#it's basically a green and blue tails

[shadowsfascination]

A quick redraw of an old picture I stumbled upon. I believe I was like...10 years-ish when I drew the one below. It was heavily inspired by Sonic Heroes. I really enjoy the fact that after almost 20 years I'm still very much hyping over Sonic, drawing and writing ^^

[astaroth1357]

I have long wanted to write a headcanon where high demons have lesser forms, so take a walk with me on this:

Imagine that the brothers are fighting with each other and one of them takes a serious hit, like, somebody's left hook got them right in the jaw and it was brutal. They fall to the ground, stone cold, and... just. Poof into a tiny little critter. Like a verison of their familiar. And they can't retake human form until they've rested and healed their wounds.

I'm doing that.

Lucifer becomes this fat-ass, little peacock. He's like one of those rotund Chocobo from the Final Fantasy universe, you just want to pick him up and squeeze him but he's slightly too heavy for that. His feathers are black, save for the tail which have black, red, blue, and green markings. If something makes him "Poof!" then he'll hide away in the Castle because he refuses to let his brothers ever see him in that state. MC can visit him, though, and he'll coo and get all fluffy whenever they pet his tummy.

Mammon turns into a three-eyed raven, but not fat like Luci. He basically becomes a bigger verison of one of his familiars, he's about the size of an eagle. For being the second strongest he gets "Poof!-ed" rather often because he gets caught up in so many fights. Most of the time, he's just a bystander then some stray shot hits him and suddenly he's squawking everybody's ear off! Hilariously, he's arguably smarter in this form so when he's stuck as a bird, his grades actually improve (if anyone can read his actual chicken scratch penmanship).

Levi becomes a snake. Duh. He has similar markings along his back to the colorful scales on his neck in his demon form. He isn't even the length of your average scarf, so MC can drape him behind their neck easily and he doesn't get in the way. He's absolutely MISERABLE like this, though, because he has no hands to play games with. He can get extra clingy to people if he's feeling cold, but MC has to invite him to share their body heat because he's too shy to signal what he wants.

As much as Satan would love to be a cat, he becomes a little unicorn (Sorry, I didn't make the lore). He's about the size of one of those miniature horses, but don't be fooled. He will snap your kneecaps and he's at perfect height to rear-kick his brothers right in the crotch. His coat is black but his tail, mane, and the underside of his horn are all his signature green. If he every gets "Poof!-ed!" he's big mad, so he'll spend the entire time trying to kick and spear his brothers so they have to suffer along with him. He's the cause of a lot of chain "Poof!-ings."

Asmo becomes the smallest, cutest scorpion you ever did see. Well, as cute as scorpions can be. His whole body becomes hot pink and he has the biggest widdle eyes (think those jumping spiders who wear raindrops on their heads type energy). He's also venomous as all hell, so his brothers HAVE to make sure that they continously call him "small, cute, and adorable" lest they suffer a week's worth of paralytic toxin. He can fit the palm of a hand and makes MC tie a little bow around his tail so he doesn't feel too bad about being under-dressed.

Beel, unfortunately, becomes a fly. A big fly (by fly standards), but a fly nonetheless. You wouldn't even know that it's him if he weren't traffic cone orange. Literally everyone panics when he gets "Poof!-ed" because it would only take some bozo with a swatter to put an end to the sweetest brother... Belphie never lets Beel out of his sight and even has a tiny leash so he can keep track of him if they have to go out. He's a lot easier to feed like this, but everyone has to resist that automatic urge to smack him away from their dinner plates.

Belphie ironically has the largest lesser form out of his brothers. He's a cow, more specifically a bull, but there's nothing special about him aside from the navy fur. He is a full grown bull and he loves to lord it over the others if they all get "Poof-ed!" at once. Also, good luck getting him to do ANYTHING in this form. He is a bull. If he does not want to move, he will not be moving. Not even Beel can carry him like this. He's the only brother who doesn't mind getting "Poof-ed!" all that much because of it.

[lustlovehart]

Hard Stoned Gallery Dance

A/n: This was made like monthhsss ago, so I’m posting it as forgiveness for the lack of work i’ve been doing.

Pairing: [ Monster!Twst ] Malleus Draconia x Reader

Summary: Dancing is a beautiful past time, yet such a pretty act is ruined, when Malleus decides to let his affections for you run rampant. (Wc: 1.9k)

Warnings: Kissing & Licking, Murder/Death of Minor Characters (Not explicit), Possessive traits, Clinginess bordering obsession, a little blood, Biting/Marking

Your head leans itself on the rough surface of the stone wall. You’ve finished your objective for the day, so giving yourself this break is well deserved, ten minutes free of Crowley’s nagging is still freedom despite how it sounds. Your eyes can’t help but look up at the pretty blue sky, it stings to look at but you don’t mind the pain, seeing something so clear is worth it.

That cloud looks like a cat.

…

The taste of indulgence is quickly stripped out your grasp when the familiar sound of dragging stone resonates through the air, grating to your ears.

“Child of hunters, what may you be doing here?” His rock-hard face interrupts your view of the sky, green solid eyes look down on you as he casts a shadow on your visage.

Despite his body being made of pure stone, his eyes give a faint green glow, as if a bioluminescent moss grew there. His hair, his wings, and even his tail freely flowed as if he were just a regular Dragon hybrid. But alas, he is some sort of statue— Oh no not a statue, in his words a gargoyle.

You forgot about the difference one time and in turn, he gave you a 3-hour lecture on the difference between a grotesque and other gargoyles. Never again…

“I’m trying to hide from my boss.”

“Shall I be rid of him for you?” His mouth forms a little o as a small puff of a green flame releases from him.

“That would be a bad idea, I’d lose my source of income.” He quirks an eyebrow up at this., to be fair, you don’t think he has any clue what a “payday” is.

Despite his confusion, he lifts from his bowing form, a hand reaching out towards you in all its mossy glory. You’ve known him long enough to know what he wants.

A dance.

You don’t try to hide your exasperation as you take his invitation, albeit a bit slow. His stone body quickly pulls you up and into him. With how much tamer his form is compared to other beasts you know, it’s hard to remember that he’s part dragon, and even worse is part of the only few monsters who know magic.

So as of right now, this marks your third time dancing with one of the worst monstrosities currently on the bounty list. No maybe not one of the worst… From what you remember from Crowley’s ramblings (which isn’t much since you tune him out when possible) he’s probably the most dangerous.

You get the basic idea, but you’ve never truly seen for yourself why he’s considered so terrible. Is he not just a glorified water spout? Compared to a Kraken and an Incubus, surely his damage isn’t so grand to be warranted as the biggest beast to hunt.

“You’ll always be welcomed in my castle, you would not be short of accommodations either.” his hand rests upon your waist, pulling you closer than need be. His invasion of personal space is akin to a parasite leeching off its host, but you let him feed of you. Whether it’s from fear or a bond, you’re not decided.

Your movements are sluggish at best, but you can still remember the basic steps in the dance, your foot sloppily setting itself down where it should be, the occasional step on stone happening once or twice though.

“Considering the current state it’s in… is that even safe for me to walk in…? It looks like one good shout and the bricks holding the place together will crumble apart…”

“That is just the disguise we give it, as to not alert others of our presence. For you though, I’m willing to make it stand out if it makes you happy.” The hand lying on your waist retracts itself as he takes his other clawed limb and twirls you around, falling back into position when the spin is done.

“… I’ll think about it.”

“I’ll wait as long as it takes.” You know he’s not lying about that. You can distantly recall when a certain mystery monster had told you the tale of a longing dragon who perched himself at the opening of his window to wait for a certain hunter's return.

“Yes, he was so determined to be the first one to greet you, why he even stayed sat at the window for 5 months. It was quite endearing hehe.”

“Doesn’t it take hundreds of years for you to erode? Maybe it’ll take me 50 years to decide, by then I’ll be old and grey and you’ll be perfectly fine.” You take a step forward before the gargoyle's grip on your body tightens significantly, shrieking when he suddenly dips you down unprepared.

His freed hand takes your other arm and lifts it up to rest on his shoulder. Green sparkles are faintly flying around his lips as he slowly leans into the soft skin on your arm. His face leans in and presses chaste kisses on your limb, the gentle texture of his mouth catching you off guard as it tickles your body. Now you get it, he must’ve cast a spell to temporarily soften his lips.

He had attempted to kiss you once without taking this precaution, in turn, you gave him a face filled with discomfort at the stone texture that kept peppering you.

You can still remember the hurt face he had on when he saw your dislike towards his affections.

On his ninth kiss, his forked tongue peeks out from his mouth, licking a stripe up your skin. He finally lifts you up after the assault on your arm, his face only a few inches away from your own. It would’ve been quite the romantic atmosphere, had your nose not catch a sharp smell, and a horrible wretched one at that.

“You could be on your last breath and I’d still wait for an answer. But I hope that won’t happen.”

“Who knows, I work a dangerous job.” what is it?

The both of you twirl in unison despite the lack of music, your bodies in tandem as they move to just the sound of your surroundings. Though, your body is a little more sluggish than his own.

That stench… Is too familiar.

Eventually, your last steps fade out as you stop in your tracks.

“Is something wrong dear hunter?” Your grip on his shoulder fastens, if he was human you’re sure you would’ve broken his shoulder.

“What did you do?”

A smile is lit on his lips, his head tilting to the side, giving you such an innocent look, like he did nothing wrong.

“Whatever are you talking about?”

“The smell… Iron… This whole time I thought it was just the smell of the forest. But…” You swiftly pull a dagger out from your side, throwing it past his shoulder, the tip of the steel piercing into what sounded like wood.

He doesn’t turn back, only continuing to smile at you, as if you’re the only existing thing here, or more accurately, the only thing he cares about.

The bark of the trunk splits in half, falling to the ground, revealing the source of the stench. The top of the tree isn’t green, it’s red and brown.

4 pairs of hands stick from the leaves.

“You… What did you do Malleus–?!“ he’s quick to twirl you again, his grip on you tighter than it’s ever been. Despite your protests, he continues dancing as if you hadn’t seen anything.

You’re suddenly stricken with the memory of your first meeting with the beast, blood coating his mouth when he looked at you, pure admiration when he had finally met the muse everyone spoke so dearly of.

“Malleus, you—!“

“Tell me, dear human, was it not you who spared me?” He dips you down. “Was it not you who saw a beaten beast and allowed him to live?” He lifts you up. “Even as you walked away with a piece of stone you let go of one who’s rendered thousands over the years,” he pulls you in. “Dead” every action with your body is harsh, but not enough to hurt you, never enough to hurt you.

Because why would he ever wish to harm you?

He’d much rather smother you in affection, even when you’re exerting all your energy to kill him as he hugs you.

“It’s because you…”

“Looked so human?” He continues to keep you close, impossibly so, your skin melting into his, not from fawness, but fear.

“How did you know-“

“You’ve spared so many of us because we made you feel something in the moment,” he must be referring to everyone else… The look you gave him is dazed, caught up in the thought of every other monster you let get away. His fingers cage your chin in between them. “But don’t forget what we are.” Sparkles fly, temporarily blinding you.

When you open your vision, you’re greeted by the sight of Malleus, with the appearance of what he looked like if he was human, or at least similar to a human.

His skin isn’t rough and solid, his breaths are warm, and his hair is soft and pretty rather than a soft moss.

His eyes are a nice green, a pretty green. A color you would’ve enjoyed more had he been a human. Such a lively color shouldn’t be backdropped by crimson, yet, it is.

Behind him, several other trees collapse on themself, revealing the other tops, the same as the tree you had just seen. Views of stray limbs and vaguely familiar faces of hunters invade your mind, panic setting as you finally realize a question you should’ve asked long ago…

Why was Malleus so far from his castle?

Before you can react, your ears hear a faint whisper, eyes going heavy as little pings of thorns claw at your shoes. The last thing you see and feel, is his face leaning towards you, his finger loosening itself from your chin.

In a blink of an eye, he’s no longer the human you spared, but the monster you let escape back into the wild.

The fiendish of smiles is graced on his lips. Not because of evil, but because his smile, is so love stricken.

All because of you.

“Seems the little birdy fled the nest without permission.” Your eyes slowly flutter open, the familiar figure of a man bowing on top of you. “Now, I’ll forgive you as we weren’t expecting such a beast to appear-“

He’s immediately cut off in his sentence when a searing pain cuts through his chin.

“Augh—! How could you kick me after I spent precious time searching for you!“

“You’re the reason I’m here in the first place…!“

“I didn’t do anything!“ Despite your annoyance towards Crowley and all he stands for in your life, you can’t deny if someone had seen this scene play out in front of them, they would assume you two to be a father and his bickering child.

You attempt to stand to your full height, faltering at the pings of pain in your ankle. You suck in a breath, looking down as you nurse hurt skin.

There are briar thorns wrapped around your leg, a single rose adorning the stems, and a gentle green hue that contrasts the pure black of the floral life.

“Oh my, what were you doing last night?”

“… Night?”

“You’ve been gone for 36 hours my birdie.”

You don’t feel any different… Save for the prickle of thorns and fresh bite on your arm.

… Fresh bite?

Despite the indent, it doesn’t hurt, it’s like, he left it there as a reminder of your failures, at least to you. It could very well be his way of staking his claim on your heart.

“It’s a shame you didn’t get him when you could’ve, with your connections, you could’ve spared us a huge loss today…” you’re cruelly reminded of the people that lay to waste hidden in the trees. “We should let today serve as a reminder of what you must do.”

Crowley doesn’t look happy at the sight of so many employees who failed their jobs, yet he doesn’t look grieved either.

You… Truly, you wish you weren’t so softhearted during your missions. Maybe then, this could’ve all been avoided.

A/n: Like I said, this piece was from so long a goo, so i’m so sorry if the plot isn’t to anyone liking, but if it is, i’m happy you enjoyed it!!

[monster-match-if]

Welcome to Paradise!

A few decades after the mystical veil between the human and supernatural world was shattered there are still efforts done to fully integrate the two societies. What better way to achieve that than an international & interspecies dating show?!

Ten lucky beings are going to be selected for the first ever edition of Monster Match, and embark on a month-long vacation on a tropical island. Follow your heart or mind when making decisions and win the public’s favour. At the end of the month, the fan favourite couple will win a whopping cash prize of €500,000, to keep or split between them.

Couple up, have fun with the various challenges and most importantly stay alive find love!

And beware of what’s lurking in the shadows!

Genre: Reality TV dating show, monster fu- lovers. Love island the game, but with monsters. Strictly 18+!

WIP - some things may still change on the way.

Play as Male or Female.

Choose to be a Sweetheart, a Charmer or a Flirt.

Have fun or stir up some drama between the other contestants!

Find love or do it all for the money.

Split the prize, or keep it all to yourself… if you win.

Choose between 5 gender selectable ROs and two male partial ROs.

Try to figure out what's happening to the eliminated contestants or ignore the gnawing feeling.

Entirely choice based, the stats are there for flavor text. This is an excuse to write monster, ermm, loving content. The story is rated 18+ and will contain NSFW and maybe some gore along with other dubious things. There will be fade to black options and skippable scenes as well as preference options and some pretty tame and sweet routes, but why are you here if monsters are not your thing? Read at your own discretion!

Morgan → Vampire🦇 - M/F - 6’  Tall and pale, with dark hair and crimson eyes, and an infuriating naturally gorgeous body. Always has the hair styled neatly and preferes classy clothes. An incurable flirt. Expect: Blood and biting related activities. Not particularly loyal.

Elindorn / Eli → Deep forest elf 🏹 (basically a drow) - M/F - 5'7 / 6'4  Tall with an athletic swimmer’s body. Dusty lilac skin, long milky white hair and pale silver eyes that seem to look into your soul. Expect: actually… the most well adjusted of the bunch. Elves mate for life.

The bombshell - Blake → Incubus/ Succubus🌶️- obviously M/F - 5’8/ 6’4  Deep brown skin, short curly black hair and vivid blue eyes. Horns and tail in their “true” form. Skimpy clothes to attract potential vict- partners. Expect: open relationship, multiple partners, life… sucking?

Kitai → Kitsune 🦊- M/F - 5'5 / 5'11 (Casa Amor contestant) The shortest of the group, but the most attentive and ready to please. Ivory skin, long jet black hair and yellow eyes.  Expect: probably the sweetest, most wholesome route, tails - nine of them.

Fionnlagh / Fion → Cecaelia 🐙 (yes, tentacles) - M/F - 5'6 / 6'3 (Casa Amor contestant)  Tanned skin, long wavy red hair, and green eyes. Eight crimson tentacles in their “true” form. Expect: foursome options, but otherwise tentacles and fun, dubious consent-ish if you squint.

Partial ROs

Ragnar → Werewolf 🐺 - M - 6’9/ 8' when in werewolf form Only RO available strictly to F MC and only one who will break up with MC if they cheat or don't have the same views. Tall and built like a mountain, with lightly tanned skin, brown hair and beard and kind brown eyes. Covered in tattoos. Expect: *sigh* knotting, breeding, bestialityithink??

Seishish  - Sei  → naga 🐍 (yes 2 🍆) - M - 6'2 / 11' long with tail out  The Host - not being a contestant will limit interactions in the first half of the story, but he is also an endgame RO. Rich olive skin with a golden hue, long wavy platinum blonde hair, hazel snake eyes. Gains a lot of length in trier half-snake form, the tail an iridescent golden colour. Expect: dubious consent-ish if you squint, ovo…ovi… the eggpreg thing.

Other OG contestants

Warlock/human - Gael - M Human - Kat - F Siren - Oralla - F Fairy - Feyre - F (original name, I know) Angel - Arael - F Demon Azrorath - M

Demo coming soon

[jjungxkook]

blackout (halloween drabble) | jjk

⇥ pairing: roommate!jungkook x reader

⇥ genre: est rel, roommate and college au, fluff, crack, smut

⇥ rating: 18+

⇥ warnings: really just the tiniest hint of angst, but otherwise just crack and fluff I think, spooky szn, he's the Joker and she's Harley Quinn, lame college party, the gang is there, forest stuff, reader is a bit sad and disappointed in jk but he redeems himself!, kissing, sexy times, unprotected sex, choking, spanking, jerking off, fingering, sex in a janitor's closet haha, ass love, and yeah!!

⇥ wc: 5.4k!

⇥ author’s notes: happy early halloween! I will be busy next week, so I thought I could post this one already. also, since it's been one! damn!! year!!! since I dropped anything at all (sry!!). I promise Encore is on its way, so enjoy this in the meantime. very unedited and I started it just yesterday, so pls no hate haha okay that's it!! love you!!!

⇥ summary: Jungkook and you seek a carefree and calm Halloween this year, until it turns into this… nightmare.

–

Jungkook’s make up is smudged beyond repair… And you strongly guess you aren’t faring any better.

Your costumes are basic to their core. In the past hour alone, you’ve seen half a dozen of you. Jungkook rubs at the eyeshadow above the apple of his cheek, smearing the black some more.

He looks like the Joker at the end of his mental capacity. A worse mess than DC’s character already is. Only, Jungkook is still rocking the look – one damn kink of yours if you had a specific one. It’s the loosened tie… the purple coat–

You feel at home in your own role. Sporting the peroxide blonde hair, tied in two tails, one ending in a faded blue, and the other in a dim pink. You purchased colored hair sprays just for today, but can’t wait to wash the chemicals out of your hair.

Jungkook ruined one of the pigtails approximately an hour ago, and it hasn’t recovered since then, no matter how hard you tried to fix it. In truth, you didn’t mind the tugging at that moment anyway.

How could you? Not with the endorphins pumping through you at lightspeed, enhanced by the darkness around you at that stupid college party.

The student representatives organized this year’s big fete, though they must have forgotten to add the fun factor to it. Because the party was lame: the bar was filled with students from various departments, but most of them remained either sober or wound up broke.

Because the drinks were painfully expensive. The numbers on your bills spooked through your mind when you looked at the price, further frustrated when you realized that they weren’t selling much more than dry, small pizza and flavorless toast.

Once again, for an outrageous price.

Halfway through, the two of you snuck to a bathroom, relying on each other’s company alone. But the toilet cabinets were either taken or unspeakably disgusting – so in the rush, you settled for the pitch dark janitor’s closet instead.

You could barely see his silhouette in there, half sober, but not quite acting like it. Intoxicated by how he suckled on your neck, more a vampire than the Joker. Or by how he probably bruised your thighs, your shorts and tights down to your knees, much like his green pants.

You remember the whispers in the dark. The quiet “Wanna pound you into the mattress” and the “We should really go home.” Accompanied by the way he rubbed his cock against your stomach, body inches from you as his fingers dug into your pussy.

But you wouldn’t make it home yet, because his movements were too rapid to stop. The tears pricking your eyes too prominent. The hand around your neck wouldn’t stop pressing in, and you were firmly fixated on jerking him off to the end.

There was no way you were going to go home yet.

When he kissed you, you could taste both your lipsticks on your tongues. And then, cheek against the wall, ass out as he slammed his thick cock into your tight space, you tasted all the spice and sweetness he could offer.

God, a fucking man starved.

You still feel how his thighs held yours together, and your ass cheeks still burn from the palm and nails scratching, slapping, squeezing the flesh…

You tried your best to fix your make up afterwards, but you looked like modern art in the worst way, eyeliner and mascara dry on your face. The Joker’s cheek scars reach to his ears now. And as you look at him now, you still shiver.

His sweat-soaked mane hasn’t fully dried yet, a bit longer than weeks ago. Gives him that wet-hair look you usually enjoy after his showers. And behind the collar of his dress shirt, you still catch a glimpse of the lipstick print he wanted before you went out.

“Here,” he’d said, pointing to his thick, bare neck, adorned by a vein, “I’ll even open a button of my shirt just for this.”

And you were absolutely ready to mark your territory – it seemed he was just as enthusiastic about it. That is, before you forgot and then rectified your mistake in that bar bathroom. He can flex it now after all…

Anyway. Where were you again?

Right. The purple coat.

There’s something incredibly insane about how he’s draped it over his shoulder, both hands in the pockets of his pants. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up, his arms veiny and strong. A full lower lip is light red now; your make out session made the bright red fade.

And the goddamn black around his eyes… he could throw the mildest statement at you, and you’d probably still be intimidated.

Could almost distract you from why you refused to give that neck kiss in the first place. Or why you were veiling your true mood.

“What are we gonna do now?” Jungkook asks, nudging your elbow.

“What do you mean? You’re not tired?”

But you understand the idiocy of your question the moment it tumbles out – you’re asking the wrong man. This guy, you have well noticed, does not sleep until late in the night. And a healthy sleep schedule becomes even more of a foreign concept on holidays.

So you’re not surprised when he blows a raspberry and almost mockingly responds, “It’s not even midnight.”

“That’s late, Jungkook,” you still try.

“Not on Halloween.” Yeah. Just what you thought. “Besides, we need to wait for the witching hour. Wanna see the ghosts come out and whatnot.”

You laugh, the scolding hidden behind the smile. “Kook…”

“We could play Uno again!” He suggests, but you instantly scrunch up your nose. Most of the time, he wins – it’s probably why he enjoys it so much. But his next idea is worse. “Or Until Dawn.”

“No way,” you shoot. “You know what’s gonna happen, right?”

Judging the conniving smirk, more daunting with the eerie make up on, you guess he knows very well. He must remember last Halloween as well as you do.

Back when you let him convince you into watching Silent Hill with him, you were already at the edge, but – the sudden knocks at your door and impatient ringing of your bell didn’t help.

You jumped in place, accidentally kicking his shin and nearly knocking over the popcorn. You shed an immediate tear, convinced your heart was going to give out. Jungkook, between the cries of ache, was chuckling, and soon holding your head to his heart.

The cursing against his chest is cemented in your mind; you remember that he turned the movie off for you and switched to something tamer on Disney+.

“We’re together now, Pumpkin,” he tries to argue. “I’ll kiss your fears away.”

You’ll admit, you like the tone of it. It hasn’t been very long, so any term concerning your togetherness covers your skin in chills. And considering how it’s Halloween, the nickname gains just a bit more warmth, too.

But you stay resolute, dodging his constant nudging as you repeat, “No way!”

Your words stop Jungkook in his tracks. The laugh disappears and even his eyes change. Maybe you came off too strong, because behind the mask of the Joker, he looks insecure and taken aback.

“Are you… Okay?”

“Yeah,” you answer.

You pull down the crop top under your open jacket, clearing your throat when the movement forces his eyes to your chest, right where the shirt stretches over your tits. Folding your arms in front of your torso, you raise your chin in the confidence that’s barely there.

You lie, “Yes. Why?”

“You’re acting like you were before we left. Then you were okay at the party.” He points into a random direction, presumably the one you came from. You don’t know how many turns you took since then, but you’re near the woods now. “Now you’re not anymore again.”

“I’m fine!”

Oops. Too strong again. Maybe the built up frustration and disappointment aren’t gone after all. You thought the evening might change something – apparently not.

Once again, he asks, “Are you sure?”

You stay silent. Look away, haphazardly across the street. The street lamps illuminate the dark path, covered in leaves, surrounded by trees. Has a real Halloween feel to it.

You watch ghosts stroll past you. Some of the students on campus still carry a young, tender spirit, cutting holes in thin blankets to drape them over their bodies. It makes you smile.

But then you look back at Jungkook and immediately wish you had a cloth hiding your true emotions, too. Because when his eyes pierce those dejected holes into your body, you finally cave in.

“You… you know that I was top of my class, right?” You avert your stare, but then decide to focus on his chin instead. “Mr Kim liked my paper so much that he even offered that I join his research? And he’s like, very cherished in the Sociology community?”

Aside from the wind, nature and the world go quiet for a second, just when you do, but then you say, “So it’s a huge opportuni–”

“I know… You told me.”

Oh. So he remembers.

“So I told you,” your voice is quieter now, “and you just… didn’t seem to care? You haven’t spoken about it or asked even once. Not even what the research is on.”

Like a parrot, he repeats, “I know. I… I got busy with my own exams and…”

He stops midway and you wait. Maybe there’s more to come… Or maybe not. He doesn’t budge. You feel your heart drop… You assumed he had forgotten or that you might’ve hallucinated telling him about it. 

But the fact that he remembers, yet doesn’t have it in him to care hurts.

You swallow hard and then sigh, unable to say much more than you already have. He, yet again, purls, “I’m sorry.”

How shitty.

You’ve always helped him with his assignment, each time he needed any aid. He reciprocated it, no doubt, but. Now that you think about it, he distanced himself the moment you got this news and forwarded it to him.

You feel horrible. If you physically could, if you weren’t frozen in place, you’d pour out your heart to him. But all you know is that your mood has dropped to the Earth’s core, your mouth barely open when–

A rough tug pulls you away from Jungkook’s body. You stumble, almost tripping over your own feet, and yelp. There’s no way to still catch your bag mid-air, because whatever culprit snatched it off your shoulder, is already running away.

And into the dense forest. Fuck.

You use all your throat’s might to scream your lungs out, screeching at the perpetrator, “What the fuck!!”

“Hey!” Jungkook yells in kind, following right behind you the moment you start to sprint.

The asphalt is easier to tackle than the forest, though. The ground is soft, still a little damp from the rain of the last days. And the white-black-red Harley Quinn boots with their thick heels do not help.

You chase the figure – he’s tall, a bit too fast for you. Wearing a mask that you’re sure was… green?

You swear and pant when he picks up on pace, and throw more insults into his direction when he takes a sharp, sudden right. Jungkook jogs past you when you look over your shoulder for him, instructing quickly, “I’ll trap him from the left!”

And then, he’s gone. No. What?

“No, I– you can’t leave me alone!” Nothing comes back. Shit, your boyfriend wants you dead. “Fuck.”

With a shake of your head and a deep inhale of a breath, you move. Perhaps you’re too late, because by now, you don’t hear any steps anymore. You don’t know how far behind that thief left you, but as you find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere, you halt.

You can’t see anyone anymore. Not the guy. Not Jungkook.

And it’s so uncannily quiet. Dark. The leaves rustle, but only when the breeze blows through them. You search the spot, but there’s truly nobody and nothing; not even a goddamn squirrel.

You call for Jungkook, but don’t receive an answer back.

Where did he go? Did he catch the jerk? It must’ve been a Shrek mask. Of all fucking things. And why do they always run into a forest anyway?

No matter. At least you’ll be able to describe him to the police.

You suck in a breath, leaning down, hands over your knees. Out of air, you groan as your lungs burn. But then you get up, swallowing and sniffling, scared as you whisper to yourself, “The phone…”

You fish it out of your shorts – Hallelujah to whoever created this costume, because they’re a whole lot better than the pocketless jeans in your closet. If you’d put the device in your bag, you’d be screwed properly.

Activating the flashlight, you turn in a slow circle. In the silence, only broken by grasshoppers and other chirping animals, you hear your heart pounding in your ears. A shaking hand holds your phone as you look around.

And right when you’re already through the 360 turn–

Fingers wrap around the hand clutching the phone, definitely not yours. There’s a call of your name, but you barely take the voice in, flinching and screaming in place. Has your voice ever sounded this high pitched?

Ready to throw your phone at him and roundhouse kick the stranger, you lift a leg, but he immediately grabs your wrist in a familiar gesture. Turns the light to his face, squinting at its intensity, and eventually, you realize that…

“What the fuck are you doing?” You spit.

“I was looking for you!” Jungkook answers, lowering the phone. “I didn’t find him.”

“Yeah, I didn’t either! But fuck, why…” You still can’t breathe properly. A hand moves to your chest. “Why did you scare me so much, I–”

Your limbs are trembling, knees attempting to force you down to the ground. But you hold yourself steady, anger growing bloody red inside you. It bubbles and simmers, and when he doesn’t respond, you almost snarl.

You push at his chest, eyes damp. You want to throw more shit at him, even though he’s not at fault – and once you realize, you calm down just a little. The forest is still around you, and you’re still not out of it by far.

Yet, you feel at ease. Because he’s here. Because he’s standing there, in the middle of the night, at fucking Halloween where you could run into any insane axe murderer.

But when you understand where the comfort is coming from, your heart slows down, still beating in your stomach, but at a more normal pace now.

“Fuck,” you whisper once again, and then stumble forward and into his arms.

He cradles you with the fragility of a glass doll. But the squeezes he provides offer warmth your chilled soul craves on this autumn night. Hushed, you hear him speak, “Baby, I…”

His words drip with hesitation and… guilt even. Wrong timing; you can’t dwell on the uncertainty now. Still sniffling, quivering, you press against his chest again. Softer this time, yet unyielding, you demand, “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I’m sorry. This is my fault.”

“No–”

“Honestly, I should’ve just… Congratulated you.”

Wrong timing indeed. He’s agonizing over something that you aren’t bothered with. Not right now, at least. But you heard it so clearly in the timbre of his voice – that he didn’t mean the jump scare. You let him continue.

“I worked so hard on my stuff, too, and then got jealous. Which is absolutely not a good boyfriend treat to have.”

“Kook–”

There’s turmoil in his words. Ugh, what’s going on?

“I’m genuinely thrilled for you. And I–”

There’s an entire conversation to have, you’re sure. But the timing. The fucking timing!

He wants to unveil more, but then something happens. A flicker in your peripheral vision alerts you of a movement, and when you turn your head, you see the same mysterious figure lurking in the shadows.

God, he’s insane. Your guts twist.

Was he eavesdropping all along, or was he simply hiding, trying to remain invisible, inexplicably unwilling to flee? Why did he not run before? This is odd. So chillingly odd.

Or maybe he was still nearby and trying not to make a sound…

You don’t know. And time is not a luxury you can’t afford for pondering such enigmas right now.

New adrenaline surges through you, different this time. The fear is clear, but the guy seems pathetic to a certain level – and if he’s so keen on roaming around, you’ll make sure he stays right in your proximity.

So you listen to the hammering of your heart, and without a second thought, you dash towards the stranger who appears equally startled and disoriented. You feel like a charging bull, closing the distance at an astonishing pace.

That’s what they probably mean when they speak about mothers being able to lift cars for their kids, because you feel invincible. Your shoes may not be designed for such a pursuit, and you’re certainly not as hardcore as Harley Quinn, but they lose against your determination.

The trees blur around you as you relentlessly chase the intruder, only clearing in your vision when you finally catch up with him. Jungkook might be behind you, but you choose not to look behind you this time.

Instead, you yell a battle cry, growling through your teeth, “Don’t you fucking–”

But that’s all before you tackle him to the ground. You expect a fight, expect his slim limbs to fling around, but he barely moves. He lets you push him onto the fallen leaves, and the only glimpse of any sound by him that you catch is a weird voice crack.

“Fu–” Is all you notice, but you can’t analyze the voice before Jungkook is helping you up again. 

You protest, but still get to your feet, watching Jungkook pull the man up harshly. He says to you, “You caught him.”

“Guess so.”

You take another breath, jaw clenched when you move to the stumbling thief and attempt to take the mask off. Shrek, as you said. You can’t quite say whether that night is terrifying or absurd. Probably both.

But the guy fights your try, suddenly mute again, but not resisting when Jungkook pulls at his arm and starts leading him somewhere. What? 

“Where are you going?” You ask, confusion sitting in the valley between your eyebrows. “Let’s go back and call the police, Jungkook.”

“There’s gotta be an opening. Keep going, I just need light to see his face.”

“I have a phone. Jungkook, sto–”

Seems like a very risky moment to ignore you, but Jungkook moves forward with determination. But it’s strange how he isn’t looking around. Never searching his surroundings, as if he already has a certain target in mind.

Now, you’ll admit that his sense of direction is unerring on any other day, too, but this is…

“I swear, you’re gonna kill us both,” you hiss, reflexively lowering your voice in the darkness. The masked mugger is grunting too much to hear you anyway, but you guess that affects Jungkook’s senses, too.

He just won’t stop. At least, until you reach a tiny clearing.

You don’t know how deep in the forest you are, because you can’t see the moon from here. The stars are the mere source of light here, albeit barely enough to illuminate the other bodies standing on the opposite side of the dimly lit space.

Wait. More people? Here?

What the hell.

Their faces, obscured by shadows, are unmoving. You ready yourself for an apology – maybe you interrupted some weird get-together. A shady ritual executed by some secret college club.

But as you strain to discern their features, a gradual realization dawns upon you. One of them steps forward, his features partially hidden, and one or two other familiar friends from your classes occupy the periphery.

It’s Jin. Also Jimin – a guy you and Jungkook met during one of your study sessions. Taehyung introduced him to your group. And the pursuit takes on an even more bewildering turn when you look at Jungkook and see that he’s no longer clutching the robber.

The man is standing there in silence, massaging the back of his head. Seemingly unperturbed. Perplexed and still out of breath, you utter, “What in the world?”

You shake your head, eyes deeply furrowed. You close the distance between you and the confusing figure, snatch your bag from him and finally shed the mask that conceals his identity.

And then, you see it. The unexpected face behind the bizarre charade.

“Taehyung?” You exclaim.

Jungkook, having caught his breath faster than you, mimics your incredulous tone, “Taehyung, what the hell?”

Oh. So he’s just as confused. The man in question glances over to his friend, his expression one of sheer frustration as he grumbles another very puzzling statement.

“Jeon, I will kill you.”

“Sorry,” Jungkook mutters back.

Or… not? Huh?

You’re speechless. Out of movements and words, you keep your feet planted on your spot, blinking as you wait for someone to explain. But they’re not even looking at you, so you seek clear clarification.

“What’s going on here?” You ask.

Jungkook’s half-smile agitates you more than it should. Why the heck is he smiling?! But you breathe in through the nose, hoping for the forest’s scent to calm your nerves.

“Well,” he admits, “I guess I owe him one. ‘Cuz you were not supposed to tackle him.”

“Right!” Taehyung concurs.

“And you were not supposed to disappear!” Jungkook chimes in, pointing an accusatory finger at his friend. His voice is tinged with reproach. “You…”

“Guys,” you interject. What the fuck.

Jungkook sighs, full attention on you. You try your hardest to not look at the creepy crowd to your left, friends and acquaintances standing there as if they’re about to sacrifice you to a demon.

“He was supposed to lead you here, but somehow we didn’t manage to pull it through,” Jungkook says.

His words leave you pondering. You have not the darndest clue about what’s going on. So you ask, “We?”

“Your…” The assembled group draws near, a few of your friends holding various items. “Your paper.”

Huh…

They’re carrying indiscernible things. And a pie, and…

“Of course I remembered your paper, baby,” Jungkook declares.

Oh, wait. Is that what you think it is? Because if it is, then your instincts were entirely wrong today. Or the entire time since you received the news. Maybe you were just so out of your mind because of the general Halloween atmosphere?

What were you expecting… An axe murderer for real? Dammit…

No. It was much more obvious, yet impossible to figure out. This man. This man!

A wave of relief washes over you as you process his words. You think that now, you even understand what they’re all holding. Or what it’s for…

“So you weren’t…” You start.

You drift off, watching Jungkook shake his head. His response is heartfelt, his love and pride evident. He looks at you with infinite sweetness; but a lot of guilt, too.

“Jealous?” He finishes. “I’d be crazy to be. You’re part of me.”

His blinking is soft and the tongue licking his red lips shiny in the extremely faint starlight. You know he isn’t done yet, so you wait… Focus on the tingle on your skin.

“You are part of me,” he says again, “so I’ll celebrate any achievement of yours like it’s mine. And this was… is a huge fucking thing to happen for you.”

You feel your head tilt and the muscles in your face relax. Your lips move to a smile, parted to give way to the longest sigh known to humankind. But if you indulged in the cheesy interaction now, your friends would remind you of it every game night.

Which is why you get yourself together, postponing the screeching and second tackling to later when you’re alone again. You shake off some of the weakness he causes every day, and give into the urge to nudge teasingly.

“You’re such a jerk for scaring me like that.”

A playful grin tugs at the corners of his mouth, as typical as can be. “I needed to make it Halloween-themed, Pumpkin. I’m sorry, but you know I had to.”

Your initial scolding turns into a loving retort, “I hate you.”

But the banter is short-lived as you lose against the surge of emotions, your hand moving to push him lightly once again before immediately lifting to his collar. You capture it, pulling him close to you until his wide eyes close and your lips collide.

In the background, you hear an instant chorus of “Aww”s, but grunts, too. Among the cooing, you hear a mumbled speech about how you need to get a room, but you only react with a smile against his mouth. You kiss him deeper, tongues gently intermingling.

And just when the hand holding the back of your head slips to your lower back, pressing you into him, the shiver becomes unbearable. Emotions shoot through your body and down between your legs – so you stop.

For a couple seconds longer, you look at whatever you can see from his eyes in the dark, flashing a smile. He rounds his lips and releases air through them, a temptingly silent way to let you know that you affected him.

You ignore it for your mentality’s sake, moving away from him to look at your friends. You cough and gesture to the objects in their hands, asking, “What’s all this about?”

If you could see them, you’d probably see a mischievous twinkle in their eyes. Jin at least sounds like it as he beckons you closer with a nod, ready to reveal whatever they’ve orchestrated for you.

You already expected the answer to your question, but the wrapping confirms your assumption. Gifts. Quite a few of them, bigger and smaller. As you move from one to the other, they announce the objects before you’re able to rip the paper off.

A friend gifts you a Swarovski Crystalline pen for your “Super fancy notes as you do your super fancy research.” Reflects their support for your scholarly pursuits, you guess.

Jimin surprises you with an exclusive album by your favourite group. Then, a little plushie to destress whenever you need, along with a college survival guide and “Sociology for Dummies” – all by Jin. Of course.

And lastly, a Lord of the Rings Lego set that you’ve desired for super long, a group effort. It’s a labor of love, for sure. A collective endeavor by friends who united to make your dreams come true – but honestly, who scared you to death, too.

You don’t know how you make it out of the forest again, still reprimanding Taehyung and Jungkook on your way out. Granted, you did get lost as a group once, and then found your beloved streetlamps again ten minutes later.

The treasures secured in a bag, Jungkook places them on your couch with a long and deep sigh once you arrive home, calming down from today’s hours. The night seemed endless. Wouldn’t finish – and you’re exhausted beyond measure.

But even through your falling eyelids, you manage one more expressive glance, pure disbelief hiding in your gaze as you say, “I absolutely didn’t expect any of this.”

Jungkook is a true mirror to you. Equally worn out, he lets his head fall a little, one hand still in the pocket of his pants. He looks ridiculously attractive, fatigue or not. Curls of his longer hair hang in his eyes as he rubs them, the smile gentle despite the sinister make up.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” he says, voice low and quiet. “To be honest, I kinda felt bad halfway through.”

Ah. Explains the guilty eyes and voice. The way he attempted to apologize and grew all shy and quiet before you threw Taehyung to the ground.

“Don’t. The plan almost worked, and my heartbeat is still intact.” You laugh, punching his arm lightly. “But… Don’t do shit like that again next year.”

“I can’t promise it. You know that.”

You roll your eyes, watching him try to walk away – and you might not have held him back and grasped the dress shirt at the elbow if…

Is that the window creaking?

You gasp, still more on the edge than you expected, and throw a peek over your shoulder. You moved a couple weeks ago – there’s no way your place is already making these sounds. Or maybe that’s the reason after all… You should get to renovating.

“Was that you, too?” You ask, leaning into him with a cocked eyebrow.

“It was not. How would I do that?” He promises. His words are accompanied by movements; he’s walking around the living room now, as if he’s looking for something. “I’m not a ghost. Just the Joker.”

“A sly one, though…”

You look to the window again as he crams around in the box under your table, and appropriate to the holiday, you detect a harmless raven, perched on the windowsill. The sight elicits a small chuckle – but you don’t hear a sound from Jungkook.

When you turn back to him, you understand why. He’s distracted, still crouching. Then he gets up with… An object in his hand. No, two. Not any you carried home just now, but much smaller, thinner. Paper?

Idly, he walks back to you, fingers adorned in tattooed letters holding two cards toward you. You look into his eyes, confused and seeking answers silently, but he only holds the objects closer to you, urging you to take them.

“What’s that?” You ask.

“Read, and you’ll know.”

And when you oblige, you understand. Maybe the little celebration on the clearing didn’t quite end there. Because the inscription on the cards reveals that he put more thought into this than you knew.

The tiny party and group effort Lego set weren’t his only tokens of affection. The weekend getaway, resting in your hands and awaiting you next week, must be tonight’s finale. A prelude to the impending wave of tedious work. 

“As an escape. Even for just a moment,” Jungkook explains, reaching forward. His hand settles on your cheek and pulls your face up, meeting your eyes. “Just you and me.”

To bask in serenity and rejuvenation, is that it? Just you and him…

“Really?” You wonder, eyes knitted together, lips pouting. You’re drowning in fondness.

“I wanna give you all the relaxation you need, in any way. Big things ahead after that.”

“I’m… You didn’t ha–”

You only get this far, because his lips steal your breath and halt your speech midway. His hand cradles your face, the other arm slinging around your body. The grip holds you tight against him, the heels of your feet almost lifting off the floor.

The kiss won’t stop. Continues deeper. You’re careful to not crumple and crease the cards he gave you, but still wrap your arms around his neck, pushing harder into him. And the tongue… Fuck, this tongue…

When he moves back reluctantly to catch air, he’s panting; and your breath falls against his cheeks just as hot. Your lips are damp, craving more, and you draw closer, trying to feel all of him. The muscles, the embrace, the growing pleasure behind his pants and…

But he lets go, leaves you standing and dizzy. With a wink, he lightly pinches your cheek, thumb brushing against it and suggests, “I’ll head off to freshen up.”

But. No.

You’re not ready to let the moment slip away, no matter how tired you are. So you pull him back again, a playful twinkle in your eyes as you quietly utter a request.

“Don’t take it off just yet.” You say, seeing the way his eyes light up. He understands right away. “Clean up together?”

He smiles. Waits with his answer, busy gripping your wrist as gently as he can before he locks his fingers with yours. He starts pulling you into the direction of the bathroom at snail's pace, reaching to hold both your hands, walking backwards, and causes one last hour-long shiver for the night.

“I really do love every time we save up on water, you know?”

–

Let me know what you think!! Have a good Halloween, love you all and smooching you!!😘

[skygoldart]

Cod Grian Cosplay Build!

The fish man himself, season 10 Grian!

Reference Sketch

Some notes:

I always end up changing somethings from the reference when making the actual outfit, although I stayed pretty close it it this time.

I initially drew him with a handlebar mustache and goatee to mimic the whiskers of a fish, however I switched to a fluffier mustache beard to match the guy from Frozen.

I also opted for my turtleneck shirt over the red sweater+collar to go for more of a fisherman vibe

Since Grian is usually drawn with parrot wings, I wanted to call back to that with red yellow and blue feathers on the bobbers.

The tail and fins

I wanted to lean into the “fish”er man design and gave him fish fins and a tail.

It’s design is based on a cod fish with striped fins based on the feathers of an osprey

To make it, I drew the tail pattern on a large piece of paper, cut it out, cut each section out of the respective fabric times two, sewed the two sides together, and lastly filled it with a ton stuffing.

The tail is heavy, but it’s fun to wack people with it.

The fins for the arms and beanie are made in a similar way, each hand sewn onto the beanie/bracers once stuffed.

The Overalls

I had originally planned for him to be wearing waders, but wanted to make the outfit more wearable for everyday wear without overheating. So I opted for some brown corduroy overalls instead.

To add a “wet” look to each pant leg, I briefly dipped each one into some black fabric dye before rinsing and drying.

The green pixels on his skin look like they could be kelp or patches so I decided to go with the latter and dug through my scrap fabric to find these green pieces.

I embroidered the edge of each piece with a unique stitch and placed them randomly on each leg.

The snails!

Of course we can’t forget about the snails

There are three snails for this project with two more eventually on the way (a plush pink snail, and a plush brown snail).

I made the clay blue snail first with polymer and attached tie tacks to the underside so I can use it like a pin and stick it anywhere on my clothes.

Same goes for the pink worm snail which is also made of clay.

The blue plush snail is based on a pattern from Etsy by willowynn with some slight modifications, mainly to the eyes/feelers, and doubling the size.

Facial hair

This was one of the parts I was the most excited about for this cosplay and the only part I didn’t do myself. I commissioned @basic-amoeba to make a custom ventilated beard, styled and everything. This part turned out so good!

Some final notes for this project

This cosplay took from Feb 20 to March 15th to complete since I was so determined to finish it before Grian changed his skin. Haha look at me now. He still hasn’t changed it.

Not pictured (cause why can I only add 10 photos 😭) is the mending book with a fish hook I made using scrap faux leather, cardboard, and some cut printer paper. I painted in galactic the word mending and sprayed the whole thing in my “enchanting” spray paint (a blue to purple iridescent glitter spray paint)

A small fun backstory to the fishing rod:

My grandpa is an experienced fisherman and has dozens of fishing poles. When I talked about this project with him, he brought me out to his workshop and pulled down the dustiest fishing rod there. He told me he had fished this fishing rod from a lake one day with the line and bait still attached. Can’t get anymore accurate to Minecraft fishing than that lol.

Obligatory cosplay photo:

[sharkdoughnutz]

it might've taken me over 3 months, but i've finally finished my own designs for the mane 6

my main thought process for designing them was to use a color from the rainbow! i had to look up colors and their meanings to determine which color should go to which pony

rainbow dash is red because she's the most fierce and bold. sidenote: her mane and tail color is actually white but she finds that boring so she dyes it, not her tail because i didnt like how it looked there

fluttershy is green because of nature and animals, pretty basic i know lol. also her pelt pattern is supposed to look like a deer's

applejack is blue only because i felt orange would fit rarity better, and yellow and purple were going to the other two remaining girls, so apple got stuck with blue but i tried my best to make it work for her. i think blue also means like maturity or smth similar so it works out anyways

pinkie pie is yellow because she's like the embodiment of happiness and joy so it made sense (also i had to use the pink color cuz there is no yellow color for the font)

twilight is staying purple mainly because of her previous life surrounded by royalty and the such, and also because purple is a main color in a twilight sky - orange is secondary so thats why she now has orange too

and finally, rarity is orange because of her creativeness, especially when it comes to fashion design; i think her design is my personal favorite.

i also tried to come up with creative cutie mark designs and i think i passed. though, the only one that isnt super obvious what its trying to represent is probably twilight's. basically i was going for a six pointed star (each point representing each girl) then it comes together in the middle by the white part to symbolize they all need each other or smth like that

i might get around to celestia and luna because i feel like they'll be fun to redesign, and maybe even spike or the cmc

[donelywell]

October 5 2023

I changed things up because it's got Frontiers Final Horizons Spoilers. I know the updates been out for like 2 months now but I'm being really cautious.

Super Sonic was really fun to play in the base game, having the auto combo thing on and just seeing so much bombastic energy and over the top moves being thrown at giant titans was so much fun.

I did however, not read the instructions where they tell you to hold the parry, I thought it was a perfect timing thing like a normal parry. So fighting Giganto and Wyvern for the first time was a nightmare for me until I actually read the instructions. =v='

For the design, I didn't change much, Super Sonic is really cool. I basically just changed the green parts of his shoes to red to reflect his new eye color.

Super Sonic² was so cool! The casual backhand slap, the sass, the move where he basically does the idw move, the finger point when he gets back in the game!

The only issue I had is that I didn't understand at all how to fight the final boss. I didn't 100% complete the map so I didn't get the hints. (I am still stuck on the stupid ball hoop map puzzle thing, I swear there is no way to do it) So unfortunately, I had to look up a guide. That kinda dampened the experience, but there was no way I was fighting Supreme over again, getting to the same glitch because I killed him too fast, and then fail the final boss fight again because I didn't know I was supposed to press r2.

I made his quills seem like they are turning into flames at the tips, I made his torso kinda have a sun symbol on it, I made his secondary fur white and his base fur/ quills bright yellow to kinda give it more sun imagery. His arm patterns are a little more detailed, his gloves have kinda formed into the body, making the cuffs look like they're on fire too. His socks turned into bandages and blue rings floating on him with the soles of his shoes kinda smoking on the back. It was a lot of fun interpreting this design differently, giving it a more ancient vibe with a modern twist. The original design is still really cool too!

Cyber Super Sonic... one of the coolest forms in my opinion and yet we see him for less than a minute in only a cutscene. I'm not complaining, the cutscene was so cool! Me and my sibling were star struck when we saw it!

I love the Fleetway elements! The sharp teeth, the crazy eyes, the chaotic behavior that almost made it seem like if Cyber Super Sonic wasn't being literally shot out to his enemy, he'd not be able to tell between friend or foe! God, it was so cool!! Even if it was just limited to a cutscene where you can barely see the entire design in a single image!

I did actually have a static version of this image too, but I'm not including it because it gave me eye strain, and I don't want to hurt you.

For the form I actually decreased the amount of polygons on Sonic. If you look, he's more angular & simplistic and his legs and arms are rectangles! I thought it'd help give him more of a Cyber Computer vibe. I used the blue static and made it kinda an accent color so you can see where things are. I don't really know why, but I also made some parts of him detached? The inside parts have the white spirals that Cyber Super Sonic's eyes were.

The update was a lot of fun to play when it came out, even if it was EXTREMELY challenging for a casual player like myself. Almost made me quit a few times and a couple guides were begrudgingly looked up. Playing as Tails and Amy were definitely the highlights of the update for me though. I hope it was as much fun for you as it was for me. :)

[ganondoodle]

so, inspired by the warm welcome the captain received with that rough doodle i posted, i made an updated design for Ki'ita as well (basic and with clothes)

i removed the piercings she had bc considering that they spend the majority of their time in arctic waters i think having metal directly in your skin is a bad idea, no matter how thick your blubber is; i also gave her typical white markings a green hue bc ... i liked how it looked and makes them stand out a little more

(i will not repeat what i wrote on the post about the captain but wanted to add a bit of more info about Ki'ita herself)

(i dont have ALL of their backstory done yet but) the captain and Ki'ita worked together in another organization, one in which the father of the captains child also worked at, before being betrayed and barely managing to escape, after which the both of them founded their pirate crew (possible name is the Solar Pirates bc of their solar powered boat stuff); since the captain had her daughter shortly afterwards Ki'ita managed most of the organisational matters at first, including the construction of their base on an abandoned island they had initially fled to

over the years they invented the solar powered ships that allowed them to gain control over a large part of an important trade route, leaving normal ships (mostly) alone but attacking those of hunters and similar, rescuing demons and mutants, even some humans from them, most of which also join the crew and it quickly lead to them becoming their own little community

Ki'ita does not like to spend alot of time among large groups of people, no matter how much she cares about them, and her originally being from norther lands gave her the idea to explore, and if viable, do underground missions in those norther areas to disrupt the infrastructure the hunters had built in recent years and overall keep the crew informed about things that may otherwise stay hidden; with each of their travels her time absent from the base increased but the patience of the captain is wearing thin so its likely a serious talk is underway on Ki'itas third solo mission she nearly died due to entanglement in abandoned nets made by hunters from an unknown material that she could not break, the massive scars on her tail especially come from that, only surviving bc the date they were supposed to return to the crew had passed and the captain grew to worried about her and made the entire crew rush into an emergency search, including the captain herself and her toddler, who were not suited for the cold climate just like the rest of crew, taking a huge risk that Ki'ita still feels ashamed of for causing; they stayed within the base for a whole year afterwards, not just to recover but also as a silent apology, taking time preparing herself to ensure theyd not get into a situation like that again

(before departing on their next mission the captain gifted her a sword with the blade made from the material of the net, a wooden handle, bc of the cold, and a blue wrap around it reminiscent of the captains striking blue teeth; a reminder of what had happened, a means to defend herself when their strength and teeth are not enough, and also a promise to always return again)

the oldest members of the crew know Ki'ita well and treat her like an old friend, among the newer members she has more of a .. cryptic status, the mysteriously absent vice-captain who only appears every few months or so out of thin air, throws a big party, sleeps for a few days and then vanishes again, the only hint to when they will return soon again being the captain getting noticably grumpier

(OC art, Ki'ita, she/they)

[bungalowbear]

Abalone

Pairing: Fushiguro Toji x f!reader

Word Count: 8.9k

Summary: You and your small family relocate to the coast when your husband secures a job as a lighthouse keeper. At first your new life seems peaceful. But after your stepson nearly drowns, more of the ocean’s dangers begin to reveal themselves.

Warnings: established relationships, child nearly drowning, mentions of a parent’s death, piv smut, MDNI

A/N: This is my entry for the lovely @storiesoflilies Whimsical Summer Event. My inspiration was the painting “Lighthouse Hill” by Edward Hopper. Thank you so much for hosting, Lily! I hope you enjoy!

Playlist

A clear blue sky touches down on the horizon to meet the seemingly endless length of highway. One lone car travels along the winding coastal road.

Your little family of three, five if you count the dogs, is less than an hour away from your new home: a lighthouse. Your husband secured the job as its keeper only one month prior, but preparing for the move wasn’t as stressful as you imagined. The house you’re moving into already has the basic furnishings. So the small boot of the car is filled with boxes of your books, Megumi’s toys, and Toji’s eclectic assortment of personal items. On the roof is strapped a wooden trunk nearly five feet wide that you managed to fit everyone’s clothes in and boxes of kitchen and bathroom supplies.

You turn in your seat on the passenger side to look into the backseat. Your eight-year-old stepson is asleep, cheek smushed against his seatbelt and both arms outstretched to accommodate the large dogs he’s sandwiched between.

Toji’s large hand floats from the steering wheel and onto your thigh. He gives a squeeze and you turn back around to take his hand in both of yours, placing a gentle kiss to his knuckles. There’s a slight dusting of pink on his cheeks as he checks the rear view mirror to make sure Megumi is still asleep. You smile at your husband’s brief embarrassment. 

The rest of the ride is silent, but you keep his hand secure and resting in your lap.

When you finally arrive, Toji slowly rolls onto the humble dirt driveway. The engine is turned off and he’s the first to exit. His head and shoulders are out of view from your spot in the passenger seat, but when he raises his arms the hem of his shirt lifts and exposes his lower stomach. You bite your lip in a brief moment of distraction before you realize Toji’s already begun undoing the restraints of the luggage on top of the car.

You reach your hand into the backseat and gently shake Megumi’s knee to wake him. It takes a few seconds for his eyes to slowly open. Little green gems emerging from the darkness of their caves. 

“Are we there yet?” Megumi asks, blinking sleepily at you.

“We are,” you say. The dogs stir. A white muzzle nudges the boy’s face and gives his cheek a lick while a black tail swipes the window as its body extends in a deep stretch. “Wanna help them get out? They probably need to go, yeah?”

Megumi nods his head. Both dogs begin to whine as he unbuckles his seatbelt. They crowd the space around the door and immediately bound out when Megumi opens it. He hops off and languidly follows after them.

You get out of the car and shut the door behind you. Raising a hand to shield your eyes from the sun, you take your first look at your new home. You’re immediately drawn to the massive circular structure with walls made of white stone and black metal grating at the top to fence in the currently inactive revolving beam. The lighthouse is a wonder, almost eerily so as it looms quietly above you.

Your gaze then moves to a small cottage to the left. It’s connected to the lighthouse by an outside corridor with wooden beams evenly spaced out to support the flat roof. The corridor leads to a door to the west side of the home, which itself is rather quaint. The white paint of the wooden exterior is chipped. There are a few shingles missing from the dark brown roof. You’re thankful that the red-bricked chimney still stands strong. You’re told there are two bedrooms and one bathroom, a kitchen, and a small living room. It’s a charming little place. Perfect for your family.

Taking a deep breath, you inhale the salt from the ocean just on the other side of the property. The breeze blows against your face and your lips curve upward ever so slightly.

Toji calls your name and you’re taken out of your trance.

Megumi already has his backpack on and is unloading the smaller items from the backseat. You meet them on the other side of the car and Toji hands you the box labeled bathroom. The large wooden trunk with all of your clothes is hauled onto your husband’s shoulder and he takes the leading step into your new life, with you and Megumi following right behind him.

𓏸𓈒𓂃𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸

Three weeks pass. Your family has quickly adopted a weekly Saturday morning habit of going a few miles inland to the small nearby town. 

You help Megumi wrangle the dogs into the backseat while Toji locks up the house. Once you’re all in the car, Toji starts the engine. You fasten your seatbelt then look behind you to check if Megumi’s done the same. Your stepson gives you a thumbs up from his spot between the dogs who’re already sticking their heads gleefully out of the open windows.

Looking to Toji, you nod your head and he pulls out of the driveway.

In less than ten minutes you’re driving down the main street of the town. There are already other cars on the road and people milling about the sidewalks. You pass a bookshop, a hardware store, and even the elementary school Megumi will be attending after summer break.

Grocery shopping is the primary goal for today. But before you keep on toward the supermarket, you stop for breakfast at a corner cafe. You choose a table outside so the dogs can stay with you. The waitress greets you, pulls out a notepad, and writes down your order. She leaves with a promise to be right back with your drinks.

While Megumi asks Toji if he thinks the supermarket will have the brand of dog food you always get, you catch the eye of an old woman sitting by herself one table away. She has grey hair and a kind face. You smile at her politely, and to your surprise, she rises from her seat. She abandons her food and approaches your table.

“Good morning,” she greets with a soft voice.

“Good morning, ma’am,” you respond.

“I don’t think I have seen your faces around here before. Are you the new family that moved into the lighthouse?”

“Yes, we are.”

“I see.” The old woman’s face suddenly grows serious. “Then I must tell you about that horrible place.”

“Oh?” You look to Toji, but he simply raises an eyebrow. “We’re still tidying up, but I wouldn’t say it’s horrible.”

“It’s not just the house itself. Those waters are cur—”

“Aina-san.” The waitress appears with your drinks on a tray. Her voice is surprised, almost panicked, as she addresses the old woman. “I think we’d better leave these nice people alone now.”

“They moved into the lighthouse. Did you know that?”

The waitress gives you an apologetic look as she places your drinks down on the table. She then turns to Aina-san and places a gentle hand on her shoulder, patiently leading the old woman back to her table.

“You food will get cold if you don’t eat it soon,” the waitress says.

“But I haven’t warned them yet about the last people who lived there. How they went mad and were sent to the mental hospital.”

From your table, you can hear the entire exchange. At the mention of the mental hospital, you try your best to act casual as you take a sip of your drink. Megumi, sitting beside you, hides his face in your arm and peeks at the old woman who’s now frantically speaking about water demons. Toji rolls his eyes across the table from you.

“Crazy old lady,” he mutters.

𓏸𓈒𓂃𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸

The midday sunshine floods in through the open window above the kitchen sink. You have a perfect view of Megumi and the dogs digging into the sand on the beach down below.

Today you’re disinfecting all of the glass jars and organizing the kitchen cabinets. The radio on the counter is tuned to a random station that you hum along to while you use a pair of tongs to place the jars one by one into the pot of boiling water.

You place the tongs down beside the stove and make your way toward the cabinets on the other side of the sink. As you pass the window, you take a quick glance out onto the beach, expecting to see Megumi where you did last time. Instead, you see the discarded pail and shovel in the sand with no boy or dogs in sight.

After turning down the radio you brace yourself on the edge of the sink and lean closer toward the window. You think you can hear the sound of barking, but it’s distant and muddled by the waves crashing onto the shore. You call out to Megumi and wait a few seconds for an answer. It doesn’t come. You tell yourself not to panic when another shout of your stepson’s name goes unanswered, but you can’t fight the feeling in your gut that something is wrong.

Without anymore hesitation you speed out of the house. You shout for Toji as you run through the outside corridor and toward the entrance of the lighthouse. Your husband is already bursting through the door, reacting to the distress in your voice.

“What?” He meets you halfway, in front of the wooden stairs that lead down to the sand. “What’s wrong?”

“I couldn’t see Megumi anymore,” you explain. “I tried calling for him, but he didn’t answer me.”

Toji immediately dashes down the stairs. The creaky old boards groan and squeak under his weight as he takes them two, three at a time. Toji is faster than you, already running through the sand while you have another third of the stairs left to descend. You follow as quickly as you can while he’s closing in to where the dogs are barking at the waves further down the beach.

Toji’s nearly at the water’s edge, stripping himself of his heavy boots and his coveralls along the way. Your eyes scan frantically across the expanse of blue, white froth lining the tops of wild waves. Miraculously, you see Megumi’s head bob above the surface, but then get pulled back under as he flails his arm in an attempt to stay afloat.

“There!” you shout with a finger pointed in the air.

Toji sprints through the shallows and dives into deeper waters without hesitation. You wait with bated breath on the shore. Surrounded by your husband’s discarded clothes and two pacing dogs, you wring your hands tightly as your eyes stay glued to the spot where you last saw Megumi. 

Guilt takes root in your chest. You should have been more vigilant of the young boy who’s been entrusted to your care. You love him so dearly, as if he were your own. So how could you let this happen?

You don’t know how long Megumi has been in the water or how long he’s been struggling against the tide. It feels like a lifetime since Toji dove after his son, but it’s likely only been a minute or two. But just as suddenly as they’d disappeared both father and son breach the surface. You exhale in relief as Toji begins to swim back to shore with Megumi securely in his arm.

Toji stomps out of the ocean with Megumi in his arms. The boy’s eyes are closed and his arms and legs hang limply from his father’s hold. His skin is pale as he’s gently laid down onto the sand. You carefully get his head into position and start administering CPR. His chest feels so fragile beneath your hands, but you don’t cease the compressions and breathing air into his lungs until Megumi eventually coughs up water and rolls onto his side.

Tension flees from your body and you slump back onto the sand. But the moment of relief is short-lived when Toji suddenly grabs Megumi by the shoulders. A pair of large, sturdy hands clutch tightly onto thin and frail arms. 

“What were you thinking?” There’s a wild look in your husband’s eyes. Green flames stoked by fear. He raises his voice when Megumi only stares up at him with a blank expression. “You aren’t supposed to go into the water without us. What if she hadn’t noticed you were gone?”

You place a hand on Toji’s arm, softly saying his name. His hold on Megumi lets up, but the boy remains silent as his chest heaves with the effort to regulate his breathing. You’re starting to become concerned at Megumi’s passiveness when you see it.

Moisture gathers along Megumi’s bottom lashes. His chin starts to wobble and his nose scrunches in an effort to keep the tears at bay. But they come flooding out when he finally speaks.

“I’m sorry!”

In the last five years you’ve known Megumi you’ve come to realize he’s not as expressive as other children. He rarely cries, but when he does it’s never as intense as this. It’s understandable given the circumstances but it still takes you and Toji by surprise. Your stepson turns out of his father’s grip and pushes his face into your stomach. Sobs wrack through his small frame as he repeats his apology.

You share a worried look with your husband as you hold Megumi in your arms, his usually unruly hair now weighed down by saltwater drenching the front of your shirt.

𓏸𓈒𓂃𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸

While you take Megumi to the doctor in town Toji and the dogs stayed behind at the house. The doctor evaluates Megumi and declares him healthy and in no danger of any complications.

Standing on the sidewalk in front of the doctor’s office, you ask Megumi if he’d like to eat before heading back home. He nods. You hold out your hand and he takes it before you walk a few blocks down to the familiar corner cafe. You’re sat inside this time and a different waitress brings you your drinks and takes your order before leaving the two of you alone again.

“Megumi,” you begin carefull, “do you think you can tell me what happened today?”

“I didn’t mean to go in that far.” He doesn’t look at you as he speaks. His gaze is fixed on the bubbles that float to the surface of his dark cola. He wears a mask that you think to yourself he’s too young to have perfected that hides his true emotions. “But…something pulled me in.”

“Pulled you in?”

“I didn’t see what it was,” he quickly supplies. Most likely to discourage anymore questions.

“You’re not to be on the beach without one of us for a while. Okay?”

Megumi nods in agreement. He still hasn’t looked at you.

“Gumi…you know your dad loves you, right?”

He hums, picking at the discarded straw wrapper.

“He didn’t mean to yell at you like that. He was…he was—”

“Scared?” The shock must be clear on your face because the eight-year-old boy sends you a frown from across the table. “You can say it. I know grown ups get scared, too.”

“Yeah, your dad was scared,” you concede. “So was I.”

“Remember at our old house when me and dad came back from the park that one time? After I tripped and fell down the hillside? I wasn’t awake when he found me, but I remember the look on his face when I opened my eyes. It was the same look he had today. Like he’s scared of me not waking up. Like how my mom didn’t wake up.”

Megumi looks away again, at the hands in his lap. He sniffles and your heart breaks for him. He’s only a child but he’s already been through so much.

“Your dad loves you,” you repeat and Megumi’s eyes peer up at you. “He loves you more than anything. He just…has a hard time expressing it sometimes.”

He sighs. “I know.”

“And you know I love you, too?” He nods. “I love you so much, and I’ll always keep you safe, Megumi.”

He smiles at you. A small, barely there, curve of his lips. Then his eyes widen as if he’s just remembered something.

“You were a swimmer before, right?”

“You remember.” You reach out to fondly tap on the center of Megumi’s forehead. His cheeks flush pink. “I haven’t swam in some time, but I still make sure to keep my CPR certification. Just in case.”

“I’m glad you did.” His face burns a deeper shade when he adds, “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

The bell above the cafe door chimes, signaling a new customer. You don’t think to look over to see who’s entered. You’re so focused on Megumi that you don’t realize there’s someone approaching your table until they’re already standing right beside you. 

You look up from your seated position to see that you recognize this person. It’s the same old woman you’d encountered on your last visit to the cafe. You fix a polite smile onto your expression.

“Good afternoon, Aina-san.”

“I saw you through the window.” She points to the wide pane of glass fixed into the wall. “I saw you and your boy. I didn’t know when I’d see you again, but I’m glad I found you. I must tell you now.” 

“Tell me…” you glance briefly to Megumi and he’s looking at the woman with curious eyes, “what?”

“About the lighthouse,” she says urgently. “Where a man and woman lived before you. He tended the lighthouse and the woman tended to the sea.”

“She tended…the sea?”

“Yes! She was ama! She belonged to the women who harvest pearls and sea creatures. Every summer she would give offerings of abalone to the dragon king who rules over the sea. But five years ago her and her husband passed, and since there has been no diver to perform the offering, water demons haunt the lighthouse and its waters to lure humans as offering instead for their king.”

“I—” you start, but another voice cuts you off.

“Aina-san?” Your waitress calls from behind the counter. You look over and she’s coming around the counter and in the direction of your table. “I didn’t know you were coming in again today.”

“Don’t ignore what I’ve told you.” The old woman grabs your arm. Her voice lowers to a whisper, urgency in every syllable. “They’ll come for the boy first.”

The old woman releases your arm and flees from your side, leaving you speechless. She’s out the door before the waitress gets to your table.

“That’s odd,” the waitress says. “Aina-san usually only ever comes in the mornings.”

You only nod your head when she lets you know your food will be out in a few minutes, struggling for the right words to say next.

You’re preparing to dismiss the old woman’s words as superstition, but then you see Megumi. His back is rigid and his mouth forms a tight line. He stares across the cafe at the door where the old woman escaped, and the terror swimming in his wide emerald gaze urges you to heed the old woman’s warning.

𓏸𓈒𓂃𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸

A crescent moon hangs in the sky that night. Its faint light enters in through the open windows of your and Toji’s bedroom, enough to keep the room from being cloaked in complete darkness. The curtains billow with the gentle breeze. A rhythmic squeaking softly fills the space.

Your hips don’t rise too high, cautious of how much force will affect the volume of the metal frame beneath your bodies, but you make up for it with a sinful swivel of your hips. This earns a pleasured groan from your husband beneath you.

Toji’s hands grip your waist as you ride him, helping you keep your pace. Your breathing is labored and heavy from both physical exertion and swallowing moans to not wake up Megumi in the next room. It’s proving difficult with the way Toji’s girth fills you. It’s a delicious stretch that makes you just a little dumb. You have no idea what you look like, but if it’s in anyway the same as Toji’s wrecked expression, you’re certain neither of you will last much longer.

You fall forward and support yourself with your forearms planted on either side of Toji’s head. He gazes up at you, midnight locks plastered against the white fabric of the pillow and heated puffs of air escaping his pink parted lips.

“Doing so good, angel,” he softly coos. One of his hands drops to take a palmful of your ass, pulling you closer to him with every one of your thrusts. “All for me, yeah?”

“Yes.” You drop your forehead onto his. Your hips begin to stutter, long deep strokes now becoming short and choppy and desperate. “For you. Only for you.”

You’re nearing your climax and clenching hungrily around him. Toji jerks his hips upward and strikes a sensitive spot inside you and an involuntary whine climbs up your throat. His head rises to catch your lips in a rough kiss. He swallows each of your muffled sounds of pleasure as you both continue to grind against each other. The bed frame squeaks louder, and just before your release, Toji wraps his arms around your back and pulls you down onto him. You’re chest to chest with your hands tangling in his hair and gripping at the roots when you come. Toji’s chest vibrates with a deep, satisfied groan when he empties himself inside you.

With a heaving chest, you roll yourself off your husband but still land half on top of him on the full sized mattress. Warm cum slowly trails out of you and onto the sheets. Normally you would mind, but you’ll be washing all the sheets in the house tomorrow so you let it go. You should clean yourselves up though. But that thought is swept aside when Toji turns to face you, slotting a muscled thigh between your thighs and hiking your leg around his waist. He traps you with an arm across your back and the other cradling your head to his chest.

“We need a bigger mattress,” he whispers, voice gruff from exhaustion.

“Toji?”

“Hm?”

“I love Megumi like he was my own son.” Your voice goes even quieter. “You know that, right?”

“Of course I do. Why’re you saying that?”

“I just…I was remembering what you were like when we first met.” 

Toji stiffens. You can hear the effort in his voice to keep it steady. “I’m not that man anymore.”

“I know, baby. I know you’re not,” you say. Toji’s hold tightens around you and he presses his lips to the top of your head. “Today was scary.”

Your husband releases a heavy sigh. “Yeah. It was.”

“I’ll always do my best for you and Megumi,” you promise. “You don’t ever have to be that man again.”

“I love you.” Toji’s voice is tender in the quiet of the bedroom. Every word is a vow he doesn’t intend on breaking. “I’ll always take care of you and Megumi.”

“I love you, Toji.”

You shut your eyes and breath in your husband’s familiar scent, the sweat accumulated from your lovemaking giving it a salty edge. You burrow your nose deeper into his chest and let sleep take you.

When you wake hours later, still dark outside, you untangle yourself from Toji. He doesn’t let you go at first. Only when you whisper that you have to use the bathroom does he let you go, rolling over on his side in the opposite direction.

You grab your oversized sleep shirt off the floor and pull it over your head. Your underwear takes another minute to find in the darkness but you do, holding the cotton garment in your hand to put them on after you’ve cleaned the dried spend between your thighs.

You open the door and step into the hallway. The restroom is directly across from your bedroom, a short trek you could make with your eyes closed, but you halt when you step in something wet. Looking down, you see a wide trail of liquid on the old wooden floors. The subtle shimmering substance leads from the front of the house and toward Megumi’s room further down the hall. You crouch down and swipe a finger over the clear liquid. Cautiously, you bring it to your mouth and realize it’s saltwater.

You stand up and slip on your underwear. With slow and careful steps you follow the trail of water until you’re at Megumi’s door, which is wide open. 

Your breath catches at the sight of a figure standing over Megumi, sound asleep. Water flows silently along its form, but it doesn’t lose its shape. Its human shape.

Looking around the room, you don’t see either of the dogs, which makes you anxious because they always stay in Megumi’s room at night. You step forward, the creaking of the floorboard catching the figure’s attention. You freeze when its head turns sharply in your direction. 

“L-leave.” 

Your voice shakes, but it’s forceful. The figure doesn’t respond. At first you think it might not understand you, but then suddenly it charges at you. You shield your face with your arms and brace for a heavy impact. Instead, the figure passes through you.

When you lower your arms, it’s only you and Megumi in the room. You are completely dry and there are no traces of salt water left on the floor boards.

𓏸𓈒𓂃𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸

You sit on a folding chair on the beach. Megumi is a few yards away in the middle of the sand digging for shells while the dogs sniff the ground around him. You’d found them outside last night, scratching at the door on the west side of the house.

A shudder rips up your spine. Part of you can’t believe what you saw last night was real. Aina-san’s stories linger in the back of your mind. Sea kings and water demons sounded like ancient ghost stories yesterday, but your visitor is making you less skeptical. Unfortunately, without any evidence left behind that’s all they are for now: stories.

Maybe it was real, or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe the stress of almost losing Megumi is affecting you more than you realize and you’re starting to lose it just a tiny bit. Whatever the case, you’re hoping a day on the beach will clear your head and settle your nerves.

White puffy clouds float easily across the sky. The sun’s rays beam down between them, warming your skin. The roar of the waves is steady and powerful, a constant presence, as they invade the edge of the shore.

You peek your eyes over the top of your book to check on Megumi, satisfied that he maintains a good distance from the water. He didn’t show any fear of the ocean when you both walked hand in hand to the edge earlier. He didn’t argue or complain when you  told him you wouldn’t be going any deeper than past your ankles. He simply held your hand and gazed out at the endless blue, curiosity and caution lurking within his emerald irises. 

You return to your book and continue reading. The story is actually quite interesting. However, your mind is preoccupied with the urge to take another glance at Megumi every couple of pages. You hold out until you finish the current chapter before dropping your book into your lap and checking on Megumi again. You tell yourself it’s not good to worry so much, and there’s nothing to stress about because he’ll be right where you last saw him.

Except he’s not.

You jump up from your seat, eyes frantically scanning the beach. His shovel and pail are discarded. Your feet move at once to the follow the three sets of footprints in the sand, one human and two canine. You sprint forward when you realize they’re heading toward the water.

“Megumi!”

You shout his name as you draw nearer. The dogs each have the back of his shirt and shorts between their teeth, keeping him from going any further into the ocean. You call to your stepson again but he doesn’t acknowledge you.

When you finally reach him he’s knee deep in the water. You scoop him into your arms and trudge back to shore. You hear the dogs growling behind you as they follow. When you’re at a safe distance again, you set him down on his feet. You’re about to scold him for going further in than he’s allowed, until you take in his expression. 

“Megumi?” You gently hold his face between your hands. His gaze is distant as a thin grey film spreads across his eyes, turning the vibrant green murky. “Can you hear me?” 

He doesn’t respond and panic starts to churn in your gut. You shake him lightly, careful not to hurt him, and fortunately that seems to be all it takes.

Megumi’s eyes clear and he blinks once, twice. His expression turns confused.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

Your lips part, but you don’t even know what to say.

“D-did it happen again?”

Now it’s your turn to be confused. You turn your head back toward the ocean. Aina-san’s warning echoes in your head.

They’ll come for the boy first.

You turn back to Megumi, his vulnerable gaze fixed on you. Words continue to fail you and so you gather him in your arms again. Megumi doesn’t object when you rise. Instead, he clings to you with his head on your shoulder as you trek up the wooden stairs toward your home.

𓏸𓈒𓂃𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸

Your attempt to convince Toji that Megumi is being haunted goes as unsuccessfully as you expect. Your husband has never been superstitious, only believes in practicality, so needless to say he doesn’t believe you. He tries to be gentle about it, even when he implores you not to let the old woman get into your head.

Anxiety starts to creep up on you. If Toji’s not on your side, what chance is there to beat whatever this thing is? 

You go to bed that night more troubled than before. You toss and turn until finally you fall asleep.

The next time you open your eyes Toji is shaking you awake. Blearily, your lids peel apart to take in his expression, serious and smooth except for the deep crease between his brows. Megumi is on his hip.

“Toji?” you question as you sit up and pull your legs over the side of the bed. There’s no light coming from the window. It’s still early in the morning. “What—”

Your mind snaps awake when your feet touch down into a pool of water. It’s already above your ankles when you stand, and rising quickly.

“The house is flooding,” Toji says, grabbing your arm and leading you out of the bedroom. “There’s no time to check where it’s coming from. We have to get out now.”

Your legs splash and kick up water as you try to keep up with Toji as he pulls you across the short hallway and into the kitchen. The dogs wade toward the door, barking for your attention as they nose at the wood.

Toji hands Megumi over to you and trudges to the door. He turns the knob and manages to get the door open, but it takes noticeable effort as the water continues to rise. It’s now  up to your knees. Toji manages to get the door open halfway but a sudden surge of water catches him by surprise. The door shuts closed again. Toji growls in frustration before reaching forward in another attempt.

Megumi whimpers and you hold him closer to your chest. Your heart beats frantically in your chest as you watch your husband struggle with the door. His arms, huge and defined by cords of hard-earned muscle, are taut as he slowly but surely inches the door wider. When he can get in front of it, he uses all of his body weight to keep it fully open.

“Go!” 

Toji shouts and motions for you to pass through first. You immediately do as he says and start forward. The sudden rush of water leaving the house threatens to topple you forward, and it nearly does as Megumi’s weight makes you lean forward, but your legs carry you swiftly into the outside corridor.

Toji keeps the door open a little longer to let more water escape your home. It cascades down the wooden stairs, down the hillside, and onto the beach in a giant stream. When it’s all nearly gone, Toji comes up to you, right hand on your waist and left hand on Megumi’s back, and his eyes scan you both for any signs of hurt.

“We’re okay,” you assure him. “You got us out. Thank you, Toji.”

He pulls you into his embrace, placing a kiss to both your foreheads. He lingers longer against Megumi, who turns in your hold on your hip and lunges for his dad. Toji’s expression flashes briefly with surprise before he lets himself relax with his son’s face pressed into his neck and short arms spread across his broad shoulders. You release Megumi into his father’s embrace and smile to yourself, mostly out of relief, but it makes your heart swell to see the two share a tender moment.

The dogs are near the top of the stairs, shaking off water from their coats. You go over to check on them. Kneeling down, you take each of their heads in your hands to check their eyes, ears and muzzles. Next you inspect their paws, but you stop short when a shimmer on the top board of the stairs catches your eye.

The moonlight shines down on the lingering water. But it’s not the presence of the water that troubles you, it’s the direction it’s flowing. Instead of heading down the stairs it’s trickling up into the corridor. A small puddle is already forming.

“Toji…”

You stand, tugging on the dogs’ collars, as you take several steps backward. Your sudden awareness seems to have an effect because the puddle is rapidly growing in size and trailing each of your footsteps.

“Toji,” you repeat. “Something’s not right.”

“Huh?” He comes up behind you, making you stop, following your gaze to the floor. “It’s just a puddle, angel.”

“No, look.”

You move from side to side and the puddle follows your movements. Both dogs start to growl. Toji takes a step forward, Megumi still in his arms.

“What the—”

A wave of water suddenly shoots out from the stairs and you and Megumi shout. Toji reaches out to you and pulls you backward with him. Your gaze sweeps down the stairs and toward the beach. You gasp, seeing the source of the water is coming directly from the ocean.

The water crashes into the roof of the corridor and falls onto the ground, speeding in your direction. Toji is quick to pull you toward the door of the lighthouse, calling for the dogs to follow. But when you reach the door, Toji lets out a curse.

“What?” you ask.

“The key is inside the house.”

“What do we do?”

You look to the driveway, the dirt dry and untouched, where the car is parked. You’d have to climb over the railing while dodging the water. It’d be risky, but if you couldn’t get into the lighthouse what other choice did you have?

“Dammit,” Toji grumbles. “After I just fixed the hinges on this thing.”

You’re about to question what the heck he’s talking about when he sets Megumi down on his feet and takes a large step back from the door. You pull Megumi into you and watch in awe as your husband lifts his right leg and slams it against the door. The wood creaks against the abuse, but your husband takes that as a sign to give it another. Two more powerful kicks are all it takes to send the door flying off it’s hinges and across the foyer of the lighthouse.

Toji doesn’t waste a second as the water travels rapidly across the long corridor and is now at your heels. He pulls you both inside, pushing you toward the foot of the winding metal stairs. The dogs surge forward while you follow them. Megumi is behind you and Toji is at the rear. Your lungs work in overdrive as your legs and thighs burn the higher you climb. You keep looking over your shoulder to make sure your family is still behind you. They are, and so is the rising salt water. It’s filling the round structure, as if it were a water tower instead of a lighthouse.

You’re almost to the top now, just one more flight. You keep your thoughts on the singular goal to reach the top, but a thump from behind makes you stop. You turn and see Megumi fallen on his knees. You go to help him up, but Toji shouts at you.

“Keep going! I got him!”

Toji effortlessly curls his arm around Megumi’s middle and hoists him up into his side like a doll with his arms and legs dangling in the air. You turn and run the rest of the way up. There’s a small landing at the top with a couple chairs, blankets, and a lantern. This was meant as a watch post, not a place to survive a tidal wave. You look around but there’s nothing to help you escape.

Toji herds you all against the farthest edge away from the rising water. There’s only three rungs left before the water reaches the landing and then it will completely overwhelm you.

Even in Toji’s embrace, the safest place you’ve ever known, you tremble. Megumi clings to both of you as he buries his face in his father’s chest. The dogs cower at your feet as they too look frantically for an escape. You try to steady your breathing, to ready yourself for the inevitable.

The giant ignited lamp of the lighthouse rotates dutifully. You hadn’t fully registered its presence in your mad dash up the stairs, but now it’s glaring. Its powerful yellow glow gives the water an ominous aura, as if there’s something lurking within. You swear you see a figure in the water, but you blink once and it’s gone.

They’ll come for the boy first.

Aina-san’s voice fills your head. Is this what she meant by haunted? Water figures and the ocean coming to drown you? You did all you could to keep it from claiming Megumi, but now it seems it was all in vain. You’re all going to drown at the top of this lighthouse.

You look at your husband one last time, accepting your fate, and place a kiss to his cheek.

“I love you.”

Toji’s expression is hard. You can see the calculation in his green orbs. Always trying to find a way, never giving up on keeping his family safe. He’s better than you could ever be.

“Don’t say it like that,” he huffs.

“But—”

“We’re not dead yet,” he insists, fixing you with a passionate stare.

You gather enough nerve to match his expression, giving him a nod in return. Your eyes return to the stairs. One rung left until your safety is invaded. Again, your eyes scan the space but you fail to find any life saving uses from two chairs and some blankets. Think. Think, think, think, think—

“The water,” Toji whispers. “It stopped.”

Your gaze jumps to the edge of the landing, where the water has indeed stopped rising. You watch the way it rocks to and fro, trying to go higher, but it can’t. That’s when you notice the lines carved into the stone floor.

You stand and take a step forward, stopped when Toji grabs your wrist. He reluctantly releases you when you tell him you’ll keep your distance, you just want to check something. The closer you inch toward the stairs, the more the carvings become apparent. They’re etched deeply into the floor. Patterns made of straight and curved lines that are unrecognizable to you, and they’re all around the inner edge of the circular landing.

Your eyes float from the carvings to the water. A thought flashes in your head that these might be some kind of sigil or warding to keep the water at bay.

You rejoin Toji and Megumi, relaying to them your theory about the markings in the stone. Megumi looks over in wonder while Toji’s features still harbor skepticism. 

You grab the blankets and drape them over your huddled forms, still in your sleepwear, while the dogs curl up next to your feet. Your little family has no other choice but to wait this out.

Toji rests his chin on your head, his gaze fixed out the giant panes of glass. He’s seeing for himself what you’ve already realized. Something has flooded the lighthouse and trapped you inside while keeping the outside completely dry. You do your best to stay awake, but Toji’s voice coaxes you to sleep.

The next morning, you wake to find the lighthouse is free of water. Toji takes the lead going down the stairs. Once he’s sure the metal staircase is still structurally sound, he motions for you all to follow him. You follow him all the way down until you’re outside in the chill of the summer morning air.

Although the water has receded, you still feel surrounded. The ocean to your right and the lighthouse to your back. Even the small home you’ve come to love feels as if it’s no longer safe. You hear only one voice in your head, and it’s begging you to listen.

You look over at Toji who’s looking down at a still sleepy Megumi slouched against his father’s leg. 

“Toji.” Your husband raises his head when you say his name. “It’s Saturday.”

“It is.”

“You hungry?”

He looks over his shoulder, down the long corridor toward your home, and then back at you. He shrugs. “Yeah. I could eat.”

Toji lightly jostles Megumi awake and places a large palm on his son’s head to steer him in the direction of the house. You jog ahead toward the door, still ajar, and slip into the kitchen. You grab the car keys off the counter and toss them to your husband, who then steers Megumi toward the truck in the driveway. You go deeper into the house to grab a bra for you, pants for Toji, and a light jacket for Megumi. You quickly gather the items, as well as a pair of shoes for each of you, before you head back outside with full arms.

The drive into town is the same as always. The same fields of grass, the same light jostle of the truck onto the paved road, and the same storefronts that line the streets all the way to the diner.

This is the first time you’ve come here and actively seek out Aina-san. Megumi leans against his dad’s side, fighting off sleep, and the dogs lie with their heads on their paws beneath the table. You sit across from Toji and crane your neck for any sign of the old woman. Your family is here earlier than usual, which doesn’t go unnoticed by your waitress when she pointedly avoids drawing attention to your very casual wardrobe, but you don’t have to wait long after you give your order to catch sight of Aina-san.

It only takes her one look at your appearance to realize something has happened. Aina-san approaches your table and this time she takes a seat. You tell her about the night you’ve had, and she listens without interrupting.

When you finish you and Toji share a look. Most of his skepticism was washed away last night, but you can tell he still holds on to some strings of rationality. One of you has to since you’re already halfway into the deep end, waiting with baited breath for Aina-san’s verdict.

“You’ll need to perform an offering,” she says.

“What kind of offering?” Toji asks before you can.

“Abalone,” the old woman answers. “The sea king prefers abalone. You can find a bed of them a mile down the coast from the lighthouse.”

“That’s perfect,” you say.

“How do you know so much about this?” Toji questions, tone unabashedly suspicious.

You kick his shin beneath the table. He pays it no mind as Aina-san answers him easily.

“I used to be ama.”

“Ama?”

“Women divers,” you cut in, remembering her earliest words to you. “They dove for pearls and sea creatures. They also did the offerings, right?”

“That’s right. Which is why a woman must be the one to do it again.”

Toji narrows his eyes at the old woman. “I don’t think so.”

“Toji���”

“No.” His gaze jumps to you. His words are insistent. “I’ll do it.”

“A woman must do it,” Aina-san repeats. “Otherwise you’ll have a repeat of last night’s events. Maybe even worse.”

Toji doesn’t take his eyes off you. Green pits of fire blaze passionately, desperately, for you to pass this burden onto him. Your husband begs for another opportunity for redemption, but he’s more than shown you how much he’s changed since you first met. He’s no longer the hollow shell of a husband who lost his first wife, neglecting his young son and living a life avoiding responsibility, drowning in his deep sorrow. 

Toji calls you his angel because you came into his life when he and Megumi needed it the most, but to you Toji and Megumi are the biggest blessings you’ve ever received. You’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe.

With a fierce resignation, you turn your gaze to Aina-san.

“What do I need to do?”

Toji lets out an indignant tsk and leans back in his chair. His eyes continue to bore into you while you speak with Aina-san about the breathing technique used by the ama. She’ll have to train you before you make the dive. Then she pulls out a pen and pad of paper from her purse to show you patterns to sew into megumi’s clothes and draw on sheets of paper to ward off the water demons. You realize they’re the same ones on the floor of the lighthouse landing.

You pay close attention to her every instruction and feel hope bloom in your chest.

𓏸𓈒𓂃𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸

You devote yourself to diving training for the next week. Your background as a swimmer is an advantage, but even with Aina-san’s guidance you aren’t able to perfect the breathing technique in such a limited amount of time. 

Each day that passes, you become more and more aware of the heavy presence surrounding your home. The warding Aina-san showed you at the diner is nailed to every side of your house as well as the door to the lighthouse, newly repaired by your husband. It’s only through the warding that you suddenly become acutely aware of the energy that’s always been present.

When the day of your dive arrives, Aina-san arranges a boat to take you both out into the water. Toji and Megumi are here on the beach to see you off while the dogs run around in the sand. You crouch down and give Megumi a hug, and he whispers in your ear to be careful. You give him a kiss on the cheek and promise you’ll be back soon.

Your husband’s arms are crossed. His expression is petulant like a child’s, has been since you said you would do the dive. But you also see the fear lingering in his eyes and the guilt heavy on his brow.

“I should be doing this,” Toji says.

You shake your head. “Aina-san said—”

“I don’t care what that old lady said.” He’s pouting now. You’d tease him for how cute it makes him look if the situation weren’t so serious. “It’s my job to take care of you and Megumi. It should be me going into the water.”

“You already have,” you remind him. “You saved Megumi once. Now it’s my turn.”

You reach up and gently coax his massive arms apart. You step into the newly created space and bury your face in his chest.

“You don’t have to do it all yourself. We’re a team.”

Toji rests his cheek on top of your head. “Just…come back to me, angel.”

“I will.”

You lift your face and angle your lips so that he can give you a kiss. You reach up on the tips of your toes to place another kiss to the corner of his mouth and then his cheek before you throw your arms around his neck and squeeze. His arms curl around your waist and he squeezes back. You pull apart when Aina-san calls your name from inside the boat. You give each of your boys one last kiss before you climb the short ladder onto the small vessel.

The early morning waters turn rocky as the boat gets further away from the beach. You look back and watch as your husband and stepson’s figures get smaller and smaller on the shore.

When you reach the spot for the dive, the boat becomes stationary. It rocks to and fro as you idle in the middle of the ocean. The sky is clear. Sunlight reflects off the water’s surface, a mirror for the sun. 

You sit on a bench nailed to the side of the cabin in a diving suit, more warding sewn into the fabric. Aina-san helps you secure your flippers while you adjust your goggles to fit comfortably over your eyes and nose. You’re going in without an oxygen tank, as it’s traditionally done, so it’s up to your body to make the nearly fifty second dive.

You thank Aina-san before you carefully step up to the side of the boat and then jump into the water. The cold temperature shocks your body but you can already feel yourself adjusting. Your head resurfaces and you look up at Aina-san where she’s holding out a long netted bag for you to take, which you do.

You tread water the next minute as Aina-san coaches you one last time, reminding you of the mechanics of the breathing technique. When you’re ready you turn away from the boat and take a deep breath, conscious of what Aina-san taught you, and then you dive.

𓏸𓈒𓂃𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸

Your family sits around the low table in the living room as Toji, tongs in hand, carefully eyes the mollusks being prepared over the charcoals in the tabletop grill.

Your dive was successful, having harvested four abalone in total. The first, and largest of them, will be offered to the sea king, then there will be one abalone for each of you to eat after you’ve offered up your prayers.

“Are they almost done?” Megumi asks, hands looped around his father’s neck as he hangs off his back. Two emerald gazes watch the grill.

“Almost,” Toji says.

Your eyes too are glued to the abalone, remembering your descent into the ocean. The hardest part was focusing on your breathing. You had to resurface twice before you could keep your nerves steady enough to reach the ocean floor. But when you did it was a wonderful sight. Such diverse life beneath the water’s surface. It was difficult to find the abalone since they camouflage into their surroundings, but you’re grateful that you found at least one. Lucky to find three more.

You were running out of breath by the time you found the fourth, so you were quick to turn your body toward the surface. It was only as you were ascending that you noticed the figure. The same one from that night in Megumi’s room. Only it looked more solid now. They kept their distance, most likely due to the warding on your wetsuit, and merely watched as you exited their domain. 

Toji declares the abalones are done, pulling you out of your thoughts. You stand as he places three of them on a plate and keeps the largest one between the tongs to transport it over to the altar in the top corner of the room. He carefully reaches up to place it on the small plate Megumi had helped you set up along with the seashells and dried seaweed he’d collected from the beach.

The three of you stand below the alter. Three pairs of hands clap twice, and three heads bow. In unison, you recite the prayer you’d practiced to give thanks and honor to the sea king. After a few seconds you raise your heads and exchange glances, silently hoping this will ensure your family’s safety.

You return to the table, where the dogs are laid out underneath. Megumi sits between you and Toji to watch as you slice lemons and your husband begins to melt butter in a small pot over the grill. The quiet of the room is slowly pushed out as your voices take over. Megumi will start school in another month, Toji still has plenty of projects to complete around the lighthouse, and you’re considering taking up Aina-san’s offer about continuing your ama training.

The three of you find comfort in each other as you talk about the future. One that feels more real when you enter the living room the next morning and find the abalone on the altar is gone.

i do not have a taglist. please follow @bungalowbear-archive and turn on notifications.

[nightmarearian]

Turns out, Odysseus thinks hysterically, being on a magic island with a Titan’s child for seven years has… affects.

What the fuck, he thinks. Calypso and Hermes looks just as confused as he feels. (Which rules out that this might be one of Calypso’s schemes. She can’t truly act for the life of her; It’s always in her eyes and she can’t do a long act).

There are scales on his arms. And legs. And neck. And basically everywhere, actually. They come in patches and in different concentrations; The biggest batch is the one already consuming his abdomen, and meeting with the ones growing on his thighs and just generally his legs The other highest concentration is on his elbows, and they spread faster down towards his hands.

They’re a mix of sea-green-blue and gray; Some of the pale-soot colored scales bounce off a warm hazel or sunset-orange in the dappled sunlight that leaks through the trees. The gray - and especially the warm-gray - patches have some dusky gray and sepia feathers peaking out, in between the scales. The most of them are around his neck or from his elbows through his forearms. His hands have grown into aqua tipped webbed claws as well.

What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck, he thinks on a loop. As he huffs a hysterical laugh, he can feel his teeth having sharpened into needle point snake-like fangs and on that point - his tongue has thinned into something rough and forked. A snake’s tongue as well. The panic increases. (There are whispers in the wind now, feeling of his dead crew).

His ears twitch as he looks at his reflection in a nearby stream, peacefully running like everything in Ogygia, and - holy mother of Zeus what the fuuuuck

His… ears (can he even call them that? His hearing still seems the same…) have transformed into… fins? They remind him of the sirens’ ears, actually, though a bit wider and thinner. They’re mainly the same sea-green-blue color that the scales decorating mainly his lower half are, only fading into a cool blue gray as they near his head. …Are those more feathers behind his fin-ears??? (Scratchy ghost hands reach out of the water, like they did the River Styx. Not real, not real, he automatically tells himself, ignores them).

He turns back to the two gods, who are still staring at him; He feels his fin-ears(???) dip down in panic.

Hermes at least seems like he’s thinking - and worried - even if Odyseeus can’t see his eyes. He doesn’t want to look at Calypso much for anything, but the quick glance he gives seems to spell a similar expression, if not with a bit of… anger. Or disgust. (He hopes it’s the latter; He still feels a spike of fear at the anger. Nothing good ever came of her, much less of her anger).

(Odysseus doesn’t notice in his hysteria, but as his breathing picks up, his legs fuse together, into a snake tail. Hermes catches the moment).

Hermes seems to have thought of something, as his shoulders drop just the slightest and he slowly floats towards Odysseus, as if he was an unbroken horse (or monster, Odysseus thinks. He did say he’d become the monster but this- this is-), holding his hands in front of him in a placating gesture.

“Calm,” Hermes breathes in soft voice. Odysseus tries to follow the god’s orders. “Calm,” Hermes whispers again.

He’s done this before, he thinks, as he turns his gaze on the grass floor, unfocusing. Despite whatever in his gods forsaken travels or the war. Shut it all off. (turn off your heart, a ghost Athena murmurs behind him. Not real, he knows. Follows anyway. Why didn’t he listen to her all those years ago.)

Odysseus can’t do it as.. cleanly as usually could with the whole… well. But he tampers it down a bit. Evidently at least Hermes is willing to help. (He ignores his thoughts on how Penelope might react). They’ll… figure something out.

He tries to think about it calmer; He can feel his panicked tangled thoughts flow into a familiar, calmer weaving feeling, like whenever he makes a good plan and all it’s variables. Is it a curse from Poseidon? The fins and sea-green make him think that, if not for the feathers that are definitely not part of the Earthshaker’s realm. The feathers actually make him think of Athena but- but she didn’t answer him earlier- or did she? Hermes seemed uncomfortable and oddly tightlipped about… something; Something happening in Olympus, Odysseus can guess that much. Regardless, the most of… this seems to a snake. Snakes are either of Athena, Hermes, or Ares.

“d...eus,”

Odysseus has never even met Ares, that goes to Diomedes, he absentmindedly thinks - only Hermes and Athena, and the silver & sienna scales and feathers are very in their domain, however, Hermes obviously doesn’t know much about it, so he can really only think it’s Athena - the myth of Medusa flashes in his mind - except again, he points out against himself, the fins. They’re so clearly Poseidon, and he knows the both of them - Athena better - enough that he knows they’d rather impossibly die that work together for something as so small as a curse.

“Ood...seuusss,”

But if Poseidon can hold a grudge and he knows Athena well enough to know that she does to, as much as she denies, but still then, why would it be years after - is it cause he called to her?

“Odysseus!” Hermes half yells. The mortal in questions jumps, standing again. …When did he stop standing in the first place …wait a minute was he higher than usual earlier? Think about that later, Odysseus tells himself, shaking off the familiar feeling of fading into his thoughts.

Odysseus looks up towards Hermes, who looks a bit worried, but not as panicked as he did earlier. Odysseus looks back down at himself. There are still some scales and feathers, but considerably less. His hands have dulled down - they’re still sharper than usual, but they’re not claws, and the webbing between them is similarly less.

He feels around his mouth. His tongue is still… forked, but that’s all - still a human tongue otherwise; his fangs are still sharp, though.

“Yesss?” It’s harder to speak with a forked tongue and fangs. There’s a slight hiss and lisp at the end of the word.

Hermes doesn't respond, glancing at Calypso, then Odysseus, then Calypso again before partially turning to her, lips pressed, adopting a colder expression, like he did when he was addressing Calypso earlier, to tell them Odysseus was finally free. Hermes nods his head towards the general direction of Calypso’s ‘home’. Calypso opens her mouth, indignant, but the pressure in the air increases as Hermes’ wings stretch up and out, spreading the feathers in an act Odysseus can somehow instinctively tell is meant to intimidate. Calypso closes her mouth, still looking upset but cowed, and she runs off.

Hermes turns back to him, the wings furling back into resting near the god's ears, pressure in the air lifting. He stares for another moment, before sighing and giving Odysseus a small smile, infinitely softer than his usual mischievous ones.

He floats towards Odysseus (careful and gentle and so much unlike Calypso-) and tucks some of his curls behind his slightly-webbed ears, careful around the scales; he lightly ruffles his head like he used to when Odysseus was so, so much younger.

"Should be fine, my friend," Hermes whispers. "Rises with your emotions, no?" Hermes watches the wheels turn in Odysseus' head. Yeah, Odysseus thinks, mind blank in a good way that it hasn't been in a long while. Okay. He nods. "Smart, kid," Hermes whispers.

One of Hermes' ear-wings twitch, and his head minutely tilts towards Calypso's 'home' before tilting back to Odysseus. Hermes softly runs his hand behind Odysseus' head and leads him towards the beachside. There's a raft bobbing back and forth with the waves.

They're really letting me go, Odysseus walks towards the raft, water splashing against his legs. He turns back to Hermes who- is gone- wait no; Hermes flits back from somewhere, wings fluttering and a moderately large basket full of food, water, and clothing in his hands that he pushes into Odysseus' hands.

The god gently hurries Odysseus onto the ship, and after setting down the basket helps him push the raft into the open sea. With Hermes' help, Odysseus is far enough out to barely see the shape of Calypso, once she made to the coastline; Odysseus turns his head away from her. From Ogygia.

Hermes stays with him for a while, until Ogygia's silhouette is shrouded in fog, fading into sky. Hermes watches it fade away, as Odysseus keeps his eyes trained to the open sea (Captain-).

The messenger god turns back to Odysseus, and hovers in front of him. He lightly ruffles his hair again, and his hand cups the side of his head as Hermes ducks his head down and presses a kiss to his great-grandson's forehead.

"Call my name, and I shall be there," Hermes murmurs with a fond smile. With that, Hermes dissipates in a quiet flutter and feathers.

-

ok. so. this developed into great-grandfather hermes. uhm. yeah. anyway. so, in procrastinating on this I now have a full tag for monster-ody-au, it's called Ithacan Naga AU.

*ody has been dissociating his entire stay on Calypso’s island, besides maybe the first year, where he hadn’t spent enough time to be affected. His heightened emotions at leaving cause the actual affects to show, btw.

So! There's absolutely a ref post with a verrry long conversation in the replies that talks about it but to formally do it/add onto it: > Ody's scales are mainly/usually sea-blue-green to gray/purple, but changes colors based on lighting! > Ogygia isn't meant to be inhabited by normal people (or smth), so after seven years + Calypso's inherent magic (as a titan's daughter) it changes Odysseus into basically what Ithacans/Ody would be if he was greek monster, which is why he doesn't notice it & why it's overall very natural. -> Ithacans would really just be sea-snake nagas with some feathers. Ody is special cause he's a descendent of Hermes (and maybe Zeus) & Athena blessed, so he gets wings. > He's venomous! > He can "unhinge" his jaw (Snakes have an extra[?] bone called a quadratic bone that connects the top half of their skull & their jaw, which lets them extend it more. The jaw is also in two parts & has a stretchy ligament to let it stretch). > Full length naga, Ody is like... 27-33 ft? > He has three pairs of wings, one of the small of his back, near his waist, and the other two on the side of his snake half. > He gets gills! Three near his human ribs, a few several spaced out throughout his snake half.

Small headcannons that make a cameo in this: > Hermes used to hang out with little Odysseus (and Ctimene) before Athena (and Ares) came along and chose Ody (and Mene) > Ody has schizophrenia (and PTSD, by now).

...my battery is about to die & I can't remember anything else so that's all for now

[fanartfunart]

[Image Description: 4 colored drawings of Tears of the Kingdom Rauru and Mineru as variations of Minish. 1st: Rauru from the side, holding his hand out gently, looking curious. He has the same general colors and shape, but his long hair blends into a feathered tail, and his eyes are larger and have no whites. His legs and hands are mouse-like. He wears a leaf capelet and a blue flower skirt with a red leaf center. 2nd: Mineru with a hovering Zonai capsule above her hand. She looks bored, scarf floating around her. She has a feathered tail that ends in purple, and has mouse like feet and hands as well. Her outfit is about the same, but her top is a purple flower with green leaves in the center of her chest. 3rd: Rauru sits in Sonia's hand, as she holds him up to her forehead. They both smile, eyes closed. 4th: Rauru drawn to be laying in a screenshot of a Sundelion, wearing his in-game outfit. End ID]

MINISH ZONAI MINISH ZONAI

anyway this is moreso a background thought for @linkedspirit-fanartfunart as like, a way to combine the Minish Cap's Hero of Men-TOTK thing I've got going even MORE. Basically I'm saying the Zonai will be a sub-catagory of Minish that have that 3rd eye for that story and use the size-manipulating magic to be human sized for most of totk. The minish were said to have used to mingle more with the human world prior to MC... :D

[charlieslowartsies]

FINISHED MY TOOTHLESS PLUSH!!

Materials, info and some comments under the RM!

Toothless' Pattern I purchased

Materials: 6 yards of black minky 1 yard red minky 5 yards of Poly-Fil extra loft medium quilt batting 18 oz of poly pellets (4 oz in each foot) 2 Mainstay firm bed pillows for stuffing 1 spool of purple thread for the top stitching details on his tail, hip and main wings 2.5 spools of black thread Dark green, lime green, goldenrod and light yellow embroidery floss black acrylic paint white fabric paint Velcro one very old, small and cranky sewing machine who somehow survived this ordeal several comfort shows, podcasts, and music to listen to

This was my winter break project! Granted I started bits and pieces of the process in early December, but once my two weeks off hit he really started getting worked on lol.

I know it's hard to tell from photos, but he is A BIG CHONGUS. Toothless is 5.5 feet from head to tail tip, and has a 9 foot wingspan. He weighs about 8 lbs.

He took about 60ish hours and was very complex. My budget was $200 and he came in at $202! That includes things like the bulldog clips that I bought when he was being pinned because the minky was so slippery! This cost EXcludes a sewing machine, or things like an embroidery ring which my mom had, so I was very lucky in several areas—but he still was not cheap, either by expense or by time and sweat/tears!

Of course, the minky was by far the most of the cost, coming in at $122. I’d say the batting would be next, but I waited and snagged a good deal at my local craft store and got the batting for $18. I HIGHLY recommend buying bed pillows. The original maker of the pattern used IKEA pillows I believe.

I increased his size by 20%, so I printed him at 120% and guesstimated on the minky amount. My WORST mistake was forgetting to mirror the WINGS, which meant I had to recut two of the four pieces of fabric. (I should have marked it on the pattern, which I did mark well for things like number count.) Had I not done this, I would have used a lot less minky. I bought 7 yards and only needed 5.5 before my error.

(Now I’ve got scraps and a whole yard left sitting there whispering that it wants to be made into a Krobus plushie…who seems much less of a hurdle than Toothless.)

I stuffed Toothy’s hip fins and tail fins with one layer of quilt batting. His wings however, are double layered with the batting for extra plush, warmth, and durability. His eyes are hand embroidered (my first time!) but stitched on with the machine. Toothless has poly pellets in his feet to help support his bulk, but most of his weight is in his body, hips and start of his tail so he actually sits up really well.

He was a huge labor of love for sure! The pattern was great, the instructions were…less great. But my mom helped me figure out a lot of the troubling bits. Some parts were easy to follow and others were basically "bing bong fuck ya life." Despite that, I do suggest this pattern. But this is definitely an intermediate or advanced pattern. They also sell the eyes for those that have access to an embroidery machine.

I followed the pattern closely as I desired. I did omit the back spikes on his rear legs, and I couldn’t embroider his lil nose by hand ^^; I also did not make his blue alpha fins because of expense and mistrust in my own skills...also, I kinda wanted HTTYD1 Toothless haha. I love the series as a whole but the og movie is literally one of the reasons I went to college, and it went into my thesis as well.

I want to remake his prosthetic at some point when I have time and energy, but for now I’m pleased with 99% of him, especially since this is my first plushie I’ve ever made. I do not regret any of my personal changes and I’m totally in love with him.

[sonysakura]

can you give any sonadow recs?

Do you mean fanfiction?? I'll admit I haven't really been reading Sonic fics outside of friends' stories, friends' recs and for participation in random events since 2022 or so. But I think I can!

First, technically this also counts as rec lists: 🔸 short rec list I made for Just Leave a Comment Fest in April. It is 5 fics I picked out of everything I had read for that event; 🔸 my reblogs of Sonadow fics and fic promos/previews.

Tbh I've wanted to do a properly organised Sonadow fic rec list for a long time, would be cool to have a spreadsheet or maybe a separate page for it... One day. This is just a fraction of my favourites due to a Tumblr post being unable to fit more than 30 divider images 💫

Since there are no restrictions in your ask, I'm going to exclude graphic sexual content, ongoing and discontinued stories, Lansoni and other subships just in case! ☝ Some info about the stories is listed/changed at my own discretion. Mostly Ao3 (stories locked to it are marked with 🔒) with some FF.net thrown in – 29 Sonadow stories in alphabetical order, from small one-shots to huge multichapters.

⚡ as the world burns by @ssolaris (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 19 314 words, 2/2 chapters) — Angst, Sci-Fi, Action

He's been drowning for a long time. And, somewhere along the way, he's forgotten how to breathe.

Apocalyptic future where Black Arms basically conquered the planet, and Eggman is still a threat, too, and there's deliciously heart-shattering Sonadow with Captain America: The Winter Soldier-like twist.

🪴 Beyond a Promise by @moralitas (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 48 804 words, 10/10 chapters) — Slow Burn, PTSD/Trauma, Slice of Life

Shadow the Hedgehog has decidedly left the past behind, but his guilt still haunts him and intrudes on his life. This is how he comes to realize that living in itself, is much more than just survival and following old promises. Life has much more to throw at him that weird monsters and life threatening scenarios- there's also a pesky blue annoyance.

Still one of the most memorable endings to a story, that makes me randomly remember about it in the middle of doing everyday tasks and think about angsty what-ifs... Extra points for Shadow & G.U.N. interactions, I'm an enjoyer of occupational novels, and there's a bit of it there; many details of Sonic & Shadow interactions I loved, too. But most of all, amazing Shadow's characterisation and development arc 🙏

🌀 bonded wind by @worksofyesterday [🔒] (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 10 421 words, 7/7 chapters) — AU: Soulmates

A swirl of white marks his ankle: Sonic has never given it much thought, except when Tails brings it up. If he meets this soulmate, he'll welcome them with open arms. If he doesn't? Well, it's too bad, but Sonic can live with that. ---- Shadow never wants to meet his soulmate. They will only ever be disappointed by him and the fact that he's only a monster in mobian skin.

Soulmate AUs are a rarity for this ship, and I love Soulmate AUs 💜 This one dives into the hedgehogs' in-AU backstories as well which is always interesting to read about!

💋 careful what you wish for by @gregoftom (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 2 014 words) — Romance, Flirting, First Kiss

"H-hey Shadow, calm down, I j--" "What. The hell. Was that," "Uh... a kiss?" Sonic says, and his expression turns to that annoying sideways smirk, except his eyes convey something similar to fear, but not quite. Good, that's close enough. Shadow should be feared. Respected. Maybe this will teach Sonic something about the respect that Shadow commanded. "A kiss," Shadow repeats, eyes narrowing as crimson bores into grass green. "...Why?"

Sonic kisses Shadow out of nowhere... And if this is what could happen in canon, this is how it would happen. This is how they would react. With a slightly bittersweet aftertaste 🥺

🌊 exposure therapy by @milkcartonkidd (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 523 words) — Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort

“Stop! I’m gonna die!” Sonic gasps, scrabbling for purchase at Shadow’s forearms, “I’m gonna drown, Shadow, you’re drowning me—” “Sonic,” Shadow sighs, “It’s waist deep. You’re standing.” Sonic looks down. He is, in fact, standing. “...Oh.” - Shadow tries to help Sonic get over his fear of water, with mixed results.

Amazing banter between them 🔥 Also claws & paws~

🎆 Fireworks by LockedWings (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 433 words) — Romance, Fluff

Simple, short Sonadow fluff supposed to be for the New Years, takes place on the beach.

Dare I say, poetic... ✨

📱 Hello & Goodbye by @arctic-sylvalum [series] (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 8 031 words, 2/2 works) — AU: Different First Meeting

In which Sonic is the gung-ho leader of the Freedom Fighters, and Shadow is a very serious agent of GUN. And then they meet.

I love the idea to pieces! ❤️‍🔥 Maaan, re-reading this now, this absolutely had huge influence on my Happy Endings..., I should really add the link to my Notes.

🛁 Home by Spongeiticus (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 2 370 words) — Established Relationship, Romance, Fluff, Domestic

Sonic appreciates Shadow, and Shadow loves to be pampered.

One of the first fics I read when I returned to active fandom back in 2020! Many great quotes there!

🌓 I turn to stone, when you are gone by Kotanny (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 984 words) — Angst, Hopeful Ending

Shadow escapes Infinite’s virtual reality only to find the world in pieces, all the while still grappling with the knowledge of Sonic's death.

A chilling study of Shadow's mind during Forces with melancholic Sonadow references...

🛏 I'm Here by @gerudo-mask-replica (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 4 411 words, 3/3 chapters) — Angst, Fluff, Trauma, Comfort, Sharing a Bed

The night after Sonic and friends return from the Starfall Islands, he finds himself outside Shadow's bedroom window. He doesn't really know why. Or so he tells himself.

A post-Frontiers story, descriptive in a great way... Sonic and Shadow share beds, books and conversations 🤭 Very soft and gentle!!

🫂 Inadequate by Kotanny (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 626 words) — Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Self-Esteem Issues

Shadow has been struggling with his worth lately and Sonic is there to remind him how valuable he is. ___________________ “Pff, right…” he mumbles quietly, and it seems it has been a mistake or a blessing, because Sonic decides to capture his lips again; an involuntary purr escapes Shadow’s mouth. “My ultimate life form” Another kiss."The best of the best–.” And another– Sonic giggles mischievously as his face turns beet red; his black ears flatten against his head, overwhelmed by the compliments. “S-stop saying that.” “Stop saying what?” Sonic leans to Shadow very close, too close. “That you are perfect?–” Oh, God.

Wounded pride and Shadow not being able to keep up with his own expectations – stars, this fic resonated with me so much 😭 Sonic is being a perfect supportive partner in there, coming up with so many great pet names!

💥 It has come to this by @arctic-sylvalum (Mature, Major Character Death, 23 385 words, 9/9 chapters) — AU: Sonic Adventure 2, Angst, Adventure, Grief/Mourning, Codependency

“I will never let you die,” Sonic vows. Where once he smiled and grinned he is now only dead-serious steel. “I will keep saving you again and again, if that’s what it takes. If this Black Doom character tries to mess with your mind and tear you apart, I will destroy him.” He’s still clinging onto Shadow. “I will."

An AU of SA2 where the ARK did crash into the planet and destroyed it, no survivors except for Sonic and Shadow. It is depressing and heavy, and it's fucking fantastic. So worth a read. M-rated "for Mass Character Death" as stated in the tags 🥲

💓 Judge my sins, not my feelings by yellothebeeloved (Mature, No Warnings Apply, 228 479 words, 22/22 chapters) — Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Manipulation, Possession/Sharing a Body, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn

Maybe he's not meant to touch. It's the newest excuse he thought of in hopes that he could prolong the game a little more; a careful ruse to enjoy the bittersweet torture of seeing the days pass them by, while he pretends he doesn't seek azure blue whenever he's restless. At first, all he wanted to do was watch: but now the desire to touch, to have, to affect is at a point where he's not sure whether reaching for Sonic would truly be fruitless. He wonders that especially when Sonic's eyes light up upon seeing him. When he corners Shadow, when he invades his space and he touches and takes and then excuses it by calling it a fight. Shadow truly wonders then: if only he was brave enough to reach out, what would his grip find? Loose stars or a battle-worn body? Standing up, he glances at Sonic again, whose eyes have now met his own. There's something heavy in the eye contact, something Shadow doesn't dare name. Neither of them say anything, and yet Sonic's eyes move away from him again, like they did. Shadow warps away, hiding from the stars once more.

M-rated for sexual tension and general horniness! So much UST, guys... Sonic and Shadow's dynamics is so special here, with both of them being aro as well. There's so much queer intimacy that I just can't explain the vibe of, just that it's special. The plot is so suspenseful and full of intrigue – I was running to read every update when this story was ongoing. It all starts with Shadow losing his body to some entity, and no one knows that it happened...

🧬 Misstep by Tirainy (Mature, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, 17 775 words, 2/2 chapters) — Established Relationship, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Depression/Trauma, Amputation, Suicide Attempt, Unhealthy Relationships, Happy Ending

What does it take to bring down a hero? A single wrong step, apparently. What does it take to build one back up? That Shadow does not know, yet.

M-rated for all that stuff in the tags obviously. It is heavy. One of my favourite Tirainy's stories, though I enjoy many of them 🙏

🪥 Moments by TheGuardianKnux (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 1 833 words) — Romance, Humor, Domestic

Sonic and Shadow weren't like other couples. A bit outside the box. But with a look at a few moments in their relationship, maybe then people can see just how much they shine together.

So domestic!! 😭 And just the right amount... This story is in a rare balance of them complimenting and pushing each other.

🌸 Petals by Tirainy (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 2 413 words) — Romance, Angst, Hanahaki Disease

One day Sonic wakes up coughing out flowers. It probably says a lot about his life when he does not start panicking immediately.

The first ever hanahaki fic for this ship on Ao3, and it has a pretty unusual twist, too! I re-read this one sometimes, really like the flower imagery in particular.

📕 shadow’s fairy tale by @wubbowrites (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 10 989 words, 3/3 chapters) — Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Crushes/Pre-relationship, Falling In Love, Slice of Life, Homophobia/LGBTQIA+ Themes, Chatting & Messaging, Christmas

While being dragged on a Christmas shopping trip, Shadow spots a familiar storybook in a store window. A particular memory hits him.

Truly a Christmas fairy tale for Shadow with beautiful writing, great pacing and a pinch of very specific sort of angst. Soft and warm in the end...

🩹 Shatterproof by @arctic-sylvalum (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 332 words) — Romance

Shadow didn't make a big deal of it at all, so Sonic tries to drop it too. Unfortunately being a reckless adventure-seeking teenager who doesn't care about dangers unless others get involved, makes Shadow's latest trick seem really cool. Fascinating, let's stick with that. Sonic gets kinda stuck on the idea of Shadow being immortal.

Sonic discovers Shadow's immortality while Shadow realises the implications of his own immortality on his relationships 🥺 Beautiful fic... Also there's Shadow hanging out with everyone which is cool!

💤 Sleep Paralysis by IsdR2017 (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 913 words) — Romance, Suspense

Dreaming during sleep paralysis is a scary thing.

A curious little story where Sonic has a nightmare about something he isn't supposed to remember... Mostly it's just relatable for me lol

💅 solace by @quillifer (Mature, No Warnings Apply, 6 000 words) — Fluff, Gradual Relationship, Friends to Lovers

When Shadow offhandedly invites Sonic to hang out with him, he doesn't expect it to become a regular thing. He also doesn't expect to see Sonic letting down some of his barriers, shedding his bravado, and going running with him in silence, but it soon becomes the new normal. And maybe—it's a big maybe—Shadow is getting used to having Sonic to himself.

Claws & paws! CLAWS & PAWS! Very important! Just the right amount of angst and earning/pining/longing, too... A perfect Sonadow fic. M-rated for being suggestive/mentions of sex!

💬 stay by @ssolaris (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 6 816 words) — Romance, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort

Five times Shadow lied - and one time he didn't.

A Shadow centric 5+1 spanning over a long time and touching upon SA2, '06 and Forces plot points. Shadow's characterisation is on point ✨👌

🌟 Symphony by @whitejungle (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 693 words) — Romance

An AU(ish) take on a moment in the last story from Shadow’s perspective.

A moment in Sonic '06 when they go Super... but slightly different in the softest and heart-clenching way 💓

💍 Tension by Monovailable (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 511 words) — AU: High School/Future, Outsider POV

Mr. Robotnik was probably the most infamous teacher at the school. The man never seemed to have a smile on his face - Ian doesn't even think he knows how to. He was strict, and punishing, and most of the students tended to have opinions on him ranging from neutral to downright terrible. If you were quiet and got your work done, he was okay. If you were anything else, the man could probably put you in an early grave with the force of the glares he'd give sometimes. All in all, Mr. Robotnik and Mr. Maurice were about as opposite as you could get. Where Mr. Robotnik was all grumpy faces and eternal anger, Mr. Maurice was bright and energetic - rarely seen without a smile on his face, and always in a good mood. Which is why it was so odd that not only did Mr. Maurice willingly choose to spend his free time sitting in with Mr. Robotnik, but that there seemed to be an ungodly amount of capital T /Tension/ between the two.

This is just absolutely ✨perfect✨👌 Like, "written for me" perfect. Relatable, same headcanons, my fav tropes, etc. In the story Sonic and Shadow work as high school teachers in the future, and their students feel this tension between them… OC-centric!

🎤 Those Eight Letters by GuardianDragon98 (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 144 words) — Romance, Angst, Songfic

Shadow had to agree with Rouge. The song was written with guys like him in mind. Shadow's having a hard time expressing his feelings for a certain speedy blue hedgehog and Rouge is the best wing-woman ever.

One of these fics that stuck in my memory 🙏 Sometimes a confession... doesn't lead to a happy scene.

❤️‍🔥 till we touch the sun by @ssolaris (Teen, Major Character Death, 159 110 words, 26/26 chapters) — AU: Sonic Forces, Adventure, Angst

He never thought everything could fall apart quite like this.

I was reading this one as it was coming out, and I want to re-read now... It was another one of those fics I'd drop everything to read an update for... A lot of things go very wrong, so be prepared for it to be heavy, but the Sonadow is really up my alley here, and there's Knuxamy, too... and an awesome characterisation+lore for Gadget with past Infidget... so many characters and all of them are written so well. Guys, this fic is iconic.

🏫 to falter, to fall by @quillifer (Mature, No Warnings Apply, 8 172 words) — AU: High School, Rivals to Lovers

Sonic and Shadow's rivalry is a hot topic among their peers, but when their counselor decides that enough's enough, they have to suffer through their punishments together or face the consequences. In order to bury the hatchet for good, they have to try to understand each other, and along the way, they discover that pure hatred isn't what's been fueling their fights after all.

Same as solace, M-rated for being slightly suggestive I believe 👍 Fantastic dynamics between the hedgehogs here, immaculate vibes, and this also has a side of Rougikal (+Knuxouge) and I have been enlightened ever since...

💝 Valentines Confession by Burning Underground (Gen, No Warnings Apply, 1 139 words) — Romance, Humor

When a blue hedgehog runs into you on Valentine's Day, you just have to roll with it.

It is so silly!!

☕ We never met but can we have a cup of coffee or something? by @whitejungle (Teen, Major Character Death, 3 630 words) — Angst, Trauma/PTSD

It's been almost two months since Sonic lost someone he didn't even know, but he can't stop thinking about it.

Everyone must already know this story (unless you're very new) and its spiritual sequel singularity (which is ongoing, so I'm not listing it here, but I couldn't not make a mention of it anyway 🫶). annuska's fics in general are wonderful, and it was difficult to choose my absolute favs to showcase!

🟦 Your Favorite Color by @supershadsy (Teen, No Warnings Apply, 3 391 words) — Comfort

A typical day of training takes a turn down memory lane when Sonic and Shadow discover relics from the Space Colony ARK in the depths of GUN HQ.

Sonic and Shadow hanging out through sadness and silliness ❤️‍🩹 A beautifully written story that I feel is probably one of those that influenced my own way of writing Shadow's relationship with the past...

That's it for now! Send me another ask for more recs or with a specific request for stuff I excluded (subships, sexual content, etc.)! This was fun to put together ✨

To the authors who were mentioned: PM me if you want me to unmention you. I asked some people if they're okay with being mentioned, but not all of you... Stars divider by @enchanthings.

[iridescentpull]

Pac’s fingers hurt.

It’s night, and he can hear the quiet rush of air and the soft rustle of grass. Pac sat on his blue armchair, right hand holding a sewing needle while his left held onto the green cloth. A bag of cotton sat on the small table beside him along with colorful cloth. Pac hummed to himself as he pulled the needle through the fabric.

It’s been a while since he has sewn anything that weren’t clothes. The last time he did was back in prison, during the classes they offered as a way to help pass the time and get better at basic life skills. He had sewn a small and wonky creeper plush he’d gifted to Mike, hoping it would cheer him up a bit.

After they escaped, he only sewed clothes.

Now though, he’s sewing something different. He saw Ramón eyeing that sniffer plush when they were at spawn, but once he realized it was not for sale, the dragonlings expression changed. Pac could tell he was trying to hide how disappointed he was, but Pac noticed.

So he decided to sew the plush for Ramón.

He had wanted to give something to Ramón for so long. Pac had seen how he’d been anxious all day, playing with the sleeves of his sweater as he thought about his dad. Fit had decided to sleep the day away, preparing for the transmission the next day. And Ramón was worried.

Pac’s hands are getting tired, and the light of the lamp on the table is starting to irritate his eyes, but he doesn’t stop. He grabs one of the legs he made earlier and sews it onto the body of the sniffer, making sure it stays on and does not fall off.

The Brazilian’s eyes scan over the plush, making sure all the legs are sewed on, and when he sees that everything is okay he smiles. The little sniffer is almost done, he just needs to be stuffed with the cotton and sewed close.

But first, he needs to put the black buttons on for its eyes.

Pac takes the two black buttons from the box and sews them into the sniffer. His vision is a bit blurry, and his hands feel clumsy as he pulls the needle through the plush and sews the buttons. It’s a little messy and wonky, and it makes him feel a bit frustrated, but at least it works.

He looks down at the plush, and smiles. Pac grabs the cotton and starts stuffing the plush, trying to make cotton be spread evenly. Once the sniffer is stuffed, Pac starts to sew it close. He’s exhausted, but damn if he isn’t gonna finish this plush before he goes to sleep.

He finishes the sniffer, and places it on the table, admiring it. The eyes are a bit crooked, and the stitching isn’t very clean, but it works.

A knock comes from the door, causing Pac to jump and sit-up straight. The knocks keep coming, and the Brazilian is quick to stand up, grabbing the plush and placing it inside his chest, hiding it.

He’s quick to walk to the door, and opens it, revealing Ramón.

He’s surprised for a moment, not expecting the kid to be awake at this time, and the two stare at each other for a bit. The kid is wearing his usual yellow sweater and pajama pants. Pac can see his tail slowly swish behind him, and his ears perked up.

And that’s when Pac notices Ramón’s tearful eyes.

“Oh nenê.” He says, leaning down and opening his arms. The kid rushes into them, wrapping his arms around the Brazilian. Pac does the same, holding him tightly. He picks him up and closes the door of his house, starting to pace around the room.

His heart hurts as the kid sniffles against his pajama shirt. Pac starts running his fingers through his hair, shushing him and humming that lullaby he sang to him when he put him to bed a few weeks ago.

“What’s wrong?” Pac asks softly, looking down at the kid.

Ramón pulls away. ‘I had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep.’ He signs with a shaky hand. ‘I’m sorry for waking you up.’

“No– don’t be. Don’t be sorry for that.” He presses a kiss to his forehead, and Ramón hugs him tighter, tail wrapping around the older’s waist. “I was already awake, don’t apologize.”

He continues to pace around the room, still humming the lullaby. He glances at the chest where the sniffer plush is hidden, and his eyes soften.

“I think I have something that’ll cheer you up.” Pac says, and Ramón looks up at him curiously. He places him down on the sofa and walks to the chest, opening it and grabbing the sniffer. He hides it behind his back and turns to Ramón, grinning at him. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

The kid is quick to do what he’s told, and Pac gives him the sniffer. He giggles at Ramón’s shocked chirp. “Open your eyes.”

And when he does, Ramón’s eyes light up.

“Do you like it?” Pac asks. “This is why I was awake when you came– I was sewing this.”

Ramón stares at the plush in shock, before hugging it close to him. It’s almost as big as Ramón himself, but the dragonling can’t seem to care. Eventually, he pulls back and stares at Pac with a tearful look.

‘Obrigado, pai.’ He signs with a shaky hand, tears falling down his face. Pac smiles, and pulls him in for a hug. Ramón wraps his arms around the older, hugging him tightly.

“De nada, filho.” Pac says, kissing the crown of the dragonling’s head. “Te amo.”

When the sun rises, the two are sound asleep, curled up against each other on the blue sofa, with Ramón clutching the plush sniffer against his chest and Pac wrapping his arms around him.

[nieshiren]

Eywa has decided

Recom Quaritch x Na’vi fem reader

Synopsis: After Quaritch and his team were sent on their first mission, they haven’t found anything. Besides Quaritch’s remains, he and his blue team decided to spend the night in the forest. While his team is asleep Quaritch wanders deeper into the forest, where he finds Y/N in heat

Warnings: Strong language, mature themes, smut, oral, loss of virginity, pet names, kind of ABO?

Words: 3962

Part 2

‘Alright guys, lets camp out here for tonight.’ Said Quaritch.

After being send on their first mission and not finding anything. Besides Quaritch’s remains, he and his blue team decided to spend the night in the forest. Quaritch felt like shit, he wasn’t the man whose skull he had crushed. He had his memories yes, but he was not him. He felt so different, it was like the forest was calling to him. And this mission? It didn’t sit right with him, the more he thought about it the more he understood Sully and his decision to fight for pandora. After setting his foot in the forest in his new avatar body something felt different. He felt at home, he never really felt like that before. At least that is what he remembered form old Quaritch, that man was bitter, nothing but hate fuelled his body.

‘I will take the first watch.’ He said, as the rest got ready to sleep. He walked around, the ground lighting up underneath his bear feet. Wearing hit combat boots felt unnatural to him, he wanted to feel the forest floor on his bare feet. To his team, he told some stupid story of how they must become like na’vi in order to succeed on this mission and they believed him. And even if they didn’t, he was their colonel, so they didn’t dare to say anything.

Something filled his nose. The smell, it made hie ears twitch and his tail to swish around. He has been smelling it the whole time since they got the forest. But it was getting stronger by the minute, making his body itch. He wanted to go look for the source. But he had to wait until his blue team was asleep.  

…

‘Y/N, catch!’ Spider shouted, she turned to him just in time to catch the fish he threw her way.

‘Look at you go! just like a proper Na’vi!’ she smiled at him. She has taken a few children into the forest, to pick some fruits and catch fish, while their parents were out on a mission with Olo'eyktan. Y/N wasn’t a warrior like Neytiri, sure she could hunt, all na’vi knew how to hunt, but fighting battles against sky people just wasn’t for her. Eywa had other plans for her, she was plumper then some other Na’vi women, she was a teacher and a second mother to many na’vi children. She adored children; however, she didn’t have any of her own yet because she wasn’t mated. Most of her time was spend teaching children how to fish, when to pick certain fruit, which animals were friendly, all the basics they needed to survive on pandora.

There was one child in particular she loved very much. Spider. The monkey boy, that had no parents, left behind on Pandora, always running after Sully’s kids. Spider loved her as well, he genuinely saw her as a mother figure. She took him in when he was 8, the scientists couldn’t keep up with him, he always ran away, and they had important jobs to do. Not just run around the forest looking for a child. He would always find a way to escape the lab, and so she decided to be his caretaker.  

‘Tinut, not the green ones, those are not ripe yet.’ Y/N said as she walked past Ninat’s child. Tinut smiled at her and reached for a purple one instead. ‘Yes, that’s better.’ Y/N smiled. She was feeling restless today. Waking up early, before everyone else. He skin felt too tight for an own body.

‘Y/N, why don’t you have a mate?’ Asked Tuk. Tuk loved asking question and Y/N loved answering them. Tuk was just as curious as her dad.

‘I haven’t found one yet my dear.’ She said, petting her head. Most Na’vi Y/N’s age were already mated, starting families and living happy lives. Y/N was a little unlucky, but she never doubted Eywa and her plans for her. She knew that somewhere there was a prefect mate waiting just for her, and she would know when she smelled them.  

‘Maybe your nose is broken.’ Chuckled Tuk. ‘Maybe.’ Nodded Y/N.`

…

‘Spider, baby, go to bed.’ Y/N said, stroking his head. He looked up at her and smiled, eyes full of love.

‘Can you tell me another story, mama?’ she smiled, he only called her that when they were alone, not wanting other Na’vi to hear.

‘Not tonight darling. I’m going out to fly with Ra’i.’ She spoke.

‘But Jake said we are not supposed to leave after the eclipse, especially not alone.’ He said, worry in his eyes.

‘I know darling, but Eywa is calling me, I can feel it. I need to fly. You know I know the forest like the back of my hand.’ She said, convincing him.

‘Alright, be careful.’

‘I will. Just don’t tell anyone okay?’ he nodded, while she got up.

‘Good night baby.’ Se hugged him and left their tent. Quickly getting to her Ikran and leaving their hideout in the hallelujah mountains.

As she flew through the sky her nose was filled with a delicious scent. It felt so familiar, if felt like home. And yet it was a very exiting smell, making shivers run down her spine, her ears twitching. Her heart was beating fast as she flew on Ra’i’s back. She followed her nose down to the frost, the scent was getting stronger and stronger. Soon she got of Ra’i, leaving her sitting on a thick branch in a tree. She slowly jumped down, landing on the soft forest floor. Everything she touched lit up, she smiled, her tail swishing behind her. She was absolutely in love with the forest.

While she walked deeper into the forest, her face was getting hot. She stopped, confused, touching her forehead. Feeling how hot she was getting. Her skin was covered is sweat, hands shaking, the scent filler her nose once more, she could almost taste is. It was sweet but spicy, prickling on her tongue. Her whole body shook, he eyes widening.

‘Mate!’ she gasped. Could it really be? Was she really smelling her mate? Did Eywa finally find her the right one? Her breath quickened even more; the sound of her heart filled her ears. She couldn’t keep walking. Was she in heat already? Just by smelling her mate. She wasn’t entirely sure, as she warped her tail around her own thigh. She felt the slick that started dripping from her core. Whimpering, she sat down by a tree. Pressing her back against the cool bark.

‘Mate...’ she called softly. Hoping he would find her as her state was getting worse. She felt like her whole body was on fire, limbs shaking uncontrollably.

…

As Quaritch walked deeper and deeper into the frost, his body was getting hotter. Soon he got rid of his vest with all his grudges and his gun. Not even for a second did he think he would need them. He continued walking, breathing hard, he discarded of his tank top as well. He felt like his skin was on fire, even when the temperature dropped during the evening. Suddenly he heard a whimper, his ears twitched as he jumped over a branch, walking faster.

‘who’s there?’ he called out in English. Franticly looking around, trying the find the source of distress.

‘Mate!’ he heard a female voice cry in Na’vi. He had no clue what she said, but hearing her cries made him worry. His natural instinct to protect took over his body. And that’s when he spotted her. She was leaning against a tree, head back, panting.

His ears fell back, he felt an electric wave ripple through his body. She looked ethereal to him, like a goddess, waiting to devourer his soul. Her chest was rising rapidly, only a few neckless covered her round breasts. He slowed down, not wanting to scare her. Even though his body was screaming at him, to move, to get to her, to make her his, to protect her. He bit his lower lip to silence the deep breaths he was taking.

‘Are you okay? Princess?’ he spoke, just 3 meters away from her. Quickly her head whipped towards him, her yellow gaze piercing through him. For a second, she was surprised he didn’t speak Na’vi. He slowly took a step closer. She didn’t flinch, she wasn’t trying to get away from him. Her eyes didn’t leave his for a second, it was as if she was trying to read his mind, learn who he was just through his eyes. The air around them was intoxicating, Quaritch couldn’t stay away from her, it seemed like her body was calling him. So, he took one more step, getting on his knees in front of her.

‘Mate.’ She repeated in English now. She knew how to speak English, Grace thought her well. Quaritch felt his heart in his throat upon hearing her calling him mate. He wasn’t sure what it meant yet, but he definitely wanted to find out.  She stared at him, noticing his clipped ears, she frowned. Who would do that to him? She didn’t dwell on in for too long since her heat has clouded her mind. She knew he was an avatar, his shoulders wider then any na’vi men. Her eyes followed the curve of his arms, his giant biceps, down to his hands. Five fingers. She bit her lip. She didn’t care that he wasn’t Na’vi, he was her mate. He was the one Eywa chose, and she will love him with every bit of her being no matter what. And so will he even if he had no idea yet.

‘I won’t hurt you.’ he said softly, lifting his hands into the air to show he was not holding a weapon. He wasn’t sure what took over him, all his training was forgotten. All he wanted was to get as close to her as she would let him. Nothing else matter to him. She smiled, she new he wouldn’t hurt her. Eywa decided their fait and brought them together. She trusted her wholeheartedly.

‘I know.’ She said voice shaky, she lifted her back, inching closer to him. Her heat was raging through her body, she wanted him desperately. But she knew she couldn’t rush their first meeting. There will be enough time to mate. He cocked his head, confused his ears stood up.

‘How do you know?’ He asked, frozen in place. The fire in his chest was growing by the minute. He never felt like this before, it was as If his own skin was too tight for his body. And only she could somehow safe him. She was so close to him; he couldn’t practically taste her. Her scent was floral and crisp, clinging to his body.  

‘Because you are my mate.’ She explained, taking his hand and placing it on her heart. He could feel how fast it was beating, her skin was hot. He wanted to feel every inch of her body underneath his fingers.

‘I felt it here, that you were close. I could smell you.’ she said, he nodded. He as well has been following his nose, and this weird pull in his chest that led him to her. She smiled brightly at the fact that he felt the same. She put her own hand on his heart. Four fingers touching his shiny skin. His chest swelled with pride; this was his mate? This beautiful goddess, with wavy black hair that fell on her shoulders. Big bright eyes, and the most beautiful smile he has ever seen? It brought him extreme joy. He longed for her, he wanted to explore every little dot on her body, every freckle, every stripe of dark blue.

‘I’m Y/N L/N.’ she spoke, her hand still on his chest, feeling his hard muscles. She felt his heartbeat pick up even more. Y/N that name will be forever engraved into his soul.

‘I’m…’ he looked away, as if he was scared to tell her. She frowned, putting her other hand on his chin, lifting his gaze back up to her.

‘Miles…. Miles Quaritch.’ He breath heavily. His eyes filled with fear, pain and regret. She was shocked, but seeing all those emotions behind his eyes, she knew there was much more to his story then just the bad things she has heard. She knew that once they form a Tsaheylu she will understand everything.

‘Don’t worry.’ She smiled, ‘Eywa has decided.’ Her hands slid around his neck, and she pulled him into a kiss. He wasn’t strong enough to resist her. He felt every bit of his doubt leave his body, at least for now.

His body pressed against hers, as he pushed her against the tree. He deepened the kiss, parting his lips and slowly pushing his tongue in. She was moaning already, desperate for more. She waited so long for the prefect mate, and now that he was here, she couldn’t hold back.

‘Queue, give me…’ she said between kisses. He held her face in his hands, packing her lips lightly. He couldn’t believe what he has found deep in the forest. His whole body was filled with love, and hope and everything good. Not a drop of worry was left in him, he knew that with her by his side he could be finally happy.

‘Your braid.’ She repeated. He reached back a gave it to her. At the same time, she reached for hers.

‘Now we will from a bond, Tsaheylu.’ She explained, he just nodded. Waiting for what was to come. He knew na’vi used their braids for bonding with animals, but her wasn’t sure what would happened once they bond together.

‘We will be mated for life.’ She looked into his eyes, searching for hesitation of uncertainty. There was non, he was ready to give up everything for her, and so she held the ends of their Queues together. Slowly they tangled together, and both were hit with an electric shock. They hugged tightly, feeling every emotion, every memory that has ever passed through their bodies. They were one, Y/N felt everything Quaritch was experienced, she understood how he came back. She learned everything about him in just a matter of seconds. And so did he about her, he saw all the love she had, for him, for the kids of her tribe. All the longing and loneliness she felt all those years waiting for her mate.

‘I love you.’ he said, pulling her into another heated kiss. He was extremely overwhelmed, all he needed was her. Her heat and the bond were making his lose his mind.

‘Oel ngati kameie.’ She spoke. Quaritch kissed her neck, where her scent was the strongest. He licked and nipped at his skin. Pressing his face into it, he repeated ‘Oel ngati kameie.’ She smiled, tears filling her eyes. She wished for this moment to last forever.

‘Take me.’ she whimpered as he whipped away her happy tears. His hands slid down to her hips, he pulled her down. Lowering her into the soft grass slowly. Soon he was pushing her necklaces up, he uncovered her beautiful breasts. He just looked at them for a second, they were round, the nipples were slightly darker blue. He couldn’t help but touch them, swiping his thumbs over them both. Y/N whimpered, trembling.

‘Miles...’ She bit her lip, showing her cute fangs. His mouth was watering at the sight of her, almost naked, moaning his name. He took one nipple into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it. Y/N gripped his shoulders.

‘Fuck baby girl. You are so gorgeous.’ He whispered, licking over a nipple once more, before moving to the other one. He was kneeling between her legs; her hips were moving looking for friction while he sucked on her breasts.

‘I need you...’ she cried; head tipped back. He pressed his knee against her core. She gasped, digging her nails into her shoulders. He loved it, every little reaction she was giving him. She was falling apart in his hands, and she couldn’t be happier. He could feel how aroused she was, the bond revealed all her secrets to him.

‘Such a needy girl.’ He almost purred, pushing his thigh against her core. She was so wet, soaking through her loincloth and his cargo pants.

‘Please.’ She whimpered once more, grinding her hips faster. It felt like torture, she needed him to fill her up. To end the ache, she was feeling in her belly. To fill the void, she felt since she was old enough to mate. Oh, but how he loved seeing her fall apart underneath him.

Quickly he took off her loincloth. Revelling her wet pussy, it was blue like the rest of her skin. Slowly his fingers slid over her lips, pushing them open. Her core was more purple them blue, dripping wet waiting just for him. Her legs were shaking with anticipation, she looked down at him.

With eyes full of lust, he asked, ‘all this just for me?’ she nodded, her cheeks getting even hotter. If that was even possible at this point. He couldn’t wait any longer.

First, he kissed her soft belly, she held her breath. Gripping her thighs with both of his large hands, he pushed them apart even more. Slowly kissing lower and lower. Finally giving her clit a soft kiss. Y/N gasped; words stuck in her throat. She wanted to tell him how much she needed him, how much she ached for him. But she also wanted to saviour every second spent with him. He dipped his tongue between her folds, teasing her sweet nectar. His pupils widened, never in his life has he tasted something this good.

‘Miles.’ She cried, gripping his hair. He pushed her leg over his shoulder, allowing him more excess into her throbbing opening. It was leaking so much slick, her heat made her so ready for him. He clouding stop lapping up all her juices. All she could do was moan and take it.

‘Mine…’ he growled; this animalistic urge was taking over his body. He pushed his tongued deep inside of her, swirling is around.  Then he went back up to her clit, swirling his tongue around it first. Then sucking on it lightly. His long fingers found her opening, slowly he pushed two of his fingers inside. He felt her walls tightening around him, he knew she was close. He started moving his fingers, curling them up. his tongue never leaving her clit, he licked it steadily. Just like that first of many orgasms rippled through her body, making her scream.

‘Ahhh…yesss….’ She closed her legs around his head, trembling. He kept licking long, slow stripes over her throbbing pussy. He could stay between her legs for hours, making her scream his name over and over again. But right now, his pants were extremely tight.

‘I need you, my mate.’ Said Y/N after coming back to her senses.

‘We must seal the bond!’ she breath hard, pulling him up to yet another passionate kiss. And who was he to not grant her, her wish? She kissed him hungerly, tasting her nectar on his tongue. She pushed his pants down while he kept sucking on her bottom lip. His fangs lightly pinching her skin, making her sign into the kiss. As his cock sprang free, he pulled away. He discarded of his cargo pants entirely, now kneeling completely naked in front of her. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at him, taking in all the hard muscled of his body. Her eyes ended on his leaking cock. She bit her lip, trying not to smile. He was extremely attractive; all hard muscle and he was hers only hers.

‘Like what you see, princess?’ He asked, smug at how longingly she stared at him. ‘Yes.’ She said, suddenly feeling adventures.

‘Come here baby.’ He said, and she did, on all fours she crawled to him until his cock was right in front of her face. She licked her lips as her eyes followed the tick blue vain.

‘Fuck baby the way you look at me.’ he gripped her hair pulling her face even closed, her breath fanning over his cock. She stuck out her tongue, licking the precum off his cock. He hummed, looking at her the whole time. She looked up at him, taking his tip into her mouth, sucking lightly.

‘Who is my dirty girl.’ He moaned, as she swirled her tongue around. She gripped the base of his thick cock, pumping is slowly.

‘I am.’ She smiled, licking a long strip from the base to the top. That’s when he lost all control. He pulled away, pushing her down again. She laid back as he towered over her. He pushed her legs open, inching closer. He rubbed his cock around her drenched pussy.

‘Fuck baby, can I?’ he asked, searching for her eyes, she smiled at him. Surprised that even after they connected their Queues, he asked her for permission. He knew she wanted him, but he had to hear it. To know for sure that someone really wanted him.

‘Yes! Make me yours, Miles.’ She said, placing her hands around his neck. He kissed her again, slowly pushing his cock into her. He was going so slow, too slow for her liking, but he didn’t want to hurt her. And since she was unmated, he assumed this was her first time. He could never hurt her. Y/N was in ecstasy, whimpering, as Miles pushed his cock deeper and deeper. Filling her up just how she needed. Her body screamed for him, for more.

‘More.’ She moaned, quickly getting used to his girth, thanks to all the slick provided by her heat. Miles started moving slowly, holding Y/N’s hips tight. While his old human self has slept with quit a few women, nothing compared to what he was feeling right now, with his mate. Burrow deep inside her, wet, hot, throbbing core. The bond between them grew stronger and Miles picked up his speed.

‘Feel so good! My mate! My Miles! Feel so full!’ Y/N was a babbling mess, completely lost in the pleasure and all the emotions she felt through the bond. He ran his hands over her whole body, hips snapping faster and faster. He wanted to engrave this moment into his mind. The way her back arched, how she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the pleasure.

‘Cum for me princess, cum on my cock.’ He groaned as he felt her pussy tighten around him. And she did, his words brought her over the edge. Her pussy leaking around his cock, he picked her legs up. Changing the angle, so he could fuck deeper into her. Just like that his cock hit the right spot, making her cry out louder. They couldn’t care if they woke the whole forest, this was about them. He kept hitting her sweet spot, he legs shook uncontrollably. She was going to cum soon again and this time, he wouldn’t hold back.

‘Fell me up!’ she sobbed, feeling yet another orgasm rip thought her body. That was all it took for him. He tipped over the edge, emptying his load deep inside of her. For a split second he thought of her with a round belly, full with his baby. He smiled, kissing her glistening face. Slowly he scooted her up, his cock still deep inside of her. He laid down, holding her close to his chest.

‘I see you. Y/N.’ he breathed, running his hand through her damp hair.

‘I see you, Miles Quaritch.’ She said, smiling, her life was finally complete.