#take a deep breath (the fresher the air the better)

[greensaplinggrace]

You obviously know this is about D*rkling or have you misused tags in other fandoms as well? And I am still better than people condoning child trafficking.

i dont believe in cross-tagging, my friend. unfortunately for you i'm the one that made the darkling slander tag on tumblr. if you want a different experience then can i perhaps recommend tiktok? it's a pretty decent hangout for those with no critical thinking skills and the need to argue with thin air. besides, the tumblr slander tag actually has real slander instead of the shallow and incorrect bs i see antis spew. as if it's my fault i'm better at your jobs than you.

also maybe self-evaluate in regard to the last sentence of your ask. best of luck in therapy!

[hanniebaeee]

Wild Hearts

Lee Minho x fem!reader

Warnings: Smut MDNI, lots of kissing

Genre: smut, fluff

Summary: Minho takes you camping - you both love the outdoors, and it's something you bond over. What you don't know is that he has more in store for you than just camping.

You smiled in excitement as Minho parked the car and got your things. It was a beautiful summer day and the sky was a crisp blue, with the sun casting a warm golden glow on the scenery in front of you.

'Oh my God, Lino!! This is so beautiful!' You squeal in delight, making him smile.

Minho had been in charge of planning the whole camping trip, and he had chosen a secluded spot by a lake, surrounded by towering pine trees and pretty wildflowers, away from the city. The air felt so much fresher and the earthy scent of pine was so refreshing.

You carry some of your camping supplies as you follow your boyfriend to the campsite. Taking in the pristine surroundings with wide eager eyes, you completely smitten with Minho's choice. This makes Minho laugh affectionately.

'Why don't you take look around? I'll take care of this.' He said, setting everything down.

'Are you sure?' You asked, already reaching for your camera.

'Of course, baby.' He said, pulling you in for a kiss. 'Don't wander too far, ok?'

With a quick nod, you are on your way to explore your surroundings. You make sure to stay close, and find yourself looking back to where Minho stood, working on setting up the tent. Your heart swelled with love as you watched him.

He had been finding it very difficult to take time off to be with you. His busy schedules had him in a tight spot, not to mention splitting his free time among you and his family. It had been getting harder and harder until finally he snapped and demanded a whole week off. He spent the first few days with his family, and took that time to plan a nice camping holiday for the two of you.

Minho moved around with ease, setting up the tent and then pulling out the foldable chairs and a little foldable table where he set up some of his cooking things. You took a few pictures of him, smiling so much as you thanked the universe for giving you this precious man.

You dropped your idea of exploration and returned to Minho, who was now chopping up some veggies and bringing out some marinated chicken from a cooler. The sizzle of vegetables and chicken filled the air, making your mouth water.

Minho had discarded his jacket, and was now in his white tshirt and jeans, looking absolutely breath taking.

'What is it?' He asked, adding some herbs to the food. 'You're staring.'

'Can't I admire my pretty boyfriend?' You ask, cheeks colouring in embarrassment at being caught. 'What can I do if you look so good?'

Minho just shook his head with a little chuckle, holding his hand out to you. You rush to his side, arms going around his waist, head resting on his chest.

'Lunch is almost ready.' he said. 'Hope you're hungry.'

'I'm starving!' You said, placing a small kiss on his chest.

You help him set up the table, and he serves you the most delicious chicken and veggies you've ever eaten. You eat in a comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the woods, enjoying the calm of nature.

Cleaning up was quick, and though the long drive and hearty meal had you drowsy, Minho wanted to take a walk. He held your hand as you walked along the lake. At one point, you let go of his hand and quickly take off your shoes. The water felt too cold for a swim, but you still dip your feet in, pulling him with you.

You moan in contentment as the cold water swallows your hot feet up and Minho gives you a teasing look.

'What? That felt good!' You said, splashing some water at him.

'I have an idea about something that'll feel even better.' He said, inching towards you slowly.

You giggle as he put his arms around you, pulling you flush against his chest. Tipping your head up, he kissed you. A soft, but deep one. You feel his tongue in your bottom lip and you open your mouth, moaning softly as his tongue slipped in. You felt the world around you fade away as you lost yourself in him.

Pulling back, your eyes locked with his and you say, 'I love you.'

'I love you too, baby.' He said, hugging you again. 'So much.'

You took a bite of the masterpiece he had created, and you laugh as the chocolate dripped down your lips and chin. You try to wipe them off and just get chocolate on your hands and fingers as well. Minho didn't miss the chance to attach his lips yours, lapping up all the stray chocolate. You had turned a deep shade of pink by then, your heart racing at the way he was looking at you. He brings your fingertips to his mouth, sucking at them, one by one.

The sunset was beautiful, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange. You took some pictures as Minho made a small campfire. He sat near it, making s'mores for you. He hands you marshmallows to toast, only to narrow his eyes at you playfully for eating them. You took a hundred pictures of everything he did, as he pampered you to no end.

The night grew darker, and the stars emerged, twinkling like tiny diamonds in the sky. Everything looked so much more beautiful here, and you felt so grateful to be sharing this moment with Minho.

After putting your things away, Minho suggested getting ready for bed. As you cleaned up and brushed your teeth, he set up the tent with fluffy blankets and your sleeping bag. You are both a smiling blushing mess as you change into your night clothes within the tent.

It was so quiet except for the gentle sounds of the forest. It seemed to be lulling you to sleep. Minho pulled you close, kissing the top of your head.

'Thank you for this, Lino. Today was just perfect.' You mumble, and he hummed, placing a few more kisses on your forehead.

Inside a warm cocoon of your blankets, Minho laid you down, while his lips attached to yours. Kissing and nibbling down your neck, Minho quickly pulled your night shirt off. You make it faster by pulling your clothes out of the way and he worked on his clothes. His hands reached every curve and inch of your body (so did his mouth). Your breath quickened as his kisses grew desperate and sloppy. You gasp as you feel his warm mouth around your nipples, sucking and licking at them. He switched from soft to rough so quick, you were panting for air.

His hand disappeared between your legs and the sudden explosion of pleasure, as he reached all the sweet spots had you whining.

'Baby, please, I need you-' you whisper, grabbing his arm tightly.

'Yeah?' He asked, voice thick with desire. 'Where do you want me, hm?'

'Please, Minho!' you whimper, and you fall apart completely as he sucks on your nipple noisily.

Your entire body was vibrating with need and he had you teetering on the edge.

'Please-' you beg again, and he nodded quickly, getting in between your legs. Adjusting you according to his need, he pushed into you in one go.

You cried out in surprise, and he chuckled.

Your connection was electric, and you were literally melting into him. He moved gently at first, and then lost all control over the situation, slamming into you. Your eyes rolled back in pleasure, each time he was in you and out of you.

You shudder and shake aa you reach your high, and he held you tightly through it, not stopping his movement. And you clenched around him, tipping him off to his own release. Minho groaned as he came, laying his head on your chest, and staying in you.

'Oh fuck.' Was all he could say. You put your arms around him, holding him as close to you as you could.

'I love you, baby. I can't wait to get married. I can't wait to start a family with you.' He murmured sleepily and if you thought any other moment from your trip was the most memorable, then you change your mind. Because this was everything.

'I love you too, baby.' You reply and your voice is a soft echo in your warm and cosy tent.

You both drift off to sleep, completely exhausted, but in the most blissful way. The next morning, when you wake up, you hear sounds outside the tent. Minho is not beside you, so you peek through the little window and find him getting breakfast ready. Dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, he looked so cute with his untidy hair and sleepy face.

You smile and plop down on the sleeping bag, stretching your arms and legs. You wince at your achy legs and decide to be a bit dramatic.

'Linooooo!' you call out, and you hear his footsteps approach the tent. Sticking his head in, he gives you a grin.

'Good morning, princess.' He cooed, sitting near the entrance.

'My legs hurt.' You say, pouting.

'Aww, do they?' He asked, lifting your leg and placing a trail of soft kisses from your ankle to your knee.

You shiver at that and pull your leg back, realizing that you were completely naked. Pulling the blanket around you, you try to hide how much his presence actually affected you. But Minho being Minho, was always one step ahead of you.

He gripped at your blanket tightly, pulling at them slightly and said, 'What are you hiding that I haven't already seen?'

'Minho!' You hiss, and gulp as he moves in, and hovers over you.

Pressing a soft kiss on your lips, he said, 'I've never been so in love, baby. You drive me insane.'

There was nothing you could say at that moment, so you put your arms around his neck, pulling him on top of you, and kissing him. He moaned, and before you know it, he was inside you (again) and the rest is history.

You two sit and sip on coffee, grinning at each other. Minho fried eggs and sausages for breakfast, and your tummy rumbled as you eyed the food greedily.

'Wow, how hungry are you?' Minho teased, as he toasted some bread.

'Well, you should know that you tire me out. I need my energy.' You snap at him and he laughs such a loud hearty laugh, it fills your heart.

There is a few seconds of silence before he speaks again.

'So I tire you out, in a good way I hope, but I also cook for you, take you on awesome holidays, take you camping, give you the best orgasms...does that make me husband material?' He asked, so casually, it has you choking on your coffee.

'Of course, I'd marry you right now if I could.' You said, trying to act unbothered by his question.

'That's good. So if I propose to you now, you would say yes?' Minho asked, as he plated some food for you.

You stare at him, your heartbeat picking up speed. When you're silent for a while, he looks up and says, 'Just, just aski-'

'Minho, my answer will always be a yes for you. No matter when or where.' You said, shaking your head at his silly questions.

Minho looks at you, a small smile spreading on his headsome face.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah.'

'In that case, you'll have to make do with this for now. 'Cos I am still planning a proper prosoal.' Minho said casually, pulling out a little velvet box from his pocket.

Your eyes are so wide, and your mouth falls open as he gets on his knees and presents you with the prettiest little ring you've ever seen. A simple platinum one, with a pretty heart shaped diamond in the center. It shimmered beautifully as the sunlight fell on it.

'I wanted to do this today, right here, because this is something we both love and enjoy. And, it's just the two of us, away from everything else.' Minho said, taking your hand in his. 'You make me so happy, baby. I don't know how I got so lucky.'

You're already crying. You knew that you two would definitely end up getting married, but this was totally unexpected. You should have known, considering how adamant he was about making this trip work and all the extra preparations that he had done.

'Y/N, you're everything I could ever ask for. You already make me the happiest man in the world, but I would be happier if you say yes right now. So, Y/N, will you marry my?' Minho asked, and seeing him on his knee, asking you to marry him, your heart soars.

'Yes yes yes!!' You cry, throwing your hands around his neck and hugging him.

Minho chuckled, and quickly slipped the ring on your finger and kissed it tenderly.

'Baby, I can't wait for you to be my wife. I just can't wait to wake up next to you everyday. Thank you for being mine. I love you so much.' He said, cupping your cheeks in his hands and kissing your forehead.

'I don't need another proposal, Minho. I love this. This is so so sweet!' You said, as you two have your food.

'Uh, no.' said Minho, 'Like I said, you deserve the best. And I already have some ideas. Besides, boys will kill me if I don't plan one with them. They feel like this should be a group task for some reason. They love you, baby, and I think we should let them do this. Ok? It will be great. Just you wait.'

You nod and smile at how cute he and his boys were. And you left lucky to be accepted and loved by them all.

You and Minho are all smiles, and under the canopy of trees, whispering and dancing in the wind, you realize that you've found something as beautiful and endless as the nature you both admire.

[on-a-lucky-tide]

The lovely @piranhaincaps shared the above with me, and I... Hng. Nikprice, Nikprice, Nikprice.

It's a quiet summer evening and Nik stumbles across his captain reading about princes and scarlet sails.

cw: none.

Nik finished stacking the dishwasher and stretched his back, hands pressed to the base. The captain's cooking had improved significantly since they had settled in Meols, but he still used every bowl, pan and utensil their small kitchen could stock and the clean up operation was always significant.

The old grandfather clock in the hallway chimed eight o'clock and Nik considered the open backdoor. John had left to water the plants about an hour ago, which meant he had been distracted by something. Nik grabbed his bottle of beer and headed out to make sure he wasn't about to embark on yet another building project.

The summer air was still warm, even though the sun was disappearing on the horizon. Being so close to the Irish sea meant there was always a fresher tang beneath the heat, and Nik drew in a deep breath as he studied their small garden.

John hated neatly trimmed grass, which had surprised Nik given his military background. No, he liked wild flowers that attracted the bees and butterflies, and growing vegetables they could cook. Their garden had ended up a colourful mishmash of organised chaos, both beautiful and utilitarian. Like John. Nik loved it.

But there was no captain toiling amongst the blooms. Instead, he sat on the patio beneath the awning, bare but for his khaki cargo shorts. A cold beer sat on the table next to him, the pint glass glistening with condensation where the summer heat clung to it, and he held a cigar between two fingers, the smoke drifting lazily into the warm ombre of the sky.

John was just as handsome as the day they had met. He had been a sergeant back then, fewer lines, less grey, but the same serious, bright blue eyes he had now as he read the novel propped on one thigh. As they had aged together, those blue eyes had filled with shadows but Nik had fought to make sure they had also filled with laughter in equal measure. His captain deserved that.

Nik wandered over and deposited himself in the second chair, grinning at the title of the novel. "Scarlet Sails. A romance, John," Nik teased.

A Russian classic, and written in its mother tongue. John had started learning Russian when Nik had started courting him, and now that he had retired he was chewing through Russian literature with a voracious appetite. They were a little more highbrow than the Dan Brown and Tom Clancy novels otherwise cluttering their overburdened bookshelves.

"This one better have a happy ending, Nik. The last one ripped my heart out my arsehole," John murmured, pausing to take a drag from his cigar. Nik watched the smoke leave his nose and was reminded of an aging dragon in repose.

"You forget, so many of these tales were written by men surrounded by anger and austerity. It is difficult to write about hope and happiness when you cannot conceive of these things." Nik's bare toes curled against the warm paving beneath them.

John looked up and fixed Nik with narrow eyes. "Is this a bloody tragedy too? You told me it was a fairytale."

"No tragedy, happy ending, I promise. Grin took his characters far away so he did not have to write something... ideologically driven by the realities of the USSR. It is an ending more suited to your tastes."

"Hmm," John grabbed his bookmark - a folded leaflet advertising a nearby fishing hotspot - and let the novel close. "How did you survive in that environment and still," John waved his cigar in a vague circle, "become you."

"Become me?"

Nik liked this game. John found words of an emotional nature challenging, and he flushed red, became flustered, when Nik pressed him. It was like stroking the soft centre of a noble turtle. "Like, you... uh, kind, and... funny."

"Spasibo," Nik replied, with a grin.

"Pozhaluysta." John obscured his flush with a sip from his pint.

"My father travelled around the satellite states a lot. The closer you were to the West, the easier it was to get hold of the music, the stories, the... hope."

"West isn't exactly a bastion of hope itself, mate."

"Da," Nik conceded, "but to a young man full of energy and dreams, the West was like a fairytale in comparison to the Soviet Union, a world so grey that Alexander Grin had to make up a whole new one, without even Russian names, to conceive of happiness and love that was not doomed to tragedy in the end."

John hummed and Nik let the comfortable silence settle as he mulled over Nik's words. A gentle hand found his on the table, battle roughened fingers impossibly tender as they stroked across the back and into his palm. "You're happy here, right?" John asked as they watched a bee hover over a cluster of wild flowers.

"Da, captain," Nik said softly. "I expected a Tolstoy ending, but... this, this is a Grin."

John smiled, his eyes crinkling, his whiskers twitching around his mouth in that mischievous way that Nik adored, and he lifted Nik's knuckles to his lips. Nik 's heart swelled in his chest and he fought the urge to scoop his love from the chair and carry him inside to show him just how happy he was. John rubbed his cheek against Nik's fingers after the kiss, blue eyes lidded, like a large cat scenting his territory, before returning their clasped hands to the table.

Later, when the night was cooler and John had finished his beer, Nik would guide him to their bed and they would make love. Nik would kiss and taste the summer heat on his skin and listen to his voice crack around his name, entreaties sweeter than the words of Tsvetaeva. But, for now, Nik was content to bask in the gentle quiet of their own happy ending.

[my-naughty-writings-and-musings]

You suggested some merformer based asks, so consider this: Merformer! Shockwave x reader? Maybe the reader is a marine biologist and isn't used to being studied, especially this... thoroughly?

As usual I went way overboard, and with a slightly different vibe than you might have intended so I hope you like this, anon!! I was imagining a TFP Shockwave but of course you're free to imagine him as you choose!

For those who don't know: if you like my writing style, you can always commission me, and please reblog to help spread my work! Thank you!

Note: Thalassicon is just my word for what merformers call themselves.

Holding on tightly to Shockwave, you reminded yourself that oxygen was limited as you sucked in each careful breath from your scuba tank, and that he'd promised you it was just a quick swim through these dark tunnels to reach his lair. You trusted him completely, but it was impossible to shake your instinctive anxiety as his massive frame pulled you through the underwater caverns without a trace of light. Time seemed to drag on until a light blue glow at the end of the path caught your eye through your goggles.

As the light grew brighter, the water around you became warmer as Shockwave had promised, and you clung less tightly to his back to raise your head for a better look, almost forgetting to breathe when he finally swam clear of the tunnel and entered a massive underwater cave.

Bioluminescent plant life gave the water a beautiful blue glow, their long, delicate tendrils swaying with the currents Shockwave left in his wake as he pumped his tail without urgency to swim forward. You barely remembered to hold onto his back as you tried in vain to mentally catalog the rich biodiversity before you, wondering if the mech had cultivated it all himself just to keep his home suitably lit. As you stared in open awe, a sudden gesture for you to let go caught you quite by surprise, and you blushed at having lost yourself to the beauty of it all. Releasing your hold on his back, you allowed the merformer to take control when he spun to face you, trusting him completely as he cupped your tiny body in one servo and pointed upwards. Overwhelmed by everything, you merely nodded and allowed him to take you to the rippling surface overhead.

The air above was thankfully far fresher than you could have anticipated so far beneath the ocean, and there was also no shortage of light to see by either, thanks to a similarly breathtaking species of bioluminescent plant casting its soft glow down from the high ceiling above.

"You can breathe freely. I installed air scrubbers to keep oxygen at an ideal level." Shockwave instructed, holding you at the surface so you didn't have to waste your energy treading water. Happily removing your mask, you took a deep breath and massaged the creases left on your face, savoring the feeling of unimpeded oxygen before you looked around for a better idea of your surroundings. The cave was absolutely massive, and had a number of adjoining caverns with varying levels of exposed stone atop which Shockwave stored his less water friendly technology and salvage. More than a few boat engines the size of automobiles were stacked about and waiting to have their parts repurposed, along with a number of shipping containers you doubted had been pulled from shipwrecks. All in all, his lair felt just as much like a pirate's treasure cove as it did a scientist's lab, and you loved it more than words could convey.

"I never thought you'd actually bring me here. Am I your first visitor?" you asked in awe, allowing him to pull you in as he floated on his back. Setting you down atop his ample chest, he ensured you were lying comfortably on your belly before he answered your question with a single word and a nod.

"Affirmative."

You smiled and looked up at the glowing vines swirling along the stalactites overhead, sighing softly at the beautiful scene and the warm water lapping at your wetsuit. Despite rarely understanding his technological feats thanks to your biology focused education, you were awed by everything he'd accomplished, and were beyond grateful to be given the privilege to behold his home. More than a few conversations had alluded to how his culture considered visiting one's home to be a great gesture of trust saved for only the closest of friends and lovers. Considering the hidden depths of your feelings for him, that thought carried far more weight in your head than you'd intended, so you quickly pushed it down as you always did such things. "Thank you for trusting me, Shockwave. I'm honored."

"You have proven yourself to be my ally." he affirmed, gently taking your hand between his thumb and foredigit. The touch made your heart flutter, especially as you met his single red optic and saw his helm accents twitch as they did when he was processing deeper than usual emotions. "I am not one for my people's superstitions, but I do believe in our custom of reciprocating gestures of trust. You gave me reason to trust you completely, and I wish to do the same." 

Straight away, your mind snapped back to the fateful day he spoke of, the terror and uncertainty still raw thanks to how little time had passed. It had been a blur; the ambush by government officials, the net that had unintentionally caught you with him, and his shock when you took the time to cut him loose after freeing yourself. Echoes of the shots that had so narrowly missed the both of you were still clear in your mind, and you could easily recall how he'd held you close to take the hits as he swam for your lives... In the moment freeing him had just been a matter of course, and looking back on it you couldn't imagine doing anything else. You needed him to know that, even if he still seemed to struggle believing it. "You don't have to reward me for what I did. It was the right thing to do, they were going to hurt you."

"Perhaps." he mused in deep thought, going quiet and averting his optic. You allowed him time to think, able to tell from his twitching antennae that he was running over something very challenging in his processor. Looking ready to drop the topic and move on for several defeated seconds, he suddenly steeled himself and met your gaze, holding your hand all the more tightly as he carefully enunciated every last word. "But you have done far more than earn my trust. I have found our time together... enriching.

Though he obviously didn't expect a reply, you were in no shape to give him one, the shock on your face giving him another moment of pause before he forged ahead. How like him, you'd have thought if your brain weren't frozen, to drop something like this so suddenly... Neither one of you excelled at handling your emotions.

"You are unlike any human I have ever met, observed, or would have theorized possible." he continued to confess, obviously struggling but feeling a deep need to get through this. Your heart flipped at his words, beating strongly enough you were halfway worried he'd be able to feel it through your wetsuit, though if he did he didn't let it stop him. The merformer looked to your tiny hand in his, sharp optic tracing all the details imperceptible to the human eye as he allowed himself a rare emotive sigh from his vents. "I have grown very close to you, even if our relationship started on purely academic terms."

"Shockwave..." was all you could say, your voice locked in your throat and your eyes damp with more than seawater. Perhaps in your most self indulgent dreams you'd have allowed yourself to fantasize about such a moment, but to have it happen in reality, which was hardly known for its kindness, you simply couldn't dare to believe you'd be so fortunate. Then again, hadn't your entire relationship been a kind of fantasy made reality? Bumping into this brilliant mech, earning his interest with your scientific endeavors, beginning a relationship of mutual academic benefit that had deepened into something more... You only wished you could find enough words to tell him you felt the same, and had for such a long time. Some of the other feelings he created within you could be discussed at a later date...

Before you could try to force out a reply, Shockwave shifted once again, his antennae twitching backwards and his gaze dropping more out of what you dared to call bashfulness than simple nerves. It seemed the merformer wasn't done surprising you with shared yearning

"For my people, bringing another to your home means more than displaying trust. It is also intended to express a certain amount of... desire." he explained in the most halting voice you'd ever heard from him, usual confidence nowhere to be found.

"O-oh?" you squeaked, hopeful the glow wasn't bright enough to betray the blush turning your entire face to fire. He couldn't possibly be speaking of the same kind of desire that had made you wonder what his servos would feel like on your bare skin, or the kind that had you theorizing what certain parts of his anatomy looked like and hoping to find out... Thankfully for your sake, he seemed even more overwhelmed by what he was trying to say, enough that he didn't even seem to notice your struggles.

"We... do not approach such matters like humans. When a Thalassicon wishes to have a relationship that is more... intimate, there is not a period of courting. That is not to say we do not engage in courtship, only that it is not a prerequisite for physical relations. Intimacy is more for... expressing a certain level of trust, as well as desire, and..." he drifted off, the uncertainty in his voice so thick it weighed down every last word. Slapping his face into the palm of his servo, he mumbled in total defeat, too overcome to continue. "This is very hard to articulate."

The last thing you wanted was for him to stop, especially when you could swear you understood what he was trying to say, and very much wanted the conversation to continue in the direction it seemed to be heading. Taking a firmer hold of his hand, you pulled it close to yourself and sat up quickly. Something primal within you gave you the capacity to speak. "Then... show me? Use your hands?"

"If I have your permission-" he began, holding his servos just shy of your wetsuit.

"My full consent, and ask questions if you need to." you explained as you stripped off your mask and oxygen tank in record time, fully motivated to get things moving. You dared to hope you really understood just what he was getting at, that he yearned for your relationship to be more physical, and that your own desire for the same was soon to be quenched. It was much harder to be bashful with such giddy excitement fluttering through your belly.

A surge of similar energy moved through his massive frame, and you felt all thirty or more feet of him become alive beneath you, making your position straddling his chest all the more exciting. Biting your lip to hold back an overwhelmed whimper, you welcomed both of his servos as they lifted from the water, taking a hold of each one and guiding them to your body until his digits settled on your hips. Straight away you felt how different the contact was from any time he'd touched you in the past, a realization that only intensified when he began to explore, sliding his servos over the tight fabric of your wetsuit with all the deliberation one would expect of a scientist. You sat up straighter to open more of your body to him, jaw going visibly slack as his thumbs massaged up your front and stopped just shy of your breasts.

Recalling that you also had a pair of hands that were very skilled at studying aquatic anatomy, you let out all of your pent up curiosity and arousal and began to explore his massive frame, tracing the seams on his chest and savoring the smoothness of his mesh. As his touches stirred something in you, so did yours in him, the hum of his spark intensifying beneath your very fingertips. You were flattered and awed by the mech's receptiveness to your obviously desired advances.

"May I see you as you are?" he asked suddenly, tapping a digit over the tiny zipper on your front. Thoroughly pleased by the bold request, you met his gaze to find far more of his usual confidence had returned, a change you hoped was here to stay. Your certainty that it would intensified when his other servo traced your curves and took their time savoring the softness of your organic body. "I wish to know you without obstacles."

"Here, let me..." you began helpfully, pulling down the zipper in a manner you hoped read as inviting. He'd made his fascination with human anatomy known only in passing, but as you unzipped your suit and revealed a thin sliver of skin beneath, his optic betrayed far more than just academic interest. Loving the attention, you tried to play it cool as you peeled the wet fabric off your shoulders, moving slowly thanks to how the swimsuit clung to you when it was soaked. You managed to free the upper half of your body without too much trouble, baring your breasts to the open air and earning a quiver of excitement from his frame before you decided help would make the remaining process much easier.

"If you could help me pull off- oh!"

To your continued surprise, he didn't hesitate to follow your instructions, peeling off your wetsuit in a series of precise movements and leaving you naked on his chassis as he tucked it away in a convenient subspace. 

Completely bare and wet, you looked to him in a brief moment of total vulnerability, fears of rejection rising up only to be quickly squashed down when his optic dilated and his voice rumbled more deeply than you'd ever heard it before. "Fascinating..."

Shockwave did just as you'd bid and began to explore, starting at your legs that had so often fascinated him as a being with a tail. Tracing the shape of your muscles and somehow finding every sensitive nerve along the way, he made a point to massage your thighs, encouraging you to spread them but not yet focusing between them. The mech was approaching your body as one would an exquisite meal, savoring every last bit and saving the very best parts for last. You were a bit too overwhelmed to be impatient when he made it to your ribs, circling his thumbs over the tender flesh on the sides before he dipped inwards to heft your breasts, making your breath hitch as he finally got to your erect nipples. Biting your lip was the only way to hold back a moan.

Beneath you, his frame grew heated, and you felt an almost crackling energy building in the mech as his arousal increased with your own. All the little feelings for him that you'd pushed down over the past few months were returning with interest, creating a fire between your legs that refused to be satisfied by simple touches and demanded attention. Granted your own boldness by your pent up needs, you took a hold of his wrists and pushed them downwards, sitting up to bring your pussy into view in the hope he might skip exploration and go straight for experimentation. A needy whine was your attempt at an invitation.

To your delight and near overwhelm, Shockwave growled at the sight, his desire letting you know the move was the right one even before he spoke with the same level of open, feral want. "How do you prefer to be stimulated?"

"Clit, circles, please." you begged, incapable of anything more eloquent. Thankfully he was quite the master of blunt communication, and seemed to find the invitation more than sufficiently invigorating from the desperation with which he slipped his servo between your legs. Supporting your weight entirely, he began to rub his way from the tender skin between your legs to the sopping lips of your entrance, where he found a wealth of lubrication to get started with. 

Your first moan echoed along the ceiling when his digits met your throbbing clit, the smooth mesh delighting you more than you could have ever imagined as he began to circle the erect bud as you'd requested. It occurred to you that you'd never once described such human anatomy to him, and even though you'd learned your species were shockingly similar in this regard you were confident the speed with which he'd found your sweet spot meant he'd been doing research. That thought alone had you moaning far more shamelessly, your hands holding on tightly to his servo as he adjusted you to press his thumb into your clit whilst his foredigit fingered your entrance to test its flexibility. Your eyes rolled back when you felt the heavenly stretch of him slipping inside.

"Need this. Need you." he said quickly, tail slapping the water as your open enjoyment egged him on. Dropping his spare servo to his waist, you had just enough scientific curiosity available to whip your head around in time to see his modesty plating retract, which allowed for an erection nearly as long as you were tall to swing forth with a splash. Beholding the full size and intensity of his arousal made your walls pulse around his digits, something that was not missed on the mech as he began to pump with a groan of pent up, frustrated arousal. You were hypnotized by the impressive purple length, watching in open mouthed desire as his digits moved up and down its streamlined ridges and simple rows of red biolights. 

"Shockwave..." you moaned again, grinding down into his palm as the water around you grew choppy from your shared exertions. Hearing his name had exactly the effect you wanted, his thrusting digit going deeper and curling up into your sweet spot as his thumb pressed firmer circles into your clit. The warmth of your arousal running down to pool in his palm made the scientist all the more eager, his tail churning the water as his other servo splashed into the waves with every pump of his erection. Though you wanted to watch him work, you found your eyes rolling back as a familiar coil began to build in your lower body, the promise of a long overdue release making it more or less impossible to care about anything beyond the ecstasy of the moment. 

"I'm so close!" you announced to encourage him, cries spilling out of you with every thrust of his wrist. Thighs quivered on either side of his palm as you practically bounced in his grasp, moving yourself to the rhythm of his masturbation and praying both of you could reach completion at around the same time. Judging by how his every sound was some animalistic growl or moan of want, you doubted it would be long, especially with his noises adding so much to your own enjoyment. There was something unspeakably flattering about having such a massive, beautiful, intelligent being moaning over what they were doing to you...

A sudden twist of his deeply buried digit and an increase in the pressure on your clit did you in without warning, making your entire body spasm in his grip as you came hard around him, throbbing walls sending waves of ecstasy through your very being. Stars swirled in the spinning lights overhead, forcing you to grab him for balance as you rode out the release you'd needed for weeks without relief.

Seeing you so overcome pushed Shockwave into his own explosive release, his spinal strut arching as he came in plentiful ropes of transfluid that gushed over himself and grazed your bare back. Moaning in euphoria, he somehow managed to keep you balanced and upright as his hips twitched into every throb, the remainder of the mess being washed away by the waves even before reality came hurtling back. You managed to catch a glance of his near theatrical release before your own orgasm faded into the afterglow, and by the time he did the same you were much closer to unconsciousness than you would have thought possible.

Collapsing in his grip, you very nearly fell off into the water before he released his spent spike to hold you up with both servos, chassis rising and falling as he ventilated hard to cool off. Naked and completely satisfied, you allowed the warm water to welcome you as you were laid flat on his chest, your own ribs expanding repeatedly for deep breaths of exertion. You weren't sure you'd ever been more spent in your life...

"I built a small station on the far side of my lair. There is a platform on which you can rest and dry off." Shockwave said suddenly, total exhaustion belying the monumental step forward the two of you had just taken. It didn't even really hit you when you nodded for him to proceed, your limp body staying just where he kept it on his chassis as he swam slowly in the direction indicated. Purring, you noted the lingering warmth of his release on your back with a bit of pride. Shockwave had needed this just as desperately as you had...

Laying on his chest as the two of you lazily floated towards your destination, you wondered what might come next in your relationship, but admittedly couldn't think of much of anything in depth with so little energy to spare. It was enough just to be happy with him, with how everything had turned out since the fateful day the two of you had met... Judging by how tenderly he cupped you to himself as he swam along, you dared to believe he felt the same way, and if he preferred to show such emotions the way you'd just experienced you were more than fine with it.

[roomwithanopenfire]

Happy Wednesday!! Thanks for the tags @noblecorgi @rimeswithpurple and @monbons!

I have a lot of days off this week and I've been doing so much resting, writing, editing, and socializing. It's been everything I've needed!

Everything's getting closer to wrapping up WIP-wise. I'm so so close to being done editing all the chapters for Proof of Life and then the only thing I'll have to worry about is posting them. And the posting season for COBB is upon us!! I'm so excited see what everyone's been working on, and show my fic and the absolutely beautiful art from my artist!!

Here's a snippet from the next chapter of Proof of Life:

The Wavering Wood welcomes me back.  Or probably not… I doubt the wood likes me being there. I eat their deer. Rather, I’m welcoming myself back. The forest air fresher than ever, the sky bigger, the light brighter.  I take a deep breath, letting myself feel everything. The slight breeze in my hair, the packed earth under my feet, the scent of pine and dirt and blood. Crossing the drawbridge into the woods has never felt better. My fangs slot into place.

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[shinjisdone]

Heyya, I saw how you wrote last time about Silver and Sebek. I love it, it's cute. I hope you don't mind me request.

The type of request is the scenario and the reader is Gender neutral, the prompt: "[LIFT] - sender lifts receiver off the ground (or attempts to)." From fluff.

Probably where MC/reader tries to lift Silver up while a sleep. I'm sure all that movement won't even successfully wake Silver up. Tho I would like to see where they successfully lift Silver.

Hope this is okay !

A very cute idea and I'd like to try out a prompt that is more active :) Unfortunately, I've grown tired and impatient so this will be written in bullet points, hope that's okay.

Fluff prompt: [LIFT] - sender lifts receiver off the ground (or attempts to)

With Trying to Lift Up A Sleeping Silver

Silver was one of the nicest student's you've known.

For a second-year he soaked up a lot of knowlegdge like a sponge and is kind enough to help you out in all kinds of lessons. The only thing he asked in return is to study outside, since he can better focus in a brighter place with fresher air.

Taking the chance to finally get that one topic with one of the nicest guy's you know, you accepted without hesitation, thinking he requested this to keep himself better awake.

It went well. Silver was calm and patient as he explained various topics, no matter if you soaked them up quickly as he did or not. It's relaxing to listen to him speak and actually get what he is talking about. Compared to other second-years (Riddle, Azul, Leona,etc.) this outdoor study lesson is comforting.

Comforting enough to fall asleep it seems...you only turned your back for a second to review your notes and already do you feel a weight leaning against your back. Turning your head, you heard Silver's soft snores this close to your ear and his locks tickling your nose as his body gave in and leaned further and further and further...

Panicking, you froze as still as a statue. You called out his name softly in a whisper - since he was already so close to you, you feared that even a normal volume would scare him out of dreamland.

Yet, to no avail. Calling and nudging him seemed pointless for he just...cuddled closer to you. Often he'd murmur something but it was too unintelligible to understand.

Oh, dear...you don't have all day! And neither does he! The next lessons are going to start sometime, soon even perhaps and you cannot afford to lose your head being tardy at Trein's classes! Besides, you cannot let that happen to Silver after he was so kind enough to help you out!

Packing your belongings aside and taking a deep breath, you prepared yourself to at least stand up. Slowly moving forward, so did Silver but you soon found out that he was surely but slowly sliding off your back and right to the meadow below.

Gotcha! Caught his head just in the right moment! As much as you'd like to celebrate your victory on getting on your feet, your dear peer was still asleep.

"Silver-senpai..." You called out louder, tapped his shoulder, pinched his nose! Yet still, all he'd do is scrunch it up.

It seemed like you needed to carry him - or at least, lift him up first.

Snaking your arms around his torso and resting his head on your shoulder, you once again attempted to get up. Though asleep, Silver's body was heavy and lax - but at least you managed to have him sit up so far.

In response, he only snored.

"Sword-sparring is...soon..."

Oh, really? Grrreat.

Once again you try to get up - again and again and again, only to slip on the grass and fall back to your knees. Silver only snores louder.

Well, at least he can't hear you curse profanities.

With a quick hitch, you could finally get one foot on the ground and Silver was hoisted up higher. Inahling sharply, you made sure to continue up with a composure that could rival your upper classmate.

"Silver-senpai...c'mon, wake up. You're heavy..."

Though you only meant to motivate yourself, it seemed like the young knight was listening in his sleep.

"...I'll help you out...gladly..."

Shucks, now you feel awful.

Nevertheless, you won't be deterred! One last yank and you both were lifted up to your feet!

Yet so much so that you loosened your footing again, slipped on the grass and lost balance right then and there-!

If it weren't for the hand reaching for yours and pulling you briskly into a sturdy chest. Silver was quick to wrap his arms around you.

"Prefect...be careful. This meadow can be quite slippy."

...Whua???

Now he's awake...? What, through some kind of instinct or...???

"Our classes will begin soon, too. Is there anything else you wanted to know? Any questions?"

"Uh, no. I don't believe so."

Gently he pulled away and dusted you off. "Then let's head inside. Better not be tardy or we'll get an earful. Are you okay?"

You could only respond with a half-hearted nod and quietly followed him, still all at sea. You let him hold your hand as he guided you back to the pathway.

You believe it's best not to let him know for now.

[inkedinfantasy]

A FFXIV swap gift for Bones, featuring their OC Ahzra!

The search for Hraesvelgr had taken them deep into the Churning Mists. It had been a long day, and they were more than ready to warm themselves by a proper campfire after hours of trudging through the perpetual chill of the rocky, mountainous terrain.

The break would be no small relief; the change in altitude was beginning to take its toll. Alphinaud insisted that he was fully prepared to continue if need be, but his sickly complexion and the slight sway as he stood said otherwise. The boy wouldn’t be used to being up this high. Estinien and Ysayle, more accustomed to the mountains of Coerthas, looked none the worse for wear.

“We’re not going any further tonight with you in this state,” Ahzra said.

Thankfully, Alphinaud did not protest further, merely nodding and stumbling a few steps away to sit against a nearby boulder, trying to take deep, measured breaths.

Ahzra frowned, and began to dig through their bag for anything that might help.

“Even this high up, there are herbs growing that help with the mountain sickness,” Estinien offered. “A type of sage that you make into some sort of tea or tincture. We passed a cluster of it on our way up the hill.”

“I’m familiar with it,” Ahzra said. “If you’d be willing to backtrack to pick some up, I can take care of the rest. I should have everything else I need on hand.”

Estinien nodded, and headed back down the path.

Ysayle freed her water supply, kneeling to offer it to Alphinaud. “Drink,” she said. “It will help until they can get some medicine into you.” She turned to Ahzra. “The concoction you’re making—I know of it as well. Its got clary sage and willow in it, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Add some mint too, if you have it. It will help settle the stomach.”

A small pot of water was gently steaming in the chill air when Estinien returned with a fistful of the fresh herbs. Ahzra nodded in thanks as they accepted them, dropping a few of them into the water to steep alongside some mint and willow bark from their personal supply. The concoction had a brisk, refreshing aroma.

Alphinaud was sitting listlessly at the edge of the fire, slowly sipping at Ysayle’s waterskin. “I’m fortunate to be among companions with the means and knowledge to make such a thing.”

“I imagine most any Coerthan family without the means to buy it knows the recipe,” Ysayle said.

Estinien inclined his head in agreement. “I learned it from my parents. My brother used to get the mountain sickness when we’d move the flocks to higher ground.”

Ahzra took the pot off the heat, straining it as they poured out a cup. Alphinaud removed his gloves to grip the cup with his bare hands, savoring the heat as he waited for it to cool to a drinkable temperature.

As he took a tentative sip, Ahzra surreptitiously prepared a second cup for themself. They’d hoped their unfortunate tendency toward motion sickness wouldn’t extend to Coerthas’s upper altitudes, but they’d been feeling ill for a few bells now.

They much preferred suffering in silence, as it were, but as they glanced up they noticed Estinien’s eyes on them as they sipped at their tea. As Alphinaud drained his cup, his breathing evened out, and the color started to return to his face. Mercifully, Ahzra’s case was not as severe as his looked, but the tea did have them feeling better as well. Ysayle’s suggestion to add mint had been a good one.

* * *

Rest, water, and a night to acclimate had done wonders, and Ahzra felt much improved by the time they awoke the next morning. Alphinaud was far more chipper as well, volunteering to gather firewood for preparing their morning meal before they set out once more. Ysayle was sorting through what food they had left on hand, and Ahzra had only caught a glimpse of Estinien as they’d exited their tent, disappearing down the path in search of some fresher breakfast, they assumed.

As Azhra was packing up, a fresh bundle of the sage they’d used in the previous night’s remedy dropped into their lap. They looked up to see Estinien standing over them.

“For your supplies,” he said. “In case we need it again.”

So that’s where he’d gone off to. “I appreciate it. Thank you.”

Estinien nodded stiffly and walked away.

Ahzra turned back to the leaves, wrapping them up as neatly as they could. They’d have to see about drying them properly for storage later.

For now, they had a dragon to visit.

[topazy]

Inside, outside

Pairings: 10k x reader, Addy Carver × sister reader

Warnings: Swearing, violence

Chapter: 5.01

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story! I'm feeling a little sad but looking forward to writing the final season of the chaotic love story between Astra and 10k💕

You swing the hammer in your hands fast, cracking the skull of the Z in front of you open, flinching as its blood splattered over you. Turning on your heels, you bury the claw into another Z’s eye socket before using the blade in your other hand to stab it in the side of the head.

“I give you mercy,” you say, wiping the blood off your face with the sleeve of your jumper before putting your hand flat against a tree. You lean against it and catch your breath.

Thinking the coast was clear, you’d split off from the rest of your group momentarily to go for a pee, but ended up being chased by the undead on your way back. As you walk up a hill in the direction the rest of your group is going, you spot Doc running with a brunette by his side towards them, then hear the familiar sound of gunshots as 10k and Sarge take out a handful of Z’s.

“What’s going on?”

“A Z just said ‘no’,” Murphy replies.

“What?”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “A Z just said ‘no’ right before 10K shot him.”

“Right,” you snort, before leaning up and kissing 10k on the cheek. Dropping your backpack to the ground, you open it and rummage inside it before pulling out a bottle of water that you hand to the brunette Doc rescued, saying, “hey, I’m Astra.”

“Hi… Thank you,” she shyly accepts.

Since being unable to stop the black rainbow, the survivors of your group decided to head to Newmerica, and along the way, you helped anyone you came across. It was hard given the lack of water, food, and ammunition, but humanity needed to look after one another again, even strangers. It was the only way life in the new world would work. Maybe it was hope of a better life, but the sky seemed clearer, the grass was healthy and un-stained by blood and zombie guts, and the air was much fresher.

Once everyone had something to eat and drink, Doc declared it was time to move on before any more deaths came.

While heading back to the vehicle parked at the bottom of the hill, Murphy leans into you and says, “I don’t know about Granny; she doesn’t look so good. I swear to God I saw her cough up a hairball.”

He was right; the elderly woman who claimed her name was actually Granny looked as if she'd been sick for a long time. 10k and Doc saved her and her adult children from a horde of Z’s days prior, and initially you thought their sickly appearance was due to exhaustion, but now you weren’t convinced it was the only reason. You were worried Granny wouldn’t even make it to Newmerica. You whisper, “I think we should be ready to show mercy at any time.”

When a couple you rescued let out a deep, chesty cough behind you, Murphy looked back and waved to them. “How y’all doing back there?”

“We’re good,” the man replies. “She’s actually feeling better, and my stomach cramps have stopped.”

Murphy laughs cheerfully before turning to look straight ahead again. “If they weren’t talking, I’d swear they were Zs. What are they still living for, huh? I’d say just die already.”

“I say the same thing about you all the time.”

He glares at you, “brat.”

You laugh as Murphy walks faster to catch up with Doc, no doubt to argue about whether Warren is still alive again. The subject of their arguments caused knots to form in your stomach. You knew what it was like to have nobody believe you that someone you loved was still alive, but then again, you only experienced that with 10k because Murphy put you through it.

You step to the side to wait for 10k, who is at the back of the group making sure the dead don’t creep up, but as the others walk by, you do your best not to gag. Not only did the people you rescued look dead, but they also smelled like death.

—

Your eyes flicker between the road and the figure disappearing into the distance. Murphy had just split off from the rest of the group on his own to go search for Warren while the rest of you headed to New Mexico. Although you had a history with Murphy, you didn’t like that the group was getting smaller, plus you doubted he would survive long on his own.

“A few hundred more miles and we’ll be in Newmerica,” Doc says, railing everyone together. He stopped driving half an hour ago so everyone could stretch their legs.

Sarge stands beside you, mumbling to herself while looking between the different people. Suddenly she turns to you and says, “Oh shit, we’re a person down.”

You do a mental check of everyone that’s there and realize Granny is missing. “Hey Doc! We’ve lost one; Granny’s gone!”

Everyone splits off into pairs to try and find the elder women. Granny couldn’t have gotten far, but in her confused state, she could have been a danger to herself.

Luckily, it doesn’t take long for 10k to find her. She was hunched over, eating brains from a rotting corpse. “That’s disgusting.”

When Granny’s son pulls her back, she claims to have no idea why she ate it. It scared you to see how zombie-like she was becoming. Doc quickly orders everyone to go back to the truck. You go to leave, but 10k grabs your hand and pulls you back slightly. “Do you think Granny is a cannibal?”

“Possibly, I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like it. They all seem so sick.”

“Do you think the black rain caused it?”

“God, I hope not; what if everyone in Newmerica is like that?”

He lets out a deep sigh and says, “We’ll figure it out.” 10k eyes soften as a smile plays on his lips. “Just think, once we are there, we can finally start to spend time together, just us, with no interruptions.”

“I can’t wait.” You press your lips against his, but pull away when you hear the sound of an engine being turned. “We better hurry before Doc sends a search party.”

Still holding your hand. 10k leads the way. Most married couples got to spend their first few weeks of marriage doing nothing but have sex, and it was growing increasingly frustrating how difficult it was for you to not even be able to spend ten minutes alone with 10k without being interrupted by the undead or someone in your group.

“Front or back?”

You squeeze his hand before letting go. “I’ll go in the back.”

You jump into the back of the truck beside Sarge; the tension between you is gradually getting less awkward. You sit with her facing the others while 10k gets in the front beside Doc.

“Alright, let’s go, kids!”

—

It made you nervous seeing how sickly everyone in the back looked aside from Sarge. The two of you kept glancing at each other, sharing a knowing look. The people you’d rescued all looked as if they were dying from some type of flu. You feared things would turn bad at any moment, and seeing the way Granny’s face began to twitch, you gripped your blade just in case she turned.

As Doc starts to pull over, you look around confused. He was pulling towards what looked like two men selling stuff at the side of the road from a camper van. Not exactly what you envisioned the new world would look like.

Feeling that something wasn’t right, you hang back by the truck as 10k, Doc, and Sarge go over to speak to them. Something didn’t seem right. You jump out of the truck and take a few steps forward, but turn back after hearing a grunting sound. You see Granny struggling to get out and offer her your hand to help her down, but she slaps your hand out of the way, jumps down, and runs towards Sarge.

“Brains!”

You get whiplash from looking back and forth between three different people who your group had taken in because they had turned nearly completely Z-like; they didn’t appear to be fully dead or alive.

When one of the men who was sitting by the stop point aims his gun at Granny, a young woman with short, slicked-back black hair appears and gently gets him to lower the gun. Her clothes were clean and fresh-looking; it was obvious she hadn’t been roughing it like the rest of you. She walks towards Granny, who was being restrained by 10K and Doc. She clicks her fingers to get the older woman’s attention and pops a black biscuit into Granny’s mouth, which turns her back to normal. Granny gives the woman a cuddle, then steps back to cuddle her son.

The woman looks at Doc and says, “How long has she been dead?”

“Dead? We just thought she was sick. She’s talking.”

“No, she’s dead. So are those two,” she says, pointing to the couple your group rescued. “They’re talkers.”

“How is that possible?”

“Since the black rain, people don’t just turn like before. Their bodies are dead, but their souls remain conscious. The dead don’t just walk—now they talk.”

Oh shit.

The mysterious woman hands more of the biscuits out to the half-dead people and explains that there are supposedly traces of brains and something else that prevents them from fully turning. You notice the similarities between the women and the figure of someone on the posters hanging up on the camper van.

“I’m George,” she says. “And this is my friend, Lieutenant Dante.”

Lieutenant Dante was most definitely already dead. Your group really messed up with the black rain; now the world has talking zombies.

“I’m Astra; this is 10k, Sarge, and Doc.”

“Sweet names. So what are you guys doing all the way down here? No offense, but you look as if you’ve been through hell.”

“We are looking for Newmerica.”

George tells you that Newmerica is just an idea that will hopefully become its own nation, and everyone, dead or alive, is welcome to vote. Dead or alive.

Doc shrugs and says, “Sign us up.”

[queen-scribbles]

Waking up 12 or 15 for Brykar

12. "Come back, the bed's cold without you." & 15. "You definitely needed the sleep." How 'bout both, and happy Star Wars day 😁 ---

Briyoni could listen to Jonas breathe for hours.

Not that she usually got the chance; between the two of them he was the early riser, up with or before the sun while she preferred to sleep til nearly noon any day she wasn't on duty. But today a string of so-late-it's-morning-again nights worked things in her favor. He was still in bed, still asleep--still laying on her arm, which was starting to go numb.

Bry flexed her fingers to keep some circulation but made no effort to escape. As excuses to stay in bed went 'my husband was asleep on top of me' was a pretty good one. (She was pretty sure the reverse was among Jonas' favorites, too.) Instead she snuggled closer and enjoyed the even cadence of his breathing.

Until nature started calling, and got insistent enough she couldn't ignore it any longer. She groaned and carefully, slowly as she could, worked her arm out from under Jonas to head for the 'fresher.

She was just finishing when a discontented groan issued from the bedroom. "Bry, c'me back. 'S cold without you..."

He still sounded more than half-asleep(adorable) and she giggled as she called back, "One sec, sweetheart." She finished and rejoined him, nestling close in her same spot against his back. "Better?"

"Mmmh. ...Do I even wanna know the time?" he mumbled.

"Prob'y not," she chuckled, kissing his shoulder blade. "Mornin', sleepyhead."

Jonas hummed. "So it is still morning?"

She twisted to look at the wall chrono. "Technically."

Rather than push out of bed with grumbling about wasting half the day like she expected, he hummed again and shifted to lay on his back so he could look at her. "I feel like I should feel guilty, but-"

"Nah," Bry cut him off, resting a hand on his chest. "A solid week of no more'n an hour or two a night? You definitely needed the sleep." She grinned. "I'm honestly a little surprised you woke up at all. Figured you'd be out all the way 'round til tomorrow to catch up."

"Tempting," he said with a sleepy laugh, rubbing her arm. "But there's stuff to do--"

"Not for us there isn't," Bry interrupted again, smugly this time. "Vica said we can have a day or two off, 'cause of everything we did for this op--"

"Nice of her."

"That's my sister," she snorted. "Quintessential Jedi. An' I figured since she has a spy husband who does, y'know, that a lot more regularly than you just did, she knows what she's talking about." She poked his shoulder.

Jonas smiled, fingers lazily tracing the chevrons that trailed up her arm. "You'll just take any excuse to stay in bed, gorgeous."

"Guilty," Bry said. She bit her lip when his light touch brushed over the sensitive spot by her elbow. "But this time you get to stay with me."

"Hm, whole day bein' lazy with my wife?" His grin was made all the more roguish by the heavy stubble. "I suppose I could be persuaded..."

"Hmm." Bry waggled her brows and rolled over, supporting herself with a hand by each of his shoulders as she smiled down at him. "Is that a hint I need to break out the Nerai charm?"

"Couldn't hurt-"

This time she cut him off with a kiss, one deep enough to feel him groan as his hand slid into her hair. His shoulders came off the bed as he pressed up into it until they had to break for air. Jonas fell back against the pillow and Bry smirked.

"Made my point, handsome?" she purred.

He chuckled. "Very persuasive, gorgeous. However," he pushed himself up so they were sitting with her straddling his hips, "might need a little more convincing..."

"Hard case, huh?" She grinned and ran her fingers through his hair on the way to wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're lucky I like you so I'll put up with this-"

Jonas kissed her, and Bry laughed as she leaned in to deepen it, relishing the catch in his breathing. She'd have him spending the whole day in bed by the time she was done.

She was, as he knew full well, very persuasive.

[dnangelic]

" a-aren't we too h-high up ? " that's the best kanade manages out , pale face turned paler in the face of her actions ; finally venturing out for once - but maybe it was more than she could chew .

the night air was cool against her skin , a hundred times fresher than what the sanctuary of her room offered— unfortunately, every small shift from daisuke resulted in a frightened yelp from kanade, clinging onto him as tight as she could- her fists balled tightly around his coat .

and yet , she wants to try and peer out to look at the city lights below — to admire the various night lights that are stationary , or move about in the form of vehicles and machinery alike . it’s what they came out for , didn’t they ? kanade finally manages to peek out one eye , staring below in terrified awe .

@1amsong

( eh ?! yoisaki-san , i'm sorry ... ! )

it's the best that daisuke can do too like this , mutely fretting while his other self only laughs . the sound throws itself gently into the wind and quietly vanishes beneath passing breeze-tousles and zephyr-howls ; dark's grasp tightens firm but gently around kanade's delicate frame , trying to offer itself in a better reassurance even as she clutched with all her frightened might at his clothes .

' take in a deep breath ... and get a good look . a height like this is perfect , isn't it --- ? '

on a night flight , the sky reverses : streetlights dot and mottle the black canvas of the ground like stars , the moon reflecting off still bodies of water in a gorgeous halo glow . even daisuke had been enraptured by the sight mere moments ago , before his company's nervous squeak had reached him and snapped him out of any soft , silent wonder .

if he could have , he wouldn't have hesitated to take careful hold of kanade's hand and encourage her with a promise and smile : whether hundreds of miles in altitude or flat with their feet on the ground , he would have tried with all his might to keep from any sort of harm befalling her .

instead , he feels his lips pull and flash a devilish grin , all mischief and teeth .

' we'll only be in trouble if i start enjoying myself too much . '

cruel tease ! ... and yet nothing more than that . it was merely pleasant and comfortable to have company in his arms , and he doesn't indulge in the sort of greater heart's swell that would rob him of his wings . ignoring daisuke's brief chide and flustered frustrations in his thoughts , careful to keep kanade balanced properly in his grasp all the while , azumano's phantom thief continues to soar and slice through the air , blending in unseen even with his silvery-haired company .

' after a while , you start to get used to it . ' he hums , another brief song left to the wind . ' not the sight , just the sensation . before you know it , you'll realize things are always more beautiful than they are frightening . '

if it wasn't happening already . going anywhere , seeing everything ; to kanade's brave peek , he flashes a single charming , upbeat wink .

' just trust us . if it's daisuke and i , ' ( nothing bad's going to happen to you , yoisaki-san --- ! ) ' we won't let you down . '

[spicywhumper]

@febuwhump 2024: day 11. found footage + whump bingo: forced to watch

series: untitled team/wing whump | rating: mature | word count: 1,196

cw: torture, mentioned non-con, non-graphic burns and mentioned amputation

Sebastian hates that they found the tapes, ebastian hates that he has to watch them.

he hates that the person trying to protect the younger, fresher agents is young herself. Cornnell was barely twenty-five when she was sent to this mission, barely older than the younger cadets and good ten years younger than the older soldiers.

he wants to throw up, but it's his job to know what's in them and report it.

the youngest girl of the group's so small, so tiny, she doesn't look old enough to even be accepted into the training program. she whimpers, trembling on her spot in the middle of the room. she doesn't belong here (none of them belong here).

she's curled up on the floor, cold and small, naked like all the other captives. the man looks even larger in comparison, his boot could crush her skull without a change to not.

(it might be worse that the reason they recruit young WInged is because they need the "Birds", the Winged ones that stayed tiny, that are compact balls of muscles.)8 of muscles.)

the whip on his hand uncurls, it's a small one, but with how fragile the Winged girl is, with how her wings are curled around her to try and protect her even if just a little bit, the damage will make her pass out in less than three hits.

he raises his hand, body poised to put max strength behind his motion.

there's one Winged that is almost too large to be one of them, she doesn't look to be the same species. tall and broad even for human average, a giant in comparson to every other Bird. but she's fast like them, even when dehydrated hungry and also injured. Connell jumps between them, covering the young girl easily, wings around them.

(he almost forgot how vibrantly blue they were).

she doesn't make a sound when the whip hits her. the man growls and hits again, again, again and again. feathers fly, bloodied, lashes are a sick red against the blue. most of the hits hit her wings, come the skin of her back and shoulders.

and none hit the girl curled up under her.

Sebastian takes a deep breath, at least the tapes are cut, they aren't longer than fifteen minutes, many as short as five. it takes his training to not give up after the first, but he can't. he writes down what he just watched and moves to the next. the tapes only have the length in their labels and nothing else.

the three small birds still alive are in a small pile for warmth, therir breaths visible in the air. the room seemed to have been cleaned recently. what's seen of their wings is painful. cuts, bruises, lost feathers, the boy will never fy again, there's a change the girls will.

(it's false hope).

Cornnell looks worse and better than them. her wings batteres and half-naked, but she streatches them as she stretches her body. or as much as she can, the room is not large enough.

(he forgot how large thy were, majestic even.

dangerous and sharp.)

when the man enters, it's clear what he's going to do.

he's not even in position before Cornnell is between him and the pile of little birds. her wings covers them easly, tucked in a way that looks like she's trying to cover them as much as she can. and of course she is. with a man carying a god-forsaken flamethwoerd.

there's nothing much to actually see once the fire starts, it's white in its hotness. it roars, but not louder than the screams.

the little Birds scream in fear, Cornnell in pain. she's more tolerant than them, more resistent, she's less flammable. but she's still a thing that can burn.

Sebastian throws up in the nearest trash can, it burns his throat. he saw the aftermath, when they bought Cornnell back. what was left of her wings... no feathers anymore, skin and muscles had been melted in a mix of vilently ed and sickening black. she couldn't move them, feel them, but could feel the pain close to where they sprouted from her back.

they cut them off, as close to her back as they could... they cut them off and it didn't look like she ever had them. the only evidence of her origings was the small horns on her head, easily hidden by hair. (she chose to use the spell, keep her hair in the standard buzzcut).

Sebastiasn reaches back and touches his own wing. a more common shade of abeige, almost white. the normal colors of Winged that didn't have special, neat talents. nowehere close vibrant blue of the "eels", the eletric birds.

(he knows Connell still has the powers, she just doesn't use them.)

he washes his mouth, he knew what happened to her wings, it doesn't make him any less nauseus as he watches the cruelty commited to his fellow Winged.

the boy is small under the man.... hurting him.

he holds him down with a hand larger than his head. it's hard to know if it's worse because the Bird's naked and his abuser isn't. the four other Birds are on a corner, guns pointing at them to make sure they're watching.

three man hold Cornnell, she doesn't stop struggling against them. she doesn't stop screaming insults and threats. the man on her right threats back, says she's the next to be on the ground, and that she looks strong enough to take all of them.

she spits on him face, he breaks her nose.

at least, it's short, the bulky man doesn't have much stamina.. the men leave them alone, a small blessing. the four birds don't move from their corner, the door isn't even closed when Cornnell sprints to the side of the bleeding boy. her hands hover, but she doesn't touch. he turns his head towards her, a few seconds pass.

"N-ness-" he chokes. she only nods.

with what seems to be all the strength that is left on him, the boy throws himself at her. arma around her waist, face on her neck. she easily adjusts to be sitting, on her lap, he looks even smaller than with the man violating him. but with the way he curls on her and the way she holds him, it's like he's making himself small enough that she can protect him.

she starts to mumble on his hair, eyes closed and tears on her cheek as she says comforting words that won't change anything.

because the men are cowards, there's more pleasure in harming the little ones this way then the one that could actual fight.

Sebatian wonders if it's creepy, and sick to be more heartbroken by the aftermath than by the act. he blinks, wants, again, to throw up. watched a boy as small as a 10 year-old child being brutally raped and teared up because someone was comforting him.

and he's not stupid, he read the medical reports, he knows what they did to Connell. he knows that at some point, she became "weak enough" to be usable.

Sebastian really, really hates his job.

[unovanhunny]

Hmmmmm … how about trans submas just being sweet and supportive to each other in more „intimate but not necessarily sexual ways“? Emmet helping Ingo put on his binder, Ingo doing Emmets T-Shots for him, them fretting over top surgery scars ? That kinda deal? Can of course involve other identities other than masc / masc leaning / presenting as well. Ingo reassuring his sister trough an dysphoric episode, Ingo getting encouraged by Emmet to wear that suit if they want to, it doesn’t make them look any less pretty and femme etc.

Trans Submas isn't typically my thing, but I don't mind doing something for this! I don't know if you wanted specifically art or writing, but I can do a ficlet based on this idea.

"Safety check. How long has it been, is your breathing okay?"

It was lunch and with them alone in the office, it was as good a time as any to check in. The door was locked so no one could intrude. Taking in as deep a breath as he could manage, Ingo's usual frown deepened a little.

"I think now would be a good time to take a break. Will you help me?"

On bad days, Ingo would wear the binder; on good days, he would wear a less restrictive compression top. When he woke up that morning, it had been a bad day. And with it being the start of summer and some parts of the station being less air conditioned than others, the four hours from clock-in til lunch were felt. At least for their lunch break, he could remove it for a while. They had extra compression tops and binders stored for just such occasions, if they needed to switch out to something fresher or their needs had changed.

Removing hat and coat and hanging them on the coatrack by the door, Ingo moved further into the office to unbutton his shirt and hang it off the back of his chair. And then the white tank underneath went, leaving him only with the hardest part. It was meant to rest tight and that coupled with sweat from the heat certainly made it nearly impossible to remove on his own. And that's where Emmet came in.

With a smile and deft hands that Ingo knew all too well, together they worked to slowly roll up and pull off the binder over Ingo's head, the touch of his brother's fingers against his warm and sensitive skin leaving tingles.

Now discarded, Emmet did the work of placing the black cloth in the bag they had stashed in a bottom desk drawer for just this reason, while Ingo pulled the white tank back on over his head. Alone or not, it was far from proper to be entirely topless while at work. Taking a few deep breaths in, finding the action much easier and his lungs able to fill more, Ingo felt much better. He would opt for a compression top when they had to return, the heat wasn't going anywhere most likely.

"Let's eat." Grabbing their lunches from home from the mini fridge they had in their office, Ingo plopped them down on the desk, where Emmet joined him only a moment later with water bottles.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, much."

"Good!" Emmet pressed a kiss to Ingo's temple as he started to unpack the lunches.

-

"Your hands are going to get manlier faster than the rest of you at this rate."

"We can't cuddle for a while after the gel is applied, so at least give me this."

It wasn't as though Emmet hated needles, he just wasn't fond of the idea of having to get stuck with one on a monthly basis. Sure the results with gel were slower, but he was willing to take the trade off.

Ingo was less fond of the idea that once Emmet applied the gel, he needed to be left to dry for a few hours. Meaning no cuddles or anything that may accidentally wipe it off. And so he had insisted from the onset that he would be the one to apply it. Try and get his fill of touching before Emmet would be off limits for a while. And no gloves needed. It wasn't as though he didn't wash his hands immediately after, and a little more testosterone in his system wouldn't hurt.

"You are not going to lay with me?" The little froggy pout had Ingo sighing and placing a kiss to Emmet's forehead.

"Of course I will, but it's not the same as my usual koala cling, and you know it." Ingo patted Emmet's stomach twice before resuming the gentle massage to get the gel properly spread across his skin.

"I do like it when you do that. But we can hold hands and watch something in the meantime."

"As if you had a choice!" Emmet stared for a moment before chuckling, Ingo joining him. "You can't get away with not at least holding my hand if I must refrain from anything more."

"I would never dream of it." Letting out a sigh at the touch, Emmet watched Ingo's focused face of concentration with so much affection.

Drifting into a comfortable silence, it was all too soon that Ingo straightened out and headed to the bathroom to wash the remaining gel from his hands. With a wiggle, Emmet shifted to leave more space beside him for Ingo to join him.

And join he did, a few moment later, hand clasping cool clean hand. And the words that had been on the tip of Emmet's tongue came tumbling out as Ingo rested his head against Emmet's shoulder.

"I love you."

[duhdumb89]

A Forbidden Happiness | Chapter 4

Walking through the gates of Xianfugong was like stepping into another world. The sun bounced off the bright gold roof and lacquered red walls. Jiayi took a deep breath. Even the air was fresher here. The courtyard was bustling. Stacks of luxurious fabrics and stately decor were piled around the door of one of the side halls. Eunuchs and palace maids were scurrying in and out. The eunuch, sick of her already, grabbed her shouldered and steered her inside.

"Wang gugu, here's another maid," he pushed her forward and ran off.

Jiayi bowed. You couldn't not bow to The Emperor's chief maid, Wang Langhua. Jiayi had heard of her but never seen her in the flesh. Fairly often, Jiayi gained a bunkmate thanks to Wang gugu. She had no mercy for maids who tried to crawl into the bed of The Emperor or did their mistress' unsightly biddings. The only maid in the palace with more power was Jerjer, The Empress Dowager's chief maid.

Wang gugu barely glanced at her, busy watching the servants scuttle to and fro.

"Rise," she said, "Do you have your uniform?"

Jiayi shook her head.

"Molan!" Barked Wang gugu, "Take this one and have her change into an extra uniform,"

"Yes!"

Jiayi was dragged into what she assumed was the maid's rooms by a short, round faced girl.

"What's your name?" The girl asked as she rummaged through a chest.

"Wei, er, Wei Jiayi,"

"I'm Shang Molan. Nice to meet you. Catch!"

A bundle of cloth hit Jiayi in the face.

Molan didn't mind that Jiayi was stripping down to her underclothes and proceeded to talk Jiayi's ears off about anything and everything.

Jiayi learned that Molan was 15 and a bond servant from the bordered blue banner clan, Cui. She learned that there were two other maids here, Li Ming and Ping'er. She learned that even though Xiang gui ren was going to live in a side hall, His Majesty was decorating her room with things far above her station. The Emperor had even inspected the rooms personally.

"I'm ready," said Jiayi, smoothing down her silken waistcoat. She couldn't keep her hands off of it, it was the nicest thing she'd ever owned.

"Really?" Asked Molan, "You don't have anything for your hair?"

Jiayi reached and patted her plain liangbatou, "I like a simpler look," she lied.

"Simple won't do!" Molan walked over to the foot of her bed and dug around in a small chest. She pulled out a velvet flower hair pin and placed it on Jiayi's hairpiece, "Much better. If I wasn't so sure that Wang gugu wasn't going to come in here and drag us out, I'd do your makeup, too!"

The only response they got from Wang gugu when they returned as a strong glare.

"Who are you?" A skinny girl asked, stepping in front of her.

"Wei Jiayi,"

"Well, Wei Jiayi, make yourself useful and go wipe the walls," the maid shoved a bucket into her chest and stomped away.

Molan huffed and glared at her back, "That's Li Ming. She's miserable here and taking it out on everyone else,"

"Really?" Jiayi took the bucket and began scrubbing. Molan kept herself busy dusting the decorations dotted along the walls.

"Of course! She comes from one of the upper three banners. I heard she was planning to kill herself when she learned who she was serving, but Wang gugu told us that The Emperor would start telling their families that they were punished for adultery,"

"What's all this?" A sweet voice asked.

Wang gugu and the other servants bowed so Jiayi followed suit.

"Greetings to Jiang gui ren, An gui ren," said Wang gugu.

Jiang gui ren waved away the formality with a gold tipped hand.

"Things are coming along quite nicely, Wang gugu. You don't mind if I look around?"

Wang gugu stepped to the side and bowed her head.

Like all the Emperor's women, Jiang gui ren and An gui ren were beautiful. The beauty of An gui ren's small, gentle face was overshadowed by the look of plain hunger she wore, eyes always looking to the nearest coattail to ride. Jiang gui ren had an elegant face and sweet lips. A bright smile could have you staring for quite some time.

Said beauty was overshadowed by the sheer amount of adornment that she liked to wear. The sun streamed through the windows and bounced off of the numerous gold hair accessories that decorated her liangbatou. Jiang gui ren's changfu* was a deep green with gold and silver lotus embroidery. She was certainly not afraid of rings and wore two or three on each hand. All three pairs of earrings glistened in the sun. It was the sort of decoration you would expect of woman who slept in the main hall†.

"His Majesty is truly pampering Xiang meimei," said Jiang gui ren as she stepped into the bedroom, "I'm sure that fur is from the Western tributes. Not even Shen jiejie has something so nice,"

Jiang gui ren turned to the servants who had tucked themselves against the walls.

"It looks like these new slaves aren't so bad,"

"This lowly servant thanks you for your grace!" Replied Li Ming.

Grimacing, Jiang gui ren pressed her handkerchief to her nose,

"But these rooms smell...odd,"

"Perhaps it's the incense, my lady," said her eunuch, Haoyu.

"Yes," she replied with a sigh, "I'm used to a different quality,"

"Let's go back to your rooms so you don't damage your health," said An gui ren.

Jiang gui ren and her entourage swanned away and the servants bid her farewell.

"It's getting late. Go to the kitchens and eat. Don't take more than 15 minutes," said Wang gugu.

Molan stuck to her like glue as they walked through the streets of the Forbidden City.

"You know I don't think I've seen you before. How old are you?"

"18,"

"Oh, so you're Jiayi jiejie! Where did the send you during the last draft? Or did you come from the one before?"

Jiayi swallowed. She knew that she would have to make up a lie about her background but she didn't think she would have to do it so soon.

"Does it matter where she came from? She ended up here so she couldn't be that good," Li Ming walked by, knocking her shoulder into Molan's.

"Li Ming meimei, don't forget, you're here, too! Why do you suddenly care about being good or bad? I saw how much time you spend staring at the guards who pass by, its obvious you want to show them how good you can be,"

Furious, Li Ming's face turned a splotchy red all over, "Shut your mouth," she snapped grabbing at Molan's collar.

"What's wrong with you?" Jiayi hissed, throwing Li Ming's hand away, "If you keep acting like this Wang gugu will have us all sent to the hard labor camps and as sinjeku as well. You wouldn't last a day in there,"

"Mind your own business," Replied Li Ming as she yanked her hand back. She glared at them before walking ahead.

Jiayi just walked along with a shake of her head. It was just her luck that she was serving alongside such a petty girl. If The Empress or the Imperial Noble Consort had passed by and saw their little display, they would be as good as dead. While it would still be a step above from being sent back to Su gonggong, Jiayi wasn't going to let childish fight and churlish behavior stand in the way of her new, simple life.

Jiayi walked through the courtyard of the Imperial Kitchen and felt her stomach grumble. At the hard labor camp, breakfast was thin congee and steamed wilted vegetables that were one step above pig feed. It was late in the day now and she was feeling drained from all the excitement.

The servants entered a side door to collect their meals and could sit and eat in the back courtyard or return to their palace. When the kitchen servant handed her a bowl of brilliantly bright fried rice, Jiayi thought she had ascended. It had been so long since she'd eaten food with color, spice and flavor! There were even bits of pork hiding in the rice. Pork!

"Fried rice again?" Muttered Molan as they sat down to eat, "It's always the same stuff,"

Jiayi didn't bother to respond to her griping and gulped down her food. She tried to savor it, but one mouthful became ten very quickly.

Molan gaped at Jiayi's empty bowl. Not a single grain of rice was left behind, "Finished already?"

"I was hungry," Jiayi replied.

That wasn't a lie, at least. If she wasn't so sure she'd get slapped, she'd go back inside and ask for another bowl.

"Ah, it's Shiyi gugu, tidy up," said Molan. She put bowl to the side and stood.

Like Wang gugu, Shiyi gugu, The Empress' chief maid, was a figure of legends. The rumors that trickled to the outer place told of the countless plots the Shiyi foiled in the name of her master.

"Shiyi gugu," Jiayi bowed her head as the older woman stood in front of them.

"What palace do you belong to?" Shiyi gugu asked, her voice clear and crisp.

"This servant belongs to Xianfugong," replied Jiayi.

"Whatever troubles the Household department may have doesn't excuse this sloppy behavior,"

Sloppy? Yes, she was wearing a maid's uniform but Jiayi still thought they were beautiful! She looked down at her chest, did some rice fall? Did her greasy fingers leave a stain?

Shiyi gugu picked up her arm, "Your clothes don't fit, girl,"

"Oh,"

Jiayi held out her hands and realized that the sleeves were halfway up her forearms. Her ankles felt a bit breezy too, so she could tell without looking that her pants were also a bit short.

Molan bowed her head, "It's this servant's fault. It was the only spare uniform in Xiang gui ren's rooms,"

Shiyi gugu sighed, "Before your mistress arrives you should do your best to appear as modest and clean as possible. Go to the Clothing House and find clothes that fit. If you I see you like this again, I'll have you flogged,"

"Yes!" Jiayi replied, her heart racing. Fung gonggong hadn't been joking. All Jiayi did was wear clothes that were a bit short and now she was being threatened by The Empress' chief maid!

With a final sniff, Shiyi gugu went on her way.

Molan put a hand on her shoulder, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Jiayi shook her head, "No, it's alright. I'll grab a new uniform and head back. But, can you remind me how to get to the Clothing House from here?"

There were a few twists and turns and a scolding from the momo†† in charge but Jiayi returned Xianfugong with a new uniform that hopefully fit. Jiang gui ren's side of palace was empty and the other servants had returned from lunch.

"Miserable bitch..."

Jiayi paused and looked around. She walked deeper into Xiang gui ren's apartments.

"Smug, know-it-all bitch..."

The furious muttering was coming from the maids' rooms. Jiayi crept closer to the door and peeked inside. Li Ming was crouched under Molan's bed, fiddling with something. There was a jangle of metal and the scrape of old wood. Jiayi walked backwards silently and let her feet hit the ground as she walked to the doors once more.

Li Ming had scurried over to her own bed and was pretending to fold something.

"What are you doing here?" She spat.

"Shiyi gugu told me I was looked sloppy so I came back here to change," Jiayi replied.

"I'm not surprised," said Li Ming looking Jiayi up and down, "Just look at you. No lipstick, no rouge, and you can barely dress yourself. You're barely a woman,"

"I'm a maid, not a gêgê,§" Jiayi replied, stepping close to the bed next Li Ming.

"Stop there! I won't have you anywhere close to me. There's an empty bed over there by that idiot,"

"Fine!"

Jiayi stomped over to the furthest bed. It was obvious why no one slept there, it was directly underneath the window. Rain, snow; she'd be pelted by it all when the time came. Sighing she dropped the new uniform and began to undress.

"You're certainly some kind of woman," said Li Ming, "Taking off your clothes with no shame. Shiyi gugu was right to house you here,"

"You're the one staying to look,"

Li Ming huffed and left the room. Jiayi redressed in the new uniform and was pleased to see that it fit much better than before. However her happiness was short-lived. She knew Li Ming was being petty, but her words poked at her like an annoying splinter. As a child, Jiayi loved to dress in pretty silks and decorate herself with her mother and little mother's jewelry. However, as she got older, she began to grow.

And grow.

And grow.

She began to feel awkward dolling herself up so much when she was so much taller than girls her age. All it did was draw attention to how different she was. It's why she picked up drawing. She could draw the beautiful hair and red lips of an imaginary beauty and pretend that it was her. When it came for her family to be punished for her father's crimes, they initially wanted to give her away as a concubine before confirming her age.

Thankfully, she stopped growing a few years ago, but her aversion to beautiful things remained. She found it too unfair. Li Ming was beautiful but didn't deserve it at all. All she did was spew ugly words from a pretty mouth. Not to mention whatever she was doing to Molan's bed.

What was Li Ming doing under Molan's bed?

Jiayi strained to hear the sounds of anyone in the pavilion or in the courtyard. When she confirmed that she was truly alone, Jiayi crouched down near Molan's bed to see underneath. There was nothing there. But that couldn't be. Jiayi heard something when she saw Li Ming down here. A memory of an old bunkmate hiding food under the floorboards until it spoiled came to her. Jiayi began to press against the floorboards before finding a shaky one. She pried it open and stuck her hand inside to feel cool metal. She pulled it out and gasped.

It was a gold buyao¶. An imperial green piece of jade carved like a rose sat on top while the tassels were made from hundreds of tiny pearls and diamonds. Jiayi distinctly remembered admiring this buyao on the vanity in Xiang gui ren's bedroom.

Jiayi walked over to Li Ming's bed and stuck the hair pin in between the mattress and the frame. Jiayi had to think of her future. With Li Ming's attitude, Jiayi would be doing Xiang gui ren a disservice if she allowed the miserable maid to stay.

It would be better for everyone.

––––

"Jiejie is so talented," gushed Molan as she shuffled through Jiayi's collection of drawings as the maids readied themselves for bed. It was well into the night when Shiyi gugu was satisfied with their work.

"This frog is so cute," said Ping'er, "It's fishing!"

Ping'er had crawled over to Molan's bed to take a look. At 13 years old, Ping'er was full of giggles and smiles. She'd only been in the palace for a few months.

"Shut up over there," Li Ming snapped as she turned down her bed spread, "If you still have the energy to chat bullshit so late at night, Shiyi gugu obviously isn't working you hard enough,"

Molan rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Jiejie, do you do portraits? You should draw me,"

"And me!" Said Ping'er.

Jiayi took the papers and tossed them under her bed, "We can talk about it in the morning. I'm exhausted!"

Ping'er doused the lamp and they all crawled into bed. Jiayi closed her eyes and settled into her bed. No longer did she sleep on a hay filled mattress with a coarse cloth that masqueraded as a blanket. It far an above then anything she could've dreamed of after being forced to serve in the palace. Jiayi vowed to live a good life as a palace maid. She would let nothing snatch this comfort from her for the second time in her life. Jiayi closed her eyes and fell into a deep, dark sleep.

Only to jolt out of bed hours later as stinging licks walloped her legs and chest. Screams and shouts rang through the room.

"Shut up!"

Jiayi cradled her body and knelt on the ground. In the darkness she couldn't see a thing. What was going on? Who would have the gall to cause such a ruckus like this? Were they being punished?

"Get up! Up!"

A hand yanked at her nightclothes and dragged her outside. Jiayi tripped over the ledge to the receiving room and fell to the ground. She heard her roommates being thrown into the room with her. The lamps were lit and Jiayi looked up in terror at Wang gugu's cold face. Standing next to her were a few momos, each holding a thin stick of bamboo.

"Gugu," Ping'er cried, "What's going on?"

Ping'er screamed as a momo whipped her across the back.

"Shut up!"

"Confess," ordered Wang gugu.

"We..we are ignorant and dimwitted," whispered Molan, "Please guide us!"

A momo raised her stick to whip Molan but Wang gugu held out her hand.

"There is a thief in Xianfugong. Men!"

A troop of eunuchs trailed inside, "Your servant is here," they chorused.

"Search their rooms," Wang gugu told the eunuchs before turning to the momos, "Whip them until it's found. If its not found, take them to the Department of Careful Punishment and whip them to death,"

Jiayi hissed as the first hit lashed across her back. She tried to flinch away but the momo wrenched back upright. The red hot pain blistered across her back. Jiayi was sure she bit her lip bloody holding in her screams. The world around deafened to a buzz as cold sweat dripped down her face.

A eunuch returned to report to Wang gugu, "We've found it,"

Wang gugu looked at momos who stopped their whippings at once.

"Show me," she ordered. The eunuch led Wang gugu to the back room.

Jiayi fought keep upright. Every flinch or twist made her back erupt with pain. Ping'er, Molan, and Li Ming were no better. Ping'er wouldn't stop screaming so the momos stuffed her mouth with a rag. It looked like every drop of blood had drained from Molan's face. Wang gugu came back, holding the gold buyao in her hands.

Smirking, she said, "You're all very lucky,"

"This lowly one thanks you for your grace," Jiayi nodded her head and hoped that sufficed as a bow.

Wang gugu pointed at Li Ming, "Take her away!"

Li Ming jolted in shock, "Impossible! Impossible! Wang gugu, you've made a mistake!" She cried as the eunuchs grabbed her.

"Oh?" Said Wang gugu, "Says who?"

"Those worthless dogs don't know a thing!" Li Ming said, sagging in between her captors, "They don't know who's bed is who's!"

"Sun Li Ming," Wang gugu said, "When did I say this was found in a bed?"

Li Ming's eyes widened, her mouth quivering, "Wang gugu–"

"Chen momo," Wang gugu began, addressing one of the heavier set women, "Take special care of her when she comes to you,"

Chen momo bowed, "This servant understands," She nodded to the eunuchs holding Li Ming, "Go!"

"Wang gugu!!"

Sucking her teeth, Chen momo pulled the wet rag from Ping'er's mouth and shoved it in Li Ming's.

"You'll wake the entire city with your stupidness," Chen momo said as she shook her head.

"We'll take our leave,"

Li Ming was dragged away and the servants followed after.

Jiayi stared at the open door way, dazed. Ping'er was quietly sobbing and Molan slumped over to the floor. Wang gugu stepped over her and into Xiang gui ren's bedroom. She delicately lifted the lacquered jewelry box lid and softly placed the hair pin inside.

"You understand your mistake?"

"This lowly one understands," Jiayi replied.

"Good," Wang gugu said with a smile.

––––––––––––– *A type of everyday informal robe with 1 side slit and 5 buttons. †Concubines of the ranks noble lady and below lived in side halls or side rooms in palaces. Imperial concubines and above slept in the main halls of palaces, which were the largest and most opulent. Imperial concubines and above could call themselves the 'master' of a palace ††Title given to elder maids §Title given to young, upper class Manchu, unmarried women ¶Hair stick with hanging tassel

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[hriobzagelthewanderer]

"So if this is where you live, why's it look ugly? Do you not clean at all? We need to buy you a swiffer mop or somethin'. The build up in here would not pass the mom test. Does Mama need ta come in here and teach you how ta clean?"

She's nitpicking his home "Need ta teach you how ta decorate too. I'd say this place needs a lady's touch, but even my Baba decorated better than this and he was a single dad for 1300 years! Then again, I was also doin' a lot of decoratin' myself by paintin' on the walls. Maybe I should paint somethin' for you! Maybe we get some brighter colors in here too. How do ya feel about pink?"

"Warden loooves pink. It's his favorite color. Everythin' he owns is pink to a degree. I'm partial to green myself, but you got enough green out here livin' in tha middle of a mountain. Maybe we get some blues in here, and whites- OH! How about magenta? Magenta's a good color. Though Mama likes red. OOOOO, how about some red strips on the columns? That might look nice. Or we could do some diamond patterns, or polkadots. OH! Auntie's got some real neat lookin' patterns on her walls. She calls her style vi- vic- victormium? Victananaiam?"

He wasn't paid enough for this... well, he was doing this out of the goodness of his heart, but you get the idea.

Taking a deep breath to focus... then another to focus on his innate powers, the Fae exhales slow and evenly... as a number of flowering vines appear and spread over all the walls: Morning Glories, Clematis, and Jasmine blooming and spreading their vibrant violets, burgundies, and whites along with fresh tapestries of green... while a far subtler pulse of magic re-polishes the remaining stone and wood as any remaining traces of dust or grime evaporate.

"...is that better? Paint is one thing, but the more living things are down here, the better for me, and the fresher the air around us. What do you think?"

[sarcasticdolphin]

“Journey” Smrtolf? More Smrt and (Adult) Rudolf. 

Cut is for Rudolf’s state of mind. It’s .... very poor. Takes place before Spiegel.

For the amazing @adridoesstuff as all of my Czech Elisabeth drabbles are :)

He barely looked up to the driver as he slid into the carriage. The man had his cowl pulled up, and his robe seemed odd, almost asymmetric, but with the weather Rudolf couldn’t really bring himself to think about it. The carriage was a small one, not a grand imperial thing, but functional enough. The snow - wet and heavy - was unpleasant even in the seconds it took to exit the palace and climb in. He didn’t have to say a destination - the driver already knew, and the steady hoofbeats of the horses began.

It would be a good few hours to Mayerling, especially considering the weather.

So Rudolf let his mind drift off to the steady beat of horse hooves, laying his cheek against the cold window of the carriage. He wanted to sink into nothingness, to let his mind empty. But the last conversation he had with his father - if one could really call it that - played over and over in his head.

It had been more a lecture or a reprimand than a conversation - he certainly hadn’t gotten a word in edgewise. Rudolf shuts his eyes, hoping for a moment of peace, but instead imagined specters dance before him. His father’s cold disappointment, and the glares of his father’s ministers.

Shaking his head, he glances out the cold window. The landscape is a myriad of dark woods and white snow - though the white was only an illusion. There had been an unseasonable warm spell, and the woods would be full of dark cold mud. It was the worst time of the year for hunting.

So why had he even decided to go to Mayerling, to begin with? It was a retreat, and admonition of weakness. And an obvious one, at this time of year. He shouldn’t be going. But to turn back now would be to show even greater weakness. 

He’s tired, but sleep would be no remedy for him. Not that kind of exhaustion - not tiredness. Perhaps it would be better said that he is weary of this backstabbing world he had been born into. Fair, beautiful Vienna, the imperial capital where even children spun intrigues for fun.

Rudolf’s thoughts continue to spiral, and shaking his head is of no service - his mind is over-anxious. And so he bangs twice on the door. The steady beat of the horse hooves stops, and Rudolf opens the door, stumbling out of the carriage before the driver has any hope of getting down to open it for him.

The air seemed colder, sharper than it had been inside the carriage. It was certainly fresher, and less stale.

Rudolf took one deep breath, then another, glancing around. They were at a point where the road paralleled a small stream. There were no rivers on the road to Mayerling, certainly nothing like the mighty Danube, but this stream was nothing to sneeze at, the quickly rushing water audible over the noises of the horses.

The driver was climbing down - no doubt to ask if Rudolf was alright, but the prince found himself taking a few steps away, to look at the little stream - its banks were choked with snow, and wherever the snow wasn’t dark rock predominated. There wasn’t so much as a spec of green. The forest might as well be dead.

“My prince.” The tension in Rudolf’s shoulders bleeds away at the unmistakable voice.

“My friend.” Smrt is standing beside him a moment later.

They stand for a long moment in silence, the only noises coming from the rushing water and the horses. The snow had stopped sometime earlier, though Rudolf isn’t sure when.

“What river is this?” It’s a poetic question, but his friend will understand. It’s not the rushing steam he’s asking about. Will it end?

He hopes beyond hope to hear a name. He wants everything to end. To be free. If not from the world, then free from the gilded cage he has lived in all his life.

“This stream has no name, my prince.” Rudolf hates Smrt’s answer. Smrt knows well what words he wanted to hear. Styx. Lethe.

He blinks, and wants to see a little boat, a ferry. There is none - this is a stream he could step across with ease. Even during the melt, there would be no need.

There is a snort from one of the horses. Hurry up.

Rudolf glances back at the carriage, then at his friend, then back at the little stream. The rocky gully it sits in looks treacherous, and it would be so now even more than usual - ice, snow, and wet rocks make a most treacherous combination. But part of Rudolf - a far larger part than he would admit, but his friend undoubtedly knows already, wants to climb down those rocks. To look for the little ferry he’s imagined. 

Would his friend be the boatman? Or would it be the gaunt old man of Dante?

He turns away, and walked back up the few steps toward the carriage. The ground isn’t treacherously slippery, but with the slope, it seems as if the earth itself wants him to descend the gorge.

His friend steps beside him, glancing at Rudolf for a long moment before climbing up to the driver’s seat. Rudolf for his part finds the handle that will open the carriage, but thinks better of it, climbing up after his friend, sitting beside him atop the carriage.

His friend raises an eyebrow, but gives a flick of his whip, and with the sound, the horses are off again.

Their speed isn’t notable - the horses are at a walk - but the carriage feels so much more unsteady, the height magnifying each imperfection in the muddy road. Rudolf grasps the bar before them, making sure not to look down.

It doesn’t work for long, though he manages a glance at the horses before him rather than to the side. Only two - though this is a light carriage, Rudolf isn’t sure why he would expect more - but they are both great black creatures, and on their heads - feathers.

The carriage is black, the horses the same, and though the feathered plumes are gone when Rudolf blinks, he was the indelible feeling that it is not his carriage that he rides in, but his hearse.

“Am I going to die tonight?”

His friend doesn’t answer for a long moment. “It is not my place to appoint the moment of your passing.”

A non-answer if ever Rudolf has ever heard one. His father’s ministers are so fond of them. The tiredness is back, the weariness. But even now, it’s not the cold. Not something he could sleep off. He’s weary of the world, and Rudolf so wants to lay his head on Smrt’s shoulder, to shut his eyes and never open them.

It would be so easy - he and Smrt are sitting close enough, and Rudolf glances at his friend, his eyes fluttering shut.

They open again a moment later. He shouldn’t do that to his friend, and he glances away, embarrassed. It’s a mistake. The muddy road is so far below them, and it looks so enticing at that moment. Rudolf imagines it rushing toward him all too quickly.

“My friend.” His voice sounds hollow.

“Rudolf.” Smrt sounds entirely put together. 

“Will you hold me?” A dangerous question if ever there was one, so he speaks again, fingers twitching together, words nervous. “When it’s time. I-” he takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It doesn’t work “I don’t want to die alone.”

Rudolf isn’t sure he expects an answer, but after a moment his friend does speak.

“I’ll hold you until it’s over.”

The prince lets out a breath at that, and when he glances down again the ground no longer looks so inviting.

The roof of his hunting lodge is coming into sight only a few minutes later. They don’t speak as they approach, slowing before halting. 

Rudolf clambers down hastily - the servants here won’t ask questions, but it would be better he not even give them the opportunity to see him atop the carriage. He walks up to the horses, stroking their muzzles. 

Smrt is down a few moments later, and a groom helps them lead the horses to the stables. The young man is obviously flustered to be in Rudolf’s presence, to witness the sight that is the Crown Prince attending to his own horses.

Rudolf sends the young groom off to inform the senior servants of his arrival, undoing the harnesses and beginning the task of brushing the animals down. The groom can get them food and water when he returns. Smrt stays with him, leaning against the wall of the stall, observing.

“Do they have names?”

“Stín is the one you are grooming now. Tma is the other one.”

Rudolf almost rolls his eyes at the names. Smrt isn’t always as subtle as he can be.

The task gets his blood flowing, but the groom returns soon enough, and Rudolf is tired - no less weary, but truly tired now. He leaves the groom to his work and heads into his lodge.

His friend stays with him, and no one questions it. Rudolf doesn’t mind, though if his friend is expecting good company he will be sorely disappointed. Rudolf for his part mindlessly strips off the clothes he had worn on the journey, finding his sleeping attire. He hasn’t eaten since noon, but he doesn’t care. He’s tired. He can eat in the morning.

The prince flops on the bed, tapping the unoccupied side of it. His friend looks skeptical, but sits atop the covers. Rudolf shifts a little closer to his friend, looking at his hands first before glancing up into Smrt’s eyes.

“Would it be so bad? For it to be tonight?” Because he wants, and in a deep-seated way. And the weariness isn’t gone, just because he’s tired.

Smrt’s glove is gone, and he’s reaching out, his hand closing in on Rudolf’s cheek - and Rudolf leans toward the hand. He wants nothing more.

But Smrt pulls the hand back. “Your mother is returning to Vienna.”

Rudolf is at once furious and resigned at his friend’s refusal, but both are forgotten as he registers the words. His mother is returning. She’s like him. She’ll help him. Surely, she’ll help him. His father will be happy again. Rudolf will be happy again. The world will be put to rights.

He smiles, glancing up at his friend. “Thank you.” And he’s glad, for the knowledge she will return. For his part, he’ll return to the city in the morning. If his mother is returning, he wants to be ready.

[nosweatmaintenance]

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