#go back to your cave right this fucking second you monster

[missmonsteruniverse]

~Spring Season~

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Head cannon

Themes: Fluff💖, Nsfw🔥

(Warnings: ⚠️Adult Content⚠️ breeding, p in v, penetration, slight oral, some slight whiny monsters)

Monsters: Harpy Eagle Harpy 🦅, Fairy 🧚‍♂️ , Naga 🐍 , kitsune 🦊

(I apologize for any spelling mistakes)

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~~~The first spring time that you catch your monster lover during their mating cycle~~~

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~Harpy Eagle Harpy Bio~

Height- 6-6’10 (As harpy eagles are pretty big birds I’d imagine they would more on the taller side)

Physique- Lean with abs and decent muscles

Shaft- Perfect thickness, with 8-9 inches

Looks- Pale skin tone, Silver eyes, white feathers that ombré to grey and black. White hair which also has the crowning of feathers as well.

You and your harpy lover have been together for over a year barely missing last spring season when you and him got together in a relationship, and now this time spring season had just began once again, after getting some pastries from the bakery you start leaving the village heading to the nearby mountain, where your lovers cave resides. Once reaching the cave you walk in, but soon freeze the moment your hear the sound of deep groans and feathers ruffling, walking deeper into the cave you reach a large room, on the far side of the room was your harpy lover on the large nest of blankets and pillows, hunched over.

He was grunting, his feathers all ruffled up, he moans out deeply your name. “Baby” you murmur out. Snapping his head towards you, his grey eyes seeming to glow in the low light of the cave, within seconds your harpy lover stands before you pulling you against his semi toned chest, his body felt much warmer than usual. He buried his face into your neck, inhaling deeply, relishing in the scent of you.

“I fucking need you” your lover rasps deeply. “Whats the matter” you spoke out as you pull back slightly looking up at your harpy lover. His pupils being dilated, he spoke, “It’s spring time”, leaning in towards your ear he murmurs, “and my mating cycle has began, I must fuck…my pretty mate…..you’ll allow me right..”.

With a soft smile you lean up kissing your lover, as you then whisper out your consent, with that your lover, sweeps you up in a quick manner, causing your to drop the bag of pastries you were holding. In seconds your on your back, your harpy lover over you, his eyes gleaming, as his claws quickly undress you, his breathing was raised as he was so eager to have you, his cock which has been hard for the past hour since his cycle started was leaking his excitement.

With your legs around his slender waist, the hot flesh that transitions down to white and grey feathers, your harpy lover leans down closer to you mumbling with a deep voice, “Your mine for the rest of the day, the rest of the week my feather, mine to breed”.

Your arms wrap around his neck, as your lover kisses at your neck, his clawed hands feverishly touching around your body, eagerly seeking out your arousal preparing your body to fully settle his aching cock within you. Be sure to know that your harpy love kept his promise, that entire week you were mostly in his bed, him filling you over and over.

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~Fairy Bio~

Height- 5’5-5’11 (I imagine fairy’s to be more in the average range of height were occasionally some would be taller, rarely ever 6 ft)

Physique- Slightly more on the slender side with very slight muscle

Shaft- slimmer in thickness, 10 inches veins running along

Looks- fair skin tone, golden eyes, black hair, wing type (Green moss peacock)

Your fairy lover doesn’t generally go into a mating cycle like other monsters lovers do, but just know that once your fairy lover has first mated you, he will only ever want you for the rest of his life, as I believe fairy’s mate for life. And damn right does your fairy lover adore to make love with you, his precious partner. You and your fairy lover were at a beautiful meadow, a shimmering lake off to the side, you both were having a wonderful picnic.

Sitting on the picnic blanket, the both of you sharing sandwich’s and a bowl of fruits, simply enjoying each other’s company underneath the beautiful sky. As your fairy lover and you lay on your side facing each other smiling softly. Murmuring soft words, of affection, as then your lover reaches up to tuck a strand of your hair back, leaning closer laying a sweet kiss to your lips.

When you return the kiss your fairy lover moves his form to hover over yours, his sweet kiss becoming more heated, his hand which cupped your cheek moved down caressing your body, to soon reach far enough for his warm hand to dip under the skirt or your dress. You release a soft moan when your fairy lover grips at the flesh of your thighs, his emerald green shimmering wings fluttering in delight.

“My pretty girl, I need you” your fairy lover murmurs into your ear, leaning up kissing him deeply, you give your lover the consent he needed. He pushed up your dress skirt revealing your underwear to him, your arousal evident on them once he pushes your legs apart wide for him to settle in between.

With his hard cock pressed against your clothed cunt, his hips buck forward causing the both of you to whimper out softly. Leaning down your lover whispers in your ear, “hold your pretty underwear to the side as I make love to you”. Without hesitation you pull your soaked underwear to the side as your fairy lover unbuttoned his pants, pushing both his pants and boxers down just enough for his cock to be free.

Once pushing his cock into you, your fairy lover shudders, a whiny moan leaving his lips as his wings are fluttering erratically, due to the feeling of your warmth, hugging your body up to his, his hips move in a desperate pace, his face in your neck, leaving love marks. Your fairy lover was just so lost in the feeling of you, almost as if lost like a beast lost in heat.

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~Naga Bio~

Height- If standing up right would be 6-7 ft tall (without the inclusion of the entire length of the tail, with tail from the top of their head to the tip of the tail around 12-14 ft)

Physique- Slim muscular build (strong muscles to climb up trees and to pin down their mate to breed 😌)

Shaft- Double time, Shaft has ridges along it (I imagine one shaft being thicker and bigger than the other, definitely would use the smaller to prep you before relentlessly fucking you with the larger one)

Looks- tan skin tone, black hair, golden eyes (which slit during mating cycle), scale pattern (Caucasian viper, black and golden yellow streaks)

It was the first day of spring, you and your Naga lover having been together for 2 years already, you we heading to visit your lover at the temple he resides in, even though you and your lover were together for 2 years you’ve missed his first mating cycle as, at the time you were busy with work you had the past year, unknowingly not being there during his cycle.

Walking into the marble and stone temple, you head to the bedroom, as your reach the curtain covered door way, you hear hisses, the sound of moans and your name falling from your lovers lips. You gulp thickly as you feel your cheeks heat up, you pull the curtain open peeking into the room. You see your naga lover on his bed his hands stroking his cocks uncontrollably, his arms adorning more of his shiny scales. He whines out gasping your name and pleas, as your more nonchalant naga lover had tearful eyes.

“Baby” you murmur out, causing your naga lover to freeze, looking over at you, he lets out a hiss of desperation sitting up, he continues his stroking movements on his larger cock, “please come to me, fuck I need….”, your lover whimpers out. You walk closer to your lover as you spoke, “Love what’s wrong”, as you got close enough your lover whips his tail to you dragging you onto the bed, pinning you underneath him.

Looking up at your naga lover you notice his golden eyes glowing slightly, his irises in slits, as he speaks out, “I need you please, fuck please I need you….to fill you…to breed you full of our little snakelets” your lover lets out a low hiss as his tail coils around your legs, his hips rutting against your clothed pussy. Letting out a soft whine you murmur, “you’re acting differently what causing you to be like this…”

“My mating cycle” Your naga lover speaks out as he licks along your neck taking in your scent, “Please will you let me….” Your lover speaks out his hands gently roaming under your shirt touching the soft warm flesh of your belly, your lover could smell your arousal, and was desperately holding back, as he wanted to hear your approval before he let go, having his way with you.

Gently wrapping your arms around your naga lover neck you speak out your approval, within seconds your naga lover kisses you feverishly, his hands pushing your shirt up groping your chest over the fabric of your bra. Before pulling away slightly, to fully begin to undress you completely. Kissing down along your body your naga lover, kisses at your thighs before licking up your arousal, letting out a moan from the sweet taste of you.

With the foreplay of your naga lover devouring your pussy, drinking up your arousal, to then stretching you out on his smaller length. Your lover grips your legs around his slim waist rutting his leaking tip against your aching core, his pushes forward, in a fluid motion his larger cock hilting fully within you as his other slightly smaller cock rubbed at your clit, which only added to the pleasure. “My perfect mate, all mine, taking me perfectly” your naga lover murmurs, the rest of the day your naga lover, bred you perfectly, leaving the both of you satisfied and exhausted. Your lover holding you against his chest his tail coiling around you, acting as a shield, keeping his perfect human mate safe.

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~Kitsune Bio~

Height- 5’10-6’2 (occasionally some can be up to 6’5, the taller they are the more bigger their ego 😗)

Physique- Slender with slight muscle

Shaft- Long (cocky fuckers), pretty thick to but not so bad.

Looks- pale to fair skin tones, silvery eye color, white long hair, ears and tails are white that ombré to a red.

you and your kitsune lover are at a hot spring resort, enjoying your third year anniversary, your lover has reserved a bedroom that had its own personal patio with its own hot spring pool for just the both of you, the cool breeze as the day was winding down the sun starting to set, as you both relaxed in the pool chatting softly, you sitting on your kitsune lovers lap, your back resting agianst his chest.

Your lover is gently caressing your thighs as he kisses at your shoulder, humming out softly as you speak out chatting about anything that came to mind. His hands soon stopped once he felt a wave of heat washing through his body, a familiar feeling of his heat cycle beginning. Your lover adjusts his sitting position as you soon feel something poking at your ass, turning to look at your lover his face was flushed and his eyes glowing and glossy.

You tease your lover as he becomes more flustered and slightly irritated with embarrassment looking away, he grumbles, “it’s not my fault my heat cycle is beginning”. With a smile you move positioning your self to face your lover straddling him, you murmur, “what is my little fox, embarrassed”. With a soft growl your kitsune lover looks at you his eyes shining brightly, he stands exiting the hot spring pool, your legs wrapped around his waist.

Walking over into the bedroom your lover lays you onto the bed pinning your hands over your head with a low voice he speaks, “who said I was embarrassed, I’m simply bothered”, “bothered by what” you whisper out. Your lover mumbles into your ear, “bothered that I still don’t have you screaming for me, begging…”.

You can feel the hot breath of your kitsune lover lowering from your ear to your neck, running open mouth kisses down from your collar bone to you breast, giving attention to one of your hardened nipples, his hands releasing the grip on your wrists caressing along the flesh of your arms moving down to hold onto your hips, while his lips moved to kiss and suck on your other breast.

Sitting up right your lover pushes your legs back just enough for him to settle perfectly in between, his thumbs caressing your thighs he speaks gently, “Perfect……my pretty girl, let me claim your body, to be utterly mine tonight, to hold our little kits we’re to have”.

Grinding his hard cock against your warm cunt, your kitsune lover murmurs lovingly to you, “please, give me little kits, a family to love forever” as he then gives you a passionate kiss, a kiss revealing how badly your lover wanted to breed you badly, to ravish you all night long, but holding back enough needing for you to also want this, to want his kits, to want the future family you both would have.

With your soft affirmation, your kitsune, pushes his hips forward entering your warmth, with a shuddering gasp your lover fully enters you. Laying his forehead against yours, your lover murmurs sweet words of love to you. Kissing you with fierce passion, as he moved his hips in a deep sensual manner. A manner that leaves you both breathless yet craving for more, which gladly he gave you more throughout the rest of the week you both stayed in the resort.

[all-purpose-dish-soap]

Youve mentioned that shark soap is the first to use remora (I can't spell today) reader as a sex toy.

Does this possibly infer that someone else is the second 🤔

I 100% see it as price though. Or gaz,

hot filth coming right up <3

(shark mer 141 + remora mermaid reader au)

it’s Price. definitely Price the second time. probably because after Soap got to you, you became a little insatiable and you know... sleeping next to Price at night... things happen.

and Price is not opposed to Gaz joining in. (. ★ ᴗ ★.)

when it’s time to go to bed, Price lays back with you in his sandy cave nest. you press up into him and coil your tail, pressing the soft warmth of your body against his. even yawning and sleepy as you are, you know what your job is.

you set to work grooming his scales, his chest. you work your specialized palms meticulously across the planes of his body, leaving nothing untouched; no buildup of salt or grime unscraped.

it takes time. he’s much taller and broader a creature than you are.

he makes himself comfortable in his bed of sand, stretches out, and huffs as you situate yourself more firmly on top of him. your tail curls around his hip. he gives a low, pleased rumble. each brush of your nimble fingers soothes his mind and his ego. prized pet.

the sensation is strange—not quite a massage, but a satisfying feeling all the same. his muscles twitch as you brush over his chest. The beginnings of arousal coil in his stomach, and his scales grow warmer under your touch despite the cool water around them.

“that’s it,” he rumbles, placing his large hand on your hip. “keep going.”

you hum in acknowledgement.

under you, you feel him begin to unsheathe. you’re not surprised. this is the nightly routine, after all.

⬇ nsfw, d/s flavors + objectification, size diff, monster dicks, merman sex ⬇

you press your hips to his in idle response and line his emerging spear up to your sheath.

his hand on your hip gently squeezes. he shifts his body slightly to angle you properly.

“you’re in a rush, pet,” he chides, though he makes no move to stop you. in fact, he leans his head back. “you know i like to take my time.”

you bite your lip as the first cockhead pops out of his tail and directly into your slit. just the bulbous tip has your stomach muscles clenching. “s-sorry.”

“i know you are.” his fingers dig into your flesh in warning as you try to move. “but i’m not going to fuck you just like that.”

you rock against him anyway. as best you can—plant your palms on his chest and arch your back to better grind yourself down. he watches you writhe and buck against him like an animal in heat.

his free hand comes up to trace down your curved spine. “you’re being greedy. be good and let me set the pace.”

“mmhmm—!”

you try to slow, but you can’t. you want to be full. he smiles a slow, wicked smile. the tension in your body as you struggle to hold yourself back and fail is so pleasing. you look like you feel so empty without him.

“you’re being so naughty. is this how a good pet behaves, hm? trying to take more than you’re given?” he slides his hand around to your rear and squeezes it. “you’re going to wait until i say you can. you’re here to be used, not to beg me for what you want.”

you nod quickly. but still you rut your hips. you can catch him just right on your sensitive nub—

“stop that. you aren’t going to push me into going any faster.” he knows exactly where you’re trying to get him to touch you. he knows exactly how desperate you are. he gives your rear a firm slap. “behave.”

you whine. you make the prettiest little sounds when you’re desperate like this. you make so much noise, in fact, that Gaz stirs outside.

his voice echoes outside the cave. “sir?”

Price’s eyes don’t leave you. “what is it?” he calls back.

“is something wrong?” Gaz replies, hesitant.

“quite the opposite.”

you keep silent, now trying in earnest not to squirm. you can’t imagine Price wants to be found out like this—to be seen in so compromising a position.

you’d be wrong.

while you watch the dark cave entrance with wide eyes, Price pinches your nipple. you let out a loud gasp, bucking in shock.

Price grins. Gaz is right outside, listening to every sound with appropriate concern—why not take advantage of the opportunity? he wants Gaz to know.

he pinches again. harder. “come on, pet. make some noise for me.”

you cry out at the command, helpless to contain your pleasure.

he grows harder under you. “that’s a good girl,” he purrs. then he raises his voice. “Gaz, come.”

Gaz—pressed as close to the entrance of the cave as he could be without physically transgressing—is there in moments.

Price doesn’t so much as raise his eyes to Gaz in greeting. he simply shifts, finally pushing his cock into you to make you arch and better display you to his new audience. you struggle to suppress your whines, fins curling up behind you despite your best efforts.

Gaz’s gaze turns hungry and lingering. for all his performative concern, he must’ve been expecting this. but he doesn’t encroach. he doesn’t crowd you. he waits to be invited. permission must be granted before he can do anything but hover, eyes glued to you both.

“i said come. closer,” Price commands. “come look at my pretty toy.” he presses his hips up into yours, feeling himself slide deeper. your fingers flex and curl against his chest. such a small fish compared to them. a toy indeed.

soon, Gaz is pressed against your back, his hands feeling you up and down. Price is feeling indulgent—toward both of you—and Gaz is nothing if not an opportunist.

you get much, much more than you begged for. Price’s rough hands, his slow thrusts, the sweetened way orders fall out of his mouth like praise. Gaz’s steadying grip, his teeth on your shoulder, his cocks rutting into the curve of your spine, your ass.

following orders, isn’t he? both of you.

and you keep following those orders even after Price spends himself in you once—you clenching around him in euphoria after edging yourself so long awaiting his satisfaction; Gaz’s hands guiding his superior’s second cock into you with such rote efficiency you wonder who he wants to touch more. you’re swollen and used, and Price’s second cock feels bigger than the first. it’s all you can do to keep your eyes open as Gaz grabs your hips and pumps you up and down for Price’s pleasure.

Price watches with a lazy smile. it’s debauched. Gaz’s desperate need to please his superior; your willingness to be reduced and devoured; the way Gaz slides his own cock into you quietly; the way you take both his and Price’s without complaint despite the immense stretch. you arch between them, wrecked and writhing as they use you both for their own pleasure.

the friction of Gaz’s cock against his sends heat up Price’s spine, and he pulls out and fucks up into you, watching his length and Gaz’s disappear into your slit over and over until he cums again.

“such a good little pet,” Price growls through his teeth, low and sweet. “aren’t you?”

you promise you are. and you continue to be even when Price flips you over, putting you on your back as an offering to gaz.

it’s different when Gaz is having his way with you. it’s all for Price’s pleasure, the way he watches, the way he directs you—two of his favorite toys. Gaz keeps you open and on display to his superior and fucks you every way he knows Price likes.

each time Gaz speaks to you, touches you, moves you, it’s to please Price. but that’s what possesses you both—drives you and Gaz to the edge of your sanity, filled up by the overwhelming desire to please the man who watches you. you’re both props to each other. you’ve never wanted anything more.

as Gaz’s gentle orders turn strict and harsh, Price’s praise softens.

their words bleed together, and by the time they’ve had their fill of you, you’re more spent than you’ve ever been. a boneless, exhausted puddle, used and marked and bruised and deliriously happy.

Price runs his hand over the marks left over. handprints. bite marks. claims of ownership.

Gaz knows better than to hesitate. he wastes no time moving away with a nod from his superior. Price intends to enjoy his handwork—your weary form—alone.

you’re left gasping, body trembling and slick with spent pleasure. your hair is tangled, your body marked with bites and scratches, your eyes hazy from pleasure and exhaustion. despite it all, Price curls his big hand around your cheek. “are you satisfied?”

“if... if you are. sir.”

he smiles at the quivering of your voice, the way you still seek to please. “you don’t have anything else you’re craving, pet?”

it’s a teasing question. he knows you have nothing left to give, even if you wanted to.

your body twitches under his fingers as they trace you, sensitive from so much use. he sees how you shiver when he touches the bite marks left by Gaz’s possessive teeth. satisfaction coils in his stomach at the sight.

still. it’s a trick question to you. you can’t be sated until he is—you don’t want to be.

you press into his side and let your hand wander over his chest in a way that could be sweet or suggestive, depending on where his mind lingers.

it’s tempting to give you more. but he elects instead to sweep you into his arms and bury his face in your chest. you curl around him with a sweet sound.

“insatiable thing,” he rumbles. “sleep. you’ll have much more to tend to in the morning.”

more mer au / more Price / more Gaz / masterlist

[ashloremystic]

18+ NSFW MDNI

This is part of the Dark Romance Dating App Series. List can be found here

(I may have missed a few edits because I'm half asleep lol but If I did I promise to fix them when I get a chance)

Miscommunication

Sensational Simulations was an amazing job and yes it paid very well, but a lot of work went into making it “The perfect experience”. The company was one of a kind and the ratings were high. Especially since their recent merge with Dark Romance Dating inc.

The increase in clientele had called for them to open up a second location which was supposed to be bigger and better than the first. That's where you came in!

With prior training and experience working at the other location, you were sent over to help oversee the new facility. It was a big job that came with a bigger paycheck than the pretty one you already brought home.

Behind the scenes of Sensational Simulations was a bit more chaotic than one would think. In order to keep things moving smoothly, You had to make sure that the guest lists were correctly updated as well as fixing any schedule mishaps.

Every once in a while, you had to hunt down lost monsters who couldn’t speak a lick of english…or put in work orders for things that didn't quite working properly…(Like that one employee elevator that just keeps getting stuck on level 6 for hours until it finally would let you free..) Although you hated having to hike down 6 flights of stairs in heels!!!..The higher ups was really good about compensating you when it came to incidents like that.

Today, however, you had a request to check out one of the room and to invest an incident that occurred.

One of the clients, although they left a really good review,stated that the monster that greeted them wasn't what they had signed up for. Perhaps they were in the wrong room. That also meant that you were going to have to check the back logs to see who didn't receive their date.

The thought alone of having to search through a huge list of clients made this quest that much more annoying.

Avoiding the employee elevator, you chose to take one of the main ones and badge yourself up to the 12th floor. As the elevator went up, you went over the details of the report to help you track down where the encounter happened.

You entered the cool damp room that resembled an underground cave. It was supposed to be a siren's den but instead of music you were met with silence and the sound of water dripping off of the rocks above to the “natural” Lake below them.

You made your way deeper into the cave till you reached the center where there was a large body of water that was lightly glowing. Casting the room with a soft glow that helped the human clients to see. As part of the den. It also had a bed that did have a few dim lights around it as well. Anything to satisfy, of course.

“Hey. I'm Y/N the assistant manager.” You called out, hoping to get the monster's attention. You didn't want to have to go for a swim if you didn't have to. “I'm here to help escort you to your correct room.”

Nothing…

“Ughh fuck me this is going to take all day.” You cursed as you turned to go and set your clip board down. Just as you went to walked away you heard what sounded like the water rippling.

That was all the warning you got before something ..well. .many somethings wrapped around you. Stopping you from going any further.

*Yank*

“Shhhiiitt!!” you screamed right before you were plunged under the surface and dragged until you were pulled up into another cave, coughing and choking up water as you were dropped belly down onto the stone floor of the enclosed room around you and whatever had taken you. This room was much darker than the first part of the cave but you could still see a little bit.

You looked back behind you and gasped in shock and in awe as your eyes tried to adjust to see what had taken you. You had only ever read stories or watched lewd videos about them….It…..Your lost monster was none other than a tentacle variant of some sort.

You watched as it tried to make sense of what it caught and how its shape changed and tried to find a form that was suitable for it. Its mix of teal, blues and turquoise limbs were various shapes and sizes. Some round, some flat. Others with textures that you couldn't imagine being pleasant. It was then you realized it was trying to find out what appealed to you most.

“Wait. Umm…I'm not a client.” You tried to manage as you rolled onto your butt to face the creature.

It stopped morphing for a moment. A mass of tentacles eagerly curling and masking its main body. But it didn't seem to understand you. Which was probably why the damn thing was lost in the first freaking place!

“Sim! Dashboard Assist” You called out and a tone sounded. Queuing the assistant you requested.

“How can I be of Assistance.” The voice sounded loudly startling the creature into a panic. It dashed towards you.

“Wait hing on a….gahh” before you could finish one of its many limbs was between your lips and slipping deeper into your mouth and down into your throat.

“mmmmhmm” You sounded as your hands came up to grab and pull at the slick pale blue appendage only for two others to reach out and pull your hands away and hold them up above your head.

“Please state your command so I can help assist you.” The assistant pinged again.

You would if you fucking could! But here you were instead gagging as the tentacle thrusted further down your throat feeding you something slightly bitter as you tried to use your feet to push yourself loose or away. That was until those were grabbed too pulling you up from the floor and into the air.

One of the texture limbs ran over your body and, at one point pulled your breast free so it could wrap around them and tease the hardened tips of your nipples. Seemingly fascinated by the size and feel of them as it squeezed and relased watching as they would darkened from its touch.

Your body started to tingle and you felt as your gut began to tighten with excitement instead of fear or worry. The creature seems to notice the same thing too as more of its arms wrapped around your body and slipped inside of the waist bands of both your pants.

It slid against the fabric of your underwear until it could reach up to slide between your folds and brushed around the warm damp flesh between. Dripping with arousal from whatever substance it was feeding you.

You moaned as you wiggled. The reason you came up here in the first place, pushed far beyond your mind at this point as you did your best to grind yourself against the textured limb.. Squeezing your legs as you rocked your hips, seeking more.

The creature didn't move as if watching you struggle brought it some kind of satisfaction. Like watching your suspended body thrashing around begging for it to touch you, had given it some type of satisfaction.

It didn't make you suffer too long as one of the slick Tents bumped at your clit and then again when it felt the moan you let out around it. Again when your body shook and then constantly after figuring this was its new favorite thing. Bushing its tip up and down and against it. Pressing with more pressure and then doing it all over again until you were coming from the stimulation alone.

While that one kept working you felt another slip lower and press itself inside of you. Your eyes widening at the stretch and then rolling back as you clinched around it with another orgasm. Soaking it as it forced its way through those tightened soft and warm walls. Exploring as deep as it dared to go before fucking you silly. It's tentacle pounded into you filling the cave with noises you never heard before.

At one point the one in your mouth slipped out wrapping itself around your neck so it could hear your moans and pleas as it brought you to yet another release. You could see why the client left the review they had. Because as you were flipped back onto your stomach. That creature gave you the best experience of your life. Keeping you there till the last of it, aphrodisiac wore off.

One last set of pumps, and it came filling and covering you with a release of its own.

The next day, a review was sent in from an agent with a huge donation that stated that their client was very satisfied with their recent date and couldn't wait to be sent another.….You didn't have the heart to tell them they were mistaken with how the system works. However, you did reply by telling them to move it to its correct location, attaching the correct room number as well as the proper paperwork for a translator...

They happily agreed as long as you would help assist them with the move...

Your response...."Sure, That can be arranged."

Great sex and employee compensation was well worth it anyway..

[snowneedsanap]

Given' Me a Headache, Boys.

The Merman's Cove // Poly!Mermay!141 x Afab!Human!Reader // Ch. 3

Tags|Warnings // Reader is Afab with she/her pronouns, no use of Y/N, this is eventually a poly ending but starts with a Kyle/Johnny fic for the beginning, the boys are feral hunters, reader doesn't like fish (this is important to the plot line), I don't care if it isn't MerMay anymore I want Mermen, Reader is human interacting with feral beasts of the deep, protective mermen, biting, marking, clawing, Reader def has daddy issues, real slowburn baby, i think monster fucking if you consider it?, drowning, mentions of death, mentions of death of a family member. author is trying to use regional dialect, not proofread!!!

This chapter includes: clawing, blood, slight amnesia, reader's father thinks she is mentally ill, vomiting and hospitalization, medical inaccuracies

A/N: I didn't get a lot of notes on the second chapter so I was hesitant to make a third, not only that but my work schedule has been late at night so I go to bed late-wake up late- and then go to work. Anyway. no more excuses.

Holy mother of fuck it's cold.

Below than what you've been used to when you've been diving in the cold voluntarily, possibly because you had never expected to swim away from the cops.

Water fills your lungs before you expect it, and you start to sink into the depths that you've been so deathly afraid of.

Fuck, you realize, my bike is there.

They'll surely know you're here, ran off, or gone missing, possibly even swimming with the fishes. You think your dad will know- since you started investigating. But you know the librarian won't rat you out. Fuckin' hell.

Your mind is foggy. The water seeps into each neuron. Surely you'll drown.

Claws dig into your arms, making dark red incisions that bleed out your own blood. One swift and powerful motion pulls you out of the water, but it disorients you and makes your head land on a heavy shoulder.

Holy fuck, you think. Surely it couldn't get any worse. You think you just experienced hyperthermia, the bends, and a migraine all at being in the arms a merman.

"The fuck did you bring her up so fast for? You realize humans can't do that," You hear the muffled voice of Kyle, but not sure where he was to you since the echo of the cave disoriented direction.

"Te fuck ye mean?" Johnny talks right up in your ear, overwhelming you with his gruff voice. His powerful tail pushes you two together to the edge, where you feels his large body lay on top of you. His baby blue eyes stare into your soul. If you were more than conscious, you throw him back in the water.

Kyle joins the two of you. "Move, you're scaring 'er," Kyle moves closer looking into your eyes. "Just breath love, we'll find some warmth," he reassures, one of his webbed hands encasing your freezing cold one. Sure he was cold, but not as much as the trenches that were beside you.

Johnny moves your body closer to his, with your back to his chest. You could hear the subtle breathing behind you, but you weren't sure if that was you or Johnny down your neck.

A flicker of light lit up the cavern. Kyle had already started a flame, with a convenient pile of logs and sticks near you and him. You see a shadow move, seemingly like Kyle gets bigger as he looms over the flame, like he was standing.

Then your eyes closed.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

A warm body encased behind you with a strong arm wrapped around your waist. More warmth filled the front of you, where you could smell smoke and char fill your lungs. You were disoriented, dehydrated, certainly like how you imagined pirates at sea were like after days without seeing land. Except you were on land. Certainly, you were at the cave still, but when? Since when had you gotten here?

Barely remembering when or how you got here. The feeling of lightheadedness and a migraine combined into tossing yourself to the side of the ledge and throwing up your stomach. The sour feeling, taste, makes you gag and once tear up. Your cough caused an echo.

You feel a tightening around your waste.

"Easy girl," Kyle brings you closer to him and out of the ledge. You moan and groan in response. "H-huh?" you turn around. You don't remember him. The fuck did you do last night? Did they slip you something and bring you here? You don't remember going to the bar, hell you barely drink despite only going to bars for hanging out.

Your head pounds. You thought you were seeing two of him. A shiver runs down your spine when you remember the feeling of salt water filling your lungs. A powerful tail encasing your thrashing pair. But there was a man laying next to you, a handsome one the less, shirtless too. You blink like you're recalibrating.

"Doll?" The man you've turned to, the one you holds your waist, calls you as you look into his soft eyes. He's a man, how come you remember a fish tail?

You felt sick again.

You hear the shut of a car door. Kyle grabs you and hoists you into the water, which you were not at all prepared for, seemingly like he was trying to protect you from whatever was coming this way. Grabbing you harshly, you end up hitting your head against the rocks which has already left you disoriented from, it's all worse. You flail, head too heavy which makes you sink. Two more splashes join beside you, encasing you. Gunshots are fired, echoing. You feel a graze of a claw. A bite. You screech.

"Holy mother of fuck... daughter, te' fuck?" You hear your father's voice through the muffled voices under the water. Your head lulls. He sees the seeping red from the top of your head.

"Shit!"

You feel him pull you by both of your arms up, taking you by your waist and laying you down. You remember this freezing feeling.

"Shit, shit, come on," your father's hand scoops behind your head, looking for any sign of life. "How are you still breathin...'" He checks your pulse. He looks down to your legs. "Mother of bloody pearl..."

The scars and claws run long, not too deep but superficial to leave a scar. There are punctures that form into a hand alignment into claws. "No," he's in disbelief. He fumbles for his flip phone. You here the muffled speaking of an operator, telling them they would be there any minute.

"Stay with me love," he cradles your neck tenderly. "Come on, you're gonna be okay, fuckin' Christ--"

You hear those bloody sirens again. Something like this happened not too long ago. This feels like a fever dream. A dramatic one. Your father holds your freezing cold hand. He curses over and over, cursing at what has hurt me. But what lurks just below him is also cursing him out for arriving and disturbing the peace.

Sirens blurt out onto the quiet town and drive through the rocky area. It takes them a while to get down there, but you feel lifted onto the stretcher and covered in sheets. It's cold outside and of course raining.

Not a hard pour rain, but you feel it against your cold flushed cheeks.

"Ma'am? Ma'am? Can you hear me?" The paramedic beside you calls out, which you recognize as one of your neighbors, a sweet lady a little older of your age. Shit. That was your friend.

She calls out your name and shakes your shoulder. Her look of concern was personal.

The sounds of the car ride are all muffled, their voices too. You feel your father's tight grip, wanting to ground you or himself. Your friend sits by your side, looking down. Fuck, how could you not remember her name? Was it the fact that you hit your head? Amnesia can do some fucked up things.

Fluorescent lights and sterilization creeps into your senses. You've always hated hospitals and going to the doctor as a child- so this was overwhelming. And the fact you could barely react to your surroundings was jarring.

You hated this. Hated the attention, hated the fact you weren't aware of what was happening, and hated where you were.

They brought you into the emergency room, laying you down in one of the white beds. People surrounded you immediately. Hands upon hands and no way to tell them to stop.

There was feeling to your hand where you felt a needle for an IV, disinfectant in deepened wounds that you couldn't remember where they had come from.

More mumbled voices crowd your head, but you can't help but feel the hand of your friend by your bedside, telling you it would be ok.

Hooooooolyyy fuck--

Goddamn. Fuck. Shit. Where am I? Ugh...Damn it was bright. Right. You were in the hospital, how the fuck did this happen again?

You tried to sit up. But a hand and a quick shush put you back down. "Don't even think about it. What the hell did you do this time to end up here?" Your friend, Olive, properly sassy and highly intelligent gives you a side eye, despite you just awaking and barely being aware of your surroundings. '"Fuck, gimme a break will ya?" You plead to her.

She scoffs, but listens. "Worried me for a hot sec. Severe dehydration, head trauma, deep flesh wounds and slashes.." She lists off. "Were you attacked? Did you go to the bar and someone..? And why the fuck is there a bite on your calf?" She was pissed, yeah, but you needed her to just let it go for now. Not like you knew what was happening either.

"No, no, I just, can't remember what happened. But that wasn't it," You replied, rubbing your head where you touched bandages.

"You don't remember?" She asks, confused and worried.

"No, not at all. I know.. I know my dad told me not to do something and then I did it," You hum, recounting vague details.

She laughs along, but also seems like she got a tail end of it, "Yeah, he told me he wants answers when you woke up. He was... incredibly pissed, to say the least," Olive sighs. "But, also as my patient, if he stresses you out at all you just let me know, ok? We'll figure out what happened," She patted your hands that laid on your chest.

"I'll go get him," you watch your friend get up and go grab your father, where you were about to be brought absolute hell.

A headache racked your brain, one that felt churning to your stomach. You search around for the 'call nurse' button on your bedside to ask for medicine, grumbling when you couldn't find it. Another grumble comes from the doorway catches your attention.

Your father, ready to raise Armageddon.

"What the fuck did I tell you about going out? What did I tell you about going into that bloody cave--" He snarls, infuriated that his own adult daughter can make her own decisions.

"And you end up in a bloody hospital. Huh? Who's going to have to take care of you when I go off to work--"

"Olive, will," you reply.

"Do not give me attitude miss, I know damn well Olive has more to do than to take care of your regretful ass," He points at you, shaking his head. "What the fuck have you done by not listening to my simple request? You have ruined our reputation, I'm goin' to be a joke at work for not simply looking after you when this was your fault-" he rants on and on.

You just bow your head.

Olive grabs your father's shoulder. "I think that's enough. I think.. I think your daughter has had a bit of amnesia," your friend tries to explain gently.

"Oh? Amnesia yeah? Are you telling me that as an excuse or did you really 'forget what you saw'? Are you fucking crazy? Have you not been taking your medication? Is that why you 'forgot'? Are you seeing those fuckin' things- What the fuck did you see--"

"Dad-"

"After all of these years I do so much for you and just this one time you don't listen to me-!"

"Dad! Enough!" You finally snap. You roll over to your side, sheltering yourself from him. He has caused enough stress already.

There's a pause of silence, followed by Olive asking your father to leave gently since he was causing such an uproar. He scoffs, but then abides.

She shuts the door.

"I'm... sorry, you shouldn't have to deal with him like that." Olive offers her sympathies.

"This happens a lot." You curled up, with your friend and only trusted person by your side, sitting in comforting silence.

[dungeoncrawlingwithoutprotection]

How the hell did you get lost? How the fucking hell did you get lost this time? You'd been hiking on the mountain more times than you could feasibly count but this is the time you get lost beyond recognition?

It just wasn't fair. After a long day spent hiking, thinking you would be back home before dark; yet here you were unable to tell which way was forward anymore. Sinking to the ground, wanting so badly to kick your legs, cry, scream, and tear up the grass in angry fistfuls; you knew it wouldn't help in the slightest. You knew you needed to conserve your energy, to keep walking and looking for a way out of here.

But you also didn't feel like it.

Exhausted from a day of hiking, you pulled your legs closer in a loose hug, resting your forehead against your knees. The hopelessness slowly draining the last of your battery, having noticed the sky getting dark but not being able to tell where the sun was setting. You dozed off before you could think to stop yourself.

Lightly snoring and ignoring your surroundings despite the heavy footfalls approaching. Not noticing a single thing as a towering figure emerged from the rapidly darkening forest around you, not until a sharp pain in the middle of your scalp made you jump.

Even through blurry eyes, you could see just how massive the figure was, not even scrambling back would allow you to look up at it properly.

You've never seen a troll this big before...

Despite the initial shock, despite your reaction, he bent over awkwardly in front of you, reaching out slightly.

"You okay?" His voice was deep, gravely but his Human was broken, to say the least, "Not hurt? Lost?"

Swallowing the dry lump in throat, half nerves half waking throat, "Y-yeah. I'm okay. And lost, I don't-"

You blinked several times at the outstretched hand, it was clear how gentle he was trying to be.

"Me help." He grunted, nearly lifting you off the ground, "Come."

He... wasn't giving you a choice. He wouldn't let go of your hand as he trudged through the forest. Sure, he was able to break through most of the foliage in your way, but you had to trot just to keep up! And while you were still so damned tired too...

But you couldn't help whining as he tugged you along. It felt like your arm was going to pop out of socket, each second left your shoulder feeling worse and worse. You felt yourself counting footsteps as a distraction... anything to get your mind off your exhaustion and possible injury.

Though just as you were going to speak up, he stopped. Rubbing your arm, squeezing your own shoulder as you looked around; realizing you were in a cave of some sort, likely his. It left an awkward feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Not that you were against monster fuckers, being one yourself; but you weren't on this mountain looking for a date. Let alone being almost forcibly abducted into someone's home for god only knows what.

Though that might just be the stress of the day talking.

Before you could fully gather your thoughts, the mountain troll you'd followed had lit a fire. He turned to you, gesturing to the fire repeatedly. You couldn't make out the expression on his face, but you didn't feel as if he had any kind of malicious intent. Yet you still frowned, slightly confused as you moved closer to the fire; checking over your shoulder before sitting near the fire.

That seemed to be what he wanted though, turning on his heel to do... something. You just turned to the fire, nothing was off as far as you could tell so there was no reason to watch him. Though it was weird how little he tried talking to you, even as you considered that he just wasn't confident in his Human.

Or that he was just that isolated...

Either were complete options, ones that you weren't entirely equipped to think through right now. The short nap in the middle of the mountain forest did very little to combat your emotional and physical exhaustion. Propping yourself up with one leg, you could feel the gentle tug of sleep on your eyelids as you gazed into the fire.

But before you could get too comfortable, there was a large clank very close to you. Jolting with your eyes flying wide open, the mountain troll had set a large cauldron over the fire. It was a giant, tall legged cauldron that hovered nicely over the fire. Somehow he had the vessel mostly filled before he moved it over the fire and curiosity got the better of you.

Leaning over on your toes to see what was even in there, you barely registered how the top of your head was just under his fifth rib. But before you could get a good look at the contents of the cauldron, the troll lifted you by the shoulders, placing you a couple feet away from the fire.

"Not safe." He grunted, "Stay back."

"I was just trying to see what was in the pot." You blurted without thinking, "I'm not used to seeing monsters cook like this. Most of them stick to roasting everything."

It took a few seconds for your brain to catch up as you and the troll slow blinked at each other.

"Not that I'm judging." You continued, "I just wasn't expecting something like this."

"What?" He tilted his head, "Uh... say? What say?"

"Oh... uh... nothing." You looked away, "Not important."

He really didn't understand Human at all. At least not enough to carry on a conversation. Despite that, he continued tossing vegetables into the cauldron. All you could do was watch as he prepped whatever he was cooking, it had to be soup given how late it was. If it was stew of some sort then you were in a little trouble. At least if he intended for you to stick around for the result...

But you had to be patient. That was the easiest part somehow, given how he wasn't paying much attention to you at all. Only enough to keep you from harm it seemed. And so you made it a little easier for him as well, sitting back down at a safe distance and propping up one leg. Once again nodding off to the soft sounds of someone cooking.

And once again being woken up just before you were fully asleep; prodded awake and being offered a bowl of soup. It took you a few seconds to blink yourself awake enough to accept it, though it did smell quite good. Tasted good too as you sipped the broth, having no utensils made it nearly impossible to eat the veggies without biting the edge of the bowl. As awkward as it felt, you noticed your troll companion doing the exact same.

It was peaceful, especially since he wasn't doing anything to make a move on you. The only thing he did was keep offering you soup, though you were full after the first bowl. Though you were still concerned about your inability to communicate with him effectively, that could become a serious problem by morning.

"Stay... uh night?" He gestured forcibly, pointing at the ground, "Not safe" as he pointed outside.

"I know." You nodded, "I will need to leave in the morning."

While you struggled to gesture what you were saying, he seemed to understand a little. Though he still tugged you over to a corner of the cave, clearly his bed. Not accepting any form of protest, insisting on you laying next to him. The first thing you desperately wanted to get away from, yet it too was harmless. While he was cuddling you, it was purely innocent. His gangly arms wrapped loosely around you, almost as a protective measure.

It surprised you how easy it was to fall asleep after everything.

[writeriguess]

Joel Miller x female reader where he comforts her after she had to shoot her infected best friend?

No Good Choice

You barely remembered how you made it back to the cabin. Your hands were still shaking, and your chest felt like it had caved in. The snow outside soaked your boots, but you didn’t care. You were numb. You hadn’t even realized Joel had been speaking until you heard your name.

“Hey, hey,” Joel said gently, reaching out but hesitating, his hand hovering near your arm. “You’re freezing. Sit down.”

You blinked at him. His voice barely cut through the ringing in your ears.

“I—I can’t,” you whispered. “I can’t—Joel, I—”

Your knees gave out before you could finish, and Joel was there in an instant, catching you before you hit the ground. He didn’t speak right away, just wrapped his arms around you and held you, the both of you kneeling on the wooden floor of the cabin.

“I shot her,” you choked out, voice cracking. “She was my best friend, Joel. My best fucking friend. And I shot her in the head like she was nothing.”

“She wasn’t nothin’,” he said softly, guiding you to sit against the wall. He crouched in front of you, his face level with yours, his hands cupping your face. “She was sick. She was gone, sweetheart. You did what you had to do.”

You flinched at his words. “That doesn’t make it better. That doesn’t make it easier.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “I know it don’t.”

You wrapped your arms around your knees and buried your face in them. “She looked at me, Joel. She looked at me, and for a second, I thought she was still there. In her eyes. I thought I could—could bring her back. But she was already gone.”

Joel sat beside you, pulling you into him. “I’ve seen that look. The maybe-they’re-still-there look. I’ve been there. Too many damn times.”

You rested your head on his chest, the beat of his heart grounding you. “Did it ever get easier for you?”

“No,” he answered without hesitation. “But I got better at carryin’ it. Doesn’t mean it weighs less. Just means I don’t let it bury me anymore.”

You closed your eyes, breathing in his scent — leather, smoke, and something warm that only smelled like him.

“She was with me since the QZ,” you said, voice small. “She was the only one who made me laugh when shit felt hopeless. She braided my hair. She snuck me birthday cake one year. I loved her.”

“I know, baby,” Joel murmured, pressing his lips to your temple. “I know you did. She knew it too. I bet she did.”

“I keep replaying it,” you said, tears running freely now. “The way her face changed. The snarl, the twitch, her eyes going black. I still pulled the trigger.”

Joel leaned back just enough to meet your eyes. “You didn’t pull the trigger because you didn’t care. You did it because you did. You ended her pain. You didn’t let her become one of those... monsters. That takes guts. That takes love.”

Your voice cracked. “I didn’t want to be the one.”

“I would’ve done it for you,” he said, low and firm. “If it had been someone I knew. Someone I couldn’t do it myself. I would’ve stepped in. But you didn’t have anyone else out there.”

“She grabbed my hand,” you whispered, shaking. “Right before she turned. She said, ‘Don’t let me hurt you.’ And then... she was gone.”

Joel hugged you tighter, both arms around your shoulders. “She gave you permission. That wasn’t her dying in fear. That was her trustin’ you to do what she couldn’t.”

“I don’t want to be strong like this,” you whispered. “I don’t want to be the one who survives just because I can kill the people I love.”

“You’re not,” he said, voice thick. “You’re not survivin’ because of that. You’re survivin’ in spite of it. There’s a big damn difference.”

You were quiet for a long time, your tears soaking into his shirt. Joel just held you. No rush. No pressure. Just the warm, steady presence of a man who understood the kind of pain most people couldn’t put words to.

“I didn’t say goodbye right,” you said eventually. “I didn’t even say anything.”

“You said enough,” Joel said, brushing your hair back gently. “You were there. That’s more than most people get in this world.”

You looked up at him. “How do you keep going after things like this?”

He paused. “I find reasons. I find you.”

Your lip trembled. “Joel...”

“I mean it,” he said, his voice like gravel. “I’ve lost more than I care to count. But I’ve also found things worth holdin’ onto. You’re one of ‘em.”

Your arms moved around him, clutching at the back of his shirt like he was the only real thing in the world. “Don’t let me become cold, Joel. Please. Don’t let this change me.”

He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against yours. “I won’t. I promise. As long as I’m breathin’, I’ll remind you who you are. You ain’t cold. You’re the warmest damn thing I’ve got left.”

You nodded slowly, letting yourself lean into him again. He cradled you like you were something breakable, and maybe you were tonight.

“I loved her,” you said again.

“I know, baby,” he whispered. “And that love—that’s still yours. What you did today don’t take that away.”

“Will you stay with me tonight?” you asked.

Joel shifted, standing slowly, and then offered you his hand. “Ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

He helped you up and guided you to the couch, wrapping a blanket around your shoulders before sitting down with you, letting you curl into his chest again. His hand stroked your hair, over and over, in a rhythm that slowed your heartbeat.

The silence stretched between you, not heavy, but full — full of what was lost, and what remained.

“I got you,” Joel murmured, pressing a kiss to your hair. “We’ll carry this together. One step at a time.”

And you believed him.

[cheeseatlantic]

whatever this is guhgufhfun

Gone Before He Could Stop It

Simon had felt it for weeks now—that sick, gnawing feeling.

He was being watched. He had doubled back on his routes, changed his routine, stayed sharp. He had been careful.

But not careful enough.

The second he stepped up to the door, he knew something was wrong. The house key felt useless between his fingers, so he didn’t use it. The door was already open.

Unlocked, why the fuck was it unlocked? He remembered locking it before he left? Maybe you went out and forgot, right?

His heart slammed against his ribs. His pulse pounded in his ears.

No.

The house was silent. Too silent.

The air was thick with something sour and metallic.

Blood.

A memory slammed into him, sharp and unforgiving—

The door to his childhood home swinging open. Silence where there should’ve been laughter from his younger brother. The smell of iron choking the air.

He moved forward, stepping carefully, breathing carefully.

He had done this before.

But last time, he had been too late.

His throat was tight as he scanned the room. The book you had left open on the couch. A cup of tea sitting cold beside it. A blanket half-draped over the armrest.

It looked the same.

It was not the same.

His stomach twisted as he stepped through the hallway, past the kitchen, past the ghost of you moving through the space, laughing, warm—

And then he saw you.

A sharp inhale.

The world tilted.

You were lying on the floor just past the bedroom threshold. Blood soaked into the rug beneath you, pooling out from beneath your still body.

His knees hit the ground. His hands found you.

But you didn’t move.

You didn’t move.

“Y/N?” His voice barely came out. It felt like he was choking on it, like his own body wouldn’t let him say your name.

His fingers pressed against your throat. Against your wrist. Searching.

Nothing.

His breath came in sharp, uneven gasps as the edges of his vision blurred. His hand slid over yours, the warmth already fading.

Flash.

His mother slumped in the corner of their home, her lifeless eyes staring past him. Tommy curled up beside her, too young to understand. The blood soaked through their clothes, the floor, his hands when he tried to wake them up.

No, no, no.

Simon pulled you into his lap, as gently as he could, cradling your head against his chest. His grip was tight, desperate, like holding you close could bring you back.

It didn’t.

His lungs burned. His chest ached. He had survived gunfire, torture, hell itself—

But this?

This was unbearable.

His hands trembled as they traced over your face, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. You looked peaceful, like you were only sleeping, like he could wake you if he just said the right thing.

But he couldn’t.

He had failed.

Flash.

His father’s hands around his throat, dragging him through the house. The screams of his mother in the background. The sound of breaking bones, of something shattering, of everything being ripped away from him.

It had happened again.

It had happened again, and he had done nothing to stop it.

A ragged breath tore from his throat. He curled over you, his forehead pressing against your shoulder, his grip unrelenting.

He had told himself he could protect you. That he could keep you safe from his world, from the monsters that lurked in the shadows of his past.

But they had come anyway.

And now you were gone.

Gone.

Just like his mother. Just like Tommy. Just like everything good in his life.

He couldn’t even say goodbye.

His eyes squeezed shut. His body shook, but no tears came. He hadn’t cried since the day he buried his family.

The grief coiled inside him, thick and suffocating. His chest was hollow, his ribs caving in under the weight of it.

Then, slowly, the grief gave way to something darker.

Vengeance.

He had felt them watching. He had sensed them following. He hadn’t known they’d go after you.

But now, he knew exactly who they were.

And he was going to find them.

One by one.

He gently laid you back down, pressing a kiss to your forehead—soft, reverent. Then, with a slow inhale, he stood.

His hands curled into fists.

The men who did this wouldn’t have the mercy of a quick death.

They were going to suffer.

[weirdcat1213]

and now, a somewhat personal rambling about hua cheng and the cave of ten thousand gods

spoilers but not beyond arc 4 since im reading that rn

so ive seen some people call hua change a red flag and toxic after the scene and first of all

>:[

and second of all, yall missing really key context...and the point tbh

so if we go to the very beginning we have a child who has been pretty much abandoned and abused for...reasons probably (the really bad luck he had and something else probably). the entire world has been bullying this kid and then he quite literally meets god even before he becomes god

this prince showers him in love and care and of course he swore loyalty to said prince. he experienced his kindness first hand. years later his prince has become a god, only solidifying his thoughts towards him. his prince is so pure and kind and strong that he went to heaven to help others. but heres the fun part: he is still the same abused kid he was when they first met. now that his prince is not "in the same world" he finds comfort in being a devotee forever. plus of course his prince deserves it!

then we get the soldier era and now hua cheng is even more blown away by his prince. he was a god who came back to earth for the sake of others! the prince did quite literally everything in his power to help out and even if it was for nothing, it only showed even more of his character! and no matter the occasion he always protected hua cheng.

all of this is for this point: hua cheng is not a stalker by any means (following the modern definition or not). hua cheng didnt sculpt a shit ton of statues because he saw xie lian once and fell in love. he built those out dedication, out of devotion, he built them to cope and to remember his goal: to protect the one who had protected him many years ago when no one would.

and you can see in the murals and the fight with mu qing that he has internalized the hate he received. he is now a fucking ghost king but in his mind he will always be that cursed kid who for some reason got lucky enough to meet xie lian and his kindness. a stalker is someone who thinks theyre entitled to own/possess another person but hua cheng doesnt think that about himself at all. he literally says mu qing is right when he calls hua cheng disgusting.

now that we have reached the self hate its time for the 2nd part of this thing: the self loading and queerness

some people found the scene funny but i honestly was filled with anxiety and really felt bad for hua cheng. the cave was his safe space he had to use to protect xie lian and thanks to people who (funny enough tbh) actively antagonized him in the past....oof it felt rough

feng xin and mu qing start shaming his devotion, his writing, his paintings and thank god xie lian doesnt listen to them but then they go further. they start calling hua cheng a monster who desires the purity of the crown prince, a weirdo who is obsessed, they accuse him of wanting to curse xie lian and do him harm.

and guess what? this isnt the first time his love gets mocked like this. it happened before in the land of teder when the flower people made fun of him. ive mentioned this before but the summary: of course xie lian was his gay awakening but the flower people mocked his feelings, called him weird for wishing something he would never get, etc.

both situations are pretty similar except that in the cave, xie lian is actually there! forming opinions! maybe getting freaked out by everything! and when i tell you i wanted to tear down every wall in that cave and in my house because the panic/anxiety hua cheng must have felt is immeasurable. he already thinks so lowly of himself, imagine if *his god* calls him a weirdo or becomes afraid of him. tbh it brought back feelings i have felt and still sometimes deal with myself. people looking at your love and devotion and distorting it into a fetish/something disgusting? fuck that hurtss

and yes, maybe mu qing and feng xin had a reasonable reaction but they forgot 2 things: 1) how forgotten and insulted xie lian has been for centuries now. of course xie lian doesnt mind any of this because (in his eyes) he hasnt received this amount of love since his youth. and all of it coming from his close friend/crush? he is only slow to react because it happened so long ago. fuck he is surprised someone cares about him after so long. like someone on tumblr said, theyre matching each others freaks/ need for love and self reassurance.

2) they are literally forgetting the many MANY times hua cheng has helped xie lian and treated him with respect. they have seen hua cheng help out while pretty much trying to keep a respectable distance from xie lian AND YET they have the audacity to call him a sicko? nope, not allowed in my house

so i quite literally dont see why this is a red flag/disgusting from hua chengs part. it may be "too much" but it has been so established by now that this man's love goes above and beyond, its an adequate response to his context in the story, its well received by the other party ALSO BECAUSE of his own context in the story and because the relationship they have had so far is of trust and deep care for each other.

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

4,10 and 19 ? 👀 (did I do it right ? Or do I have add something to it ?)

4. You know I'd do anything to keep you by my side right? Anything.

10. Let me call you mine just for tonight.

19. Never scare me like that again!

Nope you did it right! Lol Thank you for sending this in ☺️

Hope you don't mind if I use the prison au, it has me in a chokehold 😫 Au belongs to @rius-cave

Lucifer pulled Adam along by the collar of his jumpsuit back to their shared cell. He was fucking pissed at the ex-officer, how stupid can you be?!

Adam was sporting a freshly made black eye, given to him by one of the V gang members. He didn't say anything as he was pulled along, he did what he did for a reason and he'd do it again.

Lucifer all but threw Adam into their cell slamming the door behind them, he waited for the click to be sure the door was locked. Adam sat down on the bed and just waited for the ear full he knew he was in for. Lucifer came up to him and gripped Adam's jaw, making him look Lucifer in the eye. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!! Do you hear me? You could have fucking died!" Lucifer roared, his voice sounded angry, but it was laced with concern.

Adam rolled his eyes which earned him a stronger grip on his jaw. "Like you give a shit." He ground out.

Lucifer glared, the nerve of this prick! "Look," he started "I know you were only trying to get that V asshole off of Anthony, I agree the guy could use a shit kicking for what he does to that kid. But putting yourself in harm's way like that? Val wouldn't think twice about shanking you."

Adam and Anthony or 'Angel' as his street name was, have grown close in the clink. So when Adam saw that fucker smacking his friend around, it set something inside his soul on fire. So he stepped in and shoved the prick into his equally weird friend. That had earned Adam his black eye when Val stood back up. Apparently, he had more in mind than just blackening the ex-officers eye.

Lucifer had stepped in at the last second and stole the shank away and had embedded it into Val's ribcage.

Adam felt his eye throb at the memory. "Well, if you'd have let him, your job here would be done now wouldn't it?"

Lucifer was taken aback by this, but he recovered quickly. "Are you really that stupid? I take my deals very seriously. For as long as I own you, you will not be harmed as much within my power."

Lucifer got closer to his face, his blue eyes boring into Adam's dark brown ones, this close he thought he could see flecks of gold. "You know I'd do anything to keep you by my side, right? Anything." He growled out. What did he have to do to drive the point home?

Adam felt his breath hitch in his throat. Somehow this felt different, like something between has changed. "I don't know, do I know that?" Sure, there had been lingering touches, they showered together for fuck sakes and even shared a weird kiss but they had never done more than that.

"I don't like people touching what belongs to me. You're my bitch, only I can touch you." Lucifer trailed a hand, the one not holding Adam's jaw, down from Adam's neck to the buttons of his jumpsuit toying with them. He undid the top button and smiled when he felt Adam shiver. "Let me call you mine, just for tonight." He whispered against Adams lips.

Yes, he owned this man's ass but he wouldn't force him into any unwanted sexual situations. Lucifer wasn't a monster.

Adam swore the temperature in their cell was turned up to a suffocating degree, he was hot all over. He knew the blonde twink wasn't going to let him fuck him, Lucifer was planning on fucking him. Adam had never been with a man before. He always thought that if he did try to sleep with a man one day, it sure was shit wasn't gonna happen in prison.

Beggers can't be choosers he supposed.

"Okay." Was all he said before Lucifer's lips attached themselves to his own, stealing the air out of his lungs. Adam felt himself being pushed down into the bunk bed, Lucifer crawling on top of him. He felt his jumpsuit being unbuttoned.

Even if this was a mistake, a choice made in the heat of the moment with emotions running too high. Neither could deny afterwards how fucking great it had been.

[blackredblue1998]

Yesterday I was about to go to sleep when a thought came to my mind and I was literally like: WAIT A DAMN MINUTE!!

🗣️ Hear me out: I'm not by any means a Tamsand shipper (because let's be honest, ratsand doesn't deserve a good booty clapping by Tam EVER!), but what the actual frickin fuck was riceman doing in Spring on the night of Calanmai?? And even more interesting: what was he doing so damn close to the cave Tamlin was supposed to bring the Maid to consummate the ritual?! And don't come up with the excuse "He was just spying🫣 for Amarantha!" NO. Hell to the no, no, no!! If Amarantha wanted to know who Tamlin was dicking🍆 down on the ritual, she could have sent anyone else who wasn't suspicious and known by the other fairies. Instead, she just decided to send the "most powerful High Lord" or whatever to do the job?? Nah, I'm not falling for this bullshit.

If I remember right, rickrolled even says something like “Because all the monsters are free and I can wander wherever I want.” But why, WHY, did he went to see Tamlin doing the Rite if rhysman himself was supposed to be doing the ritual too?!?! Amarantha gave him this one night; he could have gone anywhere in Prytian, even back to H3wn City or Illyr1a (since he kept vel4ris hidden), but he went to Spring just to look? Just to see👀 it? Just for science? Okaaay…… I'll pretend I believe that 😂😂

Other questions came to mind, and this is more about failed world building⚔️: did rhinestone bat complete his own Calanmai to make the magic in Night stronger? Did m0r or small bitch amr3n (being his second and third on command) do it? Assriel or cAss? Keir? So many questions!! 

Second question: being High queen, was Amarantha also requested to do the ritual? If the answer is “yes”, did Amarantha complete the Rite with risksand? (That's horrible even if I hate his character!!).

Another one: if Amarantha was so furious👿 to see ribbonsand dancing with feyrug, why would she let him out from UTM to fuck whoever he wanted exactly on the night of Calanmai?! We know he was allowed to leave to terrorize other Courts and even to kill innocents just for fun (that head on Tamlin's garden and those poor little children on the Winter Court❄️, and don't you dare to waste your saliva or in this case, your fingers to tap “it wasn't him, it was another daemati!!” because we know damn well there wasn't another daemati working for Amarantha, that was just a retcon sarah decided to put out here to redeem rhycardo ass after all the shit he did), so why, WHY THE HELL SHE LET HIM GO and enjoy a night of pleasures with other women?? Or better: other man, since he went straight to eye what Tamlin was about to do. Did she let him go so he could do it? She didn't allow the other High Lords to leave so did she let them at least choose someone to ding their dongs🔞 and revive the magic of their lands or just risesand was allowed to perform it??

That's a lot to think about, started with rustysand and his weird interest in what Tamlin was doing and ended up here, questioning the world building or could I say world lacking??, of acotar. I also used every word I could remember to rename dicksand so at least admit I was very creative on that one 🤭🤭. Btw, I should be sleeping, so here I go, bye!!

[kennedys-lvr]

JUST TO KNOW (YOU'RE ALIVE) — CHAPTER 5 (AO3)

drama incoming.... also this will be the last of dee's pov chapters for a while (iykyk). we'll be going back to leon, seeing how he's doing (coping)

full chapter here! 🤍

“Everyone okay?” Jake's voice echoed in the icy darkness.

I groaned, my eyes fluttering open as the ache persisted in the back of my skull as well as within my right shoulder. Adrenaline coursed through my bloodstream at a mile a minute, replacing the trembling pain which usually came with a dislocated shoulder, swapping it out for a light twitching sensation.

“I can't see a thing. My flashlight is busted.” Sherry said with a sigh.

“Hold on.” Within a few seconds, the cave was illuminated in orange as Jake clicked on his lighter. He scoured the ground, quickly finding some broken wood which he used to make some kind of torch, giving us a good enough light source to see what we're working with.

“Okay. So—no going out that way.” He said to the caved-in entrance, thick snow and ice blocking our way out. He turned to look further down the cave. “I guess that means we gotta go further in, and pray that we see the other side.”

I tried to rise to my feet, but the ache within my bones had me tumbling back down. Jake and Sherry clamored to my side, their arms firm around me as they attempted to lift me back up.

“I’m okay—” I protested weakly, my throat dry and sore and my head spinning. “Just winded. I’ll be—”

“Your shoulder is dislocated.” Jake deadpanned.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Were you just gonna leave it like that?”

“Just until we got outta here, yeah? That's the more pressing issue.”

Jake groaned. The sound was familiar, reminding me of the way Leon used to get when I was acting, in his words, reckless. Both Leon and Jake’s eyebrows creased in that similar way, their lips jutting out in an angry pout as their eyes—that bright blue—flashed with irritation. It made me miss Leon even more than I already did.

Jake scoffed. “Christ. They sent you out to find me? The best of the best?” He uttered sarcastically, before rolling his eyes and looking at Sherry as if giving her a silent order.

Sherry nodded in agreement, before he looked back at me. “I’m gonna reset this. On three. One—”

Without hesitation, Jake reset my shoulder, forcing the joint back into its socket with a loud click and a crunch that made me scream out in pain. I clutched my sore arm to my side with a burning scowl at Jake’s shit-eating grin as Sherry removed her scarf and began to fashion a sling out of it.

“Sherry, no.” I murmured, hating all of this attention being brought into me. “You’ll freeze. I’ll be fine. It’s sore, but I can still—”

“No, you can’t. You won't. Jake and I will pick up the slack where needed. I have a feeling we won't be spending too long out here now—we’ll spend even less time if you stop being so stubborn and let us help.”

“Yeah, what supergirl said. You ain't got her regenerative abilities, so you gotta suffer. But, you ain't suffering alone.” Jake added, backing Sherry up as he maintained that cheeky grin.

Rolling my eyes and shaking my head—these fucking kids—I sighed and let Sherry wrap my arm up. After all, if it got us out of here sooner rather than later, I could allow myself a few hours in being useless.

Sherry moved carefully, ensuring my arm was wrapped tight whilst not so tight that I was in constant pain. Once I was further incapacitated, down an arm, we moved on, traversing deeper into the cave.

The soft thud of our footfalls became crunching ice that sounded like smashing glass. The sound echoed off of the cave, forcing me to wince as a thought bounced around my brain. Hopefully there wasn't anyone in here after us.

I briefly thought back to that monster that we had left behind when the chopper had gone down. That thing that had terrorised us for this entire mission. I was pretty sure that he was dead—surely he wouldn't have survived the explosion. But, then again, I couldn't be too sure.

He might be around that corner now, waiting for us, a voice whispered in the back of my head, the voice that had my adrenaline kicking in as the goosebumps in my back prickled with readiness.

“Acoustics,” Jake’s joking quip brought my mind back to the present, as we approached a door. It had a crank handle, like you’d see on a submarine. The crank was heavy, but Jake managed to get the door open after a few grunts and squeaky turns of the handle. Pushing open the heavy metal door, he held it open as Sherry and I ducked beneath.

A scream of terror, blood-curdling and spine-chilling, had us immediately scrambling for cover behind a craggy bit of rock that overlooked a large area below us. I dared to peek over the edge of our cover spot, my eyes widening at the sight of a J’avo being impaled upon that stalker’s claw-like hand. Blood splattered onto the ice below, the J’avo kicking and thrashing in an attempt to free itself and fight back.

The monster simply threw the J’avo to the ground like trash. Within the J’avo’s hand, a blue keycard caught the glint of the fluorescent lights dotted around the room.

“Is that a—” I murmured quietly to myself, my eyes quickly flitting to the other side of the room as my brain began to whirr against a hunch. My hunch was quickly confirmed as I saw the door on the other side of the room, with an electronic scanner next to it. The scanner showed a red light, signifying the door was locked.

It clicked in my brain like a puzzle piece sliding into place. “Keycard.” I said to the others, pointing to the card in the J’avo’s hand. “That must be how we get out of here.”

“So how do we go about getting it, without triggering the big guy?” Jake asked in a low murmur, scanning the room.

“There’s a bug too—I think he must be using that to lure out the J’avo. They seem afraid of him.” Sherry added.

“Of course. He threatens their way of life after all.” There was a pause, and Sherry and Jake exchanged confused looks before I explained: “I read some files on some of Umbrella’s bioweapons. Umbrella—the company that inspired Neo-Umbrella. Anyway, they had these bioweapons—hunters, designed to wipe out a specific target, but also wipe out anything in its way. There had been a few back in Raccoon City—”

“The Tyrant.” Sherry suddenly cut in, as if she was only just now remembering. “Yeah, I remember now. He wouldn't stop following us, trying to kill us. It seemed no matter how many times Leon killed him, he still kept coming back.” She paused, swallowing thickly as her face creased into a look of anguish as she quietly mumbled, “just like my dad. He kept—he kept coming after us too. But I think—I think he was just trying to protect me?”

“No offence, but can we unpack this later?” Jake asked hurriedly—and rather rudely. “Kinda life or death here.”

“Right. Sorry.” Sherry smiled sheepishly. I wanted to smack Jake upside the head, but as I saw the tiny little frown on his lips—that imperceptible flicker of emotion—I could tell I didn't need to. He seemed to be regretting his tone.

Sherry turned to me, the subject dropped as she tried to put the conversation back on track. “So—what were you saying?”

“Right. Uh—just that I think this monster here is that. He’s chasing us—chasing Jake, to try and stop him getting away. To bring him back to the Neo-Umbrella labs. But, since this place is crawling with J’avo, the monster’s also taking them out. We're his primary goal, everything else is just optional.”

“I see. So… how do we get around him? We need that keycard to get out of here.” Jake asked again.

“Well, we know to avoid the ice now. Too much noise. If I had a suppressor I could try and shoot that bug down silently. I could try with a knife, if any of you have got—”

“Yeah.” Jake quickly produced a hunting knife from his boot. It had a black handle and a sleek silver blade, the knife light in my hand as I tested its weight. I prayed that it would hit the target and not make too much noise if it hit the ground.

I was just glad my dominant arm was still usable.

“Perfect.” I grinned, letting out a quick huff of breath as I stomached the anxiety beginning to bubble within me. “Let’s get a little bit closer, that way I can come up with a better plan.”

We moved out of our cover, keeping low to the ground as we sloped down the small ramp that would take us into the main area. My eyes stayed on that flying bug, that seemed to act like a guard dog as it buzzed mindlessly back and forth as if it were pacing.

[lisaas2418]

HEYA I AM BACK

And I begin my posting with some Yuu Angst, you're welcome 😁

So we know that GameYuu has it really rough there is no debate. Well imagine this and even more trauma and struggle.

Congrats thats my Yuusona.

So with the prolouge alone they got already traumatized.

1. Suddenly getting in contact with a carriage that comes out of nowhere and almost getting burned alive

2. Finding out that you are stuck in a world with magic and having almost no where to defend yourself against it.

3. Having to live in an not ideal dorm, which has dust all over the place and a broken roof. With ghosts residing in them, which is not normal in your world

4. Going in that wretched cave at night which is scary

5. The fucking Blotmonster and almost dying to it. (The real realization on almost dying comes when you try to sleep)

Now some basic things all over the chapters:

1. The fucking overblots which you get a few nightmares from.

2. On some occasions getting blackmailed by the headmage who is responsible for you (even though you blackmail him back)

3. Constantly missing those you love in the other world, worrying sick about them and losing your mind over how they feel

4. Your damm mental health being like a roller coster

5. The backstories

And now for the chapters 🙂

Heartslabuyl:

1. Being suddendly in a weird vivid dream that doesnt make sense at first

2. Some tyrant trying to insult your family

3. Getting a scar underneath your left eye from sharp bushes you protected your friend from

(Not much yet)

Savanaclaw

(Dreams getting more used to)

1. Getting a LONG scar on your right side of your body

2. Getting a head concussion on this a sports game you didnt even wanted to be there.

Octavinelle

(That one cave dream)

1. The twins...no more said

2. Becoming homeless and having no choice but to win a bet or you'll be a servant

3. Sleep problems

4. Getting your leg broken

Scarabia

(Why are the great seven mostly insane??)

1. Getting kidnapped in a sense

2. Getting hypnotized even if it was only for 5 seconds

3. Having a heatstroke

4. Being thrown into the cold part of the dessert

5. Getting cuts on your arm due to long overblot and healing constantly

Pormefiere

1. Some dormleader decided to curse your food

2. Attempting to drink the poisened apple juice yourself (but someone came first)

3. Constantly coughing blood

4. Feeling so weak you cant do shit during the fight

5. Getting scratched by your monster cat who was influenced by blot but then disappeared

Ignihyde

(Now it gets worse with the journey)

1. Not able to see your best friend

2. Felling so bad and guilty over everything you isolate yourself until the meeting

3. Your house being invaded amd destroyed by strangers

4. Almost overbloting yourself in rage of seeing your friends hurt or scared

5. Getting kidnapped (again)

6. Having to retell everything that happened regarding blots

7. Just finding out the world could end if you dont stop thesee two idiot

8. Having to watch your friends fight robots and blot monster but being unable to help them due to your blot being gone

9. Being physically and emotionally tired

10. Falling into the pit (bit being saved by your blot just in time)

11. Your legs being numb and not being able to move them

12. Coming back only to realize who will overblot next

Diasomia (I know its not finished yet, but this is how I would see it, I make future changes if needed)

1. Knowing a really close friend will overblot

2. The feeling of missing your world but feeling at home in this one clashing together (it sucks)

3. Starting to believe that all the overblots have been trigered by your presence

4. Repressing all your emotions and still trying to be there for your dragon friend and hoping to change fate by promising to always be there for him, only for him to break your trust by doing this stupid idea

5. Being stuck in a dream while some blot thing mist almost always being there

6. Repressing emotions and constantly putting yourself aside even if the people around you seeing your pain but you are brushing it off as "nothing new"

7. Having to deal with faes being mean to you for no reason but because you are a human

8. Overblotting due to repressed pain

9. Being in coma for 2 months

10. Seeing the person you trusted so much before, not able to forgive him any time soon

And thats not including the events

So yeah my Yuusona had it rough. They were only able to forgive Malleus after 2 months (ironiclly).

Now you might ask why would I come back from a long break and my first post would be Angst. Well cuz I wanted too

See ya next time 😊

[wonderland-smile-stories]

~ Chapter 6. 01 ~

I apologize in advance for any spelling or grammar mistakes and how poorly written this fanfic is. English is not my first language and together with my dyslexia ass things can go wrong I'm sorry.

I don't know how long I have been here. Every time I try to leave I can hear the old lady monster outside the door. I had also no idea if it was Day or night because all the freaking windows were taped black.

I really want to get out of here.

Who knows what other monster hides on this floor? I don't know if anyone would come and get me. Maybe Eun-hyuk won't let them.

I wouldn't blame him. It would be a suicide mission if they came up here. I'm not as much needed as Mister Han. So I'm going to have to get myself out here. I'm not that far away from the stairs.

If I can make a silent run for it I can close the door behind me. I haven't hurt the monster in a while so maybe she gave up looking for me.

Okay, easy.

Just sneak swiftly to the stair doors and then I'm good to go. Quickly I took some deep breaths before opening the door slowly. Through the ajar door, I looked and listened if something was there, but it was silent.

Without waiting any more I stepped outside and began to make my journey to the stairs with quick, but silent steps. With every noise I heard my head snapped over my shoulder scared the old lady monster would be behind me.

At some point, I began to think I was making up those sounds in my head because nothing was around me that could make them. I was relieved when I finally reached the stair doors.

Carefully I open the door making as little noise as possible. I could finally take a deep breath when I stepped onto the staircase and closed the door behind me.

Fuck, I'm happy that that shit is finely over. I looked around and saw that everything was still the same here. It didn't look like monsters were here recently. Good, the better for me.

With quick steps, I began to make my way downstairs. I just know that the moment I get down Eun-hyuk is going to give me a whole lecture about me staying on the main floor forever.

I can already see the look on his face when he's going to do it. I was on the third floor when my stomach turned and the ringing came back in my ears.

Before I could even brace myself or make a move. The third-floor door flew open and something bumped into me.

I felt myself hit the railing before stumbling over it. Now for the second time in just a few days, I fell down, but luckily for me, it wasn't as high as before.

A cracking sound rang through my ears when I landed on my left arm.

Holy shit that facking hurts.

I took some deep breaths trying to hold in the scream I wanted to let out when I wanted to move. My right hand was cramping from how tight I was holding my ax.

I try to concentrate on anything, but the burning pain in my arm. The distant sound of the building, the stains on the floor or wall, and the coldness of the ground I was lying on. It was soothing in a way, the cold against my skin.

"So weak." A frown came to my face when I heard someone walking towards where I was lying.

"You have always been weak." A pair of black Converse appeared in my view.

Slowly I looked up and saw myself, but her eyes were black. Just like in the dreams.

"Look at you, on the ground. Where you always end up." Great, now was not the time for this.

shaking my head I close my eyes trying to make her disappear.

"Go away," I mutter out.

I heard her giggle before I felt her squad down in front of me.

"You know I can help you. Just tell me what you want. Your desire and it will be all over." And I will end up like one of those monsters.

I shook my head opening my eyes.

"No. Never."

Another giggle left her lips.

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that. Sooner or later you will cave." Her giggles turned into a menacing laugh that got louder and louder.

Quickly put my right hand on my ear thinking they would explode if she would come closer.

My eyes shot open while I tried to catch my breath. My eyes wildly looked around trying to make some sense of where I was.

I was still at the bottom of the stairs.

Did I pass out and have a dream?

Closing my eyes I took a few deep breaths exhaling through my nose. I'm alone, it was a stupid dream. But my peace was quickly disturbed when I heard footsteps walking towards where I was lying.

Just like in the dream.

I push myself up on my right hand looking at the direction of the noise. It came from the main door in front of me.

Did they hear me?

Some relief washed over me when I saw who it was.

"Mi-na." My gaze stayed on Eun-hyuk while he kneeled down in front of me.

I could feel my eyes fill with tears and I could see that he saw that I was in pain.

"It's okay. You're safe now."

I nodded my head

"My arm. I fell on my arm. Something pushed me." I croaked out moving my gaze from him to it.

I could hear voices from behind him. If they see that my arm is hurt now and it will heal later they will know I'm infected as well.

Eun-hyuk seemed to have the same thing on his mind because he quickly to my broken arm and snapped it back in place without warning. I wanted to scream out, but he quickly put his hand on my mouth.

"Sorry." He mutters out.

I nodded my head knowing why he did it.

"Mi-na!" Ji-su came rushing out before kneeling down in front of me.

"Thank God you're okay!" She pulled me into a hug not letting me go for a while.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." I breathe out patting her back.

I could already feel my left arm healing. It still hurts, but the pain begins to subside slowly.

"Let's get her inside," Eun-hyuk spoke up making Ji-su pull away.

They both help me stand up before helping me inside the main floor. My eyes scanned the floor and saw everybody looking at me. But I didn't see Hyun-su.

Was he still upstairs?

"I'll take her to the office to see if she has any injuries," Eun-hyuk said to Ji-su.

She didn't protest and let him wrap an arm around my waist to help me walk. I know that I didn't need a check-up. This was just a way for him to pull me away from the others so that he could scold me.

When we were away from the others he finally spoke up.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

I thought that he would begin to scold me, but I guess he wanted to make sure I was alright first.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just some bruises here and there." I was waiting for him to say something else, but he didn't.

"Where is Hyun-su, and the others? Are they still upstairs?" I asked desperately wanting to know if they were okay.

"Everyone is okay. They arrived safely here on the main floor yesterday."

Yesterday?

What?

"What? Has it been this long?" Did time slip away from me that bad when I was upstairs?

"You were gone for a whole day Mi-na."

I guess I was.

That old lady monster really didn't give me another choice than to hide up there for so long. It's dangerous to be there for anyone.

"Eun-hyuk?" I mutter.

He let out a soft mm looking at my legs making sure they were okay.

"I..I want to go upstairs with Hyun-su when he needs to go." 

We came to a halt before he spoke up.

"No."

I shook my head looking up at him.

"It's too dang-"

"No. Mi-na look at which state you came downstairs."

I'm not hurt that bad.

"I was fine the whole time I needed to hide, but I didn't get hurt until the last minute. Next tim-"

"There won't be a next time because there won't be one. You're not going. Look at yourself, Mi-na! You look-"

"Weak." I finished for him.

I push away from him making his arm fall next to him.

"No, Mi-na that was not what I wanted to say." He started pushing his glasses back up.

I shook my head.

"But you were thinking it. Everyone always thinks that I'm weak, but guess what? I'm not." I said clenching my hands into a fist.

"My whole life I have been taking care of myself. I have been through more shit than you can ever imagine, so don't tell me I'm weak!" I yelled not caring if someone would hear me.

I gave him one look before turning around to walk away.

"Mi-na." I rolled my eyes at his voice.

"Hey, Mi-na!" I could feel my nails digging into my palm the more I heard his voice.

I could hear him walking closer, trying to catch up with me.

"Mi-na! Stop!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" In one swift move, I turned around with my hands stretched forward.

Within the next second Eun-hyuk flew backward landing on his back on the concrete floor.

"Oh my God," I whisper out looking at my hands to where he was lying.

What just happened? There is no way I just did that, right? I didn't even touch him!

I look at my hands scared of what the hell just happened!

My gaze went to Eun-hyuk when I heard him groan. Without thinking about my aching body I began to run towards where he was lying.

"Eun-hyuk! I'm sorry! I didn't know what ju-! I didn't mean to-!" I rambled kneeling down beside him.

"It's fine." He croaks out slowly sitting up.

"I'm sorry I don't know how. I don't what came over me. I would never hurt you on purp-"

" I know Mi-na. It wasn't you." My brows knitted together having no idea what he was talking about.

"Your eyes, they were black." He explained seeing how confused I was.

"So the monster inside did this, but I was here I saw what happened. I was angry at you, but I didn't want to hurt you." I explain feeling guilty about hurting him.

"Maybe you two intertwined for a second. It could feel your rage and you could adapt some of its powers." When he says powers it made me seem like a superhero.

Biting the inside of my cheek I nodded my head.

"I'm still sorry. Are you hurt?" He let out a chuckle rubbing the back of his head.

"I'll manage, don't worry about it." He began to stand up quickly followed by me.

"Do you still think I don't need to be locked up?" I question knowing we have to go to the group again.

"No," He simply said.

"But what if I get angry again? What if I do something worse than this?" I didn't want to hurt anyone.

Some people here are rude, but that doesn't mean I want to hurt or even worse kill them.

"You won't. This wasn't you in your normal state of mind. I know you're strong enough to hold it back if you need to." I nodded my head hoping he would be right.

I don't want to make the situation worse than it is already. He wrapped his arm back around my waist seeing I was still a little unstable, but maybe he also needed a little support. Seeing how I just made him fly across the room.

Silently we began to walk to the office. My right hand went inside my dress pocket feeling the rough edges of the photos.

"Eun-hyuk."

A soft hum came from his lips before he looked at me.

"Here," I gave him the pictures making him confused.

Making sure I was okay to stand on my own feet at first, he let go of me before taking a better look at the pictures.

"What is this?" He asked confused and I couldn't blame him.

"That's one of the reasons that man wanted to go upstairs. Choi Yoon-jae. He's not normal, a killer in fact! These are just pics of me that he took, but there were others too. These pictures are the normal ones."

Eun-hyuk looked up from the pictures when I took a pause.

"There were pictures of little girls. Bruised, cut, just tortured until they were dead. You need to lock him up far away from everybody or even send him outside! He's a killer!" I croaked out hoping he would listen.

Seeing how he wants everybody to be safe it would surprise me if he let this guy walk free.

"That won't be necessary." My eyes widen at his words.

"Eun-hyuk he killed innocent kids! You can't just let him walk free! He cou-"

"He's dead."

A frown came to my face.

How?

Did he try to run and when outside?

"Sang-wook, the man you went upstairs with. When he came back he killed him. Jae-heon told me why and showed me pictures on a phone. Pictures you just described, but he didn't tell me about these." He held up the pics making me nod.

"And Sang-wook? What happened to him?"

"He wanted to leave and die outside, but Jae-heon held him back. I guess he's somewhere on this floor."

I would like to thank him for what he did. Killing someone is not a good thing, but in this case, I'm thankful he did.

"Are you okay, Mi-na?"

I nodded my head,

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Uhm do you know where Mister Han is?" I asked, hoping we could change the subject.

"He's at the back. It was his turn to guard." Right, they are still locked up.

Maybe it's good that he is there. That way Hyun-su has someone other than that asshole to keep him company.

"Thanks." I turned around when Eun-hyuk called my name.

"Mi-na wait, are you sure you're not hurt anywhere else? you can stay in the security room to rest if you want to. It's only me with sometimes Jae-heon, Mister Han, and Ji-su in there."

I shook my head.

"No, I'm fine," I explain before turning around to walk away.

I was honestly a little nervous not only to face Mister Han but to also face Hyun-su. I promised I would meet him downstairs safe and sound. I hope he isn't mad at me for breaking that promise.

When I turned the corner I saw Mister Han sitting there looking at the wall in front of him. I swallow hard before taking a step forward. When he heard my steps his head turned to me.

"Mi-na." His face brightened when he said my name and he sat up straight.

"Hey," I said softly standing next to him.

"How are you? I'm happy you're back. I thought something had happened to you or even left." I could hear the concern in his voice which made me feel guilty.

"I'm fine. I was just hiding from a monster upstairs and couldn't come down sooner." I explain giving him a small smile.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. Hyun-su told me you came upstairs with him, I was concerned for you." I shook my head quickly.

"I'm fine and back now." He grabbed my hand giving it a little squeeze.

"I'm happy you're back."

I smiled nodding my head.

"Me too."

I look at the cell door seeing it has been upgraded to make it stronger.

"Do you have the key? I need to talk to Hyun-su." I asked looking back at him.

"He isn't here."

A confused look came over my face.

"What? Did they kick him out?!" I asked panicking.

"No, don't worry. They have sent him upstairs to gather supplies and other stuff we need."

"I thought they would only send him up for emergencies."

Mister Han let out a sigh.

"I know, but Eun-hyuk said that we need things from there." My eyes widen at his answer.

"How can they do that?! Don't they know how dangerous it is up there?! Besides he isn't some animal they can use for their own personal stuff!" I could feel the anger grow larger the more I thought about it.

"I know, I have talked about it with Eun-hyuk, but he says it's necessary for our survival." Of course, he would say that.

I lean against the opposite wall taking a deep breath.

"Maybe it was a good thing he went." I looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?"

Mister Han looked at the cell door before looking at me.

"When you went missing he kind of turned into his monster. Well more like himself, but angrier."

My eyes widened when he said that.

"He firstly almost attacked Sang-wook thinking he had done something to you or left you behind. When you hadn't returned an hour later he got madder and restless. We looked everywhere on the first floor, but you were never found."

I can't blame them for not finding me. I'm happy they didn't come looking for me upstairs.

"Some of us thought that you maybe had left the building, so he wanted to go look outside for you. We stopped him because we all knew that would be suicide. So Eun-hyuk suggested that he could go upstairs and look for you while he could gather stuff, just in case you would have gone back upstairs." He explains making me nod my head.

I let out a sigh sitting down on the ground.

"He was restless when he was in here. I don't think he slept much." Now I feel more guilty for leaving everyone.

Everything was already hard for him and I made it harder.

"I'm so stupid," I mutter putting my head in my hands.

"Hey, this isn't your fault okay? Nobody could have known what would happen." Still, I felt guilty for making them go through that.

"The most important thing is that you're back." I look up at him laying my chin on my knees.

"Yeah, I guess," I mutter out.

It was silent for a second before we heard footsteps coming our way. I thought it would be Eun-hyuk who needed to talk to Mister Han, but I was wrong.

"Mi-na?"

I look to my side before jumping up. Hyun-su stood there looking surprised at me.

"You're back."

Quickly he walked over to me and for a second I thought he would hug me, but he didn't.

It seemed like he held himself back at the last second.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I left. There was a monster and I needed to hide until it was gone," I mutter out.

His gaze stayed on me for a second before answering.

"It's fine. You're back now." After that, he walks past me putting his bag and weapon against the wall next to the door before taking the keys from Mister Han.

We watch as he unlocks it before giving it back. I wanted to stop him. I didn't want him to be stuck there.

It wasn't right and I hated that I couldn't do anything about it. The door closed shut making me flinch from the loud noise it made.

"Mi-na?" My head turned to Mister Han listening to what he wanted to say.

"At least one person has to be here to guard the door. Can you stay, I have to talk to Eun-hyuk." Even if they turned and escaped I doubt that door would hold them back.

"Yeah, sure." I gave him a small smile receiving a small thank you from him before he wheeled away.

I let out a sigh taking a seat against the wall where Mister Han was sitting. I wish I could make them see that he isn't dangerous.

Even if he would turn I don't think he would hurt any of us.

Previous Chapter ~ Next Chapter

        ——————————————————————

Hey guys! This was a long freaking chapter! I normally make them shorter, but this just felt better than cutting it up in two! Also, Eun-hyuk deserved to be in pain for once. Sssh don’t tell anyone I said that haha.

[downwiththeficness]

The Usurper-Chapter Thirty Three

Summary: Lilah McNamara stole things for a living. It was tedious work and often dangerous, which made it just exciting enough to keep her interested. After botching a routine job, Lilah finds herself standing amid monsters. Wholly unprepared for the horror of living under Amaru’s reign, Lilah decides to use her well honed skills to thwart the queen’s plans and prevent the end of the world.

Word Count: ~6,000

Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.

Start at the Beginning Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Read on AO3 Masterlist

“So, she’s still alive.”

Brasa’s voice was a low drawl that might have sounded bored if the temperature in the room hadn’t gone up a few degrees. Lilah shifted uncomfortably in the chair next to him. She had explained everything that happened during Amaru’s failed attempt to open the door between dimensions. Although she wasn’t exactly sure how Richie managed it, she also explained as much as she could about the cell he built and the ritual he was using to get Kate back.

Across the table, Javier’s face was carefully neutral. The three of them were sitting at the desk in the large cavern Amaru used for court. It hadn’t changed since the last time Lilah stood in it. The light was still a cool blue, water still ran through the middle, and the throne still sat beneath a spotlight. Lilah’s feelings about it hadn’t changed. It was huge and gaudy and so incredibly ugly. If Lilah had anything to do with it, no one would ever sit in the fucking thing again.

“I assumed Richie would want to expel her. I’m not surprised he started right away.” Brasa said in that same bored tone.

Lilah eyed him with curiosity, but didn’t say anything. She was happy Brasa was up and about, but didn’t exactly know what to expect following a near death experience. At least, a god’s near death experience. Not that Brasa had a lot of time to contemplate death.

Javier showed up not long after Brasa woke and they rode back to the caves so that they could start troubleshooting the Amaru problem while Javier continued to monitor their wayward flock. They sat down right where they were now to talk about it. Hours later, there still wasn’t a solution.

Lilah passed a hand over her face. “Whatever Richie’s doing, its not working.”

Brasa and Javier laughed. Lilah flinched internally, uncomfortable with not being in on the joke. Javier reached over and touched his cane, twisting it around in thought, “He has the right idea, but there’s more to this kind of thing than words.”

“What does that mean?” Lilah asked.

Brasa answered for Javier, “He means that Richie has probably been going through the motions, but he’s too young to work this kind of magic. He doesn’t have the power to complete the ritual.”

She let that sink in. “But, you do.”

His smile was far from pleasant. “I do.”

This was good news. “So, you’ll do it. Kick Amaru out of Kate’s body.”

To her surprise, he shook his head. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“You know why,”

She didn’t. At least, she didn’t right up until the answer slapped her in the face. Lilah touched Brasa’s arm, “She...doesn’t have that kind of control over you anymore. While you were out—I mean, on that altar and everything—before I put your heart back, I took the piece of her heart out. It kind of...disintegrated.”

Brasa stared at her, not saying anything. Lilah held his stare, wondering if she’d done something wrong and knowing that she hadn’t. The opportunity had presented itself and Lilah had taken it without thinking twice. It was the right thing to do and she wasn’t going to let anyone tell her otherwise. She would dig in and hold her ground, no matter how Brasa reacted.

He stayed where he was for several long seconds, back rigid in his chair. Then, both hands came up to rest on either side of Lilah’s face. He hadn’t put on his gloves and his skin was warm and dry. Lilah sighed at the contact, hoping to wordlessly convey her conviction, her absolute knowledge that the blood bond was severed.

Brasa tugged her across the space between them and kissed her firmly. Lilah was so surprised that she didn’t react and, by the time she realized what was happening, Brasa was pulling away. Gone was the odd dispassion in him. Brasa’s expression was wide open with a mix of shock and gratitude. She watched his mouth open and close around silent words and quick, panting breaths. Lilah didn’t need him to say anything. She hadn’t done it to earn a thank you. More than anything, she’d done it as a ‘fuck you’ to Amaru.

“Lilah,” Brasa croaked, “are you sure?”

She nodded, “Yeah. I’m sure.”

“You have to be sure,” he said. “You have to be completely sure.”

“I am,” Lilah assured him, “completely sure.” She put her hands over his, holding them against her cheeks, “I pulled it from your heart and it fucking hurt her when it crumbled. I saw it.”

Brasa’s expression hardened with a resolve that she recognized. “Alright. Let’s finish this.”

Lilah blinked rapidly as he let go of her and moved to stand. “No. No, no, no. You just woke up yesterday. You’re not doing anything until you’re fully healed.”

Javier rose and braced his weight on his cane. “I have to agree with Lady Lilah. You should take some time to recover.”

Brasa’s eyes flashed gold. “The longer we wait, the more time we give her to figure out some way out of that cell. No. We’re doing this tonight. Call the Geckos. Tell them we’re coming.”

He walked away, leaving Javier and Lilah staring at his back. Lilah frowned and crossed her arms. “Stubborn ass.”

Javier chuckled lowly. “Some things never change.”

Lilah glanced at him. “I’ll try to bring him around. If not, we’ll just have to have extra supplies on hand. We have extra, right?”

Every day, there were a few more who broke off from the group to join Benny. He’d convinced them that Brasa was dead and that they were free to roam the open land, feeding at their discretion. When they couldn’t find someone to feed on, they resorted to stealing from Brasa’s stores. They weren’t discreet about it—tossing firebombs into busy highways and leaving witnesses behind. It was drawing attention that they absolutely didn’t need at the moment. It was also pissing Javier off.

“We have extra,” he confirmed. “I’ll pack a cooler for you. But,” Javier held up a finger, “I think this will take a lot of energy, especially after what he just went through.”

She nodded. “I know it will. He can say he’s better all he wants, but I know he’s tired.”

He slept for nearly ten hours the previous night, far more than she’d ever seen him sleep. Lilah got up before him and went through the information Richie sent her again, making notes and seeing if she could cross reference it with any of the documentation she already had on hand. She even asked Javier what he knew, which was what prompted him to drive over and take at look. That was how Brasa found them, hunched over Lilah’s laptop, scheming like children.

“Exactly,” he replied. “I think he will need something a bit more...powerful after this matter is concluded.”

After this matter is concluded. He sounded like a diplomat. There was nothing diplomatic about what they were about to do. Lilah had read the ritual and it sounded like taking a sledgehammer to a crystal vase. If it was successful, Amaru would be ripped from Kate’s body with violent force. She wasn’t sure Kate would survive it.

“Powerful?” Lilah asked, half knowing the answer already.

Javier brushed a hand down his tie, “Yes. He will not like it, but I think he should drink from you afterwards. If he’s conscious, of course. Your blood will be more effective than anything I can provide.”

She glanced in the direction Brasa had gone, into the back hallway behind the cavern. “Okay. I can do that. I’ll be high as hell from the venom, but I’ll do it.”

“Good. I will make the necessary calls,” Javier said, as if they were talking about ordering lunch instead of expelling a demon.

He left through the holding room, moving with soundless steps. Lilah, truly alone for the first time since Brasa came out of the healing pool, dropped her chin to her chest and sighed. She was hoping for a little bit of a break between crises, especially since Brasa basically died and came back. It looked a lot like that wasn’t going to be the case. She took a breath, then went to follow Brasa. On the way, she muttered, “No rest for the wicked.”

Lilah found Brasa in his private office. The room smelled strongly of the many books that lined the shelves. It was lit by the single lamp on his desk. The soft orange glow barely touched the outer rim of the room, leaving the titles of the many tomes in shadow. Brasa was sitting at his desk, tapping on the wireless keyboard with his focus on the monitor in front of him. Lilah sat on the couch opposite that desk and waited.

“You’re not going to convince me to slow down.”

She smiled at the casual way he said it, “I’m not here to convince you of anything.”

Brasa’s hands stalled over the keys. “I am surprised.”

“Oh?”

He started typing again. “You usually have something to say when you think I’m pushing too hard.”

Lilah shrugged. “If I thought you’d listen, I’d say it.”

Brasa sighed. “There it is—don’t roll your eyes—I know you have opinions and I do listen to them. But, this can’t wait.”

“I know.”

Lilah did know. She knew how important it was to hit Amaru now, when she was down. If they waited for her to gather energy again, if they waited for her to somehow break out of the cell, they might never get another chance. Lilah didn’t want to spend the next few months, or even the next few years, hunting her down. Not when they had her right where they wanted her.

He leaned back in his chair. “When this is over, we’ll get that hotel. I promise.”

She’d forgotten about the hotel in all the chaos of the last few days. A week or two spent lounging in the sand instead of fighting for her life sounded really fucking good and Lilah said as much. Brasa laughed. The sound of it lifted her spirits, erased some of the unending weariness that dogged her every step.

It was so good to see him laughing that Lilah gave in to the urge to stand and circle his desk. She hopped up on it and regarded Brasa with affection. Lilah fully appreciated how close she had come to losing him. The image of Brasa laying on the altar, heart ripped out of his chest, would haunt her for the rest of her life. Even now, when he was sitting right in front of her, Lilah almost didn’t believe that he’d made it out alive.

Brasa ran a hand up her thigh and made sure she was looking at him. “I’m strong, Lilah. Far stronger than I was when Amaru had me under her thumb.”

She nodded, knowing that it was true. They hadn’t spoken about it, but she remembered his story about calling down the sun. All that power ran unchecked inside him, now. He’d boiled the healing pool with it. Had scalded her skin with a single touch. Lilah doubted that there was anything he couldn’t do if he wanted. Didn’t keep her from worrying, though.

Sensing her hesitation, he rose and grasped Lilah beneath the bend of her knees so that he could pull her to the edge of the desk. Brasa dropped his forehead to rest against hers and they spent a few moments sharing breaths. Lilah inhaled the coffee and caramel scent of him, savoring the feeling of his bare hands resting just below the hem of her shorts.

He nudged her gently, catching her lips with his own. Lilah closed her eyes to savor this, too. The kiss started slow, but didn’t stay that way for long. Lilah couldn’t help but to pour all her worries and anxieties into it. Brasa took them from her and gave her back a solid reassurance that let Lilah relax into his embrace. Her hands skimmed his chest, veering off to the side to hold herself steady on his biceps.

A light cough came from the direction of the door. Javier waited politely just outside the threshold, conspicuously checking his watch for much longer than it took to judge the time. He looked up and said, “They’re ready when we are.”

Brasa didn’t move from where he was leaned into Lilah. “Good. We’ll go now.”

Javier nodded. “I’ll bring the car around.”

He left and Lilah could hear the outer door close behind him. She smoothed away the wrinkles in Brasa’s shirt where she’d gripped it between tight fingers.

Brasa caught her hands and pressed a kiss to each. “It will be fine.”

“I know,” she said, but her voice was not convincing.

He kissed her lightly again and helped her down to the floor. They walked hand in hand through the bedroom and out into the hall where they took a left. The path through the cave was the same as it always had been, moving steadily upwards towards the surface. Lilah found that she could just make out the dips and shadows of the rough hewn rock as they walked. If Brasa wasn’t leading the way, she thought she might be able to make it on her own.

Javier was already waiting for them. He’d commandeered one of the many SUVs parked outside the entrance. Lilah and Brasa climbed into the backseat while the engine turned over. Javier put the car in gear and guided it in the direction of the highway.

It was early, but the sky was already dark. There was no hint of the sun that set not an hour or so before. Lilah stared upwards while scenery flew past the window, noting how the clouds obscured the stars. Beside her, Brasa was quiet. His body was relaxed against the seat and his head was tipped back against the headrest. Eyes closed, he looked as if he were meditating. Lilah watched his lashes flutter sporadically and told herself yet again that everything was going to be alright. If it wasn’t, she was ready to step in and make it alright. They hadn’t come this far for nothing.

The ride to Jackknife Jed’s was nearly silent. Only the occasional click of the turn signal interrupted the quiet. The closer they got to the bar, the thicker the air in the car became. By the time they pulled into the parking lot, Lilah felt like she was sitting in a big bowl of jello. If she moved even an inch, the whole car would shake.

Javier stopped the car and cut off the engine. “We’re here,” he said, unnecessarily.

Nobody moved. Lilah stared at the front of the bar, noting how they’d replaced the broken front door and swept up all the glass. The neon sign was sizzling against the empty sky and a few regulars were mingling around inside. Everything looked perfectly normal. She still didn’t move.

Ahead, Javier made a sound of frustration. “Are we going in or are we going to sit here until sunrise?”

Lilah looked sideways at Brasa. His eyes were still closed and his breathing was even. Had he fallen asleep? Lilah knew he was still tired, but if he was this tired, he shouldn’t be approaching Amaru. She didn’t care if he held the power of the sun inside him, or not. As she reached for him, Brasa opened his eyes. His gaze was focused and steady. She saw his jaw set and his chin lift. Little changes in his profile that told her he was ready.

“My lord?” Javier ventured from the driver’s seat.

Brasa sniffed. “Let’s go.”

Walking into the bar with Brasa and Javier at her back was an interesting experience. Patrons that barely paid her an ounce of attention on any other night stared as they crossed the room to where Seth was waiting for them near the back hallway. He was dressed in his usual suit and his face was freshly shaved. She could tell there was a gun tucked into the back of his waistband by the way he wasn’t quite leaning on the wall behind him.

He gave Lilah a nod. Then, to Brasa, he said, “Welcome back.” Seth’s tone was casual, as if coming back from the dead was something he saw every day.

“Thank you, Mr. Gecko,” Brasa replied congenially. “I assume she’s downstairs.”

Seth ran a hand over his hair. “Yeah. Richie’s—,”

“—right here.” Richie came walking from the direction of the kitchen. “Good to see you, Lilah.”

“Same to you,” she replied. Then, because all the pleasantry was making her itch, she bounced on the balls of her feet and said, “Guess we should get to it.”

Richie nodded. “I’m game. She’s downstairs.”

“That’s what I told them,” Seth groused, but there was no heat in his words.

She could see how tired he was despite the effort he’d made to clean up. Days and days of attempting to push Amaru out of Kate’s body had put bruises under his eyes and a near permanent frown on his lips. Richie wasn’t in much better shape. In spite of it, his mouth opened to deliver what she was sure was going to be a cutting remark.

Lilah held up her hands, not wanting to deal with one of their squabbles, “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Fine by me,” Seth said and gestured to the door leading downstairs. “She’s pretty pissed that we got her locked up.”

“I can imagine,” Brasa drawled.

There was something dark and angry in his tone that made the hair at the back of her neck stand on end. The stairwell was dim and, as she turned to look back at him, she could see the glow of his eyes reflecting back at her. A steady burn of gold beneath the dark slash of his eyebrows. Lilah shivered and let her attention return to the stairs.

The room at the bottom was better lit than it had been the last time Lilah needed something from the basement. She couldn’t hear anything beyond the landing except Seth’s steps falling slow and heavy. Behind her, Brasa, Javier, and Richie were nearly silent. She dropped down from the bottom step and took in her surroundings.

Boxes upon boxes of liquor were stacked up to the unfinished ceiling on one side of the room. Along the wall, the kegs were lined up neatly, feeding their lines up to where the bar sat above. Several large industrial lights were set up, all facing towards the same side of the room. Lilah’s gaze followed the path of their light.

The cement floor faintly glowed with large, intricately drawn, symbols. Lilah recognized a few from her research. Xibalban words for binding and weakening formed a ten foot circle. In the middle stood a petite, angry woman. Amaru was glaring at them with such fury that Lilah thought the very air might spark to ignition. Her hip was cocked to the side and her arms were crossed petulantly over her chest. Blood streaked her clothes from the bite that hadn’t healed on her neck. Her pale skin looked a little green underneath the unforgiving florescent lights. All in all, Amaru looked like shit.

Lilah caught Amaru’s gaze and felt her innards turn over. Those ancient eyes did not belong on the face of someone so young. It was just too creepy. Despite the fact that she was entirely unsettled, Lilah refused to look away. She’d already beaten Amaru once by wresting away her control over Brasa. Standing there and watching him give Kate her freedom back would be nothing. She might actually enjoy it.

Amaru’s eyes flicked past Lilah and settled on the space behind her. Lilah could feel Brasa’s warmth pressing gently against her back. He slid into her periphery, then in front of her, with an easy, graceful step. Lilah eyed him in silence, wondering what he must be thinking. All those years under the thumb of an asshole and now he was finally able to confront her with impunity.

He looked relaxed. There was no tension in his shoulders and the his hands were hanging softly on either side of him. Lilah realized that he still wasn’t wearing his gloves. He also wasn’t wearing his heavy leather coat. Brasa stood tall and strong without them, staring Amaru down with his chin lifted and his jaw set. Lilah could not be more proud.

“Oh,” Amaru quipped. “you’re alive.”

Lilah bit down on the inside of her cheek, hoping that she was hiding her contempt and knowing that she wasn’t. This little bitch cut his heart out and that was what she said?

“I am,” Brasa replied simply.

“Pity.”

He shrugged, “I didn’t just live, though, did I?”

Amaru’s mouth thinned with anger, which was just so satisfying. She tossed her hair, “And?”

Brasa took a step forward, “So...you know why I’m here.”

Her lip curled, “You think you can kill me?”

The symbols on the floor flared with an audible hiss. Lilah took an involuntary step back and immediately regretted the movement. Amaru laughed and the sound of it made Lilah bristle. She glared at the woman, ready to square up with her. Seth beat Lilah to it.

“Listen, you fucking squatter,” he growled. “You can leave voluntarily, or we can pull you out kicking and screaming.”

Amaru’s smile turned brittle, “You’ve tried that already. Didn’t work.”

From behind Lilah, Richie piped up, “That’s why we brought more juice to the party.”

Turning to look over her shoulder at him, Lilah found Richie sitting on one of the spare chairs from the bar. His long legs were sprawled out in front of him and there was a smirk on his mouth. If Lilah didn’t know him, she might have called his position lazy. Lilah did know him. The slouch and the cut of his mouth and the way his thumb rubbed over the glinting silver of his lighter was a calculated act to cover his distress. She felt for Richie. He was so close to getting what he’d been wanting for so long and it could fall apart at any second.

“I have a full schedule cleaning up the mess Amaru has made,” Brasa said in a tone just this side of exasaperated. “In the spirit of efficiency, would you mind giving me the amulet?”

Richie pushed from the chair and reached into his jacket pocket. From it, he produced a long leather string. At the end of the string was what looked like a spine. As he got closer, Lilah realized that it was a spine—or, most of one. It had to have come from something small. The vertebrae were only about the size of her thumb. Seven or eight of them swung together in a line as Richie handed it to Brasa.

“Careful,” he said, “its sharp as shit.”

Brasa nodded. “Yes. I know.”

“Where d’you get that?” Lilah asked lowly.

Richie smiled. “Stole it.”

She rolled her eyes. “I mean, yeah. Of course. Stole it from where?”

His smile widened into a boyish grin. “Motorcycle gang. They put up a hell of a fight, but…” Richie trailed off with an expression that was almost sheepish.

Lilah nodded. She knew exactly what he was getting at. No human could possibly match his strength and speed. A fight like that was child’s play for Richie. He could have gotten in an out without anyone noticing, but that really wasn’t his style. She could totally picture him instigating the brawl just to make the job interesting.

“You seriously think this is going to work?” Amaru sneered. “They’ve been trying for days.”

Brasa held the spine in his palm and wrapped the leather string around his hand, “I know.” He gestured to the glowing circle at his feet. “They are going in the right direction.”

“Thank you,” Seth said, primly.

“You’re welcome.”

Amaru rolled her eyes and fixed Brasa with a derisive look. “You think you can do better?”

Lilah couldn’t see Brasa’s face from where she was standing, but she could hear the smile in his voice. “Yes I do.”

“Oh, Brasa,” Amaru sighed. “That’s just like you. Always reaching too high.”

He huffed a silent laugh. “Say that into a mirror. It’ll ring true.”

From his place by the stairs, Javier offered, “Well said, my lord.”

Brasa glanced at him briefly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Amaru scoffed. “Ugh, this is making me ill.”

“Deal with it,” Seth muttered.

“Shut up.”

“Come on out of that circle and make me.”

Incensed, Amaru stepped forward, crying out when the symbols flared around her. Lilah could feel the static of electricity skittering over the skin of her arms and face. At this distance, it was an annoyance. In the middle of the circle, it looked pretty painful. Amaru was bent over with her arms pulled into her belly. She squeezed her eyes closed briefly, then forced herself to stand upright. Lilah smiled at how much effort even that small movement took.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Seth jeered.

Amaru stared at him with fury in her eyes. “When I get out of this, I will wear your skin as a skirt.”

“Aw, honey,” he replied, all sweetness, “You’re never getting out of there.”

Brasa sighed loudly. “Can we get on with it?”

Seth smirked and started walking past them. “By all means.”

The room fell into a tense silence while Seth took the seat Richie vacated. Lilah noticed that Javier had moved to stand between Brasa and Richie. The latter was focused on Amaru with his hands in his pockets. Behind the lenses of his glasses, Lilah could see the barely banked hope in his eyes.

Without another word, Brasa walked right up to the glowing circle and tipped his head back. He dangled the amulet from his hand and slowly dropped it into his mouth. Lilah frowned as she watched him swallow the length of spine down along with most of the leather cord from which it hung. He did it so casually that it took a few seconds for her brain to catch up to what she was seeing. When it did, Lilah suppressed the urge to gag. He paused and adjusted his stance, leaning so that his mouth hovered over the edge of the circle. Then, with no further ado, he ripped the spine from his throat.

Lilah made a sound halfway between a scream and a sob. Her hands reached for him only to be stopped by the solid wood of Javier’s cane. He held it at her chest to keep her back from the sudden fire that burned around Amaru. Blue-black and oddly cold, the flames sucked the oxygen from the room. Or, maybe Lilah found it hard to breathe because Brasa had fallen to a knee and looked like he was going to pass out.

“Oh, shit,” Lilah croaked. She looked to Javier. “What’s happening?”

His expression was empathetic. “Blood is the conduit. He will be fine. We discussed this, remember?”

“We didn’t talk about this!”

Javier nodded and the cane dropped. “It will be over soon.”

Lilah was about to start one hell of an argument when a piercing scream rang out. The flames compressed inwards, dragging her down to the floor. Amaru’s body crumpled in on itself and, for a single second, Lilah thought her skin might be melting. It twisted around her bones, pulling away from the muscle with a sickening squelch. When Lilah looked closer, it wasn’t her skin that was moving. There was something covering her, a liquid form that stretched up and out.

Amaru kept screaming. The pitch rose and split apart into two distinct voices that howled in pain. If Lilah squinted, she could see two people writhing in the circle. The longer they screamed, the more distinct the two bodies became. Lilah began to feel hope that whatever Brasa had done was working.

Javier picked up his cane again and walked around to the back of the circle. He peered down at Amaru with interest, then took the end of the cane and set it against her back. With a forceful shove, Javier rolled Amaru forward. She crossed the boundary and the two bodies separated. Amaru bounced off the edge while Kate kept rolling. Richie slid forward on his knees to scoop her up. He held her to his chest and tenderly pushed the red cascade of her hair away from her face.

Next to him, Brasa was easing to standing. Lilah moved towards him, but he held up a hand. They shared a glance before Brasa focused on Amaru. She looked...beautiful. Less alien now that she was in her own skin. Her dark, baleful eyes were her own for the first time and it was somehow more terrifying than when she’d been wearing Kate’s face. She managed to stand and face Brasa with her shoulders back and her head held high. Her naked body trembled, muscles struggling to keep her upright. In spite of the weakness, her expression was defiant.

Amaru started to speak, to throw Xibalban curses at Brasa. He stopped her with a hand around her throat. She struggled, scratching and gnashing her teeth at him. It was no use. Either the power of the circle or the power inside Brasa were too strong for Amaru. She couldn’t do much more than dig her nails into his skin, leaving red scratches in their wake. Brasa held her aloft so that her feet kicked uselessly at the air. He growled low and long, the sound of a predator finally making the kill.

Lilah felt the air heat around her. Along with the heat came the frenetic sense of building power. She took several steps back, half knowing what he was about to do. The skin beneath Brasa’s hand sizzled, then smoked, then burned black. Amaru choked around a strangled scream. Her hands scrabbled at Brasa’s arm, failing to get herself free before the burn worked its way up her neck to her cheeks. It pushed down her chest to her belly and hips, then to her thighs. The smell of singed flesh filled the room.

Lilah watched in half horror, half fascination as pieces of Amaru started to drift away to the floor. It started as a flake here or there, starting at her belly. The flakes became glowing, burning cracks that split her legs down the center. Her weight sank down so that her shoulders peeled away from her neck and her ribs collapsed. Amaru loosed one final breath that blew a flurry of ash to the ceiling. Her lips peeled away from her teeth, the points sharp even as they disintegrated. And then, it was done. Amaru was nothing but a pile of smoke and dust on the floor. Even the glow of the circle had gone out.

Javier rested his weight on his cane and directed his attention to Seth, “Do you have a broom?”

Seth scratched at the back of his head. “Uh, yeah.”

“Good. We’ll also need a jar—glass, if you have it. Just in case.”

“Sure, sure,” Seth replied as he climbed the stairs.

Lilah moved cautiously closer to Brasa. “Is that it?”

He was still looking at what was left of Amaru. “Yes.”

“Are you...okay?”

Brasa started to reply, but stopped. He stared at her for a few extended heartbeats. She frowned at him and repeated her question. Brasa wobbled on his feet and dropped to a knee. With a panicked gasp, Lilah was immediately at his side, holding him upright. She looked up at Javier for help, but he was more focused on Seth who was coming back down the stairs.

“Can you stand?” She murmured in Brasa’s ear.

Brasa nodded. He got to his feet slowly, leaning heavily on Lilah. They moved together to the stairs where he paused and took several big breaths. One by one, they climbed. Lilah was conscious of every wobble, every shiver. She held her breath all the way up until they reached the top. Here, Brasa had to lean against the wall and rest. Lilah worried over him, cursing herself for letting him exert himself so much.

“Can you make it to the car?”

His eyes were closed and his breathing was labored. “No.”

“Okay,” she said. “Okay.” Lilah cast her eyes around for a solution. “Ah! C’mon.”

Brasa slurred the word, ‘where’, but Lilah ignored him. She was too focused on dragging him down the hall. He followed her with uneven steps until she reached the door to her bedroom. She let him in, catching Javier as he emerged from the basement. He was carrying a large glass pickle jar.

“He’s not going to make it to the car,” Lilah said by way of explanation.

Javier walked up to her and looked into the room where Brasa was already face down on the bed. “I’ll bring the cooler inside.”

She nodded. “Um, just so I know, what are you going to do with that?”

He smiled. “I will put it somewhere safe until we can decide how to dispose of her.”

Lilah nodded again. “Alright. I’ll call you when he comes around.”

“Please do.”

Footsteps came up the stairs and Richie walked into the hall, carrying Kate in his arms. Lilah met his eyes and read the relief and the worry in them. He gave her a short nod and turned to walk further down the hall towards his rooms. Lilah stared at his back, hoping that Kate would wake up.

Seth was the last the come up from the basement. He closed the door behind him and locked it, pushing the keys into his pocket. His head swiveled left and right, clearly debating whether or not to follow Richie. In the end, he sighed and walked in Lilah’s direction.

“Do I gotta be worried about lingering mojo down there?”

Javier chuckled. “No. Brasa’s blood would have burned through any ‘mojo’.”

“Good,” Seth said with a nod, “Well...I’m gonna get a drink.”

“I’ll join you,” Javier said.

Lilah looked between them, surprised that Javier would want to drink with Seth. They weren’t friendly. She was about to say something to that effect when she caught a muffled groan coming from her room. On her bed, Brasa was turning over and rubbing his face. By the time she returned her attention to Javier and Seth, they were walking together to the open room of the bar.

Shaking her head, Lilah walked into her room and closed the door behind her. She made her way to the bed and dropped a knee onto the mattress, “Hey, you okay?”

Brasa’s eyes were glassy and unfocused. He made a sort of nodding gesture that was entirely unconvincing. Lilah smiled softly and cupped his jaw. Brasa leaned into the touch. She knew he was tired, but Lilah was afraid he might grow weaker if he didn’t feed. Shifting her weight forward, she lifted him by the nape and brought his face close to her neck.

As tired as he was, Brasa’s instinct was more powerful. His mouth opened and his teeth sank into her skin with effortless precision. Lilah winced, but managed to hold still. The first sip was tentative. Every one after that was stronger than the last. He groaned, lapping at the bite. Brasa held her tight while the venom began to work its way into her system.

[nostalgiachan]

Once more, it's 100 OC time, and here we have the second half of the main party members, in both full-size and PS2-output style. As always, new images up top, old below, and detailed character info (and essentially the story of the game) below the cut.

#69 (lol, lmao): Ilya Node Idea: The (World's Angriest) Mechanic Story: Silmerein

#70: Dorom Kolos Idea: The Surprisingly Cultured Drunken Ogre Story: Silmerein

#71: Nalien Urymere aka Nenali Maelstrom Idea: The Acrobatic Witch Story: Silmerein

#72: Dynn Mortar Idea: The Scientist Story: Silmerein

Continuing where we left off in the story summary from the last post...

So next, you head to the badlands, just the rockiest, craggiest piece of shit land you ever did see. And as the party's heading through this bullshit, they see a rail-thin, scraggly-looking girl dragging herself across the road.

They bring her to the wagon, fix her up, and ask where she lives, but she is determined to get to Silmerein. Eventually, after the party tells her "Nah, we're taking you home, you're fucked to shit," she gives up and tells the party where she lives: a super-secret city lost to history deep in the badlands.

So back when the end times were happening, the few survivors had huddled together in this city. And once Silmerein had saved the day, most people left and never looked back. But some folks were far too paranoid to leave. And they were determined to make sure that anybody who left never found their way back. So over the centuries, people forgot it was there, and anybody who still lived there wasn't allowed to leave.

So this girl, Ilya Node, telling the party where it is is A Problem.

When they reach the city, they're lucky enough to be met by Ilya's mentor, a fairly dorfy engineer. And he welcomes them inside and whatnot, but once they're in, he tells them they're not leaving again. Meanwhile, Ilya is fucking pissed. She's healed up enough that now she's practically frothing at the mouth to get out of the city again, because she is on a fucking mission.

See, she and her younger brother, Leon, were orphans, getting along as you do. But one night, her brother was snatched right out of his bed, and Ilya happened to see it. She couldn't do anything about it because the plague had caused her legs to stop working, but she swore he had been taken by a Silmereinian. Nobody believed her, though, because how could a Silmereinian still have knowledge of the city? Pff, nah, can't be me.

So she had managed to hobble her way out of the city and walked far enough across the badlands that her leg braces and crutches totally shattered and she was forced to crawl. She was powered by THE FUCKING FURY. Well, as you're learning her backstory from her mentor, she revs up a mining mech and BAILS. She takes off for the mines, which are just a horrible labyrinth of caves, and figures she'll pick a point and start digging her way to freedom this time.

And unfortunately, this is about the point where the plot gets just slightly more vague because I hadn't quite worked out all the details. But the important thing is that somehow, Lima had to get into close enough proximity to directly touch Ilya off-screen. Because as we'll find out later, the only reason the big boss-fight-inducing freakouts happen is because Lima's causing them. So Ilya becomes a giant rabbit monster.

They have a fight, Triangle wins, Triangle man.

So Ilya's like "I guarantee you I'm burning Silmerein to the fucking ground when I get there, let's go." She's your big heavy hitter character, pilots a mining drill to fight.

Anyway, after badlands, our next stop is further into the mountain to meet the Mountain Ogres, specifically this guy, Dorom Kolos.

The Mountain Ogres are in a pretty constant war with the Sea Ogres as the Sea Ogres ran the Mountain Ogres out of their ancestral homeland. I don't remember what the exact arc of Dorom's story was going to be, but tl;dr his infection is in his spine, which is now wholesale jutting out of his back, leaving him in a constant state of pain that he medicates with alcohol. He's your drunken berserker whose super mode is a demon bear.

bearserker

This is about the point where you'd be properly introduced to the Paladins of Silmerein, the goon squad who are your initial direct antagonists as they're trying to keep you from reaching the city and/or kill you. Mostly kill you.

[I briefly cover the first one you'd probably run into, Gamel Jugrenon, but I'll leave that solo sentence to when I actually redraw her]

One way or another, you fight Dorom's demon bear mode and ward off the Paladins, and you head on to the next bit.

Next is a spooky little forest in a mountain valley where you run into a circus featuring one Nalien Urymere aka Nenali Maelstrom.

Nalien comes from a village in said woods which is horribly superstitious and believes magic use and consorting with monsters to be a capital offense. So when she grows bat ears thanks to the plague, her parents are terrified for her safety but don't think they'd be able to leave without raising suspicion. Fortunately for them, the circus had come nearby, and they asked if they would be able to take in Nalien for a short while. The ringmaster agreed, took Nalien in, and started training her in magic and acrobatics.

[Fun fact: the bat ears also reduced her eyesight, which is why she wears glasses.]

As with Dorom, I didn't quite get into when the Paladins would show up and how Lima would get Nenali alone to cause her freakout, but big bat battle under the big top happens. I presume the spooky villagers would probably show up to ruin everything.

The last place before hitting Silmerein is a laboratory high in the mountains that the party stumbles on. There, they meet this fellow, Dynn Mortar, a magitek scientist.

It's here that they'd find out a lot more about the Paladins, chiefly that they're all missing body parts for which Dynn had fashioned prosthetics. [I make a brief swerve to cover all of the Paladins. We'll get to them next time.]

So back to Dynn, as you can surmise, he's the final host needed, and his infection's in his heart. So he turns into a monster squid. Because squids have three hearts. Look, I tried to relate the monster forms to the parts, and spine and heart gave me problems. Just like in real life amirite. [For some reason, I didn't mention how Dynn's infection properly manifested, but: basically, it caused severe heart arrhythmia and wholesale heart failure. He had to build and install his own pacemaker to keep functional.]

But yeah, at this point, the We Have Horrible Demon Infection Crew is assembled, and the only thing left is to get into Silmerein, get to the monument, and get this party started. So by this point, there's been a budding romance forming between Talin and Lima, and you either get a confession before the big event or it edges real goddamn hard, I don't remember which I was going to go with. But you get to the city, you get to the monument, and that's when everything goes to absolute balls.

The romance was completely calculated on Lima's part.

Because, as mentioned, the whole point of this trip was for Lima to go about, collect the now gestating parts of the avatar of Rodimir, and return them all to the source so the avatar can rise again.

So Lima Does the Thing, but after all this time Being a Person, she doesn't want to just go back to being an unconscious part of the avatar. So she pulls a Pope Zera and subsumes his will. So now the avatar is well and truly dead and it's Lima's time to be in charge. Talin is fucking crushed, everybody's just lost a lot of power now that they're not hosting body parts anymore, Clarine [the leader of the Paladins] is freaking out because "Wait, didn't I do everything Imosene told me to? Why didn't this work?" And here's where we get into what her plan was.

See, while the avatar was busy seeding the plague, Imosene was functionally doing the same thing. But she had to expend a lot more juice to do it and wasn't able to craft a wholesale person like Lima to do the collecting. The best she could do was grab the first person who could hear her, and that happened to be Clarine. And all she was really able to tell her was to "gather the parts" and show her who she needed to find.

And Clarine interpreted that literally. She found everybody on her list, but thought she needed to remove the parts from them, not really knowing about the whole gestational period thing. So now we've got a whole lot of underpowered Jesus parts that can't be used for much.

Things are looking pretty fuckin' bad.

At least until this guy shows up.

And he'll be covered in the next batch, along with the first three Paladins of Imosene. So stay tuned, same Silmerein time, same Silmerein channel!

[theshimadaslovers]

THE ONRYO

CHAPTER 2

(Hanzo Onryo x You Fem!Reader)

*still on the cave*

Onryo- *watching you picking up your things all by yourself* …do you know where we are going, girl?

You- First, I have a name…! *put the backpack* Second, we need to find information about the flower's location.

Onryo- *chuckles* You come back here when you have the flower…*sit and rest his back in the cave wall* I'll be here.

You- The deal is you coming with me! Get up, lazy!

Onryo- *growls and the dragons get close to you making you regret what you just said* You're gonna make me walk through this land facing everyone! *stands up* Look at me! *His voice raises with a strong growl in the back* I'm a monster! 

You- You should have thought about that before accepting the deal…*shaking and he stood face to face with you* Am I wrong, demon? 

Onryo- *growls* First! I have a name too! 

You- Offended with the nickname? If you stop killing everyone, maybe they will see you as only a creature! 

Onryo- Do you know how many people want me dead?! 

You- Yes! I do! Cause they want me dead too! 

*The Onryo felt surprised and step back*

Onryo- … I can smell and taste the blood in your words…*he look at you up and down* What have you done, girl? 

You- *you frowned* I…*sighs* I've done something, all right? I don't know what, I can't remember.

Onryo- *he feels a little uncomfortable* Yeah? Whatever. Where are we going?

You- Anywhere with people… Maybe a tavern. 

Onryo- *growls in disgusting* And smell all that alcohol?! 

You- *confused* What? Oh… your nose is sensitive? 

Onryo- Of course! I'm a creature! *walk passing you going out of the cave and look up* Hm… I thought it would be night time.

You- You wanna wait? We can wait… *you put the backpack in the ground* It would be better anyway. 

Onryo- *sighs coming back to the cave* Dammit… *sighs* 

You- Where are they? 

Onryo- …who?

You- Your pets. The dragons. 

Onryo- They're not "pets"! They're spirits, like me. 

You- Spirits walking with a spirit? For what?

Onryo- They've been with me since I was born… *sit beside your backpack open up* 

You- Guardians? 

Onryo- Yes…*pick up the book open up on his page* What the fuck…?! 

You- What?

Onryo- Why they draw me so…! Demonic?!  

You- Cause that's the way they see you… duh?

Onryo- *face you seriously* You didn't say that…

You- What? 

Onryo- That last annoying thing…

You- Duh?

Onryo- Yes! *point to you* If you say that one more time! 

You- All right…*laughs* Duh.

Onryo- GRR!! *Growls and he heard something outside* Shut it!

You- What?

Onryo- Silence! *he put the book back in you backpack and stand up*

You- What is it…?! 

Onryo- *slowly walk to the entry heading footsteps* Someone is coming. 

??- I swear! I heard like three times a huge demonic growl, dad! 

*The onryo makes a blue dark smoke come out of his hands and a bow with a arrow appears, he growl starting to aim*

You- No…! *you run to him pulling down the gun* What are you doing?! *you whispers*

Onryo- Protecting!

You- Not from a kid! *you him pull deeper to the cave* 

Onryo- You told me to protect! *turns to you annoyed*

You- Is only a kid! Stop it!

??- Come on, dad! Let's go! 

??- I…I don't know, Matt, it may be a bear or something worse. Your mother is waiting, let's go. 

Onryo- *look at you and sighs, he face the entry again and one of his dragons appears behind him* Do the roar.

*The dragon makes a huge roar from the cave and immediately scares the kid and his father that ran away. The Onryo found you covering your ears with your eyes closed*

Onryo- Hm… *walk away while the dragon vanish literally being absorbed by the demons body* 

*You open your eyes and watch the Onryo sit down and again you could see again a huge amount of dark blue cloud getting out of his hands, what became bow and a quiver with a lot of arrows, he pick one checking it* 

You-... *sighs* You’re a…archer? 

Onryo- Not anymore…

You- But… you still have a bow and arrow. You’re an archer.

Onryo- I’m a monster and I’m known for killing people with this. I'm no honored archer. 

*you could hear sadness in his voice. You walk to him and sit down a little far from him, still scared* 

You- You…regret? 

Onryo- *He stops and look forward*...

You- Do you regret your life decisions? 

Onryo- I didn’t choose this life. I was cursed. 

You- So, you regret? 

Onryo- I…! *growls and look at you* Why do you ask so many stupid questions?!

You- *sighs annoyed* Stupid… 

Onryo- *sighs also annoyed and go back to his arrow*... 

You-... *notice the among of details made by hand on the bow* Did you make that bow?

Onryo- *take a deep breath and close his eyes* Yes! Arrow and bow! Be quiet, human. 

You- You fuckin’ jerk… *whispers to yourself, but he immediately look at you* What?

Onryo- I can hear your whispers…! 

You- Oh yeah? Great! *stands up sitting more far away* I’m starting to regret helping you! 

Onryo- Great! I can go back to my house! 

You- You don’t have a house, demon! 

Onryo- The world is my roof! Different from you! That needs to have a little stupid house to be protected! 

You- I’m sure you wish to have a real roof too! 

*Both went quiet for a long time and you fell asleep, when you woke up, a hour later, saw the Onryo standing on the entry looking outside* 

You-... *sits* Is night time?

Onryo- Almost … we must go.

*You pick up your stuffs and leave with the demon in front of you in the middle of the woods* 

You- I should go in front….

Onryo- Why?

You- I know the way to the tavern.

Onryo- *sighs and turn around facing you* You trust a demon behind you?

You- We have a deal *you frowned* 

Onryo- *look away and sighs again going behind you* Fine…! Go ahead.

You- I just need to help him and give the credits to my uncle.. if I don’t call any attention to me, of course. I keep asking myself, why is he so cool with me helping him? He is known for killing so many innocents in a blink of an eye! When he spoke about being a disgraced archer, he sounded so…sad. Why? Is he really what the book says? Of course he tried to kill me and he scared me a LOT, but… he didn’t actually hurt me physically. He threatened me, of course, but… that’s it. And, he looked so offended by being drawn like a demonic thing… weird, are those stories right about him?

Onryo- Stop *both immediately stops*

You- What…? 

Onryo- I'm hearing something…*silence* You're wanted, right?

You- Yes…?

*The Onryo hold your hand pulling you and running away, but he was too fast*

You- WHAT THE HELL?! WAIT! *He picked you up like  bride* The fu-?! *Notice he was running to a edge of a mountain* Hey…hey hey hey HEY!! DON'T YOU DARE TO JUM-!

Onryo- Don't scream!

*he jumps and you put the hands in your mouth not screaming. The demon landed safely with you that couldn't even open your eyes*

Onryo- *sighs and let you fall from his arms* … Now you can walk.

You- You…!! Ouch! *you stands up* Now we're more far away from…! *you felt dizzy* Ow…

Onryo- What? 

You- I think I'm…! *you turn around vomiting*

Onryo- *roll his eyes* Wasn't even that high…*look up and chuckles* Too radical for you?

You- Shut! Up…! *cough and take a deep breath pointing to a direction* Go.

Onryo- *he sighs while watching passing through him* You look sick, human.

You- I'm fine…! And it's your fault! 

Onryo- *laughs* The guards were coming in our direction, guess why? 

You- … The roar? 

Onryo- The damn roar *chuckles* 

You- *sighs* All right…thanks. 

Onryo- *smirk* Shut up… 

You- Try me, bitch…*roll eyes and yawn* 

Onryo- *deep breath* Tell me where the damn place is and I will take you!

You- I'm fine! 

Onryo- Right, you're yawning and you just vomit. You're not alright!

You- Can you stop trying to be nice?

Onryo- *snort* I'm nice! If you believe the stories, you should be already dead! 

You- You suffocate me!

Onryo- But I didn't kill you!

You- You could!

Onryo- And you could kill me too! 

You- I…! *turn to him and snore* Fine! You're right! *starts to walk again*

Onryo- You think I trust you humans? Of course I had to do it! You could just try to…I don't know! Shoot my heart or whatever! 

You- Right! I got it! Can you stop crying no- *close your eyes* Ow…

Onryo- What? You’re going to vomit again?

You- No, but my blood pressure is not…good *lose balance* 

Onryo- Listen to me next time *get in front of you turns, pull your arms over his shoulders crossing then and holding your legs* Done. What direction?

You- *hold on tight and almost fainting* I think…Southwest…

Onryo- You think? *sighs starting walking* Sleep, girl… i don’t why you’re so exhausted, but…try to sleep.

You- Why do you care…?

Onryo- I once was a human too.

*You fall asleep on his back and in a few hours, Onryo could see a small dark village from far, the first think he could smell is the alcohol*

Onryo- *disgusted* Taverns…! Hey, girl, wake up, I think this is it.

You- Hm… *not waking up*

Onryo- *deep breath* Right…

*He walked to a big door to enter the village, it was surrounded by walls. He knocked with his feet and a window open up spotting a small person…not a kid* 

Onryo- *confused* A…dwarf?

Dwarf- Shut it, what the hell are you, man? 

Onryo- *more confused* Not your business, I need a bed for my…friend here.

Dwarf- *Take a better look and smile* Oooh a sleeping girl? *chuckles* Come in! Come in~ 

*The dwarf close the window open up the door and the Onryo walks in* 

Onryo- Where is the place? She needs to rest. 

Dwarf- If you want to put her in my house…is very comfy *laughs checking on you* She's so pretty! Can I touch her? *ready to grab your tight and he could only see a dragon getting closer to his face, he looked scared and shaking* Wh-wha-what the…?! 

Onryo- *smirk* Good boy, Tooth. I'll find a place by myself. 

*The Onryo starting to walk through the village calling everyone's attention, but he doesn't really care, was to busy tracking the alcohol smell*

Onryo- *get close to a place feeling more disgusted* Argh…! Is here… dammit.

*Entering the tavern it was full of people and different creatures, everyone stops and face him* 

-What the hell is that? Is that a demon? Nice color. Is that a girl on his back? Maybe he's a bounty hunter *they speak between them* 

?- Hey, blue thing…*in the balcony, he could see a huge and tall man, couldn't be only human, he had a mechanic arm and half of his face was mechanical too* Need something, fella? *he had a Scottish accent*

Onryo- *confused asf* Aaah…I…I just need a room for my friend.

?- Friend?! *laughs and the whole tavern also laugh* Look at you, mate! You're a demonic creature, how's that little girl a friend?! 

Onryo- Can I just have a room, please?! *growls*

Tavern- Oooh *laughs*

?- He's a creature, definitely a rare creature *laughs* Well! Come closer, mate! Drink something and we can put your little friend to sleep! 

Onryo- I don't drink this horrible stuff you call "alcohol", thank you very much… *taking small steps to the bar counter* Where's the room, "mate"? 

?- *chuckles* You're a trouble one, aren't ya? Go to the stairs, all the doors are rooms…*take a key from behind the balcony putting in his horn* Happy sleep, mate *the whole tavern chuckles*

Onryo- *growls feeling embarrassed and turns going up the stairs*

*while everyone watching him go, one of the dragons appears grabbing the key on his horn* 

-Yo! Is that a dragon?! What the hell?! It came up from his body! What is this thing?! Is a demon! 

*at the corridors, he sighs by seeing so many doors and more people walking by…of course, everyone stares him*

Onryo- *deep breath and starts to walk to the room number* …Damn creatures…! What is wrong with this place?! No one knows me! No one fears me! What is wrong with this place?! 

*feeling uncomfortable with all the staring, he walk fast to the room and lock himself and you inside*

Onryo- Fucking hell… *through the key in a table and put you in the bed* Finally… *sit down beside you* You sleep heavily, don't you? *you don't move* Girl? *Touch your face* Jezz…you're burning…*take a deep breath moving his hand to his face feeling tired* I'm a babysitter…god dammit *look at you again a gave a little slap in your cheek* Hey, wake up, you're sick…*no responding* I'm not joking, woman! *stands up* I'm gonna roar! In 3, 2…? *His dragons went close to you examining* What? Something is wrong? 

*The female dragon, Claw, look at the Onryo making a sad and worried noise. Tooth, the male one, was picking your cheek with his nose trying to wake you up*

Onryo- Ah…She fainted? *Claw agreed* Why?! How? When?! *He kneels in the bed picking you up on his lap putting his ear close to your face* She's breathing normally… *Claw do a little growl to him annoyed* How am I supposed to know that?! I didn't do that! Right, look! Don't be angry at me, it may be something else *Lay you down again and sighs* Let her rest…she'll wake up again. She has to.

*Claw and Tooth make little crying noises*

Onryo- You guys liked her, huh? *smirk* Why? 

*Claw do a little grunt* 

Onryo- She's pure? Mm… Well, you guys are the spirits, I believe that you can see someone else's spirit *Tooth agreed* Right… I should've known that. Purity…*look at you* Why does she want to help us anyway?

Claw- *grunts* 

Onryo- I don't doubt that she has a secret… is something more. Daughter of witches, she knows a lot about creatures like me. 

Tooth- *grunt in confuse*

Onryo- You're right, she's a mysterious woman. More mysterious than myself. I mean, she doesn't look at me as an Onryo… She doesn't really fear us. 

Claw- *cute grunts and rubs around him* 

Onryo- Wha-?! I-! You females always have the most preposterous thoughts! *blush* The-! There's no such thing as "Onryo's bride"! Or…! Soulmates! Whatever! 

Tooth- *grunts*

Onryo- I'm not blushing! You two are making me nervous! I just met her! 

Claw- *roll eyes and grunts boringly* 

Onryo- Not good with women?! You little…! 

You- *move and moan*

Onryo- Ah…? Girl? *poke your leg* Are you aaw-!?!! *A kick hit his face making him fall of the bed* OUCH! FUCK! 

You- Oh my goodness! *sit on the bed* I'm so sorry! I'm so so so sorry! 

Onryo- You have a…good kick! Ow! *stands up* God dammit! Why?! 

You- I was having a nightmare and I felt something touching me! I got scared! 

Onryo- Wait… you were sleeping?! 

You- …*looking away* Yeah? 

Onryo- You sleep like a rock! I thought you were fainted! 

You- Well… I don't know…I'm not really well *He holds your face and you look confused* What…?

Onryo- You got a fever… you fainted the whole ride. 

You- *looking around* Oh, here we are! *stands up but he immediately pull you back to bed* …?! What? 

Onryo- You're sick.

You- I'm fine, we need the information…! *tries to move but felt something wrapping you up* Ah?! Hey! *the dragons grunts begging you* What?

Onryo- See? They don't want you to move too… now…Stay! I'll get the information *walk to the door*

You- No! Wait! I need to go with you! ONRYO! *he closes the door