#but yea i think she’d be fine with tails

[0vergrowngraveyard]

what are your thoughts on tails meeting aleena? I've always thought she'd be antagonistic and unwelcoming.

i’ve always thought of aleena as a good mother, or at least trying her best. i think she’d be a little taken aback by tails at first, maybe accidentally verbalize her shock over his twin tails and have to slowly win the kit over, but overtime she’d come to see him as her own son

though she’d probably ask sonic like where did you find this child??? who’s is this???? wdym he’s yours?????

[nichuuu]

Beats Me - 4: Settle Down

Tags: Mommy kink, orgasm denial, cumshot, rough sex, Anal

The meat sizzled on the grill, grease splattering all over the place. With a pair of thongs, Eunbi flipped the slice of pork over and let it sit for a little more. The rest of the band was engaged in conversation, their chatter becoming a faint buzz in your ears as you stared off into space.

Practice hadn’t gone well that day. After Chaewon stormed out of the room, yelling about how she’d refuse to play for your band for as long as you were in it, the pugnacious brat seemed to be the only thing your mind could focus on. Memories of her came flooding back at random intervals, making you lose focus in the midst of song. You earned a record high of 6 death glares from Yeji that afternoon. 

After practice, Eunbi pushed the idea of going to eat as a band. Everyone enthusiastically jumped on the bandwagon, including Yeji—Who was peer pressured by Ryujin to come—and you wound up at a barbeque place just down the street.

Someone tapped you on your hand. You looked up and found Eunbi staring at you. Concern was written all over her face.

“Hey, you okay?” She asked quietly, careful not to alert the other band members. You smiled and sat up in your seat. 

“I-I’m fine,” You assured her. 

“You sure? You’ve been out of it since this afternoon,” The singer pressed. 

“I’m okay Eunbi,” You reiterated. Eunbi sighed and picked up the pork slice. She placed it down on your plate. 

“If there’s anything you need to talk about… I’m here. In fact, we’re here,” Eunbi smiled, gesturing towards the other band members. 

“I-I’m really fine Eunbi…” You stated. “I’m just… Thinking…”

Eunbi nodded thoughtfully and got another serving of meat going on the grill. She stared into the fire for a moment. 

“Look I… I’m sorry that I brought Chaewon in,” She muttered. “I… I should’ve known…”

“It’s alright Eunbi… I didn’t expect you to,” You comforted your singer. 

The girl sighed. She took a sip from her cup. 

“When did you guys start?” Eunbi asked. 

“Dating?” You confirmed. She nodded.

“Start of highschool,” You told her.

“When did you guys break up?” She continued. 

“About a month or two after graduation,” You replied. 

Eunbi drew in a breath. 

“Damn…  Two years together… That’s quite a bit of history,” She mused. You chuckled bitterly.

“I guess…” You mused. 

“Yo Squeaker!” Ryujin called out to you. “Be a darling and hand me the garlic would’ya?”

You grabbed the small dish of sliced garlic and slid it down the table. Your bassist caught it and shot you a wink. 

“Thanks babe,” She giggled. She’d gotten bolder with you since you first met her and you knew exactly why. 

“Ryujin seems to like you,” Eunbi told you. 

“Ryujin likes everyone,” You replied. 

“Fair enough,” Your singer hummed. “She is one hell of an extrovert.”

You nodded and took a sip of your beer, the bitter liquid washing down the aftertaste of meat. Eunbi distributed the new batch of freshly grilled beef.

“So…” She continued, dragging both of you back to the original topic—Chaewon.

“Let me guess… Why did you guys break up?” You predicted. When it came to Exes, this was a common question that was always thrown out. 

“Yea…” Eunbi muttered bashfully.

“I’d… I’d rather not talk about it,” You told her frankly. She understood and didn’t press any further into your history with Chaewon. She knew better than to re-open old wounds.

Yeji shoved the last piece of meat on her plate into her mouth. After wiping her greasy lips, she rose from her seat and shouldered her guitar bag. 

“It’s late, I’ll get going,” The guitarist declared. 

“It’s eight p.m. Yeji,” Ryujin pointed out. Yeji stepped out and pushed her chair in.

“That’s late enough for me. I have things to do. Bye guys.”

The girl turned tail and left, leaving the five of you behind. Ryujin sighed.

“That girl is too uptight,” The bassist remarked. “Someday, I’ll bring her to a party and get the fun back in her…”

“I’m sure she has her reasons for being the way she is,” Karina reasoned. “Maybe she lives  in a really serious environment.”

“Girl, she lives with her sister,” Ryujin countered. “Yeju’s the embodiment of a crackhead, and her husband is even better!”

“Who’s Yeju?” Eunbi inquired. 

“Yeji’s older sister,” Ryujin replied. “Yeji’s been living with her and her husband since she was in highschool, they got a really cosy place not too far from here. I love crashing there.”

Ryujin popped a beef slice wrapped in lettuce into her mouth and chewed it rather loudly.

“How do you know this much about Yeji?” Sakura piped. Ryujin swallowed.

“I’ve known her since middle school. She’s changed a lot since then, but the old Yeji’s somewhere in there,” Ryujin said. She took a sip from her cup then stared at the golden-yellow liquid inside it. 

“Sometimes I wonder what happened to old Yeji…” The bassist muttered. “She wasn’t like this before…”

You silently ate your slice of meat, silently observing Ryujin in her moment of thought that only lasted for a little over a second. Ryujin eventually pouted and set her glass back down.

“Oh well… I guess we’ll never know,” She sighed. She proceeded to raise her hand and call for another round of beer. 

You only left the barbeque place a little past midnight. Thanks to your self control, you managed to stay sober along with Eunbi, who had been too busy cooking for the band to take a sip out of her own glass. You held the door open for Karina, letting her walk out of the door with Ryujin straddling her back. Your bassist had once again gone to town with the alcohol, but she got knocked out this time around. 

“Jesus christ… She’s heavier than I remembered,” Karina grunted. 

“N-Need me to help?” You offered. Your pianist shook her head. 

“It’s alright Myeong-seok. I can manage her,” Karina assured you. “Kkura! Help me hail a cab will you?” 

“N-Ne!” Sakura squeaked.

“Let me give you guys a lift,” Eunbi offered.

“It’s good Eunbi… There’s a cab right there,” Karina declined, using her head to gesture to the taxi that happened to be cruising down the street. Sakura quickly ran to the sidewalk and stuck out her hand to flag it down. The vehicle came to a stop before the Japanese girl. Karina shot you and Eunbi a smile before hustling over to the cab.

“Be safe! Text when you guys are back!” Eunbi hollered. Karina yelled something in reply, but her words were muffled by the wind that blew by. Sakura opted to hop in with Karina and Ryujin at the last second, and the cab took off into the night. You stood next to Eunbi, watching as the tail light of the taxi moved further and further away till they disappeared from sight. 

“So… How are you getting home?” Eunbi asked you. 

“I’ll probably walk back to campus to catch a bus,” You answered. 

“Let me send you home,” She offered. 

“I-It’s okay Eunbi… I can get home on my own,” You assured her. 

“Fine… Suit yourself I guess,” She sighed. “Come on… We both gotta walk back to campus to get home don’t we?”

You smiled awkwardly and nodded. The two of you set off into the night, walking side by side as you made your way back to campus. Admittedly, it was a little awkward walking back with your singer. Even though you’d slept with her that one time, you still were a little tense around Eunbi. Maybe it was her demeanour, or maybe it was that dazzling face… You didn’t know why you still got nervous around her.

“Weather’s nice tonight, isn’t it?” She mused. 

“Y-Yea… I-I guess…” You answered.

“Do you always answer questions with ‘Yea’ and ‘I guess’? I swear that’s the only thing I hear out of you sometimes.”

You blushed.

“S-Sorry,” You apologised. Eunbi chuckled and playfully smacked your arm.

“Relax Myeong-seok, just having some fun with you,” She clarified. “Jeez… You’re really tense sometimes you know?” 

You chuckled nervously.

“I uh… I’m not really an extrovert,” You admitted. 

“I can tell,” Eunbi replied. “Knew it from the moment you stepped into the studio.”

You managed a sheepish laugh.

“D-Didn’t know it was that obvious,” You mused. 

“Oh it’s painfully obvious,” She told you. “You always look so shocked whenever any of us speak to you. It’s kinda cute to be honest.”

Eunbi laughed softly to herself, kicking aside a small pebble on the pavement. 

“So… How have your first few weeks with us been?” She asked, changing the direction of the conversation. 

“It’s… It’s been fun so far,” You said. 

“Are the practices too intense at times?” She continued. 

“Sometimes…” You answered carefully. “But uh… I-I can cope with it…”

Eunbi fixed you with a look. 

“You sure? Cause that glove on your hand really isn’t helping your case,” She remarked. You hid your blistered hand behind your back. 

“T-That’s my fault… I… Pushed myself a little too hard,” You replied. Eunbi chuckled.

“Alright, alright… Whatever you say Mr Drummer,” She joked. “Just let me know if you feel a little overwhelmed, okay? I’ll help you out as much as I can.”

“I uh… Thanks…” You managed to reply her. She gave you a pat on your shoulder.

“No problem,” Eunbi said. “I wanna make sure that you’re having a great time with us. Fun first, musicality second. No exceptions.”

She gave you a bright smile. Your breath hitched for a second. You turned away to hide the blush on your cheeks.

The two of you stopped at a traffic junction to wait for the green man to make his appearance. Eunbi started to hum a soft tune to herself, rocking back and forth on her heels while she looked around her. It was an old song, one of those upbeat 80s rock songs that your Mom used to play over the small CD player in your apartment. You couldn’t figure out which song it was, but the tune brought a small smile to your face as bits of nostalgia set in. 

Eunbi casted a glance towards you. Noticing the look on your face, she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s got you smiling like that?” 

“S-Sorry,” You quickly apologised. “The song you were humming… It just reminded me of my Mom…”

“Oh, I see…” She nodded. “Your mom listened to rock?”

“Die hard Van Halen fan. She has all the CDs, treats them better than me,” You disclosed. 

“Introduce me to her, I think we’d be great friends,” Eunbi chuckled. 

The red man disappeared, and the green man began walking on the display. You crossed the street with Eunbi and continued on your journey back to campus. A slight breeze blew by, ruffling your hair as leaves skidded across the pavement. You silently watched Eunbi from the corner of your eye, your head reeling as you thought of something to talk about. Alas, Eunbi beat you to it.

“You wanna know something?” Eunbi piped. 

“What?” You replied, urging her to continue.

“I…” Eunbi trailed off. “Ah nevermind…” 

You blinked, a little stunned. 

“O-Oh… Okay…”

You walked in silence for a little more. 

“How are your parents?” She suddenly inquired. 

“O-Oh… They’re good, busy running their Vet clinic in the city,” You told her. 

“Your parents are Vets?” Eunbi mused.

“Yea… It’s kinda sweet,” You remarked. 

“Sounds kinda romantic doesn’t it? A husband and wife in the same profession and they run a clinic together,” She chuckled. “That’s some wholesome stuff… Love it.”

You let out a soft laugh. 

“I guess you could say that…” You said. “How about you Eunbi? How are your parents?”

Eunbi went silent for a little.

“They’re uh… They’re good,” She answered after a second or two. 

“Are they still working?” you inquired. 

“I uh… Don’t know,” Eunbi shrugged. “I haven’t heard from them in a while. Last I checked, they were fine.” 

Judging from her answer, you had a feeling that further questioning wasn’t the best idea. You weren’t the best person to confide in when it came to other people’s personal issues, you let more qualified people handle those. You could never really think of what to say to comfort someone having an absolute breakdown before you, nor did you have the skills to offer any sort of advice to them. You tried to help once—It didn’t go well. 

The mood seemed to dampen after your attempt to make conversation with Eunbi. In your heart, you could sense that something happened to her over the course of your questioning. You weren’t sure what happened, but you were certain that it was your fault. 

“H-Hey… I-I’m sorry if I brought up a touchy subject,” You began to apologise. 

“O-Oh i-it’s fine,” Eunbi allayed you. “You did nothing wrong… The beer’s just kicking in… Getting a little woozy, you know?”

A strong gut feeling told you that she was lying her ass off, but you knew better than to pry into her personal life. The rest of the walk was filled with the awkward silence that you originally started the walk with. The joy seemed to have been sapped out of Eunbi. You silently cussed yourself out for asking the wrong questions. 

It didn’t take long for the both of you to get back to campus. The bus stop was in sight, and you subconsciously quickened your pace to get to the stop. 

“Oh… Are you leaving already?” Eunbi asked. You turned to face her. 

“S-Sort of? The bus stop’s right there…” You answered. Her face visibly fell a little.

“Oh… Alright then… See you around,” She said with a wave. A pang of shame twisted your heart, but You returned the gesture and turned tail to walk away.

The lights of the bus stop were getting closer and closer. You could feel Eunbi’s presence grow further and further from you. It was like the lingering fuzz in your arm after you woke up from sleeping on it, slowly fading till it disappeared. As you stepped under the shelter of the bus stop, an odd sense of emptiness filled your core. Your attempts to shake it off were futile. 

Your bus was coming towards the stop. You turned to look at Eunbi’s figuring getting smaller and smaller as she walked back into the campus. 

The bus came to a screeching stop before you, the doors sliding open to welcome you in. The soft lights within the vehicle cajoled you, urging you to stop in and have a seat in the empty bus, but the usual pull to enter wasn’t there.

“Hey! You getting on?” the bus captain asked you, looking rather ticked off. You looked him in the eye.

You turned and ran back towards the campus. Your legs carried you with renewed energy, an invisible rope pulling you towards your destination. You managed to catch Eunbi just as she was about to enter the turnstyle. 

“Eunbi!” You called her. She whipped around.

“The fuck? Why are you back?” she questioned. You rested your hands on your knees. 

“I… I think… I could use a lift,” You panted. Eunbi blinked, looking a little taken aback. The look of shock didn’t last too long, the corners of her lips pulled up into a gleaming smile. 

“Cool,” She said. “Let’s get you home then.”

~~~

You’d expected her to ask to come into your place from the moment she pulled into the parking lot of your Apartment complex, yet her question still caught you off guard. You didn’t have the heart to turn her down. 

“Hm… Looks cozy,” Eunbi mused as she strolled into your apartment.

“I-It’s not much…” You chuckled shamefully. You weren’t expecting guests any time soon, so you hadn’t really done much of a clean up. One of your hoodies was strewn over the sole chair at your foldable table that functioned as your dining table. Unwashed plates and cups were in your kitchen sink, and you were half certain that that spot where you spilled some apple juice on the floor was still kind of sticky. 

“You look like you don’t receive guests often…” Eunbi mused, picking up your ACDC shirt that was strewn across your beanbag. You’d thrifted it a couple of days ago but hadn’t washed it yet.

“W-Well I uh…” You struggled to answer. “I… Don’t invite people in… At all…”

Eunbi giggled and set the shirt back down. 

“So am I the first person to enter your place?” She inquired. You rubbed the back of your neck. 

“If you don’t count my parents? Yea…” You blushed.

“Hm… Cool.”

Eunbi proceeded to do a little more exploration. She entered your bedroom, which you’d thankfully packed a couple of nights before due to a sudden motivation to do so at 3 in the morning. She casually looked through most of your things, skimming through folders and examining photos like she was given the permission to do so. You trusted her enough to not protest against her actions. 

“You know… You’re neater than I expected,” Your singer mused. 

“Thanks,” You replied. Eunbi set down the photo album in her hand and turned to face you.

“So… When can we get to fucking?”

Her blunt choice of words combined with her too casual tone threw you completely off guard. 

“H-Huh?” You couldn’t help but stutter. 

“Damn… I thought you’d take the hint when I asked to come up,” Eunbi sighed. 

“I… What?”

Eunbi folded her arms. 

“Jesus Christ Myeong-seok… Have I not dropped enough hints on the ride back?”

Admittedly, you weren’t paying attention for about 90% of the ride. You simply nodded and hummed in response to most of Eunbi’s questions and said “oh… cool” to a majority of her statements. In hindsight, you should’ve paid a little more attention. 

Eunbi walked towards you, a slight sway in her hips. 

“Get on the bed sweetie,” She purred. 

“E-Eunbi—”

“Don’t talk back to mommy.”

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere. You could hear your heartbeat in your ears as Eunbi stared you down. The power dynamic had shifted, the balance tipping towards Eunbi. This was no longer a friend-to-friend bonding moment. Eunbi wanted you, here and now. There was nothing you could say or do to change her resolve.

You were hesitant, but you slowly walked over to your own bed and sat down on the edge of it. Eunbi walked over to the door and closed it, then she strutted over to you.

“You know what to do, don’t you?” She asked. 

“Yes… Mommy,” You answered. 

“Good. Now strip.”

You complied somewhat willingly, your arms and hand moving on their own to pull your t-shirt off your body. Eunbi was gracious enough to help you out of your pants and underwear, pulling the articles of clothing right off your legs and tossing them into a corner of your room. She settled next to you and gripped your semi-hard shaft. She squeezed it not too gently and slowly pumped you to full measure.  

“Fuck… I forgot just how big you were,” She whispered right into your ear. Her breath tingled your skin. Her hand quickly set itself into a rhythm. 

“You know… I should’ve called you for a booty call sooner,” Eunbi mused, her free hand beginning to explore your body. “Searching for a trumpet player’s gotten mommy so pent up, should’ve called you for some form of… relief.”

You let a soft sigh escape from your lips. Eunbi giggled next to you. 

“Shall I play with you for a bit? Or should I just get right to it like I did last time?” She asked you. Her nails traced shapes on the nape of your neck. She was slowly breaking you down and weaving herself in the holes of your resolve, taking control of you. You knew it, but you couldn’t stop it. Her hand sped up, delivering full long strokes to your throbbing length while Eunbi began her assault on your ear. She nibbled, she licked and kissed, slowly tuning your senses into overdrive. You were her toy to play with. 

“I think… I should play with you for a little,” Eunbi finally decided. “Get you all riled up, then dMake you cum all over me… How does that sound?”

You weren’t in a good state to give her a reply, but Eunbi took the soft whimper that left your throat as a reply.

“I’ll take that as a yes then.”

Her hand stopped abruptly, freeing you from the spikes of pleasure that’d begun to surge from your crotch area. Eunbi gracefully slipped off the bed, deftly positioning herself on her knees before your twitching shaft. She stroked with consideration, taking her time with you as she let her forefinger and thumb apply pressure to your tip before letting her hand glide to the base of your cock. You stifled a moan, your hands stiff at your sides. The pinkness of her tongue poked out from between her lips. She lowered her head, letting you feel the heat against the tip of your cock. Ou squirmed. She smirked.

Her tongue made contact, teasing your tip with the moistness of her tongue. Every muscle in your body seemed to seize up, responding to her toying. Eunbi made sure to keep your eyes locked on hers as she licked the underside of your length. The softness and warmth made you grit your teeth as you watched her lather up the bottom side of your member. You’d slept with her once, yet she somehow seemed to have found an optimal way to bend you to her will. It was cruel of her—yet something about the way she took her time to paint your length in her spit aroused you to new extents. You twitched wildly in her grasp, each small flick of her tongue sending you gasping and grunting in ways you had no idea you were capable of.

Once your singer was satisfied with the control she’d established over you, she released your cock from the grip of her slender fingers. Spreading your legs further apart to allow for better access, she drawled, “Relax baby… Let Mommy please you.”

She tossed her hair behind her shoulders and rested her palms on your thighs. Before you could even process what was going on, the warmth of Eunbi’s little mouth surrounded your length, lips wrapping around your shaft. You couldn’t fight back a groan.

Sloppy… No, incredibly fucking sloppy was the best way to describe the way Eunbi pleasured you with her mouth. She let the drool flow freely from the corners of her mouth, the frothy fluid sliding down your cock unchallenged as Eunbi had her way with the hard, throbbing meat in her mouth. Glossy pink lips followed a strict path—up, down, up, down—relentlessly slobbering over your shaft while applying a near perfect amount of suction around you as she kept her pace. She was a deadly woman of consistency, each bottom of her stroke aiming to take in more and more of your member into the back of her throat. Her eyes visibly watered, but her resolve remained. 

You knew better than to rest your hands anywhere on her body, opting to crumple your sheets with a knuckle-white grip. You could possibly choke the life out of a grown man in seconds. She knew her way around you, the lustful fire in her eyes conveying the joy she derived from making you squirm in your seat while her not too gentle hands fondled with your spit covered sack. Spots danced before your eyes, your world spinning in the handling of Eunbi. 

Your cock popped out of her mouth, a mix of pre-cum and spit dripping from your tip. 

“You’re awfully quiet baby,” She told you, hand lazily pumping your slippery shaft with full strokes. “How will Mommy know if she’s doing a good job if you don’t moan for me?”

She was a playfully cruel woman. A dark part of you enjoyed this side of your singer…

When she took your cock back into the willing depths of her mouth, you made sure to vocalise your pleasure as much as you could. You caught the faint trace of a smirk on her face as she resumed her work. In and out; disappearing and reappearing—You couldn’t get enough of the way Eunbi blew you. 

When she decided that she’d played with you for long enough, Eunbi sadly released your throbbing length from the warmth of her mouth. Wordlessly, she rose to her knees and ridded herself of her clothes. No teasing, no antics. Eunbi was horny and she needed cock, your cock. 

She pushed you back, your shoulders impacting your mattress as Eunbi straddled you. She lifted herself up slightly, her hand reaching back to grab your swollen length and line it up with the entrance to her slit. She wasted no time in hilting you inside of her, a soft cry leaving her lips as she planted her hands on your chest. 

“Fuck… Your cock feels so fucking good inside of me,” She hissed. She raised her hips slightly and slammed herself back down onto you, earning a sharp gasp from you. Eunbi smiled wickedly. 

“Let’s see how long you last inside Mommy’s pussy… Don’t cum till I let you”

She took off. Eunbi rode you fiercely, roughly, taking you in and out of her tight wet slick. She was oblivious to your comfort, the only thing concerning her being filling herself over and over with your thick, hard cock. Eunbi’s nails dug into your chest, her face wild and brimming with need. Beads of sweat had begun decorating her curvaceous body, milky skin glistening under the dim lighting of your bedroom. 

“Fuck baby… So… Fucking… Full!”

She leaned down and crashed her lips against yours. Her tongue invades your month. You let her in. You were helpless, completely unable to resist Eunbi as she took her pleasure from your body. In a weird, twisted way—you were savouring every second of it. The way her pussy clenched tightly around you, so slick and so tight. The way she ripped her gaze from your eyes to cast her head back, sending locks of jet-black hair flying as she sighed and moaned her pleasure. The way her hips and thighs never slowed nor lost their rhythm… So much to take in; so much to feel.

“You love… My pussy don’t you? Do you like… how I fuck your cock with it?” Eunbi hissed between lustful moans. She thrusted her hips against yours, thighs crashing against your hips while your cock speared through her folds.

“Y-Yes Mommy… I-I love your pussy so much!” Came your reply. Eunbi pulled you upright aggressively. 

“Suck my tits baby,” She commanded. You were more than happy to obey.

Her hands gripped your hair and pulled you into her chest. Your face crashed against her breasts, the warm, delicious cleavage between them filled with her sweat. You quickly latched your mouth onto her left nipple and sucked greedily. Eunbi let out a strangled gasp of pleasure.

“That’s it baby… Just like that…” Eunbi spurred you.

You feasted on her breasts, tongue licking and swirling—Giving her the works. Her hips moved a little quicker, no longer taking your entire length into her pussy. Instead, she withdrew only half way before plunging down again to drive you faster and harder inside her tight, drenched pussy. Her juices flowed freely, coating the insides of her thighs and your crotch. Her sighs became shallower and shallower by the minute.

“Baby… You’re gonna make Mommy… Oh god… Oh fucking go—”

Ironically enough, the one who wanted to test how long you could last came first. Her entire body is struck by a bolt of pleasure, quivering, shaking and trembling involuntarily. Cusses spill out of her mouth, paired with intermittent cries of pleasure and other exclamations. From between her tits you could see Eunbi’s features twist, face wracked with pleasure as she holds you firmly against her chest. You yourself were fighting back your own orgasm. Rules set by Eunbi were rules that must be followed.

It took forever for Eunbi to wind down, but the wait was worth it as her hands slackened, allowing you to pull back and witness her bask in the glow of her orgasm. The need for control disappeared for just a little bit, the natural softness behind those eyes returning for a second while she gazed passionately into her eyes. You pulled her in for a kiss, earning yourself a soft moan into your mouth. 

When she pulled away, you could sense the slight change in her demeanour. She smiled warmly and cradled your face in her hands.

“You okay?” She whispered. You nodded, she giggled. 

“Good, cause I still need more.”

Your living room was the next location. She tossed away the ACDC shirt on the beanbag and bent herself over it, looking back to catch your gaze.

“Don’t keep Mommy waiting,” Eunbi rasped. You weren’t one to make a woman wait. You got down on your knees behind her, your tip lined up with her dripping slit. 

“Wait,” She stopped you. “My ass. Fuck my ass.”

She reached back and spread her ample ass cheeks apart for you. You lined your tip up with her asshole. 

“Be quick,” Eunbi instructed. You nodded and pushed right in. Your shaft, lubricated with Eunbi’s juices and saliva, slipped seamlessly into her warm, tight hole. Eunbi yelped, her hand gripping your beanbag. 

“Fuck…” She hissed. “Forgot… How that felt like…”

You gave Eunbi a moment to adjust, content with fondling her ass cheeks as Eunbi drew deep breaths. 

“Okay,” She finally sighed after a minute or two. “Go.”

One word was all you needed to know how she wanted to be fucked. You pumped in and out of her tight little hole, Eunbi rocking back into you with each thrust you made into her body. For what felt like hours, you continued to fuck Eunbi’s hot ass, shaft drilling in and out from between her asscheeks as sighs of pleasure escaped her throat. You took the risk and let your hands roam the curves of Eunbi’s body, reaching around her to grab ahold of her full tits and playing with the soft flesh of her butt. She let you do as you please, focusing on pounding back onto your cock. Her sighs filled your ears, hypnotising you in the sound of her sensual voice. The warmth of her ass roped you deeper into your lust, the scent of her perfume mixing with the smell of her sweat.

“Oh fuck… Oh fuck fuck fuck,” She let the filth spill forth. “God I feel so fucking full… Your cock always fills me up just the way I like…”

She propped herself up on her hands, her slim tummy resting on the bean bag. 

“Keep going baby… You’re… You’re doing such a good job,” she praised between gasps. It was taking everything in your body to keep you from unloading into Eunbi’s ass right there and then. Nonetheless, you persevered. 

Eunbi’s moans coaxed you, her soft sighs spurring you—Every little thing she did while you fucked her drove you wild. You could feel your cock pulsing inside of her, aching to release rope after rope of cum into that tight little ass of hers. All that riding done by Eunbi had already driven you close.

Eunbi definitely knew that you were at your upper limit, but that didn’t stop her from making things harder for you. 

“Speed up,” She prompted with a smirk. “And don’t you dare cum till I let you.”

“But—”

She shot you a glare that silenced you. 

“One more word and I’ll make sure that you’ll never cum tonight,” She warned. Not taking her seriously would be a stupid decision, but you weren’t certain how much longer you could last inside of her. 

Following orders, you picked up the semi-frantic pace. Eunbi tilted her head back, spine arching in a delicious curve. You could see the smirk on her face. It was killing you. 

You couldn’t hold on anymore. Your thrusts into her ass shallowed, your breath quickening as you prepared to let loose. 

“M-Mommy,” You groaned. 

“Don’t you dare.”

“I-I… I can’t!” 

Eunbi abruptly slid forward, withdrawing herself from your cock. She whipped around and gripped your cock tightly, squeezing it in a vice grip as she stared right into your soul. 

“Don’t,” She whispered flatly. “Don’t make Mommy punish you baby…” 

Her grip on your member was not helping to reduce the pressure in your cock. You could feel yourself leaking, your length twitching wildly in Eunbi’s hand. She laid a hand on your chest. 

“Good boy,” She praised once your breathing had settled. “Mommy will let you cum when she’s satisfied, so you better be at your best performance for the rest of the night.”

You gulped and nodded, knowing full well that she meant every word she said. You were in for a rough time.

She tortured you for the rest of the night, making you fuck her in all sorts of positions that drove you insanely close to the edge. Each time she sensed your impending orgasm, she forced you out of her and squeezed your member rather painfully. She made you fuck her over the sink, rail her on the bed, eat her out on the desk… The list went on and on. She kept you painfully close to the edge the whole time, making sure to put on an increasing lewd display of pleasure as you progressed into the night. It got to a point where a perpetual tingle lingered in your crotch area. It was like an itch that you couldn’t scratch. 

Your torture amounted to something at the end of it all. As Eunbi laid on your floor, spent from her nth orgasm of the night, she coaxed you towards her. With your jelly like legs, you somehow managed to waddle on your knees towards her. 

“Kneel… Over me,” She rasped. You did as you were told. With what remaining strength she had left, she reached up and began pumping away at your shaft. With satisfaction written all over her face, she uttered two words. 

“Paint me.”

The orgasm that you experienced would go down in your records as the definition of an explosive orgasm. You felt every burst of semen that shot out from your shaft, cries of pleasure leaving your mouth in streams as Eunbi milked every last drop out of you. Rope after rope painted her tight body, your seed leaving no bit of skin uncovered. Even when the orgasm subsided, warm spurts of cum still leaked out of you, oozing from your tip and dripping onto your singer below you.

Your legs eventually gave way. You crashed down next to her. With a face and body full of cum, she smiled and whispered into your ear. 

“Next time… I’ll let you cum in me…”

~~~

You both collectively decided to skip classes the next day. Eunbi spent the morning at your place, sauntering around your apartment in nothing but her panties and one of your Led Zeppelin shirts. She proved to be an excellent cook, whipping up an excellent breakfast with what you had in the fridge. Pairing Eunbi’s masterful cooking with a rather pathetic cup of instant coffee, you sat down on the floor with Eunbi to have one of the best meals you’d ever eat. 

“God… This is so good,” You told her. Eunbi giggled.

“Please, it’s just a simple meal,” She humbly replied. 

“Simplicity is good sometimes,” You shrugged. Eunbi smiled warmly. 

“Glad you like it.”

It felt like the distance between the two of you had closed after last night. You found yourself  feeling oddly comfortable around her, finding that you could hold a conversation with her without ever descending into awkward silence. You were glad that you got the sudden urge to run after her the night before. 

Before she left, she helped you to clean up the mess you’d both made. Surfaces were scrubbed clean, floors wiped till it sparked. Only when she’d made the place cleaner than when she first arrived did she dress herself in her jeans from last night.

“I’ll return your shirt to you next practice,” She assured you, slipping on her sneakers. “Or maybe you could call me over again…”

You blushed. 

“I think I uh… I think I’ll lay off for a bit,” You muttered. Eunbi giggled mischievously.

“Suit yourself,” She shrugged. “See you next practice then.”

Eunbi left your place, leaving you alone for the rest of the day. You used the rest of the daytime to catch up on some work. Somewhere in the evening, a knock came on your door. You set your pen down and hurried over to open it. When you did, a kind-looking young lady greeted you enthusiastically.

“Hello! I’m Yeju, pleased to meet you!” She beamed. You could feel the positive energy radiating off her. She looked familiar for some reason.

“O-Oh… Hi,” You greeted her. 

“I’m your new neighbour. I just moved into the apartment down the hall yesterday,” She explained to you. “Just wanted to drop by and say a quick hello! Hope we can be great friends!” 

It felt like you were the only introvert in this world. You smiled awkwardly and nodded. 

“N-Nice to meet you Yeju… I-I’m Myeong-seok,” You smiled.

“Wow! You share the same name as my husband!” Yeju laughed loudly. “Small world huh?”

“I-I guess…” You chuckled.

The lady’s name rang a bell in your head, but you couldn’t remember when and where you heard the name from. Fortunately for you, your memory was about to get jogged. 

“Oh! And before I forget,” The lady continued. “Let me introduce you to my sister!” 

She stepped aside. Hwang Yeji stared right back at you, fixing you with her signature death glare. You felt like you were about to shit yourself. 

With an icy cold look, she locked eyes with you and said, “I can’t fucking believe that we’re neighbours now…” 

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

Hai. Wats popping kings and queens.

This was long overdue and I apologies for my procrastination. Hope ya'll enjoy this fic that I re-wrote 4 times because it was funk at the start. Thanks for stopping by to read and have a nice day :).

[2baddiesfanfics]

A Seamstress' Touch

Pairing: Chiori x Kirara

Tags: Youkai, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Tail Sex, Cat Puns, Fontaine (Genshin Impact), Inazuma (Genshin Impact)

Summary:

Kirara is in Fontaine for a delivery...but also to see Chiori. After ripping a hole in her skirt during a nap in a tree in Sumeru, she needs practiced hands to fix her back up (and maybe take care of some other things...)

Read on Ao3

Chioriya Boutique, though situated on the busiest street in Fontaine's Quartier Lyonnais, was suspiciously quiet tonight. The simple yet elegant sign hanging from the front window read “Closed” in the Thundering Seamstress’ signature script. Be that as it may, Chiori did make exceptions for certain special clients. Although the front office was dark, what many people didn’t know was she often did most of her private tailoring work in the back.

Tonight, that client was Kirara. It was always an occasion for celebration when the Gold Level Courier of Komaniya Express came to town with a delivery. Chiori was never the lonely sort, but she wouldn’t turn down the chance to see a friend from her home country. The nekomata had sent her a letter ahead of time informing her she’d be in Fontaine for a few days bearing some sweet treats from Inazuma.

Hey Chiori!

Please don’t get mad, but I kinda sorta accidentally ripped my skirt when I was taking a nap in a tree in Sumeru…it’s a long story. I’m in Fontaine on a delivery next week and I was hoping you might be able to stitch it back up for me like old times. I’ll pay you in dango!

Miss you,

Kirara

Chiori had scoffed and shaken her head. You never change, do you, Kirara? She had mentioned old times. While the seamstress did miss Inazuman delicacies, there was something else she’d been craving lately. I’ll have to see what else she’s willing to throw in as a tip.

The door to the shop rattled slightly, the tinkle of a bell nearly imperceptible had she not been longing to hear it.

“Pssst! Chiori! It’s me!”

She quickly let the youkai inside.

“Kirara, darling. Punctual as usual I see.” Her eyes shifted downward to survey the damage to her handiwork. “…and as careless when it comes to your outfit,” she chastised with a click of her tongue.

The nekomata smiled sheepishly, her sharp canines peeking out from between her lips. “Eheheh…yeaaaaa sorry about that. Good thing my latest assignment brought me right to you, huh?”

“Indeed,” Chiori agreed. “Now, let’s not dawdle. To the back with you,” she commanded, giving her a sharp slap on the ass. Kirara’s two tails stood at attention.

“Yow! Chiori! Easy!” She tried to play it cool, but her yokai instincts told her this night would likely last longer than just the time it took to repair her outfit.

They situated themselves and the seamstress got to work, her needle weaving in and out swiftly but precisely.

“Gee, you’ve always been really good with your hands, huh?” Kirara never liked awkward silences and decided she’d try to get her to open up a bit.

“Hmmm…yes. I’d venture to say one couldn’t open the most renowned boutique in Teyvat without skilled fingers,” she countered. The youkai’s tails swayed back and forth, signaling calm and trust. “Kirara, if I may…I need to shift the fabric to get this stitch right. It requires me to touch your tails. I just don’t want to frighten you.”

Kirara stilled. “Um…yea it’s fine. I do love it when you brush my fur, so I’m used to the feel of your fingers. Just…be gentle.”

“Of course, dear,” she reassured her. The fabric of the woman’s gloves always did something to the nekomata that she couldn’t accurately describe. Her touch felt like satin on silk and Kirara shuddered with pleasure just thinking about it. Chiori reached for the base of her twin tails, softly shifting the hole she had made to accommodate them. Holding them both steady so as not to have any of the fur catch, she heard a quiet rumble start.

“Kirara? Is that you?”

The youkai’s cheeks tinted pink. “Yea, sorry about that. It just means you’re doing a good job is all.”

“Is that so? Well, keep holding still. I’m almost done with this stitch.” With a few more weaves of her needle, the skirt was as good as new. “There we are. Be more careful next time, would you, love? I can’t have expensive pieces of Inazuman silk strewn about the Sumeran forests. It’s tacky.”

“Thanks so much, Chiori! But if you don’t mind…do you think you could brush my tails a little longer? It just feels so good.”

The seamstress smirked knowingly. It’s now or never, I suppose.

“Since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can oblige.” She began to stroke in long, slow movements as she watched the girl shift in her seat. Her fingers drifted through the well-maintained brown and white fur, the rumble in Kirara’s chest now vibrating throughout her body.

“C-chiori…do you think you could maybe…go a little harder and faster? Really, uh…make sure to get those knots out.”

She hummed in agreement as she did as she was requested.

“Ahhhhh…” Kirara let out a whimper that could only be described as lewd.

“Kirara, dear. Don’t be shy. Tell me what you really want,” she murmured as her lips ghosted over the shell of her ear from behind, her unoccupied hand coming up across her chest to lightly grip her neck.

“Touch me…please…”

“Oh, but I am touching you. How do you want me to touch you?”

“Everywhere…but definitely don’t stop with my tails.”

The seamstress’ hand wandered under the youkai’s black crop top, seeking the warm, full skin of her breast in her palm. Kirara’s head lilted back as she mewled in pleasure. Chiori continued sifting her fur through her fingers, tugging just hard enough to get a reaction.

“Now be a good little kitty and bend over for me,” she instructed. She did as she was told without hesitation. Chiori helped her shift out of the shorts she wore under her skirt before removing her gloves. Taking one long finger, she moved it across her slit, a tendril of slick trailing from the digit to her pussy.

“And who says cats don’t like getting wet?” she quipped before licking her finger clean.

Kirara groaned. “Please, Chiori…more…”

She slid inside of her again, this time with two fingers. The youkai cried out, shifting her hips backward to meet her every thrust. Chiori used her other hand to grab her tails, each pull controlling the pace.

“Ah…ah….ah…” the nekomata gasped.

“I was under the impression you’re never late with delivery. Don’t make me wait, Kirara. Come for me. Now.”

In a half-moan, half-meow, she screamed out in pleasure.

Kirara turned to lock eyes with Chiori, her animal instincts getting the better of her. It was her turn now. The seamstress quickly held up a finger. “Wait!” She started to untie the belt of her kimono and then slipped out of the expensive fabric entirely. “I’m removing this so you don’t rip anything else,” she explained. The nekomata’s desire was heightened as her gaze dropped to the pair of lacy black panties that were revealed beneath. The youkai eyed her as if she was stalking prey.

“If I didn’t know any better, it’d seem like you were expecting this,” Kirara smirked. 

“It’s a possibility. Now, when a service is completed, one is to be rewarded accordingly, don’t you think?” Chiori asked as she sat down and patted her lap.

Kirara crawled over to her, kissing up the seamstress’ legs. The woman bristled slightly at the feel of the nekomata’s tongue – not as abrasively rough as an actual cat, but just enough to produce a sensation she’d grown accustomed to. As she made her way up her body, she tended to her breasts, licking each nipple as if she were lapping at a bowl of milk. Her two tails danced uncontrollably with excitement at the sounds Chiori made at her touch.

Pushing her limit, Kirara shifted her tails to tuck between Chiori’s legs and rubbed them along the crotch of her panties.  

“Ooooooh!” Chirori groaned as she held onto the chair to stop herself from bucking.

She could feel the nekomata smile deviously against her chest as she took her nipple between her fangs and grazed the sharp teeth ever-so-carefully against it.

“Kirara…such a…bad kitty,” she panted. 

Feeling her arousal soaking the fur of her tail, Kirara pulled them off her and sat between her legs. Gently using the flat of her rough tongue, she licked up her clit causing her to jolt and moan. She slid her tongue inside her easily, slurping at her arousal. Thrusting her tongue in and out of her, the sound of her crying out her name caused Kirara’s purring to start back up.

The sensation of the vibration shot through Chiori’s core. Mixed with the unique texture of her tongue, she could no longer hold onto control. Grabbing the nekomata’s head with both hands, she pressed her closer as she rode out her climax.

Thankfully the seamstress had equipped the back room with a bed for nights she had to work so late there was no point in going back to her apartment. Kirara had already trotted over and dug herself a spot in the oversized comforter. She yawned loudly as she pawed at the spot reserved for Chiori.

“I know you wanna snuggle. Don’t act all tough. C’mon, I know you overwork yourself. The clothing can wait until tomorrow.”

Chiori sighed. Although there were many aspects of sleeping with a youkai she enjoyed, perhaps the best was how incredibly soft and warm Kirara felt in her arms at the end of a long day.

[sevikasmainwhore]

TimeBomb w/ Puppy!Reader

i’ve seen too many edits of them and how fine they are so yea-

!!MDNI!!

Requested ⇢ Yes/No

Type ⇢ Headcanons ❥

𝗦𝗙𝗪 ⇰

You’re like their little ball of energy.

Since they both create things your either playing around with the prototypes or they’re yelling at you about how dangerous it is.

Ekko and Jinx came together and said it’s best if you stay home whenever they’re away

It’s only a matter of keeping you safe

A collection of collars. Either made by one or the other or even bought but that’s rare

Ekko has a really bad habit of grabbing your tail.

This comes in handy sometimes when your running off and he needs a leeway so he’ll grab it and yank you

But other than that he’s getting better and not doing that

Jinx is a huge cuddler and so are you.

Ekko is usually the victim of all this lovin’ but he doesn’t mind it

You have you’re own little area in their shared workshop with a dog bed and everything

However, when you’re being a brat they’ll put you in a cage. They only do this if you ever pushed them past their limits

Of course they always apologize about being too harsh

A very bad biting habit.

You and Jinx would be resting on the couch with you on her chest and all of a sudden you just take a big bite out of her arm.

Ekko would be dangling something over your head and all of a sudden your gnawing at his wrist.

You had to wear a muzzle for a month until they just decided to get you a chew toy

They really REALLY liked how the muzzle looked on you.

𝗡𝗦𝗙𝗪 ⇰

Absolute MENACES

Jinx could be working on something and if you’re feeling needy she’ll let you hump her leg.

Later she’d tell Ekko how much of a distraction you were and he’d put you over his lap to spank you.

Jinx knew she was in the wrong she just enjoyed seeing you in pain.

Ekko would let you cockwarm him while he’s drawing out blueprints.

You’d be aching begging for him to move and Jinx would come out nowhere and kiss your forehead and tell you how good your being and just disappear again.

Speaking of Jinx, she has no shame at all.

You’d be reaching for something in the kitchen or even just looking for food and she’ll come in and bend you over so she could take you.

You were afraid that Ekko would come in but that wasn’t her problem

“W-wait..what if Ekko sees us?” “Let him watch”

They always have you covered in “LoveBites”

Some in the healing stage and some new ones.

Jinx has a problem with biting to hard and making you bleed though

When that happens she always licks it up and kisses you

Says it’s to “give back your nutrients”

If you’ve been bad depending on the situation they’ll either have a really heavy make out session in front of you or fuck in front of you.

You wouldn’t be able to touch yourself either. Even if you said it hurt

Of course they always take care of you after.

They’d make or buy toys for you that they’d have a remote for so you wouldn’t be bored.

Some days you’d be home using it and either one of them would put it on the highest setting it had and would leave you a mess

Other days it wouldn’t even be on and you’d use it however you wanted.

Ekko absolutely loves fucking your throat. He always finishes in your mouth

Jinx would come and kiss after he does and kiss him because “Sharing is Caring”

They each have their own chair they sit in while you play with yourself on the bed.

They liked how embarrassed you got knowing they were watching you

Call you all sorts of names

“Your just a hole for us to use huh?” “Is dick all you ever think about?”

Jinx would spit in your mouth and tell you to drink

note: since i wrote this a while ago here’s something while i work on request again, please forgive me ❤️

[sloppyplanetary]

every frame of the fast part of the camp camp theme song, go

neil how did this happen

neil. neil yr right by the edge. oh fuck he cant hear us he’s got air pods in fuck

NEIL LEAVE THE SNAKE ALONE. max are ya going to murder david or something

david yr pretty confident for a trick that could seriously injure the trio if it fails

save a horse, ride a cowboy. look at that fuckn mouth hay. nikki, thats a girlboss look

NIKKI YR GOING TO BREAK HIS RIBS

max can’t swim and neils going to DROWN

MAX LMAOOOO

do ya think david practices rhymes and jokes and puns in his spare time

let nikki tackle everyone, she deserves it

lmaooo david: well if ya dont want to participate, the least ya can do is help hold the stick. max; UGHHHHHH fine. *props it on his feet*

neil: THIS IS NOT SCIENCE CAMP THIS IS KINDERGARDNERS SCIENCE. nikki; SHUT UP IM MAKING A VOLCANO EXPLODE. max: i seriously had to wake up for this?

david that is an EXPLOSION

i bet davids making rocket noises right now.

max is like what the fuck. neils about to be squished to death and launched into the air with the force of nikkis excitement and david is just like :D camp!

max. max. wake up. max.

david thats a BOMB

david: isnt this fun? :D. max: yr about to get handcuffed to the wheel

DAVID HOLDING THE ROPE WITH MAX IN THE AIR LMAOOOOO how did he even convince him to do this. and he’s wearing a fuckn DRAGON TAIL go larp with nerris

im convinced at this point david doesnt actually know what safety means beyond stop drop and roll and dont eat random mushrooms

david: yea yr doing great!! knock him over!! :D

lmao neil

max yr about to get yr hair dyed, who gave nikki a gallon of paint i feel like she’d eat it

i hope? those aren’t poisonous? david.

DAVID WHY ARE YA THROWING A DAGGER BLINDFOLDED LMAOOOOO

okay but was david or max winning i need to know

LOOK AT DAVIDS FUCKN FACE. max why do ya have davids phone lmaooo

david put the rock down and never go put up canoes again ever

Its camp camp

[draconic-ichor]

In the Steel Steeds Heart

Chapter 32: NightMare

Warnings: strong language, sexual themes, blood/gore, violence, brief animal death

Summary: Juniper finds herself in a strange place with an unlikely companion.

Feedback appreciated, 18+

“What are you doing?” Heisenberg watched as Juniper drew at the opposite desk.

“I’m trying to make a sewing pattern.” She held it up for him to see.

He nodded.

“I want to make a horse stuffed animal for the baby.” She smiled over the paper.

“Because of the crest?” His lips twitched.

“Mhm.”

“You are cute.”

“Shut up.” She stuck her tongue out playfully before turning back to the desk.

She worked for hours at the opposite desk, following Donna’s teachings the best she could. Heisenberg would glance over to her every so often over his own work, his heart swelling.

“….hmmmm.” She finally spoke. She sat back in her chair looking over her creation. Heisenberg stood and walked up behind her.

He stifled the sound that bubbled up in his throat. Whatever the little creature she made was…it definitely wasn’t a horse.

“It’s….unique.” Heisenberg commented.

“It’s terrible.” Juniper sighed.

“First attempts are never what you imagine.” He soothed, “Try again.”

She pouted at the desk, “Donna made it look so easy.”

“Dollmaking has been in her family for generations, she’s been sewing since before you were born, kitten.”

When she didn’t speak he continued, “Do you know how many times it took me to make a fully functional Soldat?…Eighteen times!”

“Soldats are a bit more intricate then a stuffed animal Heis…”

“I didn’t try creating life first project. You start small and learn. This is the small.” He pointed to the misshapen stuffie, “Try again. You’ll do better.”

“Alright.” She looked over her pattern, “I might have to tweak the size of the legs…”

Heisenberg smiled, leaning down to drop a kiss onto the top of her head before returning to his own work.

~

After many attempts and Heisenberg leaving to go work with the forge she finally made something she was happy with.

Juniper burst into the forge room.

Heisenberg set the mold down, turning as he pulled the thick forge gloves off. “Show me, kitten.” He chuckled.

“Look!” Juniper beamed, offering out the little plush. It was a chubby little horse, made from soft brown fabric, with button eyes and dark tail. It looked cute, with a larger head and little tongue out.

“It’s perfect, love.” Heisenberg smiled, loving her happiness.

“I added something.” She held it closer, “See!”

Heisenberg felt out with his powers, realizing there was a metal washer tucked deep within the cotton interior.

“So you can get it easily for the baby.” She beamed.

Heisenberg pulled her closer, “You did good, love.”

Over dinner Heisenberg started to talk about work, happily giving updates as he ate.

“The latest Soldat Jet should be ready for a test drive soon…hopefully.” He spoke as he cut through his pork chop.

“Was that what you were making the parts for?” Juniper asked.

“Mhm.” He nodded, “The last one exploded so I need to remake some parts.”

“Exploded?” Juniper frowned, moving potatoes around her plate.

“Yea, they need a lot of power and the last one…”, he took a bite, chewing as he thought for a moment, “Well, the bastard overheated when it tried to stay aloft and he…exploded.”

“So do you think they’ll really be able to fly?” Juniper asked.

“Not like a full, long flight. But I think I can definitely make them be able to, say, hover or get over big obstacles. They won’t be realistic to make a large amount of them but a few specialized ones should work just fine.” He explained.

Juniper nodded as she ate.

~

Juniper was outside, in the dark and twisted trees. She couldn’t remember how she’d gotten there, or why it was so cold. The winter had already passed, but the night sent bitter chills straight to her bones. Juniper hugged her thin nightdress closer to her as she trudged ahead. The sound of an animal approaching made her freeze.

She saw a black mare walking in the snow, it’s hooves crunching into the thick layer of frost. It’s breaths came in plumes of silvery mist as it snorted out.

It’s movements were labored, Juniper suddenly realizing the creature was heavily pregnant as it came closer. She went to the creature, it paused, sniffing at her through large nostrils.

After a moment the mare nuzzled into her offered hand. Juniper placed an arm around the creature's neck, walking alongside it looking for shelter.

The night was silent, save for the sound of wind and snow falling. No sounds of humans or lycans anywhere. They shared their warmth, Juniper's limbs began to feel numb.

An old shed came into the distance, Juniper thankfully led the horse into the small building. It was at least out of the wind. The mare lay heavily down on the old straw. Juniper's skin felt frozen, her fingers discolored.

How did she get there, where even was she? She sat down against the horse, trying to feel her warmth.

Rustling above them drew her attention. Juniper looked up to see dozens of small sharp eyes glowing in the darkness from the ceiling rafters. The shed was full of hungry ravens, their eyes watching the pair with interest.

More than the cold made her shiver now. She returned her attention to the mare, running her hands through her short onyx fur.

As the night went on the mare started to shift uncomfortably. Juniper stayed by her.

The mare gave a grunt of pain, side spasming as she pushed. Juniper tried to sooth her the best she could, a wet sound drawing her attention.

A wet mass of fur and legs was pushed out into the old straw. The mare’s head fell against the ground, exhausted.

The baby colt broke free of the birthing sac, rolling to sit up a bit. The little thing had messy grey fur and big pale eyes, not the eyes of a horse.

A rustling made Juniper glance up. The ravens were snapping their sharp beaks, eyes hungry. The smell of blood drove them into a frenzy.

The mare made a whinny of distress, unable to stand.

Before either could react, the storm of birds was upon them. Their sharp claws dug into Juniper’s arms as she shielded her face.

The brunt of their attack, however, was on the new colt. The newborn cried out a mixture of terror and pain as it was consumed by the mass.

Juniper tried to swat the birds away, the cries becoming shrill.

The birds pulled away bits for themselves, beaks bloody and savage. Cries of the mare mixed into the chaos. The black wings sounded like the rumble of thunder in the cold air.

Juniper suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. The dying wails of the colt were still ringing in her ears. Juniper looked around the room frantically, heart in her throat. She was in her bed, softly in the apartment. She’d kicked off her covers at some point, her skin cold.

Suddenly the apartment was bathed in a flash of light, moments before the familiar growl of thunder rumbled overhead.

It was a dream….just a dream.

She tried to calm herself. But the death cries of the newborn and the creature’s big innocent pale eyes were branded into her mind. She felt a shiver run through her as hot tears scored her cheeks. She pulled her knees up to her chest, burying her face into her skirt as she cried.

She hoped the storm would mask her state from Heisenberg.

Her hopes were dashed when after the next clap of thunder she felt the man stir beside her.

She tried to gulp away the tears to no avail. Now that she started her body was hell bent on spilling out all its sadness and fears.

Hearing her distress, Heisenberg pushed away from the bed worriedly.

“Buttercup?” He reached a hand out, movements dulled by sleep, “Come’re.”

Not giving her the option of protest he pulled her by the arm into his warm embrace. Juniper made a little squeak as he enveloped her in his strong arms.

“What’s got you all worked up?” He yawned, nuzzling into her.

She pressed a wet cheek into his chest, trying to focus on the sound of his heartbeat.

“Is it the storm?” He ventured.

“…no.” She admitted, swallowing, “It was just a nightmare.”

Very accustomed to his own share of nightmares, he nodded in understanding. “Want to talk?” He offered.

Juniper shook her head, burying her face deeper into him, snaking her arms around his soft sides.

“Alright.” He kissed the top of her head, already feeling sleep pulling him back in.

~

Even though she didn’t want to talk about her dream, and told Heisenberg time and time again she was ok, it was obvious whatever nightmare her brain thought up was affecting her.

The next day he caught her staring out the window, watching the raindrops race across the glass with lips a thin line.

“Doll?” He placed a hand on her side.

Juniper jumped, not hearing him approach. “Oh…hey Karl.” She murmured looking down at her feet.

“You ok?”

“Yea, yea of course.”

“You’ve been looking out that window awfully hard.” He frowned.

“Just thinking.” She shrugged, “I’ll be fine.”

He didn’t look convinced, a length of silence bubbling up between them.

“The jet is almost done right?” Juniper pointed out, “Go finish it, love.”

“Hm.” Heisenberg stepped back, “Fine.”

He needed to get work done, fingers itching for progress, and she knew how to propel him forward with that hunger. He relented, giving her space to think in the dreary apartment.

~

Nights later…

Heisenberg woke to an empty bed, feeling around in the dark. The sheets had grown cold. He sat up blinking, worry waking him up further. He stood, hearing a muffled sound from the bathroom. Walking towards it, the sound became more audible, broken sobs hidden behind the door.

He found it unlocked, opening it slowly. Moonlight filtered into the room, illuminating Juniper. She sat in the dry tub, legs drawn up as she cried into her hands. Her raven hair shining in the silvery light.

“Buttercup, you ok?” Heisenberg asked, sleep thick in his tone.

Juniper looked up suddenly, her eyes glowing reflectively. She sniffed, “I’m ok…I’m just a little overwhelmed.”

Heisenberg nodded, understandingly, padding in. He closed the lid of the toilet, sitting down.

Juniper wiped her face on the sleeve of the shirt she wore, easing her legs down.

She was starting to show, her belly beginning to swell.

“I’m just…I don’t know.” She frowned. Heisenberg made a rumble of acknowledgment .

She looked at him for a long moment before speaking, “I felt it move.”

“The baby?”

“Yea…felt it jolt a bit.” She admitted, “And I already care about it…I care so fucking much, I just want it to be ok.” Tears fell down her face.

He leaned forward to touch her cheek, she knelt into the contact.

“What if there’s something wrong with it?” Juniper sobbed, “What if whatever Miranda did hurt it?”

Heisenberg felt a pang of anger shoot through him. He would do whatever he could to keep Juniper safe and the baby secret. The thought of Miranda already sinking her claws into them again made bile rise in his throat.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” He lied, “Normal for them to move around right?”

Juniper gulped, nodding, “The book says it’s healthy.”

“See, it’s good for ‘em.” Heisenberg dried her tears, “You know what’s not good?”

“Hm?”

“My little mama crying her damn eyes out in the bathtub all night.” He began to stand, “Let’s get you back to bed.”

“…ok.” She relented, accepting his offered hand. He helped her up. They made their way back to the bed, snuggling under the blankets.

Heisenberg wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close so her back was flush against his chest.

His hands drifted downwards, placing his palm flat against her growing belly. He waited for a moment curiously.

“Wanting it to move again?” Juniper whispered.

“Mhm.”

“I don’t think they do that too much this early, but the book says as they grow they move a lot more.” She explained, “If they move a lot they are a strong baby.”

“Then let’s hope the pup dances.” Heisenberg kissed her ear, causing her to let out a little giggle.

[zonna-c]

Nightmare

Warning Female Mc, Belphegor vore, soft/safe vore story

A loud panicked gasp for air broke the silence of the night as she bolted up, the blanket getting thrown off the bed, she reached up grabbing her throat, eyes opened wide scanning the room, jumping out of her skin as thunder shook the house. “J-just a dream.” she mumble to herself with a shiver, pj clinging to her as she slowly pushes herself off the bed changing into bagger pj’s throwing the sweat soaked pair into the hamper. Before falling onto the bed with a tried sigh trying to fall asleep but every time she closed her eyes there HE was the blood curdling scream echoing in her ears. Not to mention the storm raging outside.

With a huff she sat up staring at the door should she risk it? She could end up running into one of the brothers and right now that was the last thing she wanted. But she needs a drink and a walk to hopefully clear her head….. She checked the time 1:30am Beelzebub was probably back in his room by now and why would anyone be up at 1 anyway? She thought as she slowly opened the door peeking her head out to have a look around the coast was clear for now, she left the door open for a quick retreat if one of the other doors suddenly opened before quickly sneaking down the hall to the kitchen.

She sighed in relief. Beelzebub wasn't in here and by the looks of things he had already gotten his midnight snack and gone to bed, which meant there wasn't much to pick from but she managed to make some hot chocolate without marshmallow, which was the best part of hot chocolate but it seem Beelzebub had found her hidden stash again. She turned ready to sneak back to her room with her drink when she saw something from the corner of her eye quickly turning back around she gasped the mug slipping out of her fingers, parts of the nightmare flashed in her head. The one brother she really didn't want to run into. Belphegor was standing half asleep rubbing his eye, his other hand holding his cow pillow. He flinched looking over at her as the mug smashed into the floor only inches from her bare feet, the hot chocolate splashing her as the mug shattered going everywhere.

“Owwww, hot, Shit!” she mumbled quickly backing away from the mess trying not to step on the shards of broken mug as she did so shaking her feet off.

“Such a klutz.” Belphegor said with a yawn “what are you doing up so late?”

“Just wanted a drink but you see how that went.” she said with a huff looking away from him, she could bring herself to even look at him right now as she bent down to pick up the pieces of mug.

“Hey don't do that your going to cut yourself!” Belphegor said as he reached down gently grabbing her wrist to stop her only for her to panic, pulling her arm back so hard that she lost her balance falling back with a yelp staring at the ceiling in a daze for a second “what up with you?” Belphegor as he leaned over her, blocking her view of the ceiling. The nightmare playing back in her head, that sickening smile on Belphegor's face, the cold finger warping around her neck stealing the air out of her lungs. she bolted up almost headbutting Belphegor as she mumbled an apology running to her room slamming the door a little too loud her back pressed into the door before she slid down to her knees shaking, it was just a bad dream he’d never do that to her now would he?

A gently knocks at the door and makes her jump “can I come in?” Belphegor asked she didn't answer, there was a long silence pause before the door handle slow turned and she scrambled to get out of the way as he slowly opened the door looking around the room the bed looked more like someone had a fight with the it than slept on it with how messed up the blanket and pillow were. “Nightmare?” he asked as he looked down at her hiding behind the door.

She didn't answer and wouldn't met his glaze so she didn't see when he suddenly bend down grabbed her easy pickling her up as she struggled to get away, he kicked the door closed before walking over to her bed putting her down before crawling in with her fixing the blankets tucking them both in “I won't let the nightmare get you.” Belphegor said with a yawn holding her close. Like he didn't realize she was freaking out because of him.

“Belphegor.” she mumbled into his chest

“Yea?” he asked running his fingers through her hair

“it's, nothing.” she said with a sigh trying to stop shaking, this is Belphegor the annoying bratty, teddy bear that just wanted to sleep and snuggle but that….. angry creepy smiling monster that tried to kill her was also Belphegor too right, which was real? Does he really like her or was he just wanting around for the right moment to strike

“Your shaking was the nightmare that bad?” Belphegor asked rubbing her back

“Do you actually like me?” she said burying her head into his chest

“What? You wouldn't be my snuggle buddy if i didn't like you.” Belphegor is his fingertip brushing her side making her giggle he grin staring to tickle her causing her to laugh thrash around trying to bat his hands away

“S-sssstop!” she whined trying to pull away from him

“Fine, fine.” Belphegor said, pulling her closer, kissing her forehead “better?”

“Better” she mumbled, burying her face into his chest hiding the fact she was blushing as he ran his fingers slowly through her hair, his breathing deepened and his fingers stopped moving already fast asleep. She fell asleep soon after him.

She woke up feeling something on her shoulder, her half asleep brain trying to put the piece of information together as she blinks in the darkness of her room trying to get her eye to adjust. She was stuck something warm and sold holding her in place and her shoulder was wet? She had to stop herself from panic as her half asleep brain started putting the pieces together. A nightmare, Belphegor was snuggling her, that is the warm weight around her, his arm and legs tangled up around her. His head was resting on her neck and he was drooling on her shoulder/neck…, gross. She sighed trying to carefully push his head off hers so he'd drool on the pillow not her, only for him the growl tightened his grip on her as his slept, feeling something clap down on her shoulder she gasped freezing up it didn't hurt but his teeth were digging into her but they didn't break the skin. She stopped move hoping he’d let go on his own feeling his warm breath wash over her shoulder and drool run down her back made her involuntary shiver. She sighed in relief when he finally relaxed, her shoulder was still in his mouth but at least he wasn't biting as hard. She would have never guessed that Belphegor would be the one to almost take a bit out of her! With Beelzebub that was always a small worry when she slept next to the giant teddy bear along with him rolling over and crushing her but Belphegor? Seems he had picked up some of his twin bad habits since his chewing on her shoulder!

“Belphegor, Belphegor!” she whispered hissed gently rubbing his head flinching when she felt something hard? His horns? Was he in his demon form? She couldn't see while enough in her dark room to know for sure so she brushed it off just trying to wake him up but not wanting to startle him or he might just take a chuck out of her shoulder, “Belphegor wake up!”

“MMMMM” Belphegor mumbled nuzzling his head into her neck any other time it would have been cute but not when his teeth were framing her shoulder as his arms tightening around her his warm tongue licking her shoulder made her shiver hard.

“Wake up!” she hissed in his ear gently blowing his hair that seemed to work as his body tightened up “are you awake now?” she asked

Yes he was, he slowly let go of her shoulder licking his lips as he pulled away his face red as a tomato what the hell? He never even chews on his pillows! But here he is sinking his teeth into his snuggle buddy? She is never going to want to sleep with him again! He needs to play it off maybe if he could get her to fall asleep, then she would think it was a dream or he hopes so. “Mmmm, what? is something wrong?” he said with a yawn his tail flicking nervously thumping loudly against the bed in the quiet room

“Just that you were chewing on me!” she huffed his tail freeze for a second before continuing to flick and thumbing against the bed even harder

“What? no way, are you sure you weren't dreaming?” Belphegor asked running his finger through her hair before rubbing her back hoping she'd just fall back to sleep but that wasn't happening

“I think the gallon of drool on my shoulder and teeth marks beg to differ!” she huffed pulling away from him Teeth marks? Oh his brothers are going to kill him! He thought as let go of her quickly turning over to turn on the lamp on the nightstand, before rolling back over staring at her shoulder, his hand gently holding her arm. It wasn't a bite mark, just an impression of his teeth and it didn't look like he bit down hard enough to even leave a bruise. Her laughing made him look up from her shoulder

“What is so funny?” Belphegor asked

“Nothing, it's just you look so worried is all.” she said reaching up rubbing his head between his horns “It's cute” she said rubbing closer to his horns making him purr, this is the real Belphegor his beautiful soft purple eyes nothing like her nightmares there is no hatred for her in his eyes

“Doesn't tease me.” Belphegor said as he closed his eyes

“I should be the one saying that! She said with a laugh “i mean since the moment i got here you guys have been threatening to eat me” she said with a giggle

“I haven't.” Belphegor grumbled causing her to stop thinking it over

“No, I guess you haven't, that makes it even funnier that you're the first one to try and take a bite.”

“Shut up and go to sleep before i eat you stupid human.” Belphegor growled playfully kissing her forehead before he pulled her closer his tail curling up so the fluffy tip was rest on the top of her head

“Why do some of your brothers always threaten to eat me?”

“Because they really do want to eat you” Belphegor said bluntly

“Why?”

“Because you smell delicious, that's why you have to stay with us so no other demons have the change to try to eat you.”

“So if there wasn't a rule against it and I didn't have a pack with you, you'd eat me?”

“it's too much work. Why are you so considered? You're safe here. It is not going to happen. I wouldn't let another demon have you.” Belphegor growled holding her closer

“In one of the spell books i was reading there was a spell that shrinks humans…..”

“I know it, what about it?”

“It’s scary, a demon could literally swallow a human whole with that spell” she said though she didn't seemed freaked out

“You don't seem scared.” Belphegor said with a chuckle

‘S-Shut up” she sounds almost flustered?

“Wait, do you want to get eaten?” Belphegor asked pulling away from her trying to get her to look at him

“Course not what humans in their right mind would want to get eaten.” she said avoiding his glaze

“Your blushing.”

“Night Belphegor.” she said pushing his arms away to roll over so her back was to him

“Hey, no you can't just roll over and sleep!” Belphegor whine

“Night.” she growled shrugging off his hands pulling the blanket over her head. She didn't want Belphegor teasing her about how weird it was that she liked the idea of getting eaten. She closed her eyes not listening to what Belphegor was saying but she suddenly felt light headed and dizzy, almost sick she whined confused curing up in a ball holding her head, the feeling disappeared just as fast as it appeared “what?” she mumbled picking up her head as the blanket got pulled off her

“Perfect size.” Belphegor purred, looked her over, she was the size of a doll. She looked even cuter like this, not that he would tell her that of course. It also makes him feel even more protective of her as he reaches over to grab her.

“S-Stop!” she shouted scumbling to get to her feet but the pack didn't stop him he smiled gently wrapping his warm fingers around her

“If you really want me to stop, make me.” he said with a chuckle gently rubbing her head with his finger before pulling her closer to his chest cuddling her. She was pissed that he use the spell on her but couldn't help but relax hearing his soothing heart beating and the heat raiding off him like she was standing in front of a fire as he ran his finger down her back she sighed completely relaxed against his chest but the peaceful moment was ruined by a loud growl coming from Belphegor stomach that reveal Beelzebub's “I could make it safe you know.” he purred his voice felt like it rumbled thought her.

“You can?”

“Of course.” Belphegor purred

Did she really trust him? He was a liar, this would be the perfect way to get rid of her, no body . He'd just have to go back to his room before the others woke up...pretend he didn't know where she went no one would know what happened.

“And you have the pack, I can't hurt you if you tell me not to.” Belphegor said with a sad sigh looking away from her as though he knew that she was thinking

“I trust you.”

“That foolish”

“Don't make you kick you out.” she grumbled

“That would be hard with how tiny you are.” Belphegor said with a chuckle rolling over to his side moving her closer to his face he looked her over for a second before gently licking her cheek “so…, can i?” he asked giving her his best puppy dog eyes as his stomach growled. She looked away from him blushing but nodded. He smiled, kissing the top of her head before opening wide carefully pushing her half way into his mouth, his lips wrapping around her waist. He purred as he licked her, smiling around her when his tongue brushed her side causing her to giggle and wiggle around. he slowly sat up humming around her as he slowly tilted his head back, this was her last chance to stop him as she started to slide farther back into his mouth he reached up grabbing her foot before she slipped to far and trigger his gag reflex.

“A-am fine.” she said and he swallowed, still hold her foot as her arms and head slipped into his throat before he let go moving his hand to hold his throat gently rubbing the bulge as he gulped again tilting his head all the way up to look at the ceiling as his tongue wrapping around her legs giving them one last lick before he swallowed gasping for air as the she disappeared passed his collar his hands following her down to his stomach his purred fallen back into the bed eyes closed as she slipped into his empty belly which growled happily around her.

“You ok?” Belphegor asked feeling her moving around a lot as he looking down at his somewhat rounded middle though most wouldn't be able to tell, he poked at her gently

“Yea.” she shout as she settled down it was so hot in here but the walls were so soft and comfy

“Good” he purred rolling over chuckling as she wiggled around as gravity shifted for her as he buried himself in her blanket curled up hugging his belly he loved to snuggle but this was even better her warm heavyweight make his belly feel full, her still warm blanket that smelled like her warped around him he couldn't help but fall asleep even though he wanted to wait to make sure she was ok. oh well he was sure she would kick him awake if not. Only his long black tail stuck out from under the blankets laying limp off the bed.

Beelzebub woke up before everyone else most of the time for his morning workouts, but notice Belphegor wasn't in his bed when he got up this morning so he went looking for his twin stopping by the kitchen first he found the broken mug and dried hot chocolate on the floor his clean it up before grabbing some snack that he somehow missed last night, going to the attic first but Belphegor wasn't there or on any of the couches. Beelzebub stop in front of MC room knocking softly, pausing for a moment before slowly opening the door walking in he saw Belphegor tail sticking out of the pile of blankets but something was off he could clearly see Belphegor shape under the blanket but not Mc’s he slowly pulled the blankets off Belphegor gently shaking his shoulder to wake him.

“Mmmmm” Belphegor whine weakly batting at Beelzebub hand

“Belphegor where Mc?” Beelzebub asked

“She's fine.” Belphegor said with a yawn looking up at Beelzebub they had a twin telepathy ‘talk’ as he rolled over one hand glued to his belly

Beelzebub frowned “Lucifer going to be mad.” he whined

“Don't care, going back to bed.” Belphegor mumbled with a yawn curling back up under the cover with a smile on his face. Beelzebub frowning, holding his wrist worried about what would happen as he walked out closing the door behind him, he knew Belphegor wouldn't hurt Mc, he was more worried about what lucifer punishment would be for Belphegor when he found out.

(sorry am dyslexic hopefully there's not to many mistakes I reread this a lot but probably still have some hard to read/unreadable parts just let me know I'll try and fix it)

[heartsofbeskar]

from the ashes

chapter 1

din djarin x oc

warnings: blood, mild violence, swearing, drinking, drug mention

words: 3.1K

excerpt: The smell of her own ship was a damn relief. Mos Eisley always seemed to leave a thin layer of stink and grime on her skin that took multiple showers to scrub off. Stepping into her shower, she began to attempt to do just that.

She indulged in some hot water, since she’d been able to pick up extra power cells in the town. Taking full advantage, she dialed the temperature high, the water nearly burning through her skin. She stood there, reveling in the ability it gave her to feel something so vividly. Even if it was pain.

(gif credit @moonaisle)

series masterlist | writing masterlist

next

The edge of the knife bit into her skin, and all she could think as blood welled up was how damn cold it was.

“I asked who the fuck you’re working for,” the man snarled into her ear, putting on what he no doubt imagined to be an intimidating face. She wasn’t impressed. “And why the fuck would you be snooping around Corran Felth’s personal residence?”

Her hands twitched where they were tied together tightly with cord. She cursed herself for letting this guy get the jump on her as she exited the building, assuming that she’d been too quick for anyone to take up wait in the alley.

It had been sloopy on her part, she had to admit that. And she knew why. Despite accepting the client’s down payment, she did not see this quest coming to fruition, so her heart wasn’t really in it. Though some would say she didn’t have a heart to begin with — but the pounding of her own pulse in her ears said differently.

He snarled and opened his mouth again, but she’d already decided that this was enough antics for one job. She delivered a sharp jab with the heel of her bound hands into his abdomen, leaving him gasping from the unexpected blow.

“You little bitch, I—”

As he spit his venomous words at her, she felt the pressure on her throat leave, opening her window. One of his hands tightened where it grasped in her hair, and she reached up to grab the corresponding wrist, propelling him by it into the nearby wall. When his hands left her, she grabbed him by the back of his head, smashing it into the wall a second time. There was a satisfying crack.

“Idiot,” she scoffed, lowering down to grab the knife that had left a small nick on the side of her throat. Flipping it around, she cut her hands free. If he actually knew what he was doing, he would’ve just cut off her hands instead.

She patted him down, turning out his pockets. Instant caf packets, baggies of spice, a small collection of credits… she sighed. Not what she was looking for. This was probably nothing more than a street runner — albeit a stupidly brave one.

Pocketing the knife and credits, she rose and exited the alley, pulling her collar up higher over her neck. Not that anyone on Tatooine would really bat an eye at fresh cuts — but she was nothing if not careful.

With the suns just beginning to set, the streets of Mos Eisley hummed with its seedy nightlife. The only place where someone like her, who bathed in violence and destruction, could ever really fit in.

Music poured from the ajar doors of the town cantina, and she hesitated outside of it. Hell, one more try at a lead couldn’t hurt. She had the extra credits to spare, after all.

There was an open stool at the bar against the opposite wall from the door, and she felt a few knowing pairs of eyes fall to her as she walked towards it, but she ignored them. A reputation was always an asset in her line of work, so she was content to let minds fester. The bartender eyed her weapons belt for only a second before serving her a drink happily.

The liquid burned her throat on the way down, just as she’d hoped it would. It didn’t taste particularly good, but Mos Eisley wasn’t known for its fine dining and cocktails. Moisture gathered on the outside of the drink, and she ran her index finger along the glass slowly. A scar stood out along the knuckle.

“You come here often?” A husky voice spoke up from beside her. She turned slightly, eyes roving up and down, taking in the rough man who had pulled up to the neighbouring stool. His hair was dark and seemed like it hadn’t been brushed in years, and his skin shone with grease and grime. A pretty standard Outer Rim pond hopper.

“Too often,” she muttered, bringing the drink to her lips again. “And you?”

“Ya know, I get ‘round these places every so often,” he leered at her, leaning in closer. She shifted slightly, not moving any closer but adjusting her jacket over the knife belt across her chest. “Name’s Zeth.”

“Liana,” the lie rolled off her tongue smoothly. “Ya know, I was actually supposed to meet with someone here … have you ever heard of Corran Felth?”

At the name, his eyes narrowed, but a smile played at the corner of his chapped lips. “Yea, I ‘erd of ‘im. Not any courier going through Eisley who hasn’. Now what is a pretty thing like you doing meeting a Tatooine drug lord, mm?”

She rolled her eyes, but matched the upturn of his lips with her own. “We had some business regarding some new … merchandise he was interested in market testing. I have some connections he thought might be useful. I don’t suppose you know anything about that particular economy?”

“Ah, ’fraid I really don’t,” he sighed, and she knew he was being honest as his eyes scanned the bar behind her. “Wish I could help ya, but I did hear a rumour, just between you ‘n me…”

Now she did lean in, her hand falling lightly on the edge of his wrist. She didn’t miss the way his eyes briefly flashed there. “Yes?”

He let out a breathy laugh. “Strange he agreed to meet you … rumour has it, he been off world for months. Some nasty business ‘bout a girl he knocked up who’s in with the Hutts … they were none too happy about it as you can imagine.”

She raised an eyebrow at that. “Really? You’re sure about this?”

“Listen, all I knows is he likes to take nightly scrolls through the hangar I dock in. Haven’t seen heads nor tails of him in a long while.”

Taking a long swig to finish her drink, she smiled at him, fully grasping his wrist in her hand. “Well, I’m grateful to you for saving me all that time waiting. Have a nice night, Zeth.”

He looked a bit disheartened as she turned away, but by the time his brain could even formulate a response, she was halfway towards the door.

Leaving the cantina, she rolled her eyes, kicking a stone down the street. Of course he was off world. Of fucking course.

As the hangar bay loomed in front of her, she keyed in her entry card, registered under the same name she had given Zeth. Her own ship was parking a few lanes back, nestled among some smugglers and traders, but she header for the ship she knew was waiting in the furthest back corner of the bay.

A small droid floated outside the ship. When she approached, it flashed red light at her, and she stood still as it gave a retinal scan. Upon confirming her, it gave a happy little beep, and the ramp creaked slightly as it lowered.

“Liana, my dear, I do hope you’ve brought me good news.”

A large Klatooinian stood in the hold of the ship, arms clasped behind his back. She stopped in front of him, the ramp staying open behind her. Moonlight filtered into the ship around her figure.

“I think you know I don’t, Arn,” she told him coldly. “The word around Mos Eisley is that Felth’s not even here. Hasn’t been for months now. I searched his home, dug through his logs … no mention of the strain you say he stole.”

Arn fidgeted uncomfortably. “Just because he isn’t here, doesn’t mean he can’t be holding it with his men. Did you even check the lieutenants?”

“You look me in the eyes and tell me honestly that you would trust something like this with any of your lieutenants.” She glared at him, and waited for a beat to pass. He fidgeted more. “That’s what I thought. You’d keep it close to your chest. And since there was a man stationed outside of Felth’s home, I’m very inclined to believe the local gossip that he’s gone. It was dusty enough in there.”

“So what happens now? If it wasn’t Felth, do you have anything on who actually stole from me?”

“Frankly, Arn, this job has begun to bore me. Too much Tatooine isn’t good for the soul, you know? So as per the non-recovery clause of my contract, you’ll receive a holopad of the relevant information I did find, no further payments required. I’ll be keeping your non-refundable deposit, of course.” She pulled a slim holopad out of her jacket and extended it to him. He grumbled, but took it nonetheless.

“For someone they call ‘The Finder’... along with those prices …” he continued to grumble as she turned to leave the ship. She shot a look of venom back over her shoulder, hoping it made him shiver at least a bit.

“I am the Finder, Arn. There was nothing to find.”

—

The smell of her own ship was a damn relief. Mos Eisley always seemed to leave a thin layer of stink and grime on her skin that took multiple showers to scrub off. Stepping into her shower, she began to attempt to do just that.

She indulged in some hot water, since she’d been able to pick up extra power cells in the town. Taking full advantage, she dialed the temperature high, the water nearly burning through her skin. She stood there, reveling in the ability it gave her to feel something so vividly. Even if it was pain.

The hot water made the scars stand out against her reddened skin. As she washed, she catalogued them, as she often would. A long, winding, and narrow one wrapping around her right forearm. A short, jagged one sitting nearly in the centre of her chest. The one slashing diagonally across the left side of her abdomen, that disappeared below the waistline of her pants when she was dressed. And in the small mirror at her eye level, the thin but noticeable scar that ran over her blue eye, stopping just shy of her lip. Her other eye, unsettling brown in contrast, sat on her face unmarred.

She secured the towel under her arms as she settled into the pilot’s seat, turning to the comm panel. She hit the audio switch.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Miss Finder!” a deep voice boomed from the panel. “I must say, I was a tad worried you wouldn’t pick up. You’re hard to get a hold of these days.”

She smirked despite herself. Greef Karga’s jovial spirit in the face of even the seediest business always amused her.

“You’ve caught me at a good time, I suppose,” she said. “I just finished up a job, was taking a night in.”

“A very good time indeed, then! You see, I’m calling for the purposes of a job I have in mind for you!”

“You know I don’t do bounties, Karga. If I wanted to be in the Guild, I would be.”

“Of course, of course! It’s a job fully suited to your own contract, off the Guild books. For me.”

That did have her interest. Every once in a while Karga would call or even visit and try to convince her to become one his hunters, telling her it was so similar to what she did, and he had all the infrastructure. But it wasn’t the same.

“Let me guess — I have to come to Nevarro for full details?” As she spoke, her fingers traced the lower half of the scar on her face subconsciously.

“You know me too well, especially compared to how much I know you! Hell, I don’t think I even know your real name. Something about Halla just doesn’t fit your face.”

“But does it matter?”

He laughed at that. “You’ve a point there, Miss Finder — no, it does not.”

“I’ll see you when I land then.”

—

Din Djarin was a proud man, and he didn’t like to admit when he’d made mistakes. But he was starting to think he’d done just that.

Sitting on the upper portion of another damned rockface, pulse rifle beside him, he rolled the small metal ball between his fingers, as he’d done countless times. The surface of it shined. All that was left of the Razor Crest. All that was left to remind him of Grogu.

It played in an endless loop in his head, Grogu’s eyes as he was carried away from him, every nerve in his body screaming that this was wrong, wrong, wrong. They had taken his foundling, his son. And he had just stood there and watched.

He had made a mistake.

The Jedi were Grogu’s people, the ones who had been raising him before the days of the Empire, but he barely knew anything of them, and he wasn’t sure he liked what he did know. In the time since Grogu’s departure, he’d made it a mission to track down more information, but the Jedi were like ghosts in the universe. If he hadn’t met them, he wasn’t sure he would’ve even believed they were more than myth.

That was hard to do without a fucking ship, though. Which was why he was here, taking low level bounties near Nevarro, in a rental ship. Karga had been generous with him, throwing him high volumes of nearby bounties so he could earn the credits to replace what he’d lost. Still, he was barely halfway there. The pace was frustratingly slow.

Motion along the horizon pulled his attention. Stowing away the ball, he picked up his rifle, bringing the scope to eye level. A human man was rushing across the rocks, glancing behind him every few paces. It was his quarry, no doubt. Right where Din had expected him.

Sighing, he slung the rifle across his back, making his way down the rock face. By the time he’d reached the bottom, the quarry was almost upon him, but an outcropping had shielded him from view thus far. Drawing his blaster, he waited a few more beats until the man was well within range, before stepping out, levelling his weapon at the scared man’s head.

“Stop where you are,” he said shortly. The man looked up at him, wide eyed and horrified. “Put your hands where I can see them.”

“L-look man, you can have w-whatever you want, I got some credits in here—” the man scrambled to open his bag, attempting to pull out the mentioned credits, but Din didn’t let him. He fired a warning shot in the ground, just shy of the man’s left foot.

“I said, show me your hands. I don’t want your money, I’m here to collect a bounty on you.” The man sputtered even more.

“T-they sent a fucking Mandalorian after me?! I didn’t e-even think they had the c-credits for—” He was cut off again as Din fired another shot at the ground, by his right foot now.

“I’m not in a patient mood. Hands.”

The man shook as he put his hands over his head, relenting. Din pulled the cuffs from his belt, yanking the man's hands behind him as he snapped them in place. He began pushing the man in the direction of the rental ship.

“If it helps, you weren’t worth much. I’m just in a tight spot.”

—

The quarry was silent on the entire walk, though Din could see a faint outline on his pants that indicated he’d soiled himself. He almost felt bad for the guy. Almost.

The rental — the Desertwalker? No, maybe it was the Starhopper? — only had space for three carbonite chambers, so he’d have to stop on Nevarro next before chipping away further at the mountain of pucks he was sure Karga had lined up to give him. He was grateful, but also had a feeling Karga was just as happy to unload these on somebody.

After sealing the latest quarry, and his ruined pants, into a chamber, Din climbed into the tight cockpit. People had complained to him about lack of space on the Crest, but this was even worse. His knees hit the panel in front of the pilot’s seat.

He sighed, removing his helmet with a hiss, running his hand through his sweat tainted hair. As he set the course for Nevarro, he returned to contemplating the Jedi, and all the information he did have on them.

His first instinct had been to call them wizards, and honestly he still felt that was an apt description. He’d seen Grogu perform acts he could only describe as magic, moving things with his mind and healing the otherwise damned, and he was only a child. A powerful one, yes, but it begged the question of what a fully trained adult Jedi could do.

Then there were the laser swords — lightsabers. Though still no match for beskar, they were impressive, and seemed to be less of a weapon and more of an extension to their bodies. His eyes fell to the darksaber, hilted on his belt. He didn’t necessarily like carrying it around, but it felt immensely foolish to leave such a thing unguarded on a ship. Still, he much preferred his rifle and his blaster.

Beyond their powers and lightsabers, information on the Jedi was scarce. That was the core of their mythos, but any practical details seemed to have been washed from time. How did their training work? How did one graduate? Did they swear oaths? If they did, what did they entail? Din’s mind was constantly buzzing with questions that it seemed no one in the galaxy had the answers to. He felt helpless. And he fucked hated feeling helpless.

He leaned his head back against the seat, watching the characteristic vivid streaks of hyperspace fly past the window. So many stars, so many planets, and his son was on one of them, doing Maker only knows what. Without him.

He had made a mistake.

—

add yourself to the tag list!

[muthaz-rapapa]

Let’s talk TroPreCure! (^∀^ 🌺)

i’m so stupidly proud of this dumb pun “tropurikyua~”, hahahahaha

Last post of the year and wow is there are lot to be excited for!

I even had to make a list for the stuff I want to talk about and I’m sure I already forgot one or two things but we’ll get to them as we continue to float~ along the wave to February 28th, mmkay? :)

Now for what has peaked my interest so far. And yes, we have to talk about the following first:

1) HealPre the shortest Precure season??

Unless they plan for double features in February (which I doubt but you never know), HealPre is likely going to reach only 45 episodes long instead of the usual 48~50 before TroPre I’m using this shortening of the title for now so if there’s a better alternative, tell me and I’ll switch out begins its broadcast.

Understandable because the producers probably want to get back to their normal scheduling as soon as possible (toy sales, y’know) and I suspect pushing the start of the new season back by a month is the most they’re willing to compromise.

As for me, I’m quite happy about this since HealPre’s lost its hold on my attention a while ago so the sooner TroPre gets here, the better. Though the downside might be a scrambled climax and a rushed, underwhelming ending for HealPre (I dunno if it’s January’s titles that feel a bit messy or if the hiatus is still throwing me off) but whatever. We’ll refresh ourselves with the new blood Cures so it’s all good.

2) Tropical movie announced for Autumn 2021, no All Stars??

(source)

First saw this mentioned on Youtube somewhere but it’s all over the fandom forums by now. I mean, HealPre’s movie is set for March, the usual time slot for All Stars release. If Toei intended for there to be an All Stars in 2021, there’s no way they would announce the seasonal movie before it so speculations of them skipping it this year are probably true.

To squeeze it somewhere between March and October-ish would force them to readjust their budgets as well and I don’t think even Toei wants to go through that extra hassle after all the trouble the pandemic’s caused for everyone already. It’s just easier to resume All Stars in 2022.

That, and I think Laura being a major character in TroPre despite not having a Cure title (yet) would make for an awkward situation when the three latest teams gather so perhaps that’s also one of the reasons. But I’ll get back to Laura in a bit.

3) Cure Summer is a RAINBOW Cure

So god help me if I see anyone calling her a Pink Cure.

Yes, she’s the lead Cure for this season. NO, she is not a Pink Cure.

Look, even the official website has a rainbow overlay for her profile pic and text font while everyone else’s respective theme colors are a solid hue:

Therefore, RAINBOW.

In promotional material and merchandising, they’re probably going to advertise her primarily with pink bah and at worst, she might occasionally be labeled as a White Cure with multiple subcolors (her outfit is not pink-dominant) but definitely NOT. PINK.

...also, this goes without saying but f***yea, we finally got a lead Cure practically and unabashedly wearing the LGBTQ flag and you cannot tell me otherwise, Toei!

Own up to it! Declare Manatsu/Cure Summer as the Precure queer icon!

I’m not gonna stop yellin’ until you do! 😠

4) Laura = obvious midseason Cure is obvious

First of all, Laura is a babe. I already love her the best and she’s not even Precure yet. <3

Anyways, the set-up is pretty much in the description. Important main character who’s not a mascot, stated to have a self-confident personality and just speaks her mind (oooh, I like~ :D), magical/foreign being from another world looking for Precure to save her home, possesses her own special item(s), has aspirations to become the next Queen (so she’s a princess-candidate or something to that effect, I suppose).

We’ve seen various combinations of these traits in past midseason (and a few starter) Cures so nobody should be surprised when we all guessed that one of the Cures would be a real live mermaid.

The only question is why not just make Laura a Cure from the get-go if she’s introduced to us at the beginning (like Hime or Lala) and having a team of five with no unnecessary extra add-ons later on (like Smile).

Well, there’s a simple answer for that: formula.

Toei is afraid that if they don’t spit out some new animation sequence at the halfway and third quarter points of the show, the kids will lose interest and abandon the series altogether. Which means failed toy sales. Oh nooo... [/sarcasm]

...Yea. 

And this way they can also have Laura available in the Cure lineup for the next All Stars in 2022 instead of making her sit the fight out if we were going to have one in 2021. I’m convinced that’s gotta be one of the reasons. *shrug*

But ok, whatever. Her debut is gonna be later, that’s all. She’s a delayed Cure.  Midseason Cure, same difference.

Moving along to the more important stuff now like what’s her Cure name gonna be, y/y?

Well, knowing Toei, a translation of the term “mermaid” into another language is the most predictable route even though we already have a Cure Mermaid. Not like that ever stopped them from repeating words before (ex. Cure Happy vs Cure Felice). Though if they do go down that road, I hope they opt for the Spanish/Italian “sirena” and not the French “sirène” because the latter sounds too close to how Cure Selene is pronounced in Japanese. And, putting it nicely, we all know Japanese pronunciation of foreign words is as off kilter as can be.

Hell, even the the Portuguese “sereia” sounds aesthetic as hell so it’d be nice if they can just remember there are other languages that exist out there besides Japanese, English and French when making the final decision at the writing table! *stomps foot* >:/

Alternatively, “nereid” or “naiad” are good choices too but they remind me too much of Greek myths and Laura’s from the Grand Ocean which covers more than just a couple of seas (Greece is surrounded by three, btw) so...

I dunno. But whatever it’s gonna be, she’s definitely got a strong association with water and her powers will probably be based on that.

As for theme color, since there’s noticeably no blue or green Cure in the starter lineup, it’s likely she will take up that spot when she debuts around ep 20.

Pink is also open since Cure Summer, again, is technically not a Pink Cure and Laura’s hair and tail fin are hot and light pink respectively but looking at Laura’s design and concept, does anyone seriously believe that?

Her upper torso consists of aquamarine while the body of her tail is definitely some shade of cyan, implying they’re aiming for somewhere around the middle of green and blue on the lighter spectrum.

And yea, I’m aware that green and blue are considered exchangeable in some perspectives with how close some of their shades are to each other but officially, I think Laura’s gonna be grouped with the Green Cures.

Cuz of the hair. If Laura’s gonna keep it the same or a similar shade after transforming, that is. The Blues have always had cool-colored hair so putting Laura in with them might disrupt that harmony whereas if you put her with the few Greens there are (including Parfait), she’d fit right in.

I mean, we’ll see but that makes the most sense, doesn’t it?

On another note, I just want to say that I love how they added frills to her arms instead of letting her elbows go bare naked. It definitely makes her look more like a genuine mermaid than if she didn’t have them (remember, half fish doesn’t mean half the body :P).

5) Magical Items

Frankly, I’m tired of seeing the transformation device being a compact again even though one of the main motifs is make-up this season. But at least, as far as Precure compacts goes, the Tropical one is my favorite cuz of how cute and delightfully colorful its toy version looks! So I guess I’m okay with it.

The Heart Rouge Rod, though? ...I dunno. I think it would’ve been fine without that...straw (?) jutting out at the top. It looks weird, doesn’t it look weird? :S

As for the collectible clip-ons, I can live without those for the rest of my life. Yeesh.

Laura’s items, the Aqua Pot and the Ocean Prism Mirror.

Again with the portable, travel-size housing. *sigh* 😩

Alright, I can let this year slide cuz Laura (I’m so soft for her, omg) probably won’t be getting legs for 20 weeks so she’s got to move about on land somehow. But unless they’re really thinking about turning this idea of carrying your apartment around in your bag/pocket/purse into a reality (cuz that would be effin’ awesome), please be more creative with your toys.

On the other hand, I’m much more interested in the Ocean Prism Mirror but from what Kusyami (the Precure merchandise reviews I follow on Youtube) said in his latest vid, this is the ED dance item so don’t know if it’ll actually have an relevance to the story or not. But I did hear him mention it having something to do with the Queen as well and since Laura wishes to become Queen, maybe it’ll be important after all? Maybe it’s her transformation device?

That’d be super cool. Let’s continue the trend of the midseason Cure having a different transformation item than the starters. Honestly, we should alternate every other year or two but we’ve gone three seasons with all of them using the same henshin gimmicks up till HealPre and I just want a break from that.

6) Fin sleeves??

These look so impractical for combat so maybe it’s exclusive to group attacks.

And/or a sort of precursor to the super forms?

*GASP* Does that mean they all eventually turn into mermaids? 🤩

7) Yui finally became Precure!! 😭

lol, it’s all crack from this point on so don’t take it too seriously but man, after Yuni’s deceptive braids, I thought I wasn’t gonna see anything that reminded me of Yui for a while and lo behold, Sango.

kehehehehehe xD;

Though Yui might be closer to Minori in terms of personal interests (fairytales and storybooks).

8) Akira, the actual Onee-chan version

I didn’t think this when I first saw her but once I read “Onee-san” in her profile, there’s no saving you now. Sorry, Asuka. 😅

Also, damn, do her sandals make her feet look big! Compare them to the heels she wears as Flamingo. Are they even the same?! lololol

9) ...this sounds awfully familiar...

Translation:

Tokimeku Tokonatsu! [Exciting/Thrilling Everlasting Summer!] Cure Summer! Kirameku Hoseki! [Sparkling Jewel!] Cure Coral!  Hirameku Fuurutsu! [Flashing Fruit!] Cure Papaya!

Japanese reiteration:

Mallow/Mao: Pink no tokimeki! Lillie: Blue no kirameki! Lana/Suiren: Yellow no kagayaki!

….........

@Toei 

Care to explain yourselves, punks?! 

୧(ʘ ∀ ʘ ╬)

[s-and-n-writes]

stolen smiles and little black lies

crimson and bluebell: part one 

summary: 

Marinette Rossi is tired of everything: from Lila's constant berating and Madame Rossi's preferential care of her 'angel-like' daughter, to how everyone at school (even Alya) seems to believe her evil stepsister over her.

It's like she's Cinderella, except without the fairy godmother and the happy ending. She doesn't even have a prince.

Or so she thinks.

Between the appearance of a new boy who seems to have captured her heart, and a gala run by her fashion idol Gabriel Agreste, Marinette hopes for an escape the constant ignorance, workload, and bullying she endures, and get a blissful life of her own.

With the help of one tiny god and a meow-velous partner, she might finally get a chance, but not everything is that simple.

They say ladybugs are lucky, so will being the elusive Ladybug bring Marinette the luck she oh-so-desperately needs?

quick links: 

| next chapter >

| miraculous masterlist | series masterlist | 

a/n: first chapter’s up! i hope you guys like it! if you wanna be part of the taglist for this, shoot me a message! :) 

It’s dawn when Marinette’s alarm rings.

The sun peaks through the attic window, frail rays treacherously passing through the glass as Marinette hits snooze for the third time.

She’s late, as usual, but that’s no surprise. 

By the time the sky swells with pink, and the silver stars littering the morning sky fade, Marinette’s alarm has gone off a fourth time, the shrill ringing and flashing salmon-red of the numbers cutting through the silence of the morning, as the girl in question finally wakes.

The pink sky changes into the warm undertones of peach and the rising sun peaks further out from the mountains when Marinette is ready. She ties back her midnight-blue locks of hair into twin tails on either side of her head with the two once-red bands she’d once found discarded in front of Lie-La Lila’s room. 

Lost, forgotten, discarded.

The words seem to sum her up perfectly. 

She heads down to the kitchen just as the peach sky cools into blue, the sun rising overhead to begin the new day, and she smiles as she gazes for a minute down the hallway window to the cobblestone streets below. 

The grin on her face quickly shifts into a frown once she heads into the kitchen.

Fortunately, preparation for breakfast finishes up quicker than usual, and the lovely smell of fresh-baked croissants waft through the house. Marinette takes this time to glance at her phone, a well treasured gift after months of working at the bakery. The phone is in no way one of the best, and certainly can’t compare to Chloe’s, but Marinette is happy with it, so the cracked screen and the faded case are overlooked.

It must be the croissants that make Madame Rossi to come downstairs, dark bags fresh under her eyes. Marinette feels sorry for her, knowing her long days and longer nights at the embassy, so she merely smiles as Madame Rossi sits into one of the dining room chairs, slumping gracefully on the cool-white tabletop. 

The embassy job pays well, though, and the house they are in proves that.

“Morning Madame,” Marinette says, pushing towards Madame Rossi a croissant laid delicately onto the new white plates. 

Lila’s mother is certainly her favorite Rossi, since Lila has some...tendencies that Marinette doesn’t like. Especially when they’re being used towards her, as they often are.

But even if Madame Rossi was the most tolerable of the Rossi family, Marinette knows that she has flaws. 

Madame tilts her head as she glances at the croissant, and then at Marinette, accepting the plate with a tired smile. 

“Good morning Marinette,” she says, nibbling gently on the croissant. “Have you seen Lila yet?”

Marinette bites her lip in frustration at the woman’s blatant love of her daughter. If Madame Rossi had truly wanted to see it, she would’ve found the holes in Lila’s fake personality years ago. 

 “N-no Madame,” she stutters. The topic of Lila always seems to make Marinette nervous, since the girl in question could be listening from anywhere. 

And since Marinette has had many an experience with calling Lila out, usually ending with purple-ish bruises covering inches of her skin, she does not want to make the same mistake again.

But it’s then that Lila appears in the living room, fake smile on par with the rest of her demeanor and carrying a small brown bag. Marinette notices how Madame Rossi immediately brightens: her skin glows, her eyes happily crinkle at the edges, and a smile replaces her forlorn frown.

It’s almost enough to make Marinette jealous. Lila has someone to lean on, someone who loves her, when she has no one. 

Marinette’s not blind. She’s seen how Madame Rossi looks when Lila comes into the room, versus her. She knows she’s adopted (as if the hair didn’t give it all away). It’s an unspoken truth in the family, and even if Marinette doesn’t know who her birth parents are, she supposes she’s ok with her family right now. 

Or at least, she hopes she is. 

Because she has no one else. 

Madame Rossi feeds her and clothes her, yes, but deep down Marinette knows she’s a burden; one that has to prove her worth to stay. It doesn’t matter that she works harder, or has a better personality, because Lila will always be painted as an angel in Madame Rossi’s eyes, and Marinette as the weight that the Rossi family shoulders.

Lila, however, is the variable that creates chaos for Marinette, as she spins and weaves lies like an intricate blanket to her advantage. Marinette is a pawn on her chess board, barely surviving as Lila throws obstacle after obstacle at her. After all, Marinette can still count the times Lila has been nice to her on one hand, even if the hand has no fingers.

“Good morning, Mother!” Lila greets, her perfect smile stretching across her face.

But Marinette had been there long enough. She always saw the flaws: the slight twitch in Lila’s eye, the scowl before the smirk, the smirk before the smile.

“Good morning Lila, dear, how are you? Did you get a good night’s rest?” Madame Rossi questions, the concern and genuine love clearly visible in her eyes. 

Marinette refrains from biting her already-bruised lip yet again, and walks towards the kitchen for a well-needed breath of fresh air. 

“I slept well, Mother,” Lila replies from the dining room, voice visibly louder to let Marinette hear, “Well, as well as I could, since Marinette’s snores drifted from the attic,”

“Oh dear,” Madame Rossi responds, turning around briefly to glance at Marinette with a look of despondency.

“I just get so tired when I don’t get my beauty rest. And God knows I need it, what with the insomnia the doctor diagnosed. I already look horrible!” Lila groans, adding in a perfectly timed yawn at the center of her sentence.

Ah yes. Marinette can perfectly remember the fake doctor’s visit, the fake doctor herself, and the fake insomnia Lila created.

“Lila, don’t say that about yourself. You are the most beautiful girl, and the best daughter. Insomnia is merely a setback that you can get over, just like anything else” Madame Rossi fondly says, “and as for your tiredness, perhaps you can take a nap after school today. Marinette can do your chores,”

Once again, Madame Rossi has perfectly catered to Lila’s needs, unknowingly belittling Marinette. After all, Lila is the real master around the Rossi household, dragging all others around like puppets on strings.

“Marinette, are you okay with that?” Lila questions, her eyes full of concern. If Marinette was new around the house, she might’ve allowed herself to believe her. But Marinette is not new; she’s been here for years, and she knows Lila too well. Her slightly narrowed hershey brown eyes and almost-sympathetic furrowed brows scream ‘do it or else!’, an obvious indicator that she has to agree.

Otherwise, things won’t end well...

“Yes, that is perfectly fine Lila, um, please go upstairs and rest,” Marinette says, adding on an ‘after breakfast of course’ after Lila subtly glares at her (likely thinking it’s a ploy to shoo her away). 

Lila smiles, and takes a seat at the large dinner table, crossing her legs and placing her hands over her lap. 

“Wonderful! Thank you Mother!” she smiles. “Now Marinette, where is my croissant?”

“Ah, uh, right here,” Marinette says, avoiding eye contact as she passes the croissant to Lila. Lila smirks in reply, and glances at her mother.

“So…” Lila pauses, considering how to proceed with small-talk, “how’s the er-the embassy?” 

“Doing well!” Madame Rossi smiles. “I actually have an event next week that I’d love for you girls to come to!” 

“Mom, I’m not quite sure I’m free…” Lila frowns. “But go ahead, tell me what it is,”

Marinette steps into the kitchen, listening intently as she brews a pot of coffee. The hot liquid nearly burns the pads of her fingers as she pours it into three cups, but it’s nothing she hasn’t felt before.

“Ah, well, there’s a gala that Gabriel Agreste is hosting,” Madame Rossi explains, taking a bite of her croissant.

“Gabriel Agreste, right?” Lila smirks, eyes training on Marinette, “I assume this is for, perhaps, new fashion designers? Maybe he wants to, um, I don’t know, scope out an intern?” 

The bluenette on the other side of the room twitches as she rubs her hands together, barely containing her excitement.

“Yes!” Madame Rossi grins, “You’re so smart Lila. Maybe we should move you up a grade-”

“Er-um, when would this be, um Madame?” Marinette cuts in. 

Madame Rossi raises an eyebrow. “Hold on Marinette. I’m not quite done explaining yet. No need to get so impatient,” 

“Yea,” Lila shrills evilly, glancing between her mother and her so-called sister as she quickly formulates a plan, “Hold on, Marinette. She’s just getting started,” 

There’s a double meaning behind Lila’s words, like the sharp edge of a sword being pressed against Marinette’s neck, quickly drawing out blood the color of cherry-red roses. It’s a warning, that Lila is the one just getting started, not Madame Rossi. 

Marinette chooses to shrink back, and stay silent in the moment, fear of Lila winning over her genuine excitement. 

Like always.

She’s used to it though. It’s ok.

Madame Rossi ignores Marinette’s suddenly startled breathing, and continues with her explanation. 

“The embassy has to get involved because this could make headlines, since Monsieur Agreste invited many of the world’s most famous fashion designers. If France gains tourists because of this, it could boost our economy,” Madame Rossi says as Marinette brings a pot of coffee to her. 

“That’s so exciting Mom!” Lila (fake) smiles. 

“I’m glad you think so!” Madame Rossi replies, “We have to host a two day program welcoming all of these people to Paris. Monsieur Agreste himself will be there! There’s, um, there’s a welcoming ceremony, then a formal dinner, and finally, oh uh, finally… actually I’ll get back to you on the last thing,”

“No prob!” Lila smiles. Marinette rolls her eyes in retaliation before Lila can see. 

“Anyways, I wanted to invite you girls! So many people are bringing their children. The head of the embassy’s bringing her daughter, my boss and her daughter and her son are coming, not to mention Monsieur Agreste’s son, and I thought-” 

“Hold on,” Lila interrupts. “Adrien Agreste will be there? THE ADRIEN AGRESTE?!”

“Yes, he will be,” Madame Rossi laughs, “Eager, are you?” 

“Er-no, he, well, he’s just, uh, really popular you know? It could really boost my career, in um, fashion designing,” Lila covers, smoothly altering her voice to sound desperate and longing.

“You want to be a fashion designer?” Madame Rossi smiles, genuine tears in her eyes. She wipes them away with the back of her hand and sighs, “You’ve never told me, darling!” 

“Never came up!” Lila laughs uneasily, paling as she clenches her fists to veil the irritation hidden inside her. 

Marinette’s lip has turned pale, a gash running through the side that she continues to bite. It’s a reserve for all her anger, mainly at Lila. She’d have to steal some of Alya’s preppy-red lipstick when she gets to school, to cover up the bruise.

“Lila, um, you don’t mind me asking, but who is Adrien Agreste?” Marinette cuts in, failing to follow the conversation. 

Lila doesn’t have to reply, since her mocking grin answers for her, and so does Madame Rossi. 

“Didn’t you want to be a designer, like Lila?” she asks, frowning disapprovingly. 

“I-uh, yes,” Marinette stumbles, picking at the edge of her shirt. It’s a new one that she just made over the weekend, one she can’t wait to show to Alya, but by how often she picks at the seams, the dress will dissolve into thin lines of string before school even starts. She walks over to the dining table and sits down across from Madame Rossi.

“Then you should know,” Madame Rossi says, pointing her nose upwards with a raised eyebrow. It’s often like this: the morning starts out with a kinder Madame Rossi, and as the day goes on, she continues to pile disapproving stares and hidden anger on her lesser daughter: Marinette. 

“Anyway, the whole program is next weekend, and I’d love for you both to come!” Madame Rossi says, clasping her anticipatingly. 

“Of course Mom. I’ll definitely support you. It’s a shame that Marinette can’t come though,” Lila pouts. 

Marinette’s fists both clench, her eyes widening at the prospect to miss a meeting with the famous fashion designer himself, “I-uh-” 

“Marinette, is this true?” Madame Rossi asks, raising a slight eyebrow, “Why?” 

“Some sort of field trip for art club, I think,” Lila cuts in, smiling sweetly at Marinette, “Right Marinette?” 

Lila throws a pointed look at the girl, eyes calculatingly tracing across her face. It was another warning, far more powerful than the last, a signal that if Marinette doesn’t follow, there will be consequences. 

But Marinette is tired; tired of the constant warnings, tired of the beratings, tired of the girl she doesn’t want to call her sister, tired of the woman who keeps favorites, tired of… well, everything. 

“Sorry, n-no,” Marinette stutters quietly.

“What?” Lila smiles, turning to raise an eyebrow at Marinette. Lila’s aura of masked evil radiates against her, pushing, pulling, threatening, hurti-

“I’m saying no,” Marinette , hidden confidence rising to the surface like shiny, opaque bubbles. “I don’t have an art club field trip. I’m free,”

If Lila snarls, Madame Rossi doesn’t notice, instead choosing to take a sip of her coffee and dusting her hands gently on her royal-blue blouse. 

“Great!” she smiles, “I’ll tell them that both of you are coming,” 

Unusual silence falls onto the dining room, broken only by Madame Rossi’s quiet humming. It’s atypical in only the fact that Lila never spares a moment by not talking to her mother; she often decides to leave or escape in a different way. 

The tension is thick, and every moment Madame Rossi looks away is another one that Lila uses to visually throw daggers at Marinette.

But Madame Rossi leaves before she recognizes the obvious shift of the room, pushing dishes in the sink and heading out the door with only a feeble au revoir! 

“Au revoir, Mother!” Lila calls back, smoke nearly coming out of her ears as she desperately tried to keep the anger out of her voice. 

Marinette’s confidence dissipates quickly as she regains her shyness and vulnerability. It’s a shame because it’s at that moment that Lila attacks.

“Listen, you filthy scum of a sister,” Lila sneers, clenching her fists. Marinette struggles to not shiver, to not show the telltale signs of fear.

It seems, however, that Lila already knows. 

“If it weren’t for my amazing ability to somehow tolerate you, not to mention my mother’s strange liking of you, you’d be gone, do you understand?” Lila hurls at Marinette. Marinette, despite her will to not break, flinches.

Lila smiles cruelly. “That’s better, Mari-brat,” 

She studies Marinette’s features. “Alright, fine. You can come to the whole embassy fiasco,”

With carefully timed smirk overtaking her features, Lila leans in close, inches away from Marinette. “But stay away from Adrien. He’s mine,” 

Lila backs away from the table, slamming her chair into it and cracking the edges of glass. Lila’s glass mug full of coffee lands on the floor, quickly  shattering into a million different pieces as the contents inside stain the carpet a less-than-beautiful shade of walnut brown. 

Marinette gasps, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth afterwards, and observing the damage.

“But don’t think I’ve gone soft,” Lila grins, “I guess you’ll be the one that tells Mother about how you tragically destroyed her glass table, and her carpet!”

Marinette knows that Madame Rossi will be furious. Even if the table isn’t as tragically destroyed as Lila had said, the coffee spill is sure to anger her. 

If she’s really mad, she might ground Marinette into staying at home the days that they went to the embassy, and while Lila frolicked with her idols, Marinette would be at home. 

But that’s not the highlight of it all. Marinette had almost thought that Lila was finally changing for the better. 

Almost. 

“Well, I’m off to school!” Lila says, continuing to smirk. “Have fun cleaning up the mess you made!” 

She leaves with a final look at Marinette, slamming the door behind her.

Based on the gleam in Lila’s eye, Marinette’s due for some black and blue sometime soon. 

quick links: | next chapter >

a/n: next chapter should come soon! if you liked it, perhaps like this post, or reblog, or comment :) enjoy your day! 

taglist: 

i’ll be tagging the people that i had tagged before, along with a couple others who liked the masterlist for this series. if you don’t want to get tagged, i’m very sorry! just shoot me a private message, and i’ll take you off the tags. if you do want to get tagged, just tell me with a private message or an ask and i’ll add you to the taglist. thank you! 

@reddragonofemeraldflame  @nomiegnome  @18markers @katbab @emmathedestroyer @bluesesameseed @cyborgcandy @karukofox21 @magnificentcrapposts​ @miraculouslylee​

[moonflowerlesbians]

When I first watched bly I thought Eddie got hit by a train. I thought it was a dumb place to a train track. Then I thought it was even more dumb for him to get out without even looking especially with that sooo close. How dramatic and stupid can you be. I was going into a tail spin about how it's not Danis fault he was being a dick about it. He didn't need to do that especially like that. Like who does that knowing a traintrack is so close by. He was pushing her into it anyway does he expect her to be happy and jolly. Be upset about the break up but no need to act like that. Then I realised it wasn't. Either way it was stupid af for him to go off walking in a fucking road and not Dani's fault he was being a twat. He didn't need to act like that. He didn't look. So yea I was doing a major deep dive into Dani's defence about Eddie. I didn't even know her yet really. Come hell or high water I'm defending that bitch. Lol.

I’m so sorry but this is the funniest fucking thing I’ve gotten. Like I know it’s not your fault because it was somewhat ambiguous at first, but now I’m just imagining a train approaching, horn blaring, shaking literally everything around them so you can’t miss it, and Dani’s just trying to have this intimate conversation, but she has to yell to be heard, and Edmund is like “you know what? fuck it. getting hit by a train has to be better than this conversation” and just steps out.

But yeah. Should he have looked? Yes. Should the truck driver have been paying closer attention? Also yes. But in Eddie’s defense (I know), his girlfriend of six years did just dump him out of seemingly nowhere. That’s got to be a shock to the system, and he wasn’t thinking clearly. 

The thing is, I don’t think he realized he was pushing Dani into anything, and as much as I hate to admit it, that’s kind of on her. Sure, there’s a chance he could’ve picked up on her hesitation, or maybe she dropped hints here and there, but I think, for the most part, she got so used to tucking those feelings of discomfort away that she just became really, really good at pretending everything was fine.

I mean, here’s a girl who’s spent her whole life without a stable home. She had Eddie’s family, sure, but they weren’t her family. I suspect, having spent a decent bit of time analyzing Dani, no matter how many times she was told she was more than welcome, she felt like she was taking up too much space, was too much of a burden on others. I think it’s possible that, while she might’ve truly loved Eddie, a part of her stayed with him so long out of obligation. Sort of paying back he and his family for the kindness they’ve shown her. 

And, after a while, that became normal for her. Stable. Disrupting the careful balance she’s struck with the universe is a terrifying prospect for her, and it makes sense that she'd be extremely averse to doing so. If she can just do what’s expected of her, everything will be fine. That manifested into lying to herself and everyone around her until it finally became too much. (Not to mention the homophobia and Midwestern Courtesy(TM).)

So, yeah, no, Eddie should not have cursed at her, and he should have looked before getting out of the car. Dani should've spoken up way sooner than she did, but you know, I can’t really blame her. It was a mess all around. 

[loveisblindfanfictionbka]

Love Is Blind: Chapter Eighteen

Robyn frowned as she held her dress up to her body. She sighed as she let her hand drop to her side and she stared at herself in the mirror. Chris didn’t give her any clothing requirements but she didn’t want him to waste all his energy for her to come out in sweatpants and a t-shirt, even though that’s really all she feels comfortable in. She tossed the dress on the bed, grabbed a pair of black joggers, a fitted black t-shirt and a pair of black flats. She pulled on a black/white printed cardigan and left out of her bedroom. 

Chris stood up from the couch and smiled at her, “Hey Babe.”

“Hey, you ready to go?”

“Yea. I was thinking we could watch a movie then get dinner, if that’s ok with you?”

“Works for me.”

“You don’t sound too enthusiastic.”

“I’m trying to get used to this again, like you suggested.”

“As long as you’re trying. Anything you need to bring along?”

“Nope. I pumped for the night so I’m good in that aspect.”

“You feeling ok?”

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Chris moved towards the front door and opened it for her, “you look pretty, Babe.”

“Chris, you really don’t have to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Compliment me when it’s not true. I look very regular and you know it.”

“Looking regular doesn’t mean you don’t look pretty. You really don't have to second guess everything I say or do. I don’t see you the way you think I do.”

Robyn opened her mouth to say something but just shook her head instead, “Ok.”

Chris frowned as she walked out the door and over to the car. Anesa and Christian were with Leandra and Maxwell while they went out but Chris was partly regretting his decision. Was he pushing her too hard to get back to normal? On the other hand, if he didn’t push her at all, she’d never leave the house again; Robyn was stubborn that way.

The ride to the movie theater was awkwardly quiet. Chris kept glancing over at Robyn through his peripheral vision and she looked distracted.

“Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” she replied without looking at him, “what movie are we going to see?”

“It’s a few comedies playing, I figured you’d could pick whatever interested you when we got there.”

“Oh. That’s cool.”

They both fell silent again and Chris sighed as he stopped at a red light. Being home with the baby didn’t give them as much time together as he had anticipated so they had never really been able to talk as much as before. Christian and Anesa required all of their attention and when they weren’t around, Robyn just kind of mopes around the house or is asleep. As the light turned green, he turned into the complex that housed the movie theater and a bunch of stores and restaurants. Pulling into an empty parking space in a lit but sparsely filled section, he turned off the car, “do you hate me?”

Robyn’s brow arched as she turned to face him, “hate you for what?”

“Anything.”

“No. Why would I?”

“I don’t know but it feels like I’m being punished for something and I can’t figure out what it is.”

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, you know. Everybody isn’t out to get Christopher for something.”

“I’m not talking about everybody. I’m talking about you. You’re either giving me attitude, ignoring me, or second-guessing everything I say to you. I know the world doesn’t revolve around me but when I’m the one catching the tail end of whatever you’re feeling, I’m allowed to question if there is a problem. We were good when we left the hospital but now I’m confused.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you because it’s honestly not even crossed my mind to be mean to you. Definitely not my intention.”

“It’s that right there. The tone. The look of “I don’t give a fuck” on your face.”

“I am apologizing.”

“And rolling your eyes as you are doing it. Kind of defeats the purpose.”

“You’re being really sensitive, Christopher.”

“Sensitive? Wow.”

“Yes, sensitive. I’ve barely said two words to you since I’ve been home from the hospital. Where would I even find the energy to be mean to you?”

“Well you found the energy tonight.”

“You started this.”

“I am trying to figure out what is wrong with you. I’m catching hell and I don’t know why. I try to stay out of your way, I try to make sure you are on track with the doctor, I help with both our children. I want to fix this. I want to change whatever I’m apparently doing that is pissing you off.”

“You are doing nothing to piss me off except insisting that I’m pissed off. Can I not have no feelings right now? Can I not just chill and go through my motions without you wanting to Dr. Phil me.”

“When it’s affecting me, no.”

Robyn threw her hands up and groaned, “you know what, I don’t even care. I don’t have the energy to care right now, I used it all just getting out of the house. Can we go do what we came to do or are we going home?”

“Neither.”

“Chris, for once, listen to me when I say this is not the time to push me. Let me have my moments, I can go back to my apartment, if you can’t handle it but I am not in the space to be pushed or challenged. I am out because I know I need to be, I am doing the best that my emotions will allow me to do. I don’t have anything else to give you.”

“Except anger.”

“I will get out of this car, call a cab and take my ass back to the house. I’m here because you wanted me to be but I can go where I would really rather be if this is how this night is going to be conducted.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

Chris started the car and drove to a parking space in front of the theater. He turned off the ignition and climbed out to open the passenger door. Robyn was already standing by the closed door, “no need to be formal. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Chris just shook his head as they started walking to the theater. Robyn stared at the movie titles before selecting one and Chris paid for the two tickets. He paid for their concession stand snacks before they left to the appropriate screening room. He sat in the corner seat while Robyn sat in another seat on the same row, leaving an empty chair between them. He scoffed then turned his attention to the screen, feigning interest in the previews.

                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Chris parked the car in front of the house, he climbed out before Robyn could even take off her seatbelt. She watched as he went up the stairs and opened the front door then turned on the living room light. She didn’t want to go into the house because she just knew he was going to want to talk to her again. She grabbed her phone and dialed Leandra’s number. It rang for a few moments before a voice picked, “hello?”

“Le, hey, are the kids asleep yet?”

“No. Why? What’s up?”

“You mind if I come pick them up?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on a date with your boyfriend?”

“We went to the movies and had dinner already. I miss my babies.”

“Not buying it. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I want to get my babies, why is that a bad thing?”

“Because you want to get them to avoid being alone with your boyfriend and I will not be your co-conspirator. It’s your first night out in a long time and clearly something has happened. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s something.”

“He’s just being- I don’t want to talk to him.”

“So don’t. Don’t start using your babies as emotional shields. You don’t want to talk to him, be a grown woman and tell him that.”

“Then he’s gonna ask me why.”

“And you don’t have to explain why especially if you don’t want to talk to him. I don’t need to tell you how to handle this. You act like y’all haven’t been in the same house all this time. How do you normally go through this?”

“We don’t normally go through anything. I’m either taking care of the babies or sleep.”

“And where’s Chris?”

“Helping.”

“And you don’t talk to him during that time?”

“No.”

“How long have y’all not been talking?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t even notice until he said something before we went to the movies.”

“And what did you say?”

“I apologized.”

“How did you apologize?”

“Leandra.”

“You were a bitch to him, weren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Play that game with someone else. Robyn, what did you say to that man?”

“I apologized but I guess I said with an attitude. I don’t know. I don’t care. I just don’t want to talk about it and I know once I go in this house, he is.”

“Which is a mature way of handling the situation. The longer you don’t talk about it, the worst is it gonna get.”

“Eh, I don’t think so.”

“When’d you get so scary? All this time you’ve been praising him for being upfront and communicating with you and now it’s a problem.”

“It’s not a problem I feel like dealing with right now.”

“Again, tell him that.”

“Ugh….”

“You are on the phone stalling because you’re hoping he isn’t sitting there waiting for you to come in so you can talk. You did this back when you were in high school and you are too damn old to be doing it now. You don’t want to talk about this with him right now, tell him that. You want time to get your mind together, tell him that. Don’t drive this man away or make him feel like he’s crazy just because you have something going on. If there’s an issue, fix it.”

“Leandra.”

“I am not arguing with you about this and no, you cannot come and get my niece and nephew just so you don’t have to deal with your adult problems. They are enjoying themselves and deserve time with their family so their parents can act like fucking adults. Go talk to your man, Robyn Rihanna Fenty Brown.”

Leandra hung up. Robyn closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headrest. Just then she got a text message: You can come in the house, I am not waiting up to talk. I am not going to push the conversation or make you talk to me so you don’t have to sit in the car waiting for me to fall asleep. You want your space, I am giving it to you.

Robyn waited a few more minutes before she grabbed the keys out of the ignition and went into the house. Chris was on the couch, watching TV. She locked the door behind her and dropped the keys on the console by the wall. Without looking at her, he spoke, “the room is all yours.”

“You’re sleeping out here?”

“Would it really matter to you if I was?”

“This isn’t what I wanted this night to turn into.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t but we can’t all get what we want. Sleep well.”

“Chr- Goodnight.”

Robyn left to the bedroom and closed the door.

Chris sighed as he turned off the TV and pressed his head into the back of the couch. This wasn’t supposed to be this hard. At all.

                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey Baby Boy,” Chris cooed softly as he grabbed Christian out of his crib. The infant gave him a small yawn as his eyes fluttered open, “too early for you, I know but we gotta get you changed and fed so we can go out for the day.”

Christian simply blinked and Chris chuckled as he went into his bathroom. Settling Christian on his knee, he carefully turned on the tub faucet to fill up the baby bath. As the warming water filled the tub, he dropped a few drops of baby wash and swirled it around a bit to foam. Taking off Christian’s onesie and diaper, he sat him in the small tub then turned off the faucet. The baby stared up at him as Chris carefully washed his arms then legs. He giggled as Chris ran the cloth over his belly and Chris bent down to kiss his forehead.

“I’m glad you and your sister aren’t taking on any of my and your mommy’s energy. Just smiling and happy as can be. We always want it to be that way,” he murmured as he grabbed a cup to pour some water over Christian’s hair. Setting the washcloth aside, he poured a little shampoo into his hand and rubbed it into the baby’s curls before carefully washing it away. Soon Christian was rinsed, dried and dressed in a fresh diaper and laying on Chris’s chest as he sat in the lounge chair in the corner of the nursery. 

Things in the house were strained. The tension was so tangible, it could probably be cut with a knife. Chris agreed not to push but he couldn’t help but feel like he was going to hit his breaking point with Robyn. She was there, physically. She was all in with the babies as was he but mentally, they weren’t in the same book, let alone on the same page. Finding her lying in blood, watching them bring her back to consciousness just so they could have their baby, shook him in a manner he had not expected. For the jubilation of her survival to turn into this tension filled house shook him in a different way. When he allowed himself, in the past, to dream of having her in his life again, this wasn’t what he imagined. They were supposed to rehash the past, move on and start over fresh but this isn’t what starting over was supposed to look like. Maybe Robyn had the right idea about them taking on too many things at one time but the idea of her having his baby still held more weight than their fears. To get what they never had the chance to have before was important and what was to say they couldn’t build on this progression. He wasn’t sure if it was postpartum or if Robyn just really didn’t like him anymore but he wasn’t feeling good about their situation. 

Robyn felt this heavy weight on her legs and frowned as she willed her eyes open. The frown turned into a smile as she saw Anesa sitting on her legs staring at her, “Hey Pretty Girl.”

“Hi Mommy, are you gonna get up soon?”

“Are we supposed to be going somewhere?”

“Daddy’s taking us to the aquarium, I thought you were coming too.”

“Oh Sweetie, Mommy’s taking it really slow after her hospital visit, I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to be at the aquarium all day.”

“Oh. Did they say when you can play again?”

“I can play, it’s just painful to do things for a long time, that’s all. My body is still healing from the baby.”

“Oh, want me to stay home with you?”

“I don’t want you to stop your fun time because of me.”

“Do you not like us anymore?”

“What? Anesa, why would you think something like that?”

“You always stay by yourself.”

Robyn sat up then held out her arms for Anesa to fold into them, “Anesa, Love, I love you and your brother. Me spending time at home a lot has never had anything to do with not wanting to be around you guys. Recovery can take a long time after you have a baby and the fact I had surgery can make it take even longer. There’s nothing I love more than being with my babies, nothing will ever change that. Am I not up with you every morning? Do we not watch Tv and movies together? Don’t we play board games and things?”

“Yes but it’s not like before. Before it was all of us, now you and Daddy aren’t friends anymore.”

“Anesa, me and your Daddy will always be friends and we’re even more than that now. Whatever is going on between us will never have a bearing on how I treat you. I’m sorry if you feel like I haven’t been there for you and Mommy will absolutely try her best to be better but you also have to understand that I can only do as much as my body can physically handle. So long trips aren’t the best thing for my health right now but I’m getting stronger every day and I’m moving more and things will be back to normal in no time.”

“You promise?”

“I promise, Nesa Boo.”

Anesa smiled and gave her a kiss, “Sorry if I hurt your feelings, Mommy.”

“You didn’t. If you feel some kind of way, I’m always here to listen and do what I can to make you feel better, ok?”

“OK.”

Robyn felt another presence in the room and her suspicion was confirmed when she saw Anesa smile.

“Hi Daddy,” Anesa said, “you coming to wake up Mommy? I already did it.”

Chris chuckled, “I see but I was actually coming to get you. Are you ready to go?”

“Can I stay home with Mommy?”

“Anesa, I told you that you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine,” Robyn interjected, “this is your day to have fun with Daddy.”

“I know but if you can’t come, I can wait.”

“Sweetie, don’t do that. We can always go together on another day. You had plans, don’t cancel them for me.”

“But I want you to come.”

“I know but I can’t walk around all that time.”

“But-”

“Anesa, why don’t you go get your shoes and stuff while I talk to your mommy, ok?” Chris interjected.

“Ok. Mommy, I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here, Love.”

Anesa left and Chris sat down on the side of the bed, “why didn’t you tell me she asked you to come?”

“Because she didn’t ask. I think she just assumed it was supposed to be an everybody trip. And I didn’t even know that until she woke me up this morning. Why you coming at me sideways?”

“I’m not.”

“You are. I told her to not change her mind about going just because I wasn’t going. Trust me, I am not trying to ruin your day.”

“That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

“Sure.”

“If I get your wheelchair, will you come with us? She’s not gonna go if you stay.”

“I don't need you making any concessions on my behalf, Chris.”

“This is about our daughter, not you.”

Robyn’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Chris but something softened them as he stared back at her, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just want to have a good day today and Anesa is not going to if her mother doesn’t hang out with us. I don't want to fight with you.”

“We’ve never fought.”

“I don’t know if that’s better or worse,” Chris murmured as he stood up, “I’ll prepare the chair and everything. It’ll be a walk about the aquarium, possibly the botanical gardens and then I’ll bring you back to rest and maybe take the kids to the park or something to give you some space.”

“Guess I should get dressed then.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

Chris left.

[laineybug04]

A Helping Hand Chapter 2: Where I’m Needed Most

In which Amy realizes she’s bitten off way more than she can chew and the Freedom Fighters realize exactly what she’s done. 

First Chapter/Next Chapter

Prison Island Command Center 19:24

Captain Amanda Towers looked over the boundless expanse of the jungle before her. To the east of the watchtower she could see the ocean stretching out towards the horizon. Reds and oranges bled into the blue, and wisps of ivory clouds were dusted with pinks and purples. It was a beautiful, peaceful sunset.

And she had no idea why her father was so up her ass about a possible invasion.

Upon asking what she could expect, he had not given any answer. Just to be ready for anything from a lone man operation to a full scale assault from the Mad Doctor himself. In return, he promised as much man power as he could quietly provide. In particular, he wanted her to give special attention to the northern side of the island. She squinted her tired green eyes but couldn't see much of anything. Not that she expected much, her father had been uncharacteristically cryptic in his sources. She nursed her coffee before taking a tentative sip, readying herself for the night shift. For all that he was worried, she knew the prison was well maintained and empty of any problem prisoner. Once it was a prison housing the most dangerous of criminals, but now she could count on one hand all the humans here that weren't in her employ. It had become Now it was more of a Treasure Island; a place for the United Federation to house and protect its most precious possessions.

"And its most dangerous," she thought smugly of the new droids they'd created to directly fight against Eggman's forces, "Let him try..."

As if in answer, one of the other soldiers called out to her, "Captain! We have an unauthorized vessel approaching the island."

Amanda frowned, "How many, Lieutenant Adebayo?"

The Mazurian Lieutenant squinted against the screen to double check before hesitantly replying, "Just... one, Captain. It's a tiny thing- maybe a speed boat. About 25 klicks North east of us."

One of the petty officers snorted, "Probably some wingnut on vacation got lost."

The Captain frowned and glared down the officer before barking, "Hail the vessel. Tell them to get lost somewhere else."

The petty officer gulped and complied immediately.

Amy woke from her nap to the incomprehensible garbling of the radio. As the static and odd words began to irk her, she opened her eyes to see the jungle island on the horizon, quickly closing in. She was even more smugly pleased to see that there was indeed a metal harbor installed towards the southern side of the island.

"I knew someone was here!" she squealed with glee as she grabbed her camera from her bag, "And I'd bet my last ring that that's another Eggman base! Wait til Sally gets a load of this!"

Still, her ears twitched at the sound of the odd noises from the radio getting louder and more desperate. She took two quick pictures before she finally got sick of the sound and stomped over to the radio. Her ire grew when she realized that Tails had not labeled any of the buttons and therefore she had no idea how to shut it up. She quickly started button mashing before the radio cut out entirely. She sighed in relief until she realized the engine was shutting down and the console was folding out to reveal a countdown and a steering wheel.

"Oh!" she thought pleasantly surprised, "Well, I guess I'm taking over! One minute to shore, huh? Let's do it!"

It didn't take her long to figure out the throttle, and the steering was actually pretty easy to master. She gave a satisfied stretch as she searched the shore for a decent place to hide the boat as close to the harbor as she could without being seen...

"Prepare for imminent destruction. T-minus 1 minute. 59. 58.-"

The overlook had erupted into a hive of urgency.

"How long until the vessel makes landfall?"

"It's in tandem with the countdown. The target's at 20 klicks now and approaching!"

"Where is it heading?"

"Towards Dock 10!"

"Evacuate the Dock and deploy the droids! Aim the cannons and search for any follow up attacks nearby."

"There are no other vessels, it's just this speed boat!"

"Then shoot it out of the water. Do NOT let that thing make landfall."

"The cannons are locked and loaded, Captain!"

"Then fire, dammit!"

Amy's heart stopped as she saw incoming missiles approaching from the shoreline. She screeched as she swerved out of the way. The barrage just behind her and sent a wave that nearly capsized her. When she thankfully breached the wave, she grit her teeth and turned the boat towards the jungle side of the island and began weaving between the waves.

"New plan, wait out the heat and get to Eggman's base through the jungle!" she cried over the explosions, salt water splashing into her eyes and mouth. In spite of the danger, a smug smile spread across her face. This just had to be Eggman launching an attack on her, which meant he was definitely here. She struggled to steer with one hand as she tried to take pictures of the attack with her camera in the other.

Amy pushed the gas to full throttle and sped towards the shore. She growled, eyes growing wide and terrified as the barrage of bullets and missiles only got worse as she got closer to shore. She looked down at the counter- less than twenty seconds before landfall. Just a bit more if she could just...

Too late- a missile exploded behind her and this time the wave not only flipped the boat but the shock wave knocked her head-first into the console and her whole world went black.

Station Square Volunteer Center 22:01

Sally Acorn looked down at NICOLE's display, where Sonic stared up at her with an annoyed look on his face, "So Eggman wasn't at the base?" she asked morosely.

"He was- but he ran for it when I got here," Sonic rolled his eyes, "And he's definitely up to something. I don't know what it is but he's got these plans for a... new set of legs? I dunno if it's for real though- looks really small compared to what he's thrown at me in the past."

Rotor peeped over Sally's shoulder, "Send those along to me. Once Tails wakes up, he and I will figure out what's so special about it and see if we can't find a way to counteract it."

Sonic gave them a thumb's up, "Don't sweat it too much. I'll find a way to take that thing down before you can say..."

"Chili Dogs," the whole room rang out along with Sonic. Sally smiled wistfully while the room, including Sonic laughed along.

"See? We'll be fine! Smell you all later!"

Sally's eyes widened and she called out to Sonic as the crowd around her dissipated, "Wait! Before you go..."

Sonic raised an eyebrow, "Yea? What's up, Sal?"

Her eyes fell and she took a deep breath. It was a long shot, but she had to ask, "Have you seen Amy?"

Sonic's head pulled back in confusion, "Uh... no. Did you send her along?"

Sally shook her head, "I didn't. But, she had another vision and..."

Rotor and Sonic both gave audible groans and she could feel NICOLE judging her from her console. She held up her hands defensively but continued evenly, "I know you all don't think it's real, but... you have to admit her intuition is just too uncanny for there not to be some merit to it."

"It's called a cold read," Rotor argued, "And just because she's good at it doesn't mean she's reliable with it. Better to call a spade a spade and train her up to see facts not fairy tales."

Antoine shivered, however, "You can say zat... after what exploded ze entire city of Station Square?"

Rotor stopped but shrugged, "Apples and oranges. Just because one is true doesn't mean the other is."

"What'd she do?" Sonic asked finally.

Sally sighed, "Nothing... I don't think. She came to see me this morning and was trying to tell me Eggman was on an island off the coast of the Mystic Ruins. I... was a bit harsh with her. I haven't seen her since this morning and I'm worried about her."

Sonic looked slightly concerned but Bunnie came up to Sally and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, "Now, don't you worry yourself too much Sally-girl. I'll bet she's just hangin' out with her new beau right about now!"

The whole room fell silent and everyone stared openly at Bunnie as though she'd just grown two heads. Sonic, especially started to scoff-laugh before asking, "Beau? As in boyfriend? She has a boyfriend now?"

Bunnie gave him a harsh look, "That's right, Sugah-hog, you waited too long and now she's with her Mister Tall, Dark and Handsome hog. She was tellin' me about him this morning- a black hedgehog she was dreamin' about. Ah'm just happy she took mah advice."

Sally's incredulous smile suddenly fell just as hard as her heart did, "...Did you just say 'black hedgehog'?"

Bunnie sized Sally up with her own confused look, "Yea...with red eyes. Y'all got a problem with that?"

"No, no, no- Amy told me he was in trouble, not that she was infatuated with him!"

"Same difference?" Sonic snorted.

Sally shot him a withering glare that had Sonic's hands up defensively, "Hey! Don't look at me like that- I've been dealing with her crushing on me for years now. It's about time she moved on!"

"None of you get it!" Sally cried out, "Amy thinks Eggman is going to use this hedgehog and it has something to do with that jungle island I told you about earlier."

Sonic shrugged, "So let me go get her! I'm a ways away but I can be at the island in two shakes before she gets herself into trouble..."

Sally shook her head, "We can't. When she continued to insist Eggman's plans would involve the island somehow the G.U.N. were very clear about them investigating it on their own. It's clearly some sort of secret outpost. If we set foot out there it will be a political nightmare."

Is this the section that you were worried about? Or is it later?

Her mind raced with all the possible ways to fix this when Rotor raised his hand hesitantly, "Yea... I think we're forgetting something pretty important. That island's in the middle of the ocean. It looks close on the map but it's pretty far away from shore. Amy's strong, but she can't swim out in the open ocean. She'd need a way to get there and she's no pilot."

Antoine and Bunnie gave a sigh of relief. Sally even chuckled a bit before she smiled, "You're right. You're right. I'm worrying about nothing. I'm sure she's just off in the city trying to figure out a way to swim it."

But she saw Sonic looking around the room skeptically before he said, "I hate to be the party-pooper but... where's Tails?"

The room froze, save for Antoine who answered, "Ze boy is sleeping. He 'azs been hard at work on a project in ze Mystic Ruins. He finally finished!"

He laughed and only when he was done did he realize the entire aura of the room had shifted to brick shitting mode.

"She wouldn't," Bunnie murmured, "She... she's only twelve years old. She can't even drive... can she?"

One Train Ride Later 22:41

Tails eyes fluttered open ever so gently. He ached everywhere and he was a bit on the warm side, but he felt way better than he had before. He looked at the clock and hissed, "Oops! There goes my sleep schedule!"

Not that he cared. He was extremely independent for an eight year old and with the project he'd just finished testing, it would be impossible for anyone to see him as anything less than a full fledged adult. He stretched out and slipped out of bed. He took a moment to contemplate what he could do now so late in the evening. He'd already finished one project, and his Revenge on Sonic Tsunami had most of the bugs ironed out finally. He considered adding one more joke to it, but then figured it was already overkill having a menacing countdown and an invisibility armor around it. He chuckled at the thought of taking that thing out to open water, "That'll show Sonic for hiding that thunder recorder in my lab!"

He was making his way towards the kitchen when he heard a pounding on his door. He rolled his eyes but strolled to the door with a small pep in his step. His whole demeanor changed when he saw the Freedom Fighters at the door with him.

"Tails, sweety, where's Amy?" Sally asked immediately, a strained smile pulling on the edge of her lips.

"Hey... guys...?" Tails asked hesitantly, "I... don't know? She came by earlier. She was looking for Sonic and..."

Suddenly Tails blanched and he scrambled back into his house. Sally and the gang took one look at each other before they ran after him. They were halfway down the stairs to his hangar when they heard a cry erupt from the bottom. As they all tumbled down the stairs they saw Tails with his mouth open over the gaping hole in his wall.

"My... my Tsunami!" he cried, his hands lacing through the fur on his head and over his ears, "My wall! My project! MY CHAOS EMERALD! THEY'RE GONE!"

Sally felt herself going faint. Amy Rose now had a ride and a chaos emerald, "Tails... please, how long ago did you see her?"

Tails ran towards the left wall of the lab, where a huge computer was set up, "I dunno… hours ago at least, but I can track the location."

Sally's heart sank further but she squared her shoulders and marched towards the computer to see what Tails was doing. He'd set the time at 13:00- to be safe. As they followed the trajectory of the boat, her heart sank further still as it ran ever closer to the little island that Amy had insisted on investigating. Her heart hit rock bottom when she saw the little dot on the map completely disappear at about 18:00 hours just off the northeast coast of the island.

Sally's hands found their way to her mouth and she slid down to her knees. She felt Bunnie's hands on her shoulders immediately while she heard Antoine scoff, "I just... I don't... What does zat mean?"

Tails eyes were down cast and Rotor had pulled his hat off. It was Tails who answered, "It means either the cloaking device got activated or the boat was..."

Sally could feel her shoulders shaking with sobs now. Not only was Amy possibly dead- but she'd been killed in an active raid against a military outpost of an ally outside of wartime. Meaning, unless Sally was willing to drag Amy's name through the mud, Amy's death could very well be an open declaration of war with the humans. It could lead to the Great War all over again.

Northeast quadrant of Prison Island 20:15

As Amy hid in the mud of a foreign jungle, away from Eggman's robots, in the dark- she took a moment to reacquaint herself with her ever-so delightfully unfair situation.

1. The Tsunami had been beached and flipped upside down into car mode and was basically undriveable at the moment.

2. She was not expecting anyone to help her out of this mess because she'd managed to get here without telling anyone where she was.

3. The Tsunami was now invisible for some reason... and she'd fumbled around the invisible deck until finally managing to fall overboard onto the sand. She would figure out how to fix it later, for now it was kind of a blessing. What better to hide a boat? Frankly she could figure out how to fix that later because...

4. Eggman's robots had almost immediately found her after she'd just barely recovered from being knocked unconscious and nearly drowned to death and were now trying to gun her down instead.

5. She now had a chaos emerald with her and knowing Eggman that meant having a homing beacon on her at all times.

Amy shivered against the mud- she'd run head-long into the jungle without any thought to where she should be going for more than half an hour straight and those robots were still hot on her tail. Not to mention she was tired, cold, hungry, and lost. She reminisced loathsomely to the time she'd been in Maginary world with Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails. She thought her dress was ruined then? She was practically unrecognizable now and she was positive she was going to catch something gross when she got out of this.

The robots hovered ominously near her and she trembled further into the dirt soup, "If I get out of here," she thought miserably.

She shook her head then gasped in pain- she was sure she had a concussion at this point. But she grit her teeth and thought, "Then it's up to me! I gotta figure out where Eggman is, what he's planning and get off this crazy island!"

She military-crawled quietly away. After she stopped hearing any noises she got to her feet shakily and took one step forward.

Only to start plummeting through the ground and through a rusted metal wall. She felt the metal slice through her left arm as she screamed her way down another several dozen feet. She reached out desperately for a way to stop her fall, only to grab a metal cord that held her for a brief moment before snapping and letting her fall the rest of the way down to an unforgiving metal floor below her. She heard rather than felt the sickening crack of her left arm breaking. The wind knocked out of her lungs, she went entirely numb and her mind went still for what felt like hours. Only when she tried to move did a pain like a wildfire blossom from her arm. She tried to suppress a scream, knowing that she was still in danger and any sound could bring a hoard of bots to her location. She whimpered in pain against the cold, wet, muddy floor before she dared to open her eyes to see where she'd ended up.

The world seemed to freeze when she recognized the room she was in.

Clear as day, there was the console attached to a misty capsule from her vision. Amy clambered to her feet, wincing as she jostled her arm. She gingerly held it in place as she limped her way to the console. Unlike her vision, the keys were entirely dusted over and it looked like no one had been here in years. She looked warily around the room and breathed a sigh of relief when she found no red chalk curses on the walls.

"There's that at least..." she murmured to herself as she looked down at the capsule below. It was a ways down but if she squinted she could clearly see...

She gasped and her ears buzzed with adrenaline. She rushed towards the console and tried to turn it on.

She had to save the black hedgehog resting in the capsule.

When the machine refused to turn on she practically screeched in fury. The thing was dead and she had no clue how the hell she was going to get it working again. She nearly bashed the thing to smithereens until she tried to swing her hammer and couldn't without jostling her bad arm. As she pushed back the tears of pain and frustration she took several deep breaths and forced herself to think of something else.

That's when she saw the gem shaped indent on the keyboard- just like the one in Tails' boat. "No way…" She thought, her pain suddenly numbing with her realization.

Amy quickly pulled out the chaos emerald and shoved it into the indent. To her bewilderment, it turned on almost immediately. She was relieved to see that the user data was already entered for her.

"Gerald R. Gerald, huh?" she thought as she entered the password from her vision, "So that's Eggman's real name! Sorry, Doctor, I don't like you stealing little boys for your weird experiments!"

The computer flashed in assent and Amy was thrilled when it asked her if she wanted to unlock the capsule and immediately pressed yes. Amy cried out in fear as there was a great grinding of gears and a hiss came loudly from below her. She limped closer to the edge and watched as the capsule slowly rose up to her level. She shivered from the cold and anticipation as the capsule slid open with a screech. First one hand appeared, then another, before the mist revealed the boy from her visions rising slowly out of his confines to stand stoically before her.

Amy was immediately struck by his crimson red eyes. While her visions were normally very accurate, the sheer intensity of his stare was enough to leave Amy breathless. His unwavering gaze was unreadable and it left Amy curious about the boy she'd just released. Those eyes searched hers and she couldn't help but wonder if he was judging her and if she was measuring up.

Her next thought was a smug one- she was right!

"Hey there!" she called out gently gasping, "Oh wait! Stay right there! I'll find a way to get you acr-"

She stopped in her tracks as the boy jumped across the small chasm directly in front of her. She stumbled backwards and would have tripped if he hadn't caught her from behind to steady her. She cried out in pain- it would have been so sweet if she hadn't just slammed her bad arm against him.

She could feel herself growing faint from the pain. He seemed to see it too as he eased her gently to the ground and gingerly touched her arm.

"What have we here?"

Amy chuckled- he even sounded just like he had in her vision, "I uh... fell down from there and broke it."

She pointed up to the hole in the ceiling before cringing in pain, "But don't worry about me. How are you feeling? How long have you been trapped down here?"

He raised his brow, looked towards the hole, then allowed his eyes to fall slowly down to follow her fall. When Amy did the same she was shocked she hadn't died from that one. The hedgehog seemed to be mildly impressed before asking, "Long enough. What year is it?"

Amy's eyes widened, "Uh... today is day 159, 3237?"

His eyes shifted back and forth before he gave a wry chuckle, "Then it seems I've been here for about 50 years."

"50 years!?" Amy cried, "But that... that's impossible! Eggman's old but he's not that old!"

The black hedgehog shook his head, "I don't know who this Eggman is, but he's not the one who kept me here."

Amy's heart stopped, "But... if Eggman's not the one... who was shooting at me earlier?"

An alarm went off around them that made them both flinch. The doors behind them rumbled open and a large mech and a dozen smaller droids swarmed in around them. Amy felt the wind knocked out of her when she saw in bold black letters just who she had invaded.

"This is G.U.N territory!" the giant mech called out, "You are under arrest for trespassing, espionage, and jail-breaking. Come quietly or we will shoot!"

Amy felt the blood drain from her face, "J...jail-breaking?"

She looked up to the black hedgehog who only glared down the soldier, eyes shifting from droid to droid. Her heart broke. Here she was, stuck in front of a shooting squad with a convict she'd just broken out of prison.

"Why is this hedgehog even here!? He's just a kid...

"Just like Sonic," she decided, "Just like all of us."

Now she was angry. She stood up and roared, "NO!"

She stood tall and ignored the searing pain of her arm as she summoned her hammer in her right hand. She pointed it forward and cried, "What did he do? What did he do that made you put him to sleep for 50 years!?"

"Surrender or prepare to..."

"NO! WHAT DID HE DO!?" she demanded, "If you want to fight, then I'll fight but I'm NOT backing down until you tell me why he deserved to be chained up and locked away!"

"This is Scorpion Troop's Hot Shot!" the soldier barked out defiantly, "We've engaged the enemy! OPEN FIRE!"

Amy's heart pounded with fear, pain, and fury. She charged towards the first droid without a second thought, even as her left arm beat painfully and uselessly against her side. She was about to slam her hammer into the droid when she felt something powerful wrap around her waist and pull her back. Suddenly she was heaved back out of the way of dozens of bullets and lasers that ripped her would-be victim to shreds. Amy was hauled back towards the capsule and into the pit where the capsule had been. She turned in a rage where the boy had simply put up a hand to stop her, "Stay here."

Amy reached out with her good hand but not quickly enough to stop him from jumping off with the help of his rocket shoes. She stared in confusion at the spot he'd just been in, "How... long has he had those on?"

Her mind pivoted to a new worry, however, as she heard the battle raging overhead. She was alone, injured, and all she had between her and destruction was a stranger and the pit she was now stuck in. She had no idea if he was combat ready until she heard the noises above. It felt like an eternity of grinding metal and the whoosh of her protector jumping from droid to droid. It was maybe two minutes before she heard the more tell-tale screech of a huge hunk of metal being twisted into uselessness. She heard glass shattering and the terrified shriek from the pilot in the cockpit.

Then she heard silence- it was menacing, and thick with tension. Her ears twitched as she heard the hedgehog's steps towards the console. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw him safe and sound. Her heart stopped when he pulled the chaos emerald from the console and turned back away from her.

"Behold, the true power I possess!"

Amy's eyes widened, realizing what he was about to do, "Wait wait, NO DON'T DO IT! SHADOW, STOP! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

The silence was deafening. Her heart pounded in her ears as she waited for the dreadful sounds of a fleshy kill. She shook uncontrollably and tears started pouring down her eyes. She didn't want to hear it, but the not knowing was even more agonizing.

Finally, she heard a mighty rip and she held her breath as she heard the human whimper in fear. She listened intently as Shadow murmured something to the man. She fell to her knees and gave a huge, heaving sigh of relief when she heard the man running in the other direction. She was happy he hadn't killed the man, but she couldn't stop her crying. She barely heard Shadow land in front of her with two metal rods and strips of what she realized was the soldier's jacket.

She met his gaze with what she hoped was a fierce and defiant look. While he didn't seem cowed, his gaze did drop down to her bad arm. He knelt to her side and reached for it, "That must hurt for you to cry this hard..."

Her brows snapped together, "Excuse me?! You think this," she motioned to her tears, "Is because this hurts!? You almost killed someone!"

Now Shadow was glaring at her, "They shot at us first. Do you seriously expect the Ultimate Life form to simply not do anything?"

Amy's eyes squinted and her jaw dropped in absolute confusion, "The... what? Are you kidding me?! What do you mean 'Ultimate Life form!? You're just a kid!"

Shadow growled, "I'm no mere child and you know it."

"No! I don't! We just met!" she argued with a huff, "I don't even know who you are or what you did to end up here but if you're just going to go around murdering people I'll stuff your sorry butt right back into that pod!"

He rolled his eyes, "Well, I didn't murder him and now he's off to go get his friends. Now hold still. I need to reset this. Unless you want to try and stuff me in there with a broken arm and a toy hammer."

Amy pouted but her stomach rolled at the thought of the pain to come next. She screwed her eyes shut as tightly as possible while he felt along her arm gently to feel where the breaks were. When he didn't move to shift them after a time she peaked thru one eye to see him muttering to himself in confusion.

"Is it bad?" she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

Now she caught Shadow looking from the ceiling, to the floor, then her arm and back again, "It's not broken."

Amy's eyes widened, "What? No, of course it is, it hurts like nobody's business!"

Shadow shook his head, "I don't feel the break. There might be a hairline fracture but I don't feel anything that needs to be reset."

He stared at it intently for a few moments before he glared at her suspiciously, "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

Amy blushed before giving a sheepish giggle, "Right. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself."

She held out her good hand to shake, "Amy Rose, at your service!"

Shadow eyed the outstretched hand, still skeptical of her- she'd answered one question but hadn't answered the important one. He hesitantly took her hand, gently shaking it, "Shadow, but it seems you already knew that."

Amy's blush intensified and her hand found its way to the back of her head, "Oh! That! Right, sorry, I have a really bad habit of figuring out people's names without any introductions. Just don't mind me, it'll get less scary the longer you know me…"

Shadow's glare came back in full force and Amy wondered briefly if that was just his natural face, "I'm not scared. Now- let's get this bandaged up."

She nodded and watched as he placed the two rods against her arm and commanded her to hold them still. He ripped the jacket into more strips and gently tied the rods to her arm. He then used the remainder of the jacket to make a roughshod sling and wrapped it gingerly around her shoulder and arm, setting it perfectly in place.

"Can you handle that until we get out of here?"

Amy stood, tentatively and took a few trial steps before she gave him a thumbs up, "Feels pretty okay to me! Let's go!"

Shadow nodded in assent and, before she could stop him, grabbed her bridal style and jumped them both out of the hole. When they reached the top Shadow gently put her down and eyed the hole Amy had dropped down from. Amy looked on in confusion as he pulled out Tails' chaos emerald.

"Uh... Shadow... whatcha doin'?"

He simply gave her a cryptic smile as he held it up, "It all starts with this- the jewel containing the ultimate power."

Amy looked on completely baffled and slightly amused but before she could ask he roared out, "Chaos Control!"

When they were met with nothing but silence, Amy had to do everything in her power to keep herself from laughing in his face. The urge to giggle became impossible to ignore as Shadow stared at the gem in confusion before holding it aloft again and crying out, "CHAOS CONTROL!"

Amy snickered under her breath as Shadow's confused look turned into one of pure rage as he shook the offending gem, "What the hell is wrong with this thing?"

Now Amy was outright laughing and Shadow turned his rage towards her, "This is NOT funny! Do you have any idea how we're supposed to get out of here without my chaos control? We're absolutely screwed without it!"

Amy's laughter slowly died down, but she had to remark, "But... I mean. Come on, that was a little funny. You were trying so hard..."

Shadow scoffed, "Well then you can laugh yourself into a grave. Unless you have a better way out of here?"

"Oh stop being so dramatic!" Amy cried, "That was probably Tails' project. You'll meet him once we're back."

She started walking towards the large open door and motioning for Shadow to follow, "Come on, Shadow the Warlock! Looks like we're taking the scenic route back up!"

As Shadow watched the pink hedgehog skip away he couldn't help but wonder if he really didn't want to kill her after all.

"In good time," a voice rasped inside his head.

He wanted to ignore the way his heart sank at the thought. Although she was a bit grating, the girl was oddly impressive. She knew his name but not what he was or what he was capable of.

Getting her to do what he wanted was going to be... difficult.

He shook his head- it wouldn't matter in the end. Nothing mattered anymore.

He followed her out the door.

[alvaar-aldaviir]

Wondrous Tails: Cooking Together / Teaching Eachother

Time Frame: Post-Stormblood. Spoilers for 4.4

Notes: Platonic nonsense. Because hell yea friendship.

Alvaar is what I call 'aether inept' for lack of a better term. He's horribly inefficient at trying to cast spells to the point he was written off pretty hard as being a lost cause at it when he was young. I believe every class utilizes aether to some extent for their skills, so it isn't as if he lacks it or the capacity, but how casters focus their aether just doesn't work well for him and gets him slapped with the label. He's much better suited to physical classes and knows a handful of tricks, but he's a Bard main through and through.

“Your presentation may need some work, but I have to say you have excellent cutting technique. I’m ready for the onions and garlic if you would please?”

“I forgot we were baking for the Empress and not throwing a bunch of random roots into a pot,” Alisaie shot back even as she held the cutting board to him so he could sweep the cubes into the soup pot.

“Say what you will but I never get anything that consistent and I’m frequently told I’m “very good” with sharp implements,” he replied carefully. “So pop quiz, why do we pan sear the meat?”

“Looks and flavor?” she answered, giving him a curious look.

“Good. It also adds some depth to the textures. Once we finish softening these vegetables up, we’ll toss in most of it save the carrots and popotos, then set it to braise for... oh, two hours?”

“This seems terribly involved... And you’re certain this is really a useful recipe? I can’t imagine I’ll find several hours to spare for a meal...” she asked skeptically.

“All good things take time. Besides, you can’t expect to make all your meals off trail food or over a campfire. It’s good to make something involved with your own hands once in a while. How else are you going to impress your significant other with recipes from around the globe if you don’t start with the basics?” Alvaar teased lightly, flashing a bright grin at the Red Mage. “I’ve gotten at least three proposals off this dish. It’s surefire.”

Blinking at him she scoffed and looked away with a low grumble, taking the bag of popotos off to wash so the Bard wouldn’t see the steadily staining color of her cheeks.

“Cut those in half when you’re done,” Alvaar continued cheerfully before pausing to regard her a moment.

It hadn’t been all that long ago that Urianger and Y’shtola had fallen to whatever call had been steadily cutting down their numbers. And as the days continued to pass without word from Alphinaud...

Sighing to himself he stirred the pot again before cutting off the heat on the gas stove. Given recent events and the understandably somber mood of Alisaie the last month, it was nice to have a bit of a distraction he mused. And while she may not overly appreciate his quips now, being a bit miffed at him was still better than whiling away the time anxiously waiting for news.

Besides... it was also doing him a world of good as well. Cooking was always more interesting with help and if she happened to learn something along the way and be able to forget her troubles for a few minutes then he’d certainly done his job.

Casting a glance over at her as she diligently scrubbed away, he breathed a deep and steadying sigh before steeling himself for the next part of this plan. While Alvaar didn’t fancy himself as being particularly sensitive, he still didn’t care for the notion of openly making a fool of himself in front of people who looked up to and relied on him. But, as far as he had reasoned, being a fool would be a small price to pay if it might cheer up his friend in these dour times. And it never hurt to learn a little bit more about different fighting techniques, right?

Once she’d returned with the cubed roots, he gestured for it to be put on the table and tested the oven temperature before setting the pot in whole and flashing a grin at her confused expression. “It’s fine. Part of the process and less dishes.”

“Hm. So do we reconvene in two hours then?” she asked, raising a brow but not overly interested.

“We could, but if you’re up for it I think fair is fair,” he returned, voice lilting with mischief and making her blink.

“Oh? And what precisely are you getting at then Alvaar?”

“You’ve been willing to learn from me, so I think it’s fair that I learn something from you. Seems only right that I let you see the Warrior of Light fumbling about like a novice after enduring my nonsense. I’ll make an absolutely piss-poor Red Mage given I’m aether inept, but hey, it could be fun and if nothing else it will kill some time.”

Her expression shifted to one of baffled surprise. “I was under the impression you had no training in black or white magic. But you wish to learn a fighting style that relies on knowledge and understanding of both?”

“Mmm, not particularly. Like I said, I’m aether inept, I’ve no talent at all for casting white magic at the least, maybe a bit of black at the best. But being inept doesn’t mean I can’t try to learn anyway, and besides. I didn’t say I wouldn’t cheat,” he returned with a shrug before holding his hands out and summoning in the basic mythrite rapier with the same ease as he called his tools and instruments. Patting the rapier that was wrapped loosely in sturdy cloth he set it on the table carefully before procuring a carefully crafted leather glove from the mix. Pulling it on he turned it to flash the job stone embedded safely into the leather on the back of his hand where it rested warm against his skin.

“I may be a terrible mage, but I’m told I have quite the knack for these. It won’t remotely make me anything approaching good, but if nothing else it may prove enlightening. Besides, I’ve an interest to learn fencing and if you’re willing to teach it, that suits me fine. It will let me lay a proper beat down on the next noble that thinks challenging me to a duel of close combat over ranged is a good idea. So, what do you say? Ready for a laugh or would you rather pass and I irritate you with archery practice instead?”

Staring at him silently, the Red Mage scrutinized him for a long moment before crossing her arms over her chest and drawing herself up to her full (still noticeably short) stature. “You will address me as “Master Leveilleur” while under my instruction, is that clear?”

Blinking at her in surprise he chuckled and bowed formally. “Yes, Master Leveilleur. I am in your expert care.”

[ravenbloodau]

The Damned Mission

She had seen the first mission fail. She was there with the rookies on that ship, and had watched her teammates die.

Now it was time to try again. The AI drone had already saved a good few of the team, carrying the smaller ones off to safety and to regroup.

She and her team now had to perform. The moved cautiously and quietly throughout the halls of the complex, taking out guards like silent assassins when they found the new headquarters.

Or, what they had been told where the new headquarters of the operation. The holes in the walls were the first clue that something was off, and instantly she recalled what had happen not two years ago.

"EVERYBODY OUT!" Too late, the arrows flew and embedded themselves into their targets, and her teammates fell onto the floor. She felt a couple of arrows lodge into her backside just before blacking out herself..

In her mind, at this point, they had already failed.

She woke to a screen and people typing rapidly. Pain seared her backside as she watched the messages.

"We can't talk about this out loud."

"We all know that! Yo, boss, you're up!"

"Yea, I'm up," She typed rapidly, "Remember to CLOSE OUT THIS TAB OR CLOSE THESE LAPTOPS, they don't know we can do this, and this is where we failed last time."

"Hello spies," a man crept up behind her, gently closing the laptop and meeting her face to face, "Like the veiw?"

"I'm a little disappointed," She laughed at him, "I was hoping to be closer to the window."

"Ah, unfortunately you woke up last, so you have your spot," He came right back with a playful sneer.

The pain and pressure mounted as if the arrows had been kept in her backside and she couldn't help but react to the sudden, loud, monstrous pang that hit her.

She rolled onto her side and grunted as it bloody well hurt, and the man blinked..

"Are- are you still in pain?" He was surprised by the development.

"Yea, think I got hit with an extra doseage," She snapped at him, "It's bad.."

"That's impossible unless you got hit with the- Who are you?" He bolted over, alarmed now. They didn't want to kill them, not after that first group. They had missed out on so much vital information that it *fucking stung*. Plus, it was such a waste to kill these beings.

"Fuck it," She muttered as she dropped her disguise. The Si'Nian from before, twisted in agony, "I'm *that* bitch."

He lifted her head into his lap, and was shaking, biting his hand as it registered..

"Shit, why didn't you tell us?" He mumbled as he called for medical, "You asshat, being raised by humans, why didn't you say something?"

"What?" She laughed as the pain started to drown out most anything else, "What are you talking about?"

The rest of her crew watched as tears started dripping. She was dying, she knew that, but how they had figured that out was unbeknownst to her.

"Fei'Kat, right?" He asked as he ripped off his mask. No..

No way.

It was Daniel.. *That* Daniel.. A Kirin known to spare his previous victims in new attacks if they got caught in the crossfire.

"Andreomda's a small place huh?" Fei'Kat mumbled as her vision got spotty, "Hi asshole."

"Oh lord, no no no, HURRY UP!" Daniel barked at his men, "Look, I'm so sorry, all of you. We never meant to kill that team, or to hurt yours. Killing's such a waste, if you had just given us a name we would have been able to give you what you needed."

A collective "what" crossed everyone's lips. He was willing to do *what?*

"WHAT THE FUCK DUDE?!" One of her teammates snapped, "YOU'RE SERIOUSLY TELLING US THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SPARED THE FUCKING BULLETS IF WE GAVE YOU A DAMN NAME?!"

"HEY!" Fei'Kat barked, her voice dropped off a cliff, signaling that it was getting worse, possibly because of the allergic reaction that she was having to the sedative, "Watch your mouth. This mission takes priority over your outrage."

She nearly nodded off after that, and Daniel was having a hard time keeping her awake as medical tried to keep down the inflammation.

"Sir you are *very* lucky not to have hit her neck, no wonder she's in so much pain," One of the doctors grumbled as they injected her with something, "If we had she'd be dead by now. Get her to Medbay, and her crew. Laying on this damn floor, not matter how clean it is, is stupid."

"Ooh relocation, sweet," A younger member of the crew muttered sarcastic as ever.

"I said shush, I may be dying but I'm still your commanding officer," Fei'Kat laughed it off as a stretcher was brought in.

The youngest of the team, Gaia, a hybrid between the Si'Nains and Kirins, had a strong emotional response to hearing that. *Intensely strong.*

She kept silent, but the color of the fur tufts around her tail flashed a deep blue. Sorrowful as the stretcher was taken away, carrying Fei'Kat away for treatment.

When they had left, she started crying, quietly. *Dying.* She knew what that felt like, how much it hurt, painful.

"Gaia?" Micheal, the one who's outrage had gotten Fei'Kat to bark at him to shut up, "You ok?"

Gaia shook her head, "I know how much it hurts, dying. To think that possibly.."

"Look, she'll be alright," Daniel started working to help the others to their feet as he administered the antidote, "She's in good care now."

"You talk big for having a torture chamber like this bub," Micheal moved to defend Gaia.

Ti'Dak moved toward the door, ready to bolt and help others bolt if things went wrong. Everyone was some level of dizzy, a blood rush to the body.

"If I wanted anyone here dead, as in actually wanted you dead, I would have you killed already," Daniel warned, a bit feircely, "Now, we'll take care of you, to the best of our ability, and open communications again with your sector."

It was the hardest "I'm sorry" Daniel could have mustered. He wasn't accustomed to apologizing much, but he was trying to get better.

"The people of Earth have been harassed by you, and now you wanna open up the sector?" Micheal scoffed, "Even as a human, I find that absolutely irrational. Like, what the fuck?"

Daniel's tail lowered as he gulped.

"I'm sorry, it's...complicated," Daniel mumbled as the other members of the team looked around to one another.

"Complicated? Sure, ok..." Micheal shook his head.

Gaia was humming to herself now, quietly fiddling with a familiar tune as they were escorted out and to respective quarters. No one dared ask for any changes, or about curfew.

In fact, no one even asked to see Fei'Kat, they just made their way over to the Medbay. Nobody stopped them now, it didn't matter.

Gaia was the first to test this, despite being incredibly vulnerable. She walked in and saw that Fei'Kat was still being treated for her allergic response.

"Fei?" Gaia asked and the doctors looked up. They nodded, inviting Gaia to step closer as they recognized her as a doctor too.

"Hm? Gaia?" Fei'Kat was barely aware of her situation.

"I'm here, Captain, it's alright. The crew's been given quarters, and I just thought I should come and visit. See what caused the reaction," Gaia was quiet and Fei'Kat nodded.

"Give her the report," Fei'Kat mumbled, "Turns out biology hates me."

Gaia read over the report and sighed.

"Ker'Tak be praised for helping invent these antidotes," Gaia muttered as she scrolled through the report. Her tail flicked up, annoyed, "Anaphylactic shock, as a reaction to residual, fucking bullshit! Who the friggen hell gave you your doctorates?"

Gaia let slip her not so tempered origins with that touch of berating.

"Chill, it's fine," Fei'Kat nodded to herself, "At least they're trying to help."

"Trying to and failing, *move over,*" Gaia got to work, shoving the Jin-Sekt out of her way. They grumbled and went to get the antidotes.

"Gaia," Fei'Kat was nodding off again, and this time she knew she wasn't going to wake up again, "Gaia, tell the crew.. The mission still.." She rasped as pain hit her throat like a bloody fury, "Still takes priority."

She swallowed hard as she tasted that familiar tang of blood. It hurt to stay awake, and Gaia paused for a minute.

"Tell them yourself, you gotta stay," Gaia was fighting off the need to sleep herself. The agent they had used hadn't worn off quite yet, but it was getting there.

Fei'Kat shook her head, tears starting to stain the sides of her face. She was seeing stars, and was terrified. *Stars help Gaia,* she thought as Gaia started working frantically, *She needs the temperance you showed my mentor.*

Micheal came into the Medbay, but stopped just short of the center room. His eyes went wide was he watch Gaia working. Her horns were glowing a throbbing purple and black. Greif and fear..

"Gaia?" Micheal approached cautiously as Gaia frantically worked.

"*Not now,*" Gaia never pushed anyone away like that. Not to Micheal's knowledge.

*It's gotta be pretty dire if she's pushing everyone out,* Micheal thought and that's when the pang hit. It was like a blazing knife had been dragged across his chest, he had to take a knee.

"Fei'Kat," He hissed through his teeth, "C'mon, you can beat this."

Gaia looked over. Her heart stopped dead in her chest. Micheal was Fei'Kat's...

*He's her lifeline,* Gaia ran up to Micheal, helped him up and led him over to Fei'Kat.

"Micheal?" Fei'Kat rasped, tearfully watching as Micheal started having a hard time, "Mikey?"

"Fei? It's that bad?" Micheal asked, breathless now, "C'mon, you can fight this."

Fei'Kat's vision blurred with tears as she watched Micheal suffering. She shook her head, crying hard now, unable to control the painful gasping.

"I can't!" Her cry was Gaia's cue. It was risky but she went through with her plan. Fei'Tak's eyes grew wide as a gutteral scream rose from her throat. Micheal's guy wrentched at the sight, seeing Fei'Kat in so much pain.

"Fei, Fei'Kat! FEI!" Micheal's voice rose above hers as her claws dug into the bed, "Fei, I'm right here!"

It got quiet rapidly after. The monitors beeped loudly as a sudden wave of calm hit the entire bay. Gaia was watching, waiting as Fei'Kat blinked.

Just like that, the agony had vanished. An otherworldly calm embraced her as Micheal suddenly found the strength to stand upright on his own.

"There..." Gaia sighed, "That should do it."

"How did you know that would work?" A Huamia inquired, in awe at Gaia's handiwork.

"I know my patients like the back of my hand," Gaia told them plainly, "Now, they need their rest, it's been an ordeal for everyone. Preferably you'd let them stay together."

"Yes ma'am," The other doctors in the room moved quickly to get the two into their own room so they could rest.

Gaia left the Medbay, tail flicking about as she opened the door to get assigned quarters.

One thing that Fei'Kat had right, was that someone was going to experience the worst pain in their life. Whether it was her or Micheal though, she couldn't tell.

Ti'Dak came into her room to find her absolutely wiped out. He sighed and left, knowing that maybe tomorrow she'd feel better. He had no idea that she just performed the riskiest operation known across Andromeda.

The Phoenix Operation, as the High Council called it. Performed successfully only once before, and even then they had every precaution in place.

Gaia couldn't care less if she died in her sleep because of the aftermath, she just needed to know that Fei'Kat and her Chosen were safe, and would recover.

It wasn't gonna end here, not for Gaia, she knew this going to sleep so soon after. She hadn't found her Chosen, yet.

And, after all this mess and the Galateans claiming that the stars had a mighty fate planned for her, she wasn't worried. Death would not prevail today, nor would it tomorrow.

She could sleep easy in knowing that. Everyone could sleep easy in knowing the mission had just completed itself. They had reunited the rebel forces with the High Council and had fair run of the entire station.

It was finally safe for their people to come *home*.

•End•

||Or is it?||

[hunger-and-desire]

The Battle for the Mirrorverse, Pt 5

Based off an old idea Crow/ @ghostsandmirrors​ and I were throwing around. Was seized with the need to write it. So here’s the first of what will be I don’t know how many parts.

Basic jist: The horsemen have teamed up with Misfortune to overthrow the Lady of the Mirror and take over. After a surprise attack, Famine, Bringer, and the Mirrorverse folk are scrambling to defend themselves and the Mirror World from the attackers. It doesn’t go their way.

Disclaimer: I don’t know what this place looks like so I just made it up. Sorry, Crow.

“Fuck!” Famine spit the word out as her body hurdled itself back into the land of the living and did not like what it found. Bringer started from where they were stood looking out the window and quickly stepped over to the horseman as she sat up, body rattling with coughs. They sat on the bed beside her, cautiously putting a hand on her back as if that would help. She looked over to them and offered a smile. “Hello,” she croaked.

“Famine, are you alright?” they asked.

“Blood…in my lungs…makes it…hard…to breath,” she said between coughs. Flecks of dried blood speckled her arm as she coughed into it.

“I’d imagine so.”

They sat there a minute, Famine coughing violently as the Bringer rubbed her back. “This is…awful,” Famine growled, words sounding slightly less strangled, but only just.

Bringer hummed quietly in agreement, remembering Pestilence’s request. “Your brother would agree.”

Famine shot them a look. “Which fucking brother…did you talk to? And when the fuck…did you talk to him?”

"Pestilence,” they said with a casual shrug, as if it were everyday they talked to the golden haired brat, “He told me to tell you to go fuck yourself, or to slit your throat and see how you liked coming back from that.”

“The bitter bastard,” she snarled. Taking a deep, shuttering breath, Famine straightened and looked at Bringer with a seriousness in her eyes that was unusual. “I would ask you kindly that, if you are ever in a position where you need to kill me, don’t slit my throat. If you love me at all, do not slit my throat.”

“How about we just avoid a situation where I have to kill you,” they suggested.

“Yea, that works.”

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. “Girnber?” the General slowly opened the door, “I’m sorry to bother you, but—” His eyes went wide when he saw Famine, very much alive, peering around Bringer. She smiled, rather wickedly, and waved. Bringer followed the General’s line of sight to Famine and realized, rather belatedly, no one else knew Famine was very hard to kill.

“Oh, yes, she’s not dead,” Bringer sighed, looking back to the General.

“I can see that.”

“Horsemen only die temporarily,” they explained, “Can you even truly die?” Bringer, glanced over to Famine.

“Oh of course. Everything can die permanently, even God.” A fit of coughs overtook her at her last words and she bent double once more, expelling more dried blood.

"God didn’t like you saying that,” the Bringer said dryly. That earned them a nasty glare from Famine.

The General cleared his throat, after to draw attention to the fact that he was still there. “We need to figure out our next move. We don’t want to be attacked unawares again.”

“Yes, of course.” Bringer stood, quickly followed by Famine who realized her legs were not quite with the whole ��being alive again’ thing yet and stumbled. She reached for the wall as Bringer grabbed for her elbow, only to realize they were closing their fingers on bare skin and quickly let go again. Famine hit the wall with a bang, but stayed on her feet.

“I’m okay,” she muttered, “I’m good. It’s fine.” The General stared at her a moment longer, expression something between confusion and vague horror, before he simply nodded and stepped back out into the hall.

“You don’t have to come,” Bringer said, even as they gathered her great coat from where it was tossed over the back of a chair.

“Do you really think I’ll stay here and just do nothing?”

They held out the jacket to her. “No, of course not. Why would you do the sensible thing?” She sneered at them as she took the jacket.

Famine pulled the jacket on as they started off down the hall. “How long was I out?”

“A day…day in a half,” they answered, “Not very long.”

Famine looked like she wanted to argue, but moved on, “Anything happen?” The Bringer shook their head, but that was all the answer she got.

The pair stepped into a larger room that Famine had never seen before. The General was already there, talking to Renrait, and Liaxee was sat in a chair, head propped on his hand, staring distantly at the ground. He looked up when Bringer and Famine stepped in and, upon spotting the horseman, his face lit up. “Eminfam!” he boomed, causing the rest of the room’s inhabitants to jump. The large man swooped towards her and snatched her up in a hug. “I knew you would be okay! You are strong!” He put her down again and simply beamed at her.

Famine tentatively smiled up at him. “It’s good to see you too, Liaxee.”

The assembled gathered around a table in the center of the room. A map was spread across it. Famine looked at the various markings and figures drawn on it, trying to make any sense of a world she was not overly familiar with, when she realized no one was saying anything. She looked up and then to Bringer, who seemed as confused as she was. “I thought you said there were things to discuss, Nergale?” they said, looking to the man. The General was standing there, lips pressed in a thin line, uneasy about something but saying nothing. “What’s going on?” Bringer insisted, looking at the other’s around the table.

Renrait was the first to speak. “Why is she here?” Though it was clear she was talking about Famine, she was looking at Bringer.

“Because she wanted to come,” Bringer responded, words hesitant as if they were unsure why this needed to even be asked, “And she is the only one who really knows her siblings so her input could be rather valuable.” There was the smallest hint of sass to Bringer’s words, but it never showed on their face.

“Don’t you think that’s a problem?”

“That’s she might have valuable input?” Bringer snarked, “No, I actually think it might be helpful.”

“If you have something to say, Renrait, say it,” Famine growled, glaring daggers at the woman, “No need to beat around the bush.”

Renrait looked coolly at Famine before turning her focus back to Bringer. “We don’t know that the horseman is on our side.”

From the other side of the table, Liaxee laughed gruffly. “Renrait, you are being ridiculous.”

“Am I?” the trainer mused, “None of this would be happening if she wasn’t here.”    

“Oh, so I am the root of all problems?” Famine laughed darkly, “How original. How very like my siblings.”

Renrait turned to face Famine, fury in her eyes. “It was your brother who killed the Lady,” she hissed.

“He certainly did not do that under any direction from me. In case you have forgotten, I tried to save her.”

“And failed.”

A laugh of disbelief left Famine’s lips, “Does that make me guilty? By that same logic-” Famine’s words collide with Bringer’s hand that called for her silence.

“Renrait, Famine is on our side,” they said, words deliberate as if that would make them knock sense into her.

“Give me one good reason to trust her.”

“Well, she hasn’t killed me yet.” The answer drew only confused looks. “She would have been well within her rights to kills me a handful of times and she hasn’t, so I’ve chosen to trust her,” they explained, “Plus, she’d not one for working with her siblings. Or anyone, really.” Now it was Famine’s turn to give Bringer a look.

“Excuse me,” she hissed. “Who’s side are you on?”

“Yours, but it is true.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to say it.” They shrugged, seeming entirely unapologetic about what they had said.

Renrait sat back in her seat, arms crossed. “That’s really all you’ve got, Bringer?” she asked.

“It’s good enough for me, it should be good enough for you,” they said, “Now can we please discuss that actual problem at hand?” They looked to the General, only to find him less than willing to say anything. “You don’t trust her either?”

“I think it is something we should consider,” he confessed.

From beside Bringer, Famine let out an exasperated laugh. “This is ridiculous,” she said, “If you’re looking for an enemy, Renrait, don’t work to find one in me when you already have several out there to blame.” Famine’s words seemed to do little to convince the trainer. “Tell me, what exactly have I done to make you mistrust me so?”

“Latri wouldn’t have the horsemen’s help without you,” Renrait said.

“Oh, is that so?”

A very loud bang made every jump. Liaxee had slammed a hand on the table and was pushing to his feet. “Renrait, you are very skilled and talented fighter, but now you are being very dumb,” he said, “Eminfam is good.”

“You think everyone is good,” Renrait spat, “And that blinds you to the fact that some people are monsters.” The last words were directed at Famine and the horseman tensed.

“So that’s what you think of me, hm?” she hummed quietly.

“Isn’t it what most people think of you? A cruel, heartless monster who only knows how to love murder and slaughter?”

There was a flicker of hurt in Famine’s eyes but she shoved it down. “You are probably right, that is what most people think,” she conceded, “but that is because they don’t know me.” With that, she shoved herself to her feet, the chair screeching against the stone floor. “But if you want me to leave, I will leave.” She started towards the door, her long coat sweeping the floor.

She wasn’t even to the door when she heard Renrait say to Bringer, “How could you love something like that?”

“Well,” Famine sighed, turning in a swirl of coat tails, “the Lady loved you, Renrait, so I’d ask her, but,” Famine shrugged with a nonchalance that did not match her words. Renrait started from her seat, murderous intent in her eyes, but Liaxee put a hand on her shoulder. When they looked back to the door, Famine was long gone.

 Bringer followed the trail of dead grass in the garden to find Famine sitting on her jacket,  surrounded by dead flower petals. She was still peeling them off one rose when Bringer approached. “I know I should not have said that to Renrait, but I would prefer you save the lecture,” she hissed, glancing up with brilliantly green eyes.

“I wasn’t going to lecture,” they muttered. They motioned to her spread out coat, “May I?” She gave a quick shrug and went back to plucking at the rose petals. Bringer sat down next to her, crunching petals into dust. “Are you alright?” She gave them another glance, eyes narrowed as if to say ‘what the fuck do you think?’ “I did my best to convince them that you are on our side. I think I changed Nergale’s mind, but I’m not sure about Renrait.” Famine nodded, but remained silent, concentrating on her almost completely decimated rose. Bringer watched her a moment, unsure if they should press and try and figure out what she was thinking or just let her be.

Famine let the rose fall onto her jacket before she looked to Bringer. “Do you really love me?” she asked.

The answer came without hesitation: “Yes, of course I do.”

Famine smiled and quickly looked back to her pile of petals, but not before Bringer caught the hint of tears in her eyes. “Why do you ask?” they questioned gently.

With a deep breath, Famine looked up at the sky, brushing away a stray tear as she did so. “Renrait.”

The Bringer sighed. “My dear, why would you listen to—”

“Why did I listen to Death? To War?” she interrupted, glancing to them. “It’s still hard not to hold people’s opinions of me of importance. I crave validation too much for that.” A smile crossed her face but it was far too watery to be happy.

The pair sat in silence, afternoon garden sounds settling over them. Famine picked absently at the edge of her pants as Bringer watched her. “Did you all learn anything?” she eventually asked.

“Nergale sent out some spies last night and they found where Misfortune and your siblings are,” they said, “Nergale recommends another battle.”

“No.” It was said so confidently, so sharply, that it shocked Bringer.

“No?”

Famine looked to them, dry eyed and serious. “If we know where they are, we take a small group, not an army, and we strike when they least expect it. Tonight, maybe?” she shrugged, “If we have another full out battle, we will only be giving Death more corpses and more time to make more Mercenaries. We will be feeding the enemy. If we strike now, he won’t have time, they’ll have their guard down.”

The Bringer nodded slowly, mulling the idea over. “We could do it,” they finally said.

“Just us two?” A smile crossed Famine’s lips, “That sounds more like a plan I would suggest, the two of us taking on an army. Becoming ruler has changed you.”

Bringer rolled their eyes.