#the deer on the island are quite small

[painted-bees]

Magritte realizing and revelling in the chance to Be Useful while she and Raf are living on Cortes Island--by getting the necessary BC licenses and bagging a white tail deer.

She makes Raf come along because he needs to help her bring the animal home, and also he's the only one who knows how to drive.

And Raf, upon fully coming to terms with the fact that there is now a carcass strung up and being bled in his shed is just like "...is this just a Canadian thing? This is just a normal thing people do, here?" And Magritte's like "yah!! I was like...four years old the first time my dad took me hunting for partridge." And then talking for hours about her hunting adventures with her dad when she was growing up. It has only been 3 years since her last trip with her dad, before she had to move out of her parents house--so not that long, at all. Her dad made her get her PAL the autumn after her 18th birthday--which saved her the trouble of having to go through that process by herself prior to moving to Cortes Island, at least.

Raf has...mixed feelings about staring his dinner dead in the eye before seeing it on his plate...until he actually gets to taste it; at which point, he decides it fine actually.

[of-solitude-past-and-present]

Warnings: branding (of reader), as well as typical yandere themes like abduction, mentioned murder, mentioned violence, and threats.

There are also slight spoilers for the main quest (Idk how the quests are organized yet HAKDHD I didn't pay attention. But I'm at the point where I have to get to union lvl 21 to continue the main quest, so no spoilers for those quests).

ALSO HI LADIES here's your yearly fanfic. The drabbles are in chronological order. Its nearly 2.9k words total. Goodbye now.

Scar is a busy man who, by the nature of his work, can't settle down in any one place for too long.

It's what is keeping you sane, honestly. You only have a certain dramatic, scarred, card-wielding bastard on your couch (or, as is becoming more frequent, next to you when you wake up) for a few days every once in a while. His visits are irregular and unpredictable, just like he is. 

That doesn't make it much better, though. He seems to take pride in being a pest. Scar loves attention, and unfortunately, he's not above being annoying to get it. From monologues about the great Lament to asking you about tragedies that seem random, until he openly admits to being the culprit so he can tell the story, there's little he won't do to keep your eyes on him. None of it is anything that would be helpful to the authorities, of course, but there's not much to avoid talking about there. The Fractsidus has always made their ideals quite clear, after all.

One of the first things you do when you find him, relaxing in your living room like he owns it, is threaten to tell the higher-ups about him.

"Alright, then. Go right ahead!" With a seemingly carefree smile, he crosses his legs on your couch, feet on the table and all, and gestures towards the front door.

You narrow your eyes at him and back away, not tearing them away for a second. He snorts and gives you a small, sarcastic little wave and an ingenuine closed-eye smile.

Your back hits the door behind you, so you're forced to turn around to undo the deadbolt. Right as you do, though, a strange, bright red blanket of cards spreads up from beneath your feet, encasing you in a dome. You blink, and you're under a red sky on a desolate, floatibg island. Whirling all around you is a maelstrom of decimated buildings and pillars.

You whirl on your feet, and your eyes land on him, standing only a few feet away from you with one hand on his hip. A muted sense of anxiety thrums uneasily in the back of your mind. Your eyes meet his, one red and the other a dull gray, and you think you finally understand how a deer in headlights feels.

"Are you going to kill me?" Your voice is eerily steady and calm, belying the anxiety and adrenaline rushing through your veins. It sounds alien to your ears.

He outright laughs in your face and leans in close. "What reason would I have to lie?" he asked. "If I did want to kill you, I'd just tell you. There's nothing you could do to stop me." He places a hand on your head and ruffles your hair, undeterred by your instinctual flinch.

"Remember this. With the new Lament growing ever closer, nobody has the resources or time to spare to keep a simple civilian, like you, safe from someone like me." Scar's tone lowers towards the end with a dark promise, and his smile sharpens into a smirk.

He turns on one heel and walks away. With a snap of his fingers, the chaotic scenery melts away to reveal your simple living room once again. "Consider that a warning. Even if you did tell anyone, do you think they could do anything that would help you?" He looks over his shoulder at you, his dim, empty eyes flashing dangerously.

"Think about the price they would have to pay for your own desperation."

Night has long since fallen, but you're still out and about. It's not that you have anything left to do, it's just... when you go home, you're going to have to see Scar again. If you have to listen to another of his monologues, you might actually try to kill him. It's not because you're a little scared of him. Of course not.

(Your eyes still dart around nervously, jumping at any flash of red you see.)

You check your phone for the time, only to find it's just past midnight. Everything is closed, and you're really not sure what to do now. Maybe you should just suck it up and go home. The thought has you slumping your shoulders with a defeated sigh.

A hand clamps down on your mouth, and another strong arm wraps around your waist, pulling you against a firm chest. In a panic, you kick and flail and try your best to scream, but it's all futile. They drag you into the alleyway behind you anyway.

"Relax! It's just me," Scar purred, the hints of a laugh tinging his voice. His breath fans against your ear. "I've just noticed... You've been spending so much time out and about, it's like you’ve forgotten about me. Consider my feelings hurt."

Scar pulls the both of you into one of his all-too-familiar crimson portals. You try to pipe up with some snide comments or annoyed curses, but his hand only presses more firmly against your mouth.

"Ah-ah-ah." He moves his hand into your sight from your waist just to wag a claw-tipped finger at you before he places it back, securing you against him again.

It's only a few seconds before a wall in your bedroom comes into view and the red light of the portal behind you disappears. All of a sudden Scar falls backwards, pulling you helplessly along with him. You make an embarrassing, surprised little squeak on the way down, reflexively clinging to him until you both land on the bed behind you.

He lets out an amused little chuckle and rolls over, putting you both on your sides with his chest pressed against your back. He buries his face in your throat with a sigh and finally frees your mouth so he can hold you close like a plushie.

"I know what you were trying to do," he murmurs into your ear, a threatening undertone to his voice.

Your breath catches in your throat before you can stop it. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just busy."

His lips dance across your skin, and you can feel his smile against your throat. "You don't think I'm gullible, do you?"

Well, dammit. So much for that. You try to look at him to gauge his reaction, but his arms only tighten around you. His face is hidden in your neck anyway, so it's a lost cause.

"I'm... sorry?"

"As long as you don't try it again, dollface."

For a few months, maybe a year (depending on the timing and your temperament) Scar doesn't think he'll need to kidnap you. You're somewhere safe, in a place where he can come find you whenever he pleases. Why bother? Besides, it's nice watching you go about your day.

Unfortunately, he slowly comes around more and more over time, making this outcome inevitable. There are two primary factors. The prophecy is the first; his free time dwindles more and more as it nears its fulfillment, and the idea of having you available at any given moment becomes a more alluring prospect day by day. Alternatively, you're too desperate to get rid of him, and he decides it would be easier to isolate you, away from any "pesky helpers," as he would put it.

Scar tosses the idea around in his mind for a few days before he makes his final decision. He won't even keep it a secret from you, either; he tells you this casually in the spur of the moment, in a bid for your attention. Maybe you seem disinterested, too busy paying attention to something else. Maybe you've realized his "weakness," as you might call it, and tried to give him the silent treatment. Either way, what you do can push him towards a decision a little early. He usually takes great care to reign in his impulses, but with you, he doesn't have to. An ordinary citizen like yourself would have quite a bit of difficulty getting away from him, after all. He finds your helplessness freeing, to a degree.

"I've been thinking lately," Scar trails off, clearly fishing for your response.

"You can do that?" It's out of your mouth before you can think to stop it. You almost regret giving him what he wants, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. At the very least, you can focus on the dishes you're washing instead of sparing him a glance.

He snorts, but otherwise doesn't acknowledge your comment. "I think it's about time we take our relationship to the next level. Don't you?"

Your head snaps in his direction. "The hell does that mean?" you demand. Your face twists in a mixture of confusion and slowly dawning horror, an expression the bastard revels in. His toothy grin widens, and with a flick of his wrist, he produces a card out of thin air to idly spin and flip between his fingers.

"It's been really nice spending time with you here, you know? But unfortunately, duty calls, and I can't always spare the time to come visit." Scar sighs dramatically with an exaggerated frown, resting both arms on the back of your couch. "It's such a shame. I'm sure you miss me, don't you?"

You uneasily turn back to the dishes, putting another on the drying rack and picking up a new one. "Not really. Don't you have any friends to talk to?"

"And there's the other point!" You refuse to look at him, but you can hear his footsteps as he leisurely saunters to the kitchen. You try to focus on scrubbing off a particularly stubborn patch of grease on your pan. "You can be so hard to deal with sometimes! It makes me wonder if all the effort I go through to keep you happy is worth it."

You furrow your brows, a frown tugging at your lips. The moment you move to speak, a red-tipped finger comes from behind to press against your lips in a shushing motion. "Now, now, dear. No need to tell me it isn't true." His face leans into view from over your shoulder with a smile. "Besides, I'm sure you'll be just as excited for this as I am."

"Excited for wh-"

Scar cuts you off without words, making the world spin as he turns you around to face him. Your pan falls with a clatter, and suddenly you're faced away from the window above the sink and looking up into his face, split by an ear-to-ear grin. His pupils are blown wide with excitement, lit up by a manic glint in his usually dull irises.

"You're coming with me. You have three days to write out your will and say goodbye to the people you care about," he spoke, his voice rough at the edges and trembling with suppressed amusement. His hands rest on the edge of the counter on each side of you, caging you in. "Try to run away or tell anyone, and I'll kill them all. Obey, and they can live."

Scar leans in so close that his nose brushes yours, with a stare so intense you would have thought his eyes were glowing. "We have a lot of things we can do with their bodies. Would you like to see what a Tacet Discord born of human flesh looks like?"

You can't tear your eyes away from his intense, bright stare for even a second. With slow, trembling movements, you shake your head.

"Now that's what I wanted to see." Scar leans in, pressing a kiss to your lips, only pulling away after a long moment. "Not so hard, was it? I'm sure you'll be alright, there's no need to be scared!" He brightens up in a flash, any trace of his previous threats gone. He licks his lips as he turns away from you.

"All that being said, I'm sure something similar will happen to your family in the true Lament, so it doesn't matter. But if it makes you happy, I don't mind leaving them be in the meantime." Scar looks up at nothing in particular, summoning another card to toy with idly. His spare hand rests behind his back.

"Isn't it boring how the world is stagnating?" Scar starts up again. "Chaos, as orchestrated by the great Threnodians, can create a form of equality impossible to achieve with our current status quo..." His voice turns fuzzy in your mind as you tune his droning out. Three days? Where is he taking you? What about your life?

You take a shaky breath, bringing a hand up to tug at your hair. Wasn't there anything you could do? All his talk of controlling one's own destiny flashes in your mind, mocking you. Would you ever see your family again?

You only realize that Scar has noticed your breakdown when he places a hand on your shoulder and pulls you close. "Aww, don't cry," he murmurs, wiping away tears you didn't even realize were falling with a thumb. "It's not so bad, I promise." His lips stretch into a facsimile of a comforting smile, and he strokes your hair in an attempt at comfort. He pulls your face into his shoulder, periodically shushing you.

You stay like that for a few minutes, and when he deems you suitably stable, he moves to lean on you with one arm on your shoulder, the other outstretched before the both of you in a grand gesture. "Don't worry, just imagine it. Wouldn't it be lovely, being safe and sound by my side in my new world?"

"Not at all. Are you sure you don't hate me?" You mumble, your voice rough and tired.

He rolls his eyes. "Darling, I could never. Oh well, I'm sure you'll come around." Scar shrugs it off. Suddenly, he snaps his fingers, and his eyes flash, as though he had remembered something important. "Oh, by the way, the rest of today is the first of the three days. Would you like to get a head start?"

Fuck.

One day, Scar returns from one of his excursions with a plan in mind. Without a word, he sits you down in the makeshift infirmary of his Fractsidus hideout of choice for the week. For once, he refuses to answer any of your questions, instead opting to gather a few medical supplies from around the room. When he's satisfied with the collection—bandages, ointment, and a bottle of painkillers—he sets them down on the table next to you.

"Did you get hurt out there or something?" You cross your arms and lean back in the uncomfortable metal chair. "Don't expect me to bandage you up." If that growing smile is anything to go by, he knows you're just trying to cover up your sense of unease, but he doesn't call you out on it.

"You wound me. But to answer your question, not quite."

The hair on the back of your neck stands on end. What could he have planned?

Scar isn't going to let you theorize for too long, it seems. He kneels in front of you, one of his signature ram skull cards held flat against the palm of his hand. He ignores you as you flinch away, tensing up, eyes darting between him and his hand.

"What are you doing?" you hiss. Scar chuckles in lieu of a response. His hand drifts up to the side of your throat, pressing his palm—and the smooth side of the card within it—firmly to the skin of your throat. As if reading your mind, his opposite hand lands on your opposite shoulder, keeping you in place before you can try anything.

With a wink, a sharp-toothed grin, and a faint flash of red from beneath his hand, he sears the card's image into your skin with a flash of white-hot pain. The rest is a blur. All you can remember are your cries as he presses your face into his shoulder, stroking your hair as he shushes you.

Now you sit on the couch, with a cup of (instant, but still) hot chocolate in hand and soft bandages around your throat. Scar crosses one leg over the other and slings an arm around your shoulder, pulling you in close.

"Why?" you ask simply, with not even enough energy left to look at him.

He hums in mock thought, making a show out of considering his words. "Well, there's really not much to it," he shrugs with one of his characteristic smiles. "I was just thinking of something more... permanent, today."

[zmbiesuga]

TWENTY TWENTY VISION — m. atsumu x gn!reader

sypnosis: atsumu needs glasses, but why on earth would he make his & your life easier by wearing them?

warnings: i'm gonna beat the shit out of atsumu oh my GOD he irks me so bad, post-timeskip atsumu, eensy bit of angst if you squint super super hard, osamu mention, i can't write the miya accent™ for the life of me but i tried so sorry, petnames such as baby used, he calls the reader pretty

notes: inspired by the fact that i just recently got my new glass and haven't had a pair since i was 14 so seeing the world focused fucks with me a lil bit, ALSO, atsumu with glasses has been flooding my brain, osamu is farsighted cause i said so

"I'm not wearin' 'em."

"Atsumu, please, you need to wear them, you have astigmatism in both of your eyes! And you're nearsighted!"

Atsumu lets out a soft huff as he crosses his arms, as if he isn't the reason you've been having this argument essentially since you brought up him even getting his eyes checked.

It all started when Osamu had gotten new glasses, that's what Atsumu thinks anyways, that this is all stupid Samu's fault.

Osamu came over one afternoon for a harmless visit, with new glasses on. You had asked Osamu about them, and commented that you never knew he needed glasses to which he responded:

"Oh yeah, me and Tsumu both do, he just hasn't worn his since junior high."

You swear you've never seen Atsumu react so quickly, his head snapping to Osamu and immediately telling him to shut up through gritted teeth. The subject gets dropped instantly, but now you're giving Atsumu side-glances throughout the night until Osamu leaves.

After you two are settled into bed and Atsumu is almost asleep, until your voice rings out in the dark.

"Is that why you squint so much?" you ask in a voice barely above a whisper.

"...What are ya on about?" Atsumu asks, turning to face you with a soft expression.

"Is that why you squint so much?" you ask again, "Because you don't wear glasses like you're supposed to, so the world's all unfocused for you all the time, is that why?"

Atsumu's silence and stunned expression is all the answer you need.

"That's what I thought," you mumble before turning away from him, "your eye appointment is Saturday at four."

And that puts Atsumu where he is now, sitting at the island connected to the kitchen in your small apartment, staring down the thick black lenses as if he was trying to explode them with his mind.

"I said, I ain't wearin' 'em," he huffs again vehemently, looking at you with an unwilling expression, "and that's final. I don't need no stupid glasses, I can see just fine."

"Oh yeah?" you challenge, palms resting against the island as you stand on the opposite side of it, "If you don't need your glasses, read the paper on our fridge. Without squinting."

Atsumu's face goes a little pale, his eyes widening slightly. He looks over your shoulder at the paper held onto the fridge with a stupid magnet in the shape of a volleyball.

"It, uh..." he trails off, trying to not squint as much as possible, "...it...it doesn't matter what it says! I'm still not wearin' those glasses! I don't need 'em!"

"Atsumu that paper is no more than four feet away from you, and you can't even tell me what the bolded title says," you responded in an almost pleading tone, "baby, you need your glasses, so I am begging you, please put them on."

Atsumu's face softens slightly at your pleading voice, before it turns unwilling again as he looks down at his arms and mumbles something you can't quite make out.

"What was that?" you ask.

"...They make me look dumb," he repeats a little louder, looking back up at you, "they make me look like an idiot, and since my eyes aren't used to being focused, I feel like a baby deer learnin' how to walk."

"Tsumu," you reply gently, your own expression softening, "if you didn't like the way glasses look, why didn't you ask for contacts?"

"Because they scare me," he rebuttals, "which I know is stupid because they're an easy solution to my problem, but they rip and get stuck and...I don't know, that just scares me."

You stare at him blankly before taking a deep breath, "Atsumu," you start, "I'm not...trying to make you look stupid, okay? I just know that you need them, and you know that too. It might be awkward at first, but won't it be worth it to see the world a little more clearer? So you won't have to squint to read traffic signs or drive through menus? And, glasses aren't a permanent solution, we can work our way up to contacts, but you need to wear these for now."

Atsumu looks down at the glasses again, letting out another unsure sigh as he picks the thick rims up, and places them on his face.

It's weird at first, everything is clearer. The titanium fridge, that stupid volleyball magnet and the paper it holds, and more importantly...

You.

The way your entire face shifts into focus leaves Atsumu speechless. He knows how pretty you are, he doesn't need glasses to see it, but god do they make it better.

You give Atsumu a weird look, "What?" you ask puzzled, "Can you see better?"

"Yeah," he responds with a small smile, "I can see real good, pretty."

[a-killer-obsession]

Whoops, you got hit by a bus, and now you're in the world of One Piece. But not everything is quite as you remember it...

General Tags: afab reader, she/her reader pronouns, isekai, monsterfucker reader, vampire!kid, werewolf!killer, wyrm!heat, minotaur!wire, everyone has a human form, smut heavy, unhealthy relationships, dubious consent, serious violence, spoilers for Wano arc, starts pre-timeskip. There will be a lot of more intense kinks, please check AO3 for all current tags.

Chapter 8 - Wire's Turn

Sabaody continued.

WC: 3.5k

Masterlist | AO3 | Chapter 1

“Hurry the fuck up,” Wire growled, tugging on the chain leash that was attached to your metal collar. At least it wasn't explosive, small victories. You could only hope it would stay that way.

“I'm trying!” You pouted, practically jogging to keep up, “not all of us are eight feet tall!”

“You're not that much shorter than me,” Killer pointed out, “but I'm having no trouble.”

“I have a misleadingly long torso!” You whined, “I've only got little legs. Carry me if you're so bothered, I can't walk any faster, I'm basically running as it is.”

Wire grabbed you unceremoniously and threw you over his shoulder, making Killer snort a laugh as you squeaked in surprise. You crossed your arms against Wire's back with a pout, poking your tongue out at Killer walking behind as his shoulders shook with silent laughter. “I feel like a hunted deer,” you commented.

“Shut it or I'll drop you,” Wire replied flatly. You looked at the eight foot drop to the ground and quickly decided against that.

“Please don't,” you whispered.

You took some time to enjoy the view from all the way up there, finally taller than pretty much everyone around you. Killer's mask bobbed side to side, taking in the locals as well, while also no doubt staying on guard for potential trouble, considering where you were. For the “criminal” area of the archipelago, the town was pretty nice. Sure it was clear that most of the people here were more colourful than the usual Sabaody resident, and obviously on the rougher side. You saw a great deal of women, and the occasional man or child, wearing explosive collars, often being led by chains not dissimilar to your own.

The children were the hardest to look at, all clearly emaciated and abused. Your grand hope was that Luffy would become King of the Pirates and destroy the Red Line and all the disgusting pigs that lived in Mariejois on top, and put an end to this horrid human trade. If things went wrong and Kid decided to get rid of you, you desperately hoped Killer would take ownership of you. At least then you could expect the bare minimum care, though you still weren't sure if Killer would be the type to hit you. He was your favourite so you hoped not. Then again, Heat seemed like the type who couldn't hurt a fly, and yet you knew he burned people to death on a regular basis, a truly gruesome way to die. You tried not to think too hard about how many people Killer had murdered to get his epithet, or how many people had been impaled on the forks of the trident held only inches to your left.

Sabaody was certainly an amusing place. It was just as pretty in person as it had been in the anime, with the ground and bubble based structures all shimmering with a pretty iridescence, making everything sparkle. Bubbles floated from the ground and drew your attention to the giant trees surrounding you that formed the island, with their pale blue-grey striped trunks and vibrantly green leaves. Rays of light broke through between the trees, giving the whole archipelago an almost ethereal look, Killer's hair often glowing like he had a halo as he passed through the rays. You wondered if he knew how attractive he looked like that, with his cool fringed jeans and button-down shirt, opened to the chest to show off his muscles. It was a real shame he'd get rid of these clothes at some point in the next few years. Now there's a thought, I mean you'd confirmed it now that you'd seen him naked, but before you came here - when this world was still just fiction - what proof did you have that his arm hadn't always been scarred? It'd never even occurred to you now that he wore long sleeves, he could have been hiding those scars all along. Now that you were here though you knew that whatever caused that injury was still to happen. There was the comment Kid had made in Udon about one of Big Mom's pirates hurting one of his friends, maybe the burns would come from Charlotte Oven and his heating ability.

“Where are we going anyway?” You asked curiously. The commanders had already found an inn for the night and dropped off their stuff, as well as heading to a few different weapons stores to stock up, and cashing in some looted treasure for berri. Most supplies for the ship were taken care of by the lower ranked crewmates, which meant this was likely a personal trip.

“None of your business,” Wire huffed.

“Wire's just embarrassed cos his cocks too big for regular condoms,” Killer chuffed, “we're going out tonight, gotta be prepared.”

“Wait, so we're going to an adult store?” You perked up, “fun!”

“Don't get excited, we're not wasting any berri on you,” Killer spat back, making you pout. Still, you were curious to see what sort of things were available in this world. Sabaody was a hub city, you had no doubt it would have a wide range of the things available in this world, especially in this shadier area. You wondered what sort of toys were popular here, and what sort of technology they had. Did One Piece have vibrators? Suction toys? Remote controlled toys? Did they utilise den-dens? Now there was an intriguing prospect. Was it morally grey to use a snail for that?

“How big can it possibly be anyway?” You pondered aloud, “I thought those XL condoms were a marketing scam, I mean have you seen how big regular ones can blow up?”

“They break easier if they're too small,” Wire replied frankly, “I ain't risking that with random whores.”

“If you're so desperate for a lay why haven't you just fucked me?” You asked him, “My legs are wide open baby.” Wire was the only commander who hadn't taken advantage of your presence on the ship, in fact he'd barely interacted with you at all outside of Kid ordering him to jizz on you.

“You couldn't handle me,” Wire said smugly.

“What, I can take Kid's soda can cock but not you?” You asked.

“I'm bigger,” Wire replied with a cocky tint to his voice, “did you not see?”

“She was a little preoccupied,” Killer smirked.

“Someone was gagging me with his cock,” you frowned.

“And you loved every second of it, didn't you?” Killer teased, and you poked your tongue out at him again.

“Maybe if you're a good girl today I'll let you try,” Wire promised, “but don't come crying to me if you get hurt. I warned you.”

“Bet,” you smirked as Wire put you back down, “I'm not some inexperienced little virgin. I can take it.”

“We'll see,” Wire mumbled, coming to an open door that led to a stairwell, apparently the store was upstairs. There was only minimal signage outside, but once in the stairwell it was obvious what sort of store you were ascending to, the walls plastered with various posters of sexy, barely dressed - sometimes entirely nude - models advertising various products. There was even a sign that read ‘pets welcome’ with a stick figure pictogram of a human with a collar and leash. Ironic. The shop attendants would probably think Wire was your dom, not that you were opposed to that.

The shop held all the usual things you would expect; dildos, lingerie, anal play toys, lubricant, porn, basic BDSM gear. But there were things that you definitely didn't expect as well. For one, less vanilla dildos like the style you'd used on Killer seemed to be common, as well as many other monster themed dildos that you would more expect to have to buy online in your own world. There were all sorts of them, some you recognised that looked like Heat's, some even in pairs like his, others that looked like horse or cow, advertised as minotaur themed. You wondered if this was an effect of not having the internet here, whether it was easier in that case to just sell more exotic items in store, or if it was a result of being in a particularly shady area. There was a whole display of what you recognised to be dials, with a big cardboard cut out of some beautiful woman with purple hair in space buns, a strange visor, and barely any other clothing, advertising that these dials stored vibrations.

Wire selected his condoms fairly quickly but continued to peruse the store, so you followed him around, not that you had much choice as he tugged at your leash whenever you paused for too long. The store worker and other customers didn't even blink an eye at him leading you around, or your bound wrists. Killer was already off looking at the porn when Wire made his way to that section, and you were curious to see what sort of kinks were popular here. Once again you were suprised by the amount of monsterfucker targeted items, with magazines that featured all sorts of creatures on the front, often entangled with humans. It was strange how very photo realistic they were, were they just very good at costumes and special effects makeup in this world? You didn't think they had CGI here, because surely that would require computers. Maybe they were devil fruit users? Minks?

You picked up a magazine that intrigued you, the cover featuring a human woman not dissimilar looking to yourself, with a large werewolf and minotaur either side of her. You flicked through the pages looking at the various poses they put her in, quite impressed at the size of their cocks and how realistic they looked, surely they couldn't be dildos? They must be devil fruit users. The centrefold was an extra long page that could be flipped down, and you gasped as it revealed a almost to life scale image of the minotaur's massive cock.

“Oi, no free reads,” the shop attendant yelled from the counter, “either buy it or put it back.”

Killer and Wire both took note of the magazine you were holding and exchanged a look. “She'll buy it,” they both said in unison, making you extremely confused.

“What… but…” you stuttered as Wire took the mag from you, “I thought you weren't spending money on me?”

“We're making an exception,” Killer said quickly.

“Oh… okay,” you replied, still very confused.

The boys paid for their things and dragged you back out of the store, Wire putting you back over his shoulder to walk faster. “You liked that mag then?” Wire asked. Weird thing to ask when he'd already bought it for you.

“If you're asking if I'm a monsterfucker, or interested in fucking werewolves and minotaurs,” you replied, “my answer would be a resounding yes. You should see some of the dildos I have back home.”

“Interesting,” Wire hummed. Perhaps you could take him after all, if you were used to that sort of size. The thought of burying himself in you made his cock twitch, finding someone who could take him was a rarity, especially human. That's why he usually turned to professionals who knew their limits, no fucking around only to be disappointed when they tap out. It was unfair really that he hadn't gotten a chance to destroy your cunt, and with the clock ticking on your story being proven true or false, he might not have much time left to try you out before inevitably sold you off. Being from another world was a insane excuse for Wire, he didn't have a single inclination that you were telling the truth, but that didn't mean he wouldn't fuck you while he could. Making a snap decision he carried you to a nearby alleyway, still in broad daylight and in full sight of those walking past but he didn't give a shit. This was normal for this zone anyway, there were no kids in this area and besides, he'd seen at least three other couples going at it on the way here.

Killer followed you both into the alley and stood knowingly on watch towards the end, knowing full well what Wire wanted as the tall man put you back on your feet and rested his trident against the building. “Wire?” You asked hesitantly as he spun you to face the wall, “Oh,” you squeaked as he pushed his growing erection against your ass, pulling your hips away from the wall so he could unfasten your shorts. “Right here?” You questioned nervously, looking at all the people passing by at the end of the alleyway as he worked your shorts and panties down till they pooled at your ankles.

“Right here,” Wire confirmed, “you said you could take it, right? Don't come bitching to me if I hurt you.”

“You won't,” you replied confidently, the allure of being fucked in such a public area already making you wet. Wire grinned coyly as he pushed his fingers between your legs and felt your arousal.

“Dirty whore,” he purred, “so fucking wet already, I bet you'd let me fuck you in the middle of the street if I wanted.”

He wasn't wrong, but you didn't have time to respond before you were biting back a moan as his long fingers entered you, going straight to two of them. Wire knew exactly what he was doing, zeroing in on your g-spot while his other hand reached around your front to play with your clit as he worked at stretching you. He found it surprisingly easy to work you open to a third finger, your slick coating his fingers as your pussy tried to suck them in. His fingers were so long he may as well been fucking you with a dildo, and with the added simulation on your sensitive bud and the risk of being out in public, barely hidden in the alleyway by a watchdog Killer, it didn't take long for your pussy to clench around Wire's fingers. Your knees shook as you came, clawing at the brick wall of the building you were pinned against with a choked moan.

“Good whore,” Wire hummed, removing his fingers from your cunt and wiping them on your shirt, “now get on your knees bitch, this dick isn't gonna suck itself.”

Wire let go of your leash but as it landed he stood on it purposefully, pinning it beneath his boot and forcing you downwards by your collar. Your panties were still around your ankles as you knelt, and your mouth watered as Wire unfastened his tented shorts, pulling his impressive cock free.

“Oh fuck,” you gasped as you set your eyes on it. He wasn't fucking around, he was big. There was no fucking way you could take all of him in your mouth, and you had doubts that he'd be able to fit all of it inside you either.

“Change your mind already?” Wire chuffed.

You pouted at him out of feigned hurt before eagerly bringing your bound hands up to grasp him, unable to reach a single hand around his shaft. You stacked them one above the other to cover as much surface as possible while your tongue came out to lick the head of his cock, running your muscle over the smooth skin and up the underside of his shaft, letting the tip of your tongue slide along the slit. You did what you could to try and fit him, barely taking a quarter of him in your mouth before you were gagging, the corners of your mouth stinging from the stretch. Wire took your hair and wound it around his wrist to hold your head, making shallow thrusts into your warm mouth that made your eyes water as he pushed even deeper.

“There's a good whore,” he praised, “gag on it sweetheart, let me see those pretty tears.”

You took as much as you could into your throat, unable to take more than half of him even as your throat bulged and you struggled to control your gag reflex. There was no hope of breathing with him in your throat, his cock so thick that you felt like you were truly choking. He was clearly used to this though, giving you plenty of opportunity to catch your breath while drool ran down your neck.

“That'll do,” he said flatly, like he was bored, “stand up and take your shorts and panties the rest of the way off.”

You obediently did as he asked, noticing as you stood how people walking past would occasionally stop and try to watch, quickly deterred by a quick threatening whizz of Killer's punishers to encourage them to move along. You slipped your shorts and panties past your shoes and Wire picked you up like you weighed nothing, wrapping your legs around his hips and holding you far off the ground with your back pinned to the alley wall. His heavy cock was pinned between your stomachs as he rut the base of it against your mound. You whined in need, trying to roll your hips to rub your clit against him.

“Last chance,” Wire warned, “it's not too late to admit defeat “

“Give it to me,” you begged, “please Wire, fuck me, I want your massive cock stretching me open.”

“Alright then,” Wire smirked, pleased with your begging, and lifting you higher to line his tip up with your slick entrance, “don't say I didn't warn you.”

He watched smugly as he sank you down on his cock and your face contorted as you bit back the urge to scream. The stretch was almost too much, but it wasn't the first time you'd experienced such a large intrusion, having dildos back home that were about his size. Soon the pain melted to pleasure, but as you had guessed, he was unable to sheath himself entirely before you were gripping his shoulder painfully tight, warning him that you'd hit your limit as his tip bullied against your cervix.

“Fuck, look at you,” Wire praised, leaning back a little so he could admire the way your abdomen bulged. No human could take all of him, but he was thoroughly impressed with how much you had managed to take. “What a good girl, I'm gonna enjoy ruining this cunt.”

Not wanting to waste his time, he started a brutal pace, your overstuffed cunt making obscene sounds as Wire made quiet grunts and used you. You looped your bound wrists over his head and clawed at his back, burying your face in his cloaked shoulder to muffle your moans as your body was bounced up and down. You would no doubt have scratches all over your ass after this from the brick wall, overly thankful that he'd at least let you keep your shirt on to protect your back from the rough surface. Wire's hands holding you by your ass at least protected you a little. With his body so close to yours there was a slight grind against your clit every time he thrust up into you, raising and lowering you in time with his movements to get as deep as he could, showing off his incredible strength and control as he continuously avoided smashing into your cervix. The way he stretched and filled you meant every sensitive spot inside you was being rubbed against, your entrance stretched to its limit around him. With all that stimulation it didn't take long for him to have you close to your peak again, crying into his shoulder at the overwhelming pleasure as he used you like a ragdoll.

“Mmmph,” you mumbled into his shoulder, leaving a wet patch on his cloak from your combined tears and drool, “cu-cumming!”

There was a pattering of fluid hitting the concrete pathway below you as you gushed on Wire's cock, and you let out a stuttered whine that caught the attention of a few passersby that Killer had to clear away. “Good girl, mouse,” Wire praised, not letting up for a moment, still chasing his own high, “gonna cum soon too.”

Wire pulled out and put you back on your feet, pulling your arms over his head to unhook you but holding you under an armpit to keep you upright, unbelievably shakey on your legs from the hard orgasm. He pulled up your panties up most of the way with his other hand before jerking himself off, cumming with a grunt into the gusset of your underwear. The hot white fluid was thick against the fabric and you whined as he pulled your panties the rest of the way up, making the fabric stick to your cunt. He pulled up your shorts as well, fastening them before throwing you back over his shoulder. He spanked your ass as he made his way out of the alley, but you were too tired to respond, now truly looking like a hunted deer as you went slack over his shoulder.

“We're done here,” Wire stated as he passed Killer. The shorter man huffed a short silent laugh and followed on behind, not at all surprised to see you had already fallen asleep on Wire's shoulder.

[Next Chapter]

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[frutigeraerosims]

"A tropical ocean paradise loved by divers for its colorful coral and fish and more recently by scientists for its unique marine life. With plenty of large and small fish, this is an ideal diving location."

Hi, I’m Catherine and this is my first Sims 3 world! My intention was to create a smaller world that can be used to play the Island Paradise expansion pack in a more compact way. (It’s technically medium-sized, but a lot of that is water.) I based this world on the area of the same name in the game Endless Ocean: Blue World, granted with quite a lot of creative liberties taken. Gatama Atoll is situated in the fictional country of the Pelago Commonwealth, which is in Micronesia.

Isla Paradiso is stunning and there are great fixes out there, but I still prefer to play smaller worlds for the sake of performance and convenience. So here’s a small world meant for boats, houseboats, resorts, lifeguards, merfolk and of course diving!

While Gatama Atoll now features a town, the original area is still for diving, with 5 dive lots based on some of the areas in the game. On the islands surrounding the dive lots are small nature areas similar to those found in the original Gatama Atoll — you can find animals here.

Nearby is Nineball Island, a relaxing and homey place, ready for divers to move in and make it their hub of operations. This is also an area from Endless Ocean: Blue World.

The town features all the base game rabbit holes as well as a few community lots and the Festival Grounds, and empty lots for expansion. Additionally, there are houses situated right near the water, and ports for houseboats. The empty 64x64 lot is intended for you to build your own resort (or place one you downloaded), though of course you can place your resort elsewhere if you wish.

Like Isla Paradiso, Gatama Atoll has mysterious islands surrounded by fog, waiting for discovery. Only a few, though; one unlocked through diving, one through resorts, and one through lifeguarding (exact way to get each island will be included below).

Gatama Atoll requires Island Paradise, Seasons, Pets, and Sunlit Tides. I specifically made this world with blam’s ea store files, as my decrapped sims3packs did not work in CAW. Therefore, I believe this means you also need the Sunlit Tides store files to be non-decrapped in order to play this world. My recommendation is to just pick them up from blam.

This world definitely isn’t perfect, considering it was made by a complete novice. Here are some disclaimers:

The landscaping is relatively simple, both because of performance concerns and because I lack skill in this area.

The only lot I made is Nineball Island + I edited the houseboat. The other lots are all from Sunlit Tides or Isla Paradiso.

The world is also definitely on the smaller side and doesn’t have room for a lot of extra lots.

Also, you need to be farther out in the ocean to snorkel, you can’t be close to the beach.

The notifications when your sim levels up their diving skill are gonna say the Isla Paradiso diving spot names (e.g "Rocky Reef"), not the Gatama Atoll diving spot names. Please refer below for a proper guide on when you can access each diving spot.

This world was made in version 1.67 (Steam)

Required mods

NRaas register - with this mod, ban horses, unicorns, paparazzi and deer for a smoother experience. You don't want that stuff in this world.

Dive cave reset fix - I used one and only one dive cave in this world. With this mod, you need to reset that dive cave when you see it, just once. Please do not forget to reset the cave so that your sim doesn't get reset when trying to enter.

Interact on sloped terrain - The world is kinda curvy so I think having this is a good idea.

Recommended additions

Surf’s Up Sun and Fun Collection - so your sim can surf, and also have some cute CAS stuff.

Sun, Surf and Sand - cute beachy buildbuy stuff.

Island Villa - ditto^

Tiki dining room - tiki buildbuy stuff

Tiki living room - ditto^

Tiki outdoor living - ditto^

Yoga mod by twinsimming - for the tropical paradise zen.

Mermaid Power mod by xantak22 - improves mermaid gameplay.

4t3 Island Living conversions - look around for some if you need more buildbuy or clothes.

Feel free to do whatever you want with this world! I have no conditions. You’re welcome to tag me so I can see, too :)

Download 🐠

Notes

Here is when each dive spot is unlocked:

Atoll Gate: available at level 2 of the diving skill

Spring Garden: available at level 4 of the diving skill

Doughnut Reef: Available at level 6 of the diving skill

Blue Cliff: Available at level 8 of the diving skill

Cabbage Patch: Available at level 10 of the diving skill

Here is how to get each hidden island:

Diving island: At level 10 of the diving skill, explore the cave in Cabbage Patch. Reset the cave before going in.

Lifeguard island: Rescue 35 sims as a lifeguard.

Resort island: Have a 5-star resort.

[alatushours]

☆ LOVE POTION, various — he doesn’t know much about love, but he’ll try his best for you.

contents. featuring xiao, dan heng, and roronoa zoro. gender neutral reader, fluff. xiao + zoro is canon au, dan heng’s is modern! your first date with each of the boys ♡ word count. 537

notes. writing the prompt “love potion” for my own event despite it having been closed for a month LMAO i just need an excuse to write something… anyways uh pls pretend i’m not writing xiao when i said i wouldn’t in a while 🫣 i have a wip for tighnari otw i promise !!!

xiao has never been interested in mortal celebrations. but after meeting you, he can’t help but want to learn more about them. “would you… want to come to the lantern rite with me?”

you were pleasantly surprised when he asked; glad to see that the yaksha was finally coming out of his shell. you laughed, took his hand (which prompted a blushing mess out of him), and led him down to the harbor, where the festivities were already starting.

figuring he still wasn’t too comfortable being around large crowds of mortals, you took him to a secluded spot on a hill by the pavilion, close enough so that you could still see the lanterns that lit up the sky.

“they’re beautiful, aren’t they?” you ask him, following his eyes as he stared at tiny glowing dots fading in the night. xiao nods slowly, seemingly mesmerized by the sight. you smile softly, leaning your head on his shoulder as the two of you watch the fireworks show that followed.

dan heng, being a bit of a bookworm, was a little… socially awkward, to say the least. luckily, you found his quirks entertaining. “there’s a new bookstore that opened across the street… would you be interested?”

so one tuesday afternoon, you meet him by the park, where he stood with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. you giggle when he awkwardly offers them to you. “of course, why else would you have bought them for?”

making you way to the bookstore, dan heng watches as you stroll down the aisles, picking out some you wanted. he felt his heart swell as he spies his favorite novel in your hand. “i didn’t know you liked that book too…”

the two of you end up spending the rest of the afternoon in the cafe next door, chatting about your favorite books over coffee. he smiles, maybe being a geek isn’t a such bad thing after all.

zoro never quite wanted to leave the sunny when the crew docked on a new island; he preferred to stay behind and take a nap, or train. but you always encouraged him to come along, and he finally decided to go along with it. “i’m gonna go explore… if ‘ya wanna come with.”

there happened to be a small crafts market in the town nearby, so you and zoro (mostly just you) went admiring the handicrafts the stalls had on display. "aww, how lovely!" you admire a little clockwork deer that reminded you a bit of chopper.

then you realized you had some business to attend to in town, so you left zoro behind for a few minutes, saying, "don't you dare get lost while i'm gone!" he stands there awkwardly, before glancing back at the crafts stall. while i'm here...

...and then of course you happen to accidentally encounter the marines, causing you to have to run back to the ship with zoro in tow. when you're finally safe in the crow's nest of the sunny, however... he presented you with the mechanical deer toy from earlier, to your joy. "i don't have that many berries but.. i know you wanted it, so i guess i'll just have to pay nami back later."

end notes. i thought i would write a lot for xiao but i ended up writing more for zoro lmao he’s been taking up all of my brain recently but i hope you enjoyed <3

© alatushours 2024. please do not copy, modify, or translate my work in any way, nor upload to any other platforms. in the meantime, if you enjoyed, please like, reblog, and consider leaving a follow! it helps a lot ♡

[stellocchia]

Thinking of Secret Life SMP hybrid headcanons right now...

Grian would be a parrotlet. They're the smallest group of parrots and I feel like with how pathetic he's been this season he deserves to be just a little guy. He's still a pesky bird who, as season 6 proved, can definitely cause some mischief despite his reduced size, but he's a little guy anyway.

Jimmy is not a canary. Because, yes, he may have the canary curse, but that's just a fancy name for the curse, not necessarily his hybrid type. No, my man is a dog. He's a goddamn chihuahua. He's all bark and annoying but you take a single threatening step toward him and he shivers in fear.

On the topic of dogs, Martyn is a pomeranian. I'm specifically making him a small dog too because, despite wanting to act cool at the end of session 6, he is still very much the one who was first on yellow and red. My man is not big dog-coded.

Now, unpopular opinion, but Scar is a raccoon hybrid. He's a mischievous chaotic menace of a man. A little criminal ready to scam, commit arson, kill, and steal. He's a raccoon. He hasn't burrowed under anyone's house yet (that I remember at least) but that wouldn't be out of character either. Honestly, I'm appalled by the fact that this isn't a far more popular headcanon for him.

And, before I move on from dogs, Etho is also dog-coded. Specifically an Akbash (big white golden retriever-looking fuckers used for the protection of livestock). I just feel like the protectiveness and overall vibe fit him very well.

Finally, moving on from dogs. Cleo is obviously a zombie hybrid. There are no two ways around it. Though this does allow for my little headcanon that, having to learn on their own skin how to sew they became really good and really quick and they're the ones making all the new outfits for everyone else.

Gem meanwhile is specifically a sculk hybrid. Though I like to think that that came about when she opened the portal. She was a deer hybrid before (mostly because I like the subversion of expectations with a "prey" hybrid so to speak being arguably the most bloodthirsty person on the server) and then it spread like an infection. I figure by now her infected half straight-up looks something like Belos monster for from TOH:

Scott is something like a Reakirt’s Blue Butterfly. Both because the colors match him, and because he is kinda The Social Butterfly. My man is always out and about mingling with others. He's so friendly that he literally didn't struggle to pull off the "love you" challenge when everyone admitted that no one else would have been able to. It would be a waste not to make him some kind of butterfly at least.

Now, for Impulse I have something less reasoned, I just think the idea of him being an imp called Impulse is way too funny to resist. And he is way more of a mischievous one than I usually see people talk about. I've seen the phasmophobia stream where he killed everyone with the cursed items several times in a row just because he wanted to try them out. I know what he's capable of.

Meawhile his bestie Skizz is so capibara coded it's unreal. Like, don't get me wrong, he's plenty chaotic. But also you will never find anyone more lawful good in the Life Series than him. I've been thinking this since Love Island was founded. My man is the king of chilling with everyone. (Aside from Jimmy, rip Jimmy).

At the risk of being boring, I also like seeing Tango as a salamander hybrid. Exclusively because of the mythological connection between salamanders and fire. Also, the idea that every time he's flying (though it's funnier if it's also when he's simply jumping) he's nothing but a ball of fire with a lizard tail is very funny to me.

BigB is a hard one because I've only watched a couple of episodes from his POV so I'm not quite as familiar with the lore surrounding him as I am with the others. So I'm not sure. I want to say enderman because of his cryptid vibes this season, but he's not one of the characters with the biggest connection to the end. Those are mostly BDubs, Gem, and Lizzie, so I don't know. I'm open to suggestions.

Talking about BDubs, why are there no ender dragon hybrid headcanons for him around? I think it would be incredibly ironic if the dragon slayer was a dragon himself. Also, his house is under the Earth just like the End portals. Trust me, it makes so much sense. He's small but so full of righteous anger.

Pearl is no hybrid, she's literally just a witch. I've seen the WITCH animatic and that fundamentally changed my view of her forever. Before I would have said a moth hybrid of some kind because I do like moth Pearl, but I love that specific interpretation so much it's unreal. She is a witch with an army of hellhounds at her back and call.

Mumbo is a vampire because I've seen some art of vampire Mumbo at some point in time and it hasn't left my head since. Also, he's one of the players with the highest bloodlust every time he turns red. We're 2 for 2 on that with his appearances in the Life series. And it's usually also what leads to his demise. So I feel like that would be fitting for a vampire.

Meanwhile, my dearly beloved blorbo Joel is a honey-badger. This is a headcanon that is incredibly dear to me and I've never seen around but it's literally SO FITTING. The absolute crackhead energy, the lack of self-preservation, and the surprising sturdiness as time and time again he gets himself in impossible situations and still manages to survive until pretty much the end are all that exact honey-badger vibe. Like, just thinking of him summoning a hoard of zombies to fight off several infected and surviving for quite a while in those conditions just, really proves my point. Enough said.

Lizzie meanwhile is a very sad sopping wet cat. Just absolutely miserable. One of those cats who look like they're constantly grumpy. The frown has deepened ever since no one came to her party and she's still frowning in the void of death.

[lostinwildflowers]

Dragon Island

Eijiro Kirishima x Reader

Summary: Kirishima is nothing but loving toward his dragon. When she disappears with no trace, he panics. When set out on a voyage to find her, he finds something he wasn't quite expecting.

Word Count: 4.7K

Warnings: strangers to lovers, also kind of idiots and enemies to lovers, fluff, very slight angst at the end, and slightly more mature language, a little *tiny* but spicy but still SFW :3

A/N: Wow, wow, wow, it has been a hot second. I have been so insanely busy with work that I am completely exhausted by the time I get home. Please enjoy this Kiri fic. -Birch<3

Useful Info:

Part i. Romantic Flight - Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Part iii. To Befriend a Dragon - Shoto Todoroki x Reader

Nothing is stronger than the bond between a dragon and its trainer. The relationship is strong as the metal forges that build their armor, it's as tough as the gnarled skin of the dragon. It even is as tender as the love between a married couple, soft and kind.

This rings especially true for Kirishima, who loves his Rumblehorn, Honey, with all of his heart. She is a remarkable dragon; obedient, protective, and most importantly, loyal.

You see, Kirishima raised Honey when he found her egg abandoned in the mountains of his home. There was no clutch of other eggs, no mother dragon in sight. There was no indication of a home for the egg, so he took it to his village to raise on his own.

Kirishima spent countless hours incubating the egg, monitoring its temperature and position until it hatched. That is when Honey joined the world.

Honey, once hatched, was identified as a Rumblehorn, a medium-sized tracker dragon. Known to be tough skinned and thick-skulled, Kirishima knew this little dragon was going to be his entire future.

That's why it stung so much when she disappeared into thin air.

The roar of the ocean was loud in Kirishima's ears, the dark, steely blue waters slapping against the keel of the ship. It was a rhythmic crash and pull, one that seemed to tug him deeper and deeper into his mind of worries.

The crew of men was working together on the ship, following the maps and comparing them to familiar landmarks. And the path of the dragons.

The longboat was one Kirishima had been in many times as a young boy, but now he found it dreadful and confined. He felt trapped by its mossy walls and soggy floorboards, wishing at any moment he could step onto dry land.

A cry from the darkened sky above crackles the air, and the sight of fire breaking through the blackness of the night makes Kirishima's throat tighten. Yet a moment later, it's silent again, or at least back to the sound of waves crashing.

After the brief interruption from whatever dragon was in the sky, Kirishima attempts at busying himself, sharpening his blade, sorting through his rations- anything to help him stop fretting over the disappearance of Honey.

At least, he tells himself, At least it wasn't just Honey. That Nadder from the family up on the hill has been missing, and even Mrs. Oonlouck's Grockle flew off.

So, the hours on the ship slowly ticked by. A night full of dangerous waters and old shipwrecks merged into a light blue dawn full of hope and prayers.

And, Dragon Island.

The island was beautiful, to say the least. Soft, white sand edged the beaches, with nothing but clear waters washing the shoreline clean.

The island was mountainous, with a high peak in the far-off distance carving into the sky, while smaller trees and bushes coated the rest of the land. Kirishima could see the small, colorful specks of flowers and wild grasses where the sand faded into the dirt.

And that's where the dragons were.

Many distinct dragon species dotted the skies and the ground as the longboat came ashore; Gronckles, Deadly Nadders, Hideous Zipplebacks, and even the occasional Monstrous Nightmare.

Some of the dragons were fishing in the clear waters, rendering themselves full of fat fish. Others were scavengers, hunting down deer and elk further inland. And those that were full sat basking in the sun, soaking in the heat of the day from the warm rocks they laid on.

Crimson-colored eyes raked the sky, the water, and the land, but there was no sight of the green-toned Rumblehorn anywhere. Kirishima tried to keep his hopes up as the men prepared the ship for docking, but he couldn't help the feeling of his stomach sinking at no sight of Honey.

He tried to push off the nervousness and help his mates settle the ropes and unload the supplies before they set up camp. It was no easy task, skirting around the dragons and trying to find an unoccupied and central location where no one would burst into flames, but after a while, they found the perfect spot to set up.

They had to hike a good distance inland, as many dragons liked to nest on the beach, but they eventually found a quiet field with the cover of some tall pines as protection. As brave as the viking men were, there was always a minor fear of getting blasted by an angry Thunderdrum or Scauldron on the beach.

So the men set up tents and a main fire to cook their dinners and soon set off on their own paths to find the missing dragons.

Every dragon roar that hissed through the air made Kirishima's heart flutter, but there was still no sight or sound of his beloved Rumblehorn.

He recalled that when he found Honey, he was deep in the mountains, so he would set off for the tall peak that signified Dragon Island first thing the following morning.

The next morning, Kirishima gathered the most he could in his pack and started his hike deep into the heart of the island. Alone.

Many of the other men were missing their dragons too, but they figured that based on their dragons' personalities and species, they would be lower in altitude, more likely to be by the beach or lower forests.

So, the redhead picked his way through the underbrush on the outskirts of the camp, his heart pounding in his chest. He traveled as carefully and efficiently as he could while he hiked, the small pack on his back carrying a canister of water and a couple snacks, as the climb wasn't easy.

Up and up he climbed, the ground changing from lush, brown soil to rocky outcroppings, with loose stones underfoot. The stone was smooth under his boots, and Kirishima stumbled a few times and had to slow his pace down so as to not hurt himself.

Why am I doing this? Kirishima thought to himself as he rounded a bend leading to a flat clearing near the top of the peak. There was little grass, but he could see the mouth of a cave up ahead.

He was tired and sweaty, a thin sheen of sweat coating his entire body and dripping down his forehead. The sun was almost setting at this point, and Kirishima knew he wasn't going to make it back to camp tonight.

Instead of dwelling on the fact that he'd miss dinner, Kirishima focused his attention on the cave he saw in the distance up ahead.

Well, this could be it, he wonders as he makes his way over to the inlet. It was dark in the mouth of the cave, the sun's orange and pink rays only lighting up the very edge of the cave, but nothing deeper inside.

He slowly cranes his neck into the darkness, but the cavern was damp and quiet. When he doesn't see anything initially, a crestfallen sigh breaks past his lips as his crimson eyes trail to the ground.

Nothing.

But then, an ear-splitting roar sounds out, and Kirishima whips around just in time to see a flash of green armored skin, and he lunges into the bushes just outside of the cave as the scaled creature dives into the cave.

His heart racing in his chest, Kirishima peaks out of the bushes to try to see what just dove past him, but he couldn't make out a figure. It's silent, so he peaks around the edge of the cave entrance, where he had just been standing, to lock onto the unmistakable golden glow of a dragon's eyes.

Kirishima starts, "What the-", but is interrupted when the dragon turns to face him head-on, and a soft "Wait," falls from his parted mouth.

The redhead squints, trying to dig through his memory, and takes a hesitant step closer to the dragon. He slowly offers his hand, the tips of his fingers shaking ever so slightly, and lets his eyes flutter closed before standing perfectly still.

A beat passes. And then another one. And just as he thinks about opening his eyes to see if the dragon is still there, the smooth skin of a dragon's horn brushes against his hand.

A shaky breath falls from his lips as he feels the warm breath of the dragon puff against his face. Kirishima's crimson eyes gradually slide open, only to be met with the face of the dragon he so desperately missed.

"Honey!" he immediately calls out, lunging excitedly into the chest of the large green Rumblehorn. His muscular arms wrap around the neck of his beloved dragon, and he can feel Honey chitter underneath him in happiness, her eyes soft as she nuzzles at his back.

Kirishima does his best to keep his emotions under control, but he can't stop a stray tear or two from sliding down his cheeks. However, he rapidly pulls back from the hug when he hears a small cry from deeper into the cave.

He glances at Honey in worry and asks, "Did you hear that, girl? Sounds like someone's in trouble."

He untangles his body from around the large dragon, and picks his way around to her tail. Moving cautiously and with his hand on a knife in his belt, he plunges into the darkness of the cave.

It's dark for a minute, and then fresh air hits his cheeks, and it opens up into a wider den. The gentle cast of an orange glow can be seen dancing on the walls of the cave, but his attention is soon drawn away from that.

And it is pulled to the figure of a woman.

The woman was crouched over what he quickly identified as a baby dragon, her hair color warmed by the small fires in the edges of the den.

"Hold still, you little rascal," you mutter as you try to wrestle the baby Rumblehorn. He was attempting to slide out of your grasp and toward Honey, who had appeared from the cave tunnel.

Kirishima stood silently next to his dragon, almost blending in with the wall as he watched, his hand relaxing from his knife as he gazed at you trying to help the baby dragon.

You didn't notice the redhead as you called out to Honey, whose footsteps you heard, "Mama Dragon, you're back! This little one had a crack in his tooth and wouldn't let me look at-"

Your words trail off as you catch sight of the tall man standing next to Honey, and you instinctively reach for your blade strapped to your back, pushing the baby dragon behind you. A war cry falls from your lips as you draw your blade and you dash toward him, sword swinging straight toward Kirishima's head.

He's fast though, and reads the attack from across the room, easily ducking out of the way. Working on instinct, he grabs one of your arms, and folds it behind your back, pulling the blade out of the hand.

Since he was close to the wall when you attacked, he uses it to his advantage, pressing you into the cave wall with his hips and knee.

Pain blooms in your chest as the air left your lungs, your collarbones cracking against the hard stone. You can feel his larger frame and muscular chest push against your back, and you hiss in frustration at his simple move.

Kirishima takes his free hand and reaches up to pull the blade from your hand that was still grasping at your sword. In a swift motion, he throws it a couple of feet away, far enough away that you won't get it, but not too close to the dragons to be a threat.

He keeps you pressed against the wall like this, and you tried to struggle and get free, but it was no use.

"Who are you, and what are you doing with my dragon?"

Kirishima could feel you stiffen under his touch at the harshness of his words, yet he remained quiet in wait of an answer. When you don't say anything, he sighs and repeats, "What are you doing with my dragon? She disappeared into thin air a little while ago, and now here she is."

You shift ever so slightly in grasp, a disgruntled look on your face as your cheek laid flat against the cool, damp wall of the cave. A quiet gasp falls from your lips as you back pops from the pressure he's applying with his hips and knee, and you can feel him loosen his grip ever so slightly.

Kirishima sighs again and reiterates, "Look, I don't want to hurt you or fight. I just want to take Honey home."

"...You call Mama Dragon Honey? Wow, I can't imagine how she puts up with that," is what you spit out. Kirishima blinks in hurt at the harshness to your words, but a look of confusion passes over his features, not that you could tell.

"Ma- Mama Dragon?" he stutters, his grip completely relaxing and letting you free. He takes a step back, giving you space as his hands run over his face.

You groan in relief and shake out your arms before you grumble, "Yeah, Mama Dragon, didn't you know she was pregnant and carrying eggs?"

Kirishima's jaw drops, "HONEY WAS PREGNANT AND SHE LEFT ME?!" You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose in frustration at this stranger and you reply, "Yes. Sometimes it's hard to tell when a Rumblehorn is going to lay eggs because they are already built so wide."

You walk around Kirishima to your fallen sword, reaching down to pick it up from the stone. Kirishima's hand instantly falls to the knife on his belt, but he doesn't move as he watches you pat Honey on the chin before walking back over to the baby you were tending to.

"So... how many babies has Honey had then?" Kirishima asks quietly, walking over to Honey's side and gently rubbing at her face. His crimson gaze watches your every movement, waiting for any sign of hostility, but he didn't see any.

You turn back toward him, the baby you were working on in your arms. There is surprise lacing your features, and you shrug and say, "She laid 4 eggs, so now she has four babies. 3 females, 1 male."

Kirishima just nods, processing the new information. He points to the one you are holding and questions, "Which one is that?" You smile fondly down at the newborn dragon and say, "I call him Boulder, he's the only boy from the clutch, and he already thinks he's the strongest."

The little red-toned Rumblehorn just yawns in your arms, curling up for a nap. You giggle down at him, walking over to the large wood-built nest near one of the fires.

Kirishima watches you set him gently down on the dried grasses, and he suddenly notices the other three dragon newborns curled up, asleep. He gazes in awe, and can't stop his feet as he walks over to stand next to you.

He is completely starstruck by the colors of their scales, and kind expressions on their faces as they cuddle up together. His mouth falls open before he stammers out, "I- I am so sorry for fighting you like that. All this time Honey's been away, and you've been taking care of her?"

You turn to face him, and you have to look up to catch the corner of his red gaze, but you nod in response. "Yes, I have been watching over Honey. This den isn't usually occupied because it's so far from the water, but I knew a special dragon must have chosen this den for a reason."

Your (colored) gaze flicks over to Honey, and with a gentle smile, you continue, "She is the first Rumblehorn I've seen in a few years. You are very lucky to have such a strong dragon at your side, Sir...?"

Kirishima just looks down at you, his eyes glazed over. In the time of your fight, and his whole world being flipped upside down at the factor his dragon left him to become a mother, he didn't realize how beautiful you were.

Your (colored) hair was pulled back into a couple of intricate braids that cascaded down behind your neck, a few stray pieces lingering to frame your face. There was a firmness to your eye that let him know your guard was still up, but he could see the kindness written on your features.

"Hello?" you repeat, "What can I call you?" Kirishima shakes his head back and forth for a moment, a warmth blooming on his cheeks as he chuckles and offers you his arm as he replies, "Sorry, this is all a lot to take in. Please, call me Kirishima."

You nod and reply, "Nice to meet you, Kirishima. Honey is an excellent mother and a very gentle dragon. I can't imagine how much training it has taken for her to be as good as she is."

The tall man shifts on his feet and glances over at Honey, who had made her way over to the other side of the nest and laid down. She had closed her eyes to rest as well, it seemed.

"To be honest, I really didn't do that much to train her," Kirishima started, "From the moment she hatched out when I was a boy, she always was the sweetest dragon. It's sort of how she got her name."

You just giggle at that, and Kirishima immediately finds your (colored) eyes, genuine happiness coating your features. Your giggling persists for a moment before you wave at him, "It's nothing, it's nothing, I swear. That's just a funny origin, that's all."

Kirishima just tuts and gestures toward you, "Well then, miss, what name can I call you? Especially if you think Honey's name is so ridiculous."

You get slightly shy at that moment, glancing down at your boots as if they were the most interesting thing at that moment. You shrug and mumble, "I'm just the caretaker for the dragons on this island, that is all."

Kirishima steps closer to you and insists, "Well, you must go by something," he feels butterflies bloom in his belly but he gushes, "You have a gorgeous face, I can only assume your name is equally as stunning."

You freeze at his words, and you swallow thickly as heat spreads from your cheeks to your ears, and down your neck. Kirishima seems to understand the weight of his words, and he shuffles back in embarrassment and stutters, "I- I, I only mean-"

"Y/n," you cut him off with a smile, glancing up at his obviously flustered appearance, "You can call me Y/n L/n of Dragon Island."

He dips his head in acknowledgment and replies, "Seems as though I was right... Miss Y/n." He tests your name out like it's delicate, and yet he revels in the way your name rolls off of his tongue.

It's silent for a moment before you point to the back of the cave, even further into the den, "Would you like to sit with me? I can explain more of what I do and know."

Kirishima opens his hand and points to the narrow opening and replies, "Lead the way, milady."

You and Kirishima talk through the night, conversations of Dragon Island, breeding season, and travels filling the late-night air. You told him of your place on the island; helping dragons that were sick or injured, tending to their young, and the general welfare of the sacred breeding place.

Kirishima, in turn, told you of his travels across the seas, all of the dragons he's encountered, and the people of his home. The conversation flowed so easily that it was hard to remember that the two of you had only met a few hours prior.

It had been silent between the two of you for a while, comfortable and peaceful.

"You should come to my homeland sometime," Kirishima murmurs quietly, his eyes gazing deep into the embers burning in front of the two of you.

You are quiet for a moment, and then you shake your head, "I couldn't. There is so much for me to do here year-round, and there are always dragons that need my help. I cannot leave."

Kirishima nods but doesn't say anything, but sits there and crosses his arms across his chest. Your (colored) gaze snaps over to him, gauging the contemplating look on his face.

He can feel the heat of your gaze on him, and a soft smirk rests on his lips as he then states, "Then I'll just have to come visit you then, right? So we can catch up and talk about Boulder, Honey, and the other babies?"

You mirror his smile and reply, "That would be lovely, Kirishima." He sighs and pokes at the fire with his boot before he asks, "Do you ever get lonely here? I mean you have the dragons, but I bet you hardly ever see anyone."

You feel the weight of his question more than he realizes. Yes, it does get lonely. Yes, I do crave connection and human attention. But my lifestyle cannot afford that.

All you can do is nod and whisper, "I do get lonely, Kirishima. More than you could ever know." The redhead's gaze is on you this time, your own eyes latched onto the dying flames of the fire.

He shifts from his wooden seat to stand next to your own, offering you his hand. You look up at him, vulnerable in a way you never would imagine with a stranger, yet he made you feel so comfortable.

"I get lonely too, Y/n. You don't deserve to be alone all the time. Please consider joining my village, or even coming to visit. The invitation will always be open for you," he whispers back.

He leans down slowly, placing a soft peck to the top of your head before retreating back into the main den where Honey and the babies were sleeping.

"W-wait!" you call out after him, your cheeks burning and your mind racing. He stops in the doorway and looks over his shoulder back at you, waiting.

"D- do you really mean that?" you manage to choke out. He gives you another gentle smile and states, "Never been more sure in my life." And he walks down the hall as the dawn light starts to flood into the den.

The trek back down to the ship seemed to come quicker than the hike up the mountain. Maybe it was because of Kirishima riding down on Honey's back, or the way he had to chase Boulder and the dragon babies as they rolled down the grassy hills.

You bid him farewell at the mouth of the den, promising that you would see each other again. Neither of you discussed the kiss on your forehead, but there was tension in the air as his figure disappeared in the direction of the ocean.

You could feel your heart splintering at the thought of him leaving. You knew you didn't truly know him, but you could tell your body felt like it knew him, that your souls were somehow akin.

You didn't know what to do, so you let him walk away.

But then you heard a soft cry from the back of the cave, toward the edge of the nest you had helped Honey build. And there, sitting in the depths of the nest, was a tiny, and freshly hatched Rumblehorn baby.

You dug through the straw the find the remnants of the shell, and you gasp in disbelief that you somehow missed an egg that Honey laid.

Crap, crap, crap, you thought to yourself as you looked at the newborn in front of you. This little fellow really needs his mother, but I bet Kirishima and his mates have probably loaded up and left at this point. What do I do?

Another glance down at the newborn told you everything you needed to know. You needed to get to the water before their ship sailed off.

So you wrapped the baby in a spare shirt that you had, tucked him under your arm, and ran as fast as you could in the direction you knew Kirishima set off in.

Your lungs burned for air as you ran, your feet sliding on loose shale, your calves aching as you pushed your body to its limit. You could feel your arms growing weaker from the weight of the newborn, but you pushed yourself on, determined to find Kirishima before he left.

You ducked under low-hanging limbs and jumped over dense brush, swerving and dodging everything in your path. C'mon Kirishima, you think, Please wait. I know you don't want to leave yet, so please wait!

It seems like hours as you rush down the mountain, time somehow flying by and slowing down at the same time. You swore your heart was about to explode in your chest, but you were so close to the shoreline, you couldn't give up now.

But by the time you get to the white, sandy beaches, you can see the viking's longboat sailing into the horizon, and you can't stop the sob that rips itself from your throat. Your body crumples to the ground in sheer exhaustion, and you bring the small dragon into your arms to hug closely.

"I- I'm so sorry, little one," you hiccup out, tears streaming down your face as you pulled back to look at the little green Rumblehorn baby, "I couldn't get you back to your family in time."

It just peers up at you, curiosity and innocence emanating from it's sweet face. This only makes you cry harder, and you clutch the little dragon back to your chest.

You sit there in the sand for a few moments, blinking through the tears and emotion as you watch the ship float off into the distance.

That is, until you feel warm pressure on your shoulders, and when you look up, a tall figure is blocking out the morning rays of the sun.

"You're missing me already? I don't think gorgeous women like you should cry, Y/n," comes the voice.

A loud sob pulls past your lips, and you scramble up to crush Kirishima in a hug with one arm. You cradle the baby in the other, careful to not hurt him.

The tall redhead just chuckles and steps back at the force of your hug, but wraps his arms around you closely, holding you tight, "I've gotcha... I've gotcha," he whispers as you settle down.

You pull back a minute later, wiping the tears from your eyes, you punch him in the shoulder and yell, "You forgot something, dammit!"

Kirishima yelps in pain and shies away from you as you hold out the small baby Rumblehorn, and awe takes over his face as he cups the delicate dragon in his large hands.

"I didn't know there was another one," he mumbles as he glances back up at you, "Thank you." You roll your eyes and mutter, "That wasn't the thing you forgot, dummy."

In one swift movement, you grab the front of his shirt, pulling him down to meet your lips. Your mouth collides with his own a second later, and he can't help but let out a groan at the taste of tears on his tongue.

The kiss is short but sweet, and it's enough to send both of your minds into overdrive. You both pull back at the same time, staring blankly in shock at each other.

The moment is interrupted when Honey chuffs, nudging Kirishima to give her the last baby. He quickly sets the green-scaled baby on the ground before turning back to you.

"Now, where were we?"

[beskarinhyperspace]

A Ripple In Space

I just want to know you more. 

More Chapters | MASTERLIST

4. Viper 

*Mature, Explicit, NSFW*

Kylo Ren x fem.reader

WC  6k  *Canon Divergence, angst, slow burn, soft dom, hurt/comfort

As you softly open your eyes to the low humming of the ship. You move your hand to the rest of the empty mattress. Realizing that you are indeed alone. Fully opening them, you quickly start to remember where you were. 

Oh maker, I'm in his room.. 

Now fully awake at the realization, you slowly remember the previous night, having a hard time processing it. Your chest was suddenly moving quicker, knowing how much of a traitor this was making you. You were an ally to the jedis and to the resistance. Just like your parents were before you and you just slept with Kylo fucking Ren.. As you pass your hands in your hair trying to recollect yourself, you let out a deep sigh. You had just woken up and were already feeling drained. 

You finally calmed down and glanced at his empty pillow. Which gave you an instant pinch in your chest, and just like that, you can't stop your mind from going back to his soft and plumped lips. Twitching as he was moving closer. His eyes, deeply looking at you with desire. How could someone be so violent and yet this gentle? Thinking back on how the rage was consuming him as he previously choked the guard. The horror you felt seeing him igniting the red beam of his sword. The one that brought so much destruction and fear across the galaxy. 

It doesn't take long for you to hear your stomach growl. Finally getting up and out of the bed, you move slowly to the kitchen. Living life on a ship was truly a different experience than the one you had on land. You miss the warmth of the sun on your bare legs in the morning. Sunbathing on the balcony with your caf in hand. Here, the air is recycled and for some reason it is always cold. To be completely honest with yourself, the dark colors of the ship gave you more goosebumps than the cold air.  

As you’re making some eggs on the stove behind the counter, you hear the swooshing sound of the front door opening.  

Maker he's already back. You tell yourself, not being mentally prepared to face him again. You can feel your heart beating faster as the heavy steps are coming closer to the kitchen. You see a man turning the corner with a small cart. Giving you a wave of instant relief. He was tall, with dark hair and defined features. He was not only wearing the ship’s uniform. He also had the official cap and badges completing the ensemble. You stood there like a deer caught in headlights, hair all over the place with a spatula in hand. Trying to cover your thighs as much as you can with the oversize tee you're wearing. Even behind the counter, you still felt naked. 

“Oh, I am sorry miss. I didn’t.. It's usually empty. I’m simply the cleani.. I can come back later.”  

You couldn't help but smile timidly at his anxious avoidance. ´He looks really cute’, telling yourself as you're trying to focus. “It’s okay. I’m actually new here, kind of.. You can carry on, I was going out anyway.” 

The man takes a moment, staring at you as you return to your cooking. After a moment you peek at him through the fallen hair hiding parts of your face. “Yes?” 

He clears his throat, “Isn’t it a bit late to be going to work? The day shift has already started.” 

You give him a smile before replying, “I don’t have a job, yet. Like I said, I am quite new here..” 

“Right, sorry for my intrusion.” 

“Don't mind it. I enjoy your company. It has been weeks since I've talked to an actual human being and not guards or droids.” rolling your eyes sideways. 

He walks closer to the kitchen island. “Well, I’m Henry. Nice to meet you.” Smiling as he shows you his hand to shake. 

“You can call me Viper..” moving slightly forward to shake it with yours. 

“Cool, well.. I better start if I want to live for the next 24 hours.” He breathes out as he's going through his cleaning supplies.  

“Do you know where I can find work?” 

He looks at you before answering, “Well I heard they need help in electric. Wiring, to be precise. I can give a word for you if it’s somethi-” 

“Yes! Please, I would really appreciate it.” cutting him off as you smile brightly. 

-- 

In the meantime, Kylo Ren was sitting in his office with his chair turned and facing the window. The light coming from it was softly hitting half of his face and body as he was watching the calm darkness of space. He had woken up early, not being capable of keeping himself asleep while being so close to you. He didn't want to leave the ship for duties just yet. Even though he knew absolutely nothing about you, no amount of time was enough with you. He was tested by his curiosity and now, you were all he could think about.  

I can’t keep losing control like this, trying to remind himself. He lets out a deep sigh as he rises from his chair, putting his helmet on. I’m going to be gone for a couple of weeks. That should be enough to forget about her, right? ..And her, me. 

As he’s moving through the hallways, he hears a familiar voice nearby. He halts, moving his body to the corner of the wall while listening closely. 

“Thank you for helping me clean the place that was nice of you.” A man says. 

“I told you; I enjoyed it..” The familiar voice responds gently. 

Laughing, “You must be the only one I know who does. See you around,  Viper..” As he moves away, you smile shyly to the back of him, pressing your lips together. 

A pinch in his chest makes Kylo step behind you quickly, “making friends I see.” Your blood runs cold as you hear the static of his modulated voice.  He was hovering you with his height. Looking as intimidating as the day you first saw him. His mask analyzes you as you try to keep control of yourself. You haven’t done anything wrong but somehow it felt like you did. Seeing you avoidant and playing with your shirt, makes him mad. He starts pushing you back into the wall behind you. Giving you no other choice than to fall into it. By default, you try to take as little space as you can manage between his broad arms placed on each side of your head. He had his way of making you feel small and today was no exception. “Unless he’s more than a friend..” Suggesting as he tilts his head to the side. 

“No, I was simply helping him with his tasks I swear.” answering while staring at your feet. “I don't even know him. I just met him.” 

He takes a harsh breath before removing his helmet with one hand, “look at me.” But you were too scared to look. Only give him a quick glance before returning your gaze down. “I said look at me, Viper..” Saying your name in a low, firm tone. You swallow, looking up to meet his eyes properly. They were small and dark from stress and lack of sleep. His plump lips twitching as he was staring at yours. “Viper, I have to say, it suits you well.” saying softly. “Now how does one acquire a name like that?”  

“My father gave it to me before he passed.” You say, trying your best to keep your voice steady. You didn't want to lie, but you don't want to tell the whole truth either. 

“What about the boy, mh?.. I thought we were going to be honest with one another.” 

“I met him this morning, I swear nothing happened.” you protest. 

He scowls, “well you knew nothing of me..” stating as he takes his hand to cover the side of your head before closing his eyes. As he focuses you feel the same aura and feeling you sensed while he was thrusting inside you the previous night. The white and warm light radiating around him. He was searching your mind as you randomly see memories coming to you quickly. Starting to breathe faster, you feel a drop of sweat tickling the edge of your hairline. You try to fight the invasion as much as you can, but it stops on a memory you formed this very morning. The one blushing as you saw Henry in your oversize tee. Trying to stretch the fabric down to cover your legs. Suddenly, Kylo pushes himself back, as he watches you fall on your knees.  

“You were almost naked.” he urges, his voice becoming dangerous. “What happened!?”  

“You saw what happened, why are you asking me?” saying while calming yourself down. 

“I want to hear it from you.” 

You peek at him through your fallen hair in disbelief. “He came in to clean your quarters. At first, I thought it was you. I was cooking, I thought I was alone. He presented himself and that's it. We talked about a jo-” 

“The desire..” he says angrily. 

Okay now you were extremely confused. “Desire? What desire?” 

Trying to make sense of what just happened, He takes a moment before speaking. He was used to entering people’s minds and even controlling them, but this felt weird, even for him. He was able to feel your emotions like they were his. Something he had never experienced before, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to after this. “The one you have for him.” eyes daring you to say otherwise. 

Your lips parted as you were slowly panicking. “I-I just find him cute. That’s all, I swear.” 

His hand twitched as he was looking deeply into your eyes, searching for the truth. He could see how frightened you were but also how sincere. He knew he couldn't fight it as he came back to you slowly. Bending slightly, he takes your hands and uses them to pull you back on your feet. He gently pushes the hair out of your face with the back of his fingers before passing his thumb over your lips. Staring at them, he slides his hand to grab the side of your jaw. “I have to leave for a short while, but I trust you will follow our agreement.” Seeing him clench his teeth before looking into your eyes. Fighting the urge to taste you on his lips. “You must sleep in my quarters. That is the only place I know you will be-” 

“Safe, I know. Don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl.” stating as you smile. 

“It’s not you I'm afraid of.” he grimaced, “promise me.”  

“I promise” you confirm before letting out a deep sigh. 

Without a word, he puts his helmet back on and turns away. 

What did I get myself into? 

-- 

Weeks have gone by without any news of Kylo Ren. While the crew was more relaxed and carefree, you were learning your new job stress free. Thanks to Henry’s recommendation, you were now fully working in electrical. In fact, you were already being left alone to fix some bad wiring that was previously done by a guy who allegedly died in battle. If you were completely honest with yourself, he didn’t seem to have a clue about what he was doing. It was all a mess; everything was badly connected while other pieces were simply missing. You let out a bored moan as you lay back into the corner of the tight space. Sliding down along the wall before sitting on the floor.  

You felt quite lonely on the ship. No one was really chatting with you since you were sleeping in the supreme leader’s quarters. They weren't particularly mean to you, but gossip was spreading quickly among the crew. The only friend you had was Henry and sadly, your schedules were not working in your favor. Kylo was gone for a while now and you still didn't know what you felt about him since your last encounter. 

He's a horrible man. He brought way too much destruction to the galaxy for me to fraternize with him, I just can't. 

As you examine the back of your hands placed on your knees, you remembered your last night with him. The one you have been trying for weeks to forget. His touch, his smell intoxicating you. You knew you wanted all of those again and that alone was terrifying you.  

While being lost in your thoughts, you're toying with the bracelet your sister had made you back home. Smiling to yourself, you can’t help but wonder what she would think of you if she knew you slept with literally the worst person in the galaxy and still wanted more. While rolling the threads in between your fingers, you think back to Kylo and the way he said your name, Viper.. Since your parent’s death no one has ever called you by your real name, not even your sister. They were the ones who gave it to you after a successful mission destroying one of the first order’s bases. Along with your successful mission, your codename had become your identity.  

Oh maker, it’s today..  

-- 

The day was a long one for Kylo. His only desire for weeks was to come back to the finalizer knowing you'd be there. He couldn’t wait to finally get back on his ship. He very much regretted not kissing you goodbye. You've been haunting his dreams with the smell of your hair and soft skin ever since he left. He was still trying to figure out how your connection worked. How he was able to finally see a little more in your head but also feel you the way he did. As much as he wanted not to, he quickly realized that keeping himself away from you was not the right approach. His emotions were controlling him further each day and it scared the shit out of him.  

For now, he was simply excited to see you as he moves inside his quarters. Although, the smile behind his mask quickly vanished as he glanced around the empty space. His assistant had previously confirmed that you would be here and yet you were not. Even if he wasn’t on the finalizer, he kept an eye on you. He had heard about your new job and schedule, and knew you're supposed to be done by now. He calls to double check in the electrical but apparently no one has seen you for hours. His mind draws him back quickly to the boy he saw you talking to. What if she had moved on? Did she use me? Maybe I scared her too much before leaving? What if she had escaped?  

His fears were getting the best of him as he pushed the side of his comm-link angrily, “Find her” ordering, swirling back into the hallway. 

After almost an hour of searching, a soldier comes to him. “We have found no trace of the women, Sir.” 

He sighs, “what about the tie fighters?” 

“We have stopped the departures. We also have the right numbers in inventory. No anomalies have been reported with the ones who did leave earlier today, Sir.” the men stated. 

“This means she's still on board.” Getting angrier thinking of the memory he read out of you before leaving. The way you felt seeing that boy, the desire. “You don’t stop until you find her.” Commanding him as his fingernails were digging into the leather of his gloved palms. 

The trooper nods before turning away quickly to inform the others. Meanwhile, Kylo was trying to calm himself down, but it was useless. He could visualize you kissing the boy like you kissed him. Giving yourself the way, you did with him. He did not know much about you; he didn't know how much he could trust you.  

As he's spiraling, he feels a soft breeze on his skin. Which is odd since he is covered from head to toe with fabric. The goosebumps were going right up the nape of his neck. Without hesitation he starts following the energy that is pulling him. The sensation felt cold and blue the closer he got to it. After a moment, he finally stops in front of a closet door with a hand going to his hip. Unaware of what's on the other side, he unclips his lightsaber before bracing himself in a combat position. He takes a deep breath in, moving his hand to the control panel on the side. The moment it opens, his gaze is automatically drawn to you, sitting on the floor. He slowly drops his arms as he watches you bring your red, puffy eyes to him. The rage that was boiling inside him, was now completely gone. You looked at him in shock, thinking you were going to die for a moment there. Still silent, he pulls his helmet off.  

“You're back..” you say sniffling. 

“What happened?” asking softly. 

Instead of answering, you move your gaze down. Wrapping your arms around your legs and bringing them closer to your body. 

“Did someone do something to you? Are you hurt?” tensing as he questioned. 

You lightly shake your head, “no, it's just me. I remembered a bad day, a sad day.”  

He presses his lips, unsure of what to do before entering the small, confined closet. His body quickly fills the tight space as he walks to you, squatting down to your level before he pushes the hair out of your face. “I can't help you if you don't tell me, hyal.” 

You could see how genuine he was, but you didn't want to talk about it. You had tried your best over the years not to let it affect you, but it was almost impossible on days like this one. 

“My parents..” you couldn't stop the tears from falling down your cheeks, your voice still full of emotions. “They died on this day. I just miss them so much and I feel so alone.” 

He takes a moment looking at you, “I'm sorry for your parents.” Pushing the hair out of your face, “but you're not, you're not alone.”  

You dry your eyes with the back of your sleeve, trying to smile. 

He lets you take a moment to come back to yourself before pressing the side of his comm-link on his wrist. “I found her, you can stop the search. I’ll take it from here.”  

He lets out a sigh looking straight at you. “Are you ready to go?”  

You nod as he helps you get back on your feet. “What did you mean by stop the search?” 

“You're a difficult one to find” he says, giving you a soft smirk. 

-- 

As you enter his quarters, you realize that he didn’t put his helmet back on. Noticing his eyes with better lighting. They looked more tired than usual. He quickly glanced at you before moving towards the bathroom. “I need to take a shower, I'll be back.”  

Being finally alone again, you remain unmoved. Closing your eyes in an attempt to re-center yourself. Your reunion happened as weirdly as his departure. You didn’t want to talk to him about how they died or how he is part of the issue. By fear, you also did not want to mention how much you're missing your sister. The First Order was the reason of your parent's death and you promised yourself that it would never be hers. Although, some of you felt happy that Kylo was back. You just wished that he had found you in better circumstances.  

What was he like before becoming Supreme Leader? Was he always in the First Order? Probably not, otherwise he wouldn’t be as gentle as he is with you, right? 

While you were changing out of your work clothes, you couldn't help but smile softly thinking about him. You liked having him near you. Even though he made you feel a little anxious at times.  

He came out of his shower already fully clothed. Catching him pass in front of the bedroom door, he was moving to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water from the sink.  

You can't help but notice how imposing and stoic he looks even out of his combat clothes. The muscles of his chest and arms being noticeable through the fabric of his shirt. His hair, still damped from the shower, falls on his face as he turns the faucet off. Maker, am I blushing? 

You sigh, climbing into bed before moving under the covers. As you make yourself comfortable, you see him pass through the door and coming to the edge of the bed to sit with you. 

“How did it go while I was gone?” He asks before taking a sip from his cup. 

“Did you not see me cry my eyes out?” replying sarcastically. 

“I did, but surely you didn’t cry for weeks. Did you?” 

“No, of course not. I worked, how about you?” 

“Good, it was a long one.” looking briefly at you. 

“Can I ask you something?” He doesn’t say a word as he waits for your question. “Are your parents still alive?” 

He tenses up, turning his gaze down to the glass of water in his hand. “My mother.. but I don't know where she is.”  

“I’m sorry to hear it. Is she not?” You didn’t know how to ask. 

“In the First Order? No, no she's not.. ” 

You press your lips, “Kylo? What does, hyal means?” you questioned closing your eyes, not being able to keep them open any longer. 

He raises his eyes to you in surprise. “Why so many questions?” putting his glass of water on the nightstand before joining you under the covers. 

“I just want to know you more..” mumbling, letting your mouth part slightly as you fall asleep. 

He smiles softly, pushing the hair out your face. You were already breathing deeper while he looked at your pillowy lips. The ones he has been craving for weeks. He leans in, pressing them gently with his. Being careful not to disturb you in your sleep. He takes a deep breath in, “I also miss them, every day.” Before closing his eyes as well. 

-- 

The next morning, you wake up to the sound of hot crinkling oil in a pan. As you sit up and rub your eyes, you hear Kylo let out a high muffled scream. You quickly pull away the covers before running to the kitchen, seeing him clenching his hand tightly. 

“Are you okay?” voice panicked. 

“It's okay, I just burned myself. You can go back to sleep.” trying not to sound in pain. 

You walk to him, now fully awake. “Don't be stupid. How could I possibly go back to sleep knowing you're suffering. Can I have a look?” looking straight at him. 

He hesitates, pressing his lips before opening his hand slowly to you. As you look closer to the injury, you examine the serious burn. A vivid red line was drawn across his palm. “Here put it under cold water. It will stop the heat from burning through the other layers of skin.” moving towards the kitchen faucet. “You need to always keep the handle away from the heat when cooking.” He puts his hand under the low pressured water. Slightly moaning as he feels an instant relief.  

He raised an eyebrow as he watched you with a first aid kit. Putting it on the counter before starting the burner again. He stares at you confused, “Are you not going to help me?” 

“You need to stop the burn before putting the bacta on. Otherwise, you'll only heal the top layers.” rolling your eyes at him. 

He doesn't comment on your attitude as he smirks softly. Being kind of surprised at your knowledge of the matter. “And, how do you know all of this?” 

Not responding, you give him a smile as he's watching you do his cooking. Admiring you from a distance. He noticed how nervous you were with him but, the truth is, he was too. You never really talked about what happened the night before he left, and he too wanted to know you more. 

He clears his throat anxiously, “You know. The day I left you were talking to a man.” 

“Henry?” 

“I guess, yes. Have you, seen him again?”  

Looking up to meet his eyes, “He’s only a friend, I told you.” closing the burner, you turn around. Grabbing the first aid kit as he turns off the faucet. Meanwhile, you took the bacta out of the metal box before spraying it on his wound. He grimaced while the bacta was already taking effect. As you his hand with some bandages, he can’t help himself from staring at you. Your hair was still all over the place from the chaotic morning. Strands falling down your face, some sticking up, but he couldn't care less. Suddenly a weird sensation comes to his chest as he pushes one of your hair strands to see your face better. 

You meet his gaze smiling brightly, “Here, all done..”  

He doesn’t waste a second, taking the side of your neck. Holding you still as he leans in closer, kissing you full lips.  

You don’t stop him as he moans sweetly into your mouth. “You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do this..” 

“Tell me more.” 

He sighs softly, “I wanted to see you, smell you, touch you.” moving his hands gently to your middle back. “You're all I could think about.” 

“I also thought about you every-” You didn’t have time to finish your sentence, that he starts kissing you again, caressing your tongue inside with his. 

You laugh, stopping him. “I can’t, I have to work.” Protesting as you try to move away. 

“Work? But I just came back. I can make you miss work if that’s the issue.” You don’t really listen to him as you’re now inside the bedroom, changing into your work clothes. “You seem to forget that I'm the supreme leader. This is my ship, and I can do whatever I want.” 

You roll your eyes, “Yeah, I know..” You watch him come closer as you sit on the edge of the bed to put your boots on. He takes the other one from your hand before throwing it aside. “Hey, stop, I need to go. I'm going to be late.” 

He's not listening as he kneels in front of you spreading your legs. “Stay with me hyal.” 

“You still haven’t told me what it meant..” closing your eyes to his hands roaming your hips and ass. 

You could feel his hardness on the edge of your pussy, “to crave.” answering you, slowly unzipping the front of your uniform. 

Your heart beats faster but you try to stay on track. “What language is that? I never heard it.” 

“Sith”  

You stop him before he unzips it fully, managing to wiggle yourself free. “I really need to go. I can't be late.” 

He watches you grab your boots from the floor, “Have I done something wrong again?” eyes worried. 

As you look at Kylo, you feel heaviness in your chest “What? No..” moving quickly to the living room. “I just like seeing people and having somewhat of a normal life.” glancing at him awkwardly, “and I like the job, okay? I will see you later.”  

Before you could leave, he grabs your arm. “I’m sorry that I cannot let you go, yet.. I also need to follow orders.” saying eyes in pain. 

You simply nod, walking away to the entrance.  Feeling an energy moving through your hair, you turn your head back. Only seeing the side of his face as he goes back to the bedroom.  

-- 

You can hear your stomach calling for food entering the cafeteria. You felt bad lying to Kylo about being late, but you were not ready to sleep with him again. Hearing him speak Sith made uneasy. A reminder that you're just a prisoner on his ship. How many girls did he had this way? He probably lied to you about you being the only one. Surely that can't be true. He is one of the most powerful men in the galaxy, how could you possibly be his first taste of flesh? 

It doesn't matter, because it won't happen again.. 

Taking a tray, you get in line. Today was your favorite; spinach quiche with ham bits. Plus, they always had these little roasted potatoes on the side that you love so much. You had to admit, the finalizer did have some good food. Way better than the sludge you used to eat in battle camps back home. 

As you're waiting your turn, you sense a finger tapping your shoulder. Automatically you feel your body tense, scared to even look back. Turning around, you're being greeted by Henry. “It's been a while.” he says with a broad smile. 

You don't know why, but you feel a little disappointed seeing him. You don’t know if it's because you haven't seen him for a while but he's making you blush a little. Maybe it was the way he looked so effortlessly put together. Whatever the reason, it felt good to see him again. 

“It's you who has been hiding, I'm always near.” you state playfully. 

“Yeah, I've been learning how to pilot on top of my usual job. It does take a lot of my time these days.”  

Well, I'm happy that you're okay, I was starting to get worried.” 

There's a moment of silence before he clears his throat. “Would you like to join us?” Pointing to a round table with two man and a woman also wearing the crew's uniform. 

You nod while taking back your tray from the lunch guy’s hands. For weeks, you have been eating alone and so the invitation was a nice welcome, especially from him. As soon as you sat down, all eyes were on you, along with the tension floating in the air.  

“Everyone, this is Viper. A friend of mine, she's in electrical.” Presenting you to the small group. 

Immediately, the woman steps in. “The supreme leader’s favorite..” 

“Did you say Viper?” One of the two men asks, cutting her off. Looking at Henry through his glasses, eyes wide open. 

“Yes?” He replies raising his eyebrow in curiosity. 

The bearded man leans forward to shake your hand. “It's truly an honor to meet you miss. I'm Jon. I was there, fighting by your side on N12.” 

“I'm not sure I'm following” says the woman, tying her dark hair in a ponytail. 

The man turns to her. “She’s on our side.” He looks around, “she destroyed 2 enemy bases.” 

“Not here Jon” the other man says anxiously, “it's not safe..” 

Henry turns to you quickly, “you never mentioned it before.” 

“Well, we haven't been hanging out much either..” you mocked. 

“Henry, you're making her uncomfortable.” Pulling her hair tighter. 

He looks at her unfazed, “I'm the one making her uncomfortable?” 

“Yes, I was just stating the facts. She is his favorite; otherwise, why would he keep her in his quarters mh?” 

You can sense all eyes coming back on you. There's a part of you that wished she was right, but you knew that he had different motives. “He simply wants to keep his eye on me, and he also doesn't trust the guards.” 

“With reasons.” she says smirking, “I'm Eira by the way. this is Lars.” pointing to the middle-aged man with a full beard and hair tied in a bun sitting next to Jon. “He doesn't talk much but he's really sweet.” 

You simply smile as you're finishing your plate.  

“I'm curious Viper, how is it sharing your space with a Solo?” eyes staring up at you while she brought the fork to her mouth. 

“A what?” you respond confused. 

“Ben, the son of Han and Leia?” Jon replies. 

“What do you mean?” Brow's frowning. 

They all look at each other before she replies, “Kylo Ren is Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa.” 

Your eyes widen in shock, “How? What? How did he end up here?” Questioning quickly. 

Jon shakes his head slightly, “last time I saw Ben with his parents, was the night before he left with his uncle, Luke.” He takes a sip from his cup, “I served Princess Leia for most of my life before being captured and imprisoned here. I have been away from home 3years now.” 

Your eyes saddened to his words, “that's horrible..” being cut off by a bell. 

The worker's alarm went off before Eira could take her last bite. “We should get going if we don't want to be late” 

-- 

As you put your tray in the bin, Henry stays close by. Waiting for you to be done to walk you to your job. “You don't have to do that; you know that right?" 

He gives you one of his genuine smiles. “I'm sorry I couldn't keep up with you. I am, truly.” He stops in the middle of the now empty hallway with everyone already taking their stations.  

“It's okay, don't worry about it. C’mon, we'll be late.” 

But he grabs your wrist. Looking deeper into your eyes, caressing your hand with the back of his fingers. He doesn't waste his time, leaning forward almost kissing, “Would you come meet me tonight at the control bri..” 

“Are you okay?” 

Henry’s eyes were beginning to look scared. His hands moving towards his throat, trying to remove something that wasn't there, fully choking and fighting for air. As you turn your head, you see a masked Kylo moving around the corner with a hand extended towards Henry. 

“STOP! YOU’RE GOING TO KILL HIM!” Yelling as he walks in your direction.  

“That's the point” saying dry and cold.  

“Please Kylo!” but your pleas were useless as his body stays put. “Please stop, I beg you!” 

He turns his helmet quickly to you, “go on..” 

“What?” 

“What do you propose?”  

You were taken aback. You didn't think about that. “I- I'll do whatever you want.” your heart skipping a beat as you say the words. 

He looks back at Henry, who is slowly turning colors. “This is your lucky day.” Finally releasing him and letting him fall to his knees. “Go!” Kylo stressed before you see Henry get back on his feet clumsily and run away as fast as he can. 

You let out a sigh, “that was unnecessary..” 

He turns to you, his tall and broad frame hovering over you. “I heard your thoughts..” 

“Yes, it's normal to have them” looking up to him. 

“Yeah well, your desir-”  

*”Sir Ren, meeting at 10 with the counc..”* Getting cut off by a transmission. 

“Not now General, move it for tomorrow.” 

*“Sir, I'm afraid-”* 

“I have an important matter on hand.” Starting to get impatient and annoyed. 

*”I would hardly qualify a poor slave girl as impor-”// “General Hux!” 

“As you wish, Sir Ren..” his voice sounding bitter. 

As soon as the transmission ended, Kylo quickly turned all his attention back on you.  

“You, come with me..”  

--

If you wish to be added to the Taglist, you can do so by letting me know here

[giuliacolla]

A TRIP TO JAPAN

We recently flew from Milan to Tokyo for a 12-day holiday in Japan. The trip was organised by an Italian tour operator for a group of 12 people.

All in all it was a pleasant experience, firstly beacause Japan is a marvellous country and then beacause the group was well assorted: 3 young couples on their honeymoon, a middle-aged couple, and two mature ladies of our age.

From Milan to Tokyo we had an adventurous flight but at last we reached the Japanese capital.

If you visit Japan neither in April (cherry blossom) nor in mid-October (foliage) it won’t be crowded and two days in Tokyo are good enough to enjoy shopping in Shibuya, taste an ice-cream or pancake in Harajuku and visit both the Meiji Shintoist Temple and the Kannon Buddhist one without queuing. Moreover, as soon as you enter the beautiful park of the Meiji Temple, you breathe absolute peace.

Worth visiting is the nearby city of Nikko, where the Shikyo Bridge and the Futarasanjin are a World Heritage Site.

In the following days we had two nice excursions, the first one from Magome to Tsumagotwo, where you walk for 8 km in the ancient street that three centuries ago connected Tokyo to Kyoto.

The second walk was in Takayama, a beautiful small town in the mountains.

In the evening, though, we were quite disappointed: the dinner based on the famous Hida meat, booked from Italy for 300 euros each, we found out we could buy there for 30 euros.

We consoled ourselves at the Mercure Hida, where we had the pleasant surprise to get a complimentary access to their onsen (thermal SPA), wearing nice kimonos provided by the hotel.

The following day we went to Shirakawago - by the way, in all our trips by bus or train we were accompanied by absolutely well-organised, guides speaking Italian, provided by MTJ - where we witnessed the most beautiful village we have ever seen; then in Kanazawa we went to the Samurai Noumura house and its splendid garden Kenrouken.

We spent the night in Kanazawa at the Onyado Nono, where we enjoyed another marvelous onsen for free.

Then it was Kyoto, the former Japanese capital, where we spent the last 3 days

Here is the tea ceremony, followed by a tour of the ancient city of Higashiyama.

Then we visited the bamboo forest, the rocks garden and the Ryoanji Temple (World Heritage Site)

We then went to Nara, where, at the Todai-ji, we admired the biggest bronze Buddha in the world, and we had a nice walk in the park that hosts 1200 deer.

The last stop of our journey was the Osaka Kansai airport (designed on an island by Renzo Piano)

[chojrak-making-things]

In 2019 I found on the exchange a nice world which takes place at mountains. It’s called Amador City and really reminds me of Great Bear or Cape Garner Islands. It has that “woodsy” vibe. It’s rather small cozy town than big city, and require World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night and Rivervier (for city hall rabbit hole).

What I really like about this map, is space. You can feel it between those mountains. It’s all so large and makes you and your sims so small in this perspective. It’s probably one of premade maps, painted in automatic way, but it doesn’t matter at this point cause effect looks great.

When it comes to buildings, some are from Riverview, maybe few from Sunset Valley too. But most of it I don’t recognize. Some of them are a little bit empty or have ugly EA’s swatches, but it’s not that common to be overhelming, and can be really fast changed if you want. Some more pictures under the cut.

Despite not big, this town has few apartments too.

The gray one looks like this inside.

Architecture is really diverse here what I like. The urban planning is not cliché either. Not like central park and cetral alley, but everything is quite scattered. Though I would add maybe one larger park or lot to use as community center.

There’s even this little chapel.

A little bit outside of main district, you can find stadium. I don’t remember if glass thing was regular house or public lot though.

Of course, there could not be missed trailor park too :)

But building that really stands out, is this midcentury modern house in middle of nowhere. Looks like a good place of you like really loud parties... or better not, cause you’ll scare deers. 🦌

Somewhere in forest you’ll find a place to spent a good time on fresh air with your sims. This world was made really long ago, so more activities could be added now.

But it seems the best view in town has the deceased ones. Cemetery with such a view looks really majestic, even with not many graves.

[doginprogress]

The Ibizan Hound

For National Purebred Dog Day and Day of the Podenco (May 1st) please enjoy this write up I recently did on the Ibizan Hound (aka Podenco Ibicenco).

Please keep in mind that I am U.S. based, so most of my information is going to be about the community and sports here in the United States.

The beginning of the Ibizan Hound, like many primitive breeds, cannot be narrowed down to a specific set of dates or even years. Like many other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern breeds, fanciers like to compare Ibizan profiles to those of dogs found in hieroglyphs and on statues and imagine their ancestors being those who lived among the Ancient Egyptians. Then, at some point, they were said to be brought over to the island of Ibiza on trade ships. Recent genetic testing does not quite support this story, but what can't be denied is this - Ibizan Hounds have been uniquely selected and adapted over hundreds of years to hunt rabbit through the brush-filled, rocky embankments and hot, arid climate of Ibiza.

Ibizans are pack hunters - first using their eyes, ears, noses, and innate curiosity to investigate the area and find anything attempting to hide in briars or other natural formations. A bark, a wagging tail raised over the back, and an excitement for the future chase alert the other dogs and the human hunters to the prey's location, where the dogs will congregate, flush the prey from it's hideout, and hope for a quick catch. But, if the rabbit is clever enough to avoid immediate doom, the chase gives way over the harsh landscape. This is where the Ibizan's unique conformation comes in. Their front is intentionally forward set and has more elasticity than most breeds, giving them the ability to maneuver, rotate, and change direction mid-air. Combined with lithe, flat muscling, their medium size, incredible leaping prowess, and fear of nothing in the face of the hunt, most Ibizans have the drive and ability to go over, under, around, or through any natural obstacle they may find in their path. Ibizan Hounds are an excellent example of form follows function in that everything, from the ears on their head down to the tips of their tails, has been fashioned to help them excel at their purpose over the years of selection for the best hunters.

In the United States today, Ibizans have been recognized in the Hound Group by the AKC since 1978. Officially, the standard calls for females to be 22.5-26" and males 23.5-27.5", though small deviances in either direction shouldn't be held against a dog who is otherwise a nice example of the breed. With this height range, you can find dogs anywhere from 35-70+ lbs. Because of the conformation of their skeletal structure and flat muscling, it is common to find healthy or even overweight dogs who show hip bones, ribs, and spine, especially during their "teenage" phases. All purebred Ibizans will be red, white, or most likely, a combination of red and white with rosy, flesh toned noses and pigmentation. Both smooth and wire coats are allowed, and in the AKC, are shown together in the ring and can be interbred. The only disqualification in the AKC standard is for "Any color other than white or red and any pigment color which is not as described". The standard leaves enough open to personal interpretation that Ibizans tend to have a range of "styles" within the breed, while retaining the distinctive breed type. Overall, Ibizans should be elegant, refined, and "deer-like" in their appearance without being fine to the point of fragility. Moderation is an essential aspect of their appearance and ability. An Ibizan overdone in one way or another would not excel at it's original function.

Temperamentally, the word moderation could not be less true. Ibizans (affectionately called beezers by those who love them) should be stable, easy-going, and affectionate. Aloofness with strangers is common and acceptable. However, alongside all the above comes a dog with a wicked sense of humor, an innate curiosity, and the physical ability to follow through on their heart's whims. Beezers are over-the-top goofy and tend to be wildly affectionate with those in their inner circle. Ibizans are pack dogs, and should easily integrate themselves into groups and generally get along with others. They do well with routines and order, since they tend to make their own chaos, but training must be approached with the understanding that most are very easily bored, and will find it beneath themselves to repeat an activity they believe they've conquered.

While they obviously excel at running sports like lure coursing and racing, Ibizans are also able to have fun and have been making strides in sports like agility, nosework, rally, and dock diving (and rumor is a few are starting to dabble in flyball). The breed is also one that sees many Owner-Handlers win and do well in the conformation ring. Beezers are generally classified as high energy, and most are willing to keep going all day if they find whatever activity to be enjoyable. However, once they reach maturity, you're just as likely to find them lazing the day away on the comfort of a bed or couch.

Ibizan Hound Club of the United States

AKC Ibizan Hound Breed Page

FCI Podenco Ibicenco Page

(Pictures are used with permission)

[olympeline]

Still thinking about my National Animals AU:

Micronations would not have animal forms. It’s one of the things that marks them out as not being real nations. If a micronation ever achieved their dream of being recognised, they’d gain a beast form then. If you’re curious about Sealand in this scenario: Peter would want to be a lion like Arthur…but instead he’d end up as a seagull. D’oh! 😂

Overseas territories and small, separate parts of countries (the ones like Hong Kong and Macau that have their own nation-people) would have animal forms. Which beasts they have would depend on their circumstances, but a general rule of thumb would be they’d be the same as the nation in charge of them. Not always, but usually. If the ownership changed then their form might change with it. They have the least amount of control over what they’d become as something that’s not quite a colony but not quite part of the “main” nation either.

Now a few more beast form headcanons from around the world:

Australia: lion → red kangaroo

Pretty easy to come up with these. Just like his big bros over in NA, little Aussie was a lion cub in his early days as a British colony. The adult lion he grew into would resemble the kind in Africa that live in scrubland because I think that would be better for roaming around the outback. So he might not have had a mane? Anyway, unlike biggest bro Alfred, Australia’s break with Arthur wasn’t violent enough for a skin ripping. Australia went the Matthew route instead and changed gradually. Until one day he assumed his beast form and found himself standing on two legs as a big ol’ roo.

New Zealand: lion → ram

The lion route strikes again! Calm down Arthur, lol. Another colony cub who grew into an adult lion and then settled on a different form after gradual independence. That form has to be a sheep. I mean, just look at NZ’s canon design. Making him anything else would be weird.

Sweden: ??? → lion → Eurasian elk

Sweden was once known as “the lion of the North” with a fearsome reputation to match. They still keep the lion on their coat of arms, but I think Berwald has moved on from that stage of his life. Sweden is pretty peaceful these days. Berwald would have spent his conqueror years as an Arctic lion with a pale mane. Then at some point he would have changed into an elk, which is Sweden’s national animal. Not a hunter any more but still not to be messed with either. You don’t want to be on the wrong end of those antlers. Yeah, an elk works. Not sure what he would have started as way back in his viking days.

Finland: reindeer

He’s lapland, bro! Father Christmas lives in his house. What else is he going to be? Berwald would be happy too after his final form change. Now his elk self matches his wife Tino’s deer. Nordic ungulate solidarity. 👍

Seychelles: dolphin

I think only small, isolated island nations would get forms that were completely sea based. Otherwise not being able to come up on land would be too much of a pain. Nation-people like Seychelles would have more space to roam in the ocean than her dry land. So her place to unwind would be beneath the waves. Also fits the big fishing culture there.

Argentina: black bull → silver bull

Antonio’s son: the little black calf who eventually grew up to lock horns with his dad over independence. If Arthur and Alfred had a badass lion duel in the North, then Argentina and Antonio would have had a sick bull fight that shook the plata in the South. Argentina didn’t tear off his skin like Alfred did after he won, but his beast form did change its appearance in a more subtle way. His black hide and horns turned silver because how could the Argent-ine be anything else? If Hima ever gives us a canon Argentina, I really hope he’s a guy to go with this headcanon. I just want this epic bull v. bull clash so badly. 😆

Brazil: ??? → jaguar

I haven’t decided what Portugal would be in this AU yet but, whatever it is, Brazil started as a baby form of that. Then changed into a jaguar after independence. I have no deeper reasoning other than jaguars are awesome.

[lycomorpha]

The Flora of AC Valhalla: Food plants in Avaldsnes and Stavanger

I want to talk about the edible plants we see early on in ACV in Norway, because they're such an integral part of human existence! However...

Crops/economic botany is not my area of expertise

Neither is Norwegian food history

As a very part-time interloper and not an Actual Norwegian, I do not want to end up in an argument about grøt

The secret to a long and happy life is... Don't argue with; your Yorkshire relations about parkin, French friends & fam about butter, or Norwegian folks about grøt (which is porridge, but more so.) Trust me on this. But since we often forget to notice the plant materials that feed/clothe/shelter us every day, I'm gonna wade in anyway and link to more expert folks on porridge (bc I know my limits, lol.)

One other fun thing to note is that there's a reconstructed viking-era farm at present-day Avaldsnes, on the island of Bukkøy (which is also represented in-game as a small wooded island full of deer, just off Avaldsnes.) So if by chance you ever found yourself in the area in summer when it's open, you could find out a lot more on what the settlement and its crops might have looked like IRL.

Cultivated plants in Avaldsnes

We see crop plants as soon as we sneak into Avaldsnes. The first thing I noticed is a field of oats, and nearby is a cart with bundles of oats and another grain - probably barley or rye rather than wheat in this time period. This is where discussion of grøt & other skjemat (literally "spoon-food") would come in if I was feeling brave or foolish... Instead let me point to this lovely piece on the history of porridge as a staple in Norway, which includes links to recipes. Also here's an explainer of skjemat. One way or another I'm betting Eivor ate a lot of porridge, savory and sweet, because it's good stuff.

I also saw some fields out in the distance, past the oats and outside the restricted area...

And when I got there one was full of conifer saplings, and the other with dried flower or seed heads I can't identify. Most histories (in English at least) associate Norse settlers with deforestation. But there's evidence of them coppicing in England and growing orchards in France. So arboriculture in ACV's world doesn't seem too wild an idea.

I've no idea what the dried seeds/flowers are, and AFAIK there are few if any written herbals from the era. There are many plants listed in the present day region which have seed heads you could dry, but I recall some Danish research looking at archeological evidence of medicinal herbs used in medieval settlements? I might pick that up with the herbarium folks and see if they know anything - there is at least one person there that has studied old herbal texts and how they were compiled. I'm curious to know what plants Eivor would have known about/used!

Food plants and herbs in dwellings

In both Avaldsnes and Stavanger, we see food in and outside of the homes. Vegetables include cabbage, onion, and carrots - I like that the carrots are white, which they apparently were at this point in history. Cabbage and related vegetables can grow in quite cold winters (I wonder if the Raven clan would've had the same fkn whitefly problems we get on them, lol!) There's also bread... Some cheese on the shelf to go with I think? Nice.

I'm not sure what the herbs hanging up are, some look dry and others fresh. No doubt Norse travellers would have brought tasty culinary herbs from their travels, and maybe cultivated them as well as native medicinal/edible species. Seeing fruit & veg food outside in the snow reminds me of hanging milk and fresh food in a bag outside my room on a window ledge when the temperature allowed - so that it didn't get pinched from a shared fridge!

From a sync point in Stavanger you look can out over the town and see fields of oats here too. Having been to Stavanger, it was cool to imagine the port, new and old town in the distant past. The weirdest thing for me was seeing the coastline very simplified. It's a bit like how some of the counties in England where I've lived (and live now) look oddly glued together in game. Not complaining tho. Obviously there's only so much detail you need/is practical to include in a game! It just bends my brain a little.

But I did enjoy one joke that is included in the map; a small island for you to practice raiding called 'Ikke en Oy'. The words "ikke en øy" literally mean "not an island" in Norwegian, so I'm guessing that was an amusing way of saying "yeah, we made this lil bit of land up!"

[dragonmasterhiccup]

“Don’t worry, I know that, but it’s something nice to look forward to for when I do come watch her. Mutton stew might be making its way to the top of my list though,” she said, “But it’ll never beat venison.”

“His uncle? Who’s his uncle?” She barely knew his mother, let alone any of his other family members. “Also, I don’t think he could be too mean even if he tired, it just doesn’t seem like him.”

She snickered. “I was the one to ask that, thank you very much. And I was also the one who demanded to pick the place. He’s a boring guy, probably would’ve wanted to go on a simple picnic, and I don’t do boring, Hiccup.” She shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand, though.”

Mouthing a quick ‘thanks,’ she took the cloth and wiped her hands clean, setting it back down on the table in between them.

She chuckled, looking over at him from the side as she placed a few more scales. “That’ll be a last resort, I don’t depend on you as much as you think I do. If he does happen to try anything, I can punch him straight in the face, or kick him where it counts. I’m not weak y’know,” she stated, her voice confident as ever.

She cracked a small smile though, turning her gaze back towards the now half-scaled armor piece. “But I don’t think he will, so no need to worry. Thanks for lookin’ out for me though, I appreciate it.”

"Venison? I guess with all the dragons, we don't really have any deer population on Berk. I've had it while on other islands, though, it's pretty good!"

Looking back at Danny, he said, "Finley's uncle is Fishlegs Ingerman." He shook his head. "Oh, yeah, he definitely takes after Fishlegs. That Viking doesn't have a mean bone in his body, though he can get fiercely protective when friends or family are in danger. It's a good quality."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really?" Truthfully, he should have seen that coming, knowing Danny. "No no, I think I have some understanding, I've spent quite a bit of time with you, you know."

Hiccup nodded. "Good! As you should, and don't hesitate, either." His hands stopped, his tone softening. "Hey, I know you're not weak, you're far from it. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all."

Going back to scale sorting and placing, he gave a small smile. "Anytime. That's what brothers are for."

[cycas]

I have ended up writing more about Eregion again: specifically its fall, in Speak Friend and Enter.  And I have another Second Age Eregion work slowly underway. To help with all of this, I made a map of Eregion, aiming for the period around 1600 when the Ring was forged.  

Here's the thinking behind it: 

Eregion is largely a wooded landscape.  Some of the trees have been felled to build the city of Ost-in-Edhil, and to provide fuel, but I think the woods would be preserved. Celeborn and his people came with Galadriel to establish Eregion, bringing Doriathrin forest agriculture skills with them.  

Perhaps Galadriel has even tried planting mallorn trees here, though they did not take as well as they did in Lorien later, and vanished when there were no longer Elves in Eregion to look after them. The woods would be a source of materials, fuel, and bark, but also a place where the Elves would hunt, particularly deer. 

At the end of the Third Age, when the Fellowship walked through Eregion, they noticed ancient remains, paved roads and worked stones.  I am inclined to think some of these may have been Numenorean remnants from the early Third Age, rather than remains of Eregion, simply because of the 4760 years between the Fall of Eregion and the War of the Ring. Eregion/Hollin doesn't seem to be mentioned as being part of Arnor, but it is quite close to the Numenorean settlement of Tharbad. (On the other hand, Eregion did specialise in the technologies of preservation, if the Rings are anything to go by.  Still, a nearly 5000 year old road still recognisable as such tests my imagination somewhat.) I am not sure if Elvish Eregion would have had the wide paved roads mentioned in Lord of the Rings.  I think the roads I have marked on the map above were probably green roads, used for walking routes, occasional horse riders, and perhaps livestock droving, and that the paved roads may have come later.   

Of course, the paved leading to Khazad-dûm with its wide climbing loops as described in LOTR,  may have been a dwarf-road. The creation of loops to reduce the climb suggests that perhaps it was designed for use by heavy carts.  There is no wide lake before the Doors, of course.  That was created by damming the Gatestream, Sirannon, some time in the late Third Age. 

At any rate. Tharbad does exist in 1600SA, but it's fairly new, and primarily a fort defending Numenorean timber extraction operations: there's no bridge yet, and the bogs and marshes along the line of the Swanfleet river are wide and shallow, with several small islands.  

This land will all be drained later, either by Numenor, or perhaps by the new powers of Arnor and Gondor, building the road through Tharbad to connect Northkingdom and Southkingdom.  But not yet.   The forests that used to lie around the river Gwathlo have mostly been felled by Numenor, but there are some left, and most of those will be burned during Sauron's campaign. 

I've given Celeborn a house outside Ost-in-Edhil. Given his well-documented distrust of Dwarves, I feel that he probably wouldn't be very comfortable in the city with the greatest friendship ever known between Dwarves and Elves. Also, during the fall of Eregion, Celeborn was present and joined Elrond's rescue force that was swept away into the north, to found Rivendell, and that would be more likely if Celeborn's usual haunts were at the northern end of Eregion.  I've drawn his house with two long wings and a tower, and I'm inclined to think that the tower was Galadriel's idea, and was made of stone, but the wings were made of carven wood.  There are other settlements scattered across northern Eregion through the woods, but no cities of any size: these are homes for Elves to use particularly in winter. 

When the Fellowship stopped on the road from the Redhorn Gate, they stopped at a hill topped by a few trees, and ringed with large rocks.  I've decided this was probably a way-meet, where two paths originally passed, and the trees are distant descendents of those planted by the Elves. The rocks might be remnants of late fortifications from the siege, perhaps linked to real-world myths about crossroads and waymeets. 

The wide shallow bird-haunted Swanfleet is probably a useful food source for Tharbad, as well as the elves of southern Eregion and the Men of the great woods of Eriador.  All of them hunt in the marshes for birds and eggs.  

I think perhaps the Numenoreans of Tharbad (they all call themselves Numenorean, though even at this early date, some of them have never seen Numenor) mostly hunt on land, in the reedbeds. They are more comfortable with deep water ships than small boats. 

The Elves of Eregion make long shallow punts that are driven with paddles or long poles, which allows them to hunt birds in season on the water with bows or falcons. 

The marshes are also grazing land for cattle, the herds of the original inhabitants of the land along the Gwathlo river. They have been here for a very long time, long before Eregion was established, trading cheese, milk and leather with the dwarves of Khazad-dûm in return for metal: mostly in the form of knives, pots, pans and needles.