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messyhairedhazeleyeddude · 9 months

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┊┊ཻུ۪۪♡ ͎. Aϝϝliƈƚiσɳ ┊┊ཻུ۪۪

彡 A Yandere!Gojo Satoru x Cursed!Male!Reader | SMUT 彡

＊ Contents ; Obsession, stalking, masturbation, masochism, kind of non-con sleep blowjob, rough sex, murder, handjobs, and worshipping.

＊ Dynamic ; Soft Yandere/Admirer to Lover

＊ Sexual Dynamic ; Sub!Gojo Satoru | Dom!Male!Reader

＊ P.O.V ; Third

＊ Age Range ; 18+ (This is younger Gojo by the way.)

＊ Music suggestion ;

┌──────── • ✧ • ────────┐

Satoru was a man of many. Intelligent, charming, unserious, and funny; he had no problem with meeting people outside and inside of school. Rather, he had quite a bit of friends, set up the day he was born with everything he needed for a social life. Handsome, strong, and labeled better than everyone else. That was him. And he knew this very well.

It was no secret that he took advantage of it. In his spare time, Gojo was known for hooking up with various women and men like it was some sort of fun game where he needed to collect as many bodies as he could. Just to be on top of the ‘Who’s most fuckable pyramid?’. It was his thing. He was number one. He needed to have everything. Just, because, he was Gojo Satoru.

Many spread the word on how he was in those behind-the-scenes exchanges, his fucking skills not short from all his other accomplishments, perfection at its finest. And one thing that was the most mentioned about the sorceror was how no one… NO ONE… could get him to fall for them. No matter how many times they gave him gifts, no matter how much they followed him, he never looked their way once after they got alone for a simple bang.

Instead, they’d be the ones to fall head over heels and never got over the rejection. That was his specialty. The reason why he gained a fan base. And he was flattered by it. Amused even. But, it never convinced him to get with any single one of them. That would never happen in a million years.

After many shunned attempts from his classmates, old friends, and one night stands to get with him on a relationship level, they assumed that Satoru was full-on Aromantic. That the man loved himself too much to get something like a crush. Or he was in a completely different world than them because of his power.

Those weren’t the real reasons as to why Gojo wasn’t interested in them, however. He just didn’t feel drawn to that vulnerability. How they were so easy to figure out with a simple look from him. Knowing everything like this was the biggest challenge for him. He was stuck, endlessly bored because all of his options were predictable, and not one of them entertaining enough. No threat. That’s how it was.

Until sophomore year of the Jujutsu college was when he came across someone out of the ordinary in the school hallway. He happened to be a new student, transferring from a completely different part of the world, and the amount of cursed energy leaking from his aura made the sorcerer stop in his tracks.

When the man turned to look down directly into Satoru’s eyes as he walked past him, it sent shockwaves through his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. For the first time in his life, he found somebody that he was unable to read.

At first, he was in denial about it. He couldn’t understand why one person would be different from the rest when it came to his perception. So, to figure it out, he began to follow the guy around.

Don’t ask why he didn’t approach him first, he didn’t know why, but he couldn’t. His heart would beat irregularly and he’d start to sweat, his entire chest and face heating up if they locked eyes at all. Maybe it was because his [E/C] orbs were intimidating or because he was extremely fucking good-looking. Maybe both. All he knew was that he never experienced it before and that was terrifying.

He started with small stares from afar, prop up near the places he would spot him and watch what he would do for several minutes. Waiting until he left to walk right behind him and see where else he would go.

So far, he was about as normal as anyone else in routine. He’d walk to his classes, do his work, and focus hard on his studies throughout lunch. Burying his nose in books upon books that the white-haired man would never pick up. Yet, what he found intriguing was his lack of interest in others.

The man didn’t socialize, ever. He would get up from his seats and tables whenever somebody would sit next to him. If they tried to talk to him, they were ignored like they were a wall. He’d ignore them, throw their notes to him in the trash, and any project he was assigned to was made for him to be alone. It was almost near impossible to grab a name. Thankfully, the system needed it to enroll and that was easy to get to.

Now, he knew that it was wrong of him to invade his personal space and illegal. But, Gojo had a severe problem with boundaries and it didn’t help that he could get away with it by teleporting. Also, he just didn’t care. A little curiosity never hurt him.

Eventually, he got to rummaging through the school records in the late hours of night, finding a file containing a name he didn’t recognize, ‘[L/N] [F/N]’. Pulling it out of its box, he opened it to check the picture and came face-to-face with a question mark box in place of it. His eyebrows furrowed and he scanned through the rest of what was listed about him.

The description of his features and classes were all there, things that he already knew, the basic stuff. But, this confirmed that [F/N] was his name and that’s all that mattered. Satoru was about to close the document and put it back before he glanced down at a small paragraph that read:

‘[L/N] is reserved to be under tight supervision and security conditions. He shall never be allowed to leave the city or Jujutsu without permission. If it falters, we will initiate our final plan.’

He narrowed his glowing blue eyes at the ominous writing, thumbing over the edges of the page while he thought to himself quietly, ‘I wonder… Is he as good as me?’ That idea crossed his mind and didn’t leave him alone. ‘Someone stronger than me… Is that possible?’ His fingers folded the paper back to where it belonged while trying to ignore himself, tucking it safely, and closing the drawer to make it look like nothing was tampered with. Then he turned around to get to heading out, not seeing the large figure looming in the shadows behind him.

It was by the time Gojo hopped out of the window he used to break into the room, that he realized [F/N] was plaguing every corner of his brain. He couldn’t stop thinking about him. Like his face was burned into his memory.

His gloomy, [E/C] eyes that bore a hole through him whenever he caught his attention. That sharp nose that gave him an edge, scrunched up at anyone that passed by. Plump, pouty lips that would frown as soon as he was being bothered. God, and that soft red tone resting in the middle of them, it made him think of the worst perverted things he could possibly come up with.

Satoru was tripping over his feet trying to get back to his dorm room, using the roofs of buildings, and traveling at a rate he could when dealing with a boner this bad.

Finally, right as he stumbled into his place, he began unbuckling his belt and sliding it off to throw it loosely onto the floor somewhere. He got most of his clothes off of him and left his boxers to be the last thing pulled off, his dick springing free and brushing over his lower stomach before he wrapped his slender hand around the base.

He played with his tip for a minute, beads of pre-cum sliding down and coating his fingers. Letting him cover his shaft the more he pumped. It was throbbing, blushing pink like cotton candy, and glistened in the moonlight of his room. And oddly enough, all of this was being done to a fantasy of sucking [F/N] off.

Gojo had never touched himself to someone individually before. Especially to someone he hadn’t hooked up with. And not in a way where they were on top or it wasn’t solely based on sex.

This was new to him and he was losing himself to it, badly. His hips thrusted upwards into his hand, the other one reaching up to his mouth so he could suck on his fingers and coat them with spit. Finishing getting them wet, he positioned two of them against his hole and slowly forced it inside.

He closed his eyes and imagined it was [F/N]’s, groaning at the abnormal feeling of being finger-fucked but enjoying it more than anything else. It barely took a couple of times of ramming them in before his cum began to spurt out in huge amounts. Decorating both his stomach and his hand in a stringy design.

After that night, Satoru came to a conclusion on how he felt about the [H/C]-haired man. This proved to be very, very frustrating.

The urge to see [F/N] was constant. It got so bad that he was leaving zero to little time for his friends, spending most of it on lingering near his newfound crush and drooling over any tiny thing he would do. And this went on for weeks.

Until one day, his obsession hit an all-time high. He was following him into the locker rooms like usual, having memorized this to be his routine whenever he was going to get ready for training. Although, to his disappointment, the guy would use his shirt and towel to cover himself when he changed. So he never even got a single peek.

But, today seemed to be different because [F/N] didn’t head toward his locker. He went in the direction of the showers, carrying a couple of items with him that looked like clothes and necessities. Excitement and nervousness rushed through Satoru. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he was going to get to see the man in all of his glory.

To keep himself from being detected, he was suspended in the air near the ceiling in a sitting position, patiently watching him arrange the shampoo and conditioner bottles before gripping the hem of his black fitted shirt.

[F/N] stripped it off of him, going at a slow pace that was teasing the hell out of him. Gojo was on the edge of his seat as he took in every bit, biting his bottom lip when he got to his pants and slipped them off of his slim waist. His build was impressive and so was his stature, enough to make Satoru draw blood from how hard he was digging his teeth in.

It wasn’t surprising that the white-haired man went straight to unbuttoning his pants and pulling his hard-on into view. Watching how he washed his body and cleaned his hair, struggling to hold in his moans while getting off to the sight. He barely got past five minutes before he was cumming mid-air, the droplets landing in the corner and making a bit of noise, causing Gojo to abruptly rush out of there as soon as he saw him turning his head.

His back was pressed against the wall on the other side of the showers, his chest moving up and down, the butterflies in his stomach swarming. He reached down to tuck his dick back in and zip it up, glancing at his hands that were dirtied with his jizz. Satoru sighed, in disbelief at his own actions before he went for the nearby sinks to wash them off.

Just as he did that, the shower was turned off and out stepped [F/N] a minute later. He passed by him while he was drying his hands off, causing Gojo to tense. His beating heart hadn’t even calmed from what happened not too long ago, he couldn’t handle this. So, he spun around and bolted for the door faster than the two of them could speak.

A small smirk quirked up the side of the [H/C]-haired man’s mouth, his gaze drifting toward the disappearing back of him, smug with a glint in his eyes.

Eventually, days had passed and Satoru was still in the same routine with chasing around his crush everywhere. Except it spread to him casually visiting his place in the middle of night to spend the rest of it either watching him sleep or pleasing himself outside of his window.

There would be times where he would break in and take his things to use like boxers and lotion. But, he tried to make it unnoticeable. He cared about stealth. That was until one of those nights, [F/N] decided to wear nothing but underwear.

Gojo’s blue eyes were glued on his figure, feeling like it was his lucky day to get to see something as rare as this. He was used to him wearing tank tops and basketball shorts, a small peep of his waistband was the most action he’d get if the man happened to move. Getting too excited, he was already sliding his sweatpants to his knees, shoving a hand in to get to jerking off for the millionth time. He couldn’t get tired of it when it came to him.

But before Satoru started, he realized that the window had been cracked open slightly. It was left open. Open…

He stopped what he was doing to push the rest of it upward, climbing inside of the tidy room and shutting it right after. The warmth and the quiet atmosphere invited him in, making him almost feel at home. That wasn’t wrong considering he was found in this place daily, scouring and finding out any thing that he had in this room. Which wasn’t much. Only thing that he was interested in was the locked box under his bed. Though, he couldn’t bust it no matter how hard he tried.

Looking down at the peaceful, sleeping [F/N] made his mind wander to a darker side of lust, his orbs brightening like diamonds as he let his sweats drop to the floor along with his boxers. He stepped out of them and lifted himself using his ‘Infinity’, hovering over him and getting the real picture of their size difference.

Gojo steadied his breathing as best as he could while flicking his eyes over his boxers, peeling them off bit by bit. He had to be extremely slow, careful than ever. Because if he woke up, who knows what would happen to him? And that risky feeling was more than enough fuel for the sex-crazed man.

Once [F/N]’s dick was exposed, Satoru had expected to see it flaccid, but it was already halfway hard. ‘Hm? Is he having a wet dream?’ He came to that conclusion. His excitement worsening because of the assumption and ended in him jumping the gun. He lowered down to where his tip was, giving a small kitten lick and watching his expression to see what would happen.

He knew it was a terrible idea to do what he was planning on. But, he didn’t want to stop what he was doing either. Actually, the fantasy of him finding out was really hot to him. What would he do? Would he get upset? Degrade him a bit? He was sure he could get off to that too.

[F/N] furrowed his brows a little and a noise similar to a grunt came from him, letting Gojo have the clear to go further. He placed his entire tongue on it, swirling around the head of his dick at a medium pace, and tasting his salty pre-cum with a satisfied look on his face. God, how long had he wanted to do this? He couldn’t keep track. It wasn’t that long of a wait but to him, it was like he served decades in prison, being teased with the keys in the cell next to him.

More grunts slipped past [F/N]’s pretty lips, falling onto his ears, and encouraging him to take more into his mouth. He hollowed out his cheeks while bobbing his head up and down to give the finishing touch, pulling out his phone at some point to snap a thirty second video of what he was doing for safekeeping. Every sound of his was making his own cock leak with arousal, dripping onto his bed, and reminding him that he needed attention too.

He dropped the device to move his hand back down, stroking his shaft and playing with the slit on his tip, muffling his moans on [F/N] and getting dirtier with the blowjob. His spit was running down the sides of him, messy and spreading around his mouth. The bobbing turned into a circle motion and he progressively got faster and faster. Feeling his dick twitching once he deepthroated.

The [H/C]-haired man’s legs lifted slightly, bending his knees while he thrusted upward. His eyebrows completely knitted together and his noises only sounding more intense. He was nearing his end, Satoru could tell. And it was then that he popped his mouth off, gasping for air, making his other hand wrap around to jack him off at a speed so quick that there was no time lost.

He stuck out his tongue and pressed it right against the landing zone, an odd euphoric look to his eyes as he soaked in the moment like it was his biggest achievement yet. That was until he saw those [E/C] ones piercing right back at him, the color of them being replaced with a… glowing, dark purple? What?

In an instant, Gojo’s hair was swept through and grabbed into a fistful, lifted off of him and thrown into the wall next to them with a force strong enough to cause him to go through it. His eyes went wide, staring directly at the frightened face of one of his classmates who was awoken by the loud impact and flying drywall. Barely a second into the exchange of words through looks with the girl, he was yanked back into the room, and the men rolled together onto the ground.

[F/N]’s palm slapped across his mouth, digging his thumb and all of his fingers into both of Satoru’s cheeks; turning him around to face towards his chest so he could pin him down better. His other hand was locked tightly in a grip around his wrists, both of his knees underneath his legs, his usual cold stare replaced by rage. And what he was hoping earlier felt heard all of a sudden.

There, he got to meet his crush for the first time and have that closeness he’d been hoping to get. Or just a simple word back. Something. He craved for his attention so bad that he could threaten him and it’d still satisfy his desire.

Gojo’s surprise slowly shifted into a wide smile, his eyes having a crazier spark to them while he giggled, figuring out what [F/N] had done. It was a trap.

The sound of a concerned voice interrupted before he could speak, “Gojo-kun? Are you okay?” Satoru mentally sighed, his expression dropping to half-lidded annoyed glare. He heard a brief slip of a laugh from [F/N] and raised his brows in shock, thinking he was amused by his face until he felt something pushing against his lower body, entering right inside of his hole.

No, he wasn’t laughing at that. He was laughing because he was enjoying the fact he was going to be exposed. Satoru should’ve been turned off by that, but rather he was loving it himself. He didn’t know why. This was so unlike the upcoming head of the Gojo clan. Although, he lost it already once [F/N] buried most of his thick length inside of him. His soul looked like it was being possessed, a purple glazing over his blue eyes.

Thankfully, he was stretched out by his fingers previously because the width of his cock was big enough to still make it feel uncomfortable. His thrusts rough as soon as he got most of it in. He didn’t think it would hurt this much, feel this amazing too. The combining sensations fucking with his brain and making him melt into the powerful man’s hold.

[F/N] was inside of his head. Literally. He could hear him whispering things in there through his technique, “You’re mine, Six Eyes. All of that cursed energy… It’s mine now.” Mind manipulation. That was his technique. He figured it out.

No wonder he couldn’t understand what it was at first. It was one of the main attributes of the special grade cursed object, ‘[M/N]’s Needles’. That means that the small marks on his forehead weren’t birthmarks, it was needles, deep into his own skull.

A smirk grew on the side of [F/N]’s mouth when he saw the ‘Aha!’ look across Gojo’s face, an extremely low, nerve-wracking voice coming out of him as he leaned right next to the white-haired male’s ear to remind him, “You’re not winning anything. I think I’d like to take your offer up on making you my new fuck toy.”

Then the aggressive fucking from before turned into straight abuse on him, Satoru’s expression twinging through a mixture of exasperation and pure bliss. Locking eyes with the same girl he’d been stressing about when his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. She choked up and took a step back, watching her peer get destroyed. But not for much longer because she mysteriously got warped into space, disappearing from the room without any explanation.

Gojo peeked back at [F/N], psychotically smirking and letting out a string of loud, slutty moans and groans. Not holding back because he knew that nobody could stop them. Especially with such a strong curse at his side. Despite his knowledge on what he was doing to him, he also made sure he could take control of the situation too. And what that means is he formed a pact.

The young sorcerer leaned forward, summoning most of his strength to give him a kiss, struggling to keep his eyes open anyway. [F/N] didn’t kiss back, knowing what he was up to the second he heard the thought from Satoru. But, he kept insisting, pushing his lips harder and harder against his.

There was several attempts at rejecting him, but it didn’t matter. Even as [F/N] gripped his ass harshly with both hands, dug all of his nails in, and tore his bottom lip up more. He continued to plant the same kiss, going so far and desperate that he started making out with him. It didn’t matter if he responded to it because Satoru wasn’t just doing it out of tricking him into this pact. This was love. Twisted, fucked up, love.

[F/N] pulled away for the twelfth time, panting and surprised that he was holding on for this amount of time. By now, they’d be falling apart and passing out. And he had even switched it to his most effective position. Gojo’s back was pressed up on the wall, arched and his legs wrapped around his waist, struggling to hold on from him being quite tall. His hand was wrapped around his neck, squeezing hard to the point where he was coughing, making sure that he didn’t lift himself to kiss him anymore.

“Do you want to get yourself killed? Or do you want to cum and survive, asshole?” [F/N] spat, getting up to his face in a threatening manner. Satoru smiled back at him once again, managing to choke a sentence out, “I want both… please!” He was teasing him even in this situation. The grip on his soul never wavering yet he talked back. This pissed him the hell off.

Every ounce of his strength raged into Gojo immediately after that, the wall caving in on them, and the sheer volume of both of their techniques fighting one another in the midst of their exchange. His crystal blues spaced out and tilted up, staring off as he fell limp in [F/N]’s arms, his forehead pressing against his to give one last attempt.

The [E/C]-eyed man couldn’t resist the temptation. He didn’t know why. He didn’t think about it. He just did it. His lips smashed onto Satoru’s expecting him to be drained of anything that he could use against him. But, he was wrong. Dead wrong. If anything, the fate had been sealed right then and there from that action.

A knot was forming in [F/N]’s and his stomach as he panicked about the failure when feeling his power fade along with Gojo’s, the smile from before planting against his face right in the kiss they had. He tricked him into it. He fucking cheated.

So much anger was rammed into Satoru for the next few hours even after [F/N] and him finished at the same pace. His guts practically being filled with his seed over and over, then rapidly having it fucked in until it couldn’t escape. He paid him back for what he did. For ruining everything he had by tying a commitment to him he didn’t want. Although, for some reason, he couldn’t help but be impressed. Possibly looking forward to their time together.

|| Extra ||

Satoru weakly smiled at Geto and shook his head, answering his question on where he’s been the last couple of months with a soft sigh, “I’ve been getting around a lot. When you have this many fans, it’s hard to keep up.” The black-haired man looked at him, unamused; poking at his noodles. His baggy eyes seemed to be getting worse. Shoko chimed in a smart comment, “Is that why you’re getting hickeys now? You letting someone top you?”

Gojo froze and snapped his head at her, his serious face causing her to began laughing like crazy and exclaim out loud, “No way! So, it’s true! You are being bottom!” He raised his hands in the air at her and waved them around while denying it profusely, “You think someone can get one over me? Gojo! Satoru! Do you not know my name? What kind of crazy lady are you, huh?!”

They bickered back and forth until Geto split the two of them up and decided it was time for all of them to go their separate ways. He waved ‘Goodbye’ as he walked away, slipping his hands in both of his pockets before turning his head to look in an alleyway that he was barely about to pass. For a split second, he was sure he caught a glance of purple eyes peering back at him, but when he checked again; there was nothing.

He looked at the dark midsection of the buildings, waiting to see if something else would happen, and then walked on as soon as it appeared to be his mind playing tricks on him.

Little did he know, that later on in that same alleyway, after Shoko left Gojo alone. He was being fondled by the curse he now claims as his forever boyfriend and ‘fuck buddy’ who stood there, eavesdropping on him the entire day.

They switch roles in following each other. Happening to be [F/N]’s day. And they both couldn’t hold back the urge of wanting to fuck the shit out of the other all the time. Satoru never reluctant to letting the man have his way. And as he let the blue-eyed man finish from his hand, he dug his teeth into his shoulder blade, mentally shouting at him in his head, “Who’s on top again, pretty boy?! What did you say to them again?” His cum spurted everywhere onto the floor and his fingers, those eyes rolling back like usual while he muttered, “You, sir…. Only, you.”

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smaller-comfort · 3 months

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Extremely rambly thoughts on necrontyr society/marriage headcanon stuff. Some of this dovetails with the snecron biology stuff; you get 'gestational parent' and 'inseminating parent' as concepts because I'm not going to be more creative with words tonight.

At the upper levels of society, marriage is solely for cementing political alliances and the transfer of wealth. That's it. It's a legal contract between two families, and the contract lays out how wealth and power are shared and inherited between them.

Courtship would vary wildly between dynasties and even between different vassal states within a dynasty (a lot of this gets flattened out post-biotransference, alas). But before then, culturally, a dynasty from the eastern fringe might be nearly as alien to a dynasty in the west as any of the Unclean. (The fact that they've got mutually intelligible language across the galaxy is hilariously the biggest science-fantasy leap for me, I'll be honest.) Also, space-mormon Ithakas is weird as hell to everyone.

So, for example: Nihilakh crownworld nobility courtship customs involve, first and foremost, a team of lawyers, on both sides. Immediate members of the Phaeron's household probably have to get permission from the Yyth seer before even beginning the process. Courtship gifts are wildly expensive and extravagant and meticulously documented, with particular emphasis placed on the provenance of unique rarities. The exchange of courtship gifts is always a public spectacle- 'subtle' is for crypteks and lawyers.

At higher levels of society, the two people getting married might not even meet until after the paperwork is filed. Mid and lower level nobles are a bit more relaxed about it, but they're also not dealing with quite the same scale of wealth. Weddings are still ridiculously over-the-top affairs that can and will bankrupt smaller houses hoping to secure a politically advantageous match to a larger family.

Meanwhile, on Solemnace, you do see a similar emphasis on legal documentation, and rare or unique courtship gifts, but they're much less extravagant about the displays of wealth. Gifts are more often exchanged in private, and though weddings can get elaborate, it tends to be more about tasteful, elegant luxury than extravagant excess. Is this at least in part to keep their Overlord from stealing the silverware at the wedding? It's impossible to say.

Over on Mandragora, you announce your intention to court by challenging your intended to a duel. The date and time of the duel is the anticipated date of the nuptuals. Generally the intended couple will not actually fight one another, but the wedding will involve a lot of demonstrations of martial prowess, and usually there will be a ritualized duel of some sort between representatives of each family. Whichever family wins gets to officiate the wedding, and keeps the larger share of the dowry.

On Gidrim, no dueling is required, but it's customary to present your intended with some sort of hunting trophy. There'd be some kind of annual tourney or major gaming event where young necrontyr might dedicate their victories to their intended- think medieval tourneys, and knights jousting for tokens from their beloved. Now, given that gender parity is standard, this potentially means that you end up fighting against the person you're trying to court. This sort of thing is frequently the subject of romantic comedies and dramas. Gidrim weddings usually last several days, with feasting and recitations of long form epic military ballads and more games/martial demonstrations. The subsequent hangover may last up to a week, if you're doing it right.

Those would all be courtship practices for a primary spouse or consort for higher-level nobility. Polyamory is common, both for the purpose of providing heirs, and because at the end of the day a marriage contract is a business contract, and why wouldn't you try to form as many alliances as possible?

So it's not uncommon for third or fourth children to be married off as secondary spouses to vassal houses, to reinforce political ties between families. Since everyone is dying of turbo cancer, it's also not uncommon for these secondary marriage contracts to include a clause for what happens when the fourth kid in the line of succession becomes the heir apparent. (Divorce practices vary between dynasties as well, but by and large it is a fast process out of necessity.)

Secondary spouse courtship and weddings can be just as elaborate as consort matches, depending on the status/wealth of everyone involved. Usually they're not quite as involved- on the other hand, if your new intended is the Phaeron's fourth daughter, you're damn well going to go all out, or suffer the consequences.

Because of rampant fertility issues due to turbo cancer and a not insignificant amount of inbreeding among the nobility in certain dynasties, inheritance and succession frequently have nothing to do with parentage or genetics. Heirs are adopted from subsidiary families all the time. There are some families where heirs are always adopted, to reduce infighting among the actual children, or to avoid particular genetic defects.

That said, some dynasties do place a lot of weight on genetics and familial lines, so contract marriages or concubines/surrogates are frequently used to produce heirs. Any children produced via concubine are legally members of the family who owns/employs the concubine. Doesn't matter who the inseminating or gestational parent is; legally, the child has legitimate status as a member of that household. (This can afford the concubine a certain amount of status as well, or at least security; fertility is a highly sought after trait.)

(Sidebar on contraception and eugenics: contraceptive implants are used most frequently among nobility/merchant class/military officers. The further down the social ladder you go, the less available any kind of medical technology is, never mind contraceptives, and commoners/serfs/slaves are encouraged to reproduce as often as possible. Rank and file miltary, however, would be surgically sterilized, and have any viable gametes extracted for genetic testing and possible use by surrogates. Sometimes this is reversible; most of the time it isn't, because it's assumed they're going to die before they'd be able to retire and have children anyway. A majority of pregnancies result in miscarriage; many children don't make it out of infancy because of birth defects. Infanticide is still common in some parts of the galaxy, but they'll usually try to terminate a pregnancy early if it looks like it'll be nonviable.) (Maybe they do lay clutches of eggs, I'm fuzzy on a lot of these details, honestly. Not all of them- but a lot of them.)

(Zahndrekh does not get to retire to a remote garden on a mountain with Obyron to write terrible poetry and raise a bunch of fat, happy children. He thinks about it sometimes, though.) (Obyron does not want to imagine how impossibly unruly Zahndrekh's progeny would be, and is frequently, fervently glad that he's sterile.) (Also he's pretty sure 'retirement' is just what happens when you meet the wrong end of a pike.)

Circling back around to Ithakas being fucking weird, it's traditional for Ithakan dynasts to practice either parthenogenesis or self-fertilization, which is considered either taboo or just kind of gross in most other parts of the galaxy. (Not everywhere- but definitely a lot of places. Parthenogenesis is actually a fairly rare trait for necrontyr; it was considered one of the things that made Ithakka the Lawmaker holy by the original separatist cult. It's not something all of their descendents have shared due to the general weirdness/instability of necrontyr genetics.) So there's no mention of Oltyx and Djoseras's mother, because they only ever had one parent. (Does this make everything about Unnas ever so slightly worse? Sure does!)

If biotransference hadn't happened when it did, Djoseras would've been expected to start producing children as soon as it became clear that Oltyx wasn't going to live past the age of 20. (At one point someone probably floated the idea of ending the Ithakas-Ogdobekh war by marrying Oltyx to Zultanekh. Djoseras would've shot down that idea- and whoever suggested it- with extreme prejudice.) (Zultanekh still laughs about this on occasion. No one ever told Oltyx; Zultanekh certainly isn't going to.) (Zuktanekh would have suggested a contract marriage between himself and Djoseras; after all, would Zultanekh not have birthed the most magnificent sons to be seen in the history of either dynasty? Yes, yes he would have! Alas, it was not to be. Djoseras rejected Zultanekh's courting gift of sulfur wine, and anyway, Anathrosis and Unnas would have come together united in abject horror and rage at the idea.)

Ogdobekh courtship usually starts with gifts of food or wine, followed by fine metalwork- either weapons and armor, or jewelry. Ithakas courtship has similar beats, since they were an Ogdobekh subsidiary originally. They're more about subtle gestures and acts of service than material gifts, though. (Oltyx is not really aware of any of this; as kynazh, he would've been explicitly forbidden from courting because, again, Ithakas is fucking weird. Yenekh, on the other hand, would be familiar with the process, and probably had no shortage of suitors pre-biotransference. He was a little too busy being a war hero to entertain any of them seriously.) (His first true love is the sea the void fancy spaceships fancy swords duty to the dynasty.)

(Drazak courtship usually starts with fighting side by side in the horde; sharing kills, sharing food, sharing flesh. The hunger is always easier to bear when you find someone to share it with.)

Cryptek conclaves can get weird and varied as well; some are extremely insular, and any children born to members of the conclave would be raised and trained there. Others will excommunicate anyone who gets pregnant, because pregnancy interferes with certain schools of technomancy. (You cannot have a pregnant plasmancer. It ends badly for everyone involved. Chronomancy also tends to have unpredictable effects on developing embryos.) Those conclaves actively recruit new members from military and commoner castes, rather than relying on existing members to keep the population going. Generally, crypteks don't marry, because their legal obligations are to their conclave first, and then their patron.

Cryptek/noble or cryptek/merchant couples would be vanishingly rare, because most crypteks don't have the wealth or status to make a politically advantageous match. (Orikan is kind of an exception to that rule, and he would've had a number of people vying for his favor, though not so much in a courtship-leading-to-marriage kind of way. I'm torn between the idea of him slutting it up in the Sautekh court, or being universally repulsed by anyone he considers less intelligent than him. Could go either way.) Pre-biotransference, crypteks of different schools who didn't see each other as competition would be the most common pairing, but even then actual marriage would be rare. There's no wealth or power to inherit or share, so couples would be more common-law/informal.

Otherwise, it'd be bullshit academia rules dialed up to 11. "Did they...you know...publish research together?" "No, they were fucking in the library." "Oh, I thought it was something scandalous. Nevermind then."

#nattering #this is too many words again #warhams #necrons #snecrons

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flowerbetweenfangs · 4 months

Text

Cream Filling: Chapter Five

No content warnings this time, some good old fashioned fantasy and smut.

Previous part here!

Buzzing rattled the nightstand. Elle blindly groped across the wood, snatching up the phone and putting it to her ear.

“Huh?” She blinked, rubbing her eyes. There was a crick in her neck and her whole body ached. The couch had left its mark. Part of her wondered if she should have asked to sleep in the bed.

The thought made her stomach quiver. No, bad idea. Horac probably would have been put in an awkward spot. Although the thought of the giant Boarman on the couch was humorous, there was no doubt he would have been worse off.

“What happened to your car?” Ramses' voice was sharp, making her jolt awake.

Sitting up, she rubbed the side of her neck, trying to loosen up the tightened muscles. When she pressed, it made her whole head throb. Wincing, she looked around the living room, bleary-eyed.

“Something in it died.” Her voice was still rough from sleep. “Couldn't get ahold of anyone because of the full moon.”

The stiffness crept through her entire body, no longer hiding now that she was moving. Inwardly, she groaned. Work was going to be hell, especially with the post full moon rush.

“Are you somewhere safe?”

Elle nodded, then remembered that Ramses couldn’t see her. She quickly gave a summary of Horac’s rescue, slipping off the couch and starting to stretch. It was a challenge with a phone to her ear, but it felt better than sitting.

“I need you here.” His voice was soft. There was some chatter behind him, along with a couple of grunts.

“I know.” She winced. “I just-”

“I know a mechanic who can look at it.”

Elle sputtered, feeling her cheeks burn. “You don’t have-”

“Elle,” His tone was firm. “What have I always said?” There was no room for argument.

“You take good care of your employees?” Elle licked her lips, before feeling her stomach violently lurch.

More debt. A contract, unseen. A demon offering you goods in exchange-

“If you’re that averse to a gift, then you can make it up to me.” Papers shuffled in the background. Someone called out in the demonic language, rattling the phone.

“Can it wait?” Ramses yelled back. “I’m busy!” He paused, then sighed.

“Sorry, Elle. Chorus needs me to help finish closing up the bar.”

“Do you need to go?” She asked, feeling her heart pounding as more demon talk rumbled through the phone. She wondered if it was the same one who had talked to her the first night she’d arrived at the restaurant.

“We’re going to be doing the catering order for…” Ramses’ voice trailed off, and she swore she heard teeth grinding.

“Temptation.” He spat it out like the name was a dirty word. Elle wondered what it was about the club that specifically made him upset. It wasn’t like the demon was a prude. Then again… Temptation could be a little extreme.

“I’d like you to supervise the new hire.” The tone had gone back to jovial, but it was forced.

Blinking, Elle tried to register what was just said.

“Me? Supervise?” Elle couldn’t believe what he was suggesting. She was a server, she gave people their orders, not… gave people orders!

“I use the term loosely,” Ramses explained before she could hear a zipper pull. A word of infernal gratitude rumbled through the phone, and it suddenly felt hot. Wincing, she switched to the other hand, holding it away from her ear.

“Just make sure that he doesn’t burn the restaurant down or knock over Wrecks. Help pack the catering boxes and keep track of inventory. I’m sure Asmodeus will take every missing scone and sandwich as a personal slight, so we’ll need an extra set of eyes.” There was a pause, a slight inhale like he wanted to say more.

Elle’s mind raced, feeling her body flush.

“Anyway, I know it’s the middle of the night for you,” Ramses said quickly. “I just… Wanted to let you know.” Another pause. More demonic talking. Ramses replied something, and the way his voice rumbled made Elle suddenly wish she was home… Or there with him.

“Oh! One other thing.”

“Yes?” Elle tried to keep her thoughts from delving too far.

“The anniversary of the restaurant is coming up.” He sounded unsure. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but… All the employees are invited. It’s nighttime, of course. If you do come, I’ll make sure there’s human-friendly food and drinks.”

Elle blinked rapidly, her mind wavering back and forth between the wild feast at Temptation and the more platonic setting that would probably be at ‘Ramses’ Brew’. She pinched her stomach, drawing her thoughts back to the real world.

“Thanks for inviting me.” Elle swallowed hard, before smiling. “It sounds like a lot of fun!”

“Good…” Ramses’ smile could be heard in his voice. “...Be safe.” The switch was so abrupt, that Elle shook her head.

The phone beeped. Elle saw it was 3 AM. Her alarm would be going off soon anyway. Disabling it, she yawned and checked for more messages. Thankfully, there were none.

Rubbing her eyes, she went to the bathroom and showered, turning the water scalding hot and standing in place. The temperature released sleep’s hold and loosened up her muscles enough that it was comfortable to move again.

Once she’d gotten into her uniform, Elle caught a faint floral scent. Giving the fabric a squeeze, she realized it was slightly damp. Had Horac washed it? She looked at his uniform, picking it up and sniffing. Sure enough, they smelled the same.

Horac finally rose at four, eyes bleary and hair a mess. He didn’t offer much in the way of conversation or fix anything to eat. He did spend time in the bathroom grooming himself and didn’t seem to notice or care that Elle had used the shower. Once he was dressed, he simply jerked his head toward the garage.

Halfway to the restaurant, he pulled into a drive-thru.

“You ain’t going to work on an empty stomach.” He insisted.

“You’re such a dad. ” Elle frowned, quickly pulling the single bill out of her wallet. No debts.

Horac shook his head and held up a hand.

“Don’t worry about it. Besides… With this crap, I should be paying you to eat it.” Even so, he ordered a few sandwiches for himself, which had ham and bacon.

Elle once again tried to not think of the implications. Everyone was being so generous. Her heart hammered. Of course, this is what friends did for each other. It wasn’t like he was buying her anything too expensive.

They pulled up to the café, and Horac leaned back in his seat, hand over his face.

“What’s up?” Even with her stomach protesting, Elle inhaled the sandwich.

“I hate the post-Lunar rush.” He grumbled, pinching his snout. “I can only imagine what it’s like at the bar.” Sighing, he rolled his shoulders. “But… A job’s got to be done.”

***

Once the closed sign was turned, Elle moaned piteously and went to a booth, sitting down and resting her head on the table. Everything was sore and she felt ready to pass out, but consuming nearly an entire pot of coffee had left her jittery.

At least her pittance of tips had been made back and then some. Elle quickly counted and signed off on them, shoving everything into her wallet.

Sitting back up, she stretched and noticed a magazine had been left behind. Frowning, she picked it up, ready to pitch it into the recycling. Then, her eyes fell on the front page.

In crimson font were the words “Love and Temptation”.

The picture was of an olive-toned man kissing the collarbone of a woman, black wings enveloping them both to hide their nudity. His hair was coal black, but slightly feathered at the tips. The glint of a predator was even present in the picture.

Cadence? His facial features were present. But they’d made him… So much more human-looking. It was almost disappointing.

Even though the woman wore a domino mask, Elle recognized what the artist was trying to depict.

The woman in the wings… Was her. Obviously, they’d smoothed out features and added more curves, but there was no mistaking the burn mark on the inside of her wrist, or the obsidian handing from her neck. Although the club ticket had been changed to a rose quartz beaded bracelet.

While nothing intimate was visible, Elle felt her cheeks burn. In the articles she’d read about the club, none of them mentioned anything like this.

She flipped through the pages, finding another set of paintings, showing more erotic and suggestive pictures. While they refrained from showing outright nudity, it left very little to the imagination. The words of the article blurred together, and Elle’s already jittery heart beat like it was about to break out of her chest.

Then she saw the tagline in the corner.

“Come find me… At Temptation.”

Swallowing, Elle closed the magazine and put it cover down on the table.

“You alright, Rookie?” Horac’s voice made her sit upright.

“Just fine!” Elle tried to keep her voice from sounding strained. “I uh… Think I dozed off for a second.”

Rolling up the magazine, she stuffed it in her purse and stood up, wondering if the customer who had left it behind knew. “Did I miss a spot while I was cleaning?”

***

The mechanic was only a few blocks away, and the cool air helped clear Elle’s head. Horac had wanted to give her a ride to the shop, but she’d refused. The wise thing would have been to throw the magazine away and try to play it cool, but Elle couldn’t bring herself to do it.

As she walked, she saw a billboard. Gasping softly, she grit her teeth and looked away.

Her, in the domino mask, looking over a bare shoulder, hand resting on the naked chest of the winged man.

“Come… To Temptation.”

When she got to the shop, there were more magazines on wire racks in front of the windows, flapping in the breeze. Keeping her eyes forward, she opened the door and went in to rescue the clunker.

The car looked better than ever, having been washed, waxed, and vacuumed. The wipers had also been replaced, and the wiper fluid refilled. Elle leaned on the roof, rubbing her hand across it.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, she realized that they hadn’t shown her a bill. Sighing, she scowled, wondering if there was any way to get the price out of Ramses. But that would require seeing him face to face…

Looking at her burned wrist, she thought of the black residue that Ramses’ touch left. At least that didn’t stain.

Shaking her head, Elle grumbled to herself. At least she was lucky that it was the only scar she’d gotten through the whole ordeal. Pulling out her phone, she texted her gratitude for Ramses, before starting the car.

Compared to the usual roar and squeal, it was eerily silent. Rubbing the dashboard, Elle gave it a congratulatory pat.

There were a couple more billboards advertising Temptation on the way home, which surprised Elle. Frowning, she wondered what the goal was. Punish her in some way for turning down the job offer? But wouldn’t they have used real pictures instead of artist depictions?

When she got home, Elle kicked off her shoes, going to the windowsill and seizing the charm. It was glowing and pulsing with power. Slipping it over her head, Elle took in a deep breath and felt her body relax. The weight was a comfort, a reminder that there was some degree of protection, no matter what happened.

Taking the magazine out, she leafed her way through the pages again, stopping on the article. It was an interview with a “Miss Lamb” talking about her experience in Temptation, and how she found freedom in exploring her sexuality outside her “species”, laying it on thick that she preferred demons over humans when it came to partners. It was an advertisement for the club disguised as an interview, which made Elle scoff.

Then, her phone began to buzz again. The number was blocked. Elle was about to reject the call, but something told her to answer it.

“Did you like it?” Ash’s voice purred from the other line.

Elle yelped, charm flashing brightly. Stomach flipping and heart pounding, she took in a few deep breaths as the pulse of the charm spread a layer of protection over her.

“How’d you get my- You know what, never mind.” Elle tried to focus, watching the shadows on the wall shift as the lights from the charm danced.

“You think the right hand of Asmodeus doesn’t have a few resources wrapped around its little finger?” Ash crooned, before laughing.

“What the point?” Elle put a hand on her hip. “I’m not going to work for him.”

“You asked for my help in breaking the contract with one Adrian Ashborn.” Ash’s voice was suddenly lower, making Elle hesitate, grip on the phone tightening. “This is part of that process.”

Elle’s scowl deepened. Weasel words and more. Never ending. At least Ramses knew to at least try and be coy.

“Since Adrian’s bond with his own kind has been broken, tracking has proved difficult.” Ash continued. There was a soft sigh from the other end, not from Ash. He mumbled something in the infernal language, and it was followed by a light giggle.

Elle winced and tried to keep her mind from the dirty conclusion of where and who the Incubus was with. She resisted the urge to tell him it was rude to eat while he was on the phone.

“You want to lead something to a trap, have bait,” Ash said nonchalantly.

Licking her lips, Elle froze. “Wait… You’re hoping he’ll see it?”

“Billboards, banner ads, magazines, anything we could put money into.” Ash’s smirk came through. “And once the Incubus obsessed with you “knows” where you work, he’ll come running.”

“But Adrian’s a coward, he’ll never-”

“Dearest,” Ash interrupted. “Don’t worry. Asmodeus is a Demon Lord for a reason. If anyone knows the art of seduction and tantalizing, it’s him.”

Elle’s cheeks burned. All of that… Just to trap Adrian? She wondered what would have happened if she agreed to work-

Even through the phone, he was getting to her. Rubbing her brow, Elle gave a grunt of acknowledgment. There was shuffling on the other side, and Elle thought she heard another sigh, or maybe a whine of someone else, different than the first. How many people did he have over there?

“If you want, I can send you a copy of the pictures. Cadence fought me tooth and nail on using the models I did. I, for one, think they came out fabulous. Although, I’d rather see the real thing-”

“Goodbye, Ash. Call me when you’ve got Adrian.”

***

The day of the catering order arrived.

Elle felt odd going into work without her uniform, but it was a welcome change. The maid outfit had been switched out for a button-up shirt and midi skirt, although she still kept her apron, charm and spider hanging at her throat.

Wrecks was already there when she pulled up, smoking and scribbling something down in a notebook. He still wore his uniform, but that didn’t surprise Elle.

“How’s it going?” She asked.

“Eh. It’s… Going.” Wrecks held up a hand when Elle went to open the door.

“Ramses wanted to buy you something similar, but I don’t trust those things.” He pulled out a pair of shoulder-length gloves.

“What’s this for?” Elle took the gloves. They were silk, but woven so tight they’d likely be waterproof. They were nice to touch, and she found herself stroking them.

“Well… I know you can’t eat our food.” Wrecks fidgeted with his braid. “So I figured being around the ingredients probably wouldn’t be good for your skin either. So…” His voice trailed off and he shrugged. “You can go ahead and keep them, too.”

Gripping the gloves tight, Elle stared at them. “Wrecks, I…” She swallowed, before nodding. “Thanks. I’ll pay you-”

“What are friends for, right?” Wrecks gave a smile and gently pushed her with a foreleg.

“Don’t worry about money, I just wanted to spin something. Gloves are easy, although mittens are probably the easiest…” He continued to talk about the various crafts as he opened the door.

Warm air from inside blasted the two of them. Elle slipped on the gloves, flexing her fingers. She felt strange, having them on, but it was better to feel subconscious than to have an ER visit because she accidentally touched something that rotted human skin.

There were so many boxes, stacked almost to the ceiling. Ovens roared, trays covering almost every flat surface so the pastries could cool.

Stripping off her coat, Elle rubbed her hands together.

“Just tell me how I can stay out of the way and still be useful.” She craned her neck, looking around for Horac. She’d seen his truck on the way in.

“You can help Aki,” Wrecks pulled a kit from the shelves. When he opened the lid, there were various decoration tools, from pastry bags to icing spatulas. “You know how to use these, right?”

Elle nodded. She wasn’t an expert, but it was simple enough to follow diagrams. She’d looked up a few tutorials online. And if her night at Temptation was anything to go by, the food wouldn’t be the focus of things displayed.

Wait…

“Aki?” Elle arched a brow. The new guy’s name was Aki? How… Normal.

“Is he a human, too?” She took the kit and started to assemble a few tools, a task proving difficult with her gloves.

“Not exactly.” There was a thud as someone dropped down from the loft, landing in a three-point position.

When he straightened, Elle could see a pair of cat ears twitching on top of his head. His hair was black, covering his visible skin with thick patches of it. Amber almond-shaped eyes focused on her, slit pupils dilating as a thick bushy tail swished behind him. He too wore an apron, covered and smeared with almost every color of icing.

A feline sapien? Elle wondered to herself, then paused when she noticed the thrashing paper… man Aki was holding.

“Sorry.” Aki’s tongue stuck out, curving slightly between two elongated canines. “I heard this and had to go find it.”

“A talisman?” Wrecks took it, before wincing as it burst into flames. Yelping, he frantically waved his hands, extinguishing any embers. When he dropped the paper man, it floated upward, blue fire burning it to nothing.

A silhouette of a silver fox appeared in the smoke before it put a paw to its mouth and giggled, vanishing completely with a loud snap.

“You okay?” Elle went to grab his hand to check it for a burn but paused when she felt the stranger eyeing her.

“I’ll go wash off in the sink.” Wrecks shook his hands again, before walking off. “Horac! I thought you were supposed to be watching him!”

“I have milk on the stove!” The Boarman bellowed back.

“Don’t worry!” Elle called, announcing her presence, “I’ll watch him.” She turned to face Aki, sticking out her hand, and giving a quick introduction.

Aki’s ears twitched as he seemed to size (and eye) Elle up. His tail continued to swish back and forth, coming dangerously close to the cooling pastries. His eyes went to her chest, and he shrugged, before turning around and leading her to a corner of the room.

Elle frowned, wondering how she’d managed to offend him. Was it the gloves? Shouldn’t someone hairy as him be wearing them anyway? Possibly a full-body hairnet?

There were a few trays of decorated pastries, with lists posted above each booth. Each one had rows of boxes, to be checked off when the items reached various stages of completion. Those that were marked “complete” were finely iced and drizzled.

Elle got as close as she dared, brows raising as she let out an impressed whistle.

“Wow! They look ready to be displayed!” While it was true, she hoped he would be receptive to the compliment.

“I used to decorate at my old job,” Aki explained, picking up a pastry bag full of pink icing. He’d donned a pair of elbow-length gloves. “Mr. Sesbrun said he needed extra hands, so I figured why not?”

Mr. Sesbrun. How formal. Not even Wrecks called him that.

Picking up a pastry back, Elle did a quick check of the invoice and began to ice what would become “Corruption Cupcakes”. At least those were simple and repetitive, the hardest part being the literal cherry on top that would finish the piece.

Although the image of Ash’s confused expression as he ordered one made her stifle a laugh.

And then the way he tied a knot in the stem with his tongue…

Lightly shaking her head, Elle berated herself. The day had only just started, she didn’t need to be flustered or frustrated now!

“Where’d you work before?” Elle hoped she didn’t sound desperate in her question. Her mind needed something unstimulating to focus on right now.

“Down the street.” Aki didn’t look up from his work.

He rhythmically squeezed the bag, gnawing on his lower lip. Small pink spurts came out, forming complex floral and petal patterns that Elle wouldn’t have believed were brought about manually. It seemed like he had barely started on the first before he was onto the second.

He put down the pink bag and had grabbed a red one, squeezing out the exact shape needed for a Devilishly Delicious Donut, down to the crimson flames and a small pair of horns and a tail. How fast was this Cat Boy? Cat Man?

She took a quick survey and realized the pastries were already one-fourth of the way done, and more rapidly adding to that number. At this rate, they’d be waiting for things to cool before they needed to start decorating again.

Good thing he didn’t apply when I did, or he’d run circles around me.

Within minutes, Aki was running behind her to get to the next tray on the other side, tail swishing as he picked up the supplies needed.

Maybe you’d get your work done faster if you weren’t ogling the new guy.

No, she wasn’t ogling. Just… appreciating his skill and speed.

Elle just started on the third cupcake on her tray when she felt a slap on her ass. The sudden sting made her yelp, squeezing the pastry bag too tight and spurting icing all over the tray and cupcakes.

The charm vibrated against her throat, making her step back and cough. Aki was running to another tray, his tail swishing. For a moment, there appeared to be black smoke coming off his tail, but when it flicked outward, it was gone.

As the charm continued to pulse, Elle felt her head start to throb. For an instant, she saw two mirror images of Aki, working in sync with one another.

He didn’t look up from his work, his face stoic as he iced like a madman.

Elle wondered if he’d somehow managed to miss another talisman and if this was some weird “prank” by Tanpopo. It seemed like something the Kitsune would do. Although aside from the day he showed up on the counter… It had been relatively quiet.

“You alright, Shepard?” Wrecks came over with a bandaged hand. “Did you get any icing on you?”

Looking down at her hands, Elle frowned at the mess covering her gloves and apron. But… That was the point, right?

“... Fine.” Elle put distance between herself and Aki, wondering why her charm was going crazy around him. It didn’t act this way around other Feline Sapiens that she knew.

Then, Aki stopped at the end of a tray, body going rigid.

“M-minute, please?” Aki said, his voice shaking, barely above a whisper. “It’s… Getting hot in here.”

Wrecks nodded, and Aki bolted out the door, hitting them with a blast of cold air. Elle frowned, grabbing the charm. Even when she’d charged it before, it never acted this way.

“What species is he?”

“I… didn’t think to check his file before he came in.” Wrecks admitted. “I just assumed ‘feline sapien’ since…” Wrecks put his hands behind his head, flexing his fingers to imitate cat ears wiggling. “His name is Japanese, it’s possible he might be a yokai.”

‘Yokai’ . Demons by another name, but something she’d only barely scratched the surface of in her studies.

Although she’d seen enough… Videos on the subject to know a few things about oni and kitsune. Maybe that was what the charm was reacting to? Dark energy it couldn’t pinpoint?

“Bakeneko?” Wrecks said aloud. “Nekomata? But then he wouldn’t be able to walk around in the sunlight without a charm and he’s pretty even-tempered…” Frowning, he rubbed his face, grimacing, forelegs rubbing together before realization and horror broke over his face.

“Don’t tell him I said that.”

“Eh?” Elle raised a brow.

“I know what it’s like… Having people get the wrong idea about you. And… I don’t want him to think I’m-”

“Spinner!” Horac yelled. “Quit flirting and get in here!”

Wreck’s face paled and he sputtered, silvery drool dribbling down his lips. Elle raised a brow and he waved her away, skittering back to the kitchen.

“I was not flirting!”

Elle went out the door, teeth chattering when the wind hit her. She saw Aki leaning against the wall, breathing heavily.

“Aki?” She said cautiously, hovering with her hand on the handle.

He pulled his head away from the back of his hand, giving a big smile. “It’s uh… Really hot in there, huh?” He pointedly tugged at the fur on his cheeks. “I’m okay, just need a minute to cool off.”

Elle’s charm pulsed in a warning. He stared at it out of the corner of his eye, before facing the wall again.

“You, uh… Want some water or something?” She took a step back, rocking back and forth between the door and outside.

Aki waved her off. “Don’t trouble yourself. I just… Need a minute.”

“Alright…” Elle frowned, then cleared her throat, “I know you’re new, but I promise no one’s going to get mad if you need to sit down or drink something. Ramses takes-”

“Very good care of his employees, I know.” Aki’s tail swished back and forth. “I’m sorry. I just… I want to do good at this job.” He pushed off the building. The color was gone from his cheeks and he suddenly looked faint.

“So let’s make it a great one, yeah?” His voice wavered, fists shaking as he clenched them.

Elle nodded, feeling slightly guilty. Did she look like this to the rest of the employees on her first few shifts?

“Let’s get you something to eat first.” Elle lifted up a finger to silence him when he opened his mouth to protest. “No “ifs” “ands” or “buts”!” She was the supervisor, so she could make this call, right?

Aki’s mouth slowly closed, and he nodded, the grin rising to his eyes. His ears perked up, and his tail swished back and forth rapidly, almost like it was wagging. Then, a loud purr vibrated through him.

“Okay!” He took a step toward Elle but flinched back when the charm flashed. His lower lip jutted out, brows coming together in a pout before he nodded and smiled.

***

Aki was still buzzing with energy when they finished. Aside from his dashing out the door every hour, he was a diligent worker, finishing five or six trays for every one Elle managed to decorate.

The last box was taped up and ready to ship, Elle collapsed into a booth. Picking up a menu, she fanned herself with it as a large truck pulled up. It was bright pink, with “Temptation” written on the side. Men and women of various species were posed and covered with rather suggestive looking icing and glaze.

“Laying it on a little thick.” Aki held his thumb and forefinger apart by a hair’s width. “I don’t know why they didn’t just do a transport spell.”

“Those are expensive!” Elle sputtered, even though she was sure Asmodeus could afford such a thing. Then, she recalled the nightmare that was the payment method of the Lucifer order. She imagined the same method but mixing in condoms and lube samples instead of campaign buttons and bumper stickers.

Elle knew which one she would have preferred. Although imagining her coworkers' reactions did make her snicker.

Aki was looking at her, brows raised.

Elle clapped her hands together. Right. New guy. Couldn’t be weird around him. “I bet the truck is good advertising.”

“I hope it didn’t cause any wrecks on the way here.” Aki crossed his arms, ears drooping. “You… Er… We, work for this guy?”

“It’s the reason we hired you.” Elle shrugged. “And the guy who runs it…” Where to begin with Ash?

-is really great! Had me fuck a siren band on stage, but now he’s getting my ex off my back!

“...Is nice in his own way.”

They joined Wrecks and Horac outside, the sun bright despite the cold day. Aki didn’t seem perturbed by the light, walking around and handing boxes over to be loaded. Despite his more lean build, he seemed to have some degree of strength.

Two trolls assisted the boxes into the back of the truck, chatting with Wrecks. Horac assisted them, and it dawned on Elle how… Small her coworker was compared to them. Still, he moved fast, not stumbling once.

And she felt her cheeks heat when she caught one of them staring, before mumbling to the other in their native tongue.

And like he had a radar for it, Horac had put himself between them and Elle. And she felt… Grateful, even if she was sure nothing would happen.

Then, Horac grumbled something that sounded similar to the troll’s language.

Whatever he said had the other two laughing, one clapping a hand on his back. Horac smiled broadly, and Elle wondered if he knew them back when he was human.

Once everything was loaded, the trolls hollered to someone who was still in the truck. The passenger door opened, and Elle let out a soft yelp when she saw a collection of grey feathers.

While he’d put on boots and a shirt, Cadence looked good. The clothing clung to him in all the perfect ways, making Elle flood with heat more than if he’d walked out naked. He clung to the invoice, signing off on a few things before mutely passing it over to Wrecks.

The Drider looked over the papers, and the two seemed to come to a silent agreement. Cadence reached behind his back and pulled out an envelope. His eyes caught Elle’s and he winked at her, the corner of his lip tugging into a knowing smile, then his lips pursing and silently blowing a kiss in her direction.

Elle looked the other way, biting her lip to keep herself from saying something that she would regret. Even outside the club's influence, he was still having an effect on her. Swallowing, she gave a cordial smile and wave, cheeks red.

Ash had probably done this on purpose, trying to rile her up. No. Not probably. Did.

“Shepard?” Wrecks called, breaking her out of the trance. “Can you sign off on this, too?”

“Me?” She tried to keep her voice from breaking.

Horac still seemed to be in an animated conversation with the trolls, so Elle slowly slunk over, taking the clipboard and quickly reading through it, before scribbling her name across the bottom. As she passed the invoice back over, Cadence’s hand brushed against hers.

It was accidental, but Elle felt herself about ready to fall over. Making a fist, she quickly excused herself and ran back into the café, scrubbing off her hands.

Thankfully, nothing came off in the sink. But Elle’s heart continued to pound.

Why was she so flustered? Sure, Cadence’s signals were bright and neon, but it wasn’t like he was dry humping her in front of the other employees. In fact, her reaction was probably setting off more alarm bells than his. He came from the sex club, she worked at the café. But they were both at their jobs. Splashing her face, Elle pressed a damp paper towel to her neck to try and calm herself.

Right. Professional. She could be that.

Wiping off the worst of her running makeup, Elle exited the bathroom.

Aki stared at her, brow raised. Before he could open his mouth to say something, Wrecks began to herd him back toward the door, forelegs pushing the Cat Man anytime he tried to stop or turn around and peek.

“Shepard’s got some… Business to take care of with them.” Wrecks’ tone was surprisingly authoritative. They went inside, the door shutting loudly.

Horac waved to the trolls, who went back to the truck. He seemed to pick up on the tension, hanging tentatively behind Elle. Fists opened and closed on empty air. There was a wave of subtle anger in the Boarman, something ready to come out the instant it was told to.

“I’ve got it, don’t worry,” Elle said, brushing her hand through the air. A calculated risk, showing confidence in herself and trust in Cadence.

There were heavy footsteps as Horac retreated back inside, but she had a feeling that he was still watching through the window. All of them probably were, trying to see what had her all worked up. Or they were just starting to clean up.

Cadence stared at her, face void of emotion. More silence. Expectation.

“I’m not coming back,” Elle said firmly. “It’s… Nothing you did wrong, but… I can’t.” She had a feeling every word would be relayed to Ash if he wasn’t already listening in.

Cadence reached up, the back of his hand stroking Elle’s cheek, taloned thumb resting on her lower lip. Despite the cold, she felt overheated. Cloudy breath filled the air as they stared at one another.

Then, he nodded.

“I understand.” His arms wrapped around her tightly, chin on her shoulder. Nails traced over the back of her shirt, the sharpness teasing through the fabric. Elle inhaled sharply, stomach fluttering as lewd thoughts of him tearing the outfit off flittered through her mind.

Nope. She was breaking it off clean. Focus.

“Thank you.” Elle pushed off Cadence’s chest, breaking his embrace completely.

His mouth opened, but he closed it.

Once more, he nodded, turning around and climbing into the truck as the engine rumbled to life.

The heat of the building was a welcome respite. Elle flopped into the booth nearest to the door and moaned softly. A long soak in the bath tonight.

“Ash sends his regards,” Wrecks cleared his throat, then looked at Aki. “Apologies in advance if it’s… A lot.” He pulled out four envelopes, each one color-coded. He passed the black one to Aki, kept a light blue one for himself, a red one to Horac, and a pink one to Elle.

Aki shrugged. “I think… I have a good idea of what to expect. But we’re all adults here.”

“Well, good work team,” Horac groaned. “I’m going home and sleeping until my next shift.” Sighing, he stuck the envelope in his breast pocket without looking at it, walking out of the restaurant.

Wrecks nodded, “I think… I’m going to take a long nap.” He turned to Elle. “See you Monday, Shepard.” He turned to Aki. “Nekokuro.”

“Nice meeting you!” Aki smiled, before going to the backroom. When he came out, he was wearing a patchwork coat. Elle suddenly remembered the coat, the scraggly looking man who came through that wouldn’t even look her in the eye.

Apparently, he must have really charmed Ramses in the interview, to be hired before the night was over.

Aki… Was under all that? She tried not to stare, with so many questions on her lips. Instead, she stretched her arms above her head, following Horac out. Once the doors were locked, they said their goodbyes.

When she turned on the clunker, the heat kicked on, blasting cold air. She turned it down all the way, shivering.

At least Aki was friendly. Although the thought of the day crew having a new member would take some getting used to. He was fast, quick on his feet, and seemed to be able to focus.

Taking the envelope, she opened the flap, about shrieking at the tip that fell out. Mixed in with the cash were also a few condoms and lube samples. Along with a folded-up letter.

“I was kidding!” She screamed toward the roof of her car. They had the faint scent of the club on them, making her heart pound. How tightly had that envelope been sealed to keep it in?

On top of the pile was a small card, crimson lips at the bottom corner. Above it, written in a looping script:

“This could be your everyday. -A”

Sighing, Elle rolled her eyes and put the contents back into the bag. She was going to have to talk to Ash about boundaries the next time they spoke. Between this and Cadence, she was going to have a fit. If she wasn't already under the influence. The drive home was going to be long. Hopefully, traffic was good.

‘He doesn’t see things the same way humans do.’

Picking up the letter, Elle expected more words from Ash, but there was a small grey feather taped to the bottom. The writing had been done with a heavy hand, several blots of ink around the script suggesting broken pens.

‘Dear Elle,’ It began.

‘I’m writing to you preemptively, but I know this will likely be the outcome. Ash sent me your way because he thinks we’re a great duet, and that we’ll eventually be able to harmonize in a way that will bring in more crowds.

‘But I know that’s not what you want. I understand that I’ll only be able to tell you what you want to hear, rather than speak my true feelings, so I’ll write them down here. That way you won’t have to worry about me potentially hypnotizing you with my voice. Because at the end of the day, it's your choice and I want to respect that. Ash does too, but... He's a lot more forward than I am, I suppose.

‘I did have fun at our performance, but I know one good night isn’t a justification for wanting something serious. Nor am I in a position to give up my employment. Despite what you experienced, Ash is a good boss, much like your Ramses. Two men who have a rivalry that can only be described as brotherly. But that being said, if you ever want to reprise our song, you’ll only need to reach out to me. No Ash. No Temptation. Just me and you. I always wondered what it would be like to try acapella.

-The “Authentic” Cadence.’

Folding up the letter, Elle slipped it back into the envelope. Taking a deep breath, she crumpled up the card and tossed it onto the floor, making a note to clean out her car when she got back to the apartment.

Driving away, she felt… A strange sense of power come over her.

Stronger than any magic she’d ever felt. Not infatuation or lust. But something she could take in her hands and control.

These days were almost behind her. No more bargaining. No more deals. No more crippling debt.

Just her and… Whatever she chose next.

When she got back to her apartment, she looked at the envelope again. Even without the card from Ash, she still felt the whole thing hanging over her. Most of the scent had faded, but the faint bit that lingered was driving her crazy. It felt like between her legs was on fire.

All that hard work. The truck. Everyone trying to pull her in a different direction. The thought of what if tickled at the back of her mind.

She was exhausted, but still wound up. There was one way to take care of both.

Elle took one of the lube samples and squirted it over one of her more recent purchases, a small bright purple vibrator. Even with exercises and stretches, her hands had started to cramp up. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it got the job done.

At first, her mind went to the stage at Temptation, but then all she could think about was Ash

and his leer, sitting on his concubi furniture.

Let’s get you home…

A voice that called to her, but didn’t have the same heart-stopping tug that drew one in like a thrall.

She was at the café again. No more trays, no more catering orders. She was leaning over the counter, staring at the sheer glee that was… The empty restaurant. Closed sign, register closed, everything counted up.

The one good thing to come out of Temptation, she figured.

He would be on his knees, licking at the fabric of her panties, head under her skirt. Just like he’d started at the stage, but there was no audience to please. Just her. And he intended to drag it out, tracing his fingers over her skin, palms parting her thighs.

He lapped at her inner legs, from the curve of her knee up to her hip, lightly nipping. The feathers were down soft, but there was the curve of talons that reminded her that a true predator hid within.

She could feel his warm breath, each hot exhale making her squirm. But he wouldn’t let her close her legs or try to push him away. Instead, he licked at her harder but kept the cotton barrier between them.

Still, he managed to find her clit, sucking on it and rolling his tongue around, parting her lips and rubbing the material against it. Greedy hands explored her ass and the small of her back, slipping under the fabric and giving everything they could a firm squeeze.

Her knees gave out, and she fell against the wall. No… She hit a body. It was warm, the chest rising up and down with breath, a heart thundering in sync with her own. When she looked back, she saw it was Cadence. But the partner between her legs didn’t stop licking. In fact, they seemed more invigorated.

Cadence brought her lips to his, tongue plunging in her mouth, his clawed hands tore through the fabric of her shirt. Buttons skidded across the floor, but Elle didn’t care. The talons traced over her breasts, circling a nipple until it was pebbled.

Then, with the utmost gentleness, they began to pinch and twist at the erect tips, before squeezing rudely. He nibbled at her neck, the conflicting sensations of sharp and soft making Elle squeal as she felt herself clench.

The noise encouraged Cadence further, and he found the curve of Elle’s neck, biting hard enough for her to see stars. Hands finally left her breasts to run down her ribs, abdomen, and then up to her shoulders. Then, they traveled down again, index fingers cradling her nipples as his thumb palpated. His lips never stopped moving, trailing across her skin, leaving it a mess of kisses and what would become bruises.

Then, there was vibrating. Elle’s back arched and she gasped, ready to reach the edge, but she forced herself to hold the climax.

This was long overdue, and she wanted it to last. Still, as she became more sensitive, her nipples being pinched and twisted until just the lightest breeze on them made her squirm, she could feel the one between her legs speeding up.

They were eating her out like it was the only meal available after a forty-day fast. Growling, moaning, their grip accentuated by something sharp. Not painful, but enough to keep her in place. And she was glad to do that, only able to squirm.

Cadence held her fast, his heart thudding between her shoulders.

It then dawned on her that the sound or sensation between her legs wasn’t vibration.

It was purring.

As if on cue, Aki popped his head up for breath. He licked his lips, smiling at her knowingly. Nails ran up and down her thighs, inching closer to panties every time, teasing under the elastic, but pulling back at the last second.

Cadence brought her mouth to his again before she could protest, hand trailing lower. They slipped past the material, parting her lower lips

Aki pushed up her skirt, hooking his clawed hands under her waistband. As her panties slid down her thighs, he knelt again, breath rolling over her drenched and sensitive sex. She felt him lick Cadence’s fingers, drawing a throaty moan from the Siren.

The licks were teasing, lapping at the sensitive skin of her abdomen, trailing around Cadence’s hand, but not actually touching her now exposed clit or folds.

Now with the material out of the way, each breath was a white-hot flame of ecstasy. Elle whimpered, burying her hands in his hair, and finding his ears. He stiffened when she touched them, his cock growing hard, peeking out of his waistband.

Now she had him. Holding him fast, she guided him back to where she wanted him to focus.

He looked up at her, amber eyes glazed over as he drug his tongue slowly across her. Each lick felt like an eternity and Elle was about ready to fall over. Cadence cradled her, still holding everything open and allowing Aki access.

The air was stirred by the cat man’s fast-moving tail, covering Elle in gooseflesh. Like the sharp and soft, heat and cold now warred, each one trying to be the one to bring her over the edge. She finally released him, bracing herself against the wall as the licks sped up, Aki seizing the back of her legs and plunging his tongue into her, the moans turning into screams of pleasure.

And the vibrations from that send her over. Legs locked around his head, and he took it all in, moaning in gratitude, giving her one last squeeze… And his tail swatting her noisily on the ass. How, Elle wasn’t sure.

The image of the empty café broke apart, and she was back in her apartment, legs splayed open on her bed, vibrator on her clit. Her head was swimming, all the sounds around her warbled and distant. The light from the afternoon was still bright, making her head start to pound.

Staring up at the ceiling, she tried to catch her breath.

Once the feeling in her legs had returned, she managed to roll off the bed and staggered to the shower.

Something told her that this wouldn’t be the last time this happened.

When she came out of the shower, buzzing rattled the nightstand. Seizing the toy, she pressed the button in an attempt to turn it off.

Oh come on, I just bought this, don’t tell me it’s broken already.

She finally unscrewed it and let the batteries fall out. Once it was securely in a drawer, she stared at the bed, before collapsing onto it. She was still in her towel, hair damp.

Thinking and the outside world could wait. Exhaustion had gone from a creep to a full-on throttle, and she wasn’t going to fight it for much longer.

All that mattered was that she now had the choice. And it wasn’t going to get taken away because she was in a bad spot.

I understand…

The words she’d wanted to hear. The only thing a Siren could speak about.

Maybe in another life. Or a different time…

But she couldn’t see it. At least not now. There was too much going on.

Elle couldn’t help but feel relief join her exhaustion, the world breaking away as she fell into slumber.

Next part here!

#monster love #monster lover #monster x human #monster romance #monster boyfriend #monster fucker #monsterfucker #terato #demon #monster smut #demon lover #cream filling

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whateverisbeautiful · 7 months

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♥️ Ranking Richonne

#2: I'm Still With You (S5E16)

My favorite pre-canon Richonne scene. 😍 This moment is something special and monumental for many reasons. Plus it features my favorite thing Michonne has ever said to Rick in TWD. To me, the connection, vulnerability, and steam in this scene are nearly equal to some of Richonne's passionate exchanges during their post-canon era. I love that this moment makes it loud and clear that these two have a very powerful effect on each other. And most importantly, I adore this scene for cementing that Rick and Michonne are with each other always. 🥹 What a gift...

A lot of relationships can appear strong during happy times when both individuals are on the same page. However, it's during those challenging periods, when two hold different outlooks and have a multitude of things weighing on them, that the true strength of a relationship really becomes evident.

So part of what puts this scene so high on my list is that it is one of the clearest depictions of why Richonne's relationship is so deep and durable. Because even at this time when circumstances could have easily caused a major divide between them, Michonne and Rick instead choose each other and prove this is a relationship that they sincerely value in the good times and the hard times too.

But, before we get into the #2 scene, we have to talk about some scenes that proceed it in the s5 finale. 🤗

As I’ve said in a previous post, I think this scene where Rick wakes up to find Michonne watching over him and they finally talk about his headspace is extremely revealing of how he views her. Rick telling Michonne, "Well you wanted this place," just really hammered home that in many ways she’s in the wife category to him. Rick was trying to secure this place for team family, but especially for Michonne in a way that he wasn't able to do for Lori.

The scene opens with Rick asleep after Michonne quite literally knocked some sense into him the prior ep, and it's funny that when he stirs awake, he laughs almost amused as he recalls the wild stuff that happened leading up to this point.

Then Michonne asks, "What’s so funny?" and you see a surprised little look on Rick's face as he asks, "You were here the whole time?" And I like that there’s not an ounce of frustration towards her after knocking him out. He gets it.

I love that Michonne is the one in here with him. Even knowing Rick has been wildin' out she’s still protective of him. Cuz she can knock him out but that doesn’t mean she’s gonna let anyone else come for him. It’s like a visual representation of the sentiment she’ll later express in my golden #2 scene.

Michonne even says she was there with Rick all night, which is such an indicator of her love for him. And then because she knows his laugh meant something, she reiterates "What’s so funny?," and I love that Rick is willing to be vulnerable about his headspace with her when he admits to her that mentally he’s still stuck in the train car from Terminus.

Michonne gives him the rundown of what he missed, and it’s clear she was thoroughly holding down the fort and keeping the peace while he was out of it.

Then I appreciate that Michonne closes some of the distance between them when she pulls her chair closer and asks, "Rick, what are you doing?"

It’s clear she’s concerned about him, and I like that she asks this way. It’s not accusatory like, 'What were you thinking?' or derogatory like, 'What’s wrong with you?' She wants to know what he’s doing cuz clearly she can tell Rick thinks he’s doing what he has to even though he really doesn’t have to. And if he’d be honest with her, she could help him see that.

Like in this scene, Michonne really could have told Rick...

And she'd be right lol. 😋 However, when she asks this, Rick doesn’t have an answer so then Michonne for the first time addresses the Pete and Jessie situation.

She says, "You could have told me what was happening." And there’s a deeper reason Rick didn’t tell her, beyond what he’ll claim here when he just says "it moved fast." He kept people closest to him like Carl, Michonne, and Glenn out of the loop about the Anderson situation because in many ways his off behavior in that situation was not rooted in clarity but rather in the unresolved wound of losing Lori without closure and the severe PTSD that everything about ASZ triggered within him.

He says it moved fast “and then Noah.” The way Rick says that part feels like he knows how hard Noah’s loss was on Michonne. We saw her grieving Noah a bit in a prior ep too. Which would make sense, especially because Noah, as a kid who didn’t make it, could stir up a lot of pain over losing Andre for her. 😢

Rick says he couldn’t tell her about the gun and, while it could seem like he says it like he couldn’t trust her with that info, he knows what he really means which is what he’ll reveal later - that he couldn’t tell her cuz she had the power to talk him out of it.

Michonne sarcastically says, "nah you couldn’t," cuz she knows Rick knows good and well he can tell her anything.

It becomes clear that Rick meant he couldn’t tell her because of her influence on him when he says, “Well you wanted this place.” Again, I’ll always love the significance and delivery of this line. And he’s not saying this accusatory. He knows finding a home meant something to her, and it meant something to him that Michonne got what she wanted.

It really feels like during this whole arc, Rick didn’t want to tamper with Michonne's experience in ASZ by roping her into his underhanded plans with Daryl and Carol because they were plans that suggested the place could fall or not work out, and he knows Michonne wanted to believe in this place.

Along with knowing Michonne could talk him out of this approach, I've always felt like part of why Rick kept her out of the plans - plans that normally he would want her fully involved in - was because of his desire to "give her this place" without the burden of expecting things to go wrong.

Think about pretty much all of Rick and Michonne's scenes in ASZ leading up to this point, especially the scene where he looks right at Michonne as he "signs the papers" and agrees to be a constable with her the day after she expresses to him that she would want a job. Each of their ASZ scenes suggested that even as Rick was spiraling on his own mental journey, everything in him still wanted Michonne to have this place, even if it meant carrying the burden of intense uncertainty on his own.

Fortunately, in this ep, Rick learns that he is no longer with a partner who expects him to carry any burdening issues alone ever. 🙌🏽

So then Michonne adamantly tells him they had to stop being out there, and she's right as always. Then Rick says, "Well we’re here," and I love Michonne’s response to this. She notes what Rick said earlier about still being mentally stuck in that train car when she compassionately says, “Well you just said you weren’t.”

And really it’s true, the poor guy has not been all there in ASZ hence some of his more volatile behavior. And Rick looks like he knows Michonne has a point when he stares at her in this moment.

Then when Carol, Abe, and Glenn walk in (which feels like they are walking in on the Richonne bubble) Rick is caught in the middle with Michonne on one end asking about the gun, and Carol on the other wanting him to lie.

And you can just tell that man does not want to lie to Michonne anymore. But he goes along with Carol’s story even tho Michonne ain’t buying it, looking at Rick and Carol like...

Later, Carol talks with Rick alone and is in his ear about continuing their trust-no-one approach. And the first thing Rick asks is why she didn’t want to tell Michonne, Glenn, and Abe about the gun. You know those magnets within him are ready to stop with the games that are causing distance with Michonne and come clean to her once and for all.

Carol seems to suggest that Michonne knocking Rick out might make her untrustworthy of being let in on their plans, but I adore that Rick so quickly and confidently defends Michonne, saying both that he deserved what Michonne did and that, "She’s with us."

He knows and trusts his woman, y'all. And I love that even after Michonne knocked him out and Carol's trying to cast doubts about her, Rick's still like...

In this whole ASZ situation Carol and Michonne reflect two different ways to approach ASZ. And in this scene with Rick and Carol, it’s clear that Rick has already been swayed more to Michonne’s side, especially as he tells Carol, "I don’t want to lie anymore."

This moment lets you know that without even directly talking him out of it, Michonne has again influenced Rick to no longer want to scheme and plot under the table. I know Rick hated feeling even remotely distant from Michonne, and he’s ready to fix that and stop lying to her asap.

Also, now you know I don’t really care to revisit any of those scenes, but all I’ll say about the scene with Jessie in this ep is it’s an interesting choice to have Rick only seen through the window when they talk. It again shows that in this situation he’s not all there, as Rick's not even seen present in the same shot as her, just a reflection of who he is.

But then, in this next scene, this Top 2 classic, not only is Rick directly in the shot with the woman he’s meant for, but the two get all up close and personal too...

Ok so on to my favorite pre-canon scene and top 2 moment. 🤩

I love that after such a compellingly wild journey with Rick’s character arc in season 5, his turning point back to some sense of sanity in the finale is in this moment with Michonne. She’s the person in his life most capable of helping him start seeing things clearer.

It reminds me of Rick’s other mental spiral arc in s3 and how his turning point was also Michonne-related as nearly giving her up sparked him to return to democracy. No matter how off the deep end Rick can go, something about Michonne can always bring him back. 💯

So the scene opens with Michonne approaching the room and softly saying, "Rick, you ready?" which I like especially because in 5.11 she had asked Rick that very thing right outside the gates of ASZ before they ever entered the community.

And in some ways, Rick wasn’t fully ready to let go of the fight and embrace this place back then, which has led to their current predicament. But even then, she still checks in on him now and wants to know where he’s really at with this.

(also the opening shot low-key feels like she's the angel arriving on his shoulder to guide him back to the light, if you ask me.)

This moment of her checking on him also sorta feels like it parallels that scene in The Distance when Michonne approaches Rick outside the barn while he works on a car. There's some similar positioning with him lower and her standing above, but the interesting difference is in 5.11 Rick and Michonne were discussing the potential for other people/communities to pose a threat, and here in 5.16 they have to deal with how Rick is now deemed the threat to the community.

Then I love that all Michonne has to say is just those three words - "Rick, you ready?" - and Rick is ready to completely spill everything. Like details and all with no hesitation. 😋

Rick lays it all out saying how he, Carol, and Daryl worked out the plan to keep guns together, and he lets Michonne know exactly what they took from the armory and exactly what they still have.

Rick says, “We lied to you cuz I wasn’t sure how you’d take it - what you’d do.” which has always been quite interesting to me because like he knows Michonne wouldn’t just straight up turn on him or fight him but I think just the mere thought that what she’d do is pull away from him or be disappointed was enough for Rick to feel he couldn’t risk telling her.

And I like how, as he says this, he holds his hand out to give her the gun as this symbol that not only is he confessing, but he’s ready to “turn himself in” in a sense and let her have the gun and have intel on the plan completely, rather than hide anything from her.

I feel like this moment really hammers home that Rick views Michonne as his partner. They'd been operating like partners and co-leaders so much before arriving in Alexandria, so Rick knows that Michonne is someone in the group who would have and should have been let in on these types of plans, which is why not telling her felt like a lie that weighed on him.

I like that when Michonne hears Rick say this, she puts the windbreaker down, knowing they need to have a moment and talk this out so she can let him know exactly where she stands.

She asks if he thinks she’d try to stop him, and Rick, always finding time to be a little teasing with her, says, "Well you did hit me over the head." You know he's teasing too cuz he literally just defended her doing this when he spoke with Carol earlier lol.

And I appreciate that Michonne wants it to be crystal clear she did that to help him and not for the others. "That was for you." Of course, it’s for him, and doing what she thought was best to help him.

Even before hearing her say this, you know Rick believes that she did this with his best interests in mind.

And then I adore that he gets extra vulnerable for this next part, with this being his turn to close the distance between them.

Rick stands up and gets super close to her - cuz magnets - and he finally tells Michonne that he didn't tell her about the guns because “I was afraid you’d talk me out of it…you could’ve.”

Y'all, I love this. 😊 That "you could've" is going to hit my heart every time.

I’ve mentioned other pre-canon moments on this list where Rick has told on himself in terms of what he feels for Michonne. But none more than in this moment right here does Rick outright expose that Michonne has a very special and substantial influence on him.

It’s a big deal one; for her to have this power, two; for Rick to know Michonne has this power, and three; for him to then straight up tell her she has this power.

This is extremely significant, especially because Rick was seemingly at his most dazed during this 5B arc and said himself he was in the middle of losing his mind...and yet even in that disoriented state, he still had enough wherewithal to be aware that Michonne could get him to change course if she so much as talked to him about the situation.

Like homeboy was struggling to know right from left at this time, but one thing he did know was that Michonne had the power to heavily influence his choices and actions.

Rick Grimes won’t just let anybody talk him in or out of things, and yet Michonne effortlessly can do both as we saw throughout s5 and beyond. He also trusts her to know the immense influence she has without manipulating it. And honestly, he picked a good person to give this power to because Michonne is always right. 👑😌 Like fr...

I love that Rick finally came right out with it and told her this because he seemed to deep down know it was the case all along. Michonne means a whole lot to him, he fully respects her wisdom and ideas, and something in him always wants to give her what she wants, and in some capacity, he knows this about himself even here pre-canon.

As this is the season 5 finale, this is when they tie up a lot of arcs and storylines, and it’s fitting after a season where Michonne so fully stepped up as Rick's co-partner and both led alongside him and led him - the season ends with Rick actively knowing that just Michonne’s words, hell even a mere look, could influence his decisions on crucial matters. Even after losing it a bit in Alexandria, he still knows he'd trust Michonne’s gut even over his own. 👌🏽

And for him to say, "I was afraid..." I love the vulnerability. This is the Rick Grimes who has often had to come across as fearless to those they encounter, but here he can be honest and human and let her know that the influence she has over him is strong enough to even make him afraid.

Deep down something in Rick knew that Michonne has his whole heart and that he’ll ultimately be swayed to do what she says. Also, the visual of the two together is just so pleasing and the chemistry is always 🔥🔥.

And then cuz you know these equals stay taking turns sending my heart soaring - it’s Michonne’s turn to have me jumping for joy when she responds to him. (That's part of what makes this a top 2 moment because Rick and Michonne both have a line that just leaves me endlessly beaming 🤗)

First, Michonne so gently tells Rick they don’t need the guns here, and she doesn’t need her sword. It makes me think of the really sweet and sociable honorable mention moment they had in 5A when Rick asks her about her sword, and she says she doesn’t miss her sword but rather misses people they love like Hershel. Both these moments show she's always had such a solid perspective. 👑

Also y’all, as Michonne is talking to Rick in this s5 finale moment, again I have to point out the way Rick is looking at her...Whipped with a capital W. He looks so entranced that he again has to have one of those signature not-so-slick look-up moves he does whenever he knows he’s about to get lost in her lol.

I mentioned in a previous post that the story knew it wanted Rick and Michonne's journey to be that of an epic love story, hence why so many of their pre-canon scenes feel like they could fit perfectly into a romance. And you know who also naturally knew this - the Andrew Lincoln.

Because honey, the way his eyes always told the story that Rick was in love with Michonne 👏🏽👏🏽. Especially in this season 5 finale scene, all you have to do is look at Rick's eyes to know...

When Andy played our beloved sheriff during this pre-canon era, he basically said I don't really care what other storylines y'all got going on for Rick cuz whenever Rick is in front of Michonne he's going to look at her like she's the one for him really and truly. And I appreciate him for it. 😌

All those special stares between both Rick and Michonne throughout their journey really do add a wonderful touch to this love story. 👌🏽🥰

So then Michonne says, “I think you can find a way,” showing her steadfast belief in him. And then I love that she then emphasizes, “We can find a way.” It's refreshingly letting him know that, in navigating all this, he doesn’t have to do it alone. She will be by his side and they're a package deal. 😊

And then, as you know, what makes this scene such a classic is when Michonne flat out expresses the sentiment that they are forever a package deal when she so sincerely says, “And if we don’t…I’m still with you.” BEAUTIFUL. 😭

Oh I adore it with everything in me. She’s communicated to Rick that she’s still with him in so many different ways throughout the series, but I love that here she gets to look right at him with so much love in her eyes and let him know directly that she’s still with him no matter what. Good, bad, or ugly, she will forever be team Rick Grimes. 👌🏽

And it’s huge for her to say this and for Rick to hear this. Finding a home base has been Michonne's big goal this season and Rick's been aiming to provide that home - but now in the finale, this is Michonne’s chance to tell Rick she found home long ago because home actually isn’t a place - it’s him. And he no longer has to worry about losing her.

Also with the uncertainty of their world, how deep is it that they found a nice cushy community, a gold mine in that world, and Michonne is saying I still choose you even over the invaluable safety of having this home. As I’ve said before, this is the season where Rick and Michonne both show through words and actions that they will follow each other anywhere.

It’s so moving for Rick, someone who knows disloyalty well from his previous pre-apocalypse relationships (Lori & Shane), now has this woman to say I’m on your side always. And it's big for Michonne to know that the bond she formed with Rick is one she'll be committed to no matter what. Just a precious sentiment and my favorite thing she’s ever said to Rick so far. 🥰

And the way Michonne is looking at him. 😍 She’s in love with him, can’t tell me any different. So I, of course, gotta give major props to the Danai Gurira too because she also helped sculpt this story in the direction of a love story with the way Michonne would always look and talk to Rick.

Then Rick seems to just be taking her in completely as she says this lovely loyal line. Rick's look here feels like yet another moment that suggests he marvels over how he got so lucky to have someone like her be with him like this.

As Rick and Michonne let a silent moment linger between them, it really felt like RJ’s parents were finally about to kiss in this scene. Cuz these two were practically having this conversation...

Instead, Michonne notes how "something is going to happen," cuz she’s not naive or overly idealistic, and then she wisely states, "just don’t make something happen." And in this moment we’re seeing in real time the way Michonne just expressing herself can impact Rick and motivate him to change course.

I'm sure a lot of characters would have assumed Rick was unreachable in his season 5 era, but Michonne can always so effortlessly reach him and get him to try a new approach.

After she beautifully and prudently expresses this, Rick looks at her mesmerized (the usual), and then hands her the gun again, so eager to offer it as this peace offering that says he is with her too and willing to try to go about this her way rather than fight this his way.

It's a big deal for him to do this and I absolutely love the visual of this whole wordless moment.

I mentioned how in Clear, Michonne hands Rick a bullet as a sort of peace offering to show she’s on his side. And here Rick offers the same with the gun, but I love that instead of taking the gun, the shot draws emphasis on the two’s hands (seriously, Richonne stays giving the most Outstanding Performance by a Pair of Hands 👏🏽) as she softly places a hand over his and signals both that he doesn’t have to give her the gun and that she trusts him to make the right choice with it.

Again, Michonne is the soundest character in TWD, bar none, so in this moment, she knows it’s not necessarily unwise to have the gun, she’s not against the idea of precautions, but she also knows hostility is simply not needed here. And I love the arresting way they can always disarm each other, even without taking a gun.

And the moment just feels genuinely intimate and romantic which I love. Any time they touch it’s sparks. ✨ Michonne's first initiating touch with Rick was outside ASZ in 5.11 and now she does it again in the finale as touching his hand almost reflects her once again hoping that he’s really ready this time to make this place work.

But even if he's not...she's still with him. 🥹

Rick and Michonne then share this palpable passionate look before she heads out, sounding like a wife as she tells him, "Don’t be too long."

And that eye contact tho. 🔥 Richonne's eye contact at the end of this scene alone deserves its own shoutout. 👏🏽

Y’all, let me tell you what we just watched in this scene were some soulmates. Not just besties, or family, or partners - no, this was an exchange between soulmates. That’s their person, their true love, the one they trust unwaveringly - and somewhere in them during this scene, their hearts know it too. Their minds might need to do some catching up, but their hearts know if you ask me.

At the end of this scene, Rick stands alone in the room and holds the gun, moving his hand almost as if it's Michonne's touch that's most lingering with him. It may sound straight out of a romance film to say that, but that really is an element of what this subtle moment is giving.

Seeing that tiny moment of Rick's reaction to the gun in his hand after Michonne's tender touch just confirmed to me that one of the great perks about this ship is we never have to embellish the spark between Richonne because there really are just that many little romantic details to notice and cherish within these scenes.

Rick’s lingering reaction as she leaves also makes it feel like the gun weighs more than it does as it now symbolizes a weighted decision “to use or not to use.” But he knows deep down because the woman he loves has spoken and touched him literally and figuratively, he wants to make his next move one that she could be proud of.

And after a scene as romantically coded as this one, I too don't care what other storyline was supposed to be happening during this time...because Richonne was on the fast track to canon. 1000%.

Like truly after this moment there is no convincing me that Rick was healthily falling for anyone else. The chemistry, attraction, respect, love, and desire are far too evident in this scene between Rick and Michonne to suggest anything other than that canon Richonne is just around the corner. 🔥 And I love that Danai also noted this as a scene that really made it clear Rick and Michonne's bond was bound to blossom into more.

In season 5, who Rick was authentically in love with was crystal clear and who Michonne was authentically in love with was crystal clear. And fortunately, the following season, Rick and Michonne finally took the leap and made it crystal clear to themselves and the world that the two were in love with each other. 🙌🏾

This "I'm still with you" scene was an especially blatant sign that Rick and Michonne had developed an unbreakable love. And this moment is deserving of my #2 spot for how much meaning it carries.

The scene powerfully shows that what Rick and Michonne have between them is and has always been so incredibly deep, influential, reverential, beautiful, steamy, and special - and that no matter what they face or where they go, Rick and Michonne will always and forever be with each other. 🥰

#richonne #top 30 #top 3 #number 2 #rick x michonne #reveling in richonne #the best thing Michonne said to her husband so far 😍#twd 5.16 #twd towl #the ones who live

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mcyt-drabble-exchange · 5 months

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MCYT Drabble Exchange: Overview and Rules

Do you like writing? Do you like Minecraft youtubers? Do you, perhaps, like writing about Minecraft youtubers? Well, we do too! Only problem is, we often stay up late wagging our fists at a half-finished document, cursing the fact that writing is hard, life is busy and there's just not enough time in the day to sit down and make a good fic. Well, if you’re looking for a quick little block people centered writing challenge, then boy, do we have just the mini-event for you!

Welcome everyone to the 2024 (first ever!) MCYT Drabble Exchange!

TIMELINE: May 6th - sign ups open May 17th - sign ups close May 24th - all assignments sent May 25-26th - posting period May 26th 11:59pm BST - posting period ends [What time is it for me?] May 27th-June 2nd - treating week

SIGN UPS: [closed]

TREATING SHEET: [here]

RULES: 1. As per Tumblr and AO3 TOS, you must be over 13 to participate. 2. You agree to create a work of exactly 100 words by the given deadline, or contact a mod on Tumblr for your giftee to be reassigned. 3. You agree to abide by your giftee’s DNW. 4. Your work must focus on at least one requested character, but can include non requested characters. 5. All works must be MCYT-centric. 6. This is a 13+ exchange, there is no NSFW allowed. This applies to sexual content as well as extreme (e-rated) gore. 7. Make your gift in good faith - something that you think your giftee would like. 8. All violent/dark/triggering topics must be tagged appropriately. 9. No AI generated content.

POSTING: You can post your work to Tumblr or AO3, we don’t mind either! We do however require you make a Tumblr post tagging both this blog and your giftee. We have an AO3 Collection! Works posted to the collection might take a while to show up, so please don’t panic if you don't see yours! They need to be manually accepted.

So, what is a drabble? A drabble is a written work made up of exactly 100 words. Typically viewed as a challenge, drabbles are often meant to test a writer’s skill in brevity, seeing how efficiently they can communicate emotions or ideas through such tight restrictions. For this event, we are using this unique format to bring the joy of MCYT into the world! Think, how would a lighthearted interaction between Tubbo and Tommy play out? How many insults could Grian hurl at Jimmy? How much emotion can you squeeze out of QSMP Jaiden if you’ve only got her in your little writer hands for 100 words? For this event, we encourage you to be creative, try some new things, and most importantly, have fun! (To get a feel of what you’re working with, keep in mind that the previous paragraph has a word count of 120, twenty words over your limit!)

Are violent/triggering topics allowed? As MCYT content can often include violence, character death, murder games, and other such themes, we do allow them. However those are opt-in - if your giftee hasn’t asked for it, then don’t write it. If you do end up writing about these topics, make sure to tag appropriately!

What if I can’t finish on time? Contact us on this blog as soon as possible! A pinch hit will be sent out, and your giftee will be reassigned. If you do endup requesting a pinch hit, you will still get your own gift!

How will the matches be made? After the sign ups are done, the event mods will match everyone to ensure everyone gets to write what they signed up for! Once matches are made, you will receive your assignment via Tumblr DMs.

Can I make more than one gift? Of course! As long as it complies with your giftee’s requests you’re welcome to write as many drabbles as your heart desires!

I have a different question? Send us an ask or a DM!

#mcyt #mcytblr #mcyt event #mcyt exchange #info post #mcytblrsource

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marineduo · 1 year

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Cobymeppo / Kobymeppo Fic Recs!

Here's a list of Koby / Helmeppo fics that I personally recommend, for @klausbens and anyone else just getting into Kobymeppo from the Live Action! Putting them under a read more because this is going to be a long. Fics will be linked in the fic titles! They are ordered in oldest to newest.

General Recs

This Modest Paradise - Eloarei

Coby and Helmeppo run into Morgan while shopping.

This one is my all-time favorite Cobymeppo fic. It was one of the first I found and it's one I still think about and revisit often

Grow - Eloarei

Helmeppo is able to take care of himself, but when his father returns home with a promotion, he finds he suddenly doesn't have to anymore, and that's the weirdest part about moving to the Marine base in Shells town. Without any responsibilities, he becomes bored, and any of the positive attitude his mother might have left him with goes straight out the window.

This is a really sweet fic about Helmeppo's initial time in the Marines. Not as overtly Cobymeppo, but the last little bit always gets me right in the feels.

The Way of Monsters - Eloarei

Coby was used to monsters. After years under Alvida he thought he understood them. But escaping out into the world shows him that there's a lot he doesn't know. What makes a monster? And what redeems one?

This one's very fun. It has werewolves, and is a bit of a Beauty and the Beast kind of tale. Highly Recommend.

Building Desks For Dummies - thecayenneknight

Koby and Helmeppo must face their greatest mission yet: assembling a single piece of furniture.

Short and sweet and super cute.

Dance With Me - RedPen1992

Soon after the conclusion of the Paramount War, the Marines have to face their next greatest challenge, The Marine Gala.

This one's more focused on Akainu/Kizaru, but the Coby/Helmeppo stuff in there is really good. Overall a great read.

Anniversary - altokiwi

Ready to go party, Hina demands they tell her all about last year's Halloween Night, first. Holding Helmeppo's hand tight, Coby tells the story about the scariest —but also the happiest— night of his life.

This is a really good one. I may be biased since it was an exchange gift for me, but it's a wonderful blend of silly and a little spooky <3

To Come Back - merricat

Coby and Helmeppo's close-knit circle of Marines is holding a celebration at none other than Shells Town, which forces Helmeppo to confront demons past and present.

I'm also biased towards this one (another exchange gift), but man it's so good. Lots of Helmeppo looking back on things, and them just being so sweet with each other.

Daydreams - hamstercheese7

Coby just cannot concentrate on paperwork. And who could blame him, with a view like that?

This one's so silly sweet I love it. Has both Coby/Drake and Coby/Helmeppo.

Coby/Helmeppo Oneshots - ShadowoftheLightningPack

Ok this one's a doozy at 109 chapters but there are a lot of good ones in there. If nothing else I think it's really worth at least browsing to see if anything catches your attention! (That being said, read chapter 93 it's fun)

Against Change (You Can Wander Through the Ruins) - owlboxes

“I don’t want to pry,” Coby murmurs, quiet so as not to startle Helmeppo, who already looks seconds away from crumbling. “But…I want you to know I also want to listen, if you want someone to talk to.” “I have to get my hair cut in the morning,” Helmeppo says, his voice trembling, as he tugs at the strands that have grown longer, almost to his chin now. “…but what if I don’t want to?”

I'm a sucker for Cobymeppo Fics that center around Helmeppo's hair and this checks all the boxes.

My Fic Recs

(These are all ones I wrote myself that I think are worth a read)

Over the Edge

When Helmeppo ends up letting go in a precarious situation, Coby is forced to consider life without his other half, if only for a little while.

Diaries of Coby-Meppo

I particularly recommend Scissors.

Bloodsoaked

When things go south on a solo mission, Helmeppo takes things to the extreme.

Masquerade

Coby and Helmeppo attend the year's big masquerade ball at Mariejois and the night goes far better than Coby had ever expected.

A Haunted Base

“Tell me again why we’re doing this?” Helmeppo looked down from his perch on a ceiling beam, watching as Tashigi came in with a huff and slammed a box down on the operating table he’d stolen from the base earlier. “Because Smoker had better things to do, and nobody gets out of Vice Admiral Dahlia’s plans?”

Day on the Edge

Coby enjoys a peaceful morning with his partner, but something leaves him feeling uneasy.

SPICY Fic Recs

Saved and Earned - Tonko

Integrity is a hard road, but Helmeppo is trying.

I don't even know what to say about this fic. You know that pic of the stick figure on all fours shaking something violently in its mouth? That's how crazy this fic makes me.

Guilty Pleasures - me

When Coby witnesses the carnage his friend and partner is capable of, in the moment he's not sure how he'll get past it. But the jokes on him, because he's into that shit.

I wrote this to be similar to Bloodsoaked, but more spicy.

Searching for the Words - 2Farky2Furious

“Helmeppo.” He shook himself from his thoughts. “Huh?” “It’s just me. You know you can tell me anything, right?” “I—” Helmeppo met the soft, familiar warmth of Coby’s gaze and blurted into the scant space between them. “I want to kiss you again.”

A little angsty at first, which makes the semi-public sex even better.

Helping Hands - leghair

What had started as a rare bartering chip back when they themselves were new recruits and every drill had left them quaking like newborn deer had shifted into a standard IOU or repaid-favour, and from there, eventually, had simply become… habit. After their midnight training sessions left them fatigued, they would crawl back to their barracks, where Helmeppo would scratch Coby’s back and Coby scratched his - quite literally. That’s just how they got through it. It had been a while, though, come to think of it. Their schedules had grown to be quite different since Coby’s promotion. He still got the occasional remedial massage from medical, but it just wasn’t quite the same as someone who knew his body as well as Meppo did.

Very good fic, but also I think of the tag 'formal apology to the one (1) cobymeppo shipper with an appetite for toes reading this with dismay' at least once a week.

Coby/Helmeppo Smut Oneshots - ShadowoftheLightingPack

If you don't read any of the others (though you should), at least read chapter 8. It's very good.

#helmeppo #coby #op koby #cobymeppo #kobymeppo #lmk if any of the links don't work #also some are locked so you might have to sign in to see them

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trashland-llamas · 1 year

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Apologia Pro Vita Sua

Written as a part of the @extremetimedchallengeexchange ; Prompt was Wilbur experiencing physical sensations after being revived again (showering, eating, starving, drinking, thirst, warmth)

Can also be found on AO3

Climbing out of a grave was tiring, Wilbur discovered. Almost keeling over after he stood up, clothes covered in dirt. He couldn’t tell why his stomach hurt so badly. Or why his limbs were so stiff. Confused as to why his skin pebbled, the hair on his arm raised upward. Crouching down, he brushed the tombstone, reading aloud, ‘Here lies Wilbur Soot. September 14 1996—January 6 2021…I died?’ His feet carried him to the last place he called home. A van abandoned in the white dessert sand. The moon his only light source.

As he walked, brief echoes of Wilbur’s life trickled back into his conscious. The victory of L’Manberg’s independence, a place any lost soul could call home. The anguish when he lost his beloved symphony to Schlatt. How his mind played tricks on him, unable to even trust himself. But this, this was a new leaf. If only he could figure out what these sensations that plagued his physique meant. Gasping at the little heat that shot through him, rubbing his hands together. ‘I used to, fire. I need fire.’ The image of rubbing sticks together in snow. Fingers stumbling to turn the stove nob on, holding his hands a few inches away. A blissful sigh escaping Wilbur’s lips as his shivers melted away.

‘Ah!’ Stamping out the flames that kissed his gloves. ‘I relent, I relent Mother Nature. Let’s not burn the place down. Technically, no one knows I’m back,’ grumbling to himself as he walked to the compact mini-fridge. With the light bouncing off the metal exterior, Wilbur finally noticed his gaunt face staring back at him. Purple bags under his eyes, nose and cheeks tinged a rosy red. Pulled out of his contemplation when his stomach growled. ‘Alrighty, what’s not expired?’ The fridge oddly filled to the brim with groceries, as if someone was still living there. ‘Guess I could make a grilled cheese and some soup.’ Something low effort.

Putting a slice of butter and a slice of cheese on the bread, Wilbur waited. The sizzling sound made his mouth water. The memory of Philza’s cooking filled him with a sense of guilt. He didn’t live to the expectations he set for himself. He’d failed himself and those closest with all the relationships he had ruined. Flipping it onto a plate he found in the cabinets. Eating out of the soup can, not caring enough to bother heating it. The rare downside to scarfing it down was the pang of painful fullness. ‘Of all things, didn’t think that could hurt me.’ Remembering to turn off the stove.

Everything else taken care of, the grime on his skin and clothes was quite obvious. Jumping out at him to scrub it off. Turning on the sink’s facet for a brief second to check if there was still running water since last he’d been in the shack. Wilbur grabbed a towel and a change of clothes before walking to the bathroom. Shucking off the clothes he was buried with, hand twisting the knob until it was warm enough, not wanting to become cold again. Couldn’t bare it after all the energy that he didn’t have that it took to warm up.

Humming a little tune as he re-familiarized himself with all the items in a shower. The net material of a loofa and a soap bar. Watching as the water turned brown with all the dirt Wilbur was caked in. How everything felt alien to him despite these simple actions being instilled in his routine all those years ago. Drying off, Wilbur fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillows.

#not x reader #wilbur soot #dsmp wilbur #mcyt wilbur #extreme timed challenge gift exchange #dsmpblr #mcytblr #revivedbur #bursonas #gift exchange

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extremetimedchallengeexchange · 5 months

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Rules and FAQ

The fastest gift exchange around. Objectively a bad idea. 48 hours of hyperfocus.

Schedule: (All times in EDT)

Tag Nominations Opens, Discord Opens: 0:01 August 14

Tag Nominations Closes: Midnight August 20

A03 Sign Up Opens 0:01 August 21

A03 Sign Up closes: Midnight August 27

Creation Phase: Noon EDT August 31 - Noon EDT September 2

Treating Week: September 2- September 9

Discord Closes: Noon September 9

Everybody admires everyone else's work: September 2 - Ongoing

Rules

The exchange is multifandom, and open to artists, writers, and podficcers. Fandoms do not have to have a canonized Ao3 tag to participate.

You must be a member of the Discord, for communication purposes.

Once assigned, participants will have 48 hours to deliver their gift.

Artists are expected to deliver a decent sketch, Writers and Podficcers have a 300 word minimum

No AI-Generated content.

This exchange will be operating on DL:DR when it comes to what the mods will police and what we ask you to respect in terms of other people’s requests. The single exception is RPF, which has additional rules.

RPF is allowed. Persons nominated for RPF must be famous in their own right and over the age of 18. Persons famous chiefly for their participation in facist regimes or as serial killers will not be considered for nomination. Mods reserve the right to reject RPF nominations in poor taste.

Original Work is allowed. Use the "Original Work" fandom. If it is important to you that a person within a specific pairing is a specific gender, make that clear within the tag, for example "Middle-aged King (M)/His Loyal Bodyguard (NB) (Original Work)".

As this is a 13+ exchange, there is no NSFW allowed, even if you’re sure that both you and your recipient are adults. This applies both to sexual content and to extreme (e-rated) gore.

To increase matching options, tags must be seconded (nominated twice) to make it into the tag set. Because of this, tag nominations will be collected through a google form.

You can nominate tags for up to ten fandoms, with up to twenty tags nominated in each.

You will have one week to submit relationships and characters to a tag set, one week to write your prompts, and 48 hours to deliver your gift.

Participants are required to request at least three fandoms (with associated prompts), and offer to create around at least three fandoms.

To help your creator out, you must offer either a list of likes or prompts that contains at least one element that works for each art form that you have opted into. If you opt into art, you must give at least one art prompt or art like in your signup, and the same for fic or podfic.

To increase matching options, at least one of your ships has to be either Gen (platonic relationship) or a single-character tag— just one overall, not one per fandom.

Please include anything you absolutely don't want to receive (Do Not Wants) in the Optional Details field in your AO3 signup. Only DNWs in the Ao3 signup will be enforced, and mods will not enforce DNWs that are overly restrictive, unclear, or used to box a recipient into a specific gift (i.e. "nothing gross", or "I don't want anything that isn't a space au with the mc's other major love interest dead off screen".)

This exchange uses Ao3's matching algorithm, and as such, you need an Ao3 Account.

Make sure the email attached to your AO3 account is one that a) you check regularly, and b) are comfortable with exchange mods seeing. You can verify your email here: archiveofourown.org/users/[your ao3 name here]/change_email

As per Ao3 and Discord’s TOS, you must be at least 13.

Links

Ao3 Collection Here

Tag Set Here

Nominate Tags [form available in the discord]

Tag Nomination Rules Here,

Discord Here

Things We Do Differently Than Other Exchanges Here

Intro to how to sign up for an Ao3 Exchange Here. Variant using a gifter letter here. A note on what Solo tags mean in practice here.

Additional Challenges (just for fun):

One Day: Fulfil your gift within 24 hours.

Word Count: Write 5k or more on a single gift.

Art: Produce a fully-rendered and coloured (lined if that's your style) art piece with at least two characters, or a 10-panel comic with clean pencils or simple inks, within the 48 hours of the exchange.

Multi-media: Fulfil gifts that meets gift minimums for two different gift forms— art, fic, and/or podfic.

Multi-fandom: Make gifts that meet gift minimums for 3 or more fandoms.

FAQ:

Why? Because it seemed like a terrible idea.

How do I sign up/How do I format tags/Are you using OR matching: Signup FAQ on the Ao3 collection Here)

Further Questions? Join the Discord Here

#faq #gift exchange #fandom gift exchange

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improvapocalyps · 2 years

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youtube

so there's this funny event @extremetimedchallengeexchange, where we get 48 hours to make something for our giftee.

i did actually sleep this time.

i saw clethubs on the prompt list and tunnel visioned haha

#trafficshipping #clethubs #cledubs #ethubs #cletho #extreme mcyt gift exchange #Extreme Timed Challenge Exchange #48 Hour Exchange #events #my art #animatic

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fancyfeathers · 2 months

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Reading one of the latest posts regarding the kids, I wonder what would happen if Eloise somehow ended up falling in love with someone? Like maybe the time she for once is not grounded, she ends up meeting a young noble man from university at Durham or something like that and they just hit it off. Like how would William react, I mean- does he really expect her to be locked up for the rest of her life? 😭 i just want the girl finally experience some happiness for once 🥹

Father Like Daughter (Yandere William James Moriarty and his darling having a genius daughter)

I thank you for this because I have been thinking about this and I finally get to post about this

I can picture her being dragged along by her Uncle Louis, or whoever is watching her when she is grounded, to drop off a telegram or letter that came for William. While Louis is off in the classroom, talking to her father, she is waiting outside, flipping through a book she got as a gift from Andrei.

“Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and judging by that cover on the book I would say it is a first edition copy, a rare find to say the least.”

“You read Jane Austen?”

“Of course I do, why would I not. I would go as far to say that I admire the author because by choosing not to marry and writing novels instead, Austen challenged the notion that unmarried women could not support themselves, she is quite the feminist.”

A young man did indeed approach her, glancing at her book then at her. I imagine him as an Language or Literature major with an interest in history as well, so he really would not be in any of William’s classes. But they barely get past exchanging names before she has to leave, but as she glances back at him he is also looking back at her. But little did Eloise notice that while they were talking she didn’t even notice him slipping the book from her hands that is until someone comes knocking on the front door of the estate after dinner, and she goes to get it.

“You dropped this, I thought I would return it, I would have gotten here sooner but my roommate needed help with his essay.”

“Oh thank you, I did not even realize I had dropped it.”

“Well lucky for you I have a very good eye, have a good evening Miss Eloise.”

When she goes back to her room after getting ready for bed, she opens up the book to see a note written by him as well as his family’s estate address in London.

I meant what I said about having a good eye, if you need anything you can find me at the university or at this address.

Yours,

XXX XXX

His mind and Eloise’s are one in the same because who she would fall for is someone who sees the same as her, someone she can confine in and have them completely understand. I imagine his personality being much like Vincent Phantomhive’s from Black Butler, specifically when we see him when he was young and his school, but their relationship being like Enola and Tewkesbury from the Enola Holmes films where they work together perfectly but also like Francesca Bridgerton and John Stirling from Bridgerton where she can actually know who she is with him because she has that space to breathe for once.

They see each other when she is dragged along to the university and every time she sits on the same bench while she waits so he knows where to find her and they talk or just sit together in the silence. Then when they both are back in London, they write to each other with Andrei being the messenger between the two, and the letters are extremely long, both of them feeling like they can just spill everything to the other and open their heart completely.

The change in Eloise’s behavior would be noticeable, going from quiet with a constant grim expression to being quiet with a smile as if her thoughts please her for a change. William would ask her about her change in personality but she would never tell her father, but maybe she would tell her mother. So William is curious about this change, one of the reasons could be she had met someone but the question is who. So when Eloise is sitting out on the bench and William is talking to Louis, who brought her along, he goes out to retrieve his daughter for a change and he sees her talking to one of the students at the university.

“Eloise, Louis is waiting for you in the carriage.”

The two are clearly startled when they hear her father’s voice, but Eloise gets up to leave but not without giving the young man a small wave and smile. William then just looks down at the young man, his expression never changing from his calm cover.

“You have been courting my daughter, is that correct?”

“So what if I am? After all it is a mutual attraction so therefore this nothing wrong as we are both are of age for such things.”

“That may be true, but you are courting her without my permission-“

“I do not not need your permission, I only need her consent, but that is something I doubt you know of given what I have heard about your relationship with your wife, her mother. Any which way I do need to get to my next class, good afternoon, Professor Moriarty.”

Then just like that he gets up and walks off without another word. William looks into the young man and his family, he is the heir to the family and the title and honestly his family is without an evil deed and they raised their son to be the same. There is nothing wrong with the young man, besides his lack of filter between his mind and mouth. He is exactly like Eloise, but that is also a danger, especially to William’s plans.

Eloise would be isolated even more from the outside world even more than before, it is for her own sake is what William tells her. Even then the two still exchange letter through Andrei and this could still go on for months or even a year and nothing would change between them.

Then when William dies she finally has the freedom to go off and do what she wishes and the first thing she does is run right to his family’s home in London, right to him and I would honestly think he would have proposed to her soon after but the wedding itself would be years down the line because for now they are perfectly happy with just being in one another’s company.

Also this is their song

(A/N- I finished typing this up and I asked Kitty for her thoughts on his personality and she just goes “Vincent Phantomhive would have been a teenager sometime within the Victorian Era… just saying.” Guys I think Kitty ships Eloise with young Vincent Phantomhive… this is whyI can’t compare characters to other anime characters because of my girlfriend/cowriter lmao)

#william moriarty x reader #moriarty the patriot x reader #yuukoku no moriarty x reader #yuukoku no moriarty #william james moriarty x reader #yandere william james moriarty #yandere moriarty the patriot #yandere yuukoku no moriarty

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sp0o0kylights · 2 years

Text

Like the Wolf Steve/Eddie Werewolf AU

I have so much of this stupid thing written and it’s stuck on ch. 2 so imma just throw all the pieces up here now.

This is a werewolf AU, not an A/B/O fic. My version of Alphas and Omegas runs like a mixmash of Patricia Brigg’s, Ilonia Andrew’s, and Carrie Vaughn’s. There is no second gender, werewolves establish a hierarchy within a pack by who is most dominant/submissive, with two Alpha’s to a pack and Omegas being an extremely rare gift. Direct eye contact is considered a challenge and society has evolved to accept multiple types of Packs, including ones that include others beyond werewolves. All is explained in fic.

Warnings: Period typical homophobia, Eddie having trauma responses/being bullied/being hunted, mentions of Chrissy’s bones going snappy snappy, and a general mention of the delightfully dumb social/moral/ethical issues that paranormal creatures raise.

Eddie Munson was not anyone's idea of a proper pack Alpha.

Nor was he the kind of guy people wanted in a Pack, (capitol P intended, because “Titles are important, Edward.” and fuck did he hate when adults called him that. He went by Eddie for a reason.) or anywhere near them, period.

Experience taught him that even in a traditional Shifter town like Hawkins, filled to the brim with werewolves and not much else, people would pick literally anyone over him when it came time to pair up.

Witches, the Fae, hell, even humans were better than him in the eyes of his peers. They wouldn’t pick him to be their PE tennis partner if he was the last guy left, let alone allow such deep and familiar actions like “treating him nicely” or “waving hello.”

Letting him in their Pack? Any Pack, from a “true” one with the whole bond thing and fancy magic, down to the stupid social ones that did nothing more than let you know who your friends or coworkers were?

Perish the thought!

“My mom says you’re a total freak.” One of the old-blooded, rich brats had said in third grade, and the nickname had stuck like glue ever since.

It followed him throughout the years like it was branded on his forehead, accompanied by a steadily growing list of insults.

Weird. Faggot. Failure. Lone Wolf.

Other.

Different.

He'd tried long ago to stop letting it hurt him. The way they made him aware that he fell so outside the realm of what others considered normal that they actively shunned him.

It took until his sophomore year to get good at pretending it wasn’t painful, and at least by his third attempt at graduating, he had it down to where others believed it.

Had even carved out a place for himself, starting with the Hellfire club.

Gone about, rounding up all the other undesirables, the outcasted freaks who just didn’t fit into the stupid little social circles or dumb hierarchies of small towns the world over.

Took in Grant the human, and Jeff the half vampire and Gareth, who was sick all the time even though he was a werewolf.

Then the small group of incoming Freshman who’d been too loud, too proud, and far too nerdy to walk the halls without some kind of protection.

It wasn’t much, but for someone like Eddie?

It had been everything.

Too bad he was in Hawkins, Indiana, where people like him didn’t get to enjoy things.

Not without bad things happening.

Really bad things.

Chrissy Cunningham pulling an exorcist level of demonic possession, dying on his ceiling, and crashing down like a broken porcelain doll to the floor of his trailer level of bad things.

Suddenly Eddie wasn’t just the guy who couldn’t follow the same societal norms as every other bland teenage werewolf.

He was dangerous.

Satanic.

His freak status elevated from “guy with long hair and weird clothes who wouldn’t stop acting like he was an Alpha” to “wolf willing to exchange his very soul in order to bring about the end of the world”-or something.

Eddie hadn’t really listened much to Jason Carver’s rabid ranting, but he got the gist well enough.

It didn’t even matter that for all the magic in the world, demons and satan were more of a human concept than anything that had proven, hard hitting magic sitting behind it. Satanic panic was just in, and Chrissy-

He couldn't think about Chrissy.

Not that the truth mattered anyway.

No, the only thing that did was that one of their golden children had died in their town. A town they built, full of old werewolf families and a handful of powerful allies, that catered to them.

They needed reparation for the insult that had been brought upon their power.

Eddie was just the convenient lamb they had chosen to slaughter.

So here he was, outcasted by the whole town. Watching as the people who hated him collectively lost their minds, regressing back to the days of one singular Pack hierarchy controlling everything. Two Alpha’s to rule them all, with Jason fucking Carver was taking on the role as one of them.

Screw all the centuries of the world that had built past that. The way society was no longer “letting the inner beast win” but was instead getting along, moving forward.

Eddie hadn’t needed whatever had actually happened with Chrissy to know how much of a lie it was, but then he hadn’t planed on pulling back the facade either.

To bad for you, you idiot.

Not that there was anything he could do. Not with his van, stupid idiotic, easy to spot van out of commission, blown up transmission leaving him stranded not even two miles from his house. He’d exhausted himself just to get to the boathouse, knowing damn well that it wouldn’t make one ounce of difference if he’d bolted or called the cops.

They were gonna lay Chrissy’s death on his head, and now his chance to escape their wrath had all but dropped to zero.

Best he could do was hide. Wait it out.

Hope whatever the fuck had gotten Chrissy wasn’t going to come after him too.

The reminder didn’t help, that he had no idea what the hell had even happened. His mind ran in circles with his terror, trying to make sense of it, but all he could think about was how he could leave this damn boathouse.

How he could get out.

Out of Hawkins, out of Indiana, just fucking out.

It was that terror, the surge of adrenaline and the pure knowledge that if anyone caught him, his chances of survival dropped to damn near zero that he blamed for not recognizing Henderson’s voice.

Hadn’t even picked up on the younger wolf’s scent, he’d been so freaked out.

Wired with the intensity of a cornered animal, Eddie’s wolf staring out of his eyes and firmly in control the second he realized he wasn’t alone and whoever was here was calling his name, and all rational thoughts went right out the door.

Add in Steve fucking Harrington, former King of Hawkins High and total asshole violently poking around, and well.

There wasn’t a thought to be had at all.

Not in Eddie’s head, anyway.

He’d attacked when hiding no longer remained an option, proud of himself for pinning the larger wolf to the wall, snarling like the devil they thought he was.

And Harrington-Harrington let him.

Put his hands up as he crashed back against the wall. Kept his eyes off of Eddie’s, kept his throat exposed until Dustin could talk Eddie down.

Explain some things.

Explain all the fucking things, which didn’t help his situation, at all, but did at least help his overall mental state.

“We’ll work this out.” Henderson had said, voice confident, and Eddie, exhausted, starving, haunted by Chrissy’s bones snapping every time he closed his eyes-believed him.

Even if it was the stupidest thing to do.

Because for all his bravado, all his jumping on tables and loud speeches, the Throne he DM’d from and the Hellfire Club he ran-Eddie Munson had a secret.

He desperately, desperately, needed someone on his side.

Anybody.

Especially now, when he could feel himself seconds away from falling apart, life ripped out from under him a second time.

Pity this time round he didn’t have yet another Uncle to run to.

(It took Eddie a long time, in that same boathouse, to realize that Harrington had never retaliated against him for Eddie’s attack. For pinning him to the wall in front of his Packmate’s and making him look weak with a broken glass bottle, of all things.

Had in fact, backed down.

Which was a hell of a thing, when Eddie had discovered that the damn freshman hadn’t been fibbing for fun.

They really did have a little established Pack, bonds and all, and Steve Harrington really was the Alpha in control of it.

A born werewolf from one of Hawkins oldest families, with all their rules, fancy parties and refusal to be anything other than the best and he’d let Eddie, trailer park trash and son of two bitten, made, werewolves, pin him down like a puppy.

If Eddie hadn’t been wrestling with the existence of a hell dimension, hand made superpowers, and the reality of a world where humans were experimenting on species of various kinds, the long held treaty laws be damned while they raced the Russians to do fuck knew what, he might have caught on that Steve was just as different as he was, a whole lot sooner.

As it was, he just remained exhausted, hungry, and very, very grateful for the stupid freshmen.)

xXx

Shit hadn’t really gone sideways in the boathouse until the third time Henderson's little crew had dropped off food.

Dustin took in the look on Eddie’s face when Steve had unloaded the honeycomb cereal box, like the man had just seen water in a desert, and outright cackled.

Eddie reached out automatically, hooking his arm around the freshman’s neck and pulling him taught to his side. Dustin shrieked as he was put into a nuggie, Eddie spinning them as the younger wolf pushed ineffectively at his arms.

“Say uncle!” Eddie taunted with a grin.

“Ow, ow, Eddie!” Dustin whined, before finally going limp and shouting; “Fine! Uncle!”

Eddie dropped him with one last hair ruffle, grinning widely at him.

Dustin grinned back, even as he pretended to fuss at his hair and clothes. “God, it’s not my fault you just realize Steve adopted you.” He said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Why you gotta take it out on me?”

Eddie went to automatically deny that he was taking anything out on Dustin. He was just the youngest wolf in the Hellfire Club which meant by all the rules in the universe, he was the automatic target for all teasing.

The the kids words sunk in.

Sunk in the same way fucking teeth went into a steak, all sharp and deep and pointed.

Eddie froze so fast he almost nailed his face on one of the overhanging oars.

“What?” He said, positive he misheard.

“Those are your favorites right?” Dustin said, pointing at the offending cereal box on the ground. “He’s always been like, weirdly good at knowing what his packmates eat. I’d say it’s an Alpha thing but it’s totally not.”

“What.” Eddie said again, his voice coming out as more of a surprised croak.

“Max insists he pays super close attention but come on, it’s Steve. I once watched him trip trying to do the dance from the Breakfast Club. It’s absolutely just like, his weird little superpower.” Dustin hummed for a moment, face scrunched up in thought. “Like, snack-sense. Stevie Snack Sense!”

Eddie stared, the words “Steve adopted you” and “weirdly good at knowing what his packmates eat” ping-ponging around his head.

Henderson’s grin grew impossibly wider. “Get it? Like Scooby snacks?”

Then he laughed his weird little cackle again, ignoring the way Eddie had crashed like one of the shitty computers their school was so proud of owning.

‘Danger alert, the Freak is overheating. Danger alert, the Freak is-’

“Henderson are you coming or what!?” Steve yelled, causing Eddie to jump and Dustin to spin around, shouting something rude back.

“Keep your walkie on, okay?” Dustin said, turning back with a worried look that would have been touching if Eddie had been paying any attention at all, before scampering off to have an argument with his Pack Alpha.

The same one who apparently, allowed such things from whiny, teenage puppies, and also, was trying to adopt Eddie.

Into his Pack.

Eddie just stared after them, feeling vaguely like the world no longer made sense.

Probably because it didn’t.

#Hungry verse #werewolf AU #stranger things #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #dustin henderson #werewolf steve harrington #werewolf eddie munson #pack #packmates #0o0 fanfics

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