anne realized she was doing her version of talking. If she listened hard enough, Anne thought she could almost hear the pronunciation of certain syllables and the slur of words that have th.

“I think I’m being yelled at.” Anne laughed, then yelped loudly when her foot was stamped on by a miasmic human hand. She leapt backwards, but George caught her before she could completely topple over like the buffoon Mary was trying to make her into.

“Mary!” Joan scolded. “Don’t do that! You could burn her!”

Two of the arms on Mary’s back made an innocent shrugging motion.

“Burn me?” Anne asked as she’s rubbing her foot. “She didn’t...feel hot?”

“Not burn like that, silly,” Joan said. “Blight Burn, Miasmic Burn—it’s what I call when someone is injured by Necrosis. It could lead to that whole body deterioration issue I was telling you about earlier.”

“How do you know?”

Joan smiled wryly.

“Brace yourself.”

She tugged down her shirt slightly to reveal three long, thin scratch marks just below her left shoulder. The interiors were completely black, showing no evidence of regular skin inside. Several other black patches and splotches and claw mark-like formations stretch up to her shoulder, a few speckle her breast, and one even wrapped across the nape of her neck. Most of them were connected by webbing and tendrils of an inky substance that was permanently stained in her flesh. There were also the red dots in each of them— the eyes. When a few of them blinked, Anne nearly threw up right then and there.

“Oh my god!!” Anne shrieked with a gag.

“I know!” Joan cried back. “I can’t change in front of anyone, now. And if I ever want to get laid, I may have to do that with my shirt on. Oh, and swimming is now a no go without a shirt on. This shit doesn’t go away.”

“Does it...does it hurt?” Anne asked. She couldn’t help but reach out in morbid curiosity. “Can I...touch it?”

“Yeah,” Joan said. “Just be careful. And gentle, please. It’s still sensitive.”

Anne gently touched one of the weavings of burns along Joan’s shoulder. It was warm to the touch and strangely bumpy, like the texture of inflamed acne on someone’s face in a weird sort of way.

Beneath her fingertips, Anne felt the sensation one would feel when they touched their eyelid and tried to blink at the same time, and she realized something was blinking. The eyes were. And the miasma around the was writhing in Joan’s flesh, and that’s what finally got Anne to vomit on the floor.

“Eww!” Edward cried, crawling onto the top of Joan’s head like he thought some of Anne’s lunch would somehow get on him. He was nowhere near as close as George and Mary were, who both leapt away in an instant. George, however, quickly snapped out of his panic and went back to Anne’s side to rub her back with his clawed hands while making gentle beast noises.

“Forgot to warn you about that part.” Joan said mildly. “It does that. Are you okay?”

“Are YOU okay?” Anne reprimanded after she finished spilling her guts on the floor. “That— oh my god! That’s disgusting!”

“Says the one who just threw up in a dingy basement.” Edward commented helpfully.

“Does it hurt?” Anne asked worriedly.

Joan shrugged. “Not anymore. Usually. It’s just itchy sometimes.”

“What does it feel like?” Anne prodded further.

“Umm...” Joan went to run a hand through her hand, only to touch Edward, instead, so she just rubbed the back of her neck instead. “Do you remember what it felt like when you were pregnant? Like, the feeling of something moving under your skin?”

Anne nodded with a grimace.

“Kinda like that. But obviously not in the stomach.”

“What happened?”

“Like every other time, I messed up.” Joan answered.

“No offense, but how is it possible for you to fuck up so often?”

“No clue. And none taken.” Joan started to walk back to the Gene Pool and her desk. Mary tags along with her, and the slap of her human hands against the floor makes Anne’s stomach churn all over again. “I was trying to bring back someone related to Cathy, but the Necrosis lashed out when I was trying to get it out. I was lucky to have gotten hit in the shoulder and not the throat because a vital area like that would have gotten devoured instantly. But anyway, it hurt at the time. Like, ‘I want to die so I don’t have to feel this pain anymore’ level of hurt. It was bad. But, luckily, I was able to get to the salt water in time and doused the infection. So now I’m safe, but scarred permanently.”

“Wow,” Anne muttered under her breath. “That sounds...”

“Horrible?” Joan smiled slightly. “I know. It really is. Dangerous, too.”

Anne glanced wryly at the tank behind Joan and her mind flashed back to the Necrosis that had been pulled out.

“Nothing can, like, crawl out on its own, right?” She asked uneasily. The thought of demonic goop dropping on her head and eating her alive during a performance sparks anxiety in her mind.

“Not that I’ve seen,” Joan said. “The Necrosis is relatively tame without any reactors.” She pats the tank, and that makes Anne even more nervous. “And I’m always monitoring it when it is spawning things.”

Anne nodded slowly. She glanced at all the Cadavers and then momentarily stared down at her own hands, wondering for just a moment if she had that stuff churning beneath her flesh and she just didn’t know it yet.

“So this all just...stays down here?” She asked.

“Yup,” Joan nodded. “I mean, sometimes I’ll let them out and wander around the theater at night, but they mainly stay down here.” She frowned slightly. “They have to. I can’t let them face other people. Not yet.” She tentatively took Anne’s hands. “So I can trust you to keep this a secret, right? You won’t tell anyone?”

Anne swallowed thickly. She looked at all the creatures again- Juana and Isabel dozing against the wall, John snoozing on an overhead pipe like a sleepy hairless monkey, Thomas in the back corner, Edward on Joan’s head, George at her side and Mary glaring at Joan’s, and even Joan herself, who didn’t seem as human as she used to be.

Then, she nodded in agreement.

[willowandfog]

New Fic- Chapter One!

This new fic is the second part to my fic I wrote for InuKag Week, One Week Sooner. If you haven’t read it yet you can read it here.

I would like to dedicate this new fic to @ruddcatha​, she was a huge supporter and a tremendous help to me when writing One Week Sooner, and when we were so choked up on the tragedy of the story she suggested I write a sequel. So a huge thank you @ruddcatha​, I love you!

Summary: When you look at me, do you see what you lost or do you see all of me?

Read it:

FFN or AO3 or below the cut:

Chapter One

Nozomi sighed, dropping her backpack on her desk chair. She tied her long black hair back into a loose tail before throwing herself onto her bed. She glanced at the clock on her desk and groaned. She never had free time anymore, it was always go, go, go. She was grateful that she had finally been able to get into a dorm on campus, driving the twenty minutes home all the time had been a huge hassle. Pulling out her phone she double checked her schedule for the new study group time. She had finally decided to take her science requirement of anatomy even though she was close to graduating. She’d been putting it off as long as she could but couldn’t any longer. Deciding she had to join a study group, knowing that she’d likely fail if not. 

Sighing again, she pushed herself up off the bed. She pulled her textbook from her bag and grabbed her iPad from the desk. She’d be damned if she was going to lug around her whole backpack any more than she had to. With a grumble she left her dorm room, locking the door behind her and set off for the library. 

When she reached the library she took the stairs to the second level where the study rooms were. As she was rounding a corner, she collided with someone as they came around the other side. Nozomi’s book went skidding across the floor and her and the girl she had crashed into both stumbled back. The other girl found her balance but Nozomi did not and found herself on the floor. 

“Oof.” She said when she landed.

“I’m so sorry, are you ok?” 

Nozomi looked up at the girl to see her hand was stretched out to help her up. “Yeah, I’m ok.” She took the offered hand. “Thanks.” Standing up she brushed off her backside before turning back to the girl. Her jaw dropped. In front of her stood her mother. A girl in her early twenties, with long black hair and chocolate eyes, her facial structure was dead on to her late mother. The only differences Nozomi saw were the one streak of silver this girl had in her hair growing from the spot just near her bangs where the hair grew longer, and the golden flecks that seem to be floating in the iris of her left eye. Nozomi stood there gaping at her. She was wearing black yoga pants and a navy blue V-neck shirt, she had a black leather jacket on and was wearing simple black flats, and there was music blaring from the gold Beats that hung around her neck. 

The girl turned to pick up Nozomi’s dropped book. “You’re taking anatomy, that’s cool. My major’s in medicine.” She handed the book out to Nozomi. 

Nozomi froze for a moment, trying to comprehend what the girl had said before taking the book and tucking it in the crook of her arm. “Oh that’s totally awesome. I’m an English major, I’m about to graduate but I’ve just been putting this class off till the last minute.”

The girl chuckled. “Not a fan huh? If you want, I could help you study a bit?”

Nozomi glanced towards the study rooms before looking back at the girl. The girl who looked like her mother. She felt the need to figure this out. “Yeah sure that would be great.” Nozomi held out her hand. “I’m Nozomi.”

The raven haired girl clasped her hand. “Kagome.”

“Holy shit.” Nozomi whispered.

Kagome dropped her hand. “What?”

“Oh sorry. I just meant holy shit, this is so awesome of you. I was going to join a study group, but those can be so hit or miss you can never count on them.”

Kagome chuckled. “I know right. Come on, let’s get out of here, we can grab something at the coffee cart and sit out by the trees.” She walked past Nozomi, heading down the stairs. 

Nozomi followed, pulling out her phone and shooting a text. 

From: Nozomi

10:13 AM

Hey, dad. I’m gonna have to cancel lunch today, got a lot of studying to do. 

From: Dad

10:15 AM

Ok. No problem. Reschedule for tomorrow?

From: Nozomi

10:16 AM

Can’t tomorrow, paper due.

From: Dad

10:17 AM

Oooook. Next week then?

From: Nozomi

10:19 AM

I will probably have a lot of papers to help grade next week, there’s a big test for the class I’m helping with coming up. 

From: Dad

10:19 AM

:( Just let me know when.

From: Nozomi

10:20 AM

I will. Love you!

“Everything ok?” Kagome asked, nodding to Nozomi’s phone and her repeated texting.

“Oh. Yeah, totally. I was just cancelling lunch with my dad so I could get some studying done.” She tucked her phone into her back pocket, looking to see if the guy making their lattes was almost done. 

“Are you guys close?” Kagome asked, turning to watch her. 

“Yeah, definitely. He comes to campus and we have lunch together every week. He was all I had growing up, I never knew my mom. Well I mean I had my grandparents but… Yeah dad and I are close.” Nozomi shifted her eyes away. “Sorry, I ramble when I’m nervous.”

Kagome laughed, reaching up to grab her hazelnut latte that the coffee guy had set on the cart for her. “Why are you nervous?”

“Just, uhh. You know, meeting new people. Can be difficult sometimes.”

Kagome nodded in agreement. “So true.” Both girls turned as Nozomi grabbed her cup and they made their way to the lawn. “I don’t really know anyone on campus. Honestly I don’t really know many people around here, I transferred here last semester as a trial to see how I liked the school. I’ve been thinking of going back to the one I was at before.”

“No!” Nozomi practically shouted at her. When Kagome turned wide eyes to her she spoke again. “I mean, you should give this school a longer chance. It’s really great here, I’m actually a student teacher. I mean if your only reason for leaving is the lack of getting to know anyone, I’ll show you around and we can hang out. I haven’t really had much time for friends myself, it would be nice to have some girl time.” 

Kagome glanced at her with an amused look. “Sure, that could be nice. I guess some girl time never hurt anyone.”

They found a nice shady spot under a tree, and planted themselves down into the grass. They sat chatting and enjoying their coffees for a little while before Nozomi pulled out her book, handing it to Kagome to look over what material they were covering and opened up Goodnotes on her iPad. They had been going through the chapter for about an hour when Nozomi sighed. 

“Geez this stuff is tedious, I don’t know how you do it.” She set her iPad down, needing a break. When she looked up she spotted a man with silver hair, walking across the pavilion towards them.

“Oh shit, that’s my dad.”

Kagome turned her head to look in the direction Nozomi was. “Th-that’s your dad?” Her voice was a whisper.

Nozomi paled, before jumping to her feet. “Yeah, he must’ve been suspicious that I blew him off. Oh God.” She whispered the last words before jogging off to meet him partway. 

As she approached her dad she began to feel sick. He’s totally going to freak. Oh my God. He had long silver hair that flowed down his back, and was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, his head was adorned with two doggie ears that marked him as a half-demon. He did not look pleased.

“Dad!” Nozomi called as she got closer. “What are you doing here? I said I was stuck studying.” She stopped in front of him, trying to block Kagome from view even though she knew it was pointless, he could easily see over her, with his towering 6’. 

“You were being all weird and evasive and you’ve only ever cancelled lunch once before and we rescheduled for the next day. Unlike this time. What's going on?”

“Nothing’s going on, my schedule just became really busy.” She tried to keep her voice calm, but noticed her dad was sniffing at the air. 

“Riiiight.” He mumbled. “What is that smell?” He walked around her, heading for the tree Nozomi had been sitting under. Kagome was gone.

Oh, thank God. But where did she go? Nozomi looked around, seeing if she could spot her anywhere. Nothing. Man, I didn’t even get her number.

She jogged over to the tree where her book and iPad lay. Her father was sniffing a pair of Beat headphones. Nozomi reached for them. “Oh! Those are Kago-” She went wide eyed. “I mean those are my friends. She must have left them.”

Her dad glared at her, pulling the headphones out of reach from her. “What was her name?”

Nozomi shifted her brown eyes away from his golden ones. “Kag.” She mumbled. 

“Kag? Her name is Kag?” Nozomi nodded. “Nozomi dear. You are a horrible liar. Why were you trying to hide this, what is going on?”

She sighed. “Oh dad.” She spoke with sadness in her voice before stepping forward to hug him. “Why don’t you catch up with her and give those back.” She stepped away from him and pointed at the headphones. “But dad, you should know. It’s mom. The girl said her name was Kagome, and she looks exactly like her. Like exactly like mom.”

Her dad paled. “What?” He whispered. “That’s crazy.” 

“You can go find her and see for yourself. Just… Be careful. I never knew mom so I can’t say for sure that it is her. If it is her then she hasn’t aged at all or something else weird is going on.”

Her dad sniffed the headphones one more time, before taking off in a direction towards the buildings. 

-------------------------------------------------------

Kagome jogged along the side of the library and as she approached the end of the building, she slowed down slightly. She turned, going behind the building before stopping to lean her back to the wall, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was racing and not from the jog. She covered her face with her hands. 

Holy shit. Oh my god! Oh my god!

She pressed fingers to her eyes, trying to fight the tears. 

She pushed away from the wall and began walking, heading for the other side of the building so she could cut across campus. She felt like she was in a daze. 

I can’t believe this is happening.

She was so lost in thought that when she came around the corner, she didn’t notice the man coming around the other way until it was too late. She felt like she’d run into a wall.

“Oof.” She stumbled back, starting to fall, she waved her arms trying to catch herself when a hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back up. She was pulled back into the brick wall and was suddenly staring into the most gorgeous face and golden-honey eyes. 

He had one arm wrapped around her waist, holding her to his chest. A look of shock and disbelief on his face. “Kagome?” He whispered. 

She was lost in his eyes. Her brain felt foggy and all her previous thoughts were gone. 

Kagome, say something. He’s talking to you. Say something, anything. 

"You're gorgeous." She could've slapped herself. 

When he busted out into a huge grin, she bit her lip feeling ridiculous. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that… Outloud.” She opened her eyes to look at him again. 

She could tell he was trying to fight his grin for her sake. “Do you.” He started to say. “Do you recognize me?” When Kagome shook her head, he closed his eyes tightly for a moment. “Are you sure?” 

“Should I?” She asked.

He opened his eyes to look at her again. He studied her for a moment. Seeming to take his time taking in all of her features. “Do you think you’d like to go out with me sometime?”

“What?” She whispered, astonished. 

“Like a date. Would you be willing to go on a date with me sometime?”

Realizing she was still wrapped in his arm against his chest, she cleared her throat and stepped away from him. “You don’t even know me.” She glanced away, trying to avoid his eyes. 

“I think the point of a date is to get to know each other.” 

She studied him for a moment. “I think I’d like that. But, I need to check my schedule. How about you give me your number and I’ll let you know when I’m free.” She pulled her phone from her pocket, turning it over to him to put his number in. It was then that she noticed her headphones in his hand. “Are those mine?” She asked pointing. 

“Oh! Yeah, here.” He handed them to her with one hand as he took her phone with the other. “Sorry, I came to find you to give them back and totally forgot when we collided.” 

When he handed the phone back, she tucked it into her pocket. Then against her better judgment she stuck out her hand. “I’m Kagome.” As she spoke she stared into his pools of amber. She saw a flicker in his eyes at her name. 

He took her hand in a gentle grip. Her heart fluttering at his touch. “Inuyasha.”

“Nozomi’s dad. That’s not going to be weird at all.” 

Inuyasha closed his eyes briefly. “I hope that won’t be a problem.”

“You’re not secretly like a five hundred year old man too are you?” 

He chuckled. “No. I was born in this century.” 

“Reassuring.” She rolled her eyes, before turning them to their clasped hands. She slowly pulled it away, running her fingers along his. “I should go. It was...nice meeting you.” She put her headphones on over her ears, eyes never leaving his. She hit play on her watch and Eminem’s Mockingbird came blaring through. Inuyasha frowned at the volume before Kagome took off at a jog. 

Kagome jogged the whole fifteen minutes home. She barely slowed for lights, letting the music consume her until she could reach her apartment. When she reached her small brick complex, she almost sobbed. She took the stairs up to her apartment two at a time, stopping briefly to unlock the door before slamming it behind her and sliding her back down it to the floor. She yanked her headphones off and tossed them to the floor, tears beginning to fall.