#it's SO BAD i can't wait to. level up my character into Better Clothes

[psychomusic]

are yu vearing wigs

only this ugly af hat

[pinchofhoney]

Can I get a Jack request where reader is like castiel level protective over him? Like it could he during the time he was burning away his soul, or Dean just attacking him and reader getting super protective? Thanks <3

Also thank you sm for being my mutual <333

like real people do

jack kline x reader

word count: 1.6k

warning: the events were made up by me, but in time they probably take place in thirteenth season, platonic relationship

summary: Ever had one of those days when life just can't get any worse?

a/n: thank you so much for your request!! once i read the first four words and found out it was about jack i was so happy! this character makes me feel like hiding him in my jacket pocket and protecting him from the whole world, including my favourite white boy; dean. i hope you will enjoy it!!<33 it's so funny that we clicked so quickly because of ketch hahah

pages that may interest you: masterlist ♡ taglist ♡ who i write for

gif is not mine, credit to the owner

What does it mean to have a bad day? For some, it might involve a pointless hunt for a missing sock in the early hours. Others might deem it a disastrous day if they find themselves in a nerve-wracking business meeting, their professional future hanging by a thread, only to be unexpectedly showered in scalding coffee. But let me tell you, what went down in South Dakota, well, that was beyond any bad day anyone's ever had.

Walking down the bunker's cold, metal stairs, your eyes stayed fixed on Sam's broad back. The echoes of two more pairs of footsteps behind you added an unspoken burden to all four of you. The lengthy, six-hour drive from Sioux Falls passed in silence, punctuated only by the occasional growl of Dean's car engine.

In the midst of this oppressive silence, a tangible anxiety filled the atmosphere, much like the sensation of holding a grenade with a fragile safety pin. Each of you knew that speaking the first word out loud could be equivalent to pulling that pin, possibly setting off a surge of emotions and consequences you weren't prepared to deal with at that moment.

As you finally reached the colossal table stationed at the heart of the spacious room, you wearily rested your hands on the chair's backrest, your head drooping in helpless resignation. A deep sigh escaped your lungs, carrying the weight of the day's exhaustion. In the stillness that followed, you could discern Sam's chair scraping against the floor on the opposite side of the table as he settled himself heavily into it and Dean's footsteps resonated down the corridor, indicating his retreat to the kitchen.

Lifting your exhausted head, you gave a quick once-over to your disheveled clothing, recognizing its disorder. It had not only withstood the harsh impact of multiple falls today but was also stained with splotches of blood. Nervously, you ran your hand through your hair, attempting to regain some semblance of composure. Pushing away from the chair, you turned on your heel, scanning the room with a sense of restless anticipation.

You stopped your gaze on the young man by the stairs, who had stayed there the whole time. His face showed a mix of confusion, sympathy, and regret. Your lower lip was gently caught between your teeth as you pondered your next steps. When his gaze met yours, you drew a shallow breath. His appearance wasn't any better than yours, but because he was still Lucifer's son, he appeared more composed than you.

With determination, you approached him step by cautious step until you were standing alongside him. “Jack, are you alright?” you asked, your voice reflecting genuine worry. A quick glance back at Sam, who remained seated at the table, revealed that he was now observing your interaction. You then shifted your attention back to Jack, waiting for his response.

Jack's reply hung in the air like a heavy cloud, his voice a somber murmur that revealed the depth of his guilt. His gaze dropped to his fidgeting hands, fingers twisting in anguish as he confessed, “It's all my fault...”

You couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy as you witnessed the torment in Jack's eyes. In an attempt to ease the crushing weight of his self-blame, you placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Hey,” you said gently, your voice a soothing balm, “you're not alone in this. None of us expected it to go down like that.”

Sam, the voice of reason, chimed in from his seat at the table. His tone was calm and reassuring as he added, “Jack, we knew it wouldn't be easy. We'll figure this out together.”

Jack looked up at both of you. His eyes were pools of sorrow, and he seemed on the brink of tears, even though he didn’t know what emotions are. “But you guys almost got killed because of me. I couldn't control my powers, and I let them get too close.”

Before you could offer words of reassurance, Dean's voice cut through the room like a sharp blade, “That’s damn right,” he snapped. His anger was palpable, and you could feel the tension rise as he entered with a bottle of beer in his hand. You had been so focused on Jack's emotions that you hadn't noticed Dean approaching.

Your attention shifted to Dean, and it was clear that he had no intentions of concealing his rage. Such suppression was never in his nature. He scrutinized both of you with an intense gaze, his jaw clenched tight, the lines of his face etched with frustration and anger.

Dean proceeded to the table, his movements forceful as he shoved one chair back with a grating screech before taking a seat. The bottle of beer landed on the table with a heavy thud, emphasizing his simmering anger, and the room seemed to shrink with the weight of his emotions. It was a moment where words hung in the balance, and the fragile tension in the air threatened to shatter at any moment.

Jack’s connection to his human emotions was weak, but regret had clear place in his eyes, keenly sensed Dean's anger. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, and he shifted uncomfortably, his body language a reflection of the confusion within him. In a moment of desperation, he cast a furtive glance in your direction, silently pleading for support, his eyes searching for any sign of comfort.

You, on the other hand, found yourself torn between conflicting emotions. Your heart ached for Jack, understanding the crushing guilt that weighed on him, yet you also knew the importance of not undermining Dean's authority. It was a delicate balancing act that you had become all too familiar with, navigating in these tense moments.

Dean finally broke the oppressive silence, his voice laced with bitterness that hung in the air like a heavy cloud. “You know, Jack, your little power surge not only almost got us killed, but it also cost us Castiel at the very beginning of your existence. You may not remember, but he sacrificed himself to save you.”

Jack's expression remained stoic, but his eyes bore the weight of remorse as he regarded the hunter. “I didn't ask him to,” he replied, his voice carrying the burden of the past.

Dean's face remained unyielding, his anger unwavering in the face of Jack's distress. He leaned forward, his gaze locked on the young Nephilim. “Doesn't change the fact that he's gone because of you.”

The room seemed to shrink with the intensity of the moment, emotions swirling like a storm around the three of you. Jack's regret was a silent force, Dean's anger an unrelenting presence, and you, caught in the middle, felt the weight of the situation pressing down on you like a heavy shroud.

You decided to step in, taking a deep breath to calm yourself as you tried to ease the heavy tension in the room. You spoke gently, "Dean, listen," in a calm and careful way, "Jack didn't want these powers, and he didn't want Cas to save him. None of us knew this would happen."

Dean looked at you, his anger softening just a bit as he heard your caring tone. You had been through a lot with the Winchesters, so you knew how emotions could run high.

But Dean, being stubborn as ever, couldn't let go of his anger towards Jack. He narrowed his eyes at you and replied with bitterness,

“Yeah, well, empathy won't bring Cas back,” he retorted, the pain of loss seeping through every syllable. “Neither will help any of the people who have been harmed today, because of him.”

Jack, still struggling to contain his emotions, lowered his head in acknowledgment. He understood the depth of Dean's anger, and he carried the weight of guilt knowing that nothing he said could bring back the angel who had given his life to protect him.

You exchanged a quick, supportive glance with Jack, a silent understanding passing between you two. Then, you turned your steady attention back to Dean, determined to break through the walls of resentment that had formed around him. “We're all hurting, Dean,” you said, your voice laced with sincerity. “But pointing fingers and blaming Jack won't change the past. We have to move forward together if we're going to face the challenges that lie ahead.”

Dean's jaw clenched, and he took another long, deliberate sip from his beer bottle, as if using the act as a moment of respite from his simmering anger. It was clear that he was still seething, but your words had managed to make some impact, no matter how small.

“Fine,” he grumbled, his anger not completely gone but his tone less harsh. He reluctantly agreed to try and move forward, but he was still stubborn. “But don't think for a second that I'm okay with any of this.”

You nodded, acknowledging Dean's raw emotions. “We know you're not, Dean. But we're a team, and we need to stick together.”

Jack, encouraged by your words and Dean's reluctant acceptance, finally found the courage to speak up again. “I promise, I'll do everything in my power to make amends and prove myself to all of you.”

Dean's gaze remained fixed on his beer bottle, and while he didn't offer immediate forgiveness or approval, he also didn't object further. It was a tenuous truce, fragile as glass, but it was some kind of a start, and everyone knows that the beginnings are always the hardest.

[84reedsy]

The Mentorship, Part 5

The Mentorship

Characters: Curt Hennig/FemOC , Scott Hall/FemOC

Parts 5 of ? (Parts not chapters, parts length varies)

Word Count: 4845

-----Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4----

Warnings/Considerations: Smut, Age Gap, Power Dynamics, Dirty Talk, swearing

A mandatory stop at a Waffle House did not improve her mood. She tried to stay in the car, but neither man was having it.

Scott opened her door, bending down to her level.

“Either you get in there or I'll throw you over my shoulder and take you myself.” He warned, Curt snickering behind him.

She was irritated by him still, even more so at his flirting now, knowing she was in a bad mood. 

She was the only one not in comfortable clothes and she stuck out like a sore thumb. At least the shorts held her ass in and it wasn't half hanging out. It was a small consolation.

As with any Waffle House there was little seating and she ended up sitting on the inside of the booth at the strong suggestion from the oversized men. Scott slid in next to her, his legs splayed wide open and pinning her as far in as possible. Curt sat across from her, ordering for her before she got a chance to speak.

“One waffle isn't going to kill me,” she mumbled, not looking forward to her egg whites and peppers.

“Yeah, but it might make those shorts tighter,” Scott pinched some skin around her waist and she squirmed, smacking his hand. Curt sipped his coffee, knowing that this slow rib was starting to build beautifully. The culmination would teach her a lesson she may never forget.

The next hotel was a little more stately, it had several floors and even a pool. She hoped she could get in a few laps before they left in the morning. Her shoulders fell when she realized she still had none of her things. 

She drug in bag after bag and lay them in the lobby. She was the last to get to the counter. She waited expectantly for Curt to give her their room info, but she could tell something was up.

“Looks like you are having the worst luck with rooms,” he said, “you gotta get in here quicker to get a shot at the good ones,”

“There can't be that many people here, the parking lot isn't even full. What,  do we have one bed again,” she held out her hand for a key.

“I don't,” he responded, pocketing his key, “or should I say, Ricky Steiner and I don't,”

Brinkley was stunned for a moment, she assumed she was misunderstanding him. 

“Do I have to get my own room?” She asked, “If you’ll recall, I don’t have my wallet,” she reminded him, a bit of hostility in her tone.

“Nah, you are sharing,” He replied vaguely, smirking, “after you bring our bags up,”

She couldn’t stifle her scowl; she was tired and achy and she’d been the butt of everyone’s joke for three days.

“Yeah, I lost this time,” Scott sauntered up to them, “I have to share with the rookie,”

Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth felt dry. Curt was already walking away, calling behind him, “Room 247,” and a chorus of others yelled out their room numbers as they headed for the elevators. 

Brinkley could have strangled every one of them, instead grabbing a luggage cart. She slammed the bags on it as she stacked them.

“Panties in a bunch?” Scott watched her amused, but grabbed a couple of the bags to help.

“You know, I wouldn’t know, because I don’t know where mine are,” She snapped a little, “they seem to have gone missing and like anything is going to fit under these shorts,” She rambled.

Scott’s eyebrows rose up again, his eyes darting to her shorts. She was probably right, those things were skin tight. 

“Probably should keep track of your stuff better,” He chided her, handing her a keycard as she turned to stare angrily at him. She snatched it out of his hand only to realize quickly after that she had no pockets. She jammed it in her top, hoping her boob and the material would hold it securely. 

At room 212, she dropped Eddie and Chavo’s bags - both tipped her generously. Again, she had to store it in her top. At 215, she dropped Steve and Lex’s bags and she noticed something familiar through a gap in the top flap. She grabbed the bag as Steve started to take it in his room, unzipping it completely to find the other parts of her ring gear. She snatched it from the bag.

“What about the rest,” she dug through it before he pulled it back.

“That’s all I’ve got,” He snickered, Lex holding up his hands in innocence behind him.

“I’m not involved in this at all, have a look if you want.” he motioned towards his bag still on the cart. She did and found nothing.

She stared sharply at Scott as they left the room.

“Hey, at least you found some of it.” He shrugged. 

She was going through Kevin’s bag as he answered his door. 

“Ah, she figured it out?” Kevin asked, leaning against the door frame amused as she yanked her things out of his bag.

“Yeah, she’s pretty quick, Stinger kind of messed it up though, left his bag open,” Scott explained. She zipped it roughly once she was convinced she had everything. She shoved it at him roughly and left, turning her nose up at his tip.

“Oh, she’s got some attitude,” Kevin joked loudly. 

Again she was already going through Curt’s bag when he opened the door. He looked at Scott, impressed that she’d figured it out already. She didn’t say a word to him or Rick as she dumped their still open bags at their feet. 

“What, no goodnight?” Curt called after her as she drug the now much lighter cart behind her. 

“I think she’s getting a little snippy,” Scott slapped Curt on the shoulder, “might want to send someone to check on me,”

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME,” They both heard from down the hall, seeing that she had found their room and had gone inside.

“Well…good luck, brother,” Curt laughed, slapping Scott on the back now.

Scott stood behind her in the doorway, staring at the same single king bed in the middle of the room that she was.

“Yeah, sucks don’t it,” He stepped around her, carrying his own bag and tossing it on the dresser. 

Brinkley dropped her bag, now mostly full again. She began rummaging through Scott’s bag now, knowing a few things were still missing. Buried in the side of his bag were her wallet, panties, and bras. She tried not to think that he cherry picked these items, but part of her wondered if he did.

“Everything accounted for?” He looked through the shambles left in his bag, “Oh, nope, forgot one,” he held up a lacy excuse for panties, letting them dangle off his finger tip. 

She reached for them, only for him to lift them up higher out of her reach. She tried to grab for them again, but he kept them out of reach still.

“Oh my god, just give it to me!” She huffed in frustration, his height making it impossible to grab them. 

“Aw, c’mon,” He scoffed, you gotta try harder than that,” 

Frustrated and at the end of her rope, she grabbed onto his shoulders and leapt, her thighs gripping around his hips as she tried to climb him. Perhaps he was surprised by her tactic or repulsed, but she shimmied up him a little further and quickly grabbed them from his hand. It was then she realized, his other arm had slipped under her backside and was holding her on him. She stared at him for a moment, at a loss for words.

Scott knew the long game plan wouldn’t work out quite right if he jumped the gun, he was a little disappointed he couldn’t kiss her right now. It was a 50/50 shot between her liking it and her slapping the piss out of him. 

“Um…can you let me down?” She asked softly, not really wanting him to, but not knowing what else to say. She wasn’t sure he was going to grant her request, but slowly he slid his arm away and she slipped down his body. She fought blushing, burying the panties in her bag. She felt a little better now, relieved to have all her things back, but now she had the new issue of sleeping arrangements. 

“I…I’ll let you have the bed,” She motioned vaguely towards it, “I can just sleep in the tub or on the floor,”

“Are you fucking serious?” Scott laughed incredulously, watching as she grabbed a pillow and the spare blanket from the closet.

“Well…you get the front seat, why wouldn’t you also get the bed?” She shrugged.

“Well that’s bullshit. Got a girl in my room and she won’t even sleep with me,” He smirked, noticing her shiver a little. 

“Do you want me to sleep with you?” She controlled her reply, turning it back around on him. 

“Figured I’d at least be the big spoon,” he nodded towards the bed. 

“It’s alright, I’ll just sleep on the floor.” She tried not to imagine that scenario and how it might progress.

“Suit yourself, girl,” He shrugged and moved to leave, “Be back when I’m back,” 

Brinkley was sure she’d never been so relieved to not be invited out to the bar. She relished the long, interrupted shower again, happy to finally get out of her ring clothes. Her pajamas were only cotton shorts and a t-shirt, but they had never felt so comfortable. She tried to make a palette on the floor and watch a little TV, but the floor was insanely uncomfortable and she knew her back would regret the decision in the morning.

She knew he was teasing her earlier, but she had to think he wouldn’t really mind if she took up on the bed. It was huge after all. Even with his hulking frame, he’d have plenty of space. She wasn’t on the mattress 5 minutes before she was asleep. 

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

Scott felt buzzed, but was not completely out of it. The bedside lamp was still on, but Brinkley was out and clearly not on the floor. He turned out the light first, starting to strip down while standing over her. He was amused at the idea of her waking up to seeing him undressing right next to her. She might not find it funny, but he was pent up and horny from earlier and from spending the last few hours thinking about her panties. 

She did not wake and he walked to his side of the bed, flopping down in nothing but his boxers. She was turned away from him. He wondered why Curt had set such an arbitrary timeline, he didn’t really feel like waiting two weeks to get his dick wet. Curt had been vague with details on how she was, mainly Scott knew they had hooked up twice. Why the hell couldn’t he have gotten that mentorship?

He found himself absentmindedly watching her ass as she shifted in bed and licked his lips. He wondered if he could get a quick squeeze without waking her. He felt his cock stir as he thought, and his hand absentmindedly reached out. He ran his hand over her cotton shorts, gently gripping his fingers in. He felt the firmness and hummed to himself. He had to resist the urge to smack it. He would definitely get a few in when he had the opportunity.

He pulled his hand back quickly when she shifted a little. He occupied it now reaching under his boxers. He massaged and squeezed the stiffening flesh. Maybe if the poisons left the building, his mind wouldn’t be so consumed. Switching hands, he risked touching her again, gripping a cheek more firmly. She shifted a little more, straightening one leg while bending the other. Scott cursed at how easily he could slip his fingers down and test her waters. 

He released her ass, focusing on imaging what he hoped would happen. Curt had never mentioned any restrictions and Scott could think of a lot of things he wanted to do to her. 

Brinkley woke, groggy. She felt confused again as she had previously, but felt the familiar shake of the bed. Facing away from him, her eyes went wide as she processed what was happening. Again. 

This felt different though. She and Curt had a sexual history. She and Scott didn’t. She wished that was a different story, but as of now, they had nothing. She cursed to herself unable to turn over and take a peek as Scott groaned over his self-satisfaction. She was so curious, she considered risking it and if he thought she was awake...maybe he’d make a move. She only thought a second, realizing she’d have no idea how to be with a man she didn’t know very well, a man she wasn’t sure she could trust. 

“God that’s a nice ass,” Scott hissed to himself, his fist working faster along his pulsing shaft. He didn’t take his time, imagining her on her knees, his cock in her mouth ready to explode. He grunted as he started to cum, spurts flying from the tip. He didn’t direct it, some of it landing on her thigh, “Shit…” he cursed.

Brinkley felt the sticky mass land on her skin and her mouth hung open in shock. Did he just cum on her? Was it on purpose? Perhaps there was more on her clothes…she felt violated, but oddly enough turned on. 

Scott cleaned up his mess on himself, but did not want to risk waking her. Plus, the thought of his cum on her leg turned him on. She would be blissfully ignorant, unknowingly marked by his seed. 

He quickly shoved his cock back into his boxers as she turned over partially, her face now towards him. His timing was impeccable.

She was disappointed as she turned over and try to peer through her eyelashes. He’d already concealed himself. She felt a pulse between her legs and wished like hell she could cash in her pass with Curt. She needed sex, she craved the release.

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

The hazing eased up for the next couple of days, much to her relief. Her mind kept slipping back to thinking about both men she’d shared a bed with and that they’d ended up masturbating with her merely inches away. Perhaps this was a thing with wrestlers…Maybe they had to find some way to expend their energy if they hadn’t found a ring rat or some other company. But the longer she thought about it, the more pent up she felt. She hoped that her hotel situation worked out better than it had lately. She could use her own bed, but she could also use Curt’s company. She had a hopeful suspicion that if she used up her pass, he’d likely issue another one. Or maybe he wouldn’t limit her and just fuck her silly every night.

She shifted in the backseat as they drove through the night following their show, crossing her legs as her thoughts did little to calm her libido. It was either Curt or the fact that Scott came on her or maybe both, but she knew while she was alone she was going to take the chance to try and satiate her own needs. 

The guys were a little more excited about tonight, the motel they had planned on meeting at was across from a truckstop that had an attached strip club. She tried to convince them to let her tag along. She had no problem watching women dance or strip. She could appreciate beauty and sexiness as much as the next person, but none of them were very receptive to the idea. 

SHe only carried Scott’s bag to his room and her’s and Curt’s to the one they shared. Two beds graced this room. She was surprised how indifferent she felt about it. 

“Thought you’d be jumping up and down,” Curt voiced the same surprise.

“I’m just tired,” She lied, hoping he would leave soon. She had noticed another building across the road next door to the truck stop. She had an agenda that she couldn’t fulfill with people around, “You guys going to be out late again?” 

“Trying to get rid of me?” He unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off. He could see she was definitely looking at him as she swapped for a t-shirt, expecting the strip club to be fairly hot. 

She was frustrated by how much she liked looking at Curt’s physique. Perhaps the fact that he was off limits is what added to his allure. 

She watched from her room window as the group filtered out to the strip club. Once she thought the coast was clear enough, she grabbed her room key and some cash from her wallet. She quickly jogged across the road and to the shop around the side of the truck stop. She almost changed her mind as she reached the door, the three X’s on the glass making her nervous. She had never been in a sex shop before and as she gathered the courage and opened it, she felt overwhelmed. 

She wasn’t sure what to expect but everything within view was explicit. She didn’t know there could be so many different shapes, colors, and types of dildos. Vibrators were everything from small finger sized buttons to cephlapod-looking monstrosities. She knew she was blushing even though she was by herself. There was an entire bookshelf of different lubes. She grabbed one small bottle that said it had a warming effect. Out of curiosity she put it in her basket. She got lost too long in the lingerie racks, deciding on something strappy and lacy just in case she needed to get someone’s blood pressure up. She almost laughed at the video section, the names got progressively more unhinged and the graphics on the boxes were laughable. She left that section quickly as a trucker approached her to try and make a suggestion. She put some distance between them as she found a section of dildos that advertised realistic looking and feeling phalics. 

Looking them over, she found one that mimicked Curt’s length, girth, and curve. At least she knew it would hit what she wanted. She dumped it in her basket and grabbed the finger-worn vibrator button as she headed to the checkout. She didn’t want to stay much longer. More and more people were coming in and she didn’t want to be surrounded in this place. She was relieved that they used plain brown bags, at least she wouldn’t have to explain anything if it was found. She felt eyes on her and saw the same trucker still looking at her. She pocketed her change and grabbed the bag by its handles as she attempted to flee quickly. She was stopped immediately as she ran into another person.

“Mamacita, why are you in such a hurry?” Eddie steadied her and glanced down at the bag she’d dropped, some of the items falling out of it. Her face reddened like never before, “Busy night planned?”

“I….I….it’s not what…I mean, I just,” She fumbled over her words, hurriedly stuffing the items back in her bag. She almost felt like crying. 

“Shhh, I’m just teasing, mija,” He tried to calm her, “Nothing wrong with it, don’t get all worked up,” 

“Everyone else is at the club,” She said, “I just get bored,” She shrugged, noticing the stranger’s eyes on her again.

“No judgment here,” Eddie held up a stack of magazines, but quickly lowered them.

“Eddie…” She still felt eyes on her, “This guy is acting really weird…could you walk me out?” 

Eddie turned around and the man quickly looked away, turning his back. 

“Absolutely,” He set his items on the counter to pay, “Stick by me,” He said, still staring at the man as if daring him to look again. Eddie walked with her to the exit and outside. 

“Go straight back to your room, don’t answer the door just in case. Anyone who needs in will have a key. I’ll watch you from here and make sure you get back,” he said, standing on the curb, watching to make sure no one followed her. 

She hurried across the road and before going to her door she made sure no one was watching. Once inside, she felt relieved for multiple reasons. She took everything from the bag and shoved it in her duffel, reserving only the somewhat familiar dildo and the lube. She read over them as she slipped off her pants and panties. She was sure they weren’t complicated, but she was still new to these things. She climbed into the bed and under the covers, leaving her shirt on just in case. 

First she slipped a drop of the warming liquid on her finger tip and touched herself. It only took a few moments before it did indeed start to warm and tingle. Brinkley felt herself relax completely as she rubbed her own sex. She thought of the men that had been toying with her lately. She could always use her experiences with Curt, but she pictured a fantasy with Scott, too. She imagined seeing him between her legs, his stubble burning her thighs. She wished she had been able to see his dick the night before…

She didn’t rush her orgasm, instead backing off when the tingles built too much. She teased her entrance with the tip of the dildo, slowly pushing it in as she arched off the mattress. She worked it in and out of her quickly soaking pussy. She came, but did not stop, whimpering and moaning as she continued to assault her sex. 

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

“Did you see that?” Scott pointed towards the tinted glass facing the road.

“What?” Curt’s eyes followed Scott’s finger. He saw Brinkley jogging quickly across the road, carrying a nondescript bag, “Oh…guess she’s got her own plans,”

“Wanna go fuck with her?” Scott said, receiving a look from Curt, “I said fuck WITH her,” He reiterated. They both turned to the talent on stage, otherwise occupied with their traveling companions.

“Yeah, this isn’t my scene anyway,” Curt downed the rest of his double whiskey shot. 

They took their time making their way over, hoping that she would be given enough time to put herself in a difficult situation. Curt listened at the door and grinned when he heard her moan slightly. He slipped his key in the lock with a painful slowness, careful to avoid making noise. Once the knob loosened, it clicked and he opened the door. 

Brinkley heard the click and quickly stopped her self-pleasuring, bolting up in bed, but making sure the covers were up high enough to hide her partial nakedness. She tried to hide her labored breathing as she looked toward the door to see Curt and Scott walk in. She looked entirely too casual.

“What on earth are you doing in here,” Curt knew instinctively that there were no clothes under those covers. The TV wasn’t on and she was just here sitting straight up in bed, she must’ve not known how obvious she looked. Her flushed cheeks didn’t help. 

Scott smirked at her embarrassed visage. The faint smell of her sex was in the air and he picked it up quickly. 

“Just getting ready to go to sleep,” She fibbed. Some guy was following me around the…truck stop earlier,” She expanded the lie, “So I’ve been on edge since then…glad it's just you two,” She wasn’t sure she could say glad in all sincerity. But she could say she was relieved it wasn’t a creepy stranger.

“Were you having a nightmare? You look a little…excitable,” Scott said, walking over to her bed, “Need someone to give you a hug?” he teased, one knee on the edge of her bed.

“Oh god, no,” she thought.

“No thank you…” She shook her head, “No nightmares here.”

“Aw c’mon, you can tell me if you’re scared,” His large hand dug into the comforter on the bed and started pulling it. Brinkley panicked, holding the comforter around her waist as tightly as she could, but it was no secret he was much stronger. She began sliding inch by inch across the mattress. This forced the dildo that was barely inside of her to slip deeper and deeper with every tug. She had to hold her breath to keep from moaning. 

“Stop,” She begged “Maybe you were the nightmare,” She tried to skitter backwards but keep the covers. It was a tug of war that she had no chance of winning. She glanced at Curt for backup. He just stood a distance behind them with his arms folded, looking amused and not at all like he was going to help her.

Scott stopped pulling the covers towards him and leaned over, crawling towards her on the bed. The dildo wasn’t moving but was buried in her and Scott’s actions were starting to drive her over the edge. She was mortified that she might cum any moment. 

Scott flopped beside her and muscled her up against him.

“Dreaming about me, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised,” He said with a cocky aire. 

“I said nightmare,” She countered,”Big difference.”

“Poor thing, you’re shaking,” His hand slid over the top of the covers to her thigh, “I should probably stay. Help keep those bad thoughts away,” 

Brinkley was desperate for him to stop touching her as her sex threatened to betray her restraint. But she found it difficult to voice that resistance - her subconscious not wanting him to stop.

Curt recognized that Scott may very well be attempting to uncover the truth of her activities and that he may pilot the situation into motion.

“I”m going to bed, Hall, unless you two can do it silently, it's gonna have to wait,” He had to stifle a snicker at the mortified look on Brinkley’s face.

“Cock blocking me again,” Scott shook his head, “Leave it to you, Hennig,” He backed off a little, looking down toward her lap and then back to her eyes. He smirked knowingly as if silently telling her he knew she was naked. His wink as he turned to leave shook her a little.

“You’re a bad liar,” Curt was a little more openly amused now they were alone. 

“I’m not lying,” She defended herself overzealously as she tried to scoot back towards the headboard without slipping out from under the covers and prove him right.

“Baby, I could smell you the second I walked in the door,” He slipped his tshirt off and began undoing his belt as he stood at the foot of her bed, “You think I don’t know where that bag is from,” He didn’t have to point it out for her to know what he referred to. She didn’t know how he knew, but knew she had been caught red-handed.

She watched him, biting her lower lip as the dildo was still partially inside her.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” She defended weakly, “I just went across the street, I can do that if I want to,”

“Scott was about two seconds from fucking you,” he teased her.

“No he wasn’t,” She argued, unconvincingly. She watched as Curt let his jeans fall and slipped off his boxers. Her stomach flipped a little when she saw his partially hard member. 

“I’m not fucking you,” He stated, crawling under her covers, “But…doesn’t mean I can’t help you,” He reached out and grabbed her thigh, pulling her over to his side and spreading her legs. 

“Curt, you do’t ha- god, yes,” She fell back onto the bed as his hand explored, finding the apparatus she’d been using, he worked it into her rapidly, making her squirm and moan his name.

“No no no, you know what I like to hear,” his breath was on her ear, his tongue licking up the sensitive edge.

“Yes, Daddy,” she purred, enjoying the lack of control she had over her own sexual dominion. He kissed her neck roughly, his teeth barely avoided leaving marks. He used his free hand to direct her’s to his cock.

“Be a good girl and play with Daddy,” he murmured into her skin, groaning as he slickened fingers gripped and stroked him. He could feel his skin unusually warm. 

He drove her to another orgasm, not slowing the rapid pumps as she bit her lip to keep from screaming.

Curt hissed through his teeth as she toyed with his tip, flicking the ridge on the underside. A plastic bottle bumped into his thigh.  He grasped it, pulling it up to read. 

“I see…naughty,  naughty girl,” his voice sounded more like praise than admonishment.

“You seem to like it,  Daddy,” she lengthened and slowed her stroking.

“Do you hear me complaining,” he leaned down to kiss her, swallowing her sudden gasp as he began to fuck her with the new toy roughly.

[enemyoflactose]

Your OC Kiki looks really cute! Can you tell us a little about her? Personality, likes/dislikes, story, or anything you'd like, please?

Hiiii!

It's been a long time since I last told someone about Kiki, so I kinda forgot some of her lore. But I can tell you everything that I remember.

Kiki is from a world where everyone is either a magical species, has powers, or has an attribute that is increased to superhuman levels.

Kiki is a regular human, so she isn't a magical being like a unicorn, demon, or anything like that. Meaning she had to wait until a certain age to get her powers.

Except these powers never came.

You see, in this world you can't have any kind of major disability, Mental or physical, before you gain your power. If this happens, then your power becomes incredibly stunted.

For Kiki, she was in a bad car accident when she was 9 that made her partially blind and made it hard for her to walk properly.

So whatever power Kiki would have gotten, couldn't be harnessed.

This is where the ghosts come into play!

Ghosts are people that have died with unfinished business, or just haven't accepted that they've died yet. They have their own little community and everything because there are a lot of ghosts in this world due to a lack of reapers.

Ghosts get to keep the powers that they had when they were alive, but they get one new ability; the ability to transfer that power to someone who couldn't harness their own.

That's just what happens to Kiki! Only problem is, is that ghosts can't tell if someone has already been given a power by another ghost. So Kiki (and a few other characters) ends up with quite a few powers. No one knows it's ghosts doing this btw.

These people are called multix, and they are considered the weakest in society. They can't participate in the yearly power scaling festival and have to be taken in for medical testing at least once a month. Not to break the blockage keeping them from accessing their powers, but to remove the gifts and find out where they're come from.

Kiki can manipulate fire and air, breathe under water, heal people, and sorts of things! But it's really draining and hard to do so she usually doesn't.

I have different forms/outfits for when she uses these powers, but they all need a redesign.

Anyway, Kiki is a very nice girl if we all ignore the fact that she often pokes her nose where it doesn't belong and gives unsolicited advice. She is working on it, but still slips up.

She's very fun and bubbly, but also has a jealous streak. She hates that she can't control her gifted powers, and that everyone around her can basically do what she can do but way better.

Her likes include:

Cake

Her boyfriend Alex

Fashion

Sewing

Drawing

Friendship

Romance

Cats

Her dislikes include:

Fighting

Long work days

Horror movies

Snakes

People that don't shower

Her height (she's short)

Hospitals

Kiki is a seamstress and often makes her own clothes and does alterations for her friends and family. She may be half blind, but that doesn't stop her at all! She's still good at what she does, and her business is surviving.

Thank you for asking about Kiki! Sorry that everything is a little all over the place! I'm just excited to talk about her! I'll see if I can arrange my thoughts better soon 💞

[annakie]

So, some thoughts and screenshots on the first few hours of BG3 --

Indyara is my Half-Elf Bard. She's a character I have played in several D&D games, wanting to find a game where her backstory mattered and we actually finished the game. I'm actually in that game right now, playing every other Saturday morning, though there was one other game it... almost worked out for her.

Bard is my favorite D&D class, going back to when I played one in a 3/3.5e game for several years in the early 2000's, and I played BG1 & 2 with one.

Decently high CHA (16) but not sacrificing INT, DEX, and CON (14) while having a bad WIS (9) and STR (8). Let's see how that works out for her.

High Half-elf for that sweet CHA bonus and getting Firebolt, so I have an actual useful damaging cantrip. (Do not ask me for my diatribe about why everyone is wrong about Vicious Mockery being a good spell unless you want an earful.)

Absolutely fuming that they still are leaving the version number up and it's visible in screenshots. Cannot believe that oversight. Also that they leave menu buttons visible in cutscenes, what the fuck Larian? Found out last night that apparently hitting f10 should stop that, but that removes the entire UI and obviously you need to turn it back on. But for now my entire first day's of screenshots and videos look like ass and I'm mad about it.

Lots of screenshots and commentary below the cut. I didn't make it too far in-game and honestly I don't talk about the plot much.

Hey, look lady, we're both stuck here. Indy is very patient and diplomatic, whatever it takes to make it through every day as unscathed as possible, but this one might try that patience. At least she's useful. Let's see if we can make a friend.

Indy did save Shadowheart from her pod, but the way she and Lae'zel bicker is already giving her a headache.

Well this certainly is a development, and I'm sure whoever these two are will be completely unimportant in the hours to come.

I told myself I wasn't going to savescum when I failed a roll, but look, I'm not about to let Indyara Nat 1 on a CHARISMA check about magic when she very first meets the future love of her life. I reloaded this one.

Indy's initial impression on meeting Gale: a few seconds of "Wait, THIS is the one I'm going to fall in love with?" met with "Oh. I get it." a few seconds later. Very smart, polite, charming and funny? Sign me up, please.

Plus, we look great in screenshots together.

(Indy's hair is definitely lighter in sunlight than I intended, her hair was supposed to be brown with pink streaks (for bardic flair) but it comes out looking dark honey in direct sun. Ah well.)

A few minutes later though "Wait, this one is as charming and me, and extremely heroic? Are you SURE we made the right choice? They're both great. Can't we have them both?"

(Sorry Indy, we don't need two high-CHA characters in the main party. He's saved for another playthrough.)

Oh come ON. This isn't fair. Another one?

Poly mod... when? Or at least a list of who is officially OK with poly in-game? Shadowheart is growing on me, too, after a bit of a rough introduction.

I'm sorry, Astarion. I already took a level dip in rogue to be the party trap/lock skill monkey since we're bringing along the Wizard, Cleric and, for now at least, the fighter. (We'll see how long that lasts. This game needs more tank companions. Though I don't mind companions that are challenging, generally.)

I love having a camp again. Need better camp clothes, though, for all of us. I did do the Twitch Stream unlock thing, but haven't found those rewards in-game yet. Anyone?

Literally already started unlocking the Gale romance by the time I was just wandering around the Emerald Grove area. He loves almost every decision I make and I'm glad of it.

...of course there's a catch.

Hahahaha holy shit, Volo! I love being a bard in this game and loved bullshitting Volo, and he loved knowing he was getting bullshitted.

See, wasn't this a nice time, ladies, listening to this other bard sing? Let's have less bickering, more listening to Bards. <3

Astarion... I'm just not into Vampires. At least not with this character. Still, I like you. I wish I could have offered to help him find food here instead of just sending him away, but I let him down easy.

Indy found a cute hat at camp and is wearing the FUCK out of it. I mean look at her! And it helps with song of rest! (though it does considerably shorten her hair, but hey, it's a MAGIC hat so that's just part of the magic.)

I've played a Larian game or two before so I picked up Speak with Animals as one of my first level spells and do not regret it. However, I feel like I didn't help this Owlbear enough, though I let her and her cub be. Probably missed out on something cool here. Again, I'll pick it up in another playthrough. I'm trying to not google for answers to every puzzle this time and just play through blind.

OH HOLY SHIT WHAT DID I WALK IN ON. I'M SO SORRY FOR YOU AND FOR ME.

Oh no, Gale is into some other woman... oh wait that's Mystra. I get it, you're a wizard. And I'm a smart Lore bard who's also very into magic so uh, let's make some magic happen? Also, sorry we got this cutscene when Gale was at like 2hp so he's all bruised up. I love that it shows on the character models though.

Ohhh wait you DO want to make magic together? I'm down with that, and got to put bardic flourishes on all my responses to Gale's instructions. I LOVE this game, I LOVED this scene. Though I hate what the magic VFX did to Indy's face here.

Oh my God, is this the first flirt scene!?! Tell me it's the first flirt scene!!

I imagined slipping my hand into his hand on a romantic walk and... he liked it. This was very, very sweet. And getting to flirt over a shared love of magic was... *chef's kiss*

I'm also making great progress with Shadowheart. Okay, we can be BFFs. <3

Things to come indeed, Gale.

----

In Early Access I didn't get very far and honestly I think last night I made it about as far as I ever made then, or close to it. I basically went "Whelp I love this game, I don't want to spend my time playing through this now when I can go through it fresh later in like a year." (and then it was THREE, but that's fine.)

I'm fighting Phase Spiders but fuck that, I might come back when we all hit level 4. That fight sucked. I am trying to make "good" choices but have probably really screwed some stuff up. i feel bad that Astarion and Wyll get left at camp but they don't fit into my party makeup (I think I'll do a Paladin next and bring both of them along instead of Gale and Lae.)

Absolutely love all of the chances to shortcut quests and fights by Barding / persuading / lying my way out of it. So few things I don't love so far, though I definitely feel like I'm stumbling my way through the dark, not knowing if I'm doing the right things.

Can't wait to do almost nothing this weekend but play BG3. A full day of work, first, though. :(

[dabihawkswritingblog]

MHA Character ratings pt. 1/7

I've wanted to rate MHA characters for a while now, but felt weird about posting it on my main blog, so I'm doing it here.

There'll be 10 characters at time, with a rating for their hero/villain name, quirk name, hero/villain outfit, their characterization, and then their average rating.

Average rating does not indicate how well I like them. (though certain ratings might be influenced by how well i like the character)

Also, these are based on my own opinions, please don't be a dick about anything and any unnecessary hate will result in a blocking

Anyways, On with the ratings!

Pro-Heroes

1.) Todoroki Enji -

Hero name: Endeavor - His hero name works really well with his character, the word means to try hard to do or achieve something, which is the core to Enji's character. 8/10

Quirk name: Hellflame - That's just a dope name in general, and since he has a fire quirk it tells you straight up what's going on. I think it also works well in telling you that he's not a 'nice' guy in general since the word hell is negatively associated most of the time. 8/10

Hero Uniform - I dunno, he looks weird and off putting to me, it also makes him look a lot bigger than he actually is, which is good for intimidation (he looks better in civilian clothes to me, and i'm always thrown by how much smaller he looks). I'm also just not a big fan of spandex hero costumes in general either so.... 3/10

Character - He's a grade A bitch, the man is literally introduced as an abuser, something he doesn't really stop being until after becoming number 1, (I could make a whole nother post on Enji's character and why I wanna strangle him, but that's not for here). He's a great hero, you don't make #2 consecutively for years in a row without being good at your job. However, a lot of that is overshadowed by the fact that he's an asshole. Honestly, his rating is what it is just because I don't like him, and I probably never will, even if he's "getting better". 4/10

Overall rating - 5.75/10

2.) Takami Keigo -

Hero name: Hawks - It's a good name, but I don't think it really fits into his character well. Hawks are predatory birds and when a character is given a link like that they're usually aggressive, but I don't think that fits with Hawks. Then again, he might not have picked the name himself, the Commission might have picked it with an idea of the type of person they wanted him to be. 7/10

Quirk name; Fierce Wings - pretty cool name, and tells you that he has wings and that they're something you gotta be careful about

Hero Uniform - It's, eh. I'm personally not fond of it, I think it's just the jacket that bothers me, it looks weird on him, he looks pretty good without it. It is necessary though because he flies fast and high and needs to keep from freezing, the same way the headphones and earmuffs are. (maybe i just don't like the beige color). 5/10

Character - He is so relatable to me, and he cares so much about people in general. He's so willing to ruin himself to help other people. His character is just so interesting to me. (yeah, i'm a Hawks simp) 9/10

Overall rating - 7.5/10

3.) Tsunagu Hakamada -

Hero name: Best Jeanist - It's a weird name, but it fits him given that he's a popular hero and his quirk works best with denim 7/10

Quirk name: Fiber Master - I mean, he is the master of fiber, but yeah, the name tells you that he works with fiber and the 'master' implies that he has great control over, which he does. 8/10

Hero Uniform - It doesn't look bad, it's just a lot of denim, and the high collar is weird to look at, though I'm sure it's just so there's more fiber for him to work with. (wait, wait, wait, is he wearing 2 tops, that's egregious, take a point off) 6/10

Character - He's very level headed and is pretty smart, you can't make #4 without being able to do you job well, and having a good personality helps make that spot. He's just the kind of person Bakugo needs, I know a lot of people think someone like Mirko would be better, but Bakugo's biggest issue is that he's very abrasive, and not in a good way. He's a jerk a lot at the beginning and that's something that needs to brought down, he does not need to be insulting everyone he sees, Jeanist is exactly the kind of person to help with that. He's high enough ranking that Bakugo will listen, and has a steady vibe, he's not the kind to get riled up easily and that's necessary for dealing with Bakugo. 7/10

Overall rating - 7/10

4) Usagiyama Rumi -

Hero name: Mirko (or MIruko) - I couldn't find a translation for her hero name, so I don't know if there's a significance to it or not, so, 7/10

Quirk name: Rabbit - it definitely describes it, she's got rabbit ears that hear more, really powerful legs, and some 'animal senses' that alert to danger faster than other people 7/10

Hero Uniform - it's a leotard with some thigh-high boots, mmm, it's a bit sexualized. You can't say the leotard is so her legs are free to move better when she's wearing thigh-high boots, personally it gives a bit of a playboy bunny feel. But, she does look good, the outfit isn't off putting in anyway so, 7/10

Character - she's not aggressive but, she's very strong-willed. I think that as she's an Asian women her being more fiery is good given that Asian women are stereotypically shy and soft, so it's a good subversion 7/10

Overall rating - 7/10

5.) Susugu Mitarai -

Hero name: Wash - it's such a basic name, it doesn't give much except that it has something to do with cleaning 4/10

Quirk name: Clean Bubbler - it actually cleans, as seen in one chapter, so the name describes it well, it's an ok name 6/10

Hero Uniform - he is dressed as a fucking washing machine, I despise him, it's not even him just being a sentient washing machine, that would be weird but fine, the man chooses to dress that way, its ridiculous 1/10

Character - you don't really see much but he seems like a nice enough guy, he helps people even if they're being dicks about it 6/10

Overall rating - 4.25/10

6.) Ryuko Tatsuma -

Hero name: Ryukyu - the kanji used for ryu means dragon, and kyu sounds close to how the kanji for nine is pronounced, so it fits given that she transforms into a dragon and was #9 in the rankings 8/10

Quirk name: Dragon - wow, so descriptive, but it fits, she transforms into a dragon 7/10

Hero Uniform - it's a very pretty outfit and she's still wearing it when she transforms and it looks nice on her, the claws over her eyes is interesting as well 7/10

Character - mature and eloquent, another woman who doesn't fall into stereotypes, she gets to be a badass dragon but isn't super masculinized, she cares about the girls she has intern 7/10

Overall rating - 7.25/10

7.) Seruki -

Hero name: Selkie - he's a seal heteromorph but the name isn't just straight up Seal, selkies are mythological creature who are seals that can shed their skin and take a human form, he's a good mix between looking human and looking like a seal, it mixes really well 10/10

Quirk: Spotted Seal - it makes him a seal/human and is a good name that tells you exactly what's going on, and again, it's a bit more than just Seal 8/10

Hero Uniform - he's wearing a wetsuit and googles, it's visually unobtrusive and fits for the type of work he does 8/10

Character - yo, he's great, I love him, he's serious when he needs to be but is also very goofy other times, he's also one of the few heroes that aren't like main characters that the kids actually like 9/10

Overall rating - 8.75/10

8.) Kugo Sakamata -

Hero name: Gang Orca - a bit intimidating name, but necessary against villains and criminals, and he's an orca! orca's are cool, i like them 7/10

Quirk - Orcinus, well, it's not straight up Orca, it tells you that he's got some orca thing going on 7/10

Hero Uniform - very dapper looking, though the cape/tail whatever looks a little off with the way it hangs 7/10

Character - you don't see much of him but apparently he gives presentations at aquariums and that's so cute 8/10

Overall rating - 7.25/10

9.) Taishiro Toyomitsu -

Hero name: Fat Gum - mmm, it sorta works, like if you told me his quirk and then his name, I'd be like 'that works', but just the name doesn't really give much 6/10

Quirk name: Fat Absorption - his fat absorbs things and can even hold stuff in it, pretty spot on 7/10

Hero Uniform - he wears what looks like a tracksuit and some boots and gloves, it's not bad, it's just kinda bland, it probably helps him look soft to make sure people aren't scared and is easier to absorb and hold stuff since it's more flexible 6/10

Character - he's so nice, his jovial attitude meshes well with Kirishima and is a better personality for Amajiki to be around with his anxiety, a soft but firm person to help put people at ease and reassure the people around him 9/10

Overall rating - 7/10

10.) Shino Sosaki, Ryuko Tsuchikawa, Tomoko Shiretoko, Yawara Chatora -

Hero name: The Wild Wild Pussycats; Mandalay, Pixie-Bob, Ragdoll, Tiger - they're all named after cat breeds which goes well with their outfits, none of the names have anything to do with their quirks but is pretty cute 8/10

Quirk name: Telepath, Earth Flow, Search, Pliabody - all the names tell exactly what their quirks are, they're all pretty good for search and rescue work too 9/10

Hero Uniform - they where dresses with cat theming, it's sort of cute, but feels like a lots going on 6/10

Character - they're nice and so caring for each other and others, they're all willing to help people and don't drop Ragdoll when she loses her quirk 8/10

Overall rating - 7.75/10

[sanghyukstattoos]

SF9's reaction: first time over at theirs, accidentally leak

Warnings: mentions of blood, medicine (tablets)

A/N: None of the images in the collage are mine, refer to here for more; For more SF9, read here, for iKON, read here and for optional bias writings, read here

Safe and happy reading everyone!

Youngbin:

Partly anxious, partly thinks he knows what to do

He has a vague idea of what he should do, it presents itself to his decisions in the form of a solution but he isn't sure, is it what he is supposed to do? Suppose you have been asleep when he found out about your period, he will softly climb back into bed and wake you up. He'll hold you as and when you wake up and he finds it important to cuddle you all day long, even when he suggests that you watch something to distract yourself. He'll try to engage you in doing something like cooking as well but when he see that it doesn't work, he'll tell you that it's okay and pull you to the sofa where the two of you will spend the time either watching the tv or not but in each other's arms. You may go on a walk because he insists on getting fresh air and it's reliving, to feel the wind breeze through your hair, away from the growing stuffiness of staying indoors all day long.

Inseong:

''Oh, she must be in pain, what do I do?''

He may wake up because of your whimpers and heated body (you feel warm to the touch, much more than usual) so he wakes you up, giving you a detailed report of the blood stains and your probably high body temperature. He's freaking out which is cute before you sigh. The previous evening you felt your pms but when would it actually come? That was your question. Nevertheless, he leaves you to freshen up and takes the sheets for cleaning. He has some tricks up his sleeve; he knows that to do. When you come out, maybe hug him from the pain, his heart will squeeze like a towel filled with water, he'll press kisses on your face and give you gently words of support, ''You're doing so well. You want to lay down? I'll lay down with you, come.'' as he tugs you along. If you feel more active, he'll try his best to cook, as in, he'll give in his ultimate best. Extra effort so that you can eat food at home rather than from outside, it will taste good in the end because he would have followed the recipe and it's measurements to the t. Shining eyes should be following your movements when you taste his food, anxiously waiting for your response. Should you feed him, he'll melt, like a marshmallow. He loves you that much.

Jaeyoon:

Jaeyoon's a sweet heart

He'll ask you, ''Are you cramping?''. His voice is soft, almost down to a whisper. It draws you closer to him. You nod, pout whilst holding your lower tummy. You feel uncomfortable standing because of the pain, he knows it and draws you into his arms, holding you steady on your feet. He gives you little kisses on the cheek, teasing out giggles from you. He'll cook for you, maybe pancakes or avocado with fried eggs on toasted bread, whatever you want + as long as he is capable of making it, he may even surprise you! When you are eating, he'll give you company, his chin will rest in the palms of his hand and he'll give you this look where his eyes shine and the pads of his fingers drum on his cheek. He'll melt if you feed him, into a puddle his true form has been summoned. He'll make you smile, partly because of his cheeky jokes but also partly because of his own smile, lit cheeks that resemble a baking bun. He'll tell you not to apologise for the stained sheets, kissing your concern away. He'll join heads with you and figure out to do with it. The rest of the day, he'll spend it with you by taking you into his arms. Be prepared, fluff! passionate-driven! domestic husband! Jaeyoon is out to cuddle you!

Dawon I Lee Sanghyuk:

🥺🥺

He may wake up to your groans of pain, too disorientated at first to comprehend that you may be pms-ing so he'll go back to sleep. When he wakes up later on, the first thing he may say is, ''Shit.'', biting his lip but not yet thinking of a solution. He'll first check up on you, to see if you are still asleep or not. If you are, he'll let you you be and sit back with his mouth agape, wondering how this could happen. This may go on for some moments. He doesn't have even half the heart to wake up but if he has to, he will. When you curl up into a foetal ball, his heart will break. After you refresh, he'll rush to sort out a hot bag for you and maybe some tea and cuddle with you on the sofa till you begin to feel hungry (he may wait for when you are ready to make breakfast!). It's because he loves eating and so he'll love to see his significant other too. He knows that you enjoy what you are eating and that makes him happy, so he'll wait!

Rowoon I Kim Seokwoo:

Luxurious level Rowoon 💸💸💸

You may already be up when he wakes up. ''Oh!?!?'' is his voice when he looks at the lil' crime scene you left. You didn't stress about it okay maybe a little but decided to deal with it when he woke up. O-O is his facial expression. He can't believe his eyes. He's scared, he may never be able to un-see it again, ever. To bad for him, slightly better for you. You are already refreshed and not feeling to great, drained even before the day has begun but he's not asking anything, only how you are feeling. You settle in the seat beside him, pressing a kiss to his cheek, he greets you with a kiss back, discussing about your plans for the day. ''About the sheets'', ''It's okay'' he says, noticing your apologetic face, ''We'll throw them out'', ''Okay~ they are your sheets'' you laugh. Otherwise, if he wants to make love to you, your period may briefly hinder his thoughts but not by much, especially if you agree. He undress you in the shower and kiss you all over, to relieve the soreness of your body and fill you up. He would be okay to cock warm, to sit there with you on his lap and talk to you, giggle and laugh with you, occasionally cutting you off by giving you love-bites and sucking your nipples, nipping the area around them, if you find yourself comfortable with cock warming.

Zuho I Baek Juho:

Home-man Ju, never-leaving-his-cats Ju

But for you, it'll happen. You may have not brought pads or tampons with you because your schedule is hay-wire. If no and you have some then problem solved but if not, he'll leave you with a hot bag and run to the nearest store to buy you some pads. He'll hurry, knowing that you are in pain so he'll even say to his cats before he goes, ''Be good and take care of y/n for me okay?''. You have half a mind to chuckle at this adorable behaviour. In his pyjamas and slippers, he'll walk out, coming back with pads/tampons and food! Food! What's not there to love about this man? He'll bring your favourite snacks, putting them on a plate while you freshen up. If you borrow his clothes, you'll take his breath away. He'll put something on to watch or go out, like an amusement park or food stalls or wherever you would love to go. He wants you to feel better.

Yoo Taeyang:

Shocked or master level response

The first would be more appropriate for this man no? But I can't also help but think that he would see you in pain and move quickly. Without thinking of a plan or immediate solution, he would try to use what he has, a resourceful character is my point. He may rummage through the kitchen and medicine cabinets, standing there for two to three minutes, pondering over what he could use. He is quick to find a heat bag and warm it up, perhaps a wet towel that he thinks he will come back to and tablets for your pain. No doubt that his once blurry eyes and tired mind have disappeared to the back, your peacefulness of mind and sleep becomes his first priority. He takes you to the toilet and while you hazily strip off your clothes, he warms up the water and fills the tub with it. While you soak, cleaning yourself up, he lets you be, giving you the space you need to take a while and gather your peace of mind. There's a lot he would do for you. In the morning, he would cook for you and take you out. Later in the afternoon, you'll fall asleep together and in the evening, if you both are in the mood, he'll be willing to try and ease your cramps with releases. He's someone to be grateful for.

Hwiyoung I Kim Youngkyun:

Shy, to the bone

You knock on his door, ''Kyun?'', ''hm? You okay?'', he is curious. ''Yea, I'm going to the store and coming back.'', ''It's pitch black outside, I'll come with you.'', ''okay'', it's dangerous outside, anyone could be there. Just left the complex, he asks, ''What do you need?'', ''Tampons'', ''oh.'', he's flustered now. The tips of his ears turn pink and his cheeks- he can't resist them from going upwards. After scratching the tip of his ear, he asks, ''Does it hurt?'', ''hm, I can feel it, it's hurts a little but later it may hurt a lot.'', ''As in, unbearably?'', ''Yea and I think that I may have already leaked.''. ''Shit'' he murmurs, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, ''If you want, you could go home and I could get them?'', he asks, in all seriousness. He doesn't contemplate that he's never done this before but he could, for you. ''It's okay, I think I can make it. Plus, you won't know what to get.'', ''Call me, ''Are you sure about this?'', ''Absolutely, I'll drop you off and then I'll pick them up, do you want something to eat?''. The endeavours make you smile, now you are at the front of his house, ''Anything is okay with me.'' to which he chuckles. He knows what you want, ''So some snacks?'', in a teasing manner. He moves closer to you. It's a pause from the outside world, cupping your face entirely in his hands, he kisses your cheek. You softly gasp, slipping into his grasp when he lets go. You could smell his shampoo and the way he lingered, he's already telling you, ''Go up, I'll come to you.'' having you shake you head and tell him, ''thank you.''. As he begins to walk, he resists turning back and pulling you into a kiss driven by heat-blinding passion.

I guarantee that the kiss doesn't happen for sometime but when it does, you end up making soft love under the covers. He starts with mapping out kisses along your body + he loves how you touch him when he kisses you.

Chani:

Loving and admirable

When he sees you in pain, he hurts too, expressed as a pout or frown, tugging your hand and asking if you are okay. He wants to make your pain go away. He may be doing some work on his laptop, he'll hold you in his arms with your head on his chest and you softly snoring away. It'll make him smile, after all you were woken up so early in the morning by your cramps, waking him up to a few hours later to find that you made breakfast. It depends on who wakes up, one or the other makes breakfast after a long competition of seeing who can sleep the longest. He feels grateful and he tells you that, before saying that you shouldn't have when you felt this much pain and that he was okay with eating outside food. You have to smile and place a finger to his mouth to prevent his nagging from chewing your ears off and give him a little kiss and then immediately pull him for cuddles. Complain about how you are in pain and he will melt like a lolly on a hot summer day and instantly cuddle you, hovering over your figure that he placed on the sofa and tease you, maybe by feeling your waist to your neck to a small make-out session. It'll be automatic for him to compliment you and shower you with love, easily embracing you and kissing you to tell you that he loves you.

[rkgk-art]

Okay second try, so I doodled my MC for @lemonade-if 's game and I wanted to show these here and talk a bit about her :D

I had lots of fun doodling and coming up with a design, though I might still change some stuff around, we'll see.

Uh, I wanted to put it under a read more for people that don't wanna bother but it seems like it doesn't work, so I'm sorry _(:'3/ L)_

Anyways, here she is!

Her name is Hisakawa Kotone (久川コトネ), going by the stats we got told she'll most likely be:

Genuine and a tiny bit sarcastic, playful, charming, bold (general with people, shy in romance), emotional, positive and lawful.

She's friendly and respectful towards others (especially authorities and people older than her).

But she's got a foot-in-mouth personality, meaning that she talks before she thinks and may say something unintentionally dumb rude.

Academically she excels in scientific(?) classes like math and chemistry and the likes but is only average in everything to do with languages and literature.

I have no idea which club I'll make her join atm. She's athletic but I feel like you need to really commit for any of the sports clubs which sounds like a total bother. Cheering is not her thing, at all.

Art and Kotone aren't a good mix, she might be able to doodle some chibis but that's the extend of her artistic abilities. While she's sociable enough for journalism, in case they need to interview people, they better not let her handle the articles for the papers...

Kotone can play instruments tho I haven't decided which ones yet and is good at singing (though certainly no pro), but music club still sounds a bit boring to her. She wants to do stuff like that for fun, not for school.

Still, journalism or music might be the most likely to be chosen.

I forgot if it was explicitly stated in what sort of environment our MCs live? Like, a house or in an apartment complex? Though I guess judging by the example we've been given it sounded like the parents wanted to reason with their child that they moved places a lot because of commute and "rent being cheaper", so I figure money might be a topic and our MC probably lives in a tiny apartment complex now.

Does that mean no pets? My cat loving Kotone will cry.

I like giving my OCs significant birthdays (like holidays) so I decided on December 25th for Kotone. Since I also think smol girls are cute she's 161cm.

As you can see with the doodles I loved putting her in all sorts of clothes and hairstyles. She wears all sorts of stuff as long as they're comfortable and/or cute. Her go-to hairstyle is two braids and she loves long skirts/dresses which she pairs with sneakers.

Also I put her as some of my fav LINE stickers I might have a LINE sticker addiction which I thought fit her personality as well. I had more but I didn't bother drawing them all lmao. I like the smug one (bottom) and the fox the most, heh.

I'm a seiyuu lover (though mostly for the guys) so I wanted to imagine one for her too. I'm not too sure yet but I do really like Ohashi Ayaka (Angelina in Arknights) so I might go for her.

I'm a lazy ass so I usually don't make multiple MCs for IFs and just reuse my one MC for all the ROs. It's going to be the same here, but I typically have a "main RO".

I don't have one here yet because I like all the tropes the boys seem to represent (bad boy/delinquent, genki boi, notorious flirt and the kuudere stoic one) so I'll wait and see until I know more about the guys :3

While Kotone is not interested in the girls on a romantic level I do hope she can become BFF with all of them. Hopefully they can hang out a lot :D

Are sleepovers possible? She'd love those xD

I'm seriously looking forward to getting to know everyone. Not only the ROs but all the other important characters too (like Sensei).

I also can't wait to see what adventures my idiot daughter will go on Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

This story and its characters live already rent free in my head _(:'3/ L)_

To everyone that made it this far, thanks a bunch, you're amazing! I'll give you a virtual hug--as long a you're comfortable with that of course.

Also as a bonus, here's the one colored piece from above but with a different hair color. I didn't undecide yet at that point if I wanted Kotone to be blonde or pink I'm still a bit unsure I guess

But I thought pink-ish hair might be a bit TOO shoujo manga...which would actually make sense given this story's setting but still LMAO

I think that was the most important stuff I wanted to tell.

So...baiibaii!

[cellard0ors]

Ficlet: Beneath The Blue

Mermay isn't over and people enjoyed Part 1, so here's some more...

Rhett has a bit of a gambling problem.

No, that's not quite right. More like a gaming problem. He likes games. He likes the rush of winning and it's not so much about money as the thrill of nailing a dart on a bullseye or getting a hole in one or - well - being right.

He really loves that one. Trivia, guessing games, riddles - lucking out on the right answer or just knowing it, always makes him feel fantastic. He's had marginal luck in his life. With basketball, with singing, and now - with his new current career - fishing, but games?

Rhett's always mastered those, rarely ever a loser. But the thing is, to do those things, he tends to have to use cash as an entry to play, thus - a sort-of-not-really gambling problem.

And winning in those kind of situations is also a problem, because, after some time - it tends to attract...attention. And usually the bad kind. Recently it was very much the bad kind, because he was at The 101, engaging in his normal play only to be snatched up by some very rough looking characters.

Ones who took him into a backroom and decided to skip right over the 'broken knuckles' threat and jump right into the 'you're going to go sleep with the fishes' threat.

To be fair, they probably went quickly into the decision once he started fighting back. Rhett's not much of a brawler, but he's a big guy and that in and of itself can create...issues. Especially if his temper is up.

Long story short - Rhett's bit of a gambling problem led him to being clonked over the head (more than once, matter of fact) and taken out to sea. His last real memory before hitting the water was that he'd been amazed at the boulder they'd found to attach him to - where had they gotten such a huge rock from? A landfill?

Not that it mattered - rock, rope, and Rhett all went overboard and into the deep. Rhett tried not to hold his breath, to struggle enough just to get loose, but, in the end - he'd been lost.

Except he hadn't been.

He'd awoken to find the setting sun bathing him in golden light and, above him, an angel. Because only an angel could have such eyes. Eyes as blue and deep and mysterious as the sea he was supposed to have died in.

His throat ached from damn near drowning but he'd still managed to ask the angel for his name. And he'd gotten it.

Link.

But then the angel had turned, vanished, and Rhett had seen that - while he was right about his mythical savior - he was not at all right about what kind.

Because Link had a tail.

A fish tail.

One as sparkling blue and captivating as his eyes and he'd disappeared into the surf so fast, Rhett began to question his sanity.

Had he imagined it all? The entire experience had been traumatic as heck - maybe it was just a coping mechanism for his mind? But then, far out, he'd seen a head appear above the waters.

Seen it and a shy wave and he'd waved back, because what else could he do? He wasn't dead and he wasn't crazy. He'd been saved. Saved...by a mermaid (merman?) named Link.

Which leads to now and his camping out full time on this small rocky stretch of lonely beach. Rhett made sure to check in with the local marina, see if it was okay for him to dock his tiny fishing boat, The Bluegrass, nearby. And 'nearby' was about a mile or so away, because this bit of land is pretty unoccupied and small.

...the perfect place for a merman (mermaid?) to drop off someone they saved. And, hopefully, return to? Rhett's not sure - honestly, this whole thing might be a fool's errand, but either way - he has a tent pitched and is waiting.

Waiting to see if Link returns.

Night after night seems like a failure. Still, Rhett doesn't mind. He can be patient. His last haul (fish-wise, not gambling-wise) earned him a considerable amount, so there's no harm in waiting.

Still, as he sits here now, the sky a lovely lilac as the sun dips low beneath the horizon, he can't help but feel like time's running out. Honestly, what did he expect? For Link to return and want to...what? Be best friends?

The person...creature...per-creature? Did what he could and Rhett should just be grateful and move on. But there was something about him...and those eyes...and that voice...

Rhett cracks open another can of soda, takes a deep sip when he hears it. The water's waves have become almost a white noise at this point, so consistent, but this...this is different. Just a little splish. Or splash. Or whatever.

And it's close. He puts the can down and quickly surges to his feet, looking out intently over the water and then he sees it. Just the top of someone's head. His head. Dark wet hair and blue eyes behind...are those glasses? And Rhett can't see his nose or anything else, but he can see enough to cry out, "Hey!"

The head rears back, sinks some, and Rhett feels a surge of panic, not wanting to lose this opportunity, "No! Wait, wait! Link! I-!"

The head stops, goes still. Rhett continues on, desperate for this to continue, "Please...don't go."

He doesn't.

Bolstered, Rhett continues, hoping he's heard, understood, "I...I just-? You saved me."

Link simply blinks.

"Thank you."

There's a bobbing in the water around him and Rhett's pretty sure Link nodded. Rhett edges just that little bit closer, "I...I'd hoped you'd come back. Not only so I could thank you, but so...um...maybe-? Maybe we could-? Could talk-?"

Link sinks a little more again, but Rhett can still see his eyes and, as long as he can see those, he feels okay, "I mean...you-you came back. Right? So-so maybe you'd-? You'd like to talk too?"

Link's head disappears.

Rhett feels his heart break. But then he notices that the water is moving. There's a rippling, the kind he sees when fish swim close to the surface. As if to punctuate that thought, the broad tip of a blue tail rises up and out, pushing against the waves.

He's swimming closer!

Rhett resists the urge to hoot in delight, to pumping his arms in victory, as Link pushes forward and, on the next movement of water, he surges upwards - his whole head visible now.

Link's entire face is nice.

A strong jaw, a good nose, a very fine mouth and yeaaaah, Rhett doesn't want Link to swim off, so he's going to do his very best not to focus on that mouth too much as he says, "I'm-I'm Rhett."

Link licks his lips, dips his head shyly, "I'm Link."

"Y-Yeah, you-you said..."

They both just sort of eyeball one another, both clearly unsure of what to make of the other. Of how to proceed. Eventually Rhett does, "So, ah, you're-? You're a mermaid?"

Link's eyebrows rise.

"Merman?"

"Just Mer," Link clarifies, "Our kind doesn't really attach those bits on the end there."

"Really?"

Link nods, "Humans came up with that one."

"Oh? We-we did?"

Another nod, "Back when we first used to come across one another."

"...take it that doesn't really happen now?"

"Not really. No."

Another awkward silence falls. Rhett scratches at one cheek, struggling for something else to say when Link blurts, "You're hairy."

Rhett lowers his hand and - much to his own surprise - he bursts out laughing. Link colors some and he gives a bashful smile and okay, Rhett said he wasn't going to pay too much attention to that mouth, but it's hard when it's so danged cute, "Yeah, yeah I am, brother."

"Bro-ther?" Link repeats and it's clearly a word he's unfamiliar with. Rhett beams, "'Brother'. We use it for family members. Y'know, the boys born from the same Momma and such. Can be a term of endearment too."

"Oh..." Link seems pleased with this and Rhett grins, "You got one?"

Link's eyebrows knit together and Rhett explains, "A brother? Or-or some other family or-?"

"I was spawned from another Mer. She came to shore to give birth to me."

Rhett's eyes grow wide, "You-? You were born on land?"

Link nods, "Most of us are. Mers walk between both worlds more often than not."

Rhett lets that one wash over him even as Link comes closer. Rhett can see his tail better now. It's amazing. Glossy and sparkling blue, the scales tightly knit. Rhett's first reaction is wanting to touch it but he quickly shutters that idea - recognizing it as beyond rude. They've just started talking to one another, for goodness sake!

Still, seeing it rest against the wet sand of the shoreline is tempting and seeing it move, more so. It slides and slithers, but in such an enticing way. Rhett moves a little closer, foam teasing at his toes as Link looks up (and up) at him, "Hard to talk at this level..."

Rhett realizes he probably looks like a giant at Link's angle, the Mer practically lying at his feet, so he lowers himself down until his butt hits the sand, crossing his legs at the ankles, "Better?"

Link nods and Rhett does a bit of a wiggle backward to avoid getting his khaki cargo shorts wet. There's an amused smirk around Link that says he recognizes that action. But of course he does - Mers, apparently, can traverse between land and sea.

So, Link is probably aware of how clothing works. Has he ever worn clothing? Come to the shore? Rhett wants to ask so many questions, but isn't sure what's appropriate and what isn't, but Link beats him to the questioning, "Are you a fisherman?"

Rhett lets out a strained 'Ah-?' as he immediately realizes that the true answer will no doubt insult his new acquaintance, but, again, Link beats him to the punch, "You've got the attire for it. Flannel shirt, baseball cap..."

Rhett frowns, "You think fisherman have a particular attire?"

"To my recollection..." The remark makes Rhett chuckle again, unable to help himself, "'Recollection' - you sound so danged southern. Just like me. I was born and raised in North Carolina."

Link beams, "That's where I was spawned! My sire came from the same location. Not all Mers are from the sea. Some reside in lakes, rivers - any water deep enough to conceal us, but a lot of us return to the ocean, considering its the biggest body of water."

Rhett lets that sink in even as Link again asks, "So, you are a fisherman, right?"

"Um-?"

"It's okay if you are," Link assures him, folding his arms and resting his chin there, "It's not really a proud profession amongst my kind, but it's understandable."

Rhett's lips twitch from side to side, "So I'm not, like, catching up your friends or something?"

Link snorts, "What - you think we talk to them?"

"Heck, man - I don't know how it works," Rhett lets out a peal of nervous giggles, getting the idea that Link is teasing him. Link returns the laugh and Rhett relaxes as a realization settles in.

Whether or not Rhett wants to admit it, he did want Link to return. He wanted him to return and be his friend and it appears that that is indeed what is happening.

It's happening and Rhett couldn't be any happier.

[the-crowess]

Altrovough: Adventure on Every Horizon

Chapter 1: Out of the Dark I hadn't been playing for six months. Not because it had become too expensive. Not because work became too much for me. Not because I got a significant other. Not because the community was bad or anything like that. No, I hadn't played in six months because my avatar was stuck in a trap.

            There are glitches, you see. Somehow in this modern VR experience there are still glitches. And with glitches comes assholes who use those glitches to their advantage.

            So, here's what happened to me: Me and my party went into a dungeon. We split up. Two went one way, two went the other, and I (though I protested) was by myself. Even though I had a lantern when I walked down into the hallway it was completely black. That should have been my first clue that this was a trap of some sort. My lantern still had fire, but no light was being produced from it. Being promised treasure and being a dumbass, I continued forward into the dark. After walking just far enough into the hallway to make the doorway disappear, I sprung a tile trap.

            The floor beneath me sloped downward and I fell rolling after it. Head over heels I fell until I smacked my face and passed out.

            I woke up in chains. I was propped up against a wall. My wrists above my head were on short chains, and my ankles on longer chains.

            Okay, I thought, no biggy. I'll just restart the day.

            Okay, so that didn't work. Which is weird... I'll call my party members...

            No service? What the fuck? That's not even an element in this game!

            Well, uh, okay I guess I'll just bust out of these—rusty—old—chains!

            ...

            Nope.

            After exhausting my options, then exhausting them again I logged off.

For months I kept receiving messages that players were interacting with my avatar, so I would log on, only for them to laugh at me and be utterly and completely unhelpful.

            My party visited me four separate times. And all of those times were to make fun or my misfortune, even though they knew that ANYTIME they could unlock the chains and release me. The first time it was all of them together. The captain Jockster (or Jerkstar as I call him) had squatted down in front of me and said, "this is what you get, you know. Playing this way has consequences. Thanks for taking one for the team." Then he had laughed like the drug addicted jackass he was. The others laughed with him. The second time it was only Aliciandria (our rouge) and Marlquan (our cleric). They had been discussing what to do with me when Alicandria accidentally kicked my foot and I responded, and I woke up to them talking about if they should just kill me so that they wouldn't have to worry about how people were judging them for not helping me. The third time it was just Havanio (the sorcerer). He woke me up, then sat across from me and said nothing for an hour. He just sat there like a fucking douchebag and looked at me like I was some caged beast put there for his entertainment. And the last time doesn't matter.

            Players of all kinds and from all districts would stop by only to laugh at me. I became a joke, and even more that that I became a meme! Screenshots of my avatar hanging there like a prisoner spread all over the internet. To add to my torture, a player whose avatar was a homely goblin woman would harass me constantly.

            Behind the happy smile of someone who literally baked cookies for visitors was a demented maniac. This guy—I know she is a he because he fucking DM'd me dick pics. I think he harassed me for three reasons: 1) I fell right into his trap 2) My avatar is a hot man and I think Little Miss Goblin Man is gay or more likely bi and uncomfortable with his sexuality 3) I think he thought he figured out that the gender of my avatar and the gender of myself might not be the same, and he was definitely trying to intimidate me. This asshole physically and sexually harassed my avatar, and I couldn't even report it!

            Not like I didn't try to report it—when I did the staff would send in an NPC (Non-Player Character) and see literally nothing. So, in this trap: it's a glitch mixed with a non-invasive virus; meaning the virus only effects this one spot and not the whole server or game. It can't get into your computer. It like can't get past the firewalls or something I don't really know.

            So, not only did this jack-wad figure out a way to trap me, but he also figured out how to keep his dirty deeds hidden from the staff. For almost three months I continued to check in. Two weeks after the initial incident I jumped at every UAN (Unconscious Avatar Notification) but I quickly learned that nobody wanted to help me, they all just wanted to see if the rumors were true and maybe get a picture. Eventually I stopped responding and eventually my avatar fell out of the popular meme rotation.

...

BEEP. BEEP. UAN! Someone's interacting with your character! 😊

BEEP. BEEP. UAN!! Someone's interacting with your character.

BEEP. BEEP. UAN!!! Respond you asshole! You should log on!

"Uhg! Fine!"

I left my lunch (thinking I would return to it real soon) and went to my game room to log on.

I woke to a girl poking my cheek. I snapped at her fingers.

"Oh! Fuck!" She pulled her hand away, shaking off the close call, "you're hard to wake up! Not much for answering your UAN's huh?"

Standing over me was a girl of maybe nineteen. Her clothes draped and flowed about figure in Cleric glory. Great. A fucking cleric. She wouldn't've stood out more. Dark skin with undoubtably "sea green" eyes. Her hair was done up in some completely unattainable style that was loopy with braids and pigtails sectioned into pompoms; it was a shade of maroon that says, "I'm a supporting character, but I want to think I'm a main character!"

"Is it true you've been down here six months?"

"O.O.G."

"What?"

"Out. Of. Game. I've been 'down here' six months out of game."

"Holy cow, man! That's a while."

"Did you need something?"

"Excuse me?"

I made cold eye contact with her, "Did. You. Need. Something?"

"Uh... wellllllll, I heard a rumor that there was some poor fuck stuck down here who can't get himself out."

"Oh. Fantastic." An awkward silence split between us, "well, thanks for stopping by. Take a screenshot, it'll last longer."

She stared blankly at me, "no. I think you misunderstand. I'm here to help you."

"What."

"I'm here to help you."

I couldn't think. Couldn't fathom this thing unfolding in front of me, "what?"

She began to fiddle with the chains on my wrist.

"Wait, no!"

She looked down at me the way a mom would look at her two-year-old who says he doesn't want to eat mashed potatoes because they have eyes and he doesn't want to eat mashed eyeballs.

"Wait." As my heart pounded loudly in my chest, I asked her, "what do you want from me? Like, you—you can't just want to let me go. You must want something from me."

She sat back down on her heels and looked away, her lips followed her eyes away from me and back, and she said, "Well, no. Not really. Like I said: I heard there might be some poor fuck who was trapped and couldn't get out on his own. I thought for my first adventure, I'd go get 'im." Then she went right back to messing with the chains.

I laughed and shook my head.

She stood up and put her hands on her hips, pouting. Lordy, she was cute. The puzzled look on her face gave me some hope that maybe she might actually be able to save me. With a huff she sat down again and confessed, "you're the only reason I got this game. You're a meme, a legend. You're so classic that you're practically nonexistent. Every time this game comes up in social media you're mentioned. On all the subreddits, and in the deepest parts of tumblr—you're there. I just had to come see if you were real, and I was—and still am—planning that if you were actually here that I would help you out."

"No catch?"

"No catch."

I smiled to myself, knowing now that it was I who had the advantage. I could use her. After all, every party needs a healer. Now I just had to make sure she wouldn't ditch me anytime soon. "Are you sure you don't want to try and find a catch? I was a level 52 before this whole ordeal."

She perked up, "what's your level now, cowboy?"

"35."

"What?! You're so dilapidated and all your equipment was stolen. H-HOW?"

"Cause I'm just that awesome." This should do it.

"I've changed my mind!"

Perfect.

"I want you as a bodyguard! For two years—"

"One year."

"Alright, one year." She looked like she wanted to ask me to shake on it, but then thought better of it, "can I please help you out now?"

"Yes."

Very quickly, and with very little trouble she released me from my chains. Bruises and scars tattooed my wrists and ankles. How the coding of this game works is literally so fucking far beyond me. I pulled my limbs into myself, feeling the stiff resistance of time.

"Can you get up?"

Without needing to consider it I said, "no, I don't think so. Do you have any potions that will give me a boost?"

"Oh yes! I knew that if I found you, you'd need medical help immediately, so I spent all the gold from my—"

"All your gold??? Are you stupid?"

"Whaaaa? I-I... I—just—"

"Whatever. We'll figure it out. What potions do you have?"

She nodded very curtly, and pulled up her bag contents and read them off to me: "fifteen Good Health Potions, fifteen Great Health Potions, fifteen Fantastic Health Potions, ten Boost 'Ems, seven Leaves Of Health, two Gladiator Liquid Bandages and two Beats of Life. What'll it be?"

"Gimme a Boost 'Em."

She tapped on the icon and a Boot 'Em materialized in her hand. She put it out to me, but when I grabbed for it, she pulled away. I of course made eye contact with her, thinking she was gonna pull a fast one on me. Instead she said, "Valhalla."

"What?" My immediate confusion fell away into fear. This must be a trick. But why would she do that? It doesn't make any sense. I'm clearly smarter than her. It's me that's tricking her, why would she—

"That's my name. Valhalla."

The interruption of my panicked thinking threw me off guard. That's a stupid name. Before I could tell her how stupid I thought her name was she put the Boost 'Em in my hand.

Taking the potion, I had trouble removing the cork. Valhalla silently offered her help, but I shooed her away. I grumbled something about how I was perfectly capable of doing it myself.

With much effort and significant struggling, I yanked the cork out and threw it over my shoulder. Only for it to bounce off the wall and back into my lap. With the kind of drunken vigor seen at taverns I swallowed the creamy blue liquid. The moment it touched my lips, a feeling of power hit me like caffeine in a low-calorie energy drink. Going down my throat it felt like warm milk and honey. Electrifying energy flowed outward from my middle. It snaked its way through my arms and legs. It made my fingers and toes tingle like pins and needles.

I leapt up, a new man. I knew this wouldn't last long, and I knew that later this would end up hurting me more, but fuck.

Fuck this feels good.

"Do you have any weapons?"

"Uh, yeah." Valhalla pulled up her bag again and tapped on the Equipment tab. "What do you want?"

There were certainly more weapons than should have been in her bag if she had just started, let alone had spent all her starter gold on potions. I chose to ignore this. "I'll take the mace." I reached up and engaged with the weapon. The heavy steel handle materialized in my outstretched hand. By the look on her face, it must have been the first time Valhalla had seen anyone engage. I'm glad I was able to be the one to show her, in all the glory I could muster.

"This is a pretty nasty weapon, baby." I swung it a couple of times, feeling the weight; testing the blow power.

"I picked it up because I liked the color!"

I laughed, "I guess I overlooked the purple steel, but this will do nicely."

"Nicely for what?"

"Do me a favor, doll. You see that door over there? Go knock."

"Okay, but," she came right up close to me and stuck her face in mine, "I'm not a fucking doll."

"Noted."

I followed her as she warily walked to the door of the goblin woman's kitchen. Valhalla knocked timidly on the door.

"Come in!" The goblin wench cooed, "I just baked some fresh cookies! We can pose next to the body if you want!"

I caught Valhalla frown and furrow her brows at "the body".

Oh how sweet this will taste, I thought as adrenaline pumped through my veins. I passed in front of Valhalla whispering, "stay back."

I slid through the open door. The goblin hag had her back to me, this couldn't have been planned more perfectly. I crept up behind her with my mace raised above my head and my six-foot-five shadow engulfed her. She turned around with horror, a tray of cookies in hand. Her eyes widened and she tensed as if she were to scream.

But I didn't give her a chance.

"Your actions have consequences."

I let the mace fall down upon her head. The crack of her skull resonated harmoniously with the clang of the cookie sheet on the ground. Giddy joy sprung forth from me as I smashed the mace into her again and again. The second blow shattered her ribcage. Her ribs sprang up and splintered through her tissue. Smashing her hands made her fingers pop off, they flew in all directions. A blow to her thigh created a fountain. Warm blood hit my bare chest, my exposed legs. It splattered on my face. It coated my hands. It made the mace slippery in my hands. Her blood soaked what little was left of my shorts. It sprayed the walls, the kitchy table and chairs, the coffee pot and baking ingredients. Blood decorated the cookies that now laid scattered on the floor. 

Satisfied by the pulpy mound of oozing, squirting flesh and bone I subsided. Reaching down, I tore a blood-soaked rag from her dress. Turning to the wall I wrote LEAVE.

Standing back, I let out a heavy sigh. The effects of the Boost 'Em would soon wear off. I turned around and cracked my neck. I looked over in Valhalla's direction, but over her head. "I need some new clothes." I declared.

She stared at me. Her eyes pulled mine in and her mouth morphed into a grin, "fuck. YEAH!"

"Huh??????"

"Dude she called you 'the body'. And we both know that she was the reason you were stuck down here. Plus: THAT WAS AWESOME!!! I am so glad I came to find you! Best $130 dollars I ever spent." She then ran up and hugged me. The contact made me tense up.

I shook out of her embrace, "let's get out of this dungeon."

She led the way out. It was different from the way I had come in. We walked down the hallway that I had stared at for so long, hoping that somebody, anybody would come for me. Not ten feet into the tunnel we turned a corner and there was the exit. My stomach dropped. I felt sick.

It had been so close the whole time. Learning this made me want to revive that sonofabitch just to kill her all over again.

Emerging into the sunlight hurt my eyes. I was blinded.

What a sight we must have been. Myself: six-five, soaked in blood, starved, almost naked. Her: small, sweet-looking, fresh-faced, and not a drop of blood on her.

I still couldn't really see when somebody started talking. "Hey, are you guys okay?"

"Oh, we're fine," Valhalla sang sweetly sang sweetly next to me. At that very moment, I lost all my energy. My health bar plummeted, and sirens rang through my headset. My vison flashed red. I fell to the ground.

The group that had approached watched, alarmed. Valhalla looked like she wanted to eat her words.

Stupid girl. She had no idea what to do.

I had fifteen seconds before I'd die. This had happened once before when my former party and I had just started the game. We got attacked by a level 20 dragon and one strike had me seeing red.

10 seconds.

They were bickering about the best course of action. They had no idea I was on the brink of death. Valhalla stared at me looking like a lost idiot.

The sky began to spin. Valhalla's blurry silhouette swayed above me.

Did she forget about all that stuff she bought? How many gaming hours did she log before she came to find me? Did she even go on the tutorial adventure? I mean, you can technically skip it, but—

"BEAT." I coughed out then my head lolled.

The party erupted into tense panic.

5 seconds.

Oh please, please Valhalla. Please don't let me die. After all, you told me you came to save me. So save me!

Just as if she could hear my internal pleas, a beat was shoved in my mouth and my jaw forced upward from the outside to crush it. The juicy tuber gushed in my mouth. I felt Valhalla's hand on my lips, pressing down to keep everything in. I'd heard rumors of the experience of Beat of Life. Some players said they almost wish their party members would have let them die. The juice was hot, potent, and sour. So sour is made my jaw ache. It felt like someone was twisting a wheel, making my jaw tighter and tighter. My teeth felt like they were going to pop out of their gums. It burned my throat, made my eyes water and my nose run. My stomach did not want to accept it. I wanted to throw up, but I couldn't move. Hot flashes waved through my body. An ocean of churning heat pushed and pulled at my organs, my brain. I could feel myself sweating. Growing hotter by the moment. My head swam. My limbs grew numb. I passed out.

I was saved. Unconscious, but saved.

But Valhalla didn't know that. Stupid girl, skipping the tutorial. What was she thinking? Guess I'd have to ask her when I woke up.

And so I took off my headset and it was dusk.

[starlit-serenade]

Along the Red Thread | Chapter 1

🧣 Summary: It is said that a red thread connects people who are soulmates and destined to be lovers, regardless of place and circumstances. What makes this difficult is that you stopped believing in love a long time ago. OR. You go to Korea to visit your father after several years. There, a mysterious red thread that seemingly only you can see shows up when you least expect it, and you meet a childhood friend you’d never thought you would see again.

🧣 Chapter 1: 1,991 words

🧣 Pairing: Reader x Kim Geonhak (Leedo) / Characters: GenderNeutral!Reader; Kim Geonhak (Leedo); Kim Youngjo (Ravn); Lee Seoho (Seoho); Lee Keonhee (Keonhee); Yeo Hwanwoong (Hwanwoong); Son Dongju/Xion; a couple of OCs;

🧣 Rated: T / Warnings: Mentions of divorce (Y/N’s parents); Mentions of abuse (physical); Instances of abuse (non-physical); Mentions of child abuse; Swearing / Genre: Angst; Fluff; Soulmate!AU (Red Thread of Fate); ChildhoodBestFriends!AU; Happy Ending;

《 Boy Group Masterlist // ONEUS Masterlist // Series Masterlist 》

You see your father waiting at the entrance of the airport as you exit baggage claim. You haven't seen him in a long time, especially not alone, but he looks almost the same as he did when he moved here to Korea with his wife, who now stands beside him, waiting for you. She looks to be almost half your father's age, but you don't say anything. 

Several years ago, two years before you entered high school, your parents divorced, and later your dad moved to South Korea with his Korean wife. Since then, he would visit your home once a year, for a week at a time on your birthday. But you've never been to Korea before now.

You had a friend when you were younger who was from Korea. But a year after your parents split, he moved back home to Korea. You fell out of contact soon after, but you often wonder how he's doing.

You approach your father. Your height difference has changed significantly since you last saw him. You're now much closer to his height than you were before. His wife, a Korean woman you met once when he introduced you so many years ago, before he moved to Korea. You don't remember her name very clearly. It started with an S, maybe? Or a J? Something like that. Her black hair is cut in a short bob, and her smile is soft, almost insincere. A little boy you didn't notice stands beside her, looking up at you curiously.

"Hi, Y/N," your father says, giving you a hug. You return it, uncomfortably, and then pull away. You smile in an attempt to placebo yourself into feeling more comfortable, but it doesn't work. "How was your flight?" 

"Fine," you say. "A bit bumpy, but not too bad.

"Have you met my wife?" he asks, placing his hand on his wife's back. You shake your head.

"Hello, I'm Sooyeon," your step-mother says. She shakes your hand, then directs your attention to the little boy beside her, who is now hiding behind his mother's legs. "And this is Sunho."

You bend down to Sunho's face level, in sort of an uncomfortable squat. "Hello," you say, your voice softer. He waves with his tiny hand.

"How old are you?" you ask. His mother, Sooyeon, translates to him. He must not speak English. Or maybe he just isn't fluent. Sunho  raises his hands up to you, showing five fingers on one hand and his thumb on the other.

"Oh, six?"

"Yes, he's six years old."

You nod. Sunho smiles at you proudly, and he smiles back, still hiding behind the cloth of his mom's skirt.

"He's shy," Sooyeon explains.

Your father directs you out of the airport to his car. You sit in the back with your half brother, Sunho, while your dad and step-mother sit in the front and passenger seats. The ride to their apartment is quiet except for Sunho, who giggles as you make silly faces at him. At the same time, you watch the buildings zip past.

You haven't seen your father in about a year, but he's barely spoken to you since you've arrived, other than introducing you to his wife. You don't know if you should be surprised.

You reach the apartment, and your father helps bring your stuff inside. He shows you to your room. It's empty, and blinding white, as if they just had it cleaned this morning. You walk over to the bed to stand in the center of the room. It feels so empty and plain and large, compared to your small room at your home.

"Y/Nah," your dad says from the doorway. You turn to him, slightly startled by his voice. You've been here in Korea for a few hours and you still aren't used to his voice yet. "Sooyeon is going to have dinner ready in about half an hour. Does that sound good?"

You nod. "Yes."

"Y/N . . ." You look up at your father questioningly. "I'm happy to see you."

You nod, unsure of whether you feel the same way. There are reasons you live with your mom full time and only see your father once a year.

Your father closes the door as he leaves you alone to take in the room on your own. You set your bag aside and open the closet to find it empty. Since you'll be here for two months, you are expected to use the room as you wish. You don't have enough clothes to fill the closet yet in your suitcase, but you wouldn't be surprised if you collect additional clothes during this trip.

You put away all of your things, hanging up your jacket and putting away your shirts and pants. You stare at the bed. It's so clean that you almost don't want to lie down. But you're tired from the plane ride and the emotional exhaustion of meeting your father for the first time in forever. But also, Sooyeon is making dinner for the four of you, so you can't sleep, because that would both be rude to her and would also mess up your sleep schedule for the next two months.

With somewhere between ten and twenty minutes left before dinner--you haven't been keeping track--you decide to sit down on your bed and scroll through the internet and think.

You think about how you used to come to school and tell your friend, the Korean kid--gosh, you wish you could remember his name, he was so nice, but it was so long ago--about what happened at home the day before. You would tell him about how you couldn't sleep because your parents were screaming at each other again, or you would tell him about how your father hurt you or locked you in the basement as a punishment.

You sigh. Aren't parents supposed to be the adults you look up to? The ones who you learn from? Aren't parents supposed to be an example of a healthy relationship? But instead, all you saw and heard was screaming and violence. You grew up being afraid of your own safety, and wondering if watching your mother being hit or threatened was normal.

You frown. The more of that you saw, the more and more you gave up on the idea of a relationship. It was what love was supposed to be--doors slamming, screaming every night--you didn't want it.

Why did you want to come here and spend two months in Korea with your father again?

Right. You wanted to try to mend your relationship with him. Why? Because he wanted you to. And you knew that, if it didn't end up working out, you are now old enough to get a room at a hotel to stay safe if needed.

You sigh. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe you should go back home and--

"Y/N?"

You look at the door. Sooyeon, your step-mother, has opened the door just enough to poke her head inside the room. You must have been so deep in your thoughts to not hear her open the door.

"Yes?" you say, your voice light as you pretend to be happy and excited to be here and see her.

"Dinner is ready," she says.

"Oh, thank you, Miss Sooyeon. I'll be there in a minute."

"Of course. And please, call me Eomma," she says, smiling widely. You nod, though you aren't very comfortable with calling her the Korean word for mom. You already have a mom who raised you alone for the past six years. Why would you call this woman who you barely know cmom" when you don't see her as that? When you already have a mom that raised you alone? You'd rather call her Miss. Sooyeon.

"Thank you, Eomma," you say anyway. You're afraid that, if your dad finds out you're being disrespectful or disobedient, you'll get in trouble.

She disappears from the doorway, closing the door as she leaves, and you sigh. You're already so emotionally drained by being here, and you still have two months left.

You swing your legs off of the bed and stand up. All you have to do is get through dinner and then you can go to bed and sleep. Maybe in the morning, you'll feel better about being here.

You walk over to the dining room. Your father is sitting at the table, which has been set with table mats, plates and silverware. Sooyeon stands next to him, and Sunho sits across from him. He smiles at the sight of you and points to you. Your father and Sooyeon both look at you at the same time. They both smile widely, but their smiles don't make you feel comfortable. So you just smile at Sunho instead and sit next to your father while Sooyeon sits next to Sunho.

"So Y/N," Sooyeon says, halfway through the meal. "What do you like to do?"

You blink. How do you answer that? You don't know this woman. You don't know if she's genuinely asking because she's genuinely curious, or if she wants information for something, or if she's going to judge you and criticize you, or if--

You shake yourself. These are your trust issues speaking. Maybe you should just answer her like a normal person without trust issues would.

"I listen to music. And I play some video games. I read and draw a lot. I just finished my freshman year of college, so it's difficult to focus on my hobbies as much as usual," you say, sipping from your glass of water.

"Oh? What kind of music do you listen to?"

You squirm in your chair. All of these questions being shot at you are starting to feel like an interrogation, and it makes you feel anxious.

"I, uh, listen to many types of music," you stutter, your voice quiet from the internal stress.

"Y/Nah, don't mumble," your dad scolds loudly from next to you, causing you to jump in your chair. You're still not used to his voice, and him scolding you for the first time in years isn't helping at all.

"Sorry, dad," you mumble, ducking your head. 

"Answer your Eomma's question," your dad says, leaning toward you,  and you wince at him speaking so close to you. His voice is loud, demanding, and booming. The same that you remember, back when he would shut you in the garage or closet when you were twelve.

You take a deep breath.

"I listen to many types of music. Not a specific type, really." You can feel two pairs of eyes on you. Your father and Sooyeon are staring at you, while Sunho just continues eating. "Eomma," you add. Your father leans back in his chair, and you wish you could feel that relaxed.

You had expected that he might have changed in the past seven years. You'd hoped he'd become less violent and scary.

It seems he hasn't.

He's almost the same as you remember.

Loud, angry and intimidating. His presence demeaning power and attention from the rest of the room.

"You're in college, right?" Sooyeon asks.

"Yes," you confirm.. "I just finished my first year."

"And how was your first year of college?" she asks.

"Fine."

She nods, and doesn't ask anymore questions. You wonder if you made it clear enough that this is a topic you aren't interested in talking about with her.

You finish your dinner in silence. Your father allows you to wash your dishes before you head to your room to say goodnight.

You sit on your bed, considering the past few  hours you've spent here in Korea. It's not bad. The city is nice. The bed is comfortable.

But none of that really erases the memories of your parents screaming through the walls, the fear and pain you endured for several years and the loneliness you endured for several more years.

Really, you're not here for fun. You're here to mend a broken relationship that you're not even sure is worth salvaging.

[euphoriacrossing]

3 Star Island!

So I never dreamed I would get there this fast because I barely even tried, I just did the usual things, but in like one day I went from a one star island to a 3 star island and some of you know that that means that KK Slider is coming!

I can't believe I am almost finished with story mode. It seems like it went by so quickly and I am still so often in complete awe of this game it seems unreal I've almost "finished" it. But of course it's hardly OVER as I don't have a complete museum, a 5 star island, all the islanders I want, the exact look and style I want for my island, I'm not done upgrading my house, I believe there is a Nook's Cranny upgrade you can get as well as I think a museum one (I might be wrong on the museum but I thought maybe), my furniture catalog is far from complete. I mean, there are things to keep me busy for a long, long time. Just even dressing up differently everyday and/or running around goofing off with my sister or friends, there is plenty to keep the game fun for a while. And hopefully there will be updates that add more. Considering all the things that they left out, there is plenty more they could add back in with an update someday that would make a lot of people happy (say... diving for instance? I'm shocked that in an island getaway themed game they left out diving. Or even minigames, I am so heartbroken they didn't include minigames because my sister and I had so much fun playing those in New Leaf.) and until they do, I'll be forever waiting for the game to be "complete". So my Animal Crossing adventures are far from over.

Still there is a bit of melancholy that comes with finishing the main storyline of a game, even when there is lots left to do. And games like Animal Crossing play into that. Like really, KK slider concert as the credits roll? That is nostalgic for so many reasons, and makes your heart just break that the experience is "over". Ugh I almost want to skip that part all together to go back to just having fun.

Anyway, island update. Wart Jr. has moved in and everytime I see him I want to die. I'm not a person who usually minds the ugly characters so much, but he is like a different level gross considering his name is gross and he doesn't look too great. Maybe if he was a different color, or something and definitely he'd gain like half his points back if they just named him Kevin or something. But instead he's the worst. 100% my least fave character and he moved in automatically before I even knew how these things worked. Ugh. It's the kind of stuff that makes you wish you'd used some kind of guide. Games shouldn't make you feel BAD for /not/ using some kind of guide to avoid issues with gameplay. It should be challenging but rewarding, imo, not just punishing.

But alas, Marina is moving in tomorrow, so I can't be too mad. Actually yes, I can but I'd rather be excited. So I am. Very much so. She's probably one of my favorite characters from recently. I have older favorites but she grew on me in Pocket Camp when i was playing to tide new over until New Horizons and that's when I decided I wanted her here. So here she shall be, tomorrow, tomorrow, you're always a day away!

Roald moved in sometime too. He was just someone I moved in fast to avoid anymore Wart Jr type mistakes on the game's part again. I don't dislike Roald, but I'm not sure I'd ask him to stay if he were leaving.

Supposedly the rumor is you can move other characters out with amiibos, like once you are full the character will strike a deal with one of your residents to live there. So I am trying to move Coco IN next, and move Wart Jr. OUT. I originally wanted Tammy out but she can wait... she isn't as "gross me out" as Wart Jr. is.

And then as for island decoration, I really think I'm ready to have the path tool which I think I get tomorrow? As well as the terraforming tool? Not totally sure, but I would think so. I will then be able to start on finishing up my outdoor bath area, and starting really shaping my boardwalk by the beach area, as well as just giving the island more shape, paths and stuff the whole nine yards. I'm excited to see if I can turn what I've got into a 5 star island with time. I really hope so. I know my friends have the making of a 5 star island. I feel like my sister might even have a better start than I do. But I'm just gonna work hard, have fun, and remember it's just a game.

Oh also I have been having a lot of fun helping my sister out. She doesn't do as well saving money in these games (which is crazy to me because in real life she scarcely ever spends a penny) so I paid off the loan she was on tonight so she could expand her house, and I still have half a mil in the bank. Though I owe more than that right now myself, I just like to get it all collected before I pay. Anyway, though, I am happy to be my sister's in game benefactor as she's my real life one. I mean, while she rarely spends money, she bought us these games and some amiibo cards too, so yeah, the LEAST I owe her is a few bells.

She pays back the favor by doing things for me though too. Like she bought me the red lighthouse with nookmiles which she also struggles to make, because I wanted red and I only had the blue one. And she helps me collect materials like when I needed giant clam shells, or if I run out of stone she's there. She just does... sisterly things, and I do them back and it ends up being a really nice way to bond.

Gosh, it's a clear perfect night and I haven't seen one shooting star yet. What gives? If you have a certain amount of material saved do you not get any more chances to wish on a star until you use it? Haven't seen a falling star in a few days here. =/

And oh, I found some of the best boots and such at my sister's Able Sisters. Actually she always has better clothes than me there, but at least she let's me visit so I can get twice as much cool stuff to make outfits. I'm like... running out of storage space as I only have 400 now. Ugh. But the clothes! I love them. And my current outfit is totally rockin'.

(I had to go in Resideny Services because it was the closest place with light. And YES, I wear my sunglasses at night. It's called accessorizing. Lol jk.)

Anyway, I'm gonna see if I can find and/or make a tarauntula island and make me some bells. Full disclosure, the ingame tarauntulas scare me in real life, but I gotta make that money some way, some how, ya know? So I do it the badass way. 😎 lol, no not really that badass if you saw me die three times in a row trying to get on tarauntula. But still...

[beautifulramblingbrains]

The Dog - Chapter 5

Fandom: Vikings Characters: Ivar, Ubbe, Hvitserk, OC (However brief they appear.) UbbexOC Rating: This is Mature content with trigger warnings.

A/N: A big thank you to @murmelinchen for forever cleaning up my mess, and to those following the story.

First Chapter // 2nd Chapter // 3rd Chapter // 4th Chapter

Tags:   @pathybo@oddsnendsfanfics@sparklemichele@singingpeople@captstefanbrandt@equalstrashflavoredtrash@whenimaunicorn@kiiiimberlyriiiicker1995@emmysrandomthoughts@pokeasleepingsmaug@underthenorthstar @ariwolf14 @bcat1291 @tomarisela @romanchronicles @colours-of-my-heart (If you want in or out of the tags just tell me, it’s all cool :))

Avery was too tired to keep her head up any longer. Slowly, in a drift of sleep, she began sagging down in the saddle. She'd only just started to notice the bodily aches, and worst off, the smell of days without bathing. She was sure there was dried blood in her hair, and even in her weary state she checked her fingers for blackness like she'd seen on Benedict Biscop's feet. It had haunted her since she'd seen it.

Ubbe was relentless and continued on, eating in the saddle without much rest himself, though he didn't say a word. His chin would occasionally bump her head but the awkwardness of being shoved together had long gone.

Her body was beginning to tell her she couldn't take much more without a moment's peace from shivering. "Ooh bear," it sounded like she said. "Can we stop. I need to stop."

It was as if God was on her side, the pitter patter of rain beginning to hit their wears. A small tiny sense of hope dared to envelop her.

"Not now," he lowly grumbled, half distracted in his thoughts.

"Please," she whispered. "My god, I can't feel my toes."

"Not. Now," he growled and she almost retorted, but she was too weak, so that was the end to the conversation.

Ubbe had come to a halt, gazing far out into the distance, a light flickering in the darkness. Avery simply didn't care anymore and had turned in on herself, huddling for warmth and some form of comfortable position. She hadn't ridden horses so much before and was sure there was bruising.

It must have been because they stopped, he remembered her, because he suddenly grabbed her face and turned it towards him. Her lips had turned a sickly shade of purple, her skin burning to touch. He cursed some pretty sounding words. "Stulka, you're sick?"

"I tried… I tried to tell you."

He grunted, kicked the horse to move faster and cantered purposefully. Avery found the strength to look, seeing the smallest of farms getting bigger. Maybe it wasn't the fact that he suddenly remembered her, maybe he was thinking about rest himself and hadn't made up his mind until he put his focus on her.

A flutter of chickens scattering and hooves from cows thumping the ground in pens sounded as they trotted past, spooked by their arrival. Ubbe was down from the saddle in an instant, pulling her off, and carried her towards the small wooden door. He kicked it open and a family of four jumped up from the table. It was only one large room where they slept, ate, and lived, a curtain sectioning some of it off from sight.

He bore a sword for show while they begged, and Ubbe ignored them entirely, leaving Avery huddled by the door to throw back the curtain.

"The girl," he ordered, eyes still on the room.

"Please... Look, we don't want any trouble," the man began, hands out and pleading.

"The girl. The girl, now." Ubbe kicked over a chair while the mother of the small farm rushed to Avery. She helped her to the table, placing a hand to her cheek.

"It's-it's just the cold. You must've been traveling for a while."

Ubbe barely registered anything she said and picked up a decanter, smelling the contents inside before downing it. He helped himself to some eggs and watched two small boys cower in the corner of the room.

The woman pushed Avery onto another chair by the fire. "Start boiling water," she said to her husband. "Boys, fetch the bathing pot."

The room buzzed to life and Ubbe kept note of every movement. Stepping quietly up to Avery's side while her teeth chattered continuously, he revelled the glorious warmth the fire emitted before he got down to her level and whispered, "Be very careful with what you decide to say, stulka. I'd hate to see something bad happen."

"I can't… I can't even think right now," she stammered, and he merely clapped her shoulder, squeezing it lightly for good measure as he straightened.

Finally, when the bath was almost prepared, the sloshing of boiled water being mixed in the tub, the woman of the farm approached him cautiously. "I'll need to be going behind that curtain if you want her to have any dignity."

Ubbe nodded once and took a seat at the table with his sword placed between his legs, facing the curtain, back to the wall, while the husband and boys sat in silence as far away from him as possible. "It is a nice home you have," he said thickly in his accent but they only stared at him in fear.

Scoffing to himself, he relaxed, stripping a layer of furs off in the humidity of the room. He was graced with just enough view to see Avery being helped to undress while sat on a stool, her head down, but not out of embarrassment, the sickness had moved her beyond that. Her clothes were draped over the line with the curtain and she was aided into the bath before Ubbe decided to eventually look way.

"Get some water over the fire, keep it warm," the woman ordered, and she spoke softly to Avery, some of it Ubbe couldn't quite catch. "I want some warm milk too."

The woman and Avery had been in the sectioned part of the house too long and whispering too quietly for Ubbe's liking. He got up in silence and checked on the two young boys having been sent to the other side of the house to sleep first, then signalled to the father to not move, before throwing back the curtain and making his presence known.

Avery was still in the tub, a cloth over the entirety of it to keep in the warmth with only her head poking out.

"You look better," he said, folding his arms, seeing a more humanly pink glow to her cheeks and rosy lips. Her hair had been washed and combed away from her face, and she gave him a weak smile.

"Is this the sort of farm you want, ooh bear?"

He wasn't expecting that, and scoffed, the smallest etch of embarrassment because the older woman was still glancing between them. He paused and searched out the stool he'd seen Avery sit on before and pulled it up to be closer. Ubbe then scrutinised the older woman with a long sigh before making a decision. "Thank you. You can go to your children now."

She left with a bow of her head, and their private section flickered in dim candlelight from her movement. "Were you making sure I wasn't trying to escape?" Avery's voice brought his sight back to her, but she was smiling and lazily closed her eyes. "I wouldn't mind a farm if I could bathe like this every day. Is this why you want this life?"

He was reluctant to join in on such talk, running a tongue along his teeth, and then leaning forward on his knees.

"It's strange," she continued in a tired voice. "I have many thoughts on Vikings, but one living and running a farm is new to me. It's hard to picture it. And when I do, I see animals wrapped in leathers ready for battle."

"You're mocking me." But he meant it light-heartedly, not bothered if she was or not.

"No. Really." Avery's expression went sullen and she stared at the wall. "The woman wants me to stay and you to go. You could leave me here."

"No."

"I won't tell anyone about what happened. I won't even mention it." Avery moved and the water sloshed as she sat up more. "She said her husband would take me to the nearest town and I can find refuge. I have Benedict's cross-"

"You know too much."

"I don't know anybody to tell. Nobody knows who I am."

"And Benedict is a dead man," he finished her tirade of pleas. "And I have more use for you. So, it is a no. And stop while you are ahead. We will stay a little longer and then we are leaving, understand?"

"I should have killed you in your sleep," she hissed at him, adjusting in the bath, flicking more water over the side.

Ubbe only laughed. "You are obviously feeling a little better."

"I will do it next time," she said with determination.

"There won't be a next time."

The woman coughed as she stepped into view, and Avery sunk lower in the tub. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, fine," Ubbe said. "Do you have clothes for the girl; warm clothes? We will take them and be gone in a few hours." He looked at Avery festering angrily in the tub. "We are sorry to have frightened you." He said it for her peace of mind but she still didn't acknowledge him, so he stood up and dusted off his pants. "I will tend to my horse, but keep the water so I can use it. Avery has a pretty cross which will pay for your time."

"You wouldn't dare!" Avery gasped.

Ubbe threw a hand up nonchalantly as he walked away. "Pay the woman, stulka. And also for their silence," he passively warned.

As well as her original clothes, Avery now had another overcoat and furs wrapped around her shoulders. She felt stricken leaving the small farm. The man and woman who had aided them so without question stood in the doorway in the early hours of the morning to see them off. Their intent was most probably seeing them leave the property, but Avery didn't feel they were all too forceful. It was by luck to find people so forgiving.

Ubbe's horse snorted as she approached, and he hauled her up in front of him again. She kept her eyes in front of them, sensing his impatience. This time, even if she wanted to, she couldn't see him, her sight being blocked by her hood. Giving up the small idea of freedom altogether, she concentrated fully on her winding path ahead. She would be seeing Benedict again, the whole tribe of barbarians, a life that seemed far away when she had closed her eyes and soaked in warm water.

"Wait!" yelled the woman, dashing up the path. She was out of breath, eyes wide and messy hair, searching out Avery's hand and gripped it tightly. "I didn't say this before but I have to now." She heard Ubbe sighing behind her. "I believe you were our sign. Me and my husband, so far from the villages, don't ever ask for much in prayers but there is one thing we always do. And that is peace, in whichever way the Lord decides."

Avery shook her head. "I am just a slave."

"I was speaking about a Christian woman riding with a Viking man, stumbling upon our solitary farm when we thought our prayers were being unanswered. My faith is never stronger than in this moment." The woman shuffled around in her pocket and pulled out Benedict's cross, placing it back into Avery's hand. "This is yours."

"But-"

The woman shook her head. "It will buy us many things, but not a place in Heaven."

Ubbe clicked his tongue and kicked the horse to move off. It was only further up the path, beyond the fence posts of the animals, under the silent blue hue of the moon that he spoke quietly. "Don't cry, stulka."

The track they followed led them over countryside Avery didn't recognise, nor had she remembered what direction they went in, only that the moon had disappeared over her right shoulder long ago. Ubbe had started humming a tune for a while.

"What is that?" she asked on the urge. She'd been listening to it for long enough.

"What?"

"That song you're humming. What is it?" Avery glanced behind her. It tweaked her back, her hips, and she hissed from the ache, flexing her spine to relieve it.

"Put a leg over the side, change the way you sit." He stopped the horse and it naturally lowered its head to the grass, giving her enough room to put her leg over so she rode the horse sitting sideways. When it moved she felt she would fall and grabbed his forearm holding the reigns, looking away in embarrassment but not daring to let go. "I don't bite, stulka." He laughed to himself. "Or maybe I do, they call me The Dog afterall."

"I'm inside a heathen's grasp. What do you expect?"

"Oh, again with the heathen talk. I thought we would be over that. Is it a natural defense of yours to be immediately angry when you feel uncomfortable?" She didn't answer, blinking into the sunlight. "The song is something I knew as a child." He frowned in thought. "It's more a story turned into a song. I don't know the translation."

"A rhyme?"

Ubbe shrugged. "Perhaps. I will have to take your word for it."

Curiosity got the better of her. "So, what is the story?"

He smiled as she cleared her throat, peeking at him from the corner of her eye. "You are interested in hearing stories now?"

"You were the one to say you liked to tell stories on your travels."

"It's a sad story with meaning behind it," he said. "Sung softly."

"What is it with everything being sad." She pinched the leathers bound around his wrist, feeling the material absentmindedly.

"It's harder to forget maybe. But it's also a lesson. And with different people it means different things. I have my own thoughts on it." He tilted his head at her, more enthused that she was listening so intently, pushing him on. "But it begins with a young boy and a flock of sheep. His father has him work, telling him to be quicker and smarter and to think of the family - how his being slow-"

"Lazy."

"Yes, lazy, how it affects the family and future. One day he ventures out on a bad night when his father told him not to. He takes the sheep to a new, better place-"

"Pasture."

"A new pasture to feed. The weather is bad, and there is flashes and noise. The night hides the cliffs. The sheep become fearful and run in every direction, eventually to the cliff, where he loses every single sheep." Ubbe hesitates and Avery senses the bleak ending coming. "He asks for a punishment in return so that his father could truly see he was sorry. The Gods answer by blinding him. And it was their will for him to stumble blindly in fear like the sheep, and fall… To keep the sheep even in death."

Avery couldn't find words for a moment. "That's awful. Your parents sang you songs like that?"

"You miss the point, Avery. It's about doing a job too well - to impress. It is not as good as doing it because you wanted to, for yourself." Ubbe watches her crinkled brows, the light shadowing of her face, settling his arm to rest on her leg without her noticing. "What do you think it means?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"That he should have listened to his parents…" The corner of her mouth tugs up, only slightly. "And that he wasn't born to be a shepherd."

"Like I said, everyone has a different idea about what it means." Both their bodies swayed and their eyes met. "But I like the way you think."

Avery's smile faltered and she pushed his arm up and away from her. "How long is there left? Are we almost there?"

"Depending on how my brother travelled, we shouldn't be far." They both looked up through the the crowd of trees they had begun to ride under, the sun filtering through the branches until it grew darker, the only sound being the horse's hooves turning up the ground beneath them.

Avery took note of the use of 'brother' but kept it to herself because from the calm they had over the many fields, she grew suddenly wary, and Ubbe could sense it too. He stopped the horse, the animal's ears pricking up around the dense brush, the tree trunks thick and heavy apart from a single track that curved from sight. He turned so they were sidelong and studied the area intensely, a small bird fluttering quickly and calling a tune of danger. He silently descended from the horse.

Avery swallowed thickly, gripping the reigns and throwing her leg back over so she could ride properly, trying to see what he did and failing. "What is it? Ooh bear? What-"

"Shh!" He signalled ahead. "Keep riding. Slowly."

"Are you not coming? What's ahead? Am I to go... alone?"

"Do as I say." He pushed the horse forward. "Don't look for me."

"Maybe you should do this. I'm not good at riding horses anyway... I'm scared," she rambled off, turning her head to find him completely gone from view. Her chest heaved and she froze, searching for him to no avail. Breathing in deeply, she motioned the horse forward and it began to walk, its ears flickering to places all around her. She took the curve in the path ahead, further up seeing sunlight and an opening.

A loud whistle sounded, a cocky tune, a man making himself known, leaning up against a tree with a small knife twirling in his hand. He flipped it over and bared a smile with chipped teeth, and those that were left were black. "Hello, sweet thing." He checked behind her, eyes glinting in glee to find she was alone. "It's dangerous to go riding without an escort. What brings you through here?"

Avery's head snapped to more movement from the other side, another person appearing. She tried to steady her breathing. "I could ask you the same thing?"

"We're just following word. Apparently there is a lot of unusual activity around here." He tilted his head and began to approach. A thousand things ran through her mind. Was he talking about seeing Ubbe's men? Were they that close? Were they following the vikings from each village and picking up the pieces left behind? "Why don't we be more civil and get you down from that lovely horse there."

Avery yanked back on the reigns and tried to avoid him getting closer. The horse stomped its feet, but she was pounced on from the other side; the horse startled with a shriek and she was pulled from the saddle.

"Let's look at all the treats you have for us." Avery jolted her arm against the man holding her, testing his grasp, then seeing two more men slinking out from the woods.

The man with the knife just grazed Ubbe's sack when the anger rose in her. "Touch that and you are all dead men."

"Ah? Really? What's in it then?"

A thump, a sound so specific, like cracking fruit or pummeling meat, had Avery shrink in on herself. It was all so fast that she only had the time to flinch. Glancing at the man once holding her because his grip became loose, she saw him turning his head with a small axe impaled above his ear.

Ubbe came charging out of the brush and rid of the other two in the time it took Avery to blink. They were too surprised to make any effort to defend themselves, barely unsheathing their swords. It left the man with his hands still on Ubbe's personal belongings.

Avery pulled out Benedict's cross and held it up like she would a knife in case she needed to defend herself, shifting from foot to foot, holding up a piece of her dress with her other hand for personal support.

"You're a trickster!" the man bellowed at her. "A Viking's whore!"

Ubbe brought his sword over one shoulder and threw it like a spear, through the man's neck and digging upright, through him, in the ground. It wobbled and stilled. Avery could only watch, still prepped - what for, she had no idea, after all she had no skill at all.

Ubbe approached her, pushed her arm down while she caught her breath. "My brother must be close," he said, yanking the axe from the man's skull next to her. Then he went to fetch his sword.

"You had me walk into a trap!" Avery followed close behind. "They could have killed me instantly!"

"It's not a trap if I already know about it."

"I didn't know," she said incredulously, gesturing around her with a hand. "I had no idea!"

"You wouldn't have done it if I had told you." Ubbe was somewhat breathless, wiping his sword off with a piece of rag. "And I had to know how many were hiding, otherwise they could have killed us both. Or we could do it your way and just walk straight into them, take our chances we might pick off the first two to get attacked by the second lot. Maybe one of us might live, perhaps you. Then later a passing group of villagers may find your bloodied body twisted in the mud, huh? How do you feel about that?"

He passed her, his face inches from hers that made her step back. "Why are you so angry?"

"Because I don't like people questioning me! I don't like people who should know their place, raise their voices because they think they can. Now get on the horse and shut your mouth!" he ordered, gritting his teeth.

Avery clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her hand, her face pulled into a seething expression. She should be the one rightfully angry. Her life was put on the line without a second thought. They could have killed her. She watched him get up on the horse before she bent down and picked up a rock from the mud, and threw it at him. He looked shocked, his shoulders flinching inwards, glaring furiously at her. So she picked up another.

"Get it out of your system now, stulka. When we get back your attitude isn't going to sit well," he warned, just to receive a stick to the arm in reply. "Stop that!"

"What you are doing is no different to what they were doing!" She threw something else and he turned the horse around, circling her until thundering forward and hoisting her up in a strong lift, shoving her sideways in front of him. The air was knocked from her but she managed to cling onto him as the horse bolted down the track, the leaves whipping past, her body not in time with the horse's stride.

"You would be dead if you weren't bred the way you are," he told her as they slowed. "A heated mare. I knew you could do it, that's why I let you. And I know you are worth my time. Because you can help me on my path of conquer. And I know you will. Your fighting talk is only skin deep." He smiled down at her while he held her in his lap. "I heard you saying you were scared. Go ahead and deny it if you want to."

Avery's mouth was dry and she wet her lips, shifting to sit up properly. "I would be stupid if I wasn't."

"You should be scared. Remember where you are when we get back. Others are a little less friendly, and won't take the mockery of a Christian woman." He licked his thumb and wiped a drop of blood from her cheek. "I am what stands between you and meeting your maker. Or worse, a viking's whore."

Avery slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me," she hissed, steadying herself from the motion. "And don't claim to help me either. I hate you. I hate what you stand for-"

"Oh, this is boring..."

"I hate what you do. I will never stop fighting you. I will do what I have to, to try and help Benedict. But I swear, after-"

"Avery, there is no need to remind me of your long list of future plans while you hold onto my clothes so tightly." He raised an eyebrow. "You may start giving a man wrong ideas."

"I… I…" She realised she was holding onto him with fisted hands in his furs. She blushed, turning away. He'd won this argument.

But she couldn't let it lie, peering out on to the vast and bright field, the camp of Ubbe's party having set up a rather becoming sight ahead of them. She straightened her back, saying just loud enough for him to hear, "I still dislike you."

He chuckled, shifting to sit more confidently with the gait of the horse. "We'll see."