#maybe making a design sheet for her too for myself

[bunbunsama]

so how about that dating sim elden ring?

[themattgirl]

could you please make one where Chris and reader are dating and reader feels sick and Chris just takes care of her and acts all sweet and stuff? 🫠

an: thank you for the request ily 🧡

this turned out so much longer than i intended

this isn’t my first one shot but it’s the first with one of the sturniolo triplets in it. 

obviously their characters have been altered by me a little to fit into the story but i tried to make it as realistic as possible by keeping their personality traits as they are in real life.

also comment or like this post if you want to be added to the taglist

pairing: chris x fem!reader

word count: 4.1k

warnings: fluff, use of ‘babe’ and ‘ma’ as pet names for reader, intentional wrong spelling in text messages to make it more realistic, mentions of nsfw themes, swearing, lots of playful teasing between characters

y/n’s dialogue  

chris’ dialogue

matt’s dialogue

nick’s dialogue

mary lou’s dialogue

“it’s just a cold, nothing serious i promise. i don’t think i can come over today though, i don’t wanna infect any of you. i’m sorry for ruining movie night,” i say to chris on facetime before breaking into a cough. i turn the camera away from me, not wanting him to see me in a disgusting state like this. if i could, i would’ve muted myself so he doesn’t have to listen to it either. plus, i know how worried he gets with any type of sickness or unwell feeling really.

so, of course it wouldn’t be chris if he didn’t immediately furrow his brows.

“babe no, don’t apologize. you didn’t choose to get sick.”

he gets up from where he was sitting on the couch and goes downstairs to his bedroom. he puts the phone down so all i can see now is his ceiling. his voice sounds a little farther away when he speaks again, “it doesn’t really sound like nothing serious, does anything hurt?”

“to be honest, my whole body has been aching since i woke up this morning. it’s not too bad, just a dull ache, i can still move and all that, even if i’d prefer to just lay here and rot away,” i laugh and hold back the cough that wants to escape right after in hopes it would make him worry a little less. vainly.

“your voice sounds stuffy and kinda hoarse, does your throat hurt?”

“i forgot you turn into a doctor every time somebody doesn’t feel great,” i roll my eyes even though he can’t see it with his phone still down and him on the other side of the room from how distant his voice sounds.

“shut up, y/n. you feel worse than ‘not great’. you’re not fooling anyone with that act.”

he reappears on the screen. now i can see what he has been doing in the time i couldn’t see him. he put on a hoodie over the tank top he had been wearing before, the hair he had put up in a little ponytail - if you could even call it that - in the front has been untied and brushed. or maybe he just ran his fingers through his hair a couple of times, that’d be more like it.

“anyways baby, imma call mom real quick. be right back,” he hangs up before i get the chance to respond.

i put the phone down next to me on the bed i’ve been in since i realized this morning how much it hurt to stand up and how i felt like i was gonna throw up every time i moved too hastily.

i took a deep breath - well, as deep as a breath can get when your nose is clogged - and closed my eyes to try and concentrate on something other than the throbbing pain in my head.

i feel so much worse than how i described it to chris and i feel bad for kind of lying to him, i do. but he has been dealing with so much of his own lately - new designs for his brand, fixing the shipping issues with some of the orders from his last drop, coming up with video ideas and prefilming those before him, nick and matt go on tour again, preparing everything for said tour - see, he really doesn’t need me to add to his things-to-worry-about-list, especially if he can’t do anything to fix it and it’ll go away on its own anyway.

i feel my phone’s vibration from somewhere in between the sheets and grab it. it's messages from nick.

hey y/n heard your not feeling so good (:/ smiley) i was really excited to see you again today but don’t you dare feel guilty for it

i know how you guilt trip yourself into thinking everything is your fault

its kind of a good thing bc now i have time to get the matching pjs we wanted

hope you feel better soon tho

matts sick too maybe you got it from him when you helped him decorate his room yesterday

I hey y/n heard your not feeling so good 😕 i was really excited to see you again today but don’t you dare feel guilty for it

word spreads faaast 😂 i’m so sad i gotta wait another week or so to see you again i only like sleepovers cuz of u but dont tell chris 🤫

I i know how you guilt trip yourself into thinking everything is your fault

seriously i hate that yk me so well 😐

I its kind of a good thing bc now i have time to get the matching pjs we wanted

at first i was like 🤨 but then i kept reading i LOVE YOUU SO MUCH OMG just so yk chris was the second option

I hope you feel better soon tho

me too now i’m excited for the pajamaaas 😫

I matts sick too maybe you got it from him when you helped him decorate his room yesterday 🤔

i’m gonna kill him like fr this time

hey where tf is chris??

talking to mom shes teaching him sth honestly don’t ask idk

ok 😂 i think im gonna take a nap talk later?

yess get some rest and lmk if you need anything ❤️

ly❤️❤️

after sending the last message i get a call from matt. i contemplate not picking up for a second but decide against it.

“what?”

“uff, what’s that attitude?”

“i’m sick because of you, shithead.”

“we don’t know that. what if you’re the one who passed it on to me, hm? besides, i was just calling to tell you to drink some water and to ask if you need anything. i was actually being nice but you clearly don’t deserve it,” his voice is just as bad as mine, if not worse which makes me feel a little bad, but matt wouldn’t be one of my best friends if i had to worry about him getting mad every time i’m not nice. that’s actually how we bonded after annoying each other every chance we got. we both have a bit of an attitude problem which caused a lot of irritation and aggravation. now we get along better than any pair of best friends. the teasing stayed in place, but now we both know there’s only endless love behind it. sometimes you just gotta let off a bit of steam and we both just get that.

“fine, i’m sorry. sickness really does turn you soft, huh?” i smirk.

“why’re you saying it like you just confirmed a theory?”

“mary lou told me once and i’ve been waiting ever since to see for myself, guess she was right.”

“you are actually the worst. i’m hanging up now. drink water, bye.”

he hangs up the phone and i laugh to myself. what a big baby.

i open chris’ chat and type in a message telling him i’m going to sleep and that i will call him once i wake up again. i don’t bother waiting for a reply and just put the phone on my nightstand. i turn on my side, close my eyes and after that i don’t notice anything anymore.

i jolt up from bed, breathing heavy, body sweaty and heart racing. my room is dark, lit up only by the moon shining through my window. i look around trying to remember where i am and shake the nightmare from my mind.

i reach for my phone and check the time.

11:43 pm

i turn on the flashlight and right when i notice a black jacket hung over the back of my desk chair i hear footsteps coming closer.

chris pushes the door open and steps in.

“oh shit, did i wake you?”

“no i had a nightmare. what are doing here?”

i sit upright in bed and turn the flashlight off when chris flips the switch to turn on the fairy lights around the edges of my ceiling.

he moves to sit on the bed next to me before he answers, “i had mom teach me how to make her get-well-quick-soup and brought you some. she also told me about the perfect remedy tea, i can make it for you,” he stands up again immediately, “i’ll heat up the soup for you first. shit ma, have you even eaten anything today?” he stands by the door, holding the handle but looking back over his shoulder at me.

“chris,” i honestly don’t know what to say to him. he is so sweet i have to fight the tears that build up on my waterline. i just look at him for a moment, a little smile ghosting on my lips.

i’m well aware of how caring, considerate and compassionate chris is as a person in general, but it still baffles me sometimes how much he goes out of his way to make others feel good. i guess i’m just not used to it, being loved like this, having someone do everything that lies in their hands - and beyond that - just for me. it’s astonishing to say the least. especially when i myself have had issues with showing how deeply i cherish somebody ever since i can remember. it’s probably rooted somewhere in my past and how my affection has been received and responded to, that’s what my therapist says anyway.

i shake myself out of my thoughts and move the blanket away from my body to finally get up. immediately chris is beside me, holding me in place, “what’re you doing, ma? stay here i’ll bring it up,” he talks quietly, trying to get me to take in my previous lying position but i stay put on the ground.

“babe, i have been in this bed almost all day. i need to get up. i’ll just come down with you, we can eat together in the kitchen,” i try to convince him.

he looks at me, an uncertain expression on his face for a few seconds, the gears in his head almost visibly turning while he thinks about it. at last he lets out a sigh and nods, “alright then, hop on my back,” he bends over in a piggy back position in front of me and i can’t help the laugh that escapes me.

“you do know i can walk, right?” i ask still chuckling.

“i know, come ooon, just do it,” he urges me on and wiggles his hips, making me laugh even harder when i climb on his back.

“you’re gonna be so sick tomorrow, chris,” i complain mournfully once he lets me down to sit on the kitchen counter while he gets to heating up the soup he brought.

chris insists he’s not prone to catch a cold or any sickness easily, no matter how contagious or how close to the source he might be, even though he has proven himself wrong multiple times on more occasions than he cares to admit.

“no i won’t. besides, i could use a few days off even if i have to be sick to get that,” he lets out a huff of air trying to make it sound humorous, but both of us - and everyone who knows chris for that matter - knows that he is exhausted and is in desperate need of a break.

i know he doesn’t want me to get serious about that topic right now though so i try to change routes, “oh my god,” he turns around from where he was stirring the soup on the stove and faces me, confused about my shocked exclamation. i point an accusatory finger at him, my jaw hanging low but a smile still creeping it’s way on my face.

“so that’s why you’re here. you came to try and get infected, that’s why you carried me down too even though you know damn well i coulda walked by myself. and i’m here thinking you were actually being the best boyfriend on earth. turns out my man is a piece of shit,” by the end i fail to stay serious and let out a giggle. well, it’s not like he actually believed that i meant what i was saying but still.

he lets go of everything he was holding, turns around to me fully and begins to stalk toward me slowly.

“oh yeah?” i don’t know if it’s just me or if he’s doing it on purpose but all of a sudden his voice sounds deeper, his face more stern and serious.

“is that what you think then? i’m just a piece of shit?” he makes me nervous at first but the second i see the smirk on his lips i know exactly what’s about to follow.

“chris. no.”

he is standing right in front of me, so close he has positioned himself in between my legs, his hands on the counter on either side of me, trapping me. the finger i was pointing at him long since taken back.

“am i a piece of shit when i make you cum with just my tongue?” his face is so close now.

“stop,” i say quieter than i mean to, almost whisper-like.

“or when i fuck you so good you can’t walk right for days, am i a piece of shit then?”

this asshole is doing it on purpose. he knows i would never have sex with him when i’m sick so he’s trying to rile me up the little fucker. have i mentioned that i actually hate him. like for real hate him. the type of hate that leads to an absolutely mindblowing fuck. shit.

“or yesterday when you told matt you needed a break and came downstairs to my room to suck me off and then you just wiped your mouth and went back up like nothing happened. did you do it because i’m a piece of shit?”

my jaw is on the floor.

“or when–”

“OKAY,” i practically scream, “you’re the best and i didn’t mean what i said, just please stop.”

i’m almost whining at this point.

i try to rub my legs together to ease some of the friction unnoticeably but chris is like a hawk, sees everything, notices everything. and then he smiles. just smiles and goes back to the soup.

later that night, after i was forced to eat almost all of the soup and drink two cups of magic tea while chris downed a cheese burger, fries and three of the last four pepsi cans i had in my fridge, we snuggled up on the couch with a heavy blanket that chris had also asked his mom for, thrown over both of our laps and a random movie playing on the tv. 

neither one of us actually felt like watching something but we threw it on as background noise anyway. chris and i have barely seen each other in almost two weeks so all we want right now is to enjoy each other's company. he has been so busy with all that’s coming up for him and his brothers, still is. and i've been studying like crazy because i always feel like i won’t pass if i don’t and when i wasn’t busy with that i’d be at work to earn my living and feel like i’m doing enough. so there wasn't really time for us to actually be together and get to enjoy it. i've missed it.

“you know you’re probably sick because you exhaust yourself all the time,” chris says when he turns to look at me.

“shh,” i shush him with my eyes closed and a smile on my lips, “i got it from matt, no discussion.”

he lets out a little laugh at that, “yes discussion. if you keep going like that, one day it’s gonna have more serious effects on your health than a cold. you don’t even need to do all that. how many times do i have to tell you your life is worth enough even if you don’t work yourself half to death and have a little fun every once in a while,” he rubs my thigh while talking. chris knows better than anyone that i don’t like being put on the spot and lectured about my not-so-healthy habits like that, especially when i know exactly that it’s in fact very unhealthy. but he also insists on having these talks with me because he knows i would shut out everyone else who’d dare to try immediately. he and his brothers are the only three people i have let come so close and they make use of that quite often, might i say. but it’s okay because these people are my best friends and i know i need to be put in check sometimes, i admit. nobody else would dare try but them so i just let them. 

i must say, it has helped me improve my life to an extent. they taught me that it’s okay to cut ties with people who are bad for my mental health and encourage bad habits, and that i don’t owe shit to them even if they want to make me believe that. they kept telling me “quality friends are worth so much more than a big amount of bad ones” until it finally clicked in my brain and i blocked half of my contact list.

“look who’s talkin’. mister i work twice as hard as the person i try to lecture,” i jab my finger in his side and he jerks.

“you know that’s different,” he holds my hands in his to stop me from doing it again.

i like feeling his hands on mine. i know he’s my boyfriend and it might be weird to say it like that. but i haven’t seen him in so long, which means i also haven’t felt him in so long. it’s crazy but it almost feels like in the beginning when we were scared to touch each other and would act like we accidentally brushed our hand on the other but we both knew it was fully on purpose.

chris pulls me out of my thoughts again when he speaks, “at least i have an end in sight and work’s gonna be way more relaxed once i’m done with everything. with you there’s always–”

the ringing of his phone cuts him off and he takes a look at the caller id, his mom. he narrows his eyes at me and gives me a look that says “we’re not done yet” but picks up the phone and holds it up so she can see the both of us on the screen.

“i was going to ask chris about you but since you’re with him please pinch him for me,” is the first thing mary lou says when she looks at us. and i gladly do as she says even though i don't know what he did to deserve it.

“oww, what was that for?” chris asks whining and i just shrug and chuckle.

“you told me you would bring y/n the soup and go back home. you lied to me.”

i turn to him with my mouth hanging open, “christopher owen, how dare you?”

it’s so fun to aggravate chris.

he furrows his brows at me and then looks back at the screen, “she literally begged me,” he straight up lies. “i was trying to tell her i didn’t wanna get sick so i could only drop off the soup and blanket and would have to leave again but then she started crying–”

i hit him for real this time, hard enough to make him suck air through his teeth.

“mary lou, don’t believe a word he says.”

“i know, darling, you wouldn’t do that. chris, that’s twice you’ve lied today.”

“sorry, mom,” he actually looks defeated now, “you know i can’t just leave her all alone when she’s like this. i lied because i didn’t wanna worry you. i won’t get sick though,” at that me and her give each other a knowing look but let him continue, “y/n’s weak and in pain, of course i’ll be by her side as much as i can, you probably knew i was here, that’s why you called me,” chris wiggles his finger at his mom with a cheeky smile while she’s trying to hide her own.

“alright, alright,” she gives in, “that’s how young love is, i guess. anyway, have you eaten the soup yet?”

“almost all of it,” i report proudly, rubbing my stomach.

“only forced,” chris side-eyes me and i roll my eyes at him.

“and the tea?” mary lou just keeps going. well, i definitely know where her son gets the caring from.

i grab the mug that’s been sitting on the table for two hours and could now be considered iced tea and hold it up for her to see, “this is my third,” i take a sip.

“very good. okay, well, i just wanted to check if chris is taking good care of you. it’s important for you to get enough rest, don’t go to sleep too late, alright darling? i have to go now but if you need something just give me a call. i’ll talk to you both in the morning. good night, i love you,” she blows two kisses as we tell her we love her and then she ends the call.

right when chris puts his phone down we hear the doorbell ring.

we both glance at the direction of the front door as if we could see through it and figure out who’s standing on the other side. then we turn and look at each other.

“expecting someone?” chris asks me and i just shake my head no and shrug unknowingly.

“open up!” the voice sounds muffled but it’s unmistakably matt.

chris rolls his eyes and sighs loudly and i just giggle.

he moves the blanket and gets up to go open the door but stops in his tracks suddenly, turns around again, bends down and kisses me.

“won’t be able to do that for a while if he’s here,” he explains before he goes.

matt and nick do complain every time we kiss in front of them, so we agreed on trying not to do it anymore. they act like little kids being forced to see their parents being all lovey-dovey with each other. at least one of them always yells “GET A ROOM!” as if they’re not invading our personal space. big babies, like i said.

“what’s up, bitches?” nick walks in wearing the pajamas we wanted to match, holding up his hands. one holding what i assume is my set of the exact same one and a pillow in his other hand.

i jump up from the couch immediately and squeal as i run toward him to hug him.

“what are you doing here?” i ask once we let go of each other, our smiles still as big as ever.

“since chris is here breathing in germs and this one,” he points his thumb over his shoulder where matt is giving chris a pajama pair, “is already sick i thought we might as well have our movie night here since i’m getting it from one of you either way.”

“i’m so happy,” i squeak, elongating the words.

“aren’t you happy to see me too?” matt acts sad and offended when he moves to stand next to nick.

i roll my eyes but give him a big hug, “i am actually.”

chris scoffs and we all laugh. he moves to stand closer to me and i wrap my arms around him, tilting my head to look at him.

“you guys can go in the kitchen, grab some snacks while me and chris put on our pajamas,” i say to nick and matt, my eyes still locked on my boyfriend.

they do as they’re told once the’ve put down their things and soon enough they’re out of sight.

“you good?” chris asks me quietly, stroking my hair gently

“yeah. i just realized our alone time is over,” i respond in a hushed tone.

he gives me a kiss on the forehead before he talks, “it’s okay, we’ll just go up to your room when they’re asleep. nothing’s keeping me away from you tonight.”

hearing it makes comfort spread in my chest in a way i didn’t know i needed right now.

“i love you so much, chris. thank you for everything,” i try to sound genuine, because i truly am.

he holds my chin between his thumb and forefinger and dips his head until his lips meet mine.

“i love you too, ma.”

taglist:

@strniolosworld @that-general-simp @sturniolosreads @whoreforchr1s

[twice-inamillion]

Dahyun’s Birthday Sex

Smut and fluff (rough sex, deep penetration, creampie)

Chapter 199 

3.4 K Words 

(OC celebrating Dahyun's 21st birthday.)

“Babe wake up, babe” you feel a slight nudge in your arm as you are half asleep. Opening your eyes, you see Dahyun next to your bed. “What’s going on, Dahyun?” Knowing you’re now awake, she sits on the bed next to you, “Do you want to go on a morning walk with me?” You look towards your window, see it’s still dark out, and ask, “What time is it?” She looks at her watch, “It’s five in the morning, perfect for a morning walk.” 

You think to yourself that it's way too early to have a walk, but it’s been a while since you accompanied her in one, “Okay, I’m up for it; what about Daeun?” She turns towards you and lowers herself, “She’s right here,” showing you a sleeping Daeun in a satchel semi-awake. You stand up and kiss her, “Good morning, little princess.” 

“Okay, let’s go on that walk.” Dahyun waits for you downstairs and hands you a small sling bag for you to carry. You hold Dahyun’s hand and have a pleasant conversation as you walk down the side of the road. 

Once you get back, you and Dahyun get ready for your date. “I’m going to bathe Daeun and take a shower myself. Meet you down again in an hour.”

You go to Dahyun’s room and knock on the door, “Can I come in?” “Come in!” You open the door and see a Dahyun sitting with Daeun, who is breastfeeding. “Come and sit down. I’m just feeding Daeun before we leave.” You sit and watch a semi-sleeping Daeun suckling slowly on Dahyun’s cream-white breasts. 

“She’s getting bigger as the months go by, huh.” 

“Yes, before you know it, she’ll say her first words and play with the rest of her sisters.” 

“I can’t wait for it to happen, already.”

When Daeun is done drinking, Dahyun changes her diaper one last time before taking her to Sana, who is excited to watch over her while the both of you are gone. Dahyun gave some last-minute instructions to Sana before the two of you headed out. You give her one last goodbye kiss before getting inside the car. 

“Are you ready for your birthday date?”

“Yes, I’m excited,” and start the car and wave in Daeun’s direction. Sana holds Daeun up and waves her little hand goodbye.

You arrive at the location and park the car in a nearby parking lot. “Where are we going, oppa?”

“It’s a surprise. You’ll like it, though.” You exit from the car and open the door for Dahyun. She puts on a cap to cover her pale skin. You lead her to the shop, and she immediately jumps from excitement when she sees multiple types of chocolate in front of the store’s window. “Are you going to buy me some chocolate?” 

You open the door, letting her in first, and say, “We are going to make it ourselves.” 

“Welcome to Penguin Chocolate store. Are you the 9 am reservation?”

“Yes, for a party of two.” The older lady walks the both of you into a separate room, “This is the room we use for chocolate-making classes. Today we will be making two types of chocolates.” 

You can see the excitement in Dahyun’s eyes, and she begins to ask questions to the older lady. You look through the booklet on the table on the types of chocolate you can make in class. 

The older lady introduces herself as the instructor for today’s session and talks about what both of you will do for the today. An excited Dahyun selects different types of chocolates and designs she wants to make.

The class continues with the both of you mixing melted chocolate and adding multiple ingredients before pouring it into metal designs and placing it on a large metal sheet. The chocolate is set in a special oven and heated as you and Dahyun have a small break on the outside patio. 

“How do you like the class so far?” With her chocolate shake in her hand, she says, “I loved it. Didn’t know it took so much, but it’s fun. We should do this again.”

“We can, maybe, once the tour is over.” With a smile on her face, she finishes off her drink and hurries back to the store to check on her chocolate. 

“You both box your chocolates in multiple small boxes and wrap a nice red ribbon on it. Dahyun writes small notes while you place them in a larger container before having them shipped to the house for the rest of the members. 

“Thank you for choosing us,” the lady waves the both of you goodbye as you exit the door. Once you're in the car Dahyun opens the small box, “Oppa, say ahh.” You open your mouth, and she puts a piece of chocolate into your mouth. “How is it?”

“It’s good. You should become a chocolatier once we retire and open a little shop.” She looks at you and laughs, “Haha, I’ll think about it. By the way, where are we going next?”

“You’ll see” as you drive towards a small airport. Once you arrive at the gate entrance, you insert a code that allows you to enter the gate and head to one of the many hangers. “Make sure you grab your stuff once we get out of the car, okay.” 

“Sure, but tell me where we are going first, I really want to know.”

“It’s a surprise.” 

The flight attendant closes the plane’s door and announces, “Our flight today will be a short thirty minutes to Jeju Island. Once the plane takes off, you two are more than welcomed to walk around and enjoy the amenities,” and walks back to her section.

Dahyun looks at you with a large smile, “Are we really going to Jeju?” You grab her hand, “Yes, I remember you said you wanted to relax and enjoy a good view, so I made a reservation.” 

She hugs you and kisses you on the cheek, “Thank you!” The plane takes off, and Dahyun moves around the plane, trying to get some good views to take pictures. You laugh and enjoy watching Dahyun act like a child around you.

The plane arrives at the small airport, and you are led to your rental vehicle. “Are you ready to go?” “Yes! Let’s go!” Dahyun looks out the window and takes a video as you drive on the windy road to your rental home.

“Where are we going, oppa?” 

“We are going to stay in Samantha’s vacation home. She said I could use it when I visit Jeju, so we are heading over there right now.” It doesn’t take too long for the both of you two arrive and park at the driveway. You insert the code at the front entrance and place your bags in the front. 

“Wow, it’s so pretty,” says Dahyun as she begins to look around. “Right. Seems like she has some good taste.”

Dahyun walks and opens the sliding door that leads to the backyard and the view of the ocean, “Omg, I want to live here. Please, oppa, we should really get a beach house, please…” rubbing her two hands together. “We’ll see what we can do. Maybe after building the first house.”

“Haha, it doesn’t hurt to try. Anyways how about a snack?”

“What do you want?”

“Hmm… some sandwiches would be nice.”

“Okay, let me check the kitchen and see what we have.”

“Sounds good, let me change, and then I’ll help you.” Dahyun goes upstairs and changes into a thin tank top and loose shorts.

You’re making cutting some vegetables and taking out other ingredients and feel Dahyun’s chest rubbing on your back. You turn around and see Dahyun wearing a semi-transparent tank top that leaves nothing to the imagination, “Wow.” 

“What?”

“Nothing.” 

She grabs some peanut butter and jelly from the lowest section of the fridge and bends down, giving you a nice view. You say to yourself, “Fuck, no panties,” and turn your head to get a better view. She grabs the two items and brings them back to the kitchen counter. You can help but stare at her ass cheeks that are spilling out of her shorts. “Oppa, can you help me and open the jar for me?” 

She hands you the jar, and you go stand behind her; she presses her butt against your cock, teasing you. She can feel you getting hard as it presses her back; she loves the feeling. You instantly remember that day when she did the same thing after her first time, and you can’t control yourself any longer. 

You pull down your shorts, grab your cock with one hand, and with the other, you pull down Dahyun’s shorts. You slap her on her ass cheek, causing her to yelp but give her no time to react as you quickly find her entrance and insert the tip of your cock. You can feel her lose her footing as she falls into your cock, taking your whole length in one swipe. 

Dahyun immediately cums from your length and soaks the floor, “Oh no… I… I came.” 

“Don’t think you’re going to get off that easy,” you pick her back up and push her against the kitchen counter. You begin to fuck that living shit out of her, making her moan loudly. “Oh my god! Oh my… You’re too big! I can’t take…” you pull out and give her a hard thrust, lifting Dahyun’s small body up in the air. Her feet dangle in the air as she supports her upper body on the kitchen counter. The both of you feel a sense of euphoria, a tingling sensation in your core that makes you want to explode, which you do. 

Dahyun’s toes curl, and she spasms as she feels a sudden rush overtaking her womb, filling it with pure baby batter. Not having tasted your seed so long, it welcomes it and tries to milk you for all you’re worth. “Fuck Dahyun, your cunt is sucking me dry; it really has been it while. Since you want it so much, here, take it all,” as you press your body tighter to hers, causing Dahyun to cough out loud from the pressure. 

The tightness of your core lessens, and you pull out your cock and see a large amount of cum oozing out and staining the floor. You set dahyun back on the floor, but she has no energy in her legs and stumbles as she tries to balance herself but slips. You catch her mid-way and pick her petite body back up with minimal effort. “You’re so light, Dahyun, just like a feather, haha.” 

“Shut up, oppa. I can’t feel my legs, and you’re here making fun of me?”

“Haha, sorry.”

You walk her to the living room, and you’re about to place her on the couch, but right when you’re about to sit her down, she wraps her arms around your neck, “Don’t.” You see the desperation in her eyes, yearning for more. You know what she wants, what she needs. You take a sit in the middle of the couch and sit her on your lap; your heart races as you see Dahyun struggle to get up and work her way on top of you, grabbing your length and aligning it to her puffy slit. She gasps as she penetrates herself with your thick, long cock, lowering her tiny body to someone so massive. All you hear in the anticipation, a heavy breathing from Dahyun as she takes your whole length, her pussy tightening around your length, welcoming it back home. 

She stops momentarily, adjusting herself unlike before, and looks you directly into your eyes. Your hand moves to your breast, giving it a nice squeeze, and you see her precious milk dripping down to her tummy. 

You can’t wait any longer and take her breast into your mouth, milking her of her precious liquid meant for your child. The taste is sweet, something you can’t explain. Dahyun moans to the milking of her tits as you switch back and forth. She tilts her head back from the pleasure; you see her reaction and collect as much milk as you can, softly tilt her face and kiss her. She’s startled when you suddenly feed her own milk down her throat, it’s something that she hasn’t down before, but it turns her on. Both your tongues twist and turn, exploring every inch of each other's mouths before separating. 

The milk you shared with her gives her the energy to ride you. She pushes you onto the couch and begins to ride you. The sight of her small figure, her breast bouncing, and her puffy lip rubbing against your pelvis feels amazing. You just sit there and enjoy the view of her riding you until the both of you cum together. 

After the sudden session, the two of you end up taking a nap on the couch. You don’t notice how long you slept but see that Dahyun is gone. “Where is she” then hear a faint sound coming from upstairs. It’s Dahyun, and she’s singing in the shower like always, “I thought you would have woken me up.” She laughs, “Sorry, you seem so comfortable, and I didn’t want to bother you, so I took a shower first.” “How about I join you?” Right when you’re about to step inside, she turns off the water, “You’re too late,” and sticks her tongue out, mocking you. 

When you are finished with your shower and get dressed, you hear Dahyun call out for you from downstairs, “What’s up?”

“Here, the sandwich we ended up missing because of our little play,” giving you a slight smirk. You grab the sandwich and take a bite before she steals it back and finishes it. “You only get a piece for surprising me.” “That’s fine, I can always eat later,” glazing at her body. “You’re such a dog, oppa. What am I going to do with you?” “I don’t know, but we can talk about it later; our dinner reservation is in an hour. We need to head out.” 

The two of you enjoy a nice dinner at a restaurant near the beach and reminisce past memories together of Daeun. She thanks you for taking her out on this date since she’s been wanting to relax after the Fancy album release. “You deserve a break, especially today.” “Haha, I do. Daeun has been a handful, but you and the members have made it manageable. I don’t know what I would do without you guys.”

You try to cheer her up, “Come on, how about we finish you and have a little bit of fun.” “What do you have in mind?” “Not sure yet, but let’s figure it out as we go.” She agrees, and you ask for the check, pay and head out.

What you did after dinner must have worked because you entered the room in a rush as you and Dahyun kissed wildly passionately. With her legs wrapped around your waist, she tries to undress you before getting to bed. You throw her onto the bed and say, “I’ll be right back; just wait…”. You rush down the stairs, open the fridge, look around, grab the first few items you see, and rush back upstairs. 

When you open the door, you see a Dahyun in provocative lingerie, black laced bra, and black panties. “Wow.” Dahyun looks at you with a smile, “What do you think?” Walking towards her, you can’t help but be in awe; her creamy-white skin and the black-laced lingerie are a perfect contrast. “You look amazing,” as you bring her closer to you and place one hand on her hip and the other on her ass. You give her ass a nice smack which makes her yelp, then a good squeeze, “You have an amazing body. No one would guess that you’re a milf.” 

Dahyun’s smile turns into a smirk, “Do you want to play with this hot milf?” as she rubs the midsection of your pants. “Yes, I want to fuck the milf that’s right in front of me, especially when it’s her birthday.” She continues to rub and says, “Well, I see you brought me my birthday present, I can’t wait to unwrap it.”

You can’t wait any long, and you pick her up and toss her onto the bed, “Come on, fuck me with that big cock of yours, I want to enjoy my present to the fullest.” As you unzip your pants, your cock springs out from your trousers; Dahyun turns around and gets on all fours, then smacks her butt, “Come on pretty boy, you want to see my ass jiggle as you fuck my tight little cunt?”

There is no response as you grab her by the waist on pull her as close to the edge of the bed, and smack your hardened cock on her right ass cheek. You pull her panties to the side and trace your tip against her entrance, “I want to hear you moan my name, Dahyun.” “Yes, everyone is going to know that, my little pus…” she isn’t given the opportunity to finish her sentence as you shove your whole length at once. “Fuc… fuck!” You see Dahyun’s cheeks bounce when you crash into them. You raise your hand above her cheeks and smack it multiple times until it’s red; every time Dahyun moans out your name, “Slap it harder, make my ass red. I want to have the imprint of you hand on my perfect little body.” 

You can’t help but get excited, the idea of marking her cream-white cheeks red from your spanking is making you hard. Suddenly you feel her cunt getting tighter and see Dahyun turn and smile at you, “Do you like that, oppa? Jihyo taught me that move. She said you like it when her pussy chokes your cock.” “Omg, Dahyun, you’re the best.” 

“Then fuck me with that big present you gave me.” No more words are needed as you grip her petite waist with your big hands, you can feel how small her body really is compared to yours, smaller than some of the other members. 

You begin to thrust your cock into her rapidly, causing her to lose balance and fall. With her ass in the air, you give it one more hard spank that makes Dahyun cry out in pain. She turns around, and you see her mascara completely ruined from the tears, “Don’t stop, oppa, keep on fucking me, please.” 

“Okay, but don’t regret it.” She nods happily, and you grab both her arms and pull them tight towards you. With her body suspended in the air you fuck her ruthlessly. All you hear is a combination of moaning and crying as you admire the view of her back and her butt as it jiggles from your thrusting. It doesn’t take long for Dahyun to reach her climax, her pussy tightens up, and you feel a strong stream of liquid straying on your member. 

There is a burning sensation in your core; you know that you’re also at your limit, “Dahyun, I’m going to cum!” You fix your position as you grab her from her upper arms, releasing your gates and flooding Dahyun’s womb with your seed. You can feel your energy draining from your body as it pours inside Dahyun. With your head tilted back and a slight jerk, you lose balance, and you let go of Dahyun’s arms. Instead of Dahyun slipping off of her cunt has a tight grip on your cock, pulling you down and falling on top of Dahyun. 

You're on top of Dahyun’s petite body, your whole weight on her as pump of her cum. She could feel her womb being filled to the brim, and she surrendered herself to you. Once you regain composure, you get off of Dahyun and see your thick cum oozing out of her small cunt. 

“How was it? Did you like your present, birthday girl?”

“Yes, I loved it.”

“Want to go for another round?”

Dahyun turns around with her back against the back and spreads her legs, inviting you for another round. 

The two of you end up having multiple sessions throughout the night, only stopping when you collapse from exhaustion. 

[nite-puff]

you’ve asked US.. but what are your thoughts on each of the captives??

OOOOOOHHH. yippeeee. i’ve spent so much time talking about certain captives to my friends in private. might as well talk about them here too!!

let’s get the ones that show up out of the way:

komaru: girly!!!!!! love you teenage girl protagonists that act like teenage girls. gotta be one of my favorite genders. i do have to refresh myself on udg to really get a better grasp on her nuances and growth throughout the game. but from what i do understand. she’s so nice. top three protag!!

yuta: wish we got more time with him fr!!!!! i do wish they kinda tried to make him more different from aoi. because they’re both kinda just hyper sports kids (at first glance. ofc aoi becomes more than that. maybe yuta would too if he stuck around more). it’d be nice to see what separates them. can’t believe he’s the only character death in udg. like wtf (taichi doesn’t count). he was still a nice presence when we had him. fly high, king.

taichi: fun fact. i actually don’t have many opinions on taichi. i know there are people who very much do. but idk. he didn’t really stand out to me. and that’s a me thing. not saying he’s a bad character or anything. i do think he’s funny when juxtaposed with hiroko and takaaki. loving husband and father who’s still happily married and the two most divorced individuals on earth.

hiroko: HIROKO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HER! I COULD TALK ABOUT HER FOR HOURS. i came to the realization recently that she’s probably my favorite female character in all of dr. she’s in my top 5 favorite dr characters for sure. she’s who mondo wishes he was. she’s so kind and loving but also cool and badass. there’s so much about her that i want to know. which sucks because the writers don’t really want to develop her beyond “hiro’s hot mom” other than the fact that she’s an ex-biker turned nurse. which is. really cool!! i love her and want to know more please!!!! ultra despair hagakure 2: hiroko edition please!!!!! rando headcanon: she has a tattoo sleeve from her biker days. there’s a prevailing fish motif in it, to go with her jacket design.

okay. now the other guys.

takaaki: i mean. cmon, it’s takaaki. of course i have thoughts on him. i tried to abstain from voting in the poll, but then accidentally voted (i’ll say who when i get to them). but if i voted on purpose, i would’ve voted for him. he’s just…. man. a friend translated his beta design sheet recently and found out that they went into his design with the intention of making him look like the saddest old man ever. and yeah. they succeeded. i feel like a lot of people want takaaki in a game because it feels like what we already know about him implies a lot of nuance and character growth. he’s the only captive we know of that has a weapon on him (other than protag komaru). and he seems very serious, but is capable of having the same sense of justice and emotional highs as kiyotaka?? and they even point out how unlucky the guy was/is in the main game. like there’s a lot already going on there. what’s it like to be the son of a disgraced businessman/prime minister?? how does it feel to be the father of an aspiring prime minister (who fucking DIED. at the hands of someone trying to make money off his death)?? man…

takemichi: my rotten soldier. my sweet cheese. my good time boy. imagine your one job being to protect your best friend and lead your gang in his absence, but you indirectly fail at both of those and lose everything in one fell swoop. yeah, it wasn’t takemichi’s fault. but imagine if he still internalized the fuck out of that. if you can’t tell by the fact that he’s literally my pfp. i also have a lot of thoughts about takemichi. it’s almost like mondo and kiyotaka are the two characters that ive been hyperfixated on for the past 4-5 years. i feel like they were setting up the “cute but deadly” trope with him, what with them hyper focusing on his short stature and boyish looks but also his positions as head of the elite guard and mondo’s bodyguard. and i like that trope when it comes to him. he’s mondo’s cool best friend, and they both know that. i also can’t help but imagine his dynamics with other characters. his dynamic with takaaki is a given. mondo and kiyotaka were a standout duo. so it’s only natural that people like to think about what the dynamic between their respective closest persons would be like as well, especially with the whole “cop and delinquent” thing. i also love to imagine what his dynamic with hiroko was gonna be like. it’s clear that she’s automatically endeared to him. like she automatically gives him a nickname, something she doesn’t do to any other captive save for protag komaru. (i love “michi” as his fanon nickname, but “ruru” will always have my heart). also they’re both past and present delinquents. they’d obviously bond over that. just let me see them have one conversation please!!

kanon: uuuhhhhhhhhhhhh… i know that she’s the victim of an author who just wanted to write a fetish novel. and she could’ve been a way better character had someone else handled her. but man. i can’t get passed how she was written in udh. it also kind of breaks how we’re supposed to view the respective student-captive relationship. like every student thinks fondly of their respective “closest person.” and then there’s leon. who’s made very uncomfortable by his. sucks for him ig. by that logic, i can’t get behind the idea that her portrayal in udh was what was always intended to be her character. like that can’t possibly be the case right?? like they must’ve had another idea before handing her off to a writer who wanted to write a fetish novel. then again, udg’s writing in general tends to get weird. so who knows atp. also who knows if udh even happened. it feels like they retconned it in the dr3 anime by having hiro there and never mentioning the events of the light novel.

ayaka: she’s the one i accidentally voted for. and i mean. i wasn’t that hung up on it. cuz ayaka’s neat. people brought up some really good arguments for why she would’ve been included in the main game, very notably bringing up how she could’ve paralleled kotoko when it comes to how it’s like to be a young girl in the entertainment business. also obligatory “komaru was a fan of her girl group, so that interaction would’ve been fun to see.” there’s definitely something you can say about her being the least popular out of her girl group, but also being the only one left alive after everything. like imagine that being the one time you stood out among your peers?? it’s also fun to imagine what her friendship with sayaka looked like. there must’ve been something unique to their dynamic if she was the one chosen as a captive and not the three other girls. wonder what it was… only negative thing i have to say is that i wish they gave her a different name. just don’t have it be one letter away from “sayaka” please.

grand bois chéri: cat :3. that’s it really. nothing much going on there. there was no way he would’ve effected the plot if he was kept in, yet he was scrapped anyway. so there can’t possibly be much there.

aloysius: as we move down the list, i start to have less to say about these characters. yeah, i don’t have much on aloysius. i do think his potential dynamic with byakuya is interesting, considering the two have a better relationship than byakuya has with his family (which, i know why that is, but it’s still fun to think about). there’s something to be said about him being close to the elites of the world, but still only as a servant to them. like there could’ve been something cool there. does byakuya still only think of him as a servant, despite him apparently being the closest person to the heir?? much to think about. (side note: i just figured out how to pronounce his name not to long ago. it’s aloysius as in. o’hare.) (also obligatory “alfred reference”)

fujiko: i think she’s very silly!!!! she has a really cute design, and for that reason alone, i wish we could’ve seen more of her. i think her interactions with komaru could’ve been really nice because, again, komaru is a fan of her work. and i feel like the whole writing debate hifumi and toko had in thh would’ve been rehashed for a conversation between fujiko and toko. i can’t trust that the dr writers would’ve done something worthwhile with her, and i think that’s what’s really holding me back from discovering her full potential, writing-wise. tho i know there are fujiko fans who have really good arguments for what she could have going for her. and for that reason, i think she would’ve been neat to see. also the design. the design is really cute.

fuhito: another character i don’t have many thoughts on. i haven’t read the kirigiri novels, but i know they get into some lore on him. i don’t know how big his presence is in them but still, maybe that’s why im less privy to wanting to see more of him. still when it comes to thh grandpas, there’s definitely worse.

kenshiro: i feel like he’d definitely give off a more hiroko vibe if he was in the game. like a calmer presence to offset all the chaos. would also love to find out how he’s managed to survive during all that. it’d get turned into a lesson about hope and persevering despite it all. i feel like he and takemichi would get along. i can see them having a very danganronpa-like conversation where they promise to spar after everything goes back to normal and kenshiro gets better. death flags are raised. i always pictured him as stoic but very kind, very much like sakura. idk where im going with this. he’s not my personal pick for “character i want to know more of” but i wouldn’t be against finding out new information. he’s just neat.

kameko: bug. idk. once again, not much more to say.

and those are my thoughts. i’m, of course, biased to the characters who are close to the characters i have a hyperfixation on. but i think they all have potential to be cool characters (save for like. the animals). some didn’t live up to that potential, while others didn’t get that chance in the first place. but it’s cool that fans are interested anyways. tbh i really love the fans that are really into the captives. they’re insanely creative when it comes to crafting their ideas about these characters that the writers have most likely completely forgot. but it’s fun to imagine things anyway. anyways, someone go bother kodaka and ask about what the hell is up with these guys.

(this is also an invitation for people to talk to me about the captives more. please. my inbox is open.)

[gingerbreadingwer]

Inspired by Girl Out Boy by scarredsodeep @shark-myths

Baby Annihilation

„Baby annihilation? That's the title you're going with?“ - Andy asks. „Huh?“ Pete looks up from where she is sitting on her and Pat's couch and Andy sits beside her. „Why baby?“ they ask. Pete answers, „You know, like little, like little Baby Yoda, little baby problems, a little annihilation, a baby annihilation.“ „Aha.“ Pete looks down on her sheet of paper. She started collecting bits and pieces for the upcoming press and then soon, if not soon enough, the concert tour after. Things she wants to talk about, things she hopes they get a chance to talk about besides her favorite designers or her imaginary feud with Taylor Swift. Andy is silent beside her but then they shift and continue, “You know, baby annihilation, I don't know, that is not what I hear, I mean 'little'.” There is a pause. “Jo asked about us having a, you know, baby, the other day.”

Andy chuckles. Pete looks at them with big eyes. Andy watches her and isn't sure what they see. Pete's eyes flitter to the picture frames in the book shelves on the opposite wall. Bronte in all their different stages of height and ages. Pat with Miles on her arm, when he was still a tiny baby. “I tried to get the baby out of me, the child that I was. Until I realized it wasn't me, it was her that wished her baby wasn't what it was. I believe she knew it all along. That she didn't want me. Not really. You know?”

Pete looks at them “What do you want?” Andy takes a deep breath. “I want Jo to be happy. But I also want to be sure having children is really what Jo wants.” Pete grins sadly. “Yeah, I know.” “But to doubt Jo's wishes, you know, that is such an asshole move. I just don't know sometimes. How did you know?” “Me?” Pete looks at them with a wry smile on her face. “Well, you know, the times I could stand myself I was really, like, curious about that new person, and I didn't have to make the initial decision.”

Now it is Andy's turn to look at the pictures, one of them shows Bronte, only five years old, behind Andy's drum kit. “Right, I remember. We lucked out.” “Yeah, we did.” Pete is fully smiling now. “Just ask her. Jo is the last person to do something she doesn't want to do. But ask her. Maybe they got to her. Maybe she needs a bit of 'baby annihilation'.” Andy lets out a surprised laugh and looks at Pete who is grinning back at them. “But the title stays. If for all the people out there who need a bit of baby annihilation, too.”

[clumsiestgiantess]

Chapter 24 of The Other-world Universe; at long last we’ve weaponized the tiny! Let’s see what she can do.

all chapters listed here

[Round Three: Rematch]

Thankfully, we moved on from the subject of my old atrocities.  One moment later and we were in the other-world again, at the same spot where I'd practiced with my weapon.  Weirdly enough, the sun was already starting to set there, though it was mid-afternoon when we’d left my world.  "What's going on?" Erica asked, confusedly scanning the sky, "Why is it already getting dark?"  

"There's a slight time difference between my world and yours,” I explained, “They used to be in sync, but I threw them off balance after staying here for so long."  "Huh," Erica mumbled in an impressed tone.  I placed her in the field and knelt down beside her.  "Here it is," I announced, again offering her the piece.  However, since we'd traveled worlds, the plastic piece became a crystalline diamond-shaped stone.  She took it from me, momentarily distracted by its reflective sheen.  "So, I just.. put it in the back of my neck?  Like yours?"  "Actually, I made it so that it sets into the middle of your spine.  I thought that would be easier for your weapon's design."  In a flash, Erica slid the gemstone into place beneath her shirt.  "Wow!  I really can't feel a thing!" she exclaimed, twisting around to feel for it.  "I kinda expected it to be all rough because it's a stone."  I nodded, "That's all part of the design."

Erica excitedly drew both hands behind her back, similar to how I drew one hand behind my neck to grab my gun.  They emerged gripping the handles of two large sword-like devices, connected by thin cords to her back and the gemstone.  Each one was identical — lightweight metal sheets sharpened to a point on one end and a round grooved handle on the other.  The edges were almost impossibly thin and deadly sharp, specially made to be able to cut through anything with ease and precision.  Two-thirds up the weapons’ sheer sharpness was a curved hook that jutted out of the blade to latch onto foes.

I'd upped my game with this new weapon.  Along with the lightweight swords, the gem also gave the wearer superhuman abilities.  While it seemed I couldn’t give myself extra powers besides the ones I arrived with, I could give other-worlders them instead.  Erica could now jump an impressively long distance, and had what was basically super speed.  She could also land a fall from hundreds of feet in the air perfectly balanced and completely unscathed — superhuman durability — which is important when you can jump that high and also not break every bone in your body after coming back down.

At one point I realized that meant I could make Erica my own size instead of trying to shrink myself.  I’d asked her about it while we were weapon planning.  She was originally thrilled by the notion of being a similar height to me, but had later told me in reflective honesty that it was a bad idea.  As much as she wanted to see how it felt to be a giant, Erica told me she would be ‘too tempted to do things she’d regret’.  I wasn’t sure I understood what she meant, but it was her choice, so I scrapped the idea.  Erica seemed perfectly happy with what she had in both weapon and looks.  I had to agree.

In the empty field, I stood up and stepped back a bit, motioning for Erica to try out her new weapon, but she shook her head.  "I saw how badly you screwed up when you were working with yours, and that was after you'd practiced with it for a while.  Can you maybe save me some embarrassment and come back a bit later?  The town's probably worried about you, you know."  I wanted to stay and get her back for laughing at me the first time I'd practiced with my weapon, but Erica was right.  Everyone probably thought I'd run away.  Technically, I did try, but I was back, hopefully with a plan that would work.  

By the time I actually got to the valley, the sky had grown to a vibrant purple, quickly fading to black.  Maybe I should just leave a note or something.  Everyone’s already gone inside by now.  I knew all I had to do was call and someone would come running, but.. I didn’t feel like talking to the founders right then.  Guilt gnawed at me as I briefly vanished into my own world to write my excuse for bailing on everyone earlier.  If I’d had my way, I would’ve been abandoning everyone there to some awful fate.  My explanation devolved into one long apology the longer I wrote it.

Eventually, I stopped myself at a whole page and left the corner of it pinned under a rock near the town.  I did a quick walk-around of the mountains — scouting for trouble.  Surprisingly, there was nothing amiss.  The town was fine, the barrier was intact, and there were no portal people in sight.

Anxious at finding everything normal, I did another sweep.  Still finding nothing wrong, I returned to the spot where I'd left Erica.  However, when I got there she was nowhere to be seen, and all the natural landmarks like rocks and trees were missing.  Well, they were technically there, just in diced pieces.

"Erica?  Where did you go?" I called nervously into the darkening landscape.  Something shot out from the shadows of the forest nearby, zooming directly at my head.  I yelped in a panic and covered my face instinctively, shielding it from an attack.  Nervous laughter filled the space to my right.  "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Alexis.  I didn't mean to scare you, I promise."  I cautiously lowered my arms and turned in the direction of Erica’s voice, finding her sitting comfortably on my shoulder.  "Did you just super speed jump at me?" I asked.  "Yeah.. I'm sorry."  "No, don't be sorry," I chuckled, making my way back to my living space.  "This is good!  Do that on the battlefield tomorrow and you'll scare those awful people right back through the portal they came from."  

Erica was uncharacteristically silent the rest of the way back, leaving my thoughts to fall to worries.  Is she ready to take on people my size?  Not even I was.  "That is.. if you're ready to fight tomorrow,” I added more seriously.  She scoffed, "Oh, I was born ready.  It's just..  You've never seen me fight anyone before, have you?"  I slowed to a stop, processing her question.  "No, I don't think so.  Why?  Are you any good at it?  Because I'm not.  I don't even want to fight!  I'm tired of beating on other people," I laughed.

This time, there was an even longer pause.  Clearly my jokes weren’t helping the mood any.  Usually Erica loves responding to them with another joke or something snide.  I glanced at my shoulder to try and see her better.  "Are you any good at it," Erica repeated quietly, "Yeah, I am.  I just.. I don't want you to look at me differently when you see me fighting tomorrow.  I did tell you I can protect myself, but you've never seen me kick the shit out of someone before."  "Did you.. do that often?" I questioned, slightly confused.  I was a bit shocked to see her expression darken.

"Erica, you don't have to worry about what I might think of you," I told her as I sat down on my other-world 'bed'.  Reaching up to my shoulder, I carefully pulled her in front of me in cupped hands.  "I'll still love you, regardless of what happens."  She smiled, cheeks warming slightly.  "Did you actually want to sleep right now?" I asked, gesturing at the blanket beneath me, "It's a little early for us.  We haven't even eaten dinner because of the time difference."  "Let's have dinner then," Erica suggested, “Then we should at least try to get some rest.”

The food box was sitting right beside my 'bed' where it always was.  I let Erica off and made us some ribs and mac-and-cheese for dinner — one of Erica’s favorite meals the box could make.  Eating from the food box was actually better than eating at home.  With it, I could make virtually any food I wanted, and perfectly.  

Over the course of my meal, I couldn't help but wonder what Erica meant when she confessed she was scared of letting me see her fight.  I guess I can imagine her being fairly ruthless when it comes to that sort of thing, especially after they kicked me down and hurt me during that last struggle.  Now Erica had a score to settle for both her own kind and for me.  

Admittedly, I was also not really the fighting type.  Before that fight yesterday I’d never actually had to physically defend myself from someone before.  The only reason I gave myself a weapon at all was to have a backup plan.  Its purpose was to protect the town and potential others with barriers.  The gun function was only made with the intention of trying to scare the scientists off.  Now that I knew we were on the brink of war, that would all have to change.

When I'd finished eating, I sat awake for a while, not quite tired, but needing sleep all the same.  I'd need all the rest I could get to heal up before I went back to fighting again.  Just because Erica will be with me doesn't mean I get to take a break. I know she wants to fight, and I really don’t know what she’s capable of, but I can’t imagine she can take on a small army without me there to back her up.  

Late into the night, I finally lay down to get some rest.  I thought Erica was already asleep; she was lying on her side, facing the empty woods, but when I lay down, she sat up.  I shifted sideways so we were facing eachother — my mouth opening and closing a few times before I found what I wanted to say.  

"Erica, I have an important question for you," I stated, inhaling softly.  She stood, looking over at me nervously.  "What is it?"  "Today I gave you something that's highly dangerous — made specifically to kill giants.  I- I inadvertently gave you abilities that can overpower me at any given moment.  So.. I'm just asking.. for peace of mind, really…"  I cleared my throat, anxiously meeting her gaze.  "Can I trust you with them?"

My question lingered in the air for a moment as Erica's eyes widened in shock.  With careful steps, she moved closer, brushing my cheek with her hand.  A small smile spread across her lips as she looked me over lovingly.  "I'd like you to," Erica responded gently.  At once I was back on the cliffside, leaning against it as Erica stood on the mansion's balcony.  After I offered to make up for everything I’d done, she asked me one simple question: Can I trust you?  The memory replayed in my head the moment Erica answered me — a familiar yet previously forgotten echo of the past.  Her answer.. that’s what I replied, isn’t it?

Erica’s hand dwindled on the surface of my cheek for a while.  She stood in front of me, trying to read my questioning expression.  A small kiss lightly pecked the tip of my nose, and I smiled, pulling her close.  Erica giggled as my lips brushed against her body.  “I knew I could trust you,” I whispered, mouth barely an inch from her.  “Just making sure.”  My fingers laced around her tiny form and I held her close to my chest.  I could feel her miniscule hands pull my shirt aside, snuggling into the warmth of my skin.  I fell asleep shortly afterwards, feeling ready for the trials of the next day.

The following morning, we were both up and ready rather early.  I made my way to the Cavern Town with Erica on my shoulder.  Both founders were outside when I arrived, standing by my letter.  It looked like they were arguing.  Another pang of guilt dashed through my chest, but I shoved it down.  I knelt in front of the two as they stepped away from my towering form.

"Finally!" Mr. Stoll cried, "Where the hell have you been!?  The giants are threatening to destroy our town!  They're all coming down from the camp and-"  Ms. Ashford put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back slightly.  She whispered something harshly to him, but I couldn't hear anything.  I glanced at Erica, but she shook her head.  They were too far away for either of us to hear them.  It looked as if they were arguing again.  I waited patiently for them to address me, but their fight had only grown more heated.  "I'm sorry," I interrupted, "but did you say the giants are on their way here?"  "Yes," Ms. Ashford answered me, "But we won't ask you to fight them because you're inexperienced and can't handle the stress of fighting off an army."  Many of her words had pointed edges to them, directed at Mr. Stoll who stood defiantly with his arms crossed.

"She won't fight them!" Erica called, "At least not alone!  I'll fight them off for the safety of the town and for Alexis' safety too!"  I smiled gratefully at Erica, feeling a bit better about my whole awful predicament.  "Ha!  You fight them?" Mr. Stoll scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous!  You're just going to get yourself killed!  I'm surprised your giant friend hasn't talked you out of it yet!"  A wrathful glare distorted Erica's features.  "I will fight them, and I'll win!  You’ll see!  Come on, Alexis, let's get out of here."  

She tugged on my shirt to get me to stand back up.  Knowing this argument would only get worse the longer I stayed, I followed her command and left the valley after giving quick instructions to the founders.  “Keep everyone inside the barrier no matter what.  This scare will hopefully be over soon.”  

Erica growled under her breath the moment I left the exit to the valley.  "That old bastard, I'll show him!  You don't even need to fight, Alexis; I'll deal with them."  "Erica, don't go in over your head on this," I warned.  "What, you don't think I can do this either?" she quipped, voiced edged in malice.  "No..  I do, I do."  My voice tapered off in an almost worried uptone.

We silently waited at the foothills of the valley.  Some time later, the air buzzed with anxious electricity, like the moments before a storm.  Just up ahead, a cloud of dust spread out over the horizon.  The silhouette of a small army marched its way towards the mountains where we stood — about twenty people, maybe a few more.  I reached behind my back and pulled out my gun, anxiously switching it to multi-shot mode.  "Alright, get ready.  Here they come."  Erica grabbed her shining weapons and hunched down on the very edge of my shoulder.

When they got close enough, I unleashed a line of glowing bullets spiraling in the portal-worlders’ direction, and charged.  Closer to the front line, I generated a shield for myself and Erica zoomed away off my shoulder, rocketing through the air towards her first target.  We were both so pumped with stress and adrenaline that we were almost eager to fight.  However, as Erica came within an arm's reach of the first 'giant', they swung their rifle-esqe gun through the air.  It made contact with a sickening crack and swept her out of the way in an instant.  The attack was so sudden and so swift; my throat dropped into my stomach.  "ERICA!"  I skidded to a halt, too shocked to move, and was immediately tackled to the ground.

No no no, please!  It's only her first fight!  She can't be dead!  But from the awful noise and the force of that blow… there really weren't many alternatives.  "ERICA!" I screamed again.  These people came here to collect me.  They could care less about some other-world person like Erica getting in their way.  That woman smacked her out of the air as if she were nothing more than an annoying bug!  I thrashed out of someone's grip, blasting the group backwards with a shot of my gun.  On my hands and knees, I scrambled away from them to collect Erica and dodge back home.  Just let her be alive!

Before I could find her, I was dragged back to the group.  One of the 'giants' had grabbed my ankle.  He pinned my arm down so I couldn't shoot anything, and called the others over to subdue me.  I desperately tried everything I could think of.  Turning invisible helped some — they couldn't quite see where I was to hold me down — but it was pointless with the crowd of people encircling me.  Again and again I tried to lift my arm out of the person's grasp.  I just wasn't strong enough.  Deadpan faces surrounded me; my hands were forced behind my back.  One moment a man stood menacingly over me, weapon raised to strike, the next moment he'd gone slack.  A smiling red line oozed along his neck.

I watched in wide-eyed terror as the people around me fell to the ground.  Blurs of motion zig-zagged around them, followed by wide red gashes and deep bubbling stab wounds.  I sat up warily, watching the chaos unfold around me.  People fired randomly into the air while an inescapable weapon struck their chest and left them with two large gashes that punctured their lungs and heart.  I flinched slightly every time someone cried out in agony and stumbled to the earth, clutching their neck or chest.  One by one, angry red wounds appeared on each of the 'giants', and they began to topple over, gasping for air and coughing up reddened bile before collapsing.

The last few ran for it, and I shakily stood to watch them.  They held up their shields in desperate defense, but it was no use.  I could only stare numbly as they hit the ground.  It happened so fast I could've sworn they'd tripped and fell.  No, they weren't getting up.  Pools of blood seeped into the dirt beneath them, staining the grass a glossy dark red.  Within the span of five minutes, all twenty or so people were lying dead with their vital organs and veins shredded or stabbed through.

My legs buckled and gave out beneath me.  I closed my eyes tightly, breathing heavily as I tried to keep myself from shaking.  The deep breathing only made things worse, however; the strong smell of blood stung my nostrils.  Despite the fact that every one of those people wanted to hurt me and those I cared about, it was mortifying to see them all killed so violently in such quick succession.  

It seemed like I'd been in a trance forever, but in a few moments, I was woken.  "Alexis!"  Something too quick for my brain to comprehend raced through the air in front of me.  I yelped as its blurred form struck towards me, scrambling backwards instinctively.  My pulse thrummed in my neck — eyes widening in fear as I tumbled over the body of someone who’d died.  Blood oozed out of their chest and smeared across my back, sticking my shirt to my skin.

The weapon, which I only then processed was Erica, landed a few feet away, standing openly in the now corpse-littered field.  "...Alexis?"  It took me a moment to come to my senses.  Every time I tried to focus, my head spun dizzily.  When I finally got my emotions in check, I slowly crawled forward.  Erica’s sentiment from the night before dashed through my head — ‘I don't want you to look at me differently when you see me fighting tomorrow.’

When I was close enough to read her expression, my heartstrings tore apart.  Erica stared down at her reflection in the bloodstained blades she held limply at her sides.  Her face and body was spattered with droplets of crimson, and her mouth was open in silent shock, as though she didn't recognize the person staring back at her.  For a moment, I hadn’t either.

Slowly, she lifted her head to look up at me.  “It’s.. it’s not…”  Erica stammered on her words, glancing out over all the people she’d so ruthlessly killed, then back to my face.  My expression must’ve looked horrified.

"I'm not like you," she whispered, "I didn't have the privilege of a family that cares.  I never felt 'safe'.  At home or anywhere else."  I sat stunned, waiting patiently for her to continue.  Erica shuddered, holding up one of her bloody, sword-like weapons.  "If you call yourself a monster for killing people you didn't think were alive to begin with…"  She paused, fighting not to start crying in the middle of her sentence.  Struggling to hold back tears, she changed it again.

"This is why I didn't want you to see me fight.  I- I don't want you to see what kind of person I really am.  I've done so many things you don't know about…  Now you're scared of me!"  She cried out suddenly, gesturing to how I'd pulled away from her, "Alexis, please don't run!  I need you!  I promise I would never hurt you!"  Her voice tapered off into tears, and she fell to the ground, weapons disappearing into the crystal in her back.

Awful doesn't even begin to describe how I felt.  I hadn’t meant to back away from her, but I had to admit, her angered rampage was nothing short of terrifying.  "Erica, I'm right here," I reassured her gently, coming closer.  "You didn't scare me off.  I'm not going anywhere."  "But.. You- You don't even know me!" she sobbed, "I- I realized last night- you don't know who I am!  You don't kn-"  "Then tell me." 

Erica stared up at me from the ground.  She tried to stand, but her legs gave out — dropping her down to the grass below.  It was as if even her own body abandoned her.  I cautiously held out a few fingers for Erica to lean on, and she gripped them fiercely.

"If you're worried I might not want to stay with you, then let me know why.  If you truly believe I don't know you, could you tell me who you are?"  Erica tried to speak, but gritted her teeth tightly as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.  Shakily, she pulled herself into my hand and tucked her knees tightly against her chest.  I gently folded my fingers around her tucked-up form and brought her to a smaller area of rock away from the aftermath of her anger — somewhere where we could see eye to eye.

Erica slowly made her way onto the ledge beside me.  Once she managed to sit herself down, I put my hands around her in a light grasp to keep her still, delicately wiping the tears and blood from her face.  She quieted — breath hitching for a moment as she stared up at me wide-eyed while I did my work.

"There you are," I stated softly, swiping away the last splotches of red.  "It's alright, Erica.  Just take a deep breath; it's ok."  I waited as she took a few long inhales of the crisp air around us, letting out a shuddering sigh after calming down a bit.  She was silent for a while.  Erica sat soaking in the warmth and safety of my hands, eyes closed tightly.

"Are you really sure you want me to tell you?" she finally asked, peering uncertainly up at me.  Nodding, I sat back and let my arms rest beneath my chin as I settled down to listen.  "Go ahead, I won't say a word until you're done."  "Ok..."  Erica settled down too, keeping herself even with my height by sitting on the highest point on the rock.  It was a dangerous spot, but with her new weapon, she was practically immune to getting hurt from a fall.  Apparently that gave her immunity from being struck out of the air, too.

After clearing her throat a few times to stall as she thought, Erica finally ventured into her past.  "I guess I should start with my family…  Mama and my father were both really young when she had me.  I was, as my father always reminded me, an accident.  He never liked me much, and as I grew up, he really started to hate me.  I think he blamed me for everything he didn't like about his life.  Both my parents had hidden from their lives to hide the truth of my.. coming into the world.  We were always struggling for money, and almost every dollar was put towards me.  My mom loved me wholly, no matter what.  But my father only saw me as something that was dragging him down, wasting his time and his money.  No matter what the cause of his anger was, he would take it out on me.  Occasionally Mama, but mostly me.”  

“When I was young, it was just a lot of yelling; I learned not to let words affect me.  I got older, and his 'lectures' started taking less and less effect."  Erica stopped, glanced up at me, then turned away.  "The verbal abuse became physical abuse.  Mama didn't want to make him madder than he already was, so she never bothered to try and get him to stop.  I think she might have tried the first few times it happened, but then she started ending up at the end of his punches instead, so she left me to deal with it."

She gasped in a slight sob, looking to the sky as if asking someone above to help her speak.  After a brief pause, she continued.  "By 15 I was working two jobs in between school — one before and one after.  I told myself it was so I could afford the things I needed, because my parents refused to care about me or my problems, but I just wanted to stay out of the house.”

“For my 16th birthday, I bought myself a pocketknife.  Guys started to prowl after me on the streets.  I knew I needed some way to protect myself.  The first time I used it, it wasn't even on one of those creeps.  It was my father.  He'd lost his job while I was at school.  When I got home, Mama was lying on the ground and I could've sworn he'd killed her.  I tried to run, but he managed to pull me back inside with a hand over my mouth.  I thought he was going to kill me too; I thought he'd finally lost it.  So I stabbed him until he let me go, and ran."

Erica turned back to me now.  My mouth had dropped open in shock, and my hands had already inched forwards to hold her, but she wasn't done.  "I lived in various places for a few weeks.  Mostly an abandoned factory.  It became my new home until the cops found me.  They-  They tried to take me home.. but I thought they were lying.  I thought they were coming for me because I’d killed my father.  I was scared.  I…”  

Her arms drifted around herself as she began shaking.  “I lost it.  I attacked them and tried to run but they just cornered me and pinned me down.  M-My knife caught one of them in the face.  I ended up in jail that night, but eventually I was dragged back to my house where I found Mama wasn't actually dead, she was only unconscious when I saw her.  Unfortunately, neither was my father.  He left once I came back home.  He tried to hurt me one more time — for causing so much trouble with the cops — but I bought a better knife that same day I was brought back home after sneaking out that night.  I nearly did kill him, then.  He didn’t even realize he had it coming.  By then I was really getting sick of feeling scared."

"So he ran, and the day I turned 18, I left too.  Mama was barely around because of work, but she'd told me that she was sorry for everything after my father left.  That she regretted not doing something more to stop him.  We grew slightly closer, but I never forgave her for letting that happen to me.  The moment I could, I left and I never looked back.  That's my childhood," she ended coldly.

Erica purposefully kept her gaze off mine — the same kind of move I'd pull in school so the professor wouldn't call on me for an answer.  "That's..  I don't think there's a word for how horrible that is…” I said quietly.  Gently, I reached towards Erica, but she shifted away from my grasp.  “I’m not done.  There’s still John.”  “If you don’t want to, Erica, you don’t have to tell me anything else-”  "No, no, I'm getting to him," she sighed, wiping away tears.  "That's the part you really should know.  Because you're kinda involved in it."

Erica took a few more shaky breaths, and I moved my hand near her side to show her I was right with her.  She glanced back at me briefly, teary-eyed.  Shakily, Erica reached out and put a hand over my finger.

"So," she continued, "John.  Now that I was out of both home and school, I worked full time and got about five hours of sleep each day between jobs to cover my expenses since I was living entirely on my own.  Despite working constantly, I just couldn't scrounge up enough money to survive.  My problems were drowned away by shots of alcohol.  Another wonderful gift from my father: alcoholism.  I wasn't even old enough to drink, but it helped.  Kind of…  It helped me mentally.  Physically, it got me fired.  And broke.  I was at the club one night — thinking about possibly living out of my car — when I met John, my 'knight in shining armor'."  

Erica glared wrathfully at a rock nearby.  "I wasn't very drunk yet, but we hit it off.  Soon we were in his car slowly casting off layers of clothing until we had nothing left.  Like I said, I wasnt that drunk yet, so soon enough I came to my senses and ran off — scared that I’d lost control of myself like that.  I struggled trying to find a new job and still keep my secondary one, but it was like everything was caving in around me."

"Flash forward to a week and a half later.  I'm completely and utterly wasted in the same club, and John finds me.  I'm too far gone to really know what the hell I'm doing, and the next thing I know, he has me in a back room pinned naked beneath him."  Erica could probably see me tense up at that point, because she paused to glance knowingly at me.  "I only have snippets of what happened the rest of the night, but I met him for the first time completely sober a day later.  It was at the store I worked at.  I don't know how he figured out where I worked, but he also knew I needed money, badly.  I tried to slip out the back door, but he caught up to me and quickly threw out a deal: a paycheck triple what I made working both my jobs.  'All I had to do', he said, 'is earn it.'  I could have the financial security I desperately dreamed of, if I could just come by and.. well.. please him."

I pulled backwards off the rock, appalled.  "I know," Erica agreed, "I felt that way too, and at first I turned him down rather forcefully.  But in the end.. I- I needed that money.  I did what he asked, we went clubbing, got drunk, got laid, then did it all over again.  Same time next week.  Over months of this, he'd forced me into someone else.  He made me depend on him for.. everything.  John brainwashed me to abandon my more aggressive tactics.  He called it 'taming' me.  To cope, I convinced myself we were in some kind of twisted relationship."

"Months blurred together and all of it happened so often it became normal.  For both me, who should’ve ran long ago, and John, who was getting bored.  On one of my off days, I found him with someone else — another poor soul who'd been suckered into his schemes.  In my twisted fantasy, I saw that as cheating.  I dumped his ass in a blind rage, not realizing that I had no other way to make money."  Erica turned back to me and smiled ever so slightly as she gazed into my worried eyes.  "The night you found me was the same night I ‘dumped’ him.  You gave me all that cash because you knew I needed it.  But you never knew why I needed it."

"I- I just thought you'd, like, lost your job or something…" I stammered.  "I mean, technically I quit."  I stared at her, piecing together the jigsaw puzzle of what I'd known about her and what I hadn't.  "Well, at least now I know the truth."  "Not all of it," Erica amended, "Stuff happened during the four years you were gone."  I shuddered, “Oh god, Erica you really don’t have to-!”  “It’s ok.  I think…  I think I want to.  I want you to know.”

She waited as I settled back down.  "Once you left, I had about a year and a half of complete freedom before the invasion of giants.  I was devastated that you actually, permanently, left, but there wasn’t anything I could do; I had no way to reach you.”

“I had everything I needed thanks to the box of never–ending money, but then the giants arrived.  At first I thought you had brought them here — to- to get back at me somehow — but I never felt our connection.  My house, along with thousands of others, was destroyed.  Thankfully, I lived on that cliff.  I hid in the mountains for safety, but a lot of people weren't as lucky, and got abducted.  I waited for you.  I thought you might know something about it because it was your kind that was attacking.”

“After a day or two of hiding, I couldn't keep waiting.  I didn't have any food or water left.  There were plenty of abandoned cars in the wreckage of the neighborhood below, so I took one into the city to see if anyone was there.  I saw John and his gang when I drove in.  They hadn't spotted me, but.. I don't know.. the sight of any familiar face was enough to make me overjoyed.  His men almost shot me, I raced at them so quickly.  He held them back, though.  He said he'd take me in with open arms.  I didn't know what that entailed until it was too late."  Erica had to close her eyes for a moment.  Again I placed a few fingers by her side to reassure her that I was there, and nothing awful would happen.

"I- I was locked up when I got back to their base.  Things had taken an awful turn during the several days of uncontrolled apocalypse, and I learned about what was actually happening.  Each of the men that worked for John had taken girls off him in the years prior.  He'd lure them in, then convince them to go with someone else, and they were never seen again.  I'd been the lucky one.  I was John's 'little girl'.  God, I hated it when they called me that.”

“The young woman I saw him 'cheating' with was another mark.  She was there, too.  There were eight of us, including me.  The gang members did with us what they pleased.  Sometimes we were even traded off for the night.  I got special treatment, though, because I was with John.  I stayed in his room and got the same privileges he had, minus my freedom.”

“One by one, the others started dying off.  Starvation and dehydration took half of them.  It’s the apocalypse; there wasn't much food to go around, and they were already being fed last.  One of them escaped.  I really don't know how she managed that.  The other two committed suicide.  I also don't know how they managed that either.  The men were really strict about not letting either of those things happen.  We were drugged a lot of the time so we couldn't escape or die.  But just like the food, the drugs started running out, and they made their move.  A few months before you showed up, I became the sole survivor.  I tried to escape like that one woman did.  I think her name was Marley, but we rarely got called by our actual names.  They usually had a plethora of pet names for us."

"Anyway.. I tried escaping, but I got caught.  The punishment for escape is torture.  Not death, oh no, we were too valuable to be expendable."  An icy, sarcastic tone crossed through her voice, and I shivered.  "John didn't want them to punish me.  He knew the rest of the men were jealous that I was still there.  If he let them punish me, I wouldn't make it out alive.  John devised a plan; he would make a spectacle of torturing me himself.”

“At that point, I was desperately fighting for my freedom.  I'd been so close to escaping.  I didn't stick to the plan, as I'm fairly sure you saw.  I attacked him when he tried to hurt me, and the moment I did, the other men were absolutely going to kill me for it.  You stepped in before they could do anything — murdering everyone I'd daydreamed about murdering myself in one fell swoop.  I was back on drugs because they didn't want me escaping while I was being ‘punished’, so I wasn't even sure if what I saw was real.  When I woke up back at my destroyed house I hadn't seen in years, I thought I was dreaming.  Then I saw you."  Erica slid off her perch at the edge of the rock and came a bit closer, running a hand down mine as she walked.

"You were older, and you were really pretty.  If I'd seen you on the street under more normal circumstances, I'd have been tempted to make a move."  "But.." I interrupted, "Sorry, it's just…  Weren't you.. you know, into.. guys?"  Erica chuckled slightly, shaking her head.  "What part of my story made you believe that?  The part where a guy payed me to fuck him, or the part where a group of guys kidnapped me and chained me up to do that?"  

I flinched, "I- I just thought.. because of the time you and John.. the first night.. in the car…"  My voice faltered as I tried, and failed, to get my point across.  "Alexis, I never liked guys.  The only times I did were when I was drunk, drugged, or forced to feel that way."  She stepped up to me and took my pointer finger into her hands — hugging it to her chest.  "That's my story," she finished, "You were there for the rest, so now you know my whole life, basically, from start to right now."  I sat there for ages, processing the last of the puzzle pieces.  All the mysterious gaps that hindered my view of her suddenly filled in.  "H- How do you feel?" Erica asked me.  "That…  Explains a lot," I noted.  Sitting back to take everything in.

“See?” she asked me quietly, “I’m an awful person, aren’t I?”  I whipped around to face her in such sudden shock she bolted upright.  “No!  No, you aren’t!  Not at all!  Erica, you are none the worse in my eyes than you were yesterday, or the day before.  If anything, you've gotten better because I finally understand.  You have every right to be as angry and dangerous as you are.”

Erica stared at me for a long time.  I could feel her gaze boring into me as she searched over my expression.  It was silent for a long moment, broken by Erica's voice, softened with uncharacteristic hesitation. "Can you hold me?"  My eyes widened in soft surprise.  Erica stood on the rocks beside me, having just confessed the entirety of the horrible details of her life.  She craned her neck almost all the way back to look at me — tears glistening in her eyes.  "Please?"

"I-  Yes, of course," I nodded, knowing it must've been awfully hard for her to tell me everything.  I suspected something strange was going on since the day I returned — sooner than that, actually — but I never would've guessed anything as wild or as horrible as what she'd confessed.

Erica gasped a quiet whimper as I carefully laced my fingers over her body, bringing her to the edge of the rocks.  Shifting forward, I placed a delicate kiss on her neck and jaw.  She sobbed softly, pressing desperate kisses against my lips over and over again through quiet tears.  I could taste the salt of them against my lips.  “Shhh,” I whispered softly, reaching up to stroke her head.  “You’re ok; it’s all ok, Erica.  I’ve got you.  You’re safe.”  “Do y-  Do you still t-trust me?”  Again, I kissed her — lowering myself to press my lips to her stomach and letting her head rest against me.  “Of course I still trust you.”

Carefully curling my fingers around Erica's torso, I paused to let her raise her arms just slightly so they wouldn't be pinned to her sides.  My heart skipped a beat as I tightened my grip, lifting her off the ground.  I always knew she was small, but holding her this way, I became incredibly aware of how fragile she was.  It had always been at the forefront of my mind whenever we got close.  I’d gotten used to it, but now it was suddenly as if I were holding her for the first time.  At any moment, I could easily hurt her, and that scared me.  Any accidental movement I made could bruise her perfect hazel skin, or even worse, snap the tiny bones in her little body.  

Each of my fingers twitched slightly; stuck battling between tightening my grip so Erica wouldn't fall, or loosening it so she wouldn't be crushed.  Once I decided on an even mixture of the two, I couldn't help but lightly gasp in awe.  I could feel Erica’s miniscule heartbeat pounding away beneath my thumb.  Her lungs expanded just slightly, pressing into the pads of my fingers every time she drew another breath.

With her lifted to my face, I realized Erica seemed to be just as fascinated as I was.  She hung in my grasp, legs dangling below my palm, with her hands placed gently on my thumb in front of her.  I could see her expression shifting slightly in a myriad of ways, staring wide-eyed at the massive digit before her.  As if on its own, my other hand reached for her — flattening out beneath her so she wouldn’t be hanging in the air.  Erica's tiny heartbeat skittered beneath the pad of my thumb while she eased herself into my palm.  

Only after I was certain she’d sat down did I gently release her.  However, Before I could move my hand away, Erica reached out and grabbed it — watching, transfixed, as her whole hand fit nicely onto the pad of my single finger.  With one of her own miniscule digits, she lightly traced the outline of my fingerprint and I fought the instinctive urge to shudder at her feather-light touch.  

Finally, she locked eyes with me.  Erica's loving expression shifted to a muted worry.  "You're just.. so much," she whispered, "And I love it, I really do.  It's just..  Sometimes I wonder why you'd love someone like me."  Erica's gaze flitted away, "Wouldn't you be happier with someone who doesn't fit in the palm of your hand?  Someone who isn't.. three and a half inches tall?"  I smiled slightly at the irony of the situation.  Up until the day Erica kissed me the first time, I'd been asking myself similar questions: Why would she care about someone like me?  Wouldn't she be happier with someone her own size?  It was so obvious now.

I placed my thumb lightly over her hand, still grasping the pad of my pointer finger.  "Erica," I began earnestly, "You mean more to me than everyone from every world.  I would tear down mountains for you — you know I have.  The four years I lived without you were painstakingly, agonizingly, awful.  As long as I searched and as hard as I tried to forget, nothing ever quite filled the hole you left in me."  

I smiled sadly, remembering the endless days filled with yearning as I desperately tried to forget what happened — how I convinced myself it was all some elaborate fantasy just to force myself away.  I was miserable, confused.  I hadn't understood why it hurt so badly to lose her trust.  Multiple failed relationships only further proved what I hadn't recognized.  

"How could I ever be with someone like myself if the love of my life is literally sitting in the palm of my hand?"  Erica blushed furiously, smiling that wonderful smile I'd fallen for, long before I'd realized I'd fallen for her.  "You're beautiful, strong," I continued, "You haven’t given up on me even when I gave up on me.  I love you Erica.  No matter how unlovable you tell yourself you are, I will always love you.  Never doubt that."  

Erica's eyes watered, her gaze one again fixed on mine.  I gently slid her hand out from my fingers and cautiously brushed the pad of my pointer finger across her cheek, swiping away the tears that coasted silently down their plush surface.  Just above the digit, I could see the jagged line of Erica’s scar — a little mark against her that would likely always serve as a reminder of her past.  I just hoped she could see it as I did: the reason I’d stayed to protect her; the reason I stayed long enough to love her.

I curled my fingers around Erica in a smaller version of a hug — bringing her against me.  Her subtle smile brightened as she leaned against my chest, rubbing the rest of the tears from her eyes off against my shirt.  "Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.  "I just can't quite get over how lucky I am to have you, Alexis. You mean everything to me.  I honestly don't know where I'd be without you."

My smile stretched to a grin as I stared lovingly down at Erica's tiny form cupped in my hand.  "One day," I stated with unquestionable certainty.  "One day I'll find a way to make myself your size, I promise.  We can live together here, once everything’s over."  She looked up at me, hope gleaming in her glassy green eyes.  "Can you do that?  Can I have you at my own height instead of.. me at yours?"  My hand subconsciously rose to my gemstone weapon, tucked into the back of my neck.  "I've tried many, many times."  I surprised myself at how tired my voice sounded in that last sentence.  I wasn't exactly desperate to find a solution — most of my attempts had happened years ago when we were only friends — but I longed for one.  "So far nothing's worked, but I'll keep trying.  There has to be a way."

"Don't beat yourself up over it," Erica reassured me, "I still love you regardless.  After all, this is what I fell in love with," she added with a smile, gesturing at my height.  I chuckled lightly, but the longing was still there nonetheless.  It certainly wasn't as painful as the years I'd left — she was right there with me.  However, I so badly wanted us, together, the same size.  I wanted to sit by her side, both of us leaning lovingly against one another.  I wanted all the small, intimate things everyone but us could do.  I yearned for the day when Erica could hold me for a change.

I leaned back on the rock Erica had been sitting on.  The frightening scatter of corpses again filled my vision.  "Thank you for saving me, Erica."  I gestured to the pile of soldiers that had been surrounding me earlier.  "I don't want to hurt any more people, but I think I might have to."  She sighed, looking solemnly at her massacre.  "I don't want you to do this either," she confessed, "I feel like such a horrible influence, or a hypocrite."  Erica chuckled half-heartedly, "I've tried to get you to stop hurting my people, only to turn around and kill a bunch of yours."  I grumbled slightly, "Everyone needs to quit calling them 'my people'.  They aren't anything like me; they're not even from my world!  They just happen to be my size."  

A tiny hand patted one of my fingers to calm me.  "Ok, I'm sorry.  Look, if we can just use this fight to scare the rest of the giants away, everything will go back to being kinda normal, right?"  I shrugged, jostling Erica slightly in my cupped hands.  "I have no idea.  If I were them, I'd just move to another area that I know isn't protected by a rogue superpowered person and her tiny killing machine."

At this, Erica laughed nervously.  "Was I really that scary?"  "Well.." I stammered, "Yeah, but it was also pretty badass."  Her laugh grew more genuine before abruptly cutting off with a cry of pain.  My fingers retracted in an instant, and I brought her worriedly to my face.  Erica flinched confusedly, and glanced downward at her side.  Hesitantly, she pulled up her shirt slightly so she could look at herself.  The skin on her left side bloomed with gigantic purple bruises that stretched across her whole body.  "Erica!" I gasped in concern, "That was where I got hit by that gun," she realized quietly.  

"Erica, we need to get you to a hospital right now!  I heard bones crack when that woman hit you!  I- I thought you'd died!"  Immediately, I was on my feet.  Stepping over the bodies of fallen soldiers, I hurried back towards the Cavern Town as quickly as I dared.  "No, it's.. I'm fine!"  However, the moment she spoke, she started coughing violently.  Minuscule red droplets spattered my palm.

Back within the valley, I found a few people waiting just inside the barrier.  Isabel and Marcus were there, as well as Ivan and a few others I didn't recognize.  I rushed over to them and knelt in a hurry.  "Erica's hurt!" I called, "She got hit badly during the fight!  I think something's broken, but I don't know…"  Ivan dashed off down the tunnel, yelling for help, while Marcus glanced fearfully past me.  "What about the giants?  Are they coming, or did you fight them off?"

At first, I was furious that Marcus had ignored Erica's desperate situation, but I soon realized that a hoard of angry giants was something you'd want to be warned about sooner rather than later.  I shook my head, "Erica got rid of them.  No one's following me here; you're all safe."  He gave a sigh of relief just as Ivan returned with a few people and a stretcher in tow.  I held out my hand with Erica in it.  She was still conscious, but had doubled over in pain — face contorted in agony.  All I could do was watch in silent fear as they took her away into the depths of the city.

Marcus tried to ask me more questions, but Isabel dragged him off, scolding him about being more considerate.  I sat devastated, unsure what to do.  I wanted to be with Erica for whatever happened, but I couldn't get inside the city at my height.  

The only person still there, Ivan, glanced back and forth between the other end of the tunnel and mine — torn between following her or staying to calm me down. He stepped hesitantly out of the barrier and put his hand over mine.  "She'll be fine," he reassured me, "The doctors here know what they're doing.  They've dealt with injuries way worse than hers."  "Since when have they ever dealt with battle wounds?" I spat, a bit harsher than I meant to.  Ivan pulled his hand back, but stayed where he was.  "They haven't dealt with battle wounds," he replied calmly, "I said they've dealt with worse.  They’ve had to save people pulled from the wreckage the giants leave in their wake — half-dead people that fall from the giant's grasp and then get left behind.”

My anger sobered slightly at Ivan's descriptions.  Admittedly, they did sound a lot worse than Erica.  I took a shaking breath and stared longingly at the faint glimpse of the Cavern Town, now Cavern City, beneath my protective shield.  There were so many more people now that the other town I’d saved had moved in as well.  "Do you mind staying here with me?" I asked Ivan, "You don't have to, but-"  "Of course." We sat outside for a while.  I got up to get the food box so I could eat, then came right back.  I didn’t even end up eating anything. In the middle of all this, I started tearing up.  Intrusive thoughts bombarded my brain with images of Erica on her deathbed, and I was unable to be there to comfort her.  Again, Ivan stepped up to my hand, but his tiny finger hug wasn't enough to console me.  I shifted away from him and hugged my legs tightly against myself, fighting desperately not to start bawling so that the whole place could hear me. 

Eventually, the sun started to set and I grew even more anxious.  "I need to go see if I can find out anything about Erica," Ivan told me gently, "I'll be back in a little bit, alright?"  I nodded numbly and he left, leaving me alone in the valley as the sky grew darker and darker.  The sun sunk beneath the horizon, taking the light along with it.

[mikeystrawberry]

A clarification on my future artwork:

I have a lot of dndads related wips but do not feel that great about finishing them. There have been too many issues I’ve taken up with the fandom AND the cast of dndads and as such I’m deciding to exist the fandom a bit compared to how deeply involved I’ve been for the past two years. I’ve also since ended my Patreon subscription as I cannot in good faith continue to monetarily support them.

I’ll be reusing my old concepts while inserting original characters separate from the pod. The only character I can see myself making any future art of is Sparrow, both for finishing everyone’s designs for her they gave me on twt and also yume/general art since I have a deep emotional attachment to her. Nicky may be there as well because of Lovesong and Mickrow (yumeship name for us three). This is all to say if you see any art from me that looks like maybe it used to be dndads? There’s a good chance of that. But I’ll be adjusting designs of the characters and labeling them OC as I don’t want to draw directly of the show anymore. Some concepts might be unsalvageable to make not dndads but I’m going to try.

I have a lot of designs for the show and I cherish them all but I can’t see myself posting personal-made art of those characters in the future. I don’t want to support this show anymore in the way I have until now.

For anyone who was still interested in the sticker sheets of my 5th anni stained glass art, I can no longer see myself going through with the production of those. I’ve been waiting since then to have a moment where I could find the time and money to invest into selling those, but unfortunately I no longer see myself doing so.

As for Lovesong Week, I’m unsure if I will actually host it. The prompts have been set, but I don’t see myself hosting a specific week for it on tumblr. I may just post it as a whenever you want prompts list and leave it like that. The ship is still precious to me but I am still iffy on continuing to interact with the fandom at all outside of my friends.

I’m glad to have become something of a well known artist in this community as I’ve had others state to me, but I can no longer be a part of such an unsafe environment for my friends and myself. I think that’s everything!

[miaikon]

From learning a Sci-Fi script to picking up a Con-Lang (or, a very long very nerdy Star Wars rant)

I need to rant at this to the void, and this blog is my go-to for these things. I feel free to do so since no-one comes here anyways.

A bit of background

(or, the part you can skip if you want to get to the nerdy rant now): I've been into Star Wars on and off since my teens. I'm nearly 40, so that's a few decades. I do watch the new series, and became very fond of "The Mandalorian" really fast. In-between seasons, my spouse and I also re-watched most of Clone Wars. In early 2024, we started a Star Wars 5E TTRPG campaign with a friend, where my spouse DM's, Friend plays a Jedi, and I play a Mandalorian (and she's just so much FUN to play). My character is one I came up with around... 2017? Maybe? IDK if you can find her if you scroll down far enough. Currently re-designing her, though. I originally came up with her after working my way through the Travis books and becoming fascinated with Mandalorians for some reason.

Accidential Language Acquisition

My latest obsession (and distracion from the summer heat) started with me looking up some Mandalorian phrases and curses for RPG purposes. Yes, I know, none of this is canon any more. None of us cares. We kind of make our own canon. Then I found out there's a script - and I was lost. I loved codes and obscure scripts as a child, and I did learn to read Hiragana in my 20s, so how hard could this be? I looked for a chart and found this site, which offers practice reading (and a dictionary, amongst other stuff). So, I started learning the characters in, I think, late July. I read quite well by now, my writing does lag behind. Juuust... the practice phrases are written in the Mandalorian language.

I didn't set out to learn a constructed language. I really did not. I just wanted to know WHAT I was typing. So I looked up the sentences on the cheat-sheet after I got them right. And some words started repeating, and I picked them up. Kinda automatically. I swear, I only practice reading/ writing this for like 15 to 30 minutes a day. After a while, I half-understood what some sentences said. Reading Star Wars fanfiction did not help (or help a lot, depending on your POV) there. I looked up missing words, building a bit of a vocabulary. It's erratic still, but I noticed something. In conversations, my brain sometimes supplies the Mandalorian words I know now. (I usually do catch myself, although stuff tends to slip in when I'm alone with my spouse, to his amusement.) My language center does not know this is a con-lang, after all. I also tried to write a ransom note in Mandalorian, which was a fun experience (for a private project). Through fan fiction and looking up stuff, I also learned about the Legends version of Mandalorian culture. That stuff is fascinating, although I feel like a visitor to an abandoned city. Everyone's gone (since Legends is out of print and stuff is falling into obscurity), but it's still cool to look around. It gives me a kind of bittersweet, nostalgic feeling, too. So many passionate minds, and things I'm so happy to experience, but wished I knew about sooner. Aay'han, if you will, only it's memories I never made. Nostalgia for what could have been. Not gonna lie, I'm obsessed. It's a feeling I seldom get now, although it was quite frequent when I was a teen. It feels great and enjoyable and unhealthy and I think I need to stop. I'm an adult, and I'm too old to fangirl. Or, at least, I keep telling myself this.

Analyzing a Con-Lang because my nerd brain can't stop looking for patterns

Mandalorian actually HAS different words for the people, the planet, the ruler, and the language. Let me start with Manda, which is the collective soul (or the concept of) of the Mandalorian people. The people themselves are Mando'ade (Children of the Manda/ of Mandalore. Singular Mando'ad). The language is Mando'a (no clue why, language would be joha. Maybe Mando'joha was too long and it got shortened). The planet is Manda'yaim (yaim meaning home. Simple enough). The ruler is the Mand'alor (alor meaning, well, leader. Also simple).

Before long, my brain started making connections between some things. Simple things first - "Ke" or "K' " at the start of a sentence is always the imperative form of something ("Command form"). The words for "you", "I", and the third person pronoun. Then, between words, trying to fit new words with what I already know. Like [something] ad was most likely about people. I built myself bridges that are just theories - I am not a linguist in any fashion, and I'm just trying to make sense of what's there. Like mirsh meaning brain(cell), kot meaning strenght, and mirshko is courage - so, "brain-strength"?

And no, for all of you out there that are as nerdy as me, this is not a full language. There isn't a word for "call" or "get in contact with" I could find, for example. Some authors just wanted to add flair to their writing, so an incomplete thing is what we have. Even so, I am kind of hooked in the weirdest way. I play around, trying to make my own sentences and combined words. It's fun, and private, and nobody needs to know. Except for the two people I TTRPG with.

IDK any more where I wanted to go with this. There might be a part 2, someday. If anyone read this, I appreciate you. If anyone read this and had this weird kind of obsession happen to them as well, let's talk. It might just be the universe's weirdest midlife crisis.

[storyowls]

Anna Harris: Pre-Embrace drabbles

Some of the drabbles I did for my VtM character Anna!

Warning, these works can include: Mentions of a body, negative feelings towards family, death of a family member, and strong language.

The weird, uneasy feeling that I expect to have in my tiny dorm isn’t there. All media has told me that I’d feel weird being away from my family, so removed yet so close. But I don’t, I don’t feel that at all.

I feel relieved.

The relief fades as I realize what that means. That nagging, aching, buried in my chest and squeezing my throat feeling. My hands cover my face as I try to hold it all inside, like the scared seventeen year old that I am. All my cousins are so much older than me, the youngest was ten when I was born. And uncle Rocco….he was nine, when I came around, but he cared.

He cared so much.

The others didn’t.

I was just there, a constant, annoying, young kid who was too small to do what they wanted to do. I was just annoying to teenagers, young adults. They had moved on so far with life when I was a teenager myself.

The severed feeling I felt from that side of the family when he died is still strangling my soul so hard.

I don’t belong, I never belonged. I’m so sorry Rocco.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry.

And I hate that I will never belong.

Mom insisted on putting a full body mirror in my tiny dorm (I’m tossing a sheet over it, fuck this) and I don’t want to tell her how I feel. We stand in front of it, and I just stare at myself. Try to ignore how different we look, how Dad’s genes won over hers except for the color of my hair.

I can’t even look like the others, can I?

She makes a comment about how beautiful I am, placing a hand on my shoulder. Am I, Mom? Am I really when I’m so far detached from the family? I can’t tell her about the aching in my chest, the longing for a sense of belonging.

How I’ve wanted to scream at her for making me have a different last name than everybody else.

She seems to be done with her check in on me (please give me space to grieve whom I never was in peace), and starts to walk towards the door. I follow her, we talk for half an hour more as her hand rests on the handle. I watch as she leaves before stepping back in and shutting the door.

And I toss a sheet over that stupid mirror.

The sketchbook is full.

Looking down at the last page, I study the drawings of a dissected tulip. The Darwin Hybrid tulip breed; beautiful, steady, a resilient flower for any discerning gardener. Or the favorite of a somewhat depressed, extremely bored college student. It’s my sophomore year, still stuck doing my general classes. I’ve moved to a somewhat bigger place; a near by apartment complex with my first roommate from the dorms.

And she’s currently out on a date so I have the place to myself.

Letting out a content sigh, I grab my fancy colored pencils and begin to color the pictures. I’m happy with this, feel like a real artist. And a real big dork too, haha. I soon finish up, closing the sketchbook up and going to hide it for now. Maybe I’ll share these one day.

Hell maybe I’ll design my own tattoo sometime.

But for now, I’m just get another sketchbook and fill that up too. Got a lot of plants to draw after all.

And a lot of college ahead of me.

I got the singing from Mom, the guitar skills from Dad. A country singer and a man who, if he so decided, could break the blue grass music industry with a smile and a wave created me. I do not sing country, I do not play blue grass.

I do metal.

I quietly pluck my guitar strings, my roommate out for the night to celebrate her first degree. We’re both very driven, ready for more, and we’ve agreed to move into one of the college apartments once we leave this dorm. More room, more privacy. And the parking doesn’t suck.

As for me, I’ve recently finished my minor in music theory, making Mom prouder than the day she got her first platinum album. Dad voiced his pleasure in a letter, and I can feel the radiating warmth of his joy. This degree has made Mom back off a little, giving me room to go after my true joys.

The sound of my music quietly fills the air as I try not to be a disturbance to our neighbors. Music sheets litter the tiny, shitty desk I have crammed into a corner. I pause, picking up my marker to connect a few more notes, write down another line in the lyrics. This has been my little project for a while, a hidden knowledge and joy. Smiling, I hold the pages up to see what I have.

Mom probably wouldn’t like it, but I don’t care. The words work, the music works. I just need somebody else to be part of this, and the song will be perfect. It’s me, all the way down to the screams and the resentment, it’s me.

I got the singing from Mom, the guitar skills from Dad, and the song from me and me alone.

I’m sitting through a classmate’s dissertation defense. While most people outside us would be bored, I and the others here are fascinated. Out of the corner of my eye I see their family; a bunch of fellow nerds in some degree. They may not fully understand, but they’re clearly interested.

I wonder how mine will look, if they come.

While most of them went to some form of schooling beyond high school (yes, trade school counts and it’s very important), their interests didn’t exactly align with mine. Most went into business, music, trades, and a couple became lawyers.

I once more settle under the very lonely “odd ball” section of the family.

Sitting back in my seat, I let my mind snap back to my classmate. Charles catches my attention briefly, tilting his head as if asking me a question. I nod in reply, knowing what he’s curious about. Giving me that soft, knowing smile, he turns back to the front and I follow his lead.

Damn, he’s good at knowing when I need him.

The defense wraps up, and we all stand around to talk for a little. After about ten or so minutes we disperse, going off in our own merry little ways. My mind thinks about Charles, trying to not think about who I will see at the end of the week. I spot him ahead, clearly waiting for me with a hand out stretched.

I eagerly take it when I catch up to him.

I try not to look too much at them as I give my defense, I don’t need to see. My paternal grandparents clearly are into it...mom and her side are doing their best to be supportive, but it’s all falling a little flat. Of course it is, but I’m trying not to let it get to me.

My classmates are into it, watching and listening intently. They’re my people, and I’m their person. I keep my attention on them, giving little glances once in a while as they watch. Charles is here, of course, and there’s a big smile on his face. It breaks my heart for a moment, knowing that we’re going to be parting ways after graduation.

I’m going to LA, and he’s going to Alaska.

I let my mind go back to the task at hand, finishing with a sense of triumph and confidence. My family come up to talk with me a little before leaving. Mom lingers a little, the smile of a proud mother on her face as she tells me I did great. I know I did, but I don’t say anything. I watch her leave before going to my classmates. We talk, and I let the pain melt away for a little bit.

I try to ignore the fact that I’m part of the painful, lonely “odd ball” section of the family where nobody else resigns.

It’s midnight, and I need a rush of caffeine before I fall asleep on the next job site. I know I’ve joked about wanting a dirt nap during exam season, but I did not mean like that. Pulling into a parking spot at the random gas station between point B and C, I look at the building. Lively enough to hopefully have coffee, but quiet enough that only the single person on shift will be there to judge my piss poor life choices.

Perfect.

Grabbing my purse, I pull my lanyard off and shove it in there so as not to just hand out my name to random people. My van shifts slightly as I open the door and climb out, which doesn’t surprise me anymore. Maybe someday I’ll get something else, something that hasn’t seen Michigan winters. Double check the doors locked before shutting the driver’s side and heading inside.

I don’t even check to see if somebody’s at the counter, I’m technically on break so I can take a moment to just look around. If they’re off doing something, they’ll come back. And since I’m here, might as well get some sort of lunch…late dinner, early as shit breakfast? I consider getting a hot dog, but eh, I’m just going to chip it.

Looks like I haven’t really gotten out of the college mindset yet. Getting a PhD will do that to ya.

After grabbing my chips of choice, I look at the coffee. Oh, oh no. It looks like the last shift made this, and I know stuff happens, but not this. Even I have standards for my coffee, and something I’d do to torture myself during my dissertation period isn’t on the list.

Once was enough, thanks.

This means I’m stuck with energy drinks, fuck me. Turning, I look at my choices, no to the Red Bull, the Monster….shit. I resign myself to my fate of the tiny, weird looking bottle of 5-hour Energy. Picking it up, I decide to stop wasting time and go up to the counter.

The person on shift looks like they don’t wanna be here. Don’t really think I can blame them. As they scan my items I notice the multiple magazines they have laid out to read when nobody’s around. I wonder when the last customer they saw before me was. I count the change out once they’re done, handing it over. The worker quickly glances it over, seeming somewhat grateful for exact change, and puts it in the register.

Once I’m handed my receipt, I pick my things up, say bye, and leave. There’s a strange, lingering sense of emptiness as I step out into the parking lot. I decide to chalk it up to the time of night, and unlock my van before slipping inside. It shifts as I get inside and slam the door closed.

Double checking that the doors are locked, I turn it on just enough for the radio. I put on the lanyard once more, making sure my work ID is facing out so people know who I am. Ripping the energy drink open, I let out a sigh before drinking it the only way I know. Chugging it.

If these people wanted me to sip it like a fine wine, they’re going to have to make the idea seem good.

Once done, I put the bottle and its cap in the little bag I have for trash. Fully starting my engine, and after buckling up, I start to back out of the spot I’ve been holding onto. I can eat in the parking lot of my next destination (damn me for not packing a real lunch), chill out for the rest of my break before pretending to be a whole person for some other botanist.

It’s sometime after midnight, and I’m banking on a rush of caffeine to carry me through the rest of the night.

Well, this certainly wakes me up.

Pulling out my phone, I find the non-emergency line for the police. After giving them the details of where I am, and what I found, I hang up and call my boss. She seems surprised and states that she’s on her way to me.

“How far back are you standing?”

“I backed up like five feet the instant I saw what I dug up.”

“Okay, good. I’ll be there soon, you just wait.” She hangs up and I put my phone away. 

I back up a few feet more, just to make sure. I’m still within sight so I can keep an eye on it, and this way nobody has to try and find me. 

Luckily I already have lights set up so I’m not just sitting in the dark. Sighing, I go and get my book from my purse before sitting down. I leaf through the pages, and wait.

It’s not like the body’s going anywhere anyway.

My boss gets here a few minutes before the police who instantly go to the body. She and I discuss how this will probably slow down the job site for a few days. There’s promises that I’ll still be paid, even though I’m not working. Works for me; I probably just saved her a lot of legal headache by finding it tonight.

I hear a cop remark that the body looks pretty fresh, and my heart sinks.

I try not to think about how it took some willpower to not just stand and stare at what I found for a few minutes before calling. The classes I took in college really piqued my curiosity in this line of work, though I was going to stick with the botany. 

I hope whoever this is gets identified and returned to whoever cares about them.

A cop comes over to talk to me. I pull out the laminated map showing where the dig sites were supposed to be and explain I was to get dirt samples. The workers during the day dug up the exact spots already, I didn’t have to do much that night.

“However,” I pull out a white board marker, circling the spot where the body was, “this was not supposed to be dug up. Naturally this got my attention, and I was very careful during my look over. The soil seemed to be dug up later too. So I carefully dug up some of the dirt and well…”

“You found the victim. What’d you do then?”

“I dropped my tool on the edge of the hole I dug up and then backed up about five feet before calling. I already messed with the scene enough, I didn’t want to do more damage.”

“Well, you didn’t do enough to mess with our work, and thank you for calling right away Miss Harris, we appreciate it. We’ll get our stuff set up so you can get yours and get home. Hopefully this won’t keep you up tonight.”

“Yeah, hopefully, thanks officer.” I watch him walk away before standing back, not wanting to get in the way. I’ve definitely earned the right to spend the rest of the night at a karaoke bar after this. 

And that’s where I’ll be.

I stand in front of the shitty, second hand full sized mirror I got at the thrift store. I’ve shoved it into a corner of my bedroom where I can easily hide it, turn it away. But I’m looking myself over, thinking about how I’ve grown and changed since the last mirror I had.

The one I smashed in college.

I have the stare of a stubborn fool who got a doctorate in something most people don’t wanna hear about. It’s going to be a struggle making friends, I feel like, for many reasons. I can just imagine the awkward silence when I introduce myself now.

The stares that tell me I don’t belong here.

I turn, staring over my shoulder as I check out the backwards reflections of my patches. Most collected over the years, bought myself or gifted. A couple of them…well, if Ridley wanted to keep them he should’ve come the fuck back to Detroit.

The thought that I probably won’t find him ever again catches in my throat and I choke down the tears.

Instead, I just stare at myself, Mom’s words about how beautiful I am ringing in my ears; metaphorically of course. Straightening myself up, I grab the tattered sheet I brought with me and toss it over the mirror. I can bring myself to stare at it some other time.

But for now, I’m going to a quick job to do before I go to church.

I exit the church, disappointed but somehow not surprised. There’s the aching pain in my chest, again, the longing of…something I’d rather not admit. Times like these make me wish I smoked so I’d have something to cut the anxiety.

Coffee doesn’t help and I’m not too keen on having too many college level nights with a punch bowl again.

My mind turns to the one guy I sat down by, the one with the stare of a man who hated nearly everybody he saw in there. It was fucking creepy, but somehow, I related. Maybe he feels just as let down by this whole shitshow like I do, maybe that’s what led me to talk to him. That or the fact that I’m dressed like a metal head dipshit and he was rocking the crusty punk look.

Fucking hell, what good is a PhD if you don’t know how to control your emotions?

I realize that I paused by the door’s side, not blocking the entry way but still close enough to hear any loud praying inside. I wish that stuff worked, gave me any sort of peace. Instead I have to deal with the fact that I’m just an idiot who thought that moving to LA would fix me in some fashion. Sure, being away from Mom helps, but…

Shaking my head, I turn and go towards the parking lot. Maybe I’ll just go drink some shitty coffee at Mic’s, scream the emotions out. Probably going to make some shitty art tonight, that’ll help for sure.

And I just need to ignore the aching in my chest.

Oh fucking hell, is this another body?

Is it going to be a common trend for me to find bodies while on the job? If so I’m going to need more...personal test tubes. I look around, spotting nobody. Fuck it, might as well. I back up to my equipment, grabbing one of the “spare” test tubes I keep on hand. In reality it’s for more, well, opportune moments like this.

I need to back up my college work somehow, right?

I’m quick to grab some of the dirt that’s furthest away from the body. I stare at it for a moment, guessing that it’s been in this spot for at least six months. A guess, of course, I’m no expert. I desperately want to study it more, but I can’t. Pocketing the tube, I back up and make yet another call.

I just hope nobody saw me.

I’m having the dream again.

Rocco sits across from me at one of the many coffee tables my grandparents owned in one of multiple sitting rooms. We’re on the floor, playing cards sprawled out in front of us. Probably UNO, not that the memory would serve me well. He’s got that smile on his face, and I can feel my heart sinking.

“Hey kid, what’s up?”

“Oh, same old…”

“College done?”

“Yeah, moved out to LA.”

“...didn’t wanna be by your mom?”

“….I couldn’t take it anymore. Being there.”

“Come on kiddo, you know she loves you.”

“And she loved you.” My voice breaks a little as I stare at him. His face falters for a second as he glances at me. “I know she blames herself for what happened. Over heard her talking to Dad once.”

“And why does she blame herself?”

“I know she asked you to come pick me up from school, surprise me. I was having one of my days after, after…”

“The diagnosis.”

“Yeah, that. She knew that you getting me would just make my whole day so much better. So she asked you, and you were coming..”

“And the guy side swiped me.” He pauses, looking me over. “You don’t blame her, do you?”

“Never.”

“Then who do you blame?” I don’t want to answer, feeling like I can’t breath despite it being a dream. “Anna, darling, who do you blame?”

“Me, I blame me.” The tears start to roll down my face, “If only I’d been normal, I wouldn’t have had one of those days, you wouldn’t have to come get me!”

“Anna, hey, hey.” He reaches out, drying my face with his hand, “It’s not your fault, that guy would have hit anybody coming his way. The way the universe shook that shit out isn’t your fault, okay?”

He gives me that smile, and all I can do is nod as I feel like a scared nine year old again. Grabbing a tissue from the box on the table, he cleans me up, humming softly. Soft, knowing, loving. Like the piece of my soul that was severed from me that day.

“Love you, kid.”

“Love you too, Roc.”

And with that, I wake up.

[askthehospitalghost]

Favorite couple on campus?

Using only emojis, how would you describe yourself?

Which tarot card would you say best represents you?

What's a facility you wish the campus had?

Favorite couple on campus?

"Oh, that's so easy. Jiro and Yuri. Seeing Jiro so happy makes me happy, too. And, of course, what better way to have teamwork in Mortkranken than those two getting married? Just saying!!" She looks around, when whispers to the camera. "Honestly I thought they were already married."

Sitting back up right, she grinned, swinging her legs under her chair. "But, thinking about it though, isn't it sweet? Two people who know each other better than anyone else, with the same goals, falling in love? Sometimes it seems to me that they don't even have to talk to understand each other, and that just one look explains it all. They're on each others wavelength. Watching them work together, knowing exactly what the other needs and will ask for, is inspiring in terms of career too. If anomalies exist, soulmates have to exist too, right? I wonder if they are soulmates, then."

Using only Emojis, how would you describe yourself?

Irina sits down with her phone and types a string in her notes app, holding it up afterward.

"🥳���🥸☀️🌟📚👻🩸🦾🧠🚑💉🥀🐭🍎🚓"

"...was that too verbose?"

Which Tarot Card do you say best represents you?

When the camera turns back on, Irina is holding several sheets of paper, running down the list of results of her studies with a pencil.

"Truth be told, it was quite hard to find just one card that stuck with me. The page of wands, pentacles, and swords fit very well, until I realized I fit with only one position of them, and not both."

"So if I had to choose one card, I'd choose the Queen of Wands. I relate to it both upright and reversed. I relate to the joyful and energetic aspect, as well as the optimism, confidence, and passion. But, yet, I also relate to the idea of some sort of hunt for something unconscious, vengefulness, temperamental nature, and even the tendency to be harsh and cruel..."

"My pact hasn't quite taken effect yet. And with it, I find a sort of unwilling duality taking root in me, where I am both a healer and in some regards the perfect weapon for Darkwick. But, I'll get it under control. There is no other choice than bettering myself. There is no need to worry."

What's a facility you wish the campus had?

"Frankly, I believe we need more filing cabinets. It can get rather messy while researching, and if I brought another corkboard back to Mortkranken, someone might mistake me for looking into true crime! Can't have that happen, now can we?"

She cleared her throat and shook her head.

"But I think some method of transportation to the other houses would be quite nice. I cannot safely travel to Sinostra, Hotarubi, or Jabberwock without heavy accommodations. The tunnels are quite efficient, yes but... there's something about them... it's like they're familiar somehow. But that's impossible."

"Anywho-... a covered walkway would do wonders. And a walled in one for Sinostra. The sandstorms are quite dangerous."

"If not easier transportation, I think I would like some sort of dedicated place to run. Hiking paths or perhaps athletic fields would be quite nice."

Ask Box Status: Open

《 I spent a shamefully long time on the tarot card question LOL》

《Maybe I should design a Tarot card of her. That could be fun!!》

《Also, context for the Jabberwock, Hotarubi, and Sinostra bit: Irina cannot safely travel in rain. She cannot cross running water. As for Sinostra though, sand contains salt, which will burn her. Right now, she wraps herself up in blankets to travel there.》

《Thank you so much for the ask, Anon!!》

[quibbs126]

I was just drawing this concept, I’m still not sure if I want to do much with it

So basically, it’s been an idea semi percolating in my head to make another kid for Menos and Velvet. Specifically, this came from the fact that I’ve noted that Menos’ kids look so little like him, so the idea was to make one that just looks like a smaller Menos. The genes just came in at full force. But then later, when I made the post about forgetting that Ceres is half human, I realized that I should probably add in some non Demon features too

I only made him yesterday because I was bored at work, and I couldn’t think of what else to draw. And I thought he turned out pretty good, so I translated him into digital drawings

I would show you the original picture, but it was drawn exclusively in pencil, and it’s on a darker cardboard sheet, so it’s practically impossible to capture on photo. I just really liked how the pencil sketch came out (my manager came in during my break and sharpened my pencil, so it was darker and less blunt), and I didn’t want to potentially ruin it with my somewhat shaky pen, and I had bright light so I didn’t realize it wouldn’t show with a darker lighting

It also kind of screwed me over when I was trying to translate into the digital sketch (that would be the top left), since it was night time, and I only had my lamp light. So it looks weird, but I had the basic appearance down, and I could refine it now, which is what I did on the top right

But yeah, I guess we talk about design things

So his hair style mostly comes from one of Velvet’s concept hairs, and I thought it works as an in between for Velvet and Menos

But I do wonder if it looks too different from Velvet’s final hair, and if I couldn’t have came up with something more unique for him. But moving on

The non Demon features I decided on are him not having horns, as well as having shorter ears than Demons, though they’re still pointed. Also I had the pink nose originally, but I took it out to make it less similar. I also wanted to give him black sclera, but make his eyes blue like his mom. Though I made it brighter because the regular color didn’t feel right

I also wanted to give him the bicolor, but I’m still working on what his secondary color should be. I asked on Discord, and the pink he has in the top right was what we settled on, but Velvet has pink secondary hair color already, so I debated going back to the dark blue, which is what I did on the bottom. I still don’t know which I should stick to honestly

I’m also not sure if I should give him glasses or not. I think it looks fine, I just haven’t decided on it. He does for now though, and I made it a different shape from Velvet’s as well

Overall, I think he succeeds at looking like Menos while not being a complete clone. I was drawing him, and I think he’s like a softer Menos

But I also wonder if I’m playing it too safe

With the kids in Evoland 2, while I may say that Reno and Ceres don’t look like their dad, I think the designs really succeed in having them look similar to their parents, but while being very much distinct. They are not copies of their parents, they’re their own people

Ceres I think is an excellent example of that. You can tell who her parents are by her design if you look hard enough, but she’s different enough that she looks her own person. It may be in part to aid in the twist about her heritage, but the final product really does exemplify this

And it’s like, by comparison, I feel like I’m not doing enough, like he looks too similar, too obvious who his parents are, and that I’m not being creative enough

Maybe I'm being too harsh on myself, considering the point of this character is that he's supposed to look super similar to his dad, but I feel like I'm not doing enough

It also doesn't really help that I don't know what to do with his character. I have an idea of him being more book smart, and/or he deals more in politics than any sort of fighting, but I feel like maybe it's still too similar to Velvet or something. Like he should be something entirely unique, but I don't know what

And by proxy, this goes for his outfit. I can't really make an outfit without knowing the general idea of the character (at least most times), so I don't know what'd be good there. I just slapped something together on the bottom left

I know this character likely wouldn't feasibly ever exist (I mean, maybe he could, and he was born right before Ceres was taken or something, but it's unlikely still). In my head, he'd exist in some alternate timeline where we had another ending after the canon ending, where we destroy the Project, the timeline no longer loops, and everyone can go home or something, with Velvet and Menos getting together and living in Demonia with their kids (still unsure if they'd be going to the Past or Present, since Fina and Kuro would be going to the Present). Also, the Ceres we know died, but she was born again in this new ending and doesn't get kidnapped. So, like, this kid would in context be the 3rd kid of Menos, 2nd kid of Velvet's, and a prince in Demonia, or what remains of the country as Menos tries to rebuild it, and his life is mostly normal outside of that

I also really don't know what to name him. Maybe I give him a Roman god name like his sister? Or make it a Greek god maybe? Or a mythical king like his dad and grandpa? I'm not sure. A concept in my head is maybe he's named after his grandpa, being Arthus II, but that feels uncreative

Note as I'm finishing this, the name Janus popped into my head. Maybe that could work?

Hmm, I don't really know what else to say honestly. I think I had other points, but I don't know how to work them in

I guess the point of this was, here's this concept I've been working on, I want to show off completed work but also I don't really know what I'm doing with it

He probably needs more refining in his character, but I don't really have ideas to work with either. It'll be a struggle, and that's if I choose to continue with him

[nervousladytraveler]

2023 AO3 Fic Review/Wrap-Up

Thank you to the lovely @dreamstone28737 for the tag! 😘 I took a long time to respond--sorry!

I didn't really write too many different works this year so I refer to the same titles a few times in my responses below. That said, I did write (or at least post) 307,626 words–not too shabby!

List of Fics Completed This Year

One-Shots: I don’t tend to write too many little fics. But this year I did “The Shift” and “A Brilliant Choice”. Most of my one shots tend to come from prompts (and @veryflowerobservation always sends me good ones). I have another wee fic (“A Question of Trust”) that is a Grace Poldark/Tom Jones crossover story that is completed, but not yet posted. I need to finish reading the novel Tom Jones before I do just to make sure I got it right.

Multi-Chap: Like Someone Who Would Know Her Own Mind and A Rose in December

Series: A Rose in December is now part of a Like Someone Sequels series?

Your Personal Fave

A Rose in December because it just was so enjoyable to write.

Your Fave Scene

My favorite scene ? Hard to choose but maybe a few from A Rose in December. I really enjoyed writing the conversation between Ross and Demelza when they first meet over coffee (Ch 4 “Tiramisu” and Ch 6 “Two of Cups”). My second favorite is the end when they are on the phone with Prudie (especially the bawdy jokes she and her cousin make) in Ch 32 “Candle Dance.” But in truth, I only finished/edited/posted those scenes this year--and really first wrote them a while ago. Does that still count?

A Fic or Scene that Challenged You

Any scene that has characters under emotional duress is always hard for me. I really internalize their feelings and have a hard time shaking them off. There are a few chapters in A Rose in December that show a relationship unravelling. Those were tough and tricky to get right. But also scenes where a lot of plot is covered–those are difficult too! There are a few chapters in Duty that are like that.

A Line of Writing You’re Proud Of

I try not to get too attached to any one line of writing. I am partial to dialogue–the back and forth is fun–but don't have any particular favorite.

A Comment That Touched You

Whenever a reader tells me that something I wrote gave them comfort during a rough spell or that they reread for the same reason, those comments always really move me. Of course I wish no one ever had the need for it, but I'm glad I could somehow help.

Something That Inspired Your Writing

One afternoon last spring while travelling, I slipped into a church in Germany. It was just me and the organist and it was so lovely. That inspired a scene in Ch 41 (“For the Sake of My Tears”) of Duty when Demelza hears the organist practicing in the Truro Cathedral.

Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc)

I think the fact that I finished Like Someone (in January of 2023) after so many years of working on it was a massive accomplishment. I do recall feeling a sense of satisfaction that buoyed me for weeks. But then finally finishing A Rose in December (in December 2023) was also profoundly gratifying, so they make nice bookends to the year!

Do You Have Any Writing Goals for Next Year?

I want to try to recreate the joy I found when I stopped working on anything else and immersed myself in finishing A Rose in December. I allowed myself to only focus on that story and was able to design an intentional structure for it--and not get distracted by posting along the way. 

Tagging any and all of my writing my pals — but no pressure! ❤️

P. S. This also came with a stats sheet.  I chose not to do one because it seemed like it would take me further from my goal to focus and enjoy the process of writing more but feel free to make it part of the challenge or not! The template is from dreputationera!

[cerenemuxse]

Bold of you to assume I wouldn't do a monster engine and bold of you to assume that the first vic- engine wouldn't be Edward. /j

Inspired by the aus of @ohjeeztrains and @gummybuggy

Monster engines are so damn cool.

I mixed in a bunch of animals because I said, "Fuck it. Hybrids ftw." It's so random. I chose dogs, horses, and rhinos. Yes, rhinos. I was going to add horns and I just realized I forgot but you know what, I think its fine like this. I tried fitting on horns earlier but it failed. It looks really odd. The specific breeds I chose for Edward originate from Scotland, because of course I go that deep. 💀💀💀💀

So he's based on the Clydesdale horses, the Gordon Setter dogs, the common rhinos, and the bull horns were from the Highland bulls. Can't do anything without wanting to do research.

The "leaders" (leading wheels) are based on rhinos and the "drivers" (driving wheels) are a combination of horses back legs and the dog paws. I was originally going to make them just horse legs but I started thinking about Emily, who would have "trailers" (trailing wheels). I really want them to be able to kick back but I'm not sure about Emily. Maybe she could kick forward like kangaroos. 💀 Girl stands on her damn trailers and her drivers kick forward, because that's where the power really is. Or she can do both.

I really took in the fighting aspect of it, simply because I find it interesting and it might be something they do more often than their engine counterparts, considering they're (basically) animals. They are slightly easier to tick off. Edward has a pretty good tolerance compared to the others. Basically, start biting or swatting at him and he won't be mad initially. But the longer the biting and swatting goes, the more he gets mad. He'll attack suddenly with a minor warning, which is low growling.

The long tail of nothing but hair looks harmless but its actually used a lot in fighting, too. It's pretty damn heavy so with enough force, it enough to knock another engine over. The ones with the long tails will also cuddle with said tails during the cold seasons or allow the Tank Iron Horse (oh yeah, they're called Iron Horses because why not) to cuddle into them. So now that i mention the name, let me explain it. Iron Horses refers to steam engines only. There's two main types of them: Tank and Tender. Tank Iron Horses have much thinner tails and tend to be small. If they're a Tender-Tank Iron Horse, it's definitely longer but not as thick as the Tender Iron Horses' tails. There's two forms. Regular engine forms, which existed first, and the Iron Horse forms. The Iron Horse forms were extremely unexpected when steam engines began running on railways. It's weird how they work. They can eat many things. Every single one of them is chunky as hell because I said so. They have cat-like instincts and all sorts of different species mixed in, which makes them weirder. Edward will squawk like a seagull. I might actually give him feathers, which i was debating but completely forgot. 🤡 Arthur probably has some mouse aspects to him as his class was nicknamed "Mickey Mouse Tanks." Rebecca could get swirly tail because her class is nicknamed "Spam cans," referring the cans "SPAM" is sold in, which is made of pork. Those tiny details. And I told myself I wouldn't let myself get so invested.

For other engines, I haven't figured it out.

Oh, and the "man-bun" is just the funnel. It slops up like Spencer's funnel does but depending on the height of the funnels, the slope is different.I think that's it. This was all improvised because damn it, this wouldn't leave my thoughts.

Not important, but the "NWR" logo was taken from James' ref sheets because I did not feel like drawing it. The 2 wasn't. I may have reference Edward's old ref sheets but the font is different to the one I chose for the engines. I also erased those layers so I don't even have access to it. Speaking of said design, this is the final palette for Edward's 1992-1995 rebuild. I also got brass wrong. Its not the same as Edward's eye color. Its much more yellow and it looks green when next to green colors.

I want to talk more about it but it'll start diverging into other characters and this post is already getting long. I don't like making posts long. ;-;

[stellasny]

uhh… dont mind me. just posting some paper drawing of humans :3 mostly my oc (or all?) probably just posting for marking the improvement??? human are really pain to draw not all of these drawing are recent, mostly are made last year (arranged in chronological order)

pretty much started as a joke

then theres this first tryhard design ^

umm yes probably starting to try to draw other characters now

... more cyan

and here is an entire sheet of cyan ur welcome :')

more sheet of "other character"

...kinda realise i wrote a lot to myself too

and here is an actual success of making this navy design

dont know why is this neccessary

couldve been stickers

funny other style test while exploring

i showed this sheet to my sister and she suddenly become hype and jumps around with that big smile on her face saying cyan ship navy or something like that

?????

finally one that im actually proud of its made with marker pen colour yeah

finding alt outfit

small doodle at the bottom of my paper

okay so we have steampunk wing now (maybe this wasnt suppose to be public)

joke (dont mind the word thing below i just get random unwanted paper to draw)

cap gone

nice pencil drawing as ending thanks for scrolling through

[magicalgirlartist]

[ID: 5 photos of a paper doll in different outfits. She is a young woman with medium brown skin, long pink hair in half-pigtails, and big green eyes, smiling and holding one hand delicately towards her face. Her outfits are, in order: light pink bra, underwear, and no-show socks; red lolita jsk over light pink long sleeved shirt, white tights, green boots; pink suspender shorts over a mint green t shirt, white and green wrist cuffs, white knee socks with pink lace detail on the sides, pink and white sneakers; the same lolita jsk outfit but with red Mary Jane shoes and pink ankle socks; calf length dusty pink dress with green boots and white gloves with strawberry detail. End ID.]

Paper doll prototype 2!! Featuring the return of one of my fruity little elf designs.

For this one I thought about how this would work on magnet paper if it just stuck on like that instead of using the tabs. I made a lot of fiddly little accessories that lost all detail and were basically meaningless when put on the actual doll. Some things like earrings and hair accessories might just have to be drawn straight onto the base instead of being customizable, which is a shame.

I'm not married to the magnet paper yet, and will go back to the paper tabs on the next prototype. Still trying to figure out the long hair problem. I don't want to make wigs. Maybe if I cut between her hair and shoulders and don't make it waist length lol.

Some of the colours need to be fixed, too. The dress is supposed to be patterned with strawberries, but they blend together. It's easier to see in the digital file than the finished print. I'm not sure if it's because I saved it as a png instead of a jpeg like I usually do with printable files. Might also be my printer acting up as it has been. This is what prototypes are for, though!

The thicker outlines helped a lot, though I'd still love to use a Cricut or something instead. There are some logistical issues there, though. The only one I have access to is at the local public library, and only on certain days. Plus, the workable size on cricut print then cut pages is much smaller than if I just cut them out myself. Less of a concern with sticker sheets or cardstock, but a major waste of expensive magnet paper if that's what I choose to use. I might try bringing one in for a future prototype, but for now will stick to cutting everything out by hand as usual.

My goal is to have sellable dolls by the time I start attending cons again (hopefully March, possibly not until April).

[asweetlovesong]

Decided to give myself a little art challenge and thats to take a group of three emojis and turn them into original characters!

I don't know if I'll use them for anything important but I love them already!!

So without further ado...

I will probably make more of them! They just fit on one sheet for the time being!

In the image it shows the emojis used to create them! And under the image I'd give a little talk as to how I came up with their design!

Jun Kang

Jun Kang was made using ♠🔥🐉, spades have meanings like intellect, death, military etc and I focused on the military aspect! The fire and dragon reminded me of Liu Kang (and even though both King Lao and Liu Kang are related to the great Kung Lao, this is probably only from Liu Kangs side) And maybe he was one of the earlier earthrealmers if Liu Kangs family to use fire powers.

He definitely has a different personality and everything other than some physical similarities to Liu Kang, like same length of hair and the same eyes. Sorta like two sides of a coin, Liu Kang is a monk meanwhile his ancestor Jun Kang is part of ancient China military (war and peace).

♠🔥🐉

Kamille Belanger

Kamille Belanger was made using 💋🔫✨, the gun reminded me of the Special Forces but not wanting to make a Cassie Cage 2.0, I decided to make her a member of the Black Dragons instead since they also use weapons. I was going for a femme fatale kinda vibe, complete baddie.

She might go heavy with the lip stick and mascara but you won't see if stain her skin as she beats up good guys and finish whatever job the Black Dragons gave her. I decided to make her Canadian and found a list of 100 top names in Quebec in the 90s, found Camille so I just change it to a K (because misspelling is kool beanz) and Belanger sounded cool next to Kamille. Also I gave her sparkle shape earrings! Because of the sparkle emoji!

Seriema

Seriema was made using 🎶💀🫁, it was a bit challenging thinking of a way to show lungs on the design as lung related stuff came to mind like asthma and lung cancer don't have much of a lookable effect so I decided to make her my first Chaosrealmer and make her have semi translusive semi mutilated skin above the chest up till her nose. Which shows part of her skeletal jaw, teeth, and bone, which helps with the second emoji which is skull.

For music I have her a lyre, it was the first handheld instrument I thought of, but I don't think she knows how to actually play it. Because "that would be a form of control over the instrument and we hate control here in Chaosrealm!" Or something like that. So just random string playing.

Saturn (aka Aragon)

Saturn was made using 🪐🎶🍇, when it came to him I knew I wanted to implement rings into their design so they were lots of jewelry. I decided to make him sorta a noble of high status in Edenia but is definitely not near prince level of highness, but he sure acts like it. A man that loves to drink wine, party, have luxurious things, and more. He knows he got a pretty face, but that's probably where the admiration for him ends, unless you admire his parties. He is definitely similar to Narcissus but not too into himself that he doesn't feel love for anyone, he'll definitely fall for someone for sure but so far every character I made is single and not too important in the world of Mortal Kombat.

And that's all of them!

I will probably do more, I just ran out of space on this single piece of paper. Suggestions are always welcomed!! If you want a trio of emojis (ex. 🔶🍫❤, ☕⬜🥀, 🤡🎉💥, etc) turned into a Mortal Kombat OC let me know! And if you want to try out this challenge go ahead! Just @ me so I can see your awesome creation!

Have a lovely day! ~💗

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