#but its also their first like official interaction in the fic so

[beefrobeefcal]

Vicinia part 1

Summary: Confusion, pheromones, and primal nature take hold.

Joel Miller / Dave York / f!reader | Rating: 18+ MDNII | Word Count: 6,000

Content Warnings: no official smut between parties in this part but... loads of loads (cum), kissing, jerking off, multiple orgasms, lots of scents and scenting, a/b/o talk and dynamics, getting horny on work time (Dave!), confusion about who's the omega, crying, cum-soaked sheets, poor spelling on FaceBook, FaceBook (it needs its own warning), cumming in pants, distracted driving, neighbours who don't like each other for no particular reason, everyone is just horny on main... JUST PROCEED WITH CAUTION OKAY?

Author's Notes: this is dedicated to my beloved prinny @xdaddysprincessxx - without you, i wouldn't have found this absolute unit of a genre + become enraptured to an alarming degree. So much so that I made + presented a PowerPoint on the Omegaverse. thank you 💜🥩💜 Welp. I got into the omegaverse + shit got weird. This was meant to be a one shot, but at 6k, it seemed to be a part 1 of at least 2. Next part will drop soon[ish]! Thanks to @strang3lov3, @noxturnalnymph , @bitchesuntitled + @ace-turned-confused for their eyes, minds, thots + love. Thanks also to @saradika-graphics for the dividers.

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vīcīnia f (genitive vīcīniae); Latin.  - neighborhood - nearness, proximity, vicinity

Dave was never the type to hide himself. Whether you liked him or not, he made it clear he was the alpha in every room he entered, every conversation he encountered and every interaction he had. Since puberty Dave had given off such a strong alpha aura, even a mere beta knew better than to mess with him. 

He’d never taken suppressants and his disdain for those who did did not go unnoticed. Dave held no sympathy - regardless of personal issues - for those who fell in line like sheep and conformed to what ‘society’ was demanding. He was above that, never feeling the need to hide who he was in order to satisfy the puritanical cowards that thought they were in charge. He was alpha enough to control himself when he felt it necessary and that was that. 

There was never a time - that Dave would admit out loud anyway - that he ever doubted or felt insecure in his steadfast approach to being an alpha. But he knew his polarizing approach had cost him a long term companion and many, many friends. Outwardly, he proudly wore the title of ‘lone wolf’.

Joel hadn’t felt this clear headed in god knows how long. Why did he wait? He knew the answer, but it didn’t make the surge of instinct and biology - which washed away the dulled senses and lowered libido - any easier to swallow. For the first time in over 30 years, Joel Miller wasn’t on suppressants. 

He’d started them because there was a societal requirement to hide his second gender - alpha. The betas, which made up the majority of the population, were brainwashed by their leaders - religious and political - to believe that their communities were in danger from the aggressive and uncontrollable alpha nature. And given that alphas were “triggered” by omegas, both alphas and omegas were expected to suppress their natural urges in the name of safety and the greater good. 

But it wasn’t the middle ages, it was the early 1990’s, therefore culling entire pockets of the population was thankfully out of the question. The options became taking a chemical suppressant offered by the government or risk being outed and outcast by your friends and neighbors, which often led to discrimination and violence. Joel made the easy choice to take the pills and be “normal”.

So Joel suppressed his nature, knocked up his beta girlfriend, and became a single father all in one year. And now, 30-odd years later, with the changing and more accepting times (and after joining a suppressed alpha & omega support group on Facebook), he decided to go “sant-free” and enjoy who he truly was.

And who he truly was, was a lot. 

Dave and Joel had lived on the same street for close to twenty years. There was a house between them, and they had watched owners and tenants come and go throughout the almost-two decades, and kept things as pleasant as they could between them despite their animosity for one another.

It was one evening as Dave was scrolling through Facebook - something he would never admit to doing - and he came across a support group for alphas and omegas who currently were - or had been - suppressed.

He smirked. “Fuckin’ pussies.”

He clicked on the group and joined, his interest solely in solidifying his fragile ego’s belief that he was better never having been tainted by a ‘sant’ in his life. Scrolling through the page, he got a kick out of the sob stories posted about ‘trying to gain back the time lost being suppressed’ and ‘feeling like being reconnected with my ancestors for the first time at a group howling’. He rolled his eyes and chuckled like an asshole, but stopped at a post with a familiar name:

Joel Miller Anyone else feeling like there smelling better? Not my own cent, but everything and other people around me smells bigger and more smellier. 6mths sant-free.

Dave just about choked on the gasp he sucked in reading this. He had been around Joel countless times and never once scented anything but his Old Spice from him. This didn’t make any sense, but the picture on the profile he clicked on was definitely Joel. He thought Joel was a beta. According to his own alpha group, even a suppressed alpha could be scented out by others. It clicked for him then. Joel must be an omega; his scent getting better now that he was going au natural. 

“Joel fuckin’ Miller’s an omega bitch.”, Dave murmured with a chuckle. 

After his Facebook discovery, Dave thought so much less of Joel, not that he thought much of him to begin with. He made a point to throw Joel cool glares and the occasional middle finger as he passed him while pulling out of his driveway each morning to go to work. Even if Joel never saw the gesture, it was irrelevant for Dave; he just felt better doing it.

Joel knew Dave was an asshole, plain and simple. He always figured he was just overcompensating for something. He’d always gotten a bad feeling about him, and he just kept a polite distance and had advised the neighbourhood mothers to have their daughters skip his house when they sell Girl Scout cookies. It meant more for Joel anyway -  at least that’s what he hoped for.

A silent, volatile accord had existed between the men, and you were about to come along and destroy it.

You’d moved into the house between them, having just left a tumultuous relationship mired in a power struggle with a beta man. According to the opinion of your friends, he was threatened by your ‘sacred omega energy’ and wasn’t worth your time or your tears. Even if you didn’t 100% believe that, the thought of it being true did make you feel better. 

During your first viewing and the walkthrough with the home inspector, you’d noted that you had an older, sober-looking male neighbour on one side, and a clean cut man with a predatory stare on the other. 

Neither seemed to be wiser to your omega-ness, despite the fact that you were no longer suppressed as heavily. You moved here to get a clean start now that you were taking back your innate nature, and relied on a different combination of medications to help ease your heats and allow you to be in public without being potentially accosted by overly aggressive alphas.

Your boxes were about 75% unpacked and for that alone, you decided that you deserved a break. Opening the back door, you stepped out onto the porch and then down to the patio, sitting on the back steps. The breeze was cool and sweet, causing your skin to prickle in goosebumps under the warm spring sun. Closing your eyes, you breathed in and enjoyed the peace and smells of cut grass and someone’s garden blooming downwind. It was complete tranquility. 

Until it wasn’t. 

You could smell him approaching his fence. The harsh, wet-metal tint of his scent dulling every other scent around you. He didn’t smell nice. He smelled brash, aggressive, bold, proud, stubborn… like a headache that wouldn’t go away in a rusted can. He was definitely one of those alpha-male alphas.

You turned your head to see the clean shaven neighbour, learing at you from over his fence. 

“Nice day we’re having,” his voice cutting through the gentle birdsongs.

You nodded politely with a small, tight smile on your face. “Quite.”

Another scent drifted through to you, a softer, smokier scent, like that of worn leather with copper rivets. You turned your head and saw the older neighbour watching you from his porch out back, sipping a glass of some amber liquid. He was also an alpha, but far less brash, according to scent anyway, and it made your scent glands at the crux of your neck and shoulders throb. His eyes occasionally darted to the other man then back to you. 

It felt like you were in the crossfires of a long brewing feud and given that these men both smelled like alphas, you weren’t too keen on getting caught in-between them.

The older man gave you a polite nod and took another sip. The younger man grimaced a smile as his eyes darted between you and the older man, then paused, seemingly smelling the air. You watched, growing curious as he looked away, brows furrowed and mouth tightening, as if he was trying to decipher something before his face relaxed and his eyes widened in realization. His scent changed, heedier notes crawling out from under his already sharp scent, and it made your blood run cold. He’d picked up on your omega scent and his own was responding. You moved to get up and run into your house, but stopped when you took one last look at him, seeing just his eyes glaring not at you, but past you. You turned and realized his ire was directed at your other neighbour, the older man on the other side of your other fence.

You turned back to the younger man and watched as his head sunk down behind the fence again. Then you heard a door slam and whipped your head around to find your older neighbour was now gone, too. 

What the fuck?

Dave was furious. 

He had a hot neighbour that he very much would like to get to know better, but Joel was so fucking distracting! How the hell can he look so unattractively old yet smell that good??

Pacing back and forth in his kitchen, Dave debated on going back out into the yard to try and get another whiff. Maybe this time, it would repulse him. Maybe this time, he would catch Joel’s scent again, and then, because it’s Joel, he would be so turned off, Joel’s scent wouldn’t cause his cock to twitch… his scent wouldn’t smell so good… so good and warm and earthy and comforting… like an arboreal paradise after a rainfall… and cinnamon… and a winter hearth… and…

“Get your shit together, York!”, Dave barked out, clenching his eyes closed.

Willing his body to purge anything that would positively reinforce how good Joel smelled, he braced himself on the kitchen counter, head hanging between his outstretched arms, and took some deep breaths. His mind told him over and over that there was no way that fuckmook of an old man could smell that perfect, but his body - his instincts - told him otherwise. 

He tried to distract himself for the next few hours with his row machine, his bow flex, his tread climber, his stairmaster, anything to drive him to physical exhaustion, but no matter what, he could not get that smell out of his head or stop his body from reacting to the mere memory of it. Just that small whiff was enough for it to be embossed into his brain and tugged on every muscle remotely connected to his cock.

As he laid on his back on a yoga mat, sprawled out on the floor and breathing hard, he heard Joel’s deep chuckle careen through the open window. 

FUCK. 

He pushed himself up off the floor and stormed out the back door to his deck, and scowled as he whipped his head in the direction of Joel’s house, only to lock eyes with the older man as he spoke to you, the new pretty neighbour. Again, the scent wafted towards him and began to embed itself under his skin. 

Oh fuck. The scent was stronger this time. Concentrated. Oh Fuck. Joel was going into heat. Oh fuck fuck fuck! This would probably be his first, and he’d need to be cared for and guided and helped, and the neediness he would have for an alpha, and -

Dave was shocked with himself, at how quickly he was succumbing to Joel’s scent, and he was even angrier when he realized he was fully hard. The seam in the front of his pants put pressure at just the right angle on the head of his engorged cock, making him involuntarily buck his hips as he sucked in a sharp, shaky breath. 

Joel just stared at him, brows furrowed and you had turned around by that point, too. Both of you were watching Dave, and both of you were looking equally unsure and concerned.

Dave’s eyes were wide and his nostrils flared, his mouth turned down in a furious frown. His breaths came out in frantic, sharp puffs and his clenched fists did a quick one-two punch in the air as he yelled, “FUCK!”, before turning around and storming back inside his house. 

With each step, his pant’s front seam shifted just so, and by the time he was in his living room, he had cum in his pants. 

You were so confused. 

All you had done was ask your older neighbour, who you now knew was named Joel, if he could tell you where to get a cheap lawn mower. That was it. You’d been inside and then could smell him again, and you came outside and were having a nice conversation when that asshole who smelled like water-logged metal appeared on his deck looking psychotic and also sporting a massive boner. 

As you both watched him disappear into his home, you heard Joel huff, “Jesus Christ, Dave…”

It was a lot, needless to say, and watching that whole thing was enough to abruptly end your and Joel’s conversation. You felt a bit disappointed at Joel bidding you a good evening before stepping back from the fence, eyeing the yard of the guy apparently called Dave.

Dave felt like he was going insane. His cock was hard, the tip was so sensitive that just the bedsheets grazing the boxer-covered knob was enough to make him suck his breath in through his teeth as he tossed and turned. He bit his pillow and whimpered as he laid on his side jerked himself off at the memory of the omega’s scent. 

By the time morning came, he was a sweaty mess. Instead of trying to clean all the cum out of his sheets, he threw them out. Even then, his cock was still semi-hard; his drive for that omega never quite letting up the choke hold it had him in. 

His stomach muscles were sore from tensing all night and his head was cloudy with exhaustion, and yet he still got ready for work and managed to get out the door only a few minutes behind his normal time. 

Today, he wasn’t so glad to be an alpha.

Joel was sweating. Good Christ, you smelled good. Even though he was rusty and somewhat out of touch with his alpha side, he knew what you were and he knew you were getting close to your heat. Smelling like a goddammed forest in a rainstorm and the warmed stones and embers of a hearth was already catching his attention, but adding the sweet, warm honey scent of your heat made you almost irresistible. 

After going back inside once Dave had put on that performance, he frantically hustled up the stairs to his office and fired up his desktop, logged into Facebook. He needed help figuring out how to let you know he was interested as an alpha and not as a regular man. He felt completely out of his element and wasn’t sure what his instincts were screaming at him to do to you were very gentlemanly or wise. He clumsily typed his question, not caring whether his fingers were hitting the right keys or not - anonymously this time because he was too embarrassed to have his face attached to this - into his suppressed alpha & omega support group:

smelled a omaha. smelled good real gopd. how i get her attention. 

He waited, but it was late. He needed to go to bed. He logged out of his FB account and shut the computer down, then jerked off under the stream of a cold shower. Joel too barely slept a wink, but managed to hold off on checking if his questions received any answers until the first inkling of dawn crept across the sky. 

Wow! Must be a good smell to make you type that bad!😜 Hey there, bud - maybe tell her how good she smells Been there. Give her food. If she’s close to heat, she needs iron.  Yeah! Give her some meat then give her your meat! These alphas need to grow up! Just tell her you're interested. And the idea about bringing her food is sweet.  Drink some cold water and check your spelling you wild hog Can tell she’s throwing you into a rut with your spelling - be careful!  Yeah, take her some food. 

Joel read through the responses, deciding that food and talking were going to be what he needed to do, neither of which he had in great supply. Sure, he had food, but it wasn’t anything that he could use to woo anyone, and his conversation skills were lacking beyond giving instructions on how to properly install drywall.

He spent the majority of the morning worrying about what to give you and fighting with the clingwrap. He settled on a plate of protein leftovers.

You were already up, in the front room of your new home and unpacking your boxes. You watched Dave back up and the speed off, swerving to get control of the steering wheel as he did. Weirdo.

Even your heat coming on didn’t make him or his scent appealing. But Joel - now there was the one you had to be careful with. His scent and deep timber of a voice were calling out to your baser instincts. If they had their way, you’d be on the front lawn like a cat in heat, yowling and begging for him.

You tried to push the thoughts of him out of your head as you puttered away throughout the morning. It wasn’t until a familiar scent pulling at you followed by a knock at the door pulled you out of your focus that you realized it was after 12 noon.

“Oh, hey Joel.”, you greeted him sweetly upon opening the door. You tried to sound as cool and collected as possible.

He smiled back, subtly trying to take a deep inhale through his nose. “Hey - uh… Did-didn’t know if you needed anything foodwise or if you were hungry or…”

He held out a plate covered in clingwrap that seemed to be pulled and torn badly. You could see some cold, breaded chicken wings and a few cold cuts of ham. You took it from him, unsure of what it symbolized if anything at all, and offered him a small, slightly bewildered smile. 

“Thanks… it’s -”

“Protein.”, Joel nodded, hands shoved into his pockets. 

You looked at him, brows raised and nodded back. “Pr-protein. Yeah. Perfect…”

“Iron.”

You stared back at him, realizing he was silently pleading for you to like his gift. 

“Iron.”, you repeated back to him, responding with a reassuring smile. “Want to come in?”

Joel looked like he was trying not to grin so damn hard and nodded, walking in your front door. His scent had a proud glint to it. 

Dave pulled into his driveway, and sat in his car waiting for the stupidly slow garage door to lift up. He had the day from hell; nothing seemed to make sense and he couldn’t get Joel fucking Miller out of his head all day. During a meeting in which he should have been paying attention, his mind wandered to what he hoped Joel would sound like as he was in heat, begging and needy on the floor in his living room as Dave imagined himself standing over him, relishing in the scent and the power… 

The whole meeting had paused, everyone turning their attention to Dave, as he was lost in the lusty daydream, eyes closed and sucking in air loudly through his nose then releasing his breath out his mouth with a groan over and over. It wasn’t until one of his superiors cleared their throat that Dave realized what he had been doing. The only saving grace he had was that his boss and most of the men in his department were also alphas and knew what the precursors to a rut looked like. 

He spent the rest of the day holed up in his office with a headache and a semi-hard dick. 

And now, he sat in his car with the windows down, waiting for that stupid fucking door to finally open all the way. He was so close to being in the confines of his own home, able to jerk off and be mad about who he was jerking off to, when he smelled it. That sweet, tangy, musky, spicy scent of an omega begging to be bred and fucked. Dave inhaled and his whole body shuddered. His sore stomach muscles tensed up and he swore he heard faint mewls coming from the direction of Joel’s house. Just as soon as they started, the scent began to fade a bit and the sounds seemed to vanish. He put his car in drive just as Joel came out of the front door of his home, walking towards yours and Dave began to sweat badly. He bit his fist as Joel paused and looked at him, and then slammed his foot on the gas and plowed right into his garage. 

If it wasn’t for the fact that Dave had a basement, there wouldn’t have been a cement wall in the garage and he would have been parked in his kitchen.  

But he still would have cum in his pants. 

Joel’s afternoon visit was nice, albeit short. He stayed long enough to permeate your home with his scent by just standing in the front entryway. Not only that, you could see your own scent was affecting him. He stood, shifting his weight back and forth on his feet, hands jammed deep in his pockets and eyes looking anywhere but your face.

“I-uh… I hope you like… chi-chicken.”, he stuttered in a low voice.

You looked down at the plate in your hands and nodded. Finding his nervous energy bleeding into you, you felt like every nerve was hypersensitive to any changes in him. The way his breath moved in and out of his slightly parted lips, causing the slightly too long hair of his moustache to move with it. His pulse in his neck and the slight perspiration along his hairline on his forehead. Wait… this wasn’t nervous energy. Shit. 

This was your heat. Shit. Shit fuck shit. 

It was as if you both had that realization at the same time. Joel’s eyes suddenly zeroed in on yours and the depth of brown that you hadn’t noticed before robbed you of your breath briefly. 

“I…”, you started, your voice almost hoarse. 

Joel looked at you, his face taking on a sterner visage, and one hand pulled from his pocket and his right foot stepped forward like he was going to reach for you. You felt every fibre of your omega begging for his touch and your skin felt like it was on fire. But he stopped himself and pulled back. He cleared his throat.

“H-hope you like your… that.”, he nodded towards the plate in your hands and then backed up towards the door, fumbled blindly with the knob as he kept his eyes on you before finally getting it open. He stumbled back out the door and moved quickly back towards his house. 

You stared at your open front door for a moment before shoving your face into the cling wrap covered plate and inhaling deeply, trying to keep any remnants of his scent in your nose. You quickly moved forward and kicked the door closed, then ran to your bedroom. Tossing the plate on your pillow, you ripped your bedside table open and pulled out one of your silicone toys and had the bottom half of your body naked in record time. 

Laying on the bed with your head turned into the plate of now room temperature breaded chicken wings, ham slices and cling wrap, you tried to desperately quell the ache building up in your body before it got worse. It had been so long since you had a heat with an alpha in this close proximity.

Joel felt like an idiot. He knew you were in heat and yet he still got that close to you. He hadn’t been close to anything in heat, except maybe a barbeque, since going sant-free. Now that he had, he was seriously considering locking himself in the basement given the lewd and depraved thoughts he had about you. You just smelled too fucking good.

Joel was hard and he palmed himself through his jeans as he stood with his back against the inside of his front door. He opened his jeans, just in case, and plunked down on the floor. 

Would it be the worst if he jerked off to you? The way he imagined you’d be needy and whiny, your pussy puffy and wet and juicy and oh so sensitive, just begging to be fucked and knotted…

Joel’s eyes were heavy and almost crossed at the thought of knotting you. The need was so strong, it was like he was drowning and desperate for air. Knotting you, hearing that pretty voice make pretty noises, feeling you constrict around his cock, maybe even breed you-

His eyes shot open and his brows furrowed in shock at his own thought process. 

What the - no! No no no no no! Breed?? No. Nope. n-well… what if she… no. but what if?

He sat there on the floor, confused and horny and perplexed and aroused, for what felt like hours but was more like 26 minutes. His mind was brought out of that very unsettling yet tempting notion by his phone ringing. He almost jumped out of his skin and got up quickly, frantically pulling his cell phone from his pocket, answering it only to find it was a junk call. 

The only thing that call did was make Joel resolute in his need to lay claim to you before any other alpha did - though he wasn’t sure why.

He did up his pants and flung open his front door and marched down his front steps, feeling the undeserved confidence of an alpha going into a full rut. As he turned to walk towards your house, he saw Dave sitting in his driveway, looking a little worse for wear. He paused, then Dave bit his fist and drove right into and almost through his garage. 

While he was still very horny and he hated Dave, he was concerned. Joel ran over to Dave’s driveway but just as he got closer, Dave had already pressed the button to close the garage door. 

Dave was a fucking weirdo.

Even though you weren’t yet in the deep throes of your heat, this time around seemed to be exacerbated by two things: no hormonal supplements and your house was sandwiched between two alphas, both of whom had much stronger scents. Maybe there was something to the societal niceties of suppressants and creating more harmonious neighbourhoods. 

Joel’s scent had just gotten stronger and more intense. You knew without even looking out the open window when he was outside and when he arrived home. You’d quietly in your kitchen and just inhale, feeling the warmth bleed out from your core and wash over your body. Until Dave came home… 

Dave, on the other hand, did smell more intense, but it was like he was fermenting in his own pheromones. That ‘wet pennies’ and sour scent was even more overwhelming. It was everywhere and you couldn’t escape it. 

While Joel smelled like he was just waiting for an invitation, Dave smelled like he had the worst, strongest cologne you’d ever encountered, and it had gone rancid then dumped onto your carpet. 

After Joel had left you with the plate of food and you’d done everything you could with your bedside table dwelling, silicone friend and still felt like you were unable to scratch that wandering itch, you heard a loud crash! and you threw on some clothes quickly and headed out your front door. 

You looked towards Dave’s house as you came down your front steps and encountered the back of Joel and his amazingly broad shoulders as he shook his head. 

“What happened?”

Joel turned and, seemingly catching him off guard, he shrugged. “No clue. Dave was in the car in the driveway an’jus’ drove into his garage. Pretty sure he hit the foundation an’all.”

His face looked less concerned and more perplexed and suspicious.

You waited to hear more as Joel just stood in front of you, ponderous. “And?”

“And what?”, he asked, giving you a skeptical look. 

“And is he okay?”

“How in the hell should I know?? Been standin’ here almost as long as you, an-”

You scoffed, giving Joel a condescending look and walked past him quickly to check on Dave. You were just steps past him when you were jerked back against his body, colliding with him. 

You wish you were mad, oh god, do you wish you were furious at his little stunt. But the feeling of his skin on yours radiated throughout your body and dulled your mind of any sharp feelings or thoughts. 

You wanted him and that was final.

Joel wasn’t sure why you gave him such a high and mighty look and he wasn’t sure why you asked him such a stupid question. How was he supposed to know if Dave was okay? He’d only been outside about a minute or so longer than you.

But when you pushed past him, determined to make sure Dave was okay, Joel felt a disgustingly hot top-to-bottom wave of jealousy burst over him, causing his skin to redden and flush. On instinct, he shot his hand out and grabbed your arm, tugging you back to him. 

But the moment you were up against him and close enough he could count the pours on your nose and you could do the same to him, like a dog chasing its tail he had no idea what to do with you now that he caught you.

Sarah had come home when she was in sixth grade and launched into a seminar on the topic of unwanted physical contact after there was an assembly at her school about it over dinner. Both he and his brother Tommy had sat wide eyed while she spoke passionately about consent and bodily autonomy; he’d never forgotten that and every time he’s intended to touch anyone, he was reminded of that evening. The assembly’s information had probably made a bigger impact on him than it had any of the kids who had initially been required to sit through it. 

He was reminded of that moment as he stared down at you with big eyes and waited for you to shove him back or let a verbal tirade about unwanted physical touch at him. He watched your lips part and he closed his eyes and tensed up, inadvertently pulling you in tighter. Instead of feeling your hands land on him or hear the shrill side of your voice, he felt your mouth on his.

In only a nano-second, his brain went into recovery mode and the software that booted up was pure alpha instinct. His large hand came up to cradle the back of your head and the kiss was an electric moment. His emotions ignited and the world melted away. It began with a slow, lingering touch of your lips, a deep breath shared between the two of you.

But Joel’s desire took over and he deepened the kiss. His lips parted and his tongue prodded at your mouth, pressing for entrance. Once you obliged, his tongue explored yours, seeking a rhythm of pure connection. You seemed to melt into his touch and his hand fisted your hair and his other roamed down your to your lower back. He pulled you in closer from there, knowing you would feel his hardening cock press against your lower belly. His every movement was charged with longing, a silent declaration of affection, need, and raw passion.

To Joel, time ceased to exist. He could feel your heartbeat through your body in his hold  as he pressed you against him. There was no hesitation, no restraint—just the overwhelming intensity of the moment. 

In other words, Joel desperately wanted to fuck you. 

Dave didn’t know what came over him. 

Or, he did but admitting that he’d become completely at the mercy of an omega’s scent - his fucking neighbour’s scent - was humiliating. He’d been brought to his knees by just getting a whiff and he hadn’t been able to regulate himself since. Eating was a chore, so was basic personal grooming and hygiene. The only things that came easy to him were the acts of jerking off in bed and subsequently crying into his pillow. 

Dave was in a rut and he had no omega - or other person’s orifice in general - to ride it out in. 

Was that a good reason for driving into the cement wall in his garage? How was he supposed to explain to his insurance broker if there was any major damage and he needed to file a claim? That he went into a rut and hadn’t bathed, eaten a proper meal or slept a whole night in over a week because he was hornier than a 14-peckered owl and therefore it counted as an act of god? 

He let out a deep sigh and slumped into his seat in the car, rubbing his face. He did manage to back the car up enough to pull it away from the wall without subjecting himself to more humiliation by opening the garage door. The damage wasn’t extreme but it was noticeable on his car, and it was clear that something had hit the cement wall. 

He went into the house and as he came out into the open area of the living room, looked out the front window to see you and Joel attached by the face. When it dawned on him what was happening, he dropped to the floor and crawled up to the window, peeking up over the sill to watch. With his eyes trained on the two of you with your mouths interlocked, he reached up and clumsily cracked the window open, desperate to get the scent off Joel. 

What he got instead was a faceful of old leather and musky hormonal mess clouding the sweet scent of an omega. The omega that he suddenly realized wasn’t Joel. Joel wasn’t an omega. You were. 

Dave stared wide eyed and stunned, brows furrowing in deep angles, as the revelation hit him like a rogue piano that had been dropped on him from a few stories above. 

Joel wasn’t an omega in heat. He was an alpha - just like him - and Dave didn’t know how he felt about it. He’d grown accustomed to seeing Joel’s face in his mind while he came. He’d imagined how good it would be to guide Joel through his heat and be the big spoon as he cared for him. The idea of Joel needing his knot, desperately begging for it, was one of the only things keeping him tethered to reality during this rut and now that it was not going to happen, he felt a deep hole breaking open in his chest.

He didn’t know how long he laid on his living room floor, sulking in what could only be described as a biological and hormone-fueled heartbreak, but when he finally pulled himself up, it was dark outside and he was able to see his reflection in the window. His face had the texture of the carpet he’d been lying on embossed on one half of his face.

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[enden-agolor]

oh god its those freaks again

[planetallure]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ fic recs

CW: these works contain explicit content intended for those 18+. make sure to read the rules of the writers before interacting.

@peterthepark : coming back to this blog made me realize when exactly i started back reading fanfic fr. the moment that was eddie mf munson, touched something in me. reign was one of my first intros that really stuck with me. it kinda blew my mind and scared me at the same time because i was like…how do i move on…what’s better than this??? brilliance. creative genius. like what more do you want from me? reign, i miss you. <3

i rec literally anything she’s written about eddie or tasm!peter parker.

@ohcaptains : i really don’t know what to tell you man. leah. is. HER. she simply does not miss. funny story: when i first started my old blog, it was ageless so i ended up getting blocked. so i pm’d her basically begging to come back home because i knew what i had lost. i’m not ashamed.

"dealers choice" - if you happened to miss the moment that was eddie munson or you miss his character or you were never really into him, this lil universe is for you. <3

"learning in public" - carmy x fem!reader. he needs it. he wants it. he has to have it. a man on his knees. enjoy.

"don't you dare fall in love" - heads up this one was discontinued and will not be continued (so don’t go harassing her about it) but the last part has an open ending so don’t let that stop you. college student/dealer!ellie x fem!reader. it’s beautiful and perfect. enjoy.

also ALL of her frank castle, abby anderson, tasm!peter parker fics. thank youuu

@inknopewetrust : this woman is a W R I T E R. the beautiful angsty things that come from her brain need to be cherished. thank you for your service.

“hoping i’ll find [a glimpse of us]” - when i tell you this shit was so fricking good!!!!!?! another piece of LITERATURE that i couldn’t believe i got to read for free on tumblr. i am such a sucker for a angsty slow burn and this still lives in me head rent free to this day. the tension had me giggling and laughing and biting my nail and crying. i need to spin back. i need to feel something!!

“secret” : now this one was a sexy forbidden romance. eddie’s our man who isn’t our man but is and oh m gee the angst in this one got me too, though it wasn’t as much. preppy!reader x eddie munson iykyk.

@etherealising : the absolute sweetest person i’ve met on here. every interaction i have with her just makes me smile. on TOP of that she’s a beautiful writer and storyteller. vee you have my heart.

“all i ever knew only you” - the best carmy x oc fic i’ve ever had the pleasure of reading on here. i’m so emotionally attached to this series, its characters and i think it has such re-readablity . the characterization is also so well done carmy x baby 4life. it’s currently discontinued but she is currently doing a rewrite and it’s going really well! in the meantime, please don’t let that stop you from reading the original while it’s still up. you won’t regret it.

“a buried and a burning flame” - vee single-handedly has me looking a richie different now. like…wait a minute :)) the bickering and banter is so fun. tension? check. spice?? check.

“flew like a moth to you” - a continuation of the one above. babyyyy!!! yes, yes, uh huh 🙂‍↕️ these two? LOVE EM. he’s officially in my heart.

@totheblood : star is so kind and super creative. she has created some of my favorite ellie williams smau’s on here.

"the hard way" - rockstar!ellie williams x ex-gf!reader smau. you guys are brought together again to solve the mystery that is the anonymous account blackmailing the two of you. mmm, nothing like the takedown of a shady mf to bring the girls together again :)

@cherriesxinthespring : another sweetheart with a beautiful mind. ik people get the characterization/true nature of ellie so wrong, but not rosie. she gets it.

“wasteland, baby!” - the wlw true enemies to lovers slow burn i’ve been dreaming of. tap in. right now.

@elliesbelle

“nobody compares to you” : a deliciously angsty slow burn second chance romance (ex!ellie x f!reader)

all the text convos for abby and ellie.

@newasskid : this blog makes me so nostalgic. THE first fic series that i read and rebloged when i started my first ff blog, came from this writer. i honestly feel it was my first time reading fanfic that wasn’t a silly little wattpad story or imagine and i was honestly gagged. i was like, “this…this is literature.” what can i say? i love good ass characterization! and this one was no exception.

“hard knock life” - like i said i was gagged with how good it was. i read the first two chapters back in 2022 and i still remember the feeling i felt reading them. this new blog i’m making is a fresh start for me and a chance for me to get back into old fandoms. will be revisiting this one soon.

@lovelettersfromluna

"one of your girls" - biker!ellie/roommate!ellie/camgirl!ellie x f!reader ALL rolled into to this ridiculously sexy little universe!! i love these two so much :’(

"compass" - vampire!ellie !!!! my new favorite thing. the way luna writes her feeding on reader ALONE is the most erotic and intimate thing. my god this was hot.

.・。.��゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

sending all of this beautiful writers my love and respect y’all are amazing and so important. <3

[torawro]

WHEN BLADES CLASH, SO DO HEARTS. ( r. z. )

roronoa zoro & bounty hunter!reader.

cw ━━ ! minors, ageless and blank blogs DO NOT INTERACT. reader is portrayed as a black woman who is on the thicker / curvier side but you do not have to imagine it that way ! you are free to imagine the reader how you wish. canon divergent au (lowkey implied post-timeskip -> zoro is still a bounty hunter and never became a pirate). bc it's canon divergent, zoro will have both eyes (i know, i know). mentions and descriptions of alcohol consumption. canon-typical violence (i.e., mentions of weapons). light(ish) descriptions of blood & injuries. so much [sexual] tension between reader and zoro that it's palpable. contains sexually explicit content including smut (descriptions of it from an omniscient pov). gets kinda poetic at the end but y’all already knew that was coming. somewhat proofread.

word count ━━ ! 4.8k

notes ━━ ! my first published one piece fic on my blog . . . you'd think the first one would be about law since my current theme revolves around him but alas, this swordsman was prominent in my mind…i did lose motivation at some point but i still pushed through. this fic was originally something i drafted up to serve as the prologue for a much longer fic i'm writing (no hints, sorry < 3). and i thought writing this purely for contextual purposes would help with that longer story, but in the process it just turned into something else all on its own skskkskks so this is a modified version of that blurb. obvs this is also my first time officially writing for zoro so i’m a little nervous and to be honest, i’m not sure if i even like how this turned out…..regardless, i hope i portrayed him well enough (pls be gentle with me) >< also wanna dedicate this fic to naj, a mutual of mine who became a friend, but unfortunately deactivated her blog some time ago. she's been helping me with this drabble and the longer story i plan to write and i really appreciate her. reblogs + commentary are GREATLY appreciated ♡!!!

SHAKING OFF THE GRAVELLY SAND that haphazardly clung to the fabric of your pants, with little effort and practiced precision, you swiftly returned a large metal rod back into a black carrying bag before swinging the straps over your right shoulder. Rolling your arms to relieve some of the tension that resided in them proved to be a little painful, leading you to conclude that you most likely pulled a muscle somewhere when fighting the unknown men who had just attacked you. 

Said men were now lying unconscious on the ground, hardly breathing and within an inch of their lives. 

You didn’t kill them ━no, of course not ━ that would be a fruitless endeavor. Besides, you were well aware that your energy would be well-spent elsewhere, like searching for the next poor soul that had a bounty looming over their head. You were like a hunting dog, the scent of your next target set in front of you by the wanted posters littered around in each city or island you traveled to. Much like how the grim reaper awaited in the shadow of someone who stood inches away from the gates of death, you too would bide your time until the right moment to strike.

You took pride in the fact that the glint of your weapon would be the last thing that reflected in the eyes of your target.

The end result of your fight, if you could even call it that, was as chilling as the evening breeze that was brought forth by the wading waves of the ocean. You have made your mark on the flesh of these men, reopening some old wounds and creating new ones that would certainly scar forever. On levels of the skin and of the spirit.

With a heavy sigh, you adjusted your bag again as you walked towards the cluster of little lights nestled beyond the trees, within them existed this main island’s largest town. Your facial muscles didn’t so much as twitch as the pointed heel of your boots dug into the skin of your unconscious assailants— thinking nothing of their drowsy, muffled grunts of pain or the stark contrast between stepping over doughy bodies versus stepping on the hard earth.

The waxing crescent moon only slightly illuminated the dirt road as you made your way to the populated village, occasionally swatting away a fly or two. Soon enough, the mouth of the semi-dense woods opened up to reveal a wide gravel road. Across the opening was a bridge that stood over a flowing stream, and beyond that was the town. It was a cluster of buildings of varying heights lined up neatly street by street.

Lamps hung on every corner, street pole and ledge that would allow it, bathing all that rested under them in a pale yellow glow. It was quite pretty at night if you were being honest; and judging by its looks and atmosphere, you were sure that they’d have a nice inn around somewhere.

But first, a drink. And some food, you added as an afterthought, but mostly a drink. Your body could use a bit of external help to unwind after spending the last few days at sea.

It didn’t take you all that long to find out where the town’s bar was located, and you wasted no time ascending the steps that led to the double swinging doors. The clacking of your boots against the wooden floors upon entering the establishment were more or less drowned out by the chatter of the rugged-looking individuals who more or less made themselves at home.

And yet, despite the dozens of conversations that bounced off the walls of the tavern, the stares of everyone whose line of vision you crossed seemed to be louder. Much louder than any fit of raucous laughter or profane shout that surrounded you.

Your ears were even able to pluck out a few conversations. Hushed inquiries of familiarity, musings of what could possibly be in that bag dangling on your back, how the pants you wore emphasized the fat of your ass just right━ all things you let roll off your back and pretended not to hear. 

If it weren’t for your more reserved nature, you would have slashed that the throat of the man who made that salacious comment the moment it left his dried lips.

You took a random seat at the bar, not really paying attention to who sat on either side of you. Placing the cowboy-style hat you wore next to you and your belongings at your feet, you patiently awaited for the bartender to make her way down to where you sat. 

As you waited, you crossed your legs, one fleshy thigh over the other, absentmindedly twirling one of the bulky silver rings that encased your middle finger as you wondered what drink you were in the mood for today.

It wasn’t until several moments later, when your body and mind stilled enough, that you’d take notice.

Something felt . . . weird. ‘Off’ was probably a better word for the strange weight that suspended itself over your muscles. Whatever it was, whatever feeling or presence you sensed, it had your fingers twitching towards your bag laying idly against the table. And it only continued to linger in the air as the minutes dragged by.

The sound of the barkeep’s voice pulled you back into the plane of reality and away from the realm of your overactive mind. “What’ll ya be having tonight, honey?” She was an older woman, probably around the age of fifty but looked much younger, had deeply tanned skin, and peppered black and white hair that was pulled into a bun and rested at the base of her neck. 

“Hmmm . . . whatever your best cocktail is, I’ll just have that.” 

With a nod and an amused smile at you allowing her to have free reign, the barkeep turned around, set a shaker aside, and got to work preparing a drink of her choice to serve to you.

Then, something flashed in your peripheral vision.

It was so fleeting that you could have easily dismissed it as nothing had you not been on somewhat high alert already. It flickered in the reflection of the metal canisters that sat along the back wall of the bar. And whatever it was managed to startle you enough to jump start the pulse in your chest into a panicked overdrive so fierce that you heard it in your ears.

The frantic beating of your heart  never showed on your face, however━ your expression remained neutral. It needed to be for a woman in your line of work. Perhaps especially because you were a woman in your line of work.

Without any warning or indication, the cold sensation of polished steel licked and nipped at the warmth residing in your neck. The sharpened end of a blade rested on the jugular of your throat, pressed firmly enough that if you moved forward even a little bit, a stain from your blood would surely blossom on the katana.

“You…” a deep male voice spoke, sounding rough and rugged all around its edges. The rest of the pub seemed to fall silent at the man’s utterance of that one word, rather than his blatant display of threatening you with a sword. “Why are you here?”

Your eyes were the only thing that moved. Slowly, with a frosty gleam underlining your gaze, your eyes landed on the sword’s master, his name immediately flashing in your mind. His reputation as a bounty hunter sent a chill down the spines of both marines and pirates alike. Residents all over the four seas feared his name, and his name alone could cause people to question if the threads of their lives would be severed by the piercing edge of his sword.

“Roronoa Zoro….” Your tone was leveled and held an air of disinterest as you talked. You spoke as if you were tasting the very syllables of his name, taking the time to roll each combination of letters against your tongue. They tumbled from your lips with a smoothness you weren’t entirely opposed to━ it was almost pleasant, if you were being honest with yourself.

A practice you didn't normally engage in.

Upon identifying the swordsman aloud, a short wave of hushed gasps from the customers surrounding you filled the air. With speeds that almost seemed abnormal, the long metal pole resting in your black bag suddenly ended up in your grasp, one end of it hovering several inches away from Roronoa's neck; such speeds even caught the mint-haired swordsman off guard. “Getting a drink, of course. Isn’t it obvious?”

Before he could even part his lips to reply, the piercing shing! of steely iron being brandished cut through the thick tension that settled in between you. A long and heavily curved blade abruptly emerged from the blackened rod in your right hand, and oh so conveniently arced around Roronoa's neck, momentarily silencing him. 

The weapon you carried was a scythe, one with a retractable blade meant to disarm your opponent’s perception and therefore hinder their judgment. A scythe that was reminiscent of the tool Death used to carry out his grisly duties of executing souls and dragging them to hell.

In this position with the scythe’s blade practically wrapped around his throat, if need be you could swiftly behead him, or at least mutilate him; judging by how quickly he unsheathed his katana, his reflexes were pretty sharp. Still, the potential ease of killing Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro— in addition to the mild bewilderment reflecting in his eyes and the patrons’ silent gasps once they pieced together who you were— caused your lips to tick upwards, but your countenance remained otherwise stoic.

“And I’m assuming you’re here for the same reason. That, or you just couldn’t get enough of me during our last battle, and you tracked me down for more.”

Your previously dry tone had somehow morphed into one with an airy lilt, followed by a quiet chuckle that bubbled in your chest when you saw Roronoa's brows twitch and deepen with ire at your subtly teasing words.

You were referring to the last time you saw the swordsman on some obscure island that took root in the Grand Line; an island whose name currently escaped your memory. With you being a bounty hunter as well, your job was the only reason why your paths have crossed so often, and why you have come to know Roronoa on a more personal level such as this. Each time your gazes clashed, it would always result in an inevitable battle, which indirectly fanned the flames of an unspoken competition between the two of you.

If his current expression was anything to go by, this bar may very well be your next battlefield. “You lost that fight, remember?” He emphasized his point by digging the sharp edge of his blade a little further into your neck, the increased pressure causing your eyebrow to all but twitch, “Or did I hit you too hard last time we fought, and now you’re suffering from long-term memory loss?”

The edges of an insufferable smirk curled at Roronoa's lips— one that conveyed his confidence in his abilities and matched the glint in his eyes that began to grow hungry for a brawl. And now, the corners of your own lips broke into a small, amused smile— or perhaps it would be more accurately referred to as a sneer— and you responded by mirroring his earlier movements.

Pressing the sharp end of your scythe into the back of his neck, the blade was met with the resistance of the corded muscle residing there, and your gaze eagerly drank in the brief glimmer of pain that was but a ripple across his arrogant expression.

“I didn’t lose that fight. It was a draw, at best. Seems like you must not remember the excessive blood loss on your end. But anyhow, tell me something pirate hunter…” You uncrossed your legs to stand up and took one step closer towards Roronoa, careful not to let his sword further nick your skin even though it was already dangerously close to you, “How many bounties have you collected since we last saw each other? Three? Two? One?”

Your voice descended further into a teasing whisper, and Roronoa's indignation only grew with each number you hurled at him.

The samurai didn’t take your tone lightly, and perceived your step forward as something of a  challenge, one that his nerves and heart and bones pleasantly vibrated to the sound of. So he too took a step forward, away from the piercing curve of your scythe that hung behind him like a shadow.

Roronoa was a little taller than you were, so meeting his gaze meant angling your neck upwards whilst he simultaneously moved his face an inch closer to yours.  “You think you’re hot shit, huh? Try five, sweetheart.”

Your nostrils flared involuntarily at his bold claim, and something . . . something warm prickled underneath your skin at his referral to you as sweetheart. For some reason, that word━ especially coming from his lips━ was a bit harder to ignore compared to other comments about you from this bar's patrons. And what they said was far more conflicting than a simple term of endearment; even if the 'endearment' in question was so obviously meant to be condescending.

“Is that right? You think you're such a badass, don't you?"

"That's 'cause I am."

Roronoa's mocking sneer was punctuated with a step forward into your space this time; any closer and the front of your clothes might graze each other. The swordsman pushed the boundaries once more by adding a little more force onto the grip of his katana, enough to finally break the bonds of your umber tinted skin.

A barely decipherable noise of amusement and veneration rumbled in his chest when your blood dripped on the length of his sword, but your reaction was nothing more than an involuntary clench in your facial muscles.

"Yeah?" You questioned him with a glare and a tilt of your head in the direction of his blade that uncomfortably sat at the opening of your skin. The tightness in your voice was meant to goad him, but it also contained the sparks of a challenge━ and of something else you didn't want to identify━ that ignited in the pit of your stomach with an increasing amount of fervor.

"Yeah." His voice descended a little lower into a place that killed the next sentence on the tip of your tongue.

Your eyes then narrowed as you held Roronoa's taupe gaze, his overconfident words floated in the silent air between you like a speck of smoldering ash, ready to burst into something more intense and fierce the moment it touched the ground.

Then you shifted your cold gaze elsewhere, opting to let it lazily roam around the room. Everyone was staring at the both of you with uneasy expressions and anxious stares. You could tell that even at the slightest movement from either you or the swordsman would cause the panic bubbling beneath their skin to flood forth in waves.

If there was one thing about you, you preferred to be to discreet. It made your job a whole lot easier, and more enjoyable in the long run.

A hummed vibrated behind your plump lips and your glare returned to his. "Let's take this outside, swordsman. I'd hate to ruin this nice lady's establishment with scuff marks and your blood."

Roronoa huffed a scoff, the amused smirk from before uncurled into something more animalistic. "That's funny. But sure, I'm down. When I defeat you and spill your blood on the ground, it'll make perfect fertilizer for those little plants I saw outside."

You huffed at his cocky attitude and accompanied it with a roll of your eyes. Your stare pierced him for a moment longer before you rescinding it, along with your scythe that was still outstretched towards him. The mint haired swordsman followed suit after another beat or so.

"That's about as likely as a fish growing legs and walking on land." Your voice was thick with sarcasm as you fished out a cotton pouch from your bag; it was small in size, but heavy with Berry. As you slipped out a couple of bills to pay for the drink that sat idly forgotten at your seat, another hand forcefully placed several bills down on the counter.

That hand belonged to Roronoa. You had to force yourself from letting your irises linger too long, or else you'd start thinking about how rugged, calloused, and veiny it looked.

With a newfound general annoyance at both him and yourself, you proceeded to present the bills to the bartender, who looked as if she was one muscle twitch away from ducking under the table behind the counter. You offered something similar to a sympathetic smile to assuage whatever she was feeling.

"Don't bother." Roronoa called out.

When you turned around to greet his voice, he was sheathing the sword that he previously drawn and made his way to the entrance of the pub.

"What are you talking about?" As you inquired, the swordsman still allowed his back to face you, hardly pausing to properly address you.

"I said, don't bother." he repeated in a stern tone, as if that was going to elucidate exactly what he meant, "Now come on. I'm itching to cut you down so I can go lay down."

And without adding anything further, Roronoa eventually exited the bar and disappeared behind the doors.

You were starting to lose count of how many times you narrowed your eyes at the green-haired man, but your stare━ both equal parts vexed and confused━ rested on the doors he had just walked through as if glaring at them long or hard enough would summon him again.

With a sigh, you turned back to the thin stack of Berry he left on the table, eyeing it suspiciously. You weren't sure what he ordered or how much of it, but it look like quite a bit of money he'd just randomly tossed next to you.

Was he insinuating . . . . that he paid for both of your drinks? Could this be what he meant when he told you not to bother, because he already covered it? Such a gratuitous act of kindness, something seemingly so simple caused that weird fluttering to bounce against the walls of your stomach again.

Picking up your bag, you continued to poke and dissect his actions in an attempt find meaning in them as you tipped the barkeep, once more ignoring the stares of nearly every person in that building as you left.

The moment your heeled boots dug themselves into the ground, your peripheral vision was bombarded with something being swung in your direction at high speeds. Before you could even process what it was, you instinctively leapt out of the way, your neck jerking backwards to further avoid the object.

A grunt filled your ears, already knowing the origin of the sound. "Nice reflexes."

You exhaled an exasperated breath of air, turning your gaze to meet that of the mint-haired swordsman who had begun to unsheathe a second sword out of the three scabbards hanging from his hip.

"Can I at least breathe first? Set my stuff down perhaps?" You asked wryly, almost unimpressed, but you didn't waste any time removing the straps of your bag to set it down on a nearby barrel, still cursing the pirate hunter under your breath all the same.

"Didn't know you were that eager to eat dirt." The familiar hiss of your scythe's blade erecting from the rod sent a pleasurable chill up your arms. You held your weapon tightly at your side, your grasp around its length tightening ever still when Roronoa began to square his stance. Even when you were several feet away from him, you could still clearly see the crease in his brows becoming more prominent; he began to resemble some kind of beast.

But that glimmer in his eyes held no real fire in them━ at least not the one that would lead to anger; one could even say it was one of wild excitement. The swordsman already knew his thirst for a worthwhile fight would be sufficiently quenched once more.

"Shut up." With a grunt, Roronoa pushed off the balls of his feet to launch himself into a powerful sprint towards you. It was clear he wanted to close as much distance between the two of you as quickly as possible. His movements were reminiscent of his brief display of swordplay earlier in the bar, where he was one swipe away from slitting your throat.

He was fast, but the gritty and often dangerous nature of your job honed your reflexes to be faster.

Your spine bended as you briskly leaned backwards to dodge the double swipe of Roronoa's katanas. The sound of the sharp blades cutting through the very air around you. With it only inches away from your nose, it was enough to replace the blood pumping through your veins with pure adrenaline.

Using the momentum from your quick dodge, you allowed your back to curve into a bridge and kicked upwards into a backflip to move out of the way━ the corners of your lips twitched into a satisfied grin when you felt your foot collide with his jaw and chin.

Once you were upright again, you wasted no time lunging forward in a sprint, you body much lower to the ground than Roronoa's was. Your plan was to slash his legs to throw him off balance, but that plan quickly evaporated like smoke due to his quick recovery and immediate realization of what you were doing.

"Tch." Your tongue clicked against the roof of your mouth in annoyance when the swordsman was able to leap in the air in time to avoid your attack. He was high enough that you had to crane your neck to see. With that much height, the next blow was sure to be one with quite a bit of force behind it.

"Two-Swords Style, Nigiri...." The swordsman's orotund voice descended far from where he was suspended in midair, and you braced yourself for his next attack, "....Tower Climb Return!"

The following clash of piercing steel against metallic iron was deafening, swallowing up any other noise that reverberated around you. The sheer impact of Roronoa's attack created a thin ring of dust that encircled both your figures and violently buzzed against the pole of your scythe.

You gritted your teeth to remain footed into the ground, but the force was too much, and that shit-eating grin nearly unfurling at his lips was too annoying. It shook the steadiness in your legs and caused you to tumble back by several yards. By steeling your thighs and calves you willed yourself not to fall, huffing with effort and frustration.

It hadn't even been that long since you've last fought Roronoa, could he really have made noticeable improvements in a short amount of time?

Regardless of the answer, you weren't about to allow him the chance to prove himself.

The both of you then darted at each other again, your motions a bit more cutthroat this time, and a newborn determination to strike down the pirate hunter further fed the burning adrenaline that coursed through your body.

Reaching your arm backwards, you performed a horizontal slash that Roronoa parried almost instantly. With effortless control and graceful dexterity, you reached both arms behind your back and twirled your scythe between your fingers, shifting the weapon from one hand to the other, and attempted to cut him again.

He blocked that attack as well, the tip of the blade just inches away from his left eye. You saw something moving fast in your peripheral vision, and immediately jumped backwards to avoid the katana that was about to release your intestines from the confines of your stomach.

It was always a pain fighting Roronoa because he wielded multiple swords at once, which means battles with him were more drawn out than they needed to be.

You lunged at him once more, and began to administer a barrage of horizontal, vertical and diagonal slashes in rapid succession. Your constant switching from one hand to the other, in addition to its length and the impressive control you exerted over your limbs, you were able to create a variety of fluid, long and short-range attack patterns, barely allowing Roronoa enough time to parry.

The moss-haired swordsman was keeping up with the relentless flurry of your attacks quite well━ for a short while at least. Roronoa lost himself in his own inner monologue of searching for an opening wide enough to immobilize you, and before long, a red cut blossomed on his semi-exposed chest, the injury lazily drooling blood.

The amount of cuts both deep and shallow began to increase, tearing his skin asunder under the weight of your blows. Your scythe repeatedly made contact with the elongated ha of his katana as well as his tanned flesh, but it wasn't enough to deter him completely.

It should have been though, but the many encounters you've had with Roronoa reminded you that he was no ordinary man.

Within that bombardment of the numerous slices and projectile slashes of your scythe Roronoa had found a millisecond of respite, and used that brief pause to leap backwards and put some distance in between you two.

You weren't able to hear the aching cry from the muscles in your arms until after you halted your attack, but the adrenaline flickering in your gaze still raced around your irises unceasingly. Roronoa's own gaze was hard and unyielding, glistening with something you couldn't discern from where you stood. But even so, your body somehow knew to feel like malleable putty under his stare; it's as if it was instinctual.

And again your blades clashed against one another, a steady rhythm rose from the cacophony of noises that were generated from your battle with the swordsman. Your laborious breaths became synchronized with each other, heavy and full of effort. The thin splatters of blood became homogeneous with each other as the both of you took turns cracking each other's skin open. Your limbs moved about and against his in a deft fashion and every nerve in your body reacted to his.

So much so, you didn't even realize when it happened.

Your duel with Roronoa had been in the forefront of your mind entirely that you hadn't actively processed the moment when your ragged breaths turned to breathy pants. Nor did you realize the moment it was no longer a scythe and katanas clashing, but wet lips and warm extremities instead. That same glint that shimmered in your eyes all evening never faded even then; it still twinkled through the murky mist of lust that clouded yours and Roronoa's vision.

Whenever your eyes collided with that of Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, an inescapable battle would always ensue━ it was tried and true, and it felt more like a promise. It was also true, although not externally expressed, that your fight with the mint-haired man was one that neither of you even wanted to evade.

With each brawl you learned something new about Roronoa, and you were repeatedly met with the reality and veracity of his skills, his reputation full-force. And when your brawl eventually led to the languid but hungry removal of each other's clothes, you learned more about Zoro, and the emotions hiding underneath his taut and rugged body. This learning curve was both all-consuming and tenderhearted, and you couldn't help but shiver at the fact you were the only one who could witness it.

And what good is a fight if he didn't learn from and about his opponent as well? Each new thing he unearthed about you was an incentive to further indulge your soft and fleshy curves, and observe how they seamlessly molded with firm, corded muscle. Completely unexpected, Zoro had become utterly fascinated with the warmth that resided under your icy, expressionless glare.

And when Zoro peeled back a new layer, when his lips hovered over an uncharted area of your skin━ hot, breathy, filled with groans of expletives intertwined with your name━ when the grip of his calloused fingers and his heavy cock simultaneously dug deeper into you, one leg dangling haphazardly off his shoulder, when your bodies meshed just like that, you moaned━ you knew you didn't want to stop fighting with him.

Again and again and again with each thrust, each roll of his hips, each sightless grope of your body, you knew you would gladly continue participating in this unspoken competition. You'd proudly don cuts and bruises if it meant you and you alone could have Roronoa Zoro like this. You'd keep at it with enthusiasm if it meant that your hearts would always collide so wholly with each other, not being able to tell where his ended and yours began.

( # ) @icy-spicy @godjo @tetzoro @triangularz @pookiesatoru

[archiewantsheetmetal]

First Official Hello From Archie!

HELLO Layton Nation! Welcome to my Layton blog. My name is Archie, and I go by he/him. I am a minor!

DNI if you:

- Are a pedophile

- Ship any minors with any adult characters. This is also pedophilia

- Are a zoophile

- Are a strictly 18+ blog

- Are homophobic, transphobic, racist, or xenophobic I just post Layton stuff here and interact with the fandom. This is my only Tumblr blog. I really like Professor Layton. I don't tag triggers or spoilers unless it's something major, like if it's very mild blood or if it regards a Layton reveal, but if anyone has an issue, they can come to me through dms or asks! I am not a scary person. Like at all. I love interacting with the Layton fandom and to be honest I am probably just as scared of you as you are of me. So don't be afraid to be friends! I love getting questions and requests! I just won't respond to anything NSFW. I do not reblog NSFW content. On Archive of Our Own, my username is Archierot! You can find any fics I may post there. Currently, there are only three published works on my page, but there will be more to come. My askbox is almost always open! I just may be a little slower to get to some of them, or if you say something very nice or funny, I might just keep it in there so I can look at it when I need to.

Taglist and friends below!

LIST OF MY FRIENDS!! MY LOVELY FRIENDS THAT I LOVE FOREVER!!

@casualfr1days!! My best friend DREWWW!!!!! ! ! ! ! ^^ AMAZING person all around and very very pretty art. THEY ARE THE REASON. I am in the Professor Layton fandom. drew it is ALL your fault. Wonderful to be around and I feel like I can talk to you about my bugs forever.

@justkillingthyme MY LOVELY BEST FRIEND THYME!! ^^ FRIENDLY KIND FOREVER!! I love their art and their writing!! It's very distinct and has inspired several of my own creations. I'm very lucky to be friends with them. Very funny person and joy to be around.

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@toonypow BEST FRIEND BEE!!! HI BEE HI BEE ^^ GREAT writer. Has made me cry on Bsky. Wonderful art that I've seen.

@mysterysnail APPEL. OLIVE. YOU. ^^ shares a similar sense of humor to me. thank you. SSHAKES your hand. VERY FUNNY PERSON AND I'VE SEEN SOME OF THEIR ART!! VERY GOOD!!

@speedygoreman speedy... ^^ I AM still scared of you KIND OF. a little bit. BUT I THINK YOU'RE COOL. AND I LOVE READING THE STUFF YOU POST. KLG. UGH. UURGH. @huevobuevo you/. i remember you. ^^ you're realy fuckin funny man. best first impression. i miss you heuevo............. @constantpan1c ^^ hi!! friend!! yay!! funny kind nice. not part of the layton fandom but i listed them here too. giggle If I didn't include you on here, I'm probably scared of you and I'm not sure if you consider us friends !!

TAGS!

#archiereblogs - what it sounds like !! these are just reblogged posts. #important - probably important ! #archiesfavs - MY MOST FAAAVORITE POSTS!! HIGHEST HONOR I CAN BESTOW!! They go here so i can look at them later. #phantom railway au - the 1930s-esque depression au i created for professor layton! #askarchie - just stuff from my askbox #archiesart - all of my art!! I'm trying to do more of it. #inbox thyme - all of or most of thyme's asks. because theyre in there a lot! #archiestupid - shitposts. this might be considered art too but if its too stupid it goes in there. #archierants - me talking. probably includes all analyses ive ever done. #pl creature au - my mythical creature/monster au i created for professor layton! #archierot - ALL of my fics and fic related content! #archiedoodles - doodle request answers! #pl/professor layton - professor laytong stuff! THAT'S ALL I CAN FIND!! Some tags may not have any posts in them! That's because, moving forward, I want to keep my account organized. That's what the empty tags are there for! So I can use them from now on. I'll try to edit existing posts to include these tags if I see them. I'll tag the taglist so you can use it to like. find stuff. if you need to.

I hope you guys like my stuff! -Archie!

[lunicho]

(send riize asks to @angeltsan)

{𐙚 10:43} l. anton + l. sohee

♡ 3.8k | dom!anton, subby inexperienced!sohee, fem!reader, cuckholding, oral (f!receiving), premature ejaculation, unprotected sex (don't be like them), cumming inside, cum eating, anton is kinda an asshole, sohee is kinda pathetic

♡ a/n: DON'T READ THE LAST SENTENCE OMG ITS SO BAD IM SORRY,, im so bad at ending fics,,, anyways its been tew long since i wrote smth new so feast my loves,, i've kept y'all starving fr (i'm sorry) also new fic layout 😝😝 gonna be updating stuff on my blog so yeahhh.

you'd been with anton for a while. over that time you've come to learn a lot about him and things that he likes. of all the things you've learned, this might be the craziest one. 

a momentary silence fell over the room as you looked down at your hands, fiddling a little. you crossed your arms over your chest and thought hard. “okay wait.. you wanna do what?” 

anton tried to explain again, his voice quiet, “well sohee likes you.. and i know you like him and i'm okay with that.. i think we should let him have sex with us.. at least once.” 

you continued thinking, “i mean yeah i like sohee, but i don't know if i like him like that.. a- and how long has he liked me?” you were sort of struggling to wrap your head around the whole thing, the idea of sohee liking you as more than a friend never crossing your mind. 

“the same amount of time i've liked you, we both wanted you originally.. i just ended up being the one to make it official.” you frowned a little at this, suddenly feeling bad for sohee. you don't know if it was pity or if you really wanted this but something in you wanted to say yes to the whole idea. 

you weren't vanilla by any means when it came to sex but bringing one of anton's close friends into your bed was a little daunting, the idea of being the reason to ruin their friendship scared you. anton contrasted from you, he had a very calm demeanor about the whole thing, this both intrigued and intimidated you. 

“okay, we can do it..” you looked up at anton from where you sat, watching his eyes light up. he placed a large hand on the back of your head, just his gaze made you feel small. with his other hand he hooked a finger under your chin to tilt your head upward, leaning down to place a kiss on your lips. his kisses alone could take your breath away.

when you first got with anton he was nothing like this. he was shy, awkward, and honestly just overall submissive to you but the more you got to know him and the more confident he got, his personality began to really come out. he's still like that sometimes but the way he kisses you, the way he carries himself at times, even the way he fucks you is so different.

you whimper under your breath, pulling away slowly moments later, your teeth tugging at your lip gently, “so when do you want to do this?” you gazed up at the boy, your arms wrapping around him as you wait for his response. 

“i'll bring him over.. we can kind of feel things out you know? maybe watch some movies and have some snacks beforehand?” you nod at this, a wave of nerves washing over you, “what if something goes wrong? like what if you and sohee aren't friends after this?” 

anton chuckles at you, his cocky demeanor making you press your legs together. “we're still friends after i got the girl he wanted, what makes you think he wouldn't want to be friends after this? i’m practically doing him a favor.”

you nod at this, it's somewhat true, but you didn't want to let it bother you, anton was relaxed about it and this was his friend after all so you were okay with it.

you'd never paid much attention to the way sohee interacted with you until now. the way his hands would pull away extra fast when you'd hand him things, the fear of accidentally touching you taking over him. you even noticed the way he stared at you when he thought you weren't looking, you'd caught him out of the corner of your eye a few times now. 

you brought a bowl of popcorn over to the coffee table that was in the middle of your living room. the tv was on, waiting for commands from the remote.

sohee sat alone on the couch to the side of the one you were on, the bottoms of his  feet facing the tv and he kept his eyes trained on the screen, or at least that's what he wanted you to think. you see him now though, zoned in at the way he stares at your leg that's poking out of the blanket or how he just stares at you while you reach for another handful of popcorn. 

you were sat in anton's lap, his back leaned against the arm of the couch while you laid on your side cuddling into his chest. you couldn't help the way your gaze wandered to sohee, curiosity flooding your mind. you'd never thought about him differently, he'd always just been anton's friend but you'd be lying if you said you still thought of him that way now. 

you wondered what he'd look like naked, how his lips would feel on yours, how it'd feel to have his and anton’s hands on you at the same time, the thought made you squirm slightly in your spot. 

“mind wandering?” you turned to anton with a smile, your head gently nodding. anton adjusted you in your spot, your back now flush to his chest. there was a small blanket lazily thrown across the two of you, the fabric covering your lap slightly. 

anton's hands were gentle on you, big but delicate. you weren't looking at the tv at all anymore, your mind focused on the feeling of anton's hands on your body. he drags his hands across your waist and hips, fingertips slightly sliding across the waistband of your shorts. 

he'd specially requested for you to wear this pair of shorts, it happened to be his favorite pair and apparently sohee's as well. the two of them seemed to have a lot more in common than you originally thought. anton also specially requested that you “forgot” to wear panties tonight. 

his hand easily dipped into your pants, two of his fingers falling to your wet hole. he firmly dragged two fingers up your cunt, wetting it fully in the process. you breathed out of your nose, your legs opening up more for him. 

his pointer and ring fingers push your lips apart, his middle finger lazily flicking your bud up and down. neither one of you faced the tv at this point, anton placed lazy kisses on your shoulder while you soaked up the pleasure. 

anton speaks in a barely audible murmur into your ear, your eyes slowly peeling open at the sound of his voice, “let's show you off, call for him baby.” 

you nod along with what he said, your mind already feeling foggy. he dips both fingers into your hole, his long slender fingers curving up into you, “s-sohee..” 

he visibly perks up at the sound of your voice, his body stiffening. he was trying so hard to mind his business, you and anton moving around was so hard to ignore. he suspected something was going on but the sound of the movie drowned out the slick noises of your pussy. 

anton moved the blanket off of your lap, his fingers thrusting in and out of you harder than before. “wanna come see the pussy you've been dreaming about?” anton's tone is dripping with lust and cockiness. he's smiling at sohee, his free hand moving to grab a handful of your breast. 

your hand grips onto the arm he's fucking into you with as you feel yourself getting closer, you squeeze your eyes shut, a string of moans escaping your lips. 

sohee's frozen where he's at, already embarrassingly hard all of this is too much, he can't believe what's unfolding in front of him. 

the sound of your moans as you cum on anton's hand catches sohee's attention, he admires your beautiful expression, the one he'd daydreamed about for so long. 

your breathing is ragged, your head leaning back on anton's shoulder as you catch your breath. he let's go of your breast and uses that hand to gently grip your throat, his lips peppering kisses on your cheek as he pulls his soaked fingers out of your shorts. 

he rubs the backs of his fingers against your lips, your mouth opening for him. he slides the pads of his fingers down your throat, leaning to your ear once again. “invite him over.. let him play with you.” 

you lift your head off his shoulder,, your shorts sticking to your slick. “wanna come over here? wanna sit by me?” you pat the spot in between your legs, almost like you're calling over a puppy. sohee hesitates, his eyes trained on you. 

you could tell sohee was a bit more like anton used to be, again, shy, timid, a little awkward, and definitely not as dominant as anton is now. 

sohee nods weakly, walking over to you, unable to look either of you in the eyes, especially not anton. he didn't expect for this to somehow be so humiliating for him. he sat in front of you, shivering when he felt your hand gently rub down his arm. this made you smile, “relax hee.. i don't bite.” 

sohee let out a shaky breath, his eyes finally meeting yours. you brought your hand up to his cheek, caressing it gently. anton stood up as you did this, his hands moving to your shoulders. when he moved you readjusted, one of your legs resting gently on sohee's lap. 

you could feel how hard he was under your leg, his breath hitching in his throat when you put the slightest bit of pressure on his cock. you noticed how small it was, especially in comparison to anton's but you thought that was so endearing, smiling at the idea. 

anton leaned down to your ear, his whispers tickling you slightly, “show him how you kiss me, how you make me feel good..” he places small nibbles and kisses from your ear down to your shoulder. you shut your eyes at this, a shiver falling down your spine. his firm hands grip onto your shoulders, lightly massaging them in his grasp. you sigh contently at the feeling of anton's hands on your body. 

you open your eyes again, they immediately meet sohee's pretty round orbs. “you alright if i kiss you?” you look down at his lips, suddenly noticing how pretty and soft they are. you smile and chuckle a little, noticing a few crumbs of popcorn on his lips. 

you cup his jaw in your hand, your thumb wiping away at the bits of popcorn. he wordlessly accepts your question, his head nuzzling into your grasp. you pull him in, the taste of salt spreading across your mouth when you swipe your tongue along sohee’s lip. you're quickly able to take control of the kiss, one of your hands moving to the back of his head. 

he pushes into the kiss, his body moving forward. sohee's desperate in the way that he kisses, the passion is definitely there. you can tell he's been waiting for this moment with the way he's carrying himself at this point. 

your hand snakes into the hair on the back of his head, your fingers taking hold of the strands there. you pull him away from you, a smile creeping into your face at the way he whines at the feeling of you tugging at his scalp as well as the loss of your lips. 

at this point you're more into this idea than you thought you'd be. you don't yet let go of sohee's hair, your gaze trailing up anton's body until you meet his eyes, his stare filled with satisfaction. 

“should i let him fuck me ton? don't you think he's waited so long, so patiently?” your gaze falls back on sohee, his eyes are unconsciously pleading for you. you let go of his hair, your hand caressing his face again. 

anton nods at you with a shrug, “i mean, he won't be able to fill you up like i do. his cock is so tiny, don't know if he'll even be able to make you cum.” you notice the smile that tugs at the corner of his lips, his smile widening at the sound of sohee’s sad whines. 

“be nice ton! i'm sure he can make me feel good anyways, it's not always about size, right hee?” the boy nods eagerly, another whine leaving him at the nickname you call him. “i- i can do it! can make you feel so good!” he's both shy and desperate in the way he speaks to you, you're getting impossibly wetter by the second. 

anton chuckles to himself again, his hands moving to readjust himself, he's so hard by this point but he's holding himself off. 

he gets behind you once again, his hands grabbing onto the bottom of your top. he pulls it over your head, leaving you with your bra on. he tosses your top onto the table, his eyes staring at sohee. 

sohee, although still fully dressed, feels naked under both of your gaze. he'd never seen anton have this look in his eyes before. he focuses back on you and the way you're laid out before him. 

“go on hee, take my shorts off.” your gaze is heavy on sohee, performance anxiety slowly trickling in. you cuddle back into anton, fingers intertwining with his as they rest on your chest, your legs open in front of sohee. 

with a shaky hand, sohee reaches for the waistband of your pants. he looks so cute right now, shyly moving your shorts down your body. you lift up to help him take them off your legs, the piece of clothing falling to the floor.

sohee bites his lip at the sight of your glistening pussy, swallowing hard as if his mouth was watering over it. “can i.. can i taste you first?” his voice is small and shy, but his fingertips run along your thigh, making you breath out a small moan. anton snorts at this, already knowing how it’ll play out. he leisurely runs his free hand up and down your body.

you nod eagerly at his question, your hole clenching around nothing. sohee notices this as he adjusts his position, laying on his stomach in front of you. luckily the couch is a little bit longer but one of sohee's legs still hangs off the couch, the other resting against the cushion but he doesn't mind. 

you think he looks a little silly but don't pay it much mind, finding him too pitiful to laugh. his thumb shyly runs up your slit, his big eyes looking into yours for a second. he smiles to himself, his excitement evident. 

although he asked to taste you, he actually wasn't too sure what to do, he tried to recall what he'd seen in porn videos but his mind was blank. anton noticed this and he smiled about it a little. 

“you don't even know what to do, huh?” anton knows sohee lacks experience, technically he’s not a virgin, he did have sex once before but it wasn’t much to talk about. sohee shakes his head, his facial expression making you pout at him. 

“do what feels right, me and ton will help you, okay?” you try to reassure him, giving him as much encouragement as you could. anton rolls his eyes slightly at the fact that he was volunteered but he agrees with you anyways. 

sohee musters up the courage to do something, his lips nibbling at the skin of your thigh gently. he places small kisses along your skin, his lips finally resting on your clit. you're full of anticipation, wondering what he'd do next.

a confused expression plays on your face, the movement sohee's doing with his mouth feels strange and unfamiliar. you try to decipher what doesn’t feel right, “think you’re using too much lip sohee, use your tongue.” 

he lifts his head again and nods, eager to learn from you. he sticks his tongue out, dragging it along your pussy, you suck in a breath at this, nodding to sohee. “there you go, such a good boy. anton struggled with this a bit too when we first got together.” your words encouraged sohee but were a bit of a blow to anton. sohee snickered quietly at this, noticing the way anton looked a little annoyed.

his nerves start to subside by this point, allowing him to think a little clearer. the tip of his tongue drew circles on your clit, earning a moan from you. your noises made him more confident, encouraging him to try new things. he sucks on your clit now, finding out what you like each time. 

“such a quick learner, sohee..” the soft praises that fell from your lips got him more riled up than before. you noticed his hips begin to rut into the couch as he ate you out. your hips rolled against his tongue, sohee’s whines vibrating against you. 

anton has his hands in your bra, his fingers playing with your nipples. “gonna cum y/n?” you moan in response to anton's question, your head nodding quickly. anton's fingers pinch at your sensitive buds, adding to the overall feeling. 

sohee humps the couch, his orgasm building up too quickly for him to keep up with. you moan out, your hips stuttering against his tongue. 

he slurps up your juices, his hips stilling too early as he cums in his pants. a frustrated sigh falls from sohee's lips as he accidentally ruins his own orgasm, still painfully hard. 

you sit up after this, eyes locking with sohee's, “want you to fuck me hee, wanna see what you got.” sohee's mind is cloudy, his body moving quicker than his mind can. he stands up off the couch, removing his shirt before running his hands through his hair. 

you move to help sohee out, your hands eagerly untying his pajama pants. when his pants fall down you're immediately met with the sight of his red, dripping, cock and it makes you smile up at him. 

“no underwear? must've been so eager..” you grab his length in your hand, the size easily fitting in your grasp. 

you look at it like you're investigating something, “did you cum in your pants baby?” sohee nods, suddenly feeling embarrassed again but you praise him instead, telling him how cute he is. 

you lay flat on your back now, inviting sohee between your legs again. anton is standing again, now removing his own clothes 

sohee hovers over you, one arm hooking under your leg. your hand caresses his cheek again, “fuck me pretty boy.” 

he presses into you, his hips quickly becoming flush with yours. he leans down on his elbow, his face close to yours as his hips begin to rut into yours. 

he wastes no time picking up a steady pace, his desperation taking over. his hips snap against you harshly, both of you moaning continuously.

you kiss sohee, eyes shutting tightly at the feeling of him. he's so caught up in the sensation, no thoughts in his mind right now. he feels his orgasm bud in his stomach, pulling away from the kiss. he nuzzled his face into your neck, his cum shooting into you.

“m’ sorry, so sorry!!” sohee's voice is apologetic and whiny as he speaks. you laugh quietly which catches sohee's attention, he slowly lifts his face to look at you. “it's okay, gorgeous, you're alright.” 

anton sighs, hand gently stroking his length in his grasp. he’s had enough of watching the two of you, this was his idea after all but the thought of you being left unsatisfied has him almost losing it. “let me show you how to really fuck her good.” 

he takes sohee’s place, positioning you with your ass in the air. its moments like this where you’re reminded how strong he is, the way he slightly lifts you by your hips. he spreads your pussy lips apart, the sight of sohee’s cum dripping out of you making his cock twitch.

“fuck..” anton’s big hands grip your ass cheeks firmly, just the feeling of his hands anywhere on your body makes you so needy. you reach for sohee, hands guiding him to the spot in front of you, where anton was sitting before. you grip onto sohee as you feel anton’s fingers dip into you again. sohee watches intently as anton pleases you.

the sound of your pussy rings in your ears, the slick squelching making excitement bubble in your stomach once again. anton rubs the tip of his cock against you, groaning at the feeling of you. he lines up with your opening, pressing his length into you. he slides in relatively easily because of how wet you are. you begin to feel full already, his full length not in you yet.

your hips push back on anton, moving side to side so he enters you fully. you moan at the feeling of him stretching you out. you lick your lips as you eye sohee’s smaller cock in front of you, red and leaking once again. your hand makes a fist on his length, pumping it once or twice in your grasp. sohee’s sensitive by this point, you can tell by the way his body shudders at the feeling of your hand on him.

anton's thrusts are rough and deep as he fucks into you, your body jolting forward with every hit. you muffle your moans on sohee's length, the tip of his cock tickling the back of your throat. 

sohee thrusts into your mouth as he chases his high, one hand in your hair, head thrown back in pleasure. 

your fingernails dig into the skin of sohee's hips as you feel anton repeatedly hit your sweet spot. anton smacks your ass persistently, the sting causing your eyes to roll back. 

you pull off of sohee's length, pumping him in your hand as you moan out. you come undone first, unable to catch your breath as anton continues thrusting into you. 

sohee cums next, his hand grasping onto your jaw so he can place your lips back on his tip, his cum shooting into your mouth. anton follows shortly after, his thrusts slowing down as you feel yourself being filled up once more. he slowly thrusts into you a few more times, his hands gripping you hard. 

when anton pulls out of you he admires your cunt, the sight of you dripping once again, this time with his cum makes him feel good. you hold sohee’s cum in your mouth, sitting up and turning to where they both can see you. anton loves to watch you swallow his seed so it only seems right for you to do it for the both of them. 

you open your mouth, showing the cum that pools on your tongue before you swallow it, sticking out your tongue to show them that you swallowed it. anton grins at you, kissing your cheek lovingly, “such a good girl.” 

sohee watches you, his feelings for you getting stronger, maybe he shouldn't have agreed to this after all, but he can’t go back now.

[c-u-c-koo-4-40k]

What Do I Know About You? Part 1

Tags: @bleedingichorhearts @sleepyfan-blog @bispecsual @angronsjewelbeetle @egrets-not-regrets

@passionofthesith @moodymisty @bispecsual-archived

Summary: Khopesh and Lullaby finally get to go on their first official date! But first some introductions are in order. Also this ended up being a HUGE fic (by my standards) that came from @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan and myself collarborating! As well as help and characters from @kit-williams . ENJOY!!! And some characters from @sleepyfan-blog

Warnings: Mild social anxiety, first time social interactions with what are essentially inlaws, some medical talk, discussions of boundaries.

Previous Chapter Here:

Next Chapter Here:

Very Beginning Here:

Khopesh Thing That Goes Prank in The Night: Excellent! I will see you soon!

Well…you suppose all you can do now is wait. And while you are waiting you might as well sit down. There's a mix of baseline and Astarte sized furniture scattered about the immediate area, to accommodate the mix of baselines and Astartes milling about.

Naturally, this included the chair you'd taken a picture of. But given how this was your first visit to an Astarte base, that didn't involve Trauma, it almost seemed…rude? In a bizarre way, like you would be committing a social faux pas.

By using a chair…that no one else was even attempting to use at the moment.

Yeah...your social anxiety was probably just punking you. And it Did look very comfortable…

But would it be More awkward to be an unaccompanied baseline, with no easily discernable Reason for being here? You probably look more awkward just standing around skimming through your phone, or glancing around while fearing making eye contact with anybody elsein the room.

Yep yep, best to sit down.

So you did. Took a bit of shuffling, and it was firmer than you expected. But nice, cozy. Felt kinda like sitting in a big lap. You relaxed and kicked back.

"Well well well…what have we here?" Wait no.

You glanced up, above you was a marine with pale silky blond hair and piercing eyes. He'd placed his bizarrely sharp looking hand atop the chair's back, and was regarding you with mirthful curiosity.

Much to your Horror, you just wanted to keep your head down and wait for your! date? squeeze? situationship partner? For Khopesh, to come get you, and not give a base full of enhanced super space soldiers Any Reason to be suspicious of you. (It was more like noticeable discomfort, and you've given no reason to anyone in this room to throw you out.)

Zaarius had been sent to replace the front desk Astarte at the local Chaos base that he lived at. To be the ‘greeting person’ for whoever comes into the base, so to speak. He spots a baseline human looking terribly nervous as they stare at one of the Astarte-sized chairs in the lobby room before eventually sitting down.

He heads over to them, it’s curious seeing a baseline human in the lobby of this base, especially as they seem to be unescorted, at least for now.

Perhaps they are newly bonded to a Chaos Marine? Either way he’s kind of bored and seeking hot gossip.

“Hello there!” Zaarius calls out cheerfully with a musical trill, making sure to approach in a manner that wouldn’t appear threatening, or trying to be at least. “It’s nice to meet you! I’m Zaarius, who’s your newly Bonded Marine?”

The question catches you off guard, so you fumble out a response, “Oh I'm…not Bonded to a Space Marine…it's more of a…Situationship?" You say with an anxious shrug.

‘Curiouser, and curiouser!’ Zaarius thinks to himself, they seem quite unsure to him.

He leans a bit closer with a mirthful but reassuring twinkle in his eye. “Oh little darling, do you really think you’re the first human to snag a space marine out of Bond-lock,” Zaarius says putting a hand over his hearts and doing a false swoon, even wriggling his eyebrows cheekily.

Now he's even more curious! So he asks, “So...what faction is your… special friend apart of?”

“…Why do you want to know that?” You ask, eyeing the Chaos Marine suspiciously.

“Because depending on who you managed to snag without a Bond, I’d be exceptionally impressed,” Zaarius says, very seriously and honestly.

“…What?” You manage to say, caught utterly flat footed by that statement.

“Oh yes! You see, you may not know this but…certain chapters are… they can be so…” Zaarius pauses as he struggles to find the word in Ancient Terran- at least the language this human speaks in, “Hrm… what is the local word for… rudely celibate?”

You can’t stop the laughter from bubbling up, also the half offended pouty expression Zaarius is making is hilarious. “Prudish?” You supply.

Zaarius nods, giving them a big smile, and a snaps his fingers. "That's the word, yes!"

You can’t stop the smile from spreading across your face. Okay. You were feeling a little bit of pride at that correct guess. “All those years of hangman finally paying off!”

“Pff, haha!” The Emperor’s child lets out his own laugh, it sounds rather posh to your ears, “Oh, you are very funny! I can see why your Friend likes you.”

He’s glad to have made you laugh, and that you seem to be more at ease. He can tell when a baseline human is not supposed to be here, they have a more furtive, skittishness. Also, they don’t stay in the lobby, and tend to be found in places they aren’t supposed to be, or going near places they aren’t supposed to go.

“…Ah…Yeah…” At least you Hoped that Khopesh liked you for that. More than just being something soft to work over and fuck.

“I was wondering something!” Zaarius says, trying again, slyly to get more information out of this darling little human about their Space Marine Friend. “What … chapter is he from? What colors are his armor? I might know him or at least know of him. Also- if you have questions about certain things… I can try to answer them to the best of my ability. Unless I can’t, then I’ll tell you that, of course.”

‘Well… fuck it. What have you got to lose?’ You think to yourself. You lick your lips a little and take a quick breath, “He’s a Night Lord- and he’s also my neighbor. He’s… not mine… not really.”

“Oh?” Zaarius asks, tilting his head a little, “Night Lords tend to be Independent. You don’t have to have to be Bonded to have a spark.”

He looks over this human again, that’s the second time you'd remarked that they aren’t Bonded-bonded to their situationship of a Space Marine. He scans you over more carefully, searching to see something in your form or self, to see if… this is a willing relationship on the part of the human. Night Lords can be… pushy.

He focuses once more when you speak, “I guess that’s true… and I do like him. He seems like me too… I guess I’m a bit unsure, is all. Things Kinda happened… Really Fast.”

“Night Lords are Intense,” Zaarius agrees with a nod, “They can be aggressive and if they decide someone is worth… catching. They will do all that they can to keep and possess that person as theirs.” He doesn’t continue with the common adage among the Astartes that, Night Lords, if and when they grow bored or find someone, or something else shinier, newer, or more fun to play with, tend to discard their old toys or break them. Usually.

Zaarius hears your heart rate pick up. Smells the beading of sweat and other stress hormones. That and he could see you biting your lip. Chewing your next words before they came out of your mouth perhaps?

"I don't mind being worth catching" You stated, fidgeting a bit. "But I think what scares me is I don't know how long I'll be deemed so."

"Or worse...if he'd be willing to let me go." You fidget a little, glancing at him, then at your hands.

You turned to the Emperor's child and looked into his eyes. "Can you spare me some advice? Like if you were in my shoes…what would you do?"

Zaarius straightens up and sits down on the floor, even as he internally winces at getting his nice clothes a bit dirty. "You need to talk to him. Boundaries-the setting of them. Tell him what you want out of the relationship… Be brave- and I know that can be hard, and ask him what he wants out of the relationship." He gestures with his hands, as he speaks more earnestly, honestly, and wanting to help this human.

Relationships of any kind, Bonded and especially Not-Bonded can be messy tricky affairs that have to be navigated carefully and with much communication and discussion. "We Astartes… aren't used

to many kinds of relationships. Talk to him, no matter how hard it is. Bring a friend- if you feel unsafe doing so alone. If you feel you need a neutral third party…. Apothecary Hura is a great option, I tend to annoy the fuck out of others for some reason."

“Whaaa? Annoying? You? Pffft naww~” Lullaby says playfully, “But Thank you, and… you’re right."

Zaarius nods before he says with a serious tone, "if he blows you off about it- then he's not worth your time and tears. Ask others for help if he's being a little shit." Zaarius says, "Again- Apothecary Hura is great for that sort of thing…and Don't worry, I assure you he'd be Happy to help."

"I Am gonna give it a shot." You say, now feeling a bit more at ease. "But! I Still don't think I should go pullin Doc Hura away from his job just to play referee for my communication issues. He's got enough on his plate as is, he doesn't need my brain issues on top of that."

“Oh?” Zaarius asks, gently prompting you as he tilts his head to the side. "You've met him then?"

"Yep, Got checked out by him about…a year-year and a half or so back. General follow up stuff." You explained waving your hand for emphasis.

Zaarius watches you carefully. Tilting his head a little with a concerned frown, "have you seen an Apothecary for the brain issue? What about a Chaplain? Or a Librairius?"

You were puzzled, then realized. "Oh no no no it's not a physical brain problem it's just. Stress. Anxiety." Those Are legitmate brain issues just not ones you felt you should bother Doc Hura with. Also you weren't sure Astarte therapists would understand your particular brand of trauma bred mental illness. "But regardless he and the others told me I didn't have any major physical issues from the attac-"

You clammed up and shut up, panicking and realizing you almost made a Huge mistake. Shit! Shit shit shit shit shit. WHY did they have to get so comfortable so fast. Now you've Really set your foot in it.

"… I can listen if you want to talk," Zaarius says gently, "or if you don't want to talk about it, that is also fine." Zaarius watches this human, noticing how panicked they'd become with concern. He'd heard that something had happened which had set certain people all a tizzy a while ago. Something about- well, no one would say, but it had gotten Loyalists and Chaos Marines to work together a lot more. Which meant it was bad.

"Accident." Zaarius took a moment to break from his thoughts. You're less panicked now. But distinctly more closed off. "It was a bad Accident. Apothecary Hura and the others helped with my recovery." You stated simply. Not a lie. Not the whole truth. You took a deep breath. "I appreciate your concern but…I should put the matter behind me. It's…for the best."

You didn't fully believe that; Zaarius could tell. But he wasn't going to try and force an answer.

You put your hands in your pockets. "I think I would like to

say Hi to Doc Hura…if he's here." You say eventually. "He's good friends with a Death Guard that visits my farm often, Xerxes. They, All the neighborhood marines honestly, were really kind. Helped me a lot."

“He’s around today,” Zaarius says, “He’s got his cane Corso puppy with him… Although the puppy isn’t likely to hurt you though.”

You balked a bit. "Like a service animal you mean?"

Zarrius thought your confusion was quite endearing, shaking his head and little chuckling softly. "Not quite. If you'd like, I could show you the way."

You considered it. "I'd take you up on that. But…I'd rather not leave when someone is coming Here to meet me." For however much good advice he gave and warm he seemed…They didn't feel comfortable following him to some unknown place. You'd been burned by being too naive before.

"Makes sense- I can send Hura a message and he can come here if you prefer," Zaarius says. Smart human- not wanting to go to a secondary location with a strange chaos marine. Also, less Warp Blind, from the way that they are reacting. A most curious individual.

"I'd appreciate that too. Only if its not too much trouble though!" You added quickly. "Also I'm kinda surprised Khopesh hasn't shown up by now…"

A concerned frown formed on his Zaarius's face,"…Khopesh?” Zaarius says, “You're talking about the Night Lord Khopesh- is he-”

"Hey watch where you're goin!" They both hear, turning towards the sort of the noise.

"Fucking Running bastard!" Karlsor snarls out.

"Hey Ouch!" A chorus of yells echoed down the halls fading in with the sound of thumping foot treads then SLAM! A door near the reception desk flew open causing the baseline receptionist to jump and papers to fly.

"LULLABY!" Khopesh cheered happily upon seeing you; hands still gripping the door frame he'd just burst through.

You blinked incredulously. Quite an entrance. But you still raised an arm and waved. "Hiii Khopesh." The gesture was a little nervous and embarassed, but the greeting was still genuine. And it still made your Night Lord’s trademark sharp grin split his face. Oh shit. "Khopesh wait-!"

There was a blur, and then you were being swooped up into a familiar set of pale blue veined arms and spun around in a Vice-like hug. "WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH! Oof!"

Zaarius's frown becomes more pronounced, the worry growing in his eyes and face as he taps away at his vox. Preparing to send messages to both Anrir and Hura about this situation. From what he’d gathered from the baseline human and which little cousin is part of the situationship.

The solid wall of muscle you collided with vibrated with purrs. "I am so overjoyed to see you once again!" He crooned, nuzzling you sweetly.

"You saw me this morning." Lullaby supplied. Still a bit winded from the sudden movement.

"Ir-relevant!" Khopesh replied happily.

Zaarius relaxes, but only a little bit, Khopesh is a prankish twat, but he’s not a monster. But, he’s still a little concerned, with how rough Khopesh is. He knows that Khopesh is on the younger side for an Astartes- but he should know that humans can be fragile, even with affection. He also knows that Night Lords play rough- but the idiot needs to dial it back!

But the little shit likely won’t listen to Him. He glances up from his vox and continues to watch the scene in front of him, monitoring the situation, his muscles relaxed, like a tiger ready to pounce into action.

“For the love of all things holy I'm happy to see you but could you stop! Manhandling me!" They asked, with actually a bit of sharpness in their voice as they pushed back a little bit against the Nightlord. It was more like a kitten pushing back against getting an unwanted bath than a display of true disgust at the situation.

It was charming in Zaarius's opinion, but still there was that concern. He remembers the words they said, and what he knows of Night Lords, over his long, long life time with the fuckers. Of being discarded…or not being Allowed to be discarded. Both could occur with the mercurial nature of Night Lords (Astartes in general really).

Khopesh especially could be…easily distracted. Latching onto a new lead or fascination. It made him a good hunter and interrogator, pickingup on small things and following them.

Was this human just another mystery that had caught his fancy? And what happened when that fancy had run its course? Or worse…what if Khopesh decided his little rag doll shouldn't Ever be allowed to play with anyone else.

[Anrir, come get your gremlin. He’s worrying me.] Zaarius sends. He’s not one to lightly pull that card, and he means it when he sends such a message. Zaarius looks down at the soft chime from his vox.

It’s from Anrir, who replies back with [Which Gremlin I have many /many/ gremlins]

[Khopesh] Zaarius responds with. [Khopesh needs lessons on gentleness and Listening to humans.]

Zaarius can Feel the tired sigh in Anrir’s vox text message at the response [What did he do?]

Meanwhile, you were losing patience. You Did honestly like the affection, but this was ridiculous! "I Mean It!" You insisted. Still pushing him back and wriggling. Khopesh actually had the nerve to Giggle at your attempts.

But…he did eventually humor you with an, "Oh~ Very well~"

Zaarius watches this still frowning. Hm… The youngster Did listen, but should have listened sooner. Teasing is well and good, but that was a boundary that the human had put up, and he’d pushed it a bit.

"Thank you!" Lullaby huffed and then hissed feeling the sore side flare up again.

Khopesh took note of that. "Are you unwell?" He asked, more concern coming into his voice than the smugness that was there before.

"I'm Fine. Just still sore from you Know…" Lullaby motioned vaguely in his direction.

They could see the gears turning but instead of a light bulb his look just stayed confused. "Wait…why would you be sore?"

You looked at him with true bafflement. "Because of what we Did last night??"

"How would copulation make you sore?" Khopesh asked.

Zaarius can’t stop himself from face palming at that, “Humans, baseline humans are slower to Heal.” He groans.

"Don't just say it out loud!" You hissed frantically gesturing to Khopesh to keep his voice down. "And how are You?? Not Sore?? You did most of the work last night!"

"But it is a Normal act. And it doesn't burn like training or fighting? Why would I be sore from something that does not strain me?" Khopesh asked, obliging in keeping his voice down, despite his still present confusion.

"Sweet mother of mercy." You muttered, utterly lost for words. And Zaarius seemed much in the same boat.

Zaarius shakes his head in disbelief, "Younger Astartes, how are you so energetic? Or is it because you are a Night Lord"

"Not…certain…" Khopesh replied. "But…you Are okay aren't you Lullaby?" He asked suddenly, more concerned. Then he freezes. "Were you…trying to hide your pain from me again?"

Oh fuck.

"N-no! I didn't tell you because I didn't realize you had no idea about how doing the bedroom two step affects baselines…" You assured him. "Plus…with all the farm work I've got a high tolerance for muscle pain. I thought I could just push through it but…getting picked up and swung around didn't help it. If you understand me?"

"…oh…" Khopesh replied, suddenly sheepish.

"And…you seemed so happy for us to finally have a first date so I…I tried to just power through it…" You explain, nervously rubbing their upper arm, "Even if it wasn't intentional. I'm sorry I didn't explain how I was feeling to you."

Khopesh doesn't respond immediately, seemingly trying to think of his next words. Zaarius looks up when he hears the familiar stomp of ceramite glad boots and gives a charming smile when he sees who's finally arrived, “Hello there Apothecary Anrir!”

"Zaarius," Anrir greets Zaarius, before turning his attention of his present gremlin. “Be more gentle with your Human, Khopesh,” Anrir comes over and gives Khopesh a look and lightly smacking the younger Night Lord on the back of the head. In Nostraman he hisses out the words, “Do you handle your Vada and Muti like this?”

That seems to get Khopesh's words in order "I Wasn't Trying to be-!…not gentle…." He says, clearly somewhat hesitant.

“I can help teach you restraint,” Zaarius offers to Khopesh, honestly, “And I could use more hands when making food.”

Anrir seems satisfied with his answer before turning his dark eyes onto You.

You feel a shiver go up their spine, as the older and clearly Much more Dangerous apothecary regards you. A beat passes, and he almost seems to be…studying you? You can't be certain. But before you can think of asking, a surprisingly warm smile comes to his face.

"Am I correct to assume that You are the one my son Khopesh calls Lullaby?" The old marine asks smoothly.

Now surprisingly warm, for a Night Lord, doesn't have a high bar, but you did feel calmer. "Ah yessir!" You reply quickly. "That's me. It's nice to meet you." As you finish speaking, you hold out a hand out for a handshake.

Anrir reaches out carefully, engulfing Lullaby’s hand with his extremely easily.

Zaarius is still watching the situation, and looks down at his vox, he has a message from Hura. [On my way, Cedric’s in tow. Try not to rile the youngling up too much.]

Zaarius makes a face and sends a message back. [if the brat wouldn’t start it, I wouldn’t continue!]

[Who’s older?] Is the response.

[Me.] He responds sullenly.

[Then. Behave. Or else.] Hura responds.

[I’ll try.] Zaarius responds.

There are more ceramite boots on the floor as Hura comes into view, a younger space marine in black and white astarte sized scrubs a couple of footsteps behind him.

“Ah Hallo my dear!” Hura says warmly to the baseline human as he recognizes one of his…long term patients. The memories of how he’d met them come back to him swiftly. "How is the neck pain if you do not mind me asking? It hasn't troubled you further right?"

"Well if it isn't the good Doctor?" You give a cheerful wave to the large Death Guard. Ironic to owe your life to not just one but Two death guards. "And I'm doing well," You replied, not wanting to get into it more than that. But another amusing idea did to mind. "Only pain in the neck I have right now is This one." You remarked cheekily, gesturing to Khopesh who was still getting Mildly chastised by Anrir.

"Hey!" Khopesh protested.

"Is it a lie though?" You replied, looking up to him with a not at all sorry expression.

Khopesh opened his mouth…then closed it with a mild grumble.

"Pfft HA! Hahaha!" Hura let out a jovial belly laugh, even Slapping his knee like a grandpa. Anrir doesn't laugh but Does seems mildly amused.

"You actually managed to make Khopesh speechless," Anrir mused with a chuckle. "Don't tell Karlsor, he'll want them for himself."

"!" Oh…there's a different look on Khopesh's face now. "As is I'd Ever allow that!" Khopesh growled. That sounded like it was…mostly a joke…you hoped.

Meanwhile, Cedric was also watching what was happening, noticing Zaarius the younger space Marine stomps over to the Chaos Emperor’s child with an angry scowl on his face as he starts to try and growl at the older marine.

Something clicks in your mind when seeing the odd interaction between Zaarius and this…Familiar looking newcomer? While from what you remember he wasn’t involved with your care, you had seen Cedric around Hura a lot. You remember meeting Cedric at least once before.

"I think I know who the Cane Corso is now." They say quietly to Khopesh who's still looking a Little out of sorts. Khopesh looks at you, then at the barking baby apothecary and he does crack a half grin at that. You give one in return, before reaching for his hand and taking it in yours. "I Am really happy to see you And meet your family."

A slight blush rises on his face. "And I'm sorry I got kinda snarly, just next time, maybe Ask before you pick me up and spin me

around like a discus."

Khopesh chuckles quietly. "I will keep that in mind." He looks away, but he's still grinning as a surprisingly large group forms.

Claude watches his brother growl at Zaarius and heads over to the Very Important Human, at least in regards to Khopesh. He rubs one of his hands against his armor, trying to dry his hands. He’s…nervous. He wants to make a good first impression on them. Khopesh has talked about this human a lot.

“Hello,” Claude says shyly to Lullaby, after Anrir finishes his greetings and…mild interrogation of Lullaby. “My name is Claude, I have heard a lot about you from Khopesh. He lo- really cares for you a lot.”

You feel your own blush creep over your skin. Before clearing your thoughts and throat with a quick "Ahem! I'm very glad to be meeting all ya'll, Khopesh mentioned I'd be meeting a few brothers when I came here…guess I just didn't expect this much of a turnout." You explain wryly. You reach out your free hand. And Claude just looks at it.

Khopesh giggles a bit at his brother's bewilderment. Before reminding him. "You're supposed to Shake it Claudy…" Khopesh says teasingly, and honestly at the same time laughs a little at his sometimes silly younger brother. Claude’s entire face starts to turn bright red and his eye colors change and shift a little.

"Oh! Right, my apologies!"

You give him a smile and say reassuringly as he reaches for your hand. "No worries, I'd forget my own head if it wasn't-"

ZAP!

"OUCH!' Damn static electricity!

Claude recoils at your yelp and Khopesh takes your hand (firmly but gently) searching it for damage. He flails a little- fuck- that wasn’t.

He hadn’t meant to hurt them. How did that happen? Anrir, Hura, and Cedric, hearing the yelp turn towards the source of distress.

"I'm so sorry! I - I don't-" Claude stammers, you're quick to pipe up.

"No! No sweetie its not your fault its just static electricity. It happens sometimes." You explains, trying to reassure the almost nine foot tall space soldier that he hadn't harmed you.

Claude had stepped several feet away, eyes wide in alarm, calming down a little at your words as he kept his hands up and away, tucked into his chest. Karlsor had almost teleported to Claude’s side, lightly poking at the younger Psyker to see if his powers accidentally flared or something.

Cedric comes over and says, “Hello Mx. Lullaby, may I see your hand?”

He accidentally blocks Lullaby and Khopesh view of Claude. Cedric will ask his brother about what ever the hell that was after this situation was dealt with. He’s seen just how difficult and tiring it was for his more witch-y brothers to use their powers. Cedric knows that Claude wouldn’t use his powers frivolously, nor would he deliberately harm baseline humans, not without due cause. Especially humans that are considered Important to their brothers and cousins.

Cedric Also knows what Claude looks like just before he’s about to lose control of his powers- and has helped him with an episode or several. Claude hadn’t shown any signs or slips in control. He’ll have to check up on his brother later.

"N-no I-" Claude is still frazzled and seems to not know what to say. Before the other Night Lord wearing sunglasses puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe you should go calm down." He insists the still frazzled marine. He turns away with Claude, leading him out of the lobby.

You felt your shoulders dip with disappointment. -It wasn't your fault- “…I’m so sorry,” You stated as Cedric looks over your undamaged hand, “Is he gonna be okay?” You ask turning to Khopesh, who’s still grasping your other hand,a bit tighter than before. ‘All of this for some static?? Claude must have some heavy social anxiety.’ You think to yourself shaking your head a little.

“He will be okay.” Cedric says, glancing at Khopesh, then around the room, “My brother will be fine. I am glad that you are uninjured and that it was just…a random spark.”

Khopesh seemed equally confused by what had occurred. But he smiled. "Claudy can get overwhelmed sometimes." He assured, he hesitated for a moment, before adjusting how his hand is holding yours so he can run his large cool fingers over your knuckles. "But he's got us! So we'll make sure he's okay and you two can become friends another time!" He said cheerfully.

You felt your heart melt a little. "You're a good big brother." You said. "He's lucky to have you. All of you honestly. Ya'll seem like a tight knit bunch."

Khopesh seemed moved by your compliment. He smiled, closed mouth for once but the blush was still there. You kinda wanted to kiss those red cheeks and the cute little bit of fang that remained exposed but! Introductions and re-introductions were still going at the pop up family function you ended up coming to.

“He is lucky to have us,” Khopesh says with a nod.

“We tend to be close to those we cherish,” Cedric says with a nod and a small smile. He’s glad that Lullaby was uninjured. He wonders what that was about- Claude’s not accidentally zapped someone since he had first started learning control of his powers. He’s trying to remember when such a thing has happened.

A thought occurs to him and he looks at the human Khopesh calls Lullaby more closely. “I want you to meet Jophie- he’s another one of my brother-cousins. He’s a Blood Angel.”

"Another brother?" You asks with only a little fatigue, mostly playing said fatigue as a joke. You weren't antisocial, dare you say you could be the extroverted life of the party in the right circumstances! But this was a Bit much for short notice. Still! You Must Soldier on! Everyone was so Nice and even if you were Kinda hungry you could tough it out.

‘No…'

'No, that's not right and you Know it.' You thought to yourself glancing to both Khopesh And Zaarius who shifts a little as he talks to Hura. 'You need to be Honest.’

So you take a deep breath and square your shoulders before addressing Cedric. "I'd be happy to meet your brother Jophiel! But after that I'm gonna need to hunt up some food. I Was supposed to be treating This one to dinner after all." You remark towards Khopesh, poking him lightly.

“Oh! We should take a break for dinner.” Khopesh says jolting a little guiltily. “Then we can come back later to say hi to more people if you want?”

You smile and nod. "That sounds like a Fine idea."

Cedric nods at that as well, “Don't worry Jophi’s really friendly and gregarious, this shouldn't take long.” And a psyker, not that he’s going to tell the human that.

Some of the times when Claude had zapped someone, had been when he'd accidentally touched some of their fellow aspirants who were also psykers. Even if their psychery was barely apparent or latent, he remembers the tussles they got into when a sudden zap got sent in either direction.

But- the Warp was so slow on Ancient Terra- and there hadn’t been signs of Psykery in the baseline populace, it was something that the Astartes were monitoring and watching for very closely.

Cedric sent Jophie a message- and gets one back in record time.

Jophiel was nearby anyways, so he comes in and swans over with a charming smile and sparkly mahogany-red eyes. “Hello! I’m Jophiel,” The angelic looking space marine says as he looks you over.

Well today just Keeps getting more wild. But really of all things? Angel wings on a Space Marine shouldn't surprise you this much. And my God he is Unnaturally pretty. You meant it too, Unnaturally pretty, even amongst space marines, and it makes you a bit uncomfortable.

But you push that aside, he's close with Cedric and Claude so you should be polite. "Ah hello there!" You greet moving your hand to shake the one offered by Jophiel.

Unbenknwost to you, the Blood Angel is following through on the instructions given to him over Cedric's vox. He carefully pulls on his psychery sight so he can get a better idea of what he's dealing with, regarding the human in front of him.

But…What he sees doesn’t make sense.

He sees the remnants of a Bond, but Instead of withered and dead plant vines and flowers…Instead they look like…like… Dammit what is the common tongue word for it?!

Jophiel Knows the Look of the bond, And what he feels is Wrong. A bond broken so long ago should be gone, and a dying bond wouldn't have so many…roots?

A regular bond in any state also shouldn't carry a shadow of…decay? Not Right. Not Right. But he doesn't know how to describe what he sees? He Knows he's seen something like this before…

In one of Hura's biology books he's Sure…What Was It Called!? Slime Moldings? Fungi Colonies?…Closer but no no…

That's when he turns his warp sight to the hand shake still taking place. And Jophiel notices the 'roots' again, spreading and flickering in a branching ring like structure, even seeming to reach Towards his hand. He tamps down on his panic and focuses on the feeling that reminds him of dampness and mildew.

It makes him think about…Mushrooms. Jophiel's eyes light up with the realization.

Mycelium! The bond Looks and even somehow Feels like a Mycelium Network! And much like a mycelium network feeds in nature he feels his powers being slowly siphoned by the fibers now creeping over his hand. Jophiel immediately, removes his hand he had used to shake Lullaby’s and rubs it with his other.

Before anyone can comment on his sudden removal (he did his best to stay calm but he couldn't help but move just Slightly too fast.) he speaks up.

“It was nice to meet you, Mx. Lullaby…I’m going to go find Claude.” Jophiel says to Khopesh and Lullaby, glancing over at Cedric, “Care to join me Cedric?”

He's trying Very hard to keep calm, his wings giving him away, to those that know him. The way they twitch and flare, his feathers fluffing as he closes his wings.

The smile he gives to you, now that he has Seen the creeping mushrooms and rot, and the taste of Psykery developing within them is still polite, but he has a flash of sharpened canines. And that causes Cedric to almost jolt, Jophie hates showing off his teeth to baselines, they can be so weird about it. Not unless there was something about them that he deemed Dangerous. Fuck.

“Sure, let’s make sure Cladue’s alright,” Cedric says, “… Karlsor can be a bit harsh at times.”

Jophiel nods at that, “Yup- lets go make sure that Cladue’s not… overwhelmed.”

The pair of younger space marines say their goodbyes to Khopesh and you, and proceed out of the lobby the same way Claude and Karlsor had gone.

Well…aside from a longer than average handshake you figured that wasn't a Bad introduction…you hoped. "Ah…I didn't do anything wrong right?"

Khopesh looked after the path the Primaris had taken, he seemed deep in thought, but he did turn his attention back to you. "Oh, no need to worry Lullaby." The Nightlord cooed. "My little brothers can be a bit…awkward. They'll warm up to you soon," Khopesh reassured. "Besides…I believe You promised me dinnerdid you not?"

You felt you stomach rumble a bit. "That I did…maybe I can give him and the others a quick hello after dinner but before heading home?What're you in the mood for?" You asked, now in a far better mood.

"Well I am Always in the mood for You." Khopesh says smoothly, leaning down to Nuzzle the top of your head sweetly.

FWOOSH! And a Whole new blush spread like a gas fire over your skin. "Ap! You Hush!" You reply with no real bite, trying to focus on finding food and cooling your cheeks. "Besides you're not allowed to Eat me in That way, and I'm hungry. So tell me what you'd like or I'm running there without you."

"You Wouldn't,” he says with a mock gasp of betrayal.

"I Would." You say with a smirk

"I'd catch you." Khopesh retorts with a cheeky grin.

"I'll bite you." You threaten him teasingly

"Don't threaten me with a good time Lullaby." Khopesh growls playfully.

Anrir took notice of their back and forth. 'Ah young love Indeed' he thought shaking his heead fondly and approaching the two of them. "Khopesh, why not take your Lullaby to the Fire Drake Noodle House? It's quite close by, and they have many options for both Astartes And Baselines."

You and Khopesh took a moment to consider. "I could go for noodles." You say.

"That sounds quite delicious. Thank you Anrir!" Khopesh replied.

Anrir smiled before turning to Khopesh and switching to Nostraman. "Here," He states pulling his Astarte sized cell phone out, tapping a few things quickly. A ping came in on Khopesh's and he glanced at it. Anrir had sent him some currency digitally.

"Anrir…you don't have to-" Khopesh began to protest. But Anrir responded by holding up one pale unmarked hand.

"Let this old man treat his son and his special one to a meal. You wouldn't deny me that would you Khopesh?" Anrir asked, putting on his Best guilt tripping parent face.

Khopesh crumbled, though he really didn't feel That opposed to be fully honest. "Very well."

Anrir nodded. "Good…treat them to something nice there." He stated, still in Nostraman before turning his attention to You. "I hope you both enjoy your shared meal." He explained now back in the common language.

You were a bit left out of sorts by that exchange but you replied promptly and politely. "Ah of course, thank you."

Anrir smiled. "I do hope you'll come visit us again soon."

You raised an eyebrow. "Would right after dinner be soon enough? Or Too soon?" You asked with a clear attempt at humor.

Anrir chuckled a little at that, and it seemed like he was about to say something else, until another ping came over his vox. He glanced at it before his next statement.

"I have some other duties that require my attention. Excuse me." He strode with purpose out the Same door Claude and the other taller Marine's had been ushered through.

You and Khopesh watched for a moment as he left, before turning your attention back to finding directions to the Fire Drake Noodle House and proceeding out of the base to find it.

Meanwhile…

Karlsor had dragged him out of the lobby and to a side corridor to continue speaking, and to have them out of the view of so many eyes. He knows how jumpy Claude can be in a room full of people at times.

"I don't know! It just-" Claude replies stammering- he hadn’t been using Psykery, hadn’t been pulling on his power, not deliberately or subconsciously.

"You Know better than to go pulling up your psychery willy fuckin nilly!" Karlsor hisses at him quietly

"I didn't Mean to! It just happened!" Claude protests, shaking his head, “I didn’t intentionally pull on my powers.”

"Be fucking honest with me Claude!" Karlsor replies, shaking his shoulders roughly.

"I AM! I wasn't even Trying to do that!" Claude whispered back.

Karlsor could tell the Primaris was being honest. But that…what just happened made no sense. Karlsor's mind thought back to Anrir's and his previous

conversation. "Okay Listen. I believe you, go tell Anrir what happened, Alright?" Karlsor says seriously.

Claude nods and assures Karlsor that he will. He sends Anrir a vox, relieved that his Claw leader makes his way out of the lobby as Khopesh and Lullaby leave to go their own way.

[ohwormwood]

random thoughts i have while playing isat pt. 7

[woe, spoilers be upon ye!]

opened the game and immediately went "im gonna make odile question my sanity!!!" but of course when i enter the house Siffrin decides to turn the scripted tutorial enemy into bean paste and ruins the run--

anyways. this panel will haunt me

i. i dont even know how but. I beat the king without him ever getting a chance to make his first attack. i just kept spamming slow and two jackpots later he was dead. i didn't even knoiw that was possible.

after a bit of fucking around i decided that i was gonna move on to act 5 and promptly burst into tears

update: i accidentally posted this too early dont look at me

sat and cried through the entirety of the party's interactions in act 5

screaming crying throwing up

even the king took one look at this dude and was like "are you good man like, you can take a rest before we do this you're literally about to topple over"

that post where odile says the oven copypasta during the mal du pays scene has permanently altered my brain and i literally laughed out loud when this line appeared

i haven't talked about it before but. a while ago i made a concept for a game based off the backrooms and omori, and odile talking about someone who is forgotten may not exist is the basis for the entire game's plot, it makes me want to go back and flesh it out a bit more!!!

i am deadset on the idea of making an edit with mirabelle's reflection craft but it's an uno reverse card

simultaneously in my brain: an edit where the sound mirabelle's reflection craft makes is the metal pipe meme

i am. such a fucking sucker for sickfics. i cannot get enough of them. act 5 has enough sickfic tropes to make a million spinoff fics on its own, it brings me life and i love it dearly

wailing

this line sends me into orbit every time i see it

odile attacking siffrin. hurts so, so so badly on an emotional level for me. Because like??? i get it. i get it and it sucks and she obviously doesn't want to, but she's scared. But siffrin is even more scared in that moment, and the immediate association of that pain with being hated by odile hurts me so much.

YEAHHHH ODILE GIRLBOSS SUPREME

they're so soft and squishy and cute in this image i c a n t

incoherent WAILING. this. this image. this image just about broke me. THEYRE SO HAPPY and RELIEVED, IT HURTS,,,

the tone shift to talking to the party afterwords is still so funny to me HJBDFBSBFH like lookit him. hes so smol. so silly.

we're kidnapping bonnie guys it's official

my honest reaction to this line: LESBIANS??????

and then she hits me with:

AND I LOST IT

more silly guy siffrin,,,,, my favorite

aaaa aAAAAAAAAAAA

ISABEAU'S SPRITE CHANGING TO BE DOING A HAPPY DANCE AFTER THE CONFESSION IS SOOOOO CUTE WAAA

bonnie and odile clapping for isabeau confessing will never not be funny but ALSO it implies the bonnie knew about Isa's crush. and i for one personally believe that they picked up on it from Odile's relentless teasing of Isabeau as the #1 Isafrin shipper

mirabelle: wait you had a crush on sif?????? and i didn't know????

my roommate, who is ace: this is the aroace experience for real,,,

literally all of the second interactions with Isabeau had me and my roommate SCREAMING

HOWLING LAUGHING

OK I NEVER KNEW???? THAT SIFFRIN TOLD ISABEAU ABOUT THE BAD TOUCH EVENT?????? IN CANON???? I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS A FANON THING BUT THEY ACTUALLY ADDRESS IT IN GAME AND???? ISA'S REACTION HAD ME ON THE FLOOR

siffrin: i kissed you once,,,,

isa:

the words "im being perfectly normal about this" is something i say on a daily basis so i relate to this wholeheartedly

AYO???????? ISA WHEN DID YOU BECOME SO SMOOTH????

this. this image. made my jaw hit the GODDAMN FLOOR. I WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED FOR IT AT ALL AND BOTH ME AND MY ROOMMATE S C R E A M E D WHEN WE SAW IT

LIKE???? HOLY FUCK SIF JESUSSSSSSSSSSS CHRIST???? how did isabeau not implode on the spot from that look bro howwwwwwwwwww

AND THEN. AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH TO MAKE MY HEART START SOBBING. ISA BLOWS YOU A KISS???? AAAA???

annnnd scene!

i will continue playing to get some of the different loop endings and i totally plan on doing two hats in the future!!! so im not quite done with this game yet i just got impatient in act 4 and i needed the Emotional Catharsis of Act 5

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for writing fanfics shipping two characters from a TTRPG campaign?

submitted: 1/25/24

this feels like a complete non-issue, but oh my god am i anxious. please dont be mean. everyone in the story (including characters) are adults. many unimportant details omitted bc the gm is on tumblr and if he saw this i think i would turn into dirt.

im in an online campaign and we've been playing for a couple months. my character has become my Actual Son and i love thinking about him all the time. the other night, me and two other players were chatting in a channel on the discord about our characters. it was simple things like how our characters view each other, and it was all in good fun.

we were analyzing one of the characters because their player (O) made a playlist based off their life, and the other player (B) joked about my character and playlist character being involved romantically. it was silly and the O said anyone was welcome to try romancing their character, we made a silly ship name and joked that B was the first official shipper. i replied and said i might be one too and we kept joking about it.

however, my brain has been rotating these two characters in my head for hours now and i want to write my own personal headcanons/shipping fics for them. they've both interacted a lot and have quite a bit of lore they've experienced together in the campaign and its angsty and i cannot stop thinking about it.

i have a password protected writing blog on tumblr where i would be posting them for private archival and otherwise i wouldnt tell anyone about it unless our characters actually started behaving romantically.

reasons i think i could be the asshole: im worried this will affect my roleplaying with this character, im also worried i misunderstood how much of the conversation was joking, im also not sure where the whole group stands on characterXcharacter romance and worry about making people uncomfortable

reasons i dont think im the asshole: the writing will be kept privately for my own enjoyment, my ttrpg character has grown into more than just my tabletop character and i've been fleshing out a life story for him, the law of 'do whatever you want forever'

so, would i be the asshole for writing ship fics between these two characters?

What are these acronyms?

[kiaratheronappreciationweek]

Welcome to our third edition of the Kiara Theron Appreciation Week!!

We have received some amazing pieces during our last two editions - works that explored Kiara in all her complexity and appreciated her gifts. We can't wait to see what our Kiara fans have in store for us this year!

Tomorrow will be Day 1 of KTAW, and we have two themes you can choose from (or even combine - anything goes!)

Our first theme is Culture. As many of you who remember our first venture into Castelserraillan will remember, the duchy is known for its cultural heritage and diversity, for loving and revering culture and art. Kiara embodies this in her knowledge about different places, in her love for languages, in her work as a diplomat. This theme would be fitting for her.

Our second theme is related to the first, in some ways. Festivals are some of the most open and colourful ways to celebrate cultural heritage, and it would be great to see Kiara getting involved and celebrating different festivals!

Any content is welcome!! Just make sure your work centers Kiara, and presents a positive depiction of her. Fic, art, meta, headcanons, edits, icons, interactive media, even simple character appreciation posts!! We also accept WIPs, so if your piece isn't entirely complete by the end of the week, fret not - you can still send us the WIPs!

The themes are simply inspirations. If you bring a piece for one of the days later, it's entirely okay...just make sure you tag the posts with the day you meant it for! We will always be keeping a bonus week in case you couldn't complete the piece during the week itself, so our official deadline for pieces will be June 1st!

We'd also like all of you to know that KTAW 2024 will be open ALL YEAR ROUND. So if you're unable to finish a piece before June 1st, pls do send it whenever you're ready to (and tag us!), and it will definitely be up on our masterlist!!

Be sure to keep these rules in mind while making your posts:

1. Use the tags #kiaratheronappreciationweek and #KTAW in your posts. Make sure to tag the day as well (#KTAW Day 1, #KTAW Day 2, etc)

2. Tag @kiaratheronappreciationweek as well as hosts @sazanes and @lizzybeth1986 in your work, so we don't miss any of it!

Fan Community blogs are super important to our promotion of events, so we'd definitely love for you to check out some of these awesome blogs and their challenges:

@choicesficwriterscreations - Primarily fanfic and fanart (no AI allowed). Check out their rules and roster of events!

@choicesmonthlychallenge and @choicesmaychallenge24 - Any and all content welcome! This month's prompts are delightfully Greek mythology-themed!

@choicesholidays - Any and all content welcome, as long as it is centered around one of the holidays listed! Currently, they are hosting Spring Fling!

@choicesprompts - Any and all content welcome! Currently no events, but you could check out all the cool stuff they've been up to so far!

@choicescommunityevents - Any and all art welcome as long as it is on-theme! Currently hosting the AAPI Heritage Month!

Can't wait to see what you all have in store for us!!

Happy Kiara Theron Appreciation Week, everyone!!

[silenzahra]

Heya, Zahra!! I've been seeing so many of our other friends telling you what they like about you... so I figured I might as well join in, but I'm honestly not sure where to start! 😅

You were one of the first few people who made me feel welcome here on Tumblr back in 2023, and I still haven't forgotten that. You're one of the sweetest and most optimistic people I've had the pleasure of being friends with, especially when they're just as in love with Mario and Luigi (ESPECIALLY Luigi) like me, lol! And it's not just with me, but your content is truly something to behold! I still haven't forgotten your "Green, Orange, and a bit of Purple" fic; it's probably my favorite one because of... well...

And the vampire duck 😆

Also, your headcanons are just AMAZING. Your Bookworm Luigi is still one of my top favorites (and I may or may not hc Luigi as a fanfic writer now... just sayin')

Lastly... being friends with you has made me more of a bookworm than I already was, lol. Your book recommendation "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" is so sweet, and I've had fun reading it whenever I get the chance. Thanks to you, my bookshelf has grown... and it's suing me for taking up so much space 💀/j

Ilysm, Zahra!! 💗💗💗

Hey there, Vee!! Awww you're so sweet 🥰 It was actually an ask game that our beloved @vulpixfairy1985 started a couple of days ago, and I decided to join her in spreading love and kindness! 💖

Awww my dear sweetie 🥹🫂 I haven't forgotten that either!! You were one of the very first people to support me and my content and I can never forget that. I'm so glad we've been there for each other from the very beginning and that our friendship has only grown ever since 🫂💖 And OMG, my friend, I'm so touched!! 😭🫂🫂 I absolutely LOVE chatting with you and share our love for the entire crew, especially Luigi since he's our beloved Balloon Boy 🥹💚

Sweetie, I swear, I'm HONORED that "Green, Orange and a bit of Purple" remains as your favorite fic from me 🥹🥹🥹 It just means so much more to me than I'm able to express!!! Gosh, how I LOVED writing that one 😭😭 I had so much fun with Luigi and Daisy's interactions during their first date, and I freaking LOVED writing the dance and kiss scene with the music from Howl's Moving Castle sounding in the background while the sweeties danced together 🥹🥹 (I just can't have enough of these two dancing together, I swear 💚🧡)

And of course, how can I forget about the vampire duck 😆 I actually HC that later on, they eventually share this anecdote with Violet and *she* starts teasing her dad about it 🤭💜 And you best believe both Daisy and Mario join her 😂😂

But really, it's even more special to me that you bring this fic up because it'll be celebrating its first anniversary on Valentine's Day!! 🥹🥹 Again I wish I could do something to celebrate, but honestly, knowing it's *your* favorite out of all my stories it's definitely the best way to commemorate it and I just couldn't be more grateful 🫂🫂💖💖

And also that you enjoy my HCs so much!! I'd say Bookworm Luigi has become my most popular headcanon post, and I'm so honored it's your favorite from all the ones I've written!! 🥰🫂 Also, big yes to Luigi being a fanfic writer!!! 🤩👏 I remember you and I discussed the idea of Luigi being a writer a while back, and I actually hinted at it in "Green, Orange and a bit of Purple," but I was so happy to read @mikibaby94's post as now it's even more official that our boy enjoys writing like we do, and specifically fanfics 😄👏💚

Oh my God, really!?!? 🤩🤩 Then I'd say my job here is done, hehe 😁💖 I'm seriously so happy, Vee!!! I love that we can share this passion for reading, and I'm also so glad you've been enjoying my recommendation of "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow"!! It's still one of the BEST books I've ever read and I absolutely LOVE discussing it with you whenever we have the chance 🥰🥰

Also... welcome to the club of the bookworms who are going to be sued by their bookshelves because of the lack of space 😂😂 I'm right there with you, my friend 🤝🫡 The good news is, we're not alone!! 🤭💖💖

I love you so much too, Vee!! Thanks again for such a sweet and lovely ask 🫂🫂🫂💖💖💖

[py-dreamer]

I can't believe this is the first goddamn video I post.

But times are funny like that aren't they?

Ok so as the thumbnail says, this is specifically for the first lmk fic I've written:

"When the sun sets forever."

Yes it's shadowpeach, how on earth did you guess. And if you've floated around my dreamscape for a while, you'll know my...

...very enthusiastic opinions of Macaque...

(I promise I do still like him, he's a great character, it's just I get pretty peeved by how the majority of the fandom portrays their relationship a lot of peeps bashing Wukong and saying Mac did nothing wrong-

I have a whole other post about this and the fic, I'm tired man, here're the links:

https://www.tumblr.com/py-dreamer/751398212493000704/oh-its-macaroni-learns-the-consequences-for

https://www.tumblr.com/py-dreamer/751119540805632000/rant-about-shadowpeach-warning-mac-slander)

But regardless, if you enjoy some Macaca slander, hop on board!

If you don't , good for you! Please don't harass anyone who thinks otherwise.

But to sum up:

In this fic we explore a scenario where Macaque finds a time alterating artifact after a huge spat on the mountain (that resulted in the clip above), uses that artifact to make it so he killed Tripitaka during JTTW. Then we see his pov in this universe where things have certainly changed drastically

...and not necessarily for the better.

People change. Friends or foes found dead or alive. Cities fall and some thrive.

But one thing I can assure you?

Neither of our mystic monkeys are having any fun until the end.

But yeah! Formal announcement post for my fic!

Yes this is a big reason why I've been absent for like a month

No I won't stop posting art. I'm taking a short break rn to get into the rhythm of drawing again

No there isn't a formal posting schedule, but I do have it in mind

No this isn't the big BIG project I've been working on for a few weeks

(Forgive me if I missed anything from s5, this was planned and written before that and I haven't watched it yet)

But enough about me!

I want to thank anyone who's already seen the fic and/or left kudos or comments

And I want to give an especially huge shoutout to @furornocturna for beta reading this thing!

Their work is great! And is one of the most enjoyable reads I've read in a long while

And since I haven't seen an official post for it yet...

SHABAM!!! Another great fic! She recently updated it too! It's about amnesiac Wukong who thinks Macaque is still his mate and MK is their child!

Wham bam, pajama sam's christmas ham: hijinks ensue

Very entertaining, good ol Macaque bashing

(she and I like to stand around him in a circle and give him a good whack with the consequences stick sometimes. It builds character.)

And parental Shadowpeach is always appreciated here. 10/10

I have not linked it but also check out:

Fractured pieces make a mosaic

Also written by her! Another great fic that delves into more of the sins of Macaque against EVERYONE not just Wukong

But about the video, yea just heard the audio and thought it'd be funny

I feel like Chang'e would definitely comfort a friend after some harsh words like what happens in the 1st chapter

Or at least she'd hear what Macaque did from Wukong and give massive side eye

(Especially since I figured she'd have a damn well knowledge of bad men *cough* *cough8 the reason Zhu Bajie got kicked out of heaven in the first place *cough* *cough*

I know they've rarely interacted in canon but hey, they've at least met on screen and we know Wukong can build a rocket to visit. Plus both being lonely immortals with cute animal subjects being theri only companions for centuries...

I have a feeling they'd get along somehow

They remind me of friends who exchange pics of their cute pet, only it's more like children for Wukong since they're literally his Sun family

And anyway the fandom pairs Mac and Chang'e just because they have a moon motif so let me have this goddamit.

[bodegacowboy]

A matter of distance (part 1?)

In my humble opinion when looking through the Naruto-verse through a NaruSaku lens it makes all kinds of interactions or incidents with other character so much better. The NaruSaku paradigm, the NaruSaku worldview you can cheekily say just makes things better. This brief idea /short fic, is about NaruSaku but also the world around it. I don't know if there's more to this story but it's all I got for now. If you like it let me know.

The council meeting had ended. Most of the cabinet members filed out. The heavy doors shut behind them.

Hokage Naruto sat still. Four remained.

Shikamaru, Chief Advisor and Head of Strategy, stood by the conference table, arms crossed. Kakashi, the elder advisor and former Hokage, glanced up at the ceiling, sighing heavily. Ino, Head of Intelligence and Communications, sat back in her chair, foot tapping. And then there was Sai, Head of Internal Security, standing near the wall, silent as always during such meetings.

Ino was the first to speak. “You’ve been acting like an idiot.”

Naruto looked at her. “Is that your summation of the meeting?”

She smirked. “It’s my official report, yes.”

Kakashi chuckled, low and tired. “She’s right.”

Shikamaru exhaled. “Not that it is any way relevant to the meeting or national security but....You were cold to Sakura.”

Naruto turned to the window. The courtyard below was empty now.

“I treated her as I did the others.”

“No,” Kakashi said. “You treated her like she wasn’t there. Like she wasn't important.”

Shikamaru nodded. “Which is worse.”

Silence.

Ino leaned forward. “She was hurt.”

“Sakura is Head of Medical Affairs & Hospital Director,” Naruto said. “She’s capable of handling a tough meeting”

“Of course, she’s capable,” Shikamaru cut in. “That doesn’t mean you should push her away.”

“Are we really doing this right now?!” Naruto exclaimed. “Are we really having this conversation?!” 

Sai finally spoke, his voice low. “I think you've made her an enemy.”

Everyone turned to him.

Naruto frowned. “She’s not my enemy.”

Sai’s expression didn’t change. “That’s how you made her feel.”

A pause. Then Kakashi sighed once again. “Even Sai can see it. That should tell you something.”

Naruto ran his palms across his face. “You know guys, I can have you fired and or arrested, have you all forgotten that?"

Silence settled.

Then the door slid open.

Sakura.

She stepped in, her face calm, her posture straight. “I forgot my documents.”

Nobody spoke.

Naruto gestured to the table. “They’re there.”

She walked past him, collected them. Moved slow. Purposeful.

She didn’t turn to face him when she spoke. “If there’s a problem, say it.”

The room was still.

She looked at him now. Her gaze was sharp.

He held it.

“Ok, I've-I want to put some distance between us,” he admitted.

She said nothing.

A beat passed. Then another.

Finally, she tilted her head. “Why?”

Naruto’s hands curled slightly at his sides. “Because it's the right thing to do.”

Her expression didn’t change. “For who?”

Silence.

His throat felt tight. He had fought in a war, faced chakra monsters, and fulfilled his dream. None of it had ever felt this difficult.

Her voice softened, but it did not lose its edge. “Did I do something?”

“No.” The word left his lips before he could think. “You did nothing wrong.”

Her brow furrowed. “Then why are you treating me like this?”

“Because I am an idiot.”

“That's what I said!” Ino exclaimed.  

Sakura didn’t look at Ino. She was still watching Naruto. “I get it,  that can happen to the best of us.”

He met her eyes again.

“I thought distance was the right choice,” he said. “I was wrong.”

She studied him, searching.

Finally, she nodded once. “Prove it.”

She left.

The door shut.

Silence lingered.

Then Kakashi said, “That was intense.”

Shikamaru unfolded his arms. “What will you do now?”

Naruto exhaled, rolling his shoulders.”I still might have you all arrested. But first I’ve got to fix this.”

Sai said nothing, until Naruto met his eyes, he then gave his friend a single, slow nod.

They began filing out.

When Shikamaru was at the door, he turned to Ino. “Coming?”

She didn’t move from her seat. “In a moment.”

Shikamaru frowned. “He needs to process this, not be badgered.”

She chuckled. “Shikamaru, unlike you, I know when to push and when to pull.”

Shikamaru hesitated, then sighed. “Don’t be long.”

The doors shut.

Naruto sat behind his desk, watching Ino. “And?”

Ino stretched, cracking her knuckles. “My wise, noble and powerful Hokage. You’re lucky I like you. Otherwise, I’d leave you to rot in your own stubbornness.”

“I already admitted I was wrong Ino.”

“Unfortunately that was the easy part,” she said. “Now you have to figure out what you actually want.”

“I know what I want,” he said, his voice quieter.

She raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”

He didn’t answer.

She leaned forward. “Propriety is a virtue, Naruto. But foolishness is a vice. Don't be a virtuous fool.”

Naruto looked up at the ceiling, sighing as his teacher had done earlier.

She tapped her knuckles against the conference table bringing his attention back to her. “I get it, the whole Sasuke thing is still a sore spot...”

Naruto groaned. “Mother...father....anyone please help me”

She shrugged. “Does it still matter?”

Naruto stared at her stone faced and professional. “You tell me."

Ino smiled. "Should I?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "Do you know something I don’t know?”

“Maybe.”

He drew in a breath and straightened in his seat. 

She grinned. “Ah. That got quite the reaction.”

Naruto exhaled through his nose. “Ino, I might have you exiled.”

Ino stood, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve. “I can predict the future, y'know. I see you staring at your desk, brooding over something that can be solved with one conversation.”

She moved to the door. “Let me tell you something you already know. The past already happened. The future? Well that’s up to you.”

She left, the door sliding shut behind her.

Naruto sat there, staring at the desk.

Then he stood up.

He had work to do.

The End or To be continued.

[iridescent-solstice]

“ 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝? ”

Congratulations to the lucky winners of yesterday's competition!!

There were multiple people who got all the words correct, but alas there can only be so many winners. Thank you again to everyone who participated. Even if there's only 3 . . . er 4 winners, it's only because I saw everyone have so much fun with my puzzle that i'm motivated to plan out more events like this in future. The interactions in the comments made me giggle ngl, because I did throw in some traps, and I was delighted to see people muse over them 🙆🏻‍♀️

Now without further ado, here are the results ⏬ 🥇@@casioo 🥈 @orikuu 🥉 @cinsilly!!

But wait . . . didn't I mention 4 winnners? Yup you're right! There is a 4th winner and its @muriels-brainrot. Not only were you, @muriels-brainrot , the first to respond but you also got EVERY SINGLE word, even the trap ones. The only reason you didn't win was because you forgot the last official one: mask . . . Seriously how did you do that, and so quickly too haha

I'm very curious to know how the experience of the event was so, if anyone is willing to offer feedback . . . i'd be happy to hear it in my dms. If you didn't win this time, but wanted one of the prizes, worry not because there will be more opportunities in like these in the distant future! I hope to see you there as well

(Winners keep reading to find out the rules when requesting, prizes available, and HOW to contact me for to claim them)

In order to claim the prize please contact me in my dms 🙆🏻‍♀️✨ But do read the information below first!

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬:

┈➤ A long fic dedicated to the winner. Can be an idea they'd like to be more fleshed out or something else if they prefer. ┈➤ A custom made banner for their blog. Can be edited to an aesthetic they prefer, or be centred around a character (limited to the arcana characters for now) ┈➤ A ꜱɴᴇᴀᴋᴘᴇᴀᴋ into a future project i'm planning that no one knows about . . . yet

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬:

⤳ In the events of the winner choosing the first prize, please note that I will not write NSFW. Best case scenario, it'll be hinted at towards the end but not more than that. ⤳ In the events of a winner choosing the third prize, you are not allowed to disclose any details about the project before I do. (Obviously the surprise is sometimes part of the experience of these projects) ⤳ It took a long time to make this puzzle. A lot more work than I initially imagined so a) Don't copy and repost b) criticism for my editing is appreciated, but only if it's constructive. Otherwise refrain. c) Do give credit if you use the banner, just so people can find my blog and take part in future challenges. ⤳ If I take longer than necessary, it's just so I can give you the best version of my work possible! So, regardless of whatever prize the winner chooses, rest assured I won't stop until you're satisfied with the end product.

WARNING: Failure to comply with my rules and regulations will lead to getting banned from future competitions.

[dapper-lil-arts]

So I have some time, so I will try to preach about our lord and savior of rare ships: Sunset Shimmer x Cadence.

So hear me out. If Sunset never crossed the portal, she would be forced to interact with Cadence. They would be around the same age. I think Sunset was Celestia's student when Cadence became an alicorn, so there are a lot of reasons for them to interact. BUT! The attention that Celestia gives her new official "Niece" fills Sunset with jealousy. "Why is she part of YOUR family? She just arrived. Is it because she is an alicorn? If I became an alicorn, would I be part of your family, Celestia? Would I be your daughter?"

At first, Sunset will hate her, but at the same time, she wants to talk to Cadence because she wants to know how to become an alicorn. And Cadence wants to befriend Sunset because she does not know anyone else in the castle and because Celestia asked her to do so.

They will be each other's first friend. Sunset will protect Cadence from the nobles because she has experience dealing with them, and she hates them more than she hates Cadence. Sunset will treat Cadence as a normal pony and not a princess because she does not deserve to be one (but Cadence will not know that Sunset thinks she is better).

Cadence will try to be friends because she is the Princess of Love, and she will like that Sunset talks to her as a normal pony. She is unsure that she is capable of being a princess and would love the protection. They are perfect for each other, and their character arcs can be so enriched with them in a relationship! (Sorry, I promise you I'm not crazy; I'm just lonely in this ship).

Its def an deranged crackship, I'll give you that. You should write fanfic about it! Might expand your squad I am rarely into crackships myself, and i envisioned Cadance as being much older for some reason, she did have baby on the show

but I imagine its them having a baby at a young age n stuff. Flurryheart, i mean also I literaly wrote a chapter of my multiverse fic where Sunset is Cadance's pupil, so this is so far fetched to me lmao. and yeah Cadance would be derranged as a mentor. She has a love board and everything, trying to get Sunset some partners. its a fun Psychoanalyzing chapter for Sunset

But yeah i can't say I feel much for the ship you're suggesting at all, you'd have to put in the work to write it into a full story n stuff

[ontheoddoccasioniwritestuff]

Star-crossed in the Crosshairs (John Price x Reader)

Chapter 1: It's Bigger Than You

Fic Summary: This mission is the pinnacle of your efforts for the past three years. Your whole team and yourself have worked countless hours, slaughtered hundreds, risked life and limb for scraps of intel, and now it all boiled down to pairing up with another taskforce to get this job done and dusted. An unexpected spanner in the works comes in the form of your best friend, now also a Captain and somehow resurrected from his KIA status, John Price.

You can't afford to let feelings - old and new - get in the way of your purpose. No matter how much you've missed, wished for, loved him, and no matter how much he might feel the same.

Content warnings: Usual COD content (violence, torture, death, guns), mutual pining, back from the dead, friends to allies to lovers

Reader is GN, some use of Y/N.

Masterlist // AO3 Version // Chapter 2

The long term was drawing to a close, ultimately. More and more of the covert ops were starting to bring up more details that bore fruit in the form of puzzle pieces, all the same colour and shape so that putting the fragments together was a near impossible ordeal. But your team had finally made connections, threads of red stabbed into satellite images, maps, and post-its with scribbled intel, ready to be uploaded to the higher ups overseeing your dirty work.

Your team was not the only one to make headway against this new threat. Which is why you were all loaded into a heli, shipped to your new temporary home bordering Russia to pair up with another taskforce.

Taskforce Banshee was eager to work with the 141. You’d been briefed names, not faces, and delivered those to your subordinates who teemed with delight – especially Crash who was eager to meet with someone she’d trained with upon entering the armed forces.

You hid your reluctance well. You weren’t ungrateful for reinforcements, especially from an elite squad of soldiers whose names rang clear with reputations earned in the blood of a thousand. But one of those names conjured an image, and it did not have to travel deep into the archives of your memories, since you had been offered a gentle reprieve between punches from some cocksure wannabe torturer not one month prior. As you spat in your captor’s eye, that image had appeared in your head to comfort you. It was far from your end, but it seemed to rub balm over your mind as it grew dizzy with the wonder that perhaps he’d done the same when he was in this same position: captured whilst assuring their team’s escape. So when you were discharged officially and ready for active duty, and Chief Laswell said the name of the man whose memory had comforted you in your closest interaction with your own death, you were not best pleased. Your ribs were healed enough for you to join your team for this collaboration. But they ached around your sternum with the remembrance of the man you would have laid your life down for.

The heli jolted its passengers, though you all maintained composure besides an exchange of raised brows. Stepping off onto solid tarmac was much appreciated. You were met by a younger man, classic London charm in a baseball cap and tac vest.

“Sergeant Kyle Garrick,” He offered you his hand first, “Call me Gaz.”

You introduced yourself, without an additional nickname - the one you’d been assigned by your squad was lost many years ago, in transfers and promotions. Then came your team who shook hands with the Sergeant as you role-called: Sergeant Rosie “Crash” Simmonds, Sergeant Grant “Bronze” Ray, and Second Lieutenant Lucia “Chance” Halloway. Although Rosie needed no introduction. She and Garrick entered into a brief but elaborate looking handshake before bumping chests with broad grins. You liked that about Rosie. She had a good sense of humour, made you feel a half a decade younger. Not quite the entire decade. Precious few people could bring that version of you out. But she made your life a bit brighter, and it was an honour to mentor her.

“We’re starting briefing in a few. I’ll take you right there.”

He walked with a brisk pace, effectively flushing the stiff joints

As much as you’d rehearsed this in your head, it didn’t stop your ears from feeling like they were stuffed with cotton wool.

Your captured essence of John Price, back when you were both fresh meat with hardly any hairs on his chin worth keeping around, vanished and was replaced by the man he’d become. His body had bulked up beneath the uniform, his features framed by facial hair that finally connected moustache to beard.

He was leaning over the room’s table, one hand to balance his inclined weight and the other pointing at the centre of the paperwork gathered for this mission. At the sound of the door opening, he’d turned his head ninety degrees right to meet the gaze of all who entered. He was looking directly at you, his eyes in the shadow thrown by the brim of his boonie.

You only stared at him for a second. It was long enough for the room to notice, you feared. So you resumed your business-like appearance to the best of your acting ability.

“Captain,” and you reached out to shake his hand.

Blinking three times in quick succession, John Price accepted with a firm grasp in a fingerless glove.

“Captain,” He repeated after you, his voice like dark roasted coffee. He only gave your hand a single shake. Yet it still managed to send shockwaves up through your muscles and reverberated against your bones whilst, in their bulky uniforms, Taskforce Banshee shuffled around into position, chair legs screeching along the floor before they took up their manilla folders. You had your own handed to you by Captain Price. Your head despised how his forefinger reached out to brush against yours, like Hannibal Lector had done in his final meeting with Clarice Starling, against the wills of everyone else in that prison. However your heart leapt into your throat at the accidental touch, and you had to clear it a little harshly to ensure you could talk through it before the briefing started.

Price went first, introducing the other members of his team: Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish and Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley. Your team replied with their own names, probably hoping for this section of the briefing to be over before someone suggested they tell each other a fun fact about themselves to aid bonding. Thankfully, Price took back over and began explaining the intel he and his team had uncovered. You recounted it in your mind from what you’d seen before, trying not to breathe in the cedarwood beard oil that matched an all too familiar aftershave.

You spoke next, after Price smoothly handed the subject to you, briefly about the history of this project. Then you delegated to Bronze who had completed his last mission solo and discovered the info that clinched this entire operation together. He informed everyone about the name that had sporadically popped up in the background noise of missions over the years: Jaromir Čiernik. How, over a period of years and months, he’d built up his terrorist portfolio over in the three countries he’d earned residence: Russia, Belarus, and Odristan (his place of birth and comfort zone). He’d only slipped under the radar due to his many precautions and wide spread net of contacts and aliases. Except last week, he’d grown impatient, tripped on his ego enough for your team to force entry into this new cell.

The meeting looped back to you and the plan to poison this organisation against itself. You’d made with your taskforce in mind but modifications were included to best make use of your new allies in 141. Speaking of which, your gracious hosts were delightful audience participants: Ghost offering a single nod, while Gaz and Soap offered their compliments to the detail without speaking over you.

After a thorough ten minutes, you made it to your closing statement and your offer: “Any questions?”

A few head shakes were sent your way, eyes still on the written details or the map on the big screen.

Price took hold of the two straps of his vest, addressing Taskforce Banshee: “My men will show you to your quarters. Heli leaves at 1800 hours. See you there.”

With the meeting closed, the door to the room was opened. Your team filed out after their hosts, though you noted Chance lingering a few feet behind and watching you shuffle your papers back into its file.

“Something the matter?” You prompted, openly, not interrogatively.

Chance’s eyes flicked over to Captain Price for a split second then returned to you: “Nothing, Cap.”

You nodded, filing this conversation as something to address before leaving at six, and watched the door close behind her. Out your back pocket, you tapped on your work phone an alarm for twenty minutes before launch.

“Y/N?”

Your lungs were still and holding you ramrod straight on your suddenly unsteady feet. If you dared to let even a hint of personal feelings out of its cage, you would be ruined for this mission and you couldn’t let that happen. Not to you, your team, the innocents who would lose everything and not even know your name to blame you for it. So you took the greatest amount of care to face Price with all composure maintained inside and out.

His hat was on the table besides the laptop, his eyes bluer now they were out of the shadow. It was a blow to see him again, but to see him with the full eight years on his face, each grey hair that flecked his strong brown beard, the sparse ones that lined against his temples, and more sprouting along the hairline that had shot back a centimetre. Crow’s feet carved against his eyes, brackets from his nose shielding his mouth beneath the beard. Which meant he still smiled the same, and he had done so often in the gap since you’d seen him.

The freckle, off-centre near the end of his nose, caught your attention, and your geeky younger self’s desire to kiss it reared its ugly and humiliating head, spawning right next to your thundering heart. The sound of which, you hoped, was muted beneath your protective layers, and you hoped that John didn’t realise how much energy you were spending on soaking up his presence again like a lovesick teen.

He cleared his throat, “I think I should explain-”

“It’s good to see you again.”

You didn’t mean to interrupt what was likely a well-rehearsed speech, your eyes wide to take him in in his entirety.

But you meant what you’d said. There was no part of you that felt anger at his sudden resurrection. Only relief that your wishes to see him once more had been granted, and melancholy at all the time you’d lost and would not be able to recapture or resume until this mission was far in the rear view mirror. If only this mission was the kind where everyone walked away.

He was still, watching you, his hand frozen two inches raised from his side and you realised that he had gone to reach for you. You didn’t back away, trusting that he wouldn’t do that to you after all that you’d gone through, his fault or otherwise.

Finally, he replied, “You too.” And his hand lowered cautiously back to his side.

You gave him a quick nod then spun on your heel to leave the office. The echo breadcrumb clues of footsteps and mild chatter led you back to your team who were just entering their respective rooms.

“Yours is up here, Captain,” Gaz said with an arm out to indicate his direction.

The spare quarters were just down the corridor and to the right, your rank allowing you the privacy of a room to yourself – if only for the time you needed to prepare yourself for this mission. You thanked the Sergeant, finding your belongings already dumped in the corner.

The lock twisted in the door handle, darkness collapsing behind you. A breath slid out of your mouth with a whine. Your hand snapped up and pressed your palm to your lips, a silencer to the bullet that burst through your chest, as raw as the day they told you Price was KIA. How you’d wept silently and unknowingly at an empty grave, poured a drink to it and hid in shame from other visitors to the graveyard, as if your grief was an embarrassment. A decade’s worth of recuperation, dashed to pieces like a ship on rocks, and you were taking water fast, sinking down against the weak door. If anyone heard this distress, they could easily kick the door in, and they would see you in your moment of weakness.

The room was shrinking against your efforts to see the corners of it. Boots stiff and dusty, you planted them down with your knees bent for ease. You began forcing yourself to breath slow by blocking your airways for set amounts of seconds, counting down each second as accurate as a timer.

Using the door to support yourself, you pushed up into standing and closed your eyes. Your mind brought forth a picture of your posture, your position, and everything that hung from you. It began to adjust itself. Your shaking hands steadied out from wrist to fingertip. Spine aligned, hips adjusted, ready to carry half your weight in gear, you stopped timing your breathing and went on with your pre-mission routine: brushing your teeth, flossing, final deodorant checks, quick piss.

Then your phone buzzed with the alarm. You silenced it fast then turned it off completely. You knocked at the doors of your subordinates, all waiting for your go-ahead, then you made your way back to the tarmac.

Drawing up to the heli, you found Soap with a large crate that he was just crow-barring open. Brimming with the weapons necessary for your future, and he was letting your team take their pick first.

“Cheers,” Bronze said, and the rest of the team – yourself included – echoed the sentiment as you loaded up.

The M13 found itself in your gloved hands, taking it apart and putting it back together like pieces in a Lego set. If you’d allowed it to become a coping mechanism, rather than a day-to-day task, it might’ve allowed you to ignore the rest of 141 joining you for their canisters of tear gas and grenades.

“How’d you know what the Captain likes?” Crash cracked, and Soap seemed to glow under the wit.

Then, for the first time, Ghost spoke: “Price organised it.”

Anyone could tell the portion of silence that followed was the awkward kind, but you just continued loading your weapons, not lurking on what Ghost had said (and implied).

“Chance?” Your head tilted back once you caught her eye. Checking the chamber of her M21, she followed you back into the hanger, though you kept in sight so that the others would know you weren’t late.

“What did you want to ask me earlier?” You asked, loud enough to be heard over the propellors but not so that anyone else could hear.

Shifting her weight onto her left hip, Chance glanced back at the teams assembling before the belly of the heli before turning back to you: “You met Captain Price before, right?”

As calmly and nonchalantly as you could muster, you answered: “Yes, why?”

“Just seemed like you knew each other. No introductions, you know?”

“Hmmm,” You tried not to avoid eye contact nor stare for too long, “We worked together in the army. Briefly.”

That last word caused Chance’s right brow to quirk up. Too much effort to seem effortless on your part. But she accepted this and no other follow-ups when you asked if there were any. She wasn’t questioning you or your authority or your judgement. In fact, you were happy she asked. It kept almost kept you in check, ensured your team understood your rationale and trusted your decisions as their leader. Still you had no clue why your cortisol levels were rising at the idea of your team knowing the answer to that question.

It'd have to be filed with the other doubts you had about your role as a Captain, the ones you kept to yourself, only to be challenged with your therapist on the other end of the phone once or twice a month.

You wondered when you would speak with them, but you knew you would definitely discuss seeing Price again.

The other had loaded themselves onto the heli during that private chat, so you went and found yourself your seat beside Crash. She didn’t acknowledge you, too busy engaging eagerly with Gaz, and you didn’t hide the fond smile that sight caused.

At five to six, the heli closed itself up and the propellers kicked into high gear, the lift off causing your stomach to drop an inch despite knowing full well what was happening. You rubbed a fingertip beneath your watch, swiping the sweat from the inked skin underneath. One of these days, you’d pull that watch off and your tattoo would be distorted by the impression left behind – now as permanent as each other.

“Good?” Bronze said on your right.

As you turned your head, you tried not to focus on the boonie hat that tempted in your sightlines opposite you. This was the culmination of countless efforts. It was your responsibility to get your team through this, to give your lives to keep the world spinning for a few minutes longer. Not some retreat to reconnect with your risen-from-the-dead best friend. He would not be a distraction. He would be an ally, and nothing more.

You tapped your fist to Bronze’s, “Solid.”

______________

AN: Hello and welcome to another series I'm writing. But I have this one half finished so I'm dead set on getting this one completed, especially since it's one near and dear to my heart.

Thank you to @mockerycrow for your permission to use your post/now a fic as inspiration! I'm running away with it, and I'll come back to see what you do with it too! Make sure you send them some love for their updates <3

Final note, if you wanna be tagged, talk to me about this fic or any others, or even request a fic/update on this, inbox me! I'd love to talk more COD content, and the more you talk to me, the more likely I'll post sooner!