#oh yeah time to go DM hunting I guess

[innorogers]

Vigil

Steve Rogers x Reader (You / OFC)

Summary: For a man who has faced down gods, monsters, the end of the universe, this kind of fear is new to him. It’s not the enemy outside he fears—it’s the thought of losing you, of failing to protect you. Again.

Warning: Mention of sex / Fluff & Angst / Protective Steve / Jealous Steve /

Characters: OC, Tony Stark, Maria Hill, Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson, Sharon Carter, Natasha Romanoff / John Walker

Also: Thanks in advance for repost or any feedback ❤️ Let me know if you want to be included in the taglist (DM, comment, repost and tag, whatever works)❤️ You don't need to read the previous chapters but it will definitely enhance the experience if you do.

1: Insomnia | 2: Lucid | 3: Reverie | 4: Nightmare | 5: Awakening | 6: Dusk | 7: Hypnagogia | 8: Lull

It ended just as expected. Steve cummed twice in the shower—once in your mouth, because, damn, he tasted amazing after cleaning up, and again inside you, because you smelled just as irresistible with that jasmine scent in your hair.

So here you are, three cups of coffee later, and about to nap on your desk. The body Hydra gave you was strong, but you’ve been in a car chase, with the Iron Army hunting you down, fought in a nightclub, and probably had four or five rounds of sex with Steve. You honestly don’t know what was more exhausting. You’d guess the mission that had gone rogue, but honestly, the sex just left you breathless.

"Oh, rough night?" Robert handed you a fourth cup of coffee, eyeing the dark circles under your eyes. "Need the adrenaline shot?"

"Um…" You actually considered it for a moment. Your body metabolized stuff like that too fast, though—it would only last for a couple of hours, tops. "Nah, forget it.” You need your brain clear to process everything that happened. 

“I’ve heard…” Dr. Lin’s voice interrupted your thoughts as he leaned casually on your desk, his eyes scanning the room where your colleagues were clearly whispering about you. “That Captain America had quite the adventure yesterday. Right after leaving the UN, too.”

He tsked and pulled out his phone, showing you a few grainy clips. Footage from CCTVs and some shaky handhelds—probably from people who had their phones out at the right moment. “A broken bridge, streets on fire, and…a fight in a nightclub? You’re gonna need more than coffee to survive this shift, I think.”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “Too late for damage control, huh? Is it all over the news?” You could only imagine the hell Steve was going through with Commander Hill: ‘I gave you 1,278 security protocols, and you ignored them all?!’ Yeah, you weren’t setting foot in the command room today.

“Not quite all over the news yet—mostly social media.” Dr. Lin was clearly enjoying the UN’s PR disaster a bit too much. “I think they’re working overtime behind the scenes to sweep it under the rug. Captain America gets attacked his first time outside the compound during ‘The Reconciliation of the Century’? Yeah…someone’s having a bad day in PR.”

“Anyway…as I was saying…You’re gonna need more than coffee, we’ve got company today…”

“What? Company?” You were surprised. “They’re letting people in?!” After yesterday’s security breach?

“Seems the first New Era Project agent that the UN sent was a fraud or didn’t work. And since we visited them yesterday already, today, they’re sending some new guys.” Dr. Lin looked at you, lowering his glasses: “Yikes, right? So for today, we need to pretend we’re working. ‘Cause we’re not sharing our real stuff…which will make this day unbearable.”

Oh. You grimaced after Dr. Lin turned around and began “working.” Yeah, you knew everything about how the last agent went wrong. But actually, this ‘pretend to be working’ thing was good—you needed to analyze everything that had happened.

You opened a document connected to Tony’s hub and started typing, outlining the details for him in your usual style. (It was your private little system—documents stored in The Crib, or what the three of you called the ‘Geniuses’ Sticky Notes.’) You’d barely finished bullet point five when someone in a crisp military uniform appeared beside you, smiling next to your screen.

“Hi, Ilithya. Ilithya Lancaster—whose phone number is still confidential. Nice to see you again.” John Walker said smiling, quoting the line you’d once used to refuse giving him your number.

Oh dear Lord, he really should have taken a nap with you when he had the chance, instead of those three—no, four rounds of sex you had in the dressing room and the shower.

Steve thought after suppressing another yawn, trying to focus on the screen, where Thadeus Ross was losing his temper again, explaining why the UN had nothing to do with the attack he and you got yesterday.

But who was he kidding? Steve almost smiled. Nope, no way he’d have preferred the nap over the sex. That was exactly what he needed after being hard almost the entire afternoon. And four times weren’t enough—he would have gone on if you weren’t in the dressing room.

For fuck’s sake, when is this over? He couldn’t wait to get back to your private lab-slash-home, have a light dinner, and get in bed with you.

Oh, that’s a nice thought: a sex marathon for the weekend is all he needs after this hellish week. He started thinking of your intertwined bodies, your begging moans that sounded like heaven... Yeah, okay, he needs to focus. Maybe listen to what the Secretary has to say instead of thinking about your messy hair, your heavy breath, your skin that felt like silky sweet milk, and your mouth... Yup, stop. Let’s hear Ross, so he doesn’t get hard again in the middle of a full meeting room.

He felt a glare on him, so he looked around and saw Agent Sharon Carter staring with her eyebrows raised, as if saying, “Gotcha, pay attention.” Steve suppressed a smile and looked down. Oh boy, this was going to be a long day.

“I thought your super friends were going to be attending this meeting too.” Once the screen was off, Sharon smiled at him while picking up the folders and files.

“Well... Hill and Sam are still in Fraser’s interrogation. Tony and Bruce are tracking back the security breach. Natasha and Clint took over my place in training since I’m busy with other things. So...”

Basically, what happened was that when Tony asked who would be taking this mission, everyone stepped back, and I was the only idiot at the front. Steve shook his head internally.

“In that case.” Sharon gave him the usual confident wink. “I’m glad. It’s been forever since we shared a mission.” She grinned. “Last time almost cost me my career.”

“Yeah...um...lucky, things sorted out on that one...” He was a little embarrassed but still grateful for Sharon’s help during the Civil War chaos.

“I’m kidding with you, okay?” Sharon teased. “It’s not like I almost got into federal prison or anything.” She sighed a little, lowering her voice: “Although, I wouldn’t have minded if I had to.” She said with a soft voice and a sparkle in her eyes, looking at Steve with sincerity, which made him stiffen.

“So, how have you been?” Steve nodded and asked with a polite smile, pressing the elevator button for her as they headed to the cafeteria floor. “How does it feel to be at the UN? I heard the benefits are better than the CIA, though unfortunately, you’ll need to deal with us again.”

"Ah, I don’t know what you're talking about," Sharon said with a wink, grinning playfully. "Every agent’s dream, right? Dealing with the Avengers, working alongside the great Captain America... even if, well, my boss would rather face another alien army than deal with the politics of this initiative."

“Well, that’d make two of us.” Steve chuckled, and opened the cafeteria door for her.

The hum of chatter and the clinking of dishes filled the air. The compound’s cafeteria was large, efficient, and—much to Steve’s relief—quiet at this time of day. It was near lunchtime, but still a little early for food service, so the air was full of a coffee’s aroma that lingered from breakfast. They got in line for coffee and a quick snack, and Sharon gave him a sideways glance, her expression teasing as she grabbed a sandwich.

“Oh wow, you guys have affogato as dessert? I could consider getting back to work with you guys just for your catering service.” Sharon said, breaking the brief silence as they moved along the counter.

“Well, if you consider that, I could make my best effort to get your agent’s number back.” Steve grinned, grabbing just a cup of coffee.

“Oh yes, lucky number, huh?” She stopped for a second as she laughed and said, “Remember that place we went to… Venice? What was it called, the best affogato in the world.”

“Benicio’s?” Steve nodded. “Yeah… it’s closed now. I mean, gone during the Blip, hopefully reopened now.”

“You didn’t have the affogato, though,” Sharon said with a playful hint in her voice. “Mr. ‘I don’t know how to relax since I got into a fight with Stark and we’re on the run.’”

“Hey, I was the international most wanted. I think it was okay for me just to stay out of the loop. Imagine if I got caught because of ice cream. That would’ve been…”

“Funny? Quite a story to tell? Best date I’ve ever had?” Sharon shrugged.

“...Embarrassing.” Steve said with a smile. “Or awkward, or even humiliating.”

Sharon shook her head and laughed. They found a table by the window, where sunlight poured in, and Steve took a seat across from her. He could see the curiosity in Sharon’s eyes, the slight hesitation before she spoke again.

“It really was, actually. One of my top three dates.” Her smile turned more serious, her voice low enough that only Steve could hear over the ambient noise. “Too bad it ended so… abruptly.”

Steve wanted to say, "We would never have made it too far", but he only sighed.

He didn’t want to dismiss her feelings, and he couldn’t deny that something had existed between them. It was brief, but also real. A shared history they couldn’t quite forget or ignore.

Sharon was strong, smart, and capable—someone he admired deeply and cared about. He appreciated her confidence and her courage, but that connection, though meaningful, was nothing compared to what he felt for you now.

That had been a stream. With you, it was tides, waves, the entire ocean.

“We made a good team.” Steve said with a smile, being honest and looking directly into her eyes.

Something about it made Sharon hold her breath. 

She could remember moments in the past when Steve had the same effect on her. He would just gaze at her, and her heartbeat would skip or beat too fast.

Maybe that’s why she hadn’t pushed harder when it didn’t work. If she had fallen, completely and madly, as she’d wanted to, the power he held over her would have been overwhelming.

She had risked her entire career just to help him, and they were… nothing. Just a kiss, just some kisses or dates. So what would have happened if they’d continued? She couldn’t imagine a life where she had so little discipline about her feelings, mind, or heart.

“I know.” Sharon spoke softly, still holding his gaze. She was taking a leap of faith now. Cause she couldn’t help to wonder—could it have worked?

What if…they gave it another chance? They didn’t have the menace of the universe’s destruction now, the chances of Steve (or her) being a fugitive again were none after Thanos, so what… what if…?

“But…” She began, but Steve suddenly turned as something caught his attention.

It was lunchtime, and the employees began to arrive at the cafeteria, you among them, with Dr. Lin at your right and John Walker at your left.

“Captain Walker, I really don’t need a date. I have a boyfriend, no, um… fiancé.” You said as you picked up a tray and started serving lunch on your plate, remembering how Steve just highlighted this morning that the ring was indeed, a ring.

“It’s John.” Said a very cheerful John Walker, who was not stepping back from asking you out, even though you had been determined and clear about your “NO”s and reasons.

“Well, does this fiancé have a name? And where’s the ring?” he said while picking lunch and placing food, walking backward with a gracious wink.

“OH MY GOD!” You and Dr. Lin said at the same time, your eyes widening as you noticed the ring was missing from your finger.

“Where’s the ring? D…did you lose the ring?!” Robert was panicking. Did you just lose the engagement ring Captain America gave you?!

“I don’t know, it was on my finger...” You were looking in your lab coat pockets and in your clothes.

“It’s a tracking device, equipped with the last of Stark technology, how...how can you lose a tracking device?!” Dr. Lin couldn’t believe it. 

“Your boyfriend put a tracking device on you?” John hmph'd with a laugh. “What a douchebag!” He put a hand on his chest. “I promise, I would never do such a manipulative, controlling freak thing to you.” He winked. “I’ll look out for other guys who come close, of course, but that’s another level of jerkiness. Ugh...a tracking device, what is he, a psychopath?”

“It’s an engagement ring,” you replied, frowning, though you didn’t think of giving out too much information to him. You thought back to the last time you saw the ring, which was before you took it off when you entered the UN HQ.

You pulled out your phone, wanting to send a message to Steve just to confirm.

Some strands of hair curved in front of you when you looked down, and John, who was standing in front of you, couldn’t help but stretch out his hand and brush them to your shoulder. His fingers ran through your hair, and his fingertips touched your ear as he accommodated it for you.

Before you could react, a loud crash echoed through the cafeteria, like the sound of a broken cup or mug.

Sharon stood in shock as Steve slammed his cup down so hard the porcelain shattered. His face was livid, veins bulging in his neck, and his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

He abruptly stood, the chair scraping loudly behind him, and stormed in your direction.

"I've got it, babe." Steve said. He didn’t miss a moment of the interaction and was at your side in an instant. He took your hand, his eyes locked on John Walker, and carefully slid the ring back onto your finger. “It was in the pocket of your gear.” 

Both captains exchanged tense, serious looks. You could feel the sparks fly between them as they made eye contact, and after a long moment, Steve finally smiled.

“I’m guessing you're here as a representative of the New Era’s Project, Captain Walker?” He said, placing a firm hand on your waist, his grip tightening slightly.

“Yes.” John replied with a polite but sneering smile.

“The knowledge exchanges from R&D have been…quite enlightening. I can’t wait to see what the best of your team has to offer…to me.” He said as he raised his jaw and tilted his head toward you. You could feel Steve’s body tense, like a bow stretched to its full capacity and ready to snap back.

"Take whatever gear or armory you want, Walker," Steve said in a cold, measured voice, as the entire cafeteria fell silent, all eyes locked on the tension between the two men.

"But the best of this compound is far beyond your reach. And don’t think for a second that you could ever put a finger on that." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, teeth clenched. Touch my girl’s hair again, and I’ll cut your arm off.

"Steve." A calm voice cut through the tension as Commander Hill appeared at the doorway. She walked in with steady confidence. "We’ve got news. I need you and Dr. Lancaster in the Command Room."

Steve didn’t immediately move. His gaze lingered on Walker for a few more seconds, with unspoken warnings in his eyes. Then, without a word, he turned to you, gently taking your hand in his, and led you out of the cafeteria. The weight of Walker’s stare followed behind you both, but your focus stayed fixed on your fiance's figure.

No one spoke in the hallway as you walked toward the Command Room. You could see Steve’s rigid expression. He was pissed, his jaw tight, shoulders tense as if holding back more words.

But you were… well, trying your best to hide the curve of your lips. Just like he had back in the car when you sobbed that you’d go to Wakanda and talk to plants for the rest of your life if he ever left you to go back to his gorgeous ex.

Oh, so he was this jealous? Even a little possessive? He got this mad just because a guy touched your hair? Now, if Steve were any other guy, maybe this would seem like a giant red flag, but this was the love of your life, so…

You slid your hand into his palm, pressing your skin to his, and intertwined your fingers with his. 

Steve’s expression softened, and he looked at you, letting out a quiet sigh. He smiled when you mouthed, I love you.

Commander Hill, however, wasn’t in the mood for your lovebird moments. Her face remained stern as she waited for the door to close behind you, sealing the room.

"Agent Frazer was found dead this morning."

The words hung in the air like a punch to the gut. Steve’s hand tightened around yours as his expression shifted from softened warmth to immediate alertness.

You lowered your sight.

Somehow, you had a feeling this was coming anytime soon. It was weird, though. Agent Frazer was not your brother; he just pretended to be for some time (and then actually tried to brainwash slash attack you). But for a moment, you wished that had been true, that your brother was alive, even if he had been turned against you. So now he is dead, and you feel strangely sad.

Your way of dealing with it? Throw yourself into the facts.

“How?” you asked, almost mechanically. “Was it because… his neural synapses overloaded, triggering an energy surge that short-circuited his cerebral cortex in under a millisecond? Like… like someone or something… wired his brain to self-destruct?”

Maria’s eyes widened, and she gave a quick, silent nod.

Steve’s grip tightened, haunted by your words. At that moment, he panicked, cold sweat through his shirt, fear dominating his senses when the possibility of losing you suddenly struck hard in his mind. So, could anyone do that? Snap their fingers and cause you a brain dead? 

His body was merely processing under this thought. He felt the urge to hug you, to feel your warmth and heartbeat under his skin, to feel you entirely safe in his arms. But you were in the command room, so he didn’t move.

“Can we make sure that…” His voice trembled slightly. “What happened to Frazer…” doesn’t happen to you?

Commander Hill noted his panic, so she gave him some time to process.

“Oh no.” You noticed too, so you reassured him, squeezing his hand back: “That won’t happen to me. I’ve only been through one brainwash. It takes more than that—multiple processes, open surgery. And Hydra… they didn’t have the tech to pull it off. Not back then.”

“But…” Your mind raced ahead, piecing things together. “Whoever did this? They’re desperate.”

You rubbed your forehead, and as your hands dropped, Maria noticed it: that look on your face.

The same intense, calculating look Steve wore when he was seeing things no one else could—analyzing every possibility, tracing out the most brilliant, cunning plan, whether on a battlefield or at a table of white collars and power brokers.

“Jarvis, any chance Bruce and Tony are in the crib?” You needed to process your ideas, but you also needed someone who could remember everything you’d said.

“They are on their way here, Dr. Lancaster.” answered the A.I. “Crossing the elevator’s door at this moment.” said Jarvis as both entered the room.

“Please tell me you already have a preliminary conclusion?” said Tony, stepping into the room.

“Okay…” You stood in the middle, your mind moving faster than words as you started laying out the analysis.

“They have access to Hydra files—there’s no other way to explain it. Clearance levels that aren’t just high for regulars; files that were locked, or used to be locked, behind old S.H.I.E.L.D. encryption. And the remains of my file? Only a few could access those after Hydra was dismantled.”

Tony leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, tracking your every movement. Bruce sat at the edge of a table, hands loosely folded, but his furrowed brow betrayed his concern.

“So, leftover Hydra goons or former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?” Tony asked. He didn't want to say it aloud, but there was also another possibility: a breach, here, inside the Avengers.

“Or both.” Steve raised an eyebrow. “Ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives who went dark when Hydra fell. People who know how to stay hidden but had deep ties to the old Hydra infrastructure.”

“Even if they had the files, they’d need money. A lot of it, if they’re working with the kind of tech that got into Frazer’s head.” Bruce said, swiping through the files on the screen.

“Yeah, this doesn’t sound like some underground merc group.” Maria said, standing beside him as she watched the files on the main screen.

“This is serious, billionaire-level investment. Whoever’s backing them has access to bleeding-edge tech. Retinal implants, memory manipulation… that’s not standard black-market operation. The kind of power they’re throwing around is something only the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. had access to—the old S.H.I.E.L.D. when they were still around.”

“So, they’re gearing up for something big, or they’re hitting a wall. What are they trying to accomplish? Why use Frazer as a puppet?” Tony followed the line of thought.

You hesitated: “I think… They’re close to something. A breakthrough, maybe. Or…” You stopped and narrowed your eyes, thinking aloud. “Or they’re failing. Desperate. They’re making bold moves because they need something critical. And that something is… me.”

Steve’s expression shifted. His fingers locked onto yours, tightly.

“The attack was directed at you. Frazer was pretending to be your brother. And to confirm your existence.” Tony sighed, frustrated and feeling a pang of guilt. He hid you all these years, thinking you would be safe. He should have let you out of the New Eras Project. The Avengers had so many ways of detecting enemies without using your powers. Fuck, he should have listened to Steve when he warned him to let you out of the Project.

“Of the twelve of you, you’re the only one with… those powers.” Steve murmured, almost clenching his teeth. He felt the urge to hug you, as if you were going to disappear or vanish in the next second.

“And a success case.” You said, not wanting to scare him but knowing you all needed the entire picture. “The only survivor, the only… prototype. Still alive. In my body is the source code for why these experiments or creations worked.”

“Wait…” Tony’s glare was fixed on you. “If the endgame is to copy your ability… What could they even use that for?” But it was a self-answering conversation. He was just thinking aloud: “…a soldier who could walk into a building and identify every weak point before the first shot is fired. Or worse, detect something we’ve built to be undetectable.”

“Why stop there, Tony?” Maria’s expression was serious and cold. “Why would there be only one? Hydra made a dozen back then, and they didn’t even have half the tech we have now.”

Bruce frowned deeper, his voice low: “If they’re that close, then we’re on borrowed time. They’ve already brainwashed Frazer, and now they’re playing with neural implants and synaptic overrides.”

“Exactly.” You nodded. “And they are so desperate, they don’t care if we know they’re out there now, because they’re so close they can taste it. Once they succeed, they won’t even fear the Avengers’ powers anymore.”

Tony exhaled sharply, his glare cold. “So, they’re building something. A super soldier, or an army of them—enhanced with tech that would let them see through just about anything.”

“And they’re not far from getting there. But for now, I’m still the key to unlocking that power.”

The room went quiet for a moment as the weight of your words settled in.

“Well, isn’t that just fantastic.” Tony applauded, the whole thing giving him a headache. “We’ve got super soldiers with x-ray vision on the horizon. And they’ve got you in their crosshairs.”

“So basically, we need to see what triggered this sudden desperation.” Bruce leaned forward, and his mind began to analyze: “We could scan for energy centralization around the globe. Human creation needs vast electromagnetic fields to power high-level bioengineering, especially when manipulating neural pathways at this scale. We need to track when or where all this is happening. But…”

His voice was tense.

“I’ve got a feeling they’re at the door already. Because whatever they’re building… they’re almost done.”

The way back home was silent. You could feel the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tension. Steve hadn’t said much since you left the command room. His usual warmth and quiet strength seemed overshadowed by something deeper—fear and anxiety, clunging over him like a dark shadow, haunting him at his heels.

You wanted to speak, but your mind was processing too. You were trying to remember everything you knew about yourself and your siblings, every memory, every piece of paper you’d seen in Hydra labs, every layer of analysis they’d made you go through.

The ride home was silent, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on the road, even your house slash lab was after all the securities protocols and protective layers Maria had put, he was still alert, as if there were something in the grass and trees of the compound that would attack anytime. You could feel the weight of his thoughts, pressing down like a storm waiting to break.

"Babe there's no need…" You said as Steve moved around the house once you've arrived.

He checked every window, every door, securing them with an almost obsessive care. He paused at the front door, his hand lingering on the lock as if it was the only thing standing between you and the threat he couldn’t control.

You watched him, knowing that this wasn’t just about protecting you—it was about the fear within him.

"Steve, I'm here." You stopped him. Placing your hand on his back: "I'm here. With you."

He turned to you, his face pale. His eyes were haunted, wide with the kind of fear you rarely saw in him. He’s worried.

No, not worried, he’s terrified.

Without a word, he pulls you into his arms, wrapping them tightly around you like you might disappear if he let go. His grip is firm, desperate, as trying to shield you from an invisible danger that only he can see.

His breath is uneven, and you can feel the tension radiating from him. For a man who has faced down gods, monsters, the end of the universe, this kind of fear is new to him. It’s not the enemy outside he fears—it’s the thought of losing you, of failing to protect you. Again.

You don’t say anything at first. Words won’t soothe him. So you just hold him back, resting your head against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart. Slowly, you lifted your hands to gently press them on his neck, cupping his face to make him look at you.

"I'm here. And we will be ok." You say softly.

These words made him tremble. Will you? How can you be sure? How could he know? What if…

He couldn’t imagine what he’d do if he lost you.

“I won’t let them take you.” He said, as a sacred oath, tatooed in his soul. “I’m going to set up more protocols.” He muttered, pulling back just enough to look into your eyes, his expression one of steely resolve beneath the worry. “More security. I’ll have Tony upgrade the system. I’ll have guards outside. I’ll—”

You stayed still in his arms, feeling the rawness of his fear. His body was tense, and you could feel the tremble in his muscles, the weight of his panic pressing against you. He wasn’t just holding you for comfort—he was holding you like you were the last solid thing in a world that was quickly unraveling.

“Steve,” you interrupted softly, placing a hand on his chest. “You can’t protect me from everything.”

His eyes locked onto yours. “I can try. And I will.”

"Babe…this is the Avengers compound. This is…the safest place on earth. Or even the universe."

"It took only one protocol. One permission. Approved by me." He said with teeth clenched. "I gave him clearance. One, to bring Frazer in front of you, I won't ever, ever let that happen again." He said with conviction, his expressions somber as he remembered everything you went through.

But beneath his determination, you could see the cracks: the anxiety gnawing away at him, the overwhelming fear that no matter what he did, it might not be enough.

"Steve…"

“You don’t understand…” His voice is strained, thick with the fear that he hasn’t been able to shake since the moment he realized you were being targeted. “I’ve seen too much. I’ve lost too many. If something happens to you—”

He pauses.

“I can’t lose you.” He whispered, his voice barely audible. He was a man made of iron will and conviction, but here he stood, vulnerable and raw, stripped bare of all his usual defenses.

“Hey, hey, hey…Listen.” You said, holding his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your gaze. “I’m here. Right here. I’m not going anywhere. I'm here, with you, I'm safe.”

He looks at you and feels a pang of pain to your innocent even naive words.

Safe? Were you safe when he was on the other side of the wall and couldn't do anything but watch as you almost fell under Frazer's brainwash? Were you safe when you pressed a tranquilizer to yourself?

The memory of you in his arms, unconcious and slipping away was so vivid.

His hands tightened around you again at that thought, his grip shaking slightly. “I just... I can’t stop thinking about it.” He admitted, his voice strained. “What if I can’t get to you in time? What if something happens and I’m not there? What if…”

“I can’t take that risk.” He mutters, more to himself than to you. “ I can't. I won’t let anything happen to you. Not again.”

You pull back just enough to look up at him, your hands resting on his chest. His blue eyes are filled with a vulnerability you’ve only seen in rare moments— when the weight of the world is too much, even for him.

“Steve.” You say soft but firmly: “We’ll get through this. Together.”

For a long moment, he just looks at you, his eyes searching yours, as if trying to find reassurance in the depths of your gaze. Slowly, he exhales, but he doesn’t let go. That deep-rooted terror of losing you, isn't going away anytime soon.

His arms remain wrapped around you, protective and unyielding, as though he’s made a silent vow that nothing—no person, no secret organization, no force on Earth or beyond—will ever take you away from him.

If only that could be true.

THE End but TBC

Continue to Chapter 10: Eclipse

Alright I'm SO SORRY I'm late!! 2 Full time jobs really is consuming me!! I hope you enjoyed it!! Sooooo I have a really serious question RN, could you doooo me the favor to lmk your thoughts!!

Tag list: @vioplay19 / @jamneuromain / @steviebbboi / @heletsmelovehim / @otterlycanadian / hisredheadedgoddess28

*can you let me know if I've missed anyone in the taglist? thanks <3

[starleska]

thoughts on Despicable Me 4...🐜✨

i finally got to see Despicable Me 4 today and wanted to share a few thoughts, as it's a series near and dear to my heart (and same for many pals on here 🥰). of course, massive spoilers below!!!

so to start off: DM4 is tremendously charming and funny just like it's predecessors! there's plenty of fun action, an entertaining roster of new characters to enjoy and some very interesting lore-building on the origin of supervillainy in the DM universe. i laughed a lot and generally found it to be a fun little romp!! and of course, y'all know how obsessed i am with the main baddie 🙈💖

that being said, i do feel that DM4 was a little...thematically muddled, in places, with a few aspects falling short of expectations. whilst i adore him, i think this can be felt most with Maxime Le Mal, our fabulous bug-themed villain. although Maxime had a killer entrance and a truly terrifying vendetta against Gru, i was a little deflated to see it revealed to just be a routine high school rivalry...with no particular explanation!! i was left with so many more questions about him and his history: when did his and Gru's rivalry begin, and why? why is Maxime Übelschlecht's favourite student? what's Maxime's background? how did he and Valentina meet, and why did they stay together? can he transform at will, or was he turned back into a human by the AVL?

likewise, Maxime's partner Valentina suffered a great deal more: despite a banging design and a touted history as a femme fatale, Valentina ended up not being much more than Maxime's girlfriend, which was...bizarre, honestly. i kind of felt that they accidentally gave the badass action sequences and lore development which should've gone to Valentina to Principal Übelschlecht...which was odd!! it feels like we were given the tantalising suggestion of all the history at Lycée Pas Bon, but all we got to see was a glimpse at the talent show. which felt like a waste!!! i have a few thoughts on how Valentina could've been made more vital to the story, which i'll expand upon another time 🔥

it's a similar odd unbalanced feeling when it comes to Lucy, Margot, Edith and Agnes...lots of us were interested in seeing how Gru and Lucy having a biological child affected the girls, but it seems to be a non-issue. having the girls and their development be sidelined again so we can explore a different young character wanting to explore villainy (Poppy) seems like such an odd choice to me...as cool as Poppy is, why not just make it one of Gru's kids? it kind of felt like Gru has 'finished' bonding with the girls, so his trying to bond with Gru Junior was prioritised 💔

here's the thing: i think the scenes with Gru and Poppy were incredibly strong, and him mentoring a young villain is a fabulous idea! but why move it from Lycée Pas Bon at all? imagine a version of the movie where one of the girls - or all of them!-is/are accepted at Lycée Pas Bon as a student, and the whole family relocates to support her/them. perhaps Maxime could've stayed on as a villainy teacher, and Poppy could've been an already-enrolled student!! then we could've had that re-emergence of old high school rivalries along with the AVL subplot, Poppy wanting to pull a heist, etc. without Maxime and Valentina needing to spend half their time off-screen hunting for Gru!! 😭💖

weighing all of that up... i really enjoyed Despicable Me 4, but there were lots of places where i think the elements weren't properly blended or expanded upon. it felt like perhaps there were too many things going on at once, and they weren't cooked for quite long enough? but hey, that's alright - it makes the universe a more fun sandbox to play in :3c plus, this movie can't go down in my estimation - not only does it have Maxime Le Mal, but we also got to see all of our old favourite villains!!! (the way i SCREAMED seeing Balthazar again oh my god-!!!)

so yeah!!! really fun movie with plenty of stuff to keep us guessing and coming up with interesting new angles in the fandom :3c i'd love to hear your thoughts!!!

[david-goldrock]

I once wrote a DND character for a friend. they didn't use it. I share it with you now

The text is not a backstory, but what the DM needs to read aloud to meet the character. he's a mute, so that would be difficult, but some people like the challenge

The party walks into a pub to see their old friend, Anasmor the old wizard, shedding a tear to a random orc ventriloquist doing a show in the center of the pub. "Do you know this guy?" Asks Shina the cleric, after greeting the old man. "Oh you really wanna know? It's not the prettiest story, you know, funny as Onrog may seem now. This man, and his family, tragedy hunts their past… You see, they were not that old, when it happened. 3, maybe 4 years old? His 2 sisters 8 and 9 respectively. It's unfair, I know, life isn't fair to anyone, but yeah, this is not a sensible amount of pain for even the mightiest of warriors, I agree. He saw it when it happened. The monster was probably planning it for months, but the moment struck on his birthday. The tentacle shot through the old clock they had on their wall, straight into his father's, Glormish's, mouth, eating everything from inside, leaving only the skin intact. Valora, his mom, managed to shout for the kids to run, they did, but with her shout the second tentacle shot, and killed her too. A child so young does not know how to handle such a thing, you see, so he latched onto the first idea he had: his mouth remains shut. How does he eat? I do not know my dear, legends say his back has a hole directly leading to his stomach, but those are probably fairy tales. I guess by the nice show he is making us you understand how he speaks 😉

They had a lot of luck, my friend. Most children would have died in the wilderness, but Lisha and Neera, his sisters, used to play survival games with their dad, so they knew what to do. Lisha quickly got them on Yorsh, the family horse, and rode 50 kilometers southeast to the nearest forest. There, Neera found a few sticks and stones, and made them 3 weapons: Lisha got the axe. Neera got the sword. And young Onrog got his first bow, a weapon to use against fish from afar, to keep one safe. It wasn't as fancy as the one you see on his back right now, but it was good enough for the fish.

Years have passed, many a year, 23 years in the forest if am exact. In this time the trio started to speak the "language" of the forest animals. At first it was a joke, get the rabbit to cross the river, get the snake to loop-de-loop, but slowly and surely, they learned. By now they can get any animal to do their deeds, with enough time of course. 23 years have passed, And I wandered into this very forest. The trio, who did not remember the look of an old man, almost killed me on the spot, mistaking me for a monster. When I told them of the attacks of the tentacles, the thousands of dead, Lisha and Neera told me to fuck off. They told me that they have paid their price and are not interested in anything more. Onrog though, seemed interested in revenge. He got nothing more than a kiss goodbye from his sisters when he went on the rampage.

Of course, as you know, the danger of the unuk-li is long gone, an achievement all but exclusive to our Onrog, but the lust for revenge doesn't die out, it changes targets. These days? On his downtime he does his little show in the pubs and celebrates his winnings, but he always has one ear open for adventure parties, and he will join anyone fighting a big enough treat.

Personally? I would caution against such troubles, but I am an old man after all, and adventure is the business of the youth. If you do choose to take him into your group, id warn you thus- if enough time will go without a treat, Onrog will accuse the innocent of the worst of things just to have an opponent. Keep your eye on him.

[soraavalon]

DM: You are told which direction to go, there are a couple knights who speak Common who can kind of point you in the right direction saying that the Order of the Night Quill have gone about a day ago and haven't returned yet and it shouldn't have taken them that long judging by the scouting.

Marigold: 'kay

DM: But you will heading into a nearby swamp and from there a cavern, I guess? They describe there's a large boulder that has been, that has fell off a side of a mountain and the troll is living in there.

Ethan: He's living in a boulder that fell off the side of a mountain?

DM: Yeah, [something] cracked. It's good real estate.

Marigold (OOC): It's free real estate.

DM: *laughs* It's free real estate.

Marigold (OOC): Because [something] good.

Ethan: Sometimes things that are worth money are worse.

DM: You guys are told it should take you a day to get here and then a day back, so... Rymer kind of looks a little hesitant to leave you guys but definitely doesn't want to come fight a troll, that sounds awful.

Ethan: He'll be fine.

DM: He's like 'Yeah, I would much rather go with the guy who's guaranteed to murder anything near him.'

Marigold (OOC): It's very hurtful that every time something bad happens Rymer's like, 'I'm out.'

DM: Rymer is a coward.

Hunt (OOC): He's a coward.

Marigold (OOC): It still hurts my feelings.

DM: That was his first and foremost character trait and it will remain his first and foremost character trait.

Marigold (OOC): That's fine, it just hurts.

Hunt (OOC): Just curious, is the Lord of the Hunt gonna leave before the party or are we gonna leave at the same time?

DM: About the same time, actually they'll leave a little ahead because Starlight Prince is ready to go.

Hunt: Alright, before they leave I want to cast Resistance on Rymer. "I know it's not going to last long, but...." giving the sentiment to help, protect him. (OOC): I don't know how to word it properly.

DM: He nods appreciatively and kind of reaches out and sets a hand on your shoulder and gives it a squeeze.

Rymer: Don't die out there.

Hunt: That'll be our one goal.

Rymer: I guess, don't let most of the others die. I mean, if the elf, well that happens. Accidents happen.

Nathaniel (OOC): Wow.

Hunt: I'll try to keep everyone from dying. Or getting lost.

Rymer: You should be fine, probably?

Hunt: Eh, fingers crossed.

Rymer: Just remember the rules I gave you, the handouts, just...

Hunt: Mm-hmm.

Rymer: Okay.

Hunt: You make sure to come back too.

Rymer: Oh I'm sure we'll be fine. I'm going to watch the Lord of the Hunt rip a frog in half, I think I'll be okay.

-laughter-

Rymer: I don't think I have to get involved in my travel at all.

Hunt: I don't think so either, but can never be too sure.

Rymer: Sure.

whomst: I'm going to watch a murder. What are you? What?

DM: 'I'll be fine. I'm a bystander.'

Hunt: Just keep your distance from the frog lest we have a repeat of last time.

Nathaniel (OOC): 'I'm here to cheer.'

DM: I know, right?

Mistletoe (OOC): Bystanding is what Rymer does best.

DM: It really is. Valid.

Nathaniel (OOC): Oh my god.

Mistletoe (OOC): The most he's not been a bystander was when we slammed the door on Marigold's dad's face.

Hunt (OOC) & DM: Yeah.

DM: He's thrown a couple of arrows... No, he didn't 'cause he didn't want to get in trouble with fighting the Summer Court, right.

Hunt (OOC): Yep. Well actually, wait he did attack the Summer Squire.

DM: Oh, he did.

Hunt (OOC): And that got him a Blight to the face.

DM: Yeah and then he went, 'Nope, aight, done. Understood.'

[janeaudron]

Ah, okay I can finally write this in more detail and start from the beginning-sh. I'm playing a Hobgoblin Circle of the Stars Druid.

So we're doing the Waterdeep Dragon Heist module and just did the Gralhund Villa. According to our DM, we have gone off how the module was "supposed" to play out but he was very cool with it.

So we've reconvened at the Villa after doing some investigation and that detector is pretty much saying the Nimblewright is somewhere here. I decide to do some snooping and wild shape into a spider.

Pretty much find out both the parties(Half-burned man and the Nimblewright) we're looking for are here and go back to tell my friends. The Leonin fighter runs off to tell the City Watch, Elf Ranger stays by the barn door and is thinking of a plan that can get him into the villa, and I go back to spy on that meeting some more and try and find a place to slip into the villa with no luck.

Leonin Fighter is very ticked the City Watch aren't moving fast enough to get here, gets back, and is just about ready to break down the barn door but cools her jets and she and the Elf try coming up with an idea of passing themselves off as some locksmiths(with poor disguises too boot XD) ordered by the local "HOA"(inside joke) to check the locks in the district.

Before they can even start that play all hell breaks loose in the villa and we are hearing screams.

So they break in, start finding the bodies and servants, and eventually, our Leonin runs into two thugs. She nearly takes a beating before our Elf manages to pull off a charm on one of the thugs. Pretty much he somewhat makes himself look like an old feebled man calling out to an old war veteran friend. Jimothy, the thug's name became Jimothy that night.

During all of that I go down to a nearby balcony, wild-shaped into my Archer star form, and open the door. Guess where that door opened to? Master Bedroom. Guess who was in that room? Lady Gralhund armored up and with a weapon.

I'm surprised to see her. She's surprised to see me. I immediately cast Hold Person and thank the dice she fails. A quick check around the room — oh her kids are in that backroom? Okay, leave them there. What's behind this other door? Oh, combat there? Yeah no. Go back to the Lady, disarm her before tying her up and I ponder what to do because heck I am no fighter and can't imagine dealing with a bunch of guards and whoever else is out there.

Back to the others. The Elf getting some really high deception and performance rolls manages to make Jimothy rethink his life choices and turn on his friend allowing them to dispatch the thug before he leaves. We all hope Jimothy truly changes his life around... once that spell ends. It was both a funny and a heartfelt moment.

Now it's my accidental time to shine and quick thinking for the night that had us all in stitches.

So I head back to the door to see how the fighting is going. The tide of battle is changing and I'm just hearing bodies drop. Mildly entering panic mode as the player but then it clicks. Don't I have a few bags of ball bearings?

Go through my character sheet and I have like 8 bags of 1,000 ball bearings. Tell the DM I want to dump a bag out the door. Pretty my logic was to add to the chaos and maybe buy some time for my teammates to get upstairs and maybe think of a trap I could lay.

DM is pretty much like:

(And laughing)

Fighter is dying of laughter

Ranger is laughing and going "This is gonna be some Scooby-Doo shit."

DM: "I need you to roll a Dexterity check."

I'm pretty much thinking "Hm, maybe seeing how well I get those bearings out the door without drawing attention to myself."

NOPE

I roll high and the next thing I know I'm dodging out the way as the door swings wide open and the half-burned man we were hunting comes rolling through and falls on his back.

We all just bust out laughing once that happens and takes a bit before we all calm down.

I seize the moment and roll to knock the guy out with my quarterstaff. DM decides if the burned man can meet or beat my attack roll to see if he's knocked out. The guy rolls one under and is out cold. Combat was more or less over.

I have never felt so much triumph and fear in my body at the same time.

Well tonight’s DnD session went all sorts of ways but ended great. Chest still hurts from laughing so hard with my ball bearings stunt. 😂

Some really quick thinking on my part but sheer luck on what came next.

[yourplayersaidwhat]

God of traveling derails my whole campaign

Me (DM): What's everyone's passive perception? (One passes) Great. You are awaken to something seeming off. 

Barbarian: Uh, I wake Rogue and warlock and go outside to investigate. 

Me: Great. You all awaken and find a strange man sitting by the fire, which is now lit, eating some of your supplies. The man looks up and smiles. This man is very strange looking, yah know about satyrs? That, but the opposite. Goat like face, horns, weird hoof things that have fingers at the end. Super weird looking dude. 

Rogue: Uh, can we help you sir?

Warlock: You're kind of eating our food.

Me: The guy introduces himself. *Ahem* "HELLO! I'M THE GOD OF TRAVELING USUALLY KNOWN AS GOMAN! I HAVE COME TO BRING YOU GIFTS! YOU THREE HAVE CAUGHT THE GODS ATTENTION AND THEY WISH TO REWARD YOU FOR YOUR GOOD DEEDS! I HAVE ALSO COME TO TELL YOU THAT I WILL DELIVER ALL YOUR MAIL! TO ANYONE IN ANY PLANE AT ANY TIME!" 

Barbarian: That's a lot of energy late at night. Anyway. Can I tell Goman to send a letter to the emperor?

Me: Yah he can do that, what do you have to say to them? (Me knowing that they have never met the emperor so they haven't met HER yet who used to be a hero known for defeating the god of war/chaos named Baha)

Barbarian: Yah, can we tell him to pick better lords because the last lord we met was a paladin to that war god? (Religion in this world is mostly secret so they don't know the name and the Barbarian just used context clues to guess this). 

Me: *Silently stunned* *Silent cursing* *Silent laughter* Are those your exact words? 

Barbarian: Yah. 

Me: Well. Yeah Goman says can do and literally disappears. 

Rogue: And? 

Me: And what? *Me trying to figure out how to fix this* 

Rogue: Anything else happen?

Me: Nope. Quiet night, seems peaceful. 

Warlock: I'm going back to bed. This was just a fever dream where I get a cool magic item.

Me: You all doing that? Great. Next morning you find a human woman sitting in your camp reading a book. She looks up at you. "I received you letter. I thank you for letting me know about Lord Contor. I had no idea he was a follower of Baha." 

Warlock: Who the fuck are you?!?

Barbarian: OH SHIT YOUR THE EMPEROR?!!? *Barbarian has the highest int in our group, irl and in game*

Me: "Yes. I'm Emperor Aila. *Me deciding to say fuck it and just spill the whole plot*  I've been tasked with keeping Baha contained until she can be completely defeated. You letting me know about Lord Contor means that I'm able to continue my task. Next time you are in the captial you will be welcomed as heroes. Come to the castle and I will reward you generously." 

Rogue: WAIT! What happened to the lord? 

Me: "I killed him. I now have to hunt down the other worshipers. My job is never done." She then disappears. 

[bonniebird]

Gareth x Fem!Reader

Requested by @charlyishere (Wattpad)

Masterpost

Support me on Ko-fi

Make a request

Gareth smiled as you walked past. When you glanced over your shoulder at him he gave you a small wave. You returned it and proceeded to dissolve into a fit of giggles with your friends as you continued to walk to the other end of the cafeteria.

Gareth stared after you, his face slightly pink as he flushed with embracement. Eddie made him jump and turn quickly to face him. Gareth fidgeted in his seat, resisting glancing your way while Eddie was looking at him.

"We're getting distracted. Tonight's a big night." Eddie said, having lost the attention of the group when you'd pulled Gareth's attention away. "Unless you'd rather drop out?"

"No!" Gareth said eagerly and leaned forwards onto the table.

"Yeah! We've been waiting weeks for tonight!" Dustin said excitedly. Eddie smiled, seemingly pleased with the attention he'd pulled back. The group descended into talks about the Hellfire club meeting that night until the bell for classes rang.

Gareth headed to his locker humming a tune to himself that Jeff had been working on and showed him the weekend before. He was humming so loudly that he didn't hear someone trying to get his attention.

"Excuse me?" You said and gently tapped Gareth's shoulder with your finger.

"AH! Oh. Hello. Hi. I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell. You startled me." Gareth said. He could feel himself blushing so violently that his face burned. You giggled a little, nervous and glanced down the hall. Your friends had clumped up at one end, watching the two of you. Gareth looked at them and then back at you. "Can I help you with something?" He gasped out as he stared at you looking a little nervous.

"Yes. Um. Well." You stuttered. Gareth stayed perfectly still as if he thought moving might spook you. "My friends and I. We. We heard about the game that you play and we wanted to know about it. We would ask that big guy but he looked scary." You started stuttering slowly but by the time you finished speaking, feeling awkward yourself as you started speaking faster and faster. You worried for a moment you'd spoken so fast that Gareth hadn't understood as he took a beat, staring at you, processing what you were saying. Then in a flurry of activity he started digging around in his locker.

"Totally! I have books you could borrow. They're beginner books so it'd be a good start. I could help you learn if you wanted." Gareth had managed to spill his books all over the place but held the beginner D&D book, that had been abandoned at the back of his locker for a few months, out for you to take. He was staring at the book feeling a little shy as if it just dawned on him that you could be teasing him.

"Thanks." You said kindly and took the book, holding it carefully. Gareth watched as you took your backpack off and carefully put the book into it. "We're going to try and play in art club afterschool." You explained. Gareth smiled and nodded, forgetting to tell you that you'd need a starter set. When you hurried off to your friends and headed to your next class you turned back and waved at Gareth who waved back.

****************************************

"This seems more complicated than that little guy made it seem." Your friend said, referring to Dustin who had intrigued the art group's interest in the game when he'd been hunting for someone to join the Hellfire club a few weeks before.

"Yeah there's so many rules. I thought we could just make up whatever we wanted?" One the others said.

"You can. Kind of the Dm can. Sometimes. It depends." Gareth said from the doorway. It hadn't occurred to him until everyone turned to look at him that you hadn't technically invited him. He was relieved when you waved him over and moved so he could take a seat next to you. "I guess it's a bit complicated when you start."

Gareth spent over forty minutes helping the art club make a makeshift starter set and explaining the rules as best he could, going over the book he'd lent you. He had managed to captivate the entire club but every time he looked up and found you smiling at him, he would blush and stammer a little. At one point he happened to glance at the clock and jumped up. Apologising profusely as he hurried to leave explaining he had plans he was late for. The group chorused a goodbye to him, making him smile shyly as he ran out of the room. He burst into the Hellfire club's room at the other end of the school, making a racket. While Eddie glared at him from his throne-like chair Gareth hurried to his usual seat.

"Nice of you to join us." Eddie muttered. Gareth looked a little sheepish as Eddie continued, working Gareth's absence into the session.

Once it was over Eddie made a cutting remark about Gareth being late before he and Jeff walked off, leaving Eddie to pack up.

"Where were you?" Jeff asked. Gareth smiled to himself and shrugged.

"I was around. I just had some stuff going on." Gareth tried to answer casually. Jeff shot him a sideways glance which turned into a grin when you and the art club exited the building, heading over to a car across the car park. Jeff could see Gareth's old beginner book tucked under your arm. "What?" Gareth said. His casual demeanour would have been convincing. Had he not started to blush violently when you waved at him when the car passed by.

"If Eddie finds out you ditched for a girl we'll never hear the end of it." Jeff said with a grin. Gareth nudged at his shoulder and chuckled.

"Well then let's not tell him." He said quietly.

**************************************************

Gareth started dropping by your house a few weeks ago. Helping you figure out campaigns and characters for your group. On one afternoon it had been uncomfortably hot so the two of you had walked together to the corner store to get a cold drink and an ice pop. On the way the air had been awkward but by the time you made it back to your house you'd started talking about music you both liked, Gareth's band and movies you both liked.

Gareth had been about to ask if you wanted to go to a movie with him but he'd chickened out.

After a couple of months it wasn't unusual for Gareth to be round at yours a couple of times a week. You'd hung around with Jeff and Gareth a few times. Some of the other Hellfire members had befriended you too and you'd been invited to one of Corroded Coffin's gigs. The only person who was unimpressed by the art group growing up and cheering for them was Eddie. Who was still upset with you for making Gareth late.

You could hear them practising when you made your way up the road. Turning the last corner of the cul-de-sac you smiled seeing the group playing. Dustin and Mike were sitting on folding chairs in the drive, Dustin nodding his head in time to the music while Mike drummed his fingers against a can of pop in his hands. When Dustin spotted you he waved you over and gave you his seat, sitting in the hot tarmac.

When Gareth spotted you smiling and waving at him he went to wave, realised that he was drumming and messed up the rhythm he'd been in. Eddie stopped and turned on him.

"Gareth! What was that!" Eddie complained loudly.

"Sorry! Sorry." Gareth said, starting to turn red as everyone turned to look at him. Eddie turned to glare at you and shook his head. Gareth seemed to recover and gave you a smile, waving at you before following Eddie's count and started drumming again. You listened to the playing for a while nodding along with Dustin who seemed delighted that you liked what the group was playing. After a while Erica and Lucas turned up with food.

"Ready?" Lucas called as he headed inside with Erica who waved at you.

"Yeah. Yeah Sinclair, slow your roll." Eddie muttered. Jeff chuckled and set his guitar down as he followed Eddie into Gareth's house. Everyone else followed as Gareth started tidying up and shutting the garage. You hurried to help him, bringing the chairs inside.

"I forgot to say we're doing a session at mine today." Gareth said as he rubbed the back of his head and frowned, looking a little sheepish at having forgotten.

"Oh! I could go if..." You started to offer.

"NO! No. It's ok." He said quickly and smiled at you awkwardly. "You could. Um. Stay if you wanted. There's enough food and stuff. Eddie probably won't let you join so far into the campaign but I don't think anyone would mind if you wanted to watch?"

"Sure! I'll be able to watch the pros." You teased. Gareth laughed and tripped a little as he hurried to lead the way out of the garage and into the kitchen. He left you to help yourself to some food while he looked for a spare chair for you around the dining room table.

"We're adding another one?" Eddie commented.

"You should just ask (Y/N) out! She's really nice!" Dustin insisted. Mike nodded and muttered that I agreed.

"We're just friends." Gareth said as he blushed violently.

"Friends don't look at each other with goo goo eyes the way you two do." Erica commented as she flicked through her folder.

"Ask her to see that movie tomorrow." Jeff encouraged. Eddie and the rest of the Hellfire club stayed silent, unimpressed by the fuss. Gareth hesitated before sighing nervously and wiping his sweaty hands on his checked shirt. He hurried out of the room to the kitchen. He found you pouring yourself a drink clearing his throat as he waited for you to turn to him.

"Hi, do you. Would you. Movie. There's a movie. I." Gareth was as red as his shirt and he nervously fiddled with one of the badges that were pinned to his shirt as he spoke. He jumped when one of the badges unsprang and stabbed his thumb forming a large red droplet on the pad of his thumb. "Ah." He said in quiet surprise.

"Oh! Are you ok?" You asked. He let you take his hand and run it under the cold tap and wrap some kitchen roll around it, making him hold his hand above his head until it stopped bleeding.

"Would you like to see a movie with me on Saturday? It's a scary one but I don't think it's too bad." Gareth asked you. He smiled when you nodded and found he couldn't stop the grin on his face. "Really?" He asked excitedly.

"Yes! Now is your hand ok?" You asked and made him show you. You hummed and the smile practically fell off his face. "Looks like you'll keep the thumb."

"Oh good." He said, sounding more relieved than he had intended. The two of you cracked up into laughter as you let go of his hand.

"Love birds. Are you done? We have an adventure to go on." Eddie shouted from the dining room. You grabbed a plate and some food and Gareth carried your drink through to the other room for you.

Gareth tags:

@linkpk88 @babypink224221

[madame-mozart]

“A Character Social Network”...?

I’ve been wanting to make this post for a while now.

I know I’m not the only one who’s gotten private messages like this:

(I’ve censored out the account names, though I don’t know if they’re really worth witch-hunting, anyway)

I got this message for the first time (first screenshot) a few months ago, and a second time (second screenshot) a few days ago. The first one was sent to my main blog (the account you’re viewing this on right now, lol) while the second one was sent to one of my sideblogs. The one thing that these two blogs had in common? I posted stuff related to my OCs (Original Characters). Chances are, if you post about your own OCs too, you’ll also probably get DMs like this. 

So why would these accounts target you? Well, as you can see, they will send you a Google Forms link with some kind of “access code”. I noticed that these accounts are basically like any other spambot, as they will have a default profile picture and their pages will be empty. They also followed me and a few other people, including Tumblr Staff (which I think you automatically follow by default when you make a new account). I did some searching, and I deduced these are indeed legit links for a Google Form. However, since I’m a paranoid person, I purposefully logged out of my main Google account and hopped on a burner one to access the form itself:

(The first screenshot is the form linked from the DM I got a few months ago, the second screenshot is from the one I got a few days ago)

Again, very similar wording. TLDR: they’re basically advertising some kind of social “site” where you’d be able to share your OCs with other people and interact with each other. The catch is, they’re “invite only” and you need an access code to get in. As you’ve seen, the only way to seemingly get an access code is to be messaged directly from these spambot accounts. Oh, and they also want your email so you’ll get your actual “invite” to the site.

Hm, yeah, are you sure you’re not also going to leak my data to other fishy sites that’ll end up spamming me? Wait, a bunch of social media sites do that already, don’t they?

Anyway, I simply noped out and marked both these DMs as spam. However, I wanted to do some further digging into what this “Character Social Network” was... what was even the name of this “site”? Why wasn’t it mentioned ANYWHERE in the Google Forms? Who even were these people targeting certain accounts on TUMBLR OF ALL PLACES and sending DMs like this?

I tried typing “character social network” into Tumblr’s search engine... nothing really significant popped up (no one was bringing this to others’ attention? I guess I’ll be darned if I’m the first one to do this). I took it to Google, and ended up finding a Reddit thread! Basically, it was the same deal: the OP got a DM from Tumblr advertising the supposed “site” with a Google Forms and an invite code to join. Many other commenters seem to have gotten the same link! One commenter actually used a burner email to try signing up to the site to see what would happen! Surprisingly enough, they made a breakthrough:

CharacterHub, huh? That’s the site behind all these spambot DMs? I wonder what that site looks like...

Ah, I see. It seems like it’s trying to be like Toyhou.se, another character repository site that also happens to be invite only.  Unlike Toyhou.se though (where you’d have to actively search for someone/somewhere to get yourself an invite code), you can apparently request an invite code right there directly from the site!

This is what you see when you click the “request invite” button.  So they’re “invite only” because they really want to offer the service that their users “deserve” and want to create a tight-knit community. Okay, fair enough. You’d probably run the risk of having trolls flood your site if you made the registration public. That’s probably similar to why Toyhou.se has been in invite beta for so long.

But wait, I noticed something: “We’re in the Discord”.

Well, I don’t know why you couldn’t just let people join your Discord server (if it even exists). Again, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt: you don’t want trolls flooding your server. Since you appear to already have people in your “tight-knit” community (including moderators, which I hope to God you have decent ones), why not have these people make Tumblr accounts and send people invites to the Discord server instead of using spambots to spread a fishy-looking Google Form? I get it, maybe it’s not the greatest idea. I shouldn’t be talking, really. But in my opinion, it probably would’ve made you guys look a lot more legit if I got a DM from an actual Tumblr user (heck, you don’t even have to post anything if you really wanted to, but just edit your description or something saying that you’re from the CharacterHub site and you’re giving out invite codes!) promoting an actual Discord server - LOTS of people use Discord!! Funny story, this is actually how I got into one of my own Discord servers! There was this nostalgic game I used to play back in the day, which shut down a few years ago. An actual Tumblr account from that Discord server messaged me and sent me an invite link to the server!

Hold on, don’t leave yet. I’m not done digging through this rabbit hole. Not only did I find the CharacterHub site on Google, but I also happened to find their Twitter!

A breakthrough! The people behind CharacterHub seem to be tied to another similarly-named site called “Charahub”! You guys remember Charahub, right? I do, too! I actually used it back in the day, but it apparently shut down without me (and many others) even knowing!! Seriously, just type Charahub into Tumblr’s search engine - so many more people have been posting about it. It’s very clearly well known to many.

Allegedly, Charahub had quite a bit of issues - I saw some Tumblr users complaining about data leaks the site apparently had, poor communication from the moderators (people have apparently tried to reach out to their social media but never got any responses back), and the fact that it literally just shut down without a warning, effectively nuking every OC and information that people have poured into their profile.

So riddle me this: is CharacterHub supposedly a “revival” of Charahub????

...because honestly, with everything you’ve done/shown through that previous site and what you’re doing now to try and get people to join your site, it’s looking kind of shady right now. I will NOT be joining your site. I’d always been wanting to join Toyhou.se, and I finally got an invite code this year. As far as I know, Toyhou.se doesn’t seem to have many problems with it. You guys shut down a site only to open it back up again? Logic 100.

To anyone who reads this post: take this all with a grain of salt. For all I know, I could be completely in the wrong and CharacterHub is actually an amazing site. I honestly don’t know, but I also honestly don’t care. If you think this is a scam, go ahead! Block all these DMs! Have you decided to ignore everything I said and gone out to sign up to this site? Maybe you’re even a member of this site? Cool story, bro! No seriously, if you’re a member of the site, how about enlightening me (and other people who might be suspicious) on what you can exactly do on this site? Literally NO ONE has spoken up about this site and it really does seem like they want their little “tight-knit” community to be all “hush-hush” about it, too. All I really ask is to not witch-hunt their Twitter or any of their other platforms, okay? The last thing I want to see is people messing around with them and saying they got sent from Tumblr.

Totally forgot to mention this, but I thought it was kind of funny that they messaged me on a sideblog where I post stuff from “Waifu Labs”, a site you can use to generate anime characters using an AI. They apparently called that “my art”, ha. 🤡

[nessinborderland]

Be Mine (03)

Pairing: Niragi x Reader / Chishiya x Reader

Genre: Smut, Angst, Fluff, Omegaverse

Word Count: 4.8k

Summary: You were able to stay unbounded throughout your life. You didn't want an Alpha; you didn't need one. You would rather die than to give yourself to some random male. But the man that saved your life thinks differently.

Warnings: Alpha/Omega, Dubious Consent, Vaginal Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Finger fucking, Rough Sex, Rough Kissing, Unprotected Sex, Creampie, Breeding, Pregnancy Kink, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Drama, Developing Relationship, Past Abuse, Scars

Notes: Would like to thank everyone that has been liking, reblogging and commenting on this fic, I see ya’ll and I love you. It means the world to me <3 I’m so glad people are liking my lil Niragi work. My dm’s and ask box are open if you ever feel like saying hi and/or scream over stuff in general with me lol. Enjoy!

AO3 Link        Masterlist

You had woken up to an empty bed the next morning. You had laid there, staring at the ceiling and rewinding every moment of the last twenty-four hours in your head, over and over. How things had changed so fast. How so much had happened already. You didn't know if you should feel sad or relieved by Niragi's absence; you weren't sure if you wanted to face him after what had happened last night. You still remembered the look in his eyes, his promise, how he made you feel. It was all so...overwhelming.

A week has passed without you speaking with Niragi. You barely caught a glimpse of him beside the occasional moments where you see him from afar with his group of militants, usually coming from or going on raids. You tried to talk to him on several occasions, but he was out of sight before you could get close enough. You also changed rooms after that first night, and part of you was hoping to see him barge in to take you back to his room. But it never happened.

He is avoiding you.

That or maybe he is usually that busy. Either way, you don’t like how this whole situation makes you feel. Yeah sure, maybe you aren’t exactly being the most approachable person either, but you are...scared. This is all so new for you. His scent has practically disappeared from your skin, and you can feel yourself getting restless again. Especially when he is close.

You don’t see him, but you can feel his eyes on you. You can smell the peppermint in the air every time he is close. You usually walk around the hotel alone or just stay in your bedroom. Walking around by yourself is nerve-wracking; the constant whispers, the stares, the way people either avoid you or get way too close to you. But you can feel him always close by, watching you.

Chishiya.

You honestly don’t know if you should feel safe or afraid. Afraid that he will use his influence as an Alpha to take you as Niragi did the first time you met. At least Chishiya hasn’t tried hunting you down yet. Even though stalking you around like a cat chasing a mouse isn’t much different.

You’re now in a car with Ann, exhausted, wet from head to toe, but alive. Another game where your skills were evaluated; another game where you won without particularly impressing her. You always feel like you’re alive out of sheer luck and the help of others. It bothers you more than you dare to say. You have already been evaluated in games of Clubs and Diamonds, and you’re sure you would be dead if it wasn’t for Ann and the other players.

You can’t understand how people can be so smart at these hell games. Yes, you were successful at solving the riddle that allowed you to win the game of Diamonds, but since when was that impressive? You would still have been eaten by that shark in the game of Clubs without everyone else’s help.

“How are you holding up, Kenji?” you ask the young man sitting beside you. His arm is bandaged with a t-shirt already drenched in blood and his face is pale. He turns to you with a half-smile.

“Alive, thanks to you,” he says, moaning in pain when the car rides over a bump. “Thank you for that, by the way. For coming back for me.”

“It was the right thing to do.” you shrug with a smile, “Besides, I almost got eaten too.”

You can feel Ann’s eyes on you through the rearview mirror. You wonder what she’s thinking. It’s like you’re back in high school, waiting for an important evaluation. You hate it.

The car finally parks in the Beach’s parking lot and you get out, helping Kenji to his feet before two men come to take him to the infirmary. You’re walking away to get inside when Ann calls your name.

“A lot of people wouldn’t have done what you did,” she says. “That was brave of you. And stupid.”

“Uhh, thanks?” you stand there awkwardly as she seems to assess you through those big sunglasses of hers. “I just-”

“What do you see in him?” she asks after a pause, interrupting you. “You have nothing in common.”

You don’t know what to answer; shared interests and personality traits are not exactly what attracted you to each other. You shrug, “Wolf things I guess.” It’s not exactly something easy to explain. You also would rather not give it too much thought.

Ann hums, shaking her head. “Just be careful,” and walks away before you can even think of an answer.

You’re about to make your way inside when the sound of tires screeching makes you look back. The militants arrived from the games. You instantly see Niragi as he gets out of a vehicle, and you desperately want to approach him. He makes his way to the entrance at a fast pace, rifle on his shoulder as he’s followed by the rest of the militants. His pace falters when his gaze falls on you, but he doesn’t stop as he passes by you without a word.

“Niragi!” you’re calling before you can think twice.

He stops in his tracks, making everyone behind him stop too. More than twenty pairs of eyes lock on you as you stand there, heat growing on your cheeks. Why the hell did I call him, you think to yourself before clearing your throat.

“Hmm, could I speak to you? In private?”

He sighs. “I can’t right now. I’m going back out,” he says in a dismissive tone. You can’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes; you worry if he’s been getting enough sleep lately. “We’ll talk when I get back.” and with that, he turns his back on you and walks away, followed by his group.

He’s definitely avoiding you. You wonder why; was it all the rejecting? Maybe he finally realized you are more trouble than pleasure. Maybe he regrets his promise to you, made in an inebriated state?

It was your disgusting scars, a mean voice in your head whispers.

You flinch. Whatever it is, you hope that he will at least be straightforward and honest with you. Eventually.

You try not to overthink it as you get to your room and go straight to the bathroom, getting rid of your wet clothes before jumping in the warm shower. The thing you probably like the most about the Beach is the showers. That and the good food; there’s always a tray of delicious meals delivered to your room three times a day. You can definitely get used to those small luxuries.

You finish your shower just in time to receive your dinner tray. You eat your meal in bed, a book you found while outside laying open on your knees as you take occasional spoonfuls of your rabbit stew. The sound of laughter and loud talking makes you frown for the third time in half an hour. One of the things you dislike the most about the Beach; the constant partying.

You give up on the book and decide to sleep, hoping that your exhaustiveness will win against the noise of your next-door neighbors.

It does not.

You’re knocking on their door moments later. A man opens the door, clearly beyond drunk, if his breath and slurred speech are anything to go by.

“Could you guys please keep it down?” you ask. "I'm trying to sleep." The man stares you up and down with a smirk, and you give a small step back.

“Yo, guys guess who came to pay us a visit!” he says behind him. You can see three men sitting at a table, playing what you guess is poker, several beer bottles scattered around them. You think you recognize one of them as part of the militants. Maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea after all.

“Isn’t that Niragi’s bitch?” “Ask her if she wants to join us!” is what you hear them say above the laughter. Yes, bad idea. You put your arms around you, wishing you were wearing something more besides your cotton shorts and Niragi’s shirt.

“Listen, just keep the noise to a minimum, that’s all I’m asking.” you quickly say before turning around to walk back to your room. A hand grabs your arm before you can take more than a couple of steps.

“Why don’t you join us?” says the man. His friends stand behind him, a look in their eyes that makes you shiver with apprehension. “We could show you a good time.”

“Thanks but no, thanks, I’m just trying to get some sleep.”

“You can sleep here, we don’t mind.” he retorts with a pull to your arm. “C’mon-”

“Haru, this isn’t a good idea,” warns the guy you had recognized. “She’s with Niragi.”

Haru laughs and pulls you closer, ignoring your struggle. He sniffs your hair. “Then he has been doing a shitty job at fucking her.” he pulls at your shirt, “Isn’t this his? She doesn’t smell like an Alpha at all,” he chuckles, “And didn’t you say that he ignored her today? I don’t think he’ll care if we get his sloppy seconds.”

“Let me go!” you pull your arm from his grip and face the taller man. “Niragi is not here to kick your asses, but I am.”

“Oh look at this, the little Omega has claws!”

“So do I.”

You freeze. So do Haru and his friends.

You smell him before you see him. Peppermint and rain.

You turn around to see him a few meters behind you, standing casually with his hands in his pockets. He looks bored; like he’s just passing by and there’s an inconvenience on his path. But his eyes…

“Chishiya-”

“You aren’t very smart, are you?” he interrupts, walking slowly towards you. “Harassing an Omega when there’s an Alpha around. It’s not acceptable back in the real world, what makes you think it’s acceptable here?” his eyes flash with something you recognize. You also notice the golden ring on them, giving them a more animal look. “Now you can either let her go or-.”

Haru releases his grip on your arm and takes a step back before Chishiya can finish his sentence.  

“We didn’t do anything to her, man,” he says, hands raised. The man trembles slightly, eyes cast on the ground. “We were just messing around, that’s all.”

Chishiya chuckles and nods, “Of course, of course. Just remember what can happen if you mess with her again.” one of his hands leaves his pocket to scratch his neck, almost mindlessly. You gasp when you see the claws, the changed hand. “I would hate to get blood on my white hoodie.”

The men scatter back into their room without another word, tails between their legs. You stand there looking at him, involved in his scent. After more than a week without an Alpha, having him so close is not doing you any favors. His presence is unmistakably wolf, his scent stronger by his show of dominance. He barely had to try; Betas just instinctively know not to mess with Alphas. You start feeling hot, and you curse yourself; please not now.

“Are you okay?” his voice gets your attention.

“Uh-hm, yeah I am,” you stutter a little, “Th-thanks for the help.”

He takes a few steps closer to you, his eyes never leaving yours. You feel hypnotized; like you’re under a spell. He smells so good, and you’re so horny, and he’s the only thing making you feel safe now. You think of Niragi for a moment, until your wolf pushes the memory aside with a huff; Niragi is not there, you’re still unclaimed, and there’s an Alpha right in front of you.

You jump into his arms before you’re able to overthink things even more. His arms envelop you as your lips touch, and you feel that amazing electrifying sensation every time you touch an Alpha. His lips are soft on yours as he kisses you. His hands are surprisingly warm against your skin.

“Alpha- ” you moan into the kiss.

“Bedroom,” is all he says as he pulls you with him to your room. His lips are still on yours as he closes the door with a kick before making you lay down on the bed. His body covers yours in an instant, his hands roaming your body while his lips suck the skin of your neck. Even his kisses make you feel pleasure, and you whine as his hands go under your shirt to fondle your breasts. “Your skin is so soft,” he whispers with a pinch to your nipple. “I have been wanting to touch you since I first laid my eyes on you.”

“I- I want more,” your pussy clenches around nothing as you feel him hard against your stomach, “Please, Alpha...more,” you don’t care about how you sound. You just want that sweet release only an Alpha can provide. Niragi’s face shows up in your mind’s eye, but you ignore it; he wasn’t there for you when you needed it. Chishiya was.

His hands move to untie your shorts, sliding them down your legs to uncover your wet cunt. He sits back on his heels, hand on your thigh as he stares right at your naked core. He’s more expressive now than you’ve ever seen him before; his eyes burn with lust, his bottom lip between his teeth. You whine as he stays still, pushing your hips up; you want him to fuck you, not to stare at you.

He chuckles and licks his lips. “Open your legs wider for me,” you immediately do as he says, craving his touch. His hand slides lower until his fingers are tracing your slit in up and down movements, making you moan and instinctively close your legs. “Open,” he says with a glance at your face before leaning over your center. His breath is warm against your swollen clit.

You shiver as he flicks his tongue over your sensitive bud; it feels so good, and you want more. Your hands grip your pillow as you moan in time with his licks, almost letting out a scream when he sucks on your clit. No man had ever touched you like that; they were all inside you and over after a few minutes of thrusting. Even Niragi had gone straight to business. But fuck, does it feel good.

“Chi- Chishiya, oh my god- “ you manage to say before you’re interrupted by two of his fingers entering you. They curl inside you as his tongue keeps working wonders on your clit. You can feel an orgasm growing, toes curling at the pulling sensation in your core. You’re so close. “Please keep going, don’t stop.” you practically beg as he finger fucks you.

He stops.

You open your eyes with a displeased grunt to catch him looking at you, lips glistening with your juices. He smirks, “We’re just getting started,” he says, pulling you by the legs so your center is pressing against his crotch. You moan again at feeling him hard against you with only his swim shorts in the way.

You sit up to undress him off his hoodie, something he lets you do as he devours your lips. He suddenly pulls you up against him until you’re practically sitting on his lap. You grind against him, trying to put out the fire inside you. His mouth kisses down your neck to your breasts, without fully undressing you. You try to take off the shirt, but he makes you pause.

“That’s his shirt, isn’t it?” you nod and he huffs out a laugh, unbuttoning the first buttons only, “Keep it on,” he says before closing his lips around a nipple. You close your eyes and just enjoy the sensations he provides you. Your mind goes back to Niragi; how his tongue piercing felt against you as he sucked on you too, or how his hands never stopped pleasuring you. You almost grunt in frustration at the memories; he doesn’t matter now.

“Alpha, I want you inside me,” you beg as you keep grinding on him. It’s starting to feel like torture. Your hands slide down to work on his shorts, “Please...please.”

“Easy there,” he chuckles, pushing you back down on the bed. “We have time. Be a good girl and stay still,” he says as he gets rid of his shorts in a swift movement, now completely naked in front of you. You glance at his cock, hard as wood in between his pale thighs, a bead of precum sliding from the tip. Your mouth waters; you desperately want him to fuck you, you think as your pussy clenches around nothing.

You open your mouth to say something but hesitate, trying to follow his command. You wonder how can an Alpha have so much self-control; he should be deep inside you by now. It’s beyond frustrating. He finally covers your body with his, and you smile at the sensation of his skin on yours; it feels so good. You wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him closer as you kiss him with ferocity. It hurts how much you need him.

You finally feel his tip at your entrance, and then he’s inside you with a sharp thrust of his hips against yours. You scream at the sensation; so warm, so full, so unbelievably pleasurable. His thrusts are slow but firm, each hit of his pelvis against your clit making you see stars. His face goes to the side of your neck, and you feel as his teeth graze the skin, sucking and biting; right over the fading marks Niragi left on you a week ago.

“Go faster,” you whine as you push your hips up against his. You want him to fill you up to the brim; like Niragi had done. “Please Alpha, fill me up. Make me yours.”

He doesn’t say anything, but his pace gets faster, and you finally hear him make a sound since he started fucking you. His face is still hidden in the curve of your neck, but his hands clasp around your thighs, pulling them up until you’re practically folded in half. You finally feel him deeper, hitting your g-spot as his shoves get gradually harder.

“Tell me how much you want me to knot in you,” he grunts against your ear. “Tell me you want me.”

“I- I want you,” you whine. “I want you to knot in me, and fill me up with your cum. I want you.”

He kisses your jaw, thrusts getting even faster. You can barely think; all you want is to come and for Chishiya to do the same inside you. You want to feel him as he shudders, hear him as he moans and you milk him dry. His hand goes to cradle your cheek, and you finally see his face as he locks eyes with you; his white hair sticks to his neck and forehead due to sweat, and his eyes are more gold than the usual dark brown. However, an uncomfortable realization sparks in you; there’s only lust in his eyes. No care, no adoration, no imitation of something resembling love. Nothing like Niragi’s eyes had looked at you. Your wolf pushes those thoughts aside once again, and you close your eyes as you focus on the man currently thrusting in and out of you. He’s what matters now.

Your orgasm hits you like a wave, toes curling behind his back as you clench around him in pleasure. You feel him as he comes too, hands squeezing your thighs with enough force to leave a bruise. However, you gasp when you feel him pull out with a hiss, and he finishes spilling on your belly and breasts.

You lay there as he finishes with a grunt before laying down beside you, both of you panting furiously. The fog in your brain soon evaporates, and you have to control the impulse to run out of your own bedroom. Why do you keep doing this to yourself? First Niragi, now Chishiya. All those years of self-control wasted. They meant nothing. You were just pushing back the inevitable; the day you would be claimed with no real ability to even choose by who. Your wolf doesn’t care, but you do. The last thing you want is a relationship like the one your parents had.

But you still ended up fucking two different Alphas in a week; it’s not like you have a choice.

Chishiya moving beside you pulls you out of your thoughts. He’s looking at you with his usual expression; cold and with a pull at his lips that gives the impression there’s something that only he’s smart enough to understand. It annoys you just a little. You guess it shows on your face because he’s full-on smirking as he sits up.

“Feeling regretful, are we?” he says as he retrieves his shorts, putting them on, “I figured you would.”

“Then why didn’t you stop me?” you say in a low tone, sitting up with a moan. His come sticks to your thighs and runs down the skin of your breasts and belly. You sigh when you notice it stained Niragi’s shirt too.

“Why would I?” he shrugs, putting his hoodie on, “I can’t control this thing much more than you do. Besides- ” he says, shooting a glance at your torso, “Thought it might be fun.”

You furrow your brows at him. “This isn’t about me, is it?” you ask. Things kind of start to make sense now; his constant presence near you, the shirt he wanted you to keep, “This is about Niragi.”

His eyes lit up with something like amusement. “If I get to claim an Omega while pissing off Niragi then I’m doing something right.” he starts walking towards the door, “Don’t misunderstand though; I will fight to claim you when the time comes.” He closes the door behind him.

What have you done? You feel a sudden urge to cry, but push it back; you are done crying about this. So you just let a few tears fall before standing up and heading to the bathroom, wanting to get cleaned up as soon as you possibly can. You groan when you see yourself in the mirror, covered in love bites and cum.

You wonder how Niragi will react when he finds out; because he inevitably will. It wasn’t unheard of Alphas to fight to the death over an Omega; you just wish that isn’t what is about to happen. You don’t think you can live with that.

You step in the shower for the second time that night and vigorously rub your skin, trying to erase any and every sign of Chishiya off your body. Mission impossible, of course; his scent is still all over you as you get out of the shower. Next, you try to clean Niragi’s shirt. At least that one still smells faintly of cinnamon and wood.

As you should too, remarks the voice in your head.

You barely sleep that night.

You feel like a zombie the next morning and, as per usual, you stick to your room. You’re particularly into avoiding people today. Well, two people. So you keep to your room and jump between reading, to napping, to overthinking until you get a headache and then fall asleep.

A sudden knock on your door wakes you up, and you notice it’s almost night outside. You trip on your way to the door, opening it to reveal Chishiya on the other side. You scowl and move to close the door in his face, but his foot stops you.

“What?” you ask.

“We’re in the same group tonight,” he says, raising a piece of paper. “And before you say no, remember that you’re still under evaluation.”

“I have enough visa days,” you say, forcing the door on his foot. He doesn’t budge. You sigh and count to ten. You can do this; just another game. “Fine. But tell Ann that after this I’m only going out when I need to.”

You grab your jacket and get out, following Chishiya. You don’t say a word and neither does he. Your body feels his presence though, and you’re sure he can smell it in you. Smell himself in you.

You get in a van with your group, a bunch of people you faintly recognize but know no names. Chishiya seats right at the front, and you cringe as everyone else in the vehicle clearly knows everything that happened between you two. You hear Niragi’s name being whispered around, but try to ignore it, focusing on the road outside as you drive around looking for a game.

“Look there!” someone exclaims.

Koishikawa Botanical Garden.

The whole place is completely dark as you walk through the main gate, the familiar sound of the barrier closing behind you making you tremble with apprehension. A sign at the front says no weapons allowed, and you watch as two of the people in your group leave their weapons behind. Not really a good sign.

A single street lamp casts light on a table right next to the reception. You follow your group as they approach the table, but your attention is focused on your surroundings. You remember being there as a kid; hard to imagine that the beautiful open space full of trees and flowers of every species is now a game arena; a place of death. You wonder what exactly is the game that awaits you.

You focus your attention on the table, retrieving a phone and staring as it does the facial recognition thing it always does. It’s apparently a big game; there are already more than ten people waiting to play, and at least fifteen phones are still on the table.

You sit on a park bench while you wait, bracing yourself against the chilly night air. Chishiya is leaning against a street lamp right in front of you, and you know he’s staring, even though it’s dark and he has his hoodie up and covering his eyes. Your mind keeps rewinding the last twenty-four hours and you try to focus on something else with no success. If you’re not thinking about that, you’re thinking about the imminent game; both make you want to cry and run.

People slowly keep coming in, and you notice as the phones vanish one by one that the game is almost at its full capacity.

A sudden ruckus at the gates snaps everyone’s attention to the entrance, and you swear your heart stops as you see Niragi running in your direction with the most terrifying expression you’ve ever seen on him. He looks furious. Absolutely terrifying.

“I’m gonna rip your fucking heart out!” he screams as he gets closer. You notice his eyes are locked on Chishiya. His eyes; they aren’t human. Neither are his hands, now curved into claws. The other man doesn’t seem scared in the slightest; on the contrary, he looks like he’s having fun.

“Niragi, don’t- “ you scream as he lunges himself at the shorter man. Chishiya is fast though, swiftly dodging the punch before kicking Niragi in the stomach and stepping away.

Niragi huffs and doubles over before standing straight with a growl and trying another swing at the other man. Two men that got in with him try to corner Chishiya, but he just dodges them like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

“Not so bad without your gun, are you?” asks Chishiya in a mocking tone.

“With or without a gun, I’m still going to fucking kill you.” Niragi growls, “You fucked with the wrong wolf.”

Chishiya huffs a laugh, “Actually,” he says with a smirk, nodding in your direction, “I fucked the right wolf.”

Niragi’s eyes finally lock on you, and it’s like he’s seeing you for the first time. Only now his eyes are filled with something that resembles betrayal and pain. You hate it. You look down, trying to make yourself small; you don’t want him to look at you like that. Never.

“I’ll deal with her later,” he says in a cold tone, and you can’t help but flinch. He approaches the table and retrieves the last phone, eyes still on you. “Now I- “

You’re startled when cheery music starts playing all around you and the big screen you hadn’t noticed at the roof of the reception lits up.

“Registration has closed,” says a feminine robot voice, “The game will now commence.”

You look at your phone as it lits up.

Difficulty, Ten of Spades.

Game, “Akazukin: Red Riding Hood.”

Next Chapter

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #192

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're building the enchanting Caster of Okeanos, which despite her name doesn't actually show up in Okeanos, but rather the fourth pseudosingularity, Salem. She's also one of the last servants in the game (so far) to have her true name hidden, so pretty soon I can stop pointing out how her character build below the cut has true name spoilers. Specifically, this build also includes spoilers for the Salem pseudosingularity, so read at your own peril.

If you'd rather just check out her character sheet, you can find that over here.

Next up: The equal to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, so just, equal to heaven, I guess.

Circe is a Transmutation Wizard, because she is a witch, and Transmutation is where they stuck polymorph.

Race and Background

Like her protege, Circe is an Elf, but if we want kindasorta falcon wings, that might be tricky. Just kidding, for some reason WotC thought winged elves were a priority, so we got Avariel Elves from an unearthed arcana. This means you only get +2 to a single stat, but we can make that Intelligence thanks to Tasha's for a brain blast. Your subrace gives you 30' of flying speed as long as you don't wear medium or heavy armor (not an issue), as well as the standard elf kit: Darkvision, Fey Ancestry to protect against charms, Trances instead of sleep, and proficiency in Perception thanks to your Keen Senses.

Circe lives on her island alone (if you don't count pigs) so that makes her a Hermit, privy to the secrets of the universe as well as Medicine and replacing the other proficiency (which we'll get back as a class proficiency) with Deception. Tricking men into turning into pigs is kind of a hobby for you.

Ability Scores

Your strongest score should go into Intelligence, that's how you cast spells, and also you're clearly more intelligent than the men who show up on your island. Speaking of, Charisma is next- you're a witch in the middle of a witch hunt that somehow never got caught, and there's also that whole Pig Island thing. Your Dexterity is also pretty good, it's hard enough to cast spells while walking, let alone flying. Also those heels, oh my fucking god how have you not broken an ankle yet. Your Constitution is above average mostly because I'd feel bad putting it any lower. That means your Wisdom is pretty low. You publicly introduce yourself as a witch in the middle of the Salem Witch Trials, and you're pretty flighty in general. Finally, dump Strength. You're a wizard, and you're clearly not that buff.

Class Levels

Circe is a wizard, meaning she starts off with proficiency in Intelligence and Wisdom saves, as well as Arcana and Religion. When you worship the goddess of magic, there isn't much of a difference, tbh. Speaking of magic, you can cast and prepare Spells using your Intelligence. Your spell slots normally only recharge on long rests, but once per long rest you can get a couple slots back on a short rest thanks to your Arcane Recovery, giving you back slots of a total level equal to half your wizard level rounded up. So when you hit level three, you can get back one 2nd level slot, or two 1st level slots. The thing about wizard is, they get a lot of spells. Six now, and two each level, plus whatever they can scavenge from other wizards. Since Circe's whole power set is "good at magic", there really isn't a set of spells that fit- any spell you could cast would be applicable. So rather than try to boil it down myself, we're just giving a rough guide here. There's a whole ass list on the character sheet, and we'll bring up the super important ones here, but really there's three qualifications: if a spell fits into one of these categories, Circe would probably have it. 1. Is it useful? The most open-ended, but just fill in spaces left by the other 2 with spells you want. I'm not a goddamn baby sitter, pick spells you like. 2. Can it turn one thing into another? Men to pigs, You into Medea, whatever kykeon is made out of into kykeon, this one's pretty easy to spot. 3. Can it help someone sail a ship? A bit specific, but helping the sailors she doesn't turn into pigs is also Circe's thing. Skill empowerment, weather control, that kind of thing. With all that out of the way, the big spells you'll probably want at first level are Mage Armor for not dying, Magic Missile for caster balls, and Sleep to knock out the sailors while you go around turning them to pigs. True Polymorph takes an hour per sailor and you need to recharge with a long rest, so this’ll take a while.

At second level, you become a Transmutation Savant, giving you all sorts of bonuses, like how copying transmutation spells into your book is cheaper and faster now. You can also make Minor Alchemy, turning 1 cubic foot of wood, stone, iron, copper, or silver, into another material on that list over the course of 10 minutes. You're not strong enough to shatter wooden chains either, but hopefully someone on your team is. This transformation lasts up to an hour or until you lose concentration, then it turns back to its regular form.

Third level wizards get Cantrip Formulas, letting you swap out one cantrip you know with a cantrip you don't know at the end of a long rest. You also get second level spells, like Alter Self to turn into Medea (among other benefits), and Gust of Wind to help out with sailing.

Use your first Ability Score Improvement to get a Keen Mind- always knowing which way you're facing and the angle the sun should be at are both really useful on the open sea. It also rounds up your Intelligence for stronger spells, and you can make your DM's life hell by remembering things up to a month after they happened.

Fifth level wizards get third level spells. Feign Death will help fake Mata Hari’s hanging later on, and Bestow Curse is super useful, since it can give a creature disadvantage on one kind of save. Like, say, wisdom saves. I wonder if there's a spell you like that requires a wisdom save coming up?

Sixth level transmutation wizards can create a Transmuter's Stone, a tiny object that gives its holder one of several benefits. When you make the stone, and if you're holding it while casting a transmutation spell, you can choose its beneft from the following: Darkvision, increased speed, proficiency in constitution saves, or resistance to one of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. You can only make one at a time after 8 hours of work, so don't try to stack them.

Seventh level wizards get fourth level spells, and you could get polymorph now if you really want, but you can also get that spell later for free, so if you're patient, you can get another spell now. If you do go for polymorph, it forces a wisdom save on a creature, and if they fail the save or they're willing, you can turn one creature into a beast with a CR equal to or less than the target's CR or level. All of the creature's stats are replaced by the new creature's, outside of alignment and personality. If it drops to 0 HP in this form, and hour passes, or you drop concentration, they turn back to normal. You can also cast other fourth level spells, like Control Water for sailing, Fabricate to turn... barley, just looked it up, into kykeon. Or any raw materials into a finished product that is Large or smaller.

At eighth level, you get another ASI that'll let you max out your Intelligence for super strong spells. That, plus your curses, will make your polymorph super hard to resist. When you get it.

Ninth level wizards get fifth level spells, like Control Winds and Skill Empowerment, as well as Scrying.

A tenth level transmuter is a Shapechanger, giving you the polymorph spell for free. You can also cast it on yourself once per short rest for free, but only if you turn into something CR 1 or lower. Sadly Medea isn't a beast or CR 1, but it doesn't hurt to practice. Also, yeah! You can now turn pretty much anyone into a Pig (CR 0, so there’s no excuse) or if you want to weaponize it, a Giant Boar (CR 2). Just promise to turn them back if they do your bidding. Still only lasts an hour, but they don’t have to know that.

Eleventh level wizards get sixth level spells. There really isn’t anything specifically Circe-like I want at this level, so just grab whatever your heart wants. There will be time for specifics later.

At twelfth level you get another ASI, and since your intelligence is maxed out we can diversify. Grab the War Caster feat for advantage on concentration saves (very good for pigmaking), the ability to cast spells with your hands full (not applicable), and best of all, you can cast spells as opportunity attacks if that spell as an action casting time and targets a creature. Oh hey, guess what spell fits that description?

Thirteenth level casters get seventh level spells! Again, not necessarily anything you need from here, but Plane Shift is always cool. Maybe you can stumble onto the pig dimension or something.

Your last goody from the transmutation specialty is to become a Master Transmuter, burning your transmuter stone in one go for a burst of magical power. Afterwards, you can’t make a new one until you take a long rest. You can use this for a Major Transformation, permanently changing a medium or smaller nonmagical object into another of similar size & mass (you also can’t cheese value out of this) over the course of 10 minutes. Alternatively, you make a Panacea, removing all curses, diseases, and poisons from a single creature, while also healing it back to full health. That’s some good eating. Going even further, you can Restore Life to cast Raise Dead without a spell slot. Death is a pretty hard line in the Nasuverse, but if anyone could do it it’d probably be Circe. Finally, you can Restore Youth to reduce a creature’s age by 3d10 years without extending their lifespan. You’ve clearly used that on yourself a couple times, but I can’t blame you.

Fifteenth level wizards get eighth level spells, and for once there is something I want to get. You might not use Scylla in-game, but hey, giant sea monsters are cool, so use either Summon Greater Demon, Dominate Monster, or Illusory Dragon to get one, depending on your preferred method.

You get yet another ASI, so bump up your Constitution for better concentration and more health- remember, health gets added retroactively, so that’s 16 extra this level, not one.

At seventeenth level you finally get ninth level spells, giving you access to Mass Polymorph for a proper pig banquet. This one is limited to only half the targets’ levels, but a pig is still CR 0, so it shouldn’t be a big issue. However, if you’re feeling really cruel, you can use True Polymorph for a more... permanent solution. If you keep concentration up for a full hour, the change lasts until it is dispelled. You can also turn objects into creatures, or creatures into objects, but none of those are particularly in character.

Eighteenth level wizards get Spell Mastery, giving you a 1st & 2nd level spell that you can cast for absolutely free, no restrictions. You can always change it later, but I highly suggest Magic Missile so you always have some damage on standby, and Alter Self for the versatility of it.

Your penultimate level grants you your ultimate ASI, so bump up your Charisma for an easier time tricking sailors. It doesn’t do much for the build, but at this point it doesn’t need to.

Your final level of the build gives you two Signature Spells, 3rd level spells that you can cast once per short rest without spending a spell slot. Sadly polymorph is a fourth level spell so it isn’t in the running, but Bestow Curse and Tidal Wave are good runners up. I never said you had to be nice to sailors, just help them out occasionally.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Polymorph is one of the easiest ways to utterly shut down an enemy if it hits, at the very least buying you an hour to run away and regroup. It’s also very funny.

The Transmuter’s Stone is a very powerful support tool, protecting you and giving you healing options wizards don’t normally get. You also come loaded with tools like Skill Empowerment, which is just flexible enough to be useful even when you’re not on a ship.

You get concentration free flight, which is incredibly useful for a spellcaster. Being able to completely avoid an enemy’s front line and turn their back line into pigs is very useful.

Cons

The reason your flight being concentration free is such a big deal is because a lot of your spells use concentration. Honestly, your saves aren’t that bad (esp. with war caster) but it still limits your options, especially when your signature move requires concentration.

While your stone is powerful, it has a huge recharge time to contend with, requiring a long rest followed by an extra 8 hours of work, and the entire time between now and then you might as well not have a subclass. It’s a pretty harsh penalty for actually using your class feature.

It takes a while for this build to go from level one to casting polymorph, so if you want a build you can jump right into and feel like the character, this build definitely isn’t what you’re looking for.

[ajbwasntwriting]

Daughter!Reader x Negan, Reader x Daryl: Chapter 5. Secrets hurt

First | Previous | Next

Listen I don’t know why I decided to give each chapter an artsy title I just did. Also as anyone following this may have noticed this story isn’t gonna be regularly updated but rather updated when I have something I’m proud enough to post though I am determined to finish this series, just school comes first. I hope you understand.

I’ll only post more chapters if previous chapters get a good reaction so if you enjoy this please heart it, reblog it, and/or reply to it. Interaction inspires.

if you wish to be added to the tag list please dm me. All chapters can be found under the tag AJ’s Negan’s Daughter AU

The winter continued like that. He’d bring you food and you’d give him goods, even visiting multiple times a week. Sometimes he’d tell you about the stuff, holding up a jar of applesauce ‘from The Kingdom. The guy who runs it used to own a tiger’ or loaf of bread ‘the hilltop grows the grain, but Alexandria makes it.’ You would hum and nod along, knowing he was just trying to convince you to come back. Mainly because he’d ask if you wanted to come back with him and you would be ‘grateful but happy where you are’

You had asked him to start making lists so you knew what to find and you always tried your best to deliver. Cloths, blankets, kitchen utensils, baby bottles-

“Baby bottles?” you asked, pointing at the item on the list. He nodded.

“John and his wife are pregnant and we don’t have enough to go around.” He explained from the comfort of your couch, feet up on the table.

“But you have some?” you continued, not believing what you were hearing “You have...children? As in...babies?”

“Yea. I keep telling you we’re building a society.” he laughed at your bewilderment. “You’d fit in gr-” your mind ran as what you knew was coming ‘Here it comes again. No never works with these people. How do I get him to shut up?’

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” you cut him off, smiling. You turned to your kitchen unit, pulling out a large bot, a can of vegetable soup, and salted beef that Daryl had brought that day. “You’ve brought me so much it’ll probably go bad before I can eat it all.”

In that time he had stood up and walked over to the kitchen, now leaning on the counter. His sudden appearance made you hold your breath “When did ‘get out’ become ‘stay for dinner’?” he asked, seemingly amused.

“When you stopped understanding what ‘I don’t wanna be part of your group’ meant.” You retorted, cutting up the salted beef with a dedicated kitchen knife. “Are you staying or not?” you turned to him, stopping your cuts for the moment. He nodded with a shallow ‘yeah’, making you smile then go back to cutting. You poured the meat and soup into the pot, placing the lid on top. “Some snow on top to water it down and we’ll be sleeping with full stomachs tonight.”

You had him carry some bowls and a ladle up to the roof. Within an hour the fire outside was lit and the food was cooked atop four bricks you were lucky enough to be able to upgrade your cooking fire with, the old lamp now repurposed into a weapon. There was no conversation but you didn’t feel like you needed it. The wind was calm, letting Daryl look out over the city. “Do you know where the museum is?” He asked while you were stirring the soup.

“A couple of blocks down,” you called back. “Why?”

“Me and a few others are planning on raiding it in the summer” he answered, not turning back to you.

That’s when you realised something. You had heard about all these friends. Carol, Michone, Saddiq, Rosita, Eugene, Henry, Ezekiel, Lauren. He’d mentioned them in passing, saying how they made something he brought you or appreciated something you brought him. Yet he always came alone. It would’ve made more sense if Rick was doing these deliveries, you’d met him before the winter. Sure you stitched up his leg.

The two of you were sitting in front of the fire as it fizzled out when curiosity got the better of you. You swallowed the food in your mouth.

“Why are you always here alone?” you asked, he looked up at you from the other side of the fire. “It makes more sense to have people watching your back but for the past month or so you’ve been visiting me on your own. Why?”

“That’s how it is” he scoffed between mouthfuls.

“That’s how what is?” you snapped.

“You’re allowed to be all secretive but I’m meant to have my cards on the table.” he cut back. You thought it over a second, then went back to eating. You both finished up as the fire mellowed, taking your leave back inside. You carried the pot while he held the bowls. Back in your unit, you piled the dishes into the sink.

“I should get going,” he said, going to pick up his back.

“Y/N!” you nearly yelled. “My name is Y/N,” He looked back at you incredulously. A tense silence fell over you both “Before this,” you waved your hand to motion to the apartment “I was with a few people...including my father. We managed to secure a building, kept the walkers out but after some time new people arrived and a few of them got...Protective, I guess. Including my old man.” You crossed your arms and leant against the sink, the floor now far more interesting than the man in your apartment. “People died keeping me safe when they didn’t need to, all ‘cause my old man refused to let me help, but we were still bringing in new people but not everyone was helping, either cause they weren’t allowed to or didn’t want to. That caused anger to boil in the group and then...more people died.” Thinking back on the Sanctuary tears began to flow, but your voice didn’t shake and your body stayed firm. “I ran away and I’ve been hiding ever since ‘cause I know they’ll kill me if I’m found.” You finally looked back at Daryl who had been hanging on to your every word. You wiped away your tears. “You said I can’t be secretive, well there it is.”

“I didn’t mean-”

“You don’t wanna go home” you cut him off. “You don’t like where you rest your head, that’s why you’ve been spending more and more time out here with me. I get it.” you pushed off the sink, leaning under it to pick up a jug of water to do the dishes with. “You can leave or you can stay the night. I don’t mind.”

You turned your back on him to focus on the dishes. He picked up his things and left without another word. ‘That’s it’ you thought as you scrubbed the pot, now getting more aggressive with it, ‘you fucked up Y/N.’

The following morning you woke up, opened your bedroom door, and saw a familiar red-neck on your couch. You couldn’t stop the smile that plastered your face, but you did grab some clothes from your closet then went back to your room to dress. This time when you left he was up. “‘Morning” he croaked as he stretched. “This couch was a lot comfier the first time.”

Your relationship continued like that for the next while. He’d visit you more regularly, stay for dinner, and usually, he’d stay for the night. You got tired of the complaints about the couch and cleared out the second bedroom. You liked having him visit and were willing to facilitate it. He’d even begun leaving a few things there. Functional stuff like arrows for his bow and fuel for his bike. You found him some clothes and extra blankets, and a bigger bag to carry stuff home.

You didn’t ask why he didn’t want to be with his people. After keeping everything a secret for so long it didn’t feel right, but you could guess. Between your family and your time in the army, you had developed a skill in reading people, a skill you noticed he also had. Maybe that’s why every second didn’t need to be filled with conversation. Though you wish it was so you could know more. He was kind, there was no question of that with everything he did for you without even knowing your name. Though when he came to your apartment he was tense, and he was never happy to leave. This made you think he was going somewhere he didn’t want to be, but he had to be. He always talked so highly of the settlements, trying to get you back there. He must be going someplace else.

The winter passed, your garden began to flourish again, and the walkers thawed. You thought after the winter Daryl would stop visiting but he still showed up. He didn’t come as often for a time, saying he wasn’t gonna make the trip unless he had enough to offer you. You frowned at this “Do come out” you ordered him. “You’ve got people relying on you. Children and everything and I’m able to find stuff in the city you need.”

“I don’t wanna leave you short. Our deal ya know-”

“Screw the deal, Daryl.” you huffed “You’re my friend and I wanna help you”

“Oh we’re friends?” he commented, with a cheeky smirk “Didn’t you try to kill Rick.”

‘So Tara told them’ you thought. “Yes,” you said “In a friendly way.” normally he wouldn’t find that funny, but these past few weeks escaping away to your hide-out had given him a chance to get close to you. “Come and visit me when you can, please? I got nobody else to steal my food.” That afternoon you both search for some last pieces for Daryl, having to go deeper and deeper into the city. You talked about his group’s plan to go to the museum and raid it for seeds and old machinery. You saw first-hand what a crack-shot he was with his crossbow, you whistled as another went down “Not bad bow-boy. How’d you get so good with that?”

“Before all this” you started, walking ahead to pull the arrow out of the dead one. “Me and my brother, Merle, used to move around a lot. We used to hunt sometimes for sport, sometimes for food, but he’d always make it a competition. Decided to learn a quieter weapon so I could beat that son of a bitch.” Another two walkers approached as he spoke. He shot a bolt through one of them while you took the other down with your knife. “After that, he never helped hunting again”

“Sounds like a sore loser” you commented, pulling the arrow out of the walker's head and handing it back to Daryl. He took it and reloaded the bow.

“You have any brothers or sisters?”

“Nah” you shook your head, keeping a lookout while he reloaded. “My old man said I was a miracle baby. Mom was always sick. They thought they’d never have any. I used to hate it but after hearing how Merle left you in a cell while he ran off with your girl, I’m glad.”

“Ahh, he wasn't all that bad,” he commented, walking alongside you.

“No one is as bad as they seem when you know them. At least that’s what my superior officer said”

That evening he couldn’t stay, but he left with a heavy bag and that made you happy. As the evening descended you went back to your unit. The following week would be quiet since Daryl had his big raid coming up. Though you didn’t realise how quiet until you were in the midst of it.

You had scavenged a few things. At this stage, the apartment building had been picked dry but you had a few children’s cloths and some old bandages from first-aid kits that had seen better days. As usual, you had piled everything in Daryl’s room. As usual, you were reading another book. As usual, it failed to entertain you since you’d read it about three times now. As usual, you fell asleep on the couch, not completely though because you heard the front door open.

You sat up sharply. “Dary-”

Thwack

~ Tag List ~

@softsebastian​

[tigerkirby215]

5e Gondar, the Bounty Hunter build (DOTA 2)

(Artwork made for Valve Software.)

And here you were thinking that I wouldn’t actually make a DOTA 2 build; that’s where you’re WRONG! While this is sort of meant as my April Fools joke build I did actually play DOTA before migrating to League. I still love all the characters and I do genuinely think the gameplay has some strengths over LoL. The community...? Well, it exists.

Regardless back when I played DOTA I mained Bounty Hunter, which is rather ironic given I fucking hate League’s counterpart Bounty Hunter of Pyke. Gondar (yes his name is Gondar) was an extremely fun stealth assassin with a very unique passive to keep tabs on enemies at all times and inflate his teammates’ wallets. And apparently they magnified that even further by allowing Bounty to steal other heroes’ gold now with Jinada? Sweet Zeus Valve calm down with the feature creep...

Regardless: happy 5 days after April Fools! Hoes mad that I’m acknowledging DOTA’s existence.

GOALS

You can't fight what you can't see - DOTA is a lot more willing to give people invisibility. Helps when you can buy a gem that lets you see all invisible enemies.

The realm's justice - Jinada, que pasa? We need to be able to do big damage to critical points that weaken our enemies in a fight.

You can run but you can't hide - Your ultimate ability will be to track people down like some sort of... person who tracks people down for money.

RACE

Back in the Warcraft days Gondar was a Goblin, so a Goblin he shall be! As a Goblin you get a +2 to Dexterity and a +1 to Constitution, and Nimble Escape to get half of what a Rogue can do with your Bonus Action to Disengage or Hide (but not Dash.) And you get a nice bonus to take down big bounties (big in the literal sense) with Fury of the Small, allowing you to do extra damage equal to your level to a creature that’s bigger than you once per Short or Long Rest!

ABILITY SCORES

15; DEXTERITY - Is your refrigerator running? Well you’d better go catch it, because there’s a bounty on its head!

14; WISDOM - Wisdom is tied to tracking, and spoiler alert? We’re going to be doing a lot of tracking.

13; CONSTITUTION - We kinda don’t need anything else so may as well use that +1 from our race to get a nice boost to our HP.

12; INTELLIGENCE - Practical intelligence never hurt when tracking down gods and demons.

10; CHARISMA - You need to be able to talk to the people giving the bounties.

8; STRENGTH - You’re a small man with small knives.

BACKGROUND

Man, if only there was a background for a Bounty Hunter! We’ll be going for Urban Bounty Hunter from the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide because just because the name says “urban” doesn’t mean you can’t prowl around the Radiant jungle too. You can choose your proficiencies among a small list: I opted for Insight and Stealth. You also get proficiency with two musical instruments or gaming sets: I’d maybe ask about languages instead? But honestly pick your poison.

Your feature Ear to the Ground gives you plenty of information about whatever bounty you may be tracking, as you’ve got contacts in all places to slip you information about where a giant fishman may be. “The Tidehunter becomes the hunted.”

(Artwork made for Valve Software.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - FIGHTER 1

You level Shuriken first on Bounty, you go for CON saves first in D&D. Along with those CON saves you also get proficiency in two skills from the Fighter list: Acrobatics will help you survive and Survival will also help you survive! But it’s mainly useful for tracking.

As a Fighter you can choose a Fighting Style at level 1: for a quick Shuriken Toss Superior Technique will let you grab the Quick Toss maneuver as well as a d6 Superiority die to use on said maneuver. It doesn’t take a lot to push Q and click on someone. Remember that your superiority die come back after a Short Rest, as well as a long one.

Finally as a Fighter you can hold onto a Bottle to use for a bit of Second Wind, healing for a d10 plus your Fighter Level as a Bonus Action. “A prudent hunter knows when to strike.” This ability also resets after a Short or Long Rest.

LEVEL 2 - FIGHTER 2

Second level Fighters can up their APM with Action Surge, allowing them to take two actions in a turn. The Wiki says the trick of attacking people during Shadow Walk’s Fade Time is still a thing, so yeah pro tips from a League player!

LEVEL 3 - FIGHTER 3

Third level Fighters get to choose their Martial Archetype and truth be told I just want to be able to throw more shuriken, so Battle Master it is for four more Combat Superiority dice! You can also learn three more Maneuvers other than Quick Toss: Disarming Attack will let you knock an enemy’s weapon away with Heaven’s Halberd, and both Commander’s Strike and Distracting Strike are good to team up with your allies to play support. “My allies have earned their keep.”

But of course the most important feature is Student of War; no shmuck politician is going to hire you unless you have Calligrapher’s Supplies proficiency to fool a god to sign off his power to you!

LEVEL 4 - FIGHTER 4

How about we slow them down a bit? The Slasher feat will increase your Dexterity by 1 but also allow you to slow enemies hit by 10 feet. Additionally if you crit you cripple them, giving them disadvantage on their attacks! This only works with Slashing damage, so technically you can only slow in melee range with a Scimitar. But if your DM is cool I’d totally allow Darts that do Slashing damage to slow at range!

(”Twin Blades Assassin” set made by motenai and T_Vidotto. Made for YYF.)

LEVEL 5 - RANGER 1

First level Rangers get proficiency in one skill from the Ranger list: increase your map awareness and buy some wards for Perception. Additionally you get Deft Explorer from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, which grants you the Canny ability for two language proficiencies and Expertise in one skill of your choice. Your languages don’t matter too much but guess what? Survival is still used for tracking down bounties!

Speaking of those bounties you can mark them with not quite track thanks to Favored Foe. When you hit a foe you can choose to mark them and make them take an additional d4 once per turn for up to a minute! You need to concentrate on this effect though so you can’t just fire-and-forget like in DOTA, and can only use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

LEVEL 6 - RANGER 2

Second level Rangers get to choose a Fighting Style and you know what’s good for tossing shuriken? Thrown Weapon Fighting, letting you draw thrown weapons for free and giving you +2 damage to said thrown weapons!

But of course the main appeal of being a Ranger is the Spellcasting! You can learn two spells from the Ranger list: for a not quite stun that certainly isn’t mini Ensnaring Strike lets you throw a shuriken (or stab with your sword) to root an enemy in place. Alternatively if you want to track people super good Hunter’s Mark gives you advantage on Survival checks to track the person you marked, and also lets you do an extra d6 every time you hit the enemy!

It’s of course worth mentioning that both these spells require Concentration which means you can’t use them along with Favored Foe, but most of the Ranger spell list is Concentration.

LEVEL 7 - RANGER 3

Third level Rangers get to chose their subclass, and I hope you weren’t expecting Hunter just because the character is literally called “Bounty Hunter.” No we’ll be going for the Monster Slayer subclass, because certainly you only hunt monsters who have a price on their head for a reason, right? Regardless Hunter’s Sense will let you know what an enemy’s weaknesses are just by looking at them (and perhaps peeking at their inventory) with your Action. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain all expended uses at the end of a Long Rest.

But what we’re mainly here for is Slayer’s Prey, for more tracking marks! As a Bonus Action you can put another mark on a foe within 60 feet to make them take an extra d6 the first time you hit them! You can only have one target marked at a time with this ability, and it ends if you take a Short or Long Rest. This stacks with both Hunter’s Mark and Favored Foe, so pick your poison to do as much as you can to your foes!

You can also learn another first level Ranger spell like Snare, to set up in advance for bounties you know are coming. You get a lot more magic too: Monster Slayer Magic provides you with the Protection from Evil and Good spell, which is helpful for hunting down demons and fiends. You can also cast Speak with Animals once per day thanks to Primal Awareness, just in case you’ve been hanging around with Enchantress.

LEVEL 8 - RANGER 4

4th level Rangers get another Ability Score Improvement, but we still kinda need to be able to turn invisible? Good thing Shadow Touched lets you increase your Wisdom by 1 and gives you the Invisibility spell along with one Illusion or Necromancy spell of first level.

What first level spell will we be taking you may ask? Why if only there was a spell to squeeze more gold out of your bounties. Oh wait! Distort Value from Acquisitions Incorporated, allowing you to sparkle up your bounties for more gold! You can cast both of these spells once per Long Rest without using a spell slot, and can also cast them freely with your spell slots.

(”Desperado in the Shade” set made by HeeJae.)

LEVEL 9 - RANGER 5

5th level Rangers finally get their Extra Attack. It’s about damn time to pick up some attack speed as a Martial Fighter.

You can also learn another spell like Locate Object, because sometimes items have bounties on them too. Speaking of spells Monster Slayer Magic gives you the Zone of Truth spell, and Primal Awareness gives you one casting of the spell Beast Sense, in case you want to ride along with Lifestealer.

LEVEL 10 - RANGER 6

6th level Rangers get Roving from Deft Explorer, increasing their movement speed by 5 and granting them a Climbing and Swimming speed equal to their walking speed, meaning you can follow your bounties through any terrain. Additionally Favored Foe increases to a d6 of damage, so while it’s still not really comparing to Hunter’s Mark it’s still helping!

LEVEL 11 - RANGER 7

7th level Monster Slayers have a Supernatural Defense against magic and crowd control. Whenever the target marked by your Slayer’s Prey feature forces you to make a saving throw or if you try to escape their grapple, you can add a d6 to your roll.

You can also learn another second level spell like Lesser Restoration, as a Dispel is never a bad thing to have.

LEVEL 12 - RANGER 8

Striking foes from the shadows is all well and good but you haven’t got many ways to keep yourself safe. (Other than using your Bonus Action to Disengage I guess.) The Mobile feat will speed you up and let you avoid hits after cutting a foe’s heels!

(“Giant Hunter” set made by Jigglypuff.)

LEVEL 13 - RANGER 9

9th level Rangers get third level spells! This means you get:

Magic Circle from Monster Slayer Magic.

Speak With Plants from Primal Awareness.

And Revivify from the Ranger spell list (thanks Tasha’s), in case you need to help someone Buyback their respawn.

LEVEL 14 - RANGER 10

10th level Rangers are Tireless thanks to Deft Explorer. You can recover Exhaustion on a Short Rest, and can use an action to give yourself a boost of Temporary Hitpoints a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, which resets at the end of a Long Rest.

You also get more ways to turn invisible with Nature’s Veil, which lets you turn invisible until the start of your next turn. Like Tireless you have a number of uses equal to your Proficiency bonus, which come back at the end of a Long Rest. “Unseen.”

LEVEL 15 - RANGER 11

11th level Monster Slayers carry a ministun to deal with casters. When you see a creature casting a spell or teleporting within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to try to foil it with Magic-User’s Nemesis. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, or its spell / TP fails and is wasted. You can only use this ability once per Short or Long Rest however, so be sure to stop the enemy from using a teleportation scroll.

Additionally you can learn another spell like Nondetection, for protection against wards.

LEVEL 16 - RANGER 12

12th level Rangers can grab another Ability Score Improvement: even though we have an uneven Wisdom score I’m still going to suggest maxing out your Dexterity first for the highest possible AC, damage, and dodging skills.

(”Hunter with No Name” set made by BigTuna, Vermillion-Wlad, and Stefco. Made for Funn1k.)

LEVEL 17 - RANGER 13

13th level Rogues can learn 4th level spells. You get Banishment from Monster Slayer Magic, but much more importantly you get Locate Creature from Primal Awareness for some proper Bounty Hunting! We’ll also be taking Locate Creature as our learnt spell at this level: one may say that it’s not the most useful spell, but if you need combat magic you can upcast Ensnaring Strike for a chain stun or Invisibility to dust up.

LEVEL 18 - RANGER 14

14th level Rogues see Favored Foe increase to a d8. Is this way too late for a feature that’s still arguably doing less than Hunter’s Mark? Perhaps, but Favored Foe still doesn’t cost your Bonus Action nor a Spell Slot.

You do also get Vanish to hide as a Bonus Action but... you could already do that. Oops.

LEVEL 19 - RANGER 15

15th level Monster Slayers are masters at 1v1ing squishy spellcasters, as you master the Slayer’s Counter. If the enemy you marked with Slayer’s Prey forces you to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction attack them! You make this attack immediately before the saving throw, and if your attack hits you automatically succeed your saving throw.

You can also learn another spell but honestly? Pick your choice. We got just about all the character-accurate spells we could need as is.

LEVEL 20 - RANGER 16

16th level Rangers get their last Ability Score Improvement and while it’s probably late to do this the Resilient feat in Wisdom will make sure the enemy has zero chance to CC you.

WHY NOT ROGUE

There's several reasons I opted for Ranger levels instead of Rogue levels. Firstly Bounty Hunter can crit targets even when not stealthed, and Jinada is described as "preparing" the next attack which is much more in-line with Hunter's Mark and Favored Foe. Gondar's code language is most likely Goblin speak as opposed to Thieves' Cant. And of course Ranger was the only way to acquire tracking spells like Hunter's Mark and Locate Creature.

But above all else there were few Rogue subclasses that fit Gondar. Soul Knife is perhaps the only one that makes sense but ironically enough the unlimited nature of the Soul Knife Psychic Blades doesn't fit. (Also long-ranged teleportation doesn't fit either.) Monster Slayer meanwhile brings the backline counterplay to Gondar and allows me to work in a lot of Bounty Hunter's utility abilities.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

I didn't come here to see my enemies grow rich - You have many ways to get the upper hand both in and out of combat, with both spells and martial prowess to aid you in combat. Between invisibility, Hunter’s Mark, Ensnaring Strike, or just generally tracking your enemy down you have all the tools you could need and more to get the jump on your foes.

Watch your head! - You are very strong against magic users and other enemies who force saving throws, and you didn’t even need the Mage Slayer feat! Monster Slayer is exceptionally good at giving one enemy an incredibly tough time killing you, especially if they rely on magic to do so.

Impressive technique, but not enough - A little bit of Constitution goes a long way, and a +2 to CON along with a d10 hit die will give you quite a bit of bulk in comparison to others.

CONS

A wise hunter knows patience - It takes quite a bit to set up all your marks, with several bonus actions to operate at maximum effectiveness. In fact you have an absolutely excessive amount of Bonus Actions to choose from which can make picking the right one very tricky.

My target eludes me - You also have several Concentration spells, and while your CON saves are good many of your spells are utility based you still can’t turn invisible while tracking down your bounty.

That's going to come out of my pay, isn't it? - Your Wisdom isn’t terrible but it’s not good either, and while most of your spells don’t rely on saving throws many abilities such as Hunter’s Sense and Magic-User’s Nemesis do rely on your Wisdom. I’m not saying Point Buy would be better but your Intelligence really isn’t doing much to help you.

But a good hunter knows what tool to use in any situation, and you have the tools to take out any target... for the right price, of course. Stalk your foes, strike when they least expect it, and reap the rewards for your allies. And if they're the type to complain that you're not from Runeterra simply remember that DOTA is better than League, and a LoL player can't deny.

(Comic by Nerf Now!)

[wayward-mikaelson]

His Little Sister

Word Count: 2041

Pairing: Jared x Reader

Characters: Reader, Jensen, Jared, Alex, Rich, Misha (Mentioned)

About: The Reader works on the set of Supernatural where her big brother Jensen stars along side his best friend Jared. The Reader has developed a major crush on Jared. The Reader somehow lands a roll on the show. A role that plays Sam Winchesters love interest which big brother Jensen isn’t too thrilled about.

Disclaimer: Language, Angst, Mention of depression, Mention of car accident, Implied Smut

Disclaimer 2: Any of the shorts that are hot and steamy, I want to put out there that it's in no way disrespectful towards Gen at all. I love her to death and respect that marriage between her and Jared. So when reading those shorts, know that it all takes place in an alternate world where they aren't married at all.

A/N: Tag all your SPN accounts

A/N 2: Tag any Sam/Jared Stans so they can see this

A/N 3: Should I write a Part 2? I feel Like there should be a part 2...Jensen find out his sister and best friend are sleeping together while at a convention maybe? YOU TELL ME!!!!

Forever Tag List: @donnaintx​ @myinconnelly1​ @hobby27​ @magssteenkamp​ @elansaidaris​ @440mxs-wife​ 

*18+ CONTENT. ANYONE YOUNGER THAN THAT WILL NEED TO MOVE ON. I DON’T WANT TO RISK MY ACCOUNT BEING THANOSED.

**PLEASE DO NOT COPY AND PASTE MY WORK ANYWHERE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND WITHOUT GIVING ME THE PROPER CREDIT. I WORK TOO HARD ON MY WORK TO HAVE IT STOLEN. YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE THE LINK.

***THIS WORK IS ALSO POSTED ON IG, WATTPAD, AO3 SO PLEASE GO SO IT SOME LOVE OVER THERE

****FOLLOW ME ON IG, WATTPAD, AO3, AND TWITTER

*****DMS ARE OPEN FOR REQUESTS

"And...cut," Rich yells next to me. "That's a wrap! That was perfect!" I watch from the sidelines as he gets up from his directors chair. I watch as he makes his way towards Jensen and Jared. "Okay, now, I know it's late and everyone wants to get some sleep but, I want to run something pass you guys first." Rich pulls the two off set and outside. I look at the time on my phone and see that it's almost one in the morning.

"Want to head to my trailer for a drink?" Alex is next to me. He's still in his Jack outfit and still looking like a 16 year old boy who hasn't grown facial hair yet. He's been pinning after me for the last few years since I started working on the set of Supernatural. Everyone knew it too. Even my big brother, Jensen did. But I didn't feel that way towards Alex.

"Alex," I sigh. "Not tonight." I start to gather my things and make my way towards my brothers trailer. I normally stay at a hotel unless we have nights like this.

"Another time then?" Alex asks after me.

"She's not into you man," Jensen come up behind us hold some papers. "I could have told you that. I practically know who she's into." True, I think, but not this time. I couldn't tell him who it was because it was his best friend.

Ever since I started working on set, I saw Jared differently. He was no longer my brothers best friend to me. He was this funny and smart attractive man that smiled every time our eyes met. He even looks at me differently. Not the 'that's Jensen's baby sister' look. The look he give me always makes me blush. I would like to think Jared's into me but he was always going on some date with some chick.

"Sorry, Alex," I walk off with Jensen.

"It's all good," Alex walks off as well.

"You really should get back into dating," Jensen says handing me the papers in his hands as we walked to his trailer. "Anyway, we should talk about this."

I look at the papers. "It's a script," I say giving my brother a weird look.

Jensen wraps an arm around my shoulder. "Yeah, it's your script. The original chick who was casted as Opheila quit today. Rich and the others think you're perfect for the job."

I choke on whatever saliva is in my mouth. "My what?!" I exclaim pushing my brother away. "No! I haven't acted since my accident. And that was a year before I even took this job to help out on set."

Some years ago, I had a small but recurring role on the show Riverdale. In between filming and visiting home one day, I got into a bad car accident. My entire left leg was busted up and needed screws and rods. I was put out of work for months and my character on Riverdale was written and killed off. I was depressed because of it and then out of the blue Jensen pulled strings to get me back to work. My life was just starting to come back together and my limp was nearly gone too.

"I know," Jensen grabs my shoulder. "This could be your comeback. Give it a shot and if you don't like it, that's fine and Rich can suck my dick and get a new actress."

No one, and I mean no one, hyped me up and supported me and encouraged me like Jensen did. "Okay, here's to a comeback" I smile and Jensen pulls me into a hug. "Why did Rich want to talk to Jared as well?"

Jensen was quiet for a few minutes. "Well, this character we've been told, becomes a love interest of Sams."

I stop walking. "I see," It's a good thing it's dark because I can feel my face burning. Hot. "How does Jared feel about that?" I'm genuinely curious.

"Oh he's cool with it," Jensen continues to walking. I can tell that part of it is bugging him.

"And you?" I grab his arm and turn him around. "You don't seem or look to thrilled."

Jensen made a face. "I'm thrilled you got this roll. I've been dying to see you back in action acting again. I mean look at you. Beautiful and that limp you always complained about is gone. I just am having a hard time seeing my baby sister and best friend get friendly on camera."

I laugh out loud. I'm sure it's the fact that I am God awfully tired. "It'll be our characters getting close, not us." I hook my arm into his and we walk the rest of the way to the trailer.

"Rich is giving everyone the weekend off so we can focus on these lines." Jensen holds the trailer door open. Filming will start on Monday."

"Oi, that soon? Guess we get some sleep and start first thing."

Over the next few weeks, I learned more about my character. Ophiela, was also a hunter who hunted with the Winchesters a few times in the past. She and Sam also had a nice fun filled night before they lost contact. Turns out my character was going to be in the remaining season. Which to my surprise Jared was excited about. That kind of confused Jensen and made me blush hard that I had to find a way to hide my face from them all.

Getting back into acting wasn't hard. Acting with Misha around was hard. I never wanted to strangle someone so bad for purposefully trying to mess me up. I started to feel more and more myself behind the camera and delivering lines. Jensen even mentioned to me one night that I was getting that glow in my eyes when I acted. Rich was even impressed with my acting. About a month after taking the role and making it my own, we are about to wrap a scene where Sam and Ophiela are arguing. Our on set chemistry was fire. Everyone loved it.

Jared slams a book on the bunker set table. "What happened if we got there too late and found you dead?"

I lean over the table. "Then I would have died, Sam. You can't control that. Hell you can't even control your temper when it comes to my safety. Now if you will, I am going to wash off this hunt and go to bed." I take a few steps and Jared grabs my upper arm. "What the hell, Sam?"

"You don't see it do you," Jared starts to pull me towards him. Knowing whats going to happen, I can't help but feel nervous and giddy all at the same time. Jared has me up against his chest sweeping loose hair from my face. "I can't loose you." He cups my face and starts to pull me close when something loud crashes in the distance.

"Uh, sorry, about that," Jensen says picking up whatever he knocked over. Jared and I step away and I see irritation on his face.

"That was so perfect!" Rich whines from the directors chair. "Jensen, dammit, you need to be more careful." Rich comes around the corner. "I guess we pick this up tomorrow." Then he leaves.

"I'm going to go to my trailer," Jared walks off and I feel his hand slip out of mine and I realize that we had still been holding hands. I watch as he walks away.

"I really am sorry," Jensen says standing next to me. I look at him and I don't see a single regret about the incident on his face. He did that on purpose. That bastard.

"What the fuck, Jay?!" I ask pushing him. "The scene was going smoothly and it was perfect and you ruined it." I storm off leaving Jensen staring after me with a confused look on his face.

I walk way passed the trailer I share with Jensen. I walk pass Misha's trailer, Alex's trailer, and so on until I find myself standing at Jared trailer door. My heart is pounding as I hesitate to knock on his door. I don't what possessed me to go to his trailer but here I am.

"Jared," I knock on his door. "It's me."

The door opens and there stands Jared. In a t-shirt. "Hey," he says with a small smile. "Is your brother around?" The way he said brother confirmed he is just as irritated with him as I am.

"No, he's on set still or going to the local bar," I smile. "Can I come in?" Jared's small smile gets bigger. He steps aside and I walk into his trailer. It's neat and clean. I've only been in here a few times for only a few minutes. "I'm sorry, my brother can be a real dick sometimes." I say sitting on his small couch.

Jared grabs two beers, opens one and hands me it. "Yes he can be," He takes a sip of his beer. "The scene was perfect and going so smoothly." He sits next to me. I can't help but look the muscle in his arm that was close to brushing up on mine.

"It really was," I take a drink of my beer. "Our characters were about to have an amazing moment." I glance at Jared who's looking at me with those same eyes he was giving me on set.

"They can still have that moment," I see Jareds hand slide towards mine and without thinking I take hold of it. "Just without a camera." He adds taking his thumb and rubbing it my hand.

I blush and smile. "They totally can," I manage to out in a whisper.

Jared starts to lean in towards me. My heart is racing so I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Jared's head meets mine and he rests there breathing deeply. He's as nervous as me. I open my eyes and see he's staring deep into them. It's like my soul connects with his. It feels right. It's perfect. Licking my lip, I tilt my head up and press my lips to his.

The moment that they touch, every part of my body turns to jello. Jared lets go of my hand to cup my face and hold it to his. When his tongue pushes pass my lips and starts to explore my mouth, the beer bottle in my hand slips out of my hand and onto the floor with a loud clang. I pull back to pick it up but Jared pulls me back to him.

"Don't worry about that," I hear him set his beer down and use that hand to pull me onto his lap. Both legs rest on either side of his. I feel his erection pressing through his jeans and mine. I relax more of my weight and roll my hips against his. With a small but deep growl, Jared's lips land on mine again. Picking me and setting me on the small trailer counter.

I wrap my legs around him to keep him between me. I feel him press himself firmly into my jeans and I can feel how wet I am already for him. I moan into his mouth as he does it again. Jared pulls back and whips his shirt off. I do the same and unclasp the bra I am wearing. "You like what you see?"  I ask as Jared stares at bare chest.

"Do I?" He leans in and brushes his lips from my cheek to my ear where he nips just below. I suck in a deep breath. "I fucking think it's beautiful." He wraps his arm around me and carries me to his bed where he plops me down on the bed. He stares down at me as he takes his pants off. "Now, why don't we see how quiet you can be while I fuck you hard into this mattress."

[soraavalon]

DM: After a few more days you guys are well into Autumn and on the horizon you begin to see the shape of a castle, or rather less a castle and more like a huge henge or coliseum, you know like a round open top structure rather than a fortress. As soon as Rymer sees it, he points it out as where you guys are going. Looks to be another days travel.

Mistletoe: So, this is where you grew up?

Rymer: Not exactly.

Mistletoe: Mistletoe just kind of tilts his head waiting expectantly.

DM: He keeps walking.

Mistletoe: Okay then where did you grow up? Was it an exchange sort of thing you were the ward of a powerful fey spirit to learn some things that sort of deal?

DM: You just see him take a deep breath.

Ethan: [in chat] EXCHANGE PROGRAM WITH THE FEYWILD??

DM: Make a, god, I feel like, I don't know what an annoyance check would be if it's intimidation or persuasion.

Mistletoe: Well, oh that does matter for me I guess.

DM: Whichever one you want to use. Yeah I don't know what an annoyance check would be.

Nathaniel (OOC): [in chat] yeah?

DM: Unless I make Rymer make a fucking will save.

Mistletoe: I'll go with persuasion.

DM: Okay and then I'll use that, see if he can beat that.

Mistletoe: He can probably beat this.

DM: We'll see.

Hunt (OOC): We'll see.

Nathaniel (OOC): [in chat] that's what happened with Mistletoe. He's gone to train to be a hunter with the Lord of the Hunt

DM: Yeah, we'll fucking see. He's got a +1 to his Wisdom so let's *rolls* Nope, that's a 9. Christ on a cracker Rymer, come on man.

Hunt (OOC): That poor man.

Ethan: [in chat] and the fey just left a child?

Rymer: No, what happened is that there was a deal made with a witch on the Material Plane and the Owl King and she decided she wanted me back at the end of it, so I went back.

Nathaniel (OOC): [in chat] ??

Ethan: [in chat] 'here, child. thanks for you child'

Nathaniel (OOC): [in chat] no?

Mistletoe: Oh.

Marigold: Owl King?

Rymer: Yes. The King of the Twilight Court.

Tark (OOC): [in chat] like it dont happen all the time

Marigold: Owl King. Was she a nice witch?

Rymer: I think she tried to be. He gave her power in exchange for her firstborn child and then she decided she'd rather have the son that she carried than the magic that he granted her, so she asked for the deal revoked.

Mistletoe: Huh, didn't know you could do that.

Rymer: Neither did I.

Mistletoe: So what's it like having a mom?

Rymer: Do you not have one?

Mistletoe: I mean, I don't know her.

Rymer: It's... fine. I mean...

DM: He looks like he's not sure how to proceed with what he wants to say.

Mistletoe: Mistletoe's just looking at him with this wide-eyed curious look.

Rymer: I think it would've been easier for her if I was more inclined to be on the Material Plane, but I was not.

Mistletoe: Hmm.

Rymer: I miss the mother I had here.

Mistletoe: Well good thing we're visiting then.

Rymer: Yes, it's been a long time.

Mistletoe: And Mistletoe is gonna sling his arm over Rymer's shoulder again.

DM: He kind of flinches but doesn't push you off.

Mistletoe: Isn't these good talks we're having?

DM: Just a hard glare.

[hydemind]

Your thoughts on Isaac, William, Frankie an Jack 🎤?

OHHHHHH CROW I COULD GO ON ABOUT THEM FOR HOURS.

this post is SUPER FUCKING LONG so for the first time in my life im using a read more link.

I'm gonna start out with Will, who, a little fun fact, isn't actually named William! His full name is Willis Grossman. His parents thought it'd be funny. Will doesn't know his full name.

Here are some other fun facts about me and @functionentropy 's Will (along with other characters below) (he is also the one who has been making this entire creepypasta interp with me! Go check out their art or else /lh):

Will was born in the late 1800s early 1900s!

His parents were a lot like a Bonnie and Clyde duo, and they cared and loved for Will very, very much.

Will always looked up to Isaac! He wanted to be exactly like his grandpa when he grew up. Isaac was also a wonderful grandfather as well.

Will, on his 13th birthday, got Isaac's mask as a gift. When he got it, Isaac said to him: "keep it safe. It's a family heirloom.", Will uses that excuse as to why he still wears it to this day.

Speaking of Isaac, he's the underrealm equivalent to a tumblr sexyman. Everyone thinks he's hot shit, but that also goes for a lot of serial killers residing in the underrealm. Will unfortunately had to see his grandfather on magazine covers talking about the underrealm's HOTTEST NEW KILLER. He hates it.

Will ran away from home after Isaac died at around the age of 20 to 21, and considering he was a legal adult, his parents couldn't do much. They're still looking for him. (How, you may ask? Well, a little thing about the underrealm is that it stunts growth. You're essentially unable to die of old age down there. Think shitty immortality. His parents are looking for him, and they know he's in the underrealm- so that's how they are still around!)

Will had the worst time in the underrealm for the first few years he was down there. He wasn't immediately enrolled in the institution and he had a hard time holding down a job. Eventually he met Frankie! They live(d) in an apartment together. The first time Frankie met Will he thought he was Isaac and told his landlord and him HELL NO. Frankie does not like Isaac. Cue [will's offended gasp] and him saying he's his GRANDSON, and WHY IS HE ACTING LIKE ISAAC SUCKED? Cue Frankie making fun of him for being a grandpa's boy.

Frankie and Will had a bumpy relationship for a while. Will wasn't always a good person. Not really bad, just a fucking dumbass.

Speaking of Frankie...

Here's stuff about Frankie!

Frankie's origin story is essentially the same in this interp. Except for the fact that Frankie very much HAD A PAST. (which. If u wanna know more........I would love to talk about it......but this is about CURRENT Frankie so if u wanna know more bro just pop up in my dms or send another ask im feeling wild tonight)

After Amy passed (which was NOT due in part to the operator in this universe. The operator just found her like that) he was found by Bell (prince beelzebub, ruler of the underrealm at that point). You should know Frankie wasn't always an adjusted and normal fuckin person. He was like a rabid dog for a good while there.

While Frankie was unhinged he fucking death rolled Daisy the first time they met. (Daisy is an oc! I'm willing to talk more about him if you want the deets. He's interesting :]) because of this Daisy is the only one allowed to openly make fun of Frankie. (Playfully, of course.)

Daisy and Bell both basically helped Frankie adjust to society.

Frankie is autistic! So is Will. And Isaac. All. Everyone. Everyone has autism. (Shhhh. i'm projecting.)

Frankie can see souls! He's a very good judge of character because of it. However Frankie doesn't know what he's seeing is people's souls.

Frankie goes specifically after bad people. He'll take jobs from bad people, but he'll kill them, too. He says "he's sending them back to where they belong".

Frankie was the first to really show Will killing isn't just something you do. It's more than that. Will had never really processed death and murder of his fellow man like that before. He has a hard time even processing people as people sometimes, outside those of whom he cares for. This is because of Isaac. Isaac taught Will that people are bad- all of them. And that killing them is preventing them from hurting others, even if they haven't yet.

Frankie is a good guy and honestly a softie deep down. He worries and cares for all those who are close to him, even if he doesn't act like it sometimes.

Frankie says Toby "kidnapped him" and "made him diseased". 1. Frankie can very much leave the household at any time and 2. Frankie is referring to the operator sickness. Speaking of that-

Frankie was dragged through the operator's own personal hell! (Aka the realm they reside in more often than not, aka the place that Tim gets tossed around in near the end of marble hornets.) Reason being was because he threatened Toby's life. The operator is very protective of Toby.

Speaking of that, someone else was around when Toby met Frankie...

ONTO LAUGHING JACK!

ohhh man. Oh man. Oh baby. This clown is FULL of illness. Alright. So let's start off simple:

Lj was of course, made for Isaac. That's still a consistency. What isn't is that lj was around Isaac for a lot longer than in the original story. They developed a very close bond over the years they knew eachother, but, all good things must come to an end.

Lj returned to his box when Isaac left for boarding school. However, unlike the original story....Isaac didn't really come back to open the box. In fact, the most Isaac did was...well, I'll wait to spill that for Isaac's part later.

However! Eventually the house got passed off to another family. Years, and it mean YEARS later someone found lj's box in the attic! They were an unfortunate casualty.

After this, lj went and hunted Isaac down. Cue gore filled murder scene.

Things to note: LJ feels HORRIBLE about what he did to Isaac. He regrets it everyday. He wishes he had never done that to him.

But, time skip a bit.. we're further in the future now. LJ has his carnival set up and hidden away in an empty spot in the forest. He eventually comes across a wandering spirit because of this. This wanderer just so happens to be Sally!

LJ takes her in and swears to protect her with his life. In a way, you could say he sees her as a chance of redemption.

Sally was a wandering spirit, meaning she never really was stuck to one spot in particular- also meaning she wasn't very strong. Because of this, LJ gave her some of his own angelic essence. This boosted Sally and essentially made her a poltergeist!

(Note: Sally doesn't know how she died. Also, none of the things in her og story happened to her in this one. Fuck mishimishi. All my homies hate mishimishi.)

A little while after this they actually meet Toby and Jeffery! But this is getting long and to explain THAT entire debacle would make it even longer. but again I fully invite you to send more asks or just straight up dm me if you wanna know!

Now, last, but certainly not least..

ISAAC GROSSMAN.

OH MAN. Isaac is a DOOZY. Just like LJ, this baby is chocked FULL of illnesses! *slaps the top of his head like the roof of a car* but also, fair warning here: im gonna be talking about some heavy stuff. Abuse, physical and mental, gore, just. Death in general. Cannibalism, and EXTREME MENTAL ILLNESS *loud airhorn* so if any of that stuff gets to you steer clear of this part!

Anyways, let's start out simple!

Isaac was born in victorian England.

Isaac's mother was terrible towards him. I'm talking mental and physical abuse. She was a horrible, horrible woman.

Isaac's father...he wasn't a good person either, but he didn't beat Isaac. Nor did he really mentally abuse him either. He just...let it happen. He didn't even hurt his mother like he did in the original story. Isaac's mother was just plain bad for no good reason.

Isaac was sort of. Born having mental illness. They didn't just develop for him due to the abuse he experienced, though they certainly DID make it worse. There were other mental issues he has now that developed due to the abuse, however.

LJ was quite literally a godsend for Isaac. Metaphorically and not Metaphorically. LJ made Isaac happy, gave him comfort, and was basically like the mom he never had.

that's why it was so hard on Isaac when he had to leave lj behind. For a while he even had hallucinations of lj while in boarding school (which only furthered his future belief that lj was a hallucination brought on by the need to cope).

Isaac's first technical "murder" you could say was at boarding school. He pushed a shitty teacher down the stairs when there was no one around and they died. It wasn't even premeditated- more like it just sort of..happened.

Eventually Isaac graduated. When he did, he promptly returned home and killed his parents, as you do. /s

Isaac killed his mom in a rather violent fashion in comparison to his father- he whiplashed her so hard she fucking died.

Not long after this Isaac started his..well. I guess you could call it career.

Basically you know what happens after that. human skin chair, yadda yadda yadda, underrealm's sexiest killer, you know the drill.

Isaac did more than the human skin chair though! In fact, he uh. He. He did a lot. He did. SO much. But that was because Isaac believed in not wasting any part of the body. Which means Isaac not only made human skin chairs, but he was an avid cannibal, as well. (Fun fact, this very much extended to Will's father, mother, and Will as well. Will didn't know they were eating human for a long time. He had to realize that on his own.)

Eventually, Isaac punched his ticket because of LJ. But..I'd be a liar to say he really died.

No, our wonderful boy Isaac didn't die. He became a ghoul. Which, by the way, only further fucked with Isaac mentally! He's so ill. Some other things happened which I won't say here because they're spoilers for the fanfic I'm working on (Oh yeah the hyperfixation is that bad, but if you wanna know, again, I fully invite you to ask), but basically Isaac eventually gets taxidermied by, drumroll please..TOBY!!!! yeah. Toby does taxidermy as a job. He invited a new type of it for taxidermying Isaac. It was to repay daisy for something he did for the group.

But to say, again, that THAT was Isaac's end, would be another lie! No no no. Isaac was alive during the entire process! The good news is that he's never looked better after he escaped daisy's house when it got exploded by Frankie. Which..that's uh..another story for another day. This post is already insanely long and I am NOT putting it in the main tags.

So yeah! Im absolutely crazy for these dudes and I love all of them. By the way if you couldn't guess before Frankie and Will very much get together and are so so gay. Another little thing: Isaac is gay too, he had a past relationship with a man by the name of Dr. Locklear! Locklear is French German and his accent shows it. They were very close but fell out because of Locklear being involved with the institution and...a certain foundation.

I'll leave it to you to ponder on that one.

[nyahsaqueen]

Task 001: Character Playlist.

Death Becomes Her - a Nyah Queen playlist

Snippets of Lyrics below:

1. tipsy - Chloe x Halle

man just this entire song is her vibe, k bye

I've been crucified, darling Ghosts haunt me like New Orleans I've been charged with murder Need someone to push me further I'll hit you where it hurts, yeah If you don't put me first, yeah And I don't give no apologies If you lose a life, that's not on me, yeah

[Pre-Chorus] Better, baby, better treat me better Better than those other guys who change up like the weather, yeah It is such a shame that they went missing, they can't find 'em now Oh, I wonder how I accidentally put them in the ground, yeah

[Chorus] I might be a little tipsy on your love Makes me a little crazy, but so what? You're strumming on my heartstrings, don't be dumb If you love your little life, then don't fuck up

[Verse 2] I'll take you to the afterlife Boy, if you ain't actin' right Key your car and crash the lights Hit your head, I'm not polite Then I'll hunt down your family Let 'em know 'bout the tragedy Who did it? A mystery But you know that it, it was me, yeah

2. scream - Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson

 Tired of injustice Tired of the schemes The lies are disgusting So what does it mean, damn it? Kicking me down I got to get up As jacked as it sounds The whole system sucks, damn it

Peek in the shadow Come into the light You tell me I'm wrong Then you better prove you're right! You're selling out souls but I I care about mine I've got to get stronger And I won't give up the fight

3. girls like us - Zoe Wees

 It's hard for girls like us We don't know who we trust Not even the ones we love 'Cause they don't know

4. motive - Ariana Grande & Doja Cat

'Cause I see you tryin', subliminally tryin' To see if I'm gon' be the one that's in your arms I admit it's exciting, parts of me kinda like it But before I lead you on

Baby, tell me, what's your motive? (Motive)

You treat me like gold, baby Now you wanna spoil me Did you want a trophy or you wanna sport me, baby? Want me on your neck 'cause you wanted respect 'Cause you fightin' some war, baby Well, I had to bring the fists out, had to put a wall up But don't trust phonies, baby (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) You gotta tell me, what's your motive, baby?

5. boss bitch - Doja Cat

Yeah, ain't tryna be cool like you Wobblin' around in your high heel shoes I'm clumsy, made friends with the floor Two for one, you know a bitch buy four And two left feet, you know I always drop First thing a girl did was a bop I'm the whole damn cake and the cherry on top Shook up the bottle, made a good girl pop

I'm a bitch, I'm a boss I'm a bitch and a boss, I'ma shine like gloss

6. nightmare - Halsey

"Come on, little lady, give us a smile" No, I ain't got nothin' to smile about I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for A moment to say I don't owe you a goddamn thing

7. all the stars - Kendrick Lamar, SZA

Tell me what you gon' do to me Confrontation ain't nothin' new to me You can bring a bullet, bring a sword, bring a morgue But you can't bring the truth to me Fuck you and all your expectations I don't even want your congratulations I recognize your false confidence And calculated promises all in your conversation I hate people that feel entitled Look at me crazy 'cause I ain't invite you Oh, you important? You the moral to the story? You endorsin'? Mothafucka, I don't even like you Corrupted man's heart with a gift That's how you find out who you dealin' with A small percentage who I'm buildin' with I want the credit if I'm losin' or I'm winnin' On my momma, that's the realest shit

8. needed me - Rihanna

But baby, don't get it twisted You was just another n**** on the hit list Tryna fix your inner issues with a bad bitch Didn't they tell you that I was a savage? Fuck ya white horse and ya carriage Bet you never could imagine Never told you you could have it

You needed me Ooh, you needed me To feel a little more, and give a little less Know you hate to confess But baby ooh, you needed me 9. checklist - Normani, Calvin Harris feat. Wizkid

Come show me what the neck ’bout Might show you what the check ’bout Might show you what that net 'bout Give it all to you if you check out Way you moving it around me Make me feel like you wan’ drown me Make me feel like you wan' wet me Only you know how to get me up

10. truth hurts - Lizzo

You tried to break my heart? Oh, that breaks my heart That you thought you ever had it No, you ain't from the start Hey, I'm glad you're back with your bitch I mean, who would wanna hide this? I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be your side chick I put the sing in single Ain't worried 'bout a ring on my finger So you can tell your friend, "Shoot your shot" when you see him It's okay, he already in my DMs

I'ma hit you back in a minute (Yeah, yeah) I don't play tag, bitch, I been it (One time) We don't fuck with lies (Two times), we don't do goodbyes (Woo) We just keep it pushing like ay-ay-ay

11. juice - Lizzo

If I'm shinin', everybody gonna shine (Yeah, I'm goals) I was born like this, don't even gotta try (Now you know) I'm like chardonnay, get better over time (So you know) Heard you say I’m not the baddest, bitch, you lie (Haha)

It ain’t my fault that I'm out here gettin’ loose Gotta blame it on the Goose Gotta blame it on my juice, baby It ain't my fault that I'm out here makin' news I’m the pudding in the proof Gotta blame it on my juice Ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee Blame it on my juice, blame it, blame it on my juice

12. motivation - normani

 Fallin'  into the bed Why would we ever do somethin' instead of Fallin' into the bed right now? Yeah

I'ma break you off, let me be your motivation To stay and give it tonight And, baby, turn around, let me give you innovation Hey, 'cause I do it so right Think about it, ooh, I think about it Think about it, ooh, take a look at me now Hey, a little motivation, alright

13. mi gente - J Balvin, Willy William

Esquina a esquina, de ahí no' vamo' El mundo es grande, pero lo tengo en mi' manos Estoy muy duro, sí, ok, ahí vamos Y con el tiempo nos seguimos elevando

English: i’m rusty, i had to get some google help

Corner on the corner, that’s where we go The world is big, but I have it in my hands I’m very tough, yes, okay, there we go And over time we keep going up

14. sorry not sorry - Demi Lovato

Now, I'm out here lookin' like revenge Feelin' like a ten, the best I've ever been And, yeah, I know how bad it must hurt to see me like this But it gets worse (Wait a minute) Now, you're out here lookin' like regret, ain't too proud to beg Second chance, you'll never get And, yeah, I know how bad it must hurt to see me like this But it gets worse (Wait a minute)

Now, payback is a bad bitch And baby, I'm the baddest You fuckin' with a savage Can't have this, can't have this (Ah) And it'd be nice of me to take it easy on ya, but nah

Baby, I'm sorry (I'm not sorry)

15. django jane - Janelle Monáe

And hit the mute button, let the vagina have a monologue Mansplaining, I fold 'em like origami What's a wave, baby? This a tsunami For the culture, I kamikaze, I put my life on a life line If she the G.O.A.T. now, would anybody doubt it?

16. perfect illusion - Lady Gaga

Tryin' to get control Pressure's takin' its toll Stuck in the middle zone I just want you alone My guessing game is strong Way too real to be wrong Caught up in your show Yeah, at least now I know

It wasn't love, it wasn't love It was a perfect illusion (Perfect illusion) Mistaken for love, it wasn't love It was a perfect illusion (Perfect illusion) You were a perfect illusion

17. formation - Beyoncé

I see it, I want it, I stunt; yellow bone-it I dream it, I work hard, I grind 'til I own it I twirl on them haters, albino alligators El Camino with the seat low, sippin' Cuervo with no chaser Sometimes I go off (I go off), I go hard (I go hard) Get what's mine (Take what's mine), I'm a star (I'm a star) 'Cause I slay (Slay), I slay (Hey), I slay (Okay), I slay (Okay) All day (Okay), I slay (Okay), I slay (Okay), I slay (Okay) We gon' slay (Slay), gon' slay (Okay), we slay (Okay), I slay (Okay) I slay (Okay), okay (Okay), I slay (Okay), okay, okay, okay, okay Okay, okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, 'cause I slay Okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, 'cause I slay Prove to me you got some coordination, 'cause I slay Slay trick, or you get eliminated

18. be careful - Cardi B

Be careful with me, do you know what you doin'? Whose feelings that you're hurtin' and bruisin'? You gon' gain the whole world But is it worth the girl that you're losin'? Be careful with me Yeah, it's not a threat, it's a warnin' Be careful with me Yeah, my heart is like a package with a fragile label on it Be careful with me

19. i like that - Janelle Monáe

I remember when you called me weird We was in math class, third row, I was sitting by you Right before Mr. Ammond’s class 'Cause my mama couldn’t afford new Js Polos, thrift store, thrift clothes that was all I knew Do you remember? Uh, I remember when you laughed when I cut my perm off And you rated me a six I was like, “Damn” But even back then with the tears in my eyes I always knew I was the shit 20. W - Koffee feat. Gunna

Everything we do, we give thanks, tell dem wah we do Lowe di L, take di W (Ayy, ayy) One thing deh out deh fi you (Ayy, ayy) And it nah come if you no go