#savage mc

[mammoneygirl]

When Mammon falls for you

I wrote my first Obey Me! fic today I want to share it with all of you because I crave for more Mammon content (I'm so obsessed with him).

The link of Ao3 is right here if you wanna leave some kudos ~

Like a lot of Mammon's stan I think my perfect boi didn't receive the love he deserved. While playing, Obey Me! I was always waiting the moment when we can stand on his side like the good fangirls we are, so I decide to create this moment myself. My boy deserved all the support ! T^T

(He's so cute, I'm dying!)

Mammon remembers the exact moment when he falls for y/n. Every detail was inscribed is his memory. The smell of wood crackling in the fire in the living room, the softness of the plaid on the sofa, the low luminosity of the lights that marked this end of the ordinary day… the voices of his bothers which resonated on some mean words, maybe deserved, maybe not, and the color of her eyes who roamed the page of an old century book… 

Mammon didn’t remember the subject of the argument he has with his brothers, neither why they were so mean against to him. “ Pain in the ass ”, “ Moron, capricious kid ”, “ Dumb ”... So many unpleasant nicknames to talk about his person. Mammon has the habit. He always responded to these acerbic jabs with humor and a casual, comic attitude. Still, it was frequent enough to be painful. Frequent enough for sometimes, alone in his room, he ends up believing that the words of his brothers had a basis of truth. Maybe he was stupid. Maybe he was horrible to live with. Maybe his brothers will be happier if he wasn’t here.

How long had his brothers' relentlessness lasted? Mammon didn’t know anymore. Time seemed to get distorted when this kind of moment happened. He was there without being there, he answered without really listening, staring at a fixed point in the room and plastering a stupid smile on his face. Letting his brothers see that even one of their words could reach him was out of the question. It was necessary to maintain confidence to safeguard a share of pride. 

Frequently, Mammon had hoped that someone would take his side. Just a phrase, an exclamation of someone. No need for a long monologue, only an " It's unfair " would have been enough... but no voice had ever come up… 

“ Maybe because they are all right. ” 

Suddenly, Mammon was brought back to reality by a book violently thrown between him and these brothers. Lucifer had almost taken it in the face. The projectile came from the sofa in front of which sat Lucifer, Asmo, Satan and Mammon. On the other, the twins and y/n. The sudden throwing movement of the young woman had suddenly awakened Belphie who was sleeping on her knees, and Beel jumped, almost choking on his handful of chips.

“ THAT’S ENOUGHT! ” y/n's voice resonated with a power that was uncharacteristic. As if she had pronounced a collective order, everyone looked at her without saying anything, their eyes wide open. Even Lucifer couldn't seem to compel himself to this angry summons. 

Everyone could only wait for the rest of her words and at the sight of the human's angry gaze, she seemed to have a lot to say. Mammon could feel the heat emanating from the mark of Satan the young woman wore in her left palm. In truth, they could all smell it. It was the first time that so much heat had come out of it. Alice seemed to be pumping the power of the Avatar of Anger at full speed. Burning ashes enveloped her body and swirled around her in irregular waves. Y/n embodied the expression “ Fulfilling with rage ” perfectly at this moment.

“ What high, unwarranted esteem of yourselves you can have to dare speak in this manner of your own brother? Are you stupid or just a huge bunch of pieces of trash? ! As far as I know, you are not exempt from all defaults. On the contrary, you are full of them, each with your own annoying and problematic little quirkiness! ” This first sentence had been transmitted with the top of her lungs. Her strong voice was drawn with rage and oscillated between depth and stridency.

Nobody says anything. It would have been easy to think it was because they had nothing to say, but it would have been known to them wrong. The reality is that they couldn't say anything. Y/n was an easy-going, teasing, but never mean person. Anger was not an emotion that often showed on her face. Even less when she looked at the seven brothers.

A few seconds passed, seconds where everyone understood that y/n was making a superhuman effort to contain an explosion of her powers. With the amount of power she was drawing from Satan to fuel her rage, the damage would have been expensive.

Once calm enough to not cause any damage, y/n pointed an accusing finger at Lucifer.

“ Lucifer, your closed-mindedness and your sadism make us suffer. Your way of protecting us is suffocating, and you expect too much of us. You fuel your pride with each of our successes, but you never take the time to tell us how proud of us you are! You said Mammon is a pain in the ass, but YOU are a pain in the ass for all of us, all the time! ” 

“Asmo, you are superficial and self-centered. For you, beauty matter more than anything. So ugly peoples did not deserve to be listened. You said Mammon is dumb, but you are the dumbest in this place! Life is not only about being the most popular or the most longed for! At least, Mammon see peoples for who they really are! ” 

“Satan, you like giving the impression you are calm and collected, but we all know you are capricious. How much furniture in this place you have destroyed with your incessant tantrum ? Living with you is like walking on eggs! You said Mammon is a moron, capricious kid, but at least HE controls his emotions better than you! And emotional control is a proof of intelligence, so watch your words when you talk to your older brother ! Calling him a moron while he can brainwash people for his own benefit is a huge proof of stupidity and disrespect ! ” 

Y/n was the kind of person who know how to hurt someone’s feelings. She also was too kind to not do it, but kindness has no place at this moment. 

She turned her attention to the twins watching the scene, dumbfounded.

“ You Belphie, you didn’t say anything this time, but you are not ousted of reproaches either. You know, I heard all the mean words you threw at Mammon’s face the rare moments you do not sleep. What was it the last time? “ A stupid, lazy ass ”? How cheeky! Did you know Mammon was the person who take notes for you in class? Just for you not being bother despite YOUR laziness! And you never say thank you! Learn how to be grateful and not project your defaults on others! ” 

“Beel, you are the most measured of all this piece of trash. However, you do not defend your brother the way he deserved it. If you were protective with Mammon like you are with Belphie, the others wouldn't allow themselves to be so comfortable. You say nothing, but your silence makes you a follower and that make you guilty just like everybody else! ” 

Her angry tirades had left her breathless, and she took a few seconds to catch her breath. Seconds when she glared at the assembly with a look that suggested that her rage was not extinguished at all and that she was far from finished. No retort would be tolerated. The fire that had formed in her hand was a clear and visible threat. At the first word, it would explode, and the mansion would be in a mess.

“ You know what all of you are? A bunch of ungrateful ! Without Mammon, you would still be just fallen angels in the eyes of all the Devildom. You would be no better than the most pathetic of lesser demons. You constantly mock and belittle Mammon's plans and ideas, but I remind you that it was one of those plans that gave you the position you all hold today. Learn to be grateful. There is an obvious line between joking and meanness. Don't tell me you're all too stupid to not recognize her? No, the truth is that you enjoy being mean to him! You don't deserve a thousandth of what Mammon gives you. He is far more deserving than any of you. ” 

She returns her attention again to each of them in turn.

“ Asmo, who is the person who stood in line for hours in the rain, in a line full of annoying and superficial demons, just to bring you back that limited edition makeup palette you love so much and bragged about for weeks on FabSnap? It's Mammon! "

“ Satan, who bought you, with all his savings, that curse book you still use to annoy Lucifer? It's Mammon! And he worked for months to get enough money to buy it for you. I know it, I was there! And I assure you that it’s cost more than any of his “ useless cars ” that you like to criticize so much for their flashy styles. ”

“Beel, who is the person who always give you his part at restaurant ? Who is the person who always planned an Akuber command for your midnight cravings? It’s Mammon ! And trust me, feed you cost A LOT !” 

“Belphie, beside the notes Mammon takes for you in class, he always makes sure nobody disturbs your sleep or wake you up. He also covers you among the teachers for you not being caught. Have you ever wondered why Lucifer didn't know how often you're unconscious in class? Because Mammon ensures your impunity! ”

She turned her gaze to Lucifer, her rage seemed to increase even more.

“And you, Lucifer, you are the most ungrateful ! When YOU decide to go against your Father, when YOU decide to cause the Celestial War, who was the person who was the first to go on your side? Who was the person who abandon all to go on your side? Without a second of doubt ? Ready to sacrifice his life, all his possessions, his rank and his magnificent wings? IT’S MAMMON! No matter how much money he spends with your bank card, it will never be a big enough reward for what he lost by placing his destiny in your hands!” 

Nobody said anything, everyone had lowered their heads in turn with flagrant shame plastered on their faces. Even the so proud Morning Star looked at the ground, on which he couldn't even find a crumb of repartee. Y/n's words had the effect of a club with which they had been knocked out without any ceremony. Seeing the effects of her words, y/n calmed down a bit, the surrounding fire was gone, but no regrets were visible on her face. Quite the contrary. Her gaze was still authoritative and accusatory.

“Yes, Mammon is greedy. He also is selfish, most of the time. He is materialist and ready to do the most awful things to obtain what he wants. His plans are ridiculous and foolish, most of the time. He always causes a lot of problems. Yes, he has defaults. But he also has a lot of qualities. Just like all of you. He is generous, kind, honest, determined, talented and loved all of you immensely. You will surely never be able to love him as much as he loves you. So the bare minimum you can do is to treat him with respect and be grateful for the things he does for you. No words or apologies can fix your pathetic behavior towards him and all the horrible things you may have said to him. I dare to hope for all of you that everything I have just told you will make you change your behavior. Because otherwise, I don't know if I will still be able to love you as I do now. Because in my eyes, you will no longer deserve my love.”

On his words, she started to leave the room and just before going through the door, stopped in the frame to add a last sentence, which had the effect of a punch in the face.

“ And before I hear anybody complain about how much I was hurtful, remember the pain I inflict you is just a firm of the pain Mammon’s feel when he heard you talk about him like you did. ”

With that, she slammed the door behind her and stomped out of her remaining anger to go to Levi's room and quell her remaining rage over some fighting games and surely lecture him too.

Mammon remembers everything about that special moment. The scent of wood crackling in the fire in the living room, the softness of the plaid on the sofa, the low luminosity of the lights that marked the end of this ordinary day... And all the emotions that had crossed him deep within himself : joy, euphoria, pride, gratitude… and this feeling, this very specific feeling that appeared to him clearer than any light he had ever seen when he was still an angel. 

“ Y/n was meant to be his. ”

It was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, even for someone with an eternal life. The feeling that everything had lined up for this person to appear. From the moment Mammon had seen y/n for the very first time, a strange feeling had gripped his insides. He had never been able to put this feeling into words, but at this moment he knew. Y/n had been born to be his .

Lucifer turned his head towards his brother, anyone could have felt the guilt deep in his eyes. Yet the only thing his eyes met when looking at his brother was a bright smile.

“ Mammon ? ” 

“ Mh? ” Mammon turned his attention to him, but even the heavy atmosphere of the room couldn't take away his smile and the joy in the back of his pupils.

“ Mammon, we are- ” He didn't give him time to finish, answering simply.

“ Oh this? Don’t worry! It’s not important ! I need to go! ” 

And he left like that. No one understood. His aura of happiness and bliss was the biggest anomaly of this evening rich in emotion. Probably the power of y/n's words had fried some neurons in his brain. Probably it was the backlash of having someone come to his defense for the first time. Or maybe, his brothers' remorse was far less important than the thing he’s feeling right now.

The happiness of knowing that he had the most fervent of admirers.

________________

I hope you enjoy it! Maybe I will do something more kinky the other time ~

[adoriels-tears-if]

Sneak Peek of the Day (another one cause Mc makes me laugh)

"Wait!" Telio's eyes narrow as he examines the bowls. He takes a small stick, carefully stirring the contents of his bowl. He watches the porridge intently, then sniffs it.

After a moment, he looks up at you. "It seems okay," he says quietly. "No strange smells or colors."

"Are you sure about this? There may not be any poison in it, but that doesn't mean we're not going to get poisoned, the color doesn't look right to me and the smell isn't happy either."

Telio bursts out laughing and even Eleven struggles to hold back a smile. Over by the campfire, Sloan snaps: "I heard that!"

[chiefcheesecakemaker]

Mcs at mammon's funeral: can I have a moment alone with him?

Asmo: of course *leaves*

Mc leaning over mammon's coffin: I know you're not dead dipshit

Mammon: yeah no shit

[akiacia]

cake night highlights

[kykyonthemoon]

Where This World Decays

In the sinful and ruined city of Linkon, he met her. She was the family he had sworn to protect with his life. Still, he lost her. Years later, the girl who appeared before him seemed to be an entirely different person. She recalled only his name, while she had forgotten their childhood together. His pip-squeak from the past was dead. The person by his side was now an SSS-level praedator. Regardless of what she became, he would always protect her...

A corrupted councilman. A praedator in the guise of an enforcer. Could there be a safe haven for them in this world?

── .✦ Caleb x MC

── .✦ Tags: R16, AU, dystopian world, dark themes, crimes & mild violence, mental issues implied, trauma, corruption, angst with a little fluff, hurt/comfort, death and resurrection, murder implied, childhood friends, open ending.

── .✦ Word count: over 5000w - a short story divided into five parts.

── .✦ Ky Ky's notes:

MC’s name in this story is Asteria, a name Caleb gave to her when they were little. I chose this name after the titan Asteria in Greek mythology, who is Perses’s wife (Perses is Caleb’s codename in the current event story).

This story is submitted to the Love and Deepspace [Desire Savage, Embrace Tomorrow] Fan Art Contest.

Your support on my X is always appreciated <3

── .✦ Masterlist ♡ Request a fic (closed for the time being)

I.

…Recent attacks in Linkon have targeted officials, as per reports…

…The body of an LCBI enforcer was discovered in an abandoned warehouse near the Southern District last week. Another enforcer has been reported missing.

…Hydra, an SSS-level praedator, is said to be behind the assaults. The exact identity of Hydra remains unknown. However, new witnesses believe Hydra is female, not male as initially mentioned.

…Up until now, the councilman of the Northern District has yet to respond to charges and pressure from other parties…

The screen in the room grew black. The buzzing noise from the old radio vanished with it. Everything became silent. Beyond the glass pane, the city of Linkon twinkled like stars, delicate in the dense, hazardous night.

He strolled around the room. There was not a wrinkle or a stain on the white uniform he wore. It did not belong here. Yet he needed it as a shield to protect this old watchtower, to protect the person he loved.

He passed through the ages-old door, which led to a darker and colder chamber. There were more than a dozen other antiquated CCTVs on the wall that he had connected to a network, though the only red dot he cared about was in the center, in this room. His gaze landed on the corner. A modest bed was placed there, bound to the floor with chains. On the pure white mattress lay a petite sleeping angel, as if she felt no agony from having her wings shattered and being imprisoned in this place.

He approached her, gently as he wished not to wake her. He sat down on the edge of the bed, removed his glove, and stroked her face. Her drenched hair was brushed aside, revealing the face engraved in his dreams. The touch awoke her. When she turned, the shackles that held her began to creak.

“Caleb?…” She called to him, half asleep. As long as she called, he would always be there.

“How are you feeling, pip-squeak?”

She did not respond straight away. Her eyes opened slowly. As the dark chamber loomed in front of her and the heavy shackles pushed down on her, she appeared fully awake.

"Caleb? Why are you here?"

She struggled to break free from her bounds. However, the more she moved, the more anguish she experienced. He grabbed her hand and softly caressed it.

“Stay still, pip-squeak. You’ll be fine.”

“What happened, Caleb? Did I… Was I in a Frenzied State again?”

His eyes met hers for a moment, then he tried to avoid this uneasy conversation by consoling her more.

“Do you want anything to eat? How about braised chicken wings? I’ll make it for you right away.”

But she was restless. Her voice rose as she called his name:

“Caleb! Tell me! What happened? How long have I been here?”

“Not for long, pip-squeak,” he lied. “You barely realized I was gone to the center of the city and back.”

"I feel like I've been sleeping for forever…" She spoke again. "Can I go outside?"

His fingers gently caressed her heated face. Her entire body felt on fire.

"Just wait a little longer. When you feel better, I'll take you out."

She seemed displeased. However, her expression immediately became quite miserable, to the point that his heart felt like it was being cut and torn apart, as she said:

“Please, Caleb… I don’t like this room… It’s cold… And lonely… Let me out, will you?… Let me stay in my old room… You can chain me there if you want…”

She knew very well that she had him in the palm of her hand. Name it and he would not refuse her anything. But at a time when her safety depended entirely on him, he had to hold her tight, even if it made her angry with him.

Caleb averted his attention away from her depressed expression.

“Stay here for just a few more hours, pip-squeak.”

Like a smoldering fire waiting for the wind to blow, she raged in an aggressive manner. Her pupils dilated, and she laughed in a new burst of mania.

“I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE!”

She was faster than him, stronger than he was in this state. She leaned toward him and pushed him down on the bed. Her physique, ever so much smaller than his, was now utterly dominant. She repeated her words over and over again:

“Let me out! Caleb! I want to be out!”

Her hands clenched into fists, crumpling his uniform. Like a child demanding candy, she poured her anger on his chest. One blow at a time. She could have suffocated him if she had wanted to. He did not protest, instead softly wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her still against his body. When her frenzy subsided, she would collapse on his chest, then he would take his entire world in his arms.

Even so, her frenzy was getting more and more out of control. She had torn off the old shackles a few days before and fled outside. It would require more serum doses to handle her. She would eventually wreck this bed, too, sooner or later.

Fingers crossed that he would get things all sorted out before she did so.

“Caleb hates me, right?” She kept punching him, while a scorching tear streamed from her eyes onto his lips. It felt like salt. “Caleb hates the way I am now, doesn’t he?”

“I don’t hate you, pip-squeak,” he replied. His fingers found her face and wiped away the jewel-like tears. “I promised I would always protect you.”

He made that promise since they were little. The fact that she was a praedator did not change it.

II.

The first time he met her was when they fought over a rotten apple. In the Southern District, a place steeped in sin and chaos, homeless children like them could only survive on what others had discarded. Seeing her so hungry that she almost fainted, he stopped fighting and cut the still nice portion of the apple for her. From then on, she followed him around like a little shadow. She had no idea who she was or where she came from. Perhaps her entire family had died. Nobody came searching for her, and even if they had, she would not remember. She simply knew that following him would lead to safety and better meals.

“I’m Caleb. What’s your name?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t even remember your own name? What should I call you then?”

“Anything you want.”

He raised his head. Through the hole in the ruined canopy above him, he saw the stars dancing together. Perhaps she was like those stars, beautiful and out of his reach. She did not belong in this rotten world.

“Or, I could call you Asteria,” he said after a long moment. “My teacher in the past said it meant star.”

She said nothing. But perhaps she preferred being called pip-squeak, a moniker he had only come up with after a kind man had taken them under his wing. They lived together in an old watchtower. The area had seen its heyday before the Southern District fell into ruins. At least now, they had a roof over their heads.

Caleb once had a family, but there was little joy to recall. The only things that were etched in his mind were of the violent beatings he had from the adults who exploited his Evol to commit unlawful acts. He could control gravity. That was how he evaded the praedator assault that year. He ran away, never looking back at his family as they screamed.

Now he had a new family. For a while, but still a family.

He taught Asteria how to read and write. She learned quickly. She also enjoyed climbing to the top of the watchtower to watch the sunset. However, when she was younger, she had to ask him to use his Evol to bring her up there. He liked having her depend on him, having her follow him around. He liked being the big brother who always protected her.

But he could not safeguard her forever.

That day, the rain poured down as if to wash away all the filth in the Southern District. Asteria, his star, had gone insane and bolted outside. Her small figure faded into the white curtain that the sky had dropped on the ground.

Many hours later, the rain stopped, and he located her in a slum on the outskirts of the area. She lay in a pool of blood that was not her own. He almost lost control.

“She’ll be fine,” the old man said. He was the keeper of this watchtower, the one who had been looking after them both. “Whoever she attacked should be worried by now.”

“She attacked someone?” Caleb asked. He had not yet learned what she was.

“Didn’t you already know? Your sister is a praedator.”

Despite the fact that the sky had cleared, he remained there as if hit by lightning. He glanced at her sleeping figure on the bed for a long, long time. And he convinced himself that her innocence was genuine, that it was not a facade to hide the devil inside her. It was all a twist of fate.

She awoke the next morning, completely clueless with no recollection of what had happened since her disappearance in the rain.

“You're still unwell. Just sleep a little longer, you'll be fine.”

He lied to her. He lied to himself. She obediently curled up in his arms.

“Caleb… Will you stay here?”

Her hand intertwined with his.

“Stay here, and don’t leave me alone, will you?”

He pledged to protect her. Always.

III.

The watchtower keeper who shared their living quarters died soon after. He left the place, along with some cash and his things to two teenagers who were not his blood kin. Only Caleb and Asteria remained, relying on each other.

She became aware that she was a praedator as she grew older. When she was in a Frenzied State, she locked herself in her room and threw the key to him. The more she pushed him away, the more he wanted to get closer and shield her with his own hands, as he had promised. He was willing to be her victim. She never bit him, no matter how upset she was or how many times she assaulted or wounded him.

His Evol was quite effective in keeping her in place. When the frenzy dissipated, she gently slumped in his arms. When she awoke, she would have no memory of what had happened. However, the wounds on Caleb's body did not lie. She noticed them, despite his best efforts to conceal them.

“I am a monster…”

“Hey, don’t say that. You didn't choose this.”

“Compared to being a praedator, death seems to be a much happier choice…”

The wind blew on the watchtower. They sat together, watching the city of Linkon on the horizon, crimson by the dying day. He turned to her and said: 

"I'm glad you survived. So we could meet." 

She looked at him for a moment, then smiled. Perhaps the best thing she had known since becoming a mutant was him.

“Caleb, lower your head.” She told him. He was surprised and inquisitive about what she was up to. He did what she requested and bowed his head toward her.

Asteria put a metal necklace on him. The pendant was a dog tag with some claw marks on it. He looked at it, then back at her.

“For you,” she smiled. “I saved up the allowance you gave me to buy it.”

He fiddled with the necklace, grinning again.

“I gave you the money I got from my part-time jobs to buy food and things for yourself. Yet you bought me a gift.”

She extended her hand to him and said, "If you don't like it, give it back to me." 

“Nooope.” He grabbed the string and slipped it under his outer shirt. “It belongs to me now.”

The sun was fading. The lights encircled them like stars. Neither of them said it aloud, but they both secretly wished that this serenity would last a little longer, just a little longer.

Yet, the merciless night separated them in an onslaught by the praedators.

IV.

He could not find her anymore. The fact that he had lost her, possibly forever, drove Caleb insane. He wandered around calling her name. He turned over each frozen corpse along the way, only to find some relief that it was not her. He followed the hourly news updates, not daring to miss the casualty count or the identities of the praedators. Yet she was gone.

He came to the conclusion that, in order to protect her, he must have power. He was a brilliant young man with a talent for winning people's hearts. Shortly after the incident, he was adopted by an upper-class family in the Northern District. From then, he began to climb the political ladder, eventually rising to the position of a councilman.

He had to. He must gain the authority, the status, all means to find her. And he did. One day, she came before him as an LCBI enforcer. She recognized him in the crowd, yet she could no longer remember any of the memories they had shared, not even the necklace wrapped around his neck.

He never asked her what had happened since their separation. She did not mention it either. But he could put together the events based on what she told him and his own private investigations. 

Asteria had been captured by an organization known as Ever while on the run. They had imprisoned her in a facility far away from Linkon. They must have known the truth about her. During their cruel, inhumane experiments, she had perished. She had died no less than ten times.

And they learned her secret: she was a praedator capable of reviving herself. Each time she returned from hell, her abilities were enhanced. Until one day, she was powerful enough to shatter all the chains and bring Death to those who had repeatedly murdered her. No one survived at that secret base of Ever. Human or praedator, there was no one left alive.

Her frenzy passed, and she discovered the file on herself in a pool of blood. She was unfamiliar with everything except the old photograph tucked inside the file. She must have had it with her when she was brought here. It was her, standing next to a boy with a smile as warm as the sun. That familiar feeling rushed into her heart like an unexpected invader. She broke into tears, without knowing why. Her tears obscured the wording on the photograph: Asteria and Caleb, together forever.

She wandered barefoot, seeking for him. She remembered nothing, except the urge to find him, to be with him. She joined a crowd of refugees streaming into Linkon's city center. Another attack had just broken out, and she had not hesitated to defeat the praedator who stood in her way. The LCBI became aware of her after that occurrence. They came for her, and she accepted to take part in their training program.

It was hard to cover her secret from the enforcers. However, she had successfully deceived the LCBI several times when they were attempting to pursue her other alias, the SSS-level praedator known as Hydra. She even led them to believe that Hydra was a man in the Northern District. Her secret was probably known to only one person: Caleb.

Ever since their reunion, he had been keeping an eye on her. Whether she was Asteria of the LCBI Operations Sector I or Hydra - the praedator; everywhere she went, everyone she interacted with could not escape his gaze from this watchtower.

The first thing he did when he gained both wealth and authority was to quietly renovate their old watchtower. It was not only a shelter, but also a place where he had watched her since she returned. He connected a dozen CCTVs together, each with a surveillance camera positioned in every area he suspected she might frequent. The area she resided in, the office where she worked, and the woodland where she wandered in her Frenzied State... For her, seeing him again was a stroke of luck. For him, it was a meticulously considered chess move.

He granted himself permission to watch over and protect her from a distance. Every time Hydra caused trouble, he was the one who cleaned up the mess. Asteria believed she had thoroughly removed all evidence. However, because she had no recollection of her Frenzied State and relied only on her phone to track where she had been, she had left behind some clues. That was when he got involved.

His chess game appeared faultless. He would soon have complete power over Linkon's government. He would build a secure city for her, a place where praedators would have their own community, completely under the control of the political party he led. Hydra would be declared dead by then, and no one would dig up her secret again.

Caleb was willing to assassinate an opposition party member in order to achieve what he wanted. The politician's death was believed to be related to the praedatos. Ironically, the LCBI sent Asteria to investigate. She was accompanied by another enforcer. Their investigation lasted for months, during which many other praedator attacks across the city broke out. In a moment of negligence, Asteria let her colleague discover her secret. He confronted her, and she was enraged. 

“You… You really are a praedator! You fooled the LCBI, and all of us!”

In his hand was a spray that revealed any praedator's true self when they inhaled.

“No… I didn't… I don’t want this to happen…” She shivered, attempting to fend off the frenzy that was slowly taking over her mind.

“I’ve been secretly gathering evidence on you for months… Hydra! You can’t get away now!”

The enforcer lunged at her. But she was familiar with all of the LCBI equipment and how her colleagues fought in combat. She would not be captured that easily. In the struggle, she knocked him out at last.

“Go home, pip-squeak. I’ll take care of things for you.”

Caleb appeared out of nowhere, like a ray of light that she instantly stretched out to catch. He sent her back to the old watchtower. When she woke up, she had no recollection of any of it, while her colleague had been reported dead.

“Did I… Did I do it?… All I remember was going to the meeting place after that colleague asked to see me… After that, I'm not sure what else happened… Did I…”

Her tears fell. She buried her face in her hands, saying over and over again, “I’m a monster!”

“No,” he reassured. He drew her into his arms and rubbed her back, which was quivering from emotion. “You didn’t do it, pip-squeak. You’re not a murderer.”

For the true murderer was him. Anyone who knew her secret could only reveal it in their grave.

Asteria was devastated. Her Frenzied State continued returning, breaking the pattern that had always existed. She had no choice but to obey Caleb and remain in the watchtower, while everyone else assumed she was missing.

“I will take care of this.”

She only needed to rely on him.

“Pip-squeak, trust me…”

Back in the dark chamber where he had convinced her to stay, he kissed her hair as her head rested on his chest. Her frenzy subsided, leaving just an exhausted Asteria lying unconscious on top of him. Her fingers were still gripping the dog tag around his neck, which served as a reminder of the life she had forgotten. He slowly sat up, loosening the shackles that bound her and picking her up. He took her into the next room, where her comfortable bed awaited.

She trusted him, without a question, despite the fact that she failed to recall their past. She always knew he would do anything for her, and she was safe here.

He tended to every wound she had made while struggling with the shackles. She turned slightly. Her hands sought his and drew him closer.

“Stay… Caleb… Don’t leave me alone…”

He kissed her bleeding hand.

“I will always be by your side.”

V.

In her dream, she witnessed a Linkon without praedators. There, she and Caleb spent their entire lives together, never once apart. There, she was just an ordinary girl staying with the person she loved. When she opened her eyes, reality rushed in with the wind from the open window, carrying with it the familiar unpleasant smells of this place and the blaring sound of sirens.

She got out of bed and gazed at the usually deserted street below the watchtower. A crowd of people were dashing through the neighborhood. Sirens blared red across the block. Another strike occurred fairly near to the watchtower. 

Asteria could smell blood, and the scent of the frenzy was not coming from within her. The shattering and shouting were so close. She knew right away that she had to act. Caleb had removed her communications, but her guns and some LCBI supplies remained in the watchtower.  Carefully armed, she exited the building.

What she was doing may harm herself, reveal her whereabouts, and perhaps expose Caleb's scheme. Yet she could not abandon her neighbors to face the vicious praedators who had arrived without an invitation. She estimated how long it would take for the military and LCBI to come, and it might be a bit late. She chose to act alone.

On the way, she rescued a little girl who had been captured by a praedator. The child held her neck, constantly asking to be taken back to her family.

“Miss, can you take me back to my brother?… Please help me… I can’t find my brother anymore…”

And so she took the little girl’s hand and found a way back to her house. Fortunately, her brother noticed them. He hurried to embrace his sister and thanked Asteria for her kindness. They held hands and ran away after that.

If she and Caleb had found each other again back then, things would have been so different.

She might not have become Hydra. Whenever she went on a frenzy, he would have taken care of her. They would have just lived a normal life, only the two of them in the watchtower. His hands would not be drenched in blood for her.

Without Hydra, things would have been so much easier.

If they hadn’t been separated, if she hadn’t been subjected to countless experiments, if she hadn’t died and resurrected so many times…

If they hadn’t been separated, if she hadn’t been subjected to countless experiments, if she hadn’t died and resurrected so many times…

Those thoughts took over Asteria, rendering her heavy steps. Her head ached. Each scene of memories stained a dreadful crimson came back to her like a movie. They were not clear, but the emotions were so real that her entire body shivered in anticipation of the upcoming frenzy.

“No… Not now…” She whispered. Footsteps were approaching her. Asteria gripped the gun in her hand, alert.

“Are you lost, beautiful?”

The man appeared from the dark as he spoke. He was a praedator.

“Oh, an enforcer? But why aren’t you wearing an LCBI uniform? Where did you come from, love?”

Asteria did not respond to him. She leveled her gun at him, but everything around her began to spin.

“Not an enforcer, huh?… Wait... You are a…”

She heard him say it. Word by word. Praedator.

“No… I'm not…”

She wanted to deny it. She was just a human. She was an enforcer. She was Caleb’s pip-squeak.

“Looks like we’re the same kind. My group is just hanging out in the Southern District. Wanna join us?”

The praedator moved toward her. A moment later, so soon, she was seen walking out of the alley, leaving behind a corpse whose smile was still present.

She was a monster. Any attempt to deny it would simply make it worse.

Asteria departed the Southern District as soon as the LCBI arrived. She left behind the city of Linkon, where Caleb had promised her a home. She headed into the darkness, into the forest.

In the form of a praedator, she ran fast, she left everyone else behind. The more she ran, the more conscious she became. Perhaps this was who she truly was—a monster, a sinner.

Caleb would return to the watchtower and find out she was gone. He would be devastated. He would be broken again. Then he would pick up the pieces of his heart and move on, just as he had moved on after losing her before. She would disappear from his life once more, this time forever.

Little did she know, he had never ceased from being broken.

Even when he found her, even when she was in his arms, he was never completely healed. For she had forgotten him. Day after day, he held onto the hope that the new memories he made with her would outweigh the past, that they would fill the void in his heart. Yet every time she looked at him and failed to see the boy whom she had grown up side by side like a shadow, he was broken once more. The only thing he could do for her was to keep her from everyone who would hurt her; LCBI, Ever, or anyone else.

Then she drifted away from him, like a star in the sky that he could never reach.

He watched the red dot on his phone screen. He decided to miss an emergency meeting. Apparently, someone had dug up a significant amount of evidence against him. Yet, he did not bother to defend himself at the time. Asteria came first above anything else.

He sped after her trail on the screen. The red light flickered in the dense forest and then went dead. The tracker he had put on her was removed.

He would lose everything. He would lose her. Overcome with emotion and terror, he continued to search, and got to her before anyone else.

“Pip-squeak… Let’s go home.”

She was sitting on the edge of a cliff, where a large waterfall nearby poured silver moonlight into a deep abyss below. She turned to face him, smiling.

“You always find me, even when I threw away your tracker.”

“Of course.” He took a step toward her, offering his hand. “I’ll always find you, no matter where you run to. Let's get back now,” he repeated. “To our safe haven…”

“Safe haven? There’s no safe place. As long as I'm a praedator, there’s no place for me to hide…”

“You still have me, pip-squeak. You always have me!”

All of the emotions that had been building up over the years were about to burst. He wanted to embrace her and comfort her till everything was all right again. If she was not satisfied with the old watchtower, he would build her a new home. This time, he would ensure no one would ever find her again.

She slowly rose up to face him. She grinned.

“You should have let me die, Caleb. We should never have met again.”

Her sins would not vanish since she could not truly die. Perhaps this cycle of life and death was the most ruthless curse for someone like her. And she did not want to pull him down with her.

If only he had already considered her no longer existed in this world, wouldn't that be better?

There was the sound of helicopters approaching them, closer and closer. It was the LCBI. Soon, they would have the entire area surrounded.

Even as he stood on the edge, he stretched out to her with calmness. He had already calculated in his mind how to turn the tables; a series of lies to cover up the truth. With his current authority, he could help Asteria vanish from Linkon to a new life completely free of worries. Yet she did not see it the same way as him.

“I was planning to leave without saying goodbye,” she said. “I was planning to walk out of your life in silence. But it would be nice to see you one last time before disappearing. I… I really wanted to see you…”

The sound of footsteps on dry leaves was very close to them. There were about a dozen people racing in this direction. Caleb reached out to Asteria again, then softly spoke:

“Wherever you want, I will help you get there. Even if you prefer to be alone, I'll stop following you. You've always trusted me. What about this time? Let me handle everything for you.”

It was because he would destroy himself for her that she wanted to leave him forever. Asteria gave him a weak smile: “Thank you for always taking care of me…”

The footsteps became closer. The loudspeakers and sirens blended together. It was too late. He reached for her. But he failed to catch her hand.

“Farwell, my Caleb.”

She turned away and let herself fall into the tremendous waterfall.

Don’t go… Don’t leave me alone…

He watched her. Then he leaped.

“Caleb! Use your Evol to get me higher!”

“At your service! How far do you want to fly today?”

“Can you get me to the top of the watchtower?”

“Sure! But be careful or you'll tumble, pip-squeak!”

“I won't! I absolutely trust you, Caleb. Even if I fall, you'll catch me right away.”

She fell. In front of him. As when they were children, he used Evol to keep her suspended in the air, before his crashing body enveloped hers. She was astonished, yet she clung to him like she had done in the past.

If Asteria was no longer here, what was the purpose of the world he had designed for her?

There was no turning back. He, too, would leave everything behind, allowing them both to plunge into the cold, raging torrent that awaited them.

*

* *

In the following dawn, the entire city of Linkon was awakened by a series of frightening news reports:

…A warrant for the arrest of two individuals was issued last night.

…The SSS-level praedator Hydra has been identified as Asteria, a former LCBI enforcer. This is also the person who was reported missing during the investigation last week…

…Caleb, the councilman of the Northern District, is involved in the recent crimes. According to the most recent intel, he and Hydra are accomplices.

The two were last seen at Meteor Waterfall shortly after midnight last night. As of now, the investigation has not progressed further.

For your own and the city of Linkon's safety, please contact the LCBI hotline immediately should you have any information regarding Hydra and Councilman Caleb…

-The End-

[naffeclipse]

Talk about your monster husband ocs coward (affectionate❤️)

Everyone, the tumblr user themeeplord is bullying me (affectionate <3)!!

You have no idea how normal I am about my monster OCs. They're so lovely just let me—ahhh!

Hawthorn is a Mothman monster. His wings are based on the garden tiger moth and he is so fluffy! He has a thick fuzz on his neck and chest and is a warm, cuddlebug. He also possesses bright orange eyes that pierce the darkness and startle the unfortunate late-night hikers or anyone piercing into the woods after midnight.

He has a thing for hanging out in the thick woods near where the MC lives. Wherever he goes, bad omens follow. He really shouldn't be near MC—he knows he'll be the death of his precious little human, but he can't help it. He's drawn to the MC like a moth to a flame (heheh). He's delightful and gentlemanly, but don't let that fool you. He's got a possessive stretch a mile wide and does not take kindly to anyone giving the MC looks or reaching out for a too-familiar touch. He will bristle and buzz, and fly swift and silent through the darkness to chase after anyone to ensure the MC stays all to himself. He is a bad omen, after all.

Grease is an oil demon! He feeds off of fear, literally, and delights in terrifying people in the night. His body is slick and iridescent, and he is constantly dripping black goo from his person. He is capable of shifting his form to hide in a puddle, slink underneath doors, or bubble through a crack in a broken window. He's got wicked sharp teeth, and eyes like a tiger but with a pale, unsettling blue color. He possesses tendrils on his head that constantly drip and a long, slick tail that he can use to grab MC by the ankle. He's terribly seductive and charming, terrifying but mischievous. He likes to say 'boo' just to watch MC jump. Of course, he's not all tang and salt. He's got a sweet side that rouses in a protectiveness over MC. He's possessive, sure, and he's marked his claim with the oil stains on MC's work apron, but he's got an ooey-gooey center of sweetness that MC occasionally finds when he blushes at a stray touch or a nice comment about him.

Calmo 91, otherwise just called Calmo, is a robot. Constructed in the 90s with a box TV screen head to match, he has bright yellow optics in the screen face along with thick wires falling behind his head in a ponytail-like fashion. He is cool and difficult to read but wickedly intelligent and learning much about humans and affections. His body is a thin endoskeleton with plastic matt gray coverings that give peeks of blue, red, and yellow wires at his metallic joints. He's got a mysterious past the MC is attempting to unravel that he truly wishes the MC would leave be. He's got much to learn about technology but he quickly figures out how to connect to the MC's phone for texting, phone calls, and other useful things of course, like keeping tags on where MC is and monitoring MC's heart rate. Useful tools. Modern technology. Living in the MC's house, he gets to spend more domestic time with the human he decided is kind and generous, but the MC occasionally finds him at the foot of the bed in the darkness, his yellow optics strangely switched to red until the MC says his name and his optics revert back to yellow again.

[rjschoicesstuff]

They love blowing zombies up together 👩‍❤️‍👨🧨

@choicescommunityevents

[diamondsmind-galaxy]

(in an AU)

Luci: have I succeeded in seducing you?

Mc: you failed to seduce me the moment you existed

[monstrous-morsels]

Innocent Birdcage Extended Cut [LaDS Sylus Fanfic]

Ever since I moved to the Northern District and became a Special Enforcer, I've been trying to find Sylus again--the career assassin who took me under his wing and taught me everything I know, before suddenly vanishing three years ago.

But my leads have run cold, and just as I'm planning on leaving the city, he suddenly reappears in my life. He's at the center of a tangled web--there's the Praedator virus that turns humans into ravenous monsters, the mysterious biotech company Ever that's behind it, the corrupt mayor, the frontrunner who's just been attacked by a SSS-Class Praedator, Tartarus...

I search relentlessly for answers, especially to the most important question: Is my old mentor now a friend or foe?

Read on AO3

*** This work expands heavily upon Sylus x MC in the Tomorrow's Catch 22 / Savage Overture official alternate universe, including details from both the Innocent Birdcage memoria and in-game event. It probably stands alone decently (as it includes a recap of the memoria's events) but it's definitely best alongside the memory.

Expect indulgent, primal smut and a lot of flashbacks to fill in the blanks of the canon story.

[angelasscribbles]

Savage Love Chapter 39: We Have a Plan

Series: Savage Love

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Liam, Riley x Drake

Rating: R         

Warnings: Mature themes

Word Count: 3,094

My other stuff: Master List.

Naked, and still struggling to catch my breath, I glanced up at the man I’d just agreed to marry.

Liam stared down at me with such utter devotion in his gaze that it sent butterflies exploding through me.

It also terrified me.

There had been no romantic proposal or declaration of undying love.

I had agreed to marry him to keep him alive. Our discussion about how that would work and what it would look like had been interrupted by a vigorous bout of lovemaking when the electricity that always snapped between us exploded, the potent mix of physical passion and intense emotion as we danced around the topic of my unspoken feelings for him cumulating in the physical expression of everything that I could not bring myself to express verbally.

Not yet.

I needed to ensure his survival first.

“Move into my room.”

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea…”

“Why not? You spend almost every other night in here, anyway.”

“That’s true, but…”

The knowledge that the rest of those nights were spent with Drake hung in the air between us.

He rolled off me and sat up, swinging his legs off the edge of the bed. “I’m not asking you to end your relationship with Drake. Just so we’re clear.”

“No?”

He turned his head back to make direct eye contact as he answered. “No.”

I found nothing but sincerity in his determined gaze. “Even after we’re married?”

“Even after.”

“Really?” I raised my eyebrows skeptically.

“Really.” He fixed me with a determined gaze. “We have a thing here called a Cordonian Arrangement. It’s an official codicil to the marriage contract that allows for an open relationship with no negative consequences to either party in the event of a divorce.”

“And you’d agree to that?”

“Of course, I would. I want you to be happy. I want Drake to be happy. I want to be happy. This seems like the best way to accomplish all of those goals.”

I stared at him for several heartbeats as I took that in. Then I nodded. “All right.”

The weight of the crown dropped away from his expression as that boyish grin I first saw in New York appeared. “Alright, you’ll move in with me?”

“I’ll consider it,” I told him as I got up and started collecting my clothes.

“Do you really have to rush off? We could order some food and—”

“I think you know that I have to go talk to Drake now. He can’t find out about our plan from anyone else.”

“Yes, I understand.” He ran a hand along his jawline with a sigh. “Listen. I know this isn’t a traditional love story. I know you’re only marrying me to keep me safe.”

I turned to eye him suspiciously because I could hear the “but” in his voice. “But?”

He rewarded me with that smile that could light the entire country. “But you do love me, or you would leave safeguarding my life to the King’s Guard.”

I felt dismay sweep through me. “Liam, this isn’t some fairy tale where love conquers all.”

“Isn’t it?” He stood and took my hand. “All I’m saying is that it’s okay if you don’t say it out loud. I love you and I’ll say it enough for both of us.”

“Liam…” He deserved to have someone tell him they loved him. He deserved to be told how amazing he was. He deserved all the romance and the fairy tale ending.

“It’s okay, Riley, I get it. Catch the bad guys first. Romance later. Go. I have things I need to be doing, anyway. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

I didn’t have to go far. Drake’s room was just down the hall from Liam’s. He opened the door, surprise and happiness lighting his features when he saw me. “Riley! Come in!”

I walked into the room and straight into his arms. He wrapped me in a tight embrace and buried his nose in my hair. “Damn, I missed you.”

“It’s only been two days,” I laughed.

“That’s two days too many.” His arms tightened around me before dropping away. “Now, tell me about Hidar.”

“I’ll tell you everything, but first I want to know how you’re handling the news about having a sister you never knew existed.”

“I….” he looked lost, an expression I’d never seen on his face before. With a great sigh, he raked a hand through his hair and shook his head. “It’s a lot. I mean… do I tell my mom? Does she already know? I have no idea how I’m supposed to approach this.”

“Hey.” I took his hand in mine. “You don’t have to figure it out alone, okay?”

“Thank you.” He squeezed my palm. “Having you on my side means a lot to me.”

I returned the squeeze with a smile. “Always.” I realized with sudden clarity that I meant that. I wanted to be there for him as much as I wanted to be there for Liam. My determination to leave after wrapping the case up had been slowly dwindling, day by day, without me even noticing.

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but after a brief hesitation, he released my hand and gestured to the couch. “Please, have a seat and tell me how the mission went.”

We exchanged details of our respective missions. Drake ended his story by expressing frustration with Nick. “It’s like he didn’t even care that Rico got away!”

“Well, he accomplished his goal, and that’s all that matters to him.”

Drake looked at me in astonishment. “He loved you, Riley. Maybe still does. How can he not care about the threat to your life?”

“I’m not sure he loved me as much as he loved the idea of having a wife and a family. He projected a lot of shit onto me that was never actually about me.”

Drake nodded. “Yeah, I got that from my conversation with him.”

“Oh?” The corners of my lips quirked up. “You discussed me with him?”

“No!” His eyes widened in panic for a second, and then he blew out a loud breath. “Okay, yeah, I did.”

“It’s okay,” I laughed. “I would have done the same thing in your place.”

He brightened at that confession. “Yeah?”

I bumped him with my shoulder. “Yeah.”              

He was silent for a long moment as he pinched the skin between his thumb and index finger on his left hand with his right hand, a gesture I’d come to associate with nervousness on his part.

“What is it?” I prompted.

“It’s just that there’s only a few days left in the social season and—”

“Yes, I wanted to talk to you about that.” I interrupted him. If he were about to make some declaration of love or beg me to stay, I needed to stop him. It was now a moot point. “I’m not leaving at the end of the social season.”

I don’t think he could have looked more surprised if an alien had just landed on the front lawn. It took him a few seconds to collect himself. His gaze pierced me to my very soul. “I’m not complaining about you hanging around longer, but why? What’s changed?”

“The mission has expanded.”

“In what way?”

“I think we can take the whole thing down. And it’s imperative that we do.”

“Why is that?”

“You have to realize by now that even if we take down the local faction, Liam will still be in danger. Via Imperii leadership wants Cordonia’s coffers.”

“We’ll up our border security. Make it harder for them to get a foothold here again—”

“We have to take down the whole thing. It’s the only way to keep Liam safe.”

“Okay….” He studied me carefully, trying to figure out where this was going. “I’m not disagreeing, but unless I’m missing something, we don’t have what we need to take the whole thing down and he’s going to be in danger from the local faction the moment he chooses anyone other than Madeleine at the selection ceremony. So that’s the biggest, most immediate threat. Taking them down will keep him safe for now and give us time to figure out how to counteract any future threats.”

“I have a plan for that. I know how to keep him safe from the local faction and buy us time to take down the whole thing.”

“How?”

“Simple. I’m going to marry him.”

“What?” Shock flashed across his face, followed by anger as he jumped up from his seat and thundered, “The fucking hell you are!”

I followed him to my feet. I locked my jaw and thrust my chin out defiantly as I tried to make him understand. “Drake. Listen. He has to pick a wife in less than a week! He won’t choose Madeleine. If he picks anyone other than her or me, they’re going to kill him!”

“They’re going to try—”

I arched an eyebrow at him. “And you’re okay with that?”

“Of course not! But—”

“But nothing! If we don’t take down the whole thing, then all we’re doing is postponing it. The Via Imperii will eventually regain a foothold in Cordonia. If he marries me, it buys us the time we need to take the entire thing down. It’s the only way to keep him safe and you know it.”

“We could—” he paused, his expression making it obvious that he was spinning through scenarios in his head. “Or maybe….. If we…. Okay, what if…. fuck!”

Bingo. The moment he realized I was right.

He stared at me with desperation in his eyes. “There has to be another way!”

“There’s not.” I knew it. He knew it.

His shoulders slumped in defeat. “What does this mean for us?”

“Nothing,” I assured him as I stepped closer and took his hands in mine. “I’m marrying him to keep him safe. He’s already agreed to a Cordonian Arrangement.”

The desperation in his eyes was replaced with a sliver of hope. “So, does this mean that you’re staying at court after the case wraps up?”

“What?”

“Surely you know that the moment your picture is plastered in newspapers all over the world as the future Queen of Cordonia, your career in the GIA is over. Have you thought about that?”

“Of course I’ve thought about it! It’s all I’ve thought about since I opened my big mouth and blurted it out!”

“You can take it back....”

“I can’t... and I don’t think I want to.”

“Do you…. Love him?”

I could tell how hard it was for him to ask that question, and I knew that the question he really wanted to ask wasn’t if I loved Liam, but if I loved him.

It was time for me to stop being a coward and face my feelings.

I reached up and touched his face as I answered. “This is a complicated situation. I have feelings for both of you that I never saw coming. Liam seems genuinely okay with me having a relationship with both of you. How do you feel about that?”

Of all the reactions I had expected at this moment, amusement wasn’t one of them.

He grinned at me with nothing but happiness shining from his eyes. “Did you just admit to having feelings for me?”

A sound that was half laugh and half scoff escaped me. “That’s what you got out of that?”

He grabbed me around the waist and tugged me closer. “That’s the important part!”

Then he was kissing me and every question I had was answered, every doubt erased.

“Mm-hm,” I murmured as I leaned into him.

We both moved our bodies closer to the other. His hands caressed my face and shoulders. His fingers traced down my back as mine threaded through his hair. He released my lips so he could nip and lick along my collarbone. I arched my body into him in encouragement.

His phone chimed, and he froze. “Shit!” He rested his forehead against mine as he expressed a few colorful opinions about the interruption and the character of his commanding officer.

“It’s okay, I have a couple of phone calls to make anyway,” I told him as I struggled to disentangle myself from him. “We can continue this later.”

“Continuing this is the only thing on my priority list,” He assured me as he returned the text.

“Don’t let your boss hear you say that!”

“I don’t give a damn who hears it!” He returned his phone to his pocket and lunged at me for one last kiss before hurrying out the door to a meeting that I had made him late for.

Alone in his room, I decided there was no time like the present. I took a deep breath as I punched in the familiar phone number.

My boss wasn’t as understanding as Drake had been. “I understand your concerns, Agent Brooks, but the social season ends in four days! We have everything we need to take down the Cordonian branch right now.”

“I need just a little more time and we can take down the whole thing! Isn’t that what we’re all about? Taking down the bad guys?”

“Of course. But once the social season is over, you’ll have no more reason to remain in Cordonia. You’ll have no cover.”

“Oh, I will.”

“I’m listening.”

I filled her in on my plan. She was less than thrilled with my ideas, to put it mildly. “Absolutely not!”

“If you’ll calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! I’m telling you no! You cannot marry him for the love of God!”

“Why not?”

“You know why not! Right now, the social season is just local news. An engagement will be bigger news, and an actual royal wedding will be broadcast across the globe! You’ll be compromised! Your face will be splashed on newspapers everywhere! You’ll be worthless as an agent!”

“That’s not true—”

“It is true! You’ll be too recognizable to work undercover.”

“Are you saying you’d fire me?”

“I’m saying, at the very least, we’d have to pull you from fieldwork. We can’t, and we won’t, send a compromised agent into the field. Not only would it compromise you, but it would also endanger every agent working with you and you know it! We won’t allow that, and neither will any other agency. You do this, and your career is over, at least as a field agent.”

“It’s the only way to keep him safe and infiltrate Via Imperii leadership.”

“Brooks, I mean it, do not do this!”

“I’m doing it. So, tell the team to stand down. Please! If you take down the local branch, my cover is blown. I’m marrying him, regardless. You may as well take the win I’m offering you. I can deliver the entire organization. Give me another week.”

Barton was silent for so long that I thought the connection had been lost. Defeat and a note of awe were in her voice when she finally answered. “Fine. One more week. I never thought I’d see the day Riley Brooks leveraged her career over a man.”

“It’s the only way to keep him safe long enough to get what I need to take down the Via Imperii.”

“Right.” I could hear the smirk in her voice from across the Atlantic. “That’s your only concern.”

I chose to let that go and thanked her for giving me another week. It should be all I needed. It had to be all I needed because Rico was still out there somewhere and the moment the engagement was announced, there was nothing stopping him from leaking my actual job to the press. We needed to be ready to breach within hours of the announcement. Preferably before.

Fortunately, my impending engagement to Liam also gave me the bargaining chip I needed to infiltrate the highest level of the Via Imperii.

I lifted the phone that was still in my hand and dialed Sigrid’s direct line. She sounded both annoyed and impressed. “How did you get my private number?”

“Did you forget who my aunt is?”

“What do you want?”

“I wanted to let you know that though it won’t be official until the selection ceremony, Liam has gotten down on one knee and proposed to me.” I crossed my legs as I spoke, getting into character. I let the entitlement drip off my words. “You should see the diamond. It’s exquisite!”

That piqued her interest. “Forget the diamond, have you seen the marriage contract?”

“I’m holding it in my hands right now.” I lied.

“How much access does it give you to the finances?”

“Plenty.”

“How much influence does it give you over policy decisions?”

“Liam is still the monarch with final decision making power on everything. But don’t worry, I can sway his decisions in the correct direction.”

“You’re very confident in yourself.”

“I am.”

“I hope it’s well founded confidence.”

“It is. But as you know, Liam is very devoted to the people of Cordonia, so swaying him to see our side of things is going to take a little effort. I’m up for the job, but I need to know what I’m getting out of it.”

I could hear the suspicion dripping like venom from her words. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” I paused for dramatic effect. “If you want access to Cordonia’s bottomless coffers, I need something in return.”

“You’re already a member in good standing. What more do you want?”

“This is a lot of money we’re talking about. I want some input into how it’s spent. I think that’s reasonable.”

“You want a leadership position.” I heard the surprise in her tone, tinged with a hint of awe.

She had underestimated me.

“I do.”

“And what makes you think I’m in a position to make that happen?”

“Come on, Sigrid, there’s no way that a woman as driven and intelligent as you isn’t in the upper echelons of this thing. Do you really expect me to believe that you’re bowing down to someone like Eirik Midsommar?”

There was a long pause as she considered how much to trust me. I had appealed to her ego, and it worked “Fine. I’ll set everything up. Be here in two days, with the signed and notarized marriage contract in your hands, and we’ll talk.”

“Great. See you in two days.”

She hung up on me without saying goodbye. I didn’t care. Everything was falling perfectly into place.

[linkons-most-wanted]

Immediate Disorder - Extended Edition

You can never leave me...

I stand stunned in the doorway. “Why are you here?” Zayne asks cooly. “Why is the heating system going haywire?” Moving on instinct, I step forward and snatch the vial off the table, which he must have used to load the syringe. It’s suppressant—Praedator suppressant. There’s only one reason to be administering that. Zayne is a Praedator. I shiver—but it’s not from the revelation. The air around Zayne is frigid—is he the source of the icy breeze? I reach out and grab his wrist—his skin is ice cold.

“I wouldn’t get too attached if I were you. She has a less than fifty percent chance of survival.” I look down at the little turtle. She gives another slow, pathetic blink. Somehow, in the depths of my heart, I believe in her. “If you keep talking like that, you’ll only make her odds worse. I’ll give her a name, and then she’ll have to pull through.” Zayne raises a brow. “A most curious hypothesis. I’ll have to perform a trial and see if the results are statistically significant.” My smile widens another measure. I’ve also learned that this is Zayne’s way of cracking a joke. I return my attention to the tiny turtle, who’s little more than a pale green circle at this point. It reminds me a little bit of the faded poster out front of what used to be a dessert shop down the street. “I think I’ll name you… Macaron. Mac for short.”

“Wasn’t I supposed to die here anyway?” I was supposed to walk away and let him leave my life forever. Doesn’t he realize that means a part of me dies too? Zayne slumps over in the chair, gasping for breath and struggling for control. He grips the arm of the chair so tightly I’m sure his knuckles are white under his black leather gloves. I’m sick of this. I’m sick of this noble sacrifice bullshit.

Read on AO3 (18+)

[cockroach-drinks-lime]

Vollin Napane

A complete presentation of Wake the Dead mc, for the @choicescommunityevents

Vollin is an inventive young man, dedicated to regular and daily work. Consistent in constantly working on some personal project, either by drawing new tools or struggle to repair a machine. His every day is devoted to personal work; he is engaged in repairing engines, motors, electrical devices, batteries, etc. Stubborn and tenacious over his work. Mostly a mechanic, but will get his hands dirty with other smaller devices.

Song: Firestorm - SIAMES

Personality

In general, he’s tense and hard on himself. From the moment he loses his sister Betty, all his flaws begin to surface: he won’t admit that he’s anxious or afraid—not because he’s ashamed, but because he doesn’t want to hear it himself. He hides his worries as much as he can, but his body betrays him: sweating, shaking, staring at specific places or people. He lashes out under pressure and loses self-control. In battle, someone else almost always ends up saving him. He freezes, stutters, and blames himself for not being good enough. His rebellious spirit, however, still burns—especially toward authority figures.

Background

When they were children, Vollin and his older sister Betty lived with their father and mother somewhere around Reno, Nevada. The day the pandemic started, he and Betty were on a daily school trip, each with their own class. He was very young to remember details of the gory images, but Betty held him in her arms and shielded him from the violence. He holds the memory of a madness and nothing more.

On that fateful day, chaos ensued and the drivers and teachers tried to return the children back to their families. Yet, they never made it back because two of the three buses crashed and the third, where Betty and Vollin were, derailed. Many children lost their lives and only one teacher managed to gather as many children as she could and led them to safety out of the city. She helped the children into the caravan as it headed toward The Tower.

Betty remembers it more clearly, maybe some of the other survivor kids do too, but all Vollin is left is the awful feeling of separation, when the road that would have brought them back to their parents was torn like paper. He still can't say for sure if they are alive or dead.

At The Tower he still socialises with the children who survived the accident. But he could not fit in with any of them despite their common trauma, clinging constantly to his sister. One young man, who once happened to take a glimpse of Vollin's drawings and has since been greeting him and asking him if he has any progress, managed to take the role of 'Vollin's friend', who holds it with pride; and that is none other than Troy Hassan. Troy and Betty liked each other from the first moment; Vollin remained true to his introvert self, though his sister could tell that he liked Troy as well. They started hanging out at approximately six years after Napane siblings' welcoming to The Tower and Betty loved that her brother finally found someone who shared the same enthusiasm as him (because she knew her brother's obsession and passion for creating and connecting wires and gears). Perhaps she was also a little relieved that Vollin was spending time with others and not constantly clinging around her (as much as she could tell, she grew a little tired of it).

As he grew older, Vollin began questioning Blacksock's authority which Betty did share but tried to keep him quiet and not draw attention to himself. There were many noteable incidents where Vollin would spit in the cups of the officers or act disobedient toward commands, getting a hit or two, though Betty was always there to free him of charge —she and her dear friend and later partner Dirk.

When he turned eighteen years old, Vollin was put by an officer with a grudge to join the Scavengers, in an effort to get rid of him, claiming that he did nothing to help the colony other than randomly toying with machines. However, Betty went and transferred him to Pest Control, in an attempt to postpone and help him learn to fight with melee and ranged weapons and become prepared to join the Scouts in a few years training. Vollin didn't know about the Scavengers and was angry with his sister who forced him to train for an upcoming battlefield team, but didn't slack off. When he finished his Scout training years he went on his first mission with the Scouts —not the best fighter but headstrong nonetheless.

Relationships

Troy Hassan

Vollin’s relationship with Troy is simple on the surface, but quietly complex. Neither of them talks openly about their romantic feelings. Neither has been with anyone else, because they’ve never liked anyone the way they like each other. They share a deep comfort, the kind that allows them to talk about everything, from nonsense to genuine concerns. Even when tensions rise and rivalries flare —often sparked by Vollin’s sometimes harsh words— Troy rises above it. Deep down, he knows that if their roles were reversed, he’d probably say the same thing, maybe even worse.

Troy loves Vollin’s inventive mind: the way he finds opportunity in things that seem completely lost. Vollin can bring a wrecked engine back to life, turn a pile of scrap metal into a makeshift table, or repurpose the bulb of a burnt-out lamp into a spice container. It’s not just his skills that Troy admires, but the way Vollin thinks: the spark in his eyes and that sly little chuckle when he figures something out —whether it’s realizing the odds are actually in their favor, or making a sudden connection that leads to a clever, unexpected solution.

On Vollin’s side, what’s not to love about Troy? He is like a walking pre-apocalyptic encyclopedia, always ready with some obscure fact or bit of knowledge from what the world used to be (Vollin could listen to him talk for hours.) He discovers new ways to cheat the system. He listens to others and respects their opinions, even if he disagrees. He is endless with jokes. And most of all, he's incredibly handsome.

Betty's loss has certainly brought them closer together, despite all the crisis that Vollin is going through.

Betty Napane

Vollin often hid behind his sister, who was confident and composed. He was the brains, and Betty was the action. When he was assigned to the Scavengers without his consent or knowledge, Betty managed to delay the process and had him signed up for Pest Control instead. At the time, he had no combat training whatsoever. Over the next seven years, while preparing for the Scouts, he learned the basics of both close and ranged combat. He also learned to keep his mouth shut—to avoid openly challenging The Tower’s authority.

That is, until the day of his first mission, when a single unwelcome question landed him on the blacklist.

Betty always took care of Vollin, so much that he relied on her for almost everything. When she is gone, his world collapses to pieces, and he must struggle to find a way to reshape it.

Dirk

Vollin trusts Dirk's judgment, though he is angered by his abrupt manner. Dirk loved Betty and they shared a common revolutionary ideology. However, a rivalry is born between him and Vollin after Betty's loss, since there is no one to remind them that they believe in the same thing —wanting the best for those they care about.

Later, as Vollin becomes more audible than Dirk, Dirk is shaken and becomes more vicious against him.

Shannon Fox

They share their favorite obsessions, Shannon for medicine and Vollin for repairs. He helps her with the equipment and maintenance to encourage and keep her studies alive.

He sees a little bit of himself in her —not being strong enough for this violent post-apocalyptic world. Though, through Shannon’s perspective and dedicated nature, he manages to strive for the best.

Eli Sipes

Eli is much more measured than Vollin, so Vollin prefers to let Eli announce orders and plans. Vollin trusts his judgment and admires his restraint. And also finds him the best partner for missions.

Vollin reminds Eli of his lost brother, they had the same eagerness to avoid danger, but somehow always ended up in it.

Angel Savage

Although they didn't start off very well, as Vollin agreed to kill her "parents", over time they develop an unlikely friendship. The girl’s straightforwardness inspires Vollin to act without letting second thoughts get the better of him. At the same time, Angel feels how much more beautiful life is when she has friends to drown in alcohol and cry about their misfortunes. It is a way to appreciate the joys of life.

Their shared love of repair work gives them endless topics to talk about and plenty motivation for deeper conversations.

Sledge (and the Raiders)

Vollin prefers to hang out with their motorcycles rather than them, but they’re better allies than enemies.

Others

From all the alliances, his favourite is Skyweld.

Other

Weapon of choice; hand axe;

Vollin is a good strategist, not a good fighter, so he stays hidden or climbs in high places to avoid battles. If a drone comes near him, it is a bad sign and he must move quickly to shove it off. (Also a hand axe can be used as a hammer if needed.)

Compatible weapon of choice; crossbow;

At their escape of the Tower, Betty thought the crossbow was a good weapon for him. He was hesitant but kept it anyway. Now he is using it to assist as a sniper from the roofs or other high places. (Better than doing nothing – would prefer a shotgun though.)

Notes:

Chews on thumbs, eats his nails; wears gloves to avoid hurting his fingers.

Gathers his hair into his aviator hat when adventuring or fighting.

Has an obsession for metal nails and wires.

About the colony

The colony; Thothopolis

The role of the leader

Vollin doesn’t try to maintain a fair judgment, because he doesn’t see himself as the leader. He lets Dirk take responsibility, openly agreeing or disagreeing with his decisions.

In every alliance they’ve formed, it’s been Vollin and his team (Troy, Shannon, Eli and Angel) who have led them to victory. So, when the alliances are introduced to the official leader, Dirk, they don’t show the same level of support as they do for Vollin’s team’s judgment. This boy and his team are the ones who fought to secure the alliances, so the loyalties lie more with him than with the supposed leader. Dirk is clearly stressed about this—and so is Vollin.

It feels like The Tower is repeating itself: one authority figure (Dirk, the so-called leader) standing against the rebellious and risky ideals of Vollin. But this time, Vollin isn’t afraid to voice his disapproval—there’s no longer blacklists and the fear of sacrifice.

Motivations

First it was his need to rejoin with his parents. He wanted to survive for a chance to see what happened to them, still hoping they could reunite after so many years.

After Shannon’s research grows larger, it renews his faith to find a cure for the epidemic.

———

@kokoretsaki you’re a shining star

[adoriels-tears-if]

Sneak Peak of the Day

But I have to admit it's surprising, half-elves are so rare..." The female dwarf murmurs as she examines you. "Tell me, is it your mother or your father, the Elf who wallowed in shame?" she continued, tilting her head to one side.

Your father's name flashes through your skull in a painful flash. Everything you know about him flies through your mind in rapid succession. The words you say come out of your mouth before you have time to really grasp their meaning. Your heart has just burst with anger in a primal instinct. 

They have no right to attack your family, however distant and silent they may be. 

"And you, is it your mother or your father who has made you so ugly!"

Fury fills her eyes as she raises her hand. You're pushed to the side, but not before her nails bite into the skin of your left cheek. Yet it hardly stings, the satisfaction of seeing her like this is overwhelming. 

[chiefcheesecakemaker]

The boys + mcs lock screen

[naffeclipse]

A Tease

Reader x Grease

Commission Info

I am rattling @o-cinnamonstickz for commissioning one of my monster boyfriend OCs and letting me go absolutely feral with this guy! Grease is such a menace and the poor reader must sweetly suffer him. After stealing a break while on a late shift, the reader will run into Grease behind the diner, and one tease will lead to another.

Content Warning for suggestive themes.

———

The customer smiles as he hands you back the black check presenter, his mouth spread a little too wide to show off his molars. You feel the money tucked within, but with an inward groan, you fear there is no tip. You wish him and the few others eating with him a good night. Maybe you’ll get lucky and one of his friends will pity you and dump a few quarters on the dirty table.

As they all throw down their napkins and scurry away, out into the night of Hebron, you step back to the cash register. Feeling the inside of your apron pocket, you brush against the worn and half-crumpled box of cornstarch hidden within before snagging your pen to tuck behind your ear.

With a few taps and clanks, and a little slam to get it to open properly, you deposit the cash for the meal. Stealing a glance over to the table, you find the dishes piled high, the clear cups half filled with watered-down soda, and not even a dime in sight.

Great. Just lovely. 

You pinch the bridge of your nose and huff through your nostrils. Where did the virtue of tipping go? Is it just tourists or is it simply everyone that steps through the diner doors who forgoes the practice?

Such questions will only leave you with a headache pounding away at your temples. Biting back a few choice words due to their rowdiness and the not-at-all-subtleness in looking you up and down, you slip the bill into the towering pile that has collected throughout the day.

It’s close to the end of your shift, right? You keep yourself from staring at the clock in the diner too frequently lest the hands get stuck in one place, endlessly ticking without spinning. Everything seems stuck in time here. 

The Hebron Diner, aptly named after the town Hebron, in which you and this poor restaurant reside, is a vintage theme with black and white photos of old cars driving between the trees and sepia pictures of scenery from the nearby national park. You’re growing to hate the lilac coloring of the tables, stools, and booths, and your own stupid waitress attire is drenched in the same hue. Your apron is white—a poor choice, considering how well it shows the stains of burger grease and ketchup. 

You return to the table and begin gathering plates. One hardly touched his fries and you think the other merely played with his country-fried steak. Only an hour to go and then you’re free to rush home and scrub off the smell of fast food from your skin and hair. As the darkness holds over Hebron and its neon-dusted but quaint main street, your hope for the end of a long shift grows. 

You bring the dishes back into the kitchen. Darren, the cook, seems content to clean the grill while the diner remains open but inhabited by hungry customers. 

“Hey, would you mind taking out the trash?” he calls over his shoulder, never even looking up from the faint steam that sizzles over the grill top. “I’ll keep an eye out, let you take a break for a minute if you do.”

“Deal,” you answer without hesitation. You still need to wipe down the table, but you’ll do that after your break. You’ve earned one. 

Dropping off the dishes, you look to Darren for directions on which garage. He jerks his head in the direction of the trash bag sitting in a gleaming silver can, and you quickly tie it up and lift it from its container. Without another word, you breeze outside towards the dumpster. 

Darren scratches your back, you scratch his. You don’t talk to him much, but your habitation as coworkers is seamless as butter on fresh hotcakes. 

The coolness of the night washes over you, chasing away the heat and stress of the diner. A faint street light shines into the employee parking lot filled with cracked pavement and the remnant odor of grease traps. 

The dumpster is located on the other end of the small lot, unfortunately. The light doesn’t quite reach there and deep potholes collect water and whatever may fall into their depths. Your heart skips a beat, your fingers white-knuckling the tied-off garbage at your side.

There are monsters out there. You never thought of such things since you were a child, but the world became a lot bigger and unknowable, and this town became a lot smaller and strange since you discovered the truth. There are things in the dark that hide with mouths full of teeth. They like to watch you. They hope to follow you home and catch you where no one will hear you scream.

Is your paranoia striking because you’re alone now? The darkness is thick and inky, wrapping around the edges of the weak streetlight.

No. Stop being a child. Heaving the trash bag up with a soft clatter, you grind your teeth. The night isn’t what scares you. You push yourself forward, one foot after the other, until you catch sight of one of the potholes. It brims with dark liquid shining iridescently. It stands between you and the dumpster, and you catch an unmistakable ripple across its surface. There is no breeze tonight.

Your breath catches in your throat before you roll your eyes. A name is on the tip of your tongue, ready to call out, but you stop yourself.

A wicked grin crosses your lips. A juvenile idea infiltrates your brain and you run with it. You set one hand on your hip before arching a brow, staring down at the oil puddle. Does he really think you don’t know he’s here?

Dropping the trash bag into the puddle, you promptly sit on top of the black material—not allowing logical thoughts such as the fear of something sharp poking you or the general distasteful smell reeking from it stop you—and throw the puddle outwards in a thick, black splash.

You recline back on it, hands on your knees, as you shift your hips slightly to sink into what feels squishy and crumples slightly, perhaps old food and cardboard boxes. Gross. You ignore it and keep sitting pretty. Underneath you, the puddle begins to bubble and froth. The iridescent sheen of purples and blues and yellows flash in a way you haven’t quite seen before. 

Then the thought lingers a little too long before it manifests into something searing with embarrassment. You might as well have plopped yourself into a demon’s lap.

No. You hold firm. This is payback. He’s stalked you, hunted you down, and grabbed you. The least you can do is embarrass him with the rotten cherry being a trash bag on top of him. You lounge as if it were a throne.

Then a growl emerges from below you. Goosebumps roll over your arms until every tiny hair pricks. Your heart begins to thump hard and fast like a rabbit fleeing from a fox.

You spring off of the garbage bag as if burned. Breath caught in your throat, you whirl back to face the sleek ripples of the oil puddle. 

The black liquid rises, funneling into the figure of a man, lithe with muscles and powerfully sleek not unlike a tiger. The trash bag is ripped upwards in a grip of indignation. Your gut clenches as claws, iridescently gleaming and dark, sink into the thin black material.

A creature of living oil. A demon. Grease.

Two dark tendrils drip down from the top of his head, the tips resting at his shoulders. A long, sleek, and wicked tail snaps behind him. His face is flat with a sharp jawline, lacking a nose but his mouth bears bone-white teeth. Two pale blue eyes, centered with black pupils, pierce you in the darkness of the parking lot as if he might devour you whole. You’re reminded so vividly of a tiger before it strikes.

“How disrespectful,” Grease snarls, his silky and dark timbre carrying a slight threat underneath it. “I’ve come to see you and you put trash on me. Must I remind you who I am?”

You shift on the gritty pavement from one foot to the other. The candle flame of mirth inside of you is not yet extinguished. A small voice warns you in the back of your mind that you’re pushing your luck, but you are nothing if not a glutton for punishment.

“I know who you are, oil boy,” you say, much braver than you are. “You’re not as slick as you think you are.”

His grin widens.

“Oh?” He steps forward, his shoulders lowering like a cat about to bounce. The sway of his tail is excited, thrilled for a chase. “Neither are you, little nymph.”

A brief burn infiltrates you at the nickname he’s unfortunately bestowed upon you. Your brow furrows as you take a step back. A powerful concoction of adrenaline and confusion floods your veins, interrupting the flow of your thoughts as a primitive instinct to survive takes hold.

“What…?” Your tongue is too heavy.

He tilts his head, revealing a terrible mouth filled with shark-like teeth. Fear spears your heart.

“If you want to sit in my lap, you merely need to ask.” He cackles a heinous sound of black glee.

Red heat fills your face, coloring you in both rage and embarrassment. No, no, this is backfiring. You should have known he would have twisted it in his favor. He’s so seductive and intimidating. You forget which part of him is more dangerous: his teeth or his words.

“Ah, just how I like you, all pretty and pink,” he purrs deep in his throat. His black tongue, oily and black as midnight, swipes over his teeth as if he just found dessert.

Forget this. You twist on the balls of your feet, pushing off the cracked pavement in a dead run for the back door of the diner.

It’s over before it’s truly begun. Long, slick claws snatch you by the arms. Grease rips a gasp from you as he whirls you around and pins your back to the wall. You glare up at him, a breath rattling into your lungs. 

“Let me return your little favor.” His voice coils within you. Your heart beats against your ribs, wild under his devouring gaze. “A little tease for another.”

The sleek tip of his tail finds your ankle and begins winding up your leg. You bite back a yelp at the squeezing, staining pressure from the tendril. A chain to ensure you can’t run.

“I wasn’t teasing you,” you protest, but it’s a lie. A filthy lie that is only met with a sinister chuckle from Grease. 

“Don’t be so coy. It’s not a good look for you.” 

Fighting words long to fly off your tongue but his own emerges from his jaws. Dripping black saliva coats it like thick honey. Your eyes widen. He leans in closer with a monstrous grin. The tendrils upon either side of his head twist up gently and press into your cheeks, securing you into place as you suck in a sharp breath. Your palms press flat against the wall at your sides. He bends low to find access to your neck.

The cool, slick caress of his tongue on the curve of your throat draws out a shiver. It fills your chest and rolls down your spine. Tenderly exploring your skin, the tip of his tongue licks slowly upwards before disappearing from underneath your chin with a cool trace. You gulp.

The fiend. You would curse him if you weren’t half-paralyzed underneath his mouth. Your fingers inch toward your apron pocket.

“On second thought, why stop with a tease?” Grease slips back just enough to capture your gaze and watch you squirm. A threat of blush is bearing down upon your defenses. “You deserve more. A proper… tantalizing…”

He finishes his thought with a too-wide smile and his tongue flicking out of his mouth, closing the precious little distance between your lips. The gallope of your heart roars in your ears. You can’t name the roiling in your middle. It is too hungry, too excited for an oil demon’s touch. 

Still, you lean forward in the slightest, just to catch him the slightest bit off guard. His tail loosens from your leg. His eyes widen, but he presses in—

You snatch the box of cornstarch out of your apron and whip it in front of you, spilling out fine white powder onto the oil demon. He screeches in fury. Backing away from you as the cornstarch latches onto his chest, he writhes and hisses, claws raking at the substance gluing up his sleek form.

“You—! You—!” He howls but all you can do is steal one breathless sound before sliding out from underneath him and grabbing the door handle. Twisting it, you fling yourself into the kitchen.

You twist back to slam the door closed but catch a sharp, pale blue glare, frothing with a promise so vile, it ignites your core into a hot bubbling mess.

Grease will make you pay. But not tonight.

You lock the door and fall back against it. Deep gulps of air heaves through your chest. You slowly push your hair away from your sweaty face.

You got away. For now.

[tumbling-through-deepspace]

The Hunter, a baby and the unexpected forming of family in unlikely places: Chapter Five

Chapter Summary: Everyone, old and new wants a piece of Lyssa.

AN: The song in this chapter is called Promises by Savage Garden. This chapter should have been finished and uploaded on Sunday, but I have a terrible cold that has knocked me on my ass. I didn't get to write all I wanted for this chapter, so it's a bit short. I'll be writing more next chapter. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered by this weekend.

Word Count: 1384 words

Eventual Relationships: Xavier/MC/Rafayel

Zayne/Sylus/Lyssa

Chapter Five: There's a time to play the king and a time to be a thief

The transition from Linkon city to where they are now was smooth and Lyssa was grateful. Growing up after the introduction to Wanderers fourteen years ago, instability wasn’t something she liked. So, being able to provide that to someone else, gave her a warm sense of accomplishment.

Ella loved the bungalow, especially the garden. The pair spent most of their time outdoors; the birds adored the chick, and the feeling of peace was riveting.

However, why for the past few days, did she feel like she was being watched? It wasn’t the presence of a human nor was it a wanderer; there was also no malice or negative aura in the air— no, it was just something there that came and went at any moment.

Others would be nervous or concerned but she wasn’t. When they decide to stop hiding, then she would deal with it. What was important was little Ella not being in any danger.

The little girl was more expressive and outgoing in the new environment. She was babbling more, crawling around a lot and overall happy. Lyssa tried not to make her mind wonder what her daughter’s earlier introduction to life was.

“No sweetheart, that’s not for your mouth.”

She quickly but carefully took a wooden spoon from her hand and replaced it with a teething ring. Ella gave the ring one look and chucked it away, giving Lyssa the most annoyed expression a 7-month-old could make.

The hunter had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing “I’m sorry but that is not for your mouth. That is what the teething ring is for.”

Little Ella gives a shout followed by heated babbling. Lyssa raised a brow “I think it is too early for you to be arguing with me young lady.”

This prompted another shout, hands flaring around and finally a full-blown tantrum. Sighing, Lyssa sat up gently picking up the screaming chick and started humming.

“I know honey but it’s not baby friendly. I know, how about I sing you a song. It’s a classic and a personal favorite of mine.”

Little Ella heard the word singing and stopped her screaming for a few seconds before starting again.

Well don't you know I need a little indulgence? Listen to the hunter becoming hunted Every day there's a million advances Don't be too forceful you'll ruin your chances

Big tear-filled eyes looked up at her mama, the screaming decreasing line by line.

Well don't you know that time is a broken glass That splinters against the wall? But the picture is coming back now, baby And I want to take it all

Lyssa started swaying lightly, patting Ella’s back to the beat of the song

Don't go making all these promises you know you cannot keep There's a time to play the king and a time to be a thief 'Cause if you're making all these promises you know you cannot keep You know time will be the thief and your fallen king will end up alone

At this point, the little one had calmed down and started babbling. Lyssa smiled and stopped singing.

“There we go, pretty girl. Much better. Let’s go inside and I’ll make you a bottle then read a book.”

Jasmin sat at her desk putting the finishing touches on her report. The past few days have been hectic between missions, planning to enter the N109 zone and dealing with her own demons.

Her eyes glanced over to the adjacent desk that was empty, and she couldn’t stop the frown that formed on her face.

Not having Lyssa around felt weird; the two may not be partners but the woman was a constant presence with her sarcastic way of speaking and dark humor. It baffled her when Captain Jenna announced to the team that Lyssa was on a disclosed assignment that would have her away from the Association for a while.

She had so many questions but wasn’t able to get any answers. Next, she thought about Zayne, her childhood friend who didn’t want to admit he had a crush on the woman and was disappointed when he returned to her apartment to find out she was no longer there. The man sulked for a week because of it.

Her phone was still switched off, so there was no way anyone could get a hold of her. Jasmin sighed, leaning back in her chair. The whole situation left her confused.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Looking up she made eye contact with her field partner and friend Xavier. Now this was another individual who had her mind asking a ton of questions with no answers in sight.

Xavier was an enigma, and Jasmin was slowly learning to leave some things be especially when it comes to him. It prevented a ton of headaches.

“Hey Xavier. Oh, nothing is wrong per say. I was just thinking about Lyssa that’s all.”

“That’s the girl that occupies that empty desk, right? Is she alright? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“I can assume she’s okay. Right, you weren’t here for the announcement… Lyssa was assigned a mission that will have her away from the Association for quite some time.”

Xavier studied her for a bit “I’m sensing it's something more than that?”

She nodded “My gut tells me that it is, but I don’t know how to find out more without raising suspicion. It’s not normal for Lyssa to just vanish like that.”

“I won’t mind helping you find out where she went.”

Jasmin blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting the offer “You won’t mind? I know you’re busy most days, I wouldn’t want to impose on your time.”

“It’s alright, I would not have offered if I didn’t intend to help.”

“Thank you, Xavier.”

A young woman entered Asko Hospital; a smile planted on her face as she greeted the nurse at the station, whose name was Yvonne based on her badge. The nurse quickly checked and confirmed her appointment and directed her to the Doctor’s office.

Humming as she walked down the hallways, thinking of the reaction she would get for the shit she was about to pull. Mischief was such a delicious pastime.

The Doctor’s office came into view, and she rapped on the door. A voice called out to enter which she did.

The sight of the doctor sitting at his desk made her bite the side of her cheek to stop the feral grin from coming on her face.

“Hello Dr. Zayne, it’s very nice to meet you.”

Yes, very nice indeed.

A mechanical crow sat perched on a metal stand, brooding and ignoring its person.

A man with red eyes sat behind his desk observing the bird. Ever since they returned from a mission weeks ago, the crow was in a mood.

What was puzzling about the situation was the presence of foreign Evol still present in the bird's body.

“Mephisto.”

The crow in question, gave a side eye and continued ignoring the man.

“You have been in this mood for far longer than the norm. What aren’t you telling me?”

Mephisto wasn’t in the mood to share. The human woman he crashed into was a puzzle to him. She understood what he was saying and only one person should have been able to do that.

Then there was the feeling of her Evol. It was warm, inviting and it sung. Shouldn’t it be impossible for two Evols to coexist together? He had two flowing through him right now and nothing negative has come from it.

It was also interesting watching the human woman. Recently having discovered that she had a chick; a small thing that made a lot of strange noises yet the interactions between the two was entertaining.

Then there was the singing. It always did something to him. His gaze returned to the man at the desk. Would his human find this woman to be a threat? The thought made him angry. Why?

“What has you angry now?”

Not giving an answer, Mephisto teleported outside completely missing the perplexed expression of the man.

Turning toward the East, the crow took flight. This woman was a shiny new thing, and he had no intention of letting anyone else get her.

Additional notes:

Mephisto is very intelligent and despite being a mechanical bird, has quite the personality. I find it intriguing that he has a temper and that he is able to communicate with Sylus. That is why I am taking creative liberties and giving him moments where we get glimpses to his thoughts.