#smooth muscle cells

[whats-in-a-sentence]

This efficient delivery of HP to SMCs, together with its sustainable release from LDH-HP nanohybrids (figure 25.18), enhances the prohibition effect of HP on SMC migration and proliferation, which is actively pursued in search of effective anti-restenosis treatment.

"Chemistry" 2e - Blackman, A., Bottle, S., Schmid, S., Mocerino, M., Wille, U.

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[humancelltournament]

Propaganda!

Smooth muscle is an involuntary non-striated muscle, so-called because it has no sarcomeres and therefore no striations. Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs, including the stomach, intestines, bladder and uterus.

Phosphocreatine, also known as creatine phosphate, is a phosphorylated form of creatine that serves as a rapidly mobilizable reserve of high-energy phosphates in skeletal muscle, myocardium and the brain to recycle adenosine triphosphate, the energy currency of the cell.

[plumsilk]

even after this long it does feel really cool doing intramuscular shots. even still like feeling the needle go thru all the skin and fat layers, the burn of the needle bevel as it makes it thru the dermis, how the density and everything resists while im pushing it in….

[shiny-jr]

▶ damnation [ the praetorian imp ]

– Summary: When you commit a crime, you receive a punishment. This is especially true in your society. No matter the crime, your punishment is the same: banishment. But to where you will be sent in exile and how miserable will it be? No one knows, because no one has ever returned.

– Warning: Yes, this is a yandere thing. Gender-neutral reader.

– Characters: Ortho Shroud, Idia Shroud.

– Note: Here it is. I got lazy and did not check it after reading it multiple times before posting on Quotev. So hopefully there's no mistakes. At least not a lot of them. Now read. Happy reading.

– Pages: 43

– Not satisfied? Try looking here for the quiz to take it yourself and see where you end up banished!

The Raven Retainer   |   The Praetorian Imp   |   ???

Cold metal. There was a slight weight on the top of your skull, like the heft of a circlet. Carefully reaching up, your fingers touched thin cold metal, but as you tried to gingerly remove it, it failed to come off. Gentle tugs become harsh pulls, but that only serves to form an ache in your head as if you were pulling on your hair. Was it some sort of deadly contraption placed on prisoners? Was this how they wanted you to die? By crushing your skull with this thing? 

“Wh– Where am I…?”

As you stumbled over your own two feet, you stopped yanking on the metal on top of your cranium. Fear took root as you absorbed your surroundings, dark and unfamiliar, those same qualities as the jail cell but this was unlike any prison. There were high walls with columns of gray and silver and gold, arched ceilings that were mixes of blues and grays and blacks which almost looked like painted murals that had been smeared across the surface. The floor was freezing like cement, but it was a smooth polished dark gray. With at least two floors, the second was accessible by some wide curved stairs which lead to more of the unknown. Your voice echoed in the space, leaving you to believe you were completely alone. 

Skull-crushing could still be on the list of possible ways to die. Or would your punishment be isolation? Complete solitude was known to drive people insane. It didn’t even seem like a single soul alive was here, leaving only the sound of your heavy breathing in the otherwise unsettling silence. White flowers from large vases wilted, their petals suspended gray and limp like hanged bodies.

On the floors you nearly slip and hit your head, but you manage to grab a nearby column that was as thick and sturdy as an old oak tree. That’s when you caught sight of your reflection in a nearby huge vase coated with a reflective exterior. You were staring wide-eyed at an unfamiliar figure, so odd that it took a moment to register that it was truly you. 

A long black cloth with dark blue meander borders acted like a shirt or a robe, wrapping over one shoulder and extending in different directions to act like a small cloak and cover part of your legs. From your hips to your ankles covered by part of the top cloth, were a pair of black pants with more blue meander borders decorating it. They were like modern day sweatpants and an ancient palla all in one outfit, which you might’ve admired if you weren’t currently filled with confusion and dread. That metal object on your head was like a headpiece, with two long thin black protruding pieces slicked back that glowed a slight blue. Like a demon’s horns. Impossible to remove. 

You resembled a demon with these horns, a devilish little imp. When your eyes adjusted, the reflective surface of the vase was painted. Painted black and browns, like the famous Athenian ceramic styles with figures of black and brick red. Except, each vase depicted a different scene. A powerful muscled figure standing proudly and holding a bolt of lightning; a baby strangling two large snakes; a young scrawny individual training beside a satyr and a pegasus. 

“Get– these off…!”

An imp… you were an imp! Horror spread across your features, and the constant tugging to remove the metallic horn-like objects from your skull served pain stronger than a slap, to let you know that this was no dream. The judges had cast the final verdict, and as soon as you arrived you were destined to live as a miserable little creature to serve a higher being. A god. 

A God of the Underworld, that wielded the deadliest of blue flames and kept all souls contained within his land of misery. A being of divinity who envied his family and others who dwelled high in the clouds of Mount Olympus, so he planned meticulously for years to lay siege to the mountain by freeing titans who would wreak havoc across the globe. Just as he sits on the throne where the God of Thunder and King of Gods once dwelled, the human son of that royal god arrived to face the dark god. That gloomy and dreary antagonistic entity had three main underlings, two of which were imps he regularly abused and tormented. 

Maiming, wringing their necks, burning them in blue fire, those were just some of the torture those imps faced at the hands of their master. You felt yourself fall to your knees in a heap, like a rag doll, by the overwhelming emotions weighing in your mind and the now new burden of survival on your shoulders. This was hell, literally. So caught up with this newfound revelation, that you didn’t even notice the vases become blank as if by magic, wiping the depicted scenes off their surface. Hallucinations! 

These must’ve been hallucinations formed by your unstable mind–– You were especially sure of it when it felt as if the ground vanished beneath your feet and were surrounded by dark mists. The dark and elegant place you had once stood in, was gone, and you plunged into a dark pit. A small plunge, then you fell on rocky uneven earth, leading you to fall flat on your face. There was hardly any light, and the ceiling was low. But, there was a blue flame, a small glow to which you opened your eyes to. 

In front of you was a young boy that looked more akin to an android. Surely, another illusion, but your certainty wavered when it blinked at you. It blinked with its wide bright yellow eyes. Its eyes were like a light, as was its hair made of what seemed like real blue flames that was like a torch in this small cave. Its body was dark and metallic, part of those metals extending over the mouth like a mask. “There you are! I was beginning to wonder if you chickened out. Are you ready to put on a show? Remember, we gotta make it believable, the hero won’t be the only one there! We gotta trick all the humans!” 

“W-What…?” You watched as the android-like being opened up a hologram in front of him, and on the screen of light were various shapes and figures of numerous creatures and people alike. 

Whatever this thing was, its voice became monotone for a brief few seconds as its pointer finger landed on the image of a normal young boy. “Selecting… Loading… Finalizing appearance.” In an instant, a light flashed over him and he became that little boy in the hologram. “What do you think? Pretty convincing, huh? Now, your turn!”

If you squint, it was like peering through glass, because at some angles you could still see the android. However, you had absolutely no time to question it, or the situation at hand, or what he could’ve possibly meant, because the quiet was shattered by the squeal of what sounded like a horse. 

Scrambling onto your feet, you approached the thin tiny opening where light filtered in, far too small to squeeze past but just big enough to peer through. It took a few spare seconds for your eyes to adjust to the light of the outside on this cloudy day, but you could make out high rocky cliffs as gray as the sky. And a white horse with wings, a pegasus, several meters away with two people. A young man in purple who looked quite ruffled and a muscular woman with auburn locks. You blanched upon recognizing the location. 

The mighty hero was said to have fought his first life-threatening battle in a gorge, just like this one. It was a battle that nearly cost him his life. The human servant, obliged to serve the dark Lord of the Underworld, lured the hero to the gorge under the guise of an accident requiring urgent attention from a savior. The accident involved two children trapped under rubble where nearby the hydra lurked. And those two children? Were the two imps who also served the God of the Dead. One imp, you were one. And the other? Beside you now, which explained his matching metallic horns on his head. Meaning the hydra was near. Each breath you took increased in pace, on the very verge of hyperventilating–– 

“Help! Hurry! We can’t breathe!” The android boy cried for help, his little eyes peeking out of the same gap you were peering out of. Even his voice sounded different with whatever magic or technology he used to disguise himself. As the hero was running over and a crowd was forming a good distance away, your fellow imp looked at you and whispered in confusion, “Where’s your disguise? You can’t let her see––”

“Get me out…!! Please! Anyone! Someone!” You gasped, suddenly realizing just how small it was underneath this massive boulder. It was a miracle it hadn’t crashed down yet, killing you instantly like rock squishing an ant. But if the boulder didn’t kill you, then the hydra would. And that was what terrified you, causing you to scream for help. 

The young boy’s eyes brightened up, looking a bit taken aback at your volume before he grinned. At least, he must’ve been grinning, judging by the way his eyes lit up. Pausing his very loud pleas, he whispered in amazement, “Wow, you’re really good at this acting!” 

You were not acting. Especially not when help arrived in the form of the protagonist. 

Instead of a man as depicted in the stories, it was a woman. A woman with innocent blue eyes and a kind voice that attempted to ease the worries of what she must’ve thought were two poor victims trapped beneath debris from a rock slide. Her eyes darted from what she saw as a normal little boy, then over to you. “It’s okay, I promise you’ll be alright.” Those eyes like the bright blue sky, softened with a hint of pity, maybe because you just looked that pitiful and on the verge of tears. Because you knew what monster would come lurking from the gorge just moments after you and the small horned being beside you are supposed to be saved. 

Incredibly, with only a minimal amount of struggling, the hero heaved the boulder slowly above her head with her strong arms. Even though the rock was easily ten times her size, she raised it up high above her head, allowing you and the boy to scamper out of the pit. Managing a charming smile despite the tons of weight she was holding, she began, “How are you holding up? Are you injured or––” 

Running. You were running. There was no way you would waste even a second here, and become a victim to that three-headed beast. It sounded like the hero had shouted something as you fled, and were followed by the android boy still in disguise as he called for you to wait up. Climbing, climbing, you took what looked like a thin path on a narrow cliff’s edge until you reached a hollow cavity hidden by shadows and boulders. By then you were out of breath, heaving, the ache in the back of your legs screaming from all that climbing and your lungs burning. 

It seemed as if your torment was far from over. As your gaze traveled up, you stilled like a deer in the headlights. There, engraved within the very surface of the rugged stone walls, was a mausoleum that appeared to be left abandoned. Its smooth columns held up ledges, and at the very mouth of the entrance was a throne of pure stone occupied by a stranger. A stranger that looked eerily similar to the android that had been your company. 

A figure who sat looking quite bored upon witnessing a mortal with inhuman strength. There were no words, but just by appearance alone you knew that this was the divine god that ruled the underworld. Fire, blue fire, ran from the top of his head down his spine and over thin shoulders. He was covered from neck to toe, completely in robes of dark blues and dull grays. Long sleeves with meander patterns extended to his wrist, and even his bony fingers were pitch black either due to the fabric of a glove or it was his actual skin, you couldn’t tell. The himation, the cloth that pooled on the floor at his feet, was pinned by a brooch resembling a skull. 

Chilling yellow eyes leered down at you, his blue lips pulled back slightly in a grimace to reveal unnaturally sharp teeth on his pale face. Under his judgemental gaze, you felt like a miserable little roach scuttering about underfoot. “This isn’t a theater, and you’re not Dionysus, tryhard. That was major overkill. You screamed so much I heard you loud and clear from all the way up here, pretty sure all those humans heard you.” 

In the blink of an eye, the android’s disguise was gone and he floated beside you. Placing a gentle but cold metallic hand on your back, he eagerly piped up, “I think they did really good, brother!” Brother? The god, the villain of this story, was his brother? Certainly the resemblance was there between the god and the being in the role of the imp. “Did you see the look on the hero’s face, Idia? By my estimations, the act fooled all mortal onlookers!” 

Brother. But… that couldn’t be possible. Now that you were high up beside the god, Idia is what your partner in crime had called him, you were no longer so fearful of immediately becoming the hydra’s next meal. That wouldn’t happen, especially when according to the story, the lord of the underworld was the one who controlled the hydra. But now you were currently more concerned and fearful of the literal divine being sitting in front of you. The lord’s brothers were only supposed to be other gods from Mount Olympus, not a being that served him. What else was different about the story? More importantly, what would he do to you once he realized that you did not belong?

“Okay, fine. Stirring performance. Gets five stars from me. Definitely better than that uber cringe Oedipus play that came out a while back. Ortho, nice, you really played the cute little kid you gotta feel for, and you…” Idia directed his attention to you, and you froze in place under his gaze as he sized you up. “You actually weren’t that annoying this time. So congrats, I guess.” He added dismissively, apparently bored with this prelude as the crowd of humans down below continued to clap for the protagonist that had just saved two souls from the boulders in the gorge. Then, his gaze traveled over to the shadows, on a small cliff where a figure you hadn’t even noticed had been standing in silence. “And can’t forget you. A thumbs-up for the leading guy. Even a girl like her can’t resist you, huh, Meg? Talk about pretty privilege. It must be nice.” 

Startled slightly by the new presence, you glanced over, spotting a slightly familiar face looking over the cliff. It was that man who had been accompanying the protagonist. A fairly handsome looking man with brown wavy hair, in a purple chiton and baggy loose gray pants. Again, there was that modern style mixed with ancient, making you question what time this took place in. But that question was so insignificant compared to the rest of your worries, that it would be pushed to the very back of your mind.

Looking from Meg to Idia, you compare the two faces. The God of the Underworld certainly wasn’t ugly, per say. In fact, he was ethereal in his own unique way. It was more of an acquired taste to appreciate the slight cheekbones, the aquiline nose, and the dim glow his fire blue hair provided in the dark space. He wasn’t exactly the beauty standard that could be compared to a warm summer day, but cold rainy nights could be just as beautiful. 

“What are you staring at? Can you not? Seriously, don’t you know that’s rude?” The god muttered in a near sneer, his gaze unable to meet yours. In fact, he appeared to be looking anywhere but at you. Like he was nervous. But what would a god have to be nervous about? “When I leave home, I’d rather not be gawked at like some freak. I don’t need another reminder.”

Embarrassment caused heat to creep up your neck and into your cheeks as you lowered your head swiftly in an apologetic nod. With your eyes now glued to the ground, you didn’t lift your head even an inch. It was a mercy that he didn’t appear to be a wrathful god. Cruel, perhaps, but apparently not quick to violence. If he was the hostile type, the last thing you would probably see was his calming blue fire turn an angry red before your body became nothing but ashes in the wind and your soul joining the countless in the river of the dead. In an effort to appease him so he wouldn’t believe you were staring for the wrong reasons, you began hesitantly, in a nervous tone, “I-I’m sorry–– I was staring because, well, you talk as if y-you didn’t have that specific privilege either.” 

Because you kept your head down, you failed to see all three of them, Ortho, Idia, and even Meg whipped his head around to stare with their own forms of shock as you snapped your mouth shut. There was no room to question what was said and done as a tense sort of silence settled in the air. 

“Not funny, didn’t laugh. I had no idea the role of jester was just taken up. Last I knew, we still had that position available. Guess I was wrong.” He replied, unamused, and surprisingly not offended. At least he didn’t seem as if he was about to smite you for offending a god. It was jarring how lax he was, but he spoke with bitter sarcasm which actually hurt. “If I wanted a laugh, I’d probably watch you snivel and cry again, but honestly it’s way more pathetic than funny so there’s really no point in it unless I want to remind myself that there’s someone within a ten foot radius who’s giving me a run for my money in the pity department.” 

“I don’t think any of you are pathetic or pitiful.” Ortho chimed in, throwing in his two cents on the matter. To which the god only glanced at. “Shall I search our records for the soul of a successful jester? I believe we may have a few that once served kings in past centuries?” 

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the motion while propping up his elbow on the armrest of the stone throne. “Nah, don’t bother, none of them are that funny anyways. It’s not worth the effort of fishing them out of the river of souls. Once we secure our win, then maybe I’ll consider it when the muses run out of jokes to tell.” 

The muses? Did he plan to use those divine beings as servants once he conquered Mount Olympus? 

“Uh, you can scram now? I know your soul is probably drawn to the company of other mortals like pretty-boy Meg over there and that schlemiel Heraclea.” Idia scoffed, looking a bit bitter. Although, maybe that was his natural expression along with the constant gloom that seemed to permanently linger around the divine being. He rolled his eyes, murmuring the word so it sounded like an insult, “Mortals.” 

“T-Then… I’ll talk to Meg.” You kept your head down both out of respect and out of fear. Even if this supposed god was nowhere near as frightening in appearance as you had originally imagined, he was still a god capable of things you could never imagine. Better safe than sorry. 

There was no chance to add anymore, since a hiss and the screams of terrified people filled the gorge. The massive serpent slithering out from its hidden den screeched as a storm brewed. The beast was probably more horrifying than any creature from nightmares you’ve dreamt, and thankfully you weren’t one of the many mortals down in the pit where they were within striking distance. 

As all this unfolded multiple levels down in the pit, you cautiously made your way to the edge beside the human who served the god, seeing that the Lord of the Underworld had grown bored of the ridicule and decided watching the death match was worth his attention. Of course you knew how the battle would unfold. The hero would struggle against the massive scaled beast, before beheading it, only to be faced with numerous more heads that resulted from each slice. In the end, the warrior would prevail, beaten and bruised, but alive and hailed as a hero by the townsfolk. However, watching it all transpire in real time right before your very eyes, brought a newfound level of anxiety. 

That hero attempted to regain her confidence, but her maneuvers were awkward and unsure when faced with her first real threat. Each movement was just barely enough to save her from the snapping jaws of the currently single-headed hydra. Each swing of her blade met its equally sharp fangs, and clashed like two swords. Watching the scene beside you, was that human, the character that was to be the love interest of the hero. 

Meg watched with furrowed eyebrows and crossed arms, looking both anxious and displeased. So quiet that it was easy to miss over the sounds of people in chaos and the snarling of the hydra, he murmured, “I don’t know what your angle is, but it won’t work.” 

Averting your attention away from the spectacle below, you slowly turned your head to the man. “I’m sorry…?” What was he talking about? Angle? There was no angle. Right now you were just trying to survive, nothing more, nothing less. 

“Don’t play stupid, you sleazy imp. Complimenting him? Of all people? Even I’m not desperate enough to sweet-talk him like that. He’d see through the ruse anyways.” He hissed, glaring at you with those odd violet eyes that momentarily stopped at you, then his superior, back to the gorge. “Heraclea should’ve dropped that boulder on you to squish you like the insect you are.” 

At that mental image you nearly flinched. When his gaze glanced over at that god and his younger brother, your eyes followed. The android boy was peering down at the gorge, clapping his hands excitedly as if he was spectating some game instead of a deadly match. The god was still on that cold stone throne, grinning as he lounged as if he were at home kicked back on a couch. When those otherworldly yellow eyes met yours and his grin faltered, you tensed up before diverting your attention back to the nail-biting action. 

Anxiously you twiddle your thumbs. Heraclea… So that was the protagonist’s name. You shuddered to think of what would become of you should she one day think of you as an enemy and not as an innocent person to be saved. Were you someone to be saved? Yes. Innocent? No, not exactly. Although, if the Lord of the Underworld managed to successfully conquer Mount Olympus, wouldn’t that mean he would bring his servants to that safe haven in the clouds too? All the other gods would be imprisoned, even the mighty God of Thunder who currently ruled over the mountain. Mount Olympus was high in the clouds, it was practically heaven. You would be safe there. 

Eventually, Idia would acquire titans, each with astounding elemental powers and then some. Each and every god had fallen in defeat against the titans, all save for the God of Thunder and his son who defeated them, now daughter in this case. And the only reason the hero had regained their strength to defeat the titans, was because his love, Meg, had gotten injured. If Meg was kept safe, then he wouldn’t have ever had his strength returned to him, meaning he never would’ve been able to stop the siege on Mount Olympus. Certainly it would allow you to be safe and alive, perhaps even served by gods and goddesses, so long as you heed Idia’s every word. And a piece of the key to that future, stood right beside you. 

Clearing your throat, you nearly felt sick when you watched as Heraclea finally beheaded the beast, and the hydra’s body went limp against the relieved cheers of the townsfolk. The calm before the storm. At that moment, you struggled to find something to say. “Is… Is it because I didn’t compliment you…?” Why was he so harsh towards you? Actually, scratch that. It was obvious there were trust issues there, and he wouldn’t be too fond of one of the two that worked so closely with the god he sold his soul to. “Nevermind, that was stupid thing to ask.” 

“Yeah, it was. What a dope.” When he rolled his eyes, that was probably the sign to leave. However, your feet remained firmly planted. Even as he continued his degrading comments, “It seems like every peloponnesian minute, you get more and more pathetic.” With a wave of his hand, he shooed you away with a scowl tugging on his lips. “Why don’t you go join the watch party with them?” 

It was quite morbid to see the Lord of the Underworld and his younger brother appear quite enthusiastic when the decapitated beast suddenly started moving and sprouted three heads within a single second. The duo were raving about something you couldn’t hear due to the wind and rain that had picked up. They remained under the hollowed stone, keeping them dry. However, Meg continued to stand beside you on the cliff, getting drenched with each drop. 

Part of you considered just extending out your arm and pushing him over the cliff, but there was no use in that. Chances are, Heraclea would save him and Idia might not appreciate the fact that one of his best pawns was gone. And if Meg died from the fall, for what reason would the hero then later have to give up his powers if not to save the love interest? So, refraining, you instead unraveled part of the cloth around yourself to extend over his head like an umbrella. 

“... Thanks.” The thank you was hesitant as he eyed you carefully, but at least he had the decency to be grateful. By now, it appeared as if the hydra had been slayed by falling rubble along with the hero, but you knew better. Without even looking at you, Meg repeated, “Like I said before, I don’t know what you're up to, but keep me out of it.” 

“I’m just… trying to spare myself is all.” Your response held a much deeper meaning than he, or anyone else in this world, could ever know. To him, it just seemed like you meant standing by him to distance yourself from the god when the hydra lay buried and still while Heraclea emerged bruised but alive to a rapturous applause from the cheering far below. 

You swore you saw the god’s blue hair spark red for a moment, the flames appearing to wave a little faster but he didn’t make any motion to grab and burn anything with his bare hands. All he did was stand up and stalk off, and you were in no way tempted to elicit a worser reaction from him. Not when Ortho was unnerving you by how he stood still, his brows furrowed in disappointment with a tilt of his head as he watched the protagonist get showered in praise and thanks. Neither of them would you approach, even as a dark mist surrounding the ledge. When it was gone, you and the others were back in those dark hallowed halls from where you first arrived. 

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

Staring at the ceiling. It felt as if you had barely slept, and you had no sense of the time as it was so dark in the underworld. All you wanted to do was sleep, sleep and never wake up to avoid this endless nightmare but all you could do was disassociate. And yet, you couldn’t even be granted that small mercy of sleep. A coma would be a blessing right about now. However, all you could do was get lost in the painted and carved shapes and swirls, silently staring up blankly. 

When you imagined the possibility of perhaps achieving paradise on Mount Olympus by assisting the Lord of Underworld receive an ending of his own, you had not accounted for just how long that would take. How long each venture and battle would add to each hour, how the days began to bleed together and feel like a blur. Especially with each task done, you came no closer to derailing Heraclea off her fast-speed track towards a good ending. 

The Erymanthian Boar was a wild and tameless beast that became the main dish of a feast when it was shot by a bow and promptly cooked on a spit. The Nemean Lion was like a kitten compared to the hero’s strength, even its claws famed for breaking the sharpest sword were no match. The Stymphalian Birds were caught and caged like canaries by the protagonist on her pegasus. Nothing, not a single beast or creature alive stood a chance against Heraclea. You witnessed these defeats firsthand, as you and Ortho were often charged with freeing whatever beast was to be the next challenge in a setting like a city waiting to be saved by the famed woman. 

And after each loss, you saw the same thing. Idia would remove a piece off a large board. Each piece was placed strategically, carved to reflect the appearance of each monster he controlled and wished to obtain. You watched as he flicked off the Erymanthian Boar, slapped off the Nemean Lion, melted the Stymphalian Bird to a puddle. You feared meeting a fate like that, at the protagonist or antagonist’s hands–– 

“Hey!! Guess what?” 

You hardly even moved, you didn’t even make a squeak, all you did was flinch when the face of the android appeared above you. After the first dozen or so times he spooked you by just magically appearing like a ghostly apparition, it stopped scaring you so much. Especially because Ortho didn’t want you dead. For whatever reason, he seemed strangely fond of you, perhaps because he thought that you were whoever you replaced as the role of his partner in crime. Besides, the one he wanted dead was the hero, he and his brother have made that much clear. 

“No––” 

“Meg recruited new pawns for Idia to use! Isn’t that exciting? And these three are super strong! There’s the Minotaur, Miss Stheno, and a Griffin! We think that the reason the hero has been winning all this time is because she’s only faced one enemy at a time. This is a game-changer, trust me!” Ortho took your hands in his cold metallic ones, his eyes shining as he whispered hopefully, “We’re so close, I can feel it…! Soon, we’re gonna be able to repay everything Idia ever did for us, by giving him Mount Olympus. I’ll be able to repay him for creating me, and you’ll be able to repay him for reviving you!” 

That… was new. In all your time here, you had never once heard anyone mention a creation and revival. There was no way you could just up and ask. You were supposed to know this, and play the part. While Ortho was cheerful and bright, there was this ominous side of him and glint in his eyes. Along with his mechanical parts that pointed to the obvious, what he had just said might’ve confirmed it, that he was in no shape, way, or form, human. 

“Yeah… I’m looking forward to it.” By now you knew the drill. Whenever Idia was plotting to use a new pawn, you and Ortho would have to go over details including where to release the enemies in a setting to wreck the most havoc and somewhere accessible to the protagonist. Sitting up slowly from the bed, you slid your hands out of his and used your palms to support yourself on the mattress. These next words, you would have to choose carefully. “Olympus for all that he’s done for us…” 

Ortho paused when he held up your bag, and he slowly tilted his head. He did it in a way that creeped you out, with those wide yellow eyes no longer sparkling so brightly. “Oh, I mean, what he’s done for me. You can do this and I’ll forgive you for lying to me.” 

You stopped breathing and your limbs froze in place. You were staring down at the young boy for what felt like a prolonged hour in silence as the air became thick with tension, but it was only a few seconds. It took a few more seconds for you to breathe, to swallow the knot caught in your throat which formed a bubbling pit of dread boiling within your stomach about to make you sick. “W-What…?” 

“Your heart rate has increased significantly, more so than usual. Ever since the hydra, I’ve noticed your vitals seem off. Of course, you have always been the nervous one, always panicking, but it seems more extreme now. So I’ve conducted some scans without your notice, and I’ve made an interesting discovery. The details within your current profile do not match the previously saved one.” With each word you could only stare in horror. How long has he known? Has he told anyone else? What would he do with this information now? What would Idia do if he knew? Each and every word was like a brick being added to a scale, tipping the balance further until you felt as if your very heart would stop. “It’s the weirdest thing. It’s almost as if you’re a completely different person.” 

At that moment you just wanted to vanish, disappear like gray smoke, because you’re certain that even the Lord of the Underworld’s lackey brother can give you a crueler ending than being swallowed whole by the hydra or seen as a foe in the eyes of the hero. 

Ortho remained still, his head still tilted. There was no blinking, he didn’t even breathe. The voice that came from him was serious but quiet, “Do you want to be honest to me now? We were supposed to be a team.” 

The horns. Those cursed metallic horns, the one on his head and the matching pair on yours, a telltale sign that you were supposed to be a duo. Somehow your hands found their way to your skull, to the base of the horns. No matter what you did, yanking, sawing, thumping them against the hard floors, nothing ever affected them when you attempted to remove them during lonely nights. 

“Breathe.” Ortho whispered, his eyes softening and brows furrowing slightly, as if he were looking at a panicked little beast fearfully curled up in a corner. You hadn’t even noticed you were nearly hyperventilating until he said something. You recognized that look, one of pity. Why was it that you were so familiar and used to that look, but the one time you needed it during the trial, you were shown none? “If I wanted you gone, we wouldn’t be talking right now, you know that, right? You aren’t them, and I don’t understand it, but… you do good work. Help me understand you, and I’ll help you understand us. Okay?” 

Broken. You broke, like a dam cracking and crumbling, the bricks swept away in a rushing torrent of words and feeble attempts at explanation. It was clear that he had been expecting some resistance of some kind, but he received none. You recounted everything, from your trial to now, the fear you’ve felt, your nightmares, the desperation to avoid a horrible end that you were destined to receive. Not divulging into the details, not mentioning the fact that this was like a story you knew. And finally, after everything was said, you wiped your teary eyes as you breathed the final words. “Please–– don’t tell anyone. N-No one can know. I’ll do what you want, I’ll help you get your brother to Olympus…! Please, all I want is peace too…” 

Your fellow imp finally blinked, surprised and utterly taken aback by your rapid explanation and plea for secrecy. For a long moment, Ortho appears to scrutinize you. Who knew what was going on in that mechanical mind of his, what things he was realizing that were unseen by human eyes? Finally, he sat beside you. Well, almost, since he floated in the air in front of you, sitting on nothing but empty space. “He doesn’t want peace. That’s boring.” 

Swinging his legs lightly, he removed the metallic mouthpiece that concealed the lower half of his face. You saw… nothing out of the ordinary. He looked so much like a real boy that it was uncanny, save for the pointed teeth that were very much like Idia’s. 

Clearing your throat, you proceeded, “I-I don’t care, as long as I’m safe.” 

“I like it better when you’re honest.” Placing the metal mouthpiece on his lap, he continued to observe you before he gave you a smile. A real smile. Somberly he proceeded, “Idia created me with his own two hands, because his biological family alienated him. Every other god lives in those high mountains, where they’re so close to the sun’s warmth and have an abundance of treasures! They never work, never worry… but not my brother. They forced him to live alone in this cold realm, to take on the responsibility of lording over the dead for all of eternity. So, eventually he brought me to life in this metal body. Then he chose a human soul to revive just so I wouldn’t be lonely either. That human soul was you, or my friend before you, at least. But I think I like you better.” 

“You… You do?” 

“Yeah! I think my brother picked a really bad human soul. The one you replaced was scared all the time, like you, but they never got the job done right. I like you, because even when you’re obviously scared, you do what you have to, and you do it right.” His blunt and casual manner of speaking, combined with the fact that he was still swinging his legs as he floated off the floor, reminded you that he really was a child. Or at least, molded to be like a child. “Don’t worry, I won’t speak a word about it to my brother. This doesn’t affect his plans anyways. As long as you pinky promise you won’t lie to me anymore, and you’ll still help!” 

When he held out a little pinky, you blinked slowly. Such a childish thing, a pinky promise, but your life would hang on the balance between two small interlocked bones. Your life, on nothing but a promise. Did you really have a choice in the matter? “You swear you won’t tell anyone…??” 

“I swear! We Shrouds always uphold our bargain. Imp’s honor!” His beaming smile could light up this entire dreary realm as you slowly wrapped your pinky around his and shook hands. 

“But… imps aren’t very honorable––” 

“Yeah, we are! I.M.P.– information management praetorians. We have to be honest, especially to each other, or how else will our team work?” Ortho argued, frowning lightly at the thought of being considered a liar. “At least, we have to be honest to our own. When it comes to mortals that are not you or Meg, who cares?” He placed that metallic mouthpiece back on that covered the lower portion of his face, and he stood up from his chair of air. “Come on, let’s start walking. On the way, you can tell me something interesting that I don’t know. I bet your world is so different! Tell me about it, please?”

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

This was your punishment, not from fate or the very hands that brought down the gavel then declared you were to be banished and die, but by Ortho. Ortho’s cruel little hands, who had tricked you into switching responsibilities for the day. Apparently he was still bitter that you had lied to him in previous encounters. What he hadn’t told you was that his main task for the day was to accompany the Lord of the Underworld across the river of souls and to the mortal realm. 

So now here you were, seated so awkwardly and stiffly on the small thin boat, nervously watching the grotesque faces of the dead as their souls were carried by the currents. You could only pray that the boat didn’t tip over, because who knew what would happen to your mortal body if it fell in? It was likely mentioned in the story, but you couldn’t recall exactly what it was.

Idia appeared relatively unbothered, standing at the very edge of the boat as a masked being made of metals and dark robes moved mechanically. The mechanical charon rowed the vessel to the other side of the river, and quickly you grew bored of their slow and repetitive movements. So you turned your gaze to Idia. You couldn’t see his face, since his back was to you. All you could see was his glowing mane of blue flames waving lightly with the cold lifeless air. Abruptly, he turned his head and you saw his side profile. Those chilling unnatural yellow eyes glanced at you with a dull expression on his face, possibly sensing your stare, you quickly averted your gaze away. But it was too late, he had seen it. 

“What is your deal? You have a major staring problem, imp.” 

“N-Nothing, nothing!” Rapidly shaking your head, you looked for an excuse, any excuse. Anything to save you from this embarrassment, or avoid the risk of angering him. You saw his anger in brief sporadic moments, but you did not want to be the source of those frustrations. Not after you saw how he burned those pawns on that beloved board of his. “I was just wondering… what exactly are we going to do in the mortal realm?” And more importantly, how chaotic would things get? 

“Tsk. Just monitor that lamebrain hero. Everyone like that has a weak spot. I mean, Prometheus and Epimetheus messed around with Pandora and the box thing, a bunch of the gods on Olympus got too involved in the Trojan War and in the end the Trojans bet on the wrong horse. All we gotta do is find her Achilles’ heel so to speak.” 

It was odd how in the original story, The Lord of the Underworld never quite acknowledged most of the gods. Except for the God of Thunder, who he held a clear distaste for. However, Idia spoke as if he knew all of them personally, which would make sense. But whenever he said their names, he frowned and seemed as if he weren’t fond of any of them. 

Seeing him roll his eyes, you glance at the charon who moved like a puppet, then back at the god. The silence was only temporary. Tucking your knees to your chest as you remain seated, you watch him as he continues to gaze out over the gray and lifeless realm that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. Idia seemed like the solitary type, and if what Ortho said was true, than Idia would be alone. Clearing your throat, you inquired softly, “The Trojan War… which gods were involved in that?” 

Upon hearing the inquiry, he paused but remained still. How many gods and humans and other beings had he known in his long immortal life? Probably too many to count. Idia remained looking away, as if he hadn’t even heard your question, but he answered, “Not that it really matters, but too many. To call the entire ordeal messy would be a major understatement.” 

It sounded like one big trashy reality television show, except much more deadlier and the stakes were high. And yet, if his words were the truth, then he may have not had any part in the conflict. “And you didn’t get involved?” 

“Why would I? I have zero interest in the stupid pointless affairs of mortals.” Okay, so he was not a fan of mortals waging war or causing conflicts. That was good to know. “Whenever they start fighting, more of them end up down there, and it’s annoying. The only bright side of it is that I don’t have to listen to all their arguing on Olympus.”

Carefully, you proceeded to ask, “So… you don’t like them? The other gods, I mean. Can you stand them…?” 

“I can’t stand any of those self-important deadbeats.” A deep frown dug into his lips, clear hatred shining in those tired eyes. Honestly, you couldn’t even blame him. You would be equally bitter about practically being left to rot, to carry a burden for eternity all while everyone else who was supposed to stand beside you went to live lavishly in the clouds without a single care in the world, while their only worries were which mortals to support and pit against another like watching dogfights.

In a way, it felt like how the judges back in your home cast their judgment from aloft, and you were left alone to suffer for it. Unsure of what possessed you, you managed to ask, “What would you change? I mean, if you could punish them for wronging you, what would you do?” 

Leaning against the curved end of the boat, he situated his elbow atop the curve and propped up his head on his cheek. For a long moment he was quiet, gazing at you with those striking yellow eyes. Tired, he looked tired. And after centuries, thousands of years doing his work, who wouldn’t be? “Make them suffer for the rest of eternity, just as they damned me to hell. Chains would be a pretty good start, to make them feel a tiny fraction of how it felt to be trapped. They killed that little smidge of hope I had a long long time ago, so I’ll be fair and return the favor by killing their little hero Heraclea.” 

Considering his response, you nod slowly. While morbid, his feelings felt justified. Had anyone else been in his position, they likely would’ve gone insane. Maybe Idia wasn’t completely sane in the first place, considering how alone he had been until the creation of Ortho and supposed revival of the person you replaced. What sane person would create a family and a friend for himself, just to try and end their loneliness?

“You just focus your puny efforts on helping me change the world. When the titans are freed, everything will change. You can take that as gospel, or whatever.”  

He returned his sights ahead over the river of souls, you suddenly remember what happens if a mortal falls into the murky depths. Their body is quickly drained of life, draining them like a grape dried to a prune, leaving nothing but a wrinkled corpse if the person stays in for too long. It’s how the protagonist nearly met their end, and where the god before you is supposed to become trapped in complete darkness. 

You watched, both intimidated and captivated as a wide toothy grin broke out on his face like he thought of something funny. He scoffed, proceeding with his words in quick succession, almost breaking out into a laugh. “Those unsuspecting dolts have spent so much time up in the clouds that the air pressure must’ve literally dimmed their common sense and cut off the oxygen from their brains. They won’t even see us coming! Ah––” Freezing, his smile dropped instantly as he noticed your shock and he realized that he was allowing himself to speak more freely. Instantly he cut himself off, lowering his volume back down a few notches. Seemingly embarrassed, he partially covered his blue lips with the sleeves of his robes. “Uh… That… What I mean to say is… unlike them, I actually take others into account. One god won’t take up space on that mountain, there’s room for Ortho and a mortal too. To live however you want.”

That expression he had made, was it possible he was becoming more accustomed to you? Wait, no, he was just warming up to the role you played. Ortho had mentioned that you naturally acted just like the imp you had replaced. The Lord of the Underworld was just growing accustomed to the presence of the mortal soul of what he thought was the human he picked to become his lackey. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less. The god would never care for a mortal, not when he used the two humans closest to him, yourself and Meg, as pawns in a game to defeat the human hero, and the result without that hero would be mass casualties. As long as it wasn’t you being tormented by the beasts Idia controlled or even the titans that would soon be free, you didn’t care. Fate was dangling paradise atop a mountain behind golden gates right in front of you, and you just had to survive long enough to make it there. If only it were that easy… 

“However I want…” 

“However you want,” Idia repeated, as the boat stopped and the charon froze in place at a rickety old pier. Just ahead on land was a cavern with the slightest bit of sunlight flowing through it. A possible path to the mortal realm? “Cause I don’t really care what you do then. Right now, hurry it up.” 

Carefully standing, you immediately jumped off the rocking boat, following the ominous divine being who ruled over the dead. Cautious to keep some distance so as to not be burned by his hair, you trail behind him. “... So… what exactly do I have to do this time…?” You prayed for an easy task, wanting to at least be out of a few mile radius distance from the hero. 

“You? Oh, nothing. A wimpy little imp like you wouldn’t survive if you got too close to that hero. And really, I don’t feel like going through the effort of finding another mortal to work for me. Not when you’re useful enough, I suppose. At least you’re better than the last imp.” He practically floated across the ground, the smoke following at his heels with every step he took. 

At least you’re better than the last imp. When you heard those words, you froze in place, your feet stuck to the stairs. It felt as if your very heart had stopped, and your breathing had even come to a halt. There… weren’t any predecessor imps in the story, were there? No–– you would’ve remembered such a crucial detail. So that could only mean that he knew. Somehow he knew–– 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” His voice broke the silence, as he saw your foot inch back, as if wanting to escape back towards the river of souls. Maybe if you hijacked the boat, forced the charon to take you somewhere far far away from here. To another portal you could use to escape into the mortal realm, anywhere but here with him. The god that ruled over the dead could see the fear clear in your eyes. His gaze was cold, and he was frowning. “Thinking of ending it all here?” 

Staring into his eyes, gazing right at him, was utterly terrifying now that you didn’t know whether he considered you friend or foe. In the stories The Lord of the Underworld practically tortured his imps for sport, what if he did the same to you? You were no brother to him, you weren’t even the original soul he handpicked! You only moved your head slightly, in the subtlest nod. You didn’t want to die, but a quick and painless death by your own hand would be a mercy when compared to the horrors those pale boney hands of him would wrought. 

“Pfft––” A toothy grin spread on his blue lips. The Lord of the Underworld actually smiled, and nearly laughed at your blunt response. He shrugged at your notion, and responded, “You’re not special. Get over it. Don’t even try to kill yourself, because I'll drag you straight out of the river and back here in front of me.” 

That was… extremely unnerving. As scary as death was and as much as you wished to avoid it at any costs, it didn’t appear as if it would become some sort of sweet release. Not until he found you useless. You couldn’t help but notice that he spoke much more… curtly than usual, as if ticked off by something. 

By some miracle you managed to swallow your fear. Perhaps it was because he found you amusing that he allowed you a few more seconds of life, or maybe it was because he really had some kind of plan in mind for you. Which was worse? Spending your last seconds agonizing over how he would end you, or believe he may kill you only to put you through tasks that would make you long for death. Meekly you murmur, “N-Normal people don’t say that––” 

“I’m not a normal person, am I?” When he rolled his head to look at you, you’re reminded once again that he wasn’t like you at all. Far from it. Piercing yellow eyes, blue lips, a mane of fire, these were just the physical traits. Idia was a god, older than you could possibly comprehend, and perhaps wiser than he let on. Despite his blunt and modern way of speaking combined with his lax mannerisms, he was still the Lord of the Underworld. And he could snuff you out with a snap of his fingers. 

Whenever he looked at you a certain way, like he was studying you, reading your very soul, it made a chill travel down your spine and formed a sensation in your stomach that caused you to feel like hurling. You swallowed again, forcing yourself to avoid getting sick right then and there. You didn’t know what he was seeing when he looked at you, and frankly, it was probably best not to know. “If you think I’m a poor excuse for a god, you can say it, you know.” 

Puzzled by the thought that he believed that was your opinion of him, you furrowed your brows, mentally recalling any recent memories that could’ve prompted him to think so. However, none came to mind. You didn’t know whether to reply, or let him continue. Which would bring about punishment. “I never ever thought that…!” 

“Huh…” Standing with his hands at his sides, his shoulders slightly hunched as he faced away from you. There were a few spare moments of a tense awkward silence before he continued, “Or… did you think I was stupid? I knew the whole time. You think I wouldn’t recognize my own imp? Even the one I didn’t really give a damn about?”

All you could do was remain still, as still as a statue. Never had you ever been this frightened before, not when coming so close to the overpowered hero with superhuman strength, or when you were underneath a boulder in the hydra’s gorge, or even when you were tasked with freeing multiple creatures of nightmares beside Ortho. Because yes, while all those beings and myths could’ve caused your demise in various horrendous and grotesque ways, Idia was on a different level. If he so wished, he could revive you and kill you again and again, trapping you in a continuous cycle of death and misery for all time. 

Lifting one hand where small whirls of weak smoke swirled at his bony fingertip, the small cloud resembled the gray murky depths of the river of souls where the dead were the waves on the surface. He continued, while brooding, “When I plucked the original out of the river and revived them, I did it for one reason and one reason only. For Ortho, to keep him company. I didn’t need anyone trying to annoy me, and the prototype was no particular help, you’re more like deadweight since Ortho can do your tasks all on his own. But he wanted a friend, and who am I to deny it? I chose the original’s soul for flat and basic little traits. A dim, sorry, subservient little mortal. Except…” 

When he glanced over his shoulder at you, his yellow eyes glowed dimly and you couldn’t discern his expression due to how the angle concealed the lower half of his face. Those eyes alone made you want to jump right into the river of souls, but you didn’t want to test the theory if he actually forcefully dragged you out of certain doom. What was fairly certain was that the Lord of Underworld could most definitely create fates worse than anything the judges could’ve conjured up just for you. The only thing you could do was pray that he would be merciful. “Please, believe me, I didn’t want to lie to you––!” 

“pLeAsE, bELiEvE mE, i DiDn’T wAnT tO LiE tO yOu.” Idia openly mocked you, even copying the way you would anxiously grip your hands together as if in a thoughtful prayer begging for mercy. “But you did! Lucky for you, I didn’t care for the original. And, it’s a hassle getting a new imp so you got stuck with me, just your luck. Poor sorry little imp, I almost feel bad for you. Almost. Not really though.” 

He… didn’t care? Was this mercy? Or some odd form of it? He made no movements to end you right then and there, not seeming to be debating it.

“I’m not stupid.” He clarified with a scowl, and that’s what made you realize that he was cross because you underestimated his intellect. Were gods truly so prideful? Maybe. It seemed so. And in the grand scheme of things, maybe he didn’t care because this didn’t affect his plans in the slightest. Why would a powerful immortal who rules over the dead’s domain, care for a human? “I don’t care who you really are, as long as you stick to the script and make Ortho happy. Got it? If you do what you're told, you’ll live.”

“O-Oh…” That wasn’t even half as much as painful of a punishment as you expected it to be. Just don’t underestimate him for his pride’s sake, and keep a solid friendship with Ortho. Noted. Those you could definitely do. “Um, thank you so so so much for sparing me your, uh… your most lugubriousness…?” 

His nose crinkled and he frowned at the horrid attempt at a title. “Ew, stop that, don’t be weird. I’m not gonna kill you, that should be obvious even to someone stupid. And don’t even think of calling me Lord, that’s complete overkill. This isn’t the Dark Ages. Just use my name, it’s not like I’m gonna smite you for it. Just Idia Shroud.”

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

It was said that there were five stages of grief, and you had experienced all five since arriving. From the tiny voice in the back of your mind denying the reality of the situation, to the current state of acceptance to which you had no choice but to arrive at. With each passing night as you watched the planets in the sky like stars grow closer and closer to aligning, it counted down like the doomsday clock to your demise. If Heraclea didn’t lose by then, you would fail. Idia would never claim Mount Olympus, and you’d meet a terrible end. 

As you stared up at the planets, seeing they were so close to a perfect straight line, you became lost in thought. It became common now, where you would stare off into space, wondering if death would come to claim you and fearing in what form it may come, only to be forcefully brought back from that eternal slumber should Idia continue to breathe. Going over constant plans and ideas, that led to deadends. Because the hero was destined to win, she had the smarts and strength to do any feat once thought impossible. The only hope brought you back to the original plan, keep Meg safe once Idia struck a deal with Heraclea in which the love interest’s safety hangs in the balance. 

That was the only way. 

“Are you even listening?” Ortho inquired, slightly annoyed that you had just ignored everything he was saying. Hovering off the ground, he floated upwards a bit to be in your line of vision as your head remained tilted up to the night sky. The artificially generated blue flames on his hair swayed lightly, casting a gentle blue glow and the shadows outlined his metallic horns. Tilting his head, he stared at your eyes filled with despair just staring off into nothingness. “Helloooo? Come on, there’s no time for mental breakdowns!” 

When he waved a hand in front of your nose, you blinked, snapping out of that despondent daze as you slowly turned your attention to the young boy in front of you. Seeing his face that looked similar to Idia was not doing anything to help your current state. “H-Huh…?” 

How did he even find you at one of Idia’s temples in the human realm? You had no idea. It was the easiest place to get to, considering all of the Lord of the Underworld’s mortal-made temples were accessible through the doors of his abode. Not that there were many of the temples, and the majority of them were abandoned inside the hollow cavities or caverns they were constructed in. 

Ortho furrowed his eyebrows, as he floated back down towards the earth, now only hovering a few spare inches off of the ground. Whatever he was talking about before you began paying attention, was clearly no longer the topic of the conversation as he gazed at you quizzically. “What were you thinking about?” 

Was it really worth telling him? Ortho had constantly insisted that you were supposed to be working as a team, and for a while, you had. While he was an android boy, he was incredibly dependable. He possessed abilities and skills you couldn’t even dream of achieving, and if anyone could help you while Idia dealt with leading the titans, it would be Ortho. However, who’s to say that you wouldn’t immediately be tossed to the side once you served this greater purpose as a step to assist the Lord of the Underworld in reaching the peak? 

Your fellow imp gazed at you, blinking those wide yellow eyes that appeared so innocent. But you knew what Ortho was capable of, what he was willing to do for his elder brother. Lie, cheat, trick, murder–– and that was only scratching the surface. Well, maybe not outright lying, because he seemed so adamantly against it. “You can tell me. We’re friends, right? I’ve never had a real friend before, besides my brother, but friends are supposed to trust each other, right?” Gravity pulled him down, until he was right beside you, seated on a crumbling fallen column that was sideways on the floor. Small fingers reached for your long sleeve, slowly gripping it. 

“Right…” You exhaled, still debating whether this was a good idea or not. Part of you worried if he could even detect if you were lying, and so you decided it better not to risk it. At the worst, you’d be discarded and had to survive in an apocalyptic-like world once the titans were freed, but in the best case scenario, you would actually manage to succeed in assisting the antagonist gain a happy ending. The latter of which would effectively grant you a good ending as well. “T-These plans you’ve been making with Idia haven’t exactly been working, but… I think I know how this’ll play out in the end. Everything that’s happening now is almost exactly like a story I knew from my home.” 

“It is?” He brightened up, looking downright giddy as he jumped a few inches on nothing but air. Those wide yellow eyes of his that glowed like headlights, peered at you intensely as he exclaimed, “And you never told me! Well, how does it end? We could use this to our advantage in defeating the hero! With your help, we can’t possibly lose! This came at a perfect time, just as we were running out of pawns to use.” 

With your hand so close to your mouth, you were debating whether to bite your nails out of pure anxiety or just clamp your fingers over your lips to shut yourself up. Instead, you opted to dig your nails into your palm and forced yourself to open your mouth. The words came out slow, like the painfully laggard pace of dripping water. “We’re supposed to lose…I’ve t-thought of everything to try and stop this story from dragging on for this long, but we keep underestimating Heraclea. That’s the issue. We forget that even though she’s mortal, she still has part of the strength she would have if she were still a goddess. So there’s no beating her, at least not fairly…” 

Ortho leaned closer, hanging onto every single word. His little metal hands continued to cling to your sleeves. A silence lingered for a moment as he processed your words. “Okay… so we have to cheat…? I dunno…” 

“Not exactly. We’re just… leveling the playing field. Yeah… That’s all we’re doing.” Nodding slowly, as if trying to convince yourself of this. Despite the Lord of the Underworld’s uncaring demeanor and your fellow imp’s rather cruel ways, they were both honest. Idia kept his word, and Ortho told truths. “Right before the titans will be freed, the Lord of the Underworld discovers that the hero’s weakness isn’t a physical one, it’s an emotional one. That… weakness is Meg. So the Lord of the Underworld pretends to kidnap the love interest, and offers a deal to the hero. I-If the hero agrees to give up their strength for twenty-four hours, Meg will be freed.” 

Like a lightbulb going off in his head, his blue fire hair sparked for a moment as he straightened up and exclaimed, “That would work! But, wait a minute, if that’s the real story, then what happens so we lost…?” 

“I was just getting to that.” You assured him, your voice remaining quiet as if afraid of being overheard by any living creature in the vicinity. The temple was abandoned, and they were the only two living things for miles. “T-The hero agrees to the deal, under one condition. If their loved one is hurt, then the deal is off.” 

It clicked in his mind as he nodded in understanding. “Ohhhhhh…” The cogs turned in his mind, weighing the meaning of your words and what was supposed to happen. “You mean Meg dies…? That’s okay!” 

Your jaw dropped at the mirth in the android boy’s tone. Wasn’t he supposed to be upset? Saddened? Did he not care at all for the human they occasionally worked with? It was true, half the time he was away on business trying to persuade other beasts to submit to Idia. “W-What? I thought–– I thought you would care!” 

“Not really. It’s not really a secret that Meg doesn’t care about me or Idia! He’s kinda mean to me, actually…” He sighed, averting his gaze as he murmured, “Mortals are so complicated. I can’t understand them, and my brother says they’re all the same! Well, almost all of them. I get you, and Idia actually likes your company. Which is saying something, because he can’t stand any of the mortals he’s ever spoken to. It’s actually kinda concerning because all he talks about is you and how sad and miserable you are, but he doesn’t mean it in a hateful way. He just says it’s annoying how you get stuck in people’s heads. But we’re getting off track.” 

Wait, wait, no, go back on that track. Why was Idia tolerating your company? Not that it was a bad thing, as it allowed you to live longer than most folk who had ever encountered him. It was a tad worrisome, and you couldn’t help but visibly grimace. 

“All we need to do is make sure Meg lives and remains without a scratch for those twenty-four hours, right? That’s easy enough! We can knock him out cold or have Cerberus watch over him. Either way, with us on watch, it won’t really matter! We’ll be free!” 

You watch him yell with glee as he jumps high into the air, until he is several stories in the sky as he laughs. What a sight this would have been to any other mortal nearby, who may have had the misfortune of stumbling across two imps at the abandoned shrine of their master. When he began to plummet back to earth instead of gracefully floating back down, you nearly stumbled on your own two feet with your arms automatically outstretched to try and catch him. 

Just before you could trip and fall flat on your face, his hands caught your sleeve and prevented you from taking a nasty fall. He remained hovering off the ground, as per usual. Those brilliant blinding eyes gazed at yours as he exclaimed, “We’ll finally be happy! Idia and me, and now you! We can make history, you’ll be the first mortal to ever live on Mount Olympus! Isn’t that great? Of course, if the air pressure becomes an issue affecting your breathing pattern, I’m sure Idia would be glad to come up with a solution. He really liked your company when you two went to observe our target, you know. He won’t admit it, but I think you being there helped him calm down when Heraclea stopped the eruption at the volcano.” 

“Uh, well––” 

“Oh! You know what I want to do as soon as we get to Olympus?” Times like these when he jumped from topic to topic so eagerly, and remained so high in spirits is what reminded you that he was supposed to be child-like. It was easy to see him as an innocent youth, if you ignored the disturbing things he said every now and then. “I heard that Hermes has some really cool accessories. We should take them! And don’t forget Ares! I’ve always wanted to see his helmet and hold the legendary sword he wields! There’s so many things we can do once we’re up there, and we’ll have all the time in the world! And––” 

All you could think of as your fellow imp blabbered on and on about relics he wished to steal from other gods and how he planned to spend his time having fun with his brother and yourself, was that you really just put your entire existence in his little metal hands. Only one sentence ran through your mind as you stared slack-jawed at him.

I’m going to fucking die…

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

They were right on track towards the implosion of destined failure, but all it would take would be one sharp turn, and unexpected change, to send them veering off course. It was surprisingly easy for Ortho to convince Idia to send out Meg on a quest to find Heraclea���s weakness. Although you knew the answer already, and by extension so did Ortho, Idia did not. And you were not about to tell him your whole life story and how you knew details that others should not know of this world and those living in it. 

Now it was only a matter of waiting, waiting for the confirmation to arrive that Meg was the key to the hero’s destruction. To occupy the hours, you looked upon a scroll Ortho had brought along to the mortal realm. Seated atop the roofs of grand estates to avoid being seen and questioned, it was the perfect spot as the duo of imps were to await further instruction from the god. 

On the scroll you held, were various faces of monstrous beasts. Titans. The ones that stood out the most, were the four at the very bottom, with a fifth not too far behind. Those you recognized, and would be the ones to lay siege on Mount Olympus: Lythos, Hydros, Pyros, Stratos, and Arges. The last of which would be the one to kill the hero while she was in her weakened state. 

“This one… This one-eyed freak is the one we send to kill Heraclea.” You point out the image of the cyclops, able to distinguish it from the other titans. Unlike the others composed purely of the four elements, this titan was several tons of pure mass. A creature of unnatural proportions and unrivaled size, which would serve as a worthy opponent to the hero when she didn’t have her superhuman strength to protect her. 

Ortho gazed at the scroll, paying no mind to the garden below where Meg was eventually supposed to emerge with knowledge of Heraclea’s weakness. Focusing his optic sensors on the simple painted image of the titan Arges, he was still in thought before nodding in approval. “It’s true that Arges is a worthy titan with the capability of wrecking havoc and killing numerous humans, but why him specifically? If the hero won in the story as you said, wouldn’t we want a different titan? I believe that Pyros would be most effective! His elemental body composed primarily of lava will easily burn through human flesh.” 

“Well, yes… That’s a very vivid way of thinking about it.” How in depth was Ortho picturing the death of the hero? It almost seemed as if he wanted to send the most destructive of them all just to cause her more suffering, even if his way of thinking was logical. You shook the image out of your mind as you explained meekly, “Arges comes close to killing the hero. If he had taken things seriously instead of treating it as a game and delaying death, he would’ve won. But he didn’t, because he was toying with his victim… and because the hero’s trainer returned to their aid in those last moments.”

Either way, you were damning a person, a good person, to a horrible death. It wouldn’t be swift or painless, and far from merciful. The titans would have centuries of pent-up rage to release violently, and if miraculously Arges was defeated, Ortho wouldn’t allow the protagonist to slip away with their life. The imp beside you was far from the helpless little devils that appeared in the story, he could be just as lethal as his elder brother. And yet, despite the guilt you could feel slowly building up the more you thought about it, the more often you repeated to yourself: she wasn’t real. If you could fully convince yourself of that, that despite her bright blue eyes and smile as warm as sunshine, she was just a character from a story, then the guilt of her approaching death wouldn’t faze you too much. 

The dangers in this world were real, the enemies were real, Ortho was real, Idia was real. She was not. Even if that felt like a lie, it was a lie, it didn’t matter. If you thought of her as a simple pawn in a game, then the burden of your sin wouldn’t be able to permeate throughout your consciousness. It was just like flicking a piece off a board. It was that simple. Because it was either her, or you. The choice was obvious. 

As Ortho peered down at you with his big bright eyes, he continued floating in the air as he inquired, “Hey, hey, when we get there, I call dibs on Ares’ helmet and sword. You can have Hermes’ stuff, okay?” 

“That’s fine with me…” Frankly, you didn’t care for tinted glasses, legendary swords, or the helmet of a god. 

In the midst of their conversation and planning, a swirling cloud of mist like a portal appeared a few feet away. From it, came the familiar voice of the god, “Imps, time’s almost up.” 

Going through the cloud was one experience you could never quite get accustomed to. It felt like you couldn’t breathe, like a cold dead wind knocked the air out of your lungs as it transported you to a new location each and every time. This time, the destination was a place directly outside of a largely empty colosseum underneath gray skies that was bound to brew a storm. 

“Meg is out of commission, he got too soft. But, he’s there to lure his little hero. Humans are so predictable, so naive, no offense.” Idia’s gaze traveled over to you, only offering a half-hearted shrug and a crooked small grin as a weak apology, if it could even be deemed an apology at all. 

To which you nodded, not really affected by his choice of words. “None taken.” 

“Ortho, you take care of the pegasus and the satyr. Will you?” The immortal lord’s yellow eyes darted over to his brethren, the young imp straightening in attention upon hearing new commands. “Clip its wings, do whatever you have to, I don’t care what it is. I want them out of the way. Join us whenever you’re done.” 

“Understood!” Ortho chirped, watching as his elder brother turned away to slowly walk towards the colosseum. Your fellow imp’s eyes met yours and he must’ve remembered your warning of the impact the satyr could have on the plot, because he used his ability to generate a holographic disguise of the satyr over himself. With one swift slicing motion over his neck, his head rolled to the side in a disgustingly almost realistic spillage of blood before the holographic flickered off. The imp winked at you, far too cheerful for someone planning to commit murder in the next upcoming minutes. In the next moment, he was gone through a cloud of black smog. 

The gruesome image was stuck in your mind as you were left to follow the Lord of the Underworld, jogging to catch up with him and walk at his side as he approached the coliseum. The closer and closer you got to the towering arena, the more the thought dwelled at the forefront of your mind. You would be responsible for not one death, not just extinguishing the burning bright protagonist, but others. Not just Meg, or the satyr, or the pegasus, but countless other souls. Who knew how many mortals the titans would crush, freeze, burn, shred to bits and pieces? So many lives all to save yours. 

Just remember, it was a story. They were just fictional characters, they didn’t even have any relevance to the plot. Background characters whose faces and voices blurred together, whose names would go unheard. That’s all they were. 

“Hey. You nervous or something?” 

Immediately you were yanked out of your intense train of thought, as if pulled out from beneath the surface of water. The god seemed to have picked up on the nervous tics and the grimaces on your face.

“You look like you’re gonna puke… Cut it out. I’m the one who should be nervous, seriously.” 

Gripping the fabric of your clothing to prevent any unnecessary movement, you swallowed thickly and nodded stiffly. Just walk. All you had to do was walk beside him, act as an escort and keep up with him when approaching the towering open entrances to the largely abandoned coliseum where one could faintly pick up on the sound of clanging metal dumbbells in a steady rhythm. 

“Sorry…” You choke out, suppressing any sort of queasy sensation. Think of golden gates and feather-stuffed clouds softer than any tempur-pedic, not the destruction and trail of blood that would lead to paradise at the peak. “Just–– the hero we’re walking towards can probably crush my skull between her biceps without even really trying. And, I kinda prefer my skull intact, you know?” 

“No, I don’t know.” Idia rolled his eyes, seemingly not very much in agreement. Then again, he had little to fear when it came to actually being harmed. Yes, Heraclea could do some damage to him, but he couldn’t die. He was immortal. 

The pair stopped at the arching entranceway moments before entering the threshold. 

“You know what I do know? Rumors.” Of course he knew things. Ortho constantly kept him up to date on the latest happenings, and of course his pawn that fit in best with other mortals, Meg, had kept him informed about anything important in the mortal lands. “A certain little bird told me something interesting before he turned traitor. That a strapping gal, who, I dunno, rides a pegasus and listens to a satyr, has been on the lookout for a small kinda pathetic-looking mortal with horns. Turns out that your crying face made a crying mark on her from that day in the gorge.” 

She knew you. You didn’t know whether to cry or scream. What was worse? The hero with the strength of a thousand suns or the god that reigned over the dead? 

The god. The god was easily the most frightening one, you decided as you realized that Idia was staring at you intensely again. It caused your breath to stop, your hairs standing on end. The immortal looked as if he just wanted to smite you right then and there, reducing you to nothing but ash. For something that was beyond your control. 

“I have got to say, you have this talent, a curse, and it makes me want to literally just––” Idia tightly clenched his fist, pursing his blue lips as he decided against going into detail. To simply put it, words like crush, tear, destroy, or pulverize into atoms would not be able to adequately put his thoughts into words. “Turns out, it’s not just me that notices. You have this strange agonizing little ability to just… worm your way into someone’s mind, and not stop. It festers like an open wound. Infecting it, making the thoughts grow more and more, worse and worse, increasing every day.”

In your seconds of stunned and petrified silence, Idia peered down at you. 

His eyes glowed in the shadows under the stone arches. The smoke at his feet brushing against your legs like tendrils of gray wisps. Abruptly he remarked, “I think I finally realized why I find you so annoying.” 

“What––” 

“You’re used to death and choose the logical routes that are deemed as heartless. Maybe in your previous life you were seen as odd and somewhat of an outcast, like us.” 

Previous life. What exactly did he mean by that? How much exactly did he know, but chose not to explicitly state? Was he assuming you had a previous life here in his plane of existence, this story? Or did he somehow know that you once had a life elsewhere, before being damned into this role by trial? 

Slowly your eyes traveled over to him, only to see that he was already glancing down at you with those glowing yellow eyes. The eyes of death himself. Unsmiling, unfeeling, unstable. The breath of life was frozen in your throat as he tilted his head slowly to one side, his gaze never leaving yours, not blinking even once. “Do you blame yourself?” 

“H-Huh…?” 

“Well, it’s common for you simple mortals in this type of situation you’re in to feel a type of guilt, before and after what has been done.” The number of mortal souls he must’ve seen of the damned were immeasurable. The good, the bad, the worst. All of it he had witnessed. Guilt. Was that what you were feeling now, at the thought of sacrificing others for your own survival as you manipulate the story? 

The breath lodged in your throat escaped like a short stifled gasp. “I… I don’t––” 

“I see it all the time, you’re no exception.” Idia turned to face you fully. The Lord of the Underworld was looking down at you, the smoke at his feet curling around your legs. It was cold lifeless air, sending a chill from your toes all the way to your neck. Those eyes felt like the worst pair of eyes in the entire world–– no, the entire universe. It felt like he could read you inside out, deciphered every bit of your soul like code. “Mortals will invent blame, trying to shove the burden on others and create an excuse. When in reality…” 

Reality. This was reality now, at least for you. A reality you had attempted to shape into your will, into a satisfactory ending where things would be carefree in a heavenly paradise above the clouds. And yet… what did it cost? Lives? What did that matter? But a portion of your sanity. 

“It’s completely out of your control.” 

The Lord of the Underworld returned his sights ahead, to where he would encounter the beloved daughter of the god who damned him to an eternity of drudgery in the most secluded realm in this plane of existence. As he walked, it felt like his fleeting wisps of smoke lingering after each footstep, compelled her forward. 

Just before the shadows of the arching columns ended, they stopped on the edge of darkness where they could watch. Straight ahead was Heraclea, her back turned to them. She was lifting a bar with huge thick metal weight plates that likely each weighed about the same as a house, yet she so effortlessly lifted them up and down with the same hands that strangled the most fearsome beasts to death.

Idia stood close at your side, keeping his fingers folded in front of him as he stood slightly slouched, watching the hero with utter disdain before his gaze traveled to you out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t move his head. Instead of that same type of hateful loathing he felt towards the protagonist, he looked at you with something else, something less evil and more gentler but equally as chilling. 

In an instant, he was gone in a puff of smoke, his voice seeming to echo all around you and even within the confines of your skull. Low and quiet, but haunting. “You know you were never in control, right?” 

You were never in control. 

You could only watch almost lifelessly as Idia appeared in front of the protagonist. Everyone, everything, began to sound so far away. The crackling fire of the torches on the wall, the voice of the suspicious immortal and wary mortal in the distance, the low howling of the wind beginning to pick up, each one fell on deaf ears. 

That one parting line, just five words, made you question everything that you had worked for thus far. Again, there was the question: how much Idia know? Have you been played for a fool? For all your days here, you had been through hell and back, quite literally, doing his bidding in the hopes to exploit the situation and create an ending that suited your preferences. Had he known this, or was it his choice of words messing with your unstable mind? Just as he insinuated that your presence was permeating throughout his mind, this god was driving you mad! 

The plot appeared to be progressing as intended, the Lord of the Underworld attempting to trick the Hero into a deal they could not refuse. When Idia snapped his dark bony fingers, instead of seeing plum colored garbs and wavy brown locks of Meg, you felt that dreadful sensation of the cold dead wind knocking the air out of your lungs as you suddenly found yourself thrust into the spotlight of the center colosseum. 

All eyes, the two pairs in the vicinity, were on you. You felt yourself go pale. There was a reason Idia had mentioned the fact that the hero knew you existed, and this was it. It was a warning, a hint to his plans. Somehow, someway, the hero cared, and it should have never happened. Why wasn’t Meg here instead? 

The hero’s bright blue eyes sparked to life with familiarity. Any mild irritation she expressed while interacting with the immortal were quickly dashed and replaced by genuine concern. “It’s you––” 

Immediately your gaze traveled to the Lord of the Underworld, who appeared irked by the mere presence of the protagonist that has gotten in the way of his every attempt. Idia hardly even looked at you, even as the words came rushing out past your lips, “This wasn’t––” 

Those cold wisps of smoke gathered, materializing into a rope-like object that restricted your movements. It binds your wrists together, covering your mouth to prevent any sort of noise from leaving your throat. 

This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Why was this happening? 

Just before you could hit the dirt ground, the hero’s warm hands inches away from your flesh as she extended her arms out to catch you–– snap! The snap of Idia’s fingers caused that dreaded cold lifeless air to hit you like a slap as you were whisked away from strong safe arms. 

For a few sparse seconds, you were in complete and utter darkness. It was cold. Just you and your thoughts, with one more prominent than others: Idia had used you. Toying with you like one of the pawns on his board, pinning you against the unbeatable foe he was currently facing. The god utilizing you as if you were the secret ace up his sleeve, but why? What was stopping Heraclea from decimating you just as she had to his other pawns? 

Again, you heard the snap, and you were back in the colosseum. Rapidly you scanned your surroundings, growing more and more disorientated with each snap of his fingers that tossed you back and forth from space to space until you couldn’t tell right from left. What you could still detect was the solid surface beneath you, like those uncomfortable rigid stone benches where the audience would spectate the bloody battles. 

“–– that’s the trade off. You give up your strength for twenty-four hours, specifically the next twenty-four hours, and the mortal you’ve been looking for is as free as a bird.” Idia prattled on, speaking quite rapidly whether out of habit, out of the jitters, or due to the time-crunch, but it could’ve been all three fueling his fast-talk. “I mean, you do want them safe, don’t you? That’s the mortal you’ve been looking for, isn't it? The one you’ve spotted in multiple cities, right? Sorta small and meek, the distinct horn-things they got going on there, sad little face, kinda hard to miss ‘em.” 

Heraclea had been looking for you. The hero had spotted you in cities–– and the only time you were in civilization was when you were tasked to set up the disasters and accidents that the hero would come to face. Were you sloppy and was this accidental, an opportunity the Lord of the Underworld decided to take full advantage of? Or was this always his intention from the very beginning? 

How many times had Heraclea spotted you to grow attached, at least enough to the extent that Idia felt he could safely bet on the hero risking her divine strength to spare you? Each moment flashed through your mind, as you dashed through alleyways and backroads, with the help of Ortho, each time setting off a disaster or a beast to challenge the hero. While Ortho had his strange metallic body which levitated and his holograms to disguise himself, you only had your own two legs to run and a cloak to conceal yourself. How many of those times of sneaking past corners, weaving through crowds, disappearing behind buildings, had Heraclea seen? So engrossed in these thoughts, that you practically missed the intense verbal exchange between the two. 

While Heraclea was naive, she wasn’t downright stupid, and Idia merely wanted this to hurry along to remain on schedule. 

“––What do you owe these mortals, hm? This is the mortal you’ve wanted to save! Them and their sorry eyes.” In one swift movement, Idia was beside you, his thin fingers forcing you to look straight at the protagonist. 

You couldn’t scream, you couldn’t yell, you couldn’t cry. How different would this have turned out, if instead, you had risked turning to Heraclea for help in the very beginning? 

Those blue eyes, the kindest blue eyes in the world, peered at you from afar. Was that pity in her eyes as she looked at you? 

The god pinched your cheeks between your fingers, as he made you look at her. Really look at her, the woman which you were planning to sacrifice to save your own skin. The woman who was currently contemplating on saving you at her own expense, even if she had no idea that you had aided in the countless attempts to kill her thus far. It’s like Idia wanted you to really get a good look of her before she was gone. “Are you for real going to look straight at that miserable little face and say no? I mean, talk about a letdown. I thought you cared for them––” 

“Stop it!” Cutting him off, the hero’s soft gaze at you turned to frown once she focused on the pale immortal. It only took one second. Just one second for her to cave, just as what was intended. You feared being labeled as an enemy by her, but apparently, Idia did not feel the same sort of trepidation. “Swear. Swear that they’ll be safe from any harm.” 

Finally letting go, Idia shrugged nonchalantly as he slowly approached Heraclea. He didn’t plan on harming them anyways. This worked out even better than what was imagined. Now, there was absolutely no use for Meg, no need to keep him from harm when it was his own imp that had to be shielded. An imp that risked the lives of others to keep themself safe, and an imp that the Lord of the Underworld wouldn’t allow any harm to befall. “Yeah, fine, whatever. This mortal here remains safe, otherwise you get your strength right back. Everyone goes home happy. M’kay, deal?” 

As soon as he outstretched his pale hand, his black-tinted fingers reaching forward, Heraclea eyed his appendage with suspicion. As if she half expected the black on his fingertips to be some sort of deadly poison that would infect her as soon as she touched his hand. Her blue eyes glanced at you for a brief moment. 

“Hey, you hear me? Look, you wouldn’t get it, but I’m on a schedule. I need an answer, like, now.” For a flash, a quick moment, his normally calm blue mane appeared to spark red and flicker higher and further across his shoulders.

Again, the hero looked at you. For all she knew, you were an innocent soul held hostage by a god. Yet you were far from innocent. 

“Going once.” 

You were watching the valiant woman practically seal her certain doom.

“Going twice––” 

A fate in which you helped form and doing nothing to stop it. 

“Alright…!” Heraclea looked at her own calloused hand with apprehension, but thrust it forward before any hesitation could kick in. 

As soon as their hands connected, Idia gave an eager toothy grin. You could only watch as the life and energy was practically drained out of the hero as she sank slowly to her knees like being pulled down by intense crushing gravity. As soon as they let go, it was like seeing the color fade from her. Her healthy glowing tan was reduced to an ashy almost-gray hue, her eyes dimmed as they lost their spark of energy, and she could barely even stand on her own two feet. 

Idia no longer held any regard for the now simple mortal, not even sparing her so much as a glance as a wave of his fingers caused the hefty weight she had been training with, to float before crashing against her, practically tossing her to the other side of the colosseum. 

You had no idea if she were alive or dead, or nearly dead but left just breathing to receive torment from the titans that would be released only momentarily. There wasn’t even any time to ask or to check her pulse, as Idia snapped and suddenly your restraints dissipated into thin air. 

“See, didn’t I tell you, you get into people’s heads?” He remarked far too casually. With another snap, there was chariot-like contraption summoned. 

You couldn’t tear your eyes away from the rubble the hero had landed in. You waited, searching, anticipating some sort of movement. A sign of life. 

“Don’t look at her anymore.” Upon seeing this, Idia frowned deeply. The tips of his fiery hair sparked warm hues, the flames growing taller and casting longer shadows. “Why are you still looking at her?” A final movement of his hand had his fingers land on your chin, keeping your head in place so his glowing eyes were peering right down at you. The worst eyes in the world. “Don’t wanna be late now, after all our hard work. If there’s anything left of Heraclea, we’ll have the titans handle the remains so there won’t even be bones to bury. You wanted this, didn’t you? Don’t let the guilt eat you alive now, not when you knew what you were getting into. Usually I’m the downer, but I don’t get why you look so shocked. I’m granting you a front row seat to this cosmic takeover biz, my Puny Little Imp.”

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

MUNCHIES!

Summary: Your neighbor, Kelvin, invites you to the fair. After a night of fun you end up in his apartment.

Warnings: Warnings: Short, Smut, Humor, Neighbors.

Part Two

Kelvin had just finished a day of work that started as early as 5 am. Finally home, he made his way towards his bedroom to undress, only an hour to prepare before he went over to pick up his date.

Standing in front of his wall length mirror, he secured a black durag around his head and flexed some muscles, pleased with his physique. Staring at his reflection with a pair of grey joggers on and white socks, he grabbed his cell phone to take a few pictures.

One grabbing his crotch.

One biting his lip.

And lastly one with a big smile.

He made his way into his messy bedroom littered with clothes and shoes, most of it being designer items sent to him as care packages. He was grateful, but he only had but so much space to put everything. His guest bedroom already turned into another storage area for clothes and shoes.

One habit he couldn’t shake.

Kelvin turned on his shower and quickly undressed the rest of the way. He stepped inside of his shower and started his routine of cleaning, exfoliating, and moisturizing. Warm. Enveloping. Grounded. Engulfed in a wash of amber, a hit of Australian sandalwood, cedar, vetiver; a gentle wave of cardamom. As he smoothed the scrub along his arms, he noticed a scratch there and it brought a smile to his face.

Y/N had scratched him accidentally when they’d been playing around in her apartment last night. The minute his thoughts drifted to her as he stood beneath the filtered shower water, his dick chubbed up immediately and bounced between his legs.

The things he wanted to do to Y/N.

The things he could have done to her last night had he stuck around. She would have been fucked on every surface and that pussy slurped in all sorts of contortions fucking around with him. The Cookie Monster shorts told him all he needed to know. And he was high as a kite too. When he’s high he turns into a super munch and it can’t be tamed. He had to pat himself on the back for behaving.

She had the body that’ll have you busting a premature nut. All those times she’d bent over last night…

He imagined forcing her against the cold counter top while he got down on his knees to suck that pussy from behind—

“Shit,” Kelvin looked down at his dick, “Maybe a quick nut wouldn’t hurt.”

He’d been so pent up lately. No proper release. Kelvin added more soap to his hands for extra slip. He pressed his back against the tile wall and fucked up into his hand nice and slow. Wet balls collided with the back of his hand, soap suds flying onto the glass shower door. Wet, squelching noises were deafening. That pretty, brown dick with a pink tip glistened in his soft hand, slit drooling precum to prepare him for a big eruption.

He’d started taking Maca Root regularly like Aaron suggested and the change in eating habits and vitamins had his libido at an all time high. No wonder he’d overheard his friend in their conjoined hotel room releasing several nuts. He joked him about it but now he understood. Heavy balls and a high sex drive did not mix well if there weren’t releases often.

“FUCK!”

Kelvin pumped faster, bottom lip pouted and eyes crossing. He imagined Y/N’s dainty hand milking him with her tongue on his nipples. Titties rubbing against his chest with the slickness of soap and water. Talking nasty in his face with all that bratty energy.

“Damn, daddy…this big dick wanna cum for me?”

“I bet you wish that cum was in my pussy…”

“If you cum for me I’ll let you eat my pussy all night…”

“I love stroking this big dick.”

“Y/N! Y/N!”

His load spurted out from his tip like an overflowing spout. His hips stuttered out of control. He had to plant his feet firm against the shower floor to prevent from slipping. His stomach caved in the more his ejaculate released from his tight nuts. The steam made his skin more sensitive as he touched his chest.

He opened his eyes and swiped his lips with his tongue. If she could make him cum like that without even fucking her or tasting her, Kelvin didn’t know what to expect when he finally got her.

He rinsed off and made sure his cum had gone down the drain before exiting the shower. As he towel dried his body, his phone buzzed. He entered his room and grabbed his phone from the charger, checking to see who had texted him.

Y/N: Hey, are we still going to the fair? Just checking because it’s almost three.

Kelvin had thirty minutes to prepare. He shot you a quick text before tossing his phone on his bed.

Kelvin: Hey! We’re definitely still going. Just ran a little behind schedule. Let me throw something on and I’ll be over.

Kelvin applied some lotion to his smooth skin and then a white tank top, an olive green Supreme hoodie with a floral design on the back, and denim joggers with all white Nike Dunks. He spritz some cologne on his pulse points and then removed his durag, grabbing a brush to smooth out the deep waves in his hair.

Grabbing his essentials, he exited his apartment, eyes on your text thread.

Y/N: You know I had to lite one up real quick. You better hurry before I smoke this thing down 😂

Kelvin knocked on your door and you opened it ten seconds later. He was instantly hit with a harmonious blend of relaxation and euphoria. Kelvin fixated his brown eyes on the blunt between your fingers, itching to snatch it. You draw your hand back with a giggle, causing his gaze to track a path down your body.

You wore an oversized flannel top with a body—hugging heather gray dress that gripped your hips and thighs tightly. On your feet are a pair of knee high, black converse. Your hair is styled in a braidout and gold jewelry decorated your ears, neck, and fingers. Even with casual attire you ruined him in the best way.

“Hello to you too, Kelvin!” You say with a role of your eyes.

Kelvin gave you an animated look while trying to convey his words with his hands, further annoying you.

“I’m about to close my door in your face if you don’t greet me the proper way.” You sass.

He couldn’t help but bend over and grab his knees as he laughed. Your cute voice and the fake anger you displayed humored him.

Kelvin sat up straighter and licked his lips, “Hey, sexy.”

The way your eyes went round, that told him he’d caught you off guard and that pleased him, his smile with slight dimples growing wider.

“Why are you shocked? It’s the truth,” Kelvin pressed forward, making a ‘grabby’ motion with his fingers, “Now gimmie.”

You didn’t have time to catch up to your motor skills before he stole your blunt and took a puff. As your eyes remained glued to him, he savored the hybrid strain as if he were floating on clouds.

“Wedding Cake?” Kelvin spoke as smoke billowed from his moist, pink lips.

You simply nod your head with a hint of a smile.

“Good shit, sexy…good shit…”

He handed you the blunt. You blink twice to focus before turning to enter your apartment. It was almost three, five minutes to spare.

“C’mon so we can get a good spot!” Kelvin shouted after you.

You reappear with a shoulder bag and your keys. Kelvin gave you some space to lock your door, although he’d leaned in to catch a whiff of your perfume.

Kayali Pistachio.

You turn and Kelvin interlocked his fingers with yours. You give him a look and then a toothy smile like a lovesick woman. He loved catching you off guard.

——

Kelvin found a decent parking spot closer to the entrance. Majority of the younger crowd were leaving with their exhausted parents. At the booth, he displayed his two tickets and both of you received wrist bands to ride unlimited and without having to wait in line. Finally inside, Kelvin held out his hand for you to grasp, the sensation of your soft skin sending a pleasant feeling throughout his chest.

The place is alive with booming music, exhilarated screams, delighted squeals and cheerful shouts. Colossal, gyrating rides with vibrant, pulsating lights towered over the excited visitors. A roller coaster spirals and coils, which makes it look like an elongated snake twisting through the fair. The air is filled with the mouth-watering aromas of sizzling hot-dogs, fluffy cotton candy, spiced apples and sugary donuts. Some stalls sell hamburgers oozing with burnt onions; others sell sweet treats of funnel cakes and deep fried Oreos.

Kelvin stole a glance at you as your eyes that shined bright from the many spectrums of colors danced around. There was so much to do, he wasn’t sure where to start first. Definitely nothing that involved rapid spinning. For you, no drop towers. You bright smile made him grin from ear to ear, displaying pearly whites.

“I want to do the boat ride.” You said.

Kelvin followed your finger. The captain ship that rocked back and forth like a pendulum. He didn’t mind that.

“Let’s go,” Kelvin led the way with your hand in his, “We got the wrist bands to jump the line too!”

The conductor for the ride stopped you both but Kelvin showed him your bands and they let you through. Groans and agitated whispers caused both of you to giggle.

“Where do you like to sit—oh.”

You take a seat all the way in the back. The last row.

“Why do you want to sit back here?” Kelvin questioned with a whiny voice as he settled next to you, “The middle is the best.”

The setting sun caused the brown of your skin to glow. Kelvin narrowed his eyes at you playfully.

“The middle is for punks. Maybe I should start calling you that, huh?” You joked.

“First one to scream is the real punk.” Kelvin declared.

You give him a mischievous smile, accepting the challenge.

The ride started off slow, Kelvin grabbing your hand in anticipation. You both share glances at the sudden drop in your stomach when you reach a new high. The boat whipped forward, causing you to grab Kelvin’s wrist tight. A slight squeal escaped your lips when the boat went back, bringing both of you high in the air. Kelvin squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth while you screamed like a banshee. Both of you laugh hysterically as the ride swayed to a stop.

“Like is said, a PUNK!” Kelvin pointed to you and chuckled while you gave him slaps to his arm.

“I can’t help it! Still not a punk though.”

You both take your time exiting the ride, Kelvin turning to pick you up at the waist, bringing you to your feet gently. You thank him with a pretty smile and reached for his hand. Swinging arms, they head towards a rollercoaster.

Your hair had puffed up from the humidity and it gave you a wild look that drove Kelvin crazy. Anything about you from the beauty mark on your face to the snorting laughs you do made him like you more and more.

“You still look sexy as fuck with messy hair.”

You tucked your chin bashfully, "Thank you handsome."

Kelvin tugged you closer to him, wrapping a hand around your waist. His hand rubbed against your hip and if it wasn't for being in public, Kelvin would have slipped a hand beneath your dress to see if you had any underwear on.

"If you wanna touch my ass, just do it."

You were being bold. Kelvin looked at you before using the hand on your hip to lift the back of your shirt. You laugh as his fingers grip juicy flesh before slapping it a few times.

"Double-cheeked up for real." Kelvin said between laughs.

You both were able to get on and after securing the seatbelts, the operator gave everyone a thumbs up and the cart took off.

The ride began to ascend.

“I always scream on roller coasters even when I love them.”

“It’s cool,” Kelvin's hands gripped the bar.

“We’re almost there,” Kelvin speaks in a soft tone, making you crave him more. Your eyes locked and right before you went down, you put your arms up. You gasped softly, hands coming out in front of you to firmly grasp the bars before the feeling of falling overcame your body.

Kelvin laughed and hollered while everyone else around him screamed through the thrill. Your hair whipped across your face with every turn, Kelvin watching you with a big handsome smile. Another drop came, causing you to squeal a little while your body leaned into him. Kelvin never felt this charged in his life. Your laughs and gasps of pleasure against his neck. Kelvin turns his head, your good smelling hair in his face while your lips connected.

The ride began to slow down and your thighs tightening around Kelvin's hand that came down to grip your thigh. Kelvin reluctantly pulls his hand away, causing you to whimper. He licks his lips clean of your gloss before helping you out of the cart and adjusting your dress. long curly hair all over your head, you looked adorable and freshly fucked. Kelvin smooths your hair out of your face before giving you another kiss.

As both of you walked past a few games, Kelvin pointed out a game booth with bottles and bean bags to knock them down. It was only necessary to win you a stuffed animal. It's sort of a ritual for carnival dates. Kelvin pulled you along, a short, brown-skinned girl with shoulder length locs waving both of you over.

“Knock these bottles down to win a big stuffed animal!”

Kelvin accepted his bean bags, rolling up the sleeves to his hoodie before looking down at you with a wink. You gave Kelvin a hug around his waist before leaning in to whisper in his ear.

"Win me a big Yoshi and I'm all yours..."

How was Kelvin supposed to concentrate now after those seductive words. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and his dick ached with anticipation.

"You ready?!" The girl that hosted to gaming booth shouted.

“Yeah!”

Kelvin tosses the first bean bag, missing the bottles entirely “Hold on, hold on! that was a trial.”

“Kelvin, there ain't no trials!” You yell with a giggle while watching him make another toss “Kel! aim!”

“If you don't hush!" Kelvin tossed the third bean bag higher, knocking down the top bottle, "SEE! now what?!"

“Still got five more left.” You said.

Kelvin tosses another bean bag, the Game Worker unimpressed with his skills since most people miss. He pauses, looking down at you with his brown eyes that made her melt, “Can I still have all of you? I give good kisses.”

You blush with a bite of your lower lip, “If you win me that Yoshi I’ll give you a secret kiss in the tunnel of love.”

“How about a secret touch too? Can a nigga get that?”

You rolls your eyes with a pretty smile, “Depends on what this touch is.”

“Hmmm,” Kelvin squints his eyes with a dimpled smile, “You just gotta wait and see what these hands can do. They had you squirming with just a cuff of that ass.”

“Stopppp,” you whisper.

Kelvin prayed over the last bean bag before tossing it, knocking down the rest. He was more excited than you with his jumping and cheering. You gave him a high five with a big smile.

“Wow!” The Game Worker who’s name tag read Kim claps, "Guess that Yoshi is all yours!"

“YAY!” You spoke excitedly while watching Kelvin accept a pink Yoshi.

You continue to squeal, jumping up and down before giving Kelvin a one arm hug.

"Uh-uh. Where's my kiss?"

You shook your head with a giggle, bringing one hand around to the back of Kelvin's neck, bringing him closer. Kelvin shut his eyes and grunted when his lips finally touched yours. Soft. Sugary. Skillful. Kelvin almost dropped the Yoshi when you'd slipped him some tongue. Things were turning up the more you kissed. You finally pushed at Kelvin's chest to stop him from sucking on your neck openly.

You licked your lips, "Okay, Cassonova. calm down."

"Seriously? Seriously? after you just kissed me like that?"

You turned your back towards him, Kelvin stretched his arms out with an astonished expression.

"You play too much!" Kelvin said.

"Look who's talking!" You replied.

The remainder of your time at the fair, you ate junk, took pics in a photobooth, rode the ferris wheel, bumper cars, and even tried the tunnel of love even though it broke down on them halfway through.

——

“Kelvin. What is it with you and this art?”

You pace his living room, blunt in hand and eyes taking in the symbolic photographs in a collage on his wall.

Kelvin slid over to you on his hardwood floor and you laugh at his silliness.

“I am OBSESSED with it…the female body is art.”

He put on a poetic voice, whispering in your ear.

“Oh, but the pussy is brave…lest we forget…how much pain the pussy can take…how much pleasure it delivers,” he laughed softly in your ear while you giggled, “Unto itself and others. Remember how it spit you out without a flinch. Now here you are! Using the word pussy like an insult when you’re not even strong enough to be one.”

“WOW,” you turn to look him directly in the eye, “That was impressive.”

“Rupi Kaur.” Kelvin shrugged.

He took the blunt from your hand and put it between his lips, eyes still staring you down hungrily.

“I had a great time today. Thanks for making it happen. You could have asked out any other girl and you chose me. Your chaotic neighbor.”

“I love chaotic. It’s my specialty,” Kelvin replied with a smile, “On a serious note, yeah…I could if I wanted…but I like you. I like everything about you. And I want you. We wouldn’t be here…surrounded by my art and sharing a blunt…and I’m sure arousal…if I didn’t.”

Kelvin placed the blunt between your lips and as you smoke, he played with your ass.

His voice was all raspy and dangerous, “I wanna play.”

“Play how?” You tugged at his gold chain.

Kelvin started kissing along your neck, causing you to flinch from how it tickled.

“STAWWWWP!”

“I like the way you sound when you giggle and tell me to stop,” Kelvin picked you up, your legs straddling him, a streak escaping your mouth.

You’re just so...soft. So soft to him.

“How many licks…until I get…”

Before you know it, you’re in his bedroom. How many licks? Kelvin placed you on his bed while he takes off his hoodie. You instantly feel your clit jump.

“I like the sound of this game.” You finally said.

“I bet you do. And I’m high too. My favorite thing to snack on when I have the munchies.”

Fuck.

You don’t waste time taking off your flannel shirt, tossing it on the floor. You already have your shoes off. Kelvin watched you lay back against his bed with that dress on and a hand between your legs with your knees drawn to your chest. He arched a brow at you.

“No panties?! What a nasty girl!” Kelvin said.

“Figured I’d make it easy for you.”

“Oh, so you just knew what was going to happen, huh?”

Kelvin took off his tank top, shirtless with a six pack. Your eyes swept over his frame with a nibble of your bottom lip. He settled at the foot of the bed, staring down between your legs with his tongue slowly swiping his top lip.

“Move your hand.” Kelvin commanded.

“Gotta say the magic words first!”

“Open sesame!”

Kelvin waved his hands in front of his like he was conjuring magic. You roll over onto your side in a fit of laughter.

“Aight, spread your legs, Y/N! I’m drooling!” Kelvin begged.

“You want it that bad, huh?”

You open your legs side to side but your hand remained over your pussy. Kelvin sucked his teeth and then he crawled onto the bed.

“So, I gotta move your hand myself? I wanna see it,” Kelvin reached for your hand but you scoot towards the head of his bed, “Y/N! I’m tryna eat!”

“Kelvin! Ah!”

Kelvin wrestled with you, both of you rolling around on his bed. You were on top of him, hands together as you try to overpower him. Kelvin let go of your hands and quickly lifted your dress, peeking under and you try to climb off of him but he successfully flipped you onto your back.

“As much as I love to reenact WWE, I need my entire mouth on your pussy…respectfully…now.”

Your chest heaved up and down and your nipples instantly stiffen from his words. Mingled breaths and locked eyes. Kelvin stared at your lips.

“Please?” He lowered his face and started kissing along your jaw, “I wanna make you feel good, baby…”

You scrunch your brows and moan.

“Okay. Be my munch.” You say barely above a whisper.

Kelvin chuckled.

“Gladly.”

You both stare at each other for a while until Kelvin’s hand lifts your dress around your waist. You follow his gaze between your legs. He pushed your thighs so that your knees touched your chest.

“Ugh, fuck, you got the pinkest, wettest pussy I’ve had the pleasure of staring at.”

Your lower lip quivered.

His lips gave you open mouthed kisses on your phat pussy lips and inward. Any part of you his lips would wrap around and lightly suck. You watch him keep your legs open with his hands and the sight of his fine ass with that pink tongue and those pink lips eating you up had you eager to cum in his mouth.

“Yes, mmm, eat that phat pussy, yes, baby,” You encourage Kelvin to go harder. Kelvin scrunched his brows, eyes closed as he licked your juicy slit in long strokes. Deep pressured strokes. He had that pussy wide open while giving you everything you deserved. You started rocking your hips, feeding that tongue, moving your hips in tune with his licks. 

“Kelvin, oh my gosh,” You place a hand on top of his waves, “Yes…mmm…I love those lips.”

Kelvin smiled and used those lips to suck on your clit. You throw your head back from the sensation, the blunt sat discarded on a table, no longer needed. You sat up on your elbows when he added two fingers. This man could finger pussy too? You were unable to control your moans. He would look up at you with a smug expression and a mouth full of pussy.

This was the hardest your clit has ever been from head. This was the most turned on and wet you’d ever been from head. You push at Kelvin’s forehead and he grabbed your wrist. His lips and his tongue was sending you into bliss and you could feel yourself preparing to cum.

“Mm, mm, keep still,” Kelvin stroked your spot and he looked at your with low eyes, “What I tell you to do?”

“It feels so good,” You reply with a weak voice, thighs shaking.

“Then why stop me if it feels good. Punk ass.”

“SHUT UP!”

Kelvin’s lips were back on your clit. You couldn’t close your legs because he had you pined to the bed. Whenever your hips moved side to side, he followed you. Nowhere to run.

“What was all that shit you were talking?!”

Kelvin smiled at you when you tried to move again. He simply flicked your clit with the tip of his tongue. Side to side. Up and down. In a circle. In your hole. Your eyes crossed.

“Fucccck!”

His loud eating had your pussy making noise. Wet, raunchy noises. Kelvin suckled your clit again while curling his fingers over your spot.

“This my pussy? Say it.”

He paused, staring at you.

“Say it’s my pussy.”

You were in a daze. And it wasn’t the weed.

“It’s yours, Kelvin!”

“Good girl.”

You could feel your release coming. The closer it got the more Kelvin sucked on your pussy. He gently tugged on your clit with his lips before sucking it into his mouth like he was slurping oysters out a shell. Your eyes rolled and your hands reached out to grab onto the sheets. Kelvin gave you his hands to hold. You let out the most angelic moan with your head turning from side to side. You came all in Kelvin’s mouth. He mumbled something into your pussy while slapping your phat ass. Kelvin lifted his face from between your pussy lips, licking his lips while his brown eyes connected with yours.

“I’m not finished.”

Kelvin had you on all fours.

He was eating both holes from the back.

You were dripping to the sheets.

That clit didn’t stand a chance.

That pussy continues to cream all in his mouth. Your dress and bra were somewhere in the room. You couldn’t keep track. Words were lost to you and all you could do was drool against his pillow.

“Ima cum in your mouth again!”

Kelvin gripped your ass cheeks as his tongue darted in and out of your pussy from the back. The sound of his tongue had you moaning.

“Eat that shit! Fuck!”

The sucking. He probably had cum dripping from his chin at this point. Orgasm rocked your body so hard you fall to your stomach. Kelvin slapped your ass and with a laugh he settled next to you with a content smile and a glossy face. He rested his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. You just stared at him like he was the Devil.

“What I tell you?”

Kelvin turned to look at you.

“You think you can handle more?”

You could only blink at him. This man can’t be real.

“I don’t get tired, Y/N. Hm,” kelvin turned onto his side and ran his fingers down your spine and over your ass, “Wanna sit on my face?”

It was as if his words had some sort of power over you. You wanted more. NEEEDED MORE.

You sit up and Kelvin gave you a smile before helping you to sit reverse cowgirl on his face.

“Ride my tongue…do it.”

You brace yourself on his thighs and whine your hips. His tongue and lips savored your sopping wet folds.

“Right there, daddy…”

Kelvin reached around your body to pinch your nipples. You whirl your hips when his lips found your clit again.

“Stay on it…mmm…stay on that clit…”

You bit your lip, a confidence flaring up within you.

Kelvin ate to his hearts desire and you couldn’t get enough of it. Your eyes fall to his crotch, a heavy bulge right there in his briefs. You take your hand and stroke him, that dick jerking against your palm. While he ate your pussy for the third time, you freed his dick and when that warm girth touched the flesh of your hand, you whimpered.

Eight inches. Smooth. Brown. Pink tip.

You stroke him, pre cum spilling over your fingers. His balls are so big. You cup them and roll them in one hand while stroking him in your other hand. Kelvin moaned into your pussy, thigh muscles tightening.

“Such a pretty dick, Kelvin…”

You lean forward a little, spitting on his tip. Kelvin tongued you down from clit to hole and you twist your wrist to stroke him while riding out your orgasm. You could feel yourself coming in his mouth.

“I want this dick in me.”

Arching your back, you wrap your lips around his tip and start sucking. Kelvin’s hips jerked out of control.

“Fuck, Y/N. Suck that dick.”

He could see you from his angle, bobbing your head with his dick hitting the back of your throat.

“Mmm, I knew that mouth was made for dick.”

You had his balls while you throated him.

“Dick taste good, don’t it?”

You were loving his dirty talk. It did taste good. You knew it would.

“I made myself cum earlier thinking about you, Y/N…I couldn’t help myself…I think about you so much…how you would look riding my dick…how deep I can fuck you…”

His dick in your mouth, his balls in your hand, your cum on his lips. All of it had you ready to fuck this man into oblivion. Ride him like you were throwing ass to a bounce beat. He was so fine and so deserving of the pussy. He makes you laugh, he’s a gentleman, he’s a certified munch. Boy were you lucky.

Kelvin stared at your pussy and rubbed it from behind.

“Squeeze my nuts…mmm…suck that tip, baby…Y/N…I’m a cum…you want me to cum so bad, huh…shit…”

Kelvin sank two fingers deep inside of you and his dick swelled to the point of making your jaws sore. He let off a big nut in your mouth and you gulped it down like a good cum, guzzling slut.

Kelvin twitched while you sucked down as much nut as you could. His fingers slipped out of you and you finally release his dick. You turn to look at him, and before you know it, Kelvin is sucking on his fingers and then bringing you to the bed to kiss you. He’s on top of you with his tongue in your mouth and his dick flesh against your pussy lips.

Breaking the kiss, Kelvin locked eyes with you.

“I wanna fuck you now.” He whispered.

@theereina @bombshellbre95 @planetblaque @trippyscotch @megamindsecretlair @uzumaki-rebellion @thesweetestdrug @theblulife @hotgrlcece @blackerthings @deja-r @hearteyes-for-killmonger @kaylabuggggg06 @skyesthebomb @blyffe @gwenda-fav @beenathembo @blackpinup22 @novaniskye @melaninhawtie @urfavblackbimbo @avoidthings @rose-bliss @xo-goldengirl @kinginwithbreezy-blog @mysecertdiaryofableedingheart @sirenmouths @creartivefairy @soulfulbeauty19 @therealmrsrhodes @hrlzy @nayaesworld @gg-trini @brattyfics @flydotty @writingsbytee @shiania @browngirldominion @notapradagurl7 @kismet83 @aristasworld @sl33p-deprived-princess @erynnnn @itssbrie @melaninangel @withoutmusiclifewouldbflat @sweettea-and-honeybutter @dashhoney25

[ieatcerealboxes]

they pretty much did in a spinoff called cells at work lady!!!

its SOOOO chaotic and i love it😢😢😭 definitely my favorite spinoff haha

ALSO LOOK AT HOW PRETTY THE ENDOMETRIAL CELLS ARE<333

ok but imagine if cells at work covered periods. That would be some dark stuff

[juleswritesstuff]

Blind

james potter x reader

I saw that post right in the middle and I just had to.

Warnings: none (it's a bit suggestive, but nothing major)

You could live like this, you think.

It would truly be the best life ever in your humble opinion.

Sitting on his lap, arms wrapped around his neck, holding on to him like a lifeline as your bodies fit perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle. His hands are all over your body, fingers exploring wherever they can reach before sneaking swiftly under your shirt to trace along the length of your spine, pads dancing on your soft skin and making shives erupt all over you.

And his lips. Oh God, his lips. 

James has the face of an angel, and the mouth of a demon. And you love it. You revel in the feeling of his lips claiming every part of you, every inch of flesh. They are soft and reverent and teasing and filthy, and in this moment they are devouring yours with a hunger that matches the fire blooming inside of you.

“You have no right to look this good” you whisper on his lips, biting his bottom one before swiping your tongue right over it.

You couldn’t help yourself when you saw him. All disheveled after quidditch practice with his hair still a little damp, the first three buttons of his shirt free, tie loose and crooked and a half smirk on that perfect face of his; knocking on your door completely clueless of the effect he had on you.

He looked like sex on legs. A literal sin in human form, and you were ready to fall from grace when it came to him.

“Didn't know post-quidditch me was so sexy to you” his voice has a little strain to it, breathless and teasing as his hands roamed all over your body.

You let out a breathless chuckle, hyper aware of every centimeter of him pressed against you.

“You have no idea” your hands get to work on his shirt, unbuttoning it as fast as you can, until his perfectly chiseled torso graces your eyes in its full glory.

Your mouth waters at the sight.

You slide the fabric off of his shoulders, brushing the smooth skin and feeling all those firm muscles that he hides behind his beloved sweatshirts, biting your lip as the flames inside your body grow hotter by the second. 

Your mouth latches to his once again, never having enough of his taste, of him.

He starts to lay down and you follow him, never breaking the embrace of your lips, intoxicated by the way his tongue caresses yours in the filthiest of dances. His back hits the mattress and you are fully all over him, chest to chest.

The kiss becomes messy, a clash of teeth and lips and tongues. You are sure the thing running through your veins is not blood anymore, but liquid fire, consuming every cell of your body and setting you ablaze with desire.

“Woah, you're fucking blurry” 

“Hold on, love. I have to-”

One of his arms leaves your waist and reaches up, until his fingers are wrapped around the slim, golden frame of his glasses, taking them off in a way that should be considered illegal in at least twenty countries. All smooth and seductive with that little grin of his.

God, he was so beautiful like this. All worked up and breathless, laying underneath you like the tastiest meal you ever had the pleasure to taste and-

For a split second the room falls silent, not a single sound can be heard inside those four walls.

You blink a few times, enough to let his words sink in.

And when they do you can't help but burst out laughing.

A real, genuine laugh coming straight from your belly and echoing through the room like you had just heard the joke of the century.

James’ eyes are wide in disbelief, flabbergasted by your reaction. But his mouth is stretched in an incredulous grin, sprinkled with a glint of mirth as he himself can’t stop the chuckle bubbling in his throat.

“Are you making fun of my blindness ? How cruel, Y/N” there is not an ounce of offense in his tone, just light-hearted and hilariously exaggerated teasing.

“Me ?” the fake and over the top innocence in your voice makes him smile even harder, the little dimple on his left cheek that you adored so much peeking through. You dip forward, leaving a kiss on those dreamy lips of his before whispering right against them “I wouldn't even dream of it” 

“Oh, you wouldn't ?” he cocks a perfectly arched brow in a challenging and yet adorable manner, eyes sparkling with mischief as his fingers start poking at your ribs, making you squirm and giggle like a middle schooler.

“No ! No, no, no ! Jame-”

He is laughing too, now. Glasses back in their place and eyes glistening with joy and pure adoration as he looks at you struggling not to lose a lung from the almost hysterical shriek coming from your lips at the ticklish attack he had you under.

You are so focused on not collapsing from the laughter and the skillful way his fingers move in every place he knew was the most ticklish for you, that you don't even register the way his hands suddenly stop.

They land on your hips, holding them in a delicate but firm grip, and, before you know it, you are being flipped over. Your back makes contact with the mattress of your bed as the delicious weight of your boyfriend’s sculpted body settles over you. 

You let out a yelp of surprise at the sudden change of position, a sound that threatens to turn into a full moan considered your current situation.

James is now on top of you, and the breath almost gets knocked out of your lungs as you admire him in his full glory.

His hair is wild and messy, but they frame his face in a way both so beautiful and so sexy that it makes your heart stop beating and your body run hotter. His eyes are still crinkled up in the ghost of a smile, but the haziness in them, that glint of adoration and reverence as he looks at you through his eyelashes, renders you speechless. His golden specks are hung a bit low on the bridge of his nose, giving him an adorable but mouth watering beautiful look. His lips are curled up in a half smile, playful and gorgeous and so, so incredibly sensual that you are not even sure if he knows the power that mouth has on you.

“Cat got your tongue, love ?” he brushes his nose with yours as he murmurs the question right on your lips, leaving a kiss on your cheek right after.

You wish you could just function like a normal person and tell him that, no, your tongue is definitely still in its place and it works perfectly fine, thank you. But your boyfriend is shirtless on top of you, with your legs still wrapped around his hips and that deadly handsome grin plastered on his face. Suddenly, the only thing you can think about are some other couple of ways in which your mouth could definitely be useful. 

“I-” you gulp loudly as you try not to drool at the sight of his muscles flexing right before your eyes “-what ?”

He lets out a chuckle, his head hung low as his shoulders shake with laughter. His wild locks tickle your chin and you can feel the ghost of his smile pressed lightly on your collarbone

You can’t help but follow him as the delightful sound of his laugh echoes through the room, spreading a warmth in your heart that you had never felt before meeting James.

When he lifts his head back up and his eyes find yours again, all sparkling with joy and fondness, you really think your heart is seconds away from bursting in your chest.

“Am I really that distracting ?” there is still a hint of that cocky smirk on his face, but it fades into something sweeter as he catches the light blush blossoming on your cheeks.

“You know perfectly well that I stop functioning properly when you are on top of me, Potter” your grumbling tone doesn’t faze him one bit, he just dips his head lower and captures your lips in a searing kiss.

“Really ? I hadn’t noticed” the unimpressed deadpan look you give him makes him chuckle again and you can feel the vibration right on your chest with how close he is.

“Sorry, sorry” his laughter dissipates, replaced by a more relaxed smile.

“If it’s of any consolation-” the hand not busy holding his upper body up and preventing his full weight to be laid on you, reaches the supple flesh of your thigh, letting his fingers dance on the exposed skin as they please “-my brain stops working, too” 

His mouth starts a journey that begins on your lips and slowly and tortourously ends on your neck, which seems to be his favorite place to worship to make your brain short-circuit.

“Mmh, does it actually ?” you don’t know how the hell you manage to let a single word out, especially in that teasing tone, as you are sure nothing except pure filthy sounds threaten to come out of your throat.

He grins against your skin before lifting his head up once again.

“Oh, trust me. It does” he whispers sensually against your lips “In every position you have me in”

Yes, you could definitly live like this.

I am not sure if I am a 100 % satisfied with this, but I tried my best.

I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading 💗

[pantheresssy]

influencer!fem!reader being fucked on a live while thousands of people watch.

You were smiling at your phone, pretending to be as calm as you always were. The viewers kept sending you gifts, messages, and asks, and you tried to focus on them. But it was impossible. “Where’s Abby?” you read the comment and bit your upper lip, your eyes shining with mischief.

Under the table, the warm and skillful tongue kept its movements in the middle of your legs. After hearing her name, Abby grabbed your thighs, squeezing your flesh until a sharp, pleasurable pain shivered throughout your body. The wet noises of your dripping cunt and her saliva became louder.

“She’s not home now, guys. I’m sorry.” you laughed, trying to hide the moan you wanted to give. Your eyebrows furrowed when her teeth scratched your clitoris. “She’s at the gym, getting her muscles pretty for me.”

While you said that, your hand went down to her head and to shoulder, massaging her skin and feeling the ripples. Abby’s mouth went down your pussy and stopped at your entrance, the tip of her tongue coming out to enter your heat, caressing your smooth walls. This time, you couldn’t control your pleasured face.

what is happening?

i bet abby’s there

Her fingers quickly joined her tongue inside you, and you could feel yourself getting more and more lost in the moment every time she reached the right spot. It was becoming impossible for you to hold your noises and the gasps of her name, showing her how good she made you feel.

Your legs opened wider and you settled down in the chair, bending down to give her more access to your cunt. Abby moaned loud enough for you to hear but not enough for your cell phone to pick up the noise. You smiled with your tongue between your teeth as you lowered your eyes, being welcomed with her face covered with your juices.

You wished everyone could see what she was doing to you.

If you want to send me requests with drabbles like this, feel free to do it! I write for Abby and Ellie, but I can write for different characters if you want!

fem reader only! i don’t know how to write for gn r and i’m so scared to try n ending up fucking everything.

[pinkusmaximus]

So many “taking care of Logan after a long day” fics exist. Why not Wade?

Wade, who is canonically in constant chronic pain due to cancer ripping apart his cells and then being knitted back together by his healing factor. Who, in the comics, isn’t just scarred, but constantly has open wounds on every plane of his body. Whose brain is constantly being literally eaten by cancer and replaced and is tumultuous in his emotions at best (bipolar girly here, relatable). Who so desperately tries to be a good guy when he knows it matters the most. Who throws his all into protecting the people he holds dearest to him. Who is, in reality, doing one of the only jobs that accommodates his conditions, and is still doing it to take out people he believes are causing others harm.

Doesn’t he deserve to be greeted with a warm, reassuring hug and a soft kisses to his features? To be helped out of his suit as his body succumbs to the mounting exhaustion and relief at being at home, taken to a warm (but not hot) bath with a soothing soak blend you’d carefully researched to ease the discomfort of the ever-changing landscape of hills and valleys in his flesh? He knows you know that they don’t help him heal and certainly doesn’t prevent them from reappearing, but he likes to believe (or pretend) that it eases the itch and ache, if only for just a little while.

He likes it when you sit with him, asking gently probing questions about your day to get you talking and less concerned about him. And he likes hearing about your day, the mundane and even routine things that he lacks. He likes it when you offer to help wash the blood off of him, knowing that your careful hands will be gently massaging away at his aching muscles. It’s one of the few times he’s really quiet; letting your hands work off the red to leave behind Wade, just Wade.

When you help him out of the bath, leaving him to the bedroom with his favorite pajama pants and one of seemingly unending shirts with phrases like I GOT MY CLIT PIERCED AT CLAIRE’S or I MAY BE STUPID, you return to the kitchen to take dinner out of the oven. Some kind of one-sheet-pan recipe you’d looked up earlier in the day while you were at work. Whatever it is, it smells amazing from in the bedroom, and he quickly comes out to wrap his arms around your waist and lean over your shoulder to take a deeper whiff, calling you Martha Stewart and Guy Fieri’s bastard scandal child or asking if you were extracted straight out of Gordon Ramsey’s left nut.

You have a lovely dinner with Wade singing your praises the entire time, and god, it knocks him right out. Do not let that man go sit on the couch after a good, filling meal like that, because that is where he will pass out and you couldn’t move him with a forklift. Take him by both hands, lead him into the bedroom, get him on the bed (let him make his comments, they are unavoidable whether he’s horny or not), turn the lights off, and crawl under the covers with him. Press your body as close to his as possible; he’ll probably want to be skin to skin if he can stay awake long enough to get you both out of your clothes. And to perhaps everyone’s surprise except yours, it’s really not all that sexual in nature. He finds the smoothness of your skin soothing against his own, and he runs a little cold, so he finds refuge in the warmth you provide. He likes to pull the covers up to your noses and kiss you under the blankets like you’re hiding some big secret, making you giggle as he shushes you to keep quiet.

His favorite place to sleep on nights like this is with his ear against your chest; the sound of your heart still beating and your lungs still pulling in air is a great comfort to him. If it’s comfortable, he’ll want to fall asleep with your fingers lazily entwined, and pro tip— he finds it incredibly relaxing to have you run your fingertips along his palm, down his wrist and up in the inside of his forearm then all the way back down until he falls asleep. Congratulations, you’ve got yourself a content and quiet Wade all to yourself until morning. Enjoy it. Make sure you kiss his cheeks and nose and forehead while you’re at it; it makes him smile in his sleep.

[jeon-ify]

apologetic sex with nanami - 18+

slapping, pussy eating, swearing

“kento, i don’t know how long it’ll take me to trust this,” you waved a finger between the two of you, “us, again. do you remember literally last week when i trusted you and you went right back to screwing everything up again?”

“my love, i will be here, however long it takes. what do i need to do? please, y/n.” he inched closer to you, his body warmth entirely transferring through the distance between you, breaking the tension completely with the cotton and linen scent of his freshly washed tee.

you couldn’t bring yourself to push away from him, finding your fingers rested on his larger, calloused ones as he begins to plant soft and delicate kisses onto your smooth knuckle. every vessel, every cell, every bone and vein in your body belonged to kento.

no matter how far you try to run, he’s everywhere you go.

he lets go of your hand, his gaze deepening impossibly. “tell me, my baby. i’ll drop to my knees for you.” he began lowering himself and kneeling before you, lifting your thigh up to rest on his right shoulder as his delicate and apologetic eyes looked up at you.

“do you want me to get on my knees for you, my love?”

he slid his fingers underneath your arousal-filled panties, watching the way your pussy clenched around nothing. your thigh muscle clenched against nanami’s shoulder, a sigh leaving his lips.

“yes.” you sigh. he begins grazing his teeth against the swollen bud, teasing you before he could finally give you what you wanted.

“i’m sorry, y/n. i’m sorry for not making time for you,” he sucked and lightly bit your clit, making you wince out in pleasure and pain, your heart rate increasing by almost 50.

“i’m sorry, baby. so fucking sorry.” the sight of him underneath you with your hands tangled in his hair as you push him deeper into your heat almost makes you tip over the edge in itself.

“ken-kento, fuck!” you cry out. you could’ve sworn you ripped a chunk of hair from his head from how hard you were trying to balance yourself.

“give it to me, y/n. slap me, hard.” his fucked out expression and his messy hair made your insides twist with satisfaction and pleasure, knowing that this is what you do to him.

your hand makes sharp impact with the left side of his face, making his eyes roll back and him groaning in what you hope is pleasure.

“again.” you slap harder while his eyes remain shut and his cock growing painfully hard underneath his slacks.

“ken-“

“again.” he cuts you off, his voice raising while your heart rate rises once more.

“see what you do to me? how could i ever fucking leave you, y/n?”

the loose tie, the unbuttoned blouse, the messy hair and wet chin and lips make you cum again and again.

“i’m sorry, ken.”

“cum on my fingers, baby.” his fingers slide into your pussy, the schlick schlick sound making nanami cry out in pleasure.

“so fucking sorry.”

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Recent work, led by Professor Max Lu at the University of Queensland, reveals that hexagonal LDH nanoparticles (figure 25.16) can deliver small molecular weight heparin (HP, a good blood anti-coagulant) to vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) more efficiently than heparin itself (figure 25.17).

"Chemistry" 2e - Blackman, A., Bottle, S., Schmid, S., Mocerino, M., Wille, U.

[winterrrnight]

sometimes rafe craves your touch more than anything in this world and you comply to him within mere seconds <3 a rafe cameron x gn!reader blurb <3 cw: suggestive content (absolutely no smut!): neck kissing, soft praises, usage of nicknames like baby & baby boy, submissive rafe, loads of intimacy between the two <3

rafe has always had a strong dominant energy to himself, and you can certainly credit his father for most of it who raised rafe always telling him to ‘man up’. the dominance comes naturally in rafe, even in mundane everyday activities when he makes sure nothing ever happens to you.

but sometimes, all he wants is to be loved. to be the receiver and not the giver. to just let himself go.

you understand that need of his. rafe has never been good with expressing his feelings through words, and prefers his actions to speak for him. this specific need of his is usually expressed by him laying his head in your lap and gently nuzzling against your thigh, his body starting to go lax just the moment you start to card your fingers through his hair, your nails scratching oh so blissfully against his scalp which has him purring in your lap.

this sign by him is all that you need to know that he just wants some love and attention. he wants to hear your gentle words, wants to feel you close to him, and wants to just meld within you.

you have him laying back against the plush mattress as you sit in his lap, your legs on both sides of his hips as you straddle his waist. rafe has his hands on your thighs, gently massaging them through the material of your pants as you softly push your lips against his. one hand of yours comes to thread in his hair, the other caressing the side of torso through the fabric of his shirt, causing it to slowly ride up his abdomen.

your tongue gently swipes along his bottom lip and that coaxes him to part his lips to welcome you, your tongue delving to feel his warmth and heat in every single nerve of your body. he can’t help but let out a soft hum of pleasure against your lips, his fingers starting to dig into your thighs.

he parts from your lips a moment or so later, his lips parted, his cheeks flushed and his hair disheveled from your fingers being all wrapped up in it. “oh god…” he murmurs, his voice breathless and faint. you move your hand from his hair and move it to caress the other side of his torso, letting your fingers sneak under his shirt to feel the taut muscles of his abdomen beneath your fingertips.

“god baby…” he murmurs breathlessly as he feels goosebumps form over his skin wherever your fingers touch him, his shirt riding up more. “I need you… so bad…”

“I’m right here baby…” you say softly, your voice tinged with a comforting lilt as you watch soft exhales leave his parted, rubied lips, every cell of his body craving for more and more.

you dip your head down to let your lips meet the smooth skin of his neck, and you pepper gentle kisses along the slope of his neck, your fingers still tracing all over his abdomen.

a soft groan tumbles from rafe’s lips, his head moving back against the pillows involuntarily to let your lips trace more skin of his sensitive neck. “oh baby…” he whispers, his eyelashes fluttering as his fingers dig more into his thighs.

“just relax baby boy…” you whisper against the heated skin of his neck, wanting your words to simply sink into his skin themselves, “just relax… i’m here, and i’m not going anywhere,” you murmur between tender kisses as you let your lips move over his neck, trailing down to meet his collarbone and gently suck on it, feeling the skin starting to pinken under your lips.

you feel his fingers tighten on your thighs, as if he’s worried you’ll disappear into thin air. “i’m not going anywhere…” you repeat, shifting to the other side of his neck as you tenderly kiss it, letting his shirt above your fingers ride up more and more.

his soft sighs and hums of pleasure fill the amorous atmosphere around you two, only allowing you two to get more and more absorbed in it with each passing second. every fleeting touch of yours causes his skin to tingle, his ache to feel you closer to him only increasing. you let him grip on your thighs, gently tug on your shirt, let his fingers explore the expanse of your skin under the material of your shirt the way he wants to.

’cause you know he’s always the giver when it comes to the two of you.

and it most certainly wouldn’t hurt to let him feel the tender feelings he makes you feel.

[amourane]

fatal attraction

pairing: con artist!draco malfoy x police officer!reader

genre: smut

w/c: 2.5k

summary: draco malfoy was a cunning man and a wanted criminal but you couldn't deny the growing sexual tension between the two of you.

warnings: explicit sexual content, degradation, praise, fingering, unprotected sex

a/n: bringing back one of the old ones, new and improved <3

This was definitely not how you expected your first week as a police officer to go. 

You found yourself face to face with a man who seemed to embody trouble itself, his shockingly bleached hair standing out against the backdrop of a dimly lit room. A smirk played on his lips, he idly twirled a mugshot board between his fingers, exuding an air of confidence that made your pulse quicken. His sleeves rolled up, revealing bulging muscles that seemed to ripple with every movement. When he glanced up, you quickly diverted your gaze, blood rushing to your cheeks. 

It was obvious the criminal was handsome, with a symmetrical face and a perfectly chiselled jawline. Steely grey eyes that had a hint of amusement as though he was internally mocking those around him. 

He was Draco Malfoy, a con artist wanted in numerous countries, and you had somehow managed to catch him. It wasn’t intended, you had just bumped into him and his hood had fallen off at the precise moment, giving you the perfect view of his face. A face you could never forget from all the wanted posters stuck to the walls near your tiny desk.

There was no protesting when you locked him in handcuffs, he didn’t fight when they dragged him away, nor did he complain as they treated him like a stray dog. He merely had the same cocky grin plastered on his face, one that didn’t calm your nerves. 

“So.” He purred, eyes fixing on you and suddenly you felt like a small rabbit from his predatory gaze. “I haven’t seen you around before, love. I would’ve remembered such a pretty face.” His voice was as smooth as honey and you felt as if your body was on fire by the sweet words pouring out of his mouth. 

“I’d advise you to shut up, Malfoy.” Your partner, Ron Weasley, growled as his eyes threw daggers at the criminal. 

Draco smiled. “Or what, officer? You’re not allowed to harm me.”

He was right, officers weren’t allowed to display violent behaviour towards criminals, even if they were guilty of the most heinous crimes. He fixed his eye back onto you, his tongue peeking out to swipe over his bottom lip. You felt yourself grow hot under your uniform and you shuffled nervously. 

The quick snaps flashed before your eyes and each time Ron had to tell Draco to place his board properly and not to pose like a model. There was nothing wrong with him doing what he was doing but the long, seductive gaze he shot at you didn’t make your heart stop fluttering. 

And you knew, deep down, that this man was a criminal, someone who’s broken the law on multiple accounts. He had cheated, lied and manipulated his way to the top and yet you couldn’t help yourself to feel aroused whenever he looked in your direction.

As Ron dragged him away to his cell, brushing past you, he gave you a sly wink and it didn't soothe your beating heart. It was only when you got home that you realised he had slipped something in your pocket, a note in his beautiful cursive handwriting.

cell number 80, come by when you have time.

It was something so simple and yet it had tingles shooting up your spine. 

That night your mind was plagued with the smirks of Draco Malfoy and the dirty things he would whisper in your ear, holding you close. His deep voice as it moaned your name repeatedly, praising you for what you were doing. You woke up in the middle of your sinful dream, panting for air and you reached for the water on your bedside. 

You didn’t know how you were going to survive.

//

Draco threw a rock in the air, catching it as it fell back into his hand. He could hear the faint dripping of a leaky pipe as water landed on the cold floor. The cell they had thrown him in was grimy, an unknown black substance on one of the walls. 

It made him sick. 

The little burner phone he held in his hands, something he’d managed to sneak in, was flashing with texts.

TN: pls don’t tell me you got caught just to see the new police officer.

TN: malfoy, istg if you did i will skin you alive.

TN: seriously??? draco, she’s a cop, we can’t have that.

Theo’s texts had come through once he had switched the burner phone on and he read through all of them. Sighing, he hastily texted back.

DM: piss off i need some fun.

The reply was immediate and Draco glared at the screen, switching it off. There was no point arguing with Theo, he didn’t have the time nor energy. He grinned at the thought of you, your flushed cheeks and jittery eyes. He had seen the way you were looking at him. 

You would come sooner or later. 

//

This was so wrong. This was so wrong. This was so wrong. 

That phrase repeated in your mind, echoing through your body but your feet didn’t stop as they climbed the stairs, moving to cell number 80. It was 2 am in the morning and you were on night duty with Ron but you had offered to do the rounds instead, to which he had agreed. 

Now, your feet were walking towards Draco’s cell and the nervous jitters kicked in. It was as if you were back at your first day of school, your mum patting your back as she ushered you through the gates. This time you had no one to comfort you. Your shoes made soft padding noises across the silent hallway and you hoped none of the criminals would wake up. 

As you passed, you saw the various people in cells, some scrawny and tall, some buff and muscly. Each cell was identical and had just enough room for a single bed and movement allowance. You were taking a deep breath once you passed cell number 79 and when 80 came into view you didn't realise you were holding your breath until you found your lungs burning for air. 

Draco was lying on his bed, arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Even though he was in the prison uniform he still managed to look stunning in the ridiculous orange. He wore a plain white shirt underneath and the jumpsuit was tied at his waist. 

You cleared your throat, stepping closer. He lifted his head and his eyes flickered with amusement when he saw you. 

“Well, well, well.” He whispered, getting up and dragging his feet to you. “Look who came.”

“What do you want?” You asked, feeling intimidated by his tall stature even though you’re the one who’s meant to be in power. 

Draco smirked, the same one that has butterflies erupting in your stomach. 

“I want...you.”

The last word was said with a deep, sultry tone that had your thighs rubbing together and your panties beginning to stick. 

It’ll be alright. It’ll be fine.

That was what you told yourself as you unlocked his cell doors, fingers fumbling with the keys. You didn’t know what was wrong with you as you crashed your lips onto his. Your senses overloaded and everything disappeared. Draco’s lips were soft and pillowy, and you tasted the faint green apple gum he must have been chewing.

As he pushed your back against a wall, he hastily unbuttoned your shirt, hands fondling with your breasts. The black, lacy bralette made his mind go in circles as he growled. His hands massaged the soft flesh and you moaned at his touch. The warmth spreaded throughout your body, hitting your core. You panted and squirmed.

Draco’s lips were still attached to yours and when he pressed his body against yours, you felt his cock between the jumpsuit. Your fingers scrambled to grasp at the white material, tugging it off eagerly. 

Everything about him had you seeing the stars. 

“Knew you wanted me.” He muttered into your mouth. “Saw the way you were looking at me, Officer L/n.” 

“Y/n, call me Y/n.” 

Draco grinned wickedly. “Alright Y/n.” 

His lips left yours, finding a new home on your nipple. He sucked, swirling his rough tongue over your sensitive nub. The feeling had your body wriggling around and he pinned you to the wall, keeping you from moving. He gave each breast the same treatment, the same seductive licks and nips that his tongue delivered. 

“D-Draco…” You let out. “A-Ahh, fuck!” 

His palm came up to cover your mouth. “Can’t make too much noise, love.” His fingers trailed down to your things, ripping the clothing off of your body and he groaned at the sight of your wet panties. “All for me.”

Slowly, he slipped his hand into your panties, playing with your clit. He dipped a single finger in easily, teasing your needy cunt. You whimpered practically begging him for more. Your pussy fluttered around his finger and you desperately tried to grind down on his palm for some sort of friction but he gave you none.

“Such a needy whore.” Draco smirked, breath fanning over your face and you moaned at his words. “So wet f’me, just hear her speak.”

Another finger slipped inside and you gasped and clung onto Draco’s shoulders for support. The lewd sounds of your wet pussy filled the cell and you couldn’t help but flush with embarrassment. The criminal continued to curl and thrust his fingers, relishing in the sounds he was able to elicit. The pace he set was incredibly fast and your body failed to catch up. A strangled moan left your throat as you tried to stifle your vulgar noises. 

Draco pumped his digits in and out of you, the wet sounds reverberating around the walls. He scissored you open, bending down to look at the way your pussy was dripping. The growl he let out made your knees buckle. Every single thing about you had Draco begging for more. His fingers were drenched with your juices as he continued to thrust messily. 

“Fuck this. I can’t wait.”

He stripped his clothes and your pussy clenched at the sight of his cock. The flushed, red tip, leaking with precum. A whimper bubbled to your mouth and your mouth watered. You desperately wanted to suck him off but your thoughts were interrupted as he thrusted into you. 

The sensation of his cock filling you up had you reeling and your eyes rolling to the back of your head. Pain filled your body at the stretch to accommodate his size. Draco moaned, resting his forehead against yours, not hesitating to deliver harsh thrusts into you. 

“Draco.” You whined. “Fuck, feels so good.” You said drowsily, high on the feeling of his cock. 

“Yeah.” He panted, gripping your hips as he pounded into you. He watched as he disappeared into your wet heat. “You like this, love? Like me wrecking this slutty cunt?”

You struggled to find words and when you did it came out in a soft stutter. “I-I do…”

“Course you do fucking whore. That’s all you are isn’t it? A nasty hole to use, fuck I’m going to fill you up. You’d like that, my cum all stuffed inside this pretty pussy.”

You mewled incoherently, babbling at the pleasure you were receiving. It’s a feeling you never wanted to forget and as his huge cock plunged in and out of you, a silent scream ripped through your body. Only one thought was on your mind and it was Draco Malfoy, wanted criminal, fucking you in a dirty cell. 

His hair fell into his eyes and you reached your fingers up to brush it away. Draco looked up, eyes filled with lust. When he met your eyes he couldn’t help but crash his lips onto yours. You let him swallow every one of your moans and lewd noises. 

The harsh, hard pounds he delivered made you whimper his name over and over again. Draco  loved it, he found the thing he loved hearing the most. Your voice. He urged it out of you, thrusting into you deeper, hitting that sweet spot that had you screaming in ecstasy. Your body leaned into his touch every time. 

“D-Draco gonna cum, ‘m gonna cum.” You gasped, nails dragging down his back. “So so so good, don’t s-stop gonna cum, need it so bad.”

Draco grinned as his grip on you tightened and you cried out in pleasure. “Such a pretty voice. Don’t you just love to beg and scream. I’m gonna fill this filthy cunt with my cum, does that sound good love?” 

You were too blissed out to properly respond with words and all you could manage was a weak nod. His smirk traced over your bare skin and you could feel his hot breath as it enveloped you. He never once stopped telling you how he was going to ruin you, make you full of him that you wouldn’t be able to forget him inside you for weeks. 

The thought was enough to send you over the edge. Your body convulsed at the overwhelming feeling. Every one of your limbs felt as if it’s being tuned to the perfect melody. You gasped and moaned Draco's name, closing your eyes as you threw your head back. The harsh thrusting didn’t stop and he snapped his hips to yours faster than ever.

“Oh fuck.” He cursed, groaning at the sound of his body meeting yours. “You’re so good, such a good girl.” The low hum had your body shivering with delight. 

It wasn’t long before he was coming as well, eyes squeezed shut, cursing, as he continued his shallow thrusts. Hot cum shot into your pussy and you felt a warmth spread within you. It dripped out of you. He panted, sweat glistening off his forehead and you held onto his body so you didn't collapse. 

“You really are something else, love.” Draco chuckled, pressing his lips against yours. His eyes transfixed at your leaking cunt. “Fuck, look at you.” 

You closed your thighs, embarrassed at the sight. All of your thoughts were coming back to you and they weighed you down once more. He noticed your worry and he cupped your face, cooing. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

//

You didn’t remember how you got home, nor do you remember the rest of the conversation with Draco. Everything was a blur and when you woke up in your bed the next morning, all you had left was the lewd memories of his cock pounding into you. The loud, obnoxious ringing of your phone startled you out of your dreamy haze. You picked it up, rubbing your eyes at the bright morning light.

“Y/n.” Ron’s urgent voice crackled through your phone and you immediately sat up straighter. “Y/n, something really really bad has happened. I don’t even know how and of course I don’t blame you. It's just...Malfoy’s escaped.”

Half of Ron’s rant was cut off when you notice a piece of paper at your bedside followed by an unfamiliar gun holster. It had the familiar cursive handwriting, followed by a series of digits. You gasped, eyes filling with shock.

“I-I’ll call you back Ron.” You hung up immediately, diving for the note.

Call me. xxx-xxx-xxx

[octuscle]

Cholo Life

“First the damned Democrats stole the elections from us and now they are stealing our identity!” Manolo began to roll his eyes. He was familiar with this. When KJ worked himself into a rage, he sounded like a personal disciple of Trump. ‘I mean that they eat the cats in Springfield and the dogs, it's not just an isolated incident, they do it everywhere!’ ‘Kyle…’ Manuel began. KJ gave Manolo a friendly punch on the shoulder. He knew that when Manuel called him “Kyle,” Manolo was angry. “Of course I don't mean you,” said KJ. “You're an American through and through, you're American as peanut butter!” Of course that wasn't true. Manolo was born in Lima, went to school in Lima, and only came to Minnesota with his parents at the age of eight. But his parents had placed great importance on him learning the language quickly, and today Manolo speaks better English than his best friend from school days, KJ.

Kj, on the other hand, was a prime example of a junior at an American college: muscular, bright eyes, fair complexion, of course he played American football, and of course he parroted what Trump said without thinking. Yes, he was damn good-looking, but yes, he was also a real airhead. And even though olu secretly had a crush on KJ, KJ was out of reach for Manolo. You couldn't be more straighter than KJ.

KJ was studying business. With a bit of luck, he would at least get his bachelor's degree. Manolo had already graduated from high school two years before KJ and was about to get his bachelor's degree in biochemistry. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, who ran the research department of a seed company here. KJ, on the other hand, would join his father's trucking company and would alternate between driving trucks on the highways and struggling with the accounting in the office.

“Besides, you yourself admitted that you eat pets. You said that your grandmother serves guinea pigs.” ”Yes, but first of all, my grandmother doesn't steal the guinea pigs from some guys in Ohio, but has her cook buy and prepare them at the market, and secondly, guinea pigs are a delicacy where we come from. We find it rather absurd that you…” “All fake news!” KJ countered. ”Admit that the whole world would be in ruins without the USA. Our culture is simply superior!” There were situations in which Manolo was annoyed at being physically inferior to KJ. There were situations in which he just wanted to smash KJ's face in. It was really crazy that a guy who already classified cartoons as art wanted to lecture him on culture. His abuela had once given him a lucky charm that he always carried in his pocket. In situations like this, squeezing the stone firmly helped him. It drained the anger out of him. But this time was different. The stone became warm. The stone became hot! Manolo let go of it. He reached for the cold coke glass to cool his hand.

“Are you okay, hermano?” KJ asked. Manolo winced. That was the first time KJ had used a Spanish word correctly. ‘Would you order me another tequila? ¡Tengo que mear!’ Manolo looked after his friend. He had never drunk tequila before. KJ was also a feast for the eyes from behind. The torn jeans clung to his firm ass. His shoulders were broad. He was muscular. But not exaggerated. And his patriotic tattoos emphasized his masculinity. Manolo waved at the waitress and ordered two tequilas. He didn't usually drink. But maybe he could stand KJ better today if he was a little drunk.

The tequila arrived before KJ. And when KJ sat down, Manolo was playing with his cell phone. KJ took his tequila glass. “A nuestra salud y amistad, hermano” “A nuestra salud y amistad, KJ” Manolo replied distractedly, picked up the glass and was about to toast. He was frozen for a few seconds. What the hell had happened to Kyle? The smooth cheeks were covered by a hint of a beard. His tattoos had expanded. And now they had a lot more space too. Because KJ's muscles had almost exploded. His slender neck, with the Adam's apple whose movements always made Manolo so horny, had become a bull's neck tattooed all over. “Dude, you look like you've seen a ghost,” KJ said. His English had a slight Spanish accent. And there was a tear tattooed under his one eye. Manolo ordered two more tequilas… Their conversation turned into Spanglish gibberish. And at some point into Spanish. KJ got terribly worked up about the gringos. In doing so, he accidentally knocked his trucker cap off his head. He picked up a bandana and tied it around his head. KJ's gaze became somehow different. While they were talking, he played with his nipples more and more. He looked at Manolo more intensely. Somehow… lustfully? “Tengo que ir al baño otra vez. ¿Y no te gustaría venir conmigo?” KJ stood up. He was a muscleman. His tight-fitting tank top emphasized his muscles even more. With every twitch of the muscles, the tattoos moved, creating a real cartoon. His ass looked phenomenal in the pleated pants. If Manolo had to create a wank fantasy, this is what it would look like. And now the wank fantasy was telling him to follow him to the restrooms. Damn it! KJ looked like a real cholo. And he was a square college student in khakis and a button-down. Manolo hesitated for a moment. And then he followed KJ. KJ? Why “KJ”? I have no idea when the nickname developed. César Jesus should have been called CJ. But some stupid gringo hadn't understood that in elementary school. And so he had eventually become KJ. And the nickname stuck.

KJ was standing at the urinal. Manolo could see from behind that he was about to jerk off. Even though they had known each other since childhood, he had never seen KJ's cock. KJ's father had the typical conglomerate that enterprising wetbacks build. He had a few trucks that he used to transport goods or help with removals, he owned a few cafes, a laundry… And KJ was supposed to take over this small local empire at some point. His parents had always hoped that the friendship with the clever and ambitious Manolo would have a positive effect on KJ. But KJ had always been the type to hang out with the bad boys. And who could blame him? He looked just as brutal and manly as his father.

Manolo stood next to César at the urinal. César pretended not to notice Manolo. His tattooed hand jerked his cock, which was also covered in tattoos. It was a monster that offered almost as much surface area for artistic decoration as Manolo's thin forearm. César pushed up his tank top with his other hand, revealing his granite abs and finally his nipples. He played with his right nipple with his left hand. And Manolo, whose cock was almost as hard as César's muscles, couldn't help but suck on the left nipple. “Siempre supe que detrás de la fachada de empollón se escondía una zorrita,” César moaned. He let go of his nipple and pushed Manolo gently but firmly onto his knees. And Manolo greedily licked the precum from César's gleaming glans. This beast was not the first cock he sucked. But it was the biggest. And its owner was the one he wanted to satisfy more than anyone before. They had been like dissimilar brothers. Now he wanted to be this giant's whore. And César obviously wanted him to be his whore. He enjoyed the blow job and moaned loudly enough to signal to anyone who wanted to use the toilet that it was occupied. Manolo sucked César's cock and jerked his own. Both came almost simultaneously. It was impossible for Manolo to swallow all of César's cum. And his own cum splashed onto his shirt. Exhausted, he fell back. César was breathing heavily, too. “Necesitas una camisa nueva, hermanito,” he said. Manolo certainly couldn't go out like that. César took off Manolo's shirt and wiped his cum-smeared face with it. Then he took off his sweaty tank top. It was a bit difficult because it couldn't be easily pulled over his muscular body. He handed it to Manolo. Of course it was too big. But it felt good. And César would make sure that he would fill it out better soon. Today two men became real cholos.

Pics by @ki-kink

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

All In 11

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, age gap, power imbalance, low self esteem, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: you meet a mysterious man on a night out with your sister. (petite!reader)

based on the winning option for this poll

Characters: casino owner!Bucky Barnes

Note: it's a new week

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

Your phone buzzes against your leg, ripping you back to reality. Your eyes widen and drift away from the stream of font. You sit up and mark the page with your finger as you reach for the jittering cell. 

You scramble to grab onto it and hesitate to hit the big green button. The screen doesn't look like usual, not that you get many calls. You tap the button and the image changes at once, Bucky startling you as he appears. 

"Hey, doll," he grins and winks at you, moving the camera to lean against something. "How's it going?" 

"Uhhhh," you drone, surprised. He can see you too. You know by the little reflection of yourself in the corner. "Hi. Fine." You put the book down with no mind to losing the page, "um, you?" 

"You busy, doll?" 

"Reading but... no." 

"Mm," he hums, "glad to see you enjoying your treats but... no pajamas?" 

He steps back and you get a view of him from waist up, the edge of a counter in the lower edge. You pout then give a sheepish smile, "sorry, I haven't... had a chance." 

"That's okay, doll, I just wanted a peek before I went to work," he undoes his shirt button by button and pulls it off, revealing his muscular torso. You gulp at the lines of his muscle along his stomach, "why don't you put them on now and give me a look." 

"Oh, uh..." you glance at the wall. It's late. You're pretty sure Roxie already left for work and your mom will probably be settling down. "Right, uh..." 

"Just want something to think of when I walk the floor," he purrs. 

"Sure, er," you nearly choke, "I'll just-- one sec." 

"I can wait, doll. I've been waiting, haven't I?" He purrs. 

You feel a pang of guilt. You place the phone down so the lens faces the ceiling and climb off the bed. He's given you a lot, too much honestly, and now you feel like you owe him. It isn't fair to take his kindness without anything in return. And he isn't asking much, is he? 

You dig in the bag, the crinkle loud as the only other noise is the subtle movement from his end. You fish out the soft pajamas and peer over, making certain the phone is still flat. You change far away from it, paranoid. 

You look down at yourself in the tank and shorts. Oh gosh. It's a lot less than you usually wear. Your legs are showing, your shoulders, and a bit of your tummy. 

"Doll?" He says and you flinch. 

"I don't know... I don't think it fits." 

"I'm sure it fits just nice," he insists, "show me." 

"Oh, uh..." 

"I'm just looking, doll, I'll only think of what I really wanna do," he snickers. 

You cross back to the bed and pick up the phone, careful to stay out of view. You turn back and prop it up on the dresser, overly aware of the unflattering angle as you do. You give a wide-eyed look and back up so you're all in frame.  

You hug yourself shyly and sway. 

"Let me see ya," he orders. 

You put your arms straight and notice how he leans in to look at the screen, smoothing his hair back. He keeps his hands over his dark strands and growls. A flutter starts in your stomach. 

"What do you mean too small? That fits your perfect," he says. 

"I... really?" 

"Sure, doll," he turns and you realise he's getting ready.  

He combs his hair stands straight. He grabs a new shirt and buttons it as he peeks again. You near the camera and move it so he can only see your face.  

"Damn, doll, I'm gonna be all over the place," he says, "you're so sweet and sexy." 

"Bucky," you squeak.  

"I don't lie. That's the one thing you should know about me. I will always let you know exactly what I want." 

You blush hotly and a tap on the door nearly makes you drop the phone. You hide it behind you and shuffle closer. You clear your throat. 

"Uh, yeah?" You call through. 

"Hey, honey, everything okay in there?" She asks. Shoot, she must have heard you. 

"I'm watching something," your heart hammers, "sorry, I'll turn it down."

"It's alright, honey. Just thought I heard you..."

"No, just a show," you wisp out.

You quickly back away and go as far from the door as you can. You look down at the phone as Bucky tucks in his shirt. Ugh, that was embarrassing. He heard all that; surely he must realise how lame you are. 

"Mom sounds real sweet," he says, "must be where you get it." 

"She's working tomorrow. Don't wanna keep her up," you explain quietly. 

"That's too bad, doll. I'll just have to keep waiting... wanting," he shrugs and pulls on a dark jacket, "what do ya think? Look good?" 

He poses for the camera. He looks great, as always. You feel smaller than ever. 

"Yes," you answer softly. 

"Yes? That's it?" He sounds disappointed. 

"Very handsome," you eke out. 

"Handsome?" He squints as he picks up the phone. 

"Er," you search your repertoire and borrow from his, "sexy?" 

"Are you asking or telling me?" He chuckles. 

You giggle. You don't think you've ever told anyone they are sexy. You've never been that bold. 

"Yes." 

"Yes?" He laughs. 

"You're, er, oh, sexy," you touch your hot cheek and look away. 

"You are adorable, doll," he growls, "that's exactly what I need to hear." He grazes his fingertips over his beard, "unfortunately I gotta get on it so... tomorrow." 

"Tomorrow," you confirm. 

"Don't worry about a thing, doll, just bring your gorgeous self." 

🃏

The next day is restless. It's worse having hours to wait around for... what? You don't know. 

You spend your time reading, or trying to. Breakfast is small, what your roiling stomach can handle, and you put on an outfit that you think is acceptable, not that you have much to choose from. It might be strange if your mom or Roxie notice the lack of uniform. You could say you change at work? 

Ugh, lie after lie. It's all so much.  

You don't get very far in the book and your phone buzzes, a reminder from Bucky that your fate is coming. You grab your purse and sit out on the stoop, the sunlight beaming down. It would be a nice say if you were so damn uptight. 

Merv pulls up in the sleek luxury car and you get up, checking over your shoulder to see if there's any curious tug on the curtain. Your mom's already at work but Roxie is puttering around somewhere. She could be sleeping or not. 

Merv gets out to greet you. He opens the door and you thank him. He sits in the driver's seat and Springsteen drones from the radio. You smile as he shifts into gear. 

"I know this one," you say. 

"Of course, a classic," he praises. "And how are you today, miss?" 

"Good, you, sir?" 

He laughs as he steers, "very good, miss. And how could I not be." He peeks at you in the rear view, "with sunshine in my backseat." 

You smile bashfully and cross your legs. You can't help the shake in your foot. You're more and more nervous with each second and turn of the wheel. 

As if noticing your unease, he turns up the music, "I like this one too." 

You sigh and ease into the drumbeat. The tempo keeps your heartbeat in check. You're thankful for his subtle comfort. 

You turn to watch through the tinted windows. You never noticed how scenic this city is. You never went many places to have the chance. 

He keeps the volume up and you let it carry you through the long journey across the city. He pulls up to the casino and steers around to the hotel entrance. You peer through then back at him in confusion. He turns the knob down. 

"Mr. Barnes says to give your name at the desk," Merv instructs, "have a good day." 

"Thanks, you too," you unbuckle the seat belt and sidle across to the door. 

You get out with reticence. Staring up at the grand facade, you're more unsure than you've ever been. You've come this far, you have to keep going. You really have no choice as Merv slowly rolls away.  

You step forward. It doesn't get easier the further you get. Your pulse hammers behind your ear as you enter the lobby and a flash of deja vu overcomes you. That night with Roxie, the morning after, and everything since. How does it all feel as if it happened so fast and yet so long ago? 

You go to the desk, feeling entirely out of place. What if Merv is wrong and you shouldn't be there? What if they just look at you and laugh? No choice, keep going. 

You stop on the other side of the desk and give a stiff smile. 

"Hello, welcome, checking in?" The modelesque concierge asks. She's stunning and you're all the more self-aware. 

"Uh, I think? My name is..." 

She keeps her pristine smile in place and her eyes lights up. She doesn't even bother typing into her computer. She flits away and returns with one of little folders with the room keys inside. Oh, this is really happening. 

You thank her and slowly back away. You make a slow advance towards the elevator and wait beside a couple with their suitcases. You step on with them, avoiding a glimpse through the transparent walls.  

You unfold the folio and read the number, pushing the floor number, then stand back on your heels. You keep your eyes on the door, the motion alone making you dizzy. 

The couple gets off before you. When it's your floor, you thankfully scramble off and take a deep breath. You once more check the number and follow the hallways to your assigned suite. 

You swipe the card several times, you still don't have the hang of it. The door opens and you enter meekly. You focus on every move. Shut the door, slip the card back in the folder, put it down on the corner table. 

You look up at last and let yourself marvel at the suite as you delve further in. The smell of pollen greets you with a large bouquet of roses. The suite is huge, even bigger than last time. Two rooms just the same and a full kitchenette and spacious bathroom. You don't go onto the balcony, not wanting to test your stomach. 

You go back inside and glance over the table draped in a red tablecloth beneath the crystal vase of flowers. There's also a tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries and various colours of macarons. You've never had the delicate cookies before but you'd watch countless recipe videos, wishing on day to try them yourself. 

There's an envelope too. You take it and run your nail along the sealed flap. You open it carefully and slip out the card within. 

'Enjoy yourself, doll. I'll join you shortly. B.' 

As if on cue, there's a knock on the door. Oh gosh, you're not ready. What does he mean? Join you? You hoped for a little long before... before... 

You stand frozen but when the door doesn't open itself, you go to answer it. You slowly twist the long handle and open it just a crack. You peer around the edge and blink in confusion. 

"Hello, dahling," the woman's affectation drags out her syllables, "well look at you, how precious." 

She presses on the door and you let her force her way in. You're dumbfounded. Who the heck is she? Another long-legged beauty you can't compare too. 

"Lovely hair," she remarks as she closes the door without a care, "oh, and your skin, yes, perfect canvas..." 

"Sorry, er, I think you have the wrong room--" 

"Mr. Barnes sent me, dahling," she trills in her way, "and I see you are very much in need of my visit so let's begin. Mm, yes, I have a vision," she struts forward, a rose gold chest in her hand, "not very much, you have a natural lustre I adore." 

You retreat as she advances on you. She lifts her chest onto the chaise and flips back the lid, revealing an assortment of precisely organized palettes and tubes. You're horrified and humiliated as you realise why she's there. Maybe you aren't as pretty as Bucky keeps telling you.