#oooh I like its pointy legs

[skwonkk]

Lolvo. Like Volvo but funnier, I guess? Let the Green North Star watch wordlessly until the time its wisdom is disseminated. The wisdom of millions of years. Aloe cookies? Ew. Do you wanna watch Frocaid 6? No? You never wanna do anything. Everyone was a boy in 2017. I hear noises outside and it scares me. So much happens there. My weak mush of an existence can't handle it. He looks like a stormy moor in human form. I'm afraid of getting worse before I ever get better. Do you find intestines cute? Not even a little? If it's in her room, there is no way she'll be able to resist reading it if it's in her room. So it shan't be. Truly, No lie. Francoid-6. Still the amoebas. The joyful leaping of a tree frog, legs splaying out. Wooowoouhooohuwo. I don't want to do important things but I also don't want to do unimportant things. The Gilded Everest Trail in Nottwishire? The Clumps scare me. I don't want your fine leather crafts. Lots of people waste their lives. It's normal. Was there a comic vine? What's a comic vine? Duck filet kitchen. Duckfile.org.gov.net OOOH! Hey, do you agree with what I'm saying? Tell me. Bridgerton. Brightness crown. Rightness crow. Rigid chrome. Small -very small- and pointy and cute. Ploplopdblog? His stories are nothing to me. Sparkling air, at most. Though they did inform my 2017-18 era. Even a shaving razor is unfathomably high-tech. A wonderful prancing lynx. Want a fruitbar? Hahalamaha. Toothpaste mascara? Words used to be a lot richer and fattier; they're low-fat now. I'm well aware of the clock. It tortures me without galvanizing. A mannequin in the bathtub. Dr. Fingle adjusted his glasses. Skin tags can appear basically on any part of the skin... scary. Burns gross what and where price actually alright. I wear so the there check. Billy the warthog-antelope. Do you think you're special for being able to imagine fairies? Unfortunately, the world seems to find you special. Hinnaya. The unrivalled mind of a 16-year-old pseudo-intellectual. 29 FPS? Why bother, just make it 30. When you look at your purest memories through the lens of the present, they are not pure anymore! The knowledge of the present eats at the purity until everything is sad and miserable and very very bitter! It didn't come from the sky, it came from people! People made that show you loved, and you can't make it! It didn't come from the sky, it came from people! People suffered to make that granola bar! Ideas didn't hit you the way they do now! You understood them, but you didn't FEEL them!!! Icy lime. Frilcoid: 7! Monkey horror. Money hoarder. Wanting money is fine and wanting attention is fine. I saw Haec-Vir at a conference the other day. Amazing that he's still alive over 400 years later. Sir Chill Diamill. Don't trust people who consider sitcoms to be "excellent, nuanced TV." You ever get so relieved from using the toilet that it brings tears to your eyes? Ice dryer. I'm glad they can't see my mind. Unless I choose to show it to them. But I must be more careful. That was an amazing plant. Oh, I'm so neglectful.

[missamyrisa2]

How would you deal with a girl who likes more pointy/sharper tickles in their royal area and feet? >.<

You'll find yourself on the tickle chair, a nice trussed position with all of your goodie spots exposed. Your legs are up, gently spread and securely strapped down. I like to keep your arms strapped to armrests, it gives this nice semblance of relaxation while the tortures ensue. Your fingers and toes wiggle helplessly in silence. You are entirely naked, but I've left your clothes in a nice pile on a nearby table~your protection sitting right out of reach. With a heavy creak, the door slides open and a beam of light falls over your helpless form, followed by my long shadow.

Normally I'd be chatty with the taunts, but for now I'm going to let you enjoy the ambiance. The room is deathly quiet save for my gentle footsteps. I'm quietly arranging my equipment out of sight. You hear the metal clinking, the shuffling sounds. Don't think I don't notice those twitches on your tender spots or those stifled whimpers. I'm watching your soft struggles with enjoyment, deriving so much pleasure from you realizing how exposed your every spot is on this apparatus.

The quiet is broking by a scratching sound. It draws close to your ears, the sounds of friction and repetitive motion. I bring my hands around and, with a superior grin, show you my sparkly purple nail file, along with my freshly painted long nails. I pace around you, I make you watch as I sharpen every one of my nails. I take my time, humming happily. I flick them at you occasionally, just to watch you squirm. I haven't even touched yet, and I'm delighting in all your submissive blushy blooms.

I throw a leg over your lap and plop myself at your midsection. I'm wearing a typical Amy outfit~ tiny denim shorts and a cropped white top bearing an elegantly scrawled slogan: "Smile". I toss my file aside and start wiggling my freshly sharpened nails. The points wiggle and dance. I bring them down your arms, I let you feel the threat of my index fingers skittering inwards. I test my implements on your underarms, fluttering in tight circles before darting up to your neck.

"Oooh. Look at you writhe and wiggle. You like my nice sharp nails don't ya?" I trace with my deadly tips down the sides of your neck, reaching down to let them stroke your ribs up and down. "Don't you?" I wiggle an index finger at your nose and then make a falling whistle sound as it descends to your navel. I poke into your button and let that purpley tip scratch earnestly. "Coochie coo. Don't fight it now. You're in so much trouble."

I hop off and pad around to your feet excitedly. I test my nails on each sole, adjusting the straps on your legs to keep you completely tightened and helpless. I draw my purple tips down your toes, poking those sharp edges into all of them at once. "Ticklishness~" I muse, scratching downwards to bury them into the crooks under your toes. "You are so ticklish~ yes, tickly ticklish~"

Reaching to my tools I pull out a bottle of baby oil. Again I make sure you see all the teasing motions, opening the cap and letting it spill down from high above onto your toes. I rub the oil into your feet lovingly with my thumbs, trying to make it as sensual a sensation as possible and less tickly. "Feels good huh? Yeah. You like your feet touched mmm?" I suddenly surge my nails into a melee of scratching tickles. "How about now? How about now? Hmm? You like that? Does that tickle? Does it?" I dig into your soles, my nail tips biting into that sensitive skin. I scratch up in criss-crossing patterns, and draw my thumbnails rapidly into your insteps. "It tickles? That's right it fucking does. Tickle, tickle, tickle!"

I give my nails a break and pick up a metal backscratcher in the shape of a cat's paw and claws. I snap its length out and smirk at you. With one hand I grasp a foot firmly, and the other begins briskly running the tool up your soles in rapid motions. "Scratchy scratchy!" I keep the tool going, working gradually all over your foot, letting it get up under your toes for some deliciously sharp tickles on sensitive crevices. "How's that feel? Ticklish? Laugh it out for me kitten. Oh your feet are getting so pink! Yeah, so warm. You really feel it now huh? It tickles just so bad. No, we're not done. We're not done yet." I take the scratcher to your toes and begin raking each one carefully.

"Tickle tickle toesies. Ticklish toes. Scratchies on your toesies. Mmhm" I snicker at your reaction and treat the other foot to the same, each pad under your toes thoroughly scratched and inspected. Perfect for me to lean in and start playfully drawing my teeth on each. I give you a sweet and rough combination, licking and taking your toes between my lips before scratching with my teeth. "Nibble nibbly nibbles~ coochie coo. Look at how tickled you are. You can't stand it huh?"

I start scooting between your legs, still reaching back to torment your feet. I retrieve two more tools, a pair of purple scrubbers with rubber points. I slip their between my index and middle fingers and draw them playfully up your legs to your thighs. "How about here? Ticklish up here? Right on your inner thighs? Oooh such a glutton. You want scratchies here don't ya? Yeah? No? Tickle?" I skitter the pointed tips up and down your thighs, leaving little soft streaks all along the way. I slip little nibbles in here too, leaning in to let my soft hair tease your skin before catching a piece of delicious sensitive skin between my lips for a kissing nibble.

"Tickle tickle thighs. Ticklish thighs~" I coo, working further inward. "I know where you really want it next~" I bring the scrubbers to the fold right between your innermost thighs and royal area. I lightly test, then scratch further when I find a good hot spot. "Maybe. Yeah? You want the pointy tickles even here? Oh my tickle kitten. I'm too happy to oblige. But you gotta ask. Yes, I'm gonna make you ask for it. You have to say it~ aww does it tease so bad to say it out loud? Toooo bad~"

I giggle and fawn over your reactions, moving my scratching tools inward to probe at your lips with light touches. I ever so gently part your girlihood and let the tools tease at your swelling button. "Such a good little volunteer. I'll be gentle, don't worry." I test with little pokes and nudges, giving your royal button the most careful of pointy tickles. Eventually I work my purple nails back into it. I hold up my wiggly index finger at you and take it into action on your most royal area.

I make you watch as I bring my dancing index finger closer and closer, then back away. Then bring it in again and scratch your button before pulling away. You can feel the air kissing your button, and I slip the scratches in just when you're at your most wanting. "You want that huh? Scratchy on your clitty? So cute. You can't get enough huh? I'm gonna make you gigglegasm too. Oh yes. That's a must-do."

My nails pick up speed, scratching wildly along your inner thighs to your lips, up your button from each side and then back down. I'm laughing and snickering at your reactions, following every squirm and writhe. I'll reach back when you're feeling too amorous to let my nails bite into your soles too. "I never make it easy, sorry baby cakes." I play with your senses, get your legs quivering with the back and forth tickles between your feets and royal areas.

And then I stick a finger into my mouth and smile wide. "Oh yes. I'm going in. You need alllll the scratchy nail tickles my dear. Even that one." I nod at your pleas and glide my finger between your lips, plunging deep through your wetness, ensuring my nail tip touches your walls all along the way until I curve up and find that glorious wonderful royal button. I hold my nail tip right on it for a moment, letting you feel the idle threat. And then I begin scratching. Slowly, but quickly picking up pace. I can't be shaken or deterred. My other hand is biting at your thighs and belly and occasionally your outer royal button. I'm doing to make you dance all the way through.

"Just let it go cutie. I'll tickle you all the way through. Uhuh. Tickle tickle. You'll get scratchy tickles all the way until you're a nice blushing mess~"

[lu-undy]

Chapter 74 - SBT (Spicy, kids, stay away!)

Here it is!

"So, gonna tell me what you have for me that's better than dinner?" 

"I will, be patient." 

Lucien straddled his lover's lap and smiled. He held both his hands and laced his fingers between the Aussie's. 

"Alright, how long before you tell me?" 

"We will get our dinner delivered, then, we can sleep - or not, as you wish - and tomorrow, you shall enjoy your surprise."

"Sounds like I already have one for tonight, eh?" Mundy put his hands on Lucien's waist. 

"You might." 

Suddenly both men heard a cry for help outside of the van. Lucien jumped out of Mundy's lap and both leapt at the door and opened it. 

"I-I'm sorry!" The poor man said. "I-I'm the delivery bloke, I just have your order!"

Mundy and Lucien looked between themselves and the delivery man. The herd of fluff was hissing, showing their needle-like teeth at the intruder. 

"Cats, calm down, he's ok." Mundy said as he walked to the poor, scared man. 

"Sit." Lucien said and all the cats obeyed. "Good boys and girls." He crouched to pet them. "We do apologise for the trouble, they are not usually outside without us to look after them." 

"It's fine. A hell of a family of cats you have, eh?" 

"Yeah… Here's for your tip and thanks mate. Sorry again." 

"No worries, bye!"

Mundy and Lucien slipped in the van again. 

"Wanna get in?" Mundy asked the cats. 

"Meow." Soot spooned his companion and started to bathe Perle. 

"Alright, fine, try and not make other babies especially not in front of these ones…"

Perle hissed. 

"Mundy, they know what they are doing, come inside, please."

The Aussie chuckled. 

"Fair enough."

He slipped in and they sat down. 

"What did you get us?" 

"Some chinese, I hope you will like it." Lucien answered. 

"Prefer French, but it's fine." He winked at Lucien who smiled. 

Each took their box and started eating their noodles. 

"Mh, could have taken it more spicy than that, eh?" Mundy said. 

"I have very low tolerance for hot food, and I didn't know for you so I played it safe." Lucien answered. "If the lack of hotness is unbearable, I can correct for that after dinner." 

"Well now, you have to, eh? Can't promise me things like that and not deliver." Mundy answered. 

"Then let it be so. But before I forget, tomorrow I shall arrange a few things, I don't need you to be here so you can stay home and sleep for a bit longer."

"Alright, that's nice." 

"Are you not curious as to where I am going?"

"As long as you come back and still love me, I trust you, love." 

Lucien smiled. 

"And I value it pricelessly, mon loup." 

They went on having their dinner.

"So, how d'you feel about Victoria's weddin'? You nervous?" Mundy asked. 

"Quite so, oui. I never imagined walking someone down the aisle in a church for their wedding, especially not like that…" 

"What d'you mean, like that?" 

"Victoria is not my daughter."

"She feels like she is though. And I saw you with her, luv', you really behave like you're her dad." 

"Hm. Maybe."

"For sure!" Mundy said before slurping more noodles. "The way you held her and comforted her in the diner… I was starin' at you and was thinking to myself that your son was mighty lucky to have you as his dad." 

Lucien's eyes snapped wide. 

"I'm serious, love. You're… very different from my dad, for example." 

"How so?" Lucien asked. 

"Dad wasn't very… Uh… He wouldn't show that he loved me much. Not that he didn't, I think he really did love me but he just never said it or showed it. But you, hell, that hug you gave her was more than I ever got from my Dad."

"I see… Same for me technically." Lucien answered. "I never knew my father, never met him. I only saw one picture of him which is now under the ground in Paris."

"D'you ever… regret doin’ that?" Mundy asked. 

"Doing what?"

"Buryin' all your personal stuff?"

"I am not sure. Part of me doesn't want to look back and just wants to focus on this new life I am leading here."

"But the other half wants that stuff back?"

"Not so much for my own." Lucien answered. "But rather, for you."

"Me?"

"Oui. I would like to show you Marie and Jérémy, I would like to show you so many things so that you understand me better…"

"Hey, love…" Mundy tightened his embrace. "I get you, ok? I understand you and respect you."

"Thank you." 

Lucien raised his lips and they exchanged a kiss. He then straddled his lover's lap without his lips disconnecting from the Aussie's. 

"Mmh… Yer lips taste amazin'..." 

"So do yours…" 

The kisses became wet and sloppy while hands touched, grabbed, explored and Lucien seemed particularly eager that evening…

"Gosh, y-your hips, Lu'..." 

Mundy felt his lover was rolling them against his. He put his hands on Lucien's waist and indeed his palms rolled, following the Frenchman's pelvis. 

"Bugger, Lu', wait, let's get to bed…"

"Oui." 

They both slipped in the bed and their clothes were thrown left and right, carelessly, until they ended up naked. 

"L-Lu'... You really are doin' things to me right now…"

"I can feel it, mon loup…" Lucien answered. He was on top of Mundy, kissing his neck and going down to his chest. 

"What put you in the mood? You went from normal to this in a flash?!" Mundy asked. 

"You, your lips, your touch, your eyes…" Lucien punctuated his sentences with kisses and licks, to which Mundy closed his eyes and whimpered. His hips started to react on their own. "I also have taken the liberty to buy something for tonight…" The Frenchman added as he was biting the Aussie's hip. 

"Oof-! W-what is it?"

"This here." Lucien put it on Mundy's chest and the Aussie squinted. Not a split second later, his eyes snapped wide as he understood what that little plastic bottle contained. 

"Oh… Y-you wanna-?"

"Oui." Lucien cut him. He laced his fingers through Mundy's and went to his lips.

"N-now?" 

Their lips lapped and sucked at each other's, filling the van with sounds that made them both warmer. 

"If you so wish, mon loup, I am yours." Lucien almost whispered in Mundy's ears, with his velvet voice.

"Bloody hell… Y-your voice…"

"What about it, hm?" Lucien went on. 

"You know… Perfectly… But what's the plan, hm? Turn me on like there's no tomorrow and then what?" Mundy asked.

Lucien went to his ear and put his hands on Mundy's cheeks. 

"Use that bottle… and me." 

Mundy's eyes snapped wide and his pupils shrank. He grabbed Lucien by his lips and flipped him to be the one on top. He then turned the Frenchman on his stomach with raging lust. 

"Gosh, Lu'..." Mundy laid on top of Lucien, flush against him on his back and started lazily grinding as he bit and kissed his shoulder and his back. "I… I don't wanna hurt you but…"

"Please, I know you won't hurt me… Just have fun… Argh-!" Lucien felt Mundy's teeth dig deeper on his shoulder, his pointy canines would leave a mark, for sure. 

"Want you…" Mundy growled.

"Take me…" Lucien answered before another bite made the sweat break everywhere and the heat between his legs coiled more.

Mundy went down, leaving marks of teeth and such all along his lover's back until he arrived where he wanted. 

"Gosh you look like a porcelain doll…" His hands grasped Lucien's soft flesh left and right and kneaded it like a priceless dough. Lucien whimpered and propped himself up on his elbows. "You look so good I could bloody eat you…" 

"Be my guest - argh!" 

Mundy growled as his hungry teeth dug in the flesh. 

"Mon Dieu!" 

Lucien arched his back as he felt his lover's tongue closing in on his vulnerability. He grabbed a pillow and dug his nails in it as he moaned.

"Look at all this…" Mundy lapped where the Frenchman had been craving some attention and Lucien moaned loud. The Aussie let his tongue paint the tight ring of muscles as his hands pulled left and right to reveal the Frenchman's secrets better. 

"Mon Dieu, Mundy… Aargh!" 

"You're bloody delicious… and so fuckin' soft…" 

"Argh! Please!" 

"What d'you want, hm?" Mundy lapped and the Frenchman's hips jerked on their own. 

"Please… The bottle…" Lucien's eyes were shut, he couldn't see anything anymore. 

"Right, here comes." 

Lucien heard the plastic cap pop open and Mundy coated his finger generously. 

"C'mere." Mundy flipped Lucien on his back again and went straight for a sloppy kiss. Lucien wrapped his arms around his lover and kept his legs open. "Breathe slowly and relax, ok? I got you, luv'..." 

"Oooh… Hah… Slowly… Please…" He hissed.

Mundy held him with one arm while his finger worked gently on his lover. 

"See…? I'm goin' very slowly, it's all fine… Relax, luv', I've got you here… You're with me…" 

"Aaah… Mundy…"

"Sssh, save your strength, just enjoy." Mundy added a kiss to Lucien's lips before sitting between his open legs. He took the bottle and squirted more of its content on his finger before going at it again. 

"Aah… P-please, Mundy…?" Lucien's eyebrows were arched high up. 

"Yeah?" 

"More…" 

"Okay. Here… I'll go slow as always, ok…?"

"O-oui… Oh… Oui… mmmh…" 

Mundy worked him up in slow, gentle movements and Lucien discovered feelings he thought he never would.

"Mundy, please… Your lips…"

"Sure, luv'." Mundy laid on top of Lucien's slim body and held him close as he kissed him. He got surprised by how much Lucien needed it. "You ok, darl'? You feel different."

"Please hold me." 

"Course." Mundy let his whole weight fall on Lucien and held him close and tight. "Talk to me, what is it?"

"It is… My first time doing this… I need you to be slow… I apologise but-"

"No, don't apologise, we'll take our time, ok? And if you want to stop here, we'll stop here, ok?"

"I am sorry." Lucien screwed his eyes shut in shame. 

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with wantin' to go slow, ok?"

"Oui but a minute ago I was so sure of myself but now I don't know anymore." 

"It's ok, it's fine, you can change your mind." 

"But Mundy I put you in this state and now I'm backing away… It's…"

"It's fine is what it is. There is no problem whatsoever, ok, Lu'?" Mundy put his hands left and right on his lover's cheeks. "Love? Open your eyes, just a second." 

"I can't. I'm ashamed." 

"Hm." Mundy thought fast. He put the blanket over them both, they were now both underneath it. "Here, now, nothing will get to you. Please, Lu', look at me, I need to see your beautiful eyes…?" 

Lucien frowned. 

"Love…?" Mundy kissed his closed eyelids gently. "Please, gorgeous?" 

Lucien blinked a couple of times and opened his eyes. He looked up at Mundy and quickly averted his gaze. 

"Hey… Don't feel weird about it." 

"I am sorry." 

"No, don't be, there's nothin' to be sorry about." He kissed his bearded cheek. 

"Yes, there is. Look at me, a man older than you and I behave like a teenage girl…"

"No." Mundy answered. "I couldn't give a shit how you behave like. You have your limits and I have mine, if we get close to these limits, you have to tell me and I'll gladly stop, ok?"

"At my age, Mundy, at my God-forsaken age…!"

"Who gives a shit?!" Mundy asked. "I don't! It's your first time and I'm so bloody happy it's with me and… Gosh, this whole thing just makes me love you more…!"

"You say this to comfort me." Lucien was still not looking his lover in the eye. 

"No, I don't. I just think it's beautiful of you to react this way… It feels like…" Mundy brushed his lover's upper cheeks with his thumbs and Lucien finally met his eyes. "Feels like a first time to me too, eh?" He smiled softly. 

"I love you, Mundy…" Those round, light blue eyes were something to behold. Lucien's eyebrows were arched up in a pleading way and the Aussie couldn't help but just smile and try and remember that instant, that face, the long silver hair all around it like the beams of a masculine sun… 

"I love you too, sweetheart, ok?" Mundy continued brushing Lucien's cheeks. 

"Oui." 

"And I'm proud of you."

"Really?" 

"Yeah, you took more than I ever did in my life. You're a bloody hero, y-you're my everythin'. I love you so much." Mundy kissed Lucien's cheek again and the Frenchman pulled him closer. 

"I cannot ever recall a man as gentle as you are, Mundy." 

"Never seen anyone as gorgeous as you eh." 

"Pfff…" 

"What? It's true." He chuckled.

"I can believe it." Lucien arrogantly answered. 

"Love ya." Mundy buried his head in Lucien's neck and peppered kisses from time to time. "Love ya like you have no idea." 

"Me too." Lucien wrapped his arms around Mundy's head. "Me too, mon amour, but please…?"

"What?" 

"I think I am ready for more." 

"You sure? We can stop it here if you want." 

"Non, please… I want you." Lucien pulled him closer and grinded his hips.

Mundy left a final kiss. 

"Should I continue or…?" 

"Oui, please."

"Anythin' for you, love." Mundy coated his fingers again. "You really sure though? Oh…"

Lucien took his lover's hand and guided him down where he wanted it to be. 

"Alright, here we go…"

"Ahaa…. Hah…" 

"Breathe slowly and relax. It's much easier than earlier, I can feel it."

"More, please." Lucien closed his eyes to focus on what was happening down there.

"Right… Here… How does that feel?" 

"Orh… Oui… A-another finger, please, I want to feel you more." 

"Okay, luv', take a slow, deep breath." 

"Oh-oui… Oui, Mundy…" Lucien hissed and arched his back. "Oh!" Mundy started moving his fingers and Lucien's hips moved slowly. 

"That's it, Lu'... You're doin' amazing, you're great." 

"Please, your lips." 

Mundy bent down and Lucien pulled him closer when their lips collided. 

"Mmh, how d'you feel, love?"

"I will be better in a minute."

"Oh, bugger, am I hurting you?" 

"Non," Lucien smiled. "I mean when you will truly make love to me." 

Mundy felt a rush of blood to his head. The way that Lucien gazed at him, lovingly, and those words… Poetry. 

"Y-you're… the best." Mundy laid on his lover and kissed him again, more and more. He was past the shy stage now and felt comfortable enough to stick his tongue out himself and start the French kiss. Lucien moaned under him and wrapped his legs around the Aussie's back. 

"Mundy…" 

"Oh! Gosh…!"

Lucien had grasped both their masculinities in one hand and stroked them in unison. Mundy groaned and buried his head deep in Lucien's shoulder. He started grinding against his member and in his warm palm. 

"Gosh, Lu'... Yeah… Yeah…" Mundy added his hand on top of Lucien's and both rolled their hips in rhythm. One groaned and the other whimpered. A concert of lust in delight major. 

"M-Mundy… Please… Do it…" 

"You sure, luv'?"

"Oui… I want you… in me." 

Mundy's eyes rolled back in bliss and his member gave a twitch. 

"I want you too… You're so bloody sexy…" 

"I do my best." 

"You don't need to." 

Mundy grabbed the bottle and popped the cap open again. 

"Non!" Lucien snatched it off his hands and poured some of it in his palm. "Let me please…"

"Course." 

They sat on their knees, face to face. Lucien sank down on all four and grabbed Mundy's member in his hand. 

"What are you - oh? Yeah… Please… Gnh…" 

Lucien took it between his lips and tasted it. Annoyingly enough, his long hair was flowing everywhere and it wasn't practical at all. He swooshed his head left and right to throw it out of the way.

"Let me help ya…"

Mundy took Lucien's hair and held it away from his face. The Frenchman hummed in thanks and sucked just a bit harder. 

"You're welc-oh!-me" Mundy's hips jerked forward on their own.

Lucien chuckled as he pulled back and generously slicked his lover's member with the content of the bottle he had bought. 

"There… Keep the bottle near, we might need more, mon amour."

"Sure." 

"How do you want me?"

"On your belly, luv'." 

Lucien did as he was told. Mundy lay on top of him and kissed the back of his neck. 

"You ready, Lu'?"

"I have been waiting for too long, Mundy, please…"

Mundy took the matter in his own hand and positioned himself. 

"Breathe deep, Lu'." 

Lucien closed his eyes and he felt it. 

"Oh… Oui… Doucement… Oui… Orh - Mundy…!"

[Softly]

"You're doin' great…" Mundy groaned. "Just tell me if it's too much or anythin'..."

"More, please…!" 

Mundy lay down again on top of his lover and bit his shoulder gently as he pushed his hips deeper. 

And then, he stopped. He was entirely in the safety of his lover's body. 

"Gosh… You alright?" 

"O-oui… Don't move, please, hold on…" 

"Course." 

Lucien turned his head and Mundy kissed his bearded cheek and his lips. The Frenchman was barely kissing back. He was focusing on the new sensations. It was hurting, obviously, but knowing that it was his lover's member that was pulling his body at its limits made it all worthwhile. 

"You're gorgeous…  And brave… I love you… And you feel so… so…" 

"Say it." Lucien asked. 

"So bloody tight, argh…" Mundy's member was aching with anticipation as he felt Lucien's walls closely wrapping him all around. 

"Move, gently please…" 

Mundy pulled his hips back slowly, not all the way, and pushed in again. He maintained the excrutiatingly slow rhythm for entire minutes. 

"Mmmh, Lu', you sure you're relaxed…?"

"Oui, as much as I can be…"

"Gosh you're so tight… I'm so scared to hurt you…" 

"You won't, continue gently for a bit more, please…"

Mundy's hands were wrapped around his lover's torso as he rolled his hips slowly still. He felt his lover's body get used to it as it relaxed little by little. 

"Mundy…?"

"Yeah?"

"Faster, please."

"Ok." 

Mundy picked up the pace only slightly, still afraid that it would go pear-shaped. But soon he felt Lucien raise his own hips to meet him. And the Frenchman started moaning louder as Mundy's hips matched Lucien's eager ones. 

The Frenchman buried his head in the pillow to smother his obscene song of pleasure but Mundy wanted to hear him, he slipped the pillow off of him away and held his body between his strong arms. 

"Bloody hell you sound and feel amazin'..." 

Both were in a pool of sweat and the van's temperature had dramatically risen. The bed started creaking under them both and they moaned, hissed, growled and groaned louder still. 

"M-Mundy… Ahaa…"

"Nnh-! Yeah…?"

"Hold me close, please…!" 

Mundy instinctively put a hand on Lucien's, pinning his wrist to the bed and sliding his fingers in between the Frenchman. His other hand went underneath Lucien, he wanted to hold him somewhere and couldn't find where until his hand grasped wherever it was and Lucien let a powerful and high-pitched moan out. He rolled his eyes up in bliss. Mundy had wrapped his fingers around his throat… 

The Aussie bent down again to push his hips deeper and he bit Lucien's ear. He grunted at each push of his hips. 

"You're - bloody - amazin'... You feel - so - bloody - good… gnnh! Y-you're gettin' me close…"

Lucien was moaning with an open mouth and as Mundy kissed his cheek and now the corner of his mouth, he realised that the poor Frenchman was drooling on the mattress, he had lost all sense of control of his body. 

"Lu'...? Lu'... What you said about the bottle and stuff… D'you mean it…? You said to use the bottle and… you?"

Lucien painfully nodded. 

"Fuck…!"

"Nnnh?!" 

Mundy tightened his grip on Lucien's throat slightly and grabbed his shoulder for leverage. His thrusts were now utterly controlled by his hips. He ran after his satisfaction, chasing it as he flared his nostrils, moving as fast and deep as he possibly could. Lucien opened his legs slightly more and Mundy stopped. 

"Bugger… Are you alright?" 

Lucien was sobbing. 

"Hey, luv', darlin', Lu', talk to me…" 

Lucien panted to catch his breath and he answered, his eyes still closed. 

"Please take me… to the end… with you… Don't stop… again… Before… the end…" 

Mundy frowned. 

"Anythin' for you." 

He put a hand back on Lucien's throat while the other was now on the Frenchman's member. Mundy's hips started anew and he felt it. Lucien's masculinity had been out of patience and Mundy's fingers were coated in its eagerness. 

"Gosh, you've been on the edge for far too long… I'm sorry, luv', we'll do it together, I'm takin' you to the end, I promise…!" 

Mundy's body was melting in a pool of sweet as he picked up the pace on his pelvis and his hand. 

"L-Lu'! Lu'', I'm so close-!" 

Lucien groaned louder as he thrusted his hips into Mundy's hand…!

In a concerto, both yelling their satisfaction as if they were alone in the world, they arrived where they had aimed to be. Mundy bit Lucien's neck at the back as he sheathed himself as deep as he could. At the same time, he felt Lucien's pleasure burst out on his fingers.

They panted and breathed heavily, Mundy freed Lucien's throat and kissed him wherever his mouth could reach, namely, on the top of his back and the back of his neck. 

"I love you… I love you… I love you… You're the best, I've never loved anyone else like you before, you just… You make everything make so much sense… You… You're everythin' I never could dream of… Y-you're the stuff of books and movies… You're amazing…" 

Lucien sniffed and Mundy's eyes snapped wide open. 

"Lu'? Love, tell me, what's wrong?" He hugged his lover tight. 

"P-please… Can you…?" Lucien moved his hips and Mundy gasped. 

"Oh, bugger, sure…" He withdrew gently and Lucien curled in a ball. He continued to sniff. 

"Lucien, please, talk to me? Did I go too far? Did you want me to stop but you couldn't say? Oh, Gosh, I-I'm so sorry, I… Argh…" Mundy gagged and Lucien flipped on the bed. 

"'Scuse me…" 

Mundy put on his underwear and slipped out of the van. 

"M-Mundy?" 

[gay-salt-amber]

Can we get a full story on Georgi and Jeans relationship? I think its really cute from the information you gave us and I wanna know more! - :D anon

Yes I sure can! Hope you like it :D

Love On The Ice

The ice rink. A figure skaters home away from home. Some go to the ice for training, some go there for fun, some go there to cry, some go there to rage, and some go there for love. This is no different for a 25 year old French skater named Jean Douce.

Jean pov-

Walking to the rink was something I always enjoy. Sure, my bag was kinda heavy at times and the walk may be long but it gave my legs some practice moving before I step foot onto the ice tonight. Todays competition was being held at my home rink in France, which is quite nerve racking, but I can't let that show. My coach said that this may be my chance to make it to a grand prix final, but I'm not so sure. We'll see when I get there I guess. As long as I try my best, then we'll be just fine.

When I finally made it to the rink, I looked up the sign 'Lilac Ice Rink' gave me a sign of comfort. I felt at home, I felt comfortable, I felt relaxed again. I opened the door gently before walking in, waving to the blonde behind the front desk, Ms. Joy, the woman who owned the place and someone I've known since I was little.

"Good luck out there!" She said with a smile

I gave a simple nod and went to the locker room to change, I didn't here anything before I entered, making me think not many people were there, 'Weird, I guess I am kind of early though.' I opened the door and sat my stuff down on the bench I looked over to see a face I hadn't seen before. The person had a pointy hair style, all of his hair was pointed infront of him, strange hair style but not bad. He was wearing a jacket over what I assumed was the outfit he was skating in tonight. I tried to read his jacket but the back of the chair covered it and I couldn't recognize the logo, curious, I walked up to say hi to him.

"Hi!" I greeted,

He put down what I recognized was blush and looked at me, "Hello, who are you?" I grabbed a chair, pulling it over and sitting down next to him, "I'm Jean."

"Are you skating tonight?" The black haired man asked

"Yes, I'm on the French team! What about you?"

"I'm on the Russian team."

"Ooo! Cool! What's your name?"

"Georgi."

I got up and held out my hand, "Well Georgi, I hope we get along."

He scoffed and shook my hand, "Good luck."

I smiled and walked back over to my bag and got out my outfit for the night, when I was putting it on, everything was fine until I remembered that it tied in the back. Unlike some people I know, I can't reach that far back. I turned my head and saw that Georgi was still here, I'll just ask him for help.

"Hey! Georgi!"

He turned around, "Hm?"

"Can you," I pointed to the ties, "Tie this for me?"

He rose to his feet and walked over, "Sure, but don't blame me if it looks awful."

I laughed, "Heh, I think it'll look fine, I mean, if you can make your face look so pretty, you can probably tie a knot pretty well too."

Georgi paused for a moment before going back to tying the knot, "Don't say stuff like that."

"Awh cmon! Its just a compliment!"

The cloth on my back tightened and the feeling of hands on his back left, "There its tied."

"Thanks!"

He grabbed his bag, waved and exited the locker room, the door slamming behind him.

'I think we'll get along well.'

A while later, Georgi pov-

I stood, leaning on the wall of the rink, deep in thought. Who was that Jean boy? All I know is that hes a skater from France. I want to know more about him, hes quite a nice boy and I think we'd get along well. I glanced over to where he was getting some last minute practice. His olive eyes sparkled as bright as a star, his skating wasn't the best I have ever seen by far but the passion he had was as obvious as the blue sky.

The only thing I could keep my eyes on was the cute brown haired boy, I spaced out from all of reality and I wouldn't have it any other way...

"Oi! Georgi! I'm talking to you!"

I turned to the voice to see coach Yakov behind me, "Oh sorry."

I cleared my throat before speaking, "Do you know anything about Jean? The boy over there?" I said, pointing to him.

"Ah, that's Jean Douce, hes a French skater."

"Well I know that much, anything else?"

"Well hes quite the amateur, I heard from his coach that hes only been to the second part of a figure skating contest once."

"Ah, I wonder why.."

"I heard he is married and has a kid so that's probably why, its hard to balance a family life and skating, anyone can tell you that."

Those words felt like a jab to the heart, "Oh.."

"Your going on last by the way, I wouldn't have it that way normally but, cant argue with the organizers."

I nodded and walked over to the bench to sit, grabbing my water-bottle from my side and taking a sip. While I was drinking I stole a glimpse at Jean who was now panting, head hanging down as he sat about 2 benches away from me. Why the world doesn't he have water? I sighed, 'Do I have to do everything for this boy now?' Wait that doesn't sound too bad.. I glanced at my water bottle which was still practically full and headed over to him.

I sat down by him, which caused him to instantly look over, "O-oh hi."

With a nod, I held my water-bottle out infront of him, "Here, I saw you didn't have one but your panting like a fucking dog so I figured you'd want some."

He grabbed it, his hand brushing against mine causing my heart rate to go up higher then what I am fairly certain is healthy. He smiled brightly, it was adorable and when I saw that on his face, I knew this was what they call love at first sight.

"So, I heard your married?" "Yes. I have a wife named Salem."

I was curious, I want to know more about her, "What's she like?"

"Heh, not great lately.."

"Mind telling me why?"

"She just doesn't approve of the fact that I do figure skating full time she thinks it wont make good money which is-"

"Bullshit" "Bullshit" We said in unison, we both let out a chuckle and Jean continued,

"Because of that I cant get as much practice in because I cant get the time away from her nagging to get out to the rink."

I looked at him, thinking, "I think I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"I'll help you with your routine."

His eyes widened at my words, "Don't you need to practice too?"

"I memorize my routines quite well, I think i'll be fine with coaching you."

"I have a coach already y'know?"

I scoffed, "Yeah and from what I saw she has no fucking idea what she's doing."

"I mean.. You're not wrong."

I stood and held out my hand, "So get up and lets head to the ice."

Jean grinned, putting my water-bottle down and grabbing my hand, "Alright!"

After the competition Jean pov-

Well.. I didn't make the cut, I guess I was right, heh. My score was 221, I was about 4 points behind the 3rd place winner who was a boy from America named Leo de la Iglesia. While I was getting changed in the locker room, Georgi was sitting down removing his makeup

"You're not very chatty.." He stated

"Heh, I guess I'm just upset about losing.. Good job on getting 2nd though!"

"For what its worth, I think you should have gotten third, Leo failed that one double axal so he shouldn't have had 225 points, you should have scored higher too, you landed everything."

I let out a dry chuckle, "Still my jumps weren't nearly as good."

"Still."

"Thanks, Georgi."

I stuffed my stuff into my bag and was about to leave when I felt a tap on my shoulder, "Hm? Did you need something?"

"Can I have your number?"

"Sure!"

He handed me his phone, I typed in my number and put in a contact name. "See you later, fée endormie" (Sleeping fairy)

Georgi's face looked as red as a cherry, his words were stammered too, "Y-yeah you too.."

I waved, closing the door to the locker room behind me. The walk back to the hotel was long, I wanted to be outside longer so I could think. Think about the cute Russian boy I met just a few minutes prior. Then I started to ask myself, 'This is so.. Wrong, what's wrong with me.. I am a married man, I shouldn't think things like this.' I sighed, letting those thoughts die. Those thoughts were replaced with more happy ones about Georgi and how the day went, 'Yeah.. we can think about the future later, day-dreaming never hurt anyone, right?'

About a month later-

I was relaxed on my bed. my wife was out at work and finishing up some school work. I am still going through collage since I had dropped out for a few years to help raise Akaashi. But now hes 17 and a third year at Fukurōdani Academy, a school here in Japan which my wife is the superintendent of. The work was nothing bad, I was about to type my last sentence before heading to the ice rink for practice when my phone buzzed with a message from Georgi

---------

Georgi: Hey, this may be sudden, but can you open your door?

Jean: Uhhh why?

Georgi: Cuz I'm outside and its cold!

Jean: Ok! I'm on my way!

---------

I ran faster then I ever had down the stairs, I thought I was going to fall and land on my face but luckily I didn't. I unlocked the door and opened it, revealing Georgi in a black jacket with matching pants. His hair was down, I have seen him with his hair down a lot but it was so cute that I couldn't help but blush at the sight.

"So what are you doing here?"

"I was in Japan and wanted to see you, simple as that."

A smile grew onto my face and we walked to my room where we sat on my bed, he read a book while I finished that last sentence of my paper, once I was done I turned to him and asked,

"Hey can you look over my essay for me?"

"Sure, give me the laptop."

I nodded and passed my laptop to him. It was a short paper but he seemed to take his time, I watched him add punctuation and such. He glanced at the citations at the bottom,

"Hey I think you forgot a citation." He said,

"Oh? I did? For what?"

"The County Tribune one, you used it in paragraph 4 right?"

"Oooh! I had an issue with that one! I tried to get the information but when I clicked the link I used, the domain was down, I just put down the article title and access date since my professor said that was fine."

"Oh, gotcha. But other then that I would say just fix some words, you used 'according to' with your textual evidence a lot so I would say change that."

"Alright, thanks! You sure know your stuff!"

"Yeah, I did really well in Language arts and Writing classes back when I was in school."

"Cool! I guess I'll have to ask for your help more~" I cooed

"Pfft, have fun with that." He snickered as he went back to his book

I kept looking for more words but I kept catching myself getting distracted, "Hey, what do you-"

Before I could say anything else I felt something on my neck, I moved my eyes down to the feeling and saw Georgi, biting my neck.

"G-Georgi?"

He pulled back instantly and scooted about a foot back, "Oh my god! I am so, so, so sorry!"

I smirked, "Do it again, Georgi."

"Isn't your wife going to be home soon?"

"She texted me earlier, she's going to a meeting in Paris, she'll be away for the next few days."

"And what about Ak-"

"Are you going to keep asking questions or are you going to do it again?"

The Russian boy let out a 'heh' and scooted forward, continuing what he was doing before. I smirked and didn't react, finishing up the paper. It was only about 2 minutes later when I heard a sad 'humph'

The mouth released my neck for a moment, "Hey.. Pay attention to me."

I let out a chuckle, turned off my laptop and put it on a side table. I turned around to face Georgi and put my arms around his waist, "There, I'm all yours now."

He placed a kiss on my lips, "Good."

Georgi's lips locked back on mine hungrily. This was the thing I wanted for months, no, this is the type of thing I've wanted my whole life and I never knew it before. God, please let this last forever.

He crawled closer to close the distance and put his knee between my legs, the feeling of having something to rub felt amazing and it caused me to whimper. The moment those whimpers became loud enough for Georgi to hear, I was pinned down with my hands above my head. He dipped his head down to whisper into my ear, "May I, my sweet baby prince?" Those words sent a shiver up my spine, "Yes, please.."

---Timeskip cuz its late and I am not awake enough to write smut--

"That was so good.." I said, panting while laying on Georgi's chest

The Russian skater let out a snort and ran his hands through my hair, "Was it now? Or do you just moan for more whenever you feel like it?"

"Heh."

"I love you." I whispered, kissing him on the cheek.

"I love you too baby."

I cuddled into his chest with a big grin, "Good." "Hey, question.."

"Hm?" I looked up at him, my chin still resting on his chest,

"How are we dealing with your wife? Y'know since you're my lover now."

"Meh, I'll think about that later. Now, let me sleep, you're really comfy."

"Heh sure."

"Also, leave your hair down more, its adorable."

"Sure, whatever you want dear."

"Okay, sleep soon, k?"

"K."

---Aaand its over! Thx for the ask!---

[chaniters]

Candy House

Facing against Candymaster, Ash realizes he’s bit more than he can chew, and ends up joining forces with a ranger at the last minute.  Spoilers for Fallen hero. 

Trigger warning: Addictions. 

“So young and yummy.” He snorted. “Shouldn’t you be at school instead of taking candy from strangers?”

“I’m going to get more than candy” You mirror his smile, the power gloves crackling with energy  

“Oooh, I definitely think you’re my type now! Let’s dance, shall we?”

“But of course” you let out, lunging forward.

He responds by raising his arms. 

Which does nothing.

He seems very sure that he’ll be ok, but you’re not going to question stupidity right now, so you do what you came to do. Hit hard, hit fast, the moment you’re close enough. 

The gloves crackle with energy, causing an explosion of… 

Shards? 

You look down, and only his feet remain standing, cracked at the base, the rest of his body seems to have exploded in a thousand pieces. 

That’s when you notice the entire warehouse is covered in white dust… white… sugar?

And he’s still there. You can feel his mind laughing.

You can hear him laughing! 

“My turn!” 

The ground starts shaking, and you can sense incoming attacks from every direction. 

Sharp-colored crystals begin sprouting at an alarming speed, breaking in through the floor itself. Very sharp crystals. 

“Where are you?!” you let out.

“Everywhere” the answer is loud and maniacal, confirming your worse fears.

A large crystal stalagmite surges… trembles.. And breaks apart, revealing the Candymaster, unharmed and fully reformed, grinning with the whitest of smiles, his arms reshaping into pointy crystal blades.

Sucrose manipulation. You’ve seen it, but never to this extent.

And he’s made of the stuff himself?! You’ve seriously miscalculated here. “I’ll break you as many times as I need to!” you challenge, running forward, evading his swipes, before crushing him once more to pieces.

“Rude. But I’m going to be your sugar daddy either way by the end of this.” 

More crystals form out of thin air, from the ceiling this time, and soon you’re evading a complete storm of falling shards, aimed your way. 

“Nice sidesteps. I wonder how long can you keep this up”

“As long as I have to…” you curse as a shard explodes against your leg, giving you a hard bruise. You manage to keep your balance, but the cheap armor on your discount suit isn’t going to help much. 

He reforms before your eyes once more, walking slowly in your direction. Toying with you. “I’m not afraid of you, sidesteps. As I said, I was expecting you”

“How did you know…?”

“Oh, you’ve been just too cute standing there pretending to be clueless. Red Spectre, Clobberer Queen, Lord Ember, you visited them all in one night? It’s almost like you know all of my friends.”

“Losers you mean”

He snorts at that “You’re funny. Now tell me, while we’re talking about losers… did Owl send you? Is she really that desperate”

“Fuck Owl” You distract, not willing to follow his game. “I came to bring you in myself”

“Loyal huh? Heroes can be annoying. But you’re going to give me a straight answer!” 

He pushes forward, sending a wave of shards at your face. You block with the gloves, as best you can, but when it’s over you can see they are cracking with broken circuits, several shards stuck to them.   

“Aww did I break your toy?” he circles around you. 

“I don’t need it to break your face!” you challenge him, discarding the broken power gloves.

“Well let’s see about that” he charges, arms made into razors again. 

You let him down with a roundhouse kick, shattering his face as promised, but that doesn’t stop the rest of the body from swinging at you. You dodge left, then right, stepping back…. only to find another Candymaster.

Fuck. 

“As long as I have sugar, I can be anywhere, sidesteps” he laughs. “You’ll never get rid of me with silly dance moves”

You keep fighting, cracking one of the arms of the newcomer while evading the last one… but a third and a fourth are coming your way. 

It doesn’t take long for you to take the wrong step, and they take hold of your arms, holding you down. 

You curse and kick but it’s useless, and they drag you towards the far end of the warehouse. 

They hold you against a wall, crystal begins growing over your legs and arms, immobilizing them.

You’re stuck. 

“Now you’re you’re going to tell me everything you know about Owl”

“I’m not telling you shit!”

“Believe me you will talk,” one of them says bringing up a large box and placing it at your feet.

“Is that supposed to scare me, clown?” you say, staring down at it. 

“Nah. You’re going to love it… This makes even people like you into obedient good puppies, let  me show you” two of them open the lid, taking out a small bottle… placing a couple of pills in his hand…

You freeze, staring at them.

It can’t be…

“Open wide!” 

You struggle as hard as you can, but they pinch your nose, they punch you… until they can force you to open your mouth… and swallow them.

White supplement. 

“Alright now. I will start asking questions and you will answer each one” 

His voice keeps talking falling into the background, and you can hear yourself answering, but the words aren’t yours. It’s someone else.

The rest is a blank.

--------------------------------------------- “FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!!” Ashley’s words are still ringing in your ears. Only that she’s not here.

She died. Why do you still hear her? Why do you still...(...) 

“Wow, good job, kid that was surreal!” 

You’re lying down, on a very wet floor, water raining down from the ceiling. A hand on your shoulder, trying to help you sit up.

“Are you ok?”

You focus on the face of the person speaking to you… wearing a mask!

You almost jump, stumbling back, falling down on your ass onto the water again. 

“I guess that’s a no.”

They give a few slow steps your way, palms extended. They mean no harm (or is that what they want you to think?)

“Hey hey. It’s ok. We won” 

“Who are you?” you ask before he gets any closer.

“Aww, you forgot me already? I’m Anathema. Tried to talk to you the other day, and you ran away?”

It takes a few seconds for it to click that you actually do remember this one. 

“The ranger”

“There you go. That’s me!” 

They are completely colorless, even as more details begin to come back. 

You pain gate. It’s active, at its highest setting. You stare at your hands… completely numb and bloodied. You can feel sore fingers and knuckles, even through the gate, and your legs are like two wooden logs. You’ve taken a hell of a beating.

“What… happened?” 

“You’re having a moment huh? We beat the crap out of Candymaster, that’s what happened.”

“Ah” you stand up, finally accepting his hand.

“There you go. Must say, turning on the fire sprinklers was a genius move, washed out all that sugar on the floor and ruined his day” “Right. What’s that?” you ask looking at a gooey puddle of blackish ooze.

“Well, Sugar and Acid don’t mix. The rest of him ran away after that… you seriously don’t remember?”

“Maybe I’m having a moment like you said” you reply following him.

“I think you might have been drugged,” they say looking down at the box, holding one of the bottles full of white supplement pills resting in packing peanuts before tossing it back in “That might explain it. That shit is strong...”

You say nothing, looking down. 

A box full of white supplement...

Your hands are hurt but steady now.

“You were amazing. Candymaster had you down, interrogating you, so I got the jump on him, released you, and you looked a bit lost at first. But when I told you to fight and you turned into a total beast, you were breaking off those sugar creeps with your bare hands. It’s almost as if… hey don’t touch that! It’s evidence!” they interrupt themselves.

“Touch what?” you ask, pathetically. 

“The box! Leave it back on the floor!” 

You order your hands to put it down as they say, but that’s not what seems to be happening at all. 

“I’m just…” You step back “... I need…”

“Leave it right there! Don’t make me… shit!!!”

You’re sprinting, and they are chasing you, and the box is really heavy but you don’t care. 

You need it. You need the white supplement so you won’t feel like shit all the time. You can’t go back, but with this, you won’t need to. 

You almost make it in range of a low building, drawing the grappling hook, only to have it fly off your hand, half-melted, covered in acid. Shit.

You turn and notice Anathema jumping at you just in time to sidestep, letting them hits a traffic light instead. You don’t stop running, they can’t catch you if you don’t stop. You’re too focused on evading him to notice the car coming at you tough. 

It wasn’t a very strong bump, and you barely felt it with your pain gate active, but you were running fast enough to be projected a few feet away as the driver hits the brakes, hitting the pavement hard. Another thing you don’t feel.

“Oh, shit are you ok? Get off the street!” Anathema runs, stopping traffic.

The box.

The box is right in front of you… you just need to stand up and...

And an enormous Geni-Tech truck runs it over, squishing all of its contents and sending pieces of wood, pills, and packing peanuts all over. 

“NO!” you lunge forward, trying to get as many pills as you can, but it’s too late. Anathema pulls you, holding you back. “NO NO NO, LET ME GO, YOU IDIOT! I NEED THOSE! I NEED THEM” 

You hit them hard with your hurt hands, but it’s no use, they don’t even budge. “I think you had enough of those,” they say extending a hand towards the white supplement stain…

“NO! DON’T DO THAT! YOU DON’T GET IT, I REALLY NEED THOSE, PLEASE DON’T…” 

But they don’t listen, sending a small blob of acid at the stain, turning it all into a muddy black substance, the pills dissolving forever. 

“Nonononononono…” you can’t stop yourself, hitting him as hard as you can, completely out of it while they pull you off the street. 

“Believe me, you’ll be better off in the long run.”

Your gaze is fixed on the muddy substance, cars running over it, washing it down the drain. 

You’re doomed. 

You’ll never be normal again __________  If you want to read more: My Fanfiction: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero ��  DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.

[niuniente]

“Hordak! I need you to come with me to an upper level. The calculations I made look somehow odd, but I have been staring at them for so long I need a fresh pair of eyes to see what’s the issue.”

Hordak lifted his gaze up from the new transmitter model he had been working on since the early morning to see Entrapta hanging upside down from an air ventilation pipe just next to his head. It was nothing new that she barked in and interrupted his work, but for Hordak, it was never an issue. Entrapta never bothered him with non-sense stuff like Horde staff did, but if she wanted your attention and help, there was always a solid, reasonable reason for it.

“Very well.” Hordak simply said, placing his work on the table. He straightened his back and turned to face Entrapta. “To which level?”

“I can take us there if we take the elevator,” Entrapta said dropping down on the floor with the help of her outstretched hair. She let them to an elevator – Hordak allowing her to push the door button, he knew just how much Entrapta liked pushing buttons – and then followed her inside when the doors opened with a bright jingle. Something Entrapta had installed because she didn’t only like tiny food but tiny sounds, too.

“Let’s go!” Entrapta declared loudly and ushered Hordak to press the button number 5 down. After all, it would have been rude of her to press and push all the buttons during this trip. Hordak needed some fun, too.

The elevator whirred and murmured, jerking softly into movement.

“I take that the formula we spoke about yesterday is the problem?” Hordak inquired. Entrapta crossed her arms over her chest and pouted her lips.

“It’s a far more challenging alone than I thought. The denominator keeps---"

The elevator suddenly halted after floor 3’s sign, and then jerked down with a loud metallic screech, taking both Hordak and Entrapta by surprise. Entrapta fell down on her bottom and tried to get up with the help of Hordak’s outstretched arm, only for the elevator to jerk again – this time upwards - sending her tiny body to a direct collision with Hordak’s chest. He protected Entrapta from falling on her knees with a firm hold on her upper arms.

“What is this?” Entrapta gasped, as the elevator stopped completely. Its light blinked ominously above them.

“Looks like—” Hordak began, still holding Entrapta against him, when the light died out. A few odd mechanical sounds echoed from the sides of the elevator. A small emergency light lit up, illuminating the elevator with very dim cold white light.

“----like I forgot a trap”, he finished.

Entrapta took a look at Hordak’s face, backing away from his hold.

“A trap? I didn’t know we had booby traps here.”

Hordak’s ears drooped for a second. He turned around and headed to elevator’s button panel, opening it with a short yank.

“I had the place trapped by my own hands, alone, without telling anyone,” he murmured, tinkering with wires inside. “Don’t worry. It takes about an hour for the elevator to move again after I’m done with wiring it. That’s safer and I don’t want to damage Fright Zone’s properties by breaking this elevator down. Imp might have fitted out from via the ceiling port to fly to the main controls to get the elevator moving again but…”

Entrapta walked next to Hordak, offering him different working tools she pulled out from the depths of her hair. She inspected Hordak with a concerned look in her eyes.

“You set traps alone? Is it something classified? Are you in danger?” she asked

Hordak grunted deeply.

“We all are.”

Entrapta gasped, eyes widening in a second.

“Eh! Is it the Princess Alliance?! Your brothers?! A mutated evil plant-animal hybrid from the Whispering Woods?! If it is the hybrid, please let me catch it with you! I want to study it!” she babbled.

Hordak handed a screwdriver back to Entrapta and she switched it to a smaller one. So small that it would have fitted into her hands better than into his.

“It’s that sneaking criminal, and I plan to catch him in action. That some sort of a magical creature you told about.”

“Eh, I don’t remember anything like that…” Entrapta scratched her head both with her free hand and the free tip of her long pigtail.

“The one who sneaks in people’s houses and bases. The spying wrench! I will not let him to take any of Horde’s secrets with him. Anyone, who steals information from me about me, my past, my projects, will be severely punished with most horrible things they can ever imagine,” Hordak sneered, seemingly delighted by his own mental images of whatever horrors he would inflict on the trespasser.

A light of excitement lit up in Entrapta’s eyes and she took a sharp inhale.

“Oooh, if you are planning on making torture devices, I’d be glad to help you out! I’ve wanted to try out what kind of robotic technology an Etherian body can take until it breaks! …But, didn’t you say he was a magical creature? Does it have an Etherian body?”

Hordak took a surprised look at Entrapta, closing the button panel.

“Well, that’s what you told to Imp. I overheard it the other day.”

Entrapta crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head in a confusion, brows knitting together.

“I’m sorry, I can’t remember. When was it?”

“Some weeks ago. Can’t remember what you called him. The magical fat red creature which spies on Etherian folk and breaks in their houses. He’s a danger for the Horde if he gets in here. His magical ability allows him to grand wishes so when I catch him, we can dissect him and see where he gets his power!” Hordak was clearly excited of his evil plan.

“Ah!” Entrapta yelled, eyes widening. “You mean Santa Claus?!”

“Yes?” Hordak replied with a guess. He honestly didn’t remember what Entrapta had called the mysterious creature.

She sighed, back pressing against the wall as she let her body slide on the floor. “Oh, Hordak. Santa Claus is a story we tell for kids. It’s a way to keep them nice and obedient over the course of one year and if they are nice, their parents and family members get them presents and say they are from Santa.” She kept sighing.

Hordak’s face dropped, together with his pointy ears.

“A lie? Treachery? How’s that a tradition in Etheria?” his voice almost cracked with a disappointment which reflected outwards from his long face.

Entrapda waved her hand in the air nonchalantly.

“Trust me, kids love it. They always love good stories. I did, too, when I was little and until I learned the harsh truth of Santa Claus.” She let her hand drop into her lap. “I was telling about Santa Claus to Imp because I wanted to surprise him with a present which just magically appears to him. I told the same story for Emily and boy, was she excited! There’s something mystical when you know you’re going to get a present from this benevolent being at the end of the year.”

Slowly Hordak sat next to Entrapta, his eyes fixated on her.

“Benevolent? A blackmailer, that’s what he is,” he snorted.

“Now, now, Hordak, Santa Claus is not a blackmailer,” Entrapta scolded him. “He is a judge! If you are kind, you get a present. If you are a little jerk, he gives you nothing.”

Hordak’s lips pressed together and he fell into a short silence.

“….Seems fair enough.”

“Sorry, you made all the booby traps in vain. I hope you didn’t work too hard and too long on the traps… Oh but well, at least we’re well protected against trespassers now, eh?” Entrapta tried to cheer Hordak up.

Hordak said nothing. Just pulled his legs up to his chin and looked miffed - and more or less disappointed. Entrapta patted his thigh.

“…But, it would be nice if there was someone like that who could grand you your wishes. Think about it! You could ask anything! Unlimited knowledge, unlimited recourses for research, health, money, travels across the galaxies, time traveling, hundreds of portals leading to different corners of the known and unknown universe… Anything!” she sighed dreamily. “And to get that all just by being nice. I have been nice, haven’t I?”

Hordak’s head turned to Entrapta.

“Yes, very. You have done excellent job with our projects. You treat Imp well, too,” he complimented her.

“And in my books, you have been kind, too. Sure, you yell at your subordinates and kinda scare them, but only if they deserve it. Haha, in a way, I guess you’re the Santa!” Entrapta elbowed Hordak to his side playfully, grinning at her own joke.

Hordak snorted in amusement to Entrapta’s comment but didn’t shoot it down. He turned his head forward, absently staring in front of him.

“What would you wish if you could wish anything from Santa?” Entrapta asked, sliding herself closer to Hordak, almost gluing her short body against his side. Her eyes were fixated on his face as she was curiously waiting for an answer.

Hordak’s initial hum was followed by a sharp hiss.

“…To be worthy,” he said.

Entrapta groaned and shook his upper arm with both hands.

“No, Hordak!” she whined with eyes closed tightly. “You are already worthy! Think big! BIG! You can get anything you ever dream of and want from Santa!”

Hordak’s ears perked up. He looked like he had realized something.

“I…. I could ask Santa to give me power to conquer and rule Etheria?” he murmured unsurely, his chin rising up from his knees.

“See! Now you are thinking big!” Entrapta rejoiced.

“Interesting. I have to think about my wish,” he said. “And you?” Hordak’s head turned to Entrapta. “What would you want?”

“Me?” Entrapta asked, sinking lower into a sloughed position. Her lips pressed together in a deep thought as she hummed and tilted her head from side to side, thinking. “Well… There’s something I’d want but… It’s kind of a silly one,” she began after a while of head tilting. “I mean, sure, I’d want to get all the knowledge of the world – or that’s what I thought – but then I thought ‘Entrapta. If you get all the knowledge in the world, there’s nothing to be learned or discovered after that anymore.’ How boring a life like that would be? No scientific breakthroughs, no new information, no new discoveries, no theories to be proven or shoot down… Nothing. Just… knowledge. Unlimited knowledge. How boring.”

“Go on,” Hordak urged her.

“Please promise you won’t laugh?” Entrapta whirled her fingers around one another, getting a firm, very officially looking military nod from Hordak. “I… I wish I was marked. Like the rest of the Etherians are.”

Hordak’s head tilted to left.

“Hmm, I did see your medical report after you joined us. It did say ‘Unmarked’. I didn’t pay attention to it as your report was otherwise fine. Perhaps I shouldn’t have overlooked it?” he murmured but Entrapta disagreed with him.

“No, no, it’s fine! It’s fine. It doesn’t affect me or my performance in any way! It just… makes me a defect…” Entrapta’s voice got quieter the longer she spoke. She turned away from Hordak, and pulled her knees up to her chin, hugging her legs. Her head pressed nose deep between knees.

Hordak’s legs straightened in front of him

“You are not a defect!” he said sternly. “You are… e-enough,” he added with a small stutter.

“Aaw, that’s sweet from you, but unlike you, I am a defect. I… I have not met anyone else who is unmarked…” Entrapta sounded sad.

Hordak’s head pressed closer to Entrapta’s face.

“What do you mean?” he asked right above her head, so very close from her.

“Just what I said,” she circled the subject. She gave an upward quick glance at Hordak. “In Etheria, everyone is born marked. The mark can be anything from a tiny spot to a bigger sigil type of a sign, but it is easy to spot and differ from moles and other birthmarks,” Entrapta explained, taking another quick glance at Hordak.

Hordak’s hummed.

“Hmm, I have seen some Horde soldiers with marks on their faces, necks, palms and fingers. I never paid any attention to those. What’s their function?”

Entrapta sighed, leaning backwards; her head bumping against the elevator’s wall.

“They are guide marks to find your people. Both partners and friends. There are multiple combinations for the mark matches. Kind of like… finding your own tribe?” she gestured the air with her hands vaguely. “Something like that.”

Hordak listened to Entrapta quietly.

“…And you are missing this mark?”

“Yeah, big time!” she laughed, but it came out a lot weaker than she had anticipated. “In Etherian standards that means that I don’t belong here, you know? That I don’t get to have friends or a partner or anything like that, because for what I know, I’m the only unmarked one in the whole Etheria.” Her lips pursed together, eyes getting forlorn. “I mean, I’m fine being alone. I’m used to that. I have never had anyone besides my parents and my servants.  My servants stayed with me even when we weren’t marked for one another – they were marked to my parents, not to me – so they are kind of like my friends but… not friends at the same time. It’s… kind of…well… They were just serving me and treating me nicely because of the contract they had with my parents.”

“All life in all galaxies is based on interaction with others,” Hordak cut in when he noticed just how gloomy Entrapta’s eyes had gotten. “I suspect Etheria works the same way; people yearn for each other’s company. The marks can’t be that influential, though. If they had lots of significance, Horde wouldn’t be able to operate. Putting together people with wrong markings would let to chaos and disorder based on what you have just told me.”

“It’s not that simple, Hordak,” Entrapta said. “Different marks can work together and be around one another but the true loyalty is achieved when the marks match. Like, when you put together a team A and B and one of them doesn’t function properly. They argue, can’t follow orders, mess things up. That’s because there’s imbalance between the marks. Even one or two wrong marks in a group can cause problems.”

Hordak took suddenly a hold of Entrapta’s hand, pulling it closer to his face.

“But wouldn’t a lack of a mark make you superior to others, then?” he muttered, inspecting and turning her palm in his hold slowly from side to side, tracking her palms lines with his fingertips. “Not being affected by any marks, by any mismatching combinations, ever in your life. No one to control you, to rub you the wrong way just by existing. Free from all chains and restrictions.” He turned to look at Entrapta, her eyes keenly staring back at him. “If that isn’t perfection, I don’t know what is.”

“Aaw, shucks, Hordak, you are getting really good with your pep talks,” Entrapta sniffed. Oddly enough, Hordak didn’t blush this time.

“Maybe you really do not belong here. With your intelligence, your talent, it would be easy to conquer the planets, the galaxies. Investigate them, create new scientific breakthroughs. Create portals from another end of the universe to the other. Built spaceships, bent the laws of the universe. Perhaps…” Hordak fall into a silence for a second, thinking. “Perhaps you were meant to travel the galaxies instead of getting stuck here on Etheria. Perhaps your… friends, your group, is somewhere else. Does it have to be Etherian?”

“I… I don’t know but your theory of it not needing to be an Etherian connection has a point,” Entrapta whispered, entwining her small fingers with Hordak’s. “Right now, I’m coming very well along with an alien from another planet.”

“Right,” Hordak cleared his throat, blushing. “Besides,” he swallowed, “If it makes you feel better, I’m not marked either. Imp’s not marked and for what I know, Emily doesn’t have any marks on her, does she?”

It looked like a big light pulp switched on in Entrapta’s head. Her eyes widened, lips parting to a small gasp.

“You are right!” she breathed out, her body jerking up from the sloughed position. “We’re unmarked, all of us!”

Hordak smiled at Entrapta, waving their joined hands in the air.

“The Unmarked Group of Four Failures”, he stated, and it was perhaps the first time ever Hordak had let out a joke from his mouth.

“I was planning on gluing a sticker on Emily, but she refused but I don’t think stickers can be counted as markings,” Entrapta muttered, getting a short, amused chuckle from Hordak. She looked at invisible spot in front of her

“…Hordak, now that I think of it, think this all,” Entrapta began and her hand squeezed tighter around Hordak’s. “Perhaps I was meant to come here. To the Fright Zone and meet you. Perhaps…” she turned to Hordak, cheeks slightly rosy, “I was meant to meet you. Another one without a mark, like me. Hordak. My lab partner.”

Hordak blushed furiously and quickly turned his head away to hide his face from Entrapta, ears drooping. He didn’t, however, let go of her hand.

“And Hordak, Hordak!” Entrapta continued, very, very excited now. “The portal brought you here! Suddenly, just like that!” She got on her knees and peeked to take a look at Hordak’s blushing face. “Hordak! This was meant to be! A scientific theory of our destined encounter which I have all the evidence to! How fascinating! How… how…” she stopped so suddenly, her words trailing off so quickly from the excited babble that Hordak had to turn to check if she was alright.

“Entrapta?”

“How nice,” she sighed with a wide smile spreading on her happy looking face. Her eyes beamed. “How truly nice. We’re meant to be!”

She let go of Hordak’s hand and curled on the floor on her side, head in Hordak’s slap all to his surprise. She closed her eyes, sighing.

“Now you’ll never get rid of me, Hordak”, she announced and snuggled herself into a more comfortable position, like Imp when it sought a warm lap to curl into.

Hordak said nothing but he never needed to.  Just placed his hand on top of happy Entrapta’s head and gave her a small smile.

[im-the-king-of-the-ocean]

RWBY Rarepair Week Day 3, @rwbyrarepairweek

Prompt: Vampire Hunters

Pairing: Pyrruby (Pyrrha/Ruby)

*I know I said in my day 1 that Nuts and Dolts was going to be the only ship I wrote for above the preferred 100 fic line.  At the time, that was the plan, but then I got the idea for this yesterday and just sort of really liked it.  

Also, I’ve turned it into its own au, so there’s that.

AO3 Link (pls leave a comment or kudos if you enjoy <3)

.

Sanguine

“This isn’t fair.  I don’t even eat people!”  The Vampire paces around her cage.  Her silver eyes stay locked onto Pyrrha.

Pyrrha resists the urge to grab Miló, her javelin, and throw it at the creature she spent the past three weeks hunting down.

The infamous Vampire of Patch has done nothing but complain since their arrival back at her base of operations.  Pyrrha would have gagged the Vampire, but her glinting, pointy, front incisors keep the Huntress at a distance.  Detoxing from vampire venom is a pain Pyrrha really doesn’t want to deal with right now.

“You drink blood, don’t you?”  Pyrrha snaps back.  Better to keep the Vampire’s thoughts occupied than plotting ways to escape, anyway.

The Vampire stops pacing.  She glowers.  “Because I need it to survive.  You wouldn’t withhold food from yourself, would you?”

“I don’t take my food from innocent people,”  Pyrrha says.  She turns on her computer.  She doesn’t need to keep her full attention on her captive.  The Vampire isn’t the first quarry Pyrrha has kept locked up here for a time.  Pyrrha’s one of the best Huntresses in the monster-hunting business, after all.

The Vampire sits down cross-legged by the bars of her cage.  “The animals you humans hunt aren’t innocent?”  She cocks her head in what could have been a curious gesture if Pyrrha doesn’t already know it’s a feigned act.  Grizzlier monsters then the Vampire have tried to gain her sympathies before, and (almost) all failed.

“That’s different,”  Pyrrha states offhandedly as she opens her emailing service and begins typing up a report to send in to Headquarters.  The sooner she’s paid and this talkative, little imp sent off to meet her doom, the better.

“How?  They don’t want you to kill them, but you still do!”  The Vampire retorts.  “At least I don’t kill anyone!”

Pyrrha snorts.  “You expect me to believe you’ve never ‘accidentally’ killed anyone while sucking out their blood?”

“No!  Because I don’t do that!”  The Vampire seems insulted.  She jumps up and begins pacing again.  She gesticulates wildly with her arms as she talks.  “I go to hospitals and they give me blood!  The only time I drink from actual people is when they already have poison or a toxin or something in their blood and it’s killing them!  Those don’t affect me like they do you humans, so I can get them out of their systems faster and safer.  That’s how I pay for what the hospitals give me.  I save lives!”

“Uh-huh.”  Pyrrha pulls her headphones on over her ears and puts on some loud music.  A part of her does want to believe the Vampire.  She likes to think the world is full of kindness.  Truly, Pyrrha does.  But she also knows what happens what she lets her guard down for even a second.  She’s not going to make that mistake again.  Not when it could lead to another (too high) body count.

The Collectors, those who come to take the monsters Pyrrha catches away for disposal, are busy with a job up north.  They’ll be down in two days to pay her and take the Vampire off her hands.  The head of the Guild, Salem, as always, thanks Pyrrha for her service.  Pyrrha sends off a quick reply, and then shuts down her computer (it’s too costly to let it run all the time).  She glances back at the Vampire.

Since she no longer has Pyrrha’s attention, the Vampire has taken to entertaining herself.  She’s lying on her back in the center of the cage, holding up two pebbles she must have found on the ground somewhere.  Pyrrha makes a mental note to keep the holding area cleaner in the future.  The Vampire makes the pebbles ‘attack’ each other by slamming them together.  She makes pew, pew noises with her mouth as she does.  It would be a human, if a bit childish, action, if the Vampire weren’t actually a destructive monster.

Pyrrha turns away.  Again, she can’t afford to let her guard down.  She goes to her kitchenette and starts putting a small dinner together.  The noises of Pyrrha’s pots and pans clanging together and the sizzling of heated butter gets the Vampire’s attention.  She rolls over on her stomach, rests her head on her propped up hand, and watches Pyrrha.

“Oooh, what are we having for dinner?”  The Vampire’s tone is a bit happier, a bit more upbeat now than before.

Pyrrha responds, “I’m having stir fry.  You aren’t having anything.”

“But I’m huuungry,” The Vampire whines.  “It doesn’t even have to be blood.  I eat other stuff too.  Like cookies.”  Her expression turns excited.  “Do you have any cookies?”

“You...eat cookies?”  Pyrrha approaches the Vampire.  That’s unexpected.  And probably a lie.

“Yeah my dad used to make them for me all the time.”  The Vampire’s shoulders sag.  “Well, he did.”  She turns away from Pyrrha.  “He’s a really nice human.  That’s why I don’t think you’re entirely bad.  Maybe you’re scared or hurt.  He was too, in the beginning.  But then he got to know me, and he changed his mind.”

Pyrrha crosses her arms.  “Let me guess, he’s dead now?  There was an ‘accident’?”

“No.”  The Vampire shakes her head.  Her short, red-tipped black hair flies around her head.  “I ran away so he wouldn’t.”  She takes a deep breath.  “Everyone was always so scared of me.  I didn’t want them to hurt him too.”

“That’s a nice story.”  Pyrrha returns to prepping her dinner.  She checks her cupboards and finds all the necessities for chocolate-chip cookies.  She has everything she needs.  Pyrrha takes the ingredients out, but makes sure the Vampire can’t see them.  She hasn’t completely made up her mind on that yet.

“What’s it going to take to convince you that I’m not dangerous?”  The Vampire speaks the words as a half-grumble.

Pyrrha goes over to the cage.  She squats down next to where the Vampire is.  “Nothing.  Ever.  Will.” she talks down to her.  “The last time I did that, someone I cared about very much died.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”  The Vampire pauses.  “But that still doesn’t give you the right to kill me.”

Pyrrha sighs.  A part of her does agree with the Vampire.  “Look, I’ll make you a batch of cookies.”  She acquiesces to doing that much.  Her eyes sweep over the holding cage.  “And, since you’ll be here for a few days, I’ll get you some pillows and a blanket, but that’s it.  I can’t allow you to go free.  Someone will wind up dead.  I will not allow that to happen.”

“Hmm…well, what if I just stay here with you?”  The Vampire asks.  “You can keep an eye on me.  No one gets hurt either.  And I’ve been looking for a new place to stay.”

“You do understand, I hunt monsters.”

“I know.”  The Vampire grins.  “But, you’re not one of the evil ones.”  She holds out a hand between the bars of the cage.  “My name’s Ruby.”

Pyrrha sighs.  “Pyrrha Nikos.”  The Va—Ruby’s hand is unusually cool to the touch, but still soft like a human hand.

On the one hand, Pyrrha thinks she’s making a mistake.  On the other, it’s only for two days really, and it does feel like a burden that’s been weighing on her has lightened just a little bit.

[bitchwhoreofastorm]

That afternoon in Ald Sotha was lazy. No breeze blew, so the air was too humid and heavy for anyone to be much bothered to do anything, outside of lie on the beach. It was precisely this vital task that the noble-children had sent themselves. Sotha Sil lay on the sand a short distance from the tide, sprawled on his back with a book resting open on his face; Sotha Serlyn and his sister Kaisa sat on a rock that stood just out from the shore and played in the water that lapped it. Only Almalexia, ever the odd one out in that sunny paradise, didn't seem content with lazing about in the sun. She sat beside Sotha Sil, legs crossed, a book on her lap that she pretended to read-- but she refused to sit still, shifting her position constantly: first lying down on her back, then on her stomach, then sitting up again, then lying again but using Sil as a foot-rest.

Finally she sat up straight and gave Sotha Sil a hard poke in the side. "Seht, let's go do something."

"It's too hot." Sil replied, his voice muffled by the pages of his book.

"It's not hot. This is nothing compared to Mournhold."

"Yeah, but that's Mournhold."

"Yeah, but you're boring."

Sotha Sil didn't reply to that, so Almalexia lay down on the sand again, draping her legs over Sotha Sil's chest so that her knee 'accidentally' nudged the book askew off his face. "What's a fundamacy?"

Sotha Sil was putting the book back on his face. "Huh?"

"It's in this book your father gave to me. He said it might help me figure out why I can't cast any spells."

"Can you use it in a sentence? Also, get your legs off me, it's too hot."

"The sentence is, 'it may be the apprentice's fundamacy that hinders magical ability."

"Oh. Fundamacy." Sotha Sil gave Almalexia's legs a hard shove off of him, causing her to roll to her side. "It's the abilities you gain from your birthsign."

"You got sand in my book!"

"Well, your legs are too heavy."

Almalexia rolled back over, sitting up, resting her arm on his chest this time. "According to this book, you can't cast spells if you have the wrong fundamacy."

"Ow! Ayem, your elbow!"

"But they said that the Nords have a way, with standing stones, to give you a different fundamacy. That's interesting. Maybe I should ask them about that when I go home."

Sotha Sil shoved her off and sat up, shaking the sand from his long hair. "Your elbow is really pointy!"

"You're such a baby, Sil."

"I don't understand why you're reading that old thing. It's too hot to be studying. And we're at the beach."

Almalexia looked around them. This beach was separated from the settlement at Ald Sotha by a jut of dark rock that stretched some ways into the sea, the remnants of an old foyada. Out from the shore Kaisa had somehow procured a large crab and was using it to terrorise her brother. Before them the water was opal-blue and glittering in the slanted light of early afternoon, while behind them and stretching out to either sides the dark-green forest was still and shaded.

"I'm going to learn magic," she replied.

Sotha Sil lay back down. "Maybe you can't, though."

"Why shouldn't I?"

You can't cast any spells, can you? And you've been trying, well, all summer. Perhaps you're just incapable of it."

"I'll figure it out, Seht. I know I will." She lay down next to him. "It's just so frustrating, I never know what you're trying to say, or what your father's trying to say-- how am I meant to learn when you can't even explain things?"

"To be fair, magic is a highly complex topic. And you're not..."

Sotha Sil trailed off, then, and turned his head away.

Almalexia poked him in the ribs. "I'm not what?"

"Ah, I don't mean it as an insult."

"I'm not what."

"You're not very smart."

Almalexia's stunned silence must have alerted him to his blunder, for he sat up and quickly added: "I mean, perhaps I phrased that wrong, you're very good at many things, you just have different talents to--"

"I'm not dumb!"

"No, of course not! But, well, you're more of a warrior, you see? You like to swing swords and stuff. You don't need a ton of intelligence to swing a sword--"

Almalexia's shock had well and truly given way to righteous fury. "You think I'm a moron, don't you?"

"I didn't say that!"

"As if you're so intelligent yourself, Sil! You're not 'intelligent', you just spend all your time studying because you have no friends and no life!"

Sotha Sil's face flushed. "That's not true! I am a highly talented mage, and exceptionally gifted, father says I'm the best Ald Sotha's ever seen!"

"You are so arrogant!"

"I'm not arrogant. I'm logically assessing my own ability."

"Logically assessing, huh?" Almalexia rose to her feet and stalked off towards the forest.

"You're being irrational," Sotha Sil shouted at her back, also standing. "It's objectively true that I'm smarter!"

By now the twins had caught notice of the argument, and Kaisa appeared by his side. "Oooh, Sil, you're in trouble."

"She's gonna beat you up," Serlyn, appearing at his other side, agreed.

"She wouldn't," Sotha Sil said dismissively. "She's just having a tantrum because she's mad that she's a dumb warrior and not..."

He trailed off, because Almalexia was returning with a very large stick in hand.

She marched right up to them and stopped a few metres away. "Sotha Sil!" she yelled, pointing the stick at him, which she held by its base like a sword. "Fight me."

The twins gasped.

Sotha Sil blinked. "What?"

"If you think you're so much better than me, fight me!" Almalexia shook her stick at him.

"You're being ridiculous!"

"What, are you afraid that swords are more useful than your stupid magic after all?"

"Sil's going to get beat up by a girl," Serlyn said, prompting Kaisa to reach around Sil and hit him.

"I am not!" Sotha Sil said. He stepped forwards and looked Almalexia dead in the eye. "You're being ridiculous, because I am going to defeat you.”

Almalexia broke into a grin, a wild grin that at that moment made her look less like a princess and more like a feral kagouti preparing to devour its prey. “I’d like to see you try.”

The two teenagers stalked up the beach and found a flat patch, where they stood a short distance away from each other and facing each other, with the ocean to one side of them and the forest to the other. Almalexia dropped into fighting stance the moment they moved into position, holding her stick before her with one hand; Sotha Sil, likewise, outstretched his hand and readied a simple spell.

“You can still just admit that you’re wrong,” Sotha Sil called out to her.

“If you’re scared, Seht, I’ll graciously accept your apology now.”

“I’m not scared!”

Almalexia’s raised her ‘sword’. “Then attack, s’wit!”

She lunged forwards as she said this, raising the sword above her as she did. Sotha Sil drew his hand back, and quickly loosed the magika from it, which took the form of a vivid fireball that shot from his hand at blinding speed. It hit Almalexia square in the chest, detonating in a burst of flame.

Sotha Sil clapped both hands to his mouth. “Oh, my gods, Ayem!”

Almalexia had come to a halt immediately. “I’m fine, Seht!” she said, reassuringly, and it was true-- most of the fire had disappeared against her skin in little golden flashes, or rolled harmlessly off of her in a plume.

“Are you sure?”

“Why, are you scared? Weakling!”

And Almalexia lunged at him again, raising her ‘sword’ high over her head, preparing to bring it down over his. Sotha Sil barely managed to dodge in time-- on instinct he readied another fireball, and cast it. This time she was closer and it hit harder, actually sending her staggering back, and again the flames mostly slid off of her.

But she regained her footing and once more charged, holding her free hand in front of her chest to guard it. When Sil cast the next fireball she tried to swipe it away with that arm, and her hand cut a glowing streak through the spell, and it looked, for a moment, that the whole limb was alight, her palm wreathed in fire--

And then Sotha Sil was hit in the face by the fireball.

He found himself lying face-up on the sand-- he’d been knocked flat-- he was blinking, dazed, up at a clear blue sky unmarred by clouds. “Oh my gods,” he heard Almalexia say, and then “Seht! Are you alright?”, and then he heard footfalls, and a head of fluffy red hair appeared above his face, wide green eyes staring into his own. “Seht?”

Sotha Sil sat up. “Did you just--”

“I think-- I think so?”

“How? How did you do that? Ayem!”

“I don’t know! I just suddenly had power in my arm and I remembered what your father told me to do and I wasn’t really thinking about it, I just--” she trailed off, grabbing onto his arm. “Sehti! I cast a spell!”

“Do it again,” Sotha Sil said immediately. “Try it again.”

“What, at you?”

“Yes! Hit me.”

They rose to their feet together, and then Almalexia stepped back, screwing up her face, raising her hand…

“Come on,” Sotha SIl said impatiently. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt me, we’re Chimer. Just hit me!”

Almalexia’s arms fell. “I can’t!” she exclaimed, furious, and she rammed her foot against the sand. “I’m trying, I am, but I can’t do it anymore! I don’t know--”

Sotha Sil raised his own hand and slung a fireball at her. It exploded against her, and immediately she cast one right back at him, sending him flying back once more.

He was scrambling to his feet before he even realized he’d been knocked back, and he heard Almalexia laughing, and he found that he was laughing, too. “Ayem!”

“I did it! Seht, Seht, I did it!”

They ran to each other and embraced, both grinning and talking quickly and excitedly once more, discussing their discovery in fast voices and putting forth absurd theories. The day was still hot, far too hot for fireballs, and their clothing was singed, and even the twins had lost interest in the revelation, favouring their game in the cool waves.

***

Sotha Sohleh was enjoying the coolness and stillness of the shrine basement, dutifully plodding through a stack of overdue correspondences with various Telvanni wizards, when he was disturbed by two very distinct sets of footsteps coming down the thin staircase. He pretended not to hear them, even when his eldest son and his ward drew to a diplomatic halt next to his desk, and he could practically hear the excited energy buzzing off of them. Almalexia only stayed at Ald Sotha for about four months of every year, ostensibly for the purpose of ‘learning magic’, and while Sohleh readily welcomed Mournhold’s young princess into his own family, the fact that she managed to bring out in the timid Sil an otherwise dormant mischievousness could occasionally be… trying.

Finally Sotha Sil cleared his throat. “Father, may we speak?”

“Why, Sil! Of course we can.” Sohleh looked up from his letters, with the warmest fatherly smile he could muster. He noted, immediately, that both the children seemed… charred. That was never a good sign. And the fact that they both wore broad grins was even less so.

“Father Sotha,” said Almalexia this time, trying to look serious. “We have something to show you.”

“Well. I would love to see it, Almalexia.”

Sotha Sohleh clasped his hands on the table, and watched as the two children exchanged a long glance.

Then he watched as his son cast a fireball at the daughter of the Queen of Mournhold.

He made to jump up and intervene, but to his astonishment he saw that most of the fire disappeared against Almalexia’s skin in muted golden flashes. And she was faster than him-- the moment the fireball hit her and disappeared, she raised her hands and cast one right back at Sotha Sil, causing him to stagger back and hit the wall.

“Look!” Sotha Sil shouted giddily. “She can cast spells now!”

Almalexia, beaming, looked to him for approval. “How did I do?”

“Her form’s still really sloppy,” Sotha Sil said, “But she did it, we figured out--”

“I can only do it when he hits me, though, that’s how we figured it out, I was going to defeat him in a battle--”

“You weren’t going to defeat me, I think I defeated you, actually--”

“I sent you flying! I won that battle, Sil, your fireballs couldn’t even hurt me--”

“Astonishing,” Sohleh said wondrously. “Sign of the Atronach. How did I never think of it? This is simply astonishing!”

The children stopped their bickering. “Huh?” Almalexia asked.

“You must be the sign of the Atronach,” said Sohleh. “Those born under the Sign of the Atronach are incapable of producing their own magika, but may absorb it spells cast at them. Why, Almalexia, you must have been born in Sun’s Dusk!”

Almalexia touched her own face. “I was born in Sun’s Dusk...”

“I would suppose so. I know your mother has kept the details of your birth a secret, but this would make the most sense-- I should have thought of it! You aren’t incapable of wielding magic, you’ve simply never had any to draw on!”

Almalexia broke into a smile and turned to Sotha Sil. “See? I can wield magic.”

“Only if you get hit with a spell first,” Sotha Sil replied. “Plus we don’t know that you can do anything other than fireballs. Fireballs are a baby’s spell. An infant could cast a fireb--”

A fireball detonated in his face, and before the smoke cleared, Almalexia was already running up the staircase, laughing. With a cry of ‘Ayem!’ Sotha Sil set off after her immediately, and Sotha Sohleh found himself once more in a still, if no longer quite as cool, basement.

With a patient sigh, Sohleh picked up a clean sheet of paper and began a new letter:

“Dearest Amun-Shae,

I am pleased to let you know that your daughter’s studies are progressing well. You’ll have to excuse the burn-marks on this parchment…”

[royal-writer]

all our days, just you and I

I don’t know if I should be impressed or ashamed that this piece never seems to have a fucking end. I have so much to do; so much, but this keeps going like the energizer fucking bunny.

Darlien lle maa poika undome* - “Darling, you look perfect tonight”

“Oooh, a’maelamin** - “Oooh, my beloved”

Goodness, how her legs ached! Dancing was one thing, but doing so while the sashay and twirls brought the weight of her gown out in a series of ruffles was another thing entirely. It was a lot of dress. Though it looked like a delicate cloud with all the layers of tulle and fine lace; between the fabric and poof that made her disappear gradually from the waist down into engulfing tiers, she was carrying at least another sixty pounds. And for her petite form, wearing the dress itself was practically a workout. Moving in it was just exhausting.

Though dancing with Korey had been marvelous and masterful, Essätha was grateful for the change in partners that were… not so steadfast on their feet. Sulhadur proved easy and slow even when the music challenged his speed. He kept mumbling his fears of ripping the ends of her garments as they swept low against his scaly feet, totting her around with him.

Penimra had a graceful style, but thankfully the tempo he followed was one that showed himself off, rather than her. It made her laugh to see him jig and shuffle around her while she got to clap with the beat. They’d bow a few times and she’d take his hand with a few elegant spins. Back and forth, they’d step close and apart and she’d whirl away as he released her to gambol by himself. She wouldn’t say it to his face, but he reminded her a lot of birds trying to do a mating dance with his flashy moves.

Illamin was strangely shy at first, but quickly found his enthusiasm. He soon went about startling the onlookers as the bottom furls of her dress were rumpled up in dramatic kicks of her legs that copied his own. It was more dizzying than she’d imagine, and made her miss Korey’s gliding pace.

Adela, Cackle, and Rava joined her for a brief girl’s-only shake down across the dancefloor as they bounded and giggled. It was uncoordinated and random; and the beat fell into an old fashion tavern’s hustle. Of course that encouraged the lavender Aasimar boy to join in with his mandolin, tapping his foot with the edge of the music as he added a nice undertone to weave through the carrying sounds in his celestial hymns.

Eventually, the view dragged the remaining gentleman back on the open floor. Essie tiredly swung and pivoted with her chosen family. Each civil lad swapped with another lady as they moved across the ballroom floor. Pen was wild, Abe was careful, and Sul was polite as he offered her finally to her handsome Lord the moment he extended a hand, and asked if she would care for a dance.

Amon pulled her in close; close as he could, humming beneath his breath as they barely rotated their hips from side to side. A shuffle in their shoes, and they were circling around the same point of the floorboards. Words curled off his tongue in the language of Elves in a song that was captivating, even if she didn’t understand a bit of it. Her hand was held in his and arm extended, with his other warming the middle of her back. This was a much easier on her sore muscles, and despite her forehead dotted with sweat he kissed her temple and her face. Harbored in his gentle embrace, Essätha heavily leaned into him with shuttered eyes as he supported her with unconditional love and strength.

The longer they slowly spun in the middle of the floor, the more her hearts desire’s soft crooning and droning timbre caught to her mind. She joined in to his sweet melody as it wrote itself to her thoughts. The notes she hummed carried graciously to his own, and her Illiad murmured the verses in a hoarse voice of emotion as he brushed his lips along the shell of her ear.

“Darlien, lle maa poika undome*,” Amon whispered, burying his face into her shoulder as he trembled.

“Oooh, a’maelamin**,” she sighed; catching a few words in briefly taught recollection. Her hand slid up the contour of his spine, against the well-crafted vest perfectly tailored to fit him. She moved her fingers against the back of his head, lulling him close as Amon tried to collect himself from weeping into her bare shoulder.

Her most treasured love. The most precious thing he ever gave her, in the ardent ways of his heart and soul. She never dreamed she could feel for another in the ways she felt for him; a thousand burning suns and all the stars in the sky could not compare. Good or bad, she would always have him to count on, his unwavering support. And though his tearful joy made her own eyes water again, there was no one in the room more beautiful to her blurry eyes than he.

The draw of strings from the musicians grew quiet. Fingers stroking the keys of a piano stood out above the rest. She hummed the sweet harmony her husband sang to her, pressing her lips gently to the side of his face as he raised his head. A few stains of pale pink in the shape of her mouth grazed his skin as he sought her. Stealing her air, he replaced it with his own. Little tremors scattered across her in the form of goosebumps as her heart lifted to the compassionate kindess of his lips.

An outburst of catcalls and ovation cut through the music. Amon grinned at her; a dampness beneath his eyes. She reached for his handkerchief to dab it off, but he rested his hand atop hers before she could remove it. The drum of his pulse was steady beneath her palm. A welcoming thumping to her fingers which curled slightly into the delicate fabric of his shirt.

“Do you feel that?” he murmured, clutching his fingers to her.

A cheeky little smile flashed over her features as she whispered: “I do.”

“That is my love for you, my darling,” Amon declared. “It beats for you; fights for you, believes in you, wants you in all your splendor. Until it stops; and beyond that, I will love you, my darling Essätha. My heart will do everything in its power to make all your days the happiest they can be.

“I’m already the happiest person in the world, my love, do you not see that?”

For a brief flicker, he searched her expression. Tender softness in the shine of his eyes as she brought her other hand to his face, and used the pad of her thumb to lightly brush the moisture from his face. She smudged the makeup she marked him with as best she could, too, from his cheeks.

He returned the gesture; kissing gently against the corners of her eyes as he breathed, “I can, as well as I can see my own reflected in your pretty eyes, Essie.”

“Hmm,” she drawled quietly. “Such sweet nothings, m’lord. Perhaps you should have been a bard.”

Amon scoffed at her, kissing the side of her nose and along scaled patchwork.

“My words are only meant for your ears, my beautiful Essätha; no one else.”

The hand holding to her own guided it up to his lips as he pulled away. With a barely-there press of his smile to her fingers, he pulled her gently along the floorboards with him. The shuffle of his boots were slow; unwilling to turn and depart his gleaming regard from hers. A rhythmic stroke of his rough hands moved over the dainty features of her own. His other hand was like a ghost to the waist of her corset, just above where the chiffon lightly draped down into the bell-shape bottom.

“Turn before you bump into sssomeone!” she carped with a hint of worry.

“Will your eyes not guide me?” he challenged with a vast grin.

Oh Heavens! Her face lit up pink as she reached for him. Thin fingers found the collar of his crisp white undershirt and she tugged, reigning him back in as they neared the edge of the dance floor. The depth of his laughter had her scowling lightly up at his unbearably gorgeous features. Inconceivable flirt! She hissed at him quietly; holding her disapproving noise all the while smoothing the fabric on his vest. The wreath of his fragrance intensified the nearer she drew. Inhaling him softly, her mouth folded into a deeply satisfied sigh to the sweet outline of his lips-

“Very good show, you two,” a hearty voice rumbled. “Really exceptional. Had me tearing up a bit. Looked really private-”

“Sir Abernathy,” Essätha heaved with exasperation. Her short pumps; which had rose as she stood on the tips of her shoes, settled back on to the floor as she nestled herself to the bend of her lover. His arm wound around to shelter her into the crook of his side further. Once more, placing her hand to his chest with an affectionate squeeze as he darted a glance to her; almost mocking the pout she held for the interruption, before glancing to the older man.

“Thank you, Abe,” her heroic husband hummed.

“You have a lovely singing voice, Amon,” the orcish-elf continued, beaming from pointy ear to pointy ear. “I hadn’t heard that one in ages. Took me a second to recognize it, you sung so softly!”

A hue of red crept it’s way over the nobleman’s features. He glowered with disapproval as Essie snickered, trying to withhold her giggles. Abe’s polite and cheery conversation didn’t seem to dampen in the least despite the shooting stare. If the eldest man noticed the sourness at all, he ignored it entirely.

“Oh yes, here,” he stated, offering out two boxes he plucked up from the floor beside him. One was much larger than the other, held beneath a smaller one. Their wrappings were neat; glistening green paper and a velvety emerald bow to hold them together.

“We planned to open gifts later, Abe-”

Winking at her statement, the orcish elf was quick to counter: “I know, but these are special. I’d like to see you open them, and enjoy your reaction before Haymitch and I grow too tired and head for the inn. We’re not such young upstart striplings anymore; and although we plan to stick around a while longer, it’s only a matter of time before one of us is carrying the other out half asleep. Torm knows if I’ll be able to find you both in a crowd like this again to bid goodnight, and see you open these.”

Essie moved her glance over to meet Amon’s. There was no objection in his returned glimpse.

“I don’t see a problem with opening a few gifts now; especially for a dear friend who wants to get the chance to see us do so,” the Briarton Lord observed.

Well, that was enough for her. She gave a nod of her head in agreement, stroking her fingertips over the embroidered overlapping initials to the hankie situated in her husband’s breast pocket.

Amon released her hand and waist to remove the bow, wrapping it temporarily around her arm loosely. A quiet giggle arose in Essätha’s throat as she aided in sliding her fingernails along the trim edge of the gift wrap. Some of the papery substance was torn into bits and strips before they were done, handing it to a server who beelined in their direction to be of assistance with a somewhat frantic gaze.

They folded over the edges of the stiff boxing, revealing a set of hand carved knife plaques. Some were sized differently then others, and they all had optional blank metal plates for text. Lifting the first one out from the gift, Essie had to smile at the only plate with something already written on it.

“Gúthwinë.”

“It was the name you gave the dagger Amon gifted you, is it not?”

Her thumb slid over the textured engravement in the thin metal. She was completely unaware to the softened smiles both men were giving her as she looked over the strong script and perfectly smooth sculpting of the wood. How had he remembered such a thing? She could only barely remember using the name in passing once or twice.

It was a popular elfish word, meaning ‘a friend in battle’. Indeed the blade was just so; becoming an exceptional all around tool. She used it as a last resort, in moments of panic, or to simply trim twigs from logs before tossing them into a fire. It had been used again and again; a grateful piece of hardware that fit beautifully in her hand. Every time she looked at it, and thought it’s name, it reminded her of who it came from. Dark cut steel, a leather-wrapped handle, and edge often brought in for sharpening. There was a single dark amethyst gemstone in the handle that shined in likeness to the glitter of her magic. The dagger was lethal but gorgeous as she; something sensible yet pretty.

The tongue of the ancient race was something perhaps not all too well known to her, but it was a language that belonged to her beloved and his ancestors. Thus the knife was named, a piece of who he was always centered in it. At the time Gúthwinë had simply been a gift from a friend, though her heart had been yearning for him before the gift and it only grew stronger and stronger since. She’d hold to it back then, speaking it’s name with a hint of sorrow, for back then Essie feared it may one day be her only connection to him.

Amazing how things changed since then. They shared many things, now. His manor, themselves, the sanctity of his family’s infamous name, their meals, their joy. Though she no longer had to clutch to the dagger for security; and in fact hadn’t handled it in months, it brought a rush of memories both good and terrible (but mostly good) to see it’s name once more.

“Do you like them?” Abernathy fretted quietly. “I wasn’t sure what to make for a couple of aristocrats…”

“They’re lovely,” Essie murmured, placing the memento back in the box to lean in and kiss his cheek. “And we’re still just people, sir Abernathy; still your friends. You know us better than that. All gifts are welcome and appreciated, but not necessary. You needn’t treat us any different.”

With a toothy grin and glint of his broad tusks, Abe shuffled carefully as Amon took the box from him. One of the hostesses hired for the party seemed to melt into existence, accepting the container with a whispered promise to have it placed somewhere safe. She disappeared into the crowd as they both began on the next and larger parcel Abe still held. Their previous help seemed to return, taking the shreddings and folded pieces as they pulled the sides open.

A barking laugh escaped Essätha before she could contain it. Her hand slapped over her mouth, stifling her snorts, wheezes and sniggers as she looked down into the neat packaging.

A large glass statue of what appeared to be a monstrously sized replica of a bear was cradled upon a wooden slab specifically carved to hold to the paws for stability. It shone spectacularly in the candlelight and chandelier reflections with it’s lifeless eyes and structured appearance of muscle mass. A clawed front paw was outstretched, and menacing fanged jaws open. An emerald and gold print plate was stamped and nailed into the thick oak pedestal. It read the date of their wedding, and the simple phrase: “To Lord and Lady Illiad, From Abernathy and Haymitch Harding”.

After staring in a moment of silent comprehension, Amon gave a throaty chuckle. He reached into the carefully positioned sawdust and wedged pieces of sturdy wood logs to keep the memento stationary and lifted the bear carefully a few inches from the box to examine its features. It’s posture exuded danger like a formidable threat.

“It looks like you.”

Her sweetheart shot her a cross look, and Essie laughed good-naturedly. Hoping he would not take her joke to heart, she kissed his cheek as he settled the predator back into its temporary lair.

“Thank you, Abe. Both for the display tablets, and the figure. They’ll look great in the den, don’t you think darling?”

The den. Their den. She tittered quietly, reaching out to wrap an arm around his and hold to his hand.

“Oh yes, definitely put them in the den.”

“Oh and uh, one more thing,” Abe sheepishly cut in, nodding to the two hires who offered to take the packaging and have it delivered to the estate. He looked around for a moment, before catching Haymitch’s golden eye who was standing a few yards away. The silver dragonborn gave a sharp grin in his smooth suit, and sauntered over with a spade that he offered out to Abe, who held it to their confused faces.

“A… shovel?” Amon stated slowly.

“Yes, it’s yours,” he explained nervously. “I thought to give it back after all these years. I took it when-”

Hurriedly, Essätha snatched the trowel her husband so tentatively reached for. Her eyes were wide and mouth gaping as she tried to recover herself, holding the improvised weapon off to her side while forcing a grin. Her nostrils flared, trying to control her sudden shock from the flashback that smacked her.

“Bless your heart, Abernathy, how kind of you!” she gushed. “Thank you for the lovely gifts; this will be very useful for our gardening too, thank you. Ooh look behind you, I think I see Adela waving for you.”

“You do?”

The moment the burly half-elf half-orc began to turn, Essie gave him a gentle nudge in the back. Haymitch, too, joined him in the search as his tail gave agitated little twitches like a discontent cat. There appeared to be no sight of the woman whose name she mentioned.

“Yes yes, oh there she went- you had better hurry!”

Quizzically frowning, Amon too seemed to be looking to the crowd, back to her, and around with mild uncertainty. She waited until he was distracted in his search as another assistant stepped by carrying dainty nibblers before she thrust the shovel in their direction.

“Make sure to get rid of this, quickly and quietly,” she whispered with a serious tone. The lad balked at her, paling for a second before he swallowed and nodded. He steadied the platter on one hand expertly, and accepted the spade to disappear into the throng with haste.

By the time Amon turned to look back at her, appearing more confused now as Abe and Haymitch worked their way into the crowd to look for the pink Tiefling, Essätha had placed a pleasant smiling on her face once more. The very last thing she wanted to do was have Abe go through the ancient history of beating skeletons with shields and swords and rakes in the Illiad crypt. That would be one way to kill the mood for the evening, and certainly something she was not interested in doing.

“Shall we go greet some of our other acquaintances, my love?” Essie purred softly. “I’m not quite sure we’ve spoken to everyone yet. It’s quite a crowd.”

Though his gaze said suspicious, she was grateful as Amon reached for her hand to guide her eloquently into the crowd of people. One potential hazard removed, she thought to herself with relief. Hopefully there would be no others for the remainder of the evening.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Amongst chuckles and joviality, the wedded nobleman kept a delicate arm wrapped around his fair bride. Her sugared kisses pressed to the side of his grin that wouldn’t ease up even as his cheeks began to hurt from all the smiling he’d been doing. What a pain to be grateful for, when you ached from so much love and joy settled in your face, your bones, and your heart that there just didn’t seem to have enough to contain it all. It bordered on insanity. Maybe that’s just what love did to you: made you so crazy like you’d eaten hallucination mushrooms and suddenly you saw the parallel sides in the world you never could before and you felt good, but folks thought you were off your rocker.

Crazy was an accurate adjective. He was crazy smitten for Essie. There were no ends to his devotion; no walls, bridges, or buildings he would not scale to reach her. She was a pristine bloom with no equal rising to the sun in his lifetime; her sun-soaked dappled dark beauty undeniable. There was no other in her likeness on this planet; not before her and none would come after that could thread spells and charms and whisper promise words across the perfect heart shape of her lips.

As her eyes would slither over him, he could make out pieces of her soul hidden between her radiant petals. Her stare engulfed him in flames, and he was weak-kneed. She read him like the pages of a fine novel; turning through even the smudged and faded ink, the torn pages she’d mended into place, the fresh inked writing they’d written together and his torn edges with delicacy. And just as she read him, he could make out shimmers of her thoughts like dew drops falling away. Specks of hope and want and love. Dreams that their hands now cupped and carried together that would lead them to sail far.

Her smile reached up into the lines around her eyes half-squinted and shimmering with joy, and his heart combusted. How could he, a simple man with ugly faults and unclean hands, capture the attention and bring so much elation to such an angel?

Dipping her back gently, he captured her giggling mouth with his smirk. Hardly more than a soft presence pressed close to the upturned fullness of her lips with the faint aftertaste burn of champagne.

The gentlemen and ladies they’d been standing around with as they chattered were mostly oblivious to the gesture. A few envious eyes around the room however; mostly from stricken looking women staring at a lost heartthrob, stared like hungry vultures. Their faces turned away as Amon rightened, bringing the keeper of his heart up with him.

“You keep kissing me like that and people are going to talk,” Essie joked.

“Oh?” Amon inquired softly, brushing his nose along hers. “And what will they say, exactly?”

“Mmm, that m’lord is barely refraining himself from more indecent behavior,” she speculated, reaching up to stroke her fingers to the side of his face and tease his beard.

“They would not be wrong. Though I must say, if that’s the first idea on your mind, it begs the question what else is there you’re thinking of…”

Essätha laughed quietly, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips while her hands held to his face. When she released him from her enchantment with a smile, flattening any stray hairs on his head down with her hands, he placed another soft kiss upon her. She drugged his senses; feeling nothing but her curves and the flora of her perfume and magnolia still tucked in her ear. Where one kiss ended, another trailed into it hungrily; growing urgent as a flush crept over their faces.

As Amon reached around to drag her in closer, someone slapped his hand. He nipped upon Essie’s lip, wide-eyed and baffled to her confusion until she gave a startled yelp as a hand tugged her back.

“Are you two planning to snog all evening?” Adela grimaced.

By the Light of Pelor, he intended to stop. He didn’t need anyone’s help. Probably.

“Adela, let goooo-”

“Nu-uh, not until you tell me why you had Haymitch and Abe hounding me down asking why I’d been waving to them,” she grumbled, tugging gently on Essie’s arm.

“Uuuuhhhh… I- I need to pee,” Essätha dodged suddenly, yanking herself free to grab at the pink tiefling’s arm as she gasped. “G-Go fetch Rava, I’m going to need help holding the dress up and I’ll be needing two of you.”

Amon knitted his eyebrows together as he frowned. What a strange way to avoid a question. It was so obvious.

But to his utter surprise, Adela snorted back her giggles as she responded, “You think only two people can hold up all that dress?”

“Pleeaaassssseeee?”

“Alright alright come on,” she sighed, reaching down to smooth the golden shape of her dress. “Let’s go assemble an army.”

Perplexed, the Illiad heir crossed his arms tightly in front of his chest and grunted. The wordplay shape of his darling’s lips mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ sheepishly as Adela took her arm, and began to pull her along. He gave a sigh to himself, shaking his head as he glanced to the french doors and ceiling to floor windows that peered out into the garden. The spring solstice sun having set by now, and the darkness streaking in with a painter’s reds and oranges low but still visible against the treeline.

Before he got the chance to formulate his own retreat, a feathery figure foraged a trail through the congregation straight towards him. At first, Amon had been certain he was searching out for Essätha. There would be other reason that the bird of prey would so much as look in his direction. But the features of the tall leggy Aarakocra grew closer and closer, and soon Amon was able to see the sharp yellow orbs of the bird-man’s eyes as he marched in his direction.

Here comes the banter, he thought with a wince as he swallowed a sour taste of bile in the back of his throat. His pose erected and he offered a proper and polite bow to Kraw as he marched up to him. It wouldn’t matter in the end. He could be as respectful and courteous as a saint, and the humanoid bearded vulture was still going to both physically and metaphorically look down at him like he was scouting him for wounds to tear into.

“Little Lord,” the bird-man squawked, ruffling his feathers against the fancy garments he wore.

“Good to see you, Kraw.”

Better than ‘humans-man’ for once, he’d give him that.

“Mine Essa’-girl? She is not with you?”

“My Lady Essätha just went with miss Adela and Ravamora to the latrine,” Amon stated confidently. Thank goodness, it had nothing to do with him after all and the hostile Aarakocra could go find someone else to interrogate.

To his utter dismay, he did not leave him. The dangling dark brown strands hanging from his face he reached up to stroke like men did their beards with the talons of his scaly hands. His eyes moved in the most unnerving manner over him.

“Little Lord thinks he owns Essa’?” Kraw spoke quietly. “Mine Lady, he calls her?”

This time, a choked sound of laughter tried to escape him. He bit his tongue at the way Kraw’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Even without his weapons, the molting, aged looking bird still had a sharper-than-glass look in his eyes, and sharpened nails enough to spill intestines from a man’s gut.

“No, Kraw, I don’t own Essätha. She owns herself. She is my Lady in that she is my wife, and the Lady of my estate and the territory of the Emerald Expanse.”

Kraw exhaled loudly. “Lord thinks he owns all things in land. All things bow to Lord.”

With hesitation, he carefully stepped back from the shadow that leaned over him as he responded slowly: “It is a custom, and common courtesy, for people to bow to the aristocrats who govern over them and offer them protection. Essätha, too, will be curtsied or bowed to. It is a sign of respect and honor. I do not demand it of my patrons…”

His voice trailed off. After what he had done to Fontane, he demanded no respect from anyone. It was not something he had deserved, or earned. It was a birthright and he, a husk of a man trying to do right by it.

Now foreigners and other countrymen knew his name as well as any other in their old traveling group. People bent or took the knee before him before he could squabble at them to stop. Such fame may have been that of his relation long past, but when you held to the darkest secrets in your soul, you knew better than to feel worthy of such high praise.

“Essa’ likes Little Lord,” Kraw stubbornly remarked, fidgeting.

For the first time ever, alone in the vulture’s presence, Amon smiled.

“I fancy her a lot myself.”

“What does Lord intend? Many mistresses in chambers? Are humans-men weddings sacred? Not all Aarakocra are. The Vulture-people of mine kind yes, mostly. But-”

“Many mistresses-?” Amon rasped, his face a mixture of horror and reddened irritation. “I respect your- knowledge on human relations, Kraw, but I intend to share my chambers with only one woman: my wife, Essätha.”

The harshness of his tone, he expected, would set the birdman off but it did not. He put his tongue in cheek rather than wallow in such petty arguments. Kraw’s dislike him was not the first, or the last, and at the time they’d met it was almost laughable that he thought his hisses and screeches could wound his pride. He had so little. No one despised himself more than he.

Instead there was a worrying glint in the darting gaze of the creature. He drew a sigh in the air quietly as his beige and orange feathers rumbled and flattened to the sag of his shoulders.

“I no give you, Lord, fair chance,” he coincided. “Lord Amon has been good to Essa’-girl. She is happy. That is mattering of most to me. Saw her young. Saw her grow. Lost mine girl. She fled across the plains. Too restless, I said. Same as I. I never settled. Always searching for answers. Always learning. Lonely but tranquil was me. Found girl who broke mine lonely. But Essa’-girl was lost. She ran. I am joy-filled, you make her not-lost and happy. You still humans-man, but not so selfish. Your seven sin no worse than some. Kraw said Essa’-girl could do better than humans-man Lord, once. I was wrong.”

Flabbergasted, Amon stared blankly up to Kraw. Had he just apologized? His ears needed to be checked. The stubborn vulture had had his mind made up the moment they met that he was nothing but a parasite. Now he was admitting he was wrong, just like that?

Realizing that he was being studied, the nobleman cleared his throat and replied quietly: “I ahh- appreciate the… statement, sir. Essätha happiness and safety is always my top priority, above all else.

“Aye, good answer,” the birdman crooned. The scrutinizing light of his eye flickered scanned him once more, and with a suddenness that departed all the air from his lungs, Amon was suddenly hoisted up into the enormous birds arms. For something meant to have hollow bones, he hugged with a ferocity equal to Abe and Barnabus’ embrace.

“Welcome to family, Lord! Do not fuck up!”

Wheezing, Amon awkwardly patted Kraw on his vest, with the one arm not fully pinned down to his side. This had to be the most bizarre ordeal he’d ever had with a bird, which was saying a lot when he remembered all the misfortune and tense, strange occurrences with Cackle.

“Y-Yes sir, thank you sir?” Amon managed to gasp with a note of confusion still in his voice.

Cawing with laughter, the old Aarakocra set him back on his feet, and thumped him on the back. He wasn’t quite sure if Kraw was trying to snap his spine at that point, show a sign of friendship, or knock the wind back into him, but it he managed to fix his stature after a moment, and reached up to try fixing his clothes to lay smooth once more as the birdman beamed down at him.

“I excuse mineself,” he crowed, still laughing as he stepped away, saying something about the ‘fragility’ of humans-men under his breath.

Thank Pelor that not all birds were that strong, the Briarton Lord thought with a shudder. It was like a roc dwelled inside the body of a man. He placed a hand to his back as he arched; hearing a crack that made him growl as he the tension in his spine began to grow lax.

Kraw’s approval was an unsuspecting gift, but he could do without another hug from the birdman for the rest of his life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“There you are, m’lord,” Essätha sighed deeply. She reached out to grasp her beloved’s arm, and link hers through as he turned to smile at her. In his other hand he offered out a large goblet to her, which she gratefully accepted to drink.

“Have difficulty finding me in the crowd, my dear?”

“In my defense cuddle bear, you’re not wearing a dress wide enough to legally define its own district.”

The raspy chuckle of his laughter stuttered her heartbeat. He had that twinkling light in his eyes that she adored, and a radiant glow seemed to encircle his frame in the light of the candle flames. His face was so chivalrous and strong; features like carved marble at the hands of a craftsman. What was there not to adore, in the deep black of his hair she parted with her fingertips, or in the careful trimming of his beard? His valiant nature burned and endured come the storms and hardships; blizzards and floods could not swallow his spirit and valor. He was all might and tenacity, inside and out.

A flicker of amusement blending with concern moved over his face, dashing away some of the tender light.

“Is the gown troubling you, my beautiful Essätha?”

“No!” she gasped, placing her hands over the crystals and beaded flowers. “I love my dress!”

Snickering, Amon placed a hand to her side. It curled flames where it roamed; against her back and gliding effortlessly to her other side as she leaned into him. Gazing into his eyes, she found the happiness she always longed for.

“You look wonderful in it,” he agreed. “An apparition holy and fair; it is a wonder we can lay eyes upon you and not weep, or the gods to not descend to try for your hand.”

“They can try,” she wolfishly grinned. “But they’re only find a woman deeply in love with the beautiful soul of one man. I am not interested in gods; their magic, or immortality. I want only you; charming, true, honest, and gentle. Your hands that have held me, your heart that has warmed me, and your inviting eyes which have captivated me. I see no other. I see my future only beside you, m’lord Amon.”

“I thought we were through with vows,” he defended with playful mockery. The shifting hues of his eyes seemed to darken as his pupils blew; exploding into the blue of his iris. His breath pressed along her hair as he softly placed his lips to her hairline.

After the mess of her life, to be granted this moment, it felt like a dream. She slid a hand to his back and clung to the bottom of his vest tucked beneath his slacks. Her unfavorable past, and yet she found him. All the wrong she committed, but he still looked at her with more and more love each new dawn. Being what she was no longer mattered; she was Essätha, and Essätha had the power of choice to be anything and anyone she wanted to be.

Well, she wanted nothing more than to be Essätha Meduza Illiad, wife to the greatest man to touch this earth. Her friend, her confident. Protector of people; friend to many. Woman of mystery, filled with regal power and strengths and skills that only she possessed. He helped her believe in all that she was and what she could do even when she faltered and doubted. It made her loathe herself less; trust in him more, stand taller and prouder and let the wild chaos not control and define her, but be a force she bent to her will. Oh how they grew; by themselves, alongside their friends, nurtured each other together and pouring all the nutrients they needed into the acidic soil to breed new life where they once withered and crumbled.

“Have I told you I love you today?”

“Only all day, my darling, but what’s a few more times?”

“Well may you hear it every day, now and forever,” Essie promised. “I love you, Amon Thomas Illiad.”

He rumbled; almost purring like a cat in the back of his throat. From side to side he lulled her back and forth, keeping his lips pressed close to her temple. The most enlightening feeling in her chest as butterflies swarmed the capacity of her lungs and fluttered in her tummy.

“I love you too, Essätha Medüza Illiad, my wife.”

She scoffed at his mushy sentiments, and how they righted the world beneath her feet and made sense of the things that once held none. Her eyelids slid partly closed, listening to the murmured sounds of the crowd and rowdy voices of a few who had too many.

In fact, one voice was beginning to sound too familiar…

Snapping her eyes open, she yanked roughly on the back of Amon’s shirt to get his attention. He grunted thickly; lifting his face where he nestled into her locks with a blurry look of discontent and confusion.

“What’re you-”

“Oh my godssss,” she drew out in a hiss, alarm in her face as she looked from her husband to the person standing on top of a chair, in the middle of the ballroom.

The Lord of the Emerald Expanse opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and let out a noise in the back of his throat accustomed to that of a kicked dog.

“Good evenin’!” Sulhadur cried out, wavering back and forth on the chair with, of all people, Adela and Penimra sniggering as they stood beside them. The crimson dragonborn managed to steady himself before he fell upon either of the two mischief makers, his tail moving lazily behind him.

“What does he think he’s doing?” Amon cautioned.

“I- I don’t know I think… I think he’s drunk.”

Sure enough, Penimra offered up to him a frothy mug of ale that the scaly man accepted to drink from. His tie was loosened, and vest unbuttoned to reveal his undershirt. It was vaguely wrinkled, but thus far showed no signs of spillage from his apparent many beverages offered to him over the course of the reception.

“I know we all had some pretty nice… speeches and things to say, all day,” he babbled in a gurgly voice,  “But I just wanted to say congratulations to my friends Essätha and Lord Amon. They both-” he hiccuped loudly- “are fortunate to have found each other. I mean, yeah- no- found in each other. I mean-”

A shade of light roseate burned it’s way up Essie’s face. Some of the people who had turned to listen to the loud lunatic; tall and broad on a chair, appeared uncertain of what was going on. They looked from between him, to where the groomsman and she stood privately now. A few  guests took a step back to give them room. Or perhaps, wanting to distance themselves from the circus act being performed before them now.

Pelor help her now. This was not supposed to be happening. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream, or sob, or run over and reach up to yank the dragonboy down before he fell or caused more trouble. But none of those things sounded very becoming of a Lady, and so her feet rooted to the spot with a growing look of terror in her eyes and a tightened grasp to her frame.

“What the bride and groom have, that’s something special. It took them a while to figure that out, though. You could see the glow of dragonfire it put in Amon for miles when he looked at her. I’m pretty-” another hiccup- “I’m pre’ sure we all knew what was going on before they did. Rava’s practically a kid and she was making faces when she saw them together, bein’ s’moppy and pretending they were shy.”

A soft round of laughter, quiet and bewildered, moved through the assemblage. There was a distant shout of “I still make faces!” in the throng that boosted the laughter even as Essie turned to bury her face in Amon’s shoulder. Soon his other arm joined in holding her close, his unseen lips a thin line of unhappiness.

“Ess’ tried to hide it, but Amon could put a smile on her face no one else could match. They worked good together. When they put stewed their ideas collectively, there was always a fountain of ideas on how to approach a problem. We didn’t always listen though, as you can imagine.”

He paused for a few chuckles, before continuing in his slur: “I’m sure some of you have been to enough wedding rites, to make up your mind about the people there, and how strong the relationship. You’ve heard a dozen or more ‘perfect for each others’, maybe, even with some who didn’t last. I have been to only a couple weddin’s, but I have seen true love in the faces of people all across Etheron and beyond as a traveler. In my parents, in friends, in strangers. And I can say, between Lord Amon and Essätha, there’s a real connection there. The type o’ love you read about, that you want, that you hear don’t exist or comes once in a lifetime.”

Peeking out from the safety of Amon’s shoulder, Essie looked warily to Sulhadur. His clawed fingertips were rolling up his crisp white dress shirt sleeves. Far from tidy folds, which bunched up near his elbows while he rose his voice in continuation.

“They’ve both made sacrifices for the greater good. Their hearts are always in the right place. Ess’ and Amon are the sort of folks you want at your back. They’d never let you down. They care deeply and have strengths apart that are unimaginable, but together I can confidently say there’s nothin’ they won’t be able to accomplish. What they forge from here on out, it’ll be made with consideration benefitin’ the best in the world.”

Swiping his glass from Adela once more, Sul rose it to his toast with a cracking voice: “The world is a safer, better place with them in it. The nine of us would not have succeeded without them. The Emerald Expanse should be so lucky to have the generosity of the couple we are celebrating tonight. Their unwavering dedication to peace and prosperity will only make the land and those they serve flourish. Their commitment to each other will stand the test of time, and all the changes it brings. They have fought side by side, and they will continue to fight hand and hand.”

“Essätha,” he stated as his searching gaze finally spotted them in the back. “You look magnificent, today and every day. I know Lord Amon won’t let you forget it either.”

As faces moved to look at her, she raised a timid hand up from clutching to Amon’s waistcoat. There was an obnoxious burning in her eyes that she blinked back as her throat tightened reflexively to the praise and warmth of an old friend’s words. Arguably, this wasn’t turning into the tragedy she had feared.

“And you look nice too, Amon. I don’t think I’ve seen you smile more in one day then today.”

A peep up to her Lord, and Essie had to agree with the giggles and ‘aww’ from the crowd. His composure had grown lax again, progressively. What had appeared surly and tart at the unintended monologue was now a neutral flatness. Though he did smile at the brief reference, and rub his hand along the shape and bend of her side as people stared, there was still a clenching in his jaw that he was not entirely happy with the unexpected intoxicated spectacle.

“To a long and happy marriage, Lord ‘n Lady Illiad. All the gods are sure to smile on this day. There’s no more fitting love, then you two, who deserve all the best. Your love is something to admire. Your connection is undeniable and unbreakable. You set an example to all of us that there is no greater power than that of camaraderie, happiness, understanding, patience, trust, respect,  loyalty, acceptance, communication, and unconditional love. May your story be the guidelines for many others to follow. May you continue to inspire. May your days ahead be filled with only the smiles and the laughter you deserve and give each other. May we all give thanks to knowing two of the most deserving people who brought forth the best in each other and have made us all better to know them.”

“A drink to Amon and Essätha!” Sulhadur sobered with a sloppy toothy grin, giving a hiccup before he bellowed, “May the adventure of marriage bring you even closer, with many more memories and love to share.”

“Here here!” Adela and Penimra chimed in perfectly.

The applause that followed was deafening. Even pressing against her lover’s side and whispering up directly into his ear, she had to raise her voice just to remark, “That could have gone worse.”

“Still, no more drinks for Sulhadur,” Amon grimaced. “Or Penimra and Adela; the blasted instigators.”

“Agreed!” Essie laughed nervously.

She tucked herself beneath his chin as he hummed the crescendo notes of the song he’d sung for her earlier. The vibrations of his tone wasn’t overshadowed like the sound was; which radiated through her chest above the whoops and cheers as merry people drank. It was all that she needed. Her own personal bubble in the arms of the man she revered above all else, enjoying one of the greatest days of her life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Small outbursts of laughter escaped past Essätha’s hand as Amon eagerly encouraged her down the dimly lit hallway. There were less candles lit and some had burned out, leaving an intimate glow to the space and giving the moon darkness to thrive and glow. It was captured in both their eyes with the shine of rebellious youth, like teens sneaking out past curfew.

“Where are we going?”

With a look back through the gloom to where the light fell out of the main hall, he grinned proudly to himself.

“Right here.”

As he turned her eyes back to her, the magnificent pale light of the moon struck her gaze which bonded to his. She had a complimentary blush on her cheek that grew darker as he stared with an open-mouthed grin. His chest was heaving breathlessly, yet they’d barely managed a dash down the hall. Head spinning, legs quaking, a sense of deja vu creeping in the back of his mind. There was a reminisce in her shy smile and wide-eyed wonder that brought him back to the first time he’d ever kissed her, in the dark hours of the night as his fingers grew lost in her hair and she hitched for air and slowly melted into him with a sigh.

Every milestone was there to here was gone from thought in a flash. Just a moment alone would suffice; without the gawking and staring and laughter. He could control himself better if he could just have a moment without the interruptions.

Her back slid to the wall as he bent towards her. That same weak gasp that tasted instead of autumn’s whiskey was a refreshing spring wine now as he softly caressed her lips with his own. He drew her in closer; a hand to her lower back and the other cupped between her neck and head. The whisper of his facial hair teasing her skin granting him a winded little giggle as he smiled against her.

The ragged beat of his heart lurched. He feathered kisses to the corners of her mouth; the quiet murmurs of ‘my love’ to him not lost in a sea of people. Her breath was shallow with want. All of her slight frame met his contours as she nuzzled her face close; their noses teasing against each other and her arms looped to his neck to keep him near. As if there was anywhere else he’d rather be.

Her shaky lips parted and she gave a throaty whimper against the outline of his mouth. Tremors raced along his nerves and the sweet chorus of an angel panted against him as Amon groaned with relief. A tightness seized his chest in a sensation of feelings he knew fondly. The full shape of her lips teasing him, the honey sweet on her tongue and the aroma of sugared liquor and a garden’s floral bloom filling his lungs.

Essätha trembled against him. He held her tenderly and kissed her with pure innocence. Warm and welcoming, without a care in the world. Slow and deep; unraveling all questions and chasing all troubles away. There was no doubt to be had. He gave in to where she desired him; the push and pull of her hands and changed angles of her face leading his actions. Each flowed easily into the next like little presents, and though they were all the same painting of compassion and intense longing, they were the gifts of affection in a cup you could never drink enough of.

Whole galaxies burned up and died, and new ones arose in the sensual curve of her lips, for what felt like a timeless moment in the infinity of the cosmos. The wide-open drum of her heart pressed against his. She reminded him of his name; whispered it against his lips and it was as though he heard it for the first time. Her voice was a breathless melody, burning brighter than the shine of the sun.

There was nothing comparable to the fervor ways he cared for his darling Essätha. It parted seas and moved mountains. There was no end to it. So the sky stretched on into the stars, so his fondness never wavered but grew only with want. Her touch was nirvana; the tenderness of her heart in equal measures giving him strength and breaking him down. He gave her everything; all he was, all she helped to mend, all the new pieces of him found and made along their travels.

They dragged in air with lips grazing. Amon pressed closer gingerly, sincere and shamelessly heartfelt. The broad stroke of his hand up her back dragged her into him. She whimpered, grasping his hair and burning into his skin through the slow sizzle of heated mouths and rushing blood in his veins. Books and novels that wrote of romance and the greatest love stories were all pale shadows in comparison to this moment, to her. No kiss was finer; no love sweeter. He held to the most undeniably gorgeous woman, loved her in the deepest parts of his brokenness once too fearful to dare try or accept what she returned, and kissed her in a way that silenced the world.

A set of footsteps stood out from the hollow voices in the far room. The Illiad heir found it easy to ignore. Tempted by the hungry way his wife fused herself against him, her plush lips, the figure beneath her clothes and the shine of the silver dangling from her in the moon. So breathtakingly beautiful, his fingers longed to feel the give of her supple skin beneath the gown-

“Ahh-hem-hem!”

Teeth sank into his lip and he grunted at the sudden flare of pain. Essätha cursed as he did, and they both pulled apart with loud drags for air. His hand left her hair to dab at the swelling of his mouth, to thankfully spot no signs of blood on his fingertips as he looked it over.

“Naughty naughty,” the intruder sang with amusement. “It’s your wedding, you two can’t just run off to hide and snog!”

Curling his lip up, Amon shot the violet-haired vixen a dirty look. Her ominous black eyes stared right back, and she curled up a lip while placing a pale red hand to her shimmering golden dress. She gave a little twist, as though trying to show off her figure. A natural reaction; he’d noticed the way she flaunted herself the moment eyes were upon her with showmanship no matter who it was that gazed to her.

“Solace.”

“Hello to you too, moneybags,” the she-devil chimed in with a wave of her fingers. “Being cheap, I see. No gifts for your guests?”

He ground his teeth together furiously. The shift in his jaw set firmly as the muscle jumped, before relaxing to a delicate hand to the side of his face. Worrying golden brown eyes stared up at him from the corner of his eye.

“Gifts are distributed at the front door when guests leave,” he breathed out in the most even tone he could manage. “Now will you please go and let me kiss my wife in peace?”

“Don’t you have a whole night of that ahead?” Solace taunted, flicking her wrist so the custom bangles up her arm jingled together.

“Sol,” Essie stressed; dragging the name out with disapproval. She pressed a supportive hand to his side, pouting out her lower lip and knitting her eyebrows together as she looked to her old friend.

“Ess’-”

“Behave yourself, Sol. Amon has been nothing but respectful of your wishes and input into the wedding. He’s my husband, you could try to stop purposefully annoying him.”

“I…” the Tiefling opened her mouth, closed it, and swallowed. She looked between the two of them, and gave a sulky nod as she mumbled, “Yeah. Okay, Essie.”

“You can start by addressing him as Amon.”

“Fine.”

He gave an exhale, releasing the clenching of his teeth. He watched as Essätha left his side, taking hold of the fiendish woman’s hands. Her nails were distractedly long, he realized. It unnerved him to think if they were real. Gods have mercy on any guest she might try dragging off to a room tonight.

“You know I love you, Sol’. But I love Amon, too. He’s trying his best. Can you please do the same? For me?”

“Yeeaaaaaaahhhhhh,” Solace groaned, puckering her mouth out as she sagged her stance like a dejected child.

“Thank you,” Ess’ sighed, kissing her ‘sister’ on the cheek. “You both mean a lot to me, and I want you two to get along. I know you mean well and I know you have a good heart, but please, be kind to m’lord.”

“Yeah yeah yeah I’ll be good to the ‘wealthy protector’ of the Emerald Expanse,” Solace huffed, correcting herself as Essie scowled with, “I promise to be nice to Amon!”

The Tiefling’s gaze settled briefly on his. It took training to keep from smugly staring back at her, or sticking out his tongue like a victorious child. He’d she’d change when pigs flew. Perhaps it was not the most respectable notion to find pleasure out of seeing her scolded, but he wasn’t perfect, and quietly relished the moment.

“You can go on ahead back to the party,” the Yuan-ti woman urged with an encouraging smile. “We’ll be right behind you.”

Offering a mute nod, the flat black eyes flicked from her best friend, to him, and back a few times. She finally gave in, and turned to move back down the hall with a bump and sway in her hips.

“By Pelor’s Light my sweet, have I ever told you how attractive I find it when you pull out the authority tone on someone?” Amon confided in a husky voice. His hand found hers, pulling her back in as she laughed sweetly right into his ribcage, stroking his heartstrings.

“Shall I pull the authority tone on you next?” she teased.

“Mmmm, you know very well I’d follow your lead.”

Another soft giggle escaped her, but she held a hand up this time to his advances. Her fingers lightly traced his mouth with a small frown.

“Oh dear I’m sorry, your lip looks swollen. Does it hurt-?”

“You’ve bitten me a lot harder than that, as I recall…”

A scarlet color burned up over her face and down her throat. He gave a throaty chuckle, kissing the delicate fingertips as he took lightly hold of her wrist.

She bit her lip nervously, whispering: “I’m sorry, about Solace…”

A snort answered her. “That woman has never liked me.”

“It’s not that she doesn’t like you. I don’t think she feels one way or another, strongly favorable or against, m’lord Amon. She just… has her own mannerisms. Most of which she didn’t seem to mature out of it looks like even when we were apart.”

“You don’t have to apologize on her behalf,” Amon murmured, releasing her hand to cup her worried face with a small, supportive smile. “I realize that Solace is important to you. I can’t force her to like me, and neither can you. I appreciate that you stood up for me. Do not jeopardize your relations with her on my behalf, though. I can hold my tongue, and continue trying my best to ease any concerns she might still have about me.”

Essätha visibly swallowed, taking in an uneven gasp for air. She reached for him, taking his face in her hands just as he had done to her. Only, she urged him slowly closer, leaning up on her toes.

“You are a perfect gentleman, m’lord. Do you know how much I completely and irrefutably I love you?”

“I have a very good idea,” he answered in a grin, sinking back into the center of the scorching sun at just the lightest touch of her lips. He knew the measures of her love, without a doubt, because when he looked at her, he saw the mirror image of his love. Extending beyond all boundaries, a limitless ocean of love.

And he took cradled all that perfect, eternal love in his rough hands and kissed her with every ounce of softness he was capable of.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She had to be passing by. Perhaps she was looking for Amon. Surely that had to be it, there was no other explanation why her eyes would be looking this way.

“Lady Essätha.”

It was only a greeting, Essie thought to herself. She looked over her shoulder for a moment, trying to search out some form of help. This was nothing more than formalities after all, right?

Knowing her stupidity and disrespect was showing, the Yuan-ti woman offered her most pleasant smile and dipped her dress into a low curtsy before the dark-haired beauty. She gave a laugh, tucking a hand over her mouth as she shook her head.

“There’s no need for that, my dear, this is your wedding after all.”

“A-Apologies, Lady Josephine,” she mumbled, wringing her hands before her as she slowly stood and raised her hand. Oh dear, she wished her beloved was near. Her tongue always felt knotted in the gentlewoman’s presence.

Josie looked stunning, of course. Not a hair out of place, and a pin aiding in keeping a section tucked back out of her face. She held her dainty hands clasped before her own gown, and little wrinkle lines around her eyes showed the signs of a truly happy life. There was a sparkle in her eyes, which had nearly the same range of dark hues as her dashing husband.

But it wasn’t how she looked that made her worry. Josephine always looked stunning, but her expression was always cool. The rare times she had seen a burst of extremity from the woman had been way, way back when she had snapped at their fumbling group when they were but all uncertain duds without a goal and rambling loud mouths, or a few times she had heard the woman laugh at party’s or raise her volume in a moment’s brief zealous. She was otherwise by far the most unreachable woman on the planet. Even her husband, who Essie had spent even less time around, laughed loudly and more heartily it felt like.

“Your dress looks absolutely phenomenal,” the noblewoman praised softly. “A swan would be so envious to be as pure white.”

“T-Thank you-” her voice cracked with embarrassment. “Y-Yours too. Your dress is enchanting, I mean.”

Josephine’s head tilted to the side a bit, looking her over as she smiled. It made Essie want to squirm something fierce; not knowing what to say before the elegant, refined woman.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve seen Amon so much in recent years since he was a boy,” the woman observed, nodding her head off into the crowd. It gave Essätha a grateful reason to remove her regard from the woman to follow her gaze.

Sure enough, she could see her beloved making expressive shapes and gestures as he spoke surrounded by friends and colleges. He was grinning wildly from ear to ear, and would stop to laugh sometimes between his own string of words and those of his allies all around him.

It melted her heart to see him so happy. There was no better sensation than to see the way his face lit up and animated with reinvigorated life.

“He’s very handsome,” Essätha sighed with dreamy romantisim. “Especially when he smiles.”

The elder woman’s laughter reminded her just whom she was speaking with, and her blood chilled with horror at her foolish words.

“That he is. You’ve done his family a great favor in returning that smile to him.”

“I- I didn’t-”

To her utter surprise, Josephine reached out to take hold of her fidgeting hands. It drew her sharply back to the woman’s eyes with a strangled noise in the back of her throat that she failed to hide. A tight smile drew on her face. Beyond all else, she was humiliated by the nervous sweaty nature of her palms the lovely woman must be feeling.

“I know you had a lot to do with it, even if you insist that there are many factors. I’m aware that there were others, but you have given him a lot of support and hope over the years. I can’t thank you enough for that. I can’t thank you enough for loving my hard-headed brother, and for opening him up to the world again. It is a gift I cherish more than you know, and I realize you have so much to do with that. Thank you, Essätha. Our family is lucky to have you.”

Her jaw hit the floor. She tried to mouth something, anything in return. A ‘thank you’ even, just anything to not be staring with her face glued in a position as it was at the grand baroness.

Patting her hands however, completely unfazed by her speechlessness, Josie continued on: “And I do hope it’s okay with you, that I requested the two of you over after your honeymooners time. Amon seemed thrilled with the idea, but I understand if it’s asking too much of a newlywed couple.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, Essätha finally managed to find her words, but they came out in a single rush as she exclaimed: “Thank you for your kind words my Lady Josephine that means a great deal- we- I- of course I agree yes that would be exquisite thank you so much for the invitation.”

With humiliation, she wheezed at the end of her sentence but finally managed to slam her mouth shut and offered a strained smile.

Josie gave a small laugh, bobbing her head in a polite nod as she released her hands.

“We’ll be happy to have you both, Essätha.”

“O-Of course ma’am it would be my pleasure.”

“You’re welcome to drop by any time my dear,” the nobleman laughed. “With or without your betrothed. You are family; and family is welcome any time.”

She was family?

She was family!

Offering a swift nod, her face fell flush with timid delight. Her heart was racing with elation and her hands were sweatier than ever before, but oh the woman’s words sucked so much of her concerns away with that statement! It had been just as her sweet Amon had said. She could chew her nails down to the nailbed worrying, but it eased a lot of her frustrated worries to hear those words.

There was no way Josephine hated her, at least. Her face was honest and genuine, and there was no reason for her to pretend such kindness with no one else was around. There was a curious shift in her pupils as they observed her, but also plenty of warmth.

She considered her family, and that was more than she could ever wish for.

“That means more to me than I can express, Lady Josephine,” Essie rasped with an incline of her head. “Thank you. With all my heart, thank you, my lady.”

Giving a delicate laugh, the gentlewoman offered her a hand, gesturing to where her husband and children sat at one of the tables in the room.

“Would you care to join us for a bit, my dear? You’re welcome to refuse, but I’ve heard some stories that you don’t care much for the way heels make your feet ache.”

She just about flung herself into the woman’s arms, and wept. Bless the thoughtful woman, she gave a hurried nod, and accepted her offered hand with a nod.

The day was already charming and magical, but if there was any way to add more frosting and cherries to the metaphorical cake, Josephine herself had just managed it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Much of the day had wound down. The moon was high, the hall mostly emptied. All the gifts had been opened and removed for delivery, and vast quantities of candles had been burned down to the wick. The staff tried to replace them as often as they could, but the room grew steadily darker and before long, Amon found himself with Essätha standing near the door. They personally thanked the masses as they headed out in massive numbers one right after another. Eyes were dreary, mouths yawning with exhaustion, but most appeared satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sulhadur was taken out by Solace, who Essie sternly reminded beneath her breath to take good care of him. Amon felt a nervous edge for the dragonborn to be left in the Tiefling’s presence, but found himself pleasantly surprised. He could make out her gentle murmurs as she guided him out with an arm wrapped around him. He was still sour for the woman, but at least she had a gentle side somewhere still inside of her.

Abernathy and Haymitch left earlier as they had proposed, and Adela found Faerith and bid her farewells an hour or two ago to go rest their heads and enjoy the luxury room he’d made sure to have booked for them, as well as their other friends. Rava had passed out off in a corner to no one’s surprise,  so Illamin offered to take her back to the inn and make sure she got some rest.

When all that was left was some family and their very dearest friends leaving, the Briarton Lord took the time to look over the reception hall. It was covered in streamers and plates still with the remains of cake were being tossed. Once crisp table linens were being now being folded up to be washed and pressed, and a busy group of young ladies and gents were hustling about to pick up chairs.

To his alarm, a stuffy figure dressed in a royal gown that almost dared to show itself sauntered over to bid them a goodnight. Crushed golden velvet and gaudy layers of jewelry hung from the man’s frame. He walked with a saunter that was in hilarious contrast to scantly women in a brothel.

“When did you change out of your uniform and into some maiden’s dress?” Essie teased.

“Trust you to know anything about fashion,” Penimra curtly responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. He thrust out a something held beneath his other arm, a blank expression beneath his mask.

“Here. Take it.”

Amon exchanged a surprised glance with his wife.

“We already opened your gift, with the others,” Essätha murmured. “Where did this come from?”

The high-elf did not respond. He gave an impatient tap of his heel against the floor as he waited, until they finally each grasped the short box from his grasp.

It was not wrapped as the other gifts had been. A simple, roughly two feet long shallow looking wooden box. It was sealed with a lock on one side, and golden hinges on the other. A careful hand over the surface revealed the sturdy, heavy dark oak to be crafted with a hand of someone well knowledged in their craft. Perfectly smooth to the touch.

There was a small inscription on the surface in common, reading the current date. A razor thin cut had been made in the top center. There was not enough space to see what may lay inside.

“Is there a key to go with this erm, present?” Lord Amon asked with a lack of understanding.

“There’s a surprise inside,” Penimra stated in a tone that suggested disgust at their lack of knowing this apparent tradition. “You will receive the key on your first anniversary. Until then, you take good care of the box, and do not try to open it. It is a bad omen to do so.”

“But what’s the cut in the wood here for?” Essätha pressed, running her finger over the slot.

Almost as if he was embarrassed, Pen shuffled his feet and shot his gaze down to the floor. He cleared his throat cautiously as he answered in a mumble directed to the ground: “I had thought it would be a nice idea if you two filled the box with love notes, and things you liked about each other. It would be something nice to look back on in a year’s time and relive the day and remember all the things you… love about each other.”

The Illiad’s mouth dropped. This was Pen’s idea? That didn’t sound like any idea he’d ever come up with. It was cute, and sweet, and… nothing he would have expected out of the elf.

“I love it,” Essie squeaked with excitement, pushing the box into Amon’s arms fully. He grunted as it struck his ribs, a smile crinkling around his eyes as he watched her throw herself at the squawking elf who tried shoving her off.

“Let go of me!”

“This is so thoughtful and so unlike you! Thank you Pen, you romantic sap!”

“I’m going to open my mouth and devour your soul if you don’t cut the crap and let go of me!”

“Essätha my dear,” Amon chuckled, reaching out to lightly grasp her elbow. “Let the poor man go, before you manage to suffocate him.”

“His mask hasn’t done it yet! I can hug him a bit longer-”

“No you can not!” he wheezed, forcibly wriggling for his freedom until, like a slippery eel, he managed to free himself.

Even as he did so, Essie still grinned and danced in place with little bounces and delighted shimmies. It left him chuckling as he slowly shook the box, hearing something shifting inside.

“Careful!” Penimra hissed. “Don’t break what’s inside.”

“We’ll take good care of whatever’s inside, Penimra,” Essie promised, throwing her energy back Amon’s way. His love’s chest connected with his side as he let out a startled ‘oof’, chuckling as he switched the box to one side so he could hold to his squirmy wife.

“Don’t tell a soul about that box,” the elf earned. “Or I swear you two will meet the wrath of the world’s most powerful warlock.”

“Who would that be?” Amon jibbed, trying to hold back his grin as Penimra scowled at him.

“Shut your trap, old man.”

They all gave a deep laugh at that.

With a final bidding goodnight to the elf and everyone else, they passed along their thanks to the wait staff and headed out to the carriage pulled front with the white stallions, box in hand. Amon helped his dear wife up into with his free hand, and made sure the extravagant gown was fully inside the cart before he climbed in and shut the door behind them.

With the driver’s click of their tongue against the roof of their tongue and guiding lanterns to the front and back of the coach, they took off down the streetlamp lit lane hand in hand, nestled against each other in a praise of soft words and gentle swoon-worthy kisses.

Their night was only just beginning.

[clown-bait]

29 Neibolt ST (Monster Roommate AU) Chapter 8.5

Mini chapter for you guys. I have a smut drabble for later. 

warnings: alcohol, fluff, blood, implied smut

Chapter 8.5

Apparently Theres an Echo

——————-

She woke up to the cold sewer air prickling the skin that wast covered by her t-shirt and Pennywise’s long arms. He was still holding her on top of him and she could heard a soft purring from his chest reminding her of a giant cat.

“Nhm Pen are you purring.”

“No”

“Then why are you vibrating”

“No” he mumbled apparently he had fallen asleep too which was rare for Pennywise outside of hibernation.

She sat up and yawned noticing her claws on her hands “Well these are new” they shrunk back into normal fingers.

“Oooh my kitten’s got claws now” the clown purred he was still on his back and began to fold his hands behind his head basking in the after glow.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“No clue don't really keep a working clock down here” he said as he sat up plopping Leech’s beanie he had stolen back on her head. She kissed his cheek and he rolled his eyes at the sweet gesture. “I’m hungry wanna join me?” he said standing up now a devious toothy grin began to grow on his face.

“Dont think I'm the kid eating type Pen sorry.”

“Its almost night the only people out right now are going to be adults and teens. You can watch the master at work!” he waggled his eyebrows and held a hand out to her.

“I think I'm going to make my way home and grab a drink.” she replied taking his hand.

“Such a picky eater. Suit yourself.” he pulled her up and held her for a minute. “I’ll see you soon kitten” he leaned down and kissed her sweetly she smiled into it and brought her hands around his ruffles not noticing his yellow eyes slowly open halfway through the sweet gesture or the small smirk he was wearing when they pulled away from each other. “Bye Pen” she smiled picking up one of her discarded clothing items. He waved at her as he made his way to the tunnels.

—————-

“Nice makeup Leech!” she heard as she walked into the house.

“Uh thanks Chucky?” she said as the doll walked by

“Really brings out the eyes” said Tiff who was laughing at something. Leech was seriously confused she didn't wear makeup that much anymore with her reflection beginning to disappear.  

“Ok guys seriously is there something on my face? Why are you all talking about makeup?”

“Not something toots, someone!” Freddy shouted he always stayed at their place when Drac had laundry day.

She pulled out her phone and snapped a quick selfie. It was the only way she could actually see what she looked like anymore. She nearly dropped it when she saw the red and white make up smeared all over her face and lips.

“PENNYWISE YOU ASSHOLE” she roared making her way towards the basement where the old well was erupting now with loud cackling. Oh he was in so much trouble now.

“Dont worry he's about to get his humiliation too.” Chucky snickered

“What’d he do this time.” Leech asked trying to wipe her face with her flannel.

“Oh I think you already know” said Freddy walking up to her and slapping her hard on the shoulder.

“The whole town knows from what I heard” Tiffany called out.

“Wait….. what?” Leech’s eyes were wide with confusion and horror.

“Didn’t know Jingles could howl like that nice job!” Chucky gave her a thumbs up.

“OH MY GOD”

The entire room died from laughter. She was paralyzed in shock realizing that everyone near a drain just heard what she and the clown had done. Pennywise was walking up from the basement now chewing on a leftover hand. He decided to give his favorite big eared bloodsucker a little scare and used it to tap Leech on the shoulder. When she jumped he saw the look of terror on her face and ginned proudly thinking everyone was still laughing at his prank. “GOT YOU” he sang. His grin turned into a frown when she didn't react.

“……….Pen did you know that the sewer… echoes?” the housemates snickered in the background

Pennywise’s expression became cold with sudden realization. “Oh no” he whispered as Freddy looked like he was about to suffocate from holding back his laughter.

“H-how many people…know.” his eyes began to drift apart.

“Everyone with a drain jingles. Pinhead called by the way he wanted to….. thank you?” Chucky said on the verge of cackling. Leech had slumped down onto her knees in utter defeat.

“Kudos to you hun for putting that ruffled asshole in his place” Tiff managed to tell her between giggles

“I-Im going to k-kill them all” Penny turned to Leech his smile was cracked and deranged and his eyes were going two completely different directions. He had begun to shake and twitch a bit she could faintly hear his soft bells jingle. The entire house exploded with laughter Chucky was actually crying from laughing so hard. Church the cat screamed in surprise from the sheer volume of the noise and ran between Penny’s feet and up the stairs. The clown was so frozen with embarrassment he didn't even notice.

“Say Leech, does he jingle while he fucks? Please tell me he does.” Freddy was finally able to call out to her.

“Pen… I know you said you wouldn't but. Please. Please kill me. I'm ready to die now” she looked over to the clown but he was gone. The basement door slamming shut. Leech snapped dashing for the door.

“PEN NO WAIT!! YOU CANT LEAVE ME HERE! YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND TAKE ME WITH YOU! PENNYWISE YOU BASTARD IM NOT DEALING WITH THIS ALONE!” She ran to the door pounding on it as it locked and everyone howled with laughter again.

Leech crept downstairs after she was good everyone had gone to bed she NEEDED a drink. she made a beeline for the fridge planning on making a “Literal bloody marry” as she called it blood and vodka were the main ingredients with whatever she could throw in from the fridge for flavor. she had been getting her blood supply from work Leatherface had been kind enough to save her leftover blood in buckets until she could make her own kills. She really did love that giant maniac, he was like the big brother she never had.

As she opened the fridge door Pennywise flopped out, he had contorted himself into it as a hiding spot from further embarrassment.

“Is everyone gone?” he said with his face on the floor. It was a pitiful sight to see such a proud terrifying creature reduced to a state of utter humiliation.

“Yes. Now tell me where my fucking vodka is before I make you howl again and not in a good way.”

The clown shut the fridge with his foot and flicked it back open the items fully restored. Leech frantically grabbed her mixes and dumped them into a pitcher stirring it quickly before chugging it. Pennywise had rolled onto his back to watch her attempt to drown herself with a mix of blood and alcohol.

“Slow down there firecracker, or were going to have a repeat of last movie night. You argued with Freddy for 20 minutes about song lyrics”

“Freddy was fucking wrong and he still is.”

He stood up and snatched the pitcher out of her hand and drank some himself Leech protested with hisses and growls.

He whistled through his buckteeth after the taste of the drink. “You plan on adding more blood to your vodka dear?”

“After what just happened I don't think I ever want to be sober again.”

Pennywise winced and took another gulp. He didn't usually like the taste of alcohol unless it was extremely sugary but after the humiliation he just suffered he was willing to force it down in an attempt to make the situation less awful “For once I'm agreeing with you” he said.

After a few more drinks the pair stumbled over to a couch Leech sitting between the clowns legs her head against his chest. Apparently the clown cant hold his liquor well.

“Weeeee should watch a movie” Leech said tilting her head up at him

“Like whaaaat” he giggled. The clown was all laughs and jingles when drunk and his coordination went out the window.

“Something don't have to think about. I'm done with using my brain for today”

“As ifff you ever use it” he slurred

“Careful Jingles or I’ll tell everyone exactly what made you howl my name all through the sewer.” she snapped her teeth at his ruffled collar for dramatic effect.

“We’re not talking about that.”

They popped in a cheesy horror from Leech’s slowly growing movie collection, Pennywise couldn't help constantly giving critiques on the monster in a weird attempt to impress her “Its all wrong! This guy sucks I’d be so much better” he'd say.

“He doesn't even have a personality!” Occasionally he'd throw out a playful drunken insult her way just to get a rise out of her.

“Leeeech! Look see he's got no finesse like you!!” he'd giggle at that while affectionately playing with her giant pointy ears and Leech would nip at him causing him to giggle even more.

“Don't be a dick Pen” she shoved his knee.

“Ok, ok, but look at this! Look Leeech! You’re not looking! Leechie I’m trying to help you!”

“You're drunk Pennywise” Leech chuckled taking one of his hands and trying to lace her fingers in with his.

“So are you.” he growled.

“Hey Pen?”

“hm?” he grunted head tilted back from the swirl of the booze

“What are we? Since people are gunna ask now.”

He could have sworn he saw Chucky peaking around the corner with a sign saying “TELL HER YOU LOVE HER IDIOT” which made him wince in frustration.

“Complicated” he replied arms tightening around her

She seemed a bit disappointed with his answer. “You can say that again.” she sighed turning her head to lay against him, both eventually passing out to the flicker of the tv screen.

-------------

Smut drabble on its way later tonight!

[wesninskie]

akaashiikeijii

oooh i'm always ready for mermaid aus

ok OK GET READY FOR scientist foxes and mermaid neil (probably not the mermaid you’re expecting!!!!!!!!!) i have filled 3 pages with this

ok so i was thinking, what if mermaids were real but they lived deep deep down in the ocean? isn’t 98% of it Not Discovered? what do we know? and then i was thinking, but, down there, there’s no sun there’s a lot of pressure, what’s the info about the fishes found in the deep sea (as far down as we’ve been able to reach as of now)? and i came across interesting info that made me think that, imagine that mermaids were like this?

really thick, greyish skin

super fucking slimy

thin weak bones. the less bones the better

no hair whatsoever. just slimy af.

big (almost?) black eyes to be able to see silhouettes in the dark

human-shaped ears? no. human-shaped nose? no.

like, 3 rows of teeth. pointy teeth.

their tails are either black or red

they don’t know how to talk, but they can

that weird thingy frogs have between their lil fingers? yeah that too

gills. on the neck.

see and this is where i started thinking about an AU rather than real mermaids because fish that live down in the deep sea are reaaaaaaally slow due to the fact that there’s barely any food so they’re SLOW AT EVERYTHING so they can survive

mermaids? nah man. predators of the deep sea. fast af.

arms? we’re keeping those because ykno, half human. not actually necessary. but we’re keeping them.

neil’s looking good!!!! he’s fucking creepy!!!!!!!!!!!!

here comes the fun part, i loved thinking about this. THE TRANSFORMATION.

obviously, neil the mermaid (mer..man? ehh) becomes human once his body is out of the water. this is what happens (all at the same time? i dunno im still thinking about this)

its a slow transformation

it lasts 5 hours

its not pleasant. at all. it’s really painful.

the tail gets ripped in two as the legs start forming. the fish-y skin and all the scales slowly start falling. it feels like his skin is getting ripped out :)

yknow, humans have like a, skeleton and stuff. so...boy needs some bones. throw in more pain!!! 

he starts choking since he cant breathe since there’s no water but once his gills start closing (painfuuuuuul) his ~human instincts~ kick in and he breathes thru his mouth until ykno, he has a nose (later)

thick skin? dont need that no more. slimy shit? nah. i imagine that sort of like, melts away. once the transformation is over he’s still covered in his gross slime but once someone throws water at him he’ll be fine. actually painless. new skin is sensitive af tho!!

see some deep sea fish have big eyes w big lenses with only rod cells since they are super sensitive to small light signals. imagine outside? hell not even outside, while he’s getting captured! neil cannot open his eyes once light starts coming in, and even then there’s too much light. so you could say he barely notices the pain of his eyes becoming “human” since he’s in agony from the light

his teeth? they all fall out. human ones grow. there’s a lot of blood involved here actually

somehow, do not ask me how, just.. somehow. nose and ears grow. really Not Pleasant

his hearing, his skin and his eyes are really really really sensitive a few hours after the transformation

he passes out after its done, obviously

hair grows at a normal pace? so he’s still bald for like,, a few weeks sorry neil. but the hair color is the same as the tail. in this case, of course, red

no bellybuttonnnnnnnnnnnn

(i also have written down the transformation back to mermaid if anyone is interested wink wink)

and GOD the thing is,, the foxes (not all of them are there but they’re all a group of scientists) were yknow like on a mission to explore the deep sea and ? holy shit they caught something ? whta the FUCK IS THAT !!!!!!! it’s making weird noises and covering his face and oh oh it’s starting to writhe what is happening is it dying? “of course it’s dying it’s a fish and it’s out of water you moron” “THAT’s not a fish” “should we kill it?” “are you insane?! we need it alive” “yo what the FUCK is happening to its tail” (they’re recording everything) “is that.. is it a mermaid?” “what”

they record the whole transformation. the mermaid, or so renee says it is, keeps making anguish noises. it’s obviously in pain and nicky wants to put it out of its misery but aaron needs to experiment, nicky, you’re not touching it. nicky leaves after 20 minutes of seeing it suffer.

aaron andrew and renee are the only ones who stay the whole time. matt leaves shortly after nicky and calls dan (who is with allison and kevin back home @ the lab) to tell them

renee and aaron do some tests on passed-out-neil (”throw some water at his legs see if they become a tail again” (they dont))

and GOD i just,, matt, nicky and renee teaching neil how to talk. neil, having been captured once (..guess who..) does Not Trust Humans. renee writing down everything that happens, every new thing neil does, aaron just walks in to poke needles and shit at neil. neil hates him.

the foxes deciding a name for him ;;

I DONT.................HAVE MORE.....................like they cant spend a lot of time out there if they have a mermaid among them but they need enough time that at least neil learns how to walk and basic “yes” “no” “i matt. you neil”. and ahhhh its all i have but ONCE NEIL CAN TALK HE’S UNSTOPPABLE aaron regrets the day they pulled him out of the water accidentally. obviously there’s some romance going on there between him and andrew just no idea how it starts tbh i know nothing i am nothing

but UM obviously one day the foxes give neil the opportunity to go back to the sea since they kind of?? kidnapped him?? sort of? and fuck no neil ain’t going back there??? first of all. painful as hECK. secondly. he was alone and now that he’s got people why would he go to that quiet lonely darkness again? also he kind of,, doesn’t like fish anymore. too many years eating it, he’s tired of it. he’s staying. (and maybe that night andrew kisses him for the first time)

ALSO PLEASE NEIL SEEING PICTURES OF HIMSELF AS A MERMAID FOR THE FIRST TIME

“what. is that” “uhh....that’s.. um, buddy, that’s you” “what” “yeah....” “why does my skin look like that” “we think its because it helped you blend in the darkness? you know, like the rest of the deep sea fish” “i’m not a fish” “(softly) you kind of were, pal”

[radreactions]

I have a Christmas ask! It might be a lot of work but it would be fun to write. Companions and Sole have a secret Santa party: who gives who what gift?

So this is the super mega fluff piece I was ready and waiting to giftyou all with on Christmas Day, probably went a little overboard but nevertheless here ya go! :D

It was the night of Christmas,when everyone had full bellies and cheerful smiles on their faces as theygathered in front of the large Christmas tree decorated with innumerable shinytrinkets. Curie was just finishing up in the kitchen, little tinks and clankssounding from where she was hurriedly cleaning and returning cooking utensilsto their rightful positions. She was meticulous like that, almost as much ashow purposeful each little decoration on the tree and the walls and ceiling ofSole’s old house was placed thanks to MacCready and Danse – an unlikely team,sure, but what a beautiful job they did.

Tinsel and candy canesscavenged from the wasteland hung tastefully across the barren plains of theceiling above, covering up the holes and watermarks from two hundred years ofneglect. Red stockings hung on the walls, the names of their owners lovingly sewninto them by Curie in her distinctly cursive font. Piles of presents awaitedand taunted under the green branches of the Christmas tree that both Longfellowand Gage – yet another unlikely team – had managed to hunt down on one theirmany escapades together.

Each companion wore their ownChristmas cheer in varying ways and manyvarying colours; like green elf hats and plastic pointy ears like Mac whosomehow talked Cait into wearing a hat too, Danse who wore a Santa hat thatmost certainly did not match his jeans and plaid t-shirt the way the hat on topof Piper’s head matched her usual red trench coat. Even Strong made an effort by fashioning a large candy cane to take theplace of his usual old rotten club because none of the hats could fit hismassive noggin. In the sea of greens and reds and whites, the Sole Survivorstood out in their bright blue vault suit who moved into the centre of thegathered mass of comrades wearing a large grin and Santa hat atop their ownhead, Dogmeat happily trailing behind them in his little Rudolph costume thatdemanded attention and cuddles everywhere he went. Soon enough, all eyes in theroom turned to Sole who effortlessly picked up little Shaun and cradled him totheir side when he excitedly asked: “Is it time? Is it finally time?”

“Yes, son, it is.” Sole smiledand squeezed him closer. They looked around at their friends, people whothey’ve fought side by side with for life and death and through thick and thin,and realised just how grateful and lucky they were to be celebrating ChristmasDay with each and every single one of them. “Present time!” A cacophony ofcheers and bottle clinking and happy laughter filled the warm air all aroundthem then, the happy peal of excited laughter from both Nat and Duncan addingto the cheers as they rushed from the kitchen with treats in their hands and aguilty looking Curie trailing behind, barely managing to fit all that candy inthe pockets of her apron.

Sole sat down with Shaun intheir lap in the plump red cushioned chair in the corner of their living room,the Christmas tree which was lit with hundreds of little lights standing proudwhere their old television set once stood all those years ago. But nostalgiawas unwelcomed in a time like this, nor was it in the forefront of Sole’s mindas they got to handing out the first of the dozens of delicately wrapped gifts.“Oooh, little Duncan is first!” Sole grinned, retrieving the package andcarefully passing it on to the little guy who sat upon his daddy’s knee andgiggled happily.

“Thank you!” He almost sung inthat sweet kiddie octave all toddlers seem to have. He read the label in brokenEnglish, Mac grinning from ear to ear as he listened to his son work out justwho it was from. “Th-thank you daddy!”

“Welcome, little man. MerryChristmas.” He said back, cuddling him closer as the little guy ripped it openwithout hesitating. There was a moment of stunned silence when Duncan realisedwhat it was, his little eyes going wide and his mouth popping open with anexcited little gasp that had everyone in the room grinning from ear to ear too.“It’s a Nuka Truck!” MacCready exclaimed excitedly for him which inspired fromthe little guy a happy, uncontrollable giggle as he hugged his present tightlyto his little chest. It might have been the light from the innumerable bulbshanging from the Christmas tree, but it looked like Mac had a few tears in hiseyes as his son turned and hugged him tighter than he hugged his present. Natwas next who damn near tackled Piper from the force of her hug because thereporter had somehow managed to track down for her little sister – clearly abudding artist – an entire crate filled with little easels, colouring books,pens, pencils, crayons and even a few tubs of glitter glue. Shaun was next,whose present awaited him under a tarp just outside in the garage. When Soleunveiled it for him, whipping the tarp away like a magician would a cape, Shaunlet out an excited squeal of joy because under it was a massive pile ofrobotics and the bare metaphorical bones of what once was a Mr Handy robot. Noone noticed Codsworth cringe, because Shaun had rushed to Sole and engulfed hisgrinning parent in a near bone crushing hug because that was exactly what he wanted! Hundreds ofhours of tinkering and problem solving and betteringsomething that he’s built with his own two hands, the apt stimuli someone ofhis intelligence needed to keep himself occupied during the time Sole was awayfrom home.

Finally, with all the childrenoccupied with their presents, giggling and talking to each other happily in thecorner of Sole’s living room while the sound of clinking metal from Shaunechoed quietly from outside, Sole and their dearest friends began handing outpresents to each other. Mac, Preston, Curie and Cait were seated on the couch,with Danse, Hancock, Gage and Deacon on the stools at the kitchen island. X6,Longfellow and Nick were standing off in the corner, sharing small talk like a groupof old ladies as Strong focused on not putting his head through the ceilingfrom where he stood next to Ada behind the lounge. Dogmeat lay at Sole’s feet,now and then nuzzling their leg for pats and cuddles as Codsworth hovereddutifully at Sole’s side. Piper – who was seated on a chair opposite Sole withthe tree between them – had set up two months before how it all would work,with each companion – including Sole – drawing from the bag a name of which noone else was allowed to know. Not even sheknew who got who, although she hadsecretly been working it all out in her head. Each present had a name and thena ‘from Santa’ tag underneath, the handwriting a clue on its own as to who itwas from.

Danse was the first of themall to get his present, who would have been mortified to learn that his cheekshad taken on a shade of bright pink when Sole handed him the neatly wrappedparcel with a grin and a wink, its size and weight befuddling the Paladin for amoment before he tore away the wrapper and stifled a sharp gasp. “Holy Go- a plasma rifle?” The normally stoic man’sreaction elicited a few laughs from his comrades who watched with smiles as heturned the rifle over and inspected it closely, a look of awe plastered acrosshis face as he studied the extensive modifications. “Who got me this?”

“Uh uh, that’s not how Secret Santa works, my friend.” Hancocksaid, clapping the bigger man’s shoulder with a grin. Nick and Piper shared aknowing glance with cheeky smirks, they had both figured out it was from Solebecause that handwriting was just tooperfect to be from anyone else. Danse shook his head slowly, testing out thegrip on the weapon before chuckling to himself.

“Whoever you are, thank you.”

Without further ado, Solepicked up another present and read the label. “Oooh, little Miss Curie is next!”The little synth smiled and blushed, accepting the present Sole handed over toher with barely contained excitement. Her delicate fingers deftly undid thewrapping, almost as though she was too polite to tear away the wrapping thatsomeone had carefully done for her. When she saw what it was, she gasped andcovered her mouth, tears springing to her eyes as she removed it from thewrapping. Or rather them because herpresent was a pair of beautifully crafted sequin dresses – one a midnight blackwith golden embroidery, the other a bright sky blue with weaved in patterns anda matching gold broch – which Curie hugged closely to her chest. “My eyes, theyare malfunctioning again! I am notsad, just….happy! Yes! Thank you monsieur Santa Claus.”

This one was easy to figureout and almost had Piper giggling when she met gazes with Curie’s Secret Santa.Preston was at a loss as to what he should get his person and wasn’t asdiscreet as he was obviously tryingto be when he was gathering information on what Curie liked. From across theroom, the Minuteman blushed and pulled the brim of his hat lower with aheartfelt smile.

It was Strong’s turn next whowas getting restless from where he stood, Sole hefting the large package overto the big guy with Nick’s help. Surprisingly the super mutant was rathergentle in how he unwrapped it and when he saw what it was, the biggest, mostterrifying grin split across his face. “Strong will be even more unstoppablewith this!” It was a rocket boosted puncturing super sledge that had everyhuman in the room internally cringing at the mere sight of it. Someone braveenough to give the big guy that andsneaky enough to haul that thing in without anyone seeing it beforehand meanshis Secret Santa must have been none other than Deacon himself, who was justbeing handed his own present.

“Aw, and here I was hoping fora Deathclaw named Fluffy,” He jokingly said, tearing open the wrapping and then– to everyone’s surprise – bursting out into full belly laughter. It really was a Deathclaw, only the homemadeplushy kind that clearly would’ve taken hours and hours of intricate stitchingto have it looking as good as it did. There was even a little collar around itsneck with ‘Fluffy’ engraved in it. “Thank you Secret Santa.” Deacon chuckled, lookingaround the room like he didn’t already know who it was from. Only one personcould’ve done something like that and that was little Miss Curie who was stillhugging her dresses tightly and smiling it up big.

Codsworth was next whoreceived a mint condition black gentleman’s top hat from Ada who Piper musthave forgotten to explain the rules of Secret Santa to, because she hadapparently approached Codsworth a week before asking outright what he’d likefor Christmas. It was a heart-warming exchange between the two robots, one thatleft pretty much everyone in the room shipping them hard because it turns out Codsworth was also Ada’s Secret Santa too and had somehow gotten her a state of theart pre-war internal processor that – according to the Mr Handy – could putbrand new Sentry Bots to shame. Despite the robotic cadence to their voices itwas hard not to grin at their little exchangebecause genuine sincerity practically dripped from them both.

MacCready – who apparentlyhated receiving presents yet still managed to giggle a little when he washanded his own – unwrapped the neat parcel to find a sizeable stack of intact,unburnt Grognak the Barbarian comic books all the way from issue #1 to issue#21 along with a 1/6 scale Silver Shroud action figure. The slight tug of asmirk on Nick’s lips suggested the Detective had certainly done his homeworkbecause it seemed like it was either raining a little inside or the mercactually had tears in his eyes.

“Mr Gage, get on over here.”Sole grinned, handing the raider a chest sized package he was already grinningat. He dipped his chin as thanks and tore open the…wait…is that PublickOccurrences newspaper??? Piper didn’t have time to figure it out becauseshe was already laughing at the look on Gage’s face along with everyone elsewhen he pulled out from the pile of caps within the chest a pre-war nude pinupmagazine that actually had him blushing underthat eyepatch of his. The cheeky laugh from Cait confirmed Piper’s hunch bothabout the identity of Gage’s Secret Santa andif his present was wrapped in perfectly good news articles. She never got madabout it though, especially not with Sole placing a present upon Piper’s lapwith a wink.

It was a light present, oneshe had to be careful opening but when she did and when she saw what it was,she let out a squeal of excitement. “ChocoPuffs?!” These things were amazingand so damn limited that the only way she could ever her hands on a packet ofthese was to damn near bargain her ass off to one of the caravans from DC.Chocolate anything was so hard tocome by and to have not one, or two but threefull boxes of the stuff? Piper could’ve cried. Hell, if she were in any lesscontrol of herself, she would’ve hugged the crap out of MacCready because hewould know where to find these things.

As Piper was struggling not totear into a packet right away, Sole placed a present into Old Longfellow’shands who affectionately clapped their shoulder with a happy smile beforeripping away the wrapping on his gift. What looked like a normal bottle ofwhisky to everyone else seemed to have some special meaning to the old hunterbecause his face lit up like the Christmas tree that took centre stage in thatvery room he stood in. Knowing how much he loves just about any kind ofalcohol, this one must be that much more special considering how carefully heheld it. “I don’t know how which one o’ you got me something like this, but thelast time I drank one of these was the same night I became a man.” He smileddevilishly, giving away a hint at how he used to be a strapping young lad sometime ago. “But thank you.”

Piper’s eyes flicked toHancock who seemed mighty pleased with his handiwork before Sole got hisattention and handed him his very own gift. He gasped dramatically, chucklingwhen he pulled out bottle after bottle of various types of chems that wereclearly homemade and most definitely of the purest kind. “I always knew Santawas a guy I’d get along well with.” He grinned, oblivious to the fact that hisSanta was tall, green, wielding a super sledge and giving little Curie athankful look presumably for helping him out. Preston was next who wasabsolutely thrilled with his gift – a small collection of Minutemen memorabiliafrom way back when they first started out, like, literally when they first began in 1645. The shining medals, belt bucklesand engraved coins seemed to bring a few tears to Preston’s eyes and didn’tseem to notice that Danse suspiciously didn’t look up from his new plasmarifle, trying to hide his devious smile as Preston was rendered practicallyspeechless behind him.

With a soft laugh, Sole movedon and passed over to Cait a neatly wrapped bundle. The brawler wasted no timein unwrapping it and paused when she saw what was inside. “Ya didn’t…” she whisperedto no one in particular, lifting the item up so she could see it better. A pairof shining black leather knee high boots lifted from the box in her hands and thebrawler stared in stunned awe. “Ohh ya fuckin’ did. Jesus. Holy shite.” The leather,the shining black that seemed to captivate the brawler left little doubt as towho it was from, particularly when he wore a slight, satisfied smirk and a coatmade out of the exact same material. The one and only X6-88.

As the Courser was handed hisown present, Piper hid her anticipatory smile behind her gloved hand and waitedfor the synth to finish unwrapping it. She only wished he had his ever presentsunglasses off so she could see hisfull expression.

“Holy shit.” He murmured,withdrawing from the neat box an almost antiquated Dan Wesson 715 revolver thatshined like it was made the day before. Piper’s arm still hurt from how much she polished the damn thing. “I don’t knowhow anyone knew I had an affinity for these, but thank you.” Oh Piper knewalright, when she clued onto just how much time X6 spent in the armoury withproper ballistic weapons that is. It was strange to think that the Courserpreferred something other than bluelasers but she needed to get him something special for looking after Sole inthe boogieman’s lair, something otherthan a new pair of sunglasses like Deacon had suggested someone should get himonce before. Nick was next and it wasn’t really hard to guess who his presentwas from considering it was wrapped in official Nuka Cola holiday gift wrappingpaper, but nevertheless Nick played along and was left grinning, actually grinning from ear to ear when hediscovered several in shape vinyl records of pre-war love songs. It wasactually quite touching that they came from a raider.

Dogmeat was lucky last and wasgifted from Old Longfellow a buffet of various cooked meat and monster bonesthat would certainly keep the pup happy for a good long while. In fact, heleapt up into Sole’s lap while chewing heartily on a thick bone, his ownerloving stroking his fur with a content smile on their face. But the gift givingwas not done yet. Throughout the month of December, Piper and Nick had beenconspiring together about recreating a drive-in cinema – minus the cars ofcourse – and had even managed to construct one in Sanctuary without Sole’sknowledge and actually get a projector runningout of salvaged parts from Starlight Drive-In. It was a gift from all thecompanions to Sole and was all ready to go, but there was just one more thingthey needed to do.

With a shared, sneaky look, bothPiper and Nick stood from where they were seated and got everyone’s attentionbefore Piper’s voice sounded. “Blue, I think I speak for everyone when I say…” Hereyes flicked to something outside the window before she locked eyes with Blue,her lips curling up into a devious grin. “SNOWBALL FIGHT!”

Unknown to everyone elseexcept the detective and the reporter herself, Shaun, Nat and Duncan had snuckoutside and with a little ingenuity, concocted slingshots from which theypegged snowballs into the house upon the unsuspecting adults. Deacon and Gagelunged behind the kitchen island, Hancock ducked into the hallway to protecthis chems, Sole used Dogmeat as a shield from where they were pinned under himupon their chair and everyone else tore off outside to either join in or chaseafter the sneaky little devils whose laughter echoed up and down the streets ofSanctuary Hills, well and truly blanketing the snow covered town in Christmascheer once again.

[elem-entals]

undercover irid, crown prince  seb, elems academy marco, librarian knowledge nads au

Brent and I had some really good ideas in this whole rp Pt. 1

Undercover irid but seb is also there undercover

Maybe irid is from some far off kingdom secretly

And helps/recruited the elems

And surprise she’s actually an agent from the Eastern Kingdom

And the lovable seemingly dumbass refugee who’s been putting his blacksmithing skills to use since the academy changed hands to dm

He looks at irid; and tells her to cut the act, the mission has been accomplished

Irid:

Irid; >:| dammit, sire

Irid: there’s still more to acc- Seb holds up a hand: it’s high time we stop the charade and make things clear

Seb: we all know how cozy you’ve gotten here, Fire elemental Iridona c; Irid: >:| 😳 your Majesty

Marco: what

Irid: Seb: Crown Prince Sebastian Warbourne at your service c;

Irid as one of the palace guards and a close friend of the prince

Irid muttering: >:| we had more to get done

Marco, later: sam what the fuck

Marco: she’s some sort of highly trained palace guard warrior chick

Marco: no wonder she picked up on training so fast, common girl with secret powers my butt

Seb, walking around a corner: that was her original origin

Seb: she really was a commoner who learned to fight rather quickly

Seb: and I’d watch how you talk about her, especially in front of me c;

Sam: 😗🍷

Sam: just your type marco

Seb: 👀

Seb: she hasnt dated much, but you are quite her type as well, Marco.

Sam: great, I love watching marco get his ass kicked

Seb: I do, as well 🍹

Marco: >:|

Sam: we ain't friends, guy

Marco: you get all fluttery whenever she’s near and you practically glow whenever she’s paying attention to you

Marco: me thinks she’s more than a bodyguard to you

Seb: Seb; 🍹

Seb: my interests are her happiness

Seb, picking lint off of his shirt: she is more than capable of being a mere palace guard

Sam: like a wife

Seb: if I can help her be more, find more of what could make her happy, live up to her potential, I will do nothing to stand in the way

Seb knocks back his drink

All of it

At once

Sam: impressive

Seb: no

Seb: its really not

Sam: I did like 3 at once one time during breeding season a few years back 😗

Seb:

Marco:

Marco: what

Sam: it was hard to position all three

Sam: without spilling it

Marco: OH drinks

Sam: I was already hammered so I dont think I would have noticed anyway

Sam: oh

Sam: yeah drinks

Marco: ...

Sam: and then maybe some very impressed ewes 😗🍷

Marco: what

Sam: anyway your kinglyness finish your ominous speech

Seb: 👀🍹no that was it

Sam: oh okay cool

Marco: will your guard terrier approve of another drink or does she need to test it

Sam: [takes a sip]

Seb: Seb punches Marco’s arm

Sam as a former party boy for this au I guess

Seb: maybe if its poisoned you should try it first 😒

Sam: oh damn I'll do it, I'd love to die

Seb:

Marco: 😕

Seb: yikes

Sam: jokes

Sam at some point to marco: y'know there's probably a few Samir jr.'s out there somewhere 🤔

Marco: wow

Sam: I know, weird to think about

Sam: I dont know if you wolves feel the same way but sometimes during breeding season some people just let loose

Sam: a lot of hatchlings are raised communally

Sam: dont know who their parents are, 's not really a big deal to us

Sam: sorry, there was just a hatchling that ran past a few hours ago and I got to thinking about it

Starling lore for this au

And maybe in general idk

This is a single dad Sam au now I guess

Marco: what if

Marco: what if you met a kid that was yours?

Is this assuming he doesnt have nadir with him yet?

Sam: I Sam: I don't know

Sam, elbowing him: maybe this upcoming season eh?

Whichever you think is more fun for this point im the au

Sam having a tryst with a starling from the eastern kingdom and he keeps the egg for himself

Lol she drops it on his desk

she's a badass warrior (maybe another palace guard?) And doesnt have the time/safe place to raise it

a starling version of iris

And is like "this is yours to do as you please"

"Wuh"

“Have fun byeee”

Warrior starling with a dry personality and a love of violence

Yes exactly

"This is soft cushy work, perfect for you"

"Uh"

Marco:

Marco: so you have a kid now?

Marco: mazel

Sam: one that I know about, yeah

Sam, with the egg: I could Sam: bring it to a hatchery

Marco: ...

Sam: this is the first time I've been face to shell with a product of a tryst

Sam: oh dont look at me like that, it's a normal starling cultural thing

Sam: it's not like your orphanages

Marco: yeah i know but

Marco: 👀 you were saying you could use a bit of something stable

Marco: company

Sam: 🌕🖊️ Sam: look [shows him the egg]

The egg has a face scrawled on it

Marco: you have a support system here too

Sam, egg voice: hi marco, it's me, Samir Jr.

Concept: Iris as a visiting consultant as a favor to Dm as he’s trying to set up the new Academy

Sam: 🤔 I am getting a bit long in the tooth

Iris: Samir, for the last time, I need those reports on-

Iris: 👀|

Iris: that’s an egg

Sam: it is

~

Someone asks Iris if she’s dating dm

Sam: very astute observation, I can see why you get paid the big bucks

“Not my type”

Dm: she likes twinks but like straight

Iris: >👀|

Sam: so like all starlings

Dm: mhm

Iris: >👀C

Sam: I know a buddy who's single

Sam: not afraid to mingle with those of the flesh

~

Iris: you’re about to see my foot up your ass

Marco: this is why I liked having you around

Sam: [cups his hands around his eyes]

Marco: Sam, seriously, it could be nice

Marco: having a little one around

Sam: hmm Sam: I'll give it a week to decide

Iris: ugh you and your father are so domestic

Sam: he's getting old iris

Sam: he wants to settle down

Sam: maybe with someone from out of town 👀

Sam: isnt that right eggbert Sam, egg voice: sure is

Iris: your dad met your mother and like a month later “oh she’s so wonderful, I could see us settling down in some house in the Valley or something”

Iris: [fake gags]

Sam: [sighs] I want that

Sam: marco is your dad into single dads

Sam: this could be your step sibling

Marco: dont even joke

Iris, in a bad dm impression; Samir, you’re claws are looking very pointy today

Iris: may I escort you to the Fall Ball in August?

*your

Sam: why thank you Marco, you're so kind~

Sam, bats his lashes: what a gentleman

Iris, pretending to be faint: Oh, Iris, he’s so lovely, we’ll have a June wedding

Iris: I’m assuming you’re the same way in love, Marc-y

Sam: I need a nice, strong man to help me raise my hatchling

Marco: >:| I hate having you around

Marco: No you dont

Marco: you are strong

Sam: not as strong as this little dude's ma

Sam: she could have bench pressed me

Iris: ooh👀

Sam: I think I pulled something when we were together

Iris: oooooh👀c

Iris: gimme the hot goss

^monotone lucretia voice

Sam, scooting closer: so she drops this on my desk, right?

Iris: ‼️

Sam: "here, you live a cushy, domestic life. Take this"

Sam: what am I supposed to do with this? I ask Sam: she snorts, patronizingly I might add Sam: "use your fancy academy education and figure it out"

Sam: >:T she must think I'm some kind of coddled highborn

Iris: she sounds cool

Marco: you would think that

Sam: she was that big tall starling his fancy pants-ness brought with him

Sam: look at me forging alliances

Sam: you're all welcome

Sam: you're next marco

Iris: oh, you mean

Eh?

Iris: Shabina?

Sam: is that her name? Huh 🤔

Iris: you didnt even know her name? 👀c

Sam: she doesnt know mine so I think we're square

Sam: she called me desk jockey at one point

Iris: oooh, she mentioned you

Sam: oh?

Iris: “the desk jockey had these soft hands, and knew how to use them”

Marco: uGH

Sam, leaning back: ha, totally me

Marco: what do you mean I’m next?

I like this iris dynamic with sam and marco tbh

Sam: maybe I can teach you sometime Marco, y'know, to get a leg up in his royal ominous-ness

Yeah same

Marco: what the fuck is that sentence

Iris: language, pup

Sam: I mean we're going to help you seduce iridona

Sam: get you a palace guard

Marco: what

Iris: now that you’ve got an egg you’re wanting to play matchmaker?

Sam: yes

Sam: I'm feeling domestic

Marco: oh please after you got Celi in your clutches you wouldnt leave me and Dad and Marse alone about “finding someone”

Sam: you're welcome btw, told you I'd find you a twink

Iris: my private life is not up for speculation

Iris: how did you find him for me?

Sam: oh you think you found him on accident?

Iris: I like to find my own beaus thank you very much

Sam: [snickers] okay

Iris: [narrows her eyes]

Marco: nice

Marco: maybe Sam can get you ankid too

Iris slaps his arm

Sam: yeah, maybe Sam: my cup runneth over with them, apparently

Sam: I'll keep doing a whirlwind tour of the willing starling ewes that could break me in half in the eastern kingdom and make everyone an egg

Sam: [sighs] Sam: I'm gonna go to the library to get some books on parenting I guess

Sam: who wants to come with?

Iris, winding her arm thru sam’s: there’s a section on combat training that could be useful for a growing young starling

Sam: just because my hatchling's mom was a meathead doesn't mean they have to be

Iris: oh no no

Iris: not a meathead per say. but a cool and collected young ewe or ram with the ability to defend themselves from enemies

Marco: should you decide to keep the hatchling, you’ll have so many people to help with the kid, they wont even need it

Iris: but they should know

Iris: maybe young master DeSantos can learn some seduction techniques

Marco: >:|

Sam: yeah I've got plenty of that

Marco; Irid has enough on her plate

Sam: what, some kid playing king?

Sam: if the other palace guard has enough time to waste with me I'm sure irid can stomach a date or two with you

Sam: c'mon, let's go to the library

Marco: maybe he was just looking to make friends

Sam: mostly because I don't remember how to get there :<

He was but also sam’s right

Iris: pfft

Iris tugs on his arm

Iris moved over to the capital after losing her first husband. She lost him awhile back when she was just friends with dm

Later when she struggles marco and dm and sam help comfort her

Iris and sam and marco at the fantasy baby store

Trying to figure out what to get a soon to be hatchling

this is a knowledge nads au also

Ooooooo

to prepare you for this variant

is Nads a librarian

nads is a librarian

Bookmage

Book battle mage

We gotta figure out how to incorporate some of this into one of our long standing au’s

Nads: Hi, welcome to Talondrop Library :DDD

Iris: 👀|c hello, young miss

Sam, muttering: it's way too early in the morning for this kind of pep

Iris quietly: I like her, hush

Marco nods

Iris: might we be directed to the section on baby care?

Nads: how can I help you all? c: Nads: unless you're part of that group that's been stealing books in which case I won't hesitate to use force >:c [pulls out an envelope opener]

Iris: 👀|c like a real life Bilbo

Nads who is probably as tall or taller than Iris

Nads: oh, sure! :DDD [she still doesn't put away the opener]

Nads: right this way

Nads: what kind of baby is it? I've organized the whole section by species

Iris: impressive

Iris: a hatchling, eventually

Nads: ✨✨✨

Nads: I see! Nads: that explains why you walked in with an egg 🤔

Nads: I didn't want to assume

Nads: what in particular are you looking for? feeding? education? c: Sam: uh...everything? Nads: first time parent? I got you c;

Nads grabs one of those book carts

Nads: I'll be back in just a second with a selection!

Sam: This vibe is weird

Sam: this is making it all so...realy

Sm@l iris befriending sam after she and celi visit to have their case looked at

Iris and sam gossiping

Iris: true, but we’re at the intel gathering stage

Iris: if you’re gonna decide, you should do it well as informed as possible

Sam: intel gath- Sam: iris I'm getting baby books, I'm not on a mission

Sam: marco, you've been awfully quiet

Marco: ... just taking it in

Marco: dont want to add more noise

Sam: more than our new "friend"? I'm sure you're fine

Sam: it is awfully quiet in here though

Sam: like more than a library usually is

Nads, with a pyramid of books: I'm back, hi c:

Sam: jeez, this is uh Nads: just a small selection, I know

Sam: wasn't what I was thinking tbh

Nads: I've got a small sampling of everything you'd ever want to know

Nads: feeding, bathing, teaching; the works

Sam, looking over a book: uuuuh

Nads: and, most important of all, hatching

Sam: Sam: oh shit I forgot that part

Marco leafs thru a book

Iris: thank you, Miss...?

Nads: Nadia~ c:

Nads: Talondrop Library's head librarian

Iris: Nadia c: I’m Iris

Iris: this is Marco and thats Sam

Nads: ...!!! :OOO Nads: you're from that academy aren't you?

Marco nods

Nads: I hear you guys are hosting the King of the Eastern Kingdom

Marco: pft

Marco: yeah now we are

Iris: always interesting, having visiting foreign entities

Nads: that's so neat, it must be exciting to swap stories c: Sam, muttering: and fluids c:', c: ', c:',

Sam: right marco

Marco: oh gross

Sam: marco

Sam: right

Nads: is there anything else I can help you all with today? c: Sam: yeah, you got any books on seduction so we can help my man over here? c:',

Marco: >:| stop this

Nads: 🤭 we have some romance books if he would be interested

Marco: I am not

Nads: of course! If you'll follow me to the counter

Nads: okay, so you have two weeks before you either have to return or renew them

Nads: I'll just need your signature right here Sam: alright

Nads: and right here Sam: 'kay Nads: and a drop of your blood Sam: ok- what

Nads: for the blood pact c: Nads: if you don't return the books on time there'll be a fee, and if you don't return it in a month's time I'll hunt you down

Sam:

Marco:

Iris: 👀

Sam, taking the pin: fine, I don't want to have to walk to the bookstore

sam pricks himself and a drop of blood falls onto the small magic circle on the counter

it evaporates into a cloud of pink smoke

Nads: the contract is sealed Nads, pushing the books towards him: have a lovely day :DDD

Sam@marco and iris: what, don't look at me like that

Sam: I need these books, I'm completely lost without them

Sam studying the books in his office while marco chills

maybe talking about how irid kicked his ass during training that day?

yes i love this

marco puts his feet up on sam's desk

what does sam do in this?

what if its the same gag

he does everything and nothing

and has an office

I like it

nobody knows what he does

but dm says he's invaluable

marco: so I look up she has the dumbest smirk on her face

marco: and decks me and I fall off the log and loose the whole ass challenge

Sam: HA, classic

marco, throwing the candy wrapper from the candy he nabbed from sam's candy dish on his desk in the wastebasket: stupid

Sam: was your love rival there

Marco: my what?

Marco: I have no such thing

Marco: Iridona is a colleague

Marco: who lied technically

Sam: we've all lied once or twice

So ya know how in older movies, a couple dancing in a big fancy number was like

Lowkey highkey hinting toward their chemistry in bed

That but its how irid and marco fight or fight together

Marco: Samir

Sam: like when you asked what happened to your piece of cake that day in third grade

Marco: excuse you

Sam: and I said your sister must have taken it

Sam: and Marco, you don't have to lie about that absolutely sizzling sexual chemistry you have with her

Sam: and don't let what's his face psyche you out

Marco:

Marco: 😳 n- no-

Marco: aw fuck it

Marco: It doesnt feel right to just up and

Sam: 👀

Marco: “hey so how about this thing I think is between us”

Sam: well sure if you wanna be all Sam: werewolf Sam: about it

Sam: take a starling approach

Sam: romance her

Sam: flirt

Sam: flash her that roguish smile

Sam: instead of ballroom dancing to express your feelings you two spar Sam: it's like its own dance, in a way

Marco: ugh dont remind me. If i was gonna go all werewolf, I’d tackle her during training and growl into her ear about all the stuff i’d love to do to her and see if she’s down

Sam: rhythmic, passionate

Marco: not cool

Marco:

Sam: hey now that's not werewolf Sam: werewolf is "hello milady, I would like to mount you, do I have thine permission?""

Marco: “would thou consent to be bred-eth?”

*wouldst

Sam: "I think you'll find I'm a suitable caretaker, watch me bench this deer carcass"

Marco: heheh

Marco: seriously, I dont even know if shes interested

Sam: well

Sam: test the waters

Sam: you don't have to be blunt about it

Sam: even though I know it's in your desantos dna

Sam: maybe we should have gotten you one of those seduction books

Sam: I've finished all these books and have to return them, I could pick one up c;

Marco: hatred

Marco: utter hatred

Sam: love you too

Marco: wait you read all of those books?

Sam: yes

Sam: Also I haven't slept

Sam: I'm sure it's fine

Marco: soo

Marco: have you come any closer to a decision?

Sam: mmm

Sam: I don't know

Sam: it's only been one day

Sam: Maybe once I get more books

Marco: I-

Marco: hold on

Sam: and return these before I get stabbed in my sleep or something 😒

Sam: what is it boy

marco: are you gonna chat up the cute head librarian

Sam: is celio stuck in a well

marco: utter loathing

Sam: what? I mean I guess I have to

marco: u t t e r  l o a t h i n g

Sam: I'm pretty sure she's the only librarian

Sam: cute eh? should I alert irid that she's lost her chance? 👀

Sam: anyway I need more books because honestly I'm starting to freak out

Marco: aw sami

Sam finding nads one day super depressed looking in the dark by herself

And when he gets her attention she's like "!!!" And tries to put on her customer service persona

He asks what's wrong and she tells him that the library's going to be shut down soon and it's all she has

Sam asking dm if there's any openings for the academy library

Dm: well

Dm: theres a lot of openings since part of every intellectual department was infested with Asrani loyalist so

Dm: yes

Sam: nice Sam: um Sam: can I ask for a favor

Dm: and poor Avalene is stretched thin between sorting out the archives and trying to sort out the library

Sam: nothing big this time, I promise

Dm:

Sam: look

Sam: the library in town is slated to be shut down

Sam: and the librarian there has really been helping out with the whole Sam: surprise fatherhood thing

Dm: ah yes

Dm: that aside, I hope you know you can count on me and Marco for support with that.

Sam: I mean granted loaning out books is a librarian's job

Sam: right, thank you sir

Sam: I'll...keep that in mind

Dm: >:| you mean isolate yourself eventually

Dm: anyway 😤

Dm: I’ll see what I can do

Sam: [bats his lashes]

Dm: the young woman in Talondrop? The enthusiastic one?

Sam: that's her

Dm: hm

Dm: I’ll get back to you

Sam: thanks

Dm dials the extension for the library where avilene has set up shop

The academy one

Dm: would you like to take on an experienced young librarian with enthusiasm for the jo- Avilene, loud enough for sam to hear thru the phone: yES

dm nods at sam

Sam: great, I'll let her know

Sam: see, I told you I'd be an asset

Sam: strengthening ties between our neighbors, finding new employees

Dm waves him away: yes yes

"So like I heard you knocked up one of my guards?"

Dm: tell my son to stop dancing around his very obvious crush on Ser Velezquez

Sam: I've tried

Dm: 😒

Sam: I promise I've tried

[anautisticdragon-blog]

Neurotypicals: The Self-Obsessed Species

Humanity is an odd duck in that, usually, it doesn't like ducks very much. In fact, it doesn't like anything other than itself, really. You can see this in all our media and entertainment, it's fairly obvious. The average person is going to be able to spot racism, sexism, and other prejudices but the excessive tribalism of the neurotypical human mind goes far, far beyond that. It's so ingrained to be narcissistic and self-interested on such a deeply ingrained genetic level that they aren't even conscious of it. In honesty, though, they're not exactly conscious of their sexism, racism, ableism, or any other bigoted prejudice they're responsible for in my experience, either. It's obvious that neurotypicals lack sapient awareness across the board, but that's a topic I've discussed to death and cited excessively. We know NTs lack awareness, this is worse than that. From an outside, alien perspective like autism or any other kind of non-NT brain, it's obvious just how entirely interested in themselves they are, it's an undeniable facet of the NT brain. Selfies. That's really all I need to say, here, to make my point. I can say without the shadow of a doubt that non-NT brains never obsess over social networking, selfies, friend counts, "swipe right," and other such instances of shallow vanity nearly as much. I've been following this long enough to be able to say that for sure. And it goes deeper. It always goes deeper. It's really fascinating just how far the obsession with NTs as the perfect instance of a living creature goes. Consider the Aryan philosophy and how that could only have come from an NT brain, neurotypicals fetishise theirselves as the default, superior state compared to all others. And it goes deeper. So, why don't neurotypicals enjoy anything markedly non-human in fiction? You're bound to have noticed. If it's got pointy ears, or it's short, it makes them uncomfortable but they can just about see the appeal. "Well, uh... it looks me-ish enough... I guess??? Yunno?" So let's get a little more bold! An unusual skin colour? Some tusks? That's an orc, that is. Hmmm... It's going to make them uncomfortable and you'll see what some affectionately refer to as 'fantasy racism' rearing its ugly head. They'll accept these 'creatures,' but view them as inferior. "Well shah, they're like... sort of human, I guess... But they're too damn ugly to be on my level. They're just kinda subhuman, yunno?" Now add fur or scales, and now you're into some interesting territory. The neurotypicals dislike this because they're unable to relate, I've seen so many of them say this so many times on forums for both single player, multiplayer, and MMO games. They play human because it's easier for them to relate to, it allows them to 'become their character.' "Well yuh, I can self-insert my glorious self! I only know how to relate to me and what's, like... like me! Whatever these things are, they aren't like me at all... guess it might be sorta alright if ya like that sort of thing... Dunno why ya wouldn’t wanna be human... Freaks." Digitigrade legs? Oooh, now you're just asking for trouble. Horns, a muzzle, or tails??? Oh, you're going to make the neurotypicals upset. It's just far too separated from what they can relate to, so it has to be evil due to dualistic thinking and tribalism. Right? They'll actually be bothered by this. "Why are these, like, monsters on our side??? The Alliance was always, like, about beautiful people... And now we have these fuckin' werewolves?? It ain’t right." If you really want to push some buttons, add a dragon or a beholder and have them be a good guy. Or have a dragon involved in some story where they're supposed to be the villain, though it turns out that they were actually being framed and victimised by some evil human ruler. That'll piss them off. No, really, it actually will! I've seen this happen in my D&D campaigns where I've been unfortunate enough to have a neurotypical in my midst. It just irritates them. This is because 'like them' is good, superior, default, and 'unlike them' is bad, inferior, and abnormal. That's how the NT brain works. And the further you get from the glorious neurotypical standard, the worse off you are. Don't buy it? Okay, thought exercise: You've made a popular game, it's aimed at adults and it has some brilliant gameplay mechanics, a truly amazing story, and it's something everyone would want to play. It's been marketed so much that it's lusted after. It's a new game in a series, perhaps, even! Except one little change is made: The main character isn't human, they're not even bipedal. They're a feral tiger, and they're friends with equally non-human beings. There's not a single human in sight. Would this game do well? No. It'd be met with outrage, ire, and hatred. It'd be mocked, ridiculed, there'd be memes about it. It'd sell poorly based purely on the lack of pretty humans for neurotypicals to gush over. It's funny how many proprietors of non-NT focused entertainment actually feel this way. I've seen a few artists lament that they know they're missing out on popularity by not having human characters. Sadly, the NT brain is the most ridiculously self-obsessed thing I've ever seen, and so lacking in any kind of awareness that every neurotypical I've ever spoken with is like a caricature. Yes, I've tried talking to them about this, but they all have the same kinds of hollow, empty excuses. They're like the borg. There's this weird self-obsessed hivemind they all share, and if I were alien life. I'd be absolutely terrified by this. I wouldn't want to come anywhere near this planet. I mean, it's not like neurotypicals have made movies about alien invasions and pretty humans being slaughtered by evil aliens, is it? It's not like that's the norm, or anything. Right? Sigh. Once again, I apologise to the Universe for humanity, my species is my shame. Sorry so many of them are like this, alien friends. We're not all like it. We do have to acknowledge that neurotypicals unfortunately are, though. We can't do anything about that. Bloody neurotypicals, making our planet look bad to the Universe at large. Still, all those aliens out there are subhuman and inferior due to looking different than we do, right neurotypicals? Nevermind their advanced societies, technologies, medicines, or anything. It's why we're so bloody determined to prove that the alien megastructure star isn't actually the work of aliens. I really do apologise for my species. It is not a great species. In fact, it is a very bad species. I wouldn't have chosen it. No wisdom in words like mine, though. I'm just a crazy person on the Internet. It's not like this is actually a real problem that we're going to have to face, some day. A problem that's going to put all non-neurotypical people in a situation where they have to choose between neurotypicals and the rest of the Universe. I can almost hear the cries of "SPECIES BETRAYER!" as we leave them behind to bomb themselves out of existence.