#but my chugging still frightened them

[thursdaysyme]

i was looked at like i was ancient (literally only 22) by my freshman roommate and her friends for getting confused at why the red wine they offered me was not only sweeter than my juice but also sparkly

my roommate told her friends i drink “fancy wine”. i drink wine from walmart on a good day she just means not sweetened to hell and back

[toxictigertonic]

Alright, I've been cursed with new blorbos (don't worry DJ will always be my number one). Outlast trials has me in a chokehold, specifically Franco, but all the prime assets are running around in my brain causing problems. I'm subjecting you to my stupid food headcanons as a result:

COYLE

- This mother fucker drinks hot sauce. Like. Chugs the shit. You can't take him anywhere without him bringing a bottle of Tabasco.

- Takes his coffee black, but will add a little sugar if no one is looking. Can't let people know that he doesn't like plain black coffee.

- He feels like a big breakfast kinda guy, with all the fixings. If you took him to a diner that'd be what he'd get, no matter the time of day.

- Would he disgusted by energy drinks EXCEPT classic redbull. Now imagine this man hyped up on caffeine.

- Would still eat his scrambled eggs if he got shells in them. Would say some shit like "the shells put hair on your chest"

- Trusting this man to bake anything is a fire hazard, it doesn't matter if it's those pre cut cookie rolls, they're catching fire.

- Says he hates desserts then stares down a slice of pecan pie from across the room like it owes him money.

MOTHER GOOSEBERRY

- The only one I trust to cook tbh, and that's not saying much.

- If you took her to get coffee she'd get the sweetest thing on the menu (and Futterman would bitch and moan about it the whole time) or she'd get a chai latte. Futterman would demand a black coffee.

- I would trust her to make me an apple pie and then she'd put the drill in it bc the crust came out wrong.

- She feels like a woman who really likes jam. Maybe I am projecting but jam is cool.

- She will not touch an energy drink bc they taste bad to her, and bc Futterman would throw a fit about how bad they are for your teeth. No caffeine fueled death sprint for her, but based on her singing and the whole angel dust thing I don't think she needs it.

- I would make her pancakes she seems pretty cool.

- Likes the batter for desserts more than the finished products.

FRANCO

- God help us where do I begin

- On one hand I wanna say he makes some bomb ass Italian food. On the other hand I wanna say he burns cereal.

- Speaking of cereal, he's the kinda guy who let's his cereal turn to paste in the bowl before he eats it.

- Considering what we know about the wolf's milk drink, I'm frightened by this man's palette. Genuinely terrified.

- I think he would die if he tasted hot sauce. I think Coyle is aware of this fact and has plans.

- Give him an energy drink if you wanna see him start doing flips. He thinks they're gross but he's also like "fuck yeah pure sugar I love these"

- Likes his cookies so underdone that they're basically raw (me too chief)

- If you cooked him a homemade meal he'd cry while eating it. Then he'd get pissed because you made him cry.

- He's my little skrunkly doo so I'm feeding him wet plaster ❤️

If I'm wrong about anything bc it's actually stated in the lore I do not care tell Red Barrels to get their facts straight (/J I SWEAR)

I haven't had time to look at Gooseberry's or Coyle's lore so I don't know if they have some super important amazing cooking skills that I'm missing out on. Feel free to tell me if you think I'm wrong or have your own ideas about these idiots.

[toastersvillage]

Smithereens (Tweek Tweak X GN! Reader)

Smithereens Twenty One Pilots

In which for you Tweek would get messed up, weigh 133.

(smut, 1st person, 20+)

~~~

Tweek sighed upon hearing the bell chime, signaling someone had entered the coffeehouse. Shifting his head to greet them but froze, his brown eyes wide and blinking frantically, his lips remaining parted. He watched my approaching figure, his eyes shifting upwards until they reached my face. The early morning light creating a glow that bounced around the building, illuminating my body, casting an ethereal glaze over his vision which enhanced my beauty, lit aglow like a goddess from Greek mythology. 

Indeed, it was his beautiful partner of three years. I had met him in my first year of college, instantly connecting despite the stark difference between us both. He was awkward, fidgety, easily frightened, shame riddled, lacked a spine most days, whereas I was extremely independent, almost to a fault, confident, easy going, strong, loud, very loud, and not afraid to stand up for myself or others. Perhaps at first our friendship was seen as me taking him under my wing, but I didn't see it that way. 

Despite how Tweek looked on the outside, he was different on the inside. Sure, he didn't look like he had any muscle or confidence, but when it came to something he believed strongly in, he'd speak up, he'd be confident in his own way. Yet the way he stumbled over his words, twitched and stuttered, made people think he was just another scared critter hiding in his shell. But no, to me, he was the most inspiring, confident man I knew. And that's why I fell so deeply in love with him. 

He wasn't constantly flexing his muscles, or the sports team he played on, trying to puff out his chest to impress me, show me how many beers he could chug in one go. He was sweet, considerate, always bringing me a new pastry he'd learned the recipe for, or letting me have just a sip of his coffee that he usually wouldn't let me drink a lot of for some reason. He showed me how he felt in the way he took an interest in the things that I enjoyed, for some reason finding my totally boring hobbies the most fascinating thing he'd ever heard of! He'd show genuine intrigue, curiosity to learn more. He showed me he loved me by being his sweet self. I had never fallen harder. 

"Hi Tweek!" Tweek blinked rapidly at my voice, his cheeks flushing as he took in my normal, everyday appearance, not registering my simple words at first. My (e/c) eyes illuminated in the bright sunrays, a gentle smile on my features. He glanced down at my clothing once more, smiling to himself excitedly. He caught himself staring and shook his head, patting his warm cheek. "H-Hi baby!!" 

Tweek couldn't help the way he'd constantly get lost in me, no matter what I was doing or wearing, it could be the most boring outfit on earth and he'd still find a way to mindlessly babble incoherently about how pretty I looked. The constant adoration in his heterochromatic eyes, the pink tint on his freckled cheeks. Why, he looked like a lovesick puppy! 

"Oh, it's about time you showed up for work, (Y/n)! I have an errand to run with Mrs. Tweak, we'll be back shortly!" Said Mr. Richard Tweak, stepping out from behind the counter and patting my shoulder in a friendly way. As he headed to the glass doors, he spoke up a farewell, "Be sure to keep my boy in check, (Y/n)! Haha!" With that, he had left. 

I sighed tiredly before looking up at Tweek with a firm smile, "Sorry I'm late, I was working on that dumb exam all night!" I whined, stepping behind the counter and enveloping his skinny frame in my arms, I let my head rest on his neck, taking in his warmth after walking in the chilly winter air earlier. He had a hint of a tremble against me but I paid no mind, I was used to his jittery twitches after all. He hummed, nuzzling into my neck and mumbling something into my skin. I didn't quite hear him but I pinched his sides playfully which made him yelp and pull away with a giggle, anxiously rubbing his arm with a pink blush.

Tweek watched as I walked into the backroom to grab my apron and hat. Since they had just opened only 3 minutes ago, people would soon be flooding in to get their mornings started with a nice, freshly brewed cup of coffee. The morning rush was something I could always handle fine on my own, but on the days or mornings I wasn't working, Tweek would be all by himself, quickly drowning in the flood of grouchy, tired customers. Which is why I worked a bit overtime to be of some assistance to him. 

As the chime of the door met my ears, I quickly stepped back out and watched Tweek handle the next few customers while I listened in on their order, getting started on making their basic black coffees. The morning orders were typically the same. Black coffee, sometimes a packet or two of stevia, a splash of 2%. Or sometimes you'd get the people who'd order a large Frappuccino within the first morning hour. Tweek would always insist on me not judging them, but honestly I was a bit judgmental, also a bit jealous of someone being able to have such a sweet tooth first thing in the morning. So, the first hour went by just fine with the usual simple orders, occasionally packing up a pastry or cooking a fresh breakfast sandwich. 

One thing about Tweak Bro's Coffeehouse that made it stand out from your typical chain, was that everything was made in-house and that day. Mr. Tweak would wake up every morning at 4 AM, hours before opening, to get a head start on making the pastries, then show up an hour before opening to cook them. Fresh ingredients such as eggs, spinach, tomatoes came in daily. Meaning I had to learn how to cook a really mean spinach and feta egg wrap, or pesto and mozza bacon sandwich, the list goes on. FYI, Tweek was generally not trusted to use the stove after some pretty serious fiery incidents, which is why he was usually taking the orders while I cooked. 

My brain was pretty much on auto pilot every time I turned away from my lovely boyfriend, only he could snap me out of the coffee-brewing, egg-frying robot controlling my body, as easily as flashing me his usual anxious smile or just by getting a whiff of his addicting scent. God, I simply adore him just for existing, never did such a perfect man exist until he came along. He is the love of my life. 

My friends weren't too pleased when I broke the news, often poking fun at my taste. 'Why is he SO skinny?', 'he's really not that attractive, but good for you!', 'don't you want a man who'll be able to protect you?', 'I could break his arm in half like a twig-', it was painfully obnoxious how often they inserted their unwanted opinions about him. Eventually, after setting the boundary and even breaking off a few friendships over it, the annoying chatter stopped from my friends, although it still flitted around on campus whenever anyone would see us together. Normally when people shit talked me for my faults or whatever they personally thought was wrong with me, I didn't care in the slightest, because I simply didn't believe them nor support their opinion of me. And at first, I was unbothered by what people would say about my boyfriend Tweek. Because it simply was untrue and I knew that.

But when Tweek had found out, overhearing their disgusting conversations, it hurt him deeply, more than I thought it would. I'm the type to brush things off, but he never was. It ate away at him for weeks, pouring in so much self-doubt and hatred towards himself, it infuriated me. So, I may or may not have threatened people to simply shut the fuck up about it. And they did, at least around us. After it stopped, he slowly felt better, but it took many long, heart wrenching talks about how he felt about himself, thinking he wasn't good enough for me, feeling as though he was too 'weak' and not 'manly enough'. It killed me harder than anything I'd ever felt before.

As much as I had tried to comfort him, to make him feel as though he was enough for me, he didn't really believe in himself still, and he still felt not good enough. I wish with all of my being that I could show him how perfect he was to me, but I understand that everybody is their own worst critic, it takes more than words of reassurance to build someone back up after they had fallen so hard. 

As the morning rush came and went, finally things slowed down a bit. The coffeehouse wasn't so packed, most people quick to grab their drink and go, only a few staying behind to sit and enjoy the atmosphere of the place. When I wasn't working, I'd usually hang out here and watch over Tweek, keeping him company for when his anxiety spiked or when things were simply too slow. And I must say, sitting down at a booth with a nice view of the park, a book in hand, and a nice hot chai was an incredibly peaceful experience. Made even better when I get to occasionally watch Tweek do his thing. Ah, I could watch him all day for the rest of my life and never grow bored. Each quirk and mannerism always filling me with fondness, the way his blond tufts were always unkempt, the frazzled or confused expressions when he didn't understand something, the way his nose scrunched every time he reacted to something, be it out of happiness, confusion or disgust. It was all so adorable to me. He was absolutely divine in his own quirky way. 

Hours later, and finally, no customers in line. Just the quiet chatter of the seated guests, and the occasional 'clinks' of Tweek cleaning the espresso machine. The enticing aroma of another set of pain au chocolat having been thrown into the oven by me a bit earlier, wafting through the air. We always sold out of those so quick, it surely was a number one around here, if not by the customers, by me, because I stuff my mouth with those daily. With no thanks to Tweek who occasionally surprises me with one every morning. Nothing warmed my heart more than opening my dorm door to see him standing there with big multicolored eyes, sparkling, and a pout on his face, holding out a boxed pastry and a chai latte just for me! 

I hum, leaning against the counter as I set down the somewhat dirtied rag, finishing cleaning the grill. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, heaving a long sigh. Yes, it's true, working as a barista/cook was extremely exhausting. And I wanted nothing more than to close the café and lay down with Tweek and just sleep. But alas, neither of us could do so until 6 PM, when our shifts ended and Mr. Tweek would be back to take over. I glance over to Tweek, seeing him anxiously fumbled with the espresso machine. I step over, setting a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, babe?" He let out a gritty whine, tapping his foot anxiously. "I... can't! I...! Gah!!! I don't know, I just- hnnng!" 

When he became nervous like this, he tended to lose his speech, unable to come out with a coherent string of words, mixing them together in a jumbled mess. It took a lot of patience and understanding for people to talk with him when he was feeling like this, often his parents would walk off, busying themselves with anything else rather than listen to him try to spit out a normal sentence. It infuriated me like no other how often his parents disregarded their own son like this, deciding they had better things to do than to try to be understanding of his issues. 

I let my hand glide from his shoulder to his neck, rubbing the nape gently while my thumb brushed against his hair, slowly raising higher to brush his hair with my fingers in attempt to ease him. His tapping slowed, a deep sigh escaping him as he rubbed his palm against his forehead. "Sorry, I just... I... I don't know, the grinds have been ending up in people's drinks still, and I- I!! I wanna f-fix it, I just d-don't know... how!" He managed to say, short breaths escaping his mouth before calming when he had gotten everything out, a twitch making his arm jerk to the side. 

"Do you have the manual? I'm sure it says something about it in there!" I suggest, playing with his hair, a faint smile twitching onto his lips at the feeling before he frowned once more, shrugging. "I'm n-not sure where it is..." He grunted as his neck ticked to the side, letting out a grumbled mutter as he grabbed a random rag and started wiping the counter. I pressed a finger to my chin in thought, wondering where Mr. Tweak might be keeping it. The espresso machine was brand new, perhaps he'd left it out here, or back in his office, I'm not quite sure. "Go check your dad's office, I'll look up here, okay?" 

He nodded to my words, setting the rag down and walking into the back through the plastic double doors. I hum as I lean over slightly to look under the counters that housed the coffee machines. Nothing, only measuring cups, mugs, spoons and stirrers, two mini fridges, all the works. Perhaps it's under the counter by the grill? As I turned, my back to the door, I hear it chime, signaling someone had entered. Usually people took a minute to pick what they wanted to order this late in the day, as I continued my search for the manual. 

I bent over, looking underneath the counter, my eyes scanning the shelves. I need to remind myself to dust these later. But no, nothing so far. Only fresh rags, some cooking utensils, smaller plates, etc. I let out a sigh before freezing upon hearing someone whistle, I furrow my brows before standing up straight, turning to look at who had caused that noise, and for what exact reason. 

Tweek let out a strained sigh as he walked through the back, manual in hand for the espresso machine. As he pushed open one of the doors, he froze, hearing that strange whistle. He watched as I stood up straight, turning around with a stern expression, not noticing he had gotten back. He stood frozen in confusion in the doorway before he connected the dots. That man had just whistled at me while I was bent over. He felt his blood run cold, his eyes analyzing the way I crossed my arms and pursed my lips, how my eyes crinkled at they narrowed at the man. 

He then looked to the tall, muscular man at the counter, his knuckles rapping the marble with a cheeky smile, licking his lips. His hair blond, partly hidden by his snapback, a tank top to show how strong his arms were, basketball shorts. His skin tanned from the sun, a subtle paleness around his eyes, likely from wearing sunglasses so often. He was young, probably our age. He had such a smug, cocky look on his face that rose emotions deep within Tweek he'd never felt before. 

"Nah, you can turn back around, I was enjoying that." He spoke, despite being way past the age of hitting puberty, there was a slight immaturity in his voice. Tweek's heterochromatic eyes then flitted to me, seeing how deadpanned I became. "And you can turn yourself back around and walk right out that door, thank you." He let out a breath at my words, already knowing I could handle myself just fine. Yet something inside of him was stirring, his teeth subconsciously grinding together as he watched the scene. 

Rather than obeying my words, the man chuckled, continuing to tap his knuckles against the countertop. "Ahh-" He leaned his head back, making his neck look thick, a mischievous smirk on his lips. "Well, I'll have the caramel latte, sweetheart. And I know you already hate me so be sure to spit it in, don't be shy babe." Tweek tensed at his words, no longer able to see anything from how blurred his eyes became, his lips parting for short breaths as he stepped forward, his body moving on its own. He suddenly lacked all care for the fact that the man was 6 inches taller than him, thick with muscles, could probably break him in two honestly. It didn't matter to him, what mattered was me and my safety, and he wasn't about to let this man get away with verbally harassing me. He gently pushed past me, staring up at the guy with an unreadable expression, death gripping the manual. "Sir, y-you need to leave." 

The guy looked down at Tweek, his upper lip raising before he began laughing, giving a subtle point to his body before letting out a long sigh, "That's nice, pipsqueak. Now move over, I'm not done talkin' to the pretty barista." He raised his brows tauntingly, a smirk on his features before his gaze landed back on me. I opened my mouth to threaten him but Tweek had surprisingly beat me to it. "I said get the fuck o-out." He swallowed hard before his lips parted, glaring daggers at the man who rolled his eyes once more. "O-O-Oh, I'm so s-s-ssss-scared!" He laughed, mocking his stutter. 

With anger coursing through my veins, I began to move to get out from behind the counter, ready to knock this mans teeth out with zero hesitation, but what I saw next left me frozen. Tweek had outstretched his hand, grasping the mans tank top and pulling him in towards his clenched fist, the sound of his nose crunching made everyone in the café turn to look, gasps escaping their mouths. A shudder ran down my spine as Tweek continued to hammer his face in with his fist, drops of blood flying everything. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Eventually Tweek had let go of his shirt with one final blow which sent the man flying onto his back, holding his pulsating, bloody nose, a grunt escaping his mouth as he crawled back, stumbling to get onto his feet before ripping the door open, running off. I stared in complete shock before turning to look back at the heaving blond who stood there, a bit hunched over, panting. I immediately ran to him, jumping over the counter and wrapping my arms tightly around him in a hug before pulling back to check him for any harm. I didn't see the guy even try to fight back, but I was still so concerned that somehow he had hurt himself. 

As I checked him over, I reached for his blood covered hand, holding it up to my face to see that his skin did rip, his own blood dripping onto the floor. "Oh, Tweek..." I sighed, rubbing his hand but avoiding the wound. I pressed my hand to his cheek, making him look down at me. His eyes were half lidded, ragged breaths escaping past his lips. He blinked down at me, his features almost blank with just a hint of a frown tugging his lips. I caressed his cheek before clearing my throat, turning to the customers who still sat there, murmuring about what had just happened. "Excuse me, guys... We're gonna close a bit early, sorry about that..." 

Thankfully everyone was understanding, quick to finish their mugs, get up and leave, some muttering apologies while others gave concerned looks. After everyone had left, I flipped the sign to closed, locking the door. I sighed deeply as rubbed my arm, walking back over to my boyfriend who stood there in a daze. I gently grabbed his fingers, leading him into the back room. 

I washed clean his wounds, a med kit beside me, I ran his hand under the running water until it turned from orange to clear. After turning it off, some blood still pooled, but it was enough to begin disinfecting his knuckles. He winced as the antiseptic pad was pressed against his flesh, stinging him. I continued to wipe him down, then bandaged his hand. It might've been a bit overkill, but I needed to be sure it wasn't going to get infected or continue bleeding all over the place. I looked down at his sitting form, sitting surprisingly still on the metal stool. I pulled up a bucket, kicking it upside down to sit. I was much lower than him, I grabbed his bandaged hand, gently caressing it and playing with his fingers. 

"Thank you, Tweek." Those three words made Tweek come back into reality, snapping his head down to look at me. He blinked, sniffling with a shy expression. "O-Oh... it was... nothing." I couldn't help but smile at his nonchalance, shaking my head playfully. "It wasn't nothing, you totally kicked that guys ass! For...me." My playful smile turned warm, my brows raising as I continued to play carefully with his bandaged hand. He huffed, hiding his own smile. "I'd do anything for y-you..." 

I then paused, looking up at him seriously. "I know that." I stood from the bucket, standing a bit taller than him in his current slouched, sitting form. I erased the distance between us, our faces inches apart as I looked into his eyes. His right eye was brown, darker freckles in his iris. In the sun it glowed like honey. His left eye was hazel, which in the sunlight shone a light golden brown, and in the darkness glowed a dark green. But when those salty tears sprung, they always both turned a matching bright green color. Almost the same color as his green button-up flannel he usually wears. He never ceased to amaze me with how intricate and fascinating he was. From his strength to his wonderous eyes, to his pure love for me. He truly is the most special man in the whole world.

Tweek's cheeks burned brightly at this, growing shy once more, fixing his gaze elsewhere with a small smile on his face, his pale cheeks turning to a pink hue. "(Y-Y/n)..." Letting out a small snicker, I rubbed my nose against his for a fleeting moment before pulling back, my eyes burning into his own when they hesitantly met mine. "Tweek..." With darkening cheeks, he rubbed the nape of his neck before using his free hand to pull me closer, pressing our bodies together. I could tell he was feeling a bit awkward but still craving more affection.

The heat from my body made him shudder, his hand gently caressing my face, committing every detail of my features to memory, as he always did. Every freckle, scar, pore, you name it, he knew it by heart. "So p-pretty (Y/n)..." He stuttered, unable to help himself as his eyes closed, pulling me in for a kiss. Like usual, it was soft and sweet, his body trembling against mine. His brows furrowed, suddenly deepening the kiss which was unusual. As if he was hungry for more, a surge of confidence coursing through him like electricity. 

His hands wandered my body not so politely, hesitantly groping my ass for a split second, nervous but overall eager. Our tongues quickly met, tangled in a sensual dance. Standing, he subconsciously pushed me until my back met the metal sink with a slight grunt emitting from my throat, my hands instinctively clutching his shirt and part of his apron. He couldn't help but panic at my surprised groan, worried he had hurt me, opening his eyes for a split second to make sure I was okay before leaning in once more. The kiss became more rough, soft breaths escaping his mouth, with reluctance he pulled away for a moment, glaring down at me with lustful eyes. I had never seen him so aching before, so desirous. 

I couldn't help the slight giggle that escaped me as my fingers trailed his jawline to his neck, watching him slowly lose himself as he resisted the urge to take me right there. I could see the temptation dancing in his glowing eyes, his brows twitching as they raised, a slight pout on his lips but the slight anxiety he got from possibly getting caught was holding him back. His eyes glanced around, no cameras, his father wouldn't be back for another hour, what are the odds we'd get caught? He didn't know, and it was scary, but the way his pants tightened and those seductive eyes I gave him were far too much to resist. "Hnngph..." His eyes shut tightly, hands clenching as he shook with anxiety before tossing his hands into the air, "F-Fuck it!"

Tweek grabbed ahold of my hips, pressing me against his body roughly, another kiss, deep and lustful, a slight whine escaping his mouth as his hands rubbed against my chest, making me grin. He couldn't help the moans that escaped him, every sigh making my skin prickle, desire filling me. Usually it was me on top, me taking lead, but Tweek's sudden confidence flipped a switch in him, and I could tell he was enjoying himself. He pulled away for a split moment to fumble with my apron, his shaky fingers pulling at the strings, slowly undoing them. The fabric became loose around me, and he carefully took it off. I watched him, a gentle smile on my lips, enjoying his concentrated features. He gripped the apron in his hand tightly, leaning back in to meet my lips in a passionate dance. He gently set it down on the edge of the sink.

His hands snaked underneath my shirt, gliding my warm skin until his hands met my hardened nipples, making me let out a teasing hum, pressing my lower half against him, desperate for friction, my hand gripping his jeans tightly as we slowly rubbed together, pleasured sighs and huffs between us. "F-Fuck... fuck... f-feels so good..." He whined, squirming at the friction against his groin, neediness in his tone. "Y-Yeah... mmmfph..." His eyes rolled back while mine shut, focusing on how good he felt against me, his hands cold against my bare skin. He tugged on my shirt for a moment before slowly lifting it higher, his eyes softening at my bare chest, lifting it over my head and setting it onto the counter.

A smile twitched onto his lips, a shuddered sigh as he took in my bare skin, his thumb gently caressing my waist, taking in every contour. "You're s-so... beautiful, (Y/n)... So p-pretty..." He whined, pulling me against his chest, his warm breath tickling my ear, my body beginning to tremble at his contact, "Mine..." his hands rubbed my waist then trailed to my spine, the softest touch made me shiver, causing me to press my cheek against his while my hands stayed planted on his shoulder. His heat against my skin made the rest of my body feel incredibly cold, desperate to keep him on me.

Tweek nuzzled into my cheek, humming as he smiled at my short giggle, his eyelashes tickling my burning skin. I mumbled his name as I leaned down to get away from him, softly biting his shoulder which made him yelp, the both of us continuously giggling as we stayed huddled together, playfully poking and prodding each other. I nuzzled into his neck, placing gentle kisses along his skin which made him pull me closer, his hand hands playing with my hair. Our giggles and laughter echoed around the backroom, it was the only noise besides the quiet hum of the oven which was baking fresh croissants, the aroma drifting through the air. 

As he pulled away, we both suddenly became serious, staring deeply into each others eyes, his pupils growing large while his brows raised, the hint of a nervous smile on his face. "I love you, (Y-Y/n)." I inhaled deeply at his words, my expression contorting with my rushing emotions, tears prickling my eyes as I slowly nodded, "I love you too, Tweek." He sniffled at my words, biting back a frown, trying so hard not to cry yet the way his orbs changed to green meant the tears were already flowing. I chuckled, moving his messy tufts of hair away from his face then my thumb drifted to his cheek, wiping the salty liquid away. He leaned down, his eyes shutting, a hiccup escaping him. Our foreheads pressed together. 

He shifted to press a sweet kiss to my cheek, then onto my lips, I could taste the salt from his skin when he deepened it. His hand traveled from my waist to my hip, fingering the waistband of my pants, teasing me almost. His finger hooking around the belt hoop to pull me closer while his other hand fumbled with the button of my jeans. He then unzipped them slowly, opening his eyes to glare at me, neither one of us making a single noise. He pushed down the fabric, falling to my ankles, then gently caressed my groin which was hidden by my underwear, beginning to rub me which made me stiffen, a sharp inhale as my hands dug into his shoulders. 

Slowly he began to crouch, glaring up at me with a serious expression as his knees met the floor. Licking my lips, I watched carefully as he pulled down my underwear, his eyes brightening at what he saw, his body beginning to shake once more from excited nerves. He inhaled deeply, looking up at me, silently asking for permission. I slowly nodded, "Yes, Tweek..." I spoke softly, his body twitching at my approval. He didn't hesitate to move his hands, beginning to rub me, leaning in closer. "Mm, yeah..." My hands gripped the edge of the sink tightly, my body twitching as he caressed my most sensitive part. "You're doing really good..."

Tweek looked up at me as he continued, his eyes big and shaky, full of lust and adoration, eager to please. Our eyes stayed locked together as he leaned in further, licking my sensitive skin which made me tense, a pleasured grunt escaping me. I instinctively placed my hand on his head, my fingers getting tangled in his blond strands, guiding him. "That's it..." 

His blushed darkened, sucking on my flushed skin, licking desperately, his hands firmly on my waist, his eyes shut tightly, shivering at my taste. My eyes fought to stay open but the faster he went the more I lost the battle, though the sight of him on his knees was one I would never forget, my features scrunching with pleasure as I blinked open, getting off on him so desperate to please me. "Fuck..." 

As I mumbled his name repeatedly, I caressed his hair, making him smile against me. The way his tongue swirled, soft suckles on my body becoming unbearably good, I didn't know if I could last much longer. He let out a long whine from the way his name dripped from my tongue, his fingers digging into my skin. He shook with passion, his body tensing as the precum wet his boxers. He couldn't help how he was getting off on getting me off, his hips subtly bucking, his jeans creating enough friction to stimulate him. He tried to keep sucking me but he was slowly losing himself, lost in the pleasure, needing to come, desperate to come for me. "You're doing so well."

He moaned, writhing as he clung to me, his tongue still dancing on my skin, his lips tired and strained, but my encouragement only pushed him further. I could tell he was on the verge, and that made me only come closer, electricity jolting me with every suck, his slurping like music to my ears, intensifying the pleasure it gave me. He grunted, feeling me begin to tense. "Fuck, you're such a good boy Tweek." He whimpered, tensing, moaning loudly as his boxers filled with come, my words had driven him over the edge. I grunted as I watched him come, sending shockwaves of pleasure through me as my back arched against the sink, letting out a string of curses while my hips bucked repeatedly, pulsating against his mouth, my eyes unfortunately closing shut tightly, no longer able to see my boyfriend writhe on his knees. 

My eyes fluttered open just in time to see a slouched, huffing Tweek still on his knees, wiping my wetness from his mouth. He blinked, looking up at me tiredly but his half lidded eyes full of love and affection, satisfied at his work. I wiped the sweat from my forehead before lowering myself onto my knees, my hands cupping his face. "Baby..." I moved the strands of hair stuck to his face from his sweat, a sweet smile on my face as I analyze his features. He was completely beat, panting and flushed, but still managed a sunny smile right back to me. 

I ruffled his hair, planting a kind kiss onto his lips before pulling him into a long, warm hug. He wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling into my neck. We both sat in silence, just the thumping of our hearts and his quiet breaths in the room. "Mine..." He mumbled, embracing my warmth, squeezing me tightly, as if afraid to let go. I nodded, my face flushing. "All yours." 

[bunnymermaidwrites]

Bendegúz is told

@writerfae

In case you are interested in terrible, horrible angst (I swear I will write you some fluff, you don't have to read this unless you want to) (SAVE YOURSELF)

Summary: His mother has some sad news for Bendegúz. Even his heart being eaten while still beating would have been better.

"He died?"

It was strange. Bendegúz felt like mice were trying to chew through his chest, taking small, fleshy bites out of his heart in order to make a nest for their babies.

Sunbeams illuminated his mom's features, highlighted the pores and wrinkles of the face, that may try to seem strict and hard at times, but that he knew (better than he knew anything else in this world) was softer than the smallest cloud.

Zsuzsa looked at her son, tears in her eyes, not yet fallen, painted gold by the light, armor gleaming.

"He died" she said, as if she were closing a book.

She didn't let go of Bendegúz's hands, just kept holding them like a pillow would hold precious wedding rings.

Over the years Bendegúz had often made the guards and knights describe different pieces and parts, gears and bolts of a battle. He once asked them what it felt like when one lost too much blood. Apparently, it was sticky, and hot, and wet, and cold, and... strange. 

He supposed that something similar must be happening to him too right now. The mice in the nest having taken one too many bites of him, sharp teeth slicing through a major artery, and that's why he wasn't feeling the cold seep through the thin material of his pants from the marble windowsill that they were sitting on.

He felt red heat, probably the blood he was losing, rush to his eyeballs, trying to push them out of place, only to realize that that was no blood from mice-bite inflicted wounds... 

He would never see Ákos again.

They would never get to play again.

He would never peer up curiously at Bendegúz from wrinkly pages of an old book, to watch him practice with his spear ever again.

He suddenly felt like his insides stopped working. Granted, he didn't know what that was like, but he would have to assume it felt exactly like this. Muscles tensing and loosening then changing their minds the next second. Heatwaves flowing through him, like his body was trying to manifest fire-powers.

The ancient window still stood straight and tall while Bendegúz's spine forced him to bend forward.

His head was pressed against his mother's lap, where the woman started caressing his hair. He could feel the base of her palm resting on his skull as she tugged gently at the locks that were like frightened, curled up snails.

Bendegúz was shaking like boiling water.

But all this: the heart being chewed through, the tears, his head in his mother's lap did not even last half a minute.

Like toy with a spring inside the boy set up, ladders of shadows instantly appearing on his now wrinkled, green shirt.

Deep inside Bendegúz has always been a huge, overexcited, fluffy dog. The type who you shouldn't put on a chain, outside, alone, though you couldn't, even if you tried, for he'd escape.

Bendegúz rarely ever stopped. Neither did his thoughts. They kept chugging along, going at their own pace. A retriever that would find the bird, but he would also eat it, then look at you like the cat that ate the canary despite the fact that it was a dog.

The hallway was long and the ceiling tall. Marble half columns leaned against the wall, riverbed-like grooves embedded into them. The stripes were delicate, sharp edges filed down by the expert hands of the one that made them long ago.

Why do I feel like this? The question came to mind after Bendegúz recovered the tiniest bit from the mice eating through his veins. He wasn't even my little brother... The rodents started wriggling around in their nest, painfully brushing against what meat was left inside the boy's chest at the traitorous thought.

So, he sat up, even if the action of willingly separating his body from his mother's nightlight hold required greater strength than pushing a giant boulder up a hill would. His tears went away, like they were never even there. Perhaps the mice got greedy and drank them all, he thought. Not that Bendegúz minded.

The air was cool. It always was in the hallways. In the winter their parents would barely let them out of the warm, heated rooms without a million layers of clothes, despite the fact that they were still indoors.

Bendegúz strangely felt more like himself again. Like the drying paint didn't get smeared on the portrait that was his whole being.

Although he couldn't not notice that unlike him, his mother felt and let worry flood her. Probably above all at his lack of a reaction. 

She tilted her head the slightest, bangs dancing on her brows.

"It's okay to cry" she said honestly. For some reason her voice reminded him of their comfortable couch, the world's most comfortable couch, that resided in their living room at home.

"No, I'm just... I'm fine!" Bendegúz stuttered, like he was using his tongue for the first time (which was ridiculous, since he was the most talkative person he's ever met!) "I am far more worried for everyone else!"

That is true, he thought, while fiddling with the worn collar of his shirt.

He worried for Adél, who used to sit and sit with Ákos for hours till her tea's gone cold. What would she do now?

How could Bendegúz even entertain the thought of self-pity when his connection to Ákos wasn't like that at all? (For it was different indeed, more like a beloved game. A knight's connection to his squire. Full of fondness, laughter and looking out of the other.)

Bendegúz's mother looked at him strangely. The reflection of the sunlight flickered in her eyes, a maiden in a gold dress on a round, green dance floor. She took in a breath, listening as the air rushed in, loud and clear. Her lips parted, opening up to let words out of the cave of her mouth, only to be interrupted.

Tall, white doors swung open with the speed of a hunting eagle. The door handles hit the walls, hard enough for the sound to rush through the whole castle, hard enough for stone to crack.

Under the doorway stood a small girl, tears making hair stick to her face, skin itching from the mixture of the strands and the salt, like it so often did when she cried.

Bendegúz slid off the windowsill, let his feet hit the floor, and he stood, arching the mechanical wings, ready to fly.

When Adél runs, Bendegúz follows. It always has been this way, and it always would be.

The girl stood like a willow tree, bending forward. Adél felt like her ribs were curling inwards, crushing everything inside her in an effort to make it all fit, while they shrunk her to the size of a pebble.

She stumbled forward, taking one... two shaky steps, the bottom of her shoes hitting the polished floor making it sound like she was walking on a xylophone. Then she stopped. Stood still.

"Bendegúz! Bendegúz!" Adél screamed. 

Not that she had to say it twice.

His wings clicked once, flapped once and Bendegúz was instantly there, all but smashing the girl against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and he wished they were twice as long so he could keep wrapping her up, 'till they were like an old, rolled up carpet forgotten on the attic together. Since they weren't, he just squeezed her twice as tightly, even if it was extremely difficult when Adél's muscles kept involuntary contracting, and she kept being pulled downward, out of his hold toward the floor, underground, under Galla, to the Black swamp and lower. 

"Á-Ákos... Ákos..." Adél sobbed.

Bendegúz felt her tears run down his neck, scolding hot when they first hit, then extremely cold.

"I know... I know..." And doves, don't turn him into a parrot now! Let him say something more useful! Stop the mice form scurrying around and around in his chest right now and let him say something more useful!

"I know...I know" No, no, NO! Come on, Bendegúz, something useful! Something that will help!

'It's okay' he thought to say. 

The half columns slithered up the walls to the ceiling to hold hands, creating the arches.

'It will be all right' he thought to say. 

Even the sound of the tiniest mouse echoed in the big castle.

'I'm sorry' he thought to say.

The shiny floor acted like a mirror, reflecting the people standing on it.

"I know... I know... I know..." he kept on chanting.

Bendegúz hugged his best friend nice and close. Adél let herself mistake his arms for strong walls of the mightiest pillow fort, protected by their most trusted stuffed animals so no monster could get in. Protected in the comfort of that castle, in the light colors, the soft textures, in the air that smelled of fresh soap she was safe to scream as loud as she needed, like she would if the outer layer of her skin was being ripped off.

There used to be four royal children in Galla's castle. Now there were three.

[snowdropluck204]

You're My Prize - Shoto Todoroki x Mafia! Fem! Reader

Hello my lovelies! I have seen a few mafia AU fanfics, but in all of them, it was the reader who was all weak and helpless but no more! I hope you guys like this, it was just a random idea I got when I was listening to music! Enjoy!

As always, the tip button is at the bottom of the post, obviously it's completely optional but it's always appreciated!

Todoroki might seem a bit out of character, I assure you, this is on purpose!

Shoto pov

Restful sleep was not something I was massively used to, but this was relatively peaceful, at least it would have been if I wasn't moving around so much, 'Why am I moving around so much?' I thought to myself, trying my hardest to open my eyes only to wind up with a headache.

'Why? Why won't you open?' I cried in my head, starting to get frightened, my own body wasn't listening to me, I wanted to get up!

As I was thinking this, the rocking about began to soften, whatever I was moving in was coming to a slow stop, giving me some time to think properly. From what I could tell, I was in a car, but was I alone? I was warm, like someone had wrapped me in blankets and now that I was coming to, I could feel someone's arms wrapped around me, carrying me… Somewhere…

I don't know how long it had been since I felt myself being taken out of the car, but I was finally able to open my eyes, they were blurry and I somehow still felt tired but I tried to focus as I looked around the room I was in.

It was beautiful! I was shocked, I was unconscious, moved to an unknown location and now I was in a room that looked like it came directly from a fairy tale! I was lying in a four poster bed with the most comfortable sheets I've ever felt, clean white sheets. I moved to stand, beginning to look around more. The room was painted a pale blue colour, the floor, a plush white carpet, felt incredible under my bare feet.

I was so lost in where I was, I was startled by a gentle knocking on the door, rushing to lay back down in the comfortable bed. It was rare that anyone but Fuyumi knocked on my door, not after Touya came home… I tried to answer, or invite the person in, purely to sate my curiosity, but no words came out, my throat was sore and dry.

Luckily, I didn't have to say anything, the knocker came in anyway and I was immediately in awe. She was gorgeous! (h/c) hair that had a subtle shine, (e/c) eyes that glistened with a thousand different emotions, (s/t) skin that seemed to be completely flawless to me. Who was she? Did she bring me here?

She seemed to have not noticed that I was awake so I took some more time to observe her. She was wearing simple clothing, practical but cute, she was carrying a tray with some food and a jug of water, along with a glass. She wore a gentle smile on her face, she looked so calm and I couldn't help but want to reach out and touch her.

I was still stuck in my trance when she finally turned around to look at me, she jumped slightly, letting out a light laugh, before placing the tray that she nearly dropped on the bedside table next to me. She pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, she was quiet for a while, before beginning to speak in a voice I would hear in my head until the end of time.

"I'm glad you finally woke up, I was getting worried, how are you feeling?" She asked me, I was touched, she didn't know me, or at least I didn't know her and yet here she was, trying to make sure I was okay. I nodded, not really giving a straight answer, instead staring longingly at the water I was too nervous to ask for.

The mystery woman seemed to realise what I was looking at, "Aw I'm sorry sweetie! I should've taken care of you as soon as I came in, here you are," Once again, her kindness made me feel warm and tingly. She poured me a glass of water, which I chugged down in a very messy way, if I wasn't so thirsty, I would probably be incredibly embarrassed, but I couldn't care less right now!

"Poor baby, you're parched huh?" She asked with her honey voice, she gave me the food she'd brought and I was so busy eating and drinking, I hadn't noticed her fingers running softly through my hair. She was obviously trying to soothe me and it was working, god it was working! I was unused to the affection even before Touya came home, but after that it was almost like I didn't exist.

When Touya, or then known as Dabi, returned to the family, our father realised just how powerful he had gotten, preferring to continue training him than me, at first, I didn't mind, until I realised the only reason he was relatively nice to me was because I had something to offer… I was completely abandoned, it would have been better if he'd left me on the streets! I'd become nothing more than a servant to my father and brother.

Once I'd finished eating, I was tired again, the feeling of soft skin against my scalp, the warmth through my hair accelerating my slumber. I looked up at the woman, she was smiling gently at me, I smiled back, it was almost a compulsion, I had to smile back. "I- I'm Shoto…" I whispered, hoping she could hear me, she seemed to.

"Hi Shoto, my name is (y/n)," Once again, her voice was intoxicating and her name… (y/n), beautiful.

(y/n) got a notification from her phone, pulling her hand back to check, I was almost ashamed with how I followed her hand, not wanting to be separated from her just yet, I had never felt this close to someone, I had also never blushed this much before. (y/n) sighed, staring at her phone before moving her enchanting gaze to meet my eyes again.

"I'm sorry honey, I've got to go, business." She didn't seem like she wanted to leave, which made me very happy, I wanted to spend more time with her too, but she had to go.

"Could I come?" I asked, trying not to seem too eager, I don't think I succeeded…

(y/n) chuckled softly, furthering my blush, she shook her head gently, "Not today baby, maybe next time, stay put, okay?" She spoke to me as though she were talking to a frightened child, she was babying me and I wasn't mad about it, it actually felt quite nice. I was curious to see what she did for a living. I personally thought she would run a flower shop, or a cat cafe, you know, something sweet and cute.

(y/n) left my side, after another ruffle of my hair and a forehead kiss which left me processing the event for another twenty minutes.

~ Two Hours Later ~

I know (y/n) told me to stay here, but I was getting bored! I wanted to explore and I didn't hear (y/n) lock me in here, so she was probably expecting me to leave…

I opened the door, trying to be as quiet as I could, I didn't know how many people were here and how dangerous they could be, I mean, even the hallways were huge, there were hundreds of different rooms! Surely (y/n) didn't live here, or own this entire building, she would have to be one of the richest, most powerful people in Japan!

I'd found a bunch of cool rooms, they were all gigantic! I saw an indoor pool, next to big windows showing an outdoor pool, there was a bathroom that could have been a spa directly across from the room I was left in and I managed to find an office that may as well have been a library!

I was used to living in a fairly luxurious home, but this was a lot to take in! I managed to finally find the staircase that led downstairs, if you could call them stairs, marble steps, extravagant banisters and lush red carpet spread all the way down. I was still barefoot as I was heading down the stairs, the marble giving me goosebumps.

As I was making my way through the hallways downstairs, I heard voices, some rather concerning voices. I heard a calm man's voice, seemingly reciting a list of actions another person in the room had committed.

"Mr. Fujima, you asked Mistress (l/n) to loan you a significant sum of money over a year ago, she agreed on the soul instance that you pay that money back plus interest, in the span of six months." The man's voice was cold and uncaring. 'What was I listening in on? I don't think it was safe for me to be snooping…'

There was the second voice, another man but not calm or cold, he was desperate and frightened, I assumed this was Mr Fujima, "Please! I'll have the money soon, I'm so close!" The man sounded fairly young. I managed to find the room the people were in.

In the room, I could see the face of Mr Fujima, kneeling on the floor, his hands together, begging forgiveness, I wasn't sure who to yet. I saw he was kneeling in front of a large chair, almost a throne in the centre of the room, but the chair was facing away from me, so I couldn't see the mysterious person sat in it. I could also see the broad back of the man who spoke earlier, he looked almost like a butler, wearing a long tailcoat and white gloves, standing next to the chair.

The cold man spoke once more, "Mr Fujima, if you respected my mistress, you would have paid back that money six months ago, instead you asked for an extension of time, that ended today. Instead of paying it back now, you ask for yet another extension. Mistress (l/n) is a patient woman and give second chances, but never a third."

The atmosphere in the room was tense and dangerous, I was scared for Mr Fujima, whatever was going on in there, seemed almost like someone borrowing money from the Yakuza… Was this beautiful building owned by mafia?

The person in the throne shifted, they let a dainty, black gloved hand into my vision, pausing the sobbing of the man in front of them. They began tapping on the arm of their chair, as though contemplating the man's fate.

"I don't give third chances, goodbye, Mr Fujima, your family will be cared for." They were a she, hence the dainty hand I suppose, but I know her voice from somewhere…

Whoever she was, she stood and got closer to Mr Fujima, two large men in suits grabbing him from behind and lifting him into standing, even from behind, the woman seemed very familiar, but I couldn't make out anything specific in the darkness of the room.

As she got closer to the weeping man, pulling off one of the gloves, she placed her hand against his chest. My eyes widened as it seemed to melt into his chest cavity, causing pained gasps to leave Mr Fujima. When she pulled out her hand, she had his heart contained between her fingers, which she began to squeeze until it became dust.

My Fujima's lifeless body fell to the floor. The butler man was immediately behind the woman with a handkerchief, removing the silver dust meticulously.

"It's such a shame I had to do that, but he was nothing but a scummy gambler, he could have paid that money back by working hard, instead he's a disappointment to his wife and children." The woman spat, even with the venom present, her voice was still gorgeous.

I was so entranced by her voice, I hadn't noticed my grip on the door slipping, I fell forward and into the room, the door creaking as though mocking my lack of stealth. The butler and the suited men shot their heads in my direction, leading to my body freezing in fear.

The woman turned to face me and I could finally see her from the front, if I wasn't already frozen, I would have been now. "(y/n)?" I stammered. It was her, she was wearing something far less simplistic than earlier, a suit and tie, minor jewellery and the gloves. But it was definitely her.

She gave me her sweet smile and, as much as I didn't want to after seeing what she had done, I felt my heart melt and my cheeks flush. "Hiya baby, now what are you doing there on the floor?" She asked, coming over to me slowly, as if she was trying to calm a fawn.

I was still stuck staring at her eyes, her beauty, she got close enough to place a hand on my face, softly cupping my cheek, I leaned in to her warm skin desperately. "You're mine now sweetie, I'll take good care of you." She whispered into my ear, I could feel her smirk against my skin as she left me there on the floor with the butler, but not before giving me another kiss, this time, a soft peck on the lips.

'What have I gotten myself into?'

_______________________________

I hope you guys like this! Let me know if you want a part two! And let me know if you want me to re-post this chapter in both male reader perspective and gender neutral!

[jaaankiey]

JANKIEY AO3 REWIND 2024 EDITION!!!

huh? what? i'm STILL doing the same shit?

2025 is here? what the fuck?? and i'm still in this fandom writing the same pairing? erm... what the scallop!

jokes aside, i'm glad i'm still here, still chugging even if its dumb leafpin stuff. i mean, writing is a good hobby to have or something.

i feel like this is the year of really long works for me, especially for the after-dark pseudo, ohowlom, so its been less about writing a bunch of different works and more about a few different works.

AND i managed to find the first 2023 rewind (again, i am in awe that it's another... YEAR). hopefully this means more to go over yipepepepe!!!

once again, join me as we go over my thoughts on my own works that no one asked for.

putting this under a cut because it's getting a bit long:

maybe you can wish upon a star (MYCWUAS) has spiritually turned into something much worse, enter santa salvacion. hasn't progressed very much due to the fact that i need to be in a specific type of mood to make each chapter (waiting for that hyperfixation to hit here's hoping) but it's gotten good reception! and by good reception, it's downright frightening. go team! :D

the special edition, snows of change, within the battle for warriors au was completed like... january 2024. it's been a while and throughout the year, i've been itching to start work on the official second book so to speak. some plot ideas are floating around, but as of now, it's probably safe to say that this series is in the backburner for now (but ARGHGH CLEARPAW AND SNOWSHADE MY BELOVEDS... I MUST TELL YOUR TALES...)

fluffiest fic of the year for me? hm... like i said, i feel like i haven't written many one-shots this time around. leafpin specific, i would have to go with for all the christmas in the world and/or the scholastic book fair in middle school. otherwise, i thought but with luck (coiny/firey work) had a super cute premise.

the parade of terror is coming is the new psychological drama/horror leafpin longfic that i'm trying to work through! been also putting a lot of work in the back scenes for this one and hope people will enjoy its insanity MWAHAHAH.

let's not forget other minor chaptered fics (that you totally shouldn't be reminded of that i haven't updated them in FOREVER) such as when the birds chase away the snow and the high wills in terms of the leafpin works! i think they're also pretty cute but argh... maybe i got too ahead of myself and jumped to the next idea.

introducing a silly new category for the silly new series, cosmic dreaming!

numerology is the foundational work for this despite being basic in nature. also HOLY COW, IT WAS MADE IN 2023?? all this time i thought it was this year bro...

however, i can confirm that self-worth is actually this year!! following ruby's interactions with the new god of Earth, maybe there's more to the gods than meets the eye as well as the meaning of life. (really this is an exploration into the whole cosmic horror type of writing). def planning more chapters with this and if not, an entirely new work. love the worldbuilding im doing in the background for this and no i will not stop.

moving on, word count! I think it's an interesting measure to track (mainly to see how deep my insanity goes). This is the one thing last year's rewind didn't go over... I think I just forgot so I'll just compare now.

Now, I'm not sure how Ao3's word count in the statistics page works (not sure if it counts builds from last year's word count into the new year or it solely. Leaning towards the former because there is no way I wrote as much as ao3 claims I have).

For reference, 2023's word count was 140,883 words! (jankiey2 started in 2022 and for that year, it said I only wrote 140,883 words).

For 2024? Nearly DOUBLE!!! 2024's word count was/is 303,706 words! (give or take in the off chance i somehow upload something before this year ends officially).

Despite being started in 2023, I gotta say the heaviest hitters were ohowlom's hammer and metal along with santa salvacion. (maybe what's new but sorry yall been slipping on getting that finished i have attachment issues kldnvakldnva).

ok but tell me why there's a fat chance that like 90% of those words... is all leafpin i s2g. /j i be like "im so normal" and then i do this shit.

last year's rewind has a little list of stuff i hoped to get to in the new year and while i don't have much ideas now (plus looking back, i realized i didn't do SHIT), let's do it anyways!

INTO THE 2025:

again, nothing's definite because ideas come and go like the summer birds, but hopefully they persist long enough in my mind to get done.

jankiey-specific works:

make a firey and firey jr work. PLEEEASE i love their dynamic and i have such cool ideas in my head... please i am suffering.

continue work on self-worth and the overall cosmic dreaming series/worldbuilding.

finish santa salvacion or at least... write more than two chapters for it.

FINALLY work on that sequel in the battle for warriors series.

ohowlom-specific works:

actually complete both what's new and hammer and metal. yes its gonna hurt me so bad staring at the screen and being like... "tHATS ALL??" but they have to be completed some day.

continue working on the parade of terror is coming. made like... a graph for it. future me will be pissed that i forget to update this.

Hope next year treats everyone well again! If you're a long time reader, thank YOU for reading my works and such. Don't care if you started this year or before, I appreciate you so much jkfnvjkndvjak!!! This year I recall chatting with a few awesome commenters on my works; really appreciate each one of yall.

[ivyastral]

The third chapter of my KunZoi college AU fic Coincidences Become Chances is really long, so it’s taking a long time. The first draft was over 17,000 words, so it took a long time to write that and it’s taking a long time now to polish it into shape. Maybe the final draft will come out less than 17,000 words, but it’s going to be long either way. I want to take my time with it because I want my OTP to have the best story I can write, but since it’s taking so long, here’s a sample from the current draft. It might not be exactly what the final version will be, but I think it’s decent enough to give a taste of what’s coming.

The bar was busy, but Xavier managed to edge himself and Kamil into a spot against the counter. Kamil caught sight of the same bartender from O'Sullivan's rapidly making drinks, with his pink hair and lavender outfit making him look like part of the decor. "Hawk!" Xavier yelled. Unlike the girls, Hawk didn't look overjoyed to see the two of them, but he made his way over. Kamil could barely hear what Xavier said to Hawk, but when Xavier held up two fingers, Kamil pulled out his card and waved it at Hawk. "Hey!" Kamil yelled. "I'm getting all our drinks tonight." When Hawk placed two shots with limes on the counter, Kamil grabbed them both and downed one after the other. They nearly made him choke, but the sensation wasn't so bad after he bit into one of the limes. Xavier leaned against the counter and stared at Kamil. "Showing off, Professor Kunzite?"

"No, I just think you've had enough." Xavier stood very still for a long moment, not even blinking. He straightened up, folded his arms, and raised the fingers of one hand to rest under his chin, narrowing his eyes at Kamil. As Kamil felt the shots rush to his head and his lips beginning to tingle, he was enthralled by darkness creeping into Xavier's eyes. His mischievous smirk grew malevolent before Kamil's eyes, until he could almost call it frightening. Not to be outdone, Kamil crossed his own arms and gave Xavier his best practiced glare back. They stared each other down, until Xavier smacked his hand on the counter and screamed, "Oh, it's on!"

He whipped around toward the bar and flagged Hawk over, blocking Kamil from the bar even as Kamil tried to worm his way around Xavier. When Xavier secured two more shots, he glared at Kamil as he swallowed them both.

"All right, enough." Kamil waved over Hawk and ordered two rum and cokes. "Let's slow down."

"Why?" Xavier rested his elbow on the counter and propped his head under his knuckles, giving Kamil his evil smirk again. "Are you afraid I'll drink you under the table?"

"This isn't a fair competition." Kamil handed one of the rum and cokes to Xavier. "You obviously had a head start." He sipped his drink slowly, but Xavier chugged his own in two gulps. Xavier stuck his tongue out at Kamil as he slammed his glass down and flagged down Hawk again, for two wine glasses with something pink inside. He sipped his own while nudging the other toward Kamil. "I can wait for you to catch up." Kamil narrowed his eyes and chugged the rest of his rum and coke. He picked up the glass and stared at the liquid inside before taking a sip.

"What is this?" Kamil sneered. "Why is it pink?"

"It's rosé." Xavier gave Kamil his smirk again. "It's just their house wine."

"Do I look like the type who drinks rosé?"

Xavier pouted with huge eyes and twirled his hair. "What's wrong? Can't handle it?"

Kamil stifled a laugh as he took another sip and tried to tally up all the drinks he had so far. From the way his head was swimming and his lips and fingers tingled, he knew this was more than he had in years. But unlike every other time he drank, the loneliness and grief hadn't arrived. He didn't know what was different about this time, but if the horrible feelings hadn’t started by now, he was sure another drink wouldn’t make a difference. He drained his glass before Xavier did, and growled in his ear, "I can handle all the pink drinks."

"All of them, Professor Kunzite?" Xavier giggled. "I'm not sure even I can do that." He signaled Hawk and had him make pink drinks in martini glasses, with yellow candies floating in it. It was too sweet for Kamil's taste, but he wasn't going to let Xavier think he couldn't handle it. At least now he and Xavier sipped their drinks at a normal pace. Xavier was happy to explain what each drink was and tell stories about every time he had them. Kamil found Xavier's chatter made less and less sense but he wasn't sure if it was Xavier or himself, since he could hardly feel his face or fingers anymore.

[st0rmyskies]

omg literally anything i will die for those two

K this one is more hurt/comfort with no naughty, HSH AU after the events of the Lunar Cycle Festival in HSH1.

CW for mention of blood and injuries and some medical talk. Under the cut for length.

Forty-eight hours of terror and confusion and violence were behind them. Hyrule’s friends, bruised and battered and frightened, were all safe and accounted for. After the longest car ride of Hyrule’s life and hours of emergency surgery, Time was still alive. 

And after navigating all of that, Hyrule was at a loss for what to do. He stood at the sink near the nurse’s station, staring straight ahead as he scrubbed his hands clean. There were only a few hours until his morning shift began again. He could probably get a head start on exams and charting. 

There had been so much blood. He was used to seeing blood, but he usually wasn’t the one to pack off a wound, especially not with his bare hands. 

And if he got started on that now, he could probably fit in some time for an actual breakfast. Should he get breakfast now, though, or just scarf down while he’s charting…

It was sticky and hot where it ran through his fingers. Every pothole they hit along the way dislodged his grip, and more blood would spill onto the vinyl seats, would soak into the knees of his scrubs.

… Y’know what, he wasn’t hungry. He would probably be hungry before rounds, and he could handle that then, but for right now maybe he’d just chug an energy drink and move on with his life. 

Someone was crying. He wasn’t sure if it was Twilight or Wild, and he couldn’t look up to find out. He had to focus, to stay attuned to the drumbeat of Time’s pulse beneath his fingers, feeling for every subtle change, feeling his own heart begin to pound—

“Hyrule.” 

He jolted upright at hearing Legend’s voice so close behind him. His heart was pounding again, and the worried look in Legend’s eye let him know that he looked exactly as bad as he was starting to feel. 

And that was the instant that Hyrule felt himself start to break apart. 

There was an unwritten rule on clinics that was always spoken in passing during orientation. It wasn’t an actual rule, but breaking it came with a small amount of personal shame. There was some sick honor in swallowing your emotions, in muscling through the day-to-day tragedy of medicine without being outwardly affected by it. In moments of weakness, it was acceptable to break only outside the hospital walls. 

Hyrule dragged Legend down fluorescent hallways by his sleeve at a pace just shy of a run. They slammed through a metal exit door, ducking through a cloud of cigarette smoke and stumbling around the corner of the building, away from the disinterested stares of strangers in green scrubs. Before Legend could get a word out, Hyrule slammed into him, wrapping his arms around Legend’s shoulders and pressing their chests flush together. Legend went rigid. 

“I kept— I kept texting you…”

“I know, I’m sorry—”

“Why didn’t you answer!?”

Legend gripped Hyrule’s arms in an attempt to unlatch them from him. “I lost my phone at the festival—” 

Hyrule knocked Legend’s hat off as he reached up to grip the back of his head. “No,” Hyrule pressed his forehead into the side of Legend’s neck, “I’m sorry, Legend, but I… I can’t…”

And in that moment, Legend’s posture began to relax. Because there was something familiar in the way Hyrule’s arms shook as he held him, in the miserable helplessness in his voice, in the soft dirge of sirens in the distance. 

Because Legend had been the one crying once, in fear and in shock and in grief, what felt like a lifetime ago. 

“I was so scared.”

And Hyrule had been the one to anchor him then.

Hyrule felt Legend’s posture softened as warm arms encircled his shoulders. The gesture simultaneously eased his heartache and made him sob harder, holding onto Legend with the fear that if he let go, he might never hold him again.

[voraciousvore]

The Giant (10/16)

***Contains soft vore and sex! 18+!***

------Chapter 10------

Over the next couple of days, I worked hard towards my goal of finding a way home. Chester had bought me a small chunk of lapis lazuli, a beautiful blue stone with veins of white and gold, from a gem shop. He smashed it with a hammer to create pieces small enough for me to work with. I tied a thread, which proportional to me was more like a thick cord, around a shard of stone to make a magical object in the form of a necklace I could keep on my person.

When I told Chester about the requirement for blood magic, he seemed a little disturbed but willingly obliged by donating to me some of his blood. The blood was thick and unpleasantly metallic in taste, but I forced myself to drink it anyways. I chugged some water afterwards to get the nasty taste out of my mouth. I had researched some of the spells for blood magic and had found them to be highly desirable. Blood magic could be used for healing, food creation, and shifting sizes, albeit temporarily. Lightning magic, the other category I was aiming for, could be used to change the weather, shock or stun enemies, or manifest portals to other realms.

Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing if I had the innate ability to be a wizard, or if I was naturally compatible with either type of magic. For all I knew, I may be wasting my time if I were completely lacking in talent. Nevertheless, I pressed forward, attempting all the tricks and techniques I read about in my books. I practiced chants and meditation relentlessly. I tried to cast spells, to no avail. Despite all my efforts, I didn't seem to be making any progress. There was one last technique I could try, but it wouldn't be easy. The books claimed magical power could be unlocked "under extreme duress or in a life-threatening situation." Of course, I didn't want to put myself in such a frightening situation, and I wasn't even sure how I would do it in a way that didn't actually kill me.

I brought the issue up to Chester after dinner one day, and he ruminated on it for a minute before seeming to get an idea. He went to the fridge, grabbed a beer, popped the cap off, and took it back to the dining room table. He tore the label off and threw it in the trash. I observed his actions with confusion plainly written on my face. He looked back at me with an inscrutable expression. Then, to my shock, he snatched me off the table with a brisk swipe of his hand and dropped me into the bottle. I fell into the beer with a splash. I resurfaced, sputtering, and swam to the edge of the bottle, putting my hands on the glass. I was trapped inside; I had no way of climbing out. I could just make out Chester's massive form through the opaque brown glass.

"Chester!" I yelled with irritation, my voice echoing in the bottle. "Why did you do that?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to drink you up," he replied with a mischievous grin. He picked up the bottle and swirled it in his hand. A mini whirlpool formed in the beer, spinning me around.

"Chester, this is silly. It won't work because I'm not afraid of you." A tremor in my voice betrayed my true feelings. I had to admit, I was nervous. Was Chester actually planning to swallow me? He knew how much that scared me. But that was the whole point, wasn't it? My heart started to pound. He couldn't possibly do that to me, not for real. Could he?

The bottle tilted back, and I realized Chester was taking a drink. I swam with all my strength in the opposite direction. I was swept up through the neck of the bottle, almost to his lips. I barely avoided getting sucked into his mouth. Clearly, he had taken the smallest of sips just to mess with me. I was still shaken nonetheless.

"Chester, I changed my mind. I don't want to do this anymore. Please let me out."

Before Chester could reply, a thunderous knock at the front door startled both of us.

"Chester, are you home?" a bass voice boomed from outside. I looked over at Chester in terror. He was himself in shock; even through the brown glass I could see his face had paled. The front door opened, and a colossal giant walked in, shaking the table with his footsteps. I couldn't see very many details through the glass, only that the giant was, of course, enormous. His vast silhouette moved up to the table, looming over the bottle.

"Hey there ol' Chestnut, haven't seen you in forever! Hiding in the woods as always eh?"

"B-brother!" Chester managed to squeak out.

"I see you've already started cracking beers without me!" Chester's brother bellowed with a hearty laugh. I was engulfed in shadow as his huge, meaty hand closed around the beer bottle. As the bottle was raised high in the air, I comprehended with horror the giant was going to take a big gulp of beer, and undoubtedly imbibe me in the process.

"Wait Jasper! Don't drink that!" Chester yelled frantically. The bottle paused inches from his brother's lips.

"Why?" Chester's brother--apparently named Jasper--asked. He sniffed the bottle suspiciously. "Wow, that beer smells amazing! Almost like there's a little human in there!" He belted out another jovial laugh. His loud voice reverberated all around me in the bottle.

"Well..." Chester raced to come up with a quick lie. "They came out with a new flavor of beer that's supposed to taste like humans. But you shouldn't drink it, it's disgusting. Total garbage."

"Huh." Jasper thought about it for a moment, playing with the bottle that was dwarfed by his giant hand. I was frozen in fear, feeling very small as I bobbed about in the liquid. "I'm willing to give it a shot." Before Chester could respond, the giant kicked the bottle back and chugged the beer. I splayed out my arms and legs as I passed through the neck of the bottle, and managed to grip the sides enough to stop myself from sliding. I looked back to see the cavernous hole of the giant's maw covering the only way out, beer sloshing down into the abyss of his gullet. The glass was slippery, and the force of the beer was pushing me back slowly. I wanted to scream. All at once, I lost my grip and was swept into the giant's mouth.

I fought against the current with all my might but was unable to grab anything to stop my inevitable descent. I was only inside his mouth for a moment before plunging down into his gullet. Lubricated with a flood of beer, I dropped with frightening rapidity down his throat. I doubt he even realized he had swallowed an actual person with his drink. Even though I knew any struggle was pointless, I still flailed with every ounce of strength I had. After the long journey down, I was squeezed into his stomach.

The giant man must have eaten a sizable meal before coming over to Chester's, because there were half-digested chunks of unidentifiable food floating around in the burning concoction of his stomach acid. I hoped the extra food and beer would dilute the acidity of his gut and buy me some time. The stomach was churning and gurgling more than the previous times I had been eaten, perhaps because the organ was fuller and actively working to digest. I had to work fast. I urgently focused all my energy on summoning a bolt of lightning.

"Ahh! That was great!" Jasper's voice boomed through his belly. I tried to ignore him. I could hear Chester's voice shouting angrily outside, muffled by the thick barrier of flesh surrounding me.

"Slow down brother, why are you so angry?" I closed my eyes and held the lapis lazuli tight in my sweaty fist. Chester continued to rant indistinctly. "What? A real human?" I started to feel a tingling in my body. I wasn't sure if the sensation was magical or just acid starting to eat away at my skin. "Well, what's wrong with that? You put her in the bottle in the first place!"

Suddenly, I heard a popping and crackling, like static electricity. I opened my eyes to see sparks of lightning dancing across my fingers. I had done it! Without hesitation, I slapped my palm into the stomach lining and expelled all the lightning I could. The result was not very impressive, but enough to deliver a jolt to the digestive organ. Jasper let out a resounding groan.

"Oh... my stomach..." he moaned loudly. His innards crumpled up and I knew what was coming next. Just like before, I rode the wave of vomit that forced me up through his esophagus. Soon enough I could see a light up above, past the tonsils and the uvula and back into his mouth. I slid down the giant's tongue and collapsed onto the dining room table with a splat. In a flash, familiar hands enclosed me protectively. Chester rushed me over to the sink and rinsed me off in cold water. Both Jasper and I were coughing.

Ignoring his brother, Chester ran with me in his hands to the bathroom and washed me with soap, then dried me with a towel. He obtained some clean clothes for me and I gratefully put them on. Once I was all cleaned up, and the shock and horror of what had transpired wore off, I was elated.

"Chester! It worked! I was able to use lightning magic!" I grinned up at him. Chester rubbed his temples with his hands, clearly exasperated.

"Jackie, you know I had no intention of actually eating you, right? I was just trying to scare you! I didn't know my stupid brother was going to show up!" He rested his hands on the counter, leaning over me.

I patted his knuckle, feeling his soft skin under my hand. "It's okay. No harm done. And your brother didn't even know I was in there. I don't blame him."

"Just wait here, I'll show him out the door," Chester growled.

"No, it's alright. He can stay," I asserted.

Chester raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Seriously? Even after all that?"

"Yes," I insisted. "I figure I have to meet your family at some point, if I'm going to stay here in the Land of Giants with you."

Chester stopped, recognizing the heavy significance of my words. "That's true," he conceded softly. "Alright. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yeah," I affirmed, although not as confidently as before. The thought of confronting the giant who had just ingested me, even though the act was accidental, was admittedly distressing. However, I knew I had to be strong. I had Chester with me if anything went wrong, and hopefully I could still conjure up more magic. I doubted Jasper would try to eat me after I had shocked him from inside his belly. I hopped into Chester's open hand and sat down. "I'm ready."

Chester slowly walked with me back into the kitchen. Jasper was still there, looking a bit rattled as he guzzled a second beer from the fridge. Now that I wasn't looking at him through a wall of brown glass, I could definitely see the family resemblance between Chester and his brother. Jasper had similar facial features, the same color hair, and green eyes, although his were a shade darker than Chester's. He was marginally shorter and portlier, with his gut protruding over his waistband. His ruddy cheeks flushed red in embarrassment when he saw me.

"S-sorry about that," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with his arm. "I didn't know you were in that bottle." He glanced over at me. Despite the awkwardness of the encounter, I could tell he was curious.

"It's alright," I responded weakly. I was trying to project my voice so he could hear me, but my apprehension was getting in the way. "I know it wasn't your fault. I forgive you." Jasper seemed relieved at my statement.

After an uncomfortable pause, Chester spoke up to ease the tension. "Jasper, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend. This is Jaclyn." Now it was my turn to blush. Girlfriend? I gazed up at Chester, who was beaming down at me lovingly. I beamed back. I liked the sound of it.

"Girlfriend?" Jasper repeated, baffled at this new development. He cocked an eyebrow.

Even though I was nervous to leave the safety of Chester's hands, I figured I would have to learn to get along with Chester's family sooner rather than later. Forcing down my anxiety, I cleared my throat. "Chester, you can let Jasper hold me if he wants. So he can see me better." I prayed internally that I wouldn't regret this rash act of boldness.

Chester seemed reluctant to relinquish me, but in accordance with my wishes, he held out the hand I was sitting in to his brother. Jasper hesitated, but his curiosity got the better of him. I knew he couldn't see me in detail since I was so tiny compared to the two massive giants. He offered up his gigantic hand, and I carefully stepped into it and crouched down on my knees so I wouldn't lose my balance. With the upmost care, he raised his hand up to eye level so he could get a closer look at me. Although I was tempted to look away, I forced myself to return eye contact, finding myself lost in the forest green of his giant irises.

"You're pretty," Jasper complimented quietly, trying to keep his voice low so as not to scare me. "And very brave. I don't think I've ever met a human who wasn't absolutely terrified of a huge giant like me."

I smiled shyly and finally broke eye contact, looking down into the plush surface of his hand. Much like Chester, he handled me delicately, as if I were fragile. "Thank you," I answered meekly.

Jasper looked over at his brother. "I can see why you like her." He carefully handed me back over to Chester, who embraced me warmly with his hands.

"What brings you out to my neck of the woods, Jasper?" Chester inquired.

Jasper slapped his forehead with his hand. "Oh, I completely forgot with all the excitement! There's a game on tonight. I thought you might want to watch it with me." He glanced at the clock. "It probably started already." He raced over to the living room, turned on the TV, and made himself at home on the couch.

"We'll be over there in a minute," Chester told him. He brought me in close. "You did so well! I'm proud of you," he whispered to me. He kissed me softly with his giant lips. I kissed him back, melting like butter in the palm of his hand.

"Thanks Chester," I whispered back. "I like being your girlfriend. And I love you."

"I love you too."

Chester strolled over to the living room and sat down next to his brother. He set me in his lap, cradling me in his warm hands. The game that Jasper was so enthusiastic about was just like football, but the teams were different, and the rules were altered somewhat. The game appeared to be more violent too. I watched with interest. The two giant brothers enjoyed the game as well, with Jasper getting especially rowdy during some of the big plays. I figured giants must be more physically durable than humans, because some of the injuries looked like they would incapacitate any human but the giant players got up like they were no big deal.

By the time the game was over Jasper had demolished at least five beers, and Chester had downed a few as well. As for me, I declined to drink. After swimming in beer and gastric juices, I was in no mood.

"Jasper, you can crash on the couch if you'd like. Jaclyn and I are going to bed," Chester informed him. Jasper, in a drunken stupor, sprawled his gigantic body out on the couch and was snoring within seconds. I couldn't resist giggling at him. Chester laughed too. He took me to the bedroom and passed out on the bed pretty quickly himself. I snuggled up on his mountainous chest. I felt lucky to have him as my boyfriend.

The next morning, I woke up before Chester did because I was cold. He was still fast asleep. I thought about what a girlfriend should do in such a circumstance. Smirking to myself, I crawled down his bare belly and slunk under the waistband of his underwear. Now I was nice and warm next to his package. I started to fondle his giant testicles, rubbed his head, and played with his shaft. His flesh came to life underneath my hands, pulsing and growing as blood rushed in. He was definitely awake now. I gripped his penis with my arms and legs and pumped up and down on it vigorously. As I grinded on his huge member with my body, I got aroused as well. Riding a ridiculously big, throbbing cock was extremely hot. Especially when he started to moan with pleasure. Oh, God! At the height of intensity, his penis stiffened and his balls twitched as they dumped their load. I collapsed on his shaft, exhausted but exhilarated. He reached into his underwear and pulled me out.

"Holy cow," the giant marveled. "You never cease to amaze me, Jackie."

"You're incredible yourself!" I gushed. "I could never have an experience like that with a human man! Damn, that was sexy as hell!" We gazed at each other adoringly and shared the moment by cuddling, with me against his cheek in his hands. After a few minutes, Chester's sensitive nose twitched and his belly grumbled. The smell of sizzling bacon was wafting in from the kitchen. We got up and threw on some clothes, including a new pair of underwear for Chester. Once we were decent, we joined Jasper in the kitchen, who was cooking a breakfast feast.

"You two lovebirds hungry?" Jasper asked with a teasing wink. "She eats the same food as us, right? I just wanted to make sure. Never had to feed a human before. Usually they feed me." He laughed heartily. Chester was not too keen on his humor, drawing me in closer to his torso possessively, but affirmed with a nod.

Breakfast was about ready, so Chester set me down on the dining table and served up the food on two giant platters. As he always did, he made sure to cut up miniature portions for me and placed them on the edge of his plate. He also poured me some orange juice in a bottle cap. Jasper ate as enthusiastically as his brother, shoveling bacon and sausage and eggs into his cavernous maw as if he hadn't eaten in days. Come to think of it, I had made him throw up his dinner last night, to be replaced only by beer, so he probably was pretty hungry. The reminder of being inside his stomach curbed my appetite significantly, and I found I had difficulty eating more than a few bites. I inched closer to Chester's arm, which was resting on the table next to me.

"Hey Chester," Jasper piped up in between large bites, "I was curious, how do you control your cravings around her? I doubt I'd be able to keep a human alive in my house for more than a couple days at the most before eating it." He glanced down at me out of the corner of his eye as he waved his fork in his hand absently. I swear I saw a glint of that same predatory hunger in his eyes that occasionally surfaced in Chester's. I gulped nervously and gripped Chester's arm with my hand.

Chester blanched. "We've found ways of handling it," he muttered.

"And what about Mom and Dad? I'm guessing you haven't told them you're dating a human?" Jasper continued to prod.

Chester groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. "I didn't think about that." I looked up at him questioningly. The thought of having to meet more giants filled me with anxiety, but his reaction concerned me even more.

Seeing my confusion, Jasper explained, "Our parents are part of the older generation who were alive when giants still lived in the human realm. They lived during the war between humans and giants and the expulsion of giants from the human world. Needless to say, they don't look upon humans too favorably." He gave me a sad smile. "Chester and I, on the other hand, were born here in the Land of Giants, so we don't hold the same prejudice, since we hardly see humans here at all. Most of the time, with those of us of the younger generation, if we find a human we just eat it since we know humans taste so good."

Chester elbowed him sharply. "I don't. I'm not a monster!"

Jasper shrugged. "I know you've done it before."

Chester's countenance darkened with a mixture of regret and shame. "Not anymore. That's not who I want to be. I'm not cruel." I rubbed his arm with my hand to comfort him and he smiled down at me, returning my gesture with his finger. Jasper observed us with a bemused smirk but mercifully held his tongue. I could tell he was just teasing his brother, and didn't mean any harm.

Addressing me this time, Jasper remarked, "Chester seems happier with you around than he was before." I smiled at him timidly but felt too shy to speak. He seemed to understand and didn't press me for a response. Soon enough, he became distracted by his breakfast and demolished it with a few titanic bites. He looked at the clock and stood up.

"Well, I'm off. It was nice meeting you, lovely little lady." He patted my side with his finger. Chester stiffened slightly but didn't say anything. Jasper slapped his shoulder jovially. "See you later, brother."

"Later," Chester replied. Jasper walked out, carelessly slamming the front door behind him. Chester sighed and scooped me up in his giant hands. "You doing alright? I hope my obnoxious brother didn't scare you."

"I'm fine. I like your brother." I gazed up at Chester's handsome face, glad to have him all to myself now. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"I should catch up on my writing, I suppose," Chester said. "Are you going to practice some magic, now that you're able to cast a lightning spell?"

"Of course!"

Chapter 11

Chapter 1

[who-is-shades]

raz dnd 39

wheatley is walking backwards trying to teach us chells sign language. zen turns around and tells us to be prepared, were nearing a town zorbolt took over. teya asks if we should psychic mind link again, go for it. mine connection~ theres a fucked up town with red light yay.

the gate is open? weird. most of the bots have already been destroyed. very suspicious. zen hands parsley some binoculars to check it from above. he can see more broken bots and lots of blood uh oh. he also sees a few organic bodies. he sees 3 people walking around, crouching over a body.

their orcs! 'might just be an orc raiding party.' theres also several dead orcs cool. 'clearly they won.' thanks wheatley. we keep saying were gonna fuck up raz's plans and just fly over it xD teya wants to collect the bodies lol. parsley starts an argument about grass wtf man lol. zen says he senna and maybe teya should go in and be diplomatic?

lots of destroyed bots and dead orcs and some dead townsfolk, they look killed by bladed or bludgeneoned weapons. the orcs are burned from being shot. there they are! senna says someone can approach and the other 2 could flank, or teya could hidden step?

senna and zen walk over and its other undyne! shes eating someones arm?! she recognizes them from the crossover! "i jumped you!" "i never met you before in my life." senna xD this undynes such a dick actually XD she says the bots were guarding and her men got killed, then she killed the villagers. senna warns parsley shes gonna commit violence. she bares her teeth at senna, and she bares her teeth right back. eat or be eaten!

teya hits her with phantasmal killer! time to fight! she enters a mindless rage to avoid being frightened, fucker. zens gonna distract the other 2 orcs so we can kill undyne xD undynes gonna fucking get teya! wheatley and android are making their way into the town. teya uses eyebite on her and makes her sickened. she then chugs a healing potion cause shes ALREADY below half.

parsley slams an axe into her head but misses hitting her eye and the axe pops out and she fucking just. has her wound healed? wtf? you cant do that! zen gets attacked by the other orcs, one goes after android. senna uses inflict wounds and does 33 damage nice, then imbues teya with dragons breath.

android fucks up the orc thats attacking him. zen keeps fighting the other orc. undyne keeps missing senna xD wheatley misses both shots damn. teya uses vampiric touch on undyne not the dragon breath sadge. parsley stabs undyne in the eye and the body! the wounds heal wtf. parsley also gives us bonus ac nice.

one of the orcs runs over to protect undyne! it roars so undyne just has. normal attacks rolls now xD orc 2 keeps fighting android. senna gives parsley dragons breath and uses inflict wounds again. android keeps fucking up the orc, as does zen but he got a nat 1 xD

undyne crumbles to the ground and she begins growing fur?! SHES A WEARWOLF?! WTF STOP THAT! she STILL misses, thanks parsley xD wheatley misses again F. teya hits her with Blight for half. parsley breathes fire on her but uh it sucked lol. zens orc disengages and goes to fight us instead. androids orc is still keeping him busy. senna hits her with witchbolt!

android goes back to the gun and kills the orc good job! zen goes after that other orc! undyne bites senna the bitch. senna keeps the attack but loses a different con save uh oh. she also gets clawed. shes gonna be a wearwolf and a dragon thats. ok. raz im gonna GET YOU-

wheatley finally hits her with firebolts! undyne fucking laughs and gets back up YOU CANT MAKE HER UNDYING YOU PRICK. teya hits her but undyne just keeps getting up wtf raz. parsley attacks the other orc since hes useless here. the orc attacks back but misses once. senna still witchbolts. SHES STILL ALIVE WTF.

android shoots the other orc and misses once. zen attacks the orc and kills it then goes after undyne and misses! she claws teya but misses the bite thank god. wheatley went up to punch her and got a nat 1 and falls over. teya uses blight again. SHES STILL ALIVE WTF IS THIS SHIT?! parsley disengages and goes to turn off the tower. senna witch bolts. FINALLY SHE DIES FUCKER!

senna has taken out her mace and is bashing in undynes head, shes fucking pissed. constantly going 'nononononono' parsley beats up the mechanism to turn off the tower. wheatley keeps laying down trying to ignore senna bashing up undynes body. teya puts 2 and 2 together that uh senna is freaking out about the bite. senna finally stops and holds her mace trembling.

teya cuts off the connection so no one hears her ideas rapid fire. parsley destroys the generator.

[arithecreatorsstuff]

Bad Ideas and Good Alcohol

Rabbit has a bad day, decides to get drunk with her older brother, and things get out of hand. Turns out... Abel is a giggly drunk. No one dies (outside of a videogame), and Iris has to be the adult for once.

After nearly getting my head bit off by 682, I feel the need to blow off some steam. I've got a bottle of good Japanese whiskey, two glasses... and a bad idea. Wonder if Big Brother Abel would like a drink. I hope so, I hate drinking alone. I stop by the AV department, pick up a TV cart, and add Clef's borrowed Xbox. Whiskey and fighting games, two great things that go great together, right? Only tonight, it's a little jaunt on the Ishimura I have planned. I reach Abel's quarters, and knock.

"Hi Big Brother! I had a bad day. Wanna have a few drinks and slay some undead stabby things? I'll even send out for pizza."

"You had me at 'pizza', Little Sister." I come in, set everything up, and fire up the game. Huh. Didn't think he'd be a fan of space survival horror, but five minutes in, and he's hooked. And, swearing at the Necromorphs like a true gamer.

"You (untranslatable) little shit, I shot you! How dare you not die!"

"This 'flamethrower', I like it. I want one now." I pour the drinks, hand him a glass.

"Whiskey? Haven't had whiskey since the last time I was in Ireland." He downs it in one gulp. "That is good." I pour him another. And... he gets swarmed in game by exploding infants. "Oh. I was felled by children?" Mad giggling. "I was blown to bits by a possessed baby. I should not find that so amusing, yet I do."

I'm sipping my drink, guiding him through the wreck of a planet cracker. He has an encounter with Isaac's sort-of imaginary ex-girlfriend, and nearly drops the controller. He starts laughing.

"That did scare me, a bit." He chugs his drink. "But now... I crave pizza."

"Wouldn't eat just yet, we still have the Leviathan to get through." Still, I place the order. Two supreme pizzas, extra peppers and sausage. We go back to the game for a while.

"Those 'weezers' sound like a few of the new recruits after running drills. I can shoot them, yes?"

"The recruits or the weezers?" After a while with Abel, you had to ask this kind of question.

"The weezers, of course."

"Yeah, you need to to weaken the giant space butthole enough to kill it."

"Giant space butthole?"

"The Leviathan. It's a rather... apt description."

"Are you sure they did not just place Dr. Bright in the game?"

"Nah, Dr. Bright is a small butthole compared to that thing."

He comes to the Leviathan fight. And nearly falls over laughing.

"Giant space butthole! It really is a giant space butthole. And it's shooting (untranslatable) at me? How is this supposed to be frightening?"

At this point... our pizzas are here, along with Iris. She sets the food down, and checks out what we're doing.

"Dead Space? Bad day, Sis?" I nod. I pour myself another whiskey, offer the bottle to Abel. He shakes his head. He's too intent on the fight.

"You know... Command is gonna have a fit about you two getting blotto on site."

"Meh. What are they gonna do? Put me on Keter Duty? Besides... turns out Abel gets silly when drunk. You going to deny us one of our few ways to blow off steam?"

"Rabbit, the last time you did something like this, you stalked Dr. Clef for a week in a bloodstained pink bunny suit. O5 wanted to throw you in with 106 for that."

"Would you rather have us play one of Big Brother's favorite games, Hunt the Bright? Better to have him doing this, I say."

"Grr. Fine. Just... keep him away from Bright. And... I want a cut." Iris helps herself to a slice, and sets down next to us. "Abel, throw the barrel at the giant butthole, then shoot it." He does. "Nice. You got this, Big Brother."

[wearfinethingsalltoowell]

Incorrect Quote Generator Part idk anymore

Olu: I can’t believe we have to be stuck in this room together! Jim, swallowing the key: Truly unfortunate.

-

Olu: Is that a gun?! Jim: It's not what it looks like! Olu: It looks like a gun! Jim: Okay, maybe it is what it looks like, but in my defense, it doesn't have anymore bullets, so I technically can't shoot it anymore. Olu: …ANYMORE?!

-

Olu, trying their first ever cup of coffee: I am ENERGY! Jim, an avid coffee drinker, on their twelfth cup of the day: Someone slap me awake or I am literally going to fall into a coma in ten seconds.

-

Olu, holding an antique bottle: Is this whiskey or perfume? Jim: grabs and chugs the entire bottle Jim: Jim: It's perfume.

-

Olu: Don't go to the kitchen. Jim: Why? Olu: I saw a spider. Jim: Well, did you kill it? Olu: It has 8 arms and I only have 2, it's not fair…

-

Olu: So, what's for dinner? Jim, staring at the food they burnt: Regret.

-

Olu: I called you like ten times! Why didn’t you pick up? Jim: remembers dancing to the ringtone Jim: I didn’t hear it.

-

Olu: Did you win? Or just not die? Olu: Either way, hooray. Jim: …Is "no" a valid answer? Olu: The hooray is redacted and you frighten me.

-

Jim: Talk dirty to me, baby~ Olu: The dishes. Jim: Wh- Olu: They’ve been there for 4 days and it’s your turn to wash them. You still haven’t cleaned them and I have asked you to do so several times.

-

Olu walking into the kitchen and seeing all their limes peeled: Jim, I love you but, what the h-e-double FUCK. Jim, sipping coffee happily: I love you too :)

-

Jim, to Olu: We had a date!  Jim: *aggressively points to Hello Kitty Coloring Book*

-

Olu: Okay, I’m going to get the wedding cake. Jim: Perfect, while you do that I’ll check on the ring bear. Olu: … Olu: You mean ring bearER, right? Jim: … Olu: Look me in the eyes and tell me you are not going to bring a dangerous wild animal to our wedding.

[dark-breakers]

Shattered Star Chapter 19

"I still can't believe your brother did that!" Gibbous said when he and Lunar got to the forest outside of the village.

Lunar shrugged his shoulders in response as Stella suddenly appeared from her shard and hugged him from behind.

"I was so worried! I didn't think we'd ever get out of there!" she said.

'How come you didn't show up while we were in the cell?' Lunar telepathized.

"I didn't want to frighten Gibbous at first. Considering that this is a universe where the Newton Star hasn't shattered, we're able to be seen by anyone now," Stella explained.

"My guess is that your Eclipse wasn't mentally sound enough to grant his own wish," Gibbous remarked as they made their way back to the cave where Sundrop and Lunar had defeated Rimsier Eclipse.

They stopped when they realized Eclipse was now awake and speaking to Twyla as he paced back and forth with the blanket Sundrop gave him around his shoulders and held together with his left hand.

"Where the hell are they? They said they were just going for supplies," Eclipse asked with a growl.

"Maybe someone got them?" Twyla replied.

"No way... If they were able to fight my... Rimsier... then they wouldn't be able to get caught that easily," Eclipse said.

"Eclipse?" Lunar asked.

Eclipse looked up and his eyes widened.

"Lunar? Are you alright?" he asked as Lunar walked closer to him.

"Well, I just got out of a dungeon with a version of Moony and Sunny's still in the big castle," Lunar replied.

"He means me," Gibbous said as he waved.

"Who are you?" Eclipse asked.

"Gibbous Celestial. I used to be the Captain of my Eclipse's guards," Gibbous replied.

"You hungry?" Lunar asked.

Eclipse simply nodded his head as Lunar took off his backpack and took out one of the purified water-filled glass bottles, one of the cherimoya fruit, and one of the apples.

"Where'd you get those?" Eclipse asked as he took the cherimoya fruit.

"Me and Sunny helped a nice lady named Sienna," Lunar replied as he took the apple and gave the bottle to Gibbous.

"Sienna? You met her?" Gibbous asked as he used one of his claws to pop the cork off the bottle and took a couple of sips.

"Yeah. But that's when the three of us got captured by Lord Eclipse. Said something about getting Sienna's parents' blessing for something," Lunar replied.

"Marriage?" Twyla asked.

"I'm not surprised. He'd been trying to marry her for the past three years," Gibbous replied.

"What can we do from here?" Stella asked with worry in her voice.

"We have to get to a Telepoint," Gibbous said as he began to chug his water.

"A "Telepoint"?" Eclipse asked as he peeled off the cherimoya's skin and took a big bite out of it.

"They're basically magic circles that Aibek managed to set sometime after the war," Gibbous replied as he emptied the last few drops of water in his bottle.

Lunar was already finished with his apple so he threw its core into the farther depths of the cave.

"Where's the closest Telepoint from here?" Eclipse asked as he finished eating his cherimoya and tossed the leftover skin and seeds aside.

"There is one back in the forest. But we'll have to leave quickly. If the engagement ball is tonight, then we won't have much time," Gibbous replied as he tossed the glass bottle to Lunar.

[balshumetsbaragouin]

Daily Excerpt: Passion

Moving right along, this bit is from Chapter Ten: A Haunting and Rapport Glitches. I know some readers said they liked the eel, well, the little fella shows back up in this chapter. You'll be able to see it yourself in full next week, but enjoy this tidbit for now!

“Danny?”

“Hold on, I think I sense a ghost.” He closed his eyes, pushing his ghost sense out to its limits. Still recovering from whatever this was, his powers, sense included, were blunted. Plus, since the machine plague had begun, Amity had been bereft of ghostly activity. He didn’t know what to make of that, but he did know that pulse of energy meant there was indeed a ghost. “I definitely do. It must be pretty weak, though, because it didn’t set off my mist.” He’d discovered recently that only powerful manifestations made his ghost sense visible. For everything under that, it changed the feeling of cold shifting through his core.

“You feel up for confronting a ghost?” Sam’s concerned wrapped around him, warm and gentle, keeping him company as he sped off towards the collection of ectoplasm.

“I’m getting closer and it’s not getting any stronger. It’s probably a collection of blob ghosts.” They hadn’t seen any of them either since it all started. It’d be nice to watch a flock of them chattering and goofing around again. He halted his flight a few meters away, looking for the telltale green glow of a weak group of blob ghosts. Instead, he got the dull white glow of a weak, singular ghost. That could be trouble. He moved closer, taking stock of his energy, and biting back a groan at how little he had. Even a fight with a weak animal ghost could wipe him out for the next two or three days. His core barely chugged along, producing energy lately.

He moved past a set of roofs, into the next street, and saw the ghost in question. It looked like an eel, a very familiar eel. He stopped a few meters away, just observing it meander through the air, spinning in circles. Except, this time, its flight wasn’t entirely directionless. It swept in a slow line, from one end of the street to the other, carefully looking around. Was it searching from him?

It looked docile, once again, but they hadn’t parted on the best terms. Bracing himself for the worst, he sent out a wave of his energy. Immediately, the eel’s lazy circling ended, and it turned around to face him. Seconds passed, the two ghosts staring each other down, before the animal flew closer, slow and cautious. It stopped out of easy reach of an ecto-blast before letting out an inquisitive sounding chirp.

Mrerp? It drifted closer, lethargic undulations carrying it a few feet nearer.

“Hey, little buddy…” He reached out with another wave of his energy, trying to think of friendly thoughts. He watched the ghost approach him faster, then stop only an arm’s length away. He reached across the gap, pressing his hand into its head. It closed its eyes and rubbed into his hand, before starting to twine up his arm towards his shoulder. He let it, feeling out its energy for hostility, annoyance, or fear. It felt curious and calm, letting out another chirp while staring at him with its beady bright eyes. “So, um, you’re not mad at me?”

“Is it that eel again?” Sam asked. He’d mentioned how much they’d played before Valerie frightened it, so it was a good guess.

“Yup,” he felt it swim around his shoulders and then travel down the other arm, energy just as chill as ever. “I think it's in a good mood today.”

[leam1983]

Anticipation

Welp, the last nail's been set. My cooler's ordered, so's my case. I have everything else. Now all I need is time, and an extra pair of hands. Thankfully, I've got two of those.

An able-bodied PC builder and Network Admin wouldn't really need to make an event out of turning Thermaltake's latest open-air mid-size ATX case into a bleeding-edge gaming and video editing rig, but my prerogative is that I get to wait for one of Sarah's off days to order a couple pizzas. One of the pairs of hands won't be Walt's, my unpacking some of our calling centre's miniPCs in front of him frightened that bit of him that's eco-conscious. As yes, playing around with computer hardware is probably the least carbon-neutral hobby you could hope to have - especially if you're in one of those corners of North America's East Coast where FreeGeek or its equivalents just don't exist...

Now, the flip-side of all this is parental disapproval. You'll remind me I'm forty, a tax-paying adult whose only remaining ties to his progenitors are affective and genetic, and someone who now makes enough in two weeks to cover for everything, but the fact is that no amount of prior investment in three different share and bond portfolios is enough to assuage the Motherly Unit's impression that I've just burned a fat chunk of change. Nevermind how it doesn't concern her, she's long-since aced the ages-old martial art of Saying and Doing Nothing, but Doing These Two Things in Exceedingly Angry Fashion. Ever since she figured out the total cost for my parts list, she's been distant, self-effaced and physically closed-off. Dad took it in stride - he knows what I know, monetarily - but this is coming three years after my last build.

To be honest, I'm also worried, but for different reasons. It used to be builds I put together could last me ten years or more. Within eighteen months of my current setup, I'd noticed weird hitches and frequent FPS drops in the oddest of places. For all the tests I carried out, I came to the conclusion that Windows' provided backend is thicker than ever - even with debloat scripts used. The problem is you sort of need Windows to take advantage of something like an RTX 4090's full potential, as we're nowhere near native ray tracing on Linux. My workflow in DaVinci Resolve was chugging along - at 32 GBs, and I've never needed to render things in 4K - even if my 109000K's twenty cores were still more than serviceable.

I'm putting it down on a mixture of Windows bloat and bad silicon lottery, but three years with an enthusiast-level build is not long enough by my standards. This one needs to last me ten years or more - or bust - as I can't morally justify this kind of expense, even if I can afford it.

As it is, we're looking at a Rocket Lake i9 11900K with 64 GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR4 RAM, two 2TB Sabrent Rocket 4 NVME SSDs and my laptop's old no-name 1TB NVME as a third drive. It's video signal provider will be ZOTAC's RTX 4090 Trinity, all of it powered by a Corsair RM1000x PSU. Seeing as I've gone with one of Thermaltake's P-something-or-other Pro cases and that the resulting finish is quite test bench-like, I'll only be using the Corsair H150i Elite's three fans as the system's onboard cooling. The GPU's going to have free range of the open air around my desk, and the case includes what's needed to go for a vertical mount on the card. The resulting finish should be quite snazzy...

Now all that's left is my wrangling the niggling sense of guilt that hangs around for a few days after I pull a stunt like this. My inner Fun Police is particularly tenacious, my Internal Gestapo being ready and willing to prowl my brain's crevices for any trace of enjoyment. I wouldn't call myself excessively scrupulous and I never insistently project disapproval onto a convenient moral avatar - but it has happened in the past.

To some go the oddly fun mental projections of Cistercian monks admonishing them for their self-affirmation (see @scrupulosity-comics for more) mine's always taken the shape of a cigar-chomping mafioso cartoon weasel; effectively a forgotten member of Who Framed Roger Rabbit's Toon Patrol, more or less Don Vito Corleone with an elongated snout and a thing for permanent sunglasses. Don Weasel Biggs, head of the Biggs Cartel in my homebrew RPG setting, is money-wise, abrasive, rude, well-meaning, brutish and occasionally as kind as a caress dealt with fine-grit sandpaper - and he never fails to comment on how much of a maroon I am, when it comes to spending cash...

I guess I have an inner Scrooge, too - the suggested default would involve throwing every single cent from every single paycheck into something other than a bigger rent check split in threes...

Oh, well. A few hours in Faerün and eight or so spent in the land of Nod should shut the both of them up.

[sinfultray1408]

Scene Comparisons: -7-

My Life With Chaplin: An Intimate Memoir by Lita Grey Chaplin with Morton Cooper (pg. 94-95)

Wife of the Life of the Party: A Memoir by Lita Grey Chaplin and Jeffrey Vance (pg. 41-42)

But all the while I was keenly conscious of the purpose of the room, and what [Charlie] was leading up to.

He took the letters Kono had given him out of his jacket pocket. "I've got to glance over these for a bit," he said. "While you're waiting, why don't you try that steam bath? There's everything you'll need, and there are plenty of towels in the linen closet here."

"If you say so."

"Oh, you'll love it! When I've had a hard day at the studio, a few minutes of steam and I come out ready to fight wildcats! You - ah - make yourself at home. You won't be disturbed." And he trotted out.

Having a glimmer now of how his mind functioned, I was reasonably sure I wouldn't be disturbed - by servants, at least. If he hadn't done it already, he was doubtless on his way now to warn them. I marveled at how much I'd changed since Truckee. Preparing to knock on his door there, I'd felt I was about to enter the lion's mouth, but my fear had been tempered by the childish certainty that nothing could harm me. Here, in this Beverly Hills mansion, scarcely a month later, I was brazenly, almost matter-of-factly, ready to give this man anything he wanted, without qualm or reservation.

Avoiding both of the mirrors in the guest room, I undressed quickly, put on the terrycloth robe and stepped into the bathroom. For a moment I wondered if I would be frightened by inhaling steam. I turned the handle Charlie had shown me, and immediately a hissing sound began. I took off the robe, hung it on a hook, stepped over the tiled threshold into the small room, and waited. Nothing seemed to be happening, and then all at once steam was chugging at me from every-where, clouding the walls and the air. My eyes began to smart and I hesitated at taking a deep breath, but soon the warmth was soft and soothing.

The foglike mist billowed, grew thicker and thicker, finally filled every inch of the room. I couldn't see anything. The steam, gently caressing me, was making me drowsy, and I lay down on the marble slab and closed my eyes. Every picture and movie I'd ever seen of queens and princesses bathing in royal tubs, with slave girls drying them and anointing their bodies with perfumed oils, danced in front of me. I draped my arm over my forehead and crossed my ankles, wondering what was to happen next.

What happened next was Charlie, lying beside me and teasing my neck with swift, darting kisses.

"It's easier this way," he said huskily. "We can't see each other."

On the beach and in his car he had been determinedly in charge, yet rather gentle. Now, though, he was suddenly the man from Truckee again, roughly using me rather than loving me. But it no longer mattered. I hugged him frantically. Then there was a sharp, piercing pain inside me and I cried out, but I did not release my grip. The pain blinded me far more than the encircling steam, but I writhed wildly, as though in ecstasy, to let him know I belonged to him and then I received all of him.

For minutes after he left I lay still on the slab. The steam had started to recede. Cool drops of water fell from the ceiling, and the moisture on the walls was trickling down in rivulets to an indented nickel drain in the floor.

Finally I was able to raise myself. I stood weakly, aghast at all the blood. I was dazed. And I was still in pain.

I was supposed to be a woman now. I was fifteen, but I felt younger than fifteen. It was crazy, of course, to think I would have a baby. Charlie had told me not to worry.

“Let me show you a wonderful feature of my bath,” [Charlie] said. His bathroom was between his room and one of the guest bedrooms. The bath was attractively designed and featured a steam room, which was uncommon at the time. “Did you ever have a steam bath?” Charlie asked.

I responded through nervous laughter that I had not.

"It might be fun to try it. What do you say, there’s a towel. Take off your clothes and step in. I'll wait for you outside."

I waited until I heard the door of the bathroom close behind him before I removed my clothes and stepped into the steam bath. The steam was gushing out of a vent at a very fast rate. It was only a few minutes until I could not see my hand before my face. I decided to lie down on the marble slab and enjoy the feeling of warmth permeating the air.

Suddenly, I heard the door of the steam bath quietly open and could feel Charlie's hand gently going up and down my body. He was silent for a very long time. I thought to myself that I had asked for this, that I had secretly hoped this would happen, but I was quite timid. Charlie sensed my hesitation.

“Don't be ashamed,” he said. “This is an ideal way to make love. We can't see each other.”

I relaxed and allowed him to make love to me. It was a warming feeling, and I did not feel much pain. Charlie eventually left the room, and the steam began to disappear.

Out of the steam room I took a shower and then dressed. I was more than a little alarmed to see the blood-stained towels I had left in the steam room. However, I was feeling fine and experienced no discomfort in Charlie's company.

"Do you feel all right?" was his greeting to me as I entered his bedroom.

"It was a wonderful experience," I said. "Do the servants know what we've been doing in the steam room?"

"Perhaps," he said, "but it doesn't matter. They're close-mouthed. That's the way the Japanese are." He escorted me downstairs, and his chauffeur drove me home.