#maybe I'll have Loop Rose watch it something

[district4loading]

OMGGGG is there any way your could revive that fic 😭😭 somno fits sana so well and if were to turn this into a full request, can it be fem reader but can use strap hhdhehehehe thank uuuuu

Snooze (WLW)

Twice Sana!Sub x Female Reader!Dom

3K Words

Content Warning: smut, somno, praise, oral, fingering, strap, some fluff at the end

Minors DNI

A/N: Didn't plan on making this a full blown fic but anon asked so they recieved. Apologies that its so short. Enjoy!

Also i'm sorry but doesn't Sana look so pretty?

-

It's sick and twisted but for some reason, you like it.

-

"Sana, thats the weirdest thing I've ever heard you say" You look up from your phone to gauge whether or not the brunette was serious about what she just said.

Sure enough she had those expecting eyes fixated on you "It's not weird! It’s hot" She protests your comment, climbing into your arms like she usually did.

You were on the couch in your living room, scrolling on your phone when Sana came in and made a rather peculiar request. "You want me to fuck you while you're asleep?" She nods with a cute smile on her face and she hums in response "And you don't want me to tell you when I'll do it, or warn you before?"

Sana giggles softly when she sees the look of pure disbelief you give her "Listen you have nothing to be worried about, I want you to do it" She holds your hand in hers "and make sure i'm out cold, I literally want to wake up with your face between my legs"

"I don't know, what if you're not in the mood? Or-"

"Shh" Sana puts her finger over your lips then leans forward, removing them in the same instance to plant a small kiss on your lips "I assure you, I'll be in the mood"

-

So you agreed to it, fulfilling one of your girlfriend's wildest fantasies because you love her and you'll do whatever you can to make sure she's happy. Even if you think it’s a bit odd.

You waited a couple of days so it'll come as a complete shock to her. It's maybe one in the morning and you're more than sure that she's out cold but you think it wouldn't hurt to make sure. So you tap her arm a few times "Sana" you whisper. You take notice of her body and the way it rose, then fell with such gracefulness as she breathes in and out, the slow noise of it filling the silent room.

Then you shift a bit, getting on your knees so you can gently pull the covers off of her. She's wearing what she usually does to bed, a loose tank top and some shorts. You start to feel a bit of a rush as you watch her lay there, asleep with with no knowledge of what's to come.

Maybe it's not so weird after all

You touch her thigh, the soft warmth making you aware of how cold your own hands were and you start to worry that it'll wake her. It takes you a moment but you finally manage to get your hands on the waistband of her shorts. Your fingers loop under her panties too because there's no need for teasing. The only one you'd be teasing is yourself. So you begin to pull the pieces of clothing off, having a bit of a hard time because she's not awake to lift her hips.

Soon enough the garments slip down her legs and past her ankles and you toss them to the side. Your heart begins to race because the tension in the room is thick, like you're doing something you're not supposed to and if she were to wake up and catch you it'll all be over.

This fantasy of hers is something different, something you never thought you'd be into until now when you're faced with the opportunity—and you want nothing more than to touch her right now.

There's a bit of uncertainty in your movements, you reach for her legs and while you're opening them your hands are trembling. Your breathing quickens as you admire the sight of her perfect body before you, highlighted by the moonshine through the bedroom window.

You try your best to shrug off the nerves, then you position yourself between her legs. The moderate moistness isn't something you're used to at all. Usually, by the time you make it down there she's fucking dripping and soaked so bad that it's spread to her thighs.

However, you know it's nothing you can't fix. So you grab her thighs with your hands, refraining from squeezing them like you normally did so she doesn't wake up. Then you stuck your tongue out and flattened it against her cunt. You pause and look up. She's still asleep.

Ever so slightly, you drag your tongue up her slit, making a soft humming noise when the tangy taste attacks your tastebuds. Still no response. So you keep going as you normally would, swirling and flicking your tongue on her clit.

It only takes a few seconds for Sana to shift a bit. She tries to close her legs but you hold her a bit tighter so she doesn't. You pause for a moment, then you continue eating her out like you've been starving for her.

A soft hum escapes her lips and then her hips start squirming. You push your face deeper into her cunt, taking her clit into your mouth to suck. Then she gasps loudly, her head lifting weakly just enough so she can make eye contact with you. "Babe- what are you" Then you witness the exact moment the realization of what's going on hits her and it's priceless. "Oh fuck"

Her voice is rough and tired as she reaches her hands down to tangle your hair in between her fingers. You smile and remove your mouth then you climb over her so you're face to face. Your hand finds it's way to her sopping cunt and you rub slow circles before you connect your lips with hers.

Sana moans into the kiss, reciprocating it with some newfound strength, cause she has to reward you for doing so good. You prod her entrance with your fingers and you slide two digits inside. She breaks the kiss and moans out loud when you curl them "Pleasant surprise?" You question her with a smirk on your face as you pump in and out.

"Yeah" Sana nods frantically, all breathless with her words "I - fuck - I wasn't expecting it tonight" She moans again because you've found that spongy spot that makes her walls squeeze you tighter.

You leave a shorter kiss on her lips again "That was the point wasn't it?" You ask and she only hums, although it comes out sounding like more of a moan. You kiss along her jawline, then down to her neck "Did I do good?"

Sana can only nod her head and close her eyes "So good baby" She keens, her hips bucking into your hand as you fuck her faster and harder with your fingers. She's so wet that you can feel the slippery warmth dripping down your forearm. You think to yourself that this must've really turned her on, the thought of you using her in her sleep.

It's sick and twisted but for some reason, you like it.

She starts babbling incoherent words and you know it’s something she does when she's close. "Gonna cum for me baby?" You ask as her jaw goes slack and her moans go silent. There's only a faint, high pitched, whiny noise coming out of her mouth and she has that look of pure devastation in her eyes, like she’s cumming so hard that she almost can’t handle it.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" She mouths the words and then a very audible "Fuck!" and she's cumming all over your fingers. You can feel it inside, the way her walls clench and pulse in an erratic rhythm as her back arches. Her body stutters to a complete stop and then she goes rigid.

It's only a matter of time before... and there she goes, her body relaxes as the pleasureful waves wash over her and her moans turn weak and broken. You kiss her lips softly and she doesn't even try to kiss back "Now how was that?"

"I can't fucking believe... I came so hard" She tiredly runs her fingers through her hair. "I need you to do that more"

"I think I could get used that"

-

Now Sana's definitely got you into this shit. 

By now it's almost been a month since you've had sex and it was really killing you. She's been working a lot, so you refrained from doing anything that could disturb her sleep. You only found yourself watching her at night, touching her cheek, her thighs and really any bare skin she had exposed. She looked so peaceful just laying there, breathing so slowly that you can barely hear it when she inhales.

It's exactly what you're doing right now. Her smooth skin feels so warm and soft on your palm and you don't mean to stare but you just can't take your eyes off of her face. How could someone look so pretty while they're sleeping? It's what you ask yourself every night. 

You really don't intend to slide your palm higher up her leg, but you just can't resist her. Everything about her is almost too addicting. You need her. Need her creaming on your fingers, cumming in your mouth, writhing on your strap. and you need it now.

The sheets are covering her body, so you peel them off and almost immediately you feel that rush in the pit of your stomach. Then the feeling comes back tenfold, like more of a surge when you get an idea.

Maybe you're more sick and twisted than you thought you were because you crawl out of bed slowly and gently so she won't wake up. Then you go into your closet—where you have your toys stashed—and you grab this lavender strap on that you bought just recently. You haven't gotten the chance to try it out with her yet and nows a better time than any. 

You pull off your clothes in the dark room, the sound of the fabric sliding against your skin so loud that you think it might wake her up. It's all in your head and you know it, but you still slow down your hurried movements.

Excitement courses through your veins as you think about how she'll react when she wakes up with your body on top of hers while you're inches deep. That unparalleled look of shock she gets. It has you fumbling with the straps as you try to get it on nice and tight. You crawl back into bed, the dip causing Sana to move just slightly.

She's sleeping like she normally does, on her side with her knees folded. You separate them so they're spread for you and you stop for a moment to see if she'll wake up. She doesn't. So you pull her shorts off, noticing that she isn't wearing any panties tonight. It's something she usually did for comfort reasons though, so you don't see it to mean anything more than that.

Still, it gave you easier access. You shuffle on your knees so you can position yourself between her legs and you reach for the lube on the bedside table. The toy is girthy and she isn't aroused right now so you don't want to hurt her. You coat the toy, and lather it up. Then you put some in your hand and gently you rub it on her cunt. 

Sana hums then she takes in a deep breath and your heart drops because you think you've ruined everything. But then she's back to the way she was and you exhale in relief. 

Now's the time, you guide the head to her entrance and you press it inside. Almost immediately her body has a reaction but it doesn't quite wake her up. An adorable whimper escapes her lips and the way her lips press together almost makes your heart flutter. You push your hips further inside, leaning over to get your body on hers and when you make it to the hilt you put your face in the crook of her neck.

It's around that time that she actually wakes up with a sharp gasp, her upper body trying to rise into you off of pure instinct. "What - Oh fuck... babe" She whines, dragging the four letter pet name out as you begin to move your hips nice and slow, pinning her body to the bed with yours. "Fucking hell - I can't.." She moans and you bite the flesh on her neck, a surge of arousal taking over your body while you rut into her.

"I'm sorry baby, I know you were trying to sleep... but I couldn't help myself" You mutter the needy words into her ear and she almost loses it right then and there. It's the idea that you can't control yourself when she's around you, so much so that you'll even fuck her and use her body while she's peacefully sleeping. In the back of her mind she knows you're only doing this because she asked, but it still has her clenching and dripping.

You kiss her neck and her arms sling around your back "Fuck, fuck, fuck" She chants in that breathless tone like she's struggling to handle everything. Your lips on her skin, your body on her body and most importantly this thick fucking toy stretching her out. You're ruining her.

"You weren't wearing panties darling, you have to forgive me it just seemed so easy, you should've known this would happen" You whisper it into her ear, really playing off of her little fantasy. It's sort of like role-play which is something she's also been into for a while now. 

She gasps again and another choked up sob forces its way out of her throat. Sana is fucking loving this. The way this toy feels, stretching her, rubbing against her walls and hitting all the right spots has her going fucking feral. You know it because she's digging her nails into your back, scratching you so hard it'll leave red marks but you don't mind at all.

Sana's hips buck into yours and you finally bring yourself to pull your head up. Now you're facing her and the look on her face is nothing you've ever seen before. Her eyes are screwed shut and her eyebrows are upturned in the prettiest way ever. You observe her porcelain skin and the mole on her cheek, noticing the sheet of sweat which covers it. "Pl-Please don't fucking stop... don't fucking - Fuck baby it's too much" She pleads.

You only move your hips faster then you bring your hand down and you show her what "too much" actually is when you begin circling her swollen clit. 

"I don't fucking.. I can't - You're so good, so deep in my cunt, so fucking good" She murmurs all the praise in the world, just make sure you know that you're doing a good job. 

"Look at me princess" Your voice is steady and soft when you say it because her pussy is clenching so fucking hard on this toy and you think she might actually be trying to suck it in. Her eyes soon flutter open but they're only squinting "C'mon, let me see those pretty brown eyes" This time you're voice is a bit less steady, more shaky cause this is one hell of a workout.

Like the good girl she is, she opens them wider staring deep into your soul as you fuck her. "So pretty" You mutter, your breath hot against her face and then you lean in to kiss her "Want you to cum on this toy for me"

Sana nods her head when you break the kiss and she's staring at you again, those big beautiful eyes just begging for you to make her cum. She needs it so bad. So you keep going, pressing hard on her clit just the way she likes it and then "Fuck I'm fucking cumming baby, I'm fucking-" She cuts herself off with a loud high pitched squeal.

"There you go" You mumble, watching how her eyes roll to the back of her head as her body arches into yours. "Keep cumming for me, that's my girl" You keep it up and she begins to shudder, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth to bite down harshly. Her eyes eventually do shut and her body sinks back into the bed.

You let yourself lay against Sana's body, feeling the deep and heavy rising and falling of her chest as she catches her breath. "I never expect it" are the first words she sighs with a breathy giggle. Then she wraps her arms around your body, rubbing her hands over the scratch marks to soothe the welted skin "I'm sorry, I got a little carried away"

"I really could care less about that. I'd let you do it over and over again cause it tells me that I fucked you good" You lift your head to look at her. She smiles and you kiss her lips softly again "I love you" you mutter.

Sana can't hide the way she blushes when she says it back "I love you" She whines a bit and you wonder whats wrong "I don't wanna get up"

"Then don't" You mutter

The toy is still buried in her cunt, all the way to the hilt as you two stay like that. She doesn't seem to mind it at all. Sana only hums tiredly in response and the two of you stay like that for a while. It almost feels perfect.

[whimsimille]

A PETAL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

Seo Moonjo x reader!

"Do you think these would be nice for her?" With fear in his gaze resonating off the ivory petals of the catchfly arrangement, Kim Nam Shik inquired while watching your deft fingers skillfully loop a satin ribbon around its right side. "You've always had such a knack for choosing just the right flowers."

A laugh fluttered out vacant and hollow as an abandoned mansion, bouncing off the walls as his fingers entertained themselves by drumming on a rusty iron handcuff dangling from his belt—ironically just a showpiece since all he patrolled were cloud-swathed streets of this labyrinth city and secret trysts with the mayor's wife and his compatriot in his district.

Unfaithfulness gnawed at him like a lurking creature in the dark, and you saw it right under his alluring mask. Nestled within Pocheon's slender streets filled with traditional Hanok houses, secrets were as fleeting as glimpses of dawn through the lingering mist. Whispers moved through the town like waves in the Soyang River, skimming over private conversations beneath the massive shadow of Gwanak Mountain. The whispers carried stories of temple bells chiming and daggers flying at Nam Shik, the picture-perfect husband and devoted police officer, who was now painted in two sobering hues.

Silent storytellers of treachery, white catchflies were charmingly cunning. An undebated tradition insulated meaning into ribbons – tie it on the left; confess someone's treachery; tie it to the right; concede to self-betrayal.

Apology replacing anger stirred within you as you observed Nam Shik wallow in unease, a stark contrast against his modest wife back home, who only saw his effusive smiles and confidence often splattered across local papers for saving the day.

"Officer Kim," you began, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the room, "Have you thought about writing her a note?"

A puzzled look stamped itself across his features. "A note?"

"Exactly," you responded, reaching within your counter to pull out a charming, cream-colored piece of stationary. Your shop’s logo sat elegantly embossed on the top right - a subtle explosion of lily-of-the-valley blooms - something you doodled as a kid for your mom's old shop; she got her wings early and left the responsibilities to you. A memory turned into an emblem, now stamped onto every love letter that left your store.

"Maybe a sincere declaration," you proposed, offering him the card. "Something that conveys her significance to you. It could pair wonderfully with the flowers."

Accepting it, he nodded. "Sounds good, Y/N. I'll do that."

After all, why not let him expose his treachery to his wife while feigning his love with an offering of flowers, whose symbolism he was blissfully unaware of?

Like the hammer of a blacksmith shaping iron, your heart pounded against your ribs. A dark, twisted humor that had you on the edge, a gnawing cynicism that had you contemplating whether to equip him with a pen for his confession or a shovel for his own grave.

"Pardon my curiosity, Officer Kim," you began, brushing the petals of a nearby rose with your fingers. "But I've heard things. Things about the mayor's wife. She's a beautiful woman, isn't she? As beautiful as these roses, perhaps?"

Nam Shik's eyes flickered with surprise, and his grip tightened around the stationery. His jaw tightened and sweat beads formed on his forehead.

A moment of silence passed before he managed a response.

"Where did you hear that?"

You shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Oh, you know how it is in Pocheon. The wind carries whispers. Even the flowers here have stories to tell."

His lips pressed into a thin line, the confusion in his eyes replaced with a stormy unease. He reached into his pocket, his fingers curling around the familiar shape of a cigarette box. But before he could pull it out, your hand shot out to stop him. His eyes snapped towards you, wide with surprise.

"Officer Kim," you stated, pointing at the 'No Smoking Inside' sign hanging by the entrance. "My shop, my rules."

He stowed the box back into his pocket, an awkward chuckle escaping his lips. "Right, my apologies." He muttered, glancing nervously at the bouquet of catchflies.

Your smirk was fleeting, disappearing as soon as it appeared. Didn't he know? A flower shop was no place for burning bridges or harboring secrets.

The patter of rain against the roof rose to an imposing drone, while a perfume of fresh blossoms perfumed the room- subtle but omnipresent.

Just then, Nam Shik broke the silence. "I... I should get going. The rain is getting heavier, and the streets will turn muddy. I need to get home, put my baby daughter to sleep."

"Officer Kim," you interjected, halting his movements just as his hand was about to reach his worn-out wallet. "No need for payment; it's on the house."

"What? Why?"

You smiled, a soft chuckle escaping your lips. "Consider it a gift, a token of appreciation from your local florist. You've been one of my regulars for quite some time now."

Nam Shik seemed taken aback but didn't protest. He merely nodded, a faint smile of gratitude tugging at the corner of his lips.

"But," you added, tapping your fingers lightly on the counter, "there's a small condition attached."

Curiosity flickering in his eyes, he tilted his head like a mutt.

"I want to know how your wife reacts to the bouquet. Consider it... professional curiosity. I enjoy knowing that my flowers bring joy to people.”

Less aware of your stoicism, Nam Shik chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Sure, I can do that."

"Oh, and one more thing. Please ask Mrs. Ji-An to visit me after one of your patrols! I'd love to chat with her over a cup of tea. She has such interesting stories, doesn't she? Last time, she told me about her gardening adventures. I wonder if she's added any new plants to her collection!"

Visibly stiffened at your casual mention of Ji-An, his other affair, his eyes snapped up to meet yours. For a split second, you saw a flicker of surprise, fear, or guilt in them, but it disappeared just as quickly. Trying to gather himself, he cleared his throat.

"Ah, Mrs. Ji-An... Yes, I'll make sure to pass on your message," he stammered, avoiding your gaze. The confident, composed officer was nowhere in sight. In his place was a man caught in the headlights, his secrets laid bare.

With a deep breath, he stepped out into the rain. The chime of bells hanging by the entrance rang out, their melody mingling with the pitter-patter of raindrops on the pavement. He pulled up his collar to shield himself from the cold wind that whistled past him, heading towards his home nearby.

Quaint, winding streets of Pocheon, slick with the day's rain, lay deserted except for the occasional silhouette hurrying past under the shelter of large, colorful umbrellas or huddling in the welcoming warmth of doorways. Nam Shik, in his rain-slicked uniform, must have felt like a specter weaving through the shadows. Every step he took echoed like an admission of guilt, and every glance he cast around felt like an acknowledgement of being watched by unseen, knowing eyes.

Now, all that was left was to wait and see what he would do with the truth.

A faint smile tugs at your lips, thinking about how you bent the truth to expose him, using flowers as your weapon against him. It wasn't exactly honorable, but sometimes deception deserves to be called out in the open.

As you continue tidying up, you hum faintly under your breath, humming one of those old village songs about unfaithful husbands and cuckolded wives seeking revenge through poisoned desserts or cursed needles sewn into their lovers' clothes. A soft chuckle escapes your lips at the thought.

Glancing at the antique clock hanging on the wall, you noticed that the hands had swept past midnight. Despite the late hour, you still had a few more customers who would come in, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the shop's lights, to buy flowers for their loved ones or just to brighten up their homes.

Your hands traced the petals of a pink peony, feeling their velvety softness under your fingers as you murmured reassuringly to them.

After a few minutes, the  door chimed again, its familiar metallic jingle echoing through the quiet of the shop.

"Good evening," you called out, not yet looking up from the flowers that occupied your attention. Your fingers danced over the petals, snipping away the dried leaves with a careful precision that only years of practice could offer.

It was only when the silence stretched on, unanswered, did you glance up to meet the newcomer's gaze. Framed by the dim street lights outside, a tall and lean man stood tall in the doorway.

Raindrops clung to his hair, dripping onto the floor with soft plinks against the tile. Wearing a black turtleneck shirt and neatly rimmed glasses, he looked even more out of place in the little flower shop. His hands were tucked behind his back, but even from where you stood, you could smell the sharp, unmistakable scent of iron in the air. Crimson stains dotted his cheek, a stark contrast against his pale skin.

It didn't take long for you to realize that he wasn't from around here. The way he looked around the shop, his gaze lingering on the neatly arranged flowers, the old paintings that adorned the walls, and the antique clock that ticked softly in the corner - it was as if he were a ghost, silently watching the world around him.

Your grip on the scissors tightened imperceptibly at the sight of him.

"Can I help you?"

There was a pause before he responded, his voice carrying an unfamiliar lilt that you recognized immediately - he was from Seoul. "I was just passing by. I saw the lights on and... well, I've always had a soft spot for flowers."

"Oh, I see. Well, make yourself at home. My store stays open till late because some customers work odd hours and want to surprise their loved ones. What brings you to Pocheon so late at night?"

Apparently unaffected by your nudging, he shrugged. "I am an artist," he said simply, his gaze shifting over to the stainless steel pen poking out of your apron pocket. "And I'm here in search of inspiration."

"Inspiration..." you echoed, narrowing your eyes slightly. Something felt off about this man and his words. But then again, you had seen stranger characters come into your shop before—people seeking solace in flowers for all sorts of reasons. You couldn't help but wonder what kind of thing he was after.

“Perhaps you'd like to purchase a bouquet? Flowers often serve as muses for artists. I could recommend some known for their symbolism in art.”

"Oh, no… Maybe something for... a masterpiece I left behind?" He asked softly, his voice rough and low. It was clear he hadn't spoken much recently, like an old wound that never quite healed.

“Of course! I can help with that," you offered enthusiastically, setting aside the steel scissors you were holding onto the counter. "What kind of flowers were you looking for? Something bold and fiery like red tulips or something more delicate and whimsical like baby's breath?" You spoke as you led him deeper into the shop, where more fragrant blossoms hung overhead from strings connecting them to the ceiling hooks. Serenity gently swayed downward as if dancing in silent waltzes under the music only you could hear.

"I don't know. I  haven't seen flowers like these in so long... They're beautiful.” He paused, a fleeting smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "They remind me of someone very special."

Intrigued by his words and the emotion behind them, you found yourself more curious. "May I ask," you began, your hands skillfully arranging an unfinished bouquet of vibrant sunflowers as you spoke, "what kind of art do you specialize in?"

Fastening the stems with a golden ribbon, you turned to him, awaiting his response.

“Oh… I break things. Dissect them, mold them into something new. I take the broken, the shattered, and make them whole again.

His words struck a chord, leaving you with a sense of unease that slowly crept up on you. But you pushed it away, shifting your focus back to his words.

"That's... an interesting way to describe art. A unique perspective indeed."

He chuckled. "Art is a reflection of the artist," he explained. "Art is about transformation. About taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary."

"That's true. Just like how a seed transforms into a beautiful flower?”

"Yes, exactly like that," he agreed, his eyes lighting up with a spark of understanding.

From then on, the conversation flowed naturally, your earlier anxiety dissipating as you talked about art, flowers, travel, and even his classical music love. What had at first made you uneasy seemed strangely reassuring in his presence. Your store felt brighter and cozier with him in it, even at this late hour.

Abruptly, the room reverberated with a tremendous crash.

Turning towards the sound, you saw a beautifully crafted vase, adorned with intricate carvings of peonies, that had been perilously perched on the edge of the counter, now lying shattered on the floor. Its pieces glistened like scattered jewels on the polished oak floor.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized quickly, looking genuinely mortified. "I didn't mean to ... "

"It's alright," you reassured him, already moving to clean up the mess with a small broom from under the counter. "Accidents happen. That's why they're called accidents.”

As you bent down to pick up the pieces, you suddenly felt a cold, metallic pressure against your throat, making you drop everything you were holding. You froze, the realization of what was happening washing over you like a wave of icy water.

"Art is also about destruction," he murmured, his voice devoid of the warmth it held just moments ago as he made your back meet his chest. Finally, you noticed how his nails were caked with dirt and blood, how he smelled of nicotine and something predatory, and most alarmingly, the warm liquid oozing out of his waist - he was bleeding. "About breaking something beautiful to create something even more beautiful.”

A chill ran down your spine at his words. You had always known that the beauty of flowers often hid thorns beneath, but you had never expected to find those thorns so close to home.

Looking around for anything that could be used as a weapon or defense, you noticed that the scissors were too far away, but there was a small knife on the counter for snipping off dry leaves. You prayed he couldn't make out the faint sheen of sweat on your forehead or the tremble in your hands as you tried to think of a way to reach it.

“Nah ah… Don't even think about it, pretty flower.”

You unconsciously swallowed as the cold metal pressed tighter against your throat. Your heart beat faster, and your breath hitched in your chest. You slowly raised your eyes to meet him, seeing the depths of deafness and satisfaction reflected in his gaze. What had seemed like a mysterious stranger moments before was suddenly a threat, possibly even a killer.

"Please..." you whispered, trying to plead with him. "You don't have to do this."

But he didn't listen. Instead, a deep hiss escaped from between his teeth as he pulled you closer to him, his fingers digging into your skin. You could feel the sharp edge of the blade that had somehow snuck into his hand; it was cold and unyielding. It cut through your flesh like a jagged knife, tearing through silk. The pain was immediate and intense, but you barely registered it.

Outside, the rumbling of thunder could be heard growing louder as the rain fell harder on the rooftop above you.

"Why are you doing this?" You managed to croak out before another bloody cough burst from your lips staining the front of your lavender apron.

Stars danced in front of your eyes as you struggled for air. As the sound of your own heartbeat pounded in your ears, the room appeared to spin around you, amplifying until it drowned out all other noises.

All around you, the flowers seemed to wilt under the sudden darkness - their petals curling in on themselves as if they too were wilting under the pressure of impending doom. How ironic it was; you had chosen flowers for their symbolism of life and new beginnings, yet here you were, dying in your own store that you had hoped would bring joy to people's lives.

Try as you might, fighting back was impossible—every movement you made just made things worse. It was like swimming against a powerful current.

Through the shop's window, you caught sight of a small man with an oversized, rain-soaked coat. He looked like a drug addict, his eyes darting around nervously as he held a gun in his shaking hands. Every feature on his face was masked by the dim streetlights, save for his eyes, which were wide with desperation. He was trudging down the streets, his boots splashing in the puddles as he seemed to search for something—or someone.

"Help! Please—" Your plea was cut short as the man landed a punch on your stomach, effectively silencing your screams.

"Quiet, darling," he warned in a dangerously low voice. "Believe it or not, I'm the safer option here."

Without another word, he began pulling you towards the back of the shop. His steps were measured and deliberate, carefully avoiding the shards of the shattered vase. Your heart thumped against your chest as he guided you towards the hidden room—a tiny space your mother had fashioned for you to rest during long shifts.

"Why are we going here?" You managed to ask, your voice trembling despite your best efforts to sound steady. "How did you know about this place?"

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze fixed on the antique doodle hanging by the door, the one that showcased you and your mother running from a big shadowy figure. “I need a place to hide," he finally said, his tone strangely matter-of-fact. "And you're going to help me."

A wave of memories washed over you as you stepped into the hidden room. This small space, tucked away from the rest of the world, was your sanctuary. It was where you and your mother would curl up together after a long day, whispering stories and sharing secrets. It was where you would retreat when your father came home too drunk, too lost in his own sorrows and inner demons.

The room was filled with remnants of your past—a tiny bed covered in faded floral sheets, a worn-out teddy bear sitting on a wooden chair, and the old radio that would softly play your mother's favorite songs. The walls, painted a soothing shade of lavender, were adorned with old photos and drawings. And in the corner, a small wooden chest filled with your mother's keepsakes—letters, trinkets, and an old locket that held a photo of you as a baby.

"Where is the key?" He demanded, his voice echoing off the four walls of the room.

"In the top drawer, under the counter.”

He retrieved the key and locked the door, the click of the lock echoing ominously in the room. The man then turned to you, his eyes scanning the room before landing on the small cot in the corner.

"Sit down," He ordered, pointing towards the cot with a bloody hand. The dim light from the solitary bulb hanging overhead casting an eerie glow on his pale skin, making the blood look black. “And don't even think about trying to be funny, honey. I have a gun here too.” He nodded towards a dark shape peeking out from his pocket. It was a small gun, but deadly in the wrong hands. “You're quite the beauty, and it would be a tragic waste to paint this room with your blood, but don't think that I will even blink. I could give your lips and those eyes a better purpose. A place in my art gallery.”

Your heart pounded in your chest like a wild drum, but you snarled back at him, teeth bared like a cornered animal. “You're no fucking artist, motherfucker. You're a monster.”

His laugh was a low, chilling sound that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. “Oh, no, no, darling! Of course I am. Don't you understand the beauty of my craft?” He kneeled in front of you, the knife in his hand glinting in the dim light as he traced patterns on the bare skin of your legs. You flinched at the cold touch, but refused to show any fear. “Do you want to know the best thing about masterpieces, jagiya? Sometimes, past creations turn into chasing specters, hungrily hunting back.”

Despite the blood he was losing, he seemed unfazed, a devil wreathed in human skin. His eyes gleamed with a perverse delight as he continued his torment. It appeared as though he was a deformed Dionysus, intoxicated by his own dark pleasure.

Gathering your strength for the inevitable fight, you forcefully swallowed. "This is not something you can get away with."

“Oh, jagi… I always do.”

Before you could react, he reached out, his hand cradling your face. His fingers were cold against your skin, his thumb brushing over your cheekbone in a chillingly tender caress.  “You are a beautiful flower, aren't you?”

With his eyes grazing your tear-streaked face, he drew slightly away. “Tears don't suit you, darling.” Raising his hand to remove them with the back of his hand, he spoke.

All of a sudden, he leaned in once more, gently kissing your cheek with his lips. Although the touch caused your skin to crawl, you held your breath to prevent him from getting a kick out of watching you writhe. His lips trailed down your cheek, stopping at the corner of your mouth. “Such a pretty mouth,” he murmured, his thumb brushing over your bottom lip in a mocking caress.

Then, without warning, he struck. The blunt end of his gun connected with the side of your head with a sickening thud, sending you sprawling onto the floor.

Knowing that you would be at his mercy if you blacked out at this point, you struggled to stay conscious even as your vision became blurry and pain erupted behind your eyes.

With his face just inches from yours, he knelt beside you. “Sleep tight, darling.” Before getting up and leaving you by yourself in the tiny room, he gave you one last kiss on the forehead.

[may85]

Title: Beyond the Veil Part 1

Character: Logan Howlett x Psychic Medium!Reader

Warnings: Mention of attempted suicide (NO description)

Photo/GIF credits go to the original maker/owner

The whispers followed you around wherever you went. Whether they’d be living or dead, that wouldn't make a difference. 

It was an ending loop of constant noise which led you to your mental breakdown and ultimately your hospitalization. You hadn't meant to, but the thought of ending it all didn't sound all that bad. Maybe then you'd get your peace.

The sterilized smell of the hospital was one that you welcomed but nauseated you at the same time. You stayed to yourself, staring into a corner. You always listened to the nurses, took your medication, ate, bathed and slept when they told you.

Most of the nurses treated you just fine, but there was at least two that you knew of that had no problems taking advantage of the mentally ill.

Mind your p’s and q’s, take your medicine and you didn't have to worry about the noise or repercussions from the shady nurses.

Then it all changed one day. A voice broke through the haze, making you jump at the sudden intrusion.

“It's quite alright my dear,” the voice belonged to an older, soft spoken gentleman.

“You have nothing to fear,”

But you felt as you did. Slapping your hands over your ears, you began to rock back and forth, “Leave me alone… leave me alone…”

When a hand landed on your shoulder, you slung your elbow out and heard a crunch.

“Mother fucker!” A male nurse yelled out, blood pouring from his hands as he led his nose.

It was then that two more nurses took hold of your arms and dragged you kicking and screaming into a padded room. There they belted you down to the bed as you hyperventilated. You watched as they filled a needle and injected it into your arm. It was then that the voices finally stopped and you went to sleep.

When you came to, the smell of sandalwood and cardamom filled your lungs. Immediately you shot up and frantically looked around. No longer in the hospital, but in a cozy bedroom and on the softest bed you'd ever lay on.

“Hey there,” a deep, but soft voice came from your left.

The man was tall, wearing a white tank top, blue jeans and boots.

“Whe-,” your voice broke. Clearing it you whispered, “Where am I?”

The man leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, “Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Children, “ he extended his hand to you, “I'm Logan,”

Your eyes flickered from his hand to his face before proceeding with caution as you shook his hand.

“Y/N Cantrell,”

When his long fingers wrapped around your hand, you felt him touch the bandage that was wrapped there. You couldn't help but jerk your hand away from him.

“The Professor will be around shortly to talk to you. I'll bring you something to eat in the meantime. So you can get your strength up.”

Logan rose from his chair and went to leave, but paused briefly before closing the door behind him, “Whatever happened… for what it's worth, I'm glad it didn't take,”

He left you dumbfounded. A man who didn't know you from kingdom come was glad that your attempt at killing yourself wasn't successful. It wasn't every day that you encountered that type of kindness. 

A quiet, “Thank you,” was all that you could manage.

It didn't hit you until you were alone that you hadn't heard one cry of help, one scream, one demand… That was how you met the X-Men.

[linkedspirit-fanartfunart]

Blue Skies and Dark Clouds

Sky's backstory! (Ao3)

(And unfortunately because it's a Backstory I and everyone else must suffer the sense that things aren't Resolved lol)

Summary: Zelda & Link have always been inseparable. Now, Link fights Demise, the creature that separated them, even as he's on the verge of collapse... when the battle is done, Link just can't seem to slot himself back next to Zelda as smoothly as they used to.

Warnings: injury, ignoring injury, spoilers for the end of Skyward Sword but like. So is the comic. Zelda has Hylia Guilt annnd... angst. Ye.

-

There was a time before Demons and Goddess reborn. Before endless cycles of battle. When the sky was blue and cloudy. The air crisp. Skyloft had felt much bigger back then. When it was the only place they knew. When the place beneath the clouds was a legend, a fantasy.

The little orphan boy followed the headmasters daughter closely, as he often did when they were young. Small hand in hers. The pair were still equally small, and had recently traded wardrobes. Link's old dress looked much nicer on Zelda, that was for sure. Link also much preferred Zelda's old tunic shirt on himself. It was especially nice because it smelled like her still.

“Hey- er- Zelda!” Groose said, waving excitedly at her. His red hair was tied up in a little ponytail right at the top of his head.

Link leaned over to whisper to Zelda “Umbrella.”

She laughed, “Link, be nice.”

Groose frowned, putting his hands on his hips. “What did he just say?”

“Oh, he's just being silly.” Zelda said with another giggle.

“Hmph. Well, I just learned how to do a loop-d-loop with my loftwing! Do ya wanna watch?”

Link shifted to hide behind Zelda.

“Oh, not right now. Link and I are gonna go looking for butterflies,” Zelda said. She gestured her head at Link behind her.

“...Oh.” Groose mumbled. He frowned, folding his arms, “Well when are you not doing something with Link?”

Zelda considered. She shrugged, “I don't know?”

“Uhg, why do you even hang out with him!? All he does is stare at clouds and catch bugs! How is that any fun? He doesn't even talk!” Groose complained, throwing his hands up.

Link hid further behind Zelda. She frowned, stepping forward, “He's my best friend! He's super sweet and funny and super cool! So maybe you should shut up! I don't think I wanna be your friend if you can't be friends with Link!”

Groose pouted, “Well…n- Nevermind then!” he turned and ran.

Link watched him go, then looked at Zelda. “Thanks,” he whispered.

“I'll always protect you!” Zelda exclaimed, turning to take his hand and raise it to the sky with hers. “We'll be best friends forever and ever and nobody is ever gonna get between us!”

Link smiled and nodded firmly.

-*-

10 years later and nothing would get between him and his best friend. Not even the Demon King.

The sky was dark. Oppressive dark magic filled the endless world of storm. Lightning made of pure rage and malice crashed through the swirling dark clouds.

The Master Sword raised Skyward like a beacon of defiance. The lightning struck down upon him. Ae channeled all the boiling rage of his own and redirected it against the Demon King. Before it could consume him.

Link ignored the pain crashing through his body. Ignored the insistent chime from Fi reminding him he was very close to outright collapsing or even dying. Ae could do this. He would be fast enough, he would be strong enough, he would be smart enough. Nothing. Would. Take Zelda. From him. Again!

He slashed repeatedly into Demise's chest. His blood boiled in his veins. His gaze sharp and focused. Aer breaths made with careful precision.

Demise was strong and firm. His movements sharp and heavy. Link's legs shook with the efforts to remain standing as Demise's blade struck against his shield. Link flipped out of Demise's range, eyes flickering at the demonic skies. There was no holy light here to call. Only electric power and anger.

Link rose his sword Skyward as Demise strode toward him. Stalking aer like prey.

Link grunted and stumbled slightly against the force of pure energy crashing against his blade. Fi captured it, sparks crackling dangerously close to his skin. He panted, swallowing down the fear closing around his throat. He swung his sword toward Demise as he rose his own. The blades cracked together.

Lightning erupted over Link's body, the crash shocking his senses. His body seizing from the God's power. It felt nothing like the electric powers found in the Desert. It was seared into him with pure contempt for his existence.

A buzz in the ozone. Hair standing on end. Demise's electrified blade struck against his chest, pushing Link back into the pool of thin waters. Link could barely feel aer face. He breathed out slowly.

Ae struggled to take another breath in.

The sky was hazy and dark. Get up. Get up. GET. UP. He refused to slow down now.

Link rolled as Demise's blade crashed down against where he would've been. Ae tumbled into a stand, pulling out a half-full bottle of red liquid. He downed all the flower-sweet crimson potion in one gulp. Ae choked on it, feeling it buzz against the fuzz in his brain and the cotton in his mouth.

He dodged another attempt at a blow, flipping backwards. Ae dropped the empty bottle entirely. He grabbed the Master Sword and thrust it to the Sky again. His eyes focused even as his vision seemed to play tricks with him.

Lighting cracked around the blade. Zelda's hair golden and long like a flash of light.

Link yelled and sliced the electric power at the God with breakneck speed. Zelda's smile as she demonstrated an arching motion with a wooden sword.

Zelda. Limp and unconscious, warm brown color drained from her face. Her body draped in Groose's arms. Link hit Demise with a flurry of quick, precise strikes. Aer blood pounded in aer veins. Fi's blade nearly glowed, shining and swift against the shadows of the Demon King.

He pushed Demise onto his back with a splash of ink dark waters. He screamed a yell of rage and lept. Electricity cracked around Fi's blade. The pulsing rage of it almost seemed to follow his whim, now. He drove the sword into Demise's chest. He was strangely still for a flash. The sky rolled with thunder. Link flipped back. Ready.

Demise stumbled back to a stand, wavering. His blade rose, then fell, crashing to the ground. Ghirahim's sword form vanished in a flurry of dark smoke. Link glared intently. There had to be another move. Something the demon had prepared. A beastal form? Like the Imprisoned?

Demise panted, almost laughing, “Extraordinary. You stand as a paragon to your kind, human.”

Link stared, unsettled. He shifted, keeping his sword close and ready. Briefly, he glanced around for a sign that Ghirahim might materialise to attack him from above or behind.

“You fight like no man or demon I have ever known. Though this is not the end.”

They both labored for breath. Link couldn't see any inkling of a transformation. His scales shimmered slightly, but not with dark power. It seemed more like light, crackling and overpowering the dark that created the demon.

“My hate… never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again!” Demise exclaimed to the windless world.

Link's brows furrowed deeper. His breaths felt shallow and difficult. He ignored blistering pain shooting through his arm and hand. He would see this through. Ae had to stay standing. He had to. Just. Stay standing.

Demise raised his hand slowly, pointing, “Those like you… Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero… they are eternally bound to this curse.” Demise heaved a laboured breath. “An Incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!” The Demon King laughed, maniacal as his form shimmered like a ghost.

Link's heart pounded heavily against his chest. A booming painful cacophony. He held firm. Ready and alert even as Demise vanished into a puff of smoke.

Fi chimed. Link glanced at the glowing sword, his friend, expression softening. Ae shifted to raise the sword Skyward, slower than ae usually would. His arm ached and stung with the effort.

The lingering darkness gathered into the blade. Fi spoke into the endless sky, finally turning a peaceful blue. “I have confirmed the eradication of the Demon King.” Link let out a heaved sigh of relief, looking up to the clouds. He felt the lingering tension in his body fade. His vision swirled and wavered, the blues and whites hazy. Ae felt close to collapse. He stiffened back up again. Ae could pull it together. Ae needed to get to Zelda. Check if she was alright. Prove to Impa and his goddess that he and Fi were successful. Prove to Zelda she was finally safe.

“His residual consciousness has been absorbed into the Master Sword…” Fi said softly. His sword arm shook slightly. He glanced at Fi. “And is now sealed away.” Link closed his eyes, and light returned him to the sealed grounds.

-*-

“Hey, wake up sleepy head.” A soft voice said. Gentle fingers brushing against his forehead. Zelda. His brows pinched and he turned further into the mattress… Which didn't feel quite like a mattress. It was warm and the fabric was wrong. Not to mention the vague sense everything was moving.

“Link? Please wake up,” Zelda said, sounding more frightened, sad. Ae groaned, shifting to open his eyes. Zelda seemed like she was glowing. A blur of pale blonde and a white dress. Just how often did he need reminding she was a reincarnated goddess? So far beyond his reach… Now she had to glow to be beyond his sight even with her next to him?

“Oh, oh good-” She said. She definitely looked like she was walking. Why were they moving if he was asleep-

“He's gonna be fine,” Groose said somewhere above him, “He was moving and grooving just fine for at least 20 minutes, right?” Oh. Groose was carrying aer. They'd said goodbye to Fi, to Impa- twice- and he'd looked back at the Master Sword and… then… then…. The world had lurched upward and everything was bright and blank.

“I'm just worried his injuries are worse than they look… Goodness, his face-” Zelda's hand brushed against aer cheek. It stung. He made a soft whine, pulling away slightly. “Oh, oh! I'm so sorry-” she stammered, sounding a lot more like she used to when she fretted over aer. Ae giggled despite aerself. He missed her so much… He tried to reach for her hand, but his right side felt pinned, tingling with pain and exertion. He shifted and brought his left hand to her hand instead.

“We're going to take you home, okay? It's going to be okay! It's fine, you're fine.” Zelda moved her hand away and became a blur of motion. With the little hiccups Link had to assume she was wiping away more tears…

Link sighed softly. He briefly considered demanding Groose let him walk on his own… but… this felt nice. Ae was exhausted anyway. So instead he pulled on Groose's shirt to get him to move closer to Zelda. Groose didn't quite catch the intentions, and instead he leaned his big dumb head down to obscure all of Link's currently very limited vision.

He glared lightly.

“You look like a pirate with that squinty look you're doing.” Groose commented. Link smacked his chest. “See Zelda, ae's fine! He probably only collapsed because he's been running on no sleep for like a month.”

“Ohhhhh,” She whined, not sounding comforted at all.

Link reached to her again but instead of Zelda's touch, ae felt a billow of wind and heard an unmistakable chime-

“Woah! Ally-up!” Groose exclaimed with a whoop and they were flung upwards into the air. Link completely lost sight of Zelda in the whirlwind. A sense of panic and dread clutched his chest and his throat.

Groose held onto him tightly. Groose whistled. A screech from a loftwing. Link yelped as he got nearly squished between a body of feathers and Groose. “Sorry sorry-” Groose whispered. “That could've been gentler.”

Link struggled to adjust aer self enough to get into a more secure and comfortable position. “Stop squirming, you're gonna knock us off balance. it'll only be a few minutes.” Groose grumbled.

Link snorted a huff. A red blur swooped above them, shrieking.

“WOAH you big red brute, he's fine! I've got him!” Groose exclaimed to Crimson.

Link wanted to clarify just who the big red brute was here, Crimson or Groose, but the joke couldn't make it past a wheeze in his throat.

Link hooked his left arm around Groose's shoulder and pulled himself up closer to a sitting position. Groose and his Loftwing both squawked in protest. The world spun and blurred around him. Something wooshed back and forth in his ears. It didn't feel like the wind. His own heartbeat, maybe. He reached up to his Loftwing's beak, giving him a gentle pat. Crimson churred, satisfied, and backed away, swooping to fly under them.

“Oh. Thanks,” Groose grumbled, “...Dunderhead.”

Link didn't have the energy to argue. Blue. Blue blue blue- why was Zelda's loftwing the color of the sky, why was she so hard to see- “Zelda-” Link rasped. Voice quiet and scratchy. It felt like the first time ae had spoken aloud since Zelda had fallen through the clouds…It might have been.

“Oh. She's just ahead of us. She's speeding like a firecracker too, I think she's gonna grab some people to meet us when we land.”

Link struggled to look into the distance enough to spot her. It was harder to breathe in the sky. The air thin, his breaths shallow and wheezing. The blue skies all blurred back out into darkness. Aer head lulled before ae could stop it.

“Link?!”

Blur. Grainy moments. Their voices were so loud but so distant. His body heavy and light all at once. It was just too hard to wake up…

“OH I think he's waking up!” Zelda shouted over her shoulder. Practically in his ears, but he didn't care. Her face was much closer and thankfully much clearer.

Footsteps thundered into the room. Groose, Link assumed, from the stumbling sound. A slower footfall entered shortly after, Headmaster Gaepora maybe?

Link didn't turn to look. Ae just smiled softly at Zelda. She smiled back, eyes teary. Ae wished she could stop crying… it was over. She said so herself.

Link reached up to wipe her tears. He frowned softly as he noted the bandage wrapped around the entirety of his right hand and arm. It hadn't been that bad… right?

Zelda leaned against his touch, grabbing his left wrist with both her hands. “Stop scaring me, you jerk.”

He slowly pulled his hands from hers, signing, “I'm okay. Tired.”

“Have you really not slept for a month? I know better than to trust Groose at his word but-”

Groose huffed, but didn't interrupt with protest. …Weird, Link decided.

Zelda brushed a thumb under his left eye, where dark circles were very likely to be. He closed his eyes, sighing. “You really look so tired.” She said softly.

Ae couldn't really dignify that with a response. Sleep had become a battle of its own lately. Dreams of the myriad of ways he could've lost Zelda had been near constant any time he'd slept long enough to dream.

She leaned over and hugged him, voice lowering to a whisper. “I'm sorry. I didn't- you're too kind. I would hate me if I was you. So much. I made you do such dangerous and horrible things in my name-”

“No-” Link whispered… Don't say that-

Zelda leaned back so she could look at him.

“I trust-” His signs were cut off without his input. His arm shook, tingling with pain pain pain- How did he ignore it before? Electricity seizing his heart with a slash of a blade. Burns curling against his hand-

“Link?”

The shaking slowed. Ae swallowed heavily, staring at aer hand.

“Zelda, may I?” Gaepora asked softly.

She nodded, making space for Gaepora to sit beside them. Zelda leaned into her father's side, sighing softly. Gaepora smiled at her, kissing the top of her head before turning back to Link.

“Link, what caused these injuries? I haven't seen anything like this before.”

He sighed, forming the words carefully with his hands, far too focused on the motions to feel anything more than monotone. “Lightning. Sword. Demon.” He hesitated, then mimed raising the Master Sword up, and the crackle of lightning traveling through it. Trapped by Fi. Then a strike to his blade, and chaos, lightning jumping from his sword and through his arm.

“Ah. That explains the intensity of the burns on your hand.” Gaepora took his right hand gently to look at, carefully. “Do you feel anything?”

Link snorted, grimacing a bit exaggeratedly, “Yes. O W.”

Gaepora shook his head, very gently squeezing his pinky, one of the least injured fingers, “Can you feel the touch, though?”

He frowned, focusing. Slowly, ae nodded.

Gaepora hummed sceptically, letting go, “I'm taking that as ‘a little’.”

Link sighed, shifting to lay flat, looking up at the ceiling. Ae supposed the scepticism was fair.

“Well. The main thing I'm concerned with is how shallow your breathing sounds and how hard your heart seemed to be working earlier. The burns and cuts should heal, but we have no way to know how that lightning will affect you.” Gaepora said softly, “We'll keep watching you, okay? Just be careful.”

Link nodded, closing his eyes again.

-*-

The woosh and thunk of the ax against the wood was pleasantly familiar, even if Link wasn't the one cutting. He watched Zelda take a final whack at the tree. It crackled and fell neatly. He sighed. She was getting the hang of it very quickly. She didn't even need any advice. With the dangerous section done, he decided he might as well help more than just supervise. The site they'd set up building the house was within shouting distance. He carefully grabbed a finished bundle of wood and started walking.

“Link! What are you doing? Be careful!” Zelda shouted as she rushed toward him.

He groaned loudly. He was going to start screaming every time he heard those words. He continued walking. He was being careful with this batch of wood, thank you very much. He wasn't even using his bandaged hand.

Zelda grabbed the wood from him, “Here, I can do it-” She said with a smile. After she'd already taken the wood. She adjusted her grip, “Do you remember what part of the frame this was for?”

Link frowned, “I had it!” He protested, throwing his hands up.

“I know!” Zelda said, smiling far too wide, “It's fine though, I can do it! It's barely anything compared to what you've done…”

He looked up to the sky, but he knew the Goddess wasn't going to guide him. … She was trying, however. He sighed. “It's for the right wall.”

“Oh perfect!” Zelda started walking, and Link sighed, following.

“So you just want me to find the right woods, and that's it, huh?” ae mumbled.

“You really should be resting, I have it handled by now-” Zelda started. She looked at him, and something about his furrowed expression must have made her smile fall slightly. She turned to look forward, “You helped a lot with the plans, you're really doing more than you need to!”

“I'm a woodworker,” Link said as an explanation. He needed to do something with his hands. Ae couldn't just sit around while everyone else helped build their house.

“And you're fantastic at it, but that doesn't mean we can't help you!” Zelda said, “Please… just let me help you.” She said softly.

Ae sighed. With another glance up at the sky, ae nodded. Silence stretched between them. It felt awkward… When did silence between them start feeling so uncomfortable?

“I love you.” Link mumbled, just to say it. To fill the space. To confirm they were still best friends.

“I know.” Zelda said, voice thick with some sort of sadness. A guilt he couldn't figure out how to stop her from believing. “I love you too.”

He watched her for a moment, carrying the burden he had intended to take. Ae sighed, gripping his bandaged hand. It stung slightly still, sending a tingle through his whole arm. “I know,” he nearly whispered, feeling like he had to force it out... Strange, how he had to grow out of his childhood silence all over again.

“Oh there you two are!” Groose shouted with a wave. “Look!” He gestured to the house's frame, nearly complete already.

Link smiled softly, “You're insane.”

“Oh wow. Impressive work Groose!” Zelda cheered. She laughed, running over to hug Groose. He blinked, face flushing bright red over her shoulder. “It's going to be so beautiful!” Zelda cheered, squeezing him.

Link laughed and meandered around the structure. He smiled, looking it over. Groose was a fantastic engineer. He sat in the grass, closing his eyes to imagine the finished work. He could just picture Zelda's fiber art hanging in the rafters and walls. Groose's little workout space in a corner. His work bench in another- his hand started shaking again. He opened his eyes, feeling a wetness well in the corners. Would he ever get back to whittling? It certainly wasn't particularly safe with a shaky hand. ...A lot of things weren't, it seemed.

A warm body settled next to him, and then another on his other side. Zelda leaned in, “Are you okay? Is it hurting? Do you need something?”

Link swallowed and shook aer head. “I'm fine.” He sucked in a breath, rubbing his eyes gently. “Just got lost in my thoughts.”

Groose nodded softly, “Sounds like you.”

Link laughed, “I guess it does.” Lost. He was always lost, wasn't he?

Zelda nuzzled in and hugged him. “Can we help you through them?” She said softly.

“No,” Link whispered impulsively. Surprising himself. Zelda looked startled, confused. Ae bit aer lip. “It's nothing bad. I was just imagining what it'd look like when it's done.” He pulled a smile on, glancing between the pair of them.

“It'll be fantastic," Zelda said softly.

“It'll be Groozsume!” Groose announced.

“That doesn't sound like what you think it sounds like,” Link laughed.

“Shut up, it totally does.” Groose laughed, ruffling Link's hair.

The trio laughed and snuggled together.

“It'll be beautiful,” Link whispered softly. He sighed, closing his eyes. The breeze tossed his hair. Warmth on either side buffetting any windchill. Zelda's perfume was still calming. But he could feel her nervous energy, her suffocating concern curled against him.

Yet… Ae would always prefer to suffer her nerves and worry over not having her near at all. He just needed her near. They'd figure the rest out. Eventually.

[thewertsearch]

Asks Comp 1/5

We don't even need to speculate about Vriska's hidden motives - even her stated motivation is dangerous.

As I said before, we know exactly how she 'helps' people.

Thank you! It's good to be back.

Act 5.2 has been fun so far. I didn't realize how much I missed the kids until we got back to their PoVs.

Homestuck could have opened on Rose, watching her mother drink herself into a stupor - or Vriska, tossing a corpse into her spider's pit. These events are canonical, but bringing them into sharper focus would turn the story into something very different.

That Homestuck chose to start with John tells us a lot about its identity. It's a dark story, in a lot of ways - but there are much darker stories, two steps to the left.

Sburb Any% in 23:59:59 (Green Sun skip)

Haha, that's fair, actually. Although you're probably not chastising them for failing to understand the time loops you're both navigating.

(If you are, though, you have the coolest job imaginable. Are you hiring?)

@gravity-rocks asked: Ooo, saw the person who asked you about your thoughts on lusii and troll evolution and thought I would pitch in with my little theory. I like to believe instead of lusii being the parasites, maybe TROLLS evolved as brood parasites. All these lusii seem to have consistent blood colors, and the blood colors always match the troll theyre a guardian of. I know we havent seen baby lusii, but maybe before they become "white" their babies are a bright color, and the bright blood colors of the trolls evolved as a way to trick the lusii into caring for them. Now, not all animals actually care for their young, so it's not a perfect strategy, so some creatures taking 'advantage' of this parasitism couldve evolved side by side, which I find super interesting. And with troll genetics and slurries, that made me wonder if troll genomes are particularly unstable and able to incorporate all sorts of other dna into it, like some bacteria - perhaps lending to this ‘infiltration’ power. The troll powers and mutations relating to their lusii is really really interesting, I mean we saw sollux’s ogre lusus with similar powers. I wonder if that sort of matching dna in subtle ways influences which trolls are adopted by which lusus. Alternatively an even more interesting explanation. Trolls grow their powers over time with their lusus and incorporate more of their dna over their lifetime with them. With huge wiggled populations, the way the genetics slurry with each other, and ease of mutation, perhaps it explains how intense their anti mutant and culling sentiments are, and why they might have evolved to be as extreme as they are.

This is some great speculative biology - I particularly like the idea that trolls are highly prone to mutation, like an alien Eevee.

It is interesting that Sollux shares his eye-beams with his Biclops. Their powers are identical, so there has to be some casual relationship between the two - we just don't know what direction it's in.

Aw, Kanaya. Neither of you is the Stupid Girl - it just feels that way when you have a crush!

I started shipping these two because they're my favorite characters - but I'm continuing to ship them because their relationship is cute as all hell.

For sure! The added context of Hivebent really adds a lot of texture to the plot. The playing field feels wider, and the stakes are much higher.

@manorinthewoods asked: What are your favorite songs from Homestuck? [ they listed their own faves but some are technically spoilers, will send them later! - C] . ~LOSS (25/4/23)

My current favorites are Descend, Dissention, Sburban Jungle, Upward Movement, and The Beginning Of Something Really Excellent!

Another album review is well past due, but Homestuck Volume 5 is longer than the first four combined, so I'll need to set a day aside to really take it in.

I never got an ask about this, so send away!

Zathura! Damn, it's been a while since I've thought about that movie.

I love the idea that every 'real' game in fiction is actually taking place in an infinite sea of monsters.

That's true, I guess, and you do need to get there to fight the final boss - but Sollux proved that you can freely fly between planets, if you have the means. The houses seem kind of redundant, if that's their only purpose, but I don't think it is.

Act 4, I think! Hivebent's troll worldbuilding is great - but Act 4 focused a lot more on Sburb's game mechanics, and that's still my favorite part of the comic.

We don't yet know the circumstances of his Exiling, but he probably needed to lose, to be Exiled the way he did.

As for why he needed to be Exiled the way he did... well, we've already talked about how weird and arbitrary these loops are. In the end, WV's army was just a casualty of causality - and messing around with causality is beyond the scope of the game.

Not impossible, necessarily - just beyond the scope of the game. Rose knows what I'm talking about.

It's either that, or the meteor's seed was what fell into the portal, and it grew to full size after it left the Medium. Either works.

It's impossible for me to choose - but I'll default to Descend. It was a great bookend to pre-Hivebent Homestuck.

Thanks for the list of names - and congratulations on your evolution to full blog status!

That's all true - and I never considered that Karkat would be jealous of John's social circle. Things are just easier for him - his friends all get along, and he doesn't need to needle them into working together. From Karkat's perspective, John barely has to do anything as a leader, while Karkat worked his ass off and still failed. Damn.

[ this post! ]

Hahaha, damn. I forgot about those early predictions.

I was right about the terraforming, I just wasn't thinking big enough. In retrospect, it's pretty funny that I only gave it a 1% probability - for all the help they were, I may as well have pulled those numbers out of thin air.

John's the kismesissitude mascot, after all!

Earth's a big place, so there could easily be thousands of unseen temples - but I'm starting to doubt they'll ever get any focus.

I've slowly begun to accept that Earth's other sessions might just be out of scope for this story. That's for the fanfiction authors - and, maybe, for 'semi-canon' spin-offs.

Yep, this chicken/egg stuff is so common for Sburb that it's practically routine by now. It's simply not possible to say whether Titles cause personalities, or vice-versa - both were 'simultaneously' encoded into the Alpha Timeline. The point is moot.

Yeah, quadrants really haven't shaken out the way the original infodump implied they would.

Karkat's Dark Crush on John doesn't seem nearly as toxic as whatever's going on with Jack and the Queen.

Is Karkat wrong about his feelings? Do Carapacians experience kismesissitude differently? Has Hussie quietly retconned some of Hivebent's quadrant stuff?

At this point, who knows. Alternia's original view of quadrants might not even matter - it's gone, and the surviving trolls are free to do their own thing.

[nolanhollogay]

where did you come from ?

chadtateethan love triangle but not really bcuz ethan made that shit up in his head !! also chadtate being in love and vaguely hornknee about it

+

Tate would like it to be known that he wasn't a party person. Or he wasn't in the past at least. During high school he hadn't had the same rose colored glasses as his peers about getting wasted on the worst alcohol imaginable full of people you would have to see the next day in your AP English class.

Honestly, he wasn't into parties until a month or so ago, the trauma connected to the last party he went to enough to deter him.

But Chad was persuasive and he convinced him to go to a party a friend of a friend was throwing and one thing led to another, and now Tate mostly enjoyed parties.

Probably because he and Chad used it as an excuse to make out – not that they usually needed an excuse – but that was neither here nor there.

As expected, they were pressed together, in one of the corners of the basement of some frat house Tate only half remembered the name of. Delta something. Or Zeta maybe?

Chad pulled away from their kiss, sliding his hands from Tate's back to his waist. "I missed you today."

Tate snorted. "You woke up next to me."

"Yeah but," Chad kissed his jaw, making Tate shiver, "I didn't get to see you all day after that. I missed you ranting about how everyone in Prof Crane's class is derivative, and performative, and some other -ive."

Tate was too distracted by his lips moving down his throat to be offended at being teased.

"Chad."

Both of them jumped out of their skin, and Tate reflexively reached for the knife he kept in his pocket, before he realized who it was.

"Jesus fuck, Ethan," Chad said, releasing Tate's waist to press his hand to his chest, feeling his presumably erratic heartbeat. "Where did you come from? You can't just sneak up on people!"

Ethan pouted, looking like a scolded child. "Sorry." He ran his fingers through his curls. "You just said you'd walk me home when I was ready to leave."

"You're ready to leave already? We just got here," Chad said, more concerned than annoyed because he was a good person. Tate, on the other hand, was less than pleased.

Ethan shrugged. "It's been half an hour. But I guess you didn't notice because you ditched me as soon as he–" He waved a hand in Tate's direction, "–showed up."

He said it as if it was a joke, but Tate could still hear the bitterness he was trying to mask, and fought the urge to roll his eyes.

Chad uncurled himself from Tate, turning to Ethan, face apologetic. "Sorry bro. Didn't mean to leave you out."

Ethan stood straighter, smiling wide, as soon as Chad's attention was on him. "It's okay. I just.. You'll still walk with me, right?"

Chad nodded. "Yeah, it's no problem." He turned to Tate, looping a finger in his belt loop. "Wanna come with?"

Ethan's face crumpled over his shoulder.

Tate shrugged. "Might as well. Safer in numbers."

Chad whooped, because he was a huge loser. "That's my boy!"

If possible, Ethan managed to frown even deeper. "I have to go find my coat. I'll meet you outside."

Tate waited until he was gone, watching him retreat up the steps basically stomping, to say, "He wants to bang you so bad, and he hates me so much."

Chad rolled his eyes, though the action was full of affection, a hint of a smile on his lips. "You keep saying that, but I don't understand why. He's just my friend. Not everyone who's friendly wants to fuck me. You have nothing to worry about."

"I know. I'm not threatened by him. I'm just stating a fact. He hates me because I'm stopping him from fucking you," Tate shrugged. "It's not my problem."

"You're ridiculous," Chad said fondly, pressing a kiss to his cheekbone. "Let's go before a strong gust of wind knocks him over or something."

[opheliaacomplex]

Ophelia's mini-rant #? "Future Diary"

So it's like 12:34 for me right now, and I still have to finish my review of Strange Darling, but I'm too hopped up on anger to not post something. I've watched many a bad movie. Many a bad TV show. But this one...? This one hurts because it's a bad TV show I loved when I was younger.

Mirai Nikki or The Future Diary.

If the name doesn't ring a bell, it's either because you're normal or because you only recognize the character who is THE spokeswoman for the yandere type of personality

Yuno-motherfucking-Gasai.

I want you to put yourselves in my clown shoes for a second here. It's [indiscriminate time in the early 2000s] and I am but a pure baby boy still in his egg. Even back then I was interested in horror, but like I feel all early 2000s kids I was also into anime, which was getting pretty damn big then. So color me surprised when I stumble upon a "horror" anime about a girl giving a wet cat of a man tonnes of attention, something I needed when I was younger. When I think about then, I truly think maybe beyond Hellraiser and old graphic reruns of the Investigation Discovery Channel, Mirai Nikki was my first piece of "problematic" content. It had it ALL. C/SA, Gore, Unhealthy relationships, nudity, hell it even had yaoi! I could blab for a while about the yaoi-liker to transfemme pipeline, but that's another rant for another day. All in all, younger me thought it was the hottest shit on god's green earth, and it inspired a lot of creative endeavors for me. I obsessed over it for a little bit, but eventually it fell by the wayside.

Cut to me now. Rural tranny trying to balance work/college/life balance and I start rewatching nostalgia shows with my friend and I end up back on a piracy site with Mirai Nikki pulled up. It'd be fun, right? Who doesn't like horror or anime? Yeah, no, after the first few episodes the rose-tinted glasses I was wearing shattered and lacerated my fucking eyes. The main character is about as unlikeable as can be, and the show quickly abandons its death game premise to turn more towards time loops and meta-physical drama. Now I'm a person with...extreme kinks, but fucking hell man if you want to portray issues like SA honestly and openly, you have to write them better. And the most obscene thing in my opinion is the constant groping scenes of *clears throat* 15-YEAR-OLDS and is portrayed as a goofy, silly moment. The show is in a constant state of not knowing what the fuck kind of vibe it wants to be, and it clearly suffers from it. Despite how kind of sad it is to see one of your inspirations go down the toilet because you have to take the goggles off. At the very least, it offers a good lesson for me and other writers: sometimes you need to be told no in your stories. And sometimes the author does need to die.

The first OP is an absolute banger though I'll always keep it close to me.

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Random ask that may or may not be foreshadowing; if you were to completely drop persona cold turkey, what other rpg series do you think you'd hyperfixate over instead?

Hmmmmmm hard to say.

If it's something I've yet to play then I dunno.

But if it's going back and playing older games I've played the hell out of.....hmmm let's start there I guess:

I like Pokemon, but I'm not gonna compete to be the biggest know-it-all with that franchise (esp with the amount of conflicting info and canons and possibly mistranslations). It's astronomical compared to MegaTen.... (what applies to Pokemon can also be applied to Digimon and Yu-Gi-Oh too....)

Dragon Ball.......Tbh I'm not that into fighting games, maybe if I ever get a Legacy of Goku 4 fkjdlajf; Gimme some good RPG DB games and I'm down (I have Kakarot and the Legacy of Goku games tho)

There's really no plot/character/story analysis I can do on the Tony Hawk games.....

I like DMC and Nioh, but I feel like those games and fandoms are more focused on the gameplay mechanics....plus they aren't exactly easy games to just "kick back and enjoy" I have to really concentrate which is draining...... (more so Nioh than DMC, but I'm more invested in Nioh than DMC so that's an issue TT0TT)

I love Assassins' Creed, but even I know the amount of content I'd have to hard core consume (between AC and AT LEAST Watch Dogs......oof). Just thinking about it might explode my brain. u_u

Love Rule of Rose, but other fans have dug deeper done everything with it. So there's nothing for me to really bring to the table.

.hack.....maybe I could get back into that? My knowledge is mostly in the novles/manga I've read tho. ("But Silly! Isn't that technically a fantasy game?" I mean.....yes but it's modern day chars playing a video game. I dunno I always found that idea novel alongside 'oh people are dying' mystery. It's why I watched SAO because it reminded me of .hack! ....I'm not getting into SAO tho >_>)

Most heavy fantasy.....probs not likely but not impossible. The thing with Persona/Megaten is that they usually have a very "grounded in real life" kinda vibe going on. Which was nice because it felt like less stuff I had to memorize to understand the world. Plus it was more of a vibe I liked..... (but I'll mention some of the well known franchises....mostly cause they are the ones with the most entries to get into)

Love KH but I don't really wanna deep dive into it (I think the writing was best in KH1 and CoM, I think Sora's char has really devolved over the games, and I hated 3D and KH3). I am keeping an eye on KH4 and maybe even Verum Rex (which I'm pulling for us to get, outta all the FF games, FFvs13 was always one I was super interested in).

FF.....I'll play them, but I'm not that invested into them. (12's ok, 7's ok, 7R's ok but I need to finish those three first.... I liked 15 even tho it was messy, I hate 13 with a passion, I should try 10 cause it reminds me of Destiny Islands. 15 and 10 are the best contenders for me to be invested in tbh).

Tales of...... tbh Xillia always interested me the most. I should go through my backlog......I'm like halfway through Arise so I should probs pick that back up.

Maybe I should try Ys? Or finish the Trails of/Legends games I have too, tho I'm not very invested in that that.

Atelier series.....I should finish the games I have of that....then again....it's related to Mana Khemia right? I actually played and liked the first game of that (I sucked at it so I don't think I finished, that and I think I got P4 within that year so that ended up consuming me not long after)......I should give Mana Khemia another chance.

Oh there's also the Lunar series......I was always interested in that after I was graced with the game Lunar Dragon Song as a kid. :'D Weep for me yes, weep. I know. u_u IYKYK

I like Harvest Moon/Story of seasons.....but not enough to like...deep dive into stuff.

I mostly play Slime Rancher for the gameplay loop than the analysis too tbh.....

Far Cry 5 is a heavy contender. I did get lucky, outta all of the FC games....at least this one not only got a direct sequel with New Dawn (even tho it deals more with the Highway men than the cultists *sobs*), it also got a tie-in DLC with FC6......plus I got that novel, and the little bit of supplementary material. The issue, which is a double edge sword....is that it ends there. There's a lot of side content I could probs find and dissect, but once I find it all it ends.

At least with Persona, I can expect the world to keep going and expanding (either it's main continuity or the larger continuities in general). FC I'm not sure.....they might have diff timelines but no in an interactive way like MegaTen does.....

I guess I can try a swing at Mind=0, Tokyo Xanadu, Caligula 1/2, or Monark. Both with finishing and attempting to hyperfixate....but they just don't hit the same. Plus I run into a similar problem as with FC5....it's pretty much it when it ends (and unlike FC5, I doubt those games have as much content).

.hack might be a heavy contender.....

I am very Avatar-pilled atm....and I'm going through those games. Which was something I meant to do like 10 years ago during my last hyperfixation on the franchise (but I think I got distracted by PQ1 jklsdfj;). So maybe expect a small deep dive on those? Platinum's Korra will probs reign supreme for me tbh klfdjsa;f

Hmmmm I've heard good things about Suikoden......same with Phantasy star, Chrono trigger, Mother/earthbound.....maybe actually finish FE 3Hs......

Tldr; I dunno. At least game wise. Other media (either exclusively a diff format or one that's multimedia'd)? That's a bit more easier/open ended. (I'm juggling Atla/Korra, Addams' Family, and Naruto like a lil' court jester, we'll see how this goes)

[winterapocalypse]

Winter Apocalypse chapter 13

The Ancient Runes

"I heard that Orton and Greyjoy didn't show up for practice today. Some people said they skipped school, but that sounds like bullshit to me. They'll be sick and won't want to let it be known." the coach informed them, but still the morale of the halved team did not improve.

Practice was over, and the boys were about to return to the locker room, except Aston, who was headed to her brother's office.

She was holding something in her hands.

Ken reached out, and Aston passed him the rune pendant she had stolen from the Night's Watch kid.

“Did Denny tell you about this shit?”

Ken denied. "Not really. He babbled about it sharing a secret with you, but I suspected there was more to it than just the two of you fooling around." he said, pulling out some huge, old rune book that belonged to their Royce ancestors, masters of the ancient practice of runes.

Ken was not considered a genius by most, but if he had never been academically good enough, he was instead an expert in runes. He was patient and calm and willing to help everyone - and if he hadn't been drawn into Hufflehdhdff it was only because the Royce family had always been Ravenclaws, and Ken was honestly too lazy to even think about being Hufflephdfhfd. He was so lazy and listless that he left the title of heir to Runestone Castle to his younger sister.

"They are not runes of the First Men."

"I know." Aston retorted.

“And this is white obsidian.”

"I know this too."

"So what did you come here to do?" Ken chuckled, as Aston continued to glare at him. "Emily said this is been in contact with a centaur. I believe her– I trust my best friend blindly, or she wouldn't be such. But I wonder…"

"What it could be, and why a NightWatcher had it." the older brother finished the sentence, closing the books he had on his desk. "I wasn't one of the professors called to the meeting with the Watchers , but I found out something. Yes. They were talking about centaurs. And that they spotted a centaur foal. And that they need a seal to avoid some war the strange woman in red was talking about. The Watchers hoped to recreate a unicorn, but a centaur could be useful in the same way…"

Ken handed the pendant back to his younger sister, who quickly put it back in her pocket.

"I have to go find that Watcher, the one with the strange gray eyes… Brontes ripped off half his face, that son of a bitch in Black. He won't be hard to find." Aston muttered to herself, but her brother's hand stopped her as she was about to run out of his office. "He definitely knows about the centaur. Maybe even about this war. I'll go right away, thanks for the info."

"Dennis went to sleep, as tired as he was." Ken informed her. "And you seem a little too agitated too. You should calm down a bit, it's sunset now. Would you like a broom ride above the castle, like the old times?"

When Aston had started school at Winter Hogwarts, her brother Ken would occasionally take her to practice flying in the skies around the school - but they hadn't done anything together for many years now. Aston was no longer fourteen, and Ken was always busy.

Why not?

Aston picked up her broomstick again, and together they took flight, doing the same old loop over the mysterious forest of ancient trees that stretched all the way to the Wall, far from the castle, hundreds of kilometers north of their school.

Aston and Ken rose so high that the Wall was there, almost on the horizon, shining in its pure blue ice.

And beyond it, there was not the usual white infinity of snow and frost, but something.

A huge army, and it was marching towards the Wall.

“What in the Seven Hells…” Ken muttered, as the rune on Aston's stolen amulet glowed.

Without waiting even a moment, the two brothers swooped towards the school.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

[iwonderwh0]

Part two, let's gooo

Within the first 10 minutes of the second part Terminator got more to his character than during the entirety of the first one

And huh, (I'll compare everything to dbh, SORRY), the first scene, when he gets into the bar and just scans the people inside. KINDA FAMILIAR, DAVID CAGE

Damn, the second part is shot beautifully, and it keeps going from bluish color scheme to pinkish. Okay, so pinkish is for Sarah, is that right?

I like their dynamics already, I hope they don't just kill this ginger dude to give John something traumatic (other than his mother) to cry about

Once again, it looks BEAUTIFUL, camera work is 🤌🔥

Hiding the firearm in a box of roses? Love it!

John is fucking annoying, not sure if it's the writing or acting, but something about his behaviour is just damn insufferable, which on one hand is understandable, dude is a teen and is acting like one, but on the other hand, no, none of his reactions are believable. You just got the news that your foster parents are dead and you're hunted by some liquid cop and the next minute you're like "Cool, Terminator, play despacito stand on one leg"

And then you're like screaming for help, but when those two dudes get closer to check on you you're ready to just mess with then with your new body-guard. You annoying little shit, fuck you honestly

Haha, @klaxonic I see you and I am watching the second part right now! I already like it MUCH more than the first one

Damn, the SHOULDERS of this woman is something to thirst about (talking about Sarah, ofc)

This one I just want to leave here, because I like the concept

So THAT'S where this infamous scene with squeezing through grid bars is from.

Even though this liquid cop plays similar role to the first Terminator, he somehow doesn't look nearly as dorky. Shapeshifting metal killing machine? Damn, maybe it was just a matter of computer graphics to make it look intimidating and somewhat sophisticated.

The fucking audacity of John. Is he going to turn out to be the villain in part three?

FASTEN YOUR FUCKING SEAT BELT and don't put your legs up there.

Am I supposed to like this kid or is he supposed to be this annoying? D:

Even the emotionless Terminator looks annoyed with this damn kid here

So it's implied that at the end of the movie he was feeling (in a way)? HUH

I knew how this movie ends(kinda, but not really. I knew this infamous 🔥👍🔥 scene, but not the context), so I don't have much to say anymore. It was filmed damn beautifully and my suspicion that it'll end up with the kind of self-caused loop turned out not to be the case. It's kinda upsetting that this ginger kid wasn't featured later on, I was hoping he'll play more important role in all of this. He would have never believed John if he were to tell him the kind of shit he went through during those couple of days after his disappearance. And the way Sarah wasn't locked for life after this kind of destruction is a mystery.

@klaxonic sorry for tagging you again, but since you recommended it I feel like communicating. I agree about Sarah! And I should probably dig a bit more about this movie to better understand the things I could have missed, or huh, maybe first I should watch the third part (although I saw some folks have something against this part for some reason). Hope my annoyance with John isn't too much of a disrespect. Although action movies isn't my personal cup of tea, I can certainly see why it got the title of classics and all the hype.

I'm watching The Terminator for the first time and here's a few things

If I'm right about what the plot twist is going to be (still watching atm) then it's super obvious. Super fucking obvious the moment you think about why isn't there a terminator for the father.

Terminator's ability to change voices. So that's where it's coming from, huh?

I wonder if the name for Connor was also influenced by this movie.

Honestly I thought Terminator would be portrait...idk, cooler? But in reality it's like he's just like this big stupid gorilla with two brain cells and firearms.

And the scene where he's choosing the answer for a minor social interaction? Yep, his social relations program is far from being anywhere near sophisticated, lol

[superlativesamsara]

((Fair warning to followers new and old! Rose is currently Capital-D-Dead pending cosmic reset! So it'll be a bit before this account is particularly active beyond one of Rose's alts occasionally liking a post or sending something.

((That said if you're a HS Muse (or a muse familiar with such) she is in a Bubble, for a bit, if you wanna have your muse get a bit of closure with this iteration.

((There was an event I was having for it but, given a lack of writing muse on my part and apparent enthusiasm on the part of anyone involved (myself included), I have decided that for blog purposes it will have all happened already because it's getting tiresome and somewhat emotionally draining to keep doing nothing with the character.

[district4loading]

Thoughts on somnophilia with sana….I feel like it’s one she’d particularly enjoy

Content Warning: a little bit of smut, somno, oral, fingering

Minors DNI

"Sana, thats the weirdest thing I've ever heard you say" You look up from your phone to gauge whether or not the brunette was serious about what she just said.

Sure enough she had those expecting eyes fixated on you "It's not weird! It’s hot" She protests your comment, climbing into your arms like she usually did.

You were on the couch in your living room, scrolling on your phone when Sana came in and made a rather peculiar request. "You want me to fuck you while you're asleep?" She nods with a smile, humming in response "And you don't want me to tell you when I'll do it, or warn you before?"

Sana giggles softly when she sees the look of pure disbelief you give her "Listen you have nothing to be worried about, I want you to do it" She holds your hand in hers "and make sure i'm out cold, I literally want to wake up with your face between my legs"

"I don't know, what if you're not in the mood? Or-"

"Shh" Sana puts her finger over your lips then leans forward, removing them in the same instance to plant a small kiss on your lips "I assure you, I'll be in the mood"

-

So you agreed to it, fulfilling one of your girlfriend's wildest fantasies because you love her and you'll do whatever you can to make sure she's happy. Even if you think it's a bit odd.

You waited a couple of days so it'll come as a complete shock to her. It's maybe one in the morning and you're more than sure that she's out cold but you think it wouldn't hurt to make sure. So you tap her arm a few times "Sana" you whisper. You take notice of her body and the way it rose, then fell with such gracefulness as she breathes in and out, the slow noise of it filling the silent room.

Then you shift a bit, getting on your knees so you can gently pull the covers off of her. She's wearing what she usually does to bed, a loose tank top and some shorts. You start to feel a bit of a rush as you watch her lay there, asleep with with no knowledge of what's to come.

Maybe it's not so weird after all

You touch her thigh, the soft warmth making you aware of how cold your own hands were and you start to worry that it'll wake her. It takes you a moment but you finally manage to get your hands on the waistband of her shorts. Your fingers loop under her panties too because there's no need for teasing. The only one you'd be teasing is yourself. So you begin to pull the pieces of clothing off, having a bit of a hard time because she's not awake to lift her hips.

Soon enough the garments slip down her legs and past her ankles and you toss them to the side. Your heart begins to race because the tension in the room is thick, like you're doing something you're not supposed to and if she were to wake up and catch you it'll all be over.

This fantasy of hers is something different, something you never thought you'd be into until now when you're faced with the opportunity—and you want nothing more than to touch her right now.

There's a bit of uncertainty in your movements, you reach for her legs and while you're opening them your hands are trembling. Your breathing quickens as you admire the sight of her perfect body before you, highlighted by the moonshine through the bedroom window.

You try your best to shrug off the nerves, then you position yourself between her legs. The moderate moistness isn't something you're used to at all. Usually, by the time you make it down there she's fucking dripping and soaked so bad that it's spread to her thighs.

However, you know it's nothing you can't fix. So you grab her thighs with your hands, refraining from squeezing them like you normally did so she doesn't wake up. Then you stuck your tongue out and flattened it against her cunt. You pause and look up. She's still asleep.

Ever so slightly, you drag your tongue up her slit, making a soft humming noise when the tangy taste attacks your tastebuds. Still no response. So you keep going as you normally would, swirling and flicking your tongue on her clit.

It only takes a few seconds for Sana to shift a bit. She tries to close her legs but you hold her a bit tighter so she doesn't. You pause for a moment, then you continue eating her out like you've been starving for her.

A soft hum escapes her lips and then her hips start squirming. You push your face deeper into her cunt, taking her clit into your mouth to suck. Then she gasps loudly, her head lifting weakly just enough so she can make eye contact with you. "Babe- what are you" Then you witness the exact moment the realization of what's going on hits her and it's priceless. "Oh fuck"

Her voice is rough and tired as she reaches her hands down to tangle your hair in between her fingers. You smile and remove your mouth then you climb over her so you're face to face. Your hand finds it's way to her sopping cunt and you rub slow circles before you connect your lips with hers.

Sana moans into the kiss, reciprocating it with some newfound strength, cause she has to reward you for doing so good. You prod her entrance with your fingers and you slide two digits inside. She breaks the kiss and moans out loud when you curl them "Pleasant surprise?" You question her with a smirk on your face as you pump in and out.

"Yeah" Sana nods frantically, all breathless with her words "I - fuck - I wasn't expecting it tonight" She moans again because you've found that spongy spot that makes her walls squeeze you tighter.

You leave a shorter kiss on her lips again "That was the point wasn't it?" You ask and she only hums, although it comes out sounding like more of a moan. You kiss along her jawline, then down to her neck "Did I do good?"

Sana can only nod her head and close her eyes "So good baby" She keens, her hips bucking into your hand as you fuck her faster and harder with your fingers. She's so wet that you can feel the slippery warmth dripping down your forearm. You think to yourself that this must've really turned her on, the thought of you using her in her sleep.

It's sick and twisted but for some reason, you like it.

She starts babbling incoherent words and you know it's something she does when she's close. "Gonna cum for me baby?" You ask as her jaw goes slack and her moans go silent. There's only a faint, high pitched, whiny noise coming out of her mouth and she has that look of pure devastation in her eyes, like she's cumming so hard that she almost can't handle it.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" She mouths the words and then a very audible "Fuck!" and she's cumming all over your fingers. You can feel it inside, the way her walls clench and pulse in an erratic rhythm as her back arches. Her body stutters to a complete stop and then she goes rigid.

It's only a matter of time before... and there she goes, her body relaxes as the pleasureful waves wash over her and her moans turn weak and broken. You kiss her lips softly and she doesn't even try to kiss back "Now how was that?"

"I can't fucking believe... I came so hard" She tiredly runs her fingers through her hair. "I need you to do that more"

"I think I could get used that"

-

A/N: Fun fact I had a somno fic written before I started posting on here but then I scrapped it because it was bad.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this mini fic as I work on the next fic I plan to put out. Sana x somno is something that fits her so well and I agree with anon.

Also, I try my best to make these asks gender neutral so everyone can get a good read out of them. If you want reader to be a specific gender just put it in the ask.

Sooooo i've made a full version of this. Check it out here

[high-ashell-hargrove]

Teddy Bears- Bucky Barnes

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x plus size!reader

Word count: 560

Warnings: implied sex, nothing else. 

A/n: I've never written for Bucky before so forgive me if it's inaccurate. I'll work on it, I promise. 

Synopsis: God love Bucky, big brooding and secretly a big fluff ball. In the rush to find his lover a gift for valentines day he gets you a Teddy Bear, or two..... or three?

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"You ok Bucky?" Steve asked, patting his friend's shoulder. In reply he let off a string of incoherent mumbling. 

"He's trying to figure out what to get y/n" Sam chuckled, a smirk found its way on Steve's lips. 

"C'mon buck, it can't be that hard" 

Looking up, Bucky sent his friend a glare. It was His first Valentines day with you coming up and he wanted to kick it off with a good start, but he was just so stuck on what to get you. 

She likes chocolate, I'll get her chocolate. He thinks to himself. No that's too cliche everyone gets chocolate on Valentines

Rose's? Red? White? Pink? He let out another loud groan. 

"Listen man don't think too far into it, get her a stuffed bear. Girls love those'' Sam suggested. 

"Don't you think that's a little basic?" Bucky questioned  

"Maybe, but listen if the bear doesn't work you could just work some of your magic" Sam winked at him. 

Bucky just rolled his eyes 

_________ 

Bucky went to the nearest store. Searching through the shelves he scanned through all the Stuffed bears he could possibly look at. 

Should I get a big one? Small one maybe.... 

"Can I help you sir?" A lady who worked there asked him sweetly. 

"Yeah actually you can. I wanna get my girl one of these but I'm not sure which one." He explained. The lady smiled, she continued to ask him questions about you. 

What is she like? How old is she? Is she originally from around here? 

Her questions confused him, but if it got him any closer to picking one of these damn bears he would answer anything she asked. 

After a few more questions the little lady pulled out three bears, all varying In size and price. 

"One of these should do." 

Bucky thanked her and watched as she slowly walked away. 

Now he was stuck with which one of the three to buy, price didn't matter at all to him. Feeling overwhelmed he snatched up all three of them and made his way to the checkout line. 

________

"Three? Really?" Sam said, giving him a look. 

"Shut up" 

________ 

Bucky watched you anxiously as you stood staring at his gift.

"Oh Buck, they are so cute" you chuckled, picking up the smaller of the three you rubbed it over your face. 

"Soft too, but you didn't have to buy so many." 

Walking over to you he plucked the bear from your grasp and sat it with the others then proceeded to wrap his arms around your waist. 

"Wasn't sure what to get you Doll" he admitted, his words were muffled by  your hair. The smell of your shampoo filled his nose. 

"Well I love all of them, but I feel silly getting us matching bracelets now." You said with a pout. 

"To be honest I didn't know what to get you either" 

A chuckle erupted from Bucky. 

"You know to make this even better I have something else in mind" you cocked your head to the side and began playing with the loops on his Jean's. 

"I think we are on the same track pretty girl" leaning down he placed a swift kiss to your lips.

Bucky wouldn't admit this to Sam but he was right, when in doubt get a girl a bear... or three.

[innytoes]

Oh heck yes inny prompts!

I am a simple woman with simple needs, so "let's get you out of these wet clothes" for Rulie please?

By the time he arrived at the Molina house, Reggie was soaked to the bone. Even his underwear was wet. He was both upset he hadn't worn his leather jacket, and relieved because he wasn't sure how the leather would respond to the rain.

"Oh my god, Reggie!" Julie said when she saw the state of him. Which was fair. He probably looked like a drowned rat. And that after he'd spent such a long time on his hair. "You're soaked! Did you bike here? The forecast said... well, never mind, stay here, I'll get you a towel."

They lived in LA, who the hell checked the forecast? He stood on Julie's porch, dripping and trying not to shiver, no doubt looking pathetic. So much for their date. It wasn't like he was trying to impress Julie or anything. They'd been dating for months and she already knew he was a dork, but he'd at least been aiming for... not shivering pathetically like a chihuahua at her front door.

Julie came back with a big fluffy towel, looping it over his head and rubbing his hair dry, pressing a kiss to his nose when he resurfaced between her towel-covered hands. “Come on,” she said. She called toward the family room: “Papi? Can you make your famous hot chocolate?”

Ray appeared a moment later. “I thought you were going... ah,” he said, at the sight of Reggie struggling out of his soaked shoes. “Alright, mija.”

“Hi Ray,” Reggie said miserably. “Sorry for dripping on your floor.”

Julie tugged him upstairs, telling him they could have a nice cozy evening in instead of going out.

“Let’s get you out of these wet clothes,” she said, grinning as she pushed the soggy flannel off his shoulder, her hands trailing over his biceps in his tank top. Reggie could feel himself going fire red, not just from the wind and rain, but from Julie’s touch.

Still, her dad was right downstairs, and he was not going to be able to get out of these soaking wet skinny jeans if Julie kept this up and made them... even tighter. So he quickly stepped back, taking his revenge by peeling off his tank top in what he hoped was a seductive manner. The way Julie was staring at him, he was pretty sure he succeeded.

Except then he stopped with his hands on his fly. “Um...” he said. “This isn’t exactly the way I pictured you seeing me in my underwear for the first time.” In his head, there had been like, candles. Maybe roses. Some sexy mood lighting and a super carefully curated playlist. Not him slowly dripping on the floor in Julie’s bedroom.

“Oh!” Julie said, flushing and turning around. “Right.” She moved to her closet, rummaging through until she found something that would probably fit Reggie. Bless Julie and her love of oversized clothing. She kept her head basically in the closet while he changed, whipping off his soggy underwear and slipping on the sweat pants as fast as possible. It was a little short at the ankles, but it fit around his waist. It had an embroidered butterfly on the knee. He loved it. He slipped on the big sweater, before looking down and realising it was her favourite, the yellow one with the smiley on it.

“Aw, Jules,” he said, stroking his hand over it. “Your favourite comfy sweater? You nearly killed Luke when he tried to borrow it.”

Julie carefully peeked over her shoulder, only looking slightly put out that he was already wearing the sweatshirt. “Yeah well, you have special boyfriend privileges,” she said. He beamed, wrapping her up in a hug. “How about we go downstairs and I’ll put your clothes in the dryer? We can grab dad’s hot chocolate and some snacks and watch a movie together.”

It wasn’t exactly the date they’d had planned, but to Reggie, it sounded amazing.

[chadillacboseman]

Pit Fight Blues

Pairing: Implied Echo x Erron Black Warnings: Violence, sexual mentions, blood, language A/N: Just a short gift for @roofgeese of her OC, Echo, born from a discussion we had this morning :)

--

Erron prowled around the perimeter of the fight pit, hand resting at the ready on the grip of his pistol, as the other agent stared him down from the opposite end.

"You ready for a beating old man?" the agent sneered, sharp blue eyes crinkled above bright white teeth, bared like an animal caught in a trap.

"Think you got it backwards, boy," Erron growled, "Age don't make the man."

"Maybe not in the fight pit-" the agent ran his tongue over his lip, "but I bet it does elsewhere."

Erron paused for a moment, fingers flexing at the holster on his waist, trying to decipher what he meant.

"Come on, cowboy, think of that pretty little thing-" he paused to grin again and brandish his knife, "What's her name? Echo?"

Erron's face twisted into a snarl and he gripped his pistol in earnest.

"Hit a sore spot, Butch Cassidy? How do you think she feels when your old ass leaves this compound, hm? Maybe me n' the boys will have our way with-"

Erron leapt across the pit, his fist raised and poised to strike. The punch landed squarely against the agent's nose with a sickening crunch, sending him crumpling to the ground.

The crowd let out a deafening roar as the agent rolled away from a second strike and rose to his feet, pausing to wipe the blood from his nose and spit the rest into the dirt.

"What's she look like under those sweaters, old man?" the agent spat again and bright red splatters sprayed the ground at his feet, "I bet it's a pretty sight. I guess I'll find out soon enough."

Erron snarled, something loud and almost animalistic, as he charged at him once more; the agent dodged the first swing and returned a punch that caught the cowboy in the ribs.

Erron grunted and jumped out of range, clutching at his side with a grimace. The blow gave him pause only for a moment before he charged once more and sent a knee into the Agent's gut, forcing the air from his lungs with a wheeze.

Erron shoved him to the dirt with a grunt and straddled him as the agent struggled to catch his breath.

"I'm gonna make you eat your fuckin' teeth," Erron hissed.

The first punch sent the agent's skull crunching into the dirt.

The second broke his nose.

By the third, his face was unrecognizable, and Erron's was splattered with blood.

Alex swung the pit's chainlink door open and rushed inside as the crowd roared around them. In the stands, Echo watched, enraptured, as blood pooled in the dirt.

"Erron!" Alex grabbed the cowboy's shoulder, but was met with a sharp shove to his chest, "Erron, he's DOWN!"

Alex looped his arms through Erron's elbows and pulled him back as he kicked viciously at the agent's bloodied body.

"Fuck you!" Erron spat as Alex drug him toward the door and one of the medics rushed inside the pit to attend.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Alex shoved Erron through the doorway of the locker room, "Those are our people out there!"

"You didn't hear what he was sayin' about her, Alex!"

"About who?" Alex panted; he stayed in the doorway, arms on either side of the frame, blocking the cowboy's way back out to the pit.

"Echo!"

"What?" Alex blinked, but kept himself framed in the door.

"He was sayin' all these fuckin' things about her- sayin'-" Erron gritted his teeth and threw a punch at one of the metal lockers, leaving behind a fist-sized dent in his wake.

"Excuse me," Echo's deadpan voice startled Alex and he jerked his head over his shoulder to find her standing in his shadow outside the door, "Let me talk to him."

Alex lowered his arms reluctantly and let her pass by him, watching carefully as she approached Erron, who was sitting on a bench with his back to the door.

"Alex," Echo glanced up at him and the Turk cocked his head, "Can you give us some time alone, please?"

Alex nodded and turned to leave when Echo spoke again-

"And please...shut the door."

[panicofgods]

CreNaya

WompWomp posting older stuff that I hadn't shared. There's a lot about this that I don't like, I hate every bit of dialogue I have ever written, and it was written with a word limit so a lot isn't as fleshed out as I'd like. BUT I like the story I'm setting up and the world I'm putting together and maybe one day I'll write more about the research team on this strange new world. I'm going to stop blathering becuse otherwise I'll talk myself out of posting this again ~~~~~~~

The sky above CreNaya shone with uncountable stars and the ghostly light of the two large moons that hovered close to the planet. Mayia took another shot of the ground shuttle with the small, telescoping camera as it lifted with a hum back into the cloudless sky. She assumed it would head back to the station that orbited in a looping figure eight about the moons before it picked them up in the morning. Pausing, she dug in the pocket of the uniform she had been provided that still enveloped her small build, for a hair tie and pulled her dark hair in to a bun and out of her face.

Across the glade of grey-brown leaves they had landed in, Katarina, one of the senior science officers on this expedition to a new earth-like planet, knelt picking leaves and laughing like a schoolgirl.

“May! Come look at this!” She plucked another leaf and a swirl of glittering dust rose and dissipated into the atmosphere. May looked at her watch: 22% oxygen.

“Mayyyyyy!” Kat looked up at her, long magnifying goggles balanced on the end of her nose, “This is such a wonderful discovery! It acts like pollen, but on a cellular level looks much closer to spores or fungi…” She trailed off, suddenly distracted by something crawling on her hand. 

May walked closer and saw a large millipede-like creature had started winding its way around Kat’s hand. The scientist laughed again, and May took another picture. Kat was breathtaking like this. The scientist’s long red curls were tied behind her head, and her freckles seemed a negative photo of the stars. She turned her sparkling green eyes on the camera, somehow grinning wider.

“What?” she asked as she unwound the strange bug and sealed it in one of the many…. many… large plastic boxes that surrounded her.

They were respectively the fourth and fifth humans to set foot on the planet after an initial crew had come down to make sure the area was safe. The orbiting station, named KDM after the women behind the first successful launch of a man into space, was the first ship to come so far from the Milky Way. Even at faster-than-light travel they had been in stasis for two months to get there. They had been deposited on the planet’s surface to take stock of the local biology, if it could be called that, and would be picked up via the trackers they carried in 12 hours.

Kat snapped the lid onto the box and grinned up at May, “Take this too the cruiser, would you?” May grinned at the woman and picked up the box.  She paused too take a closer look at the strange creature. The millipede had almost seemed to fall asleep, or at least curl up, and oozed a pit of clear liquid from its chitinous shell. A military vehicle striped of everything save the engine, sat nearby, and May deposited the first of many boxes there.

May remembered when they had just come out of stasis and the walls all felt far too close together. The cruiser had looked so big and shiny. An older model known for its reliability on unhospitable terrain, it had been stripped of all defining characteristics that may have told her what it was. Now, it was just a frame with seats and padding. A shinny white spider of bone and metal curled and sleeping in a dark corner of a metal cage. Now, on the surface of the planet, it was dwarfed by the trees that stretched for the sky. The dark and slightly wet bark and the dangling vines that dripped sap to the ground, coating the strange plant life with a sticky, glistening mucus speckled with spores and dust the became caught in it.

She placed the box gently in the back. The strange bug glistened more, and she made a mental note to take a sample of the fluid later.

Kat made an excited squeak, “May! I caught a new specimen! Look at the wings!”

May looked across the clearing. Kat was surrounded by hundreds of blue and purple bugs. Their wings, translucent and glittering in the fading light, cast strange shifting shadows around the glade and across the dark arms of the trees. A terrible though occurred to May. The old horror movies she had loved so much as a kid came back to her in a rush. The image of those beautiful bugs burrowing into Kat’s eyes and into her brain. Laying eyes in her friend’s corpse.

“Kat…” She started, moving towards them. Kat laughed as one landed on her face. May started to run. As she drew near, the creatures suddenly moved as one and shot upward.

As if thinking as one unit. They came together, catching the light and turning the bruise colored shadows a more vibrant blue and purple. Their flight seemed to pulse and twitch, then spread into a long glittering stream. An ocean current suspended above them by invisible lines into the darkening sky. Kat stood up and they marveled at the twinkling of the thousands of glassy wings in the sunlight.

“They… they feed on the spores from the plants,” Kat murmured, “I can’t wait to see what’s in those spores. What this ecosystem feeds on.” May nodded and looked at her friend. Kat stared up into the glittering mass, her eyes wide and her jaw loose. Her hair was disheveled and stuck up at angles. May took a step back and pulled out her camera. From this angle, May was cast in the shifting light from the bugs, like she was deep under water, yet still lit by the sun. Like she shone in the darkness of this strange world.

An hour later, Kat called it a day and they started moving the remaining boxes to the cruiser. May noted that the centipede, whom Kat had named Squiggles, had secreted a surprisingly large amount of the strange, clear mucus. It coated the base of the box with a thick layer. She wondered if it was a form of terraforming, as the box was dry but the whole planet seemed to be constantly damp.

Kat called to her, and May quickly forgot about the secreting bug as she moved to answer her.

When CreNaya was first discovered, it was an instant celebrity among the astrological science communities. Its water rich atmosphere drew attention, but the discovery of running water on its surface kick started the rush to reach it and discover what it could hold. Kat and May had met on the research team trying to speculate as to what the planet may look like when the moons were discovers. Twin moons that dragged the tides in and out all over the planet in 57 day seasons. Currently, it was the season on this half of the planet. In a few weeks, the whole forest would be under water, and the other side would be dry. Most rivers and streams were places where strong under currents fed by something in the planet’s crust sped and ripped the temporary sea floor apart.

Kat drove like a maniac down one of these creek beds.  It reminded May of the day they met. Kat had picked her up from the station when she got into Santiago from Tokyo and May had expected every turn on the busy streets to be her last. Kat had tripped over herself apologizing when she realized May’s discomfort later and had insisted on taking her out to dinner as reparations.

Now, May clamped her hand down on the handle by her head and tried not to scream as her friend hit a rock and the car shuddered as it became momentarily airborne. Kat whooped as they crashed back to the bed, jarring May’s teeth and causing something to clatter to the floor of the cab behind them.

“What about the specimens?” May shouted as the engine complained about the harsh treatment.

Kat seemed to regain some control then, although she didn’t let up on the accelerator as they tore through the forest. The site they were supposed to spend the night was only about three miles ahead, and May was happy they would make it there in one piece. Although, the grin that Kat had worn while hurtling towards their deaths was, dare she say, cute.

The reprieve from terror was short lived as something in the engine audibly popped. A shrill hissing noise rang out, followed by a screech and suddenly the car started to slow. Kat cursed and moved to pump the breaks. Nothing.  The two women looked at each other. They were still easily going 45 miles per hour down the creek bed. Kat grinned and May grit her teeth.

May gave credit where credit was due; Kat was a good off-road disaster driver. As jarring as it was to have the car slam into the sides of the creek bed, and as loud and scary as the sound of metal protesting the scrapping of rocks and debris was, they did slow down rather quickly. Granted, the grin on Kat’s face the whole time, albeit a lively and beautiful look, was almost as scary.

Her legs shook as may dragged herself out of the car and she gripped the door for support. May made up her mind that if she was going to vomit she should do it out of sight of Kat as she heard the hood pop open.

“Holy shit.”

May whipped around. The vertigo made her head spin. Kat stared into the engine compartment wide eyed with her jaw hanging open.

“May… May! Look! Look at this!” Kat’s face was lit up with a curious mix of excitement and awe, and May stumbled around quickly to look.

In the engine compartment, a thin, clear slime coated everything. Most of the metal components looked fine, but the plastic and rubber ones were half dissolved and ruined. The oil and coolant tanks were slowly melting away, and the exposed belts were long gone. Squiggles lay curled in the slowly dissolving coolant tank. Its pincers twitched sporadically and it repeatedly gushed more of that clear slime, which mixed with the remaining coolant and seemed to momentarily repell the off-color fluid.

With shaking hands, May pulled out her camera and snapped pictures of the damage as Kat reached in barehanded and grabbed the creature. Squiggles hissed weakly, Kat cooed softly in response and for a second, May watched her beautiful face fall. Then, Kat grimaced and knit her brows together in a look of determination.

“Water, do we have water?” Kat looked up at her, “I need water, now.”

“Yes,” May breathed and ran stumbling for the back of the car. Thankfully, the crash had done little to the rear of the vehicle and she yanked the doors open. Inside, she saw Squiggles box. The bottom had completely dissolved. Later, she would note that other specimens had eaten away at the inside of their containers as well, though not nearly to the same extent. For the moment though, her only concern was getting Kat one of the gallon jugs of water they had been sent with.

She slammed the door and almost fell in her haste to get back to Kat. The red head barely seemed to notice how frazzled May looked as she unscrewed the cap of the jug and poured the contents down on the hissing creature.

Squiggles seemed to calm instantly, and May watched the change reverberate into Kat. Slowly, Squiggles started to unravel, and the hissing turned into more of a clicking purr. Soon, it lay limp in Kat’s hand as the water dripped to a stop. The two women looked on as it slowly, carefully, wound its way down Kat’s arm. It came to her jacket, a brown cotton affair, wrapped securely about her lower arm, and stopped.

“Fascinating,” Kat murmured, holing her arm to her face, “This may be a sort of defense mechanism!” May smiled despite her frayed nerves as the woman started to rant excitedly, “That must have been traumatic, and now it’s found a safe place, it’s hiding to heal!” She pointed carefully to the creature’s exoskeleton, “It even appears to have dug its armor into the fabric!” She looked at May, “Take a picture? I’d love to study this behavior more, but I’d hate to traumatize poor Squiggles…” She ran a finger lightly over the creature.

It did not stir and May snapped a photo. It was a good photo. The light of the setting sun coming through the trees illuminated Kat’s flushed face and highlighted the darker reds in her hair. Her face was turned down, and she looked so lovingly at the creature wrapped around her arm. Even in the photo, her eye’s shinned with a caring light. May sighed and smiled at the oblivious scientist. Kat was so full of love for all life. All kinds of life.

An hour later, the sun was almost down, and Kat and May sat on top of the car. May stared up into the trees and waited for the emergency team to come get them.

When Kat had told the team still up on KDM the news, grasping May’s wrist and speaking into the watch, there were loud words of excitement, but also a large dose of fear. Now that they knew the lifeforms could chew through plastic so quickly, there was worry for should one get free on the station. As soon as the pair got back, they and everything on them would need to be scrubbed clean in a metal room. May was not excited for that prospect.

Kat had then spent time digging through the car and releasing the other creatures. Some had already eaten through the boxes and had to be saved from the floor of the vehicle, but most were merely getting close to escape.

Above them, the twin moons were barely visible through the drooping, drippy canopy and strange set of stars winked down at them. May imagined she could almost see the red and blue flashing of the emergency shuttle in the atmosphere.

Kat let out a huff, “This changes everything,” She turned and looked excitedly at May, “we thought there was no way to break down the mess in the Milky Way any faster, but these creatures,” Kat’s face lit up, and although she stared into the darkening sky, May was sure Kat’s mind was lightyears away, “We can study them! Find out what they do to break down plastics and we can use that!” The rosy smile, so sweet and genuine warmed May to her core.

Kat’s face fell a bit and she grasped May’s hand, “You took pictures, right?” With each word, Kat leaned towards her, “We have to release everything, but with pictures and my notes we could start cataloging them tonight!”

May smiled back at her, trying to match the blinding energy and enthusiasm of that look. The burning excitement that seemed to buzz inside Kat was usually just embers. Now, it burned brighter than Solis ever had. She nodded and Kat somehow became brighter.

“Oh that’s wonderful!” Kat enthused, “We’ll get so much done!” her eyes fell a bit and a hand went to her messy hair, “Um, it’s going to be a late night, I wouldn’t want to… impose,”

May melted a bit, “You wouldn’t b…”

“Would you like to go for coffee after?” Kat slapped a hand over her own mouth, “Oh! I’m so sorry, me and my big mouth, please continue, I’m sorry.”

May laughed and found herself taking the other woman’s face in her hands, “It’s fine! You’re excited, this is exciting!” She blushed, “I’d love to help you catalog specimens and get coffee after.” Kat beamed at her. She did not stop holding May’s hand.

The two turned towards the sky, now dark. In the darkness around them, spots of light came from the ground and trees, like a reflection of the sky above. A small flashing light was now visible. Soon, they would be returned to KDM and the work would begin. Kat leaned against May. Everything would change.

But first, coffee.