#so badly!! (observing them under a microscope moment)

[spotaus]

AYYYYY!!!! I actually have something silly I wann reply to this with so @ancientschampionau I'm writing it in the actual blog post this time! (I might miss some details because the main posts are hidden under Read Mores for me but I think I got this 🙏)

Okay so first off... HELLO??? Gods I love them. Thank you so much for breaking down exactly what's going on here with theur magic and stuff because I love puzzling things out from writing of course, but getting the full dissertation on these guys straight from the source is like Diety coming up to me and whispering Forbidden Knowledge in my ears (/pos) so now I just need to spew my thoughts!

I'll start with how Soul-bonding with Night and the mutual wants to take care of/wants to be taken care of vibes spread the power between them! It's such a great method of introducing them as Acolytes now! Night trust them, cares about them a lot, and they do the same for him! Mortals can try to raise a God, but you're so right in saying that if they figure out their domains first, then they can help Night later on!!

Now having said that, I have *got* to figure out wtf is going on with this power symbolism. Because easiest put, I definitely think it just draws on their original strengths (sonewhat) of what they were best at working under Nightmare in the beginning. But I also am theorizing that it's playing a lot more into their mental states too. (<- forgive me if you already established this, I read the post at like 5 am with bleary eyes lmao)

Horror has always been revered for his strength (mentally and physically) so it makes sense he'd have the power that takes the most active concentration mixed with the most physical movement. He's very stable, and thoughtful, and moving the earth itself (EARTHBENDING POG!!!) Is something that's not be done on a whim. (Like, you can't convince me Killer wouldn't have already tried to impulsively make a Giant Hole or smth if he had that power). But Horror's whole "job" from the start was to stabilize the others, make things safer and easier. He was only capable of doing that because he took time to learn, observe, and take his time, which were all in part to his patient and calmer nature and personality. Now he's using his powers in the same way, starting out small, but his first priority to to make things safer (moving the cliff) and easier (rearranging things) to maintain and co-exist with. I also gotta point out that his version is obviously pretty nature-sensative thanks to Night's influence, but he clearly has a respect for the world around him. It's not like normal landscaping or terraforming where ya gotta dig-up/build atop the nature there, he just... moves it a few more yards to the side, flattens it a lil, etc. Very cool of him!

Then there's Killer. Of course Killer was always the one quick to speak (improv king), the one to hatch plans, and as Nightmare's first cronie and his right hand man, it makes sense that Killer would develop a power that helps the gang in a social way. Nightmare, as well-spoken as he might always be with his advanced vocabulary, is now an anxious and shy bean, so Killer can't let him do all the talking. Cross and Dust are no-gos because, I mean, look at 'em (my beloveds), and Horror is always level-headed but sometimes there needs to be someone who *isn't* going to level with a person when they don't deserve it. Killer's impulsive and creative nature makes this power obviously great for him. It protects them (ex. That Lady + Her Kids, which was GREAT foreshadowing btw, oh my gosh) and it also makes it a Lot Easier to explain away their weirdness. Like, they're from another universe, and stuff happening out of the blue is smth they'd like to keep under wraps. Killer is now their Alibi Man like he was from the start! (And now that I'm thinking on it... i don't think Killer would really *need* to compell Elli to not talk about Night's lil God Miracle when that happened, they've got a mutual trust, but that's another prime example of the kinda situation where they'd need it. It's very easy to convince someone magic was a slight of hand or actually something very important and dangerous that can't get out when you've got as much conviction (rizz) as Killer does! Plus my trail-on about how it reflects his mental status? Uhhh. Hmmm.. I just think that he's a little unhinged, and maybe in the past reality slipped away from him a bit, lies easier to believe than the truth, and now he can use that on other people to the benefit of his family? White-lies style I suppose.

Cross is up next because he's my problem-child with the predictions I'm trying to figure out here, haha! But I think my main idea with him is. He was a late addition to the team, after the others had already (sonewhat) bonded, or at least had gotten used to their antics. He's kinda the odd-man out in his own perspective of things, I'm sure. It might be that subconsciously it's easier to fade into the background (literally, now) and observe what's going on from the distance. Then he can catch up with reality. His was really the one that caught me off-guard (and maybe I'm projecting a bit-) but it felt like more of a personal power to Cross than the others were, because it's a *visual* one. Dust and Horror both have physical attributes that affect the world around them, abd Killer can affect people, but Cross? Cross is using the environment to help himself (<- which might be my entire point here) literally. Subconsciously or not the universe is bending around him to hide him!! There's no danger right now though, that's the kicker. It just kinda... seems to *happen* as he develops it. Which happens to all four of them, but again it's the execution that got me here. The way that instead of Cross being the one to notice and control when he disappears, it's the others who seem to locate him or notice and drag him out of it. And op I don't know if this was intentional or if I'm just insane, but this feels super heavily like a metaphor for Cross isolating himself because he feels out of place with the others? (Again, I could definitely be projecting, but) If all of these powers rely on control and intentions in their souls to manage them (Killer not tricking the guys, Horror learning his by taking his time, Dust's just overwhelming him in the same way he was uses to before?) They seem to feed on old habits and strengths, and *insecurities* (<- getting to Dust with this one) I just think it's really neat that Cross seems to literally fade into the background. And something something symbolism of his family *literally* dragging him back into the present every time it happens because they care about him and Literally want him around. ...Also he was usually the one (if I'm not mistaken) who was extra worried about getting found. Whether that be from Dream/Blue when they were first on the run or now with people finding out about them, and with Error showing up now it's a trend with him. There were so many times they could've been caught, and Cross probably is subconsciously trying to figure out how to conceal them all away from harmful prying eyes now that they have a place to stay. (<- I feel like he's eventually going to progress into literally weaving a weird cloak around their farm or the universe itself if he needs to so that no one will even know they're there. Percy Jackson Mist style-) This last bit was my actual prediction but I got lost in the sauce (emotions tying into magic and desires lore) earlier lol.

And Dust! Last but certainly not least! He was the first to start developing his powers (the first to adopt Night too) and I think it's fascinating that his is electricity. Of course it's got fun quirks like tying into his handyman hobby or potentially his past as a Svientist (Idk if his AU follows that track so ignore me if it didn't-) but the important thing is that Electricity is quick and powerful. And I know that we're classifying it as a 'storm' kinda magic, but until he makes it do a nice drizzle I can't really wrap my head around it so I'm gonna lean more on the Electricity part lol- since the start, Dust was always the strongest and most unpredictable member of the team. He was sonething the others had to prepare for when they sat him coming (Killer not being as... well, Killer, Horror preparing to stop the inevitable fight, and all of then eventually learning how to redirect that boiling energy elsewhere. Dust has always been sparking with metaphorical electricity. Having said that, he's also been insanely worried about being seen as Weak and Lesser (and Worthless) by the others. His main goal this entire time has been to protect Nightmare (as evidence hy... everything but specifically this time the storm not hurting him). His power, already dangerous and strong, manifested into sonetjing stronger. Like an electric fence that shocks everyone but Night. Night would be safe anywhere in one of Dust's storms, but so far even the rest of the gang still get hit sometimes. It's like Night literally is in the eye of the storm whenever Dust has too much energy (or potentially might need to defend him later on down the road). Eye of the storm... like Dust is always watching over Nightmare because Dust is the storm... please tell me that was intentional? Anyways yeag. He got stronger, and stronger, in a less controlled and mire tangible way. He wants to leave 0 doubt in the mind of anyone who crosses him that he's the strongest of the four and if you try to touch his babybones *nothing* would get in his way of protecting Night. (Including, for the moment, his family.) Also the 'getting hit but it not hurting as much' is really giving some sort of emotional backlash vibes. Like, it's hard to get Dust to crack, but when he cracks it's like breaking a jar, and sometimes the glass shards can hit people they weren't meant to. And it hurts less to the people hurt because they know it was an outburst (or accident) and they're understanding and supportive and knew that wasn't the intention of whoever did it. Though I do figure that as the boys keep getting closer Dust would be able to let his subconscious accept them in too. Once Dust is finally sure with hinself that the others really do respect him.

Okay I coukd be 100% wrong with some of this, but like, hoping this lil analysis got at least a bit right? Op you know I'm always honored to be able to hear lore and see you expand on it so if you ever want to elaborate further this is you invitation! (What's that one thing? If RealAgeAU has no fans then I'm dead. Or sonething? Haha!)

Once again, I am spoiled, and thank you so much for cooking all of this up. Every update I kick my feet in the air and giggle happily about it-

RealAgeAU Drabble - The Tavern

*kicks in the door* HELLO! :D Guess three times who had an idea?! IT is me! Your homie!

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I am so excited because I finally got an idea on how I wanted to mention a few things! And It fits together! :D

Also, The mentioned OC is from @spotaus Who made a lovely drabble that I personally also consider canon for this AU <3 Give it some love and look at it okay? They are very talented!

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Dust looks up at the building as he tilts his skull. It looks nice enough and doesn't look like the general Grillby's building. It looks grander and like it has been expended a bunch. Dust can see some newer repairs around the fench and the walls and can only assume those had to be repaired.

Cross shuffles somewhere near him "Are we sure about this?"

Killer hums as he looks at the building himself "I mean. Dusty got that cash reward for that repair thing at the last market..." and he shrugs.

Dust nods "WAs a lot." and that is an understatement. When the mayor had said they would send a thank you for Dust repairing the generator and fridges he had figrued it would just be like some flowers.

That was usually with political people did. Send some weird present and a card about how good of a free service yoou did and all that crap.

Instead she just send a cash package that none of them had expected. As thank you for saving their market. Aparently it was the normal amount they payed for a emergancy service of this big with a nice tiny bonus. As a welcome to the community present!

It had been welcome mostly because it would help get them started after the winter and made sure they didn't need to keep getting by with tiny jobs here and there.

Horror nods in agreement "Crop said this would be a good way to get more friendly. Be seen less as hermits." Dust blinks back into the conversation and actually pays attention as he is suposed to be part of it.

Cross sounds deeply unhappy "I like being hermits..."

Dust hums as he keeps holding Nightmare. Nightmare stares slightly enchanted at the building before shaking his skull to snap himself out of it. Dust thinks they are doing a good job with helping him unlearn the bad and unhealthy habits he had from being forced into his guardian position.

But it will take more time, Nightmare still feels awkward and weird for being a child and childlike sometimes. They will eventually get that mindset out of his little skull.

More shuffles and Dust glances over. Yup. No Cross in sight. Dust doesn't point it out and just thrusts his elbow out into the general direction he last heard Cross. A groan and Cross sends him a glare as the weird invisibility starts to shift off of him.

That is another thing all four of them had silently decided to just... not talk about. Much like how he tended to now be more charged with actual electricity instead of just mana. How Killer's silver tongue has gone to the extreme and even the most stupid lies seem to be believed if he says it with enough confidence. How the very layout of their own farm shiftly slightly when Horror had been staring and nudging the area.

They just...

It is probably fine. Ngihtmare hadn't seemed alarmed by it and they just figure it is because of the apple situation. Nightmare is still slowly losing that old magic and they are nearby a lot. It would make sense they took it over slightly.

They hadn't been actively bothered by it yet and while annoying and something to keep in mind it didn't seem dangerous.

Dust nods to the door "Lets go." and he walks forwards wiht Ngihtmae in his arms.

The inside is nicely lit and warm. People are all around and Dust recognises quite a few people from all of his trips to town to repair things. he also sees some of the people who came to help them with their new house. Dust still doesnt'quite know the names of them all as he never was the best with names. That is more of a Killer and Cross thing.

Dust looks around and spots a table which is empty and marches over there. By this point easily ignoring the curious glances. He also knows that Killer is shadowing him with most likely that same stupid challenging and charming grin on his stupid charming face.

Dust takes a seat and looks at the chairs around him. He ends up pulling one near and putting Nightmare in it. Nightmare manages to look over the edge but it is a near thing. Dust tilts his skull "That good?"

Nightmare thinks it over before nodding. Then he looks to the side as he takes in someone playing the guitar and singing live music. huh. Dust wonders if that is a regular thing.

The others join them and they all take a moment to really familiarise themselves with the area. It is different but small details are the same. The shade of the lighting. The colour of the shelves. Tiny things that make the scene more familiar.

Dust used to get disbalanced and well, fucked in the head by seeing things that reminded him of his own universe. He still gets missed up if it is too much alike but he likes to think he got a bit better at handling it all.

They look up when Light walks over to them. Their flames bright as they carry menu's in their multitude of arms. They greet them and gives everyone a menu before getting a small notepad out "Any ideas for drinks?"

Dust shrugs as he lokos at Ngihtmare. Nightmare reads the drink part of the menu wiht a serious and thoughtful look before looking up at the fire elemental. he pauses for a moment before speaking "Can I have a root beer float?"

Light's flames flicker happily as they note it down "One root beer float for the very polite skeleton." they looks at them and wait.

Dust hums and mutters "Same." Light nods nad notes it down.

Killer looks at the different drinks and settles for some latte coffee which he will probably put an unholy amount of sugar into. DUst would be worried about the caffeine if he didn't already know that caffeine just didn't affect Killer.

Horror ends up asking for some fresh mint tea and Cross just asks for sparkling water.

With those orders out of the way Light lets them be to look at the menu. Some items hit the guilt filled part of his soul as it reminds him of things of the past but he shakes it off. Those are normal menu items. Even so Dust decides to take the chicken and egg dish. Mostly because it seems like a this universe thing.

Horror ends up picking the same as Killer ends up going for an unholy amount of fries. Nightmare ends up picking pumpkin soup and Cross joins Nightmare with his order.

Light brings them their drinks, which honestly? Rather brave of the fire elemental to bring them liquids. They take their order and leave for a short while to get everything ready.

Nightmare goes back to listening to the live music as Dust and the other three make light conversation. They keep their conversation vague as they talk abotu old missions and stupid stuff that happened. They share chuckles and it is honestly nice to relax.

Their food is brought over and Light looks at them nervously "So... How is the flower doing?"

Horror looks up before answering "It is well. It stands in the window near the fire place."

They had ended up moving the burning flower there as it served as a nice night light for Nightmare. Nightmare denied being uncomfortable in the dark but Dust thinks the darkness still freaks him out a bit now that he lost his nightvision after becoming little again.

Dust can only imagine the panic he feels if he thinks he was left alone agian. Abandoned again.

It is also why Cross invested some of the hard earned cash into fairy lights and strung those up all along and above the nest. Light it up better.

Nightmare slept much more soundly and woke up less int he middle of the night now and for them it hardly mattered if it was dark out or not.

Light, heh, lights up as they say they are happy to hear that before happily skipping off.

Dust snorts and shoots Cross an amused grin "they are enchanted by you." and he snorts again when Cross sputters.

"Hardly!" Cross glares as he blushes and his arm disappears out of view again. Luckily Killer sees and nudges where the arm used to be, bringing it back into view.

Cross crosses his arms and huffs.

Killer grins and winks at Cross "I can see why. soldier boy is so strong and reliable and a true knight in shining armour." and he winks again.

Cross sputters and his blush grows even darker as he looks away from Killer "Stop being weird..." Killer laughs and hugs Cross.

Horror watches them with a fond look before turning his focus on Ngihtmare and getting him to eat his soup. Something about little babybones needing energy to heal and grow.

Dust gets to work on his own meal as he watches the others. Soul feeling warm and content to see them all here. He really likes not being alone anymore.

*---------------------*

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And if you haven't check out Spotaus's lovely drabble !!

[xxiaoyang]

i've got you (too) | yangyang (m)

yangyang was the best at reading you. as much as he liked to play around, he was always there when you needed him.

words: 3.5k

warnings/tags: smut, non idol!au, college!au, unprotected sex, breeding?, switch!yangyang but kinda soft dom ig, sub!reader, hurt/comfort, love-making, feelings, fluff

a/n: this is just soft. build up but what’s new, it’s me and i can’t shut up about him. 

yangyang was always good at reading you. he was like that with most people, observant enough to pick up on the mood around him. but with you, some days he may as well be reading your thoughts. at times it's like he knows what you're feeling before or better than you do. when you walked through the door of your shared apartment with hunched shoulders, he knew something was off.

he had finished class earlier, spending the remainder of his afternoon playing games online and eating whatever he could find in the pantry. you guys really needed to go shopping. he made a mental note to chide you about it later, his mischievous self always looking for a way to tease you, even knowing full well he was the one who ate all of the food.

he was sprawled out on the couch waiting for you, mindlessly clicking through youtube videos and watching as the time ticked on. it was now thirty minutes after your last class, and he couldn't stop the slight bit of worry that creeped into his mind.

your apartment was only about eight minutes from campus, having chosen it for that reason, so you should have been home already. and you always let him know when you were held up with work or going to be home later. it wasn't that you couldn't go about your day without letting him know what you were doing, he just worried when he didn't hear from you for a while. this was unusual for you two.

he sat up straight, shaking the negative thoughts out of his mind and checking his messages in case he'd missed one. nothing. that was weird. he decided to send you one and ask how you were doing, but before he could hit send the telltale click of your deadbolt filled his ears, his head snapping over to you, ready to give you an earful.

you walked through the door a second later, turning to lock it and remove your coat and shoes by the rack without a word. yangyang let a smirk curl at his lips and took the opportunity to poke fun at you.

"what took you so long! we ran out of snacks," he teased lightly, "i almost starved."

you turned in his direction, still silent, and it was then he could see the tired look on your face, your shoulders drooping and your legs barely holding you. his smirk was wiped away at the sight of you, his legs already making their way over to you.

he held your shoulders, tilting his head in an attempt to meet your eyes, but they were unfocused as you gazed off into space. he felt his heart crack at how defeated you looked.

"what's wrong, baby? talk to me." he let his hands fuss at you, straightening out your oversized sweater, a few gentle fingers coming to brush a stray strand of hair from your face. you didn't budge. you didn't even seem present in the room. your head stayed lowered in its position. he began to worry that something bad had actually happened.

taking your face into one of his hands he turned you in his direction, checking you for any clues that could help him figure it out. 

"did something happen? did someone do something to you? at least tell me you're okay."

the hint of panic in his voice brought you to your senses, pulling you from your zoned out state to look into his eyes. it was like you hadn't even registered him there. as the warmth of his touch seeped into your skin, his eyes searching yours so intensely, you felt yours sting with tears. tears you didn't realize you were holding back.

that had him springing into action. yangyang was an energetic and playful boy, but he was serious when he needed to be and he knew exactly how to take care of you when you needed him.

"oh baby, come here," he cooed, pulling you into his arms and stroking the back of your head softly. as soon as he did, your arms were clinging to him, your form shaking slightly in his hold. he was sure his heart had broken, your weak sobs making him want to cry too. but he wouldn't, for you.

he waited patiently for you to let it all out, holding you by the door until you were ready to talk. when you sniffled and lifted your head, he brushed the hair from your forehead, staying quiet and giving you room to speak.

"i'm sorry." he knew you were going to apologize, but let you keep going. "i wasn't ignoring you, i was held up after class and i just wanted to come home so badly but he wouldn't let me and i didn't even realize the time."

"was it that professor?" you nodded, yangyang following suit in understanding. the one who always gave you a hard time about your assignments.

"that prick. one of these days i'm going to have to give that old man a talking to," he pouted, earning a giggle and a weak slap on the arm from you. he continued, "i will! i'm not above fighting an old person."

your giggles erupted into a full belly laugh, your bright smile returning to your face, lighting up the room once again. there you were.

he just watched you with his big gummy smile, happy that, for the most part, you were okay and that you were smiling again.

"i was just kidding, by the way, i wasn't actually starving."

you shook your head, scoffing at him. "you can get your own food, you know," you teased back weakly.

he didn't respond, his deep brown eyes boring into you and making you feel small. "well... what do you want to have? it's still a bit early for dinner but we can start to make something. or order something later?" you asked.

yangyang shook his head, his hands holding you by your waist and pulling you closer to him. "i don't really want to eat right now."

your eyebrows furrowed together, "mm, okay. what do you want then?"

he leaned forward until he was flat against you, a hand trailing down your back as he spoke, "just want you. let me make you feel better."

the intent behind his words was made clear to you by his actions, his hand rubbing soothingly into the small of your back and sending a shiver down your spine. he kissed the side of your head down to your neck, stopping before he reached the sensitive skin there.

you felt yourself melting into him, your exhausted brain shutting down at his smooth voice. you felt out of control of yourself. most of all, you felt needy, wanting him more than anything now.

you leaned into him, legs nearly giving out, a small hum in the back of your throat. he smiled to himself, stepping back to place a hand behind your knees and scoop you up into his arms.

you were both shocked and impressed by the action, unaware that he had such strength. the revelation making you feel even smaller in his grasp.

yangyang carried you to your bedroom, sitting on the end of the bed and shifting you into his lap so you were sat across his legs.

one hand traced patterns on your back, his other hand smoothing up and down your thigh. he was waiting you out to make sure you wanted to continue. "are you sure this is okay? if you want we can just cuddle and watch tv or nap. those are good to me too."

your heart clenched at your boyfriend's sweet words, his soft tone breaking you down into a yearning mess for him. the feeling was unfamiliar to you, with you usually having good control of them. you just nodded and hid your face in his chest.

he chuckled and lifted you from his lap to stand you in front of him, his long legs on each side of you. "let's get these off of you."

his movements were slow and calculated as he pulled your sweater over your head. he was treating you like fragile china that would shatter in his hands at any moment. it only made you weaker. with the same carefulness he removed your bottoms, leaving you bare in front of him while he was still fully clothed.

you felt like you had been put under a microscope, acutely aware of his gaze as his eyes wandered over every curve and dip of your body. if the pure adoration wasn't so present in his eyes, you might have felt a bit self-conscious. the only thing you felt was the overwhelming desire for him to take you right there.

you were having trouble finding your words, unsure of what you even wanted to say, so you just tugged at the bottom of his hoodie hoping he'd get the hint.

he grinned, that mischievous grin you'd come to love, and pulled it over his head in one swift motion, his toned chest and arms on display for your glazed over eyes. you were barely thinking anymore, just feeling. the heaviness of the atmosphere weighed on you, making you crave him more.

your hands flew to smooth skin, fingers trailing over his prominent collar bones to his shoulders that had gotten bigger in recent months. he shivered when you dragged your nails down his abdomen, feeling up every part of him.

it wasn't usually like this. you and yangyang were pretty much always on the same wavelength, being more inclined to have fun and be less serious when you were having sex, even trying new things in a space that was more lighthearted. but this was different. this was much deeper. it was so intimate.

you felt yourself growing more timid, which was another first. your dynamic with him was different, as well, you being the one who was more experienced and typically leading. it alternated back and forth between you two, yangyang's ability to read people being very helpful for times when you didn't feel like being in control. but even in those times, you still had control - over yourself. now you just felt vulnerable and dazed. if it weren't yangyang making you feel that way, it would have terrified you.

but the boy, with his big sparkly eyes that were looking up at you now, only filled your heart with warmth, no fear present. without realizing it you had crawled back into his lap, fingers fiddling with the button of his jeans in a lazy attempt to undo it.

he laughed from deep in his chest, amused by the far off look on your face as you fumbled your way around him. he kept his comments to himself, only pressing his lips to your forehead and pushing his pants down his hips.

when you didn't make a move to let him take them off, he lifted you in his arms once again, flipping you slowly and laying you under the plush blanket.

he knew your mind was shutting off and it had his chest swelling with fullness to know he made you comfortable enough to get that way. you were always the responsible one, so often shouldering the burdens and taking care of him on top. you rarely let your guard down, even with him at times. it took him a while just to get you to open up to him in the beginning. but even at your most vulnerable, you always maintained control.

to be able to see those walls come down and for you to allow yourself to. to put enough trust in him to have total control over you made his heart pound behind his ribs. he wanted to be everything you needed, everything you were to him. to make you feel special and cared for and safe. he knew it would take a while, and now that it's here, he feels so full. full of love for you. and he just wants to show that to you.

yangyang quickly tore off his jeans and crawled up to you on the bed, leaving a trail of kisses up your leg, over your stomach and chest all the way to your lips, molding his together with yours and warming you from the inside out.

tugging at the blankets beneath you to pull them up, he moved so you both were under the covers, and settled himself between your legs on top of you.

he looked down at you with such fondness in his eyes, taking in every small detail and gracing every spot with a kiss as he went. the adoration he felt for you was immeasurable, all consuming. you were so special to him. you understood him and complimented him in a way no one else could, always making him feel loved and seen. now he could return the gesture. 

yangyang lowered himself and kissed you with all the emotions he couldn’t contain, something so tender and full of passion. the warmth that was radiating from him was so overwhelming you could cry right there. but you just kissed him back, meeting him in that place and returning his devotion.

he held you close in his embrace, a hand wandering down your stomach to your side and rubbing at your hipbone with his thumb. his fingers danced across your thigh to your core, met with the slick heat of your folds. he parted them with a finger, spreading your wetness up and down, kissing you all the while. his tongue brushed against yours in slow, focused motions. he let his finger slide back down, dipping into your entrance and making you gasp on his lips. 

he slid his finger into you all the way, curling it and drawing broken whines from you. yangyang moved back and began crawling down between your legs and your hands flew to him, grabbing at his shoulders to stop him.

you shook your head, clinging to him, “don’t need to. want you inside.”

he froze, stomach flipping at your demure tone as he returned to his spot over you. “okay, baby, let me grab a condom-”

“no,” you held his arms, lifting your hips to meet his untended erection, “want you like this, if that’s okay.”

he crashed his lips against yours, nodding and moaning into you, his need for you just as intense. he used a hand to trace along your slit with his length, coating himself in your essence before pressing the tip to your opening. slowly he pushed into you, your muscles loosening to accommodate his width. the defined edges of his head rubbed against your walls deliciously as he inched himself into you further, the feeling already too much for you in this state. 

he stilled, lips parting from yours to search your eyes for any discomfort, finding none. you pulled him back to you and encouraged him with a small thrust of your hips. without hesitation he pushed the rest of his length into you, bottoming out and reaching a place inside you that had your body humming with satisfaction. he was so close, you could feel every detail of him, hot and twitching in your center. you thought for a second that you could even stay like this, but you wanted more of him. 

when you wiggled your hips, he got the hint, laughing through his nose where his lips were pressed to your jaw. “tell me how you want it, baby.”

“don’t care. just want to feel you deep inside.” 

he couldn’t help but find you adorable and stroked your cheek, pushing aside the feelings that arose in him to focus on you. yangyang lifted himself on his arms and pulled out of you, thrusting back into you with a force that had you arching off the bed. 

lowering his head to your chest, he kissed your breast so softly you almost didn’t register it, a whimper escaping when he took your nipple between his lips.

he paid special attention to all of your sensitive areas, making sure to cover every part of you with his affection, while rolling his hips into you in a slow rhythm. it wasn’t like you to just lie and take it, you always wanted to make him feel good too. but you were sure that if it weren’t involuntary, you wouldn’t even be breathing right now. 

yangyang returned to your lips, pouring himself into you and giving you all that he could. he was losing himself in you already, quickly coming undone from the velvet feel of you wrapped around him so tightly. he wanted to be as close to you as possible, to be one with you. he increased his speed, pumping into you harder trying to get as much friction as he could for the both of you.

each thrust sent shivers across your skin. he was thrusting into you so hard you swore you could feel it in your womb. the thought had you bringing your legs up around him to hold him closer, all sorts of primal desires swimming in your mind. 

he shifted in your hold, hitting that sweet spot in you with his next thrust and ripping a cry from your throat. at your reaction he picked up the pace, now pounding into you and rendering you a moaning, panting mess. you’d never felt this good before, feeling the heat pooling in your core and building up with pressure. 

you felt like you were drifting away from yourself, from reality. you couldn’t hear any outside sounds or see anything besides the white taking over your vision. you weren’t even thinking. all of your senses were overtaken by one thing; yangyang. your body ached with the need to feel him even deeper inside of you. you wanted him to push himself into you as far as he could and plant his seed there. you wanted him to mark you on the inside, in the deepest, most intimate way. it was all you could think.

"please,” your voice sounded separate from you, struggling to form the words, “please fill me. want you to fill me up. make me yours.” 

yangyang felt like his arms were going to give out on him, the meaning of what you said flashing in his mind and making him quake from deep within. you two had always played it safe, even though you were on birth control, he would always pull out and finish somewhere else. hearing you ask for him to finish inside you had his control slipping, his movements growing sloppier as he chased that feeling.

he crashed his lips against yours, nodding and moaning against you. his hips drilled into you and had you tightening around him, the feeling drawing airy moans from his lips. the air was permeated with the sounds of skin slapping and heavy breathing, but the only thing he could focus on was your sweet voice. 

lowering himself onto his elbows he slid his hands under your back, hugging you and burying his face in your neck as he felt himself nearing the edge. “you gonna come for me, baby? let go all over my dick while i fill you up?” 

you whined and rut your hips up into his, dragging your nails across his back and making him hiss. you nodded, pleading with him to keep going, to give it to you, that being the only thought you could form. “i’m-” 

everything went white, then seeped into a warm gold like sunlight pouring over you, your body as weightless as a fluffy cloud floating in the sky. the only thing keeping you on earth being yangyang’s touch and his smooth voice as he reached his high immediately after you, burying himself in you and filling you in your deepest part. 

yangyang moaned against your neck as he rode out his high, lightly bucking his hips and milking himself in you, giving you every last drop in him. 

you felt his cum in spurts, spilling into you and spreading heat to your womb. you’d never felt anything like it before. you felt full. you felt whole. and you felt absolutely weightless as you came down from your high, your senses flooded as you drifted back into the room. 

when you opened your eyes you were met with the dim light pouring in from the living room and yangyang resting his head on your shoulder. everything seemed to have a rosy tint to your eyes, the room glowing faintly pink. 

yangyang raised his head to look at you, a small smile coming to his lips and making him look like the cute boy you had fallen for some time ago. the sparkle in his eyes made your heart skip and you pulled him in for a kiss, melting into his touch. he let himself drop onto you, still seated inside of you. 

when it came to yangyang, everything else fell away. there was nothing that took over your mind more than him. nothing that you made feel as whole as you did now. as complete as you did, just having him this close. you felt you could stay like this with him forever. 

[merryfortune]

Leech

Un-Love You Challenge: 06. I want to need you

Ship: Daruizen/Nodoka

Fandom: Healin’ Good PreCure

Word Count: 2.7k

Synopsis: There's a pity in wanting and in needing, pity that Nodoka obliges when Daruizen, in the form of a Nanobyougen, asks for a little more than just refuge.

   A faint tap, tap, tap on her widow competed with the scratch, scratch, scratch of Nodoka’s pencil in her work booklet as she completed a bout of English homework and study. At first, she had thought it her imagination but there was something pitiful, like a baby bird, about this noise so she decided, sliding her chair back, the sound of the feet dragging on the wooden floorboards was musical, it was time to investigate and so, she did.

   She stood by her far side window: it was huge and she always felt caught up in some awe of the wind and sunshine and in that glint, she saw it. Small and tiny and yes, something incredibly pitiful and Nodoka’s heart ached. Not for a baby bird, although that was almost accurate as she thought of what was fought for by the lakeside that an arborist cherished, but for something else.

   “Daruizen…? Is that you?” Nodoka murmured as she caught this tiny little thing in her hands upon opening the window.

   He looked up at her. His body was small and bulbous save for his wiry, leathery wings but admittedly, he didn’t look like much. Not compared to the final iteration of his self that Nodoka had seen and had vanquished as Cure Grace. Oh, she remembered him as being as colossal as a skyscraper and as being so resistant to how she and her friends could fight him because of all the Mega Parts that he had inserted into himself. 

   He had gone from being a giant among villains to being able to fit in the palm of Nodoka’s hand. He resembled Shindoine in this form: round and winged, not much by the way of being humanlike or anything else like that but apparently, he was still capable of emotions, of speech.

   He looked up at her with a wounded expression, teardrops in the corners of his acidic yellow eyes, “Help me, please, Cure Grace.”

   Nodoka grimaced. She sighed and she still felt the sunshine on her face. She still felt that what her past deeds unto Daruizen were right and justified. Rabirin’s words as a confidante and source of direction rang true to her right now and in her ear and yet, her heart ached for the misery that she held in her hands. 

   Daruizen turned shy in her hands. His wings cramped and crowded him as he hung what little of his head that he could, in shame. Nodoka moved a hand and Daruizen shuddered. She was gentle as she pet the top of his head with her fingertip, considering what she ought to do.

   She had wanted to help him but that past tense to her desire was quickly becoming present tense. Without Rabirin, or even Asumi, to defer to on short notice for counsel, it was up to Nodoka to make her own decisions and she knew in her heart that she was a good, kind person and she wanted to extend the help that she had received from friends, family, and medical professionals to even the undeserving like Daruizen. She sighed.

   “I’ve hopefully built up enough immunity to you, after everything that’s happened.” Nodoka murmured but her brows pinched forward. “However, if you do anything untoward then there will be consequences.” She said that even when she stroked the top of his head.

   Daruizen cuddled up to her. As though he were making a promise to behave but Nodoka was sceptical of him. Even if he looked all adorable and pathetic in this form. She sighed. Disappointed in herself that she was even letting him melt her heart like this. She just knew if Rabirin were here, she would disapprove but as she was not, all that mattered was Daruizen’s approval and already, Nodoka could feel him leech life energy from herself through her finger. Like a pinprick. 

   He nattered pleasantly and already, Nodoka could see some difference in his Nano-Byougen form. His wings fluttered and he was eager for more but Nodoka bopped him on the head.

   “No.” she scolded him. “You’re only allowed a little bit per day. I - I’m still really scared of when you went berserk with the Mega Parts… I don’t want that happening again.” The strength her voice quavered when she revealed her fear.

   Daruizen’s eyes glimmered. They neither softened or hardened; showed sympathy nor harshness; showed only that he had heard Nodoka and he had listened to her, too. And so, with a tender uneasiness, Nodoka allowed Daruizen into her life once more. 

   She returned to her desk to study and Daruizen stayed nearby, as though chained or leashed to her presence. He was mostly unnoticeable but Nodoka felt distinctly irritated to have him around. Even as she tried to do her homework, their previous encounters played hard and fast and sharp in her head. It was difficult to believe that such a powerful foe and combatant, one who had so closely rivalled her in every step of the way on her journey of being a Pretty Cure could be rendered so lowly and microscopic. That he even remained at all.

   Yet despite this friction between them, Nodoka found it did get easier. Though there had been many a moment wherein she had been tempted to keep him all locked up in a jar, she didn’t. Every couple of hours in the daylight, she gave him a little bit of herself to have a nibble on. That, too, got easier as well. 

   At first, it felt a pinprick and then, Nodoka didn’t notice it at all. What was once a chore to her, soon became something that she looked forward to or even enjoyed. Of course, “soon” spanned many days, even a month or so. It wasn’t something that happened swiftly like a river, more like the slow erosion that one would have caused by surging through a valley. 

   Daruizen’s gratitude became cute to her. The way his face lit up when the energy he absorbed was particularly rich with good vibrations and energising magic; the way his wings scrunched up when Nodoka had had a crummy day and it was reflecting in the residual magic that he fed off her. Either way, these little in between moments were becoming increasingly precious to Nodoka.

   Even if they didn’t speak much - as in having grand conversations - it was still apparent that he was only doing this for himself. He wanted what he had lost back and honestly, Nodoka couldn’t blame him for that. She wanted her own magic as Cure Grace back pretty badly as well. Not that her health was failing or otherwise declining since giving up the rod, but it wasn’t exactly superhuman. Nodoka had gotten less paper cuts, less bumps and scratches having her alter ego Cure Grace around, she observed. She could even run a little bit farther on her running route as well, she had had to shorten it as well now that it had been several months since she had last felt the power of being a Pretty Cure course through her.

   So yeah, she could understand why Daruizen wanted to be a big, mean Terabyougen again. She just hoped that when it was all done and dusted, he wasn’t going to be that big or that mean. He was pretty manageable, and even downright adorable, being this small and useless. 

   As peculiar as their relationship was - calling them host and parasite was probably the most accurate way to describe the nuances of their relationship, she thinks - Nodoka had gotten used to him. She was even going to miss him when he had gotten his powers back and decided to vanish. Doing whatever it was that armyless Terabyougens do, Nodoka supposed.

   She had even let him sleep with him as of late. Again, really. Just like old times in a stretch of the imagination. After all, they had been literally inseparable for several years in Nodoka’s childhood and preadolescence. Even if they were mostly oblivious to each other, but he did make a good little bed bug. He didn’t bite.

   Daruizen would brood on her pillow, just by her face and together, they would sleep. Sometimes, Daruizen would rest against her face and Nodoka would enjoy just how velvety he felt, even if it was a velvet streaked with grease or oil and she would wake up with some sort of smear to wipe off his morning and he enjoyed her warmth. The warmth that humans emanated was gentle, it was uncubatory and safe, completely unlike the unrelenting and horrible warmth of the magmic, undermined world of the Byougens.

   Even so, their routine was very touch and go. The cat might have been out of the bag regarding the Pretty Cures and her parents knowing about all of that was well past gone but it was a completely different feline to worry about if they were to find out that one of those monsters was still around. And even worse, living under their roof with their precious daughter but somewhere in amongst those daily cycles of giving Daruizen the table scraps of her energy, she had forgotten that one day, it might be entirely possible that her parents, or her friends, might find out about him.

   Daruizen had latched onto her fingers as per usual to have a feed of her energy whilst she flipped through the book she was meant to be reading for literature class when there was a bright light. Daruizen had eaten his fill and so, he reverted to his previous form, more evolved than his present.

   Nodoka was blinded as Daruizen transformed in front of her. She stumbled back off her chair and even fell onto the floor as she looked up at the unfolding cataclysm of white and red and black. From the kitchen below, she could hear her parents call and fuss for her but she could hardly find her voice as she bore witness to the rebirth of the Byougens General Daruizen. Her heart hammered in her chest and all she could do was tremble as her room was filled with these blinding lights.

   Yet it wasn’t because he was her enemy that she was horrified. Nodoka was horrified, she was actually wondering if that’s what it was like to transform into Cure Grace in front of others and just before that wondering could transform into a reverie, she was accosted by Daruizen. She heard the dull thumps of his feet landing on the floor, then she heard the sound of knees dropping on the wooden floorboards and was completely blindsided as she felt arms surge out from the light and embrace her. They were tight, either side of her and she was brought down to her knees by it.

   Daruizen was hugging her. He emanated this spiky gratitude yet despite how offensive it was, it felt fragile too. Fit to break if Nodoka did so much as breathe. She was just barraged with this clingy affection as he hugged her, buried his face into her shoulder and there was a sob. It was awful, somewhere between swallowed and completely cried out.

   Nodoka’s hands twitched and unthinkingly, despite that fragility that bawled, Nodoka hugged him back. When that light faded, he was human. Or maybe just human enough, Nodoka realised as he cradled him. His horns were smaller than before: tiny, little nubs of velvet. His face had a pinker colouration to it than before, when he had been of such a mossy pallor. Even his clothes weren’t quite so sharp, they were softer, rounder, and even more floral by the embroidery. The red which was once like dried blood was now an earthier brown.

   This was a Daruizen who was not quite human but not quite a devil either. A new type of Terabyougen, perhaps? Nodoka didn’t know but she could see where her help had patched him up. He was healthier than before, so to speak. She let go of a flurry of anxiety that Daruizen might be on the cusp of attacking her, backstabbing the kindness that she had shown him but no. She didn’t think it was going to be like that. 

   “A-Are you okay?” Nodoka asked, stuttering with a tinge of surprise. “Are you scared?”

   Daruizen growled.

   Nodoka shuddered. It was a harsh, rasping noise from the bottom of his throat and it spooked her.

   “Yes…” Daruizen finally admitted after that moment of broken repose.

   “You poor thing… It was scary for the first time for me, too. Not knowing what was happening to my body, the surge of new energy and magic…” Nodoka consoled him.

   “That’s not it.” Daruizen sharply intoned.

   His raised voice scared Nodoka again. Her body freezing as she felt the fangs of his voice in her skin but again, when it was all over, and Daruizen could find it within himself to behave, she relaxed and it felt like she was shaking off a dousing of ice-cold water.

   “I’m scared of leaving you.” Daruizen murmured and every word was so difficult for him to say but he said it. And he said some more, pressing on. “I’m scared of losing you.”

   Nodoka blinked, “What do you mean…?” she asked.

   Daruizen pulled back and Nodoka was harrowed by his facial expression. He was mid-bawl, tears and all. He held onto the mid of her shoulders before his clawed hands slipped downwards, along her willowy limbs and all to timidly hold her hands.

   “I - I want to need you.” he sobbed.

   “Pardon?” It still did not compute with Nodoka.

   “I-I want your light.” Daruizen didn’t know how else to explain it. “I want your love.” Every breath he took was painful as he revealed all his icky feelings to her. “You are my beginning and my end and I - and I’m scared of not having you. Of being cast aside by you or torn away from you. There is nothing left in this world for me but I stayed. I survived. A-All because I wanted to return to you. I - I want to be healed and - and now that I am. I don’t want to be because it might mean losing to you again.”

   Nodoka was shaken to hear such passionate words from Daruizen. The begging and the confessing. It was so utterly selfish but it was so utterly him as well, desperately clinging to what he had as it no longer came so easy or so simple to him. Nodoka sighed. Her expression softened and she reached out to Daruizen. She pet the top of his head and his hair was soft as silk. Slowly, Daruizen began to calm down. He swallowed a hard lump in his throat and he sank into Nodoka’s lap. He cuddled up to her, trying to make himself small again, just like a Nanobyougen, bringing up his legs to his chest as he held onto her.

   “There, there,” she murmured, “I understand now.”

   Daruizen turned his head slightly so he could see Nodoka, even if it was through the strands of his fringe. He was shy, trying to hide his outburst and ugly emotions. It didn’t suit him, he thought, with his tail literally between his legs. But it also suited him, or at the very least Nodoka, to be soothed. To have his head stroked and be told everything was alright.

   “I’ve always wanted to see the best in you and as forces of nature - the good and bad, the sick and the healthy - we’re always going to be in tandem so I want there to be balance too. Some way to meet in the middle, so Daruizen… I want you to need me too. I like being the heroine after all.” Nodoka replied.

   “I’m glad.” Daruizen’s voice was faint as he replied, he closed his eyes as Nodoka kept consoling him, with her voice, with her hand, with all of her heart and soul.

[getitinbusan]

When your cheating ex calls months later will you answer?

Jungkook

Cheating, Heartbreak, Angst and Sex

You were just about to fall asleep when your phone went off.  With an exasperated sigh you rolled over wondering which of your friends was in need. You moved for the device a little annoyed but felt obligated to answer, after all,  they'd been there for you no questions asked during the break up. 

The screen lit up "DO NOT ANSWER" and your heart dropped. You'd once read that it was a good idea to rename your ex in your phone so you wouldn't feel temptation to communicate but that was months ago. You made the fatal mistake of not deleting his contact picture and now here he was showing up on your screen. He never did try and call, this was the first time you were faced with the decision of answering.  

Setting your phone down you pulled the covers over your head and tried to block it out of your mind.  A single notification pinged through your duvet and bounced around your head before you surrendered. With a mind of its own your hand snuck out of your blanket fort and picked up the cold device 

JK: Please Y/N, I really need you right now.  

Y/N: Why are you doing this to me Jungkook? I'm finally getting over you.  

JK: I'm selfish and I'm stupid but I'm also the loneliest I've ever been in my life. Our apartment is so empty, I haven't been able to sleep in our bed since you left. 

Y/N: I'm not the one who left Jungkook. You seem to forget that you checked out of this relationship before I packed my boxes.  

JK: Can I please just see you? 

JK: Please 

JK: 

Y/N: Are you really crying right now?  

JK: I haven't stopped since…. Fuck, I know you hate me, its killing me. Please just let me apologize in person 

You knew it was the wrong choice, seeing him was just going to rip your heart in two again.  

Y/N: Send a fucking car

The door man greeted you with a closed mouth smile and a nod. Embarrassment creeped through your being whenever people looked at you with pity, "I'll let Mr. Jeon know you're here."

Meeting you at the elevator he looked a mess. He'd lost some muscle and his skin was pale, his sunken eyes were red and tired. Reaching out to hug you, he thought better and instead jammed his firsts into the pockets of his worn grey track pants.  He was wearing a T-shirt and you were forced to observe his tattoos like a fucking train wreck. They were like a banner, there written across the body you once worshiped, saying, "I fucked someone else."

He noticed you looking at his arm and ran his hand over it, "I guess you haven't seen them yet." He proudly held it out for you. You felt sick to your stomach, "Yeah, I don't really want to look at them Jungkook. You could at least have the decency to put on a fucking sweater or something."

He was puzzled by your reaction but reached for his flannel button down hanging off the back of the couch anyway. The tears came immediately, you needed to make him understand what he'd done. You sobbed his name, "Jungkook, how am I supposed to look at you when her writing is all over you in permanent ink?" 

He dropped to his knees looking up at you pleading, "But you have to, look at me Y/N, I never meant to hurt you. What can I do? I'll do anything to fix this."

The ache that had tormented your heart returned stronger than ever. "How am I supposed to trust you? You told me you were going to Geoje Island to hike Gyeryongsan Park. I didn't question you, I didn't ask you not to go, I wasn't a bad girlfriend Jungkook, I just fucking loved you. All I've been able to do for months is try to figure out how I screwed up… but I didn't, you did.  Now you have the nerve to ask ME how to fix it?"

You crumpled to the floor beside him crying uncontrollably, he was devastated finally seeing the effect his actions had on you. 

"I'm going to fix this, I'm going to put us back together," picking you up he carried you over to the couch and held you against his chest. You were both crying but the comfort of his heartbeat thrumming through you brought you a peace you'd missed so much. 

"All my life I've trained hard, I've done what I was told, I followed the rules and I've had to act as "Jungkook" the idol. The truth is, I don't know who Jeong-guk is. During the break I wasn't under the microscope, I just got to do what I felt like doing, and honestly, it felt really good. I hiked Gyeryongsan with my brother and we met a group of people, they were from the tattoo shop. I decided to just do it… because I wanted to. It took a few days so we got to know them, drank with them, ate with them, they just felt like friends." He paused his story sensing your agitation. 

 "Did you think of me at all Guk?" Your heart was racing, anger creeping back in as you remembered seeing the pictures online.  "We don't get to be seen in public, we don't get to hold hands, we don't get to go out to eat. Why was it okay with her?"

He took a deep breath, "I could because she wasn't you… because I didn't care,  because I wanted to see what would happen" He put his fingers in your hair and brushed it out of your face, "I can't with you, I need to protect you, I need to keep you safe and out of the spotlight so you don't get hurt. The fans can be really mean, I honestly don't know what I'd do if the people I am so grateful for turned on the person I love the most."  

You let your fingers fan out over his chest, just getting to touch him again made your heart race. You didn't want to get sucked back in but here you were, his words were believable and you even felt a little bad for him. He placed his hand on top of yours, his tattoos demanding your attention  "Why didn't you talk to me? You just let me go, let me believe what I saw." 

You traced the outline of the heart with your fingertip and you felt a tear land on your face as he leaned over you. "I was just trying to figure out who I was, I didn't think you'd love ME, especially after what you saw and heard. When we were in New Zealand I did a lot of reflecting, even though I'm struggling to know who I am, I'm less of that person without you. You not only make me more of the man I want to be, you put up with who I have to be." He kissed your forehead and you understood.  

"Guk…I'm so tired, take me to bed." He let out an audible sigh of relief knowing that you were willing to move forward with him.  

Raising your arms over your head he pulled your shirt off your body and replaced it gently with one of his oversized T-shirts. Turning down the sheets you crawled in, it felt like your mind could finally have a rest. Sure that your doubts and sadness would come back, at least for tonight, they had been defeated. He wrapped his arms around you as you both gave in to months of mental exhaustion, sleep conquering sadness, hope turning into dreams that once again dared to reveal themselves.  

The sunlight danced on your eyelids, the scent of Jungkook heavy in the air, you must be dreaming. Afraid to open your eyes, afraid it wouldn't be real you felt his hand on your waist and you couldn't help but smile.  He knew you were awake, nuzzling into your neck he whispered, "It feels like heaven having you back." 

Turning to him you placed your hand on his cheek, "My head is telling me to go but I really want to be here, please make me stay." 

Leaning in he kissed you, god it felt good. You'd blocked out every memory of the pleasure you'd once shared but with one kiss they came flooding back and you wanted him so badly inside of you.  

Roughly you kissed him and began tugging off his clothes. Pulling his shirt over his head the sight of his tattoos fueled an aggression in you to take back what was yours. "Tell me you love me Jungkook," you growled as his cock hardened in your hand.  

"I love you," he panted back, "I fucking love you more than anything."

He sucked your nipple into his mouth as you straddled him sinking down onto his eager dick. Both of you moaning you continued your assault, maybe you could fuck the pain away, "Did she make you feel this fucking good?" 

Like you weighed nothing he immediately flipped you onto your back, laying over top of you he stared frozen. 

"Stop,  just…stop….I didn't fuck her, I didn't do anything with her… I need you to believe that." He was crying, "please believe me"

You did, maybe it was naive but in that moment you really did.  Holding his face you let your lips ghost over his, "I believe you."

Taking control he moved slowly, deliberately, entering you while not breaking his lips away from yours. He rolled his hips deep into a rhythm that rubbed perfectly inside of you and you were lost.  The pleasure elevated by his admissions of love and desire for you as he called your name and moaned in time with his motions.

The raw feelings like electricity heightened your desire, as you let go you cried aloud clenching around him as you both came. "You're so beautiful giving yourself to me, I don't deserve you," he was so emotional, you'd never seen him like this. 

Laying together coming down from the high of passion, life did what it always does, the adrenaline had worn off and the truth came creeping back in. Unsure of what may or may not have happened it was a betrayal nonetheless. Trust had been lost, lies told and promises were broken.  Where did you go from here? 

He lay beside you stroking your hair with a small content grin on his face and you ran you hand over his chest, fingertips across his collar bone and skimming down his arm. The words on his skin screamed at you and sadness draped over you like a blanket of darkness. Noticing the wetness gathering on his chest,  he sat up to see the tears quietly fall down your cheeks. Leaning over he retrieved his long sleeve shirt off the floor and pulled it over his head. "I hope one day you can look at me and it won't hurt. My arms are supposed to protect you and comfort you not make you sad."

You rolled over to face him, " I hope so too."

[tarnishedxknight]

"Aye, I'm sure. I have been coughing, but there has not been any blood until now. I would not lie to you, my love," Basch insisted. He hated to see her so worried, but since they had become a serious couple, Basch had worked very hard on being more open with her about everything in his life, even the bad things. "I honestly thought it would resolve itself of its own accord. That is how every other illness in my life has been." Not this one, apparently.

Basch honestly felt so loved in that moment, as Wanda walked with him to the med bay and helped guide him there. Before meeting her, he'd had to push through every illness and injury while still maintaining his duties. He had no one to talk to, to lean on, to ask for help... he was just expected to persevere. A knight captain who functioned by all accounts as a military general, and a captain of the royal guard of a kingdom, should never need help. Such men were always stalwart and solid, reliable and constant. On the outside. In public. But inside and behind closed doors, Basch often just... collapsed. Wanda prevented those collapses. Now that he had her, he felt supported and loved in a way he never had before.

Basch was quiet as the doctor assessed him, but he glanced at Wanda, feeling terrible for worrying her so badly. He gave her reassuring smiles whenever he could.

"Well..." the doctor said, wanting to be honest but not wanting to cause undue alarm. "It can be, yes. But he will have the best of care here. If that is what is causing his symptoms, I am confident that he will be just fine with the proper treatment," he reassured Wanda.

When the doctor left, Basch smiled for Wanda again. "It will be alright, my love. The sages here are the best I've ever seen. I shall place my trust and faith in them, and you should as well." In the meantime, he tried not to cough, for he knew that would only upset her.

The doctor was not gone long before he returned with some preliminary results. "We will have to wait for the results of the culturing to be sure, but looking under a microscope, it is clear that he has a bacterial infection. They are visually consistent with the pathogens that cause bacterial pneumonia, but the culturing will tell us for sure. It will take twenty-four hours for them to incubate to the point at which we can identify them. In the meantime, since he definitely has a bacterial infection, I'd like to start him on antibiotics right away."

"And since..." the doctor flipped through Basch's chart, "...we don't yet know how antibiotics affect him, I'd like to keep him here for observation, in case there is a problem, but I don't anticipate one. What do you think?" he asked, looking between Wanda and Basch, only able to recommend treatment, not force it on him.

"If that is your recommendation, then I shall abide by it," Basch said, but then he did look to Wanda as well. "Aye, my love?" he checked, making sure she was alright with all of this.

in regards to x

"Basch? We need to get you to med bay... do you feel dizzy at all? Are you able to walk?"

Basch looked down at the blood on his hand, perplexed. What in the seven hells is this? It reminded him, as did how he felt in general, of how it felt to be afflicted with acute nethicite poisoning. Before a small, ten year-old Ashelia had healed him in his twenty-seventh year, he'd been coughing just like this, spitting up blood just like this. Tired and short of breath... just like this. But Basch knew he had not been exposed to more nethicite, especially not in this time. No one here seemed to even know what it was...

"I... I had been feeling a bit tired of late, perhaps a slight cough, but..." He shook his head. "I did not think anything of it. No, I... I am not dizzy..." he said, but as he went to start walking, he stumbled a little, his shoulder hitting the wall as he used it for support. "Actually... I think you are right. I may need to be seen by one of the sages..." he admitted.

[procrastinatorrex]

twithing 3/4

“I think of it as a bubble.”  Bella said, gesturing in the air again, “I can call them, but only while I’m concentrating.” Alice’s fairy-like face seemed sharper when she wasn’t trying to project friendly harmlessness, and the keen edge of her observation made Bella feel a little like a bug under a microscope. 

��Can you stop physical objects, or is it just sound and smell?” Alice's eyes were bright. 

“I’ve stopped a car before.” 

���So this is why you were chosen, then thought you could cage us if we got too out of hand?” Rosie laughed again, “Do they really think that because you stopped a car you could hold all five of us, little girl?” 

Bella tended to think that stopping a car with only your mind was sort of impressive, but Rosie clearly disagreed: The blonde vampire was staring her down. Bella stared back, “I told you already that I volunteered to show you around. Am I going to need to cage you? Your… father, made quite a few promises about your behavior.” 

Ken gripped Rosie’s arm and pulled her back a little at the same moment Alice said “don’t mind my sister, she’s not always good with strangers.” 

That sounds like something you say about a badly trained pitbull, Bella thought, but what she said was “it’s OK. Should we go in?” No need to offend the vampires on their very first day. She turned towards the school. 

At that moment the wind changed.

[verdigrisprowl]

Jan 13 random movie night - Star Trek Discovery Ep 4

And Tarantulas is now all caught up and prepared to watch Bevel’s stream.

ItsyBitsySpyers 5:57 pm *Soundwave parks himself on the couch, wills himself not to think about Smokescreen SOMEHOW HAVING THE COVENANT OF PRIMUS for the duration of the gathering, and waits.* FakeProwl 5:59 pm *appears; takes his seat. his face doesn't show it but he is an absolute ray of sunshine today.* ItsyBitsySpyers 5:59 pm *Must have been a good day at work.* FakeProwl 6:01 pm *he toured the mechaforensics department today. they let him look at all the things they were working on in the microscope lab. nobody said "you're a car, you're not qualified to work this equipment."* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:05 pm *Good. He'd hate to find out there were such mechs lurking in the enforcement services. They'd have to be 'lectured' to within an inch of their life and given the boot.* Tarantulas 6:06 pm *is late for a very important date, hurrying in* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:06 pm [[There you are. He had hoped for all three of us again.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 6:08 pm *Which reminds him. He was so focused on being calm he forgot to give prowl a proper greeting ping. There it is now.* Tarantulas 6:09 pm *skids over to the couch and plops down* I'm here, hyeh. Just - overslept a little. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:10 pm [[Good, good.]] Tarantulas 6:10 pm *wastes no time snuggling in* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:11 pm ((lemme know when ur both ready)) FakeProwl 6:12 pm ((ready!)) Tarantulas 6:19 pm (( ready *thumbs up* (( ur cursor's on the screen ItsyBitsySpyers 6:21 pm *Will lean up against the nearest person to him. Or, if he is sandwiched in the middle, sort of manage a calves one way and shoulders the other deal. Whichever.* FakeProwl 6:22 pm *he's definitely got prowl on one side* ((i like how she handles that)) Tarantulas 6:22 pm *prowl's in the middle!* FakeProwl 6:23 pm ((like oh i don't like this *quickly and silently shoves it under the bed with no change in facial expression*)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:23 pm *In that case, leaned up on Prowl.*

((eheheh)) Tarantulas 6:24 pm (( "threat ganglia" so cute FakeProwl 6:24 pm ((his wiggly danger hair)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:24 pm [[He must be a terrible liar.]] Tarantulas 6:26 pm Oooooh. /Ooooooh./ ItsyBitsySpyers 6:27 pm *Only SOME of the deadliest weapons. Nobody's taken the wits and tongues of these three mechs and shelved them.* [[Enjoying your better look?]] Tarantulas 6:28 pm Quite. And the mission assigned to her as well. FakeProwl 6:28 pm *leans his shoulder against soundwave's shoulder, and slides his hip against tarantulas's hip* Tarantulas 6:29 pm *shh, before prowl can do that, tarantulas swings his legs up over the two of their laps* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:29 pm *HFFF heavy.* FakeProwl 6:29 pm *ooh, even better.* Tarantulas 6:29 pm *not THAT heavy. although u do get the pedes* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:29 pm *He's gonna have to get used to that. They're not as light as they seem.* Tarantulas 6:30 pm *hff. they ate the captain? nice touch.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:30 pm *But! Same treatment he gave Prowl yesterday - pre-knee crunching, of course - because he's feeling mildly generous.* FakeProwl 6:31 pm *... thigh fur. he's getting his hands in that.* Tarantulas 6:31 pm *churr, this was a good idea* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:31 pm *Feel free to have all the fur. Soundwave's better with metal.* Tarantulas 6:31 pm *wiggles his toes* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:32 pm [["Tactics".]] Tarantulas 6:33 pm *eee, smol noise. tardigrades are cute* Tarantulas 6:34 pm *just like the cute ripper* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:36 pm *The large version is interesting enough. He still prefers other Earth creatures.* Tarantulas 6:39 pm A race of technologies. Wonderful! ItsyBitsySpyers 6:39 pm [[He takes it you would enjoy - or have enjoyed - such pressures.]] Tarantulas 6:39 pm Of course. *visor smile* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:40 pm [[And have you ever erred that badly?]] *Gesture to screen.* Tarantulas 6:41 pm Of course. *visor quirks also* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:41 pm [[Do tell.]] Tarantulas 6:41 pm Another time, maybe. *snorts* Tarantulas 6:43 pm *remembers that one time he joked with prowl about deactivating parts of his processor for shutting down rationality in favor of creativity* Tarantulas 6:45 pm It's so /precious/! ItsyBitsySpyers 6:46 pm *Huffs. He feels like he ought have been surprised by that reaction but he absolutely isn't.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:47 pm *Ah... the good flirting.* FakeProwl 6:47 pm Not too precious, I hope. I'm just getting used to the fur and legs. *he says, as though he hasn't been eagerly digging into the fur for months.* Tarantulas 6:48 pm *snicker* Don't you fret, I'm not changing frames anytime soon. ...A few mods, though, might be in the works. FakeProwl 6:49 pm Oh? Any you can share? Tarantulas 6:49 pm Not inspired by this, though. And... another time, hyeh. Tarantulas 6:50 pm *he likes michael more and more now* FakeProwl 6:51 pm ... She would have done better if she had either not told him why he was there, or else not included the apology. Tarantulas 6:52 pm *happy bouncing* FakeProwl 6:52 pm If she had told him that she'd invited him there to see if he instinctively registered the creature as a threat, he wouldn't have been annoyed—or would have been less annoyed, at least. Or—if she had apologized to him, and then let him leave, he would have been pleased, and left, and had no reason to suspect that it was a ruse. Tarantulas 6:54 pm The former: it wouldn't be a genuine reaction. The latter: he's too insightful to let her get away with that for too long. FakeProwl 6:54 pm Even if her apology was sincere—and there's a considerable probability that it was, because there was no reason for her to use that specific message once she'd lured him to the lab���she has undermined his ability to trust it. Of course it would have been a genuine reaction. All he had to do was walk in the room. Tarantulas 6:55 pm We don't know how the threat ganglia work - if they're entirely instinctively physically activated or not. FakeProwl 6:56 pm And on the other hand, she didn't have to get away with it for too long. Just long enough for him to walk out of the room. Tarantulas 6:56 pm But the undermining of the trust would have come later when he figured out she was lying, potentially. FakeProwl 6:56 pm Obviously they are instinctively physically activated, or else she wouldn't have expected that they might instinctively physically activate in a predator's presence, such that their non-activation convinced her that it WASN'T a predator. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:57 pm [[They activated before the prison transport departed. He seemed either alarmed or confused by it.]] Tarantulas 6:57 pm What I mean to say - the reaction could be suppressed if it was anticipated. FakeProwl 6:59 pm Why would he need to anticipate it. Comm him, say "I need you to come down to the lab for a minute," when he gets there, immediately observe his ganglia, when he asks "what's this about?" then give an honest answer. Tarantulas 6:59 pm I like her choice better, it has a higher chance of success and accuracy. FakeProwl 7:00 pm I disagree. Tarantulas 7:00 pm You're allowed to. *visor quirk* Tarantulas 7:03 pm *soft crooning, poor thing* Tarantulas 7:05 pm Hff. She didn't tame it, it /was/ tame. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:05 pm [[You know how most sentient beings are. If something doesn't immediately follow their orders, it must be a threat.]] FakeProwl 7:05 pm Everyone around her seems quite keen to give her credit for a great many things she didn't do. Starting the war, taming the creature... Tarantulas 7:06 pm An awful burden, that. But what's this... FakeProwl 7:06 pm Hahh. Yes. It is. Tarantulas 7:07 pm *nuzzles* FakeProwl 7:07 pm *what no don't do that, it means Prowl said too much.* Tarantulas 7:08 pm *tarantulas is a smart cookie, sorry prowl* *also, that telescope gives tarantulas an idea, he'll pocket it* FakeProwl 7:09 pm *that doesn't mean he has to put on... pity-displays. if he's putting on pity-displays then Prowl said things he shouldn't.* Tarantulas 7:10 pm *it's not a pity display, it's an acknowledgement. prowl's attributing something to tarantulas that he doesn't possess - much like people were misplacing credit with michael, eh?* Tarantulas 7:11 pm So Bevel will be showing the next installment later? ItsyBitsySpyers 7:12 pm [[Yes. Tonight, if all goes well.]] Tarantulas 7:12 pm What is"all"? ItsyBitsySpyers 7:13 pm [[These records do not secure themselves.]] [[If Bevel can acquire them and return in time, we will see them.]] Tarantulas 7:14 pm Ah, I see. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:15 pm [[At a location of her choosing, of course, not here. She IS the host.]] FakeProwl 7:15 pm I'll be there if it's early enough. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:16 pm *Nods.* Tarantulas 7:16 pm Hmm - is this location free until that time, do you think? Or ought Prowl and I relocate until Bevel's gathering? *leans in and wraps his arms around prowl - that's his way of asking prowl if he can snatch him up* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:18 pm *Soundwave tilts his helm back to look up at Prowl.*

@P: [[...Are you able to keep an optic on Tarantulas if he moves upstairs to gather more rest? He does not want Tarantulas going anywhere he shouldn't.]] FakeProwl 7:20 pm @Soundwave «... I'll talk him into relocating.» *He thinks he CAN keep an optic on Tarantulas, but there's really no point in risking it when there's no reason for them to stay here.* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:20 pm @Prowl: [[Acknowledged.]] FakeProwl 7:20 pm *leans a tad harder on Soundwave for a moment, before letting Tarantulas bundle him up.* You've been trying to drag me back to your lab for the past couple of movie nights, why don't we go there? ItsyBitsySpyers 7:22 pm *Steals the extra lean while he can.* Tarantulas 7:22 pm *no convincing required* Quite amenable. FakeProwl 7:22 pm *didn't think so.* Tarantulas 7:24 pm Meet me there, hm? FakeProwl 7:25 pm All right. Two minutes. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:25 pm *Well. That was easier than he expected.* *Probably because Prowl suggested it and not him.* Tarantulas 7:26 pm *nono, tarantulas would rather pull prowl onto his own turf* *turns to sw* I assume you're coming to the gathering as well? If so, I'll see you then. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:27 pm [[Oh, yes. This timeline is of some interest to him.]] [[Enjoy yourselves til then.]] FakeProwl 7:28 pm I'm sure we will. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:28 pm [[...But not /too/ well. He'd hate for you to miss it.]] *Huff huff.* Tarantulas 7:29 pm I'm invested enough as well so as not to be /too/ late, hyeh. FakeProwl 7:29 pm I think we can exercise a little self-restraint. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:29 pm *If it goes on and you MUST be late, at least bring him some records of it.* *Soundwave nods and, getting up with a stretch, heads toward the stairs one plodding step at a time.* Tarantulas 7:30 pm *if they do get up to something? sure. but soundwave will have to ask nicely* FakeProwl 7:31 pm *And will wait for Tarantulas to depart before following.* Tarantulas 7:31 pm *a bump-smooch, and tarantulas visor-smiles before he's bridging out* FakeProwl 7:32 pm *A couple of minutes, and his avatar flickers out, to flicker back on in Tarantulas's lab.*

[readbookywooks]

Vanikoro

THIS DREADFUL SIGHT was the first of a whole series of maritime catastrophes that the Nautilus would encounter on its run. When it plied more heavily traveled seas, we often saw wrecked hulls rotting in midwater, and farther down, cannons, shells, anchors, chains, and a thousand other iron objects rusting away. Meanwhile, continuously swept along by the Nautilus, where we lived in near isolation, we raised the Tuamotu Islands on December 11, that old "dangerous group" associated with the French global navigator Commander Bougainville; it stretches from Ducie Island to Lazareff Island over an area of 500 leagues from the east-southeast to the west-northwest, between latitude 13 degrees 30' and 23 degrees 50' south, and between longitude 125 degrees 30' and 151 degrees 30' west. This island group covers a surface area of 370 square leagues, and it's made up of some sixty subgroups, among which we noted the Gambier group, which is a French protectorate. These islands are coral formations. Thanks to the work of polyps, a slow but steady upheaval will someday connect these islands to each other. Later on, this new island will be fused to its neighboring island groups, and a fifth continent will stretch from New Zealand and New Caledonia as far as the Marquesas Islands. The day I expounded this theory to Captain Nemo, he answered me coldly: "The earth doesn't need new continents, but new men!" Sailors' luck led the Nautilus straight to Reao Island, one of the most unusual in this group, which was discovered in 1822 by Captain Bell aboard the Minerva. So I was able to study the madreporic process that has created the islands in this ocean. Madrepores, which one must guard against confusing with precious coral, clothe their tissue in a limestone crust, and their variations in structure have led my famous mentor Professor Milne-Edwards to classify them into five divisions. The tiny microscopic animals that secrete this polypary live by the billions in the depths of their cells. Their limestone deposits build up into rocks, reefs, islets, islands. In some places, they form atolls, a circular ring surrounding a lagoon or small inner lake that gaps place in contact with the sea. Elsewhere, they take the shape of barrier reefs, such as those that exist along the coasts of New Caledonia and several of the Tuamotu Islands. In still other localities, such as Reunion Island and the island of Mauritius, they build fringing reefs, high, straight walls next to which the ocean's depth is considerable. While cruising along only a few cable lengths from the underpinning of Reao Island, I marveled at the gigantic piece of work accomplished by these microscopic laborers. These walls were the express achievements of madrepores known by the names fire coral, finger coral, star coral, and stony coral. These polyps grow exclusively in the agitated strata at the surface of the sea, and so it's in the upper reaches that they begin these substructures, which sink little by little together with the secreted rubble binding them. This, at least, is the theory of Mr. Charles Darwin, who thus explains the formation of atolls - a theory superior, in my view, to the one that says these madreporic edifices sit on the summits of mountains or volcanoes submerged a few feet below sea level. I could observe these strange walls quite closely: our sounding lines indicated that they dropped perpendicularly for more than 300 meters, and our electric beams made the bright limestone positively sparkle. In reply to a question Conseil asked me about the growth rate of these colossal barriers, I thoroughly amazed him by saying that scientists put it at an eighth of an inch per biennium. "Therefore," he said to me, "to build these walls, it took . . . ?" "192,000 years, my gallant Conseil, which significantly extends the biblical Days of Creation. What's more, the formation of coal-in other words, the petrification of forests swallowed by floods-and the cooling of basaltic rocks likewise call for a much longer period of time. I might add that those 'days' in the Bible must represent whole epochs and not literally the lapse of time between two sunrises, because according to the Bible itself, the sun doesn't date from the first day of Creation." When the Nautilus returned to the surface of the ocean, I could take in Reao Island over its whole flat, wooded expanse. Obviously its madreporic rocks had been made fertile by tornadoes and thunderstorms. One day, carried off by a hurricane from neighboring shores, some seed fell onto these limestone beds, mixing with decomposed particles of fish and marine plants to form vegetable humus. Propelled by the waves, a coconut arrived on this new coast. Its germ took root. Its tree grew tall, catching steam off the water. A brook was born. Little by little, vegetation spread. Tiny animals - worms, insects - rode ashore on tree trunks snatched from islands to windward. Turtles came to lay their eggs. Birds nested in the young trees. In this way animal life developed, and drawn by the greenery and fertile soil, man appeared. And that's how these islands were formed, the immense achievement of microscopic animals. Near evening Reao Island melted into the distance, and the Nautilus noticeably changed course. After touching the Tropic of Capricorn at longitude 135 degrees, it headed west-northwest, going back up the whole intertropical zone. Although the summer sun lavished its rays on us, we never suffered from the heat, because thirty or forty meters underwater, the temperature didn't go over 10 degrees to 12 degrees centigrade. By December 15 we had left the alluring Society Islands in the west, likewise elegant Tahiti, queen of the Pacific. In the morning I spotted this island's lofty summits a few miles to leeward. Its waters supplied excellent fish for the tables on board: mackerel, bonito, albacore, and a few varieties of that sea serpent named the moray eel. The Nautilus had cleared 8,100 miles. We logged 9,720 miles when we passed between the Tonga Islands, where crews from the Argo, Port-au-Prince, and Duke of Portland had perished, and the island group of Samoa, scene of the slaying of Captain de Langle, friend of that long-lost navigator, the Count de La Perouse. Then we raised the Fiji Islands, where savages slaughtered sailors from the Union, as well as Captain Bureau, commander of the Darling Josephine out of Nantes, France. Extending over an expanse of 100 leagues north to south, and over 90 leagues east to west, this island group lies between latitude 2 degrees and 6 degrees south, and between longitude 174 degrees and 179 degrees west. It consists of a number of islands, islets, and reefs, among which we noted the islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Kadavu. It was the Dutch navigator Tasman who discovered this group in 1643, the same year the Italian physicist Torricelli invented the barometer and King Louis XIV ascended the French throne. I'll let the reader decide which of these deeds was more beneficial to humanity. Coming later, Captain Cook in 1774, Rear Admiral d'Entrecasteaux in 1793, and finally Captain Dumont d'Urville in 1827, untangled the whole chaotic geography of this island group. The Nautilus drew near Wailea Bay, an unlucky place for England's Captain Dillon, who was the first to shed light on the longstanding mystery surrounding the disappearance of ships under the Count de La Perouse. This bay, repeatedly dredged, furnished a huge supply of excellent oysters. As the Roman playwright Seneca recommended, we opened them right at our table, then stuffed ourselves. These mollusks belonged to the species known by name as Ostrea lamellosa, whose members are quite common off Corsica. This Wailea oysterbank must have been extensive, and for certain, if they hadn't been controlled by numerous natural checks, these clusters of shellfish would have ended up jam-packing the bay, since as many as 2,000,000 eggs have been counted in a single individual. And if Mr. Ned Land did not repent of his gluttony at our oyster fest, it's because oysters are the only dish that never causes indigestion. In fact, it takes no less than sixteen dozen of these headless mollusks to supply the 315 grams that satisfy one man's minimum daily requirement for nitrogen. On December 25 the Nautilus navigated amid the island group of the New Hebrides, which the Portuguese seafarer Queiros discovered in 1606, which Commander Bougainville explored in 1768, and to which Captain Cook gave its current name in 1773. This group is chiefly made up of nine large islands and forms a 120-league strip from the north-northwest to the south-southeast, lying between latitude 2 degrees and 15 degrees south, and between longitude 164 degrees and 168 degrees. At the moment of our noon sights, we passed fairly close to the island of Aurou, which looked to me like a mass of green woods crowned by a peak of great height. That day it was yuletide, and it struck me that Ned Land badly missed celebrating "Christmas," that genuine family holiday where Protestants are such zealots. I hadn't seen Captain Nemo for over a week, when, on the morning of the 27th, he entered the main lounge, as usual acting as if he'd been gone for just five minutes. I was busy tracing the Nautilus's course on the world map. The captain approached, placed a finger over a position on the chart, and pronounced just one word: "Vanikoro." This name was magic! It was the name of those islets where vessels under the Count de La Perouse had miscarried. I straightened suddenly. "The Nautilus is bringing us to Vanikoro?" I asked. "Yes, professor," the captain replied. "And I'll be able to visit those famous islands where the Compass and the Astrolabe came to grief?" "If you like, professor." "When will we reach Vanikoro?" "We already have, professor." Followed by Captain Nemo, I climbed onto the platform, and from there my eyes eagerly scanned the horizon. In the northeast there emerged two volcanic islands of unequal size, surrounded by a coral reef whose circuit measured forty miles. We were facing the island of Vanikoro proper, to which Captain Dumont d'Urville had given the name "Island of the Search"; we lay right in front of the little harbor of Vana, located in latitude 16 degrees 4' south and longitude 164 degrees 32' east. Its shores seemed covered with greenery from its beaches to its summits inland, crowned by Mt. Kapogo, which is 476 fathoms high. After clearing the outer belt of rocks via a narrow passageway, the Nautilus lay inside the breakers where the sea had a depth of thirty to forty fathoms. Under the green shade of some tropical evergreens, I spotted a few savages who looked extremely startled at our approach. In this long, blackish object advancing flush with the water, didn't they see some fearsome cetacean that they were obliged to view with distrust? Just then Captain Nemo asked me what I knew about the shipwreck of the Count de La Perouse. "What everybody knows, captain," I answered him. "And could you kindly tell me what everybody knows?" he asked me in a gently ironic tone. "Very easily." I related to him what the final deeds of Captain Dumont d'Urville had brought to light, deeds described here in this heavily condensed summary of the whole matter. In 1785 the Count de La Perouse and his subordinate, Captain de Langle, were sent by King Louis XVI of France on a voyage to circumnavigate the globe. They boarded two sloops of war, the Compass and the Astrolabe, which were never seen again. In 1791, justly concerned about the fate of these two sloops of war, the French government fitted out two large cargo boats, the Search and the Hope, which left Brest on September 28 under orders from Rear Admiral Bruni d'Entrecasteaux. Two months later, testimony from a certain Commander Bowen, aboard the Albemarle, alleged that rubble from shipwrecked vessels had been seen on the coast of New Georgia. But d'Entrecasteaux was unaware of this news - which seemed a bit dubious anyhow - and headed toward the Admiralty Islands, which had been named in a report by one Captain Hunter as the site of the Count de La Perouse's shipwreck. They looked in vain. The Hope and the Search passed right by Vanikoro without stopping there; and overall, this voyage was plagued by misfortune, ultimately costing the lives of Rear Admiral d'Entrecasteaux, two of his subordinate officers, and several seamen from his crew. It was an old hand at the Pacific, the English adventurer Captain Peter Dillon, who was the first to pick up the trail left by castaways from the wrecked vessels. On May 15, 1824, his ship, the St. Patrick, passed by Tikopia Island, one of the New Hebrides. There a native boatman pulled alongside in a dugout canoe and sold Dillon a silver sword hilt bearing the imprint of characters engraved with a cutting tool known as a burin. Furthermore, this native boatman claimed that during a stay in Vanikoro six years earlier, he had seen two Europeans belonging to ships that had run aground on the island's reefs many years before. Dillon guessed that the ships at issue were those under the Count de La Perouse, ships whose disappearance had shaken the entire world. He tried to reach Vanikoro, where, according to the native boatman, a good deal of rubble from the shipwreck could still be found, but winds and currents prevented his doing so. Dillon returned to Calcutta. There he was able to interest the Asiatic Society and the East India Company in his discovery. A ship named after the Search was placed at his disposal, and he departed on January 23, 1827, accompanied by a French deputy. This new Search, after putting in at several stops over the Pacific, dropped anchor before Vanikoro on July 7, 1827, in the same harbor of Vana where the Nautilus was currently floating. There Dillon collected many relics of the shipwreck: iron utensils, anchors, eyelets from pulleys, swivel guns, an eighteen-pound shell, the remains of some astronomical instruments, a piece of sternrail, and a bronze bell bearing the inscription "Made by Bazin," the foundry mark at Brest Arsenal around 1785. There could no longer be any doubt. Finishing his investigations, Dillon stayed at the site of the casualty until the month of October. Then he left Vanikoro, headed toward New Zealand, dropped anchor at Calcutta on April 7, 1828, and returned to France, where he received a very cordial welcome from King Charles X. But just then the renowned French explorer Captain Dumont d'Urville, unaware of Dillon's activities, had already set sail to search elsewhere for the site of the shipwreck. In essence, a whaling vessel had reported that some medals and a Cross of St. Louis had been found in the hands of savages in the Louisiade Islands and New Caledonia. So Captain Dumont d'Urville had put to sea in command of a vessel named after the Astrolabe, and just two months after Dillon had left Vanikoro, Dumont d'Urville dropped anchor before Hobart. There he heard about Dillon's findings, and he further learned that a certain James Hobbs, chief officer on the Union out of Calcutta, had put to shore on an island located in latitude 8 degrees 18' south and longitude 156 degrees 30' east, and had noted the natives of those waterways making use of iron bars and red fabrics. Pretty perplexed, Dumont d'Urville didn't know if he should give credence to these reports, which had been carried in some of the less reliable newspapers; nevertheless, he decided to start on Dillon's trail. On February 10, 1828, the new Astrolabe hove before Tikopia Island, took on a guide and interpreter in the person of a deserter who had settled there, plied a course toward Vanikoro, raised it on February 12, sailed along its reefs until the 14th, and only on the 20th dropped anchor inside its barrier in the harbor of Vana. On the 23rd, several officers circled the island and brought back some rubble of little importance. The natives, adopting a system of denial and evasion, refused to guide them to the site of the casualty. This rather shady conduct aroused the suspicion that the natives had mistreated the castaways; and in truth, the natives seemed afraid that Dumont d'Urville had come to avenge the Count de La Perouse and his unfortunate companions. But on the 26th, appeased with gifts and seeing that they didn't need to fear any reprisals, the natives led the chief officer, Mr. Jacquinot, to the site of the shipwreck. At this location, in three or four fathoms of water between the Paeu and Vana reefs, there lay some anchors, cannons, and ingots of iron and lead, all caked with limestone concretions. A launch and whaleboat from the new Astrolabe were steered to this locality, and after going to exhausting lengths, their crews managed to dredge up an anchor weighing 1,800 pounds, a cast-iron eight-pounder cannon, a lead ingot, and two copper swivel guns. Questioning the natives, Captain Dumont d'Urville also learned that after La Perouse's two ships had miscarried on the island's reefs, the count had built a smaller craft, only to go off and miscarry a second time. Where? Nobody knew. The commander of the new Astrolabe then had a monument erected under a tuft of mangrove, in memory of the famous navigator and his companions. It was a simple quadrangular pyramid, set on a coral base, with no ironwork to tempt the natives' avarice. Then Dumont d'Urville tried to depart; but his crews were run down from the fevers raging on these unsanitary shores, and quite ill himself, he was unable to weigh anchor until March 17. Meanwhile, fearing that Dumont d'Urville wasn't abreast of Dillon's activities, the French government sent a sloop of war to Vanikoro, the Bayonnaise under Commander Legoarant de Tromelin, who had been stationed on the American west coast. Dropping anchor before Vanikoro a few months after the new Astrolabe's departure, the Bayonnaise didn't find any additional evidence but verified that the savages hadn't disturbed the memorial honoring the Count de La Perouse. This is the substance of the account I gave Captain Nemo. "So," he said to me, "the castaways built a third ship on Vanikoro Island, and to this day, nobody knows where it went and perished?" "Nobody knows." Captain Nemo didn't reply but signaled me to follow him to the main lounge. The Nautilus sank a few meters beneath the waves, and the panels opened. I rushed to the window and saw crusts of coral: fungus coral, siphonula coral, alcyon coral, sea anemone from the genus Caryophylia, plus myriads of charming fish including greenfish, damselfish, sweepers, snappers, and squirrelfish; underneath this coral covering I detected some rubble the old dredges hadn't been able to tear free-iron stirrups, anchors, cannons, shells, tackle from a capstan, a stempost, all objects hailing from the wrecked ships and now carpeted in moving flowers. And as I stared at this desolate wreckage, Captain Nemo told me in a solemn voice: "Commander La Perouse set out on December 7, 1785, with his ships, the Compass and the Astrolabe. He dropped anchor first at Botany Bay, visited the Tonga Islands and New Caledonia, headed toward the Santa Cruz Islands, and put in at Nomuka, one of the islands in the Ha'apai group. Then his ships arrived at the unknown reefs of Vanikoro. Traveling in the lead, the Compass ran afoul of breakers on the southerly coast. The Astrolabe went to its rescue and also ran aground. The first ship was destroyed almost immediately. The second, stranded to leeward, held up for some days. The natives gave the castaways a fair enough welcome. The latter took up residence on the island and built a smaller craft with rubble from the two large ones. A few seamen stayed voluntarily in Vanikoro. The others, weak and ailing, set sail with the Count de La Perouse. They headed to the Solomon Islands, and they perished with all hands on the westerly coast of the chief island in that group, between Cape Deception and Cape Satisfaction!" "And how do you know all this?" I exclaimed. "Here's what I found at the very site of that final shipwreck!" Captain Nemo showed me a tin box, stamped with the coat of arms of France and all corroded by salt water. He opened it and I saw a bundle of papers, yellowed but still legible. They were the actual military orders given by France's Minister of the Navy to Commander La Perouse, with notes along the margin in the handwriting of King Louis XVI! "Ah, what a splendid death for a seaman!" Captain Nemo then said. "A coral grave is a tranquil grave, and may Heaven grant that my companions and I rest in no other!"