#thanks for understanding!! i'll try to have them done within the next few days

[jeankluv]

The forgotten boy - Geto Suguru | Chapter 05

words: 3.2k

summary: He made a deal with the devil, over 1,000 years ago. Just for the sake of his loved ones but the deal came with a condition. Everyone he met from that moment on, would forget about his existence within minutes, and will be like that for the rest of the eternity

Like that Geto Suguru lived for 1,000 years, being forgotten by everyone he met, not being remembered by anyone and being alone.

"You remember me?"

You nodded. “Of course I do.” You smiled. “You have been coming here for a few days now. Always at the same hour and always asking for the same coffee.”

ac: _3aem

tags: angst, fluff, fantasy au, different lifetimes, dual pov, use of y/n, fem!character, modern settings but also past settings, eventual smut, destiny, characters death (in the flashbacks), blood [more tags in the future]

notes: hellooooo new chapter ☺️ I hope everyone enjoys it

materialist | previous chapter | next chapter

jujutsu kaisen materialist

Suguru looked at the ceiling of your living room as he stroked Blue's black fur, which was purring on top of his stomach. It had been two hours since you had said goodbye and since then Suguru had dedicated himself to looking at the ceiling. There were nights where he did manage to sleep but others in which that need never came.

That night was one of them, his body was fresh as a rose and Suguru knew that the only thing he had left to do was watch the time pass, as he had done countless times.

Blue stood up from his stomach and ran towards your door. Suguru looked at her strangely at the feline's sudden behavior. But when he started to pay attention, he noticed sobs and noises coming from your room.

He quickly got up and approached her door, knocking gently at first but then more firmly when there was no response. “Y/N, are you okay?” He shouted, concerned in his voice. When he still received no response, he decided to take action.

"Y/N, I'm coming in." He said in a firm voice, holding the door handle.

Suguru opened the door and found the room dimly lit by the soft glow of the streetlights filtering through the curtains. His eyes quickly adjusted to the low light and he approached your bed, where he could see you tossing and turning with your brow furrowed in anguish.

He reached out and gently shook your shoulder. “Y/N, wake up.” He said softly, trying to snap you out of whatever nightmare was haunting you. When you didn't respond, he sat on the edge of the bed and called your name again, his voice soft but insistent.

Finally, your eyes opened and you looked at him, disoriented and shaken. "Suguru?" You whispered, your voice shaking.

"It's okay, you're safe." He reassured you, his hand resting gently on your arm. “You were having a nightmare.”

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself as the remnants of the nightmare began to fade.

“Thank you.” You murmured, feeling a wave of relief wash over you.

Suguru gave you a reassuring smile. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly, ready to listen if you needed to share.

You shook your head slightly. “Not now…” You replied, voice still a little shaky. "I just... I just need a moment."

He nodded, understanding. "Take all the time you need. I'm going to go get a glass of water for you to drink." He said in a warm, soothing voice.

Suguru watched you for a moment longer before deciding to head to the kitchen. He could see, despite the darkness of the room, that you were pale and beads of sweat were running down your forehead.

"I'll be right back." He said quietly, wanting to give you some space to calm down.

You nodded slightly, still curled up in bed, hugging Blue and trying to calm the agitation in your body. The cat's soft purring offered some comfort as you focused on your breathing, willing your heart rate to slow down.

Suguru moved quickly but silently through the house, his mind racing with worry. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water; the coolness of the liquid offered a brief respite from her worry. As he walked back to your room, he couldn't help but think of the anguish he had seen on your face.

When he re-entered the room, he walked over to the bed and handed you the glass of water. "Take it." He said softly. “Drink this. It might help you feel a little better.”

You took the glass with trembling hands, sipping the water slowly. The cold liquid helped soothe her patchy throat and gave her a small amount of relief. Suguru sat on the edge of the bed, looking at you with a worried expression.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly, her voice filled with genuine care.

You shook your head, still feeling too shaken to put the nightmare into words. "It's not important." You murmured. “Can you just stay with me for a little while?”

Suguru held your gaze and gently nodded. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere."

As you breathed deeply and focused on Suguru and Blue's calming presence, you felt the agitation slowly begin to fade.

"Thank you." You whispered, feeling a little more at peace with each passing moment. You hesitated for a moment but finally spoke out. “I used to have this kind of nightmares when I was a kid.” Suguru turned to look at you. “When I was a teenager they stopped, but I guess now they are back.”

“You want to tell me about them? Maybe that way you can feel better.” Suguru suggested looking at you with kind eyes.

“I…” You breathed in. “I just remember being a nurse and we were surrendered by smoke and fire, it was the First World War, I think. And…” You swallowed. “Well I died.” You made a face with a shrug.

“Y/n…” He carefully approached you and caressed your arm gently.

“It felt too real Suguru… it was like I was really dying.” Suguru wrapped his arm around you and held you close to him, you felt safe being enveloped by his presence and warm touch.

“It was a nightmare, now you are here and everything is okay.” You nodded against his chest, feeling calmer thanks to his presence next to you.

Suguru stayed by your side, gently stroking your back until he felt your breathing become heavier, indicating that you had fallen into a deep sleep. He looked at your face and her eyes traced the familiar pattern of the nine freckles that adorned your skin. Together they formed a constellation, a unique map that he wanted to know and discover.

He smiled to himself, feeling a sense of calm wash over him. Watching you sleep peacefully gave him a feeling of relief and satisfaction.

With one last tender look at your serene face, Suguru closed his eyes, hoping that this time he too would find some rest.

˖✧˖°.✶₊ ⊹ ⋆˖✧˖°.✶₊ ⊹ ⋆

“Let’s get married after the war is over. And move to a cabin away from everything and everyone, just you and me.”

˖✧˖°.✶₊ ⊹ ⋆˖✧˖°.✶₊ ⊹ ⋆

Suguru opened his eyes, surprised when the alarm sounded. You stirred in his arms, reaching out to grab your phone and turning it off. The room filled with morning light, casting a soft glow over everything.

Realizing the intimate situation you were in, Suguru quickly removed his arms from around you and sat on the bed, a light blush creeping up his cheeks. "I'm sorry." He said softly, feeling a little uncomfortable.

You turned to look at him, a sleepy smile on your face. "It's okay, Suguru. Thank you for staying with me."

He nodded, still a little nervous. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I apreciate it." You replied. “I slept better knowing you were here.”

Suguru's shoulders relaxed a little at your words and he gave you a small, reassuring smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

Suguru stood up and stretched a little. "Do you need anything this morning? Breakfast or coffee?" You said as you also stood up.

Suguru shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Just… thank you for letting me spend the night here."

You shook your head without giving it much importance. "Don’t worry." You uttered softly, before leaving the room, followed by Blue.

Suguru looked at your back and a strange feeling settled in his chest. A feeling of nostalgia and longing that he did not very well understand. He stood from the bed and followed your steps, finding you in the kitchen.

“You have to go to work right?” Suguru said sitting on the chair that you had there.

“Yeah, today is Friday so we might have more people than usual.” You smiled at him. “What about you?” You looked at him. “You will call someone so you can enter your house.”

Suguru caught a little bit and smiled. “Yeah, yeah I will call a friend of mine.”

“You can use my phone.” You said and Suguru looked at you confused. “You know, you told me you didn’t have a phone so… you can just use mine.”

It was then that Suguru was shocked, he had told you that he didn't have a cell phone that's why you offered it to him. “Oh!” Suguru exclaimed. “Don’t worry, it's okay.” He tried not to raise suspicions and act normal.

You hesitantly nodded and turned to finish preparing the bowl of food for Blue, who was waiting impatiently. Suguru watched your movements and the smile that appeared on your face as you bent down and stroked your cat's head.

“You want something for breakfast?” You asked him.

“A coffee it’s fine.” He smiled.

You nodded. “Just so you know my machine is old and almost broken, so it won’t be as good as the coffee you take at the coffee shop.” You said while moving around the kitchen.

“I’m sure it will be good.” Suguru said following you with his gaze.

“You will say that regardless if it’s good or bad right.” You said putting the coffee in front of him.

“I will be honest with you if it’s bad.” He picked up the cup with his fingers and took a small sip.

You didn't have to ask him if he liked me or not because his face told you everything you needed to know.

Suguru closed his eyes tightly and swallowed with difficulty. "I told you." You whispered. “I'll buy you a coffee in the store.”

Suguru looked at you. “Don't you think you've invited me and been nice enough to me already?”

You shook your head as you walked to the room. "I do not think so." You smiled from the door. “Now I'm going to change and I'm going to make you the best coffee in the world in the store.”

You closed the door behind you and Suguru sighed with a smile forming on his face. "Is it always like that?" He asked Blue, who was looking at him with her blue eyes wide open. “I guess she is.” He chuckled still remembering your big smile before disappearing into your room.

But part of Suguru’s mind couldn’t shake that strange and new feeling he was experiencing with you. Also your nightmares, the way you talked about them, they didn’t seem like normal nightmares.

Suguru swallowed, thinking of a remote possibility, but that couldn't be it. Too many years had passed, it was not possible that he was behind your nightmares or the agonizing moment you had experienced last night. As far as he knew, after his defeat a thousand years ago by…

The door to the room opened again and you walked out of it with a wide smile. You were wearing jeans and a blue blouse.

"Let’s go? That coffee is not going to prepare itself.” You said grabbing your bag.

Suguru nodded and raised from the chair he was sitting at. “Bye bye Blue.” Suguru smiled at the cat.

“Be good Blue, until mom comes back.” You told the cat before opening the door and existing with Suguru following your steps.

Suguru followed your steps through the building and out onto the street. The cold air of the spring morning greeted you, mixing with the first rays of sunlight filtering through the tall buildings around you. The city was just beginning to wake up.

Without saying much, they both walked side by side, heading towards the subway stop that would take them to work. The silence between you was comfortable.

As you walked, you looked at Suguru and noticed the calm expression on his face. His presence was calming, a firm anchor in the morning rush.

When you arrived at the subway stop, you went down the stairs and waited for the train. The platform was starting to fill with other travelers, but at that moment, it felt like it was just the two of you.

When the train arrived and you both got on, trying to make your way through the people that filled the car. Suguru grabbed your arm and pulled you close to him and covered you with his body while giving you some space. Looking up you found him looking sharply to the sides.

Suguru, for his part, was looking for a figure that he had seemed to recognize in that carriage, one that had made his heart want to jump out of his chest. But when he realized that the presence of that figure was not there, he relaxed and looked down to meet his eyes, which were looking at him from below.

Embarrassed, you turned your head and leaned your head against the window, feeling the cold glass against your skin, and closed your eyes for a moment.

Suguru's hand lightly brushed yours and you opened your eyes to see him giving you a small and warm mile. You returned the gesture, feeling a warmth spread through you. Your trip to work used to be monotonous and full of rush but that morning had become special.

As the train approached the stop, Suguru grabbed your hand again and you both left the metro. Suguru didn’t let your hand go even when both of you were outside the station.

Arriving at your work you stood in front and opened the door with the keys, letting Suguru in. It was still early and Yuji would take a while to arrive, so you could take that time for yourselves.

“Do you also make the cupcakes that you sell?” Suguru asked.

“No, it would be too much work for Yuji and me, an outside company sells it to us.” You explained, as you turned on the coffee maker. “It's a small store and well our boss decided to collaborate with them. So every morning before opening they bring us freshly made cakes.” You smiled.

“What happens if you run out?”

“We usually order more and if there are leftovers we take them home or give them to the last customers of the day, but the pastry shop comes twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.”

“Is the cafeteria also open in the afternoon?” Suguru followed your figure.

You nodded, taking one of the cups. “Yes, but I'm not on that shift.” You placed the cup in front of Suguru and poured the milk first and then the coffee. "Voilà!" You sang with a smile.

“Looks great.” Suguru smiled and took the coffee cup between his hands, taking a small sip.

Suguru closed his eyes and enjoyed the taste of the hot coffee going down his throat. The coffees he had had over the years had been mostly good, but the one you made was exceptionally good. Like it had a secret ingredient that made him addicted to it.

“You need to change that old coffee machine in your apartment.” He joked, opening his eyes and looking at you.

You grinned and nodded. “You might be right. That way I can make sure you want to come back to my apartment?” You joked although in that joke there was the hidden desire of wanting to continue meeting Suguru.

“Maybe…” Suguru rested his chin on his hand and followed you with his gaze, noticing the slight blush on your cheeks.

It felt good to be that way, to talk to you that way, to joke around, to have a cup of coffee. Suguru felt really alive and it was all thanks to you. He still didn't quite understand why you weren't affected by the curse but he just hoped it would last.

The door to the store opened and you both turned to see who it was. Suguru recognized him instantly, he was your coworker, the cheerful pink-haired boy.

“Yuji!” You greeted with a smile. "Good morning."

“Oh…” The boy looked at you both surprised. “Good morning, have you come before?”

You nodded. “I owed Suguru a coffee.” Yuji looked strangely at Suguru and then at you. “He is the customer who comes here every morning.” You told Yuji.

Yuji scratched his head. “Sorry, I don't remember.” You frowned. “Yesterday the three of us were talking momentarily.” But Yuji shook his head without having much idea.

“It’s okay." Suguru gently grabbed your hand and you felt your whole body calm under his touch. “It's normal, you see many faces and talk to many people during the day.” He smiled at you.

“Yeah… sorry Yuji.” You said, a bit embarrassed.

“It’s okay.” He smiled at you. “I will go to get changed.”

Suguru stood up from his place. “I think it is time for me to go.”

He wanted to stay more but he knew your coworker would ask once again who he was and you would get suspicious about him.

“Already?” You turned to look at him with a sad expression.

“Yeah, I need to fix the problem with my keys.”

“Oh, yeah right.” You played with your hands nervously wanting to ask him something. “Can we see each other again?” You finally said it.

Suguru smiled. “Of course.” His voice came calmly and more softly than usually.

“Good… Hmm.” You thought for a moment. “Tomorrow it’s my free day.”

“It’s at 10 fine for you?” Suguru proposed.

“At 10? Yeah it’s perfect.” You smiled.

“Good then I will be waiting for you outside your apartment at 10.” He smiled and you smiled back at him. “See you.”

“Yes.” You waved at him and watched as he exited the store.

With a smile on your face you turned and began to prepare everything for the day. Tomorrow you would have a date with Suguru again and you couldn't be happier, you felt your heart racing and you wanted time to pass so that 10 in the morning arrived the next day.

“You seem happy.” Yuji appeared from the back door.

“Yeah.” You smiled. “I have a date tomorrow.”

“Oh really, with who? Do I know them?” He said also preparing the things to open the store.

“Yeah, with Suguru.” You said cheerfully, Yuji turned and looked at you with his eyebrow raised. “Yuji… the boy who was here.” Yuji was thoughtful.

“When I arrived you were alone, there was no guy.” He said walking past you, with a stack of cups in his hands.

“What are you talking about Yuji? You have greeted him and spoken to him, he is a regular customer here.”

“I'm pretty clueless, but I think I’d remember if I did that.” He laughed subtly. “Let’s not fight over this, the first customers are here.” He pointed at the door.

“Right…” You looked down and you bit your lip.

You didn't understand why Yuji was playing that joke on you, it didn't make any sense Yuji wasn't like that, so why did he act as if Suguru didn't exist. Did Yuji have something against Suguru and that's why he acted like this?

You shook your head and put on the best of your smiles to face that day and that way your long-awaited date with Suguru would arrive as soon as possible.

—comment if you want to be tagged

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[arcane-vagabond]

Hey, so...

This is going to be a LONG post, so please bare with me.

I've been doing a LOT of thinking the past week about what fics I'm doing and when. I've made some decisions that some people are probably not going to like, and I completely understand that, but at the end of the day, it's my blog and my time. I know there have been some fics that people have been very excited for, but unfortunately, things change.

As of right now, Til the Summer Comes Again is getting shelved until sometime in November. I love the fic, and I want to finish it, but I do think it'll be a lot more fun to do in the winter considering it's a Jack Frost fic. This past winter was really hectic for me considering I started a new job after being unemployed for a couple of months, and with the stress of all that and the pressure for other fics, it definitely fell by the wayside. The fic idea is something so special to me, which is why I'm shelving it instead of scrapping it altogether. We will see Jack Frost!Bob again in November!

I am also scrapping my Hadestown fic (In Spite of the Way). I'm doing this because it's such a specific story, and unfortunately, I just don't see myself being able to add anything new or interesting to the story at hand. It would just be a complete retelling of the story that's already there, and that's not something that I want to do.

I am also tabling my Studio Ghibli fics. I'm not sure if I'll ever come back to them, but they've been pushed to the side for so long that it just doesn't make sense to have them on my masterlist when it's becoming clear that other things are drawing my interests away. I'd love to re-explore them farther down the line, but for now, Our Hill of Stars and The Word of the Crooked are being taken off my masterlist. Whisper in the Wind I believe will be started come early September or so and be a part of the Autumn lineup.

Now that Meet Me at the Sea is done, my focus is going to be on finishing Fool's Fare and updating the Dagger Posse Universe here and there. Fool's Fare is most likely to be done sometime in April if I had to guess, which means...

It's time to talk the Sailor-Aviator Summer Cinematic Release schedule!

As we all know, I've just announced the MMATS stand-alone sequel: Down By the Bay featuring one Bradley Bradshaw. But what else is coming this summer? Let's talk about it!

There have been a few of you waiting for my Indiana Jones!Jake fic aka Fortune & Glory, and I'm so excited to announce that it is on the roster for this summer! Tune in to follow Jake and Bucket as they try to secure the legendary staff of Moses before the Nazis do!

Next up on the roster is the long-awaited Mafia fic! Titled after the age-old idiom, Two Birds follows the reader as they unwittingly catch the eye of not one, but two mafia bosses, both standing as the dual heads of the Dagger Syndicate. Two Birds is a M x F x M featuring Jake "Hangman" Seresin and Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (No Hangster).

I'm hoping to start these fics anywhere from Mid-May to early June, so stay tuned!!

Meanwhile, I will be dedicating some time to the DPU as well, trying to wrap up some fics within that to hopefully have it finished (or down to the last one) by the summer's end.

If you've stuck around this long, I just want to say thank you. Not only for reading this monster of a post, but for continuing to read my work and for following and supporting me through everything! You guys are the best! Until next time~

[frontlinebicepsoftheninth]

I saw you tagged killing eve in the 'worst series finale' poll - how *does* it end? I watched the first two seasons and then lost interest. (also I hope you're having a good day!)

first of all thank you i am and i hope you are too!!

but alright here we go ⚠���⚠️ MAJOR SPOILER WARNING MAJOR SPOILER WARNING ⚠️⚠️ for anyone who does want to watch for themselves bc tbh the first few seasons are excellent but i honestly don't know if i can recommend them anymore in good faith after knowing where it all ends up

so okay. you know how the whole crux of the show is this intense psychosexual relationship between eve and villanelle. and how there's an obvious romantic tension between them. well from what i remember (cause it's been a while) they started actually working together in season 3, but then because they realized they make each other worse they had this whole dramatic moment where they walked away from each other on a bridge and weren't supposed to look back but of course they both did turn around at the last second and then the season ends.

flash forward to season 4 and you can tell time has passed and they aren't working together and it's implied there was some big falling out and we have no idea what it is. eve is just annoyed and done with villanelle and villanelle is like trying to prove she's not a bad person and goes to church and stuff and actually that plot was extremely hilarious and she imagined up a drag jesus version of herself for advice and they were acting like exes and it was playing into the whole comedic surrealism aspect of the show really well. but after the first few episodes it just kinda fell apart like i just remember feeling lost all season and not understanding where we were going and this is definitely due to the changing showrunners (they should have just kept pwb for the whole thing!!!!) but they kept adding new characters out of nowhere, some of which were really well done but then we were following plots that were thrown in randomly and it was just a bit of a mess.

but eventually by the LITERAL SERIES FINALE eve and villanelle have both given in to the fact that they enjoy being in each other's company as the worst versions of themselves (which is honestly such a fun direction to go that i really enjoyed especially for a sapphic pairing). and after they've been apart for a vast majority of the season finally they have this good banter going and it's all domestic and then there's a scene where they're walking down an empty road together and this romantic music comes in. and they finally literally actually have The Moment. like they had kissed before in the previous season but not in an explicitly romantic way, they were physically fighting each other on a public bus and eve kissed villanelle to throw her off before headbutting her (SO GRIDDLEHARK OF THEM THAT SCENE IS ACTUALLY SO GOOD) anyways. villanelle kisses eve on the cheek and then eve stares at her and grabs her and they make out for a solid FORTY-FIVE SECONDS. it was so intense and they're kissing as they're stumbling down the road and they run back to the camper van they were travelling in and it's for sure implied that they have sex in there. so everyone was like oh my fucking god they actually did it. like this is where the show was always going, it's a whole I Can Make You Worse thing where both people were like "fuck it i'll be worse then" and gave in to the tension that had been building for years not just within the plot but FOR VIEWERS SINCE 2018.

so i don't exactly remember what happens next but the whole season they've been trying to kill The Twelve which was the assassin group in charge of villanelle, and we find out carolyn was a founding member actually, and i will be honest that plot was always confusing to me but iirc she wasn't with them anymore. so eve and villanelle infiltrate this wedding party boat that's a cover for a meeting of The Twelve (this is like the last 10 minutes of the show now) and they kiss again and there's a scene where it's like they're indirectly talking to each other through the wedding speech that eve somehow ends up giving and that's so romantic too and then villanelle slinks off, finds the meeting, and murders everyone. so yay the protagonists are together finally and villanelle killed her abusers and they are finally in happy gay love. then out of fucking nowhere as they're standing outside on the boat villanelle starts to get shot at. (this is literally the last five minutes of the entire show now) and she falls into the river or maybe jumps in to get away i don't remember and she's still getting shot and eve is swimming to try to catch her. and it's all this dramatic slow-mo beautifully shot stuff that's like horrible in context cause the blood is blooming in the water and eve can't reach villanelle and they do a whole creation of adam hand reach before villanelle slips into the depths.

so literally eve had just thrown away any chance at a normal life to embrace the side of her that loves violence and loves villanelle so they could spend the rest of their life together and that was such a slay. and then she loses villanelle which like, if they wanted a tragic ending it would have been kinder to kill them both, it's so much fucking worse to leave eve spending the rest of her life mourning the one person who understood her and let her give in to her carnal desires. and it is directly after letting the two queer characters finally achieve happiness that one of them is killed off which is the DEFINITION of the bury your gays/dead lesbian syndrome tropes, there have been literal academic papers written on how the phenomenon is like a punishment for queer joy etc etc. this shit has been in the discourse for decades and they fell dead center into the trope which is just so disappointing because at the start ke was such a unique story and one of the first mainstream shows that embraced morally gray queer characters in a way that wasn't homophobic.

oh! and guess who shot villanelle? carolyn!!!! and it was still NEVER CLEAR WHY! she worked for MI6 now so it being in revenge of The Twelve didn't really add up, some people thought she wanted to kill villanelle as like a prize for MI6, it was kind of implied that konstantin told her in this note he spent his last breaths writing (yeah he also died which was the saddest tbh) that villanelle had killed carolyn's son kenny (this was a major plot point of season 3 and carolyn was trying to get revenge, he fell off a building under mysterious circumstances) but that made no sense because it was implied to be konstantin since he was on the roof with kenny and also villanelle was literally in fucking spain or something the episode when it happened.

like i get it. this is a tragic show. people die every episode. but from a writing standpoint it makes absolutely zero fucking sense to kill off one of the two main characters of your show, in the last five minutes of the show, after finally cashing in on your flagship queer romance between them, and leaving the motivation for killing her completely ambiguous.

anyways i'm so sorry that ended up this long jesus christ but tldr: killing eve ends in the worst bury your gays i have ever seen after a season that didn't even have good plot or pacing

[froggiewrites]

Heyyyy, @pandora-writes-one-piece here (Sideblog so this goes anon!)

Alright Froggie I get what you mean with the excitement of asks! I'm the same! So here's one for you, what's your favourite OP boy to write about? (at the moment, at least) 😍

You already know this, but I'll just throw it out there again: your writting is brilliant and I love it! 👏🏻🫶🏻 Keep feeding us! ❤️

Ahhh hi Pandora!!! Thank you so much 💙💙

The easy answer here is Sanji, I absolutely adore him!! He's the reason I started watching OP in the first place, and that love has only grown as I've watched more and more. I love writing for him both because I feel like I understand his character the most, and also because I feel like there's a decent amount of flexibility the way he acts with someone he loves, so it's fun to explore the different attitudes he might have!

I'm trying to figure out who's in second, since Sanji has a very hearty lead on everyone else, and I think it's probably Ace? I love writing things dissecting a character's attitude towards themselves and why they feel that way, and he's great for that. Also? Husband material 😊 But I've loved about every character I've done so far, even if some have been a bit harder for me (I'm still finding Law a bit but I'm getting there!). I'm also really excited to get to Wano and learn more about the Kid Pirates to see if I can write for them, because I am Very intrigued by them (especially Killer-I think hot blond chefs might be my type)

Thank you for the ask!!! 😊😊 And rest assured, I'll keep feeding everyone (I'm hoping to have a Zoro piece ready within the next few days!!)

[liminalpsych-in-teyvat]

Notes for A Matter of Duty - Chapter 16 - Mind the deluge

There was a grunt from the cell, and a flinch of shoulders, and water dripping— Thoma's heart tangled with his lungs in a hitch of breath and a stumbling rhythm. His searching gaze followed the droplets up, up, up to a ceiling slick with condensation, suffused with a subtle Hydro glow. No. No. He wouldn't.

I am three weeks behind schedule thanks to three weeks of no ADHD medication due to the shortage. Finally got back on it and managed to write the chapter but wow. I now understand why I didn't write prose fiction for so many years. Much harder to just force myself to write when I'm not properly medicated.

Anyway, apologies for the delay, and the next few chapters might be a little slower than usual because I have other deadlines. I'd hoped to have this all done before other project deadlines came looming, but then I lost three weeks and now… I get to try to do them simultaneously and I'm upset about it. I get 10 more days of fanfic writing and then I have to dive deep into other projects for a few weeks, so hopefully I'll get one more chapter out before then.

Thanks to: PancakeBeast for beta reading, the Hidden Akasha Records discord for putting up with my flailing, and my nesting partner Hrefna for the martial arts consult and references.

Notes and references:

Ayato's throw of Thoma is a fairly standard martial arts throw. Thoma probably expected it and tried to roll with it, but not quite quickly enough for how reactive Ayato was. (And Hrefna tested it out for me, and doing that particular throw doesn't exert much in the way of strain on the area where Ayato was injured.)

The cushions on the crate are a zabuton or zaniku (flat square cushion) and a zafu (round cushion).

The versatile tenugui makes another appearance, this time as onigiri wrapping.

Not really much else this time, actually. Lots of poking around the Genshin wiki and game images and that's about it.

Summary of the fic itself with content warnings, tags, etc so you can decide if you want to read it or not before you click on the link.

A Matter of Duty https://archiveofourown.org/works/47604337?view_full_work=true

A year after the death of Ayato and Ayaka's parents, the clan succession is contested from within and without. Kamisato Ayato will do anything—anything—to ensure the safety of his family and the stability of his clan.

But powerful supporters come at an unimaginable price. When Ayato's own sacrifices aren't enough, he is forced to involve Thoma in a web of intrigue and exploitation that will push them to the breaking points of their bodies, their minds, and their very hearts.

or: Kushiel's Dart meets Genshin Impact in a quick-scorch-to-slow-burn romantic drama of court intrigue, sexual politics, and sacrifice.

Note: Mind the tags. More specific content warnings will be given at the beginning of each chapter, and the story tags will be updated as needed. All characters in sex scenes are adults.

Rating: Explicit. It's porn with plot. Porn as a vehicle for plot, or plot as a vehicle for porn, you can interpret it either way. (I prefer: porn and plot as a vehicle for ~feels~)

Tags that I'm not actually turning into tags here, but it gives you an idea of what you're in for: Kamisato Ayato/Thoma (Genshin Impact), dubious consent but not between Ayato and Thoma, slow burn, sex ed, first time, self-sacrifice, humiliation, exhibitionism, oral sex, anal sex, bdsm, bad bdsm etiquette, rough sex, breath play, impact play, bondage, service kink, abuse, sadism, codependency, shame, guilt, jealousy, possessiveness, trauma, ptsd, dissociation, political sex work, or sex work for political maneuvering, or political survival sex work if that’s a thing, exploitation, blackmail, political machinations, political intrigue, no aftercare, maybe someday some aftercare, hurt/comfort, mostly hurt for a long time but eventually comfort, oblivious disaster gays, for such socially savvy people they are terrible at personal relationships, dominant Ayato, submissive Thoma, top Ayato, bottom Thoma, Ayato is incredibly parentified, Thoma has no sense of self-preservation, self-sacrifice isn't a contest but don't tell Ayato and Thoma that, it's like the snipe-the-check game at restaurants but with sex and politics, Kushiel's Impact, no really this was in my drafts for the longest time as Kusheline Thomato Fic, everyone's an adult in this timeline except Ayaka, she gets protected at all costs, original characters out of necessity, finding appropriate existing Inazuma npcs for some of these roles was impossible

Full fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47604337?view_full_work=true

Chapter 16 - Mind the deluge

There was a grunt from the cell, and a flinch of shoulders, and water dripping—

Thoma's heart tangled with his lungs in a hitch of breath and a stumbling rhythm. His searching gaze followed the droplets up, up, up to a ceiling slick with condensation, suffused with a subtle Hydro glow.

No. No. He wouldn't.

Chapter contains: nightmares, implied torture (mild), hurt/comfort.

[wafflesetc]

*Long negative rant ahead - sorry if you decide to read this, let alone post it*

There's just way more questions than answers now. Let's hypothetically say they decide to write the divorce route (cries). Jay's in a different country. There's no possible way he doesn't have a say in that, yet we'd only ever see/hear it from Hailey's side. The Jay that we know would never agree to that without a fight. Then there's all his stuff and their apartment. Would they just haul it all into storage until he comes home? - but then if he came home, why couldn't they work on things together - Hailey would have to find yet another place to live, and season 11 would (I fear) become Upstead divorce era and Hailey trying to find herself again without him just to give her a significant storyline to fill a season. And for what, yet more trauma. More abandonment for her. More storylines that are just hit after hit, just for the hell of it, all because if lazy writing. They could've done this all SO differently and very easily, they could've done SO much more with what they had/have, and it certainly wouldn't have pissed off the fandom like it has.

Unless they can magically turn this around in the final episode and Jesse's 'trust the process' did actually mean something, I can't see how they can make this work without digging themselves into a deeper, more ridiculous and a more discouraging hole - for us and for them.

I really do feel for Tracy and Jesse. Watching these writers and showrunners burn this ship to the ground for no justified reason must be gutting! All these years of hard work, one of the best slow burn relationships I think I've ever seen on TV.... to just do this.

Sorry for (negatively) venting in your ask box! 😬 - And on the off chance you do read though this scroll, thank you in advance for taking the time 💙

This is a few days late in being answered because I have been traveling for work an insane amount. Please don't apologize about the length, I don't mind the longly worded asks. They are fun to read and engage with people, regardless of opinions and thoughts!

Also, your thoughts and feeling surrounding all of this are completely valid. I also agree with you, almost on every level of this.

I was talking to a friend and it feels like every time they add another layer to this whole plot line, it only leads to more questions and not answers. I don't know if that is intentional or if they are just sort of half-assing things and hoping they make sense to the fans.

Eventually, even if things are "over" for now, it's going to lead to more painful things for Hailey rather than any kind of "closure." With the trend PD has been going, it also wouldn't shock me if they do all of that within the whitespace of season 10 and season 11 and the next time we see her next year, she's in a new place and it's just Hailey.

As for rectifying it - it's TV so literally anything is possible. With the route they have chosen, I have a small inclination Tracy might be staying at least one more year. If that's the case and season 11 is her last one, (or whenever she decides to leave), I could very much see them bringing Jay back for a couple episodes and fixing them and having them off screen together. It's possible and been done on other shows before. It's not a secret that Hailey (since she's the one on screen) has been the writer's priority - not Jay/Upstead.

If we are hurting, my assumption is that Tracy and Jesse are also hurting, probably in more ways than even we realize and can understand. I truly think that Tracy meant it when she said #UpsteadForever and maybe I am delusional, but I'll hold on to that until I see Hailey Upton's final scene, whenever that might be.

[reflections-of-mobius]

@familylightfox asked:

After texting back and forth with his adopted father, Volt had waited until Node came to settle against him again for some cuddles when he brought up the list from his handheld again. The list was much shorter, but the reason for it was pretty clear. It was the ones who had openings as early as the next week. Another list could also be seen of supplies for the aftercare that already had plenty of things checked off.

Things that were already in the Inn or provided by the older canine upon hearing the news. Volt leaned down and nudged his nose gently against his partner’s head. A few light kisses and grooming licks.

“For when… you’re ready…”

[Prompted? | Accepting!]

Node had definitely taken a few minutes. They'd been shaking slightly, but eventually, the fox had calmed enough to lean back against Volt. They'd been so scared of even trying to explain, of asking how he'd have felt. They should've known he wouldn't be angry over it, but anxiety was a Hell of a drug.

"You...?" They blinked, eyes scanning the details on the pad. It had still felt like a far-off dream in their head- several months away at the earliest, if not a year or two out, since they still had to figure out supplies, the aftermath, and probably work their tail off to even reach the initial savings goal...and here most of it was, already laid out for them.

They let out a small churr, leaning into Volt's kisses and licks, their fur gradually relaxing.

"...thank you, V..." Hazel hues flicked over the doctors' names. It was probably too late in the evening to contact about such an appointment that night,...but they'd undoubtedly be trying the next day. Of course, they had to figure out prices and the like...but the fact Volt had gotten so many within the next week that Augustus recommended,...made them wonder just how the cost would be handled.

"...thank you...so much, Funke..." An arm attempted (emphasis on 'attempted') to slide around Volt's barrel, head pressing into his neck. The 'thanks' was in part for the list,...in part for the hybrid's understanding and acceptance. "...I'll probably try t' contact a few, tomorrow...see what the prices are n' everythin'..." Get themself ready... They wanted this- but the thought of the surgery itself was scary. They'd survive- it'd be like taking a test. Just- step in, get it done...get the results. The part they'd be looking forward to...

And there went a leg, draping across Volt's lap. A silent 'please don't get up' as Node nuzzled into him.

[phas3d]

hi i really love your works and i saw that ur req is open so if it's okay w u can i ask slytherin boys reaction if reader just give them something "just because" (maybe flowers, accessory, plushy, etc. and reader said they just reminded them of the boys), which they think is very unusual since supposed to be it's them who should give presents to you since u r the most wonderful person they have.

Just Because || Slytherin Boys

type :: fluff

tw/cw :: none

contains :: draco malfoy, tom riddle, mattheo riddle, theodore nott, lorenzo berkshire

summary :: you gift them something randomly and they're all traumatized so they don't know how to react - 🐍 :: masterlist!

DRACO MALFOY

He's pretty used to getting random gifts from his parents as a reward or an apology

So when you give him two brand new ties from his favorite brand, he's confused

He can't recall any fights with you within the past few days

And he also hasn't done anything "reward-able" within a while

So he instantly assumes you must have done something bad

He gets anxious and asks you what the gift was for

When you say it's "just because" he doesn't believe you

Asks you more questions and your replies don't help him understand

Once you fully explain that you got him those just because you love him, no other reason, he's shocked

"Oh wow, well thank you then. I'll get you something soon too."

You reassure him that he doesn't need to but he insists

Comes to you the next day with a stack of boxes filled with purses, heels, dresses, and more

TOM RIDDLE

"Why?" He asks instantly as you hand him the box of chocolates

He's fully convinced you're either trying to

A.) Spike him with a lotion potion (which he doesn't think is needed)

Or

B.) Spat in it and wiped your boogers on it because he did something bad

The first one is due to his past of girls trying to get him to like them because even though he was evil and emo, he was still hot

The second one is due to Mattheo traumatizing him as a kid by doing every gross action possible in order to call dibs on food

You explain that you did it because you love him and that's it

But he doesn't trust you fully yet

He cuts open all of the chocolates one by one, putting them under a microscope

He does this for about an hour before he finally realizes that you were right, it's just plain chocolate for him

"Thank you." He says as he eats one, making you smile that he finally tried it

The next day, he does the same for you except WAY more expensive

Brand new purses, heels, dresses, and makeup all for you

If you reject it, he'll just force you to take it by slowly sneaking it into your wardrobe

MATTHEO RIDDLE

Knows about this purely from romantic movies and TikTok

He was fully convinced it was just a girl thing and that guys never got it back

So when you get him a pair of brand new shoes, he's confused

"It's not my birthday yet?" He's trying to think of why this gift is for him

Thinks it's a prank at first

Tom used to give Mattheo "gifts" when they were younger and eventually those "gifts" would light on fire, get glued onto his skin, or morphed into something hideous

He's super cautious at first to even touch the shoes because he thinks it might bite him

Tom really traumatized him (canon older sibling event)

But when you coax him enough to trust you, he tries the shoes on and loves it

Wears it 24/7 and brags to everyone that you got him them

He then realizes he should gift you something too as a surprise

So he gets you a cute plushie and some cute hair accessories

Always feels so proud when you wear his hair accessories

This sparks an addiction in him, kinda like a gambling addiction LMAO

Starts to buy a bunch of clothes, shoes, accessories, and more just so you can always be wearing something he got

It's like claiming you as his and showing off to other guys that if they wanna steal you from him, they gotta spoil you rotten

THEODORE NOTT

Before his mom passed, he was raised to always treat a woman like a queen

His father, despite being a raging death eater and murderer, also believed the "happy wife, happy life" phrase

So his father would make sure to force Theo to gift his mother flowers, "pay" for his mother's meals with his father's card, and more

With you, he's no different except now he does it with his own money

Buys you flowers, chocolates, pays for all the dates you go on, etc

So when you surprise him with a fully planned date that you paid for in advance, he's super shocked

"But why? That's my job :(" He's genuinely upset that you did this

Thinks that you weren't happy with the dates and gifts he gotten you

But you explain that you loved those all but you wanted to treat HIM for once

And he's so flattered, he gets all giddy - Like "Awww shuckss" kinda giddy LOL

Enjoys the whole night with you and treats you out to an even more fun date next week

It becomes a little schedule for you guys, that you take turns planning your weekly dates

LORENZO BERKSHIRE

Was never treated to much as a child since his parents left him in the care of the Malfoys

Of course they cared for him and were super kind, but they would obviously gift their own child the better toys and foods instead of him

He grew up knowing that this was normal, so when you gifted him something super lavish for once, he was paranoid

He instantly assumes that you got an even better gift for someone else

But you shut down his worries and say it's just for him

But now knowing that it was just for him, he feels guilty for some reason - as if he's not supposed to have this

Tries to gift it back to you and deny it but you insist

Will keep fighting with you until you smack him on the head and yell at him to just accept it

He'll accept it, but he always feels some guilt attached to it since he doesn't feel worthy of you buying him anything expensive

But you reassure him that you wanted to get him a gift because of how amazing of a boyfriend he is to you

So he'll accept it, finally, but he definitely buys you something next time you two go out

masterlist || recommended :: annoying habits

[ferinehuntress]

　⊰ ⸻ ⊱　The bridge occurrence still fractured within her mind. She remembered trying to play Marcus at first, they had the stone! and then Marcus turned the gun first on Ekko and then herself. At that moment, Caitlyn lost her sense of words, fear coursed through her chest as death was just inches away from her chest. Vi couldn't do a thing, not with the threat and yet she heard her yelling at him. And then... the explosion. At that point, things became less consistent. She couldn't hear a thing, she was dazed and confused. The only thing she had to lean on and trust, was Vi. Some brief interaction happened with Jinx, but again her mind was more fractured by what had happened. If Jinx had said anything, she couldn't hear her, she could barely retain much memory.

A few days had left her a little better. Sore and aching, but alive. The medicine her father used in her ears had stopped the bleeding and already started to heal the damaged eardrums. She stayed close to people, though, as it made it easier to hear when she was right next to them. For now, they had time to heal and process. Jinx might have taken the gemstone back, but she still had enough proof to prove to the Council that Silco was behind everything.

"Pa left some bandages for you, so I'm sure it's a little more than nothing," Caitlyn smiled, as she was careful with her body. They both suffered such pain and still, Caitlyn wanted to ensure that Vi had what she needed to heal as well. "If it starts to hurt, tell me. I can help," Silence. Vi had so much on her shoulders, so much lost and needing to understand. The idea that memories missing, to know you should know something but not remember... it must be maddening. A blush touched her cheeks with a chuckle as Caitlyn shook her head. "Does flirting just come naturally to you?" She teased and closed her eyes at the soft strokes of Vi's fingers against her cheek.

Caitlyn reached over and took Vi's hand and looked up at her. "I'm sorry what's been done to you. No one, no one deserves that. Not you or any Zaunite. You are not trash, and never will be; no matter what any Piltovan says," a little laugh left her lips. "It might have been a deal of convenience for the both of us at first but... I'm glad I did too. You deserve better, so much better. I'll do what I can to give you that," It's the least she could do. Caitlyn playfully rolled her eyes at Vi saying she was tucked with her, but before she could say a thing, the redhead's soft lips pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

Everything just stopped. Eyes turned as round as moons as she stared at Vi, hearing her thank you (wait, did she just say thank you?), and found herself frozen in place like a statue. She... kissed her. Caitlyn's heart fluttered against her chest, and then without thinking she dived in. Her hands cupped Vi's jawline and pressed her lips up against the brawlers, melting into the show of emotion as she showed how much she cared for Vi through the action. Slowly, she pulled back and stared at Vi's icy blue eyes. "You kissed me..." Caitlyn whispered though the irony was Caitlyn just kissed her a second time. "Does that mean... that you... us?"

Ever since stepping foot in Zaun, all Vi was reminders of memories she didn't remember. It was frustrating how everyone knew her, called out her name, and she had no clue. Even, Ekko, who hinted at the fact that there was something with them but hadn't said any explicit details other than them practically being family. It was hard and it almost became overwhelming for her, especially when all the answers she would get from her own mind were snippets with no context.

On the bridge, however, she had found out the reason why she'd forgotten everything. Marcus. That piece of shit who tried to kill them, something that no doubt was hired by a Silco, someone who owed her answers too, to do so. Marcus had been the one responsible for chloroforming her and dragging her away to stillwater.

'You son of a bitch, you did this to me. You drugged me and that's why I lost all my memory.' Vi had yelled at him before everything went to shit on the bridge. After the bastard had died she had lost control and kicked his corpse endlessly. She saw red and rage had taken over. Until she heard Caitlyn and immediately rushed to her aid. From then on getting her to safety became the most important thing to Vi.

Now they were safe in Piltover, safe in the Kirammen house. Here Vi didn't have to worry about what she did or didn't remember. Not when she had Caitlyn with her, being so close and comforting her like she did her. "I'm fine, a burn here and there is nothing. If anything I should be making sure you're okay." Of course it wasn't just a small burn, considering it covered the back of the left arm and even a portion of her side and back. Though, it occurred to Vi that it wasn't just her physical issues Caitlyn was referring to. "But I'm a lot better now that you're here, the quiet... gives me too much to think about. And you certainly do, told you were hot, cupcake."

Vi continued to brush Caitlyn's cheek as she explained how it all went. While she didn't remember anything, she had lost count how much hate she had recieved in Stillwater for being a Zaunite. That's how she had learned where she was from, as apparently a few of its residents knew who she was too. The guards certainly treated her like shit. An experience she would never tell Caitlyn about, ever. It seemed her mother shared the feelings about Zaunites, only she didn't act on it.

"That seems to be a common opinion on this side of the bridge, that Zaunites are street trash. Shit even the bastards in Stillwater share that view. But you seem different and I appreciate that." Vi smiled fondly as she closed the distance between them. "You know what? I love that you broke all those rules springing me out. You gave me a chance to live life for the first time. I got to see the sun because of you." Vi placed her other hand on Caitlyn's squeezing it in return. "I wouldn't dream of leaving you, especially after everything you did for me did back there. Sorry but you're stuck with me, Cupcake."

Slowly but surely Vi inched her face closer and gave Caitlyn a soft, gentle kiss. "Thank you." It was clear by the look in her eyes that she wanted more, but she would wait to see Caitlyn's reaction first. She only hoped she wouldn't scare the other way with the intimacy.

[immaculatetfs]

The Orc King

A bit of a longer one :P sorry for inactivity!

(Also couldn't find any clothing appropriate images so just imagine that Pate has clothes on <3)

The crisp evening air gave way to a thick smokey haze as Hal entered the 'Pigs. It was the tavern he frequented most often throughout his short career as an adventurer, and he always coming back following a hard day of questing. There were always people around, he recalled, adventurers, magicians and thieves and the like, but around now was when it was busiest. The air was filled with loud drunken chatter and the dull thunks of a tankard hitting wood. When he saw through the crowded room that there was a stool still empty stool right up at the bar he thanked the gods.

“The usual?” asked the barkeep, a squat, pug-nosed woman, when he sat down

“You know it Helga” He gave her a worn smile

As she filled a mug with thick yeasty ale, his attention shifted to the man beside him. Built like a plowhorse, he wore a boiled leather vest a sweat-stained tunic, emphasizing tightly, emphasizing the hefty muscle and sizeable gut that bulged out from his arms and torso. Two wide shoulders framed him, with wide and strong arms that connected to rough hands, calloused and brown from years of hard work. He smelt of leather and sweat, and when he looked over and caught Hal staring, a cheeky smile came across his bearded face.

“You come here often?” was the only thing Hal could think of saying before he felt a red flush come across his cheeks

The stranger gave a chuckle “Nah, I'm new in this area. The names Pate”

Pate shook the Hals hand, crushing fingers under his grip

“you a regular?”

“I’m Hal, and yeah, I do come here often. This is where I come after my quests”

They were interrupted by a sharp clearing of Helga's throat. “two silvers”

Pate dropped a fat golden coin on the counter.

“Will this do for tonight for me and my bud?”

He had never seen Helga move so quickly as he did then.

“Yes Yes, of course” she said, snatching it and giving a cautionary bite, before another customer called he over

Hal must have looked as shocked as he felt because Pate chucked again when his eyes reached him.

“How do you have that kind of money? That coin is worth what I earn in an entire year!”

“Believe it or not, I’m secretly royalty,” he winked.

Hal's jaw dropped

“I'm just jesting," an affectionate hand patted Hal on the back "came across a Wizard that was traveling on his way over here, said he was transporting an ancient artifact. He hired me, called me his “extra muscle" He took a sip of ale "we were ambushed, turns out I wasn't much help. I don't even remember how I was knocked out, but I do remember waking up in the middle of the road with the mother of all headaches and a chest full of treasure, with and this on top.” He held out a small hollow green tube, rubberlike and the width and length of an ear of corn, an inscription along the side reading in an alien script

“Dunno why they left that chest, and everyone was gone, so I took the valuables as payment and decided to complete the mission I had been hired for. Do you know any places here that have anything to do with orcs? the old wizard was talking about them when we were on the road”

“Whoah, that's crazy, You've probably got more money now than i'll ever see in my life as an adventurer” He studied the table “I might've heard some stuff about them as a kid, they say that they live in these local woods. You know, it's kind of dangerous if you would go out searching here… you know..” he looked into Pate’s dark brown eyes and his cheeks were red again, but not off drink

”...without a guide” he quickly distracted himself with his ale, trying to mask his embarrassment with the thick yeasty drink.

“Say, why don't we go on an adventure together then? Might be that I can't go back home now, since the Magician's colleagues would hang me for a thief if they knew I took the gold. You seem as good a partner in crime as any”. A thick hand lightly caressed Hal’s thigh. The younger man's gaze returned to Pate’s eyes, cheeks like raspberries as he tried to ignore the stirring in his nethers.

"What do you say? Partners?”

“Yes!” Hal said, a little too quickly.

“Good.” he spat on his hand and held it out for a shake, a gesture which Hal reciprocated.

A short few hours of talking made Has feel as if he had known Pate for years, and before they knew it the 'pigs were closing for the night.

They found a soft bed of moss out in the woods that surrounded the tavern to set up camp. A cool night breeze blew pleasantly on the pair as they lay down from their first night as partners.

Pate wrapped his bulky arms around Hals's reclining body, moving in for a spooning. Hal could feel hot breath on his neck, and the warmth of Pate’s larger body radiating into him, but most of all he felt a hardness pressing upon his lower back. He felt his own member begin to twitch as rough hands rubbed across his body, absently stroking and folding the mounds and crevices of his lithe body. His own hand moved up to meet one of Pate’s as it folded his pecs.

“You like this?” he heard Pate murmur

Hal turned around to gaze into his green eyes, illuminated by the starlight

“Do you?”

They plunged their lips together, the taste sweet on each other's mouths. Hal tore Pate’s tunic over his head and tossed it, revealing a sturdy chest, pelted with the same dark wiry hairs that scratched Hal's face. His nipples were two dark diamonds in the starlight, his body smelling of sweat and leather and dirt. Hal’s lips moved down, taking his right nipple into his mouth and teased it with his tongue. Pate gave a soft moan and pressed his right hand into Hal’s fluffy brown curls.

Suddenly, A voice came into Hal's head. Deep and rumbling it told him, commanded him. His hand reached into the satchel that lay beside them, fingers securing around the thick green pipe that Pate had shown him earlier that night, only now it was softer and slightly moist.

Like he had done it a hundred times, Hal tore down Pate’s britches, revealing a long mast that stood proudly in the night. Before he could say anything, Pate was overwhelmed by a sense of otherworldly pleasure as his cock pushed into the soft green material, pulsing madly in the warm cocoon.

Hal’s member was next, sliding in to meet his partner’s cock within the strange object, their pre intermingling as they did. They embraced again for another long kiss. Where the skin of the two men met, It seemed stuck together, seeming as though Hal was sinking into Pate's embrace. From these points, a dark green shade overtook their previous skin tones. Hal's torso sank blissfully into the warmth of Pate’s huge chest, his own body losing form as their insides homogenized. Where their two cocks had once come together, a fat green monster, long and thick as a beer bottle now stood, leaking warm wetness across its engorged mushroom head. Their arms and legs merged, becoming engorged with muscle and fat with the same evergreen hue as their member. From where Hal’s ass and back had been, pushed out an imposing muscle gut, covered with long wiry red hairs that grew into a Forrest as down to his crotch. framing this impressive green orb were two meaty pecs that pushed out of his chest like fat hairy cones. A massive green hand reached down to stroke the tower of flesh between his thighs, sending tidal waves of pleasure that broke the two men’s brains. Their faces merged together, individuality melting away like butter in a pan, features rearranged to create something new and exciting. His nose became bulbous, pushing out from a wild tangle of long red hairs that grew across the new creature's face, forming a wild untamed beard. His eyes darkened to black, lower canine teeth pushing out to form two intimidating tusks. The hair remaining from the heads of Pate and Hal fell away, leaving a shiny scalp dripped with rivulets of perspiration. Memories appeared to the creature that had been Hal and Pate, slow simple messages that even an orc-like him could understand

“I Ugrull”

“Orc king”

“Must make kingdom”

He climaxed, a torrent of potent hot green cum blasting in a torrent across his mountainous torso, leaking down across his back. Deep down, Ugrull knew that all a man had to do was smell his seed to become overcome with lust, to submit to him. They would want nothing else but to take his hot thick Warhammer of a cock down their puny human throats, for their king to make them his orc slaves. “Humans submit, become sons”, he thought as his fingers glided across his slick belly, grinning wildly. He would be the greatest incarnation of the orc king this world had ever seen before.

[evierena]

The Brothers eavesdropping to MC accidentally confessing their undying love for them. Part 1.

INTRO

MC was having their monthly catch-up call with their best friend in the Human Realm. At first, their friend could not believe the situation MC was living, but after a few calls they had finally come to accept the whole "I was summoned to Hell, but it's called Devildom, and now I have to live with 7 hot demon brothers and they are actually kinda nice" situation (yeah, Levi would be proud of my naming skills). Anyhow, during this specific call MC was filling in their friend with the latest update on their newfound feelings for one of the brothers, not knowing that said brother was actually outside their room, eavesdropping! And then, their friend asks "What is it about him that you love so much?"

What did MC respond? How did that brother react and what did he do with that information? Well, let's see...

Lucifer

- He was doing his nightly rounds, making sure everyone was in their room, and when he passed by your door he caught your laughter and he stopped for a second, just to absorb the sound and allow himself to relax a little. Then, out of the blue, he heard you saying: "I think I'm in love with him".

- Well, that was unexpected. He would never admit to anyone the way his heart skipped a beat for a moment there, and absolutely will never let you know that those simple words could stir such feelings within him.

- And then, with his demon senses, he heard another voice coming from your room. "Why? What is it about Lucifer that you love so much?"

- Now, for him, the world completely stopped moving, he put all of his demon hearing to work and capture every little sound around him, even his heart stopped and his blood froze in his veins to allow more silence around him.

- "He takes so much pride in his family, you know? In his position as the protector of his brothers and as the right hand of Diavolo, at first I thought that was it" you said, unaware of the petrified demon outside your door. "But now, I've come to love not just that. I love all the sides Lucifer has shown me, vulnerable, sick, angry, sad, stressed even murderous. He makes me feel motivated to be better, to strive for more, and I feel so proud knowing he trusts me that much. I just love him"

- After that, Lucifer's heart started beating like crazy in his chest, his blood running rampant through his body, and almost all reason escaped his mind. Almost.

- He managed to compose himself but he couldn't help the smug grin remaining in his face.

- Lucifer went back to his room after hearing your accidental confession, although he couldn't sleep thinking about his next move.

- For the following days he started to ampp up his game. He was always smiling at you, asking you to be by his side a little longer each time, lingering gloveless touches everywhere, he wanted to feel you and for you to feel him.

- You thought you were going crazy for sure, you didn't want to put your hopes up, but you couldn't help the throbbing sensation he provoked everytime he came a little closer a little longer, the flirty remarks, the intense stare and the knowing smile everytime you met his ruby gaze.

- So, finally, you went to his room in the night, determined to confess. And before all the courage you managed to gather escaped, you didn't even wait for him to completely open his door before spilling your heart out.

- "Lucifer, I'm in love with you!" you said closing your eyes, afraid of his reaction.

- But he lifted your chin to face him properly and you were welcomed with a smug smile and "I know" from his lips before he stole your breath in a deep heated kiss.

- In conclusion; after knowing you loved him, Lucifer intoxicated your mind with him until you confessed directly, so he could rely his own feelings to you.

Mammon

- It's a bad habit of his to just barge into your room without announcing himself, however, after so many times of you begging for him to just say something before entering, he finally remembered.

- So, he stopped himself on his tracks before doing exactly that, and that was all it took for him to hear your conversation with your best friend.

- "You are a moronsexual, I'm telling you"

- The heck is that?

- Mammon was completely confused, who was a moronsexual? What is a moronsexual? Is that something he could sell? Now, he is interested and waiting for your answer.

- "Shut it, don't call him a moron, 'kay? Besides, I don't see any problem with being in love with Mammon"

- Whoa, whaaaat? Who is in love with Mammon?... Wait, no, Who wouldn't be in love with THE Great Mammon, right?

- Mammon pressed his ear against your door, thinking he could hear better that way, but really it just suffocated the noise, and then he remembered he could just tuned his hearing. He was also beet red by that moment, internally thanking that none of his brothers could see him like that, he would never hear the end of it.

- "But, really MC, what do you love about Mammon?"

- Mammon catched his breath abruptly, remaining as still as possible.

- "Well, I love him because he's Mammon, and that means that I'll never be bored with him, and that he'll always be there for me when I need him, that I can trust him with my soul and he would never let me down. I love him because he is so generous even when he pretends he isn't, he is so sweet and cute but also really cool, and he is a total tsundere but he has opened himself to me, and everything about him is so complex and simple at the same time, I just... I love Mammon"

- You, my sweet MC, have officially broke Mammon.

- All of his blood was in his face, his heart was going rampant, his mind absorbed your words but couldn't understand what they meant, he was both ecstatic and terrified.

- And since he stopped functioning, he didn't realize you were walking towards the door until you opened up to stumble upon a teary eyed, flushed and very embarrassed Avatar of Greed.

- You knew he listened, there was no other motive to his state.

- Mammon stared at you intensely, deeply and loving and your face blushed as furiously as his. You finished the call with your best friend in stuttered, barely comprehensible words, and started fidgeting under Mammon's gaze.

- "Mammie?"

- You see, his brain wasn't aware that he was staring at you like that, he was just marvelling at how beautiful and precious you were. He was remembering all of your conversations; the way you always stood up for him, how you were always smiling at him, and that you never degraded him at all. And when you said his name he snapped back to reality.

- Then, in a both usual and unusual Mammon way, he launched himself at your arms in a very tight hug. Like you were his lifeline, and let's be honest, maybe you were, but he was yours just as much.

- "I love ya' MC" he muttered next to your ears, causing you to hold onto him even more.

- "I love you more, Mammie"

- "Nah, I love ya' much much more"

- And now you were in a duel to see who loved the other more, that eventually led to admit that you both loved each other and that was enough.

- You both spend that night in your bed, simply enjoying the other's warmth, pouring your love to your heart's content.

- And if you ever think that he will be separated from you ever again, you are terribly mistaken.

- Not that you minded, tho.

- In conclusion; Mammon would not wait another second away from you after hearing that you also love him as much as he loves you.

Leviathan

- Boy was going over to your room, to invite you play a new game he had just bought. As always, he had to take a second before knocking on your door to convince himself he wasn't being annoying.

- Then he listened to your rambling.

- "I feel so lightheaded when I'm with him, and I can't stop replaying everything on my mind when I'm alone, and I'm afraid he'll notice and be weirded out that a normie like me is head over heels for him"

- OMFF (oh my f***** father) what is this?? Is this like that time in "I accidentally eavesdropped on my normie best friend and discovered they're in love with me, how can I confess to them without being creepy?" (Ok, Levi would not be proud of my naming skills) no, no, no, waaaait, this could not be possibly be about him. Oh, no, you couldn't have possibly fallen for a yucky Otaku shut-in like him, there's no way... Right?

- "So, tell me, MC, what is it about this Leviathan that you love so much?"

- He was already sweating and trembling, but his heart definitely stopped for a concerning amount of time. If he wasn't a demon, he would most likely had already passed out right there and then.

- "I love how passionate he is, and how he always respects my privacy and he waits until I'm ready to talk, he doesn't pressure me into nothing, he gives me my space, I love how he can talk about what he likes so earnestly. I love that sparkle in his eyes when he's winning a difficult game and his razor focus when he is being really challenged by something. I feel so happy with Levi and I just want to make him see himself through my eyes so he could just stop belittle himself".

- Leviathan.exe has died. That's it.

- He literally passed out the moment those words came out of your mouth, so you heard a loud thud right outside and you found Levi face first on the floor.

- Nervousness is short to what you felt during the agonizing time he took to actually give any signs of being alive.

- When Levi woke up he didn't understand why was he laying in the floor of your room, but the moment his memories came flooding back he stand up and try to run away, his face a blushing mess.

- And as much as you wanted to stop him and apologize, you let him go, because he was clearly not ready for that conversation.

- So, a week passed and everyday you tried to contact him to no avail. Until you were finally done with playing hide and seek, you marched firmly (only in your mind 'coz you were shaking like a leaf) to his room and practically forced yourself in.

- The conversation went as you would think, stuttering, muttering, blushing messes both of you while confessing face to face your feelings for the other.

- And finally, after reassuring him, that yes, this is real, and yes you do love him, him, Leviathan, Avatar of Envy, not one of his brothers or anyone else but just HIM, he accepted your love.

- Levi gathered all of his very little confidence and went for a slight hug.

- In conclusion; this snek boy needs time, and a lot of reassurance to accept the truth and realize it's not a dream, you also love him.

Satan

- He was trying to retrieve one of the books he had lend you to study for your classes, but just before knocking on your door, he thought to himself to better do it tomorrow, it was already late and you were probably getting ready to sleep.

- That is, until he heard your giggling on the other side.

- "But, tell me, what is it about Wrath that you love so much?"

- Satan was confused and intrigued, what's this conversation about? Obviously, something about him, so he's going to listen.

- "First of, he is not Wrath, I mean Satan is the Avatar of Wrath, but he is not just Wrath, at all. He is so much more than that, he is his own person with his own feelings and thoughts, even more so than we are, because he has lived for thousands of years. He knows so much about a lot of things that are completely beyond my comprehension, but he always manages to make them reachable for my limited mind. I love how he can go from being a pain in Lucifer's ass to a soft and doting cat dad, the way he loses himself into compelling detective novels. I got it bad for him"

- Satan was speechless. His brows raised almost up until his hairline.

- He felt a pleasant warmth spreading through his body, did you really thought of him that way?

- Oh, boy, was he blushing, he even brought a hand to his face to cover from any non existent prying eyes.

- He heard you shuffling around in your room, so he decided to retreat to his own, already planning his confession as he was walking away in the hallway.

- That night, Satan wrote you a poem, an essay and a ode to you. He tried to portray his feelings, but he also felt something was missing and he cracked his head all night searching for it. He redid everything over and over again, looking for more beautiful, deeper words to describe the extent to his love for you.

- However, Satan fell asleep on top of all the manuscripts and drabbles of his "failures", and the next morning guess who was asked to go and fetch the blond demon for breakfast?

- Ok, could've been anyone, but for the sake of this HC, it was you, ok?

- So, you went, and knocked, and waited, and called for him, and knocked again, but nothing. So you enter through his surprisingly unlocked door, and found him sound asleep. And it was such an endearing sight, you just couldn't force yourself to disturb him.

- However, you did tried to cover him with a blanket from his bed and obviously (this is also for the sake of this HC) he woke up at the feeling of foreign touch.

- When he saw you, it clicked on him the thing he was missing for his confession.

- Eye contact.

- Satan jumped to his feet, held your hands, and declared his love for you with a deep blush in his cheeks, a little stuttering in his words, but so much honesty and passion in his green eyes, you were lost.

- In conclusion, Satan would try to make a romantic confession but he would ultimately just convey his feelings in a heart melting, brain wrecking monologue, you can't do nothing but love him even more.

If there's any grammar or spelling mistake I apologize, english is not my first language, and I would appreciated if you could kindly point it out for me so I can get better

Thank you for reading.

Atte. Evie

A/N: Part 2 is up! If you want to be tagged in it just ask me & I'll be delighted to.

Have a wonderful day/night and stay safe!

Tag list:

@anonymous-hq

[monochromepalette]

Thank you, I hope so too! Do you have any cousins you need to babysit? Or anybody in yoir family in particular?

Totally understandable, don't worry! :D I know what you mean, though. To be all honest, there's quite a few games I need to finish... I'm nearly done with most of them. Gosh, I gave up on Genshin. That game has messed up my perception of fantasy, and I can't enjoy it as much anymore 😆 I'm glad you're still enjoying it, though <3

I 100% agree that setting commitment to a game is difficult. Especially a mobile one, where you need to constantly get new updates and story *which is another reason I can't finish my games. I'm distracted by gacha games.

Oh! I hope your dad still has the game! It'd be really fun with you. And correct, very little commitment ^^ Wait, you dooo?! Nintendo Switch or the mobile one of Animal Crossing??? True, Puyo Puyo sounds fun as well! I've only played it a couple times, so you'd beat me XD

Oh yeah, I had Roblox downloaded once from a time when I played with one of my other friends! Though I uninstalled it for space. I don't mind getting it again for you :) Oh really? Ahaha, I'll keep that in mind that you scare easily! I can relate. Being the one controlling the actions of someone in a horror game can be very eerie. Literally front row seats to death-ville. But I'm up for it, too! Do you have a pc? Just asking so maybe we can run up some games on Steam ^^

Yay! What kind of paint??? I'd love to see a part of it or whatever you're comfortable with whenever you're done. Though, not forcing you. Just whatever you're okay with or not okay with!

Honestly, I do enjoy those dynamics sometimes! It's adorable! I'll give Oh! Holy! a try the next time I want to read romance~ Keeping it in my list! I'll do my best to connect dots within the plot if you got lost! ( > n < ) I suppose maybe some translation errors or something? That's all I can really think of. Ohh, I don't mind suggestive! I think a lot of mangas are like that anyways XD

Haha, alright! It's just really cool how there are different types and I had never known / heard about it. I mean, I think I have *heard* those terms but it wasn't something I had to go and look up immediately until now.

These games really be doing us dirty by not giving us a gay option 😭 Though like you said, not surprised. Not really in the norm in the east, so... I GUESS it makes sense... Though obv not agreeable 😭😭😭 I don't think I ever got that far in the game. I think I stopped at like... the 5th day or something. If I can't remember, it def did not make a good impression on me.

"Not that I'm jealous..." LOL 😆 Honestly, I hope in the future they add her as a romance option :((( It would be super nice if they did. Isn't Zen the newest character? I remember seeing him being added as of recently when I saw the icon for the game on the playstore.

Ouh, Yoosung! Isn't he the cutesy-type? He would seem like your type in all honesty 😆 I've never been attracted to the super-cutesy male characters. I mean, they're what they are: cute. But I never held any romantic feelings onto them.

I had to look up Jaehee again. I don't think I got that far if I don't remember her? Hrm, I barely remember anybody, sorry! 😭 How long do you think it'll take for you to finish everybody's routes and complete everything?? You said you were feeling worn out, so hopefully it doesn't stay that way for too long!

I think I didn't like the daily login aspect of it. When I want to play a game, I want to be able to sit through it for a long while and not need to wait to play the next day for some extra dialouge. I hated doing that with the Otome games as well. Took way too long.. And again, I just think the characters weren't all that interesting to me. I had a friend who loooved the game but it was so long ago that I barely remember our coversation about it. The only one I liked was 707. Um, though, from what my friend told me, it would be a while until I would be able to play his route. He just kinda looked like my partner when we were back in high school... Soooo, I was ready to fall in love with another him

Hello, Mono ✨

How have you been? Anything interesting happen at the donut shop? Play any cool games? Developed your ocs?

Hi Moo-Moo~!!! It's been a while, hasn't it? ❤️

Nothing cool at my work place, sadly. Just same old, same old. No developed OCs either. I've just been babysitting so I haven't had time to think to myself for a while v_v

Though, I have played some new games :D (Some of them not really *new* new games but have been in my roster for a while but haven't touched till as of recently):

- Honkai Star Rail (I'm sure you've heard of that one!)

- Phasmophobia (Hunting ghosties~~)

- Outlast Trials (Horror/Sci-fi(?) I've been waiting for one of my friends on the other side of the world to get back home so I can play it again x_x)

- Left 4 Dead 2 (FPS shooter game. I usually don't play them but it's been for so far!)

-Cult of the Lamb (Uhh... Animal Crossing meets Binding of Issac?)

- Project Zomboid (Survival game w/ zombies)

Most of these games I've been playing with my family. I'd love to play a game with you in the future if possible. It would be a lot of fun ❤️

How about you? Anything fun planned during the summer, or excited for the following school year? How about your OCs? ^^

[theodorevg923]

Chixy Week!

Day 2: Sick Day

Day 1 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Bit short this time, had some motivation issues but I got it done!

Master List

No warning! Pure fluff

- 1,600 words under the cut!

Sept 24, 1999

Roxy sighed as she made another attempt to get comfortable on Chica's couch. After a bad crash in the Raceway, she was laid up with a broken ankle. It was her own fault, she got distracted on her brand new racetrack and spun out of control. Tears pricked in her eyes as she turned her head away from the TV, not wanting to suffer through another early afternoon romcom. She huffed as she sat up and grabbed the same magazine she had read four times that day, and started on her fifth. Nearly finished with the magazine, the door to Chica's studio apartment within the brand new Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizza Plex opened. Chica chirped as she came in holding a few pizza boxes from an eatery within the building. 

"How are you feeling now?" 

Roxy huffed and rolled her eyes and she threw the magazine onto a stack that scattered the coffee table in front of her. She ignored Chica as the chicken set the pizza on the kitchenette counter and made each of them plates. She didn't mean to be all huffy with Chica, her pride hurt and it ended up slipping out. Roxy managed to grumble a quiet thanks as Chica handed her a plate of sausage pizza. As she took a bite, Chica sat down on the floor beside her. 

Roxy huffed and sat her pizza down on the coffee table to scoot down a cushion. "Get up here."

Chica chirped around a beakful of pizzas as she sat down beside Roxy. "I'm sorry I can't spend more time with you."

"Not your fault, nugget." 

Roxy turned her head as Chica started to rub cheeks with her. She knew the chicken did it with everyone, but it made her feel special every time she received the affection from Chica. As her tail started to wag, she pulled away but Chica followed right behind. Roxy snorted as Chica continued to rub cheeks until she started to lean into the affection. She didn't quite understand how, but over the years Roxy had known the chicken, she came to accept and crave the affection from Chica. Not that she'd ever outright admit it, and only privately, but she still craved more.

With a heavy heart, Roxy finally pulled herself away from Chica's affection and put focus on eating her pizza. Three weeks had already passed since her accident and she still had three more to go according to the doctor's office. If their daily habit of meals kept up, Roxy might give too much away. Granted she probably already had as she'd been bunking with Chica again, even though she now had her own room in her raceway. Roxy quickly chomped through her pizza as she focused on the tv. But slowly her eyes drifted to Chica as the chicken laid her head on Roxy's shoulder. Roxy rolled her eyes as she turned her focus back to the tv.

As the show on the tv ended, Chica chirped sadly. "I have to go get ready for the next show. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Roxy huffed in reply. "Whatever."

As soon as Chica left, Roxy slumped into the couch to mope. She wasn't upset with Chixy about having to leave, it was her role here in the new megaplex, but it still sucked that she couldn't do anything until her ankle healed. She snorted and rolled to her other side to face away from the tv. Tears pricked in Roxy's eyes that she quickly wiped away. For the past three weeks, she had been feeling completely useless. Unable to man her own attraction, help Chica get ready for shows, or even just hang out with the chicken in her brand new cafe. Roxy snorted to clear the thoughts away after she decided to take a nap instead. She let out a long sigh and she readjusted herself on the couch before she forced herself to sleep.

-

Chica had been worried for Roxy the last few weeks and had been struggling in trying to find a way to cheer her favorite Champ up. She had already tried several things such as brushing Roxy's hair daily and nightly, spending every free moment and meal, different types of entertainment, but nothing seemed to last for long. Chica was starting to run out of ways as she didn't know how to run one of Roxy's karts on the brand new racetrack. As she headed back to her studio room that was part of her Mazercise, she ruffled her feathers in an attempt to find something to do. She could do a movie night again, though Chica had already tried that a few times. Maybe it was time to ask someone for ideas.

Chica popped her head into her room to find Roxy sleeping on her couch. She quickly closed the door to let her Champ sleep in peace. Instead, Chica turned away from her room in search of some new ideas. As she walked around the megaplex, she spoke to a few of the other members of her quirky family that had grown in the past three years. Sun the golden furred coyote gave Chica permanent markers in a variety of colors, kiddie bandaids, stickers, while Moon the raven furred coyote twin just told her to let Roxy sleep. Chica skipped Monty, she already knew Monty and Roxy squawked enough like rival siblings. Bonnie wasn't much help either with telling Chica that Roxy needed to stop moping around. Foxy was out on another voyage so he was out of contact except for emergencies. Chica decided to try Freddy next.

Chica stood outside Freddy's office door and knocked on it.

"It's open." Freddy replied through the door.

Chica opened the door to find Freddy sitting at his desk. "I can't cheer up Roxy and I'm running out of ideas."

Freddy sighed and leaned back in his chair as Chica sat down in a chair across from him.

"I've tried everything from movie nights to spending every meal with her."

"Roxy never had been one to sit still, it's why I designed the racetrack for her."

"But she can't race right now, and I'm afraid of those karts."

"Maybe…" Freddy paused as he shuffled some papers around. "Our financials are pretty steady right now and only growing in profit from here on out. How about we let her have her own kart? She is the best racer in the den, and she deserves something to prove that."

Chica cheered up at the thought and chirped excitedly. "Yes! She could design one herself! It would keep her busy when I'm not around."

Chica stood up from the chair and barely managed a happy chirp to Freddy. "Thank you Fred!"

Later after the last show of the day, Chica chirped happily as she headed to her room with dinner she had picked up from El Chip's, Roxy's favorite, and the craft items Sun had given her earlier. As she opened the door, Chica found Roxy was awake again. She set the food and craft items on the coffee as she sat down next to Roxy. She could tell her Champ still wasn't in the best mood and started to rub her cheek against Roxy's in an attempt to cheer her pup up. She heard Roxy huff before the pup ever so slightly leaned into the affection. Chica handed Roxy her favorite order as she picked up her own.

"Oh, I have some good news!" Chica chirped before she took a bite of nachos that had nearly all the toppings.

"What is it this time?" Roxy huffed before she dug into her own burrito.

"Freddy wants to give you your own special kart for your racetrack." Chica chirped excitedly as she noticed Roxy's ears perked up. "Something you designed yourself to prove you're the best in the den."

Despite Roxy's attempt to hide her excitement, Chica had learned over the years to catch all of Roxy's signs. She smiled to herself as she continued to munch on her nachos. Roxy stayed quiet as the pup ate her own dinner, but Chica knew the pup was lost planning out her own kart. Chica left Roxy to her thoughts as she ate and when she had finished, she decided to draw on Roxy's cast. She picked up a couple permanent markers and started doodling little hearts and different tiny foods with faces. Chica lifted her head as she heard Roxy snort, the pup watching her with a scowl. But again, Chica could catch the happiness in the pup's eyes. 

"Any ideas on your kart?" Chica chirped at Roxy.

Roxy looked away in a huff. "Not yet, I have to make sure it's the best."

Chica cooed as she returned to doodling on Roxy's cast. After Roxy finished her burrito, Chica paused as the pup laid down on the couch with a heavy sigh. She looked over at Roxy, worried for a second before she saw the faint smile on the pup's muzzle. She turned back to finish decorating her Champ's cast with some of the stickers and bandaids. As she placed the last couple stickers, she caught onto the slight wag in Roxy's tail and smiled to herself in contemptment. Chica set the markers in the coffee table before she leaned back into the couch. Roxy huffed and shifted on the couch.

"Get over here." Roxy huffed again at Chica.

Chica laid down on the couch beside Roxy and snuggled into the pup. They laid together for a while and watched tv before she heard the faintest whisper from Roxy.

"Thanks, nugget, for making me my best again."

-

Stay Cruel Until The End - Theodore

Posted May 31 '22

[acciocriativity]

You and Me || Harry Potter

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Slytherin/Reader

Summary: It's always been you and Draco since you can remember, the invincible duo, the two of you against the world but some things have changed along the way and it's not news to any soul at Hogwarts but it's time your parents knew too. 

 Word Count: 2,8k

A/N: I took a bit to finish but here it is your story @x-dratie-x. I hope you all like it! Tom Riddle is not Voldemort in this oneshot, Voldemort didn’t exist at all but the events of the first war and its consequences still is valid, but with another wizard.

Warnings: A very very slightly sexual conversation and that's all

1987  

  I didn't want to be at that dinner, I didn't want to have to listen all day long to how well I should behave because the Malfoy's were such an important family or something. 

I had plans for the week, I would go with our elf to buy more art supplies and I was allowed to spend the day outside the house, just drawing the landscape. 

My parents never let me participate in events like this, because I might mess up, say something inappropriate for the moment, or whatever excuse they decided to make up. But out of the blue, I was told that I would have to be there. Why? I couldn't understand and I didn't even ask them, what good would it do? None. 

The day was only getting worse and worse by the hour for me, I just wanted to take off that dress and go play but I couldn't, obviously. So I did what was left to me, smile and eat politely without making any noise or comments, not that there were any comments I would like to make. I had no idea what they were talking about, it was absolutely boring. The only thing that made me feel slightly better were my own thoughts and the fact that their son was as bored as I was. 

We knew each other because of some casual encounters between our parents but never had the opportunity to talk to each other, because of course, only grown-ups talk.

But it seems that I drew the long straw after a horrible day, after dinner Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were invited to stay a little longer and I was excused along with Draco to play.  

I could hardly believe it, I wouldn't have to sit there and smile for another 45 minutes, my happiness couldn't be measured at that moment. Not even waiting for my mother to say it again, I stood up and said goodbye politely with a smile before walking up the stairs and I could hear footsteps following me somewhat hesitantly but I didn't care at the moment. 

"Come on, let's go play in my room", I exclaimed with a huge smile and threw the bow tie, which was pinning my hair, on the floor and quickly walked over to it uncaringly.

 I missed his shocked expression but as soon as we reached my door, he made sure to make it clear to me. 

"Do your parents let you do that?", the question made no sense in my head but stopping to think about it now, it makes sense, he should always be flawless. 

"They don't care as long as it's not in front of guests, you won't tell them, right?", his greyish blue eyes reflected mine and for a few seconds I thought that was a beautiful effect.

 He looked away from me and nodded slightly in agreement, his face covered in shyness and I just squealed with delight. I opened the door and pulled him inside, his hand was so cold that I thought about taking one of my jackets and handing it to him. 

"So what do you want to do? I have some toys in my closet, I'll get them", I walked happily to the door and proceeded to try to decide what I would want. Some was not the best word, there were a lot of them, far more than I would ever use. 

 I came back with a big mulberry box that I've only been able to carry within the last year and placed it on my bed but he didn't even notice, he was looking at my drawings. 

"Oh, you liked them. I wish I had done one more today, do you want to try?", I asked him and walked over to the table where my sheets were. 

"Yeah, they're not too bad", he stated nonchalantly and I didn't believe him for a moment but I chose to keep my mouth shut for once. 

 I picked up two white sheets, two quills and sat down quietly on the floor, since I didn't have two chairs for the two of us but it seems he wasn't used to that. 

"Come on, hurry up, your parents won't be here forever", I patted the seat next to me and soon he sat down as well, I noticed his posture still uncomfortable and my goal for the day turned to change that, if only for 5 minutes. 

 From that day on, we became closer and our parents obviously understood and liked that, because we were strengthening their relationship and at no point that crossed my mind. I was just happy to be supported by my parents to visit Draco. 

1991

 My Hogwarts letter had arrived some weeks ago and I hadn't let go at any point, going to Diagon Alley had become a completely different experience and I couldn't wait, but I had to because I pleaded with my and his parents so that we would go together.

But the day had finally arrived and I had to contain all my energy to not look like an out of control little girl, nothing out of the ordinary but today was more difficult because I was genuinely happy. I was always genuinely happy with my only real friend. 

"Y/N, you must hurry or we are going to be late", I could hear my mother's voice from downstairs just as I finished putting on my flats. 

 As it was a very important occasion I had chosen my favorite outfit, even my parents were a little excited too. They had told me that they had met at Hogwarts and that I would find someone from a good family at Slytherin as well. This part was completely ignored by me but they never found out about it. 

"I'm here mom, we won't be late", I said as soon as I came down the stairs and approached them without running. We were near the fireplace and I mentally thanked them for not having to apparate, because it was always a horrible experience for me.

"Okay, I'll go first and you two right after", my father made sure to announce although he always goes first when we go out like that.   

 After a few minutes, we arrived in front of Flourish & Blotts and there was the imposing Malfoy family. After a small talk in which I had no interest in paying attention to, we all went inside and we were finally able to talk while our parents were engaged in a conversation with the attendant. 

"I've already said it once and I'll say it again, I honestly don't understand how you're not that excited, it's Hogwarts", I whispered to him as we walked through the messy shelves full of books. 

"It doesn't seem like a great thing after hearing it so many times", I could clearly see that there was something more there, I had known him long enough to know that and also that he wouldn't tell me easily. 

"Okay, so you're telling me that you're not the least bit excited to leave Malfoy Manor to start your life?", his lips twitched trying to hold back a smile, his eyes shifted from mine, looking for something to distract himself. 

 But I could stop him, my cunning little hands went to his waist tickling that area before he could prevent me from doing so. That was enough to make him laugh, although he denied that he was ticklish every time I asked. 

This attack did not end well for me, because revenge existed in his vocabulary and was even overused. I had to run, as fast as I could, and it still didn't work. 

And why? Because I went to a dead end corridor upstairs, I had never even visited the second floor of that store, the day I went there I had to get unlucky. 

In short, I was attacked twice more without mercy, my glasses almost got broken and we were so noisy that the owner gave us a scolding and our parents did the same as soon as we left with our packages, but this was not enough to ruin the day and our good mood. 

1993

 It was already expected that we would both end up in Slytherin, which was great because we didn't have to be separated, on the opposite, we became closer than ever. It also didn't take long to form our group of friends, actually not more than a month but the thing that made us truly close started in the third year when I had a genius idea. 

We all had a reason to dislike Harry, mine was nowhere near Draco's, no one's was but we shared it anyway. It was always fun to pick fights with him, make pranks and get him into trouble on purpose, so why not make it a little game? It was so easy that the idiots, Crabbe and Goyle understood the first few times, you can't expect more than that from them, and this was certainly a record for both. 

The game had three main objectives: 

- Take the most materials from Harry or his friends: ink, quill, books, whatever they were carrying would be a prize and would get a point.

- See him or his friends more often, with the intention of spying on them just for fun, of course. It could be in class or in the corridors, each time would be an extra point. 

- Pick fights with him or his friends, each minute was worth one point and to be proven, had to have someone to confirm it. 

 Of course, there was no room for lies, and I made sure to put a spell on our board to prevent this. Yes, I had made a small board that stayed with me but each team wrote down their own score.

To make it more fun, we split up into pairs. Draco and I, Pansy and Blaise, Grabbe and Goyle, Astoria and Millicent and Tom and Theo.

And finally, the best part, whoever had the most points at the end of the year would win 5 galleons from each person, as well as having a celebration party financed by the losers.  

Needless to say, Draco and I always won since the day I created the game. Our friends always complained about us playing dirty but it was never necessary and deep down they knew it, it must be hard to lose every year so I don't judge them.  

1995

"Are they still complaining?", I remained with my eyes closed, it was comfortable to lie curled up against Draco on the couch in the common room. We had two free classes, which was being put to good use to get some rest after a year of N.O.M.S. and a devastating victory in our little game.

"They'll get over it when we come back in September, I guess.... You're missing the best part", his voice came out whispered directly into my ear and I couldn't help but smile.      

 I didn't need to see the scene to know what was going on, Tom and Theo blaming each other for the defeat, everyone standing back from them because no one wants to get involved in their ego battle and our other friends trying not to laugh because it was a funny scene, even if they didn't know it.

"They're taking longer than last time...", I commented slightly annoyed by the noise. I had no idea what had happened to me, because usually I spent the afternoon celebrating my victory but not today. 

"Let's get out of here, you seems so good", he hadn't even completed his sentence when I agreed and painfully got up to go to his room. 

 But before I could take two steps, I felt his arms go around my waist and legs, leading me up the stairs in a bridal style.

I smiled wider and snuggled into his arms, enjoying more of the warmth and good feeling it gave me until we reached the bed.

"Thanks honey, I don't know what happened today", I commented under my breath as soon as he had me lying on the bed, but I knew it was a lie.

"Are you sure? This isn't related to the fact that our parents will know about our relationship in a few days?", I hoped he would pretend he didn't know but that wasn't the case, I wasn't going to be able to run away from the subject.

"It's just that I don't like them meddling in our lives, of course I have nothing against your parents, I'll love to be introduced as your girlfriend but my parents will be twice as unbearable", I sighed and hugged the blond once more, if there was one thing that made me better it was this. 

"Like my mom isn't going to start a 3 year planning for our wedding after she finds out, but at least they'll be used to it by the end of the summer and we won't have to go through this again", he began to fiddle with my hair and curl the strands between his fingers, slowly my shoulders relaxed and a considerable chunk of my worry faded away.

"Yes, I think so but it's going to be a lot harder for us to be alone now. You definitely won't be stepping foot in my room like you did when we used to play together", the memories flooded back and I felt him smile too, it had been a while since this had escaped my thoughts. 

"I don't need to worry about that, we slept together for almost the entire year at Hogwarts and they can't do anything about it and we'll keep doing it", I couldn't see him since my face was buried in his neck, but the perfect image of his mischievous grin formed in my head. 

 "The question is, will you survive for two months without me? Because I don't see that happening", I teased with a huge smirk as I turned to look him in the eye. 

"It won't happen because your father won't be enough to stop me love and I'll make sure you don't have to resort to your hands, because we know it wouldn't be enough", smugness was all over his face and as much as I searched for an answer to that, I didn't have one. Not in the first few seconds. 

"Good love, that's good because I'm sure your hands wouldn't do a better job either. In fact, I'd be a little worried if they actually still work, in case we get separated", I had managed to wipe the smirk off his face but I also knew it wouldn't stay that way, revenge was still an overused word in his vocabulary. 

 A week later, there I was on one of the Hogwarts Express cars with Draco, since we couldn't fit all our friends there anyway, we decided to enjoy the last hours of freedom we had together. 

And how quickly it went by, one moment I was chatting with my boyfriend while my puppy slept peacefully in her travel bed and the next, we had arrived and a wave of students were trying to get through the doors at the same time. 

We stepped off the train holding hands, while I carried only my baby in the other, and this detail did not escape the trained eyes of our parents who were talking side by side but as soon as they noticed us they stopped.

"For Merlin's sake, you two finally decided to listen to me and are in a relationship now?", my mother's eyes sparkled with excitement and I could already hear her voice asking me all sorts of embarrassing questions. "Narcisa, our family is finally becoming one, this is the best news I could ever receive", she could jump for joy now but because of the good posture of a London high society woman, she did not do that.

"How about dinner at our house today? We have a good reason to celebrate," I had seen his mother smile at me several times but even Lucius Malfoy seemed satisfied enough to show a little bit of his teeth, which is indeed shocking.

 My parents agreed to the idea immediately and only one look was exchanged between Draco and me, it only took a single look to know that we both acknowledged it would be an insufferable night. 

Harry Potter Masterlist

[deltas-writing-corner]

Courtship (4): The Gargoyle Graveyard

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland (Malleus x GN!reader)

Author note: Again, thank you all for being patient with me and I apologize for having a very inconsistent writing schedule. I'm going to make it my goal to update on a bi weekly basis instead of leaving you all in silent limbo. Also a reminder I suck at figuring out which warnings to put so if there's something that needs to be forewarned that I failed to disclose please lmk!

Warnings: Mentions of heavy bodily injuries | childhood trauma/neglect | discussions/mentions of discrimination | mentions of virginity/sexual history

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AO3 version

Clay. Stone. Porcelain. Plaster. Metal. There are even gargoyles carved entirely of wood! Some statues are stand-alone works of art while others are part of a clear collection or series of similar inspiration. They even come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; as small as an apple or a towering height to rival Malleus himself. No matter what, each grotesque has been crafted with the utmost consideration, by well seasoned and knowing hands. Even the ones that have clear defects and cannot serve their intended purpose are free of overabundant ivy, weeds, or dust. There’s a clear degree of love and care the family who makes these statues has for their craft that makes him feel less alone in his interest in an uncherished form of art.

“It should be around here somewhere,” you muse aloud. Ever since he expressed interest in seeing more sculptures made with non-traditional materials, you’ve been keeping your eye out for a particular one that would fulfill his yearning. You eventually find it and eagerly point to it. “There it is!”

Malleus watches as you approach a massive-sized statue covered with a thick and half-wet tarp. He helps you remove the cover, revealing a winged and slightly humanoid canine. There are many more grotesques with a similar design, but what makes this one stand out the most is the material it’s made out of.

“Amazing!” Malleus awes. “I’ve never seen a grotesque of this size made entirely of glass! They’ve even managed to maintain their attention to detail despite such an abnormal material choice.”

“You can even see the inner channel where the water would flow in and redirect out of its mouth,” you notice.

“They even went out of their way to make it functional despite it being unfit for actual installation?” Malleus inquires with disbelief. “Such a shame.”

“If you’re looking to buy anything here, I’m afraid it's a lost cause. One of the first warnings the grandfather gave me is that none of these are for sale.”

“What was his second warning?”

“If we damage anything, even as small as a scratch, he’ll kill us.”

“How charming,” he chuckles. “I cannot blame him. These statues must take weeks to complete. Time is a human’s greatest enemy.”

“For some, sure. But when I went to visit the family and talked to the old man, he was lunging around all this heavy equipment like he was still in his prime,” you recall. “He lives for his craft. If there’s anything humans are at risk of their entire lives, it’s a lack of motivation and reason to live.”

“I suppose that’s true, but the lifespan of humans and the inevitable effects of aging is difficult to live with, especially once it begins to hinder one’s ability to do what one could previously do without issue. ”

“You’re not wrong,” you acknowledge. “But I think I’d rather live a short life with fulfillment than a dull, long-as-shit life.”

To show that he’s entirely on your side, Gunter lets out a guttural bark while his tail rapidly wags and thumps the damp ground, coating the ends of his bushy tail in specs of dirt and dirtied, remnant snow of the north that has managed to stay frozen on the isles warmer south end.

“You’re only agreeing with them because you’ve been promised food,” Malleus chastises. “Don’t think I didn’t pick up on your grumbling stomach.”

“And don't think I didn't pick up on your stomach rumbling either your highness," you quip back at him. "The family has a small cottage nearby we can use. We'll settle down for a bit and eat before sightseeing some more."

Before you turn and walk in the direction towards the aforementioned lodgings, you reach your hand out for Malleus to take and he latches onto you with restrained enthusiasm. He's taller than you, but he takes care not to take his normal strides as to not leave you struggling to keep up with him. Gunter doesn't know the way, so he trots beside you every step of the way up until the destination is in plain view. The cottage is small but well-attended. There’s a rustic flair to its construction that makes it feel familiar and safe despite never stepping foot in it before.

"Those gargoyles were something, huh?" you remark to him while you tap and shake off the gunk wedged into the soles of your heavy boots against the frame of the door.

"Indeed," he nods, taking your cloak off for you and hanging it on the wooden rack nearby. "I don't think I've ever seen that many gargoyles in one day. Just when my eyes land upon an intriguing one, there's several more that catch my attention."

The way he gets all wide-eyed is outright adorable. It makes you grin just as enthusiastically too. "I bet your club is going to have a field day once you tell them about this!"

His child-like smile turns into one of disappointment. "I'm certain they would, if I wasn't the sole member that is."

Your hands halt from pulling out and setting down all the premade food out of your pack. "Seriously? You're the only one?"

When he nods his head, you feel a twinge of hurt in your heart. Poor guy. You can only imagine how disappointing it must be to go through all those lengths to start a club (you would know since you're technically a staff member of the school and have been given a rundown on some of the school's functions and regulations) only for no one to show interest. Of course, you completely understand that gargoyles aren't exactly all the rage within the minds of teenage boys. Still! He goes through so much effort to build relationships with his peers but they always cower away, either due to his status or even because of the way he looks. You won’t deny that he does come off as rather intimidating at first glance, but he's a sweet guy once you give him the chance to speak.

But to expect teenagers going through social pressures and demanding academics to be as understanding and willing to understand someone like Malleus is an impossible demand. Given that everyone in the school can be a bunch of self-centered and easily agitated bunch of pricks, it's understandable that most of the student body isn't keen on trying to take into consideration the proper etiquette one needs to consider in the presence of a young and noble fae. Deuce has met and talked briefly with Malleus on one occasion, but even he visibly shakes whenever his name is mentioned, even in casual passing.

Wait until they found out who you've gone and gotten buddy-buddy with behind their back. They probably think they're slick or that their intentions are well swept under the rug, but it's clear they feel some semblance of responsibility for your well-being, as both a magicless individual as well as a close, albeit older, friend. You dread the day people begin to make the connections between Malleus and you, but you still can’t help but wonder what their reactions might be. You also dread the high probability those two idiots are going to find out and embarrass the living hell out of you, which you know you do not have the patience or tolerance for.

Gunter jumps up and sits himself down in one of the wooden dining chairs, pushing the small ceramic plate towards you with his nose, as if telling you "Alright, I’ve done what I said I'd do, now feed me what I'm owed." You tell him that you'll give him what he's well earned after you get a small fire started in the brick fireplace. Just because it's warmer near the southern half of the island and not as heavily blanketed with snow, doesn't mean the cold has completely vanished, Winter is still winter after all.

"Where did these scars come from?"

Malleus' unexpected question and closeness nearly make you drop the iron rod you've been using to stoke the growing fire. You've since taken off your boots and rolled up the bottoms of your pants just above your knee as the room starts to warm up enough for a thin layer of perspiration to accumulate and roll down your skin. The scars he's referring to are the ones on your right leg, both side by side at an awkward angle and discolored. You have a lot more scars than these, some much more gruesome in appearance than these two. Malleus has never asked about your scars, but sometimes you catch him looking in the general area of some that peak through your clothes. He likely keeps quiet about their existence out of courtesy.

Yet out of all the markings on your body, why did these two stand out enough that he'd finally ask about them?

"It's a long story," you say in an effort to stall the topic. "Sit. I'll feed you two once the fire is stable."

He doesn’t push you for an answer, instead simply doing as you say and lets you poke at the burning logs until they're properly aflame on their own. You made mostly some of your morning favorites; Creamy and thick potato stew with diced carrots and peas and some eggs, ham, and crispy hash browns sandwich between homemade halved croissants. You teased him about having picky taste buds earlier, but Malleus is content to eat anything you serve him so long as it is not comparable to the likes of Lilia's atrocious cooking.

(Seriously, how does a man as old as Lilia not know the basic fundamentals of cooking? And why does everything he makes end up burnt and tasting like something rotten? You will never understand.)

"Don't eat too quickly," you warn Gunter as you pour a bit of light-colored soup onto his designated plate. Your words are ignored, as the equally marred wolf sloppily slurps and munches on the few bits of potatoes and vegetables you generously scraped out of the thermos. His food is gone as quickly as it’s put in front of him and he looks at you expecting more.

"No. The rest is mine," you scold. "And don't beg Malleus for some either! I know you do it behind my back, you little shit!"

He turns to look at Malleus with an accusatory glare, thinking that he ratted him out to you. Malleus’s response towards the silent imputation is to turn and look out the window as if something caught his interest all of a sudden, cup raised to his lips as he politely sips away at his meal without an air of calmness. You have to slap a hand over your mouth to hide the amusement that overtakes your senses.

"Malleus, stop that!"

"Stop what?" he innocently asks.

"Stop making me want to laugh!"

He sets his cup down onto its matching serving dish. "It's not my fault you have an easily satiable sense of humor."

"Wow!" you say incredulously and put your arms up in offense. "And here I was thinking we were friends!"

His distant demeanor breaks and you both devolve into a fit of laughter together. Gunter unfortunately takes advantage of your joint distraction and slips away with a warm sandwich between his jaw, your sandwich in particular.

"That damn wolf!" you curse. "I knew I should have trusted my gut and pack extras.”

Malleus pities your distress before moving over to sit closer. "Worry not. I'll split mine in half with you,” he reassures.

"No, it's fine," you immediately dismiss his offer. "Have it for yourself."

"I'm not taking no for an answer," he firmly states. “Don’t be stubborn. It’s far too early for that.”

"I thought you liked it when I was stubborn?” you pout.

He shakes his head with a smile. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t”

"At least someone likes my attitude,” you say after chewing and swallowing a mouthful of soup. “Sebek certainly doesn’t."

"The boy is stubborn as well. When two equally stubborn individuals cross paths, you will witness nothing but discord between the two."

"Add the fact I'm human into the mix, and we'll be exchanging fists instead of words sooner or later," you scoff. "I get that some faes don't like humans, but what's his deal with acting like he’s got a vendetta against me?"

"Sebek doesn't hate humans for the reasons you might think," Malleus admits. "It’s more like he finds them difficult to think that highly of. Did you know that he is half-human?"

You nearly choke on your own breath over the sudden revelation. "Really?"

"Indeed," Malleus finds amusement at your disbelief. "Have you ever wondered why his ears aren't pointed like Silver, but his eyes are like mine and Lilia’s?"

"Damn,” you scratch the back of your head with embarrassment. “Now I feel stupid.”

"You aren't. Given the way he speaks, not many would assume he had human blood in his veins. His mother was highly regarded within her social circle, but her marriage to a human man tarnished her reputation a great deal. She's happy and does not seem to care what others think of her these days. However, when Sebek set out to be a knight, his mother's marriage and his lineage were often brought up as a way to scrutinize his character and capabilities rather than any of his actual shortcomings as an individual."

"Poor kid," you sigh. "Lilia told me those sorts of things still happen in The Valley, but it sounds so outlandish that I couldn’t take it that seriously."

"Many faes hold old traditions above all else, to a degree that the purity of one's blood stands above all other merits." His eyebrows pressed together in annoyance. "Even my grandmother thinks it's archaic, but as the reigning queen she has to embody a persona of neutrality between the social divide."

"It sounds like you have your work cut out for you in the future," you say, almost apologetically. "What do you plan to do about it once you're the king?"

There's a brief flash of surprise over your question, but Malleus easily answers it as usual. "I think my first course of action as king would be to properly knight Sebek and Silver."

"Bet my rifle that Sebek is going to cry the entire ceremony!" you remark with certainty. "That's all he ever goes on about, being a knight and all."

"He's devoted countless hours and efforts since he was a child. If there's anyone who deserves to join the knighthood, it's him."

"Definitely," you nod to further cement your agreement with him. "He could stand to lower his voice a bit. He'll give you tinnitus before long.”

"At least we won't have to worry about losing him in a crowd," Malleus jests.

"That's to say we'll lose sight of him to begin with," you remark. "He'll gladly lose me in a crowd. You? You'd be lucky to get out of arm's length."

"You underestimate me, dearest," Malleus smirks. "Ever since I've met you, I've perfected the art of avoiding Sebek's insistent searches."

"Have you now?" you razz back. "Don't let him catch onto the fact. He'll have my head."

He reaches over and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. Each second his skin touches yours makes you tingle. Time slows down ever so briefly if only to savor the small instance of physical connection for as long as possible. "What of your aunts?" he inquires. "Are they as overprotective of you as Sebek is of myself?"

"They’re a trio of mama bears," you proudly admit. "I'm old enough to drink and well equipped to fend for myself, but in their minds, I'll always be the little tyke that couldn't even eat their meals without looking at them for approval. Especially my aunt Gia."

You have three aunts. There's your aunt Marisol, the mother of most of your cousins and the main caretaker of the household. Your second aunt Lucia was well into her studies at university when you came to live with them, but her stress and long hours of mulling over her course materials paid off in the long run. Your gardening skills wouldn't be what they are now without her expertise in agricultural botany.

Then there's your aunt Gia. Oldest of the three. An absolute tank of a woman. No spouse. No kids of her own. She lived off the land like an absolute titan. The woman raised you as if she was the one that carried you for nine months and not your actual birth mother.

How would you describe your parents? If your parents were told to list out their priorities in life, their careers would be at the top of the list and you would be put at the very bottom. Why they carried you to term is beyond your understanding. You later learned that Gia had even offered to take you under her care well before your birth, knowing that your parents might not be well-suited to take care of you in the way she thinks would be beneficial for you. It was a convenient offer that would have saved everyone the trouble years down the line when you had your accident. They worked in a cutthroat industry and were constantly moving up the executive echelons. They had no time for you, yet their pride as a pair of young, successful business magnates made them incapable of seeing past the reality of the situation. That left you mostly in the care of last-minute caretakers and your aunts, but only if they had time from their own busy and preoccupied lives to come out into the city and visit.

You were eight years old when things started to get better, but it was upstarted in the worst possible way. Your parents had to go away for the upcoming weekend for work and left you in the care of a babysitter as per the norm. The babysitter never showed up however and your parents apparently couldn’t be bothered to check up on you even once the entire trip. Their silence wasn’t surprising. You just went on about your business for the next three days on your own like nothing was wrong. Your aunt Gia had even called at one point to check up on you, but you didn’t bother to tell her that your parents had left you to fend for yourself. She would have exploded if you did, but not as much as she did when you woke up in the hospital after falling down the stairs and lying helplessly on the ground for several hours with a dislocated shoulder and a compound-fractured leg. You were lulling in and out of consciousness due to all the medication pumped into you, but what little you do remember seeing and hearing when you regained consciousness will forever stick with you for the rest of your life.

If people think your level of swearing is bad, they should have heard your aunt that day. She swore so viciously that it could set an innocent bystander's eardrums on fire. What will forever stand out the most to you was the fact that your parents didn’t even look the least bit apologetic or regretful. They didn’t even approach you once your aunt was done giving them a piece of her mind to check up on you. They simply talked with the awaiting social worker and doctors and then left. It was for the better, but the small part of you that continued to hold onto the desperate belief that your parents would come around one day sent you into a thrashing frenzy and you had to be sedated before you could hurt yourself anymore.

The next year was spent recovering from your injuries, meeting regularly with your caseworker, and going through therapists like a pack of cigarettes. By the time you were back on your feet and the legal proceedings of your custody case were concluded, all you wanted was to move on with it all. Nearly a decade of neglect left you this unattentive, uncertain husk of a person who couldn’t take a single step forward without looking for some sort of guidance or assurance. Your family was exhausted by the entire ordeal and over speaking with third parties. Your aunts took it upon themselves to help you regain your sense of self in the comfort of your new home, no matter how difficult or demanding it was going to be.

“It took some time, but eventually it clicked in my mind that I was in a better place and I started to get better. As for my parents, I have no clue what they’re up to these days.” You lean back into your chair and let out a shaking yawn. “I like to think they’re getting on well like I am.”

“I don’t understand.” Malleus looks at you with unbelievable confusion. “Your parents treated you poorly, yet you don’t sound the least bit resentful. Why is that?”

You shrug your shoulders. “What’s the point? I'm in a better place now, so I've let bygones be bygones. 'Doesn't mean I don't harbor any anger against them anymore. I do, but getting upset won't change what's happened to me."

Gunter, having sensed your discomfort over the matter, trots over and rests his head on your lap. You gratefully rub the top of his head, carding your hands through his thick, coarse hair. "I'm just glad they let me go without a fuss. Family court was hell for my family.” Your eyebrows knit together. “Expensive too.”

Crackling wood fills the momentary silence that befalls the small cottage. What you've recollected to Malleus is a lot to take in, and if you're being quite honest you'd prefer if he just dropped the subject and talked about literally anything else right now. You hope he doesn't say he's sorry or any other type of apologetic comment. That's all you were ever told that entire year it all happened, during court proceedings, your rehabilitation, by both strangers and distant family members alike.

"I'm so sorry. What happened to you was unfortunate. You didn't deserve it."

No shit you didn't deserve any of that. You were a kid. You don’t need one pity party after another to realize that what took place then had fucked you forever. But as you said earlier, you're in a better place now, with a loving and supportive family that's moved on alongside you. A family you need to get back to as soon as possible.

"I love you."

Well, if he was hoping to take your mind off the past. that certainly did it. How can it not? It came out of nowhere and as good as you are at holding your composure when need be, you're sure you look no less like a gaping fish when warm and plush softness presses right against the corner of your lips. A kiss. His kiss.

"What's wrong?" Your voice sounds shaky. You’re nervous.

"Nothing," he smiles reassuringly. "I simply said what I felt needed to be said."

"Fair enough" you concede easily. He was going to say it sooner or later. He already has actually, now that you think about it. Yet here you are trying to process his words like it’s rocket science.

"Am I going about this too fast perhaps?" he genuinely asks. His hands that have been busy massaging your calves that have settled across his lap somewhere during your long retelling gradually slow down, but his hands never go completely still. "This is my first time experiencing something like this."

"What?" You sit up a bit straighter. "A relationship?"

"Yes."

Your head tilts to the side. "Really?"

He nods hesitantly "Yes?"

For a moment, you go completely quiet. "I don't believe you,” you doubtfully say, head shaking to further showcase your refusal to believe him.

He must not have liked your remark, frowning with clear offense in his eyes. When he dislikes something, the vertical slits in his eyes contract into a thin line. "I cannot lie, yet you still doubt me?"

"I know you can't lie, but I find it hard to believe you haven't been with anyone else before," you explain. Before you can consider the appropriateness that was your newfound curiosity about Malleus's apparently non-existent love life, you blurt out, "Are you still a virgin?"

You slap your hand over your mouth the moment those words come out of it. He's equally caught off guard and nearly drops his warm cup of coffee. Even Gunter is surprised by your question, olive-colored eyes looking at you as if you've lost your mind. It's an invasive question, inappropriate even. You and Malleus have been dating for a little over two days. A question like that is way too early to bring up just yet.

"You don't have to answer that," you tell him behind your palm. "I shouldn't have even asked it. Forget I ever brought it up-”

"I'm not," he interrupts you, leaving you even more shocked than you already are. You’re practically gaping like a fish by now. "I'm not a virgin,” he further insinuates.

A deafening silence, but it’s eventually broken by yourself. “I still don’t believe you.”

Malleus gets further annoyed at your refusal to accept his truth. "I'm not lying!" he insists.

"Bullshit!"

"Do you want me to recount my history to you?" he asks, exasperated as you are at the shift the conversation is taking. "Will that satisfy your doubts?"

"You know what? It will!" you loudly declare. "Who'd you sleep with?"

"He was a young page at the time,” he reminisced. “It happened before I was a century old.”

Your eyebrows raise with intrigue. "Was he cute?"

"Yes," he hushedly agrees. The disconcerting admittance paints his face a pinkish-red glow. "But that's not why I bedded him."

"But surely his looks are what made you interested in the first place?” you make blatant regard of the fact.

“You’re not wrong,” he acknowledges, expertly avoiding agreeing with you outright. “But his looks aren't the sole reason I was drawn to him. He was bright-eyed and ambitious, to the point you’d think him insane given his position in the court. It was also the first time I ever truly met with a group of humans, and my young mind was eager to get a more accurate perspective of humans that wasn’t through the lens of my tutors.”

“An ‘accurate perspective’?” You make playful air quotes, eyebrows wiggling because you know the fact that he knows what you’re implying. The playful comment is met with a sharp pinch on your leg that makes you jump and shriek out in pain. Did he have to dig his nails into you? Apparently so, and now you have small crescent indents on your skin. “I bet Lilia had a good laugh when he found out.”

“He doesn’t know, actually,” he admits to you with what is obviously a proud smile.

“Now I know you’re lying to me,” you scoff. “Nothing escapes the old man’s radar.”

His hands begin to rub out the marks he’s left on you as a form of apology. “Lilia is sharp, but he had lost most of his vigor by the time I was born.”

You go wide-eyed again. “You mean his hearing and eyesight was better than it is now?”

He nods affirmatively. “From what I’ve been told, terrifyingly so.”

Lilia is already frightening as is. His short stature and boyish looks make him perfectly unassuming to those who don’t know any better. You once watched him beat up a couple of bulky, twice-his-height students from Savanaclaw without breaking a sweat, yet moments before he was jokingly scolding himself for dozing off so easily. You never once thought he was ever out of his elements. A cold chill runs down your spine thinking how much more perceptive the older fae may have been back during his prime years.

“Wonder what Lilia’s gonna think,” you ponder out loud in a quick effort to banish out the skin-prickling mental imagery your mind was invoking. “About us, I mean.”

Malleus seems surprised that you would change the topic to that of all things, but his initial shock goes away as quickly as it came. “As you may have guessed, he’s an open-minded individual, but he’s also very realistic and unafraid to say what’s on his mind.”

“So what does that mean for you and me?” you question with a bit of hesitation.

“Well,” he trails off and ponders for a moment. “He’ll surely like the scandal our relationship would invoke. However, as my caretaker and mentor, he won’t hesitate to put an end to it if he feels it necessary.”

Had it been anyone else sitting beside you, you’d have found that comment way too extreme and outright ridiculous. However, you are not speaking to anyone ordinary. You are not sitting before someone normal. It doesn't matter how well you get along with him. It sure as hell doesn't matter how deeply in love you are with him, and him of you. The moment you have been deemed a shortcoming, the outings, the closeness, it all stops. All of it will come crashing down and both you and him will be left wondering what could have been done differently.

Malleus is truly your best friend, because already he can tell that your mind is beginning to spiral even when you go quiet. He calls for your attention by gripping his hand around your bare ankle and carefully tugging the end of your limb. “Don’t fret over it too much,” he soothes, yet also sounding like he’s scolding you for letting your mind wander off so negatively. “Lilia is an exceptional judge of character. From what I’ve gathered, you’ve well exceeded all his marks. He trusts you, and to gain such a thing from someone as old and wise as him is an extraordinary feat.”

You brew over the attempted compliment he tried to pay to you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t snub out all these festering thoughts in your head. It doesn’t even give you temporary relief. Perhaps it would have brought you a sense of peace a few months ago, but with everything that has happened thus far, you doubt even Malleus can alleviate the storm that rattles inside you, even if what he speaks is without a doubt nothing but the truth.

Surely he can see that you are still having some hangups. When you lift his hand and plant a chaste kiss on the back of his hand, you hope he can decipher the gesture as a pitiful request for his forgiveness for dampening the once energetic mood. He is not at fault for your loss and inability to think optimistically at the moment and you need to make sure he knows it.

Today is about him, not you. Even if it’s just for today, you’ll put on a pleasant facade and worry about the rest at a later date. It’s just you and him, and for now, that’s enough.

You do a mental countdown starting from three, before finally giving him a late response to the three words he uttered in confidence to you earlier. “I love you too, by the way.”

You love him. You love him. You love him. That’s all his mind can think of for the rest of the day. He replays your reciprocation over and over like it’s sacred and all-powerful.

He had planned to return to his dorm before the sun began to set, but he found the mere idea of detaching from you deeply unwanted and made the last-minute decision to spend the evening at the Ramshackle dorm. He already has a few articles of clothing and personal essentials set up in one of the many empty rooms, so neither Lilia nor you had any objections at his sudden request.

“Don’t worry!” You shout across the room so that Lilia can hear you over his phone. “I’ll make sure he gets to bed on time!”

“You have my gratitude!” Lilia’s muffled voice responds gratefully. “Don’t cause too much trouble now, you two.”

“No promises~” you sing in jest before Malleus hangs up. Once the call ends Johnny, Benji, Franky, and you turn their attention back to their ongoing game of poker. Malleus watches and occasionally laughs to himself over the friendly banter shared between the quartet. At the end of every round, the winner is assaulted with colorful profanities whilst they take their newly won gambling chips with ebullience. Yet with each new dealing of cards, the animosity goes away and they’re all back to being friendly. He finds your interactions with your incorporeal roommates more entertaining than the book he’s been reading to pass the time.

“Hey, fairy boy,” Franky informally calls out toward him. “Don’t be a stranger now. Play a few rounds with us.”

“I’m afraid I’m not well versed in card games,” he admits, yet he still finds himself setting his literature aside and moving over to join them.

“Don’t worry,” you give him a reassuring smile. “They’ll go easy on you.”

“For how long?” he knowingly asks.

You give him an impressed smirk at his quick uptake. “I give it three rounds before they start to pull back their sleeves.”

Malleus is well-adjusted to the need to quickly learn a new topic and the expectation for him to fully comprehend it in full. None of them are harsh on him for his minor mistakes like some of the tutors he’s had in the past. Answers that he believes may be obvious or not as complicated as he thinks they are being answered with enthusiastic patience. The smallest achievements he makes are met with a proud response. When he makes a surprise turnabout and wins his first game, he’s rewarded with an encouraging round of applause by everyone.

“Not bad,” Benji praises as he shuffles the deck of cards. “You’re a fast learner.”

“So I’ve been told,” he humbly replies. “Is this the part where you all stop going easy on me now?”

“Don’t provoke them,” you half-heartedly warn. “Otherwise we’ll be up all night duking it out otherwise.”

Franky sets his glass of iced liquor down on the edge of the table. “Don’t you little lovebirds worry. We won’t take up too much of your well-needed time together.”

Annoyed at the clear jab at his relationship with you, you throw one of your chips towards his head. It passes through his body and clatters on the floor behind him. Your fawn Blossom jumps down from their spot on the couch and goes to sniff it, thinking it to be food, but walks away with a disappointed strut when he realizes it isn’t anything edible.

“I didn’t tell them a damn thing,” you defensively clarify. “It was so obvious what was going on between us that they figured it all out before we made it official.”

He lets out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s...I can’t say I’m too pleased to hear about that.”

“We won’t say anything,” Franky reassures. “Just make sure to put a sock on the door whenever you guys want some alone time.”

“Franky!” you hiss at him. “What the hell?!”

“What?” he looks at you, unbothered by your clear embarrassment. “Do you honestly expect us to think you guys went out just to look at a bunch of statues?”

“Oh, I’m sure they were looking at something,” Johnny smirks. “It wasn’t made of stone though.”

“I hate you guys,” you growl out, arms crossing and leaning back into your seat with an angry huff. You don’t mean it. He can see the tremble of your lips as you try to contain the urge to grin. “Even if we did end up rolling around in the sheets, I wouldn’t be yapping about it for all to hear, much less you guys!”

“What happens in the gargoyle graveyard stays in the gargoyle graveyard, eh?” Franky winks at both Malleus and you, nudging you with his elbow.

“Exactly!” you affirm, batting the large ghost away from you for some much-needed distance. “Now stop being so damn nosy.”

They cackle one last time and everyone seamlessly goes back to their ongoing game. Conversations like the one that just concluded are commonplace in your dormitory. Even if he contributed next to nothing to the discussion, he enjoys watching them interact. You come from a world where ghosts are hardly as overt as the ones in this world. Ghosts are said to entertain themselves by picking on the living, to the point that it can be fatal. Your ability to come up with witticisms at a moment's notice is something he enjoys seeing in action. He feels great satisfaction not only knowing that he has secured your love but to also see you in a state of tranquility and within your elements.

As Benji and you have a hushed conversation on the sidelines, he reaches over and places his hand on your knee beneath the table. You quietly reach over and put your hand over his, stroking the back of his hand with your thumb like it’s instinctual. Unfortunately, the heart-fluttering moment is ruined by the sudden buzzing of his phone. He has half a mind to ignore it, but when he gives the screen a glance he realizes ignoring the caller is not an option.

“I’ll be out for a moment,” he excuses himself once he sets his hand down and stands himself upright. “This shouldn’t take that long, hopefully.”

They all stop to look up at him inquisitively for half a second. In unison, they ask, “Sebek?”

“Sebek,” he affirms.

There are simultaneous displays of annoyance, pity, and silent wishes of good luck directed at him. He’s tempted to ask where all this contempt for the boy comes from, but then he remembers the many times Sebek barges his way into their dorm at the worst possible moments. It is either when everyone is beginning to settle down after a long day or in the middle of an important house project, the former more so than the latter now that the dorm is much more stable and in need of less restoration. Malleus learned the hard way how ill you and the ghosts will react when your peace is unwantedly interrupted and your space invaded by an unwanted guest.

Sebek is also quick to scrutinize whatever he sees out loud without a filter. You never seem to mind half of the time, merely rolling your eyes and moving past Sebek’s ill-meaning remarks as if you never heard them. As you are someone Malleus highly regards and holds close to his bosom, he hopes Sebek can one day set aside his strife with humankind and give you the due diligence you deserve.

...Though, he completely understands that reaching that point will take time. While you can endure Sebek to a certain degree, there are times where he, unfortunately, pushes you past that threshold and, without flinching, you will tell him to “Shut the fuck up”. Your words, not his.

“Young master!” Sebek's transmitted voice peaks and he has to half pull it away to give his pained eardrums some relief. “I was informed by Lord Lilia that you will be spending the night over at the Human’s dorm. Have you all your accommodations at their estate? If not, I will swiftly-”

“That won’t be necessary,” he half laughs at his enthusiasm over such a small task. “I have enough to keep me comfortable and well for a few days. Your offer is still very much appreciated.”

“Y-Yes, of course,” he stutters. “If there’s anything you should ever find a need for, please inform me at once! I will fulfill your every wishes no matter the hour!”

He’s enthusiastic and ready to act at a moment’s notice, even during the middle of a cold and dark hour. Malleus doesn’t necessarily dislike this part of Sebek, but he’s starting to understand why someone like you would find such subservience difficult to deal with. At any moment, Malleus could ask Sebek to grab some insignificant item of his and tread through the thick snow to deliver it to him, and the boy would do so with jubilation and utmost timeliness. You on the other hand wouldn’t be caught dead ordering someone to do something on your behalf when you believe you are well and capable of doing it yourself.

You don’t put expectations onto the backs of others, choosing to trust yourself first before anyone else. He knows now that it’s a result of the one instance where you expected something from someone, only to be thoroughly let down and left wondering if it was you who did something wrong.

Malleus cannot make up for the pain you’ve been subjected to, but he hopes that he can become the outlier in your life that surpasses any preconceived notions you may hold onto others. He hopes...No, he absolutely will be the one who brings you your well-earned and deserved joy and repose, just as you have done for him and continue to do so.

You love him, and he will ensure he is worthy of every last drop of your fidelity.

[restrainedhungr-a]

At that she couldn't help but burst into a small fit of giggles, which quickly would explode into a louder laughter. Unable to really stop herself, Briar always saw it was so funny to see how people reacted to her hunger. These people must not know anything about where she came from if her new friend thought this was a lot! In fact, as she thought about feasts of the past, a noticeable loud rumbling would echo between them right from her stomach.

Briar was still hungry.

Yet this hunger wasn't nearly as intense as it was before, ignorable. No matter how much she consumed it would never truly be enough for her as her body burned through any nutrition it consumed within seconds of it reaching her stomach. Not dissimilar to trying to feed a volcano, burning away everything that is thrown into it with ease as if it never existed. Still it was all the more fun to see how people reacted! One of a kind of whatever she was and all.

Once she finally stopped laughing Briar would slowly stand up, wobbling her footing just for a bit of fun and purposefully comedic in hopes it might make her new friend laugh a bit as well. " I've eaten a whoooole lot more than that before. Fresh blood, cold blood, diseased, it adds a different flavor to it! I'll try it all and I haven't gotten to eat something that good in a while. Should hold me over for a few days at least. I like having fresh meat and blood too but there's no harm in a bit of variety when it can't hurt me. "

Stretching out her legs now, it seemed that Briar couldn't really sit still for too long. Now that she had been fed, she had far too much energy she wanted to use up. Knowing it was impolite to suddenly start running around when they were talking Briar did the next best option and moved around Jinx in her own way. Various stretches, tapping a foot and pressing it into the ground while flexing her toes to feel the texture of the ground, wiggling her fingers, something to keep herself moving and using a bit of that excess energy she has.

Tilting her whole body this time as she overly exaggerated her confusion Briar didn't quite understand. " Was this not your food? I wanted to thank you because it looked like yours and it's rude to just take food from other people. Well it's rude and I've done it before, but I didn't want to fight over it this time, so I wanted to ask and be thankful you let me have some of it! Or. . " Looking down at the now, nonexistent pile where the corpses had been, " All of it. "

" What am I? " That only confused her more and she looked lost for a moment. Her gaze turned unfocused as she tried to think and remember what she had been taught. " Well the guards would call me a freak, a monster, an abomination. . . . I think. I know I'm not human, humans are my prey. Everything is my prey. I don't know what a Vastaya is either so I don't think I'm one of them? " Scratching the top of her head Briar huffed and pursed her lips in a feeble attempt to pout out an explanation.

Though only after a few moments did she shrug with a smile and confidently claim. " All I know is I'm a weapon. That's what my creators said at least. I was made by the hemomancers in Noxus and they taught me how to fight. Let me eat a lot too, so many people and so much blood to drink! I don't know anything else than I'm a weapon and I'm Briar. Can't really say I know anything else about what I am and I'm still trying to find out who I am right now. "

Looking around, her eyes darted around as if she was looking for something hidden. Leaning close to Jinx she'd whisper, " It's also why I broke out of my cage. " Pulling back quickly she'd flop herself down onto the ground once more with a groan. " All the time it was 'uuuggghh' and 'eeeuurrrgggghhhss' about blood and food and while yeah that's great and all I wanted something. More? " Pulling her knees up to her chest, pointing her feet outward she'd let her head rest atop her bent legs. " I wanted to know who I was. I still do! And I'm kinda learning it, with the help of friends I make and food I eat. Some food is more nice than others, and some can even be friends, but no one has become part of my pack. I feel like I need to find some soon, it gets a bit lonely walking around alone everywhere. "

Neither of them seemed to be particularly intimidated by one another. The longer Jinx observed this woman?, creature?, the less human she appeared. In fact, her constant shifts and the way her teeth chattered made Jinx think of a Shimmer addict with an unhealthy fixation on meat. While Zaunites all were more than open to consuming human meat - and in fact, most with their hypercarnivorous diet depended upon consumption of protein from animals or people -, there had been the occasional odd case where your Shimmer addiction seemed to even impact the ways, you ate meat. Some Shimmered up junkies preyed exclusively on other addicts because eating the flesh of someone laced with Shimmer gave them a particular kind of rush.

Sometimes, parts of Jinx wondered if she too could count as being addicted to meat. However, she stoutly refused to believe it. After all, Hounding induced that rush upon you quite intentionally and she did not attack willy-nilly. Even her preference for Piltovan meat - particularly that of a certain Sherrif - had nothing to do with Shimmer in her veins. It had everything to do with the hatred in her gut. Piltover had taken so much from them that they had to pay by whatever means necessary.

A wonderous, if not horrifying change came over the creature in front of her. Jinx stayed completely still, barely moving a muscle as any semblance of humanity was ripped from the little beast in front of her. Jinx watched with morbid curiosity as the creature babbled about how it would take any blood, warm, cold, even riddled with diseases while the strange pillory broke open in huge chunks and fell onto the floor. The girl fell on all fours, ankles and joints bending weirdly to support the quadrupedal gait. Though Jinx wouldn't even call this crawl a gait.

And then, the little monster was upon the pile of culled people and devoured them with the ravenous speed and strength of a hyena. The air filled itself with disgusting slurping and chewing noises, the wet, sloppy eating only disrupted by the audible crunching of bones. Sometimes, the creature would stop, body convulsing mid-feast, and retch out clothing and the spare jewellery, Zaunites owned. The beast's hair changed from lifeless white to a deep fuchsia shade of pink and her eyes were a blaze of magenta. If Jinx hadn't known better, she would have assumed she was watching a Hound, which had been given an even higher dosage of Shimmer than normal.

Whoever this creature was, Jinx would need to learn as much as possible. Maybe they could even help in the Cause! Oh, Silco would be super-duper-extra proud of her now! However, for now, Jinx kept these thoughts to herself. Instead, she smiled back at the girl, sitting in the remains of a mass of gore. Now, it was Jinx's turn to blatantly not show a single shard of fear as usually, people no doubt would run away from the monster after a feast.

Jinx smiled and with a bemused chuckle remarked: "I told you they were infected and ill. I am glad you enjoyed the feast though and am even more impressed that you managed to eat all that. Do not get me wrong! I could easily eat an entire body myself, even if the meat was partly rancid. I have the stomach for it. But I prefer a fresh kill over that. And you do not have to thank me. Scavengers have their fill here all the time. Nobody considers thanking them for clearing away the remains of what we do not eat." She shook herself and raised her hands. "Where are my manners? You can call me Jinx, Beastie. What are you, Briar? I have never seen a Vastaya like you. Are you partly bat? Or hyena? Bat-hyena?!"