#commissions as I can because my savings is still not enough for a new one. đŹđŹđŹ
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Frolicking among the flowers I think.
I feel like I already drew this before so hoping I didn't!
#Maybe I've seen a different fanart with this pose? I think I do remember a connverse fanart with Connie lying in a way that her face is#upside down to us. I can't remember the artstyle if that's the case however.#Anyway#My laptop gave me a big scare. Long story short. I'm not shutting or restarting my laptop ever and I'm going to take as much#commissions as I can because my savings is still not enough for a new one. đŹđŹđŹ#Yo it got so messed up it doesn't support gif png jpeg and jpg anymore. đľ#connverse#steven quartz universe#connie maheswaran#su#my shiz#steven universe#skedoobles#Connverse to comfort from the spooks đ. But like. I can't be drawing any more personal stuff on my laptop after this.#We can't live with love alone guys. I need the moolah đ¤
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we need to talk about Inprnt.com
Following a really good post with more screenshots and evidence by @dynasoar5 i'm going to talk about my own experiences with @inprnt and why I am about to put my shop on indefinite hiatus from Monday the 14th of August.
First of all I'll say that since starting my print shop last year it has been a significant help to me financially - I was able to not worry about affording car insurance or motor tax (together commonly over a thousand euro) when I bought my first car, for example. I am immeasurably grateful to anyone who chose to buy one and I treasure all the pictures I've been sent of my prints hanging up on people's walls. Right now they are displayed in a real (if small) art exhibition in my home town.
(top right print is not from inprnt though)
They're great prints. Never had any complaints about them. But here's what's going on behind the scenes.
Earlier this year, around March or April, Inprnt sales started increasing in regularity. I'd made as much as $600 a week during previous sales when I made proper promo posts here, but with this increase in regularity, I felt that I couldn't make promo posts every single week. And then one day, I'm not sure when tbh, the sale just never ended. It just didn't stop having that "Ending soon! 15% off your order" banner at the top of the site. Right now it says "Final Hours: $5 Worldwide shipping and save up to 35% off your order!" and not even for a second do I believe in this final hours bullshit. It's been 'final hours' for weeks now. Months, even.
Why is this a problem? Well, how tf am I meant to make a promo post for a sale that is always "ending soon!!" and then never ends. One week it'll say "this weekend only!!" and then when the weekend is over, the sale banner just changes its wording and the sale doesn't end. I can't promo this, it makes me look like a liar and a skeevy salesman by association! It makes the site look like it's 1 week from crashing and burning, and the site owners are just scrabbling to suck as much money from artists as possible before they drown.
And they are sucking money from us. To peel back the curtain, Inprnt money can only be transferred to my paypal account 30 days after the sale is made, just in case the order is cancelled and refunded. This means I used to make one withdrawal every couple of months, when there was enough build-up of money to make it worthwhile. It also forbids withdrawing any sum under $50 btw. I would make a withdrawal request and then, after a 10 business day wait, it would reach my Paypal account.
Not anymore! The past few withdrawals have taken over a month to complete. They are straight up keeping my earnings from me for longer the agreed period. This was my last fulfilled withdrawal:
Note the date.
Almost two months.
And here is the latest withdrawal request that still has not been fulfilled.
It's coming up on 1 month and if the pattern continues, it could literally be November or December by the time I fully clear all sales.
So what's going to happen to my print shop? Because my art is currently being exhibited with a QR code linking to the shop, I can't close the shop this week. Instead I will close it on Monday the 14th of August, next week. That means that on the 14th of September, I can withdraw all of the remaining money without having any left over. My account balance will go to 0 and stay there. Although I'll de-list my prints I will leave my account there, because at the end of the day I don't want to leave Inprnt. It still offers the best artist margins and as I'm now unemployed after graduating, the additional support is such a load off my mind. So this is a chance to wait and see - if they improve their services, I'll happily re-open.
It's a big deal to me because selling prints is sort of my ideal life as an artist. I never had the attention span or self-discipline for commission work and I found that it left me creatively stagnant. I always want to try new things, new concepts and ideas, and being able to think "yeah, people will like this as a print" while I experiment is honestly very reassuring. And I know that in going on hiatus, it'll break a lot of "buy a print" links in my circulating posts. Oh well lmao. If you want to buy a print right now - go ahead, it might be your last opportunity. Another way to support me would be to check out my ko-fi for once-off donations or some nice sketchbooks/comics/book samples you can buy, or subscribing to my Patreon.
As of right now, Inprnt owes me $381 (the unfulfilled request submitted above for $186.60 and my current standing balance of $194.80 which takes 30 days from each transaction to clear).
#it's so god damn insulting u know. even redbubble threw its shitty payouts directly into my paypal asap#inprnt
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Asymetrical Symphony - Part 6
Universe: Arcane (LOL)
Pairing: Viktor x reader
Summary: You had been on the rooftop with Jayce and the Herald and somehow you were sent to a place where things can be different with your help
Disclaimers and Warnings: If you want me to tag you on the chapters let me know! Also leave a comment with your thoughts :D Not finished, not proofread. English isn't my 1st language. All I know about LOL is from google and all I know about Arcane is taken from the show, so inacuracies will be plenty. I have a sort of idea on how to I'm gonna go with magic and runes, so bear with me. The reader will be written as GN (going by they/them) to get everyone involved, but if you see any discrepancies let me know.
A.N.: Thank you guys for commenting and faving the story. I'm always happy to read all you guys tell me! I'm going to try and reply back. Anywho, let the rollercoaster begin.
Part 1 ⢠Part 2 ⢠Part 3 ⢠Part 4 ⢠Part 5
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The following week, you restarted the journey to becoming a member of Piltover's society under Estherâs wing.Â
The official story was: Your real mother was your aunt, and you had come back to Piltover after your fictional mother died, and because your real mother's maternal instincts were so fine-tuned, your real mother didn't mind that you or anyone else, for that matter, called you her child, and her your mother. Complicated? Yep. It would feed the gossip circles for years, and honestly, you both thrived on the drama.
Clothes were brought, space was made, introductions were done, and the process of making you an official Rainemour in the world was set in motion.Â
It felt like home, back to your old Topsider self, with the added extra of waking up, kicking and screaming with the feeling of fingertips on your forehead.
It had been a flurry of new faces, new places, and new customs. You met the house staff, Jaime and Oly, and the cook, Voltaire. While the two keepers lived on the lower floors, Voltaire lived somewhere other than the Cinquefoil building. He had been your motherâs friend for a few years and was the chef at several topside restaurants.
You still hadn't met the elusive Wyllah, but you had found out who she was. She was an art merchant, away on business, but most important, she was your motherâs significant other. Your mother had told you one night, almost in fear, she had found love after your fatherâs passing. You had blinked and shrugged. Nobody deserved to go through life alone.
Your motherâs life has been quite interesting on this side of the dimension rift. She was a writer, penning a series of fantasy books that magic lovers drank like water. She also found herself advocating for better education in Piltover. All of Piltover, especially the undercity. Esther tried to help those who wanted a chance to change their future.
It was only a matter of time until fate brought her and a certain engineer who also had a like-minded vision together. After that meeting, Esther became a patron of the Talis Lab and the Academy, helping with funding for any projects regarding the betterment of the city.Â
And that was the reason why you were now making your way towards a familiar lab in the Academy. A commission for her needed approval and had been delayed long enough with the rocket attack and you appearing out of thin air. Or, according to the gossip, like an illegitimate child.Â
âYou didnât need to come along.â She mumbled while pushing the elevator button.
âI wanted to come.â You smiled confidently at her. You wanted everyone to see you and become accustomed to you. It would be beneficial if you wanted to get into the business of saving the world.Â
âTo check on your friends?â Â
You nodded. Before the Herald and the HexAngels, between Jayce becoming a councilor and the hextech showing its true colors, most of your time was divided between the music conservatory, the orchestra, Talis' labs, and home. And from all of those, home was the one you went to less and less with time. Therefore, when allowed to have even a single second of normalcy in a familiar place, you seized it.Â
When the elevator dinged, you walked inside with a conviction that was only masking a feeling of nervousness. Yes, you knew this place and the face on the other side of the lab door, but they didn't. You were just a stranger.
âHas it changed much?â Your mother whispered, and you grinned at her.
âNah, a few artworks and garbage cans. Some names on the doors, but nothing else.âÂ
âReally? Fascinating.â Her face was deep in thought.
âStop.â You chuckled, knowing that look. She was taking mental notes. âItâs not that interesting.âÂ
The elevator pinged and opened again. Instinctively you walked out first, knowing exactly where to go, your mother keeping up with you, scoffing.Â
âWell, excuse me if I find it amazing that my child jumped through time and space to save the world.â
âI didnât save the world.â You rolled your eyes at her.
âViktor is still alive, isnât he?â She noted, raising her eyebrows. Â
As soon as she finished that sentence, a small thump of a dry explosion was heard inside the hextech lab. Like an empty milk carton was squished with a stomp.Â
âIâm sure heâs fine.â She added.Â
Another small firecracker-like explosion was heard, prompting you both to look at each other and break into a jog to reach the lab. Â
As expected, the door was locked, and although you had told your mom about a lot, the magic part was still something that needed some explanation. So you resorted to the least efficient way to open a closed door: banging on it.Â
âViktor! Jayce?â Esther shouted. A few groans from behind the door warned you there was someone alive inside. Well, capable of moaning in pain was more accurate.Â
âGet the enforcers.â You mumbled to your mother; she nodded and raced around the corner.Â
As soon as she was out of sight, you pulled your glove off and magically unlocked the door, punching the rune you painted near the lock. The door immediately opened with the force of your hit but didnât swing open as expected. It hit something and bounced back, slamming shut again while someone grunted in pain on the other side.Â
Itâs funny how you could know someone from their tiniest squeak. And you knew that groan. You'd know it had it come from the other side of Piltover. Hells, you'd know it if it had been heard through the actual space and time rift.Â
Carefully this time you twisted the door handle, opening the door gently and peeking inside the lab.
 Although the curtains were open, a dusty, thick white fog lingered in the air, making the room a shade darker. The floor was littered with tools, gears, and pencils that had fallen from their places, and a pair of goggles was lying on the floor next to a welding machine.
Viktor was sprawled on the ground, leaning back into one of his hands while the other was gently massaging his face. One of his legs was twisted uncomfortably, and the other was bent at the knee in front of him. You could see as he rubbed his face that there was blood coming from somewhere. After a while, he shook his head and looked up at the door.
When he managed to focus his gaze on you, his eyebrows knotted in confusion and then realization. With a sigh, he sat, grabbed the leg that was twisted uncomfortably, and brought it forward. You heard a metallic thud. Hextech leg. Your gaze shifted to his face; you saw the blood coming from his nose, but it didnât seem broken. Above his eyebrow was a small curved gash, a courtesy of the goggles he probably ripped off his head.
 âWe do need to stop meeting like this.â he mumbled, trying to get up with the grace of a baby deer using its long limbs for the first time.
 Putting your glove back on, you took a step closer and offered him a hand, which he accepted with raised eyebrows and a head tilt.
 With more expertise than he was expecting, you grabbed his hand and forearm and pulled him up. Picking this man off the floor had become a skill both you and Jayce obtained a long time ago. His disability unfortunately made him an easy target for misfires. While you and Jayce would easily dodge anything coming your way, Viktor wouldnât. Couldnât. And since the fastest way to move him fast was pushing him out of the way, the three of you would end up on the floor, and either you or Jayce would shield Viktor from whatever was malfunctioning at the time. It wasn't your proudest idea, but it worked, and for better or worse, you all would escape relatively unscathed.
 âLike what?â You asked, joining him in dusting off his clothes.
 You patted his back gently, feeling the brace on his spine under his clothes. You didn't find it.
 âAfter an explosion.â He swished the dust off his coat sleeves. The off-white coat was a tinge darker after the mishap.Â
 âTechnically, this is the first time we meet after an explosion.â You emphasized the word âafterâ and he stopped mid-swipe, turning his face back towards you.
 Shrugging, you lifted the corners of your mouth, giving him a grin that he responded to with a chuckle. You looked around the mess that was the lab at this moment and spotted his white cane and his wheeled bench.
You grabbed the cane first and gently pushed the stool so it would roll down next to him. He plopped down with a groan, using the table as leverage. You handed him the cane, and he nodded. You smile at his messy figure.
 âThank you.â He said, placing the cane between his knees and leaning into it with a heavy sigh.
 âDo you need anything else?â You asked softly, stopping the urge to kneel next to him and take stock of his injuries.
 âThere is a first-aid kit somewhere on Jayce's desk. Itâs on the...â
 Before he finished the sentence, you jiggled the white box next to him, having already grabbed it when he mentioned it.
 âHow didâŚ?â He asked, looking at you questioningly, and panic set in for a second.
 âOh, my dear boy!â Your mother burst in, followed by several Enforcers, and you sighed in relief.Â
 âIs everything alright?â One of the Enforcers said, and you took a step back, leaning against the table behind where Viktor sat.
 âYesâŚâ Viktor stated while your mother fussed over him.
 One of the enforcers looked at you, and you recognized his eyes. He had been one of the men you had pushed out of your way at the front door of the Academy. You looked at the floor, trying to not provoke the man.
 âFunny. You always seem to appear whenever anything goes boom, don't you?â He spat towards you.Â
âNot funny at all.â You replied, your tone serious, trying once more not to escalate the situation. For your sake and the people you cared about who were now looking between you and the Enforcer.
âMaybe we should call Officer Kiraman. Iâm sure she would like to know that once again youâre in the vicinity of an attack.â He snarled, and you scowled at him, about to let him have it.
âYou are going to call Officer Kiraman over a malfunctioning piece of equipment?â Viktor interrupted, straightening up with a wince while using his cane to get up from the stool. âDo you think sheâll get here before or after reading all the condolence letters sent to her? Or perhaps she will make time on Remembrance Day, right before the speech honoring her deceased mother."
 A pin could be heard through the silence if a pin would have dropped in the lab. The main enforcer was looking at him, mouth hanging open; you and your mother looked at each other and then at a very collected, very serious Viktor. He seemed taller, with his shoulders straight, and you knew that after that tumble he was going to hurt for at least a week, but that didn't stop him from stepping up to the Enforcers. You had forgotten how much sass that man could pack in a single line.
 âWhen is it going to be, officer?â The engineer shrugged, limping back towards a pile of sheets that had flown back. âI need to tidy up before she gets here.â
 It took the group of Enforcers three seconds to clear out after that, and a collective sigh was heard from the three of you.
 âYouâd think being knocked around would make their synapses work faster.â Viktor waved a hand at them, still picking up papers, stopping midway to look at you, like he had just realized you were there. âNot that I agree with knocking around enforcersâŚor that you knocked around enforcers⌠Iâm just sayingâŚâ
 He was flustered, talking with his free hand while his eyes looked around the room. You chuckled, and he stopped when he heard you.Â
 âYouâre just sayingâŚ?â You teased, rolling your hand for him to keep going.
âNothing of importance, I suppose.â He turned back to the table.
 âI was hoping you could show me the reader.â Esther announced, grabbing a few nuts and bolts and placing them next to Viktor. âBut I imagine it's not functioning.â
 Viktor turned to her, realizing finally why you were both there. He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck.
 âWell, yes and no.â He said, tilting his head from side to side. âThe explosion wasnât it, but it was a component that I was trying to recreate to use in another experiment.â
 âAnd now both are fried.â You answered by crossing your arms.Â
âWellâŚyes. But if you give me a few hours, I can make it work, at least for the reader. The other thing will wait, I guessâŚâ he said quickly. âBetter yet, give me a few minutes so I can get it, and I can at least show you what I have for now.â
âIt's quite alright, dear. Take your time. We can just come back another time.â Esther said, and part of you felt disappointed.Â
 Your second home was right here.
âThat would hardly be fair. Youâve made it here. Give me a few minutes, an hour tops.â He was limping around waving his hand and cane.
âI suppose I do need to speak with Councilor Salo.â Your mother shrugged nonchalantly. âDo you want toââ
âNo.â You cut her off. âNot really. You go ahead. Iâll get reacquainted with the Academy.â
âReacquainted?â Viktor inquired, looking towards you.
âLast time I was here, I didnât exactly take the scenic route.â You covered your mistake with an easy joke, and he chuckled at it.
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You managed to walk around the Academy undisturbed. It was weird to walk around the familiar corridors, passing by people you knew and fighting the urge to say hello and strike up a conversation. It was awfully lonely, seeing everyone going about their lives, never knowing about you.
 Although it saddened you, you understood that it wasnât because you werenât needed in their lives but because fate found a way to replace you. Maybe you hadnât saved Sky from falling down the stairs in this universe, because maybe her classroom was on the same floor she was at.
As you wandered, you found yourself in a corridor with very recognizable double doors. The Council Chamber was guarded by several guards, and you felt the morbid curiosity to see if the room was the same as it was in your time.Â
As you searched your brain for a way to bypass the guards, a familiar whispering in your ear. The rune from the elevator flashed behind your eyes. The one you hadnât managed to make work. You took your gloves off again and drew the symbol in a railing, disguising it as an absent movement as you looked down to the courtyard. You let it go, and nothing happened for a couple of seconds.
And then the groaning of metal grinding against another surface filled your ears. Your eyes turned upwards as you saw the metal spike that held the Academyâs banner to the stone ceiling give way and slip. The heavy banner made a swoosh noise as it fell, and your eyes widened.Â
You saw the Enforcers run towards the elevator and the stairs. You turned your back to them and waited until their hurried footsteps had softened.Â
Quickly you made your way to the chamber through the door you had burst open. A new door had been placed and locked, but you unlocked it with three swipes of your fingers.
 The chamber room was as spacious as you remembered, the hole in the dome a grim reminder that those who sat in this room were as vulnerable as everyone else in the city. You remembered Viktorâs diagram, looking around at the empty and cracked chairs. Most of the smaller debris had been cleaned off, leaving only the big and medium chunks. The ones that couldn't just be carried off by crewmen. The sun shone high and bright in the clear sky, illuminating the whole room, the long pieces of the damaged dome casting a shadow on the floor.
You touched parts of the smooth stone that were still intact and walked toward the edge of the room, feeling the wind on your face. It had been an awakening to these people, but not the one that Piltover needed. This whole region forgot how hard it is to break a rope and how easy it is to break a strand. Only in the end did they figure out that the many are more powerful than the few. That blood, once spilt, is equally red whether it is from Zaun or Topside.
Closing your eyes, you stood for a moment, somewhat grieving what had been the beginning of the end.
(Nemo - The Code)
Welcome to the show. Let everybody know Iâm done playing the game. Iâll break out of the chains.
Until the wind started whispering in your ear and your eyes shot open. What looked to be blue dust started to float like specks of dust toward the middle of the room, and you followed the flow. There was nothing there. But there could be.Â
You better buckleâ
up; I'll pour another cup. This isâ
my bohème, so drink it up, my friend.
 Your hand moved unconsciously, drawing the rune in the air like it was second nature. You pushed it out with a flick of your hand. Like in the graveyard, it divided itself into several wisps of light and quickly moved toward parts of the broken table and chairs. A familiar rune appeared, but so did many others. Some are more complicated, others just little flicks of light. Shining bright in the middle of the rubble or being illuminated by sunlight.
I went to hell and back. To find myself on track, I broke the code.
 You walked towards what had been the middle of the cog-like shape and watched as the wisps danced around. Looking around, you noticed the runes were surrounding you, pulsating like a heartbeat; you noticed your hand doing the same, in rhythm with the wisps. You saw a small piece of rubble that had been missing by the cleaning crew and took a deep breath.Â
âHere goes nothing.â
Let me tell you a tale about life, 'Bout the good and the bad; better hold on tight.
 Starting with the rune in front of you, you carved it on the floor, the piece of rubble in your hand serving as a makeshift chalk. You kept carving the runes on the floor in front of where they appeared in the air. The world around you faded, and your vision became focused.
 See the rune, and trace the rune on the floor.Â
Let me taste the lows and highs; let me feel that burning fright.
It was automatic; you didnât think or even study the rune. At some point, you felt like it was the rune commanding you to write, rather than your desire to write them. And even though it was akin to someone using your arm and hand to do this, it never felt like you couldnât stop.Â
 It was almost cathartic.
Somewhere between the O's and ones, that's where I found my kingdom come.
 When you found yourself at the beginning of the circle of runes, you stopped and took a step back. The wisps had disappeared, but you could see a faint light throbbing under the scratched runes.Â
 It looked so unbelievably perfect for something that you had scratched on the floor with a piece of cement. Every space between runes was precise, and the little ticks and dots were perfectly balanced.Â
 With that amount of rigor, it was easy to see something was missing, a single wisp in the spot where the cog table opened. Familiar strokes. Ones youâve been looking at ever since you woke up in the hospital.Â
 You looked at your palm, the rune there shining so bright it almost burned. Taking a few steps towards the space, you shook your hand in the air and slammed it into the slot.
My heart beats like a drum.
The whole room shook, and for a second you got scared, but when the runes started ungluing themselves off the ground and quickly zapping around different parts of the table, you became too fascinated with the show to care.
 If the building fell, you donât think youâd even notice.
 Every piece of wreckage, big or small, started floating above you, aided by strands of magic that pushed and pulled and moved different pieces toward different places. Their rightful places. Once a piece found its match, it was welded together by a flash of blue light, leaving them complete with a trace of metallic blue where the crack had been.
I went to hell and back. To find myself on track, I broke the code.
 You noticed the same thing happening in the chairs, and by the end of the magic show, the table and the chairs were floating around you. Slowly drifting and turning into their right position. Until they wafted back down to the floor with an incredible low thud.
 It was almost overwhelming once it was all over how the silence settled around you. The runes on the floor disappeared, your hand stopped glowing, and the table was complete, whole, pieced together by little blue veins. The only thing you heard was the birds outside, the wind through the damaged dome, your heavy breathing, and the clunk of a metal cane hitting the floor.
 Your neck snapped at the sound, and you saw a wide-eyed Viktor standing in front of the side door you had entered.
 âYour⌠your mother is⌠Sheâs looking for you.â He stuttered.
⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ⢠¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ â˘
@marshy-moo @victormydarling @blueesmiski @th3stup1dcat @22carolina08 @httpstes @that-one-shitty-blog @disa-pointment @sseleniaa @moons-lighttrail @aysluxe @fae-doodle @kitewa @local-mr-frog @bakusquadobsessed @cherry-cola-100 @optimistic-but-very-realistic @seeksrsnn @thecordelialetters @notsaelty
#league of legends#lol#leagueoflegends#arcane#viktor#jayce#viktor arcane#viktor league of legends#viktor lol#viktor x reader#arcane herald#arcane season 2#arcane act 3#arcane spoilers#arcane x y/n#arcane viktor#arcane x you#arcane characters#arcane x reader
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Male Gargoyle/Female Reader SFW Wordcount: 6,091 Commissions | Ko-fi | Masterlist Part 1 (here), Part 2 (coming soon!)
You're a new volunteer at the halfway house and a dear friend of Esmeralda; you expected working here to be tough, but you didnât expect to fall in love with one of the monsters seeking shelter here.
The halfway house loomed in front of you like something out of a gothic novel, all sprawling stone and ivy creeping up the walls. The rain had turned to a light drizzle, just enough to make the night feel colder than it should.
Tugging your jacket tighter, you glanced up at the carved arches of the doorway, wonderingânot for the first timeâif you were out of your depth. Then the door swung open, and there she was.
âFinally!â Esmeraldaâs voice carried like a warm embrace. Her smile flashed sharp and bright, and even though you knew what she was, it still startled you to see her teeth. âYouâre late.â
You laughed, stepping into her embrace without hesitation. Her arms were cool against you, but that was Esmeraldaâcool to the touch, always warm in her way. âBlame the weather,â you said. âThe train was slow, and so am I when it comes to resisting bakery stops.â
She pulled back and gave you a knowing look. âI told you to bring something. If you didnât, Iâll be forced to scold you.â
You reached into your bag and produced a paper-wrapped box. âRaspberry tarts,â you said smugly. âBecause I know you too well.â
Esmeraldaâs grin widened as she plucked the box from your hands. âYou do, darling. This is why weâre friends.â
Friends was a soft word for what you were. Not many humans knew what Esmeralda was, and even fewer stuck around once they did. Youâd never cared. She had saved your life once, and you owed her for that. Besides, the world was far more interesting with a vampire for a best friend.
She stepped back and gestured for you to come inside. The house was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. High ceilings, dark wood, and the kind of place that felt like it should come with a ghost or two.
âI canât tell you how happy I am that youâre here,â she said, leading you down the wide hallway. Her dark hair bounced as she walked. âThe timing is perfect.â
âIt always is. Sometimes, I think fate brings us together at just the right time. Every time.â
The place buzzed with quiet energy. You caught movement from the corner of your eyeâsomething tall and shadowed slipping into another room.
Esmeralda waved a hand dismissively, either at your comment or whatever you thought youâd seen. âThis time, it really is. I have some associates who could help us secure long-term funding, but theyâre going to need convincing.â Her heels clicked against the floor, echoing through the hall as she stopped by an arched doorway and turned to face you. âThatâs where you come in.â
âMe?â You blinked. âYou want me to dazzle some vampires into handing over cash?â
âNot quite.â She smirked. âYouâre a journalist. I need you to help record the residentsâ stories. Show the work we do hereâhow important it is. Youâre good at that, and the residents need to socialise with someone they donât see day in, day out.â
You hesitated, looking around again. The house had a strange, quiet pull to it. âYou think theyâll open up?â
âThey will.â Her smile softened, just enough to feel genuine. âThey just need a reason to.â
Esmeralda gestured for you to follow her further into the house, her heels clicking rhythmically on the wooden floor. âI think youâll find the residents are more varied than you might expect,â she said, her voice tinged with pride. âThis place doesnât just offer shelterâitâs a second chance for some, a lifeline for others. If weâre going to convince my associates to fund us, they need to see the real impact weâve had.â
You nodded, adjusting your bag on your shoulder. âYou think their stories will do the trick?â
âThey will,â she replied firmly. âThough it depends on how well you can connect with them. Some are easy to talk to. Others... less so.â
Before you could ask what that meant, a blur of movement caught your eye. A small figure came rushing down the hallway towards you, barefoot and clutching something to her chest.
The girl skidded to a stop just inches from colliding with you, her mossy green hair clinging damply to her face. Wide, watery grey eyes darted between you and Esmeralda, her pale cheeks flushing an earthy pink.
âOh! I-Iâm sorry!â she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. She shifted nervously from foot to foot, clutching what looked like a shiny silver trinket against her chest. âI didnât mean to... I wasnât looking where I...â
âItâs alright,â you said, smiling to put her at ease. You crouched slightly, meeting her eye level. âNo harm done. You all right?â
The girl nodded quickly but didnât speak again. Esmeralda placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, her tone soft. âMaisie, this is the friend I told you about. Sheâs here to help us tell our stories.â She turns to me. âI thought you might like to start with Maisie?â
Maisieâs mossy hair swayed as she shook her head rapidly, eyes wide with alarm. âOh, no, no. I wouldnât know what to say.â
âMaisieâs an open book,â Esmeralda said to you, ignoring the girlâs protest. âShy, but sweet as they come. Or,â she added with a hum, âyou could start with Laurent and Olivier. Theyâre the oldest residents, so they have the most history to record.â
âOldest?â you asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
Esmeralda nodded. âAnd the most stubborn. Olivier can chat for hours, but good luck getting Laurent to open up.â
Before you could respond, heavy footsteps thudded from the opposite direction, drawing your attention. Two towering figures appeared at the end of the hallway, their presence as imposing as it was magnetic. One was slightly darker in tone, his grey-green skin like moss-covered stone, his massive frame a wall of muscle. The other was a shade lighter, with a more angular build and sharp amber eyes.
âMaisie,â the darker one rumbled, his voice low and steady. âGive it back.â
The lighter one sighed, crossing his arms. âYou know stealing isnât a game, right?â
Maisie squeaked, thrusting the trinket forward. âIâm sorry, I didnât mean anything by it!â
Esmeralda leaned in. âMeet Olivier,â she said, nodding towards the lighter figure, âand his twin, Laurent.â
They strode closer, the hallway seeming to shrink under their sheer size. They were massive, nearly seven feet tall, with broad shoulders that seemed to stretch the very definition of imposing. Their skin, textured like weathered stone, shimmered faintly in the dim light.
Your gaze caught on Laurent first, the larger of the two. His face was broad, with a wide, squashed nose, sharp, heavy brows, and tusks that curved slightly from his lower jaw. The glow of his amber eyes cut through the shadows, steady and unreadable, but there was something about the way he carried himselfâstiff, upright, every movement deliberateâthat made your chest tighten.
He looked like heâd been carved from stone itself, all strength and immovable purpose, and yet the detail of him was captivating: the faint cracks across his forearms, the way his massive wings, folded tightly against his back, curved with a natural grace.
For a moment, you forgot to breathe. He was terrifying. He was magnificent.
He was staring right at you.
You forced yourself to focus on Olivier instead, who offered a crooked smile as he took the trinket from Maisie. His features were similar to Laurentâsâsquashed and intimidatingâbut there was a softness to him, in the way his golden eyes glinted and the slight curve of his lips. âI hope we didnât scare you too badly,â Olivier said, his tone teasing as he turned the trinket over in his claws.
You shook your head, managing a smile despite the fact that your pulse was still racing. âNot scared. Startled, maybe.â
Laurentâs low, rumbling voice cut in, deeper and rougher than Olivierâs. âYou looked scared.â
The words hit like a challenge, his gaze boring into yours with a quiet intensity that made the air feel heavier. Your throat tightened as you tried to find your footing again. âFirst time meeting a gargoyle,â you said, keeping your tone light despite the unease creeping into your chest. âI wasnât expecting statuesque giants in the hallway.â
Olivierâs laugh broke the tension, his grin widening. âStatuesque. Weâll take that as a compliment.â
Laurentâs expression didnât shift, but something in the flicker of his eyes told you your attempt at humour had landed poorly. He glanced briefly at Esmeralda, then back at you. âWeâre not statues, thatâs a myth.â
It wasnât quite defensive, but there was a weight to the statement, a quiet correction. Your cheeks warmed under his scrutiny, though you werenât sure if it was embarrassment or something more disconcerting.
âWell,â Esmeralda interjected smoothly, her tone placating, âI think introductions are overdue. Laurent, Olivier, this is my friend. Sheâs here to help us with some important work.â
Laurentâs stare lingered for a moment longer before he turned his attention back to Maisie. âYou need to stop taking our stuff.â
Maisie mumbled another apology, clutching her mossy hair nervously before darting down the hallway toward her room. Her bare feet barely made a sound as she vanished into the shadows. You watched her go, relieved that she seemed more embarrassed than upset.
Laurent and Olivier lingered for a moment longer. Olivier gave you a small, hesitant smile, the kind that seemed polite but guarded. âIt was nice meeting you,â he said, his tone warm; but still laced with caution.
Laurent, on the other hand, didnât bother with any pleasantries. His amber eyes flicked over you briefly, unreadable, before he turned and walked away. Olivier followed a moment later, the two of them moving in sync, their massive wings shifting slightly as they disappeared into the house.
You exhaled slowly, the tension in your chest easing now that they were gone.
âIâm sorry about Laurent,â Esmeralda said softly, drawing your attention back to her. Her dark eyes held a mix of amusement and sympathy. âHe has... a way of putting people on edge.â
You crossed your arms, still feeling the weight of his gaze. âHeâs intense - and intimidating. Is he always like that?â
Esmeralda tilted her head thoughtfully. âMost of the time, yes. Laurent is...â She paused, searching for the right words. âComplicated. Fiercely loyal, deeply protective, but also very guarded. He doesnât trust easily, especially humans.â Her lips quirked into a small smile. âDonât take it personally. Itâs not youâitâs everyone.â
You raised an eyebrow, still curious. âOlivier? He seemed... nicer.â
âMore approachable, certainly,â Esmeralda agreed. âDonât let his smile fool you. Olivier is just as wary as his brother. The two of them are inseparable. Theyâve been through too much together to let anyone else in easily.â
âOh?â
Her tone shifted slightly, quieter, more serious. âI could tell you more, but itâs not my story to share. Thatâs for them to decide.â She gestured down the hallway, as if to indicate the direction the gargoyles had gone. âIf you want to understand them, youâll need to hear it from them. Separately.â
You frowned, puzzled. âSeparately?â
Esmeralda nodded. âLaurent and Olivier rely on each other. Thatâs not a bad thing, but itâs... limiting. They rarely speak to anyone else, and I think it would do them good to branch out. Even if itâs just for this project, talking to you individually could be important for both of them.â
You hesitated, unsure if Laurentâs gruff demeanor was something you could break through. Still, there was something about himâand Olivierâthat intrigued you. You wanted to understand why they were here, why they stayed when so many others seemed to move on.
Esmeralda smiled, her sharp features softening. âTake your time. Theyâll open up eventually. Just be patient⌠and persistent.â
You nodded slowly, already thinking of how to approach them. âIâll try.â
âThatâs all I ask,â she said warmly, motioning for you to follow her further down the hallway. âNow, let me show you where youâll be staying.â
***
The room Esmeralda had set aside for you was beautiful, in a way that felt almost too much. The ceilings were impossibly high, the bed large enough to swallow you whole, its dark wooden frame heavy and ornate. A tall wardrobe sat in the corner, its doors slightly ajar, revealing neatly folded blankets that you didnât need.
The entire space was cold; not freezing, but just enough to keep you shifting under the covers.
Then there was the snoring. It rumbled low and steady through the wall, like some great beast slumbering on the other side. You guessed it might be one of the residentsâa werewolf, maybe? Whoever it was, they were sleeping far more soundly than you.
Frustrated, you kicked the blankets aside and padded over to the tall windows that opened onto the balcony. The latch creaked faintly as you slid it open, stepping out into the night. A chill breeze hit you immediately, raising goosebumps along your arms, but it was a relief after the oppressive stillness of the room.
The view was eerie. Beautiful. The sprawling grounds of the halfway house stretched out below, dark shapes of trees swaying in the faint wind. Above, the moon hung bright and full, casting everything in a silvery glow.
There, perched on the roof like a gargoyle carved into the building itself, was Laurent.
Your breath caught. He was perched on the very edge of the roofline, his wings partially unfurled, silhouetted against the moonlight. His massive frame was still, his head tilted slightly as though he were watching the horizon. He looked like part of the house, his dark skin blending into the stone.
You took a quick step back, hoping he hadnât seen you. The last thing you wanted was to disturb himâor worse, have another uncomfortable interaction like earlier.
The faintest movement of his head confirmed heâd already noticed you. His glowing amber eyes locked onto yours, even from a distance. There was no going back now.
After a momentâs hesitation, you decided to take a leap of faithâliterally. Climbing up onto the roof seemed like a terrible idea, but staying silent felt worse. You couldnât explain it, but something about Laurentâs presence pulled at you. You grabbed the nearest part of the latticework and started to climb.
The wind picked up as you scrambled higher, the cold biting at your fingers. The angle was steeper than youâd thought, and halfway up, your foot slipped.
A startled gasp escaped you as you lost your balance. Before you could fall, a massive hand closed around your arm, pulling you up with startling strength. Laurentâs grip was solid and unyielding, his claws barely brushing your skin as he steadied you.
âCareful,â he rumbled, his voice low and rough. âYouâll get yourself killed.â
Your legs trembled as you clung to the edge of the roof, heart racing more from the near fall than anything else. âI-I wasnâtââ
âYouâre scared,â he interrupted, his gaze sharp, almost accusing. âYou shouldnât have come up here if youâre afraid of me.â
âAfraid of falling,â you snapped, your voice steadier than you expected. âNot you.â
His expression flickered, surprise flashing across his heavy features before settling into something unreadable. Slowly, he pulled you fully onto the roof, setting you down with more care than youâd expected.
âHmm,â he muttered, his deep voice more thoughtful now. âYouâre braver than you look.â
You sat smiled and carefully, legs crossed, and your hands braced behind you for balance. The roof slanted enough to make your stomach churn if you looked down too long, so you fixed your gaze straight ahead instead. The cold stone beneath you seeped through your clothes, sharp and uncomfortable, but Laurentâs steady presence made the discomfort bearable.
He hadnât moved far, crouched on the edge of the roof like he belonged there, his wings partially spread to balance himself. The moonlight outlined him in silver, catching on the rough texture of his mossy-green skin and the faint cracks that ran across his arms. His claws flexed once, idly, before going still again, his focus still somewhere in the distance.
The silence between you stretched, heavy and unfamiliar. You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, watching the way his sharp, angled features caught the light. His face was undeniably strangeâhis nose wide and squashed, his jaw prominent and square. His glowing eyes were the most striking, unblinking as they reflected the faint light of the moon.
Odd, you thought. Odd, but not unattractive. Certainly unconventional, but there was something compelling about the strength in his features, the way his stillness made him seem carved from the roof itself.
When he finally turned his head to look at you, the weight of his gaze knocked the breath from your chest. He wasnât just watching youâhe was studying you, those amber eyes sharp and expectant.
You fumbled, sitting up straighter. âIâuh...â The words caught in your throat as his expression remained unreadable. âEsmeralda thought I should talk to you.â
His brow furrowed slightly, one of his wings shifting closer to his body. âWhy?â
You rubbed at the back of your neck, feeling the cold bite of the wind there. âSheâs... Sheâs hoping to get funding for the house. She thought that if I recorded the residentsâ stories, it might help convince the people sheâs reaching out to.â
For a moment, Laurent didnât respond, his gaze sweeping back over the horizon. You wondered if he was ignoring you entirely when he finally said, âI know sheâs been struggling.â
His voice was low, rough, but there was something softer beneath it. You tilted your head, surprised by his honesty. âYou do?â
He nodded, still watching the trees sway in the distance. âShe tries to keep it quiet, but itâs obvious if you pay attention. Fixes that donât get finished. Rooms that stay empty longer than they used to.â
You swallowed, unsure of how to respond. He wasnât wrongâEsmeraldaâs determination to keep the house running sometimes masked just how precarious things had become.
âShe thinks your story could help,â you said quietly.
Laurentâs jaw tightened at that, his claws flexing again. âI donât tell my story.â
It wasnât harsh, but it wasnât exactly welcoming either. You braced yourself, determined not to retreat. âMaybe this time, you should.â
âNo,â Laurent said flatly, his gaze cutting back to you.
The weight of the word hung in the air, as immovable as the gargoyle himself.
You hesitated, frustration bubbling under your skin. âIâm not asking you to bare your soul or anything,â you tried, keeping your tone even, calm. âItâs justâEsmeralda really believes this could help the house. Youâre the oldest resident. Your story matters.â
âI said no.â His wings flared slightly, a restless motion that seemed involuntary, and his claws scraped faintly against the stone roof.
Your irritation flared, pushing past the unease in your chest. âWhy; what are you so afraid of? Esmeralda has done so much for you, she deservesââ
âEnough!â
His voice cracked like thunder, louder than anything youâd heard from him before. It rolled over you, heavy and full of raw anger. Laurent turned toward you fully now, his massive frame towering in the moonlight.
âDo you ever shut up?â he growled, his tusks catching the faint light as his upper lip curled. âTake the hint and fuck off!â
The words hit like a slap, sharp and final. For the first time since arriving at the house, you felt real fear, a cold knot tightening in your stomach. The sheer size of him, his claws flexing at his sides, the tension radiating from every inch of himâit was overwhelming.
Your heart pounded as you scrambled to your feet, stepping back toward the edge of the roof. âIâm sorry,â you stammered, barely managing to get the words out. You turned, gripping the stone ledge as you clambered awkwardly down to the balcony.
When your feet finally hit solid ground, you turned back instinctively, catching sight of him still standing on the roof. The shadows draped over him like a second skin, his wings tucked tight against his back, but he didnât look at you. He stared straight ahead, as if youâd already disappeared.
The knot in your stomach tightened further. You wanted to call up to him, to try again, but something stopped you. Maybe it was the flicker of guilt in his eyes, the one he tried to mask with cold indifference. Or maybe it was the sharp edge of your own fear.
You turned back to the hallway, your chest still tight as you opened the door quietly. You hadnât made it far when a vaguely familiar voice stopped you.
âAre you alright?â Olivier stood just ahead, his expression a mix of concern and something softer. He glanced toward the balcony, his wings twitching faintly. âI was looking for Laurent. Did something happen?â
You sighed, running a hand through your hair. âWe talked. Or... tried to. He got angry. I pushed too hard, and he told me to leave.â
Olivierâs brows furrowed, and he stepped closer, his broad shoulders hunched slightly. âIâm sorry,â he said quietly. âMy brother... he has his reasons for being the way he is. Thatâs not an excuse, but I hope you understand.â
You nodded, still rattled. âI didnât mean to upset him.â
Olivier gave you a faint, apologetic smile. âHe knows. He just... needs time.â
You smile awkwardly, trying to stuff down the flicker of guilt growing in your stomach. âYeah, I know.â
***
The next few days passed in a blur of activity. You kept yourself busy, determined to avoid crossing paths with Laurent. If he didnât want to talk, fine. There were plenty of other residents willing to share their stories, and you threw yourself into listening to them.
Maisie was the first. The young kelpie was painfully shy, her mossy hair dripping faintly as she sat across from you in the sunlit sitting room, her knees drawn to her chest. Sheâd come from a small loch in the Scottish Highlands, the last of her kind in that area. Her voice wavered as she explained how the world had changed too much for her kind to survive, her watery grey eyes filled with a sadness that seemed far older than her youthful appearance.
âHumans donât leave offerings anymore,â she murmured, twisting a strand of mossy hair between her fingers. âThey drain the lochs... build over everything. Thereâs nowhere left for us.â
Her words stayed with you long after she returned to her room.
Lucas was a different story entirely. The boisterous werewolf cornered you in the kitchen as you were grabbing a drink, pulling you into a sprawling conversation over a shared pot of coffee. He was charming and open in a way that felt effortless, leaning against the counter as he recounted his life before the halfway house.
âI used to live in the city,â he said, stirring sugar into his cup. âWorked construction, went out on weekends, the usual. Then I met someoneâhuman, obviouslyâand things got... complicated.â
You tilted your head, intrigued. âComplicated how?â
Lucasâs grin faltered, his golden-brown eyes dimming slightly. âShe found out. Couldnât handle it. One night I shifted in front of her by accident, and that was that. She told people. I had to run.â He shrugged, a casual motion that didnât quite mask the tension in his shoulders. âEsmeralda found me before things got worse.â
It struck you how casually he spoke about something that had likely upended his entire life. The ease in his tone felt practiced, a cover for something far deeper.
You wanted to press him further, to ask how heâd really felt when everything fell apart, but the slight twitch in his jaw warned you to tread lightly.
âWell,â you said instead, offering him a small smile. âIt sounds like youâve found a place here. Even if itâs... not what you planned.â
Lucas exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. âYeah, itâs not bad. Esmeralda runs a tight ship, and the residents arenât half as scary as they look.â His grin returned, broader this time. âMost of them, anyway.â
He didnât say it outright, but you could hear the unspoken Laurent in his words. The conversation drifted to lighter topics after that, but even as Lucas returned to his usual charm, his story lingered with you.
Later that evening, as you wandered the hallways, you found yourself drawn to the little-used staircase that led to the third floor. Youâd avoided it until now; Esmeralda had casually mentioned that only one resident stayed there, and even she hadnât offered much detail.
The stairs creaked under your weight, the air growing cooler as you ascended. The third floor was darker, the faint scent of dust and something older curling in the still air. Shadows clung to the corners, and for a moment, you wondered if youâd imagined the faint movement flickering just out of sight.
Then a voice, low and whispery, broke the silence.
âYouâre brave... or foolish.â
You froze, your breath catching. The shadows shifted ahead of you, curling and stretching until they coalesced into a shapeânot quite solid, not quite human. A pair of faintly glowing eyes blinked into existence, and you realised you were face-to-face with something dark and shadowy.
âI heard you donât like visitors,â you said carefully, your voice steady despite the prickling unease that crawled up your spine.
Rioâs shape rippled, his outline flickering like smoke caught in the wind. âMost of them donât try to talk. They... avoid me.â
You took a tentative step closer, tilting your head. âWhyâs that? You seem... well, intimidating, sure, but not terrible.â
A sound that might have been a chuckle escaped him, soft and dry like paper crumpling. âThatâs... generous. What do you want?â
âIâm recording stories for Esmeralda,â you explained, watching the shadows shift around him. âAbout the residents, their lives. She said it might help the house.â
Rio was silent for a long moment, his glowing eyes narrowing slightly. âA human,â he murmured, almost to himself. âShe sent a human.â
Despite the odd flicker of fear still clinging to your thoughts, you crossed your arms. âAre you going to let that stop you?â
His form seemed to grow taller, darker, before shrinking back again. âNo. Ask.â
The exchange was brief, fragmented, but he answered you, his words drifting like smoke in the quiet hallway. When you eventually thanked him and left, you couldnât shake the sense that youâd just glimpsed something rare, something no one else had seen.
Esmeraldaâs delight later was almost infectious, but even as she praised you for managing to talk to Rio, your thoughts wandered. No matter how many stories you gathered, one glaring absence loomed in your mind.
Laurent still hadnât spoken to you, and you were starting to wonder if he ever would.
***
Maisie sat cross-legged on the couch, her mossy hair draped over one shoulder as she carefully plaited it into thin, uneven braids. You were perched on the other end, notebook in hand, jotting down details of her story between her shy pauses.
âI suppose,â Maisie murmured, her voice as soft as the brush of water against stone, âI was lucky Esmeralda found me when she did. I didnât... I didnât know where to go.â
You glanced up, offering an encouraging smile. âYouâve been here a while now, though. Do you feel safe?â
Maisie nodded, her fingers still working through her damp hair. âSafe, aye, but itâs... different. Always worrying someone will notice something.â Her gaze dropped to her lap, her voice quieter now. âPeople donât like what they donât understand.â
Her words sat heavily between you, both of you lost in thought until the murmur of voices from the next room pulled you back.
Esmeraldaâs voice, low and sharp, carried through the doorway. âYou donât think theyâve figured it out, do you?â
Maisie froze mid-braid, her watery grey eyes snapping to yours. You shook your head slightly, motioning for her to stay quiet as Lucasâs reply drifted through the air.
âItâs just talk, Esme,â Lucas said, his tone calm but edged with unease. âPeople in small towns gossip. It doesnât mean they know anything.â
âWhat if they do?â Esmeralda shot back, her usual poise slipping. âWhat if someoneâs realised what we are? Youâve heard the rumours as much as I have. Strange sounds. Lights at night. The halfway house full of strangers. Theyâre putting things together.â
Maisieâs hands trembled, her braid forgotten as she leaned closer to you, her voice a whisper. âAre they talking about us?â
You pressed a finger to your lips, trying to focus on the conversation.
âTheyâre always going to talk,â Lucas replied, though his voice sounded strained now, the usual easy charm missing. âIt doesnât mean weâre in danger. Weâve dealt with this kind of thing before.â
âThis is different,â Esmeralda insisted. âI know when someoneâs watching. I know when someoneâs looking too closely.â
There was a pause, the kind that felt heavy with things unsaid. Then Lucas spoke again, softer this time. âIf someoneâs onto us, weâll deal with it. We always do. Youâve been keeping this place running too long to let a few nosy villagers bring it down.â
The tension in Esmeraldaâs voice didnât ease. âI wonât let them hurt anyone. Not again.â
Your stomach tightened at her words, and you could see Maisie clutching her knees, her knuckles pale against her mossy skin. You wanted to tell her everything was fine, that it was just paranoia, but the edge in Esmeraldaâs tone made it hard to believe even yourself.
Maisieâs whisper barely broke the silence. âDo you think... theyâll come here?â
You didnât have an answer. Instead, you closed your notebook and gave her a reassuring smile you didnât quite feel. âLetâs not jump to conclusions,â you said softly, though the uneasy knot in your chest told you youâd both heard enough to worry.
Maisieâs fingers fidgeted with her braid, unravelling it as quickly as sheâd plaited it. Her watery grey eyes darted toward the doorway where Esmeralda and Lucasâs voices had been, their absence now replaced by an uncomfortable stillness.
âMaisie,â you said gently, closing your notebook and setting it aside. âWe can pick this up another time, yeah?â
She blinked, her mouth forming a small o of surprise before she nodded quickly, her mossy hair swaying. âAye, Iâthank you,â she mumbled, standing so quickly that the hem of her long skirt caught on the couch. She tugged it free and all but darted out of the room, her bare feet silent against the hardwood floors.
You sighed, running a hand through your hair as you stood. You didnât blame her. Whatever Esmeralda and Lucas had been talking about had set both your nerves and hers on edge. There was no use pushing her now.
Stepping into the hall, you nearly collided with someone solidâsomeone massive. Your heart skipped as you looked up to find both twins standing there, blocking most of the narrow hallway with their combined size.
Laurent, as always, looked like he��d been carved directly from the wallsâstoic and unmovingâwhile Olivierâs brows rose slightly, his expression more open but just as unreadable.
âSorry,â you said, stepping back and trying to gauge whether theyâd heard the conversation too. From the way Olivierâs amber eyes flicked toward the sitting room door, it was clear they had. Neither of them said anything, and you felt the awkwardness thicken around you.
âSo, uh,â you started, fumbling for something to say. âWhat brings you to this end of the house?â
Olivier gave a small smile, though it didnât quite reach his eyes. âJust stretching our legs.â
Laurent, on the other hand, didnât so much as blink. He stood there, his wings tucked close, a hulking silhouette against the dim light of the hallway.
You cleared your throat, glancing between them. âWell, nice to, um, bump into you. Again.â
Olivierâs smile widened just a fraction, but Laurent simply turned, his massive frame moving further down the hall. Olivier followed without another word.
Later, when sleep refused to come, you found yourself wandering into the kitchen. The faint hum of the refrigerator was the only sound at first, until a low, familiar voice startled you.
âYouâre up late.â
Laurent was standing near the counter, his hulking frame somehow looking out of place amidst the cosy clutter of the kitchen. His wings shifted slightly as he turned, glancing at you with those glowing amber eyes.
âSo are you,â you replied, leaning against the doorway.
For a moment, you thought that was the end of it. Then, awkwardly, he gestured toward the kettle. âTea?â
The word was stilted, almost uncertain, and you blinked.
âSure,â you said, your voice softer now.
Laurent reached for a small container, and your eyes widened as he set it on the counter. It had your name written neatly on the label.
âYou knew where my tea was?â
He shrugged, the movement oddly stiff. âEsmeralda said it was yours. You leave it in the same spot.â
You stared, caught between surprise and something warmer. âI didnât think youâd notice.â
His claws brushed the edge of the container as he opened it. âI notice everything.â
You didnât comment, instead watching as he ambled about the kitchen.
Laurent moved with a quiet efficiency that seemed incongruous with his size. The kettle hissed softly as he poured the steaming water into two mismatched mugs, his massive hands surprisingly deft as he worked. His shoulders hunched slightly to accommodate the low cabinets above him, and every shift of his wings made the kitchen feel even smaller.
You watched him from your spot near the table, caught between awkward silence and an inexplicable pull you didnât entirely understand. He seemed too big for the space, too solid, like the room itself might give way before he did.
Yet, there was something mesmerising about the precision of his movements, the quiet strength in the way he handled something as simple as making tea.
The air between you was heavy, uncomfortable. You wanted to say somethingâanythingâbut the words refused to come. Laurent didnât seem inclined to break the silence either, his amber eyes focused on the mugs as he let the tea steep.
Your fingers tapped absently against the edge of the table, the tension stretching taut. âI, uh... I didnât mean to push you before.â The words slipped out before you had time to second guess them. âWhen I first got here. I just⌠I was trying to help, and I think I overstepped.â
Laurent didnât respond right away. Instead, he reached for the mugs, his claws brushing the handles as he turned to hand one to you. His eyes lingered on yours for a moment, the glow in them unreadable.
âI donât like being pushed,â he said finally, his voice a low rumble that resonated through the small kitchen.
The sound sent a shiver down your spine, something deep and instinctive that wasnât entirely fear. You nodded, fingers wrapping around the warm mug. âI get that. I just... wanted you to know Iâm sorry.â
His gaze lingered on you for a moment longer, his tusks catching the faint light as his jaw shifted. âYou meant well,â he said eventually, his tone gruff but not unkind. âItâs fine.â
The tension between you didnât entirely dissipate, but something in the air felt different. You took a deep breath, lifting the mug to your lipsâ
A sudden crash from somewhere in the house shattered the quiet, the sound sharp and violent enough to make you jump. The mug slipped in your hands, hot tea splashing onto your fingers and sending a spark of pain through you.
Before youâd even registered it, Laurent was already moving. His wings flared slightly, casting shadows across the walls as he straightened to his full height.
âStay here,â he said, his voice low and commanding.
Another sound followedâa muffled shout, unfamiliar voices carrying through the hallway. Laurentâs head snapped toward the doorway, his body tensing like a spring ready to release.
âWho the hell is that?â you whispered, your heart pounding as the voices grew louder. Laurent didnât answer. Instead, he stepped toward the door, his massive frame blocking your view as the sound of heavy footsteps echoed closer.
#exophilia fiction#exophilia#exophilia romance#monster fucker#monster boyfriend#monster romance#monster x reader#tag: mxf#tag: gargoyle#tag: sfw#tag: male monster#tag: female reader
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Help me regain my freedom
I am *this close* to being able to afford a down payment on a car. Problem is, I can't save up for that down payment when I have the previous loan still to pay off:
Read more below for the story.
Please consider donating to a disabled queer's p*ypal, v*nmo, c*shapp, and also consider commissioning me for custom paintings (more examples here and here), character art, and more! Prices can be discussed in DM, as I'm kind of flyin by the seat of my pants right now, ignore the commission prices posted on any of the linked posts.
$0/$1500
My car got totaled a few months ago and the payment from the total loss wasn't enough to pay off the rest of the loan. I can roll an old loan into a new one, yes, but the problem with that is I am unable to save up for a new down payment. That $317.64 is just under what I get paid *in a month*. I also am enrolled in debt consolidation so I can get my credit cards paid off, which is another $200 a month. I'm living quite below my means, been taking a bus to work, but I live in a household that is incredibly abusive. i do literally all of the chores, get gaslit, misgendered, and am taking care of my roommate's children because he doesn't want to bother. getting a new car will mean I won't have to rely on using his (which literally has mold growing in it because he doesn't clean it or anything up after himself or his kids) to get to work and social functions. It would also mean I could get a second job to help supplement my hours.
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my girlfriend is asking for where she can find your written works, she really likes the one post you made about your mindstate wandering w/r/t making porn stories and she'd love to support you & read your stories
Sure!
I write my (public) fiction on the website Sufficient Velocity, a sci-fi forum. Most of them are in the form of 'quests', interactive stories; my day job is an independent tabletop roleplaying game designer, so the two things go hand in hand.
I unfortunately am both very busy and kind of a mess mentally, so fiction gets picked up and dropped a lot, and I write less than ever these days due to the shambles that my life has become.
For my quests, the stuff I'm proudest of is...
Castles of Steel, a longrunning (though currently on hiatus) story set in an alternate world much like our own, but with radically different gender politics. It's about the first woman in the navy of a country a lot like 1910s Imperial Japan, and more generally about how state power and imperialism entangles itself with and recoups social progress.
A Splinter in your Mind, a retelling of the Matrix with new characters and reimagined twists and worldbuilding. It makes the trans subtext into trans dommetext, and I feel its some of my cleverest writing.
Suffer Not, and especially its sequel The Witch Lives. Suffer Not is a Warhammer 40,000 fic about an Inquisitor who abuses her powers to actually make people's lives better, and is the story of her slowly realizing it is not enough. The Witch Lives takes place ten years later, following the grown up psyker the Inquisitor adopted, and focuses much more on faith, history, and the little people.
The Spider-Liv Trilogy started as a silly and honestly kind of bad extreme-divergence spiderman AU, but its sequel The Amazing Arachne is, I think, genuinely really good, because it's about what happens when a superhero gets hurt and then doesn't get better.
I've managed to properly publish two pieces of writing, as in you can get them in book form, and I'm still really proud of both.
Whispers from the Deep is an adaptation of the quest that defined the setting of my roleplaying game Flying Circus. It's about a young woman who steals a plane and runs away from her abuser with her boyfriend, and then has to take up life as an aerial mercenary in a 1920s-themed post-apocalyptic fantasy world. Also, she's a fish person and her village is a Cthulhu cult!
Lieutenant Fusilier in the Farthest Reaches is a pastiche of the Richard Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell, moving the setting from the Napoleonic Wars to a bizarre future world where sentient, cheerfully productive robots were invented in the early 19th century and promptly took all the jobs, elevating all of humanity to the gentry and then to the stars. It's about a redcoated robot soldier who uses her immortality to save up and buy a commission in the Army of Great Britain and Beyond, a position normally occupied exclusively by humans, and then facing the fallout of her decision and the life choices leading to it as her first deployment spirals out of control. It's also, sorta, a parody of Star Trek; the Galactic Concert is a mechanized, Regency-themed Federation, and the back half of the book is basically about how the problems of a world cannot be solved by an away team of well-meaning people with stun pistols.
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Unfortunate turn of events
AFAB reader x Pantalone - NSFW (Minors DNI) Synopsys: You're in a tough spot and have terrible luck with finding jobs. Whatever might happen once you apply for a job at the Northland bank?
Warnings: Smut, Porn /w plot, public sex, hair pulling, overall just a quick smut scene w some plot
Words: 3.5K
Author's note:
This is also posted on AO3 HERE!!
this is a quick fic I wrote while bored, the *smut* scene is short and awkward so I apologize, but still enjoy!!
Minors dni!!
・ďžâ˘âę°á ⥠ŕťęąâ⢠・ďž
ÂťIâ I'll fix it.. I swear!ÂŤ
I beg and plead as the shop owner shoves me out the door. I was a good employee, I really was, I always tried my best and always put my everything into every shift. I slump down against the door and begin to sob. This job was barely enough to cover for monthly food rations.. and aside from food I needed to fix up my house and save up for new clothes. I was going to even look for a second job to cover all of my expenses but now I don't have anything! I do not even know what triggered that immediate reaction, I mean, firing me on the spot? After breaking a simple vase that the shop manager bought just a week ago? From what I overheard it wasn't even expensive!
I stand up slowly and make my way back home, head hung low in defeat. I wasn't sure what to do now, I mean.. I've got to find a job, sure, but that was harder done than said nowadays, especially at this time of the year. Snezhnaya was a cold country all year round but winters were especially harsh. I wonder how I'd survive this year, I mean my roof is busted, my water supply is running low due to my pipes freezing up thanks to my broken heating system and not to mention that one of my windows cracked. With no heating, cracked windows and a part missing roof my house was as cold as the outside and I was barely surviving. I wasn't sure what to do till I saw freshly hung posters in the town square as I passed.
'Looking for hire.'
They said, and I stepped closer, considering the idea without even checking for the publisher. I'm glad I did because my eyes almost jumped out of my skull. It would've been a death sentence to join the Fatui and there's no way I'd even consider taking up this job offer, even if my life depends on it. The Northland bank is looking for hire? Yeah no thanks..
I stumble along and head home, hugging myself tightly, already missing my warm.. well.. as warm as it can get, blanket.
________
I stare at the dry piece of bread and the already lukewarm coffee set before me on the table. Everyday is getting harder and I don't know if I'll have enough money to buy food for next week. I lean forward and rest my head into my palms, sighing loudly. I don't know what else to do, I cannot find a job and donations from doing community service aren't enough. It's getting colder each day and I have a feeling I'll freeze if I don't get my house fixed up. That's when I decide that enough is enough and stand up, grabbing my coat.
I step out into the cold and begin to venture downtown, ready to start my search. I couldn't continue on like this knowing I'll eventually starve without a stable income. I knew I'd have to get up and start looking this morning when I found another window cracked.
â
I shuffle through the thick snow, snow slowly falling from the sky. It's a beautiful sight, the sun rising behind the parting clouds coloring the sky a bright gray-orange-blue-ish color. It was barely 6:30 in the morning and I was already threading through the city, heading towards the commission's guild, knowing I could make a quick buck or two there. Then I'd head towards the community board in the city center at around 9 to check for any new posters. The idea was great and It worked out perfectly.. to a degree.
I stopped by The adventurers guild like I said I would, greeting Katheryne and wishing her a wonderful morning. I accepted two out of three commissions offered to me, seeing as the third involved fighting some Hilichurls and I wasn't very skilled with weapons. I barely used my Pryo vision and even that was when I needed a source of heat, having no other use for the darn thing. The other two commissions were the delivery type. Ivanka, a widow living on the outskirts of the city required a fresh batch of groceries delivered and Jasmine, a local florist required some fresh soil that needed to be picked up from the dock and delivered to her straight. The commissions didn't take long and I was done very quickly, before the clock even struck 9.
I made my way back towards the Adventurer's guild, waving towards Katheryne from a far.
ÂťI'm back!ÂŤ
I exclaim excitedly. Katheryne offers me a bright smile, opening her mouth to speak.
ÂťThank you for completing Today's commissions. Here is your reward.ÂŤ
I grab the pouch she holds out to me and flinch due to it's weight.
ÂťA-Ah! Thank you!ÂŤ
I grin and straighten a little then look around. People were beginning to wake up, go about their day and open up shops. I turn back to Katheryne and stare at her for a second then ask.
ÂťDo you know if anybody's offering jobs of any kind for a little income?ÂŤ
She thinks for a second then nods, giving me a reassuring smile.
ÂťWell I believe the Northland bank is still searching! Best of luck if you do choose to give it a try!ÂŤ
I freeze and look around. The Northland bank? Still? It's been a week and the spot hasn't been filled yet? There's no way I'd even get the job if no other has been able to in the past week! Still I believe there's no other choice I have.. Katheryne would've mentioned it if there were any other job offers available but I doubt there is since she hasn't mentioned anything. I slowly make my way towards the plaza hoping and praying to the Tsaritsa and any Celestial force that might hear my prayers to bless me with a job that is NOT working at the Northland bank.
I round the corner, passing by the local bakery and spot a younger girl standing by the notice board, either taking something off or nailing a poster to the board, I wasn't sure. I approach her slowly before making my presence known as to not startle her.
ÂťHey! Morning..ÂŤ
I say and she turns around to look at me then offers me a friendly smile.
ÂťMornin'ÂŤ
I now stand next to her and look over at the board confirming my suspicions. She indeed was taking a poster off, the one for the local flower shop. I tried applying for a simple cashier job there but I was too late and the place was taken before I could even ask about the offer. I sigh, spotting the last job poster on the board and my heartbeat speeds up a bit. I groan and the lady looks over at me, worriedly.
ÂťYou alright, ma'am?ÂŤ
She asks and I nod, apologizing.
ÂťIndeed, I apologize, I'm just having terrible luck looking for a job.ÂŤ
She hums, nodding.
ÂťGood luck, hey the Northland bank seems to still have an open spot? Considered checking it out?ÂŤ
ÂťI have but I doubt it's smart to get involved with the Fatui..ÂŤ
ÂťThat is true.. well best of luck!ÂŤ
She wishes me a good day and I return the kind words, watching her disappear around the block. I stare at the board. Town info, news reports, missing person posters, the board was filled with crap like that yet no job offers. I snatch the Northland bank poster, ripping it off and turn towards home, deciding that perhaps this was my last chance. I'll put on my best clothes and warmest smile and hope for the best.
_____
I stand before the large doors, shuddering at the thought that if luck's on my side today there might just be a chance I'd have to pass them every day. I take a moment to collect myself then slowly push the pine doors open, taking my first step inside. The warmth hits me in the face immediately and I stop for a moment, taking in the warm air and sweet smell. The Bank smells like a bakery would and it isn't as loud as one would think. People are speaking in hushed tones and keeping to themselves, not one dares to speak up. The place is clean, and I mean clean. Even the plants look perfect!
I step up to the front desk and the secretary looks up from the papers, giving me a warm smile.
ÂťGood afternoon! How may I help you?ÂŤ
She asks in a tone so cheery I didn't think was possible. I look around for a brief moment then back to her, forcing myself to return the gesture.
ÂťI heard you were offering a job?ÂŤ
Her cheery facade drops and she stares at me, dumbfounded. I wasn't sure whether she was about to laugh seeing as somebody like me was definitely not fit to work in a bank, or because I was ballsy enough to actually show up to the bank without hesitation and ask about the job? I mean the poster was up for a long while therefore I'm guessing nobody realllllyyy wanted to even think about taking up the offer.
ÂťM-Ma'am?ÂŤ
I stutter and freeze up when she suddenly snaps out of whatever trance she was in and her warm smile returns.
ÂťA-Apologies..! Come with me!ÂŤ
She doesn't ask for my information, for even my name nor what the job would be other than working behind a desk! She just asks me to follow after her and seeing as I hold no authority over her I do not really have the right to stop her and ask her pointless questions that have a chance of getting answered even after I follow her.
We make our way up a looped staircase onto the first floor which is connected to a balcony that overlooks the bank. Every millimeter of the bank walls is covered in golden and wooden details, gems and crystals of different kinds. Even the floor looks expensive and neatly polished. I heard that the maids get paid quite a lot and they don't have to deal with customers or any of the Fatui officials therefore I wonder how much I will get paid for doing both! I could salivate at the thought of how well I'll fix up my little house with the hard earned money but I decided to push those thoughts away seeing as there's a chance I'll jinx myself and not get the job if I think about it too hard. I focus my attention back onto the bank worker and offer her a soft smile as she opens the glass double doors for me, the ones we stopped in front of after leading me down a maze of hallways.
ÂťOne of our employers should be in right now, they'll take it over from here. Best of luck, Comrade!ÂŤ
She says and turns on her heel, leaving me alone. I take a deep breath before creaking the door open slowly, dipping one foot inside the room then following with my whole body and finally the other foot. I now stand inside the room my attention immediately falling onto the circular desk in the middle of the room. Behind it sit three ladies, all facing away from each other, a slim pillar extending outward towards the ceiling stands in the very middle. Their desk looks awfully messy and they seem to be in a rush. I step over and greet the black haired one, offering her a smile although I do not get one in return.
ÂťMake it quick please, I'm busy.ÂŤ
She chews on a piece of gum rather loudly, clicking the pen impatiently. I stutter but step closer, placing my ID onto the table.
Âť[Last name][Name], [Age], I saw you guys were looking for a secretary and was wondering whether there was any chance it was still open. I'll be honest I have no work experience in this field and don't really know what the job of a secretary involves... b-but I learn very quickly...!ÂŤ
She stares at me and sighs, shaking her head. Her demeanor went from annoyed to tired in an instant and she didn't seem so hostile anymore.
ÂťNo experience you say? Ughh... erm.. well this job requires a lot of running around and a good memory sâÂŤ
I cut her off immediately, scrambling to catch my words. She shoots me a glance but doesn't stop me.
ÂťThat's no problem, really.. ! O-Oh and I remember things quickly!ÂŤ
She nods, signalling that she indeed was listening as she writes something down.
ÂťWell you'll have to wait because we were juâÂŤ
Just as she was about to finish speaking she gets interrupted for the second time, this time not daring to look a bit annoyed. Through one of the hallways enters..
The Regator
The doors opened by Fatui Skrimishers as they escort him into the room and he sets eyes on one of the desk workers, unfortunately exactly the one I was speaking to.
ÂťYou!ÂŤ
One of the Skrimishers calls out and she yelps.
ÂťM-Me..?ÂŤ
The Skrimisher walks over, slapping a pile of reports onto her table.
ÂťGo make a copy for each and every one of these separately, now!ÂŤ
The Regator stares at us intently and she looks up at him, then at me and finally at the Skrimisher.
ÂťBut.. M-My Lord.. I was tending to this young lady, she's here for an interview..!ÂŤ
His smile twists into a large grin upon hearing those words and he finally speaks, his voice silky smooth.
ÂťWonderful, I'll take over from here.ÂŤ
He purrs and I freeze. Take over? I'll get interviewed by The Regator himself? This is a joke..
I step back towards the desk and stare at the man who takes a step closer, eyes narrowing.
ÂťChop, chop! I don't have all day.ÂŤ
He says, his tone changing immediately. He moves past us towards the back of the room where stands an impressive set of double doors which leads to another hallway. The Regator looks over his shoulder and I jump, realizing I have to follow and not just stare! We enter another expensively decorated room which seemed to serve as a waiting room. At the very far right wall stood yet another set of doors. I wonder how many this place even has. The Skrimishers open the door for the 9th and he steps inside. I hesitate for a second but just for a second as the next moment I am standing inside of the office, doors closed behind me. I was shoved inside and didn't really have a choice.
ÂťWell then? I sure don't have all day. Come on, sit.ÂŤ
His demeanor changed immediately, his smile gone and his eyes cold, staring daggers through my form. I approach slowly and pull the cushioned chair out, cringing at the sound it makes as it scrapes against the floor. I cautiously sit down and The Regator leans back, pulling out a blank form from one of his drawers.
ÂťLet's make this quick. I'll need a full name and age, address, previous work experience..ÂŤ
He continues on but I don't really listen to him, more than what not staring at the blank form. Would my picture go there? Why do they need so much information? What would happen if I just refused and got out of here. He snaps me out of my thoughts as he clears his throat.
ÂťAre you still with me?ÂŤ
He's becoming irritated.
ÂťMy apologies, My Lord.ÂŤ
ÂťAh so you can speak after all.ÂŤ
He grins, sliding me the sheet.
ÂťMake sure to be quick, we'll have to interview you properly.ÂŤ
I nod and swallow nervously as I rake my eyes over the sheet of paper. He holds out a pen, his long slender fingers adorned with all kinds of rings and jewels. He smiles, although his smile unlike the other employees' wasn't warm and welcoming, more like threatening. I return the smile awkwardly as I take the pen, focusing back on the paper. There wasn't much to fill out except for personal information. Why would my work place need my address? My previous one sure as hell did not, so why now? Well perhaps it was to mail me the check, but still I can collect it at work!
Âť[Name]..ÂŤ
He mumbles as he watches me write my name down. I look up immediately and he grins, waving me off.
ÂťIs there a problem, M-My Lord..?ÂŤ
ÂťOh don't you worry your pretty head off, nothing's wrong, continue on.ÂŤ
I hum and skip through the attention notice, then finish the task I was given. I lay the pen down and look back up. He's focused on the sheet rather intently. He reaches forward, sliding it over the desk and I freeze. Oh right, he actually has to read this. His eyes scan the page and he frowns. Oh no..
ÂťAntique shop manager? That's unfortunate.ÂŤ
ÂťIâ Is there a problem...?ÂŤ
ÂťI don't think your past work experience matches what we are looking for. Quite unfortunate I must say.ÂŤ
He sighs and stands up and my heart drops. Wait.. so I didn't get it? But..!
ÂťWâWaâ My Lord! I seriously need this job I..ÂŤ
I cannot believe I'm begging for a job I was at first hesitant to even apply for but at this point it is my last chance, the only means of survival.
ÂťOh really? Do tell me why this position should be granted to exactly you over every other person twice as experienced as you.ÂŤ
As experienced as me? For fucks sake it's just some numbers! I grit my teeth and look at him, knowing I'd regret my words immediately.
ÂťWhat every other person? As far as I've noticed I'm the only one applying for this job, no other was in line behind me!ÂŤ
His smile falls and I freeze yet again.
ÂťOh?ÂŤ
ÂťIâ WâÂŤ
He slams his hands onto the table and stands up, I gulp.
ÂťYou've got guts to bark out against a harbinger, I'll give you that.ÂŤ
I melt into my chair as I watch him round the table, staring down at my form.
ÂťNot only you decide to go against my word and my beliefs you as well try to demand things from me?ÂŤ
ÂťIâÂŤ
ÂťSo tell me, Gem. Why should a job as highly paying as this go to somebody lowly like you?ÂŤ
ÂťM-My Lord..ÂŤ
He scoffs and stops before me, leaning against the desk just two or so feet away from me. I look up and he grins widely for what feels like the 100th time, knowing I'm afraid and won't even think about acting out again.
ÂťW-Well.. a tree fell and some windows cracked.. Iâ I have been barely s-surviving...IâÂŤ
I stare at my feet, fumbling with my hands. I know there's no chance of redemption now but all I can do is pray. He hums, grabbing my face and I flinch, staring up at him in disbelief. The cold metal of his rings digs into my face and I grimace at the feeling.
ÂťI have an idea how we could fix this mishap..ÂŤ
I try to pull away but he grabs at his belt and I think I've got just the Idea.
___
He pulls at my hair, bringing my head back as I gasp for air. Tears run freely down my cheeks as I choke on his precum and my own saliva, barely catching a breath before he brings my head back down, stuffing my mouth.
ÂťYo-You knowâ haah..ÂŤ
He bites at his lips before pulling my head off again.
ÂťI usually don't do this but.. celestia.. I couldn't help myself..ÂŤ
I sob as he brings me up by my collar, chasing my mouth with his own. He groans as our lips connect, moving together furiously, melting into each other. A string of saliva connects us as he pulls away, the scene is absolutely filthy.
ÂťThe way you looked up at me.. dear Tsaritsa.. haaâÂŤ
He groans as I trace my hand up his length and attempt sink back to my knees to finish what I've started but he stops me, gripping my arm before I could. I look up at him again and he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Suddenly I'm flipped around and over his desk as he grips my hair, forcing me forward. I gasp as he grips my hips, leaning over my body.
ÂťYou know... I'm tempted to sign you up as my personal assistant right about now. You'd like that, wouldn't you?ÂŤ
He says as he slowly slides pulls my pants down, slapping my ass.
ÂťI asked you a question.ÂŤ
He grips my throat and shoves me further into the table and I cry out. His cold rings making me shiver.
ÂťY-Yes! I would love toâÂŤ
He slaps me again, this time harder before pulling my undergarments off with such force I swear to everything I own I could have heard a rip. I can hear the grin on his face as he speaks again, fingers tracing my opening.
ÂťI'm sure of it..ÂŤ
He slides his fingers inside my heat, curling them upwards and I jolt, sobbing into my hand.
ÂťWe'll have to train you then, you said you were a fast learner? Did I hear that right?ÂŤ
I simply nod but he frowns, not that I could see it, of course. He removes his fingers with a whine from my side and smacks my ass again, hard enough to leave a mark.
ÂťI expect a proper answer whenever I ask you a question.ÂŤ
ÂťY-Yes! Yeâees My Lord!ÂŤ
He grins again, rubbing the spot he just struck.
ÂťWonderful, don't you worry I'll call off my next meeting then we'll have plenty of time!ÂŤ ・ďžâ˘âę°á ⥠ŕťęąâ⢠・ďž
Written by DottoreEnjoyer69 on AO3
#pantalone x reader smut#genshin pantalone#pantalone x reader#pantalone#fatui#fatui harbingers#fatui x reader#genshin impact fatui#genshin fatui#fatui harbingers x reader#harbinger x reader#genshin harbingers#smut#genshin impact x reader#genshin impact#genshin impact imagines#genshin x reader#genshin impact fanart#genshin smut#genshin impact smut#minors dni pls
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Am I the asshole for refusing to help my friend out financially after they got a new dog even though they need financial help often and are currently in debt?
Everyone is this story is mid to late 20s.
I have a friend in America who is on social benefits. So I know they don't have a lot of money. I'm also not rich but I earn minimum wage in my country and can afford to pitch in a little sometimes which I don't mind doing generally. I'm also not a big spender at all and I'm able to save up something every month.
In the past I've helped them with buying groceries and even gave them some so they could buy a laptop for art commissions and some games. I don't mind doing that at all. When their old dog got sick I helped out as well. Since I figure some people are going to want to know, in the last 5 years I have given maybe about 2000 dollars.
They got a new dog after the old one passed, which I get. A dog can be a good companion. I did find it a little irresponsible to get a new puppy when they at the time needed several hundred dollars for rent. I told them it might be better to wait until they where no longer in debt with their landlord before getting a new dog. They told me they understood my concern but they got the puppy for free from a friend so it would not be a big deal and they would be able to feed the puppy.
I did tell them puppies can get sick and end up costing a lot more than anticipated but they told me they were willing to take that risk and I decided to not push any further. I had given my opinion and there is not much else I can do. I did tell them not to count on my help financially especially since I had some things of my own that needed fixing and they told me they understood and not to worry.
But then a few weeks later the puppy ate their medicinal weed, which for some reason was within reach of a puppy, and had to get it's stomach pumped and stay overnight at the vet clinic for a few nights.
They came to me and asked if I could help out with the bill and how they would pay me back in part. The bill was over 4000 dollars. I told them sorry but no I can't. First of all, I don't even have that much, I'd have to take out a loan. Second, I warned them this could happen and that I would not be able to help out financially. They seemed a little pissed at that but I just thought it was because of the stress of the situation. They said they would try and get the funds elsewhere and asked me to share it around, which I did.
Unfortunately they didn't manage to get enough to pay the vet and ended up having to give the puppy to a shelter. It's a cute and calm pup so I have no doubt it will be adopted out quickly but it's still sad and I do feel for my friend. But now I'm being blamed for it. I've been getting several angry messages from mutual friends about how I'm the reason my friend lost their emotional support and how I'm the reason they are having a breakdown and suicidal thoughts.
I feel really badly for my friend but I also don't think it's fair to put the blame on me. The reaction from my online friend group makes me feel like I'm missing something that does make me the asshole.
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Too Sweet Ch. 4
Ch: (1) (2) (3) (5)
Harvey x Gn reader
Summary: you stumble upon Harvey leaving Carolineâs dance aerobics class and startle him. He accidentally drops his dumbbells on your foot and has to patch you up <3
Word count: 1.6
A/n: vhs because in my heart stardew is set in the 90s. Also he can lift you because his dance aerobics class is WORKING OKAY lmaooo I just thought it was cute đĽ°
You woke up groggy, regretting the decision to pack light when you moved to the Valley. You missed your coffee maker. You desperately wanted to roll over, to pull the sheets back over your head and sleep for just 5 more minutes. But you knew yourself well enough that 5 minutes would turn into 20. You had animals to feed and crops to tend to. You dragged yourself out of bed and rubbed the sleep from your eyes before sliding your feet into your work shoes. Getting dressed could wait, you decided.
The summer air was muggy and you knew that sooner rather than later your clothes would start to stick and your hair would start to frizz. You let the animals out to graze and deftly avoided stepping on any chickens while you made your way over to the new barn you'd commissioned from Robin. A small calf poked her head out of the barn door and mooed. âGood morning to you too, Daisy.â You gave her a gentle pet on the head and she nuzzled back affectionately.
The barn and the calf had drained the last of your money. Youâd have to sell directly to Pierre today if you wanted cash to buy any more seeds. You dressed for the day and headed back outside to assess what you could sell. Youâd managed to craft some rudimentary sprinklers after finding a book full of blueprints your grandfather had left behind. It saved watering time, but you still had to harvest everything manually. You arranged a large basket full of everything you could part with before heading into town.
The bell on the door rang as you walked into the general store. Pierre greeted you as you set the large basket on the counter. âYouâre selling today?â
âI need more seeds and tomorrowâs Wednesday.â It wasnât technically a lie. You just omitted the fact that you were flat broke as well.
âWell Iâm happy to help out. Itâll be great to have some fresh from the farm produce to offer.â Pierre took his time examining the goods youâd brought, carefully placing each item on the counter and punching numbers into his calculator. You made idle chit chat as the women from Carolineâs dance aerobics class began to file out into the store. You told Marnie that the calf was settling in just fine, thanked Robin again for her hard work on your barn. Emily told you what she was getting Gus for his birthday and overheard Jodi ask Caroline what she should make for dinner. You heard Pierre announce your total and you exchanged most of your meager earnings for seeds, pocketing the rest. You were turning to leave when you saw one more person enter the store from the house. Was thatâŚ. Harvey?
You rubbed your eyes thinking you might have made a mistake, but this town was small and that was definitely the local doctor standing there. He held a pair of small dumbbells, and you noticed sweatbands on his wrists and forehead. He wore a pair of small shorts and a t-shirt boasting what you assumed was his alma mater. You walked over to say hello and tapped him playfully on the shoulder. Harvey spun around, seemingly frightened by the unexpected touch. He dropped the dumbbells in surprise and you felt them land directly on your foot. You swore and jumped back, hopping on your good foot.
âIâm so sorry!â You both shouted in unison, apologizing to the other for different things. âI didnât mean to startle you-â
âYour foot!â
âI think itâs okay really. I should head home.â
âYou should let me examine it. The clinic is next door.â Harveyâs face displayed genuine concern, and you were secretly worried that your foot was broken. You relented, hoping the injury wasnât going to impact your farm work. You turned around to head outside and winced as soon as you put pressure on the bad foot. You inhaled sharply and tried to find a way to walk. Harvey took notice of your efforts and wrapped one arm around your waist while draping one of yours across his shoulders. âLet me help you.â
Youâd never been this close. You felt your face flush and hoped he wouldnât notice. The act of chivalry seemed to come so naturally to him. You made your way to the clinic slowly, relishing the feeling of his arm on your waist. Harvey helped you through the doors of the clinic, allowing you to sit down on a bench in his waiting room. âThank youâ you whispered as you adjusted your positioning.
âItâs the least I could do. I canât apologize enough for what happened. Now letâs take a look.â Harvey was especially gentle as he knelt in front of you; He unlaced your shoes, sliding off the sock of the injured foot. He pursed his lips as he examined you.
âIâm sorry I startled you. I just wasnât expecting to see you today; at least not in Carolineâs group.â
âYou need to stop apologizing.â Harvey fell silent for a moment, contemplating his next words. âI joined as a way to try and stay active. Iâm not as young as I once was; itâs getting harder to stay In shape.â His face had a hint of flush to it as he spoke. You wouldnât dream of saying it, but you found it incredibly endearing. You also couldnât help but let your eyes wander. Harvey typically wore slacks and blazers. You trailed your vision down the lines of his arms and imagined running your fingers over the veins. His legs had a considerable amount of hair and you traced it as it disappeared under the hem of his shorts. His physique reminded you of someoneâs dad, you could picture him wearing socks and sandals and denim shorts while he stood behind a grill.
âI think itâs nice that youâre making the decision to do whatâs healthy. And all the women in that group are really nice. Caroline gives me some tea leaves from the bushes in her sunroom. You picked good friends.â
âThank you. Can you promise me you wonât tell anyone else, though? Word spreads fast in small towns. Iâm not ready for everyone to know about this.â His face flushed deeper, a clear shade of red now.
âI promise.â You extended your arm toward him and stuck out the pinky on your hand. âI pinky swear it.â Harvey chuckled and smiled at you before hooking his own pinky in yours and shaking hands.
Turning his focus back to your door he frowned as he felt around it gently. Even the soft touches hurt and you hissed quietly when he hit an especially sore spot. He prompted you through rotations and flexes before rising to his feet. âThe good news is itâs not broken. But itâs bruised pretty badly. The swelling should go down significantly in a couple hours and you should be able to work on it tomorrow. But you need to stay off it for the rest of the day if you want it to heal. Iâll wrap it for you in a second, but you should probably ice and elevate it as well.â
The doctor disappeared behind the doors and you heard the sounds of drawers and cupboards opening and closing. You sighed and shook your head while you tried to stop the montage of scenes from today from replaying in your mind. Images of Harvey in athletic shorts, his smile as he linked pinkies, how his hands felt on you, and the look on his face when he saw you in Pierreâs swirled around your brain. Your daydreams were interrupted when Harvey emerged holding materials to wrap your foot. He worked deftly, the years of experience showing as he wrapped the fabric around you in record time. He let out a small sigh as he finished.
âYouâre all set. However as your doctor I am strongly recommending that you donât try to walk home on that foot yet. You could delay your recovery and risk further damage. Now as your friend, Iâm proposing that you can come upstairs and watch a movie to stay off your feet.â
âI donât think I can climb the stairsâŚâ
âLeave it to meâ Harvey leaned forward and swept you into his arms in one smooth motion, holding you bridal style. You gasped as your legs dangled in the air and giggled as he began to ascend the stairs carrying you. You leaned in closer, seizing the opportunity to press yourself against his chest. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he finagled the door to his apartment open. You breathed in deeply through your nose, trying to hold onto his scent before he set you down on his couch. He pulled his coffee table closer to the couch to allow you to rest and elevate your foot.
The doctor strode to a shelf near the tv that held an extensive collection of VHS tapes. He hummed as he browsed through the titles before selecting one. He popped the tape into the VCR. He settled onto the couch next to you, close enough that you could feel the fabric of his t-shirt against your arm. The movie was in black and white, definitely a classic. âI put in The Zuzu City Express. Itâs one of my favoritesâ Harvey explained almost sheepishly. You hadnât picked him as a film buff.
You tried to focus on the film, but the truth is you were exhausted from the stressful day. Harveyâs arm was draped across the back of the couch. You let your head fall onto his shoulder. He made no effort to move you, no indication that the action was unwanted. You relaxed and a yawn escaped. Your eyelids grew heavier as you tried harder to pay attention to the movie. Harveyâs arm moved to rest across the back of your neck, his hand falling on your shoulder as you drifted off.
#stardew fanfiction#stardew valley fanfiction#harvey x farmer#harvey x reader#sdv harvey#sdv fanfic#stardew valley fanfic#harvey fluff#harvey stardew valley#my writing
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feeling incredibly averse to posting this but i'm just gonna drop my kofi link here in case anyone wants to help me get out of my increasingly shitty situation living with my parents
more info below ig
after having given my parents nearly $100k over the last four years, i'd love to be able to actually leave. my future job situation is still up in the air (i've submitted for about a dozen positions and the only one i've heard back from and interviewed for hasn't gotten back to me yet), and i haven't been able to build up any savings because, again, i was (and still am) helping my family afford rent and bills, and probably the taxes my parents are behind on, but if i think about that, i'll get too angry. no joke, i've given my family, at the bare minimum, 85% of my income over the last 4 years. the rest of it has gone toward medical stuff and, now, my car
at this point, with the combo of my mom refusing to lower her standards and my dad's seeming refusal to hunt for a new full time job, i don't see how they won't continue to bleed me dry. my dad even has a bad habit of taking money out of my old savings account that he's a joint owner on or whatever from when i got it set up when i was 16, even when i stopped actively putting money in it, so now any time it gets its automated $1 transfer from my checking account, he'll just take that $1 without consulting me. i'm not exaggerating, even if it has $1-2 in it, it'll be gone within a week
i've even put off starting on testosterone because of this. i wanted to start it like 3 years ago, but kept putting it off because of money issues and wanting to save as much as possible. i got really close to actually starting it this year, but because of how messy everything is, i put it off again bc having one more thing on my plate, especially when my parents are already weird about me being trans, was not something i wanted to deal with
not to mention, we're still currently not living under a lease in our house that we're, as far as i'm aware, still tens of thousands of dollars behind in rent on (again, my dad refuses to disclose our financial position honestly with any of us) and it's developed many, many issues bc the landlord, even before we were behind on rent, is shit and refuses to actually fix anything. and my dad loves to just ignore things unless we beg him to do something
i'd love to be on my own (in the, much more affordable, midwest) by the end of summer. i by no means want to rely on donations and i have other avenues i'm working with to make money (i still have my current full time job, but i'm going through my old belongings and selling a lot online), but i'll take any help i can get atp because i'm truly at my wits end. i'd start doing art commissions again if i could, but doing that from 2020-2022, partially on top of my full time job, absolutely wrecked my right hand and i'm still in enough pain that i can't make it a regular activity
idk how much else there is to say. there's more i could say but... i don't really wanna air all my dirty laundry here. i'm miserable in so many ways and it's just become increasingly clear that my dad expects me to constantly cover his ass. my younger brother gives money too, but he manages to go on big cross-country and overseas trips with friends, so i think i've been stuck with the burden of giving the most money. there's so many more things going on in the world rn and everyone is stretched thin so i don't expect much, or anything, but. idk. might as well throw it out there, right?
iâve also since taken down the gfm i set up last year when we got our first eviction notice bc, while we still need the money, i donât feel right keeping it up for multiple reasons, including âi donât want to give any of that money to my familyâ and it feels too⌠serious to keep it up when i could just throw out my kofi instead
i just want to make sure i have some sort of safety net to catch me if i move before anything job-wise is finalized. i need to be able to afford a place to live for at least a month so i can job-search while physically being in the area i wanna move to, which would ultimately make it easier for me to find a job at all. i'm working on being more firm with giving less money so i can actually have the means to move and be safe and comfortable, but... that never lasts long in this house
anyway. that's it, i guess. thanks for reading
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Itâs that time of the year again. What are some of your favorite smuts released in 2023?
Monday of Appreciation: Part 104
Hello everyone, Smite here!
2023 is coming to a close and it's been quite the year, a mixture of "this is a bridge year for greater things to come" and "WE LIVIN' NOW MF!" What is a bit different this year is that the highs weren't as high and the lows weren't as low compared to previous years---maybe that is just me getting older, maybe it's hindsight. Either way, I'm good and this year was good.
But some things are more than just good. I'm of course talking about these writers and their stories that I have featured today. All of them deserve special mention, but I want to focus on two of them specifically.
In a year of great, fantastic and already legendary fics, these two stand out.
Without further ado, let's dive into the final MoA of this year:
-1-
@fanfiction4sooya: Can't Save You Now ft. Chaewon, Kazuha, Sakura
I- I- I just read the damn tags and new I one day had to give this a shot. ff4sooya has crazy ideas, futa galore, different dynamics and kinks, which is SO MY THING. This has Mommy and Daddy involved in an absurd (and absurdly hot) threesome that I couldn't take my eyes off.
Now I definitely need to read more and you should too because I bet there are a bunch of Masterpieces in that long Masterlist!
-2-
@iznsfw: Drunken ft. Olivia Hye
Is it really a Monday of Appreciation post without IZ?
Seriously, what this genius is able to cook up in a commission or in the currently ongoing (HYPE) IZ DAYS OF CHRISTMAS is absolutely incredible. We have long stories with in depth characters and love drama that ends not only smuttily but sweetly. Who the fuck needs books, when you can just binge IZ?
With "Drunken", they have once again hit it out of the FUCKIING park. There is never enough Daddy kink fics, yes, but mine seem like nonsensical cringe porn compared to this beauty of a piece. I love how it plays with my heart, no I'm not crying---okay, now that is hot.
Let me change that: there is three very fucking special stories today!
(I think this might even be better than Levi's Hyeju, wtf)
-3-
@cataboliac: Enkindle ft. Wendy
Firstly: I LOVE YOU CATA, BIG QT!
Secondly: "Enkindle" feels a bit like coming home, like a day in Paradise, like the one person that shines so bright in your life that you don't want it to go. And you know, that is the great thing: this might be Cata's final fic, the farewell, but not only is his life gonna be great and he'll be super happy - we also get to read this again and again, and I'm sure I will one day.
Thank you, Cata, for hanging around!
Thirdly: I'M GONNA KISS YOU, CATA!
-4-
@writerpeach: Delectation ft. Wonyoung, Yujin
1.000 Notes, and it's still not enough for what is my pick for fic of the year (FOTY? FOOTY? There is a scene like that, yep). IZ*ONE truly never dies, but it is IVE and these absolute super stars, bomb shells with flawless faces and different, yet irresistible bodies that have us in a frenzy.
Talking about frenzy, all those 30,699 words are a frenzy. I thought Peach would set it up with a long and painful tease that has us edging the entire time BUT NOPE this has so much fucking smut, so many lines of neediness and horniness, it is impossible to finish in one try or two tries or... I dunno, seven-hundred tries?
It's detailed, it's straight forward, it's sex from every fucking angle, I can never get tired of this. I will go so far and say this is Peach's magnum opus, the GOAT fic by the GOAT writer. At least for that day, I can say this without a doubt.
Peach, you are crazy and thank you for that <3
#PeachPavedTheWay #AnnyeongzForDaddy
#kpop smut#female idol smut#girl group smut#ive smut#izone smut#male reader insert#male reader#idol x idol smut#red velvet smut#wendy smut#loona smut#loosemble smut#olivia hye smut#hyeju smut#wonyoung smut#chaewon smut#yujin smut#sakura smut#le sserafim kazuha smut
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Go Easy | Sam Winchester Oneshot
Summary: Samâs hiding a part of himself from his new, inexperienced girlfriend, but maybe he doesnât have to.Â
Rating: 18+ (Smut)
Tags: teasing, flirting, mentions of virginity, mentions of liking younger women, angst, mentions of BDSM, Dom/sub vibes, mild BDSM, bondage, fingering, p in v
WC: Âą 2.8K A/Ns: This was commissioned by someone who would like to remain anonymous! Hope you like it!
Sam Winchester Masterlist
âSo, how did you two meet again?âÂ
Thereâs a sparkle in Deanâs green eyes that Sam knows only too well means that Dean hasnât forgotten at all, and heâs only asking the question for one reason; to tease the living fuck out of him.Â
âUrm, at the college library,â Y/N replies softly, clearing her throat and offering his brother a polite smile as she reaches for her glass of wine.Â
âOf course you did,â Dean chuckles, âso youâre one of these brainy young professors too?âÂ
âUrrâŚâ Y/N glances nervously at him, and Sam knows itâs his turn to step in and save her.Â
âNo, actually, Y/N is a student,â Sam needlessly reminds his brother, unashamedly.Â
The smirk instantly curls over Deanâs lips as he chuckles, shaking his head. âA student, Sammy? Youâve been working there for two months and youâre already sleeping with the students, why am I not surprised?âÂ
Samâs brow instantly pulls into a frown as he shakes his head. âNo, itâs not like that, De,â he protests, looking over to see Y/N is also confused by Deanâs comment.Â
âWhat does he mean?â she asks, blinking at him.Â
âNothing,â Sam insists. âHeâs just being an ass.âÂ
Dean continues to chuckle, reaching for his beer and taking a long swig before swallowing hard and licking his lips. âListen, we can just address the elephant in the room, okay?â he grins, looking between them.Â
âDean, no,â Sam warns, hoping his brother will realise he is barking up the wrong tree completely right now and will back off.Â
âOh câmon, Sammy, we shared a bedroom wall long enough for me to know what youâre into. Youâre hardly shy about it. And weâre all adults here⌠at leastâŚâ his eyes land back on Y/N, and Samâs jaw clenches.Â
âJesus, Dean, sheâs more than legal,â Sam grunts, wishing his legs were just a few inches longer so he could kick his brother under the table.Â
âRelax, Iâm teasing you both,â Dean laughs easily, lounging back in his chair with his beer in hand.Â
Sam glares over at his older brother for a moment, before looking across at Y/N to make sure sheâs okay. She seems a little flustered, but before he can reach out to take her hand in hopes of relaxing her a little, she rises to her feet and softly excuses herself. Sam watches her leave, heading towards the bathroom, and then turns his attentions back to his brother.Â
âSeriously, dude?â he huffs. âNow she probably thinks Iâm some pervert.âÂ
âWell, from what Iâve heardââÂ
âDean, Iâm serious,â Sam interrupts.Â
âOh, câmon Sammy, youâre not exactly quiet about your⌠tastes,â Dean argues, smirking slightly. âIâm just saying that sheâs exactly the kind of girl I thought youâd date.âÂ
âItâs not like that, De,â Sam protests, ânot with her.âÂ
Dean cocks an eyebrow as if he doesnât believe him. âSo youâre telling me youâre not dating a younger woman whoâs all quiet and reserved because sheâs exactly the kind of girl who obeys your every command?â he mocks.Â
âSheâs not like that,â Sam continues to argue, and he thinks maybe Dean is finally believing him, because a small frown pulls on his brow.
âWait⌠really? This isnât one of your⌠kinky things?âÂ
âNo, Dean,â Sam scoffs, still amused by Deanâs naivety even after all this time. Samâs tried on more than one occasion to educate his brother on the lifestyle, but Dean couldnât be further from Sam when it comes to things like this. âWeâre actually dating, sheâs actually my girlfriend,â he explains. âMy very inexperienced girlfriend youâve probably completely freaked out, so thanks for that.âÂ
âInexperienced?â Dean blinks, but then another cheeky smile lights up his face. âSammy, you dirty dog!âÂ
âDeanââÂ
âWell, in my defense, dude, you donât date much.âÂ
âYou didnât think it was weird Iâd asked you to meet her?â Sam questions.Â
âI donât know what happens between you and these girls,â Dean protests, shrugging. Heâs quiet for a moment, but then he seems to get a little more serious, playing with his beer bottle. âSo, is she open to what you like, orâŚâ
Sam can tell that itâs a genuine question, so he doesnât roll his eyes or complain, instead he takes a deep breath and decides to answer honestly. âI doubt it, weâve never talked about it.âÂ
âSo youâd pack it all in for her?â he asks next. âDo you like her enough to do that?â
âYeah, I think I would,â Sam nods honestly.Â
âWell then, Iâm sorry dude, didnât mean to freak her out.âÂ
Sam looks towards the door leading down the hallway towards the bathroom and takes a deep breath. âIâm sure sheâs fine,â he tells his brother, realising heâs only trying to convince himself more than Dean.Â
Y/N has been even more quiet than usual as they clean up after dinner. With Dean now gone, Sam was hoping sheâd be a little more confident, like heâd noticed her becoming in the recent weeks, but she doesnât say much as she clears away plates and carries them out into the kitchen, placing them alongside the sink. He watches her begin to run the hot tap, filling the sink up with warm, soapy water, and leans in the doorway just observing for a moment or two, wondering how heâs going to approach this.Â
âHey, let me do that, itâs my place,â he protests, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her middle.Â
âItâs fine,â she insists softly. Sam places a soft kiss to the back of her head, and he watches as her movements slow and she clears her throat. âSam, what did your brother mean when he said heâs not surprised that Iâm a student?âÂ
âNothing,â Sam half lies. âHe was just being an older brother and trying to embarrass me.âÂ
âSo youâve not been with other students?â she checks, turning herself around and stepping out of his embrace to face him.Â
âNo, not since I was a student myself,â he tells her honestly this time.Â
âStudents your own age?â she asks next, almost challengingly.Â
âPretty much,â he nods. âY/N, Iâm not into young girls or anything,â he laughs awkwardly. âThereâs not even ten years between us, itâs not about that for me. Look⌠can we just forget the whole dinner, please?â he pleads, already exasperated.Â
Sheâs been spooked enough for one night, she doesnât need to hear all about Samâs twisted, kinky fetishes too. Heâs kept those a secret for a reason. He didnât know it when he first started dating her, but Y/N had been a virgin before they met, and he could still count on one hand how many times theyâve had sex. If he was ever going to show her that side of him, it wouldnât be now.Â
âSo youâre not into young virgin girls?â she asks bluntly, blinking at him.Â
âNo, absolutely not,â Sam protests immediately, the very implication making his skin crawl. âFirstly, I didnât even know you were a virgin when we met. Secondly, youâre twenty two, youâre not even a teenager anymoreââÂ
âOkay,â Y/N interrupts. âIâm sorry I didnât mean to accuse you of being a perv or anything, I just⌠when Dean said he knows what youâre intoâŚâÂ
âHe didnât mean that,â Sam tries to explain.Â
âThen what did he mean?â she presses, blinking at him again.Â
Sam sighs heavily, not sure he can answer that honestly if he wants to keep her in the dark about his fantasies and desires.Â
âIs it bad? Is that why you wonât tell me?â she implores.Â
âNo, itâs not bad,â he argues weakly, shaking his head. âI just donât wanna freak you out, I know youâre new to all this.âÂ
âMaybe physically, but one of the perks to being late in the game means Iâve done a lot of research,â Y/N admits coyly. âSo Iâm not as naive as you think.â Samâs eyebrows rise at her implication. âJust tell me, Sam, please?â she begs softly, a lot more seriously than before.Â
Sam huffs a breath and licks his lips for a second, gathering his thoughts.Â
âUsually, I like a certain⌠dynamic in the bedroom,â he tries to explain briefly. âBut, I would never expect that from you, so Iâve never brought it up. Iâm fine with the way things are between us,â he rushes to add for reassurance.Â
âWhat kind of dynamic?â Y/N asks, seeming to ignore the second half of his comment.Â
âUrm⌠me in charge⌠in control⌠yâknow, pain for pleasure kind of thing,â he admits, feeling his cheeks heating up at his admission. Normally heâs a lot more sure of himself, oozing confidence as he explains exactly how he expects it to go down between him and the girl heâs about to fuck. But Y/N is different, and he doesnât want her running for the hills because of this.Â
âSo BDSM stuff?â she clarifies, biting her bottom lip.Â
âYeah, that stuff,â he nods. âSo are you freaked out?â he asks, unable to stop himself.Â
Y/N doesnât answer at first, she just stares at him and swallows hard, and Samâs pretty sure sheâs about to break up with him, leave and never come back. But what actually happens takes him off guard, as his eyes follow her as she drops to her knees at his feet and settles into a kneeling position, looking up at him through her lashes.Â
âWhat⌠What are you doing?â he stammers out, afraid that maybe she feels like she has to do this for him.Â
âSomething like this?â she checks.Â
âYou donât have toââÂ
âYou donât think I donât know exactly what you want⌠Sir?â she asks softly, a tiny smirk beginning to spread over her lips.Â
Instantly Samâs cock begins to harden behind his jeans. Itâs been a while since heâs seen a girl on her knees at his feet, and while he hears people call him Sir a lot thanks to his job, it feels so different hearing it come from her lips in that tone.Â
âA-are you sure?â Sam checks sincerely for a moment.Â
She doesnât reply to begin with, she just reaches out, softly running her hand up his leg, over his thigh and towards the now obvious bulge in his pants.Â
âLike I said, Iâve done my research, I know what I like the look of,â she explains, her hand now cupping his cock through the denim, making Samâs head a little foggier. âI wanna know if itâs as good as it looks, I want you to teach me,â she purrs, blinking at him seductively. âJust go easy on me?âÂ
Sam reaches forward, cupping the side of her face. âIâve got you, baby girl,â he confirms, feeling her lean into his touch. âIâll guide you through it.âÂ
Your POV
Holy fuck.Â
Samâs teeth drag down your throat, his large hands finally releasing your wrists above your head, smoothing down your arms.Â
âLeave them there,â he growls against your skin, his hands now finding your breasts, fondling them for a moment or two before reaching around your waist, pulling you closer to him. You moan, arching your back into him, your hands finding his long hair so you can card your fingers through it. âI said, leave them there,â Sam growls, instantly pinning your hands above your head once more. âDonât make me tie them up.âÂ
Just the very thought of him tying you to the bed, making you completely at his mercy makes your insides flutter with even more arousal that pools between your bare legs.Â
âPlease do,â you find yourself gasping, your brain foggy with arousal and desperation.Â
âYouâd like that, hm?â he smirks, leaning back to look at you. âYouâd like me tying you up, using you however I want?â You instantly nod, desperate for just that. âUse your words, baby girl⌠always use your words with me,â he commands.Â
âY-yes I want that,â you confirm verbally.Â
âSir,â he adds for you.Â
âSir,â you also add, breathlessly. Youâd always liked the idea of calling a guy Sir in the bedroom, but you never thought it would be this much of a turn on.
You watch him climb off of you, now standing at the foot of his bed as he reaches down for his jeans on the floor, and without taking his eyes off of you, he grabs the belt still in the loops and pulls it free. The sight is near enough orgasmic as you once again arch your back and moan, desperate for some attention between your legs.Â
Sam uses the tail of his belt to trail up your body, leaving goosebumps in its wake as you squirm underneath him.Â
âMaybe one day we can use this for something a little more entertaining,â he ponders, a wicked smirk curling over his lips. âBut for now, we can make good use of it in other ways.âÂ
You feel him wrap the leather around both your wrists, and with only a few tugs, you find yourself bound to the headboard, unable to move your hands very far; unable to touch him anymore. And suddenly, you want nothing more. His cock is hard and practically dripping with precum on your thigh, and you want to wrap your hand around it, to give him some relief. But he seems unfazed by the lack of attention itâs receiving, instead focused on your body, and the way itâs writhing underneath him.Â
His hazel eyes scan over what feels like every single inch, and he hums in appreciation, his hands beginning to ghost over your skin. When his touch begins to trail lower than your belly button, you find your legs widening as if to encourage him between them. He seems to oblige without any further teasing, which youâre grateful for, because youâre not sure how much longer you can take this. Your head feels like itâs going to explode. Being at someoneâs mercy is so much better than it had been in your head all those times youâd gotten yourself off to the fantasy, or touched yourself to those videos you used to be so ashamed about liking.Â
âSomeoneâs wet,â he notes, a smug grin on his lips at the fact. âYouâre enjoying this arenât you?âÂ
You nod desperately, bucking your hips against his fingers, feeling him rub your clit as you begin to moan.Â
âYes, Sir,â you rush to confirm, just about mustering enough sanity to remember to use your words like heâd commanded.Â
âIf you like this, wait until I train you to be the perfect little slut for me,â he growls, and you gasp for air as his fingers push inside you with his words, your head spinning with the mixture of the sensation and the very thought of his words. âThis body is perfect, and itâs all mine, isnât it?â he asks, his eyes landing on yours.Â
âAll yours, Sir,â you confirm, breathlessly. âPlease⌠please fuck me,â you find yourself begging, unable to take much more. You just want to feel him inside you; itâs a feeling youâve grown to love, and you only wish youâd have met him sooner.Â
âThatâs not how you beg,â Sam growls, curling his fingers and making you cry out in pleasure. âAsk nicely, or I wonât fuck you at all.âÂ
âPlease, Sir. Please will you fuck me? I need you to fuck me, please.âÂ
âThatâs better,â Sam hums, removing his fingers and stroking his cock, slicking it with your juices from his fingers. âSuch a good girl, I can tell youâre going to do so well,â he praises.Â
He leans over you, teasing the tip of his cock through your arousal, softly pressing against your opening as he chuckles at your desperation. You buck your hips in hopes that heâll slide deeper, but he holds back, smirking almost evilly down at you, clearly relishing in just what heâs driven you to.Â
âPlease, Sir,â you beg one last time, barely audible through your gasps for breath.Â
Sam leans down, bringing his mouth close to your ear, his cock still only just inside you. âI love the way that sounds on your lips,â he breathes out, his cock throbbing as if to prove his point. âI canât wait to show you exactly how I like it.â And just the thought of this getting even better, has you on the edge.
#go easy#commission#sam winchester#sam x reader#dom!sam x sub!reader#smut#lemon#oneshot#angst#spn fanfic#jared padalecki#negans-lucille-tblr
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would love to know 9, 15 and 10 of the ship asks for Hornblower/Bush!
Ask, and ye shall receive!
9. âŚwhat my ideal endgame for them is.
The sequel I never wrote for "Until Death or England Do Us Part", in which they are serving as Commodore and Flag Captain while crankily, fussily married. Hornblower is intolerable as a husband, petty and sniping and refusing to show anything that might be construed as favoritism toward his husband (and you know by "favoritism" he means "affection"), while Bush is all, "You have my utmost loyalty and obedience as an officer, and of course I love you no matter how insufferable you are, but don't expect me to warm your bed while you behave like that." And just about the time that Bush has managed to drill it through Hornblower's thick skull that he can show some affection and even express an apology without the world coming to an endâŚ
âŚHornblower comes down with cholera, and Bush, for the sake of the service, has to abandon him in Riga.
Come spring, he resigns his posting to the Nonsuch so that he can hitch a ride on the Clam back to Riga, either to nurse Hornblower or to bury him, he doesn't know which -- and then of course Hornblower finds out he gave up his posting to the Nonsuch and reads him the riot act (like HELL the Admiralty is going to give you another ship after that!), and Bush openly weeps because he's so goddamn relieved to have his cranky, crotchety, insufferable husband back.
And the two of them go on like that until the end of the war (Hornblower does manage to get Bush another ship), and then when the Napoleonic wars end, they go work for an upstart republican navy in South America and do it all over again.
Until the morning comes that Bush is too arthritic to relish the shipboard life, at which point Hornblower decides fuck this for a game of soldiers and they resign their commissions and retire to Naples, where the Code Napoleon is still in effect and thus homosexuality is still legal, and the two of them companionably row into their sunset years, watching the sun rise behind Vesuvius while they eat sfogliatelle and drink sweet coffee and bicker about the nature of happiness.
Except for the times that Hornblower is compelled to meddle with the shipping down in the harbour, he and Bush saving the day through cleverness and wit and sheer grit one last timeâŚ
15. âŚhow I wish their story would go/would have gone.
During that two days leave in Kingston, early in the time they knew each other, they fucking admit to each other how sweet they are on the other, how they yearn for the other's admiration and approbation, and, yes, they fuck about it.
And while both are manfully resigned to nothing coming of it -- Hornblower has his new command, after all, and Bush his bedbugs to battle -- they know. And so when fate tips them into each other's arms again in Portsmouth six months later, it's the beginning of a very restrained, very discreet, on-again-off-again situationship that shapes both their lives. Maybe Hornblower is still foolish enough to get married to Maria. (He has an idea that it will bring some safety to he and Bush, if he can demonstrate his heterosexuality with a wife and children, whereas Maria wants to get out of her mother's boardinghouse and start a life and family of her own. Bush thinks this marriage idea is the greatest foolishness he's ever heard of, but he's prepared to suffer it if he and Maria can come to an understanding. They do. And in time, something more than an understanding.) But all three of them go into it with their eyes wide open, and when grief comes to visit the little Hornblower family, Bush cries more freely than Hornblower can.
And the whole situationship sometimes gets stiff and weird and awkward (because Hornblower is stiff and weird and awkward), but it's also the easiest and most-right thing either of them has ever done, and even if they agree (from an excess of practicality) to break it off when Hornblower gets promoted into a different ship without Bush, they each keep faith with the other even in the off times.
It all ends at Caudebec, of course. Every relationship ends: either you split up or one of you dies (or both of you die), and everyone knows that life in the service consists of many partings. But they had loved each other before the end, loved each other as best as they knew how. And it was imperfect and flawed and far too short, but what love isn't? Hornblower builds his pyramid of skulls to Bush's memory, and he lets himself weep.
He's never the same after that. But why should he be the same? Loving Bush, and being loved by Bush, changed him. Mostly he tries not to think of Bush; mostly he succeeds. But through custom and experience, during his time with Bush he learned to be a little more demonstrative, a little more open to the softer emotions. And while Richard has no real memories of Bush, Bush still has a lasting legacy in the relationship that Richard has with his father. As Richard leaves the easy affection of babyhood behind, grows into the awkwardness of his teenage years, Hornblower never quite retreats into the stiff formality of so many fathers. He once learned how to love and be loved, and those lessons serve him well with Richard.
And what better legacy can a man have?
10. âŚrate the level of stupid they reach in their pining.
Bush is eminently sensible in his pining. He can't have Hornblower and he knows he can't have Hornblower, and so that's the end of it. He sublimates all his pining into service, and that is very nearly enough for him. (And as for that last gap between what he can have and what he wants? Well, what of it? The sea is made of tears, and grows saltier every day.)
Which is just as well, for Hornblower manages to incorporate AT LEAST two peoples' worth of stupid into his own practice. He could have everything he wanted if he just opened his mouth and asked for it. But will he? No, he will not. Hell, he won't even admit to himself that he wants it. He'll just pine and yearn and every day die a little more inside, and steadfastly refuse to admit to any of it. Not even to himself, not even in the very deepest dark of night, lying awake and torturing himself with the mystery of why he'll never be happyâŚ
#horatio hornblower#william bush#hotspur husbands#hornblower#why yes you saw a lost honour reference or three flitting by#until death or england do us part#hornblower's lost honour#and a couple other stories I never quite wrote#long post#ship manifesto
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Online & Anonymous 1/16
Hangster. Explicit. (2.5k chapter) Years before they meet in person Bradley and Jake strike up a friends-with-benefits relationship online. And then something more like an actual relationship.
A predominantly epistolary fic set in a world where papers were pulled and events of TGM will take place and DADT exists until it is repealed at the end of 2011.
The website they begin chatting on is called 'Jake', which was a site that existed back in the early 2000s. (It was too good an opportunity to miss).
Odd year = Bradely's POV and Even year = Jake's POV
>>Bradley chatting (bold and italics)
>>Jake chatting (italics)
Many thanks to @celandinebergerac, @phisworld14, @redfurrycat and @nevergettingoverit for being my sounding boards as I hashed this out.
2005 â Bradley
               Bradley refuses to be grateful about his years at college. Going the ROTC route has meant heâs likely had a wider exposure to certain elements than if heâd gone to USNA but he still doesnât understand why Pete pulled his papers, or why Tom let him, but theyâre his past now. He has a new family, his fellow classmates and the online message boards he found when he was exploring. Heâs got them in his corner no matter where he goes in the world now, his own private little cheering squad. Of course heâs been lonely in the holidays, but heâs made do. Usually working to earn money to see him through the next semester.
               One thing he has saved and scrimped for is a laptop. A personal laptop that he can use to keep in touch with his friends he made online and at college. Yes he could of course use the communal computer labs, and he will need to do that to actually get closer to the WiFi signal, however he doesnât have to use a communal machine, which makes him more comfortable considering what he often uses his machine for. Heâs aware of what he says and does could be used against him, but heâs aware now that he could do something else with his life if he had to. Not that he wants to, but he will if he has to.
               And itâs all been worth it. Heâs made it, heâs at flight school, is a commissioned officer in the US Navy and now he just needs to be the best. He knows heâs good, flight school is highly competitive and the fact that heâs here is enough of a confidence boost that heâs actually good enough, no matter what Pete or Tom think. That it didnât take anyoneâs name to get him here. He settles into the orientation session, listening intently, taking notes, and looking around at the rest of the class. He recognizes a few faces, but most are simply a haze, although he knows that will change soon enough. A break comes and the woman beside him turns to him.
               âHi, Natasha Trace.â
               âBradley Bradshaw, nice to meet you.â
               âIs that actually your name?â
               âYep,â Bradley sighs, resigned to going through the whole thing with another group of people.
               âOuch. My condolences.â
               Bradley laughs, pretty sure heâs going to like her.
2006 â Jake
               Jake stares at the name of the site and heâs pretty sure he could use Jake as his username, and no one would believe that itâs actually his name. And heâs not actually going to use his whole first name, he remembers a few details about staying safe online. He creates an account, his hands shaking a little because heâs not ever gone looking for anything like this before, not online. Not where he might get found out.
>>Okay, if thatâs the year of your birth you need to change your username. Thatâs not a smart thing to put on here.
               Jake stares at the message, then at his username. It needed to be eight characters or less and something heâd remember. Of course heâd gone with his initials and the year he was born. Of course that maybe wasnât the smartest thing in the world in hindsight, but heâs new to this. What this PeteF14 thinks he knows isnât much, because heâs fucking using a first name and the name of a fighter jet. It couldnât be more obvious. Well, maybe heâs just a fan of fighter jets?
>>Whatâs wrong with JAS1986?
>>And youâre using your first name, thatâs not smart either.
>>Pete is definitely not my first name. Itâs not even part of my name. I hate the name Pete.
>>Oh my god, why did I use the name Pete?
>>I donât know, you tell me.
>>Just someone from my past Iâd rather forget. How about you call me Nick instead? Actually.
>>PeteF14 has changed their username to NickNick
>>Again not your name huh?
>>Nope. But it is a family name somewhere in the line of my ancestors.
               Jake snorts, because that could be father, uncle, grandparents. Hell, it could even be part of a last name, which he guesses is actually pretty smart as names go, for it to be something so generic.
>>You need to make a new username though. There are some dodgy people online.
>>But not you right?
>>I can be plenty dodgy if the circumstances require it, but just doing my civic duty. Change your username kid.
               Fucking fine. He doesnât want to be kept calling kid by strangers on the internet. This isnât why he signed up to this account.
>>JAS1986 has changed their username to JASTexas
>>No! Donât put where youâre from. Or where you live. Fucking hell. Is this your first time or something?
>>Yes, if you must know.
>>What would you suggest? Considering your name was something you apparently hated and is now NickNick, which is ridiculous by the way, double-barrel names like that sound stupid.
>>This isnât why I signed up to this site. And Texas is a fucking huge state, and even if I did still live there, itâs not where I live now.
>>Sorry. How about TJASX, or 00Austin, JASUSA maybe?
>>You suck at coming up with usernames.
>> JASTexas has changed their username to 00JASTYX
>>Hmm. Yeah. Better.
>>So glad to have your approval.
>>I canât tell if youâre being a dick, or if you actually want my approval. Because I do like that you listened to me. If thatâs something youâre into.
>>I donât know what Iâm into. First time remember?
>>First time online right?
>>No. Not just online.
               He pushes the laptop away from himself, suddenly mortified that heâs admitted that to someone. Not that it matters, not that he just canât outright lie about it, and he shouldnât care so much, but⌠well. He does. He doesnât like not knowing, not having that life experience. Not that he can just go out and get it, hence⌠this.
>>You ever slept with a guy?
>>Yep. I got the whole college experience under my belt.
>>Iâm jealous. None of that where I went. And not really easy now either.
>>You ever had cybersex? I can tell you what to do to yourself. Might get you off.
               Jakeâs pretty sure there isnât any might about it, is already getting hard just thinking about it, just having this tenuous connection with someone, anyone, that might in fact be like him. Fuck. He has no idea if this Pete-hating Nick guy is even a guy, or how old he is, or even where he is in the world. Itâs all sorts of freeing actually, this level of anonymity that despite the fact that Nick knows he considers Texas home and is born in 1986 there is nothing else about him that can be used to identify him.
>>No, but I am very open to new experiences. You want to tell me what to do huh?
>>No, I think this time I want to tell you what I want to do to you.
>>You can touch yourself however you like.
>>Trust me, you can just read. Multi-tasking takes a while to figure out.
               Jake snorts, but Nick probably, no, definitely, has more experience than Jake in all things sex-related and if all he has to do is read words on his screen then he can manage that. Although heâs going to practice, wants to be able to jerk off and type at the same time, get good at doing it one-handed. Wants to be able to reciprocate in the future.
>>Your first time, Iâd kiss you, slowly and softly to start with, and Iâd hold your body close, because I want to feel it against mine, solid and warm. Iâd slip a hand between our bodies, run my fingers up the length of your cock, feel how warm it is, how heavyâŚÂ
>>God I love the feeling of a cock in my hand, knowing how much pleasure it can bring.
>>Weâre still fully clothed, I want to enjoy undressing you. Iâm not touching your cock to get you hard, more giving you a promise of whatâs to come.
               Jakeâs mouth is dry, his entire body tingles at the images and ideas this is creating. These words are meant for him, and him alone and he runs his fingers down his body in a ghosting imitation of what it might feel like to finally have someone elseâs hands on him. This is exactly what he was looking for when he made the account, something real but also not too risky. A little risky though, but itâs not heading out to the nearest gay bar.
>>Iâm pulling your shirt out of your pants, getting my hands onto your skin, just touching for a little before I go back and undo the buttons and push your shirt off your shoulders.
               Jake groans, part of him impressed that his guy has somehow picked exactly what kind of shirt Jake is wearing, and he pulls it off, along with his singlet top, lets his hand stroke over his skin and is a little surprised at the responding shiver his body makes. He likes this even more than he thought he would. He shoves off his pants, not wanting to wait until Nick tells him heâs taking them off.
>>Youâre enjoying it, enjoying my hands on you, warm fingers just tracing over your skin, making you feel desirable. Iâm still kissing you, still pretty softly, I donât want to spook you, not this first time. I run my hand down your body again and I find your cock. Itâs gotten harder, pressing against the front of your pants and I can feel how thick you are. I want a closer look. A taste.
>>I kiss down your neck, along your jaw, suck at your nipples a little until Iâm on my knees in front of you.
               Jake groans, imagines some guy wanting to do this with him, to him, for him. He reaches for his lube, glad he doesnât have to try and type, squeezes a little out, he doesnât like it too slick, grips his cock and strokes, tries to imagine what a hot mouth would feel like sucking him down.
>>I know it will be warm, Iâll inhale through my nose, learning what you smell like. Iâll exhale through my mouth, pressing it to your cock so you feel the warmth of my breath through your pants around your most sensitive skin.
>>I undo the button of your pants, carefully lower the zipper, and then pull them down, tugging your underwear down carefully as well. Then I can finally taste, get my tongue on you, let my fingers dig into the muscles of your thighs and bring you closer to me.
>>I am not in any type of rush, I love giving blowjobs, gets me off, having a guy trust me this much. Just let my face rest there and breathe for a few seconds before I lick up your length, one of my hands coming to fondle your balls. Some guys love having their balls sucked, I wonder whether you will?
               Jake bites his lip, his hand stroking harder and faster, wonders when heâll get to find out, god he wants to find out. If this is how good the written word is he really wants to find someone he can try these things with in-person. He might have to wait a couple of years still, but fuck itâll be worth it. God it better be worth it.
>>I lick at the head of your cock, place a light kiss and then I lick and purse my lips, making a warm slippery heat for you to press into and then I suck you into my mouth and all you can feel is sudden tight heat around your cock. Iâve moved my hand to the bottom of the shaft, stroking you there but Iâm sucking the head and top half of your cock with the sole intent that I want you to come in my mouth.
               Jake whines, his hips jerking as he imagines coming in someoneâs mouth, having someone wanting him to come in their mouth. For it to be sexy rather than dirty or forbidden. That idea, that he will one day get to be sexy, that he will have someone that is his, that wants to be with him, is what has him coming, his breath coming in rough pants, loud in the quiet of his room, all the tenseness in his muscles suddenly turning into hot liquid as he comes and he groans.
>>I reach for one of your hands, get you to run your hand through my hair, encourage you to pull a little as I suck you harder and faster. I want to make you noisy, want to hear your pleasure when you come. Want you to come.
               Jake quickly wipes himself clean, the tissues by his head there pretty much there solely for this purpose and he wants to go and wash his hands before typing but he types one thing before sprinting to the little bathroom and washing his hands as quickly as possible before running back to his bed and laptop.
>>Wow.
>>Mmm. Iâll take that as a compliment.
>>I hope that was an okay first time.
>>You know where to find me if you want to.
               Jake shivers, re-reads the words, because first time implies there will be more and he can only imagine the things he might get to share.
>>Thanks.
>>That was really something.
>>Was good. Amazing.
>>I enjoyed it.
>>A lot.
               Oh god, heâs babbling through the internet and the guy is probably laughing at him.
>>Good. Iâm glad. Canât vouch for your first time in real life, but at least you can always hit me up if you find the real thing lacking.
>>Actually the real thing can take some practice and experience to get right, so donât just go with the first guy who shows interest okay? Learn from my mistakes at least.
>>Your first time wasnât good?
>>Nope. Got better of course. Eventually. But I had years at college to figure things out. Now Iâm not at college, but Iâm still figuring things out. Young yet though. Got time. Not as young as you though.
>>Haha. Iâm legal.
>>Yeah well, Iâll have to take your word for that.
               He signs off, feeling a little awkward and he wonders how awkward it would be if it was face-to-face. Yeah, heâs really not ready for that yet.
               The awkwardness fades though, and he chats with Nick almost weekly. They definitely get better at the sex talk, and Jake becomes adept at one-handed typing. They also talk about other stuff, and Jake can feel like he can ask him anything, be open with his worries about his career, without going into detail about what that career is exactly. Nick is non-judgemental, answers all his sex questions and when he goes looking to verify some of the answers he finds that the information heâs getting is solid. Correct. It makes him trust him. Probably more than is wise, but he doesnât share any further information that could identify him. The risks are too high and Nick hasnât offered up anything either.
               Then Nick says heâs going to be online less regularly, maybe not online at all, potentially for five to seven months and Jake is surprised at how disappointed he feels. Somehow, with the sex and the talking and the fact that heâs been able to be so open with Nick about being gay makes Nick feel like his best friend. He has other friends, but none of them know heâs gay. Heâs far too scared to tell them.
               Maybe one day.
2007 - Bradley - Chapter 2
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Welcome to the Drabble-A-Thon!
What is it?
From September 6th to September 15th, I will be offering 1,000-word drabble commissions for $5 through Ko-Fi!
Why is this a thing?
My job pushed back my start date by a month and a half, and I've noticed that my 3-year-old phone's screen is starting to burn out (my last phone lasted 5 years and I am incredibly salty about this). I want to take the week I'm off to try and get some outside work to start saving up to replace it and stay ahead on bills despite the delay.Â
How does it work?
If you make a donation of $5 on Ko-Fi, and give a 1-2 sentence description of your drabble idea in the donation note, I will write a 1,000 word* story! The story will be posted publicly on Ko-Fi, and cross-posted to Tumblr as well**. These will be done on a first-come first-serve basis, and I will keep a post on Ko-Fi and Tumblr updated on what number submission I am on. Because I don't know how many prompts will be given, I can't give a firm estimate on when the pieces will be delivered, so the queue will be the best way to see when your request is being worked on!Â
*The finished drabble will be a minimum of 1,000 words, if I go over by a bit, that is on me, and just a fun bonus for you!Â
**Ko-fi has strict guidelines for NSFW material, and anything rated "Explicit" will only be able to be posted to Tumblr. If you would like a PDF copy as well, please provide an email address to send it to in your message!
Are there any rules I should know about?
First and foremost, please make sure that you read my general commission guide which can be found here. Keep in mind I do not write Sub!/Bottom!Tomura or Dom!/Top!Dabi. If you have a question about your concept that is not answered by the guidelines, please feel free to DM me on Tumblr before donating!Â
In addition, please note that 1k isn't a lot of words, so try to keep concepts simple enough to be executed within that amount of story!Â
These drabbles also cannot be add-ons to other existing stories. For example, no drabble prompt can be for a story set after the end of Changing Currents, or an exploration of Dabi's time on the streets before Tomura adopted him in A Cat by Any Other Name. These are for stand-alone pieces in order to keep things simple and not conflict with the canon of my existing works!Â
Can I donate more than $5 to get a longer story?
No. This is a drabble-a-thon! While you are welcome to donate however much you would like, every $5 only gets one 1k word story. If you would like to donate $10, then you are welcome to put two drabble prompts in your donation note which will then both enter the queue and be posted! Every multiple of 5 is eligible for a new prompt!Â
If you would still like a longer story from me, then you can always DM me about setting up a full commission!Â
I want to participate, but I want to remain anonymous/I want to be tagged by a name other than the name used for the donation.
No problem! If you want to remain anonymous, simply put your name as "Anonymous" in for your name/nickname, and you can then type your prompt in the message box. You can send this message privately, and only I should be able to read your prompt!Â
If you want to be tagged by your Tumblr username, then you can also add that in your message and I will tag you appropriately when your prompt is posted!Â
I want to participate but I don't have any idea what to ask for!
Coming up with story prompts can be hard! You can send in 1-2 sentences of your idea, or you can simply send in a kind of AU, a rating, or a kink (or a few of them đ), and let me take it from there! If you really, really can't think of anything at all, then just send in "Free Style", and I'll come up with something to fill the drabble! This is meant to be fun, please don't feel any pressure!
I want to participate, but I don't have any money!
That's absolutely okay! Please do not feel any pressure to participate! Money is tight for a lot of people right now and your needs, safety, and comfort come first!Â
My question wasn't answered here!Â
Please feel free to DM me or send an ask on Tumblr! I'll do my best to answer!Â
Thank you so much to anyone who chooses to participate! I can't wait to see what stories we're able to bring to life!Â
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Hey, I don't like being in this position of begging but I am desperate. For the last 5 years I have been living with physical, mental, verbal and financial abuse from the family I live with. I've been doing my absolute best to get through it all in the hopes of seeing my girlfriends happy and living a peaceful life with some modicum of control for myself. My entire life is trapped inside one single bedroom, one of my girlfriends has been subjected to this same treatment which only makes me feel all the worse with it being my family at fault. Transphobic behaviour also prevents my ability to seek HRT and the financial manipulation only makes everything else all the harder.
My mother manipulates police and housing officials to nullify every legal action I take against this behaviour, I don't understand how but it is apparently possible. She has been lying to the landlord to make them believe she still lives here and because she earns a good wage, it makes rent here all the higher. She refuses to shift utility bills into my (or anybody who lives here) name and so the bills go without government grants and cannot be negotiated without her direct input. We're looking at having our utilities cut within the next 30 days as a result of this.
I have been forced to take in housemates I do not agree with. I have had several stitches from physical abuse, my lip was punctured by my tooth, my nose has been broken and several black eyes. My right shoulder has been damaged and scans show the socket is starting to wear down and nerves are being harmed by the dislocation. I have had several teeth broken and the dental work has been very extensive from this.
These housemates raid my room for whatever they want any time I am out. Cutlery, clothes, electronics, food, drinks, money, furniture, dishes, etc etc.. the list goes on for much too long. To make matters only worse, whenever these housemates *do* pay part of the rent, they only pay 1/2 of what is due.
My housemates aren't listed as tenants of the house but any action I take to my advantage on that, is nullified either by claims that there is not enough proof they live here or my mother getting it ignored. The damage they and their pets have caused to this house is extensive and with only myself and my girlfriend as present tenants, we are losing credit with our housing agency, we may never be able to find a house through them again and they are considering removing us at this time but there is no clear timeline on that.
Police responses to all of these events have been abysmal and I don't have anywhere else to turn than to just get away as fast as I can. I lack the ability to make enough money on my own to outpace the bills and rent but I want to open a savings pool that I will not touch until I can move away.
The plan right now is to keep any money I make extra aside as solely a moving out fund that I will not touch unless it is to go toward a new home. I will move out of this house and since my mother will not remove her name from the, now overdue bills, it will not be my problem. I will be entirely leaving my family behind, restraining orders will be involved and I will finally have the agency over my life I need.
Anyway, all of this is just for me to say, I have a donation pool available through Ko-fi and I do commissions too, so feel free to grab one if you want too. A few examples of my own work are below
https://ko-fi.com/gwenaellemun/goal?g=0
#trans#lgbtq#commission#furry#artists on tumblr#artwork#donate if you can#donations#please help#emotional abuse#financial abuse#familial abuse
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