#fictober 24

[live-laugh-loverpool]

Prompt number: #7 ("follow me if you want to live")

Fandom: Men's Football RPF

Rating: General

Warnings/Tags: Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, Domestic Boyfriends, Fluff, Humor

Excerpt:

...after half an hour of Milner and Alexander-Arnold reminiscing over old times, they moved to the living room.

"Nine! Ten! Eleven! TWELVE!" Milner roared as he lifted a pair of 20-pound dumbbells into the air. "Come on, Trent! Twenty-six years old means twenty-six reps!"

"Oh shut up, old man." Alexander-Arnold stuck his tongue out at Milner but followed along with an exasperated but happy smirk.

@millythegoat @johnlockianever @1152sstuff @soggycheeseuwu

+ @fictober-event for the prompt

[mordenheim]

I won't let you down

Dan was Donnie’s most reliable friend.  He always told him “I won’t let you down,” and he very much meant it.  If Donnie needed a few bucks to last him until payday?  Danny was right there, even if it meant he went without.  If Donnie needed someone to cover for him while he headed out to go fishing, Dan was more than willing to pick up the slack.

They often spent the weekends together, riding up and down the country roads, taking turns with one driving while the other drank, though Donnie drank a lot more often than Dan.  They fished, hunted, and had a grand time.

Other weekends, Donnie would invite him over with other friends for poker nights.  Everyone brought one roll of quarters and you played until you were out of coins.  Of course on more than one occasion, Dan provided a roll for Donnie.

It only made sense that the two of them were sitting on the side of the river when the world went to hell.  The two of them were relaxing on the shore of the bay, drinking beers and trading dirty jokes, while they tried to catch a fish or two.

After a few hours and almost a dozen beers, Donnie finally got a bite on his line.  He grabbed the pole and started struggling, trying to pull it in.

“Dan!  Gimme a hand, here!”

Dan jumped to his feet and grabbed the pole near the front so that the springy rod wouldn’t snap.  “I won’t let you down!”

Unable to turn the reel, they just grabbed the rod and slowly pulled back, walking away from the shore.  They moved slowly, trying not to snap the line as the weight on the other end didn’t seem to be fighting or struggling, just heavy.

Once it was pulled ashore, however, it was Donnie that practically shoved his friend out of the way to get a closer look at the seaweed caked bundle.  It shifted and wriggled on the shore like some huge fish that had become tangled.  He didn’t expect to see exposed bone on the bloated human hand that lashed out and grabbed his ankle.  Neither the exposed teeth in the skull that lunged out and latched onto his ankle.

He screamed in pain as Dan grabbed a rock to bash in the skull of the creature.  He tucked himself under the other man’s arm and helped him hobble back to the truck.  “We have to get you to the hospital!”

Donnie shot back, “Are you nuts?  I don’t have any insurance.  I can’t afford that!  Just get me back to your place.  You still have the spare room in the attic, right?  I can rest up for a day or two there while I heal up, right?”

“Yeah yeah..  I won’t let you down.”

A few hours later, they were back at Dan’s house.  They had done their best to doctor the leg, but it was already looking pretty bad.  Dan begged his friend to go to the hospital, but he wouldn’t.

Dan sighed as he set his friend up with a cooler full of beer, a radio and some snacks.  Sighing, he flopped down on the couch and flicked on the television.  

Every channel was locked on the news.  A national emergency was being declared as the dead were rising.  Skeletal remains were clawing their way out of the earth in some places while cemeteries with concrete vaults were filled with the sound of thumps and screams coming from below the earth.

They were attacking and eating the living, and those who weren’t killed immediately died soon after from some sort of blood infection.  They would rise soon after, mindless zombies who were ready to attack the nearest warm body.

Dan winced as he looked up the staircase near where he sat.  He heard Donnie moaning and retching all the way in the living room.  Stepping outside for a moment, he went around to the garage and grabbed an aluminum ladder and carried it inside.

Making his way up the stairs as quietly as he could, he stared at the folding staircase that led up to the finished attic.  Silently, he carefully folded the stairs upwards onto themselves before letting the trap door spring upwards with a loud bang.  He could hear Donnie dragging himself across the floor towards the now closed passage.

Dan shoved the ladder up under the door, kicking the bottom of it to make sure it was tightly jammed into place.  Just in time as he could hear Donnie starting to bang on the folded ladder.

“Dan!  L.. Let me out of here!”

Panting, Dan leaned back against the wall, shaking his head, pale with fear.  “No way, Donnie.  I won’t let you down.”

[lady-ashfade]

I will hopefully post the calendar today!

[arogustus]

Fictober 2024 - Spatium Via Edition

Original - No Warnings

15. Let's try this

There was this button on the ship’s controls that they had never ever pressed before. A square button, tucked above the fuel regulator systems and below the scanning functions. All alone and isolated in its little strip, with nothing to accompany it.

“According to the Spatium Via Delivery Ship Operator Model - Section P, page 448 - Control Board, this is the Fuel Reserve Metastatizer.” Ava had grabbed the manual when the curiosity hit them. Well, when it hit her, it took about a day to convince Raymond and App to take a gander at it. “Pressing it will spread the fuel from the reserve tanks all across the ship's major functions, acting as a Power Surge in the event of emergencies.”

“Mystery solved, then. Let’s get back to work.” Raymond could care less about the whole thing, only indulging her up to this point. 

“But we’ve never seen what exactly that does, ya know?” She pointed out, willfully ignoring the robot’s grumbling. “50 years of service in these ships and we’ve never pressed that button. What could it be for?”

“For something that has never happened and therefore is useless.”

“Then why keep it?”

“Because for Mother knows why, the odds of it actually happening is one point above absolute zero, and therefore is still required.”

“That doesn’t really answer the question now, don’t it?”

Raymond slammed his head on the steering controls. “Ava, we’re robots, it takes One/One Millionth of a Pico Second to just look up the answer. Why are you bothering me with this.”

“Ya know I just love a good mystery. Why ruin the surprise by just looking it up, it’s fun!”

Throughout this exchange, App sat on the Controls, growing progressively more annoyed until she decided to put an end to it the only way she knew how. 

“Let’s try this, then.” She chirruped, before poking the button, to the utter horror of her compatriots. And to her delight at the utter horror of her compatriots.

The ship lit up bright as everything went to maximum power. And then it all exploded.

…

“So that’s what it does.” Said Ava as she floated in the nothingness.

[ramblinganthropologist]

Fictober 24 8 - Are we happy

Original fiction: Sunburst Idol Unit, dead name used for one character.

Summary: Tsukamoto Lena and Rin are top idols at Seiza Academy. You think that'd be great, but it comes with a lot of stress. One night, they find themselves asking the question they don't want to answer: is this making them happy?

---

“Thanks for coming everyone!”

In the darkened auditorium, the sea of crimson penlights looked like a galaxy of stars glittering in the night. Of course, most stars aren’t red, but that was besides the point as she stood there, waving at the audience.

Lena was dripping sweat, but her smile was huge as the curtain closed in front of her. Once it was down, she let out a sigh of relief and dropped her final pose, reaching up to wipe her brow. Her entire body felt sticky and hot – she would need a shower when she got home for sure.

Luckily, that was her last event for the day, so she’d be home within the hour.

“Nice work as always, Tsukamoto-san.” The tech this time was a first year – they had to be one of the best if they were handling her show. She smiled at them as she handed back her headset and battery pack to be charged for the next performance.

Maybe they’d be in the Zodiac next year.

“Thanks, good job on keeping everything together. Don’t forget to get home safe when you’re done for the day!”

They shouted they would as she left the stage behind, exiting into the warm up area. Being the headliner and Zodiac for the girls’ dance division, she got to go first. Therefore, it was hard to miss the nervous looking first year fidgeting as they waited to be called up.

“Relax, Yuka-chan. You’ve practiced so hard this week.” Lena patted them on the shoulder as she passed, heading to the dressing room so she could change into her street clothes and head home. “Just remember to keep your time and you’ll do just fine.”

Yuka brightened visibly at her touch. “I will, senpai, I promise!”

Then she was queued onto the stage and disappeared behind the door. Lena normally would’ve stayed to watch from the sidelines, but she’d had a long day of interviews and wanted to get some rest. Besides, she still had to study her script for next week’s taping of Secret Lives, and that took time.

It sucked – she liked watching the first years – but it was part of being a busy idol.

After a few minutes, Lena changed out of her performance clothes and into something more comfortable that wouldn’t get her noticed in public. By now, she was a master of keeping a low profile, brought on by two years of learning how to sidestep and fool fans looking for an autograph when she had somewhere to go. It wasn’t the nicest, but she was only human and didn’t always have it in her to give fan service.

A girl had her limits, you know?

“You make a good senpai, Lena.”

A soft voice drew her attention. Waiting off to the side, sketchbook under her arm, was her twin sister. Rin was the older by a half hour, and that bit of time was all the difference needed to set them apart. Where Lena was energetic and outgoing, her sister was quiet and introverted. People could hardly believe they were sisters sometimes, much less twins.

But they looked alike, so… that was on people.

“Didn’t think I’d see you today, didn’t you have a project due for design class?” Lena cocked her head to the side as they started their walk out of the building. Rin had said something about showing up to campus that morning over breakfast, but the details had been lost on her. They sometimes were when she was hungry.

Her sister nodded at her question. “I handed it in earlier after I got back from the radio show taping and peeked my head in to see you perform once I was done.”

Right – Rin had been invited to be a guest star on Cheery Chii-chan’s weekend broadcast. It was one of the hottest radio shows in their age bracket, and plenty of Seiza students would’ve given anything to get a few minutes. She had gotten the whole hour as the titular idol’s costar for the day, which just showed how far she was progressing.

“How’d that go?”

Rin’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, she was true to her name. We played a lot of Harunokaze’s fall selection, but I made sure Seiza got represented fairly.”

Their school would’ve expected nothing less. As one of the top idol schools in the country, Seiza Academy prided itself on its students’ participation in all forms of media. It was also brutally competitive – only the best could rise to the top.

And they were both near or at the top of their game.

“That’ll make the headmistress happy.” Lena started to open the door, but then she stopped at the familiar sound of people chattering, eagerly waiting for something. “Ah, crap.”

Carefully, she peered through the small window. Gathered outside were a group of fans, autograph boards and merch in hand as they waited for their idol. Most Seiza fans stuck to the meet and greets and handshake events, but there were some that couldn’t get enough. These were the die-hards, the ones who’d do anything to meet their favorite performer.

And a lot of them had her picture.

“They must’ve snuck out after your performance.” Rin used her greater height to peer through too. Then she blanched slightly. “Oh, no. I think they’re here for me too.”

Lena was too afraid to look. “Are you sure it’s you? We do look alike.”

“No, it’s definitely me, your hair’s way shorter than mine.” Her sister sighed. “Well, it’s the only door out. Only way to get home is to go through it.”

She straightened up and slipped on her performer’s smile like it was a well worn jacket. Then she tightened her hair ribbons and smoothed out her skirt, making sure she looked presentable. Next to her, Lena pulled out the red ribbon that had become her trademark and tied back her usual ponytail.

Maybe she should’ve kept it tied, but… well, she wasn’t expecting the oshis.

Before they opened the door, the twins shared a glance. Lena then nodded and pushed, stepping out first. Almost immediately, her fans began to shout and offer their boards. Lucky for them, she had her red pen ready, having fished it out of her pocket moments before.

“Thanks for coming to see me, guys.” She beamed at the crowd as she signed their boards and merch. “Hope you enjoyed the show.”

One girl, probably high school aged, hugged her signed merch close. “You were great as always, Lena-chan! I know you’ll be the head of the Zodiac for sure one day!”

She offered a smile back. “I’ll do my best, I promise.”

Across from her, Rin was facing a smaller but similar crowd of fans. She too had a pen, though hers was dark blue to match her image color. Her signature was also much neater and she signed it in kanji – Lena preferred katakana for her name for obvious reasons.

It was one of the many reasons people called them the sun and moon of Seiza.

“Rin-chan, your last show was so good! When are you performing next?”

Her sister’s smile was gentle and sweet. “I think it should be next weekend, but I’ll post about it on social media when I’m sure.”

The girl swore she would be there for it, as did a few others. Then more came to get their merch signed, echoing praise and promises to show up. By the time it was all over, 10 minutes had passed. Yet they all went away happy, clutching their signed merch and memories of meeting their favorite idol.

Lena was glad to see them go as she allowed her shoulders to drop. Next to her, Rin’s posture also loosened. The two sighed in relief and stowed their pens in their pockets before starting their journey home. Somehow, they had survived another boss rush.

---

Later that night, Lena found herself in her bedroom, highlighted script in hand as she hung upside down from her bed. She liked to think the blood rushing to her head helped her memorize better – it certainly felt that way. Then again, she had gotten a lot better since landing the permanent spot on Secret Lives, so maybe it was just experience talking.

Either way, a new perspective helped.

“Alright, I guess I should say the line like that…” She reached for the pen behind her ear and scribbled a note down on the paper. “Or would it work the other way… maybe I can run it by Honey before class on Monday…”

Her acting partner and fellow Seiza student was great to bounce ideas off of, but she was impossible to reach on the weekend due to her current work schedule. They barely saw each other during the week thanks to the fact they were in different specializations – the most time they spent together was on set these days.

It was kind of sad. She liked the girl. It made her wish they were both in Dance class together.

Her attention was broken when the door swung open. In stepped Rin, sketchbook under her arm and glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. She made her way over to her side of their shared room and sighed as she laid facedown on her bed, barely remembering to take her glasses off before she buried her nose in the blanket.

Lena put the pen back behind her ear. “Design critique not go over well?”

“Does it ever?” Rin’s voice was lower now – she wasn’t making it soft like she did for school – and her accent was seeping through the borrowed Tokyo dialect. “I don’t know what sensei wants out of me, I followed her darn instructions to a T this time.”

Who knows – Lena wasn’t in design classes since her focus was in dance. She had certainly heard stories from her sister about it, but it wasn’t like she knew what to expect from the design teacher. There were rumors she was an ogre when it came to details, but apart from that she was in the dark.

But she had to be bad to get Rin to lean into her accent – she worked hard to cover it up for school. If not for the fact Lena didn’t try to hide hers, nobody would have known the difference.

“You’ll get ‘em next time.” She flipped the page of her script, staring down at the highlighted text. “Don’t forget to find out when your performance is so you can put it on social media. Your fans are chomping at the bit to see you.”

Rin let out a groan that was half muffled by the blanket. “I was hoping not to see them today, my face hurts from smiling.”

True – her sister wasn’t actually all that prone to smiling. That was a pretty good act too, one of the best Lena had seen at Seiza. Not even their classmates knew the truth – if that wasn’t the mark of a professional, she didn’t know what was.

It was too bad she wasn’t into acting – she could’ve been great.

“Yeah, I’m pretty beat too. I thought they were supposed to keep the oshis from the door on Saturdays.” Lena sighed and closed her eyes. She liked her fans and all, but being constantly on was kind of exhausting. “At least we don’t have to go anywhere tomorrow.”

Sunday was typically their only day off if they got one at all between their busy schedules. Seiza wasn’t known for giving a lot of breaks in its quest to produce the best idols in the nation, so the workload was pretty tough even for normal students.

And of course, they weren’t normal students – Lena was the top of her class, and Rin was nearing the top of hers with every day. Their schedules were pretty jam packed between classes, lessons, and their various activities.

But that was what came from being a top idol.

“Yeah…” Rin sighed too. Then she rose from her position on her bed and sat up, shoulders drooping. “Lena… are you ok with all this?”

Lena stopped scribbling on her script. “Ok with all what?”

Her sister’s frown was deep as she returned her glasses to her face. “Being an idol. We barely get a rest with how hard we’re working, and it’s a pain to be on all the time. I barely get any time to draw anymore…”

She trailed off. “I know you miss soccer. It’s why you kept your cleats.”

It was true – they were in her closet, tucked away from where she had last put them after graduating elementary school. They still fit, too, though they were a little tight in the toes. Not that she had much time to use them, what with practice and all her events.

No doubt her former team was getting better and better the further they got into playing in middle school.

Lena sighed as she put her script aside for a second. “Yeah, I do. But it’s not like I could do both. Seiza doesn’t even have a team.”

“A regular school would. You could probably be the ace like you promised Kenta back in elementary school.” Even hearing his name still hurt her – it had been nearly two years since they had last spoken. “Admit it… this wasn’t what you thought it would be like when we sighed up.”

As much as it pained her to admit, Rin was right. When they had auditioned for Seiza two years ago, Lena’s eyes had sparkled at the thought of getting on stage and being with the best in the nation. What she hadn’t realized was how much work it would be to get there and maintain it. Se rose earlier than ever to get morning practice before school, and long hours kept her from home. Some days, she didn’t even see Rin until it was time for bed.

It wasn’t exactly a normal middle school experience…

“No, it wasn’t.” Lena sighed. “Part of me wishes we hadn’t signed up at all some days.”

It was weird, admitting it. It wasn’t as if she hated being an idol… it was just really tiring some days. She barely saw her friends from elementary school anymore, and even in the brief moments she did it felt like they were from two different worlds. They had regular lives of school and clubs and hanging out with their friends after class. To them, idols were just something they saw on TV.

It was a different thing altogether to live it.

“Yeah… me too.” Rin’s frown deepened as she pulled her legs close to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. “Lena… are we happy?”

The question cracked through the room like lightning, stunning both into silence. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. It was hard to breathe in that moment as she tried to think of an answer to the question. At the same time, she didn’t want to answer at all.

She didn’t like her response.

Neither said anything for a long time. In the end, Rin sat down at her desk to begin sketching something new for class and Lena picked up her script to continue memorizing her lines. An uneasy tension settled over the room, thick and heavy, and remained there as they continued their work through the evening.

No doubt it would prompt a sleepless night. Questions like that always did.

---

The spotlight was shining bright that day, and it made her sweat even harder.

Her final scream echoed through the building, amplified by the mic. It harmonized with the long held note, high and clear, of her stage partner. In front of them stretched a sea of red and blue penlights, waved by their adoring fans.

Hopefully, this would be enough to get them into Seiza’s high school.

Lena grinned, flashing her fangs as she waved to her fans. “Thanks for coming, y’all! You better come back next semester to see us!”

Then the curtain went down, and she sighed in relief. The sweat was dripping down her face, and even wiping it away with her hand did nothing. Still, it was hard to keep a grin off her face as she stood there, recovering after a long set.

Seiza’s entrance exam performance was a brutal one, but she was pretty sure they nailed it.

“You’re going to create a lake if you don’t dry off.”

The voice was accompanied by a towel that landed on her head, blocking out her vision. Lena sputtered for a second, not expecting it. It took her a second to see again, but when she could she spotted her attacker.

“Aniki, not cool.”

Ritsu smirked at her as he worked to dry off with his own towel, briefly removing his glasses so he could pat his face dry. Once it was clear, back on they went. That was the only way he showed he had performed at all – his outfit was perfect and there wasn’t a hair out of place.

Unlike her – she went hard and it showed.

“Well, I didn’t want to go swimming.” He shrugged. “Hurry up, there’s another set behind us and I want to go home.”

Lena nodded as she followed behind her older brother, threading through the back stage and making it into the performance area. The next act was already there, ready to go. They, naturally, stared at the passing duo as if they had two heads, but at least they weren’t saying anything.

It was a little hard to say shit to the head of the Zodiac and the top of the singing class.

Once they were changed into their street clothes, the pair met back up near the vending machine. Coins clinked and cans rattled as they got their drinks to cool down. Like always, her brother went for iced coffee. She went for a soda – coffee was only good hot in her opinion.

“So, what do you think our chances are?” She popped the top and took a sip. “You know they’re still mad at me for the thing with Eri-senpai last year.”

Ritsu shrugged his shoulders. “Well, they’re not exactly pleased with me for obvious reasons, so I don’t know.”

He sipped at his coffee. “But since we’re so high up, it’ll look bad if they don’t accept us into the high school division, so I think we’re in.”

That was her brother – always seeing the hidden angle of things. Unshackled from his previous persona, he had settled in nicely to a deadpan snark that raised eyebrows among his fans. Luckily, most of them stuck with him. Those that didn’t could get bent if you asked Lena.

She was kind of in the same boat, what with the metal and everything. Some of her fans jumped ship, but the ones that stayed were more dedicated than ever. Even better, they brought their friends and created a whole new fan base.

Her fan club was busy, and that was without the metalhead addition.

“There’s your evil side coming out. I love that guy.” Lena chuckled as she took another sip. Then her phone beeped in a familiar chime. “Up, that’d be the Sun chat.”

Both their phones had the same tune to let them know their unit’s chat had updated. Since joining Sunburst half a year prior, there had been many moments like that, full of practices and performances that gradually grew in size. Now they were headlining, sometimes having their own solo shows.

For an indy unit, it was pretty damn good.

“Hopefully, Dai’s picked out a theme for the outfits. He was dragging his feet. If he keeps it up, I’m going to have to steal the opportunity and do it myself.” Briefly, Ritsu smirked, and his fangs caught the light. That was happening more too – he was shying away from hiding them as much. It didn’t show as much as it did for her, but it was a marked improvement from his closed smiles from before.

Lena chuckled as she checked the messages – it was a reminder about practice next week. “You already have designs sketched out, don’t you?”

Her brother responded with a long, less than dignified sip of his iced coffee that made her laugh harder. At least he had the sense to blush a little, but he did it with a refined turn of his head that would’ve been affirmed by the highest of gentlemen. He was getting good at that – maybe it was the opera training.

“You’re so easy to read sometimes.” She shook her head, taking another sip of her soda. “But that’s ok. Someone has to do it. Might as well be your favorite little sister.”

Ritsu responded by rolling his eyes playfully. “Last I checked, you were my only sister.”

“Therefore, I’m the favorite.” Lena beamed at him. “Come on, aniki, you know you love me.”

Another dramatic sigh. “Like one loves the flu – it’s good when it gets me out of class.”

He was joking, of course. Their relationship had only improved since starting Sunburst. Something about having a place to work out frustrations with idol life had done wonders to give them common ground. She might have even considered them friends now – it was a world away from where they had been last year.

Amazing what getting some space to scream would do for a person.

“Yeah, yeah, love you too.” Lena finished her drink and tossed the can in the recycling. “Come on, let’s get home. I think we can skip the oshis if we go through the side and out the back gate.”

Ritsu nodded, but he didn’t move. Instead, he stared down at his iced coffee, eyes deep in thought. Then he took a long sip that seemed to linger for ages. When he was done, he adjusted his glasses.

“Lena… are we happy?”

It was a question they had asked themselves a year prior, one they had never been able to answer through long days and sleepless nights. Lena had been afraid to answer the question then, not wanting to know the truth.

Now, though? She smiled as she nodded.

“Hell yeah we are. We’re kicking ass and taking names.”

Ritsu smiled too – it reached his eyes like it used to back in elementary school. “Not the way I would have put it, but the feeling is there.”

“Hey, you asked and I answered.” Lena grinned as she nudged him in the side – not enough to hurt, but enough to get him going. “Come on, it smells like flop sweat and teenage angst back here. I wanna get home before it’s dark out.”

In that sense, it was a normal weekend. Come the next week, there would be anxiety over whether or not they made it into Seiza’s high school division. There’d be assignments, performances, and show tapings to keep them busy, filling their days with work that left them tired at the end of the day.

But there was also Sunburst practice, and the events that came with it. There, no school held them back. They could be as wild – or refined – as they wanted on those stages. Even better, Seiza couldn’t say anything about their performances – their fans ate it up.

It wasn’t perfect… but yes. They were happy. After all the stress and sweat, they had found it at last.

And all it took was a failed coup and coming out of the closet. If only life was always that easy.

[karenifyanasty]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Ban Gouzou | Bobby Fulbright, The Phantom (Gyakuten Saiban), Shikabane Urami | Viola Cadaverini Additional Tags: Fictober 2024, Pre-Gyakuten Saiban 5 | Dual Destinies, Gang Violence, But not explicit, mentions of guns, Autistic Bobby Fulbright, as always Series: Part 7 of Karen's Fictober 2024 Summary:

While trailing Detective Bobby Fulbright, The Phantom gets caught in the crossfire (literally) of an irrelevant fight and makes a major mistake. . . . . . Part of Fictober 2024. Prompt list is from @fictober-event​ on Tumblr!

TW- Use of guns. Nothing bloody is described but better safe then sorry. If that makes anyone uncomfortable, feel free to skip.

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Ever since Bobby Fulbright was promoted he hadn’t gotten to participate in much action. He was now used to getting on scene once all the violence and chaos was over. But of course, with him living in LA he still got to see some chaos on some days. Whether lucky or unlucky for him, today was one of those days.

While on his way back to the station after an investigation he noticed a woman yell from an ally while he was cruising slowly through downtown. Though he was no longer working on line as a cop he would still work to protect justice. He quickly pulled his cruiser over and practically jumped out of it.

“Hold it right there!” Fulbright approached the pair at a jog. As he got closer he noticed just how large the man was. Not only that, he immediately noticed he was a low level thug from the Kitaki gang. He couldn’t tell who the woman was, all he could see was her long black hair as she held out her purse to the man as he was holding her wrist. “Let that young lady go!”

“Oh yeah,” the man let go of the girl’s arm and walked over to Bobby. The detective wasn’t a short man, he was six foot in fact. But the man still managed to tower over him and he seemed to be twice as wide from muscle alone. “And what are you gonna do about it?”

Fulbright was so distracted by the man that he hadn’t noticed that there was someone behind him until he heard the click of a gun next to his ear. His heart sank. If he weren’t so nervous he’d be thinking about how this felt like one of those cheesy old mafia movies from when he was growing up. He quickly reached into his holster to pull out his sidearm but there was one problem. He’d gotten into the habit of keeping his badge there instead. Now his most prized possession was the world's most useless self defense tool. ............................................………………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................................ The Phantom was very used to violence and chaos. Except he was typically in the center of it. It was a rare day that he wasn’t actively part of the action. Today was mostly one of those days.

He had been trailing Detective Bobby Fulbright for the past month. He was finally getting to the point he was soon to replace the detective. The only thing he needed to do was dispose of the detective. He was weaving through people walking down the sidewalk, keeping himself twenty feet behind Fulbright's car to try to stay inconspicuous. Which wasn’t the easiest with his attire. He was dressed in all black with a hoodie on top. He was also wearing a face mask and dark sunglasses to try and keep his face concealed. He also wore loafers that were identical to the ones Fulbright wore. One of the first things he did when he trailed someone was to quite literally ‘walk a mile in their shoes’. Unfortunately these shoes were uncomfortable and just slightly too long to be easy to walk in. But that didn’t bug The Phantom. This was typical for his jobs.

He was caught off guard when the car was quickly pulled to a stop and the detective ran into an alley. He couldn’t quite make out what was being said because of the distance so he started walking faster just to peer around the corner of the alley. He saw Fulbright sandwich between two large men, one who had a gun to his head.

‘Good, at least this would give an excuse for the detective to be dead.’ The phantom wasn’t even shocked that the detective didn’t have his gun. In his past month of trailing the detective, The Phantom learned a few things, the first being that the detective was a bit of a ditz. He forgot things easily, tripped over nothing, and cried at the drop of a hat. But, the next thing he learned was that Fulbright prioritized justice above all else, even when it put him in danger or got him in trouble.

“Stop you villains!” Fulbright backed up to at least get himself from being directly in between the men. He looked around frantically, obviously trying to think of what to do. The phantom could tell when he figured something out. The detective always pushed up his glasses whenever he found a new lead or was confident and this situation was no different. “I’ll have you know that I have several more LAPD officers on their way right now! You’ve got thirty seconds before you’ll be nothing more than a stain on the ground!”

It was a weak bluff but it somehow worked on the goons. The one with the gun pulled the other one to the side and murmured in his ear. The Phantom couldn’t hear what the man said until the other shoved the other one. The Phantom took this time to watch Fulbright again. The detective approached the woman with the black hair and she finally turned to an angle at which both men could finally see her face. They both recognized her but only The Phantom had a knife held to his neck. ............................................………………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................................ After Bobby used his amazing reasoning skills to distract the perpetrators he immediately sprung into action to help the young woman. No woman deserves to face the trauma of theft and assault. She was still faced away from him as he began his approach.

“There’s nothing to fear now ma’am! I’ve distracted the villain!” Fulbright got closer to her as he said this. It was at this point she turned to face him and Bobby realized that this theft was more than just that. He was face to face with the head of the Tender Lender; Viola Cadaverini, daughter of the city’s most feared mob boss.

“Hee…Hee…Hee… Thank you for your help, officer…” The young woman paused between each sentence. Creepy. Bobby was so focused on her that it wasn’t until he heard a sharp yell that he was taken out of his trance. ............................................………………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................................ “Get away from me!” That Phantom was rarely one to panic. But in public there was no way he could get away with just killing his attacker and he couldn’t risk getting injured this close to his mission. So, the spy had to make the unfortunate choice to draw attention to himself. At least the phantom was well practiced at pretending to be scared. “Help! This guy’s gonna kill me!”

“Would you shut up you-” Even so The Phantom could defend himself a bit. He dug his heel into the assailant's foot and he pushed forward. Unfortunately the sidewalk was crowded so he had no option but to try and hide in the alley. Though, as he was still not used to the hideous, slightly too big loafers, he tripped right next to where the detective was standing. It almost made since why Fulbright tripped so much now.

“Oh goodness are you okay, sir?” The detective comically put his hands to the face as if he were in the painting ‘The Scream’. Though, The Phantom couldn't focus on this for too long as the Kitaki goons apparently recognized the man with the knife.

“Eh, Cadaverini!” The original man yelled to the girl who now had her own gun in hand. It would be unnoticeable to a regular person but The Phantom recognizes the silvery glint peeking out from her sleeve. He’d used the same weapon himself from time to time. “You set us up!”

“And you did the same… Foolish Kitaki…Hee… Hee…” The four gangsters gathered together in the center of the alley, just a few feet away from where The Phantom was prone on the ground and Fulbright was standing(like an idiot he might add. He stood stick straight with his hands up once again like ‘The Scream’). At this point The Phantom stopped paying attention to the words said. It was something about a drug deal and how they promised to arrive alone. Typical gangster stuff. All these people were the same. These low level criminals never had any originality. The Phantom always hated when he had to play rolls like that. It was just so boring for him. At least the case he was on now was interesting. He was so lost in thought that it wasn’t until Fulbright was dragging him up by his arm that he realized that shots had been fired.

“Hey! Follow me if you want to live!” Fulbright almost seemed like a superhero at that moment. Or at least that was probably how the detective saw himself. ............................................………………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................................ Bobby practically drug the young man out of the alley and he shoved him into the passenger side of his car. He felt like a superhero! He got into his cruiser and started to yell into it’s built-in radio while holding down the bright orange button that he’d been trained was for exclusively for emergencies. This seemed like the right time to use it.

“Shots fired! Shots fired! Shots fired at 1st and Main.” He panicked, he didn’t even wait for dispatch to respond before he started again. “There are four people armed with guns and I have one victim in my car. Please come fast, he’s so traumatized he won’t even speak to me!”

“We are sending crews right away. Please get yourself to a safe area.” This response came back from the radio fast. Sometimes Bobby wished that dispatch would at least pretend to care about what was happening on scene. He started to drive away before he addressed the mystery man in his car.

“I’m so sorry you got dragged into that!” Bobby was worried about how the man might respond. He took a quick glance over to him and slammed on the brakes. “Oh my heck! Are you ok? Your cheek is bleeding!”

Something Fulbright didn’t expect was for the man to start panicking. ............................................………………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................................ What did the detective mean he was bleeding? He was wearing a mask. He reached up to feel that it must have been cut off when he escaped the man with the knife. This was bad. Really, really bad! He hadn’t even seen his real face in years. Now multiple strangers had seen it, including his next victim. This was going to be a big problem. All he could hope was that his bosses didn’t know about this. Something as bad as this could end up in his death. He needed to figure out something. And fast as the detective was looking at him even more, a worried look on his face.

“I have some bandaids in the back if you need them. Here let me just-” The moment Fulbright turned away The Phantom made a break for it. The spy was a quick runner and he made a pint to disappear into the crowded sidewalk. He was going to need to rethink his plan to get rid of the detective now. ............................................………………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................................ One second Bobby is digging through his first aid kit. The next he was stuck alone in his car looking dumbfounded. He tried to look out the windows for the man but it looked like he was gone for good. Bobby didn’t know just why but something about that guy was strange. He didn’t dwell on it too long because he realized something important. This is going to be a lot of paperwork once he gets back to the precinct!

.

.

.

.

.

I tried out something new, going between to perspectives of different characters and I think I did okay.

[drgnrder82]

Who is gearing up?

Me. I'm gearing up! So excited to return to fictober!

So excited for Fictober this year!!

Yeah!!!

It's gonna be so much fun!

[curiouser--and--curiouser]

“Is it over? Is it really over?” | Mark Watney x Reader

Fictober 2023 Day 24 - “Is it over? Is it really over?”

Mark Watney x Reader

Warnings: making out, occasional swearing, use of Y/N, Matt Damon (Matt I hate you and your use of slurs, but why do you keep showing up in my favourite films? 😫)

A quiet day is usually hard to find at NASA, but since the rescue of stranded astronauts Mark Watney and Y/N L/N from Mars, things had certainly calmed down as the Hermes ship continued its almost year-long journey back to Earth, safe and sound.

Instead of calculating trajectories and plotting courses, the scientists at NASA now had a slightly more chilled job of combing through the hundreds of video logs made by the pair of astronauts during their time of exile. As soon as they arrived at the Ares IV MAV, the high-bandwidth connection on board was used to upload the diaries to Earth, to chronical their time on the red planet, but also provide the memory of their final living days in case the worst occurred during their rescue mission.

Thankfully, the worst did not happen.  

Vincent Kapoor and Mindy Park now crowded around an office computer scanning the videos for any important information they missed to be filed away for NASA’s future space missions. Annie Montrose kept an eye on them and the screen over their shoulders for anything she might be able to release to the public who continued to clamour for anything about life on Mars.

“Our own employees shit-talking the scientists of NASA and their advice to help save their lives maybe shouldn’t be broadcast to the world,” Annie lamented as Mindy shut off another video where Mark whined about an army of botanists trying to micro-manage his potatoes with a new growing technique and Y/N complained about the demanding engineers who critiqued her repairs on the rover and quote “wouldn’t know a wrench if they sat on one”.

“Self-awareness can be a refreshing approach for a government agency,” suggested Vincent, sarcastically, rubbing his eyes from the glare of the screen. Mindy laughed as Annie launched a pen at Vincent’s head in annoyance as she clicked on the next video. It began with Mark alone on the screen.

xxx

“So, nothing has caught fire in 15 sols, I think that’s a new record for us,” Mark always managed to sound cheerful on his video diaries no matter the situation. He could be smoking from an explosion, arm falling off and in the middle of a claustrophobia-induced argument with you, but still have a boyish smile on his face.

You couldn’t think of anyone better to be stuck on Mars with. His constant witty narration and array of new bold ideas to keep you both alive braved your unfathomable storms, even when you were close to giving up on ever returning home.

No wonder you fell for him.

And he fell for you too.

Some would say being stuck on a deserted planet with your crush would be a dream. Maybe not a dream, but the constant close quarters did force you both to admit your burgeoning feelings for each other and begin your relationship. Sure, the adrenaline-fuelled trauma bonding and distinct lack of personal space at all times sometimes felt like a wall, your patience with each other and resolve to overcome triumphed.

“Y/N should be back soon,” Mark continued, “it’s been pretty goddamn quiet without them here. I hope they get back soon, I’ve started talking to my potato plants again… Y/N, please come back soon.” You had been on a multi-Sol test-drive of the rover, trying to gently push its limits before the long pilgrimage that was to come. Mark loved your commitment to the rover, how you cared for it like your child - both your child - but all he wanted now was for you to return, safe and back in his arms.

Mark continued his daily report diligently - so diligently, in fact, that he was completely unaware of your early return back to the Hab.

All that could be seen on the screen was his eyes suddenly snapping to the side and widen with a gasp.

“Oh my God.”

In an instant, he was up and completely gone from the camera, but soon he returned, locked in a heated embrace with you.

You both crashed and clattered into the wall of the Hab; you straddling his thighs with your dusty suit rolled down, exposing your torso, and him laid almost completely flat on his desk chair, pulling you into him with all the force of a lonely lover finally reunited. Your lips moved with a frantic speed, making up for lost time, as your weathered and slightly dirty hands threaded through his hair. He clutched and squeezed all over your curves as he whispered affirmations of “God, baby, I missed you”, “fuck, I was so worried”, “I love you so much” between kisses.

Mark eventually broke away, only for a second, remembering in a panic that the computer was still recording. It took all his might to pull away from you, but you launched back in immediately, planting sloppy kisses down his neck. His eyes started to roll back with a sigh on his lips and his hand fumbled around for the computer’s off switch.

xxx

In all their years, the NASA employees had never been more shocked.

A simple briefing log quickly descended into softcore porn. But it was so hard to look away.

Mindy had her hands covering her eyes, but still secretly peeked between her fingers; this was by far the most interesting briefing she had ever been a part of.

“Is it over? Is it really over?” she asked worriedly from behind her hands. She got no response from Vincent who simply looked ahead, stunned and silent, no words to wipe their memories of what they just saw. An exasperated sigh sounded from Annie, her brow pinched within an inch of its life.

“No one release that one to the public.”

[lillyspeakz]

Hey I hope this is not a weird question but can you plz make a fic that’s like Vampire! Wilbur x reader with a blood disorder?

Yes yes ofc! I just did iron deficiency because- it’s the only one I know everything for so! I hope you enjoy!

warnings: Wilbur taking care of reader, he low key complains about how sweet your blood smells, kisses, all in all so sweet, medicine and swallowing pills!!!

-

The weather had made the decision for you to stay inside today, the rain and the freezing cold wind making you shiver as you looked out of the window. When Wil heard you were staying in with him today, having called off work, he was more than ecstatic!

Very rarely does he ever have days with you, all of you. You work all the time and when you get home, your always either tired or Wil wants to go outside and have fun. And sometimes you do go out with him, or he stays in with you and dances with you in the kitchen as you cook. But those were short lived, always ending when you were tired or Wilbur finally needed to go out and feed on something.

Now don’t get him wrong, you offered for him to take small doses of your blood here and there, him always praising you and how your blood smelled sweeter than anything he’s ever smelt. Yet he knew he couldn’t. He knew your blood already had a hard enough time keeping your body afloat and keeping you healthy, your iron levels fluctuating day to day. And he wasn’t going to take something from you that you needed more than an average human. He knew how many pills you had to take some days just to feel ok, it made him sad. His precious darling, blood so sickeningly sweet yet betraying your body. At least that’s how he saw it.

As you made tea for yourself, Wil had made himself comfy on the couch, the fire place going as a movie he’s never seen before played on the tv. You wore one of Wil’s sweaters and a pair of his sweats, always feeling comfier in his baggy clothing than your own.

As you deemed the tea ready, you started to walk over to the living room, carrying a tray of snacks as well. Yet you didn’t get too far, your whole body swaying as your mind went numb from dizziness and a whole pound of tiredness lied itself on-top of your head. Placing both of the items down, you quickly gripped the counter with a painful grip, a groan leaving your mouth as you did.

The cold always made your iron worse than anything. You didn’t know the exact reason or if it was even true, but it felt like it. On days like these you never found a reason to take your meds, never really doing anything to need them. But apparently today was different.

Hearing the sound of the glass on the marble counter and a groan coming right after made Wilbur shoot up from his position on the couch, seeing you press your head into the cold surface as you held yourself up the best you could.

“Darling?! Hey, it’s ok. Are you ok? What do you need?” Wilbur came behind you as he held you by your waist, lifting you back up as your head rested on his shoulder. You looked pale and your eyes could barely open as you curled into him.

Cupping your face, Wilbur rubbed your cheek bone as he waited for you to answer, placing small kisses all over your face as he did.

“I- the cabinet. My meds are in there.” You got out dryly, your mouth suddenly going dry as the fatigue got worse.

Gently turning you around, Wilbur’s hands gripped the back of your thighs as he lifted you up in his arms, holding you close to him as he went to the cabinet you pointed to. Opening the dark wood material, he found a tall, skinny bottle with your name on it.

He took it out of its respected place and placed you on the counter, leaning your back against the wall as he opened the bottle and took out a couple pills. “How many do you need?”

“Just one for now. I’ll take more later on.” You said, sleep filling your vision as you saw Wil take out one and grab your cup of tea on the counter.

Coming back over, Wil saw your eyes close slightly, racing back over to cup your face. “Hey love, stay awake for me yeah? Take this and then we’ll go watch movies all day. Ok?” Wilbur promised as held the medicine up to your mouth. You opened it slightly, enough for the small capsule to enter, bringing up the cup of tea to your mouth so you could have something to help it get down your dry throat. “Good job baby, did so good.” Wilbur whispers as he presses a kiss to your forehead as you place the cup back down and lean forward into his embrace.

Wilbur held you against his chest for as long as he saw fit. Holding the back of your head as he rubbed your head, humming into the air as he tried to distract himself from the sweet smell you gave off.

“As much as I hate this little blood disorder, you blood smells absolutely divine my love.” Wilbur groaned as he pulled away from you, smiling as your eyes looked up at him, skin looking a bit better.

“Is that supposed to be a compliment or should i be scared?” You asked teasingly as the man in front of you rolled his eyes and lifted you up once again.

“I’m offended you think that lowly of me love.”

“Well you did try to kill me when we first met-“

“That was the old me. I now know how to behave myself. At least around you.” Wilbur confessed as he set you down on the comfortable cushion, rushing back to grab the tray of snacks and your tea.

“That makes me feel a bit better. As long as you don’t get caught and aren’t killing innocent people, I’m ok with it.” You smiled up at him as he gave you the tea, falling down next to you as he covered himself and you with a blanket, wrapping an arm over your shoulder.

“I promise I’m not darling. Never did and never will.” He promised to you in a whisper as he pressed one last kiss to your head as he pulled you closer to him, snuggling closer to each other.

“…. Do I actually smell that good?”

“Darling don’t get started-“

[randomfoggytiger]

"Mulder Will Be Back"

(Fictober, Day 24)

Giving a side character some limelight today~.

****

Fox Mulder was a scourge. 

For some inexplicable reason, he’d been allowed to run without restraints, make a mockery of the hardworking men and women of the FBI, and involve the Bureau in embarrassing scandal after scandal for five long years. Reprimands fell through the cracks, career ending punishments disintegrated into raps on his knuckles-- the closest chastisement he’d ever been given was that his waste of space and taxpayer dollars office was taken from him, twice. (He’d had very unmanageable declarations before review boards both times, daring to rail against the decision of his superiors while snidely making a mockery of the whole proceeding.) 

Transcripts of his long speeches into black and white terms showed what a lot of other people missed in civil conversation: it wasn’t ego that drove him, or even strictly pride-- it was hubris.

For all his heroic professions of finding “the Truth”, Mulder didn’t care to look for, grasp, or investigate anything that didn’t fit his dangerously erroneous personal beliefs. It wasn’t just aliens-- that might be tolerable, though wincingly embarrassing-- it was the people who believed in them: sick people who needed a shrink and medication, not a couple days of being catered to, batted around, then left with nothing more concrete than a “well, we tried.” It was all in the files, this lack of care or interest. It was appalling.

Agent Fox Mulder had to know these infuriating facts given his collegiate and BSU training, not to mention the years he’d spent in the VCU. Agent Scully knew, even had a reputation for trying to talk down her partner’s wilder assumptions; but she always went along with his angles, his theories, as much as she professed to being a scientist in need of evidence or proof. 

If Jeffrey Spender had any doubts as to the motives of his fellow agents, the disappearance of his mother-- their explicit involvement despite his warnings, despite his mother’s obvious mental incapacity, despite his later vindicated anger-- and, most gallingly, their lack of care afterwards-- Fox Mulder sardonic and sarcastic, Dana Scully denying and defensive-- showed that their reputation and his early assessments had proven him, as always, correct.

Now, he had a mother missing-- a fact which Agent Mulder should have understood, if the few bits of memorabilia recovered from his hallowed-out office were to be the judge. And he had a father-- a fact which still struck Jeffrey as a cruel twist of fate, forcing him to wrestle with the abandonment he and his mother endured at the hands of this shadowy benefactor. 

The X-Files were supposed to investigate unsolved cases with the intent to provide answers, perhaps even closure. That was a blatant lie: Jeffrey Spender had read enough-- files on files with nothing but a few days’ vacation in Loo Loo Land and a short report notating little accomplished-- to thoroughly understand that if he seriously considered this post, these witnesses, this job, he’d have to go as mad as Spooky Mulder. 

And he was not willing to lose himself, too. He had a mother to find.

*****

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

Tagging @today-in-fic and @xffictober2023 and @fictober-event

[non-cannon]

Fictober 2024 day 3: “I know you better” original writing

“I know you better than that.” He told her. “I know you would never betray us like that. So, what’s the real story?”

“You don’t know me at all,” She replied. “You never did. Every single interaction was a fake, a farce, a lie. You don’t even know my name.”

“Do you seriously expect me to believe that? To believe that all these years were nothing but a lie? That there was no truth to any of it at all? Seven years is a long time to do nothing but lie. And you’re a terrible liar.”

“No, I just made you think I’m a terrible liar, it made covering up the big lies easier. And no, nothing was true. I’ve been an agent, and you weren’t even my target, you just happened to know her. I turned you into part of my cover story.”

“Why are you telling me all of this? It feels like you’re just trying to hurt me enough to make me believe you.”

“You should believe me, because it’s true. And I need you to stop looking at me with such care and love. Stop looking at me like you know me, like I’m someone who should matter to you.”

“I can’t just stop caring about you because you tell me to. I refuse to believe that it’s all a lie, why would you being trying so hard to convince me that it was, if it is? If it were truly a lie you wouldn’t care to convince me otherwise. You would just keep using me and my emotions, and move on.”

“…You don’t know who I am, but I’ve learned who you are, and you’re a good person, who I don’t want to have to kill.”

“So, you do care about me, to some extent, that’s not a lie.”

“Shut up and leave, before I have to kill you. ��Please”

“I think you’re lying when you say you’ll kill me.”

“That’s what you think I’m lying about? That’s the only truth I’ve told you in years!”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Please go, please.”

[live-laugh-loverpool]

day 16-ish

Prompt number: #16 "no, I'm not okay"

Fandom: Men's Football RPF

Rating: General

Warnings/Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Autumn, Conversations

@millythegoat @liverpool-enjoyer @loverpool-chocolate-fishy @johnlockianever @1152sstuff

[underratedbananawerewolf]

Fictober Day 24

Prompt 24: "Is it over? Is it really over?"

Fandom: Honkai Star Rail

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Jing Yuan sighed as he stared at the heavyset door engraved with numerous symbols designed to contain the power of the occupant. Honestly he thought the Vidyadhara elders were caging something entirely unnecessary. There was, of course, very little he could do about it as close as he was to the prisoner.

Or who the prisoner used to be.

Drawing in a deep breath, the general unlocked the cell, passing through to the bare cell beyond. Hardly a comforting home, isolated from everyone and hardly lit. The little light provided was a lamp that only illuminated the immediate area around it but it was all he could manage. At least it gave off enough to read by and the occupant was a voracious reader. As if he had much else to do.

One visible eye settled on the young man on the floor, shackles clasped around wrists and ankles. "Can you stand?"

"Why." The gleaming eyes showed nothing as to what he was feeling. Given the long time isolation with no other visitors but himself when he could take the time, Jing Yuan had to wonder if the Vidyadhara knew how to express himself at all.

"Because I'm taking you out." Jing Yuan explained patiently. "You're no longer required to remain chained here." He had to fight long years for that and even then he wondered if the punishment that replaced the imprisonment was even more cruel.

Dan Heng blinked in surprise, the slightest shift in his expression far more than any of his jailors had ever seen in him. "Out?"

"Yes." Jing Yuan offered a hand to him, willing to help if he needed it. After a moment of hesitation a shaky hand was placed in his allowing him to pull Dan Heng to his feet. He steadied the younger man as one of the escorting Cloud Knights entered to remove the bindings.

Jing Yuan noted the wariness in the Vidyadhara's gaze. No surprise considering how he had been treated since his rebirth but these two had served their general well when it came to dealing with things best not publicly known. This wasn't the first time they had accompanied him to this cell for all that it was the first time Dan Heng had seen them. "Your time in the Shackling Prison is finished."

Those vibrant eyes flickered back to his face, mirror bright and just as readable. "Is my punishment over? Really."

Slowly Jing Yuan led Dan Heng out of the cell with the two other knights flanking. His hands clasped behind his back as he led the way. It wasn't particularly fair to keep punishing one who had no memory of the sin, but the laws of the Xianzhou were just as enduring as the stars. "Yes and no." He finally answered. "You won't be kept in the Shackling Prison but you won't be staying on the Luofu either. Your permanent exile starts now."

He gave another sigh, almost unheard. He really was far too old for this level of emotion. "It is the best I could do for you, I am afraid."

"...I see."

The walk through the streets was a nervous one. There was no hiding the former high elder of the Vidyadhara Luofu. He was too much of a presence here so Jing Yuan didn't try. All he did was make the show of escorting a prisoner to Cloudford. There he could take an outsider ship to hopefully be able to make his own choices on how to live his life.

And when Dan Heng left he never looked back. The farewell, or lack of one, hurt more than Jing Yuan thought it would. The very last of his friends, the High Cloud Quintet, was now beyond his reach. He was happy for Dan Heng's freedom but that didn't mean that it also was painless.

---

A news report flashed across Jing Yuan's phone screen, prompting the dozing general to wake up enough to read it. These were updates of a more personal nature, ones that he would likely be in severe trouble for if any of the other Arbiter-Generals or the Ten-Lord Commission found out.

He blinked at the message. Years had gone by since he had received word of Dan Heng but those were little more than a blink for a man his age. His network of information had finally located the Vidyadhara.

Rising to his feet he sauntered lazily into his garden. There, no one could sneak up on him and overhear anything he was about to say.

"Would this be Miss Himeko of the Astral Express?"

The redheaded woman blinked in surprise at her caller but never lost her poise. "It is. I'm afraid you have the advantage over me."

"I am Jing Yuan, General of the Xianzhou Luofu."

"I'm honored, General. What can I help you with?"

"I understand that you have recently gained a new passenger." He pushed on before she could get suspicious. "He and I were...old friends. Circumstances have it so that is no longer the case but I still care enough to try and keep an eye on him as much as I am able to."

"So why contact me, General? Surely you would prefer to talk with Dan Heng instead..." Himeko trailed off as he shook his head.

"I fear talking to me would only cause more distress for him." And for me if I'm honest with myself. "I call only to ask that you watch out for him for as long as he is on the Astral Express."

Something of understanding crossed Himeko's pretty face. Her reputation was well earned as Jing Yuan counted on. "As long as he is among us, he'll be taken care of. I promise that to you, General."

His usual smile curled his lips as he inclined his head in grateful acknowledgement. "You have my eternal thanks, Miss Himeko. Take care."

[jarofstyles]

FICTOBER DAY 24- Holding Back

yeah so... it's angel yn x demon h smut and it's filthy so here we goooo.

Fictober

Patreon

WARNINGS- demon h, angel Y/N, mean Dom h, dumbification, degradation, choking, hair pulling, etc. Just filth.

--------

Holding her hair in a ponytail, Harry’s hand drug her back to press her back against his sweaty chest. His hips continued to move, the slap of skin audible in the room, but Y/N was trying to keep it down. 

 “You’re holding back.” He hissed into her ear, the tingles of her hair being gripped and his lips so close making her body shiver. The demon was rough with her, just the way she’d found herself craving, one hand curling around her throat as she let out the most pathetic whimper she’d ever hear. “Who cares if anyone hears, hm? It’s what you need to do.”

His cock was deep in her, fucking into her sopping wet cunt, and he knew he was directly where she liked being fucked. “Poor little Angel. Still so afraid of letting people see even a bit of Dirt.” He cooed, slowing his thrusts and hitting deep, making her mouth fall open and a wheezy squeak leaving her lips. 

“I think that’s what it is. Y’walk around, like you’re this holy, sweet, innocent little thing. Perfect Angel, so soft spoken and touch so delicate. But when the door is closed.” He squeezed a bit harder with his fingers on her throat, making her gasp again. “The door is closed and you’re getting your holes fucked by the very creature you claim to hate. Sweet little Angel Y/N, God’s favorite… Is getting raw fucked by the demon who followed you home.” He snickered, loving that he had been her downfall. 

If Y/N wasn’t in the midst of pleasure, she would smack him hard. She would turn her nose up in the air, stomp her foot and leave. But she wasn’t there, she was being fucked by said man so well that her body was clay for him to model, her cunt wrapped around him and getting sparks of pleasure rendering her brain useless. “Hm? No retort from the pretty ice queen?” His tongue licked over her jaw, letting her breathe better for a moment as she shook her head. It was the right answer, because she was rewarded with her hair being released and sneaking down to rub at her throbbing clit. 

“Right answer, Angel girl. Got you so drunk on my cock that you’ve turned into a braindead little slut.” His voice got rougher, making her clench around him. He was soaked with her arousal, balls dripping with it, and he was enjoying every second of it. “Big and proper when we’re out there but the moment we’re alone you fall to the ground and mouth at my cock, get on those knees and open that pretty little mouth just so I can spit into it, fuck it… whatever I want because you’re just my little toy, yeah Angel?” He felt her try to nod, but that wasn’t enough.  “Use your words. Tell me you’re just my toy to fuck.” 

“I’m just… I’m your- I’m just your toy to f-fuck.” She shivered, her brain pleasantly floating as he fucked her. Y/N didn’t know sex could be as good as it was and surely she would pretend to hate depraved things such as this when she left the room- but something about the demon made her want to submit fully. Allowed herself to go blank, to take him the way he wanted her to. “Please,please,please, can I?” She pleaded, wanting so badly to cum. The stroke of his cock and his fingers rubbing over her clit and the nibbling of her jaw, it was the perfect storm. She was so close to letting go, so close to cumming all over his thick cock and then- 

He stopped. Fingers stilling on her clit, cock buried to the hilt and stopping, Y/N cried out in loss as he cooed at her. “None of that. You’re going to cum when I want you to, beautiful thing. If you’re going to turn your back on me out there, that’s fine. But I want you to remember being edged as many times as you can be. Roll your eyes at me saying hello next time and m’not going to let you come at all. You’ve got to be reminded what you are.” He kissed away a tear, pulling her to lay her head back on him. “A slut for a demon, a personal whore. You’ve signed up for this, you come knocking at my door to apologize… Give me this sweet body and a promise of being better next time… I think the only way to make a girl like you learn, is if I take away what you’re after.” Harry’s hand crawled up her belly, pressing over where he was sure he was buried, rocking back and forth into her to get some relief. 

“Because none of those angels can fuck you the way you want. You want flower petals and champagne and a slow rock of a fuck? Go on to them. But you won’t because underneath that angelic body, lays the prettiest, most willing to please slut that wants a pounding.” His chuckle made her shudder again, pressing his lips to her cheek. “As long as you remember you’re mine and show me a bit more respect? I can continue to make this happen. Do you understand me?” 

“Yes- yeah, I do Harry. I’m sorry.” She whined, cut off when his hand smacked over her breast.  As much as she tried, Harry was the one who shut her brain off. Let her focus on pleasure and give her a sweet pain to remember the next day, making her feel more alive than she had ever been. “I am yours, I promise.” 

“I know that.” He stated. “Get back down and turn around. Want to see you cry for my cum.”

[ramblinganthropologist]

Fictober 24 7 - Come with me if you want to live

Summary: Sometimes, a Warden needs a drink. That goes double when you're itching for a fight. Cahel and Miris are needing both that night, and they're going to get what they're looking for. Is it fair, no, but hey... did they start it if they're the ones getting chased?

---

“It looks like you two had quite the night.”

“Yeah… mind healing me? Guy got in a sucker punch before I knocked him out.”

Miris’ knuckles were scraped, and he was pretty sure one of his ribs were bruised, but it was nothing serious. Still, healing was healing, so he wasn’t going to turn it down. He just had to wait his turn – Cahel had gotten there first.

Apart from the black eye and similarly bruised knuckles, the squirt was looking pretty good. He certainly seemed that way as he beamed from ear to ear. It was infectious – Miris found himself halfway into a wry grin as Anders turned to face him.

“Should I ask how the Warden Commander and Senior Warden got themselves into such mischief without us?”

Someone sounded disappointed they weren’t let in on the fun. Problem was, it wasn’t like they had planned it. These sorts of things happened on their own, sometimes when they were least expected.

Then again, two Wardens walk into a bar…

---

The sun had just gone down, and a cool breeze blew through the streets of Amaranthine. With it came the smell of the sea and the sense that it was going to be a good night.

Miris for once was out of the blue and silver, dressed down in his more comfortable clothes without his maul strapped to his back. It let him stand up straight for once, though his back still ached from the memory. Damn thing was heavy, even if he was used to carrying it after a year of never parting from it.

He felt kind of naked without it, but it was his night off, so he wasn’t going to complain too much.

“Wonder where we should go, haven’t really had much time to explore the place with everything that happened.”

Of course, that was hilarious coming from the squirt – until recently he hadn’t been in a city for more than a couple days. He was adjusting to the whole roof thing as well as any Dalish kid could – which was to say, he spent a lot of time outdoors.

He had tried to convince him to wear shoes, but it was a lost argument. Better to let him step in piss and learn his lesson the hard way.

“Like you would even know where to go.” Miris nudged him in the side, earning one back from his companion. “Hey, just saying, I wouldn’t know what end of the halla to milk if you dropped me in the middle of a camp and gave me a bucket.”

He assumed it was the ass end – cows were near the ass end – but you never knew when it came to halla.

“Fair enough.” Cahel sidestepped to avoid someone getting too close to him in passing – probably a pickpocket – and chuckled as they fell due to a change in momentum when he nudged them in the back. “Come on, that was too easy.”

Oh, to be a rogue with two working eyes. Miris usually solved the problem by glaring at people and his scars did the rest of the work. The squirt was working with a different set of tools, but he managed it well enough. They’d make a city goer out of him yet.

Speaking of city going – his ears picked up at a familiar sound. The accent might have been different, but he knew the clink of mugs and the batshit chattering of drunks anywhere. The only question was whether they’d get let in – after all, Cahel still looked 12 and they were both elves.

Only one way to find out – stick his head in and see if anyone tried to bash it in.

“I think we found the place.” Miris jerked his thumb in the direction of the noise. The sign above the door proclaimed it to be the Griffin’s Roost – if ever there was a more appropriate spot for two Wardens, he didn’t know it. “Just follow me.”

Maybe if they had both been in their proper Warden armor it would’ve been an easier process, but what was the fun in that?

Inside, it was as noisy as the street. Cahel’s ears were by his shoulders – kid wasn’t used to noise. Still, it wasn’t to the point that Miris feared his turn tail and run back to the keep. He was getting better about city shit the more he stayed in Amaranthine, and in a weird way he was proud of him.

Not that he’d ever say that, but the feeling was there.

The room was mostly human, but he spied a pointy ear or two near the back and he was pretty sure there was a group of dwarves making a deal off to the side. Nobody really seemed to care they were in there, so he took it as a good sign that their coin would be accepted. All he cared about was that there was something to drink and a table they could sit at.

“Go find somewhere to sit and I’ll get the first round.” He nudged Cahel in the side. “And don’t perch on top of the chair to get a height boost, people will think you’re weird.”

His commander accepted the ribbing. “I’m wearing leggings, they’re gonna think I’m weird no matter what I do.”

Miris shot him a glance, so he grinned. “Alright, you won me over. I’ll sit in the chair like a normal person.”

Perfect.

So, once that was settled, he made his way to the bar where an ancient looking man was wiping down a mug. Half his face was scarred – Miris could sympathize – and he looked as though he’d fought some battles back in his day. Old veterans had that feel about them, a kind of sense of not to fuck with them because they had some sort of weapon beneath the wood that they’d be more than happy to use.

He could respect that.

“Haven’t seen you around.” The man’s voice was gruff and low. “What do you want?”

Miris nodded at that. “Two meads.”

Briefly, the man’s working eye flicked to where Cahel was settling in. “Your girlfriend looks like a lightweight, but that’s on you.”

Oh, he was so glad the kid wasn’t there to hear that… he was a little sensitive about the whole looking like a girl thing. Anders had offered to help him out, but they hadn’t quite figured out the dose yet. It was weird when it came to elves, or so he had been told.

Not really his business, but after all the shit Cahel had been through he deserved it.

“We’ll be fine.” He dropped the coins on the counter and accepted his drinks. Then he was threading his way across the room to where Commander Squirt was waiting for him. True to his word, he was sitting in his chair like a normal person.

Cherche would be so proud of him.

“Here, you liked the honey stuff last time.” Miris nudged the mug over to him as he sat. It wasn’t his favorite, but he didn’t have a real preference for alcohol. Call it a side effect of growing up in the alienage. “Just don’t get drunk too fast, you’re dead weight when you’re knocked out.”

Cahel nodded as he took a sip – probably missing the Dalish stuff. Whatever Dalish stuff was – he hadn’t really gotten a chance to figure that out when they had been dealing with the werewolves back in the forest. Probably involved honey or halla milk or who the fuck knew honestly. Maybe it was both – gross.

Oh well, none of his business. He was happy with mead.

As he sat back to drink, his good eye wandered around the room. While he couldn’t see that great – place was kind of dark and his depth perception was awful – he could pick up a group of humans had stopped talking. More importantly, he was pretty sure they were being stared at for some reason.

His fingers tightened around the handle of his mug as he lowered his voice. “Squirt, watch it. Shems on the right.”

Cahel, true to his training, didn’t look over his shoulder. “How many?”

“At least four.” He hid his glance with a sip from his mead. “Little guy in the middle looks to be a ring leader. Guess he’s got the gold.”

If it wasn’t a big guy who could beat ass like nobody’s business, it was a little guy with a wise mouth and deep pockets. Change the town, change the time, and some things never changed. See one, see them all.

And he got to see them really well as the little guy got up and started to make his way to where they were sitting. He was smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Worst of all, those eyes were trained on Cahel and he saw a flash of something nasty.

Miris didn’t like guys who looked at people like that. It made him want to punch somebody.

“My dear, I happened to see you across the room and I had to come over.” His words were thick with honey. “I don’t recognize you from around town. Did you just move to Amaranthine? I’d be happy to show you around. I’m sure I’d be far better company than your choice tonight.”

Miris resisted the urge to throw up as he watched the guy give him a once over, stopping at the eyepatch and the scar tissue that slashed across the side of his face. It made his smile twitch a little, but he wasn’t going to give up so easily.

No doubt he expected to bed the squirt – big mistake.

Cahel took another sip of his mead, setting his mug down with a slight clink. Then he was the one giving the once-over, a blank expression on his face as he did so. Eventually, he stopped right at the man’s crotch, ears twitching as he cocked an eyebrow.

“I’ve heard better.” He shrugged. “You’re not my type anyway, I like my guys with a little more muscle on them.”

Yeah – like the muscle on the current king of Ferelden. Even the richest asshole in Amaranthine couldn’t stack up to a war hero and literal fucking ruler of a country. Then again, the guy in front of them had probably turned tail and hid at the first sign of the Blight. No way somebody like him had ever so much as looked at a sword, much less held one.

The man’s eye twitched “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, your pick up lines suck and I’m pretty sure I could punt you across the courtyard.” Cahel picked up his mug to take a sip. He paused, before adding, “And you insulted my friend, so, you know, fuck you and all that. Next time don’t do that if you want to get somebody in your bed.”

Strong words from a virgin who was barely kissing his first boyfriend, but Miris did his best to suppress a laugh behind his mug. It was fun to watch the guy’s face turn red as he sputtered and tried to think of what to say. Clearly, someone wasn’t being used to getting turned down by an ‘elf maid’ in the pub.

Too bad, so sad, next time don’t try shitty pickup lines with a Warden Commander.

“How dare you, you knife eared bitch!” He spat the slur out like he was saying good morning – with practiced ease. “I have half a mind to-“

Cahel’s eyes narrowed as he finished his drink. “What, go crying to your friends that the big bad elf thinks you’re an annoying little shit? I’d think you’d be used to being told that by now; it takes effort to get to your level.”

The room had quieted down – all eyes were on their table. Miris took this as his cue to finish his drink with a large gulp. He knew what was coming, and frankly, he could use the exercise. Drills were one thing, but actually getting some practice in was another. It be nice to fight something other than darkspawn and mercs.

The challenging part was not killing them.

It didn’t take long for the man’s friends to join them at the table. All three were far burlier than he was, though he got the sense they were more muscle than brain. None of them had the telltale scars of fighting the Blight – maybe they had been hiding too. Either way, he wasn’t exactly impressed.

Their new best friend’s eyes were narrow slits. “If you want to go home in one piece, I’d apologize now for your cheek.”

Cahel managed a spectacular eye roll as he pushed away from the table, cracking his neck as he stood. “Alright, guess we’re doing this.”

He flashed a grin as he nodded his head towards the door. “Come with me if you want to live I guess, these guys look serious.”

And then that was it – he broke out into a run, sprinting past the group and heading outside. Miris pushed away from the table just as quickly and soon was making his way out the door. Behind him, he could hear the shouts of their would-be opponents as they realized just what had happened. Soon, they were storming out the door and down the road to meet them.

“You really are a people person, squirt!” Miris found himself laughing as he caught up to his fellow Warden. “Next time stare at his dick a little longer, I think I saw him sweat!”

The Warden Commander himself responded with a hearty chuckle as he glanced over his shoulder – then he dodged as one of the meatheads threw a rock in his direction. “What can I say, I’ve been told I’ve got a gift for hitting people where it hurts!”

They eventually found a good place to wait – a clearing that was empty near the square. Thanks to their pace and training, they had some time to wait for their opponents to catch up. It was at that point that Miris began to stretch, shaking out his muscles and preparing for what was no doubt going to be a short clash.

Cahel was doing the same, though he was bendier. Came with being a rogue – they were flexible. “Alright, we’re not allowed to kill them, it’s a pain in the ass and causes too much paperwork. Do your best not to bleed on them if they get a shot in. I don’t want to have to put a Joining together, we’re a little low on blood.”

That made Miris snort as he cracked his knuckles, the sound reverberating through the square. “Are you expecting to get hit?”

“Hey, even idiots get lucky sometimes.” His ears picked up. “Looks like they’re about to catch up. I’m thinking the little one’s going to hang back and let his friends do the work.”

Miris found himself nodding. “At least until he thinks he can get a shot at you. He seems the time to sucker punch when you’re not looking.”

But there wasn’t much time to talk after that – their opponents had arrived, breathing hard and looking fit to be tied. Unsurprisingly, the leader lagged behind, looking as though he had just gone swimming he was sweating so hard.

Yeah, none of them would survive the Joining if it came to it. Wasn’t worth getting the blood for it. No bleeding it was.

“You thought…” He gasped for air, hands on his knees. “You thought you could escape us that easily?”

Oh, if they had wanted to escape it would’ve been easy. But what could Miris say – they were bored. It wasn’t their fault that their untrained enemies hadn’t realized they had boxed themselves in. Honestly, it would’ve been pathetic if not for the fact he could feel adrenaline begin to pump through his body.

“Need to take a breather or something? Cahel was already in his defensive stance, body coiled like a spring waiting for them to strike. “You don’t sound so good. Guess running’s not your thing either?”

The man’s head jerked up, and he looked fit to kill. “And here I was going to let you live. Well, the guards can find your bodies in the morning for all I care.”

He glanced at his men. “Make sure the woman lasts long enough to see her boyfriend die. Then she’s mine.”

Oh, he was going to regret those words.

The first guy, probably the biggest, approached Miris with his fists clenched tight. He swung hard, aiming for a brutal punch. However, he telegraphed his moves like he was play fighting. Even for someone with one eye it was obvious. He didn’t so much as dodge as he stepped out of the way and let his opponent’s momentum take his ass to the ground.

Across the square, Cahel was cornered by the two other guys. They were smirking, flexing their fists as if they were scary. No doubt they thought their opponent was some civilian woman with a smart mouth. If only they had noticed he wasn’t wearing shoes…

Oh well. It was fun to watch the squirt dodge the first blow, snaking around it and grabbing the man’s arm. Suddenly, his opponent was airborne as he grabbed and threw him a surprising distance across the square.

Guess he’d been working out.

Miris would’ve said something, but his opponent was scrambling to his feet. Probably because it was so dark out, but he didn’t see the fist coming for him until it was buried in his chest. He staggered back, wind knocked out of him for a second as the man closed in, ready to deliver another blow.

Unfortunately for him… he felt the familiar tinge of a reaver rage coming on.

Adrenaline coursed through his body, pain evaporating with a bubbling anger that threatened to take over his entire being. He lunged at the man, delivering two nasty blows to his stomach and throat. His opponent staggered back, but that was when he rushed forward and closed the gap. Lacing his fingers together, he brought his combined fist down hard on the man’s shoulder and smirked as he heard bone crack.

He loved that sound – it was like music to his ears.

Down went the mountain of muscle, screaming as he held onto his broken shoulder. The urge was there to do something – kick him so he stopped screaming or bash him in the head until he went limp. Miris thought about it, but then he remembered they weren’t supposed to kill anyone. So he grit his teeth as he did his best to cool down the rage as he walked away to help out with the other fight.

Not that Cahel needed it – kid was dodging blows like he was made to do it. It wasn’t perfect, judging by the fact there was a rapidly forming bruise over his one eye, but given his size and lack of reach it was admirable. Even better, he was grinning as he jumped and weaved out of the way.

“Come on, you got one in, you can’t get another?” He turned to the side, the blow glancing past him. “Up, too slow! You’re going to have to do better than that!”

His opponent was sweating hard – somebody wasn’t meant for endurance fighting and it showed. The punches were getting slower and easier to read as his strength and energy began to leave him. Miris knew this one – had seen it plenty of times when they had been in armor and fighting with real weapons. It was a Mahariel classic: the good old snark and swat.

Naturally, the swatting part came when the man overjudged his reach because of the dark and the fact humans lacked night vision. He was powerless to dodge as Cahel circled around him, quick as lightning. Then he kicked hard, sending his opponent sprawling on the dirty ground.

And then, before he could get up, the kid punched his lights out with a combo punch that made even Miris wince.

By then, the fight was wrapping up. Two men lay unconscious, while one cried over his broken shoulder. The only one left was the leader, who was beginning to sweat as they approached him, fists at the ready. Honestly, he had to give the guy credit for not pissing himself – he seemed the type to do that.

Cahel cocked his head to the side. “You want him or should I take him? You only got the one.”

“How about we both get him? It’s been a while since we took one out together.” Miris held up his better fist, smirking. “On three?”

Remember that part about the man not pissing himself? Yeah, he was taking that one back - he smelled piss. Oh well, didn’t matter. Together, they approached their final opponent, ready for the final blow.

He didn’t even get time to beg for it – there was no three. Hell, there wasn’t even a one. They just swung, training and experience telling them when it was time. Miris’ fist found his stomach, while Cahel went straight for the nose. It was enough to send the man flying back, skidding to a stop in a puddle full of… something. It was always something in Amaranthine.

“Damn, I didn’t expect them to go down so easily.” Cahel sighed as he brushed hair from his face and back into his braid. “I figured we’d get a few more punches in.”

Miris shrugged as they left the square behind; with any luck, they’d either come to their senses or the guards would find them in the morning. Either way, it wasn’t really their problem. “Those guys were all talk, no action. I had better fights back home when I was 13.”

He stepped over the puddle – and their opponent. “Feel like heading back for another round? You’re buying, it was your fault this happened in the first place.”

His fellow Warden flashed him that famous grin as he linked his arms behind his head as he walked. “Yeah, that’s fair. Honestly, that mead was pretty good for human stuff. I might have to come back here more often.”

Coming from a Dalish raised honey fiend, that was high praise. It didn’t really matter to Miris – as long as it was strong he’d drink it. But they could quibble over the details over a second round once they were back in the pub and nursing their minor scrapes over a mug. The night was still young, and he was thirsty.

---

“Alright, you should be good to go now.”

Anders hand stopped glowing as it passed over Cahel’s face – the bruising was gone now and he could open his eye again. His knuckles were still bruised, but that was probably penance for getting into mischief without the mage. He didn’t seem to mind as he grinned and motioned with a wave of his hand.

“You’re up, Miris.”

Miris approached, still feeling the sting in his ribs. He was pretty sure they weren’t broken, but they still hurt. It wasn’t enough to be worried over, but it was an unpleasant reminder that he needed to keep his guard up. Had that been a knife, he would’ve broken the no bleeding rule.

Then they would’ve had to do the Joining, and what would that have gotten them but a bunch of dead men?

Unsurprisingly, Anders didn’t ask him where it hurt. The man had an eye for injury, and it showed as he casually lifted up his shirt. The bruising wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t too serious. He’d had way worse during the Blight – hell, back at home in the alienage he had really gotten into some scrapes. Compared to that, this was nothing.

“I hate to see what your opponent looked like after you were through with him.” His hand began to glow as he passed it over the wound. “Is he still alive?”

Miris did his best to keep from shrugging his shoulders -it messed up the healing if he moved too much. “I think I broke his shoulder, but he was alive when I last saw him.”

Cahel nodded his head. “Yeah, he went reaver mode on him. Guy’s lucky he didn’t get his head bashed in.”

Boy, was he telling the truth…

“This is probably the point where a Warden Commander should tell his Senior Warden not to get into bar fights, but then he’d be a hypocrite.” There was a crooked smile on Anders’ face as he finished the healing. “Next time, let me know you’re going out.”

Yeah – they could use someone with his reach. He was pretty tall too, so that helped matters. But he should probably say there wasn’t  going to be a next time and be a proper Senior Warden to model good behavior for the younger bunch.

However… nobody ever said he was a proper Senior Warden. After all, he’d gotten the job because nobody else could do it.

“Can do.” Cahel gave him a mock salute with two fingers pressed to his temple. “Well, guess we better go check on the recruits. Their bow work is some of the worst I’ve seen yet. Did we get these guys out of a dungeon or what?”

Uh, yeah, they had actually. But Miris still chuckled a little as he fell into step behind the elf, resigning himself to a morning of bashing recruits around in the training yard with his maul. At least he wasn’t hung over, but it was still unpleasant.

One thing was for sure though –  the Grey Wardens didn’t mess around when someone interrupted their drinks. After all:  in bar fights victory, in drinking vigilance, and in death… not today, mother fuckers.

Now, if only they had been wearing their armor, maybe word would get around. Then again, that would take the fun away from going out. It wasn’t nearly as entertaining when their opponents knew they had stopped the Blight.

[voxslays]

Hazbin Hotel “Haztober” Prompt List

I personally love love love Flufftober, Angstober, Kinktober, and Fictober! That’s why this year I am making my own! Every day I will write about one (or more) Hazbin Characters, using the daily prompts below:

Day 1: Making Caramel Apples

Day 2: Seasonal Shopping (Clothes, decor, etc.)

Day 3: “The leaves are changing!”

Day 4: ‘We fell in love in October.’

Day 5: Autumn Breeze

Day 6: Overcast Morning

Day 7: Dinner Parties

Day 8: The night I lost you

Day 9: The night I found you

Day 10: Love Potion

Day 11: The Elevator~

Day 12-15: The One (Series)

Day 16: By The Fireplace

Day 17: Pumpkin Patch Visit

Day 18: For a Fortnight

Day 19: Apple Cider, Hot Chocolate, & Pumpkin Spice

Day 20: Jumping in a leaf pile

Day 21: Making Cookies!

Day 22: Kissing (and singing) In the rain

Day 23: The red means I love you~!

Day 24: Under the Weather

Day 25: Black Cats

Day 26: Apple Pies

Day 27: Full Moon

Day 28: Underneath the Sky

Day 29: Carving Jack o’ Lanterns

Day 30: Costume Party

Day 31: Trick or Treat/Halloween

Day 32: Supriseee!!!

I’m super not excited to torture myself into writing everyday…but in the end…it will be so worth it!

Masterlist