#for some reason them sitting in my mouth activates my gag reflex
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pumpkingeorge · 3 months ago
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I accidentally bit through one of my vampire tooth caps, so now I only have one. I have a set of cheap, rubber teeth that suck a whole bunch, so I think I'll have to use that tomorrow.
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subqtaneoussmut · 2 years ago
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The Tea Girl's Gambit, Chapter Twenty Three
[[[CW: internalized transphobia/misogyny. I know everyone has probably been looking forward to this chapter for a while (at least I know I have) but as I am going over it in preparation for posting, I’m realizing that I wrote it kind of intense? Just be aware that there’s a chance it could be pretty activating, towards the end, and maybe set up some aftercare for yourself, even if it’s just a cup of tea or a pillow to hug. <3]]]
It was that noble who had grabbed me across the stockroom counter, and that dark-eyed girl from the courtyard.
I was immediately delirious with terror. They’d dowsed and recognized me. They knew I was kuffa. I was trapped in a dead-end—nowhere to flee. My cover was blown on my first day. Aralia wouldn’t help me—she would be too incredulous that I had been caught this quickly. There was no way she would be willing to forge another legend for me.
They were still conferring quietly with each other. Then the smaller, dark-eyed girl took a careful step towards me, palms turned up and open—was she going to grab me?
I dropped the mop with a clatter, and stepped back as she came forward, my hands trembling. The tall redhead kept scanning the far end of the corridor, as if keeping watch.
The dark-eyed girl was focused on me. “Listen, we just want to—”
I bolted past her. I was good at running away, good at wriggling away from seizing hands, good at not being caught. I juked away from the redhead, and I was almost—
“Roxa!” snapped the first girl, and then I smelled sorcery.
I had time to belatedly remember the last time this noble had used her art on me, before I was yanked backwards and upwards, and suspended an inch or two above the floor.
I squeaked as dark bands blossomed from the air around me. Quick as a whip, they wrapped themselves around my thighs and ankles, and looped themselves around my wrists, which were abruptly pulled behind me and cinched together. More of them quickly wound around the lower half of my face, muffling my mouth.
The noble finished muttering under her breath. As I made a reflexive attempt to wriggle and twist my way free, she flashed me the grin of a fox eating cake. “Gotcha. No more running from you, little rabbit.”
Her tone was...friendly? This didn’t make any sense. Then I realized that I wasn’t just suspended in the air—I seemed to be moving? The noble was drawing me back into the room the two girls had just left. I was floating where she directed me, unable to resist. I sagged limply as the helplessness of my situation became apparent. I was well and truly caught. There was nothing I could do. I heard the door close behind me and the voice of the first girl.
“Roxa! Is this completely necessary?”
In front of me, Roxa shrugged and grinned. “You wanted to talk to her. And for some reason I don’t think she hates it.”
The noble winked at me and my cheeks flamed. I mumbled a protest through my gag. It was true—a part of me couldn’t help but revel in this feeling of being helplessly suspended. It was actually quite delicious? I groaned. How had this complete stranger seen through me that easily? Besides, there was no reason to find anything about this situation hot. Why was I like this?
Roxa drew me to a comfy-looking couch and then tipped me onto it so I was sitting upright, though still completely bound. The other girl joined her so that they were both standing in front of me.
“Now then,” said Roxa matter of factly, “I’d like to ungag you, but you must promise to be well behaved and not raise a ruckus. We aren’t going to hurt you. Understood?”
I nodded slowly. Roxa crooked her finger and the bands of sorcery slid silkily away from my mouth. I sat and looked from one to the other with wide eyes, waiting.
The first girl sighed. “I’m sorry about that, but the corridor is too dangerous a place to talk plainly in. My name is Mila and this is Roxa. Now, then. What’s your—what would you like us to call you?”
“Um.” A melting of relief began to happen inside me. “Ellie.”
“Okay, Ellie.” Mila exchanged a glance with Roxa. “Firstly, understand this: neither of us would ever willingly turn you in or let harm come to you. In fact, we’d like to help you.”
“Help me?” I spluttered. “W-why should I trust you? Why are you even doing this?”
Roxa crossed her arms. “Sorry, Ellie, but you’re not in a position to get full and honest answers from us, just yet. We have the edge on you, and you don’t have anything on us. So we’ll be the ones asking questions, at least for right now.”
I was suddenly acutely aware of my wrists, bound behind me. I felt my face heat up.
“Ellie, we do need to know how you got here,” Mila sat next to me, quite close. I squirmed around to face her. “How you became a maid at Stormcroft, and whether anyone helped you, and whether you are beholden to them. We have...enemies, here, you see. We also need to know if you’ve kept silent about that business between you and Roxa at the stockroom.”
I made a snap decision before she had even finished speaking. I couldn’t hesitate. This was too close to how Aralia had caught me lying.
“I bought a maid’s commission,” I blurted. My face burned deep red. Something about saying that out loud had flooded me with instant shame. I looked at the floor miserably. Now that the words were out of my mouth, I felt like an imposter, like a child caught playing dress-up—but this was so much worse than when I had been caught trying on Kisma’s clothes, as a kid. “From the bursar. I said it was for my sister,” I muttered.
These older girls must think me a fake, a counterfeit, a sad and desperate joke. Wrenching loneliness clawed at my heart. They were both actual, real girls that belonged in this House whereas—what was I?
“I used your, um, money,” I winced. My insides felt like they were plummeting down, like they would drop forever without hitting bottom. “For the bribe.” I hesitated. “I was alone.”
There. I had lied, and also told the truth. I felt painfully exposed. All I wanted now was to disappear. My throat was tight and aching, my breathing shallow. My whole face felt fragile, like it might crumble at any moment. I couldn’t look at either of them. There was a brief silence. My heart kept sinking, in endless free fall.
“I-I’m sorry,” I added in my smallest voice, not even sure what I meant, but feeling more wretched than I could bear.
Mila squeezed my leg. “Ellie, listen, I—you’re not alone, not any more, okay?” Her voice had an odd inflection to it. “It took so much courage and brilliance and love to do what you did. I-I’m honestly so impressed.”
With a massive effort, I raised my gaze to meet hers, and trembled as the deep forest pools of her eyes caught my plunging descent. A sensation like warm, rippling honey spread inside me and melted the constriction in my ribcage. I drew a deep, full breath and sighed, clinging to her eye contact as if it were a lifeline.
Mila didn’t look away, for which I was ridiculously grateful. “Let her go, Roxa.”
The rest of my restraints slackened and fell away, just as I processed that ‘her’ meant me.
Mila’s simple acknowledgment of my femininity—even with all my desperate, shamefaced lunges towards girlhood laid bare before her—landed in my upper chest and reverberated and then I couldn’t see her anymore. My vision blurred and I felt tears sliding down my cheeks. It was like feeling a landslide happen inside of me—I couldn’t hold my face together, it caved open, and everything spilled out.
“Ellie—oh, can I hug you?”
I nodded shakily, and then her arms were around me. My face fit snugly into the hollow of her shoulder. I shuddered with sobs that went on and on, storming through me like waves of rain.
“The strength of your spirit is beautiful,” she murmured fiercely. “Never doubt what you did, do you hear me? You were just ensuring your own survival.”
The aching stuckness in my throat was melting like a chunk of ice in spring. I kept trying to apologize—for soaking her shirt, or for breaking down like this, or maybe some other reason—but Mila kept hushing me and I couldn’t hold any of it in anyways.
The grief that had welled up so ceaseless and overwhelming gradually slackened, and I was overtaken by trembling. With a soft, wordless noise, Mila drew back and I curled shyly into the cushions. She offered me a blanket, which I gratefully huddled into. I felt raw, and empty, wrung out.
I heard a kettle fussing, and looked over to see Roxa pouring mugs of tea. She passed one to Mila, who accepted it with a murmur of thanks, then came over and knelt down in front of me and did the same. I took it gingerly.
“T-thank you,” I whispered tremulously. Roxa intimidated me, in several ways. She was extremely attractive, for one. For another, the electric tingle of her grabbing my neck and snarling in my face, and the melty way I’d responded to it, loomed large in my memory.
Also, she had just seen me as rawly exposed as anyone had, ever. I found the combination of all these associations…confusing.
Mila sighed. “Ellie, I know you two have met before, but please let me introduce Roxa again. She’s really fierce and protective of her friends. She’s had my back all the way and I trust her with my life.”
As Mila spoke, I saw Roxa look at her with mingled awe and wonder and gratitude.
“Hi,” I said nervously.
Roxa’s mouth crooked. “Hi, Ellie. I’m sorry to have to ask this, especially right now, but does anyone else know you’re a girl?”
The same melting relief in my breast. I took a slightly deeper breath. Roxa, too, was signaling that she saw me as I was trying to be seen. Neither of these girls seemed to think I was a monstrous degenerate or a desperate, fake imposter.
But—this was again veering too close to when Aralia had seen right through me. I knew I probably couldn’t lie successfully. Perhaps holding back part of the truth was safer.
“Yes,” I said hesitantly. “Someone does. My old roommate in Oakridge.”
Roxa frowned. “Did he hold that over your head? To compel you?”
I blushed. “No, I mean—well—we were, um—I, not exactly,” I stammered.
Roxa’s mouth quirked up at the corners. “I see.”
“He was...fucking me,” I blurted, cheeks hot. “It wasn’t blackmail, I was—I wanted it, but I. Decided to—” I looked down at my steaming mug. “To hide myself. After that. Well,” I added hurriedly, “Not right away. It took a while to go through with. But I-I haven’t told anyone about the stockroom. I promise.” I looked back and forth between them, willing them to believe me.
Roxa and Mila looked at each other, but I missed what passed between them. They both turned back to me. Mila squeezed my leg and Roxa nodded. Did that…mean they believed me? I felt tentative relief, along with a twinge of guilt.
They hadn’t hurt me, they didn’t seem to be taking advantage of me, and they were being indisputably kind to me. Not to mention I held them both in no small amount of awe. Lying to them, even by omission, was already making me feel uneasy. But there had been no time to think about it…
A bell began to toll. I tensed. I’d completely forgotten about mopping.
“Well, I am late to a session with my very cute sorcery practice buddy,” Roxa said, standing.
I cast a look back at the door. “I’m supposed to be cleaning?”
“No,” Mila said firmly. “You will rest for at least the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”
The insistence in her voice reached right into my sternum and plucked a chord that reverberated, warm and glowing. I sighed and sank back down obediently. How easily these two near strangers had elicited an easing response in my body, in just the past few minutes…
I felt like a cat leaning into a stroking hand. I felt…safe?
I yawned. Yes, I would just finish this tea, and then get back to mopping…
~ ~ ~
I took another sip of the tea, and blinked drowsily. This room was so cute and cozy…
Mila came around the couch and I glanced up guiltily. Had I overstayed my welcome?
“How are you feeling?”
“Better,” I said shyly. “Thank you.”
“I’m just glad you’re safe, Ellie.” She sat down next to me, and hesitated. “Look, I don’t want to compel you, but I need your silence, and I need to know that you understand what that means.”
I nodded quickly. “I won’t mention you to anyone, or even let slip that we’ve met.”
Mila’s beautiful, dark eyes, watching me.
“Or Roxa,” I added hurriedly.
“It’s also very important that you aren’t seen coming and going from our room.”
My heart sank. I had been hoping that Mila would want me to visit again.
“For your own protection. Our enemies might target you if they think we have a connection.” Mila frowned. “I’ll have to tell you more about that soon, and we can assess risk and talk about silence more clearly then. But for now, keep this all entirely secret.”
“I will, I promise.” I looked down. “And I’ll stay away from this hallway.”
Mila snorted. “I said don’t be seen, not that I don’t want you to come back.”
A pleasant flash of heat shivered through me. She wanted me to come back? I looked up hopefully, and she raised her eyebrows. “If you want to. You seem to have tucked yourself away quite safely here, and being friends with us is risky. Maybe more risky than the protection we can offer is worth.”
“I want to be friends,” I blurted. “With you.” My cheeks heated.
Mila smiled. “Good. I want you come back tomorrow. Whenever you can spare at least an hour—and don’t worry about waking us, if it’s late. If we don’t hear from you, I’ll assume something has gone awry and I’ll have Roxa dowse you.”
“Okay,” I acquiesced, a little breathily. I was beginning to suspect that I liked being told what to do by pretty girls.
Mila’s eyes lingered on me. “Roxa was right about you, huh?”
I looked back at her, puzzled for a moment. What had Roxa said about me? My mind flashed back to when she’d first floated me in, all trussed up. For some reason I don’t think she hates it.My eyes widened and I blushed furiously, hyper-aware of the warmth pulsing between my thighs. I felt like a deer caught abruptly out in the open.
The corner of Mila’s mouth curved. “The other thing I want is a few of those black dresses and aprons and headscarves. And make sure at least one of them is tall enough for Roxa, got it?”
I nodded softly. There was a melty heat draped over all my thinking. Was she bossing me around a little? If so, it felt…way too good.
Mila reached out and patted me on the head a few times. I felt my pussy clench at her touch. “If you do well, I’ll give you some more orders to follow.”
I stared at her, open-mouthed, my face burning. She grinned back cheekily.
“’kay,” I choked. I twitched a little as heat lightning sheeted along my inner thighs.
“Do you like this, Ellie?” Mila said softly.
“Y-yess,” I whispered. If my face got any hotter, I was sure I would faint.
“Good, because I like it too.” Mila smirked and a tiny pant escaped me. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”
A warm glow was suffusing my insides. I stared into the dark pools of her eyes, my lips slightly parted, feeling entranced. This was sooo nice.
“In fact, I’m sure I could tease you all day and never get bored. You look so pretty with your face all red like this.”
A wave of lusty euphoria pulsed through me. Mila watched it happen—I could see her watch it unfurl through my eyes. It was the safest, hottest, most intimate thing I’d ever experienced. I shook involuntarily and Mila’s lips curved a little more.
“Say thank you,” she said softly.
I squeezed my legs together. “Thank you,” I choked.
Mila grinned. “Good girl.”
I exhaled tremulously, unable to look away from her open, clear, dark gaze. How did she know? It was like she could read me better than I could, as if she knew exactly what to say and how.
Mila winked at me and stood. “Well, I need to study and you’ve got to clean, so.” She stretched. “Take all the time you need to finish your tea, though. Come back tomorrow, all right?”
I nodded and hurriedly slurped my cold tea, trying to blink away the melty daze overlaying my mind. I thanked Mila again, blushing furiously, and then stumbled out into the corridor.
~ ~ ~
Curled on the cot in my little stone cell, I stared at the low ceiling, feeling well-fed and sleepy. Jaques had beckoned me into the crowded office at shift change, and charged me with filling bowls of stew from a cart and pouring cups of strong, sweet, milky tea for everyone as staff bustled around, chatting, laughing and clocking in and out. And though I’d been wide-eyed and sweaty-palmed at first, I had done it—I had passed again, and also cemented my reputation as the shy new girl.
Roz had tried to engage me in conversation but quickly found me too quiet for her tastes and lost interest. I’d finally relaxed when it was clear that the old-timers had started talking over my head. I was used to being invisible, to having attention slide off me.
I wrapped my arms around myself and squeezed. I had landed safely, and the ground beneath my feet even felt somewhat stable. Most importantly, I got to be a girl. Aralia had come through for me in a big way. Another buoyant rush of euphoria filled me. I was so lucky.
And I had met Mila, and Roxa…
A strange mix of emotions swirled inside me. There were...how many people, now, who held this power over me? It was getting more than slightly worrisome. Only a few weeks ago, I had been vulnerable to no one—not like this, at least.
Of course, a few weeks ago, I had also been far more alone.
I sighed happily, thinking of Mila’s warm, dark, clear gaze, locked on mine. It was admittedly hard to muster any wariness towards her. The unsolicited friendship she had offered me still glowed softly inside me, like a powerful charm.
And she had called me pretty. That was another glowing ember lodged inside me, one that I’d taken out over and over today to marvel at. I couldn’t stop thinking about the utterly delicious and euphoric way she had teased me.
I felt so bolstered by Mila, but a seed of guilt starting to grow in me for lying to her. Had it been a mistake for me to omit any mention of Aralia? What if Mila found out? Would she be disgusted with me? I bit my lip.
Should I have risked everything, and revealed Aralia’s hold over me? I suddenly thought of Aralia, making me swear to keep her involvement secret. I wondered what she might do to me, if I hadn’t and then she found out. I was suddenly relieved my lie about acting alone seemed to have passed scrutiny.
No, I had to remember the bones of the situation. Aralia, and now Mila and Roxa too, held all the cards. All of them could do whatever they wanted to me without repercussion. The only protection I had from them lay in the fact that they didn’t seem to know about each other. Yet.
If this apparently stable ground beneath me abruptly collapsed, I might still have some leverage—so long as I could turn to one secret ally if the other threatened to betray me.
At least for now, I had to keep them in the dark about each other. Even though Mila had been so unexpectedly kind, I still didn’t know almost anything about her. Wouldn’t it be hopelessly naive of me to trust her so quickly?
And yet, what reason would Roxa and Mila have for hiding their intention from me, if they meant to use me for their own ends? They didn’t need to be kind to me, not with how much power they held over me.
What would they do, if they knew Aralia had such a strong hold over me? I shivered. Even if they were grateful to me for being honest, surely they would distance themselves from me. I was too compromised to be worth the risk. And if I didn’t tell them and they found out later? Same result.
My heart sank. What could I do?
The idea of Mila’s friendship abruptly evaporating—I swallowed, my throat aching with alarmed aloneness. I desperately didn’t want to drive her away, but the tangle of promises I had started making in order to survive was already tightening into a trap.
I was already feeling caught up by contradictions. If two loyalties conflicted, how was I supposed to know which one to honor and which one to break? Would I simply choose whichever side seemed most likely to save my skin?
The mystery of Aralia was that all the power she held over me depended on her willingness to betray me, and she had gone out of her way to assure me that she wouldn’t. Her leverage over me was effectively null if she was unwilling to turn me in. Still, I was reluctant to defy her. If there was even a slight chance that she could protect me if I were discovered, I had to keep her as an ally. And I did feel genuinely grateful to her for helping me.
I chewed my lip. The kindness that Mila had shown me also felt precious, like something I wanted to defend and protect. But was I willing to throw away all that Aralia could do for me, just to keep my promise to Mila? That seemed a little dramatic—what did Mila even have to worry about, compared to me? It was just too soon to know anything...
I drifted asleep with the memory of her dark-warm gaze catching me, again and again.
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kinsurou · 5 years ago
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63 with our icy hot baby Todoroki ❄🔥
63. Wow, I didn’t realize you were that...flexible
All characters are +18
At first, Shouto could only wonder one thing.
How in the world were you able to convince him of taking a yoga class with you? Not that he doesn’t like spending time with you, but this wasn’t what he had in mind when you proposed doing some activities together.
When you arrived hand in hand to the place where the class would take place, he took a look around. There were mats, some of those exercise balls, even a bunch of elastic bands. Apparently, this room was also used for other types of stuff such as Crossfit.
Bit by bit, more people began arriving for the class. By the looks of it, there would be more people than he thought. He knew your class wasn’t small, but this was more than what he was expecting.
Considering he knew a bit about yoga, courtesy of stretching exercises, Shouto was placed with some of the other that already had a bit of experience. But you, on the other hand, were placed in the advanced class. 
And once the lesson began, he finally understood why.
To say he was speechless was putting it lightly. Shouto’s mind had gone blank the moment he saw you making such intricate positions that could make more than one person scream and with fair reason. It wasn’t something you see every day when your girlfriend twists her whole leg behind her head effortlessly. 
Even when you weren’t using your quirk, you never ceased to amaze the hero. The part Shouto could never live down was just how painfully hard he had gotten just from the view, hard enough to make his arousal pretty obvious if he stayed there any longer, so with feigned dizziness, he excused himself from class and quickly headed towards the changing rooms.
He didn’t realize you saw everything. Thoughts filled with worry made you excuse yourself to break into a sprint in order to check on him.
You expected to find him sitting on a bench and doing something  like using his quirk to relieve any aching in his muscles, after all, he already tried that once...
“Sho? Where are you, ba-” You were pulled from behind, crashing into a hard body with a yelp, slightly terrified at first, until a familiar pair of arms wrapped themselves around your waist. “-be? Shouto, are you okay?”
His skin had turned so red that it easily made his hair seem pale in comparison. Your hand touched his burning cheek out of reflex when he quickly nuzzled against the palm it made you feel flustered on the inside, a small flush adorning your face.
“I...saw you stretching back there and....” His lips kissed your inner wrist, but when he pulled your body closer, you understood the reason for his attitude, judging by the erection pressed softly against your tight.
“Wow, I didn’t realize you were that...flexible”
He had to look away, clearly embarrassed by his body’s reaction, but he couldn’t help it when he saw those leggings being pulled along with your every movement, giving the curve of your ass such an exquisite appearance he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Smiling mischievously, your hand pushed his face towards you to give Shouto a soft kiss that sent him into a frenzy instantly, judging by his reaction as he pushed you against the wall to retaliate.
Good thing there was still plenty of time before the lesson ended. Pulling away from him, you gave him another smile before getting down on our knees, playing with the elastic of his shorts to pull them down.
There, in all its glory, was that hard cock you adored so much. Wrapping a hand around it, you began stroking him slowly, he gasped at the delicious feeling of your hands playing with his head before going down all the way to his base.
“I guess the lessons were worthy after all, huh?” His head leaned against the locker, hand closed into a fist on top of the metallic doors. “...Yes, they were. Please, let me...just let me take your mouth.”
“Do you really have to ask?”
That’s all the answer he needs. In an instant, he’s thrusting softly inside your mouth. Both hands grab on the sides of your face in a soft grip, tangling themselves into the locks on your scalp as Shouto keeps thrusting inside your mouth.
“Your mouth feels so good.” He grunted, pleased with the way your eyes wander up to look at him, and the little smile you gave him was enough for him to start thrusting harder in your mouth. The sloppy noises of his length ravaging his lover’s throat flare up the growing lust inside him.
You could tell he was close from the way his hips began picking up speed, desperate to release his everything down your eager mouth. Judging from the moans that sent vibrations down his whole shaft, you were also pretty aroused by this scandalous act.
Not that anyone could walk in at the moment, there was still plenty of time before the lesson ended, but that didn’t mean neither of you was just going to leave it at this.
“Can I, ngh! Can I cum inside your mouth?” Despite his roughness, he was still sweet enough to ask for permission. Pulling away from him with a small strand of saliva connecting your lips to his cock, you gave him a few more strokes before smiling sweetly at him.
“Babe, you can do whatever you want with my throat.”
He was inside your mouth in an instant and this time he moved even faster, not a sign of your gag reflex was left after so many times spent sucking on that delicious cock for who knows how long.
“ah! I-I can’t…! mmmph!”
With a final push, he buried himself down all the way to the back of your throat, a hot spurt of his seed burst all the way down, leaving behind a rich warmth all the way down to your stomach.
It was interesting how his quirk also affected something as mundane as sex, but you couldn’t complain as you swallowed drop after drop of his salty cum with a content sigh.
You only stared as Shouto’s mismatched eyes closed weakly and he tried to regain his breath. A thin layer of sweat covered his frame and yet, you knew better than anyone that he was just getting started.
Standing up, your lips slammed against his into a passionate kiss, he could taste himself in those sweet lips of yours. He tried pushing you back against the lockers just to be interrupted by your arms pushing slightly against his shoulders.
“Look, as much as I’d love to ride you right here, maybe we should head home?”
Shouto gave you a small scowl in return, that quickly disappeared when you continued.
“Why don’t we head home, and then I’ll show you how flexible I can be?”
He didn’t need to be told twice as the two of you quickly grabbed your stuff before heading back home. Eager to go for another round.
And this time, he was more than ready to return the favor.
@keigod
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yoonjinkooked · 5 years ago
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CHEMISTRY | Closer
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PART 1 - CLOSER 
DRABBLE SERIES, TONS OF SHORT LITTLE CHAPTERS. WILL BE UPDATED OFTEN CAUSE HOSEOK IS THE #1 SOURCE OF MY PAIN
Pairing: Hoseok / Reader
Rating: 18+
Genre: FWB, university AU
Warnings: cursing, lots of alcohol and some weed, future smut, incredibly hot Hoseok
Word Count: 1.5K
Summary: After a few years of being immune to Jung Hoseok’s charms, you suddenly fall into them, head first. All it takes is one night, too much alcohol and a lot of balls.
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The one, and arguably only, downside of having Kim Seokjin as a best friend is the fact that at certain times, he is most definitely a horrible influence. Tonight serves as a perfect example. Fresh off a breakup with a dick of an ex, you were more than ready for your first night out after a week of stuffing your face with ice-cream and crying to shitty romantic movies. You dress was short, you were feeling elated and free and Kim Seokjin made sure that your cup was never empty.
Not once did you actually manage to finish a drink before he would be filling your cup again. You didn’t complain, simply because you know your limits well and you were at least two cups away from being completely wasted. Right now, you are just… a little bit too giggly, too clingy and too loud.
“Have I ever told you how much I appreciate our friendship?” your words are yelled in Jin’s ear and despite being fairly drunk, you’re sober enough to recognize that he’s not as half as drunk as you are.
“You are completely out of it, aren’t you?” he laughs in your ear, making you flinch.
“I’m not, you meanie!” you yell, not completely sure why. Jin’s words made you sulk and the look on your face made him laugh. It’s just the way things have always been with you – an endless cycle of mocking one another lovingly. You may hate him half the time, but you wouldn’t hesitate to kick someone’s ass if they dare to hurt him.
“Okay, you need water,” he laughs in your face, completely ignoring the fact that he is one of the main factors why you’re as drunk as you are. “Don’t move. Do you hear me?” he asks and after blinking rather violently a couple of times, you notice his serious expression. Simply nodding, you sink further down the couch, watching him as he walks towards the kitchen, before looking around to take in your surroundings. As much as you can, given the fact that the room is spinning, if only just a little.
The house you’re currently in is a proper example of how cool it can be to have rich friends. Seokjin’s parents didn’t think twice before renting it and even though at the start he was living here alone, it seemed as if each semester a new friend was upgraded to roommate status. The last time you’ve checked, Jungkook, Namjoon and Taehyung lived here along with your bestie, while he uses their rent money to provide booze for nights like these – a nights that happen for no particular reason, other than ‘he wants to party’.
Some faces you recognize, some you don’t, some you can’t even see well, no matter how hard you blink. You do, however, hear a collective groan and an overly defensive Jungkook. And as wasted as you are, you know the exact reason – as soon as “Closer” started playing, thanks to DJ JK, everyone in the room, drunk or not, voiced their disdain – it sounded as if everyone’s gag reflex was activated.
“IT’S A GOOD SONG!” you hear your friend yell in his defense, smiling at the whole ordeal. Eh, it’s decent, but it’s absolutely overplayed. Not that it mattered – the people who were dancing before were dancing still, those who were busy making out with someone went back to their PDA and those, who like you, were laying down and contemplating the meaning of life, simply stayed motionless.
You smile at the sight of Jimin dancing overly seductively with a freshman who looks like she’s about to explode – she is red in the face and is desperately trying to keep up with the biggest slut with the kindest heart of your friend group. Ah, Park Jimin… he could make a lamppost horny.
Not too far from him, Hoseok is dancing and for the first time since you’ve met the guy, you do a double take at the sight of him.
He’s stoned, you know that much – he offered you some a couple of minutes ago. Or was it hours? You’re no longer sure, but you do remember him and the bright smile on his face when he invited you to join him and Yoongi in the backyard. You declined, of course. As much as you are willing to fall under Seokjin’s bad influence and drink yourself to an early grave, you know better than to mix weed and alcohol.
Hoseok is still smiling brightly, to no one in particular, as he spins around on the improvised dance floor in the middle of the room, showing the skills he’s gained in all those years of having dancing as a hobby. He’s completely unaware of the rest of the world, and that includes you and your open mouth.
Because holy fuck, he’s hot. You’re not blind, you knew it before – for some reason unknown to human kind, every single individual in your friend group is ridiculously attractive. And on most days, that made you feel like an ignorable piece of furniture, right now it’s making you drool.
Ridiculously colored sneakers, ripped jeans, white shirt and a light green and white flannel shirt – paired with that ridiculous smile of his and the newly dyed, lighter hair… Yeah, Jung Hoseok is looking like an absolute snack and you’re not sure what to do with that information.
Too drunk to know better, too drunk to even think of the possible consequences of your actions, but sober enough to know damn well what you’re doing, you get up, holding onto the edge of the couch to stop the room from spinning.
Narrowly avoiding Jimin and his prey for the night, you walk directly to Hoseok, who is still dancing in his own little world. It takes him a few seconds to notice you just standing there, staring at him, but when he does, his smile becomes even wider, if that is even humanly possible.
“Y/N!” he laughs, beaming at you. “Do you wanna dance?”
“Um… I actually… I think I want to kiss you.”
You have no idea if this is a spur of the moment or a sudden realization – while you’re sober enough to know WHAT you’re doing, you’re way too drunk to know WHY you’re doing it. And apparently, neither is Hoseok, because he’s looking at you wide-eyed, too surprise to remember to shine his signature smile.
“Eh?” he asks, blinking rapidly – so quickly, you blink too.
“Can I kiss you?” you ask, not waiting for an answer before you grab a hold of that white shirt of his and push him closer to you. You do not kiss him – consent is key. As much as you want to, you will not kiss him until he gives you explicit permission, simply because you’d expect the same from him. However, with him just an inch or two away from you, you have a perfect view of his face and you can only wonder if he was always this beautiful or if you were too blind to notice.
“You have a beautiful nose,” you mumble, amazed at how straight his nose actually is.
“Y/N,” he chuckles out your name, pausing to lick his lips. “I would… honestly, I’d be happy to kiss you, but you’re drunk and I don’t know if you’d want to do this if you were sober.”
“Not drunk enough to not know what I want,” you shrug. “If it makes you feel any better, we don’t have to fuck. Just… a decent make out.”
“Jesus Christ,” he laughs, looking down nervously. He is biting his lip and if you didn’t know him any better, you’d think he’s teasing you. He’s not though, not really – he’s wondering if kissing you is the smart thing to do, given that you are… well, drunk. Sure, maybe not blackout drunk to the point of not remembering a single thing, but definitely drunk enough for him to know that it’s a risk. “Y/N…”
“Hoseok, we’ve been friends for almost three years,” you roll your eyes. “You know me, you know what I’m like when I’m drunk. I know what I’m doing. I know what I want to do and right now, if I’m being honest, I really want to kiss you and maybe sit on your dick, if you let me. So just… if you wanna kiss, let’s kiss. Or let me run away and hide from you for the next three weeks. And for your information, kissing you and sitting on your dick would sound inviting even if I didn’t have alcohol in my system.”
Despite your little monologue, you were pretty sure that he was going to turn down your offer. He stays silent for one second too long and you take it as a sign to leave. You barely have a chance to sigh before he grabs you by the hips and brings you closer to him – body to body, no space left behind.
You barely have a chance to realize what’s happening before he’s kissing you.
And that is how you and Jung Hoseok hooked up for the first time, in the middle of a crowded house party, to the sound of that god-awful Chainsmoker’s song.
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limited-practice · 5 years ago
Text
I saw a request from @shapeofmetal that @rawmeknockout filled fantastically well here and thought yes this is good, this is all great, I’d love to have a go at writing this myself some time. So I did. 
7424 words of explicit Shockwave/Reader are below the cut.
The human mouth is disgusting, and I am going to prove it.”
Shockwave states this coldly and firmly the second you step into his lab. But his optic is bright and wide and he’s already hovering next to you, holding out a tool box as if it’s a long lost treasure he’s graciously decided to share with you and only you, and as such you should turn speechless with awe and gratitude and silently beg to be allowed to help him prove how terrible you are.
You are supremely unimpressed. You haven’t even had the chance to take your coat off yet, and here you are being told by one of the greatest scientists you know that an essential part of you is disgusting.
“The human mouth is a medical marvel,” you argue back, dumping your coat onto the pristine floor of his lab. You lean casually and definitely against a lab bench and look at him in the way he deserves for such invalid arrogance.
“You are incorrect,” Shockwave says.
“I know you are, but what am I?” You shoot back.
“…incorrect.”
“I know you are, but what am I?”
“Incorrect.”
“I know you are, but what am I ?”
“…?”
You cross your arms in satisfaction. “Exactly.”
“Enough.” Shockwave steps closer, the tool box rattling excitedly in his hand. “Sit down. Stop talking. Open your mouth.” 
“Why? What are you going to put in it?” you say, ignoring all three orders.
“An incontrovertible means to prove my supposition that will allow even the most intellectually challenged being to understand.”
Shockwave opens the box.
You stretch up onto your toes and peer inside it. You nod your head repeatedly at what you see and what he’s just said. “Uh-huh, uh-huh. Now I’m no scientist, but there’s a few things in there that don’t look very scientific. Like that long yellow thing and that sharp purple thing with hinges.”
“You are correct.”
“I know.”
“You are not a scientist. You are an inferior life form existing with a poverty of comprehension, life expectancy and universally accepted currency.”
“Hey.” You may have agreed to be a volunteer for Shockwave’s experiments after he approached you earlier with a monetary offer you couldn’t refuse, and because he ignored you when you asked  him why he hadn’t publicly advertised for volunteers and is only asking you, but you’re not going to sit back and take that. “You don’t have to be a dick about this. You don’t know me.” Two of his three statements are correct, but you’ll be floating outside in space without a suit on before you agree with him.
Shockwave looms over you, bright and purple and powerful. You’re not nervous. You’ve never been nervous around him when so many rightfully are and you don’t know why.
“I will tell you something I do know,” Shockwave says. “Something that your human ‘scientists’ and ‘doctors’ have also documented and agreed on.” 
He puts the tool box down on the bench and takes out a long cotton swab from it. “The mouth is one of the filthiest parts of your body.”
You feel your lips tugging up into a smile. “But not the filthiest, am I right?”
Shockwave glances down to between your legs.
“Pervert,” you say, delighted. “I’m talking about my brain.” For added emphasis you tap a finger to your temple. 
“Enough.” Shockwave puts his other arm on your shoulder and pushes you down onto a medical stool. He does so carefully, as if wanting to give you the chance to say no to this.
You sit down on the stool. You don’t want to say no to any of this. 
You stretch your legs out and cross them at the ankle. “Are you trying to find out how many diseases I’ve got in my mouth? Will you be upset if there are too many or too few? Do you want me to stop talking? Or is that what you like most about my mouth? The different shapes it can make; the way my tongue moves; how wet everything is? Would you be upset if I keep it closed and denied you everything you so clearly want?”
And before Shockwave can respond, you preempt him and open your mouth.
“Are you going to slip into a radioactive suit first?” you ask. “Are you worried about your safety? It’s OK, there’s nothing to be concerned about - I’ll go easy on you. And I promise not to bite.”
Shockwave doesn’t answer. But he looks like he wants to. He very much looks like he wants to say something that he shouldn’t.
He inserts the cotton swab into your mouth and runs it along the wall of your cheek, coating the tip in saliva. He then pauses, as if reluctant to remove it so soon. He swipes the inside of your mouth again, this time anti-clockwise and this time slower. He repeats the clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations three times each. Maybe his interest with your mouth really is just scientific.
He finally removes the swab and puts it into a cylindrical container mounted to the wall. “Results from the buccal swab will be available almost instantaneously and will produce an accuracy rate of 99.99%”
“I’m so glad I’m sitting down here because wow, you just blew my mind with that fascinating statistic.”
Shockwave returns to you and doesn’t dignify you with an answer.
“There may be a trillions of bacteria in my mouth,” you tell him, rubbing the side of your face that he’d taken a painless sample from. “But they’re not just there to party. They pay their way and are useful. Essential, actually.” 
“Elaborate.” 
“So if we get germs in our mouth then our body doesn’t just give up and die an embarrassing death - the good bacteria are woken up and put up a fight and prevent us from getting sick. Or at least fatally sick. Sometimes we still get sick but they’ve done their best, you can’t blame them for everything.”
“Is that so.”
“Yep. Well some of the bacteria help out like that, I don’t think they all do. Some of them don’t do much and are just…there. I don’t know how many and what it is they actually do. And I’m not going to count them because one, that’s boring and two, I’m not a snitch.”
You lean forward. “Do you really not know all of this? This is basic biology even the dumb kids in the useless schools know.”
Shockwave reaches into the tool box again. “I am fully aware of the purpose of defence bacteria, how they operate, the ratio of useful to redundant organisms and how inefficient the entire mechanism is. But this has all been documented by others - by humans - and not by a cybertronian. Not by me.”
He extracts the small sharp purple thing.
You swallow. “So you don’t believe them.”
Shockwave puts his hand over yours, which is still on your cheek. “I do not believe them. I trust only my results. My methodology.”
He manipulates the instrument until it transforms into a medical instrument you recognise.
You open your mouth slightly. “And that’s the only reason you’re doing this? The only reason you want to probe me with that?”
“…correct. I need to examine and document the area personally in order to establish an accurate primary baseline.”
“Mm-hmm.” Of all the colours in existence, he chose the one that matches his frame’s colour exactly. “For science?”
Shockwave slides the purple tongue depressor into your mouth and over your tongue. “For science.” 
Shockwave is careful. Thorough. He uses his optic as a focused beam of light to peer into your mouth and examine it. The metal depressor on your tongue is smooth and warm, and whenever your gag reflex threatens to start up, Shockwave adjusts the instrument instantly to help it pass. He exacts the perfect amount of pressure every single time to still it. You’re impressed. But starting to get bored. He’s just looking at you and not moving, as if he’s never seen the inside of a human mouth before and is on sacred ground he knows he needs to tread carefully on. 
You make a sound, and he tears his relentless gaze from the inside of your mouth to your eyes. You raise your eyebrows to ask what’s taking so long.
“Tell me,” Shockwave asks, as he places the instrument underneath your tongue so that you can talk. “What are the carriers for the bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa that activate the defense mechanisms of the mouth?”
You roll your tongue on top of the depressor and feel your eyes itching to do the same. You didn’t sign up for a biology quiz. “You mean where do germs come from?”
“That is not what I meant or asked. Pay attention.”
You put a finger in your mouth. You reach as far back as the depressor goes and touch it. You run your finger along the smooth metal until it comes out of your mouth but you don’t break contact with it, you keep going, trailing your finger along the handle of the depressor until you come to the fingers that hold it. You rest your finger on Shockwave’s.
“Oh now I see,” you exaggerate loudly, as if only now the blinds have been lifted from your eyes and you finally understand what he means. “You want to know about things that shouldn’t go in my mouth. The dirty things that could make me sick. The forbidden things.” 
You swallow around the metal. “And you want to know if I know them.”
Shockwave slides the depressor out of your mouth and moves his hand back. But not far enough to dislodge your finger from his.
“What if I said I did know?” you continue. “That I know all of them. That I make a sustained effort to educate myself on biology and physiology not only because it helps me to stay healthy and alive, but because I find those areas of study fascinating in their own right?”
Shockwave doesn’t move and doesn’t answer. You can practically feel his spark contracting as he realises you’re telling the truth.
You tilt your head. If he tattooed his desires across his impressive chest he couldn’t be more obvious in what he wants. You feel your heart beat faster at what you’re going to say next. “But what if I didn��t know? What if I said I didn’t know what shouldn’t be going in my mouth and that I’d…like to?’
It should be impossible, but you can sense his spark expand.
“I…would experiment,” he tells you. “For science.”
“As opposed to the medieval fine arts?”
Shockwave’s optic bores into you. “We do not have time to undertake a battery of tests to determine if every substance is dangerous to human health if ingested orally. My selected carriers have been chosen carefully and will produce…results.“ 
You sit back on the stool and eye him critically. This is the first you’re hearing about ingesting something. He already knows what substances are dangerous to human health. He knows all of them and you, the planet Earth, and the rest of the known galaxy know almost all of them. This seems like a ploy to put things in your mouth and see if they’ll kill you or make you sick.
“You already know what substances are dangerous to human health,” you tell Shockwave. He lowers his hand and you remove your finger from his. “And I, the planet Earth and the rest of the known galaxy know almost all of them. This is starting to seem like a ploy to put things in my mouth to see if they’ll make me sick.” 
You point your finger sharply at him and speak with a fake fiery fury. “And this is the first I’m hearing about actually ingesting something. Is this whole experiment just to see if something will kill me? Is that it? Is it? Are you going to offer me a glowing stick of radioactive waste and say it’s a cybertronian delicacy and then watch me suck on it and melt from the inside and become a puddle of screaming goo as you take notes and call the overworked and underpaid cleaner to mop up what remains of me up? Is it?”
Shockwave actually takes a step back. “Incorrect. As always, you are incorrect. This is for science.”
If he had a medical frame he could detect your pulse and blood chemistry without even needing to touch you. But he doesn’t, and you’re grateful for that. If he wants to know how you’re truly feeling about this session then he’s going to have to put in the hard work and deduce it. 
“Fine,” you say. “I signed up for this ‘non-lethal experiment to determine the limitations of the human mouth’ that you’re paying me for and I’m not going to back out of it. So what’s coming out of the box next?”
But Shockwave doesn’t take anything else out. Instead he crouches down so that you’re at eye-optic level. “I am curious as to how the human mouth and resulting systems react to interior contact with something your scant years of evolution have not encountered before. My hypothesis is not encouraging for you, but facts are facts. And when I’m proven right you will eventually thank me.”
Shockwave raises his hand and flexes his fingers, and you know where this is going. But you’re overcome with a prickly irritation at the casual way he dismisses your species, and decide to play dumb with him. It’s illogical to feel this way, but you’re not a purely logical being. You’re someone better than that. 
You eye his fingers with a careful look of mild distaste. “My hideous ancestors went through a lot of shit to equip me with what I have now, and I’d thank you to remember that.”
You fold your hands neatly in your lap, and transform the way you’re looking at his fingers to one of mild pity. “My teeth are composed of the hardest substance in the human body. They can tear through plants and flesh and all manner of substances with ease.”
“What about metal?” Shockwave asks instantly, bringing up his hand to your face. “Reports indicates that your teeth cannot break it and your fluids cannot digest it.” He waggles his fingers. “But in the name of science this must be corroborated or rejected.”
“You’re not even trying, are you?”
“…clarify.”
“Waving your fingers about like that, ‘accidentally’ brushing my lips with them, flexing and rotating them as if they’re part of your courtship dance and any second now I’m going to be consumed with lust and fall off my seat and whimper on the floor for you.”
“…you are incor-”
“No I’m not. Stop saying that. And stop thinking I’m an idiot.”
“Incorrect.”
“You want me to suck your fingers.”
“…for science.”
“For yourself.”
“I am science and science is me.”
“That was terrible. You didn’t practice that in the mirror before I came here did you?”
“…”
Before Shockwave can get upset and pretend his sulking is a convoluted chain of logical actions that make complete sense, you lick one of his fingers.
Shockwave freezes. 
You lick it again, this time slower. Your tongue moves carefully over the tip of his finger and down the entire length of it, all the way to his hand. He feels surprisingly warm and alive.
“There,” you say, rolling your tongue around your mouth. “It didn’t kill me. And if I come down with alien flu or turn a different colour later on, I’ll give you a call.” 
Shockwave doesn’t move. 
You don’t move.
Soft humming from the medical equipment and diagnostic machines fills the room.
“Incomplete,” Shockwave says. “The test is incomplete. You signed up for a complete test, and that is what will be undertaken.”
“First of all I didn’t sign anything, so if I choose to run out of here you can’t sue me for breach of contract.”
“Are you going to run out?”
“I was thinking of doing a jaunty saunter actually.”
Shockwave examines the finger you’ve licked. You don’t make any effort to move. 
“But,” you say, drawing out the word as you stretch your arms above your head. “I’m a person of my word. We both know enamel can’t crack metal, but in the interests of science we’d better try it out anyway and document it accordingly, shouldn’t we?”
Shockwave cups your face gently, his thumb resting on your lips. “If you insist.”
“If I insist?”
Before you can protest further, Shockwave pushes his thumb in between your lips. You don’t offer any resistance, and part your lips slightly to allow him to put it in. Seemingly satisfied that you’re not about to immediately die, Shockwave rests it on your tongue. Then he puts a finger in your mouth. And when you still don’t object, he puts another one in.
He tastes of electricity and steel and graphite. Like a living battery.
You suck on his fingers carefully. There’s a pulse of blood in your ears and a pool of heat spreading along the base of your stomach, and you’re sure you can feel the energon in his fingers throb as they slide over and around and below your tongue.
His fingers explore your mouth. They massage your tongue, and count your teeth, and stroke the inside of your cheeks. He acts as if he’s an explorer sent on a mission branded with royal assent.
You bite down on his fingers gently.
Not out of fear of hurting him, but out of self preservation. You’ll crack every tooth in your mouth if you’re not careful, and you’ve got better things to do than sit in the medical bay and get a lecture.
You bite down as hard as you dare. Shockwave makes a sound that sounds suspiciously like a whimper. You bite down again and are proven correct.
In satisfaction you pull your head back. Shockwave doesn’t move his hand as his fingers leave your mouth, and you don’t open your mouth wide. You make sure your teeth graze as much of his hand as possible as you retreat from it. 
Shockwave is thrumming. An undeniable thrum of excitement is pulsing throughout his frame just below his plating, and it’s bleeding into you. 
“Was that good for you?” you ask innocently. “Concluding an experiment gets me all hot and bothered too. Except I don’t raise the temperature in a room by ten degrees.”
Shockwave leans in closer to you. “Incorrect.”
“Oh, smooth!“
You lick his closest finger without thinking about it. And when you like to think the temperature’s clicked up another degree, you kiss it.
“I hope you washed your hands before I came in,” you say. You’re sure he did, but it’s the sensible thing to ask.
“Of course I didn’t,” Shockwave says. “Who do you think I am? A human? I sanitized them thoroughly.”
You run your tongue around the inside of your mouth. The unique taste of him hasn’t faded. “Hygiene is important.”
“Obviously.” 
“You don’t want an experiment to be ruined by contaminants.”
“Again, obviously.”
“And you don’t want your subject to suffer needlessly.” You look at his fingers and that pool of blood in your lower body heats up another degree. “You don’t want me to suffer.”
“…there is work to do and I do not like to repeat myself.” Shockwave reaches for the box again. “This next experiment is to determine the range of human taste in order to classify it as either limited, highly limited, practically non-existent or barely existent.”
“Whoa whoa whoa,” you say, holding your hands out with your palms facing towards him. “Slow down on all the accurate scientific jargon there will you, I’m having trouble keeping up.”
Shockwave shakes his head ever so slightly. “I thought those terms were within your sphere of comprehension, but I am obviously wrong.”
“Hey.”
“Here,” he says, holding the yellow thing you saw in the box earlier. “Unwrap this.”
You look at it but don’t reach for it. “Did you know that we have thousands of taste buds on our tongue? Thousands. Almost ten thousand, maybe more. Which means we can taste a lot. Maybe not as much as other species in the galaxy, I’m not claiming that, but we can tell the difference between a good piece of steak and a sorry looking chunk that’s unfit for a starving animal. And so could the animal. You’d throw the meat at it gently to feed it because you don’t want to get too close to it because it looks diseased, but the animal can tell the food’s terrible and has already given up the fight because it’s so disappointed and weary, and it doesn’t move as the meat thumps pathetically into the side of their face and slides down their neck to the ground and they whimper and back away into the shadows without even looking at it and now you’re out of pocket for the cost of it and starting to feel hungry.”
Shockwave twitches and looks at the fingers he put in your mouth. He’s probably wondering if he accidentally dipped them in drugs instead of sanitizing them. He holds two of them up to you.
“How many do you see?” he asks. 
“Not enough.”
This is apparently a top of the class answer, because Shockwave stops twitching and looks calmer. But still impatient. Still thrumming with something not yet satisfied. 
“This experiment won’t conduct itself,” he says.
“Won’t it?”
“The limited range of taste and texture offered by the human tongue must be documented precisely.” He finally unwraps the yellow thing himself and holds it out to you. It’s a thin grey rectangle on a stick and looks as appealing as rancid dish water.
“My range of taste isn’t pathetic.”
“Would you prefer I use embarassing instead?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you should put this on your tongue.” The grey rectangle he’s poking towards you reminds you of a non-frozen popsicle that’s been rolled around in dirt and hair. An abomination of a lollipop. “And tell me what you taste.”
You hold his hand to stop him from poking your eye out with it. And you don’t put it in your mouth or on your tongue as he asked. You can’t. It looks disgusting.
“This looks disgusting,” you say.
“Maybe there’s more to it than meets the eye,” he says.
You feel yourself smile. “Maybe. But why couldn’t you paint it in my favourite colour like you did with your tongue depressor?“
You bring the shape close to your nose and sniff it cautiously. And to your complete surprise it smells incredible. You make sharp eye contact with Shockwave and wish you knew what he was thinking, because he looks like he knows exactly what you are. You breathe in deeply and the scent sets off an explosion in your brain and wow, just- wow. 
It reminds you of freshly minted currency, that perfect slice of cake you once had, and the three other smells you love most in the world. Without breaking eye contact with Shockwave you lick the lollipop. It has the hard consistency of boiled candy and the flavour of genius. 
“It tastes OK,” you lie with difficulty. You lick it again, from the top all the way down to the bottom, smoothing out its sharp corners. It’s one of the best things you’ve ever tasted in your life. A lollipop cooked in a lab by a millions of years old robot scientist who’s got a thing for your mouth is making that mouth fill with an alarming amount of saliva. It’s as if he knows exactly what your favourite smells are and has transformed them into something edible for you. 
You swallow. “I’ve had better.”
“No you haven’t.”
“Don’t tell me what I have or haven’t had.”
“Then save us some time and don’t lie.” 
Shockwave waves the lollipop again. An image slips into your head and you can’t help but ask “Did you wear an apron when you cooked this?” You hope that he’ll answer but you’re not expecting him too.
Shockwave doesn’t answer. 
“I’m not getting paid enough for all of this you know.”
You finally take the lollipop from his hand and lick it slowly. From the base all the way to the top, again and again and again you lick it. You’d sell everything you own for another one of these. You’d commit all manner of crimes for one. Maybe Shockwave will cook you another one. Maybe he’ll give you the recipe and you can cook it yourself. Maybe you can cook it together and wear matching aprons. Maybe you should pay attention to this experiment before he stops it. 
Shockwave’s plating is gleaming. He isn’t moving, and looks bright and powerful and helpless. Perhaps what he’s seeing you do has incapacitated him. Now that’s a thought almost as good as what you’ve got in your mouth.
“Am I not doing this properly?” you ask, your voice unfreezing him. You lick it even slower. 
“How- how does it taste?” Shockwave finally asks instead.
You lick your lips and swallow. It tastes incredible. Delicious. Indescribably fantastic.
“Like cheap crappy candy,” you tell him. “The type you know is bad for you but you still eat too much of it. Yeah sure you enjoy it, but you’re left craving something else, something more substantial. Something more.” You give him a meaningful look that’s open to interpretation.
Shockwave leans in closer to you and takes a moment before he responds. His words are clipped and careful, infused with the energy of restraint. “What flavours do you taste? I have a list of- of all the flavours this product is infused with. I want to know how many you can identify.”
You can now identify seven flavours, but more keep blossoming into existence. But you don’t feel like telling Shockwave this. What you feel like doing is finding out what he’s going to do with you if you don’t.
You suck and don’t speak, filling the room with the sounds of swallowing.
“If…if you can identify all of them you will receive a bonus payment.” Shockwaves’s voice is thick and slow.
You suck harder, and throw in a loud groan of appreciation just to see what effect it will have on him. “I don’t know what you’ve put in this but mmmmmm, oooooooohhhhhh, it tastes so good.”
Something flashes across Shockwave’s optic. A stuttering line of shadow binary, like a line of warning code revealed and suppressed.
“Sooooo gooooood.” You swirl your tongue around it, painting it with saliva and never once breaking eye contact with him. You don’t think you’ve even blinked. “You give me all the best treats to put in my mouth Shockwave.”
An invisible wave of heat crashes into you. You know that his cooling system is silent and that he cools his frame without using fans. They’re noisy and inefficient he once told you, when you asked about modifications he’s made to himself. But he still needs a cooling system. He still needs to vent excess heat generated by reactions he has little to no conscious control over. You can feel his desire bleeding through his plating to fill the space between you, hot and heavy and invisible, like tainted steam you can practically taste.
“Metal,” you tell him truthfully, all thoughts of teasing him gone. “I can only taste you now.”
Shockwave’s optic is burning. 
You remove the lollipop from your mouth with a small pop. A thin trail of saliva still connects it to your lips. You’re pleased to see that it’s barely reduced in size, despite your enthusiastic sucking.
“…apologies,“ Shockwave says quietly. "I- the experiment needs to be reset then. Re-done. I will eliminate all outside variables to ensure purity of evidence collection and retreat from your orbit and stand in the corner.”
You lick your lips, breaking the strand. He can be so wonderfully melodramatic at times. “There will always be outside factors influencing you that you’re unaware of,“ you tell him. "It’s best to just roll with them. So don’t you dare go anywhere else.”
“You are incorrect,“ Shockwave says, with a slight tilt of his head that you’ve long ago translated as a smile. "And that attitude is not conducive to a rigorous scientific study.”
You shrug your shoulders. “But now you can verify that the relationship between a human’s taste and sense of smell is intimate and real. You can have fun noting it in your records. And do you know what else is fun?” You put the lollipop back into your mouth and nod your head towards his interface panel. “Proving you wrong.”
Shockwave follows your appreciative glance down to see what you’re looking at. 
His panel is open and his dick is out.
Neither of you move. You just look. You both just look.
“…how is that proving me wrong?” Shockwave finally asks in genuine confusion. 
"Well,” you say, speaking slowly in order to compose yourself and to give the impression that this is a bemusing turn of events that will soon be resolved instead of escalated and that you’re expecting the former and certainly, definitely, don’t want the latter. “It proves that you don’t have complete control over your all of your actions.”
“…that was not a proposition to be proven false or correct in this session. What is incorrect are you. I have control over all of my systems, and have multiple safeguards in place to prevent them from being overridden.”
You slowly lean forward and give him a Look. “So you…meant to pop your dick out? You gave yourself the order to initiate pre-interface protocols? You’re choosing to conduct an experiment like this?”
“… … …yes.”
You sit back and fold your arms and grin smugly. The lollipop’s stick is poking out of your mouth. “So you don’t really like what you’re seeing me do? You aren’t thinking thoughts that are so explicit they’re literally banned on several worlds? You don’t want to come closer and put something else in my mouth?”
Another wave of invisible heat punches you in the face. 
“…no.”
“You could save us some time here by not lying.” 
“…there is no unit of time that needs to be saved. The experiment is proceeding as planned.”
“Oh is it now.”
Neither of you move. The sound of the medical equipment has receded. All you hear now is the pulse of blood in your ears and the rich, slightly stuttering sounds of Shockwave’s vocaliser. 
“However,” Shockwave says slowly, eventually, “I am adaptable. Realistic. A scientist.” 
“Are these bullet points on a motivational poster you have hanging up somewhere?”
“I understand the benefits that absorbing unforseen actions can have,” Shockwave says, ignoring you. “And am rolling with them.”
“Wwhat?”
“Your reaction is more conducive to further experimentation than anticipated. I am willing to indulge you.”
“Excuse me?”
Now Shockwave is the one sounding smug. “If only you could see your expression, see your body language - if you could feel the heat and analyze the pheromones radiating out of you the way I can then you would know what I know. Which is that you’re enjoying yourself. You like what you see and want more.”
You don’t answer. You hate when you can’t answer back to him immediately. You open your mouth to say something, anything, but Shockwave interrupts you.
“Are you willing to progress with another experiment? Or are you scared?”
He should know by now that you’ve felt many things with him, but never fear. Does he really think that? Does he really think that reverse psychology is going to work on you? But he doesn’t look like he does. He looks like he’s not thinking things through fully, and is speaking mainly to keep the momentum going. He looks like he’s edging from need to desperation.
That goes a long way to mollify you. “Oh I’m terrified,” you exaggerate. “So very scared. But in the name of science I’ll force myself to be brave. So go on then, let’s start another experiment.”
Shockwave doesn’t move immediately. Then he shuffles closer, and wraps a hand around his dick as if to hide it or control it. “An experiment can be stopped at any time,” he tells you softly. “We have the rest of your life to try it another time if you are willing.”
A jolt of warmth blossoms in your chest and most of your body’s blood surges between your legs and you nod. Once again he’s left you temporarily speechless with his care and consideration for you. Bastard.
Shockwave makes a move to take the lollipop from your mouth, but you smack his hand away and find your voice again. “No. I’m not finished with that.”
“But-”
“The human mouth is very accomodating,” you tell him proudly. “We can’t detach our jaw like some animals can, but we can fit a lot in here. We can stretch.” You position the lollipop to one side of your mouth, so that it fits snugly into your cheek cavity as much as possible. “Still plenty of room. See?” You open your mouth to show him.
Shockwave trembles. You nod again, and he takes another step forward. His dick is now perfectly aligned with your mouth but then he pauses. He’s thinking. Calculating. Hesitating. He inches his dick forward and rests it on your bottom lip and stops again. The hot metal weight of it, the alien chrome smell of it, floods your mouth with even more saliva.
“Go on,” you encourage him, licking a bead of fluid from the dripping tip. “For science.”
For a long few seconds Shockwave doesn’t move. And then he slides his dick into your mouth. He does so slowly, inch by careful inch, giving you plenty of time to prepare and relax your muscles. It rubs against the lollipop in your mouth and you’re flooded with flavour. Saliva dribbles out of your mouth and down your chin but you ignore it, instead concentrating on how fantastically full your mouth is becoming. 
Shockwave’s dick hits the back of your mouth and he stops. You instinctively try to swallow and don’t achieve much. Actually that’s not true because Shockwave moans at what you’ve just done. Actually moans. You wonder what other sounds he’s capable of making, and what sounds you can cause him to make. 
You don’t swallow again. Instead you suck. You suck his dick and the lollipop at the same time again and again and again, and Shockwave has to put a hand on the back of your head to prevent himself from buckling and you both make a long noise.
You adjust the lollipop in your mouth, hold it in place, and slowly pull your head back. Shockwave doesn’t resist you, and doesn’t remove his hand from your head as you remove your mouth from his dick, which is soaking wet and dripping. You rub your thumb over the head of it, smearing the viscous liquid around it. You rub him with two fingers, and then your entire hand, stroking his dick up and down to coat it in a mixture of your saliva and the transfluid that’s steadily leaking out of him.
“Please,” Shockwave says haltingly, as he braces himself against the bench with his other arm. “The…experiment has not been concluded.”
“Experiment?” you ask, sucking on the lollipop. “Oh yes - this extra experiment that you haven’t actually told me about. What exactly is it we’re proving or disproving here?”
“I…the…to see.”
“That sounds important.” You stroke him hard and twist, and he makes a stuttering sound of mechanical pleading.
“The…human mouth is a combination of muscles,” he finally stutters, dragging some basic information up from his depths. “It- this experiment is to exercise them. See how far they can…stretch.”
That sounds mildly plausible. 
“I’ve just demonstrated how far they can stretch,” you tell him. “But do you think they can go further?”
“…yes.”
“Well would you believe it, so do I.” You lick the tip of dick and make it even wetter. “I think my mouth can take more.”
“That…yes. It would be complete. The experiment. As well as- This one. The experiment. I need…complete results or-”
“Or you’ll be a failure?” You speak around the lollipop,
your hand now languidly stroking him. “Well we don’t want that. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be associated with a failure. I have a poverty of life expectancy remember, and I don’t want to waste what I’ve got with a loser. So.”
You remove the lollipop from your mouth and hold onto his legs to brace yourself. You then slowly, slowly, take his dick back into your mouth. Shockwave doesn’t move. He lets you set the pace. Lets you do all the work more like. Not that you’re complaining, but you will complain out loud to him later just to annoy him. His dick reaches the back of your mouth again and you feel him relax slightly. 
Your scientist needs to learn to be more ambitious in his experiments with you. More fearless. 
You adjust your angle, instruct your muscles to relax further, and take his dick all the way down your throat until he’s fully hilted inside you. 
Shockwave shudders and grips your head harder. He then realises what he’s done and lets go immediately in case he’s hurt you, but he doesn’t want to break contact with you so he holds the back of your head again but this time lightly, but it’s not enough to stabilize him so he shoots his other arm out and scrabbles for whatever purchase he can find and makes a sound that sounds like dying.
He needs to get a hold of himself. You’re not even moving any more, and he’s reacting like he’s been blessed and cursed with divine revelation all at once. 
You pat the back of his legs to reassure him. 
Shockwaves’s stabiliser pistons finally align and steadies his frame.
And then you move. You fuck him slowly with your mouth. All the way up and then all the way back down. His dick tastes even better than that lollipop, and you suck him with control and purpose. Your chin is wet and your throat is sticky and your heart is thumping harder than you ever remember it doing.
Shockwave is doing his best to stay silent and is failing wonderfully. You wonder if he’ll match your rhythm and fuck you down your throat but he hasn’t, and you don’t suspect he will. Not because he doesn’t want to, but because he doesn’t want to use more than a fraction of his strength in case even that’s too much. His self-control is impressive and welcome, but it’s not complete. 
Shockwave is holding the back of your head lightly, but his fingers are tightening infinitesimally around your hair and scalp every time you suck the tip of his dick and swallow it all the way down to its base. His self-control is not infinite and not indestructible. He’s not dead inside.  
You eventually feel his frame tense and tighten around you, and hear the pitch and whine of his engines straining up a gear. You’re enveloped in heat and know he’s close.
“There…is time for one more experiment,” he manages to say, his voice thick with static.
“Mmmm?” you ask around his dick, your full mouth still moving.
“…apparently saliva can digest various substances and…so can stomach enzymes and…the mouth is part of the digestive system and…if you…if you…”
You’ve swallowed transfluid before and liked it and know it won’t hurt you. You’ve had The Talk with all the medics on board just to be sure, and so long as he doesn’t pour his entire tank down your throat in one go you’ll be fine.
You nod your consent, and Shockwave makes a noise that sounds like gratitude.
He’s a bit less steady on his feet now, a bit more erratic, a bit louder and less efficient in his movements but you’re not. You’re a steady constant in the face of his fast approaching overload, fucking him in a perfect rythym that surprises him more than it does you.
He grips you harder and spasms and his engines scream dangerously loud as he overloads hard in your mouth. A shot of transfluid hits the back of your throat and you can’t help but gag at the quantity of it. You hold his legs tighter to prevent him from going anywhere, because you’re not going to miss a moment of this. You swallow as much as you can, and revel in the mechanical rumbling stuttering sounds his engines make as they fight not to cut out. His silent cooling system is blasting hard, which feels like opening an oven door and putting your face into it. Your hair is stuck to your flushed and sweating face.
Shockwave eventually quietens and stills and begins to regain himself. A series of small clicks indicate his cooling system is powering down. You suspect he’d like to keep his dick down your throat all day if you agreed to it and while that’s not something you’re opposed to, far from it, your mind is already churning with possibilities as to what three hands and a cannon can do while your mouth is occupied, it’s an experiment for another day.
Right now you have your own needs to attend to, and first on that list is to clean up the mess he’s made on you as best you ca. You gave it a good try but you couldn’t swallow everything he gave you, you’re only human, and a lot of it leaked out of your mouth and dribbled down your chin and throat. Your skin is sticky and your clothes are splattered.
You move your head back until his dick pops out, and cup a hand underneath your mouth to catch the gush of fluid that spills out. You look up at Shockwave and raise that hand to your mouth and lap up what’s in it.
Shockwave’s overworked engines make a pitiful sound as they rev back up again. You suck your fingers clean, and then you put your underestimated human mouth to good use and clean him up. 
Your work is not completed quickly.
But finally it is, and you make an effort to casually sit back in satisfaction at completing a job well done.
“So what do you think?” you ask him off-handedly, as your body thrums and fizzes. You wish your own temperature control system was more effective, no matter how noisy it would have to be. Your shirt is stuck to your back and you’re entering the non-lethal stage of dehydration. “Was the experiment a success?”
“I think,” Shockwave says, as he pours you a glass of water from the sink, “That the human mouth is…interesting.”
He hands you the glass and you drink from it without pausing. You know that’s as close as Shockwave will ever come to saying that he thinks the human mouth is incredible, yours especially, and that he wants nothing more than to fill it and worship it again.
“But still a concerning mystery,” Shockwave continues, as he takes the empty glass from you. “It requires further research. A lot of research.”
He kneels down in front of you and puts a hand on your knee.
“In fact,” Shockwave says, his warm fingertips languidly stroking up the inside of your thigh as if the thought has just occurred to him, “the human body as a whole needs to be researched further. One system, one organ, one session at a time.” 
His hand stops on your buckled belt.
“A breakthrough has been achieved,” you tell him, picking up his hand and removing it from your belt. Despite his claims to be highly dexterous, you don’t have time to wait for him to use one hand when you have two.
“It’s a minor miracle.” You unbuckle your belt, pull your pants down, lean back against the wall and put one hand behind your head to cushion it. With your other hand you make a motion for him to hurry up and get to work because you both know you’ve earned this.
“You finally said something correct. Now let’s see what else you can accomplish.“
“The human mouth is disgusting, and I am going to prove it.”
Shockwave states this coldly and firmly the second you step into his lab. But his optic is bright and wide and he’s already hovering next to you, holding out a tool box as if it’s a long lost treasure he’s graciously decided to share with you and only you, and as such you should turn speechless with awe and gratitude and silently beg to be allowed to help him prove how terrible you are.
You are supremely unimpressed. You haven’t even had the chance to take your coat off yet, and here you are being told by one of the greatest scientists you know that an essential part of you is disgusting.
“The human mouth is a medical marvel,” you argue back, dumping your coat onto the pristine floor of his lab. You lean casually and definitely against a lab bench and look at him in the way he deserves for such invalid arrogance.
“You are incorrect,” Shockwave says.
“I know you are, but what am I?” You shoot back.
“…incorrect.”
“I know you are, but what am I?”
“Incorrect.”
“I know you are, but what am I ?”
“…?”
You cross your arms in satisfaction. “Exactly.”
“Enough.” Shockwave steps closer, the tool box rattling excitedly in his hand. “Sit down. Stop talking. Open your mouth.” 
“Why? What are you going to put in it?” you say, ignoring all three orders.
“An incontrovertible means to prove my supposition that will allow even the most intellectually challenged being to understand.”
Shockwave opens the box.
You stretch up onto your toes and peer inside it. You nod your head repeatedly at what you see and what he’s just said. “Uh-huh, uh-huh. Now I’m no scientist, but there’s a few things in there that don’t look very scientific. Like that long yellow thing and that sharp purple thing with hinges.”
“You are correct.”
“I know.”
“You are not a scientist. You are an inferior life form existing with a poverty of comprehension, life expectancy and universally accepted currency.”
“Hey.” You may have agreed to be a volunteer for Shockwave’s experiments after he approached you earlier with a monetary offer you couldn’t refuse, and because he ignored you when you asked  him why he hadn’t publicly advertised for volunteers and is only asking you, but you’re not going to sit back and take that. “You don’t have to be a dick about this. You don’t know me.” Two of his three statements are correct, but you’ll be floating outside in space without a suit on before you agree with him.
Shockwave looms over you, bright and purple and powerful. You’re not nervous. You’ve never been nervous around him when so many rightfully are and you don’t know why.
“I will tell you something I do know,” Shockwave says. “Something that your human ‘scientists’ and ‘doctors’ have also documented and agreed on.” 
He puts the tool box down on the bench and takes out a long cotton swab from it. “The mouth is one of the filthiest parts of your body.”
You feel your lips tugging up into a smile. “But not the filthiest, am I right?”
Shockwave glances down to between your legs.
“Pervert,” you say, delighted. “I’m talking about my brain.” For added emphasis you tap a finger to your temple. 
“Enough.” Shockwave puts his other arm on your shoulder and pushes you down onto a medical stool. He does so carefully, as if wanting to give you the chance to say no to this.
You sit down on the stool. You don’t want to say no to any of this. 
You stretch your legs out and cross them at the ankle. “Are you trying to find out how many diseases I’ve got in my mouth? Will you be upset if there are too many or too few? Do you want me to stop talking? Or is that what you like most about my mouth? The different shapes it can make; the way my tongue moves; how wet everything is? Would you be upset if I keep it closed and denied you everything you so clearly want?”
And before Shockwave can respond, you preempt him and open your mouth.
“Are you going to slip into a radioactive suit first?” you ask. “Are you worried about your safety? It’s OK, there’s nothing to be concerned about - I’ll go easy on you. And I promise not to bite.”
Shockwave doesn’t answer. But he looks like he wants to. He very much looks like he wants to say something that he shouldn’t.
He inserts the cotton swab into your mouth and runs it along the wall of your cheek, coating the tip in saliva. He then pauses, as if reluctant to remove it so soon. He swipes the inside of your mouth again, this time anti-clockwise and this time slower. He repeats the clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations three times each. Maybe his interest with your mouth really is just scientific.
He finally removes the swab and puts it into a cylindrical container mounted to the wall. “Results from the buccal swab will be available almost instantaneously and will produce an accuracy rate of 99.99%”
“I’m so glad I’m sitting down here because wow, you just blew my mind with that fascinating statistic.”
Shockwave returns to you and doesn’t dignify you with an answer.
“There may be a trillions of bacteria in my mouth,” you tell him, rubbing the side of your face that he’d taken a painless sample from. “But they’re not just there to party. They pay their way and are useful. Essential, actually.” 
“Elaborate.” 
“So if we get germs in our mouth then our body doesn’t just give up and die an embarrassing death - the good bacteria are woken up and put up a fight and prevent us from getting sick. Or at least fatally sick. Sometimes we still get sick but they’ve done their best, you can’t blame them for everything.”
“Is that so.”
“Yep. Well some of the bacteria help out like that, I don’t think they all do. Some of them don’t do much and are just…there. I don’t know how many and what it is they actually do. And I’m not going to count them because one, that’s boring and two, I’m not a snitch.”
You lean forward. “Do you really not know all of this? This is basic biology even the dumb kids in the useless schools know.”
Shockwave reaches into the tool box again. “I am fully aware of the purpose of defence bacteria, how they operate, the ratio of useful to redundant organisms and how inefficient the entire mechanism is. But this has all been documented by others - by humans - and not by a cybertronian. Not by me.”
He extracts the small sharp purple thing.
You swallow. “So you don’t believe them.”
Shockwave puts his hand over yours, which is still on your cheek. “I do not believe them. I trust only my results. My methodology.”
He manipulates the instrument until it transforms into a medical instrument you recognise.
You open your mouth slightly. “And that’s the only reason you’re doing this? The only reason you want to probe me with that?”
“…correct. I need to examine and document the area personally in order to establish an accurate primary baseline.”
“Mm-hmm.” Of all the colours in existence, he chose the one that matches his frame’s colour exactly. “For science?”
Shockwave slides the purple tongue depressor into your mouth and over your tongue. “For science.” 
Shockwave is careful. Thorough. He uses his optic as a focused beam of light to peer into your mouth and examine it. The metal depressor on your tongue is smooth and warm, and whenever your gag reflex threatens to start up, Shockwave adjusts the instrument instantly to help it pass. He exacts the perfect amount of pressure every single time to still it. You’re impressed. But starting to get bored. He’s just looking at you and not moving, as if he’s never seen the inside of a human mouth before and is on sacred ground he knows he needs to tread carefully on. 
You make a sound, and he tears his relentless gaze from the inside of your mouth to your eyes. You raise your eyebrows to ask what’s taking so long.
“Tell me,” Shockwave asks, as he places the instrument underneath your tongue so that you can talk. “What are the carriers for the bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa that activate the defense mechanisms of the mouth?”
You roll your tongue on top of the depressor and feel your eyes itching to do the same. You didn’t sign up for a biology quiz. “You mean where do germs come from?”
“That is not what I meant or asked. Pay attention.”
You put a finger in your mouth. You reach as far back as the depressor goes and touch it. You run your finger along the smooth metal until it comes out of your mouth but you don’t break contact with it, you keep going, trailing your finger along the handle of the depressor until you come to the fingers that hold it. You rest your finger on Shockwave’s.
“Oh now I see,” you exaggerate loudly, as if only now the blinds have been lifted from your eyes and you finally understand what he means. “You want to know about things that shouldn’t go in my mouth. The dirty things that could make me sick. The forbidden things.” 
You swallow around the metal. “And you want to know if I know them.”
Shockwave slides the depressor out of your mouth and moves his hand back. But not far enough to dislodge your finger from his.
“What if I said I did know?” you continue. “That I know all of them. That I make a sustained effort to educate myself on biology and physiology not only because it helps me to stay healthy and alive, but because I find those areas of study fascinating in their own right?”
Shockwave doesn’t move and doesn’t answer. You can practically feel his spark contracting as he realises you’re telling the truth.
You tilt your head. If he tattooed his desires across his impressive chest he couldn’t be more obvious in what he wants. You feel your heart beat faster at what you’re going to say next. “But what if I didn’t know? What if I said I didn’t know what shouldn’t be going in my mouth and that I’d…like to?’
It should be impossible, but you can sense his spark expand.
“I…would experiment,” he tells you. “For science.”
“As opposed to the medieval fine arts?”
Shockwave’s optic bores into you. “We do not have time to undertake a battery of tests to determine if every substance is dangerous to human health if ingested orally. My selected carriers have been chosen carefully and will produce…results." 
You sit back on the stool and eye him critically. This is the first you’re hearing about ingesting something. He already knows what substances are dangerous to human health. He knows all of them and you, the planet Earth, and the rest of the known galaxy know almost all of them. This seems like a ploy to put things in your mouth and see if they’ll kill you or make you sick.
“You already know what substances are dangerous to human health,” you tell Shockwave. He lowers his hand and you remove your finger from his. “And I, the planet Earth and the rest of the known galaxy know almost all of them. This is starting to seem like a ploy to put things in my mouth to see if they’ll make me sick.” 
You point your finger sharply at him and speak with a fake fiery fury. “And this is the first I’m hearing about actually ingesting something. Is this whole experiment just to see if something will kill me? Is that it? Is it? Are you going to offer me a glowing stick of radioactive waste and say it’s a cybertronian delicacy and then watch me suck on it and melt from the inside and become a puddle of screaming goo as you take notes and call the overworked and underpaid cleaner to mop up what remains of me up? Is it?”
Shockwave actually takes a step back. “Incorrect. As always, you are incorrect. This is for science.”
If he had a medical frame he could detect your pulse and blood chemistry without even needing to touch you. But he doesn’t, and you’re grateful for that. If he wants to know how you’re truly feeling about this session then he’s going to have to put in the hard work and deduce it. 
“Fine,” you say. “I signed up for this ‘non-lethal experiment to determine the limitations of the human mouth’ that you’re paying me for and I’m not going to back out of it. So what’s coming out of the box next?”
But Shockwave doesn’t take anything else out. Instead he crouches down so that you’re at eye-optic level. “I am curious as to how the human mouth and resulting systems react to interior contact with something your scant years of evolution have not encountered before. My hypothesis is not encouraging for you, but facts are facts. And when I’m proven right you will eventually thank me.”
Shockwave raises his hand and flexes his fingers, and you know where this is going. But you’re overcome with a prickly irritation at the casual way he dismisses your species, and decide to play dumb with him. It’s illogical to feel this way, but you’re not a purely logical being. You’re someone better than that. 
You eye his fingers with a careful look of mild distaste. “My hideous ancestors went through a lot of shit to equip me with what I have now, and I’d thank you to remember that.”
You fold your hands neatly in your lap, and transform the way you’re looking at his fingers to one of mild pity. “My teeth are composed of the hardest substance in the human body. They can tear through plants and flesh and all manner of substances with ease.”
“What about metal?” Shockwave asks instantly, bringing up his hand to your face. “Reports indicates that your teeth cannot break it and your fluids cannot digest it.” He waggles his fingers. “But in the name of science this must be corroborated or rejected.”
“You’re not even trying, are you?”
“…clarify.”
“Waving your fingers about like that, ‘accidentally’ brushing my lips with them, flexing and rotating them as if they’re part of your courtship dance and any second now I’m going to be consumed with lust and fall off my seat and whimper on the floor for you.”
“…you are incor-”
“No I’m not. Stop saying that. And stop thinking I’m an idiot.”
“Incorrect.”
“You want me to suck your fingers.”
“…for science.”
“For yourself.”
“I am science and science is me.”
“That was terrible. You didn’t practice that in the mirror before I came here did you?”
“…”
Before Shockwave can get upset and pretend his sulking is a convoluted chain of logical actions that make complete sense, you lick one of his fingers.
Shockwave freezes. 
You lick it again, this time slower. Your tongue moves carefully over the tip of his finger and down the entire length of it, all the way to his hand. He feels surprisingly warm and alive.
“There,” you say, rolling your tongue around your mouth. “It didn’t kill me. And if I come down with alien flu or turn a different colour later on, I’ll give you a call.” 
Shockwave doesn’t move. 
You don’t move.
Soft humming from the medical equipment and diagnostic machines fills the room.
“Incomplete,” Shockwave says. “The test is incomplete. You signed up for a complete test, and that is what will be undertaken.”
“First of all I didn’t sign anything, so if I choose to run out of here you can’t sue me for breach of contract.”
“Are you going to run out?”
“I was thinking of doing a jaunty saunter actually.”
Shockwave examines the finger you’ve licked. You don’t make any effort to move. 
“But,” you say, drawing out the word as you stretch your arms above your head. “I’m a person of my word. We both know enamel can’t crack metal, but in the interests of science we’d better try it out anyway and document it accordingly, shouldn’t we?”
Shockwave cups your face gently, his thumb resting on your lips. “If you insist.”
“If I insist?”
Before you can protest further, Shockwave pushes his thumb in between your lips. You don’t offer any resistance, and part your lips slightly to allow him to put it in. Seemingly satisfied that you’re not about to immediately die, Shockwave rests it on your tongue. Then he puts a finger in your mouth. And when you still don’t object, he puts another one in.
He tastes of electricity and steel and graphite. Like a living battery.
You suck on his fingers carefully. There’s a pulse of blood in your ears and a pool of heat spreading along the base of your stomach, and you’re sure you can feel the energon in his fingers throb as they slide over and around and below your tongue.
His fingers explore your mouth. They massage your tongue, and count your teeth, and stroke the inside of your cheeks. He acts as if he’s an explorer sent on a mission branded with royal assent.
You bite down on his fingers gently.
Not out of fear of hurting him, but out of self preservation. You’ll crack every tooth in your mouth if you’re not careful, and you’ve got better things to do than sit in the medical bay and get a lecture.
You bite down as hard as you dare. Shockwave makes a sound that sounds suspiciously like a whimper. You bite down again and are proven correct.
In satisfaction you pull your head back. Shockwave doesn’t move his hand as his fingers leave your mouth, and you don’t open your mouth wide. You make sure your teeth graze as much of his hand as possible as you retreat from it. 
Shockwave is thrumming. An undeniable thrum of excitement is pulsing throughout his frame just below his plating, and it’s bleeding into you. 
“Was that good for you?” you ask innocently. “Concluding an experiment gets me all hot and bothered too. Except I don’t raise the temperature in a room by ten degrees.”
Shockwave leans in closer to you. “Incorrect.”
“Oh, smooth!“
You lick his closest finger without thinking about it. And when you like to think the temperature’s clicked up another degree, you kiss it.
"I hope you washed your hands before I came in,” you say. You’re sure he did, but it’s the sensible thing to ask.
“Of course I didn’t,” Shockwave says. “Who do you think I am? A human? I sanitized them thoroughly.”
You run your tongue around the inside of your mouth. The unique taste of him hasn’t faded. “Hygiene is important.”
“Obviously.” 
“You don’t want an experiment to be ruined by contaminants.”
“Again, obviously.”
“And you don’t want your subject to suffer needlessly.” You look at his fingers and that pool of blood in your lower body heats up another degree. “You don’t want me to suffer.”
“…there is work to do and I do not like to repeat myself.” Shockwave reaches for the box again. “This next experiment is to determine the range of human taste in order to classify it as either limited, highly limited, practically non-existent or barely existent.”
“Whoa whoa whoa,” you say, holding your hands out with your palms facing towards him. “Slow down on all the accurate scientific jargon there will you, I’m having trouble keeping up.”
Shockwave shakes his head ever so slightly. “I thought those terms were within your sphere of comprehension, but I am obviously wrong.”
“Hey.”
“Here,” he says, holding the yellow thing you saw in the box earlier. “Unwrap this.”
You look at it but don’t reach for it. “Did you know that we have thousands of taste buds on our tongue? Thousands. Almost ten thousand, maybe more. Which means we can taste a lot. Maybe not as much as other species in the galaxy, I’m not claiming that, but we can tell the difference between a good piece of steak and a sorry looking chunk that’s unfit for a starving animal. And so could the animal. You’d throw the meat at it gently to feed it because you don’t want to get too close to it because it looks diseased, but the animal can tell the food’s terrible and has already given up the fight because it’s so disappointed and weary, and it doesn’t move as the meat thumps pathetically into the side of their face and slides down their neck to the ground and they whimper and back away into the shadows without even looking at it and now you’re out of pocket for the cost of it and starting to feel hungry.”
Shockwave twitches and looks at the fingers he put in your mouth. He’s probably wondering if he accidentally dipped them in drugs instead of sanitizing them. He holds two of them up to you.
“How many do you see?” he asks. 
“Not enough.”
This is apparently a top of the class answer, because Shockwave stops twitching and looks calmer. But still impatient. Still thrumming with something not yet satisfied. 
“This experiment won’t conduct itself,” he says.
“Won’t it?”
“The limited range of taste and texture offered by the human tongue must be documented precisely.” He finally unwraps the yellow thing himself and holds it out to you. It’s a thin grey rectangle on a stick and looks as appealing as rancid dish water.
“My range of taste isn’t pathetic.”
“Would you prefer I use embarassing instead?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you should put this on your tongue.” The grey rectangle he’s poking towards you reminds you of a non-frozen popsicle that’s been rolled around in dirt and hair. An abomination of a lollipop. “And tell me what you taste.”
You hold his hand to stop him from poking your eye out with it. And you don’t put it in your mouth or on your tongue as he asked. You can’t. It looks disgusting.
“This looks disgusting,” you say.
“Maybe there’s more to it than meets the eye,” he says.
You feel yourself smile. “Maybe. But why couldn’t you paint it in my favourite colour like you did with your tongue depressor?“
You bring the shape close to your nose and sniff it cautiously. And to your complete surprise it smells incredible. You make sharp eye contact with Shockwave and wish you knew what he was thinking, because he looks like he knows exactly what you are. You breathe in deeply and the scent sets off an explosion in your brain and wow, just- wow. 
It reminds you of freshly minted currency, that perfect slice of cake you once had, and the three other smells you love most in the world. Without breaking eye contact with Shockwave you lick the lollipop. It has the hard consistency of boiled candy and the flavour of genius. 
“It tastes OK,” you lie with difficulty. You lick it again, from the top all the way down to the bottom, smoothing out its sharp corners. It’s one of the best things you’ve ever tasted in your life. A lollipop cooked in a lab by a millions of years old robot scientist who’s got a thing for your mouth is making that mouth fill with an alarming amount of saliva. It’s as if he knows exactly what your favourite smells are and has transformed them into something edible for you. 
You swallow. “I’ve had better.”
“No you haven’t.”
“Don’t tell me what I have or haven’t had.”
“Then save us some time and don’t lie.” 
Shockwave waves the lollipop again. An image slips into your head and you can’t help but ask “Did you wear an apron when you cooked this?” You hope that he’ll answer but you’re not expecting him too.
Shockwave doesn’t answer. 
“I’m not getting paid enough for all of this you know.”
You finally take the lollipop from his hand and lick it slowly. From the base all the way to the top, again and again and again you lick it. You’d sell everything you own for another one of these. You’d commit all manner of crimes for one. Maybe Shockwave will cook you another one. Maybe he’ll give you the recipe and you can cook it yourself. Maybe you can cook it together and wear matching aprons. Maybe you should pay attention to this experiment before he stops it. 
Shockwave’s plating is gleaming. He isn’t moving, and looks bright and powerful and helpless. Perhaps what he’s seeing you do has incapacitated him. Now that’s a thought almost as good as what you’ve got in your mouth.
“Am I not doing this properly?” you ask, your voice unfreezing him. You lick it even slower. 
“How- how does it taste?” Shockwave finally asks instead.
You lick your lips and swallow. It tastes incredible. Delicious. Indescribably fantastic.
“Like cheap crappy candy,” you tell him. “The type you know is bad for you but you still eat too much of it. Yeah sure you enjoy it, but you’re left craving something else, something more substantial. Something more.” You give him a meaningful look that’s open to interpretation.
Shockwave leans in closer to you and takes a moment before he responds. His words are clipped and careful, infused with the energy of restraint. “What flavours do you taste? I have a list of- of all the flavours this product is infused with. I want to know how many you can identify.”
You can now identify seven flavours, but more keep blossoming into existence. But you don’t feel like telling Shockwave this. What you feel like doing is finding out what he’s going to do with you if you don’t.
You suck and don’t speak, filling the room with the sounds of swallowing.
“If…if you can identify all of them you will receive a bonus payment.” Shockwaves’s voice is thick and slow.
You suck harder, and throw in a loud groan of appreciation just to see what effect it will have on him. “I don’t know what you’ve put in this but mmmmmm, oooooooohhhhhh, it tastes so good.”
Something flashes across Shockwave’s optic. A stuttering line of shadow binary, like a line of warning code revealed and suppressed.
“Sooooo gooooood.” You swirl your tongue around it, painting it with saliva and never once breaking eye contact with him. You don’t think you’ve even blinked. “You give me all the best treats to put in my mouth Shockwave.”
An invisible wave of heat crashes into you. You know that his cooling system is silent and that he cools his frame without using fans. They’re noisy and inefficient he once told you, when you asked about modifications he’s made to himself. But he still needs a cooling system. He still needs to vent excess heat generated by reactions he has little to no conscious control over. You can feel his desire bleeding through his plating to fill the space between you, hot and heavy and invisible, like tainted steam you can practically taste.
“Metal,” you tell him truthfully, all thoughts of teasing him gone. “I can only taste you now.”
Shockwave’s optic is burning. 
You remove the lollipop from your mouth with a small pop. A thin trail of saliva still connects it to your lips. You’re pleased to see that it’s barely reduced in size, despite your enthusiastic sucking.
“…apologies,“ Shockwave says quietly. "I- the experiment needs to be reset then. Re-done. I will eliminate all outside variables to ensure purity of evidence collection and retreat from your orbit and stand in the corner.”
You lick your lips, breaking the strand. He can be so wonderfully melodramatic at times. “There will always be outside factors influencing you that you’re unaware of,“ you tell him. "It’s best to just roll with them. So don’t you dare go anywhere else.”
“You are incorrect,“ Shockwave says, with a slight tilt of his head that you’ve long ago translated as a smile. "And that attitude is not conducive to a rigorous scientific study.”
You shrug your shoulders. “But now you can verify that the relationship between a human’s taste and sense of smell is intimate and real. You can have fun noting it in your records. And do you know what else is fun?” You put the lollipop back into your mouth and nod your head towards his interface panel. “Proving you wrong.”
Shockwave follows your appreciative glance down to see what you’re looking at. 
His panel is open and his dick is out.
Neither of you move. You just look. You both just look.
“…how is that proving me wrong?” Shockwave finally asks in genuine confusion. 
"Well,” you say, speaking slowly in order to compose yourself and to give the impression that this is a bemusing turn of events that will soon be resolved instead of escalated and that you’re expecting the former and certainly, definitely, don’t want the latter. “It proves that you don’t have complete control over your all of your actions.”
“…that was not a proposition to be proven false or correct in this session. What is incorrect are you. I have control over all of my systems, and have multiple safeguards in place to prevent them from being overridden.”
You slowly lean forward and give him a Look. “So you…meant to pop your dick out? You gave yourself the order to initiate pre-interface protocols? You’re choosing to conduct an experiment like this?”
“… … …yes.”
You sit back and fold your arms and grin smugly. The lollipop’s stick is poking out of your mouth. “So you don’t really like what you’re seeing me do? You aren’t thinking thoughts that are so explicit they’re literally banned on several worlds? You don’t want to come closer and put something else in my mouth?”
Another wave of invisible heat punches you in the face. 
“…no.”
“You could save us some time here by not lying.” 
“…there is no unit of time that needs to be saved. The experiment is proceeding as planned.”
“Oh is it now.”
Neither of you move. The sound of the medical equipment has receded. All you hear now is the pulse of blood in your ears and the rich, slightly stuttering sounds of Shockwave’s vocaliser. 
“However,” Shockwave says slowly, eventually, “I am adaptable. Realistic. A scientist.” 
“Are these bullet points on a motivational poster you have hanging up somewhere?”
“I understand the benefits that absorbing unforseen actions can have,” Shockwave says, ignoring you. “And am rolling with them.”
“Wwhat?”
“Your reaction is more conducive to further experimentation than anticipated. I am willing to indulge you.”
“Excuse me?”
Now Shockwave is the one sounding smug. “If only you could see your expression, see your body language - if you could feel the heat and analyze the pheromones radiating out of you the way I can then you would know what I know. Which is that you’re enjoying yourself. You like what you see and want more.”
You don’t answer. You hate when you can’t answer back to him immediately. You open your mouth to say something, anything, but Shockwave interrupts you.
“Are you willing to progress with another experiment? Or are you scared?”
He should know by now that you’ve felt many things with him, but never fear. Does he really think that? Does he really think that reverse psychology is going to work on you? But he doesn’t look like he does. He looks like he’s not thinking things through fully, and is speaking mainly to keep the momentum going. He looks like he’s edging from need to desperation.
That goes a long way to mollify you. “Oh I’m terrified,” you exaggerate. “So very scared. But in the name of science I’ll force myself to be brave. So go on then, let’s start another experiment.”
Shockwave doesn’t move immediately. Then he shuffles closer, and wraps a hand around his dick as if to hide it or control it. “An experiment can be stopped at any time,” he tells you softly. “We have the rest of your life to try it another time if you are willing.”
A jolt of warmth blossoms in your chest and most of your body’s blood surges between your legs and you nod. Once again he’s left you temporarily speechless with his care and consideration for you. Bastard.
Shockwave makes a move to take the lollipop from your mouth, but you smack his hand away and find your voice again. “No. I’m not finished with that.”
“But-”
“The human mouth is very accomodating,” you tell him proudly. “We can’t detach our jaw like some animals can, but we can fit a lot in here. We can stretch.” You position the lollipop to one side of your mouth, so that it fits snugly into your cheek cavity as much as possible. “Still plenty of room. See?” You open your mouth to show him.
Shockwave trembles. You nod again, and he takes another step forward. His dick is now perfectly aligned with your mouth but then he pauses. He’s thinking. Calculating. Hesitating. He inches his dick forward and rests it on your bottom lip and stops again. The hot metal weight of it, the alien chrome smell of it, floods your mouth with even more saliva.
“Go on,” you encourage him, licking a bead of fluid from the dripping tip. “For science.”
For a long few seconds Shockwave doesn’t move. And then he slides his dick into your mouth. He does so slowly, inch by careful inch, giving you plenty of time to prepare and relax your muscles. It rubs against the lollipop in your mouth and you’re flooded with flavour. Saliva dribbles out of your mouth and down your chin but you ignore it, instead concentrating on how fantastically full your mouth is becoming. 
Shockwave’s dick hits the back of your mouth and he stops. You instinctively try to swallow and don’t achieve much. Actually that’s not true because Shockwave moans at what you’ve just done. Actually moans. You wonder what other sounds he’s capable of making, and what sounds you can cause him to make. 
You don’t swallow again. Instead you suck. You suck his dick and the lollipop at the same time again and again and again, and Shockwave has to put a hand on the back of your head to prevent himself from buckling and you both make a long noise.
You adjust the lollipop in your mouth, hold it in place, and slowly pull your head back. Shockwave doesn’t resist you, and doesn’t remove his hand from your head as you remove your mouth from his dick, which is soaking wet and dripping. You rub your thumb over the head of it, smearing the viscous liquid around it. You rub him with two fingers, and then your entire hand, stroking his dick up and down to coat it in a mixture of your saliva and the transfluid that’s steadily leaking out of him.
“Please,” Shockwave says haltingly, as he braces himself against the bench with his other arm. “The…experiment has not been concluded.”
“Experiment?” you ask, sucking on the lollipop. “Oh yes - this extra experiment that you haven’t actually told me about. What exactly is it we’re proving or disproving here?”
“I…the…to see.”
“That sounds important.” You stroke him hard and twist, and he makes a stuttering sound of mechanical pleading.
“The…human mouth is a combination of muscles,” he finally stutters, dragging some basic information up from his depths. “It- this experiment is to exercise them. See how far they can…stretch.”
That sounds mildly plausible. 
“I’ve just demonstrated how far they can stretch,” you tell him. “But do you think they can go further?”
“…yes.”
“Well would you believe it, so do I.” You lick the tip of dick and make it even wetter. “I think my mouth can take more.”
“That…yes. It would be complete. The experiment. As well as- This one. The experiment. I need…complete results or-”
“Or you’ll be a failure?” You speak around the lollipop,
your hand now languidly stroking him. “Well we don’t want that. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be associated with a failure. I have a poverty of life expectancy remember, and I don’t want to waste what I’ve got with a loser. So.”
You remove the lollipop from your mouth and hold onto his legs to brace yourself. You then slowly, slowly, take his dick back into your mouth. Shockwave doesn’t move. He lets you set the pace. Lets you do all the work more like. Not that you’re complaining, but you will complain out loud to him later just to annoy him. His dick reaches the back of your mouth again and you feel him relax slightly. 
Your scientist needs to learn to be more ambitious in his experiments with you. More fearless. 
You adjust your angle, instruct your muscles to relax further, and take his dick all the way down your throat until he’s fully hilted inside you. 
Shockwave shudders and grips your head harder. He then realises what he’s done and lets go immediately in case he’s hurt you, but he doesn’t want to break contact with you so he holds the back of your head again but this time lightly, but it’s not enough to stabilize him so he shoots his other arm out and scrabbles for whatever purchase he can find and makes a sound that sounds like dying.
He needs to get a hold of himself. You’re not even moving any more, and he’s reacting like he’s been blessed and cursed with divine revelation all at once. 
You pat the back of his legs to reassure him. 
Shockwaves’s stabiliser pistons finally align and steadies his frame.
And then you move. You fuck him slowly with your mouth. All the way up and then all the way back down. His dick tastes even better than that lollipop, and you suck him with control and purpose. Your chin is wet and your throat is sticky and your heart is thumping harder than you ever remember it doing.
Shockwave is doing his best to stay silent and is failing wonderfully. You wonder if he’ll match your rhythm and fuck you down your throat but he hasn’t, and you don’t suspect he will. Not because he doesn’t want to, but because he doesn’t want to use more than a fraction of his strength in case even that’s too much. His self-control is impressive and welcome, but it’s not complete. 
Shockwave is holding the back of your head lightly, but his fingers are tightening infinitesimally around your hair and scalp every time you suck the tip of his dick and swallow it all the way down to its base. His self-control is not infinite and not indestructible. He’s not dead inside.  
You eventually feel his frame tense and tighten around you, and hear the pitch and whine of his engines straining up a gear. You’re enveloped in heat and know he’s close.
“There…is time for one more experiment,” he manages to say, his voice thick with static.
“Mmmm?” you ask around his dick, your full mouth still moving.
“…apparently saliva can digest various substances and…so can stomach enzymes and…the mouth is part of the digestive system and…if you…if you…”
You’ve swallowed transfluid before and liked it and know it won’t hurt you. You’ve had The Talk with all the medics on board just to be sure, and so long as he doesn’t pour his entire tank down your throat in one go you’ll be fine.
You nod your consent, and Shockwave makes a noise that sounds like gratitude.
He’s a bit less steady on his feet now, a bit more erratic, a bit louder and less efficient in his movements but you’re not. You’re a steady constant in the face of his fast approaching overload, fucking him in a perfect rythym that surprises him more than it does you.
He grips you harder and spasms and his engines scream dangerously loud as he overloads hard in your mouth. A shot of transfluid hits the back of your throat and you can’t help but gag at the quantity of it. You hold his legs tighter to prevent him from going anywhere, because you’re not going to miss a moment of this. You swallow as much as you can, and revel in the mechanical rumbling stuttering sounds his engines make as they fight not to cut out. His silent cooling system is blasting hard, which feels like opening an oven door and putting your face into it. Your hair is stuck to your flushed and sweating face.
Shockwave eventually quietens and stills and begins to regain himself. A series of small clicks indicate his cooling system is powering down. You suspect he’d like to keep his dick down your throat all day if you agreed to it and while that’s not something you’re opposed to, far from it, your mind is already churning with possibilities as to what three hands and a cannon can do while your mouth is occupied, it’s an experiment for another day.
Right now you have your own needs to attend to, and first on that list is to clean up the mess he’s made on you as best you ca. You gave it a good try but you couldn’t swallow everything he gave you, you’re only human, and a lot of it leaked out of your mouth and dribbled down your chin and throat. Your skin is sticky and your clothes are splattered.
You move your head back until his dick pops out, and cup a hand underneath your mouth to catch the gush of fluid that spills out. You look up at Shockwave and raise that hand to your mouth and lap up what’s in it.
Shockwave’s overworked engines make a pitiful sound as they rev back up again. You suck your fingers clean, and then you put your underestimated human mouth to good use and clean him up. 
Your work is not completed quickly.
But finally it is, and you make an effort to casually sit back in satisfaction at completing a job well done.
“So what do you think?” you ask him off-handedly, as your body thrums and fizzes. You wish your own temperature control system was more effective, no matter how noisy it would have to be. Your shirt is stuck to your back and you’re entering the non-lethal stage of dehydration. “Was the experiment a success?”
“I think,” Shockwave says, as he pours you a glass of water from the sink, “That the human mouth is…interesting.”
He hands you the glass and you drink from it without pausing. You know that’s as close as Shockwave will ever come to saying that he thinks the human mouth is incredible, yours especially, and that he wants nothing more than to fill it and worship it again.
“But still a concerning mystery,” Shockwave continues, as he takes the empty glass from you. “It requires further research. A lot of research.”
He kneels down in front of you and puts a hand on your knee.
“In fact,” Shockwave says, his warm fingertips languidly stroking up the inside of your thigh as if the thought has just occurred to him, “the human body as a whole needs to be researched further. One system, one organ, one session at a time.” 
His hand stops on your buckled belt.
“A breakthrough has been achieved,” you tell him, picking up his hand and removing it from your belt. Despite his claims to be highly dexterous, you don’t have time to wait for him to use one hand when you have two.
“It’s a minor miracle.” You unbuckle your belt, pull your pants down, lean back against the wall and put one hand behind your head to cushion it. With your other hand you make a motion for him to hurry up and get to work because you both know you’ve earned this.
“You finally said something correct. Now let’s see what else you can accomplish.“
585 notes · View notes
daringyounggrayson · 5 years ago
Text
they took me where you couldn’t follow (but you still found me)
Whumptober Prompt 4: Human Shield 
(AO3)
A toddler—the toddler, the one that’s being used as a pawn in some gang war—is kneeling next to Dick’s head, crying hysterically and slapping his cheek. He feels like he can barely breathe, and the room is filled with smoke so dark and thick he can barely see the wall across from him. His head feels heavy and fuzzy, but through the haze it shouts run.
He coughs and sits up. “Shh, it’s okay,” he tells the girl. “We’re gonna get out of here.” He stumbles to his feet with watery eyes and unclips his cape, wrapping it around her.
“Out now!” she orders, fighting the cape a little. “Out!”
Dick scoops her up without another word, pulling the cape over her head completely before pulling her against his chest. There are no windows in the room they’re in, but there is a door. It’s locked, but it’s old and easy to break open. He steps out into a hallway where the fire is eating the walls and just starts running. The floor creaks, or maybe it’s the ceiling. Either way, something’s about to give. He tries not to think about it as he runs through the building, hunting for a door or a window—anything that’s out.
Something comes crashing down from above and he does his best to dodge and use himself as a human shield to protect the kid. Flames lick at his back, but not at the kid. He’ll take it.
He stumbles through the house like that—responses all instinct and eyes set on nothing except getting outside. It’s hard to breathe and it’s hard to stay upright, but the toddler is coughing and crying so he keeps going. He sees a door up ahead, and Dick dances around flames and a fallen bookshelf to get to it. It's not until he hears the loud voices that he freezes—another instinctive response. There's even more shouting just before the door breaks open, and Dick has a moment of panic before he recognizes them as firefighters and relaxes.
He goes for the doorway and hands the toddler over, cape and all. He opens his mouth to speak, but all he tastes is smoke and all he says are coughs. The other firefighter lifts him up and carries him out of the house, faster than Dick thinks all of that gear should allow.
“Is there anyone else inside?” He asks.
“Dunno,” Dick says. He reaches for his emergency beacon and presses it. Twice. (Should’ve done that first. Stupid.)
The firefighter sets him down on a gurney and then he’s running off again, back towards the burning building. An EMT looks down his throat, and after he determines that it’s not going to swell shut, he pushes an oxygen mask into Dick’s face. Dick takes it, pressing it closer with his hands as he nods and gulps and coughs.
“You inhaled a lot of smoke,” the EMT tells him, like Dick hadn’t noticed.
He doesn’t respond, though; he can’t focus on anything and he can already feel himself slipping back into unconsciousness now that the fight or flight response is easing down. But he needs to look for Batman, needs to get to him before anything else.
“Robin.” And just like that, Batman’s there.
Dick shoves at the EMT to let him slide off the gurney and pass.
“He’s hurt, Batman. Just let us check him out.” The EMT sounds desperate, reminding Dick why he doesn’t like dealing with them. Dealing with the way they sound and plead and honest to god think Robin will drop dead if Batman takes him home.
Dick leans into Bruce and his knees give out. Bruce picks him up and takes him away from the screeching sirens and flashing lights. All Dick can think is that he can’t breathe and he doesn’t feel right.
“Drugged,” Dick finally pieces together.
There’s a pause. “With what?”
“Kid,” Dick starts, realization and panic forcing him above the exhaustion again. “There was a kid—I had her, she—”
“Easy. She’s safe. You did good work tonight, Robin.”
Dick has a lot of questions about what tonight entailed, but all he can do is choke and gasp and fight against passing out. He just wants it to stop.
“Shh,” Bruce tells him gently. “I’ve got you.”
Dick passes out before they even get to the car.
oOo
Dick wakes to the feeling of something uncomfortably warm and sour crawling up his throat. His mouth opens on reflex before he’s even fully awake, and then he’s gagging and drowning in vomit and someone is shouting.
Something is ripped from his face and there’s a sickening splat against the ground as Dick can finally breathe again. He gasps before his stomach convulses again and Bruce pulls him upright, shoving something into his hands, which he gags into again and again and again. When there’s nothing left and his stomach is done forcing him to dry heave, he’s panting and shaking and covered in a cold sweat.
Bruce presses a kiss into his hair, rubs his arm and says, “You’re alright, chum. You’re alright.”
“What was that?” Dick says between breaths. Alfred offers him a washcloth for his face and a cup of water, both of which he accepts eagerly.
“A street drug with sedative properties. I hadn’t seen it before tonight,” Bruce tells him. Dick swishes the water around in his mouth and then spits it into the basin, which Alfred takes from him before Dick’s shaking hands can spill it.
“Is it supposed to do this?” Dick asks, lying back down and clutching his chest and stomach.
“I don’t have enough information yet.”
Dick groans and Bruce rests his hand on his head. “Kid okay?” he asks before Alfred slips a clean oxygen mask over his face.
“Yes. She’s being kept overnight, but there are no burns and her airways are looking as good as can be expected.” Bruce rubs his thumb into Dick’s temple. “You’re suit prevented any serious burns, but there are some minor burns along the back of your neck and part of your hair was singed.”
“Guessing my airways are alright, though?” Dick asks. His chest hurts, sure, and he’s on oxygen, but it can’t be that bad; it’s not like he’s intubated.
“We’ll keep monitoring.”
“Are you in any pain, Master Dick?” Alfred asks.
“It’s fine.” It’s not. “How long were we in there?”
“We don’t know. At least ten minutes.”
“Did they do it on purpose, or were they just stupid?” And who were they? Dick knows there was a “they”—there’s always a “they”—but then again, he doesn’t even remember being grabbed. His head is still fuzzy; he can see the information, but he can’t grab it and translate it into sense.
Bruce shakes his head. “The kidnappers are claiming that they were hired for the job but the gang leaders double-crossed them, tied them up, and lit the place on fire. The kidnappers escaped and fled the scene, but I found them before they could get far. They’re currently in custody.”
“Did they know that we were in the building too? The gang leaders, I mean.”
“Yes,” Bruce says, and then stops like that’s all he’s going to say. Dick looks at him eagerly, and Bruce releases a long breath before he gives in. “From what I’ve gathered, the leaders were likely planning on killing the girl the whole time; it was never a hostage situation like the hired kidnappers are claiming. You also weren’t part of the plan, and maybe taking you is what made the gang leaders angry. But it’s also possible that the gang leaders were planning on killing the kidnappers the whole time to prevent any loose ends and they saw taking you down as a bonus. It’s still unclear how the drugs fit in, however, but I’ll know more after I read the report in the morning.”
Bruce not knowing so many things is one thing, but not actively seeking answers the first chance he gets is another. It’s weird. Wrong.
“What’s wrong? Did something else happen tonight?” Dick asks, sitting up a little as panic grips him. “Is Babs okay? Where is she?”
“She’s fine. Home,” Bruce assures, easing Dick back down and looking at him like he’s a teetering antique vase.
“Then what?” Dick demands.
Bruce sets his jaw, and Alfred rests his hand on Dick’s shoulder. “I think we are all a little on edge due to this evening’s events. You were missing for over two hours, and we were unable to track you.”
Dick’s eyebrows furrow. He saw the building; it wouldn’t have blocked the signal to the tracker in his suit. “But—”
“They took it out,” Bruce explains. Not broken, not blocked, but intentionally removed and deactivated. “Somehow they knew where we kept it. They also deactivated your emergency beacon, though they left that on your belt for some reason.”
Oh.
Oh.
Dick pales and he feels sick again. “How?” And who else knows?
“We’ll change them, perhaps add more in multiple locations,” Bruce says, always with the plan.
For the first time that night, Dick realizes just how badly things could have gone. There’s a new drug out on the street, one that Dick might have been the guinea pig for. Bruce couldn’t find him, and worse yet, he probably only ended up at that abandoned building by scanning police radios. If that toddler hadn’t been there to wake Dick up, or if she’d passed out from smoke exposure a minute earlier, they’d both be dead. All because someone knew about the trackers. Knows.
Dick nods, clenches his jaw. No one says anything after that. Alfred takes a seat and watches the monitors and Bruce rests his hand back in Dick’s hair, rubbing his temple back and forth in a rhythmic motion. No one talks and Dick wracks his brain for any detail from his abduction that could be useful. But there’s nothing, and no matter what plans Bruce puts in place, everyone is all too aware that this could happen again, and the next time, he might not make it out.
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tophattippin · 5 years ago
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“Useless” Arackniss Headcanons that are canon on my blog ewvuybdadd
-he’s been drinking since he was five, actively. He actually started drinking at 3 but that was just a few sips here and there...
-he has more of a ‘Negro’ way of speaking than most of his friends/family members because he spent far more time with JACK than HENRY growing up.
-only LUCIANA, MOLLY, ANTHONY and JACK call him NICO. Middle names are very private to them if you let someone call you by your middle name you consider them family.
-he was a theatre kid, believe it or not
-most of his abilities after death center around romance/seduction. He rarely uses them. He thinks the twins would’ve been more fit to use them but it’s- it’s him for some reason.
One of these abilities is having the ability to make someone fall for him for a SHORT PERIOD OF TIME by FLIRTING with them. He’s a good flirt. He just hates everyone.
His second ability is that his kisses are ADDICTIVE. He doesn’t do it on purpose. And he doesn’t usually go around kissing people on the mouth, anyway.
-He has a tendency to kiss people’s cheek European style
-He helps run the two casinos his family owns down in Hell.
-He respects people like BARTENDERS and JANITORS and such automatically. If you work at a job like that, you automatically gain his respect.
-He’s tired 24/7
-He can’t go longer than three minutes sober until he panics and freaks out
-He has no gag reflex and can easily down a full bottle of Vodka in one sitting.
-When he injects his venom into someone, it leaves behind a red rose shaped mark no matter what surface— even on fur.
-He CAN and WILL eat others. But usually only in MARCH
-He has met every overlord at least once (verse dependent) and is not afraid of Lucifer.
-He loves cats. Cats are a favorite. If you’re a cat you automatically gain his favor. He loves cats.
-He can COOK and BAKE. The twins are better cooks, he likes to BAKE the most and has a better skill for it than them. They cook, he bakes.
-He cares more about ANIMALS than other PEOPLE (especially cats, of course)
-His favorite cats are both black and white. (Usually tuxedo cats)
-He takes a while to warm up to you.
-once he grows soft for you he grows SOFT for you.
-you will be spoiled and pampered beyond belief if he likes you enough.
-No one has ever beat him in a casino game (he doesn’t do machines. Prefera old fashioned)
-No one has ever drunk him under the table. He is not okay enough for someone to be able to drink him under the table. You can TRY. But you won’t be able to.
-He knows more than the languages listed on his ABOUT PAGE. Only thing is that all those are just curse words in several languages.
-He fluffs when he gets flustered. His fur will ‘poof’ and he gets ten times softer.
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surveys-at-your-service · 6 years ago
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Survey #157
hey instead of lyrics, there’s a warning for a religiously offensive answer.
How many kids do you want to have?  Only too many scaly and furry ones. <3 Who’s the last person you smoked weed with?  I've never smoked it. Who is the person you have hurt the most?  Probably Mom. Who is the person that has hurt you the most?  Jason. Who was the last person who cried around you?  Mom when she found out about my cousin Brenna. What was the last thing you cried about?  Emotional conversation with Sara. What’s your current problem?  Just friendship stuff after breaking apart from Colleen again and being ignored when I've been reaching out to old friends, something I've been putting a lot of effort into lately.  I just don't get what's wrong with me/what's that damn unlikable about me that I can't make or maintain friendships. What brand of face wash do you use?  Biore.  Or I think Neutrogena if I have a pimple. Do you know anyone who owns a boat?  Dad. Did you get carded the last time you ordered an alcoholic drink?  I surprisingly didn't.  Nor did I get carded when I bought something from the liquor store for Mom and me.  Do I look 30 or something now that my hair's cut. Did your parents give you an allowance as a kid? No. Do you know anyone who’s died in childbirth? No, thankfully. Are you (or have you ever been) a vegetarian?  I am.  Took a brief break for weight loss purposes but seeing as that did nothing, I went back to it and plan on staying that way. Do you ever use Snapchat?  No. What was the last show that you watched a full episode of? The Good Doctor. Do you get your feelings hurt easily?  Yup. When you go to McDonalds, what drink do you usually get?  Coke. What’s the nickname of your home state?  The Tar Heel State. What’s the worst type of weather in your opinion?  Hot and humid. Do you have a Kindle or iPad or neither?  Neither. Would you rather read or write? Write. Is there a dead end road near where you live?  Most likely. Have you ever had to call and complain about a product you bought?  No. Do you have a sensitive gag reflex?  YUP. Are you at risk for any medical issues?  Heart issues run in my family, and I'm finding out if I have hypoglycemia like.  Tomorrow. Is there an upcoming concert you want to go to?  Metallica in January, desperately. Do you own a robe?  No.  Don't really need one.  I get dressed right after showering. What is your favorite mark of punctuation?  Question mark. How many deep dark secrets do you have?  I don't really keep it a secret, but I don't just happily share it either.  One. Where is your father right now?  I'd assume at work. How comfy is your bed on a scale of 1-10?  I guess like... 7? What was the spiciest thing you’ve ever eaten?  Hot wings at BWW doused in like the... fourth-hottest sauce. Who last called you sexy?  The only one who is insane enough to call me that is Sara. Do you want any more piercings?  Collarbones when they're prominent again, more in my ears, and then if/when I lose enough weight probably lower back dermals and bellybutton. Do you believe in heaven and hell?  Not in the Christian concept, but in some manner, probably.  Certainly a heaven of some sort for the good.  I don't know about a hell, but maybe purgatory as earth-bound spirits?  I mean there's no way the evil are going to a lovely place. Which do you think you're most likely to go to?  Hopefully a heaven, but if it turns out the Christian god is real, happily to Hell because fuck him for a multitude of reasons. How will the world end?  A meteor strike seems logical.  Flooding from global warming (I don't know how much it actually would cover if all ice melted, but).  The sun dying, if Earth is lucky enough to possibly survive that long. Are you scared of the dark?  No. How many true friends would you say you had?  Like 2-3, lol. Do you have a motto?  Not really. When was the last time you went on a trampoline?  Couldn't guess. What’s your best memory with each of your parents?  Dad, maybe him teaching me to ride a bike.  Or playing softball.  As for Mom, maybe the time we were driving around one night, grabbed some milkshakes, and jammed out to Judas Priest way too loud lol. Do you believe that leaving a significant other for someone else is ever a good idea?  I mean, sure.  If you truly loved your s/o, you wouldn't even consider someone else.  Better than cheating. Is it possible to ‘fix’ a ‘broken’ relationship?  I'm not sure, honestly.  This will never in any universe happen, but let's just say Jason and I got back together.  It wouldn't work.  At all.  Our relationship was Heaven to me until it ended, and I know it could never be repaired. If you found someone seemingly perfect for you, but it turned out they had a child… would you still give the relationship a chance?  Nope.  I could never take on the role of a parent figure for a child.  Nevermind one that wasn't mine or Sara's. Is it possible to ‘fall out of love’?  Yeah, been there. Why do you think people choose to get married?  Some people just enjoy the idea of a legal union with each other to signify their love, some don't want sex or kids before marriage, etc. Would you have sex with the last person you text messaged?  We're both girls, but if it was physically possible, definitely. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything?  Mom or Sara, depending on the subject. Who was the last person you danced with?  Sara. How many tattoos would you get?  Arms covered, hands, knuckles, neck, sternum, hips, back, ribs... lots.  The only place I'm not very interested in tattooing are my legs, but it'll probably happen if I find something I love and also to balance things out.  Might look kinda weird to have so many but then none below my hips. Abusive relationship: leave him/her or keep it a secret?  TELL.  SOMEONE.  I'm sure the idea is terrifying, but what's scarier is staying with someone abusive.  Tell someone who can do something. Besides your mouth, where is your favorite spot to get kissed?  Breasts. Who was the last member of the opposite sex you laid in a bed with?  Jason. Do you prefer broccoli or asparagus?  I like the broccoli, the latter is disgusting. Do you like gore?  Sometimes it's aesthetically pleasing to me, sometimes it gives me a quick gag if it's something real gross with humans because then I can actually imagine it on myself. Have you ever read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov?  No.  Pretty sure I know the basis of it, though, if it's about the lolita fashion.  My friend had a phase where she was deeeep into it and told me about a book of that name.  Gross. Do serial killers fascinate you?  Not especially, but sometimes it is intriguing to learn just how fucked they can be.  I wonder how the mind can make up some shit. Besides your own, what’s your favorite country?  That I'm at least somewhat aware of, I find Japanese culture quite interesting. Would you ever get a septum piercing?  Nah, don't think it'll look good on me. Are you lactose intolerant?  No. Are you allergic to gluten?  No. Do you know anyone who is missing a toe?  No. Do any lights stay on while you sleep?  My snake's and iguana's lamps. If you have a notepad in your phone, what do you use it for the most?  Lmao tattoo ideas. Have you ever had a crush on someone of the same gender?  At least three girls.  Two before I even realized I was bi lmao.  Just looking back, my bond with them on my end wasn't straight, Alon especially. What store do you shop at the most for clothes?  HotTopic. Would you ever get your nipples pierced?  I very recently actually briefly considered it lmao.  I wouldn't tho.  Tbfh mainly just because of foreplay reasons shhhh. How many pets do you own?  Six. What’s your least favorite season? I loathe summer. Do you like tacos? Omg no. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Introvert. Do you like to play board games?  Not really, no. Are you fond of romantic novels? When I read, I wouldn't actively seek them out, but I enjoyed quite a few. Fruit Loops or Cocopops?  Fruit Loops = Good Shit. Would you eat a live spider for one million dollars? Biiiitch yes for that much. Do you believe in aliens? I've been more open to the possibility lately.  Maybe. If you were the last person alive besides one other person you get to chose, who would it be?  My Sara Jane. Dogs or cats?  Cats. Do you like cotton candy?  I can only manage a couple bites.  Too sweet. Would you ever use a dating site? I like to pretend that never happened lmao neeeever again. Do you believe in ghosts?  Absolutely. Rap or pop? Pop, if I had to pick between the two. Do you like Lady Gaga?  Some of her songs are super catchy. What about Nick Minaj?  She's very talented in her genre, but I'm not a fan of her music. How many pairs of jeans do you own? None. Do you have an addiction to anything?  Technology. Do you like cheeseburgers?  Probably what I miss most being a vegetarian.  I love burgers. Do you have a Flickr? Yes. When did you last vacuum your room? Few days back. Who was the last person to sit on your bed?  Mom. Do you have a favorite flower?  Orchids. Do you like to cuddle with your S.O. or do you prefer your space?  Depends on how comfortable I am in the relationship.  In my current one, I am like.  Soooo cuddly. Do you like being called pet names or not?  Depends on the person.  Parents, s/o, friends, sure. Do you care if your produce is organic or not?  Not really, but I mean if I was to pick between something organic or not and I was aware, I'd certainly pick the organic. Do you get enough calcium?  I love milk, bro. Who is it that you’re in love with?  Sara 100% 100% 100% my babygirl. Is your significant other of the same ethnicity as you?  Yes. Do you have any friends in a band?  An old friend is the guitarist of a pretty nice metal band. What’s your favorite flavor of potato chip?  Classic, probs. What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?  Suicidal depression. Do you ever donate money to charity? If so, which charity and why? Once I have a source of income, I plan on donating to every charity livestream Mark does.  One, because it's just being a generous human, but also because I try to actively support everything he does. How many are too many partners for one person, in your opinion? Basically, I only support monogamy. What has been the most exciting moment of your life thus far? Meeting Sara. What’re your plans for your next birthday?  Lemme get my Mark tattoo, man.  Go out to my favorite restaurant.  Family time. Have you ever kissed anyone with a tongue ring?  No. Thinking back to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on their bed?  Yeah. Have you ever slept in the same bed with the last person you kissed?  Yeah. Thinking back to the last person you really, truly passionately kissed, how many times have you cried because of them?  Waaaaaaaay too many times. How cold does it have to be before you put on a sweater?  Like low 50s. Has anyone ever pulled a gun on you?  Whoa no. Kisses on the cheek or the neck?  If you're not in the mood to make out, don't kiss me on the neck lmao. One word to describe your most recent ex? Hilarious. Fried, poached, boiled or scrambled eggs? I only like scrambled. Have you ever gotten into a club, whilst being underage?  Never been to one. When do you plan on moving out?  When Sara and I are ready to move in together. Before Facebook became popular, did you use any other social networking site like Bebo or MySpace?  I had MySpace. Do you think when someone says “I love you” that you are obliged to say it back?  Definitely not.  Those are strong words. Which Disney princess do you think is the most beautiful and why?  Hmmm, I think Pocahontas.  I just think she's very pretty. What’s the best food to have at a sleepover?  PIZZA. How did you meet the last person you shared a bed with?  YouTube. Do you have any half-siblings?  Four. When going shopping for junk food, what’s the first thing you pick up?  Usually chips. At sleepovers, do you usually stay up all night or actually go to sleep?  Go to sleep. Is there anything in the room you’re in that’s really dusty?  I neeeed to dust my fan. Do you know anybody with different colored eyes?  No. Are any of your relatives vets?  Not to my knowledge. How many minutes do you consider late?  More than 5. What kinds of food do you dunk into milk?  Just cookies. Do you have any current or past teachers on your Facebook friends?  Yes. How much sugar do you like in your tea/coffee?  I hate both. Have you ever seen your mom or dad drunk?  Yeah. After seeing a movie, do you go to a site to enter a review about it?  No. Do your parents vote?  I know Mom does.  Guessing Dad does. How would you react if your best friend was pregnant/got someone pregnant?  My best friend is my girlfriend, and I'd support whatever she decided.  She doesn't want kids at all, nor do I think her body could handle it, so I'd understand if she aborted, and if she didn't, I'd try damn hard to be an amazing parent. What restaurant has the best fries?  Bojangle's fries got all her challengers SHOOK. What does your mailbox look like?  Just a normal 'ole mailbox. Would your mom make a good president?  No. What’s your favorite thing to eat during a movie?  Popcorn. Do you consider cooking to be an art?  Sure, it can be. What browser do you prefer to use?  Chrome. What genre of films do you like the best? Paranormal horror. Have you ever had a crush on someone several years older than yourself?  No. Does your best friend have any tattoos?  No. Who was the last person you were rude to? Did you have a good reason?  Probably Mom.  There's never a good reason to be rude.
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tysonrunningfox · 7 years ago
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Eret III: Frustrating Friends
Hey so this took forever.  And I’m sorry, mostly to Eret himself, who always feels like home as soon as I dig into him.  I’m really hoping to finish this as a kind of nano project because it’s been about 3 years since I started it and I should really put all these babies out of their misery (After inflicting more due to the outline that finally feels comprehensive but whatever).  So encouragement appreciated?  That sounds so bratty but I’ve really been flailing in my vacuum and I know Eret III isn’t a popular piece to turn to when I feel like that but it’s what I could reach.  
Previous Parts 
I hate how old the chief’s house is.  I really really hate it.  I used to think it was kind of cool, but when the stairs’ creak wakes me up to the enthusiastic pounding in my head, I take it all back.  I kind of remember getting home last night.  I remember the feast being a disaster and having to deal with my dad and Fuse being mad at me for some reason.  
I forgot to keep the fire going, because it’s freezing, and Bang clinging to me like he wants to sap all of the warmth out of my body isn’t helping anything.  But my head doesn’t want me to move and my stomach agrees so I curl further into the blankets.  
It doesn’t feel like long later when I hear someone, probably Mom because the stairs don’t creak again, kneeling in front of the fire and loading a couple of logs into it.
“How are you feeling?” She asks, a little amused in a way I don’t totally appreciate.  
“Kill me now.  Do it quick,” I pull the blanket all the way over my head when the light of the fire pierces my eyes even through my eyelids. “I trust you.”  
“Nope, you’ve taken too much effort to kill quickly,” she pats my leg through the blankets and I hear her get up and the dull clang of the old kettle.  “I’m going to make you some tea and you’re going to drink it and the next time I’m not watching you at a feast, you’re going to remember how you feel right now and not get so drunk again.”  
“That’s a lot of orders all at once,” I peek out into the room with one eye, trying to let it adjust even as it feels like it’s stabbing me, “I’m gonna forget the last like…three.”
“Of course you will.”
It takes a few tries, but I’m unsteadily sitting against Bang’s side by the time she pours me a cup of tea and gives me a stern look.  It’s not too stern though, there’s worry there and a general kind of contentment I don’t know if I’ve seen since everything fell apart.  She liked planning the feast.  She didn’t get to do that kind of thing with my dad, she only had us to order around and we never listened very fast or well.  
“The feast was good.” I try and compliment her even though she definitely already knows.  “I mean, it went well.  Not that I’ve been to many feasts but this one was good.”  
“I always kind of hated that we couldn’t take you kids,” she sighs, “I went overboard at home to make up for it but…that was a big childhood thing to me.  The Snoggltog feast with the whole village and everything.”  
“It was fun,” I lie, “I liked it at home even better though.  I didn’t have to dress up and Bang could be there.”  
“Dressing up once in a while isn’t going to kill you,” she looks at me kind of happy for a second, like she’s glad to know she didn’t fail at holidays when I was little.  I want to tell her that Arvid liked it too but that’s not mine to say anymore.  I know Ingrid would tell her if she were here but well, that’s another reason it didn’t feel like Snoggletog.  
Oddly, I didn’t miss Rolf.
“Maybe that’s what did me in, you don’t know.”  
“I think it was all of the mead you drank.”  She starts on breakfast and I force myself to my feet, stumbling the few steps to the table. The little bit of blood flow made me simultaneously more nauseous and less headachy and I rest my forehead on my hands.  
“Debatable.”  
Mom doesn’t find that worth answering and she silently refills my tea.  
“Good morning, you look like shit,” Aurelia comes down the stairs and tugs at my tied back hair.  I glare at her.  
“Good morning, you were out late,” I whisper the latter part and she glares at me like she can inflict physical damage with her eyes.  
I wouldn’t put it past her, honestly, but my head hurts too bad to care what she does to me.  
“Take a good look, Aurelia,” Mom gestures to me with the spatula she’s using to stir leftover mutton stew from the night before, “that’s what drinking like an idiot looks like.”
“Ew,” she sits down next to me and takes a drink of my tea because she’s a tiny, irritating, boundary-less human being.  
“No, this is what it looks like when everyone picks on me and takes my stuff,” I shoulder her away from my cup and drain it on principal, even though it makes my stomach swirl and churn.  I blink slowly, trying to stop the table from moving like a ship in rough surf.  
“No, you definitely look worse than usual,” Aurelia almost sounds compassionate as she gets up to refill my teacup.  She takes a sip anyway but sets it front of me.  
Stoick is the next one down the stairs, tripping over oversized socks that look like some I used to have.  He hugs mom’s leg and sits down across from Aurelia, swinging his legs and kicking the table leg with a rhythm that throbs in my temple.  
“Good morning!”  His high pitched little voice is like a battle axe to the back of the head and I sip my tea, nodding at him in acknowledgement.
“Keep your voice down,” Aurelia prompts him, “Eret drank a bunch of alcohol and now his head hurts and he’s uglier than normal.”  
“Careful with that,” I glare at her, “girl who looks like miniature me with more hair.”  
“You wish,” she scoffs.
“Admit it, we both have that Haddock—”
“Last name,” Mom cuts me off, pointing the spatula at me like it’s a weapon and she’s planning to demonstrate.  She looks at Stoick and back at me, like he’s never heard anyone swear before or something.
“He was going to say charm, I’m sure,” Aurelia puts on a big, fake smile, “we’ve both got that wholly likeable personality.”  
“That skipped me,” I elbow her and she rolls her eyes.  
“I know it did, but you wish it didn’t.”  
“Good morning!”  The chief comes down the stairs exaggeratedly slowly, yawning so loudly it’s like he wants to make me see double.  “I don’t know about you guys, but I slept great.”  
“Must have, I didn’t even hear you snoring,” Aurelia rolls her eyes, slumping down slightly, all desire to make fun of me reabsorbed for a later time when the chief isn’t there.  
“How about you guys?” The chief looks at us so briefly he doesn’t seem to notice I’m doing my best draugr impression before looking at Mom.
She’s red from pulling bread out of the hearth and because the chief is himself, he smiles like it has something to do with him, and if Stoick announcing his presence at the top of his lungs didn’t make me puke, this might.  
“I slept good.  I was tired,” Mom shrugs, more awkward than frosty, but not as nice as she’s been to him lately.  
I vaguely remember them getting me home last night.  I bet he said something stupid.  I hope they don’t start actively fighting again but I wouldn’t necessarily mind a little frost.  
“Why so quiet?”  The chief looks around again, “did I interrupt some important conversation?”  He asks like that’s not a really weird question to pose sleepy teenagers first thing in the morning.  
“Your children were arguing over who’s the most beautiful,” Mom rolls her eyes at me in particular, like she’s worried I’m not entirely aware that me being beautiful is the biggest joke of the year.  Like it’s not weird to group me as one of the chief’s children, out loud, and maybe it’s not anymore.  
“Oh, that’s easy.” The chief laughs and Aurelia almost looks ambivalent for a second, like she’s waiting to let something go over a stupid compliment she’s expecting.  “It’s Eret, he looks the most like you.”  He says that to Mom.  I wrinkle my nose.  She looks blank and still red and Aureila deflates slightly.  “I stuck the other two with way more of all this,” he gestures to himself and Mom smiles like she’s trying not to laugh.  
“I think I got plenty of that,” I scoff.   “And clearly, Stoick is the best looking.”  
Stoick nods about as seriously as an eight year old ever does, “I know.  I just didn’t want to make you guys feel bad.”  
I laugh at that even though it hurts, holding a closed fist out to him.  He looks at it for a second before gingerly bumping his tiny fist against mine.  The chief’s looking at us with that gross, dreamy, happy family face and Mom sets breakfast on the table.  The smell makes my stomach churn but she puts some on my plate anyway.  
“It’ll help,” she ruffles my hair and I don’t bat her hand away even though I probably should for laughing at the chief’s dumb jokes.  
“Hungover?”  The chief sits down next to me and looks concerned, and it’s not like letting me sleep in yesterday, it’s more personal.  Like he thinks because he made sure I didn’t freeze to death he’s got to make sure I’m not going to throw up.  
That incidentally makes me want to throw up.  
“What’s that?”  Stoick asks messing with his food like he’s not sure he wants to eat it.  No wonder he’s so small.  
“It’s the official word for drinking too much and getting sick,” Aurelia explains, pointing at Stoick’s plate, “and I’ll tell you more if you eat your whole breakfast.”  
He rolls his eyes and starts eating slow little bites.  I shouldn’t say that, because he is eating faster than me, because everything I put in my mouth goes to war with my gag reflex.  Ok, maybe that’s a lie, because the fifth bite goes down easier than the fourth and the sixth easier than the fifth.  I wonder if Mom’s ever been hungover or if she just took care of other people.  
If she ever was it was probably when she was young and that makes me look at the chief.  He’d know.  I’m not going to ask him because I hate acknowledging that he’d know, but he’d tell me.  
That’s something I’m still getting used to.  Sitting next to a book of answers so much of my time and being unwilling to open it.  
“Did you guys have fun at the feast?”  The chief asks, looking at me in particular, “before you got drunk, I mean. Did you at least get to talk to Fuse some?”  
“Don’t remind me,” I stab a piece of mutton much harder than necessary, scraping against the plate, “can we not play happy family breakfast right now?”  
“Just because you’re snappy, doesn’t mean you get to snap,” Mom chastises me and it takes me a second to realize that she’s essentially defending the chief’s right to ask about things that are none of his or anyone’s business.  
“I wasn’t snapping,” I snap and she looks at me like I’m a kid again even though I haven’t felt like one in a while.  Because when they don’t need me to be an adult, I go straight back to being a child.  “I just don’t want to talk about it.”  
Mom opens her mouth to say something else but the chief cuts her off.  
“It’s ok, Astrid,” he shrugs and it’s not his usual ‘I’ll do anything to make Eret my best friend’ kind of unaffected.  I don’t like that, necessarily, because when he makes me mad the least courtesy he could give me is getting mad in return, but I also don’t necessarily want my mom yelling at me when every word causes physical pain.  “I’m not going to let a little hungover testiness ruin my excellent mood.”  
“You’re better at that than me, I guess,” Mom sighs and she’s still weirdly pink, like it’s hot in here when it really isn’t, especially since I let the fire die out last night.  “I’ll just need a pick me up later when my mouthy son is out of the house.”  
The chief drops his fork on the floor.  I look at Aurelia to laugh at him together but she’s staring at her plate, mouth tight-lipped closed.  I hate it. I hate how there’s one dynamic when the chief isn’t here and another when he is and that Mom doesn’t seem to notice or care.  I take the last bite of my breakfast all at once, forcing it down a dry throat and standing up.  
“Well, I’ll make that sooner rather than later.  Bang needs breakfast.  Aurelia, do you want to help?”  
“Fine,” she stands up, grabbing her coat off of the hook by the door.  
“Are you offering to take Stoick too?  Or…” The chief narrows his eyes and looks at me like he does when he’s searching for some part of himself that just isn’t there and I shrug.  
“The academy is closed today, isn’t it?”  
His face falls slightly and he shrugs and nods and generally makes a fool of himself for no apparently reason.  Mom glares at him.  I have no idea what he did to piss her off but I don’t really feel like sticking around to find out.  
“After you feed Bang I have some things for you to do later,” the chief looks at Mom like she has to approve him making me work or something and I nod.  
“Whatever.”  
It’s as cold outside as it was yesterday, Aurelia’s breath frustrated little puffs as she grumbles under her breath for a minute, getting it out of her system before Bang walks up beside her and nudges her hand with his nose.  She barely jumps, and I hate to say it but all that time with Wingspark has been good for her nerves.  He trills at her and she pats his head.  
“Sorry your little brother’s beauty is surpassing yours,” I bump my shoulder against hers and she snorts.
“He’s going to cause a pubescent riot in a few years, that’s for sure.  We all know how Berk girls love short and scrawny.”  She looks me up and down and raises her eyebrows. “Oh.  Right.”  
“I’m not short,” I huff, “I’m just glad you aren’t chipper this morning either.  What was that?”  
“I don’t know,” she shrugs, “they’ve been getting along lately, it didn’t seem any different.  My dad still doesn’t acknowledge me when he walks in a room so I haven’t noticed much change.”  
“It might help the acknowledgement thing if you didn’t go silent every time he comes around,” I wince when the sun comes out briefly from behind a cloud.  It’s dimmer closer to the piled high snow berm and I hide there, patting Bang on the tail and urging him to go find his own fishing ground. Normally I’d go with him but I think for the first time in my life the idea of flying makes me woozy.  
“Like that’d help anything.”
“It’d make it harder to pretend like everything is sunshine and rainbows,” I tuck my hands in my pockets and wish I’d grabbed a jacket.  
“It is, to him.”  She has a rare, vulnerable expression on her face that makes me want to hug her.  “Me quiet, you being lame about Fuse, Stoick being beautiful.”  
“What do you mean me being lame about Fuse?”  I huff, “I have no idea why she got mad at me last night, I was kind of busy—”
“Being a drunk jerk?”
“Yeah, sure, after I was done dealing with my dad and Arvid’s death glares and—”
“Eret, come on, be honest with me.  There’s absolutely nothing on Midgard that you’ve done or haven’t done that would make Fuse less than happy with you?  Nothing she’s indicated in her behavior or—”
“No!  I thought we were making progress with the plan. Maybe not for a while because I got so busy with getting beat up and Snoggletog and all but…I thought things were fine.”  
“Right,” she looks at me like I’m profoundly stupid and it feels like a great, cosmic injustice that after years of watching Arvid get that face, it’s Aurelia who turns it back on me, “the plan is going well.  That’s the thing.”  
“What?  I thought it was,” I pause, frowning and trying to remember where we left off.  “Oh!”  
“Oh?”  She waves me on with her hand, “oh what? Explain your ‘oh’.”
“I forgot to make her the thing,” I gesture towards where Bang just was and she stares at me like I’m crazy, “the thing for the plan.  The baffle thing.  I was going to model it after Bang and she got me a sketch and everything and I haven’t made it yet.  That’s got to be it.”  
“What?”  
“I was going to make her this baffle thing for the plan and I haven’t done it yet and it’s been like a month, no wonder she’s pissed at me.”  
“A baffle?  A stupid piece of metal?  That’s why you thinks she’s mad at you?”  
“It’s not stupid, she designed it herself, it can aim an explosion more specifically than anything else she’s tried.”  
“Oh my gods,” Aurelia smacks herself in the forehead, hard enough to leave a temporary red mark, “you’re an idiot.”  
“Don’t rub it in, I feel awful about it.”  I’m not exaggerating, I sort of do feel terrible.  Fuse has been so much help with well…everything.  And she was the only person who didn’t treat me any different than she did a year ago until I had to go mess it up by ignoring a request that she was only working on for me.  
“About not making her baffle.  Right.” She shakes her head.  “Better fix that.  I’m sure Fuse will be thrilled with you then.”  
“I have no time,” I kick the icy path at our feet and sigh, “and I can’t ask Gobber to do it because he’ll know something’s up.”  
“We could go at night again.”  
“And risk being caught by the chief?”  I laugh, “I’m not quite sure he’s busy enough with the post-snoggletog work to give me that much of a leash.”  
“You could talk to Fuse about it, maybe, she can clarify that she really is, in fact, mad about you forgetting to make her a baffle.”  Aurelia shrugs, “just a thought.  Communication never hurt anyone.”  
“Yeah, I’m not going to be the first.  Approaching an angry Fuse after pissing her off doesn’t seem like a good way to keep all my limbs and with them the gulf in my paternal resemblance in tact.”  I sigh and whistle to call Bang back, because I know what I’ve got to and I don’t really want to do it.  “I can ask Smitelout if she’s working today.”  
Aurelia looks like she’s about to say something but she falters, “ok.  Go for it.”  She waves and keeps walking down the hill and before I can ask where she’s going she calls back, “I’m going to go see Arvid.”  
“I didn’t want to know that.”  
“Go see Smitelout, because you’d rather talk to her than Fuse and all.”  
“I actually really wouldn’t,” I mumble under my breath as I turn around and head back towards the house, trusting Bang to find me on the way.  
00000
The other side of the forge window doesn’t feel like home.  The inside probably wouldn’t either, because even from halfway across the square I can see that all my tools aren’t where they should be.  I know that Gobber said he wasn’t going to let me abandon projects, but that seems more like he just wanted to nag me one last time, because I haven’t heard anything else of it.  
Smitelout is at the bellows, pumping them more easily than I ever had and scowling into the flames.  I knock on the side of the window and she looks at me and maybe that’s not a scowl, that’s just her face.  
“Gobber’s not here, twerp.”
“Come on,” I sigh, already wishing I hadn’t come down here.  But it’s for Fuse, I tell myself, it’s so that she can get her part without me holding her up anymore.  
“Ok, Chiefling Twerp,” she smirks like that’s the height of comedy, “Gobber isn’t here.”
“That’s ok,” I try not to sound mad, because she’s not going to do what I want if I yell at her and I don’t think she’d take an order, “I actually wanted to ask you something.”  
“For tips?” She gestures at the forge, a half finished battle axe on the anvil. It doesn’t look bad enough at this distance to pick it apart and I feel that forced pleasant expression slipping. “I’ve fixed a lot of your fuck ups, I could teach you how, I guess.”  
“Those were weapons from the forest fire, Smitelout.”  
“Well yeah, but they were all fucked up and now they’re not.”  
“But I didn’t fuck them up.”  
“And you didn’t fix them,” she still manages to gloat and I swallow against the overwhelming will to tell her exactly where she can shove my supposed fuckups.  
“No, because I got a different job.  But now I need something special forged so I was hoping you could help me out with that.”  I pull the drawing out of my pocket, unfolding it along well worn creases. They’re slightly neater than Fuse’s original folds, but when she hands me a balled up drawing there’s only so much I can flatten it out.  
Smitelout gives me a stink eye even her dad might be proud of when she sees the smudged drawing.  
“You want me to make you some dumb thing?”  
“It’s not dumb,” I snap, sighing to get that back under control, “it’s something for Fuse.  Some special project thing.  I told her I’d make it but I haven’t had time.”  
“So you want me to do a favor to your girlfriend for you?”  She snorts, “I’ve got actual shit to do here.”  
“What? Fuse isn’t my girlfriend?”  I look over my shoulder, half expecting to see Arvid putting Smitelout up to this, but that would require him talking to her and the world isn’t quite that different yet.  “And it’s a special project for the chief.”  I lie, well, half lie, because Fuse is refining her tactic on things the chief is asking her to do.  “She just asked me for it because I could make it.  She’s not my girlfriend.”  
“That’s super believable,” Smitelout rolls her eyes, “what does the chief want?”  
“For Fuse to blow things up, that’s why it’s Fuse’s project.”  
“Why’s it a secret?”  
“It’s not a secret,” I cross my arms, “you just don’t need to know about it.”
That makes Smitelout mad, the kind of mad that’s rewarding and kind of scary all at once when I remember Ingrid isn’t around to back me up. Smitelout always ignores Arvid but Ingrid pisses her off.  Probably because they’re the same age, Ingrid had all of dragon training to get under her skin.  And nothing gets under Smitelout’s skin like the implication that she’s not the most important person in the Thor-damn room.  
“So I’m supposed to take a break from fixing all those weapons you fucked up—”
“A forest fire fucked them up.”  
“To make a secret, badly drawn part for your girlfriend so that she can blow something secret up?”  Smitelout raises an eyebrow like she made an obvious point and I pinch the bridge of my nose.  
“It’s not secret.”  
“Right, like Thorston doesn’t brag about everything she blows up.”  
“Fuse doesn’t brag,” I shake my head, looking at her like she’s crazy, which she is, “plus, even if she did, she deserves to because no one else could do what she does.”  
“I think pretty much anyone can blow shit up.  I have a monstrous nightmare for Odin’s sake.” Smitelout looks at the drawing anyway, annoyed that she’s even vaguely interested in it, “and how the hell would I make this anyway? There’s no flat edges on it, your girlfriend doesn’t know how metal works.”  
“You just work around it multiple times,” I wish I had the time to do it myself because this is sounding more and more like whatever she comes up with isn’t going to be right.  And after waiting so long, the least I could do is make the stupid part right.  “It sounds like you’re the one who needs tips.”
“That still leaves flat spots, didn’t Gobber teach you anything?”  
“Not if you don’t heat it up as much.”  I almost climb through the window to just show her, but I’ve got to go get the barrels back down to the docks and Bang is already up there helping and someone has to find a force to clean out the hanger to get ready for babies to come back and why do Vikings have to be so stubborn.  
That’s a weird thought.  Thinking about it like us and them, and Gods, I sound like the chief.  Like something about his “we’re different” diatribe made its way into my head enough to stick there.  
She’s no different than me, well she is, but I’m a Viking.   Hell, I’m her second cousin or something and the Hoffersons are the most stubborn family on the island to exist for twenty five years when no one wanted us to.  I don’t need to talk to her like the chief, all placid expression and coddling.  I need to talk to her like it’s me or Arvid and we’re sure something is impossible.  
“Yeah, if you don’t heat it up you can’t shape it, idiot.”  She rolls her eyes.  
“Maybe you’re just not strong enough to shape it when it’s cool enough to hold a curve, not your fault, I guess I’ll drop it.”  
“What?”  She turns red, crossing her arms and huffing, “your arm is as big as my pinky, twerp, this isn’t about strength.”  
“It’s either about strength or ability, I could give you those tips—”
“Fuck off,” she picks up the drawing and tacks it to the wall above the anvil that used to be mine, “I’ll have it to you in three days and when it’s perfect, I get to punch you in the face, no questions asked.”  
“Fine,” I’m relieved even as my jaw still aches from Arvid’s irritation with my face’s existence, “I don’t get why everyone wants to hit me in the face so bad, but fine.”  
“Get a mirror,” she yells over the roar of the forge as she starts pumping at the bellows again with renewed effort.  
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sickficsbypyroyoshi · 8 years ago
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Pyro’s archived fics #3: Calvin’s stomach bug
I wrote this six years ago, way back in 2011! The characters are based off people I’ve known in real life, and the main character is me with a different name. For some odd reason, I wrote this one in first person present tense instead of third person past tense. Why, I have no idea.
As soon as I step into the store, I know a long, dull night awaits me. I normally work mornings, doing maintenance on Fridays and Saturdays and prep on Sundays and Mondays. Tonight, I’m working my first overnight in a year and a half, because I need to boil out the deep fryer in the kitchen. It’s a lengthy, tedious procedure that takes hours and needs to be done once or twice a year.
As a ritual before I clock in, I look at the set up to see who I’ll be spending the next eight hours with. Sylvia, the overnight manager, some chubby guy who I’ve worked with for three years yet have never spoken to, and Calvin, who I’ve liked for some time now. This comes as a pleasant surprise.
I have a boyfriend, but due to the huge physical distance between us, I never get to see him anymore. Plus, the initial spark that occurred when we met was starting to fizzle out. I don’t cheat, so while I won’t actively pursue Calvin, that won’t stop me from appreciating him anyway.
I loiter in the break room for a few minutes, waiting for ten o clock to roll around before making my way up front to punch in. I then saunter into the kitchen where Calvin is, taking a moment to sweep my eyes over him. He’s caucasian, approximately 5’11’’ or 6’ with a slender build, yet not skinny. He has brown eyes, shaggy brown hair, a laberet piercing, and the holes or ‘tunnels’ in his earlobes are just slightly smaller than mine. (I can stick straws through my ears). I then tell him that I’m going to be a vital inconvenience, and explain the procedure that I have to complete. He responds with a simple, “That’s fine.” and doesn’t say anything else.
The next couple minutes are spent gathering all the necessary supplies I’ll need. I deposit them in the kitchen and then make my way back to the sink, which is divided into three compartments. I fill one with water and the other with water and delimer. I then add bleach to it, which results in acid that will strip off any sort of build up in seconds. Moseying back into the kitchen, I put my ipod in and go to work on the vats, draining all the oil. Beside me, Calvin is doing a half assed job scraping the excess ice from the hanging freezer. He seemed rather unfocused, like something might be bothering him. “So, how do you like overnights?” I ask, getting his attention. “They’re okay. Kind of boring though.” he replies. “That’s true. At this store, anyway. I used to do overnights for two years. They were kind of dull here, but overnights at the old store were the best. There were lots of bizarre conversations and nights when we’d simply sit in the break room and burn a couple. As baked as we’d be, we were still ten times more competent than most of the people working here now. Isn’t that pathetic?” “Yeah, it is.” Calvin says, then walks away when an order pops up on the screen.
I unscrew the heating element from the vat, removing it with a special tool so I don’t burn myself. After that, I pour water into the vat, adding a third of a jug of degreaser. “Now for the fun part. Waiting!” I blather to myself. I’m about to zone out when Calvin addresses me. “Could you do me a favor and get breakfast stock?” he asks. “I suppose.  Are you in a lazy mood tonight?” I inquire. “No, I’m just not feeling that great. I feel like shit, actually.” At those words, a small pang of excitement courses through me. It could end up being nothing, or I could get a show at some point tonight. I never want anybody to be sick, but I secretly hope that the second option is the one that occurs. Concealing my feelings, I simply say, “Oh. Okay.” and venture into the walk in freezer to get the stock. After I get it all and put it away, I go back to work, but now I’m the unfocused one. All I can really think about is Calvin puking right there in the kitchen, with me beside him as it happens. Maybe he’ll even puke right on me, nailing me right between my boobs. That would be so exhilarating. I bite my tongue and try to block out these thoughts, because I don’t want to get myself off at work.
I decide to leave him alone for awhile, doing my work and trying to think about things that bore me, such as politics, my taxes, and football. Looking over in his direction, I sense that the chance he’ll give me a ‘performance’ seems to have increased a bit. I can visually tell that he doesn’t feel good, and seems to be more scatter brained at this point.
The monitor above the assembly line beeps, and an order for 10 McChickens and 10 McDoubles appears. After dropping some product, I go over to help Calvin make the food. “Bleh. Mayo is so disgusting. Who would want extra mayo on anything?” I cringe as a shove a McChicken with extra extra mayonnaise towards him. Calvin makes a noise of disgust and backs away from the table for a moment before seeming to get things back under control. I raise a brow. “Are you alright?” I ask him. “I don’t know. I guess, for a second there I thought I might puke.” he replies. “Hmm. Well if you have to, go ahead. I’ll be back here to cover you.” I try to say as nonchalantly as possible.
After a while, I glance at the clock and discover that it’s half an hour past midnight. Sylvia is up front getting flustered, the pudgey guy in back booth is listening to some crappy generic rock, I’m absentmindedly chipping away at the vats, and Calvin is now sitting on the oven with his head in his hands. He makes a moaning sound and stands up, right as a crowd of intoxicated customers wander into the store. Both of the girls are giggling hysterically about something, and one of the guys loudly announces that he has to take a big dump and walks off into the bathroom right as Calvin gags audibly.
As soon as I hear that sound, my excitement returns and literally punches me in the face. This is it, I think to myself. It’s got to be. And I’m right, of course. Calvin leans over the reach in freezer, seemingly trying to vanquish the inevitable. He retches and covers his mouth, but it doesn’t prevent anything. Luckily, I have very fast reflexes, so I send the garbage can sliding in his general direction. It bounces off the freezer just as Calvin loses it, gagging once more before sending the first wave of half digested food into it.
My eyes widen, half from excitement and half from surprise. Another order pops up, but I pay zero attention to it, instead completely focused on what’s going on directly in front of me. Calvin is hovering over the garbage can, gripping the sides and copiously throwing up into it. Each wave is rather voluminous, which is just the way I like it. He doesn’t make a whole lot of noise other than minimal retching between heaves. In fact, he’s much quieter while gagging than I could ever hope to be.  I feel hot, and I notice a tingling sensation between my legs, which starts off barely there but increases rapidly. I want to put my arms around him, actually getting to feel each heave and convulsion firsthand. I want to run my inch long talons through his hair and position myself behind him in such a way that his ass would grind against my crotch with each retch. Yet, I know that if I did either of those things, I might as well walk around with a huge neon sign declaring, “I’m an emetophile!” So I stick to watching, trying my hardest to retain a poker face the entire time, and keeping my mouth tightly clamped shut to prevent myself from making any noise.
Sylvia pokes her head into the kitchen, “Hey guys are you going to make tha- oh god, is he puking?!” she gasps and turns pale, like she was about to get sick herself. “Why yes, Sylvia, he is.” I state. “Oh my...” she trails off and retreats back up front.
As much as I want to keep watching intently, I realize that someone will have to make the order. I make it as quickly as possible, trying to keep Calvin in my peripheral vision. I hear a couple retches punctuated with a few more waves of puke splashing into the bottom of the garbage can, and then it ceases just as I assemble the last sandwich. After he’s done, Calvin remains hunched over for a few seconds before spitting out some excess mucus and standing up.
I feel even hotter now, and begin to wonder if I may need a change of panties, as my current pair was now a bit wet. I’m fighting the urge to touch myself, and if I uselessly stand here any longer, I fear that someone might catch on to me. When Calvin unsteadily walks out of the kitchen to get himself a glass of water, I take a very quick look into the can for a closer view of what he produced. The puke itself was orangish brown in color, and I could recognize some french fry shards and other fragments of a free McDonald’s meal, including bits of meat and slivers of shredded lettuce. It was running down all four sides, and a lot of it had landed in an empty pickle container.
Since I didn’t want anyone to realize what I was doing, I went up front. Sylvia, who apparently doesn’t do well with gross things of any kind, still looks a bit freaked out and quietly says, “...You can go home, Calvin...just please don’t barf on me. Maybe Evelyn could give you a ride.” “I could definitely do that. I’ll just need to get my stuff.” I say, then tell Calvin to wait for me.
 I quickly gather my purse, then the two of us go outside, where I lead him to my vehicle. “I shall now give you a ride home in the back of my serial killer van!” I point a clawed finger at my method of transportation, a large, beat up industrial van with the words, ‘serial killer van’ spray painted on the side. “You’ll have to ride in the back because there’s too much crap in the passenger seat, but there’s a small sofa in the back so you can lay down if you want.” I inform and open the rear doors. Calvin climbs inside and immediately flops down on the sofa. I lock the doors and get in the driver’s seat. Despite being 21 years old, I’ve only had my license for a few months, and freely admit to being far from a great driver. As a matter of fact, I drive like an idiot while totally sober, so I’m not sure what would happen if a certain distraction were to take place in the back. I decide not to tell Calvin about my lack of driving experience and instead ask him where he lives, which turns out to be across town.
“Okay. Let us go then.” I mumble to myself and start up the van. It’s a bit of a bouncy ride, so I can’t help but wonder if he’ll make it through the whole thing. After a few minutes I ask how he’s holding up, but I don’t get a reply. Glancing behind me, I see that he’s collapsed across the sofa, staring at the wall and looking generally miserable, which makes me feel a little guilty about being aroused by this. I’d like to make him feel better, but there isn’t anything I could do.
Just as I’m about to face forward again, he suddenly sits strait up. “Stop the van. Please.” “Okay,” I respond and steer the vehicle over to the side of the road, hearing the back doors open right as it comes to a halt. I don’t want my passenger to think that I don’t care about his well being, so I jump out of the driver’s seat and walk around back. Instead of getting out of the van, Calvin is perched on the edge, on his hands and knees, with pre heave saliva dripping out of his mouth. Just as I take another step towards him, he explodes, sending a waterfall of liquified food onto the pavement, and onto my work boots. Before I can move, my feet take another splashing. Thank god my work boots are both rubber and knee high, otherwise I’d have barf in my socks.
I don’t feel so aroused anymore. Instead, my caring nature takes over. I extend a hand and gently caress his shoulder, not in a sensual way, but more in a motherly way. Though I realize that doing so probably doesn’t help matters any, he still might appreciate it.
Over the course of the next minute, Calvin hurls up several more waves before stopping. When no more appears to be forthcoming, he sits back, wiping his mouth off. “Done?” I ask. He nods, still looking rather sick and uncomfortable. I take this time to look down and assess the soiled footwear situation, realizing that it’s become worse: I’m standing in a sizable lake of puke. “Hmm. Maybe I shouldn’t have stood so close.” I back up a few feet. “Well Calvin, my feet sure have taken a nasty punishment. But hey, at least these are just my work clothes.” “I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to puke on you.” Calvin says apologetically before retreating back to the sofa. “Don’t worry about it, I was just joking. Trying to make you feel a little better. You are going to be okay, right?” I ask. I really do care about him, I just don’t show my emotions easily.
Calvin contorts his face momentarily before speaking. “I’ll be fine. I still feel kind of nauseous though.” “I’m afraid there isn’t much I can do about that, but if you want, I can quickly mosey over to that gas station and get you a bottle of water. Or a Sprite, whatever you’d prefer.” I offer. I don’t even wait for him to respond before deciding to go. I need to scrub my boots off anyway.
Ten minutes later, I return with clean boots, some water for Calvin and a Coke for myself. “How are you feeling?” I inquire. Calvin sighs. “About the same. I still feel sick, but I don’t have to puke again. At least, not right now.” Without thinking, I clamber into the back of the van and sit beside him on the sofa. “Sit in front of me. I give awesome back and shoulder massages.” I inform, putting my hands to work. “Feels good, doesn’t it?” “Yeah...don’t you have to go back to work though?” Calvin asks, sounding drowsy. “Ugh. Don’t remind me. I think they can manage half an hour without me. Plus, you’re sick. I want to at least try to make you feel better.” Looking like he can barely keep his eyes open, he turns towards me. “Thanks Evelyn...you’re a really nice person, taking care of me like this. In the past hour, I’ve thrown up in front of you twice. Didn’t that disgust you at all?”
I remain silent, yet thinking, ‘Oh, you have no idea. Seeing you lose it like that actually severely aroused me, and I was on the brink of orgasm back in the kitchen. Truthfully, I wanted to hump you right then and there, but that would have been extremely unprofessional. I also feel more attracted to you now that I’ve ever been.’ Of course, I keep those thoughts to myself. “No,” I finally say. “No it didn’t. I have a very high tolerance for that sort of thing.”
I feel pressure on my left side, and see that Calvin has fallen asleep and is leaning against me. It feels nice, and in turn makes me content. I usually despise sappy romantic crap, but this is one of those moments I wouldn’t mind having a repeat of. I actually feel ready to doze off myself, and completely forgetting that fact that I need to go back to work, I close my eyes. Before drifting off, I make a mental note to call my soon to be ex boyfriend and give him that talk.
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kristinsimmons · 7 years ago
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The Best Electric Toothbrush for Kids
One of the questions I get asked most often is, should I get my child an electric toothbrush?
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Be smart about it.
What to Know Before You Buy Your Child an Electric Toothbrush
Kids can be frightened by an electric toothbrush: They buzz; they make noise; they can tickle or feel weird on gums and teeth. Kids have more sensitive gag reflexes than adults that are designed to protect their smaller airways from obstruction. As a result, anything that goes into a child’s mouth is likely to be more uncomfortable than for an adult. Keeping these things in mind as you introduce a toothbrush—whether manual or electric—can make the process smoother and make your child love brushing.
Kids look to their parents for guidance: Show your child what you do, and he will want to mimic it. Even before a parent sticks a toothbrush in a kid’s mouth, that child should see his mom or dad exhibiting good brushing habits, especially if the parent decides to introduce an electric toothbrush. I tell my patients to go around the house flossing, brushing, and smiling. Make it look like fun, and kids will want to be part of it. If you can, I even recommend tap dancing while you brush and floss!
Pay attention to the way a child breathes: Some children are mouth breathers, meaning they breathe primarily through their mouth, rather than their nose. These kids may be less likely to enjoy brushing, as it can be hard to breathe and brush at the same time, and they may gag more easily. (For the same reason, these children may also be more fearful at the dentist’s office). If your child is a mouth breather, keep the brushing experience positive and be prepared to introduce different aspects of brushing at a slower pace to ensure your child enjoys the process and actually wants to do it.
Hold off on introducing toothpaste: Kids won’t need toothpaste until they are at least 5 years old—before then, toothpaste can complicate everything. Kids may not like the taste of toothpaste; it may turn them off from the overall brushing experience; and the truth is that kids are more likely to brush for a longer time if they are doing so with a “dry” brush. I have found that toothpaste shortens the duration of brushing—and instead of trying to get kids to brush for 10-15 seconds with toothpaste, it’s much better to have them brush for 1-2 minutes without.
Why is that? In reality, toothpaste is only 10 percent of the equation when it comes to brushing teeth. In fact, the time spent brushing, the quality of the brush stroke and toothbrush head, and the ability of the child to brush all areas of the teeth and gums are each just as important as toothpaste—if not more so.
Here’s the truth: Kids don’t NEED an electric toothbrush.
But if you want to establish good brushing habits, an electric toothbrush can help, because kids just aren’t great brushers.
Children don’t understand the importance of brushing, and they cannot visualize the whole area inside their mouth, let alone try to reach all of it. Kids also lack the coordination of proper brushing, so an electric toothbrush can help them reach more areas of their mouth with less effort.
Even parents who brush their child’s teeth should keep this in mind: An electric toothbrush can get more done in less time, making the most of the few moments a child is receptive to brushing and actually allows the brush to remain in his mouth.
At what age should you buy an electric toothbrush for a child?
A child can start an electric toothbrush at age 2—without toothpaste, but WITH supervision, of course. Many of the families I talk to introduce electric toothbrushes between the ages of six and eight. Some can certainly do it earlier—just don’t force it, as any negative experiences with brushing could leave lasting negative impressions.
For most families, however, a child is ready for an electric toothbrush when he or she asks for it—when he sees a parent using one and asks for his own, for example. Turning brushing into a family activity can certainly facilitate this process, just be sure to keep the glass cleaner and paper towels handy, as it can quickly turn into a messy affair.
What to Look for When Buying a Kids’ Electric Toothbrush
Typically, parents are usually willing to buy a higher quality toothbrush for themselves than for their children, but that is the wrong approach. You want the same quality of toothbrush for your child that you have for yourself, primarily because lower quality toothbrushes may lead to an abrasive toothbrush head that can damage the enamel on a child’s still-developing teeth.
When evaluating as electric toothbrush, here are four things to consider:
1. Plaque removal: The key job of any toothbrush is to remove plaque from teeth and gums, and a high-quality toothbrush will remove plaque consistently and from all areas of the mouth. By using a plaque score—which compares the levels of plaque a patient has between appointments—as well as the personal feel of the mouth after brushing, a dentist can easily determine how well a chosen toothbrush is attacking plaque.
Removing plaque is especially important in the prevention of cavity formation. Americans, especially those eating a Western diet filled with refined carbohydrates, have thick plaque layers which sit on top of the “biofilm,” which is the protective layer referred to as “the skin of our teeth.” The biofilm is what nourishes the tooth, keeping it moist and supplied with calcium. With too much plaque on top of the biofilm, the tooth struggles to access the nutrients it needs, thus leading to cavities and decay.
2. Head shape and size: Head shape and size are important in accessing hard-to-reach areas, such as between the cheeks and molars. This is extremely important for kids, whose mouths are small and still developing.
3. Quality of bristles: Whenever possible, I recommend replacing the toothbrush head every month to ensure that bristles don’t become worn and wear away the enamel. With high-quality toothbrushes, this should happen at least every three months, but with lower quality bristles, the process may need to occur more frequently. Bristles make contact with the tooth, and a bristle made of cheaper material will wear down quickly and become too sharp, scratching the enamel.
4. Power source: A quality kids’ electric toothbrush should be rechargeable, not battery powered. In my experience, the battery-powered toothbrushes that can be purchased at the supermarket are not high quality, and there is no need to worry about the charging bases of electric toothbrushes, as they are completely safe for kids to be around.
The Best Electric Toothbrush for Kids
For most kids, I recommend the Oral-B Kids Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush. It’s rechargeable with a small, soft head and high-quality bristles. It also has a larger grip, so it’s easy for kids to hold and use, and the oscillating, round head motion is more comfortable for kids than the sonic variety. Finally, it’s as effective at removing plaque as any other toothbrush on the market.
Other options to consider:
Sonicare’s Sonicare for Kids is a de-tuned version of the electric toothbrush they offer adults, but sonic waves in a child’s mouth can be frightening. It’s a higher pitched brush, too, and kids are sensitive to noise, while the small grip makes it harder for kids to hold. When my own daughter tried it, she didn’t like it. Some kids do like the sonic waves, but in my experience, the oscillatory brushes work better.
Aside from the Oral-B Kids brush, one of the best elect toothbrushes on the market is from France. The Kolibree is made by a father who set out to design a toothbrush for his daughters. The brush interacts with your smartphone and comes with a game that motivates the whole family to be better brushers—and let’s be honest: some kids may need video games to get them to spend more time brushing. The Kolibree is extremely light and maneuverable in a child’s hands, but it’s pricey. At $150 apiece, it’s over seven times the price of the Oral B and doesn’t necessarily produce better brushing results.
If you prefer to buy a manual toothbrush for your child:
The compact, child’s manual Oral-B—with a soft toothbrush head—will do the trick. This is especially helpful for younger kids (aged 2-4) who are mouth breathers and struggle with toothbrushing. Bonus: This toothbrush may even have their favorite Disney character printed on the handle.
For kids under two years old, I’ve found The Radius Totz to be the best toothbrush. It’s an effective and safe brush made with recycled BPA-free plastic; it’s also great for little hands and for massaging the gums. Skip the baby rattles on the baby registry and ask for a Radius Totz instead.
One last, IMPORTANT note: When it’s the parent brushing the child’s teeth (usually the case from “first tooth” to age 8), don’t use your toothbrush or one that you think would work. Think about what your kid would want. It’s a subtle point, but it may break or make the habit of brushing for your child.
First impressions are vital in this case, so whatever you decide, remember that kids look to parents to model brushing habits. If you’re happy with your electric toothbrush choice, consider buying a child’s version of the same model and brushing together. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—especially when it comes to brushing teeth.
Have you tried an electric toothbrush with your child yet? Why or why not?
Dr. Mark Burhenne DDS
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farfallaracine · 7 years ago
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Food, the US and Me
I don't remember when, but I believe that before coming here this was happening already.
I am losing my love for food.
By that I mean I find everytine food grosser and grosser. I love- used to love- a good meal. Nothing like a good homemade meal, warm, served at home, with people I like, to satisfy this basic need, right? Not anymore.
I'm getting fuller quicker, for example. I get tired and bored during dinners. I feel akwkard too. I have had problems swallowing for about a year or more now, so, unless I have water with me, I can't eat without feeling like I'm eating tree branches.
Pasta is also a problem. Started with spaghetti, eating it would activate my gag reflex. Other pastas doesn't sound very special too. Too heavy and procesed, I would say.
Sugar. I feel so full when eating a single brownie. No, not full, "used". I feel my mouth full of sugar, but my stomach is empty. The problem is I can't eat more [for my actual hunger] because my mouth is already full, used, tired.
Pizza grosses me. I can't help but to think how heavy it is: a layer of dough [heavier bread], tomato sauce [sweet], cheese [grease, sticky], ham [procesed] and topings. Gross.
I'm tired of procesed meat. Sausagues, hot dogs, ground meat, hamburgers, and for some reason, chicken. I'm tired of sauces and dressings, they disguise the flavor of the food.
I crave rice, meat and fresh vegetables now. Nothing else. Cold food, light flavors. Every now and then I get a need on sugar and I eat, because is what I want.
But here in the US, I panic. Everything is procesed, sweet, fried, dressed, big or a combination of them. What do I want to eat when I go out? I know everything is going to be bad somehow; it is going to be spicy, sweet, too hot, heavy, big or something.
I discovered that I don't feel like I have had a meal in ages. Take outs, out of my house, quick, cold, in plate that is not round and big, missing people, the lack of conversation, left overs... Nothing of that is a real meal. Sitting down and feeling ok with everyone and talking IS a meal. I have had, yes, but they feel weird.
A lot of times I don't know what I want to eat, so I delay eating because nothing feels right.
I always try something before rejecting it, tho.
I don't like eating a bunch of things and not feeling satisfied. My stomach is full, but I don't feel acomplished. My mind and my body aren't coordinated.
My mouth, my throat, my stomach and my mind can have different views of if I have eat or not. Mouth says full, throat says hungry, stomach says just fine and my mind says "I'm hungry, but I can't eat and I don't feel like eating".
I'm worried I might be getting an eating disorder. Anyone can help?
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drkathrynjodry · 7 years ago
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This is How Sedation Dentistry Resolves Dental Phobia
Dentist in Richardson Tx - MyRichardsonDentist.com - Dentist in Richardson Tx - MyRichardsonDentist.com -
Sedation Dentistry is the Solution for Dental Phobia
dentist chair by Al Ama’ari on Flickr
It’s the ideal season to show that beautiful smile. Vacations call for tons of smiling pictures. Why are you concealing your smile? Would you consider yourself one of the 33% of Americans less than pleased with their smile? Do you neglect visiting the dental practitioner as a result of fears associated with earlier experiences? This worry might be so debilitating that it results in you dismissing oral check ups completely. 30 to 40 million Americans dodge their appointments each year because of their fears.
At My Richardson Dentist, we want you to take pleasure in exceptional oral health. With Dr. Jodry’s advanced training in sedation dentistry, we can safely assist to relieve your worries, ultimately placing control of your own oral health back under your control.
Who Needs Sedation Dentistry?
Typical Factors Promoting Dental Phobia, Stress and Anxiety
Pain.
Discomfort is a major issue for clients undergoing frequently dreadful treatments like dental implants or root canals. Using sedation dentistry, even the most challenging treatments are much easier to handle. You’ll be relaxed and able to sit calmly throughout the process.
Handing Over Control & Fear of the Unknown.
Many fear not being aware of exactly what is planned to be done during their appointment, or what might be found during the course of a check-up. Locating a dental practitioner and staff you’re comfortable with encourages open discussion of concerns, permitting your oral experts to best meet your needs. Our excellent personnel at My Richardson Dentist will direct you through each phase of your procedure.
Dental Equipment.
Much of the typical tools for dental health assessments are pointy, metal instruments. Our staff has actually been specifically trained to cater to nervous patients and are able to address your particular area of distress if this is a specific cause for stress and anxiety.
Gag Reflex.
For those with a sensitive gag reflex, items such as x-ray tabs or instruments might produce an uncomfortable reaction while being examined. If you know this may be a challenge, notify your dental expert in advance so they understand, or recommend sedation dentistry. Sedation will keep you calm, and prevent intensifying a reflex during your check up.
The Mask.
Scientific masks were developed to preserve sterility for medical professionals and clients alike, however lots of people find their fear intensified by not having the ability to check out a dental professional’s expression because a mask covers half their face. Try to meet your dental professional before any treatment. This can avoid stress and anxiety arising once they put on their mask.
Tool Noises.
Sounds that are related to an oral practice, such as drilling or x-ray devices, can be a trigger to phobic and non-phobic patients alike.
Phobia associated to dental treatments.
We recognize fear can overwhelm youas you anticipate any dental work. Due to the fact that they don’t always know exactly what to expect throughout their treatment, individuals frequently feel distressed. You can be calm and confident that our team will discuss the process and take all the time essential to answering all your concerns.
Disappointment with previous dental work
Are you someone  who has had an unpleasant experience at the dentist? It may be difficult to believe that your oral procedure can be comfy and trouble-free if so. Ongoing worry of oral work is an extremely easy to understand response to this kind of experience.
Particularly sensitive oral nerves.
Small mouth that becomes painful throughout dental work.
Resistance to local anesthetic.
General stress and anxiety disorder.
If you consider yourself suffering in either of these issue areas, think about asking your dental professional about sedation dentistry. Dental sedation can help patients survive numerous types of oral work, such as dental implantation, root canals, tooth extractions, and more. However, it’s normally not provided for normal cleanings, X-rays, and other routine treatments. Cases of extreme anxiety might be a justifiable reason for sedation during those treatments, however. We are your support group throughout dental treatment.
Sedation Options to Fit Your Requirements
dental toys by Upupa4me fm Flickr
Brushing and flossing are vital tools to preserve dental hygiene, however are insufficient to achieve optimal results. When was the last time you visited a reliable dentist to have your oral health assessed?  If you are an individual who avoids the dentist because of anxiety or fear, then rest assured there are varied means to address your challenges.
With developments made in dental innovation, the arena of dentistry has enjoyed a complete reinvention. Methods have become quicker, gentler, and more pain-free, options for patients with anxiety challenges have risen by leaps and bounds. No matter your level of anxiety, mild or extremely severe, there is a level of sedation that can ease your fear and make your treatment more comfortable. Your sedation treatment will be custom-tailored to fit your situation, procedure time line, and level of comfort .
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide — Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a very effective and basic method, used for lots of clients with dental phobia, to relieve small stress and anxieties for minor procedures. It allows the client to endure procedures in a relaxed state and once recuperated, leave the dentist’s office on their own. If you have moderate anxiety, laughing gas will assist you to attain a state of mild relaxation during your treatment. There are no side effects with laughing gas, and when administering the gas is ceased, you will be able to get back to your typical activities– a fantastic benefit for hectic households and professionals who have to return to the office!
Oral sedation — If you feel incapacitating oral anxiety, we suggest sedation. For lots of individuals, anticipation of the oral check up may be more difficult than the treatment itself. To reduce this pre-treatment stress and anxiety, Dr. Jodry will prescribe a relaxing medication that you would take at the dentist’s office before your procedure begins. Oral sedatives, such as diazepam, likewise help relax patients throughout oral treatments. You normally take them approximately an hour before your consultation. You’re fully awake however less nervous, and you may feel a bit drowsy until it disappears.
A member of our staff will be by your side throughout the treatment to make sure you are entirely comfortable. We can also integrate sedation with nitrous oxide to ensure that you have a completely worry-free experience.
IV Conscious Sedation — IV Conscious Sedation is made use of for clients that experience substantial anxiety at dental appointments or for prolonged and difficult procedures. Sedation has a really safe track record and is also a terrific choice for patients who have a number of treatments completed in one visit. Patients undergoing conscious sedation must adhere to strict preoperative and postoperative guidelines and be escorted by a responsible adult.
Oral Conscious Sedation — Oral Conscious Sedation is utilized to eliminate slight anxieties for minor procedures. Chosen clients are provided prescriptions for sedatives which are given to the patient in the dentist’s office. The patient’s vital signs are carefully observed throughout their visit. Patients using conscious sedation should adhere to strict preoperative and postoperative directions and be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Intravenous sedatives — Intravenous, or IV, sedatives, also known as general anesthesia, can put you in varied stages of awareness. It typically puts you into a deep sleep until it naturally wears off. You’re less mindful of your surroundings, you may feel tired, and you might not recall the treatment once it’s over.
Some patients assume basic anesthesia the best choice. It does come with more potential side effects than the other approaches, so you might want to think about a less potent form of sedation dentistry. If your dental care service provider points out sleep dentistry, they are likely implying general anesthesia.
Overall, IV sedation is a safe and dependable method for finishing oral work. Whether you require an all encompassing treatment or simply a basic filling, sedation can help improve your experience. You may choose oral sedation or sleep dentistry, but discuss with your dental practitioner. Mention any allergies you may have, specifically to anesthesia, so your oral expert can make safe, informed decisions on your treatment. Clients are encouraged to inquire about sedation dentistry and discover if it’s best for them.
How Does It Work?
dentist by russellstreet fm Flickr
The procedure depends upon the type of sedation your dental professional chooses. If you’re taking an oral sedative, for example, your dental expert will provide you a prescription for the drug and give you directions on the best ways to take it. By following those guidelines, you’ll take advantage of decreased stress and anxiety and increased relaxation. When the medication starts to work, you will to begin to feel drowsy and content.
You do not have to prepare at all for laughing gas. Your dentist will supply it before, throughout, and following the treatment. However, if you decide IV sedation is the best choice, you might have preparations to make ahead of time.
Your dental expert may ask you to fast — to abstain from eating or drinking — for a number of hours prior to the oral work. You might also need to avoid taking specific medications the day prior to you going to the dental practitioner since they can hinder the sedation medication.
Would You Benefit?
Before you select oral sedation, consider the procedure you face and your general response to oral care. Do you fear needles? IV sedation might trigger more stress and anxiety than the oral work itself if so. If you’re concerned about becoming vulnerable in the dentist’s chair, you may desire to remain alert and stick with a local anesthetic.
However, if you’re postponing oral work due to the fact that you fear the discomfort or any other part of the work, sleep dentistry might provide the very best service. When you overlook problems such as oral cavities, loose or damaged teeth, and other issues, you put your oral health at danger. Additionally, the problem may end up being more complex over time, which could indicate that you’ll require more extensive oral work in the future.
If you’re stressed about upcoming oral treatments, ask your dental professional about sedation. If she or he utilizes it, you may feel much better about sitting in the chair, and you will not need to stress over persistently painful oral problems or other challenges.
Time-Saving Benefits
It is likewise great for clients who don’t desire to make numerous appointments to complete their treatment. Whether you can’t get away from work easily, live far away or simply have a hectic life, IV sedation permits you to get more dental work done in each visit.
Before a client can be sedated for treatment, they need to initially have consultation with their dental expert. While sedation is wonderful for most patients, it is not for universally applicable. Safety is always a primary concern and for some, certain options might be more appropriate than others. The consult offers an opportunity for the dentist to discuss medical history, treatment options, goals and expectations. Requirements for the procedure, like needing a driver to and from the clinic, and not eating or drinking for 8 hours prior to the appointment, are also communicated.
Your Comfort Comes First.
mother and daughter smiling by Luke Lehrfeld fm Flickr
Furthermore, you can go over local anesthetics. These drugs serve to numb areas of your mouth during an oral treatment so you don’t experience pain. Dental professionals normally administer anesthetics via a small needle in several locations along the affected gum line. Local anesthetic may be all you need if you do not fear the dental expert.
We understand how upsetting even the many basic treatments can be for people who struggle with dental phobia. Your comfort is essential to us, and you can rest assured that we are here to help you feel secure and safe.
If you’ve been postponing oral treatment, we would like the chance to reveal to you the advantages that sedation dentistry can offer. Please contact our Richardson dentist office for more details about our safe, reliable sedation choices.
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anavoliselenu · 8 years ago
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Beautiful lies chapter 1
Prologue
Tonight I will be sold to the highest bidder. As I stand here in this quiet room, I try to find that little voice of reason telling me I’m doing the right thing. She’s nowhere to be found. Traitorous whore.
I meet my dim blue gaze in the mirror and remind myself that I’m entering into this arrangement knowingly, and by choice. Not the choice I want to make, certainly not my life’s ambition, but it’s a choice I have to make in order to save someone I love.
In another hour I will belong to someone – a man with sick needs and fetishes that propel him to purchase his companion rather than date a normal girl. Heaven help me.
Chapter One
Selena
I’ve been told that I could go for more than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and maybe more given that I’m still a virgin. The money will mean the difference between life and death for my twin sister and best friend in the whole world. It will mean I can pay the fees to get her into the experimental treatment program for advance stage ovarian cancer. We’re both just twenty-one years old and have barely lived. When she got cancer at age nineteen and had a hysterectomy, I promised her I’d carry her babies someday, a promise I intended to keep. And now she’s facing death in a matter of months if I don’t intervene, which is why I’m standing in the dimly lit dressing room applying my third coat of mascara and dressed only in a pair of panties.
I’d found out about this place completely by coincidence. A few weeks ago, I would have never believed places like this existed. I’d been searching online for money making schemes – something, anything, that could help me raise the three hundred thousand dollars we needed. My parents made ends meet, but just barely. So I knew it was up to me. My job searches turned out to be a joke. My skills could earn me minimum wage waiting tables. That’s when my internet searches got more interesting and my attitude bolder.
I agreed to an interview at a local strip club. As if the interview itself wasn’t embarrassing enough – being asked to undress in front of the club’s owner and prove my non-existent dancing abilities – when he’d asked how much money I hoped to make dancing and I said three hundred thousand dollars in the next few months, he’d laughed in my face and told me to get dressed. It was obvious to us both that based on my dancing skills, I’d never earn that kind of money. Let alone in my small Northern California town.
When he saw the tears swimming in my eyes and inquired about why I needed the money, I’d given him, a complete stranger, the entire sad story. Once I was dressed, he brought me into his office and made me promise that what he was about to say would stay only between us. The shifty way his eyes danced around the room told me whatever it was, it probably wasn’t legal. I didn’t care. I’d never so much as run a red light, but I was willing to do anything – go to any extreme to save Becca. I promised him complete secrecy. He asked how serious I was about saving my sister and warned that I wouldn’t like what he was about to tell me. That was how I learned about tonight’s auction.
Bill, the strip club owner, entered me into tonight’s bids. He’d arranged everything for a ten percent cut in my earnings. I’d seen a doctor, who tested me for pregnancy and STDs, and verified my virginity. Bill had also made me an appointment at a local salon for full body waxing and a makeover – a haircut with long layers and caramel highlights in my otherwise chestnut brown hair, along with a manicure and a pedicure. All of which would come out of my earnings too. If I didn’t sell, I would be responsible for paying him back. But Bill all but guaranteed I’d sell. He said that virgins were very rare and that someone so natural and beautiful would go for a high price. I just hope to keep my nerves under control so that I can actually follow through with this. I feel like throwing up and I haven’t even eaten all day.
I turn to the sound of a light tapping on my door and Bill pokes his head in. My arms fly over my chest as I try to cover my breasts. My modesty is pointless and a hysterical giggle bubbles up in my throat. All too soon I’ll be exposed to a roomful of men and expected to give my body to one of them, but I focus on maintaining my innocence while I still can. Bill raises an eyebrow at me. "Are you ready?"
I glance in the mirror one last time and draw a steadying breath. I look down at my toned legs, thanks to hours spent jogging – my only form of stress relief – to my stomach that is a bit softer than I would like, to my breasts that jiggle when I move. The eyes looking back at me are harder than before. Good. I will need that hard exterior to survive the next six months.
I hadn’t known this side of the world existed and now I was entering into it. I’m doing this for Becca, I remind myself. Drawing every ounce of strength I can, I uncross my arms from over my breasts and nod to Bill. "I’m ready."
His eyes give me a cursory once over. I’m grateful he doesn’t leer. "You look great. Very natural. That should work in your favor," he remarks, leading me from the safety of the dressing room.
I see what he means as we progressed down the hallway. There are a few other women ranging from early twenties to late thirties and each of them seemed to have embraced the stripper look – big hair and layers of thick makeup, red stained lips, fishnet stockings and sky high heels. All of them are wearing g-strings. I’d been told the only article of clothing allowed was a pair of panties so I’d chosen my most modest pair – light blue briefs with lace along the hem. They’re cute and feminine and comfortable. It had never occurred to me to try and make myself look sexier. Regret churns in my stomach. What if no one wants me? I’ll have done all this for nothing, plus owe Bill for the expensive makeover he provided. The concrete floor against my bare feet sends an icy chill up my body, pebbling my nipples into hardened points. My arms once again cross over my chest as I clutch my breasts.
I might be more covered than the other women, but somehow I feel more exposed. Completely ripped open for the world to see. I’m dressed as me, not some sexified version of myself that I can portray to the men waiting on the other side of that door. Suddenly I don’t want them to see the real me. I wanted to be caked in makeup with perhaps a long blonde wig and tassels hanging from my nipples. I could be whoever they wanted me to be. Instead I’m just Selena and that seems much more dangerous to me. I can’t let my new owner get inside my head. He might be buying the rights to my body, but he’ll certainly never have the real me. I need to remember that.
When we stop outside a steel door, panic courses through my veins and my throat constricts, my gag reflex threatening to send bile shooting up my throat. I draw a deep breath through my nose and open my mouth to tell Bill I’ve changed my mind when his hand suddenly reaches out and twists the doorknob.
The door swings open to reveal a large, dimly lit room. The only light comes from a bare bulb that hangs directly above a platform-like stage in the center of the room. Men sit in lounge chairs facing the small round stage, their faces completely hidden in the shadows. I’m unable to distinguish a single feature, which I know is the point. The nature of tonight’s activities means they want their anonymity. And the kind of money that would be spent tonight bought you that right.
Bill gives me a gentle shove forward and whispers something of encouragement, but the blood pounding in my ears garbles the message.
My feet move across the room, my arms still crossed in a death grip across my breasts. The faint smell of cigar smoke assaults my senses as I move toward the platform. I keep my eyes trained on the floor, letting the swath of light from the single bulb hanging overhead draw me forward. My knees shake as I walk the final few steps.
Finally I step onto the raised platform and face the small group of men. Keeping my eyes downcast, I know in this moment I would have never been brave enough to strip for a whole audience. I can barely stand here without my knees knocking together and just remembering to pull air into my lungs and release it again seems beyond my abilities. But a spike of determination rips through me. I am here to save Becca.
A man standing in the shadows at the side of the room clears his throat. "I give you the ninth and final girl of the evening. And trust me when I tell you, gentlemen, that we’ve saved the best for last. She’s as pure and untouched as they come. She comes to us as a virgin, willing and fully in agreement with the six-month terms. Now, who’d like to start the bidding?"
It’s quiet for just a heartbeat and I wait for something to happen.
"Move your hands off your tits, angel," a man in the crowd says.
I raise my eyes toward the sound of the voice, but my hands stay where they are. A streak of defiance I didn’t know I had rears its head. No one owns me yet. Not a single bid had been placed. I still control my destiny.
I shift my weight, feeling that tingling sensation that means my foot is falling asleep and clutch my chest tighter as though I’m hanging on for dear life. My heart races in my chest and little beads of sweat form under my arms despite the cool temperature in the room. I can do this. I have to do this.
"Two hundred." The man’s voice who’d ordered me to uncover myself places the first bid. I hope that’s two hundred thousand and not two hundred dollars. It never occurred to me that I needed to have a minimum established before this began. I was not sleeping with some weird old man for two hundred dollars. But then I recalled Bill saying something about six figure minimums, and I relax the tiniest bit.
"Two fifty," another voice says. He sounds younger and has a slight Spanish accent.
"Three hundred," a third voice croaks.
Soon the price is up to five-seventy five and I feel dizzy listening to the whole exchange. I need to get off this stage before I pass out or throw up, or do something equally as terrifying, like go home with one of these sick men.
Be strong, Soph.
"Six hundred thousand," my tit-loving admirer counters. I don’t want to go to the man who I’ve already defied by refusing to show my chest. Knowing my luck, his first order of business will be to punish me for that act of disobedience.
"Greedy tonight. He already has one and now he wants a second," the announcer chuckles.
The man who is currently driving up my price has apparently already purchased one girl tonight and now he wants me too. Call me old fashioned, but I always assumed I’d be the only slave in this type of arrangement. I thought I was signing up for the typical one man–one woman experience. This wasn’t how I imagined losing my virginity, but I certainly never pictured being part of an orgy, or whatever he had planned. It disturbs me to think that he could buy us like cattle and force us to do things to each other and him. This whole process is going from bad to worse.
I look up and to the center of the room – to the one man who’s remained completely silent so far. He crosses his ankle over his knee and leans back further in his chair, concealing his face entirely in the shadows. His casual, aloof behavior strikes something in me. I have a roomful of men bidding on my virginity, but somehow I don’t like the idea that this one man isn’t interested. Is there something wrong with me? It’s self-conscious and stupid, but something about being mostly nude in a roomful of strangers puts bizarre thoughts in your head.
No one has countered the man to my left – the one who’d called me angel and wanted to see my breasts and my stomach churns in knots. He’s offered five hundred and seventy five thousand dollars – more than enough to pay for my sister’s medical treatment, give Bill his ten percent and the money he spent on me at the salon. I should feel happy and relieved. This is what I wanted, right? But the idea of actually leaving with him and the other girl he’s bought tonight sets off a gnawing feeling inside my chest.
"If there are no other bids…" the announcer begins.
My windpipe threatens to close. It can’t end like this…
"Seven hundred," the man directly in front of me says. His voice is smooth and rich. Deep and hypnotic somehow. I lean forward on my toes trying to see his face. The foot he’s crossed over his ankle bounces as he fidgets, the only sign he’s now engaged in this bidding war. My heart leaps in my chest, doubling its pace as I wait nervously to see what will happen.
Not being able to discern anything else in the room, I focus on his shoe. It is large, a black shiny leather, and expensive-looking dress shoe. But I suppose you have to be insanely wealthy to buy another human being for the prices these men are offering. His foot twitches again and my eyes shoot up to where I imagine his face is.
The other man grumbles something under his breath, and I catch the word overpriced. Then he barks out another bid. "Seven twenty-five."
Crap. I don’t want to be part of this weirdo's threesome fetish and I have no idea if going with Mr. Shiny Dress Shoes will be any better, but I stare straight ahead, silently pleading with him to up the bid. A dose of raw willpower keeps me steady on my feet.
"One million dollars," he says after what feels like an eternity.
My head spins and I feel faint. A million dollars? For me? There is no way I’m worth that as a sex slave. Once he realizes how inexperienced I am–not just at sex, but at everything–he’ll have buyer’s remorse, and maybe even try and return me. Yet still, I hold my breath, praying that no one will outbid him. Something inside me–woman’s intuition, a gut feeling, tells me that out of all these men here tonight, I am supposed to go home with him, but the thought of actually giving myself over to one of these monsters for six months is terrifying.
I have nothing to go on but a clean, sleek, black leather shoe… but he gives off a good vibe. Maybe at the very least I’d be well taken care of. Panic threatens to overwhelm me. Breath, Soph.
"She’s yours. No pussy’s worth that much," the other man bites out, shifting in his seat.
My lungs fill with oxygen as I pull in a much needed breath, filling my chest cavity.
"Our final object up for auction has been sold. Gentlemen, thank you for your participation tonight. If you would kindly make your way to the lounge area through the rear door to finalize payments and collect your earlier purchases. Drinks are available and some in-house entertainment if you’re in the mood."
The announcer’s voice buzzes in my head.
I’ve been sold.
Men rise from their chairs and I hear footsteps retreat as they exit the room. A door closes in the distance, leaving just my new master and me alone in the silent room.
I want to step down off the humiliating stage I’ve been made to stand on. I want my clothes. But I remain rooted in place, realizing for the first time that my actions are no longer my own.
"Come forward," he commands.
I swallow and step down off the platform, my legs heavy from remaining in one spot for so long. I take slow strides across the room like I’m approaching a dangerous animal. Maybe I am. What kind of man buys a woman?
"I won’t hurt you," he encourages and I take another tentative step closer, stopping directly in front of his chair. "Lights," he says to no one in particular and the overhead lights all flick on at once. Blinking several times against the sudden rush of light, my eyes remain downcast as they struggle to adjust.
Disoriented, I continue looking down, studying his shoes, which are now both resting squarely on the floor. "Look at me," he says.
I lift my chin and take in the man seated before me. Black suit. White crisp shirt. Thin black tie knotted loosely at his neck.
I inhale again, forcing another breath into my lungs and finally look into the eyes of the man who has just spent one million dollars to purchase me. Sky blue eyes fringed in heavy black lashes stare back at me, stealing the breath from my lungs. He is stunning. Tall, fit, and attractive. Confusion washes over me. What is a man like this doing here? He could walk into any bar in America and pick up a girl easily enough. My stomach twists in recognition. That can only mean that his tastes are peculiar enough that he requires complete obedience. He’ll want things no normal girl would do. Oh god, I feel like I’m going to pass out. I can’t let this attractive monster lure me in.
"Just breathe," he says, calming my fears.
I obey like a good little slave, opening my mouth and sucking in air greedily.
"That’s it," he says soothingly, his own posture relaxing just slightly. "What should I call you?"
It’s an interesting way to phrase the question. He didn’t ask me for my name. Maybe he’s assuming I’ll give him a fake identity. And I probably would have if I’d been thinking clearly. Instead I whisper, "Selena." As soon as it’s off my lips, I momentarily regret giving him my real name. But then I realize I’ll be living with him for six months and I don’t think I can keep up with the lie of a fake identity that entire time. I’ll already be lying to my family and friends about where I am. No sense making this even more difficult on myself.
He tilts his head to the side, continuing to study me. "Call me Justin," he says finally. I wonder if Justin is his real name.
Just when I’m beginning to think he’s going to make me stand here all night, he rises from the chair. Having his full height in front of me is daunting. I’m average height, and he’s at least a foot taller than me, well over six feet. I stagger back a step.
"Come with me." He turns and heads toward the exit and like an obedient pet, I follow closely behind him.
When we reach the steel door I entered through just thirty minutes before, it feels like I’m exiting as a whole different person. Justin turns to face me before opening the door. "Would you like my jacket?"
I look down at myself – at my pale blue panties that now feel childish and my hands which haven’t strayed from my breasts. I nod weakly.
Shrugging out of his jacket, he’s even more muscular than I first realized. His tailored dress shirt clings to his broad shoulders and defined chest. It sends a ripple of fear through my gut. Yes, he’s attractive, but he’s also strong. Which means I’ll stand zero chance of defending myself against him if he gets too rough.
Ignoring my visual inspection of his body, he places the jacket over my shoulders, closing the lapels over my chest and buttoning the first button. I thought he might demand to see me – to inspect me for himself, but he only seems concerned with getting us the hell out of here. Which is fine by me.
Once I’m covered by the jacket, I let my hands fall away and lower my arms, my stiff joints crying out from being in the same position for so long. My arms hang uselessly at my sides and I follow him out into the hall. As grateful as I am for his jacket, I can’t mistake this first bit of kindness from him for more than it is. He doesn’t want other men’s eyes on something he’s just purchased for himself.
We pass several others on the way out and I keep my eyes on Justin’s shoes as I follow him down the hall, a false sense of security settling over me.
Chapter Two
Selena
He stops outside the dressing room I used earlier. "Are your clothes in there?"
I nod and mumble an unintelligible reply.
"Get dressed," he commands, his tone smooth.
I duck my head and push my way inside the small changing room. Once inside, I cannot keep my eyes from darting toward the mirror where I stood applying mascara just a short time ago. I can already see that the girl looking back at me is someone different. The black suit coat swallows me up, proclaiming me to belong to someone other than myself.
�|��o�0
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throwaway8472 · 8 years ago
Text
An American Fairy Tale
Once upon a time,  A village burned.  Ever since Prometheus passed along the idea of making fire to a caveman somewhere at the dawn of civilization, human beings have enjoyed burning things. It started with wood, moved on to your neighbor’s wood, and then the natural progression was to set fire to your neighbor as well. Prometheus would have rolled in his grave if he’d ever been allowed to die. But this fairy tale takes place before the Catholic Church had gotten its world renowned reputation for burning people in all sorts of ingenious and incredibly creative ways, when the concept was still on the cutting edge of brutality and not something that happened on a day to day basis. Burning villages was still an avant-garde art-form that only the most cultured artists of the era had tried their hand at. The most talented among these was a man named Atilla the Hun, who had reached the forefront of his field slowly and methodically. Like most fools, what he lacked in talent he made up for with endless practice and quite admirable tenacity. Through sheer force of will a man who is inept at a task may slowly become a master.  That is also an accurate summary of the human race’s plodding and asinine progress through the last ten thousand years or so.
 But that is not the point of this fairy tale. This fairy tale follows in the same classical tradition as the immortal and universally hallowed morality tales of the great Greek storyteller Aesop. It is a homage, if you will. Which is to say is to say that its message is about as subtle as a brick flying out of the back of the truck in front of you, smashing through your windshield as quickly as it takes a grumpy old man to complain when you change the channel from yet another NCIS rerun, and near instantly pulverizing your skull so completely that when the paramedics finally show up to scrape your lifeless husk out of your 1973 Oldsmobile Omega, the grizzled 20-year veteran paramedic actually gags a little.
 This is one of those kinds of fairy tales.  Once upon a time,  A village burned.  A young man stumbles from the ruins. He is covered in ash, and the softly moaning wind blows his soot stained shawl up against the side of his body, revealing his hollow chest and the bones of his rib-cage. If you’re having a hard time picturing this, imagine him looking a bit like like a character from Loony Toons who’d blown himself up chasing a roadrunner, but admittedly it’s a lot less comedic considering the boy’s circumstances, which are as follows:
 Two days before, he had gone out into the wilds alone on his first hunt. This was the right of passage into manhood for this particular village, in which when a boy reached the age of thirteen, all of the older men in the tribe forced him to go out into the nearby forest alone covered in nothing but what amounted to a tattered sack. Sometimes they gave them a stick, too. He had three days to kill an animal of some sort, preferably a big one that tasted good, then bring it back so the village could throw a big party and eat whatever the boy caught. After this set of arbitrary conditions had been met, the boy was thought to have become a man, and everyone congratulated him for slaughtering the animal and not getting killed after they had all abandoned him in the woods. It was a sort of proto college fraternity hazing ritual, basically. The French anthropologist who first studied this practice, Arnold van Gennep, christened it “rite de passage” and so ever since anthropologists have called this the “The Rites of Passage Tradition”, but everybody else calls it “Fucking Retarded.”  On the second day of his rite de passage, the boy returned with a promising deer only to discover every single person that he had ever known was dead. If you actually took the time to trace the modern Gregorian calendar all the way back to when the boy came back to find that everybody and everything that he’d ever known was on fire, you would find that it in fact occurred on a Monday, which anybody probably could have guessed anyway, since it’s without a doubt the worst day of the entire week.
 He hadn’t stayed in his village long after he had returned to find it burning, only pausing to take a broken sword from what was left of his own home. He didn’t bother gathering any food; he didn’t plan on traveling much. This was because the young man had decided to kill himself. The burning village had been his home his entire life. He was born there, and he had once expected to live a long life, start a family, and eventually die there surrounded by friends and loved ones. That was obviously off the table now. "Up in smoke”, if you will.  Like many suicidal people, the boy also developed a certain inexplicable taste for irony and the macabre. The shattered sword he carried had been passed down from father to son for generations. He supposed now that since his father and brothers were dead that it now belonged to him. His plan was to travel far enough away from his old home so that he could no longer see the flames and billowing smoke rising from what was left of the village, and then take his broken sword from its sheath and slit his throat. There was a cliff outside the village, and for a time he stumbled toward it slowly like a zombie from a bad horror film, but he never got there. He kept looking back on the life that was behind him, and each time the fires in the distance reflected in his eyes. Eventually he stopped and sat on a rock, and sadly watched as his future slowly turned to ash. It would be a disservice, I think, to call what he felt sadness. Nor would it be accurate to call it the mind-numbing torturous emptiness that sucks at a person’s chest like an open wound, which we name despair. It was a kind of peace, maybe, but not the kind which gives us grace in times of trouble. If there were any word to describe it, perhaps it would be resignation. Yet even that is a disservice to the countless millions that have died by their own hand. Who can say what is in the mind of a person who is about to take his own life? They silenced their own voices before they could tell us their stories– their thoughts, whatever they might have been— are gone now forever, hidden from us as though behind the reflective sheen of a darkly tinted two-way mirror: from the outside looking in, impossible to understand, and from the inside looking out, impossible to explain.  But don’t worry. The boy did not die. Well, he did eventually, of course, but not like that. This isn’t some horribly-ending German fairy tale, after all, but an American one. It’s right there in the title.  The sun would soon set in the west. The boy took his sword from its sheath and placed it alongside his throat. The steel was as cold as something that’s really cold, and a drip of blood slowly began to pool at its point.
 “Evenin’, traveler. I think I know you.”    The young man spun wildly towards the source of the voice. He was especially quick to move the blade from his neck. Human beings still have a shred of modesty burned into them, even when they are about to kill themselves. The sword fell to the ground almost instantly in a quick jerking motion of his arm, a thoughtless reflex action, like the legs twitching on a dead cricket, and he assumed a position and posture that insisted wordlessly that “Oh. Hey. I had just been standing around with a sword next to my neck.” and that people doing this particular activity were as common as sneezing or starting inane  conversations about the weather. He’d just been thinking, that’s all. Sword? No, I hadn’t had a sword held to my neck. You must have seen me at a bad angle, and gee, isn’t it nice out today?  “It’s harder to kill yourself with someone watching, y'know. Makes people feel ashamed, because something in them knows it ain’t right.”    The young man stared at the the new arrival in disbelief. Anybody living today would have recognized what was standing before him as quickly as they would recognize the Coca Cola logo. Here is what the boy saw:  The stranger wore a white button up shirt, and a rugged brown leather vest, with a sort of cloak thrown over it to protect him from the elements. He wore blue denim jeans. His boots were of an odd design. They were tall, brown, the tips were pointed, and there were odd circular metal rings hanging off the back of them which were ringed with spikes. He wore a belt that had a sheathe for some kind of weapon on his right and left leg, but they were not swords. Instead of having a straight handle like that of a sword, these had a strange curved handle made out of wood. Behind the man, the sun setting in the west  gleamed off the blue steel of the two weapons he wore on either hip.
 Most importantly, he wore a hat the likes of which the boy had never seen before. It had a wide brim that circled the man’s entire head.
 “Howdy,” the mysterious stranger said. For some reason he was squinting so hard that he looked like somebody who was staring straight into the sun, even though the sun was at his back. It was the sort of weather-worn face you couldn’t ever imagine having smiled.
"Who’re you?“
 The squinting man shrugged casually, and a brown cylindrical object suddenly appeared in his hand.  He put it in the side of his mouth, and casually walked over toward where the boy was sitting alone on the rock. The boy wasn’t frightened by this. He was in a place beyond fear now. He wasn’t even afraid when the mysterious stranger sat down next to him, reached into his pocket for a small box, made a quick flicking motion, and fire appeared in his hand as if by magic. He lit the tip of the thing in his mouth with his magic fire, took a deep breath. After a moment he breathed out a cloud of smoke with a sigh that sounded like it was weary with the weight of a thousand troubles and a long and profoundly annoying 62 year Hollywood career.  "Are you a god?” the boy asked.
 The man sat there for a long while before replying, seeming to ponder this as he stared off into the distance. The sun was getting lower now.  “‘I 'aint no god. I only been here just as long as people have been around to think me.” His voice was as rough and gravelly as asphalt. He took another long drag of his cigar, exhaled. “Kid, y'know, each drag burns different, but in the final moment, they all become wind.”  The boy told him he didn’t understand.
 The stranger nodded toward the broken sword on the ground, which had only so recently been up against the boy’s throat. “That 'aint no way to die.”
 The boy shook his head. “I don’t have anything left. Why not do it?”
 At this, the stranger took the cigar from his mouth and gestured toward the setting sun and the burning village in the distance.
   “Kid, you been lookin’ at the wrong thing out there.”  The boy looked. He saw the life he had thought was his future burning. But then he saw something else, beyond, further in the distance. It was smoke, but not from the burning village. They were campfires, thousands and thousands of them.“  "That’s them,” said the stranger, “the ones that burned your village. They’re out there waiting for you to go fight them.”  The boy looked down at his scrawny body. “But if I do that, I’ll die.”  The stranger took another long drag from his cigar, exhaled, and watched the smoke as it billowed away into nothingness. “Like I said kid, in the final moment, they all become wind.”
 This time the boy understood. He picked up his shattered sword and stood up. Before he could start walking toward the horde amassed on the horizon, the stranger put a hand on his shoulder. “Figure I’ll go out there with ya’, and besides, think you could use a horse.”
 The stranger worked his magic again, and two horses were there so quickly it felt that they’d been there all along, just out of sight. He and the boy mounted up on the horses and turned them toward the fires of the army in the distance.  “Better to go out like this”, said the mysterious stranger to the boy, “and keep on fighting, for the rest of our lives.”
 “For the rest of our lives,” the boy agreed.  And so they rode off into the sunset together, and they kept on fighting, for the rest of their lives.
0 notes
lightholme · 8 years ago
Text
An American Fairy Tale
  Once upon a time,   A village burned.   Ever since Prometheus passed along the idea of making fire to a caveman somewhere at the dawn of civilization, human beings have enjoyed burning things. It started with wood, moved on to your neighbor's wood, and then the natural progression was to set fire to your neighbor as well. Prometheus would have rolled in his grave if he'd ever been allowed to die. But this fairy tale takes place before the Catholic Church had gotten its world renowned reputation for burning people in all sorts of ingenious and incredibly creative ways, when the concept was still on the cutting edge of brutality and not something that happened on a day to day basis. Burning villages was still an avant-garde art-form that only the most cultured artists of the era had tried their hand at. The most talented among these was a man named Atilla the Hun, who had reached the forefront of his field slowly and methodically. Like most fools, what he lacked in talent he made up for with endless practice and quite admirable tenacity. Through sheer force of will a man who is inept at a task may slowly become a master.   That is also an accurate summary of the human race's plodding and asinine progress through the last ten thousand years or so.
  But that is not the point of this fairy tale. This fairy tale follows in the same classical tradition as the immortal and universally hallowed morality tales of the great Greek storyteller Aesop. It is a homage, if you will. Which is to say is to say that its message is about as subtle as a brick flying out of the back of the truck in front of you, smashing through your windshield as quickly as it takes a grumpy old man to complain when you change the channel from yet another NCIS rerun, and near instantly pulverizing your skull so completely that when the paramedics finally show up to scrape your lifeless husk out of your 1973 Oldsmobile Omega, the grizzled 20-year veteran paramedic actually gags a little.
  This is one of those kinds of fairy tales.   Once upon a time,   A village burned.   A young man stumbles from the ruins. He is covered in ash, and the softly moaning wind blows his soot stained shawl up against the side of his body, revealing his hollow chest and the bones of his rib-cage. If you're having a hard time picturing this, imagine him looking a bit like like a character from Loony Toons who'd blown himself up chasing a roadrunner, but admittedly it's a lot less comedic considering the boy's circumstances, which are as follows:
  Two days before, he had gone out into the wilds alone on his first hunt. This was the right of passage into manhood for this particular village, in which when a boy reached the age of thirteen, all of the older men in the tribe forced him to go out into the nearby forest alone covered in nothing but what amounted to a tattered sack. Sometimes they gave them a stick, too. He had three days to kill an animal of some sort, preferably a big one that tasted good, then bring it back so the village could throw a big party and eat whatever the boy caught. After this set of arbitrary conditions had been met, the boy was thought to have become a man, and everyone congratulated him for slaughtering the animal and not getting killed after they had all abandoned him in the woods. It was a sort of proto college fraternity hazing ritual, basically. The French anthropologist who first studied this practice, Arnold van Gennep, christened it "rite de passage" and so ever since anthropologists have called this the "The Rites of Passage Tradition", but everybody else calls it "Fucking Retarded.”   On the second day of his rite de passage, the boy returned with a promising deer only to discover every single person that he had ever known was dead. If you actually took the time to trace the modern Gregorian calendar all the way back to when the boy came back to find that everybody and everything that he'd ever known was on fire, you would find that it in fact occurred on a Monday, which anybody probably could have guessed anyway, since it's without a doubt the worst day of the entire week.
  He hadn't stayed in his village long after he had returned to find it burning, only pausing to take a broken sword from what was left of his own home. He didn't bother gathering any food; he didn't plan on traveling much. This was because the young man had decided to kill himself. The burning village had been his home his entire life. He was born there, and he had once expected to live a long life, start a family, and eventually die there surrounded by friends and loved ones. That was obviously off the table now. "Up in smoke", if you will.   Like many suicidal people, the boy also developed a certain inexplicable taste for irony and the macabre. The shattered sword he carried had been passed down from father to son for generations. He supposed now that since his father and brothers were dead that it now belonged to him. His plan was to travel far enough away from his old home so that he could no longer see the flames and billowing smoke rising from what was left of the village, and then take his broken sword from its sheath and slit his throat. There was a cliff outside the village, and for a time he stumbled toward it slowly like a zombie from a bad horror film, but he never got there. He kept looking back on the life that was behind him, and each time the fires in the distance reflected in his eyes. Eventually he stopped and sat on a rock, and sadly watched as his future slowly turned to ash.  It would be a disservice, I think, to call what he felt sadness. Nor would it be accurate to call it the mind-numbing torturous emptiness that sucks at a person's chest like an open wound, which we name despair. It was a kind of peace, maybe, but not the kind which gives us grace in times of trouble. If there were any word to describe it, perhaps it would be resignation. Yet even that is a disservice to the countless millions that have died by their own hand. Who can say what is in the mind of a person who is about to take his own life? They silenced their own voices before they could tell us their stories-- their thoughts, whatever they might have been--- are gone now forever, hidden from us as though behind the reflective sheen of a darkly tinted two-way mirror: from the outside looking in, impossible to understand, and from the inside looking out, impossible to explain.   But don't worry. The boy did not die. Well, he did eventually, of course, but not like that. This isn't some horribly-ending German fairy tale, after all, but an American one. It's right there in the title.   The sun would soon set in the west. The boy took his sword from its sheath and placed it alongside his throat. The steel was as cold as something that's really cold, and a drip of blood slowly began to pool at its point.
    "Evenin', traveler. I think I know you."     The young man spun wildly towards the source of the voice. He was especially quick to move the blade from his neck. Human beings still have a shred of modesty burned into them, even when they are about to kill themselves. The sword fell to the ground almost instantly in a quick jerking motion of his arm, a thoughtless reflex action, like the legs twitching on a dead cricket, and he assumed a position and posture that insisted wordlessly that "Oh. Hey. I had just been standing around with a sword next to my neck." and that people doing this particular activity were as common as sneezing or starting inane  conversations about the weather. He'd just been thinking, that's all. Sword? No, I hadn't had a sword held to my neck. You must have seen me at a bad angle, and gee, isn't it nice out today?   "It's harder to kill yourself with someone watching, y'know. Makes people feel ashamed, because something in them knows it ain't right."       The young man stared at the the new arrival in disbelief. Anybody living today would have recognized what was standing before him as quickly as they would recognize the Coca Cola logo. Here is what the boy saw:   The stranger wore a white button up shirt, and a rugged brown leather vest, with a sort of cloak thrown over it to protect him from the elements. He wore blue denim jeans. His boots were of an odd design. They were tall, brown, the tips were pointed, and there were odd circular metal rings hanging off the back of them which were ringed with spikes. He wore a belt that had a sheathe for some kind of weapon on his right and left leg, but they were not swords. Instead of having a straight handle like that of a sword, these had a strange curved handle made out of wood. Behind the man, the sun setting in the west  gleamed off the blue steel of the two weapons he wore on either hip.
  Most importantly, he wore a hat the likes of which the boy had never seen before. It had a wide brim that circled the man's entire head.
  "Howdy," the mysterious stranger said. For some reason he was squinting so hard that he looked like somebody who was staring straight into the sun, even though the sun was at his back. It was the sort of weather-worn face you couldn't ever imagine having smiled.
 "Who're you?"
  The squinting man shrugged casually, and a brown cylindrical object suddenly appeared in his hand.  He put it in the side of his mouth, and casually walked over toward where the boy was sitting alone on the rock. The boy wasn't frightened by this. He was in a place beyond fear now. He wasn't even afraid when the mysterious stranger sat down next to him, reached into his pocket for a small box, made a quick flicking motion, and fire appeared in his hand as if by magic. He lit the tip of the thing in his mouth with his magic fire, took a deep breath. After a moment he breathed out a cloud of smoke with a sigh that sounded like it was weary with the weight of a thousand troubles and a long and profoundly annoying 62 year Hollywood career.   "Are you a god?" the boy asked.
  The man sat there for a long while before replying, seeming to ponder this as he stared off into the distance. The sun was getting lower now.   "'I 'aint no god. I only been here just as long as people have been around to think me." His voice was as rough and gravelly as asphalt. He took another long drag of his cigar, exhaled. "Kid, y'know, each drag burns different, but in the final moment, they all become wind."   The boy told him he didn't understand.
  The stranger nodded toward the broken sword on the ground, which had only so recently been up against the boy's throat. "That 'aint no way to die."
  The boy shook his head. "I don't have anything left. Why not do it?"
  At this, the stranger took the cigar from his mouth and gestured toward the setting sun and the burning village in the distance.
    "Kid, you been lookin' at the wrong thing out there."   The boy looked. He saw the life he had thought was his future burning. But then he saw something else, beyond, further in the distance. It was smoke, but not from the burning village. They were campfires, thousands and thousands of them."   "That's them," said the stranger, "the ones that burned your village. They're out there waiting for you to go fight them."   The boy looked down at his scrawny body. "But if I do that, I'll die."   The stranger took another long drag from his cigar, exhaled, and watched the smoke as it billowed away into nothingness. "Like I said kid, in the final moment, they all become wind."
  This time the boy understood. He picked up his shattered sword and stood up. Before he could start walking toward the horde amassed on the horizon, the stranger put a hand on his shoulder. "Figure I'll go out there with ya', and besides, think you could use a horse."  
  The stranger worked his magic again, and two horses were there so quickly it felt that they'd been there all along, just out of sight. He and the boy mounted up on the horses and turned them toward the fires of the army in the distance.   "Better to go out like this", said the mysterious stranger to the boy, "and keep on fighting, for the rest of our lives."
  "For the rest of our lives," the boy agreed.   And so they rode off into the sunset together, and they kept on fighting, for the rest of their lives.
0 notes