#pocket square holder

[wandasfavv]

Keep It Steady

Wanda x Fem!Reader

Summary: Meeting an older woman through a dating app wasn’t exactly what you had in mind, especially one that’s newly divorced and experimenting.

Word Count: 5.3k

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI. Inexperienced!WandaxFem!Reader, fingering(r receiving), oral(r receiving), fingers in mouth, overstimulation, soft sex that turns rough, Servicetop!Wanda, fluff and angst, matched each others freak tbh

Sunlight shone through the thick glass of the car with the two of you inside, hitting your back as it accompanied the warm sensation within your body. Heat escaped your lips and into the other woman’s mouth, a constant motion for trying to find air between the deep exchange in which led to the sound of a device loudly announcing itself in the front pocket of Wanda’s pants. As you were positioned on top of her, straddling her lap, you felt the buzz beneath you.

She pulled away from you with a huff, evidently flushed whilst she looked down to the direction of her phone, waiting for you to lift yourself up so she could pull it out. Your eyes wandered down as well to the screen, wondering what it was to have disturbed the session. While she checked the notification she received, her fingers lightly and comfortingly traced your skin by the free hand pressed against the side of your thigh.

Another sigh left Wanda before she looked back up at you. The clatter of her phone being gently tossed inside the cup holder disrupted the quiet space. “Sorry, it’s the kids.”

“It’s fine,” you replied almost aloof, a faint frown present. Getting tugged toward the other seat of the car by the disappointed force of your body, she looked over to you with an unreadable expression. “It’s not like we don’t do this all the time.”

There was a certain underlying bitterness to your tone, yet it went unnoticed with Wanda’s oblivious front. She hummed a response, averting her gaze from you as her rosy cheeks eased up after the practical make out. You took the wheel of the vehicle and started the engine before backing out of the secluded area in which became a routine.

The drive was overall peaceful— or so one would think from the point of view of anyone besides you two. The silence besides the noises of the pebbly road and the blasting AC was dreadful as it led you deeper into your thoughts. Thoughts of this relationship if you could even call it that.

For the past month, you and Wanda had been nothing more than what felt like two friends who happen to dabble in kissing. It was ridiculous, but how could you have any say if you weren’t outright protesting against it.

Ever since you met her outside of the app you first saw her from, you knew what you were getting into. The words of her interests and what she looked for in her bio below the picture that caught your attention more than anybody else haunted you throughout. To not have anything serious. It constantly made your stomach churn as the reminder was only forcing you to either leave or stay put in this hooked position. Wanda’s charming yet confusing character brought you to the latter.

From when you saw her through just a blinding square in the darkness of your room, she sparked something in you. The way you trailed and raked over every feature that was shown in millions of pixels, from her prominent smile lines to her perfectly refined clothing. Everything about her made you swipe right, overriding the contrasting wants between the two of you.

Yet there you were, stuck in a repeated process of being nothing more or less than whatever this was. It made your head spin how she’d at times be obviously tempted in doing more with you, but stop herself. You’ve noticed it countless of times. The acts of service in which had bundles of flowers in your hands to sudden cold turns that leave you on read. Or the way she would often fumble around with the hem of your shirt and the waistband of your pants only to pull away and keep up at the same pace of only locking lips. She led you nowhere but a pitiful hole that left you trapped.

As you began to drive past the many houses you became familiar with down the street, your eyes spotted a foreign car parked in the driveway of Wanda’s home. Behind the tinted windows, you saw a man sitting in front while two smaller heads peeked up from behind him in the back. You parked on the side of the sidewalk, turning to Wanda who had a subtle smile on hers.

“So I’ll see you… Saturday?”

“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll see you,” you responded in more a friendly but forced voice, a small smile played as you waited for her to exit the car. But surprisingly, she leaned forward and placed a short yet lasting kiss on your lips, the softness of hers making you flush. It felt sweeter than most, meaningful even. As she pulled away and swiftly turned to open the door and leave, you almost missed the matching flustered expression. Again, you were met with another puzzling action that made you internally groan.

Watching her round the corner of your car and walking to the other, the door opened with two boys the same age jumping out. Smiles on both of them as they ran over to their mom was a warming sight, along with seeing the white between her lips as she grinned brightly looking down to them hugging either side of her body.

Wanda waved a slight bye to the man as you educatedly guessed it was her ex husband dropping off the kids for their few days with her. She had told you about the shared custody, something you knew that partially bothered her as conversations upon that topic resulted in noticeable downturns of her mouth.

A tired exhale came out before you turned away and started to drive again, not wanting to deal with the emotions spinning.

——————

Few days passed by since you last saw Wanda. You two only messaged each other at random times, like now when you were headed to bed. Already lying down and under the blankets, your eyes closed for the night until a disturbance occurred.

You stirred, feeling the buzz beside your head as you laid on the sunken pillow. Lazily reaching a hand up to take hold of your phone, it lit up in your squinted eyes, revealing a message that made your heart stutter with a following swallow of nerves.

“I want to see you.”

Your thumbs twiddled above the keyboard, not knowing how or what to respond with considering how it was still before the day you two planned to meet up. But you soon typed a reply back, wanting to seem casual about it. “Right now?”

Her reply came in an instant, a certain eagerness radiating off a single word. “Please?”

Your legs moved without a thought and dragged yourself out of bed. You were focused on the request, not bothering to care about the doubts about Wanda. But then again, you were also completely unaware of the state that she was in.

On the other end of the phone, she bit her tongue. A message sent out of pure desire and impulse. In honesty, she had no idea of what she was doing with you. These common meet ups and ‘dates’ came out as a way for her to release some sort of pent up tension.

It was her first time being with someone who wasn’t her ex, the man she’d often grimace at the thought of as she began to revel in ones of you instead, and since the day she found you on a simple free app which piqued her interest. She knew most wouldn’t have been fond with the idea of doing what she had in mind, yet she lucked out as an attractive individual like you willingly followed along.

It all started off very slow, subtle gestures and small compliments that could’ve been perceived as platonic. Or atleast until a random night where she ended a simple day with a sudden first move, kissing you with a particular urgency. And then only that continued for the next counting weeks.

She was just so comfortable in where you both were, able to do things at the steady pace she wanted while you stayed compliant. Yet, now she couldn’t have helped but felt that there was maybe more that she wanted in spite of the fear and nerves of doing something she wasn’t familiar with.

The sound of the doorbell disturbed her thinking. Her body moved at a quick pace to the front door revealing the face she grew to yearn seeing everyday.

You walked in hesitantly as you watched her eyes lit up, a small exchange of greetings between you. Her hand came to the small of your back to gesture you in her home which was welcoming with ambiance. Looking around, you saw littered and deserted toys in the living room, a long train along with futuristic and faux weapons you’d see in movies. “They went back with him already?”

“Yeah, I know. So soon,” she replied sighing, closing and locking the door before facing you. “They’ll be back soon enough though.”

Wanda walked towards you, taking your hand gently as she led you upstairs. You followed with no complaint, sensing what it was that she wanted. The usual.

Stepping into her room and trailing behind, a wave of uncertainty washed over you. Everything that you had thought about over the past week stirred up inside your head, and while she closed the door behind you, her eyes roamed your body without a clue. You sat on her bed, hands clinging onto the covers hanging off. The soft click of the door was heard. And then the unexpected blurt of your nervous voice.

“Wanda?” You called out to her without thinking as she turned her head around to look at you curiously with a small hum in return. “Could we talk about us?”

Her face dropped from your question, matching the feeling of her heart as she fully untwisted her body to properly talk to you. She muttered an answer. “Yeah, what about?”

You shifted nervously on the edge of her bed, your eyes flickering between her and floor as you spoke at a low level. “I just feel like this isn’t for me.”

“W-What do you mean? Everything’s been going so well between us,” Wanda responded, her voice laced with worry and disbelief.

“Wanda, it’s been over a month of… I don’t even know what. You’ve been giving me mixed signals. And honestly, I’m not sure why I willingly agreed to do this- thing like I’m some experiment,” you retorted with an undertone of sadness along side the confusion you’ve brought to the top.

“You’re not- trust me,” she tried to keep the wavering in her voice at bay until it lowered to same wavelength of regret. “You know I’m new to this…” Her brows pulled together while she took steps towards you, her feet reaching the bed and side beside you. The mattress sunk under her weight to your right. “I-I was just worried about what you’d think if I didn’t meet your expectations, and I knew you liked doing what we did so I figured I’d get enough out of that while also maybe keeping you interested-”

You heard her rant helplessly, the nonstop shaking of her leg then concerning you. She caught the way your eyes softened, and stopped herself from furthering her disquieting explanation. Her lip quivered as she let only a few more words sum it up. “I’m serious about you, I promise.”

The beating of your heart was loud against your chest, and you kept quiet letting her words sink in. All the doubts and nights you spent overthinking disappeared in your mind at the reassurance. You looked at her, your eyes wide with yearning as she gently trailed her fingertips along your jaw after her hand came up. Your skin heated up under her touch, only prompting her to then let her smoothly tilt your head further up.

Wanda took in the expression on you, how she sensed the feeling of security as you only gazed at her with want but not making any move to make her uncomfortable. So she took the chance to initialize it instead, now knowing that she no longer wanted to keep it steady. Leaning down, she pressed her plump lips against yours and kept her hand at your cheek as her other one crept up to caress the other side.

In response, you let out sigh through your parted mouth before you felt her tongue slowly probe and enter it. A noise of both surprise and desperation left you at her sudden movements, causing her to lightly groan and press against your warm body. She moved her hands to run down your shoulders to your waist, softly but firmly holding you there. And with moments of her kissing you breathlessly, she pushed you down against the mattress as her lips chased after yours in a longing manner.

“I want you,” she whispered after parting for only a second until she came back down a lot more eagerly. You reach up for her with your hands running through her soft untangled hair as another small moan left you. Wanda continued to intertwine her tongue with yours which only let her take control and you followed her lead. Lasting for only a minute or so, she teared herself away from you, staring down at your frazzled state. Heavy breaths huffed out from both of you, hers a lot more erratic.

Soon enough you felt her tugging at your shirt, signaling for you to pull it off of yourself. In a swift motion, you did while she then took the time to take your other article of clothing off from below and leaving you in just your underwear.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to see you like this…” Wanda’s voice came out muttered and deep, like she was really lost in your presence. She gradually crawled on top of you, her knee between your thighs as it pressed against your clothed center. You gasped at the sudden friction, already feeling as if you soaked through and made evidence of your wetness on her pants. As Wanda kneeled for a second, she took off her shirt and tossed it to the same direction of your clothes. She came and lowered back down to make contact with your lips again, her arms supporting her at the sides of your head.

You ushered a response to her, breathing heavily once you were able to part from the heated interaction. “Longer than me?”

“Probably,” she cracked a smile at your reply, your soft tone sounding sweeter than ever through her ears. “I just didn’t know it yet.”

With her hand coming down between your legs, she pulled her knee away and looked down to see the damp fabric. Her fingers grazed the darker spot of your panties, applying a light pressure to feel you more. You let out a moan in return, the sensation only heightening as she started to kiss and suck at the pulse of your neck.

The teasing lasted shortly before you felt her pull the cotton to the side to access your pussy. Two fingers pushed between your folds, a slight intake of air heard from Wanda due to your arousal leaking on her. You basked in the feeling of her gently rubbing against your sensitive areas before probing your entrance which welcomed her greatly.

She let one finger slip in, your walls already clenching around it. You bit your lip after the long anticipation, muffling another sound of pleasure as she continued to go in and out at a slow pace before stretching you out with another finger. She watched you from above to check for any signs of discomfort. “Does this feel okay?”

Her sweet and soft tone made you pay more attention to her expression, noting the furrow of her eyebrows. You were reminded of her inexperience as she showed concern over what she was doing. The careful movements inside your walls took some time to turn into light curling against that one spongey spot. “Mhm… you’re doing really good.” Your muttered and hushed words caused a sudden spur in Wanda. The praise fueled her to go deeper, hitting another point that drove you further in heat.

More wetness pooled beneath you and on her hand, making the sounds from below anything but innocent. Her lips returned to your neck, peppering lower to your collarbone and nibbling against the soft skin. You jerked up to meet her hand to find more friction which led to her thumb to then go upward to your clit, smoothly bringing you closer to the built up tension within your lower tummy. She didn’t stop her ministrations at all, ignoring the growing soreness of the muscles as the tip of her tongue ran over the dark marks she created.

The rise of volume and the desperate grip you had on Wanda had her in a daze as she found it all so addicting. It made her question why she didn’t give in sooner.

“W-Wanda, I’m gonna…” you trailed off, throwing your head back as she pumped into you harder. Tears welled up at the pressure, climbing up to the feeling of ecstasy. And the hum of her deep voice brought you over the edge.

“Uh huh, cum for me,” her breath fanned your flesh before her teeth dug into it, another mark made that well represented her possession over you.

At her soft demand, you squeezed around her fingers which forced their way to keep curling at your g-spot. Mixed moans left both of you, and filled up the room until she slowly came to stop, letting you ride out your orgasm before her fingers stilled.

As the tense feeling began to wash away, you were met with light kisses pattered around the side of your neck, trailing slowly up your jaw. You smiled faintly as Wanda’s lips separated from your skin to instead look down at your hazed expression. Again, her smile lines deepened as she couldn’t help but show more satisfaction of what she made you do. Carefully, her fingers left your drenched hole, causing you to also inwardly pout in disappointment at the emptiness following.

Wanda’s hand came from between your legs and you stared at it with earnest, noticing how a slick layer covered mainly two of her long thin fingers. Without thinking, your own hand came to gradually capture her wrist, making her caught off guard before your weak hold left her content. She gazed down at you curiously and watched with intent at how you sluggishly dragged it to your face. Eyes widening just enough for you spot it, Wanda clenched her teeth as she swallowed down a breath seeing you open your mouth and envelope her digits.

You continued to look up at her with doe-like eyes, desperation filling them and only making the warm sensation in her stomach on the verge of bursting. The feeling of your tongue moving against her and the tip running through crevices combined with the tear stains shimmering from the soft hue of light beginning to dry up pushed her in a state she didn’t recognize. Like an unknown switch was turned on in the back her mind.

Through your blurry vision, you saw the way her green orbs shifted side to side in a shaky but subtle manner, likely studying every feature on your face which kindled her further. With her still in your mouth, you sucked lightly, taking off and tasting all of your arousal. Once you were done, the grip on her wrist tightened loosely to pull her fingers back out, a line of spit connecting you both as the two of you witness each other’s reactions to everything.

Wanda let out an unstable breath. Her bottom lip shook lightly before being trapped between her teeth. Letting the silence sink in for only a few more moments, her muttering voice broke the building suspense. “God, you’re so pretty… I can’t fucking take it.”

With your lips still parted, she leans back in to eagerly capture them, her tongue immediately darting in to taste your arousal. Her hand came up to firmly yet gently hold your face in place by your jaw. Smalls gasps left the two of you and into each other’s mouths, leaving hardly any room to breathe. You could tell how much more she wanted this by the way she hungrily roamed the open spaces inside.

Laying weak underneath Wanda’s body, you felt her lift herself up steadily as she lightly grazed your bottom lip with her front teeth before separating. While you were still in a daze, she let go of you momentarily to lower herself. Her knee between your legs moved down as she placed and trailed light kisses from your neck to all the way to your tummy. “So perfect, baby.”

You felt your spine shudder from her hushed words, feeling the heat radiating off of her as she continued teasing you down to your inner thighs. Smaller bites led to her canines being sunk into your soft flesh as she marveled at the way you let out quiet but effective sounds and held onto the pillow you laid on. Spit followed from her lazily dragging her tongue dangerously close to your cunt, causing a subtle huff leaving you from the rising frustration of not getting straight to the point. The corners of Wanda’s lips tugged upward smugly at your growing desperation. She pulled just millimeters away for a moment and looked up at you, observing the slight frown on you from the loss of contact.

“Wanda, please,” your tone comes out as whiney, tempted to just grab onto her soft locks to pull her into the source of slickness she caused. “Please, I need you so bad.”

Her eyes noticeably darkened as she glared at the pleading expression, taking in the way your brows were creased together along with the lower lip just slightly sticking out. But your voice just pulled everything together.

Her hands pulled down your panties completely and threw them down to the floor. Opening her mouth again and not wasting anymore time, Wanda’s tongue was quickly coated with the taste of you again. A soft moan escaped her because of it as her arms came up to wrap around your thighs securely. Her tongue ran up and between your folds, each stride becoming more tantalizing. She barely reached your sensitive bud, and you only responded with another needy sound.

“Shh, just let me make you feel good,” Wanda shushed you, keeping her pace slow as she relished the taste. After a few more strokes up your folds, she made contact with your clit and lapped in an unhurried and deliberate manner. You gasped in response as the feeling pushed you further back into a heightening pressure within your lower body. She continued the ministrations, quickly pulling you close into another orgasm as she switched lightly sucking and licking your bundle of nerves to plunging back into your dripping hole.

Wanda feels you tightening around her tongue as she delved deeper into you, reaching spots that made you writhe beneath her. “Mhm, are you close again baby?”

You hear her soft voice alongside feeling the hum against your pussy. Pathetically, you nod with vigor and tug at her hair in your grip, feeling the impending climax the more she continued her movements. Despite her lack of experience and without your guidance, she was unexpectedly able to hit all your favorite spots.

“Beg for it.”

Her words came out more firm, prompting another twitch from your clit in her mouth. “P-Please, Wanda please. I wanna cum on your tongue.”

She smirked inwardly at the desperation reeking from you and worked on helping you to fall off the edge a second time. By the quickened pace and the ability to meet her lips by moving your hips with abandon, it wasn’t long until the pressure was released and left your body shuddering. The sounds that came out of you were loud and pleasant to Wanda’s ears. She lapped at you at a slower pace to drag out your pleasure, feeling the constant push as you kept grinding against her stained mouth.

Brought back to reality as you came down, the feeling of Wanda’s tongue was still relentless. She didn’t pull away at all but rather began to pace herself back to the previous speed. You whimpered noisily, trying to move away from her tongue attacking your extremely sensitive nub again. Yet, you were met with an aggressive tug as she tightened her hold around thighs and had your lower half hit the bed again. “Mm-mm, stay still for me.”

You felt yourself throb again at the sternness of her tone despite the growing and almost overwhelming overstimulation. Yet, it wasn’t like it mattered since her hold on you was anything but easy to get out of. You were only able to cry out as your weak arms pushed at her head to no avail. “Wanda, fuck- I can’t…”

She didn’t once falter under your straining whine to have her stop, triggering another upcoming sensation. Your futile attempt soon turned into a performance of need, your back arching from the heat of the sheets under you while her hands pinned your hips down, and the dull nails clung onto you. Moans spilling got increasingly louder from both of you, and for Wanda mostly from the little pain she received by your continuous pulling at her bunched up strands in your grasp.

She sensed how close you were again by the way you sounded and the way your body reacted. All of it becoming more recognizable under her touch. Your swollen clit was between her lips while her hand crept back between your closing thighs around her head, pushing her fingers into your pussy again. And rather starting off slow inside of you, she kept up a speed and force that matched her suckling, bringing you to a third high that left you shaking and moaning pitiably.

Wanda licked your cunt slowly as she pulled out again, her face willingly trapped because of you squeezing around her without control. She eased up on you, her hold less tight though leaving evidence of her nails that dug into you. It took a moment for you to regulate your breathing, pants filling the now silent room.

You sighed out heavily and your hands loosened their grip to allow Wanda to get up from between your trembling legs. With her face in view, you saw her mouth and chin covered with a mix of your wetness and her own saliva. A small laugh of adoration found its way out you at the sight, even if you felt exhausted. “You’re a mess.”

“Like you look any better,” she playfully countered while grinning at your disheveled appearance laid out underneath. As she crawled up to meet you eye to eye, your hand raised up to her chin, gently wiping it with your thumb. She stayed still for you and looked down lovingly, feeling like it was only you two who were present in the world, staring at each other longingly with no disruption. Though shortly, she softly spoke again, worry etched on her without warning. “That wasn’t actually too much for you, was it?”

“No, don’t worry. It wasn’t,” you quickly hushed her concern, your hand coming down as your arm wrapped around her neck to pull down. “It was perfect.”

You felt Wanda’s body loosen as tension left her shoulders, following with a warm smile. Matching her expression, your arm continued to apply a light pressure for her to lower herself, only stopping once your lips met in another loving peck.

“Stay here. I’m gonna get you cleaned up, okay?” Wanda said as she got up from you, excusing the look of disappointment from pulling away that she saw. Once you muttered the word of approval, she stood up from the bed and towards the bathroom where you heard water running for a short amount before she swiftly came back.

Wanda approached with a wet hand towel. You lifted your head to watch her intently as she settled back on the mattress, kneeling between the small space between your legs.

“Open up for me,” she commanded with a sweet tone, patting your thigh lightly before you spread a bit more, revealing the mess that was left surrounding your core. “Good girl.”

Splayed out before her, you couldn’t have helped but felt a little too exposed. You looked down at how she gazed at your sensitive area, wiping and soothing your skin with the warm cloth. Her eyes were full of admiration and love replacing the previous lust as she only now yearned to take care of every part of you, all while being able to see the vulnerable state your in despite how she thought of how beautiful you were.

You looked away and shyly waited for Wanda to finish, a growing warmth on your cheeks evident. She took a good portion of time slowly getting you all cleaned up. And once you noticed the longer period without the feeling of anything against you, your head turned back to see her toss the towel to the side carelessly as she never once averted her eyes from you.

You expected her to come forward and lay beside you, but instead she leaned down again with her head between your two limbs. It caught you off guard until you felt a gentle but firm pressure from her soft lips against your pussy, causing your stomach to flare up once again with an intense fluttering. The feeling of the kiss lingered after she pulled away, leaving you in a more patterned daze. She came back up soon and slowly made her way to your side as she quickly snaked her arms around your waist to have you pressed up to her chest, and ignored your flustered self.

“My pretty girl,” Wanda murmured, her hand to your head as she patted down the frizzed up hair. Your scent filled her senses, and she wanted nothing else than to bask in the moment with you. “You did so well for me.”

In response, you smiled against her skin and only clung onto her tighter. Until a teasing remark leaves you at the thought of her unexpected skill and care. “Now I’m starting to think you’re lying about this being your first time with a woman.”

“Oh please, I’m not lying,” she chuckled a bit, tracing your bare skin at the curve of your side. It’s true though, being with you made everything come natural to her, similar to how you’ve been a big factor of her life flowing so much easier. Even if it’s been barely a month.

A moment of silence passed through while the two of you soaked in the feeling of being tangled comfortably under the covers. The subtle grazing of her fingertips soothing you into a state of sleepiness. Yet, you only wanted to stay awake and appreciate it longer. Wanda sighed at your constant shuffling and pulled your head away from her body, tilting it up so she could see you. She observed your tired features and lightly rubbed the side of your cheek. “Why don’t you fall asleep? You look tired, sweetheart.”

“I wanna be awake with you.”

“I’ll be right here next to you in the morning. We’ll have all the time tomorrow, okay?” She smiled at your adorable demeanor, slightly wanting to pamper you more in spite of your sleepy self. In response, you nod up and down before leaning up for another quick kiss. Her smile grew into a grin as you pulled away, and she snuggled you into the crook of her neck as you felt your eyelids finally drop. Wanda muttered a few last words in your ear and caressed your upper body, pulling you into unconsciousness without a single worry.

Part 2(Something New)

[eunwhore]

˚ ༘✶ ⋆｡˚ ⁀➷ 𝐒𝐞𝐱 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨 𝐌.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘. In which you and Megumi get a special special lesson for Satoru Gojo himself after he learns about your relationship.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆. Satoru Gojo being a menace to society; Suggestive by the end; Megumi and the reader are of age, of course !

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓. 1120 words

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. Reader x Fushiguro Megumi (ft. Gojo)

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒. @dearmymoon @lacopinedechan - 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

"Alright, kids."

You don't know why, but feeling stuck in a classroom alone with Satoru Gojo and your boyfriend doesn't sound right, especially when Satoru Gojo himself looks like he's about to crack another one of his dumb jokes.

Not to mention that your mentor called this session a "special special lesson" to put you in this situation. An honorable mention to the double special that didn't reassure you at all. Megumi, the one stuck here with you, seems to be a lot calmer than you are, probably because he's used to the white-haired man's antics.

"Before I start this special special lesson with you." the way he wiggled his eyebrows while phrasing a double special again sent shivers down your spine.

"I want to say that I'm very happy for you too !" Oh no. Those are the first two words that come to your mind when you hear his exalted appreciations. He knows. It was probably dumb to think you could hide your relationship with the six-eyes's holder, but it was a nice try, right ?

"What do you mean ?" You turn to your newly claimed boyfriend after he speaks for the first time since this comedy started. "Oh, you know what I mean, Megumi." You were petrified, frightened, or any word that resonates with fear itself.

"But we're not here to talk about your beautiful love, even if I would adore to gossip with you guys." Your professor sends a disgusting wink to your boyfriend, and you didn't waste a minute to launch a killer look at him to make it clear that you DON'T want him to spill the beans about what's going on between the two of you. Fortunately, he catches that look and is quick to reassure you with a glance that only you could read.

However, your attention quickly returns to the class sorcerer about to continue his lecture. "I was given a very important mission by Shoko, as you two are still young and probably unaware of how this world works, and we don't want any unwanted babies running around in this school."

You could die just by hearing what your senior just said, not to mention the fact that his right hand reveals a whiteboard covered in notes that you shouldn't dare to read right now. A disgusted look appears on your face as you quickly hide your reddened cheeks in your hands, looking straight at your desk.

"The most important thing you need to know about any sexual activities is that you must protect yourselves!" You can only guess that your boyfriend must be in the same state as you, the only difference is probably that he manages to hide his emotions better than you. "Not only because it prevents pregnancy but it's also important for preventing any nasty diseases you can get."

It's crazy to realize it, but your professor has never been this serious before. He gives his lesson like a professional in that matter, and it's disgusting to think of him in that way. As you finally gather the courage to look up again, you're not surprised to find your boyfriend completely emotionless, staring at the board, perhaps with a bit too much conviction. Is he really listening to these instructions?

"One of the effective protections is this little thing." After digging into the left pocket of his uniform, Mr. Satoru pulls a square package out of it, and you already know the next few minutes will be extremely long. Now you understand why he entered the classroom with a banana in his hand earlier today.

You let your body fall onto your bed as soon as you enter the room. A class shouldn't be so tiring; the subject itself drained the energy out of you, and it's even worse when it's Satoru Gojo teaching you how to put a condom on a banana for a whole 30 minutes.

Megumi, on the other hand, seems to be a lot more relaxed, or it's just his natural unbothered look that misleads you. He's quick to join you, lying next to your figure, and by muscle memory, your body relocates against his, your face hiding in the crook of his neck. You are still very embarrassed by everything that you've been through this afternoon. "I want to disappear."

You earn a cute giggle from your lover that resonates into his chest, his arms wrap around your inviting body. "He just wanted to help..." He answers, defending his senior.

"Well, there were more discreet ways to help us." You sigh as you roll on your back, staring at your ceiling before the black-haired boy appears in your vision, and obviously, you can't help but search for his eyes.

"Discreet doesn't exist in Satoru Gojo's vocabulary." he jokes, even if he's definitely speaking the truth. His hand slides on your cheeks while his eyes take a moment to admire the features of your face. Wanting to get rid of this worried expression, he leans to place a soft kiss on your forehead. "At least we'll be prepared when the day comes." he adds. You hate but love seeing this look on his face; it's one you've never seen before, and you can't help but be taken aback a little.

"Are you flirting with me, Megumi Fushiguro ?" You raise one of your eyebrows when you feel his hands wander on your body. It would be a lie to say you've never gotten handsy before, but now it feels different after receiving all of this new information. It looks like your lover has been influenced to explore this part of a relationship. You both had no experience in that matter, but if there was one person you would want to explore with, it would be with him and him only.

"Maybe I am." he whispers, and you feel shivers running down your spine; he really has that effect on you. "Of course, only if you feel comfortable with it." There he is, your sweetheart, the one who always puts your well-being before anything else.

"Well... I got to say that... I'm kinda curious about... you know..." You are still a little shy about it, as your cheeks return to a shade of red, your boyfriend smiles softly at your demeanor, finding you oh so adorable when you're shy like this. "Let's explore each other at your rhythm, hmm ?" He offers before pressing a second kiss to your kiss, then a third one and a fourth one, going from your cheek to the base of your neck. "Good thing Satoru gave me a box of condoms."

"He gave you WHAT ?"

© eunwhore 2023. 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃

[suraemoon]

Dad!John Egan Headcanons

🧡: Here are a bunch of thoughts about Bucky as a father (Specifically to a bunch of girls because this man gives me major girl dad vibes and that’s what I was most inspired by) My inbox is always open for requests.

🧸 Inaccuracy warning: I mention pregnancy tests and a quick google search has informed me that pregnancy tests did not exist in the forties. I’m not gonna make the reader pee on a frog (yes that was an actual method back then) so I’m simply gonna keep that part in. Please forgive me in advance.

————————————————————————

You, the newly wedded wife of Major John Egan, found out you were pregnant on a warm July evening

After a few days of extreme nausea and bedridden reflection over the wild memories of a thoroughly exciting and all fulfilling honeymoon, you had rising suspicions over the cause of your ailment

A concerned John Egan simply could not stop himself pacing around any room you were in, always on standby for when his wife might need him

Bucky did not want to automatically assume you were pregnant

Despite having to wake up frequently throughout the night to become a designated hair holder while you vomited into the nearest toilet

For your husband simply didn’t know if it’d be considered rude or not to assume

So he rode out the waves with his dear wife, whispering reassurance while all the food emptied her stomach, offering a firm arm to hold onto when she stood up too fast and needed to be steadied

Finally, you decided to take a test; wanting to give all these internal questions a confirmed answer

There was also a desire to put your poor husband at ease by uttering the not-at-all-anxiety inducing words, “Don’t worry, Bucky. I’m not dying. I’m pregnant.”

And pregnant you were

Shaky hands held a positive pregnancy test on a scene that, even decades later, you can never fail to recall; a few moments of silence ensued as you stared at the test, making sure that your eyes were not deceiving you and the world indeed wasn’t playing on of it’s trick.

Meanwhile, Bucky was keeping himself occupied by walking back and forth on the stone path that ran through the front lawn

His hands were in his pockets, waiting patiently for you to finish your business and come out of the house

The two of you take daily walks, a designated time for watching the glistening sun start to rest in it’s cozy blanket that is the night sky

Strolling down the concrete sidewalk hand-in-hand while calmly reflecting on the events of each day

Your mind was thoroughly racing in that bathroom, filled with a gallery of intense thoughts

But the moment you exited through the front door and ran into Bucky’s arms, clutching a pregnancy test close to your chest, all words seemed to escape you

You nervously handed it to him and watched how his eyes widened at the sight of the two lines, his signature smile tugged at his lips until he was grinning ear to ear

“This is real, baby? You ain’t joking with me? Oh my God…”

Immediately, he picked you up and span you around in excitement as you giggled in his arms

Once he put you, the sunshine of his life, back down on the ground after your miniature orbit, his soft lips made themselves a home and kissed all over your darling face

“Ever since I met you, you’ve made me the happiest, luckiest man in the world.”

As long as he has you, he has everything he ever needs

And now you two get to bring a new blessing into the world

A perfect little darling who is half you, half Bucky

Created by the fruition of pure love and raised by a couple who possess hearts full of adoration from the moment they discover the existence of their creation

Every evening from that day forward, he covers every square inch of your growing belly with kisses

He whispers to his little one between pecks with his lips against the soft skin of your belly

“We’ve got a little ball player in there, hm? Gonna be a Yankees infielder one day?”

He’d lay down beneath you with his head against your belly

Purposefully trying to make you laugh, just to see the funny but beautiful jiggle of your stomach

Praising you for how amazing you are, just to see your pretty face light up at all of the compliments

“You’re growing a whole life in ya. Nothing I’ve done is as brave as that. The strongest girl I know, my girl. Mine, mine, mine.”

Bucky is such a girl dad and all of his girls are daddy’s girls through and through

You give birth to your first little one and she’s so tiny swaddled in his arms, the sun shining softly through the hospital room windows.

A little while later, newly acquainted father and daughter are in complete bliss while relaxing in the lounge chair at the corner of the hospital room

He’s shirtless and she’s laying on his chest

He’s adoringly whispering to her but it’s in an octave so soft that only him and his little girl can hear. The most beautiful little secrets that will stay between them forever.

You get a lot of attention post birth too. He’s thanking you, telling you how strong you are, how you’ve changed his life forever, you’re the love of his life, he loves you, he loves you, oh how he loves you.

The second baby comes not too soon after the first and it’s another little girl

Baby number three is another girl

The fourth little darling has plenty of bright eyed big sisters waiting for her at home

There’s a drawer full of hand-me-downs but there is also an array of brand new stuff because every baby is her own person. They all get the same amount of preparation, dedication, love, and care.

Did he used to dream about having a son? Sure.

But girls make amazing little baseball players

And dads make amazing fairy princesses

Bucky becomes very accustomed to tea parties, glitter, sparkles, and having his nails sloppy painted

Pigmented eyeshadow used as blush, contour, and foundation all in one

Some days he gets weird looks when walking around in public, unaware to the fact that his nails are still messily painted in various shades of purple from last night’s beauty salon shenanigans

Handing the cashier some money at the grocery store (his wallet has a photo of all of his girls) and for some reason the rest of the line has gone quiet. “What? I’m not the first person to pay for food here, right?”

Little does he know that him and the lady standing line behind him have matching manicures

You help him rub it off with some rubbing alcohol later that day, knowing it is most likely going to be replaced in a bright, sparkling new color sooner than later

Once you two start having children, it’s hard to get a night alone

As the moonlight hours go on, the bed indents frequently throughout the AMs as more and more little Egans climb into you and Bucky’s bed

Blankies and stuffed animals grasped in their little hands as they gravitate towards the body of warmth that is their peacefully sleeping father

The next morning, when the sun’s warm light starts to flood through the windows and the birds outside have started to chirp a morning’s greeting into the blue sky, you wake up to a family reunion

There is a little girl snoring with her head on Bucky’s chest, they have matching pair of parted mouths and a father-daughter set of similar sounding snores

A dark haired toddler is curled like a kitten at the foot of the bed, her white nightgown resembling the soft baby blanket she was first swaddled in as a newborn all those years ago

You can hardly sit up to see where the rest of the Egans have ended up because John has a strong arm around your waist, he’s been petting your silk nightie ever since you first put it on last evening

As you look at the clock on the nightstand to see what time it is, for some reason there is a three year old curled up on the floor, sleeping under her baby blanket. Who knows how that happened.

On the days where your blue birds don’t wander into your comfy nest at night but instead manage to stay fast asleep in their own beds, expect a stampede in the morning

Their adamant on doing anything to wake Bucky up

One is pulling the sock off of his foot, another is brushing a finger through his eyelashes

His pink cheek gets poked, his eyes get prodded at, and the bed turns underneath turns into a trampoline

But John does not wake up angry, it is quite the opposite

He has his signature cheeky smile, pulling the kids in for morning kisses and hugs as they giggle in his strong hold

He reaches over the Egan pile to give you a kiss on the lips with a soft “good morning, honey” in the raspy morning voice that makes you swoon every time

The Egan girls do not stay asleep for long, they are full of energy and ambition, creativity and fun

There’s been countless instances where Bucky has been the number one victim…I mean, playmate for their shenanigans

He puts on a silly British accent, one that he had to have learned back in the pub at Thorpe Abbots, and is always dedicated to whatever role the girls have given him to play

“Care for some tea, m’lady?” as his oversized hand holds onto a tiny porcelain teapot, pouring some air flavored tea into miniature pink teacups

The Egan house is full of tutus and dresses, teddy bears and baby dolls

A kindergartner tries her hardest to put an earring in his ear, unaware of the fact that his earlobes are indeed not pierced

“Owww. At this point ya might as well get a needle and poke a real hole in it, that’s what this feels like. The jabbing hurts, dolly.”

“A needle? That’s how ya do it?”

“No, no. Wait-”

“You're gonna look soooo pretty, daddy.” She runs as fast as her little legs will take her.

Don’t worry, she does not manage to get her hand on one of your sewing needles. Those are kept up high, away from the tiny little fingers. Bucky’s virgin earlobes manage to live another day.

Picture the image of him laying down on the living room lounge chair with a pile of little Egan girls on top of him, sleeping peacefully like cute kittens.

He smooths their dark hair, and whispers just like he did when each of them were growing in your womb, just like he did when each of them were swaddled little newborns fresh from the hospital

He doesn’t tolerate anyone who makes a backhanded comment about his girls

When you have a car full of little girls, people feel the need to put in their two cents about your family

When you were pregnant with your second? “Let’s hope it’s a little boy. A girl and a boy would be perfect for you two.’

A few years later, you’re strolling down the street with a little girl holding each hand and a swollen pregnant belly displayed by your pretty maternity dress when you receive the backhanded comment by a passerby: “Is the little boy cooking right now? You want someone to pass the last name onto, don’t ya?”

It’s when you have three or more that the “I’m so sorry”s and “You must be disappointed”s start rolling in.

One day, you got back from taking the kids to the grocery store

The moment you see Bucky, all of the Egan girls run to hug him

It’s not long before he has a little girl clinging to one of his legs, one with her arms around his neck, another holding his hand with no intent of letting go

You quietly recounted to him later in the day how the grocery store cashier remarked upon glancing at all the pink, “Your poor husband. You refuse to give him a boy, huh?”

Bucky was ready to drive to the grocery store and give that worker a piece of his mind

He has healthy, happy kids. What’s there to be poor about?

Bucky is protective of his family, even before little Egan’s got added to the family, he’s always been protective of you

If someone ever bothers you, makes you uncomfortable or says something bad about you, he has to confront them

even though if you insist over and over again that it’s no big deal

You two have always served as an inspiration to your girls, a model of a healthy and happy couple

They grew up with a father who is wholeheartedly enamored with the woman he loves

They mature into women who were raised to expect nothing less in their own men

And if they ever forget their worth, they have Bucky Egan right there to remind him

“Don’t waste your tears over him, dolly. You’ve always been a strong, beautiful girl. Ain’t no dumbass highschooler is gonna change that.”

John Egan is the comfiest, more secure shoulder to cry on

He wipes his little girl’s tears and smooths her hair while she cries

He tries to make her laugh with a dumb joke or two

“I knew just by the way that kid walked that that fool was no good. Strolled around with his nose in the air like a…I don't know, a cockatiel? Mhm, a cockatiel. Had his hair done up like one too.”

“Daddd. What’s that even supposed to mean?” Her voice is still shaky and her hold on him is still tight.

“That he aint good enough for my daughter, that’s what.”

Seeing his children sad is one of the things that absolutely breaks him, he’ll mope around the house worried sick until he knows that they’re feeling better

Let’s just say that the next time John Egan comes across the boy who made his daughter cry, that kid does not have the nerve to come near her ever again

That kid shivers when he hears the name “Egan” because of the stern talking to he had after school that one day

“You’re lucky that you’re a dumbass child. But kid or not, that bullshit won’t fly. Ever. Hurt my daughter again, utter her name even, and you’re getting punched in the fucking mouth. That’s a promise, not a threat. Trust me.”

He’d implore the newspaper boy to do it

And the kid would

Because it’s Bucky Egan

The cool dad everyone wishes they had

And someone managed to get on his bad side? They deserve what is coming.

If his daughter is a little older and it’s an actual grown man that breaks her heart? Yeah, that dude actually gets the pleasure of being sucker punched across the face by John Egan himself.

But eventually his little girl’s do find their soulmate, men who treat them right

Bucky can’t stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks as he walks one of his beloved children down the church aisle, processing the fact that his little girl isn’t so little anymore

He makes sure to keep a handkerchief on him because there is no doubt in his mind that it will be needed throughout the whole ceremony

It does not truly sink in for Bucky that his girls are growing up until he sees them dolled up in gorgeous white dresses, their faces radiating happiness and joy for the biggest day of their lives

Handing her over to her new husband while light shines through stained glass church windows, family and friends gathered in the pews

and her hand is just as delicate as it was all those years ago when a newborn baby first grasped her dad’s finger

And he promised to love her and protect her for eternity

Emotional father-daughter dances— holding her close while singing the lyrics to a sentimental song, the same one he used to sing to her as a bedtime lullaby all those years ago

He twirls his little angel, all dressed up in tulle and lace

The whole day is full of reminiscing to the past

“Remember how chaotic our house used to be, honey?” He’d whisper to you after the ceremony with a dry laugh and a shake of his head

And chaotic it was

You remember how Bucky would rangle them all up for bathtime, like an oversized border collie herding a pack of tiny lambs

When you try to help him by catching a running toddler in your arms, Bucky immediately puts his hand on your shoulder and stops you

Gently taking your hand in his and leading you to the nearest place to sit, “Sit back and relax, honey. You’ve been working around the house all day. Dad’s in charge of baths today, I promise. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, alright?”

After some reluctance, you ultimately agree to stay uninvolved, but even though you are sat down, you do not stay unentertained

You watch as Bucky holds a kid upside down in his left arm while scooping up another rowdy toddler in his right

Your middle child jumps on his back, holding onto his neck like Jack climbing the beanstalk

It’s moments like that, seeing your husband’s joyful smile while little ones cling onto him like rambunctious monkeys, that you remember why you made John Egan a father

Moments like that make you grateful that you had the privilege of helping him become a dad because...wow is he meant for it

He shines most when around your littles and it’s clear for anyone with eyes to notice that

After an hour, all the kids were bathed and powdered and dressed in comfy nightgowns

You couldn’t help yourself from giggling as John let himself fall back onto the couch with a drenched shirt and bubbles shining in his dark curls

That night you two took a well needed, candlelit bath of your own

It was nothing short of romantic. John rubbed your feet as compliments and praises started to fall from his lips

“I really don’t know how you manage to do all of that when I’m gone, sugar.”

You lean your head back against the tub while responding in a calm voice, “It’s a lot. That’s why I wanted to help you get ‘em in the bath. We’re a team. A unit.”

“Mhmm.” His hand leaves your foot and makes its way to your soft calf, lifting your leg out of the water. He gives the leg a resting place on his broad shoulder, turning his head in order to easily be able to leave a trail of deep kisses on your skin. The kisses stop when you hear a raspy whisper from his lips, “Just wanted to give you a break is all. You know, sometimes I wake up wondering where those kids get all that goddamn energy from.”

“Oh honey, I wonder who they get it from…”

It was years following the birth of your youngest girl—when all of the newborn clothes, blankets, and bibs were finally folded away into the attic with no little one to make use of them any more—that a surprise happens

All of the kids have started and settled into school at this point, leaving some extra freetime during the day…

It’s a boy

He’s the baby of the family

Waddling around in tiny blue overalls and muddied baseball jerseys

Smiling wide twin dimples adorning each of his rosy cheeks

On sunny days, he rides on his father’s shoulders in the backyard while Bucky makes airplane sounds with his mouth, pretending to be the B-17 that’s flying his little boy through the air

He grows up to be so similar to his father, it’s uncanny

The same characteristics, the same smile, the same sense of humor, the same bountiful heart, the same love for baseball

He is not given any favoritism for being the only boy

Every child is different and treated as their own unique human being, raised with the same love and core values no matter the gender

Another lucky girl gets to have her own Egan

And if all of those years spent raising your son into being the best human he can be did him any good, you couldn’t be happier for her

————————————————————————

Ahhhh, I hope you enjoyed. Finally, I’m writing again. I’ll admit that I’m a little rusty but that’s fine. I’m the only one who reads over this stuff, so sometimes I’m afraid that when I post my incomprehensible rambling…it looks like incomprehensible rambling. My inbox is open for requests, comments, and anything else you want to chat about! I like talking to people! :)

[bakawitch]

Continuing this nonsense au

(I can't draw right now, and I need to get it out of my system)

Marinette is best friends with Chloé (they're the mean girls)

She's the daughter of the most famous/expensive confectioners in all of Paris

She's a klepto and pick pockets the ladybug miraculous from Fu before he could give it to an appropriate holder

Her hero name is Lady Vermilion

She is the sole defence against Hawkmoth for a while and is perceived very positively by the public

Sabrina takes on Marinette's canon role and is constantly victimised by Chloé and Marinette

Que Alya's transfer to the class, her and Sabrina become fast friends and they bond over their mutual love for Lady Vermilion

Sabrina passes one of Fu's dumb tests and gets the black cat miraculous - becomes Calico

After Fu sees Alya help Calico while Lady Ver is down from an akuma attack, he gives her the dog miraculous

Alya becomes Huntara and Calico and her partner up!

(Fetch has a different ability, I don't know what yet, but it's something stronger. Maybe it's something like stealing distance between the user and targets the ball hit? Dunno lol)

After the akuma gets defeated, Lady Ver welcomes them to the hero business and tells them that one day, they might be as great as her if they try hard enough, because this time they definitely just got lucky

Lady Ver is fake nice to them in a condescending and belittling way, she's very angry and concerned that they might steal her spotlight

Alya and Sabrina are unaware of each others' secret identities because they don't know each other well enough to know if they're acting out of character or trying to cover for something but they will figure it out eventually

They do hero stuff, and Lady Ver usually steals the spotlight

She usually only appears for very dangerous akumas and lets Calico and Huntara deal with the small fries

Enter Adrien- dun dun dun!

He's also a mean girl™

Marinette still has a thing for him, but Adrien and Chloé are too oblivious to notice her advances and

Something something happens, Marinette gets the opportunity to snatch the bee miraculous from Fu

She gives it to Chloé and reveals her secret identity to her, believing that as a duo, they have better chances to rival the rising in popularity cat and dog duo

Chloé becomes Queen Frelon

Seeing the increasing amount of miraculous in play, Hawkmoth recruits his disgruntled estranged son and gives him the broken peacock miraculous (father of the year, ladies and gentlemen)

Adrien becomes Fanfare and almost immediately gets sick after detransforming

(He's probably not a senti-baby here...? Idk)

Fanfare eventually recruits Lady Vermillion and Queen Frelon from the shadows to start his own cause because there is no way that he's going to give the ladybug and black cat miraculous to his incompetent father

Queen Frelon and Lady Ver start openly sabotaging Calico and Huntara and try to set them up as fall guys for Fanfare's plan

Love square is Huntara/Alya->Calico->Alya<-Sabrina

Felix arrives and eliminates Hawkmoth/Gabriel with Adrien/Fanfare's help after figuring out their identities

Felix gets the butterfly and becomes Jaded Majesty

Lady Ver and Queen Frelon fully switch sides, and Lady Ver uses her influence to start portraying Huntara and Calico as villains, and the heroes become wanted criminals

The new actual villain team carefully craft a plan through which they will practically have full control over Paris

The goal is still to get the black cat from Calico, but their wish is now to heal Adrien

And yeah, that's as far as I have this au roughly outlined XD

[ataliagold]

the edges of your soul i haven't seen yet

This came from wanting to expand on the ideas in 'you're the only one who knows, you slow it down', but consider this a new fic with very similar ideas. I'm not sure how long it'll be yet, but here's the first chapter. Title from Forever by Noah Kahan.

Also on AO3 here.

Pairing: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Rating: T (currently)

Tags: modern au, no upside down, autistic steve, steve has a service cat, eddie and steve fall in love while working at a farmers' market, stimming, autistic meltdowns/shutdowns/stimming, platonic soulmates steve and robin, eddie is a sweetheart

Summary: Eddie's reluctantly helping Wayne with his produce stall at the farmers' market. He's resigned himself to a boring summer - until a new face shows up at the market to run a baking stall with his best friend. Steve is...odd, like no one Eddie's ever met.

And it doesn't take him long to fall head over heels for him.

___

Chapter One

Eddie isn’t particularly enjoying his morning.

Not yet, anyway.

He grunts as Wayne loads another box into his arms, adjusting his footing under the weight of the produce, of apples and pears, oranges and grapefruit, of avocados and sweet potatoes and carrots and lettuces…

“Right, that’s the last of it,” Wayne announces, dusting his hands off and locking his pick-up behind him.

“Thank fuck,” Eddie grumbles. He makes his way towards their stall, cursing as he trips a little and loses an apple or two. There’s sweat dripping down his spine already, this summer proving to be particularly hot and humid even at eight fucking thirty a.m.

But Eddie had promised Wayne he’d help him out at the farmers’ market this weekend, since he had nothing better on, since his friends had actually gotten in to colleges and were busy getting ready to move away, since Eddie had been sort of…left behind, with nothing to do but trail after his uncle like a bad smell.

He does as he’s told. Sets the boxes down where Wayne points, helps him set the produce out, puts the little cardboard signs with the prices scribbled on them at the front of the table.

Once that’s finished, Eddie sinks into a plastic camp chair with a sigh, reaching for an apple and loudly crunching into it, ignoring the half-hearted glare Wayne shoots back at him.

There’s only a couple of people here this early – mostly other stall-holders setting up, the occasional dog-walker taking a non-committal glance at the wares, an old lady or two with purses clutched close to their middles.

It’s gonna be a boring morning.

Eddie chucks his headphones on, cranks the music as loud as he’ll get away with, and settles in for several hours of withering in the heat and making sure no one pockets an extra pear.

Eventually, his gaze wanders.

Wayne’s talking to a customer, something about the growing season for oranges or some shit, when Eddie claps eyes on the most beautiful boy he’s ever seen.

He sits up. Swallows, stares because he can’t help it.

There’s a literal god unfolding a table not far away, placing a thin yellow blanket on the top, smoothing it out just so. He’s about Eddie’s age, all olive skin dotted with moles and broad shoulders and golden hair that’s fallen effortlessly into place. Glasses frame his face, his perfect fucking face with those pink lips and square jaw, and even from here Eddie can see the look of concentration on the boy’s face, his brows slightly drawn together as he tucks the blanket in at the corners, as he readjusts several times to make sure it’s completely straight on the table.

A light smack to his knee jolts Eddie out of his daze, forces him to drag his gaze reluctantly back to Wayne. Wayne, who’s frowning at him, shaking his head.

“Turn your damn music down, Eds,” Wayne huffs, “need ya to dig me out some change.”

Eddie doesn’t argue. Lets Wayne believe he was distracted by his music, not by the boy several stalls over.

He rifles through their tin of change, picking out a few quarters, and then sneaks a look back again.

The boy’s bent over the table, light-wash jeans pulled tight across his ass, and Eddie’s pretty sure he’s openly gaping at the guy right now but he can’t fucking help it. It’s a baking stall, by the look of the cupcakes and cookies the boy’s currently placing out on the table, tongue poking ever so slightly out of his mouth as he works. The boy pauses for a moment in front of the table, as if assessing his wares for anything out of place.

“Eddie!” Wayne says again, exasperated. “You got that change, or what?”

Eddie snaps his mouth shut. Turns back to Wayne, hands him the change which his uncle takes with a shake of his head. Once the customer has left with a paper bag of carrots in hand, Eddie makes a decision.

“You want a cookie?” he asks Wayne.

“Huh?”

“A cookie,” Eddie repeats, slowly.

Wayne looks down at his watch. “It’s barely gone nine a.m.”

“So? I’m getting one. You want one, or not?”

After Wayne declines, Eddie heads off with a shrug, making straight for the tall boy still frowning down at his baking, thumb drawing anxious patterns on his index finger.

As he approaches, Eddie’s words die in his throat.

He’d planned on flirting. Was ready to try and charm the pants right off this boy, as quickly as he decently could.

But the closer he got, the more the butterflies began in his stomach.

Because somehow, he only got more attractive with every step Eddie took.

And yeah, he wasn’t usually one for ironed polos and blue jeans and bright white Nikes that looked meticulously clean, but Eddie’s cheeks were reddening and his heart was pounding when he reached the stall.

The boy didn’t turn around at his approach.

Not until Eddie clears his throat a little awkwardly, hand brushing over the back of his neck. Sheepish. Shy. Two things he’s never been in his whole fucking life.

“Uh…hi,” Eddie starts.

The boy’s eyes widen behind his glasses. His hands grasp each other, almost frantically, and his gaze darts from Eddie, to the table, to somewhere off behind him. He opens his mouth briefly, but closes it again without speaking.

Huh, Eddie thinks.

Well, maybe the guy’s even shyer than he is right now.

Eddie tries again. “I saw you setting up, looks good. The…the baking, I mean, not…not you setting up. Well, that too, honestly, but I thought…” Eddie trails off, internally kicking himself.

You fucking idiot, Munson.

The boy blinks at him.

When he still doesn’t speak, Eddie shifts from foot to foot a little, then finally steps over to the table.

“Well, I’m just gonna have a look, if that’s ok?”

The boy nods. Quick, his head jerking a little, the movement stiff and awkward.

Eddie feels his eyes boring into his back as he scans the table. There’s cupcakes with piped-on frosting in several different patterns but all of them yellow, matching the boy’s soft polo that was clinging unfairly to his chest. There’s slices of brownies, cookies of varying flavours, apple pie and cinnamon donuts and red velvet cake and shortbread…

“Did you make all of these?” Eddie asks, a little in awe.

Polo-boy nods, not meeting Eddie’s eye. He’s wringing his hands, clenching his jaw, repeatedly glancing over Eddie’s shoulder as if he’s looking for someone.

“Shit, that’s…there’s so much different stuff here, how long did it take you?” And Eddie’s genuinely curious, he’s not just talking for the sake of it, for the purpose of squeezing at least a word or two out of this guy. Because everything on that table was meticulous – the cookies perfectly round, the pie sliced into completely even pieces, not even a stray dribble of batter or frosting on the cupcake liners (also yellow, Eddie noted) – there’s so much effort gone into this, and Eddie’s impressed.

The boy wants to speak, it looks like.

Eddie waits while he opens and closes his mouth a few times, flapping a hand in front of him.

“Hey Stevie, everything ok?”

A girl wanders over with several cake boxes in her arms, glancing between Stevie and Eddie. She’s got short hair, a dusting of freckles across her face, and a yellow top on to match the boy in front of Eddie, who relaxes a tiny bit as soon as he sees her.

He nods, but doesn’t stop clenching his hands together over his stomach.

The girl puts the boxes down, and steps over to the boy.

“Hey, it’s ok,” she murmurs softly, “we talked about this, remember? You’re fine, just…take a breath, ok?”

Eddie turns away from them. Senses this isn’t a conversation meant for him, and brings his attention back to the table, pretending he’s just…really interested in cupcakes all of a sudden. But he’s only a couple of feet away, and the girl doesn’t seem to care that he can overhear.

“Has he asked to buy something?”

“No.”

It’s the first time Eddie’s heard the boy speak. His voice is quiet, not much above a whisper, but Eddie wants to hear more of it.

“He wanted to know how long it took me,” the boy continues, “to make everything.”

“Ok…so did you answer?”

“No. Wanted to.”

“Your words get stuck?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“Well, that’s ok. Here, I’ll help you.”

“Robin -”

“You gotta try, Stevie. You can do it, come on.”

Eddie turns back to them as Robin tows the guy – Stevie? – over by his sleeve.

“Hi.” She grins at Eddie, and the boy stands slightly behind her, looking down at his feet. “This is Steve, I’m Robin. It’s our first time at a market and Steve’s kinda nervous. Can we help you with anything?”

Eddie’s eyes flick back to Steve, to his red cheeks and long eyelashes. His heart thuds in his chest.

He smiles at them. “I’m Eddie, my uncles got a stall just over there.” He jabs his thumb over his shoulder. “We sell fruit and shit. This is really your first day? Your set up is…really nice.”

“Thanks.” Robin beams even wider. “It was all Steve really, he did all the baking too, I’m just here to help out.”

Eddie nods slowly. Steve’s still avoiding his eye, no matter how much Eddie tries to catch it.

Swallowing his disappointment, he points to one of the chocolate chip cookies on the table.

“Can I get one of those, please?”

Robin nods briskly. “Steve, can you sort that?” She nudges him slightly in the side, and Steve springs into action, seemingly happy to give his hands something to do as he grabs a paper bag and looks around the table for something.

He freezes suddenly.

Robin’s back at his side immediately.

“Everything ok?” she asks quietly.

He shakes his head, flaps a hand at the table, face drawn tight in a frown.

“Where’s the…” he mumbles, trailing off.

“The what?” Robin prompts.

Steve bites his bottom lip, hands finding his thighs and tugging at his jeans, frustrated. Seemingly unable to find the word, he brings a hand up to chest height and makes a little snapping motion with his fingers.

“…tongs?” Robin guesses, and Steve nods briskly. “Maybe we left them in the car? I’ll go have a look.”

“It’s fine, you can just use your fingers,” Eddie offers, because he truly couldn’t care less.

Steve shakes his head vehemently, face tightening even further.

“Or…I could grab it?” Eddie tries, but Steve shakes his head again, looking so distressed that Eddie shuts up.

There’s a meow from somewhere behind the table.

A black and white cat emerges from under it, a red collar around its neck, and approaches Steve confidently, pressing up against his legs.

Steve ignores the cat, at first.

He’s digging a thumbnail into the meat of his palm, shuffling from foot to foot every so often, dragging a lip so hard between his teeth that Eddie’s worried he’s gonna make it bleed, and Eddie isn’t sure what to do. He wants to help, wants to somehow soothe the boy, but he isn’t sure how, thinks if he gets any closer to him he’ll only make things worse.

The cats meows again. Presses itself harder up against Steve, stretches up so its little front paws are against his thigh, kneading insistently, refusing to be ignored.

Steve sags a little. Reaches down with a trembling hand, strokes it across the cat’s head, and Eddie can hear the rumbling purr start up from the little creature. He watches as Steve loosens up, as his fingers unclench and his teeth release his lip and the frown fades slowly from his lovely face.

Robin returns, snapping the tongs triumphantly, and hands them to Steve.

He takes them happily and returns to his task, placing Eddie’s chosen cookie into the bag with more care than Eddie’s ever seen from someone serving him food before.

Eddie takes the offered bag, the divine scent wafting out and making his mouth water. Wayne was going to regret not asking for one, he knows.

Steve looks up, catches his eye for the tiniest moment, then his gaze ducks away.

“Thanks, Steve,” Eddie says softly. “This smells great, seriously. And if you guys need anything,” he looks over to Robin to include her, too, “come see me at the fruit stall, I’m just over there.” He points in the direction of Wayne, who’s no doubt getting grumpier by the minute at Eddie’s absence.

Please come, Eddie begs silently, eyeing Steve one last time before he turns away.

“Three days,” Steve blurts out as Eddie starts to walk away.

Eddie pauses, turns back to him.

Steve’s eyes are fixed on his shoes again, and he rocks back and forth on his heels slightly. Robin glances between the two of them, then looks hopefully back at Steve.

Eddie frowns slightly, about to question him, when Steve speaks again.

“It took me three days. To bake everything. Wanted it all to be perfect.”

Eddie smiles, wide and warm.

“It is, Steve.”

___

[thicctails]

><((((º>‿︵‿︵‿︵Undercurrent‿︵‿︵‿︵<º))))><

A Merformers x Reader Fanfiction

Chapter 2 ° Coastguard

Blessed be Randy the coffee machine, your holy god of caffeine. May His hazel liquid flow eternally into graceous Bartholomew, vessel of Randy's divine lifeblood; discount noname brand coffee that had expired last week.

Taking another sip of your beloved breakfast drink, you forced yourself to walk towards the greeting area of your clinic, praying to any deity that was listening that you looked at least passably presentable. You'd taken far longer to pull yourself away from the tender embrace of your nearly flat air mattress than you should have, and both your nerves and back were paying for it.

The head researcher of A.E.R.O. was meeting with you today to discuss your collaboration effort with them, and finally tell you exactly what species you'd be getting to work with. You hoped it would be something exciting, like sharks, dolphins, whales, or nudibranchs.

Taking a shaky breath, you shoved your anxiety down into the pit of your gut where it could, hopefully, only be noticed by you as your hand grasped the handle of the door. You pulled, ready to take the first proper step towards your new life.

Ka-thunk!

Ah. It was a push door.

Willing the colour that had suddenly flooded your cheeks to kindly fuck off, you meekly pushed the door open.

A man was standing in the main entrance room, leaning against Desk the desk and scrolling through something on his phone. He was dressed fairly casual for someone in his position, sporting tan cargo shorts, a forest green t-shirt, and a black lab coat, his company's acronym emblazoned in crisp vinyl across his breast pocket. He had tousled light brown hair and deep brown eyes that were framed by square glasses. At the sound of your approach, he lifted his gaze from his cellphone and gave you a warm smile, pocketing the device and turning his body towards you.

"Doctor L/N! It's nice to finally meet you!" he greeted, extending his hand to you. "My name is Dr. Burns, but please, just call me Graham."

Though it had been difficult to tell sometimes, you had not actually been raised by a pack of rabid wolves, so you returned the gesture, gripping the man's hand and giving it a shake.

"It's a pleasure to acquatence your make."

Oh, Jesus Christ.

Hey, God? Could you do a little smiting? Yeah, right here please.

"I- I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't mean to say that." You managed to get out, almost shocked that you hadn't fucked that sentence up as well.

Breaking News! Local PhD holder flubbs basic greeting! Becomes World Champion speedrunner for ruining first impressions and instantly loses any chance of being considered for further employment and any shred of respect this man had for them!

"It's fine. Honestly, I was just as nervous as you when I first started." Graham laughed, startling you out of your own mental spiral, "I was so preoccupied with my own worries that I tripped and fell face first into a pool on my first day."

You stared at Graham for a moment, stunned that he was still talking to by choice and not out of obligation, before a small, strangled chuckle left your throat, sounding more like the dying squak of a strangled seabird than a laugh.

"Come on, the rest of the team is waiting for us in town." the brunette said, gesturing for you to follow him.

You arched a brow but obediently followed after him, trailing after the researcher like a duckling waddling after a pair of boots.

"Oh? I was under the impression this meeting was to discuss my contract." you replied, trying to scrape together a professional-ish sentence while simultaneously praying that you weren't coming off as rude.

"It is, but once everyone got wind that we would be working with someone new, they got a little," he paused, hand waving about as he searched for the right word, "excited. It's been a while since anyone besides Marissa worked close enough for us to talk to them on a semi-regular basis."

"Can't wait to meet them!" you said cheerfully, lying through your teeth.

The idea of having to interact with another human being today had been draining enough, but to have to converse with several? When their opinions of you could impact your career?

Your hands twitched around Bartholomew's smooth, ceramic body, wishing you'd added a few ounces of pure caffeine to your coffee. Maybe you'd get lucky and get struck by a bus.

Unfortunately, God wasn't known for being kind to you, so you arrived at a small diner completely unharmed.

The worn bell above the door dinged as you and Graham stepped inside, the smell of greasy fries and cheap burgers wafting all around you as he led you over to one of the booths, the cracked red leather seats occupied by three other people in various states of dress.

There was a younger woman with russet skin and shockingly red hair that was pulled back in a loose ponytail, a few hairclips keeping her bangs out of her bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a cream and light orange dress, matching knee-high boots complementing her outfit. She was scrolling on her phone, but put the device down when she noticed your approach.

Ah, the mortifying feeling of being known. It never failed to make you uncomfortable.

The other two, who were seemingly in the middle of seeing who could chug a milkshake faster, were men, light skinned and with almost identically brown hair. It was easy to pick them apart, though, seeing as one was built like a brick shithouse and looked as though he was cosplaying some strange cross between a soldier and a Ghostbuster, and the other was a twink that also happened to be absolutely rocking some sun-bleached overalls and a set of the most obnoxiously yellow rubber boots you'd ever seen in your entire life.

"Hey, dingbats!" the woman hissed, nudging her closest colleague, who happened to be the rubber boots guy, "The new vet is here!"

While the two guys attempted to swallow their drinks without getting a brain freeze, Graham gave you a somewhat sheepish smile. "Dr. L/N, I'd like to introduce you to Doctor Sari Sumdac, Doctor Spike Witwicky, and Doctor Blaine L. Parker."

"Mainframe." Blaine said, slamming his cup down with a satisfied sigh, "Call me Mainframe. Only my Mama calls me Blaine."

"I'm still good with Spike." the other man chimed in, extending his hand to you as you and Graham slid into the opposite booth seat. You shook it, quickly repeating the action with Sari and Mainframe.

"So, you're the new guy, eh?" Mainframe asked, "We've been waitn' for Marissa to finally pick someone. She's too picky, if you ask me."

"Not picky enough if she hired you." Sari shot back, and for a moment you stiffened, afraid you were about to have front row seats for a fight, but Mainframe's laughter and Sari's teasing expression quickly calmed your nerves. She looked back at you, her face taking on a more genuine look, "He's not wrong about us waiting, though. A.E.R.O. has been around for a few years now, but you're the first vet we've gotten assigned to work with us."

Your eyebrows shot up, mouth opening slightly in surprise before you remembered to shut it, "Really? Why?"

The gathered marine biologists looked at each other for a moment, before Spike leaned in closer to you. You matched his action, wondering what exactly he had to say.

"Did Marissa fill you in on what exactly A.E.R.O. means?" he asked in a low whisper.

You thought for a moment, then shook your head. Actually, your employer had told you very little, just enough to get you to sign a contract with her. You didn't regret your decision; anything would be better than the place you'd come from, but this secrecy did make you wonder what exactly you'd gotten yourself into.

"A.E.R.O.," Spike continued, "stands for Aquatic Extraterrestrial Research Outpost."

You blinked, leaning back as you turned over what Spike had just told you. Had you heard him correctly? No, surely not. Clearly you hadn't had enough coffee yet.

"I'm sorry," you apologized, chuckling a little "I must still be a bit groggy, because I thought you said extraterrestrial for a moment there."

The four shared another look, then once again focused their attention back on you.

"You heard correctly, Dr. L/N." Graham said, producing an envelope from the interior of his jacket. He quickly glanced around the diner, before sliding the envelope over to you. He continued speaking as you picked it up, hands shaking slightly.

"Five years ago, several objects from deep space suddenly entered our atmosphere and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. It was presumed that they were abnormal meteors of some kind, but a government owned dive team discovered that they were actually pods of some kind, made of materials not found on Earth.

"They were empty by the time they were found, but not long after they were discovered and retrieved, strange signals began to be picked up by sonar sensors, and sailors around this area began to report seeing bizzare creatures swimming beneath their boats, some of them claiming that their vessels were attacked, which was corroborated by several documented cases of boats coming in with scratch marks on their hulls."

You opened the envelope and reached inside, withdrawing several polaroid photographs. Each one was of a different boat, ranging from dinky little sailboats to bulky fishing trawlers. However, they all shared one unique feature; a set of deep gouges that tore through wood and metal, left behind by something that had to be absolutely huge.

Well shit, slap a tinfoil hat on your head and call you a believer, because there wasn't much in the ocean that had claws to begin with, and certainly nothing with claws large enough to do that kind of damage.

As you began to tuck the photos back into the envelope, you noticed that one of them was drastically different. It was blurry, taken on the coast during what looked like a storm, but not even those hindrances could mask the appearance of the... thing that had been captured on camera.

It was big. Like, really big.

The closest thing you could compare it to would be some kind of whale, but it looked so wholly unlike any species you knew of that you immediately tossed that idea out the window. It had a long, silvery body, covered in large, armour-like scales that almost gave the appearance of it being segmented. Thick, spiny fins jutted out along most of its tail, purple webbing torn and ragged. It's upper half was obscured, as the creature was diving back down beneath the surface, but the very beginnings of its torso hadn't quite been submerged when the photo was taken, and you could see a long row of crimson gills that glowed in the moonless dark.

"What the fuck." you breathed out, shoving the photos back into the envelope before tossing it away from you like you were playing the world's strangest game of Hot Potato.

"Yeah, that was pretty much our reaction too." Sari said, picking up the envelope. "We've been calling that one 'The Meg', since you could almost mistake it for an overgrown shark, if you only caught a glimpse of it.

You pinched the bridge of your nose and groaned softly as you considered everything you'd just been told.

"Let me get this straight," you started slowly, dragging your hand down your face before resting it on your chin, "You and Marissa want me to find a way to study and treat a highly aggressive, barely studied, extremely dangerous alien, let me repeat that for you, alien species with no prior experience and, since you four work at a separate facility, no team?"

A pregnant silence met your question for a moment, before being broken by a very timid, very nervous "Yes?" from Graham, who was rubbing the back of his head.

You looked at him, looked at the rest of his team, looked at the exit of the diner, and considered your options; accept this batshit insane, borderline suicidal offer and risk getting torn limb from limb by sea monsters from beyond the stars, or move back in with your parents.

"Well Christ on a bike, sign me up." you replied, before snagging the nearby coffee pot and, after checking that it wouldn't give you third degree burns, chugged the whole damn thing, determined to get enough caffeine in your body to drown out that little voice in your head that alway nagged that you should have been a lawyer.

[a-flaming-idiot]

So this list (https://www.tumblr.com/a-flaming-idiot/741801196532137984/types-of-lilanette-dynamics-i-find-funny-1-lila) was very entertaining but I am legit super curious how do you think number 5 would work?

Like on a wider heroes of Paris level, I mean. How did Lila get the Fox, is she actually a hero, would Mari put two and two together regarding Volpina & Lila ETC.

Ok, to be honest, when I made that list I just thought it was a funny concept to have Marinette and Lila get a certain dynamic. Like a sorta funny love square where Marinette is doing her best to be nice to Lila and help her but finds Volpina UNBELIEVABLY annoying and outright hates her. If not is a tiny bit scared of her.

But your ask has actually gotten my creative mind going and creating a kinda cool AU idea.

So let's call this, The Lone Fox AU, just for convenience. So basically, in this AU, at least for a while, Lila as Volpina is the only hero in Paris. For some reason, Fu wasn't able to give Marinette and Adrien their Miraculous. Or never even found them in the first place. But Lila found him.

Basically Lila had seen Fu actually fall, likely while trying to rush back to his home, and dropped the Fox Miraculous in his panic. Lila thought it was just some cool jewelry and decided to pocket it instead of giving it back. It was only when she got home and put it on, that she met Trixx and discovered the power she had just stolen. Lila soon decided to basically go on a joyride, using her new power as Volpina to just do whatever she wanted around Paris. She didn't really hurt anyone, she wasn't a villain, but she did take advantage of her power to torment people for fun and take anything she wanted(mostly just random stuff like food and trinkets. She left valuable alone for the most part). Though at her core, she is just after the attention. Lila has always been craving attention.

But then Hawk Moth went and ruined it. Seeing a clear sign the Miraculous were in play around Paris, he started sending out his akumas, trying to further lure out the Cat and Ladybug holders that were surely hiding from him. He may have even tried to recruit Lila, but this whole, take-over Paris thing was not Lila's style, she just wanted to have her fun without anyone to tie her down. Plus she has the sense Hawk Moth will likely abandon her at the first chance he gets, like all adults eventually do to her.

When the akumatized villains start actually attacking Paris, doing real tangible damage to the city, Lila ends up intervening. She doesn't want her freedom and source of attention taken away from her so she starts fighting the akumas. She doesn't have the Ladybug or Black Cat power, but she learns to be crafty, learning to destroy the akumatized items with the help of Trixx, and how to actually destroy the butterflies when she doesn't have the ability to purify them.

The public definitely has mixed feelings on Volpina. She's fighting to protect them against the much more dangerous and destructive akumas, but they also know well the amount of tomfoolery and trouble she caused when left to her own devices. Which is why she's marked a sa vigilante instead of a straight hero or villain. This is definitely where Marinette picked up her distaste for Volpina, the fox taking plenty of baked goods from her family's bakery while on her joyrides.

As time goes on, things get even more complicated. Akumas become stronger and Lila's usual tricks aren't getting her as far. And this whole time since having to fight these akumas she's had a whole ton of time to think about her place in Paris. She went on her joyrides because she felt alone and unseen. Her father left her soon after she was born and her mother is so lost in work she's basically forever left Lila alone to fend for herself. Not to mention Lila has moved so many times she's never had the chance to set down her roots. So all her lying and her Volpina joyrides are just an attempt to take back the attention she was denied her whole life.

And now, as a hero, she's starting to catch on to the other things that are important to her. She likes actually being helpful and the gratitude people show her for doing heroic things. But she also hates the fear and disdain many others show her. Rightfully deserved. Lila doesn't want to be feared or hated. She just wants to be known...

Feeling in over her head with recent akumas and actually remorseful for her actions, Lila goes to the only person she can think to, Master Fu. With Trixx's help, she tracks down Fu at his shop as just simple Lila. Fu is confused till she explains who she is and starts actually begging for forgiveness. No lies. No deceptions. No half-truths. Just Lila asking for help.

Fu takes pity on her, but is also able to sense the spark of a hero's spirit within her. So he cuts her a deal. He'll help her as much as he can, but as soon as Hawk Moth is defeated, Lila will give back the Fox Miraculous and never go near the Miraculous ever again. And if he catches any funny business from her, Fu will take the Fox Miraculous back himself.

Lila's hesitant for a second, but agrees. So now she has Fu to guide her. But Master Fu also gives her one more recommendation on how to beat Hawk Moth, a partner...

So Lila finds the one girl she can trust. A girl she's both cherished as a civilian and needlessly tormented as a vigilante. She sneaks into Marinette's room and leaves her a little box with a note just asking for help. So now Volpina is joined by Multimouse!

Of course, Marinette is hesitant to help and makes her dislike for Volpina known. But agrees to be her partner to save Paris and maybe kick Volpina in the butt some more.

And with one more good influence, they probably do expand their team a bit more to fight Hawk Moth. But for the most part, it's just Volpina and Multimouse.

The whole time Volpina has been having her character arc, you can imagine civilian Lila still causing problems at school. Maybe not as bad as in canon, but she still lies and does whatever she wants to get attention. With Marinette hanging around in her shadow, being basically the only person Lila would properly consider a friend. Marinette does like Lila as a person sincerely, but also wants to keep her on the right track. And Lila takes notice. Meanwhile as Volpina, she likes to torment Marinette a bit. It's mostly flirty and she has no ill will or bad intent, she is just trying to have fun but Marinette does not appreciate having this vigilante bothering her and her family. But Lila does let up slowly as she starts to reevaluate her priorities.

But yeah. That's the rough outline for the Lone Fox AU. This was not even close to my intended idea when I first made that list, but now we got it. Thanks for the inspiration and hope you liked it!.

[haphira]

A Lonely Christmas?

For @inkmousey, LBSC Secret Santa 2023

“Yes, Maman, I’ll be fine here by myself.” Marinette spoke into her phone. She was organizing her scrap materials... again. She picked up a teal-green square that reminded her of Viperion and set it aside to use later. 

“I just worry about you being alone on Christmas. You know we can always fly back-”  

“Maman. You and Dad have wanted to see your extended family for years now, and with the commissions I have, I wouldn’t have been able to go anyways, I’ll be fine! Promise.” Marinette reassured her mother for the fifth time today. Her parents landed in China yesterday and they wouldn’t stop fussing over her. She loves them dearly, but it was starting to feel like she was 14 again.  

“I’m 18 and more than capable of taking care of myself. Enjoy your vacation and give the family my love, okay?” Marinette sighed as she heard her mother's relucent agreement and hung up. Marinette sighed again as she put her scrap materials away.  

“Geez, they always worry too much about me, I’m fine and not alone!” Marinette turned to Mullo who was sleeping on her pillow next to Marinette. Smiling softly, Marinette quietly got up to make herself some tea and maybe pull out a cracker or two for Mullo when she wakes up.  

After setting the electric kettle to boil, Marinette brought down some of her favorite relaxing tea and her favorite mug from the kitchen cabinet. The quiet of the kitchen was starting to get to her. Normally the kitchen is busy with smells and laughter intermingled with talking. A creeping loneliness was starting to show itself, but Marinette grabbed her phone and set some holiday music to distract from it. She has been home alone before, and it's not a big deal. Why would now, be any different?  

Now, it was time for family and friends, but no one has the time for you, a villainous voice in Marinette’s mind said. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts, it wasn’t the time for depression to make a nuisance of itself. She had a duty to Paris and her commissions to think of.  

Hearing the kettle click off, Marinette grabbed the boiling water and made a mug of tea. Grabbing a few crackers along the way, she headed back upstairs to her bedroom where Mullo was waiting. She watched her Kwami sleep peacefully and Marinette put her tea on the bedside table.  

Mullo woke up to the sound of Marinette flopping onto her bed with a sleeve of crackers held to her chest. Muffled music still played from her phone in her back pocket. Another sigh escaped her. Maybe her parents weren’t over worrying about her. It was the first Christmas she had spent alone, and Marinette was... unhappy. 

Hawkmoth has been terrorizing people left and right, since the holidays started. It was all hands-on deck this year. Marinette felt glad she was relied on but, also sad that she couldn’t join her family in China. Until Hawkmoth was caught, all Miraculous holders were grounded to Paris. The upside was that she might even get to see Viperion. Although it was highly likely he, like the rest of the holders, had Christmas plans, Marinette let out another sigh.  

Marinette reached out for the tea she made and pulled her phone out of her pocket to silence the music that was still playing. Sipping the hot tea, Marinette contemplated what to do for the night, it was Christmas eve, and the weather wasn’t too cold, so she could go out on a run through the city patrolling.  

“Hey Mullo, what do you think about going out for a while?” Mullo munched on a cracker and smiled at her holder. 

“That sounds wonderful, Miss Marinette! I bet the night lights would be beautiful!” Mullo squeaked. Marinette nodded; a small smile graced her lips. Going out might be just the thing she needed, after grabbing the rest of the crackers, Marinette transformed into Multimouse, leapt out of her skylight and into the night air.  

The air was a little crisp, but Multimouse’s suit kept her warm as she sailed through the sky. Landing and bounding off to the next building Multimouse breathed the freedom that the miraculous gave her. After patrolling the city for about 30 minutes, Multimouse decided she would rest at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Upon reaching the top of the tower, Multimouse found a decently comfortable spot and sat down to look at the lights of the city. The city was beautiful at night, all lit up with Christmas lights and hardly anyone around. It gave the night an almost magical feel to it.  

Multimouse couldn’t have been there more than 10 minutes when she heard a crunch of gravel behind her. Whipping around Multimouse saw Viperion walking up to her, quietly gazing at her with a soft look on his face. She realized that Viperion was walking noisily on purpose to let her know that he was there, the kindness he showed warmed her heart and cheeks.  

“O-oh, Viperion! I didn’t expect to see you here.” Multimouse watched as Viperion gracefully sat down next to her and looked out at the city. They sat quietly for a few minutes, just enjoying the air and night lights. Their fingers a hair width apart from touching, shoulders brushing against each other when they moved to situate themselves.  

“S-so, why are you out here?” Multimouse asked. She nervously played with her fingers before looking up at Viperion and settling down again in a relaxed position.  

“My family has plans and I couldn’t go with, so I’m here by myself.” Viperion answered. He looked questioningly at her. 

“Oh, same. My parents left to visit family elsewhere.” Multimouse responded to Viperion’s unvoiced question.  

Viperion hummed, “Hmm, seems we both are alone this Christmas.”  

“Yup.”  

Silence blanketed them again, but it was comforting, to have someone nearby that understood. Viperion turned away from the city to look at Multimouse again. Multimouse sensed his gaze and looked back at him.  

“Come with me, there’s a place I want to take you,” Viperion said as he offered his hand out to Multimouse.  

She took his hand and stood up with him, “Where are we going?” Multimouse asked. Viperion just smiled and butterflies erupted in her stomach. They jumped from one rooftop to the next and kept an even steady pace. Then in ten minutes' time they reached their destination, Palace of Versailles.  

“Wha-” Multimouse started but Viperion put a finger to her lips, making them tingle. They were close together and Multimouse swallowed hard.  

“Trust me,” Viperion whispered. He removed his finger from her lips and took Multimouse’s hand as he led her into the gardens of the palace. Multimouse followed Viperion in a slight daze as they ventured further in. 

The gardens were covered in snow, winter plants sprung up here and there and the quiet of the city made Multimouse want to keep the serenity. When they reached the center of the gardens there was a fountain. Surprisingly water was still running through it. Viperion sat down on the edge of the fountain and Multimouse sat down next to him.  

“I come here occasionally when I'm feeling a little down.” Viperion said softly, almost a whisper, as if he too, was afraid to break the peacefulness of the gardens.  

Multimouse breathed deeply, enjoying the crisp night air and tranquility of the gardens. Smiling softly at Viperion she scooted closer to him and snuggled up into his side. This was an often-enough occurrence that neither of them thought much of it. Tonight, however, felt different. Maybe it was because of where they were, or the fact that it felt like a date, or maybe because it was Christmas, but Multimouse felt like this moment was way more... intimate, than the times before.  

“Hey, Mousey?” Viperion asked softly, slightly turning his head to gaze down at her. His mint green eyes slightly glowed while he looked at her. 

“Hmm?”  

“Happy Christmas,” he commented, Multimouse thought it was still too early for midnight but when she heard the clock tower strike 12 a moment later, she realized that this night had been going by quickly. 

“Happy Christmas, Viper.” Multimouse looked down at their hands feeling a charged energy in the air.  

Multimouse glanced up to see Viperion watching her, a blush rose up on her face, but she didn’t look away. Multimouse’s heart started to pound away in her chest as Viperion stared, he moved slightly to the side he cupped her back with an arm and moved his face closer but slowly toward her own. The air felt electrified and Multimouse licked her lips in anticipation. That grabbed Viperion’s attention, his gaze flickered down to her lips before looking back into her eyes. A silent question hung in the air, Multimouse realized that Viperion stopped, just a few inches away from her lips, and concluded that he was waiting for permission. Nodding her head slightly, Multimouse slowly closed her eyes as the two shared a soft kiss.  

It was a sweet and memorable moment for them. After pulling away from each other, Viperion rested his forehead against Multimouse’s. They breathed in each other's air, silently staring at each other, smiling softly with sparkling eyes. They still had lots to talk about, but at that moment everything was perfect. As they snuggled up to each other, Viperion and Multimouse sat in the gardens for a while longer, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the night. Later there would be talk of relationships, boundaries, identities revealed, and what they wanted for the future. For now, though, Viperion and Multimouse enjoyed the company of each other on what started as a lonely Christmas that developed into something more.  

[tweexcore-undrgrnd]

see pictured below my beautiful new holder for lucky cigarettes i find on my travels because they're special and deserve better than to be crumpled in my pocket

cool features :

bottom is lined with pompompurin post-its

3 plasters of varying sizes

4 spearmint flavour polos

anxiety medication and 2 paracetamol

one craft blade stuck to the inside (hidden side)

removable square of match paper

7 matches (vermicide reference)

small cross to keep me blessed (blessed)

small cedmar to keep me blessed (blessed)

wow I really need a job

[distinctlywhumpthing]

In League — Dead Ringer, part I

Masterlist

Summary: August's first day with the new holder of his indenture —his new master— is not a resounding success. (Takes place two years before August meets Wyatt.) Beta-read by @alittlewhump!

CW: Late-19th century, explicit language, indentured servitude, classism, dehumanization/degradation, intimate/creepy whumper, burn.

A beam of sunlight slanted through the break in the curtains to fall squarely across his eyes. He tried not to squint to see his new employer or, rather, the new holder of his indenture. Why the drapes were drawn in the middle of the day was beyond him. Unless the intention was to make the study feel suffocating and shadowed. 

“Say that one more time.” 

August recognised the dare within the order. He swallowed, heart hammering in his chest in spite of himself. “I’m sorry, master. I don’t have it.” 

Master Keats hummed in mock sympathy. “And after all that rigamarole about your capabilities.” His silhouette plucked a cigar from the shadow of a desktop and took a few puffs until smoke further enshrouded his face. “How utterly useless literacy is when unaccompanied by intelligence. As is typical for servants.” 

“Please, sir,” he struggled to keep his voice level, frustration crashing through him in waves. “I only—

“I trust they disciplined mistakes at Elmwood?”

He clenched his teeth. “Yessir.” August couldn’t be certain if his master was watching him or simply sitting there smoking. His first day was getting worse by the second. From the ill-fitting uniform to his ill-fated first errand, he wasn’t sure if he’d have an ass left to land on by the time he was thrown out on it. 

By the time Master Keats rose out of his chair, August’s palms had really begun to sweat. He didn’t risk even a flutter of his fingers at his sides as he stood at attention. Keats sauntered around the desk, low-hanging smoke cloud trailing with him. When he reached the other side, a few paces in front of August, he leaned back against it, crossing his ankles and straightening his waistcoat. “What was it then?”

“Bed without supper, sir.”

“And for something such as this? For losing a priceless family heirloom worth more than your life twice over?” August wondered what was on the other end of the pocket watch chain crossing his master’s waist if it wasn’t the item in question. 

He cleared his throat. “Probably the cane, sir.” 

Master Keats twisted around to ash his cigar. “Probably? Are you implying that your service record was so clean? Or were you shown favour by that knotty old butler?” 

“The former, sir.” The latter was also true though he did not wish to give Keats any further ammunition.

“Well, unfortunately, it seems your luck hasn’t followed you here.” August could hear the amusement in the statement though he still couldn’t read the accompanying expression. The light shone in from just above Keats’ head, casting his face entirely in shadow behind the looming cloud of smoke.

He swallowed his defense. His shame and frustration were rising to a steady boil. It wasn’t exactly his fault that the watchmaker had apparently surrendered the watch to someone else claiming to represent Keats. August had only been a quarter an hour late anyway, despite following the written directions to the letter. It wasn’t like he’d lost the watch personally. In fact, August’s questioning had been surprisingly short-lived. Though perhaps someone was already going to corroborate his story with the jeweler to make sure he hadn’t indeed picked up the watch and simply stashed it for later. 

“I won’t pretend this isn’t a disappointment,” Keats said, finally stepping forward enough so that he blocked the light.

Not much of a relief for August’s clarity of sight. He couldn’t see jack all in the shade after staring into the sun. He blinked quickly, trying to get his eyes to adjust faster.

Keats took another step forward, close enough that August had to keep himself from taking a step back to maintain civilized personal space. His master reeked of the cigar, earthy and sweet, and his spicy cologne, all overlaying the smell of sweat. August took advantage of the closeness for the chance to curl his fingers into fists. This was all a game, meant to shame and intimidate him, and he’d be damned if he’d rise to the bait.

His master reached out to straighten August’s bowtie, thumbing the fabric. “You seemed so promising…”

“Sir, please. I do beg your pardon. It won’t happen again.” 

“Well, now—” Keats hooked his forefinger over August’s bowtie, not pulling him anywhere but letting August feel the weight of his hand on the fabric circling his neck. “How do you suggest we make certain of it.” 

It went against his every instinct not to twist away. “Sir?”

“I could have them give you the cane.” 

August swallowed, his Adam’s apple running into Keats’ knuckle. “You’ll know best, sir.” 

“I should fucking think so.” Keats eyes raked over his face. They were beady and dark and August already despised having them on him. He hadn’t been naive enough to hold out hope that his new master might be some shade of kind but he had tried to be optimistic. Clearly, even that had been a folly. “Growing up in the workhouse, I’m sure you know how to take it well.” 

His fists trembled at his sides. More from anger than fear, he told himself. “Yessir.”

Keats held him a moment longer before releasing him with a little push so he had to catch himself on his back foot. “Something more novel might suit you better.”

“I—” 

“Perhaps some time to think.” August didn’t like the look of the glint in his eyes one bit. He was practically twirling his mustache, though August would have wagered it didn’t move much with so much wax in it. “I’ll think on it, you can think on it. A week in the attic ought to be sufficient, even for you.” 

August’s heart stuttered in his chest. He hadn’t been shown the whole house yet, had no idea what ‘a week in the attic’ would entail. “Sir—”

“Now, show me your gratitude for sparing you the cane by saving me having to cross the room to the ashtray.” Keats took a final pull from the cigar, enshrouding them both with its heavy smoke before holding it between them. 

“Yessir.” August reached to take it. 

He pulled the cigar back, tutting his tongue. August met his eyes and knew instantly what Keats meant to do. He hesitated, just long enough to regret giving Keats the satisfaction of asking, “Something the matter?”

“No, sir,” he said through clenched teeth, holding out his right hand. He didn’t dare try to abscond by putting forth his left.  

 Keats took another drag from the cigar so the end bloomed orange before he planted it in the centre of August’s palm. August lifted his chin a fraction, keeping his hand steady. He raised his hand in equal force to Keats bearing down on it. He wanted Keats to feel his efforts, though they didn’t stand for much. Not with tears pooling in his eyes until they spilled over, ruining the effect and bringing a smirk to his master’s face. 

His palm kept burning even after he was sure the cigar was out. Keats gave it one final twist before releasing his grasp and letting it fall into August’s hand. “Give me your thanks then.” August wanted to give him something all right but he knew he would never get that far. Keats was above him on all accounts. “Thank you ever so much, sir.”

Next

@whumpy-writings @writer-reader-24 @deluxewhump @no-whump-on-main   @maracujatangerine  @whumptakesthecake  @painsandconfusion @wolfeyedwitch @briars7 @gala1981 @redwingedwhump @whumpflash @peachy-panic @hold-him-down @poeticagony @annablogsposts

[deramin2]

Gender envy.

ID: David Suchet as Hercule Poirot. He's a fat meticulously groomed white man with balding black hair and a pointed mustach. He's dressed in an immaculate 3-piece black suit with a red and white patterned bow tie, lapel flower holder, pocket square, and watch chain. End ID.

[averyauthorship]

Highly recommend this writing exercise for anyone with original characters: Come up with the contents of their bag. An author visited my workplace recently and this was her tip, so I gave it a shot. It really helps with writer's block, and it helps you get to know your lil' guys a little bit. (I also added phones because that is another great glimpse into the person.)

Sam

The bag: A square, black backpack with a Lord of the Rings keychain and a space needle pin on it. The straps are a little frayed because she has been using it since high school. It’s very practical and spacious.

Inside the bag

Emotional support water bottle

Laptop (covered in various stickers)

A pile of discarded/forgotten elastic headbands

Notebook filled with DM scrawlings

At least one book at all times

Wallet with keys attached

Phone: iPhone (a couple generations old) from high school, cracked screen, yellowed clear phone case with a couple stickers stuck inside. Both the home screen and lock screen wallpaper are the Eye of Sauron.

Link

The bag: A generic gray backpack with an Adventure Zone lanyard with keys and his wallet clipped onto the outside in a little card holder.

Inside the bag

Work laptop (it’s sort of a brick, old and thick, but it runs numbers well)

Switch (in case he gets bored at work)

Personal laptop

Creased up old comic book

Glasses case w/ wipe

A bottle of coke that he’s been working on for a week

Phone: An older iPhone in an opaque red phone case with black D20 phone grip. His home screen wallpaper is a picture of him and his dad at his sister’s quinceañera, and the lock screen is a picture of his dad’s EMS dog Mariposa.

Aria

The bag: A very big tote bag (pink).

Inside the bag

Collapsible wireless headphones (pink)

Nail kit for emergencies (including file, clippers, clear polish, etc.) (pink)

Hairbrush (pink)

Tinted sunscreen (pink, somehow)

Cat shaped wallet (pink)

An unacceptably heavy chemistry textbook (not pink)

Phone: The newest iPhone (she saved up for it) in a (pink) sparkly case. Her lock screen is a picture of the best smoothie she ever had in her life and her home screen is a selfie of her and Sam on a hike.

Chris

The bag: An army green satchel bag absolutely covered in pins and buttons (including, but not limited to, a Green Day button, a pan flag button, a trans flag button, one that says, “Screw you I’m hilarious,” and various other ones with cheeky little phrases).

Inside the bag

A journal stuffed full of receipts and scribbles that they use to keep track of store inventory and purchases. (They log everything into a computer too, but they like having a physical copy on them in case their internet or computer poops out.)

Folgers instant coffee (travel sized packets)

Pocket knife

An absolutely fat ring of keys on a Dark Crystal lanyard

Big sunglasses (stolen from their mom when they moved out halfway through high school)

A leather pouch with a clasp instead of a wallet (filled with loose cash, change, and one card)

Phone: They never upgraded to a smartphone, so they have the same flip phone they had in middle school. The wallpaper is a very unflattering picture of Link that they took after he fell asleep on the couch during a sleepover. They also have an iPhone for work, but it only supports the internet so that they can post about their tabletop store “The Do’s and Don’ts of Dice” on Instagram.

[ladylooch]

Okay, let's do this then.

It's been a while since you and Miles don't see each other. He was on the road, and you were working like crazy. But the day he's finally home, you have an office party. And to be honest, that's not where you wanted to be tonight. You want to be in miles bed, naked, messy sheets, and him on top of you, going as many rounds as he can.

But not you're in front of your mirror getting ready. You texted miles earlier, but he said he wanted to rest and that you could come buy after, understand, but it hurt a little. All your look was with miles in mind. After all, you hope to get lucky afterward.

After making your rounds, you're talking to a group of coworkers,and you feel a hand on your lower back. You're turning to say that you have a boyfriend, even if he didn't ask you. But you see him there, full smile. You can't believe he's there. You kiss him and introduce him to everybody.

Miles walks the whole night with his hand on your lower back. Sometimes, he goes lower. He's teasing you, and you're not a fan of it. So what you do, drag him to your office. Locking the doors and making sure that no one can see what you guys are about to do it.

You "pin" him against the door to kiss him, says that it's not fair what he's doing, and that you're wet. That's when you get the reaction from him. Miles leads you to your table, opening a space for you to place your elbows there.

You're so ready for him, Miles spins you, putting your dress up for easy access. He takes your panties while you plead for him to fuck him. You're so damn needy for him and for his touch.

Miles runs his finger through your folds, humming he likes what he sees and feels. You hear his belt being open, and the anticipation is killing you. Miles strokes himself, watching the view, because yeah, that's his girl.

He slaps your ass when you're about to beg him again. He's sliding in with one thrust, making you arch your back, moving to his chest. After that, all his control is gone. Miles is fucking you hard and fast. Sometimes giving your ass a little slap. It doesn't take you guys long to get to your highs.

You're so happy, and you can see he's too. Pecking his lips, you say that you want round two later. Miles is all for it. You start to look for your panties, to hold his cum that it's now dripping through your legs. He just had other plans, and he decides to use as a square pocket.

That annoys you a little. Thankfully, you have some wipes on your desk drawer. You clean yourself as best you can. You're trying not to move too much, for the cum not to drip to much. Miles wants to walk around. He loves knowing that you have his cum dripping down your legs.

You hate it and it doesn't take too long for you to drag him home.

-👢

Babe, you are so generous to us!

I AM AJNFKNAKJDFDANKJFDAKLM

CHILLS. THIS PART: You hear his belt being open, and the anticipation is killing you.

FUCKING CHILLS! Literally goosebumps broke out on my body. Oh my godddddd *bangs head on table*

The way the pens bang together in their holder with each hard thrust into you. You're gripping the desk, already wondering how you're going to work in here on Monday without thinking of this. The way his slaps echo in the empty office, just loud enough that you're worried someone walking by will hear, but not enough to stop him. How good it feels when the cool, metal of his belt hits against the back of your thighs.

You spend the rest of your night in sexy, needy discomfort. Not wanting to walk or move too fast, feeling the messiness and neediness for round 2 soak your thighs. The way Miles chuckles, kissing your temple all sweet like he didn't just ruin you in the room next door to here. You feel the only way to make this even is if he licks it off of you when you get home.

[spookyagentfmulder]

the invitation comes in a red envelope, with a wax seal holding the card inside. the back of the stationary contains more detail - masks are required, and dinner starts promptly 7:00 pm. i look forward to seeing you there. is written at the very end in clean script. ( feel free to respond ic or ooc, and feel free to share what your muse would wear! )

A masquerade.

The last time Mulder went to something this fancy he got smoke inhalation. He had a tentative relationship with the doctor, but knew that this was a sign of respect. He knew that Dr. Lecter was expecting him there and it would be rude to decline. This was so out of his element, out of his field that he had to sit down on his old, well worn and well loved couch in order to process the information.

First of all, how had he gotten his address? Was it through Scully? Possibly, but why again would she do something like this without telling him? No. No there had to be something else to it. Fox stared out his window, tapping the invitation against the palm of his hand as he thought about what the hell was he going to wear to such an event.

He could play it straight. He could wear black suit, black tie, and keep himself as cleaned up and professional as possible. Or he could make a fool of himself. Dress in a bright green suit with little antennas and make Hannibal Lecter regret inviting him somewhere out of his comfort zone.

No. No that would be too expected. That would be easy. He needed to surprise Dr. Lecter. He needed to keep him guessing. Maybe... maybe he could compromise. Maybe he could play a little tongue and cheek with Hannibal.

A dark and warm grey suit, paired with a almost autumnal orange vest and matching tie. Off-white almost cream colored shirt, and tucked into the breast pocket was a black, white and orange pocket square. His mask? A fox, of course, made of well researched black Venetian lace. Sure, most of his wardrobe would be budget, and the lace wouldn't be authentic, but it would make him pass just enough to make him look like he knew what he was doing. To impress, but to keep himself the holder of the punchline.

He would be one Fantastic Mr. Fox.

He would do the honor of telling Dr. Lecter he was planning to arrive the next time he saw him. It was such a shame that he'd have to wait for the reveal.

@consumare

[primalobscurite]

Partially inspired by the image --

He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, squared his feet, and then raised the mattock to hip height before letting it drop with a weighty grunt of effort. The pattern rock half-hidden beneath rich dark earth and scattered leaf litter that resisted all efforts to be kept out of the trench finally broke, cracking under the assault that he had put it under by way of the tool and strength of his shoulders for the last half-hour. Wrenching it out to the sound of further splintering, he was just about to reach into the pocket of his breeches to find a cloth with which to wipe away the sweat that had begun stinging his eyes when he looked closer.

Rivulets of silvery dark ichor bubbled up from the foci of the damage, splitting into tributaries of thinner lines of fluid, branching like the mouth of a fertile delta, the plates of rock flushing darkened brown with an iridescent hue under the moisture. Frowning and setting the mattock to one side, he paused to look over his shoulder at his companions. The anthropologist, Elizabeth, was occupied at the base of the hill. Distinct in her dark red shawl standing out against the beige and white of her attire. He scanned amidst the local workers before catching sight of Howard, in the process of trying to tame a particularly stubborn horse that was being prepared to haul the next load of rocks to the nearest pile for discarding and back-filling.

Fighting for a moment between the sensible part of him that said to enlist another set of eyes for examination and rationalisation of what was happening and the siren's impulsive song of curiousity, his desire for something - a discovery - that was his and his alone made the decision for him. Moving so then he was level with the plating, he retrieved his trowel from the leather holder handmade for his belt before brushing away some of the dirt with his hands. Hands and knees, he began outlining the plates by working away the dirt that was caked between them, eyeing the now oozing ichor to make sure he didn't come into direct contact with it. Finally, he leaned back to admire what he had exposed. Hands dark with dirt, screaming with pain from the heavy work, he persisted.

It looked almost like scales. Misshapen scales, with no sense of regularity to them. Rough-edged, dulled. Perhaps the result of a journeyman artisan's work, something made on the way to becoming a master of his craft. Still, what he had exposed was large, and he could not see the edges of it. With a shrug, in his excavations, he then found the plate nearest to the mattock's entry to have lifted slightly. His heart hammered with excitement in his chest but something else threaded its way into his nerves. A whispering warning. Bu he ignored it. Clearing away the dirt and caked grime from the edge of the plate, he then hooked his trowel behind the edge of the plate, gritted his teeth, and drew back with all of the strength that he could muster.

The plate came away from his effort with a horrific ripping sound. Holding it and turning it over, he then dropped the plate as he saw the slickened silvery sheen on the back. Looking to where it had come from, he saw the blackened pulsing flesh and silver veins but barely had enough time to register precisely what that meant when the ground under him shuddered, and a cracking, splintering sound soon rose in pitch to a crescendo that was deafening. Stuffing the scale into a pocket - greed holding his heart even as fear clenched it - even as he scrambled backwards, the ground just in front of him, and that not yet excavated further back, seemed to pulse and push up.

Hauling himself out of the trench, he almost tripped over backwards as he tried to keep his eyes fixed on what was... emerging, erupting, burrowing to the surface ... even as he sought to gain distance in the process. At the sound of his startling and then the sight of the ground moving? The dig site went from a few being distracted by what was going on to chaos. But more than the chaos, there was a horrified freezing fear.

Then, the last of the rock keeping it down was broken through pained, furious and insistent movements and the creature reared up... insectoid in appearance but gargantuan in size compared to anything they had ever seen and what had been known to the records to date. Three pairs of dark eyes opened for the first time in millenia and after a moment of pause during which it held its head up to some ten foot off of the ground, off of the trench's depth, with thrice that length still breaking free from the sediment that had hardened over it in slumber, its jaws parted to the sound of crumbling dirt and a stiffened carapace... two mandibles, top and bottom, splitting apart to reveal an array of shard-like hooked dark teeth, black as obsidian, dripping silvery slime that splattered to the ground.

The first sound that it had made well outside of any living memory, into the air of a time that was entirely foreign to it, was a high piercing screech that scourged the ear-drums. Those who had not by then ran out of range were brough to the ground hard, pain lancing down their spines as though the 'cord itself within was on fire. The noise had a brassy underlying note, of such a depth that it rattle ribs and rumbled organs.

VIK MUNIZ / “HANDS” / 1997 from PICTURES OF DIRT [gelatin silver print | 22 7/8 x 19"]

[igoldenlaser]

1325 CNC Wood Cutting Machine 4×8

The CNC wood cutting machine is also known as cnc wood cutting machine,CNC nesting machine, cnc router machine for wood, cnc machine for wood cutting, cnc machine wood cutting , CNC machine for cabinet making, cabinet door cutting machine for sale, etc.CNC wood cutting machines have revolutionized woodworking by automating and streamlining the cutting process. They are widely used in various woodworking applications, including furniture manufacturing, cabinetry, woodworking workshops, and architectural millwork.

Our 1325 CNC machine is one of our popular and best-selling machines. It is good at cutting, carving, engraving, drilling, routing, grooving, and pocketing of wood, MDF, acrylic, PVC, plastic, foam, stone, soft metal, and other materials.

CNC Wood Cutting Machine 4×8

This 1325 cnc wood cutting machine can change 12 different tools automatically. It is very suitable for the people who do complex work and change different tools frequently. This machine is provided with a push device and can push materials after cutting or engraving.

High Precision Cutting Best Selling CNC Machine For 4×8 Small CNC Machine

The 4×8 CNC machine XYZ axis Taiwan Hiwin square rail makes the gantry and spindle moving at high speed with high precision. CNC kit 4×8 adopts Hiwin square rail with high rigidity and very durable. XY axis German Helical rack and pinion are directly coupled to the stepper motor and pinion. This 4×8 CNC router cheap configuration ensures that the accuracy is less than ±0.03mm when the max 4×8 work table speed is 20,000mm/min.

Stable, Stronger And More Durable Structural Design Of CNC Machine Table 4×8

The Heavy structure adopts thicken steel square which improves the stability of wood CNC 4×8. This Stronger structure is necessary for cutting solid materials such as hardwood. During the 4×8 wood CNC machine cutting and carving process, the XYZ axis remains stationary against external cutting forces.

Long Time Operation With High-Power Stepper Motor Of Cheap CNC Router

Stepper motor and driver do not require regular maintenance. This not only reduces maintenance downtime but also spindle is able to run normally for a long time. Coupled with the fast working speed, the CNC machine 4×8 efficiency is greatly improved.

Compatible With Any Advanced Software For 4×8 CNC Wood Router

Software including Vectric Aspire, Type3, Ucancam, Artcam, AlphaCam, Powermill, Solidworks is run on the system of CNC table 4×8. You can use the CNC wood router 4×8 quickly without wasting the cost of training labor. This is simple and efficient for you.

Features CNC Wood Cutting Machine

1. Heavy duty frame. The frame is longer and much stronger than normal CNC routers.

2.Taiwan 1000w SYNTEC servo motor with Japan SHIMPO reducer. It adopts full closed loop and has brake function on Z axis. It provides constant position feedback, bigger power and smooth contentious motion.

3. Linear type tool change magazine under gantry. It can change 12 different tools fast.

4. Y axis adopts #30 Taiwan square linear guide. While X and Z axis adopt #25 square linear guide. 2M helical rack is used to ensure the high-speed and stable operation of the machine, and also ensure a higher processing accuracy.

5. ATC air cooling spindle. Max. speed can be 24000RPM. With ISO30 tool holder, it can use 20mm bits at max.

What can a 4X8 CNC Router do?

A 4X8 CNC Router is the ideal wood cutting and carving machine that imparts excellent efficacy in manufacturing doors, furniture designs, etc.

It runs on the CAD software that enables a user to cut detailed designs with utmost precision on a preferred material. The process of producing complex designs manually demands a lot of time and other resources. Just opposite, this wonder machine can perform carving and cutting in three axes to come up with the design you want.

Usually, it is cumbersome for manual processes to offer such precision and they incur huge material loss as well. With the aid of the driving software, you can convert complicated designs into a reality with the aid of 4X8 CNC Router.

Heavy duty CNC router is good for complex processes and long time work, such as:

Wood door, furniture making; MDF, Poly wood cutting;

Hardwood engraving & carving;

Big scale woodworking;

Soft metal, plastic, acrylic, foam engraving & cutting, etc.;

Automatic Wood CNC Router Cutting & Engraving Machine

A CNC wood router is an automatic machine tool for wood cutting, relief carving, drilling & slotting, which works with 2D/3D designed files by CAD/CAM software. A CNC wood router machine is composed of bed frames, spindles, T-slot table or vacuum table, vacuum pump, CNC controller, motor driver, guide rail, rack and pinion, ball screw, power supply, limit switch, collets, tools & bits, and other parts & accessories. The most common types of wood routers include 3 axis, 4th axis, 4 axis, 5 axis CNC woodworking machines.

Here is our collection of most popular CNC machines for woodworking, from single-spindle to multi-spindle kits, from small footprint to large format tables, from desktop to gantry styles, from hobby to industrial models, from primary 3 axis to professional 5 axis, from entry-level for beginners to high-end ATC series for experts, all types of CNC wood routers are available.Just discover what you need, plan your budget, compare features and costs, find and buy the best one to start or upgrade your woodworking business.