#i feel like i'm not really capturing all my thoughts on paper here but oh well. anyway. if i am even a little bit right

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

i was going to crack a joke about how the only thing on my lore wishlist for the dlc was that they would finally explain why the hell marika got impaled and crucified on the elden ring. and then it occurred to me that our one canon named boss so far is an archetypical erdtree traitor-styled demigod quite literally titled the impaler

[darlingshane]

Afternoon Delight

Pairing: Michael Berzatto x F!Reader

Summary: You and Michael are just two good friends with a lot of chemistry that have sex on occasion, and today is one of those days he shows up at your apartment to benefit from that mutual agreement.

Content/Warnings: 18+, Explicit, Smut, Oral Sex (f. receiving), Friends with Benefits, Fluff, Crack, Pet Names.

Word Count: 1,4k

— You can read below or at AO3.

“Your boyfriend is here!” your roommate announces, knocking on the bathroom door as you step out of the shower.

“Boyfriend?” with a scoff, you wrap a towel around your soaked body before opening the door to see who she's referring to.

Poking your head out the hallway, you find Michael standing in the middle of the living room.

It strikes you as odd to see him this early and that your roommate called him your boyfriend, cause you and Michael are not currently dating, or ever will be, — but who knows, stranger things have happened. Right now, your relationship boils down simply to two good friends that have sex on occasion, with no bullshit or feelings in the mix. By keeping this uncomplicated, you avoid the upheaval of pain and regret you've felt in the past with other guys you've dated. This situation has been a good solution to ditch all those problems.

However, Michael's been coming and going so often that some people might view that as dating. It’s true, you two are really cute together, and have explosive chemistry that could blow up the roof. You would be lying if you said that you hadn’t thought about asking for more a couple of times, but for now this is all you need.

You and your roommate are not exactly best friends, or have known each other for long. So, you’ve never considered it important to explain the nature of the mutually beneficial relationship you have with Michael, and you’re not going to start today.

“Hi, welcome back!” his smile beams from across the room.

“Hey, what are you doing here so early?” you beckon him, and he follows you into your room.

“I thought you said to come pick you up at 3.”

“I didn't. I'm pretty sure I said 8. When have we ever hung out at 3? Nobody ever ha–” you’re cut off when Michael fishes his phone out of his pocket and shows your message on screen up to you to realize that you indeed typed 3 instead of 8. “Oh… I was jet-lagged when I wrote that. My bad, but I'm glad you're here anyway.”

“Yeah? You've missed me?” He tucks his phone back into his pocket.

“I haven't missed you missed you. But I've missed this face,” you hold his chin tightly in your fingers, leaning in to smooch his cheek.

Unable to fight a smile, his lips curve up beautifully as you let go of his face.

“How was your trip, sweetheart?” Michael takes a seat at the foot of your messy bed while you move to search through your opened, unpacked suitcase.

“Long. I hate flying. Here, I got this for you,” you toss a light-weighted, wrapped present at him.

“A gift for me?” He catches it in the air, tears the paper to find a novelty apron that has printed – kiss the cook – on the fabric with an arrow pointing down. “This is probably the worst gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“You’re welcome,” you say with a mocking shrug.

“C’mere, baby, I have a gift for you too.”

“You do? I didn’t see you bringing anything.”

“It’s right here,” his pointer finger taps on his lips twice, “you have to come get it, girl.”

Grinning, you sit on his lap sideways. As one of his arms curls around your waist to keep you secured, his opposite hand frames your jaw, guiding your face to capture your mouth. He offers three small kisses, and then he nibbles at your lower lip, sucks it lightly into his mouth and releases it, just how you always like it.

“That’s all you got?” you purr against the corner of his mouth.

“You’re always so greedy, sweetheart. You think you deserve more in exchange for that crappy apron?”

“Yeah, I fucking do. It's the thought that counts.”

“That so?” Scoffing, he presses a kiss on your neck before picking you up and settling you down on the mattress without breaking a sweat. Locking eyes with you, he hovers over your body as one of his hands untucks the corner of the towel that was keeping it in place over your breasts, and spreads the fabric to the side to uncover your body.

With a low hum, he presses another wet kiss on your lips before having his tongue trailing down your torso. He leaves a wet trail from your neck, across the valley of your breasts, over your stomach, around your navel. The tip of his tongue viciously stirs your arousal before reaching the crux between your legs.

“Hi, sweet thing, I’ve missed you so much,” he plants a few kisses all over your vulva when he reaches that spot.

“Are you talking to me or my pussy?” you prop yourself on your elbows as he stares up at you.

“Hm, both. But mostly your pussy. Is that okay?”

“Sure. She’s missed you too. Have at it,” you laugh softly and place your head back down as he buries his face between your thighs.

His eager tongue traces every fold and inch of your cunt, collecting your juices at his passing. You ball the sheets in your fists as he slowly, but surely, makes your whole body buzz with excitement in a few licks. Your nipples harden and your head spins as the plane of his tongue flattens against your folds.

“Hmm,” you pull your knees further apart, close your eyes, and slide your fingers in his hair. “Be gentle. Walls are paper thin, baby.”

“Let her hear you,” he laughs against your pussy before letting the tip of his tongue lap around your clit.

His arms curl around your thighs, as one of his hands massages your mound, the other marks its fingers at the curve of your hip.

The pressure of his tongue is absolutely delicious. It keeps teasing around your clit for a long moment before having his lips wrap around that sweet spot. Up until that point, it’s easy to keep your moans buried in your throat. When he starts sucking and licking and grunting oh so fiercely around your sensitive skin, devouring you like a wild animal that has been fasting for days, he forces those drawn groans past your lips.

Your taste, the wanton sounds that he earns out of you, and the way your body writhes is the cause for his cock to bulge out his jeans. It aches for a good fuck, and he can only press himself against the mattress to gain some friction. His tongue has great determination to make you come before shoving his dick inside you. It’s all Michael thinks about, just burying himself in your slicked walls and filling you with his cum. It fuels his unwavering passion.

Out of the blue, you get momentarily distracted when music starts blasting through the walls, and you bring your hands to cover your heated face, realizing your roommate is definitely hearing you. As embarrassing as it is, you use that as an opportunity to just let go and focus on how good it feels to have him between your legs.

After a moment, you place your hands back down, knotting your fingers back in his hair and pulling as hard as you can, unable to control yourself as he brings you closer and closer to the brink.

It doesn’t take him long to make you meet that sweet undoing that elevates you to a higher plane. He’s always had that ability. But today is special because one – you haven’t seen the other for two weeks; the longest you've gone without benefiting from the other. And two – the unexpected surprise of him showing up earlier gives you that extra edge of excitement that has your legs trembling with practice eased in this afternoon delight.

When all your muscles seize up, and you can’t stop squirming and cursing his name, he takes it up a notch until you come undone. As your mind swirls in that bubble of pure bliss, he stops altogether, but keeps his mouth close to press soft kisses against your sensitive skin while your breathing catches.

You let go of his hair and let your arms fall to the sides, watching a blurry vision of Michael crawling over your limp, tired body.

“How was that, sweetheart?”

“That was beautiful. You’re beautiful. Everything your tongue does is beautiful,” you reiterate with a dopey smile, cause you can’t come up with a different word at this moment.

Staring adorably at you, he caresses your sweaty face as you regain enough strength to lift your hand and swipe his lips with your thumb to clean your juices lingering all over his mouth. “You think you got more for me, baby?”

“For you? Always.”

[asegunda]

Special Invention

PJO

Pairing: Platonic! Leo Valdez x Deaf! GN! Reader

Summary: Leo meets someone special, in lots of ways. Warnings: Too much fluff, remember I warned you.

Notes: I did one of those trop generators HAHAHA and it got 'disableid' so I thought of this! Hope you like it. ❤️

Another shiny day at Camp Half-Blood, not that Leo knew that it was shiny since he was working on some 'awesome' new machine, not even barely eating. But this wasn't unusual, Piper already passed in the cabin 9 cabin and bunker some 10 times today.

The only time he takes his eyes out of the work is when one of the Athena kids calls him and tells that Chiron wants to talk with him.He wonders what could it be...he and the rest of his cabin didn't bomb or put fire this week in anything...still, but they still didn't!

As he enters the room, Chiron is in his 'wheel chair mode', Leo always loved how tat machine was, his mimd starts to wander around until he hears a cough sound, he looks at Chiron again.

"You can sit Leo." Chiron smiles at him and points at the chair, he sits and messes with his fingers."So...I'm guessing you want to know why you're here." Chiron starts. Duh, Leo thinks but doesn't say anything just says a yes."So I don't know if you heard about the last mission here at camp."

He continues and Leo tries to remember but it just comes in a blank.

"Well, by that reaction I guess you don't..." Chiron nods to himself and sighs. "Well, it was a mission to rescue a new demigod and...it didn't go very well, the demigod was on a school trip to an airplane museum..."

"Wow, that sounds cool!" Leo smiles."Well, yeah it is cool, but remember when I said that the mission didn't fo very well?" He tells.Leo didn't even remember but he nods."Well, a monster apeared and...the demigod-" Chiron says and is interrupted."Is dead?" Leo asks but feels dumb the moment he says seeing the look on Chiron face."No. Thank the Gods for that." He says. "But...the fight with the monster damaged a lot of plains and well with the gasoline and the coal-" He is interrupted again."It exploded right?" Leo says, more an affirmation than a question. "Yes, unfortunately yes." Chiron sighs. "And the demigod we rescued, Y/N, became...deaf by the explosion." Chiron says looking at the papers at his table."Yeah, you were right it's not cool anymore." Leo sighs. "And why am I here?" "I would like for you and the Hephestus cabin to try to build a machine to make atleast the situation better. And while it isn't ready, try to think of a way to help Y/N communicate that isn't an notebook, we don't want no one uncomfortable, even more when something so unfortunate occurred."Leo nods. "I see. We are going to try our best!" He smiles and Chiron smiles too. "Thank you Leo, really."

Leo nods again and gets out of the place."Well, more work to do..." He sighs and goes to tell the news to the rest of the cabin.

1.

The first time he meets Y/N it's in the infirmary, almost all of the beds are full because it was Saturday, wich means that yesterday it was the Capture the Flag.

Leo sighs trying to find the known blonde, as he sees he goes to him."Hey Will!" He smiles to the Apollo child.

He looks at Leo, and the first thing Leo notices it's that he is pale, really pale, but he still smiles at Leo.

"Leo! What brings you here?" He asks.

"Hmm, a kind of mission if you get me." He winks, but Will just looks at him with a confused face and Leo explains it that he talked to Chiron about the new kid.

"Oh Y/N! Poor kid..really, so suddenly...well we can't do nothing can we? Just give our best support.." He sighs.

"Well actually that is why I am here, Chiron wants my cabin to build a machine to help." He smiles."That is great, come I'm gonna show you where Y/N is." He starts walking towards a more quiet corner where you can see a figure looking at the window watching other campers play volleyball.

"Hope it works." Will gives him a thumbs up and goes help an Hermes kid at another bed.

He walks to the bed and sits in a chair across the bed.

You jump in suprise as you see him."What do you want?" You say and point at a 'Big Hero 6' notebook at the drawer.

Leo takes it and the pen. 'Chiron sent me'. He gives it to you and you read it, as you finish you look at him.

"And?" You ask. You give him the notebook again. Now he writes all the talk he had with Chiron, as you read it you look at him again.

"Would you do that for me?" You ask again.Leo nods and you smile at him.

"Well...what are you going to teach me while that machine isn't ready?" You tell him and Leo smile fades, he didn't thought about it and didn't even learn nothing to help you. He tries to think of something fast, he doesn't want you to think he is a loser. He then remembers his mother but he puts that idea aside.

You start looking at him confused and he gives up.

He takes the 'Big Hero 6' and writes something, he sighs.

"Morse code? You know it?" You sound really excited, not that you could hear your own entusiasm.

Leo nods and you smile.

He writes again: 'How about we start now?' He smiles at you and you do too.

2.

The machine still isn't ready...months later, but Leo knows it will be awesome and you will love it, he gets up of his work chair and gets out of bunker 9.

He goes to the strawberry field when he sees you. He sits by your side and you smile at him.'Prepared for our class?' He says and you nod.

You go with him to the infirmary, because it looks like it's the only quiet place outside the empty cabins.

Will smiles as he sees you both.

This was already your 15th class, not that you were counting of course.You two continue like this and at the end of the day Leo gives you a candy.

'It's from Will's cup for the patients but I don't think he needs it.' He says in morse code and he winks at you.

"Thanks." You say both loudly and in morse code and you eat the sweet.

3.

The machine is finaly ready! Leo thinks, you are going to love it.He goes to you and says that he wants you to see something.

You think if it is the machine and you are starting to get excited. As you enter cabin 9 with him you just can think of two things: the machine and the dirty mess that the cabin is. You ignore the second and look at Leo, as he makes a drum sound, you can't hear it but he tells you later that it was supposed to be drums.He takes out of his back a machine kind of looking like headphones you look at it and Leo makes morse code: 'Try it!'You smile and put it in your head. At first nothing happens but after you can hear Leo say: 1, 2 and 3 does it work?"It works!" You hug him and he smiles at you."Pffft. I knew it would work." He says smirking, didnt you know that he tried to give up 3 times, all of them he didn't because it was you who needed them.You smirk at him too."Leo." You start.

"Yes?" He asks.

"You sound weird." You say and Leo remembers that you never heard his voice before, it looks like he knew you for his whole life but it was just some months.

"You're not getting a swett today." He says nodding in disaproval.

"Leo!" You pout and he smiles.

Later you get the candy after some more pounting and Leo tells you that the machine has a secret sticker, you wonder what it is and he shows you.

It is a 'Big Hero 6' sticker, like the image from your notebook, you chuckle and he does too.

[gyuluttony]

gonna do something somewhat out there and out of nowhere. i just finished kinktober on my like... main wg account so i've missed doing kpop wg so i'm coming back with... zb1 SDFJSDF gunwook been attacking me lately so he's going to be the one feeling it now.

All-in

This is a feederism fic and features weight gain and unintentional weight gain. Don't like, don't read.

There was a dreamy sort of sigh that left the table in the library and it took one paper flying to cause the source of it to make an annoyed expression. "Yah! Kim Gyuvin!" The warm tone of Gunwook sounded a little more frustrated than usual as his friend held his finger in front of his lips, to shush him.

"You can't be too loud in the library, Gunwook~" The teasing tone almost made him jump over the table to show him who could be louder of the two before he felt the pointed gazes of the students around them and buried his head in his textbook, muttering curses towards his friend who barely had enough mercy to add quietly, "Just because Matthew hyung is here doesn't mean you should neglect your work."

His long crush on the older friend of theirs was something that was practically known by everyone in their friend group. And something that he couldn't help but get embarrassed about everytime someone pointed it out. He wasn't that subtle about it... and it wasn't aided by the fact that Matthew tended to treat him nicer than his heart knew how to react with.

"Gyuvin, I swear if you don't stop talking about it when he's this close by, I-" The words that left Gunwook were growing more threatening by the moment before he heard a loud exclamation. "Oh, Gyuvinnie and Gunwookie!" It was always nice that Matthew didn't seem to care about the negative glances for the loud volume but he only belated realized, offering a small apology and a sweet smile that no one could stay mad at as he approached.

"O-oh, hyung! Good to see you." Gunwook was severely underprepared for the way that Matthew sat next to him and leaned on his shoulder while Gyuvin tried not to laugh.

"H-hi, hyung." Gyuvin imitated his stammer which got a death glare shot in his direction before Matthew spoke again, "I didn't know you guys were studying here... but I brought some snacks for Taerae since he said that he wanted some." Gunwook tried his best not to visibly deflate at the thought before the snacks were placed in front of him.

"Huh? What are you doing, hyung?" Matthew stuck his tongue out as he added, "No one said he needed to get them all. I bought a lot so you can just have the extra instead. I know how much you love to eat." There was a pat on his head from the older man and Gunwook did his best to not beam before opening the box. Gyuvin rolled his eyes from across the table, texting someone about what he was witnessing in front of him.

While he dug into the snacks and made conversation with Matthew there were some things that came to mind. Taerae was a little bit on the heavier side. Not fat but chunky was a good way to describe him. It only made his dimples and smiles cuter and nicer to hug, something that Matthew was incredibly fond of. He had believed that Matthew was someone who had a crush on Taerae for a very long time... so maybe that was what he was missing.

Gunwook was a good gym buddy for Matthew... but what if he wanted something that was a little bit softer. Was that the best way to capture his attention? With a renewed vigor, Gunwook ate the snacks that Matthew had brought even faster, surprising both of his company. "Hyung, do you have any more?"

Gyuvin wasn't unaware to the way that Matthew's face seemed to warm up as he stammered for a response for a moment before furiously texting Ricky. They had made a bet on when something would happen between them after all but he couldn't really afford it to happen now... he was going to lose the bet.

"All I have is the stuff for Taerae... how about..." Matthew bit his lip with a smile that he was failing to hide. "I bring these to him and we can head out for something to eat?" Gunwook's eyes brightened before Matthew nearly stumbled out to get the treats to Taerae. Gunwook began to pack his notes while Gyuvin looked at him, "Seriously?"

"You told me to stop staring... so I'm doing something about it." Considering how smart Gunwook is, it should have occurred to him that Matthew practically sprinted back to him so that they could head out to get food while Gyuvin was trying to ease up Ricky on the bet so he wouldn't owe him too much.

-

As he jumped in his dorm room, Gunwook felt his face burn, feeling the way that the flab jiggled, trying to squeeze every possible extra inch of himself into the pants that no longer fit into his frame. It was almost like a dam was broken that day.

He had stopped going to the gym as much with Matthew but he was seeing him just as much, if not more. They were always getting food since Matthew excused it as wanting to treat his dongsaeng. But, Gunwook didn't realize that not working out combined with Matthew's constant treats would have results this fast.

He'd already let out this pair of pants twice since upsizing and now, his belly was sticking out from his body, proud and bloated with fat. Or food considering that Matthew treated him most meals in a day. It was always nice when he insisted on Gunwook trying something new and he loved it.

It's not like the weight was solely tied to his prominent belly but it settled in his thighs and glutes which wasn't really aiding the pants situation. They clung tightly to the plump thighs as well as didn't even make halfway up his ass as he tried hopping into them again, hearing a faint tear of fabric and how much the fat on his body jiggled at the motion.

While looking at himself in the mirror, Gunwook's hand absentmindedly rubbed his belly as he felt his face flush. Matthew had been a lot more touchy with him recently. Either holding his love handles or even sneaking squeezes on his belly which always made him think he was on the right track to getting his attention. After all, him blowing up was for him as well.

But, there was an enjoyment he was getting out of it as well. Feeling the way that his body expanded, burst out of belts sometimes and even was starting to get stuck in booths at the restaurants they frequented... there was a bliss in this... he just wanted to do it properly with Matthew at his side and just like his appetite, it was insatiable. He was no longer content with just being friends.

There was a knock on his dorm door. They had already made plans to go out again and while he wasn't ready in the slightest, he knew that his outfit (or lack of since he didn't fit in the button down that couldn't even close or his pants) would get the answer he wanted.

Opening the door, he heard Matthew's voice. "Gunwookie~ Are... you..." The happy voice trailed off before he looked down at the gut that was staring straight at him as he swallowed dryly. "I'm up here, hyung." Matthew's gaze needed to be torn away from the plump mass before Gunwook smiled. "Wanna order in?"

The feeling of Matthew's muscular body crashing into him and jostling his belly enough that the buttons he managed to get closed break told him everything that he needed. He had went all-in and got the pay out that he wanted... and soon, he was sure that he'd need to upsize again anyways now that his boyfriend was showing him just how much he appreciated that excess on his body.

[chemdisaster]

cat dad au fic! in which kitten comforts scar. few things you need to know for context - "the isaacs" is a silly name scar gave to the heroes who would bully him, kitten uses a bunch of neos, of which i'm using xit/xitself in this fic, and for a few years when scar first found kitten he was under a lot of stress with work and they both had a bad time. that is all

"I like this one." 

Scar hums as Kitten hands him another picture. In this one, the two of them are dressed up as Hotguy, both laughing as a tiny Kitten points a fake arrow at his chest. Touching his finger to the cascading reds and oranges, he inhales the smell of memories and watches the echoes flash by. 

"I have captured you, Hotguy! Give up if you know what's good for you!" 

"No! Never! You won't catch the tail end of my whiskers, Catguy!"

"Not if I use my special bow! You're dead, Hotguy! I will capture you and I'll—"

As joy rings out in the silent air of reminiscence, a smile warmed with time spreads on his face.

"Yeah. I like this one, too."

Carefully setting the photograph aside, Scar moves on to the next one. With Ari out this afternoon, he and Kitten spontaneously decided to clear out some old boxes—and the nostalgia is hitting like nothing else. 

Surrounded by various papers and bundles and scraps, they sit side by side on the floor of his room and exchange quiet comments as they pass around mementos of years past. The atmosphere is peaceful, hushed, and looking from the tiny kitten on the photographs to the grown up cat next to him, Scar can't help but marvel at how long it's been. 

He never thought he'd get here. 

Stifling a laugh into his palm over the picture of small Kitten with a rubber fish and a beard of foam, Scar adds it to the growing collection. Shifting his weight from one leg to the other, he looks over at Kitten—

And his heart skips a beat. 

Centred in Kitten's padded hands is an assortment of crumpled papers, familiar as anything Scar wouldn't like to recall. Delicately smoothed out and held together with years old tape, the grid pattern has faded away, but he doesn't need to see the scribbles to immediately recognise them and everything that came with.

 

Art of Kitten that xit was never meant to see jumping at him from the frayed scraps, Scar asks, "Are those...?"

"Hm?" Kitten makes a noise that's more cat than anything. "Oh, these? Yeah, you—you drew them for me, didn't you? I remember I kept finding them in your bag."

"Yeah, I remember you kept going through my things like a nosy feline," Scar jokingly gripes. His grin thins at the edges, "I—I do remember these, yeah."

Drawing on patrols, sketch after sketch to block out the mocking, the insults—getting the drawings ripped from him and torn into tiny pieces right in front of his eyes. Sinking to his knees and cradling the pieces in his hands, tears littering the floor.

He kept them as a reminder of his failures. He never thought they would ever become anything more.

"Why were they torn?" Kitten asks after a while of Scar silently staring at his lap. "Did you not like them?"

Scar doesn't reply. Kitten knows about the mistreatment his old team would put him through, but somehow it still feels shameful, even after all these years, to acknowledge that it happened. That he let it happen, and let it go on for as long as it did because he was too weak to stand up for himself. 

Too bad to realise how that weakness was impacting the people around him.

"Scar."

"I did like them," he says suddenly, vehemence splitting from his tongue. "I liked them so much. It's just, I would always draw on missions and I'd get distracted and, well," Scar shrugs, smiling like it's all right past the bitter lump in his throat, "the Isaacs didn't like that."

"Oh."

He doesn't know why it means so much to him. They're only drawings. Stupid doodles of Kitten to chase away the self-loathing that never really left. They're not even good. And yet here he is, decades past and still getting emotional over things that don't matter. It doesn't matter.

He doesn't matter.

"I thought you were the one who tore them," Kitten blurts out. "I thought you didn't like them, and that's why you tore them. I," he breaks off, his tail curls around his legs. 

"Back when I was a kid, I thought it was because you didn't like me."

Guilt grips Scar's chest. All those years ago, when Kitten would curl up in front of a closed door—the drawings were an attempt at something good. To show him how much he appreciated him when words wouldn't come. And he ruined that, and now he's ruined what was meant to be a simple cozy afternoon.

He ruins everything, he's always known. Somehow it still hurts.

 

.

.

.

.

.

Kitten is worried about Scar.

Has been for a while now, and the torn drawings are only the start of it.

The few years during which little bits of tape would stick to his claws were hard on them both, and even years later xit can't stop the cold dark grey of abandonment from creeping up when xit thinks of that awful time. Staying up late waiting for Scar to come home, only to fall asleep and wake the next day to an empty flat—it was soul-sucking.

But he healed. He's not there anymore. Lately, he's not so sure about Scar.

A good few minutes pass before xit decides to speak up.

"It was really hard for you back then, wasn't it?"

Focus sinking into nowhere, Scar jerks as he breaks out of his daze. 

"Huh, what?" 

"Those first few years. When it was just you and me. Taking care of a child while working the way you did at the time can't have been easy," Kitten probes. He doesn't expect anything but the deflection he's come to know, and he wishes Scar would be honest with him. 

He wishes Scar would be honest with himself. 

"Well, I mean—there were some rough patches, yeah," his friend stammers out. "But—"

"You would cry yourself to sleep."

Scar's head shoots up, the dark bags under his eyes never seemed more prominent.

"I heard. Every time."

He looks down, "I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologise," Kitten says quickly. "Just...we keep talking about what it was like for me, yeah? But we never talk about what it was like for you."    

Abruptly, Scar gets up and walks over to the bed, sitting down, rocking back and forth as he pulls his sleeves over his fingers. 

"It's—it doesn't matter. I'm okay now."

Kitten follows, clambering up next to him and peering past the curtain of brown hair at the face hidden beneath. 

"I'm not sure you are."

Scar's expression crumples for a split second.

"Don't worry about me, Kitten," he says. "I'll—it's not your job to look after me."

Kitten scoots closer, xits tail lays itself over his back. Scar doesn't speak and xit doesn't either; words are difficult and xit's content to sit here staring at the old wallpaper, making out dirty kitchens and wine-stained floors in the peeling vinyl. Stillness can hold all the sentences within its grasp, he's learned—he'll never ask for more than what the quiet can give him.

Outside, damning clouds begin to gather as a shuddering inhale stumbles its way out of Scar's lungs.

"Sometimes it felt like it was all for nothing."

The confession breaks the silence, but does not break the gentle swishing motions of Kitten's tail against his spine. 

"It was just—so difficult," he continues, letters spilling out of his mouth like an avalanche of wretched revelations. "Nothing was working. I spread myself thin every day and I still just constantly felt like I was doing it for nothing. And I'm—I'm sorry."

Scar's hands thrust upwards, he trips over another inhale. 

"I tried so hard to do what was best for you and I just ended up hurting you—every time. And I just," he bends his head, swipes at his eyes, "maybe I'm not meant to be good. Maybe it would be better if I just...wasn't."

His features twist, eyebrows inching higher on his forehead; he looks devastated, wrought with grief for what could have been, what he should have been and everything he never was. Decades of regret play in the creases of his skin as he tugs on his hair, blinking rapidly in the way he always does—the way that always fails. 

Kitten was never one for words, but in this moment he thinks that maybe what he struggles to give is what Scar needs. He needs to exist, and touch not meant to hurt can only do so much.

Stillness can hold all the sentences within its grasp, but phantom promises won't stitch up an age-old wound.

"Scar, you did—so much for me," xit says, and Scar's back jumps in a tremor. "For so many people. I wouldn't be here if you weren't."

Eyes squeezed shut, the other emits a low noise, "I hurt you." 

"You talked to me and gave me drawings and found me a therapist. You did more to help than anyone else ever could."

Scar shakes his head, shakes it like Kitten's words are incomprehensible, impossible to believe, and maybe they are. Leaning forward, trembling hands lifting to press to his chin, he curls in on himself, shoulders hunching like a plea—a plea for Kitten to stop saying things that he can't, won't let himself believe are real.

Kitten does not relent. 

"Look, I know you have this fear in you that you'll hurt anyone you rely on but that's not true. You deserve support, that's what we're here for."

"No, I—these are my own struggles, and I—I can deal with it—" 

Scar's voice bounces up like marbles off the wooden floor; the tears he's desperately wiping off his cheeks render his assurances anything but genuine. Clouds descending in the streams of his despair, he's never looked more damaged.

"You took care of me for so long," Kitten says softly, reaching out for a man who won't let himself accept that love never had to be earned. "Let yourself be taken care of, too."

As his friend continues to shake his head in denial, he thinks of a rainy evening, a door left ajar, a room filled with muffled sobs—and he thinks of two friends, both hurt by the world, both having found healing within each other. 

"I like your ears. Remember?"

Scar slumps, defeated. Loud, uncontrollable weeping tears through him like a wildfire and Kitten pulls him close, rubbing a clawed hand over his back, muttering, "Relax. You don't have to be strong all the time."

Raking his claws over quivering vertebrae, listening to choked cries get suppressed against his rumbling chest, he leans back against the blankets and pulls Scar with him, carding thin fingers through long brown strands as his friend settles, trembling, atop his body. Scar's hands are freezing cold, the wire under his feet looms ever farther down below— 

And Kitten knows in this moment that all that he needs is for someone to make sense of him. And xit knows that, finally, xit understands.

And when Scar drapes himself over xit in an instinctual, unguarded yearning to be near, xit drops xits head into the crook of his neck and doesn't look up and begs that this moment would never end. Kitten's heart may not shine, but he would give all the gold in his possession to mend the cracks of Scar's tainted soul.

And as he drifts to a doze with his friend in his arms, he thinks back to the torn drawings—taped together, hidden away as something to be treasured. And xit thinks, maybe broken doesn't have to be forever. 

Under Kitten's hold, for the first time in years, Scar starts to believe that maybe everything he did wasn't for nothing.

[jadetheblade4]

Are They Stupid?

A Dog Man Fanfic by Swirly Twirly

☆☆☆

Summary: Petey escapes Cat Jail, but the local guard that checks up on him is the one on his tail!! Will the shennanigans ever cease... (Takes place somewhere before A Tale Of Two Kitties) (Not a ship thing sorry weirdos but this gal wants to write for the silly of it ^_^)

☆☆☆

Part 1:

It was yet another normal day at Cat Jail, Collardale. The guard was doing his normal everyday rounds, albeit with a positive demeanor. He had been having a great day so far, thinking that nothing much could ruin it. He went to Petey's cell with a skip in his step.

"Gooooooood morning, Petey!" proclaimed the Guard, banging onto the cold metal bars of the cell. Petey, startled by this sudden noise, lifted his head up from his piles of papers and blueprints of escape. His face contorted into an annoyed glance once he saw who it was, his ears turned downward in disinterest.

"Aaaaaand goodbye to you, Guard..." Petey retorts, waving him off and continuing to work on his plans.

The guard chuckled. "Aw, cheer up, buddy! Big Jim and a bunch of other cats are planning on taking a sewing class today. You should join them!"

"Don't call me buddy! Besides, why would I want to be with any of those nut jobs? They're all stupid goofballs that don't have anything better to do with their life!" Petey took great offense in that chuckle, even slightly hissing his words to subconciously tell him to back off.

The guard tilts his head slightly, frowning a bit. "Then...what are you doing with your time?" he questioned, leaning onto the bars of Petey's cell. 

Petey's sneer immediately dissapears the moment he realizes how suspicious he looks. "I- um...Well..." he stutters, trying to find something to pass off as an excuse. Suddenly, his ears perk up, a quick idea passing through his genius mind.

He picked up a piece of paper that was a shopping list of some sort but for evil machinery. The contents didn't matter, though. He turned it over and quickly doodled a crude-looking drawing of the guard and himself holding hands, trying to make it as nice as possible with his ratty artstyle.

"Well, for your information... I'm...drawing a picture!! Of us!! Hanging out or whatever, just come see it!" proclaimed the orange cat, waving the drawing above his head.

The guard's face lights up in glee. "Really, Petey? You drew a picture for me??" he squealed in excitement. He never would've thought that Petey would do something nice for him for a change!

Petey nods convincingly. "Uh huh, just open the cell door and come inside to see it!!"

Unlocking the door to petey's cell, the guard steps inside gleefully. "What does it look like? Oh, I hope you capture my likeness onto it!!"

"Yeah, yeah, here ya go, I made it with care and whatnot, blah blah blah sappy stuff..." Petey shoves the drawing onto the guard, who happily accepted it.  The guard's eyes go wide as he scans the picture. A huge grin spreads across his face. "Aw, Petey, I love it!!! It looks so nice!!! C'mere you!!" He goes over to him and pulls him into a tight and loving hug.

"Oof!" Petey's breath slips out of him as he's trapped in the guard's iron grip. "Ok, man, hands off the merchandise!!" He squirms, trying to get away, but the guy has no plans of letting him go at the moment.

"This is the most thoughtful gift i have ever recieved in my whole entire life!!!! the guard proclaimed, continuing to cuddle him more. He comically spins him around and even kisses his cheek a couple of times, the gift really meaning a lot to him somehow.

"EUGH!! Alright ALRIGHT I GET IT I'm such a great pal now GET OFF!!!" Petey wriggled around his grasp until he popped off. He let out a "hmph!" as he tidied himself up from his sudden invasion of privacy. The guard jumped off to the side, a bit hurt by Petey's sudden cold nature. The orange cat notices his sudden deflate and feels a certain pull in his heart. "I mean, uh, no problem... figured I'd repay you for dealing with my, uh, schemes and stuff..." Petey stuttered, shifting his feet.

The guard's face lights back up again as he looks back at the picture. "Aww, it's nothing, Petey!! Just doing my duty!!" he said. Petey let out a smile, strangely happy about his half-assed drawing. He then shakes his head and tries to focus on the task at hand.

"I was thinking about hanging it up over there on the right side corner of my cell, can ya be a dear and put it there for me?" he bats his eyes innocently and points to said corner. The guard happily agreed. "Of course, dear pal!" He gives him one final hug and rushes to the wall to hang it up.

With a devious smile on his face, he tiptoes out of the cell. "Heheh, what a doofus..." the cat giggled. A few moments later, he escapes from the jail once more. "Ahh, finally! I can get back to doing what i usually do..." He walks back to his lab and breathes a sigh of relief. "The life...OF CRIME!!! HAW HAW HAW!!!!" he announces. The large building echoed his words, alerting the butler from the staircase.

"Heya Petey! Been a while since I've seen you around!!" he quickly steps down and joins him as Petey parades around his home. "Breaking out this time was a bit difficult," Petey went on, "but now things can finally get back on tra-"

A tv at the corner of the supposed room they're in suddenly announces its lovely presence by blaring breaking news from its LD screen. Petey and Butler turn their attention to the tv. It shows none other than Sarah Hatoff,  greatest reporter, in front of the very Cat Jail Petey just escaped from moments ago.

"BREAKING NEWS, FELLOW CITIZENS OF COLLARDALE!!!" Sarah declared. "We are currently receiving reports of a runaway warden of sorts from the Cat Jail looking for a certain fiendish feline...PETEY!!!" A mugshot of his face is shown on the screen right next to a goofy-looking photo of the guard, to which Petey frowns upon. "He informs us that if we see the cat anywhere to report to him...and...only him." Sarah scratched her head in confusion. "Huh. Guess the police aren't needed. This is Sarah Hatoff, signing out."

The butler turned to Petey. "Huh, I guess you don't need to, after all!" he said with a dumbass smile on his face. Petey grimaces and pinches the middle of his forehead in frustration. "AAUGH....Why is there always SOMETHING to ruin the mood..." he groaned, marching up the steps to the lab's roof with the butler following right behind. 

Up above, Petey and the butler scan their surroundings. The day-to-day hustle and bustle of the city rings out from below, showing no sign of anything unusual. The butler tilts his head. "Nobody here yet..." he muttered.

The orange cat crossed his shoulders and shook his head. "...Hmph! What am I even worried about anyways?!?" He laughed at how absurd he was acting at the moment to save face as he started walking back towards the stairs. "This lab is one of the most discrete and perfectly hidden buildings in all of the city of Collardale! It'll take a while before-"

A loud buzz-like sound suddenly calls out and the pair jumped in suprise. Petey rushed back and leaned over the roof once more to see a tiny guard waiting patiently at the door, pressing the goddamn buzzer.

"HOW DID HE FIND MY LAB!?!" Petey screamed. He quickly covered his mouth and dragged Butler down to the ground before Guard could see up above. He grabbed his butler by the shirt and whispered, "How did he find my lab?!?!?!"

The butler shrugged. "Gee, Petey, I don't have a clue how the guy could think of coming here."

"Hmm...strange." Petey let him go and scratched his head. He peered over the roof to look at his big fat-ass "PETEY'S SECRET LAB" sign. "Oh, by the way, I think you need to change a few of the lightbulbs on my lab's sign this weekend. A few of them are starting to fade out."

The butler rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'll buy lightbulbs later this evening, I guess..." he muttered again, peering over and looking at the sign with him.

Petey raised his eyebrow. "Also, quit muttering and mumbling so much, it's starting to irritate me >:( ."

The guard pressed the buzzer again. His hand contained a small piece of paper. "Helloooo?"  he called out. "I'm an authority from the local Cat Jail! Is anyone home?" He looked up at the tall building, to which Petey noticed just in time and ducked. Unfortunately, the butler ducked a bit too late, therefore leading the guard to only catch sight of him and not Petey.

"Oh, hey there! I just wanted to ask a couple of questions, if ya don't mind!!" he shouted from below to up above. The butler pops out again and gives a thumbs up, then goes down again.

Petey facepalms himself and groans annoyingly. He then faces the butler, who smiled sheepishly.

"You better not tell him im here. In fact, make him regret coming here in the first place!! I don't wanna be involved with the guy any further!!" he yelled, grudgingly going downstairs.

The butler shifted uneasily in place. "Uh, sure, Petey... I'll see what I can do, I guess..." he mumbled once more as he followed the grumpy cat.

[givemea-dam-break]

because of her (locklyle)

a/n: i promise part 2 for that funny feeling is coming out soon by @portlandrowismyhome inspired this and i needed to get it out of my system before i imploded. hope you enjoy my loves <3

warnings: big sad - LISTEN THIS TIME GUYS, spoilers for the end of the hollow boy taglist: @neewtmas @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @waitingforthesunrise @aayeroace @introvertedbookwormsstuff @toburnmykruge

Lucy Carlyle was in dire need of a new pen.

She'd nicked this one from the Fittes furnaces during a source drop-off a month or two ago after the last one ran out, but already it was at its unfortunate end. She scribbled and scribbled but nothing would come out except pathetic little scratches of faded black ink.

Angrily, she tossed the pen away, narrowly missing her overflowing bin. She really needed to take that out soon.

"What's got you in a toss?"

She scowled. "None of your business."

The skull in her silverglass jar remained stuck to the bottom, but the glowing spectral green light formed a horrific face with bulging, curious eyes. She couldn't be fussed with Skull today, and, really, she should've closed the latch on the top of his jar, but it felt like she was rooted to her bed, and he was too far away to just twist it shut.

"Of course it is! We're Skull and Co, remember? Skull and Lucy!"

"We're not anything," she insisted.

"Still hung up on Lockwood, then. Nothing's changed. But why would you still be so sad about him when I'm right here, offering you the best company you could ever hope for?"

"I'm not hung up on Lockwood," Lucy said.

But she was.

She missed Portland Row with every fibre of her being and she longed to go back, but she couldn't. Not after last November, after what the Fetch had told her. She couldn't risk Lockwood's life simply because she missed him.

And, oh, how she missed him.

She looked down at the notebook in her lap, at the scrawling handwriting littering so many of the pages. Every page held something she wanted to tell him, words that would never leave the lined paper and cross into the world of spoken words. She wrote of the things she would so excitedly tell him and George after running errands, or something funny she found in the newspaper. Now... well, she didn't live with them anymore. There was only a mouldy old skull and Lucy, now.

The first entry had been the worst. It had been the morning after one of her first cases as an independent agent, hired for a job by Rotwell's, and she'd been heading out to grab some food. On her way, she'd bought the latest newspaper to give her something to do instead of wallowing in her sadness, because sometimes they had those little crossword puzzles in them. And right there, front and centre was the stupidest picture of Quill Kipps she had ever seen! He was captured mid-sentence, mouth wide open and eyes squinting, his hip jutting out to the side and looking like an idiot. She had rushed home as quickly as she could after getting her food, excited to show Lockwood the picture she knew he would find hilarious and -

He wasn't there. He never would be. For this was her flat, not 35 Portland Row, and there was Skull leering at her.

Holly would've picked up a newspaper on her way to Portland Row, Lucy realised, and she would be the one to show Lockwood.

It left a horrible bitterness in her mouth, and she couldn't shut her front door quick enough. But, all day, the thought ran amock through her head. She needed to write it down, get it out.

And so she did. For months. The notebook was almost full of her ramblings and little newspaper clippings. Sometimes, she cut up the magazines she would accidentally buy for him, sticking in a segment with the kind of gossip he would find particularly interesting and writing her little notes at the side. Other times, she'd read them before ripping them apart in a fit of rage mixed with regret. The worst ones were the ones with his face in them, but she never ripped those. Ever.

She often wondered if he did the same for her. If there were things he saw that reminded him of her, things so profound that he had to write them down to simply get it out of his mind for a moment. It was unlikely. After how things had ended, what with him storming off and leaving her at that café, and her early morning disappearance while they all slept, she couldn't imagine he would think of her often. If anything, it was entirely likely that he was forgetting about her. The recent newspapers were an indication of that.

The pain was worth it, or so she tried to convince herself. No amount of missing Portland Row or its inhabitants was worth his life.

"Ha! That's a sour face if I've ever seen one."

She turned angrily to look at Skull. "What are you jabbering on about now, you horrid thing?"

Skull's face morphed into something grotesque. "Horrid thing, eh? And here I was thinking we were finally getting along."

"You're a skull!" she cried.

"And you're a pathetic, lovesick girl who can't keep her flat clean for the life of her!"

"Oh, if you weren't a ghost I would strangle you."

"You could damn well try. You and I are the same, you forget! Both lonely, both with only one person to truly understand us. You're alone; you need me."

And though she hated to admit it, she did. What would she do without Skull's incessant jibes? It would give her far too much time to dwell on her decision, and she was already doing enough of that.

She looked down at today's entry, fingers skimming over the shape of his name as if it were his face. Each loop a curve of his cheek or chin, every line the shape of his nose. Saw a rapier in the corner bit with agency equipment, it looked like something Lockwood would buy. All fancy and bejewelled. Pretentious prick.

If she closed her eyes, she could imagine he was there with her. She could hear his laugh at something George had said, feel his very presence so strongly it was as if he was really there next to her, reading the entries in the notebook. He'd be correcting the grammar mistakes in his annoyingly pretty handwriting.

You've gone soft, he'd say. Where are the insults? You used to mock me.

No, she thought. No, she thought the world of him. He may have a far-too-high opinion of himself. He may be reckless and infuriating and so damned secretive, but, god, he was so much more than that. He was the boy who gave her a home, who would make her tea in the morning and hand her a plate of biscuits when she was in a bad mood. He was the first person she felt truly appreciated by for something other than her Talents. Lucy would give him everything if he so much as asked for it.

But she couldn't go home.

That was the one thing she could never give him. Her. Because she would be the thing that killed him, the reason for his recklessness. She couldn't live with herself if he died for her.

"Oh, stop moping! You've got things to do!"

Lucy was sick of Skull. She flung the notebook aside and stormed over to the kitchen counter, which was all but five steps away, and twisted the latch at the top of the silverglass jar. Skull was still speaking, more angrily now, and she could imagine the obscene things he was saying to her, but she didn't care. She needed the quiet.

She could do this. She could live on her own, making her own money. She'd be able to forget about Lockwood and his warm, bronze-and-copper eyes; Lockwood and his charming smile that sent butterflies down into her stomach; Lockwood and his affirmations and brief touches and...

"Shut up!" she told herself.

If he were here, Lockwood would tell her to cheer up, to not think about things too hard. He'd make her a brew, hand her the Digestives, and give her complete control of the TV remote, much to George's dismay. He'd flash that wonderful grin of his, tell her that she was Lucy Carlyle and had nothing to worry about, not as long as they were together. They were a team after all.

Were.

Because they never would be again.

Because of her.

Because of Lucy.

[theoddcatlady]

I'm Addicted to Eating Bugs

I suppose it started small, like all addictions do. I was in the first grade, having some corner time because I threw a crayon at Brandon's head. He totally deserved it but that's another story for another day.

Anyway, I was facing the brick wall, imagining horrible fates for this jerk of a classmate when I heard a quiet buzzing. I looked by my feet to see an old cobweb, spider long gone but the dusty threads still managing to capture a fly. It wiggling and squirmed and if I hadn't interfered it probably would have gotten loose and carried on with its life. But before I realized it I had plucked the fly free and placed it in my mouth.

It buzzed furiously and it took all my willpower not to giggle, it was really ticklish. If I laughed, I'd end up opening my mouth and away it would go. I prodded at it with my tongue, feeling its wings flap uselessly against my cheek before I ended its life between my molars.

I swallowed and felt a lot better about things. Who cared about stupid Brandon anyway?

To be fair, kids eat stupid shit all the time. Glue, crayons, paper, I used to know a kid who ate sand and thought he was really stupid. Then again, I was only in the sandbox to hunt down ladybugs, so maybe I didn't have room to judge. But all those kids left their weird eating habits behind. I didn't. Instead, my habit grew.

At recess I'd spend all my time hunting bugs. I'd bring along a lil bug box and my teacher would just assume I'd want to study the insect world and let me be.

The easiest to find were worms on a day it had just rained. Those lil buggers were everywhere on the paving stones. Unfortunately they also had the least amount of payout. Worms taste like dirt. I mean, who's surprised though? Caterpillars were a lot better, so squishy but still slow enough for me to catch. Crickets and grasshoppers were a real pain in the neck. I had to learn to be patient and wait for the right moment to strike. If I didn't wait for the right moment, I would end up clapping my hands down on nothing at all.

But oh man, were they worth the effort. I didn't like putting them in my mouth alive so much, they kicked too much, but they had so much flavor and crunch. If I managed to find a grasshopper while hunting, I would consider myself one lucky kiddo.

I was never officially caught eating bugs until a few years later. I knew I had to keep my secret quiet. But when I was in fourth grade my class got a pet lizard named Lizzy. I know, really creative on names here, but we were kids so give us a break. But Lizzy needed to eat crickets a few times a week. I felt almost validated watching her munch down on them. But I also felt jealous. She could eat crickets whenever she wanted. I wished I could do that.

One winter day I decided to steal some of Lizzy's crickets. During recess I'd gone back to the classroom to get something from my desk when I realized I was all alone. This was my only chance to indulge. I crept up to the lizard cage, where the small cricket container was placed beside it. I opened up the top, snaked a handful of crickets, and threw those little buggers right in my mouth.

I had just closed my eyes when I heard someone gasp. I turned and saw Gabrielle, her jaw dropped as she stared at me. I'm pretty sure a cricket leg was poking out of my mouth too.

And of course, Gabrielle being a teacher's pet, she ran off screaming ‘Keith is eating Lizzy's crickets!’

I swallowed, feeling a lump form in my chest. My secret was out.

I managed to play it off as a joke, a one time thing. I was just curious as to why Lizzy liked eating crickets so much. I think Mr. Martinez found it hilarious. He ended up bringing roasted crickets to class next week, taking this moment to teach us how other cultures enjoyed eating all kinds of bugs and prepping them in unique ways.

I never felt more sick in my life. Although being salted and cooked did bring out the flavor, I ended up barfing it up later. It just. Wasn't the same. They were barely even bugs anymore. It was just like eating potato chips or almonds. There was no thrill of the hunt. None of that excitement as they squirm in your mouth. The joy when you bite down, taking out a leg or maybe slicing them right down the abdomen.

I did try to stop after that. I really did. I didn't want to get picked on anymore and maybe it was a little weird that I kept eating bugs.

But here's the real problem. If I don't sate my appetite on bugs, I start craving… bigger things.

The whole glass was horrified to come in one morning to find Lizzy had disappeared, the lid tipped off the cage and our class pet nowhere to be seen. Much to my amusement, fingers were pointed at Gabrielle, as she was the one who fed Lizzy the day before. She swore up and down that she fastened the cage lid on tight, but it didn't matter. We tore that room apart and Lizzy was just gone.

I participated in the search, although I had no reason to. I knew exactly where Lizzy was. In my belly.

I didn't know why I had gone back to class that day, I just knew I needed to. I was alone, me and that lizard. I felt like I was on autopilot as I opened the cage and plucked Lizzy out by the tail. I dangled her over my mouth before I snapped her head clean off. Blood dripped in my mouth, a new feeling I had never gotten before with bugs. It felt so damn good.

When the high wore off though I felt so guilty I nearly threw her back up. I didn't, because that would really be a waste, I just got out of there. That night at dinner I didn't eat a damn thing, I claimed I had a tummy ache and that wasn't a lie. But I knew the cause wasn't that 24 hour flu bug going around.

So yeah. I realized quickly that maybe there are worse things than eating bugs. Winters were always the hardest, I had to make due with ants in the kitchen and daddy long legs in the basement. To my credit, I've only ‘snapped’ once since then, it was Christmas vacation at grandma's house and I just hadn't had the time to hunt. That poor cat. Everyone just assumed a wild animal had gotten to poor Fluffy, meanwhile I was trying to discreetly pick long white fur out from in between my teeth.

It's gotten simultaneously harder and easier as an adult. Harder as I need to eat a lot more bugs to keep the cravings at bay, easier as now I can just go to the pet store and clean out their supply of feeder crickets and mealworms. The cashier there thinks I'm cute and usually gives me a discount. She keeps asking to meet my geckos and I have to keep making excuses as to why she can't.

If the cravings get bad, I hit up another pet store and buy a few mice, maybe a hamster or a gerbil too if it sounds good. I eat those suckers while binge watching Netflix, sucking on the long tails and reducing their skulls to paste. It has worked for me so far. I don't have a girlfriend, but I have a decent social life. I think it's probably for the best I don't have a family. I don't want to snap one day around a small child, I’d never forgive myself.

But I'm a good uncle to my sister's kids. I send them gifts and always tell them cool bug facts, which they love to hear, especially the younger one, Ellie.

However… I think I caught Ellie with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar last week. The cookie jar in this case was a spider's web, and a fly wing poking out of her lips.

She said she was just curious as to why spiders ate flies, but I'm gonna be keeping an eye on her.

[lisutarid-a]

[Gakuen K] Totsuka Tatara Route Translation

GOOD ENDING

Even after graduation

LIST OF CHAPTERS

[Translation under the cut]

Kamamoto: Yata-san, I'm glad you somehow managed to move up…

Yata: Don't say "somehow"! I just took it seriously, that's why.

Saya: I wonder if we'll be able to see Yata-kun's seriousness in the third year?

Yata: That is…

Kamamoto: We will see it, right?

Yata: Y-Yeah, I'll show you! Don't be scared, you two!

Saya: Fufu, he ran away.

Kamamoto: Waaah. I am so glad that I was able to celebrate the closing ceremony with Yata-san.

Saya: Kamamoto-kun really has a soft spot for Yata-kun, doesn't he?

Kamamoto: Because, you know. If he became my kohai, I wouldn't know how to address him, right?

Kamamoto: I still respect him and would like to continue to call him "Yata-san". But it would look strange from the outside.

Saya: It sure would… Uhm, I'm glad we were all able to move up.

Totsuka: Oi-i. Come here, everyone!

Saya: Totsuka-senpai.

Totsuka: It's long awaited closing ceremony of the school year, right? So come on, everyone, smile. I'll capture it on camera.

Yata: Totsuka-san, that kind of thing should be done at the graduation ceremony.

Totsuka: Well-well, it doesn't matter. You see, I couldn't graduate for some reasons.

Totsuka: Okay, Yata. A few words about the joy of moving on!

Yata: A- A few words!? Let's see…If it were in my hands, there'd be no such thing as a test-

Totsuka: Wow, that's going to be a long comment. Can you please keep it to two seconds? I'm running out of time.

Yata: Ha!? It was…"Easy win"!

Totsuka: Thank you. Next one is Kamamoto!

Kamamoto: I can't think of anything. I'm hungry, so let's have lunch.

Totsuka: Uhm, a bit later. Last but not least…you!

Saya: Me!?

Totsuka: That's right. Since you're the last performer, make it straightforward.

Saya: It's, em…

Saya: I will do my best next year!

Totsuka: Ahaha. That's ordinary. It's so like you.

Saya: …I'm really glad that senpai is back.

Totsuka: Fufu. How many times I've heard that, I wonder.

Saya: I'll say it over and over again. Because I'm really happy.

Saya: I was a little prepared for that. I thought I would never see you again. Because I hadn't heard from you at all.

Totsuka: …Uhm.

Saya: That's why I'm so happy. I absolutely hated the thought of that being left behind.

Totsuka: That?

Saya: These are senpai's belongings that were left in the classroom. Anna-sensei asked me to take care of them.

Totsuka: Oh, is that so. I see, no wonder I can't find them.

Totsuka: By the way. Do you know where my diploma is?

Saya: Yeah, I have it too.

Totsuka: What a reli-ief. I heard that a diploma is a very important thing.

Totsuka: Worst case scenario, I won't be able to enter the university. That's strange, even though it's just a piece of paper.

Saya: University…You'll enter the university without any problems.

Totsuka: Thanks to you. I wonder if I can somehow manage to get the money I need for tuition.

Totsuka: I have to study hard for that, so I don't think I would be able to visit the club room as often as Kusanagi-san.

Totsuka: I want to spend time with you, but there will be days when I won't be able to do it. I might make you feel lonely.

Saya: …It's all right, nothing to worry about.

Saya: As long as you don't lose contact with me suddenly or disappear for a long time, I'm fine with that.

Totsuka: I'm really sorry about that…But it's nice to hear you say so.

Totsuka: I'm like this, but I look forward to being around you even after graduation.

[Prev: Extra][Next: Normal ending]

[dia-souls]

Diabolik lovers Angel and Devil Story [ Chapter 06 ]

Chapter 06 : What is love

Hearts that are far apart can only be reunited with love. This bond becomes eternal. Because its name is love. Love, the name that can light up a dark heart and turn a devil into an angel. But the angel who can save him is far from him. She sees his love and feels it. She wants to save him, but the devil avoids her because he has accepted a dark fate.

The world that exists in the world full of love and affection of an angel is even more beautiful than a rainbow. The beautiful angel wants to give this beauty to the devil. A beautiful world that can pull the devil out of the heart of his history once and for all and give him a new life.

Every day the angel sings her lullaby under the silver moonlight. With the hope that one day it will reach the sky and touch the blue heart of the sky. The beautiful moonlight becomes brighter every day, listening to the heavenly angel's lullaby. And the devil who hides in the dark every day to hear this lullaby.

_Yui is walking in the school corridor. She holds her bag tightly and thinks about Ruki in her imagination.

Yui: (My meetings with Riko-san might be dangerous. What if Ruki-kun finds out? Something bad might happen, but still...)

_Yui was happy to meet Riko. Very happy. She didn't want to leave this happiness and be alone again. She liked to talk to Riko. At least Riko listened to her words.

Yui: (I like talking to him. Unlike Ruki-kun, Riko-san listens to me and respects my thoughts.)

*Ding dong*

Upon hearing the school bell, all students go to their classes. Yui walks slowly to her class.

Yui: (No matter how hard I try, but my heart always thinks of Ruki-kun. I don't know why? What is the reason for this feeling?)

Teacher: Dear students, open your books.

Yui: (If I want to know the reason for this feeling, I must first know Ruki-kun)

The teacher starts his lesson. But Yui is not paying attention to the class. She thinks about the boy who captured her whole mind. What is the reason for this strange feeling? Why is she trying to know a devil better? Why is she trying to save a devil from the dark world? The devil who captured her and stole the color of freedom from her.

*TIMESKIP*

*Ding dong*

Teacher: Have a nice day.

_All the students leave the class. Yui slowly leaves the classroom in the crowd of students and goes to the library. When she opens the library door, she realizes that the library is empty and there are no students there.

Yui: There is no one here. Scary and quiet. At least no one bothers me here and I can study in peace.

_Yui goes to the study table and sits on the chair.

Yui: I wish Riko-san was here too.

_Yui continues to read her book.

*Tick ​​tock* *tick tock*

Yui: (If one day I am free, I will fly to reach the top......)

_Yui is reading a book when a warm hand touches her shoulder and Yui gets a little scared.

Yui: Kyah?!

Riko: Oh, I'm sorry, Yui-san. Did I scare you? I didn't want to scare you. Sorry.

Yui: Oh, it's you. No, it's okay, I was just thinking about something.

_Riko sits on the chair next to Yui.

Riko: What were you thinking about?

Yui: Well, honestly, it doesn't matter.

Riko: Are you okay, Yui-san? I feel that you seem a little upset. If you have a problem, you can tell me. I can help you .

Yui: No, you can't help me with this problem. But don't worry. I will be fine, I just need some time.

Riko: I understand.

Yui: ......... (I hope he is not upset.)

Riko: Really, Yui-san. I brought a new poem. This is one of my favorite poems from Namika-San's book. I'm sure you haven't read this one. So I really like to read this poem for you.

Yui: Of course. I really like to hear this poem.

Riko: I will read it to you now.

_Riko took out a piece of paper from his bag and started reading the text on it.

*Flip*

Riko:

My heart belongs to you, my beautiful beloved.

Please open your eyes so that I am not alone in this darkness.

Hold my hand so I can feel your warmth.

Talk to me so that I can feel your presence by my side.

Although we are far from each other, my heart is with you.

Whenever I think of you, my heart beats faster.

I smile whenever I think of you with a beautiful dream.

I want to be with you.

I have many reasons, but I will summarize it in three words.

I love you .

Love is the only word that can express all my feelings in one word.

Although it is difficult. But I love you.

Yui: ......

Riko: It's beautiful. Isn't it ?

Yui: Yes. it is so beautiful. (I want to be with you. I have many reasons, but I will summarize it in three words. I love you...)

Riko: Yui-san?

Yui: Riko-san. Can I ask you a question?

Riko: Sure. What question do you want to ask?

Yui: What is love?

Riko: ........!

Yui: I apologize. I think I asked a stupid question. It's really embarrassing. Sorry if I...

Riko: No, no. This is not a stupid question at all. I just wondered why you suddenly asked this question? Maybe it has something to do with the poem I read?

Yui: Maybe. But do you think love is true?

Riko: What do you think?

Yui: I... honestly... I don't know. I like to believe that love is real, but what if it's just a childish thought?

Riko: Fufu......

Yui: ......! Riko-san, what are you laughing at?

Riko: I'm sorry. I didn't want to laugh. But you are very cute. The words you say are very sweet and lovely.

Yui: Oh, thank you.

Riko: I'm sure love is true. Honestly, I feel that if there was no love in the world, people could not live. Right ?

Yui: What makes you so sure?

Riko: Well, because I experienced it myself.

Yui: Really?

Riko: Yes. I have a very good family who love me in every way. The love of my family shows me that love and affection is real and exists.

Yui: Family love?

Riko: Yes, that's right. Well, love is not always the same. Right? We can see love everywhere. There is always love in the heart of a parent. Siblings always love each other. Close friends support each other with their love for each other. And a lover can give his beautiful love to his beloved.

Yui: Oh..... (Hearing these words gives me a lot of hope. But even with these beautiful words, I can say that it's not true for everyone. For example, I didn't see any love between the Sakamaki brothers, but I can say absolutely about the Mukamis. It's the other way around. But my father.......)

Riko: How are you, Yui-san? Is there someone you love from the bottom of your heart?

Yui: Well, I don't have a big family. Actually, I lived with my father in the church. My father was strict, but I always love him.

Riko: You lived? So who do you live with now?

Yui: .......! Well..... I...... (I don't want to lie and hide anything anymore). I now live with four brothers named Mukami brothers.

Riko: What happened to your father?

Yui: He is on a mission. But he will return soon and I will return to him.

Riko: Do ​​you mind if I know more about the Mukami brothers? Are they related to you?

Yui: Well, not really. I have no relationship with them. In fact, the church sent me there. And I must obey the orders of my father and the church even if it is not according to my desire and I don't like it.

Riko: Do ​​you feel uncomfortable with those boys?

Yui: Oh...! No, no, I didn't mean that at all...... Honestly....... Honestly, I just......

*Ding dong* *ding dong*

Yui: Oh, that was the sound of the bell (thank God). I have to go faster.

_Yui hurriedly puts her things in her bag and runs to the library door.

Riko: I'll see you tomorrow, Yui-san.

Yui: Okay, sure. Bye.

*TIMESKIP*

Mukami and Yui brothers are eating around the table.

Kou: Hey, Yuma, that's mine.

Yuma: Shut up. Ya finished all the food. This one is mine.

Kou: Huh? You are so mean. At least respect your older brother.

Yuma: Hehehe... It's not bad if ya share the food fairly with the others.

Ruki: You two stop it right now. Do not forget to be polite when eating.

Yui: (They really act like kids sometimes. Fufu it is so cute. It kind of feels like a real family)

Kou: Hey, M-Neko-chan. Can you help me with something today?

Yui: Of course Kou-kun. I will help you no matter what.

Yuma: Oi Kou. She promised to help me in the garden. Don't try to steal my assistant.

Kou: Haha assistant? When did you become so close to M-Neko-chan?

Yuma: It has nothing to do with ya.

Yui: Calm down. I will help both of you. I can do both.

Azusa: Eve. Can you..... help me..... with something too?

Yui: Of course. (Oh my God. I have a long day ahead of me.)

*TIMESKIP*

_Yui tiredly goes to her room. As soon as she enters the room, she goes to her bed and lies down on it.

Yui: Pwah..... It was a very difficult day. I worked almost all day. I could not read my poetry book today.

Yui: (I helped Kou-kun choose clothes, Yuma-kun with gardening, and Azusa-kun with cleaning his knives. I'm very tired today. I feel sleepy while it's still early at night.)

*knock knock*

Yui: .....! Yes?

_Ruki enters Yui's room.

Yui: Oh Ruki-kun, did you have anything to do with me?

Ruki: Were you asleep? I can't believe it's still early in the night. Are you so tired?

Yui: Well, to be honest, I worked a lot today, that's why I feel tired.

Ruki: Hmmm... I see.

Yui: Is something wrong, Ruki-kun?

Ruki: I wanted to ask you to help me in cooking, but apparently you can't do it.

Yui: ......! (Cooking with Ruki-kun!)

Ruki: Well, then I will go.

Yui: No, no, Ruki-kun. Wait.

_Yui quickly gets up from her bed and goes to Ruki.

Yui: I want to help you cook.

Ruki: Are you sure? You said you are very tired.

Yui: No, I really want to help you. I am not that much tired.

Ruki: Hmph.....So come with me.

_Ruki and Yui leave the room together and head towards the kitchen.

Yui: (This is a very good opportunity. I can get close to Ruki-kun in this way.)

_Ruki and Yui enter the kitchen together.

Ruki: Well, first of all, go wash your hands. Then put on the apron that is there so that we can start our work.

Yui: Okay, sure.

_Yui follows Ruki's orders one after another and they start cooking.

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: Well, Ruki-kun. What do you think?

_Ruki eats the soup that Yui has prepared.

*Sluuurp*

Ruki: Hmmmmm...... Well, actually not bad for someone like you.

Yui: Fufu, thank you, I'm glad you liked it.

Ruki: Let's continue.

Yui: Of course.

_While Yui and Ruki are cooking together in the kitchen. Mukami brothers talk about them.

Kou: No guys. Do you think Ruki's behavior has not changed at all?

Azusa: Yes, he has...... become much..... kinder since he decided....... to spend more..... time with...... Eve.

Yuma: Yes, I understand.

Kou: Fufu seems like our older brother is entrusting his heart to someone else.

Azusa: But didn't Ruki say...... that our duty..... is only to...... wake Adam up? We cannot...... become..... Adam. So this...... is not a mistake?

Yuma: Who cares, as long as he is fine, let him enjoy this happiness. In any case, we rarely see Ruki smiling. But today he really smiled.

Kou: Did Ruki smile?

Yuma: Yes. When I was working with her in the garden, Ruki was watching us and I saw Ruki smiling at her and looking at her with a kind look.

Azusa: Ruki seems..... to be getting...... attached to Eve. I never...... thought Ruki..... would wake up to...... hear her voice.

Kou: What? What are you talking about?

Azusa: I heard a..... beautiful voice..... at night. The sound...... of a..... lullaby. It was like..... the voice of...... goddesses. Then I realized...... that it was....... Eve's voice. One day, when..... I woke up with....... Eve's voice, I realized...... that Ruki..... was standing..... behind Eve's room..... and listening...... to her lullaby.

Kou: Oh my God. It's like Ruki-kun is really attracted to M-Neko-chan.

Yuma: Hey, be careful not to say these words in front of Ruki.

Azusa: Why? Yuma, I'm sure...... even Ruki himself...... doesn't know..... about his feelings..... for Eve. We have..... to help him...... to understand...... how much he...... loves her.

Yuma: That's exactly why I'm saying it. If we say these things to him, he will only get angry. Instead, we should try to bring these two closer together. In this way, Ruki also realizes his true feelings.

Kou: I agree. Let's make a good plan for them.

Azusa: Fufu, this seems...... very exciting. I really like to see..... both Eve..... and Ruki happy.

*TIMESKIP*

_Ruki and Yui finished their cooking and are preparing the dinner table.

Yui: Wow. It is finally ready. It looks very good.

Ruki: Yes, I think it is very good. It took a long time for the food to be prepared. Thanks to your distraction. But anyway, the result seems to be good. Well, thank you.

Yui: .....!

Ruki: You helped me a lot. Not just me You helped us all today, so thank you.

Yui: You're welcome. I am glad that I helped you.

Ruki: But this is not enough.

_Ruki approaches Yui and bends his face towards Yui.

Ruki: As your master, I would like to give you a wonderful reward for what you have done.

_Ruki holds Yui's waist with his hand and starts kissing Yui's lips.

*smooch smooch*

Yui: ........! (Did he kiss me? I can't believe it.)

Ruki: Haha. What happened? Were you surprised? Your face is red. It's so weird that I kiss you. Well, if you're always a good girl, I'll reward you more.

*smooch smooch*

Ruki: You were a good girl today. So you deserve this reward.

*smooch*

Ruki: Mmmm...

Yui: Mmmm..... Ruki-kun?

Ruki: Shhh... you don't need to say anything. Just be calm and give yourself to me. I will give you a unique experience.

Yui: ......

Ruki: Well done, good girl.

*smooch*

Ruki: Yui. Please always stay like this.

Ruki continues to kiss Yui, creating a sweet and romantic experience for the blonde girl. Yui closes her eyes and happily enjoys this gift. As if they gave her the best gift in the world. Yui can't help but smile softly.

monologue

Please always stay like this.

He whispers these words in my ear.

His embrace is warm.

His kisses are sweet.

I want to always stay like that. As he said.

<– [ Chapter 05 ] [ Chapter 07 ] –>

[carinelian]

02272024 | notes on writing

These days, it's getting harder to separate hobbies from means of living. On most days, I can tell whether I'm doing something as a means of living, something for survival, or something as simple as a human being.

On most days, I also delude myself that it's all a matter of compartmentalization. Like choosing which clothes to wear for the day. Except the world is burning, all my clothes are worn down and made for a time long past, and even if I went out butt-naked, there's no way I'm coming out of it unscathed. That's what writing feels like for me, as of late. Or living, in general.

Maybe someday I can flesh out a timely piece on late-stage capitalism, how creative work is reduced to content, the essence of separating fiction and reality, and all the ways they influence each other without being mistaken as one and the same. We're living through an ongoing health and climate crisis, multiple genocides, and rotting from the inside out thanks to decades of exploitation and systemic ills. Global fuckening to the highest, most damning scale. I wish this is fiction. The context behind that thought terrifies me.

I wish I can save the serious writing for when it really, really counts, but as it stands, tomorrow isn't promised. Never was.

That's what spurred me on, to write this little note. I think I'll be writing more. I have my WIPs, I have my vague little scenarios in my head that will probably haunt me until they get their well-deserved 100K novel, and these occasional trains of thought that derail and create their own train tracks in my mind. There's also the shitstorm that's going on in real life, real time. There's no neat shelf for me to separate the things I care about and things I don't, because it affects us all.

To write online, without capturing all the possible nuances of whatever the fuck it is you're writing about, is an invitation to be flayed alive. For this reason, I shied away from writing about things that matter to me -- much like this one -- because shutting up means no trouble. No room for mistake. After all, what's there to criticize?

But then I realized, well, it's a sad way for a writer to live (at least for me), knowing that writing has been long ingrained in my life. It's a hobby. It's a means of living (hopefully *side-eyes publishers*), and it's a means of survival, with the way it calms me down and is an outlet for my anxieties. It's a way of life, it's not all of me, but it's a HUGE part of me.

Where was I going with this? Oh yeah. Fiction and real-world issues overlap. They bleed into what I write, regardless of whether or not I permit it, and I look for fiction -- hope for fiction -- in the face of staggering, depressing, and bleak reality. Perhaps the intersection here is where fiction is supposed to inspire you to take meaningful action in real life. And real life finds its way to fiction, one way or another, in the little bits and pieces of us writers that we leave in our stories. I'm so chronically online that I could think of a thousand ways critics can gut this paragraph like a fish and come up with the worst meanings.

But then again, maybe the people who need some comfort will find it, too. Maybe people will add into it, I learn something new, and we ALL learn something new. If you're having complicated feelings about writing, questioning what the fuck is it to you, trying to deal with that maddening shelf -- well, here I am. Write whatever the fuck you want to write. Write loudly, unapologetically, meaningfully, purposefully. May your words add a little bit of hope. And if doesn't, may it free you, may it release you, may it provide some relief. Or if you're out there to disturb, then do it. Put your horrors and your fears into paper. Trap them with ink. Slap them with periods and put a name on whatever haunts you.

Write, for fuck's sake. And this is a reminder to myself, in the most literal sense.

[speakyskelly-1999]

omg look a time away from that moment

so i'll talk about sailor moon now

have i collected my thoughts. no

do i have coherent thoughts about it, no

shall i try to write a reasonably length review about it, maybe

and so with out further ado

sailor moon

so the only way i can conceve to like split this up is by characters and then do like a plot review at the end maybe. please note i didn't re read what i'd already put cos i can;t be asked so sorry if i repeat myself or contradict myslef (tbf the latter would be due to finishing the show). also this will have spoilers sorry

okay so

ugasi

based character. really feels her age. she's like such an ally. her development across the first season is just great. her crying, a feature i thought would be really annoying, was actually balanced really well. HER REACTION TO SEEING HER FRIENDS DIE FUCKING HELL. like i teared up and it broke my other friend. i didn't care as much for the endymion bit cos i'm here for the female friendships and not so much the relationship but saying that it was really well done. the fact that she was able to put everything on the line for the rest of humanity giving even given i still consider her to be a pretty selfish magical girl protagonist up until that point was amazing. i think that it for now moving on

Ami

i like her booksexual nature why did she need a boyfriend? okay but in all seriousness dispite being a more arcityple character than usagi she's still done really well. it's weird cos on paper i would normally describe her as a bit boring but she's surprisingly well rounded. and as much as i would have liked her to stay more ace coded, giving her the guy she likes and also being the only one in a 'proper' relationship at the end of the show, it did stuff to distinguish her from the others a bit more at the fact that she it a lot more sensible about her crush but that only extending so far. also giving her someone outside the group to care for rased the stakes at the end for her character

rei

man she's great. first it's helerious that she just has powers outside the hole sailor solider stuff. and it's kinda tragic how she just has to take the high road when it comes to usagi and mamoru. like it fucking sucks that the guy she really likes is just destined to end up with your friend who also likes him and just having no say in it. evidently hurting just as mush as usagi when he's captured but just not allowed to show it. her relationship with usagi is so good cos all they really do is belittle each other but then to be the last one left with usagi and taking out two (i think it was 2) of the enemies for her at the end. like her death was the most tragic. i was not expecting to like her as much as i did

makoto

'omg she has the name name as two different persona characters' was my first thought becasue it's never far from my brain at any given moment. asides from that i really like her. she's on the more simpler ends of the scale in terms of character and isn't used as much as i'd like her to be. but when she is the highlight it's great. the fact that she keeps falling for boys left right and centre is annoying that also the fact that they all remind her of the senior who broke her heart ins't great, like girl let it go. the fact that her death is the first one kinda sucks to me but also was the right things to do. overall she's just used surprisingly little considereing the number of episodes shes around for.

minako

oh man for the short amount of time you spend with her shes great. you can tell that she was originally a protagonist in her own comic before being booted over to sailor moon. her plot line about her time in london was fucking great character work. i love the fact that she does feel like shes been doing this for a while and thus feels a little bit like usagi's older sister when it comes to helping her out with stuff. i don't have much to say about her simply cos she wasn;t in many episodes but i deffo understand why she's one of my friends favorites (alone with rei) honestly they might be mine too.

mamoru

he's fine. look as a character he's pretty cool. the fact that he is slightly useless for a lot of the show, almost helping them out more when he's evil, is helerious. i think its cute that they're destinged to be together, however, this is not what i'm here for when i watch a magical girl. i don't expect the girl to get the guy. i think it was very well done and i don't want it to happen any other way. but he does cut into the sapphicness of season one.

luna

based home girl. put up with usagi. i love her. i don't have much more to say other than i really like her

artimis

he exists

jadeite

middest villian. i remeber his name and thats about all i care to remember. i like him for than artimis. not much more. and thats simply because i don't like artimis while i have little feelings towards jadeite

nephrite

started off boring but ended up being really interesting. his plotline with naru is quite wholesome (if you take it to be completely platonic love from him which is what i'm taking) he made more of an impact than his predocessor

zoisite

man just wanted to impress his boyfriend. love this guy

kunzite

man just wanted to be sent to where his boyfriend was when he died. loved his banter with Endymion. i hope he's with zoisite in the afterlife

queen beryl

she both does a lot and not a lot my feeling are pretty nutral. i do like how she was obsessed/loved endymion and was just but hurt he didn't like her back. that one off episode in the hot spring, she wasn't the only one in love with endymion.

queen metalia

if you can even call her a character. more just a manifestation of evil. gave queen beryl a cool power up that lasted all of 5 minuets

naru

fuck me man she goes through all that to end up with umino. like he's not a bad guy but yea.

usagi's family

her dad isn't really relevent bar the hot spring episode. i like usagi's relationship with her mum and brother it's nice.

[menagerie-of-monsters]

Find the Word Tag

Thanks @lynnedwardswrites for the tag! I'll leave an open tag for peeps since I'm feeling particularly lazy today~

My words were: combination, employer, error, mom, intention

Your words can be: photo, pain, edge, mark, noise

Snippets below the cut!

Combination

From The Changeling and the Dragon, which is Book 2 in Echoes of the Void, slated for publication July 2023. This scene is from Qavan's POV, and naudin is a shameless copy of buck euchre.

"So you… count?" Sersha asked Esva. The dragon nodded vigorously while I leaned forward on my knees. "All the different ways you can get points! If you miss some, we can take them as forfeits, which means you have to do something silly we tell you afterwards." "I have to do what you tell me already," Sersha said, with what sounded like great amusement. "So that does not seem like much of a forfeit." "Since Sersha doesn't know how to play yet, let's only count forfeits, yes?" I said, smiling at Esva. "We want her to actually enjoy naudin." "A kindness, surely," Sersha murmured, as she examined the sheet of paper that held the various card combinations and their scores.

Employer

I don't have this one - too modern of a word, I suppose... I had to dig deep to even find a near-match. This pulled from Sacrificed to the Goddess, the first in my draft reverse harem monster romance. Who knows when this'll ever see the light of day!!

He squeezed my hands. "Will you write to me? My battalion leaves in a week for the Eighth Sword, and I want to hear all about your adventures while I'm on the next tour. Well," he added, looking thoughtful. "Perhaps not all of them. Spare your father from the details of your bedroom, please." Laughter burst out of me, startled into flight from the joy heating my chest. "I won't give you any sordid details," I assured him, an irrepressible smile starting to spread across my face. "But could I… I mean, would you like to meet Arellath? My--my lover." "That handsome daemon hetaira you've had by your side this past month?" I nodded, feeling shy. I'd never been in a position to introduce a man to my father before, and Arellath was everything he would have frowned on before: non-human, promiscuous, and without honorable employment. I'd always agreed with such assessments, wanting children, loyalty, and security, but my life was so much different now. The things I needed from a partner had changed the moment the imperial haruspex had chosen me as the Incarnation.

Error

Legitimately couldn't find this one :(

Mom

I used "mom" in Captured by the Fae Beast but that's published, so here's another near-miss from the sequel coming out in April, In the Claws of the Raven Prince.

"I haven't made a study of it, but I know it happens from time to time. All the soulmate pairings I know of are fae and fae, though, save for you, and I really only know one pair personally. They're in a harmonized familial relationship, mother and daughter." Ulahana gave me another very sharp smile. "Given the circumstances, I doubt that's where you'll land." That made me laugh out loud, enough that I got a couple glances in our direction. "Oh?" I asked, trying and failing to sound innocently curious. "You don't think the Chimera wants me to be his Momma?" Ulahana snickered, her eyes dancing with amusement. "He's young, but I suspect it's in the way of a young buck and not a fawn," she said. "His actions in the past few years have been quite… aggressive. Nobody thought much of the youngest Raven Prince until he turned himself into a chimera, built the Furies, and started turning the tide of the war." I choked on my whiskey, sputtering at that. "The Raven Prince?!"

Intention

A fun one, from The Serpent's Bride, the first half of a duology I'm dabbling at. I love Talazen.

My serpent husband barked out a harsh laugh. "Do you honestly think I eat breakfast?" "If you have any intention of claiming your position, you'll pretend to it," I said, eyeing him. "Even if you swallow waterbuck whole before sleeping for days, people are inclined to cling to the familiar. The less strange you behave, the easier it will be." Talazen moved again, sudden and as swift as a striking viper. Before I could so much as jerk away, he loomed over me, gripping me by the chin and staring down into my face with all the anger of the night before twisting his face again, his void-black eyes fierce. "Do you think I care about easy, princssessss?" he said, hissing so much on the last word that I could barely make it out. His breath smelled oddly of spices, like the desert breeze sweeping through the markets. "I never intended to become a prince."

[mistresswriter19]

~SAVE ME! Buddy X Reader NSFW ~ ( Immortal Idiot/Revelations)

Author: I'm baaaaack with another oc of Spritzypop's his name is Buddy I really love his characteristics and how he's bitter but can also be sweetheart. He's in another Webtoon Revelations before he was in Immortal Idiot but for this one shot he's gonna be the detective in the Immortal Idiot series. And smut warning enjoy ^^

You were getting ready to finally ask the man you were eying for so long to go out with whom you can say " A Date". However in the newspaper you try not to glance because you were always involved being the damsel in distress and many men even the bad guys had to save your ass. It wasn't that you didn't do anything it's that you were the type of girl who end up in the wrong situations. Made you embarrassed but you did admit those times you were a damsel made you feel special. However this time you're not going to you especially not for tonight. You went to walk closer and knock on the door with two taps to see if he was still there.

Y/N: Buddy… are you here?

Buddy: Who is it?

Y/N: It's a local resident who sometimes attends church.

Buddy: Come in

You thought to yourself that was easy but what were you going to do when you face him? You knew a little about Buddy's background that he's a priest and also a detective on cases and another thing you couldn't put your finger on as you step closer then your face flushed when you saw him. Buddy had black hair, that always on place can be messy after a few drinks, he always wears a cross around his top either it was the priest robe or one of his comfy purple and black sweaters. Buddy always seems to be very sleep deprived behind closed doors.

Buddy: Oh no….

Welp looked like he knows who you are based on the papers and news you just have to try to roll with it.

Y/N: Nice to see you too Buddy

Buddy: Out of all the people in this forsaken world She has to appear in my room.

Y/N: I'm not that bad okay you see all these rumors but you don't know the real me which I'm right here ( Does a pose )

Buddy: I see… state what you want I'm about to close up

Y/N: Buddy I know you been depressed drinking your sorrows away but I was thinking maybe you and me maybe can go out for tonight.

Buddy: -.-

Y/N: Just the two of us

Buddy: -.-

Y/N: Like a hang out get to know each other better

Buddy: Eh okay but only if it would lead you stop barging in my room!

Y/N: OH THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!

You were so happy your embrace your arms to Buddy giving him a tight hug but you pulled away looking on the ground and decided to run.

Y/N: WHY DID I DO THAT, I'M SO STUPID NOW HE THINKS I MAYBE CLINGY UGH Y/N STOP IT!!!!!!!

Back in the church!

Buddy: She is something… but she's not her

Buddy kept looking at the picture of his ex wife that cheated on him many years ago. He loved her deeply. Y/N kind of reminds him of how he used to be very shy, but a little bold even at the end it made him embarrassed. Now Buddy doesn't have that side of him anymore he drinks to forget but it doesn't help, he's a detective catching serial Killers like the one called " The Masquerade Killer ". Buddy has been trying to capture him for years and still no luck, but his main job is being a priest and casting many exorcists to stop ghosts, and demons rising. The one that gives him shit everyday and is stronger than him was the devil's right hand man Callisto ~. Buddy went to his bed laying there the tiny voices in his head making him hard to sleep and much work that hasn't been finished.

Buddy: Just for tonight I'll go

Heading in to take a shower Buddy decided to put on his detective gear on the usual tucked in shirt with dark blue tie, matching dark blue pants, black dress shoes, combing his black hair, putting the cross on his pocket, and putting his coat and hat on when he was ready.

In Your Apartment

You put on a very tight sexy dress that barely covers your legs but that's how you wanted it to be and to impress Buddy I mean what's wrong showing some attention. You then place on your f/c heels,f/c all the way down, putting on red lipstick did a twirl.

Y/N: Girl you look so hot!

You said trying not to lose it just play cool as you grabbed your purse head out to the place where Buddy wanted you to meet him. Buddy got there first of course taking a glass of bourbon and looking at his watch to see if his date was coming. You finally came and wave your arm up high like a fangirl as Buddy waves back as you proceeded to walk to him you trip on your heel falling on the ground.

Buddy: Are you okay?

Y/N: Oww… Yeah, I just never wore heels before.

Buddy: Maybe you could have worn shoes

Y/N: Nonono heels is what most girls attend to wear especially on dates.

You said holding on the table almost fell but this time Buddy grabbed your hand for balance which made you flushed a little.

You saw the outfit Buddy wore wasn't his usual purple sweaters but it was so damn hot it felt like you were burning as you used your hand to fan yourself. He dressed like a cop, how romantic.

Buddy: So

Y/N: Sooooooo

Buddy sips another of his drink

Y/N: Tell me about yourself it made be interesting

You said your hand resting on your chin proceeding to make sure your cleavage was well exposed and you rubbed your legs together for attention to Buddy but he wasn't buying it but he did answer your question it was a start.

Buddy: I live alone, I'm a priest and I try to make people feel better when they convince their sins, even if some don't deserve but who do I care

Y/N: Right… well I live alone too and I'm a writer and I'm trying to go more for crime and action and at my spare time I like to

Buddy: Read smut novels?

Y/N: Uhh I was going to see sweet romance vanilla

Buddy: The books you carry sometimes have an appealing cover literacy. I would suggest to hide cover or maybe read using your arms to make sure no one reads the title

Y/N: I have urges sometimes annnnnd I like that kind of stuff

Buddy: Just try not to show them in public lots of people judge

Y/N: Alright, would you like to order

Buddy: Sure

Y/N: Ohhh let's have the Spaghetti dinner

Buddy: Ehhh… it's delicious but don't you think it's messy

Y/N: Yeah but it's great to eat it with someone on a first date

Buddy: I don't know it's not classy eating Spaghetti in public when thousand of eyes staring down to your soul

Y/N: Oh it's a full moon tonight, that's lovely!

Yes you were very oblivious whenever Buddy tried to stir something serious or had the brain of a goldfish.

Y/N: Sorry what were you saying

Buddy: Spaghetti sounds great ( Fake smile )

Y/N: Two spaghetti dinner Garson!

Buddy: Just go with it then this date will be over.

The two Spaghetti they ordered were out as Buddy went to pick up his fork. He saw how you were slurping on the noodles made him want to throw up and was surprised you would eat that way in front of thousands of people who would mostly order salad or drink wine. You enjoy the meal. It was food that was from somewhere with high class and the way the pasta was prepared made you want to cry tears of joy.

Y/N: Mmm this is so good! I wish I lived in this restaurant. Aren't you going to eat

Buddy: Truth I

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

A scream could be heard miles as you saw people dressed elegant had faces of tears when they shows pink globs of spirits roaming around the air and black shadows appearing from closed doors. Buddy was calmed and ran to find a place where he can perform a exorcist but one thing he forget his date.

Y/N: AAAAAHHHH BUDDY HELP! HELLLP HELLLP!!!

You said as you started running and screaming from the demonic looking blobs chasing you. You went grab your fork trying use it as a weapon but that wasn't going to do any good. You went to hide under the table hoping they go away but it didn't work. You felt your short dress being lift up with your panties exposed the pink slime runs over your leg as you shaking it all out while screaming in terror and calling out for Buddy

Y/N: BUDDY! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEE

In the cemetery Buddy pulls out his cross and enchants a few words some spirits vanished but for the strong and capable demons Buddy had to use something more powerful

BANG!

A blessing rifle the bullets were shaped as mini crosses meaning whenever the target get hit causes them to burn into ash and some there blood pour down like killing a criminal. Buddy attend to shoot his blessing rifle a few time to make sure the demonic spirits stay away he then heard a cry from a distance he kind of forget about his date. She used an officer gun and started shooting with her eyes close not even hitting the target but other objects as Buddy ducks then

Buddy: What the hell is wrong with this women!?

Y/N: GET AWAY!!!!!!

The demonic spirit throws the gun aside as you used your hands to cover your face with a few whimpers but you heard a " BANG " two gloved hands caressed your lower half and holding you tight you look to see your Savior the one who came to save your ass Buddy being your date.

Y/N: Buddy

Buddy: I cannot believe you don't know how to shoot with a gun.

Y/N: I never used one

Buddy: In situations like these you need to start learning

Y/N: BUDDY!!!!!

Buddy: Calm down, hold on

You held onto Buddy with all your might as he shot more spirits from his rifle causing ozze and actually human blood making you scream in terror more and you felt something tug your panties. A creature Buddy turned red because the only last time he saw a pair of panties was from his ex. Buddy used his foot to kick the creature off and place the cross on the face causing a horrible screech the cross burnt the creature's skin eventually dissolving into nothing else. Buddy looked back at his head and continued but there were too many. This is when you had a panic attack and used the blessing rifle but it slipped out of your hand with bullets flying as you ducked you head into Buddy's chest. After a few seconds all the creatures and demonic spirits faded and were shot down. It was quiet since everyone had left. Buddy had a vein poppy out of his head as he looked at you. You still wanted to hold him no matter how much you did and the klutz you were.

Buddy: Your…your…

Y/N: Yes Buddy?

Buddy: ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING!? You would have die if I wasn't there!

Y/N: WELL I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU

Buddy: We'll you should have this was unfinished buisness but no I had to go on this date!

Y/N: Buddy I…

Buddy: JUST SAVE IT! I haven't had a night out for a while and being with a different women who can be an airhead… I had a feeling something like this would happen. I'm not safe to be around with

Buddy was standing near the balcony puffing a cigar to calm himself down. He looked at his hand stained with blood and his hair a mess trying to breath. Until he heard you sniffling which made him feel like an asshole. He didn't understand why would you go out with a guy like who drinks his emotions away, hides mostly in his room, being bitter to people who to help him open up. Buddy sigh and wrapped his arms around your shoulders caressing your hair as you look back with a small gasps.

Buddy: I'm sorry… this isn't on you… I just don't want innocent people like you have to deal with this. Exorcism, detective work, and sleep deprivation. You did lift my spirits tonight Y/N so I thank you for that.

This was the first time Buddy actually opening up to someone he doesn't hardly know of strangers to lovers kind of things. You held onto Buddy more as you back at him and his face flushed in shock when he see your full warm smile.

Y/N: I want to be with you in my life Buddy I know your going through of rough time and I'll be patient but I'm always here for you.

This made Buddy lose as he place his glove hand holding your cheek pressed his lips against yours for a long passionate kiss. You did the same and enjoy Buddy's kiss it he became bitter sweet when you first get to know him. You both went to a nearby hotel where Buddy took off your clothes and starting to finger your pussy his fingers moving up and down to your sensitive pink bulb opening. You kept moaning in between with your hand pressing on Buddy's exposed chest. It felt so good his fingers were like magic dancing inside your warm slick opening he went a little fast as he sucked on your neck making your head fall back on the pillow. You saw the bulge in Buddy's pants as you place your finger in between giving Buddy's cock a nice rub making Buddy groan in between while his hands all the way inside you. Your hair dangled around the pillow mouth dripping salvia and a few tears down your eyes. Buddy finish leaving a few marks and saw you wanted give him pleasure so you had both hands rubbing and rubbing his cock as Buddy felt ecstasy and squirt his cum on your face but he wasn't down with you.

Buddy: I need to fuck you, I can't take it anymore. Take my cock slut~

Y/N: Buddy yes… give it to me give to me now… Ha~ Ahhhh~

You find it more arousing when Buddy use dirty slang while he's about to fuck you. You felt your legs twitch as Buddy spread them out making room and plunged his cock inside your pink bulb entrance making your squeal in pain but pleasure at the same time. He ride you with his thrusts the skin slaping each other as you look back sensitive nipples aching and yelling out his name in between each thrusts he wasn't going to be soft but you didn't mind. You haven't had a good cock in a while and you really like Buddy's. He place his lips into yours kissing you to ease the pain going faster and faster. Your legs wrapped around his waist and his chest against your tits as you moan behind his back when you felt him close.

Buddy: Fuck…Ahhh~ Fuck… I'm gonna cum… Ahh… I'm cumming…

Y/N: Ahh Buddy…. BUDDY!!!!!!

Not a moment soon you felt Buddy's load in between your legs letting his cum inside you and you felt the squirt from your ears making you sensitive even more with your fingers holding his back for support he made a large groan after he finished he then looked back at you in bliss the two of you kissed again. The two of you laid on the bed clothes half on bed and ground cuddling with each other

Y/N: That was incredible your really good on how to make a women feel good

Buddy turned the other as you were curious naked and place your arms around his shoulder to give him some affection but you saw a picture of a different women that Buddy kept holding while smoking a cigar and couldn't help but moan in pain

Buddy: I MISS MY EX WIFE!!!!!!!

Y/N: Maybe this was a bad idea….

End

Bonus!!!!!! Fanart Of Buddy w Y/N. The og is Spritzypop

K see ya ^^

[angelsdvsts]

despite this being their first interaction, it feels as if the two were life-long friends reuniting again after not seeing each other for decades. as if they were meant to cross paths, couldn't recall herself ever getting it on this easy with a person other than london, who she immediately clicked with. "oh, put on the ten minute version and i'm wrapped around with my red scarf staring at the fireplace," she playfully teases, gushing about the artist -- happy to see that he keeps up with the mainstream artist. it was as if he couldn't be more perfect... what she wanted written down on paper was right in front of her. the way he tucks the few strands of hair behind her ear, along with his following sentence was enough to have her knees weak. "i'd love to see what you got, as long as you can take it back. i'd love to see if i could make you nervous," lips curves into a playful smirk, gleaming in excitement, wondering what's to come between playful interactions. "yeah, definitely. i could see why the girls were all screaming soon as you walked on the carpet.. got like a million times hotter in here," and she did feel that once she spotted him and tries to go for the opposite direction -- only to practically fall into his arms. "can't blame me if i'm already a puddle from your hotness," she states, shrugging her shoulders; feeling that it was no shame to admit that she thinks he's attractive.. she wasn't blind. "i know you're truly a team luke stan in your heart," throws a playful wink at his direction, lips curving into a grin. "oh, you're laughing now... but you better not laugh when we put it on. have to capture a picture of it, make sure the world finds out who took your in n out virginity and how i did it right," innocent lace in her voice, even though others could indicate differently. the thought of seeing the other more crosses her mind, excites her... really hope that they would see each other a lot more. "oh, we shall, sweet cheeks," she playfully tries to joke with the nickname, yet it doesn't flow as nicely as it does from his lips.

camden couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement as they bantered back and forth. even though they had never really interacted before, it felt natural, and he was loving how comfortable he felt around her already. her teasing about being a tay tay fan made him grin wide. "oh, absolutely. a bit of 'all too well' and i'm hooked," he joked, playing along. there was something effortlessly charming about her. he had watched her interviews, seen her in action, and now, in person, she was even more captivating. when she offered to help him practice, it caught him slightly off guard but in the best way possible. "practice with you? i might take you up on that. but, fair warning, you just might end up being the one who's nervous." his eyes twinkled as he playfully tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, feeling a flutter of excitement in his chest. her boldness made his stomach flip, but he wasn't about to back down. "sexy, huh?" he repeated with a playful smirk. "coming from you, that's the highest compliment. if i melt here, you’ll be the one to blame." he laughed, soaking in the fun vibe between them. "and if i ever switch teams, it's definitely because of you," he added, half-joking but loving the way their banter flowed. the mention of wearing paper hats made him shake his head, laughing again. "paper hats? oh no, i think you lost me," he teased, but his grin never faltered. the chemistry between them was undeniable, and he was thrilled to be in this moment. he chuckled at her playfully dramatic response. "my first time with iris? now that’s a story i can brag about," he winked, clearly enjoying himself. "if this is how it starts, i definitely want more," he added, before guiding her toward the bar with a smile. "shall we, honey?" he repeated, letting the playful moment linger as they walked together.

[squill79]

Lines and Shapes

More Adventure Time fan fiction! I've always found Jermaine to be a super underrated character and I wish he was used more. I really like this story tying together the end of his titular episode in season 6 with his appearance in Abstract. Enjoy!

Everything was destroyed. All of Joshua and Margaret's possessions. All of them. Bryce was free from his prison and Jermaine was free from self-obligated duty, his burden, his pain. The two were free to start anew. But there was one problem. They had nowhere to go. "Man this sucks like crazy", Bryce complained. "We've been walking forever. Makes me wanna choke someone out ya know?". Jermaine looked at him angrily, "I told you to stop with all this macho-man aggressive talk, it's annoying the bajeebs outta me". Bryce scoffed, "Whatever man, you're just too soft". "Well regardless", Jermaine added, "we should camp out here for tonight". "Right here?!?!", Bryce yelled, "Out in the middle of the wasteland?". Jermaine chuckled, "Yeah man I'm getting tired. Luckily I brought some camping stuff in my bag", Jermaine began pitching a tent. "Yeah like I'm sleeping in a tent with you", Bryce scowled, "I'm sleeping outside". "Suit yourself", Jermaine replied. The next morning Bryce woke up to Jermaine cooking fried rice. "Want some?", Jermaine asked. "Oh... sure", Bryce replied. "Ya know, I've been thinking", Jermaine said as Bryce began eating, "maybe we should take a break for the day. I mean we've just been walking aimlessly for almost a week. Let's give ourselves a day to relax". "RELAX!?!?", Bryce screamed as he threw his plate on the ground, "We don't have time to relax, we NEED to find a new home!". Bryce then saw a mountain off in the distance, "We should climb that! See if there's any place on it we can stay". Jermaine stared at the mountain, "Actually, it is a nice-looking mountain. I should paint it! Good thing I brought some supplies with me", Jermaine reached into his bag and pulled out a stool, canvas, and paint, "I've been meaning to get back into art". "How can that bag carry so much stuff?", Bryce asked. "Well it was actually my dad's", Jermaine replied, "He made a demon put some sorta curse on it. I couldn't let ALL his stuff burn". "Huh", Bryce responded, "well have fun doodling, I'm gonna climb that mountain". Jermaine went to paint, but was instantly intimidated by the volume of the mountain. "How am I gonna capture all those details?", he thought to himself. He simply stared at the mountain for almost an hour. Suddenly he heard a voice from behind him. "Hey what'cha doing?". Jermaine was spooked and turned around. It was the James's. "Oh... sorry you startled me". "It's alright, I startle a lot of people, that's why I was banished here", James replied. "Alright well I'm trying to paint this mountain but... I dunno, I'm just not feeling it", Jermaine answered, "I used to paint all the time before mom and dad died, but until recently I was too busy taking care of all of their booty. Problem is, I just can't get back into it. I have a picture in my head, but when I try to put it on paper it's just... I dunno, not coming together". James pondered for a minute, "Well... what if you broke the mountain up into little mountains? That doesn't sound so hard". Jermaine was disgusted, "Ugh, you mean like abstract art? That's for pretentious losers". "Well... I still think you should try it", James told him. Jermaine paused for a moment, "Well I guess I'll give it a shot" and as he began painting he was instantly entranced. The way his brush flowed as he gently spread his paint across the page, it was like nothing he had ever made before. He wasn't focused on every little detail of the piece, he simply let his emotions drive his art, using lines and shapes to express himself. When he was finally finished, Jermaine turned to see James, shocked at what he just witnessed. "So... do you like it?". James, still in awe, asked "Can I have it?". "Sure", Jermaine answered, but as he was giving him the painting Bryce returned, "That stupid mountain had nowhere for us to st-" Bryce then noticed the painting, "Whoa did you make that?". "Yeah", Jermaine replied. Bryce stared at it, "It actually looks pretty rad, sorta reminds me of my poster, do you think you could make more?". "I plan on it", Jermaine responded (continued)

"Hey did you say you were looking for a place to stay?", James asked, "Because I know a place". James took the two to a wall made entirely of water. "None shall pass through the wall of water", they claimed. "Not even for a portrait?", Jermaine asked. And with that, Jermaine and Bryce found a new home within the wall of water and Jermaine discovered a new way to participate in an old hobby.