#thankfully its moving onwards with getting it to work

[thelien-art]

Aragorn & Arwen

And they lived happily ever after :)

I had so much fun with Arwen´s dress and hair! I was a bit torn whether I should give her a hair comb, but I liked this version best without the hair comb just below the crown.

COMMISSIONS OPEN - Support me on Ko-Fi - get early access drawings + WIPs

[admiral-mason]

pspspspspsps hi uhhh first time requesting umumumumum

Sagau but reader have played WonderEnd 0 (my current hyperfixation aaaaaaaaa), favorite/chosen ending is the bad ending. NULLan and the phantasmas will not hesitate to not only help reader escape, but also torment reader's tormentors psyche. NULLan may or may not turn half of the population into phantasmas lmao (can also include entities from the abyss and the hilichurls :3 ).

I watched some gameplay of WonderEnd 0 prior to this (here's a link to a playlist of no commentary gameplay), and, uh...

Damn the game is messed up, I won't spoil anything but the protagonist is highly tormented in the series, with one of the endings leading to downright su!c!de (if you can decipher that word)

Thankfully, this individual is focusing on the other ending. Which is better for our protagonist (he gets to live), but probably bad for everyone else...

Anyways, onwards!

Warning: Torture

You never knew you would ever see this place.

Teyvat, despite its lack of technological advances compared to the current era, resembled a dream world with its depictions of bygone eras of human history mixed with unnatural forces compared to the drab, destruction-plagued era Earth underwent in the past few centuries.

Genshin Impact, for its luck-intensive gacha game nature, obtained a spot in your mind as a game for reprisal. When you required space to get away from the necessities of life, the game helped you escape responsibilities for a little bit longer.

Then you decided to explore the fandom via the internet and descended upon a relatively unknown branch of Genshin, known as SAGAU. Delving into the primarily Tumblr-centralized works, you found it interesting to become the average Isekai protagonist among Teyvat.

Maybe you would tell everyone to stop calling you 'Your Grace' or some other holy title like that. You are but a regular human after all. Aside from that, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to play the role of a divine god capable of creating Teyvat.

And you did get a chance to play that role...

But you never expected it to be like this.

You don't recall how much time has passed ever since you arrived.

Upon stepping foot into Mondstadt, the nation of freedom, you were branded an impostor, a fraud, a heretic, any term for one pretending to be another just like in those Impostor AU Tumblr works.

Everyone was against you; the Knights of Favonius, Diluc, Mona, they just apparently decided that you're a fucking con artist for simply existing. If you knew this would come to you before, you would have deleted the game and moved on with your life.

Unfortunately, those were past events and you needed to run at that moment. Never in your life had you run like an athlete, hell you never required such a physical-minded body. But anything less would result in cuts by a sword or an arrow landing in your back, so you ran.

Thankfully, not all sought to see you dead; Hilichurls, Abyssal beings, and animals assisted you throughout the rampaging hunt. From bringing you food or resuscitating your stamina to providing you weapons, you found unlikely companionship among these normally hostile enemies.

Their efforts helped you reach Liyue, although unfortunately they too decided that you were a fraud attempting to deceive Teyvat for their own gain. Having the Millelith, the Liyue Qixing, and the Adepti all working together against you was definitely not fun for you. However, it was here that someone or something else decided to help you.

One time, a few Millelith guards had you cornered in Liyue Harbor, and Ningguang herself approached you.

"I must say you are very persistent in your perseverance against our efforts to capture you. But alas, I believe your journey ends here. Don't make this any harder than we want now."

And then it happened.

You saw your vision glitch like a computer suffering errors for a split second. And then, a figure dressed in black clothing stood between you and your pursuers. They pulled out a glowing and glitching yellow slip of paper.

They let it go and it floated above them, before glowing brighter and glitching your vision again for another second. After that, the figure still stood in its position, but everyone else lay on the floor. You blinked once in that moment and the figure disappeared. Wasting no more time, you escaped, surviving to live another day.

The same thing occurred in all the other nations. In Inazuma, the figure saved you from the Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi. However, this time the sky's color changed from night blue to blood red, with what appeared to be a giant eye with even smaller eyes surrounding it, with a ring of geometric shapes surrounding them. Akin to the encounter in Liyue, the abnormalities dissipated as quickly as they appeared.

In Sumeru, it was what appeared to be a stringed puppet with the appearance of a woman. She stood before you, holding you akin to a mother with her child. Her eyes were devoid of features, yet her lips formed a smile that radiated sweet dreams.

Fontaine and Natlan were the same; in Fontaine, the figure was accompanied by a group of strange spider-like creatures with a body akin to a bee, while in Natlan they were accompanied by a tall, lanky humanoid figure. Said figure had red eyes, a larger head, black holes with white dots covering the said head, and an unnerving grin that held no hostility to you.

You didn't even bother with Snezhnaya, since the nation wasn't even released yet and you didn't want to bother risking trekking into unknown territory. Thus, after all the chasing and abnormal encounters, you decided to simply rest at a Hilichurl camp in a forest and head to sleep.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

A soft male voice woke you from your slumber, and you immediately noticed something wrong with your environment.

It's not a forest at all, hell you doubt this is even Teyvat anymore. Instead, you awoke in a dark environment surrounded by dark figures with glowing white dots for eyes. Others had a singular, multicolored eye with bunny-like bodies.

And above all of them was a seriously massive black eye with red markings, angel wings, and a binary halo.

You also noticed something about your positioning.

You are upright in someone's lap. A very very comfortable lap at that.

Looking up, you saw a familiar face with black hair, a black halo, and two purple eyes, the left one glowing.

"...Holy shit Alan??" You said, mostly bewildered but also slightly exhausted (you just woke up after all). Alan simply smiled in response.

He chuckled a little before gently stroking your hair. "Hi again, graceful player. I never thought I'd see you again after you... got lost in this world, but it didn't take me too much work to end up here."

You picked up WonderEnd 0 a few days before the moment you were involuntarily thrust into Teyvat. Safe to say, you could tell that Alan was a cinnamon roll that the game just likes to fuck over in every single way possible. The "good ending" horrified you, and the "bad ending" made you a little uneasy. You definitely preferred the latter ending a lot more though.

The Alan you're seeing here is clearly the bad ending one, although his expression isn't one of cold-heartedness and snark, but rather a gentle one you saw akin to that of the puppet.

You had to ask him something. "Are you the one who-"

"Before you ask, yes. I was the one who assisted you along with the Phantasmas. I will not stand by while the one who guided me in times of distress is subjected to unjust subjugation by religious fanatics."

"Yeah, as if you could do it by yourself, Alan."

Someone else then appeared beside you two. They looked like Alan before the bad ending but with a halo, and their voice was deeper than Alan's.

"Is that Null?" You asked, and they responded. "Yes, you're right, player. I am Null, AKA the computer virus that helped Alan ascend to my level."

"Shut up Null, you are cringe," Alan responded with a smirk. Null's face then morphed into one of agitation.

"I AM NOT CRINGE!!!" Null yelled, but Alan kept going. "Says the one who requires a human body to even use their full power. Couldn't be me."

"GRRRRRRRR ALAN I AM GOING TO KILL YOU AND KILL YOU FOR THAT!"

You laughed a little at the little discourse between the two, and both of them turned to you. "What?" You asked, slightly clueless to your actions.

"...Protect the cinnamon roll of a player?"

"Protect the cinnamon roll of a player, Null."

Meanwhile, oblivious to you, your tormentors have become the tormented.

Everyone who dared even possess the mere thought of attacking or killing you suffered terrible nightmares, ranging from wandering in a long hallway with featureless human-like figures to attempting to dodge monsters filled with devices no one understood.

The Knights of Favonius frantically attempt to utilize a box-like device and are slaughtered by a disfigured blue mass.

The Millelith, Qixing, and Adepti painfully attempt to navigate the never-ending hallways while being chased down by a pale-skinned man in a suit with a black, featureless head.

The Raiden Shogun and her Shogunate army must painfully stand still akin to mannequins under the watchful and menacing gaze of the Eye.

The Akademiya struggle to play a never-ending song for a stringed woman who never suffers any form of physical abuse.

The Maison Gardiennage question their motives of justice as they are slaughtered by four-legged bee-like creatures, only to be revived once again to endure further suffering.

And the champions of war are merciless to a being with the grip strength of the moon's density as it crushes their skulls.

Teyvat had tried to deprive both Alan and Null of their player, and it will burn, bleed, but most importantly, suffer.

General Headcanons

Alan and Null bicker on the frequent, and it's funny to hear them do so when they decide to explore humanity's current slang.

"I HAVE MORE SKIBIDI RIZZ THAN YOU ALAN!" - Null

"Shut up Null, your looks are so downright atrocious that even Ohio wouldn't permit you entry" - Alan

"Both of you SHUT UP-" - You

One day, Alan decided to try something new with his nightmares.

"Hey [Name!] Want to see my idea for a nightmare?"

"Huh? Sure!"

So Alan opens up a little portal and...

"SKIBIDI DOP DOP DOP YES YES"

"WHAT THE FUCK ALAN"

When you're not in the dreamscape with the two, you simply hang around with the wild creatures of Teyvat.

Eventually, Alan decided to manifest himself in your world, and thankfully you managed to convince everyone that Alan was friendly you let him lay on your lap to prove it

He and Null help enhance the strength and intimidation factor of Hilichurls, Abyss Mages, and Abyss Lectors. All of a sudden, aside from the constant nightmares plaguing the lands, Teyvat suddenly finds itself encountering stronger and stronger enemies by the day.

They also get creepier designs too. Hilichurls now have soulless fake eyes, Abyss Mages wear disfigured costumes, etc.

However, when it's just you three, and Alan and Null aren't bickering, it's just a relaxing time.

You have not one, but two cinnamon rolls that you just get to cuddle akin to teddy bears. With smiles of contentment.

Overall, you're in heaven, and Teyvat is in hell :)

@a-star-intheabyss enjoy watching everyone suffer nightmares

And also sorry for the last part lmfao

[raelly-writing]

Thancred/WoL NSFW Post-6.0

Just silly bit of smut that have languished in my WIP folder for a year and got finished in a fit of 'I've worked for two weeks straight and needed something to fiddle with to let my brain rest for 10 minutes before diving back into work' so uh... yeah.

Takes place between 6.0 and 6.1.

-----

It was all too common for Thancred to jerk awake for one reason or another - the years of being on the run with Ryne conditioning him to sleep lightly, ever vigilant for any sounds that might herald an approaching threat. Or so he had always excused it to himself - and her - even when it was the ghosts of his own mind that tore him from sleep’s embrace with their visions of loss, destruction and failure.

But, thankfully, today was not one of those days.

Instead, he stirred from sleep feeling relaxed and content, with none of his vigilant instinct sharpening his perception of his surroundings. It was an all too rare occurrence, and for a moment he blinked against the glow of the morning sun while trying to untangle his mind from the pleasant sensation of the dream he’d had, unsure for a few heartbeats whether the warm body pressed against his back was real or not.

The vibrant colours of the room, bathed in the soft golden light, swam into focus. Sheer curtains at the open balcony fluttered lazily in the morning breeze that carried with it the sweet scent of the jungle and its flowers. Calloused fingers were slowly drawing small patterns against his chest while even breaths tickled the back of his neck.

With a content sigh, he let his eyes drift close once more as he relaxed back into her embrace.

He was rewarded with a soft, drowsy laugh as she tightened her arm around him, her warm hand laid flat over his heart. “Good morning,” Viana murmured and pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

“So it is,” Thancred rumbled, his eyes remaining closed as he basked in the moment.

Viana resumed tracing small patterns over his chest, lulling him further into a content doze. After everything they’d gone through, this brief stay in Thavnair was a much needed break. Though they’d helped out with the ongoing rebuilding efforts here and there - the hippo riders in particular - they’d had plenty of time to just spend together as any normal couple might.

It was no doubt the population’s respect for their leader that left them being treated as mere visitors, with only a few expressions of gratitude here and there. “Did you sleep well?” he rasped out.

Her hand didn’t stop moving as silence followed his question. “It’s getting a little better,” she finally replied. He felt another tender brush of lips against his shoulder - a gesture of reassurance to soothe the worry she knew he felt for her recovery. Some wounds healed slower than others - yet another reason he slept lightly. “How about you?”

“None, for once,” he replied.

Viana tightened her arm around him in quiet understanding, hugging him close as they for a moment just lay there together. A little knot of guilt settled in his chest, despite how much he enjoyed the solid weight of her pressed against him, it was hard to disregard the brief, half-formed thought that he should be the one holding her, that her comfort came before his own - she was the one who had had to walk onwards alone as they all placed their faith in her, she who had then sent them away to safety as she faced the Endsinger with only a hated enemy and shades of other heroes as her aid. The memory of her bloodied body suddenly materialising aboard the Ragnarok made his hand twitch, grasping at the soft cotton sheets, the yearning to touch her like an itch that crawled beneath the skin of his fingers.

His dark thoughts were interrupted by her soothing hum and a familiar flutter in his stomach as her light touch slid down his abdomen in an idle caress to brush against the start of the trail of hair creeping down from his navel. Fleetingly, he mentally grouched at how his treacherous body reacted so readily, aided by the figments of the dream he’d woken from that twisted and twined together with memories - of her hands on him, the warmth of her embrace, ragged moans and heated whispers of his name. Awkwardly, he shifted about, but didn’t pull away from her. “Easy there, my dear,” he murmured.

Briefly, her hand stilled halfway back up his abdomen, a thoughtful pause following, before she resumed drawing slow patterns over his skin. “Hmm? Something the matter?”

Thancred huffed out a short laugh at the sweet, innocent tone of her voice that made it abundantly clear she knew precisely what she was doing. The slight rasp of her blunt nails against his skin made his stomach clench and breath catch. “Don’t start something you don’t intend to finish,” he replied.

The soft tingle of anticipation settled at the base of his spine when she made another thoughtful sound while idly tracing the waistline of his loose sleepwear. “I’m not one to leave things half finished, love,” she finally purred into his ear, and pressed a lingering kiss to his neck.

Another low laugh reverberated from deep in his chest, but it was cut off by a groan when her fingers dipped beneath the fabric to find his half-hard length. Some irrational part of himself - remnants of the younger, sweet talking bard he’d posed as for so many years who’d never let his guard down with a bed partner - bristled at how quickly his thoughts went a little muddled as his veins flared with hot pleasure at the mere slide of her hand against him.

“Had a pleasant dream, I take it?” Viana hummed, her touches decisive if entirely unhurried.

Thancred could feel the curve of her smile against his neck, the sensation as she nuzzled a sensitive spot behind his ear sending a pleasant shiver down his spine. The familiar warm, heavy feeling of arousal settled low in his abdomen, sending small jolts out into the rest of his body. “Perhaps,” he managed to retort.

Viana made a low, thoughtful sound, her hand still caressing him in a way that was just shy of fully satisfying. Groaning, he leaned back more of his weight into her embrace, earning him a delighted little laugh as she took the opportunity to wedge her other arm beneath him to hold him properly. The brief moment she removed her hand from him to tug loose the string on his pants seemed to stretch into an eternity, before she freed his cock from its confines. A low groan fell from his lips, earning him another quiet laugh from behind him.

“Care to tell me what you dreamed about?”

Through the haze of arousal that mingled with the content dozing state he’d been in, a brief, ephemeral thought crossed his mind, that her playful and teasing demeanour was payback for him doing the same to her in the nights before. Laughing under his breath, he turned his head slightly, smirking, but didn’t open his eyes. “Why waste words when I could show you instead, my dear.”

“Hmm, tempting,” she drawled, “but you do so love talking, darling.”

It was near sinful how she purred the words, her breath a little hot puff that tickled the shell of his ear.

“Viana-” Thancred began, and made a start to turn towards her, but she quickly shifted her weight against him, tightening her arm around him for a brief, pointed second.

“Shh… Just relax, Thancred,” she murmured, her tender tone making his heart clench. “Let me take care of you.”

He exhaled slowly and after a moment the tension melted out of his muscles. It was not the first time she’d taken the lead in this manner, but it remained hard to fully shake his old habits and well-ingrained thought patterns.

But even as faint vestiges of guilt and lamentations that he didn’t deserve to be treated and held like this by her tugged at the back of his mind, they were quickly drowned out by the buzzing pleasure spreading through his body with every slow stroke of her hand. “Gods…”

His ragged whisper elicited another quiet laugh from Viana as she trailed a few lingering kisses over his neck. Clearly she was in no hurry, and that feeling that he was receiving payback grew a little stronger.

Had he been more aware, Thancred would probably have lambasted himself more for the low moan that rose from his chest, but his drowsy state of mind only bled into the fuzziness of arousal - all he could focus on was her touch, the warmth of her pressed against his back, the slide of skin and soft words she kept whispering in his ear. Desperation crept in amidst the threads of pleasure, her slow, steady touches fanning the flames of a growing yearning for more.

And then suddenly, she stopped, and cooler air rushed into the space she’d occupied as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Thancred choked back a disappointed sound at the loss of contact, but before he had a chance to speak, much less open his eyes, warm lips brushed against his in a tender, if lopsided kiss. “You good?” Viana murmured as she pulled back.

Managing a charming smile, he chuckled while heeding the little nudge from her hand and settled fully onto his back. “Quite,” he breathed as he stretched out with a pleased groan. It was a rare indulgence indeed to fully relax and enjoy how loose and heavy his body felt. Above him, Viana laughed quietly. A warm hand settled on his chest as she moved to straddle him, but before Thancred could say anything she’d leaned back down to reclaim his lips. He could feel the curve of her smile, the kiss slow and indulgent as they both seemed to savour the moment. Humming, he raised a hand to tangle in her messy hair and tilted his head to try and deepen the kiss.

Immediately, Viana nipped at his bottom lip. “Behave, my love,” she chided, laughter lacing her low voice.

A warm sensation that had nothing to do with the prospect of carnal activities fluttered in his chest at the tenderly spoken endearment. “I always do, my dear,” he drawled while letting his hand fall to instead caress her cheek with the back of his fingers. His other hand found her bare thigh and innocently let his fingertips wander up over it, until he could trace the hem of her shorts between his fingers.

The reply earned him another little laugh that he felt soak into his skin to settle amidst the warmth blooming in his chest. Cracking his eyes open, he was met with an amused look.

“Sure you do,” Viana replied before leaning back down to reclaim his lips in another slow kiss. Truly was mornings like these that made all the fighting and strife worth it in his mind.

Thancred let his hand slide from her thigh up over her rear before giving her waist a pointed little tug. Arousal was still simmering in his veins, and the presence of her above him did nothing to dull the embers of it.

Viana made a soothing noise, mixed with a huff of laughter. “Someone’s needy,” she murmured.

Snorting, he bumped his nose against hers. “Now, whose fault might that be?”

“Hah, don’t worry, love…” She brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth, then dipped lower to trail a few along the curve of his jaw. Her warm hand settled on his chest once more, the slightest of pressure signalling that he should stay put where he was. “I haven’t forgotten.”

There was a coy promise in her warm voice that tugged at the knot of arousal in his abdomen.

A pleasant shiver raced up his spine when she continued trailing kisses down over his neck, lingering in the spots where his tattooed skin left him sensitive to every brush of her lips and teasing nip of teeth. Tilting his head back with a low groan, he slipped his hand beneath her shirt, tracing her spine. In response she arched her back, her soft exhale tickling his skin. She was so warm beneath his fingertips, and he yearned to feel more of her.

“Viana…”

She hummed in return, in no hurry as she continued her way down to his chest, seemingly content to map out his body with sweet, lingering kisses.

They’d been together for a while now, yet the feeling that stirred in his heart right then never seemed to dull in intensity nor warmth - the freedom to be able to fully relax, to trust, and let go of control, knowing there was no need for him to remain vigilant. It was a freeing sensation.

As she pressed a kiss over his heart, her hand skimmed down his abdomen to trace his aching length. The jolt of pleasure combined with the graze of her teeth against his nipple was followed by the sting of disappointment when no more substantial touches followed.

Groaning in protest, Thancred settled his hand lightly at the back of her neck. “And you accuse me of being a tease,” he huffed while toying with the soft hairs at her nape.

Viana merely laughed softly and leaned back up to press a kiss to his jaw. Her warm hand settled over his hip, her thumb rubbing apologetically over the jut of his hip bone. “Can but blame yourself, love.”

Blinking his eyes open, he met her heavy lidded gaze and offered her a lop-sided grin. Twelve, she looked pretty in the soft morning light - relaxed and happy, focused entirely on him, and with a blush dusting her cheeks. “Truly, I’ve created a beast most fearsome.”

She sat back up and quirked an eyebrow at him with a playful look in her eyes that suddenly screamed trouble. “Well, if that’s what you’re expecting-”

Thancred quickly held his hands up in surrender. “Seven Hells, forget what I said-”

Viana laughed under her breath and tilted her head to the side. “Hmm, I don’t know…” she replied while drawing small patterns over his stomach. Thancred swallowed thickly. The whisper of her fingertips made his muscles flex beneath her touch when she drew close to his hard length, but he didn’t look away from her dark eyes. “I could pay you back for all that teasing a few evenings ago…”

Anticipation twisted in his abdomen, mixing with the heady heat of arousal. Managing a teasing grin, he opened his mouth to respond, only for his words to die in his throat when she took him in hand once more, stroking him firmly and smearing the bead of precum at the tip with her thumb. The waves of pleasure coaxed an unrestrained moan from deep in his chest, and though he wanted to grab her, roll her over and indulge himself in her desires as usual, he let his hands instead momentarily tangle into the soft sheets.

“Well, darling,” he managed to rasp out, “you do have me in a compromised position, I’d say, so all I can do is plead mercy.”

An amused look flitted across her features. “Hmmm… suppose I can save it for later,” she mused. Thancred huffed out a little laugh, all too aware of how his cheeks burned. Before he had a chance to make any more smart remarks, she scooted back over his legs so she could lean down and lap at the flushed head of his cock, finishing the motion with a lingering kiss.

Pleasure immediately jolted up his spine. “Gods,” Thancred exhaled. Viana shot him a satisfied look, a small smile playing on her lips before she continued lavishing him with kisses and drags of her tongue.

It was a salacious sight to behold, one that made his heart race and his breath grow ragged with the short bursts of pleasure that twisted the molten ball of heat in his abdomen a little bit tighter each time. Gathering his fraying thoughts, he pushed himself back up the bed, leaning his upper back against the pillows and headboard so he could more comfortably watch her. Viana didn’t seem too bothered by his movement, only glancing up at him as though to check that everything was alright, before once more running her tongue up his aching length.

Another guttural moan tumbled from his lips. “Seven Hells Viana…”

The puff of her quiet laughter felt cool by contrast against his heated flesh. Continuing to stroke him with one hand, Viana looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Yes, love?”

The minx. Running a hand through his hair, as though it’d help him gather his scattered thoughts, Thancred huffed out a low laugh of his own. “I won’t be of much use to you if you keep this up,” he drawled, despite the tug of guilt in his heart. She’d had such poor experiences with greedy partners in the past… Reaching out, he caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Allow me to return the favour.”

The corner of her mouth curled with a gentle, yet playful smile, but he was utterly captivated by the earnest affection in her heavy lidded gaze. “Don’t worry about me,” she replied softly, pausing to brush another tender, lingering kiss to his cock. “Just relax, Thancred. Your pleasure is mine, remember?”

Her low purr of his name made his stomach twist with arousal, and even though he had to shove down the old threads of guilt and accusatory feeling of selfishness once more, he let his breath rush out in a slow exhale before smiling softly. “Rather unfair of you to use my own words against me,” he quipped.

Viana hummed in acknowledgment. Mirth laced her light words when she spoke, “As I said, you have but yourself to blame for that.” Closing her eyes, she took him into her mouth, and the rush of warm pleasure effectively wiped any further comments from Thancred’s mind as his thoughts scattered to the four winds.

Out of reflex, he settled a hand on her shoulder. It helped ground him for a moment, and despite the haze that swiftly settled over his mind, he fought down the primal urge to buck his hips and seek more of that sweet relief she was offering.

“Hells…” Thancred swallowed thickly while watching through heavy lidded eyes as she slowly took as much of him as she was comfortable with, bobbing her head and periodically sucking at him. She’d been so diligent in learning his likes, how to best pleasure him in turn. With his pulse thundering in his ears, Thancred felt himself all but melt into the soft bed. Levin danced over his skin, leaving everything buzzing and too sensitive to her touch as her steady hands continued caressing whatever of him that was within reach. Fiery pleasure wound its way through his veins, rapidly burning away his perception of everything else until his awareness had shrunk down to just her.

A particularly strong jolt of pleasure made his back arch, his eyes momentarily falling shut, while a heated whisper of her name fell from his lips. Without thinking about it, he jerked his hand away from her shoulder to loosely thread his fingers through her hair while the other dug into the sheets. Thancred opened his eyes just in time for her to hum with satisfaction and glance up to meet his gaze. Immediately, his heart skipped a few too many beats and his breath caught in his throat on a ragged curse.

Everything dissolved into the ebb and flow of pleasure, his perception of time unravelling into nothing. Viana did not seem to be in much of a hurry, her careful ministrations bringing him close to the edge before she pulled him back once more, leaving him gasping curses, praise and soft pleas while she lavished the rest of his body with patient kisses and teasing nips of her teeth.

Too much, too little, all at once.

“Love seeing you like this, Thancred,” Viana spoke, her voice coming out low and husky, while glancing up at him between a few kisses to an old faint scar on his hip bone.

Somehow, he managed to huff out a laugh, but for once, no sly words appeared at the tip of his all too dry tongue. At his breathless silence, her gentle smile took on a satisfied tilt, and with a thoughtful hum she returned her attention to his aching cock.

Thancred moaned, shameless and unrestrained. A mere few years ago he would have been disturbed by how sluggish his thoughts were as she began to patiently guide him back towards that edge of sweet oblivion again. But there was no need for him to remain vigilant, to maintain his senses of his surroundings. As his veins once more flared with white hot pleasure, his fingers flexed in her hair, earning him another pleased hum that vibrated up his spine.

“Viana-” Thancred gasped, his jaw slack and breaths short when she suddenly took him deep. It felt like he might combust on the spot, the entirety of his being threatening to unravel under the force of the molten pleasure twisting in his abdomen. Through the haze, he felt her hand squeeze his hip in what might have been silent encouragement.

He could almost hear her low, husky voice in his ear, whispering for him to let go. A memory, but a no less potent one.

With a broken moan of her name, Thancred trembled apart. Lost in the rolling waves of pleasure, he was dimly aware of her slowly working him through it, only easing off when his body once more relaxed. The bright diamond lights dancing behind his eyelids slowly faded, leaving him adrift amidst gentle shadows.

Through the fog, he registered the muffled sound of her coughing once, but before he could jog his mind into checking on her, a warm hand sliding up his torso swiftly soothed the small spike of concern.

“You alright?”

The gentle question was enough to make him huff out a low laugh. He felt utterly boneless, like he’d had to run a marathon, and his mind was pleasantly void of thoughts beyond the here and now with her. “More than, my dear.”

A smile was all too evident in her raspy voice when she quietly responded, “I’m glad.” Thancred felt the mattress dip with her shifting weight as she leaned back over him and brushed a kiss to his jawline. “Just relax, love. I’ll be right back.”

He hummed in response, despite the urge to wrap an arm around her and pull her down with him to keep her from leaving. Allowing himself to sink it a content doze, he listened to her quiet footsteps as she left the bedroom. Birds were chirping outside, and the mild morning breeze drifting in from the balcony was pleasantly cool against his damp skin.

It wasn’t long until he heard the sound of her bare feet against the stone floor once more, and cracked open his eyes to see her with a glass in her hands. “Water?” she asked with a gentle smile as she settled down on the edge of the bed.

Groaning, he pushed himself up on one elbow and took it. “Thank you,” he murmured, grateful to wet his dry mouth.

When he finished off the glass she took it and put it onto the night table, before with a yawn slumping down onto the bed again. Without missing a beat, Thancred wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. “You spoil me, my dear,” he murmured while settling back down.

Viana chuckled and touched his jaw with her fingertips as she brushed a small kiss to his other cheek. “You deserve to be spoiled, Thancred,” she replied.

For a moment, his fingers stilled where they’d been idly stroking her back, while a warm sensation rose in his chest to challenge the dark whisper of negativity. Pressing a kiss to her hair, he let his hand wander down over the curve of her hip to give her thigh a squeeze, letting a couple of fingers slip beneath the hemline of her shorts as he did. “You deserve it more,” he retorted, letting his voice drop to a low rumble.

Immediately, she made a content noise at the back of her throat as she hooked her leg over his, but the motion was followed up with her stretching out, then relaxing fully against his side, one arm heavy across his chest. “I don’t,” she murmured. He felt her press another kiss to his neck, one that was light and chaste in comparison to before.

“I’d hate to leave you unsatisfied-,” Thancred began, but another drowsy laugh from her made him pause.

Propping herself up on an elbow, Viana brushed back some of his hair from his eyes, then caressed his cheek. “I am satisfied.”

Frowning, he opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off with a quick kiss. “And I’m sure you’ll put those clever hands of yours to good use, and I’ll enjoy every moment of it, as always,” she replied with a soft smile. “But I didn’t do it expecting anything in return.” Leaning down, she once more caught his lips in a slow kiss that was yet all too brief for his senses. “I just wanted to make you feel good.”

Thancred swallowed as a warm, soothing affection swelled in his chest, and offered her a lopsided smile. “Certainly succeeded with that, darling.”

Her smile widened while she gave his face a tender onceover. “Would’ve been a little awkward otherwise, I suppose,” she laughed under her breath. “But right now I’m happy to just continue enjoying a quiet morning in bed with you, if you don’t mind.”

Drawing her closer, he hummed, “We have nowhere to be today, do we?”

Viana bumped her nose against his as her fingers combed through his hair. “Nowhere to be, and nobody expecting us anywhere.”

“Excellent,” he rumbled, before leaning up to kiss her softly.

[fanfic-enthusiast]

Could I please request headcanons of one of the other bishops catching Leshy in an act of intimacy with a follower? I can imagine there might be a bit of internal conflict, depending on that bishop's values, between different things they may think are right. I.e. "They're a bishop and his follower, so do I stop this? They both clearly want to do this, so do I give them privacy and pretend I never walked in on them?"

OOOoooo juicy!! This probably happened before they all got injured.

Warning NSFW Themes

Heket

She made the unfortunate mistake of not sending a letter ahead of her before visiting her little brother. Traveling instantly through the lands has its pros and cons.

Appearing through the floor inside his temple, she didn’t see him in the main room and figured he was in his chambers. Thankfully she heard what was going on inside before she opened the door.

I think she left just as quickly as she came, not uttering so much as a word as she absconded back to Anura.

Needless to say she is working very hard to burn that memory out of her head with mushrooms. And for the most part is successful.

As for the fact that it was a follower he was with, her general philosophy is, "They're here to serve us." She will probably caution Leshy in privet to, "not let that follower think themselves superior to you."

Other then that she would prefer never to talk or think on that unfortunate incident ever again.

~

Kallamar

He came to Darkwood to ask Leshy if he had messed with his sword collection. Things had been moved from where they were supposed to be in his weapons room. 

Marching through the temple too caught up in his own thoughts to realize why exactly the temple was so empty and why the door to Leshy’s personal chambers were closed. 

“I thought I told you to stay away from my collections! They're valuable and fragile and I-” He cuts himself off after making eye contact with Leshy and his follower.  Quickly ducking out of the room and slamming the door behind him with a “OHMYGOODNESSGRACIOUS-” along with various retching sounds. Needless to say he will be knocking on Leshy’s door every time from now onwards. 

Leshy finds him in the main room of his temple looking a little green in the gills and makes his older brother promise not to tell Shamura. 

“Fine. Just stay away from my collections.” 

Kallamar’s opinion on Leshy’s relationship is pretty much the same as Heket’s so long as it doesn't effect their status as bishops he doesn’t care who Leshy sleeps with. 

~

Shamura

They needed Leshy’s insight on some odd animal behaviors in Silk Cradle, yes they could just consult the endless number of scrolls and tomes on their shelves but sometimes one on one talks were the easiest solution. Their little brother was always so in tune with the chaos of nature after all. 

They hummed as they appeared through the floor of the main temple room only to find it empty. Odd but not a problem. The spider made their way to Leshy’s personal chambers but stopped once they heard what was going on through the door. 

Once the momentary shock had passed they knocked on the door and the sound inside stopped. Moments later after some shuffling Leshy’s face poked out from around the opened door. 

“Hello brother, I require your insight on a matter in my domain when you get a moment. I know you're busy in there-”

“Shamura I-”  “I don’t need an explanation Leshy, but expect a review on safe sexual practices. And no you're not getting out of it.”

“Please no not again-”

“Oh and bring your partner you have in there as well. Only right for them to be fully educated on such matters as well.” 

Leshy and his partner for the evening are essentially forced to listen to and extensive birds and bees lecture. 

Doesn’t matter to Shamura if they're a follower or not, just that they take good care of Leshy and make him happy. Anything less and they don’t deem them fit to be in such a position. 

~

Narinder

Finally a chance to prank Leshy back for all the times the worm has messed with him!

Narinder slides through the doors of Leshy’s temple with supplies in hand. Mostly bowls of only the most rancid “food” Narinder could get his hands on. With the plan to throw this at the worm when his back was turned. 

Leshy was missing from the main room of the temple, which meant he was elsewhere inside. Perfect! 

He crept slowly up to the door of his brother’s personal quarters and just barely heard Leshy talking inside, low enough where he couldn’t make out what was being said. He muffled his giggles as best he could to avoid detection. 

Narinder threw open the door and quickly threw the overflowing bowl towards his brother before he could fully witness the scene in front of him. 

He realized exactly what Leshy had been doing when his brother quickly shoved him out of the room, nude and absolutely livid. 

Didn’t stop Narinder from cackling in the hallway for a solid half an hour as Leshy calmed down his startled follower partner. 

After Leshy cleaned himself and his partner up, he hunted Narinder down to scream at him. Which only made the cat laugh harder. 

“Can’t handle a little payback little brother?”

No remorse for his actions, especially for the follower. They're just tools for him and his siblings after all. 

He isn’t laughing like that when Leshy and his partner shave him in retaliation but that’s a story for another time. 

[tbgblr]

4 In the Room and a Baby - Part Three

“Ok serious faces on now” scolded Sophia, wiping Steve’s cum from her face with her hand.   “Just a little bit to go and we have a new baby”

Josie settled back down into a pushing position, holding her own legs as she felt Sophia hold the head as it rotated.   She soon felt another contraction build, and started to push.   She felt no movement, just pressure.   She yelled out as all her effort into pushing was frustratingly fruitless.

“Its not moving” she moaned, “I think its stuck… last time the babys shoulders shot out.”

“Baby just needs a little teasing” Sophia added, running a finger around the opening of Josie’s lips, much to the annoyance of Josie who winced at the intrusion.

Another push, and nothing.   Josie felt the baby move, but only a fraction of what it should have done, and she felt incredible pain in her pelvis.

“Its like I’m pushing it into my pelvis rather than through my pussy” she growled.

“Lets give it another two or three pushes, see if things move themselves along before we try anything drastic, baby might move by itself” Sophia advised.   Josie just groaned “Bitch… this hurts.”

She couldn’t do anything but give in to her body’s urges though.   Another contraction barrelled onwards, another moment of Josie holding her breath, pushing with all her might, and the baby not moving.  Another moment of pain as the body presses against her pubic bone.   She yelled out.  “Nothings working, get it out, get it out, get it OUT!”

“Once more, you’re doing great” Sophia said, inserting her fingers in the gap around the babys neck and trying to prise the shoulder down past the pubic bone.

Another contraction, another yell out and another failure at moving the baby.   Josie was in tears at this point with the pain and the concern that things weren’t going correctly.   Steve held onto her and whispered into her ear that she needed to be strong and to trust Sophia to do her job well.

Sophia kept her finger inside Josie and moved her other hand onto her belly.   As the next contraction built, she pressed down, hard, on Josie’s stomach to try and dislodge the shoulder from both the outside and inside of her body.   Josie’s was screaming like a banshee at the extra manipulation that she wasn’t expecting.

Thankfully it worked.   The baby lurched forward with the push, its first shoulder freed.   Josie, shocked by the movement suddenly went quiet.

“Shit, what happened” yelled Steve.   “Its all good, don’t panic, everything going great” shouted Sophia from down between his legs.   “Babys moving at last, managed to get the shoulder unstuck.   Lets get Josie on her hands and knees, should help with getting the other shoulder out.”

The group moved around to support Josie rolling over to her side, Sophia keeping calm and practiced hands on the baby to support it as Josie moved.   She got down into the described position just in time as the next contraction assaulted her, she put her head to the floor and pushed.

Sophia manipulated the baby within Josie’s vaginal opening, pressing down and lifting up to release the second shoulder and then triumphantly pulling it out accompanied by Josie’s victory scream.

Josie rocked back onto her haunches as Sophia passed the baby between Josie’s legs, Josie in turn grabbing the infant – a boy, checking as she lifted it up to her breast, its wailing sounds encouraging to everyone in the room.

Sophia flopped backwards with a “phew” exhale of breath, glad that everything worked out well in the end.

John pressed stop on the camera “Got everything recorded for you both to watch at your leisure, if you want to re-live today.”  He was stopped by the sound of a smoke alarm beeping in the kitchen behind him.  “Shit… forgot the pizzas.  Think they’ll be ruined.”

[blissfulalchemist]

20 Days of OTP Mini Prompts

Day 5: Holding Hands in Packed Areas

I return with a little mini prompt from otp list! So please have the intro of Conner in the ffxiv universe :’) I couldn’t resist having another tragic ancient tale and here we are.... No warnings. Much of this information is given in EW and onward so spoilers. 762 words

Winter’s arrival means that there’ll be a festival at least once a week until the new year in the already lively and bustling city of Amaurot, something that used to call for Conner to stay closer to home and work. Now though he looked forward to such an event, especially given that the custom of keeping one’s white mask and black hood up was still in full swing. Times where for once neither he nor Elidibus had to worry about being seen engaging in such normal acts of affection, they could just be like those that did not have the burden of being a symbol of impartiality for society at large. 

Conner’s laugh quiets as he takes in the deep and free laughter of his partner, music to his ears with its rarity. “Shall we make our way over towards the stage?” Elidibus asks as he stands on a concrete raised flower bed, “Or see what they have in the market?” His eyes scan over the sea of people that make their way through the streets, “If you are getting tired love we can go to that restaurant we have been meaning to try.”

“You have no meetings tomorrow, correct?” Elidibus looks down, shaking his head, “Then we can do whatever and however much you like. I already informed my boss that I would not be in tomorrow.”

His smile brightens to a point Conner can almost make out his ice blue eyes sparkling in the shadows of the mask, “Then let us away to the market!”

Conner helps Elidibus down, hands on his waist, “Just head north?” 

“Yes, though you will have a much easier time navigating than I.” Conner nods, hand outstretched for Elidibus, which he takes with a bit more enthusiasm than needed. The farther into the crowds the two get the more Conner sees that Elidibus’ statement that he would have an easier time navigating is proving false, Since when did everyone get so tall?. He pauses trying to gauge the direction they need to be going when his hand feels lighter.

He spins hoping to by all hope that he can simply identify Elidibus by the way he stands, He’s more likely to be walking actually, in the sea of identical robes. “Themis?” He calls out, craning his neck to find the general direction of the market, “He’s gonna have to show up there eventually.” He finds a spot next to a stand selling sketches of landscapes and animals, arms crossed as he scans for anyone else looking just as lost as he. 

“So this is where you went to hide?” Conner looks down at his left to an Elidibus that offers him a candied apple.

“Where did you go?”

“A few stands down. Someone bumped into me as we walked here and I thought I heard you say we were going to the sweets stand first.”

“That would not have been my first destination,” Conner mumbles, glancing away.

Elidibus chuckles, “Imagine the surprise that was felt from I and whose hand I had grabbed when we found out we were not meant to be doing so.”

He once again offers the candied apple, Conner shaking his head, “Can I assume you stumbled upon one of our friends?”

“No,” he answers with a shake of his head, pulling out a piece of caramel that Conner glances at before taking, “You thankfully have one unique item that is reflective enough in this lighting, meaning that I can spot it fairly easily.” 

Conner’s brow furrows as he gives a small tilt of his head, Elidibus pointing to his left ear. Conner reaches up to feel the small silver chain connecting a cuff and hanging raw green gem, “Oh, right. Not many are opting to wear jewelry of any kind.”

“Which works in my favor.” Elidibus takes a bite, eyes focusing over the crowds of people moving before them, “What would you have done if we could not find one another?”

Conner shrugs, “Gone home and waited for you there. I mean you were planning on staying the night still.”

“How very presumptuous of you. What kind of man do you take me for, Conner?” Conner gently elbows Elidibus with a laugh, popping another sweet into his mouth, “But yes, that is the plan. After we find the Words of Halmarut’s stand for you. I hear they are selling a new form of chamomile, your favorite.”

“Maybe this time it will be enough for Emet-Selch,” he laughs, “Just promise to keep a better hold of my hand this time?”

“Always.”

[mellowyandere]

One Hell of a Logical Ruse Part 1

Reader: F

Characters: Aizawa Shouta (Eraserhead) 

Summary: Shouta loves a good game of cat and mouse, unfortunately for you the game’s a little rigged. This is somewhat of an experiment to try and write a smut scene from the male POV. Disclaimer I am not a man so uh yeah lmao. 

Based off the pre-established fic You’re Ours to Protect. 

Length: 4.5K

Warnings: non-con, yandere themes, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex, praise kink

Aizawa Shouta was a rational man. He did his best to adhere to logic, and to never waste time with unnecessary action. And yet despite this, he absolutely loved watching you try to escape. You were pretty clever, even without him “accidentally” forgetting to lock the second story window that just so happened to be above some forgivingly soft shrubbery. 

You probably would have figured some way out on your own, but something feral inside him didn’t want to wait around for you to act. Normally it was his ever-loud husband Hizashi that fell flat when it came to the notion of patience, but today he would relent to his own selfish desires. 

Toshinori would have been utterly distressed had he been aware of the sleepy pros scheme. The number one was a man of swift action, seemingly never thinking twice before charging fist first into danger. He would not be happy Shouta was playing with you like this, but Toshinori and Hizashi wouldn’t be made aware of his little game with you. After all they had no idea he set this up, so they might genuinely try to punish you. He’d keep it quiet once he caught you and pretend it’s your little secret. Maybe you’d even be a little grateful if you believed he was saving your skin.

He rationalized his behavior by telling himself you seemed so bored, truly this was the perfect way to stimulate your mind and body. So when he heard the telltale sound of a body landing in bushes on the back side of the house he simply started a timer for 20 minutes to give you a bit of a head start. 

Was it cruel to get your hopes up like this? Perhaps, but he’d make sure to fuck you senseless to alleviate the disappointment. After all, if you were a good girl you’d have settled into your life with them already. But you really did enjoy testing them, which brought out the side of him that wanted to put you in your place. 

Giving himself a once over he made sure he had everything he would need for your inevitable return home. Well, now that you were basically quirkiness, all he needed was his capture weapon just in case you put up a struggle. He hadn’t decided yet if he was going to fuck you when he caught you, or if he was going to haul your cute ass home first. 

Thinking about plowing into you with adrenaline still pumping through his veins from the hunt had some blood rushing below his belt. Well he could always just do both.

The shrill ringing of his phones alarm brought him back from his wandering thoughts. With a sadistic grin stretching wide across his face he headed for the front door.

-----

Three weeks. Three fucking weeks trapped inside that house with three insane men. Sure they might not beat you or starve you, but the constant belittling, undermining and infantilizing was about to drive you to insanity yourself. You almost jumped for joy when you noticed an unlocked window on the second floor in Hizashi’s and Shouta’s room. The blond man had a bad habit of using too much cologne, and his dark-haired counterpart was always having to air out the room when the radio star went overboard. 

Eraserhead was normally very diligent about ensuring the window was sealed tight, but last night Toshinori had come home in a flurry of smoke and blood, sending his blond junior into hysterics. It was nothing serious, unfortunately, but Shouta had been the one to calm Hizashi and tend to the number ones injuries. Amidst all the ruckus he had left the window unlocked. 

You knew Shouta would soon realize his mistake and lock the window down tight, leaving you with a small time frame to enact your grand escape. It wasn't ideal, but the best you had been able to do was wait for both blonds to leave, trapping you in the house with Shouta. Normally he let you be during the day, opting to nap and grade what appeared to be homework. Hopefully today would seem like just another day, and he wouldn’t think to check on you until dinner approached. 

You found yourself perched on the window sill, ready to take flight. All you had were the clothes on your back, not wanting to make any suspicious noises that would tip you off. On the count of three you braced yourself and pushed off from the ledge, landing on the bushes below with a thud. 

Fuck, that was a bit louder than you had anticipated. Ignoring your growing anxiety, you made quick work of escaping the clutches of the now flattened bush and took off into the woods on the back half of the house. 

Your heart was hammering like mad in your chest as you sprinted as fast as you could. It was hardly fair that it was your first time outside in three weeks and you couldn’t even slow down to take it all in. Thankfully it was spring, meaning you wouldn’t have to worry about the cold. All you needed to do was find someone to get this stupid quirk canceling collar off and then you could safely recede into the background, making sure the three pros never found you again. 

Easier said than done when one of those pros was All Might, and the other two were just as formidable, but you’d be damned if you didn’t try. You did your best to not leave a trail behind, but knew once Shouta figured out you were gone he’d have no trouble tracing your tracks. It was the unfortunately shitty reality you were dealing with. 

Were you really going to be able to escape? Even now as you ran as fast as you could it felt like a fruitless endeavor. There were too many variables that had to line up perfectly in order for you to pull this off, and as you ran directionless through the woods no viable solutions were coming to you. Hell, even now your lungs were burning from exertion, legs begging you to stop. 

But if there was one thing that you were it was stubborn. Stubborn to a fault sometimes, and so you pushed onwards. After what felt like an eternity of non-stop running you slowed to a walk. The forest seemed never ending, taunting you with its sprawling army of trees and shrubbery. You decided to be more mindful of the tracks you were leaving, veering off course in a way that would hopefully go undetected. 

Now no longer running you simply kept your steps quiet and ears alert in case Shouta had already discovered your absence. He was good at his work, but even he had limitations. 

-----

Shouta had to give credit where credit was due, you were better at this than he thought you’d be. If you were his student he’d be proud, but you were his prey so he was a bit annoyed. At first your tracks had been sloppy, easy to follow and incredibly straight forward. At some point though you had changed your approach, footsteps almost vanishing as you adopted a new tactic. 

He found himself crouching low, inspecting leaves to see which you had accidentally broken. There were no more snapped limbs as you carefully maneuvered through the woods. If he wasn’t a pro at hunting people down you probably would have been able to evade him, but this was his livelihood. 

Ever so carefully he followed your almost invisible trail. He had you beat in endurance so you’d have to settle somewhere eventually, and without food and water you were at a distinct disadvantage. Everything was lining up in his favor as he intended, even if you were making this a little harder than expected. 

The anticipation of catching a glimpse of you, of watching you realize he was there and taking off, made his heart beat faster. The longer you evaded him, the more time he had to come up with a fun punishment for you. 

-----

The sun had been directly overhead at the beginning of your escape, and was now kissing the horizon. Oranges and reds were thrown about the woods as the creatures of the night began to wake from their slumber. You listened to see if you could hear the chirping of frogs to find a water source but no luck. 

There was no doubt in your mind that Shouta was 110% aware of your absence by now and was probably hot on your trail. You were zigzagging a bit, trying your best to not disturb the forest floor while making it harder to track you. Dammit this was the fucking worst, it had to have been at least 6 hours in these woods, and without any food or water you were famished. 

And yet despite wandering about for 6 fucking hours you had yet to see anything besides the woods. Maybe you should just give up, sit down and accept defeat and whatever punishment you had awaiting you. You couldn’t help but shiver a bit at the fear of what that would entail. 

As dusk quickly turned dark you debated on whether or not you were going to rest for the night. Visibility would be lower, giving you a slight edge, but Eraserhead was a night owl meaning you were entering his domain of peak performance. There was also no guessing if he was the only one looking for you. All Might could move faster than you could even comprehend and Present Mic was fine-tuned when it came to noise location. 

Sighing in annoyance as your wayward thoughts shot holes through your confidence you decided to find somewhere to try and lay down for a bit. If all three were out hunting you down they could take turns and overlap the time so you never got to rest. As busy as they should be with hero work they always seemed to find too much time to hover around you. 

Spotting some dense shrubbery, you crossed your fingers that any creepy crawlies would keep to themselves and carefully began to conceal yourself. Perhaps one of them would pass by and you could gain some intel. If you were lucky they’d write this area off after not finding you and search elsewhere. 

Settling as comfortably as one could in a bush you closed your eyes and did your best to focus on the sounds around you. The melodic chirping of crickets was the most overwhelming of all the sounds. Skittering of small forest animals echoing around as well. Your mind began to desensitize to those sounds, the lack of adrenaline that pushed you along at the start of all this causing it to dip into unconsciousness. 

That was until you heard the distinct snap of a branch. Eyes flying open you were on high alert as you kept still. You tried to hear if there would be any follow up sounds, knowing something of a decent size had to have broken the branch. If it had been a deer they would have simply kept moving, which made you all the more anxious. 

“No more tracks kitten, I know you’re here somewhere. This little game dragged on a lot longer than I had anticipated so it seems there won’t be any way to hide this from Zashi and Toshinori.” 

You wanted to scream. Even though you had tried your best it simply wasn’t enough against Eraserhead. 

“If you come out kitten I’ll give you one last shot to run. Those bushes over there look like a mighty fine hiding spot for someone of your size.” His voice was pointed directly towards you.

FUCK. You couldn’t tell if he was bluffing or not at this point but he knew you were here, might as well come out with some dignity before he dragged you out kicking and screaming. 

The bush rustled loudly as you forced your way out. You were tired, famished and most of all so frustrated you wanted to cry. You didn’t even need to look at him to know he had a condescending smirk plastered to his face. 

“There’s my pretty kitty, did you have fun outside?”

Shouta knew just what to say to strike a nerve, but you held your tongue. “One last shot to run. You said so yourself. Ditch the capture weapon and catch me like a man, I mean unless you don’t think you can. I’m already quirkiness which is your gimmick on a regular day, so really you're just beating on someone while they're already down.” You looked up now, glaring at him as his smile grew in amusement. 

“I’m going to have to be a lot more physical without it you know, I’ll have no choice but you manhandle you.”

“I’d rather take my chances.” You knew even without his capture weapon you didn’t stand much of a chance of escape. Your only goal now was to try and see how much he was willing to handicap himself. 

“Gonna give me a head start or are you going to just run as soon as I do?”

At this Shouta had to keep himself from snarking back at you. He had already given you a head start, but if he told you this was all set up you’d probably lose the will to fight on. “Five minutes. I’ll give you five minutes to run as far as you can and then I’ll come after you,” he said while pulling out his phone. 

“What about Toshinori and Hizashi?” 

“At the house. I told them I’d handle this, Toshinori will be coming to get us though once I tell him game over. We’re pretty deep in the woods and I don’t feel like walking back for six hours.”

You nodded at his words. So it was just the two of you then. Your combat skills were nothing to write home about, but maybe if you fought dirty you could gain the upper hand. 

“Alright, tell me when.”

“Oh, I already started it. You have 4 minutes and 17 seconds.”

Fucking asshole. You took off sprinting, running as fast as you could, only opting to slow to a jog once you thought you were out of earshot. You wanted him to believe you’d be trying your damndest to put distance between the two of you. But you knew you’d never outrun him. Instead you were going to continue jogging for a bit, counting down the seconds in your head so you didn’t lose track your timer. 

Once your remaining time was up you were going to lay low and try to ambush him. He wouldn’t be paying as close attention to your trail since he knew he could easily catch up. 

After the remaining 4 minutes had passed you found a decent sized tree to hide behind and worked on slowing down your breathing. It felt like your heart was going to chisel its way straight through your bones, your limbs trembling with anxiety. It wasn’t often you were hunted back when you were an anti-hero. Not many people knew who you were which made it incredibly easy to be looked over. 

Scooping up handfuls of dirt you waited. You heard him before you saw him. He wasn’t bothering to take it slow, seemingly eager to get it over with. He ran right past you, noticing you a second too late as dirt and debris were chucked straight into his face. 

He yelled out in surprise, hands reaching out to grab you but you jumped out of reach. True to his word his capture weapon was nowhere in sight. Screaming in anger you lunged at him, nails attempting to claw his face but his own larger hands were working on wiping off your dirt assault, effectively blocking you.  

He stumbled back a bit, unprepared for your hostility, before steadying himself and turning the tables back on you. In one swift motion his fist collided with your gut, forcing the air from your lungs. Your arms came down to protect where he had hit as you wheezed pathetically. Seconds later his larger frame came crashing into you, easily knocking you to the ground. 

You cried out in pain, head hitting the ground a bit too hard as stars danced behind your eyes.

“Not very smart of you Y/N, I mean it beats trying to outrun me, but really? Dirt? It’s like you want me to punish you or something.”

“GET OFF ME!” 

Placing a hand on the back of your head he pushed you down while his other arm pulled the lower half of your body flush against him. You could feel his erection pressing up against your ass.

You were a snarling sobbing mess at this point. All your emotions crashing down at once as you thrashed below Shouta.

“Easy now easy, calm down kitten. You did really good, better than I thought you were going to. If you calm down I might be willing to reduce your punishment, but you have to stop throwing a fit first.”

Despite his words Shouta was enjoying almost every second of your thrashing. The only thing he didn’t enjoy was knowing how disappointed you were right now. Anyone would be after coming so far. Now was his chance to make it up to you before giving Toshinori the go ahead. 

As your struggles subsided the only movement from your body was from your gentle sobs. Shouta for his part was slowly grinding his hard cock against your ass as he softly shushed you. 

“I know you’re disappointed kitten but I’ll make you feel better. If you’re a good girl for me I’ll be willing to look past that little dirt tactic. You’re such a smart girl though, you really did catch me by surprise.”

Leaning down he began to whisper into your ear, removing the hand from your head and bringing it down to your clothed pussy. 

“You always were resourceful, it’s one of the things I fell in love with about you. If only you were a hero, but then again if you were I wouldn’t have had the fun of hunting you down.”

You felt your stomach drop at his words. All three of them enjoyed reminiscing about how they first saw you and all their subsequent actions that lead to your imprisonment. The effort they had put into bringing you “home”. It was beyond disturbing. 

“Please Shouta, not here. Can we, can we just go home first?”

“Maybe if I had found you 4 hours ago, but right now you’re treading on very thin ice. Be a good girl for me and I’ll make sure Hizashi and Toshinori don’t punish you too harshly when we get back.”

His large hand was pawing at your clothed sex, black hair draping over your own face as his body curled around you. He slowly rutted against you, excited huffs of air ghosting across the side of your face. You could practically feel his heart vibrating against your back he was so worked up. 

He gently rubbed his stubble against the side of your face, composure slipping a bit. While Shouta absolutely loved how feisty you could be, nothing compared to when you submitted to him. He craved the feeling of your tired body giving in to his ministrations, but he needed more. 

His hand quickly slipped between your pants and underwear, index finger eagerly aiming for your folds. He couldn’t care less that you were sweaty and dirty from the hunt. Right now all he could think about was the softness of your exposed flesh, and much to his delight, the slight wetness to your outer lips. 

“Seems like someone likes being caught more than they let on hmm kitten?”

He couldn't help but taunt you a bit, loving the way you sniffled and whimpered beneath him. You knew when to behave yourself, when to be good for him. Arousal was flooding his veins. The way it felt to rub himself against your perfect ass, even through layers of clothes, had his mind blanking out. 

Your core was warm, even without him dipping a finger inside. Gently he began to delve deeper, gathering up your arousal to spread around. Your pants were starting to bother him a bit, retracting his hands he made quick work of not only your bottoms, but his as well. You remained still for him, opting to sulk like a child as he prepared to ravish you. 

You were too cute like this, and with the lower half of your body on full display he couldn't help but groan in delight. Bringing a hand down he slapped your ass hard, mesmerized by the way your flesh gave way. You yelped in surprise, body rutting forward. His cock twitched as he palmed your sore flesh, cooing softly in apology. You glared back at him, pretty little face set in a pout.

As much as he wanted to slap your ass until you cried for him to stop he restrained himself. Although this was a punishment, he had set you up. He would go easy on you, not forgetting his promise to himself to help you forget the frustration you were feeling right now. 

Whenever you got angry you opted to stop talking, instead waiting for a moment of weakness to strike or quietly accept your fate. Judging by your defeated expression he could safely assume the latter 

Folding himself over you he brought his hand back down to your pussy, thumb working slow circles on your clit while he middle finger delved deeper. Your entrance was a bit tight, but with gentle persistence he worked his way inside. 

Your velvety inner walls clamped down on him. He couldn’t help but rut his aching cock against your bare ass as his mind drifted to the feeling of you clamping down on his arousal instead. Your whines of protest only further spurring on his overwhelming need to be inside you. 

Adding a second finger he began to pump into you with a bit more urgency. Your slick was quickly coating his hand as he hit all the spots he knew would work you up to your orgasm. Groaning in delight he brought his lips to your exposed neck, sucking and nipping at your soft flesh. 

He loved when he could tell you were getting close. Your warm walls would clamp down on him, breathy mewls and moans escaping your soft lips. You were rocking back into him, uncaring of the fact that you were grinding against him as you chased your release. In these moments you abandoned your resolve to fight against him, and he happily took advantage of that. After all, if your body knew what you wanted, surely your mind would catch up one day.

Your moans were more audible now, hands grasping at the forest floor. Your back was arched into him, desperate to use him. So close, you were so close he knew it, and right before you could finish he pulled his hand away. He laughed as you huffed in frustration. 

“Shouta pl-please.” Fuck, he loved it when you begged. It didn’t happen often with how stubborn you were but when it did he knew he had to comply. 

Instead of verbally responding he opted to do what he wanted to all night long. Lining up the tip of his cock to your entrance he groaned at the heat radiating off you. Pumping his hand along his length a couple times to lube himself up with your excess fluid he pushed the tip in. You stilled beneath him, and in one swift movement he fully sheathed himself. 

His mind went blank as you cried out in pleasure, wet walls convulsing around him as your orgasm tore through you. He held still, opting to gently pet you while cooing softly down at you. Before he met you, even with Hizashi, he had never been very vocal during sex. But now he couldn’t stop himself from babbling a bit, praising you for being such a good girl. 

As your body stilled in his arms he continued to plant kisses along your delicate neck. Your soft sniffles made his heart clench a bit, how was it possible for you to be so damn cute? 

“Alright kitten now it’s my turn. No pulling anything stupid, I won’t take long.”

This whole hunt had been one giant tease, working him up in a way he normally wouldn’t allow himself. Pulling out he groaned at the feeling of his cock sliding against you. Moving his hands he grabbed your waist, eyes transfixed on where you were joined. Your back was arched as you braced yourself on your elbows, presenting yourself to him. 

His mind clouded over, blood opting to drag his attention elsewhere. He began to push back in, desperate to feel you surrounding him. Setting a tempo he pulled about halfway out before slamming back in, loving the way your body moved as you bounced off him. 

His hands dug into your supple flesh, possibly leaving bruises. He could feel the oncoming of his own orgasm, the muscles in his lower abdomen pulsating. He was panting, heart racing in his rib cage as his eyes rolled back into his head. He didn’t have the patience to edge himself today, he needed this, needed you.

He loved hearing the way your breath was forced from your lungs when he fully sheathed himself inside you. He knew he was overstimulating you a bit, but the part of him that needed to find his own release didn’t pay that fact much mind. All he could think about was the way it felt to be one with you, lost inside your soft warmth.  

After only a couple more minutes of relentlessly pounding into you he couldn’t hold it back any longer. A wave like sensation rushed through his body as his hips stuttered. He folded over you, wrapping his arms around you as he felt his hot cum rush through his cock and fill your body. The emotions rushing through him as he released into you, the woman he loved, were indescribable.

It didn’t take long for his muscles to relax, euphoria swept away by the need to take a nap washing over him. You had long since stopped crying, remaining motionless beneath him. He wondered what was going through your mind as he held you flush against him.

“Sho-Shouta.” So meek, so quiet. His heart fluttered a bit. “Can we go home now... I want to take a shower.”

Chuckling softly he pulled himself out, groaning a bit at the feeling of overstimulation as your warm walls dragged against him. Leaning away he smiled as his cum leaked out your pussy. 

“Yes kitten we can go home. I’ll make sure to clean you up.”

You groaned in protest, hating when they insisted on washing you. He knew you liked your privacy but Hizashi and Toshinori were still going to want to punish you. He’d keep close by to keep them from being too harsh. 

Pulling up his pants he fished his phone out of his pocket, rolling his eyes at the sheer quantity of missed calls from the two aforementioned. Poor little kitten, it didn’t look like you’d be getting off easy. 

[itstheendofthegoddamnworld]

Infected/Undead Boyfriend (Ryan Chen) 3 (FINALE)

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Part 1  -  Part 2

Warning: some language. Long chapter ahead!

When It Rains, It Pours Part 3 (FINALE)

It was always raining in November-– or was it now December?

It was hard to tell: the rain had turned harder and harsher, solid ice and snow fell across what was desolate and overgrown lands, where the city life grew smaller, a distant reminder that they still hung in an area. The coating of snow grew harsher the more the days passed, and bitter was its storms and winds to you and your surroundings.

How you managed to get out before losing yourself was an amazement to you and those of your rescuers.

"Hey, five minutes before we depart—you good?"

You blinked lazily, back to the surrounding sounds that were not of the dead crawling and walking on the grounds, of laughter and joy that you had missed and forgotten the sounds of. You remembered where you were: the warmth of the fire spreading across your limbs as you looked up from the floor, a hand in reach for you to take.

Justin was the first and the only one you had really spoken and befriended who wasn't a relative to you, a friend you shared rum and morbid chats with when the two of you were on night duties, staring up at nothing by the sky. He was cute: brown hair and eyes, pretty smile, but he was just another hole filled.

'Okay, okay, humour me with this,' He asked you when the blizzard was raging outside of your camp, the howling winds rattling against the iron doors. 'If you could take anyone with you, in the world, where would you go and with who?'

There was only one name that came to mind that night, the lines of your face creasing as you smiled sadly. 'You'll have to let me think about that one.'

"You good, tiger?" You took his hand as he hauled you up to your feet, dusting away the snow from your worn jeans. "You seem... out of it. You can tell me, I can get someone else to do this if you're not feeling up to it."

"No, it's fine, I'll be out in five." There was a haunting, dreadful pause from Justin, observing you silently when time didn't seem to go any faster, before he nodded, heading out of the hall, his distant figure fading through the groups of crowds waiting.

You gathered your things slowly, fumbling with the leather jacket, dipping your fingers into the deep pockets, fumbling with the smooth edge of the card still occupying it. Never did it seem to lose its feel, thankfully. Get a grip on yourself. You sighed, securing your knife into your boot. Three years... three fucking years and you still mourn.

The snow had settled once you had been brave to face it, crunching satisfyingly under your boots each step you took to the stables, waiting there was Justin and a few others you didn't take time in memorising their names.

"You ready?" Justin asked, strapping more ammo into his backpack. "Help yourself to some more. Heard there's infected up north from here roaming. Potentially they could come down."

"Yeah, thanks." You grabbed a large bar, stuffing it away before paying attention to the black stead you had named Diamond. "Hey, girl. Ready to stretch those legs?"

The beauty snorted almost in reply, a genuine smile gracing your features when you had clamoured up, mentally and physically preparing yourself for the arduous journey that would take place. An hour away from the Jackson base was the Crow's Nest: the barren hub used to scout the area, to keep eye on roaming hordes.  

"The snow has settled, but with it, the dead grow. Watch out for yourselves, keep close to the path and don't stray." Justin gave final warnings before you all set off, the large electric gates of the once well-known powerplant creaked open, a vast, vicious cold greeted you the moment you stepped out.

The journey left you frozen and missing the heat from indoors, reminding yourself why you had gone out in the first place was to get away from everyone, but now you had dearly missed the sweet sight of civilisation creeping back to normal. I can be back and everything will be fine. You told yourself, and you foolishly believed it.

When you finally arrived, there were little dead who had managed to get through the other side of the pen, and taking them out was no issue. The base on top was all but a cosy place: desolate, reeking of decay and too cold. When you finally reached the windows that showcased the cast white outside, did you finally breathe out in somewhat respite.

"See that out there, that's the city you came from, right?" Justin pointed out to what looked like nowhere, but even where the sky and snow met with vast starkness, there was still an outline of a desolate and barren city, broken and crumbling skyscrapers still reaching to the chilling sky.

It was miles out, you realised, but the routes out were like a maze on its own.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of going in there for fun?" You asked, the man beside you rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "You would have to be fucking insane to want to go back in there."

"Even so, what kept you sane?"

The name you so missed to say was on the tip of your tongue, memories that swept through your mind nearly brought you to tears. Maybe, in some reality, the two of you could've been that couple, living out your days in a decaying city, filled with dead, going down as the world would never miss you. But in some ways, it was for the good. You blinked the tears away before any could fall.

"Faith, a hell of a lot of it." The winter sun was dead as well as the last of those memories. "I'm done with it, done for good."

In the distance, when the snow settled quietly, a dull, thunderous cry, followed with the faint sounds of bangs going off, a chorus that never seemed to quieten, only did its cries grow louder and louder, until-

"Infected have made their way into the bunker!"

You turned with Justin in surprise, the thuds of gunshots and its chambers thudded in time with your heartbeat, rousing the adrenaline as you moved like clockwork to make your way back down, back into the darkened, gloomy hallways so narrow it barely fitted enough, but now stood with both humans and dead.

Even war has never looked like this. There were bodies already, a mixture of dead taken down and those who had fallen, bleeding to the ground in puddles, eyes frozen and bodies stiff. "Come with me down to the east wing." Justin guided you away from the onslaught, away from the crowded corridors as the two of you run further away from the noises.

"You know how many they'll be?" You rasped, trying to steady your breathing, the grip on your knife straining your fingers.

"I don't know," Justin answered. "But whatever you do, don't think recklessly. You're a strong fighter, so don't think about dying."

"I could say the same with you." You stopped when you stopped outside the double doors, slightly ajar and smeared blood wiped across the handles and door. "You ready?"

No. You thought. I don't even want to be here. "Yes."

The door was opening wider before you could realise: the noise loud and shrilled, as were the following, inhumane cries and shrieks that followed. Through the darkness of the room: the boiler room, you could see, maybe four or five dead, twitching and grotesque.

And two of them charging towards you both.

Justin made light work of the largest one, leaving you to deal with the other, all snarling and baring its mangled, blackened teeth. You reared back as it did too, causing you to collapse into the wall but not fall, supporting yourself and keeping its head from coming any closer to the flesh of your face or neck.

You struggled for what felt like forever, until you kicked it as far away from you, shoving it into Justin's grip as you charged, using your knife to lodge it into the jellied head, one final cry came before its head slumped, black blood seeping through.

"Good job," Justin let it drop against the wall. "A bit quieter would've been better though."

"Yeah, thanks though." You caught your breath, iron in your throat when you exhaled, feeling like knives stabbing you a thousand times, not helping with the cold of the room. "Shall we continue onwards?"

"We could take down the rest of these- Hey, watch out!"

You turned in time to hear the raucous grunt of something collide into the side of you, causing you to stumble, crashing into the boiler behind you, the wind knocked from you with such force, your vision dotted. "Shit!" Justin shouted from the darkness, and you could hear the struggle, gunshots and more animalistic roars. "Justin! Are you okay?"

"Go! I'll distract it!" You heard his retreating voice, the heavy footsteps follow before you had time to catch the large creature leave, a dreadful smell of mildew and rotting flesh filled your nostrils, almost making you gag.

"Fuck." You grunted to stand, head dizzy, aware that the noises and clicks were coming from the rest of the dead in the surrounding area you shared with them. "Shit!" Quickly, you picked up the blade fallen, dodging the remaining dead as you continued in a haze through to the back of the room, hopping over the wall to get through to the bunker. The sounds of the dead never faltered, sounding all around you and nowhere at all, limbs shaking, clothes drenched not with water.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die—I'm fucked, I'm fucked. You tried to keep moving, but you kept running into dead ends and parts cornered off, leading you to believe that there would be no way of escaping.

Something scampered in your peripheral, large and skinny, you braced for the worst when its shadowed body crawled around in the dark, closer and closer. You pulled your gun out, trying to steady your breathing and keep an eye on it. It didn't move like any of the other dead—perhaps a new one you weren't aware of.

You decided to try and take a shot, the bullet ricocheting off a pipe and exploding with gas, letting out and creating a thick, never-ending mist that you found hard in trying to see through. There was the sound of shoes scraping against the floor, someone running towards you and grabbing you, and you screamed, their face guarded as you tried fighting them off you, away from the floor so they wouldn't have full control over you.

Your fingers gripped the gun, reminding yourself to not let go of it, and you finally- after some struggle- kicked the creature in the stomach, letting it stumble back as you finally tried to take another shot.

In the mist that was fading slowly as you tried to focus, the legs of the figure finally appeared, a full body appearing like someone of a horror film, head turned from you as you squinted to whatever was standing in front of you, your time to take the shot faltering.

"Ryan?"

The lithe humanoid figure was as dishevelled as you could recall once he twisted his torso to look back on you. A distant memory that floated in your mind, of peace and tranquillity, it now stood in front of you as some bitter, warped illusion. He was everything you remembered of him, the same clothes but now wearing a different jacket to the one you still wore in honour, his hair seemed longer, more messy and unkempt, strands pulled out from the bun, guarding his soft, unsteady dark eyes. He looked thinner from the last, a walking apparition whose skin was washed pale and bruised black and blue, his cheeks hollowed and eyebags darkened.

"Oh, god," the grip on the trigger loosened shakily, eyes dotting with sudden tears. "It's you, isn't it? I'm not fucking dream, am I?"

The man didn't seem responsive at first, playing into the belief he was some sort of hallucination after all, but his mouth opened, a quiet voice answering. "Yes, it's me."

The noise that left your parted lips was shaky and warbled, a string of tears flowing down your cheeks when everything slowly fell apart. "Why," your words were twisted and you fumbled clumsily. "Why... why did you leave?"

He was silent, the hard struggle in understanding what he was thinking. He seems… ashamed. You thought, watching his shifting eyes. You watched the pain that didn’t seem to be hidden beyond his eyes, even when he spoke. “… You belonged with them, not me.”

“How would you know that? I—you could’ve come with me, Ryan. We’re an open community, we can help you-”

“No,” his voice was strained, his eyes more red than usual. “I can’t be fixed.” He lifted his black t-shirt, the skin bruised as his face had been, inflamed and almost maimed. “I was bitten.”

“But you didn’t turn.”

“No,” his smile was soft, downturned. “Perhaps turning would’ve been the better option. But I live with these decisions. You need people, not me.”

“Ryan,” you took a hesitant step towards him, still, the tears fell. “Do you know I still think about you? Even after all these years.”

“No,” he laughed silently, his eyes glassy and cold. “I did too. A lot.”

“Please, please come with me. I promise you, we can help you—we could fix you.”

Ryan watched, not showing signs of moving away from you as you slowly made your way to him, outreaching your hand for him to hold. Just… just to hold once more, to feel him again. How you craved it like it was a lifeline.

“I—I can’t describe how I’m feeling right now.” His words were hushed when you were close to him, feeling his breath fan against your wet cheeks. “You don’t have to describe anything,” you murmured. “Just… let it happen.”

He leant into you first, his lips were warm and memories swarmed in your mind like you were drowning. His being, his smell: so sweet and inviting, your memories were swelling and rising, bringing a feeling of levitating, back to a time when you felt loved and needed. Back in his arms in an excluded room, forgotten altogether but in each other’s arms.

When you pulled away, he leant his forehead against yours, warm and damp from cold. “I missed you so.” He muttered softly. You had so many thoughts, too many emotions that everyone argued with things they wanted to say before the other. But the same thing was in your mind, replaying over and over again.

It plagued you, as you took his hand into your own, squeezing as if your life depended on it. “Ryan, I-”

Your words were there, masked and clipped from the noise that came from in front of you, a large reverberating noise that was sharp and rung, smoke appearing as Ryan stumbled forward, allowing you to catch him. He was limp, colder than usual and not from the cold. He was shaking, muttering something in a quiet, weak voice, but you couldn’t hear him, even when you flipped him carefully, seeing his mouth open and close, you looked up in time to witness the devastated eyes of someone you wanted to forget.

“Get away from it,” Justin’s words were followed by him stepping closer between the two of you, gripping your shoulder. “You’re lucky I came in time. I heard gunshots, I got worried-”

“You shot him.” You weakly said, frozen and still holding Ryan, the grip on him still tight and there for him to know you were still holding onto him, keeping him safe.

Justin seemed as confused as he tried lifting you off the ground, “I’m trying to help you, that thing-”

“Stop it. Stop it!” You swatted his hand away sharply, reaching around to hold and stabilise Ryan, the shot to his stomach was bleeding profusely, soaking through your fingertips. “He’s dying, he’s fucking dying.”

“Hey, hey, what—” he said your name, shaking you out of the breakdown. “It’s infected—look at me, what do you mean?”

“I love him, Justin! I know him, I know him! Ryan Chen, he’s not one of them!” You were blubbering and muttering constantly before your eyes landed on Justin’s, wild and red and sore. “Help me, please, I can’t lose him again.”

Justin hesitated once more, before he urged himself forward, peeling the heavy bag from his back to bring out the gauze and wrappings, whilst you sat and remained rigid, and you wished you could’ve stayed where you had been, to begin with.

-

You noticed now, how quiet things could be when you were left with just your thoughts, alone in the world when you pushed so many away. Your fingers were knotted together tightly, wrung together in a tangle when you fidgeted, nothing to distract you from the unknown time ticking.

“Hey, you’re the girlfriend of “Ryan”?”

You looked up to the woman who had come through to greet you in the small waiting room, blinking away your thoughts to be back with the present. “Yeah, yes… how is he doing?”

“He just came out of surgery and is in a stable condition.” Relief was one of the emotions you were feeling, but it was hard to explain anything else at that moment. “You can go in to see him shortly.”

“Thank you.” A gentle hand pressed into your shoulder, squeezing encouragingly. “Hey, he’s gonna be okay. He seems strong.”

“He is,” you uttered sadly. “He’s a fighter.”

-

“Ryan! Take it easy! We’ve got all night!”

Your laughter was bubbling, easy and light, as you were led down the long path, where the trees grew in size and foliage, grew thickest, hiding your bodies as you ran beneath the moonlight. “You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

“We’re almost there.” He was not as out of breath as you had been, but his smile was bright and blooming, skin radiant as if he was reborn. “I’m not dragging you back to get more stitches.” The two of you stopped eventually, continuing at a brisk pace until you reached the end of the hill, watching over the once city the two of you had resided in, distant yet glooming.

“It… it still looks like shit as I remember it to be.” You exhaled, looking over Ryan from your right side. “That place still holds a lot to remember, don’t you think? The outbreak, the deaths, the burning of bodies.”

“I got to meet you.”

“You did,” you squeezed his hand encouragingly. “After I fell through the ceiling. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” You shared a laugh, all thoughts aside when you stared across the distance. That city did hold some darkness and pain to you, but you knew that you would get out of there, not as one, but as two.

[casitafallz-a]

Decay AU | Shatters and lies

Blood and injury tw 

Isabela stared at her reflection with a deep frown is distain as she checked her dress over; smart and as flowery as expected and she looked as she always did but she knew now that breakfast was over, her punishments were in full swing.

Chores with Papi and Tio Felix.

Isabela couldn’t remember the last time she had to do those… six, maybe before Abuela pushed her onwards for better things to do. She barely remembered what to do… Would Tio Felix crack a joke about it? Camilo certainly would if he caught her cleaning like some common—Isabela’s thoughts screeched to a halt with a sliver of guilt. Papi and Tio cleaned….

She sucked in a deep breath, clenching her hands before shaking the purple hyacinth’s petals from her hair before she forced herself to move and go before they came to her. Thankfully, it sounded like the others had left so she hurried down to the kitchen, her breath catching seeing Tio Felix set the third bucket down with the last mop

“Ah Isabela,” Tio smiled before it faded as he took in her attire, “Er… don’t you want to change into something less….frilly? Mop splash is going to stain that dress.”

Isabela looked down at her clothes with a frown. “I…don’t have anything else. All I have are these dresses.”

Agustín clapped Tio Felix on the arm. “Let’s not worry about it for now. You can change later and I’ll ask Luisa to buy you a different set of clothes for this sort of work later.”

Isabela nodded tightly. Made sense. Luisa’s clothes were made from stronger material than the others and she often had a lot made when the material was worn through. Isabela watched as the two picked up their buckets and began to lead the way.

“So, we start with the balcony, the bottom floor and courtyard with the floors. Then we get to the kitchen; this is still your mother’s domain so when you move stuff, put stuff back. We wipe down the shelves, dust the books and clean any dusty bowls and kitchen tools. Me or your Tio will tackle cleaning the oven so don’t worry about that. Pantry can be left for later as well. The cold room will need a good scrub so we’ll have to empty it out for its annual deep clean.”

“All of that for the kitchen?” Isabela echoed in disbelief.

“Yep. It’s a lot of work but we eat the things your mother makes in and off of the kitchen’s things.” Tio Felix waved. “That’ll take us till lunch to sort those out. Now, Agustín will go off about then and collect more wood for kindling and pick up more candles. I’ll start collecting the laundry from the bedrooms and start the washing. With you there, it’ll be much faster.”

Isabela internally shrunk away at the idea of cleaning other people’s clothes but hid the distaste. This was punishment. This was expected of her to do. She could see Tio Felix was chirpy as he ever was even as they began to set up and Isabela was glad to be directed to a spot to clean.

She winced a little as the mop splattered out with hot water and soap, sparing a quick glance to see how to squeeze out the excess of water before she carried back on.

 -

Mopping, Isabela found was her least favourite job of the entire day. Casita didn’t respond to her, which was marginally better than petty behaviour of making her job longer that she somewhat expected from their house. A part of Isabela expected a tipped over plant pot and soil over her clean floor or Casita moving her tiles to make her job harder. But there was nothing, a relief to say but sh could see how Casita was willing to help with her Tio and Papi. Moving a few things from their way, exposing dirty tiles that needed to be cleaned…

So, Isabela reasoned that ‘no help’ was better than sabotage and she’d take that as a win with the house.

But mopping had left her pink cheeked and sweaty, even as she helped with the kitchen. Tio Felix and Agustín had finished their areas long before she had finished her and she felt embarrassed as they finished it up with her and moved onwards to the cold room.

A few times, she hated that they softly called out on the purple hyacinth’s petals she had left behind in her wake; a vivid reminder that she needed a tighter control on her gift, even if it wasn’t intentional but she knew they were just trying to keep to the rules. She shouldn’t be using her gift… making petals were part of that.

Killing the petals were far too easy as the rest of the plants in the kitchen wilted. She didn’t notice.

Cleaning the cool room was hard and her barely stable emotional state shattered as she handled the greasy milk tray from the room and padded towards one of the sides.

It only took a flash of seeing Abuela talking to Mirabel through the window was enough of a distraction that Isabela didn’t see the edge of the kitchen stool and her foot catching before she felt the sense of gravity change rapidly.

It could have been minutes…or second but it felt like the world was in slow motion as she watched the tray slip from her hands, each glass bottle of milk jumping from it’s place top down before shattering upon her nice clean floor; spreading milk and glass upon it’s surface before the gut-dropping realising as she found herself in it’s pathway in her own decent.

Then the second broke before she landed hard into the mess hands first by instinct, stopping her face from joining in; the coldness of the milk startling her as it soaked into the dress before she felt the pumping heat down her palms chase it away; too shocked to really notice anything beyond the pink seeping into the white milk under her palms.

How odd…

Since when did milk turn pink?

She pulled her hands away to her chest in confusion but the pink turned redder soon enough.

“Isabela!” Tio Felix dumped the cheese off to the side before she felt somewhat of his presence; her head feeling light and the lights seemed to get a little brighter but she vaguely watched as Tio seemed to grab her wrists and gasp sharply.

Isabela’s breath caught as well as she could see shards of glass if different sizes embedded in her palms. Her hands were shaking and red seemed to drip freely from the broken skin down and splatter down onto her dress. Then, at once her body seemed to realise the pain before it’s heat began to sear through her arms and she shrunk away with pained gasps.

“Get Julieta now!”

Tio Felix’s hands didn’t leave her as he pulled her away from the kitchen floor and time felt like a blur before she found herself lent up against one of the courtyard pillars before Tio Felix seemed to return with wet cloth, tweezers and a little jar.

“I need to get the glass out, just take stray breaths, okay.”

“My…my head feels funny.” Isabela mumbled, not resisting too much Tio Felix as he pulled her hand towards him though the sharp flickers of pain raged through her flesh as he began to softly but quickly tug each shard and hearing the soft tinks as each one filled hit the jar side.

Little by little, the glass began to fill, though Isabela hissed as Felix pressed the wet cloth into her hand. She wanted to wrench had hand away than to have her fingers curl around it, the sharp pain one of the few things keeping her grounded before her other hand was grasped and soon enough, Tio Felix began to pull out more of the glass.

“Ow…” She complained.

“Isabela!” Her mother’s voice carried, making her jump in surprise before turning to see a flash of teal before her mother’s hand worriedly grasped her wrist, demanding answers.

“She tripped with the milk bottles,” Felix explained, “She needs this to be washed first.”

“Of course, I’ll get the alcohol.” Agustín dashed off before Julieta took over from picking out the glass. One particular long shard made her head spin before there was a rush of red… her eyes rolled before she felt her Tio’s arms steady her.

“I got her.”

“Just one more, Isa.” Mami’s voice was calm and assuring before she felt a cold and sharp splash against her hands, making her flinch away before she felt something press against her lips. Her mouth opened before she hazily chewed…

Her head cleared up sharply with each chew before she watched the bleeding cuts fade away into nothing, leaving behind nothing but the lingering blood.

Julieta let out a sigh of relief before a clean cloth was pressed into her palms, cleaning the red more again aide from the more stubborn stains in the creases of her palms.

“Isa, why don’t you have a wash and get changed, okay?”

Isabela licked her lips. “I got to help finish cleaning the cool room… and the kitchen”

“I’m sure that’ll be fine in your Papi and Tio’s hands.”

The idea of carrying on cleaning the cool room was furthest to what she wanted to do but… she’d take this for now. Surely the cool room didn’t have to be cleaned every day. Isabela nodded, trying to not feel so pleased as she padded quickly toward the bathroom.

 -

Getting out of the cool room cleaning was one thing she knew could get away with, but she had to still make effort after all so Abuela wouldn’t think she did this on purpose. With a new dress and free from blood and milk, Isabela collected all her laundry together though she felt eyes on her as she dumped her stained lilac dress into cleanser to try and lift the stains.

“Day one and you’re trying to get out of your punishments…” Camilo’s voice echoed into the small room, her body tensing up before she turned to see him sitting against the window frame. “I can’t believe you’d stoop to that level just to get out of cleaning.”

Isabela glowered angrily at him as his works. “I tripped and fell, Camilo”

“Sure you did.” He hummed, not convinced, “how convenient timing as well. I bet that’ll go down well with Abuela.”

Isabela sucked in a heavy breath. “Mama will explain if she asks. Accidents happen, Camilo.”

“You don’t have accidents, Isabela.” Camilo pointed out, “You’ve never tripped and certainly not with glass before.”

That was certainly a jab. Isabela knew what angle he was playing with; she had perfected ways to walk without tripping and certainly not in public because that wouldn’t be becoming of her. “What do you want, Camilo? I need to get back to work here.”

Camilo shrugged, “I’m not stopping you. It’s weird seeing you so…basic.” With that, he jumped from the window frame and away with a skip in his step.

Isabela inhaled deeply. It was just a jab. That was it. Just a jab.

She turned her focus back to her dress, dragging her thumb across to push the red out and the cleaner in. Her jaw was tense as she scrubbed hard on the delicate material….

 -

She chewed her nails anxiously as she stared at once use to be a beautiful dress.  Wet, stained and…ruined.

She had left it soaking for too long in the cleaner when she went to help her father and Tio in getting the rest of the family’s washing to balance out her absence with the deep-clean of the cool room. The dress dye had been lifted so the colour was inconsistent with the lingering blood spatter and her scrubbing had disrupted the threads which had led to torn edges and frayed flowers.

Maybe she should just…bury it? Her room could surely hide the evidence of her failed attempts of cleaning. She couldn’t burn it without questions but…the fabric would rot and hide for sure…

She plucked off the wet dress from the line, harshly squeezing the water from and tossed it at the bottom of her basket and hurried back towards her room, her steps quickening before her hand touched the handle and—

“Isabela.”

The girl in question froze in spot for a heartbeat before she turned to see Abuela at the top of the steps with a firm expression.  

“Abuela…” She started, dry mouth as she placed the basket down, stepping in front to greet her Abuela though she could see this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation.

“I heard that Julieta had to be called back to Casita because you had an accident.” Abuela stated. “While I am relieved you’re okay, I hope that it was just that; an accident.”

“It was, Abuela. My foot caught the counter side and I tripped.” Isabela explained tightly. “I was told to clean myself up before I got to carry on with my chores.” She empathised more intently.

Abuela nodded softly, accepting her excuse thankfully. “Your dress?”

Isabela’s jaw tightened a little, She couldn’t say it was ruined. Abuela would be so disappointed in her. “It’s still being cleaned. It’ll be good as new.”

That was when she noticed the soft changed in her Abuela’s face, hardening lines before the clear sense of disbelief of her words. “I can see the dress. Do not lie to me, Isabela.” Her tone hardened.

Isabela’s face flushed deep, the slither of shame bubbling up even as Abuela pointedly looked to the floor behind her. She had been caught out. She had hoped…Abuela wouldn’t care and just accept it and move on…

“I’m sorry, Abuela.” Isabela’s hand clenched before Abuela gestured for her to show her. Pinked cheeked still, she bent down and picked up the soggy material and held it out, not meeting her Abuela’s eye as she took it and shook it open to expose the entire mess of a dress.

After a moment, Abuela shook her head with a heavy, disappointed sigh before she set it over her arm.

“Isabela, next time there are blood stains, you should call for your Tia Pepa to assist in that regard. She’s an expert of getting blood and other stains out of fabrics.” Abuela reprimanded tightly, “What did you even do to try and get rid of them? Bleach?”

Isabela scratched at her arms, “I…didn’t know what cleaners to use… I thought any would work.”

Abuela took a heavy breath in. “Tomorrow, You’ll spend the morning with your Tia in learning the chemicals and how to use them in all fabrics. I will not let your ignorance ruin your clothes…or any else’s for that matter.” She looked to the dress again then shook her head. “I thought today, you’d be wanting to try…”

“Abuela, I did.” Isabela defended weakly, “It was an accident. I didn’t meant to fall over. I didn’t mean to ruin my dress”

“No.” Abuela looked to her sharply. “It’s not about the accident or the dress, Isabela.”

Isabela frowned at her in confusion.

“You lied to me about the dress. You lied to my face.” She empathised in great disappointment. “You’ve never lied to me before. You’re punishments are there for a reason. I will not tolerate that sort of behaviour.”

“I’m sorry.” Isabela swallowed thickly.

“If you lie to me again, Isabela. I will not be lenient.” And with the firm look of anger in her face and disappointment in her eyes, Abuela turned and walked away with her soggy dress. Leaving Isabela to feel shame and foolish in her wake.

tbh, i do want to point out, Abuela isn’t too upset about the dress; she’s glad isabela’s fine but she’s not okay with Decay trying to lie about it, even if Isabela thought she was lying for a good reason. I wanted to balance out the reactions and Abuela to be reasonably annoyed with decay. She’s not going to drag her for an accident. She also does want Isabela to learn from her mistakes with cleaning. tbh, out of everything, i figured Pepa is probably most experienced with stains, (Julieta after) given the woman’s trips to fields with rain and mud. it’s a learning curve for Isabela and it’s not gonna be 100% smooth and some lenient with ignorance can be justified. To a degree. 

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 8

This is just filler content

Um, rude?? Plot wise, this is the chapter where we get the ball rolling, even if only just a little bit. Kicking the tiny snowball down the hill, if you will.

I’m a little surprised I could get this out so soon, but that’s because this chapter felt like a breeze compared to the last. Let’s dive right in!

*faint muffled sobbing* It’s been three thousand years...

😥 Tropius. Tropius, I swear it wasn’t our fault. Tropius. Tropius, pls.

Boom. Here it is. The first inkling of who Teresa really is. So subtle as to be undetectable.

The shot heard ‘round the world fired not with a bang, but a whisper.

Bro how embarrassing would it be if we finally got there... and realized we’ve been calling it the wrong thing this whole time... ha ha just kidding... unless?

Oh my god, please please please tell me Uxie is actually Bonsly. I’d love to see a tiny baby that disguises its sweat as tears try to defend a Time Gear.

🫢

Y’know Tropius, I’d love to, but Teresa is having a bit of an existential crisis right now, so... Rain check?

The first time I played Explorers, I totally thought this was the answer. Very clever Red Herring on their part.

This time, I decided to explore the side path first - in this case, Exotic Falls. It sounded a lot more exciting than Common Meander, and after having such a rough time with Sad Land, I figured the extra experience couldn’t hurt.

But what’s this??

Wh. The key to the lake is just. Sitting there. Out in the open. Just like how Andrea “happened to find” the Relic Fragment. Yes, I know, convenience for convenience’s sake, but also... C’MON NOW!

Imagine you failed in saving the world because these items were actually kept hidden. Or because some rando scooped it up before you did. And you’d never even know! A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.

...Hm. I’m starting to realize I’m sounding like CinemaSins. Moving on.

A very fitting aesthetic for the dungeon name!

It was subtle before, but now it’s a lot more obvious that Teresa and Andrea are drifting apart on the experience curve. Teresa levels up faster, but has less health - and barely gets a boost to any of her stats. She’s especially hurting in defense, and I doubt that’s likely to change. And she hasn’t even learned a single move through level up. Probably never will, since Togekiss is an evolutionary stone form.

Besides that, I actually have little to report here, as Exotic Falls is only five floors. Although I did run into a Tyrogue with Dark Void (*war flashbacks*) and Sky Attack, which was scary for a second.

So, onwards!

Common Meander... Oh, dear. Your name is deceiving 😬

Earlier, I happened to pick up a Dough Seed. I decided to bring it with me, since I’m hurting for money. (I NEVER have any when there’s a Kecleon Shop.) I was curious if the randomizer actually allowed the Dough Seed to function or not. At first, it didn’t seem to do anything - on the next floor, the room I spawned in was filled with the usual random junk. But then I did find a couple of Poké, which is far more than I can say for literally any other dungeon thus far.

Final answer: It... sort of works?

*big long heavy sigh*

Thankfully, Blizzard took care of this one real quick. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have made it this far without it.

Andrea... why do you keep trying to learn moves that aren’t helpful? I just want what’s best for you ;-;

I just thought this environment was neat!

WOAHHH, hey there, buddy...! I don’t mean to intrude... You got any work done on those claws recently? They look nice, real nice... Very sharp and menacing. Nooo, I mean it! Ack, don’t growl at me... Dear God please let us pass, I have a wife and children.

Thankfully, we manage to get away relatively unscathed...

Here’s what you do: sliiide to the left... sliiide to the right... two hops this time! Two hops this time! Take it back now y’all.

What, you might end up somewhere eventually.

After Andrea shoots me the death glare, I never thought I’d be so relieved to see a pine cone in my life.

👀 I wouldn’t say that’s nothing! Show me.

It’s a Groudon statue jutting into the ground? Duh. I know the fog is impeding your vision, but let’s step it up here, Andrea.

Salamence? Oh no.

I was hoping I could laugh at Groudon being replaced with a Luvdisc or something, but that doesn’t seem to be the case 😓

I- *folds hands together* Andrea, my love. What did I just say? That is not Salamence.

Andrea: “Hey Teresa, do you think you could do that thing where you touch something and gain temporal ESP?”

Teresa: “Oh yeah, I can try it. Ha ha, I almost forgot about that. Hope I’ll see something useful this time!”

Pineco:

It’s okay man, we barely understand it either.

I’ve always wondered if this was Grovyle’s voice or yours in the flashback... I guess it can be interpreted either way.

Now introducing Teresa the sleuth!

More like a simple deduction of logic, really.

(Hnnng... see those ripples? The fog effect kind of messes with the screen display, at least for my cheap camera.)

Thank you, thank you, I know I’m a genius 😎

I wanted to include the beautiful art here, I really did. But my photo limit is real tight for this chapter. Besides, my camera simply can’t do the image justice.

Sure thing, Andrea! ...Wait. Why do I hear march-like music gradually getting louder-

Dammit, man! This is why we can’t have nice things.

Tensions rise. Claws come out and teeth are bared. We’re gearing up for the ultimate showdown, but then-

...Saved by the bell Apple!

God, I still find it so funny that this little Totodile is our superior in rank to everyone here.

Another mid-attack frame? It’s different than the one from before! Presumably because it’s shown from the side.

Sldkdhjfdgfdhks I can’t... such babey. He’s just so happy everyone is here.

Going back to the first time I played Explorers... I thought this meant “You’re going back towards base camp” and he prevents you from going any farther. But nah, instead you just kinda sneaky sneak your way forward.

*dramatic cartoon narrator voice* DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN! A nail-biting, cliffhanger ending! Can Totodile survive the overwhelming stench of a stinkbug and a water weasel? Can Team Heavenly square up against a Salamence without getting their butts kicked? Most importantly, can the guild finally start calling Fogbound Lake by the right name?! Tune in next time to find out, exclusively on TH channel!

If you made it this far, thanks for reading 😊 I won’t even feign ignorance this time: the Chapter 9 title is... bizarre, to say the least. Look forward to it, and stay hydrated! 💧

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Serenade (Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader) Pt. 11

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for language Warnings: Nope! Notes: Here we are, a breath away from the end. This features not one, but FOUR songs written by myself. If you only choose to listen to one of them, listen to the final one (Cradle of Heaven), as it is a duet I wrote specifically for this fanfiction, as something that the reader wrote to play together with Daniela. The links to these songs will be within the fanfiction itself, at relevant times. Past Chapters: Pt. 1: Nocturne, Pt. 2: Overture, Pt. 3: Accelerando, Pt. 4: Toccata, Pt. 5: Poco a Poco, Pt. 6: Elegy, Pt. 7: Harmony, Pt. 8: Obbligato, Pt. 9: Berceuse, Pt. 10b: Hymn AMAB

Chapter 11: Cadence

(Cadence: Two chords that mark the end of a song)

The stage is set, the lights are dimmed, your heart pounds within your chest, and the world is yours. Soon, it will be Daniela’s. She is right by your side, as ever, hand gently taking hold of your own. There’s a silent reassurance in her grip, a reminder that the two of you have overcome a plethora of challenges. A promise that this will be no different. Both of you take a deep breath, in sync, before exchanging a quick kiss. All of your hard work has been leading up to the coming moments. Although you are beyond confident in your lover’s abilities, there is a shadow of doubt in the back of your mind. Not for her sake, but surrounding the expectations held by her mother, the standard against which you would be measured.

“Come hell or high water, Songbird, I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise,” Daniela whispers, squeezing your hand again, eyes unblinking as they stare into yours. “You’ve made every right choice, worked harder than anyone I know, and there is nothing more I can ask of you… except another kiss to celebrate afterwards, that is.” Giggling in response gives you the moment you need to relax, nerves fading into the background of your mind. “Now let’s put on a show the likes of which my mother has never seen, mhmm?”

THREE HOURS EARLIER:

“Here, you can borrow my brooch. It’s been in the family for generations, since before we even came to the village, passed down starting with an ancestor who crafted it himself, from materials he scavenged while fleeing his home country,” Daphne rambles, helping you attach the jewelry to your shirt. Thankfully, her hands do not tremble nearly as much as yours have been for the past hour. “I’m more than sure that Lady Daniela will tell you this much, but I feel the need to repeat just how good you look right now. I don’t know where the hell they’ve been hiding this version of our uniform, but damn do I wish I could get one for my next date with Ygritte. Seriously, if you can get one in my size, please do me that favor.”

“Anything for my best friend. Especially after all the times you’ve saved my ass these past few months,” you reply, pausing to give her shoulder an affectionate pat. If not for her constant interference running, someone would have certainly found out about your relationship with Daniela. “Speaking of that… of my life being on the line, I mean… no matter what happens today, no matter what Lady Dimitrescu decides, take care of yourself. You’ve gambled with your own blood to keep me safe, but what I’ve done, what I’ve risked, those were my choices. My consequences. The last thing I’d ever want is for you to pay for them, somehow.”

Rolling her eyes, Daphne gives you a playful shove to the chest, before smoothing out the fabric of your dress uniform. Now she refuses to meet your gaze, a familiar mistiness taking over her brown eyes.

“Nobody around here is stupid enough to think you’ll die today. You managed to get Lady Daniela, of all people, to stay focused long enough to learn some absolutely beautiful pieces of music. You have proved, time and time again, that you are a talented musician, teacher, and ‘servant’. So get out there and kick some metaphorical ass, my friend, because you are ready,” she finally says, offering you what seems to be a handshake. But as soon as your hand meets hers, she’s pulling you in for a hug, holding you tight for a solid minute. When at last you part, you give her what may very well be the last smile she’d ever see gracing your lips.

---------------------------

A hand’s edge against xer forehead, parallel to the ground, kept perfectly flat. From anyone else, it would be mockery. From xer? Honest salute, solidarity in a traditional form, accompanied by a sharp-toothed grin. Mimicking the expression, you wave at Ava, glad to see that xe would be awake for your concert. After your first night with your girlfriend, Daphne had helped arrange for someone to be your “cover story” for sleeping outside of your usual quarters. With Daniela’s input (and jealousy), only one candidate had revealed themselves, in the form of a (conveniently) mute butler with an inconsistent schedule, love of mischief, and somehow the respect of the Dimitrescu family. Now, xe appeared ready to escort you to the location of your trial by fire.

“Are you sure our mutual friend won’t be upset to see the two of us together?” You teased, knowing full well that Ava was one of the only people that Daniela trusted 100% around you. In response, xe gives an exaggerated shrug, then quickly links xer arm with your own. Together you march onwards to your destiny, amused by the way xe practically skipped down the hallway. Maybe there was a certain wisdom to xer shenanigans, a carefree philosophy that encouraged laughter in the face of death, and you embraced the thought with a smile.

Before long, however, the two of you encounter another unlikely pair headed towards the same destination: Lady Cassandra, looking somewhat embarrassed, with an unfamiliar maiden at her side. Their hands are clutching each other desperately, although neither of them dares to look at the other. Instead they both watch you closely from where they’ve paused in the corridor. Oddly unfazed, Ava gives them a short bow of acknowledgement, earning xer a brief nod from Cassandra. Seeming eager to move on, she addresses you quickly before gesturing for you to keep walking.

“Good luck. Don’t fuck this up for Daniela, or I’ll never hear the end of it,” she growls, doing her best to downplay her obvious concern. Wanting to let her keep up with her facade, you merely give a nod as you resume walking towards the concert stage. Soft footsteps behind you let you know that the strange pair are accompanying you. Still walking alongside you, Ava repeatedly glances behind you, putting out xer hands in the shape of a heart, giggling all the while. If you didn’t know any better, you would almost assume that xe wanted to get hit by Cassandra.

“Ava, please calm down. If you’re not careful, she’ll throw something at you. If she does that, you’ll probably dodge, and then I’ll probably end up getting hit, and then I’ll miss the concert, Lady Dimitrescu will kill me as punishment, Daniela will be sad and whiny about it, and none of you will have any peace for, like, a month. Three weeks, bare mims,” you tease, nudging xer in the ribs. Emphasizing a pout, xe sends one last look at Cassandra and her ‘friend’ (whose hand she was still holding onto like a lifeline), mouthing words you couldn’t parse. Based on the way Cassandra groans, it was something ridiculously cheesy. Regardless, xe behaves the rest of the way there…

ONE MINUTE TO SHOWTIME:

“I love you, Firefly, and I know that you’re going to do absolutely amazing out there. I’m so proud of you,” you murmur, pressing a feather-light kiss to Daniela’s cheek. As dearly as you wish to stay behind the curtain, in her arms, you know that the show was inevitable. With one last nod to your beloved, you part the fabric shielding you, stepping into the spotlight. Imaginary crowds grow hushed at your appearance, a sea of faces greeting you warmly. In truth, there are but five members in this audience, each gazing upon you with veiled interest. Donning you best presentation persona, you set this final act in motion. “Lady Dimitrescu, Lady Cassandra, Lady Bela, and Mx. Caldwell, it brings me great pleasure to present to you, on this day, a concert performed by your own Lady Daniela. For three months now I have acted as her instructor, and these three months have been, perhaps, the most rewarding of my entire life. I could not possibly be any more proud of her than I already am. Now, without further ado… let us begin!”

Stepping to the side, a tug of a rope has the curtains parting entirely, revealing your beloved, waiting ready at the piano. All at once your audience (including Cassandra’s partner, acting as a mere servant in the background) sits up with wide smiles. They look Daniela over, taking in the sight of her fanciest dress, and the way her eyes light up with joy. By the time her fingers begin dancing away at the keys, there is not a single ounce of anxiety in your entire soul. This first song is a relic from your past, a representation of an abandoned idea, yet she plays it like a celebration. It’s fast, hits hard, a bold take right out of the gate. Admittedly, it is also somewhat short. Nonetheless, it serves its purpose, igniting a spark of excitement in those present. Once the song ends, Daniela is surprised by the intensity of her family’s applause. In the back of her mind, she trembles with excitement, knowing that the best was yet to come.

Riding this wave of pride, she immediately settles into the next song, something slower but far grander. Affection thrums inside your chest as you watch your pupil perfectly execute another piece. You can only imagine what her mother must be feeling, to see just how far her daughter has come in such a short amount of time. A quick glance in Alcina’s direction reveals the barest hints towards her being impressed. For now that was enough to satisfy you. Soon enough her face would twist in surprise, as the second song ended, and a new face steps up onto the stage: Lady Bela. Wordlessly she retrieves her violin from the back of the stage, then turns to the front with a mischievous smile.

“Now, a duet! Presenting the ever-talented Lady Bela, to join Lady Daniela for a rendition of an original song, dubbed ‘Northern Lights’. Enjoy!” You call out, before once more taking your place at the side. While Daniela did not need you to count her in for her solo performances, this feels ever so slightly more important, and as such you do your best to conduct for the duration of the song. If either of the performers need it, they hide it well. Honestly, you weren’t sure if your girlfriend had looked your way even a single time so far. ‘Twas incredible to witness her. Akin to a siren, near glowing, taking to the stage as if born to grace its center. Even with Bela working her own magic, Daniela is ever the star. Together they weave a lovely song, notes rising high into the air, swirling around an enchanted audience.

When it ends, both performers give a bow, as if the entire affair had come to a close. Without hinting at what was to come, you switch places with the eldest Dimitrescu daughter. A deep breath rattles your ribcage as you find your center, reaching out to take Daniela’s hand, the two of you raising your arms upward in a display of union. For the first time this evening, Lady Alcina narrows her eyes in what feels like disapproval. But you pay her no mind. Instead you sit alongside your beloved, quietly settling into your practiced position.

There is no introduction for this song. No announcement, no showmanship, nor even a countdown into the symphony. Simply, like exhaling a breath, the two of you start to play. Your phrases echo hers, and vice versa, calling and answering, accompanying all the while, natural as anything holy in the wild. ‘Tis the second shortest song of the night, only long enough to showcase the degree of your partnership with Daniela. As the song crescendos into an ending, you manage to meet the gaze of your employer. Perhaps it is merely an illusion of hope, or a reflection of lights above, but you swear you see tears in her eyes.

“Outstanding, incredible,” she praises, rising to her feet alongside her other daughters, clapping all the while. Once again you rise to your feet, hand clasped with Daniela’s, bowing as deeply as you can manage. Before you can even process what’s happening, your girlfriend is being pulled away from you, swept up into the arms of her mother. Desperation digs like a knife into your heart, as you ache to celebrate with her, but you remain ever in the guise of a professional. “You did amazing, my dear. I cannot begin to describe how proud I am.” The family gathers around each other, buzzing with affection fit to make the hardest of hearts melt. You are left on the outside, awkwardly waiting, without a hint of acknowledgment.

Even if this concert was a measure of your skill as a teacher, Lady Dimitrescu had never bothered to consider you more than another servant. This night was about Daniela. About your secret girlfriend, the brightest star in all the skies. That is not something that bothers you, nor does it surprise you. All that makes you wish to weep is the desire to kiss her. To sweep her into your arms, with celebratory kisses, singing her name as a praise to higher powers. In the end, it takes several minutes for Daniela to pull away enough to move back to you, and even then she cannot give you the reaction she yearns for.

“I’ll come by to talk to you tonight, I promise,” she whispers, as she gives you the weakest hug you have ever felt. Then she is returning to her family, clinging to her mother with a massive grin. Soon enough you are left alone on stage, quiet surrounding you, mixed feelings gnawing at the pit of your stomach. Something feels… wrong. You cannot put a name to it. No one has hinted to you what your beloved has planned, for none but her even have a clue. As soon as she is alone with her mother, as soon as she has the smallest sliver of an opportunity, she knows what she must do. “Mother… we need to talk. I... I have a confession to make.”

[simultaneously-sick-and-calm]

»pairing: Man from the Railroad!Atsuhiro x fem!reader

»word count: 3.2k

»Part 1 | IS IT A GOD INSIDE YOU, GIRL? (1st OGoA AU piece by @get-shiggy-with-it )

»summary: A deal is struck and a desire indulged.

»a/n: part two!! Thanks to my beloved @get-shiggy-with-it for beta reading for me. I hope you enjoy!

»warnings: Appalachian folklore, piv sex, fingering (f receiving), monsterfucking (if you squint), implied tragedy (mine disasters, death of workers/children), some reader backstory, historical AU 1800's mining town, Old Gods of Appalachia podcast AU, 18+ MDNI

The Man from the Railroad was no less intriguing when he returned one evening weeks later to meet with your brother. Just as you'd suspected, he’d practically leaped at the opportunity to cut a potentially lucrative deal without the ever-present gaze of your father looking over his shoulder. For years he had been trying, and failing to make dear old dad believe that he was ready to take over the company. Much to his chagrin however, it was clear that while your father didn’t really trust anyone with the specific ins and outs of the business; the man had seemed in recent years to bristle just a little less when approached by your soft questioning voice, over the harsh cut of his son’s.

This time upon entering the parlor room Atsuhiro took your hand in his own immediately, bringing it once again to the soft plush of his lips in greeting. The heat under your collar seared up the length of your neck, settling once again on your cheeks. “My darling lady! How lovely it is to see your enchanting face. A sight for sore eyes, indeed.”

“Why thank you, Sir. Once again you’re proving to be far too kind.” You brother failed to stifle a huff, clearly irritated that you were distracting his mysterious benefactor. The noise of it shook you back from the daydreams threatening to pull you under.

Pushing from your mind the thoughts of hands at your waist...or how his lips might brush over more of your skin in that same gentle way they caressed your fingers; you guided Atsuhiro’s attention to your brother, finally introducing them. “Henry, this is the Man from the Railroad who asked to see you the other night.”

“Yes, of course!” came your brother’s too jovial attempt at making himself appear likeable. Guiding your guest away without so much as acknowledging your presence. “I was so pleased to hear that you’re interested in our little family affair, kind Sir. Please follow me and we can speak more privately in the office.”

“That sounds just delightful. Lead the way, my friend.” Casting one last glance over the shoulder of his perfectly pressed suit, Atsuhiro winked and followed your brother through the office door.

And just like that, you were once again left standing alone at the desk, consumed by the lingering heat of his lips against your skin. And oh lord above you were hungry for it. It wasn’t an overly familiar feeling, admittedly, but you were no stranger to this kind of desire...to this yearning that threatened to burn you up from the inside whenever you caught wind of him. Which had been often over the last several days.

Since his appearance it seemed as though he was everywhere. Word spread of groups gathering in the large fields just outside town, all to listen to him speak. He promised them purpose, good and honest work that would better not only their own lives but those of all who surrounded them.

Fathers and sons.

Wanderers and vagrants.

All were welcome to join him in working for the Railroad. There was a place for every good, hard-working man among his ranks, and every voice who whispered about this black-suited man with the green bolo tie seemed almost as smitten as you.

Even as all the rumors and the chatter flowed like the streams at the base of the mountain. As the other young women in town flushed and swooned at the sight of the hat sitting proudly above the group of men that surrounded him; you held on to one small thing. The way that his given name tasted on your tongue. It was bitter and sweet, rolling over the plush of your lips with an uncertain kind of hope. For all the tongues that wagged about his sudden and overwhelming appearance in your small hometown, none of them referred to him by any name at all.

Only you had been bestowed the privilege--no, the honor, of having a name to breathe out into the darkest moments of night when every beautiful slope of his face occupied your mind. Those fleeting seconds when all you could hear was the gentle tone of his whispering in your ear, imagining the way that it might deepen and rasp under your kiss. The way it would feel to have your fingers intertwined with his own, or trace them delicately over the sharp line of his jaw and the gentle turn of his grin. All of a sudden the ornate handle behind you turned, startling you once again from your daydreams.

Henry’s voice, followed immediately by the soft floating drone of Atsuhiro’s were just on the other side. You caught just the tail end of their conversation as the door swung open. “Well, Henry my friend, I am simply delighted at the prospect of our future endeavors together. I think that with your manpower, and my connections we can truly turn the tide in this battle. Industry is the path to the future, and we must move along with it. Ever onward and ever forward, as they say, hmm?”

“You’re absolutely right, Sir. I think this is the start of a great partnership.” Henry hadn’t sounded so enthusiastic about anything, aside from maybe a free round of drinks at his favorite watering hole, in years. “We have many who would love to be a part of the kind of thing that you’re offering, and I think that my father especially will be looking forward to seeing all your plans come to fruition.”

Fruition. That was quite the word choice for Henry, and you did your best to stifle a chuckle. Usually by this time he was long inebriated past the point where words with a second syllable became a struggle for him. The attempt was admittedly half-hearted, and the smallest of sounds slipped out before it could be reigned back into the confines of your chest.

Thankfully, Henry was already in the midst of pulling a coat from the rack, and making his way out after a hearty handshake with his new partner. “Wonderful to meet you, and I’m sorry that I have to run out so quickly...I, uh have another meeting to get to.'' He tipped his hat in Atsuhiro’s direction and added a muffled “Sister. I’ll see you in the morning. Please make sure that the good gentleman has all of the information that he needs before you go.”

The both of you murmured farewells in return as he hurried out--no doubt late to boast about his success to the usual crowd of drunkards and fools with whom he spent most evenings. And with his hurried exit, you felt the heat under your skin creep back into its former home. Warming your face in what must have been a world record time. Absently you lifted a hand to brush a stray hair from your eyes, hoping in vain that the action might shake you out whatever state these daydreams had thrust you into. A beat passed in silence, and then another before you felt Atsuhiro’s eyes find you across the small space. He was so much closer just an hour before and still you felt like you’re burning up from the inside out at his attention.

Steeling yourself against your own hesitation, you turned to face him and tried to find your voice among the rabble of butterflies that currently occupied all of the space that used to cradle your lungs. “Henry, seemed to be rather taken with you, Sir--”

“As much as I enjoy hearing you refer to me so formally, my darling girl. You are well aware of my name.”

His hungry stare could have consumed you. In fact, the longer you stood there, with just a few steps holding the rigid distance between you, the more of you became quite certain that it would do just that. Every quip that you might have hoped to throw back sizzled away on the molten heat of your usually sharp tongue. “Y-yes, I am aware of it.”

“Then why,” three smooth strides closed the distance between you, bringing him impossibly close, “my dear, do you seem so insistent on forgetting it just when I want to hear it the most?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I know a great many things. Things that others do not, and could not know. Like the way that your lips curl so lovely around my name in the stillness of night. It's a tantalizing sound my dear, and I am eager to hear more of it."

He was so close as he spoke, the way his breath danced over your lips was astounding. Being so close to him felt similar to the way you had imagined in the several days since he last filled the space around you, but there was also something altogether unexpected about it. Everything about him seemed to surround you, compressing into a space far too small for any physical being to occupy.

The heady smell of him had you intoxicated, clinging to every inch of skin that lay exposed in the cool autumn air that rolled through the open door. His very presence was heavy, like the blankets of fog that clung for far too long at the mouths of caves, or the last sticky days of summer heat that always lingered on the mountain air.

As a child you could recall the way it felt to taste air like tonight’s on your tongue. The way that it invaded your senses, and bit back as if it had teeth all its own sharp and jagged, in their futile attempts to keep the turning seasons at bay. If it weren’t for the way Atsuhiro’s fingertips burned a path along your cheek as they moved smoothly from temple to jaw, you might have been lost to its chill.

He knew.

He knew everything.

More than just the way you spoke his given name. More than the flicker of hope that melted away at the wax seal surrounding your heart. More than the way you melted into his embrace in the same way now.

The glint in his earthen eyes gave way to something more than human, a sum of parts greater than just the man himself who now pressed his body so close to your own. And in that moment, every story your grandmother shared, every warning weaved intricately into the design of the tales came back to you. Along with one other...

Your grandfather didn’t often indulge in storytelling, but he made sure to tell you one. The one about the man from the company with a green bolo tie and sharp silver tongue, that he had met as a younger man. The man who never shared his name, but worked beside him for years to open the mine. To set your family's legacy on its path, one which would eventually lead to this great reaping of the effort he had sown generations ago. You hadn’t ever figured out if the tale was laced with warning like all the others. Honestly, you couldn’t remember any other details, but now you were quite sure that it would make no difference.

You were certain of just one thing. What he needed, and what you wanted were one and the same.

What he sought from you was an opportunity for indulgence. The shred of his humanity that remained among whatever else made up the mass of him was wavering. Flickering like the prayer candles adorning every window in every home as they mourned the things he and his revolution stole from them. He knew that you understood what he was -- what he wasn't, really, and that you weren’t afraid. The weight of your acceptance seemed to settle on his shoulders, and he crumbled into you.

“Atsuhiro...” You whispered into the lips that ghosted over your own.

He tasted like the first crisp breeze of the season. Sharp, and tinged with inevitability, but heavy with understanding that the death of all things familiar lay in wait at its heels.

Desperation overtook him, painting a new color on his usually monochrome pallet. Teeth and tongue fought hard to remain in control, and he won. Licking into your mouth and sighing beautifully when finally you relented the battle of wills and allowed him to consume you completely.

The hands that moments ago were caging you in, now began to roam. Kneading, sliding, savoring every pliable part of you. Hooking a hand beneath one of your knees, Astuhiro lifted your leg, guiding you so shift backward until you found yourself seated on the desk. You used the leverage to lock your legs around his waist and pull him into you, the action bunching your skirts around your waist. Mewling when your hips were finally pressed fully together, you felt the smirk return to his face. Finally you felt him, hard and hot, even through the few remaining layers of clothing that kept you apart.

He pulled away then, tilting your face to look up at him and relishing in the way you groaned at the loss of his heat. Not to say that he was faring much better, it had been so long since he allowed himself this small pleasure, and you were so willing. He was surprised at himself, really, for managing to hold it together this long already. “This is not the first time you have been touched like this, is it, my pet?” He purred into your ear as fingers traced a soft line up the length of your leg, halting to knead the soft flesh just inches away from where you both wanted him to be.

“No, it’s not--hmmm, please…”

He could practically feel the pulsing, the soft wet heat of your waiting cunt. The pretty sounds you made going straight to his cock, and he wanted more. He needed to hear you cry out his name in strangled ecstasy. “Please what, my darling girl? You’re doing so well for me already. Tell me what it is that you need?” he crooned, relishing in the way you preened at even the smallest bit of praise.

“I think,” you began, once again finding the bravery within yourself that his presence seemed to pull out of you, “that it is you who needs me, Atsuhiro.”

He was, for a split second, shocked at the way you took his face in both hands, pulled him to your level and kissed him hard. It was beautiful, this growing fire in you, and as it overtook his senses, he thought for a moment about how he could have loved it--could have loved you--in another life. Or even in his own, back when he was truly just a man. When his name was his own to give freely and did not come with so steep a price.

But now was not the time to linger on such fantasies.

The hand trapped between your bodies made quick work of your underwear, baring your needy cunt to him at last. And Atsuhiro groaned, an altogether animal sound at the slick he found waiting for him there, and he used its abundance to ease first one long finger, then a second, in time into the heat of you. Stroking gently, he explored the soft velvet of your walls until he found it, the spot that made you keen against him. The dark whimper of his given name that fell from your lips when he began to circle the bundle of nerves in sync, was almost more than he could bear. Never in all his time spent on this wretched earth, had he heard something so beautiful.

Now, you were no sweet spring blossom, innocence was something you left behind long ago. But the delicious way he played your body like a violin was foreign indeed. None of the clumsy hands that rushed to lift your skirts had ever made you feel so good.

"Astu--Ah!" You gasped against his shoulder, feeling for all intents like a spring wound too tightly. One hand wound itself tightly in his silky hair and the other blindly searching for the smooth buckle at his waist. Panting, struggling for words between ragged breaths. "Wait! Wait, I--fuck--I want to feel you."

"Yes, of course my dear."

Sliding from your seat on the desk, you beckoned him to follow and settled back into the plush of the sofa. You barely caught the way that his breath hitched as you finally loosed him from the confinement of his clothes. Taking a moment to admire him, you allowed your fingers to trace the lines. Strong smooth stomach giving way to slender hips and and cock that you might even say was pretty. Impressive, certainly, but not in any way that made you fear pain. Rather he looked as though he was made to fit together with you just right.

And oh, how perfect it was.

Atsuhiro trembled as he sank to the hilt into your warmth, and the both of you sighed as he began to move.

Slowly.

Gently.

The moment stretched and was reverent in a way, as though the both of you understood its gravity. He angled and nudged that heavenly spot again, and the way you clenched around him forced a low groan into the air between you.

He looked up with wide eyes, struck again by the reality of you.

Never in any of the handful of times that he'd chosen to indulge in his baser instincts had the object of his fixation been anything more than a pretty face and a warm body, in the end. And he had the small handful of marbles in his breast pocket to prove it. Each one a reminder that he was no longer Sako Atsuhiro. He couldn't risk leaving a loose pair of loose lips with something so powerful as his own name.

But you…

You were something altogether different than the rest. Unexpected. Secure.

He could lose himself in you.

And as you came undone around him with a whimper of his given name, he did just that. Vaulting with you over the precipice. He worked you both through the high, and in return you kissed him deeply.

A while later, still entwined on the old velvet sofa, your name, whispered softly in the surrounding stillness pulled you back from the edge of sleep.

"Hmm?" You asked gently, afraid to disturb the peace. You knew that this was borrowed time.

"You know that I cannot--"

You silenced him with lips against his own. "I know."

"Thank you, my dear."

--

You awoke the next morning to a stack of those shiny cards on the desk, and a note. Scrawled quickly over the surface were just a handful of words.

These are for the men that your brother wishes to send my way. Keep none for yourself. Ever onward and ever forward.

-A

Next to them in the slim vase where you'd left the blue marble, now was only a long white feather. Very much like the one you'd noticed missing from his hat.

[houseboatisland]

I'm rather curious for your own takes on Thom Thom~✨💙

Edit credit to @/ComradeOpThomas from Twitter, this is my ideal Thomas!

(Season 5 Thomas is the best Thomas, I don’t make the rules)

I started this hoping for it not to become a whole biography, but it just kept pouring out of me, so here's a very, very long post indeed lol

Thomas is NOT an L.B.S.C.R. E2 Class. He’s actually a unique design born to the North Western Railway in its earliest days… and in remarkably sad circumstances.

When the Railway Executive Committee first took over in August 1914, they were repulsed at the state of the Sudrian railways. Here were several argumentative companies operating in isolation from one another, with geriatric engines and stock, and one of them hadn't even run a train or maintained its permanent way since the start of the century. A key agenda item of the R.E.C.'s was a continuous, efficient railway system to quickly move men and materiel to the Island's eastern coast were Ireland to side with Kaiser Bill against John Bull. The existing standard gauge railways would have to be more or less torn up and rebuilt from scratch, and several new miles of track laid in to make for a single fluid network.

This required, among other things, many new engines. Several came over the Channel as and when could be spared by the Mainland, but as it became increasingly clear that the war would not be over "by Christmas," this wasn't an ideal long-term solution. The R.E.C. was especially upset that it had to put so many of its tender engines onto construction trains when their strength could be better used on other work. Two tank engines off the former Wellsworth and Suddery Railway, No. 1 "Short" and No. 2 "Stumpy" were by now nearing fifty years old, and exhausted mechanically.

The R.E.C., out to keep costs down and use resources to the fullest, ordered the N.W.R. to scrap these two engines and use the best parts of each to create one new engine. Measurements were taken, plans were hastily drawn up, and Short and Stumpy were quietly cut up in January 1915. Several fittings were made new for what odds and ends neither engine could contribute a usable part. The resulting new engine was "Thomas," who was put to work fresh off the shop floor.

Thomas at this point became the N.W.R.’s No. 1 quite by accident. He was the first engine to be built at Crovan’s Gate, and the REC misinterpreted this on his builder’s plates as an intention by the N.W.R. TO make him No. 1. So when Thomas gained his number, the R.E.C. and the N.W.R. both assumed this was deliberate by one another. And it was just too much of a hassle and too unimportant to change, so No. 1 he stayed.

As for his name, Thomas is named after Thomas Reginald Payne, the North Western Railway's first Chief Mechanical Engineer. Payne had made Thomas' construction a reality, from drawing up his blueprints to supervising his piecing together. Payne, who was CME from 1914 to his death in 1951, never forgot this connection to "his" engine, and often wanted to be on the shop floor whenever Thomas was in for repairs.

Thomas’ “infancy” was in a word, harsh. He was working around the clock, surrounded by engines who came and went, and did little if any socializing. Foremen were ordering him about at every turn. His first friend ever was the new N.W.R. No. 2, Edward, the former Wellsworth and Suddery Railway’s No. 5 and only tender engine, who knew his old crewmates were chopped up to make Thomas. Thankfully, Edward knew better than to let Thomas in on this, lest he give him some sort of existential crisis, and he made quick work of making himself a mentor to the little engine.

In these conditions, Thomas’ “cheeky” and anti-authoritarian streak took shape. His whole life thus far had been work and taking lumps from his superiors, most of whom were English and not Sudrian. This morphed into a disrespect for big engines, who wanted him to be their errand boy as construction work began to ebb and focus shifted to running trains. Ever the contrarian, Thomas only doubles down on his disrespect for tender engines when he finds out that that’s “the traditional order of things.” Edward is of course exempt from this attitude, but in his tensest moments Thomas can even lose patience with HIM momentarily.

The war finally ends. January 1919 sees the N.W.R. out to make an identity for itself as peacetime takes hold and Parliament quietly rumbles about Grouping or outright Nationalization. Thomas is the first engine to wear "Hatt Blue with Red Stripes," the company's planned standard livery. This isn't unique to him for long, however, and Thomas' new line of work from hereon is Station Pilot for Vicarstown. Needless to say this is upsetting to him. He's not moving up and down the Island like he was when building the railway. He's still rushed off his wheels. He's expected to be answerable to tender engines as he makes up their trains. Most importantly, he's still having as much difficulty as before to make time to make friends. This new job is in every respect everything Thomas could have wanted to avoid, and there's no telling if he'll ever even get out of it. January 1919 is thus where "Wants to See the World" Thomas begins.

Thomas still gets to see Edward regularly, and he is for a pinch joined by two other tank engines shunting at Vicarstown. They're also ex-Wellsworth and Suddery Railway, Nos. 3 and 4 "Edwin" and "Victor." Thomas befriends Victor, who is a friendly old joker, but dislikes Edwin who has become cranky in his old and as a 2-4-0T has a tendency to slip and not be of much help. They leave him too, in 1922, when The Fat Director relocates them to run other branchlines on the Island. So, 1922 onward, we meet Thomas as the sole pilot, thoroughly busy and thoroughly lonely.

This seems more or less canon, but The Fat Director probably sent Thomas to Wellsworth after his runaway with Edward's trucks in anticipation of giving him the Ffarquhar Branch once he was a matured engine. He didn't give Thomas the line just because he rescued James in fine style, that was really what made his mind up.

Thomas looks kindly enough on Henry as a big engine at this time, he and Edward as mentioned aren't necessarily the kinds of "Big Engines" he dislikes. He'll occasionally give him a tease or two, or lose patience with his health, (something he now deeply regrets years later,) but there's no real malice in it. Think of him as the little brother poking fun at his bigger brother for having one arm in a cast, but altogether still feeling sorry for him and accommodating him how he can. Henry for his part appreciates Thomas, but takes his teasing very seriously considering how sensitive and implicating it is to, you know, his whole existence.

My idea of Thomas' relationship with Gordon is heavily inspired by @/mean-scarlet-deceiver's: Thomas is initially awed by Gordon's arrival and finally confident the N.W.R. can survive, but quickly resents him when he shows his true colors as a "big engine" through and through. I wouldn't even call Gordon and Thomas "friendly" until their alliance at Toryreck Mine. From 1923 all the way up to then, depending on when you place it, they... legitimately dislike each other. There's no affection beneath all the ribbing and jibes, they ACTUALLY disliked each other that whole period of time.

I'm still hashing out my headcanon of 98462 and 87546, (just know that those aren't actually their numbers,) but it's safe to say Thomas hates their guts, and '62 and '46 hate his guts in return as a servant willing to speak up for himself.

Thomas and James were a couple from 1924 to 1933, when they broke up amid the Big Engine Strike. I'd really rather reserve this for a post of its own at a later date.

Thomas and Percy are good friends, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them "best friends" like the TVS has so often hammered in. They clearly come to blows whenever the tension's too much. I like to explain that away as a shift in Thomas' character. With him doing more passenger work as Percy and Toby handle the stone trains, and his increasing fame, Thomas begins looking down on Percy, not long after he transferred to Ffarquhar in 1955 in fact. This might also have to do with unresolved feelings between them both. (Hey, remember that little green engine you kissed once just to try it over twenty years ago? He's your roommate now, probably forever. Play nice!)

[nightfrostshadow]

Stolen Hearts

Villain smirked as she raised prepared to jump off the roof right into the alley Hero had decided to run into. It was a dead end after all, Hero was going nowhere.

All of a sudden someone grabbled her arm and she tumbled to the floor due to the momentum. She prepared to brace her fall but realized it was unnecessary as she had landed on – she looked down in equal parts of surprise and annoyance to see who had stopped her from going after Hero and had yet been gracious enough to brace her from the fall he had caused. Supervillain. She got up in a huff and ran to the edge of the roof only to see Hero running off far out of reach by now no doubt having taken advantage of the fact. She sighed. It would have to be done another day now.

She turned around to face Supervillain arms on her hips ready to berate him.

He smiled as he stood up and reached out his hand. “Nice to meet you I’m Supervillain.”

Villain stared as she did the same out of courtesy while she smiled. They knew who the other was except they hadn’t met each other formally. Well, it wasn’t all bad. Supervillain was incredibly handsome after all. She could find Hero another day.

Before she could say another word Supervillain crossed his arms as he stood and with a mischievous smile said, “Hey why don’t you return what you stole from me Villain?”

Villain stared at him in bewilderment , “I literally just met you what are you talking about?”

“My heart Villain, you stole it.”

Villain smirked as she felt her heart flutter slightly, well two could play at that game. “Now, why ever would I do that? I’m a villain darling, I don’t return things I steal. 

Luckily for you, every story needs a villain. So let me be in yours.”

Supervillain smiled as his heart pounded in his chest, his ears beginning to feel hot, “Well I’m one too you know?”

Villain laughed as she spoke, her eyes shining, “Well then our story is going to be extra special.”

“We both fell for each other a moment ago didn’t we?”

 They both burst into laughter at the pun as they both looked at the setting sun with a slowly growing warmth in their hearts.

Villain smiled at him with a gleam in her eyes. “I won’t be returning your heart you know but I will have something here for you tomorrow. Right here, same time.”

With that she was off. Running over the roofs no doubt back to her home.

Supervillain smiled as he watched her fade into the distance and thought to himself. Tomorrow is going to be a lovely day.

The next day Villain showed up with an enormous bouquet of flowers. So did Supervillain. Both looked at each other and laughed. “Great minds think alike.”

“Guess we both raided flower shops. Lets see which one of us is better at crime shall we Supervillain?”

“Challenge accepted.”

Villain waked over to him as she placed her bouquet in his hand and took the one meant for her.

He looked into her eyes, “I love the shade of the flowers but do you know what’s even prettier? The shade of your eyes,” he said as he tucked back a strand of her hair. He moved his finger to trail around her mask, “I can tell you are absolutely beautiful even though you have a mask on. Somehow it makes you look even more mysterious and stunning.”

Villain smiled at him and with her heart madly beating inside her chest as she felt the blood rush to her face thankfully the mask covered her cheeks she winked at him, “You know what? We’re even about the hearts because it looks like you’ve stolen mine too.”

With that she hastily made an exit along with her flowers.

Supervillain grinned as he watched her leap off the roof and land gracefully as she walked off hugging the flowers tightly.

Hero happened to come across them one day after finally figuring out that two villains had decided to raid the flower shops. That was definitely a different crime. She now found out why.

She decided that the best plan of action would be to make them go on a date so maybe they would fall in love and not commit crimes? Hero clearly had doubts about this plan but decided to try anyway. She wrote down a message on a piece of paper and folded it into an airplane and threw it at the two villains from her secret hiding spot.

Supervillain and Villain were in the middle of seeing who had managed to steal the better chocolate for the other when the plane flew out of nowhere and landed at their feet.

They picked it up.

Its almost time for dinner why don’t you guys go eat at a cool restaurant?

They both stared at the paper and started laughing. “Its obviously a trap why would we fall for that now?”

“Besides I’m not even hungry,” Villain grinned. “Guess we’ve got company here but we’ll have to disappoint them because I’m going back home now.”

The next day Hero called Sidekick to come help her. Together they set up a picnic up on the roof with candles and flowers and a cake which was shaped like a heart.

“Hero, what makes you think this is a good idea? Clearly you have no clue how to be a wingman do you?” Sidekick sighed as she lit the candles, “and neither do I so it’ll be a miracle if we pull this off.”

Hero shushed her, “Nobody can resist cake,” she said as she pulled her onto another roof where they could hide and watch.

The two villains arrived as usual and stared as they took in the sight. They looked around suspiciously.

“Looks like someone knows where we are everyday.”

“Guess we have to meet somewhere else now.”

Supervillain hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the cake. Heart shaped. I have an idea now.

After they both left Hero and sidekick gloomily came out of their hiding spots and sat down to eat the cake while thinking of a new plan.

From that day onwards the crimes increased in the city. It started off with simple ones like thefts of flowers and chocolates and much more but slowly they started getting more dangerous when suddenly a whole bunch of people had gone missing.

Hero and Sidekick finally managed to track down the villains new meeting spot.

“Well, I thought the heart made of corpses was very touching. I do love the colour red you know,” Villain said with a dark smile, “To thank you I’ll get you a real heart next time. Or would you like to cut it out together? I already have a person in mind,” she said with a sinister smile. “I haven’t seen Hero lately; I suppose we can hunt her down together.”

Meanwhile in their hiding spot Hero and Sidekick stared at each other with mouths agape in horror and shock.

They had killed people just to make a heart shape? They were planning to cut out Hero’s heart next?

Hero and Sidekick realized that they had to work out a plan that got them to finally date like normal people instead of… whatever it is they were doing.

What they didn’t take into account was that when two villains fall in love, the story gets a lot more exciting and dangerous.

[flutteringdreams-matw]

The tortoise is employed thus. The burglar has with him a flint-stone and a candle about as big as a little finger. He lights the candle and sticks it on the tortoise’s back. The tortoise is then introduced through the breach into the house, and it crawls slowly around, thereby illuminating the house and its contents

This was a difficult ask - only because I tried very VERY hard to fit it into the Road to Normal shorts. Apologises for it taking longer @profoundoperatorstatesmanopera ! Also - sorry, I used google translate... someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

By a Candle (The Road to Normal 15)

The burglar moved quietly against the building, holding a mess of objects against their side. They hid in the shadows, side stepping to avoid the brightly shining lights above.

“Where is it,” the burglar murmured to their partner, feeling the stone against their free hand. Finding the doorknob, they turned it slowly, counting their lucky stars that it was open. Probably thought no one would break in. Quietly, they descended the stairs, careful not to alert anyone working below. Thankfully, the lab below was dim - no one was there.

Gingerly, the burglar put down their partner in crime, reaching for the candle and flint at their side.

“Okay, listen here you reptil inútil,” they hissed, crouching down to put said candle on its back. “All you got to do is walk from here to the desk. Got me?”

The tortoise’s head slowly emerged from its shell, blinking up as the burglar lit the candle.

“Hello - you understand right? Manson said you were the smartest one,” they drawled, waving their hand in front of the reptile. It blinked again, turning slowly toward the inner part of the lab. They sighed, frustrated. “Serves me right for listening to that goth freak. Said you were fast too - else I’d take the hamster. Or was it the guinea pig?”

The burglar waited impatiently as the creature moved throughout the lab, illuminating a general area for them to search.

What they didn’t expect was for the Fentons to be in the lab. Or to be enamoured by the dumb tortoise as it crawled across the lab, trapping the burglar in one section of it. Or for the weirdos to think it was a ghost.

Or for them to be down there for two hours.

How was she supposed to find it now?

:-=-:

“Why are you in the dark?” Jazz asked, flipping the lights. Her eyes found her parents quickly, huddled in the middle of the lab over… “Is that a tortoise?”

“Ghost tortoise!” Jack corrected, waving her over. “Too bad your brother isn’t around to see it.”

“Jack,” Maddie started, frowning. She sat up, studying the reptile as it continued onward, looking embarassed. “The candle is tied to its back. I don’t think-“

“Why is there a livetortoise in the lab!?” Jazz exclaimed, rushing over to it. She blew out the candle, watching the smoke wisp upward and the animal stopping, retreating back into its shell.

“It’s a ghost!” Jack replied earnestly.

Maddie and Jazz looked at each other. “Does it react to the ghost scanners?” Jazz asked.

“No.”

“Or have an aura now that the candle’s out?” Maddie added.

“Uh…. No.”

“So why did the two of you think it was a ghost?” Jazz asked exasperatedly. “Seriously, sometimes I wonder how you didn’trealize there was a ghost living -“

Clang.

All three Fentons turned, bristling in surprise as the burglar knocked over a metal object. Quickly, both parents drew weapons, but it was Jazz to recognized the intruder.

“Paulina?”

“Ugh,” Paulina muttered, raising her hands in surrender as Jack and Maddie lowered their weapons. “Oh hi,” she said sweetly, batting her eyes. “I’m like, so sorry but I was just looking for something to help me contact a friend of mine. Fen- I mean Danny let me in.”

Jazz frowned sceptically. “Which friend?”

“Oh… just the ghost boy,” she said dreamily. “I lost his number a few weeks ago and I just… if anyone would have it, it’d be you all.”

Jack, Maddie and Jazz looked at each other quizzically, looked at the clock and grinned. Danny was still on patrol and wouldn’t be back for another hour.

“He wouldn’t like this would he?” Maddie whispered to Jazz.

Jazz smirked. “Nope,” she replied. “And it wouldn’t do too much harm. Just make him embarrassed for a few hours. Besides - I owe him for earlier.”

“Well girlie, of course we have his number!” Jack boomed. Paulina was ecstatic, positively glowing as the orange clad man made his way over to a desk and scribbled down something on a piece of paper. “Any friend of Phantom is a friend of ours.”

:-=-:

“Let me get this straight... Paulina broke into the lab -“

“Yep.”

“In the middle of the night-“

“Correct.”

“With a Tortoise and a candle -“

“Uh-huh.”

“To find Phantom’s phone number?”

“You betcha.”

“And you gave it to her!?”

“Relax son, we didn’t give her Phantom’s number. We gave her your number.”

“… I… I have no words.”

The phone on the table lit up for the thirty-sixth time in the last hour.

“No wait - I do. Can I change my number?”

Links to previous: Eye for an Eye Infinite Realms Girls Night Out Torrent of Terror Forever Phantom Urban Jungle Livin' Large Boxed Up Fury Frightmare Claw of the Wild D-Stabilized Kingdom Come The C.A.T. New Normal Ectostorm Series

Suggestions welcome! Just put them in my asks and I'll get to them when I can :)

[snarkywrites]

October Horoscopes: Feeling Empowered

October is a very important month. It is filled with Cardinal energy that begins with the Full Moon in Aries on the very first day and ends with the Full Moon in Taurus on the 31st. Changes are on the horizon and although the year has been filled with changes, now we really get to see them begin. Those old chapters are closing, with this Aries energy pushing us to be brave in our choices. Venus enters Virgo on the 2nd, and this planet will be comfortable with Saturn as a powerful trine forms on October 24th. If you are in a committed relationship, this can be a great period for you. The month will initiate the final Mercury Retrograde of the year beginning on the 13th in Scorpio and it will re-enter Libra on the 27th. Mercury will oppose Uranus on the 7th, so expect the unexpected around this transit. We will experience that New Moon in Libra on the 16th which will oppose Mars, there will be frustrating moments here. A reminder to take it easy. The Sun enters Scorpio on the 22nd, allowing us to enter another Water Season filled with the drive and energy that Mars in Aries is delivering. Scorpio’s traditional ruler is Mars, so this is another surprise awaiting us. Finally, the big star of this show is the Full Moon in Taurus on the 31st. It will oppose Uranus and it will add more of that instability. But by now we should all know to keep calm and be patient while we look onward to November.

Aries – The month begins with a Full Moon in your sign on the first. This is an enlightening period for you, where you fearlessly face challenges with a little more courage and strength. Your card for the month is Judgement, making this even more profound as it will represent your awakening and your moment to shine brighter than before. Venus enters Virgo on October 2nd, another perfect transit for you, since it will continue with the Full Moon’s theme, which is to get back to basics and finding that drive within you. Pluto goes direct on the 4th, once more allowing you to see your path without any fear. The energy of this transit will uplift you (believe it or not) because you now understand the path you will take and are more confident in your career choices. Mercury goes retrograde on the 13th, making you experience some nostalgic memories from relationships in the past. However, this New Moon in Libra on the 16th, is a time that will once more have you focusing on you. Let your independent spirit shine this month as it closes with the Full Moon in Taurus, providing you grounding energies that will help you feel powerful and ready to take on the world.

Taurus – Stepping into October you are going to enjoy the Venusian energy with one of the more interesting events, the Full Moon in your sign happening at the end of the month. But the month starts with a Full Moon in Aries which keeps you at pace with work and creativity. Your ruler, Venus changes signs to Virgo on the 2nd, boosting more of your creative energy and fueling more inspiration. This transit has you feeling in your element since it is in a fellow Earth sign. With the Page of Pentacles Reversed this month, you have the vision, the plans but might be lacking in confidence. Do not fret because things look favorable for you especially with Saturn now direct and ready to change signs in the next few months. On the 4th, we will all experience Pluto goes direct, making you more aware of your ideologies and experiences this year. On the 13th, Mercury goes retrograde, making the focal point on relationships for you. Take this time to create peace and not chaos since you might discover some things that relate to your partnerships. On the 16th, the New Moon in Libra will have you focusing on making career moves and changes. The Sun changes signs to Scorpio on the 22nd, another moment that will be highlighting relationships and this transit can be intense. Patience is a virtue this month for you.

Gemini – Many Geminis will want to get their focus back, especially with Saturn currently direct and ready to make its way out of the sign of Capricorn later this year. The benefits of the October transits are that they will have you in your air element. The Emperor Reversed is your card for the month, a sign you are ready to reclaim your power and this Full Moon in Aries on October 1st, is your sign that you are ready and you’ve got this. The transit will have you feeling unstoppable for the next several weeks, your only concern will be to watch what you have to say. Venus enters Virgo on the 2nd, allowing you to get more of that grounding energy at home and to reflect on things. On the 16th, this New Moon in Libra will bring joy and excitement to your life and will make you brave enough to seek a new relationship (if you have been looking). Mercury goes retrograde on the 13th but it will retrograde back in Libra on the 27th, so expect to deal with folks from the past during this transit. But on the same day, Venus enters Libra, boosting your courage and making you more charming to everyone around you. Your card for the month will be reflected here as well, as you reclaim power and control in relationships. The month ends with a powerful Full Moon on the 31st, prompting you to get rest and get prepared for the next month.

Cancer – The Cardinal signs are really going to feel this energy during the month of October. On the 1st day, the Full Moon in Aries is a wakeup call for all of us to make changes, to be fearless and hopeful. Whatever we initiated earlier this year will start to manifest now, so for you this might involve career and your future purpose. The Six of Swords fits perfectly with this transition that you will be going through this month as you look towards the culmination of the year. Venus enters Virgo on the 2nd, allowing you to plan for the next phase with a lot of meticulousness. You will be able to juggle a lot of responsibilities now and your creative energy will be magnified. Pluto direct on the 4th sets the tone with how you approach relationships. What you learned during the retrograde may or may not be applied now. Remember to control your anger since Mars is still wreaking havoc and to think before you speak, especially with Mercury Retrograde beginning on the 13th and it will retrograde back in Libra on the 27th, the same day Venus changes signs. A lot of your focus this month will be on home, so try to maintain the peace and not argue with your partner or friends over irrelevant things. That square to your sign is still present and will persist towards November. The month has us leaping for joy on the 31st, which is Halloween and when the Full Moon enters the sign of Taurus. This will be a doozy, but it will present a favorable sextile to your sign, bringing you closer to friends and enjoying the day as you reconnect and allow yourself some fun with those who care for you.

Leo – This Full Moon in Aries on the 1st will have you amped up since it is in fire and you need that recharge. If you have been in a slump, this energy has you going with ferocity and drive to meet with Mars currently in the same sign. Venus enters Virgo on the 2nd, adding a little boost to finances or you might see an awakening in your self-care routine. Make sure not to splurge this month, but thankfully, the trine Venus will make to Saturn will have us second guessing any impulsive methods. With the New Moon in Libra on the 16th, you have the eye of many and what you say will bring some attention towards you. Be careful not to be too impulsive with Mars in opposition to the Moon and Mercury Retrograding back into Libra on the 27th might make you want to bite your tongue. When the Sun enters Scorpio on the 22nd, you will feel settled at home and relaxed but expect some surprises around the second week of this transit. The Eight of Cups appears in your reading showing a very nostalgic vibe that might be brought up during the Full Moon in Taurus on the 31st. This is your month to find the courage to make changes and find strength within. Your friends might help you overcome whatever doubt you feel. Happy Halloween!

Virgo – Strength is your card for the month and after this Full Moon transit in Aries, you will be on your way to getting it. This Full Moon will be a reminder of the past and an important moment to confront those fears and pain. Libra Season is a great opportunity to let go, especially with Mars in Aries, making those changes for you, even if it feels uncomfortable. On the 2nd, Venus enters your sign which is a very favorable transit. You will be able to step into the light and feel a little more confident in yourself through all the Aries transits. More of the impact of your past relationships will be highlighted with Pluto going direct on the 4th. A time to move forward and with that Aries impact, finding the strength to cut those ties that bound you. One of the interesting things that this Mercury Retrograde has in store for you on the 13th, will involve reconnecting with friends and family. You might enjoy this transit but there will still be some conflicts with the Mercury opposition to Uranus. Get ready because it will be a bumpy ride. The New Moon in Libra on the 16th has a lighter feel but still stressful. However, this is your moment to truly find yourself through setting goals for a greater foundation in the next six months. It all comes to focus when the Full Moon graces us on the 31st, bringing you enlightenment and optimism for the journey ahead.

Libra – Its finally your birthday season and there are a lot of changes this month for you. October kicks off with a Full Moon in Aries on the 1st, illuminating your house of partnerships and allowing yourself to make those drastic changes you need to bring some inner peace. Relationships that are not serving you might end and those that are stable will be stronger. On the 2nd, Venus enters the sign of Virgo, allowing you to take a relaxing moment to yourself. If you have been working hard, here is a good time to take things easier so you can plan for the future. With the Two of Wands in your reading for the month, you are excited and on the verge of creating new things and abandoning any sense of fear. This will tie in perfectly with the New Moon in your sign on the 16th, a time to set your sights on greater things. Mars is helping you evolve, find your independence and this month will have you in that transformative period. Saturn is direct and Pluto will be joining it on the 4th, a good time to feel stronger since the square to your sign will be alleviated just a bit now that this planet can move on (if only for a bit). Mercury will go retrograde back in your sign on the 27th and Venus also enters your sign that day. Prepare for a lot of communication mishaps, but with Venus there, you might experience a moment of glam and moments of fame (if only temporarily).

Scorpio – We are just a few weeks away from Scorpio season! For now, we will begin this month with the Full Moon in Aries on the 1st, get ready to show everyone once again who is boss. You can handle this as the transit pushes you more into the spotlight and gives you an additional drive to get things done. The benefic Venus transit on the 2nd is a lot more favorable for you since you have the time now to chill with friends, family and even get some positive feedback on social media. Your card for the month is the Seven of Swords Reversed. Remember to be wary of those around you, be careful with what you are handling and to always be on the lookout. You just never know who might be shady around you. Nevertheless, things continue to look up for you this month with Pluto going direct on the 4th, no more tension between you and others. This is great since you will have the insight to properly communicate with others without creating unintentional drama. The Full Moon in your sister sign Taurus appears towards the end of the month on the 31st, a time to let go of people who are not fulfilling your emotional needs or this is a time to change the dynamic in relationships for the better. Expect to level up in friendships or romantic relationships after this transit.

Sagittarius – In a month, we will be entering Scorpio and your season. How time flies. The month begins with a huge Full Moon on the 1st, which is beneficial for you since it is in fellow fire sign Aries. This is a time for you to relax, rejoice and maybe even pursue some romance. With the Two of Pentacles as your card for the month, you re gearing towards making some very important choices that will impact your personal life and perhaps, even your career. Venus enters Virgo on the 2nd and the energy of the card for the month syncs nicely with this transit. It is a favorable and pleasing transit to have amidst all of this air and fire. You will be prompted to be more careful with your work, as you will focus your energy on creating perfection. The New Moon in Libra on the 16th is an important one since it will reflect the fruits of your labor. Stay that extra step ahead, plan, focus and wait. This is not the month for impatience. The month ends with a powerful Full Moon in Taurus, which ties once more to work, career, or school. Many fruitful things can happen now, as a chapter closes. Expect some surprises since it will be conjunct Uranus.

Capricorn – A month riddled with those challenges you are already used to. Your card for the month is the Ten of Wands Reversed, showing that you are going to come out of this with more strength. On the 1st, the Full Moon in Aries will serve as a wakeup call, getting you ready to take charge as the home and career houses are highlighted for you. Try to strike a balance and although it is challenging with Mars bringing some drastic changes to your home dynamics, you are still in command. When Venus enters Virgo on the 2nd, you will adore this grounding energy as it brings you some peace in the Cardinal party. This is a time to get focused, perfect your craft because people will take notice next month. The New Moon in Libra on the 16th is huge for you. Set your intentions, get your work done and refined because this can prove to be a groundbreaking transit for you that will persist until 2021. When Mercury Retrogrades back into the sign of Libra on the 27th (the same day Venus enters Libra), you will do best to treat this transit as a meditative one. If you are filled with frustration, take it easy because it can be brutal for you. Practice patience and keep working hard this month because you will see a lot of successes in November.

Aquarius – With the Full Moon in Aries on the 1st, you are radiating with lots of compassion, devotion, and mental stimulation. This Full Moon transit will put things in perspective as you feel appreciated by both friends and family. Things start to get interesting when Venus enters Virgo on the 2nd. You will be hyper focused on your relationships as well as your own stability. It can be a great transit to heal and confront any pain that has been haunting you. Venus brings a calming and grounding energy that will allow you to let go and feel stronger than before. Pluto direct on the 4th welcomes new focus and purpose. You feel enlightened and more compelled to connect with a higher being. This can be a spiritual transit for you, providing you with more clarity and focus. The New Moon in Libra on the 16th is a time for you to rejoice since it is in fellow air sign. The perfect time to consider learning new things and to explore topics or places you have been curious to see. Venus enters Libra on the 27th, adding the feel of the Seven of Cups energy. Be wary of who is providing you with those beautiful cups or gifts. Stay grounded, be vigilant and enjoy the excitement Libra season will bring you.

Pisces – Graceful Venus will be in your sister sign, Virgo on the 2nd and she will stay there until the 27th. This will be a time filled with excitement for you because Mercury goes retrograde on the 13th in Scorpio. All these transits point that there could be moments where you are pushed to think on the past relationships and if you have struggled to let go, things are looking up in your favor. Pluto goes direct on the 4th and this planet, along with the other three in Capricorn, will contributing to your evolution for the remainder of the year. These are moments to let go of the past and step forward. Your card for the month is the Three of Cups Reversed, again, adding to the theme of letting go and healing. You are in a stage of empowerment especially with this Full Moon in Aries on the first, setting the tone for the next few months. Towards the end of the month, on the 31st, we will witness the Full Moon in Taurus which will be another powerful transit that offers you clarity, momentum, and courage.