#i saw on Glow Up they said that no-one should wear pink on the eye unless it's hot pink??

[rachymarie]

more pics soon 🧚‍♀️

[lomlhwa]

get out of my head (c.yj)

pairing: soulmate!yeonjun x soulmate!reader

preview: when you turn 18, you can hear your soulmate's voice in your head. you have to work to find each other, no matter the distance.

tags/warnings: fem reader, ITALICS IS YEONJUN IN READER'S HEAD + BOLD IS READER TALKING BACK TO YEONJUN, lots of dirty talk, monster cock!yeonjun (it's me, what do you expect), oral (m.receiving), face fucking, crying, pussy slapping, pet names (baby, pretty girl, good girl), unprotected penetration (wrap it before you tap it), creampie

trigger warnings: n/a

wc: 1.6k

song recs for this fic: yes, and? by ariana grande, 3d by jungkook, nonesense by sabrina carpenter

a/n: hey guys.... it's been a long time T-T hope you didn't forget about me. this is my first time writing a fic in a WHILE. hope you like it and i hope to post more maybe idk

“3! 2! 1! happy birthday!” your friends cry out at midnight on your birthday. you blow out the glowing candles on your birthday cake eagerly. you make a silent wish for your soulmate to be hot. 

your friends look at you expectantly. “has he said anything?” one of them says. you shake your head. your brain is still dead silent. no soulmate talking to you. “it is literally midnight, so he could be sleeping,” you shrug. your friends murmur among themselves as you slink down your chair.

“hellooo? anyone there yet?” a male voice appears in your head and you jump at the sound. your friends look at you concerned. “hello?” you sit in silence for a moment again, your friends remain unmoving. “fucking finally. took you long enough to turn 18.” you laugh and your friends relax. 

“he sounds pretty,” you say to your friends. they shake their heads. you’re the last one out of your friends to turn 18, therefore you’re the last one to hear your soulmate. your friends have been with their soulmates for months at this point. 

“my bad, i have a late birthday,” you respond to the voice in your head. your friends disperse through your house to let you talk to your soulmate for a few moments. 

“what’s your name? mine’s yeonjun. are you pretty? where do you live” you chew on your bottom lip while you listen to him talk to you. “my name is y/n,” your leg bounces as you answer the first question. “my friends think i’m pretty,” you add. 

you stay silent, debating if you should tell him exactly where you live or just the general area. saying you live ‘around seoul’ is too broad though. “well? where do you live?” you shake your head and just decide to give him the general area. 

“i live in busan.”

________________________________________

you stand outside a cafe nervously checking your phone every minute. you’re waiting for yeonjun. you’re meeting your soulmate. how terrifying. 

“i’m almost there. are you outside?” you jump when his voice rings out in your head. you’re still not used to having a whole other person in your head.

“yeah, i’m just waiting,” you lean against the wall behind you and observe your surroundings. yeonjun picked a really cute cafe to meet at. you watch as people walk mindlessly past you.

you look down at your phone until you hear yeonjun’s voice again. “what color are you wearing?” you look down at your outfit before replying. “pink.”

before you can say anything else, you feel a presence in front of you. you look up and make eye contact with one of the most beautiful men you’ve ever seen. he gives you a smile that lights up his entire face. 

“y/n.” it’s his voice. it’s his voice but outside your head. he’s in front of you. your mouth hangs agape as you realize this beautiful man is your soulmate. you flatten your hair and smooth out your outfit before you speak. “yeonjun.” 

________________________________________

before you know it, you’re back at his place with your back crashed against his front door. your date didn’t last long. he wanted you as soon as he saw you.

“you’re so fucking perfect,” his lips are attached to yours. being able to speak to each other telepathically really comes in handy when your mouth is otherwise occupied. 

his hands grip your hips and guide them to grind against him. he groans into your mouth. you can feel his hardening length through his jeans. it’s huge. 

“are you big?” you feel him smile against your lips at the question.

he grabs your hand and drags you towards his bedroom. “does the pretty girl wanna find out?” yeonjun says before pushing you down onto his bed. he stands between your legs, just looking at you. your face turns bright red under his dominant gaze. he’s basically fucking you with his eyes. 

“shirt.” his voice is commanding and you find your hands moving with a mind of their own to take your shirt off. you throw it on the floor next to his bed. you’re left in your pretty white bra and your pretty pink skirt. 

“fuck, so pretty,” his voice in your head makes you blush. he hasn’t even touched you yet and your panties are practically soaked through. 

he trails his big hands up your thighs, lifting your skirt in the process. he licks his lips at the sight of your soaked panties. he runs his long index finger over the wet patch, causing your hips to jerk. 

“you’re soaked. i haven’t even done anything, baby.” yeonjun’s tone is full of fake pity.

out of nowhere, he grabs you by the hips and forces you onto the floor. you’re on your knees in front of him. the tent in his pants is massive and you can tell that it probably feels unbearable. 

he undoes his belt and pulls his jeans down to his knees. he pulls his boxers down the same length and his cock flies out. it almost smacks you in the face. you look at it in pure shock. how is this natural?

“suck,” he orders. your jaw falls open and you welcome his length into your mouth. you take it slow and steady to try and prep your throat for his monster cock. you can tell that he’s getting impatient within just a few moments.

“please let me fuck your mouth, pretty girl.” the question sets something off in you and you feel like you would do anything for him. you stop all your ministrations and go limp. “do it.”

yeonjun gathers all your hair into a ponytail and uses it to move your head back and forth. you open your throat as much as you can but you could never manage to take all of him. there’s just too much.

his hips snap to meet the movements his making with your head. you cough and choke around him. saliva drips out of your mouth and onto the floor, creating a puddle. your eyes water and threaten to ruin your makeup. 

you look up at him with teary eyes and you can tell that he’s close, even through your blurry vision. “cum down my throat, jjunie.” your words in his head mixed with your teary gaze causes him to finish almost immediately. you choke a final time before he pulls out and watches you swallow. 

he lifts you off the ground with a foreign softness compared to his length in your throat. he lays you down and wastes no time in removing your panties. he leaves your skirt and bra, finding them particularly cute. 

he forces your legs apart to full take in your glistening pussy. he runs his palm over it before bringing his hand down and slapping it. you squeak, jerking back. your pussy continues to drip, so he does it again. 

“jun, please, need you,” you whine. your legs close to try and keep him from bringing his hand down again. tears well in your eyes out of the desperate need for pleasure. your core is throbbing.

yeonjun pries your knees apart and settles between your thighs, his cock brushing your core. “are you ready, baby? can you take it?” your eyes flicker down to his member, slight fear coursing through you. you nod hesitantly.

he brings his hand down to stroke himself before lining up with your weeping hole. “deep breaths pretty girl.” he pushes his cock in slowly, inch by inch. the stretch is painfully intoxicating. your eyes cross as he bottoms out.

“baby, breathe,” yeonjun says. you had been holding your breath while he pushed into you. you breathe sharply, trying to keep yourself from falling apart on his cock immediately.

“please, move jjunie,” you beg. you dig your nails into his forearms as he pulls all the way out and slams back in, balls slapping against your ass. you choke out a moan, throwing your head back into his pillow. 

“you suck me in so beautifully,” his voice rings out in your mind through the buzz of pleasure. you look at him to find his mouth slightly open, whines of pleasure escaping. his sweaty hair hangs over his eyes deliciously. you could cum just from seeing him like this. 

you clench around him, pleasure building up quickly. his fast pace thrusting into you has your mind going numb. you remove your hands from his forearms and grab him by the hair, forcing his lips to yours. he meets you in a feverish kiss, his thrusts becoming sloppier.

“i’m gonna cum, please fill me up jun,” you run your tongue over his bottom lip as he nods in acknowledgement. you wrap your legs around his waist as he uses your hole to get off.

your arms fall limp on the bed by your head and yeonjun takes the opportunity to hold your hands with his. he intertwines his fingers with yours in an attempt to ground himself.

“c-cum-” you stutter as your walls close in on him for a final time before you hit your high. he finishes immediately after you, your clenching becoming too much for him. his hips stutter and he lets out a high pitched whine as he spurts white hot cum into you. 

you pant, trying to catch your breath. you squeeze his hands gently. he collapses onto you, nuzzling his face into your neck. you brush your hair out of your face, finding that it’s sticking to your forehead.

“you’re so fucking perfect,” he whispers before kissing your neck gently. you giggle, biting your swollen bottom lip.

“my perfect soulmate.”

© lomlhwa 2024

[dystopicjumpsuit]

Cuddles and Snuggles?! 👀

Sign me up lol

I have a request if you feel inspired by it 👀

6. trying to crawl under their shirt with either Wrecker or Kix.

Because I would very much like to hide under their shirts than deal with the outside lol

If you think of someone that fits the prompt better, then do that instead! (Or you can entirely disregard this ofc lol)

😘💜💜💜

A/N: Moonie! I had this whole ficlet planned out, and then we chatted about this wonderful Wrecker art by @pinkiemme, and it took over my entire brain. So thank you both for inspiring me. 🖤♥️

Pairing: Wrecker x Reader (GN)

Rating: T (but as always, minors DNI)

Wordcount: 573

Warnings and tags: fluff, cuddles, established relationship shenanigans, very slightly suggestive dialogue, mild language

Summary: Wrecker is just so warm.

Suggested Listening (English translation here):

This fic smells like: Work From Home by Memoire Archives (cappuccino, caramel, biscotti)

Masterlist | Sign up for my tag list

You rolled over to find an empty bed. You groped blindly through the blankets, but Wrecker was nowhere to be found, and based on how cold the sheets were, he’d been gone a while. Grinding the palms of your hands into your eyes, you sat up, searching blearily for him. There was no sign of him, so you stumbled out of bed to form a rescue party of one. It wasn’t long before you saw the soft blue glow of his datapad as he curled up on the sofa in the darkness.

“Hey,” you whispered, your voice coming out in a hoarse croak. 

He looked up and smiled. “What’re you doin’ up?”

“I got cold,” you replied. “Can’t sleep?”

He shook his head.

“I’ll make us some caf,” you said.

“Already got some moogan tea,” he replied, holding up a steaming mug. 

Screw the caf, then, you decided, immediately crossing the room to plop down next to him. You leaned your head against his shoulder, wrapped your arms around his waist, and draped your legs across his thigh, tucking your feet against his calf.

“You really are cold,” Wrecker said with a laugh as he felt your frigid toes.

“Warm me up?” you pleaded, giving him the softest, most pathetic tooka eyes you could muster at such an early hour.

“C’mere, then,” he replied, adjusting your position so he could hold you a little closer while still staring over your head at his datapad.

“Reading something good?” you asked.

He kissed the top of your head. “Candy Crush.”

You laughed quietly and snuggled closer, teasing your chilled fingers beneath the hem of his shirt. He flinched away involuntarily, but when you pulled back, he let out a little grumble.

“It’s all right,” he said. “You just surprised me. Come back.”

You didn’t bother to put up even a token resistance, instead diving your icy hands enthusiastically back under his shirt. 

“Gods, you’re so warm!” you murmured, burrowing closer and sliding your hands further and further under his shirt, until you were practically wearing it with him.

“I do that on purpose so you’ll cuddle up to me,” he replied, holding back a laugh. “Comfy down there?”

“I’m working on it,” you replied. “You’re a really good heat source.”

“And you’re a really good icicle.” He set down his mug and wrapped his free arm around you. “You tryin’ to climb all the way inside my shirt?”

“Our shirt,” you replied, your voice slightly muffled by the fabric. “Besides, I’m not trying. I’m succeeding.”

“Well, maybe I should just carry you back to our bed so you can have a real blanket.”

“No, this is fine,” you replied from inside his—ahem—your shirt. “It’s cozy. I live here now.”

You felt the deep rumble of his chuckle against your cheek as you nuzzled your face against his chest. “You gonna pay rent?”

“Nah, I’m sleeping with the landlord. He’d never evict me.”

"You got that right." He shifted, and you heard the soft clatter of his datapad as he set it on the floor, then both of his arms closed around you. With seemingly no effort at all, he lifted you up and rolled the both of you over so you were tucked securely between him and the back of the sofa, wrapped in his embrace. He yawned loudly, and you knew he’d doze off within minutes. "Now stop squirmin’ and go back to sleep.”

 ---

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[essenceofelegance]

new year’s day

Luke Castellan x aphrodite!reader

m.list

warnings: angst </3

There's glitter on the floor after the party,

He’s giving her that smile.

The one reserved for you.

The one you adored so, so much.

Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby

Luke took her hand in his larger one, leading her back to her cabin.

He laughed at something she said.

You directly your attention back to cleaning up the Aphrodite cabin after a party, alone.

Luke used to do it with you.

Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor You and me from the night before, but

While you were cleaning you own bed, you found a polaroid picture of you and Luke from a year ago, probably.

You were wearing a pink, feathered cowboy hat, you were leaning into the camera, a bright smile on your face.

Luke’s hands were on your waist, he had a pink fur boa around him to match your hat.

You would give anything to have him hold you just one more time.

Don't read the last page But I stay when you're lost, and I'm scared, and you're turning away

Of course he would like an Athena girl.

They’re smart, they can fight, and they’re pretty.

Sure, she doesn’t have that radiant glow around her like you did, but she was still pretty.

She had h/c hair, like you did.

She also had e/c eyes.

But her’s… looked so much better than yours. It glowed.

She looked better, she could fight better, she was actually smart.

Your siblings reassured you, insisting that you were a daughter of Aphrodite, there was no way she was prettier than you.

But that wasn’t the way you saw it.

And in your eyes, that wasn’t the way Luke saw it either.

I want your midnights But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

You were teaching your usual archery lessons, when you spot Luke and his new girlfriend in a sparring match.

He looks happy.

Only, a different kind of happy.

Sure, you were good with a dagger, but not sword fighting. You were never good at sword fighting, you were only good at archery.

Maybe Luke wanted something who appreciated the things he liked to do.

You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi I can tell that it's gonna be a long road

"It's not you, it never was, its just that I feel like we don’t get each other anymore." Luke said.

"Yeah, I get it." you looked down to hide your unshed tears.

"Thanks for... everything," you gave him a forced smile.

“You were great. You were a great experience,” Luke said, as if to comfort you.

‘You were everything!’ you wanted to scream at him.

But you just smiled and walked away.

I'll be there if you're the toast of the town, babe Or if you strike out and you're crawling home

You watched as Luke celebrated his capture the flag victory with his new girlfriend.

You weren’t jealous,

you just felt replaced.

How could he replace you so easily when you felt like your heart would be empty for years?

Did you really mean that little to him?

You couldn’t bear watching them anymore.

Don't read the last page But I stay when it's hard, or it's wrong, or we're making mistakes

A total of 17 guys sent you flowers.

If you were a logical person, you would have at least hooked up with them, but little old you decided that you should wait for Luke.

So, you rejected every single guy that came up to you.

All your siblings are just straight up worried about you now, they knew how important Luke was to you, but not to this degree.

You still cry yourself to sleep every night,

they find you in the middle of the night going through a photo book of you and Luke.

I want your midnights But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

Hold on to the memories They will hold on to you

You still wear the matching bracelet he gave you for your second anniversary.

He’s wearing a new one with his girlfriend.

You see them connecting their magnetic heart charm on their bracelet at campfires, while you’re here playing with yours that no longer had a match.

Hold on to the memories They will hold on to you

You still have his favourite hoodie under your bed.

You still have his favourite shirt under your bed.

You still have one of his camp t-shirts on your bed.

He caught you wearing his hoodie on you way to the bathroom in the middle of the night when you bumped into him.

He never questioned you or asked for it back.

Hold on to the memories They will hold on to you

You still have everything he gave you.

And I will hold on to you.

Everything reminds you of him.

That one bench where the two of you used to hang out on everyday,

ever your own bed, where he used to sneak in to talk to you at night.

Please don't ever become a stranger Whose laugh I could recognise anywhere

You hate it when she makes him laugh.

You hate it when you hear that damn laugh.

You hate it because it didn’t happen because of you.

Please don't ever become a stranger Whose laugh I could recognise anywhere

You hate him because he’s not yours.

-

There's glitter on the floor after the party Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby

It’s been a couple of months.

You still wear his hoodie to sleep.

like this? or want something better? City of Stars is much more heartbreaking </3

author: yay

Copyright © 2024 essenceofelegance. All rights reserved. 

⋆

Please do not re-upload my work on any platforms without permission.

Any reblogs, comments, likes, shares, and follows are appreciated.

[harry-on-broadway]

Italian Sun

A/N: Felt inspired after yesterday’s pictures so here’s some unedited rambling. Enjoy!

***

It had only been a week, but you were already grappling with your new reality.

The reality of Harry being at home, at last.

Home, for now, was the Italian villa you all often decamped to when you had a few weeks off. He’d been making plans for the end of tour since the holidays and while specifics had changed, one thing had remained consistent: he wanted to spend time in Italy, relaxing and catching up with all of his family and friends he’d neglected for the past two years.

“Neglected? Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic?” you teased when he first brought up the idea. “We’re literally driving home from your mother’s house.”

“You know what I mean,” he’d said, his face scrunching the way it did when he felt like his words were being misconstrued. “I’m just never around and when I am I feel like I’m so behind. Like…like I’m watching the season finale of a show I’ve never seen before. Everything’s different when I come back.”

“I’m not.”

“That’s what you think.”

“Oh?”

“It’s the little things. You cut your hair. You found a new coffee you like. You started listening to a new podcast. And I’ve missed it all.”

When he put it that way, your heart broke. He rarely complained, knowing that the life he was living was envied by many. But you felt for him, hearing how hard this was on him. “Well, start putting together a guest list. I guess we’re all going to Italy in July.”

Which is how you found yourself rooming with Harry’s closest friends and family in the week following the final show of Love on Tour, sharing meals, memories, and adventures with everyone. The extra glow coming off of Harry didn’t go unnoticed by you and you could feel happiness and contentment radiating off of him when he snuggled in close to you each night.

Today was the last day that everyone would be all together before the group started to head out, leaving you and Harry alone. He’d wanted the final day to be the best yet and had planned an itinerary filled with boating and sunbathing and, according to him, the best Italian dinner yet.

You had to give him credit. It was the best day yet. Games were played, naps were taken, and the picnic basket of cheeses, breads, and meats that Harry himself had packed was delicious. But the day also came with an added perk for you.

While almost everyone had donned swimwear for the occasion, displaying all sorts of skin, Harry took it to another level. His shirt was hanging precariously on his body, a single button keeping it from being blown away, and his swim trunks had been rolled up and pulled low on his hips (to avoid tan lines, he explained).

And the hat.

The fucking hat. A bright pink bucket cap, with the word ‘Daddy’ written across the front, that someone had thrown onstage in Australia. He’d said he picked it up as a joke, but the fact that he’d held onto it across countries and time zones, made you think otherwise. You saw how he carried himself with an extra hint of swagger when he wore it, and you hated to admit it, but something stirred inside of you when you caught a glance of him, hat and all, driving the boat with all of the ease of a seasoned pro. You prayed no one could tell how that scene affected you.

Now, with dinner on the horizon, you were trying to put those steamy thoughts out of your head and focus on what you should wear. You’d narrowed it down to two brightly colored dresses, when you felt two hands cover your eyes.

“Guess who?”

“Hmmmmm,” you pondered. “Could it be my boyfriend? You know, the guy who organized this magnificent trip after breaking records worldwide for the past couple of years?”

“He sounds like a catch.”

“He’s not that bad. He’s easy on the eyes.”

“Easy on the eyes, huh?” Harry moved his hands down to your hips and spun you around so you were facing him.

“Yeah, and he looks even better when he’s half-naked, driving a boat.”

“Mmmm.” Harry’s hands moved lower so that they were resting on the cleft of your ass. “Must have been pretty hot.”

“Oh, yeah, super sexy. I wish I could have jumped him right there. Especially in that hat.”

“Wait, what,” Harry laughed, breaking whatever character he’d been playing. “Are you serious?”

You shrugged. “What can I say, there’s something about that whole scene that really turned me on. And, sex on a boat sounds kind of fun. Shame we couldn’t try that out.” Harry swallowed, his throat bobbing as he processed what you said. “Harry?” you asked after a moment. “Are you still with me?”

“Yeah, I’m just trying to think why the fuck I thought it would be a good idea to invite everyone on this trip. I could’ve been having sex on a boat.”

“It’s not a boat but we can still have some fun,” you whispered, fingers delicately trailing down the exposed skin of his chest.

“Yeah?”

You nodded and Harry darted across the room to shut the door to your suite, trying to tear his shirt off at the same time. “Slow down, baby,” you said. “We’ve got time.”

Harry took a deep breath, calming himself as he nodded and opened his arms for you. His hands skated over your body, much of your skin already exposed thanks to your swimsuit, before they landed on your jaw, tipping your head back to bring your lips to his.

You felt heat course through your body at his slightest touch and were amazed that he was still able to elicit this reaction from you. You felt your nipples stiffen through the flimsy material of your swimsuit when Harry’s already sizable erection brushed against your thigh and you couldn’t stop thinking about feeling him inside of you.

“Bed, now,” Harry panted when he broke away from the kiss, and you backed up until you could feel the mattress behind your knees.

You fell backwards, bouncing slightly when you landed, and when you raised yourself up onto your elbows to find Harry, he had already dropped to the ground, his hands nimbly shimmying your swim bottoms down your legs. The garment discarded somewhere in the room, you felt Harry’s lips on your ankle, then up your calf, then at the inside of your knee. You knew what this was building too, but that didn’t stop you from letting out a gasp of surprise when his lips finally found your center.

“Oh fuck,” you moaned, voice barely above a whisper for fear of alerting the rest of your party to what you were up to. You threw your head to the side, trying to muffle the sound of your pleasure with the pillow.

Theoretically, the two of you were due downstairs for dinner in roughly a half hour, but Harry showed no urgency as he slowly licked at your core, speeding up, then slowing down right as you were about to topple over the edge. It was hard to focus on anything but the feel of him between your legs. You reached down, hand moving blindly until your hands found purchase in his hair. The sensation of his soft curls between your fingers grounded you as you bucked up against his lips, wanting even more than he was already giving you.

“Is this good?” he asked.

All you could manage was a breathless moan as his fingers slid inside, easily undoing you. You opened your eyes and tried to catch your breath as Harry appeared over top of you licking his fingers clean with a satisfying pop. “That really turns me on,” you finally wheezed out.

“What? That?”

“No, the fact that you remember what works for me. It’s just something about the way you care for me. You always act like you don’t remember anything and you have no clue what’s happening, but that’s not true H. You always remember what matters.”

You could see something burning in Harry’s eyes as you said that, not quite desire, but something close. “I’m always going to care about you,” he said, the words laced with emotion. “Nothing is ever going to change that.”

“Show me,” you said.

He rolled on top of you in one easy motion, and you opened your legs, giving him space to settle in. He kissed you, furiously, but nowhere near enough. You needed to feel him all over you, every inch. Skin on skin, nothing between you.

“What the hell are these shorts still doing on you?” you whined, fingers digging into the fabric of his tiny trunks.

“I could say the same about this,” he all but grunted, struggling to undo the tie of your bathing suit top.

Free of obstructions, you all were able to lay together and take in the moment. You weren’t surprised when Harry buried his nose in the crook of your neck, inhaling and savoring the moment. It was something he’d made a habit of doing in recent months, after noticing that you’d changed body wash in his absence. He was upset at first, saddened by yet another detail he’d missed, but after that, he’d started to take more time to observe and remember every little thing about you.

After a few seconds, you felt his lips on your neck as he kissed his way to your mouth, and you could feel him smile into the kiss.

“Got time for one more?” he asked with a cheeky grin.

“Why stop there?”

“I think you might be overestimating my abilities, love.”

You pressed a kiss of your own to the spot right under his ear that you knew got him going. “You’ve never let me down, H.”

Without warning, he was inside you. He often paused upon entering you, giving you a moment to adjust and a moment for him to center himself. But today, he did no such thing, rocking back and forth in a steady rhythm. You made no effort to stop him either, tilting your hips up and pressing your heels into the small of his back to drive him further inside. The room was nearly silent, just the sound of your bodies moving in time broken by occasional panting, or the soft moans Harry stifled against your chest.

You glanced at him as he continued to drive into you. His eyes were shut tight and his forehead was wrinkled in concentration. It was the look he often wore when he was focused on not coming undone prematurely. Always the gentleman, he made every effort to ensure you were taken care of before he handled his own needs, but the rare occasions when he fell apart first drove you wild.

There was something so attractive about watching a man who was always in control, always looking out for others, come undone, something you’d once told him, earning an eye roll. You could tell he was nearing the edge as his thrusts became more frenzied and less rhythmic, while the wrinkles in his brow deepened.

You brought your lips to the shell of his ear, nipping at the skin, before soothing the bite with a kiss. “Let go,” you whispered in his ear. “For me.” You could feel his hesitation, so you played the ace you had been holding this whole time.

“Daddy.”

His whole body shuddered as he emptied inside of you, your orgasm following close behind. He collapsed, his entire body weight resting on top of you.

“Give me a sec,” he said. “I just—fuck.”

You chuckled lightly. “That good, baby?”

Harry shook his head in disbelief, as he lifted off the bed and padded to the bathroom, returning with a damp cloth. “Fucking amazing,” he muttered, as he moved to help you clean up. “Didn’t know that was uh, something you were into. You know, the daddy thing,” he added, trying to sound casual.

“Can’t say I am, but something about that hat just really got to me. Maybe something to think about in the future though?”

“For sure,” Harry said. “I mean, I’ve scheduled plenty of sex for us as part of this break.”

“So when do you leave again?” you teased.

Harry pinched your thigh lightly. “Not soon enough apparently.”

You leaned forward, grabbing him for a kiss. “It’s always too soon. But I’m happy to have you while I can.” You looked at the clock on the bedside table. “And I think all of your friends want to see you too, which means, we have to get ready. Now.”

“I’ll start the shower.”

“Harry!”

“What? It’s a time saver and a water saver.”

You rolled your eyes. “Remember, your friends will let us have it if we’re late.”

“Yeah, yeah. They’re getting a free vacation so they’ll keep quiet if they know what’s best for them.”

“Oooh, tough guy.” You grabbed your towel and headed to the bathroom, hearing Harry say something behind you. “What did you say?” you asked, turning around to find him standing there holding his hat from earlier in the day.

“I said I have to remember to send a thank you note,” he added quietly.

“To who?”

“Whoever threw that fucking hat on the stage. Never imagined it would get me laid.”

[rootedinrevisions]

Toothbrush

SUMMARY: Based on the song Toothbrush by DNCE. You and Boone have had a Friends with Benefits relationship for a while, but one morning he brings up the idea of it being something more. FLUFF.

WARNINGS: Mentions/Implied Smut/Sex.

WORD COUNT: 800

The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains of Boone's bedroom, casting a soft, golden glow over the room. You blinked awake, momentarily disoriented, before the familiar scent of his cologne and the feeling of his shirt against your skin brought you back to reality. You were in Boone's bed, the same place you'd found yourself waking up more times than you could count over the past year.

You rolled over to see him still fast asleep, his chest rising and falling with the slow, steady rhythm of sleep. His tousled hair and relaxed expression made him look almost boyish, a stark contrast to the wild, risk-taking man everyone else saw. Carefully, you slipped out of bed, trying not to disturb him, and tiptoed across the room to the bathroom.

Standing in front of the mirror, you sighed softly. You were still wearing his shirt from the night before, and your reflection looked just as conflicted as you felt. Splashing some cool water on your face, you tried to shake off the emotions that had been building up for weeks. This thing between you and Boone had started out as fun—no strings, no expectations—but lately, you couldn't shake the feeling that you wanted more.

As you reached for a towel to dry your face, you felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around your waist from behind. Boone's warm breath tickled your ear as he pressed soft kisses to your neck and shoulder, making your heart skip a beat.

"Where do you think you're going?" he murmured, his voice still rough with sleep.

You smiled despite yourself, leaning back into his embrace. "I need to head home," you said, trying to keep your tone light. "I've got to shower, brush my teeth...you know, basic hygiene."

Boone groaned playfully, tightening his hold on you. "Or you could just stay here," he suggested, nuzzling into your hair. "We can be lazy together all day."

You chuckled softly, turning in his arms to face him. "As tempting as that sounds, I really should go. I don't even have my toothbrush here."

He hesitated, his usual carefree demeanor faltering for a moment. "You could...bring that stuff over," he said slowly, almost like he was testing the waters.

You frowned slightly, unsure of what he was getting at. "What do you mean?"

Boone looked down, his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt that you were wearing. "I mean...what if you kept some of your things here? So you don't have to leave every time. You could, you know, stay more often."

Your heart skipped a beat as his words sank in. "Are you saying...you want me to stay?"

He looked up, his brown eyes earnest and just a little bit nervous. "Yeah. I'm saying...I want us to be more than just friends with benefits. I want you to be my girlfriend."

A smile spread across your face, and you could feel your heart swelling in your chest. You'd been hoping to hear those words for so long, but you never thought Boone would be the one to say them first. Closing the distance between you, you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"I want that too," you whispered against his ear. "I just didn't think you'd want it."

Boone chuckled softly, his arms tightening around you. "You kidding? I've been wanting this for a while now, just didn't know how to bring it up without sounding like a total idiot."

You pulled back slightly to look at him, your smile growing wider. "So, does this mean I'm officially your girlfriend now?"

His cheeks turned a little pink, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, if you're cool with that. I mean, I'm not exactly the best at this kind of thing, but I promise I'll try."

You laughed softly, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I'm more than cool with that, Boone."

He grinned, the tension melting away from his shoulders as he pulled you close again. "Good. Because I don't want to lose what we have. I care about you, more than I ever thought I would."

You rested your head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your cheek. "I care about you too," you said softly, closing your eyes as you let yourself finally relax in his arms.

Boone kissed the top of your head, holding you close as if he never wanted to let go. For once, the world outside didn't seem to matter. The only thing that mattered was being here, with him, knowing that you were no longer just friends with benefits, but something much more.

TAG LIST: @omgbrianab I @shanimallina87

[iri-desky]

Oooooh I saw your reblog on my post and I'm intrigued to see what you can do! >:D

If you have the time, I would like to request for a Horropedia x fem!reader for a headstart... Maybe specifically with the reader also wearing glasses? It would be funny if he asked if the design is from any movie and stuff XP

No rush and good luck! 🙌

Thank you so much for the ask, yay! I tried my best. And sorry for the wait! I had school finals ;-; Didn't really have much time nor energy to write--nonetheless, I enjoyed this!

___________

(◇BESPECTACLED ◇)

♡ Horropedia x Fem!Bespectacled! Reader

♡ Type: Narrative, One-Shot-- Reader Self Insert (denoted by (y/n))

♡ Genre: Romantic Fluff

♡ Content Warnings: None!

Enjoy~

___________

"I'll admit, I can absolutely say the first X-Ray Monkeyman movie is fantastic, although the second film is compartively sub par..."

It was a quiet evening, sunlight flowing through the windows and painting the room in scarlet and tangerine. Within the pallid walls of the foundation, you were assigned the blandest of paperwork.

Well, it would've been a quiet evening if it weren't for Horropedia's--your best friend and current coworker-- perpetual chatter.

His voice tends to carry, Horropedia's, although nonetheless you didn't quite have the heart to silence his persistent jibber-jabbering. The absolute glow on his face whenever he discussed one of his favorite horror movies or was asked about the latest horror debate was incomparable to anyone you've ever seen, a gleaming grin on his face as his glasses shimmered with a tiny, piquant starlight in the evening sun. Eyes like honey, delicate and sweet, and an intellect, serrated, sharp.

Indeed, he had not a tint malevolence of in his jabbering or gaze, just passion.

"Hey! ... (y/n)? Earth to Miss (y/n)! You alright there?...It looked like you're looking straight into the void. Careful, the void stares back should you gaze too long," He chuckled heartily, taking a swig of his coffee.

"What? Oh, nothing." You muttered, shaking your head-- you blinked rapidly in the light of the sun, attempting to reorient yourself. "Lost in my thoughts. But, anyway, I still think the second movie's better than the first." You chuckled.

He smirked as he processed your counterclaim. "Actually, while I can respect your point, the first film is definitely better than the first. Scares are higher quality, the actors give a more believable performance..."

"Well, didn't the second film have better marketing?"

"Not quite. While the second film had a more active marketing campaign, the first one was more successful. In fact, in one of their first screenings, they sold limited edition glasses similar to the pivotal artifacts from the movie. It was only sold at the premiere, it was a huge success... in fact, these glasses aren't ordinary spectacles," He stated, proudly, pushing up his own glasses. "They were in fact the glasses sold at its premiere!"

"Oh, wait," He said excitedly, rushing over to you, "Those glasses look familiar... did you get them from the film's premiere? I did, myself--" He slipped off his glasses and stepped in front of you, proudly presenting the inner pattern of the frames to you, bumping shoulders with you. He was so absorbed in his ramblings, he didn't notice the streak of pink dashing across your face. "They may not look like much, but see here? This inner pattern--it's highly distinctive!"

Your face brightened at his enthusiasm. "I don't think so, but I guess you can look sometime."

He turned up to you, and slipped on his glasses again. "Wait, lemme see here for a second-"

Before you had a moment to object, he stepped right in front of your face and was peering to the side, in an attempt to see the inner rims--in doing so, he bumped noses with you as you gasped in surprise. It took him about three seconds to realize what he was doing.

One -- he touched noses with you, brilliant eyes amber in the dying sunlight, enthralled by his passions.

Two -- he peered to the side, searching for that telltale pattern in pure, analytical fascination.

Three -- he pulled a strand of hair out of your face, behind your ear, his movements, delicate.

It was to get a better view.

After that final moment ticked by, there was a beat as Horropedia stared at your face. Then his cheeks flooded with fuschia, his eyes growing wide as saucers. His hands began to shake.

"Oh." That's all he could stutter out.

For once, he had nothing to say.

"...I guess I'll...I'll...um..."

He slowly slipped off your glasses, taking a step back--just one.

He then, shakily, slipped off his own.

He stared down at the two pairs in his hands.

"...nope...haha...yours aren't the souvenirs..."

You couldn't speak.

His head tilted up again into your direction, glancing up at you as he continued to awkwardly fumble with both your glasses in his hands.

"...(y/n)?"

"...mm-hmm?"

"...Have I ever told you...uh...you look...look...I love the way you look...with...uh...your eyes with...your eyes are really gor--gorgeous with no glasses and your glasse-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. You had cut him off when your lips touched his.

It was a gentle, saccharine kiss, his supple lips meeting yours with adoring pressure and fast succession. His kiss was zealous, albeit pure--and clearly, he didn't mind it at all.

He was so absorbed into the kiss that, several moments later, both of your glasses clattered to the floor from his hands.

He dragged himself away, his visage frazzled and--to say it plainly, an absolute blushing mess.

"...Whoops," He chuckled, reluctantly bending down to scoop up both of your spectacles. He handed yours over, hands still shivering. "I--I believe these are yours." He said with an awkward grin as he shoved on his own glasses, brushing stray hairs out of his face.

You grappled your own glasses in your hands, an involuntary smile tugging at your lips.

"...(y/n)?" He asks.

"Yeah?"

"... thanks for listening to my stupid questions."

You step back up closer to him, his flustered expression a badge of his affection.

"It's my pleasure," You smile. "And, Horropedia?"

"...yes?"

"... would you like to take your glasses off again for a second?"

_________

I had a great time writing this, but just FYI that this is my first request anywhere! So definitely feel free to give me some feedback. Hope you enjoyed!!

[marathedemonoverlord]

Got back into the swing of things. It's more expositional, but I'll try to get better at this.

OG Obey Me x MC ( Mara ) - First Year in Devildom Part 4

Mammon walked over to a clearing in the room, his eyes glowing a shimmering glittering yellow as he summoned the portal to the Greed Ring. It had been a long time since he had visited the ring, he had all but neglected it when he got entangled with the Witches who dared ensnare him and bleed him dry. Heh…. As if they truly could bleed the Avatar of Greed of his wealth, he liked letting them think they had one on him. As the portal formed, Mara watched from the side, her eyebrows raised and arms crossed as it formed.

"Well, there we go human, you ready to go?" He asked, looking at Mara as if daring her to back down. Mara stared at the portal; glittering gold, crow feathers, jewels, and dollar bills of all types, some from her world and some she couldn't recognize coating the portal. Greed…. She could feel the itch of greed to collect it all and hoard it to herself. Mammon's mouth twitched, his fangs showing slightly as her pact burned on her ankle. The more she felt, the more drawn he was to her. Mammon had to resist the urge to spoil her in the riches, blind her eyes with the sparkly gems and crystals, deafen her ears with the sound of paper money, crush her bones and spine with mountains of gold…. Humans were food, and this Exchange Student was feeding him nicely right now. It was like layers he was peeling into getting closer to the real treat in her but it was like a barrier preventing him from engulfing her completely, something warding him as Mara shook the feelings of greed aside. "I'm ready. Is there anything I should know before we go in?" Mara asked.

Mammon chuckled slightly at the question, arrogance glimmering in his eyes. "Well, for starters, don't look into the eyes of greed demons, they make ya feel real selfish. Next, humans who go into the Greed Ring can't survive seeing all the gems and shinies. You're gonna need some glasses if ya wanna navigate my turf without going blind." Mammon said with a smirk, holding his hand up as a pair of highly reflective glasses materialized in his hands. Mara put them on, the mark of Mammon making her skin itch as she fixed them over her eyes. Was this what it was like looking at the world with Mammon's eyes? She could see all types of shiny things of value to pocket. However, when she looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't see herself. She saw the pact mark glowing on her ankle but her whole outline. Her whole essence was pink. She moved her hand in the mirror, seeing it glow slightly, a small shimmering silver blue outline there as well.  It was like looking at her heat signature.

"Mammon, what is this? Why am I in thermal?" She asked, still wearing the glasses. Mammon scoffed, laughing at her words. "It's not thermal idiot. That's how greed demons see things." He snorted as Mara glared at him. "Shut up." She snapped, moving her other hand, her silver ring sparkling on it as well. "Why am I pink?" She asked as Mammon paused, the faintest of blushes dusting his ears. "Err… Well… Look, does it really matter, human? Ya wanted to go to the Greed Ring, didn't you? Hurry up before I change my mind!" He huffed as Mara snorted, rolling her eyes at his catty nature.

"Alright, fine, let's go." She said, walking into the portal as her Avatar of Greed followed behind. Stepping into the portal, Mara could only see glimmers before the world formed around her. The skies were a murky gray, almost green, emeralds and gold lined the buildings as Mara could only describe it as…. Modern. Like a big city with skyscrapers and corporate downtown businesses. Like fat cat executives and stock marketers ruled the area. A combination of New York and Las Vegas in one. Mara took in the sights, there were Greed Demons walking the streets, some in suits that almost looked like they were from the 70s or 80s. The glasses helped her see their greed. It was like twitching tendrils illuminating their fingers, like an urge to grab and keep to themselves. Mara looked at Mammon, his glasses down somewhat as he whistled.

"Haven't been here in a hot minute… Looks all cleaned up." He remarked, taking in the sights. Mara took a moment before speaking her eyes still on the gold and precious metals that accentuated the buildings. "So this is your realm? The Ring of Greed?" She asked, looking around. Mammon nodded, stepping forward to step before her as he grinned. "Yep, this is the Greed Ring. Where only misers and the smartasses who claw their way to riches lie. It cleans up nicely, don't you think?" He said, smirking at it. Mara took another look before speaking up. "It's nice, but it almost feels too… Uniformed. I didn't realize you were this organized, " She said, her words making Mammon shift slightly. "Welllll…. That's just because Lucifer takes care of things now. If I set it up, then things would be slightly different." He shrugged casually.

Mara's attention was caught by this, the woman turning to look at him again. "I don't understand, you're the Avatar of Greed. This is your realm. Why is Lucifer having anything to do with it?" She asked, letting Mammon guide her as the two walked through the realm, watching as demons, humans, and all manners of species tried to get money. It was like Lucifer painted the realm to look like Manhattan or a corporate downtown while the inhabitants were like Mammon still in a Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or New Jersey mindset that craved money and attention.

"Eh, running a whole circle is a lot of work when I'm trying to make my own money. Some of us let Lucifer take the reins so we can focus on other more important things. Like Goldie." Mammon said, smirking as he held up the credit card. Mara snorted, rolling her eyes. "So you're lazy. That's what you're telling me." She said bluntly, causing Mammon to scoff. "Oh please, I've lived for millenniums. I can go back whenever I want to." He said as Mara shook her head. "Great excuse." She snarked, finding it annoying. How could a demon lord of sin, an Avatar of Greed, be so blasé about the area they govern? It was irresponsible to just lord it off on someone else and on Lucifer of all people? No wonder the bastard was arrogant.

Mammon rolled his eyes at her. Humans were so annoying about the little things… "Yeah, whatever now I should warn you, almost all of these rings bet and gamble on humans. Your people are like stocks, and it's actually more of a problem than Princey wants you to think." He said, crossing his arms before her. This caught the woman's attention as she tilted her head. "How so? I thought Diavolo said he was making Devildom "welcoming" to Human and Angel Exchange students." She asked, emphasizing the "welcoming" sarcastically with her fingers. Mammon snorted at that, rolling his eyes. "That's bullshit. He's not really doing anything. He's making some very public changes and announcements, but it's just to save face. What really goes on behind the scenes is a different matter entirely, and one that has more to do with the underground gambling rings that have only increased in number as a result of his changes." This caught Mara's attention as she was able to connect the dots. So what Mammon was telling her was that Diavolo was trying to clean up the Devildom and make it clean and censored for the angels and humans while in reality the Greed Ring and underground casinos was still actively going on. Why was she not surprised?

"Hah, good to know Diavolo's just like every other politician that ever existed, but does the Devildom still have some that traffic humans, or is it just in the Greed Ring?" Mara asked the two, walking together as Mammon kept her close, his blue eyes sparkling with gold. "Mostly in the Greed Ring, Diavolo has been good on trying to make the Devildom look clean for you and those angels. Think of it like a resort. Ya guys are gonna be on a resort while the Rings are like stepping off that resort." He said as Mara conceded with a nod "Okay that tracks… But wait, if it's such a problem, why the hell would Diavolo choose now to bring a non-magic human into the Devildom?" She asked to walk with Mammon. It made no sense to her; if humans were seen as food, animals, or chattel, why bring them here? Was it just to tease demons with a human like a bunch of starving wolves with a piece of raw meat? What a bastard.

"Human, we're demons. If we want something, and we have the means to get it like Princey does, then we're gonna get it. It's like a kid no longer waiting to open up a present. It happens all the time." Mammon said with a smirk, adjusting his glasses down as he grinned at some other Greed Demons. It was strange how in Devildom, no one took him seriously, yet here in the Greed Ring, demons and inhabitants of his domain admired and smiled at him. Guess it came with the territory.

"So he's just impatient." Mara said bluntly as Mammon shrugged. "Guess so…" He replied before noticing the other demons' looks. "And don't worry, they'd be fools to mess with you with me here." He said, looking ahead with a grin. Mara cocked her head at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, but you're saying this even though your brothers hardly respect you or are kind to you to begin with?" She asked as Mammon smirked and shrugged. "There's a difference. They're my brothers. These other demons however…" He remarked, looking at their destination. The place looked like a common bar. "They'll see why I'm the second strongest. Now come on." He said, taking them to their first stop. 

[dasenergi-diary]

Reading my Tumblr you might think I've done a lot of drugs, but really, I haven't. This is just how I am. I've always been attracted to the mystical, meditation, magic. I am what's called a Seeker or a Lightworker.

On Wednesday I did mushrooms for the first time. My friend Erik came over for a swim around 4pm and he brought the mushroom with him. Just one mushroom. A small one about the size of my thumb.

He told me to put the whole thing in my mouth and chew it good. When it's broken down, to swallow it. And I did.

The flavor wasn't that bad. It had an earthy flavor. I had a gallon of water with me (I try to drink a gallon every day.) So I washed the mushroom down and continued with my swim.

I knew the mushroom kicked-in when I noticed colors were brighter. The plants were a bright neon green. The ripples in the water were a bright blue. I mentioned this to Erik and he told me to look around. All of the plants were glowing! So bright! So vivid. And I noticed the block wall and concrete weren't, they were a very dull gray compared to the living plants. Plants have an aura. They are alive!

Erik then told me to turn-around and look at the block wall behind me. He said when he's high on shrooms he likes to look at plain walls and ceilings, that he can see patterns in them.

When I looked at the block wall behind me, it was like one of those Magic Eye posters, with 3-D shapes that come out at you.

As I was talking to my friend Erik, his face kept changing. Like every second, it would look completely different. Lots of beautiful lines and designs and code and shapes. It was very trippy.

One minute he was a beautiful Mayan Princess with an elaborate and lavish huge gold necklace. The next minute he was the Hindu god Ganesha with the elephant head.

As I continued to look around me, I saw all sorts of Mayan or Aztec designs. It made sense to me that the Mayans and Aztecs would get high on plant medicine and make art, and I was seeing the same designs that they saw.

So many religious stories are our ancient ancestors trying to make sense of the visions they saw while high on plant medicine. Just like my seeing Ganesha in Erik.

Here I should pause and remind you, I wear glasses. But I don't wear glasses while I swim obviously. So I was seeing all of these things without my glasses on.

Then Erik told me, "Put your glasses on." I keep them next to my water bottle and the speaker I use to listen to music while we swim.

When I put them on… my senses were overwhelmed.

I mean, I could see! Everything was sharper. The colors brighter! The shapes clearer! There was so much of it! Every where!

I told Erik, "Fuck you!" because it was so overwhelming, and I took my glasses off.

I took a breather, noticing everything around me. What amazed me was how stereotypical it all was. Hallucinogic hippie art was all influenced by mushrooms. I could totally see the same designs that inspired so much art I saw and grew up with since the 60s and 70s and are popular now on Tumblr.

I decided to put my glasses back on again.

Now here is where my memory starts to get fuzzy. Bits and pieces are blacked-out.

Erik was 100% Ganesha, the elephant god swimming in my pool. But he was also Jesus. Erik is a divine figurehead of all religions and spiritualities.

I remember everything was in motion. So much swirling designs, so much movement. Even on the plain block wall my mind projected colors and imagery like the Mayan art. I also think The Matrix code was inspired by mushrooms, because I could see code in the swirling designs.

The ripples in the water, so many colors, pinks and purples and greens and blues.

I began to freak out. It was all so overwhelming for my body and mind to comprehend.

I got out of the pool. I checked my phone.

My old high school friend Misty had messaged me asking me to call her. So I went into my bedroom (there are French doors directly from the pool to my bedroom) and I Facetimed with Misty.

She answered my call, and I could tell she was outside, probably sitting on her patio. She had her sunglasses on. And she looked a lot skinner from the last time I saw her, maybe a year ago.

I apologized to her, that I was on shrooms and I was putting on shorts, because I had been swimming naked. I don't remember much of what happened next.

I asked her to help ground me. She asked if everything was swirly and moving and I said yes. She wanted me to go look at the Cloud Cult painting I have in my family room. I said no, because they are sad.

I don't remember how our conversation ended.

This was when the trip took a turn for the worse.

I was still in my bedroom. The French Doors were open. I remember Erik getting out of the pool, and that scared me… Ganesha walking towards me. His presence was intimidating. I thought I was dying.

And that is the running theme for the rest of the trip - I thought I was dying.

Even at this point, I don't know which events happened first and which came later. The below is how I think everything progressed.

I remember putting my wallet and car keys near the front door in case they were needed. I knew things were going south quickly.

I remember calling 911. I said something like, "I know this is probably one of those ridiculous things that will end up on the internet, but I took mushrooms and I'm having a bad trip, and I think I'm dying."

I remember giving her my address. She asked for my phone number, twice. The first time I could remember it. The second time I struggled. I got my address and phone number confused.

I was falling into a tunnel. The tunnel was pulling me in. The tunnel was death. I didn't want to go into the tunnel. But everyone and everything was getting further away as I was falling deeper.

I needed a lifeline. I needed someone to reach into the tunnel and pull me out.

I didn't want to die. I need to stay alive for my kids. I can't die. I can't leave them. I can't abandon them. They need me. I need to live.

I Facetimed my youngest, Dakota. I told Dakota, "I took mushrooms and I'm having a bad trip and I think I'm dying." I asked him if he could come over. I asked him if Tyer (my oldest) was home. If Tyler could take him. He said, "No, Tyler is taking a nap." I begged him to come over. Dakota doesn't drive, so he asked his mom if she could drive Dakota over. I remember hearing his voice telling his mom, "Dad took mushrooms and he's having a bad trip. He thinks he's dying and he wants me to come over."

They live about 8 minutes away. It seemed to take forever.

I don't remember if the firefighters and paramedics arrived first or if Dakota did.

I remember hearing the sirens coming.

I remember being cognizant enough to answer the firefighters questions.

I remember them shaving my chest hairs so they could check my heart. I held my beard up so it wouldn't accidentally get shaved.

They kept telling me to sit back or lay down, and I didn't want to because that would mean falling into the tunnel - that would mean dying.

I remember the head firefighter who I spoke to the most kept mis-gendering Dakota. And I kept correcting him, the last time pleading with him.

All of the firefighters looked like stereotypical "Village Peole" (gay) ultra-masculine firefighters. But I could tell they were all 100% straight conservative Trump supporters - mis-gendering my child.

They said my heart was strong. That I'm not having a heart attack. That there is nothing they can do for me. That they could take me to the hospital, but there's nothing they could do for me there either. That I just need to ride-out the high. And stay hydrated.

More than once they mentioned how hot the house was. And I thought that was interesting, firefighters complaining about the heat. The house must have been hot. When I am home alone I do not turn on the AC. I just have a fan blowing on me. We gotta save money where we can. Electricity is expensive. It was 100° outside.

I remember Dakota needing to sign something that I refused the ambulance ride. And I remember wondering how much all of this is going to cost me. $20,000??? $40,000? $80,000?

I don't exactly remember the firefighters leaving. But they did.

Tyler (my oldest) woke up from his nap and Facetimed me. I asked him to come over. And he did.

In-between all of these little incidents I was still struggling for my life. I wasn't necessarily thinking I was having a heart attack. I was NOT having any chest pains.

Life is an illusion. None of this is real. We have "higher selves" who accept a life. To them, life is like a ride. Like a roller coaster. They "feed" on all of the emotions we feel. Each different flavor of emotion. Each different life experience.

In an instant, I can say "I'm done" and the world as I know it will be gone. I couldn't go back to it. It would be over. I would be "dead".

There were other "higher selves" who I will also refer to as "Gods" around me. They were Dakota, Tyler, and Erik's "higher selves". They were encouraging me to just end it. To end the ride. They didn't understand why I wanted to keep living. That I will die eventually, so why prolong it -- life is just going to get worse. I will have more problems. Everything is going to go wrong. The world is going down the shitter. Just end it now. Stop it. You had a good ride.

I was spiralling down. It would be so easy to let go. To release. But no… I'm not a quiter. I will fight. Fighting is hard. Living is hard. It's not fun. But I won't abandon my children. I will not give up this life.

I needed a lifeline. I needed someone to help pull me out. I began calling out for my ex-boyfriend Michael. We haven't spoken since March. It took three tries to Facetime him. He wasn't answering. Finally he called me back.

He looked beautiful. It looked like it was night time, and he was out by a pool (he lives in Palm Springs) and he was lit in purples and greens. (Later I found out he was indoors in his apartment, no fancy lighting.)

I don't remember our conversation. Later he told me I kept saying, "It's not fun! It's not fun!" and then I sat the phone down and all he could see what the ceiling. Dakota took the phone and talked to Michael while I was back in the bardo again. (In Tibetan Buddhism the bardo is a state of existence between death and rebirth.)

I 100% believe I was in the bardo.

I lost all concept of reality. I had no grasp of the 3-D world. I had forgotten what it is to be alive. I had forgotten living in a binary world. I had forgotten up/down left/right on/off. I had forgotten words, letters, numbers. I forgot days, hours, minutes, weeks, months. No color. Just black. Void. Nothingness.

None of that exists in the bardo.

If we can just ignore the physical world for a moment, because when we die it seizes to exist. All that we have left are our feelings and emotions. That’s all memories are, that's all life is — we remember how past events felt.

After we die, our feelings and emotions are catalogued into experiences. That’s all life is — how did it feel to relate to our lived experiences.

If you don’t pay attention to how life felt, you are missing out on life.

The gods said, "This is going to take awhile" because I was fighting death so much. While they sat around waiting for me to die. The "Tyler' higher-power went to get snacks while they sat and wait. (I expect this probably happened in the "real" world, and in my hallucinogenic state I interpreted this happening in the spirit world.)

I refused to enter any portals. No doorways. No tunnels. I could feel the pull of it behind me. I wouldn't even look at it. I wouldn't acknowledge it.

I noticed how our emotions and life events are stored and catalogued. But there was nothing else in the bardo. Objects did not exist in the bardo. It was nothingness. A void. The Gods couldn't understand why I was hanging on. Why I would want to go back living. Being human was beneath them.

I was falling down a hole. The "real" world kept getting further and further away. I wanted a hand to reach out and pull me up. But none did. I was alone. Alone and fighting to live. It would have been so easy to die. As easy as falling asleep. Just let go.

I can't tell you how I climbed out. I have no memory how I became aware of the "real world". I said something like, "I'm back." And I think Erik and the kids went, "Yay!"

But I wasn't exactly back yet. It would take me a few hours to be back. (About 24 hours, actually.)

I honestly had to remember what time was. What minutes were. What hours were. What days were.

I would see objects and not know what they were called. I had to remember letters and numbers again. I had to remember "Chair" "Couch" "Shower" "Water".

The kids, Erik, and I all went into the backyard. The house WAS hot. I turned on the AC so it would cool the house off while we were outside.

We lit the mosquito candles and sat around the pool. It was sunset. My cactus flowers were opening.

We ate watermelon.

I tried sharing with them what I could remember. But I was still in the mushroom's clutches.

I had a renewed appreciation of life. Of everything around me. The people. How hard I struggled to stay alive.

We stuck our feet in the pool. For some reason I jumped in fully clothed.

I got out. Took a shower. THIS is where I really began to come back with both feet in the real world, during the shower. Talking to myself, talking to my higher power, talking to the water - still remembering the names for things. Still remembering how to take a shower, how to turn it on.

After the shower I realized that the AC wasn't working, it wasn't cooling off the house. The AC was dead.

One of the fish in my aquarium was also dead. All of this had to be connected, my fighting for my life, the Gods telling me life will be harder if I go back, and everything being dead upon my return.

At 10pm I walked everyone to their cars. Said goodbye. Gave apologies.

I had difficulty sleeping that night. Total I had about 4 hours of sleep combined.

In the morning I was nauseous. I had important meetings to attend for work that couldn't be postponed. But after lunch I took the rest of the day off.

It dawned on me, I had vomited at least twice while on the shrooms. And now I hadn't eaten in about 24 hours. That explains why I was feeling nauseous. So I started eating small. And taking naps. Eating and napping helped.

After about 24 hours from taking the shrooms, I felt 90% better. Today I'm feeling 99% better.

And that was my mushroom experience.

The morale of the story is: Never again! Don't do drugs.

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 22: The Treasure Hunter

''Tap the rhythm against the floor to look for another door. I am slipping to the mystery of the night. I know there is an easy way, but it is my choice anyway. Don't let me waste my time in futile thinking anymore. Fated not to be tamed, watch me I never will lean upon you. I can go – by myself!''

– Fly in the Freedom by Sonic Adventure 2 (Theme of Rouge)

xXxXxXx

It was the middle of the night, the mansion being dead silent. The room was only illuminated by the moonlight coming from a nearby window, only for it to darken when a shadow-like figure appeared behind the window, easily opening it and making her way inside the room. She looked around, making sure there weren't any cameras inside the room, then smiled in satisfaction.

This person was an anthropomorphic bat with white fur, tan skin, turquoise eyes with two large eyelashes on each one, and a curvy figure. She had large pointy ears, small fangs, a small black nose on her muzzle, a short pointy tail, and a pair of dark purple wings on her back. Only her head appeared to have fur, which flared out into six points at the back. She was wearing powder blue eyeshadow and a pink lipstick and her attire consisted of a black, skin-tight, strapless unitard with a pink, heart-shaped chestplate with white trim, along with long white gloves and high-heeled boots with pink cuffs. Her boots also had gray soles and featured pink hearts on the toes. She also had a small white bag with a strap over her shoulder. Once she was assured that no one would interrupt her, she started to make her way over to a portrait, opening it like a door and observing the vault before her. She then reached for her bag, taking out a compact from it. Opening it, she smiled at the tiny mirror and taking the powder puff that was inside it. She then gathered some of the powder before tapping it over the number pad on the vault, before blowing away the excess powder, leaving only four numbers covered.

''They really need to up the security here.''

Rouge the Bat smiled as she punched in the number code, having observed earlier in the day the directions the owner used to open the vault. The number pad glowed green and the vault opened, with Rouge's eyes sparking as she saw the pink jewel inside it.

''Oh, you're so beautiful! So perfect!''

Rouge grabbed the pink jewel, examining it with glee. She felt as if she was in Heaven, having managed to successfully steal another jewel from some rich person who'd probably not even miss it. She felt that should could give it a much better home. She then placed the jewel in her bag, sighing dramatically.

''Despite the dazzling reward, there really isn't any challenge, as expected,'' Rouge muttered under her breath, a little disappointed that there wasn't more to her heist. She shook her head, leaving through the window and flying into the night.

xXx

Tails stretched his arms, yawning. ''We're finally done… What's the time?''

''It's like 1 AM in the morning,'' Warren responded, yawning and squinting at the computer monitor. They were at their workshop, finally done decoding and cataloguing all of the data they got from the Codex Research Facility, creating two separate files, one for themselves and another for Touka and Shadow, including back-ups. ''I feel like my brain had been fried, and we're still not done.''

''I wonder whether we should tell Lucas about what we found out,'' Tails said, leaning back in his seat. ''He did say that he wanted to learn more about the origins of Irregulars, and we actually got some insight into that.''

''Yeah, but I'm not sure whether Touka and Shadow will agree to us telling Lucas or the rest of the team what we had found out,'' Warren pointed out. ''You saw it for yourself, that information is part of Project Shadow.''

''I think we should call them and ask them about it,'' Tails said, reaching for the AR Visor on the top of his head, but was hesitant. ''Uh, do you think they're asleep?''

''I'm pretty sure everyone's asleep at this point, aside from us,'' Warren replied in a deadpan tone. ''But, I still think we should go ahead with it. If they don't pick up, we'll give them a call tomorrow.''

''You know that 'tomorrow' is now, right?'' Tails replied, deciding to call Touka, because he didn't want to deal with a grumpy Shadow. Warren snorted as they waited for the call to pick up. It took a minute, but the holographic screen revealed an annoyed Touka, sitting on her bed and frowning as she stared at them. Shadow, who also woke up, was sitting next to her, was just glaring at the two.

''I hope you have a good reason for calling us in the middle of the night,'' Touka said.

''We managed to finally finish decoding all the data we got from Codex, so we wanted to ask you if you could come over tomorrow to pick up the USB stick,'' Tails explained.

''You could've just called us in the morning to tell us that,'' Shadow said, his gaze softening slightly.

''There was something else we wanted to tell you about. Some of the information we had found concerns the possible origin of Irregulars and we wanted to share it with everyone, but it's part of Project Shadow, so we wanted to ask for your opinion first, since this is very personal to you,'' Warren explained.

''We are only going to talk about the part that concerns Irregulars in general, so you don't have to worry about sharing any information you're not comfortable with,'' Tails added.

Touka and Shadow both had to admit that they were a little surprised that they even asked, but pleased nevertheless. ''How important is the information you got?''

''Important enough for everyone to know,'' Warren replied.

''You two could come earlier to take a look at it, if you want and tell us whether you're okay with what we have prepared,'' Tails suggested. Touka and Shadow fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances as if engaged in a wordless conversation.

''Go for it,'' Touka finally said, much to Warren and Tails' surprise. ''I'm curious what you have uncovered. Good night!''

The screen went black, with Warren just sighing in relief. ''Man, it's always so tense with these two around.''

''At least we can call everyone else for a meeting,'' Tails replied, already typing up a message and sending it to everyone. Warren took a deep breath, leaning against the table.

''I just want to go to sleep.''

xXx

''…and Mum's paranoid that someone might break into our house to steal her jewel and gemstone collection,'' Lily concluded, with Minami and Amy giving her surprised looks. The two were on their way towards the Taylor Workshop, having ran into Lily and Knuckles on their way there, with the latter two telling them about last night's break into into the mansion of Lauren Crystle's, Lily's mother, close friend. Minami furrowed a brow.

''I had no idea your mother was interested in gemology,'' she said. Lily waved her off.

''Actually, she isn't. She just likes to collect valuable gemstones and then brag in front of her friends about them. She has a whole room just dedicated to her hobby,'' Lily explained.

''Now that someone stole from her friend, she voiced her concerns during breakfast over her collection being the next target and demands additional security. Lily's father stated that there was no reason to be worried, though,'' Knuckles added.

''Really, why?'' Amy asked, confused.

''I think that Dad just didn't want to deal with Mum's dramatics, so he blew it off,'' Lily replied, shrugging. ''Honestly, I don't really care about it, although I'd like to learn more about this mysterious thief.''

''If this thief knows what is good for them, they wouldn't dare to steal from our home as long as I'm the Guardian,'' Knuckles said.

''Nevertheless, if you ever need help, you know you can call us,'' Amy noted. Knuckles simply nodded in response as they arrived at the workshop. The rest of Team Neos was already there, with Warren and Tails working on a device, with Sonic peering curiously over Tails' shoulder. Lucas was talking to Makoto and Silver, while Touka and Shadow were in the corner of the room, reading something on a holographic screen.

''Hey, guys! Hope you haven't started without us,'' Minami announced their presence as they joined the rest of the team.

''Don't worry, we were waiting for you,'' Warren told her, with Tails picking up the device they had been working on earlier, disconnecting it from the computer.

''What's that?'' Sonic asked.

''It's a portable AR Field generator, something Warren worked on before I came along. We wanted to use it for our presentation,'' Tails explained. He pressed a button on it, the AR Field suddenly spreading through the entire room and revealing a bunch of holographic screens floating around them. ''All done!''

As their friends settled either on the couch or just leaned against it, Warren and Tails turned towards them, feeling a little nervous. After all, the information they had discovered felt like a huge bombshell since any information regarding Irregulars was limited and investigations in their origins were basically non-existent due to the government forbidding it. However, given the existence of the Codex Research Facility, that hadn't always been the case.

''So, you already know why we have called you here,'' Warren started, noting everyone's gazes of anticipation. Sonic held up his hand as if he was in a class.

''Yeah, you said you had figured out the origins of Irregulars,'' Sonic said.

''Right, except that's not completely the case. As a matter of fact, all of the information we got was from the Codex Research Facility, being part of Prof. Hiroshi Sakamoto's research,'' Warren explained, briefly glancing at Touka and Shadow, who looked quite tense.

''There are a few points we wanted to go through,'' Tails said, grabbing a nearby holographic screen that was filled with notes. ''For starters, you all know that any research concerning Irregulars had been forbidden, not helped due to Shadow basically destroying a good chunk of the Codex Research Facility.'' Tails glanced at the ebony hedgehog. ''Yeah, there is no way to sugarcoat this one. Sorry, Shadow.''

''I don't mind,'' Shadow replied, arms folded across his chest.

''Nevertheless, before that, the scientists at Codex were tasked with the research of Irregulars, who had proven themselves a threat since there really wasn't anyone who could properly deal with them at the time, since the Irregular Hunters haven't even been formed yet and combat-oriented ARNavs weren't developed yet,'' Warren continued. ''The main directive of this research was to learn the origins of the Irregulars, their connection to BioEnergy and whether there was a possibility to control them properly without them being a danger to humanity.''

''Prof. Sakamoto had even detailed in his notes how Codex had created a task force to capture Irregulars and bring them there for research. Let's just say that some members got seriously hurt during that process,'' Tails continued. ''During the research, they had come to the same conclusions as we did. Irregulars, unlike regular ARNavs, are both biological and digital in nature, needing to sleep and eat while also being able to manipulate data and survive outside an AR Field, as well as be able to manipulate BioEnergy. However, they still didn't know why that was the case.''

''Considering what you had told us, it looks like they figured it out eventually,'' Amy commented.

''Correct, although this only happened because Prof. Sakamoto had help from an outside contributor,'' Warren replied.

''Really? He couldn't figure it out by himself?'' Makoto was stunned.

''Who was the contributor?'' Silver asked.

''Unfortunately, that information had been redacted,'' Tails replied, turning a holographic screen towards them and showing them the notes with the redacted parts. ''Whoeever it was, Prof. Sakamoto didn't want anyone to know. We don't know why either, because he never elaborated on that in detail, so unless you guys know anything, this is all we got.''

''If we knew anything, we would've told you. Prof. Sakamoto made sure that Shadow and I stay as far away from the research areas as possible unless he specifically called for us, which was rare,'' Touka explained.

''That still didn't prevent you from going to areas you weren't supposed to be at,'' Shadow remarked dryly. Touka just shrugged.

''So? I was bored,'' she replied, with Shadow rolling his eyes. Touka turned to Warren and Tails. ''In any case, we don't really have anything to add.''

''Fortunately, we do,'' Warren replied. ''We all know that ARNavs are sentient digital beings created in a controlled environment. Irregulars, however, aren't really created as much as they're… I guess 'born' would be the correct term? I'm not sure.''

''I'd go with the term 'awoken','' Tails added, glancing at Warren, then turned towards fellow Irregular teammates. ''None of us really remembers where we come from. We have absolutely no memories of our past save from the moment we awoke.''

''That's correct,'' Knuckles said.

''The reason for that is because Irregulars are literal errors that appeared in the current system. They are amalgamations of stray data that has been caught between an AR Field and the real world, glitching out and forming into an Irregular. That also explains why we have no memories of anything before awakening. We're literally not supposed to exist,'' Tails explained. There was a moment of silence, with his teammates exchanging glances, being rather surprised, but at the same time, they seemed to be more accepting of that fact. With all the things that happened to them, this may not have been as shocking as it was supposed to be.

''That would explain why so many Irregulars have appeared in Neos City, since this place is filled with AR Fields,'' Sonic pointed out.

Tails simply nodded and continued, ''There is something else I want to add. According to Prof. Sakamoto, it is actually almost impossible for an Irregular to be artificially created. It wasn't elaborated on why though, but I have a couple of theories regarding that. More importantly, the remaining data shows that there had been several unsuccessful attempts of creating an artificial Irregular that they would be able to control, hence why I said that it's almost impossible to create one. However, thanks to the anonymous contributor, there was one, and only one, successful creation.''

As if on cue, everyone turned their heads towards Shadow. The ebony hedgehog wasn't too keen on all of the sudden attention he got, opting to just scowl and ignore it. They knew about his and Touka's past, as they had told them, and he wasn't going to answer any unnecessary questions.

''Moving on,'' Warren started, drawing everyone's attention. ''There was also a section about the research on BioEnergy and its connection to Irregulars. However, neither Tails nor I are really comfortable talking about it in detail because it is tied to Project Shadow, so we'll leave that one to Touka and Shadow to explain, if they want to.'' He paused, catching the two's intense gaze. ''All we can say is that there was an attempt at weaponizing BioEnergy and Irregulars, but they had failed.''

''Not only failed, but failed spectacularly,'' Tails added in a snarky tone.

''Hmph, it is ironic that what the Professor couldn't achieve, you have managed to figure out,'' Shadow said suddenly, ignoring the looks he got.

''You mean, Chaos Surge?'' Lucas asked. Shadow nodded, then noted Sonic's curious look.

''Do you want to tell us more?'' Sonic asked.

''I was only going to fill in the gaps,'' Shadow replied. He did respect Tails and Warren for not sharing all of the information, him and Touka having decided after the call they got that they would add more if necessary. Shadow recalled Prof. Sakamoto's last log, having read it after he woke up from his stasis pod, feeling the rage simmering again, but kept himself calm. ''The Professor has never shared what the true purpose of his research, but he would still run exams on me. He had also insisted on me and Touka developing a close bond, and I suppose that was all part of his experiment. It even reached a point where we both were put into danger just to see whether he can trigger anything.''

''Honestly, I'm just glad we don't have to deal with him or anything regarding Codex anymore,'' Touka said, sighing in relief. There was a moment of silence, suddenly broken by Silver.

''Do you guys think we'll meet more Irregulars like us?'' Silver asked.

''Well, Knuckles and I had already a run in with Big and Froggy, and there were also the Babylon Rogues. I guess anything's possible,'' Lily said.

xXx

Knuckles yawned, walking away from the kitchen while eating handful of grapes. He woke up in the middle of the night feeling a little hungry and, after failing to fall asleep, he decided to just get his favorite snack to calm his nerves. It was a rather quiet night, but Knuckles remained alert. It was a habit of his, something he learned from his travels, to listen to his gut feeling and be prepared for anything. He had been told that the Crystle Mansion was quite secure, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't do a little patrol around just to be sure. He was Lily's Guardian, after all, and that extended to her home as well.

Throwing the last grape into his mouth, Knuckles walked past a hallway leading to a room belonging to Lily's mother, that being her hobby room, the one she displayed all the gemstones and jewels she gathered. No one was allowed to enter it, but Knuckles stopped for a moment, a strange feeling bubbling inside his chest and then walked over to it. After opening the door, he peered inside, his purple eyes widening in surprise at what he saw.

Inside was a white bat ARNav taking a red jewel out of the display case. Knuckles' brow furrowed as he slammed the door open, causing the thief to get startled and turn towards him. Knuckles clenched his fists, walking right over to her.

''Who are you and what are you doing with that jewel?'' Knuckles confronted the intruder. The bat ARNav gave him an intrigued gaze, still holding up the red jewel.

''My name is Rouge the Bat. Better known as the treasure hunter, Rouge,'' Rouge introduced herself, then tilted her head slightly as she gazed at Knuckles. ''And, who are you, handsome?''

''I'm Knuckles the Echidna, the Guardian of the Crystle Mansion, and you have no business being here,'' Knuckles responded, trying to ignore the ''handsome'' comment. Rouge put her fingertip on her lips, acting as if she were surprised.

''Oh, really? I had no idea!'' she said, walking around Knuckles. The red echidna was scowling, arms folded across his chest as he observed her circling him as if she was checking him out. ''I had just found some beautiful jewels and I just couldn't resist taking a closer look at them.''

''You got your chance to take a look at them, now give me back the jewel and leave before I make you leave!'' Knuckles warned her, but Rouge didn't appear to be particularly threatened.

''Don't worry, I was planning on leaving, but not without a souvenir,'' Rouge replied casually, brushing with her hand against Knuckles shoulder as she walked past him. Knuckles tensed for a moment, shivering feeling a chill down his spine, but then quickly turned towards Rouge.

''Give me the jewel back,'' he demanded. Rouge smirked, placing one hand on her hip as she turned towards him.

''Why don't you take it by yourself?'' she replied, holding the jewel up. Knuckles stepped towards her, but Rouge stepped back. Frowning, he stepped again towards her, reaching for the jewel, but Rouge leapt back. Now annoyed, Knuckles lunged at Rouge, but she quickly flapped her wings, flying up and causing Knuckles to crash into a nearby display. He shook his head, looking up at Rouge as she hovered above him. ''Huh? Is that all you've got?''

''You'll pay for this!'' Knuckles growled.

''I'm sorry honey, but I don't have any money on me,'' Rouge teased him, then winked at Knuckles. ''Would a kiss be enough?''

''Wh-ah, no!'' Knuckles stammered, his cheeks taking a sudden shade of red, being caught off guard by Rouge's question. Rouge took advantage of this, doing a two-finger salute and quickly flew out through the skylight.

''I'll be seeing you later!''

Knuckles just stared at the skylight, completely stunned. Suddenly, a pit formed in his stomach, followed by the sensation of dread as he realized that Rouge had just escaped with the jewel he was supposed to protect simply because he froze. He hated it.

xXx

''Why have you told me not to tell your parents that I know who stole the jewel?'' Knuckles asked.

Lily hummed as she and Knuckles were going over to Heizeru Park. She, her parents and Bennet had been awoken in the middle of the night by Knuckles, who regretfully told them that one of the jewels from Lauren's collection had been stolen, apologizing for his failure to guard the Crystle Mansion. However, he had woken up Lily first and immediately told her who the culprit was, but to his confusion, she insisted that he keep it a secret. He also had to face the anger from her parents, who immediately went into blaming him for allowing the jewel to get stolen. Lily defended him, going by the narrative of Knuckles already finding the jewel stolen, but she didn't explain to the echidna why she decided to lie to her own parents. Instead, she called Team Neos for a meeting the next day.

''Mainly because the thief who stole the jewel is Rouge the Bat and I feel that this is something we should be handling instead of my parents calling the police,'' Lily replied.

''I do agree that I should make up for my mistake,'' Knuckles responded, although Lily could hear the disheartened tone in his voice. She was about to continue the conversation, when a blue blur ran right past them, halting to a stop and turning around.

''Hey, there you are! Everyone's already waiting for you at Heizeru Park!'' Sonic told them. ''Speaking of which, why did you ask for meeting up there and not at your place?''

''Mainly because I don't want to convince my parents to have my friends over without a proper plan, especially since they're already in an awful mood because of what happened,'' Lily replied. ''You remember how Bennet didn't even want to let you inside and you got lucky because Knuckles and I found you in one of our booby traps? I want to avoid that.''

''Yeah, I'd like to avoid that too,'' Sonic agreed, glancing at Knuckles. ''Are you okay, Knux?''

''I will be fine once I find Rouge and take that jewel back from her,'' Knuckles responded, scowling. Sonic gave him a thumbs up.

''Don't worry, we'll help you with that,'' he said in a chipper tone. Knuckles gazed at Sonic, feeling at the same time both annoyed and relieved by his assurance. He felt it was his personal responsibility to return the jewel from Rouge, but at the same time, having some assistance wasn't a bad thing, especially since he already knew that he could rely on Team Neos to help him. After all, this was the reason they all agreed to work together – to combat all kinds of threats as a team.

When they arrived at Heizeru Park, they found the rest of the team at the clearing close to the pond, already talking about some random topic. Lily and Knuckles were mildly surprised that Touka and Shadow were there as well, since the two were usually just doing their own thing. Admittedly, they were a bit apart from the rest of the group, with Touka leaning against a tree, while Shadow was sitting on the branch above, just observing the situation quietly.

''Hey, guys!'' Lily called out for the group, who turned towards her. ''Knux and I already told you during the call what happened, but I guess we kind of need to elaborate on it.''

''You did tell us that you had a break in and Rouge stole a jewel, and that you wanted to do something about it,'' Amy said.

''Correct,'' Knuckles replied.

''Do you have any idea where to find her?'' Minami asked.

''No, but she had told me that 'she'll be seeing me later'. However, I don't understand the meaning of it,'' Knuckles replied. ''I don't know whether she is going to return to steal more jewels, but I believe that it is a possibility and I want to prepare for it.''

''So, what's the plan?'' Silver asked, his question causing a few heads turn right towards Lucas, who appeared to be startled by the sudden attention.

''Uh… Why are you all looking at me like that?'' he asked.

''You're the self-proclaimed leader and the one who comes up with a plan. Don't be so surprised,'' Touka snarked, a slight smirk on her lips. Lucas frowned, glancing at Touka.

''Yeah, I know, but…'' Lucas trailed off for a moment, glancing at Lily and Knuckles. ''I want to first hear what exactly you want to do. After all, this situation is personal to you.''

''Honestly, if Knuckles is right and Rouge would return, maybe we could ambush her or make some kind of trap?'' Lily suggested, shrugging. ''That's what we wanted to talk about in detail.''

''Well, I'm all for this trap idea,'' Minami replied. ''If Rouge is anything like her video game counterpart, she will return to grab the rest of the jewels that are at the mansion. The only question is when.''

''Unfortunately, I don't have the information, but I am willing to stand guard until she does appear,'' Knuckles replied. Lucas hummed at the comment, folding his arms across his chest as he thought about the trap idea.

''You know, I think a trap could work, but we don't really know when Rouge would plan to strike again,'' he said. ''I mean, an alarm system could also do the job…''

''There is an alarm system at the gate and cameras inside the mansion, but Rouge didn't trigger any alarm nor was she seen on any of the cameras. When she escaped, she used the skylight above the room,'' Knuckles explained.

''Honestly, I'm not surprised about that,'' Warren said, remembering the spy aspect of Rouge's character. Lucas' eyes lit up and he hit with his fist against his palm.

''I think we can work around this,'' he said, grinning.

xXx

''Chaos Surge!''

Dr. Eggman furrowed a brow as he observed Ferra and Metal Sonic charging up with power on one of his computer screens. The two had spent the past few days learning how to harness and control their new ability, growing quite strong. He just let them do their own thing, figuring that this way, they'll be an even better asset to his own plans. He himself had been busy with the fallout of infecting the Buddy Bots with a virus. He let the android he created, Dr. Tamago, do the talking to the public and the investigators and while he knew that people wouldn't so easily trust the company after what had happened, he also knew that after some time passed, everyone would forget about it, especially if he made sure that his Eggman Empire wasn't associated with the Tamago Corporation.

''I got the attention of Neos City and Sonic and his friends. Tamago Corporation has had its reputation recovered and no one is the wiser,'' Dr. Eggman said, rubbing his hands as he pulled up another screen. ''Excellent!''

''Have you already finished your new project, Boss?'' Orbot asked, bringing along with Cubot a few snacks and a blue mug of coffee on a tray, the red text on the mug saying #1 Brilliant Genius.

''Yeah, you sound quite happy, despite your recent defeat,'' Cubot added, only to get elbowed by Orbot. The spherical robot gave him a warning look, not wanting to get on Eggman's bad side by reminding him of the defeat several days ago. Eggman just glared at the two, then turned towards the monitors.

''That encounter was far from a defeat. I have achieved what I wanted and my current project is close to being finished,'' Eggman replied, adding with a growl, ''It would've been faster if a certain duo was actually doing what they're supposed to do.''

''Oh, you mean Mephiles and Toshiro? They're already here,'' Cubot replied.

''Why haven't you told me that earlier?'' Eggman asked angrily.

''You… haven't asked?'' Orbot said, shrugging.

''Just tell the two to get over here,'' Eggman replied, now impatient, with Orbot and Cubot quickly leaving. It didn't take long until Toshiro and Mephiles entered the room, with Eggman getting up. ''I have told you two to give me a report the moment you return!''

''With all due respect, sir, we didn't want to interrupt you in case you were busy,'' Toshiro replied, but Eggman interrupted him.

''I don't care about your excuses, I want results! Especially since you two just decided to disappear during the invasion,'' Eggman growled.

''Then, you will be pleased to hear that Prof. Sakamoto has finalized a way to synthetize a proper energy source for you,'' Mephiles replied. ''It is not the infinite source of energy you demanded, but it is satisfactory enough.''

''Do you have the data with you?'' Eggman asked.

''No, but the Professor is in the process of finishing it. However, his mental health isn't the best as of late,'' Toshiro replied.

''In other words, he's losing his grip on reality,'' Mephiles added. Eggman sat back down in the swivel chair, staring at the two as he clasped his hands, with his index fingers pointing up.

''As long as he finishes the project, I don't care. It is… unfortunate to lose a brilliant mind, but I might as well take back all of the resources I gave him if he's of no more use to me,'' he said.

''So, you're planning to let him rot in his own madness?'' Toshiro asked. Eggman just waved him off, turning back to the computer screen behind him.

''As long as he doesn't attempt to sabotage my own plans, be it intentionally or unintentionally, I frankly don't care what he's up to,'' he replied. ''However, I do have another project for you two. Since you have been missing from the action last time, you'll be leading tonight's attack.''

''You are planning an attack on Neos City?'' Toshiro asked.

''Not on Neos City, but on Sonic and his friends,'' Eggman replied. ''It has been several days since the first attack and I don't want them to get too comfortable. You two know how to find whomever you're searching for, so take the Badniks and attack them.''

''Yes, sir,'' Toshiro replied, him and Mephiles leaving the room, passing by Orbot and Cubot, who apparently overheard the conversation.

''I guess that means that we should reset the 'X Days Without An Attack' counter,'' Cubot said. Toshiro and Mephiles didn't pay much attention to the two as they were focused on their task.

''I suppose we should make this an attack without making our presence known,'' Mephiles told Toshiro. ''It's still not time for our grand entrance.''

''You're right. Fortunately, Dr. Eggman did give us some key information to use,'' Toshiro replied. ''Rest assured, we it won't be long until all pieces are set.''

xXx

''So, is everyone ready for guard duty?'' Lucas asked, him and Sonic standing in front of the main entrance to the hobby room filled with the jewels and gemstones, the door behind them locked.

''Yeah!''

''We're ready!''

''Hopefully this works!''

''I still doubt Rouge would return tonight specifically.''

There was a chorus of responses from the rest of their teammates, some excited, some cynical. Nevertheless, they all agreed to go along with the plan they came up and try to catch Rouge in the act. After Lily managed to persuade her parents to let Team Neos on the case, they agreed, but not without some strong disapproval and comments regarding whom she's friends with; something everyone ignored. Lily also had to work around her and Knuckles' lie about knowing who the culprit was, explaining how they were doing this just because they felt that they might return for the rest of the collection. After all, the mansion now appeared to be a very easy target.

''Honestly, it's a miracle they agreed to this rather than calling the authorities or hiring additional bodyguards,'' Lily grumbled over the screen. She and Knuckles had also a good feeling that another reason why her parents approved of this was because Knuckles blamed himself for what happened, and seeing the echidna who previously put them in their place having a slice of humble pie made them feel vindicated.

''I'm sure that we got this,'' Sonic replied as he looked at the screens that showed where everyone was.

Makoto and Silver were stationed at the front gate, making sure no one could enter the yard through it. Minami and Amy were patrolling the front yard, Amy having her hammer out. Touka and Shadow took over the woods surrounding the mansion and the part behind it. Warren and Tails were stationed at the side entrance to the hobby room, the door behind them locked. Lily and Knuckles were locked up inside the jewel room, with Knuckles staring ahead stoically, his arms folded across his chest as he observed the skylight above, as if expecting Rouge to enter the room through it.

''Now, all we have to do is to wait. The moment you notice something, send out a warning,'' Lucas added, then turned the holographic screen off, looking at Sonic, who was walking up and down the corridor at a quite fast pace. ''Are you planning on making a hole in the hallway?''

''You know that I'm not the most patient person,'' Sonic replied. ''This is probably going to be a long wait.''

''You could go out from time to time just to check on everyone,'' Lucas suggested. Sonic just nodded, looking at the door behind him, wondering how Knuckles was doing.

The echidna in question was currently not moving from his spot, standing in front of the display of a green jewel, still staring at the skylight and feeling tense. Lily sat down next to him, giving him an empathetic look.

''Hey, Knuckles, are you feeling okay?'' she asked. ''You had been talking about how you need to make up for your mistake, but honestly, I don't think it's that bad. Yeah, sure, an expensive jewel was stolen, but you said you're here to protect me, not Mum's collection of gemstones.''

Knuckles frowned, being silent at first, but then started talking.

''I brought dishonor to my status as your Guardian. While I swore to protect you, this also extends to your home. I deeply apologize for my failure,'' Knuckles added solemly, staring ahead. Lily gazed at him, a sympathetic look on her expression, and shifted closer to him. ''All I want is to fix my mistake.''

''Knux, listen… You haven't failed anything,'' Lily told him in a comforting tone. Knuckles just frowned harder.

''You're just stating that to make me feel better,'' he responded. Lily just rolled her eyes, humming.

''Yeah, you're right, I do want to make you feel better because I feel like you're too hard on yourself,'' she admitted, tilting her head. ''Also, I think there's a bit more to it than you just losing a jewel to Rouge.''

Knuckles stiffened, a slight shade of red tinting his cheeks as he clenched his fists tighter. He then looked at Lily. ''Do you swear you won't tell anyone about what I'm going to tell you?''

''Of course not, cross my heart and hope to die if I ever do,'' Lily replied, with Knuckles sitting next to her, crossing his legs and taking a deep breath as he placed his hands on his knees.

''I believe that Rouge has somehow charmed me… or at least she put me under a hex,'' Knuckles started. Lily gave him a surprised look.

''What do you mean by that?''

''During our encounter, we had a conversation and I… I started feeling weird, to the point that I just froze. I'm ashamed to admit that I wasn't able to do anything at the moment and my inaction allowed Rouge to escape,'' Knuckles admitted.

''Was it something specific you guys were talking about?'' Lily asked, prying for more details to make sense of the situation. Knuckles shook his head.

''I… No, I just told her to hand over the jewel and she started to act weird and… bewitching, I suppose,'' he replied, remembering how he shivered at Rouge's touch. Lily stared at him for a moment, gears turning in her head as she processed the information, then snorted in amusement.

''I think I understand what's going on,'' she said. Knuckles gave her a confused look.

''You do?''

''Yeah, and rest assured, Rouge didn't put a hex on you,'' Lily assured him.

''Then, why-?'' Knuckle's voice died in his throat. Frankly, he felt quite foolish. He sighed, leaning back against the display case. ''I feel as if I should focus on my task rather than think about what had happened.''

''If you want to do that, that's okay. I'll be with you the whole time. If Rouge appears and tries to 'charm' you again, I'll have your back,'' Lily assured him, holding up her fist towards Knuckles. Knuckles smiled, lifting his arm and doing a fist bump.

''Thank you,'' he replied, grateful for Lily's presence. Whenever he felt like he doubted his actions, she was there to clear his mind and give him a proper direction. Sure, he was supposed to protect her, but he had to admit that he was content with Lily looking after him.

xXx

''Finally, they fell asleep,'' Rouge muttered under her breath, hanging upside down from a tree at the woods surrounding the Crystle Mansion. She had been observing the whole place for hours, waiting for Team Neos to get tired and the lack of sleep getting to them. She had seen Silver and Makoto leaning against the gate, Amy and Minami having fallen asleep on the sunloungers next to the swimming pool, and Touka and Shadow being sound asleep while hiding behind some bushes. She also was well aware that Sonic, Lucas, Tails and Warren were guarding both entrances and that Lily and Knuckles were inside the hobby room. How did she know that? She had followed Knuckles and Lily to Heizeru Park and eavesdropped their conversation with their friends. She heard their entire plan and knew that she could easily find a way inside without alerting anyone. Knuckles and his friends shouldn't have talked about it in the public. You never know who might overhear it.

Rouge did come prepared this time, just in case something happened. She flew up, a white and pink bag being slung over her shoulder and she flew towards the skylight she used the last night to break into the mansion. Fortunately for her, it was still open, so she easily slipped inside, landing right in front of Knuckles. To her surprise, he was standing leaned against a display case, arms still folded across his chest, yet he was fast asleep. Lily was next to him, sitting leaned against the display case, just as asleep as he was.

Rouge had to admit that they looked kind of cute like this. Unfortunately for them, she was planning to leave this place completely empty. She walked up towards the display case, reaching for the green jewel inside it, only to get startled when a gloved fist grabbed her arm. Her eyes widened as she stared at Knuckles, now fully awake and glaring at her.

''I… I thought you were asleep,'' Rouge said, completely stunned.

''No, you have been tricked,'' Knuckles replied. To Rouge's surprise, Lily suddenly got up, giving her a victorious look.

''I had figured that you might stick around, which is why I told everyone to meet up at Heizeru Park to talk about what we should do. Once we were done, I just sent everyone a message about the actual plan, which was to bait you here,'' Lily explained. Rouge smirked.

''You're a smart cookie, sweetheart,'' she said, ripping her arm out of Knuckles' grip and stepping back.

''Now, give us back the jewel you stole,'' Knuckles demanded. Rouge's ears twitched as she heard a clicking sound coming from both entrances, Sonic, Lucas, Tails and Warren entering the room. She then turned to Knuckles, who was ready to fight her. She reached for her bag, showing the red jewel she had stolen.

''You'll have to catch me if you want your precious jewel back,'' she said, reaching once again for the bag, but this time, she pulled out a white orb with a pink heart on it. Just as Knuckles, Tails and Sonic lunged at her, she threw the mini-bomb which exploded, acting like a smoke bomb. This allowed her to quickly fly up to the skylight, hearing coughing from behind her. Unfortunately for her, there was a flash of cyan and light blue lights, with Silver and Shadow hovering in front of the skylight and blocking her path, Silver using his psychokinesis and Shadow using his air shoes.

''You're not getting past us,'' Silver told her.

''Oh, I think I will,'' Rouge replied, reaching for her bag again and throwing blue powder at both of them, forcing Silver and Shadow to close their eyes and back away on instinct, being blinded for a moment. She flew past them, but was taken by surprise when she saw Amy appearing before her on her hoverboard. Amy leapt from her hoverboard, swinging her hammer at Rouge, but Rouge managed to dodge it. She flew away as fast as possible, taking a moment to turn back and being astonished to see Knuckles following her on a hoverboard.

''You're not getting away with this!'' Knuckles yelled after her. Rouge just laughed in response, turning her attention back to her flight path. They reached the more urban landscape, with Rouge flying above a building, only to realize that Knuckles caught up to her. She turned back, reaching for her bag again and throwing one of her smoke bombs at him. However, Knuckles leapt of the hoverboard and lunged at her, tackling her and causing both of them to tumble onto the rooftop of a nearby building. Rouge's bag fell off, her ears twitching as she heard the clinking of the jewel, which had fallen out of her bag. It was quite painful.

Both Rouge and Knuckles got up on their feet, glancing at the jewel, then glaring at each other, with Knuckles taking a swing at Rouge. She dodged it, flying up and going for a dive kick, but Knuckles avoided it and went for another punch.

''You know, I had a lovely time playing with you,'' Rouge said, avoiding the punch and going for a kick in the gut, but Knuckles managed to catch her leg.

''I'm not pleased with any of your games,'' Knuckles responded, holding onto Rouge's leg and swinging her around before letting her go. Rouge flew back, but used her wings to stop herself, hovering on the rooftop.

She was about to attack Knuckles, when she and the echidna suddenly heard the sound of buzzing. They looked up, surprised to see a swarm of wasp or bee-like robots, which suddenly started to fire lasers from their stingers. Knuckles and Rouge dodged the laser blasts, being pushed back towards the edge of the rooftop. Rouge then flew up in an attempt to escape the barrage of laser blasts, only for one to hit her right in the right wing. She cried out in pain, finding herself plummeting towards the street below her. Rouge closed her eyes, aware that she couldn't fly herself up due to her injured wing and already accepted her fate, when she suddenly felt someone grabbing her. She forced her eyes open, stunned to see Knuckles carrying her bridal style and gliding towards the ground. She realized that she probably jumped after her when she got hit.

''Y-You saved me?'' Rouge stuttered in awe as they landed safely on the ground.

''You may be getting on my nerves, but I'm not going to let you die,'' Knuckles replied. Rouge stared at him, feeling her heart racing. ''Are you okay?''

''Uh, I am…'' Rouge replied, her mind fuzzy and her cheeks slightly red. She was stunned that Knuckles had saved her, despite the fact that he made it clear that he disliked her. ''You can let me down now.''

''Oh, right,'' Knuckles mumbled, letting go off Rouge. Both looked up at the wasp-like robots, which flew after them. Knuckles glanced at Rouge. ''How about a truce until we take care of those robots?''

''Gladly,'' Rouge replied, both turning towards their common enemy. She flapped with her injured wing, feeling a sting of pain, but she figured she could handle it.

Knuckles and Rouge charged towards the wasp-like robots, with Knuckles punching one that appeared behind Rouge and Rouge kicking down another one that aimed at Knuckles. Another robot appeared, firing at Rouge, but Knuckles managed to pull her away before the laser blast could hit her.

''Thanks for the save, Big Guy,'' Rouge complimented him.

''I must admit, you're a good fighter,'' Knuckles returned the compliment, with both looking up, seeing another bunch of wasp robots surrounding them. Both prepared to for the assault, only for the wasp robots to be stopped mid-air by cyan energy. A blue and a black and red ball smashed right through them, their rescuers revealing themselves to be Silver, Sonic and Shadow.

''Yo, Knux, are you okay?'' Sonic asked, standing in the middle of the smashed robots.

''Fortunately, I am,'' Knuckles replied, relieved to see his teammates. It didn't take long for the rest of them to arrive, with Tails and Warren immediately investigating the robots.

''Guys, these are Buzz Bombers, Eggman's Badniks,'' Warren told his friends.

''Why would Eggman send those out?'' Makoto asked.

''Probably to ruin our night,'' Sonic said, shrugging. ''It doesn't look like there are more of them.''

Knuckles turned to Rouge to see what she had to say, only to realize that she was gone. He looked around frantically, only to see her suddenly fly down and holding her bag, having gone to the rooftop to pick it up.

''It appears that our truce has come to an end,'' Rouge said, turning to Knuckles. She was startled when he suddenly held her hand, a faint blush tinting her cheeks as she looked at Knuckles in astonishment. However, the strange feeling of fuzziness came to an sudden end when the echidna threw her over his shoulder and slammed her right into the ground. Rouge felt her back ache, but it didn't stop her from jumping on her feet and yelling at Knuckles, her face red, ''What the hell was that for?!''

The echidna warrior was taken aback by her sudden outburst, a look of guilt forming on his expression, ''I-I thought we'd be continuing our fight.''

Rouge groaned, rubbing her temples, then reached for her bag and took out the jewel, tossing it at Knuckles. ''I hate to part with it, but I guess I need to repay you for saving my life. You can have it back.''

Knuckles was genuinely stunned to see the red jewel back in his hands, looking down at it, then back at Rouge. ''I'm sorry… for hurting you earlier.''

''Don't worry, Big Guy, it's fine. I've been through worse,'' Rouge replied, blowing a kiss at him and then flying away. ''Bye!''

Knuckles stared at her as she vanished into the night, still a little stunned, with Lily approaching him. ''Are you okay?''

''I'm fine,'' Knuckles replied, still trying to process what just had happened. He was glad to have managed to get back the jewel and be done with everything, but at the same time he felt as if his interactions with Rouge weren't over yet.

As for Rouge, she managed to find a good spot on a building, allowing for her injured wing to rest. She sighed, enjoying the cold breeze that cooled the burnt spot and gazed down at the streets. While she felt a bit bitter for returning the jewel to Knuckles, she realized that it didn't really matter. As a matter of fact, she had a lot of fun tonight and she was looking forward to interacting more with Knuckles and his friends.

''I guess I had finally found my match.''

Links:

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#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

[eddysocs]

The Reluctant Patient — Lisa Vanderpump x OC

Summary: Lisa has overworked herself and is refusing to rest despite being ill, so Ken calls in reinforcements in the form of Ruby.

Word Count: 662

Warnings: None

The ornate chandeliers of Villa Rosa glittered in the morning sun, casting a soft glow over the house, but the tranquility was shattered by the sound of Lisa Vanderpump’s incessant coughing. She had been pushing herself to the brink, juggling her business ventures, philanthropic endeavors, and fully packed social calendar on top of it all. And now it had all come to this. The stress of constantly being busy had taken its toll on her, and it had developed into a cold, one she kept insisting she didn’t have.

After an early morning call from Ken, Ruby arrived at the house around nine, just as Ken was trying to talk Lisa into going back to bed. “Thank goodness you’re here,” Ken said, when Ruby found them both in Lisa's closet. “She’s been refusing to rest.”

"Color me surprised," Ruby quipped, she and Ken sharing a knowing glance Lisa's way, despite the fact that she wasn’t looking. They both knew exactly what Lisa was like. Regardless she gave Ken her most dazzling and reassuring smile.

The two of them ducked out of the closet to speak without Lisa overhearing. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she stays put.”

Ken nodded, grateful. “I’ll handle everything on her schedule for today. Just see to it she gets better.”

Ruby made her way back into Lisa’s closet, where she found her shuffling through a row of button down shirts in every shade of pink imaginable. "Ken, which one do you think I should wear. I—" Lisa stopped talking when she turned around to see that Ken had gone and Ruby now stood behind her.

“Ruby, darling, what are you doing here,” Lisa croaked, clearing her throat afterwards.

“Ken called me,” Ruby replied coolly. “Said you weren’t feeling well and I’m here to make sure you rest.”

Lisa sighed, and the hand going to her head and lingering there for a moment didn’t escape Ruby's notice. “I’m not ill," she insisted. “I have half a dozen things to do today.”

Before she could go on, Ruby piped in with, “Ken’s handling everything today.” Immediately, Lisa was set to argue. “And it will all get done,” Ruby added before she could try and convince her that she could handle everything herself. “Right now, you need to rest.”

Lisa closed her eyes, too exhausted to put up her usual fight. “Alright. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but take me to bed.” Even sick, Lisa knew how to mess with her. Ruby didn’t let her get the satisfaction that she’d feel if she saw how she’d flustered her.

She got Lisa settled under the covers of her bed, fluffing her pillows and making sure she was comfortable. She checked her temperature with the back of her hand and adjusted the blankets once more before heading downstairs to make her some herbal tea.

When she returned, Lisa was already dozing off. Ruby placed the tea on the bedside table and sat beside her, gently brushing a strand of hair from Lisa’s forehead.

Lisa’s eyes fluttered open. “Ruby…?”

“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Ruby said softly.

“I’m feeling better,” Lisa insisted, though her overtired voice still betrayed her.

“It’s been less than an hour. I know you think you’re Wonder Woman, but I seriously doubt you got better that fast. Drink your tea.”

Lisa quietly grumbled to herself before drinking the herbal concoction meant to aid in her recovery, but the effects could not come soon enough for her liking. Any normal day she’d have Ruby running in circles doing whatever she wanted her to, but it seemed when it came to her health, Ruby wasn’t about to take any orders, except maybe Ken's.

After her tea was gone, Lisa settled down to sleep under Ruby's watchful eye. Even after she’d drifted off, Ruby stayed by her side, determined to ensure that Lisa took the proper time she needed to recover. The world could wait. Today, Lisa’s health came first.

For @sicktember

Forever Tag: @baubeautyandthegeek, @kmc1989, @curious-kittens-ocs, @fanficanatic-tw, @gcthvile, @kenjioharashotspot

[undercity-princess]

Kinktober 24

NSFW prompt: sex toys

Jinx X Akali

Akali wouldn't consider herself a collector, more like someone with a serious buying problem. If she saw a toy she wanted to try on Jinx, she'd buy it. Money wasn't a problem, so why bother? Space to store everything might become an issue one day, but that was a problem for future Akali (and also future Jinx, since they lived together).

And of course, she had bought another. This time from Piltover. Newest product of Hextech, sought after by coupled women. Said to have been designed for the sheriff and her wife herself, but Akali wouldn't tell her own wife that ("If Fat-hands is too stupid to understand 'eat the rich' I don't wanna know'!).

"I'm home, went shopping!" She called into the open space of their quarters.

"You want me to get naked or help put stuff in the fridge?"

"Ummm…" she looked at the bags in her hands "both?"

The tinkerer opened the door to her workspace and popped her head out "Like sort the fridge nakey or…"

The ninja grinned and presented her with the bag full of groceries. "Those in the fridge, I'll take this and when you're done get nakey in the bedroom"

"Can do toots" Jinx came to pick up the bag and tried to get a look inside the other one, but the dark material concealed the contents. She scoffed and went off to the kitchen.

Akali made sure she was gone, then entered the bedroom and closed the door. She examined her purchase with a critical eye. Turned off it just looked like a normal strap on, more on the bigger side, but she was sure her sub would be able to take it. The difference would be the tech that should provide feeling to the wearer. She gave it another look, then undressed and put it on. It took her some minutes, as it was new and she had to pull all the buckles in place. Luckily Jinx had to put away a lot and needed time too.

Akalis eyes skimmed the manual of the toy. Not too complicated, one button, one dial. She pressed the button and the strap started glowing hex blue. All around the harness were now glowing runes she hadn't seen before.

The manual said to be careful with the settings in the beginning, so she turned the dial only a notch.

A strange sensation, but not bad, like a slow gust of wind hit her. She looked down and carefully touched the toy.

Her brain short circuited for a second, not being able to comprehend the sensation. She moved her hand lightly up and down the shaft, feeling all of it. Soft steps outside made her stop.

Jinx opened the door curiously. She had made a short stop in the bathroom to get rid of her clothes after finishing her chore. She needed to know what her domme had hidden in that bag. Akali stood with her back to the door, only wearing a harness adorned with glowing runes. She snaked her arms around the waiting woman's waist "Whatcha got there toots?"

"New toy, newest tech from topside. Hex powered." She put her hands on top of Jinx's and pulled them down to what felt like her own cock. In the waiting time it had even taken on body temperature. Lithe fingers stroked softly over blue material. Akali let her head drop back on her lover's shoulder.

"Fuck, I… I feel that"

"You feel it? Like feel it like you had a dick?"

"Yeah… Hextech fuckery"

"Fuck me and tell me how it feels… please" she added, mindful of their dynamic.

"I want to try something first. But if you do well, I'll reward you." She turned around. "Get down"

The sub got down on her knees, wide pink eyes looking up.

The domme gently grabbed her jaw. "Open for me" she led her to the tip of the glowing dick.

Without spoken prompt the bluenette closed her lips around the tip and sucked. Gingerly at first she bobbed her head along the length, taking it deeper and deeper in.

"Gods this is… fuck you're so good…" the brunette god out between panted breaths. Her knees threatened to buckle out under her. She pulled her eager lover off. "Lay down, love. On your back" She took a minute to get her bearings before following.

Jinx held her legs open for her. Blowing Akali had turned out to be a massive turn on for her. She waited patiently as the other got settled in.

Akali bowed over the lithe body, one hand next to her shoulder. The other guided her toy between her folds, coating it in her juices.

"You ready?" Her voice was hoarse.

"As can be"

She lined her cock up with her hand and as slowly as possible pushed in.

Her sub's head fell back as she groaned at the delicious stretch.

"Fuck you're so tight!' It took all her willpower to not buck her hips and bottom out in one motion. Instead she inched forward, giving the body under her time to accommodate to the girth.

It felt like forever for both of them until she was fully sheathed. They met in a feverish kiss.

"Please… please… fuck me"

The plea was heard. She pulled out slowly, dragging the motion to push in fast and hard. Their moans mingled into one. The motion was repeated, faster with every push and pull. Jinx brought her legs up to pull Akali in at the waist. She needed more of her, closer, deeper, faster, harder. The pace got rougher and more and more uncoordinated as they both approached their high. When the tinkerer's walls constricted around her the ninja's vision erupted into blinding colors as she came. Her body dropped and was caught in loving arms.

[bunnyscar]

Rescued

“No, please,” Sam pleaded, shuffling backward until his back bumped against the alley wall. He gazed up fearfully at the four thugs in front of him, who were grinning maliciously and cracking their knuckles ominously. He should have known better than to walk the streets at night, but his job after school always had him stay late, and he couldn’t just quit his job. Not when his single mother worked herself to the bone, and they still had barely enough to pay the rent and buy food.

“Don’t worry, little boy, we don’t need to hurt you. We can do this the easy way. Just hand over your money and take us to your mother,” a larger man, who seemed to be the leader of the thugs, said.

Sam’s skin went cold. He swallowed and stammered, “Wh-what do you want with my mother?”

The large man laughed, a chilling and disgusting laugh. “We’ve been watching you, boy. Yer mother’s a beauty, and she don’t have a hubbie, eh? We just want to have some fun with her,” he leered at Sam. 

So, these men were stalkers. Unfortunately, it was not that rare in this city full of crime for there to be thugs who would stalk people and take advantage of them, especially if they were poor. And despite their poverty, Sam’s mother was quite beautiful. Sometimes, Sam wished she were more ugly, so that she would not be such a target. Or that they could have lived in a better area of town or even in a different city altogether, where these crimes were not so common.

Fishing in his pocket for his wallet, Sam said, “Please, I’ll give you my money. Just leave my mother out of this.”

The man’s crooked grin turned into a vicious scowl. “Oh, so you want to do this the hard way, eh? You show us where she is, kid, or else we’ll take that face off of you,” he snarled, curling his hand into a fist.

Sam closed his eyes tight, awaiting the blows that were sure to follow. Instead, he heard a chilling voice, “Do you want to know pain?”

Opening his eyes again, Sam saw that the men had turned in surprise to look behind them, at a figure who had just appeared. Sam stared. The figure was a boy, about as tall as Sam and wearing a black shirt and pants. From under his messy black hair, red eyes glared. Not the kind of red when you got pink eye or didn’t get enough sleep, but glowing red. His teeth were bared, showing sharp fangs like a dog’s.

After a stunned moment of silence, the leader scowled and said, “Whatchu want? Stay out of our business.”

The red-eyed boy took a step forward, boring into the men with his murderous gaze. “I said, do you want to know pain?” he snarled.

Glaring back, the leader retorted, “You better get outta here, or else-”

Almost too fast for Sam to register, the boy moved and slammed a fist into the man’s stomach. The man went flying, crashing into one of the walls with a terrible smack. Doubling over in pain, the man coughed, blood splattering the ground. For a moment, the three other men just gaped at their leader in shock. Then one of them stepped forward with fist raised to punch the black-clad boy. The boy, however, swiftly grabbed the man’s arm, flipping and throwing him at the wall as well. In three swift moves, the boy kicked and beat the other men against the wall, leaving them coughing and groaning in pain.

Sam gaped. How could a boy his size and build possibly be this powerful? It was as if the men were weightless, as if the boy were flinging teddies around. No doubt the men had several bad bruises, if not bones broken. Just who was this boy?

Approaching the thugs, the boy snarled, sounding more like a beast than a human. Glancing at the boy’s hand, which he had flexed, Sam tensed. The boy’s nails had become long and sharp, like claws. Though he had guessed at the beginning this boy had a murderous intent, Sam became certain without a doubt that he meant to kill.

Before the boy could reach the men, Sam suddenly stepped in front of them, blocking the boy. The boy paused. “Wait! I know these men were about to do some pretty awful things, but you don’t have to kill them! We can take them to a police station,” Sam pleaded. It wasn’t that he wanted these men to escape punishment, but to kill them seemed too extreme. Especially if they were going to be torn apart by claws and fangs.

The boy stared at Sam in silence for while. But slowly, his red eyes stopped glowing and became more normal, though his irises remained red. At last, he grunted, “Fine.” Sam let out a sigh of relief. The boy glared at the men, however, and warned them, “But no trying to escape, or I’ll tear your faces apart.” Terrified, the men nodded hurriedly. They stumbled to their feet and limped along as Sam led the way to the police station, the other boy walking behind, glaring at their prisoners.

Once they arrived at the police station, it was all a blur to Sam. Now that the danger was over and adrenaline was no longer surging in him, he felt so exhausted he might fall over. They sat him on a bench and put a blanket over him. The police contacted his mother, and they brought him home later. He was vaguely aware of his mother in tears, asking if he was all right, and then putting him straight to bed.

 A week passed after this incident. Sam and his mother had just finished their rather meager supper, rice with canned beans and canned carrots, when the buzzer to their two-room apartment rang. Mother and son glanced at each other in confusion. Who could be calling at this hour? Sam’s friends from school surely wouldn’t be out at this hour, nor would they come to this part of town. Going to the door, Sam hesitantly opened it.

A man in a gray suit, holding his hat in one hand, stood at the front door. He bowed his head politely to Sam and asked, “Hello, is this the home of Sam Wenner?”

“Yes, I’m Sam,” Sam said slowly.

“My name is Steven. I’m from the Ministry of Vampire Affairs and would like to talk with you about a possible job opportunity, as well as have you meet your potential client. Would you mind if we came in?” the man asked, looking expectantly inside.

“Job?” Sam repeated, bewildered. He hadn’t been looking for a new job. And what did the man mean by Ministry of Vampire Affairs? Sam had never heard of that ministry, and though he was aware that some cities had vampires, he had nothing to do with them. But seeing that the man must be some sort of government official, Sam opened the door wider and motioned for him to come inside.

The man thanked him. “Come on, Kye,” he said, stepping inside. Behind him, a boy stepped forward, looking warily at the apartment and at Sam. Sam started. It was the same boy who had beat up the thugs, only he looked less intimidating now. He still wore black clothes and his eyes were still red. But he did not have the murderous gaze, nor did he have the same killing aura around him. 

Sam’s mother looked up in surprise as the man and Kye entered. She quickly made space at the small kitchen table for them to sit, and she and Sam sat down themselves across from the man and the boy.

“Ma’am, young man, do you know about vampires?” the man, Steven, asked. 

“Well, sir, not much. You see, we used to live in Saleburg, until Sam’s father died and I had to get a job here. They didn’t have vampires in Saleburg, so we only heard about them when we moved here,” Sam’s mother replied nervously.

The man stroked his chin. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t have heard about them. Saleburg is quite small. But here in Sharken City we have several. You haven’t heard of the Ministry of Vampire Affairs?” Both Sam and his mother shook their heads. “Well, that’s all right,” Steven said with a friendly smile. “See, the ministry’s job is to ensure the safety of both regular citizens and vampires, and to strive for both to live as normal lives as possible. Every vampire must have a caretaker, someone who is with them almost every hour of the day, to prevent them from getting out of control and biting someone. Newly registered vampires are retained at the Ministry until a suitable caretaker can be found; if one cannot be found after a certain time period, we will unfortunately have to confine them to the Ministry’s accommodations, as it is not safe to let them loose after that point.”

 Steven nodded to the boy next to him. “Kye here is almost to that time period. He has tried several caretakers, but all of them have been unsuccessful in preventing him from trying to bite, except through use of force.” Seeing Sam’s uneasy glance at Kye, Steven assured him, “Don’t worry, he has not actually bit anyone, but we always had to physically stop him from doing it. You however,” the man said, leaning towards Sam across the table, “were able to stop him just by talking to him. And you were not even officially his caretaker. I believe that is a sign you would be an excellent fit for Kye.

“Now, it would be a lot of responsibility. You would have to be around Kye all day, would probably have to switch to homeschool instead of public school. We would not advise putting Kye in public school yet, as he has some, err, social issues,” the man said, with a look at Kye. Kye had been staring the whole time at the table, expressionless, but at that he scowled. The man turned back to Sam. “You would of course be paid, as this will be considered a full-time job. Here, this is what we would be willing to pay you,” he said, and passed Sam and his mother a paper that had several figures, one of which was circled in red. They stared. It was three times more than what he and his mother made now, combined.

“You would also be provided with a furnished apartment, close by the Ministry of Vampire Affairs, so we would be close by in case of any emergencies. We will provide Sam with some training the first few weeks, before Kye actually comes to live with you. That should work out perfectly anyway, since I believe there are still a few weeks of school before the summer vacation?” the man said.

Sam nodded. He was speechless. It was all too much. Too much to imagine, having a new home that would undoubtedly be much nicer than this dingy apartment that had mold in the bathrooms and cockroaches in the cupboards. It was too much to imagine the money he would be making and how they wouldn’t have to worry about barely having enough food for the week. Why, his mother might even be able to cut back on her hours at the factory and get more rest and have more time to do housework. This job seemed like a dream come true. But, glancing at Kye, Sam hesitated.

 Living with a vampire? How would that even work? What did vampires eat? Would he have to give Kye his blood? Plus, if they were going to have spend all day, every day together, the two boys would have to get along, otherwise it would be a nightmare. “Are you really sure I’m a good fit?” Sam asked slowly. “I mean, it sounds like a big responsibility, and I know next to nothing about vampires…” he said.

The man nodded. “Of course, we aren’t expecting you to make such a big decision at once. Feel free to sleep on it, or take a week if you need. Besides, your mother will also have to agree to it, since Kye would be living with you both,” he said..

“What do you think?” Sam asked his mother.

“Well,” she said slowly, “It would certainly be different having Kye with us. But, he did save Sam and me from those thugs.” She smiled at Kye. “So I think I would be fine with having him live with us. But it’s really up to you, Sam, since you would be the one doing the work.”

That was true, he had saved Sam and his mother. Was that enough reason to have a vampire live with them, though? Sam looked at Kye, who was glancing uncomfortably around the room, looking at anything but Sam and his mother. Perhaps Sam did owe it to him. Hadn’t the man said that Kye was almost to the point that he would be confined to the Ministry? Though Sam didn’t know exactly what that meant, he had a feeling it would not be pleasant. It sounded somewhat like putting a person in prison.

“And, what about Kye? Does he want to stay with us?” Sam asked.

They all looked at Kye, who hunched his shoulders and sank down in his chair, now that all eyes were on him. The man smiled and urged him gently, “Go on, Kye, tell them.”

Staring hard at the floor, the boy murmured, “Yeah, I want you to be my caretaker.”

He glanced anxiously at Sam, his red eyes staring out from underneath long black hair. Something shifted in Sam as he saw them, those eyes filled with fear and longing, a longing to be loved. It was an emotion Sam had felt too, though perhaps in a different way. The longing for his father to hold him and say that he loved his little boy, instead of yelling and hitting Sam and his mother. A longing to be known. A longing to be accepted. Swallowing, Sam turned to the man again. “I would be happy to become Kye’s caretaker,” he said firmly. He cast another glance at Kye and smiled. Slowly, hesitantly, Kye smiled back.

Previous || Next

[olivia-soffey-author]

Painting The San Diego Sky

The San Diego sky is beautiful tonight. Vibrant hues of tangerine melt into a deep shade of magenta over the San Diego Skyline. I peered through a crack in the door to the back porch as I intently studied my new foster mom. Her dark brown skin glowed in the rays of the sun. She carefully spread oil paint across the canvas with a pallet knife while humming a happy tune to herself.

When you're a foster teen, you cycle through a lot of moms, but I've never met anyone quite like her before. Her name is Penelope Kingston. I don't know what kind of job she has, but she wears a pink suit every single day. She owns one in every shade from blush to cerise. Some were covered in various prints and patterns while others were plain. Her closet looked more like it belonged to a Barbie doll than it did a person. Tonight, she was wearing a rose-colored sundress, and she'd woven a flower crown of fresh carnations into her boho braids. She joyously danced along to the tune in her head as she added more color. I've never met someone who is so unabashedly themselves before. I wonder how it feels not to care what anyone thinks of you.

During my deep contemplation, Penelope caught sight of me spying and beckoned me outside. I trudged outside with a guilty expression, resembling that of a puppy that had been caught chewing on its owner's shoes.

She giggled. "Don't look at me like that, Fierro. You're not in trouble."

The corners of my lips turned upward in a half smile.

She proudly showed off her painting. "What do you think?"

"It's pretty," I said honestly. The painting was a vibrant interpretation of the sun setting over the San Diego skyline.

She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "You're right. It is pretty, but it's missing something." She handed me a fine-tipped paintbrush. "Here, add something."

I shook my head and tried to give the brush back to her. "No way, I can't do that. I'll probably do it all wrong and ruin your artwork."

"There's no wrong way to express yourself creatively," She chided. "Besides I have plenty more paintings."

I hesitantly dipped the tip of my brush into brown paint and added two small birds sitting on a telephone wire.

"It's perfect!" She squealed, pulling me into a tight hug. "You've got a real artistic eye."

"I barely did anything."

"That's alright! Everyone's artistic journey starts somewhere." She reached behind her easel and pulled out a blank mixed-media sketchbook. "Here

"You can ask me anything."

"Why do you wear your hair like that? What's the point of all the flowers?"

She paused for a long moment. "Well, how did you pick your current hairstyle?”

I ran a hand over my buzz cut. "I don't know. I've never really thought about it before. I guess it's because it's easier to take care of, and I'm less likely to get lice in a group home."

"Does your appearance make you feel confident?"

I gave an indifferent shrug.

"For me, my look is about more than convenience. It's about self-expression. My hair makes me feel like me, you know?"

"I don't think I know who I am," I confessed.

Well then, we need to help you find yourself.

In the following weeks, I took Penelope's sketchbook with me to school and tried to draw some random objects I saw. So far, I had drawn a pen, a service dog, a basketball, a 3-D model of the human brain, and a bag of chips stuck in the vending machine. They all looked terrible. The lines were all wonky, the depth was all wrong. Oh well, I tried. I tucked the sketchbook in the back corner of my closet. In other news, I started growing my hair out. I couldn't stop thinking about my conversation with Penelope. Did I feel confident in my own skin? Should I? I didn't have answers to those questions, but a change of style couldn't hurt. Right now, my hair is spiked up in several different directions. It was still too short to properly style, so I was stuck looking like a chicken for the time being. Did I feel more like myself? Maybe. I don't know what myself is supposed to feel like. When you spend your entire life just trying to survive, you don't always have the time to discover yourself.

On the last Saturday in May, I came downstairs to find Penelope eagerly waiting for me. "Put your shoes on. We're going on an adventure." She threw a tote bag at me, which I caught in midair. I peeked inside to find it full of art supplies. "Your sketchbook has been collecting dust for too long. Let's fill it up today!"

"But I'm not any good at drawing. I don't think I'm meant to be making art."

"Don't be ridiculous. All expression is art and expression is for everyone," She insisted. "The most important question is, do you have fun when you're creating?"

I thought about it for a long time, then said. "I had fun painting with you on the patio."

"Perfect! Let's make something together!" She led me to her strawberry-pink Mercedes and hopped in. "Alright Fierro, if you don't like art what kind of things do you like to do?"

"Napping," I said without hesitation.

She laughed. "Okay, what else?"

"I like to go for walks."

"Great! What do you enjoy about the walks?"

"I guess I enjoy being outside in the fresh air and watching the birds."

"Buckle up, I know exactly where we're going."

We drove in silence for several minutes. I could tell the lack of conversation was killing her, but I was too shy to say anything. Eventually, she couldn't bear it any longer and spoke up, "So I've been thinking, we should decorate your room. It's so empty and depressing right now."

To her, my room probably looked like a barren wasteland. In comparison to the rest of the house, it was pretty desolate. Penelope's home was a lot like her. It was filled with color and personality, and decorated with love. Every room was themed after a different color of the rainbow and adorned with vibrant floral wallpaper and an eclectic collection of up-cycled furniture. Every surface was littered with trinkets and knick-knacks. The word Minimalism was not in her vocabulary. My room was the opposite of hers, it was completely bare apart from a twin-sized bed and an old trash bag filled with my humble belongings. "No, thank you. I want to keep it the way it is. It will be easier to pack up when I have to leave." I stared blankly out the window, so I wouldn't have to make eye contact with her as I spoke.

"Fierro," she whispered with so much sadness in her voice it broke my heart. "You know I care about you, right?"

I nodded.

"I know it will be hard for you to ever feel fully at home somewhere, but I want you to know I don't have any plans to get rid of you. So you can relax, alright?"

"Alright," I said, just to appease her. I'd heard that one before and I know how it ends. If I know one thing for sure, It's that parents never stay. Even if Penelope is telling the truth, and she won't transfer me to another home, I'm still sixteen rapidly approaching eighteen. Once I age out of the system I’ll be all on my own. If I let myself love her, I don't think I'll be able to live with the pain of letting her go.

We pulled into the parking lot and I read the large green sign. San Diego Zoo.

Woah, isn't this place crazy expensive?" I remarked. I can't afford this. My bank account has negative ten dollars in it!"

She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Chillax. This is my treat. You need to learn to let lose a little bit."

We purchased our tickets and entered the park. I glanced at Penelope expectantly as she studied the map. "Where are we going first?"

"That's up to you. Where is your artist's intuition leading you?"

I pointed to the aviaries on the map.

She beamed. "Excellent choice."

We stepped into the elegant glass dome and the birds erupted into a cacophony of chirps and caws to welcome us to their habitat. First, I tried to sketch the hummingbirds, but they moved too fast for me to capture their likeness. I opted to try drawing the peacock instead. His slow strides and lack of flight made him the perfect model. I crouched down to his level while being careful not to touch the feces-covered ground. I took out my sketchbook and a pencil and Penelope did the same. I was unsure where to begin, so I glanced at her page for inspiration.

He noticed my wandering gaze and decided to assist me. "Let's start with simple shapes. What basic shapes can you identify?"

"The body kind of looks like an oval, and the neck is sort of S-shaped like a snake. The head is round, but pointy at the same time, like a teardrop," I observed.

"You have a great eye! Now, etch those shapes onto the page as lightly as you can and darken them once you're satisfied with the way it looks."

I followed her instructions, and soon I had a basic sketch of the body head, and neck that looked halfway decent.

“Let’s start working on those feathers. Start with the largest ones at the base of the tail and work your way to the smaller ones at the tip.”

I sketched the long curved shapes and tried to mimic the pattern to the best of my abilities. I also added the legs and feet along with some details on the face. I flipped the sketch around, so the peacock could view it. He pecked it and then let out a squawk of approval.

Penelope began coloring in her sketch with an indigo pencil.

I carefully mirrored her light strokes. “How do you make the colors look so vibrant?”

“Try blending different colors, start with the lightest hue, and fade into the darkest shade.”

For the next hour, my focus was zeroed in on the drawing. I seamlessly blended shades of indigo, midnight blue, cerulean, turquoise, lime, gold, and emerald until I was satisfied with the results. I wiped the sweat off my brow and rushed over to Penelope to show off my work.

She let out a delighted gasp and pulled me into a tight hug. “Fierro! It’s beautiful! You should be so proud of yourself!”

An overwhelming sense of warmth flared in my chest. Is this what little kids feel like when their parents hang their artwork on the fridge? I wouldn’t know. For the brief time, I knew my birth parents; they weren’t the type to show any approval or support for my accomplishments. They claimed they were too busy for coddling. Somehow they always found the time to tell me I was worthless and would never amount to anything. I shook my head to wake myself from the terrible memories. It didn’t matter what was said in the past. They were dead to me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and said, “Thank you, Penelope. Your kindness means a lot to me.”

We spent the rest of our time at the zoo in the aviaries sketching the different birds. By the end of the day, I had drawn a toucan, a macaw, a lovebird, an African pygmy goose, and a flamingo. With every sketch, my skills improved. Every new drawing looked slightly more accurate than the last. We worked on our sketches until the zookeepers came to kick us out at closing time.

On our way back to the car I apologized for using up all of our time in the aviary.

Penelope waved her hand dismissively. “Never apologize for being in a creative state of flow.”

When we got home I taped all of my artwork to the wall above my bed in a noticeable place for everyone to admire.

In the following weeks, school let out for the summer and I spent my days sleeping in and going for long walks around the city, doodling the sights whenever I felt inspired. I got a summer job hauling bags of food at the pet store. It was grueling work, but I enjoyed visiting the animals every day. Penelope and I started hosting Mario Kart tournaments in our condo every Tuesday night. Don’t be fooled by Penelope’s kind demeanor; she is one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever met. She doesn’t just want to win, she seeks to obliterate the competition. Lucky for me, I am also a merciless force of nature when I’m on the racetrack. In the group homes where I grew up, the Wii was my foster parents’ favorite tool for keeping the kids busy and out of trouble. I was the master of every game they had. It got to the point where none of the other children would play with me because they were too afraid of my awesomeness. Penelope was not intimidated by my skills. Our tournaments typically ended with us throwing all of our shells at each other until there was only one person left standing. She won some races, I almost won others. Someday I was finally going to win, then her reign of terror would finally be over. As time passed by I felt myself changing. After every day I spent with Penelope, I became a little less shy and I felt more secure. I found myself smiling and laughing a lot more than I ever did before. My hair now reached my eyebrow and was finally long enough to tame. It took some practice to find a style that looked good on me, but once I did I seemed to get compliments everywhere I went.

“It looks like you’re becoming a local heartthrob, Fierro,” Penelope teased.

I would act humble, but deep down I loved the rush of satisfaction that came with being noticed. That June and July had been the happiest time of my life. It was the closest I’d ever come to being a normal kid. When August rolled around things took a turn for the worst.

It started late one night as I was dragging the trash out to the dumpster. Even after dark, the California heat was brutal and unforgiving. The sweltering humidity further exacerbated the foul odors emanating from the dumpster. When I went to open the lid, I spotted a flier for a community art gallery. I knew Penelope would love that, so I reached down to pick it up. Before I had the chance to grab it, someone else picked it up.

He let out a scoff and read it aloud. “We invite all members of the community to showcase their artistic talents in our free open community art gallery. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting, we want to see your interpretation of landscapes with emotions. All types of paintings, from oils to watercolors, acrylics to pastels, are welcome. We want to celebrate the diversity of our community and the richness of its artistic expression.” He crumpled up the flier and threw it at me. “Is this the kind of garbage you’re into now? Are you the kind of guy who paints his feelings? I thought I raised you to be tougher than that.”

I looked up to see my father standing in front of me with a belittling expression on his face. My heart pounded so violently, I thought I might be having a heart attack. “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be doing four more years. Please tell me you didn’t break out!”

“Don’t be absurd. They let me out early, on good behavior. I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. You left me no choice but to track you down.”

After my mother died, my father was granted custody of me. He didn’t know the first thing about raising children, and he barely had enough money to take care of himself, much less a child. This led him to take part in a major money laundering scheme, so he could afford to send me to daycare. Everything was going fine until the FBI caught wind of what he was doing, and sent him to prison. That’s how I ended up in foster care. He was supposed to be in the middle of a fifteen-year sentence, but it appears that is no longer the case.

I crossed my arms and tried to act tough. “What do you want from me?”

He leaned against the dumpster and lit a cigar. “I want to see my son. Is that too much to ask? I haven’t seen you in ages.”

I’d done my best to stay as far away from him as I could. I hadn’t seen him since my social worker stopped forcing me to go to visitations. She noticed how miserable the visits made me and chose to spare me the pain.

My father scanned me up and down appraisingly. “You’ve gotten fat,” he remarked, his voice laced with disdain.

I had put on some weight since he’d seen me last. My ribs no longer protruded from malnourishment and neglect. My shoulders grew broader and my arms became thicker. I was no longer the fragile wisp of a child he could bully and demean however he felt like. Every pound I had gained was a blessing because it meant I was no longer starving. “My weight is none of your business. I’m not having this conversation with you.”

“It was just an observation. You need to learn how to accept criticism. You’ll never get anywhere in life if you keep being so sensitive.”

"It's better to be sensitive than a convicted felon."

“Don’t disrespect me!”

“Or what? You’ll hit me like you used to?”

He took a step forward, his cigar smoke wafting into my face. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know exactly what I'm talking about. I remember every time you hit me, every time you belittled me, and made me feel worthless."

He looked away, a hint of shame flickering across his face. "I was a different person back then. I'm trying to fix things right now."

I scoffed. “Is that why you came here? To deliver a half-assed apology.”

He hesitated. “Not, entirely. I need to ask you for something.”

“What?” I said through clenched teeth, losing all patience for the good-for-nothing deadbeat I call dad.

“Listen, I need to borrow some money.”

I let out a laugh so loud I startled myself. “You’re delusional. What on earth makes you think I would ever give you a single cent?”

He took a long drag of his cigar and released it in a pungent cloud of smoke. “My girlfriend is pregnant, and we can’t afford to pay her medical bills. We have nothing, Fierro. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn’t desperate.”

“Is the baby yours?” Was my dad having another child? He couldn’t even care for the one he had! I threw my hands up in the air. “You know what? I don’t care! You abandoned me, and then you have the audacity to track me down and beg for money!”

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“I never want to speak to you again!”

“Son.” He took a step forward toward me.

“Didn’t you hear me the first time? Get out!” I threw an empty soda can at him.

He raised his hands in surrender and began walking away. He didn’t say a word, but he turned back to look at me one last time.

“If I ever see you snooping around here again, I’ll file a restraining order! Do you hear me?” I screamed into the darkness, but it was no use. He was already gone.

I didn't tell Penelope about the confrontation with my father, but she could sense that I was quieter than usual. She didn’t force me to share, and I appreciated that. I didn’t want to talk about it. A feeling of guilt clawed at my gut. Maybe I should have given my dad some money. It’s not the baby’s fault my dad is a deadbeat and a dirtbag.

I tried my best to forget all about my father and the conversation we’d had. I was doing a decent job at ignoring his existence until I got the phone call that changed everything. It happened in the middle of the night. I was too hot to sleep, so I sat at my desk making a watercolor painting of the night sky. Then my phone rang, startling me out of my deep concentration. I picked up my phone to see who was calling me at such an ungodly hour of the night. It was my social worker, Mindy. I felt a rising wave of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. It was uncharacteristic of her to call me so late. I knew something was wrong. My entire body trembled as I pressed the answer button. “Hey, Mindy. What’s going on?”

“Hello, Fierro. I’m sorry to call you this late, but I have some upsetting news to share with you.”

My heart pounded violently in a fast rhythm. I suddenly felt like I was going to vomit. Was I going to have to move again? “What’s going on?”

“It’s about your father. He was run over by a drunk driver earlier tonight. He died on the way to the hospital. I’m so sorry.”

My entire body went numb. I had no idea how I was expected to respond to this information, so I said, “Thank you for telling me.”

“I’m going to speak with your foster mom to make sure you’re receiving proper support during this difficult time. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

“Thanks. Have a good night.”

“Fierro, wait!”

I hung up on her. I didn’t want to talk. I needed to be alone with my thoughts for a while. As terrible as it sounds, the first emotion I felt was a relief. I wasn’t being taken away from Penelope. I could stay here with her, but at what cost? My father was dead and one of the last things I ever said was, “I never want to see you again.” I sat alone in silence, waiting to feel some overwhelming sense of grief or guilt, or any emotion at all, but deep down I felt nothing. Inside I just felt hollow. I expected Mindy to call back and scold me for hanging up on her, but she never did. Once I got tired of blankly staring at my bedroom ceiling, I tiptoed downstairs for a change of scenery.

Penelope stood at the kitchen counter stirring a mug of coffee with a far-off look in her eyes. Once she heard me enter the kitchen, she rushed over and pulled me into the warmest of hugs. Tears dripped from her eyes as she held me close. “Fierro, Mindy told me the news. I’m so sorry. I know how you must be feeling right now.

She didn’t have a clue how I was feeling. I barely knew how I felt. Whatever emotion it was certainly wasn’t sorrow. She seemed more upset about the loss than I was at the moment. And yet, after about a minute of silence, something overcame me. I hugged her back and let the tears fill my eyes. I wasn’t crying for my father. I was crying for myself. I cried for my past self, the lonely child whose father was never there. I cried for my present self, who only wanted to be loved. I cried for my future self, who would never have the chance to make things right.

Penelope stroked my hair as I sobbed into her shoulder. “You’re going to be okay. I’m here. I got you.”

I stayed in my room for several days only coming out for occasional meals. I wasn’t hungry most of the time. I took the week off from work. told my boss I’d be going out of town for the funeral. That was a lie, I had no intention of going to the funeral. I’d already missed the wake. It felt disrespectful to go see him after the way I ended things. I rolled over in bed and stared at the exotic bird calendar Penelope had bought for me. Today was August 5th, the day I’d been dreading. Not only was it the day of my father’s funeral, but it was also my seventeenth birthday. Happy birthday to me, I guess. I used all my willpower to drag myself out of bed and down the stairs.

When I came downstairs I was greeted with a stack of pancakes with a birthday candle sticking out of it. The words happy birthday were spelled out in maple syrup. I guess Penelope remembered what day it was. She'd gone out with friends last night. I had hoped she would sleep in and forget all about it. I had to practically push her out the door last night, so I could cry myself to sleep in peace.

Penelope sat in the chair directly across from me and gave a comforting reassuring smile. Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

I forced a smile in return. “You remembered.”

“I would never forget it.”

Of course she wouldn’t, she was too good of a mom to ever let it slip from her memory.

She gently rubbed my wrist. “Listen, I’m not going to force you to go anywhere or do anything today, but if there is something you’d like to do, let me know, and I’ll make it happen.”

I stared down at my plate of pancakes. “I’m not really in the mood to do anything special.”

She gave an understanding nod. "Alright, how about a walk?"

"Just a walk? No surprises?"

"No surprises," She promised.

After breakfast, we slipped on our shoes and began our walk to the pier. The weather was perfect. The sky was a brilliant shade of baby blue that stretched as far as the eye could see, not a single cloud could be spotted along the horizon. Warm rays of golden sunlight illuminated the city in a warm glow. I cursed the sky for being so blue. How could everything be so beautiful on the day my father is going to be buried? Locals walked their dogs and tourists took selfies by the waterfront. Isn’t it cruel how life goes on like nothing happened after you’ve lost everything? I stood at the end of the pier and watched as a father lifted his young son onto his shoulders so he could enjoy the ocean view. I averted my gaze and stared out at the still waters instead. It felt like the universe was giving me a colossal middle finger for ever believing I could’ve had a father like that.

“Do you mind if we stop for a moment?” Penelope asked.

“That’s fine,” I said as I gazed vacantly at the tranquil turquoise waters.

She sat on a wooden bench and pulled out her sketchbook along with a set of oil pastels. She motioned for me to sit next to her as she began sketching.

She ripped out a blank page and handed it to me without saying a word.

I glanced between the empty page and the peaceful sea. I wasn’t in the mood to draw it as it was. I felt wrong to draw such a happy sight on a day like today. Instead, I chose the darkest, murkiest shades of gray, green, and navy. With harsh, powerful strokes I drew fierce powerful tidal waves crashing into sharp, jagged rocks beneath a blackened sky. Using the white pastel I added fragmented bolts of lightning tearing through the sky. I focused all the anger and heartbreak I felt toward my father and directed it into the piece. Once the drawing was completed I let out an exhausted breath. I felt like I had just fought a war.

Penelope glanced over at my work. She didn’t say anything, but she gave me an approving nod. We spent the rest of our time together enjoying each other's company in silence until we began our walk home. Penelope finally broke the silence as we walked past the cemetery. “Do you mind if we stop for a moment?”

I eyed her wearily, but I didn’t argue. I didn’t know what to expect when she led me deep into the cemetery. I feared maybe she’d force me to attend my father’s burial, but instead, she led me to a joint tombstone that read, Jeffrey and Maria Kingston. Loving Mother and Father. Penelope set down a drawing of a dark-skinned little girl being held in a loving embrace by her parents on top of the grave. She shed a single tear and then continued our walk home as if nothing had happened.

“You’re an orphan,” I said. It wasn’t a question, it was an observation.

She nodded. “I am. My father was a soldier. He gave his life in the line of duty. My mother died of cancer not long after. I grew up in foster care just like you. I never had anyone to care for me. That’s why I became a foster mom; so I could make sure another orphan could have a better life than I did.”

Hearing her story made me view Penelope in a new light. I always believed her joy and kindness came from a place of naivety. I thought she was happy because she didn’t know what it was like to suffer, but I was wrong. She understood pain more intimately than most people do and she chose to be happy despite everything she’d been through. “Thank you for giving me a chance. I can hardly remember what my mother was like, but if I did have a mom I would want her to be exactly like you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. It’s been an honor to call you my son.”

As we walked back to her house, I couldn't help but think about the drawing she had left on her parents' grave. It was a powerful reminder of the love and connection that existed between families, even when they were separated by death. And it made me realize that, in some small way, I had found a new family with Penelope.

When we got home, Peneolpe set the crumpled flyer for the community gallery on the table. Without any preamble, she said, “I think you should submit one of your pieces to the gallery.”

“Me? No. I brought that flyer home for you. I’m not any good.”

“You don’t need to be modest. I’ve seen your recent work. You’re very talented. Besides, this gallery is open for everyone, you don’t have to be a pro to submit.”

“I’ll think about it.”

She smiled. “That’s all I ask.”

For the fifth night in a row, I couldn’t sleep. So I dug through my portfolio for something worthy of being displayed in a gallery. My eyes caught on the drawing of the stormy sea I made today. Plenty of my drawings were pretty, but one was meaningful. It was infused with all of the grief, anger, and sorrow, I was experiencing, and that made it significant. At that moment, I decided this was the piece I needed to submit to the gallery.

Over the next few days, I worked on the drawing, refining and perfecting it until it felt like a true representation of everything I was feeling. Finally, I mustered up the courage to submit it to the community gallery, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. A few weeks went by, and I received an email that left me ecstatic - my piece had been accepted for the gallery exhibition. I couldn't believe it. On the day of the exhibition, I arrived early, dressed in my best clothes, my heart pounding with anticipation. As I walked through the gallery, I saw my drawing on display alongside other beautiful pieces of art. It was a surreal moment, one that I had never imagined possible. I looked around and saw Penelope beaming at me from across the room, her eyes full of pride. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had accomplished something truly meaningful.

I looked at the empty spot by my beside my painting where my father could have been standing in another life If things were different. If he were a better father, a better man. Now the thought of him didn’t fill me with the same level of rage and sorrow like it used to, and that was a start. I wasn’t plagued with the same sense of hopelessness I used to feel because I knew Penelope would never abandon me like he did.

A professional-looking man, wearing a sharp business suit and designer glasses stopped in front of my painting to carefully appraise it. He stared at it for a long time, not saying a word or showing any kind of emotion.

“Is it any good?” I asked nervously, unsure of how to react when someone scrutinizes your artwork.

“Did you make this?” He asked.

I nodded.

“You know, I see a dozen paintings of the pier a day. They all want to paint the pretty scenery. Yours is special, It’s not just pretty I can tell there’s a deeper meaning buried in here. I’d like to buy it.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “You really want to buy it?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it. You’ve got a bright future, kid,”

I smiled at Penelope and for once I believed that was true.

[aph-mable]

Okay part 5. Lot of cute Danny ahead and side note; Danny doesn't care what he wears, long as it comfortable so 😝

______________________________________

As promised Danny was finally leaving the hospital.

All his drawings, plushies, and other toys were already packed up and at his new house. He was also given a basic t shirt and shorts to leave in.

Hiza was the one to pick him up, Eri and Sho being busy with school today but also planning a welcome homes surprise so he didn't mind too much.

The happy-go-lucky man made sure Danny was buckled in properly in the back seat of the red car. Once all set they drove away from the hospital, hopefully for the last time.

On the drive Hiza put on some music, mostly soft rock and switching it to classical whenever a song with lots of swears came on. As they contuied on he turned the volume down to talk with Danny.

"Hey Suni why don't we go shopping before we head home, we need to pick you up some clothes, books, and maybe some decorations for for your new room. Think if it as my gift to you, a whole day of choosing what you like."

Danny nodded softly as he quickly writes down yes on his pad. Once that was communicated his mind drifted off as he watched out the window, looking at all the people walking about.

He was a bit amazed to be honest, so many people and creatures living side by side, only to worry about a villain or hero showing up. In his mind it sounded peaceful compared to where he was before, sure there might be other unknown dangers ahead, but for now he let himself be at ease as they pulled into a large mall parking lot that was surprisingly pretty empty.

When the car stalls Hiza looked back at Danny with a large smile. "I made sure we came on a day that wasn't busy, there will be barely any foot traffic in there so you won't get overwhelmed by strangers, but if you still feel like you need a break we can leave whenever okay?"

Danny's eyes shined as he nods once more. He only liked the mall when it was mostly empty, it meant he could actually take his time and not feel crowed by people pushing him around.

Hiza helped him out of the car and into the mall, which was freaking huge!

It might be the new height, yet the while building just from the entrance felt like he had walked into a Sci fi space station. Stores of all kind stretched as far as his eyes could see, lights and sighs he could sort of read now littered all across the mall.

Hiza was right about few people, meaning they could walk slowly as Danny was trying hard to look at everything with a look of amazement.

Today was going to be a good day!

______________________________

Hizashi smiled as he made sure Suni was holding his hand. He was trying really hard not to squeal with joy as he saw the young ones eyes pretty much glowing with amazement as they were just walking through the mall.

First things first however was clothed shopping. Sure they got a few kids gym shirt, shorts, and pants, but the boy should be getting to choose his own style!

Even if that style was mishmash clothes or just shirts that said basic words, heck he was willing to suffer through neon pinks if it meant the child was happy.

So when they entered the clothing store he let Sunoboi wonder away from his hand but stay within his line of sight as they looked over items that would fit the white haired boy the best.

Looking over said kid he was feeling pretty proud.

When they first found him he was skinny, scared, and injured so badly he was willing to become an anti-hero to find out who hurt him so badly!

Now standing in front of him was a young boy that was well fed, mostly healed, and feeling safe enough to look around with eyes of curiosity.

Hizashi moved closer to see what Sunoboi was looking at and tried not to laugh.

Right there the young ine was softly tugging at a cat hoodie that had the words; 'aren't ina kitten?'

This kid was going to be the best addition to the family ever.

.

By the end of the clothing spree Hizashi had paid for the hoodie, well as light up star shoes. Several more items were chosen, a few of which were dresses like Eri's, a black plaid skirt, and a red hat.

With that now done they were heading to the toys, books and kids decorations section of the mall, after that will be lunch then home.

Entering the store he let Mitsu wonder within his sight as he looked over everything.

Mostly making a grabbing hand motion towards books about space, dinosaurs, and pirates.

Talking quickly fo the clerk Yamada also found out some good books on reading and writing improvements, well as finding out there are a few apps that can do text to speech for kids.

Hizashi was looking over some giant cat plushies when Mitsu footsteps came padding over, crouching down he looked to see what the young boy had grabbed.

It was a huge pack of star stickers, and a package of stars, moons, and plant glow in the dark stickers.

"Ooo, these look really good! Heck I'm betting we might be able to find model rocket's around here too and some actually planet toys" the moment the words left his mouth Suni was bouncing abd pretty much floating with joy as he made little humming noises as he did puppy dog eyes.

Hizashi couldn't resist the look so by the end of their shopping trip he ended up buying a whole bunch of glow in the dark space stickers, a model rocket, and a whole built it yourself space model of all the plants. As well as a Carmel apple for his kid too.

They had stayed out so long buying everything that when he walked through the door with Sunoboi Shoto was already there with Eri, cooking cupcakes.

Aizawa stood frozen as he spotted all the bags and Sunoboi muching away at a apple candy treat.

Looking his husband stright in the eyes with the most blank face he spoke in a dead tone.

"What happened Hizashi, I thought you said we were only getting him a few items at the start."

"But Shoooo! You should have seen how happy he was when we went shopping for his room, it was a hypnotic look of pure joy and love, I couldn't just leave when he was pretty much floating for some of the stuff we saw!"

Sighing Shoto moved over and grabbed a few bags to look inside, seeing a lot of space and star items, maybe a few books and clothes.

Humming softly he took everything from Hizashi. "I'm putting these away for now, you help Eri with the rest of the food while Sunoboi gets comfortable."

With that Hizashi took over baking, letting the two kids play and get to know each other in the living room.

_______________________________________

Eri was super excited, finally her brother was coming home!

She had met him.a couple more times that week before his arrival and so far he was really nice.

Sunoboi seemed so shy and scared at the start, and seeing glancing of his scars she could understand why... he most likely went through a similar thing she did, so she could sympathize with what he was going through.

Seeing him so fearful about getting too close then instantly clinging to her made Eri realize something, it was her turn to be the big sibling, to be there to help guide her new brother in this strange and scary world and to show there was still good in it.

Luckily she had Papa and Dad to help too, and so far they seem to be bonding pretty well. Papa had already gotten from the looks of it so many things to help get Suni to be comfortable and dad was setting things up now.

With Papa busy working in the kitchen itbwas now Eri's turn to really bond with Suni.

Sure it was going to be a bit hard since her brother couldn't talk, but she can work with it!

Sitting down with Eri made sure ro grab some crayons and paper since she found out he liked to draw and from there started to chat away about everything, from how school was to talking about how she felt about random topics like TV shows.

As she chatted and they drawed together a few of the cats that went into hiding were slowly coming out to say hi.

One of them was a ragdoll cat named Cloud, she only had one eye and was missing her tail, yet she was the most cuddly of them all.

She the old cat rubbed against Suni he jumped a bit and shook as he stared at the cat like he was expecting it to strike at him, but as Cloud kept nuzzling up he slowly calmed down and gently petted her.

Eri joined in, very soon they were sounded by cats wanting pets, especially from Suni since he was being very gentle with them.

_______________________________________

That is all for tonight, next addition will be a park chapter, mostly of fluff, maybe angst too, haven't decided yet.

Dp x MHA prompt/story; ghostly child.

Okay so this idea been turning in my head for most of the day so I'm going to try to write this, anyone is free to add to it too.

Main plot is this; Danny is on the run from the GIW, being injured enough to cause him to de-age to around 6-7 years old. Same power strength and mind, but suffering from pretty bad injuries such as dissection, and having a lightning scar on his arm from the accident, others are from dealing with the other ghosts.

Danny does try to survive by himself, mainly useing the tricks and abilities he learned from his rouges, mostly doing the bare minimum to get by like steal food and clothes, sometimes kick bad guys to the curb but mostly keeps to himself.

He is in the MHA because during his escape he ended up creating a portal, while doing so he was begging for safety and to finally be accepted, the infinite realms awnsered by placing him a universe of heros, though it takes Danny some time to realize that.

Now with that established time to try and start the story, (though writing this while a bit tired)

___________________________________

.

Danny's bare feet echoed as he ran through the rain storm, it made his body shiver yet he kept pushing through as his medical gown was almost causing him to trip due to it being a size a bit to big.

Yet it didn't matter to the young boy as he ran through the dark streets and alleyways, the pitch blackness of the night helped cover his tracks as he pushed his body forward.

All Danny knew was he needed to run, get away from the men in snow white suits, or else his blood will be splattered again.

No, no, that can't happen again, they had already cut Danny's body over a thousand times that he worried if there was anything human left of him.

His hair was already permanently white, his eyes now a sickly green that shined like spot lights in the dark, he even lost the real need to breath which was the only reason he hasn't collapsed yet.

The sickly young boy only stopped running when he slammed into a trash can, causing him to fall over and cry out in pain as his hands and knees bleed out a toxic red and green.

Painful sobs escaped his mouth as he culled up behind a dumpster, useing what little shelter from the pouring rain.

Finally unable to go any further Danny passes out, coughing now and then as he falls into a restless sleep.

--------------------------------------------

The sounds of birds chipping and passing by cars woke up Danny as the sunrise peeked though the clouds.

Rubbing his eyes and sticking to the shadows Danny crawled from his hiding spot to see where he even was, everything felt so much bigger then they used to be and it was kind of scary.

When Danny peeked around the corner what he saw made his eyes widen.

People and humanoid creatures walked the streets, drove in cars, and chatted away like there wasn't a problem in the world, living their lives without a care around them.

How long was Danny locked up? How far has the world move on that both human amd supernaturals could live together without fear? Would he be accepted for once or rejected again and hunted?

Too many questions filled the young halfa's mind, he needed to get away from the crowds and find some where safe, after all the Guys In White was most likely still looking for him.

Backing away further into the shadows Danny took twisting turns and back paths just to try and stay hidden. Ducking behind whatever he could find like a scared beast whenever a loud or sudden noise happened.

After hours of wondering the streets a painful growl came from Danny's stomach, reminding him that he was still human enough to need food, real food, not just literal trash.

Grumbling Danny went looking for an out of way convince store or small food shop, knowing full well he will have to steal from it. He would possibly go to a bigger food chain that wouldn't care as much about a few missing items, but Danny was still scared of being seen by too many people.

Finally finding a shop that was out of the way and didn't seem to have even a customer inside it Danny took his chance.

Pulling at his core and useing what energy he had, turned himself invisible and intangible as he walked right through the door.

Moving quickly he grabbed what his tiny arms could hold, which was a water bottle and twi pre made sandwiches.

Looking at the check out counter he could see a very tired looking young lady with stripes and long fangs, looking close to a wearcat, bored out of her mind. Werid words and colorful posters sounded her like some kind of ads.

Seeing he wasn't noticed yet Danny bolted for the door.

His invisibility slipped just as he passed the store clerk, leaving her only a sight of a small white haired boy in a werid gown phasing though the doors. It took only a second to make her realize he was running with unpaid store items.

Danny could hear distant yelling as he booked it back to the darkness of the alleyways, catching a few other people's attention but escaping.

Once sure no one was chasing him, Danny wolfed down his sandwiches and downed the water. Ancients, he hadn't even eaten or even got a proper drink like that in ages, tye most he gotten was the bare minimum to keep him alive.

Now a bit more fulied and a clearer mind Danny was planning his next move, which was finding a place to well, live in. A place to hide away from and maybe make his new haunt if it stays a good spot.

As he dusted himself off a near by broken mirror caught his eye. Moving forward Danny could see himself for the first time in a long while... it was a bit distressing.

Standing in the reflection was a young boy no older then 7, with snow white hair that was long and tangled with ectoplasm abd blood, wearing an oversized medical gown that was torn at the bottom, showing his recent knee injuries and barely hiding his lightning scar and others. Lime green eyes stared back at him as tears were rolling down his crumb covered face.

Not wanting to look at the monster in the mirror any longer, Danny matched forward in hopes to find an abounded building close by so he wouldn't have to pass out on the streets again.

----------------------------------------------

An unknown amount of weeks passed by, during that time Danny had found an old shack not to far off from a small stream and bridge.

From there he stole the odd blanket or clothing that were left in the wind to dry, making a nest withing the rotting boards. Danny manged to get his hands on a few shirts and shorts that would fit his smaller body better, yet kept the bloodied hospital gown, mostly as a way to cover up a big hole in the wall.

During his raids to get resources Danny did get spotted many more times, especially when trying to snach food, but so far hasn't been chased further then a block or two.

Danny had quickly found out two major factors of this new place; firstly he couldn't read anything, everything looked like werid squiggles and lines, that might be due to him not being good at reading in the first place or the fact he only knew how to read/write ghost since that's what he did to pass the time. Secondly was there were heros and villains, and he wasn't sure who he was more scared of.

Heros were easy to spot since they wore costumes and announced themselves, villains were more subtle most of the time until they start causing trouble.

Danny had a few run in with the latter, mostly just jerks who think a kid would be an easy target. They were proven wrong quickly when Danny knocked them out by barely trying and dragging them to what he thought was a police station.

Heros were much more tricky, Danny mainly blots whenever he sees any, same with police in person, because what if they worked with the GIW? What would happen if they find out Danny was nothing but an abomination, a crime against life and death.

He wasn't going to risk it.

Yet unaware to Danny due to his adventures he had been spotted multiple times by civilian and a few heros too, one or two may have caught a picture of him back when he was still in his medical gown. And with him naturally running whenever a hero was spotted things were getting suspicious.

Heros and officers were alerted to the presents of a young boy who's case was looking scarily similar to another.

Which lead to Danny's main problem now...

He keeps getting chased by heroes!

Danny mostly avoids them by phasing thorough buildings but it was getting annoying. He started to use his intangiblity, floating, and ice abilities more, he didn't use his ecto blasts since he didn't want to cause that much harm. So far he's been stalked and chased by a werid guy made out of wood, a cowboy, and a rabbit lady just this week! That's not counting the police trying to corner him.

The only ones now that weren't giving him any trouble were normal people and the odd villan.

All Danny wanted to do is eat a good sandwich and maybe relax a bit.

_____________________________________

Going to stop here for tonight but might add more later, any suggestions on how to make this story better is appreciated too.

[punk-in-docs]

Ok...I'm just gonna beg for an Itty bitty nibble..do you have any random little headcanons, smutty or otherwise, for Paul? I can't get enough of him and I love how you write him!

🥀 keep watch over the door of my lips 🥀

Warning: ‼️this is a little dirty and a little mean (kinda like it’s author) language/cursing, c-word, brief mention of sex ‼️

“How radiant you look. Tsarevna.”

You growl a curse under your breath before she comes closer. Fucking cunting hell.

Paul can see your teeth grinding, grating on edge. Can hear the clack of bone. You smile to cover it over.

You turn in step with your new husband. When you turn your heads, you see the unfortunate shape of one of the many parasites, who clings to these halls under the guise of being a noble courtesan.

Svenska. The most odious bitch alive.

Fligged out in a pale pink gown, ruffled and trimmed to high heaven as an enormous eyesore. Her wig stuffed with flowers. Neck crushed in jewels. Neckline cut nearly to her crushed corseted ribs. Her rouge is smeared and some of it stains her teeth. Stained on the sticky rim of her glass that was perpetually full.

She curtseys to you. Paul stares at her with wordless distaste. Didn’t bow to acknowledge her. He rarely glided through these saw-toothed in’s-and-out’s of court life. It held no interest.

“My god look at you, you’re glowing.” She preens like a peacock, spits honey at you.

You won’t be fooled. This woman is a velvet draped dagger.

Your eyes scratch at her. Hard as diamond tips. Depths of them glitter cleverly in the candlelight. Plotting.

Your smile is guarded. Growing wider. Like something steeling itself for pleasure, before it sunk in its fangs and flushed venom. That’s you in a nutshell.

You see her for what she really is; someone who happily opened her legs to gain political title. Hates her husband. Detests her innumerable bastard children. Different father for each. And here she is happily leeching off the wealth of court for everything she may ever need. For perfumes and rouges and snappy new gowns. She followed the flocking herd.

“Lady Svenska.” You lean in all genteel pretension, kiss the air near both sides of her cheeks.

Paul loves the way the diamonds on your neck glitter and shimmer so much more than the flat things she is wearing. Yours are bigger too. Huge fat gems. The ones she boasts of so richly, look a little dulled. Doesn’t that say it all-

Her perfume is a stench that cloys. Rotting sugared plums. She screws the merchants to get it sent here to her, all the way from Paris.

“Enjoying your honeymoon I take it?” She asks as she sips golden sherry from her fluted glass. Flickers her rabid-tiger eyes over Paul. Assessing him. The boy prince.

“Very much so. Pity we had to come back to this… court so soon.” You insult plainly.

In truth you’d give anything to be back in the countryside, bundled in the snow, nestled away outside Smolensk in the Manor House overlooking the frozen lake. Just you and him. Fireplaces and fucking and walking outside in the snow. Away from the rigours of this snake pit.

She raises a thin brow.

“Word floating around is that you screwed the swede? But wouldn’t go through and commit to marry him. Too poor for you? Maybe you were aiming for a far richer prize.” She asks with a gentle frown of concern.

You don’t say a thing. You merely look at her. Your smile curls on one side. Your eyes draw back.

The senseless woman should have chills up her spine by now.

“You’re talking to the Tsarevna.” Paul hisses in threat. His tone tells her to find her respect or he’ll have it found for her.

“No. I’m talking to the royal broodmare. The royal cunt as we like to call her. It’s said no one can better lay on their back and take cock, like a Voronsky.” She giggled.

Playing all saccharine, like she didn’t mean her words when she so clearly did.

She approached you with the purpose of saying these words. They weren’t accidentally spilling from drunk vodka-slurred lips.

“You know, some friendly advice… I’d watch my back if I were you, Tsarevna. There are several young ladies here, who would slit your whore throat to strips, to be in your shoes. Or rather- your very comfortable bed.” She drags her eyes to Paul’s.

There’s no doubt about it. That was bold flirting. She couldn’t be more obvious about it if she was stood here, wrapping her hand around his cock.

Angling her gown to better let him see her cleavage that spilled out. She sips her drink and inspects him sultrily through her lashes.

Paul scrunched his face up. Frowns. His eyes cloud. Chest puffs out in agitation. The coldness that makes him look eerily like his mother swirls up.

Sweet Prince. He’s not skilled at masking his emotions. He’s never had to be. You’ve walked barefoot on broken glass in this environment for decades. You know the tricks.

The kind of look crosses his face that will end up with him petulantly bellowing for the Cossacks. Come drag this shrew to the dungeon to have her lashed or beaten for her insolent tongue, daring to strike foul words against you. It could be mistaken for treason. If he willed it.

You laugh. He can’t believe it. He turns to you like you’ve just grown three heads.

The raspberry red rouge of your lips split. Your drape your hand over his stiff arm. Curl your hand into him. The diamonds on your wrists, rattle.

You stand a little closer. He turns and glances to you. Intoxicated by your nearness. Enamoured newlywed after all. The look on your face intrigues him.

It’s also to ground him. Your touch on his arm. It’s to let him know a lifetime of readiness and teaching for how to handle this viper court has sharpened your tongue like a whetstone.

“You dare try and take or touch what is mine, Svenska. I’ll cut your conniving hands off.“ You promise with laughter stroked across your words.

“… And do continue calling me a cunt if you so wish. Just make sure you put my title before it. For I’ll have far more position and power than you and your grubby little nobles will ever be able to snatch at. You can only fuck your way so far.”

Her eyes crisp to frost at the edges at you. Smile falls off her saccharine lips.

You’re something with thorns. Or barbed brambles. One of those prickly stubborn things that will never be eradicated. That won’t bleed when someone cuts it.

“Have a lovely evening. Try the plum vodka and the goose pâté. Sensational.” You snap a smile as you twist and guide Paul away.

He puts his hand over yours as you take some much needed distance from her. He’s flushed red with anger over this. It settles rosy in the apples of his cheeks.

“I would have her tongue cut out for the way she spoke to you.” He spat harshly as you wandered away through the ballroom. Steady on his arm.

You turned and gave him a look that was stunningly calm. He’s seen every angry severe emotion gutted out of you. The ugliness of your sparky personality when in pain. He’s seen your terrifying steel cold rage. Your fiery swelling passion. Every spec of it: and yet in this you are calm as a glass smooth pond.

“Darling. Every last one of them would like to put me six feet in the dirt.” You explain simply. Like you’re contented with it.

Paul looks at you with that adorable naïve frown. His innocence still baffles the life out of you, sometimes.

You turn over your shoulder. Needling eyes at Svenska. Putrid bitch who couldn’t keep her nose out of other peoples business. Waltzes around in her sugary immature silk dresses and fucks people in return for a smattering shred of gossip.

She’s still eying you, too. Stood demanding more drink from a servant with a cold look blasted your way.

Her gaggle of ladies surround her like a flock of hens. They all look the same. Parisian whores who’d been up all night. Trussed up in their powdered wigs, heartthrob heart lips, and beauty spots.

“They want to tear me down because of where I stand. By your side.” You lay out plainly.

He looks at you with such concern.

“Paul. Every woman in this court would kill to be your mistress. To take my place. You have the future of Russia hanging over your shoulders, and every one of those power hungry cunts can see it.” You nudge your head to them in gesture. Grabbing yourself a glass of vodka from the passing tray. You need something sharp to burn away the anger in your mouth.

He pulls you in with something like frenzy. Uncaring for who was around you- his hand slipped across your lower back. He halved the distance between you.

Such a serious expression staining his face. Taking over those doe eyes. It forced a gasp out of you. Him being so intimate in front of others. You were still feeling used to it. The squeezing gold band on your finger.

“I don’t want a mistress.” He says with heavy emphasis.

God, you love him.

“It’s a royal occupation.” You say. Hell, in some courts it was expected. It was normal. He was entitled to one. Minister Panin could draw up a list of candidates for him if he wished.

“Doesn’t alter my mind. You are my wife. My one and only companion. The discussion ends there.” He makes plain.

You smile. It’s all sweet raspberries and berry fruits. The lip rouge you wear always looks so summer sweet. And when you lean in and kiss him softly, it’s delicious.

Relights that constant burning fuse of newlywed arousal and hunger deep in the pit of your belly. You wanted him alone. You want your hands everywhere on him.

When you pull back, he looks love drunk and wound up. You slide your hand down his chest like a coquette. Looking through your lashes at him.

“Care to retire early, husband?” You mumble as you grip his chin and kiss him. Hard.

He grabbed your hand and led the way. Cock throbbing for you already. You make him impetuous. You make him greedier and he will give in to those sins-

You didn’t make it back to your rooms. A shadowy window alcove did the trick. Barely any orange glow from the candles to frame you. Darkness burst around you.

Paul lifted your skirts and fucked you from behind then and there. His mouth muggy hot, kissing your neck and your ear as he railed you senseless. Making sure the whole nosy court could hear. His thumb strummed your clit and your cries intensified.

“My gorgeous wife.” He hummed as he watched you writhe. Intent passion on his face. Watched you curse and your cunt fluttering on his cock as you came. Tears in your eyes and his name dried it’s mantra on your lips. Once wouldn’t be enough. He needed more and he will have it.

Svenska was mysteriously absent from court the next day. You smile like a vixen.

Strange that-