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paige1722 · 12 days ago

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An Offering | Ch. 3 |

Pairing: Sleep Token x Reader

Summary: Cryptid, inhuman beings have spent their whole lives in Eden serving their deity, Sleep. What happens when one day you show up and no one can figure out why Sleep has delivered you to them? Should you stay with them or will you do whatever it takes to find your way back home?

Warnings: brief mentions of death. Slow-burn. implied past abuse. religious trauma, self deprecating thoughts, thoughts of suicide (Please, let me know if I missed any.)

Word Count: 7.4k

masterlist | ch. 1 | ch. 2 |

pic from Pinterest

Chapter Three:

The winding stone path seems like it is never-ending, you feel as if you’ve been walking for hours now towards a destination that isn’t getting closer. Your stomach growling more frequently now. The noise constantly reminds you, that it has been over 24 hours since you last had something to eat.

Although for all you know it could be even longer since you still can’t exactly remember everything that happened to you before you woke up here, but something tells you it probably wasn’t anything good.

Since departing from the hot springs, silence has enveloped the small group you find yourself in, leaving you with an uneasy sensation. The sounds of the occasional wildlife, leaves rustling in the breeze, and the strange rhythmic tapping that seems to be coming from above forces your mind to wander into places you aren’t sure you want it to be.

Instead, you force yourself to observe the scenery around you, still as captivating as ever. Even though the moon was exceptionally bright, it could only do so much with all the trees and foliage. You secretly began to wish that you had a flashlight or something with you, being in the dark made you a bit skittish especially when you think about what happened the last time it was nighttime. Lighting bugs gradually emerge all around tonight, giving you some reprieve.

Their flickering lights remind you of childhood memories, happier times when it felt as if nothing could ever go wrong and you had no worries. Though now it seems as if such a time never even existed like false memories have been planted inside your head. How could you have ever been so happy and carefree? How could such a time exist, when you aren’t even sure if you know what those emotions or thoughts feel like anymore?

Subtle movement from the two men walking in front of you catches your attention, iii and iv share a look, seemingly as if they were speaking to each other without ever opening their mouths. With how little you actually know about them, they very well could be communicating through some hive-mind link for all you know.

In the middle of their internal conversation, you watch as their hands brush against each other, leisurely intertwining their fingers like pieces of a puzzle sliding perfectly into place. iv squeezes his partner’s hand rubbing his thumb over the back of iii’s red-stained skin.

At the sight of their hands perfectly molding together, your own palms flexing in response. A lump forming in your throat, iii squeezes iv’s hand back, returning the affection before they both let go.

A gap opens up between them, as they steadily slow their pace allowing you to be in the center of them. Your body grows stiff at the new formation, trying your best to keep your arms tucked in close by your side in hopes of deterring any accidental contact occurring.

iii and iv silently walk by your side, occasionally peering at you from the corner of their eyes. As your steps grow more and more sluggish the farther you trudge along this forsaken path, mentally cursing them out the longer you walk.

At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if one of them turned to tell you that you’ve all been walking in circles for the past hour. The plants begin to look more and more appetizing with every passing second, but knowing your luck you would pick the wrong one and end up in agonizing pain or seeing the euclid hatman.

The only thing keeping you going at this moment was the fact that iii told you that Vessel would have food for you to eat at his home, so you just have to tough it out until then. Thinking about this Vessel person has made you curious once again, it couldn’t hurt to ask some more questions.

Actually, you could all benefit from it as this will help to pass the time. Hopefully iii or even iv can answer some of your questions without just telling you to wait until you get to Vessel because, to be honest, if you hear that answer one more time you might go insane.

Motioning to your face and hands, you ask, “Why do you wear masks and the paint?” A question that has been lurking in your mind for a while now, too nervous to ask in fear of somehow offending them but the silence was beginning to gnaw at you.

At the sound of your voice, iii and iv turn their heads to look at you, you watch iv tilt his head to the side his eyebrows raised from behind his mask. He brings his hands up in front of his chest, clasping them together in a sort of praying motion.

“To pray?” you ask, confusion evident in your voice, trying to determine the correlation between wearing masks and paint equals praying.

iii huffs out a breathless laugh, reaching a hand behind you to clasp it on iv shoulder before letting it drop back down by his side. His side brushed against you at the sudden movement, sending tingles down your spine at the contact.

“Worship. Our actions and purposes are more important than who we are, we were made to appease Sleep. Everything we do is for Sleep and their message, it has to be. The masks and the paint are ways for us to show our devotion allowing us to feel a greater connection to them and each other.”

A strange edge can be heard in iii’s voice when he speaks of Sleep, something you certainly would have remembered hearing earlier when he spoke of them, though you weren’t exactly in the best condition then.

Even as iii explains the reasoning behind covering their faces and painting their skin, you still can’t help but feel a sense of doubt. You have tried religion in the past begging and praying for salvation that will never come.

Hearing people say if you just try harder, and devote yourself more, good things will come your way, constantly telling you that are never given more than you can handle. But where did it leave you in the end? In nothing but pain and misery, you didn’t deserve that, to be treated as you were.

iii and iv seem so sure though, that their god is real and they have a connection with them, whether it’s a good or bad one is still uncertain. Maybe this is just some big elaborate hoax meant to make you look foolish and to make you once again try to look for mercy and salvation, things you aren't even sure you deserve anymore.

Hopefully, this Vessel person will actually have all the answers you were promised he will have and everything will finally make sense for you when you meet him.

Vessel, iii, and iv, three members, a small cult you think to yourself, though is that all their members, or is this place secretly filled with devoted followers lurking in the darkness waiting to make a move to try to indoctrinate you?

Silence has fallen over your small group once again, the two men sensing you deep in thought, though they probably wouldn’t be too keen to know you currently were questioning their god and purposes, so instead you look up from the stone path and ask curiously, “How many of you are there out here?”

iii perks up instantly, loving when he is able to share more of his companions with you, “Well, you know me and iv.” iii says pointing to one another before adding, “There’s also Vessel, and ii, you’ll meet them both soon enough.”

As iii finishes speaking, you see iv point up to the trees that stand tall blocking the night sky from your view all of the branches intertwining with each other creating a canopy over the path.

Curious you look up trying to see if you can spot anything that he might be referring to, instead you see nothing but leaves swaying in the gentle breeze and the occasional twinkling of the lighting bugs.

iii shrugs his shoulders in response, talking more so to iv than you, “I think he is just nervous, you know how he is about anything new.”

The tapping was back again, resembling a woodpecker drumming against tree trunks though this is much more rhythmic and methodical. If someone or something has been following you all this whole time your two companions don’t seem worried about it in the slightest, therefore it must be nothing for you to worry about then.

Frankly, you aren’t sure how much more you can take going wrong anyway, so the thought of being followed by some animal or something was the least of your worries at the moment.

iv lifts up his right hand putting his fist on his chest before moving it to iii, then he curls his index finger up as he moves his hand towards you.

iii throws his arm around your shoulder, pulling your body into his side his warmth seeping into you making you realize how cold the night has slowly become. “You’re right iv. I think it is time for us to ask them some questions. Hmm?”

An exasperated look covers your face, “What! Half the time you don’t even answer my questions fully! You tell me to wait until I meet Vessel,” you exclaim throwing your hands up in the air in frustration.

iii’s thumb begins to rub your shoulder, the feeling making goose-bumps to appear down your arm.

“How about this then, we take turns asking each other questions until we reach Vessel’s home?” iii throws up his left hand beside his head his palm facing you, allowing you to see a question mark drawn in the center of his hand that you did not notice before.

“And I promise all questions will be answered to the best of my ability unless it is something that has to wait for Vessel to answer.” He continues holding his hand up as if he were making an oath, “Better decide quickly or we will arrive there first.”

You look into his eyes seeing nothing but honesty turning to look at iv seeing him already looking at you awaiting your answer to their little proposal. The way these two could communicate so easily with one another was strange it was as if they were truly one being. Maybe this is what iii meant when he said their devotion helped them feel a better connection to each other.

You let out a sigh, at least you’ll finally be able to get some answers to the questions that keep bouncing around your head, and talking was better than silence, even if you were a little scared to know what questions they had for you.

“Okay, fine.”

iii removes his arm from around you clapping them together excitedly, the loss of his warmth making you shiver wrapping your arms around your middle to help preserve heat and comfort yourself.

“We get to ask you a question first, it’s only fair since you’ve asked so many already.” iii brings his finger up to the chin of his mask, tapping the hard plastic in thought.

iv waves his hand excitedly, pointing at himself then at iii before bringing his hand up to his chin with his middle finger bent forward tapping his chin a few times, before looking at you expectantly.

You hear iii mischievously chuckle from behind you, “Who is your favorite? Me or him? It’s obviously me right, I did save you when you first got here.” iii exclaims puffing out his chest at the last part.

The question completely caught you off guard, making you let out a small giggle at the shock of it out of everything he could have asked you, you didn’t expect that. Thinking about it, you don’t believe you can actually pick between the two of them. iii did rescue you from drowning and iv took care of you while you were sick, both of them going out of their way numerous times to help you.

Even though, you are certain that iv means this question as more of a joke, something to make you feel more comfortable around them, the more you thought about it the more you were certain you couldn’t pick between the two of them.

Even in the incredibly short amount of time you have spent with them, they have somehow managed to worm their way into your heart and you aren’t sure you like that at all.

How weak and lonely are you that two men, who you barely even know have managed to do this to you in such a short amount of time by just being nice to you? Perhaps the walls you built weren’t as high as you originally thought, or it’s this place that really is messing with your head like you originally thought making you go crazy and delusional the longer you’re here. Yeah, that’s got to be it, that is the only logical explanation after all.

Looking into iv eyes, who awaits patiently for your answer unaware of the internal battle waging inside your mind. Well, it won’t do you any good to stress over this silly question and it couldn’t hurt to have a little fun you think to yourself.

You smile cheekily lifting your hand up and resting it gently on iv’s masked cheek, teasingly you say “iv, of course. Who else would it be?”

At your answer, iv looks over to iii raising his middle finger up and shoving it in the taller man’s face, clearly very pleased with your answer. iii smacks iv’s hand from out of his face, letting out a small huff and rolling his eyes at iv’s antics.

“Whatever, it’s your turn now.” a pout clear in his voice.

You laugh at the exchange between the two men, both of which visibly brighten at the sound wanting nothing more than to hear it again, unbeknownst to you already lost in thought. What should you ask?

This is a good chance for you to learn more about them and their abilities, not wanting to get caught off guard whenever you finally do meet Vessel and possibly ii. So it is probably best to learn all you can about them now.

Deciding on your question you nod your head in determination, “So, you’re a siren and you’re a banshee. But what about the others, what are they? Why make you all different and not the same?”

iii lets out a quick breathy chuckle, “That is more than one question. But I’ll bite.”

iii pauses for a moment in thought, he supposes there is no harm in telling you this information, you will eventually find out when you meet the others regardless, he doesn’t have to tell you everything just yet anyway just enough to tie your curiosity. Besides, the small white ribbons Vessel keeps tied to the trees near his home are coming into view signaling they are close.

“Vessel as you can probably guess was the first and by far the most powerful creation, maybe even more powerful than Sl…” a grunt from iv stops iii from finishing him sentence. A look of warning flashes through iv’s eyes staring deep into iii’s begging him to rethink what he was about to say.

iii clears his throat before continuing, “Right, anyway, He is kind of what you could call a fae, I suppose. Controls plants, and vines, and has strange mystical powers.” at the mention of powers, he turns holding up his fingers and wiggling them similar to someone trying to cast a spell.

You thought learning about everyone’s abilities and what they are capable of would make you feel better and possibly more prepared to meet them but now you have to admit you're a little more apprehensive.

You have heard of fae’s in children’s stories but they always turned out to be dangerous creatures trying to trick others into staying with them forever never being allowed to return home. You just hope Vessel is as kind and caring as they have made him out to be.

Unaware of your cautious thoughts iii continues, “ii is a little different, you could say. His corporeal form is like ours, but when he changes into his… other form he becomes a shadowy dark void. I’m not sure what the word for it is in your world though.” he hums in thought.

A shadowy dark void, you can only really think of one mythical creature that fits that description, “a wraith?” you ask.

iii shrugs his shoulders, “not sure to be honest maybe you can tell us when you see him. Well whenever he decides to show himself.” the last part of his sentence getting louder, like he was trying to make sure some unseen person heard him.

The tapping could be heard again from above you, almost as if whatever it is that has been making that noise is definitely following you, there is no doubt about it now. You subtly look up trying to see if you can spot the source of the sound, but you can’t find anything in the darkness of the night.

Before you can ask or say anything iii starts talking again, “Even though you asked two questions instead of one, I will still answer it just to prove I am a nice guy and deserve to be your favorite,” iii glares down at iv, who ignores the sly comment.

“I’m not sure why we were all created to be different and not the same. Though some of us have our theories, maybe it’s so we could worship Sleep better and in our own ways, maybe Sleep just wanted to see how many different creations he could make,” iii voice takes on a dark tone surprising you at the sudden change, “or maybe Sleep wants us to suffer and be lonely by making us all different.”

Every time you heard of Sleep so far, you were under the assumption that they were a kind and giving god but maybe you were wrong, maybe they are a malevolent god. But if that is the case, why are you here? Are you being punished by being here or maybe they are?

You are so lost in thought that you don’t notice the abundance of white ribbons that now cover the trees that line the path. Not a single branch at this point was left untouched, at the sight of this iv began to get excited a slight pep in his step at the prospect of seeing Vessel again.

The sound of distance singing catches your attention, the song appearing as if it was flowing into your very soul. With every note, a shiver runs down your spine, you know you have never heard something so hauntingly beautiful before in your entire life.

Along the lines of a knee-jerk reaction tears fill your eyes, and an overwhelming sadness fills your very core, unlike anything you have ever felt before. Your chest feels heavy, your heart feels as if it might tear right through your skin, making it hard for you to breathe.

You feel like you're choking similar to someone's hand wrapped tight around your throat preventing any oxygen from entering your lungs. You claw at your throat trying to pry the nonexistent hands away to no avail, you fall to your knees, panicking wanting whoever it is that is singing to stop, you can’t take it anymore, this overwhelming longing and sorrow.

As soon as your knees make contact with the ground, iii and iv finally take notice of your distressed state. They understand immediately, having themselves gone through similar visceral reactions the first time they heard Vessel’s poignant songs.

iv drops down to your level, pulling you into his chest trying to get you to match his breathing, as iii takes off running calling for help following Vessel’s voice trying to reach him.

Your face is pressed firmly against iv chest, you can feel his erratic heartbeat against your cheek. Amongst your frantic state, you can swear that you hear a gentle voice whispering in your ear, “Breathe with me. Everything is going to be ok.”

You try your best to match his slow and steady breaths, though yours are coming out in strangled gasps instead, sounding more like wheezing than anything. The way iv arms hold you close, blocks out everything around you, allowing you to focus solely on him and his calming presence.

His earthy scent invading your nostrils, the soft leather from his jacket rubbing against your face, his warm breath coming from underneath his mask hitting the top of your head, the soothing tempo of his heart beating deep within his chest.

The singing has stopped, the melancholy song no longer traveling through the air. Once you calm down, you pull away from iv sniffling a soft, ‘thanks’ under your breath.

Embarrassment courses through you at your body’s volatile reaction to someone singing, if you didn’t know any better you honestly would have thought there was another siren lurking about this place.

iv tilts his head, his eyes soft, searching your tear-stained face, though for what exactly, you’re not sure. He reaches out slowly so as to not startle you, cupping your face in his hands and wiping away your tears with his thumbs.

The warmth from his hands seeps into your skin, comforting you far more than you care to admit to yourself. You look into his eyes seeing something in them that you have never seen anyone look at you with. You don’t like the look in his eye, it’s scaring you because you aren’t sure what it means and why you of all people are at the receiving end of it.

The heavy sounds of boots hitting the stone path cause you to pull yourself away from iv and out of his gentle hold. As you stand, looking towards the source of the footsteps, you miss the sight of iv shoulders deflating at the loss of contact wanting to keep you in his arms and within his reach.

iii’s frame fills your vision, you can see him assessing you looking for any signs of distress or injury.

Feeling embarrassed at all the fuss at your nervous breakdown, you shyly say, “I’m ok. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

A voice you have not heard before replies from behind iii, “Seems like you were in good hands. Don’t worry about it these things happen here.”

You peek from around iii to see a man similar in height to iii though only slightly shorter. Wearing a dark-green robe pulled open exposing his painted black chest, with golden chains hanging from around his neck. On his left shoulder, sat an intricate piece of what looks like armor, black feathers peeking from his back, eerily reminding you of the black flamingo you saw the previous night.

He also wore a mask, though instead of his face being completely covered as iii and iv’s, his painted nose and mouth were visible. His mask is white with gold accents around the edge, in the middle is the same symbol but this one is green, with six eye holes carved in the center.

Vessel watches as your scrutinizing stare scans over him, seeing uncertainty in your eyes he steps out from behind iii, now standing between iii and iv though a half-step back not wanting to invade your space before introducing himself.

“I am Vessel,” he says lifting his hand to the center of his chest, a warm smile on his face.

The timbre of his voice washing over you, making you feel safe the complete opposite of how you felt mere moments ago from his melancholy melody. You mutter your name in reply, suddenly feeling exposed standing underneath his watchful gaze. Your every thought and emotion suddenly seems as if this man can easily read them all.

Akin to if your soul was laid out in front of you, open and bleeding before him waiting for him to do as he pleased and you are almost certain you would let him. Wherever this man led you or to you to go, without a shadow of a doubt you would follow. Now you understand how so many people could easily fall victim to cults, especially if they were all like this man standing in front of you.

Vessel puts each of his hands on iv and iii’s shoulders, the warm smile ever present on his face, “Let us return, I have a feast awaiting everyone’s arrival.”

He turns and begins walking back down the stone path not looking behind to see if you’re following, trusting that you will. iii immediately followed not having to be told twice as you stood still, letting out a deep breath, the moment Vessel’s stare left you the power of his mere presence was suffocating in the best way possible. iv grabs at your sleeve tugging softly for you to follow.

Your steps are slow and tentative before something Vessel said pops into your mind causing you to pick up your pace calling out, “Wait, awaiting our arrival? How did you know we were coming?”

However, if he is surprised by your question he doesn’t show it but instead quickly looks over his shoulder giving you a sly smirk, “The garden, of course.”

oh, of course, you think snarkily to yourself, the most obvious answer out there, how silly of you to not think of that, to begin with. All of these cryptic messages and beings are really starting to piss you off, and maybe it is just the hunger talking but you are one more minor inconvenience away from losing your mind. Huffing you cross your arms over your chest dragging your feet identical to a child throwing a tantrum.

The view in front of you quickly snaps you out of your sulking. Moss and vines cling to the sizeable white stone cathedral that stands before you. The red and pink flowers that you’ve seen everywhere else in Eden seem to dull in comparison to the ones that grow here, looking more vibrant and full of life than ever swaying in the breeze seemingly as if the plants themselves were breathing.

Hanging around the entrance are dried herbs and small twisted sticks tied together to create runes and sigils, what they were warding against or for you were unsure.

The closer you walk towards the cathedral, the more you can smell the most delicious scent of food coming from inside causing your stomach to growl in anticipation as to what awaits beyond the opened doors. With newfound vigor, you happily follow behind Vessel and the others as they lead the way inside.

You ascend the white steps, warmth cascading over you as you enter the cathedral that is filled to the brim with huge golden candelabras lighting the room in a soft flickering glow. If you thought the outside was beautiful, the inside caused it to pale in comparison. Everything on the inside is ethereal and otherworldly.

The stone pillars holding up the roof are wrapped in the same vines that covered the outside but something was different about these, and you couldn’t quite place what it was. The same stone table that has been present in all the places you have been to sit in the back of the room covered in small offerings of herbs, and what looked to be pieces of paper with writing that seemed oddly similar to lyrics and music notes.

On the two opposite walls facing each other led two dimly lit hallways, but before you could investigate any further the sight of the huge round table covered in food quickly pulled your focus.

You pause stopping yourself from making a bee-line directly to the table, trying to regain some of your dignity, even though you doubt you had much left. Vessel already stands next to the circular table looking very pleased with himself at your reaction, he pulls a chair out gesturing for you to sit.

“Please sit, this feast has been prepared for your sustenance.”

Tentatively, you make your way to the seat pulled out for you, sitting down allowing Vessel to push your chair in for you. Vessel takes the seat across from you, while iii and iv sit in the open seats on either side of you, you’ve noticed they seem to like to be near you. An empty seat was left untouched in between iii and Vessel, probably for the mysterious ii, you recently learned about, you wondered briefly if he would make an appearance.

The table was covered in a large array of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, bread, and meat -the whole thing looked like a very big and elaborate charcuterie board. Not sure where to start first, you begin to pile up a rather hefty amount of everything that catches your eye on the small golden plate in front of you. As you start to eat, you aren’t sure whether it is because of how hungry you are or if this was actually the best food you have ever had in your life but you weren’t about to question anything.

You were so preoccupied that you didn’t even notice that you were the only one eating until you peeked around at everyone’s empty plates.

Suspicion enters your mind, clouding your judgment you pause chewing trying to remember iii’s words, something about Vessel being the most powerful of them all, your eyebrows crease together in concentration until you remember exactly what type of creature Vessel is.

Your eyes open wide in realization, that you are currently eating food given to you by a fae. Alarm bells ringing in your head, what can you do now? You know what this means, eating their food binds you to their realm and even worse gives them power over you.

What this the plan all along? To give you false hope that Vessel would be able to provide you with answers, and possibly even help you get back home. When in reality they all planned to forcefully bind you here with them never being allowed to leave?

Vessel rests his chin on his hand a sympathetic smile gracing his features, “You worry too much. No harm will come to you by one of us.”

You aren’t sure why you are so inclined to believe him, to believe all of them. You still don’t even really know them but the little voice in the back of your mind in back again telling you, that no one here would ever willingly lie to you, maybe you’re just gullible wanting to place all your hope into these magical and mystical beings trusting them and their words.

Although you don’t really have a choice, you have already taken a bite of the food, and the damage has been done. So you will have to put your faith in them, that they do want to help you and mean you no harm.

Slowly you begin eating again, swallowing the food inside your mouth before asking, “Then why is no one else eating?”

From the corner of your eye, you see movement from iv making you turn your head to look at him as he brings his hand up to his face taping his mask.

“Oh,” the little fact did slip your mind in your panic-induced assumptions and theories.

Nonetheless, the awkward feeling of people watching you eat is quickly making you lose your appetite. Sensing this iii started idle conversation at the table asking Vessel about his plants and other mundane questions.

The chatter rapidly becomes background noise to you, allowing you to somewhat eat in peace knowing the attention is no longer focused solely on you.

As you continue eating, you watch Vessel from your peripherals, you can easily see how he has managed to gain so much respect and admiration from everyone else. His mere presence alone is enough to convince you to follow him to the ends of the earth.

The way he speaks and holds himself is something you have never experienced from anyone else before, everything he does is utterly captivating.

Even though his eyes are obscured behind the mask, you are more certain than you ever have been about anything else that there is nothing but love and compassion in his gaze especially as he looks at his fellow companions. But the way he was singing earlier so full of hurt and pain confused you, how could anyone or anything dare to hurt him so much?

The sound of your name calls your attention, you look up at Vessel seeing the smile no longer on his face but in its place was a small frown.

“When you finish eating and you feel ready. Sleep would like to speak with you.” something akin to pity can be heard in his voice.

As soon as the words leave Vessel’s lips, iv slams his fist down on the table rattling the plates and cutlery making you jump in your seat at the sudden outburst. iv hands moving wildly in front of him too fast for you to even guess at what he is trying to say but whatever it is you are certain it’s nothing nice.

Vessel shakes his head solemnly, “I understand your concerns iv. This is not up to me, this is their decision.” he turns his attention to you, “Do you wish to confer with Sleep?”

iv lets out a disgruntled whine beside you clearly not liking the idea of you speaking directly with Sleep, iii continues to stay unusually quiet during this whole conversation. You look over at him, but iii is looking everywhere but you nervously fiddling with the tablecloth. Even though the thought of speaking with a supposed god scared you, you needed answers and maybe they could help you get home.

You look back at Vessel, determination on your face, “I want to speak with Sleep.”

iv throws his hands against the edge of the table pushing his seat back before storming out into the dimly lit hallway on the left leading deeper into the cathedral with iii following behind quickly shouting for him to wait.

Even amongst the outburst Vessel's eyes never once left your face, searching for something, the sneaking suspicion that he can read your thoughts is back.

“Very well, follow me.”

You rise to your feet, pushing your chair back into the table, and walk to where Vessel patiently waits for you in the hallway on the right ominously starting down the darkened hallway lacking in candles, unlike the main room. Giving you the impression that you really aren’t supposed to venture down here.

Following behind Vessel you notice how different the atmosphere surrounding him seems now like he is scared or worried but why would he be? He is quite literally a devotee of this god and a vessel for them, therefore he has more than likely spoken with this deity countless times.

With every step, you reach the large intricately carved stone door at the end of the hall, the type of door that just screams bad news, if you were watching a horror movie you would be actively screaming at the screen for the main character to run away and to not open the door. Two long twisted candle sticks stand tall on either side of the door creating eerie shadows along the designs of the door, doing nothing to quell your anxiety.

Vessel reaches the door first but doesn’t make a move to open it, he instead moves to the side peering down at you. You really wished that smile that wouldn’t seem to leave his face earlier would come back, even a fake one would be better than the pitying look you just know is staring down at you right now.

“I cannot go in with you, this is something you have to do alone.” his voice hesitates, hoping that you will change your mind and go back with him to the others. You don’t have to do this, he can help you find out why you’re here, answer all your questions, and even help you get back home if that still remains to be your wish.

“Ok,” you nod adding on more for yourself than to Vessel, “I can do this.”

Placing both hands against the cold stone, you use your body weight to open the heavy door as it slowly creaks open a soft rumbling and scraping echoing down the long corridor behind you. Once the door is cracked open a sizeable amount for you to be able to pass through a hand wraps around your arm, you turn to look at Vessel a silent question on the tip of your tongue as to why he is stopping you.

The warmth of his hand seeping through your sleeve contrasting heavily with the cold air emitting from the crack in the door. He shakes his head, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

“Be careful.” His voice is serious, a warning thinly veiled in his words.

As quick as he stopped you, he let go of your arm, briskly turning around and walking back down the hallway, his dark green cloak flowing behind him. Knowing he would not be able to stomach watching you walk into the room, knowing full well what awaits those who Sleep wishes to talk to.

This is such a bad idea you think disparagingly to yourself, as you enter the cold room, all warmth and comfort sucked out of your body the second you stepped over the threshold. It’s a lot smaller in here than you thought it would be, it’s about the size of a small storage closet.

Complex golden tile lined the ground twisting around the room creating a labyrinth leading to the center of the barren room, where a single large basin sat filled with a mysterious viscous black liquid.

Looking down into the water, you half-expected to see someone or something staring back at you but instead, your tired face gazed back at you, the ripple of the liquid distorting your face.

Timidly you reach your hand out, a voice sounding unlike your own whispering for you to touch the liquid that now moves as if something was swimming underneath the surface unseen by you.

As soon as your index finger makes the slightest contact pain erupts behind your eyes, making you fall back landing on the ground with a grunt. You scramble backward trying desperately to put as much distance as you can between you and the basin hoping the distance will help lessen the pain forming in your head to no avail.

With every passing second the pain grows worse, like someone was crawling around inside your head digging through all of your thoughts and memories tearing them open and bending them to their will.

This is the complete opposite feeling you get in the presence of Vessel, whereas everything about him is inviting and caring, whatever this is it is torturous and sadistic.

You cry out in pain holding your head in your hands trying anything to make it stop, wanting nothing more than to leave and go back out to Vessel but you’re rooted firmly in place. Something is talking to you, but the voice isn’t in the room it’s in your head, every word spoken amplifying the pain.

It makes sense now, Vessel and the others weren’t scared because they thought Sleep would help you, they were scared because they didn’t want you to feel the pain that their god inflicted upon them, reminding them of their place beneath Sleep.

Even though the voice is speaking in a language you can’t understand, you know exactly what it is that they are saying to you and it scares you because you don’t know or understand what is happening inside your mind.

“They have begun to venture from the path given unto them. You will bring them back to me.” reverberates around in your skull.

Distorted images swarm behind your eyes, a vision of five masked figures in excruciating pain begging for release and forgiveness that will not come. While the same voice that speaks to you now laughs manically at them, reveling in their agony and daring them to disobey again.

You don’t know for certain whether what you are seeing is the past or the future playing out before you, but you do know that if that is what’s in store for everyone if they fully return to Sleep, you will do anything to stop it. You just want to go home, and they don’t deserve to be punished or treated like that.

At your thoughts of rebellion, a sharp pain explodes across your body, electricity coursing through your veins causing your muscles to briefly spasm out of control.

Full of anger the voice speaks again, “You are so certain that you want to return.”

Cruel laughter rings in your head as more memories from your past, flash through your mind. A family that turned their back on you at the first sign of hardship, a lover who tore you apart with endless cruelty.

As your life flashes before your eyes, you’re bombarded with the harshest words, over and over: that you deserve this, that you're never enough, that you never were, and you never will be.

“You are not wanted there, nor anywhere. At least here your worthless life might have meaning after all.”

All the pain and agony you felt your entire life squashes every happy thought and memory you have ever had, opening up the dam letting all the dark thoughts you have tried so hard to get rid of come flooding back.

You are nothing, no one cares about you, not even the people here, they only treated you with kindness because they didn’t want to be punished by Sleep for rejecting his supposed gift.

Little did they know, Sleep brought you here to use you and once they find that out they will all surely toss you aside to be forgotten. Nevertheless, you won’t hurt them, you refuse to be the cause of their pain, they don’t deserve that.

Iv, iii, and Vessel’s covered faces appear in the reveries of your mind breaking you out of the painful memories, just long enough for you to stand, stumbling into the door.

As fast as you can before you lose the sudden burst of adrenaline, you use all your might to rip the door open running out of the room, the angry screams dissipating from your mind the farther you run away from the room, from the cathedral, from everyone.

You’re not stopping, you can’t stop you have to go away. The warmth of the sun caresses your skin, but you are too numb to feel it, to feel anything other than despair.

Eden is too beautiful, Sleep is right you don’t belong here or anywhere. Everything here works together in harmony, the love these people all share for one another is obvious anyone can see it.

The way they all speak of one another makes you long for that kind of trust and affection from someone, anyone even though you know that you will never be worthy of such things. This place gives you hope that maybe you can find it, that all of that and more is out there for you.

You hate this place for it, for the false hope that fills you every time you look at one of them, when they casually brush against you, your skin burning in response, you have to get out of here, or else this place will just keep taking and taking until there’s nothing left.

You will become a shell of a person longing for something and someone you will never have because that is not what is meant for you and you have accepted that a long time ago.

You don’t know where you’re running to but anywhere is better than here where you will be used by Sleep to hurt the others. At least back home you might have been a hallowed out shell of a person but you weren’t hurting anyone. A plan forms in your mind, you don’t know how or why you didn’t think of it before.

Maybe you can leave the same way you got here, through the water. The solution staring you in the face, either it works and you're back home or you cease to exist, either outcome is better than being used to hurt them.

With newfound determination, you run blindly through the garden in what you hope is the correct direction, unaware of the smokey figure quickly gaining on you from above.

--------------------------------------------------

Thank you for the likes, reblogs, and comments! I am so happy that people are actually enjoying this silly little idea that I had. Sorry that this chapter was a lot of dialogue and lore dumping, but I hope you all still enjoyed it! The next chapter should be a little bit happier. :)

#sleep token x reader #sleep token #ii x reader #iii x reader #iv x reader #cryptid #inhuman!sleeptokenxreader #vessel x reader #slow burn #sleep token fanfiction #An Offering

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amourtoken · 10 days ago

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Aaaand here I am again with something that's been rotting my brain since I read your breeding kink inhuman Vessel fic

Cryptid!Vessel trying to take off your panties but his claws get stuck in the lace and he tangles his long fingers in the fabric until he finally just tears through them and rips them off like it's nothing. It's not his fault your human clothes got in the way of where he was going 🥺

GOD I've been thinkin abt this since yesterday I've missed my boy :((( (I'm also sorry in advance if any of his details change I'm pretty sure I remember everything right but I've wanted to tweak a few things anyway so forgive me 😭)

He's not the most dexterous creature that's for sure. Sometimes you wonder how he ever survived on his own with how clumsy he can be, but going from the freedom of an entire multiple mile long span of forest to a two story house with an uncomfortably low cieling and many fragile objects to be wary of inside is probably a bit jarring so you try to understand.

Nonetheless if he wants something, he's gonna find a way to get it one way or another and he's been trying so hard to be gentle and it's just not working. He's frustrated, not even sure why human beings wear all these excess articles of clothing anyway. It's beautiful on you, the lace hugs your soft curves just right but it's complicated, delicate, and truthfully annoying. This would probably be easier if he were in a more human like form but you specifically requested that he stay how he is for tonight so of course he'll oblige. It's easier on him anyway.

His long fingers tangle and catch in the lace and straps of your lingerie and he's almost starting to feel claustrophobic for you, you're strapped into this clothing (if you can call it that really as little as it covers) like some kind of maze in his eyes. All he can think of is how badly he wants to bury his face between your legs and eat you like he's starved, fucking a few orgasms out of you with his long tongue before even thinking about filling you up like he promised. You taste too sweet to stop at just one. He's becoming a little too impatient, huffing dramatically and resting his face on your thigh with his fingers still tangled up in your outfit like a trap.

Ves resorts to kissing and licking at your pussy through the thin lace, making a slick mess of the fabric in no time. He's happy to finally get an inch closer to you, but fuck this stupid material is in his way and blocking how he really wants you. His sharp teeth catch at the lace and he decides he's had enough, ripping the entire set nearly to shreds just to free your body from it and drag what's left down your legs to throw off to a random corner of your room. You'll worry about replacements later.

The sound he makes once your skin is finally unobstructed from his touch has your cunt clenching around nothing, not for long of course. You get almost no warning as his hands grip your hips (spanning from the tops of your thighs nearly to the top of your ribcage with how large they are) and he lifts them off the bed just enough to get the perfect angle to thrust his tongue into you entirely. Some prep would've been nice but the stretch is fucking heavenly. If your head wasn't thrown back against the pillows you'd be able to see all 6 of his eyes focused directly on you from under his mask, he's always been adamant about watching you unravel for him so he can take notes on how to better pleasure you (but really he just loves watching his girl melt for him. It makes him feel wanted. Needed.)

#Ask #Inhuman vessel #Vessel #Vessel smut #vessel x reader

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cherryseductions · 18 days ago

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Just a Dream

Inhuman!Vessel x reader

Warnings: stalking themes

This is my introduction into the writer pool of Sleep Token fics, hello my people 🙏🏼🫶 Was heavily inspired by Sugar for this if you can’t tell by the sprinkled in lyrics lmao

(Might take requests if there’s enough interest?)

Cover picture from Heathens Heartbreakers on Pinterest

—~*~— —~*~— —~*~— —~*~—

It had been weeks since you had slept for more than a few hours at a time, often waking up in a cold sweat, heart racing from the torment your mind supplied. It was another one of these nights, jolting up from the covers with a scream dying on your lips. This dream had been a quick one, enough so to where you could only remember the tail end of it. Something akin to long dark fingers that had almost ensnared your wrist in its grasp before you had tripped and woken.

Pushing back the sweat-damp blankets with a small groan of disgust, you stood on shaky legs and moved towards the kitchen, tired eyes not noticing the porcelain masked figure lurking in the shadows of your bedroom.

—~*~—

A sharp toothed grin split the lower portion of Vessel’s face not hidden by the mask as he observed the way your exhausted body shuffled back through the doorway, collapsing back into the bed, not even bothering to pull the blankets back up.

His ink-black fingers twisted in strange motions as he allowed himself to sink into your new dream, stepping forward to perch himself on the end of the bed. Perhaps it was time for a new approach…

—~*~—

It was strange, the feeling of sinking into this new dream. They had been so intense as of late, and often enough that you were usually lucid in these spaces, aware of everything around you. This time felt… unusual. There was no anxiety eating away at your chest, no guttural growls surrounding you on all sides.

A liquid field expanded all around you, as far as your gaze could reach and probably farther. There were no objects obstructing the view, just water as far as the eye could see. The smell of salt teases your nostrils, your nose crinkling at the intensity. A timid step forward ensured the fact that you could walk, but looking down had been the wrong idea. The depths were bottomless, as far as you could tell; you stumbled, vertigo seizing you as you tumbled to your knees. Water splashed at the harsh landing, yet you did not sink into the abyss.

Footsteps, small waves rippling out towards your hands and tiny jingling noises caused your head to shoot up from where you were kneeling. A figure stood tall in front of you, cloaked in darkness yet the bone white and crimson of his mask was almost blinding in the gloom of your surroundings. Necklaces covered his chest, coins and other pendants the source of the clinking noises. He didn’t move, simply watched as you struggled to stand, the soaked fabric of your clothing weighing your movements down.

“I recognize you,” a gasp left your lips. His head tilted ever so slightly, soft cricks reaching your ears as his fingers tensed in odd movements. “You’ve been in all of my dreams, just watching me…”

Silence continued to ring out between the two of you, a sort of staring contest ensuing. Though you could only assume that he wasn’t blinking, the six eye holes didn’t give much in that regard. You took a step forward, squinting, trying to ascertain any sort of movement or awareness from him.

—~*~—

She was brave, Vessel mused to himself, studying the way she had looked at him with no fear in her eyes. Mild irritation maybe, which caused an uptick of his lips into a light smirk. He would soon change that, make sure that he would bring back the delicious agony in her gaze.

He surged forward, water splashing violently with his movements. She shrieked in surprise as the spray splattered against her, sputtering as a clawed hand gripped at her waist, the other gripping her chin and tilting her head back to look up at him. His rings pressed indents into her skin, no doubt causing bruises to bloom long after she had awoken. She wriggled in his grip to no avail, a weak little thing writhing against him like a worm on a hook. It was amusing, watching her struggle so helplessly.

Vessel leaned down, sharp teeth bared in a cruel smile as he pressed the cold porcelain of his mask into the crook of her neck, delighting in the shivers that wracked her body. “Yes,” he growled, voice low and raspy from disuse. “I have been watching you, my dear. Watching you in your dreams. The way you run, the desperate way you try to hide from that which will always catch you in the end…” He hums, opening his mouth to scrape his teeth against her neck, tongue darting out to taste the salt beading on her delicate skin.

—~*~—

“You’ve been stalking me?” You grit out, craning away from the sharp points of the mask digging into your shoulder. This man, this being, had been delighting in your fear for weeks now, playing twisted little games with your head.

“Such a harsh word, love.” He croons, fingers leaving black trails on your clothing as he explored your body. “I’ve developed a taste for you, your despair is such sweet sugar to me. I feel no need to eat, but you…” he groans, burying his face into your hair and inhaling deeply. “I crave. I wish to devour you whole.”

His words set your face ablaze, and you redouble your efforts to escape his hold. “Let me go!” You cry out, nails scratching against him in the hope that he would drop you. And drop you, he does, seeming surprised that you would dare fight back against him.

You tumble back, unbalanced, and land in the water, drenching your clothes yet again. He moves toward you, an ink stained hand stretched out in faux concern. His lips are pressed thin in annoyance as he watches you scramble backwards, water splashing against his robes.

“Just leave me alone!” You sob, utterly exhausted. “You’ve tormented me long enough, I’m not your plaything!”

—~*~—

Vessel laughs, head thrown back and chest heaving.

“Like you have a choice, darling!” He stalks forward, leaning down and snatching her ankle in a bruising grip, yanking her towards him, water flying up in an arc around them.

“Do you want to test me, love?” He tilts his head to the side, a low snarl leaving him as he grabs her tear stained face, forcing her to look up at him. “I don’t think you understand, you must be crazy if you think I would give up this game.”

Elation courses through him at the sound of her sobs, sweet music to his ears. He tuts softly, smoothing her salt-soaked hair out of her face with tender movements. “Hush now…” he soothes. “After all, this is simply a dream.”

—~*~—

#vessel x reader #sleep token imagine #sleep token x reader #ii x reader #iii x reader #iv x reader #sleep token vessel #inhuman!vessel x reader

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heartfullofleeches · 9 days ago

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Toxic Yuri Damsel Yan playing the role of an "innocent" young bride escaping an arranged marriage and Trans Fem Priest Darling, in this essay i will-

#damsel my oc #yandere oc #Alarms bells blaring in priests mind as Damsel begs them for shelter but it'd be inhumane of her to turn her away #yandere #tw: religion #ig #yandere x reader

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valentine-cafe · 4 hours ago

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˖⁺. “ r/am I the asshole !? ” :

﹙ multi monsters x gn reader. ﹚.𖹭 ݁

. . . multi characters x gn reader ( fem on xiyang ) !! 🍓 : ﹙ pasquale: adrenaline addict ˖ racer ˖ inhuman character ˖ seong-jin: grim reaper ˖ detective character ˖ rishen: director ˖ spy ˖ assassin character ˖ xiyang: grim reaper ˖ mercenary leader character ﹚

your lover takes to reddit to ask if they've been an asshole in relation to you recently . . .

﹙ cws ﹚: sexual content on xiyang | wc : 1.8k

﹙ receipts ﹚: just had to do more of this format

꒰ other treats : guidelines ˖ m.list ˖ characters ˖ our lore ꒱

﹙pasquale 781. ﹚. . . pretending I don't see the ghost !? 🍒 : "Let's start this off by saying I can see ghosts. Yeah. OoOoOoOoo. Always been able to. Anyway. So just my luck! I landed with a pookie who can do the same. Great right?

Yeah. If I wasn't shit scared of half the fuckers I see. Ghosts aren't little kids standing in nightgowns. FUCK NO. They're demons. Weird lil shits. And that's saying a lot, my brother's satan.

Not so bad you say?? Until pookie decides they wanna mention every time one's in the room! I don't mind them clinging. Course not. But the problem comes in when I pretend I can't see a damn thing. Lowkey gaslighting them that there's nothing there. Is that bad?

Well they got angry at me over it yesterday and for fucks sakes what am I supposed to do man? 'AH! A GHOST!' Do I look like fucking ghostbusters??? I'm italian. This ain't Luigi's Mansion! If I see it ( AND I REGRETABLY FUCKING DO ) - no i don't!

This came off a lot more frantic but how the hell do I tell pookie that their big, strong, kinetic user-punk-racer-boyfriend is afraid of ghosties?

Edit: to everyone calling me a pussy that's so funny cause your mom called me that too when I was ball's deep -"

﹙seong-jin 9948e. ﹚. . . being too honest !? 🍓 : "I'm a bit too honest with my partner. Before anyone writes about me being insensitive or being an asshole ( I know ). I would like to preface that my honesty is the reason we are even together. I flat out asked them if they wish to date. They agreed. Now we're two years into a relationship.

I've never hidden this part of me. If it comes to mind, it is out my mouth. That's how it's always been. If I don't like the way they're acting, I say it. If they ask me a question, I answer honestly. It's been this way for years. With everyone. Not only can I not stand bullshit, I simply do not have the energy to sugarcoat anything. They have been fine with this. While we do clash every now and then, I always make it known that I do not come from a place of malice. That is how we have made it work for two years.

How was I supposed to know answering, truthfully, that I did not like their outfit — was not appropriate?

I understand that there can be some sensitivity. I try to compensate for them like they do me. But they asked me a question, what was I supposed to do - lie?

Now I am at work. Feeling as though I really did it this time. I apologised before I left. Sent a text too. What the hell am I supposed to do? I even told them just because I don't like it does not mean they do not have to wear it.

How do I get around this?"

﹙rishen 1311. ﹚. . . not inviting them over !? 🍒 : "Get the gist of how this works. I'll be brief. I have been dating this person for about a year or so. 'One whole year' as they prefaced this morning in their frustrated slew.

I simply do not think it has been long enough. I feel as though we are moving too fast. Before anyone goes calling 'commitment issues' or 'what are you hiding?' : a gun. Under my pillow. Every night.

Yes, I denied them access when they showed up by surprise. I led them back to their home and spent the night with them. Yes, I didn't let them walk me home from the bar. Yes, I bled all over my floor from a stab wound and still told them to not show up while they panicked over the phone. Is it so wrong?

I assumed they would understand that it has nothing to do with them. I have my reasons. None of it involves them. But I suppose we simply can't have nice things. Fucking fantastic.

Is it to hard to understand that I'm just shit scared to wake up to someone every morning? Or have them in my kitchen cooking me food?

I'm fine. I don't need their help. I am fine. I just need to know that I'm not losing my mind over this. What do I do?"

﹙xiyang 9819. ﹚. . . not telling her I'm infertile !? 🍓 : "This feels a bit more bizarre than the other entries. But guess we're all dealt a different hand. My girlfriend and I have been in a happy relationship for five years now.

I love her to bits. Everything about her. Express that in whatever way I can. Just be honest with her, I'm sure you're typing. Yeah. Cept for one damn thing:

She's got a huge fucking breeding kink.

Don't laugh. I'm constantly fighting for my life. I'm off the hook for now. Told her I just can't commit to a baby with my job and hers. So she's on the contraceptives thinking they'll fucking matter. Bouncing on me like a pogo-stick telling me to breed her!

Hunny! If I could I would! I wouldn't hesitate to just give you every baby you want and more but unfortunately my lil swimmers are fucking defected.

Maybe I should mention that I indulge her. Can I be blamed? She gets so into it. I don't mind the fantasy one bit. I'm just a guy who loves his girl and wants to give her whatever her pretty little heart desires.

And if that means making her believe I can pop one in her whenever? So be it. We'll just get a puppy or something I don't fucking know. I'm typing this in panic."

﹙ taglist. ﹚: | get tagged for specific posts

﹙ tip jar. ﹚: like our work? consider suporting us 𖹭

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strawberrymogumogu · 26 days ago

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Sanji: You're 'the second worst thing to ever happen to those orphans', what does that mean?

Drider reader: It means i was second worst thing to happen to those orphans.

Sanji: but what’s the first worst thing?

*Awkward pause*

Drider reader: Sansan, they...they weren’t always orphans.

Sanji: .....

#one piece #monster reader #one piece x reader #x reader #monster x human #sanji x reader #vinsmoke sanji #one piece sanji #drider reader #drider #incorrect quotes #inhuman reader

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minimiance · 9 months ago

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Traveling Buddies ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ (Vash x fem reader)

Warnings: Monsterfucking :3, inhuman vash, loving sex ngl like making love…, biting (briefly), NOT MUCH ITS A SOFT ONE LET ME KNOW IF U WANT A ROUGH VER :3, made with 1998 vash in mind but really can be read as either!!

—————

Going along with Vash after that one night. You never brought up how inhuman he looked that night, and you felt he almost appreciated it. When all was said and done you were laid out next him, panting like a dog.

When your vision had cleared, the man laying next to you was the same he looked when he brought you to this rundown inn. The next morning when you woke up, you stared wide eyed as you watched him pack his own stuff and yours as well.

You maybe vaguely remember a conversation along the lines of “wanna follow you everywhere Mayfly, wanna bring you with me” as he pounded you so hard you were walking with a limp.

And then next you knew you were out in the deserts of No Man’s Land, riding along with Vash and digging through a sack to give him a donut as he rode. Looking off into the distance as you continue along the path set by Vash. He seemed to know where he was going. On the breaks where you would stretch your legs and drink water in the heat were marked with a soft peck on the lips from Vash. Sharing the canister of water and a small meal that wasn’t very good. The end of the break was always signified with a deeper kiss from Vash where you felt a familiar inhuman rumble deep from his chest.

Coming to the next town was a multiple day venture, leaving you tired and worn out. Sighing in relief when you were able to eat a full meal and wash up.

Settling into the inn’s bed and ignoring the kisses you feel at your neck for a moment before eventually allowing Vash to move his kisses down to your chest. Letting him suck at your nipples as he purrs softly.

He was more open with his inhuman nature this time. Glowing before your eyes get blurry. Working you open on his fingers and letting you see his cock, that seemed to sprout from a…flower of sorts? You couldn’t bring yourself to think about that much. Watching as a tapered and ridged, and almost bioluminescent blue, entered you slowly. Listening to Vash whine in a double toned vocal. You finally get to see the exact ridge that rubs against your clit on his harsher thrusts.

Feathered wings encapsulate you both, leaving you unable to see other than the faintest glow from inside of you where you are both connected and the glow from Vash and his skin all over.

“Mayfly…” Vash groans in your ear “love you, need you so bad. Gonna make me a good man…” He sighs, loud clicks coming from him that you can now identify as a sound of pleasure. He wasnt human, there was no way you were making things up in your head.

He was too fast with his thrusts, bumps that you can feel the whole time as your thighs tighten around him and you claw the only human flesh you feel on his shoulder as you silently scream. Vash rubbing small circles on your clit as you come undone with him, listening to the trill and buzz that comes from him take over your mind again like nights prior. Whining when his teeth sink into your shoulder possessively.

Laying with him and his unusually cold body, wings craddling you both in tight together as clawed fingers run up and down your side. Humming and purring like an engine as he traces your face and leaves kisses all over you.

#requests open #send asks #fanfic #trigun 1998 #trigun smut #trigun fanfiction #trigun #vash smut #trimax vash #vash the humanoid typhoon #vash x reader #alien vash #inhuman vash #vash the stampede #trigun vash #smut fanfiction #pls interact

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anika-ann · 1 year ago

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Back and Forth - masterlist

Pairing: Steve Rogers x agent! Inhuman!reader

Type: enemies-ish to lovers series

Summary: Calling yourself an Avenger would be overstatement, even if you have been joining them on missions quite frequently lately. Calling them your friends would be an overstatement also. Calling you and Steve Rogers friends, now that would be an insult to the entity of friendship – though unlike him, you have enough self-awareness to admit that he isn't the only one to blame for that. Most of the time anyway.

However, the Avengers need your abilities and so you and Steve tolerate each other – or at least you’re trying, your back and forth visibly annoying your colleagues and exhausting you both.

And then you’re thrown into a situation where mere tolerance isn’t an option. That should end well, shouldn’t it?

Characters to appear: Steve Rogers, ‘reader’, Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark, Sam Wilson, mentions of Phil Coulson, Daisy Johnson and few others

Setting: slight AU 'cause everyone lives thank you very much, no Civil War or further, references to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D without a fixed timeline

Warnings: besides canon-typical violence, this series deals with topics which might be trigerring for some people - please, read with caution and resposibility

Playlist 🎵

STORYLINE:

Prologue

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3.1 // Part 3.2

Part 4.1 // Part 4.2

Part 5

Part 6.1 // Part 6.2

Part 7

Part 8

Epilogue 1 // and 2

Extras (maaaybe)

Number of parts/chapters is estimated. Did I add one extra already? Yeah, but shhh

Dividers by firefly-graphics, moodboard by me - and created for the vibes, for it does not necessarily reflect the reader's appearance.

Taglist open 🥰

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x you #steve rogers series #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fanfic #captain america x reader #captain america x you #captain america imagine #agent reader #shield agent reader #inhuman reader #avenger reader #steve rogers #captain america #back and forth #back and forth masterlist #anika ann

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scribbledghost · 1 month ago

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hiii I really like your inhuman vessels, it’s kinda different from what we usually see and I like it so much!!

I was wondering how the inhuman vessels would react if reader was depressed or was going through a tough time?

hope you have a good day <33

I'm glad you asked, because I really needed to write about this today.

Got kinda long, so I'll put it under a cut.

I like to think they all can tell what's wrong without you having to really explain. Telepathic connections have their perks, after all. So when your melancholy and ache and pain creeps into their own subconscious, they're all on high alert almost immediately.

Who comes to you first really depends on what they can sense you need right now. Vessel appears if you need a soft, gentle presence. II appears if you need someone to offer solutions and practical advice. III appears if you need someone lighthearted who can make you laugh. And IV appears if you need a distraction, someone to tell you stories or pull you up to dance with him.

Granted, that's just who finds you first. All four of them will eventually make their way to you.

Their primary objective is making sure you know how loved you are. How much you mean to them, how much better their existences are now that you're in them. I can see a lot of cuddling happening here, either in a big pile or just one of them holding you while the others stay close. If you cry during this, that's okay. They'll be more than happy to keep you close until you're ready.

If it's a low mood, they'll stay like this and bring you whatever you need until you feel better. If it's something more chronic like a depressive episode, they'll switch tactics just a little bit.

If it's long-lasting, they'll help you do anything you need help doing. Need a bath? They'll gladly carry you to the tub and help. Need food and water? They'll bring it. Need some sunshine? They'll gently help you outside for a quick walk around the garden.

I headcanon that Sleep found Vessel when he was at his lowest, so he's very well-versed on how you're feeling and how difficult it is to overcome. The others understand as well, for Sleep tends to gravitate towards those who are desperate, but Vessel knows depression a bit more intimately I think.

It's not an uncommon occurrence for one (or multiple) of them to sort of... siphon off your pain and take it upon themselves. Vessel is particularly prone to doing this. All of them know it's important to let you feel what you feel, but none of them can stand seeing you so upset. The least they can do is take some of your mental pain for themselves, if just to take some of the edge off for you.

Overall, their paramount concern is taking care of you during your tough spot. They won't leave you alone - at least, not if they can help it, and not for very long if they can't - and at least one vessel is always with you if you'll allow it. Granted, they still have standard worshipper duties to attend to in the name of Sleep, but they'll do everything they can to ensure it can be done with only 3 of them so one can stay with you. More than once, Vessel has filled in for III or IV during musical rituals, and all of them have taken over the others' tasks so they don't have to go anywhere.

Whatever you need, all you need to do is ask (either out loud or by projecting your want to one of them telepathically). They will all move heaven and earth to get you whatever you desire, if only to see you smile.

#im really glad you like the inhuman vessels though!#they're really fun to write for and worldbuild for #I hope you have a good day too anon 💖#sleep token x reader #vessel x reader #ii x reader #iii x reader #iv x reader #polyvessels #ghost scribbles

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paige1722 · 21 days ago

Text

An Offering | ch. 2 |

Pairing: Sleep Token x Reader

Warnings: sickness, brief mentions of death. Slowburn. implied past abuse. (Please, let me know if I missed any.)

Word Count: 8.4k

masterlist | ch. 1 | Ch. 3 |

Chapter 2:

iii’s pace was slow, being mindful of his long legs and your tired form following timidly beside him. Every so often you will catch him watching you from the corner of his eye, he probably thinks you’re planning to run off or maybe try to attack him when his guard is down.

After all you two just met only a few hours ago, and haven’t had a lot of opportunities to get to know each other. Even so, there is still that strange nostalgic feeling you get every time you look at him. He probably just reminds you of someone from your past it is probably better to not dwell on it too much, well not right now at least.

The deeper you both ventured into the garden, the more the surrounding foliage seemed to shimmer softly in the darkness. You had heard of certain fungi and marine bacteria that were phosphorescent, but you couldn’t recall ever seeing actual plants with the same eerie glow in anything other than movies and shows.

The soft light from the plants was calming, yet it carried an unsettling sense of otherworldliness—like something out of a dream. You imagine this was how Alice must have felt when she first stumbled into Wonderland.

“Why do the plants do that?” You ask gesturing to the plants all around you, “I mean, why are they glowing.”

iii steps falter for a second before he catches himself and continues walking. He runs a hand pushing back the red strains of hair that have fallen in front of his mask obscuring his vision.

“Sleep made the plants this way to light our path through the darkness.” He answers as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

You weren’t quite sure how to respond to that, considering it was one of the most confusing and concerning sentences you have ever heard in your entire life. Instead, you opted to just give him an acknowledging hum.

The farther you walked throughout Eden, the heavier the atmosphere began to feel, like there was a static charge brewing in the air. Your skin tingled, but you figured it was just your anxiety about this new environment making you nervous and playing tricks on you.

Before you can ask iii any more questions the sounds of loud grunts and strange honking catch your attention causing you to grab iii’s arm and tuck yourself into his side. He peeks down at you coweering behind his tall lanky frame, seeing the fear written on your face at the unusual sounds emerging from the darkness.

He jerks his head towards the direction of the sounds, “Come follow me.”

He slips out of your hold and begins walking off the path towards the large thorned bushes that lined the way. As you stay where he left you frozen in fear, scared of what you might find if you leave the path.

iii turns around beckoning you to follow him with his hand, “I won’t let anything hurt you, I promise.” He says taking a step back towards you and extending his hand out for you to take.

You look at his rough calloused hand, still stained red. The sight of it has come to comfort you the longer you've stayed in this place, a strange thought almost as if the sight of his stained skin was something you’d seen before, maybe in a dream.

Reality rears its ugly head making you pause, you don’t even really know him maybe he is been leading you toward your death. And he quickly grew tired of your stupid questions and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to go ahead and finish you off.

Alarm bells ring throughout your head when a small voice from the back of your mind reminds you, that he has helped you quite a bit already. He did save you from drowning and gave you some weird medicine that helped your throat and made your headache go away. He probably wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble if he was just to kill you when you started asking random questions.

Tentatively, you place your hand in his looking into his comforting eyes, “ok, I trust you.”

With your hand in his, he pulls you along with him closer and closer to the strange noises emanating from just beyond the bushes. He pushes brush out of the way being mindful of the thorns, clearing the path for you to step into the opening to see a huge group of flamingos foraging in the moonlight.

Your jaw dropped at the sight. Never in your life did you imagine you’d witness something so beautiful. In the light of one of the brightest moons you've ever seen stood flamingos. They roamed gracefully in the middle of an alkaline lake, guiding their young as they foraged for food.

As you watched the group, your gaze shifted to the back, where, slightly apart from the others, a pure black flamingo stood on one leg. It seemed to sense your stare, for it slowly lifted its head and locked eyes with you—eyes that seemed almost too intelligent for a bird.

iii voice breaks you out of your fixated stare on the black flamingo, “Amazing, right? Sometimes, I like to come here to clear my head. It is soothing to watch them all flock together like this.”

Looking at iii casually leaning against a tree with his arms crossed across his chest staring happily out at the birds was beginning to create a longing feeling deep within your chest again making it hard to breathe.

Tearing your eyes away from him, you looked down at the ground trying to stop yourself from crying, not understanding what was happening to you, where this feeling of longing and loneliness came from all of a sudden.

Trying to distance yourself from these abrupt feelings and focusing your mind back on the sight in front of you, you whisper “Did you know a flock of flamingos is specifically referred to as a flamboyance.”

iii lets out a small huff of laughter at your fun fact, “No, I didn’t.”

At the sound of his laughter, you found yourself smiling, the depressing and heavy feeling from earlier dissipating like it was never there in the first place. From the corner of your eye, you watch as iii pushes himself off the tree moving to stand beside you.

He turns his head like he is about to say something, when all of the flamingos raise their heads looking up to the sky as if sensing something unknown to you, the air becoming thicker.

iii grabs you around the middle staggering back at the same moment the weather abruptly changes. Clouds appear in the sky covering the moon, plunging the area into darkness. The flamingos running from sight fleeing from the incoming storm. The static charge you felt in the air earlier returned much more severely this time causing your hair to stand on end.

Having seen enough science documentaries in school to know exactly what this means, you stiffen in iii’s hold, who is still holding you tightly against his chest. He drags you with him back the way you previously came, his body shielding you from the thorned bush.

“Come on we’ve got to go now!” yells iii over the sounds of cracking filling the area, panic in his voice. He switches his hold on you, opting to grab your hand running as fast as you both can.

Turning to look behind you in the spot you were both just standing a huge bolt of lightning hits the ground momentarily blinding you. Flames erupt covering the grass and plants. The fire spread quickly as if it was trying to chase after you both.

Running for your life through the garden, everything suddenly looks much different than before, more menacing. The moon still shining brightly through the gaps of the clouds seemed to create an ominous glow in the wild that wasn’t there before.

Like something out of a horror movie, nothing can be heard except for the crackling of the flames behind you and labored breathing as you struggle to keep up with iii.

All serenity seemingly stripped from the area feeling like death itself was after you both now. This isn’t a storm that you're used to with rain, and thunder. Instead, it’s pure electricity and heat, causing the flames to grow stronger with every passing second, the sky brimming with lightning causing the sky to brighten with every crack. This is the type of storm you would imagine taking place in a storybook when a character somehow managed to anger a god, incurring their wrath.

iii feels you struggling to keep up with him, his grip almost bruising on your wrist but he doesn’t want to risk accidentally letting go and losing you. Fearing that if he lost you now, he would never find you again. Coming to a fork in the path, iii falters stopping in his tracks causing you to slam into his back.

Out of breath, you grunt out, “Why are we stopping?”

You can both feel the heat from the flames getting closer to where you stood motionless, sweat dripping down your face from the heat and exertion from running. Not wanting to burn to death you pull at the hand you're still holding yelling out his name, snapping him out of whatever trance iii was in. He turns his head looking at the flames before turning his gaze towards your fearful expression.

“I’m sorry. We won’t make it to Vessel in this, we are going to have to try and find iv instead.” iii shouts before he starts running again down the path on the left dragging you with him.

You are trying to keep up with his long legs but struggling greatly, thankful for his grip on you, or else you’re certain you would have fallen into the flames at least twenty times by now without it.

You aren’t sure who this iv person you are now going to is, but at this moment you aren’t really sure you care who they are as long as they can save you from burning to death. The path you are on starts becoming more narrow. The trees clustering close together, causing you both to have to weave through, the low-hanging branches hitting your skin causing small cuts to appear on your face, making you briefly wish you had a mask on too.

A million thoughts are running your head the longer you run for your lives. You begin to wonder if iii actually knew where he was taking you, or if he was just guessing leading you both to your deaths. The pain is your head returning at full force, along with the burning in your lungs and throat with every intake of breath, you know you won’t be able to continue for much longer.

As if sensing your thoughts, iii shouts over the crackling of the flames “Just a little bit longer. You can do it!”

The heat was starting to get to iii, if it was raining or if this happened near his cave then he could easily save you both from the flames but alas luck was not on his side at the moment. iii was silently praying to Sleep, that you would both be able to make it in time. Every step caused his knees to shake but he had to keep going, he had to get you both to safety.

Sleep gave you to him, to all of them, he couldn’t let anything bad happen to you now, just a little bit farther and you’ll both be safe at iv’s sanctuary for Sleep. Hope fills his chest as he reaches a familiar area, realizing safety is just over the small hill in their path.

Reaching the top of the hill, you feel your knees buckle beneath you causing you to fall throwing your arms out to try and catch yourself as you hit the ground. At the feeling of your hand leaving his, iii turns around to see you lying on the ground chest falling rapidly.

Without sparing a second thought he bends down grabbing your arms and hauling you over his shoulder, holding on to your thighs to keep you from falling from his hold. He continues running towards the small sanctuary carved into the side of the mountain.

The pain and agony returned with full force, the swaying of your body from III’s running only making it worse. A strange whisper echoes from the flames causing you to lift your head from where it hangs limply at iii’s back and look into the flames.

Your frazzled mind must be playing tricks on you because you can swear that you see a towering cloaked figure with writhing tentacles protruding from underneath the hood. From their back vast wings are stretched out showing their massive wingspan and in their grip, they held a huge scythe.

Even though you can’t see any eyes, you can swear the creature is staring directly at you, peering into the very depths of your soul causing the ringing in your ears to intensify causing you to let out a pathetic whine. Dark spots begin clouding your vision, while a cold sweat forms on your skin.

iii says something in response to the noise you let out, but you can’t understand him everything is becoming too much to handle. You haven’t even been in this place a whole day and yet this is the second time you have been within a hair breath of dying a horrific death, you think bitterly to yourself as you succumb to the darkness. The last thing you see is that horrifying creature disappearing into the flames, as rain begins to trickle down from the sky.

Relief fills iii as the rain cleanses the area, Sleep answering his prayer. The rain is slowly extinguishing the flames that threaten to burn everything in its path. The timing was great too, iii doesn’t think iv would have enjoyed him bringing a burning inferno to his doorstep like this.

Passing through the threshold of iv’s sanctuary, iii calls out his name hoping he is somewhere inside and can help them. He is terrified that something is seriously wrong with you ever since he felt you go limp against him once again, he really hopes this doesn’t become a habit between you both.

The inside of iv’s sanctuary was a lot different than iii’s cave, though it made sense iv was not a siren, like iii so he had no use for an endless abyss of water. Instead of a barren cave, his abode looked much more homely and lived in even if each of their shelters was mainly just used as temporary places to stay and to worship Sleep in their own ways.

All of them preferred to stay with Vessel being together in each other company, plus Vessel’s shelter was a lot bigger and more welcoming than the other. Though sometimes much to their dismay they did have to part ways occasionally.

On the walls hung large, worn-out tapestries, patched and adorned with runes, most of which spoke phrases of worship and offerings. iii had always assumed iv hung them up as a way to absorb some of the sound, offering a bit of relief from his abilities, fearing he might hurt someone.

In the far back corner hidden from view stood a large stone table eerily similar to the one in iii’s cave but iv’s had one of his more cared-for tapestries laid atop it. This was one of iv’s favorites as it depicted all of Sleep’s members in some way or another on it. With still no sign of iv, iii walked to the back towards the table allowing your body to slide down off his shoulder and onto the table carefully laying you on your back.

Since you were both no longer having to run for your lives he was able to breathe and get a better look at the state you were now in. He can see that your face is flushed and covered in sweat. Your eyebrows draw together as if you were in pain. He reaches a hand up to your forehead carefully placing the back of his hand against your skin, you were burning up. A fever iii thought to himself, the effects of the drink he gave you earlier have worn off.

He was really hoping that wouldn’t happen until you had a chance to make it to Vessel who could help you better than he can. But with the fire and it chasing you both, he didn’t have a choice but to come here instead, this place being significantly closer. He leans forward placing his elbows on the table next to your sleeping figure, his head in his hands intertwining his fingers into his hair in frustration, wondering what is he going to do now.

Fatigue began to worm its way into the very fiber of iii’s bones, he has been away from the water for too long but it’s not like he can just leave you here all alone. The sound of the rain getting louder outside reaches his ears, maybe he could just stand outside in the rain for a little bit. It wouldn’t be as good as submerging into the abyss back in his home, but it would help him feel better and give him some energy back, plus it would be better than nothing.

But what if while he is standing outside, something happens to you or your fever gets worse? A hand emerging from behind lands on iii’s shoulder startling him out of his thoughts. He jumps around to see iv standing in front of him eyeing him curiously.

iii slumps his shoulders in relief, “Please help me. I don’t know what to do.”

iv nods his head, gesturing with his hand between iii and you, silently asking what’s going on.

“I think they are a gift to all of us from Sleep. I saved them from drowning but they keep getting sick or hurt, so I thought I would take them to Vessel and he could help make them better. While also figuring out why they are here and what Sleep means by sending them here. But…” his voice cracks as he talks sounding as though he is on the verge of tears.

Hearing this iv, pulls iii into his embrace wrapping his arms around the taller man’s shoulders, iii leans down placing his forehead against iv’s closing his eyes, and letting himself melt into the embrace.

“I don’t know how to help them. They are sick and it keeps getting worse, I tried to lessen the symptoms, hoping it would help until we got to Vessel but it didn’t work. And I’m so tired too. Please iv, what should I do?”

iv pulled his head back from iii’s, making the man open his eyes at the sudden movement. iv places his hand on iii’s chest patting softly before pointing to the opening of the sanctuary, where the rain was still pouring even as the sun slowly started coming up over the horizon, before placing his hand on his own chest and gesturing to you.

Understanding what his companion is trying to tell him, iii nods his head but doesn’t move yet, he trusts iv but the fear of leaving your side and something happening to you gnaws heavily at him. Seeing the internal turmoil taking place inside iii’s mind, iv careful of his ability whispers softly, “It will be ok, go.”

iv didn’t like to talk out of fear of accidentally losing control and hurting someone again, opting instead to stay quiet and gesturing or signing what he was trying to say. Luckily, everyone was always able to understand him never forcing him to talk when he didn’t feel comfortable to, and respecting his decision.

Which was a relief to iv, he feared the others wouldn’t understand him or his wishes but they always did, he wasn’t sure if it was because of Sleep or if it was just their strong connection to one another. So, when iv did choose to speak it was always a shock, causing the one he was speaking to, to feel special and more inclined to listen.

Hearing his whispered words, iii leaned forward lovingly bumping iv’s forehead with his mask before walking to the entrance of the cave and out into the rain for a chance to recharge and collect himself.

Seeing iii disappear out into the downpour, iv turned his attention to you. He stepped beside you, before placing his hand on your forehead similar to how iii had before. Your skin was clammy and hot to the touch, iii is right iv thinks to himself there isn’t much any of them can do for you, not without Vessel at least.

Though as he removes his hand from you he is skeptical about whether or not Vessel would actually be able to do anything either, this sickness doesn’t seem to be the kind that is healed from herbs or elixirs, but instead something you have to do on your own. Letting your body heal itself, whatever it is must run its course, but he can help make you more comfortable.

He walks to the entrance where one of his more tattered tapestries hangs and rips off a small piece of the fabric holding it out underneath the rain, letting the makeshift rag absorb the water. Once it is well saturated, he walks back to you before carefully placing the rag on your forehead hoping to help ease the fever a bit, allowing you to rest easier. As he stares down at your unconscious form, iv lets what iii told him about you sink in.

Sleep giving them all a gift, it wasn’t something that was unheard of whenever their deity was feeling merciful or especially charitable. Sleep would give them all sorts of things like small trinkets, tapestries, or jewels, but this was something else entirely almost unheard of. iv would have to admit, that he is very curious about you, and hopes when you wake up he will be able to learn more about you.

When he first saw you lying there a strange feeling of nostalgia overcame him, as if he had seen you before maybe in a different life. Sleep does in fact work in mysterious ways, always having a reason behind his actions, whether it is for the better or worse iv wasn’t sure.

But as he watched you sleep, he just hoped that their deity was allowing you to have peaceful dreams-something he did not get to have often, distant memories of another life running rampant throughout his head. Letting out a soft sigh, iv gently pats your arm before moving to sit in the corner to keep a watchful eye over you.

—---------------------------------------------

You don’t know where you are, everything is too fuzzy, confusing, and happening too fast. Like fast-forwarding through a movie where it’s all blurring together and the only thing you can make out is the occasional face coming into frame.

That heavy feeling of loneliness and despair is back in your chest making it hard to breathe properly, almost as if your mind and body are trying to grieve but you aren’t sure exactly what. No matter how hard you try, you can’t tell where you are and it’s scaring you. Did you and iii not make it to safety? Is this your life flashing before your eyes before everything fades to black?

Your eyes are slowly adjusting to the room you’re in, the environment coming into focus. You’re in a house of some kind, everything looks vaguely familiar. The room you're in looks lived in filled with books, furniture, knick-knacks, and pictures, though of who, you are not sure.

The faces are all blurred out like someone took the picture while moving the camera. Even though this house looks cozy and warm, a feeling in the pit of your stomach tells you that isn’t the reality. The front door slams open causing you to jump.

Someone enters the room, their face hidden beneath the hood pulled low over their head. They collapse to the floor, burying their face in their knees, and loud sobs echo through the room. Timidly, you walk over to the person trying to get their attention hoping maybe they can help you figure out where you are.

“Hello?” you try calling out but no matter how loud you talk, they don’t reply or even acknowledge your presence. The sound of their cries breaks your heart, feeling a wave of empathy wash over you, the overwhelming urge to comfort them takes priority over trying to find out how you get here. You crouch down to be on their level before slowly reaching your hand out to touch theirs.

Once you make contact with their hand, the cries stop immediately, it feels as if time itself has stopped, everything eerily quiet an unnerving stillness in the air like the calm before the storm. The hooded figure in front of you snaps their head up to stare at you scaring you at the sudden movement making you fall back from your crouched position, but the face staring back at you scares you even more.

They look just like you, unblinking bloodshot eyes stare directly at you, tears leaving a trail down their or your face. You aren’t sure what’s happening but whatever it is you don’t like it. The person in front of you opens their mouth croaking out, “Please, leave me alone. I’m sorry”

Your eyes scan their face trying to understand what they are asking you exactly, unable to determine an answer you gasp out, “What?” in response, confusion evident in your voice.

But they don’t answer your question, instead, footsteps can be heard coming from behind you making you scramble away and onto your feet as fast as you can, pushing your back against the wall on the other side of the room. Though now that you look at them it doesn’t really look like they are looking at you at all but instead through you.

When someone new walks into the room, a gasp gets caught in your throat, and pure unadulterated terror courses through your veins at the sight of them, unwanted memories flowing through your head like a dam bursting open.

“You’re sorry? No, not yet but you will be.” growls out the one person in the world you thought you could trust, someone who was supposed to love and take care of you no matter what happens. Someone, who you thought was the love of your life and you were theirs, but now hatred is the only emotion in their voice and on their face, as they stalk towards the you still cowering down on the ground in front of the door, shaking in fear.

You thought you pushed these memories deep within the reveries of your mind, somewhere deep enough that it would never come to the surface again, but yet here it is playing out right in front of you. You don’t want to relive this, squeezing your eyes shut cupping your hands over your ears trying to block out everything as you scream, you don’t want to be here, anywhere but here make it all stop, make it all go away.

The feeling of hands wrapping around your arms causes you to flail and struggle in their hold, pleading with anyone or anything that is listening to save you.

—-------------

iv looks at you from where he still sits making sure you’re ok and still breathing, you have been asleep for quite a while now, a couple of hours at the very least. He supposes that it is probably time to once again resoak the rag on your forehead. He stands from his seat and makes his way over to you, removing the rag from your face.

Seeing that your skin is no longer flushed, he presses the back of his hand against your checks trying to see if your temperature has gone down anymore from the last time he checked it. You are still warm to the touch but it has significantly improved since you first arrived.

With the rag in hand, iv goes to the entrance, the rain has long since slowed down to a mere drizzle now, so it probably won’t be long before iii comes back inside. At the edge of the entrance to the sanctuary, there is a large leaf situated to collect water, iii probably saw iv using the rain to wet the rag for you and created this to gather the water for when it stopped raining.

Smiling underneath his mask, iv bent down and carefully dipped the rag into the small pool of water carefully, so as to not spill any. Once the rag was wet enough, he stood walking back to you using the rag to clean the sweat off your face, before folding the rag and placing it back over your forehead.

A pained expression appears on your face, as tears begin to leak from your closed eyes. iv watches you begin to toss and turn mumbling out gasps and pleas for help. A nightmare, he thinks as he grabs your arms trying to gently shake you awake. After a few seconds of trying iv began to think he was going to have to run out and find iii.

No matter how hard he tried you didn’t seem to be waking up, just as the thought entered his mind your eyes shot open, yelling out iii’s name in a panic, as you scrambled up to a sitting position the rag falling to the floor with a wet thud. The tears fall much faster now as you struggle to catch your breath looking around frantically.

You look to the person standing at your side expecting to see iii standing beside you, but instead, it’s someone you don’t recognize. iii was making his way back into the cave feeling better and rejuvenated after spending the remainder of the night and a good portion of the day in the rain when he heard you’re panicked voice calling for him, he ran into the cave seeing your fearful state making his way to you.

Once he reached your side, your eyes focusing on him, you immediately throw yourself into his awaiting embrace tangling your fingers in his shirt hold onto him tightly, crying into his chest thinking about the dream featuring a painful memory you tried so hard to forget the long-since healed wounds aching at the recollection.

iii lets your cry into his chest holding onto you with his arms wrapped tightly around you, stroking the back of your head in a reassuring manner. His clothes were still damp from the rain, soaking into your clothes but you paid no mind to it, your mind focusing on finding comfort within the man’s hold.

iii looks at iv, who moved out of the way the second he heard iii’s fast-paced footsteps approaching. iv wished he could be of more comfort to you, but he supposes that will come with time as you do not know him yet.

iii gently began to sway back and forth hoping for you to find some solace in the motion, and beginning to hum in the unknown language again. The unspoken words doing the desired effect helping you calm down and realize that you are safe. Whatever monsters that terrorized you in your dreams wouldn’t follow you here, and if they did iii and iv would stop at nothing to keep you safe.

iii stared down at you as your cries quieted, “what happened?” he asked whether the question was meant for you or the other man standing next to him you weren’t sure, but you answered anyway.

“Just a bad dream” you mutter numbly, voice muffled by iii’s chest.

“Do you want to talk…”

“No” you interrupt him pulling your head away from his chest and moving out of his warm embrace.

Your eyes move to the stationary masked individual standing at iii’s side staring at you questioningly. Your eyes scan over him, he too wears a mask similar to the one iii is wearing the same rune etched into the forehead but the colors are almost inverted black base with gold covering the mouth.

Wearing a leather jacket covered in the same runes and patches that were sewn on the tapestries hanging on the walls of the sanctuary, and a black hood covered his head obscuring most of his face in shadow. All of his exposed skin was painted black unlike iii’s skin painted red.

Seeing your scrutinizing gaze on iv, iii placed his hand on iv’s shoulder to introduce him to you, “This is iv, he is another one of Sleep’s creations like me.” said iii a certain fondness in his voice for the shorter male.

At the sound of his name iv lifted up his hand giving you a small wave and a tilt of his head squinting his eyes, as if he was smiling under his mask. You give your name to the man in return with a small uncertain smile of your own. iii and iv, you are beginning to sense a pattern is everyone’s names.

iv held up both of his hands, with his middle finger bent towards the palm of his hand, his left hand positioned at his forehead and his right hand at his stomach. You draw in your eyebrows at the strange gesture, but before you can ask iii says, “he is asking if you still feel sick?”

Oh, that must have been sign language then, does that mean he can’t talk or just chooses not to you wonder briefly before you do a quick mental check of your body. Your head is no longer pounding and you can actually think clearly, your limbs don’t feel heavy as if they are made of lead, it doesn’t hurt to breathe and your throat doesn’t feel like sandpaper.

Actually considering everything you feel a lot better the best you have felt since you got here, perhaps your impromptu sleep really helped. Though you will have to admit you would probably feel a whole lot better if you could take a shower or something and remove all the sweat and dirt off of you. You look up at the expectant stares of iii and iv, you figure it was probably a long shot but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“no, I don’t think so. I would feel less icky and gross though if I was able to take a bath or something,” you say letting out an awkward laugh at the end.

At this iv stands up a bit taller, tapping iii enthusiastically on the shoulder before making a strange gesture on his fingers and pointing outside. Where you are just now noticing the sun barely peeking over the horizon in the distance signaling it would only be up for a few more hours at most, making you wonder just how long you were asleep considering it was still nighttime when you were last awake.

“Are you sure? Is it safe?” asked iii

iv just nodded his head in reply before beckoning you both to follow him with his hand and walk to the entrance of the cave.

iii let out a sigh, before offering his hand out to you to help you off the table and back onto the ground, you were thankful for his help because you were still a little wobbly on your feet and without him, you fear you would have fallen straight to the ground.

“It looks like we are making a quick detour.”

Curious you follow the two men outside and back into the open world, you aren’t sure what you expected to see but this wasn’t it. Everything looks the exact same as before, the plants are thriving, swaying in the gentle breeze. There is no trace of the flames that nearly killed you both just mere hours ago like it didn’t even exist in the first place.

Numbly you continue following the men to where you're not sure but you are too busy trying to rationalize how this is even possible. There should be chaos and destruction everywhere and yet there's not, and they aren’t even acting like this is strange. They just continue walking without a care in the world, as if all of this is a normal occurrence, and fuck for all you know it is, maybe the world here gets cleansed anew with fire all the time.

You are trying not to dwell on this for too long less the headache comes back again and that wouldn't do you any good. You secretly want to ask them about it, about this place and everything, but you aren't even sure what to say or if you are prepared to hear the answer.

iii slows his step to match pace with yours, “Don’t worry. Vessel will be able to answer all your questions and help you find what you're looking for. Well, whenever we do manage to make our way to him.”

You just give him a timid nod in reply not trusting your voice at this moment fearing that you will end up saying something stupid and sounding like an idiot. This place is insane you can’t wait to go home, that thought makes you pause your train of thought. Go home? After the dream you had that awakened a terrible memory from your past, are even sure that you do want to go home? if that is the type of stuff waiting for you, you don’t really feel elated at the idea of returning.

But you have to go home right, it is where you belong. You can't stay here, you don’t belong, right? Do you belong anywhere? You aren’t sure anymore. Plus it is not like they would let you stay here anyway, you are so much different than them and to be quite frank this place seems extremely dangerous if you don’t know what you're doing. Without iii and now iv you aren’t sure how long you would have lasted on your own, so you suppose it was probably a good thing that you didn’t run off on your own when you had the chance at the start of this long journey through this garden.

Sighing to yourself you begin to wonder just how big this place is anyway. You have all been walking in relative silence for a good 15 minutes now. iv occasionally turning around every few minutes to look at you and iii probably to make sure you are both still following his lead. You shake your head solemnly wondering what have you managed to get yourself into.

You are so caught up in your thoughts you don’t realize that iv has stopped walking causing you to plow into his back and letting out a soft grunt as you rub your head from where you smacked your face into his back. iii let out a small giggle at the sight but quickly stopped when you sent a small glare in his direction in response.

Not seeming to mind that you ran into him, he steps out of your way excitedly motioning to the view in front of you. Surrounded by vines and flowers was a small opening in the ground with the bluest water you have ever seen in your life, this was truly like something out of a movie. a hidden hot spring nestled in the heart of a lush garden.

The water, shimmering steaming faintly as it glows under the dimming rays of the sun. Vines and tendrils of ivy drape lazily over the stone edges, creating a barrier around the entrance of the water. Vibrant flowers of purples and soft pinks throughout the vines fill the air with the sweet scent of blossoms and the earthy aroma of the warm, mineral-rich water. This is exactly what you need after the marathon you just went through earlier.

As you stand at the edge of the small spring of water looking down you begin to feel a little weary trusting the water in this place, considering you did end up almost drowning in a pit similar to the one in front of you.

Although, this one was much more welcoming and didn’t look like a neverending pit of darkness. This one was bright and soothing, plus it did kind of help that you could see the bottom, which was probably only a couple of feet deep.

iv stood beside you feeling very pleased with himself that he is able to make you smile. He lifts his hands creating an "S" in sign language crossing his hands at the wrists before throwing them apart.

You might not know a lot of sign language or any really if you're being completely honest with yourself, but that movement you are vaguely familiar with seeing as refs do a similar motion in sports.

“It’s safe?” you question looking iv in the eyes, hoping you were able to correctly guess what he was trying to say.

Iv nods his head in response eyes crinkling from behind the mask, happy that you were able to understand what he was trying to tell you.

You move to get undressed but pause lifting your shirt up turning to look at the two men, who have already turned their backs to you to give you some privacy. But not leaving you alone which, to be honest you are grateful for, you aren’t sure how many more surprises that this place has to offer you can handle right now anyway.

You remove your clothing making a small neat pile on a vine-covered rock. Then you slowly put one leg in and lower yourself into the water, which is perfectly warm.

“Don’t worry, guys. I won’t take too long.”

“It’s ok, love.Take your time, you deserve it.” said iii

Once fully submerged in the water, you dunk your head in the water wetting your hair and letting the warm water soothe any remaining aches and pains you have left. The water burned the small cuts that appeared on your body from the branches and twigs that managed to hit you in the face as you ran from the fire.

You did kind of wish that you had some soap or shampoo but still, this was better than walking around smelling absolutely putrid for the reminder of your time here, you supposed.

As you stare at the backs of the two men keeping guard, you are reminded of iii’s wet clothes from earlier when you threw yourself into his awaiting embrace to comfort you, making you think about what he is, “iii, do you need to get in the water too?”

iii replies, “No, I prefer salt water not freshwater like this anyways I'm good for now. Thanks though.”

Unbeknownst to you, iv makes a rain-like motion with his hands and iii rolls his eyes pretending to be annoyed before you hear his voice muttering to iv, “You know I had no choice at that moment, the rain was better than nothing.” iii huffed crossing his arms over his chest making iv giggle slightly at iii’s pouting.

You continue splashing around in the water, cupping your hands together before bringing the water to your face ridding yourself of the sickness that has been plaguing you since your arrival here. You hum softly thinking out loud, “I wish I had some clean clothes to wear.” The thought of having to put on your sweat-soaked dirty clothes back on is not the most appealing thought, but it was not like you had a lot of other options.

However, iv perked up immediately at hearing you talk softly to yourself and made a small gesture to iii telling him he would be right back before they connected their foreheads holding one another in a loving embrace. Feeling as if this was a special moment that you were intruding upon by watching them you looked away and down into the clear water focusing back on washing yourself.

By the time you looked back up iv was walking away and disappeared into the bushes. Watching iv walk away did make you a bit curious but you just assumed he probably had things to do, maybe he was growing tired of being in your company.

You have to admit you are awful curious about iv, so you decided to ask iii about him, “Is he like you, then? A siren?”

iii, who is now sitting on the ground his legs outstretched in front of him with his hands keeping himself propped up behind him, his head tilted back like he was absorbing the fleeting embers of the sunlight in the sky, he let out a thoughtful hum, “no, he’s what I guess you could call a banshee. You know a wailing spirit who warns others of impending death or danger.”

The way iii talked about these things like it was the most obvious and simplest things in the world amazed you honestly. Though this new information about iv did shed some light on the actions and mannerisms of the mysterious man.

“Is that why he is so quiet?”

“Yeah, when he first got here, he lost control and ended up accidentally hurting Vessel pretty bad. He felt so guilty about it that he hid from us for a while choosing to exile himself. Luckily, Vessel quickly found him and brought him back to us, though he is more careful now mostly choosing to sign or make gestures to talk to us.”

“Oh” you respond not really sure how to react to the new information, you feel bad for iv. Accidentally hurting the people you care for because you lost control of a part of yourself was a scary thought. Though the more you hear about this Vessel person the more you really want to meet him.

Even though he got hurt, he understood it was an accident and actively sought out his friend to bring him back to where he belonged with the rest of them and it seemed like they all hold him in really high regard.

Plus, you do think it is a bit interesting that so far he is the only person who’ve met and or heard of that doesn’t have a number as a name. Speaking of people or creatures you’ve met or seen in this place that reminds you.

“Iii,” you pause not sure how to ask your next question, “Who or what was that thing that chased us during the fire?”

iii postures instantly goes stiff at your question, “Shh, don’t ask such questions here. Once we get to Vessel, he will be able to answer all your questions, I promise ok? You just have to wait until then.”

You nod your head, even though you know he can’t see you. iii slowly relaxes his posture allowing you to think about that creepy figure in the fire hoping you don’t run into them again anytime soon. Silently wondering if that was their god, Sleep, he keeps mentioning but if it is why would he be running away from it, none of this is making sense.

You look down at your hands seeing the skin on your fingers has begun to prune signaling that you should probably get out of the water now, no matter how much you want to stay in its warm comforting embrace. You sigh about to tell iii, when iv returns from the bushes purposefully keeping his gaze up to the sky and walking to the rock near the water where you had previously discarded your clothes.

He pulls black clothing out from behind his back and places it on the rock as well, before walking back over to where iii still sat sitting next to him and leaning his head on his shoulder causing iii to place his head on top of iv’s. The sight of them sitting together like that caused an ache to form in your heart, longing for the kind of love they have for each other. You really wished that feeling would stop appearing, it was really starting to bother you.

Pulling yourself out of the water, you grab the clothes that iv has brought for you to wear. You hold the outfit out in front of you, it is stunning. A flowing cascade of black fabric that seemed to shimmer with every movement. Putting on the outfit, you were pleasantly surprised to see how well it fit you, like it was specifically made for you. It draped effortlessly over your form.

The soak in the water did wonders for you, you feel 100 times better, still a little sore and tired but that was probably to be expected especially after everything you’ve been through. The outfit you now wore did make you feel better too, something about wearing a beautiful outfit instantly makes you feel more confident and powerful.

At the sound of you getting out of the water and getting dressed, both iii and iv stood waiting patiently for you to let them know that it is ok for them to turn around. Walking over to stand behind them you, shyly clear your throat. They take that as a sign that you're dressed and turn around to see you standing in the outfit iv brought you their eyes widen in surprise.

You let out a bashful giggle turning your gaze to iv you ask, “Where did you get this?”

But iv just smiles from behind his mask his eyes crinkling as he shrugs his shoulders in response.

You really want to get a proper answer from the shorter man but before you can say anything else your stomach growls loudly causing your body to flood with embarrassment. The sound of your stomach growling caused iii to laugh, throwing his head back as he loudly cackled. iv was at least a little nicer about the fact that he too was laughing at you, though the only sign that he was the little shake of his shoulders.

“Come on, Vessel will have fruits and other food for you to replenish yourself with.”

You nod, falling into step with III, about to turn and ask iv if he is coming too when, as if on cue, he joins you on the other side, walking alongside you. You can only hope that this time, you’ll make it to Vessel in one piece, without any more surprises or unexpected visitors.

#sleep token x reader #sleep token #ii x reader #iii x reader #iv x reader #cryptid #inhuman!sleeptokenxreader #vessel x reader #slow burn #sleep token fanfiction #An Offering

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mrsrookhunt · 1 year ago

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♟ Monster Rook Hunt 🪦

Rooktober part three! Tempting @v-anrouge in again lmaooo

Three classic monsters, one extra-extra double pickles Rook.

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Vampire!Rook

Congratulations on winning your way into this man's heart and onto his dinner table.

You're so gorgeous to him.. you make him blush, you make him stutter and gasp, you make him feel his heart flutter and his mouth water.

Absolutely thinks you're more like a creature he can't hunt, a full meal he can only have a snack from, and it is vaguely annoying to him. It's like gardening, but with the extra requirement of cuddling the plant after picking the fruit from it.

But Rook is nothing if not a man dictated wholly by his not beating heart.

Depending on whether he was born a vampire or turned, how he treats you will be different.

If he was born as a vampire: You're a snack, that's all he's been taught. He may treat you kindly but he won't fully understand human needs and love. He'll probably attempt to love you the way other vampires show love. Enjoy those blood bags he set in front of you with wide eyes and a besotted smile, waiting for you to make the first move on your shared meal.

If he was turned a vampire:

"MY LOVE, MY LOVE, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU A GIFTTTTT" and it's a 4-course meal of all his favorite foods as a human he hopes you can enjoy the same.

So extremely and extraordinarily attentive. You may be his meal, but you're also his lover, and he treats you with every bit of love and affection he's been preparing for 350 years to give.

And he's also definitely turning you into a vampire. Don't worry, he'll keep an eternity filled with his antics.

Werewolf!Rook

Very in-touch with his wild side (what's new).

You may or may not have met him at a gas station in the woods when you threw an apple core into the wooded area next to the pump, and a shaggy golden wolf came bounding back to you with wide eyes, a wagging tail, and the apple core in his mouth. Your first game of fetch. Call it a date; that's what he did anways.

Your idea of cuddles is different to his. You may like to lay on his chest and watch a movie. He may like to completely tangle all of your limbs together and bury your face in the crook of his neck, because, Rook. Don't worry maybe you can hear the movie playing.

All of your meals are hand-hunted by your one and only. In human form, he's out hunting, a good thing, since otherwise he's harassing you with incessant French. In wolf form, he just wants to lie down on the bed and be docile. Is it a show so you're not afraid of him? Maybe. I guess it's an excuse for you to stay with him for a few years forever to find out.

He would love if you were into gardening. He takes pride in hunting food for you, and would be thrilled to use some home-grown herbs to make a meal you could both be proud of.

He's very rugged. It's a fight to make him wear nice clothes. If it's not practical ripped up and some hand me down from GOD KNOWS where, he doesn't want it.

Also, shaving. I hope you enjoy stubble because he will not be getting a clean shave. He can tell you he's 'just shaved', but you wonder how many nanometers of hair he even took off.

More like a golden retriever than a wolf. If it weren't for his superb hunting skills he'd be a disgrace to the werewolf community altogether.

And we could talk about how many kids he wants but let's keep this PG

Mummy!Rook

Snuggles? Snuggles.

Rook can't speak very well like this. But he can certainly show you the depths of his affection with body language alone.

You should be honored he came back from the dead just for you. You should probably be less honored that the museum has warrants out for your arrest now because, apparently, you can't take a mummy home, even with his consent.

Have you eaten? Have you?? He keeps trying to shovel food in your mouth with every passing moment that he's allowed in your fridge. Something about 'eating like royalty'. You don't know, honestly. The gauze makes it hard to hear him.

From what you've gathered, he was a highly-revered huntsman in his time. Not high enough to be buried in a pyramid, but high enough to be buried with great respect to his body.

You're not sure what brought him back, honestly, his love for you, your being unsure of whether he was a real mummy or a replica, some cheesy artifact bringing him to life ...we'll never know. His desire to prove you wrong may or may not have been at 100%

Did I mention he loves snuggles?

Do NOT try to remove the wrap. It's not for security reasons. It will not harm him to remove it. HOWEVER HE WOULD RATHER NOT UNDRESS UNTIL MARRIAGE THANK YOU.

Try suggesting he put on clothes over his wrap. It's not comfortable. It's like when you have long sleeves and you try to out a jacket over them. But if it's comfortable for him... just buy two sizes larger and try to ignore it.

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Part two coming soon!

Suggestions for monsters are more than welcome!

-Oct. 16th, 2023

-Kaori

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ickyarson777 · 9 months ago

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Ripped Lace, Cut Glass

Test My Worth In Blood

Anyway! I did some thinking about This Post and I’ve decided I’m gonna go all out and write a fic about it. This prompt is something I think about all the time, so I was very excited to receive it, to say the least :)

That being said, I have no idea how any of this is gonna play out. Right now I’m thinking kinda slow burn entities-to-lovers type of thing??

Here it is though!! I promise if you like it, I’ll do my best to keep up with writing, and please, let me know what y'all want!! I’m here to please ;)

Chapter 1, 2

Tried to stay as gn as possible, with no mentions of y/n or names, the reader is just called ‘human.’

Word count: 2,126

Content warning: Maybe a bit of dread, spooky horror-type stuff. Bit of violence, not anything horrible at all.

I glance around me as I walk through the quiet woods. Rays of light filtered through the leaves of the trees behind me, gradually being drowned out by the darkness of the shadows ahead of me.

I had traveled to a new city and decided to take some time to explore the smaller nearby towns. London was great, but it was nothing compared to the smaller communities that were just outside of the larger city. The town I was in was smaller in comparison, greatly so. A couple of small neighborhoods, a few streets of shops, convenience stores and restaurants. One edge of the town however, was surrounded by a forest.

Anytime I was in a small town like this, I always took the time to learn the local rumors. Any scandal, or story going around. As I was making my rounds through this small town, I’d heard tell of the forest containing monsters, and creatures. Things that were not meant for the human eye. Angels, demons.. it had me absolutely captivated. I needed to know more. So of course, after a good night's rest, I packed a backpack of supplies, put on some thermal wear, considering it was a chilly, bleary fall day, and made sure I had food and water to last me on my journey.

I drove out to the edge of the forest and began walking.

Immediately the air turned colder. I had this sense that I definitely shouldn’t be here, that something didn’t want me here, Multiple something’s at that. It was exhilarating.

I stepped farther in, glancing around slowly. The day was already dark, but the canopy of branches were so tightly woven above, the forest seemed to be bathed in midnight, though I knew it was barely a quarter past ten in the morning. Luckily, it wasn’t dark enough that I couldn’t see, so I continued on.

It wasn’t a quiet walk, branches and leaves snapped and crunched beneath my feet, and I could hear birds singing their sweet songs. For how terrifying the image of the dark forest was, it was still peaceful here, even if I did have a small feeling of dread brewing beneath my subconscious.

I walked further in, approaching a small stream, and stepped through. The water wasn’t deep, barely reaching the middle of my shins at the deepest. I could feel the temperature of the water through my boots, which I was very glad to be waterproof. Freezing cold, of course, it would be in weather like this. I crossed to the other side of the stream, and whatever sense of peace I’d had before was ripped away from me.

For a moment, I hesitated, unsure if I should continue. I glanced around, trying to steel my nerves. ‘Calm down,’ I thought to myself. ‘You hear a couple of rumors about monsters in the woods and you’re scared out of your skin. What kind of explorer are you if you can’t walk through the woods by yourself..’

I shook off the fear and continued walking. I came to a clearing, where the trees opened to reveal the sky above, still overcast with dark clouds. I’d checked the weather before coming out here, there wasn’t supposed to be any rain, but looking at the sky now, I wasn’t so sure. I took a deep breath and kept walking.

At this point, I’m maybe half a mile in, knowing forest monsters, they’re sure to be a bit further in than that. I think aloud while walking, about anything and everything, home, my family, my friends. I’ve been studying abroad for a couple of months now. As an anthropology student, traveling has been an incredible experience for me, but that didn’t mean I didn’t miss home.

Eventually, two or so miles into the woods, I begin singing to myself. Nothing particular, and everything at the same time, I sing nursery rhymes and lullabies, and find ways to rework the words, making myself laugh. I continued like this for another half a mile before I realized suddenly that there were no longer any sounds around me. The birds have gone quiet, and the wind has hushed entirely, the rustle of the leaves above me silent. I pause for a moment, glancing around me carefully.

Suddenly a horrible, piercing screech rips through the air and I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of terror. I make a split-second and very wise decision to walk in the direction of the horrible sound.

As I come closer to the location of the sound, I begin to notice there’s a slight path that’s been worn into the ground here, and I come up on a large rock formation. It looks easy enough to scale, and I silently assume someone might’ve already been doing just that, seeing as the path seems to end here.

I take a breath, tighten the strap of my backpack, and begin to climb. Quickly enough, I reach the top of the formation and glance down below me. I stare in horror at the thing I see before me. The thing was at least eight feet tall, and covered in a thick black substance. Its face could’ve been white, but it was now stained, smeared with whatever covered the rest of it. Its eyes, mouth, and nose, or at least what I assumed it was, were nothing but dark empty sockets. Its body was large and bulbous, segmented, almost like the thorax of an insect, and decorated with skulls. Mechanical limbs jutted out at odd angles, and there were many of them, spindly, covered in grime and gore down to the jagged needle-like tips. It clutched a battle ax, dark and covered in rust and dirt.

“What the fuck,” I whisper into the air.

In a second, the thing whipped its head towards me, its empty eyes taking me in. I take a step backward and almost fall from my perch on the rock, forgetting where I stood.

It begins stepping towards me on its multiple long spindly legs, slowly at first, but then it begins picking up speed. I watch it, safe from its grasp high above it on the rock, but then tense as it shoots one of its legs out into the rock, embedding itself there. I stare in horror as it begins to climb.

“Oh fuck, fuck,” I say out loud, panicking slightly.

I turn and begin descending back down the rock the way I’d come. At the last couple of feet, I let go, dropping to the ground just as the thing made its way over the top. It doesn’t even bother climbing back down, just throwing itself off and continuing its pursuit, I watch, terrified for a moment before turning and running. I don’t even bother trying to remember which way I’d come from, running in zigzagging patterns, trying to throw off the monster. I can hear it, the metallic grinding and groaning of the half-organic half-machine thing that was hot on my trail.

I wasn’t even looking where I was going, vision slightly blurry, eyes stinging with sweat that fell into them occasionally. I hear the thing even closer to me now. I gasped in shock as I heard a sharp whirring sound pass my ear, knowing it was right on top of me, trying to grab me. With every fiber of my being, I pushed myself to run faster, lungs burning and adrenaline coursing through my veins. And then BAM! I slam into something.

I glanced up quickly, thinking I had run into a tree, but realizing a tree would’ve hurt a bit more, and probably wouldn’t have grabbed my arm, and pulled me behind it.

The hands that grabbed my wrists left dark black stains on my skin. I pause for a moment, letting my vision clear. The figure now stood in front of me, facing away, towards the monster. He’s tall, much taller than me, wearing a black cloak and black pants. One shoulder of his cloak is covered by a stark white pauldron, lined with deep red and encrusted with rough gold ore at the curve of his shoulder. He raised a hand towards the monster.

Quietly, in a dark, melodic voice, the man breathed a few words in a language I didn’t recognize. Before him, the monster stared, twitching and writhing in its place, swaying on its many legs. It took a gentle step forward, lowering itself and pressing its face into the palm of the man's hand, before turning, lurching forward, and walking away from us.

I stand there, taking heavy, shaking breaths. The man doesn’t turn to face me until the monster is out of sight, and when he does, I gasp.

His body is completely covered in black paint, there are streaks running through it, and lines of sweat showing pale skin underneath. His chest is broad and toned, but not overly muscled. His hands are large, the paint of his palms, light and mostly missing, though the lines of his fingers and knuckles are deeply stained with the dark paint. There are silver rings on many of his fingers, the edge of them tarnished from the paint, like the chains around his neck. Stretching across his chest, underneath the cloak is a leather strap, perhaps holding the pauldron in place. He was beautiful, by all accounts, but his face left my jaw slack. The paint covered him up to his upper jaw, if there was more paint, I couldn’t tell as the top half of his face was obscured by a mask. Stark white, a huge contrast to the black on his skin, beautiful and intricate deep crimson lines swirling and curling along the bottom edge of the mask, forming a crescent around his mouth. Six holes in the shape of eyes line the front, dark black and almost sleepy in shape, dark red lines, perfectly symmetrical in shape crossed over under and above the eyes or the mask, forming a sigil of sorts.

I notice my mouth is open, and snap it shut quickly before opening it again, trying to think of something to say. Luckily, the stranger beats me to be the first to speak as words fail me.

“Are you hurt?” He asks simply, voice soft, reverberating through me and sending a shiver down my spine.

Slowly, I shake my head, still staring in awe. “Uh.. what.. what was that?” I ask softly.

Rather than answering my question, the stranger turns, beaconing me to follow him. “The people of the town don’t venture into these woods. You’re not from here.” What he says should’ve been a question, but I can tell he’s stating it as a fact. “You seem well prepared, well-traveled in your own right, but that’s no reason to wander into an unknown wood.”

I follow after him, unsure of where we’re going. “I’m studying abroad,” I tell him, struggling slightly to keep up the pace with his long legs. “Heard some of the locals mention monsters in the woods, and I wanted to see for myself. Clearly… they weren’t lying.”

He glanced back at me over his shoulder. “What is it with humans always putting their noses where they can’t protect themselves?” He says it softly, almost in an endearing way.

‘Humans?’ I think to myself.

Before I realized it, we'd approached the stream I’d crossed when I first arrived.

“This is not a safe place for you,” the man says softly. “You are incredibly lucky to have escaped that creature with your life. Leave this place please, and do not return. There are… worse, more terrible things than that one in these woods.”

I turn to face him and ask him what else there is, but he’s gone. Not a single trace of his existence, no rustle or crunching of leaves underfoot, no thud of footsteps on the forest floor. For all I knew, I could’ve played the whole situation off as a psychotic episode. But I knew better. The dark handprints around my wrists and the blood that dripped from the small cut on my ear told me all the truth I needed.

I turn to walk to my car, open my phone, and press the call button. The phone rings for a moment before my mother picks up.

“Hello?” She says.

“Hey, Mom,” I say, opening the door and tossing my backpack into the back seat. “So you know how I said I was passing through this small town? I think I’ve changed my mind. I might spend a little while longer here. Something about it…” I mutter glancing into the trees, almost convincing myself that I can see him, blending into the dark shadows of the woods. “Something about it just captivates me.”

OK!! Short little thing to get the story started, let me know if you want more!! I whipped this out in like 20 minutes, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Edit: 27/03/25, brushed up on mistakes, no major changes :')

#sleep token #sleep token iii #sleep token vessel #vessel #iii #ii #iv #sleep token ii #sleep token iv #inhuman!vessel #vessel x reader #sleep token vessel x reader #ooh scary monster #it was the chokehold monster in case y’all couldn’t tell 😼#ANyway

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