#not entirely but like. it seems like the more main area if that makes sense

[danielnelsen]

hold on. since i’m playing as gale he doesn’t get his regular camp setup so i don’t know what that’s like, but looking around the elfsong tavern camp at the very few empty beds……… does he get the bed across from astarion?

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

What Sylus can do with his Evol

(That we know of. Will be updated sporadically as new info comes out)

A few notes:

1. Sylus' Evol is Energy Manipulation. Which is a bit vague to interpret just what that encompasses, but if we take it to mean all form of energy then the implications of his powers become staggering and honestly pretty terrifying. Quite literally everything around us contain energy. As per Einstein's famous equation, E=mc², mass itself is a form of energy, ie simply having mass means an object has energy. Meaning that there might be no limit to what Sylus can control and manipulate, and this is supported by the original CN text of his anecdote, where his Evol is described as essentially all-encompassing and all-powerful.

2. This post is merely a list compiling all (or nearly all) that we have canonically seen Sylus do with his Evol. It is purely for enjoyment and to hype up our man. I will not go into details on the physics behind his power or anything like that – that I leave to more intelligent minds than mine. I'm just a gremlin who likes making lists and looking at details and (sometimes) connecting dots. Math and physics? Worst subjects in school ;-; would rather sit through 89 consecutive rounds of Find Tobias than one half hour of math.

3. If I missed anything on this list, don't hesitate to point it out to me!

4. I want to give huge thanks to @kookieluvs for kindly sending me the direct (fan) translation of Sylus' anecdote! It goes into more detail on Sylus' Evol than the localization (where things sadly seem to have gotten lost in translation) does, and really gives you a sense of how truly powerful (and frightening) it is. A link to the translation is included above, and I highly recommend you check it out!

Without further ado, here is the list of what Sylus canonically can do with his Evol

✧. Disintegrate fully grown men in a matter of seconds

Nothing is left behind of these men. No blood, no matter, no nothing. As though they never existed in the first place.

(He has also done the same to inanimate objects, like bullets)

✧. Create extremely powerful energy charges

The man actually punches a crater into the ground oml

✧. Create energy bursts

✧. Infuse his energy in weapons

✧. Create black holes(?!?!)

...do you see what I mean when I say that this power is lowkey frightening af?

✧. Transform his body into pure energy

Great for when he needs to dramatically leap off skyscrapers or old cathedrals. Taking the elevator or the stairs is for lesser men. Gotta make a memorable first impression, you know?

✧. Teleport (himself and others)

✧. Heal wounds in an instant

These wounds can range from minor cuts to bullet holes. Meaning that he can repair deep internal injuries and bleeding.

✧. Mend shirts

Yes. I'm deadass. Look at the images above.

✧. Evaporate blood

And presumably other liquids.

✧. Halt fatal internal diseases

We see him do this – rather brutally – to the twins in Mischief (World Underneath Story). The twins had 3 months left to live before that. They're alive and thriving over two years later.

✧. Summon people and objects to him/Levitate them

He will occasionally do this with plushies in the claw machine too, if you let him play and if he is feeling extra helpful. A (small but still important) portion of my affinity comes from Sylus summoning plushies in a color I hadn't gotten yet.

✧. Control and restrain others' movements

✧. Manipulate Objects

Another example of this is him shutting the doors in Philip's shop in the main story. Or unlocking the handcuffs in Midnight Stealth.

✧. Put out lights

He does this in chapter 3 of the anecdote

✧. Seal off entire areas

Does this as well in the same chapter as above

✧. Strangle

What he does to Sherman in the main story

✧.Change colours of flowers

And presumably of other things. I gotta be honest, this right here is to me one of the most insane things he can do because of what it implies about just how crazy powerful and encompassing his Evol truly is.

✧.Make seeds sprout and bloom without soil

He does this in chapter 1 of the Wildlight Chronicles. The flower crumbles and wilts seconds after he makes it bloom, but still, he made it happen. Which is very impressive. Like MC points out, channeling energy into and changing something as small as a seed takes a lot of control and precision. Another major thing that I want to add on to this is that this confirms that Sylus can force a living organism to speed through the different stages of life, manipulating and changing them. Or to put it simply he can age them up. And if he can do so to one type of organism... who's to say he can't do it to other? IE animals and humans. And maybe he can even do it in reverse? This is not confirmed but it is interesting to think about and makes me ponder about his claim in Beyond Cloudfall of being able to raise the dead... maybe it is tied to his Evol after all? Or maybe his Evol powers are somehow tied to his demonic powers? 🤔

✧.Purge metaflux

MC and him use their resonance to clear a metaflux contaminated lake in Chapter 2 of the Wildlight Chronicles.

That's all I have for the strictly Evol driven powers (I have more than likely missed something, in which case I apologize 😔 I am only human. A very tired one at that. But like I said, there probably isn't a limit to what Sylus can manipulate anyway so... writing down every individual thing would be... a lot dhdjfj).

However.

I am not done.

I still want to quickly discuss a few more of his powers, because this man still isn't OP enough ig. But I put them in a sort of separate category since I am pretty sure they are not tied to his Evol but rather to his aether core and his demonic powers.

Anyway, to start off

Sylus can control/invade minds

This is only really touched upon in the anecdote as far as I can remember.

Those affected by this lose all awareness and consciousness of their surroundings for as long as Sylus wants them to. We learn that some of the victims were never quite the same again after. These details make it clear that this is not strictly mind control, but something deeper and more terrifying – a complete and total invasion of it.

Sylus can see people's innermost desires thanks to his aether core

He reveals this to MC in LAR.

Sylus can transform into a dragon

99.9% sure of this. Check out this post for more of my reasonings.

Sylus (or Stayrus) can resurrect the dead

"Even if your desire is to resurrect the people of the Ivory City, it's still within my capabilities" word for word what Sylus/Stayrus says in Beyond Cloudfall (Chapter 3). We don't know whether Sylus at present still has this ability or if it is affected by the tether/shackles that restrict his powers.

Which reminds me of one final thing...

All of the above that I have listed (excepting the final one), have been performed by Sylus in a nerfed state. He is unable to use his full powers due to above mentioned tethers/shackles. It's still a mystery when, how, and by who they were placed within him.

Sure would be nice to have some extra lore right about now don't you think, Paperfold?

Anyway, Sylus OP as fuck. His only true weakness is the love of his life. How that will play out only time will tell (actually I can tell you right now. They will marry and live happily ever after with their baby girls and with Mephie and the twins. The end. Trust.).

With this, I am finally done with this post. I hope you guys enjoyed it ♡

I myself will finally go to bed

_(´ω`_)⌒)_

[stick2vamp]

Urmmmmm Haiiii … You’re my favorite Seb writer , absolutely adore yr stuff !!! Was wondering if I could req Seb and a reader who like …. Gives him a bouquet of coral and plants they find around the facility ……. If that makes sense …… (;´д｀)

𝜗 ˖ ❝ hm, for me? ᵕ ♡

— in which you have a gift for sebastian. ✧

↷　 766 wc 𓈒 sfw 𓈒 kind of implied sebastian has a soft spot for you ?

‿ A/N im glad to hear you like my stuff <3 gave up like halfway thru this i cannot lie

The Blacksite seems barren.

The only recurring theme of life present appears to be the monstrous and mutated entities that roam the halls, but you are unsure if some of them are alive. Any simple organisms no longer exist down here. Perhaps the pressure was too much for them to withstand in the first place, or maybe they were all destroyed during the breach. You're unsure: they won't bother to tell you minute details like that.

Yet, you've found that your original assumption was wrong. Exploring the multiple levels and rooms has allowed you to see the tiny glimpses of life still thriving here. The occasional potted plant—albeit wilting fairly quickly—stands alive in tiny rooms tucked away from most entities' eyes. Little chunks of coral float within the underground areas, likely broken off from the main body by the bull shark outside the windows. Tiny aquatic grasses, easily trampled on as you weave yourself out of a Searchlight's bright gaze.

You've wandered through the Blacksite many times, over and over again, with nothing new to see besides these little plants. They are the only unpredictable sight. The lights flicker to warn you of an Angler—but there are no warning signs of a simple plant. Squiddles make a gradual screeching noise as a warning—but there are no warning signs of a little flower. Perhaps that is why they are so beautiful down here: because you expect a monster, not a simple pot of grass.

However, no other beings here seem to hold the same sentiments as you. Most of them are mindless and have their minds set entirely on consuming. The only intelligent ones you can name right now seem uninterested, too. The bull shark with thousands of eyes littered in and outside themself? It seems they cannot see the plant's beauty even with their many eyes. The red face that warns you as they rush through and destroy the halls? Well, with how they mangle things in their path, you're not entirely sure if they care that much for them. The Painter?

. . . Well, the Painter probably likes flowers. But they cannot exactly interact with them.

Water trickled down your hand and dripped on the floor. You cradled a small fragment of blue coral in your palm. It had a rougher texture due to the little dips and bumps on its surface. The coral felt like nothing yet heavy at the same time as it rested in your hand. Its muted blue color looked even duller the more you looked at it.

It almost looked greenish, too.

The color reminded you of SEBASTIAN.

You forgot about him and his opinion on flowers. He seemed more uncaring and disinterested in small things, so you figured he probably wouldn't care for them. Yet, you knew he was once human. There must be a chance he may enjoy them.

You hadn't realized you pocketed the coral until your suit's legs were well-drenched.

Upon presenting the messy bouquet to Sebastian, he responded with a taunting voice, "Is this for me? You really shouldn't have." He carefully examined the bouquet under his esca, observing the colorful coral chunks and slightly wilted plants. He appreciated how the colors complimented him.

Sebastian quietly hummed as he inspected the gift further, using his claw with surprising gentleness to brush through and examine everything you'd collected. It was evident from his growing smirk and visible canines that he appreciated the gesture if only a bit. "Why, thank you, friend," he said, before placing the bouquet on his desk.

With a taunting tone, he mused, "Don't tell me you went out of your way to get this just for me, now." Sebastian paused and directed his gaze back to you. "You know, I'm sure I could bargain a good price for this with the other Expendables."

You couldn't tell if he was serious, at least not until you looked at how his tail swayed like a happy dog's. Or how his ears twitched when your smile grew. Or how his voice softened ever so slightly as you eventually left.

Unsurprisingly, the bouquet was still there on your next visit, neatly placed in the best glass Sebastian could find. It rested nearby him, neatly positioned to make it look fuller and beautiful. Of course, he wouldn't sell it. For as much as he teased you, he could not deny the fondness he felt when he looked at it.

Perhaps one day, you'd take the bouquet place and be right next to him yourself.

He cursed himself as his ears and tail twitched at the thought.

☆⠀⠀⠀ᛝ⠀⠀want to support my stuff? my kofi is here !⠀♡

[tangibletechnomancy]

Doing It Wrong On Purpose: Episode 1 - The Un-Ship

Today's experiment: What happens if I prompt for something, and then negative prompt all the main keywords, plus various synonyms and related words?

The answer: Some gloriously weird stuff.

For example, let's look at a negative cat:

Positive prompt: A cat on a windowsill during a storm

Negative prompt: Cat, feline, felidae, kitty, kitten, animal, pet, windowsill, window, glass, pane, house, storm, rain, water, lightning, thunder, clouds, torrent, downpour, snow, blizzard, wind, windy

Interesting! Let's get a little more fantasy with it and try for an anti-deer:

Positive prompt: A deer in a peaceful flowery meadow, crystals, midnight, fantasy, colorful

Negative prompt: Deer, cervidae, animal, elk, moose, stag, doe, fawn, reindeer, antelope, cervid, antlers, flowers, night, dark, trees, foliage, bloom, stars, night, tranquil, fantastic, vibrant, cool, magic, blue, moon, sky, crystal, stone, statue, topiary, floral, blossom

Between these two experiments, including a few dozen other generations that remain unposted, one thing I can say for sure is that for living subjects, it's a great way to get the kind of anatomical wonk that older models are (in)famous for - and it makes sense why, the model is trying to make something that looks like a certain subject...but once it starts to look too much like it, well, shit, we told it NOT to do that! Break something up! Given that I love that kind of wonk, I think I've found a useful tool for myself.

One more living subject, and let's get even more abstract with our direction here:

Positive prompt: mind horse

Negative prompt: horse, equine, colt, filly, mare, stallion, bronco, pony, mind, brain, thought, essence, psyche, intelligence, consciousness, imagination, dream, soul, visualization, intellect, wit, cognizance

Now let's try something that isn't alive. One thing I love AI for is surreal settings and landscapes - lets try one now!

Positive prompt: A magic palace garden made of crystal and gold

Negative prompt: Palace, magic, crystal, gold, fantasy, castle, estate, stronghold, temple, garden, flowers, plants, blossoms, bloom, blooms, trees, grass, stems, foliage, leaves, greenery, branches, bush, bushes, hedge, hedges, metal, luxury, stone, glass, brass, rose, polished, jewel, prism, courtyard

I then tried to see if, learning from the animal subjects, I could make it more likely to return one of my favorite "mistakes" - making it impossible to discern the point where a water area ends and a sky area begins. I wasn't immediately successful, but I came up with some results I found pleasing regardless-

Positive prompt: Secret hideout in a cave behind a waterfall in the foggy forest on a floating sky island in fluffy clouds

Negative prompt: hideout, camp, campsite, home, abode, house, dwelling, rest, shelter, waterfall, water, cave, grotto, forest, woods, woodland, trees, fountain, cascade, pond, stream, lake, river, brook, puddle, creek, pool, beach, ocean, sea, cloud, clouds, sky, cumulus, cirrus, nimbus, fog, storm, rain, sunshower, falls

It seems that with landscapes it's got a much clearer and more specific "idea" of what a [SUBJECT] without [SUBJECT] looks like; it's more inclined to invent very specific, very consistent unasked for related elements. With the animals, I was tweaking the weight on the positive prompt to avoid getting straightforwardly just what I had positive (and negative) prompted, but with landscapes, I just get... almost something else entirely.

So how about inanimate objects? Let's try a ship, perhaps?

Positive prompt: A huge sailing ship with brilliant prismatic crystal sails on a stormy, turbulent sea of sunset clouds

Negative prompt: ship, boat, sailboat, sailing ship, pirate ship, galleon, ketch, schooner, sloop, cutter, sail, sea, ocean, storm, wind, rain, water, waves, cloudy, clouds, fog, sunset, dusk, dawn, sunrise, twilight, evening

...okay, I'm in love with the un-ship. It truly does manage to consistently give me results that look like, yet entirely unlike, a ship. It is everything I love about AI as a medium. More than that, it is my friend.

At lower positive prompt weights, they only get even more beautifully chaotic.

I want to live on one of these (in an alternate universe where they're geometrically possible and structurally sound, that is).

Failing that, I will be featuring them a lot from now on.

All images generated using Simple Stable, under the Code of Ethics of Are We Art Yet?

[crackedpumpkin]

𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 | 𝟏𝟐 |

a/n: lol hey bitches wassup im alive barely

taglist: @candyquokka @mikadough @em-100-blog @cursedreader @alicesmile1 @alexa24 @raegreenie4 @burdeningbitch @viannasthings @cadencannot @ml3czqo @nanasemo @certified-cole-simp @beescomet @theblindhag @mitbin24 @sweetlittlebumblebree @brooklyniswriting @cantbecreative @something-else3 @iinlovewithfictionalppl @itz-moonlight @jebesovovise @ryeheep @letthelightin2112 @classically-bored @clearlawyereaglewobbler @anajellyc @the-midnight-duck @fru1ty-bage3ls @elysiuansstuff @risagichi @mousedit @yoggi-bingus @silveritydreams

[ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 ] | [ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 ] | [ 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ]

“Foie gras? More like fuck yeah.”

You barely hold back a snort as you pass a table of finely dressed patrons, their laughter chiming like the delicate crystal glasses they toast with. The restaurant practically oozes luxury. Soft golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over polished mahogany tables, with tall candlesticks flickering atop pristine white tablecloths. There’s a subtle Japanese influence woven into the elegance, from the delicate ink paintings adorning the walls to the serene arrangement of bonsai trees near the entrance.

After picking up your dad’s birthday cake, you had killed some time at a café before making your way here for the dinner Emily had arranged weeks in advance. Apparently, being a famous author has its perks.

Cole moves with ease, utterly unfazed by the people surrounding him. Meanwhile, you can practically feel every scrutinizing glance sweeping over you. Your outfit. Your posture. Your entire existence. 

Confidence? Never heard of her.

Your stomach tightens at the unspoken question lingering in their stares, darting between you and Cole with barely reined in curiosity. You don’t even have to look to know that some of these people recognize him, whispered conversations teetering on the edge of gossip. Your mind briefly flashes to the inevitable newspaper articles, only to recall his reassurance that Cyrus Borg was keeping the news at bay.

A sliver of respect inches into your gut at how unnerved he seems. To be fair, fighting for the safety of Ninjago itself tends to bear more weight than snide gossip. Still, the feeling lingers, making your steps feel just a bit more awkward as the hostess leads you further inside.

At last, she stops in front of a private room and slides open the door with practiced grace. The transition from the bustling main dining area to the quiet intimacy of the room is almost jarring. The soft glow of paper lanterns casts long shadows over the tatami flooring, and a low wooden table sits in the center, set with lacquered trays and delicate ceramic dishes.

Cole waits for you to slip off your shoes first, stepping onto the mat in just your socks. In the corner of your eyes, the hostess pauses, her gaze flitting down momentarily.

Right. The candy cane socks.

You force yourself not to react, but inwardly, you sigh. Plain socks from now on. Noted.

Emily and your dad are already sitting down opposite each other, a bottle of sake already half-emptied. Neither of you are big drinkers, but somehow, your dad was blessed with the genetics of zero hangovers. A trait that, fortunately, he passed down to you.

The sound of your footsteps draws his attention, and he looks up with a big smile. “You’re here!” He greets enthusiastically, patting the spot next to him. “I already ordered some food for us.” 

The way Cole straightens ever so slightly, inhaling as if bracing himself, almost makes you smile, but you press your lips together and drop into the seat next to your dad. There's another open spot beside you, but Cole, sensing the silent don't even think about it radiating from your dad, moves to slide into the seat directly across from you instead.

Your dad hums, clearly pleased, and reaches for one of the sake cups. “So.” He sets it down in front of Cole with casual deliberation, then leans back. “You’re my daughter’s soulmate.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Immediately tugging at his sleeve, you give him the sharpest glare you can muster. “Stop it.”

Your dad blinks at you, all wide-eyed innocence. “Stop what?”

“This. You’re doing something.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Yes, you are. It’s called killing your daughter’s dignity.”

At this, he snorts and takes a sip of sake before leveling you with an unimpressed look. “What dignity?”

Your mouth opens. Then, it closes.

You stare at him in sheer betrayal, utterly speechless at how intent he is on dragging you.

Across the table, Cole shifts just enough for your eyes to meet, his silent plea for help practically screaming do something.

You shrug helplessly.

Sorry bud. I tried.

Cole visibly withers.

Emily, meanwhile, is sipping her diet coke like this is the most entertaining show she’s seen all week.

Your dad clears his throat, finally relenting, though the glint in his eyes tells you he's far from done. “Alright then, tell me. How’d you two meet?”

Cole stiffens, then, without hesitation, reaches for the sake bottle. He smoothly refills your dad’s cup before pouring one for himself, clearing his throat as he sets the bottle down. “She, uh… saved me.”

Your dad raises an eyebrow. “Saved you?”

“From a horde of fans.”

You swear you see your dad’s lips twitch. He looks from Cole to you, skepticism creeping into his expression.

Cole catches on immediately. His spine straightens, and he shakes his head, hands raised slightly in alarm. “I mean, not like that! Nothing’s ever happened between me and anyone else, ever.”

Your dad takes a slow sip of sake, watching Cole as if deciding whether or not to kick him out of the room. Dropping your head into your hands, it takes all the remaining willpower left in your body to not slam your head against the table. 

Your stomach churns. 

This is a disaster. 

You’ve been in nerve-wracking situations before, but nothing could’ve prepared you for the unique horror of watching your dad size up your soulmate like he’s deciding whether to drown him in soy sauce.

You drop your head into your hands, pressing your fingers into your temples as if sheer willpower alone can make this night go faster.

He’s doing this on purpose.

Desperate for an out, you spot a menu and snatch it up with all the sanity of an asylum patient. Thumbing through the pages, you try to focus on the blurry words and not on the intense heat that’s slowly but surely spreading through your face.

Your dad, of course, is unfazed.

“So,” he says, swirling his sake. “What’s it been like for you? I’m sure it wasn’t easy with my daughter.”

You tense.

Cole hesitates. “Uh–”

“I was actually thinking we should order,” you interject, voice an octave higher than usual. “Dad, do you think they have–” Your eyes dart across the menu. “Grilled octopus?”

He ignores you entirely. “I just mean, it must’ve been an adjustment, right? She’s never been one to romanticize the whole soulmate thing. Pretty closed off about it, actually.” He raises a brow at Cole. “That ever been an issue?”

The menu snaps shut with a thwack. “So we are getting grilled octopus.”

Cole, looking like a deer caught in headlights, gives an awkward chuckle. “I mean… yeah, it was a bit of a shock. She, uh, wasn’t exactly thrilled at first.” He glances at you for backup.

You stare back, wide-eyed and helpless white trying to subtly shake your head. Do NOT answer that.

He clears his throat. “But, uh, we’re figuring things out.”

Of course he fucking answered it–

Your dad hums, unconvinced. Then, casually, like he’s discussing the weather, he asks, “So, what do you make? Income-wise?”

The menu slams back onto the table with enough force to shake the teacups. “Dad.”

“What?” he asks, all innocence. “I just want to make sure you have a stable life.”

Your fingers dig into the menu’s edges. “Why? So I won’t end up like you and Mom?”

Silence.

It hits the table like a brick, the air suddenly heavy. Your dad’s easygoing expression falters, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. Emily, who had been quietly observing, glances between the two of you but says nothing.

Your eyes are fixed on the empty teacup in front of you, grabbing the sake from where it sits and pouring yourself a cup before downing it in one shot. The burn is wonderful, a nice distraction from the words you’ve just uttered that’ve set off a round of landmines at the table. 

Regret blooms in your gut when you spot the expression on your father’s face. Guilt, sadness, and mild frustration all swirl in a mix of emotions in his eyes. It’s subtle; the way his grip tightens on his cup. 

Cole clears his throat, shifting in his seat. In a clear attempt to redirect the conversation, he says, “Uh, well — Master Wu always taught us that we shouldn’t get paid to help people. But sometimes we take on ad hoc jobs, and people send donations.” He straightens slightly. “I invest most of it though, so I’m actually pretty financially secure.”

Your dad finally blinks, tilting his head. “Huh. So you’re smart with your money.”

Cole nods. “I try to be. Considering the amount of coffee she drinks, I have to be able to afford it, right?” 

The atmosphere lightens at the sudden jab, and you narrow your eyes at him. “Really Brookstone? We’re gonna talk about my spending habits?”

Cole winces, exchanging a cheeky glance with your dad who grins widely. “Oh, you’re in trouble now,” he warns. 

Just as you open your mouth to retaliate, the sliding door shifts open, and the first round of dishes arrives. The smell of freshly grilled fish and steaming rice temporarily distracts you, and you sit back as the server gracefully places the dishes in the center of the table. A delicate plate of sashimi, a bowl of miso soup, and a platter of karaage with a side of dipping sauce join the spread.

Your dad picks up his chopsticks with ease, nodding in approval. “Not bad. You get a lot of good food traveling around, Cole?”

Cole, who had just reached for a piece of karaage, pauses slightly at the question before shrugging. “Depends. A lot of the time, we’re eating on the go, so quick stuff that’s easy to pack is our usual. But when we do get the chance to sit down, we try to enjoy it.” He glances at you. “I mean, I know someone who would riot if she didn’t get a proper meal.”

You resist the urge to kick him under the table. “Excuse me for having standards.”

Your dad hums in amusement. “Must be a lot of work though, being the Earth Ninja. And now, with my daughter involved…” His gaze sharpens slightly, though there’s no outright hostility. 

Cole meets his eyes without flinching. “It is a lot of work,” he admits. “But keeping her safe is a priority.”

Your chopsticks falter slightly. You knew, of course, that Cole was obligated to keep you out of harm’s way, but hearing him say it so plainly even as a simple statement makes something tighten in your chest.

Your dad doesn’t look entirely convinced. “And how do you plan on doing that when the world finds out?”

There’s a pause before Cole speaks again, slower this time. “Cyrus Borg has been helping us keep things under wraps for now. We’ll go public when she’s ready.”

You blink, caught off guard at the sudden reveal. A twinge of appreciation creeps into your chest before you can shove it down.

Your dad leans back, considering. “Borg, huh? Guess you’ve got some decent allies.” He glances at you, as if to gauge your reaction. “And you? What do you think about all this?”

You pick at a grain of rice with your chopsticks, reluctant to answer too quickly. 

Emily, who has been surprisingly quiet this whole time, finally chimes in. “I, for one, think it’s pretty funny that this has thrown her off so much,” she muses. “Usually, she’s the one keeping people on their toes.”

You shoot her a look, but she only smirks behind her cup.

Cole snickers. “Yeah, that’s true.”

Traitor.

“That’s not the point,” you speak up with a roll of your eyes. “You asked me to bring him along to get to know each other better, and I’m pretty sure I’ve accomplished that.”

“True,” your dad muses as he chews on a piece of sashimi. “Shouldn’t have taken you so long, though.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You wave dismissively, placing a piece of the karaage on Cole’s plate before reaching for a slice of salmon. “If you’re done interrogating him, can we please focus on the food before I eat it all?”

“See? This is what I deal with.” Your dad gestures to you, sharing a laugh with Cole. His mischievous smile only makes you narrow your eyes into a glare. “I don’t know how you wound up with her, but you deserve much better.”

“That’s just offensive,” you grumble, snatching another slice of salmon off your dad’s plate. “I’m supposed to be too good for him, isn’t that how this goes?”

“I’m sorry, have you saved Ninjago yet?” He replies sassily, taking away the salmon you’ve just snatched and placing it onto Cole’s plate instead. 

You just sigh.

“Speaking of saving Ninjago,” Emily puts her chopsticks down, turning to face Cole. “I’m writing a new book based on one of Ninjago’s oldest legends. As someone who’s encountered lots of myths, I’d love to hear your opinion on it.”

“Sure,” he says lightheartedly, “hit me with it.”

“It’s based on the Ninjago legend of the Four Scrolls.”

Okay… you blink, exchanging a look with Cole. Must be a coincidence.

His expression is calm, but you don’t miss the way he subtly straightens, exchanging another glance with you. You press your lips together, feigning nonchalance as you turn back to Emily.

“Didn’t take you for the history buff type,” you remark.

Emily lifts a brow. “Just because we don’t get along doesn’t mean I have bad taste in stories.” She leans forward, eyes glinting with satisfaction now that she has everyone’s attention. “The legend dates back to the time of the First Spinjitzu Master. It’s said that he discovered something…Something powerful enough to shake the foundation of all the realms.”

The table quiets. Even your dad, who’d been busy stacking wasabi onto his sushi like an absolute menace, pauses mid-bite.

Emily continues, voice lowering just slightly, as if the very act of speaking the words demands absolute silence.

“They call it the Fountain of Youth.” She lets the name hang in the air for a beat before continuing. “A wellspring of endless vitality, hidden deep within the world, untouched by time. But when word of its existence spread, it led to chaos. A war unlike any other, fought not for land or wealth, but for immortality itself. Every species — serpentine, humans, even the spirits — wanted it for themselves.”

Your grip tightens around your chopsticks. The theft of the first Scroll hadn’t even been made public yet, and everything Pixel had briefed you on was missing one crucial piece: the purpose of the Scrolls.

Emily’s research was probably full of embellishments, but if there was one thing you knew, it was how obsessively thorough she was. She met with experts, dissected myths, and hunted down obscure details, all for the sake of accuracy in her books.

So how, of all people, did she manage to unearth this legend in such detail?

“But the First Spinjitzu Master knew what power like that could do,” Emily goes on. “So instead of using it, he hid it. Sealed it away where no one could find it. And to ensure it would never fall into the wrong hands, he created a map… but divided it into four.”

“The Four Scrolls,” Cole murmurs.

Emily nods. “The Scroll of Fate, the Scroll of Destiny, the Scroll of Desire, and the Scroll of Dreams. Each one contains a fragment of the map, but only when the first three are brought together does the fourth reveal itself.”

“The Scroll of Dreams?” You echo, leaning back as your brows furrow. “I thought its name was lost.” 

Emily shrugs nonchalantly. “I met with an archaeologist the other day. She uncovered an old dig site with hieroglyphs on the wall. I was called in to consult because I studied under Professor Jones.” She pauses for a beat, noticing the surprise in both yours and Cole’s expressions. “Why? You two look like I just cast a curse.”

“I…I need to make a call.” Cole stumbles to his feet. Your eyes meet briefly, a sinking feeling in your stomach as he hurriedly exits the room. 

“I’m…gonna go take a shit.” 

Your dad blinks. “Sure, honey. Let me know if you need medicine or something.” 

As you step out of the room, you catch sight of Cole slipping through the side door. You follow him into the dimly lit car park, the cool air biting at your skin. “...yeah, that’s what we just found out. I’m not sure how reliable it is, but we should still look into it. Just in case.”

You wait, leaning against the wall, eyes trained on him as he speaks into his phone. The quiet hum of the night air fills the space between you, but something shifts when you catch the mention of your name.

Without him noticing, you stay silent, your heartbeat a little louder now, a mix of hesitation and curiosity gripping you. It’s far easier to remain in the shadows, letting him speak freely, than to interrupt him.

Then you hear it.

“...Zane and Lloyd found what?” His voice drops, the tension in his stance tightening like a wire about to snap. He rakes a hand through his hair, his words turning sharp, brittle. “I don’t understand. Are you sure that’s what you saw?”

You take a hesitant step forward, instinctively reaching to tap his shoulder. But before you can, his next words slice through the air like a blade.

A breath. A pause. A silence so heavy it feels like a single moment would shatter it.

“What do you mean you found a picture of her with a knife through it?”

[thedreamingdevil]

Assault In The Toilet

Dreamcatcher Handong | Male Reader

Trigger Warning: Rape, Slight Violence, Threat

Word Count: 2,471

You trudged through the dimly lit corridors of the venue, your security radio crackling occasionally as the night's main event drew to a close. Dreamcatcher, the K-pop group you were obsessed with, had just finished their set.

You couldn't believe you'd spent the entire two hours stuck backstage, missing the performance of a lifetime. The only solace was the muffled thump of the music and the distant, ethereal voices of JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami, and Gahyeon echoing through the hallways.

Your final sweep of the west wing was more out of habit than necessity. The crowd was dissipating, and the backstage area was quiet, save for the occasional clang of equipment being dismantled. That's when your luck, or lack thereof, changed.

As if fate had a twisted sense of humor, you spotted Handong, the Chinese member of Dreamcatcher, walking towards you. Her destination seemed to be the rear toilet, a more secluded option away from the throngs of people flocking to the main facilities.

She caught your eye and flashed a bright, endearing smile, her English tinged with a cute, noticeable accent. "Excuse me, is the toilet down this way... usable? The others are using the main one," she asked, her brow slightly furrowed in inquiry.

You managed a nod, trying to sound coherent despite the dryness in your mouth. "Yeah, it's all clear. You're good to use it."

Your gaze slipped, betraying your professionalism, drawn to the sports bra that hugged her torso, pants slid down, showcasing the waistband of her panties and the gentle curve of her hips. But it was the soft, slightly rounded expanse of her midriff that really caught your attention, making your mouth water in a way that had nothing to do with thirst.

Handong's gratitude was sincere, "Thanks so much!" before she turned to head towards the toilet.

You watched her walk away, your hand instinctively dropping to adjust the growing bulge in your cargo pants, the friction a slight relief. Your mind began to wander down dark, filthy paths, undressing her further with each step she took away from you.

"Fuck," you muttered under your breath, scanning the hallway with a mixture of paranoia and lust, your eyes finally settling on the toilet door as it closed behind Handong, enveloping her in privacy.

You lingered in front of the toilet, the seconds ticking by with an agonizing slowness. Finally, the door creaked open, and Handong stepped out, her smile still plastered on her face. But as her eyes met yours, her expression morphed into one of startled alarm.

A high-pitched "Eeek!" escaped her lips, followed by an unknowing string of Korean curses, "Aish—” She giggled nervously, composing herself, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there. Is... is there something wrong?"

You shook your head, a sly grin spreading across your face. "Nah, nothing's wrong. I'm just a huge fan actually, and I was wondering if I could get an autograph?" Your voice was laced with a sincerity that was about to take a dark turn.

Handong's face lit up. "Of course! Umm, do you have a pen... and where would you like me to sign?" Her innocence was almost palpable, and your twisted excitement grew.

You roughly pushed past her, stepping into the toilet. "You won't need a pen for this," you sneered, your eyes locking onto hers with a sinister glint. "You can sign it on my cock... with your pussy."

The words hung in the air like a challenge, and for a moment, Handong just stared, confusion etched on her face. Fear began to creep into her heart as she stuttered, "W-what... Do you mean?"

But before she could grasp the horror of your suggestion, you closed the door behind you with a soft click and flipped the lock. Handong's eyes widened in panic.

"It's fine, slut," you cooed, "I'll make you understand." With lightning speed, you wrapped your arms around her stomach, spinning her around before slamming her deeper into the toilet.

Handong landed with a painful, audible groan, her breath knocked out of her. She scrambled to get up, but you were faster. Your fingers slipped into her pink hair, yanking her up. Your other hand closed around her neck, choking her as you pinned her against the cold marble wall.

Tears welled up in her eyes, "W-why... What do you want? Please, let me go!"

Your hand roamed over her soft stomach, a perverse caress. "You think you can just flaunt this like a whore and not expect to get fucked? There's no fucking way I'm letting you go."

A sudden, cruel movement, your fist clenched and punched into her stomach, eliciting a sharp gasp followed by a coughing fit, her eyes bulging from the choking grip.

You huffed, your breath hot against her ear, "There you go, that's the face I want to see. The face I'll make all of you make, but you're just unlucky to be the first, Handong." With a swift motion, you slammed your knee onto her pussy, her eyes snapping wide open in agony.

A heart-wrenching "Eeeeeee..." tore from her lips, tears streaming down her face as her legs instinctively clamped shut.

You tightened your grip around Handong's neck, slamming her harder against the wall, ensuring she stood upright. Her eyes welled up with tears as she weakly pushed against your chest, pleading, "P-please... stop... don't do this..." Her voice cracked, but you just smiled, enjoying her despair.

Your other hand made quick work of her pants' button and zipper. With a tug, her baggy pants slid down, pooling around her ankles. Her tight panties did little to conceal the shape of her pussy, especially as her toned thighs rubbed together in a futile attempt to cover herself.

You chuckled, "Keep begging, Handong. Nobody's coming to save you now."

Your hand dove between her legs, grabbing her pussy with a rough squeeze. Handong let out a muffled “Ughhhh!" as she squirmed against the humiliating touch.

Your grip around her neck prevented her from screaming for help, reducing her cries to mere, pathetic whimpers. You kicked her leg apart and began slapping her pussy repeatedly, the sound echoing through the small space.

Handong's body shuddered, tears streaming down her face as a burning sensation spread across her assaulted flesh.

In a degrading move, you spat into her open, gagging mouth, your voice laced with contempt, "Not so tough now, are you? Just a helpless, stupid whore, ready to be ruined by my cock."

Handong mustered a faint scream but it was quickly silenced by a punch to her ribs. The impact made her body jerk, and a wet patch began to spread on her panties as she lost bladder control, pee soaking through the fabric.

Your cock throbbed painfully in your pants, demanding attention so you tossed Handong to the floor, her body landing on her stomach. As you undid your pants and boxers, your huge, leaking cock sprang out, precum dripping.

Handong, in a sobbing mess, slowly crawled towards the door, attempting to call for help, her voice barely audible.

"Look at you... what a stubborn slut." From your jacket, you produced a pocket knife, its blade glinting.

Rushing over, you pinned Handong to the floor, her back beneath your weight. Grabbing her hair, you yanked her head back, exposing her sweaty neck. The knife pressed against her throat, its edge biting into her skin.

"Scream all you want, bitch," you taunted. "The members will find you in here, drowning in your own blood."

Handong's body froze, her sobbing escalating into body-shaking sobs. She squeezed her eyes shut, a barely audible "N-no... please..." escaped her lips, followed by a desperate nod, and a whispered, "Don't kill me... please..."

Backward glide, you positioned yourself at Handong's legs. The knife flashed, slicing through her panties with ease. You yanked the torn fabric off her crotch, exposing her vulnerable flesh. Her soaked panties were then lifted to your nose, and you inhaled deeply, savoring the scent. Your tongue darted out, licking the wet patch.

Several sharp slaps landed on her naked ass, each impact making her flinch. Your thick cock was then placed between the soft, firm fleshes of her buttocks, rubbing against her with an unspoken threat. Leaning forward, you pulled her jacket off her arms and used her torn panties to tie her wrists behind her back, securing her in a helpless position.

"Get up," you barked, grabbing a fistful of her messy hair and yanking her to her feet. Handong stumbled, dragged towards the lined-up sinks by her hair, before being shoved against one. "Look in the mirror, see how pathetic you are," you sneered, pulling her body against your chest. The position forced her to feel your cock, rigid and daunting, nestled between her thighs, inspiring a terrified tremble.

The knife poked her heaving stomach, and you asked, "Want me to rip your guts out?" Handong weakly shook her head, a plea for mercy in her watery eyes. You shoved her forward, "Good slut, now you will take my cock up your guts."

Her eyes widened in pure panic as she frantically shook her head, "N-no, no, no..."

You gripped one of her thighs, lifting it to prevent her from twisting away. Your other hand guided your swollen cock to her pussy lips. With deliberate slowness, you pushed it inside her slick yet tight passage. The extra fleshy blockage provided a snug, if not torturous, fit.

“Oughhhh!” Handong's scream was long and shaky, her body trembling as your thickness breached her inner walls, deeper and deeper, stretching and ripping her pussy apart. The pain was evident, yet you persisted, poking through her pelvis.

Her desperate "It hurts— God... stop... p-pull it out!" was met with your grasp on her hips tightening, laughter echoing through the space.

"Oh, I will pull out alright... after you're done shitting all over my cock." You seized one of her twin tails, pulling it taut as you thrust forward, burying your entire cock inside her pussy.

The tip curled slightly, blocked by her cervix, inducing a quivering response in Handong's body. Her mouth gaped open, eyes rolling up, as the painful, compact sensation overwhelmed her.

Pulling back, you then slammed your cock back inside Handong's aching pussy, penetrating her as rough and as deep as humanly possible. The sound of wet flesh echoed through the space, a cacophony of misery. A mix of her sweat, piss, and your precum – splattered everywhere, coating your thighs, her legs, and the floor.

The stench of Handong's soaking pussy, now molded to shape of your cock, mingled with the metallic tang of her blood, which trickled from her torn insides. Your nose flared, inhaling the putrid aroma, as you continued to brutalize her.

Each thrust was a masterclass in cruelty, designed to inflict maximum pain. Handong's pussy, once a delicate, inviting space, was now a ravaged, sloppy cavern, stretched to its limits by your girth. Her cervix, a deep, vulnerable well, was repeatedly pummeled, causing her body to shudder and convulse. The sound of your balls slapping against her clit, and your cock squelching in and out of her pussy, was a grotesque serenade.

You hugged Handong back, her body arching in an unnatural pose, to let her see the swell inside her tummy every time your cock moved in and out. Her belly bulged, a nauseating, fluid-filled balloon, as if your cum was already filling her womb.

"Look at that, disgusting slut.” You snickered, “My cock is making a mess inside you, and you can't even take it or do anything about it.”

Handong's body reacted with violent, uncontrollable spasms, her trembling, violated form a testament to the agony coursing through her. She gagged, vomit spewing from her mouth, as the overwhelming stress took its toll.

"Mmmphh-nooooooooo... stooooop... p-puuuuuuhhhhlease..." she wailed, her cries punctuated by anguished, guttural moans.

"Aaaaahhh... m-myyyy... ggggoooooodddd..." she whimpered, her body shuddering, as another wave of pain washed over her. "N-nnnoooo... p-puuuuuuhhhh... it's... it's too... too much..." Her vocal cords strained, producing a blood-curdling scream, “Eeeeekkkkkk...!"

You continued to degrade and insult her, reveling in her misery. "You're a nasty, disgusting whore, Handong. Your pussy is a trash can, and my cock is the garbage that's filling it up." Your words were acid, eating away at her dignity, as you used and abused her with reckless abandon.

However, the risk of getting caught was growing by the minute, and even your twisted desires couldn't override the need for caution. With a few, final thrusts, you unleashed a torrent of cum inside Handong's womb, filling her to the brim with your seed.

The excessive amount of fluid caused her belly to swell even more, a grotesque, inflated parody of a pregnant woman. As you withdrew, your cock slid out of her pussy with a wet, sucking sound, leaving behind a trail of destruction, and a broken, whimpering woman.

As you withdrew from Handong's ravaged body, she lay there, her leaking, bleeding pussy a grim testament to the atrocities you'd inflicted. Her body twitched and convulsed, the aftershocks of your merciless assault still coursing through her battered form.

Her eyes, once bright and full of life, now dull and unfocused, struggled to remain open as she teetered on the edge of consciousness.

"Stupid whore," you cursed, your voice devoid of empathy, as you stroked your softening, slick cock. The semen still dripping from its tip was a reminder of the devastation you'd wrought.

With a callous disregard for Handong's well-being, you raised your foot and brought it down on her swollen stomach, twisting it harshly. The sound of your shoe squelching into her distended belly was accompanied by a fresh gush of fluid, which squirted out of her wounded pussy, a horrific, involuntary response to the additional agony.

You didn't bother untying Handong, leaving her bound and helpless on the cold, hard floor. Your attention had already shifted to escaping the consequences of your actions. You swiftly dressed, the sounds of your clothing being donned a stark contrast to Handong's labored, whimpering breaths.

As you approached the door, the murmur of voices from around the corner hastened your departure. You rushed toward the back exit, the door's heavy metal weight slamming shut behind you, leaving Handong's broken form to be discovered by others.

The consequences of your brutality would soon follow, but for now, you'd escaped, vanished into the darkness, leaving behind a trail of devastation.

The last glimpse of Handong was etched into your mind: her twisted, agony-contorted face, the ragged, bleeding edges of her pussy, and the pathetic, bound pose of her battered body.

The memories of her pleas, her screams, and her suffering would linger, a twisted, perverse trophy, as you disappeared into the darkness, ready to claim your next victim.

[unconventional-lawnchair]

Hey! I wanted to see if you'd want to do a band!au with marauders . I was watching the kool kids maneskin, Tokyo concert, I couldn't help but think how problematic it actually could be. Something happens maybe someone makes the fem!reader uncomfortable and stuff goes down, everybody's like she's too arrogant and disrespectful and so on. How the marauders defend and comfort her etc with some fluff. Thanks!

You're Strong

Platonic!Marauders x Reader (Minus Peter)

AN: I love this request sm

Cw: 3704

CW: use of {Y/N}, Sexual Harassment, Victim blaming, sexual innuendos, a lot of cussing and shouting

Latex and a shitty cologne seemed to cling to your nose like a taunt, even in the supposed safety of your dressing room. You clung to the small vanity top, trying to rid your nostrils of the foul odor that seemed to cling to you like an unwanted memory.

This wasn’t your first time experiencing something like this, but it was the first since you joined the band.

Back in college, James had gotten on his hands and knees, begging you to fill in for Peter on guitar after their falling out. At the time, you and the boys ran in the same friend group but never really collided- except for Remus, who would write his songs with you.

James didn’t have a clue who you were until Sirius told him you were the one who taught Marlene how to strum. It took some convincing, but after some gentle prodding from Remus and downright devious tactics from Sirius, you finally caved. One song. One gig.

You should have known that wouldn’t have been the case. The moment your first performance was a hit, they practically hounded you around the clock to join them for more. Eventually, after a few failed guitarists, you agreed to go on tour with them.

Never once in the six weeks you had been on the road did you feel unsafe. It was your main concern. You weren’t scared of the boys, but traveling to a new city every night as a girl was a nightmare. You voiced your concerns to them, and they swore they wouldn’t force you into something dangerous. They were always with you at every point- one of them tied to your hip from the moment you exited your hotel room to the second you entered it.

But tonight was different. The moment you stepped on stage, you could tell it wasn’t like your normal performances. The producers had sprung something on James last minute, and you could hear him arguing from behind the curtain while you and Sirius exchanged worried glances.

When James came back, he was red in the face but greeted the crowd with his bright smile. You relaxed slightly, falling into the rhythm of the performance. Then, James introduced two more bands to the stage local to the area. Not just their instruments, but their bloody groupies as well.

The stage was suddenly flooded with people. Men and women danced, far too close. You looked to Remus in a panic, trying to keep your strumming even on your cues. Sirius seemed shocked but into the act, and James continued singing as if nothing was wrong. But for you, the stage had become a personal hell. The noise was deafening, and the people were too close- men grinding on you, women making crude remarks that only worsened your anxiety. It wasn't something you hadn't experienced before. But your boys were there. And they were doing nothing. Sweat and cheap plastic glitter assaulted your senses, making it hard to breathe.

The mix of sounds and overwhelming amount of strangers in your safe space made the stage feel like a claustrophobic nightmare. You tried to focus, to keep playing, but each note felt like a struggle. The safety you had once felt with the band was slipping away, replaced by a rising tide of panic.

Then, a husky smell hit your nose. This cologne you couldn't place, and the smell of burnt latex, as a man walked behind you and grinded on you. But he didn't pass by after, no, he stayed and pressed his entire waist against your back. You felt like you could heave, but instead of sobbing like you wanted to, you lashed out in anger.

You turned and practically snarled at him, your shouts barely audible over the music. “Piss off!”

“Woah, woah woah, no need to be so feisty.” He chuckled as he passed, muttering a simple, “Fucking prude.” as he went.

Your heart pounded in your chest, the adrenaline surging through your veins like wildfire. The blaring attack of music, shouting, and laughter melded into a disorienting blur. Your vision tunneled, and it felt like the walls were closing in. You tried to focus on your guitar, to find some semblance of normalcy, but your fingers were trembling too much to play properly.

James, always the charismatic frontman, seemed to notice your distress. He made his way over to you, still singing, his eyes filled with concern. He offered you sympathetic eyes, but even then, in his understanding you were even more upset. How dare he not warn you?

James’s presence, usually so comforting, felt like a betrayal tonight. You wanted to scream at him, to demand why he hadn’t given you a heads up about the chaos that would unfold on stage. But you knew this wasn’t the time or place. Truly, you didn't know if he knew either.

Your breaths became shallow and rapid, your chest tightening with each passing second. The stage lights felt unbearably hot, and the noise seemed to amplify, each beat of the drums pounding in your skull. You almost snapped at Sirius, as he slammed the instrument worked in tandem with your throbbing head. The people on stage began to mutter and laugh, you didn't need to hear what they were saying to know it was directed at you.

With a deep breath, you forced yourself to keep playing, though your notes were shaky and uneven. You could see Remus and Sirius exchanging worried glances, sensing the shift in your usually electric energy. James, ever the performer, managed to keep the crowd entertained, though his focus never strayed far from you.

But it was too much. The world around you felt like it was spinning out of control, your vision blurring with unshed tears. Your hands felt clammy, your grip on the guitar slipping. The overwhelming sense of panic clawed at your throat, making it hard to breathe.

The second the fifth song ended, you shoved your strings at one of the other band members before walking off stage. You couldn't do it. You couldn't even think clearly on that damn stage, let alone play. The need to escape, to find a quiet space where you could breathe, was overpowering.

You made your way backstage, your breaths coming in short, desperate gasps. The noise of the crowd and the band faded into the background as you found a secluded corner, sinking to the floor. You hugged your knees to your chest, trying to ground yourself, feeling the cold, hard floor beneath you.

As you sat there, the adrenaline began to dissipate, leaving you feeling drained and exhausted. The panic attack had taken its toll, but in the quiet of the backstage, you could finally start to piece yourself back together.

You stormed off to your dressing room where you were now, finally allowing yourself to break down.

You had never had a panic attack so publicly before. Replaying the memory only made it worse, as embarrassment took over the panic remembering how harshly you reacted. But why did you feel guilty?

Suddenly there was a firm knock on the door. You looked at the clock and winced. Did they stop the show early? Fuck.. your poor fans.

You didn't answer, you never did. Walking over to the bathroom to splash water on your face as you heard the door open.

“The hell were you thinking, James!?” Sirius’s shouts filled the room and you shook your head, cleaning off the makeup you now made a mess of.

“I didn't know it was going to happen! They sprung it on me too, Pads!” James shouted and Remus huffed.

“You should of said no, James.” Remus scolded and James waved his hand dismissively.

He walked up to your bathroom door and knocked, leaning his ear against it. “Hey, you good in there, {Y/N}?” He asked cautiously.

You schooled your expression once more before you swung the door open. Looking at the boy in front of you, his sweaty body covered in glitter and giving you a startled look. “Since when did the stage becomes a fucking rave!?” Your voice was loud and you tried to sound angry, but you were on the verge of tears again. Clueless as to why this seemed to affect you so much.

James's eyes widened as he saw the raw emotion in your face. He took a step back, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "I know, I know. It was a mess. I'm sorry, {Y/N}. If I had known, I would have stopped it before it started. Just- they were already in the back when Gideon told us, said it was a deal the producers made to get this place more attention, ya know?”

“Oh sob off with that crap! She's fucking scared, man!” Sirius snapped behind James and Remus scoffed.

“And you're not making it much better, Sirius.” Remus huffed before turning to you with gentle eyes. Ones you were used to, ones that always meant safety. You walked over and sniffed a bit, coming undone easily. Especially when he pulled you into a hug.

Remus rubbed your back and let you ruin his new shredded shirt. His bandaid covered hand slipping behind her head to let you muffle your sobs into his chest.

Eventually, your sobbing stopped, and Remus found himself inspecting you. “Hey..” He whispered after a moment of exchanging looks with the boys. “You're alright, pretty girl.” He cooed and you slowly smiled.

He took the chance to take a peek at you, only to see you smiling brighter at his glance. They had a way of soothing your more erratic emotions, so easily.

“Is she smiling?” James called out in a teasing tone. You rolled your eyes and pulled away from Remus with a sniffle.

“You guys always call me that.” You huffed and Remus laughed. “What? Pretty girl?”

You nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips despite the lingering tension. "Yeah, 'pretty girl.' It's like you think I'm some delicate flower, I'm a big girl.”

Sirius grinned, his usual mischievous spark returning. "Well, you are pretty, and you are our girl. Even if sometimes you're abusive." He cheeked and you shot him a glare.

“See? My groupies would have lost their shit at that line. I just get death glares.” Sirius dramaticized as he looked at James who snickered.

James gave a fond sigh, shaking his head. "Well, to be fair, Pads, it just shows {Y/N} has standards."

At that, you laugh and Remus smiled at you. “There she is.”

“Oh stop that.” You gave a small nervous smile and pushed his face to look away. He laughed before he kissed your calloused palm, turning to face you. He gave you one last comforting squeeze before letting go, his eyes still filled with love and gentle concern. "Seriously though, {Y/N}, we never want you to feel like that again. We need to make sure our performances are safe for everyone, especially you. Trust me, we were shit without a guitar.”

You rolled your eyes fondly but let his words seep in. Knowing he truly meant them.

You took a deep breath, feeling a bit more grounded with the boys around you. "I appreciate it, really. Just... next time, let's make sure there are no surprises, okay?"

James nodded earnestly. "Absolutely. No more surprises. We'll make sure everything is run by you first. You're part of this band, and you deserve to feel safe and respected."

Sirius threw an arm around your shoulder and gave you a squeeze. “Yeah, I mean, if you weren't here we'd just be a bunch of dudes jerkin it.”

You gave him a slack jaw at his crude remark, before Remus rolled his eyes.

“Something tells me you wouldn't mind that, Sirius.” James laughed and you quickly shooed Sirius’s arm off of you.

“You two talk like virgins and it's starting to become sad.” You huffed. “But I'm ready to go back on stage. It's been a hot minute now.”

James barked a laugh and you looked at him surprised. You hit his chest and he held your hand with a playful wince. “Sorry, sorry, just trying to imagine going back on stage after Sirius busted that bastard’s lip. I don't think the show is still on.”

“You did what!?” You exclaimed in shock, turning to Sirius. He didn't look even the least bit guilty, just grinning ear to ear like some damned cat. He shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? No one messes with our girl and gets away with it."

You shook your head, a mix of disbelief and amusement. Not to mention the endless about of affection and safety you felt. "Sirius, you can't just go around punching people."

"Well, I can and I did," he replied with a wink. "He deserved it. Dudes still lucky he has a heart beat."

Remus sighed, though a small smile played on his lips. "Let's just make sure we handle things a bit more diplomatically next time, yeah?"

James chuckled, squeezing your hand reassuringly. “I'm sure {Y/N} has no problems with it-”

Before the quips could continue, suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sirius huffed and turned to slam it open. “What?!” He boomed and came face to face with a very angry producer.

“The hell are you all doing in here mingling? You have a crowd out there waiting to watch you play!” He boomed. Despite yourself, you suddenly clamed up. Oddly, you were unable to speak. Even as you tried to force yourself, the words felt like they were trapped in your chest. Your breathing increasing.

“We had an issue with a guy on stage-” Remus started and the producer scoffed. “Yeah, we all saw it! That's no excuse! These people paid good money-”

“I-I'm not going back out there.” You finally stammered out. He scoffed at you and Sirius tightened his jaw.

“I'm sorry, princess, please continue to believe the world revolves around you. But do that on the stage?” He pushed and you choked out a scoff.

“He-”

“Isn't that what you kids do? You party hard you have fun, can't blend those two together?”

The producer’s words cut through the air like a knife, leaving you feeling exposed and vulnerable. Your hands trembled as you tried to pull yourself together, but the panic was threatening to overwhelm you again.

Sirius, however, was having none of it. He stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger. "Listen here, you pompous ass. She was sexually harassed on stage, and you think she should just suck it up and keep playing? How about you show a bit of human decency?"

The producer sneered, clearly unimpressed. "This is a business, Black. If she can't handle the heat, maybe she shouldn't be on stage."

Remus stepped in, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to Sirius’s fury. “Sir, I think that a discussion needs to be had about our safety on stage before any of us return to it.”

“I refuse to work like this.” You challenged again and the Producer scoffed.

“Listen, kid, everyone deals with stuff like this in show biz. Don’t be arrogant.”

You took a shaky breath and tried to still the next shiver that rocked through you. Again, your words were gathering in your throat like film. “No-”

“Kid.” The producer spoke more sternly this time.

James had been standing quietly, his fists clenched at his sides as he listened to the exchange. But the producer's dismissive attitude was the final straw. He stepped forward, his usually bright and cheerful eyes now dark with anger.

"That's enough!" James's voice rang out, startling everyone in the room. He pointed a finger at the producer, his hand shaking with barely contained fury. "How dare you speak to her like that! She's not just some performer you can push around. She's our friend, our bandmate, and she deserves respect! If you want this fucking band to work how about you worry about that freak in the back with the bloodied nose? Get him the fuck outta here!”

The producer opened his mouth to retort, but James cut him off, his voice growing louder. "You think this is just showbiz? You think it's okay for someone to be harassed and then forced to keep performing? What kind of person are you? I promise you, if she wasn't overwhelmed enough as it is-”

"James-" The producer began, but James wasn't done.

"No. You don't wanna listen to her, you're gonna listen to me. We've put up with a lot of shit from you. But she is where I draw the line. Is that understood?”

James's outburst left the room in stunned silence. The intensity of his words hung heavy in the air, and even the producer seemed momentarily taken aback. But the anger in James's eyes was unyielding with that fire and familiar protectiveness he held for everyone, but it seemed to be focused purely on you.

The producer, clearly flustered, tried to regain his composure. "Look, James, I understand you're upset, but-"

"No, you don't understand." James interrupted, his voice steady but seething with controlled rage. "This isn't just about being upset. This is about basic human decency. You don't get to treat her like that. Any of us! If you can't guarantee our safety and respect, then we're done here."

Sirius had a moment where he stared awestruck at James. Clearly proud. “What the big guy said.”

Remus nodded in agreement, his eyes never leaving the producer's. "James is right. This isn't negotiable. If you can't ensure our safety and treat us with respect, we're not stepping back on that stage."

The producer, now visibly shaken, tried to salvage his authority. "Okay, okay, let's not get hasty here. I-I'll talk to the guy and make sure he's removed from the venue. We can... we can make some adjustments."

James took a step closer, his demeanor still tense but slightly more controlled. “Good.. bloody good, yeah.” He sighed and rubbed his temple. “Now-”

“Get the fuck out!” Sirius shouted over James as his tone turned polite.

The producer mumbled something under his breath before he gathered what little pride he had and ran off.

You stood there shaking slightly, taking deep and steadying breaths when the door closed. James looked back to you and his eyebrows knit together with worry.

“Hey, sorry.” He cooed and muttered your name. Walking over only to give a soft ooph as you crashed into his chest with a tight hug.

This felt right. This felt safe.

It hit you why everything was crashing on you so hard. You have always been so strong, so determined, so ruthless. When the boys came along they smoothed out your edges with so much gentle care you forgot at times you needed to protect yourself.

Though, relying on them wasn't something you found unpleasant. You had been so strong all the time you forgot what it felt like to rely on someone. Let alone three practical guard dogs.

“I'm sorry you had to do that.” You whispered and James absolutely melted at the tender tone.

“Nope. You're not allowed to apologize for that.” James whispered and pulled you close and firm against him. You hummed and nuzzled your nose into his neck a bit. Not embarrassed to come undone in his arms.

“I'm still sorry. I hate to see you so upset…”

James sighed, his voice softening. "Seeing you upset is what makes me upset. Still debating going to give him another piece of my mind. I mean, who the fuck talks to someone like that?"

“James.” Remus warned and he huffed, nuzzling his nose into your hair. Finding comfort with you so close.

Safe.

You felt a tear slip down your cheek, but you quickly wiped it away, not wanting to let the emotions overwhelm you again. Sirius and Remus moved closer, forming a protective circle around you.

Sirius placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, his earlier anger now replaced with concern. "You're alright, yeah? Come on, I hate seeing pretty girls cry.”

“Fuck off.” You choked out and Remus chuckled, rubbing your back.

Sirius gave a small, genuine smile. "That's the spirit. Just wanted to see a bit of that fire back."

You couldn't help but laugh through your tears, feeling the warmth and safety of your friends surrounding you. Remus continued to rub your back soothingly, his touch grounding you in the moment.

James pulled back slightly, just enough to look into your eyes. "You don't have to be strong all the time, {Y/N}. We're here for you. Always."

You nodded, taking a deep breath. "I know. And I appreciate it. I really do. I just... I wasn't expecting any of this tonight."

Remus gently wiped away a tear from your cheek. "I sure hope you weren't. It shouldn't have happened." He muttered, a bit guilty. Having seen it all go down and fighting every bit of himself not to move. You seemed like you had it handled- he didn't want to make a mockery of your strength. But when you left crying he almost screamed.

Sirius clapped his hands together, his usual mischievous grin returning. "Alright, sad sacks, enough of this sappy shit. Let's regroup, grab a drink, and figure out our next move. And if anyone else messes with our girl, they’ll have to answer to us. And I'm feeling high strung after Jamie’s lil proformance."

You smiled, feeling a newfound sense of strength and determination. The boys had your back, and you knew you could face anything with them by your side.

James nodded, his eyes still filled with concern but also a glimmer of hope. "Let's take a breather, all of us. We’ll decide what to do next, but for now, we need to make sure you're okay."

You took another deep breath, feeling the weight of the night slowly lifting. "Thanks, guys. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

Remus gave you one last comforting squeeze before letting go, his eyes filled with love and gentle concern. "You won't ever have to find out."

[your-favourite-yapper]

popular girl mary x loser pandora mentioned

OK so this is sorta the same universe as this post (self plug)(trigger warning: outingand murder and suicide and murder)

so in like primary mary was like sorta bullied and in the late primary school area she gets paired off (by the tr bc noone wanted to offer to pair up w her) w this weird blonde haired and big blue eyes and ...are those bugs? g r e a t.

So yea they pair up and Mary on one hand does not Like pandora bc while yea maty IS a loser she's trying to not be one while pandora dgaf on the other hand pandora is maybe the onky person in the school who's like less cool than mary soooo maybe if mary makes fun of pandora she'd gain social points??

And so the project continues and pandora says the weirdest shit ever and when ppl smirk and snort at her she throws bugs at them and when mary asks her avt the project she replies w the most random sentences ever and is always practically vibrating w manic energy and this is how a convo bn them would go

M "mrs hannah says we need to show her the draft by sunday can u do Sunday"

P "my hands are so dizzy rn. I think its bc of the rainbo2 bugs i ate today"

But also one secret hidden part of mary wishes she was like pandora who Gen could care less abt what ppl think and talks abt her bugs and doesn't flinch when the students snicker at her when she starts her sentences w "greetings " and she doesn't feel embarass3d dor walking around on her own gasping at the walls of the school and singing the national anthem and yeah

And once mary has pandora over and pandora doesn't seem phased by Mary's whiny Lil siblings and the fact that her dad is out like 90% of the time working his ass off and so noones home and doesn't seem phased when they have to eat Ramen for dinner infant she even asks for ketchup to add on it

And Mary makes run of pandora to her friends but once again she takes things So Far she litr made fun of the underwear she saw In pandoras drawer from that time she was in her house for the project and everyone was like "mary that was kinda mean" and Mary's so confused bc she thought it was normal and once again she is an outsider

Ev mady goes to hs and she's starting to be Cool and once she's sure peter (another person from her primary in her hs) won't say anything abt the "old her" she begins to completely destroy her sense of self and just becomes a new person entirely and in fact forgets all abt pandora (not rlly)

And then.

Guess who transferred.

Guess. Who. Fucking. Transferred.

Pandora.

UGHHSGJ <- mary rn

after trying so hard to keep primary in the past, the ONE person she would have bated to come back to her hs is pandora

And the rzn she came here is bc she like, set her school on fire ""on accident"" and so she goes to the hs and yeah and Mary's like whatever we probably won't interact and Mary's so mean to pandora when pando4a tries talking to her She walks past her w her friends and tells her friends she's "just a loser" loudly so pandora can hear her and we'll pandora IS tech a loser in hs too BUT u kno how the school heretical structure is acc more common in middle school and not hs?? Yeah. Quiete a few ppl think pandoras funny and well since pandora has never cared on what ppl think of her She litr is unaffected but mary is SEETHINGGG bc how??? Mary has been training for the social heirchacial structure in hs her entire life and this bozo just got popular (not rlly) for no rzn????

And rmmbr how mary wants to do robotics ?? She goes into advanced phy and NONE of her main friends are there but she has many casual friends she could sit w right? But today somehow maty was running kate SKMEONE had shoveled snow infornt of her house (wonder who...) And well she enters the class late and everyone is in their sea5s...paired up...excpet ....pan fucking dora

So she sits next to her and can feel the eyes on her (noone cares) and to make things worse the tr said this is their perm seat chart and Mary thinks well they don't have to talk do they? And the tr gave them a group oroject...great

And pandora isn't oblivious so she knows what Mary's doing to her but doesn't care bc she thinks mary is hot and pandora is still weird but like more mature and she like I said has the MAJOR hots for mary but maary is so focused on popularity its sad so pandora will help her and see!! She's a good person!!

And so pandora arranges meetings for the projects in outdoor parks and enjoys watching mary squirm as pandora approaches her in the school hallway and those meetings in parks pandora ON PURPOSE keeps distracting mary and mary is so weirded as fuck looking at pandora w her face scrunched up and koyth slightly agape bc what type of bullshit is this bitch ssaying?? Qnd she forgets abt doing the project and pandora feels so proud bc mary litr would nvr do that 4 any1 else

And pandora let's mafy tmi to her and infact tmis BACK even tho she typically doenst like doing that and mary likes this (and of mary after realizing that pandora does this, strategically tmis not so embarrassing info and starts collecting embrassing info on pandora well...thats not here nir there is it 😇)and pandroa wasn't as Abad as she was in primary bc even tho she dgaf she has had to tone down a bit of her acc personality

And in one of their inc stupid convos pandora casually says she's bi and Mary's like wait how do u kno and pandora tells her and Mary's like u can't love girls AND boys and pandoras like nu uh and then she kisses her to let mary kno if she likes girls and it's so clumsy and flimsy bc they're 2 stupid teenage girls and pandora is like wow. Bc mary tastes like strawberry and she's licking the rem taste of her lips and Mary's like "uh oh" and they have a situationship and mary writes pandora stupid poetry and pandora tells mary abt taxidermy and they're so cute tighter excpet 4 the fact mary doesn't talk abt this 2 any1

Mary then realizes that the project isn't getting done and confronts pandora abt this in the hallway and it escalates...alot pandora doesn't like the fact that mary is yelling at her when her plan was going oerfectly and she doesn't like being yelled at in Gen and also she dgaf abt being embarrassed so she qkly starts yelling while mary who was in like survival mode all her life can see her status go to shambles in like 4k and so imm starts bringing up EVERY SINGLE TMI piece of info pandora told her INCLUDING THE FACT THAT SHES BI (its a catholic hs) until they're having a screaming match which then leads to a brawl where pandora scratches marys lip and bites her (??) And Mary pulls pandoras hair and manages to slap her like 5 times bc she got training from fighting h3r younger siblings

and they get sent to the principals office and mary after calming down is like acc tweaking bc she's nvr been sent to the principals office evr in her entire LIFE and pandora is si5ting there like woah. Bc mary tasted like strawberries and she's like licking her lips to get the rem taste (also she v much didnt mind being slapped but shh)

And bc mafy doesn't have ar3cord she gets 5 d3tentions and pandora gets suspended for a month but mary cries sm every1 thinks SHEs the one that got suspended

Ane when pandora came back mary did Damage Control and now somehow everyone HATES apndora so she changes schools and while she doesn't typically feel this much she's sEETHING AND THE ANGER FESTERS AND FESTERS BC MARY MADE HER THINK SHE CARED

so pandora becomes a stalker stalking mary all the way thru marys uni and her sm acc inc her spotify and knos her gmail and can c her utube history and can tell when she starts dating a girl (owie) she sees red

So she buys a truck

And gets her uncle to offer mary a job interview

And drives said truck

INTO MARYS FACE AND NOW MARYS BLOOD IS SPILLED ALL OVER HER TRUDK AND PANDORA IS SURE IT WOULD TASTE LIKE STRAWBERRIES AND SHE GETS OUT AND LICKS MARYS BLOOD AND IS MAD IG DOESNT TASTE LIKE STRAWBERRIES ON TNE INSIDE BUT ISNT SURPIRSED BC MARY WAS ALWAYS A FAKE LITTLE BITCH AND SHE BURSTS INTO TEARS AND HAS A FULL PSHYCOTIC BREAKDOWN AND GOES TO A MENTAL HOSPITAL FOR A YR AND WHEN SHES OUT SHE SPENDS HER DAYS DOCUMENTING EVERYTHING ABT MARY AND LEARNING HOW TO DRAW SO SHE CPUKD DRAW HER AND EVEN MOLDING CKAY SCULPTURES OF HER BOOBS AND SHE HAS A SHRINE OF MARY AND ONE NIGHT SHE SEES MARY IN HER HOUSE AND FOLLOWS HER INTO THE WOODS AND THEY TALK AND ITS SO FUN THEN MARY SENDS HER BACK HOME AND EV PANDORA IS RAVING SO SHE GETS A BOWL OF STRAWBERRIES AND SLEEPING PILLS AND ODS ON THEM

the last thing she tasted was mary

[dovelesss]

This game sure seems familiar...

L to R

With Arisu being a gamer, I'd like to think that he has played danganronpa before.

Some DR artstyle doodles and yapping under the cut

So, idk if I'll make this into a fully fledged au but I might doodle some more and see where it takes me. But here's what I have for this already.

Arisu is the protag, because it wouldn't make sense otherwise. He gets to be the ult gamer unless I can think of something better. Though I think a Naegi situation would be fun but instead of Arisu becoming the ultimate hope, he becomes the ultimate hearts player, or something. He's pretty damn good at navigating the trials, but usually is his own worst enemy due to overthinking or blaming himself. Uses his known knowledge of the games to help him reason as well. Probably had some half petrified half awestruck response to monokuma.

In this au, this danganronpa game would replace the canon 10 of hearts. I know that would make this kinda predictable, but I mainly wouldn't want to kill off characters that have major roles with the face card games. For everyone being an ultimate, they could be injected with something at the start that the game says "strengthens their ultimate". Which, of course is not possible but, danganronpa logic. It can placebo effect some people though. That'd be interesting to use in a trial.

Usagi would be the ult climber and Arisu's support. But in the emotional area, such as talking him down. Pulling him out of his mind when Arisu inevitably blames himself for every person that dies. He will. She also will probably be a suspect at some point and Arisu nearly breaks down because he thinks it's Usagi. Ofc it's not her but, he gets to spiral first.

Chishiya is the little shit antag. He starts as the ult ??? of the game and it gets revealed later that he's the ult doctor. Mainly because he doesn't want people to know about him and the profiles dont show the ults ig. But ofc he uses it to scheme and mess with the other players. He's probably pretty good at investigating and will likely figure out who the blackened is before everyone else. He's not going to tell people shit though. Maybe something offhand to Kuina that triggers an argument in the trial. He immediately notices how Arisu is leading the trials and finds it interesting which is the main reason Chishiya even kinda helps in the trials at all. Other than not wanting to die with the group if they get it wrong ofc. Chishiya lacks the charisma that Arisu has to convince the entire room if he speaks up regardless so, if he can get Arisu to the same conclusion he's at, the trial will progress. That, and according to Chishiya, everyone else there is an idiot. He doesn't want to talk to them anyway. He also just, sits down during the trials. He runs with his hands in his pockets, he's not going to stand for a full trial.

Niragi would be the ult video game engineer and this of course, confuses the hell out of everyone. He's still aggressive as hell, he's still Niragi after all. But that means he's also smart. So he knows better to go against the rules. I'd like to think he's the one to try to break monokuma at the start and gets injured from it. He's a diamonds player, but maintaining his dangerous personality would make for him to be an interesting secondary antagonist.

Kuina would be either the ult martial artist or ult stylist. Or she can be assigned the first but say she's the stylist in her heart (bless). Probably heavily debates killing someone if a motive pertains to hurting her mom but either doesn't succeed or gets talked out of it. Likely similar to Aoi or Akane survivor status.

As for other characters, I'd likely add Tatta, Momoka, Asahi, Hatter, Last Boss, Aguni, and Ann. Otherwise I don't have too much an idea on who to slap in to fill out the rest of the cast cuz uh, not that many more characters from the beach that I can slap in here. Plus anyone bonus would be obvious cannon fodder, I already have too many survivors, and I don't really want to put in ocs. I'm already going to have to likely pull some bs someone survives an execution type of beat so. Maybe it's just a shorter killing game. I could have the clear condition be "find the in game mastermind" and have it have a similar solution to the show. If the blackened is successful they could just, let them out of the game grounds but you wouldn't get any visa days or something. So, in reality, it wouldn't help any of them, but of course that isnt stated and none of them know that.

If y'all have ideas y'all're welcome to toss em at me. I'd love to just, yap about this. I'm having fun just kinda, thinking about how this would work out, ya know? Hope if ya read that block o' text ya enjoyed it! Under is the quick rough sketch of the comic on my phone. Hope y'all're vibin!

[sexsylexi]

He can be helpful.

Wally West x reader

The school hallway was a blur of chatter and movement as students filed out for the weekend. You were seated by your locker, hunched over your notebook, trying to make sense of chemistry notes that looked like they’d been written in code. Just a few days before a big science test, and the formulas you’d been trying to memorize seemed determined to slip through your grasp.

You sighed, feeling frustration bubbling up. So absorbed in your frustration, you barely noticed when Wally West stopped nearby, giving you one of his usual smirks. Even without looking, you could feel him rolling his eyes as he passed. You’d never gotten along with him—he was cocky, always messing around, and for some reason, he had this annoying habit of teasing you about anything you took seriously. You two had exchanged plenty of sharp comments in the past, and, frankly, you expected more of the same.

But then, Wally spoke up.

“Struggling with science?” he asked, his tone casual, like he knew the answer but wanted to hear you admit it.

“Yeah, and your ‘insightful’ comments aren’t exactly going to help, West,” you replied, tone clipped.

Wally only chuckled and shook his head, already turning to leave. “Good luck,” he tossed back, that easy confidence hanging in the air long after he’d disappeared around the corner.

The weekend couldn’t come fast enough. Between the stress of the test and the usual life-or-death team missions, you’d hardly had a moment to breathe. You were at Mount Justice that Saturday, sprawled on the floor in the main area, papers and textbooks scattered around you. You’d figured the cave would be quiet—perfect for studying. But so far, the empty pages in your notebook weren’t giving you any answers.

A loud static hum filled the room, and you glanced up to see Conner slumped on the couch, arms crossed, staring blankly at the TV screen that seemed permanently stuck on a static channel. He didn’t even seem to notice, just watching as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

With another sigh, you rubbed your temples, glancing at the jumble of formulas you had scribbled across the page.

"Am I seriously the only one struggling with this?" you muttered under your breath, mentally preparing to give up.

It was at that exact moment that Wally walked into the cave, his usual cocky grin in place as he looked around. He spotted you, sitting cross-legged on the floor with your notes, and raised an eyebrow.

“What are you doing, exactly?” he asked, folding his arms and tilting his head.

You didn’t look up, figuring he was here for a quick laugh at your expense. “Science homework. What else?”

“Let me guess. Chemistry?”

You glanced up, expecting to see him laughing, but instead, his expression held a genuine curiosity. The smirk was there, but it was less pronounced. There was a slight glimmer in his eyes, almost like he was… amused in a way that wasn’t condescending.

“Yes,” you said cautiously. “You know, that thing that people actually study for.”

Wally raised his hands in mock surrender, then plopped down on the floor beside you. “Hey, I study science too, you know,” he said, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. “I mean, it’s kind of my thing.”

You looked at him skeptically. “Yeah, right.”

But he didn’t get defensive. Instead, he gave you a small shrug. “I’m serious. I actually like this stuff.” He glanced at your notes, then added, “Need a hand?”

You blinked, not entirely sure you’d heard him correctly. Wally West—your annoying classmate, the guy who couldn’t go two seconds without cracking a joke—was offering to help?

“Uh… yeah, sure,” you said, still a little stunned.

Without missing a beat, Wally leaned over, studying the formulas on your page with surprising focus. He didn’t make any snarky comments, didn’t laugh at your mistakes. Instead, he walked you through the concepts you’d been struggling with, breaking down the complicated chemical reactions in a way that actually made sense. Every so often, he’d throw in a joke or two, and you found yourself smiling despite the frustration.

“So, that’s how you balance a redox reaction,” he said, tapping the page with his pen. “You just have to remember to add electrons to balance the charges.”

You nodded slowly, eyes narrowing as the concept finally started to click. “Wait… that actually makes sense,” you murmured, almost in disbelief.

Wally grinned, clearly pleased. “See? Told you. You just needed a bit of Speed Force-level assistance.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, shaking your head. “Wow, don’t get too full of yourself there.”

As the hours slipped by, you found yourself relaxing in his presence. Wally was surprisingly patient, even when you made the same mistake for the third time. And though he kept up a steady stream of jokes, they were more playful than annoying, a far cry from the sarcastic remarks he usually tossed your way at school. Somewhere between balancing equations and decoding molecular structures, you found yourself actually enjoying his company.

By the time you’d gone through all your notes, the frustration had melted away. You looked up at him, and for once, the tension that usually marked your interactions was nowhere to be found.

“Thanks, Wally,” you said, genuinely grateful. “I… really appreciate it.”

He gave a casual shrug, but his grin was genuine. “Anytime. Chemistry’s no big deal when you’ve got it figured out.” He picked up one of your flashcards and pretended to quiz you. “So… what’s the electron configuration of sulfur?”

You snorted, shoving his hand away. “Please, don’t push it.”

---

On test day, you felt the familiar knot of nerves in your stomach, but Wally’s explanations kept flashing through your mind as you worked through each problem. Somehow, you felt… prepared. For the first time in a while, science didn’t feel like some insurmountable challenge.

A few days later, the test results came back. You stared at your score in disbelief—you’d passed, and by more than a few points. You barely contained your excitement, and as soon as you were free, you headed to Mount Justice, hoping to spot Wally. It didn’t take long before you found him in the main area, chatting with Robin, the two of them laughing over some inside joke.

“Hey, West,” you called, approaching them.

Wally glanced over, his face lighting up as he saw you. “Hey, look who’s here. What’s up?”

For a moment, you felt a bit awkward, but you pushed it aside. “I just… I passed my science test. Thanks to you.”

Robin raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two of you. “Wait, Wally helped you study?”

Wally gave a dramatic sigh, grinning like he’d been unfairly underestimated. “Believe it or not, I’m more than just the handsome speedster.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Don’t get too full of yourself. But seriously, thank you, Wally. I appreciate it.”

Something softened in his expression, and he reached out a fist, offering a casual fist bump. You returned it, a warm feeling settling in your chest.

“You’re welcome. Any time you need a science tutor, I’m your guy,” he said, giving you a wink.

You shook your head, laughing. “Yeah, maybe. Just… don’t let it go to your head.”

Wally laughed, but there was a sincerity behind his smile that you hadn’t seen before. As you walked away, you felt the lingering warmth of his presence, knowing that you’d found an unexpected friend in Wally West.

[kurishiri]

why team alice (as a whole) suffers compared to the others, other than the fact they r "starter routes"

DISCLAIMER: this post is not meant to undermine those who like team alice or any of the chars in that team; this is just a post i am making bc ive been thinking and theorizing a bit on especially why en doesnt seem to like will, harry, and liam as much as the other suitors as a whole. and i wanted to try to put it into words. but i'm also not really a professional when it comes to these matters and the statements i make boil down to my personal opinion (despite how i may phrase things), so take my words with a grain of salt. im open to hearing other opinions and welcome discussion, provided it remains civil!

long post + late night thoughts below

clarification: i am not including victor in this post as a part of this the aforementioned “team alice”, as i consider him a separate entity from the other teams altogether, symbolizing “the end” of fairytales, rather than a char of a fairytale. when sold in story sets, he often gets put into sets with team sleeping beauty anyway. i do acknowledge that victor is fairly often seen with william and harry, though in my personal opinion — and this may change with victor’s route release, who knows! — they do sort of fall short a bit for the same reason that i will mark with an asterisk (*) in this post.

especially ever since i started translating, and after al's route release, i feel ive become more conscious of the concept of "favoritism". even in the source material, favoritism is present to an almost painful degree. like, it wont take you long to realize liam literally has no (solo) 95k stories, while jude has the most out of the entire cast. which then leads to the question, which i ask as neutrally as i can: why? why is liam so unpopular? why is will not popular? or harry? and conversely, why is jude and ellis so popular? why does team alice seem less popular than the other teams? after some thinking…

basically, my thought just all boils down to the "lack of chemistry".

i dont think the issue lies so much with the chars themselves. i feel a lot of community doesnt really hate them as chars, they just like the others more. all that to say — will, harry, and liam r all charming in their own right.

they r good-looking, kind to kate, they r intelligent, they r all affected in some way by their curse, and they all possess development arcs especially following their main story, which i feel may be a symptom of the "starter route syndrome". where their main stories may fall a bit short, they may make up for in basically all of the following events. they r all flawed, thus making them feel human and authentic.

as individuals, they r all actually quite well rounded, in my opinion.

but when you look at them as a team or group, this is specifically where they fall apart.

the thing is — its not just abt the individual. its also abt how they see the things around them, how they interact with them; you can have very well-made chars, but if they don’t interact with others, how can we, as readers, get to know them? and of course, when i say "interact", this includes other chars in the cast. they say dialogue can make or break, and while there r some things team alice does well in dialogue, i think in other areas it also falls short.

now part of it may also be that the team as a whole didnt know each other before they all congregated at crown, while all the other teams have known each other in some way in the past, with team snow white (and, i think swan lake) especially having an extensive history. so i think in this sense, there is some inherent disadvantage team alice faces here at play as well. but this is not the only factor, considering they actually manage to tie liam and harry pretty well together as a combo. their friendship feels quite authentic.

as for will…we dont see all too many opportunities for him to interact much with harry (if they do, harry is often with someone else, like liam). but we know they r probably on good terms, though harry sometimes may feel a bit unsettled,,? by will. but the key is: they just dont interact much as a pair. in this sense, there is little opportunity to develop them as a pair, thus integrating will as a whole into the team. as for will and liam? these two share more interactions, but said interactions r not always executed very well, in my opinion*.

for example, will sort of treats liam like a cat. he even calls him a cat in dialogue. but thats all it seems to be between them. their dynamic feels somewhat flat, and it doesnt help that will is even opting to tell (rather than show) the reader what he thinks of liam, thus taking away the ability for the reader to dig deeper into their relationship. thus, it may feel harder to empathize, sympathize, or find it relatable — the chars dont reveal much abt each other. their dynamics feel surface level, so even though they have distinctive personalities, traits, and struggles, it feels like we r only getting half of them. bc again, much of how we get to know chars is their interactions, dialogues, and thoughts abt other chars, similar to how we cannot really understand ourselves without the presence of others (like the "looking-glass self" which sociologist cooley coined).

i probably sound like a broken record by now, but basically what i wanna say is there is not much of a good way to integrate will into the team — or the way they try to do so isnt done very well. the dynamic then may feel "incomplete", like drawing a half circle and attempting to call it a full circle.

to give a point of comparison, we can take a quick look at team snow white and sleeping beauty, looking at what made them relatively more successful compared to team alice. i wont be looking at team swan lake due to them being jp only chars (as of the making of this post) and also just not having much info on them. but, sometimes it does help to look at "successful" cases to better understand or feel what had fallen short.

TEAM SLEEPING BEAUTY

ok so, quick disclaimer: team sleeping beauty isnt really my strong suit (if yk me, im prettyy biased toward team snow white personally ndhjsffgjdjfjsg), so to speak. so if anyone else has anything to add here, feel free. but i will try my best.

basically, i think team sleeping beauty has one prevailing advantage over other teams, which is they r a two-man team.

they can keep the dynamic compact, if thats the word. there r physically less ppl to have to "integrate" into the team. in this team, it is centered around ellis and jude's relationship with each other. but to put it simply, they r foils — and the fact they use such a literary device in and of itself adds to their charm, specifically bc foils r meant to bring out each other’s similarities and differences…traits that we readers digest and can potentially empathize with.

one wants to make the other happy, obsessed with the notion of "happiness", while the other is basically cursed (as a byproduct) to never be the happiest. there is this theme of happiness revolving around those two, entangling them to a relationship that can inherently "never end". this in turn highlights ellis' tendency to "restrain" and jude's cycle of hatred. they sort of go together like yin and yang — two opposing forces who still end up working together. they have a distinct role to play in each other's lives.

on the other hand, team alice characters r sort of more independent from each other and feel a bit like a hodgepodge. this results in the reader potentially finding more difficulty finding how they may affect one another…risking their role as chars in each others stories being rendered vague.

and if the role of chars is hard to be established, it is easy for them to "fall out" in terms of the storyline.

TEAM SNOW WHITE

so here is the three man team that makes the three man team work. and the biggest thing that team snow white has that team alice doesnt is distinct, complex dynamics established between all three chars in the team. in other words, they have a "full circle" whereas team alice has a "half circle".

ALFONS & ELBERT: ah yes the pairing that would become a couple if they were not labeled as love interests for kate in an otome game /lh but in all srsness these two do share quite an interesting dynamic. they were sort of there to share each other's pain, and even just as chars, they seem to reflect things abt each other. for example, through elbie, we learn of how "hopeless" al can feel despite his smiley front; and through al, we see a lot of what elbie was truly seeking and why. and how, despite al being a mirror that reflects others' desires, elbie is the mirror that keeps al grounded to his self, and reflects what makes al as a char. they share a close relationship of "two lonely and broken souls finding solace in one another", but there is also quite a bit of subtext in the semantics of their dynamic and dialogue together as well.

ELBERT & ROGER: considering elbie's fear of doctors, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, despite the fact roger had never actually laid a finger on elbie the same way his father's doctor did, elbie still feared roger, bc roger still embodied the concept of what had deeply traumatized him in the first place. roger had to go out of his way to earn elbie's trust (as a doctor), and they had gone out of their way to depict this. in this sense, through roger, we can see just how deep-rooted this trauma is and its severity — time cant heal all wounds.

ROGER & ALFONS: theres quite a bit to unpack with these two. they r deeply intertwined in each other's lives, whether they like it or not. its not that al gets along with roger or views him as a "friend", per se, but he finds it easy to place the blame of his suffering on roger, implies through subtext that he still holds some hope for roger that he can fulfill his goals, and shows his own version of an act of kindness by erasing his memories when he decided to, well, off himself. on the other hand, interestingly enough, roger is the one who basically took away al's childhood, but at the same time, in the present, he is the one who is able to bring out al's most childish side.

all in all, team snow white seems to rely a lot on subtext, which is another device to create mult layers and complexities in the dynamics created between all the characters in the team.

tl;dr: team alice has individually interesting characters, which is why they r not really disliked necessarily, but their interactions with each other as a team fall short compared to the other teams, which in turn has an impact on how "relatable" they may be perceived by the reader. and this is basically why i think team snow white and sleeping beauty r more favored than team alice as a whole by the (en) fandom.

wrote most of this on my phone nfjsjhfhsgs will end the essay here

[cephalofrog]

been playing rain world and thinking about saint again recently

full rain world spoilers below

I hate the "saint is the triple affirmative" interpretation. hate even more how it appears to have become the accepted truth in the fandom

first off, my dislike for this interpretation is not logical. it isn't something I can be convinced out of using canon evidence, because my reason for not interpreting the story this way is not evidence-based, it's because I don't find it to be a satisfying conclusion to the entire story of rain world.

but here's some rambling about logical reasons why it doesn't make sense anyway

if saint was created as the triple affirmative by sliver, that makes them extremely old - they came into existence LONG before spearmaster's campaign even started. if they came into existence with the purpose of ascending iterators, they sure took a long time to ascend any iterators - like okay, travel time and whatever, but you'd think they'd get at least one or two more before all the iterator comms break down entirely post-spearmaster. SM and hunter managed to get from SRS and NSH to the pebbs/moon area pretty quickly.

they also have fur, which seems to be an adaptation for the cold judging by the lizards in the campaign, despite the world not being cold at the point at which they were created. this could be easily explained by sliver just being very forward-thinking, but...

if sliver created saint, their entire triple affirmative thing comes across as incredibly thoughtless, which imo contrasts with sliver being forward-thinking enough to make saint immune to cold. like they finally created the magical rat that will ascend them all but didn't even think to send out a message beforehand like "hey guys I'm trying something new if I send out the triple affirmative and die right after this it worked and you should be visited by a flying green dude with an ascension beam at some point in the future"

there's also the thing of... wait so how does this whole iterator ascension work again? cause saint's timeline loops. after they ascend, they end up back in sky islands, with the iterators back where they were. this could be explained by "later playthrough loops aren't canon and pebbs and moon are ascended if you got em" but there's literally a specific gameplay mechanic - carrying stuff in your stomach between campaigns - meant to make it clear that the campaign is a loop.

anyway. the real reason I hate the theory isn't related to any of this - it's that it absolutely destroys pebbles and moon's story, thematically speaking.

sliver of straw's triple affirmative/death is a random event that could mean basically anything. the futility pebbles felt around trying to solve the great problem caused him to assign meaning to sliver's death that wasn't necessarily there - they found the solution, and it was self-destruction. that's what they were trying to tell everyone. it wasn't a random event, the triple affirmative was real. one of the bugs in the maze found the way out, and he's going to prove it to everyone by following them and escaping.

and that's what leads to the events of the main story. this random event - this horrible tragedy, the death of someone who seemed to mean so much to so many people - was assigned meaning by someone desperate to prove that his entire existence, and the existences of everyone around him, are not futile. the ancients created the iterators without knowing whether the answer to the great problem could ever be found, and this is the result of that.

a nihilistic, hopeless person, abandoned by his creators to work forever on an unsolvable problem, assigns meaning to a random tragedy, and tunnel visions on what he has to believe is what he's been looking for - because it is an unimaginable understatement to say that the alternative would be worse than death. and then, in his self-destructive desperation, he kills his sibling* and dooms himself to the slowest, most painful death imaginable. this is the legacy of the ancients' dead society, the result of all of their stupid ideals and obsession with karmic perfection. (*as far as he knows)

but saint being the triple affirmative undermines all of that. not only does it make sliver's death less of a tragedy and more of a noble sacrifice - like yeah, sure, they were loved, but solving the great problem was far more important - but it also makes pebbles look less desperate and more just kinda stupid. like you thought that the solution was self-destruction? nah, it's a magical flying rat. in this version of the story, pebbles wasn't striving for something that didn't exist, he was just not smart enough to figure out the real solution.

even outside of canon evidence, that sucks. it causes pebbles' story to go from being about how you should value the people around you over the impossible striving that life always seems to expect from you or you're gonna end up hurting them and yourself to how you should just be smarter to find the right solution to all of your problems.

anyway as for my own interpretation of saint, I think that the campaign is just a representation of what it's like to be an echo. reliving the moments that led up to your failed ascension over and over, reaching maximum karma and gaining superpowers because you're just that karmically pure - you are a saint, after all - and then letting your ego consume you at the crucial moment of ascension, over and over again, cycling into infinity. (I don't think they actually had superpowers prior to ascending, I just think that they kinda thought of themselves so highly that they thought they should have those powers.) then contrast this with the world as the age of the iterators and the rain finally ends, and you have an unchanging echo reliving the same few cycles over and over contrasted with a world that is, at last, changing and moving on.

yeah it doesn't make sense with the joint iterator dialogue in rubicon (at least, the final line doesn't make sense). I don't care. it's what makes me happy as an interpretation. you can pry my morally dubious hypocritical ego-driven saint from my cold dead hands

[starrycassi]

Zaunite Sign Language

We see in the show that touching foreheads with one another seems to be a very intimate thing to do for Zaunites. It is not necessarily romantic, but signals to a deep, strong bond between those who do it. Well, since Zaun was clearly a mining town, I think this habit comes from those times. We also see Felicia putting her fingers to her forehead as a way to greet her children, which could just be coincidence but I am insane and refuse to believe that coincidences exist in this show.

I think that, as deeply clothed as miners have to always be, letting someone else touch your forehead and general face eventually became a sign of intimacy between them, since it was one of the completely exposed areas of the body. Now, I know we see young Vander and Silco with not-so covering clothes (edit: yeah they put on those big ass coats. for some reason I forgot while writing this lol), but I’m being a bit more realistic here. I have family that lives somewhat close to Mina del Limón, which is a mining site here in Nicaragua, and people usually try to cover themselves up to avoid getting dirt directly on the skin, since a lot of the times this not only gets them dirty but ends up in mean rashes or other sorts of skin infections, depending on what layer of soil they’re working on at the moment.

All of this to say: I think Zaunites have a lot of signs that involve touching your forehead and involve only one (the other one usually busy with a tool or doing something else), since the noise in the mines would make spoken communication difficult and you can not just stop and walk over to someone in the middle of an excavation and signaling on other parts of your clothes would be harder to see if your hands are covered with soot, since their main light source would come from the helmets, ergo: their forehead/face would be the best illuminated part of their bodies. I headcanon things like touching up their index and pointer finger to their foreheads to then flick them up would mean things like “I’ve got you”, dragging their finger across their entire forehead “This is over/We can leave”, dragging their fingers from top pf forehead to tip of nose would be “I’m down/Can’t keep going/Help me/I need assistance” and so on. In a lot of circumstances where normal communication is stunted, languages tend to develop in other ways (like the Silbo Gomero, a whistled language in Canary Islands developed due to the distances)

I also think that, eventually, this evolved in Zaunite Sign Language (in a similar way to how Nicaraguan Sign Language evolved), which is what I personally Isha as being able to speak. I think almost everyone would know the very basic signs, since their parents teach them before they start going to work (and we see a lot of children working, so, very early) and these children would eventually teach their peers, even the ones that don��t work on the mines, so it’s a fairly widespread way to communicate. Add to this the time after the revolution, where a lot of miners would surely need to go into hiding for a time if they survived, or even before that, when they were planning and could not risk people hearing them — those would be circumstances that would surely foster and improve these signs!

I don’t know, I just really like linguistics and am a huge sucker for the development of cultural communication methods. Does this make any sense. Does any care. Should I expand on this. I mean I probably will because this blog has become a warped version of my journal but I still have to ask. To be polite.

[maleyanderecafe]

Than Winter Came (Visual Novel)

Created by: Yanagami

Genre: Comedy/Dark

Than Winter Came kind of makes no sense at all, but it is also really hilarious and scary at the same time. You also get to play as a bird, which should tell you exactly the type of tone that this game is really going for. The entire time, I thought our main boy MJ was our yandere, but he is in fact actually the darling in this.

The story starts out with you as the player reincarnating as a crow, only to be hired by an abino crow into the Scare Crow Crow Inc. Their job is to essentially be guardian angels for different people, with the clumsy crow (that's you) being guardian angel to someone known as Mavi Sky Jazz (or just, MJ). Before the crow can even do anything or even just barely realizes that their memory has been wiped, they're sent into the real world to find them. They eventually do, with MJ being a bit unsettled that a talking crow is following them around. MJ ends up taking a bus to a snowy area with the crow following him. He talks to the crow about how this is a special place for him, as it's where him and his friend Than became friends. They end up hanging out in a secret place on the mountain, promising that they would always have each other's backs. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, Than got into an accident and died. MJ gets emotional as he thinks about it, wishing Than would come back so that they could hang out again. As it gets late, the two of them get a bit lost, and have to find their way back to the bus.

Going onto the ice will lead the two into a strange creature as they get lost. If they run across the ice, they'll be able to escape and make it back to the bus stop. MJ thanks the crow for going with them as they were able to be with them when they were emotional. If they instead try to tread more carefully, they will end up being caught by the same creature.

A similar fate happens when going to the forest, where they see a trail of blood. Following this will not only lead to a body but also have them caught by the creature.

Finally going down the road will have them arrive in the forest. Continuing down this path, they end up going into a cabin to take shelter in the snow. They end up knocking and a man comes in to accept them in. The man introduces himself as Peter and the two end up retiring for the night. When MJ wakes up, he is tied up, with Peter watching over him. It seems Peter was jealous that MJ always talked about Than so he (likely)killed him, and planned it so that they would end up in his cabin. MJ can then ask about either him or Crow. In certain endings, the game will abruptly end with Peter forcing MJ to stay. He can also attempt to flirt with Peter to loosen the ropes and attack Peter, taking him down once and for all.

Did you understand what this game was about? No? Good, me neither, but I think that's what's great about it. The entire thing is pretty absurdist and surreal considering we're literally a bird the entire time (and the pictures used of said crow is pretty funny), though it does have some more emotional moments surprisingly especially when it comes to MJ's relationship with Than. The music and artwork work together to make a surprisingly atmospheric game, especially when contrasted with the more colder setting that they're in, and the horrifying creatures in some of the bad endings were also something that I feel were genuinely really scary at times.

The yandere himself basically kind of seems to come out of nowhere, and that's when the two eventually venture to the log cabin after they can't find the bus stop. I will say that the assets he did have for sprites were very cool, seeing that Peter gets more deranged as the story goes on. From what I can tell, Peter was the reason (or at least involved with) Than's death and has an obsession with MJ for quite a long time. He also ended up planning everything from the beginning to get MJ and to an extent, the crow into his cabin. Doesn't really explain the really creepy monster at all though, but maybe that's part of his plan as well? The monster really doesn't get explained at all. Peter is pretty obsessive though and kind of easy to trick of MJ shows any interest in him, but I still feel like he was kind of shoehorned in there. Hard to tell with this game because there's just a lot of randomness going on.

Overall, i think while it was a fun game, with the humor and scary moments, it was pretty confusing considering it's pretty surreal. It's a quick game jam game so of course there's no need to make it the best thing ever, but I think there could still be some clarifying points. (I also just noticed that "Than" is in the title name too lol).

[germesthegenie]

Can a “😍😙😁” gal and a “💀👿🩸” gal really be besties? Sure seems like it so far.

Based on a scene from Ward 3.3

Recently finished Ward Arc 3! Thoughts below:

Been a while since my first post on Ward, a couple of thoughts:

Arc 2

I like the slower pace so far (we’ll see how long that lasts i suppose). Nice to get little moments like Victoria going to interviews and visiting the kids at the hospital.

Zion really gave one last middle finger to humanity and said “You know what? Automated random horrific death triggers.” Jokes aside, the broken trigger scene was haunting, might draw something based on it in the future.

The therapy group superhero team premise is interesting. Nice to have a band of characters who have mental or emotional weaknesses but have each other’s backs! Now let’s see who they’re up agaisnt- oh, Tattletale? Oh no.

Not too many thoughts on the arc’s interlude, a lot of nice worldbuilding which is always welcome.

Arc 3

Capture the Flag was a fun premise for a friendly fight, and it delivered pretty well in showing off everyone’s powers, strengths and weaknesses. Also nice to see Victoria filling a more mentor/coach role and getting to flex the experience she’s gained with her power in a more positive light. Have some drawing ideas once I figure out how exactly I want to depict stuff like her aura.

Liking the new team so far, though still need to wrap my head around some of the finer details of the powers. Definitely gives me Jojo vibes in how the powers are more complex in the sequel/s.

I realized quickly that Kenzie’s powerset is a lot like my character from my friend’s Worm campaign (which I might write more about later on). Also a surveillance/drone Tinker, though with more focus on multiple drones and material efficiency than Kenzie’s big boxes of large scale holograms and photo-distortion.

Seems the group all have their own little secrets and/or problems they need to work through. Please Vic don’t let any of them near Tattletale they would practically be a freebie for her to take down.

Ok, no Birdcage as I learned from last post. But is there, like, a dead Earth with a one way portal to toss Carol into? Is Sleeper still occupying Earth Zayin? Maybe we should send Carol there on a free vacation I hear it’s a lovely time in… whatever the effect of his power is.

Evil Robot Grocery… ok how do you even fight that. I guess it’s an S-class Threat for a reason but like what option is there other than quarantining and bombarding the entire area they’ve spread to? Do EMPs work? Put Ghost Bakuda to good use and make that Arc 6 Bomb to knock them all out?

Silly rodent themed hero. Close enough, welcome back Mouse Protector Ratcatcher. Also gonna toss her on the list of “characters I should draw some time.”

Amy Dallon finally speaks, and looks like she’s making friends! Friends that are all (at least former) supervillains! That are encouraging her down a darker path! I can only see good things happening here. A little surprised we get her this early from an Interlude rather than from a main chapter, though I suppose it does make sense to flesh her out more now rather than waiting until Victoria directly sees her again in whatever state she’s in by that point (probably a bad one).

That’s all the Ward thoughts I could think of at the moment. Will be reading more, next update hopefully won’t take 2 months again (but probably will)

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Run (Catch Me)

Pairing: Shigadabi

Rating: Explicit, 18+ only

Summary: Commissioned by @moonlightcrazyphoenix on Tumblr. With a declining population in general, and particularly a sharp drop in the number of omegas being born, the remaining ones in the country are conscripted into Mating Runs. During these, omegas near their heats are set loose in an area with alphas set free in another. The only rule is that the run doesn’t end for the omega until they cross the finish line. Dabi has always been disgusted with the idea of the mating runs, but thankfully, he’s never had his heat fall close enough to one to be scooped up and sent out. Of course when that luck changes, he finds himself in a pilot program run by a strange alpha called Tomura Shigaraki. Tomura, on the other hand, is just trying to get a foothold in the government so that he can move his own plans forward, taking over the mating run in Kamino just seems like a good way of doing so. 

Contents: Discussions of Non-Consensual Elements, Implied Off-Screen Non-Con/Forced Mating/Forced Breeding, Descriptions of Violence, Murder, Werewolf AU, ABO AU, Mating Cycles, Intersex Omega, Primal Play, Fear Play, Scratching, Biting, Blood Play, Breeding Kink, Size Kink, Scent Kink, Large Cock, Penis Degradation, Multiple Orgasms, Overstimulation, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Sex, Knotting, Dacryphilia, Praise Kink, Degradation, Anal Fingering, Mild Cum Inflation, Wet and Messy, Mating Bites, Humiliation, Double Penetration in Two Holes, Aftercare. (Violence tagged is not between the main couple)

Word Count: 23,668

There are a few certainties in their world. People with powerful quirks abuse those with weaker ones. Alphas abuse betas and, when they can get their hands on them, omegas too. Omegas, even ones with strong quirks, are raised to be nothing but baby factories with a slightly higher pedigree because they're at least useful in the sense that they might actually be able to make more of the more valuable alpha babies. Some omegas try to delude themselves into thinking that they are more than just their wombs and ovaries, that the world is so much better now that they have the right to go to work and get birth control without having to be married or mated and have already carried a child to term. But Dabi knows better. Knows how completely and how easily they will always be used up and thrown away when their bodies fail them. He saw it when his father was so disgusted with his quirk not working the way he wanted it to that he stopped looking at him. In how he had locked him in his room alone and without any supplies when his first heat came and his body tore itself open to give him the cunt that marked him as a male omega. In how he threw Rei into an institution when his abuse had broken her body so thoroughly that she had burned out her cycle early, her reproductive system ruined and unable to continue to produce children for him to continue to experiment with his genes after Shoto. 

Dabi has known since he woke up in a strange hospital, years slept away as his body continued to change without him, his father having never even looked for him after his 'death' that he was beyond worthless. The world itself knows that, because in the brief conversation that he had with the captors there who had pretended to be doctors, the first thing they told him was that his insides were so badly damaged that he would never be able to get pregnant. They didn't start by telling him how many years he had been asleep, by letting him know that he had bad nerve damage that would swing wildly between pain and complete numbness for the rest of his life. They told him that he couldn't have children even though he was only fifteen at the time and still a child himself. Dabi burned the entire place down, and he's been on the run ever since. 

But one of the biggest problems with being an omega, of the many that there are, are the mating runs. 

The government tries to tout these as a good way to keep the population healthy, especially given the amount of women who can have children is already a significantly smaller number than the male population in the country, the amount of omegas available even smaller than that. It doesn't help that only an alpha and omega pairing can have children that won't result in more betas. The fact his father got three alphas and only one omega is a horrible indication of just how badly their population will be doing in a few more generations. Packs can't stabilize with multiple alphas in one, not without bitching at play, and that's not something family units can do, of course, so more and more wolves are ending up on the streets and feral as they try to find a way to sate their instincts. So the mating runs became a thing. They take place three times every year; at the start of spring, the middle of summer, and at the end of fall before the chill can properly set in, as if that somehow takes away the horror of what omegas are forced to face because the powers that be decided they shouldn't be fucked repeatedly in the snow. 

All omegas are required to spend their heats in mating runs from eighteen until they have been properly mated. That's why it's easier to get suppressants now. Because the government wants to be able to monitor every omega and make certain that they're easier to control. Dabi had one amount of luck in his life, and that was his ability to burn off the mandatory medicine faster than natural. Any omega off of the street can go into any pharmacy and get the drugs, but they have to take them at the counter, have to show their ID, and even a fake one will be marked with their designation, no matter how many times Dabi tried to get 'beta' put on his. Still. The suppressants are supposed to work for a specific amount of time, and since he turned eighteen, he would always burn them out early and then find somewhere else to go to hide for his heat. So when the fucking police vans that road around the week leading up to the cycle, breaking up homeless camps and scouring criminal areas, they would find him, bring him to one of the holding rooms, and during the check-up they would determine he'd already had his heat too recently to be worth the trouble of housing until the run, and he would be sent on his way. Three times a year, for six years now. 

Dabi should know that something is wrong when he goes to the pharmacy to get his suppressants. It's a cruelty of fate that he still has a heat, still has to take these at all when his insides have been burned so badly that he can't even have children, but he doesn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself by skipping them. He shows his ID and the woman behind the counter, a beta based on her smell, with tawny brown ears poking out from coily black hair, goes to get him the pills. 

She comes back with two little paper cups, one with water inside, and the other with two little blue gel pills that Dabi can't help thinking look like pain medicine. 

"What are these?" He asks, squinting at them. The generic suppressants that he's been taking for six years have always been pale yellow triangles. 

"These are the new standard. The law was passed two years ago, but it only just went into effect this month." She explains to him, reaching for a pamphlet that he's sure has all of the information about them that he certainly hasn't paid attention to given the only news he watches is to learn his father's weak points. "They were shown to decrease the possibility of birth defects and to allow the body to produce slick more easily at the start of pre-heat without the cramping side effects that were common with the old ones." 

The information about the cramping alone has him gulping down the pills dry, opening his mouth and lifting his tongue to show her that there's nothing left inside before she'll give him back his fake ID and he can fuck off for another three months until he needs his next dose. 

He is the one who isn't paying enough attention to what he gets up to over the next few. He has a windfall of arson jobs, the criminal underground, especially in Kamino, suddenly thriving as some newcomer takes over All For One's throne and starts to get things working towards progress for every downtrodden person who has been at the whims of the government and heroes-- save of course for omegas. Because part of the arrangement to keep the police and a good number of heroes out of the ward seems to be that this new mysterious benefactor has to make sure they're complying with the most important laws of their society. The one that says that omegas have to participate in the run along with any eligible alphas. It's such a concrete law that even the omegas in Tartarus are forced to do it, though they are locked into whatever passes for a prison yard inside. He's heard tales that some of them try to get time off their sentences by offering themselves up as mates for whatever guards might want them, which makes his skin crawl, but that's their prerogative. He just hears that there's a whole mansion that's being rented out, a bunch of alphas applying to be part of the run, and that the omegas are going to have a hundred and fifty kilometers to run through before they can get to the finish line. Dabi pities them. That's a long way to run, even at their speeds, it will take at least four hours, and the mansion is supposed to be sitting on a mountain above a thick forest. If they have to run uphill to get back to the finishline? That will be brutal and he doubts that they'll be able to make it back to the top in less than eight hours. He is taking note of those things in the abstract, focusing on his work, raking in his funds and feeling fairly secure in the fact that he's going to be able to take all of this money from the jobs to get himself a safe place to go through his heat. 

And then, on his way back from a job, he sees his contact who was supposed to give him his pay, talking to a pair of men. They're wearing sterile white uniforms that make him think of orderlies, and he bristles. 

"Omega," one of them says as the snitch points him out as he comes around the corner. Dabi's quirk spikes beneath his skin and he turns to start to run. He hasn't had his heat yet, he realizes as adrenaline courses through his veins nearly as hotly as his hormones and fire can. He hasn't had his heat and that run that he was thinking of as a distant possibility is not weeks away anymore. It's days. Days. No, no, no. 

He doesn't dare shift, not wanting to expose his pure white fur and let anyone connect that coat and his fire quirk back to his father, but his more human legs can't possibly run faster than the full wolves who run to catch up with him. 

He struggles when they catch him, clawing and biting, trying to twist out of their grips as they drag him into the gray van that is parked outside of the snitch's building. Dabi gives up fighting the people pushing him into the van, instead flinging his arms out past their heads with a snarl, as he sends a gout of blue flame so massive and hot that it shatters the windows and collapses concrete, the entire building going down before the men trying to keep him contained can snap the anti-quirk cuffs tight on his wrists. 

///

"I have other work that I could be doing." Tomura tells his adoptive father as the video call drones on in the corner. He's gotten used to the suits that All For One wants him to wear to look professional, but he still doesn't love to wear them. He would much prefer a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, but he's petulant, not impractical, as he does up his cuffs, already knowing what his father's response will be. 

"You are the new alpha running this ward and putting this new practice into place, Tomura. It would be in bad taste for you to not participate in the inaugural run." 

He's already heard that argument and all of the others he tries now to avoid participation, but he tries them again, as if he will somehow be able to find the right combination of words this time that will keep him from having to go through with this. "We could call it after twelve hours. Any unmated omega could be collected and brought back into the manor to have the rest of their heat in the comfort of a real nest--" 

"They will have anything they need in the wild, and the alphas that are participating will enjoy not only the thrill of hunting down the slick of the omegas, but also hunting the provided deer for their mates to keep them fed during their cycles." 

Tomura shuts his mouth, hating the way that he has to tie his hair back in a low pony to make it look 'more professional' since he has refused to cut the long white locks as they've grown out. The fight against All Might took away so much of his teacher's strength, to the point that he ended up having to turn over his quirk and move up Tomura's treatments as his successor starting when he was sixteen, and now he has the control over his own quirk that he's always wanted and the power to stand on his own as a good leader, a good alpha, even if his wolf still bows to his teacher as his pack leader. He knows that will stop if he takes a mate, but the idea of having one to distract him, of having a person that he will be responsible in caring for and that might give him children that will only make him more vulnerable to having his instincts manipulated as he tries to take over as much of Japan as he can before he declares open war on the heroes is not an appealing thought. 

He finishes dressing and picks his phone back up, checking the final numbers that have been sent to him. They've managed to gather twenty omegas that were calling Kamino Ward home, and that spread is... miserable honestly. Even selecting for the best leaders of the criminal organizations in the area that he was hoping to bring into his sphere of influence, that means that he is going to have fifty two alphas running around looking for a mate. He was always expecting a fair few of them to gang up on some of the omegas, but there's no way that some of them won't walk away disappointed if others don't decide to 'shop' around and knot as many of them as possible before they settle to enjoy the omega throughout their cycle, if they do. He isn't certain he likes the numbers and the possibility of this going so terribly, but he also knows that the truth is that this is a no more unfair system than the mating runs that take place in the ward usually. Normally, the runs are open to as many alphas as sign up. Even with more than two per omega, this is better than the six to seven that they might have been subjected to otherwise. 

And they are having the mixer tonight. Tomura makes certain that everything is in order and finally addresses his teacher again. "I will report back after the run." 

"Happy hunting, Tomura." His teacher tells him easily and he's able to shut down the call. 

The mixer is something that has been adapted from the practices of mating balls of old, where families would bring their young, eligible omegas and alphas to grand parties and try to negotiate advantageous matches. This is to give the alphas and omegas participating a chance to meet one another and get each other's scents so that they can plan who they might want to look for in the morning when the run commences. The alphas are required to wear formal clothing, but the omegas which have been housed here in the manor for a week have been given a small stipend to spend, allowing them to get any clothes or makeup that they want and did not bring with them when they arrived, the full week having been needed to ensure that they had every omega in the ward safely brought here and given a check-up to ensure their physical health. This is an experiment on the part of the public health sector and he wants to make sure that none of the omegas that end up out in the run are able to say that they received anything less than the care that they were given from previous ones. Ideally, this ends with all of the omegas happily mated and pregnant so that his organization can become the standard instead, working his way into the government. With a foothold here, he could do plenty to change the shape of this world. He could find out which heroes go to the runs, could wait for them to be out in the wild and then have them captured or killed, the hero alphas having to wear the quirk restraining cuffs just like everyone else to make it so that they don't lose control of them when their instincts are running wild. It could give him a massive advantage as he slowly starts to take over this world. He just has to get through this run himself and then he'll be able to focus more fully on the work aspects of this new endeavor. 

Tomura slips his phone back in his pocket and goes to make sure that everything is on target for the event staff, having hired caterors, entertainment, security, and servers to ensure that the mixer goes off without a hitch. He ensures that all of the many gears are turning in time with one another as the first of the alphas start to arrive. 

///

It takes another hour before all of the alphas have been gathered in the grand ball room. Tomura has been to various fundraising parties with and without his teacher throughout the years, and he is disgusted and relieved that the mixer feels very much like that. All of the alphas that arrived have dressed to the nines, many of them trying to to wear clothing that fits the dress code but also allows for the glands at their necks and wrists to be exposed as if they will be able to overwhelm the scents of every other alpha in the room. Tomura greets people, projecting surety about this new design for the run and his excitement about the future that will come from it as people sip at their champagne and partake in the horderves that are being carried around. But once all of the alphas have arrived, he indicates for the staff to start to bring out the omegas. There is a grand staircase that goes up into the wing that he's had guarded meticulously by the security staff so that no one goes to see any of the omegas before the run, and one by one they will be brought down, announced like royalty in their own right and given a moment to speak. Normally people don't get that opportunity before mating runs, but he thought that it might make the alphas feel like they're even more spoiled for choice because they can try to select an omega that particularly appeals to them. Or perhaps the omegas will feel like they have a bit more control because they are able to advocate for themselves while they're still in their right minds, before the run begins. 

The first omega comes out and introduces herself, wearing a glittering gold gown with her hark hair curled and pinned up intricately. She owns a small business, a feat in itself as an unmated omega, and she wants a mate who will let her continue to do that and won't accept the knot of any alpha who offers her less than that. It's posturing, at best, given that she'll be just as out of her mind as the others when her heat sets in. But after her there are plenty of other omegas, each taking up a spot on the stairs as they wait to be allowed to come down and mingle as the next introduces themselves. Seventeen female omegas and only three male ones, though that's not that much of a surprise. What's more surprising is the wide variety of ways that the omegas choose to present themselves. Some have dressed as well as the alphas have been required too, but others are wearing sweats and pajamas, others still are entirely naked, and he's not sure if they misunderstood how their run would be different from ones previously or not, or if they just have done this so many times and are so ready to be mated, that they thought to advertise it by going bare. Plenty of them have already been doing this for several years. Several of them mention that they've had children because of the runs before, most of them say that they gave them up to be raised in the system because having the children is the only thing required of them by the government and if any of the alphas get them pregnant and want the baby, then they better mate them or they'll never see their pup. 

There are... five that are having this as their very first heat away from their families. Five that are freshly eighteen and required to run for the first time. Three of those five were clearly raised to see this as a wonderful opportunity and they talk about how excited they are to find their mate if their scents call to each other through the woods. But the other two clearly don't want this. One is a student who was accepted into her dream school. She talks about how badly she wants to become a doctor and her voice cracks and breaks, her makeup smearing as she can't hold it together and begins to sob. A child will complicate that dream. A mate could so easily order her to give up on her education, and she is aware of that. She is wearing a thick collar around her neck, trying to discourage anyone from selecting her as their mate, but he knows that, in the end, it will all come down to how quickly she can run. The collar, he knows, is something she ordered with the stipend given to her here, and all Tomura can really think is that at least here, she has a chance of staving off a mate with it instead of being thrown naked into the forest like she would have been if she were anywhere else for her first run. 

The three male omega are brought in last, and the first two aren't anything particularly interesting, and after nearly half an hour of the introductions, Tomura is more than ready for this to just be finished so the rest of the mixer can commence and the clock will further run down so that they can all retire to their rooms. The mixer started at seven and will end at ten, giving everyone enough time to scent who they want, but early enough that they all can go back to their rooms to rest, given that they will be released into the hunting grounds at four A.M. on the dot to begin the hunt long before the first rays of daylight can creep through the sky. 

It's the rattling of heavy chains that makes Tomura's ear twitch as he takes in the sound that seems so out of place. He is as stunned, he thinks, as the rest of the people gathered as the final omega takes up his place on the stairs. He has a heavy muzzle caging his mouth, his arms locked together, not with the small quirk cuffs that they all will be required to wear in the morning, but the heavy, bulky square ones that lock all the way up to his forearms and completely encase his hands-- the kind that they use in Tartarus. And those cuffs are themselves chained to a massive steel collar that covers his entire neck, locked in place so that he can't fully extend his arms away from his chest. His ankles are similarly restrained, with the chain tight enough that he can walk, but far too short for him to lift his knee to his hip even if he wanted to. But those aren't the only pieces of metal in his skin, even though Tomura realizes that the restraints are the only ornamentation on his body. His skin is a mixture of pale flesh that has clearly not seen much sun and dark swaths of purple-tinted scars that are so badly warped and copious that those sections have been stapled onto his body. They look beyond painful, even if the wounds themselves seem old. The omega has jet black hair and piercings through his nipples, ears, nose, and... Tomura thinks that he sees a glimmer of it along his small cock that hangs between his thighs, the upper parts of them the only place along his legs that are not scarred beyond his bare feet. He bares his teeth behind the muzzle and his voice is a snarl when it comes out from behind his lips as he addresses the room. 

"Dabi," An alias more than a name, "I'm infertile and I'm running straight to the finish line. If any of you fuckers try to stop me, you won't have a knot to give anyone else. And if I can't kill you at the start of my heat, you better run when I'm off of it, because I'll hunt you down and make sure you die for whatever you try to do to me out there." 

Tomura has no doubt of it. He heard that one of the omegas that was rounded up was definitely part of the rougher stock in Kamino, absolutely a criminal, because when they had been picked up, they set a building on fire and killed the person who called them in. Tomura had swept that under the rug because that was an impressive quirk and he'd been hoping to speak to that omega about working for him and his more overtly criminal endeavors in the future. He knows the quirk cuffs and the muzzle are not just an aesthetic choice, they're the safety equipment that needed to be used because that quirk was so dangerous and this omega had torn a chunk of flesh out of the arm of the doctor who had gone to do his pre-run check-up. He wasn't expecting for that omega to strut out naked, but maybe he hopes putting his gnarled skin on display among the other lovely omegas who are available for the mating will help to further dissuade people from going after him. 

Dabi doesn't wait to be given permission to walk down the stairs and start to mingle, even though his introduction marks the start of that. He just walks straight down the stairs, past the other stunned omegas, and goes straight for one of the servers that is carrying around trays of champagne. He doesn't let the fact that his hands are completely bound and useless stop him from leaning over the tray, angling the bars so easily that Tomura wonders if he's been in the muzzle since he attacked his doctor three days ago, so that the narrow flute can slip between them. His sharp teeth close around the rim and he lifts it off the tray, throwing his head back in one smooth motion so that he can swallow the contents of the flute, only two drops of the alcohol slipping down the side of his mouth, before, ignoring that he is himself barefoot, he turns and spits the glass to the side, letting it shatter against the floor before he throws back a second and moves on. 

Tomura thinks that originally he was supposed to announce the start of the actual mixing, but he is completely distracted, blowing past the staircase as one of the servers scrambles to clean up the broken glass on the floor as the other omegas start to, more timidly, enter the hall properly and the alphas start to shake their shock and greet them. He doesn't care at all about anything but going over to Dabi, his tail and ears bright white against his black hair. Probably a grey wolf in his fully shifted form then. He's looking at the larger buffet spread that has been set up in the room, but Tomura isn't sure how he's going to eat anything that is being offered with the muzzle in place and without his hands, but he hopes that he can try to soothe even a bit of the furious omega's ire. 

"That was quite an entrance." 

"Fuck off." He doesn't look at him, doesn't dip his head, or pin his ears, or tuck his tail between his legs. Nothing that would show Tomura even an ounce of respect or deference that an omega should show an alpha. And that sends a thrill through him, enough so that he has to make certain he's holding his control tightly over his scent glands. He doesn't want any of the omegas or the other alphas to get a good idea of his natural scent before the run. He doesn't want the omegas to realize he's in charge of this opporation and come to find him, hoping that he will mate them or fuck them when he's not interested, and although it's unlikely anyone assembled would be able to overpower him on their own, if any of his new business rivals really wanted to ignore the possibility of finding a mate and instead try to gang up on him to bitch him instead, they could. Keeping his scent hidden will help keep any of them from being able to track him down, but Dabi is pouring out the acrid smell of smoke, fury, and a near-foul odor of burnt caramel. 

"I had heard that you were being quite the handful for the staff, and I was concerned I would have a hard time picking you out among the other omegas, but I'm glad that you've made yourself clear." 

"Not clear enough if you're still standing there." He grumbles, but the words, the sounds of the party resuming, isn't enough to stop Tomura from being able to hear how Dabi's stomach growls petulantly. He's... thin. There is functional muscle across his body, a strength that comes from having to carry oneself and outrun anyone who might want to do him harm, but he's thin. His stomach is concave, and Tomura doesn't know how much he's been eating in his room if he's been in the muzzle and cuffs for the past three days. 

"Have a conversation with me," He offers, knowing that this certainly isn't the worst thing he's ever done, "And I'll feed you through your muzzle." 

Dabi's head whips towards him and Tomura is sure that he's going to be told to fuck off again, the brightest blue eyes he's ever seen all but glowing as they lock onto his face. "Fuck you. I'm not an animal." 

"No, but you are hungry, and tomorrow you'll be chased like one." He says evenly, not letting his voice waver. No matter the attitude of this omega, there's nothing he can do save bite off his own tongue or throw himself out of a window to prevent that. "And your heat could hit at any time then. The adrenaline, smelling the other alphas and omegas, being in the wild as it all happens-- your heat could trigger a yard from the starting line and you'll go down, too weak to find somewhere safe to ride it out, and if your speech really does dissuade anyone from coming to see you, too weak to hunt for yourself and find something to eat. You might survive if you manage to get close enough to the pond to have fresh water, or if you get lucky enough that it rains and you remember to tilt your mouth towards the sky and drink from the clouds-- but those are all long-shots. If you want a better chance of making it through this, then taking a big meal now and throughout the rest of the night is the best thing you can do for your body."

The words are true, but there is a violence in them that Tomura sees carve into this omega's ruined skin. He sees how every one makes the fury turn to fresh kindling for this man's quirk and has no illusions that he wouldn't be cinder where he stands if his hands were free and his quirk was unrestrained. He waits and is rewarded with another snarl from the other man. 

"Fuck you. What the fuck do you want?" He sneers. But it's enough permission for him and Tomura shifts to pick up a plate and asks, 

"What do you want to eat, Dabi?" 

The omega's hunger finally outpaces his stubbornness and he selects a pile of the fine dishes that they have on offer tonight, though he rejects anything that will be difficult to feed through the bars or anything that features fish. There are some small tables set up around the room and some other omegas are already sitting down in their high heels, trying not to wear out their feet tonight when they will need to run so far and fast in the morning. Plenty of alphas are bringing them food and drinks, offerings like they would if they were interested in a real courtship, but some... don't care about that kind of thing. 

The ritual of courtship broke down years ago. As soon as medical professionals were able to show the government proof that their declining population of women in general was making the male loneliness epidemic worse, on top of the fact that the population of omegas was declining even faster, they made the runs become law. The government rather hosting these and then raising the pups that were abandoned by their parents than do nothing and let the population wither and turn to more betas than alphas. And when alphas no longer had to court an omega by giving them food, presents, or dating them. They just... stopped. For the most part. It's easier to just keep an eye on an omega they'd taken a shine to and then wait to join a run that they would be forced to participate in. Then they could run them down and mate them without having to actually try. It's barbaric in many ways, but for as long as alphas have a hold on their society, Tomura doesn't imagine that it will ever change even if the population stabilizes because it benefits them. 

He doesn't want to sit and be on display as he has this conversation with Dabi, so he moves him past those tables and out of one of the doors that the staff have been using for the night, breaking off so that they can find their way up a different set of more modest stairs and leading Dabi out onto an open balcony. He doesn't think that the omega would throw himself off of the edge to get out of this, not when he seems so determined to live that he's stapled his skin onto his body to keep limping along after whatever happened surely should have killed him. There is a small table on the balcony and he moves over to sit there. The weather, thankfully, has been on the warmer side here, and even with the sky dyed with inky black night, there isn't enough chill in the air that he thinks the other man will be uncomfortable. They sit and Dabi still looks deeply unhappy with the situation, glaring at him like his eyes can cut as deeply as his claws or teeth might. 

Tomura is very deliberate as he removes one of his gloves, reaching for one of the dishes that Dabi's selected multiples of and picking it up. He lets all five of his fingers touch it as he starts to bring it to Dabi's mouth, turning it to dust and making Dabi rear back slightly, his scent going startled and fearful. 

"Oops, it's been a while since I've had my gloves off, but let's just try to be careful," he says as pleasantly as he can manage, trying to make it clear that he won't hesitate to put a stop to Dabi's misbehaving if he ends up trying to do more of it as he gives up his hand. He deliberately picks up another piece and he feeds it to the other man through the bars of the muzzle. Dabi is still tense, just barely opening his lips so that he can take the piece of steak between them and pull it into his mouth. When he's chewing, eyes still watching Tomura sharply like he really is the predator that he's always felt like, he starts to speak again. "Are you always so... volatile when you go to the runs?" 

Dabi swallows his food and when Tomura doesn't move to pick up another piece until he's given him an answer, he huffs, resettling the heavy cuffs in his lap, his ears pinned back and tail flicking with aggression. "Never been to a run before." Tomura blinks, opening his mouth to protest the boldfaced lie the other is telling him because he has to be in his early twenties. There's no way this is his first heat, and he would have had to participate starting years ago. "Fire quirk. Always burn off the medicine too soon and never eligible to run, and that's the way I liked it. Fucking changed the supressants and my quirk didn't work through the new ones quickly enough."

 He stops speaking and doesn't seem interested in doing any more before he's given another bite of his meal and Tomura obliges him. "Well, I hope that this can be a good first experience for you." He means it, as much as any alpha can mean it when he knows intrinsically that this will always be a violence against the other's sex. "It's probably a good thing that you were in Kamino and selected to be part of this trial," he tells him, giving him another bite of his meal, this time a little steak tartar tart with a quail egg at the bottom of the cup. "Because any other one would be turning you over to the police for the murder and assault you committed beforehand." 

"Murders." The omega corrects with his mouth full, his eyes sparking, not with malice this time, but with... maybe some small thread of joy as he eats that offering. "I wasn't fucking joking about killing any alpha that comes near me during the run. I'm making it to the finish line as fast as I can, and anyone who tries to catch me won't come away with their throats intact." His eyes narrow on Tomura again as he asks, "...Why aren't you going to turn me in? This isn't some kind of front for a farm, is it?" 

He barely manages not to shudder. "No." That word is certain. No. All For One always turned a blind eye to those, and the Yakuza often had breeding farms to help ensure that they had plenty of omegas locked up to make babies and relieve the stress of their high-performing officers. He isn't interested in having a room with omegas pumped full of so many hormones they can't come out of their heats as they're strapped to beds to be used again and again by any alpha he deems worthy of it. "But we have other dealings outside of legality that may be of more interest to you." He tries to correct more smoothly. "You were picked up just a few blocks away from another building that burned to the ground. Is it fair to assume that's a line of work that you're interested in continuing?" 

Dabi watches him skeptically, but after another minute, he says, "If you pay well and get me out of doing any more of these bullshit runs."  

"The only way I can do that is if you take a mate or get pregnant, one of which you've made clear you have no interest in doing and the other that you've said you're incapable of." Tomura tells him evenly as he gives him another morsel. "We're trying to make these runs better, but we can't do that by making exceptions or the contract will be terminated." 

Dabi scoffs, his frustration more than clear as he snaps the bit of food out from between his fingers, teeth sharp enough to graze his fingertips even knowing that he might shatter if Tomura decides to stop entertaining his attitude. He thinks that should piss him off, should make him decide that this omega deserves whatever happens to him tomorrow, especially if that thing is being hunted down and shared between the many alphas that will be looking to find a nice warm hole to shove their knots. But he doesn't want to hurt Dabi. He... wants to see what he becomes. 

"Come here," he says suddenly, standing from the table and going over to the edge of the balcony. Dabi huffs, but after a second, he does stand up and move over to the balcony too. From this vantage point, they can see the entire forest below, the pond making its home between the irregular hilly cover of the trees, and all the way to the incline of the finish line that has already been set up. He doesn't have to say a word, Dabi is leaning forward, blue eyes darting over the land. The main road that brought all of the omegas up to the villa is on the other side of the house, along with the rooms the omegas have been housed in. They haven't gotten to see the route they would need to traverse, but Dabi takes it in now greedily. "If you're interested in work outside of these jobs, then after your heat, tell the attendants that you have an appointment with Tomura Shigaraki." He knows he should hold his tongue, but he can't help offering instead, "And during the run--" He rolls back the cuff of his sleeve as much as he can, and then lifts his wrist, allowing himself to relax his control over that gland just the slightest bit. "You'll know it's me when I chase you down. One growl and I'll let you go. Or you can roll over and present for me and I'll make sure that you feel good throughout your entire heat, and afterward we can discuss business ventures." 

Dabi doesn't lean in and sniff at his skin, but he doesn't hold his breath and storm off either. He just considers Tomura like he might be no better than whichever of his staff had to wrestle him into the cuffs and muzzle in the first place. "Fuck you." 

"That's entirely up to you. Would you like some more time here? Otherwise, I can have someone else escort you back up to your room. I don't think that you're really much for socialization right now, are you?" 

Dabi turns back to the forest, his eyes taking it all in again to make certain that he knows the clearest path from the starting line to the finish. 

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow." Tomura says more diplomatically before he leaves the omega to it. He'll give him half an hour and then have someone escort him back up to his room and change out the large cuffs for the ones that they all will be wearing tomorrow and take off his muzzle so he can sleep. Half an hour should be more than long enough for him to plan his strategy and to get the cooks to bring a fresh plate of the tartar tarts up to his room so he can have plenty of the rich food to help him prepare for the stress of the run and his upcoming heat. 

///

Dabi is nearly vibrating the next morning when he's woken by the orderlies that come to corral them like they did the night before. He had been pleased enough to go back to his room and be let out of the most constraining restraints that he'd been given, even though his quirk was still out of reach for now. The steak and egg pie things had been good, rich with fat and nutrients that had helped him feel far less shaky than he had been at the start of the night. He feels much more sure as he pulls on the layers of clothes he had used the money that he'd been given to order. The thick metal collar goes on first, blocking his scent glands and making certain that no one will be able to mate him, and that no one will want to try unless they intend to break their teeth into nothing but shards of bone. Then he puts on a pair of boxer briefs, a set of thermal pants and long-sleeved shirt, hoping that they will keep him insulated from the early morning chill in the air, his body feeling freezing from how his quirk is being suppressed. They will also be a pain to get off, while keeping the majority of the seams and staples across his body safe from dirt or debris from the forest. Then a pair of athletic pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, a short-sleeved one over that, a pair of basketball shorts over his bottom half, two pairs of socks, and a set of tennis shoes that he's been breaking in while locked up in this room, walking around in circles like a caged animal so that he would be able to get them as ready as he could for the run. 

He isn't surprised that some of the other omegas, as they are taken from their rooms and paraded down in a line like they were the night before, have opted for their own methods depending on what they are intending to do. Some of them want to be mated, and they are going naked. Some have gone naked, but have such a high scent of anxiety pouring from their bodies that he has no doubt that their intention is to shift fully as soon as they get into the forest so they can run as far and fast as they can. But allowing themselves to shift means that they couldn't afford to get a collar, even without spending funds on clothes. Others, like him, have chosen to put on layers of clothing that will be a pain for the alphas to get off and collars that will keep them from being mated. He's also not the only one who has chosen to potentially make the run even more difficult by choosing to get thick earplugs as well so that they can't be commanded to stop by any alpha that gets close enough to try it. Dabi would rather be deaf to the sounds of the beasts pursuing him if it means that he knows his mind will belong to him throughout the entire run. 

They get taken to a couple of vans and driven down to the start line, the night still thick in the air and Dabi turning over the layout of the area in his mind again and again. Their gracious host, no matter his affect, gave him a boon by making sure he got a good look at it the night before. He expected the finish line to be near the villa, would have oriented his run in that direction, but it's not. It's perpendicular to it. He would have run higher and come to a sheer cliff face and been trapped against that wall if he didn't know where he was supposed to be going. 

Dabi thinks about telling some of the other omegas that, but... there are too many of them in this van. He knows that several of them think of the run as some kind of duty that they should be honored to do, that there are others that are trying to make sure that they outpace the younger ones, who would rather hamstring the other omegas at the starting line and leave them for easy prey in the hope that the alphas will go after them first. He doesn't trust speaking now and having any of those more cut-throat omegas come for him, given he already made himself a problem for them last night. Sure, some of the alphas might not bother with him because he can't give them pups, but others might prefer that. Others still might see the opportunity to break such a mouthy omega as a privilege and come for him intentionally. He could garner a lot of attention if they play their cards right, and he doesn't want to paint an even bigger target on his back before things get started. 

As is, once they are let out of the van, they are able to select their positions at the starting line. He spaces himself out as much as he can, searching the line for the young woman who sobbed about wanting to go to school. She's young, pretty, and this is her first run. He can still smell that faint milkiness to her scent that screams that she's had very light heats before this, and that she probably hasn't ever been with an alpha before, if anyone. The alphas will want her, and given that he knows that this entire racket is being run by criminals, Dabi is damn certain that they'll try to mate her forcibly to keep her as a fun play thing for their entire packs. He isn't necessarily a charitable guy, but he doesn't want to watch that happen. 

So he makes sure that he picks a place on the starting line near her and he reaches deep into his pocket, pulling out the earplugs. The package he ordered came with two sets, and he had planned on keeping the second for himself in case one got dislodged during the run, but he gets her attention and shoves it into her hand, whispering as quietly as he can, 

"Find the villa, then run to the left of it. You'll find the finish line faster that way. When the sun rises, make sure it's directly at your back and you'll know you're going the right way. Don't stop, don't look for food or water. Out run every alpha and your heat." 

She blinks at him, her eyes already wet again, and he doesn't linger, not wanting anyone to pay them more attention before he sets himself up on the starting line in a position where he can see the slight light of the villa against the starlight that is slowly fading as it creeps with an agonizing slowness towards dawn. There is a horrible ten minutes of being forced to stand and wait at the starting line, until the alphas at their own, wherever that is, are all in position too. But eventually the coordinators raise the gun to the sky and send off the false shot. Dabi can't hear it, he just smells the smoke in the air and takes off. Some of the other omegas burst from the starting line as wolves, but he lets his human legs carry him and he goes, his heart soaring behind his ribs and the liquid heat of his adrenaline acting as a pathetic replacement for the fire that he usually reaches for in his veins.

///

Trees, bushes, rocks, fallen branches, the parts of the forest all around him are wild and impede his movement the way that narrow alleyways and misplaced garbage has never done so in the city. But before his quirk broke him, before he proved he would have no worth to his father by being an omega too, they would go to Sekoto Peak and they would run instead of climbing to the top for their training. He hasn't run through a wild, mountainous forest in years, but he does know how to do this and he doesn't let anything stop him as he starts to hear the barks and snarls of the alphas as they begin to hunt them. He may not be the predator that he always thought he would be, but he can be the prey that outruns them all. 

Dabi doesn't stop moving. Even when his leg muscles are burning, his chest heaving for breath, sweat pouring through the layers of his clothes and leaving the smell of him a trail through this forest that he hopes smells like a wildfire. He has no other choice. He runs until his lungs feel like they're going to pop and only then does he let himself switch to a lighter jog. Even though he wants to, he knows how large this area is. It was deliberately made so that no one would be able to traverse it in a few hours. No, it's not like the mating runs usually done in the city, where the omegas are trapped in a park and temporary gates are put into place that only get opened again after four hours so that the omegas have to contend with keep-away for most of their time. This was designed to be more traditional. A big enough space that it would take an entire day of travel to reach the finish line, and that means that Dabi knows he can't sprint forever. He has to slow into a jog, saving his strength for larger bursts of speed so that he can get away from any of the alphas that might come for him. But as long as he keeps moving the entire day, never sitting to rest, never slowing to a stop completely, he will be at the finish line tonight. He can do that because he knows which direction he needs to go. He just hopes that he can really make it that far because he can feel a different kind of heat than his burning muscles starting to creep through his veins. 

Dabi keeps moving, never stopping to reorient himself. He made sure to keep in as straight of a line as possible, and when he glances up at the sky as time goes on, he sees that the lightning of it is at his back. For now that's all he needs. He's been traveling for at least an hour before he smells the faint odor of spice on the breeze and he bolts. He doesn't wait to see if the scent gets stronger, doesn't dare remove his earplugs to try and figure out how close the alpha is. He just runs. Dabi doesn't hear the snapping of branches getting closer, he doesn't hear the snarl of the creature pursuing him, he just hears the pounding of his own blood in his ears as he moves as fast as he can through the trees. 

It's not fast enough, and just as he thinks that he might be able to speed up as the ground becomes a little less cluttered, a heavy, inhuman body slams into his back and knocks him onto the forest floor. Dabi rolls with the alpha, twisting his body, so that he isn't pinned down immediately. As he does so, the alpha rolls with him, shifting again, white fur melting away and bones snapping back into place as they hold a human shape. Tomura Shigaraki's human shape as he ends up on top of Dabi, pinning down his hands that are tipped with sharp black claws he fully intended using to rend flesh, and locking his legs to the ground so that he can't kick him either, which he absolutely would have done, aiming for the--

Dabi nearly chokes on his tongue as his senses are assaulted by the smell of the alpha, the overwhelming tang of spice alongside the unique scent of Shigaraki that reminds him of cold pavement after a heavy rain that only barely managed to escape turning to sleet as it fell from the sky. And the sight of the alpha doesn't help either. He knew that the other man was built beneath his suit that he was wearing the night before. Even a centimeter shorter than him, he had the shape of having plenty of muscle, and he isn't surprised to find that he was right about that, though the pale skin is riddled with so many scars as well that Dabi is certain that he fought to come out on top the way that he has so far. The only piece of clothing, if it can be called that, is the quirk suppression cuff on his wrist, the same as Dabi's own. Which means that Dabi can see down the length of his body as he leans over him and that means his eyes catch on the massive cock that is hanging between his legs. Dabi's instincts whimper as his good sense reminds him that all alphas just have bigger cocks than omega males will ever have, even female alphas would dwarf most omegas and betas. But he hasn't had an alpha's cock in his life, never wanting to risk being forcibly mated and instead hoping that silicone toys would satisfy his urges when he could afford them. 

Shigaraki's mouth moves, but Dabi's earplugs are still in place and he throws his mind back to the night before and growls even if he doesn't know if he believes that this man would actually let him go the way he promised that he would the night before. 

Shigaraki doesn't let go of him entirely, just shifting one hand to pluck one of Dabi's ear plugs from his ear so that he can hear him when he speaks this time. "You've been running so fast, firefly." He says, his own breath a little short and his scent... pleased. He doesn't know how to feel about that and he just growls again deliberately. 

"Let go of me!" 

"I'm going to." Shigaraki promises. "But then I'm going to chase you down again. I'm going to tear away another layer of your clothes when I do, and give you another chance to outrun me." He leans down and nuzzles at his collar like it doesn't completely block his scent there. "These are going first." He takes the other earplug and tosses them both into the forest. Then red eyes full of intent meet Dabi's as he lets go of his wrists and climbs off of him. "I'm taking your top layer of clothes next." He tells him. 

When he really moves aside, letting him get back to his feet shakily, Dabi isn't certain if he feels sick at just how clearly he's being pursued, or if he should be grateful that the other man is honoring his words at all. Shigaraki watches him for another moment before a terrified scream rings out through the trees, followed shortly by barks of disappointment and one triumphant howl that follows the cry. Only then does he realize that he needs to keep moving, as far and fast as he can. He makes sure that he's got the starting light and the wolf watching him at his back and then continues to run as hard and fast as he can. 

///

Tomura hasn't ever deigned to participate in a run. He isn't required to do so, not really, and he was always so busy with his own things that he preferred to take partners on his own terms when he had the time to do so comfortably. He enjoyed participating in primal play, pinning his partners down with his teeth in their skin and his knot sunk deeply into their hot bodies, but he's never let himself do it on such a large scale. He had to snarl and chase a few other alphas off of Dabi's trail, but catching him himself for the first time has been exhilarating already. The sharper tang of his fear and aggression made his head swirl with his own lust and he'd had to concentrate hard to keep that smell from being made plain to the other man as he perched on top of his body. If he hadn't given Dabi his word the night before, he wonders if he would have pushed on. If it would have been worth losing a potentially valuable resource and making a dangerous enemy by forcing his knot inside of Dabi's cunt if it meant that he could satisfy the instincts that are starting to tug wildly against his skin. 

But this is more fun. The chase is heating his blood sharply as he loops around a few times, making sure that Dabi isn't being actively pursued by anyone but him as he lets the omega get a little further ahead. He gives him until the first golden rays of dawn are starting to cast long shadows across the ground before he starts to seek out his prey more actively again. Tomura lets the ground disappear beneath his paws, smelling Dabi's smoke-ladened body in the air, his sweat sweet with the hormones that will overtake him at some point and make that burnt sugar the dominant smell as he collapses with his need. Tomura wants to be right there when that happens, and when he sees the other man running between the trees again, he has those words on his tongue as he tackles him, rolling with him on the ground and rubbing his scent onto Dabi's body as he does so, shifting again so he has hands tipped with sharp claws as he sinks them into the thick hoodie that Dabi is wearing as he snarls and growls at him, his own claws raking along Tomura's skin and cutting lines of red into him that he doesn't care about as his skin knits back together almost immediately. The sting of pain and the smell of his blood perfuming the air only makes this hunt feel more real and he can't help the shiver of pleasure that goes down his spine as he tears Dabi's sweatshirt and the ugly basketball shorts off of his body. 

"I'm going to keep catching you," he says, his voice rough with the lust that is starting to soak his veins as he looks down at the defiant omega who would kill him if he could. "I'm going to strip you down to nothing and pin you beneath me, and when you have not a scrap of clothing left," He wonders if he would have ever considered someone with their skin stapled together so desirable if not for Dabi's attitude, "I'm going to layer your skin with my scent so that everyone knows that your fear, your fury, your sweetness are mine until you cross the finish line." He takes another shuddering breath as he hears Dabi's hitch, that smell of fear going even sharper in his nose and making him feel like he wants to steal so much more than he said he would when they spoke the night before. "And you can keep growling at me each time, but even if I don't get to knot you, by the time you cross that finish line, you'll know that you belong to me." 

Tomura takes one more deep breath, wishing he could press his face deep into Dabi's neck and steal his scent more completely. Maybe after the run. Maybe if he proves that he can be a better alpha to Dabi during it than he thought that he would be at the start. He makes sure the scraps of fabric he tore at are dislodged from the other's body completely and then he lets him back up.  

"F-fuck you," Dabi's voice is as shaky as his legs are as he gets up from the ground, turning to run again and Tomura feels a spike of vindictive joy go through him as he barely lets the other get to his feet and take three steps before he lunges for him again, pinning him down in the dirt, his hand braced along the back of his neck, the metal warm from Dabi's skin against the chill of his own palm. 

Tomura chuffs, tearing away the sweat pants and the long-sleeved shirt as well as Dabi cries out,

"Wh-- stop! You didn't even let me run!" 

"Who said that I was going to keep giving you head starts?" Tomura asks, looking at the thermals that the omega is left in. He teases his fingers under the hem of the shirt and feels his tail begin to wag in anticipation as he realizes that all he'll have left after he catches him the next time will be his undergarments. "Especially when you're being so rude, little one." He breathes, pressing the length of his body into Dabi's as he leans down to catch one of his ears between his teeth. He doesn't bite him roughly, but he gives the soft white fur a light nip with his sharp teeth just to feel how Dabi trembles beneath him. "Be nice and whine for me, and I'll give you five minutes this time." 

He smells the fury on Dabi's skin, how little he wants to submit to this kind of indignity, but after another handful of seconds, he lets himself whimper softly. It's such a sweet sound, so different from any of the other ones that he's heard out of the other man. He didn't know that he could feel drunk on the hunt that he's letting himself indulge in now, but he has a feeling that he'll be arranging some private runs for himself and some of his partners if they can give him this heady rush through his head that he's feeling now. 

"What a perfect, obedient omega." He mocks, enjoying the way that the words sting Dabi's pride so sharply he can smell the bitterness that comes off his skin. "Five minutes. Don't let anyone else catch you, moonbeam." 

He lets go of him and starts to count the seconds as Dabi immediately darts off through the forest, not pausing to say anything or look back at him this time. But he thinks he knows why, the scent of slick starting to perfume the trail that the other man is leaving in his wake. 

///

Dabi runs, keeping the sun to his back, in a blind panic. His whole body is warm again, not from the exertion, but from how thick the scent of Shigaraki's arousal was in his nose. How easily he was able to use his strength to pin him to the ground, from how... solid he felt when he pressed along his body and teased him with his cock against his ass. Dabi tried to tear at him with his claws, but that wasn't nearly as effective as he'd hoped, which must mean that the other man's hormones are high too, must be approaching his rut too, making him more durable so that he'll be able to barely eat and drink as he takes his mate again and again to satisfy his knot-- Dabi whimpers, barely having the breath for it as he runs. Whimpering, like a helpless omega as he feels a slight pang in his pelvis, becoming suddenly aware of the hollowness inside and how... good it would be to let that hollow place get filled up. It's not the sharp pain of his dormant glands waking up the way that it normally is when the suppressants run out, but the new ones aren't supposed to cause the pain that the old ones did. But that just means he needs to run harder, faster, tear through as much of the forest as he can get. He doesn't know if exhausting himself early will be a good idea, but he's already stripped so badly, and he doesn't know if Shigaraki will stop playing with him and just take his body the way he so clearly wants to when Dabi's heat does actually break through him.

Dabi runs, not counting the passage of time, focusing his mind. His body is broken, every movement reminding him of the metal that cinches his skin together as he forces it to do something that he was not made for. He doesn't care. He has always pushed himself farther than anyone ever thought that he could manage and he will make it to that finish line with slick pouring down his thighs if that's what he has to do to make certain that none of the many ravenous alphas that are hunting him ever get to taste him for themselves. 

It's a horrible, treacherous little voice in the back of his mind that asks if he really means that when the way that it felt as Shigaraki spoke to him still has warmth tingling beneath his skin. That alpha took him aside, let him eat, wasn't cowed by his attitude, he had food sent up to his room for him so that he wouldn't be faint with hunger this morning, none of them getting any food before they were sent to the starting line. He made sure that Dabi knew that he would still be able to find work with whatever criminal empire he must run to be given free reign of this event. He gave him a way to stop him even if the rules to this... game that he's playing are changing. Dabi tries to focus, one foot in front of the other, green whipping past him, branches lashing into his skin as he moves as quickly as he can, twigs snapping underfoot as he's grateful to still have his shoes at all. He shouldn't enjoy the game that Shigaraki was playing with him. But there is something in the back of his mind, something beyond common sense, that feels this, how he was provided for the night before, how he's letting him move and decide when the chase should end, that makes Dabi want to keep playing all the more. His common sense and his instincts are a horrible, tangled knot that he can't sort out when his brain is soaked with hormones, adrenaline, and fatigue. He just knows that right now, he needs to keep running. 

Run, run, run. His alpha will catch him if he's worthy.

Dabi has no sense of how much time has passed before Shigaraki decides that he wants to have his hands on his body again, but Dabi hears him bursting through the trees, not from behind him but, somehow, in front of him. Instinctively, Dabi wants to turn and bolt in another direction, but he knows that if he does, with the sun now almost directly overhead, he won't be able to orient himself again until several more hours pass, and he doesn't want to potentially lose all of that progress. So he plows forward. He doesn't stop even as he hears the other coming for him.

Shigaraki hunts him as a full wolf, his fur as platinum white as Dabi's own, though the other man doesn't know that, and he looks like a ghost emerging from the trees that is ready to tear him down. He tries to dodge out of the grasp of his claws and Shigaraki lets him, instead snapping at the ankle of his thermals, tearing away a chunk of the fabric, but not stopping to pin Dabi down the way he had been before. 

Dabi keeps running and Shigaraki keeps circling him. He darts out from beneath bushes and between trees and he tears away pieces of his clothing, but he never pins him down. And every time those sharp teeth snap so close to his skin, but don't tear him open, Dabi feels himself... starting to get wetter. His slick is starting to soak into his underwear, his cock starting to take notice too and get a little harder, making it more difficult for him to run as he tries to chase away the arousal that is coming fast for him.

Shigaraki disappears when his clothing is hanging off of him in tatters and Dabi has to slow down and willingly take the scraps off so that they don't get caught on branches and tangle or trip him as he continues to run, and in only his shoes and boxer briefs, this section of the forest unnervingly quiet like all of the other omegas and alphas have found their pleasure so much further behind them and the rest of the wildlife holding its breath to see what unfolds now, Dabi can't help the pulse of fear and confusing swirl of desire that slips through his body. He doesn't know why Shigaraki would back off so quickly, but he doesn't believe that he would do so lightly. He's planning something else and Dabi knows it. But he also knows that he has to keep moving if he doesn't want his heat to break too soon. He usually spends six hours in pre-heat. That might be starting now or the environment might just be working his arousal higher on its own. Either way, he'll have to push himself much harder and much faster than he thought he would before if he wants to make it to the finish line before he's completely incapacitated. Dabi doesn't have the key to the collar, he left it back in the room because he wanted to be certain that no one would be able to take it off of him and forcibly mate him while he was out here, but he wonders now if that was a wise choice. He might have been able to cover more ground as a fully-shifted wolf. He tries to shake the doubts as he does the last tatters of his clothing, his skin still soaked with sweat and his muscles aching from their overexertion. This is what he'd chosen for himself. No point in wondering about the possibilities now, and he starts to run again, trying to keep his ears sharp for Shigaraki now that the alpha has seemingly decided to let him have a few moments to gather his wits again. 

Dabi starts to move, taking off with as much speed and strength that he can. Keep moving. That's all he's ever been able to do. Keep moving because that's the thing that is important. Because every aspect of his life has told him that he shouldn't. Keep moving. Make his very existence a blight against nature. Spit in the face of the instincts that are begging him to surrender--

Shigaraki's hand darts out and catches him around his waist, lifting him from the ground and pulling him. He pins him to the tree he'd been hiding behind and Dabi snarls at him, even as he feels more slick pooling along the folds of his cunt. The rough bark of the tree pokes into his back as Shigaraki pins him in place with his body again, his hands scraping sharp claws along his sides, feeling the place where staples and scars meet healthy skin, his whole body soaked in the smell of his fear, the forest, and... the want that is starting to eat at his nerves as Shigaraki drags his nose over the edge of his collar like he might actually be able to get some kind of scent from beneath the metal and through his ruined glands. But then his mouth goes to his shoulder instead and he licks away some of the sweat on his skin, his teeth nipping at him there the same way they did at Dabi's ear and his tail curls between his legs, not only cowed completely, but trying not to tremble when he knows that he doesn't have time for this. He needs to keep running or he's not going to make it to the finish line before his heat comes. He can't let the alpha who has taken such an interest in him keep doing this when, if he does, he knows that he will find himself falling apart completely. 

"Let go," he gasps, his chest heaving, desperate to put fresh air in his lungs from the chase, but each one makes him take in the alpha's scent. It's still not aggressive, not like the alphas in the room the night before. He smells like his spice and desire, but beyond that, there is a joy under his skin that makes the words that he says to him not ring as cruelly as Dabi thinks they would sound otherwise. 

"You're down to your last clothes, omega." His eyes are glowing, his own cock half-hard as he presses it into Dabi's thigh so he can't mistake his desire. "But I'm sure you're ready to be out of them given how wet they already are. You're going to be so cute trying to run as your little cock leaks and you drip your sweetness all along the forest. I'd be able to find you blind." His teeth nip across Dabi's collarbone too and Dabi whimpers, hating how quickly his body urges him to arch into the touch and take whatever this alpha is offering him. He wants more of this-- Dabi makes himself growl instead of moan, baring his teeth again and snarling, 

"You said--" 

"I won't let you feel my knot inside of you until you've rolled over for me all on your own, little one." He agrees immediately. "But I can make it so that no one else thinks they can put theirs inside and spoil your pretty cunt before I get to." He reaches for the hem of his boxer briefs and Dabi yips like a startled pup even though he should have expected his sharp claws and strong hand to tear the fabric away again and leave him exposed. It's a sharp humiliation that burns through him, a whimper slipping out of his lips as he instinctively tries to close his legs tighter, the cooler air of the forest against his most intimate places taking his scent and wafting it even more thickly through the air, and the humiliation of being on display for the other man making the shame even worse. His ridiculous cock and cunt don't care though, his slick still starting to puddle on his thighs and his cock standing up enough that the three silver barbells along his underside are visible. Shigaraki growls, the sound more pleased than aggressive, his ears tilted forward with his interest. "So cute, little one." His hand hovers, like he wants to touch him, but he closes his fingers into his palm, tight enough that Dabi smells the bit of blood on the air as his claws pierce his palm. "The next time I catch you," He says, his voice sounding nearly as breathless as Dabi feels, "I'm going to scent you everywhere and when I'm done, all you have to do is growl." And he'll be able to run away again. "Or you can be a good omega and roll over for me, and I promise that I'll make you feel so good, moonbeam. Knot you so deep that your insides are soaked with my scent no matter how much your needy pussy is leaking. Chase you until the sun sets and then carry you back to the manor so I can make you a big, comfortable nest and keep you there all through your heat." 

It's so unbecoming, so against everything that he thought he stood for, but the way that Shigaraki says those things, how he promises him that he'll feed into Dabi's instincts, has them acting up even worse. A real nest? In a bed? With a mate that has a real knot? All of his nests have been hidden away in awful places because he needed locations that gave off a strong enough stench that no one would smell his sweetness instead. He could have a safe place to go through his heat. He could feel good. He could have his mate--

Dabi forces himself to focus and he can't find words, he just gives a half-feral growl and Shigaraki nuzzles at his collarbone one more time before he pushes away from his body, his eyes still glowing as he watches how Dabi trembles as he makes himself take his first step forward. It's much harder to keep steady now as he runs. 

///

Tomura gives Dabi fifteen minutes. Looking at the sky, he imagines that it's only a bit past one in the afternoon. If he gives him up now, gives him time to think over what he said before, he might... reconsider his stubbornness. He can smell how much Dabi wants him, how the way he's spoken to him and taunted him has made his skin even hotter than the exertion of the run. It makes his own desire spike beneath his skin and he wants to hunt down his prey and take the sweetness of his slick and blood all for himself. But he can't have it until Dabi gives it to him. Or rather, no matter what the other alphas are doing to the omegas that they're hunting in the woods, Tomura has lines of his own that he won't cross. He hears the snapping of twigs and his ears pin back, his hackles rising as another alpha comes through the trees. He's not shifted and given he's the one who had to review all of the dossiers of all of the alphas that were taken for this initiative, he knows Kai Chisaki as soon as the lean man steps into his line of sight. 

The son of the Yakuza don that his father wanted to improve their relationship with was someone that Tomura hadn't been interested in bringing into the event, knowing that the man has a ruthlessness in him that makes him volatile. He has hoped that the apparent disgust with nature and germs in general would keep him from showing up here, but for whatever reason, either from his own father's belittling or to push his interests further among the other alphas that were selected, he did show up. And has participated apparently. Tomura keeps his expression carefully neutral when he sees that there is blood smeared on the other's cock, and the freshly healed lines of claws that whatever omega he captured must have tried to put in his skin along his arms and chest. 

"Mr. Shigaraki," He greets very pleasantly, the same self-assured smile that he had given him as he'd introduced himself the night before. "A good hunt so far?" 

"More than satisfactory, Mr. Chisaki." He says with his tone as disinterested as it can be without becoming overtly rude. 

"I think only two omegas have made it this far out." He tilts his nose up a bit. "Have you caught the one that left its slick all over this area?" 

"He," Tomura says, bristling despite himself, his fur starting to stand on end with his agitation, "Likes to be chased, and I'm happy to give my omega whatever he wants since he's going to be spending his time with me." 

He doesn't like the way that Chisaki's smile widens slightly. "Of course, enjoy him then." And he turns to continue on his way, tracking the other omega. Tomura doesn't linger either, shifting again to run Dabi down faster, not wanting to leave him alone for long now that he knows another alpha has made it this deep into the woods. 

///

He's in his pre-heat. There's no mistaking it. Dabi's whole body is hot and he's getting more fatigued by the second. He keeps moving and occasionally finds himself looking around, like he'll find a nice pile of blankets or a den out of nowhere, his mind telling him to go find a nest so that he can be safe and wait for his alpha to come and find him and make him feel better. He has to force himself to stay the course as he runs and he doesn't know if he'll manage that forever.

Dabi hears the branches snapping again, the sounds starting lower to the forest floor and moving higher as Shigaraki's form must shift again as he tries to catch him. Dabi runs, the frightened beating of his heart in his chest making him feel far more like a rabbit than a wolf. But the heat dripping down his thighs tells him that this is exactly where he's meant to be. If his alpha can't catch him, then he's not worthy of having him. And if he lets Shigaraki catch him... he said that he would take him back to the manor. He would make him feel good in a big bed. He made sure he had such good food last night. He could put him in a nice nest and keep him safe. He just has to--

Dabi yelps as he's tackled again, Tomura catching his body and pulling them together, rolling as they hit the forest floor so that it's his skin scraping roughly against the ground instead of Dabi's more fragile body that would certainly not appreciate twigs or dirt in his seams. He automatically wants to snarl. He wants to lash out with claws and teeth because he's... scared. He's so, so scared of what this alpha will do to him if he doesn't have to fear repercussions. When the only reason Dabi isn't going to jail at the end of this for murder and assault is because Tomura Shigaraki has taken a shine to him. He's scared of being used, of being hurt, of being mated, or being blackmailed, and he has only managed to stay alive for so long because he destroyed the things he was scared of to keep himself safe. He wants to keep himself safe. But when Shigaraki pins him to the ground again and, ignoring the collar that keeps Dabi's glands covered, he starts to scent mark him exactly the way that he said that he would, every omega instinct in his body screams that he can let this go, let it happen, just this once. Of all the alphas that could have taken an interest, Shigaraki is the only one who pointed him in the direction of the finish line, who has given him the option of saying 'no' instead of just taking what he wanted the way he could without repercussions during the run. He sent him food and talked with him. 

Shigaraki layers his skin with his scent, taking in Dabi's as well as his tongue moves across his chest, teeth following to nip at his skin. Soft little bites that tell him just how badly the alpha wants to tear him apart and how completely he is restraining those instincts as the scent of his arousal spills through the air. Dabi's tenuous grasp on his good sense frays further in his tight grip as Shigaraki rolls their hips together. He lets Dabi feel every inch of long, thick cock that is hard and dripping as it presses against his smaller one, making sure to angle himself so that he isn't pressing too closely to Dabi's cunt. 

Dabi lets out another completely omega whimper, his own cock pulsing and the emptiness inside of his body crying out for how good it would feel with a knot the size that Shigaraki's must be. He wants it. He can't have it-- or rather, he knows he's not supposed to. 

"Present for me, little one," Shigaraki growls against his skin, the scent of his want rolling through the air and nearly choking Dabi with it. "Let me make you feel good." 

Dabi hasn't cried in front of someone else in a... long time. His face hurts when he cries, the blood running down his cheeks is disturbing, he knows that it's an awful sight to behold, and he usually does a much better job of stopping himself when it starts to happen. But he's tired. He's been scared and stressed for a whole week, barely eating, knowing that he was going to be hunted and hurt in this run, and somehow, against all odds, there is one alpha who doesn't just want him, but that won't take him unless he lets him do it. 

He's expecting the bloody tears to be met with mockery or disgust, but he's not expecting Shigaraki's grip to loosen significantly, pulling back so that he's sure he's not holding him too tightly. He's not expecting the lust across his features to be doused so sharply as he looks at his face as the blood spills over his cheeks. 

"Fuck, Dabi, okay-- it's okay." He tries to soothe him, chuffing at him like he's a pup. "Okay, come here. I'll take you the rest of the way to the finish line." He promises, starting to move, to stand, Dabi realizes belatedly, as he gives up on their game. Because he... thinks he's hurting. Thinks he's scared in a different way than how his body was tingling with it before the other times Shigaraki caught him. He could let him keep thinking that. He could let this alpha try to carry him to the finish line right now--

Dabi whimpers and doesn't let Shigaraki pull him up. He rolls over onto his knees and feels how badly his tail is quivering as he lifts it for his alpha and presents so that he can see how badly his cunt is dripping from how much he... wants him. 

The alpha doesn't move for a second and Dabi thinks that he's ruined this. That he isn't going to be able to look past his disgusting skin the way he had been trying to before and that he's going to be thrown aside. But then Shigaraki lets out a deep, hungry growl, his scent blanketing the air between them, before he is wrapping his fingers around the base of his tail and lifting Dabi's hips even higher. Dabi keens, expecting to be filled to the brim with the other's knot, but he doesn't get that. Instead he feels a puff of breath that is almost cool against his soaked, burning folds, before Shigaraki's tongue is laving over his skin. The moan that leaves his chest sounds like it was ripped out of the same primal part of him that made the chase feel so good, and Dabi digs his fingers into the earth and grass as he tries to find something to hold onto as the alpha makes him angle his hips higher so that his tongue can reach deeper. 

Shigaraki licks along his folds, his other hand reaching around to press against his lower stomach, just above the straining root of his cock, so that he can put pressure on him from the outside as well as angle his hips even higher. Dabi ends up with his toes pressed into the earth to bring his hips high as his face presses into the soft grass as he moans again. Shigaraki's tongue is sure and hungry as it licks away his slick almost faster than he can produce it, every motion making the folds of his cunt tingle and send that sharp pleasure through him. His tail trembles in Shigaraki's hold, his thighs doing the same, and Dabi can't help sobbing harder. His tongue flicks along the length of him, but all too soon it finds his entrance and he doesn't hesitate to take that just as voraciously, his tongue pushing inside of him as deeply as it can go, the movements stroking along the soft, squeezing walls of his vagina. He needs something far bigger than a tongue to satisfy him, but the pleasure that tingles through him feels like it's only whetting his appetite for more. 

A sharper pang goes through his pelvis, not the awful cramping that he's used to coming off of his suppressants, but the deeper ache that goes through him that tells Dabi that he needs to touch his prick. That he has to get his pleasure there so that it won't pull his attention any more and he'll be able to focus on his cunt as his alpha devours his body like he is the last thing he'll ever taste. Dabi fumbles to reach for his cock, but when his hand brushes past Shigaraki's, the alpha bats him away so that he can move his palm lower instead. He cups Dabi's cock against his palm, but doesn't stroke him. He lets Dabi leak his pre all over his palm and make it good and wet, and then fucks his tongue inside of Dabi's pussy so that he can find the rhythm that is being offered. Dabi mewls, feeling so small, so much like an omega when he's shown that he should treat his body like the pleasure from his pussy is the thing that deserves special treatment and his cock should only get the minimum that he needs to make it stop aching when it's not going to help him get a knot on his heat. 

Dabi begins to hump himself into Shigaraki's palm that is not as rough as he might have expected a villain's hand to be. Maybe because normally he disintegrates anything that he touches like this and that sends a heady pulse of arousal through him, tangled with his terror that somehow the quirk cuffs will fail and he'll turn the bliss that is pouring across his nerves into agony. But Shigaraki lets him grind into his palm as his tongue plunges inside of him, pressing against his muscles like he can find the place where they'll clench tight on his knot. He can hear the soft patter of slick and spit dripping from his folds and onto the grass beneath them, dying the world around them with the scent of his need, his pleasure, his terror, as he distantly realizes that this is the first time he's ever let another person near him on his heat. That this is the first time he's ever let an alpha touch him at all when he's spent so much of his life terrified of ending up forcibly mated to one like his mother had been. Blood, slick, fear, pleasure, and the overwhelming spice of Shigaraki's arousal as it meets Dabi's like having his tongue deep in his cunt is as good as having his knot there instead, is what sends Dabi over the edge so quickly that he would be embarrassed if he weren't in his pre-heat already.

He keens and whimpers as his body is allowed to slump to the ground. His head is even more hazy than it was before as Shigaraki licks at him more slowly, withdrawing his tongue to the outer part of his sex instead of plunging so deeply inside of it. He lets Dabi tremble there for a few moments, pressing his body along Dabi's own crumpled form like he wants to make sure that he's soaked in as much of Dabi's scent as he can get. But he moves his way up Dabi's body, pressing kisses up the length of his spine as he lets go of his softening cock, his seed dripping stark white against the vibrant grass. 

"Have you ever had a knot before, little one?" His voice sounds rough and ruined, like just tasting him was enough to put his head in the same hazy space as Dabi's is now floating. "Because you still taste... soft, moonbeam. Smell light and untouched underneath that sharper smell from your quirk." 

Dabi feels a sharper blush heat his skin. He didn't know that an alpha would be able to smell his inexperience with them on his slick, and he barely manages to weakly shake his head. 

There's a slight pause and then Shigaraki is licking along his ears, the touch is meant to be soothing, but all it serves to do is assure Dabi that he's safe and that sends more slick gushing down his legs. "Then I'll be so happy to give you your first, little one." Which has another shudder running down Dabi's spine as he punctuates the words by rubbing his thick, hard cock between his legs. He slides against his cunt so tantalizingly, teasing his blunt head against his entrance, letting Dabi feel how much bigger Shigaraki is than any toy he's ever tried to use before, and far larger than any beta that he's ever had inside instead. He whimpers and rolls his hips back, wanting that to push inside and bring him to his completion again even though he is already feeling so weak-limbed from the first. 

But Shigaraki withdraws slightly, stopping him from getting it inside the way he wants. "Not yet, little one. You were making such good progress before. Don't you want to run?" The word is not a command, not layered with the power of suggestion that could warp his mind, but it is enough to have Dabi mewling again. The mating runs have always been something so terrifying, disgusting, something that he was grateful he never had to participate in before. He used to think that the omegas who said that they liked it, that they would go to the runs with their mates just because getting to be sprinting naked through the wild made their instincts sing were just so conditioned by the leash society tightened around their throats that they didn't notice its weight anymore. But his instincts are lashing out as his hormones flood his senses. He wants his alpha's knot. He wants a nice safe nest. He doesn't want to be out in the open. He wants to be cared for. But there are other instincts. The knowledge that he needs to only be taken by the right alpha. One who has earned his submission. One that can and will fight for him and not just take what he's given because it's easy to get. He wants to taste blood behind his teeth before he lets himself be pinned down and filled. 

Dabi has only felt feral one other time in his life, but there is no pain that drives that now as Shigaraki starts to loosen his hold on him. 

"Run, moonbeam." He breathes, his own arousal choking the air between them. But still, he lets Dabi go.

He didn't know that he could tear away the earth beneath his hands and shoes as he launches himself up from the forest floor. He was certain the muscles in his thighs would be too weak as his slick and cum cling to his skin, but he moves as smoothly as he did taking off from the starting line and he runs. 

///

Tomura's cock is aching from how hard he is. He didn't think that he would have his rut until well after this run, but he thinks that the sweetness of Dabi's slick might just bring it about ahead of schedule. His slick still smells acrid like over-cooked sugar, but he doesn't taste like that. His slick is like a rich caramel that has coated his tongue completely and made him dizzy from how badly he wants more. He wants the bitter tang of his blood between his teeth too. He wants to put his fangs so deeply into Dabi's flesh that he feels everything that brought this omega to this point taking root in his own mind. He wants to have someone else pressing against that empty place in his head that he thought would stay hollow for as long as he was focused on his own goals. It would be so much better to have Dabi filling up that space now. 

Tomura takes off, not able to transform back into an animal when his arousal is so high, and having to follow Dabi through the trees and brambles. He doesn't see the green whipping past his eyes, he just smells the sharpness of Dabi's blood and the sweetness of his slick as he runs and runs. If thorns, rocks, or twigs cut into his feet as he goes, he can't feel the pain, he only knows that it happens because he smells his own blood mingling with Dabi's trail. 

And so soon he sees his quarry, his prey, his mate running not far ahead of him, and he lets out a vicious snarl. It doesn't make the omega falter, it just makes his smell spike with that tantalizing acidity of fear as he gives his legs another burst of strength to propel him forward. He grabs Dabi tightly and they go down onto the forest floor again. Dabi barks and snarls at him, twisting to catch his skin with claws for the second time. But he still smells like his arousal, his hips pushing up into Tomura's own to grind them together again in a way that screams to his instincts that this is the same fighting, the same viciousness that is aching to be subdued and leashed to him the way the hollowness in him is reaching for Dabi. So he lets Dabi scratch at him as he reaches down to grab him by his thighs, prying them open and forcing them wide against the ground so that his hips can push between them. His teeth can't meet the skin of his neck, but they can sink into his chest, and the way his flesh bursts beneath them, the rush of that hot blood that he knows holds fire when it's not being choked away by their restraints, burns his tongue like hot coffee as he hears his omega let out a howl that sounds like nothing but the sharpest of ecstacy. Nothing like the anguished cries he heard echoing through the forest before.

And as surely as if he had actually been able to mate Dabi the way that he longs to, the other man goes limp underneath him with another soft coo, his pupils blown so wide that there is barely a ring of blue behind them. His cock is hard again, dripping against his stomach, his cunt gushing so much that Tomura sees a puddle forming in the grass beneath him. And he doesn't have any other restraint. He needs to breed his mate full of his knot. Tomura is breathless seeing his cock against the omega's. He has had other male omegas before, knows that their cocks are smaller in general, but he's also always been large for his size. He sees how much smaller Dabi is than him, how his cunt, hidden just behind his length, is the same dusky pink as his nipples, his center blushing a brighter red and soaked with his slick. He sees how small Dabi looks beneath him even though their bodies are so similar. He sees it and wants. To be his mate, to be the first alpha, the only alpha who ever puts his cock inside such a pretty pink cunt. 

And he is delighted when his mate is so wet that even though he can see how completely he's stretching him, he doesn't tear as he pushes his cock into the tight, burning heat of his body. His muscles just give way around him, so wet and soft that Tomura feels his sanity fray further as he wants nothing more than to stay inside of his mate like this forever. 

"Perfect," He growls, the words slurred from his lips as blood drips off of them, the bite on Dabi's chest healing sluggishly as he writhes underneath him as his cock pushes deeper and deeper, the movement slow-going from just how tight his mate is. "Such a good boy, keeping his cunt tight for me. Never let any other alpha have you. Now it's just going to be me," When he gets fully inside the pleasure that tingles along his root as Dabi mewls and writhes, his scent going so hot and humiliated as his little cock twitches and cums. Just from being filled. Tomura snarls again, drawing his hips back and slamming in a second time as he hears his mate howl as fresh blood starts to cut newly sticky paths across his cheeks as he writhes. But his hands don't claw at him to get him to move away, to stop, he hooks them into his back, making Tomura growl as he feels them sink into his flesh and stay there, the skin trying to close up around them but not being able to as Dabi tries to pull him closer and closer as he starts to fuck him more roughly than he's ever taken a sub before. 

"Mine, just me. Mine," the words are torn out of something deep inside of him that is furious with the metal corded around Dabi's throat that keeps him from being able to make this permanent the way that he wants it to be. "Going to make sure everyone knows it. Going to fill up your pussy with so much cum that you smell like me for the rest of your life. Make you so full that people are going to think you have my pups inside as you try to hold all of it in." And that makes his omega keen even louder. "No one is going to think that you could have been the omega that caused so much trouble at the start of this run when you are nothing but my pretty, docile little mate, always curled up in my nest with cum leaking out of your holes and purring for me whenever I deign to give you my attention like you're nothing but a well-trained whore." 

The filth on his tongue is nearly drowned out by the sounds of their bodies meeting, the wet squelch of his cock as he feels every inch of him squeezed tight by Dabi's walls as he moans and writhes beneath him. He knows that his prick has already spilled again, the sticky mess joining what was already painted along his thighs, but now he is limp and dripping as his pussy takes his cock so hard and deep. His back arches off of the forest floor, his hips trying to weakly push into every one of Tomura's harder thrusts, the burning pleasure of his omega clenching around him making Tomura's whole body feel hotter too, pleasure pulsing along the length of his cock and tingling deliciously up from the base of his spine. Good, fuck, 

"You're so good for me, little one," he gasps, slurring around how large his fangs feel in his mouth, "Going to squeeze my knot so tight, aren't you, baby?" 

"Alpha," Dabi barely manages to croak out the word himself, his seams bleeding as he cries and his fingers tightening in his flesh as he tries to get that. His heat swirls so headily through the air. Tomura will absolutely have to carry him back to the manor. Then he'll bring Dabi to his room. He'll make him a soft nest and he'll keep him there and full until Dabi's body thinks that there's no possibility other than that he's been filled with his pups and breaks his heat early. And when his head is clear, he'll get him out of that shackle of metal and beg on his fucking knees to be allowed to keep this omega who is sharp everywhere he's been allowed to touch him so far. "Please, please, please," Begging for him, for his knot, and Tomura is powerless to do anything but give him exactly what he wants, pushing in deep with another roar of primal satisfaction as he feels his orgasm rip itself across his nerves, making his knot swell so rapidly that the sound of his pleasure has barely left his lips before he's surrounding his swollen knot in Dabi's soaked insides with a sharp pop. Stars burst across his vision as he pushes in deep and lets his orgasm shake through him so violently that he feels his tail trembling like he's a pup sinking into a cunt for the first time. 

Dabi howls beneath him again, a sound that screams pleasure, pain, overwhelmed, as he gets his first knot. And Tomura tries to blink, to clear his vision and focus so that he can look down at him and see how it makes his moonbeam tremble as he floods his insides with his cum. He's already in the throws of his orgasm and he is shaking from how badly he wants to cum again as he watches Dabi writhing beneath him, his lower stomach starting to distend slightly with how open and eager his insides are to swallow up every drop of his release as if being full enough will trick his body into being with pups. 

And when the pleasure ticks over into something sharper, Dabi's whole body goes limp and he starts to purr in between the soft sobs that keep slipping from his throat as he lays beneath him. Tomura chuffs at him softly, coaxing his claws from his back so his skin can heal, and then leaning down to lick the blood from his face, doing his best to echo the purrs, letting them rumble low in his chest to soothe his little one as he's made so full and clearly so tired when he just closes his eyes and lets himself catch his breath for however long it takes for his knot to stop being so swollen. 

///

Dabi aches. His muscles are all so tired, his head feels light and heavy at the same time as he lays on the forest floor, his cunt stretched around the biggest thing he's ever had inside. He can feel the soft stretch of his pelvis too, his skin distended slightly from just how much cum the alpha on top of him was able to push inside of his body as he fucked him so roughly, his words a lashing filth that carved into places of Dabi's soul that he didn't even know existed. He didn't know that he was going to like any of this so much. He wouldn't, he tries to tell his heat-hazy mind. He wouldn't have given in. Not if Shigaraki hadn't tried so hard to make sure he knew that he didn't have to as he chased him through the forest before. 

It takes a long time before Shigaraki's knot starts to soften, letting the cum spill down Dabi's thighs as he presses against his stomach lightly as he pulls out of his body, chuffing, his eyes glowing, his fangs out the way they have been for so long now. Like he would have mated him if he could have. Dabi should be terrified of that. It's the entire reason that he wore the collar in the first place, he knows, through the haze of need that is starting to ache dully through his body again. But the fact that this alpha, one with enough power to get the government to bend this ritual to his will, might want to keep him is... not as bad as he thought it would be. He could have the power to clear the path to Endeavor for him. He could be worth staying close to if he wants him so badly. 

Dabi is still trying to figure out how to get his legs underneath himself again so he can run. So he can have that same exhilaration before his alpha pins him down and stuffs his cunt full of his knot again, when Shigaraki starts to lift him up from the ground. Dabi chuffs at him weakly, confusion poking holes in the hazy need of his instincts as he does so. He wants more and... his alpha said that when they were done he would carry him back to the manor. He doesn't want to stop yet. Not until his legs won't work anymore. Until he's so tired that all he wants is his mate feeding him more of those tarts. 

Dabi bites Shigaraki's arm, startling the other man into letting him go and when he does, Dabi, rather humiliatingly, has to push himself back up on shaky legs. He sees worry flicker across his alpha's face and he's so glad that he doesn't have to use real words when the scent of his arousal pulses out from his weakened glands again as he gives a soft, goading bark. He doesn't think he'll be able to run much longer, not when his cunt is aching from how full it just was and how empty it feels now as his alpha's cum and his slick gushes from him, coating his skin and making leaves and blades of grass stick to his body. 

But the soft sound seems to help encourage the other man and he lets out a chuff of his own, his pupils going wider as his irises continue to glow. "Run fast, moonbeam. Because when I catch you this time, I'm going to mount you until your pussy is so swollen from taking my knot that you won't be able to walk." 

Dabi nearly drops right back to the ground there as his need surges through him again, but he doesn't let it. He forces himself to turn and start to run again. He's not even sure if he's going in the right direction, but it doesn't matter. All that he cares about is how good it will be for him to be caught again. 

///

The forest is a blur, the scent of his slick and his alpha's cum on his skin makes him so distracted. He just wants to be full of his knot again, and when he hears another person moving through the trees, when he hears the snapping of twigs right on his tail, he's so ready for that that he slows down. He realizes a moment too late that the alpha barreling through the forest towards him is not his alpha. It's a stranger. A man with blood already on his skin who reaches for Dabi and has terror leaping up through Dabi's throat. No, no, no, this is not his alpha. Not the one who gets to touch him. He forgets that the heat all throughout his body is his cycle, not his quirk, and he flares a hand out to set him on fire and is not met with a single spark beneath his skin. So when the man barrels into his body, his lip curling back as he hisses, 

"So Shigaraki took a liking to you, hmm? Well, I think that he'll do just about anything to get you back." He tries to hold Dabi down with his arm braced against his shoulders, his knees poking sharply into his thighs as he holds his full weight over Dabi's body to try and keep him in place as he brings his other hand up to his mouth. Dabi realizes what he's doing a split second before he sinks his teeth into his own thumb. He manages to let out a howl, trying to let his alpha know where he is, but he doesn't let that be the only way he tries to defend himself. Instead of scratching uselessly at the stranger's arm as he breaks his own thumb between his teeth so that he can start to slip his restraining cuff off, Dabi flicks his arms as much as he can move them, curling his claws into the man's lower stomach. He doesn't have nearly the range of movement to gut him properly, but his fingers find purchase and Dabi holds onto his slippery, bleeding flesh as he pulls down, tearing him open along those cuts. His skin is still healing itself, the alpha snarling at him and Dabi can see the fury in his eyes as he opens his mouth to command him to stop. 

Dabi smashes his forehead into the other man's chin, feeling the skin split over his bone, but the other cuts his lower lip to ribbons on the fangs that are filling his mouth. He chokes on his blood instead of getting the command out, his skin trying to knit itself back together as Dabi claws at his stomach again. He tries to get enough breath into his lungs to howl for a second time. 

But he doesn't need to. There's a snarl far more vicious than the one the alpha above him let out as Shigaraki bursts through the trees, slamming into the stranger's body. Dabi's fingers are still full of his flesh and as he is tackled off of him, his hands take chunks of that skin and muscle with him, making the alpha yip as the quirk suppression cuff hits the ground beside Dabi as the two other wolves roll across the forest floor, leaving a smattering of blood behind them. 

Dabi has been all animal instincts for the past few hours now, but that's important and he makes himself find his words. "He slipped his cuff!" He gasps out, wanting to hurl from the handfuls of flesh that he's trying to shake away, his palms soaked with blood. 

He doesn't have to worry about the other guy getting his cuff off, Shigaraki is far more efficient with his. He snaps the other wolf's arm so roughly that the bone protrudes from his bicep and then reaches for his own hand as the other man keens and yips like a frightened pup. 

"Wait-- Shigaraki!" The bastard tries to bargain, but Tomura doesn't care to hear it. He breaks his own thumb, slipping the cuff off with an ease far more smooth and practiced than the other man did, and with his free arm crippled and unable to reach for Tomura to use his quirk, the white wolf doesn't hesitate to use his instead. He reaches down and covers the other's face with his hand as he thrashes beneath him, trying to get away. He doesn't manage it before Shigaraki's whole hand is covering his face, and the other man is going completely limp beneath Shigaraki. He holds onto him until every part of his body has grayed and cracked, turning to dust, and then Tomura is brushing the dust away. He gets up then, turning back to Dabi with a fearful chuff in his throat. 

Dabi's instincts rush back through him so sharply that he would have collapsed if he weren't already on the ground. It's like something inside of him snaps and the next thing he knows is that he's the one throwing himself at Shigaraki this time. He's pushing his way into his arms, pressing his nose tight to his neck as he lets his alpha's scent wash over him and take away the terror that pulsed through his veins so much realer than any that he played at with his alpha chasing him through the woods before. He licks at Tomura's neck, his own fangs dropping as he realizes that the other has his hands against his skin, stroking and checking that any of the hurts the other man tried to give him have healed the way that they are supposed to. He's pressed so close to Shigaraki he smells it when a pang of pain must lance his body and he pulls back slightly, looking for hurts on his mate as well. He finds it in his hand. A hand he watched kill someone mere minutes ago, but that he was careful enough with that he could hold Dabi as well. His thumb has set wrong and Dabi takes that dangerous hand in his, his skin covered in blood and smearing against Tomura's. His eyes flick up to his, and his alpha gives him a small nod.

Dabi snaps his finger out at the joint again and Tomura lets a breath hiss out between his teeth, but he's very careful to not flex the fingers on his hand in any way that could put Dabi in danger. Then he lets Dabi push the bone back into place and he... holds his hand as it heals. Tomura leans closer, licking at his ears again in that same soothing way as he did before. There is blood on their skin, flesh under Dabi's nails, but the terror and stress don't take away the heat that was pouring through his skin before that other alpha tried to hurt him. He still needs his alpha to make him feel good. To fill him up and mark him so deeply that no one ever tries that again. His alpha, who has proven he's a good hunter by tracking him all through the forest. Who proved that he was a good provider by making sure he was fed and cared for the night before. Who proved that he can give Dabi's body what he needs when he filled him up so completely with his knot-- but not before also proving that he wouldn't be selfish with that pleasure by giving Dabi his own before he even tried to mount him. Who proved that he's powerful, ruthless, and protective when he killed another alpha for daring to touch him. 

Dabi is pressing into Tomura's chest before he realizes what he's doing, his teeth sinking into the side of his neck as he tries to make the other man his. His alpha, his mate. He's the only person on the planet that Dabi thinks could have earned that. He wants his knot keeping him full, his hands made careful against his skin, and his ruthlessness as his to command. Tomura starts to purr, still making sure to watch his uncuffed hand so that he doesn't destroy Dabi as he shifts his body so that Dabi is laying against the grass again. It's a distant awareness that he was supposed to let himself be mounted this time, and he wants that, but he wants the connection in his mind that his instincts are reaching out for as he tastes the hot spice and bitter copper of Tomura's blood as it spills over his teeth. When the first bite doesn't take, Dabi shifts to his other gland, trying again as his alpha purrs. 

"Can't mate me right now, moonbeam." Tomura tells him, his hands moving over Dabi's body like he's trying to make certain that he's alright. "Not until your heat is over, baby boy." He says, nuzzling his nose against his cheek. Dabi whimpers, not wanting to be kept at bay for that long, but when his teeth come out of his skin again, Tomura proves to him that he'll still want him when his own teeth sink into the skin just below his collar. Just shy of making that connection properly and there is a little flicker of that joining that goes through Dabi's mind that has him keening, the last threads of his fear chased away completely as his heat starts to make fresh slick leak down his thighs. Like his sweetness can overwhelm the smell of violence that has permeated the air here. "Come on, precious. I'll take you back home, and I'll make sure that no one else hurts you again." 

Dabi wants to be safe, that sounds very nice. But he was promised another knot first and his cock is aching, his cunt screaming at how empty he is right now, and Dabi whines. He shifts and Tomura loosens his grasp on him, letting go like he's scared that he's hurting him. Like he hasn't been taking great pains not to when no one would have stopped him if he'd wanted to the entire time that they've been doing this. But all Dabi does with his freedom is roll over so that he can present for his alpha again, reaching between his legs and rubbing his blood-soaked fingers along his cunt to show how badly he's leaking again. Just the lightest touch against his oversensitive folds has him whining, spreading his legs wider, his tail lifting and tilting up to the side so that he's open and ready for the knot that he needs to get to feel good. 

Tomura lets out a soft breath that might be a laugh as he presses himself along the length of Dabi's spine, getting between his legs and using his cock to tease Dabi far better than his own fingers can. "Oh, precious. Even after all of that? You're still just a needy little omega who wants his cunt all stuffed up?" Tomura licks his ears again as he grinds against him, getting his own body ready for those proceedings after he also had such a sharp spike of stress before and doesn't have his rut pushing in to help make him as needy as Dabi is right now. Any other alpha, he knows, any other one, he would hate for saying something like that. Any other alpha he would try to tear apart the way he just did the bastard that attacked him. But not Tomura. Because his alpha uses the words to tease and goad, because his alpha follows them up with the murmur of, "No one would believe that you were so vicious and dangerous that you nearly gutted an alpha who wasn't worthy of touching you. My vicious little omega." All purred, all said with his cock pressed against the most sensitive parts of Dabi's body so he can feel just how much that knowledge is turning the other man on as his cock begins to swell again. 

Dabi mewls, the sound so meek and pathetic that he could believe that he's small and helpless even with blood crusted along his claws and stuck to his teeth. "Alpha," he begs, rubbing himself against the other man, trying so hard to get his cock to slip inside of his body. He wants to be full. Nothing else is ever going to be able to compare, not when Tomura's cock is so big that the first time had touched every place inside of his cunt and sent his orgasm ripping through his body before he could even start to move properly. 

"You're so cute whining like that, baby boy." Tomura growls, his teeth nipping along Dabi's spine as he finally starts to put the head of his cock inside of him. Dabi digs his fingers into the dirt, trying so hard to focus and keep that tightness that is building inside of him, separate from the stretch of his mate's thick cock being pushed in, at bay, knowing that if he lets his orgasm come too soon again than the first few thrusts will shatter him entirely. "Going to make sure that everyone hears that sound echoing through the forest so they know that you're enjoying yourself again. Going to make you howl from your pleasure as your pretty cunt squeezes my knot so tight." 

Dabi nearly satisfies that desire right then as Tomura slams his cock the rest of the way inside of his body. It's certainly a loud cry that he gives as that tightness inside of him is forced to snap again as his insides are spread so, so wide. He hears the gush of his cum against the grass, his own moan echoing against the trees, and then all that is in his mind is how sharp and how good everything is. His mate's cock inside of him, moving at a rough pace that makes the pleasure of his nerves go so sharp and unrelenting. The way that their scents are so thick in the air that they chase away the smells of aggression and blood that were here before. The way that his mate could destroy him with a touch, but can be so connected to his body, so good to it, that he never risks it at all as he tucks his freshly healed thumb tight to his palm before that hand ever reaches for him. 

Dabi doesn't care that he's already cum, that his insides feel like they might tear open from the strain of having to take such a long, thick cock. He just wants more. He wants to feel how his insides can go soft and giving for the knot that he was made to take. He wants to give his mate every indulgence his broken body can if it means that he gets to keep Tomura just like this for the rest of his heat. For the rest of his short, violent life if the alpha proves that he can be what Dabi needs to make it through that. 

Their thrusts were never going to be gentle or measured. The mating run is made for the feral frenzy of instincts at their height, and Dabi wouldn't want it any slower, even if the stimulation does have more blood dripping down his cheeks as he gasps and moans on every thrust. His insides are burning hot without his quirk, his cock tingling and aching from his orgasm. But he can't want gentleness now. He wants his pleasure so big inside of him that it hurts-- hurts the way that he knows it will when Tomura shoves his knot inside of him again. And he's delirious as he moans and tries his best to push back into every thrust as his alpha mounts him properly. His tail is against his back as he tries to leave himself open, and Tomura takes that as a further invitation, swiping his fingers through the copious gush of slick going down Dabi's thighs and making sure they're wet before he reaches to his ass. 

Dabi gives the other what he wants when he howls as he circles his rim once before he sinks his finger inside of Dabi's hole, only pausing for long enough to make certain that he's howling because a second orgasm is ripping through him, and he's not in any pain. Then Tomura lets out a growl of his own, pushing in a second and fucking them into his body at the same pace as his cock, pushing them in and crooking so that Dabi can feel the separation between his stretched cunt and his teased hole as Tomura keeps fucking into him at that same hard pace. He can't stop the sound of pleasure that tears out of his throat, the sounds of them echoing so loudly around the forest that he thinks he might have missed it when his mate spoke if his whole being wasn't being attuned to him so completely. 

"Fuck, moonbeam. So tight everywhere, and you're still so eager for more? Going to have to put you in a chastity belt to make sure you don't spoil yourself when you're alone. But don't worry, baby boy, I'll come back and make sure my needy omega is only being a whore for me every night. Going to get you a collar with a cutout so that everyone can see my teeth scarred into your pretty skin and be jealous that they'll never be able to taste your sweetness." 

Dabi sobs into his arms, his whole body so tight and full, sharp with the pleasure that he's being given and knowing that he has never had a heat that felt like this before. He knows he can't cum from his cock again, not so soon, but the way that his insides start to tighten like someone is coiling a band in his guts tells him that his pussy won't be so easily satisfied. Tomura moves, his scent soaking Dabi's body, his touches never so gentle that he feels like he's a broken thing being handled with care, but never so flippant or violent that he actually rends or shatters Dabi's flesh. And he fucks into his cunt harder and harder, until Dabi feels his knot beginning to swell again. The first time it happened so fast and sent stars exploding behind Dabi's eyes as he shoved it inside as soon as the swelling started, but this time he drags it out with every movement of his fingers inside of his hole and his hips. He teases the spreading base against the edges of Dabi's cunt, letting him feel how it starts to get so, so much bigger. He lets Dabi feel how big he gets and then takes his knot away. 

Dabi lets out an anguished cry as he thinks he's about to be denied that fullness, but Tomura's hips slam into his body again, so hard that Dabi is certain that there are bruises that are healing across his ass and the backs of his thighs. But he can't feel that thud or sting. Not through the sharp, white-hot note of his sanity shattering into a million pieces as he feels the other man slam his knot into his cunt. That tight pressure inside of him snaps again, this time the orgasm that tears across his nerves centered at his cunt and making waves of pleasure spill out along every nerve instead of just the ones that pulse along his cock. And once again he can feel as Tomura's seed floods his insides. It's so much, so cool against the burning heat of his body that Dabi knows the weight of it settling inside of him before he even feels his stomach starting to swell slightly from how much is pumped inside of him. Pups, his omega brain barks. He's getting all full of his mate's pups, and there's no room for thoughts in his head about how that can't happen or how little he'd want it to when his body is being filled up with his mate's cum. He doesn't need to think when he's proving that he's such a good omega all full of his alpha's knot and ready to be swollen full of their puppies.  

Dabi is still shaking with his pleasure for a long time after that as Tomura pulls his fingers from his body and shifts them onto their sides, licking at his shoulder, his ears, holding him close as their bodies stay intertwined and the sun moves over them in the sky. Dabi doesn't stop purring until darkness falls over his eyes as his exhaustion catches up to him. 

///

Tomura picked Dabi up from the grass when his knot had finally gone down and he'd been able to slip his cock from his mate's body. He hopes that Dabi will be his mate. He wants it badly enough now, in his heat, that he'd tried for it ardently, but he wonders if those feelings will linger when he comes out of it. He hopes so, not only wanting this volatile, vicious, clever man to be his because he doesn't want him to disappear from his life like smoke, but because he will have a much easier time of explaining Chisaki's death if he says the other man attempted to assault his mate after they bonded during the run. Tomura decays the collar off of Dabi's neck and smears some of the blood coating their bodies there, hoping that there is so much on his face already from his tears, smeared over his mouth from his bites, and his hands, that if anyone is waiting at the finish line, they'll think that they really did become mates during the run, and buy him some time to talk to Dabi about the real thing. 

His omega wakes twice more as he carries him towards the finish line, and although his little one wants to be chased, Tomura never lets him actually get out of his sight again as he obliges him. Dabi likes to growl at him, his pupils blown so wide that there's hardly any blue left, and the sounds leaving him so animal and soaked in instinct, that Tomura knows that he is fully sunk into his heat, into the hunt, and that he just wants the animal comforts that his mate can provide. So he is diligent about knotting his baby twice more before the moon is hanging high in the sky and they are finally making it back to the base of the manor and to the finish line. There is an attendant there, along with a table that has towels, water bottles, and snacks, and he passes that by, though as he does so, the attendant informs him that one omega so far has made it past the finish line ahead of them. She's already back in her room to ride out the rest of her oncoming heat as well. Tomura thanks the man for his report and then takes Dabi straight up to his room.

They're both covered in slick, blood, cum, and dirt, and Tomura lets his mate keep sleeping as he makes sure that the water is warm, then he gently sets Dabi in the tub and cleans his face with a washcloth first before he rests his head on the edge of the tub, on top of a soft towel, so he can sleep on as Tomura cleans him up. When his body only smells like him again, Tomura dries him off and takes him to the bedroom, glad that the master already has a sunken circular bed so that it is a nest without him needing to pull a mattress from its frame. He tucks Dabi into the sheets and blankets that smell like him from the night before, and then goes to clean up himself and calls for a large meal to be brought up for them. 

It's only when he hears his mate whimpering as he's brushing the blood from his teeth, that he knows he's woken back up. Tomura rinses his mouth out quickly and goes into the main room with, "I'm right here, moonbeam," on his tongue to soothe him. Dabi immediately seeks him out in the dim light of the room, his eyes glowing again and a little yip leaving his throat that begs him to come closer and make him feel good again. "You have to eat something first, baby. Then I'll knot you so many times that you won't ever want anyone else inside." 

His mate chuffs at him weakly, petulantly rolling onto his back and bringing his own fingers to his dripping cunt and pushing them inside, and Tomura's entire chest lights up with fond amusement. Of course. He's only known Dabi for a day, but really? What made him think that he would be able to get the other man to do anything that he didn't want to? 

He ends up giving Dabi his knot again, but once he's locked inside, his mate actually does accept the food and water he gives him before he curls his body into his chest tightly and purrs them both to sleep. 

///

Coming out of his heat made him feel like death warmed over. He has never run a marathon before, but that is how he started the week-long hormonal haze. Then he got Duster's knot as many times as he whined for it and upon waking, everything from the waist down is aching fiercely and he has no desire to move or be fucked for at least a month. 

And Shigaraki is fine with that. When Dabi has his things back, has bathed, and eaten, he's free to go, no one the wiser of the murders that he committed or helped to commit while he was entangled in this arrangement. Dabi should be happy about that, but he finds his fur bristling at being dismissed after their shared cycle. He knew that omega hormones could make him stupid, but discovering just how stupid this made him is infuriating. He never even wanted a mate in the first place, so it shouldn't hurt that his strange alpha has decided that he's not worth having now that his heat is over. 

But as he'd readied to stomp out of the building, maybe set it on fire as he went, Shigaraki had asked him to stay. His scent had been so unsure, desperate, and his entire body leaning towards him like he was being sucked into Dabi's gravity. He hadn't gotten on his knees, hadn't begged him, hadn't demanded it the way an alpha of his station could have, and Dabi realized then that he hadn't been flippantly dismissing him. He had been proving to Dabi that he'd upheld every end of their original bargain. He would let Dabi leave if that's what he wanted to do, even if Tomura wanted him to stay. 

Dabi is glad that no one knows who he really is because they would probably assume he was getting into a shotgun marriage with the alpha from how quickly they decide to bond. They said they would take things slow for the first month after the mating run, when Dabi is firmly on his suppressants again and everything seems nice and normal. And then they'd slept together again for the first time since, and they had lost any meager scrap of restraint. Dabi had the other man hunting him through his apartment, growling and biting at his skin as he pinned him down and pushed his cock into his cunt immediately, and Dabi had immediately dropped his fangs and sunk them into Tomura's scent gland. It's embarrassing how badly they wanted each other, how quickly and completely the bond had formed, even without either of them being on their cycle. 

But it's good. It feels right. Like this was something that was always meant to be when Dabi spent his whole life certain that only pain would find a place for itself inside of him. Every pain of being an omega before this is worth it to have Tomura as his mate. He wouldn't have ever had him if he hadn't been born an omega, if his quirk had worked just a little bit differently and he hadn't been selected for that run. Dabi would never say it, because this kind of mushy crap is the stuff that Tomura lets fall so readily off of his tongue, but maybe, just maybe his fate will be kind to him for once. And if not, well, he knows his mate will hold it down for just long enough that it doesn't shatter before he lets Dabi reduce it to ashes. 

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