#outsiders creature companion au | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kiame-sama · 4 months ago

Text

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU

Warnings; Several yanderes, platonic yanderes, romantic yanderes, yandere behavior, monster au, fem reader, no one starts off knowing reader is fem so they/them pronouns used, deranged behavior, spiders, driders, centaurs, unicorns, Nemean lions, werewolves, selkies, minotaurs, genies, nagas, magic, threats, panic,

~~~~~~~~

Nothing made sense anymore.

None of what you saw could have possibly been real, and even if it was, where did that leave you? The area was not familiar and you had gone through one of those mirrors to get where you were. Hopefully those... things... wouldn't think to look for you where you decided to hide out until you got a plan together. This was all provided you could think of a plan despite everything going on around you.

When you had woken up inside a coffin, the panic had set in so quickly. Since the very second that coffin spilled you out on the marble floors to the odd creatures that greeted you with unhindered curiosity, you were afraid and lost. Even now as impossible things had taken place, a thought echoed in your head from what one of the creatures had said.

I thought Humans were extinct?

Certainly a few of those you saw around you looked human, but most were some kind of creature or abominable hybrid. None of it made sense because creatures like this couldn't possibly exist, right? If that was true, you were suffering some kind of psychotic break. But if it wasn't true, if you could actually trust your eyes to tell you the truth, then you had something completely new to deal with.

Exhaustion hit you hard enough that you couldn't help but cuddle close to your stone companion and shelter, seeking comfort in the cold statue.

~•§•~

Eyes slowly flickered open in the dark, searching with sleep-hazed confusion at the oddly cramped surroundings. Attempting to lift your hands only made more confusion race through your mind as some kind of lid stopped you from completing the motion. The fog of sleep that had hung so heavy in your mind was now replaced with sharp awareness and clarity, throwing you into a state of panic as you realized you were trapped.

The dark container you found yourself in had you thrashing and desperate for freedom from your newfound confines. Your kicking and thrashing- painful against the lid of your container- managed to actually knock the top loose and slightly ajar. That bit of light from outside was the only encouragement your knowledge deprived brain needed to know it was doing the right thing by struggling. What you didn't expect was the feeling of this human-sized container pitching forward to spill you out unceremoniously on the ground.

The cold surface beneath you felt even colder on your soft face, wondering just where you were and why all of your memories leading up to that moment were just a blur. You didn't have long to spend on your musings before an unusual voice reached your ears, closer to a baritone than a tenor but still a masculine sounding tone.

"Oh my, I thought we had all of the students accounted for. Could it be I miscounted?"

You pushed yourself up with your hands to try and face whoever was speaking, seeing an oddly feathered man with dark black hair walking towards you. He wore a mask- or perhaps he truly had a beak- that made him look like a rather large corvid walking towards you. Despite his humanoid features, something in the back of your mind told you that this man was not what he appeared at first glance. Even his bright yellow eyes that shined from beneath the black mask seemed inhuman as they studied you intently.

"You certainly don't seem like one of the sudents I selected. I'm fairly sure I would remember someone odd... like you..?"

The man stopped in his tracks, regarding you strangely as if he were actually looking at you now. He certainly wasn't recognizeable to you and you had no sense of familiarity upon seeing him. Something about you must have caught the man's attention as he cocked his head to the side, crouching next to you and observing you keenly. Something about the way he moved was so bird-like you wondered if he was pretending to be some character or if there were actually something inhuman about him.

"I don't often need to ask this question, and I am very curious now what your answer will be, but what are you?"

That was certainly an odd question. You thought the answer would have been obvious, but something about the whole situation made you feel like what you were going through wasn't normal.

"Human..? Isn't everyone?"

There was a long moment of silence and it was in this silence you decided to look around now that your poor face stopped hurting from your abrupt meeting with the ground. You were in the center of a large room where what seemed to be dozens of coffins with various sizes and shapes floated around you. The container you came from was also a coffin and you could see where you had actually damaged the smooth wood with your desperate attempt at freedom.

Beyond the floating coffins- as surreal as they were- you noticed that you were not the only two present. Many others were standing around you, all in the same black, purple, and gold robes. All looking at you with unguarded curiosity. It was as you looked at these unusually robed people that you began to realize none of them looked particularly human. The more you searched, the clearer it became that none of those standing around you seemed to be fully human.

One of those standing there was a heartbreakingly beautiful bird-man with smooth complexion and flawless makeup darkening his lovely purple eyes. His fair blond hair woven with long feathers. Behind him was a long train of peacock feathers in iridescent colors that seemed all the more colorful beneath the flicking candlelight. As he noticed you glance at him, he seemed to almost puff out his chest in pride and the feather train behind him ruffled ever so slightly.

There was what you could only describe as a some kind of horned horse-man standing not too far from the bird-man. He had fiery red hair that complimented his smokey blue eyes, a prominent golden horn sat in the middle of his forehead with two long strands of hair framing the protrusion. His horse-half had pure white fur, the tail of the horse sporting the same flaming hair the human-half had. The hooves on the horse half were that same sparkling golden that made the hybrid almost seem regal in a way.

Even beyond the two oddities you saw more and more inhuman features on the beings standing around you. There was a light murmur of conversation humming through the air and that was when you caught something unusual.

"I thought humans were extinct?"

You were brought back to attention by the man in front of you clapping his hands as he stood back to full height. He had an unsettling smile playing on his lips and he regarded you the same way one would regard a lost puppy sitting, shivering from fear and cold at their door.

"You actually are a human, aren't you? How amazing! To think, a human just appeared at my College after centuries of one not even being sighted! How thrilling. This certainly is an unusual situation, and it is my duty as Headmage to safeguard such an endangered creature. Worry not, little human, you are safe here. Aren't I just the kindest?"

You felt like you had been dropped in some wretched nightmare that made no sense despite how desperately you searched for it. There was no such thing as horned horse men, or crow men, or peacock men! None of this was possibly happening because these things just didn't exist where you were from. Maybe as a child you had believed such lies, but as an adult you couldn't comprehend these creatures possibly existing. It was just madness.

It was as you were pulling yourself too your feet that another voice spoke up, this one a touch deeper than that of the Crow man.

"Merveilleux~ to see such a mythical being up close like this... Their beauty is absolutely stunning in such a captivating and exotic way, très bien!"

You saw the man speaking and felt a little confused when he was taller than many of those standing around him. As others moved to look at him you saw just what it was that gave him such height above the rest. It looked as if someone had taken the top half of a man and attached it to the body of a spider about where the face would be. The spider body itself was compact with black markings along the abdomen and long, spindly legs that seemed more than double the length of the body. Two prominent fangs sat curled at the front of the man, slightly obscured by his robes hanging over them, but you could see the faint sheen of venom on the pointed surface of the far too-large mandibles.

Something about seeing the handsome face and shining green eyes of the blond man paired with the monstrous spider-body that he was attached to made the world seem to spin and pitch beneath you. Though you had just managed to get to your feet you certainly didn't feel steady on them, but as the crow man reached out to steady you, you did the only thing you could think of and bolted. Your sudden flight from the situation made several others startle, and in the confusion you darted for what looked like an exit or portal out.

It had not been what you hoped it to be as you found yourself standing before a dark castle that seemed all the more intimidating compared to the monster filled room you just fled. Still, you could try to find somewhere in the castle to lay low, maybe even out on one of the balconies next to the many Gargoyles that overlooked the dour building. There had to be somewhere out of place enough for you to hide- or so you hoped- from the hybrid monsters that so happily decided to keep you despite not knowing a thing about you.

The slow wandering of halls with no opposition put you on edge, wondering if you just got lucky or if you hadn't seen anyone for a reason. Even as your footsteps quietly echoed in the dark halls, you remained vigilant in your quest to find somewhere out of the way.

Eventually that quest for somewhere safe led you to one of the many rooftops of the building. Your salvation came in the form of a recessed alcove that went further back than it appeared, facing away from the front of the castle. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep you sheltered from the rather cold wind and make you feel concealed even among the rooftop.

With Gargoyles as your company and adrenaline quickly fading, you found yourself exhausted and in need of a rest. Despite how fast you seemed to have stumbled upon your hiding place, you could see it had actually been quite a distance you must have run. The portal far away on the other side of the enormous drawbridge that let you into the castle. Your energy was sapped and you were more than confused, but you couldn't fight the insistent pull of sleep on your frazzled mind forever.

~•§•~

The old crow Fae was still reeling from the absolute shock he had just gone through, but most would likely be feeling the same were they in his shoes. It simply was next to impossible, but an actual human was roaming the halls of Night Raven College. He himself had last seen a human more than half a millennia ago and they had since been declared extinct for several centuries. Seeing such a mythical being in the Hall of Mirrors was certainly unexpected and curious.

At first he believed they were a Selkie who had lost their fur, but the absolute lack of magic from them told him all he needed to know. Humans were the only non-magic species that had reached sentience in Twisted Wonderland, but this left them at a disadvantage as all other sentient species had magic and quickly out competed them. Some of the Naga and other beastman tribes even took to eating humans as a delicacy before they were declared extinct. Now Crowley had what was very possibly the first recorded human in centuries somewhere lost in his college.

The grants he could get to care for the human alone justified finding them and keeping them at Night Raven despite the fact they were not actually a student or member of the college. Even beyond just the money to keep such a rare specimen safe, he was going to get to see their magicless qualities first hand. It was always assumed that humans had some kind of innate abilities to make up for the fact that they didn't have magic. Their affable nature made them great at keeping the peace between strong personalities and powerful magic users. Though humans were technically at the bottom of the food chain as far as sentient species were concerned, Crowley could keep this one creature safe at Night Raven College.

All he needed to do now was find the wayward human and get them to settle down. Of course, there was still the question for where the human could possibly stay that would ensure their safety.

~•§•~

The dark haired prince walked through the somber halls of Diasomnia. Emerald eyes taking note of the ever familiar surroundings that made up his temporary home. The dour prince was looking to visit his beloved Gargoyles and figured now was as good a time as any. He had not been invited to the ceremony after all and he was not so rude as to show up without invitation and no good reason. Besides, it had been a while since he last visited his beloved statues.

As he made his usual rounds based on the age of the statue, the horned royal paused when greeted with an unfamiliar sight. Beneath one of the Gargoyles was someone soft and delicate looking. They were clearly not made of the same stone as the statues, but by all appearances the Gargoyles had borne a child of flesh and not stone. Perhaps Lilia would know where this odd little creature came from.

The prince was gentle removing the soft (s/c) being from beneath the statue, taking care to not wake the warm creature. His obsidian wings flared with contentment as he managed to extract the oddly delicate humanoid. Outwardly appearing, they almost seemed to be a selkie without fur, but their scent said otherwise. They were much softer than a siren or banshee which often had very taut skin. With renewed purpose, the thorn prince carried his new discovery to his own room, tucking the little being into his blankets. He would find somewhere else for the odd creature to stay after he conversed with Lilia. For now, he could leave the fragile being in the safety of his nest until he figured out what they were.

Perhaps he would crash the ceremony after all. Even if he wasn't invited, this was a good reason.

#kiame-sama #yandere #x reader #yandere x reader #reader insert #tw yandere #yandere twst #yandere monster #monster au #twst monster au #Humans are Extinct TWST AU

843 notes · View notes

cheriden · 4 months ago

Text

「 yours to claim 」。。。

"A bond supposedly as thick as blood. Together, they shaped what would become of their dynasty out of rubble and poverty. A rite so sacred and ancient it brings out envy from outsiders who wish to share the same oath. A vow so sanctified, it rivaled that of marriage."

── synopsis 。Your presumably fated familiar is averse to your relationship dynamic, and makes an all-out effort to convey so.

pairing 。cat hybrid!taehyun × novice mage!reader

.ᐟ genre 。fantasy, (somewhat) angst, smut

.ᐟ tags 。forced proximity, enemies to lovers, dubcon kind of, forced proximity, (one-sided) enemies to lovers, hybrid au, master/servant dynamics, unintentional drugging, heat sex (kind of), dubcon (kind of), a bit of bloodplay (smearing, licking), use of leash, dirty talk, praising, sub!idol, handjob, orgasm denial, blowjob, cunnilingus, riding, missionary, pet names and etc (pretty, kitty, noona) au, master/servant dynamics

.ᐟ status & word count 。oneshot | 10.7k

.ᐟ warnings/notes 。i'm a stupid bitch who deleted the original again. reader is fem and uses she/her pronouns, sorry this took so long college started and i want to be in the dls :b !! this was actually done two weeks ago but i could not for the life of me write a smut scene so im just gonna post this now! sry its dumb and not proofread

You stand in the center of the colosseum, the moon round and at its peak with the wind howling violently. Taking a deep exhale, you stand up to the podium and dip the customary wand in a pot filled to the brim with some sort of luminescent concoction, chanting the rehearsed spell like a prayer in hopes that everything goes smoothly. Through squinted eyes, you take in the seats full of adults and youngins yet to commence in an identical rite—anticipation in their eyes as they watch the heir of the historic, most respectable coven known to man.

You gulp down a lump that expands in your throat, focusing on your low whispering and the chanting of the guardians around you. They position the orb you’ve brought, or rather, the orb your parents insist you choose. Deep inhales, and you move your staff to point at the sphere, remnants of a gilded soul swirling around within it. The wand shoots its beam, a path of pink glitter and dust hatched from pixies trailing it as it knocks the sphere into the air. It rattles, darting in all directions across the space. You shift to cast, but a palm on your shoulder forbids you from doing so.

Rays of white and amber escape through the cracks, blinding lights beaming through the arena. The creature breaks free from its holding, paws alight with a soft puff onto the rough concrete. It's more petite than the rest of the hatched familiars, about as big as your hand—large glossy eyes that mirror the hue of the sun. Its black fur reflects fragments of the moonlight, white sheen gracing its fluffy coat. You're awestruck, watching it circle you. Hesitantly, you reach out to it, inching your index closer to its snout. It stares at you momentarily, right before hissing sharply, scratching the back of your hand. You're thrown harshly onto the ground, flabbergasted as the rest of the audience watches in silence.

Your family has always been traditionalistic. For generations, the coven adhered to distinctly strict rules: The art and mannerisms in spellbinding and potion blending, the prerequisite liturgies for sacrifice, even the specificity of the bark and carvings on your staff. Though out of all of these customs, one shows itself more principal than the rest—one that must never change under any circumstance. A partnership that had begun since the dawn of your descendants’ upbringing, a sense of loyalty that is not to be broken.

The coven had strong ties with the Kang bloodline, stemming from an age-old friendship, a bond supposedly as thick as blood. A lineage full of feline anthropomorphic shifters that once are of age, devote themselves as companions, better known as familiars. Together, they shaped what would become of their dynasty out of rubble and poverty. A promise of knowledge, hunting, foraging, and camaraderie; in exchange for security. A rite so sacred and ancient it brings out envy from outsiders who wish to share the same oath. A vow so sanctified, it rivaled that of marriage.

You, on the other hand, beg to differ—grumbling as you watch your mother slap a healing rune onto your hand, a direct result from the earlier encounter with your own so-called familiar. The rest of your family sing you praises and congratulatory remarks, calling around to see if anyone has seen the black cat recently. Your father exclaims that you're lucky, rounding the corner of the sofa to face you. He takes a seat beside you; says that black cats are the purest and truest form for a familiar. If the orb you've chosen was an indicator, it must've been fate. You scorn and whine, and he all but dismisses your complaints when the doorbell rings, revealing his own “fated” companion. Once inside, he drags an infuriated boy into the room, nearly knocking him into the carpet as he’s forced to kneel at your feet.

"I apologize for him, he's been hard-headed and stubborn even before he got put in that globe." Instead of hiding himself from shame, he scowls, disdain painfully obvious on every surface in his body��he shakes from it. "This is Taehyun, he's a year younger than you. An expert at gathering, as well as cognitive thinking, especially in potion brewing." He scoffs, back straightening as he retorts, "I was 19 when you sealed me. I've been cramped in that stupid ball for nearly a decade." The older cat heeds no attention to his snark, continuing. "What's fascinating is he remembers the time he spent within the orb. Realistically, there is no drastic change in his body and mind; which is why he's being a pain right now. I do hope you excuse him." The older cat turns to the younger, “I do believe you owe the young master an apology. Fix the mess you’ve made.” Through no thanks of his own will, he takes your hand in his, bending over to lick a clean stripe over your wound. You jerk at the cold sensation, back strained off the seat. “Claimed familiars have healing properties,” The ginger hybrid clarifies, “blood, saliva, tears, anything.” The deathly glare the ravenette gives as he goes over the scratch with his tongue has you shivering, and you’re not really sure why.

He pulls away with his mouth pressed into a thin line, threatening demeanor faltering when a sound erupts from his stomach. It takes every muscle in you to stop yourself from smirking at his diminishing attitude, getting off the armchair. "I'll show you the kitchen. Have any cravings? Fish? Milk?" He’s left unamused. "Cake. Now."

Taehyun’s tail swishes in the air, paws submerged in frosting as he engorges down the slice of strawberry pound cake. “I like you better when you’re in cat form. You’re so adorable and small.” He attempts to claw your fingers when they reach out to stroke the underside of his chin; it lasts for less than a few seconds, but he purrs into your touch before jumping off the counter. You giggle at his obstinance, and out of spite, he morphs into his human state, telling you to shut up.

“Is this your way of thanking me? ‘Cause I learned how to bake a cake for this. Took me everything in the pantry for it.” He grumbles a small “not bad” and “thank you”, his ears and tail pop up—swaying silently as he finishes the cake with refined poise he lacked previously. “It’s also better because you can’t talk. But I also like it when you’re like this, you’re kind of anthropomorphic. You’re cute either way.” He flexes his biceps, trying to prove a point. “Is this cute?” With a small smile, you clear the table of crumbs and dishes. “Yeah. You still have icing on your face.” His confidence wavers, wiping the side of his mouth. “Get up, I’m gonna show you around the house, then we gotta head into town.”

He picks himself up, following behind. “To do what?” You feign innocence, shrugging; so sure he’d resist with all his might if you told him the specifics. “We have to meet with an elder. Mom said so. Probably gonna fit you for new clothes after.” In an attempt to divert his attention, you pull him into the second floor, dark purple wallpaper contrasting the whites and yellows of the old portraits and photos nailed against it. The dark oak creaks beneath your feet, and Taehyun is baffled by the state of the place.

It’s gloomy and old, hosting as little color as possible with run-down floorboards. You giggle at how little he does to hide how appalled he is, explaining. “Nobody really uses this floor but me,” You comment, nudging over to the door furthest from the hall, “That’s my room. Over there,” You point at the neighboring rooms, “Bathroom and potion den. The rest are just storage for books, inventory, or ritual stuff.” Reaching the end of the hallway, you open the door to your room and plop onto the bed. The disparity of your living quarters has the ravenette nearly blinded, bright pastel walls perpendicular to the equally bright, fuzzy carpet. The room is plastered with posters and knick knacks of all sorts, a few colorful vials with saturated flowers blossoming beside your window. Beside it is an uneven cabinet with chipped paint of stars and other squiggly shapes, a direct outcome of no doubt your own doing. He peeks to see it’s spacier on the inside, basically its own cubby with a sewing machine and rainbow-assorted frills and cloth. He counts puffy dresses, short skirts hemmed with lace, a few undergarments embellished with sheer tulle. You shut it hurriedly, “The family won’t let me wear all that outside the house—or outside my room. They think I’ve gotten rid of this hobby,” You sign with air quotes, “So it stays here. They’ll have my head if they find out.”

He shrugs, “I don’t really care.” Though his actions say otherwise, rifling through all the hangers. “Why don’t you just use magic on making these? More efficient.”

Lips pursed into a thin line, you answer. “It’s not as simple as waving a stick around, I don’t even have my own wand yet, not until I make something of myself. I haven’t really figured out what the elders mean by that.” You clasp your hands together, standing awkwardly near the doorframe. “So um, you can unpack and then we’ll head out.” He jumps out of the closet, facing you. “I’m staying here with you?” You eye him weirdly, “Yes. It is tradition for familiars and their masters to sleep in the same room.” He growls at the word “master”, picking his singular duffel bag off the floor. “No way. You have plenty of rooms you don’t use. Let me—” You cut him off by yanking the bag and tossing it onto the floor. “No. It’s essential for us to bond better.” He backs up slowly. “No way. I am not bonding with you.” You massage the bridge of your nose. “Our parents would throw a fit if they found out anyway.”

Taehyun contemplates his options, entering the room again with a defeated sigh. “Do we have to sleep on the same bed?”

Hoping the disgust on your face is evident, you reply. “Not willingly. The guardians wrongfully calculated the phase of the waxing gibbous, so we had to rush to have everything in time for the full moon. We’ll look for an old frame or buy a cat bed later in town, whichever you prefer.”

He stays silent, annoyance directed towards you as you shove past him aggressively. “My bed or a piece of cardboard on the floor. Your choice.”

Taehyun squirms in the robes you lent him, sensitive to the fabric as it clings onto his skin, hood high to avoid the light that shines directly into his eyes. His mother forced him to wear something of status, but he has no idea what that means when he’s just some rich girl’s pet. You're wearing the same robe but with the hood down, hair in pigtails as you skip through the streets greeting people. Despite his frustration, he peeks over your shopping scroll, scanning everything from top to bottom. “What are you making?” You hum, turning your head. “A bunch of orders from the neighboring city. Most of them don’t really have the mana to wield magic or bless potions.” He takes the list from you, inspecting it further. “We already shopped at the reptile place, did you forget to purchase snake venom?”

“It’s abhorrent that you believe I would forget buying such an integral part of our best-selling potion.” You reel at the assumption, walking faster. “Their supplier ran out, and I’d probably have to deal with a new merchant, if there are any left. It’s really scarce this season ‘round.” He’s annoyed at your annoyance, pacing beside you. “You should tell me these things. I’m supposed to aid in gathering.” You stop, mildly crossed at how he portrays it as if you were the one being unreasonable, the one at fault. “You don’t even want to be my familiar. Why are you here?”

“The promise of a comfortable new cat bed and clothing of my own.” He rolls his eyes, “Your snake venom can be substituted with burrowing lizard limbs marinated in regular spider venom.” You light up at his words, leaning into him. He chokes on air as your face nears. “Really?” The other places a finger on your chest, pushing you off slowly. “Yes, really. It’s one of the direct ancestors of proto-snakes.” You raise a fist into the air, giddily jeering in place as Taehyun lowers his head out of shame for you. “Thank you so much! Now I don’t have to call for the Chois’ overpriced bulk.”

“The Chois’?” He asks absentmindedly, examining the scroll once again. “Yeah, their shop has nearly everything—that’s why the markup is so high. Everything’s all in one store. My parents are trying to set me up with one of their sons, hoping we’d score some kind of deal if we get married.” The other notes the slight sulk on your face. “That’s a little…”

“Scummy? Old-fashioned? Utterly insane?” The other shakes his head, “I was gonna say too much information for me, but yeah.”

“Too much information? If anything you have too much information. Mixing ingredients and whatnot.”

“You have a funny way of calling me smart. I’m also good at math, fast arithmetics.” He doesn’t know why he’s telling you this, if the brag is to make you jealous or to get you to praise him. “Where’d you learn to do all that?”

He shrugs, “Figured if I learned enough, I wouldn’t need to serve a witch.” Your brows pinch in guilt while you clear your throat. “I’m sorry about that.” Taehyun mimics your expression for a second before putting on a blank face and turning away. “You don’t have to, it’s not like you forced me to be trapped in that stupid orb.” His statements do not help to quell your thoughts, “Yeah, but I picked you.”

“It’s better this way, now I don’t have to spend another year in there. It was like an amniotic sac but worse. You couldn't push around.”

“What was it like in there?” You ask, to which he makes a sharp exhale. “Hell, for the most part. I kind of just thought a lot. Kind of like being a conscious fetus. But the more I’m out the less I remember.” You beam at the sparkle of hope, a desire to make it up to him though not a fault of your own. “That’s good! Let’s make you forget then.” Grappling his hand in yours, you run with him past the sea of individuals, off to cross off the rest of your tasks.

Taehyun picks up two suits made of leather, adding a pair of boots from the same material. The cart is filled with various garments of black and white, no shade in between and no vibrance of any sort. You sigh when he adds yet another blazer onto the pile. “You need house clothes and pajamas too, you know.” Dismissing it with a grumble, he retreats his hand to cross it over his chest. “These are fine.” You yank the piece out of his hands, feeling up the fabric. “I’m not dealing with your whining when you find it too hot in this. You’re fussy enough already, and you’re wearing light silk straight out of a bombyx’s anus.” He attempts to get the jacket back, a childish back and forth between the two of you. “It’s made up of a bombyx’s cocoon, you idiot. I’ll be fine.” You raise your hands in defeat. “Don’t come crying to me when you get overstimulated by stuffy latex.”

The other pouts, sitting on one of the changing room benches. “I just wanted something nice. It’s my first ounce of freedom after years, after all.”

If he’s manipulating you by sharing a sob story and batting his long lashes at you—it’s working. However, you’re not that gullible. “Two of whatever you want, then two sets of casual clothing and pajamas.” His doe eyes turn sharp with a grunt, “I’m an adult. I don’t need sleepwear.” You counter, “I’m older than you, and I wear them.”

“I’m older than you!” You plop down the seat across from him, crossing your arms. “Mentally, sure. But physically? Not. You’re forgetting all that time now anyways.” He rolls his eyes, legs spreading as he sinks onto the chair. “Besides,” You add, trapping his figure in between your arms, “I’m your master. Not like that matters either, since I’m paying. You earn the right to choose when you start earning from our apprenticeship.” He snarls, breathing heavy. “So what do you say?”

He’s silent for a few seconds, staring at the space beside you. “Fine.”

Except he’s not fine with this predicament. You’re across from him, cooing at the boy in a pastel blue, wool pants and top decorated with stripes and stars. “No.”

You frown, tossing him the next set of your choice. “Well, you’re not giving any recommendations. I had to guess what you liked.” He shuts the curtain behind him, stomping as he unravels the guess that you’ve made. “So you thought I would enjoy pink shorts with cupcakes and caricature cats on them?”

“They’re satin!” You defend. “Just try it, I have the same at home~” Snickering at the audible disapproval, you’re surprised to see him actually shuffle to try it on. It’s quiet in the dressing room, until he pokes his little head out. “Does yours look exactly like this?” You trace its cut-out to him. “It’s kind of like a night-dress instead of a tank top and shorts. Same print I guess.” He steps out of the booth, dropping a mountain of clothes onto your lap. “I’ll take these—and this.” he mumbles it so low it’s almost inaudible, pointing at the pink shorts and loose top from earlier. You nod, trying your best not to laugh, or pout at his cuteness, or anything to get him to drag this on further.

Turns out, Taehyun wasn’t kidding about the cat bed. “You sure you want these? We can scrounge up allowance to buy you an actual bed.” He shakes his feline head as his paws mark onto the felt pillow, testing it by stomping on it profusely. He shifts back, standing next to you. “It’s fine, doesn’t really matter to me. It’ll save you space too.”

After transforming once again, his stomach plunks down on a pink fleece cushion, yellow paw prints and ribbons patterned across the cloth. It almost makes you melt, the image of his cute cat self playing around in your room. The illusion dissipates just as soon as it comes, as you remind yours;f of his personality. You’re not sure if time could change how hostile and unwelcoming he was to you, and that thought heightens your anxiety to newer levels. If you couldn’t even get along with your own familiar, a creature known to be so loyal and docile to its owner, how were you supposed to take your place in this world? Become the one to lead a new generation of young mages? Uphold the reputation of a family so well-regarded?

The shopkeep, or rather his son, comes by with a smile on his face, knocking you out of your deep thinking. “It’s my first time seeing you here. New pet?” You hum in agreement, pointing at Taehyun. “Sort of, my familiar wants a cat bed.” The boy follows your finger, giggling. The aforementioned rolls around on the soft fabric, face rubbing against the sides. “He seems like he loves it.”

He moves behind the displays to drag something. It’s a pet tree, scratch posts and dangling toys asymmetrically branching from the base. “That’s actually part of a new collection we just got,” he expounds, moving Taehyun to explore the collection—like a child’s first time on a playground. “We just got it, and I’d think your cat would love it.” He talks as if Taehyun can’t hear him. Nevertheless, the cat roams over the space, purring as he rubs his side against the post. “I don’t think I can afford it right now.” You say, keeping your hands pressed tightly behind your back. The other hushes you, hauling the set over to the register. “Don’t worry, it’s on me. I’ll ship it to your place some time next week. Besides, I kind of owe you for saving my life that one time.” You both smile sheepishly, looking away from each other. “You were gonna live anyway.”

“Still, I appreciated it. Your partner deserves something good to sleep in.” Smiling, you pull the other in for a tight hug, murmuring a plethora of “thank you”s.

The door chimes behind you with a ring. Taehyun asks “Who was that?” Eyes twinkling at the food vendors. In increments, he swerves your walking direction, gaze locked onto the pastry stall. “Kai, we used to go to preschool together. I saved him from drowning, but I’m certain he’d live even without my help.” Tapping the glass, he turns to narrow his eyes at you, “You know he fancies you right?” You raise a brow, “What? No way.” The other tugs at your purse, grunting. “He gave you a—whatever that was. I’m positive it would’ve been hundreds of gold.”

You hand him the chocolate-filled pastry, tail swishing at its aroma. “It was for saving him.” He takes a big bite out of it, voice muffled as he replies, “You said it yourself, he would have lived. He just wanted an excuse to flirt with you, be in your good graces.”

“He doesn’t need to do that, he’s good looking and kind. Anyone who’s anyone would like him.”

“Do you like him?” You pause, having never really regarded him in such a manner. “Not like that, no.” The other clicks his tongue, “You’re leading him on then.” You turn a deaf ear to his provocations, marking the familiar signboard. Grabbing his forearm, you shush him, “Shut up, we’re here.”

The tavern is filled with all kinds of books and crystals, you take in the way they shimmer against the dim string lights hastily nailed onto the wall. The shell door curtain clatters, revealing an old lady in a lilac tunic, cane hitting against the floor. Her smile turns her eyes into crescents, gesturing at you to come with her. You shadow her as she flops onto her chair, the two of you settling onto a floor seat.

“I’ve received your call from earlier. It is no issue, these happen all the time.” Taehyun looks around, confused yet too prideful to inquire. “For starters, we must draw blood from each of you; a drop will suffice.” The boy's skepticism grows, finding it odd when you stick your tongue out. He does the same, stopped by the elder almost immediately. “Only the young lady. Your arm will do.”

The lady brings out two incredibly thin needles, pricking you both at the same time. “To develop the bond pendant properly, you must stay within close proximity with each other. The next few weeks will be the most crucial to form it.”

Taehyun’s body shoots up, backing up against the wall. “You didn't tell me you were going to bond me!”

Cornering him, you stutter, trying to find the proper words. “You wouldn’t have agreed to come! We were never gonna bond naturally, you hate me!” He scoffs, “Obviously! You forcing me without my knowledge is not doing you any favors!” You hold him tighter as he thrashes against you. “With that bond, I’d be weak against your wishes. It’s as good as mind control!” He bellows, nails seeping into your shoulders. You hold back a yelp of pain, biting the inners of your cheek. “I would never do that! Do you have such little faith in me? That’s not even how bonding—”

“The pendant’s objective is to strengthen your forming bond. I’d advise against an unbonded pair.” The lady chimes in calmly, “It would only cause more pain in the long run than do you any good. Especially for you, hybrid. Your body would slowly deteriorate, seeing as its main purpose is to serve its master; that’s what the sealing rite did to you.” Taehyun's face contorts in horror, waving her warnings off. “I’m fine with those chances. My life wouldn’t be mine anyway. I’d rather spend whatever fleeting moments I’d have free than under the spell of some neophyte witch.” He spits, shoving you to the ground and racing out of the clinic.

The sun dips into the horizon, sky violet as you trudge back to your home. Searching for him would be a futile hunt, he’d just slip out of your hands again. What he needed was space, a clear mind; as a matter of fact, you needed it too. Your stomach lurches in anxiousness, telling yourself he’s part cat after all, he’ll find his way back without a scratch on him. Despite the cries of wolves wail in the night, you will yourself to go further.

You lock the gates, a subtle frown on your mothers face when she makes out your figure in the dark. The manor and its lawn are coated in pitch black, with the exception of the warm glow peeking from the windows. “We were waiting for you for hours.” She says, voice laced with worry. “I was out looking for Taehyun.” You respond, moving past her. “He was here hours ago.” Your dad adds, halting you in your tracks. “What?” The two nod, pointing up to your room. “It’s past supper, and he’s not had a bite to eat. Cook him whatever he likes, he seemed like he was in a sour mood.”

How ridiculous. Mayhaps it’s a reach, but you pick apart their words for hidden subtext. You’ve done your hardest to ensure a comfortable stay and treat him as an equal and your parents nag and undermine both those efforts. They treat him no better than a cat, or perhaps they treat you as if you were his maid.

You slip into house slippers, fuzzy and contrasting the stiff arch of your trekking boots. It’s a small comfort, yet it eases your mind the most. The tension returns just as it disappears, cautiously stepping your way up the flight of stairs. The floor is eerily silent, air dry and hall dark, aside from the small light emanating from your bedroom, door ajar. You inch closer and closer, rustling of wood and shuffling of feet making itself more coherent.

You try to peek through the gap, gasping and barreling inside once you see the ghastly sight in front of you. The carnage of all your hand-crafted pieces are torn to shreds and reduced to uneven textiles across the ground, sullied and unsalvageable—beyond repair.

Tears clump at your eyes, threatening to spill as your mind races at a million words per second—yet no sound comes out, lips tucked between your teeth. You hold yourself back, knuckles whitening as you clench them. “What have you done?” You curse at yourself, always the ugly crier when outraged. His conduct is firm and anchored, face of ice and stone as he strides over. “You took away my freedom, and I took away your only escape from your burdensome reality.” He leaves you to hunch over your discarded creations, hiccuped and hushed breaths filling the air.

You’ve sacrificed much, yet you’ve yet to hear of the rewards. Were you bound to end up without companionship? Or have you decided not to let all of your hardships wilt away in vain?

You’re tired, sluggish and lifeless as you drop onto your mattress, cries muffled through your pillow.

How do you scream at the top of your lungs a secret and a shame not even your parents are aware of? Would you still be punished, knowing the remnants of your art are now fuel to your fireplace, oxidizing into smoke, and then into nothing? What about the humiliation that you couldn’t even keep a conversation with your assumed life-long companion?

You decide that the best next thing is to arrange for company, not for one, but three of your friends—under the guise of them calling to court you outdoors. You rush out the door with hasty goodbyes, stopped at the front by your father. “Bring your familiar with you! He’ll tell you which brother is best to keep.”

Keep, he says. As if the others, your friends, are to be scrapped like pawns. He talks big, as if Taehyun could sniff out your best pair, as if he knows you well enough to gauge what you like. Truthfully, you have not spoken or even seen him in weeks, passing each other in common areas and during meal times without so much as shared eye-contact. Your mouth opens to protest, but he’s quick to shoulder the hybrid out the door, a loud clunk of the lock behind him.

Strolling into town, your movements are constrained and awkward, weary of the ravenette as he keeps his distance at all times. Ironically, this is when you’re most in sync with each other. You step forward, he follows, and when you step back, he does the same. You try to widen that interval, but he’s precise with his footing, setting his pace to match yours.

When you reach the cafe, you check twice for the address sent. It’s hidden from the square and difficult to navigate, but find it worth it as you ogle at the building. It’s a greenhouse made entirely out of glass, the whole layout in your view. A pair of outstretched arms wave at you, beckoning you to come in. You walk through the marble path surrounded by water, fountains dancing as the crashing of water and chirps of birds ring in your ear. Even with transparent walls, it does not do the interior justice, beholding the vision of fluttering insects, swimming koi, the blossoming array of seasonal flora, and overhead skyline.

You unbutton your cloak, dark and unseemly in such a wonderful setting. It reveals a pink sundress, one you spent sleepless nights repairing by hand. They smile as you drop the hood onto the tile, sitting on

“Who’s this?” You spare no glance at their inquiries, humming. “That? That’s Taehyun.” They greet an awkward “Hi Taehyun,” and he doesn’t reply or acknowledge them in any way. One of them poke their heads out to inspect him. “Are you not going to introduce us?”

You scoff. “Does it matter?” The siblings nod and look at you incredulously. “Fine.” Your face is stern and unmoving, gaze bored and unfocused. You don’t turn to address the ravenette, not even a contraction of muscle. “Yeonjun,” you start, pointing to the copper-haired boy. He sends a wink over you both, earning mutual disgust. “Soobin,” your index moves to the blonde, smiling meekly. “And Beomgyu.” The brunette tilts his head, tongue poking his cheek as he stares at Taehyun. “Sit with us.” He says, and the shorter shakes his head. He shakes off the rejection, “You’re affiliated how?”

“He’s my familiar.”

The three are rendered motionless, shocked. “You’ve bonded, and yet no say of mouth.”

“We are not bonded!” You say in unison. Clearing your throat, you continue. “We’ve not bonded. Now quiet; I’m here to gossip. I’m here to buy fabric and ribbon.” Soobin chuckles at your business posture, head high and hands draped on top of each other. “You just bought more than a crate-worth of them! The poor packhorse was put on probation afterwards.”

You sigh loudly “And I apologize. I run through material quickly.” The eldest picks up a strawberry danish, offering it to the boy standing guard. Taehyun is unsure of his intentions, but takes him up on it. “Your dad still hounding you about tying the knot?” You scoff, teeth gritting. “It’s all he talks about, now that I’ve got the familiar ordeal under my belt. Which one of you unlucky bastards am I going to end up with?” They cackle at your exasperated expression, brunette scooting closer to link his arms in yours. “I’d be lucky to have such a talented mage as my wife.” Soobin rolls his eyes, elbowing the younger. “I called dibs first, you imbecile!” You chuckle, taking a sip out of the raspberry chai. “Ladies, ladies. Plenty of me to go around.” The blond pouts, retreating to his seat. “I don’t want to get auctioned off for anyone else for the sake of business! I’d rather it be a friend I can tolerate.” It’s a half-lie, half-truth.

“You just want to wed me for my mana and free stuff. Plenty of sorcerers competent enough for that.” He whines in response. “It’s not the same, we would be roommates with tax benefits.”

The brunette shakes his head, stuffing his mouth full of chocolate. “How absurd. Have you given up on finding greater love?” He says it with conviction, as if he wasn’t just trying to get the other to stop courting you. “Greater love,” Soobin mocks, “such a thing is fickle and ever changing. Too difficult for me to comprehend” Beomgyu shrugs at his loss of lust for life. “Everything is difficult for you to comprehend, you dunce.”

“Just wait ‘til we get back home you—” Yeonjun sighs, fingers massaging the bridge of his nose. “That’s enough. Just jot down what you need, and I’ll calculate them from you.” You smile, resting your head on the table. “No best friend discount?” He tuts, faking a punch. “We sell them to you without interest. That’s the discount.” You feign hurt, “How cheap of you.”

The rest of the noon rolls by seamlessly, the four of you indulging in child-like mannerisms and meaningless topics. By the second hour mark, Taehyun speaks up without prompting. “I don’t think you’re fit for any of them.” The three purse their lips and look away, busying themselves with food. You roll your eyes, “Who asked you, Kang?” He doesn’t even look at you, following the colorful wings of a butterfly, tail swishing in focus. “Your father told me to. If this is all, I would like to head back to the manor now.” So he listens to the irrational whims of your father, but not to you? “Go back home and do what? So you could lick yourself clean and lounge around the living room, being a waste of space?” He huffs in irritation, “A better way to spend my time than watching you galavant around town.” You stand, stomping over to him. “I’m rebuilding the closet you tore apart, asshole.”

Soobin lets out a strained laugh, “Okay, let’s just calm down–” You strike his arms away, “No. This blockhead ruined what I’ve worked so hard on for over a decade and a half. He has offered no condolences or apologies.” Taehyun laughs arrogantly, stepping forward. “I’m not your servant.”

“You’re right. You’re lower. You sleep in my house, eat my food, and shit in my bathroom without giving anything in return. You’re a leech.” His jaw clenches at your words, eyes boring into yours as your chests heave. You challenge him, brows raising as if to ask him what his next quips would be. Without another sound, he storms off, slamming the door with a force that almost cracks it.

Luckily, the cafe was nearly empty, saving yourself and your friends from embarrassment. You slump into your seat, eyebrows furling. Yeonjun breaks the silence, slowly reaching for a napkin. “You need to fix whatever’s going on between you two.”

“I know that, obviously.” You bite, heaving a dramatic sigh. “Everytime we talk to each other we end up fighting, I’m at a total loss.” Beomgyu reclines, suggestion in mind. “You should try Nepeta.” Your ears perk up, leaning inwardly. “As in… Catnip?” Soobin snaps his fingers, piling on. “Oh yeah! I think it has sedating properties that also induce oxytocin and serotonin, kind of like a get-along herb. It's used in pharmaceuticals for humans and especially on cats, so you might get him to relax around you.” Honestly, you never bothered to look into biomedicine, seeing as all your home remedies are holistic and passed down through families. “Where can I get some?”

The three point their heads over to the garden-patch, dragging you along with them.”

There’s no way this was going to work; you’re fairly confident you weren’t gonna go through with it anyway. But you’d be lying if you said you weren’t curious. On the counter sits an eighth ounce of Catnip, inelegantly situated in a plastic bag. You’re unpersuaded of what to do with it, ashamed that you had to resort to such methods. Not like anyone would see, since the adults have left home for one of their yearly conferences, and it wouldn’t be a week or so until they return. Everyone else, besides you and Taehyun. You have to get rid of it fast—unwilling to be at the receiving end of yet another one of his haughty expressions. You attempt to focus, exhausting all your options. It would dry up by tomorrow’s eve, and you wouldn’t want it to go to waste. Dashing over to the cupboards you take out an array of pans and bowls.

Your mind fails to register the sheer laughability of what you just spent two hours on, staring blankly at the fruit of your efforts. The pungent fumes waft into the air, brownies idle on the table as you poke into it. The chocolate all but oozes onto the plate, thin crust crunching against the utensil. They look… Really good. Good for a novice baker, good for someone who stuffed a bunch of inhibitors into the recipe haphazardly. You shouldn’t beat yourself over it, seeing as you only mixed half of what was in the bag. Why let such precious food go to waste? You recall the boys’ statements on how it’s as good as harmless for human consumption, hesitantly biting into one of them. You grin, nodding in approval as you scarf down on at least half of the pan. Your gluttony proves itself to be overboard, eyes growing heavier. They did say it had sedative properties. Yawning, you seal the rest of the baked goods into an air tight tupperware, scribbling your name onto the side with a sticky note and a marker.

The sound of clattering wakes you from your light slumber, along with thudding from the first floor. It’s probably the hybrid, but you could never be too certain, grasping for any heavy object to defend yourself with. Your tip-toes do nothing to muzzle the creek of the stair boards, dropping your makeshift weapon when you confirm that it’s just Taehyun. He’s panting on the sofa, legs sprawled over the cushions and floor. Inching closer, you observe his sickly state, sweat rolling down his face and ears downcast.

You're not really sure what to say, unknowing of what to offer to make him feel better. “Are you fine? Do you need anything?” His eyes are glossy and his words come out nearly in whimpers. “Fine! I’m fine, just need my bag.” The implication of him being so ill that he’s unable to grab a bag a few feet from him alarms you, and you hurry to feel his body temperature through his forehead. He swats your hand and snatches the satchel out of your hands, discarding it on the floor when he shakes the pops the cap of his pill bottle. You read the sides as he shoves a few into his mouth, sinking back into the sofa in an attempt to get comfortable. “You have heat cycles?!” The other covers his ears at your voice, curling up with a pillow. “It used to be bearable, I don’t know what’s wrong with me these days.” He buries his head into the cushions, biting down hard. “Can you just get me water or something? I feel like I’m fucking dying.” Nodding frantically, you sprint through the room to get into the kitchen. You’re really not sure if it would help, but you collect ice, placing them into a cheesecloth as a compress. You pivot to open the tap, freezing in place as you see the dirty dishes in the sink. “Did you finish the brownies?!” You yell, receiving no answer from the other. Stomping over to the living room, you hand him the glass and compress, sitting cross-legged on the coffee table. You repeat it, looking into his eyes and emphasizing every word. “Did you eat my brownies?” He scoffs, and looks away, a clear indicator that he did. You roll your eyes and get up the seat, pacing around the room. “I’m on the brink of death and you want me to be sorry for your shitty brownies?”

“They had my name on it, Taehyun!” He groans, massaging the bridge of his nose. “Fine! I ate your stupid brownies. Now can you please stop talking? My head is spinning.” You rock back and forth, “This is bad, should I write to my parents? Should I write to your parents? Who the fuck should I get?” Confused, the other tilts his head at you. “Are we on the brownies or my thing?”

“My thing!” You exclaim, “Taehyun, those brownies were chock full of catnip.” He rises from his position, eyes wide and disturbed. “You drugged me?!” You blink, stunned. “I didn’t drug you! It wasn’t even for you!”

He hauls his feet to the bathroom, letting the faucet run as he grips the sides of the sink tightly. “The catnip wasn’t for the cat? Sure, whatever.” You stutter, keeping your distance by standing idle at the door. “I didn’t even know cat hybrids could digest chocolate.” He splashes his head with cold water, a half-witted attempt to get him to cool down. “I’m part human, you idiot!” Crossing your arms, you lean against the frame. “Am I supposed to guess? You have the stomach of a human and have the libido of a cat?” With a glare, he bumps past you, settling into the couch once again. “It’s in the family books—books you were supposed to read for your familiar!” He heaves a long breath, running his hands across his face. “What’s the point? You don’t take good care of me.” You laugh incredulously. “Eat shit. You don’t even let me around you.”

“You want to be around me?” He challenges, taking your hand and placing it on top of his slacks. He’s looking up at you from his seat, pulling you down to reach him. “Then help me out; it’s partially your fault anyway.” Your heart nearly jumps out of your chest, eyes flickering between him and the tent pitched in his pants. “I don’t think—” He cuts you off. “You’re my master, right? You take care of me.” He tugs you once again for you to hang over him, grinding against the arm between his crotch.

The morality of these actions are blurry, but you’re at your wit’s end with this—with everything surrounding the hybrid. You chew on your lower lip, closing your eyes as you let him guide you, tugging at his bottoms and resting them an inch above his knee. When his cock springs free, he keeps his other hand on top of his mouth, unsuccessful at restraining the moans that pass it. You’re in awe, mouth agape as his left wraps tightly around your right hand, fingers a step short from interlocking. “Move, I’m doing all the work here.” Taehyun orders like he’s owed, like he’s entitled to getting off with your hand. “You seem to be mistaken,” You state sternly, separating your hold from his. “I am helping you. I am doing you a favor, not the other way around. So ask nicely.” You take your frustrations out on his dick, a rollercoaster of speed as you take the pace from dangerously fast to painfully slow when you feel him near his peak. His pleas lodge in his throat, hips bucking into your fist and grip on your shoulders firm, like he was afraid you were going to pull away. You do, huffing loudly as you dramatically yank yourself away. He mewls, grasping at your unmoving hands. “Wha–why did you–”

“Ask me nicely.” He makes a noise that’s in between a scoff and a whine, “Are you insane?” You straighten your posture, feigning intention of leaving. “You can get off by yourself then.” His mouth drops slightly, clawing your arms. “No–wait!” He turns your head to face him, eyes glistening with an emotion you can’t quite figure out. “Please.” Clearing your throat, you compose yourself. “Please what?”

He inches closer, breath fanning your face as he trembles. “Please let me come.”

You really shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as you do, thighs clamped together as you desperately try to ignore the feeling that resonates in your core. Biting your lower lip, you watch the other basically salivate at nothing. A beat barely passes after you nod, jumping you with such vigor it knocks you back onto the armrest. Now he’s the one hovering over you, chest rising and falling so rapidly you almost fear for him.

The concern is overshadowed by your surprise when he crashes his lips onto yours, teeth grinding as he licks all over your mouth, forcing your hand onto his member. His eyes screw shut at the cool skin, precum coating the rest of his shaft. You can still taste the brownies on him, and it’s no doubt the reason he’s licking you all over, in search of more.

“A-ah I’m gonna–.” You don’t say anything, don’t look at him; eyes focused on his dick as you work it up and down with swift flicks of your wrists. Your other hand is situated in between your legs as you listen to all the different sounds in the room: The squelch of your hand, the whimpers from Taehyun, the heavy pants both you and him take. He yelps as he releases into your hand, white seed painting your bare stomach. You hadn’t even noticed your shirt was half up. You’re unmoving, unsure of what to do next. The ravenette inspects the mess he’s made, the mess he’s made out of you—backing away slowly before bolting out of the manor.

It’s been days since you��ve talked to Taehyun, and the tension between you has been replaced, from anger to something neither of you are entirely sure of, though you have an inkling as to what it may be. Shoving it at the back of your mind, you stir the cauldron with a long rod, asking the boy what step comes next.

This is what you’re both good at—what you should have stuck to doing all along. It’s not so suffocating, you could even say it was bearable. This is what you desired. You don’t require friendship or some bond, what you necessitated was a competent co-worker and assistant; that’s what he’s here for.

You may have spoken too soon, a furious burst of light and smog rippling through the room. The pot and its contents spill onto the floor, glass shards landing all over the place. You land flat on your back, eardrums ringing. The only thing you can make out is ash, bits of gray and black swirling in midair. "What the fuck! You could've gotten me killed!" Taehyun scoffs, dusting himself off, no attempt to help you up. "Big deal, you screwed up the solute to solvent ratio." The accusation is both baseless and wrong, you would never blindly estimate measurements for tasks such as this. "How dare you I would never make such a—"

All of a sudden, it clicks. You would never make such a rookie mistake, and neither would he. "You were trying to kill me on purpose!" He crosses his arms, leaning against the wall. "If I wanted to, you would've been dead by now."

"Then what the fuck was that! Or are you such an airhead that you couldn't even do what you say you’re so good at properly?" An unamused laugh exits him, nostrils flaring at the implication that he would be so careless. "I just wanted a small explosion so that I could report you as unfit to hold a familiar in your care! Not my fault you overdid it."

"My fault?" You yell, grabbing the other by the chin to face you. "You ungrateful piece of shit. I feed you and nurse you to health and you've done not a damn thing but bitch about nothing of substance. You should thank the elders they gave you someone like me." He keeps his eyes shut, muttering profanities. In all his ineffectual attempts to break free, he never lays a finger on you.

It's odd, and as you watch his biceps flex as he tucks his arms in between his legs, you don't believe that he's too weak to overpower you. Cocking your head to the side, you kick his arms out of his front, prying his hands apart. He curses as you gape at the view, leather stretched to its capacity as a noticeable bulge plants itself beneath the cloth. Your gaze finds his, irises shimmering like molten gold. It fades just as soon as it shows; your heart booms through your chest, and suddenly you find it hard to breathe.

He has bonded you.

“You pervert.” Claws protruding, he pounces forward, causing you to fall onto cobbled ground. It digs the flesh of your throat, piercing skin yet carefully maneuvered to not hit anything vital. He doesn’t add pressure, nor decrease it. Blood splatters across your collarbone when you move to take hold of his wrists, no force needed as he submits without resistance. “Look at what you did to my neck, it’s all tattered and ugly!” You scold, fingers clenched at the root of his scalp as you tug him over. “Kiss it better.” Amidst his whimpers, he swiftly climbs onto your lap, wet pecks all over the crimson dripping down your nape. You click your tongue, untangling your fingers to stroke the back of his head. “You’re still sick, Kitty. You get off my violence, and act like a brat when you don’t get what you want.” His ears twitch at your comments, leveling with you. “Hands off me. Now.” You roll your eyes, discounting his empty threats. “You didn’t seem to hate my hand when you force-fucked yourself into it last time.” His snarl grew more venomous, replying, “I’ll kill you.” The corners of your lips raise, tracing his cheek with your fingers. “As if. You need me.”

“I need you?” He amuses, knee jabbing right in between your legs. “I can smell your cunt from here. It’s not exactly subtle. You reek.” A haughty sound makes its way through you, lightly grazing the fabric of his slacks. “And you’re practically leaking. I’m not taking shit from someone who can’t even stop themselves from humping someone they hate so much.” You palm him through the cloth, and he elevates his hips into your touch. “But I’m a kind owner, so who am I to take no notice of someone in need?” He grunts, “Not my owner.” You coo, “Sure. Now be good for me for a sec.” He murmurs curses, staying still regardless. He anticipates your hand, short-circuiting at the sudden heat from the tip of your tongue. It swirls the head of his dick, and you look up to find the other staring back down at you. You kiss at the sides before dipping your head, a sharp exhale leaving the other. You instruct him to keep his arms behind him, and he fights with himself as nothing actually binds him from keeping his hands to himself. He’s mewling and moaning and thrashing in your hold, high screeches and low moans sending waves straight to your mouth. “‘Can’t do it, ah—need it deeper.” He sighs, pressing a palm to the back of your head and forcing himself down on you. You hold back a gag and glare at him, dragging your mouth off his cock with a resounding pop.

He whines at the loss of you, head thumping onto the wooden floors. "Why—” Wiping the sides of your mouth, you sit up. “This is gross.” He scrambles upward, “But you started—” You’re easy to dismiss him, although your complaints were nothing but a farce. “I don’t care. This is gross, and I get nothing in return. If we’re keeping score, you’ve done nothing to please me.” He narrows his eyes at you, leaning forward. “Please you? I don’t need to do that.” Rolling your eyes, you match his challenge by leaning in too. “Don’t need to or can’t do it?” he gulps, eyes shifting to the side. “I’m not falling for your manipulative tactics.” You tilt your head innocently. “I’m not asking you to,” You feign offense, “but wouldn’t it be better if you came with my mouth, instead of something so pathetic like your own hand? Aren’t you sick of it yet?” The hybrid stays silent, thinking heavily as his tail rocks slowly.

“What do you want?” You smirk, pulling the other’s disheveled self through the hall as you make your way into your room. You slam it shut behind you and fiddle with all the locks, skipping over to the dresser.

“See, you’ve ruined all that’s important to me. It’ll take me months–no, a year to finish all this again.” You sigh, acting hurt. “It’s only fair that we do something about it, no?” The other’s mind goes to the worst of places, tail stiffening as he asks, “Are you gonna make me dress up?” The look on his face is priceless, he’s obviously scared and on high alert, gaze shifting in distraught. “I mean, as long as it’s not super degrading maybe I—” Your laughter cuts through his rambling, clutching your stomach.

“Aren’t you adorable?” Patting the empty space next to you, he settles down timidly, shuffling in his seat. “Thanks for your open mind, but your little temper tantrum cost me everything in my inventory. So no, I have nothing for you. Maybe next time?” Taehyun exhales a breath he didn’t know he kept, nodding. You play with the neckline of his blouse, “But since I have nothing, you shouldn’t have anything either.” You tilt your head with a smile that almost feels threatening as it looks innocent, “Strip.”

The hybrid shimmies out of his garments, shifting nervously on the bed. He feels cold and exposed, blush coating his porcelain body. “Now I just have one last thing for you.” You take out some sort of collar from behind, placing it onto your lap. It’s pink and frilly, no doubt a creation of your own. The sides are decorated with metal spikes and chains, seemingly sharp but dull and harmless to the touch. “Where did you even get this?” You shrug at his question, linking the accessory onto a chain. Taehyun’s tail tucks in between his thighs. “I know it doesn’t match you, but we’ve got to work with what we’ve got, no?” You reply, securing the piece on him. He’s patient and quiet as you fasten the collar, tugging between it and his neck for allowance. “You look so cute.”

The ravenette says nothing, but his tail sways at your words, pink flushing deeper through his ears and cheeks. For a while, the two of you are just staring at each other. You note his smooth skin and slender figure, caressing the sides of his arm. He shivers at your contact, some fingertips more calloused than others. He takes in the darkening red across your mouth and neck, skirt hiking up as your body shifts to kneel beside him. Call it impulse or passion—you both lean in at the same time, kissing soft and slow as his hands wander around your waist. He snakes them up your chest and unhooks your bra, heaving your shirt above your head. He cups your cheek, brushing it slowly. It’s almost chaste and virginal, void of any sexual intent and malice.

But you remind yourself why you’re here in the first place. You bite down on his bottom lip—metallic tang coating your tongue. You part from him with a trail of saliva, blood flowing in steady beats. You smudge it across his cheeks with a satisfied smirk. “You can’t tell yourself it’s because of your rut anymore.” He keeps his head down. “You're forcing me to.” You sigh in return, inching closer. “You have a lot of false notions on bonding, Taehyun.” Leaning over, you place soft pecks onto his face. “This is what you want. You can leave anytime you desire, have anything you desire.”

Taehyun blinks heavily, right before he takes your lips in his again. It’s carnal—it’s him; letting go of his inhibitions and the potential consequences of his actions. He accidentally nips the mound of your lip with his canine, a soft squeal sounding off your lips and into his. He thinks it the most delicious sound he’s ever heard.

He wants to hear more, see more, but all he can do is kiss you deeper. He licks the blood off your mouth, sucking on the cut until it stops streaming. That’s not how that works, you know he knows. He savors the taste of it, only relenting when you tug at the collar. “You’ve hurt me again, are you sure you’re not doing it on purpose?” You say it with an adequate amount of confidence, but your eyes are downcast—hands trembling. He shakes his head fervently, ears shooting up. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t want to say anything in fear that it makes him look pathetic and needy. Instead, he licks a long stripe along your inner thigh, stopping at your sopping cunt. He rests his head on your skin like a pillow, silently waiting for your next move. You pull at the leash and the other stumbles forward—nose pressed against your core. He plays with the lining of your panties, using nothing but his tongue to take them to the side. He tastes you like he’s been starved for days, lapping over your entrance like clockwork. Your grip around the chain and his hair, making him groan into you, hands reaching over to play with the plush of your breasts. You’re knocked onto the mattress, eyes screwed tightly as your orgasm builds up, barely suppressing yourself of moans. The way you chant Taehyun’s name pushes him forward, making out with your cunt like his life depended on it. When you come on his face, he drinks every drop that flows out of you, kissing and praising you through narrowly audible whispers.

You open your eyes to find him on top of you, waiting for you while the both of you catch your breaths. “You’re really good at that.”You mutter, playing with the gap on his garter belt. He smiles sheepishly, head ducked and pressing his fingers into your hips. “Does that mean I get a reward?” You scoff half-heartedly at his change in manner, drawing his face closer to yours. “What was it about forcing you again?” You tease, sitting up and pushing him down. “I’m just kidding, ‘course you do, Kitty.“ You swear he purrs when you caress his cheek, throwing a leg over his torso. “I’ll make you feel better.”

You line the tip of his cock near your entrance, eyeing the other with hunger. Taehyun ingrains the image of you over him in his memory—your parted lips and heaving form contracting when you sink down on him. His pre-cum and yours mix to make such filthy noises, spurring the both of you further. Grinding your hips, you throw your head back as he fondles your tits. You’re quiet, save for the few grunts when the other sneaks his pelvis to meet your ass.

Taehyun really wants to hear you again, wants to see your pretty face when you come on his dick, the pretty squirms you make when he bottoms out from above. So he takes matters into his own hands, shoving you on your back as he rams into you. You throw a hand over your eyes and mouth, and the other is quick to swat them away, pinning them down. “Wanna hear you, pretty.” He rolls his hips really slow, right before slamming them against you. “A-ah Taehyun, don’t—” He pays no attention to your cries, thrusting irregularly. “Don’t what?” You yelp, “Don’t stop—fuck!” His mouth latches onto your throat, littering the skin with love bites as your pussy clamps down on him. “Faster–‘m so close.” You sob, marking his back. Taehyun leaves no room for you to breathe as he pounds into you. “Me too,” he lets out, whining at the feeling erupting from him. His body shoots up in preparation to pull out—but you stop him, heels digging at the plush of his ass. “Don’t. Want you to cum in me.” He’s more than willing to respect your wishes, smirking down at you as your eyes roll in pleasure, drool trickling down your chin. Your back arches off the bed, chest meeting his. He fucks you through your high, pulling you in and letting you bite down on his lips. With one last plunge, he empties himself into you, white liquid displaced as it runs down the entrance of your cunt.

For a while, both of you just stare at the ceiling. Nothing but the sound of your own racing thoughts and the clock ticking are present, until Taehyun breaks the silence. “I’m not your sidekick.”

You sit up, clearing your throat. “I don’t expect you to be.” You reply, tracing the veins on the back of his hand. “We’re a partnership. We need each other.” You pause to look him in the eye, and your breath hitches at the full sight of him post-sex. “I need you.”

He smiles, teeth tugging at his lips to prevent such an action. “I’m still upset about the blood pendant you made without my permission.” You chuckle at his ignorance. “You’re not as knowledgeable as you regard yourself to be?” He’s confused and a bit offended, as indicated by the twitch of his mouth. “I’m sorry, I just meant—the pendant is supposed to help speed up the bonding process between pairs. The mind control thing is just a myth too.” He goes silent, twisting his head away from you. “So earlier, that was,” He trails off, and you finish his thoughts. “Yup, that was all you. If it was true, it would've been illegal, Tyun.” He’s quick to change the topic, watching you settle back down into the covers. “So we have nicknames now?”

“Oh,” You alarm yourself, “Sorry—I just—” He laughs, “It’s fine. Should I call you anything?” Before you’re able to say anything, he interrupts. “I’m not calling you master.” You giggle, nodding. I wasn’t gonna call you that anyway. Tilting his head, he narrows his focus on you. “Noona?” You stare at the ceiling, lips pursed and ignoring the incessant prodding at your sides. “You’re blushing. You like, Noona?”

“Shut up. I thought you said you were, albeit circumstantially, older than me?” Turning back to him, you take in his face as it glimmers in the warm, dim light that emits from the singular candle lamp. “I’m willing to admit I was wrong.” You let out a sound of amusement. “Huh, that’s new.” He rolls his eyes, boring his gaze into yours. It’s slight, but you feel the ravenette wriggle closer, inching his pinky around yours. With that, you intertwine your hand with his, and the both of you gape at one another in silence.

if you saw the original..u didnt

thank you for reading! feedback, reblogs and tags appreciated♡

125 notes · View notes

strawberrystepmom · 1 year ago

Text

pokemon trainer au! gojo x f!reader. reader is a fairy gym leader and satoru is league champion and a flying type trainer. fluffy fluffy. couldn’t have done this without my beloved @moondust-lore so thank you as always nesi 😚 wc 1.5k

part one (you are here), part two, part three

divider by @/cafekitsune

All good adventures start with two rivals.

At least that’s what you’ve been told your entire life, your own mother regaling you with tales of her rival for as long as you can remember, long before your now full grown Lapras was even developed enough to sing her song.

Your Lapras was a gift to you from her rival and your first Pokemon, gifted to you by a man she grew up several houses away from that was once a wide eyed boy with big dreams of opening a Pokémon academy to encourage the study of these creatures in their natural habitats. He successfully opened said academy, you even attended it for several years of your life, but your rival never came along through the years that passed.

The children in your neighborhood paired off quickly, setting their own parameters for their journeys and leaving you on the outside. Your schoolmates paired off and most of them have opened their own gyms, just like you, or settled into other aspects of their lives with or without their rival.

You never really minded and still don’t, though, pleased to enjoy life flat on your back in the grass of the surprisingly large meadow that backs up to your gym, gazing at the clouds floating overhead. A rival isn’t a necessity and you’re glad, honestly, that the stress of having to keep up with someone else is something you have been able to dodge for the most part.

“Hey!”

Until today.

You sit up, brows furrowed, and that’s when you see the man who may very well be the rival you’ve been looking for.

Satoru Gojo, current Pokémon League Champion.

His starlight colored hair flops over his eyes that are covered by glasses but you know what they look like behind the dark frames because they’ve been plastered on every magazine for several months. You know his name, everyone does, and it’s hard to truly imagine why he has come back after your many declinations of his requests to battle.

“Satoru,” you huff, his name leaving your lips with a tinge of amusement as he approaches with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He grins at you and it’s cheeky as it ever has been, glistening teeth tucked between pretty mauve lips and topped with dimples.

Infuriatingly charming and handsome, as always. It isn’t enough to be powerful, he hit the lottery in more ways than one.

“Ah, is that any way to speak to an old friend?”

Snorting, you slowly rise from your spot on the ground to your feet, your beloved Espeon bounding to your side to look up at you quizzically. You shoot a wordless glance in her direction and she wraps her twin tail around your legs, looking between you and the man.

She wonders if today will be the day you give in and finally say yes to his requests for an actual battle. It has been a long time since you’ve utilized her in any sense beyond as a companion and while she doesn’t ache for battle, there are times she wishes you’d push yourself and the rest of your Pokemon a little bit harder. Less leisure, less tenderness, less lazing around.

But she also knows you, her trainer and friend, and knows this is the life you’ve chosen for all of them out of compassion so her eyes flit expectantly in Satoru’s direction while you stroke between her ears.

“We’d be friends if you would learn to take no for an answer but until then we’re just acquaintances.”

You smile and it’s sweet, no bite despite your sassy words, and the man shakes his head. He finds you equal parts fascinating and amusing, the tales of how fiercely you and your team used to battle on your own journey to become a gym leader spurring him in your direction two years ago.

“I didn’t come to ask you to battle today.”

Despite your firm no’s, he keeps coming back for no other reason than being around you. You are refreshing, unaffected by his power and status, something he has longed for since becoming Champion. It’s just you and your companions and he can never shake just how happy all of you look when he stops by impromptu.

“Then what can I do for you?”

He shuffles closer to you and reaches down to run his finger over the velvety ear of your Espeon who remains still as ever, her eyes shutting. You scoff and roll your eyes.

“Don’t mind her, she’s shameless.”

Chuckling, he shrugs and looks around the meadow to spot who else you are spending time with out here. Your Lapras floats on the small pond, blinking slowly in Satoru’s direction. A Grookey ruffles the grass a few feet away from you, ears poking out between pastel colored flowers and your Skitty shakes her tail in his direction, an invitation to play.

It’s so unlike his own former gyms which confirms he made the right decision. The decision? Well, he already anticipates watching your jaw drop before he speaks the words aloud for the first time.

“I’ve decided to vacate my spot as Champion to go and travel.” Your jaw does drop, eyes widening in shock.

“Can you even do that?”

He nods, thumb still pressed to the Espeon’s velvety ear.

“Not without a lot of argument but yes and I’ve already done it so there’s no changing my mind.”

You understand, approaching and placing a hand on his shoulder. The touch isn’t unwelcome and he plays off the pink on the tips of his ears, glancing down at you through white lashes.

“I wouldn’t ever try to change your mind but will you tell me why?”

Gojo sighs and it’s almost concerningly heavy for a man who is so light as air he even partners with Flying type Pokémon specifically. You feel for him, certain the pressures of being Champion can be enough to get even the strongest of them all down, and you keep your hand pressed to his shoulder.

“When I was working toward becoming Champion my focus was so singular I missed out on everything. I only did what had to be done to get here and now I’ve realized I haven’t experienced, well, anything. I want to enjoy the journey and not simply the destination.”

Your heart beats hard in your chest, moved by his honesty. You’ve always been friendly with the man and it’s not a wonder that he’s Champion, he is the strongest, but you do wonder why he came here to tell you this.

“I want you to come with me.”

Breath catching in your throat, you are shocked by the words.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. If anyone can show me how to slow down and enjoy it, it has to be little miss on her back watching the clouds roll by.”

The nickname is a bit of a mouthful but you smile anyway, looking up at him and twisting your mouth to the side.

“Let me ask the council,” you shoot and he nods understandingly, watching you sink to a squat beside your Espeon.

“What do you think?”

She chirps excitedly and you sigh, hoping she’d be on your side for once, but her thirst for adventure is bigger than her loyalty to you by some strange miracle. It has been too long since you and her and your friends have been out on the routes and she hungers to roll around in new grass. You pet her again and nod, rising to standing.

“Okay. I’m sure I’m the last person you asked and the only one to say yes and I’d hate to leave you lonely.” He chuckles and shakes his head. “You were the first and the only one I wanted to ask.”

Espeon chirps again at your feet and you toss her another glance, forgetting how astute your partner truly is despite the separation of Pokemon and human between the two of you.

“I’ll be back in three days to pick you up so make sure you have everything you need.”

Your traitorous heart pounds even harder knowing what’s to come. Traveling, alone, with Gojo sounds undeniably thrilling and you will ponder later when you’re alone what’s to come.

For now, you smile and nod.

“Okay, champ. But know I won’t make the journey easy on you.”

He grins once again, pearly whites gleaming while Grookey hops out of the grass a few feet away from him and clings to his leg, the large man kneeling slightly to pet the creature.

“Which is exactly why I invited you.”

The words are so loaded even you catch the weight and you shuffle from foot to foot, Espeon still wound around your calves. The sun blazes overhead and clouds continue to pass and in an instant you realize that you may not have gained that rival you’ve been dodging but perhaps you’ll yet gain a friend.

“I won’t keep you for any longer but be ready for me, okay?”

You nod and try to hide your grin by tucking your chin against your chest and glancing at the ground below.

Perhaps you’ve gained something more than a friend, even.

#gojo x reader #gojo satoru x reader #kendall writes #pokemon au #I DELETED THE OP LMFAOOOOOOO

340 notes · View notes

nonomives · 2 years ago

Text

Hunt Vs. Hunted AU

(a.k.a Vampire Wally AU)

Meet the cast Part 1 || 2 || 3

Barnaby and Eddie

Home and Doll

Ok so Home may be out of place from the rest and they may look like a picasso rubiks cube object head, but it's for a reason, trust me

Info below

Barnaby ★ Warewolf

Old friend of Wally and Poppy, he was the one who looked out for Wally at his weakest. He was a whole lot different than how he is now, a lot gentler and a lot happier.

In the present, he works under the H.A. as an experimentative soldier out on the hunt for monsters.

Eddie Dear

He's just some soldier. Nothing much known of his past. He joined H.A. for the sole purpose of filling the gaps in his memory. Outside of that, Eddie is fairly competent in what he does, which is mainly patrolling and assisting hunters.

He later on accompanies Howdy as his partner on hunts, gradually becoming the Caterpillar's friend and close companion as time goes on.

HOME ★ ???

Home is a peculiar character, once heavily involved in Wally's past. They are the founder and current head honcho of H.A. with the company's original intention being to look for Wally until it evolved into managing corrupt mythical creatures altogether.

They don't show themselves in public or to just anybody in general, rather passing on the responsibility of relaying orders via Doll.

Doll

Doll is HOME's most loyal servant, being the only who is allowed to be in their presence personally. Want to say something to HOME? Talk to Doll. HOME has an order for you? Doll is there to deliver the message. It got to the point that Doll's face and persona is quite well known in the company, just above Howdy.

She is diligent and quite serious about what she does. She is cheerful in nature but it can often come off as intimidating to others given her affiliations. She doesn't know about it though.

#welcome home #welcome home fanart #welcome home vampire wally AU #welcome home Hunt vs. Hunted AU #welcome home barnaby #barnaby b. beagle #welcome home eddie #eddie dear #welcome home oc #digital art #my art #eeart #nomi arts #and thats the characters done #its kinda funky because i am planning to join the art fight this year too and since the teams are vampires and warewolves #guess what ya girl is gonna pick--

886 notes · View notes

fanofstuff01 · 14 days ago

Note

Happy birthday!! Here have a little something 😁

Lilo and Stitch Au

✨ Christmas Edition ✨

Adam sat on his couch with his coffee and watched the snow fall outside as the twilight of the morning became slowly more grey than black from the cloud covered haze.

Christmas was coming and this year he wouldn't be with his kids..... He was going to miss them so much and that was all he wanted was for them to be here with him around the tree, opening gifts and stuffing their faces full of sweets.

But it wasn't meant to be he guessed....

Lucifer, the heaven born Angel with an attitude problem that was made to come down and be Adams companion slowly made his way from his own room into the living room and paused when he saw Adam sitting there posed to the patio glass slide in doors as if he was watching television.

Lucifer: You're up early.

Adam didn't even flinch when he heard the voice, too used to it by now.

Adam: I never went to sleep. Couldn't.

Lucifer frowned and tried not to roll his eyes, humans complain about a lack of sleep and then willingly don't do the sleep? They were weird and backwards in ways he will never understand.

Lucifer: Oh.

He was just going to grab coffee and go back to his room but something was eating at him to further make sure Adam was okay.

Lucifer walked over and sat beside him with his own mug, he looked out to the falling snow. It was calming and nice.

Adam: I won't see my kids until January.....

Lucifer nodded, he knew that Adams kids meant a lot to him.

Lucifer: How come?

Adam: Their mothers are bitches that's why.

Adam took a breath: The snow just reminds me of when we were together and times were better.

And he wasn't alone.

Lucifer: I'll be here.

Adam: Not that you want to be.

Lucifer winced, okay yeah he's made it clear that he doesn't want to be here period many a time but .......

Everyone deserves a pass on the holidays.

Lucifer: Maybe..... But no one deserves to be alone.

Adam hummed as he took a sip: Thank you Luci.

Lucifer smiled and rolled his eyes: Don't get fucking sappy on me.

Adam smirked: Me? Sappy? Never.

AAHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I WAS CRAVING FOR THIS AU!!

Have a cat!!

Lucifer: You’re a fucking human, that’s you guys’ entire point. Being sentimental over eeverything.

He gave his voice a more dramatic tone making Adam snicker and playfully smack him.

Adam: Oh shut up. Says the guy who threw a hissy fit over not being able to fly anymore.

Lucifer: Hey! Flying means a part of an angels identity, one of the many many things that prove we are leagues above any mortal creatures we’ve created, and what define angels as the righteous hands of God!

Adam rolled his eyes and just went back to his coffee, even when at his “generosity” moments the little bastard still managed to unironically place himself on a pedestal.

And do it theatrically even.

Adam: ..So?

Lucifer: So! It is very much worth getting angry over when you lose it! Because you lose a part of your whole being.

Adam: … Who said my kids aren’t mine?

His voice got lower and his eyes fell back to his coffee, remembering how his kids would suggest they could add marshmallows to their dad’s drink too. And how he’d do just for the sake of them. Cain would always get whenever he didn’t eat it..

The self-praising and slightly arrogant face of Lucifer slowly faded when he saw how silent Adam went again. He almost wanted to audibly groan but only let out a small sigh, why was it this hard to keep humans stable? One moment they would be completely fine and then they’d go all melancholic again.

Irritating. But..

He inhaled a little and got closer to Adam, just for the sake of only this day he could ignore how annoying this creature was.

Lucifer: Soo… Wanna go outside? For a walk or something? I don’t-

Adam’s lips curled with a small smile.

Adam: You just want to play out there in the snow don’t you?

#And sorry for keeping this one for a bit I was just caught up at the ask blog rebellion post lol #adamsapple #lucifer x adam #guitarduck #adam x lucifer #hazbin hotel au #lilo and stitch au

39 notes · View notes

thescarletnargacuga · 6 months ago

Text

TADC ADVENTURE AU ONESHOT

Adventure AU credit: @waffle-gal

A/N: Nothing I have written is confirmed Canon! This was just for funsies!

WARNING: ptsd, some agst/comfort, suggestive at the end

"It's got to be around here somewhere." Caine squinted at the browned paper map in his hands. He twisted it sideways, thinking maybe he would understand the landmarks better at a different angle. It didn't help.

"You've been saying that for the last three hours." Pomni cleared the thick forest brush with a solid swipe of her machete. "Are you sure we're not lost? Again?"

"No, no I'm certain of our heading this time. We just need to uh...continue north. Yes. Due north. The Mystic Grove is suppose to have unusual flora so we'll know it when we see it." Caine held the map upside down, then upright again. "Hey, Bubble." He whispered to his floating companion trailing along beside him. He eyed Pomni, hoping she wouldn't overhear him while she cleared the path. "The N is suppose to face UP, right?"

"Mmmm hmm mm m hmmm" Bubble mumbled. They were carrying Caine's walking stick in their mouth.

"Oop, sorry." Caine took the walking stick back.

"The N looks right both ways up, boss." Bubble said.

"Oh dear..." He glanced at Pomni, fighting a stubborn tree branch. He folded the map and put it in his pocket. It wasn't of any use in his hands. They may as well keep going forward, whatever direction they were really heading in, and find a place to camp soon. The day cycle was starting to wane. "She's going to kill me." Caine sighed, defeated.

Pomni confidently marched onward. When they finally found thinner landscape, she put her machete away and wiped her brow. "Well, I don't recognize any of these trees, so that's something." She took in her surroundings. The vast Wandering Woodlands was lush and heavy with underbrush. It was very easy to get turned around, even with a good sense of direction. A cacophony of woodland creatures and birds made their ambient presence known. Through the gaps in the forest canopy, she could see the towering cliffs of Paradise Outlook. "Hey, isn't there a waterfall from the Outlook that goes down into the Grove? Maybe there's a river we can cross somewhere?" She finally turned to look at Caine. "What's wrong?"

He hung his head shamefully, his hands in his pockets. "I-" A sudden unease coursed through his body. Like static disturbing the air around him, worming its way into his head. His eyes went wide with panic. "Run, Pomni!" He grabbed her hand and charged ahead blindly.

"What is it!? What's wrong!?" Low hanging branches slapped her face as she tried to keep up.

No time to answer. He could feel the disturbance gaining on them. He frantically searched for a place to hide. A large tree ahead was growing out of a boulder, splitting it open. It looked just large enough to cram themselves into. He pulled Pomni into the tight crevice and shoved Bubble to the side, whose shape warped to fit.

"Caine! What-!" She was silence by his hand covering her mouth.

Caine held her close and tried to make both of them fit in the impossibly small space. He didn't say a word. The disturbance was too close.

The trees outside their little hiding spot distorted and glitched. Textures changed rapidly at random. Then they saw it. A massive pixelated mass of corrupted data glided across the ground right in front of them, not making a sound. At least, not to Pomni. Caine could hear it. Feel it. The static vibrating his very being.

Pomni gasped upon seeing the virus, causing it to stop in its path. Her heart raced with panic. She didn't want to know what would happen if it got a hold of Caine a second time. She looked apologetically at Caine, but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring wide eyed into nothing, pure fear in his eyes.

After an agonizingly tense moment, the virus lost interest in its surroundings and moved on. Slowly, the distortions ceased. Pomni carefully removed Caine's hand from her face. "Caine..? Are you okay?"

He was unresponsive, clutching to her like she were his only lifeline in the raging storm of static that had overwhelmed his mind.

Pomni spoke gently in a whisper. "It's gone, Caine. We're safe." She put her hand on the side of his lower jaw. "That thing will never harm you again, I promise."

He finally looked at her and took a shakey breath. "I h-hate that thing. Every time it comes near...I can feel myself being torn from my powers...over and over. It hurts, Pomni." Tears glistened his eyes.

"Caine..." She said his name sympathetically and hugged him. She could feel him trembling, but he calmed with every deep breath. Pomni held him for as long as he needed. A comfortable silence fell between them as the forest came alive with natural sound again after the virus was long gone. Pomni smiled. It was a nice moment, having him in her arms like this.

Caine could finally think clearly again. He had Pomni. That was wonderful. He was holding her. Even more wonderful. They were pressed together in a very private and intimate space. WONDER-wait. He went from feeling great to embarrassed in less than a second. "We should get moving! We're losing daylight!" He tried to get out but they were jammed in tight.

Pomni winced as her side scraped against the boulder. "Ow! Caine! Not so fast! We need to- ow! Get out slow-OW! STOP WIGGLING SO MUCH!"

Caine froze and pressed himself against his side of the crevice as much as possible, but Pomni's entire body was still firmly against him. He felt every move she made, no matter how subtle. He went back and forth in his own head between cursing himself and enjoying the contact. He slammed his mouth shut and waited for the sweet torture to end.

Pomni sighed with relief when she was free of the claustrophobic space. She took a look around. The trees had strange purple moss growing on them facing north. The farther ahead she looked, the green forest turned purple with unique plants and giant fungi. "Hey! I think we found it!" She looked back in time to see Caine fall out of the crevice.

"Really? I mean- Of course! See? I knew we were going the right way." He coughed awkwardly and brushed himself off. "Bubble! Come on, we're moving."

Bubble squeezed out of the hole, regaining their perfect spherical shape. "Right behind you, boss."

The Mystic Grove was everything it was taled to be and more. The tree canopy was so thick, it draped the forest floor in heavy shadow. Fungi colored the base of the trees. Some of the mushrooms were so large, they themselves were the size of trees. The underside of the caps radiated a gentle bioluminescent glow. Glowing spores drifted through the air like lazy fireflies. Runic symbols were carved into various rocks and trees.

"Oh my god..." Pomni said in hushed awe. "This place is amazing."

"I agree!" Caine said excitedly. "This looks like the perfect place to make camp! It's so serene!"

Pomni traced a rune etched into a tree root with her finger. "I don't know, Caine. It looks like-"

"Someone lives here?" A high pitched accented voice came from her right.

Pomni jumped away from the voice and reached for her machete.

"I wouldn't do that if I were ye." A small gold skinned humanoid with pointed ears in simple leather armor stepped forward. "Ye're surrounded. Ye'll drop before you even have the chance to unsheathe yur weapon, lass." Multiple creatures of similar size and color appeared from their hiding spots, aiming arrows and spears at the intruders.

Pomni immediately put her hands up. Caine did so too, but tried to put as much of himself between Pomni and the weapons. Bubble just frog blinked.

"We mean no harm." Pomni spoke first. "We're looking for a place to rest and resupply. We're adventurers. We're just passing through."

"What she said." Caine nodded.

"Adventurers? Why didn't ye say so!" The leader clapped his hands twice and the others lowered their weapons. "Why didn't ye use the gate? That's where everyone else comes into the Grove."

"There's a GATE?" Pomni glared at Caine who shrunk away from her gaze.

"Aye, ye're coming in through the cliff side path. Only our hunters use it."

"Sorry about that. We got a bit LOST." Pomni seethed, Caine flinched.

"No worries, lass. You and yur boyfriend are welcome-"

"Woah! he's not-"

"I'm not her-"

The whole congregation of fae laughed. The leader gave them a look. "Ye're not?" His eyes went from Pomni to Caine and back, then shrugged. "I suppose I don't blame ye. He seems like a bit of a fixer upper anyway."

"Hey!" Caine stomped his foot and flushed with embarrassment.

Pomni suppressed a grin. "You have no idea."

"So, as I was sayin, you and yur companion are welcome to stay in the village, as long as ye pay the toll."

Pomni paled a little. They didn't have a lot of gold on them. "What's the toll?"

"A performance at the Grove Theatre, of course. We value not coin, but stories. Tell and enact an amazing story and ye'll earn a night's stay. If ye wish to stay longer, the more stories ye must tell."

Pomni and Caine looked at each other. They'd been through a lot together. They had plenty of stories to tell. Pomni nodded to the group leader. "Well, You're in luck! We just so happen to be professional performers."

"Are ye, lass? Well, then I look forward to seeing you perform! Maybe the Royal will join with word of professionals." He whispered into his closed fist, and when he opened it, sparkly pink mist flew off ahead.

The group of fae led them down a narrow winding path through the thickest part of the Grove. Pomni and Caine, being much larger, had to squeeze in between close trees and stones. Pomni was incredibly sick of small spaces at this point.

They came to a clearing in the center of the Grove. A stream wound itself around the roots of an enormous, majestic tree. It towered over every other tree they'd ever seen in the expansion. The tree had cottages and bridges all over its branches, with windows dotting the trunk. Colorful fairy lights lit the path to a small bridge over the stream and into a gap in the base of the tree that was the village entrance.

The inside of the tree was just as breathtaking. Warm light from gold fungus lit the interior. Staircases spiraled along the inside of the trunk, leading to businesses and homes. On the ground floor, taking up most of the space, was a grand amphitheater.

Residents of the tree watched their tall visitors curiously. Many started coming down the stairs to gather around in front of the theater. This included one particular fae in androgynous royal attire. They clapped excitedly. "Welcome travelers, to Eldermoor Village of Mystic Grove! It's been so long since we've had visitors, this is most exciting!" They had literal sparkles in their eyes. "I am Royal Lylien, supreme leader of the GoldMoors."

Pomni bowed to show respect, and Caine mimicked her. "Thank you for greeting us in person, your majesty." Pomni said, a bit nervous.

"Yeah! This is a cool tree you have here!" Caine blurted out.

Lylien giggled. "Why, thank you. The Eldermoor has protected my people for generations. It's roots are older than time and it's bark is stronger than any magic." The crowd nodded reverently. "Now, before I welcome you further, there is business at hand."

"Yes, the ones that brought us here said their was a toll. You want us to tell a story?" Pomni said.

"You'll do more than just TELL a story. You will perform it!" With a wave of the Royal's hand, the theater came to life. Residents filed into the rows of seats until it was standing room only.

"Oh! You- you mean right now?" Pomni gulped.

"Of course, professionals such as yourself should have no trouble. Trust the stage." The Royal said with a smile. "The toll must be paid before further business can be discussed, as is our custom. Head backstage. You're on shortly." They walked away towards an ornate chair on a private balcony.

"Oh no..." Pomni's stomach flipped with a sudden rush of nerves. Not even time to practice? You had to have a full story ready to go off the cuff?

Caine was beaming. "Come on, Pomni! We have to get ready to perform! The audience is waiting!" He pulled her by the arm to the stage were a young Goldmoor showed them were to get ready. "Alright." Caine clasped his hands together. "What do we want to tell them? Maybe the one about the haunted mines in the Badlands Abyss! Or maybe escaping the collapsing temple on Paradise Outlook! OH! Or the time you fought the raging troll in the dark part of the Woodlands!" He could hardly contain his excitement.

"All of those sound good, but this is the story that's supposed to grant us access to the village. They won't let us stay here if it's not impressive enough." Pomni shrugged. She really wasn't sure what metric of storytelling these these people held, but she wanted to leave an impression. "What about...the beginning?"

"Could you elaborate?"

"The beginning of all of this. What sent us on our quest to begin with. That's an epic tale unto itself."

Caine fiddled with his fingers. "You're right. The tragedy of a fallen leader. It's downright Shakespearean."

"You don't seem thrilled."

"I..." He had to swallow his pride. "To relive the consequences of my own hubris... I need something from you, Pomni."

"Name it."

He held out his hand to her. "Be the heroine of my story."

Pomni smiled warmly and took his hand. "Why do you think I'm here? To look pretty?" She joked.

"You always look pretty, no matter the circumstance, but since you're here..." He teased.

She blushed lightly. "You drive a hard bargain..."

He took her other hand. "Only because I know you can do it, Pomni. You're smart, resourceful, and brave, on top of being beautiful. You are the perfect woman for the job."

Her blush darkened. He was staring so fervently into her eyes. "This... is still about the performance, right?"

He choked on his words. Right. The performance. He forgot. "Uh-"

"One minute call! You're on in one minute!" A Goldmoor called from another part of the backstage area.

Caine and Pomni startled from the interruption, letting go of each other's hands. Caine grabbed his walking stick from the zoned out bubble behind him. "Well, it looks like we're on. What do you say? Are you ready to wing the absolute pants off of this performance?"

Pomni smiled. "With you? Absolutely."

The house lights dimmed and a hush fell over the audience. A spotlight came on over center stage in front of the closed curtain. Pomni stepped out and the crowd applauded.

"Today we tell a tale so grand. A once great Ringmaster of an ever amazing circus fallen from grace by his own hand. Now walking among us as a god become man. But as he sees life from perspective anew, perhaps there is more to this digital existence than he thought he knew." Pomni bowed and the curtains opened behind her.

The stage came alive on its own, building itself to her words. A background that resembled the circus came to be. Neither one of them knew this would happen, but they had no choice but to roll with it. They could be in awe later.

Caine entered stage left. "I am Caine, Ringmaster of the Amazing Circus! With a snap of my fingers reality itself bends to my will!" He snapped his fingers, and for a moment, it was like he had his powers back. A prop on stage transfigured into a different object. The audience ooo'ed. Caine could work with this. He confidently stepped up as if to fly, but fell on his face. The audience laughed.

Pomni covered her mouth, not just from shock, but to cover up her smile. "Perhaps the Ringmaster forgot to speak all of his amazing power into existence! Like the fact that he could fly!"

Caine quickly got up. "That's right!" Because Pomni spoke it into existence for him, he could now fly. For the first time in what felt like forever, he lifted off the ground effortlessly. It was so good to feel weightless again. He did a few aerial tricks for the audience and earned more applause.

Pomni let him have his moment. People were cheering for him and he was practically radiant with happiness. She sighed with a smile as she gazed at him and almost missed her cue when Caine was done showing off. "But! It was not to last!" She announced. "For an evil was brewing!" The stage darkened. The background grew sinister. "A shapeless monster with it's very existence having devastating effects on the world around it, made itself known!" With her words, the virus appeared. Or rather, what the stage formed from Pomni's words. The audience screamed in horror. "The evil one threatened the circus and all who lived there! But Caine dismissed the threats!"

Caine cleared his voice. "None could challenge me! I am the Master of this realm! I will purge this horrid crime against nature with a snap of my fingers!" He snapped.

"...But nothing happened." Pomni continued. "The beast was beyond his influence, for it wasn't part of the realm he so covetously controlled. The beast attacked."

The virus stand-in lunged at Caine. He flew out of the way and tried snapping again. "I command you to stop! All heed the word of Caine!" The beast roared in response. The audience was on the edge of their seats.

Pomni braced herself as she watched what she knew was coming next. " The terrible beast tore power from his soul, cleaving the spirit and breaking the mind. Thusly, Caine fell to earth."

The beast engulfed Caine. He screamed in agony as the viral code pierced him like a thousand needles. He fell to the stage with an unceremonious thud. The beast loomed like an angry stormcloud over him. Caine's power enriching it to impossible strength. The audience gasped and screamed.

Pomni rushed on stage and helped Caine stand, holding his arm over her shoulders. "With his power, the beast was truly unstoppable. The only choice was to flee." She helped him sit on a log that appeared as the stage changed scenes. The beast vanished. "Caine and his companions travel the land, searching far and wide for the means to defeat the great beast. From the Badlands to the Outlook, there is no rock they won't look under for answers."

Caine stood and rolled his shoulders, shaking off the fall. "And in those travels..." He takes Pomni's hands and interlaces their fingers. "Caine finds something worth more than power and control. He finds true companionship. Feelings of connection and desire he didn't know he was capable of until the blindfold of absolute power was removed." The audience aww'ed.

Pomni stuttered a little but went a long with him. "And, for the first time, Caine realized he didn't need his power to be great. He already was." The audience aww'ed even more.

Caine's eyes softened as he gazed at Pomni lovingly. "The heroine of our tale didn't slay the monster or steal back the power...no, she did something far greater. She showed him what real love was." He pulled Pomni in and dipped her romantically. They leaned in close and stage kissed. The audience lost their minds. They were on their feet, cheering and applauding.

Caine pulled Pomni back up and they bowed. They looked up to the Royal's private balcony and bowed to them again. The Royal has tears in there eyes and were on their feet as well. They conjured a flower and threw it at the stage. The crowd followed suit and the stage was covered in flowers.

Caine picked up a pink and purple flower and presented it to Pomni. She held it to her chest as they did a final bow and then exited stage left, hand in hand.

"THAT WAS INCREDIBLE! YOU WERE AMAZING OUT THERE!!" Caine jumped for joy.

"So were you! Did you see what the stage was doing!? And that scream was gutwrenching! It didn't really hurt you, did it?" Pomni checked him for puncture wounds

"Nope! Didn't feel a thing! It was all an act. But I dug down deep for that one. I really needed it. Felt cathartic." He took a deep breath. "So, shall we go talk to the Royal?"

They came out to even more applause. The audience had barely thinned and swarmed them when they came out from backstage with praise and questions about the story. The crowd only parted when the Royal and their guards made their way to Caine and Pomni.

"Very, VERY well done. What an amazing display of talent from our new friends. In fact, that story was so impactful that you are welcome here at my behest for as long as I am supreme ruler."

"Wow! Thank you very much." Caine said.

"Members of my guard with show you to your accommodations. Do enjoy your stay, friends of Eldermoor." The Royal nodded their head and walked away with their personal guards.

The crowd dispersed more but many still wanted to gawk at the newcomers. A town guard signaled for Caine and Pomni to follow him and he led them up the endless stairs towards the canopy.

By the time they reached the top, Pomni and Caine were out of breath and crawling up the last few steps. The guard wasn't winded in the slightest. He knocked and the door to a residence opened on its own. "Here. This place is yours by order of the Royal." He walked away without further explainion.

Caine and Pomni were still huffing and puffing from the climb. "Holy [%$!#] that was a lot of stairs." Pomni gasped. Her legs felt like noodles.

"I have never missed my ability to fly more in my life. Do you think I could negotiate to at least get that back?" Caine half joked as he followed Pomni inside the residence.

The place was cozy. Large enough for them to stand up straight inside and move around without constantly tripping over things. There was one problem. There was only one bedroom.

"Oh, dear. I guess they bought our love speech a little too much." Caine smiled to himself.

Pomni shrugged. "I can take the couch."

"Wha- absolutely not! Call me an old-fashioned A.I, but I won't let you be the one who takes the couch. You deserve to have that bed all to yourself." He crossed his arms.

"Ha! As if you could stop me."

They locked eyes in a playful glare. She took off and dove for the couch. He caught her from behind and lifted her off her feet.

"Ah! No! Lemme go! That couch is mine!" She smiled.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" He couldn't hide the laugh in his words.

He took her back into the bedroom and tossed her on the bed. "And stay there!"

"Make me!" She got up and tried to rush passed him.

He grabbed her again and this time he got on the bed with her and held her down. "Stay!"

"Okay." She smiled mischievously up at him and watched his face slowly realize what he'd done. Just like with the hiding situation earlier that day, it hadn't dawned on him right away the situation he was getting himself into.

"You did this on purpose."

"Nooooo, me? I would never." Her voice was so heavily laced with sarcasm, even he couldn't miss it. "I'm having fun with you, Caine. All this 'will you, won't you' gets tiring. Sometimes, you need a push."

"But, I'm not your- I mean, you've never- we never-"

"Caine....you always seem at war with yourself over me. Let me tell you right now: I care about you. You are special to me. And besides, do you really think I can't hear all the things you say under your breath to yourself?"

He looked away, ashamed of himself. "Right..."

"...you're also still on top of me."

Caine's eyes went wide and he looked down at her. "Sorry!" He jumped off of her and fell to the floor.

Pomni slid off the bed and sat on the floor next to him. "I didn't say you had to stop."

Caine shut his teeth and curled up in a ball.

"Caine...you're being ridiculous. Do you believe me when I tell you I really like you?"

He nodded.

"Then what's the issue?"

"You deserve better." He mumbled.

She scoffed. "Better? What could be better than catching the favor of the ringmaster?"

"...someone human."

She cupped the side of his teeth and made him turn towards her. She tapped gently. "Open up." He cracked his teeth so she could just see his eyes. "Caine, when I started to realize how I felt towards you, I asked myself the same question. How am I falling for an A.I? And you know what I figured out?"

"Hm?" He braced himself for bad news.

"I doesn't matter."

His mouth opened more. "It doesn't?"

"No. In a world where the limit is my own imagination... Why couldn't I fall in love with the most amazing person I've ever met? A.I. or not." She took his hand in both of hers and looked him dead in the eyes. "I love you, Caine."

His pupils dilated and his mouth opened all the way. His eyes searched hers and found only truth. He couldn't help but tear up a little. "You know...I wasn't kidding about what I said during the play. I meant every word. Even if I never get my powers back, I have you. I love you too, Pomni. With every pixel of my being. I love you."

She leaned in and kissed his bottom teeth, it was short and sweet. He gasped and felt where she kissed him.

"What? Afraid I left a mark?" She laughed.

He smirked at her. "No, I'm just surprised you gave me permission so quickly."

"Permission to do what?"

"Return the favor." He scooped her up and threw her on the bed in one surprisingly fast motion. Sometimes she forgot how strong he was, even without his powers. He tackled her on the bed and kissed her. Then he kissed her again. And again. And again.

They didn't get much sleep that night.

#the amazing digital circus #tadc #tadc pomni #tadc caine #tadc fanfiction #tadc showtime #tadc au #the amazing digital adventure #suggestive

67 notes · View notes

adrift-in-thyme · 7 days ago

Note

For a Fic request maybe the Fairy Time AU, and either how people in his own era react to him being a Fairy. Or Time, Four and Hyrule being the small squad

Tysm for the request!! I included a bit of both prompts, but leaned much more heavily into the second.

CW for blood and injury, horror elements (think redeads), and harm to an animal

————————————————-

Some things, Time has learned, are easier when one is small.

There is so much about this form that dredges up fear within his heart, so much that makes him feel the utmost vulnerability. There is a large part of the world that looks upon him, with his delicate wings and tiny form, and sees not a creature of beauty, but a creature of power and blood.

Even those in his own time are not above it. He has learned that the hard way. Agony and entrapment are cruel teachers.

However, it is not all a clouded array of doom and gloom. He is grateful for his fae form, proud of it. It allows him to heal, to bless, to watch over his brothers….

To feel even the slightest bit closer to the little one he lost so very long ago.

And there are moments, such as this, when his thankfulness grows even greater.

If his veins did not run thick with the blood of a fairy, he could not help to save his cub now.

The bars of the cage are so thick that when he positions himself facing one, he cannot see the opposite side. Despite this, the contraption itself is small, much too small for a large wolf such as Twilight. He curls within it, cramped, miserable. His gray fur is matted with dried blood. It seals his left eye shut.

Anger had boiled hot within him when Time first laid eyes upon the scene. Now, it remains, heavy and thick. Only, fear has deigned to join it. Together, they make for a nauseating mix.

He does his best to school his expression into something vaguely comforting. He has never, however, been skilled at cloaking his emotions.

This cage, magically enchanted as it is, can only be opened by the special key assigned to it. And that key is hidden within the bowels of this dark, dank place, filled with shadows and sinister beings.

“The only way to reach it,” Twilight murmurs, voice hoarse and wavering, “is through there.”

He lifts a heavy head, nods toward a gap hewn into the wall. Misshapen rocks frame the outpouring of endless black. Their jagged forms turn it minuscule. Time doubts that even a mouse could slip easily past its borders.

It is lucky, then, that fairies and Minish are smaller even than mice.

He reaches out a hand, lays it upon Twilight’s nose. There is guilt in those eyes of deepest blue. Remorse for requiring the aid of others.

It is a characteristic of the hero, Time thinks, solemnly, to wish to never burden another.

“We will find it, cub,” he says, softly. “I promise.”

Then, he turns to his companions. He is fortunate to have chosen them to accompany him in this search — even more so, when Four immediately begins to formulate a plan.

“Two of us should go after the key.” He holds a hand to his chin, head cocked, eyes sharp. “If they want our rancher’s magic, then they are obviously skilled to have noticed its importance in the first place. That group will need back up.”

“Indeed.” Time nods. “And the one remaining can stay back here, in case they return in the meantime.”

“I can go after the key,” Hyrule pipes up. There is determination in his eyes. “I’ve done stuff like this before. I’m good at navigating tunnels.”

Four looks at Time. “You should go with him. I know you want to protect Twilight, but Hyrule will need your strength so he can focus on navigation. Trust me — ” He sets a hand on Time’s arm. “— I’ll keep him safe.”

Time does not doubt the smithy’s ability in the slightest. Still, he cannot help the trepidation he feels as he turns away and slips into the tunnel after Hyrule.

It is far darker within than he had realized from the outside. Tinier, too. The stone brushes at the tips of his wings, seeming to cave in around him. The faint glows he and the traveler emit are an immense comfort in the clawing dimness.

No creatures meet them along the way, save for a few stray beetles who lack any interest in the activities of two fairies. Time clutches his sword, regardless. He cannot help the tension that grips him. A persistent feeling of wrongness has taken root ever since they began their journey. And as they move toward a flickering light at the end, it grows stronger.

They come out into a room that could very well be a dungeon cell. Illuminated solely by two torches, it is engulfed in sharp shadows and murky magic. Five beings with human-like form rest around a gleaming treasure chest. Dark hoods are pulled over their heads.

Time fights against the urge to take a step back.

“Ugh,” Hyrule whispers, holding a hand to his mouth, “they smell like…”

“Suffering.”

It is the only word he can find to attach to these creatures of darkness. Their scent is akin to the redeads that had haunted his Hyrule after its fall. He wonders if, perhaps, these are related to them somehow.

Neither hero wishes to venture into those dark depths. Yet, they go anyway. Softly, quietly, cautiously…

But not enough.

The creatures stir as they flit past, rapidly approaching the chest. One reaches out a clawed, emaciated hand and with dreadful speed, snatches at the air. Hyrule only just evades capture.

Its fellows rise now on legs that tremble beneath their cloaks. Screams well in their throats. Beady eyes pierce the darkness. They harbor pure terror within them.

Time swallows, hard.

“Go!” He hisses to Hyrule. “Get the key! I’ll distract them.”

A worried look flashes across Hyrule’s face. But he obeys. Time turns away.

His blade would do more damage if he were human. But to evade the reach of these monsters in such a cramped space, he must be diligent and quick.

Grand wings beat the air, as he ducks, swooping downward to evade their vicious swings. In circles, he races, slashing fast and deadly at shadowy wrists and throats. Though these creatures seem immaterial in the lack of light, they are anything but.

They screech, they flail. They gnash their teeth and grab at him, so fast he feels the wind of imminent contact.

The scent of their fury is pungent in the room. The blows he deals will not be enough to slay the dead. But that was never the plan.

When they are distracted enough by the pain of thousands of tiny cuts, Time flits just out of reach. Quickly, he brings his ocarina to his lips. Quickly, he plays a melody.

Just as Hyrule holds up the key, light floods the room. Screeching fills his ears as the beasts freeze beneath its glorious embrace.

“Hurry!”

The two heroes rush towards the gap, speed down the passage. They are well on their way, when the light fades and releases the monsters.

Their screams echo behind them.

No sooner have they fled the darkness, than Hyrule throws the key to Four. The smithy catches it and fits it into the lock.

Twilight stumbles upward; Time allows his wings to fade, at last. And with his cub in his arms and those cursed creatures behind, they race towards safety and the brightness of day.

#trin writes #fic requests #linkeduniverse #linked universe #lu time #lu hyrule #lu twilight #lu four #angst #whump #fairy time au

26 notes · View notes

sagesparrow394 · 12 days ago

Text

I’ve decided to start rewatching Doctor Who from 9 onwards, and it got me thinking about q!Tubbo and Sunny’s whole planned time travel arc that never came to fruition

And now im just devising a QSMP/Doctor Who AU where Tubbo is the Doctor, and Sunny is a little girl who he meets while doing an investigation into some sightings he’s heard about nearby of something that seems distinctly alien. Sunny had snuck out to meet some friends but got lost on her way home, and asks this mysterious man (who she quickly decides not to call ‘the Doctor’, that’s silly, and since he won’t say his real name, she gives him the name Tubbo) to help her find her way and walk her home.

And hey, even if Tubbo is busy, he can’t really leave a lost kid alone, can he? He walks Sunny home to a pretty small flat, where he meets Sunny’s pop, Charlie. Charlie is very thankful that Tubbo brought her back home safe and sound (he gives Sunny a stern talking to about sneaking out to see her friends without saying anything), and invites Tubbo to stay for dinner as a thank you.

Tubbo figures okay, a free meal and then back to his investigation. But through the evening, he picks up on a few things that hint to him that Charlie may not be all that he seems, that he may not even be human… There’s some small things, like how he speaks with an American accent despite claiming he was born and grew up here in London - almost like an alien who doesn’t understand how earth accents work, and taught themselves how to speak English from movies. Other things are much more stand-out, like him offhandedly mentioning something about ‘shapeshifting’, before awkwardly and unconvincingly explaining ‘oh that’s what I call my gender transition aha’. Tubbo begins to think maybe the alien he’s been looking for might be right here…

So Tubbo comes back later that night, parking the Tardis outside of the block of flats as he sneaks into Charlie and Sunny’s. However, he’s met with sounds of a struggle. He follows them to Charlie’s bedroom, where, good news, he sees that Charlie is absolutely an alien, as he is now in a bright green form of pure slime.

Bad news, it seems someone else got to Charlie first: a strange creature, a human-like body covered in white fur, with the head and paws of a bear. It has a completely blank face; no eyes, no nose, no mouth. It has Charlie, who is unconscious, slung over its shoulder. It stares at Tubbo for a moment - before pressing a strange device on its wrist and disappearing, taking Charlie with it.

While wracking his brain, trying to think if he’s seen those bears before, Tubbo goes to Sunny’s room and shakes her awake.

“Huh…? Tubbo? What are you doing here?”

“Uh, bad news, your pop’s been kidnapped by an alien.”

“What?!”

“Good news, you’ve got the one guy in the universe here who can find him.”

Sunny, very confused, gets quickly changed out of her pyjamas and into some proper clothes, before following Tubbo outside. She struggles to believe any of what he’s rambling on about - her pop is a slime alien? A weird bear took him? - until she steps into the Tardis.

And so, Sunny becomes the Doctor’s new companion, she and Tubbo travelling throughout all of time and space in the hopes of finding her pop, developing their own kind of father-daughter relationship along the way. And wherever they go, those same faceless bears as well as the phrase ‘The Federation’ keeps lurking, more people getting kidnapped across the universe…

#qsmp #q!tubbo #qsmp sunny #q!slimecicle #qsmp au #tubbo #slimecicle #doctor who

27 notes · View notes

grandlinedreams · 1 year ago

Text

[heads up!: vague au setting, vampire!law, mentions of blood and blood drinking, cursing, there will be a part 2 to this]

He's hungry.

Normally that isn't a problem for Law, because he knows a work-around, tried and true ㅡ in the form of small white tablets that he drops into water, watches dissolve into watery red and downs without a second thought.

Far from the best tasting thing, but it works well enough to curb the burn in his gums, the insistent hunger that makes his eyes glow a vivid gold at the height of it.

But he doesn't have any tablets on him, hasn't made them in ages ㅡ because there'd been an issue with distribution of an ingredient he needs for them, and now he hasn't eaten in weeks.

He knows what Corazon will say, suggesting he find someone to feed off of ㅡ like it's the easiest thing in in the world. As if Law isn't a creature of myth, damned to the shadows and lurking at the corner of nightmares.

He's worked too hard to conceal himself and what he is to throw it away like that ㅡ no matter how tempting it truly is. He takes pride in the fact that it's gotten easier to explain away the pallor of his skin, the dark shadows beneath his eyes ㅡ he works the night shift at this clinic, and nobody asks. Nobody wants this shift, anyways.

The problem with not eating as of late, however, is the constant wear on his ever thinning restraint. The nastier of cases always seem to come in at night ㅡ consequences of drunken antics. Broken noses, shredded skin. The more severe are always cleaned up and shipped off to the hospital, because there's only so much they can do here. (There's also only so much he can take of the seemingly boundless stupidity that plagues this town's people, too.)

At least tonight has been slow ㅡ slow enough that he'd managed to convince his coworkers to leave with the promise of contacting them if he needs them. Now he has no company outside of the tinny strains of music and low hum of electricity, watching the dull glow of headlights thrown against the waiting room walls.

And then there's a set of headlights that slow to a crawl, blazing before they dim with the low purr of an engine stopping. Law sits up, listens for car doors opening (two. the driver side, and then the passenger) and shutting in tandem before looking up as the sliding doors give a hiss of pressurized air.

"Oh thank god." The speaker is a blonde man that reminds him a little of Corazon, unlit cigarette in his mouth wobbling as he speaks. "You can help, can't you?"

Depends, Law wants to say, but knows he needs to work on his bedside manner, because not everyone has the same flavor of humor that he does. So he nods instead. "I can certainly try. What seems to be the problem?"

Blonde man's visible blue eye flicks to his companion, and Law finally takes in how pale you are, the kitchen towel that's wrapped tightly around your forearm. Blonde man goes to unwrap it, and Law finally catches the sweet, delicious scent of blood.

"Wait." He says, tone sharper than he means to be as he backpedals, "Tell me what happened first." He definitely doesn't need you bleeding to death in the waiting room.

"It was an accident," you say, "and I think Sanji's being dramatic about it. I'll be fine." There's a haze to your eyes that makes Law think that Sanji is absolutely right in bringing you in, and that you're trying to downplay the severity of it ㅡ especially now that he can see the dark seep of blood into the kitchen towel.

He clenches his jaw, never more grateful for the mask that covers his mouth as he is now with the prominent burn of his gums and muted, answering growl of his stomach. He's so hungry and you've walked in like a goddamn buffet.

"I'll have to take a look at it and see if we need to call an ambulance to take you to the hospital," he says, and you blanch.

"Is that necessary?"

Sanji gives you a fierce look for him. "Do you want to die?"

"Still think you're being dramatic," you mumble, but it doesn't take a sharp eye to see that you're struggling to remain upright. Law reaches for the check-in sheet, placing it on a clipboard with a pen and pushes it to Sanji.

"I trust you can fill this out for them? I'll take them back and get an assessment done." He's on his feet and around the desk before you can blink, gripping your shoulders with surprising strength.

"Don't need your help."

He raises an eyebrow. "You want the wheelchair instead? I don't need to add head trauma to your chart if you pass out on me." That shuts you up, and he steers you through the double doors, watches you squint against the harsh lighting.

"Sit." He guides you to the examination bed, thin paper crinkling beneath you. Perching himself in the chair, he slides to a stop in front of you. "Let's take a look."

He's mindful as he peels the towel away, clicks his tongue in sympathy when you hiss as he pulls the towel away completely, pretending he doesn't want to pull his mask down and lick his gloved fingers clean of your blood.

He turns to grab a handful of gauze and the squeeze bottle of distilled water, ignores the watery red drip that puddles on the floor as he cleans your arm.

"How you haven't passed out is beyond me," he remarks as he examines the laceration, prodding carefully to see just how deep it goes. "But you're lucky."

You find it in yourself to scoff. "And how's that?"

"Still alive, aren't you?" Sharp gold eyes meet yours. "And you'll get to go home with just some stitches." With his hold on your arm, he can feel you stiffen.

"Stitches?" If possible, your face goes even paler. "I don't do stitches."

He raises an eyebrow. "Something like this won't just go away," he says, "and it'll take even longer to heal if left like this. Stitches areㅡ"

"No," you cut in. "No stitches."

Law's brow knits. Do you have some personal vendetta against stitches? True, they've never been a favorite of his either especially with how they itch while they heal. And if it's the application of them that you're worried about, he's good at them, hands steady and swift.

"I don't care what you do," you tell him, jaw set and eyes surprisingly clear now even for the blood loss, "but no stitches."

He hates the immediate solution that comes to mind. But it's two birds with one stone, even with the alarm bells going off in his head. It's a bad idea ㅡ a really bad idea. But he's so hungry, and you don't want stitches.

"I have another idea," he says slowly, still weighing his options, the mental flip of a coin. He's going to regret this if it goes sideways, but it's all he can think of at the moment. "But you need to trust me. And not tell anyone."

This time, it's you who raises an eyebrow, expression wary. "Okay? As long as it isn't stitches, I really don't care."

Law takes a deep breath, steeling himself before he tugs his mask down. He feels the descent of his fangs, the weight of them in his mouth as he tugs your arm closer.

"Remember what I said," he tells you as you watch him in growing confusion, "you can't tell anyone about this."

You don't scream, and part of him wonders if blood loss is finally taking its toll on you and you'll think that this is some kind of resulting delirium. Whatever you want to believe, so long as it keeps him out of trouble. The sink of his fangs into your skin makes you hiss, his grip tightening to keep you from flinching away as he waits for the numbing quality of his saliva to kick in. When you finally sigh and relax, he eases up.

And then he licks your wound. The glide of his tongue is slow and intentional, cleaning the beading of fresh blood from it and biting back a groan of satisfaction. Part of him notes now that the wound is too straight and precise to be a true accident, but he can't bring himself to pull away and demand a detailed answer because you taste so much better than those damn tablets.

The first swallow is rough, the tang of your blood on his tongue intoxicating ㅡ and then he takes another, and another.

Law knows he can't take too much from you, aware that you've already lost quite a bit but is still reluctant as he retracts his fangs. Another slow lick along the length of it finishes the job, and Law moves to clean residual blood before he wraps it in clean white bandage.

"There we go," he announces, watches the slow, sleepy blink of your eyes ㅡ and determines that even though it's still a gamble, you won't be telling anyone what you just witnessed. "Good as new."

"Thanks, doc." Your speech is slurred, and he wonders if he did take too much. But you're steadier than he expects when he helps you to your feet, letting him guide you back through the doors to where Sanji is waiting.

"All patched up," he reports, "just let us know if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Fever in the localized area or full body temperature, increased pain or if it starts weeping."

"Thanks," Sanji answers, handing him the clipboard in exchange for you, and Law watches the two of you leave, listening for the sound of car doors and the purr of the engine.

It's only once you're gone that what he's done fully hits him, guilt in the place of hunger. What was he thinking? Had he been thinking at all?

"How are you feeling?" Sanji's question makes you roll away from where you've been counting streetlamps, prompting you to sit up.

Clearly not. He hisses a low curse, reaching into his pocket for his phone. He needs to call Corazon, see if they need to run damage control.

ㅡ

"Like crap," you tell him flatly, "next time Zoro suggests something like this, how about he does it."

"You didn't have to cut so deep."

You pinch the bridge of your nose. "Hush," you say, and he waits for you to continue. "Intel was right, though. Definitely a vampire."

Sanji rolls down the window, exhaling a cloud of smoke from the cigarette he'd finally lit while waiting for you. "Think he suspected anything?"

You reach for the neat bandaging of your arm. Unraveling it to expose smooth, unbroken skin, you're momentarily grateful that the thin, looping scars are spiderweb thin and invisible to anyone not trained to look for them. "No," you answer, studying where the laceration had been, "I don't think he did."

#ㅡmine.#one piece x reader #one piece scenario #trafalgar law x reader #law x reader #–ml: law.#it wouldn't leave me be til I wrote it so enjoy!

166 notes · View notes

treasure-goblin · 11 months ago

Text

Lu Elementary School AU

Lunch With The Minish (ft. Four and Warriors)

Lunch had been, for lack of a better term, a disaster.

Wars sighed sadly as his stomach growled and hugged his knees to his chest. Cia had taken his lunch again, and he had lied to Time and said he had eaten quickly so he could play outside more. Instead, the 4th grader was sitting in a far corner of the playground, waiting for the bell to call him in. It was good it wasn't Wednesday, he supposed. He couldn't stay late and tutor Legend on an empty stomach.

Small footsteps caused him to look up, blue eyes blinking up at the kid in front of him.

“...you're here to feed the Minish, too?” The little boy asked. The kids' ID was yellow, meaning he was in 2nd grade.

“No. No, sorry.” Warriors said, going to stand up. “I was just waiting here, sorry.” He dusted his pants off and straightened his blazer and tie, nervously.

“You say sorry a lot.” The kid mused, kneeling down on the grass and setting down the paper towel he had in his hands. Inside the paper towel was a couple cookies, chocolate chip, and the kid started breaking the first one into pieces. “You can stay, I don't care.”

“I don't want to bother you…” Warriors said, but made no effort to leave. He stood over the kid as he finished breaking up the first cookie, then started taking the little pieces and placing them in the bushes. “What…what are you doing with the cookies?”

The kid gave him a look, then shrugged. “Feeding the Minish.” He repeated. Warriors nodded.

“Oh, the Minish.”

A moment went by.

“What are the Minish, exactly?”

The younger kid sighed and waved him closer, pointing to the little fairy houses Warriors had not seen before.

“The Minish are little creatures that only kids can see. And you have to be good, too.” The kid explained, sitting up again. “I bring them treats and tell them stories during lunch and recess, and they bring me little things like buttons or feathers.”

Warriors wasn't sure how much he believed that, but his grandmother has told him it was wrong to tear down someone's imagination.

“Oh, I see.” He replied, studying the little houses curiously. “Did you make these? You did a good job. They look cool!”

“Yup! All by myself.” The kid puffed up with pride, then took the final cookie and broke it in half, offering one half to Warriors. “Here, the Minish like to share, and since you're my friend now I'm sharing with you, too.”

Warriors blinked in surprise but took the cookie. He didn't know making friends was that easy. The two ate their cookies and sat in companionable silence till the bell rung.

“I'm Warriors. What's your name?” The 4th grader asked eventually.

“I'm Four.” The kid nodded, sticking his hand out for a shake. Warriors shook his hand, smiling a bit at the odd name. It suited the kid.

The two walked back to their classes, and didn't see each other for the rest of the school day, but Wars found he wasn't as hungry as he normally was.

He liked the Minish, he decided. And he liked his new friend.

Masterlist

Divider by @/cafekitsune

#lu elementary au #lu modern au #linked universe modern au #modern au #cal writes #goblin writes #warriors elementary au #four elementary au

62 notes · View notes

witchyleehibernates · 2 months ago

Text

Johnny with his Cerberus, Ember

Johnny had been in the lot when he received his egg, and when it had hatched. A tiny little three headed puppy had fallen from the egg, surprisingly Johnny who had been trying to start a fire in the tiny fire pit he’d created on nights that Ponyboy wanted to lay with him for a while. He’d turned around, spotting the tiny three headed dog and cooed, catching its attention. The tiny Cerberus knew immediately that Johnny was its person. The two of them curled up by the fire, and the next day, Johnny carefully carried the broken egg shell and cradled the puppy (who stumbled every time it walked) all the way to the Curtis house; Ponyboy had been the first person to meet Johnny’s Cerberus.

He named his Cerberus ‘Ember’, since there had only been embers in the fire when the Cerberus had hatched and it was the only thing Johnny could think of. Ember is also a girl, and she is so very protective of Johnny (and a bit of Ponyboy since Johnny is also protective of Ponyboy). He nearly named her ‘Ash’, but thought Ember fit better. It was only in the morning after did he realize ‘Ash’ would have fit better, given the ashy dark coat of fur on her. However, once she’s three years old, she can control her body temperature and produce heat that makes her coat look like the ashes and embers of a fire. She also looks like that when she’s pissed off (you’ll know she’s pissed off because she’ll be growling, she is not quiet).

She is very playful with the other companions, especially when she’s young and can jump on them and not hurt them (when she learns how to control her size, she goes back to being extremely playful), and she loves to curl up with Sparks (Sodapop’s Raiju) or Zephyrus (Darry’s Gryphon). Sometimes she could be found following and trying to trip Zero (Steve’s Undead Shadow Skeletal Horse).

Ember grows big enough to curl around Johnny when he’s sleeping, and Johnny learns how to trim her claws so that she doesn’t accidentally hurt him, something which only happened once and it wasn’t even technically her claws that hurt him. She’s very careful when curling around him, her tail falling onto Johnny as a makeshift blanket (she tried, at the very least), and her heads rest around him (one sometimes lays on his stomach).

When she’s big enough, he also likes to ride or lay on her back, something which she enjoys because, while he may not technically be a creature you could or should ride, she loves carrying Johnny. Especially at night, because people leave Johnny alone. She growls at Socs with particular scents (the ones who jumped Johnny), but a hand being rested on her will have Ember stopping. Doesn’t mean she isn’t pissed about her person having been so hurt that it fundamentally changed him.

She likes to push Dally or Steve around with one of her heads, and sometimes she’ll direct Johnny or Ponyboy’s movements when the two of them are out walking with her heads too. She likes having them in between her heads so that she can better guard them, and only gets a little snippy with Cocoa when the Wyvern lands suddenly on her back, or on Ponyboy’s back when the two boys are walking beside Ember and not in front of her. She is very much a maternal-like presence with the two of them. She’s like an annoying puppy with everyone else.

Ember’s Abilities through the Years

0-1 years – walking, growling, purring, and just overall normal puppy things. She also gets Night Vision (in which she can share with Johnny), she also can heal herself

1-2 years – size manipulation. And if still enough she can nearly disappear to the human eye (only Johnny and other creatures can see her like that)

2-3 years – Controlling her Body Temperature, she can breathe fire, she can fend off nightmares

3-4 years – Can travel through the shadows, Pyrokinesis, poisonous bites (if she wills it) that can and will put you on the brink of death before pulling back (can never actually kill you).

#the outsiders #ao3 writer #WitchyLeeHibernates AUs #outsiders creature companion au #darry curtis #twobit mathews #dally winston #steve randle #sodapop curtis #johnny cade #ponyboy curtis

11 notes · View notes

kiame-sama · 3 months ago

Text

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 5

(It took me way too long and saving every 5 min, but I got my laptop to run my drawing software long enough to get Leona drawn! Not overly thrilled with the pose and his legs gave me way too much trouble, but at least that is one more down!)

Warnings; Monster AU, yandere, yandere relationship, yandere behavior, stalking, obsessive behavior, possessive behavior, Romantic Yanderes, Platonic Yanderes, adult themes present, communal grooming behavior seen in most of my AU species, nesting behavior, social disconnect, attempted bullying, cooking breakfast, untrusting yet soft hearted reader, Cater unintentionally causes problems, Vampire Bats, Gnolls, Satyrs, Fauns, Kelpies, Water Nymphs, mention of Unicorns, Sphinx,

~~~~~~~~

"What... the actual hell are you doing?"

Lilia paused for just a moment, regarding you with wide and curious eyes that almost tricked you into thinking he was harmless. Almost. He took a moment with his pink tongue sticking out slightly as he blinked one eye after the other.

You were finally able to wind down for the night after what had been a long ordeal and a frightening several hours. Lilia spent the short span of time by your side, only giving you space when you bathed and even then he waited outside your door. He had proved to be a wise choice of protector given how many already tried their luck. Trein's idea had been a good one as the odd Bat already had to chase off several curious students, most just seeking to get a sniff or glance in your direction. In some ways you understood that you were an anomaly in their world and that made others curious, but at the same time you felt it was overboard for so many to be so keen to approach you.

Now you sat in the monstrously sized nest- courtesy of the Dragon that fixed up most of your current abode- with your errant guardian for the evening. Grim was curled up and fast asleep on one of the many pillows that littered the valleys and hills of blankets within the nest. You were just starting to doze off as well when you felt a warm and wet muscle trail over your skin. Naturally, you wanted to know just what on earth the strange Bat was doing and judging from the way he looked, he had actually just licked your cheek.

"Grooming you?"

"Why?"

"To help you sleep. Usually a quick bit of grooming makes Malleus and Sebek drift right off with no problem, Silver never needs much help in regards to sleep. Do Humans not groom one another?"

"... Not really. I mean, I guess they can but I don't think I've had someone literally lick me in order to clean me up."

"That wasn't a lick, that was grooming."

"You literally just licked my face."

"But I'm just grooming you?"

You stared at Lilia for a long moment, thinking back to the regular bats of your own world. Bats did often groom one another as a communal pastime, so it could be very possible he was simply doing the same for you. Though you figured these Human-like monsters would behave like Humans, there was still a high possibility that what was socially acceptable to these creatures was far beyond the realm of accepted for Humans. On top of the social disconnect you also realized that though Lilia had spoken of Humans before, he didn't really get all the aspects of Humanity or what you found acceptable.

Lilia seemed genuinely confused and hesitant. There was a strong part of him that still wanted to continue his nightly habits of lulling his nest companions to sleep before trying to rest himself. Still, he was not going to continue his semi-self-soothing communal grooming if you were angry with him over it. Not even getting his scent on you was worth making you genuinely displeased with him.

"Do you not want me to groom you?"

"... Does it help you sleep?"

"What?"

"You said it helps others sleep when you groom them, does it help you sleep too?"

"To groom or be groomed?"

"Both."

The Bat took a long moment to think as if he were honestly considering his own feelings on the matter. He didn't have to think about it for very long before he was nodding to your question.

"Yes. Both help me sleep. I am naturally nocturnal, so becoming diurnal for classes has been difficult on me. Getting my nestmates to sleep first usually helps me sleep. I wouldn't mind a bit of grooming for myself, but usually I'm the one putting others to sleep."

"... If it helps you sleep, then okay. Just... Don't get too excited, okay?"

"... Do you find grooming exciting?"

"No. Going to sleep now."

Lilia laughed softly at your curt response as you tried to close your eyes and drift off. It wasn't long into your attempt that the relaxed and wet strokes picked back up across your cheek. Perhaps he lied to you and only said it was normal. Perhaps it truly was normal for these monster men to participate in communal grooming.

You certainly didn't know and you weren't going to be awake long enough for it to matter. Maybe the Bat was right in that it helped soothe others to sleep as you were unconscious within a few moments of him starting back up.

~~~~~~~~

You woke to Grim batting at your nose with his paws. His bright blue eyes shining at you in the small light of the morning. The sun was not even above the horizon at that point and you vaguely wondered what it was the little feline-beast wanted.

"I'm hungry."

His voice was soft and a quick glance over your shoulder told you he was trying to avoid waking Lilia. The Bat was wrapped in his own wings and snuggled beneath a blanket, face completely smooth in deep rest. You similarly wanted to avoid waking your guard- both for time to yourself and because he seemed so peaceful- so you slipped out of the nest with Grim.

The halls were quiet as you made your way to the main level of the building, hoping the kitchen would be located there. Luck seemed to be on your side and you were thrilled to see both the kitchen and the food available to you. Apparently they were quite keen to keep you content and that meant giving you enough food as well.

The kitchen itself was more of an industrial type kitchen, a large sink for dishes, several ovens, large stovetop, multiple cabinets and one large fridge. Most of the pots and pans were present but seemed to have been unused for quite some time. Though the outside got fixed up, the kitchen recieved far less love. Still, you found the pans needed to get an idea of what you wanted to make. There were a handful of spices in old containers but it was slim pickings.

Despite the odd lacking of premade sauces and other such items, you knew enough to throw together a decent breakfast. It was early in the cooking process when Grim let out a sudden yowl and hiss towards the far side of the kitchen behind you. A door that led outside rattled open and you turned to see a frightening creature.

It looked like a Hyena that had been stretched and deformed into a Human shape, walking on hind legs that resembled that of a canine. The beast had shaggy fur that was a sandy blond color, darker browns spotting the pelt and highlighting the ridge of the Hyena's back. One of the most stunning and unsettling features of the creature was the bright blue eyes that looked far too Human.

As the creature's mouth opened a voice you didn't expect came from it. A light tenor that almost seemed to be accompanied by the cackle of a Hyena at the end of their sentences.

"Lookie here! Seems I found the new Human! Campus is abuzz about you crashing orientation yesterday and Leona wouldn't stop mentioning you."

You didn't know if the Hyena man was one you could trust or not and his oddly jerking motions unsettled you.

"But forget all that for now. What's that you're making? You wouldn't mind sharing some with your fellow student," a long tongue licked over his chops, "would you?"

"What were you doing out here so early?"

"Don't go being so suspicious of me, I'm a stand-up guy, shishishi. I was out gathering up some dandelions for my breakfast."

"... Dandelions?"

"What? Food's expensive here. Besides, guess I can call myself lucky coming across you like this."

The way the beast said this unsettled you and you felt more than a little cornered. Grim was quick to get between the two of you even though he was clearly untrusting of the Hyena as well.

"And what's that supposed ta mean?"

"Just saying whatever you're cooking smells good! It wouldn't be too much to add some more for me to have, right? You got all this food here, you may as well share it. Sides, Leona made it clear to all of Savanaclaw that we aren't supposed to put a single paw or claw on you."

You were partially tempted to call out for Lilia to get this monster away when you heard a heart-breaking sound. A long whining grumble came from the Hyena's stomach and he almost seemed to wince in response to the noise. It was the Hyena's stomach loudly rumbling for some food. After a moment of staring at the beast you noticed a bag at his side, leaves and bright yellow flowers sticking out of it and it was stuffed with more of the plants. Hyenas wouldn't eat just plants unless they had no other choice.

With a sigh you added more food to your pan, noticing the way the short tail of the Hyena man wagged excitedly. Grim crossed his short arms and continued to watch the newcomer with untrusting eyes, refusing to move from in between the two of you.

It was when your breakfast was almost done cooking that the Hyena suddenly changed in behavior. His ears flattened and his head bowed low, tail quickly tucking between his legs as he stared at the inside entrance to the kitchen. You glanced over to see the bright pink eyes of Lilia staring from the doorway with an almost threatening grin towards your uninvited guest. The momentary quiet made you quickly step in Lilia's path, trying to defend the odd Hyena from the Bat that was tasked with your safety.

"Wait, he was just hungry and he could smell my cooking."

"(Y/n), you have already been warned about those from Savanaclaw. Most of them were of the species that ate Humans. Gnolls like Ruggie over there were especially vicious to Humans."

"But he hasn't tried any of that today. I get that not everyone is safe, but he hasn't even tried to attack me. He just wants some breakfast. Lilia, please."

The Bat frowned slightly and gave a final glare at the blond furred beast- Ruggie the Gnoll, according to Lilia- before he relented to your pleas. Despite no longer threatening the Hyena, he made a clear show of moving himself to sit on a counter that allowed him to somewhat be inbetween you and Ruggie. It seemed Grim and Lilia both had the same idea in mind as they continued to stare the outsider down.

They only willingly broke eye contact with the hunched beast as you served four separate plates. Apparently even Lilia was keenly interested in your cooking and you could see the way the three set aside their distrust and happily dug in as you passed out the servings. Ruggie didn't even bother with cutlery as he gulped down the meal like a famished animal that hadn't eaten for days, lazily licking the plate when he was finished. Grim was similar and just shoveled food into his mouth with his little paws, his pronged tail waving excitedly. Lilia took the time to grab a fork, occasionally sending a mistrustful glare towards the Gnoll as he ate.

You felt comfortable enough to dig in as well, content that you managed to somewhat avoid conflict. It was becoming oddly normal to see the unusual beast men that lived in abundance around you, and you felt somewhat gratified to feed the clearly hungry Ruggie. The clear dandelions in his pouch told you that he didn't lie to you about gathering them up and you knew they were edible plants that even Humans could eat.

"Wow, Hooman, is this what you eat all the time?"

"It's a little bland actually, I was hoping there would be more spices and herbs in the cabinets, but there isn't even half as much as I was expecting. Some jellies and jams, but no bullion, no parsley, nothing like that."

It was then Lilia spoke up, talking in between bites as he was still working on his portion.

"Humans were the main cooks and culinary types before they died out. Most of us 'monster-men' as you call us don't need to cook our foods first and eating things raw is fairly normal. It is a treat to actually have a cooked meal in a lot of places, though some places Like the Queendom of Roses have grandfathered in pastries and other confections because of how much the Queendom loved Human cooking. Lots of us don't bother cooking because we don't have to, but I guarantee a cooked meal like this would bring a good portion of others to their knees."

You made a quick mental note of Lilia's comment and figured you could try using your cooking to sway others in your favor. Ruggie certainly seemed pleased as he made an attempt to swipe what remained of Lilia's food, earning him a quick swat from the Bat's wing. Maybe those from Savanaclaw weren't that bad, if Ruggie was anything to go off of.

~~~~~~~~

The bell rang as you tried to get to your first class, upset with yourself that you turned down Lilia's offer to show you to your classes for the day. Grim was no help since he was just as lost as you but he did seem to be enough to discourage most students from getting too close. No one really tried to talk to you and all just seemed curious in your scent or reaching out as if to touch you. A quick flame from Grim was enough to dissuade them so far but the ever curious eyes continued to follow you.

When you finally reached the door to what seemed to be the right class, a figure stepped in your way and blocked you. Standing between you and the door was a Goat man with orange hair and twisting horns atop his head. On his left eye was a red heart.

"So you're the Human everyone is losing their minds over. Don't look like much to me. You don't even have magic to defend yourself if I decided to hurt you right now."

He laughed a sinister sound as he grinned hatefully at you. Grim was clearly trying to make himself seem bigger than he was, even spreading his tattered wings out to somewhat shield you despite how little they covered. The blue fire that always seemed to burn on Grim's ears burned brighter as the grey cat-beast prepared himself to fight this goat man who seemed keen to stop you from entering the classroom.

"Ace, Housewarden Riddle told us to leave the Human alone."

It was then another Goat man approached from behind the first, looking distinctly different from the orange-haired short-horned Goat that tried to block you. This second one had large Ram horns that spiraled from the top of his head down to the sides of his chin, his dark blue hair complementing his bright blue eyes. Over his right eye was the card suit of spades. His lower half was the same as the first and seemed to be goat legs with a tail flicking behind him. You could just barely see the little white spots along the top of his tail as he pushed the first Goat forward with a glare on his face.

"And who the hell are you to enforce that rule, Deuce? You're just a first-year like me."

"And we were told to not heckle the Human."

"Don't tell me you think this Human is worth being upset over?"

"I didn't say that. I'm saying you need to leave her alone."

"Why don't you make me?"

Both seemed to be ready to have a go at one another, heads slightly tilted forward so their horns were pointed at the other. It almost looked like they were going to headbutt each other until one of them relented. It was during this argument that another voice cut in, making both Goats straighten up quickly.

"Why aren't you freshmen in class already?"

The voice belonged to what looked like a centaur man with green hair, his lower half was that of a white stallion. He wore thick black rimmed glasses and had the card suit of clubs beneath his left eye. His eyes were a golden brown that seemed almost yellow when compared to his unusual green hair.

As he trotted over the two Goats quickly seemed to break up their fight, refusing to look the man in the eye even as he looked down at the four of you with his arms crossed. The man seemed to get a good look at your little group before his gaze came to a halt on you, quickly looking you up and down in surprise. He seemed to recognize you rather quickly as he uncrossed his arms, that small displeased frown disappearing from his face.

"Oh, you're the- right. Riddle did say you would be attending classes. Doesn't make much sense to me to throw you into classes with this lot, but I guess it does make it easier for the professors to keep an eye on you."

His smile dropped ever so slightly into a glare as he looked over at the two Goats. That glare then seemed to change into a wicked grin as if he just got an idea.

"How helpful of the two of you to volunteer to show the Human to her classes today."

"Wha- I didn't volunteer for that-!"

"If you don't want to sleep outside with one of Riddle's collars on, I would suggest you both step up and stop fighting."

"Of course out of every upperclassmen we run into, it has to be Trey..."

"So good of you two first-year boys to step up like this. I will be checking in at lunch and if there is a single scratch anywhere on her I'm having Riddle collar the both of you."

The one with orange hair- Ace- stomped his hoof in anger at the much larger male, seeming aghast that he was given an assignment. Deuce seemed less displeased but had a clear frown on his face. Grim was already on board with staying by you given the fact you were his ticket to a comfortable bed and good food.

"If you're so worried, do it yourself!"

"I could tell both Riddle and Professor Trein right now that you two knuckleheads were trying to stop her from getting to class and trying to bully her. I'm sure that would look great on your school records, and you'll certainly have fun not being able to use any magic with Riddle's collars on."

This seemed to unnerve Ace more than the prior threat had as his eyes widened and he took a quick step back. Both Goats had to weigh the potential risks and rewards of the situation but quickly came to the conclusion that it was best to do what the Horse man told them to. You didn't know anything about this supposed collaring business, but you did recognize the name Riddle as the Unicorn that had yelled at Grim the night before.

"Hey, hey, why is everyone standing out here? Thought classes already started, so is everyone just late?"

Another new voice interrupted and Grim's ears flicked in clear frustration at all of the new faces that seemed so keen to heckle the two of you. He was quick to turn to you now that the threat was gone and use his little claws to climb up the leg of your pants and into your arms. For such a sassy little creature, Grim certainly was keen to have you carry him around when there wasn't any threat of danger.

Approaching the now growing group of students standing outside of the classroom was a red-haired man with bright green eyes. He almost seemed to saunter over to the group as he held up his phone, the sound of a camera coming from it multiple times before before he came to a halt.

"Hold on, just need to post this to Magicam and add the right tags... #froshes #latebuddies #skipday... And post!"

"Wait, Cater, don't- please tell me you didn't post a picture of us just now."

"Of course I did! Gotta keep my followers up to date on the haps at school."

"At least tell me you blurred the Human out of the photo?"

"Oh, she's here? Wait, don't tell me," the man now known as Cater was quick to get uncomfortably close to you, making Grim's ears flatten back on his head, "you're the new Human on campus! Gotta absolutely get a selfie with you and post it for Magicam, none of my non-NRC followers believe that a Human crashed our orientation! Pics so I can prove it happened! Smile!"

You tried to pull away from the overly enthusiastic man as he held up his phone and snapped two pictures before you managed to wriggle away from his grasp. He didn't seem to be put off by your behavior at all as he quickly tapped away at his phone with a smile. Trey, however, slapped the phone out of Cater's hands quickly.

"Are you crazy, Cater?"

"Woah, Trey? What's the big deal? You're usually never this riled up."

"Tell me you didn't post that selfie already."

"Just pressed post when you hit my phone outta my hands. Not cool, Trey. Totes being so unkind to Cay-cay."

"Cater!"

"What?"

"Why would you post a picture of an extinct species to the internet? Riddle told us to try and keep others from taking pictures of her and you just go right ahead and post it?"

"What's the big deal? It's not like it's illegal or something."

Trey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking several deep breaths to try and calm himself. You were able to tell why Trey was mad but it seemed like Ace, Deuce, and Cater had no idea what the big deal was when he just took a picture with you. Meanwhile you were wondering if you should tell a Professor what happened and hope the older magic users could do more to help you than the students.

"Seems you all have plenty of time to talk instead of get to your classes, so how about a few extra assignments for you lot?"

The interrupting voice was a thankfully familiar one to you as you saw the limping gait of a familiar flying-cat man approaching. His steeley eyes were narrowed in annoyance as he drew closer, in his arms lay a black and white cat that seemed more than content to be carried around. You were surprised to see a normal cat in this strange world of monsters, but you figured there had to be some normal animals if these guys found eating one another as appalling as eating Humans seemed to be.

"Professor Trein."

You greeted the man quickly and the scowl disappeared from his face as he realized you were the one talking to him.

"Ah, (Y/n), I saw you would be in my class this morning. Are these students showing you around? I thought Lilia was your chosen guide."

"I told Lilia I didn't need help finding my classes, but I was wrong."

"Hm, then hopefully these boys have been aiding you thus far? You are at my classroom after all."

"Well, about that..."

"What happened?"

Trey interrupted the conversation then, seeming less upset and more exasperated than anything. Ace had been trying to sneak away, but the Horse man caught the back of his shirt and kept him from running off. He didn't even need to look at Ace to grab him and instead kept his attention on Trein.

"Cater posted a picture of (Y/n) to Magicam."

"... He what?"

Cater picked up his phone, pouting at the crack in the screen and whining loudly about it. He turned the phone to Trey as if to show the damage but Professor Trein snatched it from his hands, frustratedly tapping the dark screen as his cat climbed up to his shoulders to free up his hands. He didn't seem to get very far before turning it back to Cater in frustration.

"Unlock your phone, Mr. Diamond."

"What's the big deal? I just wanted to show off the Human."

"That is the 'big deal'! Why would you post a picture of an extinct species for anyone to see?"

"It's not like people are gonna show up just to see a Human-"

"Cater, I am now assigning you an essay due by tomorrow on the history of Humans since you clearly haven't paid attention to your course work from last year. You will also be deleting that picture and any others you make have taken of (Y/n)."

Another noise of complaint left the redhead as if he were about to start complaining but Trein silenced him with a glare.

"Fine, fine. Not like anyone is gonna do anything because of it- no way! This is the most likes any of my pics have gotten right after posting! That was no time at all-"

"Delete it!"

"I can delete the photos from my account, but its already been downloaded at least fifty times. Deleting it now won't do much-"

"Enough. Cater, to the Headmage's office, now. The rest of you get to your classes. I will be in to teach shortly, but first I need to notify the Headmage about this."

Trey herded you and the other two students into the room, closing the door behind you rather loudly. You could still hear Trein scolding Cater from behind the door and you all quickly took your seats. To your surprise, the only open seat was between the two Goats and they didn't seem all too upset by this fact. Though they seemed angry at being volunteered to be your guides, they weren't about to complain about it now with an angry professor right outside of the classroom.

You had no idea what Magicam was, but from the sounds of it, it must have been some kind of photo sharing application like Instagram from your world. If that was the case, the rest of this messed up world was about to realize that there was a Human sheltering at Night Raven College, and you were terrified at the idea of what that would mean for you.

#kiame-sama #yandere #x reader #yandere x reader #reader insert #tw yandere #yandere twst #twst monster au #Humans Are Extinct TWST AU

385 notes · View notes