#might have to test him in different poses though just to be sure

[ratwithhands]

Apologies for dying!!! Got hit with art block + illness so I couldn't finish Emmet Month 😔

Anyways here's a design update for Burst AU. Finally figured out what to do with Ingo's wings and coat! Top drawing is a concept sketch for general appearance, bottom sketch is basic reference for the wings/coat (I cropped the coat so the wings were more visible but it will likely still be full length).

Verrry happy with the final result, gotta say my favourite part is that the wings look like Ingo's long coat when folded. Also the coat itself is mostly just draped; the seams are open so it just slots over top of the wings (also partially held in place by straps). All that's left is to figure out the hat ^^

Hope you guys like the art, let me know what you think, and have a good day!

[sammyofold]

Here are those fic recs I promised you @incesthemes ! I hope there's some in there that you'll really enjoy <3 I split up the recs into overarching tropes to group some together, but I'll start with those that don't fit into any of the groups.

The list got a bit long, so I decided to split it up into two parts.

(Part 1 | Part 2)

Courting Death by theproblematique.

Summary: Sam Winchester lived the first six months of his life in a happy family; the next twelve years as John Winchester's only son, and the last decade as an orphan. He's supposed to die at twenty-two trying to save the woman he loves from a fire, because he doesn't have a brother to pull him back. But the night Sam meets his Reaper he discovers that Death is overly fond of pop-culture references, too beautiful to be real, and reluctant to kill him.

Servant of Servants 'verse by klove0511.

This is a two-part series (though I think it might've been intended to have more fics, its ending doesn't leave you feeling snubbed), posing the question: "what if it had been Sam who'd been mortally wounded at the end of Season 1?"

love potion no. 9 by according2thelore.

Summary: Dean drinks a love potion. Sam is falling apart at the seams because he's been in love with his brother for more than a decade.

keep me in a daydream by according2thelore.

Summary: After an accidental kiss makes a hunt go suspiciously well, Sam and Dean decide to try it again. And again. And again. It's no different from wearing lucky socks, right? A 5 + 1.

for you and me (i got no alibi) by remy.

Summary: There are people hitting on Sam wherever he goes, and Dean is doing weird things like holding doors open for him and touching him way more than is necessary, and it's all driving Sam up the wall. It doesn't help that he's been in love with Dean for just about forever, and all of it feels like a mockery of something he'll never get to have. Meanwhile, Dean is at his wits' end trying to figure out how he can make Sam realize that he is, in fact, trying to get into his pants.

Ben Has Two Dads by regala_electra.

Summary: When Ben turns thirteen and learns that Dean Winchester is his father, he runs away to join his father (and uncle). A tale where boys are boys, Vikings are Vikings, unicorns go to Candy Mountains, Dean and Sam are in big gay love, and Ben becomes a Winchester.

Last Temptation by merle_p.

Summary: Sam is running a fever again, the kind of fever no Ibuprofen or cold compress will bring down, the kind of fever that is eating him up alive, eviscerating him from the inside. He is too hot and too cold and too pale, delirious and shaking, resonating with whatever divine energy the trials are subjecting him to, and Dean is not sure how much longer he can stand to see him be in this state. Because Sam is quite possibly dying, and there is nothing Dean can do to stop it. Because Sam is dying, and he just. Won’t. Shut. Up.

Five Times Dean Forgot and One Time He Remembered by elsi.

Summary: Rowena warned him the obliviate curse might have “aftershocks.” That Dean could relapse to his amnesiac state without warning—though only temporarily, she assured. But this? This goes beyond calling a lamp a “light stick.”

Whatever It Is by theproblematique.

Summary: Both Sam and Dean get sent to the year 2014.

Take My Hand (Take My Whole Life, Too) by TeacupUnicorn.

Summary: Sam and Dean get handcuffed together during a hunt. With a werewolf on their tail and a proximity to each other they haven’t had since they were kids, their unstable relationship is put to the test and their trust in each other is pushed to the limit. Set sometime after 5x16 and before 5x20.

Not Her Sam by Yuval25.

Summary: Future Dean goes back in time to change the future and saves Jess. Future Sam tags along unexpectedly. And Jess is okay. No, seriously. She's fine.

Mistaken For a Couple

101 - mythology by ani_coolgirl.

Summary: As Sam, Dean, and Kali flee Lucifer's slaughter, Kali makes an assumption. The boys try to clear up any misconceptions. They don't do a very good job.

I need you so much closer by cherryvanilla.

Summary: five times they're mistaken for a couple plus one time they actually are.

Domesticity

Paisley by samsexualdeancurious.

Summary: After his mind wall was broken and was healed, Sam knows he can’t be a hunter anymore, so he and Dean retire, and Sam ends up finding a homeless dog who was abused and together they heal.

The Chicago Verse by compo67.

This is a series spanning a whopping 169 fics. I've read only a few of them and I enjoyed Sam and Dean retiring in this town together. It's still updating, looks like, since the latest fic added was in May of this year.

a few things worth saying by hathfrozen.

Summary: “So this morning,” Dean ventures as they blast down the highway in pitch black night toward a probable werewolf case. Sam looks over at him, thin eyebrows raised, eyes clear and calm. He’s not even difficult about it, doesn’t ask what Dean is after, doesn’t deny what had happened. Instead he says, very simply, “I just figure, why lie?” Alright then.

All The Way In by hunters_retreat.

Summary: Sam never did know how exactly it happened. One day, he and Dean were run ragged, exhausted from yet another disaster of a hunt, no money and no gas, no prospects and no allies left alive to give them a hand. The next, they owned a store with a shooting range and Sam was a professor of religious studies at a local community college.

Pre-Series & Season 1

To Blow Against the Wind by dreamlittleyo.

Summary: After Oasis Plains, Sam and Dean can't. Stop. Touching each other.

Star-Crossed by Agent_Hellcat.

Summary: Before Sam departs for Stanford, he writes a letter to Dean, begging him to come to Palo Alto with him.

Birthday Suit by wincestation.

Summary: On the morning of Dean’s eighteenth birthday, Dad takes him to buy a suit. Sam is… interested.

house song by according2thelore.

Summary: “The werewolf.” Sam says, quick. Hushed. Scared. “I don’t know how. I was—He was standing above you and then he wasn’t. And I think I did that.” Dean keeps whispering stuff to Sam, banal reassurances that Sam soaks up like a sponge, but he feels sick. Sammy did something impossible. Sammy’s been doing impossible things. For years. Or: Pre-Canon/Teen!chesters AU in which Sam develops powers at age eleven, Dean will do anything to protect him, and they have to live with the consequences

Outsider POV

What I've Done by Amoreanonyname.

Summary: He wasn’t going to say anything more about it. He could tell, Dean was happy to see him, but wasn’t going to humor this topic. Dean, young Dean would jump to obey John, to answer John’s questions, but this was an older Dean who was more loyal to someone else now. More loyal to his brother. John wasn’t the priority here, and he realized with another guilty jump in his stomach that he never should have been.

something you love and understand by monsterq.

Summary: In heaven, Mary makes an unwelcome discovery about her sons’ relationship.

a skeleton terribly restless by remy.

Summary: Mary knows she doesn't fit right in this strange new world she's woken up in, with these grown men masquerading as her sons, but she tries her best. She really does. She closes her eyes to all the things she does not want to see, and she lies to herself until she's convinced. Until she can't.

Flowers on the Window Sill by orphan_account.

Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester's relationship as observed by the good people of Star's Hollow.

Soulmates

Fix You by non_tiembo_mala.

Summary: After their encounter with Famine, the boys are in dire straits. With Dean left shaken by the horseman's taunts - which rang truer than he'd like to admit - and Sam juiced up on demon blood again, Dean is at a loss. He has no idea how to move forward, or where they're meant to go from here. Then again, they’ve always had each other - perhaps their salvation isn't as far away as it seems.

All Too Familiar by sammichgirl.

Summary: Sam's new hobby has consequences they never saw coming. Turns out, that's OK with Dean after all.

What We Do by BleedingInk.

Summary: Castiel catches Sam and Dean in a compromising position.

since feeling is first by queenklu.

Summary: That he wants to think this is Dean yanking a leash should make his blood run cold, not aching hot. It should make him sick, angry, it should get his fucking hackles up and make him fight. He does want to fight. But there’s a skin-thin line between primal things, and fighting isn’t all he wants to do.

if the dam breaks open many years too soon by deirde_c.

Summary: Sam’s soul springs a leak, and Dean’s the one who can repair it.

In the beached margin of the sea by rivers_bend.

Summary: Sam and Dean black out on a hunt, and when they wake up, Dean's having visions and Sam can't get new, strange feelings out of his head. When John finds out about the side effects, he'll do anything to get rid of the "curse". But Sam and Dean don't want to go back to the way things were before.

I Don't Need A Symbol by amoreanonyname.

Summary: It hadn’t meant that much to Sam at first. A warm glow at being able to do something nice for Dean, to give him something for once, to make him as happy as he seemed when he put it on immediately. It was what it meant to Dean that made it mean something else to Sam.

[naomijoestar]

Yayyy! I. Forgor my og request though 😭

However, may I request a caesar x a reader who is a pillar woman please? I think it's real cute (and definitely not because I have a pillar woman oc who i ship with Caesar)

Masterlist here <3

Omg this is super duper cute and I love my baby ceaser so much! I didn’t know how to work this as a scenario so these are headcanon style? Idk if this is what you had in mind but I really hope this meats your expectations <3 enjoy!

Also to everyone else who submitted requests I’m not ignoring you I promise! I will be working on your asks soon so dw 💕

Caeser with a pillar woman reader

- Caesar is initially intrigued by your ancient nature as a Pillar Woman. He feels a mix of fascination and cautiousness, always remembering the danger your kind posed but unable to fully resist the allure of your otherworldly beauty and grace

- Caesar admires your power. Though he’s a proud warrior, he respects you as an equal in strength and skill, which only deepens his admiration. He would never underestimate you in battle or challenge

- Despite your intimidating presence, Caesar can’t resist his natural charm. He would constantly flirt with you, though his teasing would be softer than usual, with a hint of genuine affection rather than just bravado

- He enjoys playful banter with you, testing you. Though you may be more serious, Caesar’s lightheartedness would often make you crack a smile or laugh, which he would consider a victory

- Despite knowing you can handle yourself in combat, Caesar’s protective side would come out when he sees you in danger. He’d always try to fight beside you, offering his assistance even if he knows you don’t need it

- Being a hopeless romantic, Caesar would go all out with grand romantic gestures like bringing you rare flowers or cooking a special meal. He loves impressing you with his suave moves, even though you might be indifferent to human traditions

- Caesar is genuinely interested in learning about your ancient history, asking you questions about your life as a Pillar Woman. He wants to understand your experiences and perspective, knowing it would bring him closer to you

- When the two of you are alone, Caesar lets down his usual cocky persona. He’s softer and more vulnerable with you, expressing his genuine feelings of admiration, respect, and even love. He appreciates the time you spend together, feeling like he’s connected to something eternal

- While Caesar trusts you, he can’t help but feel a bit jealous when other people (especially other pillar men) take an interest in you. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell he gets slightly possessive at times

- Despite your difference in species, Caesar finds a deep emotional connection with you. He loves seeing your softer side and discovering your affections for him. You both share a bond built on mutual admiration, trust, and respect

There you are! I hope you like this <3 If you want anything changed or anything specific shoot me a message and I will happily update to your desire!

If you liked this make sure to check out my other posts <3 If my requests are closed that means I already have requests I’m working on but if they’re open don’t be shy to request anything! Have a nice day everyone <3

[thelampisaflashlight]

Hands On Learning

[Dew tries something new, but lacks experience, so he gets a little help from a friend. SwissDew. Not suitable for younger audiences. Lead up to sexual content, but no actual sex this time, sorry.] Below the cut.

"You could always go fuck yourself." Swiss had said, gesturing rudely before giving him an encouraging grin, "Like, actually though. Get some lube, test the waters, see if you like it."

Dew considers Swiss' words as he wiggles into a more comfortable position on his bed, trying to figure out how best to approach... this.

This being him propping himself up in the most awkward, unattractive pose possible, legs spread with the small hand mirror he uses for personal grooming leaned against his wadded up blankets between them.

It's not like he hasn't fingered someone before, but there's a world of difference between doing something like this to another person and attempting it on yourself.

For one thing, Dew's not sure how to make it work; The pose, the prep, the anything, on himself at least.

He's like a prospector digging for gold when it comes to finding other people's sweet spots, but he's never really explored his own... caverns.

You'd think that would have been the first thing on the agenda when he got his new vessel, but he'd been shockingly prudish about the whole thing, due in no small amount to the strange, bubbling sense of insecurity he felt when looking at himself naked.

He isn't unattractive, at least he doesn't think he is -he's not his own type, but he gets enough compliments from others to not think he's at least a little hot- but part of him gets all squirmy thinking about himself in a sexual context.

He likes sex, likes making others feel good, and, fuck, if he doesn't get off on helping them get there, but this is different.

This isn't sex, at least he doesn't think it counts; It's masturbation, it's him fucking himself.

And, well, something about it makes him feel... weird.

Uncertain.

Anxious.

At least when it comes to doing something like this.

Jacking off is one thing, but for some reason the idea of sticking his fingers in his own ass is making his heart race in a not so fun kind of way.

He thinks, maybe, the mirror wasn't the best idea, seeing himself all scrunched up and awkward, however, that's the other problem Dew has doing these kinds of things.

He needs to see.

There's this little voice in the back of his mind that tells him he has to know what's going on at all times, that even in situations like this, where he's alone, he needs to be in control.

And where has that gotten him so far?

Well, he's managed to take his clothes off, that's something at least.

Dew makes eye contact with himself in the mirror, drawing his mouth into a line like he's looking at someone else after doing something embarrassing.

Shit, maybe this is embarrassing, huh?

His cheeks redden and he accidentally knocks over the mirror as his foot kicks out unexpectedly as he attempts to flee from his own reflection.

"Nope." he manages to squeak out as he slides off the bed to retrieve his underwear from the floor, pulling them on backwards in his haste and cursing himself under his breath as he has to step back out of them and turn them around.

Fuck.

How is he this flustered by something he's done a thousand times to other people??

He knows it feels good, if his partners are to be trusted, but he just can't get over the mental hurdle of doing it to himself.

Dew snaps the waistband of his boxers, feeling a sense of humiliation as he dismantles his set-up, swallowing the lump of shame in his throat.

He just can't do it.

...He can't do it alone, that is.

With a twitch of his tail, Dew glances over at his phone resting on his desk.

"...Fuck it."

If he's going to do this, he might as well do it right, and while Swiss will probably laugh at him for being this reserved about sticking something in his ass, he does know more about it than Dew, and he could use some help.

.

.

.

"Where do you want me?" Swiss asks once he's inside Dew's bedroom with the door shut, "You want me on the bed with you, or do you just want me to watch, give pointers?"

Dew looks between the multi-ghoul and his bed, at the sheets he'd neatly tucked back into place so the other wouldn't question what he'd been up to before he texted him for assistance.

"I dunno, just..." he eyes the door anxiously, checking that it's locked, "S-Show me what to do, or just, touch me and tell me what's happening."

Swiss nods, rolling up his sleeves, "I can do that. Bed?"

"Gimme a minute." Dew chuckles nervously, "I just, I don't..."

"You don't have to force yourself to do this, you know that, right?" Swiss tilts his head, warm brown eyes narrowed in sympathy, "Sometimes you don't have to try something to know you don't like it, or that the idea of it makes you feel iffy."

Dew hums, looking pointedly at the floor before meeting Swiss' gaze again, "It's..."

He inhales sharply through his nose and then slowly out of his mouth.

"I want to do this, I wanna know if I... If I like, ya know..." he rolls his hand in a vague gesture, "...I've never really done anything like this before."

He mumbles slightly at the end and Swiss leans in, genuinely unable to make out what he's saying.

"Dewy, I need you to speak up, I can't help you if I don't know what's going on in that head of yours."

The hybrid puffs warm air out of his nose, red all the way up to his ears, refusing to look anywhere but the wall behind Swiss.

"...Said I've never bottomed before..." he admits finally, "Never really explored that side of things, and even this-"

He gestures between the two of them.

"-is new for me." he sighs, "I'm still wrapping my head around the idea of letting someone touch me like this, so I... I'm trusting you to not fuck with me right now. No... No teasing me over this shit, okay? I'm already uncomfortable asking for help, so just..."

"I won't." Swiss promises, "This is serious business. You're trying something new, and you may not even like it, so we're gonna tread lightly. Test the waters, just like I said earlier, yeah?"

"Yeah..."

"So..." Swiss claps his hands together, making Dew flinch slightly, "Sorry. Bed?"

"Bed." Dew says, though his feet remain rooted in place, "...You first?"

Swiss nods and makes his way over to Dew's bed, pausing with his fingers poised against the buttons of his shirt, "You want me with my clothes off, or..."

"On!" Dew manages after a moment of quiet contemplation, "...Don't want to get distracted."

"You find my body distracting?" Swiss raises an eyebrow, a smirk spreading across his lips, "Good to know~"

Dew wings his sweatpants at him, hitting him dead center in the face.

"Shut."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

As Dew gets comfortable on the bed, he's starting to think maybe having Swiss keep his clothes on was a mistake; It's creating a strange dynamic between the two of them, and Dew's not entirely sure he likes it, but he also doesn't outright hate it, so...

There's some hope there, if only a smidge.

"If you want me to stop at any point for any reason, I will." Swiss assures him, "It's going to feel a little weird at first, but we both know that doesn't always mean weird bad. Just talk to me, and I'll talk to you."

Dew nods, lifting himself up slightly so Swiss can slide a pillow under his ass.

"Swiss..." he starts, already feeling a bit embarrassed, "I can't really... I can't really see what's going on from this angle..."

"I can prop you up a bit more if you'd like, but it's probably going to be easier for you to open up for me if you're in a more comfortable position." the other man says, giving Dew's thigh a squeeze, "I'm going to be here, talking to you the whole time, so you're not going to miss a thing, okay?"

"...Okay." Dew settles back down, glancing down up at Swiss, who's currently knelt between his legs, "Satanas... Right, let's... let's get this over with."

"We're not going to rush into anything." Swiss reminds him, "Just breathe with me for a moment and we'll ease into it. C'mon, in-"

"Swiss, this is ridiculous."

"It's not." he shakes his head, "It'll help, really. You trust me?"

Dew huffs a little at first, but something about the sincerity in Swiss' gaze makes him shut his eyes, "Okay..."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

[einsatzzz]

For the artist ask game:

4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If so, what is it you draw to warm up with

There are so many good questions 😭😭😭 I hope it's okay that i just spamed a bit 👉👈🥺

It's ok bro !!! Ask as much as you want !!! So that l can keep yapping about art as much as I want too lmaooo Thank you for sending this over hehehe 🫡✨💜

Weirdly Specific Artist Ask Game

4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw

Since it's you sending this ask, the fave I got to answer this with has to be the one and only, Hib/ari Ky/oya 🤣🤣🤣 The first look at his design, it looks so simple. Nothing really too complicated with his hairstyle. He would fit into that one meme where this user is trying to compile "basic black hair guy" from various media (basic black hair guy??? but he's so ikemen and popular??? that's how you know he has 10000 aura & charisma *biased*). But then when you actually try to draw him, there's just something about him that I find hard to capture. Or maybe it's because he's my fave, that my brain just hyperfocuses on the tiny details that makes him *HIM* that sets him apart from other characters with similar designs. Then, I just end up overthinking how I draw him. And that makes him such a bitch to draw.

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

Game OSTs and maps/areas! I listened to the whole playlist of Enka//nomiya (from Gen/shin) so much, it lowkey ended up as an inspiration for Kana's character and general vibes, especially for a certain part of her lore. I originally listened to it for just studying because it helps me focus, then somehow the whole playlist AND the map/area itself is Kana-core now.

If I just have to rec a few from this playlist though, these are the ones: Soft Moans of the Remains, Sink Into Oblivion, Tearless Souls of Byakuya, Hope or Nostalgia, Vanished Beyond Recall, Combat Beneath the Waves (most of the titles ahahaha...🙃)

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

The first one that came to mind for this is Hiro/hiko Ar/aki-sensei! He's the mangaka who made Jo/jo's Biz/arre Adv/enture. His style is so legendary and iconic, I'm very sure you've seen it at least once. It's so different from mine that leans more towards the conventional pretty anime character style, but I LOVE Ara/ki-sensei's art so much, especially the fashion, poses and his grasp with drawing the forms/shape of his characters with such a god-level of consistency.

I remember someone making a gif of his character in different panels, arranging them so that they're facing in different angles. The result is so smooth, it's like you're rotating a 3d model with how consistent he drew the face structure, even if each one is from a different manga panel! 🤯🤯🤯✨✨✨

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If so, what is it you draw to warm up with

It's a 50-50! Sometimes I do when I remember, then sometimes I don't because I either forgot to or it's just that good of a day for me to draw. And when I do forget, I would only remember because it kind of feels off for no reason, especially when I'm just at the sketching stage. When I realize that, I would open another canvas asap and start drawing random stuff. If it's coloring then, I usually don't need to warm up.

For my warm up subjects, I usually go for Kana or Kurumi, depending on my mood. I drew them so much, so they're the easiest and quickest to draw for me, they're great for warm-up sketches for that very reason. They're also a test to see rq if a certain day is a good drawing day. Because if I can't even draw KanaRumi properly, then I know my brain is not in the right setting to draw at that particular time just yet. I can stop the clownery very early and just switch to doing something else.

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Sanguine Storm - A Vampire!Niklas Kvarforth/Reader One Shot Story.

I wrote a follow up to Interview with the Vampire (which you can find here) Enjoy!

Words - 6,654

Warnings - Adult content and smut below the cut, minors DNI!

You’re used to travelling with your job, flying all over the world to interview musicians. The journey you have taken on this trip though is to conduct a meeting with somebody entirely different; the world authority, she coins herself. On all things vampire. 

It took time and many deep dive searches through the dark web, a place you were not altogether comfortable with visiting, before you found her. God, the sights you saw prior to finding Erzsébet Zrinski. Vampire’s might not be public knowledge, but they thrive openly within the darkest corner of the internet. Vampire porn? You got it, although it costs a fortune. Vampire sex worker services? Yep, you can find those, too, again the price steep.  

By comparison, Erzsébet’s knowledge comes at a very pocket-friendly sum. You just wish she accepted meetings via Zoom, but alas she will only impart her knowledge on a face-to-face basis, to protect herself in case she is ever secretly recorded. “The vampires, they would come for me, should they definitely know what I reveal about them.” 

Testament to this is the steep security she surrounds her modest home with, one located at the very end of a main drag of housing in the city of Szeged. Well, it’s steep if you’re a vampire, with the garlic plants growing all around in window boxes, and the window frames themselves fashioned from silver. 

“Ahh, (Y/N),” she speaks friendlily upon opening her door, eyes scanning the street with caution, pulling a silver coin from her pocket. “Your hand, before I welcome you into my home.” 

Holding it out, she presses it into your skin, waiting. Of course, if you were a vampire, your flesh would smoulder instantly. “You pass the test, but I must pat you down and check your bag for recording equipment before we proceed.” One quick pat down and bag check satisfy her, the elder middle-aged woman reassured even further when she sees you switch your phone off completely, thus earning her trust. 

Following her in, she steers you toward the table within her kitchen, the hearth crackling, a couple of cats and a long-haired terrier dog warming themselves in front of it. They appreciate the little scratches you offer to their heads before you sit down. Once furnished with tea, she joins you.  

“Now, dear. You are having difficulties with a vampire?”  

That’s putting it mildly. “I am, yes. Well, I think I am, but I’m not so sure.” Taking a breath, you begin your tale. “I met him a few months ago, and ever since then I keep thinking I see him. I’ll be walking along and suddenly be able to pick his face out amongst a group of people, but in the next second, he vanishes.” 

“They do indeed move quickly, dear,” she speaks. “Surely, you already knew that?”  

“Of course, but we live in different countries. Over a few thousand miles apart.” 

She sips her tea with a little wink. “A vampire can move a thousand miles in mere minutes. The older they are, the quicker they move and the stronger they are, too. Do you know his age?” 

“Five, in vampire years.” That’s about when you can pin him down to being turned, somewhere around the 2019 time, when Shining ceased playing festivals in the daytime and Niklas’s presence became a lot more reclusive, too. “It isn’t just that, though,” you continue, wringing your hands a few times. “He’s in my head. I hear his voice, I dream about him and it’s like he’s really there with me. He’s taunting me and I don’t know how to make him stop!” 

At seeing your anguish, Erzsébet reaches to pat your hand. “You drank some of his blood when you were with him, didn’t you?” 

A strange question to pose, you think. “I erm, I did, yes.”  

She hisses a wince, shaking her head as she closes her eyes. “Oh, darling girl. You shouldn’t have done that.” 

In truth, you needed to in order to keep up with him. Human flesh is much weaker than immortal, and being flung around a bedroom by a big, horny vampire? It takes its toll on the body, and their blood is healing when imbibed by a human. After the first two hours, you felt like you’d been sandblasted between your legs. “I erm, I needed to, because of what we were doing at the time and ..." 

Her nod is deep, humming knowingly. “I know all about that, dear.” She then whistles, low and lewd, her eyes narrowing a little. “Vigorous isn’t quite enough to describe, is it?” 

No. It would be fair to say that it isn’t. A hail of goose pimples pepper your skin at remembering it, being with him. It was like a thousand tiny lights shone to brilliance all over your body, heart thundering like a war drum, bitten, spanked, mauled, fucked in every position you could ever imagine – and some you never had before – his growls of desire in your ears, the feel of fangs grazing your skin, the taste of your own blood on his mouth. Him. He might have been dead, but while you were with him, you’d never felt more alive.  

While it was your body that called out to him, he now does the same to you, infiltrating your thoughts, haunting your dreams. Calling. Calling you endlessly.  

“Dear, you have a link with him now. His showing up like that? It's truly him, you are not losing your mind. He drank your blood, didn’t he?" Your nod confirms. The woman feels for you, she truly does. Because they’re so largely unbelieved and unknown to society, she doesn’t blame you an ounce for having no clue over how to deal with them. Especially when they become bothersome. “He’ll be able to find his way to you because of that, a bond that is fortified even deeper by his blood also being within you.” 

“For how long?” you sigh, hearing the desperation in your voice fully for the first time. 

“Six months, give or take.” Her mouth thins at your eye roll. “Expect this to last until then, when it’ll begin to weaken and he won’t be able to get inside your mind any longer, or know exactly where you are.” 

Shaking your head, you bite your lip, your insides sagging hard with dejection. “How does he even do it, though? How does it work?” 

“It’s the magic in them. Nobody is quite sure how, but it’s that little bit of magic there that makes them what they are. His blood being within your veins gives him a very direct link to you, meaning he can transmit thoughts and visions. They use it to manipulate people primarily, play with them on an emotional level.  

“If he’s proficient enough to do this as you sleep, then I draw the natural conclusion he was created by an ancient. Young vampires, they don’t have the skill, but if the one who made them is much older in years, then it is possible. That old blood makes them unbelievably powerful, even though in the grand scheme of things, he’s still just a baby at five.” 

Manipulation and emotional mind games. How very on brand for Niklas.  

Taking a sip of your tea, the warm liquid does little to comfort. “I can’t fucking stop thinking about him, Erzsébet. Which is exactly what he wants.” Closing your eyes, you see yourself there atop him, his fangs sunk deep into your neck, his arms clasping you to him as you howl in absolute ecstasy. “I try, but he’s too strong. Too alluring. Too damned charming and handsome for his own good.”  

“I don’t blame you, sweet girl,” she smiles, patting your hand again. “Deadly they may be, but god above, they are beautiful creatures. That allure, it’s near impossible to fight. Especially if he doesn’t want you to. Especially if you know what it is to lie with a vampire, and of course, you do. No mortal can compare to them.”  

Indeed not. The way he touched you, fucked you, it’s forever etched into your memory. No human man can ever hope to compare to Niklas. And yes, you do hate him a little for it, too. In fact, not even a little. A lot. You hate him because you still want him, because he’s worming his way in, for no other reason than the simple fact that he can.  

You remain there in the warmth of Erzsébet’s charming little house for a few more hours, leaning from her expertise, her wealth of knowledge. She feeds you a warming bowl of paprikash and gives you a little wine too, of which you are grateful, paying her for her time and leaving. You depart feeling more knowledgeable, but certainly no better about your predicament.  

The walk back to your hotel isn’t too long, the night warm enough still to enjoy the slow stroll, gazing upon the beauty that are the old buildings of the city. Stunning and looming, they offer a beautiful contrast to the newer, your eyes picking out the details of an architectural artform long abandoned for polished and shiny. Viewing one old building, you pause for a second, marvelling at the detail in each of the gargoyles. A wolf head, a man with his mouth open, the guttering overflow water leaking from it, a horse, Niklas, a dragon...  

Your head snaps back, blinking, seeing the spot he was sitting upon now empty, your hand delving into your pocket to clench tightly around the thick, silver chain you’ve taken to carrying with you everywhere. With your heart racing, you hurry through the streets, feeling a little safer when you pass a long row of bars and restaurants that lead down to the corner your hotel is located upon.  

There he is again in the crowd of people outside. In a blink, he disappears.  

Racing down to the hotel, you can feel him at your back, your shoulders tingling unpleasantly, the weight of his stare making you feel like your body is sinking beneath it, rushing for the door and heading inside. Truly, you’re no safer there really, with it being a public dwelling, meaning he can simply walk in after you. If it was your own home, he would need your permission before he could cross the threshold, so Erzsébet revealed. 

Why the fascination with you, you wonder? Surely, he must have a whole host of people he can do this to, ones located much nearer to home for him. Then again, travelling a few thousand miles, just like Erzsébet said, is truly not tasking for him at all. Still, though. Why you? Why not any of the regulars he likely feeds upon? According to her, vampires do develop a preferred blood source and become quite choosy thereafter.  

It’s all very secret society-esque, how they attain their life source. In every city and town across the world, there are select groups of people who know of their existence, and will allow the undead to feed on them. To know them, you have to look for the mark, a symbol of a small, two-headed bat. Some wear it upon jewellery, others have it tattooed, but willing donors always bear the slightly altered sigil synonymous with vampires somewhere upon their person. 

It still puzzles you, that you are not one of these people, and yet he revealed what he was to you. 

That reason, he keeps to himself, standing atop a tall building as he watches you walk through the foyer of the hotel. He knew it would begin to eat you alive, knowing what he is and not being able to broadcast it, to attain the kind of interview you’d truly like to, reveal what he is to the world with his permission to do so. Of which, he’d obviously never grant. Nothing irritates a journalist more than knowing they have to keep a secret, and that is precisely why he told you.  

Sitting down on the ledge, he closes his eyes, the dark void within him calling out to the blood that pumps through your heart, the body it came from causing it to flare as he smiles, imagining himself with you. He feels your heartbeat escalating as he beams that image into your head, his smirk growing. Meanwhile, you’re gripping onto the elevator rail, your breathing ragged, trying to block him out, his haunting, rumbling laughter filling your ears.  

Opening his eyes again, he looks at the hotel one last time before standing, stepping clean off the eighty foot building and landing neatly upon the ground below, vanishing once more into the night.  

You arrive home two days later, your flight landing at 11pm, an expensive Uber ride ferrying you across the city to your home. Once there, the need to simply fall into bed is overridden by your desire for a little organisation, to settle comfortably after pulling out your clothes and throwing them into the washing machine. Besides, you actually slept for a couple of hours during your flight.  

Once showered and comfortable in an oversized sweatshirt and comfy little shorts, you make yourself a sandwich, not overly hungry, cutting it up into smaller triangles and pouring yourself a glass of wine. It’s a 2018 Tefethen Family Vineyards Merlot; the very same one he bought for you, the one you’ve developed quite the taste for. You suppose too, it serves as a reminder of the night. Although admitting that doesn’t come easily. 

With every sip, you’re transported back to that private room within the bar, remembering the charm and wit of the man, the hilarity of his stories, how immovable his ‘couldn’t give a single fuck’ nature was. That and his intelligence, the breadth of his interests and knowledge, all of it wrapped up in something sinister and unnerving that you couldn’t quite place your finger on. 

If only you’d known then what you do now, that you were interviewing a vampire. 

“You know, you might succeed in getting him out of your head if you stopped fucking thinking about him,” you mutter, taking another bite of your food. “You’re only making it worse.” 

Not even pure loathing of him can truly besmirch the memory. There is something so deeply arousing about fucking living death and surviving it. He could have killed you in a heartbeat, but he didn’t.  

It isn’t like you’ve become lovestruck by him, absolutely not. Meeting an intelligent and fascinating musician isn’t uncommon for you, with the regularity it happens. Meeting a vampire, though, who soon afterwards took you to bed and gave you the best sex of your life? Entirely different. You still crave him beyond measure, and all the hate in the world will never dilute that longing. 

You are, however, incensed that he probably knows that only too well. 

Yes, the knowledge that you still desire him is likely what fuels his mind games. He has to have something to do for fun, you suppose, now that drugs are well and truly out of the equation for him. He could snort every single last gram of cocaine within Bolivia and not feel the effect, being that of course, he’s dead. You can’t help but smirk at that. Schadenfreude feels good when the subject is deserving.  

He certainly revels in the very same, after all. 

Once your sandwich is finished, you listlessly move to the sofa, switching on the TV and seeing there’s a new documentary on Netflix that takes your interest, pouring another glass of wine and settling in to watch. Tiredness has other plans, though.  

It must do, for you have to be asleep when you experience your top being lifted and a cold set of lips pressing a kiss to your navel. After all, Niklas cannot enter your home unless you invite him.  

Not again. For fuck’s sake, he’s relentless! 

“Get off.” Opening your eyes, you see him smirking up at you. God, he’s so smug! 

He places another kiss upon your abdomen, fingers clutching at your shorts. “We both know you don’t mean that, darling.” 

“I’m not your darling,” you mutter, pushing at him with your feet.  

He merely takes one, tickling your toes with his tongue. “You are when I’m balls deep in your pussy.” 

Sighing, you sit up, pushing him away with your hands, his long form settling to the couch as he shakes his head. “Niklas, get out of my head. I know this isn’t real. Fuck off.” 

“No, but it could be,” he speaks, kissing you slowly from your wrist down to your inner elbow, the seductive press of lips making your blood spark. “I’m outside of your home right now. Invite me in, and this becomes very real.”  

Your reply is immediate, resolute. “I don’t want it to be, though.” 

“Remember when I told you do not lie to me, because I will know?” Indeed, you do, becoming rapidly lost in the icy blue stare as he leans to you, nose touching yours. “I know that you lie. I feel that you lie. Blood never tells an untruth.”  

He’s right, and you hate that he is, has this power over you, understands how to play you perfectly, your body the instrument he knows exactly how to handle in order to elicit the desired musicality. Tipping your head back, his lips ghost the column of your throat, just enough to feel you yearn for it, chuckling with a deep rasp. “Wake up, and give in.” 

The press of his mouth evokes such a visceral jolt, you sit up on the sofa with a start, breathless, heart hammering, the tight pinch of arousal throbbing deep within. Flinging yourself to your feet, you still don’t know whether you’re going to invite him in and drag him to your bed by his neck, or scream at him for being so fucking insufferable when you get there. Suffice to say you’re stirred heavily in both directions as you yank the front door open, your eyes widening in surprise to be met by nothing.  

Nothing other than the sound of haunting laughter coming from behind you.  

Spinning around, you see him over on the small balcony that your lounge opens onto, waving with a sinisterly amused grin before his head tips back and he laughs more, riddled with mirth. The fucking bastard.  

“Oh, so after all your protests, you do want me?”  

The absolute nerve of him! 

Silver. You need silver, because oh good lord, big, scary vampire or not, you shan’t take this lying down a moment longer. Storming through your apartment, you rip the drawer of the hallway cabinet open, your hands scattering papers, old postcards and other assorted junk out of the way, your fingers grasping exactly what you require before marching to the sliding door and hurling it open. 

“Ooooh, she’s gonna get me!” he states mockingly, holding up his hands, eyes wide.  

Raising the sharp letter opener, you hold it beneath his chin, his flesh beginning to sizzle as he stiffens momentarily. “Leave me alone and I won’t take great pleasure in ramming this upwards, before I tear it down and slice your throat open, you vile sack of dead flesh!”  

He looks puzzled, cocking his head a little. “That’s a little rude, to say such things to the vampire who made you come, what was it, twenty times in three hours?”  

“I mean it!” you snarl, pushing the point harder, watching his smile grow. 

“Do it,” he encourages, leaning closer, his eyes flashing bright, revelling in it. 

“I will! I’ll fucking end you out here!” 

He curls his hands around your wrists, beginning to assist in that pushing. “Darling, did your little Hungarian friend not tell you? For silver to work effectively, it has to be solid, not plated. So no, you won’t end me.” Steering your hand upwards, the letter opener pierces him, Niklas laughing maniacally the further it tears through his flesh, his mouth filling with blood as the point of it exits to the side of his tongue.  

You can only stare on in horror as his cold blood trickles over your fingers, his laughter growing, booming, your nerves setting your body to quiver as he sticks his tongue out and lets the blood flow onto the floor. 

“Fuck, that got me hard,” he laughs, taking the letter opener and ripping from his jaw, dropping it onto the floor with a clatter as his wounds swiftly begin to heal. “And now here you are, with no weapon, and no safety of being inside your home. Just you and me.” He leans close, tongue tickling your earlobe with a faint groan. “So, now what are you going to do?”  

In truth, as your heart thunders so rapidly that you feel nauseous, you have no idea. He’s got you. You cannot return inside, because he’ll simply move rapidly enough to block your path, you can’t call out for help, because there’s nobody coming to save you here. You’re stuck, and the delight he experiences in knowing this plays all over his face.  

“I... I... I...” Floundering is all you have, the shame of it pinking your cheeks, fear cording every muscle tightly.  

“You... you... you...” he mocks, stroking a bloodied finger down your cheek. “This is too much fun! Aren’t you having fun?” Looming over you, he begins to walk, penning you against the wall bordering your balcony and the next, his finger sliding tantalisingly down to your neck. “I must be just as crazy as they say I am, because I’d still take you to bed and fuck you in a heartbeat, (Y/N). Even though you came out here to attack me, I would still show you a very, very good time.”  

You gulp, transfixed by the intensity of his eyes, your bottom lip beginning to quiver as he leans even nearer to you, lips ghosting your neck before his tongue flickers against your pulse point. 

“Give up and invite me in.” 

“No.” 

“Oh, she found her voice,” he whispers, beginning to scatter kisses, his hands clutching your hips gently. “Tell me you want me.” 

“I don’t!” 

“You still lie to me, little human.” More kisses, his thumbs stroking, skimming the top of your shorts, heat beginning to crackle beneath your skin. “Tell me you want me.” 

And god, how you do. How you hate him for it, the juxtapose clashing angrily within you, his arms slipping around your waist as he presses his body into yours, melding himself with you, those kisses against your neck gaining in intensity. He wasn’t lying either, when he said he’d gotten hard.  

“Tell me you want me.”  

Again, that demand is spoken, followed by a faint, aroused groan, knowing he’s eroding away at your resolve. You can feel it happening, brick by brick, your will not to succumb to him crumbling like an ancient tower, your hands moving to smooth down his wide chest. Fuck, he feels good beneath your touch.  

You know you’re the instigator of your own downfall, but you can’t help it. “I want you.” 

His mouth lands upon yours, kissing you, a torrid blaze burning everything in its wake, knocked sideways by the force of him, the blinding allure. There it is, that feeling of a thousand tiny lights blinking into brilliance inside of you, your hands moving to his face, clutching, nails grazing his beard as your tongue rolls sensually with his. 

Pulling away from the kiss, he looks down at you, a grin widening his mouth. “Maybe next time.” 

He vanishes in a flash, leaving you there with your mouth agape, still trying to catch your breath as the fear and desire of it now mixes with sheer furious anger. It is not a particularly fitting alchemy. 

“I fucking hate that vampire!” 

Picking up the bloodied letter opener, you enter your apartment again, locking the door behind you and drawing he curtains, stirred by him so heavily you end up finishing that bottle of wine before you fall asleep, frowning into the darkness. Of course, he can feel your agitation, and it pleases him, which only means you fall asleep even angrier that night.  

In the days that follow, you don’t experience too much disturbance from him, only what your own mind conjures, rapidly shaking your head as if to physically throw the memory of him from your mind whenever it enters your head. Life continues as normal, work keeping you busy, a few visits to the office breaking the monotony of the fact that since lockdown, most of the editorial staff for the magazine now work remotely.  

You also have dinner plans with friends, very much looking forward to catching up with these loved ones, spending your Friday night enjoying their company over good wine and even better food, moving onto a bar afterwards. It’s late by the time you call it a night, trying to find an Uber but quickly realising you’d probably arrive home much sooner if you walked. It’s only thirty-five minutes on foot, give or take. 

The built-up area of the city breaks free from the jungle of concrete, heading through the lesser dense areas but for safety’s sake, keeping to as much of the main roads as you can. There is, however, a route you must take beneath a large bridge, an elevated section of road where it is much safer to pass beneath than upon it, the traffic crazy even at that time of night.  

“Hey, ‘scue me, sweetheart. Got any spare change?”  

Turning, you see a man approach through the quiet gloom, one who obviously isn’t homeless, merely drunk and probably all spent out. “No, I don’t.”  

Continuing to walk, you pick up the pace, knowing the man is staggering along after you. 

“Looks like you have, nicely dressed woman like you,” he speaks, advancing on you. “Oi, don’t fucking ignore me! Wait, talk t’me. You’re pretty. Wanna take me home?” 

“Fuck off.”  

He isn’t fond of hearing that, making a grab for your arm. “Don’t be rude, babe! C’mere!” 

“I said fuck off!” you shout, trying to pull yourself from his clutches, until with immediate effect you’re freed. Turning, you see the man pinned by his throat against the heavy bridge supports, Niklas growling low in his throat, that predatory rumble having its usual effect on you. 

“Never touch her again.” 

The man struggles, but cannot free himself of his grasp. “Who th’fuck are you and where d’ya come from?” 

“Neither matter. Apologise to her.” 

Again, he struggles, the grip around his neck tightening, Niklas lifting him from the floor one handed with staggering ease, the man’s eyes bulging wide. “Fuck off! Let me go!” 

He raises his eyebrows, nodding in your direction. “She told you the same, and yet you didn’t. Why should I, hmm?”  

“Because you’re a fucking psycho!” 

That rouses a wide grin. “Correct.” He then makes a beckoning motion with his hand in your direction. Walking over, you stop reasonably close to him, Niklas physically turning the man’s head in your direction. “Apologise, and I will let you go.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“What for?” 

Oh, he’s having too much fun, playing with him. At least it isn’t you for a change. “For grabbing you.” 

Niklas turns to you, raising his eyebrows. “Happy?” 

“I suppose,” you nod, folding your arms.  

“See?” he grins at the man. “That’s all you had to do.” With one swift movement, the man is hurled through the air like a human javelin, coming to a thudded half against one of the other support pillars about ten feet away, grunting when he hits the ground. Niklas then turns to you, extending his hand.  

“Come on, let’s get you home.” You look between him and the hand a few times, your hesitation earning an eye roll. “I can be gentlemanly when I want to be, (Y/N). Let me walk you home.”  

“Fine,” you pout, “but I’m not holding your hand. I know your reasons for helping me weren’t borne of any benevolence.” 

A single eyebrow arches high. “Then tell me, what were they borne of?” 

“I desire to get between my legs, changing tactics since you know being a shit about it doesn’t sway me.” 

He hums a chuckle as you begin to walk, pressing a hand to your shoulder. “But it does, though. It worked last time, didn’t it?” He’s got you there. Bastard. “I can be quite a decent vampire when I set my mind to it. Women like you shouldn’t have to suffer nuisances like him.” 

“No,” you scoff, looking up at your undead companion, “I only have to suffer the nuisance currently at my side.” He laughs, and you walk together silently for a few seconds, before the question you’ve had burning away on the tip of your tongue finally flutters out. “Why me?” 

“Why not you?” 

Of course, he’s going to be difficult about it. “You must have a slew of other women you can call upon for sex. Why me? Why play the games?”  

“Not just women,” he corrects with a wink. No, you wouldn’t put that past him at all; to confirm he’d fuck anything with a pulse. “Because you are interesting. You’re also an amazing fuck, and my fucking dark lord below... that ass. I could chip a fang on that ass.” 

“You know, leading with that would have made you way less irritating to me than you have been,” you quip, crossing the road, noting the way he touches a protective hand to your lower back. This Niklas, he’s much more in line with how he was when you interviewed him, and you hate that you like it so much.  

“I could have, you’re right,” he begins, smirking. “Where would the fun be in that, though?”  

“It isn’t much fun for me.” 

“It isn’t supposed to be, but it is for me.” 

He’s so fucking insufferable! “Menace.” 

“Hmm, I've been called much worse. I’ll take that.” Looking down at you, he witnesses you trying desperately not to find the humour in that, giving you a soft dig with his elbow. “Come on, crack your face. You know you want to. Plus, you have a pretty smile.” 

Oh, fuck him. Fucking fuck him all the way to hell, the corners of your mouth turning up.  

“That’s a fucking grimace. You look constipated.” 

The snort of laughter his words pull from you cannot be contained, and yes, beneath it you’re furious with him for it. Yourself, too, for weakening your resolve. “See? Much better,” he speaks, turning his gaze from you up towards the sky. “There’s a storm on the way. The thunder is rumbling.” 

“I didn’t hear anything,” you speak. 

“Your ears wouldn’t have picked up on it. It’s a way off. Look at the clouds, it’ll be here soon.” Reaching for you, he lifts you into his arms. “Hold on tightly.”  

You do, experiencing the feeling of what it must be like to get shot out of a canon, a total of three seconds passing before he’s placing you back upon your feet at your front door.  

“There, your vampire delivery service has successfully deposited the cargo at its correct address,” he begins, reaching to run his fingers in a circle at the side of your neck. “I’ve behaved myself. Do I get to be invited in, so I can change that?” 

The wink he accompanies those words with makes your heart skip on a couple of beats, your resolve once again weakening. If only he wasn’t so fucking hot. If only he wasn’t the best sex of your life. If only he wasn’t a temperamental, head-fucking, yet staggeringly charismatic vampire. You might have stood a chance.  

When his mouth locks upon yours, that tentative resolve fractures to pieces.  

“Come in.” you speak between kisses, wondering if this will be a decision you’ll come to regret once you’re no longer blinded by feral desire. Or rather, once he reverts to the more nefarious side of his nature. You’re half herded, half dragging him along, discarded clothes forming a trail through your apartment, Niklas lifting you, fingers dug hard into your thighs. 

Your back hits the wall, his mouth devouring yours, practically eating your face with the hunger coursing through him. It knocks the breath from you, the feel of his icy skin pressed tight against your warmth a sensation you never thought you’d come to crave, yet experiencing it again makes you realise just how much you longed for it.  

The route to your bedroom is recommenced, Niklas kicking the door open, the entanglement of you and him hitting the mattress with a thud. It’s wildly carnivorous, kisses virtually ripped from your lips, his mouth descending, pressing against your throat like brandings searing hot, preceding the true burn, his fangs popping out.  

You cling tight to him as the bite locks onto you like a wolf devouring its kill, the thrill of it sending goose pimples charging across your skin like a herd of wild horses. The sensation of him feeding upon you feels like a thousand thunderstorms striking beneath your skin, blindingly erotic, more so than anyone could comprehend without experiencing it.  

His is a touch that casts silent, wordless spells upon your body, knowing it in a way you’re not even sure you do, mouth descending to settle at your apex, closing over your slit and sucking with a hungry grunt of satisfaction. Cool licks meet the heat of your petals, his fingers digging into the soft of your thighs hard, leaving red crescents upon your skin as your hips shudder against his mouth.  

It’s as if smouldering embers replace the vertebrae of your spine, glowing one by one as his tongue circles in slow firmness to begin with, speeding up, faster, faster... oh, fuck. The rapidity has you clutching the sides of his shaven head, his skin temporarily clawed red by the drag of your nails, your muscles tensing from the duality of it being too much, but somehow not enough.  

Your first orgasm hits you like the storm that’s beginning to swirl overhead, bolts of light cracking the sky as rain patters against the windowpanes, your body shivering, the mouth between your legs granting no clemency. He continues, devouring you like a man half starved, hands trawling your curves to settle upon your breasts, groaning against your folds as his tongue laves at you firmly.  

“Niklas, you need to stop,” you pant, watching him suck on you firmly, shaking his head. 

“I’m happy where I am.” 

“But you can’t fuck my mouth while you’re down there.”  

Oh, that caught his attention. His grin widens, deeply sinister but sexy as hell, a rumbling chuckle filling the room. “Dirty girl. I like it, but later. First, I will ruin you.”  

Standard with him, really, his mouth reconnecting once more.  

The wet drag of each lick languidly rolls through your slit, up to your clit again, circling, nudging, glimmers skittering through you when he aims his next suck right there. Your little bud is sucked plumper before being bathed in the fast beating of his tongue. Fast… faster… faster… oh… how is he real?   

Your body arches off the bed, toes curling, an orb of fire rolling through your groin before boom, it explodes, your legs wrapping around his head, feeling your clit throbbing against his tongue. He truly meant it when he stated that he’d ruin you, because once again, he doesn’t cease. With an aroused moan, he closes his mouth around you, hands continuing to stroke your curves, holding you still when your hips begin to purl against his face.  

There’s no other way to explain it, he has you lost in pleasure, unmoored, adrift on the wide, dark sea that is the vampire between your legs, your body quivering as the hum of your energy mingling with his flows unabatingly. He has you cresting a third time before moving to kneel before you, drawing your legs up over his shoulders, sinking every last inch of his thick cock into your heat, transfixing, a shudder of excitement ripping his tattooed form. 

The way vampires move, it’s so different to humans, something hypnotic that you truly can’t describe, but will never tire of seeing, experiencing as he roots himself in the plush of your cunt again and again.  

Otherworldly is perhaps the best way you could coin it, just like him, coupled with the noises he makes, that guttural growl that’s far from human, a beastly rumble that never fails to set your insides to blaze. You hiss at the ebullience of it, nails raking his chest, his cock snagging against the tight clutch of you.  

He’s heavy and wide within you, wracked by muscles cording, jumping under goose pimpled flesh. He speeds up, spearing you deeply, the flex of your heat around him making pleasure tumble through his deadness, sparking light through the dark of him. His body falls to yours, gripping your hips hard, another flash of lightning illuminating the room, his tongue running up your throat as he groans eerily, biting your earlobe.  

Grasping your jaw, he turns your head with a swift jerk, something seeming to soften in him for just a fraction of a second when he kisses you.  

“You...” he begins, hand moving to clutch your throat, “are perhaps the most beautiful woman I have been with in a long time.”  

High praise, coming from a vampire who likely has an entire harem on standby. That little display of tenderness goes just as quickly as it came, though, Niklas pulling you up so you’re sat astride him, one hand remaining in a tight clasp upon your throat, the other beginning to lay rapid, hard spanks to your bum.  

He fucks up into you with brutal force, your own hips rutting against his in a roll so deliciously serpentine, you have him feeling mindless at the way you fuck him back. The pleasure is biting and powerful, like a summer tempest winding tight, rolling over you both without pause in a ceaseless continuation, gaining the same heavy momentum as the storm that rages on outside.  

Except what you and Niklas share that night far outlasts the thunder storm, your body once again ravaged beyond comprehension, until you’re tired and sore, finally coming to rest at somewhere close to 2am. Unlike last time, though, he doesn’t leave right away. It’s almost alien to you, lying there atop his body, feeling his fingers stroke swirls up and down your spine as you recover.  

Turning you onto your side as your eyes grow heavy, he stares at you for a long moment, his fingertip stroking just above your eyebrow. You blink, and it’s in that moment he vanishes, something in you expecting he’d leave wordlessly just like the last time. It’s his nature not to hang around. 

In the days that follow, you wait for his mind games to resume, his presence to come crashing into your dreams, but to your surprise, it never happens. Three months pass and the link to him through your blood fades to nothing at all, life continuing like he never came into it.

Exiting your apartment one morning a further month along from then, you almost kick over the bottle that’s been placed outside your door, bending to pick it up. Tefethen Family Vineyards Merlot; 2018, with a note attached. 

‘It would be unfair for you to return to the bore of a human lover now you’ve had me. If you want me again, call the number below. If I can, I will be there before you’ve even hung up. If not, then you are plainly stupid and have no idea what is good for you.  

You aren’t stupid though, are you?  

N.’ 

No, you’re definitely not. Still, though, you make him wait a further month before calling.

[hyba]

02

When Elena told people what she did for a living, she knew the kinds of reactions she would have to field. When it came to men who were interested in her, there would be some awkward prodding, but eventually they would steer the conversation elsewhere. Remote viewing was, she had learned, not a particularly successful conversation topic on a date.

Grigori was different. She knew he was different from the start. Neither of them would have met, were it not for a chance encounter at the hiking trail she visited every few months. A hiking trail he only ever visited once a year, and which he would walk in honor of his father's memory. He was a stern-looking man with an intimidating build, but Elena had felt unusually calm around him.

She knew he posed no threat. Was it her extrasensory powers? She wasn't certain; she'd never really put much stock into her ability to read people. She sought information. She looked for messages, for visions. She didn't look into people's hearts, into their thoughts.

If he had felt the same in turn, Elena didn't know. She hardly remembered how they'd started talking, or how they had ended up walking together, or what they'd spoken about. Everything flowed freely, like a river which had always been there, a current which had been made just for them.

Grigori was all she could have hoped for in a partner. It wasn't until months into their relationship, however, that she began to suspect.

Winter had been harsh that year, and their small town was besieged by snowstorms on all fronts. Returning from a visit to her mother in the city, Elena's car had somehow lost traction, the wheels spinning out of control, and though it was all a blur of while upon white, she remembered very clearly the time in her dashboard, blinking at her - 9:47 - before she found her way into a nearby tree.

Unconscious and bleeding in the wintry wilds, she was more vulnerable than she had ever been.

She came to in a hospital, and learned that it had been Grigori who had found her. He had driven straight to the spot where she had veered off the road. How long had she been unconscious by the time he had arrived? Nobody could be certain.

What a stroke of luck! What a miracle!

She had asked him when he'd left to look for her - when he'd realized she was in trouble. "It was nine in the morning, just some minutes past - perhaps a quarter past," - but he couldn't quite explain it, that overwhelming sense that he needed to meet her on the road.

He made a joke of it in his mind - turned it into a romantic gesture, certain that he would meet up with her, surprise her, and they would drive back into town, perhaps have some lunch together. But he couldn't quash the ominous feeling in his bones.

And he had found her just when she had needed him most.

There were other events, too. Less dramatic examples of what Elena began to recognize as a powerful mind.

They would make plans - perhaps they might go to La Rosa or the Old Tower for dinner? - and he would consider this for a moment, before finally making some off-hand comment: The Old Tower has a problem; let's go to La Rosa.

And, sure enough, later that night they would drive past The Old Tower on their way home from dinner at La Rosa, and they would see a crowd of disappointed diners trying to find their cars and frustrated employees shivering in the cold, causing a traffic jam in the area.

"What's happened?" Grigori would ask one of the crowd.

"Gas leak," the sniffling employee would say, nose red and runny from the harsh bite of the chilly night air. "The smell got so strong, we had to evacuate."

These weren't flukes. Grigori was a constant feed of information he had no right to know - no reason to have. Elena realized that his skills far eclipsed her own, and she had had to train for years to get to where she was now.

Grigori didn't mind her questions - her prodding - her little tests her and there. To him, it was a slightly interesting trick he could do, and wasn't it strange that he could answer her questions right all the time? To Elena, however, this was something beyond simple luck or a good knack at guessing.

She shouldn't have told them - she knew that now, of course - but back then, she was naive. She thought her colleagues at the lab would help her run more experiments - a light investigation into the extents of Grigori's power.

Instead, she went from having the perfect life with the one man she'd ever truly loved and a job that, while a little quirky, was generally fun for her - to subsisting on unemployment while putting up missing posters all over town.

Grigori was alive. She knew he was alive. And it couldn't have been a coincidence that the lab had released her on the same day he was never seen again. There was a connection, and though she couldn't see it, she had the feeling that he was there, nearby, somewhere.

And she was going to find him, no matter what.

[writingseaslugs]

Scarabia: Holiday Special

Normally Scarabia is hard for me to write…but today I kinda got carried away. Jamil’s part could've gotten longer if I had the time. I had ideas for that one for no reason. It was fun to write though! Hope you enjoy your Scarabia boys!

Disclaimer: All characters in this series are aged up. For more information about my version of this world and the type of reader you can expect, please do a quick read of THIS post.

Scarabia: A White Winter

Scarabia’s dorm never really got cold unless it was night; it was a literal desert, after all. This posed a few problems when all you wanted to do was spend a white winter with a particular boy. You even made mention of it, and Kalim got the grand idea of renting a cabin off in a different town for the winter break, and you were being dragged along for the ride. 

Kalim Al-Asim

Kalim was full of surprises, so when he showed up to your home a few days back, telling you that he was dragging you off to a cabin in the mountains to experience a white winter, you knew it would be a good time. You packed your warmest clothes and anything else you’d need before meeting him in the hall of mirrors, fully set on going on this vacation. What you seemed to forget was Kalim was used to heat. He knew the desert gets cold at night, but nothing like being covered in snow for days on end.

So it made sense that, as much as he wanted to go tubing and skiing; amongst other winter activities, he was condemned to the couch in between all those activities so he could get feeling back in his body. Thankfully for you, Kalim was a very cuddly person so he didn’t just leave you to warm up.

“Come on, let’s snuggle!” Kalim said as he finished setting up the fireplace. The poor boy was bundled up as much as he could as he sat on the small couch right in front of the fire. Two large, fluffy blankets were strewn on the couch from the many sessions you had. 

“Alright, give me a minute though. The tea is almost done.” You said, watching as the man bundled under one of the blankets and left the other one for you. You walked to the kitchen and got two mugs of a nice chai tea to help warm you guys up. You then walked back over to where Kalim was. As soon as he saw you, he opened his arms up wide for you to join.

You couldn’t help but laugh as you walked over and got settled on his lap so you were still facing him. Before he took his mug, he was grabbing the blanket and putting it over your shoulders and making sure you were warm as well. You swore you melted from how sweet he was; Kalim took his cup and sipped on the warm liquid, humming in appreciation.

“So, what’s next on the agenda once we have feeling back in our fingers?” You asked, sipping your drink. The chai tea Kalim had brought with him was next level quality and you swore you might actually have to say something so he would get you some for your dorm.

“I wanna go up one of those ski gondolas!” Kalim said the idea made him excited. He had seen them in winter movies, but this would be totally different. You chuckled, shuffling a bit to get more comfortable.

“You know we’ll have to do something once we’re up there…I actually think there’s a cafe at the top or a restaurant. One of those two.” You said, checking the clock behind you two. It was still pretty early in the day since Kalim was such a morning person.

“Perfect, we can get lunch up there!” He said before frowning, “But I don’t have Jamil here to check the food.” he realized. He rarely ate something that someone else made for him, which meant restaurants were a no go.

“I’ll taste test them for you, I promise.” You said with a wink. Kalim seemed to brighten up as he dragged you down for a quick kiss.

“You’re the best…but you’re not allowed to get poisoned either.” He said, making you scoff.

“We’re in the middle of the mountains, and this reservation was made with a fake name. Nobody even knows you’re here. Why would they think you’d be in a snowy landscape?” You asked, making him hum.

“I guess you’re right…” Kalim said before turning to you, “Ya know, my lips are still kinda cold. If we want to go there for lunch, we gotta wait for them to warm up.” he said with a giant grin. You laughed, before leaning in so your noses touched.

“I’ll help you out then.”

Jamil Viper

Kalim was known for doing nice things for his friends, and since he saw Jamil as one of his closest friends, he wanted to do something nice. What better thing than to ship him off to a freezing cold mountain, with a special somebody and hope he doesn’t freeze to death? In Kalim’s defense, he just wanted Jamil to have a fun time experiencing a white winter since he had to go home.

The downside was that Jamil stressed. Even if Kalim assured him it was alright, and everyone was informed as to why Kalim didn’t have his servant there with him, Jamil was still stressed. Home was, technically, one of the most dangerous places for Kalim since that’s where all his enemies were.

This meant a good majority of your time in the cabin was watching Jamil texting Kalim to make sure he’s checking something, or wanting to speak to his stand-in servant. It was so bad that Jamil’s sister personally called him and told him to just relax and that she was blocking his number on Kalim’s phone.

So queue sitting with Jamil in the cabin, trying to watch a movie while he checked his phone every ten seconds, “Jamil, seriously, you need to chill. We’re only gone for three days.” You said, squeezing his arm in, what you hoped, was a reassuring manner.

“A lot can happen in three days.” Jamil pointed out and you shook your head.

“Or nothing at all. You need to relax a bit, y’know? That’s the whole point of being up here together.” You reminded him, “Let’s go do some winter activities. Chill at some random coffee shop, go tubing down a hill, build a snowman. Let’s have fun.” You tried tugging at his arm, but he grumbled.

“As much as I wish I could, I can’t simply just relax.” Jamil said with a sigh, “If something happens to Kalim, it would reflect badly on my family.”

“Did you forget that it’s your own sister who’s watching over him?” You huffed, “Are you saying she’s not capable of protecting Kalim for a measly three days?”

“I never said that.” Jamil said, shooting you a small glare.

“Oh, it was implied.” You couldn’t help but flick his nose, “Now come on, I have a brilliant idea as to what we can do.” You decided, jumping up from the couch and tossing the blanket off yourself.

“And what would that be?” Jamil asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning into the cushions behind him.

“This is a private cabin with a hot spring. We’d be fools not to try it out. Come on, let’s go; it’s the best thing for chasing off the cold, it’ll help you relax a bit too. Then we are going out to lunch together. Then I want to walk around the town and stop by souvenir shops.” You told him, deciding enough was enough. You were going to enjoy this vacation no matter what.

Jamil sighed as he got up and began following you. You stopped by the bathhouse and grabbed two towels, tossing one at Jamil as you pulled a curtain. Jamil was about to ask what you were doing before he noticed the clothes falling to the ground.

“Come on, strip and put your towel on.” You called out, finishing with taking all your clothes off and wrapping the towel securely around you to cover your modesty. Jamil sighed as he followed in suit, the towel hanging almost loosely around his hips. Once you were sure he was decent, you opened up the curtain and made a beeline outside.

Jamil followed, watching as you jumped into the water. You let out a relieved sigh, happy that the temperature was just right. You heard some splashing and watched Jamil walk in. Once he was inside the water you moved over and leaned on his chest, sitting down on one of the benches.

“This better?” You asked Jamil, being able to hear his heartbeat from where you sat. Jamil wouldn’t lie and say it wasn’t relaxing. You felt his hand on your chin as he moved your face over. He placed a gentle kiss on your lips and you smiled into it.

“Better.”

Are you a fan of Diasomnia like me? I bet you are if you read my content (we love the boys in this household). Want to support a visual novel that will feature the Diasomnia dorm, has multiple routes and endings, as well as some spicy visual scenes? Check out @twstfournights and if you want info, check out their announcement post!

[stillness138]

visual/art things in the Hades 2 technical test i don't like

it was said and is being said already that most of the character sprites have less dynamic poses, or that Aphrodite's face looks, for the lack of a better term, yassified,... it's actually quite a frequent topic in the tag. and i think looking closely despite the excitement is a good excercise! so let's.

i've seen a sentiment that everyone has been made (more, in some cases) conventionally attractive, and i disagree with that a little bit. depends on your definition of convention, but while it's a look popular with many, i wouldn't say Hecate's abs for example are necessarily mainstream. another point i've seen was that Demeter looks younger. i kinda agree, but i don't think it's intentional, because it's quite subtle. she's mostly just missing the defined cheekbones.

the thing about this game's art seems to be that it's a little less sharp, the lines are thinner, shadows are smoother. i think it's an attempt to look more detailed and realistic compared to the first game. i'm not sure how i feel about it. i understand the want to improve or change up, but at the same time the lack of hard shadows and highlights, while it might come across as more realistic, also leaves the sprites a little bland. and i was going to bring up Poseidon as an example where the newer style fits in with visibly older sprites, but he still feels noticeably different in how he's shaded compared to say Moros.

i also agree that the poses are simpler and in most cases less dynamic; Mel is fine and the fact she can change during dialogue adds to it, Hecate looks good too. Nemesis is justifiable since she seems to be standing guard. i think they're simpler maybe because now everyone has a detailed environment backdrop as well, it's especially bold in the olympians' case, but i do hope characters revealed in the future have more dramatic or interesting poses. Selene gives me some hope.

Artemis is definitely unfinished. her sprite lacks any bolder linework or shadows, the coloring is very dull. it really sticks out like a sore thumb as of now. but her boon icons having those letters, likely placeholders too, make it more apparent that she's not finalized yet.

now, this might be controversial, but...i don't like Apollo's design that much. in his case, i definitely wish he had a cooler pose, for his bow/lyre to be a lot more prominent. the outfit is fine, i'm kinda on the edge about it. on one hand, all the colors and shapes work, on the other, maybe not together? but what makes it all bad for me is his actual appearance. i wish his hair was wilder, actually committed to it, and brighter. i wish he wore either more elaborate jewelry or more of detailed armor pieces. i wish he had heavy freckles, vitiligo or some other skin condition to reference the surface of the sun. i think in part this is definitely a case of being spoiled by fanart, but yeah. i'm not vibing with him as much as i hoped i would. i like this design because while the outfit isn't detailed, the freckles and pose make up for it. the hair, choppy like irregular sunrays, is cool too. this one i like too, it's less crazy but still has its own flair, distinct from the rest of the first game, and the lyre/bow design is beautiful. this one is a bit out there but it's pretty cool as well imo, with apparent callbacks to Artemis in hair texture, birthmarks/crests, and the shoulder pelt.

lastly though, Aphrodite. the good! referencing Ares's warpaint is sweet. i like the armor pieces. in general the pose is tasteful, and the long ass banners coming from her spear kinda add some needed drama to it. the spear and shield themselves have nice designs in line with Aphro's overall aesthetic. but the bad... i don't like her face all that much either when compared to her sprite from the first game. there, i liked that her lips aren't exaggerated in any way. compare that to Athena (her shade of lipstick is absolutely amazing tho). but it felt more, i dunno, like trying to convey some natural beauty? in 2, she got that barbie doll treatment. reminds me of witcher 3 female npcs' faces and that is not a good thing. people have said that she looks thinner - her arms definitely do. and maybe because of that they also seem a bit too long to me. she suffers from the lack of hard shadows and highlights a lot, putting both her sprites next to each other really shows the difference in approach. like, overall it's a pretty and perfectly fine sprite, but...there is a but. a part of that but is definitely our expectations and uncertainty about the new direction the sprite art seems to be going in. to give nuance to the other side, we're also still in a pre-early access stage. on the other hand, the other olympians we've seen don't look unfinished the way Artemis does and it's quite likely these sprites is what we'll go into full release with. there was no reason to change Aphrodite's face, and we're allowed to not like it. leaving well-meaning feedback can be effective! and i would encourage it. with emphasis on well-meaning.

i also think the icon for gold in Hades 2 should be just a single coin, because a little hoard of them looks too much like the moly flower icon from a distance.

[decks-writing-blog]

Gordon Swap Chapter Twelve: Maybe One Good Thing

Chapter One

Previous Chapter

~

Talking with his alternate through Barney translating was awkward at first, especially since he switched to the more professional mode of using the first person when talking for other-Gordon, only occasionally interjecting as himself. But after a couple exchanges, Gordon got somewhat used to it even if it still felt a bit stilted and slow. Benrey interrupted occasionally, which did the opposite of help, but he thankfully didn’t press too hard on any of it, making him and his interruptions easier to bear.

With the topic of how different their childhoods had to have been being off the table due to this needing to be a short conversation and what was going on currently being too heavy for causal discussion on the eve of whatever was going to happen tomorrow, they settled on talking about their time at Black Mesa. Which quickly turned into talking about college instead because other-Gordon was apparently Dr. Kleiner’s teacher’s pet, up to even starting to work with him shortly after graduating. Gordon had also gotten a referral resulting in a job at Black Mesa from Dr. Kleiner but they hadn’t clicked professionally or personally. Resulting in him starting in a lower position while other-Gordon started in the position Gordon had now and had since been promoted to be one of the head scientists working with the anti-mass spectrometer. He’d volunteered to do the test because he’d wanted to whereas Gordon had been told to.

Apparently, despite his inability to speak, he was still better with people, both on professional and personal levels, than Gordon could ever hope to be. He was better than Gordon at everything. Just an all around superior version of him. … He’d died and come back though. That apparently hadn’t been the first time he’d done so either. He’d cracked after too, no longer seemingly quite as much a badass action hero. Since then he’d seemed okay but Gordon lacked the guts to ask him again because he suspected he knew the answer already but couldn’t do anything about it so why bring it up? There was no way it hadn’t sucked though. So Gordon wasn’t too jealous of him. He’d take being a lame loser with no friends and few career prospects if it meant not suffering the pain of death repeatedly. Though he might have that power too. Hopefully he wouldn’t find out for sure anytime soon.

They were starting to wrap up that college into employment comparison conversation when the sound of the door opening had them freezing in place as they looked towards it. … Vonneguts, three of them. All the ones they’d run into since starting to work with them had been pretty chill, minus the mind control thing anyway. That didn’t make their presence particularly comfortable though. It was too soon and they still posed a potential threat for as long as their controllers could pop in with only a few seconds’ warning. Seemingly there was a delay between when groups could come in, whatever was sending them needed to rest or something, but how long seemed random and thus it could happen at basically any time.

These guys were clearly in control of themselves though as they weren’t attacking, just peeking in to stare with their giant red eyes. One of them gestured towards Gordon – or perhaps just at the group in general but it seemed to be pointing directly at him. None of them said anything though. The only times Gordon had heard them speak had been mostly to other-Gordon and occasionally himself or to other members of the group, never to each other. Which now that he thought about it was rather odd. Talking to the group made sense; seemingly most of the Vonneguts somehow knew they were here to kill the thing in charge of the mind control aliens and thus were helping, resulting in the occasional talking at them. But why weren’t they speaking to each other?

“Yo.” Benrey had long since gone back to being an annoying size, phasing partially through the ground. “These guys are weird. When I was in their village thing earlier, only the first few were surprised by me, the rest didn’t seem to care much.”

“And that probably drove you mad, huh? Because you can’t handle it when people don’t pay much attention to you.” Maybe Gordon shouldn’t be giving him attention in answering either. But that was far easier said then done especially with the added annoyance of his shape shifting power.

“Nuh-uh. Just weird is all. I asked for their passports but they didn’t understand ‘cause they don’t speak English or whatever. They uh… look kinda cool though. Kinda like um…”

“Hush,” Barney said, lifting a hand towards him. “Looks like they want something.”

The Vonneguts did indeed seem to want something. They’d stepped into the room and one of them made what could only be interpreted as a ‘come here’ gesture.

With his usual fearlessness, other-Gordon stood and went straight to them, stepping over where Dr. Coomer lay sprawled on the floor, snoring loudly. He didn’t have to be afraid though, did he? If they killed him, time would reset and he’d be alive again. Still zero hesitation was impressive.

Despite that and how earlier most of them had been focused primarily on him, they didn’t seem satisfied. The one furthest in the room pointed at Gordon – no ambiguity about it this time, it was looking and pointing directly at him – before making the ‘come here’ gesture again.

Gordon stood but… “Me? Why me?”

It couldn’t answer of course, only repeated its gesture.

Damn it. Taking a deep breath, Gordon started over. See? He could be brave too. This was fine. Not scary at all. If his alternate could keep going even whilst knowing what it felt like to die – knowledge no living being should have – then Gordon could walk up to aliens that could easily kill him by blasting lightning at him and be fine with it.

Upon reaching them, they gestured one more time before leading the way out. Other-Gordon of course followed. … Gordon glanced back. Not because he was hesitant but because…

“Go see what they want,” Barney said. “They’re our allies now, I think, so it might be good. And you got Gordon with you so it’ll be fine. I’ll stay here and keep watch on these guys.” He gestured to the sleeping forms of the rest of the team. Yeah, that. Gordon had wanted to make sure Barney was going to keep watch on their sleeping team mates.

“I wanna come too,” Benrey said as he did his creepy thing of sliding through the floor towards them.

And so, the three of them followed the Vonneguts out into the hall. Asking where they were going would’ve been useless so Gordon didn’t say anything, just followed in silence.

The coolness of being in an alien facility had mostly worn off a while ago, buried by exhaustion and fear of alien ambush. Now, they might as well just be walking through the Black Mesa facility. In the back here, there wasn’t any of the cool stuff to even try to muster up curiosity about. Every factory, alien or human, had its boring storage areas and this was one of them.

After maybe a minute or so Benrey of course broke the silence. “Where we going?”

“Neverland for all I fucking know.” Gordon tried to sound more annoyed than he actually felt because letting on that he was a little bit relieved to have Benrey along on whatever this adventure was would’ve no doubt opened a door for him to be extra obnoxious. Any of the others would’ve been better, especially Barney, but just having someone else along who he could communicate with properly was enough.

“What’s Neverland? Why’s it called that?”

“Peterpan’s island or whatever. And it’s called that because the people there never grow up. Which now that I think about it, that might be where you came from because you’re immature as fuck. You never grew up. You’re still a dumb child.”

“Nah, I uh… came from Black Mesa.” He didn’t sound offended at the insult. Not that it was a particularity good one but Gordon was far too tired to come up with something better. “And I’m not child. You might be though ‘cause uh… you’re getting lead to detention by the Vort guys. Should’ve brought your passport, bro. I’d help but uh, I can’t 'cause you don't got you passport.”

After this Gordon wouldn’t be surprised if the word ‘passport’ forever sent a spark of anger through him. “This has nothing to do with my fucking passport. These guys probably don’t even have passports or know what they are. They can travel to whole other dimensions and stuff. What use or care would they have for a little slip of paper that says you can go to a different country, huh?”

“Nah, I told them you didn’t have yours. They must’ve finally gotten around to doing something ‘bout it.”

“You didn’t tell them that. Or if you did, it wouldn’t matter because they didn’t understand you. You’re just trying to fuck with me.” And succeeding because Gordon had no self control when it came to ignoring annoying people.

“Boring-Gordon has his. Did you know that?”

Gordon turned his head to look at other-Gordon. “Do you have you passport on you?” There was no way, right?

He nodded.

“Why?”

He shrugged as Benrey answered for him. “’Cause he’s uh… responsible. He follows the law.”

“And that’s what makes him boring, right? You’re the only one who calls him ‘boring’ and it’s because he’s got his passport so you don’t have even a fake excuse to harass him. And even if you did try to harass him, which I have no doubt that you did try because you’re you,he doesn’t give a fuck.” Because he was a cool guy, annoying shit slid off him like water off a duck’s back. “So he’s boring but I’m not. In fact, you called me ‘fun’, remember? So me not having my passport is a good thing as far as you’re concerned. You like that I don’t have it because it gives you a reason to follow me around like this.”

“Uh… hmm… no. It’s bad you don’t have it. I’m just doing my job. I’d be playing Heavenly Sword right now if not for you. And I’m uh, angry ‘bout it. Sorta. Or I was anyway. Things are a lot more fun now that you’re back so um… don’t leave, ‘kay? I gotta keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t steal stuff.”

“As much as I would like to leave, I don’t think there’s anywhere for me to go right now. Nowhere safe anyway. So sure, I won’t leave and I’m not gonna fucking steal anything either.” Not that even Benrey thought that he might, he just liked being annoying and Gordon had to put up with it. It could be worse though, he could know what it was like to die. He’d take Benrey over that any day.

Thankfully before Benrey could say anything else, the Vonneguts leading them slowed to a stop in front of a door. Opening it, they lead the way inside. It was tempting to hesitate and peek in before stepping in too but other-Gordon didn’t so Gordon followed suit. He wasn’t frightened. These guys were their allies now. What use would they even have for leading them into a trap here?

The room, smaller than the one they’d been led to for camping, was a dead end. Two more Vonneguts waited within but other than that and a few more storage barrels in the far corners, it was empty. As Benrey slid in last, he shrunk so that he could fit himself perfectly sitting cross legged in the corner, looking down at the rest of them. Which only made the room feel more crowded and uncomfortable. Despite that, Gordon didn’t let himself flinch at the sound of the door closing behind them.

One of the Vonneguts they’d come in with gestured for Gordon to come deeper in. Other-Gordon followed for a bit but was gestured back. Finally he hesitated, looking Gordon’s way, holding his gaze for a few moments before the Vonnegut gestured again. This time, he obeyed even while lowering a hand to his pistol, not particularly subtle either. If anything went wrong, he had Gordon’s back. A comfort even if he was now alone in the middle of the room as the Vonneguts closed into a ring around him.

He fought the urge to lift his hand to set the HEV suit’s helmet up. It probably wouldn’t offer that much more protection anyway. And again, these guys were allies now, so probably they didn’t mean any harm. … Hopefully.

“See?” Benrey said. “They’re mad ‘cause you don’t got your passport. Should’ve brought it.” Shaking his head slightly, he tsked his disapproval. Knowing said disapproval was fake made it slightly less annoying, only slightly though.

Gordon bit back the urge to tell him to shut up. “Nah, it’s fine.” No way would he ever be as cool and level headed as his alternate but he could pretend. Especially since other-Gordon wouldn’t let anything bad happen.

One of the Vonneguts that had been in the room waiting – maybe, it was hard to tell them apart – stepped closer and grabbed Gordon’s right arm, just below his elbow, lifting it. “Um… excuse you?” He tried to take a step back but its grip was firm.

It said something, its tone maybe an attempt at being reassuring but it could’ve just as easily have been a softly spoken threat instead. Using it’s other full sized hand, it smeared something into the stump of his wrist. A thick gel of some sort, pleasantly cool as it started to tingle. Something he should be worried about?

Letting go of his arm and wrist, the Vonnegut stepped back to rejoin the circle. The lot of them lifted their hands in the air and started to hum. Their voices were deep and rumbling, a pleasant but ominous sound that seemed to vibrate through Gordon’s body.

“See? You’re in trouble,” Benrey said.

This time Gordon ignored him. Surely if they wanted to hurt him they’d have just blasted him with their hand lightning instead of doing whatever this was. So probably Benrey was just trying to cause problems again. He knew just as much as Gordon did about whatever was going on here.

Their humming reached a new pitch as the Vonneguts hands started to emit a green glow that seemed to resonate with the sound. The tingling in Gordon’s stump from whatever they’d rubbed into it grew more intense, unpleasantly so as it started to hurt. Like a million little sharp spikes were digging into it.

A wave of dizziness washed through him as the alien circle closed a bit tighter around him. The air was heavy and thick as if their humming were turning it into a heavy liquid.

He swayed on his feet. “What’d you… do to me?” The pain was growing in his stump. With a barely held in whimper, he clutched it to his chest. It burned as if he’d dunked it into a vat of acid. “Guys?”

It was only his mute alternate and Benrey present though. The former of which naturally couldn’t respond. Benrey however unfortunately could. “Whoa bro, you dizzy?” It was that obvious huh? Not surprising; the world seemed to sway and rock beneath him as the humming lights the Vonneguts emitted swirled around him. “Gonna fall over like a little baby?”

“No.” … Yes. Falling was fine though. The white hot pain in his wrist was was either going to scream or pass out. … Turns out it was a little bit of both.

~

Blinking open his eyes, he looked up at himself leaning over him. Like a weird living mirror. How had he possibly ended up in so strange a situation? He lifted a hand to give Gordon a thumbs up. What was that supposed to mean?

Benrey leaned in next. He was standing, shrunken down to his normal size. A far more grounding sight because as weird as he was, he was also aggravating enough to pull Gordon the rest of the way out of his stupor. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

Gordon gave him his best glare before sitting up. The Vonneguts were still in the room, hovering nearby but no longer encircling him. Their glow was gone as was their humming. Apparently they were done with whatever it was they’d set out to do. “What happened?”

Other-Gordon was silent for a beat before lifting his right hand and pointing at it before pointing at Gordon.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I think he uh, might be trying to tell you your hand finally grew back.” If other-Gordon didn’t nod at that, Gordon would’ve dismissed that as Benrey’s usual annoying nonsense. “’Bout time too, huh? His grew back much quicker. Or um, I guess he didn’t lose his ‘cause he’s not a clumsy little guy.”

Still not accustomed to missing a hand, Gordon had pushed himself up with his right hand without realizing the oddity of being able to do so. Now though, he looked down at it. … ‘Grown back’ wasn’t quite the right phrase because it wasn’t his hand he was looking at but instead a Vonnegut hand attached to where his stump had once ended.

He flexed it. It moved exactly how he’d have expected it to if it were his. He even felt it, though it was vastly different than his old hand. Three fingers instead of five made for a vastly different bone and muscle structure. Despite that, just like how he could never explain how to flex his normal hand, he had no problems moving this one. Running it over his other forearm, he could even feel the metal and protective fabric of the HEV suit with it.

Wow. More than a prosthetic, they’d given him a whole new flesh and blood hand. How? Magic? It had looked like magic but maybe it was just an alien thing that they could do. … He’d have preferred a human hand though or at least something shaped more like one. Beggars couldn’t be choosers though and if it was between having an alien hand or just a stump, he’d take the former any day.

He looked up and over towards the Vonneguts who were still watching. “Thanks.” That felt like such a paltry thing to say, especially since they didn’t understand it but what else could he say?

One of them said something in response. It was impossible to guess what.

Other-Gordon stood and offered a hand to help Gordon up too. He accepted it, using his new alien hand without even thinking about it. It worked though, got him to his feet even if the hold was awkward.

“Why’s it like their hands?” Benrey asked, leaning in to look at it. How stiff he moved made it more uncomfortable.

Gordon took a step back from him. “I assume whatever it was they did can only make alien stuff so when making me a new hand, it had to be like theirs. The fact that it even works on me is probably close to a miracle. But uh… since that seems to be what they wanted, maybe we should go back to camp now. We got a big day tomorrow.” Passing out from alien drug healing magic was just close enough to sleeping to remind him of how tired he was. It had been a long day and an even longer last week or so. Hopefully tomorrow would indeed be the end of this adventure.

~

“What’d they want?” Barney asked as soon as The Vonneguts that had led them back closed the door behind them.

Gordon held up his new hand, faced outward towards him. “To give me this.” He flexed it.

Barney’s eyes widened. “Wow. I guess they really are our pals, huh? Cool.”

“Interesting for sure. I’ll uh… tell you how they did it later. I’m tired.”

“Yeah, dude. You guys go sleep. I’ll keep watch for a bit longer.”

“Sleep time is boring.” Benrey, seemingly unable to stay normal size for long, was back to taking up way too much room.

Gordon was used to that by now though and was too tired to care anyway. He went over to lay down next to where Tommy lay curled up on the floor in a ball while other-Gordon sat against the wall opposite the door. Let him stay up if he wanted, it wasn’t any of Gordon’s business. Or maybe that’s just how he slept.

The floor here was just as uncomfortable as the floor of the Black Mesa facility. Being stuck in the HEV suit didn’t help. But as had been the case for a while now, it hardly mattered; he was sort of used to it and too exhausted for it to keep him up for long.

~

Voices roused him. They sounded like they were arguing. He rolled over in an attempt to escape them but alas now that he was sort of awake, the ache in his body from lying on a cold stone floor for hours while wearing a metal suit made itself impossible to ignore. As soon as he got to sleep in a real bed again, he was never leaving it. No, he didn’t care how morbid that thought sounded.

He’d been woken twice during the ‘night’ once for his turn to keep watch and then again because they’d been attacked in the night. Not that he’d been able to help. He’d just hid and watched his alternate be a badass instead. It felt like he’d just lain down after that a few minutes ago. Surely it was unfair to wake him again. And so with as loud a groan as he could muster to make his annoyance known, he sat up. Before he could tell everyone to shut the fuck up and let him go back to sleep…

“Hello Gordon!” Dr. Coomer shifted his stance to be looking down at him. “We were just arguing about how to wake you up.”

“We were thinking about rolling you into the portal,” Bubby said. “And by ‘we’ I mean Dr. Coomer suggested it so don’t pin the idea on me. I just said that that would be funny and volunteered to help do it. But Barney and other-you wouldn’t let us.”

“Because that’s a really weird thing to do.” Barney stood immediately over Gordon. “Also potentially dangerous.”

Crossing his arms, Bubby gave him an annoyed glare. “Nah, he would’ve been fine. And it would’ve been funny.”

“Also, Mr. Freeman,” Tommy cut in as he stepped up next to Dr. Coomer, “Did you know you have an alien hand for an uh, hand now?”

Gordon looked down at it. His memory of last night felt like a dream but here it was. “Yeah, I know. The Vonneguts did like a… ritual or something to me last night and now I have an alien hand” He stood and clapped Barney on the shoulder with it. “Thanks for standing up for me by the way.”

“Anytime, pal. Also, now that you’re up, it’s time for breakfast.”

A quick looked around revealed everyone was up and awake. Benrey was still here too. His head rested on his crossed arms while the rest of him was phased through the floor. Apparently he’d stayed throughout the night.

Bubby stepped up Gordon as Barney moved away to grab the food pack, lowering his voice to a whisper. “You have to admit, it would’ve been funny if you’d woken up to us moving you again.”

“It was funny once. The joke got old after that.”

“For you maybe.” Bubby’s voice returned to a normal speaking volume. “By the way, does your new alien hand shoot lightning?”

“Um… I don’t know actually.”

“You should try it, Gordon,” Dr. Coomer said as he joined them. “Shoot lightning.”

“How?”

“You just shoot lightning, duh.” Benrey said. “It’s easy unless you’re a little baby or noob or something.”

Gordon side-stepped Bubby to properly glare at him. “What do you know? You don’t have that power.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then do it, shoot lightning. Show me how it’s done.” And that he wasn’t saying stuff for the sole purpose of being annoying.

“Nah, I uh… don’t wanna.”

Tommy cut in before Gordon could tell him Benrey to shut up then. “Just point your alien hand at like the wall or something and think really hard about shooting lightning, Mr. Freeman.”

“Try moving your hand in new ways too, Gordon,” Dr. Coomer added.

Probably Gordon couldn’t. Having an alien hand didn’t mean he had alien powers. It was worth a try though right. So he stepped back from the wall and turned to face it.

“I gotta see this,” Barney said as the lot of them, minus Benrey still in the corner, gathered around to watch. Even other-Gordon joined them which shouldn’t bring that much more pressure but he was… him. A cooler version of him too.

Gordon lifted the hand and pointed it at the wall. Now… lightning! Boom. Zap. Pow. Uh… he flexed the hand a couple times. ‘Try moving it in new ways too’, how did he do that? Think about shooting lightning and…

“Damn,” Bubby said, “I don’t think it can…”

Gordon did something with his new hand. Holding it made a familiar buzzing sound for a second before, zap! He shot lightning at the wall. It even left a small scorch mark. “Holy shit, I did it.” It wasn’t much but it was cool. He could shot alien lightning now!

“Congrats on you new lightning powers, Gordon,” Dr. Coomer said, patting him on the shoulder.

Before anyone else could say anything, other-Gordon clapped his hands, getting their attention. He gave Gordon a quick thumbs up before signing something to Barney.

“He wants us to eat breakfast quick as we can so we can get a move on.”

“Well at least he doesn’t want us to walk and eat at the same time again,” Tommy said. “That was awful. But fast, I think I is okay to do.”

~

Presumably the portal and the machine making it being bigger and more complex meant it would take them further than any of their previous teleports. The space between stepping through and landing lasted far too long. Gordon hung suspended in the void, not even fully sure he had a body anymore, for what felt like minutes but couldn’t have possibly been, before proper light returned, bringing solid ground beneath his feet with it.

Blinking as he eyes adjusted to the new dim lighting, he looked around. A large round room made of dark gray, almost black stone. No obvious doors. In its center a raised platform surrounded by a metal railing. A small narrow flight of stairs led up to it. The ceiling above didn’t extend far before opening up into a hole that extended way, way up. … An elevator?

“I think we’re in the tower,” Tommy said. “At the bottom probably, I think because that makes the most sense to me.”

“Oof, this certainly ain’t a church,” Barney said. “Or maybe it is, I don’t know. But we’re finally here at least.”

Bubby walked further forward as he looked up. “Let me guess, we’re gonna have to go all the way to the top now.”

Dr. Coomer joined him. “Probably. And we’ll most likely be attacked repeatedly the whole way up.”

“Awesome.” Just what Gordon wanted and needed right now; a long elevator ride up an alien tower while aliens tried to kill them the whole way up.

“It’s kinda like a video game.” Benrey had shifted to be only noticeably bigger than a normal person could be as he walked over to tilt his head unnaturally far back as he looked up. “Like uh… the tense buildup to a big boss fight at the end.”

That wasn’t a bad comparison. There would indeed presumably be the big boss alien that needed killing at the end of this path. In fact, everything seemed to led to it. Gordon’s attempt to escape instead ended with him entering its realm. Almost like there was no escape at all.

“Gordon,” Dr. Coomer turned to face him. “Are we in a video game?”

“No. The world can’t be a simulation and be part of an infinite multiverse at the same time.” There were probably ways around that that Gordon was too tired to think up right now. But did it even matter either way? It wouldn’t change their situation if this was a video game instead for real life. “And if it was, one of us would know, right?”

“Because one of us would be the player,” Bubby said, filling in the rest of Gordon’s thought.

“Now would be the time to admit that,” Tommy said.

The silence held for a several long seconds as no one came forward with that confession. Finally Barney broke, “Welp, I guess that settles that question then.”

“We probably aren’t in a video game,” Dr. Coomer agreed. “There… might be something else going on here though.”

“Like what?” Gordon didn’t like that thought. What else could possibly be going on other than what they saw right in front of them?

“I’m not sure. Let’s go, shall we? It’s a long way to the top.”

Apparently in agreement, other-Gordon had already started climbing the stairs. There was nothing else to do but follow. One by one, they went up after him and onto the elevator. Except for Benrey.

“It’s awful small,” he said. There was no way he’d easily fit on it without shrinking to a normal person size.

“Just shrink then,” Barney said.

“But it’s uh… I don’t like being small.” As proof of that, he grew a bit bigger. “It’s lame.”

Gordon took a breath to tell him to suck it up and just do it but… every time he had done it, he hadn’t been normal size for longer than a few minutes. And he moved far more stiltedly while shrunk, obviously it was uncomfortable. If that was all it was, he could suck it up. But it might be that he literally couldn’t stay normal sized for long. If asked, there was a good chance he wouldn’t be honest about it. But, either way, if he didn’t come on the elevator with them, Gordon could get a break from him. He had to make it fun for Benrey to not get on the elevator though.

“Uh… how about we race to the top of the tower then?” he said. “You stay the size you are now and climb to the top of it from the outside while we take the elevator. Whoever gets there first wins.”

Benrey seemed to almost perk up. He was hard to read though. “A race, huh?”

“Yeah, winner gets a prize.” Could he make it more interesting and thus incentive Benrey fucking off even further? “Double the prize if the big boss alien is up there and the winner can kill it before the other gets there.” Had Gordon finally figured out how to deal with Benrey? He was looking at Gordon what could only be interpreted as interest.

“What’s the prize gonna be?” Barney asked. “Or prizes since there’s two each on the line.”

“If we get there first, Benrey has to leave me alone about my passport. And if we can kill the alien boss thing before he gets there, then uh…” Tempting as it was to have it be Benrey leave him alone forever, Gordon was leaning pretty heavily on the team in general. He could help a bit more now with his lightning shooting hand but they would still largely be carrying him to that victory if it happened.

“Benrey has to quit pretending to be a security guard,” Bubby suggested. “And admit he was never one to begin with.” Oh no. That might be going further than he was willing to commit to given how strongly he obviously wanted to cling to that stupid lie. It would be gratifying though.

“How about instead he just has to do something nice for everyone on the team,” Tommy suggested. “Since it’s a team effort on our part. How’s that sound, Benrey?”

“Uh… sure, I can do that. And if I win I uh… want um… another kiss from fun-Gordo and second prize is Heavenly Sword with a PS plus membership.”

Gordon could make the point that that would be three prizes but it didn’t matter that much. Especially since ‘doing something nice for everyone on the team’ was a big enough idea to justify a larger second prize for him too. “Deal.”

“All right.” Dr. Coomer raised his arm in the arm as if ready for a karate chop. “Let the race begin in three… two… one… Go!” He brought his arm down into his arm in a sharp motion.

Apparently waiting and ready, other-Gordon hit the button that started the elevator. It lurched into motion, ascending as Benrey rushed to phase through one of the outer walls. What the chances of beating him to the top were was hard to say but Gordon was finally free of him for a bit and had the chance to be free of the passport bullshit forever. It was worth the risks of losing.

Not so fun though was everything else. There wasn’t much cover on the elevator. Maybe it would be a smooth ride to the top. Probably not but well, maybe one good thing would happen to them for once. … Though, if it was only one, getting the alien hand probably counted for it. So maybe two good things could happen to them, back to back; a break from the awfulness at last. A lot to hope for but they’d earned it, right?

~

Next Chapter

[akaiuchiha]

Chapter 6(English): Towards a Brighter Adventure

They went their separate ways once they reached the market place. The group disappeared while Carne and Patty decided to go help gather supplies for their departure. Zeff didn't follow them: he had to find a navigator.

He wasn't naive per se, in fact Zeff was a very down-to-Earth kind of man and he knew a navigator was crucial for his crazy plan to reach his son.

It was easy to reach the port and deck area, the vendors and the fishermen were selling their new catch. Finding someone able to navigate the Grand Line around Alabasta was something easy to do, but finding someone able to navigate the Grand Line, able to determine the best way and to keep them safe on these seas was way harder. 

However, Zeff was also realising how impossible it was for him to reach Totoland within such a short span of time. While he was looking around to see if someone seemed to crave adventure, the despair he felt deep within his chest was growing bigger and bigger. 

Why hadn't he realised sooner that some of his clients were strange? Why didn't he realise something was wrong with Sanji's poster? It was the first time a pirate was wanted only alive and not dead or alive. Even if he didn't know what was wrong, he still should have set sail way sooner.

“Come here my friend, my fish is a kind of fish you can't find anywhere else!”

Zeff turned his head to see a man in his thirties smiling at him. He sighed and came close to the stall to take a look at the fish.

“You can take two for the price of one, it's on me.”

“Why are you doing that?” Zeff questioned. That man was either really good at reading people or was just testing his luck.

“It looked like you needed someone to get you out of your head. I know I shouldn't pry and all but you know, a bit of kindness can solve everything sometimes.” The man answered.

“You would be able to solve my problems if you knew someone able to navigate the Grand line and the New World.”

“Isn't the New World a part of the Grand Line though?”

“Yes but the Log Pose is different there so not really the same thing. Anyway, do you know someone?”

“Sure.”

Relief washed over Zeff.

“Can you give the name so I can find them?”

“Well, I'm in front of you so… my name is Aryn, nice to meet you.”

Zeff was silent for a few minutes trying to process their interaction. You are telling him that he had found the person he was looking for just like that?! That wasn't luck, it was even more.

“No you're kidding, you would have known what I was talking about when talking about the Grand Line and the New World.”

“I was just confused about why you were separating them. So you need a navigator?”

“Yes but that's not the point. Did you know?”

“Did I know what?” The man asked.

“What I was looking for.”

“Erm…” Aryn glanced down at his stall and laughed nervously. “I might have heard someone mentioning it..?”

Zeff sighed again and crossed his arms. So that man had called him knowing that. But was it really a problem? Shouldn't Zeff feel relieved about that? After all, it wasn't like Aryn had tried to attack him and if he could navigate the Grand Line it'd probably be for the best if he joined Baratie.

“Would you like to join then?”

“Hell yes.”

Zeff was surprised by his reaction. With this interaction he was quite sure the man would agree but he didn't think it would be with such enthusiasm. And he clearly didn't think someone would be willing to join his crew without making a fuss before. 

Somehow, in the span of a few hours, he had been able to get a doctor and a navigator. Sure, he would tell them why they were traveling but once they were all together. It would probably be for the best if they could tell him how long it would take to reach Totoland but Zeff wasn't dumb. It would be near impossible for him to reach it before the end of the wedding. He had to rely and trust Luffy to save his son but even though he didn't help in the rescue, he would still see his son.

Even if he had to travel to another universe, he would do it.

“Hum, Sir?” Aryn waved his hand in front of his face. “Are you okay?”

“I am. Would you know how long it takes for the Log Pose to set?”

“Probably a day, maybe two. Travelers never stay much more time than that so i figured it must be it.”

“Okay then, finish your sell and come with me. We have to create the best travel to reach Sabaody Island within two weeks maximum.”

“That's almost impossible-” The fisherman was stopped by Zeff.

“We have to go to Water 7 before so that the boat is quicker. We'll make do.”

The man gave a sceptical look before nodding and returning to his soon-to-be former job.

“The boat looks like a fish, I'm going to wander a bit and see what to buy.” Zeff told him and went on his merry way.

Zeff spent the rest of the afternoon going from stall to stall and buying supplies. He had figured that his staff had done the same at the market place and he trusted them to had buy nonperishable food too. He let himself being drown by the noises and the smells around him because it helped him escape from his thoughts. 

How was Sanji? Was he hurt? Was he fighting? Was he still alive?

How was Zeff supposed not to worry when he had so little informations? If he could, he would teleport himself right in front of this shitty family, smack them in the face, take Sanji with him and leave after he had insulted their entire family tree. But he had no powers, nor had he eaten a devil fruit si his only option was to pray and wish for his son to be safe soon.

When he saw the sun setting, Zeff went back to the stall that Aryn was tidying up. A bag sat near him and it seemed that the man had sold every fish he had.

“I guess you're good at it.” Zeff remaked.

“Good at what?”

“Selling fish.”

“Ah, I guess. I didn't sell them all, though. I gave some to the other fishermen, at least it won't be wasted like that.”

“Eh. You're a good kid. Ready to go?” Zeff smirked.

“All good.”

Aryn took his bag and joined Zeff. They started walking towards the city centre in complete silence. At some point, one of the cook called him so they both joined said cook.

“What is it?” Zeff asked.

“We're done replenishing the boat chef. We're ready to go anytime now.”

“Good. We'll see if the Log Pose is set tomorrow, until now you can tell the others they have free time until tomorrow morning. I expect you all to be back at 9.”

“Understood!” 

The cook left them and Zeff and Aryn continued their walk. Once they arrived in front of the Baratie, Aryn gasped and turned his head to look at Zeff with sparkling eyes.

“Your boat is so cool!”

“Yeah it's a good one. However she's clearly not meant to sail these waters.”

“Don't worry, we'll reach Water 7 before you even know it! I've studied for years!”

Zeff smiled and they entered the ship. Once they were inside, Zeff led Aryn to the dorm for him to put his belongings.

“There are some hammocks that are free as you can see, you can choose the one you want. Another person will join soon too so you should choose quickly if you don't want to lose the one you wish to have.”

“Understood. Erm..where do I put my things?”

“There's a locker here, it's empty.”

“Thanks.”

Zeff waited outside the dorm. In the restaurant, there were different dorms with about five to six hammocks. After the expansion, the staff was able to get more privacy and everyone had been pleased by that. In this dorm, there were two other cooks, they were the most recently arrived. The chef could hear Aryn walking left and right to put his clothes and other things in the locker and when he was done, he got out of the room.

“I'm done.”

“Good. Follow me.”

They walked to his office and once they were inside, he gestured the chair in front of his desk to Aryn. The fisherman sat down and Zeff joined him.

“Can I ask you why you're so eager to reach Sabaody Island?” Aryn asked.

“My son is in a dangerous situation and I am going to help him.”

“Where is he?”

“He is in Totoland, Big Mom's territory.”

Zeff waited for his reaction but it wasn't the one he awaited. Aryn had a pensive look on his face while he thought about this information.

“That's really far indeed. If you want to get here you'll have to have an Eternal log pose. The access is not easy at all and you'll need a good ship.”

“So? What should we do?” Zeff questioned with interest.

“You should go to Water 7 just like you said and there, maybe get a log pose to Sabaody island. I think the quickest way is to take another way than following your log pose.” Aryn answered.

“Okay and? How are we supposed to navigate until then? There's a reason why we need a log pose on the Grand Line.”

“Sir, I can probably find an Eternal log pose to Water 7 in Alabasta but maps exist, even if they are not as reliable as a log pose, we can still use them.”

The chef looked at him quietly but his mind was everything but quiet. Zeff was thinking about so many things at the time and if Aryn was right and was able to do what he said, then maybe they could reach Water 7 and Sabaody in two weeks.

Maybe everything wasn't lost.

“I trust you. Do what you think is the best for us. Go and collect what you need for this journey, you're free until tomorrow like everyone.”

Aryn stood up and left the room in a hurry, leaving Zeff alone in his office.

Silently, Zeff looked out the window and sighed before he glanced at the picture on his desk of him and Sanji at the opening of the Baratie.

“I'm coming little eggplant, just wait a little while longer.”

After that, he closed his eyes and relaxed in his chair, feeling more tired than he had ever been.

[partyanimal167]

Prove Your Worth- Grimmjow x Reader

I got my gothic '16' tattoo today and pondered how Grimmjow would react to a sudden new member of his fraccion. It's like 2% selfship lol. I just thought it'd be interesting, and I love his character so much.

(Black fem reader in mind)

CW: none, sfw, fem!reader, Canon AU, not quite romantic

It was bothering him that you weren't wielding yet. The others he had history with; they strived towards strength together. You had disrupted that chemistry, so you had to prove that you had some purpose and not an ulterior motive.

It was not your intention to put that arrancar in a coma, really. You were confused. You had been elevated to this form by Aizen yet had not received any orders or direction. You felt a humming in your bones as you were, again, meandering around the palace grounds in search of a purpose.

That arrancar, Di Roy, was looking for a fight. He hadn't recognized you and figured you were good enough bait to try a new attack on. He was tired of being he lowest of Grimmjow's fraccion. He needed to show improvement and power. He fired his attack only for it to be stopped by your hand. You seemed to have moved quicker than he could track and a kick to his back landed him in the sand. Then the battle continued.

It was only later that day that you noticed the mark on your thigh, the number '16.' You knew how the ranks of the arrancar worked, but didn't know who this mark could belong to. You weren't quite sure if you wanted to follow a leader you had not chosen for yourself. You'd have to keep a low profile and that mark covered.

...

Grimmjow was getting annoyed. At first, it was exciting to hear that there might have been a sudden strong opponent after hearing that Di Roy was suddenly injured by some unknown attacker. However, his focus shifted after seeing the younger man immobile in bed. He smelled weaker. Something told him that there was a change, and he checked for Di Roy's number. Sure enough, it wasn't there. That meant here was a missing fraccion member he needed to find. He'd have to see if they'd be loyal to him; otherwise, he'd simply be down to four.

It had been some time since he began looking. This person was obviously hiding, so he was sniffing around for fear--but nothing. This arrancar may not even know who they belong to. They had a lot to prove, and Grimmjow guessed there was something useful to hiding. He just hoped there would be a good fight after the hunt.

It wasn't until he overheard Szayel state that a strong being who's power was not yet mastered had slipped out before he could brief them on their new existence. Apparently, Aizen had given him permission to test repressing this arrancar's power. And of course, they were good at hiding--lurking in the shadows. A lone predator.

Grimmjow knew that a hunter got hungry and would pick a time to avoid competition for food. The rest of the fraccion was concerned about losing a member, but Grimmjow told them to go to their quarters and rest. He didn't need anyone getting in his way.

...

You stiffened feeling that intimidating reiastu bear down on you suddenly. You knew not to move; that would be futile. Instead, you wiped your mouth and turned to meet the piercing blue eyes of that strong predator. During your days of lurking, you found records and overhead several conversations that caught you up somewhat as to what had happened. You had unknowingly injured a member of an Espada's fraccion and was being targeted. You had heard different things about each Espada, but knowing that 'Destruction' was after you was not calming.

"Tch, don't seem that strong." he grumbled more to himself than you. There was a flash before you barely dodged a punch in the face. Grimmjow grinned. "Good reflexes, though."

You jumped a good distance back and got into a defensive pose. "What do you want with me?"

Grimmjow looked bored again. "You're replacing one of my men. Either join me, or get killed."

You didn't flinch at the threat. "I don't know what you're talking about. I-," another attacked interrupted you; it seemed as if words held no significance if you weren't quickly submitting. You were struck a couple times before growling to yourself and catching an ankle and chucking the body away.

Grimmjow quickly turned and landed on his feet--sand shifting under the weight. "Hehe, there's some strength coming out. Di Roy isn't the strongest, but he wouldn't get taken down easily." You simply glared at the man. "I want to fight, really. But Szayel says he has some work to do, and transitioning into an arrancar isn't easy."

You were cautious of the words he spoke, and at the slightest sign of relaxing, Grimmjow moved. You ended up on your back with the man having your throat in his hand. He grinned and licked his lips. "If you're going to be a part of my fraccion, don't you dare doubt the enemy. And don't forget who your King is, me above all else." He added a force of pressure before releasing you. He ripped your pants and stared at the mark on your upper thigh. "Dieciseis, come with me."

~~~

There was a lot to get used to after reluctantly following that man. Meeting the other Espada, 8, was awkward as you were poked and prodded. He kept going on about having to release your power and fighting against your hollow urges. Your memories were still scattered, but you remembered being approached by Aizen in the desert. Shocking to you, the man had not showed his presence at all.

All Grimmjow cared about was how you had to train, so you sparred with your pissed fraccion members who were always out for blood and revenge for their lost brethen. Grimmjow had no qualms against this. Either you fought for the place you mistakingly took or perished. Soon though, you wanted to prove yourself. This entire situation was strange and new to you, but you weren't going to allow yourself to be looked down upon.

You narrowly avoided getting your ass kicked, but the guys admitted to themselves that you were getting stronger. Grimmjow watched you fight and for once, didn't look bored. Your reiatsu flared as you walked past him.

"Keep it up, Y/N."

You paused at the slight form of praise. You turned and looked behind you. Grimmjow's eyes held a wild look to them. "I can feel it on you. Another predator in the making. Soon, I'll be fighting you. Don't forget your place." he grinned.

There was some approval in his words. You knew you couldn't beat him yet, but being challenged by him made your adrenaline go up. You still felt connected to your days as a hunter. You knew what it was like to feel an invader in your territory. You also recognized an exciting challenge. You smiled and nodded.

There was a lot to learn and figure out in this new role of yours, but there was someone who knew you'd be worth the time.

~~~

So~ not necessarily romantic, but Grimmjow had simpler focuses as an Espada--like fighting and well...fighting. Despite the ranking, I didn't want to make an obviously weak reader. It's just bleh; plus, Grimmjow wouldn't want anyone fragile with him. He has goals to accomplish.

Anywhoodles, thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. Bye~

[medea10]

My Review of My Stepmom’s Daughter is my Ex

How…?!

How do I live with myself? It’s not easy. You have to throw away your shame and remind yourself that you’re only human, you survived worse, and that you are trash. I’m sure it’ll be tame like Marmalade Boy and at most there’ll be a kiss scene halfway down the…

She’s half-naked on the couch and he’s on top of her. I think this is faster than Domestic Girlfriend.

Mizuto Irido is in an unconventional predicament. His father remarried! That’s not the crazy part though. With the addition of a stepmother comes the addition of a step-sister. And that step-sister happens to be Mizuto’s ex-girlfriend from middle school, Yume Ayai (now Irido). Neither Mizuto nor Yume are digging this new setup. For starters, their prior relationship ended badly so neither one looks upon the other favorably. But both are going to put up a happy face to not upset their parents.

While they put up a happy face around their parents, everywhere else they get snippy with each other. And the biggest part is both of them claiming they are the older sibling. Kinda hard when both characters were born on the same day and year! But Mizuto and Yume both play mind games with each other to make the other feel inferior. Call it a poor-man’s Kaguya-sama! Okay, let’s see how these dysfunctional step-siblings mess with each other.

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: This is currently airing on Crunchyroll. It’s been nearly a year and so far, no dub to come from it. I still enjoyed myself hearing people like Hiro Shimono and Miyu Tomita. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Mizuto is played by Hiro Shimono (known for Zenitsu on Demon Slayer, Connie on Attack on Titan, Dabi on My Hero Academia, Aoba on Durarara, Syo on UtaPri, Akihisa on Baka and Test, and Hiro on Ef: a tale of memories)

*Yume is played by Rina Hidaka (known for Filo on Shield Hero, Silica on SAO, Last Order on Railgun, Ririchiyo on Inu x Boku SS, Kohane on xxxHOLiC, Nemesis on To Love Ru, and Yamai on Komi-san)

SHIPPING: Mizuto and Yume had a prior relationship during their middle school years, but they broke things off and had quite the bitter resentment towards each other in the aftermath. Nowadays, it feels like they have a Kaguya-sama: Love is War mind game relationship, but they’re step-siblings instead of student council members. It’s not going to sound any crazier if I say it again. They have to act normal or concede defeat and be the little brother or sister in this relationship. But we do get some naughty moments between these two including unsettling scenes with the other’s undergarment.

Now what I didn’t see coming was with this friend of Yume’s, Minami. She loves Yume so much that she is willing to marry Mizuto so she can be closer to Yume. I am not sure what to make of this and I don’t feel I have the strength to deal with her. I’m just going to tell myself that Minami will end up with that other idiot in this series. I forget his name.

And then there’s Higashira! She posed a real threat to Yume, yet Yume ends up trying to help the girl out with getting closer to Mizuto and eventually confessing to him. Did it work out for Higashira? Fuck naw! Dude has other priorities in the love department and we all know what he wants.

Now, this series does show how the main duo fell in love and fell apart. They became a couple during their middle school years with some seemingly cute moments here and there. It’s just that when school, friends, and real life interfere, things took a turn for the worst for this relationship. And watching it, kinda made me feel annoyed. I’m not taking anyone’s side in this as I feel like both Yume and Mizuto are at fault for different reasons. But I’d like to chalk this up to both of these idiots were in middle school. They’re both hella immature at that age. Though, they both do stupid stuff during high school. Then again, it’s only been a year between both times.

ENDING: Before the ending, we caught a glimpse of what went down between Yume and Mizuto during their relationship. What happened and who was the first to mess up? Actually, it went south during their final year of middle school when both were placed in separate classes. After that, Yume made new friends and Mizuto was kinda resentful towards her. Then, Yume got jealous once when Mizuto talked to another female classmate. This was followed by months and months of the two not speaking to each other resulting in an agreement of breaking up. It was obvious that BOTH OF THEM regret not speaking up during that time. It becomes very obvious that’s how Yume was during a family reunion. They both have a momentary lapse of judgment and go back in time for a few minutes.

The final episode revolved around a summer festival. This is something Yume and Mizuto have history with as they were both together for one. We get constant flashbacks of their past fling and one flash that’s thrown at us several times is Yume crying alone because she got lost and Mizuto finds her. In this episode, it goes the other way around as Mizuto hides from his family and finds something solitary. Yume finds him and she kinda makes a decision. It looks like she wants to win Mizuto over as Yume Irido instead of her past self of Yume Ayai. Yeah, they kiss. They still act like they’re the older sibling and bicker. But is there something there? We probably will never know unless we get a second season.

This was something I wasn’t expecting. I came in thinking that this was going to be as trashy as Domestic Girlfriend. I come out feeling like I watched the first 13 episodes of Marmalade Boy if it was taking lessons from Kaguya-sama. As of now, both the manga and the light novel are still in publication so there’s still more to come from Yume and Mizuto. However, the manga, light novel, and anime were mostly seen as just an okay story. That’s how I’m at with this anime. It was okay. Had some good parts. Got annoyed seeing their middle school split-up. Okay, I’m starting to sound old and bitter here. Probably because I went through something similar at a younger age and look back upon it with a thick layer of cringe. That and I’m at that age where I see this and scream, “you damn youngins, get the fuck over it”. Or something like that! Decide for yourselves if you want to sit through this series or not. It’s a short series to get through.

If you would like to watch this step-sibling/past-love anime, Crunchyroll has all of the episodes available.

[the-firebird69]

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (Live from Celebration Day) (Official Video)

This person is different we have to be careful. He said you're trying to have him have a nightmare that he's eating his own special parts and was his people saying it and he said that you only had 20 nightmares his entire life they want help with stuff and they're giving his wife a heads up about the air here and the air conditioner is a piece of s***. And we figured it out too and we'll see you guys trying to force him to do it now we're going to come after you someone who's only had 20 nightmares this is quite literally nightmares you have to be careful even though he's only 55 years old he's smack dab in the middle of everybody. I saw him watching the show and he's watching this boob and he knows what he's up to I did figure it out but he seemed alarmed I tried to take action and then the movie I could see why he's a filthy pig and demands his way in and he was forcing me to retain my companies and he's acting like some sort of nitwit so I did figure out what he's doing and you can see in the movie did I tell you what those this guy knows what is up to but he's saying to him using me he's going to have me pose as his character Odin and inside that's fine because I'm going to kick his ass and he means me and I'm going to to weigh in there to see what this stupid son of a b**** is doing and we have to fully investigate he is a complete nonsense person her friend here says the robot computer could not take over and it was not allowed to if it took over Saturn it's isolated and he doubts it very strongly because it was the clan that took over and we saw them do it and David loses with that ai and we have defeated it even though he's not using the master program it's not meant to used it would be caught and taken over or stops quite easily on every occasion too early and this guy just does not seem to get this stuff and he's trying to beat him he's talking about it and he is a buffoon and he goes around and he rigs practically everything and it doesn't do anything and he's got idle time I think said them invading is going to be a huge distraction I'll tell you what if all of them invaded it would but they're going to do it slowly one in a blank group at a time and they're just going to be getting rid of themselves almost like to say we're getting back to you by getting rid of ourselves and people have time to get ready and they said that's what they're doing it's a filthy and it's a filthy waste of time and it might not do anything but they're going ahead with it and I guess we are too but there's some big problems

Anthony Hopkins

Some of the problems are we're going to take their ships and people are going after them not extremely aggressively and that's good one fine day will take them over and it'll be it and we do plan on doing it. There's other things that we have planned to do we're getting to them today we have a monstrous number of things lined up and we will start knocking them down and getting them done. One of them is to make sure this place doesn't flood again Tommy f is up and he noticed that the water is going down a little faster than normal today's high tide is coming up it'll be about a foot plus down from the high clam not even high tide and it was high tide for like 11 years at that watermark. And after today tomorrow it will be probably 2 ft down from the high clam it's about 1 ft 3 1/2 in and that's not too bad at low tide it's about 4 ft down and the mouth of the harbor is being disturbed right now by about three parties that are looking at this horn and we said 10% of it is uncovered and that's about right right now it's about 15%, the end of the day we think 20%, and they simply won't stop afterwards because they see it and they can tell it's very hard they're testing it and it's about two miles down so they're going to be drilling all sorts of things out there and you'll see that the harbor will be lowering quite swiftly and they do need it to be cleared no but they're doing it after today it will be clear and faster and that's the harbor and it's because of the river and the fact that the harbor is ripping muck out and it's a little bit better than we thought the middle is going to be clear the end of next week and it'll be clear for about 20 ft wide and that's outstanding right now about half of it will be clear by the end of the weekend in the middle but only like 3 ft wide that's going to be going real fast and pulling a lot of the muck out like a third of the month that's in there now I'll be out by Saturday night and that's the whole harbor that's outstanding he says usually it's out where we need it out and that's true too it's going to be affecting the middle and we really need it out and it is going to be moving out a third is huge and by the end of next week half of it that's there now and it will be down to about 3 ft by average or lower it is going to be good it will work and also the cavern in the front of the harbor by Friday tomorrow it will drop down to about 7 ft and 12 ft at the front end and it will speed up a fully dropped it'll be down about 18 ft and 25 ft what's coming up next week sometime this will drop 3 ft twice and we'll speed up dramatically and rip tons of the muck out and that's good it'll help a lot I can't believe they went through this with all that water also the canal and Guatemala and we feel that it will be opened possibly Monday the crabs are beginning to complain a lot and they will start moving and nothing will stop them they said hell or high water and they're going to move it they have huge groups talking about it in crab and they're saying it where the sun goes down and they hear the word and they realize it and they say a lot of people don't care about it because they want you to attack these guys and some of you don't like them and they said we noticed where and there's a bunch that don't like them so they think it's funny and they're going to try and go out there and have a better life and survive they're moving out and they are going to feel better so the turtle we think represents the crabs and Stan is the one who lifted the turtle out so we think that the guys think the crabs will go after Stan if properly bated they can't see anything and the crabs don't go into bunkers so we're wondering what the hell that is few other things and they can keep those crabs away and use them to attack you and that could be it and Stan said it's not a bad idea but risky and our son says and their minion and they'll just keep flowing in and they don't care about death certain number maybe but not half certainly and he says oh oh so he might do that more shortly

Thor Freya

Olympus

[munibani]

@2isms sent: “what's that face? you look like you're going to cry.”

cry ? the opponent standing before them brought one of their arms in the air , two fingers going down as he posed with it . the notion of him crying was so far from the truth ! a hero like him , an ultimate life form that never knows the meaning of the word CRY , could even fathom such a notion .

❝ me ? cry ? no no no ! i was just watching you practice your moves is all ! you should move yourself a little bit to the right , and put more into that punch ! ! ❞

the android spoke as he placed his hand on his hip . strange thing for him to be doing on his flight around . testing out a few things from different moves , aka his poses ! a super hero ALWAYS needs to make sure they are flashy , on point , able to DAZZLE && RAZZLE the opponent when in battle . its to make sure that when someone needs help , he and #1 will be there to help ! though he might have gotten distracted , but the civilian . always fun to watch at times when he had the chance , most be something wild if someone can live a normal life !

❝ names GAMMA #2 ! dont mind me , i am simply just on my patrol to check if anyone is need of help ! its what a super cool superhero like me does ! ❞ he speaks as he does a pose , cape blowing in the wind , when there really wasnt any wind ? plus . . . where was that silly little effect popping up from him just a second ago . . . ? weird .

[poecharlieodell]

character design (part 1)

First time using photoshop and a drawing tablet

josh had given us the task to edit this image of a shirtless Jack Black with photoshop, to turn him into a pirate.

this is what i came up with, I did this by moving different objects which where on different layers, to bend his arm I selected it with the lasso tool and then bed to it around. Then, to fill the empty spaces I used the ai feature. its not perfect as it was my first time using photo shop. but its going to help me draw my pirate. jack will be used as a base that i'm going to trace over the top of him

here he is so far, again-not perfect but this was my first time using a drawing tablet and It was more of a test run for me, drawing on a drawing tablet with photoshop feels really difficult and unnatural to me.

I dont particularly want to finish this drawing as their are other options and if I continue I’ll be behind.

character design (part 2)

The portal pirate

This time I was going to use an image of myself instead.

But I need to briefly explain my pirate before I show you how I drew him and I’m only explain this briefly here but I’ll go into more detail in later posts.

The pirate crew that I’m making are the pirates of the shattered sea

They’re pirate crew which discover a futuristic chest which holds magical crystal shards. The shards were left by aliens for heros to find, so that they can save The universe. However they were found by pirates instead..

The crystal shards give magical abilities or “superpowers” to whoever is closest to them so the pirates use them for their own needs instead of “saving the universe”

The pirate I’m focusing on today is one of the crew members. Who has the purple crystal shard, the purple shard has the ability of creating portals.

this pirate keeps his crystal shard on a necklace. so when taking my picture I made sure to pose correctly for it.

I started drawing and noticed the same issue as before I’m struggling to draw,it could be the drawing pad ,it could be photoshop either way it feels really weird to draw like this.

I might just need to get used to it and to more practice and I’ll improve in time . For now though I might need to find an alternative way of drawing with this as it’s taking a long time to draw

The purple triangle is a portal

I’ve also decided to switch to drawing this on an iPad as it’s taking too long and I don’t have practice time

Looking at the face I actually don’t like it very much and I want to re draw it with a more cartoon approach because that matches my style better

I don’t like tracing off of images of people very much as I feel pressured to keep the drawing similar to the proportions of the person I’m drawing, which is an issue if I’m making a character who is not similar to the proportions of the person.

Again like the first design I won’t be finishing this as a I want to design and draw him in a different way/method and theirs no point wasting time on a method which doesn’t work well for me if theirs a better way I can think of doing it.