#look I even kept the ��common” names :D

[chaosordoffl]

Some Valyrian/Targaryen/Velaryon names. No expertise here, simply following patterns to see what sounds and looks nice + canon sources and Valyrian dictionary plucks. In chrono & thought order.

Canon — Rhaenys, Rhaena, Rhaella, Rhaenyra, Rhaegel, Rhae, Rhaelle, Rhaegar (All Targ)

Derived — Rhaenion, Rhaenelle, Rhaenella, Rhaegor, Rhaegon, Aenyra, Rhaelion, Rhaenyx, Rhaelyx, Rhaenar, Rhaenyar, Rhaenel, Rhaelys, Rhaevel, Rhaevis, Rhaevys, Viserrhae, Rhaenya, Rhaenior, Rhaenor, Rhael, Rhaen, Rhaejel, Rhaeqan, Rhaellor, Rhaemon, Rhaemond, Rhaenyron, Rhaema

Canon — Aenar, Aegon, Aerys, Aelyx, Aerion, Aethan (1 Velaryon), Vaegon, Aenys, Aerea, Naerys, Aegor, Aelor, Aelora (Rest Targ)

Derived — Aegar, Aelon, Aelys, Aelar, Aelara, Aella, Aelinor, Aeral, Aeron, Aelion, Aegys, Aegal, Aelia, Naera, Naeron, Naerion, Naerelle, Naerella, Naerea, Aethal, Aethelle, Aethys, Aethion, Aethar, Aethial, Aenor, Aethor, Aerelle, Gaelyx, Aenyx, Aeryx, Baelyx, Aelial, Aeliar, Aelior, Vaegal, Vaegor, Vaegar, Vaelior, Vaelor, Aerial, Aeriel, Aelan, Aevys, Aevelle, Aevella, Haelyx, Haelian, Aenir, Haethan, Haelan, Haelor, Aekor, Haeral

Canon — Gaemon (T), Daemion (T & V), Daemon (V & T), Aemon (T), Aemma (T [Andal?]), Vaemond (V), Aemond (T), Daeron (V later T)

Derived — Daemyra, Daemys, Daemyn, Daemelle, Daema, Gaemar, Daerelle, Daerion, Aemys, Aemar, Aemor, Aemir, Aemira, Aemara, Aemora, Daemor, Daemora, Vaemon, Gaema, Gaemond, Gaemyn, Gaemion, Aemion, Gaemor, Aemior, Aemyn, Aemin, Aerona, Aemona, Aemia, Aeman, Aemal, Aemelle, Gaemia, Aemol, Aemil, Aemila, Aemilon, Aemilor, Aeminor, Daemyron, Daeminor, Haemon, Naemon, Haemia, Naema, Haemal, Haemar, Naemior, Naemor, Daemian

Canon — Daenys, Daenerys, Daella, Daenaera (1 V), Daena, Daenora (Rest T)

Derived — Daenyra, Daenar, Daenor, Daenelle, Daenal, Daen, Nerys, Naera, Daenir, Daenyx, Daeryx, Daerys, Daera, Daerya, Daenya, Daenyron, Daenorion, Norion, Daenyrion, Daenarion, Daenaeron, Daellar, Daelar, Daelon, Daelor, Daelan, Daelana, Daelanys, Daelenys, Daelyn, Aenaera

Canon — Maegon, Maegor, Maegelle, Maelor, Maekar (All T)

Derived — Maegar, Maela, Maelys, Maegys, Maegera, Maegara, Maegerys, Maegal, Maegyn, Maegan, Maekor, Maekaera, Maegaera, Maegaela, Maekion, Maelyra, Maegyra, Maelara, Maelar

Canon — Elaena (T), Valaena, Laena, Laenor (3 V), Helaena (T)

Derived — Laenys, Laenyra, Laenar, Laenelle, Helaenys, Elaenor, Elaenys, Laenion, Laenir, Laenyx, Elaenar, Laenora, Haena, Vaena, Alaena, Haela, Norys, Alaenys, Vaenys, Galaena

Canon — Visenya, Viserys, Viserra (T)

Derived — Viserya, Visenys, Senys, Saenys, Saenya, Saenar, Saenelle, Saenyelle, Saenyella, Serya, Serra, Serys, Saenir, Saenyx, Saenor, Viselya, Senial, Serial, Saerial, Visellan, Visarys, Visenna, Virenna

Canon — Baelon, Baela, Baelor, Balerion (Blackfyre), Valerion (Rest T)

Derived — Baelys, Baelar, Bael, Baelir, Alerion, Aleria, Aelir, Valeria, Valerys

Canon — Jaehaerys (T), Jacaerys (V), Lucerys (V), Jaehaera (T)

Derived — Lucerra, Lucerion, Jaehaerion, Jaerion, Lucerya, Jacaera, Jaena, Jaenelle, Jaecelle, Jaesir, Jaekar, Jaeron, Jaela, Jaelon, Jaelor, Jaerys, Haerys, Haera, Kael, Kaecion, Kaeciel, Kaecelle, Kaerys, Kaerion, Kaeriel, Lucarys, Jaeca, Nicerys, Nicaerys, Hecaerys, Nicerion, Hicaerys, Niceria, Nicae, Lucarya, Lucaenys, Lucaena, Nocorys

Canon — Lianna, Larissa (V [Andal? First Men?]), Alarra (FM [Massey]), Alyssa (V & T [Andal? FM?]), Alysanne (T)

Derived — Alysor, Lianys, Lianor, Sianna, Amanna, Alanna, Noranna, Narra, Nyssa, Anyssa, Alarya, Asenna, Norissa, Irenna, Orissa, Lysarra, Lisarra, Aranna

Canon — Valarr, Vaella (T)

Derived — Vaelys, Valarys, Alarys, Alarya, Valarya, Valarra, Vaellan

Canon — Gael, Saera, Shaera (T)

Derived — Saerys, Gaelys, Gaelor, Gaelon, Gaelion, Saerion, Shaerys, Shaerial, Shaerelle, Shaelle, Shael, Shaelys, Saevys, Shaerion, Gaela, Shaela, Shaehaera

Canon — Corwyn (V [Andal?]), Corlys (V)

Derived — Corla, Corlia, Corlaenys, Cora, Corys, Corlenys, Corlea, Corlae, Corvan, Corvana, Corvys

Malentine

Rhogar(/Rogar?/Rogare? [FM? HV?])

Monford

Monterys (All V)

Derived — Terys, Teraea, Taeraea, Taerion, Monys, Monerys, Montys, Rhogel, Malentys, Malenta, Monterion, Monterra, Mona, Monae, Monarra, Malentina, Lentys, Lenta, Lenya, Taenys, Taena, Alentys, Malya, Malys, Malea, Malena, Malenna, Malaena, Amalla, Alenna, Marissa, Monassa, Monessa, Monerra, Mosarra, Malarra, Malenys, Amarys, Mantys, Malta, Maltys, Maltine, Maltina, Amalta, Amaltine, Alta, Altys, Altarra, Maltar, Maltarys, Marion, Maltior, Malerion, Mornys, Mortys, Morton, Omorr, Omon, Malenion, Malenior, Almys, Monissa, Montissa, Montessa, Omona, Omorra, Maltion, Malton, Almont, Almae, Maltorra, Torys, Garys, Garla, Galtys, Torrine, Tarine, Maltarine, Maltarra, Almerra, Almarra, Almorra, Alterra, Lamina, Monta, Monte, Montae, Taera, Taerine, Taerin, Taerys, Manta, Almina, Almine, Rhonal, Rhonior, Rhomys, Almar, Malar, Malarr, Malarys, Almarys, Maline, Rhomalt, Rhomion, Rhomior, Rhomia, Rhoma, Rhoton, Rhomine, Rhomal, Rhogal, Rhomina, Rhomon, Rhomar, Rhomorr, Almassa, Rhomys, Rhomyn, Torial, Malial, Rhovys, Rhowyn, Matarra, Atarra, Rhomond, Rhomorra, Tormon

Matarys (T)

Derived — Matarya, Matara, Matys, Tarys, Tarya, Atara, Atarys, Tarial, Tarhael, Matarr

Canon — Orys, Borys, Orryn (Baratheon)

Derived — Orial, Ora, Orya, Orra, Borya, Boria, Boryl, Orelle, Orianne, Orael, Orrael, Orhael, Borion, Orion, Bora, Orian, Oryal, Oryas, Orias, Orios, Oryos, Rys, Ryssa, Ryssal, Orlisse, Rysla, Ryn, Rynel, Rynella, Boryn, Borryn, Rynal, Dorys, Orella, Dorella, Oryl, Orgillac, Orgyll, Borella, Borylla, Bolia, Bolas, Orlas, Ollyn, Olys, Olya, Orianna, Lorys

Bonus: Argellys

Canon — Maelys, Haegon, Aeryn, Calla, Rhalla, Shaena (Blackfyre)

Canon non-Westerosi Valyrians:

Jaenara Belaerys, Aurion

Canon Dragons:

Urrax, Terrax, Balerion, Vhagar, Meraxes, Vermithor, Caraxes, Meleys, Syrax, Vermax, Arrax, Tyraxes, Tessarion, Shrykos, Morghul, Viserion, Rhaegal

Unknown — Gaelithox?, Aegarax?

Original & HV Derived (some more suitable for dragons) — Aelsior, Qaelys, Qylys, Vhenys, Vhenya, Vhinyae, Vhanir, Vaenir, Vaenyx, Baelykos, Lykael, Lykaera, Raqael, Raqel, Raqys, Raqyssa, Raqissa, Raqar, Raqir, Raqor, Raqora, Raqior, Kionar, Malkion, Malkios, Vhaltir, Malkior, Vaedys, Vaedar, Elenys, Elenia, Elēnar, Elenarys, Elenarya, Elenara, Kostys, Kostir, Kostior, Pelarys, Pelonia, Pelonys, Eledrae, Eledrys, Eledryn, Peria, Perza, Perzys, Zysa, Amisor, Amisa, Aexior/Aeksior, Aexion/Aeksion, Raenion, Raenior, Qana, Qanys, Qantys, Ēbrior, Ēbrion, Ēbria, Jelmys, Jelmarys, Jelmazys, Jelissa, Tessarys, Tessara, Tessarae, Dessan, Dessenae, Hārys, Tōmarr, Tōmarys, Tōmasyn, Tessarax, Syrion, Syriel, Jēdarys, Jēdaria, Jorrael, Trēzos, Elilla, Vāedan, Ōrbēdon

Possible High Valyrian roots for names:

Rhaen — to; meet, find, encounter, discover

Bael — to help, to aid, to assist

Jael — to want, to wish/to store, to house

Jaelarys — hope (possible name)

[iiping]

kaveh snapping at alhaitham for buying another ugly wood carving… except he forgot it was his birthday 👀

read my short fic on twitter here or see more below! 🫶

—

“This looks absolutely nothing like me!” Kaveh snaps at the rough-out Aranara carving that suddenly shows up one morning, looking so blonde and angry.

Alhaitham comes out of his room at this moment and walks over to their common shelf where the architect stands.

Kaveh has a meeting with a particularly frustrating client today and he’s feeling so anxious that he cannot help but snaps at Alhaitham too, “How many times do I have to tell you not to bring ugly wood carvings into our home!?”

Alhaitham looks at Kaveh, his lips tightens. Something unfathomable flashes across his eyes and disappears just as suddenly.

“Do whatever you want with it then,” Alhaitham says finally after an awkward silence. Then he grabs his key from the shelf and turns his back to walk towards the front door without saying another word.

Kaveh looks at him leaving the house in puzzlement. It is not a rare occasion to see the Scribe not bothering to argue with him but Alhaitham never walks away after saying only one sentence before. He looks as if he’s angry or even…pouting? Kaveh is not sure if that word can describe Alhaitham.

Maybe Kaveh did something wrong? He gasps at the thought.

Is it because the smell of the cream soup he made yesterday was too strong? Or maybe it was the fact that the house is now so messy because he’s in the middle of tidying up things? Or maybe he moved or touched some books he wasn’t supposed to?

Kaveh ends up thinking for the whole day. He even spaces out during the client’s meeting and almost drops the model when he tries to present his plan.

He thinks and thinks but nothing comes to his mind. They have been on unusually pretty good terms lately, so he cannot think of something recent that might have made Alhaitham upset.

Kaveh is so deep in thought he almost bumps into Collei on the way home.

“Ah! Sorry!” Kaveh exclaims then realizes who it is, “Collei! I didn’t know you were in town today!”

Somehow, the trainee Forest Ranger looks shocked to see him. She quickly picks up something that fell to the ground when they bumped into each other earlier. Kaveh catches a glimpse of a small green box with yellow ribbon before Collei swiftly hides it behind her back.

“It’s so good to see you! Wanna grab something to eat?” Kaveh asks, ignoring her suspicious behavior. He’s not ready to go home just yet, not when he still hasn’t figured out what he did wrong.

“Uh, sorry I have somewhere to be today,” Collei replies nervously, avoiding to meeting his eyes, “If you will excuse me, I really need to get going.”

Then she takes off before he can say another word.

Kaveh ruffles his hair in confusion. What is going on today?

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, he decides that he has no other place to go except the good old Lambad’s Tavern.

He sits down at a table and orders a drink even though it’s merely 5PM.

“Hey, Kaveh!” Lambad shouts his name from behind the counter, “That one’s on the house! Happy Birthday!”

Oh. Shit.

A realization strikes him like a bolt of lightning.

“How could I forget!” he cries, standing up abruptly, “It is my birthday!”

He tells Lambad that he’ll take a raincheck on that glass of wine before leaving the tavern. Kaveh rushes home as fast as he can and finds Alhaitham standing in front of the shelf with the Aranara carving on one hand and a bag on another.

Alhaitham raises his eyebrows when he sees Kaveh practically flying from the front door.

“No, wait—-“ Kaveh tries to catch his breath, “D-don’t throw that away!”

“Oh?” Alhaitham puts down the Aranara and turns to face the architect. “Seems like you finally remember something.”

“Sorry for what I said this morning,” Kaveh blurts out, “I know it sounds like an excuse but that client’s project kept me frustrated all night and I shouldn’t have taken it on you.”

Alhaitham looks at him silently.

“Alright, alright,” Kaveh puts two hands in the air, “I apologize for calling it ugly.”

The Scribe lets out a chuckle right this second. It is clear that he does not intend put up any fights with Kaveh on his birthday.

Alhaitham hands him the Aranara in question and asks, “Will you also stop calling my other wood carvings ugly?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” Kaveh replies with a beaming smile. His eyes light up as he takes the wooden figure in his hands.

Alhaitham gives him birthday presents every year but they are usually books or drafting tools. This is the first time Kaveh has received something custom-made. Well, from anyone, really.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into me this morning,” he mumbles, feeling the rough wood under his fingers. “Sure, it looks a bit cruder than that one in your bedroom which I kind of like, but the more you look at it, the mor—- Hey!”

“I changed my mind,” Alhaitham announces with a straight face, the Aranara is now back to his hand. “I’m taking it back.”

Kaveh blinks.

“What did you just say!?” he raises his voice.

“I don’t see any reasons why it should be in the possession of someone who doesn’t appreciate it,” he replies simply while putting the wooden figure in the bag, then starts to walk to the entrance hall.

“How do you know I don’t appreciate it!?” Kaveh follows him, trying so hard not to yell at his back, “This is ridiculous! You just gave it to me literally a second ago!”

That does not make Alhaitham slow down one bit. In the heat of the moment, Kaveh charges at him without thinking.

Next thing he knows, they are both on the floor with Alhaitham being beneath him. He quickly snatches the bag from the Scribe’s hand and sits up.

“Ha!” Kaveh exclaims, raising it in the air in victory. “You cannot walk away from me this time! Don’t you know that it’s rude to take back what you have given!?”

When there isn’t any response, Kaveh glances down, only to see that Alhaitham is covering his face laughing.

Kaveh looks at this scene in disbelief.

“Were you just teasing me!?” he asks with a high-pitched voice, “Oh my god, who are you? What have you done to my Alhaitham?”

“I couldn’t help,” he is still laughing, “You should’ve seen your face.”

It’s extremely rare for Kaveh to see a silly side of Alhaitham, let alone seeing him laughing like this. Kaveh stares dazedly at him, completely forgetting why he was mad in the first place.

“You can have the Aranara,” Alhaitham says with a smile, “Will you get off me now? Although I don’t really mind—-”

Kaveh interrupts this sentence with a cough, just realizing what a dangerous position they are in. He shifts to move out of the way, but at this moment, a small piece of paper falls of the bag and lands on Alhaitham’s chest.

The Scribe’s eyes widen as he moves to reach for it, but Kaveh is quicker.

Seeing what’s on there, he is speechless.

Alhaitham covers his face again, but his ears are turning visibly red. The worse thing is, Kaveh can also feel his face burning too.

“You carved this,” he asks softly, “for me?”

After a while, Alhaitham admits with a sigh, “Yes.”

Kaveh is dumbfounded. He assumed that it was merely a commission. Never has he ever thought Alhaitham would go that far to do something like this for him.

“That’s why you’ve been coming home late for the past week!” Kaveh just remembers how unusual it was when he said that he needed to work overtime.

“You knowing this wasn’t part of the plan, I was too careless.” he says flatly and decides to pull himself up, unintentionally getting closer to Kaveh. “Now it’s good time for you to forget you have seen that workshop receipt.”

“Nuh-uh,” Kaveh pokes his chest, “This Aranara is now worth a million mora to me.”

“You have just burdened yourself with a new enormous debt then” Alhaitham teases.

“Hey!”

“I think wood craving has grown on me.” Alhaitham smiles, “So I’m afraid you’ll have to put up with these ugly figurines for now.”

“Come on, they are not that ugly,” Kaveh chuckles, “But we do need to set up a proper corner for them so they don’t disrupt the current aesthetic.”

The Scribe can’t help but roll his eyes at this comment.

“Seriously though, thank you” Kaveh softly touches his shoulder and looks directly into his eyes, “It’s the first time someone did something so special for me. I will always treasure it.”

The Scribe stares back at him and without a warning, Alhaitham pulls him into his arms and whispers to his hair, “Happy Birthday, Kaveh.”

After that, Collei, along with Cyno and Tighnari, burst open their front door right when they are still hugging in the hallway. Kaveh’s face turns as red as a tomato as Alhaitham helps him up on his feet.

The night cannot be more perfect. The house is filled with the smell of good food, laughers and joy. His most favorite dishes are laid out on the table and the gifts are waiting for him to open. Wine never tastes better and even Cyno’s jokes are funnier than usual.

Kaveh watches as everyone starts to eat and cheerfully discuss about what games they are going to play tonight. His heart aches a bit thinking of how much he does not want to ever lose this; his friends, his happiness, his home.

And when his eyes accidentally meet with Alhaitham’s, he cannot help but wonder, would things turn out differently if he hadn’t met the Scribe at the tavern that night where he had taken Kaveh in?

He tries harder now to stay happy, to actually listen to some of Alhaitham’s advice, the sensible ones at least.

“Don’t burden yourself with something unnecessary from the past and from the future”, he would say.

So instead of dwelling on the past regrets and unknown future, Kaveh thinks he is ready now to find comfort in the present happiness.

(END)

[lehguru]

Could you do how one piece characters comfort their crying girlfriend?!:D

CRYING + ONE PIECE MEN

zoro, law, luffy and rosinante comforting you while you're crying!!

info: pure fluff!! i tried to not specify why reader was crying, so it could be as broad as possible, also im aware that the quote by pylades is overused but im in love with it leave me alone (/lh), gender neutral — ko-fi

roronoa zoro froze upon seeing you like that. you were taking way too long to get out of your shared room, you said you were "just changing to something warmer" and taking that amount of time to do so concerned him. when he opened the door, you were kneeling on the floor, your face buried on a pillow against the bed; after hearing his footsteps, you felt even more tears come out of your eyes.

your name fell out of his lips in such a soft and gentle tone, you almost thought it wasn't your boyfriend there. "what happened?" he asked, kneeling next to you and placing a hand on top of your head. you looked up at him, your eyelashes and your undereyes completely wet; you blinked at him, processing his question, and immediately started to cry again. you threw yourself into his arms and he held you, hugging you protectively—one of his arms hugged your waist, while the other cradled your head.

you kept on sobbing against him, hearing the way his heart pounded faster in his chest. zoro was quiet, his eye closed and his jaw was visibly clenched—he wished that he could get all the pain you have and put it on himself, he could handle it for you. "hey," he suddenly said, making his chest rumble, "i'll be here when you're ready to talk about it. or don't want to talk about it– i just... i'm here. for you." the awkwardness of his words made you choke out a giggle and you relaxed in his embrace. everything is going to be fine.

trafalgar d.water law didn't expect you to be the one knocking at his office door. it was late, he thought everyone—he hoped that you were too—fast asleep; upon seeing you passing the door, looking at the floor shyly, he immediately thought something was wrong. "are you okay there?" he asked you and your face immediately scrunched up, tears falling from your eyes. while you buried your face in your hands, law got up from his chair, almost dropping it to the floor. in two quick steps, he reached you and hugged you tightly; you hugged him too, your fingers pressing against his back.

"i-i'm sorry for— 'm sorry i bothered you." you managed to say between sobs, feeling the way he played with your hair to calm you down. he kissed the top of your head, so softly it almost made you melt down. "it's not a bother." he whispered, hugging you a bit tighter. "not if it's you."

he held you like that until your crying got better. pulling away slightly, he put his hands on your cheeks, using his thumbs to wipe away your tears. he hated to see them and hated himself even more for not being able to stop them from falling at all in the first place. "let's go to bed, yeah? we can talk tomorrow, if you want to." you nodded and he picked you up, making his way to your shared bedroom. if he couldn't stop your tears from falling, he would at least cuddle you and make sure you feel comfortable and protected. make sure that you know he wouldn't let anything bad happen to you.

monkey d.luffy always had the right actions to make you laugh and he made you incredibly happy. that's why it was a shock to him when he saw you crying, alone in the bathroom. it was common for him to come into the bathroom while you were taking a bath, so him opening up the door, saying your name loudly, wasn't a surprise. you tried to wipe away your tears, but it was too late.

"what— are you hurt?" he immediately asked, his usual smile replaced by a frown. he kneeled next to you, one of his hands rested against your cheek, and his eyes scanned your body. you shook your head and tried to smile, but your tears started to flow again. surprising you, luffy got up and left, leaving you alone. even through your soft sobs, you could hear your boyfriend running around the house and it confused you so much, it almost made you forget why you were crying in the first place.

when luffy got back, he picked you up and carried you to the bed, carefully putting the covers over you—his movements were so gentle, it made you smile at the act. once he was satisfied with the little burrito he put you in, he sat down on the bed, his legs crisscrossing. "i don't really know what to do right now, to make you happy again." he spoke up, his big smile back on his face, and petted your head. "and if you don't know either, it's okay. i will just stay here. imma watch out for you and punch away anything that could make you sad." he punched the air and that made you giggle. it didn't take long for you to fall asleep, the comfort of the blankets and tiredness overwhelming you. just like he promised, luffy stayed there until the next morning, sitting next to you.

during your relationship, donquixote rosinante was always good at comforting you. whether it was through words that were exactly what you wanted to hear or through his small clumsy acts, he always managed to comfort you; but it didn't mean that he knew how to act upon seeing you cry.

whenever you cried close to him, he would panic, his heart almost coming out of his mouth as tears of his own started to build up on his eyes. his first instintic was to hug you, but he immediately remember that could make you uncomfortable. breathing in and out, rosinante kneeled in front of you, trying his best to smile and murmur: "is there anything i can do to help you?"

you shook your head, a soft 'i don't know' leaving your lips through a sob, and he hummed. "would cuddling or a hug make you feel lighter?" this time, you nodded and he immediately embraced you, cooing praises and caring words while rubbing circles on your back. he knew that doing just that wouldn't show you the full extent of how much he loves you, how seeing you like that and not knowing why you were crying was like hell to him. if it cheered you up, he would reach inside his chest and give you his heart—it was already yours anyway.

2024 © content belongs to lehguru, do not repost, translate or feed it into ai without permission

[therealcocoshady]

Kinktober - Day 3 - Pet Play (Part 1)

Kinktober 2024 Masterlist

A/N : Hey guys ! I'm a couple of hours late for Kinktober Day 3 but here it is ! The prompt is pet play. I actually got really inspired by it and as it turns out, I got somewhat ambitious and it is a long one. I'm not done with it so I will be releasing it in two parts. That way, you can still have something to enjoy on the day of 🤭. Please mind that this is my personal take on pet play, which is informed by reading that I have done on the subject. This kink can look different depending on people's dynamic ! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it ❤️

Part 2

CW : pet play, implied d/s dynamic, soft domination, vanilla

« Honestly, I wouldn’t mind being someone’s pet ». Little did you know these joking words would be the end of you. 

You’d known Marshall for a little while. You had quite a few friends in common and, in spite of your age difference, you had become quite close. You namely shared a love for music and a questionable humor, as well as a knack for pushing the jokes a little too far. Everyone you knew said that the two of you had a chaotic duo energy but they had to admit that it was very distracting. It was all dark humor and banter. You always made fun of each other and you were never short on jokes that capitalized on his status as a lonely, single fifty something man with an hermit reputation. The age thing and relationship status were true. However, he was far from being lonely, or an hermit. Still, you enjoyed teasing him. You were spending the afternoon at his place, just the two of you, browsing through his cassette collection and discussing the latest hip-hop drama, when he made a snarky comment in passing about your recent breakup. Something about your relationships never lasting too long because of you being impossible. « That’s a lot of nerve for someone who’s been single for what ? Four, five years ? At least I’m putting myself out there. You should try that sometimes. », you clapped back. « I didn’t- I mean… You know. I’m just saying you don’t know how to pick guys that can actually handle you. », he tentatively clarified. « I’m not impossible », you argued. « For these dudes, you are », he hummed. « Whatever », you sighed. « Why don’t we focus on you, huh ? You talk as if you were such a big relationship expert buy you’re the lonely, single one. I still have a bunch of options. You, on the other hand…». He stared at you with an amused look on his face. « I’m all good, thank you for your concern, Y/N », he said calmly. You chortled and mumbled something inaudible, causing him to sigh. « To be fair, I’d rather be alone than have to deal with the whole relationship thing », he stated. « So… You don’t miss dating ? Like… You’re ok with the possibility of ending up alone ? » you asked with a raised eyebrow. 

«Yeah I wouldn’t mind some company but I don’t care about it that much », he shrugged. « Besides… Just because I’m not dating doesn’t mean I’m lonely. ». You hummed. Ultimately, Marshall’s dating life was none of your business. But as his friend, even though you sometimes joked about it, you didn’t want him to be alone. You knew him enough to know that, even though his family and friends kept his social life fulfilled, he could easily get into his own head. In truth, you were concerned. « How about a pet ? » you suggested with a smile. « I wouldn’t be a good pet owner, especially now that it’s just me at home » he chuckled. « I work too much. And I’m not sure it’d be too happy here ». You let out a giggle and looked around you. He had this massive mansion all to himself and you could definitely imagine a couple of cats or dogs living their best life. « Yeah, you’re right. Huge houses usually don’t make great spaces for pets » you said sarcastically. He shook his head and smiled. « Here’s the issue : if I want some live-in company, I’d need something as independent as a human being but as easy and docile as a pet » he chuckled. You hummed in understanding, thinking to yourself that this man was definitely too complicated. You already knew it but sometimes, it showed more. « Too bad it doesn’t exist. Maybe we wouldn’t have to deal with you being all cranky if it did » you joked. « I mean, it does. It’s just hard to find the right match » he shrugged evasively. « Huh ? » you asked with a raised eyebrow. « I mean, you know. Like… Different kinds of pets » he hummed. You still didn’t get it. You stared intently, waiting for him to elaborate. But he didn’t. « Like… robots ? » you asked. The question made him laugh, as if you had said some sort of joke. « I know you’re younger, but I didn’t think you’d be so innocent » he chortled. « Like what ? I really don’t get it ! » you defended yourself. « Like pet play, Y/N. That’s what I’m saying. Like… Real people being pets, it’s a thing». You ket out a giggle. « You mean people dressing up in the bedroom for some kinky shit ? » you asked jokingly. « I mean, yeah, that exists. But some people go kind of deeper than that. Even in non-sexual ways. They just have that relationship with someone, where they let go of tension, responsibilities, and they let the other person direct them and care for them ». You hummed, understanding a little better. In truth, you hadn’t really heard of that before. « So they’re treated… like an animal ? Like, they’re fine with being treated like a dog ? » you asked with your eyebrows furrowed. « Some people actually enjoy that. But it’s not so much about feeling like an animal. It’s just letting go, trusting someone to be responsible for your wellbeing. Like, they have rules, boundaries, and they can unwind ». You nodded, finding that it actually made some sense. « You seem to know a lot about this, old man », you teased. He shook his head and gave you an enigmatic smile. « I’m 51. I know a lot about a lot of things. ». You hummed again and chuckled. « That doesn’t seem so terrible. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind being someone’s pet. Maybe it’d help with the constant noise in my head. ». He stared at you intently and chortled. « Right. You. A pet. » he said mockingly. « What’s that ? You don’t believe me ? What are you saying exactly ? » you asked, falsely offended. 

« You’re an agent of chaos, that’s what I’m saying », he chuckled softly. « I’ve been friends with you long enough to know you’d suck as a pet. You just don’t have what it takes ». You crossed your arms, almost vexed by his comment. You couldn’t exactly deny being rather skilled as an agent of chaos, but there was no way in hell you would let him say you weren’t good enough. « You think you know me that well, huh ? », you challenged him. « Maybe I’m not the problem, you know ». He raised an eyebrow. « Meaning ? », he asked, as if to make sure he understood the implication quite right. « You heard me », you said defiantly. « You’re would suck as a pet but, really, you’re the one who wouldn’t have what it takes ». His eyes opened a little wider and he scoffed, shifting to an assured stance. « Is that right ? », he asked. « Oh yeah », you teased.  « You wouldn’t be up to the challenge ». There. You had said them. The magic words that, you knew, flipped a switch inside of his brain. In the few years you’d known him, you had come to learn that Marshall didn’t deal well with people doubting him. And, petty as you were, you didn’t shy away from using that against him from time to time. « You know what ? Let’s settle this. I’ll show you », he challenged. You froze for a second because laughing. « Show me what ? » you asked. « That I’m up to the challenge », he replied. « I’ll prove to you that I’d be quite skilled as a master. You’re the one who would not last a day ». Now, you were the one being provoked. You crossed your arms and tilted your head, gesturing for him to elaborate. « You try being my pet for 24 hours. We’ll see who lasts longer. You or me. Then, you’ll now if you’re terrible as a pet or if I suck as a master. Deal ? ». You stared Ito his baby blue eyes. 

« What’s at stake ? » you inquired with a raised eyebrow. « Honor », he simply shrugged. « That’s the answer of someone who knows he’s going to eat his words », you teased. He looked at you and let out a sardonic chuckle. « Alright, smart-ass, what do you want ? » he asked, seemingly dubious. « Amazing Fantasy #15 » you immediately replied. He let out a laugh and shook his head, as if you had just made a joke. You stared at him with your arms crossed, standing on business. « Do you even know how much this thing costs ? » he challenged. Only you did know how much it cost. That comic book was a rarity, a holy grail. One he kept somewhere in a safe and had always refused to let you borrow, arguing that you were way too clumsy to be trusted with the diamond of his collection. « Last one that was auctioned was sold for over three million. I know. », you answered matter-of-factly. « Though rumor has it that you paid a third of that price for yours», you added. « We’re not betting a million dollar-worth comic book over some stupid pet play joke », he warned. « Relax, grandpa. I’m not suggesting you hand it over. I just want custody of it for a week. », you said. « Two hours. With gloves and supervision. », he counter-offered. « Two days. Here. No supervision. I’ll agree to the gloves. Besides… I thought you were confident. Are you backing down, old man ? », you grinned. « Put some respect on your owner’s name, pet » he grinned as he extended his hand. « You got yourself a deal. But if I win, I want your imperial star destroyer ». You stared into defiantly into his eyes and shook his hand, determined to make him eat his words and win your bet. Not only were you a sore loser and you really wanted to read that comic book, but now that the most precious item of your Lego collection was at stake, you absolutely refused to let him win. « You’re not my owner », you said. « Not until next weekend, that is », he replied with a grin. 

The two of you had agreed that the bet would start on Friday evening at 8PM and that you’d have to be a docile pet for a whole 24 hours. You’d spend the weekend at his place, which wouldn’t be the first time, since he often had people over. You hung out with him often and you’d stayed over in the past. His huge mansion was the perfect place for entertaining people and he tended to take advantage of that. In the preceding days, you had done research on the pet play dynamic, trying to figure out what you should expect. It appeared to be quite a spectrum, with various roles and possibilities. You had agreed to leave the details to Marshall and, although you inherently trusted him, you sort of counted on him to be an asshole to some extent. That being said, you’d previously had a conversation regarding limits, so you knew he was aware of things you absolutely wouldn’t agree to. He was one of your closest friends and he knew you pretty well anyway. That being said, you were a little curious as to what he had planned. Knowing him and his knack for making fun of you, you almost expected pranks. You wouldn’t put it past him to have dress you in some silly outfit and have you eat from a dog bowl.

When you arrived at his place, you greeted him with a hug, as usual. He took your bag and you went to sit on the couch. « I’m surprised you haven’t already bailed » he gently teased. « You know I’m not a quitter, Mathers. Besides… I really want to read that comic book. » you replied with a grin. He hummed and moved a little closer to you. « So, we’re doing this, huh ? » he asked. « Unless you already want to-» you began. « I’m good, pet » he cut you. « Let’s see if you can handle it for a day ». You looked at him defiantly, willing to show you were absolutely not willing to back down. « Bring it on, old man. Whatever you have planned, I can and will handle » you said. He chuckled and walked to fetch something from a drawer. « I figured you’d need something to fully get into it » he said with a grin as he handed you a collar with a little bell on it, as well as a pair of clip-on cat ears. You gave him a side-eye. You knew he would do something corny like this. Still, you weren’t one to fold, so you immediately put them on. « How do I look ? » you asked. « Pretty cute » he admitted. « So, we’ve established that I’m going to be a cat ? » you asked. He shook his head and shrugged, as it it didn’t really matter. «Pets don’t talk, now, do they ? », he asked with a playful grin. « So be a good girl and shut up unless I ask you something or allow you to speak, alright ? », he added. You pursed your lips and stared at him, tempted to run your mouth, but you ended up nodding, not without a slight eye-roll. He chuckled and cupped your jaw, stroking your cheek with his thumb. « Good girl », he softly praised. « And since I’m nice, I’ll pretend I didn’t notice you rolling your eyes ». You were used to having physical contact with Marshall. As a friend, he wasn’t one to be stingy with hugs. But this was different. It was caring and warm and intimate. You sort of liked it, though. As innocent as it was, it sent some kind of warmth through your body, the way he had gently cupped your face and asserted his dominance. He took you to the movie room, suggesting to watch a movie. You figured the weekend and that stupid bet might turn out to be enjoyable. After all, lounging in a lavish mansion, with the promise of being taken care of didn’t sound like a total nightmare. Even if that implied remaining silent and surrendering to someone else. You walked to one of the couched but, before you had the chance to sit, Marshall cleared his throat. « No pets on the couch », he hummed. You immediately gave him a side-eye, although you remained silent. You stood there, watching him. « Don’t look at me like that », he chuckled. « I’m not a monster. I’m not going to make you sit on the floor. I actually got you something ». He went to a corner of the room and brought what resembled a dog bed. Only, it was human-sized and seemed rather comfy, almost luxurious. He positioned it next to the touch and gestured to it, a smile tugging at his lips. « Did a bit of shopping, this week. Wanted to make sure my pet had everything she needs. What do you think ? », he asked. Judging by his smile, you could tell he was pretty proud of himself. Apparently, the collar and the corny cat ears were not enough and you wondered what else he’d bought. « Are you serious ? » you asked. « Are you backing down already ? » he playfully retorted. « Not at all. This looks… Fine, actually ». You kneeled and took place on the dog bed while he sat on the couch. To your surprise, it was one of the comfiest things you had ever sat on, and you almost automatically curled up on the soft fabric as Marshall stared at you with a smile. « See ? ». 

You silently hummed and he picked the movie, opting for some classic comedy, one genre he actually knew you liked. You settled, a little bit apprehensive. Calm and focus had never been your forte and, as much as you enjoyed lounging in front of a movie, knowing you had to be obedient was a little challenging. You were starting to get antsy and fidget a little and Marshall seemed to pick up on it. He gently placed a hand on the top of your head and traced small circles with his fingers. « Relax, pet. Just focus on the movie and ease up ». You hummed and tried your best to ease the tension of the past week. It had been stressful at work and you could feel it in your neck and shoulders. As soon as he saw you stretch your neck and shoulders, he placed his hands on your trapezius muscle region and gently started to massage. You closed your eyes and hummed in approval. « Better ? » he asked softly after a few minutes. « Yeah, thanks » you replied with gratitude, thinking that he wasn’t too bad when it came to caring for someone. « Good. Now just focus on the movie », he directed. You turned your head and focused on the screen. After a while, Marshall got up and left the room, only to come back after a few minutes with some snacks and water. « I know you never drink enough water or really eat when you’re working. Time to hydrate and eat. » he commanded. You looked at him with an appreciative smile and did as you were told. There was something freeing about all of this. You had thought the whole thing would be somewhat gimmicky, but he had actually anticipated your needs. He seemed kind of serious about this bet.  When you were done with the water bottle and the snacks, he gently patted your head. « Good », he gently praised. You gave him an appreciative smile and turned your attention back to the movie as his fingers kept on stroking your hair. Slowly but surely, the noise in your head started to quieten and you began to let go of all the tensions of the past week. In the back of your mind, you knew you were safe, with someone you trusted and felt safe with. When the movie ended, you were in some kind of zone, fully relaxed for the first time in ages. You knew where you were and yet, at the same time, you felt a little hazy. « All good ? » Marshall asked. You simply nodded with a soft smile, something different than usual in your eyes. You were usually in pocket rocket mode, especially around your friends. They were used to your erratic, sometimes chaotic energy, and how you never really stopped talking or fidgeting. No one was really used to seeing you calm and silent. Not even yourself. You could see Marshall smile and he extended a hand for you to get up and grab. « Time for bed, now, pet. I know you had a long day. You need to rest. ». You nodded again and followed him upstairs while he carried your bag. You expected him to drop it in the guest bedroom where you usually slept whenever you stayed over, but he seemed to have other plans in mind. He smiled as soon as he picked up on your confusion. « Pets sleep with their owners, now, don’t they ? » he said with a low voice that sent shivers down your spine. 

[m0nnypie]

GOOD LUCK BABE!

Lily Evans x Slytherin!Reader | Pt.1 [NEXT]

Summary: You certainly never had any feelings for Lily, but would you be so accepting when she finally moves on with James?

Content!: lesbian!reader, fem!reader, self acceptance, compulsory heterosexuality, fake dating, James x Lily, homophobia, bullying, word mudblood, pet names, misunderstanding, angry!lily, love confessions, angst, hurt/comfort.

The first time Lily met you was when you bumped into each other on the train. She remembers you saying something like “watch your step, little carrot,” but she’s not sure. The only thing that went through her mind was how beautiful you were.

She didn’t think much about it at the time and didn’t understand why she was so fascinated by a girl. But what changed everything was one day in her third year, when once again some Slytherin girls were bothering her for being a Muggle-born.

“That’s right! We’re going to make your life hell, you Mudblood!”

“We have to get everything ready for when Lord Voldemort comes to kill disgusting Mudbloods like you!!”

Those girls laughed at her as if it were a joke, and Lily just stood there, holding back tears. She wanted to do something, but it was like she simply couldn’t. Deep down, she knew that what they said was true.

Her thoughts were interrupted by one of the girls getting punched. When she raised her head, did she see you in front of her, protecting her?

“Get out of here, you disgusting scum!! Before I rip every last strand of your hair out and make wigs to distribute around!!”

The girls ran away in an instant, one thing she remembered was that you were known for being great at potions, you would certainly be able to make the girls bald in no time.

“Hmm…th-thanks…for defending me,” she said, a little shyly. Anyone who looked could see her red face.

“It doesn’t matter, Carrot…I wasn’t defending you! I just wanted to scare those idiots…”

You left without looking back. Leaving the poor girl all red and with her heart racing at the nickname you had given her. Even though she hated nicknames, for some reason…coming from you it was charming. She sighed and started walking to the common room, thinking about it for the rest of the day.

From that moment on, her world turned upside down. Feelings that she certainly didn't want to have began to grow.

Every time you laugh, or when you showed yourself to be someone extremely intelligent. Or when you did something simple like reading, she would always look at you, always sighing.

She knew that her friends would never support her. Because as much as they loved her, they would rather die by a troll than be around a Slytherin.

But at that exact moment, she began to understand why her friends hated Slytherins so much.

She was at one of the Ravenclaw parties, one that Marlene and Dorcas convinced her to go to because she needed to relax. The funny thing was, she was anything but relaxed at the moment.

In a corner with a drink, she was extremely uncomfortable and disappointed. If they looked where she was looking, they might be able to see you. Kissing a Ravenclaw boy, whose name you probably don't even know.

She was so focused on staring at him that she didn't even notice James approaching her.

"Hey Sunshine! What are you doing here alone, huh?" She didn't even react to what he said, she kept staring at a specific point. When James looked at where Lily was looking, he understood everything, or at least almost everything...

"Hum... it seems like someone here is in love, huh?" He said jokingly with her. She widened her eyes and turned to him.

"What?! Obviously not? Are you an idiot?" She said nervously, making James laugh even more.

"Relax... I'm just messing with you..." He put his hands up.

"What do you want, Potter?" She said annoyed, she found it so annoying how he always managed to bother her. 

"Lily my dear... I know exactly what's going on here..." He said seriously, something unusual for James.

"Ah... d-do you know?" She said nervously. Was it possible for him to know about the crush she had on you?

“Of course! You like Eymor! I’ve seen you staring at him since he started kissing that Slytherin girl!” She was incredulous. And she started laughing. Which made James confused. Wasn’t that it?

“Me? Like Eymor? You’ve got to be kidding me!!” She couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of what he had said. How did he come to that conclusion? And quickly, she felt eyes burning into the back of her neck.

When she turned around, she saw you staring at her. With a not very friendly face. You even looked irritated. When your eyes met hers, you quickly looked away and walked away. Leaving that confused Ravenclaw calling you. And then James got the hint.

“Oh yeah… it’s not the Ravenclaw… it’s the Slytherin girl…” he said with a mischievous smile, but he knew he was right when he saw Lily’s red face.

“W-what? What are you t-talking about??” She said defensively, which made James unconsciously laugh.

“Relax Lily! I have an idea of ​​how to get you two together! We’re going to date!” He said as if it was nothing. Well, he really wanted to help Lily, especially because she was special to him, but he wouldn't deny that he would use this opportunity to harass a Slytherin too. And Lily simply widened her eyes.

“Of course not! Are you crazy?”

“Hey! I’m a great pair, okay? But don’t worry! I’ll organize everything!!” He said and ran off to who knows where.

“JAMES! COME BACK HERE NOW!” urgh that boy was impossible! Didn't he ever think?

From afar you watched the interaction between the two with clenched teeth. Angry you made your way to the exit of the party, ready to forget what you saw.

[buccini555]

𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 - 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭.𝟑

♡ What would it be like to have a secret relationship with one of the city's most dangerous gangsters? (NSFW Imagine)

♡ H e a d c a n o n s/I m a g i n e s .ᐟ .ᐟ

♡ 𝑭𝒕.Kakucho Hitto

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢𝐫𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐨 . 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐲𝐨 . 𝐊𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐨 ♡ . 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢 . 𝐑𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢 . 𝐊𝐨𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐢 𝐇𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐞 . 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐨𝐦𝐢 𝐀𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢

tw: only submission mention, almost none, he's a sweetheart.

𝗞𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗼: For a long time, he kept a small spark of passion alive in his heart for you as soon as he caught a glimpse of you in a place you frequented in common, you ended up talking and becoming good friends, until Kakucho he finally got the courage and ended up declaring himself after meeting you again some time later.

Initially, Kakucho intended to assume this relationship to anyone who wanted to know, however, after thinking about the risks he could expose you to, he just preferred to keep your relationship confidential, even with this clear fact, Kakucho never treated you differently , he remained completely passionate and romantic, being extremely gentlemanly and loyal.

You end up meeting literally anywhere, but Kakucho prioritizes taking you to high-end and more reserved places, whether hotels, restaurants or even his own home, he usually makes some surprises for you when you are at his house, such as welcoming you with roses or crystal necklaces, he does everything to please you and is completely submissive, even though he is a member of one of the city's criminal organizations, his heart melts for you.

Kakucho also has his bad days, but he would never hurt you in any way, when he's like this, the taller one just becomes a little colder and quieter, another fact is that Kakucho would never be aggressive towards you, nor would he even raise his tone of voice, he cannot deny being jealous, however, he keeps them under control and is extremely respectful of your preferences and privacy.

That same day, two weeks had already passed before your eyes since he last met Kakucho, he would return to see her that night after finishing all the work he had, to eagerly await it, so, you took a shower and dressed in your best clothes, the expectation increased as night fell and intensified even more when you heard a knock on the door, immediately, you wasted no time and went to welcome him, quickly getting up from the sofa in your living room and opening the door with your heart throbbing with anxiety and joy at seeing him again.

"I'm back, my princess-" Before he had the chance to finish speaking, you jumped into his lap, hugging him in silence while even though he was surprised, he held you so intensely when you held him in the hug. "My girl... I missed you so much." Entering through the door and placing you under the sofa, he said, approaching you and making your eyes meet before kissing you.

That definitely wasn't like any kiss, it was different, intense and passionate, the rhythm increased with each movement of your tongues that did the work, even if the air ran out in a few brief moments, you couldn't stop, you needed it. "Promise you'll never be away from me again, Kaku?" Holding the brunette's face, you say in a low tone. "I promise." Looking directly at you while caressing your face, he responds and then gives you a few kisses, laying you down on the sofa and getting on top of your body, his hands roam your body, at first, the caresses are just like innocent touches, then, if they became hotter as the weather heated up, Kakucho caressed your breasts while holding one of his hands on your thigh, making you shiver with each touch and squeeze, you knew you hadn't felt each other for a long time, he really needed you right there.

"K-kakucho..." Amidst sighs, you pronounce the name of the taller one, who immediately turns all his attention to listening to you. "What happened, doll face? Want me to stop?" Kakucho questioned immediately. "I want more." In a few words and with a smirk, you said, looking away with flushed cheeks, so Kakucho immediately complied with your order and without thinking twice he kissed you again, this time, with even more desire to give you pleasure, while kissed you, he raised the hem of your dress, soon, it didn't take long for you to be completely naked in front of him, he looked you up and down making you realize his excitement when he took your hand to his member over his pants that were with the zipper open, you subtly lowered the black boxer shorts he was wearing, leaving his member visible, the pre-cum down your hand, holding it carefully, you began to make light movements up and down with your hand, making him let out a few moans at the same time as he attentively gave you watched him masturbate.

"Fuck... I-I need you, baby, right now." Looking at you with a needy look, he spoke, trying to contain his excitement, Kakucho made you come on top of his lap, being careful as he slowly placed his member in you until you felt it completely inside you. "I want to be yours again." You said, feeling his member pulsate along with your intimacy. "You're mine, you're only mine." Holding your waist, he forced your hips into his while helping you move up and down.

The rhythm increased more and more, keeping you both close to the peak, your bodies werem sweaty and reaching the limit. "I-I, I've missed fucking you, you're so...tight, damn." Putting even more pressure on your waist and hips, he looked at you as if begging for more, worried about you, he made you lie down for fear of tiring you out. "D-don't stop, K-kaku, please." Controlling his breath, you made his request while he penetrated you again. "Yes, baby. I won't stop until you cum on my cock." Going even faster than before, he uttered amidst already tired breathing. "Argh! P-please fuck me, fuck me, p-please!" Hearing you beg for him only made him more excited, he couldn't contain himself anymore so he just went even faster. "I-I'm almost... Y-yeah, that fucking tight pussy drives me crazy..." He said. "P-please, baby, fuck me, I-I need more..." To tease him even more, you continued to ask for more, so it didn't take long for you to reach the peak together. “Do you want, do you want me to cum inside your pretty pussy, hmm, baby girl?” He questioned. "P-please just... K-keep fucking me." As soon as he heard your answer, he could no longer control himself and did so, Afterwards, he removed his dick from inside her pussy, which was dripping with his cum.

After quenching your longing, Kakucho lovingly helped you shower and get dressed again, this time with comfortable nightwear, leaving you to rest next to him in your bed.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Gods & Clergy: Bhaal #2

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Religion | Gods | Shar | Selûne | Bhaal #1 | Bhaal #2 | Mystra | Jergal | Bane #1 | Bane #2 | Bane #3 | Myrkul | Lathander | Kelemvor | Tyr | Helm | Ilmater | Mielikki | Oghma | Gond | Tempus | Silvanus | Talos | Umberlee | Corellon | Moradin | Yondalla | Garl Glittergold | Eilistraee | Lolth | Laduguer | Gruumsh | Bahamut | Tiamat | Amodeus | The rest of the Faerûnian Pantheon --WIP

Because I found some extra stuff on Bhaalists.

Briefly featuring; secret identities, how to consecrate an altar, acceptable targets for sacrifice, red rooms, mummification, do not steal a Bhaalist's knife, and maybe some other stuff.

-

"Murder is natural. Slaying is what all creatures in Faerûn do, daily if they can. At least daily, slay something living—and the Lord of Murder is most pleased if the victim is one of your own kind and as formidable as, or more powerful than, you. Kill with swift skill, not by torture, forced suicide, falls, or collisions. Do it personally, with ever-greater deftness and elegance, and teach others the skills and the delights of slaying. "Deathbringers are to slay with enough skill that witnesses are impressed. They are always to challenge those more powerful than themselves, the clergy of other deities being prize targets. Slay with pleasure, but never with anger. Be in exquisite control of yourself. Utter the name of Bhaal so the victim can hear it. Ideally, it should be the last word a victim hears." - more Bhaalist dogma

Deathbringer appears to be a generic term for a Bhaalist who is part of the church. Or it's an alternative term for Deathstalker, it's hard to tell. Going on context, I assume it means the former.

In the time between his death and his resurrection, Bhaal no longer spoke directly to his followers even though he seemed to be answering prayers. He contacted them only rarely, and only in the form of nightmares.

Worshipping Bhaal is legal and persecuting his followers is considered... risky. Nobody wants to offend the gods. Murder, on the other hand, is very much illegal. Due to the fact that Bhaal is worshipped by committing very illegal murders, this gets complicated.

As with all evil and disruptive faiths, Bhaalists are permitted to worship so long as they don't disrupt functioning society and follow various stipulations: keeping their religious practices out of public view; not getting caught red handed doing murder; not rocking the boat and causing the public to panic; and performing agreed upon services for the government for example. If they keep their end of the agreement, the law politely turns to look away.

Bhaalists protect their ability to worship the Lord of Murder by courting the halls of power, making themselves indispensable to the local government and nobility, and infiltrating law enforcement to cover their tracks. Many of them cut out the middleman and take positions of power themselves.

To make life easier for themselves, most Bhaalists have a "daytime identity" as a regular citizen, and keep their personal shrines out of sight (part of the restriction violent and evil faiths must follow in order to be permitted to operate in the Realms). The public should not be able to identify random Bhaalists walking amongst them.

Incidentally, Bhaalist shrines are kept holy by being anointed with the followers' own blood.

Bhaalists use their daily life to observe the city and consider their target. Preferred targets include:

Adventurers and travellers nobody knows. -

Criminals and troublemakers people will be glad to be rid of. -

People who are rising in power who might cause trouble for Bhaalists with that power -

The clergy of Bhaal's enemies: (Chauntea, goddess of agriculture; Helm, god of guards and law; Lathander, god of birth and renewal; Torm, protector of the common folk; Ilmater, god of martyrs; and Lliira, goddess of joy)

Favourite hunting grounds for Bhaalists tend to be either the main streets and markets (if they're looking to draw attention to the sacrifice, perhaps to make a statement) or the slums and poorer areas.

A daily murder is preferred by Bhaal, but only once a tenday is the murder of a person mandated. When the time comes, the Bhaalist will don their religious clothing and head out on their hunt.

Once the target is dead, they will take some trophy from them (and likely strip them of their wealth and possibly ransack their house, if possible). This trophy could be a personal possession, or a body part (for example; a finger, or their heart). The "trophy" is offered up to Bhaal on the altar, with a prayer, and Bhaal permits his followers to keep whatever wealth they acquire to fund their daily life and "continue their holy work." Many Bhaalists aim for a wealthy life, both for the comfort and for the fact that power and money are great ways to avoid anybody arresting you if you fuck up.

If in a city with a larger temple, then the worshipper is to tithe 50% of all coins taken this way to the temple.

If there is no temple in the area, then every member will be assigned a higher ranking priest as a handler of sorts, and they will give that 50% to them instead.

The church couldn't care less about non-monetary gains and land deeds, you can keep those.

Temples are not open to the public and may not be placed in view of the public, hence why they are built beneath the streets. There are also remote monasteries and monastic orders beyond the reach of the cities, which presumably hunt travellers on the roads at night and put the fear of their god into the hearts of nearby villages and farmers.

Bhaalists recruit by essentially running red rooms and snuff shows in secret locations at night; often cellars, basements and also private rooms in the upper floors of more well-to-do buildings. Guests wear masks to protect their privacy (the Bhaalists will presumably be wearing their full religious veils instead of masks).

The targets chosen for the spectacle will typically be those public opinion deems deserving of death. Violent criminals, for example. These slayings will not be considered a crime by viewers, and with a reputation for vigilantism, the cult may even come to be viewed favourably by some. Joining the cult means you get to "volunteer" the next guest star.

-

While I don't know how widely practiced this is, Bhaalists do mummify their dead. Invading a Bhaalist tomb may backfire when the long-dead priests take issue with their visitors.

Bhaalists blades may be cursed, in case they're stolen (particularly those they bury with their dead). Once unsheathed, the blades can't be returned to their scabbard until they've been used to take a life. Attempts to remove the curse with counter-magic will cause them to explode violently in a burst of metal shrapnel and fatal poison (which will be absorbed into the body on skin contact).

[tzeentchdaemonsart]

The beginning of Tzeentch. In this post I will explore where Tzeentch came from, and his earliest mentions and depictions, and his likely inspirations.

Realm of Chaos Book 1, 1988, picture of Tzeentch.

This is the earliest depiction of Tzeentch I've been able to find in the history of Warhammer publications.

Prior to this only Khorne and Nurgle were described in Warhammer fantasy roleplay 1986.

The earliest list of the Chaos gods names (and therefore the earliest printing of the name 'Tzeentch') I've been able to find, is from Warhammer 1st edition, Forces of Fantasy 1983 (first paragraph at the top of page 40) though it gives no description or depiction of them.

'... worship a documented god (Khorne, Slaanesh, Nurgle or Tzeentch at the time of writing)...' either Rick Priestley or Bryan Ansell in 1983

The image of Tzeentch appears to be kept consistent in modern editions as seen in this picture from Age of Sigmar (1st ed 2017, Disciples of Tzeentch)

And the description given of Tzeentch in the realm of chaos book is repeated in the Warhammer armies Chaos 4th & 5th edition, liber Chaotica Tzeentch, codex chaos etc. (pictured below is the description from the liber Chaotica (2005) followed by the description & adjoining picture in the realm of chaos book 2 (1990)

The face of Tzeentch is even given as a champion upgrade in the realm of chaos (1990), showing a cut of this much larger picture found elsewhere in the same book.

To definitively conclude this: Tzeentch is a big horned horror. Just like a big pink/blue horror, with two main arms, & two horned limbs right above his main arms, and two great big sweeping horns from above his brow which look more like moving snakes with faces on the end. He has a main face around his shoulder level, two smaller faces below on either side, and a large face across his belly. Any other faces are presumably transitory.

'Tzeen' means 'change' in the dark tongue, and 'neth' or 'leth' mean 'lord'. Hence Tzeeneth means Change-Lord. Its common form in the language of the empire or Imperium is Tzeentch

The inspiration for Tzeentch are most likely gods like Arioch, of Micheal Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone saga, and Nyarlathotep of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos.

The 2nd Edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles has a dedication to Michael Moorcock, Phil Barker and Donald Featherstone.

Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone saga (1960s) creates the Chaos - Law paradigm, where there are two sets of opposing Gods. Arioch is the main Chaos God and his relationship with Elric is highly characteristic of how Warhammer would go on to depict the relationship between a chaos champion and their god.

Whilst Chaos and Law appear superficially attached to evil & good, this becomes questioned as Moorcock eventually presents the idea that progress is only possible with a balance between chaos and law, as to live in a world of pure law and tradition would allow no change, and a world of pure chaos would live every day as if it was the first never progressing past it.

This likely inspired the early Dungeons and Dragons writers as well and is probably the reason Chaos & Order exist on a perpendicular axiom to Good and Evil on alignment charts in D&D. The early Warhammer writers were reacting towards D&D and inherited much from them (1st ed citadel miniatures from white dwarf issue 12 were 'advanced dungeons and dragons' minis).

The Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone is also likely the source for the idea of mutation in the Warhammer sense, and is likely the inspiration for the idea of Daemon Weapons, and Sentient Weapons.

Lovecraft is better known these days than Moorcock and probably needs no introduction. It's clear the eldritch ancient horrors of the Great Old Ones and their endless conspiracies to find a way (back) into reality and take it over, also inspired the idea of 'chaos' in both dungeons and dragons and Warhammer. The madness which comes from the Necronomicon and knowing it's secrets, echoes the madness followers of chaos might expect when learning more about the warp and their god. Stories like the Dunwich Horror could as easily be describing a daemonic incursion in the Warhammer world with little alteration needed.

The fusion of Moorcock's and Lovecraft's lore appears to be the inspiration for Chaos. They define the concept of a god without it being all powerful, and foreshadow the different relationships that are created between mortal followers of chaos and their gods. They introduce the themes of mutation and madness which characterise Chaos, thereby appearing to be the ingredients of what became Chaos in the Warhammer sense.

Khorne appears little more than a classic war god in this Warhammer-Chaos veneer, and likewise Slaanesh is clearly inspired by a unification of Astarte, Dionysus, & succubi/incubi in a manner reminiscent of the Christian Devil. Perhaps considering Khorne's image and that of his blood letters, one could conclude that both Khorne and Slaanesh look heavily towards the Christian Devil for inspiration, albeit in different ways.

Nurgle is loosely presented as a death god, and one day I'll look into his inspiration properly. Similarly Tzeentch is presented as a god of sorcery. It's suffice to say here that neither Nurgle nor Tzeentch draw as much from ancient mythology, as unlike Khorne and Slaanesh, their personalities are utterly antithetical towards the personalities of the ancient gods of death and magic which they would nominally be attributed towards. It is my opinion so far in researching this that both Nurgle and Tzeentch draw far more heavily on Moorcock & Lovecraft than the other two, uniting the themes of mutation and madness in chaos and more purely attempt to capture the very essence of Chaos itself. It seams as if Nurgle is the abundant manifestation of chaos and Tzeentch is the distilled essence of chaos.

[mcytscienceside]

what kind of infection are these guys facing? Is it a classic zombie virus or something else entirely? Is there anyone so far who is completely gone?

Love the art, by the way

Ty so much for the question!! :D Happy to see people interested in this au!! @gearstorm actually has written up a whole document describing the infection from Pix's pov! I'll put the first part here but if anyone wants more information surrounding infection levels and the strange glitch itself it will be under the read more! --- Glitch Infection Journal Section 2; The glitch By Pixlriffs

Entry #1 stages, symptoms and tracking

It would be good to keep written documentation of what we refer to by many names, but mostly the glitch infection. Because we don't know where it came from, or why, or even how it works beyond observation. 

This ‘infection’ is a glitch that gets into the very core of a player's being and changes their mental and emotional state, only affecting the physical appearance slightly in late stages. We initially thought that those without symptoms were glitch free but using my watcher powers, I've taught myself and Mumbo how to see the infectious code separate from the player code it infects. And now we know that we all have it, but early stages are asymptomatic, treatable but not curable yet, and thankfully not yet contagious. Unfortunately it is also imperceivable without looking directly at the player's code, which is why it's so important that I maintain constant watch of the others with my powers.

I have made a scale to refer to it with. Who had it first and how they got it to the point of being contagious is unknown as most of the server had it by the time we were aware of it. 

A scale of 1-10, here is what each number means.

0, no one but Hermes is completely clean of the virus. He was lucky enough to not go near anyone who was infected to the point of being contagious when this started and has been kept safe since.

1-2, the infection is treatable. It will never go down to 0 unless we find a cure, but it will only go up when around those at 4 or higher and go down with isolation from those whom are contagious. Though it seems other factors affect this. I have no definitive proof, but the current hypothesis towards it is your physical health has something to do with it. Supporting this, is I have been sitting at 2 for some time now without going down but I am also recovering from severe injuries. Meanwhile Joel is suffering in the mental health department but his levels go from 1.5 to 1 at the same rate as Oli who is better off then both of us. 

3-3.5, you have gone past the point of natural recovery. I have yet the chance to observe if 2.5 is too far but do not wish to test it. This is when you'd first notice something is wrong, Shelby having been able to tell without my Sight, but it is subtle according to her. Like a slight itch or pinching in your chest. Easily missable if you weren't paying attention for it. You are unlikely to experience changes to personality at this stage and are not contagious. But your infection will now increase no matter what you do. Proximity to those who are contagious affecting the speed of your own level of infection at this stage remains untested.

4-5, early stages of the infection taking noticeable effect. You are now contagious. Your sanity decreases quickly and significantly, personality changes leading to inability to express empathy and masochistic behavior, and slips of memory occur frequently. As well as violent urges but these seem slightly less common depending on will power. Not being aware you are infected greatly increases vulnerability to these urges.

6-7, Most infected at this stage are unable to recognize bonds and connections to other players, exceptions occurring when the connection was built during early stages of sanity lost in which case they seem to become dependent on each other willing to do anything to protect what little they now hold dear. Players act in cruel and violent ways they never would have done before they got infected, such as building deadly traps and attacking one another on sight. Screaming matches, psychological manipulation, and violent attempts to protect their perceived territory are common.

8-9, all previously mentioned behaviors become even worse. Conversation only occurs when the infected is trying to manipulate you or harm you emotionally or mentally. Depending on what behaviors they have developed as forms of violence, they are likely to try to capture you either for crossing territory, being perceived as a threat, or in worst cases simply for being seen. And will not hesitate to torture you how they see fit when they have you. Their memories seem to become selective at this point, falling to madness and only knowing lust for violence and torment.

10, the only one so far I've seen at 10 is Jimmy. But opposite to Joel's Lore powers, Jimmy is connected to the powers of Law. The order of the world. Truthfully I do not know the extent of his power, but what I do know is the server is sick. Joel tells me Jimmy is likely reflecting the world itself rather than being infected the same way the others are. Fortunately, the world itself does not seem to count as being near contagious stage infection. Unfortunately, Jimmy himself is still contagious. Learned the hard way when we lost Shelby. He acts the most cruel of all the infected server members. I hope that when we find a cure, he doesn't remember what he's done. I don't blame him for what happened and don't want to see him blame himself.

[tsuki-xoxo]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐: 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐢𝐚

⚘. playlist: Creep by Radiohead (acoustic version)

"A wave of heat rose through her chest. It spread across her cheeks, burning her with the shame and disgust she felt. Heroes don't need to be controlled. Yet, here she was, stained by darkness."

cw | emotional and psychological distress, Thanatos being hell on Earth, Minori's inability to trust (even herself) | 2.6k

M.LIST | ᗢᘏᓚ | TAGLIST | ᓚᘏᗢ. III

Minori tugged at the hem of her blue U.A. gym uniform. Its fabric dimmed against the vibrant and elaborate hero costumes surrounding her. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. Her eyes darted to the ground as her classmates adjusted their gear. Their excited chatter and bursts of laughter felt distant, as if she was an intruder in this realm of heroes. She took a deep breath and glanced down at her sneakers. It was her first day, and she already wanted to run out of the door.

"All right, let the Battle Trials begin!" All Might appeared in his glory, towering over every single person in the room. Minori’s eyes widened at the number one hero. His hair was much brighter than it appeared on the TV they provided in the rec room at Thanatos. "Most of the time, fighting villains takes place outside. But if you look at the total numbers, atrocious villains appear indoors at a higher rate. Imprisonment and house arrest are common. There are also backroom deals. Heroes fill this society. But, truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows! For this class, you will be divided into villains and heroes and engage in 2-on-2 indoor battles.”

Minori scanned the room, her eyes flickering from one aspiring hero to another. Amidst the sea of faces, she finally found a familiar pair of deep blue eyes that belonged to Sora. She stood beside Aizawa across the room with a smile and sent Minori a double thumbs-up. They were close enough to keep an eye on her but far enough for All Might to lead the class.

“Now, listen here,” All Might announced. "The villains have hidden a nuclear weapon in their hideout. The heroes are trying to dispose of it. They need to catch the villains or get the nuclear weapon back within the allowed time. The villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the heroes."

Drawing lots determined all the teams. Minori's team included her and Koda Koji. He was a tall, peach-colored boy with an uneven, rock-shaped head. Their opponents were Aoyama Yuga, a blonde boy with a sparkly cape, and Ashido Mina, the pink alien girl.

"The first battle is between teams A and D. A will be the heroes, and D will be the villains. Everyone else heads into the monitoring room," All Might said.

Along with her class, Minori watched the battle unfold in front of her eyes from screens. Each fight had a fifteen-minute time limit. The spiky-haired, ash-blonde started with a surprise attack from the start. A collection of smoke had appeared from the blonde's preemptive strike. He clawed at the air to make himself visible. His sharp, crimson eyes glared ruthlessly down at the boy in the bunny-eared hero suit.

Even from where Minori stood, she could see the vein on the blonde's forehead. It was ready to burst from their yelling match. Although no one could hear what they were saying, the emotions between them were palpable. With bated breath, Minori watched as the blonde lunged toward the greenette. It felt almost intrusive to witness such an intense brawl between the two boys. It was clear to tell that the blonde's intention was to blow the other into dust. His talent and obvious distraught kept propelling his merciless attacks.

"This really doesn't feel manly, guys. It feels like Bakugou's gonna kill Midoriya!" someone whispered. Minori turned toward the redhead who spoke out with a quizzical look. So that's what their names are. Her mind still lingered on the scene of Bakugou's ferocity.

"Ribbit. He has a villainous expression."

"His personality is like the furthest thing from a hero I can think of..."

Minori frowned as her class criticized Bakugou’s actions. Her eyes never left the screen as she watched the battle. The blonde was a mystery to her, but he was definitely an intriguing character. She had never seen anyone fight with such ferocity. It didn't seem fair to dismiss him like the rest of the class did. Sure, his tactics were overzealous, but to label him as a villain struck a chord deep within her.

Their battle trial ended in the heroes' victory. The building smoldered from their fight, and a giant hole writhed with smoke billowing out of it. Midoriya's attack nearly ripped the building in half and shattered all the windows. He directed a full swing through the roof, allowing his teammate the opportunity to retrieve the weapon.

Bakugou walked with the rest of the group back into the observation room. Once back, he sat in the very back, not raising his head to look at anyone. His head slumped forward, his eyes trailing listlessly across the ground. Minori observed his shallow, uneven breaths. His crimson eyes were so subdued and vacant that they didn't look like his own. He looked so completely and utterly broken.

His haunted expression mirrored the way she had felt at Thanatos. After the Hecate Massacre, teachers, guards, and students all bullied her. She could never forget the way they looked at her—like she was a monster—the same look Bakugou was getting now.

Minori tore her gaze away. Her battle trial was up next, and she needed to focus. Forced out the door with Koda, Aoyama, and Ashido, Minori spared one last glance toward Bakugou. She tilted her head as a redhead offered Bakugou a curt nod and sat next to him.

A snicker broke out nearby. "Isn't it ironic that Ki is playing a villain," someone remarked. Minori huffed in annoyance. Her heart was racing from the nerves, and she tried to push the snarky comments out of her mind. She had never used her Quirk in front of others before—let alone in a fight. It was frightening enough. But the thought of hurting another human being was even more terrifying.

The objective was simple. The role of villains was assigned to Minori and Koda. The heroes, Aoyama and Mina, had to either defeat them or save the nuclear weapon. Koda was chewing at his fingernails and she wondered if he had similar fears. He didn't seem like the fighting type. His Quirk, Anivoice, allowed him to speak to animals, but that was hardly an offensive power.

The two entered Ground Beta. All Might announced the beginning of the battle trial. The two had five minutes to prepare before the heroes entered the building.

"We have to defend the bomb, right? Do you have a plan?" Minori asked.

Koda turned toward her with wide, frightened eyes. He looked like a deer in the headlights, and Minori almost pitied him.

"You're not the fighting type, are you?"

He shook his head, his face growing paler by the second.

"Okay," Minori nodded to herself. She didn't have the best understanding of her Quirk, especially since it was strictly prohibited to use in Thanatos. If authorities caught anyone using their Quirk, they would face severe consequences. Before Sora arrived in Thanatos as a troubled youth counselor, Minori never even considered using her Quirk. It was dangerous. She was dangerous. She could cause chaos and destruction as her mother did. That thought alone sent shivers down her spine. But Sora convinced her that there was a chance for her in society. A chance to rewrite her own story and be a hero, unlike her mother. She was in a reformation school after all; she was meant to have a second chance at life.

At Thanatos, she practiced her Quirk in secret. She did so in her cell at night or outside during recreation time. Fortunately, she could discreetly use her Quirk because air always surrounded her. She trained herself to feel the molecules in her environment, the movement of the wind, and the density of the air. Now, at 17, she had developed a heightened sensitivity within her Quirk, allowing her to perceive subtle shifts in her surroundings.

"Alright then, Koda, here's the plan: you cover the weapon while I cover you, okay? All we have to do is hold them off for fifteen minutes."

Koda gave her a nervous thumbs-up. They got into position as they waited for their enemies. They both covered the weapon and watched the door where the two would come in from.

Minori got low to the ground, feeling every particle around her lighten as she relaxed her limbs. The air around her started to shift, and the particles grew heavier. She felt the pressure in the room begin to fluctuate. Minori took a deep breath.

They're near.

Particles around her quivered; her hair stood on end. Footsteps thudded unevenly outside the door.

They were here.

"Here comes the sparkles!" Aoyama barged into the room with a shot from his large, blue, sparkly laser belt. It only lasted a second, though, before he stopped and grabbed his stomach. Ashido followed behind.

"We made it!" Ashido pumped her fists. Aoyama's cape swished behind him dramatically. He carefully avoided his partner's acidic trail. Minori's mouth hung open at the comic-like appearance. Then, she noticed Ashido's acid was slowly eating the floor. 

That wasn't good. They'd have to finish this soon before the whole floor collapsed.

"Stop Villain! We've come to—" Minori's eyes widened, and moved her hands out of reflex. She waved her arms in a circular motion and threw a gust of wind toward Aoyama, cutting him off. Aoyama staggered and fell backward onto the acidic floor that Mina had created. "Oh no, my sparkles!" Aoyama whined as his cape disintegrated before them.

"Sorry!" Ashido apologized, rubbing her hands together.

Minori repeated her last motion and threw another gust of air in the direction of the distracted two heroes. The heroes lost their footing and fell into an acid-induced hole in the ground, ending the battle.

"Villain Team Wins!" All Might announced. Minori let her body relax, and the tension in the air dissipated. "Good work, everyone. We didn't have any major injuries, other than young Midoriya, either! You all did a good job for your first training."

All Might escorted everyone outside to the observation room. He congratulated the winning teams on their victories, but he also acknowledged the losers for their efforts.

"There is a lot of merit in each of your performances today," All Might praised. "You can't always expect a clear-cut win, especially when your opponents have skills or abilities that you didn't expect. That's why these training exercises are so important. They help you learn how to react to your opponent and use your strengths against them."

Minori's attention waned as the hero lectured her classmates about the importance of being prepared. She didn't mean to tune him out, but she couldn't stop thinking about her battle trial. When Aoyama shot his laser, her reaction was instantaneous. It was like her body had taken over her mind. She protected the weapon. She won. She was a successful villain.

Minori bit her lip. Her trembling fingers brushed the scar under her elbow. She had played the "villain" with such ease. Her actions gnawed at her conscience. They were like creeping vines in her soul. Was this her destiny, to become a mirror image of the darkness that enveloped her mother?

She peered down at her arm. The violet mark left by Sora's Quirk seemed larger. The ragged edges and sickly hue deepened, spreading like an ugly bruise across her skin. A wave of heat rose through her chest. It spread across her cheeks, burning her with the shame and disgust she felt. Heroes don't need to be controlled. Yet, here she was, stained by darkness. Minori scoffed to herself. How could she even think she was worthy of being a hero? She wasn't a hero. She was the villain everyone expected her to be. It was only a matter of time before Sora would have to stop her. Like mother like daughter.

"That was incredible, Ki!" Minori's heart leapt to her throat, and her shoulders jerked. She whipped around, and met the bright yellow eyes of the alien girl. The pink skin of her cheeks stretched to her earlobes as her toothy grin widened. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine beaming from a cloudless sky. "Your Quirk is so cool! I mean, we were so surprised when you made that gust of wind, and then you went all boom, pow!" Ashido's hands waved wildly in front of her as she attempted to describe her powers. "So awesome!"

Minori blinked and took a step back, her eyes wide with confusion. This didn't make sense. No one at Thanatos had ever praised her Quirk. Why was this girl—someone she had defeated as a villain—complimenting her monstrous Quirk? Minori frowned and furrowed her brows. It had to be a trick, a cruel prank.

She glared at Ashido. Yes, that was it. She should have seen through it sooner. This was a familiar tactic, one she had endured countless times at Thanatos. Lure her in with false kindness and so-called friendship, only to shatter her trust in the end.

Minori remembered the times when her fellow inmates at Thanatos had feigned friendship. They would invite her into secluded areas under the guise of friendship. But, then they would turn on her viciously. Locked rooms became traps. She found herself surrounded and cornered by mocking faces and cruel laughter. They mocked her Quirk, her heritage, and her dreams of redemption, and left her with bruises that would never fully heal.

Ashido's smile faltered. "Hey, did I say something wrong?"

"Are you playing a joke on me?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"My Quirk." Ashido’s brow wrinkled, and her face scrunched up. She snapped before she could stop herself. "What are you trying to say? That I'm just a freak with a dangerous Quirk?" She let out a dry laugh, "Or is it 'cause the world's shittiest fucking person ever is in the same class as you heroes?”

Ashido’s jaw dropped. "No! I wasn't, I just... I thought you were really strong—"

"Stop it," Minori spat. Her fingers dug into her arms, and she gritted her teeth. "You're lying! That's the way it is, isn't it? You're just like everyone else. That's why you're trying to mess with my head, right?"

"No, Ki..." Ashido reached out her hand.

"Don't touch me," Minori snarled. Ashido's lips quivered and pressed into a tight line. The image burned into Minori's mind. She squeezed her eyes shut. She was better off alone. No one would want her around. They all feared her. That was her fate. That was who she was. A monster.

“Just leave me alone. I don't need you speaking to me. I don't need any of you guys."

"Minori?" Sora asked, looking between the two girls with a slight frown. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing,” Minori bit out. “Everything’s fine.” Sora's shoulders slumped, and she exhaled a slow, heavy sigh. Minori spun on her heel and stalked away, her heart pounding against her ribcage. The weight of Sora’s disappointment and Ashido’s pained eyes bore down on her. Her steps quickened. She felt her classmates' stares. Their eyes dug into her back as she left the Beta Grounds and went toward the locker rooms. It was suffocating. She clenched her jaw and pressed her nails into her palm. The sharp sting a welcome distraction from the ache in her chest. She had to get out of there. She couldn't afford to let it in. Not now. Not ever. She couldn't trust anyone. Her mind replayed every betrayal, every false promise of friendship that had led to locked rooms and cruel ambushes. Her pulse raced. She forced herself to focus on the rhythm of her steps. Each one a mantra: don't trust them, you can't even trust yourself. She was better off alone. Safer.

M.LIST | ᗢᘏᓚ | TAGLIST | ᓚᘏᗢ. III

♡tagged♡ @yogurtsdayout

[fics-and-quotes-andthelike]

It Started With a Smile

Title: It Started with a Smile

Pairing: Eddie Munson x female reader

Word Count: ~2,609

In which the reader sits in on a game of D&D, and fondly looks back on some memories that she’s made with Eddie.

A/N: My first ever fanfic! I hope you guys like it, but I’m open to criticism and advice if you have any.

Let me know if there’s any other fics that you’d like to read, just give me a character and a prompt!

If there was anything that you’d learned over the past two years, it was that D&D was a heartless, brutal thing.

You smiled lightly as you watched Eddie animatedly describe another challenge that the party had to face, while the group groaned and started talking over each other as they tried to figure out what to do next.

If you were being honest, you didn’t understand a word of what was happening. But you saw that it made Eddie happy, and that was enough for you.

You’d tried to get into D&D before, honestly, when Eddie had first caught your attention at school a few years before.

You couldn’t help but smile a bit at the memory.

It had happened when Jason was being his usual thickheaded self during your lunch period. He had been subtly poking at a young boy in the cafeteria that you now knew as Dustin Henderson. Dustin had tried to brush him off, and made some offhand remark about how the only thing Jason had going for him was basketball, and how he’d be lucky if he even got through high school.

It was a simple, stupid comment. Nothing worth getting truly upset about.

But of course, you can always count on Jason to over exaggerate and do something reckless.

Jason had shoved at Dustin’s shoulder, catching the attention of everyone within a few feet of the pair. Including you.

You’d stood- not sure what you were going to do, but certain that you weren’t going to let Jason pummel a child- when Eddie Munson appeared out of nowhere. “Good ol’ Dustin,” he’d said as he pushed the boy behind him. “Never knows when to shut his mouth.” He pointed a ringed finger at Jason as he slowly walked backwards, away from the jock. “Not that you’re any better, hot stuff.”

Eddie and Dustin continued their retreat, Eddie with a large smile on his face, leaving Jason angrier than before. Your eyes tracked them as they moved, your cheeks heating slightly when you got a good look at Eddie’s smile.

Luckily, Chrissy had suddenly appeared by Jason’s side, and had led him away before things could escalate any further.

Eddie and Dustin made it back to their lunch table unscathed, except for the slap in the back of the head that Eddie so kindly bestowed on his poor friend.

After that incident, you’d kept a closer eye on the person that Jason so fondly referred to as the school’s “resident freak”. You’d noticed two things right off the bat.

The first thing you noticed was his smile. The way that it transformed his face and made his eyes light up. It was common for Eddie to wear a smirk or to stick his tongue out at others, but the times that you’d seen him smile at his group with pure joy in his gaze confirmed that his smile was your favorite expression to see on him.

The second thing, obviously, was that Eddie was head of the school’s D&D club. As soon as you’d noticed that, you decided to learn everything you could about the game to try and impress him.

For the next week, you researched a few things here and there in between classes, gathering a few random facts and campaign ideas.

You probably should’ve double checked your sources. Or at least looked at basic rules and regulations. Like the fact that you were supposed to come up with a name.

One day, in between classes, you had seen Eddie chatting with his D&D group by his locker. You decided to mingle, hoping that at any moment, his friends would walk away and you would be able to show off your knowledge.

If your heart would stop trying to beat out of your chest, of course.

Before you could even blink, Eddie’s friends walked away, and he turned and started walking down the hallway in your direction.

Your brain short circuited, but somehow your legs carried you over a few steps, and your mouth started moving.

“Hey,” you said as you stepped directly in Eddie’s path.

Eddie had stopped in his tracks. He looked at you blankly, no malice in his eyes, but no joy or expectancy either. “Hey,” he responded warily.

You cleared your throat nervously. “I was wondering if I could join your club.”

At that, Eddie’s head tilted in confusion. He looked at you quizzically, as if he expected you to burst out laughing and run the opposite way. Or maybe he was just genuinely confused.

“Your D&D club,” you elaborated, silently thanking your brain for sending the right words to your mouth.

Eddie looked you up and down. “You don’t look the type.”

You flushed in embarrassment and stuck your chin in the air stubbornly, suddenly feeling your confidence come in waves. “That’s pretty harsh of you, don’t you think? Judging other people based on appearance.”

Eddie’s face had changed immediately, a small smile on his face and he looked back up at your eyes. He huffed out a short laugh. “We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

You could feel your cheeks heating up. “No, we wouldn’t.”

He paused one more second, eyes fixed on yours, before he finally shrugged. “Alright, then. I’ll see you tonight.”

To say that your brain had short circuited again was an understatement. It felt like your brain had just shut down for good.

“To-tonight?”

He smiled then. The smile that had caught your eye that day in the cafeteria.

“Yeah, we’re starting a new campaign. Let’s see what you got.”

He walked away then, and your eyes tracked his receding form until he turned a corner at the end of the hall.

You’d practically jumped for joy then, before the bell had interrupted your celebration and sent you running to class.

You would have to brush up on some terms and spells and such, but you were sure that you’d be fine. You knew various spells, how the dice worked, and now you had a group to play with. How hard could it be?

Looking back on it now, you had to laugh. It had gone worse than you had ever expected.

It had started out smoothly. Eddie had asked for your name, and you had happily provided, and introduced yourself to all the other members of the group, including Dustin, who you remembered from that day in the cafeteria.

That’s as far as you made it without embarrassing yourself.

When Eddie had switched gears and asked your character name, you panicked and said a name that you would never repeat in public out of mortal shame. The party chuckled under their breaths, with Eddie waving a hand to quiet them down. When you were asked what class and level you were, you’d completely blanked. You had no idea that you were meant to create your own character with its own backstory. (Which, looking back, made complete sense.)

The party members obviously caught onto your ruse immediately, but when they tried to grill you, Eddie had slammed a hand on the table in front of them to silence them, and allowed you to sit in on their campaign to “watch and learn”.

And you tried. You really, truly did try. But even after an evening of sitting in on a campaign, you had no idea what in the world was going on.

You told Eddie as much when they were done for the day. He had laughed at first, but quickly grew serious and asked you why in the world you would lie and pretend to be interested in a thing like D&D.

You shrugged and looked away. Honesty was the best policy, right? “I wanted to talk to you,” you muttered. “And I knew you liked D&D, so I just…” you trailed off in embarrassment.

Eddie had smiled, then. That smile that you adored. He shoved his hands in his pockets and said, “I’m sure we can find something else to talk about.”

Your head whipped around to face him. “Really?”

He laughed lightly. “Hey, if you’re willing to deal with me and these guys, you must really want to talk. And you stuck it through tonight, so you automatically won yourself a bit of my time.”

You’d laughed, relief flooding through your veins. You didn’t notice the look that Eddie sent your way. Earlier, his glances at you had been full of uncertainty or confusion. But now? He couldn’t help the curiousness or the beginnings of happiness that crept into his gaze when he looked at you.

Eddie had walked you out to your car, the two of you talking as you slowly made your way across the parking lot. You found out about his uncle, and he found out that your parents were rarely ever home. You learned about his band, and he found out that you were music obsessed.

When you’d finally made it into your car and watched Eddie walk away, you gave a quiet squeal and covered your face. The campaign might have gone horribly for you, but at least Eddie was still willing to give you a chance.

Things had only gotten better from there. You and Eddie had exchanged numbers the next day at school, and it turned out that while you weren’t very skilled at D&D, you had other things in common.

For one, you genuinely liked the music he played and you fell in love with his band. He liked the fact that you knew how to crochet, and he enjoyed watching you as he worked.

And even though there were things that you didn’t share an interest in, you loved each other enough to support each other in everything that you did.

Not that you loved Eddie. Well, you did, but you weren’t sure if he loved you back, so you’d never said it out loud before.

You almost had, once. You cringed at the memory.

You and Eddie had been friends for about a year, and he’d finally summoned the courage to ask you on a date. You’d said yes, of course, and Eddie had taken you to the Starcourt Mall to watch a movie, get some ice cream courtesy of Steve, and buy you a beautiful spring dress that you planned to wear on your next date.

As Eddie drove you home, his hand wandered over to yours and he gently intertwined your fingers with his. You couldn’t stop the blush that crept up to your cheeks as you squeezed his hand lightly.

When you reached your house, Eddie was the perfect gentleman and walked you all the way to your front door, your joint hands swinging between you.

He smiled at you as you reached the porch, bringing your hand up to brush his lips against your knuckles. “Had fun tonight?”

You smiled back, taking a step closer to him. “Yeah. Lots of fun, thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, darling, it was my pleasure.”

You giggled and looked down. “Does that mean there’s going to be a second date?”

Eddie had smiled, his arm winding around your back to pull you up against him. He let go of your hand to brush a strand of hair away from your face and cup your cheek.

“Of course there’s gonna be a second date,” he said. “And a third,” he said before he kissed the tip of your nose. “And a fourth”, he said with a kiss to your forehead. “And a fifth,” with a kiss to your cheek. “And a hundred after that,” he muttered as he tilted his head down to press his lips softly to yours.

You swear you had felt fireworks explode in your stomach, with sparks shooting behind your eyes and your heart beating out of your chest as your brain turned to mush.

Things weren’t any better on Eddie’s end. His knees had turned to jello and he felt lighter than he’d ever felt before. He couldn’t think of anything but you, and the way your hands were pulling him closer and closer still, while your lips danced gently against his.

You gripped Eddie’s shoulders and pushed a hand through his wild hair as you continued to kiss each other in the dim light of your porch.

When you finally pulled away, you saw that Eddie’s cheeks were absolutely scarlet, and that his smile was bigger than you’d ever seen it.

In that moment, you’d felt no fear. Being honest about your feelings seemed so easy. You took a deep breath. “Eddie, I lo-”

A dog barked aggressively nearby, causing both of your heads to snap around. You tensed up as Eddie’s arm tightened around you. Once a few seconds had passed, Eddie let out a small chuckle. “You alright?”

You nodded, feeling your courage slip away.

“What were you going to say?”

You looked up at him, his eyes gentle as a smile tugged at his lips. You smiled softly and leaned forward to press one more kiss to his lips. “Nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

A flicker of something had crossed his features, and a small pit of regret settled in your stomach. But he masked his features quickly, and gave you a nod and a smile. “Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the memory now, though you wished that you could gather up the courage to finally tell your boyfriend how you felt. Especially now that you’d been dating for more than a year.

Your gaze focused back on Eddie, who, to your surprise, was looking right back at you. “What’re you smiling at?” Eddie asked softly. You saw that his attention was momentarily diverted from the game in front of him, his eyes focused on you.

“Eddie, pay attention!” Dustin shouted from across the table, the other party members clamoring in agreement.

Eddie ignored them all, his gaze steady.

You smiled at him and shook your head. “I’ll tell you later. I promise.”

Eddie smiled back at you, his hand reaching out to gently intertwine your fingers as he turned back towards the party.

Everyone muttered some variation of, “finally, Eddie,” right before Eddie threw another challenge their way that led to loud frustration and anger.

You settled back and got comfortable as Eddie let go of your hand to continue to gesture and speak.

Throughout the evening though, he would turn towards you, a loving smile or quick hand brush reminding you that he appreciated your presence.

And when he looked over at you, a smile on his lips as he blew you a quick kiss, you realized that it was time to tell him how you felt. Not now, of course, you would never interrupt an active campaign. But today was definitely the day.

Meanwhile, only half of Eddie’s brain was focused on the campaign. The other half was in a mixed up jumble, worrying about what would happen later when he took you stargazing and told you that he loved you.

He couldn’t help but smile to himself as he thought about what your reaction would be.

He glanced back at you once again. He could only hope that you felt the same.

A smile pulled at your lips as Eddie looked back at you again, his tongue poking out between his lips as he made a funny face.

You laughed good-naturedly as a smile broke through his features.

He didn’t turn right back around this time though. He stood, both of you with a smile on your faces, each thinking the exact same thing.

Oh, how I love that smile.

[thebusytypewriter]

Hail the Lamb, Resilient and Eternal

Here it is, the starting point of the Tri-God AU timeline! Many thanks to Jonnie @jonquilandlace my beloved for helping me out :D

You can also find this on AO3 if that suits you better.

CW: blood, gore, major character death (not permanent)

“MEDICS!”

All hell broke loose at the cry, startling every creature within the grounds into action. The aforementioned medics scrambled from their idle activities to meet a wide-eyed rabbit at the camp entrance, where they kept their benevolent leader from collapsing by holding them upright as best as they could.

The Lamb of prophecy, who seemed indestructible to the common folk, stood half limp in their support. Crimson blood flowed down their face from somewhere atop their wooly head, dripping onto both an equally-red cloak and the vegetation below. One eye was bruised deeply to the point of being swollen shut, while the other stared at the ground, cloudy and unfocused.

Truely, it was a rare sight to behold for their flock, and many panicked animals dropped what they were doing to either assist or observe.

In the small hut of a kitchen remained one deer, silver in color, who watched the events unfold with worry. Kaliaphra wasn’t one to act in such situations, lest she be in the way of the people whose skills mattered there. That wasn’t to say she was unskilled, just that she’d never belonged to the area of healing.

Instead, she stared with horrified intrigue, a half-finished fish dish already forgotten on the counter behind her.

“My Lamb!” exclaimed the head medic, an elderly turtle by the name of Zelva. “My Lamb, what happened? Can you speak? Please, say something if you are conscious!”

Despite her distance, Kaliaphra could tell that The Lamb didn’t respond based on the increased numbers of furrowed brows. More hurried words were exchanged between Zelva and her students, and the largest among them took their leader into their arms to carry them toward the healing tent. The Lamb’s limbs dangled limply as they did so.

Whatever had happened in Anura, it wasn’t good.

“Kali, your tuna’s burning.”

She startled, whirling back around to pull her skillet off the fire. “Hells, Theo! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

The brown buck that entered the kitchen—Theanno, her cousin who might as well have been her brother—simply smiled at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “At least you’d be seeing Death. Aside from the, um, burning, how’s it coming in here?”

“Slow,” she sighed, pulling out a cloth to wrap the burnt fish. “I was already having a difficult time staying on task, and then The Lamb returned, and… did you get a better look at them? How bad is it?”

He leaned back against the countertop adjacent to her. “Couldn’t have seen more than you just now. That was… a lot of blood coming from them, though. I wonder if the healers can patch them up.”

“Well, even if they cannot, our leader will return to us shortly after, right? Death favors them. They bear his Crown.”

“Yeah, but…”

Kaliaphra turned sharply toward her cousin with wide eyes. “‘But’? Theo, you cannot question the nature of the Lamb.”

“I’m not,” he insisted. “I’m just worried. We’ve never seen them so hurt, right, so what happens if we lose them? Do we just… go back to where we were before?”

“We should not be thinking about this.”

“It’s a real problem, Kali! We couldn’t stay here; the Bishops—”

With a loud metallic thunk, Kaliaphra slammed the still-warm skillet on the counter next to him. She stared up at Theanno there, at his stunned expression, and hissed, “The Bishops, of two there are remaining, cannot touch this place. I am not worried about it, and you should not be, either. Imagine if an elder heard you; they would think that you are dissenting.”

Calmly, solemnly, Theo raised one hand and extended a finger to lightly boop her on the nose. “I’m not dissenting. We’re under the Lamb’s protection, I know. I’m just… thinking out loud. I’ve gotta get back to the crops. You should see if the healers need lunch. That way, you can keep an eye on our Lamb.”

The tonal shift of their conversation threw Kali off-balance. “What—you—”

“Okayloveyoubyeeee!” In a torrent of a wave and a head pat, Theanno slipped back out of the hut, leaving her alone again.

He throws existential dread on me then leaves, she grumbled to herself. Now I have to check in on the Lamb.

She grabbed a few covered bowls from the storage crate—only berries would be properly stored there—and layered them on a tray, careful to balance each even as she lifted the tray. It wasn’t an unpracticed movement, given how she’d taken to serving dinner to her family before, well, being separated from them. If anything, it was comfortingly familiar.

Kaliaphra slipped out of the kitchen hut and crossed the grounds toward the infirmary tent. Many of her fellow cultists were still floating around the entrance, their tasks remaining unfinished in their hands, but they didn’t seem to care. They stared at the infirmary in deep concern and only scattered when she gently told them to shoo.

With a deep breath, she prepared to announce her entrance, but a scream cut her off.

She shouldered her way inside to assist and was met with a rather… frightening scene.

The circle of healers had taken a large step back from the cot, each raising their hands in some semblance of placation. Upon the cot, most worryingly, squatted the Lamb. Their eyes were wide with fear, and they had somehow managed to grab hold of a small and pointy stick.

“Get back!” the Lamb shrieked, waving their acquired stick like a dagger. (Instinct, perhaps?) “I won’t go with you, do you understand? I refuse to be sacrificed just because of some… some dumb prophecy!”

Confounded murmurs filled the space.

“Prophecy?”

“Sacrifice?”

“Have they forgotten the years of this establishment?”

“My Lamb,” Zelva said, playing up her comforting tone, “we are not here to bring you to the Bishops. You escaped from them, and you have unified us all here under the Red Crown. Do you… not remember?”

They stared up at her with the most dumbfounded expression Kali had ever seen on them. “I don’t know what in the hells you’re talking about. I was… on my way to scavenge when a group of robed individuals—” The Lamb glanced suspiciously about the tent, which contained several people fitting that description— “bounded me in chains to take me away to the Bishops. I don’t follow the Red Crown; I don’t follow anyone!”

There was something of a faint collective gasp among the group (which made sense, since the Lamb was essentially speaking heresy without realizing it).

“Zelva,” Kali murmured, setting her tray of berry bowls on a table, “what… happened to them?”

The old turtle sighed and dragged a hand down her face. “From what I could see before they began threatening us with a stick, there are signs of severe head trauma possibly originating from their most recent trip through Anura. They most certainly defeated the Bishop Heket, but I imagine something hit them before they made their escape.”

“Meaning…?”

“Amnesia. At least partially. They appear to have forgotten events after their execution, including the founding of this camp.”

“And the Red Crown?”

“At the moment, Filip is placing the Crown within the Temple.”

“The sermons?”

“Canceled until further notice.”

“The Bishops?”

“Will never know.”

“But—”

“Kaliaphra.” Zelva grabbed her by the shoulders. “We will ensure that the Bishops will never know. If they find out, our little camp here is done for. We have nothing to defend us. Please, remain diligent in your duties, and if anyone asks, the Lamb is injured and recovering.”

Kali looked between her and their now-sedated leader, who appeared as a small lamb for once instead of the grand holy being the cult knew them to be.

Or thought them to be.

“Yes, ma’am,” she nodded. “If you or anyone here needs anything, let me know. Or let Theanno know.”

Zelva visibly relaxed, a tired smile finding its way onto her face. “Of course. Thank you, dear. We will get through this together, under Death’s grace.”

“Yes, ma’am. Praise the Lamb.”

Sleep was difficult to wrangle that night, and the next, and the next.

Kaliaphra stared at the roof of her tent as she silently begged to fall into the sweet abyss, but her thoughts granted her no such relief. She was too busy thinking about the events of the previous days, about Theanno’s words and Zelva’s worry and the Lamb’s evident amnesia.

“We’ve never seen them so hurt, right, so what happens if we lose them?”

“We will ensure that the Bishops will never know. If they find out, our little camp here is done for. We have nothing to defend us.”

Granted, it had hardly been half a week since the Lamb returned, but with how fast word spread about the camp, Kali was certain that all of the Lamb’s followers would know soon. If doubt grew among them, flowering into dissent, it would only be a matter of time before someone left and crawled back to the Bishops.

The Lamb was not improving.

Someone had to do something.

They needed help of divine levels, and she wondered, if nothing else, whether the Lamb’s sacred Red Crown would have some form of solution, even a temporary one. She’d seen its power in action before, when the Lamb took command over their fields during the Heket-inflicted famine. Surely it had something, like a barrier to put up around the grounds.

The only question was whether someone had to wear the Crown—or maybe even be skilled with it—for it to do something. Only one way to find out, she supposed.

Kaliaphra pushed herself up from her bedroll and cautiously poked her head outside, letting the tent flaps continue to obscure her some. She appeared to be lucky in that all lanterns around the residential area of the camp were out, save for the infirmary, which was still a large enough distance away that it wasn’t a threat.

She went through a mental checklist of members, trying to discern who did and didn’t have one of those moon pendants the Lamb had offered. The only one that came to mind was a medic, who was no doubt in the infirmary.

Assuming no one was guarding the Crown—and why would they, when anyone in the cult hardly separated it from its bearer in terms of fear and respect—she had a straight shot.

As swiftly as possible, Kali made a sprint for the temple. She dared not go slower, even if it meant a lesser likelihood of stepping on something loud, since it would be way more likely for someone to wake up for a snack or to use the outhouse. All she had to do was slip in through the semi-ajar door (which she mentally thanked Filip for, even if it was unintentional) and close it behind herself, which went off without a hitch.

A dim temple greeted her, the only light coming from the ever-lit candles on either side of the lectern. It was just enough to provide some visibility, even if both Kali and Theanno had great night vision to begin with, but more specifically on the Red Crown sitting upon the altar.

It was odd, seeing the Crown not on the Lamb’s head. While the Lamb, in their state, seemed much smaller than usual, the Crown without the Lamb felt larger than it should. More imposing, even. Its singular red eye remained wide open, and though its glow had dimmed significantly, she had the feeling it was anything but dormant as it stared through her.

She almost wanted to tell it to blink.

Nevertheless, Kali swallowed her unease and strode forward down the aisle just as she had been for something close to twenty years, which might as well have been two years with the enchanted pendants the Lamb had gifted her and Theo. It came second nature; little light needed to guide her.

Though she had never been afraid of the dark, her fur stood on end as she noticed the feeling of being watched. By the Crown? Perhaps, but… not quite.

With a bowed head, she stepped up to the altar. Her heart raced with the panic of I should not be here, I should not be the one standing at the altar, but she tried her best to shove it down. What she was doing was important and could possibly save the cult from being wiped out.

Kaliaphra lowered herself to kneel in front of the altar, bending until she was just under eye-level with the Red Crown and folding her hands neatly upon her lap. “I am… unsure if I should be addressing Death here, as I am simply looking at the Crown without its bearer, so I will plead with both god and tool.”

If the Crown could look expectant, it did.

“I fear for the safety of these people,” she began, letting her eyes fall shut. “I have only ever been afraid like this when the Lamb brought me here for the first time. I doubted then. Over time, I have grown to trust them with my life. But they have fallen. Not in death, but I am afraid this is worse. If it were death, The One Who Waits would surely revive them. Instead, they cannot be helped outside of medical attention, and even that is a waiting game.

“If the Bishops find this place, all will be executed for heresy. What shall be done? I would sacrifice anything to make this right. I would give my own life. What is my life in comparison to the many other lives being lived here? It is but a speck of dust.” Kali paused for a moment, cracking one eye open to check if the Crown was still paying attention. (What a silly thought, she mused. The Red Crown is not sentient.)

Its singular red eye stared back at her, unblinking and unmoving.

Somehow, that was more discouraging.

She sighed. “We were taught that The One Who Waits does not answer prayer directly. He speaks through his vessel in miracles, but they are the one to hear our pleas. What is left when the vessel forgets that they are a vessel? What is left when a fawn who loves her family has to leave them behind? Theanno… he is all I have of them here. I promised him that he would be safe in this place, under the Lamb.”

A growing desperation bubbled in her chest with each passing thought, and Kaliaphra found herself crawling forward to grasp the altar and stare into the Crown’s eye directly as her vision blurred. “Please, do you not understand how hopeless this is? I do not ask for much if you do not wish to give it, but the situation must be remedied! Tell me what I have to do! Help me!”

The plea rang out through the temple, bouncing off the walls again and again until it faded.

The Red Crown did nothing.

Bitterly, she had the passing thought that a no would’ve hurt less than this.

Kaliaphra pushed herself up to stand over the Crown upon the altar, wiping the few stray tears that had fallen. “…Foolish. I do not know why I thought Death would listen to one little follower, anyway. It was worth a—”

In a flash, a literal flash of red, the sacred artifact shifted forms.

No longer did she see the Red Crown as a crown, or at least not a full crown; the pointed tips of its top stretched and wrapped around and around each other to a point, leaving it in a vague lance shape in the span of milliseconds.

That is, she was only somewhat sure it came to a point. The end of the Crown was out of her view, even as she followed it from the altar closer to her and—

Through her chest.

Through her heart.

Out her back.

That was when she registered two things a second too late. One, the deafening squelch and crack of flesh and bone being driven through by, well, Crown. Two, the burning pain that felt more like a stream of red hot fire than a blade.

Kaliaphra screamed, agony tearing through her throat.

There was a fleeting thought that she just woke up the entire camp, but it was drowned by growing panic accompanied by the taste of iron in her mouth. Her throat was closing, but was it due to the blood, or was she in shock? Shit, she didn’t know enough about medicine to tell.

What she did know was that she was going to die.

She had asked to help her be rid of the situation.

Was this a sick joke?

Was it mercy?

To be put out of her misery?

Her hooves scraped weakly at the floor beneath her, the Crown’s sharp blade holding her just aloft with surprising strength—as if she weighed nothing to it. As she struggled to catch her breath, choking on it instead, a strangled bleat pulled itself from her in some desperate attempt to call for Theanno.

The Red Crown retracted then, its lance shape ripping from her chest and dropping her onto the wooden floor. Kaliaphra’s vision was flickering then, and a horrific numbness began to settle in. The floor grew wet beneath her, and she felt it pooling around her fingertips and ear as she lay discarded on her side.

What… did I do wrong?

A distant muffled bleat was the last thing she heard.

Then there was nothing.

When her eyes opened, Kaliaphra was blinded with white.

Given how dark the temple had just been, the change of brightness was undesirable. The sky above her was far too bright, and the ground beneath her was far too soft. Fluffy, almost.

Odd.

She turned her head to get a better look and was greeted not with a wooden floor, but with what appeared to be… clouds.

A discomfort upon her chest suddenly became apparent to her, both crushing and sharp, two different sensations. Images flashed through her memory. The eye, the blade, the blood.

The weighted sensation, she realized, was likely her stopped heart.

Kali moved to sit up, knocking something sitting on her chest onto her lap instead. When she looked down, she was greeted with the unblinking stare of the Red Crown.

“You,” she murmured, afraid of her voice carrying through the expanse. “What… did you do?”

There was no response, which had to be the most normal thing in the situation. It was still enough that one wouldn’t have known how it morphed to stab her only moments ago.

Kaliaphra huffed through her nose with growing annoyance. “Some help you are. Perhaps if I simply stay here and do not move, do not interact with anything, I will wake up from this nightmare. The Lamb will be fine, everyone will be safe, and everything will be as it should.”

“I know you’re there.”

A deep, rumbling voice reverberated around her, startling her and sending some of the clouds scattering. Kali looked up from her lap to fully survey her surroundings, and she took notice of a distant but massive figure bound in chains among the clouds. The image was familiar, one that the Lamb had explained vaguely to their flock from their times of indoctrination. Death had an incredibly recognizable appearance, all things considered.

She swallowed hard, a pit opening in her stomach.

The distance and the veil made it impossible for her to see his face, but she somehow knew that The One Who Waits was looking directly at her. “Come closer, little fawn,” the tall cat bishop purred. “In death, you will be of use to me.”

Kali looked back down at the Crown.

It looked back at her, and she’d almost expected it to give a meaningful glance toward said bishop. A go on gesture, in a sense. But it gave no such answer.

Once again, incredibly helpful.

She lifted the Crown from its place on her lap and pushed herself up, instinctively brushing off her tunic as if rising from the dirt instead. (It was silly, she acknowledged, but at least it could give her the appearance of being put together.)

Kaliaphra strode forward on shaking legs through the parting clouds. If she was to meet her god, she needed to be calm and collected, but her tight grip on the Crown did nothing to help.

As she grew closer, she noticed the two smaller cats kneeling on either side of the god. Their fur was a deep gray—not quite black—and their matching pairs of crimson eyes remained solely on her as she approached. The one on Death’s right donned black and red robes, while the one on his left had white robes. Both wore veils like their master, though theirs were slightly more transparent, hence why she could meet their intense stares.

She felt more like an intruder within their space. Her gaze snapped once again to the being in the middle, though she dared not look him in the eye, instead settling for the clouds at his feet.

The sound of her footsteps changed from soft pompfs of air to hooves on stone as she stepped onto a small circular platform painted with a pentagram, and she figured that was a good place to pause. Kali dipped low into a curtsey, one she had perfected during her time under the Bishop Shamura, but said nothing. The common rule within the Silk Cradle was do not speak unless spoken to.

Given how she was standing before Death, she didn’t feel like testing the limits with other gods.

“Polite little thing,” said The One Who Waits, finally. “What a refreshing change of pace. Stand, little fawn, and let me see you.”

Without a second thought, she complied, raising her gaze enough to find the bottom edge of his veil.

“How peculiar that you would enter my domain with my Crown in your hands. I entrusted that Crown to The Lamb. How is it, then, that you hold it, mere follower?”

Despite having little-to-no control over that exact situation, Kali stuttered, “I mean no disrespect by it, my lord! The Lamb is—”

He held up one skeletal hand to stop her. “I am well aware of what has befallen my vessel. It is… inconvenient, to say the least. Since The Lamb is neither dead nor dying, I can do nothing to assist. Truly a setback.” Jagged teeth became more visible as the corners of his mouth curled upward. “But no matter. You worry for the safety of your flock, do you not? That is why you volunteered your life.”

Kaliaphra bit her lip anxiously for a moment. She did offer her life to the Crown in panic, didn’t she? While she certainly didn’t expect to stand before The One Who Waits in order to fulfill that statement, there really were only so many ways such an offer would come to fruition. “What… What would you have me do, my lord? I am just a deserter who can only somewhat mince fish and cauliflower.”

“Ah… but you can brandish a knife, then?” The God of Death inclined his head in what she faintly recognized to be a patronizing manner. “While you may not believe it, that is more than The Lamb could say when they first appeared before me. Rejoice in your abilities, for they will save your hide in battle.”

“B-Battle, my lord?”

She swore she saw the cat at his right snicker from her question.

“Battle,” he repeated. “Despite the façade you put on, I know you are familiar with it. I have seen you cut down many an enemy during your time as a soldier trainee.”

Ah, damn it. “Oh, I, uh—“

“And yet you lie to my face.” The ever-present grin dropped abruptly. “Fear lingers in you despite your experience, Kaliaphra. I will be merciful just this once.”

Kali’s breath hitched as terror took its choking hold on her. He knew her name. He knew her by name. “Forgive me, please! I would have been upfront about it, but… it has been some time since I fought last.”

The One Who Waits waved a hand. “It has become instinct for you, nonetheless, one that you will utilize while you bear the Crown.”

It was like ice had been dumped over her. She dared to meet his gaze, finally. “…My lord?”

“A temporary vessel,” he clarified, his wide smile of sharp teeth returning. “You shall take on the duties of the Lamb until they can return once more. Tend to the flock. Venture forth on crusades. Spread faith and influence. Slay my traitorous siblings. That is for which you have volunteered your life.”

She stared up at him, up at the gleeful unblinking trio of red eyes behind a veil, and found no trace of humor. No ounce of empathy. The One Who Waits was placing her in the position of leader against her will. If she should decline…

One clawed hand, belonging to the white-robed cat in white on Death’s left, twitched as if he’d heard her thought.

Ah. She couldn’t.

To decline meant death. No doubt it would be an insult to the bishop himself. She had no other option.

“It will not be for an eternity,” The One Who Waits purred, “that much I can swear with the assumption that my vessel recovers. Should they not, your position will become a permanent one. Do we have an understanding, fawn?”

As much as she wanted to do otherwise, Kaliaphra lowered herself back into a deep curtsy. “Y…Yes, my lord. I will do everything in my power to serve you.”

“Good. Do not disappoint me. Unlike the Lamb, you are incredibly replaceable.”

The pentagram lit up beneath her feet, and her soul left the Below with a new weighing dread upon it.

Kaliaphra propped herself up with one arm and promptly vomited onto the floor next to the altar.

Her chest ached, not with the pain of the fatal wound but with anxiety and horror. She was faintly aware that she had, in fact, returned to the living world, but she was waiting for the pounding of her heart to cease before fully taking stock.

Was she dreaming? Surely, she had been dreaming. In her panic to do something about the Lamb’s situation, she had run into the temple and… hit her head. Passed out. That was the only logical option. Or, better yet, all of that was a dream, too; she’d eaten some wild mushrooms by mistake and had a wild dream as a result.

…Why did her head feel so heavy?

Something, some form of light, reflected off of the polished quartz altar, startling Kali. As she turned her head back to further investigate, the colored light reflected again—red. Once she sat still, the steady red glow remained… just above her head, if the silhouette was anything to go by. Was that…

She raised one hand up to grab it, but the crash of the temple doors startled her into dropping her hand and pushing herself onto her feet.

“Kaliaphra,” came the clipped voice of Zelva as she led what looked like the entire cult into the room. “What on earth is—Are you wearing the Red Crown?”

Her eyes ran over the assembling crowd, already trying to think of a way out of facing them yet. Was there one, though? Was it right to wait, if this was in fact really happening? Was there even a way for her to answer without looking like a fool? “Y…Yes, I am.”

The old turtle scoffed incredulously. “Stars above, no one should be touching it but the Lamb. And—is that… blood? Vomit? Child, are you drunk?”

“No!” she snapped back, the weight of the eyes on her immensely present. “I am not drunk. I… I have…” 

But she trailed off, uncertain how exactly to explain the situation. Kali’s eyes skimmed the assembled followers, searching desperately for reassurance, for familiarity, for her cousin’s eyes among colleagues, friends, acquaintances, accusers. 

In the doorway, familiar horns just barely fit in the doorway. 

She held her breath, a long moment, then began again. “I have spoken to The One Who Waits. It appears that he has placed me in the Lamb’s position until they recover. And I know that sounds insane, but…” She looked down at herself, reaching up to run her fingers over the tender flesh where her impalement wound had been. The skin there was still agitated and raw, like a fresh scar had just formed. “I died, I believe. That was the commotion you heard. If you will just—”

“A’right,” huffed Chifre, the rhinoceros in charge of behavior enforcement, as he stepped through the crowd toward her. “Take the Crown off, c’mon.”

Anxiety flipped to annoyance in just a moment, and she straightened her spine stubbornly. “I cannot. I now have a duty to uphold, it seems.”

“No, you don’t. Take it off, or I’ll take it myself. Playtime’s over, kid.”

“I am not a child!”

Her voice boomed through the space, and she would’ve taken notice of how it split apart if it weren’t for the flash of bright red, almost like lightning, that illuminated it all. The light seemed to startle the crowd more than her, as they all scrambled back several feet from the altar, eyes blown wide.

They… weren’t looking at her.

Kaliaphra turned, slowly, and looked up to the front wall of the temple.

Over the wood and stained glass, there resided a massive shadow, one of distinct silhouette, stretching across the pulpit floor to the wall and traveling up to touch the ceiling. The body, with its tall feline ears and glowing trio of eyes, was incredibly familiar to Kali herself. Its limbs, clearly defined as skeletal and crude, extended over the walls and arched across the temple floor. There, the claws of bone hovered around the place where the deer stood, as if claiming her—his plaything, perhaps.

Separate from the shadow, Kaliaphra was graced with the whisper of feeling bone brush her cheek. It was a distant mockery of sentiment, but it made her heart leap into her throat all the same.

“Stand tall, my vessel,” the voice of The One Who Waits purred into her ear. “They will learn to fear you in time.”

Then, with another flash of red light, it was all gone. Kali and the others were left standing in an empty temple, shellshocked at what had just occurred.

They stared at her, no longer annoyed, but hesitant. As if they didn’t know what to do.

Across the crowd, Kaliaphra’s gaze finally found her cousin’s, meeting eyes wide in something between awe and terror. He ran his gaze over her form, inspecting her, she thought, hesitating on the blood stain on her shirt, then the glowing crown, and then back to meet her eyes in turn, looking for something, the same safety they’d promised one another for years.

Then, finding it, whatever he was looking for, his expression calmed, pride replacing the fear as a grin stretched over his cheeks. He bent his knee, head still raised, unwilling to break her gaze, yet folding over nevertheless.

A bow, she realized. He is bowing. To… to me?

“My Fawn,” Theanno called.

The followers nearest to him looked back, murmurs rippling through them, noises and expressions flickering wildly between surprise and… uncertainty, perhaps, before looking back to the crown that now rested on her brow. 

Then, with the same subtle confidence, one follower after another bent at the knee, their gazes turning to the ground. 

“My Fawn.”

“My Fawn.”

“My Fawn!”

[contentloadingandstuff]

Parenting Headcannons with Keqing and Eula? :D

Parent Headcanons - Eula Lawrence and Keqing

A/N: Hi Anon! I'm sorry you had to wait. This one... well, it turned out quite a bit more serious than I expected. Especially with Keqing - it turned into (basically) angst. I'm sorry if you don't like it. I would be really grateful if you shared your opinion in the comments.

Male reader.

Eula Lawrence

Eula’s parents were… not great, to say the least. They kept pushing her towards being a traditional figure, dictated by the Lawrence clan’s long legacy. That involved plenty of indoctrination, gaslighting and putting down her own needs and dreams. 

She realized this was not normal in her late teens, and she made her escape to the Knights. Even though most citizens of Mondstadt grew to dislike her, Eula found a few close friends to help her through her darkest years. You were one of them. 

The desire to be better than one’s parents is natural and ever present, as role models are quite rare in reality. This need was especially strong in her. It was the image of having kids that kept her from leaving this world behind, and when you met all those years ago, the images reappeared in her happiest moments. 

Eula made plans long before you met, imagining what rules she would put in place, what values she should instill, she read books about motherhood and parenting. Yet she never told you, until one warm night. 

She grabbed your hand, and told you about her dream while looking into your eyes. She said how she wants to be the mother her mother never was, and you to be the father hers never managed to be. She told you about her dream of building a home together, a safe place for both you and your children.

And how could you refuse her?

Eula will want to wait for marriage before anything else. 

When she speaks that one, simple word, Eula will just burst into tears. Just like that, the weight and past sins of her last name will be finally left behind, and she could fully become a new, better person. 

A few days will pass until she’s ready. Eula just wants to wait until everything calms down, really. And it will be a surprise too. You’ll just wake up one lazy morning, cuddled together, and she will whisper a simple ‘It’s time’ into your ear.

Eula is going to drop field work entirely from the moment you are sure she’s carrying an heir. When Varka comes back from his travels, he will most likely provide Eula with a comfy desk job. She’s done a lot for Mondstadt, hasn’t she? Eula deserves it. 

No drinks will be had for the entire duration of her pregnancy, which will be quite long. 

Because Eula always wanted to have two children, preferably a son and a daughter. As soon as her body will recover after giving birth Eula will want to go again, to keep the age gap as small as possible. If she’ll give birth to two kids at the same time there won’t be a need to, of course. 

Eula always insisted on doing all the menial housework, which bamboozled you at first. She just wanted to get lots of practice in cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and so on, as her royal upbringing never gave her the chance to. The woman is well aware of the reality of parenthood, and wishes to get used to the routine.

It’s hard for sure, but she is willing to endure the difficulty. This is one investment worth every second, every drop of sweat and blood in her opinion. 

Seeing Eula with dark bags under her eyes and a tired smile on her lips will be common during the early years. 

The knight will pester you about your job a lot if it involves danger. She quit hers, and would love you to do so as well. If combat is your calling… Well, she understands. Doesn’t mean that you won’t get an earful and a half every time you get back with fresh injuries. She will have her vengeance for every single scratch you get on yourself!

Ever since her work hours shortened dramatically, Eula gets to be home a lot more. She will gladly welcome you home after work with a warm meal and lots of cuddles. 

Don’t think you will be neglected because of the kids. Your wife will make sure to give attention to you as well.

Oh, and about attention. Eula is a good mother, maybe even too good. See, she’ll hog most of the quality time with your kids, at least when they will be young. It’s usually a competition between you two over who gets to go out with the little ones. 

Who would expect a bottomless supply of patience from her? She’ll spend 16 hours a day with her offspring and she will love it. 

Eula is a very caring mom, but she sometimes struggles with correcting bad behaviors and administering punishment. So yeah. You’ll get to do the unpleasant work. 

She will ingrain only universal qualities and morals into her kids, making sure to teach them that the sins of those who came before don’t cross out the person of today. 

Will not influence the careers her kids will pursue, but will help wherever she can. 

Just… be by her side when they grow up and leave to chase their own ambitions. She will feel very lonely if you don’t. 

10/10, no doubt. Always wanted to have kids, and prepared accordingly. She will raise some great individuals with your help.

Keqing

Keqing has three goals in life. First - and foremost - to build a strong, independent and prosperous Liyue Harbor. Second - to find a partner, and third - to start a family. 

Well, she had three. Now, only the first one remains. The young Keqing is not the same woman as the Keqing of today. She had grown immensely, but in a troublesome direction. 

You see, Keqing’s dreams are… not actually hers. They never were. It all comes down to her upbringing. 

Keqing is a part of Liyue nobility, who have strict values and goals. From her earliest days, those objectives and desires were imprinted on her mind. Everything she did was centered around the execution of them, not leaving much space for her own aspirations. Well, no time was left for it either - she was constantly snowed under assignments, tests, meetings and internships. She always had to prove herself, prove that she is indeed worthy of her family name. 

And so, her dream of having a family faded and faded, until nothing of the motivation was left. Like with every childhood dream she had. 

All of that pressure also resulted in her problems with interpersonal relations. Focused around achieving her ‘own’ goals, she saw (and still sees) others as elements of the background, coworkers or useful tools and assets in reaching her objectives. Keqing has become selfish. Self-centered. Egoistic. 

For example: People say Ganyu’s mindset is hard to understand, but that’s a nifty little lie to hide the severe lack of compassion and basic empathy for her among others in Liyue. Keqing may have had a hand in propagating this statement. Independent of what Ganyu sees Keqing as, the former will never see the secretary as anything else than an inferior at whom she can throw more and more assignments.  

You may have reawakened her dream from ancient times, when she still used to play with dolls. But Keqing has adopted a specific mindset throughout her life, and that will make pregnancy and child upbringing only another box on her checklist. 

She won’t give up her work, or even limit it for that matter. Her job is more important than family and you, so she’ll agree to a single child at most. And that will be also on the condition you will take care of them. 

She’s the mother that’s never home for sure. Also, a scary one at that. 

Will reprimand her kid, whatever the sex may be, for bad grades. 

Keqing will not understand many struggles someone not like herself may have, such as depression or lack of motivation. It all makes sense in her head - why don’t they work harder? They see how they can end up, right on the streets and outside of Liyue Harbor. Treasure Hoarders, Fatui, beggars and bums. She thinks her child will become just that if they don’t ace all the classes. 

She speaks about this kind of thing often. Why? Because her parents told her the same when she was this age. Many of the awful parenting techniques she was subjected to will creep their way into her own methods. 

Literally the asian parent. She has lots and lots of cash on hand thanks to her job, and she puts an adequate amount of this into the education of her young. Piano lessons, private tutors and martial arts - everything will be covered in this investement. What a shame she doesn’t put an equal amount of effort into this deal.

She will help the kid with school work, but that’s about it. 

Ningguang will surely notice what’s going on between you two, and will mercilessly point it out to Keqing. Maybe with your combined efforts, the woman will be able to change for the better. 

But that chance is quite low.

2/10. Keqing isn’t meant to be a mother. Keqing doesn’t want to be a mother. Not anymore, at least. She is too busy chasing somebody's dream for motherhood.

Thanks for reading!

[directorbrack]

Mini fic LuLaw Dog x Wolf (??)

Soo umm, this is a little lulaw weird idea that i had the other day and it wouldn't leave my head so I decided to share it. 

Usopp has a dog, well technically it is not just his dog but all his friend 's, it just happens that he spends more time with him. 

Zora had found it abandoned in an alley and out of pity decided to feed him. Big mistake. After that it wouldn’t stop following him even if he tried to chase him off, so defeated he took it home. Nami, seeing the terrible conditions he was kept in, thought it would be better if she took care of him. 

She ended up horrified by how unruly and greedy he was and left him to Usopp in exchange for a favor he owed her. Despite how burdensome he could be, none of them were able to get rid of the dog, quickly becoming part of the family and finally obtaining the right to a name.

Luffy was a black-furred Labrador which, even as time passed, never changed two things: being playful and loud. As much as they wanted to train him, he didn't seem interested in listening to anything they said, so they resigned themselves to adapting to his rhythm.

If Luffy wanted to go out, it was for the best to let him out. Having been a stray before he didn't seem to have any problems going out and coming home whenever he wanted. Usopp lived near the outskirts of the city next to a forest, Luffy's favorite expedition place.

So Usopp didn't question it much when he heard Luffy barking demanding the man to let him in.. But as soon as he opened the door, he realized that something strange was happening. 

Luffy barked and howled in alarm, running back and forth, pulling at his clothes.

"Wowowow! Calm down! What's wrong?" 

Luffy only pulled his clothes harder, forcibly pulling him out of the house. 

"What? Hey, you're going to rip my pants if you keep doing that! Let me go, I'm coming!"

Realizing that Usopp was already following him, Luffy ran in direction to the forest, stopping only to see if Usopp was still behind him.

"Do you really expect me to go in there?! D-don't you rather play somewhere else?"

But Luffy had already entered the forest…

"Where are you taking me? I swear if you're just going to show me an ant nest like last time I won't follow you ever again!"

But Luffy was focused, looking for whatever he wanted to show him. They went deeper and deeper, and Usopp just wanted to return home.

"I can't see anything but trees anymore... Luffy, can we go back now?!" 

Suddenly Luffy began to move his tail with excitement, he seemed to have finally found what he was looking for and ran there...

To the entrance to a cave.

"Oh, no! Sorry, but I won't go there!" 

Usopp was ready to turn around and go back until Luffy appeared behind him and started pushing him to hurry up.

Scared to death, he had no choice but to enter.

With his knees shaking and only the light of his cellphone, Ussop questioned his life choices.

"Luffy, I-I think it's not a good idea for us to be he-"

He was interrupted by the sound of a growl.

A shiver ran down his spine, cold sweat gathered on his forehead and his teeth shook.

Against his own common sense he decided to turn around slowly to see where the danger came from.

Finding himself face to face with a wolf.

He wanted to scream, he really wanted to scream, but he had frozen in fear.

Run. Run. He had to run.

That's when Luffy surprised him by running happily towards the wolf. With its tail waving, it began to jump around him.

The wolf was lying on his side and just analyzed Usopp's movements carefully as if the excited dog didn't bother him at all. 

The beast seemed to have no intention of standing up, calming Usopp's panic a bit.

In fact, now that he looked closely, the wolf seemed to not be in a good situation.

He was breathing heavily, as if it were difficult for him. He was grunting and still alert but looked exhausted. 

"Is he hurt?" 

A pitiful moan gave him the answer.

Luffy laid down next to him rubbing his muzzle against the wolf's head and it was then that Usopp understood why he had brought him there.

He attempted to approach stealthily and check the animal's possible wounds.

With trembling hands, he carefully touched its fur. The beast growled at him again and Usopp immediately removed his hand. 

It hadn't jumped out of nowhere to bite him, so he tried again. 

"Jesus Christ, Luffy! I'm not a veterinarian!"

He couldn't find any external wounds, there was no visible trace of blood and he was beginning to find it strange.

"What could have happened?" 

It was when it occurred to him to raise its tail to check it that he finally let out the cry that he had kept to himself until then.

The wolf was giving birth... 

Usopp knew that this experience was going to leave him traumatized for life.

After pulling himself together and gathering all the courage in the world (and watching videos on YT), Usopp helped to bring 5 puppies into the world.

Once they were all lined up, mother feeding them, Usopp was able to breathe again. Lying on the floor still questioning what had just happened, he decided to just observe the tender scene that started to unfold in front of him.

Luffy was happy, he sniffed the newborn puppies and enthusiastically licked the wolf, who only showed his teeth threatening him whenever he got too close to the pups, something the dog ignored.

Usopp let out a small, tired laugh as he watched his pet interact with the wolf. And then he finally took a better look at the puppies.

"So small and cute. And all of them with little black fur, how curious"

Black fur... 

Usopp stood up abruptly.

The wolf was gray.

He looked at Luffy.

ALL OF THEM. Black fur. 

Luffy. A black-furred labrador.

"LUFFYYYYYYYY!"

Meanwhile, the dog only looked tenderly at his new little family, completely ignoring Usopp’s cry.

[fuckin-sick-bih]

Lightning Bugs

Fandom: Stranger Things (Eddie Lives AU) Summary: Steve is coming down with something and Eddie realizes it and decides to do something about it. CW: Mess, mentions of Weed, Eddie has the kink and also mildly disabled from the demobats, & poor Stevie is photic Word Count: 4,915 MINORS DNI Author Note: This is a totally plotless drabble I've just been like picking at trying to fight writer's block and I finally finished it so figured I'd do a quickie edit and post. Enjoy!

“Hah…”

It’s so quiet and soft that Eddie almost misses it. He’s half asleep in the passenger seat of Steve’s BMW. They had just finished taking the kids home from a D&D session that went a bit longer than anticipated.

There was the flash of oncoming headlights from behind Eddie’s closed lids and then he heard it.

“Heh’DIShhuh!”

Eddie jumped from the sudden sound disturbing the quiet rumble of the engine and soft music playing, eyes snapping open to look at Steve. The lighter brunette had a hand shoved up under his nose and one still on the wheel. “Sorry-” he says with a sniffle and rubs his slightly pink nose with his knuckles. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

With a wave of his hand, Eddie brushes Steve off while trying to ignore the swooping sensation in his belly as the sound of Steve’s sneeze replays in his brain. “Don’t worry about it. Wasn’t even asleep, just resting my eyes.” He assures Steve then pauses for a beat before asking, “You alright?”

Steve was still rubbing his nose, just the two of them in the car or else Eddie suspected Steve wouldn’t let himself be quite so vulnerable. “Think so- just tired and my nose has been kinda bothering me all night.”

The admission makes Eddie’s stomach do the swooping sensation again. Like he’s on some amusement ride that twirls and spins unexpectedly. “Yeah?” He manages to choke out and sits up a little. “Think you’re catching the sniffles, Harrington?” It was a valiant attempt to keep up appearances, not wanting Steve to know just how much the one sneeze had affected him.

“Thhhh… Thought we were past the l-last names, Munson?” Steve retaliates, clearly fighting through another tickle that was building up in his sinuses. “Huhuh… God- urgh it’s gonna be stuck again.” He complains with what Eddie can only describe as a very adorable pout.

Soft pursed lips, slightly messy hair, and pinkish and irritated nostrils that stood out against his pale skin even in the dark of the car at night on the back roads. Jesus, Steve really was looking in need of some TLC… When was the last time Harrington had let someone take care of him instead of mother-henning everyone else? Or even slept?

Eddie leaned forward to pull his bandana out of his back pocket and reached over to press it into Steve’s hand. “Sorry, habit, Stevie.” He said it as a way of apologizing and smiled at the other. “You’re not looking so good. Think I got some cold meds at my place, or we can stop at the pharmacy on the way. Either way, I’m taking you hostage.”

The way he says it is matter-of-fact. Leaving Steve little room for argument, but Steve still tries to protest. “Eddie, no, c’mon, man. I can’t i-ihh.. impose like th-thaah…hah-! that.” Now Steve has his black bandana pressed to his nose.

“Not imposing, I’m inviting,” Eddie replies as another car rounds the bend and their headlights flash into Steve’s eyes.

The reaction was almost instant, and Steve kept his hand on the wheel expertly still, foot pressing on the brake to slow down the car. “Hud’TShhuh! Hept’SHhue! Hehhh’TSHHnxt!” The last one sounds pinched off and painful from behind the bandana but if it hurt Steve makes no comment, just sniffles, and speeds the car back up again. “Sorry.”

Eddie blinks a few times, trusting the dark and his black jeans to hide the fact that he’s having his own uncontrollable reaction now. “Jesus H Christ, bless you. You’re photic,” he says like it’s something completely common knowledge and not something he knows because of his stupid kink.

“What?” Steve asks blearily, setting the bandana in his lap to make the turn into the trailer park where Eddie lives.

Eddie can feel a blush creeping up his cheeks and he tries to ignore the way his heart thunders in his chest. “Uh- bright lights make you sneeze. Called photic sneezing or something like that. I dunno I think I heard one of the nerds talk about it after a D&D session.” He covers quickly.

Steve gives a thoughtful little hum, “Really? That’s not a thing for everybody?” he asked, sounding curious as he sniffled, sounding more congested by the minute after the sneezes had finally been let loose.

“Nah. I’ve looked at plenty of bright lights. No sneezing here.” Eddie tells Steve, his mouth feeling dry. The last thing he expected to be talking about to the guy he’d been secretly crushing on for years was his most secret kink. “Just shitty allergies, but don’t worry my immune system is tough as nails.” Just to hammer in the joke, Eddie pretends to flex his arms.

A rough-sounding chuckle comes out of Steve, the lighter brunette turning a moment to cough into his shoulder and lapel of his jacket. Some of his bangs fell into his face and so Steve swiped them back up again with a casual brush of his hand, a nervous tick Eddie had come to adore watching.

Christ, he couldn’t be thinking these kinds of things when Steve was right fucking there.

“Then I’ll be real proud of whatever bug my body cooked up when you catch it.” Steve taunts and parks in front of the Munson trailer, one hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Alright, Eddie, I’ll see you later…” He tries to dismiss him and Eddie’s rebellious streak flares.

Without even thinking, Eddie turns and pulls the key from the ignition with a wink aimed at Steve. “Can’t leave if you can’t find your keys, Harrington.” He taunts back and bolts out of the car.

“Eddie!” Steve shouts, his voice cracking under the strain of what was apparently a sore throat. He fumbles to get out of the car after Eddie and follows him into the trailer but by the time he gets in there Eddie is already standing there waiting patiently. Keys safely hidden somewhere in the trailer Steve would never find them until Eddie deemed him well enough to go back out on his own.

Eddie slung an arm around Steve’s shoulders playfully and kicked the trailer door closed, but nearly buckled standing on his bad leg. The one the demo-bats tried to damn near chew off. He winced and Steve was immediately there holding him up in return. The moment Eddie felt Stable he waved Steve off, “Buzz off, it’s me taking care of you not you taking care of me, remember?”

“Think I can’t multitask?” Steve jokes and lowers his hands slowly but still wraps an arm around Eddie, following his lead. Which happens to be down the hall to Eddie’s bedroom.

This time, Eddie made the smarter decision to use his hand to push open the door instead of his foot. He led Steve inside his bedroom, the whole thing a bit of a mess with some clothes strewn about in places, posters littering the walls in mismatched mayhem, more than a few guitars, amps, and cords around…

After the buckle from his ankle, Eddie limped a little. His pain tended to get worse at night. There had been significant damage done to more than a few parts of him and Eddie tried not to think about it all too much. He was still marveling at his lost nipple every time he looked in the mirror before showering…

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Eddie motions for Steve to come sit with him while he starts taking his boots off. “C’mon. Shoes off. You’re not getting in my bed with your grimy shoes on. You could’ve worn those to the Upside Down and that shit is not coming in my bed.” He rambles to fill the quiet that’s developed since Steve entered his room.

“You want me… in your bed?” Steve croaked out, sounding tired and confused. Like someone had just asked him to do a backflip on a tightrope not sit down on Eddie’s bed.

Eddie turned to look at Steve with a rather unimpressed expression. “That is what I just said, Harrington. Come on. Or I’m gonna beat you to the good spot at this rate.” The metalhead was pulling off his rings one by one to set them down on his bedside table. Next came the chain on his pants and wrist then his watch too.

It felt a little strange to be stripped so bare in front of Steve, but he found he didn’t mind it. He trusted Steve. Enough to take off his armor so to speak.

“Heh’DETShhuh! Uh’TSHHuuh! Ehh’hTSHUh! Ohhh my god…” Steve still had Eddie’s black bandana in his hand, which he pressed to his face in a valiant attempt to contain the sneezes.

Eddie’s heart was thundering in his chest, and it takes his brain a moment to register he needs to speak, “Bless- Jesus. Did you get any air during that fit?” he asked incredulously.

Steve brushed his hair up and back with a particularly thick sniffle. “D’not really…” Another groan came from Steve whose face fell into his hands as the congestion really started to make an appearance.

A soft chuckle came from Eddie who grabbed Steve’s free wrist to yank him down onto the bed with him. “If you wanna get more comfortable, you can get outta those jeans? Borrow some sweatpants if you want?” He offered, noticing Steve was in some rather tight-looking acid wash jeans and swallowing. Definitely not staring. Definitely not.

“Like I s-said Eddie I dod’t wadda i-ihhh ibpose.” Steve struggled to say as his breath began to hitch again, more of his bangs falling into his face as his expression crumpled helplessly for a moment to the itch.

Already Eddie was getting up to get Steve some clothes. He came back with some plain black sweatpants, a surprisingly soft ACDC shirt, and his cozy Zeppelin hoodie all of which he handed to Steve. “Here. Royal treatment for poor sick, Stevie.”

A pitiful sniffle came from Steve as he looked at the clothes in shock that Eddie would so willingly offer them up. “Why are you d-diih… doi’g this, Eddie?” He asked softly and took the clothes as he stood to start getting changed.

“Why wouldn’t I do this?” Eddie challenged in return while crossing his arms and sitting on the edge of the bed, looking away so Steve can change. “You take care of everybody, Steve. You try so damn hard to make sure you’re there for everyone. You never take time for yourself. You never let anyone take care of you. So let me take care of you.”

The shuffling around of Steve getting dressed suddenly stops all at once. Eddie was about to ask if Steve was okay when he finally spoke. “You wadt to take care of m’be?”

That confused Eddie because of course he did. “Yes! Jesus H. Christ, Steve! You think I stole your keys for shits and giggles?”

A soft, pitiful-sounding sniffle came from Steve who was frowning with the shirt only pulled over his arms but not his head yet. His entire torso is on display for Eddie. The scars from the demobats were healed over now. Gnarled, pink, and raised but healed. “D’no ode’s ever… wanted to actually take care of b’me before.” He admitted quietly. Eddie watched his soft belly starting to move in slightly choppier motions while his chest expanded as his breathing hitched.

“Hiih uh… IhhDSHHUH! HupTSHHUh! Snff ugh…” Steve had cupped his hands over his face in a rush to sneeze and tried to snuffle back the mess now trapped behind them. “Uh- fuck- umb… Eddie-? Cad you-?”

The darker haired man raised his brows and then scrambled for the dropped bandana turned hanky on the floor. “Yeah yeah, here, Stevie-” and he carefully pressed the black and white fabric into Steve’s hands. “There you go.”

“Thagks-” Steve said as he cleaned up his hands and face before sheepishly glancing at Eddie. “I’ll wash this for you I probise.” He said seriously to which Eddie rolled his eyes.

Eddie reached forward to gently brush Steve’s bangs back and feel his forehead. “Blow your nose, Steve. I can barely understand you.” He admonished, smiling a little as he got to watch a blush spread over Steve Harrington’s features. Christ, this was like one of Eddie’s wet dreams come true.

Focus, Eddie, focus. Steve first, be horny about it later. He reminded himself and then Steve blew his nose while Eddie’s hand was still resting on his forehead. It took all of Eddie’s willpower not to cream his pants right then and there as Steve gave a wet, gurgling blow.

There must have been some kind of look on his face because Steve spoke up with his nose still buried in the bandana. “Sorry. I kdow this is ki’d of gross. I’ll be totally fide to take care of byself if you let b’me go hobe, Eddie. Seriously.”

“No. Nope. I simply cannot, in good conscience, allow my sick best friend out of my sight.” Eddie said loud and dramatic as he stood slowly with a slightly pained-sounding grunt. He helped get the shirt the rest of the way onto Steve. “There. Bit tight on your shoulders but well… you’re all… jocky and shit.” He waves a hand at Steve and drops back down onto the bed.

Steve gave a quiet, slightly congested chuckle and swiped at his nose with the bandana a few more times. “Yeah, basketball and swimming ki’da does that…” He sniffled a little and sat down near Eddie.

Something else nagged at Eddie and he soon spoke up. “You’re not gross, Steve.” he said softly. “Far from it.” He added quietly and smiled a little as he admired Steve in his clothes for a few moments. So, fucking cute, he thought to himself.

“I ab. I’b all sdotty add gerby add I sou’d like I gargled glass.” Steve mumbled and lifted an arm to cough into it softly as if his body sought to prove his point about his throat being affected.

With a small shake of his head, Eddie guided Steve up to the top of his bed so he could pull the unmade mess of sheets and blankets over him. “You’re sick, comes with the territory, and anyone who isn’t willing to be with you when you feel like crap doesn’t deserve you. Got it?” He tells Steve, pointing a finger at the other man to give him a jab to the chest.

For a few seconds, Steve seems almost frozen, smiling softly at him before he snaps out of it and nods. “Yeah… yeah okay, Eddie.” He sniffles ever so slightly and rubs a finger under his nose once again. “Ugh, do you baybe have sobe tissues, Eds? Thiiihh ugh thi’gk I’b godda s-sdeeze agaid…”

It took Eddie’s brain a second to register what Steve was asking him for before Eddie shook himself into action. “Huh? Ohh tissues? That’s what you said. Yeah, I got you, man.” He assured him, grabbing a mostly full box from the bathroom just next door to his room to toss them to Steve. “Take as many as you need. I have more boxes. My allergies get real bad in spring and fall.” He admits, definitely aware it was nearly spring, and he’d soon be as bad, if not worse, than Steve.

“Hii’RSHuuh! Ehh… ehXT’SHuh! Ugh d’no… cobe od that’s dot all of theb…” Steve groaned and rubbed at his nose with the tissues he’d hurriedly snatched from the box, though not quite in time to catch the first sneeze. The second he’d thankfully buried his face into the tissue as mess had burst forth with the force of it. “Fuck, I’b sorry… yesterday by throat tickled a little add I thought it was baybe just, y’kdow, spri’g bei’g od it’s way…” Steve shook his head and grabbed another tissue to make sure his face was clear. “But I’b odly ever a total bess like this whed I’b sick.”

It was like the cogs in his brain had stopped meshing correctly, gotten jammed or something by all of the horrifically hot things Steve was saying, and caught fire. Eddie twirled and pulled on the ends of his hair a little as if he was trying to use it to ground himself. Or just to cover his ears so the imaginary smoke from his brain didn’t escape.

“Steve, it’s… it’s fine, seriously. You’re fine. Well- no, okay, you’re sick. Buuuut… that’s okay! Because I’m gonna take care of you because that’s what good friends do.” He insisted before spinning around to go searching for something in one of his many drawers. Partly to hide his utter embarrassment and likely bright red face and because he had an idea.

After a few moments, he made a triumphant sort of sound as fingertips connected with plastic. “Gotcha-” He pulled out a flashlight, flicked it on, and smacked it against his opposite palm a few times to get it to flicker on. Then switched it on and off a few times to get it working properly.

Steve’s slightly hitchy breaths were still coming from behind Eddie so the curly-haired man spun around he called out, “Hey, Harrington!” And flicked on the flashlight to shine it into Steve’s eyes.

The moment the light hit Steve’s pupils, they contracted, and his breath hitched in earnest while his nostrils flared. He fumbled blindly for a tissue, his chest swelling as he just barely managed to press one to his face before- “Hhh’TSHue! Hiih’DSHuh! Eddie, what the fuck?” He complained voice muffled from behind his tissue as he cleaned up from the aftermath of that.

“Sounded like you were really struggling with those sneezes, is all.” Eddie teased with a small wink at Steve, bringing the flashlight over to set it on the bedside table in case they needed it later. It was thankfully always pretty dim in Eddie’s room, the metalhead never much one to really brighten the place up.

Steve was busy plucking another tissue to blow his nose, the thick and congested sound of it making Eddie tense. “Ugh sorry, but hey at least I cad breathe a little better for dow.” He sniffed as if to try and prove his point, but it just sounded wet and distinctly like Steve was coming down with something.

Trying to prove he could breathe was almost a little too much for Eddie and he bit his own tongue as hard as he dared to. “Uh-huh. Yeah, you totally don’t sound like you’re drowning.” He teased back, briefly limping back to the bathroom to rummage in the medicine cabinet. After pulling out a package of cold medicine, a jar of Vicks, and a glass of water, Eddie settled down on the bed in front of Steve.

“We got cold meds, vapo rub shit, and water. Sound good?” Eddie asked as he held everything up, already getting out the pills for Steve to pass them over with the water.

The lighter-haired brunette knocked back the pills with a few sips of water and eyed the jar a little suspiciously. “That’s godda bake be sdeeze…” He said warily but let out a little sigh through his mouth. “But fuck I really wadda breathe- alright. Yeah. Screw it. Let’s do it.” And without another wasted moment, Steve pulled up the sweatshirt and t-shirt to expose his chest once again.

The split second before Steve’s bare chest was in his face again, Eddie was still deep in his thoughts wondering just how long of a cold shower he’d need to calm down from the other’s sneezing. His heart leapt into his throat as his big, brown eyes were suddenly scanning over every delicious inch of Steve’s torso once more. Every freckle, old and new scar, curve, and rise of his stupidly gorgeous body-

“Uh-” It was like all semblance of coherent thought and words left him at once and he offered up the jar instead. “I- yeah. Jar. Works. Good. For that.” Already he could feel his face heating up and Eddie wanted nothing more than to faceplant into his pillows and never leave them.

There was a look of confusion on Steve’s pale face as he looked up at Eddie. “You okay?” And when Eddie glanced at him, maybe he caught the hint of a smile, so Eddie cleared his throat and nodded.

Eddie decided in a split second that this was an opportunity not to be wasted. “Yep. Good. Fine. Totally. Just uh-” He was unscrewing the top of the jar and shuffling a little closer to Steve, wrinkling his own nose at the smell of the Vicks. “Ugh, jeez. That smell. Anyway, hold your shirts up and I’ll rub it on for you? Deal? I really meant it when I said I wanted to take care of you, Stevie…”

Because he did. Here was this man who would lay down his life for any of the kids in their group, any of their friends, any of the grown adults in their stupid town probably, and never ask for a thing in return. Never ask for a moment to himself. Eddie thought he was an idiot for it and for not taking the time to take care of himself in between. But fuck was he sweet, thoughtful, caring, and drop-dead gorgeous.

Especially now as his eyes were a little glassy with the slightest hint of the start of fever and more red than pink nostrils. “Deal.” He murmured, raising a hand to turn his head and cough into a fist. “Mh. Sorry. Snff! I really uh… appreciate this e-ehh… Eddie EXT’sHHhuh!” The first of many sneezes had Steve’s whole body going tense and jerking to the side as he sneezed, expression pinched and then settling. “Ngh…” He snatched a tissue with a free hand to swipe at his nose.

Swallowing down his nerves, Eddie scooped up some of the Vicks to carefully rub it onto Steve’s chest. His skin was warm to the touch, but not overly so, and of course, the tips of his fingers brushed the patch of chest hair the other man had. It made him smile as he carefully rubbed in the menthol-smelling goo around it until after a few moments Steve’s chest started to rise and fall in choppy motions once more. “Gonna sneeze, big boy?” He asked, voice soft but he couldn’t keep the edge of hopeful playfulness out of it.

“Y-Yeah hhhang… on HhhT’SHhuh! IT’sHHuh! Huh… HUPT’SHHuh! Oh by god…” Steve shuffled a little to grab a fresh tissue and pinch it over his nose with one hand as he blew. It was productive and Steve grimaced while Eddie felt a pulse of arousal shoot through him. “Ugh, sorry… your hand felt really nice though.”

It looked as if Steve’s eyelids were drooping slightly and Eddie smiled a little again, resuming the small, gentle circles he’d been using to rub in the Vicks. “Yeah? I can keep doing this?” There was the smallest of prickles in the back of his own sinuses from the strong, lingering scent of the menthol so Eddie tried to one-handedly put the lid back on the jar.

Steve spotted him struggling and reached out to hold the jar still for him. “Got it? Snff! Snf! Ugh, shit my nose is running.” He mumbled, still sniffling wetly despite his previous nose blow. Though he did sound a lot less congested already.

Eddie was about to respond when the tickle in his nose suddenly flared to a desperate itch, making his own breath hitch. Fuck, not now. “Ihhh…” His eyes fluttered shut and his hands froze, nostrils twitching as he could do nothing but wait for the sensation to either go away or come forth with a vengeance.

“Eddie?” Steve sounded worried and Christ that was the last thing Eddie wanted to do, worry Steve. Especially when he was already sick. With his eyes shut, Eddie couldn’t see him, so he just vaguely flapped a hand at him as his breath hitched again.

“Ihihh-! IxxT’SHHiew! IehhTshhoo! Heh… Hen’xt’SHHiew! Ugh… heh? Oh fuck more? HeT’SHiew!” Eddie gave a little shake of his head and finished screwing on the lid to the Vicks. “Whew. Fuck, that’s strong stuff. That always happens, don’t worry.” He assures Steve with a grin and a small sniff of his own. Which was true. Eddie and strong scents didn’t really mix.

Once he’d tried to use an incense to cover up the smell of weed and it had made him sneeze so much that by the time Wayne got home, he was still sneezing. And it hadn’t even worked. Not that Wayne had much cared anyway. Just told him to crack a window instead next time.

There was a small smile on Steve’s face when Eddie finally found the courage to look up at him. “Bless you, Eds. That’s pretty cute. That the Vicks makes you sneeze even when you’re not sick.” It was so soft. So genuine. Eddie almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but Steve was looking almost ready to drop off to sleep. How could Eddie argue with him when he was looking so adorably sleepy and cozy?

Instead, Eddie melted and gently tugged his shirt back down before tucking him in. “Thanks, Stevie. Now get some rest. You need it. I’ll be right here if you need me.” He set the jar aside, undid his belt, and kicked off his jeans before curling up under the blankets beside Steve in just his boxers and t-shirt.

“Thanks, Eds…” Steve mumbles, rolling onto his side to face Eddie. The curly-haired man stared in the dimly lit room at the lighter brunette, drinking in his features with unabashed leisure for once. Those twin moles that could have mimicked a vampire bite on his neck made him smile and he felt the urge to lean forward and kiss them rise up within himself. Yet he held back.

Then Steve’s face scrunched. Particularly around his nose and those red, slightly damp, and shiny nostrils that flared. “Heh…” He sleepily lifted a hand to paw at his nose a little. “Eddie?” He croaked out softly, clearly not yet asleep if he was struggling with a sneeze.

The way his heart skipped excitedly at Steve saying his name somewhat breathless and croaky like that shouldn’t be so exciting, but Eddie licked his lips and hummed softly. “Yeah, Stevie? Need somethin’?” His own voice came out a little breathless at first and he quickly remedied it as he continued to sound more concerned.

“Need… ehh-! Heh-eh… need to s-sneeze… can’t…” Steve admits as his breath continues to hitch ever so slightly, one hand still rubbing a little at his nose. “Just waah… eh-! want to sleep.”

Of course, Eddie didn’t need to be asked twice and knew exactly what to do. He rolled right over to grab the flashlight off the nightstand and aimed it at Steve’s face. “Open your eyes for me so we can make sure this works. It’ll just take a second. Promise.” One of Eddie’s hands came up to move the box of tissues closer, pressing one pre-emptively into Steve’s hand that was still hovering near his nose.

Opening his eyes a little, though they were watering with that incessant urge to sneeze, Steve looked at Eddie and seemed to spot the flashlight because his eyes widened in surprise. Exactly at that same time, Eddie switched on the flashlight and got to watch Steve’s sneezy expression crumple lit up in all his glory.

Steve’s eyes fluttered back shut, brows pinching downward, nose scrunching, and nostrils flaring as he sucked in a breath before jerking forward into the tissue. “HahDT’SHH! HenT’SHH! Heh… EHT’SHHuhh! Oh…” Blinking a few times, Steve groaned and snatched some more tissues to give some wet blows.

As Steve blew and wiped his nose, Eddie realized he needed to turn off the flashlight, so he did and set it aside again. He’d been so utterly transfixed on Steve’s sneezing fit that he’d just laid there practically slack-jawed watching the other. “Bless you, feeling better after that?” It took everything in Eddie to try and keep his voice level. Normal.

A few wet sniffles came from Steve as he nodded, “Yeah, yeah I’m good. Snff! Ugh, all thanks to my own personal lightning bug.” He murmurs with a happy little hum and Eddie let out a soft gasp as he felt a warm arm slide around him. “This okay?” Steve mumbled, suddenly pressing closer than he ever had before. Practically up against his chest now.

Where was this cuddly side of Steve Harrington coming from? he wondered to himself. If it had anything to do with Steve being sick, Eddie wasn’t going to go looking gift horses in the mouth. “Yeah, Stevie.” He murmured, feeling like a weight was lifting from his shoulders as Steve’s warmth settled into his own bones. “This is great. You rest. I’ll keep you warm.” His own arm snaked around Steve’s waist while his leg hooked around the other man’s as well.

Eddie trailed his fingertips lazily along Steve’s back, following the beautiful hills and valleys he could only feel through the shirts. Given how Steve seemed to melt under the gentle affections, they were incredibly welcomed and soon Steve was fast asleep snoring congestedly against Eddie’s chest. “Happy to be your lightning bug anytime, big boy.”

[hd-wireless]

📻🎶 H/D WIRELESS 2023 - WEEKLY WRAP-UP #1

🎶  Just a perfect week Read fanfiction in the park And then later When it gets dark, look at art. Just a perfect week Reading at work in the loo, And then later a podfic, too And then home.

Oh it's such a perfect fest We're glad to share it with you Oh, such a perfect fest It just keeps us reading on, It just keeps us reading on.   🎶

🎤 Welcome to our 8th round of H/D Wireless!

The time has finally come to start posting all the fantastic entries we’ve received this year!

We’ve revealed 14 top hits so far, with many more to come. The mods have been working non-stop since December to make this happen, so we’re beyond excited to finally be back 🤩

As always you can listen to the prompted songs for the works we post on two playlists:

Click here for Spotify (many thanks to @evaeleanor for helping us out there) ❤️

And here for the YouTube playlist.

And now without further ado, our Wrap-up for the first week of posting:

🎶 H/D Wireless Art 🎶

📻 Why don't you like me? [T, digital comic]

🎵Song Prompt: Grace Kelly by MIKA 🎵Summary Failing to ask Harry out, Draco deals with his feelings in a very dramatic fashion.

📻 Alive [E, Digital comic]

🎵 Song Prompt: 'Alive' by 'Sia' 🎵 Summary Harry is lost after the final battle, but he finds comfort from an unexpected source. 

🎶 H/D Wireless Fic and Art 🎶

📻 Before the Cold Sets In [T, 9,154, origami art]

🎵 Song Prompt: Cold Tea Blues, by Cowboy Junkies 🎵 Summary But if I measure the sugar To satisfy your expectant tongue Then that is love Sitting untouched and growing cold - Cold Tea Blues, by Cowboy Junkies Sometimes, the person you should be planning your life with is already in it. Or, how Harry realised that true love is at the bottom of a tea cup.

🎶 H/D Wireless Fic 🎶

📻 Everybody Hates a Tourist [E, 51,500]

🎵 Song Prompt: Common People by Pulp 🎵 Summary On a stag do in sunny Brighton with the Gryffindor lads, the last person Harry expects to run into is Draco Malfoy. After a glimpse of Malfoy’s Muggle life in Britain’s gay capital, Harry’s curiosity gets the better of him and he finds himself returning to the seaside again and again, drawn to the city, drawn to this new version of Malfoy that Harry barely recognises from school. Meanwhile, Draco’s just trying to live his big and best queer life: working for the weekend, chasing hot men, getting lost in Brighton's nightlife, and making friends with the neighbourhood cats. Why does his former school rival and crush have to show up and spoil everything?

📻 Take You Home [E, 26,333]

🎵 Song Prompt: Fuck the Pain Away by Peaches and Take You Home by Dido 🎵 Summary Everybody’s a little fucked up after the war, Draco especially. What starts as hate sex after a night out, eventually turns into something else, something more like comfort. And even though his friends all tell Harry he’s just being used, all Harry’s doing is making sure Draco gets home in one piece. He’s not falling helplessly in love.

📻 love is just a shout in the void [M, 4,489]

🎵 Song Prompt: i'm in love with u, sorry by j'san 🎵 Summary Draco accidentally texts Potter his biggest secret and he’s pretty sure the Chosen Prat isn’t ready to hear anything close to it. So he pretends he didn’t mean to. But the problem is: Potter is still as infuriating as ever, if not more than he was before.

📻 The Two Of Us In Sympathy [M, 5,782]

🎵 Song Prompt: Rent by Pet Shop Boys. 🎵 Summary Draco Malfoy is a sex worker. Harry Potter is the client who falls in love with him.

📻 Vipera Berus [M, 20,614]

🎵 Song Prompt: Just Pretend by Bad Omens 🎵 Summary Everything was fine. Draco resided at the Manor, made a decent living selling potions and most of his customers actually kept coming back despite his last name. Hence, Draco was fine. He really was. And so what, if he was still waiting.

📻 Don’t hate him when he gets up to leave [M, 2,226]

🎵 Song Prompt: 'Two-Headed Boy' by 'Neutral Milk Hotel' 🎵 Summary The linens are white and empty, sunlight slanting through the window illuminating a bed that has been deserted. Draco knew Potter would leave; he’s always gone by morning. Draco doesn’t even remember what he looks like in daylight.

📻 (you) find me when the lights go down [T, 1,839]

🎵 Song Prompt: 'save me from the monster in my head' by 'Welshly Arms' 🎵 Summary Harry can hear footsteps on the stairs behind him but doesn't bother turning to look. There's only one person likely to follow him out here at this time of night. "Potter," comes the crisp voice, easily recognisable as Draco. "You do know that most sane people, especially those who spend every waking moment complaining of being cold, would cast a warming charm. Or at the very least grab a sweater. Not spend every night attempting to turn into an icicle." - What makes someone a ghost? Because if it's dying, Harry's got that covered.

📻 If You Took the Time to Try [T, 18,169]

🎵 Song Prompt: "Go Like" by Fox Stevenson 🎵 Summary Last summer, Draco's impulsive decision to sleep with Harry Potter resulted in a bruised ego and a broken heart. Now he's looking for a fresh start- something that was absolutely not just an excuse for him to run away from his problems. Only it totally was, and while leaving London might have been easy, leaving Potter in the past was not.

📻 Title & Possession [E, 49,063]

🎵 Song Prompt: Misery Loves Company - Asking Alexandria 🎵 Summary Harry Potter’s life is going well in the aftermath of the war. Sure, his house is dark and run-down and might hate him (while his house elf definitely hates him). But other than that, things are good. Except, yeah, okay, Hermione and Ron are no longer on speaking terms. Worse, they keep trying to get Harry to pick sides. But otherwise, Harry couldn’t be happier. Well. Except for the fact that Ginny is being super weird about their relationship and never wants to have sex or talk about the future. But other than that, Harry is perfectly fine, thankyouverymuch. At least, he is until Draco Malfoy threatens to sue him for ownership of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and winds up moving in until the issue is settled. Then Harry really isn’t fine at all.

🎶 H/D Wireless Podfic 🎶

📻 Inside These Walls [podfic] [M, 33 minutes]

🖋️ Original author: Jackvbriefs 🎵 Song Prompt: Black Sheep by Metric 🎵 Summary The year before Draco moves to Los Angeles, Harry Potter disappears. Draco doesn't mean to find him. He's just doing his job.

📻 Moldova's Magical Tea by aibidil - a Podfic [E, 2:46:12]

🖋️ Original author: aibidil  🎵 Song Prompt:  Clint Eastwood by Gorrillaz 🎵 Summary Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and—to everyone’s surprise—Draco Malfoy are opening a magical tea shop to revive wizarding tea culture and, hopefully, to bring the community together after the war. Harry, who is unemployed and trying to find his way in post-war society, wants to help his friends with their new business—but that means spending a lot of time around Malfoy. Featuring Muggle music from summer 2001, trips to the Muggle cinema, herbology and magical herbal infusions, and Draco trying to convince Harry that, while he’s still a snarky git, he’s no longer a bigot.