#go the fuck away you nasty slime monster

[i-drop-level-one-loot]

🎃 It came from the attic

Tentacles CW: Tentacles, monster fucking, non-con, they're tentacles, GN!Reader

The sorority house was empty excluding (Reader). All of the ladies had left out of fear, leaving their brave defender to investigate the building for them. Although (Reader) wasn't a woman they were a beloved member of the house. Asked to join the "family" after defending Jessica from drunk frat boys at a mixer in their first year. Sometimes it was borderline insulting the way (Reader) was treated but overall it was nice being surrounded by sweet young women who treated (Reader) nicer than their own family did.

But unfortunately, being the "defender" also meant that when Rebecca heard noises at night and their house mascot (a fat ass cat named Sprinkles) went missing, everyone vacated the premises and begged (Reader) to investigate.

"All the bedrooms are clear." (Reader) spoke into their phone.

A jumble of frightened voices argued on the other line before Jessica put the phone back to her ear. "Rebecca says it came from the attic."

(Reader) sighed away from the receiver. "Roger Roger, I'll go check." They hung up and placed the cell in their pocket, trudging over to the pull down ladder. It was a pain, but it did feel nice to be needed. The dusty ladder fell with a loud cthunk. (Reader) coughed up the nasty air as a thin layer of grey settled in the hallway.

They cringed as they climbed up into the attic, the dust coating their bare hands. "Sprinkles? I doubt you're up here, but if you are please come here."

Surprisingly, a quiet mew was heard back in the corner where a bunch of boxes were stacked.

"No fucking way - Sprinkles! Tsk tsk tsk!"

The boxes rustled as (Reader) approached, meowing again.

"Kitty?" (Reader) opened the top box and was immediately flung back. Their back hit the floor, smacking their skull hard enough to see spots. Something pink had launched out and tackled (Reader).

They didn't have time to get a better look at the thing before it wiggled into (Reader's) clothes. Slimy and hot, it felt like giant worms or wet snakes pulsating across their skin, searching and writhing. (Reader) ripped off their shirt in horror, watching the brain like mass quickly move down to their pants.

"What the fuck?!" (Reader) grabbed at the thing, feeling the sticky warm liquid spread across their fingers. It felt like it was permeating their skin, infecting their body with the oozing heat. "EW!!"

Despite the grossness of the situation, (Reader) tightened their grip, squeezing more fluid out of the vibrating tendril. As (Reader's) eyes adjusted to the dark they were horrified to learn that the liquid was only dripping out of the phallic tips. They accidentally released it out of fear and disgust.

It took the opportunity to force its way into (Reader's) pants. They screamed as it wasted no time nestling into (Reader's) underwear, prodding at their sex. "No!" (Reader) tried to take off their pants, but the warmth from the creature's slime spread quickly across their pelvis as it slipped itself into their hole.

Their body felt like it was melting; every inch of their skin that had been touched by the creature warmed up unbearably. Like a fever infecting only where it had traveled. It was painful, and uncomfortable; but worse than that, it was tingly.

Arousing.

The monster grew, filling (Reader) up as it doubled, tripled, in size. Tentacles wrapped around (Reader's) thighs as it pumped in and out. The heat made their head feel fuzzy, and their muscles weak, robbing them of their ability to fight back as they slumped down into the dust.

A pink wet arm pressed against (Reader's) lips, easily invading their mouth. It pumped sour tasting goo down their throat, sending the hot feeling further throughout (Reader). It was now the size of (Reader), cradling their weak body as it mercilessly fucked them from all sides. As it grew, the tentacles multiplied, running out of holes to fill. They started rubbing against any fold they could find. (Reader) felt their armpits and thighs violated as it continued pumping it's liquid into, and onto, them.

(Reader) didn't notice when they came; their body a pathetic sweaty mess of sensitive nerves. But the creature seemed pleased, meowing with Sprinkles' voice as it finally came, splashing the sour tasting cum inside of (Reader). It felt like their body was being stretched out as the creature drained itself into (Reader).

Before they lost consciousness a thought finally formed in their over fucked mind.

'Please save me..'

[cyberrat]

74th Batch Of Fics: 10th Fill

Shane/Slimes(/Wizard) – cont of Patreon fics – Part ½ – monster fucc; village whore Shane – Shane is given a new job that starts kind of normal but immediately goes sideways :)

---

This is a series that has started on my Patreon with Shane first getting coerced by Morris into putting out favors and then slowly but surely becoming more and more of a village whore. Morris so far has had him 'lend' to Clint in an Emily outfit and arranged a sort of understanding with Mayor Lewis who, upon witnessing Shane stumbling back from Clint decided that he wants to get in on that nasty business.

The Governor has had some play time with Shane as well. Shane is coming around :)

---

Mayor Lewis did not need to escort Shane to the Wizard’s Tower, but either he did not believe him capable of walking to a place he can see from his damn home, or he did not trust him that he would actually do what he’s been tasked to do.

Shane stares at the door, then at Mayor Lewis. “You… did tell Morris that I can’t come to work today, right?”

Lewis looks angry at that. He grabs Shane by the back of his neck while waving his other hand, saying: “Don’t try and exert yourself. I thought we’ve made it abundantly clear that what we need of you is to not try and think and just open your legs and be a good boy.”

He shoves Shane forward, nearly pushing his forehead into the wood of the door. Shane can feel warmth trickling through his body at the demeaning attitude of the Mayor. A few weeks ago it would have sent him into a rage but now? He… fuck, he gets off on it.

Lewis knocks on the door which opens almost immediately with nobody behind it.

.oOo.

“Well then that would settle it. I’ll be back tonight to gather him up.”

The Wizard impatiently waves Lewis off. Hes already turned toward a hatch in the floor, opening it with a wave of his hand.

Shane peers inside. It’s pretty dark down there but he can see a few glistening… things moving around down there; some big some small.

“What are those?” he asks, unsure of what is going to happen now.

The Wizard rummages around in his robe while saying: “Slimes that I bred.”

“Slimes…” Shane echoes softly. Now that the Wizard said it, he can see it too: their large round bodies and the different shades of green and purple and blue and… “What am I supposed to do?” He asks, suddenly weary. He takes a step away from the hatch.

The Wizard thrusts the thing at him that he’s pulled out of his robe. It turns out to be a ring with a green, round stone that could be calcified slime, though Shane isn’t certain about that.

“You will put this ring on and get into my Slime farm. If my estimations are correct, they will not see you as a threat and instead simply ignore you.”

Shane waits a beat and when nothing more is forthcoming he inquires haltingly: “Nothing more?”

The Wizard’s bushy brows tremble and he looks impatient. “Nothing more,” he confirms while gesturing at the hatch.

As shane puts on the ring and slowly sits down to let his legs dangle through the opening, he wonders why exactly the Wizard asked Mayor Lewis for Shane or what the Mayor thought might happen here, given the particular job he’s taken on for the Mayor and Morris.

His head hurts when he tries to think about it all, though. Reminding himself that he’s not here to think but to obey, Shane slides down into the Slime Farm.

.o.

He half expects the Wizard to close the hutch but to his pleasant surprise, he isn’t. Instead, his bearded face appears in the opening, quietly watching.

Right. Shane clears his throat and slowly turns on the spot, peering around. It’s creepy down here as there is little to no light. All he can see are those wet glistening shapes moving and hopping around. Now that he’s down here he can also see the antennae bobbing on the heads of a few of them.

“So?” the Wizard asks from above.

Shane exhales, relaxing his muscles and shaking out his arms and legs as he calls up: “They don’t seem aggressive at least.”

“Very good.”

Shane glances up again, unsure how to interpret it because the Wizard always sounds grumpy. Something he can relate to, at least, but it doesn’t make it easier to parse what’s going on.

It’s in that split second that one of the Slimes sneaks up on him. He doesn’t notice it there until he feels the cold jelly touch to his hand. Crying out in surprise, he jerks his hand away and stumbles backwards; falling over a smaller slime that had been right there.

As his back hits the cobble stones and the air is pushed forcefully out of his lungs, Shane can see that much more Slimes inching closer.

He can tell that the Wizard is calling something towards him from the opening in the ceiling but he can only parse little snippets.

“It’s… it’s alright,” he finally gets out when the pain radiating throughout his body becomes less. “They’re not attacking. They’re… they’re just…”

He trails off again, because… what are they just? He can’t tell; until he feels himself getting pushed around by Slimes and brought into position. He’s never much thought about Slimes what with them not really posing any threat to like… anybody, but he definitely never thought them capable of rearranging someone to their liking.

Like him lying on his belly draped over another slime while one of the larger specimen starts to push over his back, drenching everything in slick, sticky goo.

“Wuh… wuh?!” is the only thing he can get out as he instinctively begins to struggle with no avail. He can feel slime pushing down the back of his pants and along his ass crack. That sensation…-

“Stop it!”

“Huh?!”

“Stop your struggling, you imbecile!”

“But…”

“I think what we are witnessing… is the mating behavior of Slimes. Directed at a human being? How fascinating! They won’t hurt you. Just… just play along. I wish to see…”

When Shane does not answer – what is he supposed to say to that, even? – the Wizard seemingly thinks it necessary to tighten the screws even more: “I bought you for the day, my boy. You should do what I tell you, lest you want me to tell your owners about your disobedience…”

That is so… humiliating so… dehumanizing – Shane can feel himself getting turned on.

His voice is high-pitched and brittle as he answers a simple: “Okay.”

By now the slime on his back managed to pull his jeans down with all the slimy slick that is coating Shane’s skin. The thick amount of slime that has been dripping down his ass crack is pooling around his swollen rim in a silky smooth touch.

He shivers, half-formed thoughts bouncing around his head about how surely the Slimes wouldn’t want to mate with a human and how surely they’re going to back off in a second-

Only that they aren’t. And he has no fucking idea about the anatomy of Slimes – other than that they are round – but the thing poking at his cunt is feeling stupidly like a surprisingly firm cock.

By now the large Slime on his back has enveloped Shane’s arms as well, keeping them nice and pinned as it rocks atop of him and pushing more of the cool, slimy cock inside his struggling body.

Though… he’s not struggling that much, is he? He’s gotten used to a lot of shit after he began working for Morris and… well… this Slime doesn’t seem to fuck half bad…?

[gildedcrown]

[❤ Grimsley @ Raihan]: 🌋

There he is. The grease stain was back. There’s only one way to get rid of grease stains.

“Oi! Sebastian, get the bleach, got some cleanin’ to do!”

talk shit get hit | @welcometrainers

[eliciana]

SAGAU SERIES: Misunderstandings

-> Chapter 1(Here)| Chapter 2| Chapter 3| Chapter 4 | Chapter 5|...

Masterlist

Blog Navigation

_________________________________________

Tw: Sagau, Cult!Au

Reader: Gn!Reader, Creator!Reader, God!Reader, Reader is said to be very curious of everything

Characters: Reader, Random Knights of Favonius, Cryo Slime

Note: Revised and corrected spelling mistakes

____________________________________

Waking up in another world, inside a game, in a meadow alone, which is very dangerous for a person like you who has no knowledge nor experience in killing monsters was not in your daily list. Especially in your favorite game, Genshin Impact.

You immediately recognized this place, how could you not? This place was in the outskirts of Mondstadt as you can see the gate of the said nation in the distance, near yet far away.

Your blood went cold as you remember those fanfictions you read as a pastime. You will be perceived as the imposter who imitated the beloved God of Teyvat and will be chased around all of the three nations to be executed or perhaps tortured.

“Fuck…. I’m out of here.” You got your school bag and stood up as only to stumble back down. You felt your foot going numb and the needle-like sensation was all to familiar as you whimpered and thrashed around in agony. “Fuck! Shit! AHHH!!” You rolled around the meadow while massaging your foot, it was a miracle as how you did not bump into a rock. A few minutes of rolling around, the numbness in your foot disappeared.

Looking at the clear blue sky, which was so realistic instead of the pixelated one you are familiar with, you tried to recall your how you ended up here.

You remember running as if you were being chased by a killer clown to be able to get on time on school without being send to the guidance counselor, who has such a nasty tongue, to hear her never-ending nagging. The consequence of waking up late as you could say. Stepping on manhole that you swear wasn’t there, you felt yourself falling down in a endless hole.

Screaming your lungs out and waiting for the inevitable to happen to you, which never really happened since you were overthinking and got your last braincells dead from overloading and blacked out. That’s how you got here.

You blinked once, twice, thrice, sighed and said, “I’m really gonna die.”. A cold, fluffy and squishy feeling came into contact with your cheek, making you abruptly look at the source. It was a cryo slime. You sat up and poked the slime curiously. It squeaked and came closer, nuzzling into your touch.

“How cute and peculiar.” You squished the cheeks of the slime. Examining the cryo slime made all of your attention only on it, you couldn’t see nor hear the nearing knights.

After examining the slime, you looked around your surroundings and saw knights nearing the place where you are resting. ‘Oh shit!’. You took your bag, took the slime (it’s not theft, right?), and made a run for it quietly and quickly as possible.

Alas, one of them had saw you in the corner of their eye and shouted for you to stop. But of course, you did not. Who are they even for you to stop for and heed their shouts? They chased you whilst you were running faster.

Seeing a waypoint, you went directly in its direction. "Oh, wait how do I teleport!? Oh, for fucks sake! Whatever!" You thought of a random place to teleport to test if it will work. You placed your hand on the waypoint and as you thought your surroundings changed within a second. Into the Qingce Outskirts.

"Creat-!" One of the knights had shouted while wheezing for air as you dissapeared without hearing what he said.

One was panting on the ground. "O-one of you, *pant*, go report this to the, *cough*, Acting Grandmaster. *Wheeze*."

"Y-yes!" One stood up and ran once again back to the City of Mondstadt.

Oh, boy. Your arrival in Mondstadt had caused such an uproar. Groups of knights were sent to look for you. News spread as quickly as a virus to other nations.

The Liyue Qixing had sent some Millelith to also look for you all around Liyue. The Shogun sent the Inazuma Shogunate also. It was also a surprise that Snezhnaya had participated. Such ruckus was made that the four nations had to held a meeting to find you and to cooperate with each other.

While you were missing, you had made home somewhere in the forests of Sumeru. Living freely with your new friends, the Cryo slime now named: Aquilo, and new Aranaras.

_________________________________________

A/N: I think that this is too wordy or too descriptive?? Nay, I must be overthinking, right?

[queenxxxsupreme]

That ask of "the idea of cupping eckels face" excpets its Lambert after a monster job and his so does that and he's like "what the fuck? Why are they being so soft?" As their so looks at him with this soft, loving look, only for them to say, in a voice matching their tender eyes and hand "you smell like shit". Lambert is still like "what the fuck." But he's also a bit relieved because his so is NEVER like that 🦎

A/N: You are referring to the amazing @inber​‘s little but absolutely amazing drabble here. Also 🦎anon have I mentioned how much I adore you and these asks you send me because they make my day💕😘

Rain quietly tapped on the roof to your home. You sat next to the fireplace, reading a book and enjoying the warmth. 

“Fucking hell.” You could hear a familiar voice curse from just outside of your front door. 

You looked in the direction of the door, putting your book down. Lambert must be back from his hunt. 

Just as you were standing to your feet, the door opened and Lambert stepped in. He dropped a kikimora head on the floor.

“Lambert!” You sighed, moving to grab something to wrap the beast’s head in so that its bodily fluids wouldn’t ruin the wood floor. 

As you were pulling a cloth out of the cabinet, the stench hit you. It was rotten eggs and decaying corpses all mixed into one. Your nose scrunched up and you tried your best to ignore the odor.

“Why do you have that thing?” 

“Gotta take it to the village council in the morning. It’s too late now and I’m fucking tired.”

You moved back to Lambert, who remained standing in the doorway with his hands in tight fists by his sides. 

“How was the hunt?” You asked him, a little teasing tone playing on your voice. You put cloth down on the floor and pulled your skirt up with your hands, using your foot to nudge the kikimora head over on to the cloth. 

“Fan-fucking-tastic.” He muttered, using his dirt and slime covered arm to wipe his forehead. 

Once you were satisfied with the kikimora head, you brought your attention back to Lambert. You smiled softly, happy that he was back home in one piece. You placed your hands on either side of his face and brushed your thumb across his cheek, poorly clearing away the grime and the kikimora fluids that covered his skin. 

Lambert’s brows were furrowed together as he watched you, unsure of your intentions. You were never this affectionate unless he was hurt badly during a hunt and you were scared he’d die. Affection wasn’t what the two of you did. 

“You smell like absolute shit, love.” You murmured.

“What the fuck?” He whispered, watching you pull away from him and move across the room. 

“You’re stinking up my whole house with your nasty ass, Lambert. Go outside and to the creek around back. I’ll bring you some clean clothes and soap. And get that damn kikimora head out of my house.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He sighed, picking up the kikimora head and dumping it just outside of your front door.

“You better not have put that in my flower bed, Lambert.” You put a hand on your hip as you looked at him.

“I’ll put the damn thing in your bed.” He threatened quietly, snatching the head back up. 

“You do that, and you will be sleeping out in the stables with my cows every time you come home.” You assured him. “Now go! Go! I’m never going to get this stench out of my house. It’s seeping into the wood by now.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He swatted a hand in your direction but grinned as he turned away from you. He missed your fiery attitude and the way you sassed him. 

Taglist: @riviawitch3r @notyouraveragemochii @dev1lbella @rosyghosty @merendis @lalalalemonade11 @wayward-dream @whatanicepanohthatsjustme @tshuuls @havenoffandoms @queen-sands @crazzyter @katiejmac @bucky-did-nothing-wrong @jennylovelyheart @whitewolfandthefox @itsallyouhavegotinsideyourhead @hm-fck @mactho @msgeorgiarae @tragicmisfits @randomzxx @alwayshave-faith @rahdaleigh @lizliz3107 @turtlefordestiel @d14n4ol @asix122747483 @minervalavender @agniavateira @hina-chans-stuff @dressed-up-heartbreak @persephonehemingway @bitterstar88 @scarlettwitcher @ayamenimthiriel @romancebibliophilia @jessevans @xoxoarts @jocelynscloset @soulslaststand @grumgoblin @thefishmongersdaughterwrites @silverkitten547 @rebel4fandom

[over-under-through1]

You Look Nice

This was inspired by a post from @leecheedoodles on her patreon. Buttercup is given a compliment and chaos ensues. Enjoy this cracky ass fic, it’s my first on this account

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It started with 4 words. 4 fucking words. Now shes stuck like this. She’s never hated mitch more in her life.

“Hey butch, hey buttercup. you look nice today.” Mitch said while he was approaching the two.

She started to respond when she felt a heavy pressure on her back. She swivveled her head backwards and saw her oaf of a boyfriend clinging onto her like a koala.

“Back off mitchelson before I throw you into the sky.” he hissed. No literally, hissed. Butch fucking hissed at mitch. Mitches eyes widened for a split second before he broke out into giggles. Butch was confused for a second before Mitch pulled out his phone and showed butch his lock screen, a picture of him and his boyfriend, Mike Believe.

“Yeah, sorry to break it to you but BC’s not really my type,” he laughed “you know though… mike and i have been looking for a thir-”

“X box off, Mitchelson.” Buttercup cut in.

“A match made in heaven” Mitch said under his breath as he waved them goodbye, likely off to find his boyfriend.

“... okay. You can get off now.” BC said as she began the task of unclamping Butches legs from around her waist. Jesus this boy had a strong grip. “Seriously man im gonna fall”

“Im good. If you fall, we fall. And theres no one I’d rather fall with.” he snickered. She began to grow more and more agitated and tried shaking him off, but he held firm. Suddenly a loud buzzing noise came from both their phones. He took his out of his back pocket and read it aloud “bubbles says theres a ‘big nasty gross ooey gooey monster thingy by the middle school’ and that we have to hurry up. Must be gross, she used like 6 adjectives.”

“Okay, lets go.” she said and waited for him to hop off her back. and waited. And waited. “uh butch, kinda need to fly over there before Bubbles sonic screams away half the block… even boomer cant stop the chick if there’s slime involved…”

“Meh, you can carry me.” he snickered.

“Get the hell off before I drop kick you.”

“Legs are tired. Cant fly. Must stop monster. Better get there fast BC dont wanna waste anymore time…” he fake yawned.

“... I hate you”

“Yeah love you too Butterboo now take off. Away we go. Fly peter pan.”

“No like I really really hate you.”

“The more time you waste the closer bubbles is to a harcore meltdown”

“Go suck a dick”

“Only for you Cuppy.”

Butch spent the entire fight on buttercups back, blocking hits from behind. Directly after however, he was unconscious for 2 hours. Bastard had to pay the price somehow.

[chain-unchained]

December 12 - Part 3

This one’s long and dramatic. And it’s still not over. Longest. Day. *Ever*.

The elevator continued its descent; the rocky surfaces all around them began to shift in color, going from light muddy browns to burnt umber and musty reds.

“Holy shit, Ashe, how far have you been digging in here?” Sebastian could hardly speak, Sam was so tightly wound around his neck.

The farmer anxiously rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. “Not far enough, honestly. And I can’t take all the credit for this,” he fiddled with the scarf around his neck, contemplating whether or not to remove it for the time being, “Percy’s been coming down here a lot lately too.”

“I think it’s cool.” Abigail reached out and let her fingers brush against the moving rockfaces. “You get to actually fight real monsters and stuff. Like looking at you, no one would think that you’re actually a badass warrior.”

“I-I’m not though, really. I try to avoid the monsters as much as I can.”

“Whaaaat? Okay, that’s kinda lame.”

Sebastian flicked her forehead. “Not everyone is as bloodthirsty as you are, y’know.”

“I’m not bloodthirsty!” Her cheeks puffed out in a puff as she rubbed the red spot left behind. “I’m just so bored of the quiet country lifestyle. You have to be bored of it too, right Ashe? You used to live in the city after all.”

“Actually,” he smiled bashfully, “I really like how peaceful it is here. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Her pout intensified. “Well—well, you’re just saying that cos you get to cheat and come kill monsters whenever you want. And your farm work keeps you super busy, too!” She pointed a finger at him. “You’re just a big cheater.”

“Uh—“ At a loss, he gave another awkward smile, “sorry?”

“Hmph.” She turned away and folded her arms across her chest. “Cheater.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes as the elevator came to a shuddering stop at the bottom of the mine shaft. “Okay Sam, we’ve stopped moving—you can stop suffocating me now.”

“We are? Oh thank Yoba—”

Both Sam and Abby fought to be the first ones off of the elevator. It was dark and warm where it let them off, dimly lit from the torches that Ashe had put up from his last visit.

“I’m never getting back on that death machine ever again,” Sam wheezed, knees buckling from the legitimate fear that had been gripping him.

“Well that sucks for you,” Sebastian jerked his thumb back towards the elevator, “cos that’s our only way out.”

“Noooooo…!” He dropped to the ground in a heap of despair. “I can’t, my heart can’t take anymore of that…!”

“It’ll be okay, Sam.” Ashe knelt down beside him and patted his shoulder gently. “We’ll distract you the whole time so you don’t have to think about it. Okay?”

“No, not okay,” he sniffed with a shake of his head, “but… okay.”

Ashe helped him back to his feet and brushed some of the dirt from his knees. “Alright. You guys all stay behind me, and stick close. There are some really nasty monsters roaming around down here.”

“Laaaame…” Abigail took her hand off of the hilt of her sword with a dramatic sigh. “You gotta at least let me get the first kill in. I need this.”

“Abby,” Sebastian put his hand on her shoulder, “you need to calm down.”

“More like you guys need to get more pumped up!” Despite what Ashe just said, she pushed her way to the front of the group. “C’mon, we’re exploring a real life monster-filled mine! And Ashe has been coming down here by himself all this time, why are we so freaked out when there’s four of us here?”

Ashe hesitated. “That’s… a good point, actually…”

“Right?” Abby fell back enough to walk beside him and flashed a wide grin. “We can take on anything that comes our way with the power of friendship! And anime! But not Yoba. That asshole can stay out of our way.”

“Pfft—” The last bit was enough to make Ashe dissolve into a fit of laughter. He didn’t realize just how badly he needed to laugh.

“There we go! That’s much more like it.” Her grin got even bigger as she began to walk backwards—it was easier to talk this way. “Seriously, you’ve been so down in the dumps lately that I thought you’d forgotten how to laugh.”

“Yeah, we noticed that too.” Sam wrapped an arm around the farmer’s shoulders. “What’s been on your mind?”

“N-Nothing—it’s nothing—oh no, I can’t breathe—” He had to stop walking, doubling over and hugging his stomach until the laughter began to subside. A few giggles lingered as he straightened up and wiped the tears from his eyes. “I-I don’t know why that got me so good… ahhh… I’m okay. I’m okay, really.”

“You sure about that, buddy?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “And really, nothing’s been on my mind lately. It’s just that winter’s a bad time for me.”

Abigail put her hand on her hip. “Because your mom died around this time, right?”

“Abby!” Sam and Sebastian were appalled. The smile faded from Ashe’s face.

“What?” She asked.

“You can’t just say that kind of shit.” Sebastian rubbed his face. “Have some goddamn tact or something.”

“Life’s too short and we could die down here, so what’s the point of beating around the bush?” She turned back to Ashe. “It’s not hard to put 2 and 2 together. Look, if you need someone to talk to about it, you can talk to us. Or Shane. That’s not the kind of shit that you should keep bottled up.”

“I-I don’t—”

“Like seriously, you should know this since you’re dating him and all. Isn’t this the kind of stuff that you had to beat into his head?”

“That’s not—”

“Just how long do you think you can keep going like this? You’re just going to get depressed next winter if you keep ignoring it like you have been—”

“Rrrr—CAN I PLEASE SAY SOMETHING?!”

Ashe didn’t mean to explode, but that was exactly what he did. His voice rose uncontrollably, bouncing off of the narrow corridor they stood in as his friends stared at him with wide eyes and slightly slack jaws.  

“Uh… y-yeah, sure, go ahead.”

With shaking hands Ashe rubbed at the lower part of his face. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said simply, his voice and chin quivering with each word. “I don’t—it’s still too painful.” His voice broke, and his eyes stung with tears desperately fought back as he whispered, “I d-don’t want anyone to see me cry…”

“Aww, Ashe…” Sam pulled him into a hug, and Sebastian shot Abby a dirty look. “C’mon, it’s okay. This is what friends are for, y’know.”

“N-No—please, I don’t—want—”

It was too late. The floodgates had been opened, and just as he had dissolved into laughter not five minutes ago he dissolved into sobs that were muffled by Sam’s shoulder. It was embarrassing. There was nothing that felt good about breaking down like this in front of others. But there was nothing that he could do to stop the tears, or the emotions that brought them on.

“That’s it, just let it all out.” Sam patted his back with a faint smile. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Just know that we’re all here for you.”

It took everything Ashe had in him to eventually stop the tears, and a minute later he pulled back from Sam to rub at his reddened eyes with a sniff. “Sucks… S-Sorry, I tried so hard…”

“Hey, there’s nothing to apologize for.” Sebastian took a puff on the cigarette he’d lit. “Sometimes you just gotta cry.”

“Oh?” Abby elbowed him with a smirk. “That something you have a lot of experience with, Seb?”

“Fuck off.”

The exchange was enough to get a half-laugh, half sob from Ashe.

“Hey, there’s another laugh.” Abby’s smirk softened to a smile. “So do you feel any better now?”

“N-No, not really…” With a shuddering sigh, Ashe dried what was left of his tears on his sleeves and did his best to smile. “But I really don’t like to cry, so. I’m okay now.” He moved to the front of the group and unsheathed his trusty sword. “Besides, there’s no time to waste. We’ve got monsters to slay and loot to find! FOR THE G!”

“Hell yeah!” Abigail was right there beside him, her own sword drawn as they led the charge. Sam and Sebastian had to break into a brisk jog to keep up with them.

 ####

 It wasn’t long before they ran into trouble. A few red-tinted slimes, some magma bats, nothing too major. It was largely disappointing for Abby, who stood off to the side pouting as the others dug into a fat gold vein.

“This sucks,” she huffed, “I was promised monsters and all I’ve gotten are weak level 1 mobs.”

“Y’know,” Sebastian grunted with the swing of his pickaxe, “most people wouldn’t be complaining about that.”

She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Yeah, well, I’m not like most people.”

“’I’m so quirky, I’m not like other girls’,” Sam teased.

“Hey, that subreddit doesn’t apply to me because I’m actually not like other girls.”

“That’s what they all say, you know.”

Having fallen largely quiet in his concentration on mining, Ashe just sort of listened to them playfully argue. It was fun to just be a party to the conversation, and it helped with keeping his mind occupied.

‘This should be enough to trade for some better tools, I think.’ He picked up a few chunks of mined ore and inspected them with a hopeful glint in his eyes. It was more cost-efficient to trade materials like this for upgrades instead of paying for them outright. ‘Would be nice if we could hit a gem vein while we’re here—’

The conversation lulled, and in the brief moment of silence Ashe heard a strange noise in the distance. It was a noise that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Get down!”

Once more his voice reverberated around the space as he tackled his friends to the floor. Not a second later, a giant flaming fireball whizzed over their heads, ricocheting against the walls and bouncing all around before it exploded a few feet away.

“Holy—” Sam coughed as a thick smoke filled the air. “Where the hell did that come from?!”

“Keep your head down,” Ashe pushed him back down, straining his eyes to see through the smoke. He could faintly make out a round form hovering in the air at the far end of the tunnel. “Marlon calls them ��squid kids’. It won’t notice us if we stay still.”

“Oh, to hell with that.”

Against his warnings, Abigail scrambled to her feet. With hand on the hilt of her sword again, she darted right towards the monster.

“Abby, don’t!!!”

Letting out a battle cry that would make any warrior proud, she drew the sword and cleanly cut the Squid Kid in two before it had a chance to get off another fireball. The three stared in stunned silence as she skidded to a stop, coolly sheathing her blade and turning to look back at them.

“C’mon, it was one mob. We’ve got the power of friendship and anime on our side, remember?”

Ashe let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding—only for his heart to stop in his chest again as a shadow moved behind her. He was on his feet in the blink of an eye, racing towards where she stood triumphant. There wasn’t time for him to yell out a warning. The others did it for him.

“Shit—look out!”

Sebastian and Sam scrambled to follow in his footsteps as the shadow fell over Abigail. Realization dawned on her face, and she turned to find a pair of angry beady eyes glaring down at her from within the amorphous blob that was Slime EX.

After a second, she turned to look back at the boys racing towards her. “Really, guys?” She asked, wholly unimpressed. “You’re panicking over a slime? What’s it gonna do, squish me to death?”

Almost as if her words caused the Slime deep offense, its entire body jiggled with a gurgly roar—the sound was enough to send dust crumbling from the ceiling above. The color started to drain from her face as it jumped, much higher than she thought it could.

There wasn’t enough time. The slime came down on top of her before any of them could reach her, absorbing her into its gelatinous center as they came to a screeching stop just a short distance away. It was horrific, watching her clutch at her own throat as the Slime’s insides slowly suffocated her.

But the Slime wasn’t content with just one meal, and its sights shifted to the three still standing before it. It leaped again, and they began to backpedal as quickly as they could—but it wasn’t fast enough. There wasn’t time. Sam grabbed hold of Ashe by the back of his shirt and hurtled him backwards, a split second before the Slime squished down on him and Sebastian too.

The throw was enough to send Ashe through the air, and he hit the ground in an unceremonious heap. “Oh my Yoba—GUYS!” He screamed, picking himself up in time to see them swallowed up.

With each jump, the Slime’s massive size had sent tremors throughout the mine. The second time, the quaking didn’t stop, sending chunks of the walls and ceiling tumbling down all around. The entire mine was starting to collapse.

[sp00kworm]

April Rain (Chapter 1)

Pairing: All Might x Female Reader (Liquidification Quirk)

Summary:  “Its fine now.” A soft voice whispered over you. A cape fluttered in the breeze as the trees hurled more blossoms into the air. You wiped at your mouth with shaking fingers before peering upwards at the shadow stood over you. The red and silver of his body suit were unmistakable. Soft blue eyes looked down at you as he smiled with bright teeth, “Why?” He pulled a handkerchief from somewhere in the spandex for you, “Because I am here!” He announced as he wiped the sick from your chin and turned to face the villain. His blue cape slapped again, and you peered at the burns over his shoulders and the bruises blossoming underneath the tatters of his back. The hero of the age, All Might, had come to save you.

A/N: Also posted on AO3! This is my first long fic excursion for BNHA and I hope it lives up to everyones expectations. Chapter 2 is already in the works.

------

The rains in spring were always the biggest problem with restoration. It seemed that Japan was no exception to the rule, and you watched from the marque as the gentle shower eased over the freshly planted new flowers. Cherry blossom season. The pink petals littering the ground were soaked, floating in puddles and clogging the fountains when they chugged into the piping. You sighed at the humidity in the air. It suited your quirk just fine for it to rain, but the clothes covering your body would still get wet. So, you waited, eating your lunch with the other workers as the rain patted against the roof and formed new puddles over the pavements. The fountains chugged away, gushing water and petals still as the park patrons ran for the cover of the greenhouses and trees. It would pass. The showers were light this time of year. You chewed the rice in your mouth as you watched the new flower beds get a good drenching from the rain. It would help their roots settle into the new soil at least. There were positives to almost getting drowned by the weather. The cherry blossoms would need cleaning out of the fountains however, again. Sighing, you set to finishing your lunch, knowing you would be in the fountain patching up the walls and clearing the pipes from mushed up flower petals.

 The rain was gone pretty quickly, leaving the flowers and grass drenched with a sheen of water. The patrons were quick to return to their walks, admiring the wet blossoms as they meandered around the pebble paths. You took a breath as you cordoned off the fountain again, sighing at the wet stone with a grumble. Wetness was always a pain to work with. Peering up, you looked for the sun and looked at the chipped edges of the stone structure, reaching for the bucket of plaster filler, grabbing your tools to start smearing the chips closed and tidying up the old fountain. The park goers steered around your workplace as you hummed and got to work, pushing plaster and cement into places and waiting for it all to dry over. The forecast was clear, and you hoped it stayed as such so you could correctly get to work restoring the fountain. It needed some intricate details re-creating and as well as several washes through its pipes to get rid of algae and bacteria. You smiled as you moved on your feet, crouching as you smeared another sealing layer over a crack in the stone.

 When you’d finished sealing the cracks, you flexed your arms, rolling your sleeves up as you peered over into the murky fountain. The water wasn’t leaking out of the fountain, but the poor thing was hard done to with the years of firing water over its intricate bowls. The water was tinged green and you sighed as you pushed your hands into the water up to your elbows. Your quirk wasn’t fancy but turning your body into liquid water had its own perks. Namely, getting into the pipes to unclog the water flow. Petals patted against your skin as you focused, fingers rippling into liquid, the transformation flowing up to your elbows. With a great amount of focus you rushed them away, searching for the pump system. Your fingers slid into the pipe at the bottom of the fountain before rushing along the rubber swiping at algae and slime as you went. When you reached the end, you linked the watery fingers and pulled backwards, the water chugging and churning as it was pulled with the mass of rubbish, petals and algae. The mess surged up into the stagnant fountain and you sighed with relief as your limbs rushed back to you. You plugged the piping and got up to find your net, holding the pole as you walked along the edge fishing out wrappers, slime, algae and petals from the tinged water. It was slow work, hooking the net down into the water and swiping out great swaths of rubbish, but you hummed as you moved into the fountain, sloshing through the water in your waterproofs to get the last of the mess.

 Slapping the net against the bucket, you watched the last of the slime and rubbish flop out into the stinking water and sighed as you removed your rubber gloves. The water was still nasty, and you grabbed the pump system control to swap the water to flush as you set to work carving the little details back into the decorative outer of the fountain. The little curling leaves would take a lot of your time and concentration. It wouldn’t be easy with the shaky hands you had from liquefying yourself. The little tools shuddered before you caught your breath. You were numerous years into this restorative work now, your qualification wasn’t to be wasted because your quirk took a lot out of you. It was lucky they even allowed you to use them in the first place, but you supposed there was a benefit to it considering the state of this fountain a few hours before, and most of the pieces you were commissioned to work on. You continued to work, waving at a little girl as she came to chatter about what you were doing.

 It was then that the ground rumbled beneath you.

 The water in the fountain shuddered under the great smashes. It was like jumps from a giant. The water flipped up the sides of the stone with another thunderous bang.

“What the fuck?” You peered backwards as the crowds turned, fear in their eyes as the ground shuddered once more. Dust swarmed through the streets as children clutched at their mothers, rubble flying overhead as something smashed at the tarmac. Whatever it was, it was heading towards the swarms of civilians here. You felt your mouth open when a shadow burst from between the tower buildings, blocking the sun as it soared overhead and howled. Two titanic feet slammed into the ground outside the park, sending the pavement flying upwards and water spraying from the ruptured pipes. It shone in the bright sunlight as it turned, body covered in layers of thick metal, fists snapping and rippling as its hand recalibrated. An armour quirk? You didn’t know but the villain’s eyes snapped to the screams of a child before it gave a metallic scream and jumped again, spring loaded legs sending it upwards over the fancy fencing of the park.

 The impact of its giant legs sent grass and mud into the sky, pebbles slamming into the patrons as they ran, their children tucked against their chests. A few people fell with the spray of pebbles, heads slammed with the rocks as they scrambled to their feet again and ran. You stood, staring at the metallic villain as it let out a spray of hot steam. It turned again, fists chugging as it watched the civilians scream.

“I’ll run you down, rats!” It howled between metal jaws, feet curling before it jumped again soaring closer, slamming into the ground behind the sprinting crowd. Most were through the exits, rushing through the gates to escape the sprays of rubble. It launched a fist and watched a wall explode, bricks becoming dust. Your legs wobbled, quirk making them water as you stared at the blood on the monster’s legs. As though it knew you were there, it turned with a rush of hot steam.

“Run rats run!” The villain snapped its jaws together, sharp metal teeth pulled back in a vicious smile, “One rat didn’t run?” its body span on top of its legs as a deep hum sounded inside its metal body, “YOU DIE FIRST!” The spring-loaded legs snapped, and it was racing towards you, clawed fists outstretched as steam fired from its mouth.

 “HAAAA HA HA HA!” A boisterous laugh erupted from your right as your legs finally remembered how to move, sending you sprinting for the path as the villain snarled behind you, still flying towards you. With a gasp you felt your quirk ripple through your entire body, your clothes slipping through your watery form as a shape flew towards you from the right.

 All Might pushed off a building as the villain escaped, heading towards the central park, towards people that could not defend themselves.

“WE SHALL SEE HOW WELL YOU CAN PROTECT THEM, ALL MIGHT!” Steam Engine roared as he propelled himself towards the park, sending pavement and tarmac into the air.

“Go, All Might!” A speed hero rushed behind him, snatching people from the rubble faster than he could see. The hero only nodded before crouching low, thighs clenched before he launched himself into the air, cape fluttering behind him as he soared into the sky, watching dust clouds erupt from the roads with Steam Engines gargantuan weight. Sharp blue eyes watched the villain run, the park in sight as he flew. All Might span in the air before pushing himself from a skyscraper like a spring, arms outstretched as he launched himself like a bullet towards the park. Steam Engine howled his metal laugh and chased the families as the hero drew closer. Yagi clenched his jaw, willing himself to go faster, stretch further, to reach them in time. The villain turned suddenly, howling at someone else. He flipped as he landed over the fence, changing course, leaping towards the body of the park worked as the villain thundered towards her.

 His soles slammed against stone and soil as he snapped his arms forwards, allowing himself enough time to slow down and snatch the woman from danger.

“HAAA HA HA HA!” He roared with laughter at the victory...That was until his fingers slipped through her body, his hair slapping against the watery body.

“Shit!” He cursed as Steam Engine threw a punch. With a quick twist of his hips, he ground his feet into the floor and threw his arms upwards, catching the blow of the engine propelled fist with his back, cursing at the pain that blossomed over his back. It hurt. The fist recoiled on its chain, hand calibrating and streaming steam as it returned to its owner. He stood like a rock over the woman, cape slapping over the backs of his legs as he took a deep breath, willing the pain of the cracked ribs into the back of his mind. The number one hero opened his brilliant eyes to look down at the woman. She was a watery blob under his hulking muscles, shuddering as she reformed.

 A great heave had you vomiting up water and food as you reformed.

 “Its fine now.” A soft voice whispered over you. A cape fluttered in the breeze as the trees hurled more blossoms into the air. You wiped at your mouth with shaking fingers before peering upwards at the shadow stood over you. The red and silver of his body suit were unmistakable. Soft blue eyes looked down at you as he smiled with bright teeth, “Why?” He pulled a handkerchief from somewhere in the spandex for you, “Because I am here!” He announced as he wiped the sick from your chin and turned to face the villain. His blue cape slapped again, and you peered at the burns over his shoulders and the bruises blossoming underneath the tatters of his back.

“Why did you do that? You got hurt! I was...” You felt stupid as a sob made you clutch your mouth, “I was water, he couldn’t touch me!” You sobbed softly as the hero caught a great metal fist between his hands, flexing his arms as he grappled it, squeezing at the super alloy with gritted teeth in his smile.

“I will save whoever I can. I will be the symbol of peace, the ones villains fear!” He barked as his arms crackled with energy, muscles crunching the metal of the fist in his grasp, fingers curling into the material, “Even if it went through you...” His feet churned soil as he pushed against the fist, “You couldn’t hold it long enough to survive it coming back.” All Might turned his head to give you a smile, hair bouncing as his electric blue gaze turned darker.

 Steam Engine howled at the crushing of his hand, the fingers crunching inside of the metal layer over his body. Blood spewed from between the plates of metal as All Might flexed his shoulders, applying more pressure to the fist between his hands. The engines inside screamed before the chain attached began to chug and recoil.

“I’ll bring you to me then, All Might! I won’t let you ignore me for your little date over there!” The villain howled as the chain began rocketing back into his arm.

“That will be your last mistake villain!” He roared back as the chain catapulted him towards the metal body of Steam Engine. All Might’s cape fluttered behind him, streaming as he pulled back his fist and slammed it into Steam Engine’s gut, “You end here!” His second punch came upwards in a spinning rotation, the fingers of his fist crunching under the villain’s chin. The metal cracked, the bone underneath crunching as Steam Engine was sent lurching towards the ground, leg pistons slamming to stop him from falling in a burst of hot steam. All Might rocketed into the sky with the power of the blow, rushing upwards in an amazing feat of speed.

 You were left by the fountain as the villain hissed, snapping his metal covered neck back into place, sharp teeth clenched as blood spilt past his lips and over his shiny chin. Steam curled from his mouth. You again. With shaking legs you stood and dove for the fountain, body disappearing among the water as All Might came crashing back down to earth, a crater forming with the impact, Steam Engine’s arms held up defensively underneath the crushing power of the hero’s legs.

“You won’t break me, All Might!” Steam Engine roared, layers of metal shining as he pushed back against the blond.

“You will bend, villain!” He took a breath as rotated in the air, eyes harsh and teeth clenched, “DETROIT SMASH!” Blue eyes flashed before he slammed his fist into the top of the armoured head in a downwards blow, crunching bone and metal again as Steam Engine fired red hot steam into the crater, blood splattering over his face as the metal over his body creaked. The wind force erupted from the crater blasting air upwards and rocks into the sky. The punches continued to land after that. All Might felt his knuckles crunch and bleed as he cracked open the shoulder plate, yet he smiled, a grit his teeth and slammed home the next fist in the man’s gut. His own blood painted the villain’s bodice as he recoiled, both hands bleeding over the knuckles.

“Like punching the worlds biggest concrete block isn’t it, All Might?” The armour cackled, wet wheezes escaping the villain as his legs shuddered and whirred back to life, easing the villain back upright.

 “Shit.”

 His hands flexed yet the fingers were growing numb. The vibrations of his own punches had shaken his bones hard and the bleeding was bad, drops of blood dripping over the backs of his palms. Yet the villain was done for. He’d felt the bones crunch underneath the metal with each blow. Yagi wiped at his nose, shifting into a side stance, ready to launch himself forwards again as the metal groaned and cracked. Steam poured from the cracks in the metal along with blood.

The wet laughing started again, as red eyes locked on him from within the darkness of the metal, “Even my strongest metal layers…couldn’t stop you.” He wheezed, mouth opening to cough blood over the dirt. The villain swung on his feet, unstable, yet still laughing as he took one step forward, “I should have put your little girl in the engine…Would have failed then.” The fire in his stomach went out as he slumped over to the side, head thumping against the crumbling dirt side of the crater. In a stumbling effort, claws snapped for him yet fell flat in front of his face. The villain looked up at the curling bangs on top of All Might’s head and scoffed.

All Might continued to smile, yet he felt an amount of pity as he looked down at the villain, “You’re going away for a long time, Steam Engine.” He got no reply as the villain slid down the dirt wall.

 He took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Then he pushed his fingers to his cheeks and curled the smile upwards as he leaped from the bottom of the crater. With a rush of cold air, he landed back in the park, speaking into the police communicator on his wrist as a crowd of onlookers dared to peer inside the gates.

“Villain apprehended, Captain.” He flexed his knuckles.

“Roger, All Might. You have our gratitude and thanks, as always.”

There wasn’t a noble response he could come up with. His back burned with the steam and fire and his knuckles stung with the tips of his fingers feeling tingly and numb still.

The civilians roared by the park entrances as he smiled and waved, “Everything is safe! Please remain away while the police arrive!” They cheered still by the gates, waving and chanting his name as he turned to look around.

 The girl was gone. He frowned at the park as he turned in a slow circle. You couldn’t have gotten far. The fight was over quickly. That wasn’t enough time to run for the exit in your state.

 The water in the fountain sloshed.

 All Might’s head tilted as you poked your head above the lip of the fountain, watery form catching the light as your eyes caught sight of him standing, chest out and costume a little battered. He smiled and walked over, his huge strides carrying him faster than you could pull yourself up, back together and out of the water.

“Are you alright, Miss?” He asked, smiling, eyes soft, his hand offered to help you get up and out of the fountain. He realised his mistake about offering you his hand quickly and chuckled to himself, swiping at the back of his neck as you waved a watery hand, closing your eyes to change back into a solid state. The vertigo churned your stomach as you solidified in the water, hair going flat and sticking to you much like your clothes. With a cough, you spat a mouthful of stagnant fountain water out and grumbled, weakly pushing against the stone of the fountain. All Might gently intervened, picking you up from the water and sitting you on the stone edge of the fountain. Everything about him was giant, and you shuddered as his warm hands left you.

He inquired again, “Are you alright?” But your ears were ringing still, head foggy with the events that had transpired. All Might raised his wrist to his mouth again, “Medics are required. Civilians have been injured.”

“Roger.”

 The static rang in your ears as you clutched at your arms, staring at the crater across the park, shivering with the cold of the water sodden clothes covering your body.

All Might stepped into your field of vision, blocking your view of the destruction with his huge body and his sunshine hair and smile, “You’ll catch a cold.” He offered gently, reaching to his shoulders to take the cape from his shoulders, moving slowly, easing it over your shoulders as you shuddered once more.

The fat tears welled in your eyes before you could stop them, “All…Might.” You wheezed around a sob before the hot tears dripped down your face and you leaned forwards into his shoulder, sobbing into the bright red of his outfit, one hand clawed in his shoulder, the other clutching the warm cape around your body.

“Its fine now.” He consoled, warm hands wrapping around your back, holding you into the warmth of his chest, “You’re fine, and the villain is gone.” He shushed you softly as you wailed, his face hot with a small blush as you clutched onto him like a rescued child.

With a shuddering breath you pulled away and smiled, pushing the corners of your own smile up with your fingers before you gulped down a breath of air, “Thank you. You- You saved my life!”

Tears dripped over his fingers as he wiped them away and offered you the edge of his cape, “You’re welcome. I’ll never let you get so involved again.” He vowed, angry with himself for even having to let you witness such a fight. He should have grappled the villain in the air, but he wasn’t fast enough, “The medics will be here soon.” He consoled as you shuddered under the cape.

 Sirens wailed and you looked at the park fence as red and blue flashing lights erupted around. A huge van pulled up as armoured police mobilised, shield raised as they combatted the crowds and streamed towards the crater.

“This woman needs medical attention, where is the medic?” All Might stood, towering over all most everyone as the first aiders rushed forwards, bags at the ready as you shuddered under the man’s cape, “She’s in shock and at risk of hyperthermia.”

The paramedic shook his head, “She simply needs to get warm. Do we have a heat quirk anywhere?!” He shouted as All Might was corralled along away by the police chief. You watched him leave, catching his bright blue eyes as he smiled again, giving a thumbs up as he was taken towards the villain to ensure the arrest went smoothly. The giant’s hair bobbed over the crowd and you found yourself smiling as a hot blanket was brought over with a foil blanket.

“Miss, we need to take the cape off.” The paramedic asked gently.

“No.” You clutched it tighter.

“It needs to be returned to All Might.” He reasoned but you held it tighter as your body shuddered. The man gave in and laid the extra blankets over you as the stretcher was brought over.

 The blond hair of All Might lit up like the sun as you were wheeled away, clutching the blue cape over your legs as the press heaved around you trying to get the latest scoop.

 When All Might turned around from the arrest of Steam Engine, you were already gone, and his cape with you.

 The hospital wasn’t unpleasant. For some reason you were in a private room. You were sure you didn’t deserve this just for shock and a few broken bones, but you were under strict rest orders until the doctor received your scans back and determined the results. They were worried about head trauma. The various x-rays and the MRI you had been subjected to were still in discussion it seemed. Still, they were hopeful, all being well, you would be allowed out within the week. Work colleagues frequented and one showed you the finished fountain with a smile. They’d finished cleaning it up for you and made sure to place a plaque on the edge commemorating the day and what happened during it being restored. Your name was on the bottom. You smiled at the pictures on your phone and the flowers on your bedside table they’d brought. The park was gorgeous with the cherry blossoms littering the floor and dripping from the trees. Rumour has it that All Might had returned to officially reopen the place. That made you happy.

 A knock on your door made you click your phone off.

 “Excuse me, Miss!” A nurse pocked her head in the door and grinned as she pulled out a great box of sunflowers. There was at least twenty-five of the great yellow flowers in a pretty blue box.

“There’s a note attached, and they sent a basket of fruit too!” She cheered, placing the basket of oranges, the fancy expensive pears and cherries on the side by your bed. The flowers were placed on the window ledge. Your face went hot as she giggled and went to fetch you your lunch as well.

“I think maybe you have an admirer!” She teased as she placed your soba in front of you.

With a flush you took the card from your fruit basket and waited for her to leave before you opened it. It was a tacky cat card, a normal ‘get well soon’ card, but the inside had a carefully penned message.

 ‘I hope you are doing well after the events in the park! As a sorry for my failure to stop you being injured, I sent these flowers and a fruit basket. I hear fruit is good for recovery. If you need anything, I have asked the hospital to fulfil it during your stay. You can contact my assistants at the office any time!

 Get well soon!

 All the Best,

 A.M

 P.S: Keep the cape!’

 You looked at the sunflowers again and smiled at them. They truly reflected the man that had saved you. His number was penned at the bottom beside a scratchy name. It was an office number. You sighed and leaned over to take some cherries from the expensive fruit basket. A proper thank you was in order when you were given the all clear to leave. You smiled at the sweetness of the cherries and laughed at the crossings out over the card as you gazed at the sunflowers.

[themonotonysyndrome]

“All teenagers scare the living shit out of me.”

I... have no excuse. I need a fic where Silver sneaks off to be a rebellious teenager without Lilia or Malleus knowing as well as being a good senpai with a hidden, fun side. Warning: it’s pretty long and yay for MCR’s songs. Anyway, enjoy. 

-

Sneaking out of the Diasomnia dorm is so easy once you’ve memorised every corner, hallways and the occasional night owl wandering about like a pale ghost underneath the moonlight. 

It’s also a lot easier once you mastered the silencing spell. Especially if your room is a floor beneath two powerful and ancient Faes and below is another Fae known to read late into the night when he couldn’t sleep. 

After slipping the red jacket on, Silver ties his hair into a small ponytail and checks his reflection at the vanity table one last time. His eyeshadows are fine so he just adjusts his hair a little to let the bangs framed his face a lot neater before grabbing his phone and wallet. 

Silver turned off the lamp on his bedside table and immediately, his room is thrown into darkness. Only the soft moonlight reveals him standing at the door, his hand on the doorknob as he tries his best to listen to any sound outside. Malleus would already be fast asleep, judging by the hour. Lilia would also be fast asleep after pulling a four-day all-nighter playing video games with Ortho. Sebek had mentioned during lunchtime that he’s exhausted from helping the other First Year students of their dorm studying, so he’d probably turn in early tonight. 

When he could hear nothing, Silver cast a silencing spell on himself as soon as he exits his room. The hallways look so eerie at night with the swaying green flames from the candles. The thorny vines creeping up the walls and ceilings cast long shadows underneath the soft light. The dorm would spook anyone meant not to be here, but Silver has become accustomed to sneaking between the shadows of Diasomnia that nothing but Lilia’s footstep can startle him. 

Once he reaches a dead end in the hallway on the ground floor, Silver gently presses one of the bricks hidden behind the thick tapestry and the brick wall reveal a hole that’s big enough for him to slip out to the back of the dorm.

The cold night air envelop him as soon as he steps outside with the moon hanging high and full in the starry night sky. It’s a quiet, peaceful night and more importantly, one of the rare nights that Silver is fully awake for once and he plans to take advantage of it. 

Silver raises an open palm to summon a couple of fireflies to lead him through the forest. The little creatures shine a brilliant shade of dark green light; strong enough to illuminate the path for him. The occasional hoot of the owls and crickets accompanied him as he walks deeper into the forest towards his destination. 

However, he instantly froze when he heard something unexpected somewhere near him. A couple of voices dispels the quiet evening. 

“ - right way?” 

“Pretty... sure. I’ve walked... way... a couple... time now!” 

Silver frowns. He ducks underneath a thick branch and hides behind a tree as the voices gradually become louder and clearer. The green fireflies disperse at a flick of his finger.

“Are you sure we aren’t lost?” Silver knew that voice. It’s that human student from the Ramshackle dorm - Yuu. 

“Yeah, Ace. Isn’t this the way to the Dwarf’s Mine?” Another First Year student - Deuce - chimed in. 

“Of course we aren’t lost! Look, it’s just a couple more steps, and we should be on the path towards the back entrance of the campus, alright?’ Ace assured them. He then leads the way, and the two hurried after him, the flashlight from their phones pierce through the darkness in front of them. 

‘What... are they doing?’ Silver wondered as he watches them going further away from the same path that he’s on. He has a feeling that they too, are planning to sneak out of campus, but they’re going the wrong way, just like Yuu suspected. He bit his lower lip and then sigh, mind already made up. 

Without hesitation, Silver went after them. There are monsters that lurk in this forest, and the ones that only reveal under the cover of the night tend to be vicious and nasty. Despite not being from the same dorm, it wouldn’t sit well with him as a Second Year student if he lets a bunch of newbies gets hurt if he could help it. 

And when Ace let out a shriek, Silver quickens his steps and prepare his magic. 

“What the fuck is that!?” Deuce shouted, eyes wide open in shock. Ace is on the ground, flat on his ass with Yuu and Deuce in front of him. 

A large slime-like shadow monster with multiple red eyes and way too many mouths loom over them. As it bares its razor-sharp teeth and prepares to pounce on them, Silver shouted.

“Get down!” He ordered and threw a large fireball at the monster. Fortunately, Yuu and Deuce were smart enough not to question and quick enough to duck. 

The creature let out an unnerving shriek of pain, but the fire refused to snuff out. The teacher had covered this particular monster during the first semester for the Second Year curriculum, so Silver knows how just how to defeat. He raises the fire higher and hotter until the monster bubbles and evaporates into soft smoke. 

The green fireflies returned and circled them to ward off any more surprises. 

“Silver-senpai?” Yuu called out, tilting his head in both relieve and confusion. “What are you doing here so late at night?” 

“Isn’t that supposed to be my question?” Silver countered instead. Folding his arms, he then asks, “Shouldn’t it be common sense to stay away from the forest? Especially at night?” 

At least Yuu had the decency to look bashful. Ace, however, managed to shake off his fear to reply, “You haven’t answered him, Silver-senpai. And why are you wearing such cool clothes for? Wait... are you going to the Mystic Elixir too?” 

“Ace!” Deuce hissed, but that was all Silver needed to know. 

“What!? You’re thinking about it too!” 

“G-Guys...” 

Silver sighs. He really didn’t expect this; looks like Azul wasn’t kidding that this trio tends to bring trouble wherever they go. Still, maybe he can work something out... 

“Actually, I am.” 

His blunt and honest admission shocks them. “Whoa... I didn’t know that Silver-senpai is the kind of person to break the rules.” Deuce said in awe with a hint of respect. 

Silver just shrugs. He’s aware of the school’s impression of him and his family; rather than getting annoyed, he let them think what they like. “What I do in my free time is my own business. Now, since we’re both breaking the rules and planning to go to the same place, our little trip to the city is going to be a secret just between us. Got it?” 

“C-Crystal, Silver-senpai!”

“Of course, Silver-senpai!”

“...Yes, Silver-senpai.” 

Silver nodded. “Good. Follow me.” He turns around to return to the previous path with the First Years meekly walk behind him. “Have you three been to the Mystic Elixir before?” He asks. 

“We overheard it from Cater-senpai and got curious.” Deuce explains. “He said that it’s the only nightclub that doesn’t care about your age.” 

“Have you heard about it, Silver-senpai?” Yuu interjects. The boy’s eyes glint underneath the light of the fireflies. Is he genuinely incapable of using magic like the Mirror of Darkness said? 

“Been there a couple of times.” Silver admits. This results in a chorus of awe and questions, but he put a stop to it with a raise of his hand. “Ground rule: I’ll take you guys there, but you guys are not allow to drink. If I see any you disappear from my line of sight or do anything besides dancing and talking, I’ll haul your asses back here. Understand?” He demands, trying to sound as firm as he can. Hopefully, they’ll take his words seriously; he doesn’t have much practise other than arguing with Sebek. 

The trio murmurs, “Yes, Silver-senpai.” Good enough. 

When they reach far enough from the campus, Silver calls for a transportation portal from their area straight to the street where the nightclub is. If they were within the boundary of the college, the headmaster would sense the portal immediately, which is why they needed to be out of the radius to leave safely. 

“I’m so excited!” Ace exclaim with a wide grin. “This is going to be the best night ever!” 

“As long as we listen to Silver-senpai rules and don’t stay too long, it should be fine...” Deuce quietly assure himself, but Silver could see him fidgeting with excitement and eagerness. 

Yuu said nothing. Though he kept sneaking glances at Silver; wanting to say something but stop himself every time. Silver made a mental note to ask him if they had the chance. 

As soon as they step into the portal with Silver being the last, the Mystic Elixir appear before them. The building is large, circular with three floors and a rooftop lounge. The main entrance holds up the name of the nightclub in bright purple lights with the walls flashing a myriad of soft colours and music can be heard blasting inside. 

“Oh wow, look at the line!” Ace pointed out. Like any other typical Saturday night, the club had a long line of people eager to get in. “It’ll take forever for us to get in at this rate!” 

“Just follow me.” Silver simply replied and went around the building. The First Years continue to trail after him like ducklings; their excited chatter muffled. Away from prying eyes, they slip into an alley beside the building where an imposing bouncer is guarding a small door. 

When he saw Silver, he peers over his sunglasses. “Oh-ho, the guys and I’ve been wondering when you would show up, Argentum. There’s even a bet running that you ran off to some other clubs at the other side of the city.” The Minotaur said with a friendly grin. 

Silver rolled his eyes. “It’s only been four months. Anyway, is Hansel in tonight?” 

“Heck yeah! He’s manning the bar on the ground floor with a couple of new girls. There’s a new menu that I think you’re gonna like.” 

The two chatted for a few more minutes before he laughs at Silver’s sarcastic quip and opens the door for them; barely batted an eye at the three kids behind him as they shuffle in. 

“Does Silver-senpai knows a lot of people in the city?” Deuce couldn't help but ask when the door close behind them. Silver leads them through the dimly lit hallway to where the music and people shouting and singing is. 

“No.” Silver answered, and that’s that. When they finally reach the dance floor, Deuce and Ace gape at the sight. Music blares from every corner of the large room, the bright and colourful LED lights pulse from the ceilings, walls, and the entire floor is crowded with all sorts of creatures; some were dancing, some were playing cards and drinking at the tables while others made their way to the neon stairs for the rooftop lounge. 

“Now this is a party! C’mon, c’mon! Let’s dance, guys!” Ace urged and grabbed both Yuu and Deuce with him to the dance floor. Silver watch them mingle with the crowd before heading towards the bar where it’s a little quieter. 

Hopping onto one of the stool, Silver is immediately greeted by the bartender, Hansel. “Argentum! Good to see you again. How have you been? Busy?” The man said brightly as he tucks away a shot glass. Behind him, Silver could see two girls handling the other patrons. 

“Had to study for a test.” Silver said. He hid his identity whenever he sneaks out of Raven Night College in case Lilia or Malleus caught wind of his little late-night adventures. A small part of him knew that although Lilia wouldn’t mind him hanging out with his own group of friends, the old man would definitely put his foot down as soon as he mentioned Mystic Elixir. 

It’s baffling how overprotective the old man can sometimes be. You’d think he’s old enough to make his own decisions. 

There’s been a lot of shady events that happened in Mystic Elixir ever since its grand opening. Being one of the very few nightclubs with very few rules, anything can happen here. Agreements, truces and even death. Though Hansel enigmatically smiles and said nothing when Silver wanted to confirm the last rumour. 

But despite the nightclub’s infamous reputation, Silver actually enjoyed it here. Watching all sort of creatures dance the night away and even chatting with some interesting strangers over a glass of Icy Polaris about this and that can be fun. 

When Hansel slides him a shot of Poison Harbinger, Yuu sat on the vacant stool beside him. Like before, he made a poor attempt trying to hide his curious glances despite looking at the non-alcoholic section of the menu. So Silver decide to nip that in the bud. 

“Do you like sweets?” He suddenly asks. 

“Umm... I don’t really mind them, Silver-senpai.” Yuu said after some thoughts. 

Silver nodded. “Then I suggest either a Dea’s Kiss mocktail or Priestess Lemonade.” 

Yuu decides on the first suggestion, and one of the girls begin to prepare his order. “Has enough of dancing?” Silver asks after a sip of his drink. 

“I was starting to get sweaty.” Yuu admits. “I’ve never been to a nightclub before. Not even in my... world.” He pauses and then, “Not unlike Silver-senpai.” 

“This is my fourth time here, but I’m not much of a dancer. I’m just here for the drinks.” Silver said, raising his glass for emphasis. Hansel cheers. 

“Still... even though I’m still new here, I always thought that Silver-senpai prefers a much more... quiet scene.” Yuu said with a tilt of his head. 

Silver turns around to face the dancing crowd. Despite the writhing bodies, he could see Ace and Deuce without a problem. “I do enjoy hanging out with Lilia-san and the others. But I’m also a curious person. Just like your friend, I heard about this place and wanted to check it out and found myself experiencing something new.” 

Hansel returns with Yuu’s order. He eyes the drink; inside the tall glass is a swirl of purple galaxy with sparkling black dots that oddly reminds her of onyx. A single red rose petal floats on the surface of the drink. The drink looks pretty rather than delicious, to be honest, but he takes a sip nonetheless. His eyes widen when a pleasant sweet taste burst on his tongue. It faintly tasted like blueberries and something else entirely. 

“Does Lilia-san knows you’re here?” Yuu finally ask. 

Ah, Silver was wondering when he would ask that. “No.” He said after the sweetness of his drink burns his throat. As long as he can remember, Silver’s world consists of Lilia and Malleus; they the ones who taught and raised him everything they knew. They watch him grow when they themselves don’t, and over time, Silver can feel the difference between them.

Don’t get him wrong; Silver dearly love them as his parents, and they in return treat him as theirs. It’s unconventional, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. But after enrolling to Night Raven College, Silver sees them not only as parental figures but also his senior students.

Awkward is an understatement whenever the other students witnessed Lilia teasing him like how a father would and Malleus would scoop a portion of his food to his plate during lunchtime in the cafeteria. It’s during those moments that Silver is grateful for Sebek’s presence and would gladly humour him whenever he’s upset with something. 

Yuu said nothing and they enjoyed their drinks in silence. The topic then shifted to something lighter; about classes, magic and the difference between their world. Silver couldn’t comprehend a world without magic, and despite knowing nothing of their histories, Yuu grasps his explanation surprisingly quick. 

It’s almost as if he’s heard of them before. 

When midnight came and went, the First Year trio were beginning to wear out from dancing and the intense atmosphere. Around 2 in the morning, they decide to return home. Silver paid for their drinks much to the their protest, but Silver easily brush it off, claiming that since it’s their first time, it’s a treat from him. 

As they made their way back to the back entrance of the nightclub, Yuu took one last glance at the dance floor behind him. Just like the moment they arrive, he sees a young man with short auburn hair with red tips and russet brown eyes stare at them from one of the private booth. 

No, Yuu suddenly realises when the stranger turns his head slightly. Not them, but at Silver. 

-

Apologies for any grammatical errors or spellings. It was 2AM when I was writing this. Hope I managed to get Silver right

[wonderwomanfantasy]

Sins of mortals part one

Slytherin! Reader x Sirius Black (eventually)

word count: 2,000 (about)

Warnings: Slow burn!!!! swearing. this is OC heavy at least for the first few chapters. 

Summary: you disliked Gryffindors, especially that no good womanizer Sirius Black. you hated him even before you properly met him. But now that he has introduced to you. you don’t dislike him, you hate him. 

you had never met the famous Sirius Black. But that didn't mean you hadn't heard of him. He was practically all anyone could talk about. You thought it was odd how obsessed everyone was with him. Especially considering he was a Gryffindor, and you were in Slytherin. Snape's talk about the Marauders was never-ending, but at least Snape would talk about them all equally, the girls in your house where the worst. 

They talked about him nonstop, what they would do to him if they got him alone, and how good he looked both in and out of his uniform. It was gross honestly, you were supposed to hate Gryffindors, especially when those same Gryffindors threw stink bombs in the common room and filled the bathrooms with Red and Gold slime monsters that ate your hairbrush. Everyone seemed ready to forgive Sirius for his misgivings just because he had a pretty face. You would admit that he was attractive, but that wasn't an excuse, at least not to you. 

“what kind of conditioner do you think he uses?” Sam Lithermyn sighed looking dreamily over to the Gryffindor table.

“What ever it is it smells like Strawberries,” Jane Hollyberry said also looking at Sirius.

“Sometimes I think he might not be human, he's prettier than any human I've ever met,” Sam spoke again. You huffed and tried to ignore them both. but after a minute you could help but follow their gazes toward Sirius. He was pretty, the morning sunlight glinted off his dark glossy hair, his cheekbones and jawline were both sharp enough to cut glass. And his eyes, deep and green with flecks of gold seemed to see the whole room. You could see why Sam didn't believe he was human, you could hardly believe it yourself. You blinked and shook your head to clear it. It was no wonder he had slept with half the girls in Hogwarts.

“Merlin, Sam! He's coming over here look!” Jane hissed dropping her eyes to her breakfast. you looked up Sirius black was sauntering over to the Slytherin table. Sirius stopped before you.

“Hello, (y/n),”

“what the hell do you want Black?” you snapped, your wand already in your hand. it wasn’t every day someone crossed the great hall to see you.

“easy there love,” he chuckled “why don't we go on a walk I want to talk to you”

“I think I'll stay right here thanks,”

“fine, you see the After the Slytherin v. Gryffindor quidditch match we're gonna have a little victory party-” you cut him off right there

“what makes you think you're going to win aye? Slytherin is going to crush-” it was his turn to cut you off.

“Listen, it doesn’t matter who wins, Friday, after the Match, party in the Gryffindor tower, you in?” you could see how annoyed he was so that begged the question, why the hell was he doing this?

“No,” you said without pausing to think.

“why not?”

“I'd be a shit time, I don't know anyone there,”

“okay listen, I’m not supposed to tell you this but since you’re being difficult you see Aaron Mole over there? Redhead glasses,” he asked you looked behind him and saw the boy he was talking at you.  “has a big crush on you begged me to ask you to the party so he can flirt with you, so how 'bout you do me a favor,”

“Nope,” you said shrugging, he groaned.

“give me one good reason why not?”

“I already have plans” you said, which was true, not that you could ever tell him what you were doing. Sirius opened his mouth but before he could speak Jane cut him off.

“I could take (y/n)'s place if you need a Slytherin girl to shake things up,” she offered. Sirius shot her a quick smile,

“Don't think that I don't want you there baby but I really need (y/n) to come for my pal.” his angry eyes fell back to you “Almost time for class aye? Want  me to walk you to class?”

“I can walk my own damn sel-”

“perfect I'll carry your books,” he said trying to grab your book bag but you snatched it out of his way. Your heart skipped a beat at the thought of Sirius of all people seeing what you had in that bag.

He talked your ear off as he walked with you to the potions room

“what is so important that you can't stop by just for one butterbeer?”

“I'm not coming, so drop it,” you snapped. That finally made him leave you alone, until lunch that is. 

“Okay so you're not coming to the party, fine whatever, but you're coming to the Match right?” he asked coming to a stop beside you.

“Hello to you Sirius,” you said rolling your eyes. “and no I'm not planning on going to the match.” everyone would be out of the castle, It was the only time no one would be looking for you. 

“The hell, you aren't! It's the First Game of the year and It's Slytherin Vs. Gryffindor, What do you mean? You can't miss that!”

“I can and I will, I told you I have plans,”  you said hotly. “Besides why do you care so much,”

“you are unbelievable! And Moles is a good friend I'd do anything for him!” he shouted. You looked at him skeptically.

“you owe him a favor don't you.”

“perhaps, Anyway, what the fuck are you doing that makes you think you can miss the Match,”

“Oh sod off you only want me to come so you can force me to sit next to Moles or something,”

“Maybe I want you to come and cheer for me, you know; wear my scarf wave a Gryffindor banner, the works”

“like I'd ever cheer for you, you're a Gryffindor and a massive prick I don't even know why I'm talking to you.” you huffed and sat down at the Slytherin table.

“Stop Harassing the girl Black unless you want me to call the prefects,” you turned away from Sirius to see Severus Snape. You didn't necessarily dislike Severus, but he did have a nasty habit of losing the house points.  Sirius shot you with a finger gun

“See you latter Baby,” he spun and ran off to the Gryffindor table.

“I'm not your Baby!” you shouted at him. You weren't used to being the center of attention, but when Sirius looked at you, everyone did. Sam, Jane, and all the girls for that matter swarmed you asking you what Sirius had wanted with you.

“looked like he was flirting, the way he was looking at you,” Jane hissed looking at you with wide eyes. she almost looked hopeful. As if Sirius flirting with you was the same as him flirting with her. 

“Black would never go so low as to flirt with a Slytherin.” you said rolling your eyes.

“Didn't he get with Violet?”

“Christ Sam, I would hook up with Violet the girl is hot,”

“does it really matter?” you asked, “he is a prick and I want nothing to do with him.” but just because you didn't want anything to do with him didn't mean he wanted nothing to you. 

You were sitting curled up on one of the black leather couch next to the fireplace in the Slytherin common room. You pretended to be focusing on the DADA homework you had balanced on your knees. In reality, you were waiting patiently to be left alone. You where normally the last one to go to bed. Finally, Glen Hourshin yawned and stood up.

“go to bed soon (y/n),”

“I will, goodnight Glen,” you said watching him leave, you tucked away “Dealing With Trolls, Not just the Ones you are related too.” and reached for a small leather book in your bag. The book your mother had given you. But just as your fingers touched the unnaturally cool spine, you heard a voice.

“thank Merlin, I thought he'd never leave.” you recoiled from the book and whirled to see Sirius appearing out of thin air.

“what the hell are you doing here?” you hissed drawing your wand.

“well I figured that the only reason you had for missing the game is your grades. So I came here to help you with homework,”

“like I would need help from a Git like you. If anything you would come to me for help,” you snapped.

“Have you mastered the Invisibility charm the way I have?” he asked cockily. that was true enough, you could make marbles and buttons disappear no problem but anything larger was tricky. Then you remembered you hadn't heard him speak. 

“oh you're probably shit at the Invisibility charm, but doesn't matter when you have an invisibility cloak,” you said triumphantly, proud of yourself to have figured it out. Sirius's smile faltered. You had him now.  “that's the one from Zonko's joke shop isn't it?” you pressed taking a step towards him. For whatever reason, this comment seemed to relax him.

“so what are you working on now? You finished the Defense homework so what now?” he asked changing the subject, he fell gracefully on the couch beside where you had been sitting.

“why are you really here? You could be kicked out of Hogwarts for this you know,” you said sitting beside him cautiously. The firelight did something strange to his eyes, making them flash for a second. Suddenly heat was rising from your chest to your face. You hatted yourself for the fact that just sitting beside him made you blush. Again you were stuck with how handsome he was. There was a stray hair hanging in front of his nose. you were surprised by the urge to move the hair back in place maybe run your fingers through his long black hair, maybe pull him close and see if his lips were as soft as they looked. You shook your head, clearing your mind. you would sooner die than kiss Sirius 

“I want to show you how far I'm willing to go to get you to come.” his voice was like velvet. You rolled your eyes

“Moles really has some dirt on you huh?”

“It will take five minutes, you come and let Moles flirt with you a little bit then tell him you aren't interested then you can leave to go out and do your thing,” he whined like a toddler. You realized with a wave of satisfaction that you were probably the first girl to ever tell him no.

“I've never talked to Moles, I might want to talk to him for a while, and for that I need time.” you teased. Sirius looked like he was ready to strangle you. He mumbled something about Slytherins all being the same

“Look, Sirius, I promise I'll go to the next party you throw, or better yet I'll go on a date with Moles if you set it up, just not Friday,” you said. 

“I can’t just set up a date you aren’t supposed to know!” he said you could see the annoyance building,” You needed him to leave before either of you started throwing spells. 

“goodnight Sirius,” you said in a bored voice standing up. Sirius glared and threw on his invisibility cloak. Sirius's disembodied voice called out to you.

“I'll see you in the morning (y/n) and I swear by Merlin's Beard I'll convince you to come.” you could hear him stop away and Slam the door. You wanted to pull the book out right there but there was a chance he was still here. You picked up your bag and went to your dorm room you pulled the covers over your head and took notes while trying to stay as quiet as possible. 

Normally you wouldn't risk reading this book when there were other people around but at least you knew Sirius couldn't get in here. It would be just your luck to have him follow you into the dungeons instead of going to the quidditch match. you supposed that it was a bit hypocritical of you to get mad at him for sneaking into your common room, he could get kicked out of Hogwarts if you ratted him out. but if he caught wind of what you were up too, you would be sent to Azkaban. 

depending on how this does I’ll probably be posting the second part soon. this is going to have multiple chapters so like with libraries and love potions if you want to be added to the Tag list just let me know and I’ll add you

[crowsent]

Whumptober 2019 Hallucination

Hallucination - Futaba, seeing ghosts, Persona 5

=

Somewhere, a God was laughing.

Futaba was sure. Somewhere up in the heavens, there was a stupid smirking God who was fucking up her life by spinning a wheel of misery and throwing whatever shit that came up at her like a badly designed game of darts. Let’s send Akira off to Hawaii so he can’t help her. Let’s make Sojiro forget to charge his phone so Futaba can’t call him. Let’s make Mona take a walk outside the house to get some air.

Let’s leave poor little Futaba Sakura on her own, in her room, and let’s make her go through hell. Again.

It hasn’t been happening as frequently ever since her heart got stolen. She had Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves to thank for that. Once her memories got cleared up, once she finally grasped the truth with her own fingers, she removed the cloud that had been hindering her vision and her judgement. Got rid of all the nasty hallucinations too. No more shadowy figures screaming at her in her head.

At least. Most of the time.

The doctor in the back alley said it was probably due to repressed trauma and the sudden reconciliation of her heart and mind. Her heart was clear, and she understood that the shadows were nothing more than that; shadows. Minibosses her own head conjured up that she had to beat to progress. It was a lot easier beating them now that she had a key item, and the buffs from all of her friends that constantly reminded her she wasn’t alone.

Whenever one of the pesky hallucinations started up, Futaba could tell herself, tell the thing haunting her, that she was strong, she overcame this, and all that was happening was in her head. Like little baby slimes that got sliced off a giant slime monster. The horrid silhouettes of her uncle and the rest of her supposed “family” went away then.

And, if the hallucinations were too strong for Futaba to get rid of on her own, if they had some extreme resilience or a challenge Futaba couldn’t crack on her own, then she always had her phone. Sojiro knew what was going on now, and he would drop everything to come to her in a heartbeat. He would hug Futaba tightly and wait with her until the monsters go away, or he would actively talk to her, distract her, and before Futaba even realised, her room was bright again, without the blight of her past muddying up the room.

It wasn’t just Sojiro too. Makoto was on speedial, and Akira almost tripped down the stairs of Leblanc’s attic to rush to her aid. Ann always brought snacks, Mona let her pet him to calm down, and Yusuke could easily take her mind off things when he was busy arguing with her over the aesthetics of her own room. Even Ryuji, awkward as he was, would spend hours talking to her over the phone about manga or anime or whatever if she asked, even if he was awoken at 2am by his phone ringing.

Point was, Futaba had always had their help when she needed it. And for a while, the hallucinations stopped. She got through weeks of peace.

And then it started again. This time, her friends were somewhere overseas, Mona was off somewhere doing cat things, and Sojiro didn’t even know she needed him because he forgot to charge his phone.

Futaba can’t leave the house to find him in Leblanc either. Futaba couldn’t move at all. She just curled up in her computer chair, knees pulled tight to her chest, hands stubbornly covering her ears even though the disembodied voices spoke directly in her mind.

Creepy child…

You KILLED her!

You’re a plague!

What’s with that look?

Murderer!

You don’t deserve to live!!

Even Futaba’s crying couldn’t drown out the voices. Help. Sojiro. Akira. Someone. They weren’t there. Futaba was alone. She had to deal with this alone. The timing was impeccable. Somewhere out there, a God was laughing.

The voices continued to scream.

[windlion]

Transmigrator Pile-Up (Pt 4)

Some small sads, progress, and a monster encounter!  I cannot and will not ever give Jay any dignity whatsoever.  None.

"Are you. . . are you all right?"

"No." Jay stood slowly, wiping a hand over his face and trying not to snuffle noisily.  God, he was disgusting.  Boss Feng would probably die before losing face like this.  Hell, he was Feng now, wasn't he? Jay was just the ghost possessing him or something.  Time to buck up and stop scaring the locals.  This was fine.

He rubbed his eyes clear, staring down at the bird.  Nothing like a bridle on the head, but he remembered that detail; the heads were free for maneuverability.  Down the neck. . .  He skimmed his hand along the feathers as he spoke, "There should be a harness. Gear.  Whatever can be salvaged, we should bring back."  

It took stepping directly on to the crumpled wing with a whispered apology before he could actually see the saddle. The spear went straight through the goddamn thing, so it wasn't like it was going anywhere.  The jagged edge stabbing up was stained dark, and he didn't want to look too closely at it.  So the saddle itself was a loss.  Jay grimaced to himself and steeled himself to keep going, climbing up and running his hands along the harness looking for packs and anything useful.  

Not everything survived the crash: the right hand side had taken a lashing from branches on the way down then been thoroughly redistributed by the carrion feeders. He swiped the string from the shattered remains of a bow stave with not an arrow in sight.  What may have been a water skin was burst, nothing left but limp tatters, and a bag within easy reach of the seat had been ripped open. Probably food in there, and the animals were welcome to it, given the dark stains that marked it.  Hell, he should be grateful it rained.

What was intact looked . . . remarkably fine, despite being left to the elements for a week.  Oil, wax, something, sealed the leather and fabric so that water still beaded and ran off it without signs of mildew.  He unbuckled the bags and straps that he could, cut off the ones he couldn't, and tossed piece by piece back over his shoulder to Xu Jin like he was lobbing cargo off a jetplane.

He wasn't sure what was in them, but this wasn't the time and place to check.  Anything was better than the nothing he had before.  And if it wasn't useful for him, it might be for the family.  

After a few minutes, he was fairly sure he'd gotten all the salvageable gear. There were a few things he didn't toss back but instead stowed on himself; even he knew better than to handle weapons like that.   One of the first things he'd found was a very utilitarian dagger fastened to the underside of the saddle.  Also ready at hand was an equally practical dao sword.  He didn't think they were spiritual weapons-- he couldn't remember Boss Feng having any in the books.  If anything, it would have been the bow. . .  or Taifun himself.  

That gave him a thought that made him hesitate, standing at the front of the saddle.   He wasn't really sure how the bandits mourned their birds, but he thought he remembered something about feathers.  Before he could second-guess himself into oblivion, Jay whispered a quiet apology and neatly harvested a bundle of feathers: from the golden nape, the darker brown ruff below the neck, and a few coverts and secondaries from the extended wing.  The shorter feathers he tied together with the bow-string into a strange sort of sheaf, and the secondaries he slid into the waterproof roll beside the dao.  They were even longer than the blade; he probably could have used the primaries as oars, as some of them were taller than he was.   He smoothed the feathers down with a gentle hand before stepping back, bowing one last time to Taifun.  

"You will be remembered."

Xu Jing waited for him to finish paying his respects, then gestured at the pile of bags built up beside him with some obvious trepidation. "How are you planning on carrying this back?"

Like asking how all those bags were going to fit in the trunk.  Or gear in the backpack.   Jay cast a Tetris expert's eye across it.  "Oh ye of little faith."

Together they relocated the pile to a relatively clear spot, and Jay set to with the salvaged straps. Bags that could fit inside other bags did so.  Most of the gear had been designed to be buckled on and off the harness as separate units, so. . . doable.  He was just gonna look like a Liefeld character when he was done.  Ehhh. He'd done worse hauling gear out and back, especially when they were doing releases.  (Yeah, you try carrying two hard kennels worth of disgruntled raptor that vomit and shit when cranky up a mountain and see how you do.  There was no honor, no dignity, just yelling over your shoulder like a frazzled soccer mom, "Kids, don't make me turn this car around!")  

The end result was some unholy hybrid of harness and bags that kept catching his long hair, but it worked.  Xu Jing schlepped his much smaller bandolier/messengerbag without enthusiasm, eyes continuing to glance up at the sky.  Jay could translate that easily enough, giving himself a shake to make sure everything stayed put.  "Time to go."

"Yes." Xu Jing had a furrow between his eyebrows that had been growing more pronounced.  "We'll need to hurry to make it back by dark."

Right. Night in the Arrays of Heaven outside said arrays was . . . uh, not for the faint of heart.  Jay winced, turning and sighting his way back along their trail.  "Don't have to tell me twice.  Let's go."

"You know where you are headed?"

"Uh, the way we came?"  Jay blinked over his shoulder, pointing the way back northeast to the steading. "Might be faster to cut through the valley and up instead of going along the ridge. . ."

Xu Jing flinched a little at that suggestion.  "No, higher is safer."

Jay tilted his head in acknowledgment.  Always listen to the locals. "Right.  I start going off course, you let me know."

He took the lead, setting a quick pace.  The good thing about being Feng Mahti; he had a long stride, and even the weight of the new gear and weapons didn't feel like much of anything.  It should: he knew it was probably about the same amount of crap as a frame backpack, without the added benefit of being constructed of lightweight materials, and . . .  nope, didn't make a difference.

Boss Feng really was a musclehead.  

On the route back, he had more of a chance to appreciate the sights and sounds of the new world, now that he wasn't keeping his eyes peeled for roadkill.   While the local flora didn't look particularly changed, the fauna was. . . different.  

From the valley to their left came the sound of what he thought were frogs, just way deeper than any spring peeper he'd ever heard.   Small mammals scuttled through the underbrush away from them, and he thought there might be smaller birds in the conifers, hidden among the pine needles.  Most things seemed shy, or else they were just making too damned much noise.

Huh. Actually.  

Xu Jing was making enough noise for both of them.  Something about Feng Mahti's leather boots or Jay's familiarity with hiking all over creation was keeping his own steps almost silent.   That was either really cool or really bullshit.

Xu Jing gave him a dirty look when he caught Jay waiting with his head tilted.  "Not all of us are cultivators of the wild."

Okay, so probably ranger stealth bonus bullshit. Jay flashed him his best guide's grin, "You're doing great. We're making good time."

"Not good enough."  Xu Jing was sweating, his sleeves rolled back. Jay wondered if it was the exertion or the stress more than the temperature; there was a gusts of gentle breeze from the west, carrying the floral smell of the budding bushes.  (Rhododendron?  It looked like it to him, but was that even native in Asia???  Eh fuck it it's post apocalypse, anything can happen.  If he tried to worry about native and invasive species here he'd be crazy before the second week.)  

Speaking of post-apocalypse, he hadn't seen any signs of previous civilization between the steading and where Taifun fell.  He asked Xu Jing casually if there were any ruins around.

"In the valley," Xu Jing panted, keeping his words short. "That's part of why it's dangerous."

Duly noted.

About two hours later, as they were making their way along beside a stream bed, something started to bug Jay.  Like an itch on the back of his neck, the sound of a mosquito.  He couldn't identify what or why, just that. . . something was up.  

He looked back at Xu Jing to see if the other man noticed, and the farmer gave him a serious look and a nod, murmuring, "Danger."

Great. About time for his first monster encounter!  He wasn't sure he counted the vulture with the glowing neon red eyes, as that could have just been some really freaktacular near-death hallucinations.  . . . What the hell even lived out this way?  He couldn't remember all the monsters from the books, but there were supposed to be quite a lot of nasties in the mountains that the bandits frequented.  Bears. Tigers.  Giant bugs.  A couple of really cool pangolin that he was actually kinda dying to see in person now that he thought about it.

So, what was contestant number one?

After a few minutes of the slowly growing creeps without any sign of an enemy, something rolled out of the stream bed on to the bank in front of them.  

Jay just stared for a long moment, incredulous.  "Seriously? That's it?!"

The thing that had been making his hair stand up on end wobbled closer.

Xu Jing hissed behind him, "Either fight, or run.  Choose now!"

His hand was already on the sword's hilt.  It felt natural to him, well-balanced and the grip broken in to his hand.   With a prosaic shrug, Jay drew the blade.  No time to find out his battle skills like the present, and it was such a level one monster, too.  Thank you, starting area!

Blade raised, he charged the blue-green slime.

It was not unlike hacking sorta sentient jello to bits.  Maybe it was some mutation off a slime mold.  Those were actually kinda terrifying in a cool way.  Or kinda cool in a terrifying way. Whatever.  They were smart!  This one tried to get in a few hits at Jay, but he ducked back too quickly for it to make contact.  He kept herding it away from Xu Jing, trying to avoid halving it into multiple entities while cutting it down.  Muscle memory knew this, the same way he used to know swimming.

After rendering the thing down into pieces small enough to fit in individual pudding cups, he looked at Xu Jing.  The man was staring with an expression somewhere between utmost disgust and bewilderment. Jay poked a jelly bit with his toe.  It wiggled.  "All right, I'm going to bet those will reform into a colony if they're given long enough.  Think there's going to be more in the stream bed?"

Xu Jing took a moment before he answered faintly, "Not likely enough to be an issue."

"Cool. Onward, then.  Let's get you home for dinner."

[madscientistjournal]

Fiction: Disinhibited

An excerpt from the journals of Combat Search & Rescue Consultant Lana McGee, as provided by Myna Chang Art by Luke Spooner

Don’t call me a mercenary. Those guys are pricks. Kidnappers and murderers, the lot of them. I’m not like that. Sure, I get paid for my work, and yeah, I love a good explosion. Who doesn’t? But my job is to save people. Pull them out of bad situations. Bring them home safe.

I’m not an asshole.

“I didn’t think you were, Ma’am.”

Oh shit, did I say all that out loud?

“Yes, Ma’am, you did.”

Wow, this pilot doesn’t look old enough to shave, let alone fly a chopper.

“I shave, Ma’am.”

“You heard that, too?”

“Yes, Ma’am. My CO warned me this might happen.”

“Name’s Lana, not Ma’am. So, they told you about my disability?” Their word, not mine.

“They said you got a piece of shrapnel in your head. War souvenir. Said you blurt out whatever crosses your mind.”

“Yep,” I nod. “Frontal Lobe Disinhibition. Basically, if I think it, I say it. That’s why I’m freelancing now.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Not a merc. Got it.”

Pilot’s quick. And he does shave. Sexy stubble. Yum. Like to run my tongue up that jawline and–

“Due respect, Ma’am, I’m authorized to tell you to shut up.”

I bite my rogue tongue hard enough to draw blood. Damn it, Lana. Stop scaring the cute flyboy.

He flicks his eyes toward me and grins. “Truth is, Ma’am, I don’t scare easy.”

Oh. Well, then. I smile and shift in the seat. “Just to be clear … You wouldn’t mind–”

“Approaching the drop zone, Ma’am.”

I chuckle. His smile turns to a blush. Tease. “Fine, kick me out of your helicopter. Come on, Diamond, we’ve got people to rescue.”

My German Shepherd sits while I attach a jump harness to her K-9 armor. Takes about three seconds. We’ve done hundreds of these short jumps, and it never gets old. She woofs, ready to go.

“Godspeed.”

“You talking to me or the dog?”

“Both of you, Ma’am.”

He maneuvers the chopper over the moonlit compound and flashes a cheeky grin at me again. I try to keep my mouth shut, but as usual, the words tumble out.

“I’m probably gonna lick your stubbly jaw when this mission’s over, Pilot. Diamond might, too.”

“Countin’ on it, Ma’am.”

I laugh and step into the air.

~

The research facility sits on a swath of blacktop, devoid of plant life, a big wart on a bald head. The gate hangs open. I toss a handful of debris at the razor-wire fence, but it doesn’t spark. Looks like the power’s out. Not a good sign.

I was hoping this job would be a quickie: rescue the dashing scientist, secure his peculiar research, get home in time for dinner. Guess I should’ve known better. Anything involving Chase Mathews isn’t going to be easy.

“At least the compound hasn’t been bombed yet, huh girl?”

Diamond doesn’t respond. She’s good like that.

A Jeep sits abandoned near the fence. Wet-looking handprints smear the windshield, and a case of medical supplies has toppled onto the asphalt.

We skirt it, watching for movement, hoping for some sign of life as we approach the entrance. Nothing stirs. I tighten my grip on the MTAR submachine gun strapped across my chest, and we enter the facility.

Lobby’s dark, except for orange warning lights at the guard’s terminal. My NVGs flare in time with the flashes, so I pull them off. Diamond’s night vision is more reliable than the goggles, anyway. She’s the most capable combat partner I’ve worked with; I trust her with my life.

She nudges me. I nod, and she ghosts away, into the darkness. Nothing will get past her. A low growl, five yards to the right, alerts me to an enemy combatant. I bring my MTAR to bear, just in time. Two quick bursts, and the bad guy goes down.

I love this fucking gun. Compact and efficient, with a little kick. Kind of like me.

Diamond circles the lobby, vigilant, then returns to my side. I prod the body splayed in front of me. Scrawny dude, white lab coat. Blisters all over his face.

Or are those pustules? Jesus, that’s nasty looking. Diamond keens and backs away. I follow her lead. A blister-thing quavers and ruptures, spurting out thick goo. Hard to tell in the darkness, but I think it’s green.

I’ll never eat lime Jell-O again. Diamond rubs her head on my thigh; she won’t either.

“Come on, girl. Our dashing scientist isn’t going to rescue himself.”

She snorts her disapproval. Diamond had never liked Chase. She’d peed on his shoes every chance she got. My dog’s smart. I should have listened.

~

We creep down the hallway behind the guard station. Emergency lights flicker, strobing the corridor in snapshots of weirdness.

Flash. Body on the floor.

Flash. Smear of blood.

Flash. Heap of clothing, soaked with green sludge.

I wish the freakin’ light would either stay on or go dark. Vertigo pulses with every disco blink.

Diamond lets out a cautionary rumble, and I pull up my gun, ready to fire. A woman covered in angry boils slumps on the floor, back against the wall. She reaches out blindly, hands grasping air.

My first-aid kit’s in my pack, but I’m not ready to take my finger off the trigger guard; Diamond’s hackles are still up. The woman’s mouth opens and tainted saliva gushes out. Looks like pond scum.

I don’t think my emergency band-aids will do you much good, lady.

She jerks toward my voice, moaning. Spit froths on her lips. Several of her boils burst, popping like firecrackers, loud enough I can hear them over my thundering heartbeat. Syrupy goop, smelling of burnt licorice, oozes from the sores. Her body cants sideways and her shoulder hits the floor.

Nothing I can do will help her now. Maybe we’ll find a miracle cure in the lab. Diamond and I hug the far side of the hallway, avoiding her still-seeking arms. The thick fluids pooling around her body seem to throb in time with the emergency lights, and the cloying odor intensifies as we pass.

I’m not sure what we’ve gotten ourselves into, but I sure hope this bug isn’t airborne. Our combat armor should protect us from physical contaminants, but it doesn’t do anything to block out the stink.

We come to a junction. I remember the blueprints and hang a left. The bulb in this hallway’s dim, but at least it’s not blinking. Unfortunately, the path is blocked by a mass of writhing bodies.

All naked–explains the abandoned clothes back there–dotted with throbbing cysts. Many have already ruptured, leaving curdled trails of emerald slime. I stare, fascinated. The people are fusing together; everywhere the goo touches, their skin melds. Limbs, feet, heads, all merging into one giant blob.

Diamond paws the floor. One of the faces snaps up, focusing its attention on her. We back away. A distorted jaw juts out, leering. It trembles, and a body begins to emerge from the fused clump of flesh, first a shoulder, then a torso. Straining to reach us, it makes a squelching slurp and tears free–an arm, two legs.

The legs don’t match.

My stomach turns. The newly assembled monster stumbles and lurches at Diamond.

I shoot it in the head. It stops, but doesn’t fall, so I pop it again, center mass, where a heart and lungs should be. It totters for a split second before collapsing.

Diamond whines; the rest of the entangled mound of creatures squirms toward us. Maybe the gunfire got its–their?–attention. They stretch and heave, inching closer. Unnatural liquids gurgle and flesh splits as they rip themselves apart, rubbery appendages groping relentlessly in Diamond’s direction.

I flip the toggle on my MTAR to full auto and spray the clusterfuck. No way in hell those abominations are gonna get sticky with my pup. I let up on the trigger and watch for movement, then give them another blast, just to be sure.

I guess a full magazine was enough to do the job, which is good because, damn, that’s a scary pile of monsters. But now the hallway’s coated in weird-colored gore. Not gonna risk going through that mess. Doesn’t matter, though. According to the map, all hallways lead to the inner lab, where the research stuff should be stored.

And Chase. Can’t forget him, the handsome, charming scientist. My ex.

~

Don’t call me a mercenary. Those guys are pricks.

The electronic lock is toast and the lab door won’t open. Something’s wedged it shut. I kick it, hard, but that only hurts my foot.

“Chase? Are you in there?” Hope he’s not glued to the mishmash back in the hallway.

Diamond watches my back while I pound on the reinforced steel.

“Lana? Is that you?”

“Yeah, and I wanna see if you still turn me on.” Damn it.

“Are you infected?”

“I can still talk, can’t I?” Of course I can. It’s my biggest problem.

The door cracks open. He squints at me.

“Why’d they send you?”

“No one else’d take the job.” True story.

Diamond and I squeeze through the door and shove it closed again.

“Did you bring a platoon of Marines to save me?” Chase demands.

I spread my arms. “Just us.”

He groans.

Not as charming as I remember.

“If you’re all they sent,” he says, “they’re going to nuke the whole island, aren’t they?”

“Probably. I figure we’ve got another hour before the bombing starts.”

“No, no, no, it’s too valuable,” he mutters, already ignoring me.

Feels like old times.

His motions are jerky. He grabs a backpack and shoves miniature computer drives and scraps of paper into it.

Definitely not a turn-on anymore. Looks like hell, all bug-eyed and twitchy. Kinda soft around the edges.

He stops and glares at me.

Stinks, too.

“Still the motor-mouthed bitch.”

Oops. “I didn’t mean–”

“Yeah, you did. You’ve always been an asshole. The piece of shrapnel just makes it more obvious.”

That hurts. Gotta admit it. A muffled thud from the hallway preempts my snarky response. Diamond snarls, low and intense. The warning tone sends goosebumps up my spine.

“Chase, what happened to those people?”

He shrugs. “Sample got out. Spread a lot faster than I expected.”

“Sample? The research I’m supposed to retrieve?”

“Thought you were here to rescue me.”

“Yeah, but boss-man said you’re low priority. ‘Get the research,’ he said. ‘Grab the scientist, too, if you can.’ That’s what he said.”

“God, I hate the military,” Chase spits.

I have to agree, at least a little. CO didn’t mention the rest of the research staff. Guess the woman in the hall is zero-priority in his book. I call bullshit on that–I’ll save whoever I can.

“Is there a cure, or an antidote?”

“Why?” he asks, backing away from me. “Did you get any of the transfer medium on you?”

“You mean the green goo? No. But maybe some of the others are still alive.”

He goes back to rifling through the science junk on his desk. “I only make the contagions. Cures are someone else’s department.”

Seriously? “So you’re a full-on mad scientist now?”

“I prefer bioweapon engineer.”

I stare at him. Has he always been this cold-hearted?

Diamond barks, two short yips. That’s a yes.

Chase rolls his eyes and I realize I’ve spoken out loud again. He glares at Diamond.

“Bitch.”

“You talking to me or the dog?”

“What do you think?” He shoulders past me, opening a biohazard safe. Polished steel containers crowd the shelf. They look like those expensive vacuum insulated tumbler thingies. He yanks one out.

“You keep your weaponized slime in a fancy coffee cup?”

He sneers and shoves the container into the backpack. “I can’t believe they sent a brain damaged mercenary to rescue me.”

That’s ‘value-priced consultant’ to you, jerkface. Diamond snarls, exposing her fangs.

“Can you both shut up?” His hands shake.

Wait. Faster than he expected? How did the sample get out?

“A test,” he answers. “Proof of concept for the buyer.”

“You infected those people on purpose? So you can sell that stuff?”

He laughs. “You weren’t very smart, even before the shrapnel.” He zips his pack and turns.

Something’s wrong with his face.

Diamond’s growl modulates into a high-pitched howl–her extreme danger signal. Almost too late, I realize why: Chase is infected. I didn’t see it before. Hard to miss now.

I raise my MTAR. A smudge of emerald gel shimmers on the edge of the safe behind him. “Don’t move.”

He gapes at me, incredulous. “Put the gun down, Lana.”

I shake my head. “You must’ve gotten sloppy with your death jelly.”

“How dare you?” He frowns and scratches at a freshly blossoming pustule on his right cheek. His fingers drip green. “No!”

Diamond moves into a defensive position, guarding me. Chase stares dumbly at his stained hand. He raises frightened eyes to mine.

“Lana, help me.”

My gun barrel wavers. Diamond barks, short and sharp, warning him to stay back, reminding me to follow protocol. Chase reaches out to me.

“Please–” His voice devolves into a mewl. Sanity, whatever’s left of it, drains from his eyes. His face morphs, cheeks melting in a slurry of jade-colored paste. Pus drips from his scalp. He screams and launches himself at me, and for the first time in my professional career, I freeze.

But Diamond doesn’t.

She meets him mid-air, bashing into him with her shoulder. She ricochets off his body, crashing to the floor a few feet from where he lands. Teeth bared, she’s up in an instant, but he’s already charging toward her, crablike, faster than I’ve ever seen him move.

Diamond! Don’t bite him!

I don’t know if I’ve screamed or if she’s read my mind, but she keeps her mouth off him. We slide into a familiar rhythm of charge and retreat, strike and evade. She dodges, giving me a clear shot. I squeeze the trigger. Chase’s head explodes.

Clabbered wet tissue splatters across his desk. Ears ringing, I inch closer and nudge the slack body, but it doesn’t move. His entire head is gone. I doubt anything could survive that, but I give him a double tap, two to the chest, to be safe. Then I drop the gun and rush to Diamond.

You stupid dog. Did the goo splash you? I run my hands over her armor, up and down her legs, check her mouth and her teeth. After examining her doggie armpits for the second time, my panic dissipates. She’s okay; the K-9 gear did its job. She nuzzles my face, and I realize she’s cleaning up my tears. I wrap my arms around her, trembling. Good girl.

~

I call for evac and wait for the thump of chopper blades to split the air.

On a normal mission, I’d feel rotten about failing to bring my target home alive. This time, not so much. I drag a clean duffel behind me. It’s filled with Chase’s notes and computer drives, but not the bio sample. I left that crap behind for the bombs to take care of.

The chopper circles. I flash my light, three quick blinks, and it lands.

“Look, Diamond, it’s the yummy pilot.”

She woofs and thumps her tail.

“Oh, you approve of this one?”

She barks twice; that’s a yes.

“Okay then, let’s go give him a lick.”

Combat Search & Rescue Consultant Lana McGee specializes in the retrieval of personnel and property from high-risk environments. McGee is assisted by a Hero-Class German Shepherd named Diamond. McGee has recently raised her consultation fees, and now charges a premium for any “mad scientist bullshit.”

Myna Chang writes flash and short stories. Her work has been featured in Daily Science Fiction, The Copperfield Review, Defenestration, and Dead Housekeeping, among others. Find her @MynaChang or read more at mynachang.com.

Luke Spooner, a.k.a. ‘Carrion House,’ currently lives and works in the South of England. Having recently graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a first class degree, he is now a full time illustrator for just about any project that piques his interest. Despite regular forays into children’s books and fairy tales, his true love lies in anything macabre, melancholy, or dark in nature and essence. He believes that the job of putting someone else’s words into a visual form, to accompany and support their text, is a massive responsibility, as well as being something he truly treasures. You can visit his web site at www.carrionhouse.com.

“Disinhibited” is © 2019 Myna Chang Art accompanying story is © 2019 Luke Spooner

Fiction: Disinhibited was originally published on Mad Scientist Journal

[coconuttystorage]

Infernal Phrases?

“faex” - shit

“cane” - bitch (this is actually referring to a dog, however, and not the female derogatory)

“cunne” - cunt

“filius canis” - son of a bitch (literally ‘son of a dog’)

“fututus et mori” - fuck off and die

“futuere” - get fucked

“futue te ipsi” - fuck you

“ede faecam” - eat shit

“suge meum penem, cunne” - suck my dick, cunt

“Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo” - i’ll fuck you up the ass and make you blow me (OR ’ I will sodomize you and face-fuck you’. this is from a poem called Catullus 16, the filthiest latin poems you can find)

“Irrumator” - Bastard

“Flocci non faccio” - I don’t give a damn

“Es stultior asino” - You are dumber than an ass

“Es mundus excrementi” - You are a pile of shit

“Es stercus!”  You shit!

“Moecha Putida” - Dirty slut

“Podex perfectus es” - You’re a complete asshole

“Futue te ipsum!” - Go fuck yourself!

“Stercorem pro cerebro habes” - You have shit for brains

“Caput tuum in ano est” - You have your head up your ass

“Perite” - Fuck off!

“Vacca stulta” - You stupid cow

“Tu scronium es” - You are a whore

“Caput stercoris” - shithead (lit. head of shit)

“Matris futuor” - Mother fucker

“Te odeo, interfice te cochleare” - I hate you. Kill yourself with a spoon.

“Potes meos suaviari clunes” - You can kiss my ass.

“Quando podeces te regi eorum fecerunt?” - When did the assholes make you their king?

“Lupa” - Slut

“Cacator” - Shitter

“Plenus stercoris es” You are full of shit

“Id imperfectum manet dum confectum erit” - It isn’t over until it’s over

“Puto vos esse molestissimos” - I think that you are very annoying

“Qualem blennum!” - What a doofus!

“Qualem muleirculam!” - What a bimbo!

“Quisque comoedus est” - Everybody’s a comedian

“Radix lecti” - Couch potato

“Raptus regaliter” - Royally screwed

“Recedite, plebes! Gero rem imperialem!” - Stand aside plebeians! I am on imperial business

“Stultus est sicut stultus facit” - Stupid is as stupid does

“Tace atque abi” - Shut up and go away

“Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant” - May faulty logic undermine your entire philosophy

“Vacca foeda” - Dirty cow

“Vae!” - Damn!

“Viri sunt Viri” - Men are slime

“Immanissimum ac foedissimum monstrum! ” - Gross and putrid monster!

“Faciem durum cacantis habes” - You have the face of a man with severe constipation

“Mala pituita nasi” - Nasty nasal drippings!

“Si me rogas, potes abire et tu ipse cacare.” - If you ask me, you can go and shit on yourself.

“Caput tuum in ano est” - Your head is in your ass

“Tuam matrem feci” - I did your mother

“A tergo” - In the ass

[trashpandaorigins]

Heaven Can Wait We’re Only Watching the Sky Ch. 6

Rocket’s eyes squeezed shut against the pinching in the crook of his shoulders. Short claws gripped the tiny bathroom sink.

“Breathe….in and out, just breathe…” Gamora’s words of advice spoke softly in his mind. His small body trembled, he gripped the sink harder trying not to fall. He couldn’t fall again, that’d be the third time this week.

“Yo Ranger Rick!” Peter’s fists pounded the door, rattling Rocket’s brain. “What are you doing in there?!” Rocket’s teeth clenched. Just breath it out…. he rode the pain like the waves. His shoulders pinched tightly, and he let out s throaty cough. Flark it….

“Rocket c’mon!!” Peter wailed. “What are you…”

“You don’t want to know Quill!” He forced through the stinging pain in his throat. Momentary silence relieved him.

“Ew…Rocket! People shower in there!” A smile tugged at his muzzle.

“Yeah well that never stopped you and Gamora!” A string of curses followed from Peter.

“I swear to god if you drop dead in there and start stinking up my ship!” The raccoonoid gnashed his teeth and clutched the sink as another stab resonated through his back. In the recent days Peter and he had repeated their usual “post-argument” ritual. Navigating awkward silent circles around each other for a day, then continuing to dance around each other while making eye-contact at brief moments when they thought the other wasn’t going to look for the next two days, with easy jabs at each other peppering the last three to four days depending on what the argument was over. After that, back to normal.

“If I drop dead in here I’m haunting you for he rest of your life Star-stupid!” Rocket yelled back, throat scratching. “You’ll never shit in piece again!” He laughed at the thought. “Have fun trying to get all handsome for Gamora while I’m laughing at your undoubtedly tiny junk!”

“ROCKET!” Peter’s muffled horror made the old raccoon laugh, choke and gag out more viscus black and grey slime from his throat. Rocket hunched over, swallowing the bitter taste. Residue from the chemicals and residue breaking down. 

“Gamora says it’s averaged sized!”

“Gamora’s too nice!” He howled back.

"Your one to talk!” The human growled, pounding his fist once more against the metal door. Rocket chittered through the agony that bit at him,

“I just want you to appreciate the amount of restraint I’m using right now Quill!” He laughed, “trust me, when I say cybernetic enhanced I mean enhanced in every possible way.”

“GROSS ROCKET!”

“Your….your mom didn’t think so!” He shot back through another cough.

“If your trying to make your mom joke it’s not working!” Peter hollered. “Your disgusting, your vile!”

“Also cute and fluffy!” Rocket shouted, the banter distracting him from the pain. He heard the slap as Peter face palmed,

“I know watching Lilo and Stitch for movie night was a bad idea! Just hurry up in there!” Peter shouted; the raccoonoid mused as he heard Peter’s steps drift away. Smell was no longer so poignant. In the left over, quiet Rocket lifted his head, heavy on his shoulders to gaze with dread into the stained mirror and grimace.

“Subject cannot identify its reflection.” He choked out the words that the scientists spoke as they watched him through their strange masks and scribbled on their clip boards. Rocket blinked back the ocean fog of his eyes, the years unrelenting. Trademark dark fur around his eyes now a shade of grey and white. Blinking his eyes found their way down to the metal bolts below each collar bone, and he squinted, trying to see past the fading lines. Rocket reached up a claw to pick at the dark crusted blood that rimmed the metal. He shivered at the stinging pain as he picked away. Flesh burned beneath the patchy fur. Even in the tiny mirror, his face was small. He held his breath and wretched over the sink once more, giving into the ochre of bile. Legs trembling, he groped at the cast-iron for support. He wretched at the site of his scars, almost all of them were made seen by his fur which fell out. As if I needed another reminder of what they did. At least I got some of my own scars now, got by my own d’ast choice he noticed looking down at his own torso. Forbidden territory, even to him. The one on his left side a puncture wound from the time he’d single-handedly taken out four wrerllian assassins. The long-jagged strip, crawling across the flesh of his right ribcage was from a fight in the fourth prison he’d broken out of. The memories crept back from the murk of his mind. Navigating the craggy mountains that were his metal implants and Rocket bit his lip with a worn fang. A monster still. He closed his eyes, unable to look anymore and let his trembling paws fall to his side. They’d made a monster of his body, but out of spite, he’d kept his heart and mind his own, as much as he could, which wasn’t much. Squirreled away under booze and anger and sleepless nights and shouting at those you loved and regretting it later. Dark and concealed. Now all of it was shattering, like gunfire. How fucking poetic.

Rocket reached up, scratching tentatively at the back of his head, under the thin fur the bumps and implants stood out like fungus on a tree beneath his flesh. The mirror mocked him as he starred. A body that was not totally his own, did not belong to him. Even after all these years those hooks, pinchers and scalpels had not left him.

“I am Groot!” The spell was broken, and Rocket quickly ran a paw over his teary eyes and swallowed. Groot, the one who planted flowers in my shriveled little soul and made them grow. He smiled at the thought. And even those flowers had bloomed and shriveled in the seasons of their shared years. Now it’s wilting. Rocket’s stomach turned as he looked at the unrecognizable reflection. Wilting. He forced himself to crack a grin as the words of the Flora Colossus, who called for him once more. inpatient and waiting. Alright buddy, I’m coming. Rocket took a deep breath, the throbbing feeling still vibrating from his back through his entire form. It wasn’t anything new, but the impact of it had worsened. He felt things more deeply now a-days. For better or worse. Steadying himself he opened the door and nodded to Groot.

“I am Groot?”

“M’fine.” But one look at the flora colossus’s large eyes and Rocket knew it was pointless to refute Groot’s questioning. He ducked under his friend’s large legs, out of the small bathroom and into the winding halls of the Milano.

They drifted onward through the sixteenth quadrant, large planets dotted the skies, their bright colors contrasting with the dark sky, a more populated place as Peter had commented the other day after the final fight. It came down to Mantis and Gamora, with Gamora eventually winning though it was no easy feat. Gamora then went on to beat Peter and the crew had celebrated the conclusion of the tournament with toasts to Drax and his family. Several turns later, it was Mantis’s turn to decide what she wanted to do to celebrate her liberation from Ego’s hold. 

“We’ll be headed into Tola in three jumps!” Gamora’s broken voice came over the mics. Flarkm not even enough time to rest, Rocket thought grateful. He hadn’t slept since he listened to that song with Peter. Not even Groot asking if he was alright twice an evening kept him reassured. Rocket felt his way down the hall to the kitchen, feeling the metal pipes and ramps for support. It was harder to move these days, each step brining shooting pain through his feet and up his legs, to his knees and hips. His tail struggled to help him balance, darting this way and that. He reached for purchase, squeezing his eyes shut and hissing at the burning in his hips and the base of his spine. Chronic pain had always been a part of living in a cybernetically enhanced body, but somedays were better than others. Can hardly remember the last “better” day I had, he grimaced as he went down another step. He rounded the corner stifiling a cough,

“Aah! Kraglin!” The ex-ravager blinked down as Rocket collided with his leg and stumbled back lamely. “Watch where your goin’ would yah?”

“Sorry Rock,” Kraglin muttered. “Jus going up to the cock-pit to see us coming up on Tola.” Rocket swallowed the metallic bile that filled his throat.

“Well watch it would yah? I’m trying to walk here pal.” Kraglin frowned, lips drawn.

“You seem irritable.”

“Tsch,” he muttered.

“Listen…” Kraglin’s face softened, “how you feel…”

“If one more person on this d’ast ship asks me how I’m going I’m gonna blow this place to shreds!” He snarled, hair raising on his back, spitting the nasty liquid on to the floor.

“S…sorry,” Kraglin whispered defeated. Rocket watched him slump his way to the cockpit as shame writhed within his stomach. He made his way to the kitchen and poured himself the last dregs of the coffee Quill had introduced them to during their Terran road trip after the Infinity war. Why is everything spinning? Rocket thought, vomiting as the Milano moved.

“We’re here!” Mantis’s squealed. The raccoonoid shook his head and stood, pouring water over the floor where he’d been sick just in time for Drax, Mantis and the rest of them before the rest of them came walking through, Peter laughed at the empath’s glee as Rocket rolled his eyes.

“I am Groot!”

“I AM being nice,” he growled, taking up the rear as the Guardian’s exited the ship and stepping out on to the grey cobble stones and chartreuse skies. Smells of sugar and metal wafted through the raccoonoid’s nostrils, the sweat of the different people winding through the narrow streets pressed against them, the hot sun baking the stone buildings. At least one part of me isn’t fucked up, he thought while they walked.

“You’re doing great Mantis,” Peter pat her on the back whilst she darted about running from stall to stall.

“I KNOW!” She exclaimed, “I really wanted to come to Tola, ever since one of…” She glanced at the human with a meek unspoken apology in her gaze, “Ego’s children mentioned it.” Rocket watched Peter deftly cover the sorrow.

“Well it’s beautiful!” He responded, “what is it you want to do? It’s your day!” Gamora smiled at the man and Rocket himself couldn’t quite look so sour. For once Pete isn’t being a selfish dick. --- To Rocket’s dismay, Mantis wanted to go out for dinner. Tola, as it turned out was a luxurious planet independent from the Nova Empire and served as a getaway for the wealthy of the galaxy. With more shops, restaurants, high-end bars (none the dark dingy drinking holes Rocket preferred,) and a myriad of other expensive luxuries, Mantis only wanted to go out for a nice dinner.

“And how are we payin’ for this smorgasbord?” Rocket demanded,

“What is a smorgasbord?” Drax inquired, moving aside for a woman as she exited the restaurant Mantis had selected.

“I don’t know, I heard Quill say it,” the raccoonoid admitted. Kraglin gazed longingly at the large green tinted windows of Yeveena, with it’s finely dressed diners and ornate chandeliers. Smells of sweet and spice seemed to penetrate the glass and waft through their noses.

“I am Groot,” Groot remarked holding up a small blue card.

“What is that?” Peter demanded, the flora colossus grinned, holding it out to him.

“I am Groot,” he shruggled simply. Gamora, Peter and Rocket balked.

“You got Tony Starks credit card?” The humie demanded, “how? Wait…do I want to know?” Rocket watched Groot shake his head as Peter took the card.

“I’m so proud of you,” Rocket beamed, wiping a fake tear. “See Quill, told you we raised him right!”

“Not sure if ‘right’ is the correct word.” Peter looked at them, Mantis’s expectant face most of all.

“Alright,” he shrugged. “But you all need to behave yourselves alright? This is a classy place here.” Gamora smirked, waltzing past him into the restaurant,

“Speak for yourself!”

Rocket no longer felt angry when the waiter looked down his nose to eye him skeptically. It didn’t faze him when he struggled to choke down the first coarse, swallowing past the nasty coating in this throat. Across the table, Groot’s concerned eyes found him every time he coughed.

“This is so fun, oh thank you all for coming!” Mantis exclaimed through a bite of her w’tavan 

“Not like we had much of a choice,” Rocket mumbled, taking another dreg of his drink, the fourth one of the evening. “Hey!” He snapped, wincing as Drax’s boot slammed his boot into his chin under the table. Fiery pain shot up his legs and he clenched his claws into the wooden chair.

“This is delicious!” Kraglin slurped his uvak noodles with glee and Rocket snickered as the ravager studied the utensils before him perplexed. After charging their meal, drinks and all to Tony’s card Rocket slid down from his seat, paw on his head to trying to still the spinning room. Didn’t even have that much to drink…he told himself, counting the three cocktails he’d consumed in the last two hours. His stomach turned, and he shivered though his skin was burning, even as they strode through the red-tinted rain outside.

“Guardians!” Fuck me, Rocket grumbled at the four udain aliens who rushed up to them, camera pads in hand. “You’re the Guardians of the Galaxy aren’t you?!” One of them wondered in awe, Peter’s smiled from ear to ear, swelling with pride.

“Can we get a picture?!” Another one of them begged.

“Sure!” Peter answered for them, to Rocket’s irritation and by the looks of it, Gamora’s as well. “C’mon guys!” The humie slung an arm around each of the udian women and pulled Gamora and Groot to them on either side. Rocket folded his arms in the front of the camera. He scowled as it clicked and flashed purple across the screen, stepping away as soon as it was done.

“It’s really an honor to meet you!” One of the women spoke, incessantly looking to each of them and turning to Rocket. “Oh! You are Rocket!” He watched blankly as she fumbled with something in her belt. “I heard you build your own weapons!” She shouted, revealing a gun. “I made this myself! Would you sign it?” Stars d…damnnit…what? She wants me to sign? The outline of the weapon bent as he tried to see it.

“S…sure why not?” Trembling fingers reached for the pen she held and he scribbled his name, trying to configure the correct words of his name. She stared at it confused,

“Umm, thank you.” 

“C’mon, Rocket let’s get you some rest.”

“I don’t need fucking rest Quill!” Embarrassment flooded the raccoonoid as they departed, back onto the Milano.

“Ahh!” Rocket could not fight the impulse as his left knee gave way and he crumpled to the ground, throwing up. Fuuck!

“Rocket!” He swatted Peter’s hand away,

“I don’t need you to carry me humie I ain’t dead yet!” He tried to recover any scrap of dignity as he stood, stinging pain flooding through him.

“Alright, fine!” Peter held his hands up helpless. He didn’t wait for Rocket’s begrudged apology but turned on his heal into the ship.

“You alright?” Rocket nearly jumped as Mantis’s large eyes starred inches from his face. She caught her own impulse to touch him and put her hand down.

“No bug lady, I’m not!” He snapped, storming on to the ship and down to the engine room. Painfully creeping onto the metal bench he’d converted into a bed Rocket curled up, tucking his tail over his nose in an effort to get comfortable. Don’t matter if it’s cozy around you, if it’s what’s inside that’s causing the pain. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on something other than the agonizing throbbing of his cybernetics and the buildup of residue from them.

"Why would I want you to sign anything of mine?!” The cruel gaze of the udain woman sneered at him in his nightmare. “you’re nothing but a monster. A pathetic one at that. Rocket fell back on to the concrete, stomach emptying its contents as he stared down the barrel of her gun.

“Look! It puked!” Their laughter rang in his ears.

“No….no!” Faces, masked faces, shooting pain sliced through his abdomen seconds after she pulled the trigger. “Fuck! HHHSSS!!” The excruciating lightening of pain wracked through the raccoonoid as he bolted upright, clawing, sweating, tail thrashing, body trembling.

“I…I am Groot!” The flora colossus held his arms out on either side as if attempting to embrace his friend. Rocket’s heart hammered in his chest, threatening to shatter his fragile ribs. 

“Don’t!!” His nightmares twisted around him:

“Subject 89P13 is expiring.” The people in the masked faces tapped on their data pads. Legs kicked, the panels in his back chilled him, skin festering.

“No!” Rocket lashed out, claws skimming through Groot’s bark. The flora colossus retracted his arm,

“G…groot!” Dirt and earth, he sniffed him out, trying desperately to placate the images in his head.

“What should we do with it?” The masked scientist asked, looking through the strange goggles as Rocket lashed out.

“We could observe it as it expires.”

“We did that with all the other ones,” his nightmare hissed. Rocket gagged, the sour black liquid coming up as he hunched over his blankets. Around him Groot looked down with helpless shame.

“I am Groot?” The deep, familiar sound of his friend’s voice reached his ears through the voices in his mind.

“N….no!” Rocket ran his claws through his fur, have to…tear the machines out….get them out…I’ll rip myself apart before they get the chance! Fur came off in his laws, blood oozing out as he tore across his sensitive flesh.

“Don’t get Mantis!” The raccoonoid screamed over the terrors in his mind. His body shook, why is it so cold? But I’m so hot…what…what is going on…?

“I am Groot!” Please! Rocket ducked, ears flattening as Groot reached out.

“Don’t touch me!” He tried to run from the agony in his body, so many shadows blurred his vision. Groot’s blurry form finally came into view as Rocket blinked, trying to study his friend. His chest heaved, subject is expiring…..expiring…Groot…the flora colossus’s large eyes stared at him, large and full of horror. Me too, Rocket agreed, sniffing.

“What’s it like?”

“I am Groot?” Rocket steadied himself trying to stand up in the corner of his bed against the wall.

“Dying man!” He snareld, “what’s it like?” Groot only cocked his head. Burning pain pushed Rocket to anger, fueling the fire.

“I know you ain’t the old Groot and yah don’t…don’t remember nothing but….but yah must remember something,” Rocket heaved for breath, his sweat causing him to shiver. “What happens, when you die?”

“I am Groot?”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T KNOW?!” Rocket roared, throat raw, terror the likes of which he never knew seized every last vein in his body.

“I am Groot,” Groot looked away, sap rimming his eyes. “I…I am Groot?”

“No!” Rocket growled, tears of his own threatening to release. “Don’t get M…Mantis.” The images flooded him again. Needles, shocks, tests, bones breaking, those eye watching.

“Tell me! Please bud,” Rocket regained clarity for a moment. “Groot!” His voice cracked, “You gotta tell me!”

“I am Groot,” Groot whimpered. Black residue erupted from Rocket once more as he turned away and coughed it up. “I am Groot!” “ N…no!” Rocket shook, swallowing as Groot reached out once more and he shrank back. “Just tell me what happens man! You gotta know, you more than anyone!”

“I AM GROOT!” Groot’s own miserable fury retorted. Rocket froze, realizing. He doesn’t know what to do…how to make me…f..feel better. He can’t make me feel better…Groot closed his eyes, heavy head hanging low. Rocket sniffed, smelling sour shame. Cybernetics clicked, shocking the small raccoonoid’s aging form and causing him to fall forward on all fours, trembling. He gasped, Groot reached out about to touch his back but the wooden hand hovered just barely touching. Unsure. Just do it….do it for him….for his sake. Shuddering, Rocket gathered the shreds of his dignity and pride and swallowed them. It tasted bitter. He slowly lifted his head, its so heavy…looking at Groot’s stricken face that face that looked so much like it had when he was a baby and first witnessed Rocket’s nightmares, his shattered mind laid bare, he’s just as helpless now as he was then. He nodded as he looked up at the flora colossus,

“G….get Mantis….” Without a word, he nodded and departed.

"Puppy!” The empath approached with caution, followed closely by Groot a few moments later, too soon, Rocket thought as he forced himself to breathe through the pain.

“Hey’a Mantis,” he shrugged. He starred at him, wringing her hands, knees trembling.

“G…Groot said you couldn’t sleep?” Rocket looked over her to his friend and nodded.

“Well don’t just stand there,” he finally said, sitting himself down amid his assorted blankets and stolen items scattered across his bed. Mantis nodded, reaching out the palm of her hand, her eyes met Rocket’s with soft determination. He looked at Groot, who nodded. Do it for Groot, taking a deep breath, Rocket stood up on his toes, pressing the top of his head against Mantis’s hand. Warm tendrils of unseen compassion wound from her touch through his parched skin, into his mind, dispelling the scientists, the tools, the memories. He felt his muscles relax, eyes getting heavy. Mantis bit her lip, trying not to cry but Rocket hardly noticed. Calmness drifted through his torso, his arms and legs, soothing his mind, singing him away from the agony of his body into the serenity of his newly peaceful mind. Mantis stroked his fur, bringing a crashing wave of stillness with every touch.

“Sleep,” she whispered. Rocket sniffed, smelling Groot’s earthen scent, Mantis’s genuine kindness. Don’t deserve it, don’t deserve any of this…the thoughts left his mind as soon as they entered with the empaths touch. He twisted around looking over his shoulder even as the empath continued to pet him and Groot stood over them supervising. From the corner of his eyes he could see the panels in his back at an awkward angle. Two bars left…but now he did not fear.

“Th…thaank you,” Rocket whispered just before he let himself slip away into sleep.

[generalfoolish]

Title: Lagasse The Lesser.

Fandom: Monster; Demon

Rating: General, I think. TW: demons, Catholicism imagery/phrases, possession, exorcism, urine.

Word Count: 1.5K

Summary: Father John Abbott works hard to keep his nuns safe. Soon, he’ll learn the cost of his protection.

A/N: #30 Demon! This was fun to write, but in my research I learned some really horrible stuff surrounding exorcisms gone wrong. If you feel like there’s something wrong, reach out to a mental health provider. If you believe in possession, there ARE mental health providers who will take you seriously. Just be safe. No “at home” exorcisms. Okay, that’s my rant. Enjoy!

Father Abbott closed his eyes as he murmured a quick prayer. He had always been strong in his resolve for the church, and for his love of God, but this would take every ounce of strength the man could conjure.

He was outside the door of Sister Margie. A decidedly average brunette from Maryland, built with a slime frame and a shrill voice, and a tragic backstory involving the death of her betrothed. She turned to the cloth willingly and turned to faith for her grief. Father Abbott had always been pleased with her. She was studious and devoted. Until two weeks prior.

She had cringed away from communion. She had spoken her prayers in an ancient language that no one at the church recognized. She had spit in the face of a fellow nun. The final stray had come to pass when she, he took a stabling breath, excreted in the pews.

Father Abbott hadn't wanted to be hasty; he hadn't wanted to jump to conclusions, but he had read the signs. He knew what must have happened: the sister had been possessed. Possessions were rarer nowadays; he had bargained with the Bishop. But, not impossible. He told his superiors to come, to see. He begged for help. None had come. A single letter, addressed only to 'Whom it may concern,' found its way to his desk, declaring him fit to handle the situation as he seemed appropriate. He had called for backup, and the diocese had denied him the request.

He had prayed heavily, and the matter had weighed on his heart until he realized what he must do. He vowed to help Sister Margie, despite the cost to himself or his career. So, he had dived into all the literature he had on hand about exorcisms. Weeks of research had led him to this moment. He didn’t have the time to devote to his studies, as much as he wished anyway, he had to help Margie. She grew weaker each day as the demon inside drained her.

Margie didn’t stir when he entered the room; he had lightly tapped it before he opened the door, hoping she’d be decent. He had heard some tales of improper behavior amongst possessed individuals. His heart wept for Sister Margie, and he exhaled sharply upon seeing her this way. She was stripped down to her white nightgown, and her arms and legs were restrained with leather cuffs. Two sisters waited on either side of Margie, each holding a lantern up. He cleared his throat.

“If you would like to wait outside, now is likely the time to do so.” Father Abbott told them in a careful voice. He wanted them to stay. Selfishly, God help him, he wanted them to be at his side through the likely trauma he was about to face. He had no grave sins for them to bear witness to, but he could not falter in the face of the demon. Whatever else came, he could be strong for the convent. They nodded at each other.

“We’d like to stay, Father.” Sister Tory told him; her shoulder squared. He nodded back and approached Margie.

“Sister Margie, we’re going to try to help you now.” He took another deep breath, clutched his rosary beads, and held his bible open. He had memorized the rite, but the bible acted as an anchor.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come.” Margie’s eyes flew open, and she barked out a deep, guttural noise.

“He won’t help Margie now.” The deep voice teased. “She’s gone.”

“Your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us. Your will be done, on earth as in heaven, Or our bread for tomorrow. and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.” Another dark laugh came from deep within Margie.

“John Abbott, you’re too weak to save her. You’re a bad father, Father.” The demon’s voice baited him once again, but he ignored it.

“And do not bring us into temptation.” Father Abbott continued as the demon roared.

“Do not ignore me, Father.” The beast spit.

“The power of Christ compels you to return from where you came.” Father Abbott said, trying to clear his mind of anything that could stop the momentum of the moment. The demonic voice hummed in joy.

“Christ has not compelled me for some time, John. You’ll have to work harder.”

“What is your name, demon?”

“Work. Harder.”

“Ávē Marī́a, grā́tiā plḗna, Dóminus tḗcum,” Father Abbott began, growing more comfortable with his Latin in each syllable. “Benedícta tū in muliéribus, et benedíctus frū́ct—"

“I am Lagasse, a demon of Hell, and I will not be willed away with some simple Latin prayer!” The demon screamed over Father Abbott’s prayer. The silence of the truth hung in the air, thick and dangerous until Father Abbott encouraged the women to begin to pray.

The trio had discussed that if the demon announced his name, they would begin chanting a prayer to compel him directly. He hadn’t thought the demon would give up his name so easily. It was the key to a successful exorcism. The murmurs of the women rose as they began their prayers.

“Sā́ncta Marī́a—” Father Abbott began, his rhythm and cadence coming back to him more easily.

“Sā́ncta Marī́a Mā́ter Déī.” Lagasse, the demon, mocked. “Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu. Santa Maria, Mãe de Deus. They are just words, padre. Doesn’t matter if they’re Latin or French or Portuguese. They can’t hurt me. And these Sisters are not good at Latin. Ladies, please, fuck off. I need a word with the good Father.” The women looked at Father Abbott, but otherwise kept pace. Good, he thought, let’s get this bastard.

“Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” He finished strong in English. If this hound of Hell wanted him to use his native tongue, he would. He would use it to banish this demon back to the underbelly of Hell.

“Amen, daddy.” Lagasse had dropped the deep, guttural voice for Margie’s. Except he had dropped it down an octave, making it silky rather than smooth. On the bed, Margie writhed in her nightgown, and thrusted her hips up. Father Abbott turned his head, feeling empathetic for the girl who had lost control of herself. For the girl who was writhing pathetically in front of him with no ability to stop. Lagasse broke his thoughts with a hateful and deep laugh, it was still Margie’s voice, but it was all wrong��twisted and harsh. He tried to push his darkening thoughts down, tried to discourage himself from even forming the idea, but it was too strong. His desire too powerful.

Father Abbott liked it. He thought that Margie looked sexy even. He hated himself for it immediately. He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat, and Lagasse’s laugh cut him in half.

“Daddy? Having nasty thoughts?” Lagasse asked, using Margie again. The priest dropped his eyes to the bible and cleared his throat. “Oh, didn’t you know I could tell what you’re thinking? How awkward. Do the girls not know that you touch yourself at night? Do the Sisters not know how you pant out their names while you fuck your hand thinking of their tight pussies and little anuses?” The uproarious laughter was too much for Father Abbott. The room was too small, the heat from the lanterns too warm, and the demon’s words too true.

“Lagasse, lesser demon of Hell, the power of Christ compels you back to the bowels from whence you came!” Father Abbott screamed at the monster, willing him with everything to go, to go and never return, to free the innocent from his clutches, to relinquish his control over Margie. And, suddenly, the room’s energy shifted. The air seemed less charged. Margie’s body slumped against the bed, drenched in sweat and piss. He hadn’t noticed, but she must have peed during the exorcism. He hated himself for what she had gone through.

“I think he’s gone.” He said to the two shaking women. “Would you get her cleaned up, please?” He asked before turning heel. He was going right to prayer. He knelt down in front of the altar and began his chant. And all at once his chest felt like it was going to explode. He clutched it, afraid it was a heart attack, and staggered to his feet. He removed his robes and his beads and felt a bit better. He slumped down into a pew and willed his heart to resume it’s normal pace. Then he felt a stinging around his neck. He quickly undid his collar and tugged at the shirt. Nothing was amiss. He lifted his cross and realized there was a ‘t’ imprinted on his skin.

From deep within him, he felt the rumble. He felt the truth. He knew he was damned. He was possessed, and it was Lagasse. The vile demon had fled Margie and rammed straight into his soul. Unbeknownst to him, a curling smile had spread across his face. Lagasse had many plans for Father John Abbott, and all of them started with outing the old man’s hypocrisy.