#real place of garden of eden

[goatpaste]

So what actually goes on in jojolion? What's that one about?

Ohhh brudder jojolion is probably my personal favirote jojo part

I love it so much, its unfortunately got some rough spots especially at the start with the character daiya. But as for the story at whole its really great

Its about a man who wakes up with no memories of who he is, where he came from, or why he was buried in the dirt. It's about the journey of this man as he discovers who he was to those around him before he lost his memories. It's about a man deciding who he wants to be in an ocean of perspectives of his character from others.

It's about family and the unbreakable bond with your mother no matter where you go and what happens. Even if that means doing things that no one else will understand or even hate you for doing.

[tankgotstuckinthecircusgate]

falcone family which mostly* profits from human pleasure (brothel & drug sales) is so important to me

[thevoidstaredback]

Tales of Conquest, Warnings of Fools:

Letters Between Brothers

Dear Damian Wayne, Dec. 19, 2011

There really isn’t a good way to say any of this, especially via a letter. If I’m being completely honest, which I am, I would much rather be saying this to you in person. For both our safety, though, this was the best way I found to contact you.

First off, congratulations on being brought into the Wayne household! I never would’ve considered imagining that Bruce Wayne would be our father, but, here we are. Unless you’re there undercover? I doubt that, though.

Now, I should probably cut to the chase, no matter how much I want to stall. You might not remember me, but I’m your brother. Don’t freak out! Please, just finish reading this, at least. If you don’t believe me or you don’t want to ever talk to or see me again, then that’s fine. I completely understand.

You probably hate me, and I don’t blame you, but I couldn’t stay there. When we got separated on that mission, I ended up nearly killed. Some civilians found me and took me to a hospital to get my injuries treated. I realized, after I woke up, that this was the life I wanted. Leaving you hurt me so much more than I could ever describe in any language, but going back to Grandfather and Mother was a death sentence. I hated doing that to you, but I couldn’t do that to myself.

God, I suck at this.

I love you, Dami, I really do. I’ve wanted, for years, to come back to you, but I didn’t because I’m a coward. A selfish coward who can’t even face his own brother properly.

Forgiveness is a luxury I have no right to ask you of, but I’m going to anyway. So, can you? Can you ever forgive me for leaving you alone? Can you ever forgive me for leaving you  to think I died? Can you ever forgive me for making you go back to that place alone? Can you forgive me for being so selfish?

I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you then, and I don’t mean to hurt you now. I’m beyond ecstatic that you made it out. I’m so happy that you’re with father now. I hope you never have to go back to Nanda Parbat ever again.

شكراً لكونك أخي

          Danyal ‘Danny’ Fenton

              (xxx) xxx-xxxx

***

There was a time that Danny only ever referred to as Before. Before he’d come to America; Before he’d been taken in by the Fenton Family; Before he’d lost himself to the life he’d never envisioned. He could remember it well.

*

He’d grown up in Nanda Parbat , high in the Himalayan Mountains. Beautiful buildings made of golden sandstone bricks, roofs made of the redist clay shingles, untouched snow for as far as the eye could see, and mountain peaks stretching high above the little valley.

There were greenhouses, too, filled with plants of all kinds from everywhere! Food, poisons, antidotes, it was all grown in Nanda Parbat. Clean water was pulled from the wells and the snow as though nature herself was giving her best to this one place. Truly a heaven on earth. The Garden of Eden, some people called it.

The residents were known to very few, only ever coming down when they found themselves with visitors. The towns at the base of the mountain ranges had plenty of legends about the People of the Mountains, but even fewer still knew their real secrets.

The League of Assassins, founded by Ra’s al Ghul himself, had made Nanda Parbat their home base, though neither Ra’s nor his daughter, Talia, made a habit of staying for too long or visiting often. No, Nanda Parbat had been claimed to raise the heirs and guard the Lazarus Pits.

Danny had been born in those very halls, buried deep within the protective embrace of the mountains, mere minutes after his brother. He knew nothing but Nanda Parbat, half convinced that his instructors were lying about the outside world. After all, could it really exist if he’d never seen it?

Grandfather and Mother came by thrice a year. Once to check on or use the Lazarus Pits, once to check on the Demon Heirs, and once to instruct lessons of their own. It was how it had always been done, so Danyal and Damian knew nothing else.

Grandfather would tell tales of conquest, instructing them on how to mold their very surroundings to their wills. Mother shared her missions, warning against how others would try and use them to get to her and Grandfather, seeing them as the weakest link. Damian and Danyal taught each other, on the nights when they could escape prying eyes, the importance of secrets. No one to trust but yourself, both Grandfather and Mother had pushed, anyone will betray you when given the right incentive.

The day came when Mother and Grandfather came to check on the Pits. The week-long stay had been the same every year, but their instructors had announced a change. Danyal would be going with Mother while Damian would be going with Grandfather. They would return to continue their studies in Nanda Parbat by the next full moon.

Danny had been excited. He was going to the outside world! He’d never been there before! He’d only ever seen pictures of it! Such fun! The only disappointment he held was that he was not going to share the moments with Damian. Yes, they would be leaving together, but they wouldn’t be together. Mother and Grandfather stayed at separate bases, after all.

The night before they were set to depart their Himalayan Paradise, Danyal had snuck to the roof with his brother.

“I’m scared, ahki,” he whispered, the wind hiding his voice from all but his brother.

“Don’t be, ahki,” Damian had assured, “You will be with Mother. She will keep you safe.”

“But the instructors say that we will be on our own!” Danyal said, “Besides, I do not know Mother.”

Damian did not pause. “Of course you know Mother. She gave us life. She teaches us.”

“Yes, but I don’t know her. I know you, and I know the birds, but I do not know Mother nor Grandfather.”

“Perhaps,” Damian had suggested, “we do not need to know them as we know each other? Perhaps, we only need to know that Grandfather is Ra’s al Ghul and the Mother is Talia al Ghul.”

“Then that means you’re Damian al Ghul!” Danny smiled, emotion his instructors had tirelessly trained out of him bleeding into the privacy shared between him and his brother.

Damian nodded, “And you are Danyal al Ghul.” A beat. “We will be fine tomorrow and the day after and the days to follow. When we return to Nanda Parbat, we will sit in this very spot and share our adventures.”

“Tales of conquest?” Danyal asked.

“Warnings of fools.” Damian responded.

*

A tale as old as the dirt beneath his feet. Before had been five years ago. So long in the past, but only a few pages back. Sometimes, it was as though he’d never left Before behind him. His training, for all that it was minimal in his limited time within the snow valley, was carved into his very soul. Not even the wear of time could pull him away from a weapon or the scan for immediate exit points or the caution when dealing with new people and places.

Jazz had explained to him that his responses to certain situations should not be that cautious or violent. She’d tried again and again to tell him that he was safe; that he wasn’t where he had been Before.

He knew that, obviously. Nanda Parbat was free of the disgusting urbanization of the modern world. This place was free of the untouched beauty of the hidden gems. He could see the beauty in the contradictions and in what he had been taught to scorn, he was not an idiot, but he could not appreciate it the way people born there could.

*

The Doctors Fenton, only Masters in their fields at the time, had picked him up at the base of the Italian Appalachian Mountains. They’d treated his wounds, introduced him to their daughter Jazz, and given him the opportunity to escape where he had been.

The Fentons had taken his hesitation as confusion for the situation; amnesia. They told him, as gently as they could, that all signs pointed to an abusive home. They wanted to help him get out as soon as they could.

But, that wasn’t right. Danny, in all his six years, knew exactly what an abusive relationship was. It was one of the things his Mother had taught him about when he’d first left Nanda Parbat with her when he was four! He didn’t come from an abusive home or an abusive relationship! Damian would never put him through that, and the ninja all knew better than to do anything untoward to him and Damian.

“And what about your parents?” Jazz, being only eight years old, had not held her tongue as Danny had been taught to. “Or any other adults?”

Now that, that was definitely a thought. But, no. No one within the confines of Nanda Parbat or within the League of Shadows as a whole had ever hurt him outside of training. The injuries they had treated were from a mission, not from his Grandfather or Mother or brother hurting him!

*

His attempts at clearing the misunderstanding had been brushed off as his imagination trying to protect him. Repressing and changing trauma, Jazz had translated.

He had thought, at the time, that everyone was wrong. He had come from a perfectly normal place! Though, the week he spent in the hospital had him second guessing. He was the only one looking for every possible exit in case of any possible situation at any given time. He was the only one prepared to slit the throats of everyone in the room if they got in the way of his escape. He was the only one to actively check for weapons to use or be used against him.

During his stay in the hospital, because they wouldn’t let him leave before he was cleared by the doctors who worked there, the Fentons had exposed him to many things that made him question his upbringing. But, now that he knew the truth, he’d never be able to go back.

The Fentons had promised him, the night before he was cleared to go, that they would help him stay away from the people who had hurt him, so long as he allowed them to. And how could he not accept? Too many questions had invaded his mind. The only way to answer them was to do as his Mother had taught him: learn from experience. So, he relented, leaning into the ‘trauma induced amnesia’ everyone had assumed he had, and went along with the Fenton Family.

But what about Damian? Surely, he was safe. Surely, he’d gotten back to Nanda Parbat and reported to Grandfather and Mother that Danyla had been killed! He could not go back, not yet. And maybe, a tiny, selfish part  of him that he hid in the darkest corners of his brain, was glad he wouldn’t be going back for any reason. To make himself feel better, he’d told himself that he’d go back for Damian once he was sure he wouldn’t be caught and killed for treason.

The plans laid within the floorboards under his bed with the katana and daggers the Fentons had let him keep.

Exactly four months after turning ten, Danny had turned on the TV. It was just to provide white noise while his adoptive parents were out, so he didn’t really care about the channel. Jazz hadn’t cared, either. If she had, she hadn’t said anything.

The channel had been one for national news. The covered story was in Gotham, New Jersey. Not unusual, but concerning until none of the names of the city’s rogues had been named. Bruce Wayne was holding a gala to officially introduce his youngest son to the world. That is what dragged Danny to sit and watch attentively.

Danny knew the name Bruce Wayne very well. His Mother had told him, no less than six times, that he was to go to Bruce Wayne if he ever found himself in a situation where the League of Shadows couldn’t help him. Bruce Wayne was his go-to if he ever needed because he is his father.

When Danny first met the Fentons, something had kept him from escaping. He could have, but he didn't. Something had compelled him to stay. That same something had told him to avoid Bruce Wayne when he was ten. That same something was now telling him to go to his father.

Danny didn’t listen to that something. Instead, he watched his brother stand beside their father and his other children. He followed his brother’s public persona studiously. When he pieced together Damian being Robin, meaning that Bruce Wayne was likely Batman, he followed his vigilante life, too. All the while, he was too much of a coward to actually reach out to them.

After all, what would they get out of having a relationship with him? He was a traitor to the Shadows, dead by all accounts that mattered. They already had an established family, so why would they want Danny? So, he stayed away.

It wasn’t until the week before his and Damian’s eleventh birthday that he finally managed to write a letter to his older brother. He timed it so that the letter would arrive the day of their birthday. A part of him hoped that Damian would get, read, and respond to the letter. A bigger part of him hoped that it would be lost amongst the birthday cards that were surely being sent to Damian now that he was living with their father.

Damian’s father. Danny already had a father. Well, a dad. He also had a mom and a sister. He even had an aunt! Not to mention the friend he made. He’s never had a friend before! So, yeah. Danny had a mom, a dad, a sister, and a friend. He wanted Damian, but he wasn’t going to get his hopes up. If Damian didn’t want him, then that meant that he wouldn’t have a brother or Grandfather or Mother or a father. Or three more brothers, apparently. He couldn’t really find it in himself to be upset about any potential loss that wasn’t Damian.

*

“Please respond, please respond, please respond!” Danny chanted under his breath as he opened the mailbox. There were four letters inside, three for his parents and one for his sister. “La naiba!” he swore.

“What’s wrong?” Jazz asked as she came up behind him. She’d learned early on that it was near impossible to sneak up on him.

Danny shoved the three envelopes into her hands. “There’s nothing there for me.”

“Why would there be anything in there for you?” She raised an eyebrow. “Did you order something without telling mom or dad?”

He scoffed. “No. I sent a letter and I’m waiting for a response.”

Her head tilted to the left slightly. “When’d you send it?”

“Three days ago.”

“There’s no way you’re ever gonna get a response in three days.” She scolded lightly, leading the way into the house, “Just be patient.”

He followed her. “Easy for you to say!”

“Who’d you send it to anyway?”

“None of your business.”

Jazz turned on him, her expression as unimpressed as a twelve year old could be. Slowly, and without breaking eye contact, she raised her right eyebrow and tilted her head to the left again and slightly forward. When that didn’t get her what she wanted, she crossed her arms, her feet planted firmly in place. She’d picked up several things since Danny was brought into the family. This was one of them.

Danny hated it when Jazz did this. She reminded him so much of Damian that he had nearly cried the first few times she’d taken this exact stance to get what she wanted. Was it an older sibling thing? Regardless, it wasn’t very long before he cracked. “Okay, fine! But we talk in my room, okay?”

She smiled, losing the pose and opening the front door. “I can work with that. Do you want a snack?”

“Sure,” he huffed. He’d meet her in his room. If she wanted answers, she was going to have to bribe him. It was a subtle tactic, one that didn’t work because it wasn’t really bribery if he was already going to do what she wanted, but he needed to make himself feel better about it somehow.

It took exactly five minutes and thirteen seconds for Jazz to enter Danny’s room with some chips, crackers, and bottled waters from the pantry. Not that he was counting. They set up camp in the middle of the floor, the snacks on the floor between them and their homework set out to work on. Whether either of them would use the paper distraction was yet to be determined, but it had become common practice to have a distraction when a conversation seemed like it would take more than a few minutes. And this was definitely one of those conversations.

As soon as they were both settled, Danny took a deep and obvious breath. “I didn’t ever have amnesia.”

Jazz blinked. “What?”

What a way to start, Danny. Another breath. “When you guys first found me, the doctors said I had amnesia; that my brain locked away the memories of Before because I couldn’t handle the stress of it. I went along with it because that seemed like the best course of action at the time. But, I didn’t lose my memories. I still had them. I still have them.” He didn’t look up from the floor.

Jazz leaned forward and took a chip out from the bowl and popped it in her mouth, the crunch of her chewing doing nothing to cut the tension in the room. She swallowed. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? We could’ve had the people who hurt you arrested!”

Danny shook his head. “No. I…I thought, when I was growing up with Grandfather and Mother, that everyone was raised like that. It was all I knew. But then you guys found me and took me to the hospital and suddenly, things weren’t adding up. I decided to go with you guys because I knew I couldn’t return to Grandfather and Mother with my thoughts all messed up like that.”

To her credit, Jazz was taking this all in stride. She took another chip. “Why didn’t you leave when you got your thoughts all sorted out?”

“Honestly?” he huffed, “I realized that I didn’t want to live that life anymore.”

“Then why keep the weapons?”

“Would you believe me if I said ‘sentimental value’?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

They let silence reign over them again for a bit, focusing on their homework and eating the food set out between them. Finally, after they were both finished, Jazz put her things back in her backpack and leaned against the wall behind her, taking the bowl of chips and a water bottle with her. “What was it like, your home Before?”

Danny smiled and slipped his own things away, leaning against his bed with the bowl of crackers and his own bottle of water. This was a topic he could talk about for hours. “I was born in Pakistan, in the Himalayan Mountains, specifically. Very secluded. My brother and I were the only two kids there.”

“Brother?”

“Yeah, his name’s Damian. He’s older than me by a few minutes.”

“Why wasn’t he with you when we found you?”

“Because we got separated.”

“Do we need to go find him?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s with our father now.”

“Is he the one you sent the letter to?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” A beat. “Tell me more about where you were born?”

“Sure,” he smiled, “It’s a valley of snow, nestled between peaks in the Pakistanian end of the Himalayan Mountain Range. The buildings were all connected by roofed gravel walkways, yellow sandstone bricks and red clay shingles and dark wood pillars and floors and doors. The green houses were always my favorite. Any plant you could possibly think of was probably grown there! Damian always preferred the stables and pasture, though. He got along better with animals than actual people, I was the exception. When the weather was good, we’d take our lessons outside. If the weather was bad, then we’d study in the arena or the library.

“Sometimes, whenever Grandfather or Mother came to visit, they’d tell us stories about their adventures. My favorite stories, though, were of how Mother met my father and their adventures together. Grandfather doesn’t like those stories, though. He doesn’t like my father much.

“Me and Damian were the only kids there, so we had to play with each other. There weren’t any games we could play because adults are boring, so we made stuff up as we went along. Sometimes, we’d sneak into the stables and pet the horses! Other times, we’d sneak out of our rooms and climb to the roof to watch the stars.

“The stars were so pretty there! They’re the same stars that we see here, but they were so much brighter in Pakistan; more visible, y’know? The sky was so clear and it was so quiet- One of the people staying there gave me a book about the stars before he left.”

“Is that what started your fascination with space?” Jazz asked.

Danny nodded, “Yeah, it was. Damian would listen to me retell the same stories for hours whenever we climbed to the roof, but he never asked me to stop. I don’t think he ever looked at them and saw what I saw, though.”

“What did you see when you looked at the stars?”

“I saw something just barely out of my reach that I know I could grab if I was just a little bit taller, a little bit stronger, a little bit better.”

“Is that what you see now?”

“No.”

“Oh, then what do you see now?”

“I see the past, and I see a hope for the future.” He paused. “It was a competition between me and Dami, trying to be better than each other because whoever was the best was Grandfather’s and Mother’s favorite.”

She frowned. “You guys were kids! You shouldn’t’ve had to compete for attention like that!”

“I know that now,” he shot back, “But we didn’t then. We were raised to compete with everyone to hold Grandfather’s and Mother’s attention and favor. If we lost it, if we did anything that Grandfather deemed unworthy of the family name, then we were punished.”

“That’s horrible.”

“I know, but it’s what we knew.” A beat. “It was a big family, so not everyone stayed at the one compound.” The League was very far from being a family, but it’s the best way to describe it without exposing it to anyone. “Me and Damian were born and raised in the main compound in Pakistan. Grandfather, the head of the family, stayed and led from a compound in China. Mother stayed at a compound in Bangladesh. When we were four, I went and spent a month with Mother and Damian went and spent a month with Grandfather before we were sent back to Pakistan. When we turned five, I went with Grandfather and Damian went with Mother. When we turned six, we were both sent to spend time with family here in the states. I got separated from Damian and-”

“-me and mom and dad found you.” Jazz finished for him.

“Yep.”

“But, how did you get so hurt?”

Before he could answer, the front door burst open, their parents announcing their arrival carrying through the house. “A story for another time, I guess,” he shrugged.

Jazz wasn’t happy to have been interrupted, but she didn’t push. Instead, she took the empty bowls and went downstairs to greet their parents.

Danny leaned his head back against his bed, lost in the memories of his time with his brother. He wishes that Damian would send a reply already. He had remembered to put a return address, right? Maybe he should’ve just used the house’s address instead of setting up that PO box in the next town over! It’s not like anyone ever claimed to be reliable delivery persons!

Waiting was always the worst part of anything. Waiting for Grandfather to speak when he’d called an audience; waiting for Mother to tell them the end of her story; waiting for the guards to show any weak point to sneak past; waiting for a mission to start. It was always agonizing.

*

The morning was cold. Colder than it had been, but not as cold as it could be. Unfortunately, the cold meant snow. Snow meant that it was way too bright outside. And, despite it not being the morning of a school day, Jazz had elected to wake Danny up at the horrible time of six-thirty in the morning. Later than the normal five-forty-five, but still way too early to reasonably be awake. Honestly, Danny had thought he was done with getting up with the sun, but Jazz had proved him wrong time and time again for nearly five years now.

She pulled the curtains open, letting in the light from the sun that reflected off the white embodiment of cold. When that only caused him to burrow deeper into his three blankets and two pillows and his dog plush, Jazz decided to pull all three layers off of him.

“Hey!” he yelped, falling off the bed with a thud. “What the heck!”

Jaz dropped the blankets with a smile. “Rise and shine sleeping beauty! Mom and dad are in the lab again-”

“Another ‘breakthrough’?”

“-so I’m making breakfast! What do you want?”

Danny groaned and pulled himself off the floor, resetting the blankets on his bed in a mock of making it look neat. “Something warm.”

“How does hot chocolate and pancakes sound?”

“Can I have coffee instead?”

“No.”

“Dang.”

Jazz shook her head and left the room. “Don’t go back to sleep, okay? I wanna go to the library today.” She didn’t close the door behind her.

“Isn’t it closed today?” he called into the hall.

“Tomorrow!”

“Ah.” He closed the door himself, letting out a small puff of air. Turning to the room at large with his hands on his hips, Danny sighed. It was gonna be a long day. The first thing he did was straighten out his bed so it looked properly not slept in. Just as Mother had taught him. Then, he changed from his pajamas and into some jeans and a long sleeve shirt. Leaving his room, he made his way to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, only really bothering to push a hand through his hair. Not at all like Mother had taught him, but he really didn’t care right now.

Danny made his way down the stairs sluggishly. He’d never been a morning person, much preferring to stay awake until the early hours of the morning watching stars, but he’d had to hide that little quirk when he was with Grandfather and Mother. He’d realized, about half a year after the Fentons picked him up, that he didn’t need to hide his preference for night over day. Infact, his mom encouraged it! She let him sit up on the roof and stargaze until one or two in the morning before forcing him to bed. And then Jazz got into the habit of waking him at six in the morning for school. He’s definitely run on less sleep than four-ish hours, but he’d rather get as much as he can, which is what breaks are for! Unfortunately, Jazz has it in her head that he has to get up at the same time every day without fail, lest he irreparably mess up his sleeping schedule.

With a groan, he plopped down on his chair - in a bout of pettiness a year and a half after arriving, he carved his name into the wood of the backrest - at the table and laid his head down. His sister worked efficiently on the pancakes as the water for their hot chocolate boiled in the electric kettle.

The two sat and worked in a quiet peace. Jazz’s bustling around the kitchen faded into the background as white noise with the constant hum of electricity throughout the house and the occasional controlled explosion from the basement lab. It was well fortified, so the house wasn’t in danger.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes of laying on the table with his eyes closed, Jazz put a plate by Danny’s head, a mug of hot chocolate with a candy cane beside it. Then, she sat opposite him with her own food.

“Thanks,” he mumbled groggily, pulling the food and drink towards him.

“You’re welcome.” Jazz said around a bite.

Danny would be the first to admit that Jazz wasn’t the best cook, but he was also the first to praise her cooking. Jack Fenton couldn’t make anything, that wasn’t fudge, for the life of him. Any food he tries to make, somehow turns to fudge. Kind of like King Midas’ Golden Touch. Maddie Fenton was a pretty good cook, when she remembered to actually feed herself and her family. She could make cookies worthy of the gods, though. Whenever the Fenton parents weren’t in their basement lab for one reason or another, they ordered takeout to eat with their kids. Those times were, unfortunately, few and far between.

Finishing his meal, Danny was wide awake, the food doing wonders for waking him. And, while the caffeine in chocolate was nothing compared to the coffee his dad would sometimes let him drink, there was just enough to wake him up just a bit more. Don’t tell Jazz, though, or she might take away chocolate, too.

“Do you,” he hesitated, the words caught in his throat for a moment, “Do you think mom and dad will be up to celebrating this year?”

When he was seven, he learned that the Fentons didn’t celebrate any holiday, no matter what it was. They had up until Jazz was five, but then work became more important. Jack and Maddie had claimed breakthroughs in their research, pushing everything and everyone aside if it or they didn’t directly help their life’s work.

That same year, he’d been trying to acclimate himself better. One of the biggest things in American culture is holidays, so he decided to ask to celebrate Christmas. It was mainstream and was derived from one of the only holidays he was allowed to celebrate back in Nanda Parbat.

Jack and Maddie had agreed, of course, and he and Jazz had pulled out all the old decorations to dress the house. When December twenty-fourth came around, though, their parents had gotten into a huge fight about whether to tell Danny and Jazz that Santa wasn’t real. Jack had said it was a right of passage for little kids to figure it out all on their lonesome, while Maddie had argued that she wasn’t going to let her children believe in fairy tales that parents tell to get their kids to sleep faster. They were loud enough that Jazz and Danny had both heard every word.

The two tried, every holiday, to get their parents to spend time with them, at least, but it failed every time. Something or other aways came up.

“I don’t know, Danny,” she sighed, putting her fork on her now empty plate, “You can try, but I doubt it.” She’d given up last year, right around the time that she’d picked up on reading parenting books.

Danny didn’t say anything. He simply stood and gathered the dishes, taking them to the sink to be washed before putting them away. The dishwasher had been ripped apart and repurposed for parts in the lab.

“I know that you want to celebrate like the other kids in town,” Jazz said from the table, “but mom and dad are way too focused right now. Mom mentioned something about working on the portal some more.”

Danny put the cup down carefully, a loud click sounding through the kitchen. With a controlled breath, he closed his eyes and turned off the tap. “There were exactly two holidays that me and my brother were allowed to celebrate when we were children. Christmas is taken from one of those holidays. Forgive me for just wanting to share a piece of that with them.”

He could feel Jazz’s sad gaze on his back. “What holidays?”

“Forget it,” he shook his head, “Let’s just go to the library.”

She let it drop. “It doesn’t open for a few more hours.”

He started up the stairs. “Then come get me when it’s time to go.” Danny ignored Jazz’s responding sigh as he walked up to his room. Closing the door behind him, he grabbed some paper and a pencil.

In Nanda Parbat, one of the instructors was set to teach Danny and his brother the Fine Arts. From writing to painting to instruments to acting. All so that they could adapt to any mold for any mission. Because they were the heirs, the Demon Twins of the monster that was the organization, they were expected to be perfect. Anything less was punished.

Damian had always excelled at the Arts, especially drawing and its counterparts. He could work with any median, but charcoal had always been his favorite. Danny, too, had excelled with the Arts, but anything that happened on a stage had been his specialty.

Whenever he missed his brother, or any aspect of Before, too much, Danny would sit down and draw. He’d thought about asking his parents for an instrument of some kind, the cello always having been his favorite, but he decided against it. So, he drew. He didn’t have a dedicated sketch book, and no one but himself would ever see anything he made, but it was a nice outlet.

He wondered if Damian did something similar, now that he was with father. Did he play instruments or read plays when he thought of Danny? Did he allow his new siblings to see what he made or listen to his voice?

Three hours passed by in a blink, only one page being covered. It was a nice memory he’d drawn of the blacksmith’s hut away from the main base. In the picture, he and Damian were learning to forge their own daggers. Damian’s had turned out unbalanced and two inches too short. Danny’s had been only half an inch too long with a slightly too short grip.

Jazz knocked on the door as she cracked it open. “Hey,” she greeted quietly.

Danny covered tha paper. “Hey.”

“Are you ready to head out? We can stop by Tasty Burger for lunch?”

“Sure,” he nodded, moving to stand in a way that prevented the paper from showing to Jazz. He hid it in his nightstand to be moved to the box with the others later. “Let’s go.”

Nodding, she led the way.

It was a quick walk, only twenty minutes from their house to the library, but it was cold and bright. The snow only made the area brighter, but it was comfortable to him; familiar. What was really irritating was the cars and the people and the buildings. Danny had been raised very far from all of these things, only ever going near them when on a mission, and it was only a few hours at a time in those instances. No matter how long he lived in a city or town, whatever it was called, though, he would never get used to the noise.

The sidewalks were crowded with holiday shoppers not insane enough to go out on the twenty-fourth, but crazy enough to go out on the twenty-third. The streets were slick and traffic was slow, especially for a morning. Christmas decorations lined every window and tree and building face, holiday music carried on the wind four or five different songs mixing into one over and under the voices of the people on the sidewalks.

“C’mon,” Jazz tugged him into the public library by his hand. She had four books tucked under her arm, two on psychology, one on parenting, and one on dragons.

Danny followed after her, not quite dragging his feet, but making it apparent that he would rather not be there.

“Good morning, you two!” the librarian smiled when they made their way to her desk. She was a cheerful woman, always wearing a smile, though she had never once worn a nametag or introduced herself.

“Good morning!” Jazz matched the woman’s energy with a smile, dropping Danny’s hand and putting the four books up on the counter.

The woman took the books to scan them back into the system. “Are you looking to check out more books today?”

“Yep! Just so I have something to do over Winter Break.”

“You’re a kid, there’s lots for you to do!”

“I know, but I like reading.”

“I get it. Let me know if you need any help, okay?”

“Okay, we will!” Jazz took Danny’s hand again and pulled him off into the forest of shelves, straight to the parenting section.

Danny hid his scowl as he watched Jazz search through the parenting books. “You’re twelve, Jazz-”

“Almost thirteen.”

“-you’re not supposed to be looking at these kinds of books until eighteen at the earliest.”

She didn’t stop her search. “You’re eleven, Danny, you should be acting like a kid.”

“But I wasn’t raised as a kid.”

“Exactly why you should take the opportunity now!”

He groaned. It was an ongoing argument between the two. “I don’t need you to look after me, Jazz. We’re both kids, so we should be reading books that kids do! Leave the parenting up to our parents.”

“Our parents who don’t even celebrate holidays?”

“Jazz-”

“Look, Danny, I know you’re worried about me growing up too fast or whatever, but I like these books.” She pulled one off the shelf before turning to look at him. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll only get one parenting book.”

It didn’t. He’d rather her get none. “Okay.”

“I’m gonna get some psychology books, though, and you can’t stop me.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” he said. She ignored him.

“The human mind is really interesting. Did you know that the size of a human brain has decreased since the time when we were hunters and gatherers?”

“Has it?” He loved when she got like this, talking about things that interest her.

She nodded rapidly. “Mhmm! By a whole ten percent!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! And most artists like working at night because humans are more creative during the night rather than during the day.”

“What?” He raised his eyebrow in good humor to tell her that he was joking, “There’s no way that’s true.”

“It is!” she insisted, leading the way over to the tables in the middle of the large room with two psychology books and a parenting book under her arm. “And, look!” she grabbed a paper and pencil and wrote down ‘Yuo cna’t sotp me form radenig prnatneig bokos.’ in big letters. “Because we read words instead of individual letters, as long as the first and last letters are in the proper spots, and all the letters are there, it doesn’t matter what the rest of the word looks like, especially if you’ve been reading for a while or if you’re reading fast. You’re still able to read the word as though it were completely correct.”

“That’s actually really cool.”

“Right?” Her grin was so worth it. Her grin would always be worth it. “C’mon, let’s go get yo some books now.”

Danny grabbed Jazz’s hand and led the way this time. He took them over to the books about space and started to look through them. He’d always loved space as a whole, but stars had always held a special place for him.

He picked a book about astrology. “I heard some of the girls at school talking about magic and stuff and how people’s personalities are affected by what star sign they were born under.”

Jazz scrunched her nose a bit. “I’ve heard some people at school talk about that stuff, too. Do you think it’s true?”

“I think it’d be worth a look.” He took another book off the shelf, this one talking about both ancient and modern witchcraft. “The psychological implications are interesting, too.” That would get her to show a bit more interest.

“Really?”

“Really.”

She paused. “Mind if I take a look when you’re done?”

“I’d be happy to have a whole conversation about it when we’ve both finished reading our books.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

The last stop before checking out their chosen books was in the fairy tail section of the library. Their dad loved fairy tales, but their mom refused to let them have any of the books in the house. She claimed that there was no such thing as magic and that any ‘magic’ was done by ghosts. Danny had to hide his amusement whenever that particular argument was bright up because he knew for a fact that the supernatural and magic go hand in hand more often than not. He wasn’t about to tell her that, though.

The book they chose was one they both wanted to read, not wanting to risk mom finding one fairy tale in the house, let alone two. It was a compilation of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. Dark stories, they both knew, but that just made them all the more enticing.

Checking out went much the same as checking in, with the added bonus of the librarian giving them a cloth tote bag to carry their six books in. She also gave them the name of a small magic shop on the other side of town that had some tarot cards in stock if Danny was interested.

As promised, Jazz had taken some money from their mom’s purse to stop by the Tasty Burger for lunch. They both ordered the chicken nuggets and a milkshake, Jazz getting chocolate and Danny getting strawberry. Then, when they were done eating, they walked hand in hand back to their home.

Danny stopped at the mailbox, not moving to follow Jazz or to open the thing. Did he dare check? He didn’t want to get his hopes up. What if Damian hadn’t gotten the letter like he both feared and hoped? What if he had? Would there be a response? Would Damian ever want a relationship with him?

“Hey,” Jazz tugged his hand, “What’s wrong?”

He bit his lip, a show of nervousness that would’ve been punished in Nanda Parbat. He inhaled. “What if there’s no response? What if he doesn’t want to talk to me? It’s been almost five years.”

It took a moment before Jazz clocked what he was talking about. She let go of his hand to hold his shoulders. “How about this; You go inside and wait and I’ll get the mail, okay?”

Danny nodded and slowly trudged into the house. Why had he even sent that stupid letter? He flopped onto the couch. Damian probably hates him for not returning to his side.

He didn’t have time to mope any longer because Jaz threw the front door open with a shout. “Danny!” She was suddenly right beside him, shoving a letter into his hands. “There’s a letter for you!”

After a moment to process, Danny’s shaky hands ripped the envelope open and pulled out the paper inside. The single sheet was folded into three perfect rectangles, the black ink of a pen unsmudged and perfectly spaced. Just as Mother had taught.

***

Danyal ‘Danny’ Fenton,                         Dec. 21, 2011

You have a very extravagant story. Whatever made you believe that exchanging letters was the most secure way of contact? An idiotic move that my brother would, unfortunately, absolutely make. Either you are him, or you are a clone. Either way, I’m not likely to believe you, so do not mistake this as such. Your admitted honesty is welcomed, though not believed.

My welcome into the Wayne Family was quite a public affair and aired all over the country, so I guess I should thank you for the congratulations, as is socially acceptable in this situation as well as others like it. Bruce Wayne being my father is not a surprise, given his public image and his tendency to take any stray whelp he sees into his home. Though I will have you know that I am the only blood child in the household.

Announcing your stalling while writing a letter is completely unnecessary, especially as that was your first correspondence. Had you simply left that out, I would never have been the wiser. Another mistake you’ve made in accordance with my brother.

Having read over your letter several times, I have come to several conclusions. With the resources I have at my disposal, I have determined that there is a good chance you are who you say you are. Understanding who I am, and who my brother is, the rest of this response is written under the foolish  ̶h̶o̶p̶e̶ assumption that you are who you claim to be.

I could never hate you, Danyal, nor could I ever ignore this chance I have been presented with. Getting out was the best thing you could’ve done for yourself. Coming back from that mission, having failed and lost you, broke something in Mother. She was both harsher and more clingy, hovering whenever she could and pushing more than ever. Grandfather was even less pleased that you hadn’t returned, though he only ever acknowledged you as a failure and a mistake. He made it known that he would’ve killed you, had you ever miraculously returned to Nanda Parbat.

I am glad that you got help. I am glad that you are living safely and that you have found a place to be at peace.

You are a coward, but you are more deserving of praise and forgiveness than you seem to believe. I thought you had died on that mission, Danyal. For that, I can’t ever forgive you, but I could never hate you. I can forgive you for making me return on my own. I can forgive you for being selfish and leaving me alone, but I will never forgive you for making me mourn you. You hurt me in ways that I never thought I could ever be hurt, in ways that I may never be hurt again.

Grandfather and Mother never allowed a grave to be made. They didn’t let me keep anything of yours either. They erased you. It was like you had never been there. I was never allowed to properly mourn you. That alone almost ended me.

Father knows nothing of you. Mother did not tell him, nor will I. I did not wish to make him or our siblings mourn a child they would never meet. If you so choose to tell him, then you may. I, however, will not be playing the messenger.

أرجو أن تسامحني على اعتقادي بأنك ميت. أرجوك سامحني لأنني لم أحزن عليك كما ينبغي. أرجوك سامحني لأنني لم أبحث عنك، فالعودة لم تكن خياراً متاحاً. كان يجب أن أجعله خياراً                     Damian Wayne

Translation 1 - Arabic :: Thank you for being my brother.

Translation 2 - Romanian :: Damn it!

Translation 3 - Arabic :: Please forgive me for thinking you were dead. Please forgive me for not mourning you properly. Please forgive me for not looking for you, coming back was not an option. I should have made it an option

Storyboard Part 2 Artwork

[written-in-flowers]

Her Guardian: Demon!Mingi x Fem!Reader

Pairing: Demon!Mingi x Fem!Reader | side pairing(s): mingi x yunho, mingi x OFC, fem!reader x demonline.

Genre: Smut, angst

Word count: 9k

Summary: Mingi accompanies you to visit Eden, a place that's far too bright and where people are more likely to arrest him than smile at him. Well, except for one, maybe.

Tags: poly relationship, demons, threesome (m/f/f), vaginal fingering, oral sex, thigh fucking, food sex (mostly licking stuff off each other), angels and demons, incest, bisexual!reader, outdoor sex, public sex, chasing through garden, facials, multiple rounds, multiple positions,

Previously on Pretty Lady

Pretty Lady Masterlist

****

He didn't particularly like Eden. It was too bright, too much pollen clung to the air, and he hated the stares the guards gave him. Mingi did nothing to garner such distrust, except be a man in a women's sanctuary. The ones he knew from the inner city treated him well enough, but those born and raised in Eden scowled at the sight of him. He almost found it comical how their pleasant smiles towards you instantly dropped into dislike at him. Yet, Mingi went wherever you went, so when you said you’d be visiting Eden again, he followed.

Walking through the main hall of Lilith’s floral castle, he saw guards and ladies eyeing him once again. He hated all the attention. As someone who preferred sticking to the shadows, it wasn’t easy having people be aware of him. Eden’s sunlit corridors, open-air courtyards and gardens made disappearing from view difficult. The hedges and bushes might be good hiding spots if the people around him couldn’t talk to plants. Still, Mingi kept his position behind you at all times. He didn’t care if your safety is assured with the palace guards and your own abilities. The masters made him your bodyguard, and he’d carry out his duty.

Mingi followed you out into the citrus groves, where fruits of all kinds grew ripe and fresh from the trees above. He watched you reach up for a peach, and turn to him.

“Hungry?” you asked.

“Always.”

You tossed it to him, then picked one for yourself. “You know you didn’t have to come along,” you told him for the millionth time since you began visiting. “I’m totally fine here.” 

“Eden isn’t completely impenetrable, Mistress,” he said, his teeth breaking the peach’s fuzzy skin. The sweet fruit burst in his mouth, and nearly dropped from the sides of his mouth. Eden’s resources tasted far better than anything Prince Beezlebub could grow. He took another bite before saying, “My job is to watch over you and keep you safe. That’s what I intend to do.”

“I can take care of myself, Mingi.”

“You see, it’s funny when people say that,” Mingi said, amused by your confidence. “Everybody thinks they can fight until they actually are forced into a fight. It’s not as easy as it seems.”

“I’ve been training.”

“So have I, and when I got into my first real fight, I hesitated and nearly lost my eye.”

You turned around to him again, mouth full of peach as you said, “What?!”

“Yeah,” he nodded, laughing at your reaction. He came up closer, biting into his peach, as he said, “I was in the middle of my first assignment for my order. The assignment was a typical reconnaissance and report back type of mission. Not that they doubted my skills; I’d passed my trials with perfect marks, but everyone starts off like that. Anyway, I was standing in the office of some high level crime lord with political connections when one of his men walked in by chance. In all my daydreams, I always sprung into action. You know, throwing a knife or withdrawing my blade or just throwing a punch. But, when I saw this guy-almost seven feet tall and built like a vending machine-standing in the doorway with the meanest look in his eyes, I panicked. In a fight like that, every second counts. The few seconds I hesitated cost me a good amount of time. The guy and I eventually got into it, and it’s like my mind blanked. All of a sudden, I’m fighting for my life.”

“When did the eye thing happen?”

“The guy had a knife and sliced upwards to my eye. I got my blade in his throat, and managed to escape, but I was half blind for months,” he said. He looked over at you, both of you eating your peaches, “It’s why I stick so close, Mistress, even when you think I’m not. Sure, your powers have grown and you are mastering them well, but what if someone breaks into your bedroom late at night? What if you’re in the street and someone tries attacking you? It’s easy to prepare for a fight that you know is coming; it’s not like that when it’s sprung on you.”

“Is that why you’re so tense all the time?”

“Huh? I’m not tense.”

“You so are,” you giggled. “Even right now. You’re in the most beautiful place in Hell, and you’re constantly swiveling your head around like something will pop out at you.” You touched his hand, and his heart fluttered. “Relax. Nobody is going to hurt me here.”

“You don’t know that.”

Laughter came down to you from up ahead. As always, Princess Lilith entertained her daughters and friends in the sweet-smelling citrus grove. Ladies of Eden resembled women from the paintings in the Black Keep, elegant in the gossamer gowns with flowers in their hair. You fit in with them with your own thin, long dress patterned with small hydrangeas. The same flower grew directly from your head and weaved around your head like a circlet. The Princess grinned brightly when she spotted you coming through the archway. Mingi stayed in the faint shadows, not wanting to be seen by Lilith or any of her daughters.

“YN,” she beamed, standing and walking around to embrace you, “My sweet freesia. How are you?”

“I’m better now that I’m here,” you replied with a grin, hugging her tightly. “Where’s Mama?”

“In her garden,” she said, pulling away and fixing one of the hydrangeas. “Your flower growth is really coming along well. I’m impressed.”

“Thanks, Grandma,” you smiled.

Lilith insisted you eat with her and the family. Mingi saw you glowing with happiness. It was the same back in the Black Keep, when you’re surrounded by your household or your plants. He sensed that-like him-happiness did not come easily to you. Your first days in the keep showed him that much. Even if you claimed to like your new life and the fine luxuries that came with it, he saw the sadness in your eyes. He’d watch you contemplate from the shadows, your loneliness and solitude became more obvious once he saw you by yourself. You might have had Jongho and Yeosang at the time, but they’d been handlers, not companions. The Masters in those days only acknowledged you for sex or a bit of conversation. You rarely left the keep, and stayed in the rooms designed for your use. There’d been so many places in the keep you never knew about because you’d been kept on a strict schedule.

Being amongst people who smiled at you, who welcomed and hugged you, lifted you from that sadness. 

“What are you doing here?”

He’d recognize the contemptuous tone of Artemis anywhere. Mingi turned his head around to see her standing nearby. Her dress hung around her knees, and she wore the arm guard and bow and arrow of an archer. The cascades of dark curls she typically decorated with daisies were tied back in a long plait, and her face was clean of the flowers she painted on. Even if she stared at him with distaste, Mingi knew about her curiosity of men like her cousins. While she held firmly to her family’s beliefs about them, he remembered their meeting during your first trip. It started with innocent talk over bows and arrows, but soon her lips were pressed to his own. 

He shuddered thinking of her cumming on his hand and mouth. 

“My Mistress wanted to see her family,” he said. “As her bodyguard, I go wherever she goes.”

“YN doesn’t need you here. She has the guards. She has me,” Artemis said firmly. “She doesn’t need a silly man-thing taking care of her.”

“It is my job,” he replied, preferring not to explain how sex and gender mean nothing in a fight. “If I stayed hanging around the keep and something happened to her, I’d be in for a whipping. I don’t know about you, but I personally prefer my whippings to be recreational rather than a punishment.”

“Ugh, so obscene,” she sucked her teeth. “You know the rules. Men go to the Men’s Quarters and wait there.”

“I’m not sitting in an empty room while my Mistress is walking about unprotected.”

“It is the law.”

“And since when do I care about the law?”

“I will have you arrested.”

“Go ahead.”

Yet, she stayed silent. Her eyes, round and hazel green, glanced at the group of women and then back at him. Whether she admitted it or not, Artemis knew break-ins are possible if the villain is determined enough. “Keep your distance,” she warned.

“Trust me, I plan to.”

She walked by him into the garden. Mingi watched her beam brightly at you, hugging and kissing your cheeks before sitting down. Seeing the quaint family having afternoon tea, he thought about his own. Children of Satan aren’t known for having soft hearts or showing tenderness to anyone. They are born from fire and brimstone. They are the embodiment of strength and might. Mingi’s mother might have shown bits of sympathy and affection for her sons, but she was by no means maternal. Jiyoo expected her two sons to be fierce shadow warriors; she trained them to be excellent assassins for The Crown and The Shadow Order. A formidable soldier in her own right, she claimed she’d purposefully spent both pregnancies in the dark, performing fertility rituals every night, to ensure her sons came out as shadows. Mingi became the assassin that she’d hoped for. Minjun, however, became something else.

An angel.

While his mother had no idea what happened to make Minjun, her youngest, turn from his people, Mingi knew. Leaning against the arch, he thought about that night. The two of them were given an assassination assignment: a Son of God. Neither of them knew much about the Son beforehand. They only knew where he lived, and that his existence was a threat to their people. Mingi gulped recalling their trip through the bayous of Louisiana, where they’d been told the Son’s family lived. Underneath the cover of darkness, wearing their black hoods and bandanas, they came upon the small shack by the river. Through a window, they saw a man with curly black hair and beard sitting beside a woman on a bed. Mingi thought he must be The Son, surely. But, sons didn’t kiss their mothers on the lips. They did not look down on her as if she were his entire world.

They also did not coddle the child in her arms. 

‘He’s only a baby. What kind of threat could he be to Lucifer?’ Minjun had asked under a whisper.

Despite being a demon, the slaughter of innocent children is indefensible.

‘Brother, we cannot…Surely, we must be in the wrong place. That is a baby.’

‘A baby who could ruin us all.’

‘He is a child, Mingi. Perhaps if he were a grown man who could defend himself, but not this. This is wrong.’

‘We have to do this, Minjun. Muster up your courage and put your feelings aside-’

‘-Put my feelings aside? Do you not hear yourself? That is an infant, a newborn.’

‘Yes, an infant that will grow to one day destroy everything our King has worked for. If he dies for their sins, Minjun…If he follows his predecessor’s purpose, we might not-’

‘-He is only one man. He is only one baby. Mingi-’

‘-They will kill us both if we do not do this. They will kill Mother if we do not do this-’

‘-That is a child, Brother. A child. An innocent babe who just came from his mother’s womb. You cannot honestly be at peace with this.’

‘I am not, but we have a mission to complete.’

Mingi gulped recalling his vile words. Thinking back to that moment, hidden in the sand dunes with his brother, he could not stand himself. He liked assuring himself he wouldn’t have taken pleasure in the new Christ’s death, but that he did it for his mother. Lucifer often punished the families of those who displeased or disobeyed him. Mingi did not want to see his mother frozen in a block of ice for eternity. Minjun, on the other hand, always saw reason and sense. He refused to carry out his duty. Mingi only did not because three magi appeared and ruined their chance. He still saw Lucifer’s rageful eyes when Mingi quietly recounted his story. He told it all truthfully, except for one particular part.

Minjun, out of remorse and pity, stepped out from the bushes and approached the young family. The magi, who’d come bearing gifts for the new Messiah, moved to shield the mother and child. Mingi heard their warnings, and that an angel would appear to kill him if he made another step closer. Minjun, rather than withdraw his blades, knelt down in front of Mary Anne and her son, Jessup. He explained who and what he was. He told her that the murder of a child is a vile request, and that he could no longer abide by his masters’ beliefs and orders. Mingi recalled the hot tears that blurred his vision. He’d covered his mouth to suppress his sobs as he watched his brother swear his service to the Son of God and his mother. In a flash, Mingi lost his best friend and brother. An angel did appear, St. Michael, who no doubt heard about the demon’s presence, came to Jessup’s rescue.

It had been Mary Anne’s soft-spoken voice, begging Michael to sheath his steel, that kept Minjun’s head on his shoulders. With a bit of convincing, Michael placed his hand on Minjun’s head and bathed him in the bright holy light of God. From what he heard, Minjun no longer went by his demon name. He’d adopted the name Samuel, and served in Paradise. Jiyoo never spoke his name again, too hurt by his betrayal. Lucifer had Mingi whipped and imprisoned for his failure.

‘I never knew the Sons of Satan to be so weak.’

For years, Mingi wasted away in a frozen dungeon cell. He spent most days wishing he could see Minjun again; maybe if he’d talked to him, he could’ve convinced him to stay. He knew that would never be possible. If the two ever met, it’d likely be in a fight or on a battlefield. By the time they released him, Mingi saw Minjun’s departure akin to his death. Minjun died in the swamps of Louisiana. He’d never see or touch him ever again.

Mingi pondered more on it until he noticed someone watching him. Artemis. Clearly unexpected to be caught, the young sorceress jolted slightly and then whipped her head back to the table. How could she still be suspicious of him? He isn’t anywhere near the women. He had no intention of being near any of them today except you. Her distrust of him began irritating him before he noticed her shy glances back over at him. He saw a pink tinge cover the tops of her cheeks, and the tips of her ears.

‘Mingi, don’t stop. Don’t stop doing that with your tongue.’

The image of Artemis in his arms, the top of her dress untied to reveal her soft breasts and her legs parts on his lap, came back to him. She’d looked beautiful in the dim corner of the archery range that night. He’d held her against him, teasing her breasts while fingering her steadily, as she came over and over. Her fresh juices had leaked from her entrance to her ass by the time he put his tongue on her. He’d overstimulated her until she cried. She’d been teary eyed and pleading for more when he finally shoved his cock inside her. Was she thinking of that now? He certainly was. Mingi kept his eyes on her, undressing every layer with his eyes and seeing her nude in his mind’s eye. He kept picturing her sex inches from his face, turning slightly red the longer he kept her waiting, and he gulped back saliva in his mouth. When he added you, aroused and naked, into the mix, Mingi thought he might combust right there.

Tea finally ended with you and your cousins scampering off from the table. When you met up with him again, you started for your own garden patch. 

“I want to see how the lime tree is doing,” you told him on the dirt garden path. “I promised Cook fresh limes for dinner. They should be good by now; they’ve had time to grow.”

“He’ll be pleased for sure,” Mingi said. “He likes working with fresh ingredients. He’s lucky to have a mistress that can grow stuff for him.”

“He really is.” 

Walking through the garden, you both ended up in a square space cut off by tall hedges. Mingi took in the scale of your work as you started examining a tree in the corner. You’d started growing berries after you tasted Cook’s supreme mixed-berry pie and tarts. He saw the various berry bushes you had along the walls, right next to a patch of tomatoes and carrots and peppers beside lettuce. You told him that certain fruits and vegetables can be planted and benefit from one another. Mingi knew absolutely nothing about gardening, so he took your word for it. As he sneaked a strawberry, he thought of Minjun again. He heard rumors about the abundance of food that spanned across the edges of Paradise. Minjun-or “Samuel”-likely ate from them regularly. He pictured his brother biting into a fresh strawberry, a close-mouthed laugh coming through at a joke he’d told. You’d never find anything beautiful on the banks of the River of Wrath. He and his brother ventured into the city or snuck onto Beezelbub’s territory to have them. 

Mingi ate the strawberry with a dry mouth. Minjun died years ago. He’d come to terms with that in his prison cell underneath the ninth circle. The quick-witted, clever, mischievous boy he’d known went where Mingi could not go. 

“Gosh, these are gorgeous,” you smiled, placing limes in a basket. “They’re going to be great on the tacos.” You looked over to notice him brooding by the strawberries. “Hey…” 

He jerked when your arms slid around him from the side. Mingi put his arm over your shoulders, embracing the sweet scent reaching his nose. Minjun would’ve fallen in love with you, for sure. You plucked a strawberry of your own, biting into the tip softly. 

“What’s up?” you asked, “You’re quieter than usual.”

“Nothing. I’m fine, Mistress.”

“Is it about Artemis?”

“Huh?”

“Artemis,” you said. “Is there something going between you guys?”

“In a way.”

“In what way?”

“In a ‘she-hates-men-but-lets-me-fuck-her-like-crazy’ kind of way.”

“Ah, so enemies with benefits, huh?” you guessed with a soft laugh. “I knew something was up there. You stared way too closely at her tits for there not to be.” 

His cheeks tinged pink and he finished his strawberry. “It kind of happened out of nowhere. We’d been talking about her new bow when she kissed me.”

“Hold on, she kissed you? Artemis kissed you first?”

“She said she’d kissed guys before, and she didn’t see what was so great about it,” he began. “I told her she must’ve not had a good partner if she didn’t like it. She thought perhaps she hadn’t done it right if it sucked so bad. Then, well, I said if she didn’t mind, she could practice with me.”

“How did she take that?”

“Not well at first. She told me sex didn’t mean much to her, and that she didn’t want to throw herself at someone. I said it didn’t have to mean anything. I’ve always thought she was beautiful, and she’s strong and smart. If she’d been a demon instead of an Eden Lady, I would’ve mated with her at first sight.”

“Did she believe you?”

“Maybe? She didn’t say anything. She leaned in and kissed me instead.”

“How cute,” you grinned. “You must’ve shown her a good time if she kept looking back at you during tea time.”

“I guess.” 

You stood between him and the bushes, hands on his shoulders. “Did you like it?”

“Of course I did,” he said. “I had sex with a Lady of Eden. Do you know how rare that is? I never expected her to really believe me, or kiss me first. Artemis has always said she dislikes men; she likely still does even if she had sex with me. I didn’t know she liked men that way, either. I’ve only ever seen her with women.”

“When did you see her with a woman?”

“A long time ago. My brother and I went to this brothel on the edge of town, and she happened to be there with some of the Princess’s guards. They all had women in their laps, and I saw her kissing and fondling one of them,” he shrugged. 

“Wait, ‘brother’? You have a brother?”

“He died,” Mingi said, “During an assignment a long, long time ago.”

“How’d he die?”

Mingi realized he had no answer. Nobody asked how Minjun died because they all knew he’d gone over. It was a secret he couldn’t keep. For a moment, he considered lying to you. He thought of saying his brother died heroically fighting for his people or during an assignment for his superiors. Mingi brushed a strand of hair from your face, seeing the sincerity there. Not many people showed him care the way you did. While he enjoyed having sex with you, something else blossomed between the both of you. He kept his distance because you truly love his masters, as they did truly love you. Yet, holding you here in his arms in this gorgeous place, he could not see himself lying to you. Your understanding nature stood out in the hellish society. He knew if he told you the truth, you wouldn’t hate him. 

“He didn’t really die in the usual sense,” he said. “My brother and I were sent on a special assignment by The King, and when it was time to carry it out, we hesitated.”

“Why?”

“Because we found out our target wasn’t a full grown man or woman. It was…” his throat dried up, and shame came over him again. “It was a baby.” 

“A baby?” you gasped. “Why would Lucifer want to kill a baby? I thought he didn’t do things like that.”

“He normally doesn’t,” he said, “But this baby was special. He told us if it lived past infancy, it’d go on to destroy everything he’d been working hard to build. The sinful empire he planned on creating using the corrupted souls on Earth would be gone; he’d have to start all over.”

“Who, um, was this baby? Just curious.”

“It’s not who you think it is.”

“So, no Jesus Christ?”

“No. God’s second son, Jessup, who was supposed to be Heaven’s second coming,” he explained. “He was meant to muster up God’s Army to fight Lucifer when he came to Earth. We were supposed to kill him to stop that from happening before it even began. When that didn’t happen, Lucifer corrupted and possessed people to bring Jessup down.” Mingi couldn’t help pitying the young man, “History remembers Jessup as a runaway slave, not as their savior.” 

“He was a savior to some of those people, I’m sure.”

“But not the kind he was meant to be.”

“Wow…That’s insane…Lucifer wanted you to kill him, and you didn’t do it.”

“No. My brother saw that it was a baby, and said Lucifer was wrong for asking this of us. Instead of coming home with me, my brother went out to meet the infant. He told the mother everything, and said that he wanted to serve her son. When an angel came out, he purified my brother’s demon blood and made him an angel. I haven’t seen him since then.”

“So, in your mind, he might as well be dead.” 

“Yeah,” he moved away from you to the blueberries. He touched one in between his fingers, deciding it was too ripe to be eaten. 

“What happened when you came back?” you asked. 

“Lucifer wasn’t very happy about my failure,” he said. “He said demons with soft hearts could not serve in his army. He had me whipped for disobeying his orders, then threw me in prison.”

“That explains the scars on your back.” You then shrugged when he turned to you, “I’ve seen them once or twice.”

“I don’t exactly put them on display all the time.”

“How long were you there?”

“About ten years,” he shrugged, “Give or take.” 

“What was it like?”

“Tortuous,” he answered. “It’s the worst place in Hell, and that’s saying something. If you aren’t freezing from the icy walls and floors, you’re lying awake at night while you listen to the other inmates screaming. I want to say it’s like other prisons in the world where there’s gang violence and you have to watch your back, but not here.”

“How come?”

“Because they isolate us,” he said, “Which in my opinion is worse. We weren’t allowed to talk to anyone and yard time isn’t a thing here. You are stuck in a room with your own thoughts. When someone does happen to come around, they don’t speak. You start spiraling. You start hallucinating. I’ve heard of people who’d been there longer walking in circles, muttering and mumbling to themselves.” Mingi shuddered at the thought of those days. “Then, you get out and you forget how to talk to people. Your throat is hoarse. Speaking makes your jaw hurt since it's been shut so long. Some of us stop speaking all together because we’re so used to being silent.”

“I guess that makes it easier for you to blend into the dark, huh?”

He saw your attempt at humor, and at least pretended to laugh. “I guess so.” 

“Does Seonghwa know about it?” 

“It’s why he hired me,” he nodded. “He knew who I was when I came to him looking for a job. I was homeless after I left prison. Not many people want to hire a guy that was called a traitor by the king, but Master Seonghwa wasn’t like that. He said he found my reluctance to kill a child admirable.”

“I think any normal person would,” you said. 

“I told him I only hesitated because my brother did,” he cut you off. “Lucifer never punishes just the person who pissed him off. He punishes their entire family. My mother was put on the whipping post before me; Lucifer wanted me to watch what happens when I disobey my king. He made me look on as they whipped the skin off her back.” Echoes of her screams reached him and he crushed a blackberry between his teeth to distract himself. “He might have killed me if my grandfather had not spoken up.”

“Satan?”

“He said killing a demon of my skills would be a waste,” he said. “He convinced Lucifer to throw me in prison to teach me a lesson instead. How rotting away in an ice box is better than death is beyond me.”

“My mom once said there are fates worse than death.”

“There are.” 

Your hands slid around him from behind, fingers playing with the clasps of his coat. “And now you’re here,” you said, “In the sun.”

“And it’s terrible.”

You giggled, “You can always take the coat off.” A shiver went up to his neck when you whispered, “You can take all of it off and get into a bathing pool with me. It is a bit hotter than usual.”

“Tempting, Mistress,” he admitted, “But not at the moment.”

“Okay,” you replied, and he knew you’d pouted for a second before pulling away. “What was your brother like?”

The last time he’d spoken of Minjun at this length was after a drunken night with Yunho. The pair of them split several bottles of wine between them. It led to flushed cheeks, wandering hands and sloppy kisses. Mingi, as he spoke, smelled the phantom scent of Yunho in the air. They’d done it multiple times before turning into puddles of jelly on Yunho’s bed. There, they’d laid out their hearts to one another. He told Yunho everything and anything he wanted to know. He’d normally been so guarded in those days; showing signs of weakness scared him. Yet, in the afterglow of blissful sex, his heart broke open. While you worked on your garden, it broke open to you. He shared tidbits about his little brother, who loved reading as much as fighting; he told you about the time they both dared each other to jump off a tall cathedral into a large heap of hay below. He told you of their childhood along the banks of the Wrathful River, the River of Wrath in Satan’s territory. You found all of it fascinating. You wanted to know more about your new home, and the different places. He knew you’d see them one day, and in a much nicer perspective than some.

As the sun began setting, the two of you made your way to the rose garden where other ladies sat enjoying the darkening skies and growing stars. He remained in the shadows as always, watching you closely and keeping a look out in the surrounding area. Talking about Minjun lifted weight from his shoulders. Breathing out his name and recounting tales of his brother brought back that fondness he once had. Mingi hoped, for a moment, wherever he was, his brother was happy.

“You’re still here.”

Artemis came up beside him as she entered the garden. She’d changed out of her usual training tunic into the long gowns of Eden. He noticed she’d grown daisies into her hair, letting them sprout like a halo around her head. In the dim sunlight, she looked heavenly.

“Yes,” he answered curtly.

“I hope you kept your hands to yourself in my grandmother’s garden.”

“I only indulge if my mistress wishes me to,” said Mingi.

“Don’t act as if you wouldn’t enjoy it.”

“How could I not?” he laughed softly. “If you tasted a bit of her, you’d enjoy it too.” He then smirked, “Or perhaps you say that because you wish it was you I was indulging?”

“As if,” she scoffed, though he saw through her lie. “Just keep to yourself, Mingi.”

“I will if you do, my lady.”

Mingi smiled to himself as she walked away. He knew she thought about their time together as much as he did. He watched her come to your side, kissing your cheek and smiling brightly. A range of dirty images rushed through his head seeing you two next to each other. He couldn’t recall the last time he had two partners; he didn’t count Octavius since he’s a plant. Having both of you in his bed, fully naked and horny beyond belief, had him shifting slightly to one side. Minjun would’ve teased him for his weakness, but Mingi didn���t care. You weakened him. He spent so many nights listening to his masters take you that it’s all he thinks about in quiet moments. After hearing Artemis’s low, erotic moans, she’d snuck her way into his fantasies with you.

He loved and hated it.

As the women began eating snacks and sweets left out, Artemis turned in his direction. Naturally, his eyes landed on her chest. He’d do anything to see and grab them again. She told him that’d be their first and only time. Mingi hoped that had been all talk. When she did not cover herself or turn away, he kept staring. He bit his inner cheek when he caught a glimpse of her nipple hardening in the cool breeze. He’d love to put his mouth on it. His desires burned hotter when he realized you’d been watching him watching Artemis. You smirked knowingly, putting a puff pastry to your lips. His jaw dropped when you bit into it, licking the thick white cream that had come through the sides. The last time he fucked you, he’d finished in your mouth. The pool of white cum had stood out in your mouth and throat. You’d spat some out to let it drip down your chin and the sides of your lips, then went back to sucking him off. He’d been so drunk off your toxins that he thought of nothing else but giving you more to swallow.

She turned away from him, yet you kept watching him. Memories of that night came back to him just as easily. It had been after a party at a new friend's house. You came back giggling and swaying to the music in your head. He couldn't let you walk up stairs on your own with unsteady heels, so he guided you back to your room. Mingi admitted he'd drunk a bit more than he should have; his body had felt warm and hazy. Even in the daze of alcohol, the two of you gravitate towards one another. He vaguely recalled stripping you down with fumbling fingers, while you slovenly kissed down his neck. Mingi took a deep breath thinking about your mouth wrapped around his cock, eyes focused up at him as you continuously pushed him to your throat. He'd gone harder than he intended, but you assured him you loved every second of it. He considered taking you to the gardens to ram you again, then he remembered where he was. 

Your teasing grin did not simmer the fire burning in him. He expected you to stand and leave the gazebo, but instead you whispered to one of the Imp servants and saw the girl nodded excitedly. Whatever made the little Imp skip and giggle away could not be good. You turned and said something to Artemis once the servant left. Mingi wasn’t sure what you said, but Artemis glanced over at him and then back to you. Were Minjun alive, he’d insist they follow the both of you. Not out of concern or duty, but with hopes of walking upon a filthy sight. The Minjun he knew loved women. He loved visiting the brothels and taverns after missions or days in the training yard. He’d spend all his coin on the ladies he pulled into his laps. Mingi knew he’d envy him for getting to work for you. But, as much as Mingi would love to, he did have a job to do.

You and Artemis excused yourselves from the group and left out of another archway. Mingi knew a trap when he saw one. If he followed you, he’d be pulled into whatever erotic plan you’d invented for him. He knew he could not let you get away, since he is meant to watch you, and you knew that. Shaking off the tightness building in his stomach, Mingi walked along the hedges to where you and Artemis had disappeared through. Nobody noticed him as he moved quietly through the pathways. He tried picking up your scent, but couldn’t catch it amongst the other flowers. Another reason to dislike Eden. He peeked inside each garden enclosure or sitting area he passed with hopes of finding you. Break ins in Eden became more frequent these days, according to some, and with nighttime approaching, he needed to be more cautious. Demons of lust or simply drunkards looking to score have been caught climbing the walls of Eden’s garden and accosting ladies. They never get far since the ladies protect themselves and their guards are fierce, but it happens. Mingi might like the idea of you and a naked Artemis, but not so much of a man putting a knife to your throat to assault you.

“He did?”

He heard your voice come from one of the bathing pools. His entire body flushed in heat, and his armor suddenly felt suffocating.

“He did,” Artemis confirmed your question.

“I thought you hated men though.”

“I don’t hate them. I just don’t trust them. They all lie and cheat. They steal and kill.”

“Women can do that too.”

“Not at the rate men do.”

Her beliefs did not surprise him. Mingi would have told you that Ladies of Eden learn about the atrocities of men and the patriarchy at their mothers’ breasts. It is only recently that some are open to having men in their lives or beds.

“Did you at least like it?” he heard you leading her on, a smile on your face.

“I did, very much,” she admitted, sounding shy. “He isn’t the first, but he’s certainly the best.”

Mingi peeked around the entrance to the bathing pool. A ball formed in his throat when he saw both of you shedding off your clothes as Imps placed a tray of fruits and pastries near the small pool. He looked over the two nude bodies out in the open. He took in all the curves, soft skin and fleshy parts of your bodies. He saw where you’d both trimmed yourselves, only making him want to latch his mouth to them more. The flirtatious, giddy looks on your faces aroused him, especially when you stepped into the pool together. You both leaned against the steps waist-deep in the water as you brought the fruit tray over. Mingi bit his lower lip when he realized it was strawberries and a small pot of chocolate syrup. The two of you started eating them normally, talking about boys and the other ladies in the garden before your voices grew lower and you drew together. He recognized the lustful gaze you gave her as you put a strawberry to her lips. Artemis kept eye contact while she wrapped her mouth around the end and bit down. 

Next came chocolate. He watched you swipe some onto the base of her neck, then lick it off in slow, passionate laps of your tongue. He palmed his groin when she returned the favor when a small droplet fell on your breast. The tip of her tongue grazed the outer edge of your nipple, then up to lick up the thin trickle and he held back a groan. He stood in awe as you started kissing, open mouths doing nothing to cover the tongues swatting at one another inside. He knew right now your arousing saliva worked its magic on her, coursing desire and passion through her veins. You dipped your finger in the chocolate to coat over one of Artemis’s nipples, then leaned down to slowly lick it off. Mingi instantly started unclasping his coat as he stepped into the space. Blending with the shadows, neither of you saw him in the corner of the room. He dropped his coat and undid his leather vest and thin chainmail underneath. You continued pinching and groping her breasts while her hands moved around to your ass. The crotch of his pants tightened when she put a strawberry to your lips for you to eat. With a single bite, Artemis smeared bits of juice around your mouth to then lick and kiss clean. You did the same to her, the both of you swatting your tongue over the large fruit before she bit into it. 

“How about I give you both something bigger to lick?” he asked, voice heavy with lust as he kicked off his boots and unbuckled his pants. 

Neither of you appeared surprised by his appearance. In fact, you both giggled shyly and turned away from him for a moment. “Don’t be shy now,” he smirked, pulling down both pants and underwear. Each of you focused directly on his groin once he removed them, and he couldn’t be prouder of it. “You two lured me in here. What did you think I’d do? Stand by and watch two gorgeous women fuck in a pool?”

“Yes,” Artemis admitted in a giggle. 

“I told her you wouldn’t be able to help yourself,” you said, eyeing his semi-hardon. “You’re a big ol’ pervert deep down.”

“Which I’ve grown to enjoy quite a bit,” she then said, reaching up your chest to cup both your breasts. “I loved it so much last time.”

“So did I, my lady,” he admitted, walking over to where you both stood in the pool. 

The cool water did shock his hot skin, though it didn't distract him from his goal. He came over, and brought you to him by the hips. The sweet taste of chocolate strawberries flowed from your lips to his on your tongue, which he eagerly ate up. The moment your tongues touched, Mingi’s hunger shot to the ceiling. He found it hard to contain the primal urge to fuck both all night. 

He kept one arm around you as he pulled Artemis to him and kissed her the same way. A groan rumbled in his throat when a sticky, smooth substance covered a spot on his neck, only to be licked at by your warm tongue. The feeling of you licking his neck while Artemis’s tongue slid into his mouth fanned the flames making him harder. While hands started running up and down his chest and stomach, he felt up and down the full, round cheeks in his hands. Artemis whimpered at a particularly hard squeeze he gave her, and he knew she’d liked it.

“Do you like that?” he asked her, pecking her lips softly. 

“Yes,” she breathed, picking up her own swipe of chocolate to put on his chest. “Do it again.”

As she lapped up the thin mess she’d made, he repeated the action to hear her whine into his chest. Mingi didn’t intend on leaving you out. He kissed you deeply, sliding his hand over and under your ass cheeks. Long fingers found the perineum and stroked it slowly, letting you enjoy the simple touch as you kissed. 

“You’re so strong, Mingi,” Artemis said in his ear, moving behind him while you moved in front of him. “So big and long,” she took his cock by the base, reaching around to stroke him. Your heads both reached to his shoulders, where lips began kissing and nibbling at his neck and shoulders while you both caressed him. “I never had one like yours until the last time,” she said, only stroking him halfway. “That's all I think about when I’m alone in my bed. You’re the only man I’d ever allow in my bed after I’ve had this.”

“You should come live with us,” you told her, putting Mingi’s hands on your breasts for him to squeeze, “Then you and I could have fun with him whenever we want.”

“I’d never have a moment of peace, huh?” he teased, reaching to drizzle chocolate on your nipples. He began licking the thin strings off them, moaning softly as Artemis squeezed and aimed his cock between your thighs. “You, her and Yunho will have me empty by the end of the day.”

“As if you wouldn’t love that,” said Artemis. 

“He’d definitely love it,” you moaned when he flicked his tongue over the peaks of your nipples. “Wouldn’t you, Mingi?” 

His tip touched something slick and warm under the water, and he groaned loudly. Nestled between your thighs, his cock slipped in and out of them while Artemis fondled his balls underneath. The pleasure elevated when her thumbs spread the chocolate you placed there to lick it off him. Mingi’s moans grew louder as your wet clitoris brushed over the head of his cock over and over. His balls rolled around over each of Artemis’s fingers one at a time, sending shocks of pleasure through to his swollen cock. Your slow rocking movements had him reaching in front and behind him to grab at both of you. Artemis’s smooth sex fluttered open for his fingers, causing her to hold his wrist in place as she rubbed herself on his fingers. He sunk his other fingers between your ass cheeks to tease the tight hole they hid. Just feeling you both on his hands, hearing your moans join his, he thought he might cum. 

“Stand in front of me,” he said breathily. “I want to play with both of you.” 

“You might, but not here.” 

Artemis slipped away from him. You took direction from her, and moved away too. A brief moment of frustration passed before he saw your mischievous smiles. You’d reached the top of the steps before he realized what was going on. The moment he charged, you two bolted towards the entrance. A delighted laugh escaped his chest as he rushed after you, naked as the day he was born. In the dim lighting of the lanterns above the paths, he saw your naked bodies several feet ahead of him. Your squeals and giggles reached him, joining in his own delight, as you continued running. Artemis, being the faster runner, sprinted ahead even when Mingi’s arms wrapped around you. 

“Mingi!” you giggled as he lifted you from the ground and pressed you to a stone wall. 

One arm holding you to his chest, he reached down and slipped two fingers inside you from behind. The pussy gushing juices into his hand, the familiar sound of his palm slapping your cheeks reached his ears. You arched your back to let him get in a few pumps before you managed to wriggle out of his grasp and run off again. 

“Come here, you,” he laughed through his gritted teeth, making swipes at you from behind as he followed. “I’m going to get you, you little tease.”

“If you can keep up, that is!”

You darted into one section of the garden, and he went after you. In an intersection, someone slammed right into him. By the scent of fresh daisies, he knew it to be Artemis. The both of them on the ground, he scrambled to get on top of her. The beautiful Lady didn’t fight him off very much, but instead brought him in for a deep kiss as he forced her legs apart with his hips. Her moans vibrated in his mouth once he pushed his fingers inside her hot cunt. 

“I’m making at least one of you cum tonight,” he growled, biting down on her lower lip softly. “On my tongue, my cock or my fingers…I don’t care.”

“If only I wanted to make that easy for you this time.”

She dug her fingers into his arm, distracting him a brief moment before sliding away from him and running again. His cock raged between his thighs. The embarrassing thought of someone important finding him naked crossed his mind, but he didn’t care. The combination of his own desires and the endorphins your kisses gave him kept him chasing each of you throughout the garden. By the time he caught up with her near a stone fountain of Medusa, he needed to fuck her. The stone fountain of the gorgon queen looked down on his with scolding eyes, her snakes lifted and posed for attack. Mingi looked around at the stone figures placed throughout the place in various spots. Men in soldier's armor, women in long flowing dresses, and small animals either running or standing in shock made it a bit more difficult to navigate. 

A teasing giggle came from behind him, and he sensed one of you nearby. Mingi, a grin on his face, walked towards a particularly tall bear statue. There, he found Artemis hiding. She squeaked and giggled when he reached out for her, happening to catch her elbow and spin her into his arms. She barely struggled as his lips found hers, easily opening them and exploring her mouth with his tongue. He groaned at a cold hand starting to stroke his hardon; he returned the touch by rubbing her soaked clit. 

Pressing her back to the statue, Mingi lifted one leg to his hip as he shoved two fingers in her. Artemis clutched the sides of the wide statue, head tilted back whenever his fingers curled inside her. He took advantage of this moment and flicked his tongue over her nipples, knowing how much she loved it. Mingi looked at her, drinking in the sight of her naked body in his embrace. Chest rising and falling in every deep breath, the moonlight made her skin glow and sweat shimmer on her taupe skin. He kissed up her neck, licking specific spots he knew she liked, before reaching her ear. She moaned louder, gripping her shoulders, and began pushing down on his fingers. 

“Such a needy girl,” he groaned in her ear, savoring the feeling of her hand on his cock and his fingers stuffed in her cunt. “I do love watching you fuck yourself on my hand,” he said, looking down to see her body tense and rock against his palm, “But I think you’d look better on my dick instead, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she breathed, squeezing his tip and rolling her thumb around it. He might go insane if he didn’t fuck her soon. “Yes, please.”

He withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his cock in one swift motion. Stuck on his length, Artemis could do nothing but let him push in and out of her. He held onto her thigh and kept her pinned to the statue, occasionally sucking and teasing her breast. She tried keeping her voice down, though he saw her resolve start faltering when he rubbed her hard clit. 

“How about I give a hand?”

You appeared from seemingly nowhere. Turning Artemis’s head, you locked her in a kiss as you took over her clitoris. He watched the both of you work one another softly, teasing with feather-like touches and passionate kisses. Mingi held onto Artemis’s hips as he kept going, looking down to see himself coated with her juices each time he pulled out. Your hand rolling around the hood and underside of her clit added an extra sprinkle of arousal he couldn't ignore. Soon, her sex quivered when he started bottoming up into her hips. Her orgasm crashed right over her, contorting her body and stiffening her muscles. 

“Don't stop,” she cried, head turned to the side and hips rutting against his. “Please, don't stop.”

“He wouldn't dream of it,” you whined, rubbing her and kissing her neck. 

Her orgasm finally went over the edge, and Mingi felt tempted to move faster and harder. His own nearly arrived before he forced himself out of her. 

“Now it's my turn.”

He didn't utter a word as you laid him on the ground. Mingi watched you sink down onto his wet cock in a singular movement, immediately starting to ride him. He held onto the bottoms of the two statues beside him, gripping hard as your pussy flexed against his stiff length and milked him so easily. He couldn't keep his eyes off you. Having a new lover felt nice, but nothing beat you. You knew him so well already. Your body played him like a fiddle, knowing which strings to pluck at the right time. He groaned loudly when you whirled your hips around, your body bringing him with you and stretching him in circles. Your ass cheeks pressed right onto his balls gave a bit of pressure that nearly sent him over the edge. He kept his eyes on you; he gazed over the curves of your body moving in time with his, your eyes full of lust and need as you worked him. How nobody knew you were a cambion is beyond him. No human can be as enchanting or tantalizing as you. When Artemis showed up beside you, returning the favor you'd given her, he began pushing up into you before you forced him still by the hips. Once your bouncing became more erratic, your moans sounding desperate and needy, Mingi held you by your hips to chase down the orgasm building below. Artemis’s deft fingers moved at the same speed, the both of them encouraging you to cum all over him. He hoped you'd squirt a bit on him; he loved watching you do that with Hongjoong, but you didn't. 

Artemis’s turn came again, on her front with you underneath her. Both of you keeping your legs far apart, you each kissed and grinded together as he pumped his cock back into her. He gave her a few thrusts before switching further down to you. This move teased him just as much as it teased the both of you. The sensation of pulling out once he'd gotten frustrating and exciting at the same time. The desperate need to cum had his balls slapping against each of you in sporadic thrusts. Both you and Artemis knew how badly he needed it, and encouraged him. 

“Go ahead and cum,” you moaned between kisses. “We want you to…”

“All over us both.”

He planted himself firmly inside you, pushing forward while smacking and grabbing the round ass in front of him. The pain he'd been withholding soon came to the surface, and he instantly withdrew and rolled Artemis onto her back. Realizing what was happening, you sat up on your elbows together as his cum shot out. His head fell back, back arching as he let his climax take over. He rarely felt such pleasure before. He didn't want it to end. 

And it didn't. You and Artemis pounced on him the moment he finished. You took turns sucking the last bits of cum from his cock, clearly not done with him at all, and kept going until he grew hard again. Once he did, he laid helpless as Artemis rode his cock while you rode his tongue. Squeals of “Mingi!” and “Fuck, that feels so good!” kept him going long after he'd finished pleasuring one lady after the other. By the time he worked you out of his system, the sun had plunged the world into complete darkness. Only in the clear moonlight could he see the two women slumped on the ground at the base of several statues. He knew he wouldn't be standing anytime soon, and the thought of a guard coming across him did not scare him as it might normally. 

“Damn, two Ladies, Brother? Lucky dog.”

Mingi laughed softly, the running fountain covering it from nearby ears. If Minjun stayed, then perhaps he'd never be in this spot. If his brother remained a demon, he'd be at home by the river and not naked in the middle of a scenic garden. He turned his head to see you and Artemis sleeping nearby. He wouldn't have you if Minjun never crossed over. Mingi couldn't see you not being in his life. You'd become such an important part of him that it sounded torturous. He stared up at the stars, counting and connecting them as he finally gave into his exhaustion. 

****

“Wow, so this is how it is now, huh? We're just going to have public threesomes and not invite Hongjoong?”

Mingi groaned as the sun blinded him. Putting an arm over his eyes, he recognized the red and black shape of his master standing over him. He felt the warm softness of two women draped over him, snuggled and faces buried in his neck. He guessed you'd crawled over to him during the night. 

“Hm?” your soft hum filled his ear, and he could feel your breath on his neck. 

“Here we are,” he said, “Sitting at home worried about our special girl, thinking she'd been accosted on her way home or injured and lying in a ditch somewhere, but no. Here she is, naked with crusty cum on her with her cousin and her bodyguard.”

“Joongie…” you groaned, shifting in place, “Enough.”

“You don't fuck me in gardens.”

“Not true in the slightest. We've done it in my garden loads of times.”

“I mean in other people's gardens,” he corrected you. “Especially in Eden gardens. There's always patrols who could find us; much hotter that way.”

“Ugh, Hongjoong,” you peeled yourself away from him, and Mingi felt a light cloth be tossed your way. “Only you would be upset about this.”

“Not just me. Your grandmother, mom and Seonghwa are pretty peeved, but not for the same reasons as me.”

“No!” This woke up Artemis right away, making her sit up straight. “No, she doesn't….You're lying.”

“Am not,” he replied. “She found out when a guard told her they saw you all sleeping. I think you should find some clothes and explain yourself before she comes looking for you.”

Without another word, Artemis stood on shaky legs and ran away. Mingi had not moved an inch. His body refused to cooperate, not bothering to reach for any sort of cover. Not that it mattered, since Hongjoong’s wandering eyes did not bother him. 

“Have fun, Mingi?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Pet?”

“Loads,” you grinned over at Mingi, leaning to kiss him softly. Once your lips met his, he nearly went for another intoxicating kiss. “Mingi…Last night wasn't enough?”

“Forgive me,” he said, pulling a stray blade of grass from your hair. “Your kisses are addicitve. I can't help but want more.”

Hongjoong coughed, earning your attention again. “I don't think going a morning-after round in Lilith’s garden is a good idea, and that's me saying that. Put your clothes on,” Hongjoong tossed Mingi his own bundle, “And come with me.” He leaned down and kissed your lips. “Time to go home.”

Mingi watched him leave, and was glad it'd been Hongjoong and not Lilith. 

****

A/N: hey guys, I really hope you liked this one. This may be the last one for a while because I want to take a break from fanfiction to focus on my book. I didn't want to leave you guys hanging after I said I'd post this one lol

The series isn't over. Just on hiatus.

[divine0rdainment]

Operation Replace Lilith AU

Adam dies at the end of season one and ends up back in the begining, as in back to when he was in the garden after being freshly created. Lilith is also there with him. And in a panic, he runs off in to the deeper parts of Eden to clear his head. When he's come to realize what's happened, he thinks about life and all his regrets, one of those regrets being that he suffered a lot and got very little reward. Honestly, Lilith kinda got the better end of the deal, she got a husband, a kid, a long life, and in the end, she even got to go to heaven after making a deal! So even tho she did all this bad she STILL got rewarded.

While Adam basicly ate an apple because his wife asked him to, got sent to earth, starved alot, got hurt alot, lost two sons in horrible ways, grew old and died, went to heaven, got bored of heaven real quick, got condescended to by the angels (Cough cough SERA), became an exterminator, was constantly ordered around by Sera, and then DIED AGAIN FOR DOING AS HE WAS TOLD, AFTER GETTING THE SHIT BEAT OUT OF HIM BY LUCIFER AND THEN STABBED BY A BUG!!!

NO, he would not be doing that again. So he makes a plan, he is going to take Liliths place! He's gonna seduce Lucifer, be the one to go to hell with Lucifer, become a king beside Lucifer, and then later be welcomed in to hell like Lilith was after popping out one kid. (He'd figure out how that would work later. Probebly magic.) And then live happily ever after after by abandoning his husband and child like Lilith did, and live the good afterlife!

Plan made, he goes out and waits for when Lucifer shows up. Still ignoring Lilith of course, much to the woman's anger. She doesn't know what she did wrong, but it's making her mad that he won't even TALK to her. Also Adam is inventing things, like clothing out of Sheep wool, and strings and ropes and baskets and even figuring out how to make spices already. So the angels are a bit confused. They thought it would take humans longer to learn this stuff. But here Adam was, building a house out of mud, trees, and rocks, making an Axe out of a sharpened rock ans a long stick and rope.

Lucifer is so fascinated he actually comes down to visit Adam to ask how he figured out to make all this, and Adams plan starts. Too bad the only flirting Adam knows is very sexual flirting that an angel wouldn't get. And the fact that Adam keeps using slang from the 90s-2000s, and Lucifer doesn't understand half the shit he says! But he's trying! The real problem is, Lucifer seems to be the one doing the seducing by complementing Adam all the time for the smallest thing, and always touching Adams arms and shoulder and hair, and holding his hand without reason, and looking him in the eye like Adam holds the stars up himself. Fuck. Adam! Head in the game! You will NOT fall for Lucifer! This is your second chance!!! Your last chance to have the good life! You can't risk it by accidently liking him!!! Hell, your not even gay!!!

[whateversawesome]

Spy x Family Fic Compilation

Love Is... : After a practicing a 'welcome home' kiss with Yor, Twilight develops symptoms he had never experienced before: a rush of energy, good mood (when near his family), voracious appetite for his wife's cooking, aggressive behavior towards other men (who dare to come near his wife) and a desperate need to kiss Yor again. This is the first rut of his life. How will Twilight deal with this? (Multichapter. Completed!)

With Murderous Intent, I Love You: Yor and Loid meet before Operation Strix and fall in love, but have to separate. Later they find each other again aboard a cruise ship. Unfortunately, Loid is Yor's target. Based on Spy x Family Season 2 ED Music Video Todome no Ichigeki. (Completed).

Eden's Ball: A cute Twiyor Eden AU. Eden's Student Council is hosting the event of the year: a ball! This is the perfect opportunity for Loid Forger to finally ask Yor Briar to be his girlfriend. There's only one problem...he needs to ask her to the ball first (Two-shot, completed).

Fate: In this AU, Loid Forger and Yor Briar meet as children and are best friends who plan on spending the rest of their lives together. Nevertheless, they are separated after the bombing of their town. Years after the war, they find each other again in a very unlikely place. (Multichapter, completed)

The Rose: An alternate universe in which Twilight and Thorn Princess meet before Operation Strix. During a Governor's ball, Twilight faces the most important mission of his life: to steal the Thorn Princess. (Completed).

A Kissing Disaster: After their identity reveal, Twilight and Yor must navigate one important aspect of their relationship: intimacy. Twilight is more than ready for it, but Yor still lacks experience. Getting carried away can bring unexpected consequences. (Completed).

Addicted to Yor: Upon realizing he's become addicted to his wife, a very touch-starved Twilight resolves to stop touching her all the time. Will he succeed? Spoiler: No he won't. The man is hopelessly in love with Yor. (Completed).

Joint Mission: On the first joint mission between the Garden and WISE, Thorn Princess overhears something that makes her doubt her husband's love for her. Twilight's most important mission now is to reassure his wife. (Completed).

The Divorce: Twilight and Thorn Princess discover each other identities during a side mission. After that, Twilight knows his marriage is over. But can he go through with what needs to be done? (Completed).

Last Days of Operation Strix: Twilight can feel it: Operation Stix will soon be over. It's almost time for Loid Forger to die. He's supposed to have a clean exit like his other missions, but Strix is NOT like any other mission. As much as he tries to deny it, Twilight has been compromised. Now he needs to choose between his duty and his love for his family. (Multichapter. Completed!)

As a Real Family: A series of tooth-rotting fluff one-shots in non-chronological order in the same universe as Last Days of Operation Strix. Just some domestic fluff about the Forgers, including super cute Twiyor baby.

Until You Come Back to Me: (Actors AU/Eden AU) Everyone knew actors Yor Briar and Loid Forger had a long history together. But seven years ago they parted ways and moved on with their lives. Now Loid Forger is coming back to Ostania. Nobody knows he's now a spy for Westalis. His mission: To spy on Prime Minister Donovan Desmond. To achieve this, he'll have to get close to his former love, Yor Briar, and manipulate her into spying for him. His agency, WISE, was very clear to him: Do whatever it takes, whether is a heartfelt reconciliation, friendship, or even...seduction. (Major angst warning for this one).

Fake ID: In this Eden AU, teenagers Loid and Franky will do anything to get into a nightclub to see their favorite band. (A small prequel of Until You Come Back to Me). (Completed).

Also, thank you to all the artists who have crafted fanarts from these fics. I appreciate you and your beautiful art from the bottom of my heart 💖

@artbyluro

@juuyeah

@juuyeah

@astersugar

@pokianne

@giushia

[weebsinstash]

More poly LuciLili ideas since you guys really liked the ones where they get Reader pregnant

-I really like the idea of Reader, in the very beginnings of the relationship, where you don't know they're "out to get you" yet, that you come across Lilith in a rocking chair, crocheting or knitting, like, little baby socks or a little baby hat, and she knows you're getting baby fever (and has already talked to Luci about it) and you start talking to her and she's just like "this is for a very good friend of mine. She's going to be having her first baby soon :)" and then timeskip to around 12 months later when you have your baby and she gifts you the same socks and you're just like ".... HEY! >:(" and are a little mad but not that mad, in fact maybe you're so in deep at this point you're smitten they were thinking of you the whole time

- I just. I really REALLY like the idea of Reader having a premature delivery so you give birth and the baby is super small just like its dad 🥺❤️ like Lucifer being genuinely excited he's having his first son and looking so forward to seeing how big it's gonna be and you get this, this cute little bean,and he ADORES his baby but, just the idea of a little tiny preemie Morningstar 🥺❤️

-I love the idea of Lilith completely going over Lucifer's head if "she knows" the best or whatever. Oh she thinks Reader is the best for Lucifer? She'll pull all those strings to shove her husband at you; drug him, swap places with you during sex, give him weird horny dreams, invite you to their Garden of Eden dream dimension where you've got your beav out. I still think of plucking berries off a bush and, you all, idk, wind up lickong the berry juices off of each other's fingers and stuff... brewing wine and getting drunk and swimming in a river... frolicking like little spring fairies

-Reader who starts getting their heart broken over the fake Eden dreams because you wake up missing "your lovers" and you go out to a bar and fuck actual people and they're so deep in your fucking head that you regret it. It feels like cheating. All you can think of is your Lily and Ducky and how you want them instead 🥺❤️ and they're not even. Real. At least the versions you're dreaming about. That you don't know ARE the real ones.

-babysitters Fizzy and Ozzie and idc what you say. They love your baby and adore being fun gay uncles and it may even lowkey make them wanna adopt a baby of their own

- you know who is the happiest here. CHARLIE. A new parent, her very own baby brother, and her family and friends are closer than ever? It's a happy day in Hell! Never for a SECOND does she have "am I being replaced with the new baby" anxiety. She's thrilled and even starts asking her mom if SHE'S gonna have another baby (and that milf freak may reply that she'd consider it if YOU got pregnant again. The two of you could be pregnant together--)

-I feel like carrying the son of the devil would give you some. Interesting cravings. It's two in the morning and Alastor finds you with handfuls of raw meat and blood dripping down your chin and he's bursting out laughing, "suddenly I'm not the only one!"

-i can just picture Heaven getting the memo that Lucifer has created another child and there's tons of angels freaking out and trying not to cause a panic and, God is there "you know what? good for him, good for him". Adam and Sera are tearing their fucking hair out and God is like. Contemplating sending a gift basket.

-I feel like there's added layers if Reader was somehow a former wife of Adam but can you even imagine. Lucifer steals not one. Not two. Three of your wives. He fucking dies and his soul is in Hell and that's already torture enough and he finds his wife again and she's. Pregnant with Lucifer's child. This man would have a Kubrick level menty b (but I prefer human reader having mad supernatural pull game lol)

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

Hey I know this isn't on-topic for an Eridan blog but you're the best HS theorist I know <3 so do you happen to have any theories about WHY Gamzee faked god tier? I always see theories about how he could be a real god tier too, or about how he manages to be immortal even though he's not god tier, but I cannot find any discussion of WHY he bothered with that ruse in the first place!!! He didn't even fool anyone, unless we count Caliborn for like 2 secs before Hussie told him the truth, and all he got for his trouble was shot!

I think it's mostly a gag, but this is the Analyzing Homestuck blog, so: I think it's because Gamzee wants to look like an adult to impress Caliborn.

Gamzee's lusus is physically neglectful.

But you were never taught that on account of a lousy upbringing. Your custodian was always out to sea.

And several things stem from that neglect - the first, his indoctrination into the Clown Cult, the second, his extensive and all-encompassing drug usage, and the third, his poor social skills, which leave him ostracized by his teammates.

Let's first take a look at what, exactly, that religion entails:

You belong to a RATHER OBSCURE CULT, which foretells of a BAND OF ROWDY AND CAPRICIOUS MINSTRELS which will rise one day on a MYTHICAL PARADISE PLANET that does not exist yet. The beliefs of this cult are SOMEWHAT FROWNED UPON by those dwelling in more common lawnrings.

TC: I PeEpEd oN A PlAcE Of 6 tRiLlIoN HeMoS TC: AlL Up aT OnE RoCk, BlEeDiNg aS EqUaLs TC: It's eAsY To sEe iF YoU SeArCh aLl yOuR FeElInS TC: ThAt pEaCe hApPeNs fIrSt, AnD MuRdEr's tHe sEqUeL TC: It's tHe bEaUtY Of tHe cArNiVaL, tHe mAgIc's iN TeNtS

TC: all my life i believed at a fuckin paradise to come what held the most baller, darkest of carnivals to join. TC: AND A PROPHECY TC: to tell all about a band of rowdy and capricious minstrels steeped in the good harshwhimsy. TC: THE MIRTHFUL MESSIAHS WERE FORETOLD TO BE CRASHING THAT FUCKING PIE STAND AND BRING THE HOLY RUCKUS. TC: like a giddy fuckin ninja one wheeling head long at the hugest fuckin horn heap shangri la's got to see. TC: I'M TALKING ABOUT THE VAST HONK, YOU BLASPHEMOUS MOTHERFUCKER. TC: what i believed in it to be was so beautiful, us and them all mellowing in tents, bumpin sounds, tossing back the faygo and soaking the miracles up our faith sponges, while the special stardust rained down at our elixir sticky faces, like a bunch a fuckin fairy powder from religion space. TC: IT WAS GOING TO BE US AND MOTHER FUCKING THEM. TC: them and mother fuckin us. :o(

In essence: Gamzee's cult believes that there will be a Vast Honk, which will kill all trolls; however, "a band of rowdy and capricious minstrels" will usher in/create a new paradaisical planet of nothing but good vibes and chill times, where the "mirthful messiahs" will get to enjoy eternity.

There's pretty clear parallels here to the Christian concept of the Rapture, which fits in with the Garden of Eden/Original Sin themes of the Dancestors and the Second Coming thing Karkat's got going on. But, more importantly, it's also pretty directly just... what SGRUB/SBURB are all about. Their original population all dies, but a bunch of kids band together to create a new universe, with new planets, where theoretically live out the rest of their godhood in peace and happiness.

Were it not for the casteist influences as a result of being a cult largely followed by highbloods, there'd pretty much be nothing inherently objectionable about Gamzee's belief system - it's fundamentally hopeful, and, in fact, when he raps about it to Tavros, part of it is outright about "equalizing" the hemocaste (they all bleed as equals, see). Tavros agrees:

AT: tHE SLAMS WERE TRULY PRIME, aND, AT: yOUR RELIGIOUS VIEWS, tHOUGH i DON'T SHARE THEM, aRE, AT: rEASONABLY INSPIRATIONAL, AT: i THINK i'M IN THE PROCESS OF RELEASING AT LEAST ONE TEAR,

Next, we'll look at the sopor usage and ostracization together, because I think they're interlinked. People on Gamzee's team are friggin' mean to him.

CG: MIRACLES ARE LIKE POOP STAINS ON GOD'S UNDERWEAR. TA: eheheh makiing fun of people2 reliigiion2 i2 the be2t thiing two do.

GC: NO TH4T SHOULD BOTH3R YOU, TH4T R34SON GC: WHY DONT TH1NGS L1K3 TH4T BOTH3R YOU?? GC: NO WOND3R V4NT4S C4NT ST4ND YOU

CT: D --> What you do appear to know is e%actly how to ma%imize my livid contempt for you CT: D --> With your revolting language and your sense of decorum CT: D --> At such breathtaking odds with the richness and perfe%ion of your b100d CT: D --> I just hate you so much

CA: that is the wworst fuckin advvice CA: wwhat an awwful thing a you to say CA: MAGIC ISNT REAL STUPID STOP BELIEVVIN IN IT

On the whole, the team treats him as the party joke, if not outright worthy of derision. The one person on his team who IS nice to him, Tavros, ghosts him after Gamzee is too forward and asks to make out with him. He's deeply lonely, and what's more, his introductory narration is littered with pessimism.

You'll be doing one thing then something else hits you just like that and you roll with it. That's what you do when life hands you lemons. You sure as fuck don't make lemonade because who the fuck knows where that fuckin' shit comes from?

Someone is bugging you. This is exciting. You're always down for shooting the wicked shit with anyone that who'll put up with you.

That last one makes it clear that Gamzee is also aware of how much people on the team don't like him.

I'm also of the opinion that "Soft Gamzee" was always fake and never existed, which is outright stated by Hussie from the book:

The best explanation for why Gamzee says he's scared of Vriska, in my opinion, is this: he's flat-put lying. It's a good way for him to maintain his cover as 'Soft Gamzee.' It also provides some ammunition for those who, against all sense of good taste and judgment, want to continue to believe and assert that Gamzee is a decent guy with sensitive emotions and vulnerabilities before he undergoes his Muderstuck awakening. He was none of those things, ever.

But there's evidence for this - Gamzee has actually always been kind of casteist:

AT: i THINK i'M IN THE PROCESS OF RELEASING AT LEAST ONE TEAR, TC: Me tOo, BrO, yOu mOtHeR FuCkIn kNoW ThErE Be sOmE Of mY EyE's RoYaL JeLlY To gO WiTh yOuR EmOtIoNaL pEaNuT BuTtEr. AT: wHOA, aHA, hA,

He's trying to be affectionately so here, but given Tavros's "whoa, haha," reaction, it seems like it's still a pretty out-of-pocket thing to say. Especially in light of GamRezi, it's pretty easy to read him as making passive-aggressive digs to Terezi here:

TC: I'm OuTsIdE kEePiNg An EyE oUt HeRe FoR tHe OlD gOaT. TC: yOu KnOw HoW iT iS wItH fAmIlY. GC: NO, NOT R34LLY! GC: 4DURRRR DURR DURP TC: Oh YeAh...

TC: hAvE yOu EvEr EvEn SeEn ThE oCeAn? TC: oR i MeAn SmElLeD iT... TC: SoRrY. GC: >:[

His reaction to Eridan is also "indulge emotional theatrics," but depending on whether you believe Eridan killed his lusus, it's debatably justified. I'm just going to mention that that's also there.

His constant assertion that Karkat is his best friend, which isn't reciprocated until after murderstuck, also kind of reads as a palecrush to me. This is supported by the fact that Nepeta has always had pale GamKat on her shipping wall - which I believe is more representative of how people feel and what they want than whether a romantic pairing is viable, as part of her Heart (and NOT Blood) powers.

He won't stop referring to Karkat as his best friend, really awkwardly changes the topic when the conversation has led to him having to acknowledge that Karkat is closer to Sollux (whom Karkat calls his best friend):

TC: yEaH mAyBe BuT hE's YoUr BeSt FrIeNd ThOuGh So It'S aLl CoOl. TC: AnYwAy I tHoUgHt ThIs SoUnDeD lIkE a PrEtTy BiG mOtHeRfUcKiN dEaL mY mAn. TC: aAaUuUhHh... CG: WHAT. TC: Aw BrO nEvErMiNd, I jUsT fUcKiN dId LiKe To ScArE tHe ShIt OuTtA mYsElF hErE. TC: tHeSe DaMn HoRnS.

(Sidebar about the usage of "best friend," Karkat pretty much outright says he's unreliable when it comes to who his best friend is at any given moment LOL - he spends pre-murderstuck insisting Sollux is HIS best friend. King of mixed signals.)

EB: who is gamzee? CG: HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND. EB: really? i thought terezi was your best friend. ... CG: GAMZEE WAS MY VERY GOOD FRIEND, WHO WAS THIS GOOFY LOVEABLE BULLSHIT CLOWN UNTIL HE WENT PSYCHO AND KILLED SOME PEOPLE. I LIKED HIM A LOT. CG: I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS MY BEST FRIEND IS REALLY JUST THE GUY WHO I HAPPEN TO BE FEELING MOST SENTIMENTAL TO AT THE MOMENT, IS THAT A FUCKING CRIME.

If we take Hussie's statement that Gamzee lied when he chased Vriska (whom he doesn't like) away from his horn pile -

GAMZEE: VrIsKa hEy yOu wAnT To uH… VRISKA: What? GAMZEE: ShIt, I WaS AlL GoInG To aSk iF YoU WaNtEd tO HoP In tHe hOrN PiLe fOr a bIt oF MoThErFuCkIn sHuTeYe, BuT… GAMZEE: I DoN'T ThInK I WiLl cAuSe i'm pReTtY MuCh sCaReD Of yOu, SoyEaH. VRISKA: Aww. ::::)

Then it stands to reason he's also lying about being scared of Jack so he can prevent Eridan from providing Karkat with emotional support:

CA: this is a lot a pointless fuckin rubbish and isnt no emotional help to him or me either for that matter CA: put kar on TC: UuUuH, i cAn't rEaLlY ThInK AbOuT InTeRvEnInG, tHe bLaCk fRoWnInG MoThErFuCkEr kInDa sCaReS Me

So, personally, signs point to Gamzee always having been a lot shiftier and meaner than he let on.

Naturally, that begs the question of why he's pretending to be nicer and higher than he actually is (not that he isn't high, but he's definitely more cognizant of what's going on than people both in- and out-of-universe give him credit for). Well, the answer to that is pretty simple: it's because he loves his friends and wants to get along with them.

You like to chat a lot with your pal Karkat, who is usually pretty cranky, but he is your BEST FRIEND. You have a lot of OTHER GREAT FRIENDS who you also like a lot.

Gamzee's story pre-murderstuck is a pretty tragic one about a kid who never got to learn proper socialization and has whacked-out religious beliefs, whose neglect from his lusus has left him with deep loneliness, who desperately wants to fit in with his friends, especially the lowbloods, and therefore feels the need to hide how pessimistic and angry he actually is under the guise of drug usage and not retaliating against the constant digs they make at him.

I also feel like I have to specify that Gamzee was already a pretty angry, mean, troubled kid prior to Murderstuck, because it helps to clarify his actions after being influenced by Lil' Cal. The nonlinear nature of the story kind of confuses the sequence of events, but it seems to be as follows:

Dave blasphemes against Gamzee's religion so hard that Gamzee has a total crisis of faith.

Gamzee has a breakdown and gets so pissed off that he oopsie-daisy'd a jester puppet into John's room on Prospit.

Gamzee, with his faith lost ("and now i don't know what to think about the spiritual fantasies i had"), Tavros dead, and thus in a very emotionally fragile state, is contacted by Doc Scratch and given instructions (likely to kill his friends and paint his wicked pictures in their blood). At some point during this, he falls under Lil' Cal's influence, too. As every person we've seen under LE's sway has very compelling, natural reasons for acting the way they do, I think it's better to see Lil' Cal's influence as influence and not mind control. It brings out the worst in its victims, but only what was already there.

This seems to give Gamzee a new belief system to replace/supplement the old.

TC: i've been kicking the wicked ignorance on this shit. TC: BEEN MOTHERFUCKIN SLAUGHTERING THE WICKED IGNORANCE, BRO. TC: all up in lifelong denial about my calling. TC: AS A DESCENDANT OF THE HIGH MOTHERFUCKIN SUBJUGGLATORS. TC: we are higher than you, brother. TC: WE ARE HIGHER THAN MOTHERFUCKIN EVERYBODY. TC: honk. CG: GAMZEE CG: PLEASE NO TC: and now i'm the last one, so i finally motherfuckin understand. TC: I FINALLY GOT MY MOTHERFUCKING UNDERSTAND ON TO WHO THE MIRTHFUL MESSIAHS ARE. TC: they were always both me. :o) TC: AND ALSO MOTHERFUCKING ME. Do:

Remember, his original belief system actually emphasized equalizing the castes - in death, anyway. It also never specified that the Mirthful Messiahs would be specifically highbloods. The hint that Gamzee had internalized casteism was always there, but now that his belief system has been supplanted by this new one, delivered by Doc Scratch (the story's Devil figure), his casteism becomes full-blown:

GAMZEE: heheh. GAMZEE: CHECK IT THE MOTHERFUCK OUT. GAMZEE: it's the peasantblood. GAMZEE: HEH HEH. GAMZEE: fuckin heh. EQUIUS: D --> Peasantb100d EQUIUS: D --> Is that a joke GAMZEE: if your blood. GAMZEE: IS A RUNNING MOTHERFUCKING GAG. GAMZEE: then soon. GAMZEE: IT WILL BE RUNNING. GAMZEE: through my motherfucking fingers.

TC: shit was motherfuckin poison, didn't you know? CG: UH... CG: NO? I MEAN, I WOULD NEVER EAT IT, BUT TC: THEN GET MOTHERFUCKIN SCHOOLFED ALL ABOUT THE WICKED NEWS, PUNCHLINE BLOODED MOTHERFUCKER.

Basically, the religious boy had a crisis of faith and was tempted by the Devil into becoming his servant - into desiring utter oblivion for everyone except his own continued existence within the one doing the destroying, rather than a paradise of love, friendship, and hope. And this new faith is what carries Gamzee through to the end of the comic:

KARKAT: HE STARTED GETTING SO UNBELIEVABLY SELF SATISFIED AND PIOUS, LIKE WAY MORE THAN HE EVER WAS BEFORE. KARKAT: LIKE HE'S JUST SO COMPLETELY CONVINCED HE'S FOUND HIS CALLING, THAT THIS SESSION IS THE GATEWAY TO THE PROMISED LAND WHERE HE'LL FULFILL HIS DESTINY. KARKAT: HE'S SO CAUGHT UP IN HIS IDIOTIC SCHEMES HE COULDN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT ME ANYMORE. KARKAT: WHATEVER. AT LEAST HE STOPPED KILLING PEOPLE.

So where does that bring us WRT the fake god-tier ensemble? Well, god-tiering in general is kind of a metaphor for becoming an adult - SGRUB/SBURB sets out for its player a quest directly tied into their maturation into adults, and god-tiering is (normally) supposed to sit right at the end of that questline, a semi-permanent state achieved at the end of adolescence. Characters who DO manage to god-tier without having naturally reached that point in their questline, especially Vriska, Dave, and Rose, have struggles that deal directly with "growing up too fast" - Vriska with the expectation that she be a vicious murderer, Dave with having never addressed his trauma and abuse, and Rose with having missed out on a loving relationship with her mother because she insisted on being more mature than her.

Gamzee's relationship to Caliborn is that of a parent:

ARANEA: It is just as well that cheru8 parents a8andon their offspring. Raising such a child 8y the familial standards of any race would 8e a monumental challenge. ARANEA: Nevertheless, it would seem there were those who tried. ARANEA: Details in my research suggest our villain had a num8er of acolytes oper8ting in the shadows, preparing for his arrival.

Kurloz also directly states that Gamzee's role in their religion is to serve and mentor their young lord:

KURLOZ: I COME BEARING THEE FINAL JOLLY ACCOUTREMENT MY FAITHFUL INVERTEBROTHER KURLOZ: THY BARDLY REGALIA IS DONE AND FUCKING DUSTED BY THE SPECIAL STARS THEMSELVES KURLOZ: ON THIS DAY THE DARK CARNIVAL REJOICED AND SAID IT WAS MONEY KURLOZ: NOW BRING TO LIFE OUR WICKED RUSE WITH APLOMB MY NINJA KURLOZ: OUR LORD AWAITS YOUR SERVITUDE AND TUTELAGE AT ONCE

And even beyond the religion aspect, Gamzee would take this job mother fucking seriously...

... Because his own parent failed him. See, we tie it all back to the beginning! Gamzee putting together a shitty fake god tier outfit is because he wants to be a good parent to Caliborn, an adult figure he never had in his own life, and god tiering is symbolic of that. And I think the saddest part is, he still didn't really manage to do that... because, perpetuating the neglect he faced from his own lusus, he wound up locking the two in a room and leaving them alone - possibly out of exasperation.

ARANEA: We will pro8a8ly never know who these scurrilous conspir8tors were. 8ut it is evident that at some point the cheru8 was locked in a room, either out of exasper8tion, or for its own good, until it was old enough to enter the session.

Like, I feel kind of bad for Gamzee, y'know? Especially since, alongside Eridan, he's one of the trolls the fandom seems to understand the least, and his story is also one of being failed by his family, society, and friends. This winds up turning him towards the worst parts of himself - the religious fundamentalism, the casteism, the emotional isolation - and away from the good - the fact that he loved his mother fucking friends, enough to wish upon them eternal paradise.

[scekrex]

How about Overlord!Sinner reader who has been in Hell for a long ass time, enough to built a sizeble powerbase to keep himself safe & comfortable and more than enough time to get sick of the kind of filth that land in Hell, saw an opertunity & made off wth barely alive Adam. Taking care of him like one would a frighten animal, getting him use to gentle touches and cuddling. After all, an angel should be treated with care, especially if you're keeping it in Hell

Okay so I wrote something similar in the past, I'll make this one the second part of it. You can read it as an oneshot though, the first part includes how reader found Adam.

Bird of Hell's Paradise

When you meet my eyes, we both know that you're mine

pairing: Adam x male!reader

warnings: language & sexual tension

note: not beta read bc fuck you I don't have beta readers

Adam never experienced gentle touches. He had experienced sexual touches, he had experienced painful touches. But gentle? Maybe in Eden. Back when things had been okay, when all he had to worry about was how he'd spend the day. Before women had shattered his heart and tore his trust to pieces.

So when you provided the most gentle touch he had ever felt on his warm skin he was confused. He knew you had taken care of him before, back when you had found him, picked him up and decided to keep him. Yet the brunette had never been trapped, you had always offered him freedom. But Adam wasn't stupid, he knew the sinners down there would tear him apart within seconds. So he stayed at your place. And he even grew to like it. The mansion was huge, something that wouldn't bore Adam easily, the garden you had built was pretty, pretty and pure looking enough to remind Adam of the early days of earth. How was hell able to provide something so divine looking? It felt like it wasn't right, like that garden of yours didn't belong. And yet it fit in so perfectly.

The first man had been unconscious for most of his wound treatment, he had only woken up near the end of it and yet he remembered your gentle touch so well, remembered how careful your fingertips had touched his roughed up skin. You hadn't had any intentions to hurt him, not in the past and neither in the present. And dear god, how was Adam supposed to deny your touch when your hand felt so good against his skin? So right, so safe? It made him feel alive, the feeling of your fingers gently gliding up and down his side. He and you were still laying in bed, it was already noon but neither of you could bring themselves to leave the warm sheets. Adam's back was turned towards you, one of his wings was wrapped around the first man, the other one was slightly lifted so that he could feel your touch. While touching his body was okay, touching his wings was off the table, they were way too sensitive for that.

“Adam?” your voice sounded just as gentle as your touch felt, a low vibration that lulled Adam in within an instant, he simply hummed in response, not in the mood to give you a proper answer. “We should eat,” oh Adam knew that and his empty stomach definitely agreed with you. Yet the former angel couldn’t bring himself to leave the bed, to be apart from you and not feel your touch on him for only a second. So he simply grumbled something inaudible at you, causing you to chuckle softly. “Adam dear,” you closed the gap between your bodies, your chest was now resting against his back and the first man was quick to tense up and pull away from you. Having your hands on him was different, it felt less real, something he could easily brush off. But having your body pressed against his? Even in your gentle way? It felt realer, more serious, especially because that involved your body touching his wings. And there was no one in this world who would ever touch his wings. Not even Lute was allowed to touch the glossy golden feathers of his, so he surely wouldn’t let you touch them. And at the same time he wanted nothing more than for you to pet his wings, to softly stroke through the big golden feathers. He wanted to watch you doing so too, wanted to see every emotion your eyes would offer him in the process. It was risky though, given how sensitive they were and Adam was not ready to take that risk just yet. “I’m sorry,” your voice continued to sound like a warm, comfortable blanket that wrapped itself around Adam’s body, “Can I continue to touch your skin though?” Adam silently adored you for asking for consent, it seemed like no big deal and yet you not only apologized for invading his personal space a little too much, but you also made sure he gave you permission to continue. “I might kill you if you fucking stop touching me,” his words were empty, there was no bite behind them and the both of you were aware of that. Yet Adam felt like he had to make sure you knew who you were messing with. The former angel had fallen, had lost his chances to get back into heaven a long time ago, but he still knew how to defend himself. His moves were a little rusty because of the chest pain that came with sudden movements, but you had promised to train with him once his condition was stable enough. For now Adam had to settle with playful fights every now and then.

You were about to roll yourself out of bed in order to prepare something to eat for the both of you but Adam caught onto your plans quickly, he turned around and without thinking about it twice he pulled you close against his chest and closed his wings around your body, leaving no escape. “Fuck no,” the first man mumbled as he buried his face in your hair, your face was pressed against Adam’s naked chest. A habit the former angel had formed ever since he had grown to like your touch, he walked around shirtless, sometimes even in nothing more but boxershorts. “You’re staying,” the brunette demanded, his grip around you tightened. You hummed in agreement as your fingers went back to caressing his side. From his hip up to his chest and from there back down to his hip, stopping slightly above the hem of his underwear.

You felt the first man inhaling deeply, felt how his tense body relaxed once he was convinced you’d stay for a little longer. The former angel had issues, you had been quick to figure that out. He wasn’t taking abandonment well, it only made sense considering his past. He also grew to be quite clingy. There was no reputation to hold up, no act he needed to continue to play. For the first time since his creation Adam was able to truly relax and let himself go, to fall. Because when he fell for the first time, you caught him and he was convinced you’d catch him again. And again. And again.

And maybe that was the reason why he grabbed your wrist and guided your hand to his wing, then he waited. Your fingertips felt cool against them yet he didn’t feel like pulling away. You carefully tested the water by only rubbing small circles against the golden feathers and when Adam sighed in relief you continued. The brunette leaned into your touch almost immediately and you placed a gentle kiss on his chest. That made the first man shudder, “Don’t fucking try to make me horny, we’re not gonna fuck.” You pulled away from his skin a little, looking him in his golden eyes as you spoke, “Who said anything about having sex?” Adam huffed at your response, he seemed to dislike something about it. “You get all touchy and kissy, bitches do that when they wanna fuck.” That made you realize that he seemed to connect gentle touches with sex and sex only. It seemed no one had ever kissed his body to simply appreciate it. “Darling,” you watched as Adam’s eyes widened at the pet name, you knew he liked all the pet names that came from your lips and were directed at him, he wouldn’t admit it but he liked them. “I’m not trying to get you worked up,” your hand stopped petting his wing to prove your point, “I’m simply appreciating the privilege of being allowed to touch your divine looking body, my dear.”

The brunette remained silent for a long moment, he seemed to consider how true your words were. “Keep fucking going, then,” he grumbled and while he wanted his words to come out in a tone of annoyance, you noticed the relief and adorement they were holding for you. The first man seemed to be genuinely thankful that you would continue to touch him in such delicious ways without ruining the mood by popping a boner - or worse: forcing him to pop one.

You had his respect for that.

[devouringdevoutly]

The Hound of Heaven

Summary: Whoever said that you can't fuck God clearly hasn't met Bada yet.

Note: There is no actual god in this fic, it's just straight up a world ran by the Devil. This is also biblically inaccurate as well so please don't stone me to death. Again, this is a work of fiction and does not reflect real life situations and relationships. Originally posted on ao3. CW: Smut, Church Sex, Confessional Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Fingerfucking, Cunnilingus, Demon Sex, Oral Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Religious Guilt, Catholic Guilt, Catholicism, Cheating, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Lemon. Pairing: Bada/Reader Language: English Words: 1,897

Whoever said that you can't fuck God clearly hasn't met Bada yet.  

That was the first coherent thought that had formed in my brain as her long fingers slid in and out of me, my warm and wet cavern welcoming her with so much exuberance you'd think I won the lottery jackpot. It sure did feel like that as I was cornered by her towering height and the wooden walls that the booth was made out of, all the while her snake-like tongue making sure she'd had enough of mine. I should feel disgusted by the way our mouths met. The way our tongues glided so ferociously that it made an obscene amount of wet noises that were clearly bouncing off the walls off the confessional booth. The way that my sap trickled down along my legs as Bada mercilessly continued on fingering me. The booth that was once used to repent one's sins was now used to make one after the other.

I should probably feel burdened by the weight of the situation I was in but who cares? My mind and body was stuck in a limbo named Bada. 

Her hands then roamed to my now bare breasts as she had managed  to rip off my brassiere and the white sundress that I wore earlier, was now practically holding onto its dear life as it was solely held by Bada sandwiching me between her and the wall. She then squeezed and fondled my left bosom, my nipples were already hardening by the cold air hitting it. I let out an elicit whine that even I didn't know I could make and my back arched against the wall like a frightened cat. 

Bada's mouth had now reached my right nipple, her tongue flickered back and forth as I moaned like a bitch in heat and I could feel her physically smirk through it. Both of her hands were more than preoccupied, her left hand was groping my left tit and her thumb was playing with my bud, all the while her right hand was still pumping deep inside of me; making sure that she curls her fingers every once in a while but purposely never hitting the spot so as to deny me of reaching my high anytime soon. 

She finally pulled back from tantalizing my sore nipples and she eventually stopped pumping my equally sorely soaked cunt. I whined at the loss of contact as Bada's tall figure leaned onto me. 

"I wonder if your wimpy god-fearing boyfriend knows how much of a whore his girlfriend truly is…" She says with a shit eating grin, I swallowed the lump in my throat as I didn't feel any sort of guilt for betraying him… I knew that even Judas did feel a tremendous amount of guilt as he had sold the blood of Christ for a mere thirty silver coins. I knew that the moment I had planted my lips against Bada's, that the Devil had penetrated into every part of my being as he did so with Judas Iscariot.

Nevertheless Jesus had already forgiven him before he even committed his sin, perhaps that idiotically pious of a Christian man will forgive me too if there is anything to be forgiven in the first place. If that is the case then I'll gladly break bread and be consumed by her as his disciples did in the last supper, every intrusion that she had made inside my walls was a carving of our covenant.

I already had my bite of the forbidden fruit and there was no turning back to the Garden of Eden.

"Stop talking about that twat and just fuck me already will you?" I groaned out as my hole clenched and unclenched around her fingers. I knew that my words were as insolent as our actions were. Father, will you forgive me for this rotten curiosity of mine? or will you banish me as you had with Lilith and Eve? 

"Demanding much? I'm sure you already know that you're the one at my mercy here, angel." Her cocky tone had only gotten me wetter and my cunt pulsed as fast as my heartbeat did. Bada's smile turned wider, almost menacingly as she had clearly noticed my reaction to her degrading words. My mind was in a haywire, my vision was turning hazy as I could see the face of God in the Devil's body. Why did God make the devil's advocate painstakingly handsomely gorgeous if he didn't want me to dive into the river Styx? 

"You like that hmmm?" Her thumb pressed meanly against my clit. She knew exactly what she was doing, the pet name? Angel of all things after calling me a whore? I let out another whine as my cunt's lips fluttered.

"Fuck… if you only knew how much I wanna fuck you on the altar… Fuck you in front of those foolish devotees singing words of praise to their equally foolish god. Make you cum with my mouth as they sing lamb of god or whatever the fuck they cry out in these futile masses." She crooned out as she rested her head against my neck and continuously drove three of her fingers inside my plump sopping cunt. Her staggering breath tickled my neck with every word that she had sermonized. I knew she would've done it if I just didn't have a reputation to keep, as if fornicating in a confessional booth was a last act of mercy on her part.

I knew that I was reaching my peak with every thrust Bada had propelled and she knew it too. The ascend to my peak was immediately put to a stop as Bada had other plans in mind. She quickly pulled her fingers out of me, leaving me with a pathetic gaping hole. My resolve had been long gone and my knees were absolutely weak, threatening to give up on me at any moment. 

In a swift movement I was easily lifted by Bada and was placed on the velvet cushion of the enclosed box's seat like some ragdoll. 

She seized hold of my feet and placed a chaste kiss on it before kissing the entirety of my legs, from my sole to my thighs. It was an intimate moment as if she was almost offering a prayer of thanks before she started to devour every bit and piece of me.

She stretched out her hands and deftly parted my legs like the red sea, I could see her devious grin as she had finally a closer and more intimate view of my aching fleshy cunt. I knew that I was embarrassingly wet and that I was absolutely sore but I didn't dare look down as I was afraid to meet her eyes and see what she had done to me. 

"Look at me." Bada said in a benign but firm manner, quite the contrast as she had grabbed my face forcefully and for a moment I was confused. Why the sudden tenderness? Bada's firm hand let go of my jaw before she dove into my ocean of wetness, her forked tongue slithered inside of me like a snake. I couldn't hold myself back anymore as I moaned loudly within the confines of the wooden booth, both sides of her tongue were able to move on their own accord and it just gave her a better aim at her insistent prodding. Bada didn't dare to cover up the noises I made anymore as the ongoing mass was clearly about to end, the people in their assigned seats were standing to give praise to the Lord.

Her tongue kept on ambushing both my lips and cavern, my tears of pleasure had now mixed with the sweat that I've accumulated with how steamy the enclosed space had gotten. I could smell the scent of sex and oak mixing together creating a musk. Somehow my senses were heightened once Bada had started eating me out, I was now conscious of the noise from the outside almost taunting me that we weren't safe from being walked in on by a random passerby. 

Bada's gaze met mine, as if her foxy calculating eyes pierced through every part of my being. My eyes were hazy from my tears and I could definitely feel myself getting there. 

And with one last skillful flick, I pressed her further into my cunt by grabbing onto her hair. I came hard on her tongue, filling her mouth with so much cum that it dropped down to her chin. I lustily moaned as the churchgoers outside had finally reached the chorus of the song, their harmonious high pitched singing had covered up mine. Bada had finally lifted her head and I looked at her just with a stupefied yet content daze. 

She finally sat up from her kneeling position before grabbing my face and roughly pressing our lips together. She kept much of my cum inside of her mouth before forcefully transferring it into mine, making me swallow and taste myself whole. My eyes widened before accepting my fate as I swallowed all of it without any defiance.

Bada kept our tongues in a languid movement until she could feel that I was running out of breath. Our mouths have finally parted ways and I could feel some sense of shame brewing inside of me but it was quickly interrupted by the clap of unison from the crowd, indicating that the mass has finally ended. I took multiple breaths before gathering the strength to pick up my discarded underwear and fix my dress up as Bada did the same for herself. I stood by the door, hesitating, leaving my hand and heart too heavy to open to unlock the doorknob and end this affair with the Devil herself. 

I took a final deep breath before opening it but Bada suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"Where do you think you're going my sweet cherub?" Her voice had a hint of malice and possessiveness in between lines, she raised an eyebrow and looked at me suspiciously. I looked at her a bit dumbfounded.

"H-home?" My voice trembled as I whispered my answer, I was unsure of myself where I was heading to either. I felt absolutely lost as my mind was now clear of any trace of lust and desperation, the realization dawning on me that I had just sold myself to the Devil for a mere exchange of ineffable pleasure that I was only to experience just once in my life. 

Bada grinned mischievously as she pulled me to her chest before she pressed her mouth against my ear. 

"You're coming with me." She whispered as her voice had dropped and shifted into something a lot more sinister sounding. 

I stood frozen in shock, I could feel my breathing pattern falter with each and every second passing by. I had come face to face with the Devil and willingly danced with her. 

I was finally faced with the cold hard truth that I had left the Garden of Eden long ago. I had laid with her under the thorny olive branches of Gethsemane. I had fed the evil with every bit of my purity in its wake. I had now buried every living being in me, I was now bound to her for eternity, unable to suffer the fruit of Eve's mortality. 

[fallenhunnyapple]

So the Poll said you guys were interested in the Human Priest!Adam AU which was a bit of a surprise honestly. But I'm very happy to talk about it~

I shared this art before for the AU. I gave a very basic description at the time, so let me get more detailed about it!

It hasn't gone unnoticed that Adam has gotten... Rather vice-ful in Heaven. One might even say sinful. And as such a public figure, that's no good. So they come up with a plan. Reincarnate Adam as a Human and let him live out a life and Prove that he's worthy of his place in Heaven. Of course, they'll take his memories and put him in a religious setting so he'll follow the proper path and prove himself.

He's sent to earth as a younger version of himself, old enough to take care of himself but still rather young, with the excuse of having been in an accident for why he has no memories (it removes the hassle of having to fabricate memories) and gets taken in by the church. He becomes the priest for this small town church. He's rather popular, his attitude, though not typical of a priest, being refreshing after their previous priest. He's made a bit uncomfortable about how adamantly homophobic some of his parish is as a closeted gay man, but he plays it off and over all he's doing well enough for himself at his church. Kinda lonely since its his Parish and not real companionship, he doesn't have any other friends or family. Not to mention he's actually been Good about not being sinful or acting on vices. Life is kinda hard.

Lucifer heard about this whole experiment. It doesn't really matter how, but since he knows, of course he needs to interfere. He... Hasn't actually gone to Earth before. He's sort of Shackled to Hell, its part of his punishment. But he finds some sort of Loop hole, using an Asmodean Crystal and some of his own cunning, he manages to make it there. Of course, he finds he still has his limits, he can't really interfere with most Humans, but Adam is a special case because while he is very much Human, he's still holy beyond any other human currently on Earth, and that gives him the chance to get close. His plan is honestly just to get him to Sin, enough to damn his soul so that Heaven would lose him when he died. He wasn't really planning on getting too Directly involved, but more nudging him in viceful and sinful directions.

And then Lucifer entered the church to meet him. Hallowed ground doesn't Actually affect him, he was an Angel once, he still has Angelic Powers and Abilities. The worst would be a vague tingling.

(take rp snippets. I'm Lucifer and Adam is @fallenguitarhero)

The AU as a whole, though it's definitely full of sexual tension and smut, because of course it is, it's also... Weirdly wholesome?

Adam didn't really have a Chance to make real friends or feel like anyone truly cared about him, he lost his 'childhood' and then was raised by the church and no one from his past ever tried to reenter his life. Aside from the setting though, he doesn't have the long hard life he lived in his memories, so he's basically like Eden Adam all over again, childish in a more playful way, not as bitter or vindictive, not as cruel. And Lucifer is there trying to gain his trust, and having this Adam act so much like the one he befriended back in the Garden, well. Lucifer sees him as sort of a friend too. And its the first time Adam's really felt companionship like that in this life. Sure, Lucifer is the Devil, but he acts like he cares more about him on a personal level than anyone else ever has.

Does that make him more susceptible to falling to Sin? Sure. But he doesn't find himself minding when the Devil makes him Feel Things, from romantic and sexual attraction to true fondness and friendship.

And for Lucifer's part, he's decided he no longer wants to tempt Adam to Sin just to fuck with Heaven. No, he wants Adam to join him in Hell because he was Adam To Join Him In Hell.

⚠️🔞 And since I mentioned the sexual tension and smut-

Essentially, as soon as Lucifer noticed that Adam was showing interest in him from their first meeting, he knew he had to have him Carnally. It wouldn't be enough to simply convince him to sin in other ways, no. He wanted to fuck him because there's no quicker way to Damnation than having sex with the Devil himself, right? Especially as a closeted gay priest. And Lucifer has the very specific goal in mind of getting Adam to let him fuck him in the confessional.

Lucifer doesn't start out pushing sex or anything. He wants to build trust with Adam first. But it's really not that hard to get under Adam's skin, he hardly has to do anything! Adam is a sexually frustrated man who has an inexplicable draw to the Devil and it doesn't take him long to start getting off to the very thought of him, of what Lucifer would do to him. And of course, Lucifer knows. And it only takes a little more poking and prodding and nudging before he can get Adam to agree to indulge in his fantasies and make them real!

And then there's just a fun scenario in my head about them being nasty in the confessional (like Lucifer wanted) and someone entering the other side and so Adam has to do his Job while Lucifer has him fully hilted and seated on his lap with a prehensile tentacle dick that's moving around on its own while Adam has to try Really Hard to not let himself make any suspicious sounds while taking confession-

[lilacliquors]

kinktober day six: cuckolding

pairing: diego hargreeves x reader

word count: 819

notes: i am so bad at ending smut-shot this is embarrassing. anyways, enjoy kinktober day six, my loves!

you had been hesitant to try this out, feeling vulnerable and like a cheating harlot, but your partner had reassured you so many times that it was okay, they wanted this, they liked it. they wanted to see another person bring you ecstasy, to make you moan and scream and beg. and after much talking and rule making, you had settled on a third to bring into your bedroom. an old friend of theirs, diego hargreeves

and now, there you were, at the mercy of another man, all while your partner was in the corner, bound in a chair as they desired, watching as you came undone over and over again.

your legs were spread, and diego was between them, feasting on your sensitive pussy like it was fruit from the garden of eden. his hands gripped your thighs as his tongue traced over your clit, making you squirm and grip his hair. you liked that it was longer than your partner’s, much easier to grab onto, and he hissed while his face contorted in pleasure as your nails scratched his scalp.

“that’s it, baby,” he mumbled between your legs. “grind those hips against my face. come on, chase it. we know you want it.”

you whined, your body felt like it was on fire, and yet you wanted more. you pressed his face harder against your cunt, mewling as he slid two fingers into your wet and waiting entrance. his fingers pumped gently, and your legs tried to close around his head as yet another orgasm began to build.

“fuck, diego,” you moaned, your free hand gripping the sheets. his only response was a muffled groan against you, and it made you squirm even more. you bucked your hips as he kneaded your thighs, and the more friction you gained, the closer you got, until finally, your muscles tensed, and you cried out, your orgasm washing over your body with enough for to make your legs shake. you tried to pull diego’s head away from your cunt, but he was firmly in place, fucking you with his fingers as he lapped at your clit, until you collapsed onto the bed. he pulled back and looked down at you, slowly removing his fingers as you whined in protest.

“look at you, all fucked out. but i think you’ve got more in you,” he said, reaching for his belt. you watched as he undid it, pulling it out of the belt loops in one swift motion, and tossing it aside. he shoved his pants and boxers down his legs, and his cock sprung free, hard and leaking. your expression must have changed, because he started to laugh as he climbed back on top of you.

“worried? it’s okay, we’ll make it fit,” he mumbled, grabbing his cock with one hand before capturing your lips and in a searing kiss. he pumped his erection a few times before pushing into you, swallowing your moans as you took every inch he had to give. he paused, allowing you time to adjust, before he began to thrust into you with a steady rhythm.

“oh, fuck …” you breathed, arching your back as his lips left yours to trail down your neck and along your jaw.

“feels good, yeah? better than anyone you’ve ever had?” he asked.

you looked over his shoulder to your partner, your eyes half-lidded as you gazed at them. they nodded, letting you know they were okay, that this was okay, and you felt yourself smile.

“so much better,” you replied, wrapping your legs around his waist.

“mhm, the best you’ll ever have. this pussy’s mine, and i’m gonna fuck it whenever i want, for as long as i want,” he growled, his strokes pushing harder, yet with that same steady rhythm. you were a moaning mess beneath him, your eyes squeezing shut as your lips parted. it felt so wrong, but so right, letting another person bring you to these new heights of pleasure. your mind was foggy, your body was on fire, and before long, that pleasurable sensation was growing.

“don’t you look so fucking pretty like this, being fucked by a stranger while your real partner watches, hm? you like being fucked by someone else? someone better?” he taunted, and you gasped as your toes curled.

“mm, ah - yes! oh, yes!” you cried out, cumming once more. he grinned, a wolfish expression on his face, and he continued to pound into you as you grew more sensitive.

“oh no you don’t. i’m not finished with you yet,” he growled. the sound of skin slapping skin filled the room, and it wasn’t long until he was pulling out of you to pump his cock, groaning as his release started to paint your abdomen. you were panting, your legs aching and starting to close, but he grabbed your thighs and kept them spread.

“tsk tsk, we’re just getting started.”

[koji-haru]

Time Travel AU: Prologue

Ah, well here goes my first attempt at a fic. Hopefully it's somewhat enjoyable 🙇‍♀️.

Fuck.

This was not how the day was supposed to go. Adam and his exorcists were supposed to come down from heaven to deliver some holy cleansing, destroy Lucifer’s spawn’s shitty hotel, and remind these losers their place. This was supposed to be a fun day! A stress reliever! Entertainment! But now those same losers surrounded him and his girls as he laid on the ground, golden ichor escaping his body. That fucking midget cyclops - where the hell did she come from?! Lucifer too. Since when did he give a shit about sinners?! 

What a shit show. Lute held Adam with her remaining arm, mouthing words that just didn’t seem to fully form in his head. The colour slowly drained from his face, his body felt heavier, and everything seemed to just slowly blur into one image. All he could focus on was Lute’s face, tears freely fell down her cheeks, her body trembling as she desperately clung onto Adam willing him to stay with her. With the last of his strength, Adam gave her a soft smile - one he reserved for those he truly cared about. His ending could be worse, at the very least Lute was there with him until the end.

As much as he hated leaving his girls to their fates, eternal peace was something Adam welcomed. Sure heaven was well… heavenly. While he did enjoy what he did, it was at times stressful, and those higher up angels with sticks up their asses didn’t make it any better. 

Finally.

…

…

…

A gentle breeze whistling between the leaves, birds singing in the background, the warm hug of the sunlight on his bare skin as the soft grass cushioned him. This felt familiar. Was this his life flashing before his eyes? Sure, Adam experienced something similar on his first death, but on that one he felt like he was floating, not really in control of anything, like watching a movie of his life. This one…it felt a little too grounded.

“Wake up”.

What the fuck. That sounds too real. 

“It’s time to open your eyes”.

Is that..? Nope. I’ll just lay here, it’ll go away soon.

…

“Um…did we make a mistake? Maybe he’s not finished yet”.

“No, he should be complete. The woman woke up just fine”.

A soothing presence inched closer and Adam felt a soft hand caress his cheek, “Come on, you can do it”. 

Adam peeked one eye open. What in Father’s holy name. He opened both eyes, blinking several times, even rubbing them just to make sure he was seeing right. Kneeling beside him was Sera, smiling at him with a warmth that he hasn’t felt in years. They were in a circle surrounded by the other seraphim: Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and of course, that snake, Lucifer. Just the sight of him made Adam's blood boil, but he kept his features cool, his body relaxed as he sat up guided by Sera's gentle hands.

“There you are,” Sera smiled as she stood up, brushing off some invisible dirt off her pristine dress. “You are Adam, and this is your new home, the Garden of Eden. You along with your wife, Lilith, will govern these lands gifted to you by your creator, God”. At the mention of her name, Lilith appeared from behind Michael and walked towards Adam, her violet eyes shining with purpose, long blonde hair swaying behind her as she carried herself with an aura of grace and beauty. Adam simply remained seated on the ground, tight lipped, eyes fixed on Lilith's form.

“Aw, he seems to be captivated by the first woman. How adorable,” Raphael whispered to Gabriel, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. 

As if, this bitch is literally one of the last people I ever want to see.

Sera guided Lilith’s hand unto Adam’s, “Well then, I’ll leave you two to become acquainted with each other”. 

And with that, bright light enveloped the seraphim until all that remained in the garden were Adam and Lilith.

As soon as the angels were gone, Adam quickly pulled back his hand away from Lilith. Gross. He slumped back on the soft grass, his right arm covering his eyes, hoping that if he closed his eyes again he'd return to reality. 

…

“Adam?”

…

“Is something wrong?”

Yeah, you. Adam sighed heavily. It seemed like this was his waking reality now.

This was not how the day was supposed to go.

Part 1

[nevadancitizen]

-> CH. 8: MIND PALACES & OTHER SHATTERED CRYSTALLINE DREAMS

synopsis: connor has a talk with amanda, and you have a talk with your own mind. connor reminds you, once more, that he's made of plastic and metal, not flesh and blood.

word count: 2.8k

ships: Connor/Reader, Hank Anderson & Reader

notes: i know there's a real life viktor petrov. atomic heart is just weird and named characters after real life people

HoFS taglist: @catladyhere , @foggy0trees0 , @princessofenkanomiya (if you'd like to be added to the taglist, just ask!)

HEAD OF FALSE SECURITY MASTERLIST

The Zen Garden is nice, if a bit humid. Connor’s footsteps are quiet as he walks on the marble that paves the sprawling paths.

Again, that stone stares at him, the soft blue glow entrancing. And just like last time, Connor kneels and touches it. The thrum of energy he expected still shocks his system, and still causes him to take an unneeded, artificial breath. With one last glance over his shoulder, Connor walks away.

When Connor approaches the dock, Amanda is waiting on the water in a quaint little rowboat, an orange and white wagasa resting over her shoulder.

“Hello, Connor.” She smiles. “I thought you might enjoy a little cruise.”

Connor steps into the boat, then pushes it away from the dock. He takes the looms of the oars in his hands and pushes the blades through the water to propel them backward.

After a few moments of looking around, Amanda speaks. “I love this place. Everything is so calm and peaceful, far from the noise of the world.”

She turns to Connor. “Tell me, what have you discovered?”

“I found two deviants at the Eden Club.” Connor looks away, then back to Amanda, then away again, like a nervous dog. He wrings his hands in his lap. He’s not sure why he feels the need to. “I hoped to learn something, but… they managed to escape.”

“That’s too bad.” Amanda’s voice is laced with overly-obvious sympathy. “You seemed so close to stopping them.”

Connor takes the looms of the oars and pushes the blades through the water again instead of responding. Again, there’s that voice (yours – he’s sure it’s your voice) in between his lines of code that tells him to snap at her, to tell her to stop with her fake worry and honeyed words. 

“You seem… lost, Connor,” Amanda says. “Lost, and perturbed.”

Connor’s lips draw into a thin line. “I thought I knew what I had to do. But now I realize it’s not that simple.”

“You had your gun trained on those deviants at the Eden Club. The Officer even told you to grab the Lieutenant’s gun,” Amanda says. “Why didn’t you shoot?”

Connor looks down at where his hands rest in his lap. “I don’t know.” A deep pang of something shoots through his systems, and his eyes snap up to meet Amanda’s. “I don’t know.”

“If your investigation doesn’t make progress soon, I may have to replace you, Connor,” Amanda says, her tone cold and even.

“I understand,” Connor says softly. He can feel something within him twitch – an instability he’s confident will correct itself as time goes on.

The twitch pulls him to look to his left. In the surrounding trees, just barely on the treeline, is a little sapling Connor knows wasn’t there before. It’s silvery and wispy, and can’t be more than a foot in height. But trees shouldn’t be that color. And saplings are supposed to be covered in leaves because of their need to absorb as much sunlight as possible. This one is bare.

“Is something amiss, Connor?” Amanda asks.

“No,” Connor lies. He turns back to Amanda. “Just thinking. That’s all.”

Suddenly, a clap of thunder rolls across the sky even though the clouds above are thin and an orangey color. Amanda looks upwards, as does Connor.

“Something’s happening. Something serious.” Her eyes return to Connor. “Hurry, Connor. Time is running out.”

Your eyes snap open as you gasp, inhaling lumino-polymer. It floods into your lungs, causing the warm and pleasant feeling that comes with having another living being invade your system.

It doesn’t shock you that you’re here again – in your memories. Your mind loves putting you back in the Vavilov Complex, a place you frequented in your youth when you were able to feel solid ground beneath your feet. (Or, rather, above your head, as most of the complex is underground.)

The lumino-polymer that surrounds you is kept in a transitional state: a diffusion-sensitive, anaerobic-bacteria-friendly, translucent, and gluey liquid. The bacteria is suspended around you in little specks of glowing blue. 

You’re not sure which way is up, but you kick your feet to propel yourself towards the light. After a few moments, you break the surface and haul yourself out of the pool, settling on your knees by the edge. Lumino-polymer sloughs off you like you’re a shedding reptile – in one gross, voluminous heap that quickly settles back into the pool.

You put a hand on your chest and take a deep breath. Now, there’s nothing in your lungs but air. But memories and minds work in weird and inconsistent ways, right? So that’s to be somewhat expected.

Yet when you look up, the one thing that’s always consistent is still consistent – the PEC-4 Birchtree is still there. The symbol of the Vavilov Complex and the capstone of its research efforts stands tall in her five meter-diameter by ten meter-tall cylindrical capsule. 

She’s not the typical birch you’d usually think about. Her trunk is thin and silvery, and her leafless branches resemble a wispy mycelium complex rather than sturdy wood. They hang down, almost like weird, sinewy versions of the leaves of a weeping willow. She’s more angel than tree.

You look down and find a metal pail by your feet. It’s already been filled with lumino-polymer. You pick it up and start walking up the stairs. 

When you reach the top, the PEC-4 Birchtree is staring down at you without eyes. Her branches wave despite the lack of a wind to move them. You kneel before the capsule and press on the fuel inlet. As soon as it opens with a soft click, you pour the lumino-polymer in.

When it settles in her soil, the PEC-4 Birchtree almost seems to inhale inside her capsule. Her branches relax soon after.

“Что мне делать?” You ask softly. You look down at where your hands rest in your lap. “Я чувствую себя… потерянно. Действительно потерянно.”

Look at where you are, my child, she responds from within your mind. She doesn’t speak in English or Russian or any other human language – she sounds like the electrical impulses from within your own brain. You’ve escaped from situations more dangerous than this. Remember where you came from. Remember your parents and the reactors they worked in and Chelomey as a whole.

“Я знаю, но…” You bring a hand to your face, then look up at her. Your voice is quiet and quivering when you speak. “Мне страшно.”

You don’t need to be, she says. You can always rely on yourself. Memorize the cards in your hand. Know when to play them. Stack the deck if you need to. Real life plays dirty.

“Да… да, вы правы.” You stand and put a hand on the plexiglass of her capsule. “Спасибо.”

You start to turn to walk away, but are stopped by the PEC-4 Birchtree’s voice permeating your mind again. 

Please be careful, she says. They need you. Both of them. You can keep them on this Earth. Be vigilant. I love you. 

“Да, мэм,” you say softly. “Я тоже вас люблю. Спокойной ночи.”

You zone back in and register your surroundings. You’re in the android autopsy room. Your autopsy table is empty.

Your tongue darts out to wet your lips, then you breathe in deeply. No lumino-polymer in your lungs. Just air. No PEC-4 Birchtree here. Just you. 

A knock sounds at the door. You glance at the clock – it’s just past 6:30 in the morning. You stand and open the door.

Connor stands there, his blazer now clean. “Hello, Officer. I assume an adequate amount of time has passed for you to process the events of yesterday evening and early this morning?”

You step to the side, allowing Connor in. “Khm, yeah. I guess.”

Connor steps through and the door closes automatically behind him. He moves over and sits in the chair he was sitting in yesterday while you hop up on your autopsy table. (Internally, this only solidifies that chair as ‘Connor’s chair’ in your mind.)

“Why did you come here?” You ask. “I don’t really feel like reviewing case details right now.”

“I just came to talk, Officer,” Connor says. 

You pull your legs up onto the table and cross them. “You talk an awful lot. And about personal things, too.”

“I suppose I do.” He looks down at the ground, then back up at you. “When I was in the car, you were talking to Hank. What were you talking about?”

You sigh and your eyes fall to the floor. “His drinking problem. How he gets when he drinks. His suicidal tendencies. How I can’t spend a second without worrying about him.”

“Are you coping well?” Connor asks.

“Of course not.” You let out a humorless laugh. “I went back to my apartment, but I just… couldn’t sleep. So I came here.” You gesture vaguely around the room. “Work is a constant in my life. I like filing reports and organizing data and everything that comes with it. But recently… it’s gotten turbulent.”

Your jaw clenches. “And with everything that’s going on? All the deviants? They’ll find one way or another to pin it on the Soviets. Something like a breaking news article about how a spy put a bug in an American android’s code to cause them to deviate, and it spread.”

“You won’t be able to work on the case without a good coping mechanism,” Connor says. “I suggest you find one.”

You exhale sharply and look at him. He’s leaning forward with his hands folded together and his elbows on his knees.

“You sound like Chariton Zakharov,” you say, a smile creeping onto your face. “Well, kind of. Like the way he cared about science more than the wellbeing of his employees.”

Connor’s LED flickers for a moment. “The Head of the Neurobiology Department at the Pavlov Complex of Facility 3826?”

“Yeah, that one,” you say. You don’t have to ask him if he had to look up that information this time, because you know he did – nobody would know that off the top of their head. “I remember the letter he wrote to himself that Dmitry Sechenov found after he died. The one about how man himself isn’t corrupt, but his body.”

“I haven’t read that letter,” Connor says. “And I can’t find that information in my database.”

You hop off the table and start to rifle through the drawers of your desks. “Hold on. I have something here somewhere…”

“You have a lot of personal effects in the autopsy room, Officer,” Connor says. “May I ask why?”

“It’s basically my office,” you say. “I have an actual desk, but I’m rarely there.”

You open another drawer and find the book you were looking for: The Life, Death, Neuropolymer-Induced Transformation, and Secondary Death of Chariton Radeonovich Zakharov. “Aha! Here it is.”

You put the book on the table and flick through the many worn, scribbled-on sticky notes jutting out of the side. When you find the one you’re looking for, you open the book to the pages you stuck it on. The text is in Russian, but you translate it as you read aloud. “Okay, here. The letter reads:

“Vice is a physiological property. In the magnum opus of “opium for the people,” the Bible, this is well shown, if allegorically. Man has become depraved not by tasting the mystic fruit, but by becoming aware of himself. The body dictates our depravity. 

“We want to multiply, so there are rapists and perverts. If we want to eat, we steal money and food. We want to be pleased, and now we surround ourselves with stupid luxury. It is not man himself who is corrupt, but his limited, primitive shell, which needs food, sex, drugs, and care. 

“The radiance of pure reason, and it alone, can illuminate the path of humanity. Because a human being is not a body. It’s a way of thinking.”

You look up and close the book. “Do you agree with Zakharov?”

“Agree with him on what?” Connor asks. 

“That being human is not about having a human body, but thinking in the way a human does,” you say, then look away. “Actually, I guess that’s a redundant question. Because I’m asking you if you think deviants should exist.”

You meet Connor’s eyes again. “And you’ve been programmed to… exterminate them. Right?”

“Not exterminate,” Connor corrects. “I’ve been programmed to find the cause of deviancy and to help find a way to prevent it.”

“But you’re still a hunter,” you say. “And they’re your prey. No?”

Connor blinks. Once, twice. His LED flickers yellow and barely dips into red before turning back to yellow. “Yes. I am.”

“So you’re a regular Viktor Petrov.” You lean your hip against the table. “Not the Ukrainian one, but the Russian one. A man widely-regarded as a class traitor who’s just working for what he perceives as the greater good.”

“I’m not a man,” Connor says. “I’m just a machine.”

Your face falls and your stare hardens. “No, you’re not. I’m not saying that you’re not a machine – I’m saying that you’re not just a machine. You said it yourself. You can be whatever Hank and I want you to be. We’re Dmitry Sechenov, and you’re Major Sergey Nechayev.”

“How so?” Connor shifts in his seat. He can’t be that stupid – he knows exactly how.

“Nechayev devoted his life to the USSR. In return, he only earned isolation and numerous wounds – both physical and mental. Sechenov was the only one who treated Nechayev with basic kindness. And the Major folded like a cheap deck of cards.” You lean towards him with a hand braced on the table. “Sechenov took him in and molded him into his perfect pet soldier. All because Nechayev, in his vulnerable state, let himself be molded. Just like how you are.”

“I am not being molded,” Connor says. “I am an RK800 – a machine with a mission. I may have secondary missions, but tracking down deviants has always been my number one priority.”

“But you are,” you say. “You’re changing, whether you like it or not. Connor, when you were in my apartment… you laughed. Androids don’t laugh. Only deviants do.”

Connor stands, and you’re reminded of just how intimidating he can be. He moves over so that he’s standing just a yard away from you. (A faint flicker in your mind tells you that if he shot you right now, it’d be considered point blank. But you quickly dismiss it. Connor wouldn’t do that. Not to you. Right?)

“I laughed because I was mirroring the environment you created,” Connor says. “I was designed to work alongside humans. Humans mirror and are mirrored. I was just following my programming.”

You stand up straight and set your jaw as you look him in the eye. You’re searching for any kind of emotion, anything that looks like how Connor looked when he was with Bronislava. But no. There’s nothing. His eyes look dead – like prosthetics that can move.

“You don’t laugh when you’re with Hank,” you say softly. “Even when it’s an intimate environment, like the one in my apartment. He’s a riot. Why don’t you laugh?”

“It’s like you said,” Connor says. “Androids don’t laugh. Only deviants do. I know what I am, and what I am not. And I am not a deviant.”

“Leave.” You step back, turning to your autopsy table. You reach out and grab the book, then trace the embossed lettering with your thumb. 

You glance over your shoulder. Connor’s still standing there, just like early this morning by the Detroit River. 

“What’re you waiting for?” You grind out. You nod towards the exit. “There’s the door. As if you need to be told where it is!”

Connor’s jaw tenses, and he looks like he’s about to speak, but stays silent. 

“You’re disobeying a human.” You turn away from him and look forward. “You know that, right?”

“I’m allowed to disobey orders if they contradict my mission statement,” Connor says. “If I’ve been given contradicting instructions, I opt to execute whichever has highest priority.”

“You’re not a regular android,” you say softly. 

“Of course not,” he says. “I’m a prototype.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” You turn to look at him. “You’re…”

You look up into Connor’s eyes again. They’re still dead pieces of plastic. No emotions. No mirror of your own. 

“You need to leave.”

“Officer –”

“Leave!” You bark. “Сейчас!”

Connor steps back. He almost looks… hurt. But you know better. You were taught better, by Connor himself. 

He turns and leaves. The door shuts behind him. You move over and sit in Connor’s chair, then let out a shaky sigh. You draw your legs up to your chest and curl in on yourself. 

“Боже, почему же всё так сложно…?”

[universalcas]

The worst part of it all, if you don't take into account the hollowing feeling that threatens to eat you alive from the insides, the fear, paralyzing as anything, of not being able to function properly ever again, the idea of you doing the basics every day, powered by muscle memory alone because you have to eat and you have to breathe in a world that doesn't give a shit about anything and keeps going, it's when you don't even have a body to bury. And how can anyone mourn an angel, anyway?

When Cas died, he took everything that was beautiful and worth living for with him leaving behind only memories of touches, and comfort an protection and the painful realization that sometimes home can, also, be a person. All the things that Dean, damn coward he is, always took for granted.

He finds the house by the lake he (still) dreams of sometimes, one day he's aimlessly driving, alone, always alone those days, when Sam is far away living the life he always wanted for both of them. The construction is sturdy and well-kept despite the obvious state of abandonment. It looks like a nice place to start over again, whatever that means now.

Next to a big tree that still smells of rain Dean buries his jacket, the one with Cas's handprint on it, because he doesn't have anything else and thinks Cas might have liked it. Dean doesn't know how it feelt to be in The Garden of Eden before everything happened, but he wants to thinks it looked a lot like this, to be able to rest under a sky full of stars.

He doesn't notice the tiny flower that appears over Cas's grave at first, because after only a month there there's still a lot to do but once he does he can't simply stop staring at it. It's small and blue and a species he doesn't recognize. Not that he knows a lot about flowers but he's learning. Maybe it doesn't means anything, probably it doesn't means anything, but he prefers to think that Cas's memory, the physical imprint of an angel existence on Earth, has helped to grow a new life. So he starts taking a bit of his time to talk to the tiny flower everyday. Most of the time is nothing of importance, short trips to the nearest town to buy supplies he needs, a new idea he want to implements in the upper floor of the cabin, but some things are small and life-changing on their own, because in the folks in the town have started calling him by his first name, and he has an 'usual' when he appears at the local coffee shop and the old woman that owns the bakery uses him as her guinea pig when she bakes a new pie.

Time goes and the flower grows and the pressure around his chest is less constricting even if it doesn't disappear completely and probably never will but Dean's fine with it. It's a proof that he's still alive and kicking and that Cas, in his own way, changed him too.

One day the flower is gone and there's a familiar silhouette standing in front of the lake. Fifty-years old-knees from a life hunting can hurt like hell when Dean sprints toward a man that can be real or can be just his imagination playing tricks on him but the blue in his eyes when he turns over and call Dean's name in that soft voice of his, looks like the blue of the flower that Dean nurtured with patience and love for months. It looks a lot like happiness. It looks a lot like hope. 🌿

[no-where-new-hero]

Throwing in my hat into the LMM Rankings ring with...

Favorite LMM Abodes

Top Tier: Homiest Homes I Want to Live In

The Disappointed House (Emily of New Moon). A home you've loved since you were a child but isn't your childhood home but a fantasy of being grown-up and independent. A home you do eventually share with the love of your life. But also a home you got to decorate exactly according to your taste because your wealthy older paramour bank-rolled the operation and understood about the necessity of cupboards. A home haunted by ghosts but they're friendly and familiar ghosts. No, it may not be homey to most, but it is because it so aptly feels like an extension of you.

Patty's Place (Anne of the Island). On the other hand, sometimes you just want to live out a kind of intellectual sapphic eden with some friends and your gal pal and your gal pal's cool aunt and a couple of cats. A home that welcomes men and romance *sometimes* and then the rest of the time it's books and fireplaces and chats and hijinks.

Green Gables (AOGG). This is in the top tier simply because I couldn't bear to put it anywhere else. It's the place where Anne finds herself, finds love and companionship, endures some of her most important experiences.

2nd Tier: Homes I wouldn't mind living in as long as I acclimated to rural life

New Moon (EONM). Emily may love skimming pans for cream and helping Jimmy boil pigs potatoes but such arts are beyond me. At the same time, I'm not afraid of cows. And the garden and graveyard and orchard are manor-house-level accessories these days, so I would feel quite grand living here.

Lantern Hill (Jane of Lantern Hill). At least Jane doesn't farm, and I think I could handle her kitchen providing I had her supply of kitchen gadgets. I have also toasted my face while broiling fish, so I'm aware of the housekeeping hazards.

Cloud of Spruce (Magic for Marigold). This is this high up simply because it's well known for its cats and has a cozy, contented air despite its denizens. It feels less real than LMM's other houses, but everyone dreams of living in a fairy house once in a while.

3rd Tier: Homes that are Characters (so does that mean being in them implicates me in the narrative?)

The Mistawis cottage (The Blue Castle). TBC is a Gothic romance to me simply because of how important the cottage is (though it's also a Bluebeard retelling apparently so!) to Valancy as a person. A little wild, a little reclusive, but open and giving to those it loves. I would love a Blue Castle but I personally could not stand the mosquitoes that would invade off the water.

Silver Bush (Pat of Silver Bush). It's been very well argued that Silver Bush is the love of Pat's life and that Pat exists more as the numen of her house than as a real person. The house gets its own "introducing" chapter, laid out without a character's intermediary. It's huge, overwhelming, a more parasitic version of New Moon.

Tansy Patch (Emily of New Moon). The fact that Teddy comes from a House (unlike Ilse, who just has a house, and Perry, whose Stovepipe Town above is vague and ambiguous) automatically makes him important. He comes from this shadowy place, but do its shadows follow him? And how far?

4th Tier: Picturesque

Ingleside (AOGG). I've seen the real house that Ingleside is based off of, and it's not aesthetically my cup of tea, but I've always thought it would be glorious to grow up in a big rambling, bustling, bursting-with-people house. But it lacks a bit of oomph in the narrative.

Wyther Grange (Emily of New Moon). On the other hand, the Grange packs a punch in its small inclusion. I would like to spend a night in the pigeon-haunted pink room, please and thank you.

Echo Lodge (Anne of Avonlea). The echoes and Miss Lavender seem good company, but I would not be able to hide away there for years and years (I'm always posting on this damn blog).

I know there are more I'm forgetting, but here's what I've got so far. Would love to know other people's rankings too!