#under this ask and had a rather large mess to clean up

[anoseforrottenapples]

annastrxng asked:“?” Elsie to Mary or anyone you want

@unyieldingvalxr

“That doesn’t look like a scratch.” Mary’s keen eyes take in the injury that the younger woman is trying to downplay. With a sharp gesture, she indicates that Elsie should sit by the fire so she will be able to see her friend’s wrist and hand better. “Whatever happened? You were playing ‘catch the knife’, and you lost?” She inquires wearily, almost too used to people turning up at her home with strange injuries by now. She deftly fills a bowl with steaming water from the kettle hanging over the flames, before going about gathering clothes, and what few medical supplies she has. She desperately needs to buy more… at the rate people in her circle are injuring themselves, she will be out of several crucial items soon. Setting everything down on the hearth, she pulls a second chair closer. Reaching out for Elsie’s hand, she frowns. “I would like to have this treated before Abraham comes home. He will have questions, and he is rarely discreet about how he asks them.” In fact, her husband is rarely discreet about anything. Even with her assistance, the fact that the British have not discovered he is a spy could possibly be counted as a minor miracle. Out of all the men in Setauket who might be a spy, Abraham is the least suited to the task. Perhaps that is why no one has discovered him yet… he is too obvious to be a suspect, so he is often overlooked by the spy hunters. For whatever is shielding her family from unwanted attention, Mary often sends up brief prayers of thanksgiving. However, between Abraham’s temperament, and her own moments of taking in injured people like Elsie, that protection may vanish with little warning. She knows she has to take great care not to damage it herself in any way… even if that means lying about who Elsie is, and why she is here.

“If anyone might happen across the farm and inquire,” She instructs quietly. “You are my cousin from Oyster Bay. You were coming for a visit, and you encountered difficulties along the way.”

[ang3lofdivinity]

Because I’m trying to get back into writing more…

Imagine: Daisuke and you on the Tulpar managing to find time to spend together doing something like.. making food for the crew. No matter what your job is, you’re always willing to help him out with baking whenever needed!

“Dai, can you-“ You immediately freeze, looking over at your boyfriend who has made a rather large mess on the counter. He had dropped the batter out of the mixing bowl somehow, enough for it all to pour out as he holds the messy, metallic bowl and spatula in his hands. His expression? Dumbfounded to say the least

You genuinely cannot contain the giggles that escape your throat upon seeing the scene before you.

“Hey!! This isn’t funny!” He immediately pouts, whipping his head around to face you before looking back down at the bowl, using the spatula to scrap whatever remains are within the bowl and slinging them at you, causing you to laugh even harder - tears falling down your cheeks.

The batter had splattered on your clothes, along with your neck. But hey! At least you got a nice laugh out of it.

Quickly, your hands swiftly grab the nearest thing, which just so happens to be an opened sweetener pack, as you launch it towards him, causing him to squeal like a mouse.

This then, continues. For nearly hours as you laugh and cry about your food fight, throwing ingredients at each other as you can’t find a care in the world for the mess you’re creating. Only caring about your boyfriend’s happiness.

Other food items, utensils (non-harming ones), and bowls were thrown. The bowls and utensils clattered as they fell to the ground, nearly causing you both to fall at certain times as you raced around the dining table in the center, trying to avoid getting hit once more.

There’s honestly nothing that can ruin this-

“What are IDIOTS doing???”

Upon hearing Swansea’s voice, you both instantaneously pause, staring over at the old man standing in the doorway.

Without a second to spare, you quickly rush over to Daisuke, who’s practically trembling under Swansea’s gaze.

“You stupid kids! Why would you waste these products!?” He yells, brows furrowed.

You move in front of Daisuke rather protectively, clearing your throat.

“It was my fault, Mr Swansea. I instigated this, and pressured him to join me in.. what I thought was fun. I’m so sorry. We’ll clean this up right away and salvage all that we can.” You bow your head in respect, lips now pursed.

“Just, don’t do it again..” He huffed as he turned on his heel, now leaving as the door slid shut.

It takes you guys a moment before you start giggling ever so slightly.

Imagine: You are sleeping, and then you suddenly hear your door open in the middle of the night. Surprise, it’s Daisuke! And even when trying to tough it out - he eventually can’t find it within him to go back to sleep without company. So he goes to your room to ask if he can sleep with you because being with you makes him feel better.

You groggily manage to raise yourself enough to sit on your bed, eyes blinking slowly as you try to adjust to your surroundings. Yawning, you finally see who’s opened your door.

Daisuke.

“..Sweetheart, it’s still nighttime. Can whatever you have to say wait until morning?..” Your voice is slightly raspy, but you try your best to sound as kind as you can, giving a small smile to the man in the doorway.

“I um.. sorry- I can go.. I didn’t mean to disturb you..” He fumbles over his words, fidgeting with his fingers as he stumbles backwards a bit. Something.. something seems wrong with his tone, however. Like something’s genuinely going wrong. So, that really gave you a wake-up call.

How could you push away your boyfriend in order to get just a bit more sleep tonight when he seems so distressed??

“Wait!-“ You quickly call out, causing him to stop him from leaving once he showed signs of him beginning to leave. You couldn’t let him leave just like that!

He turns to you, a worried look on his face. As if he’d done something wrong. You’ve seen that look before. He makes the same face whenever Swansea calls out his name all of the sudden, making him stiffen up, worrying that’d done something wrong.

But he hasn’t.

He’s just a young adult, like you.

Just trying to live.

Just. Like. You.

“..Come here.” Your voice is softer, sounding much more normal to how you normally sound - yet it still has that tired tinge to it.

He stares at you for a moment, confused about what’s happening before obliging. He slowly enters, the door sliding closed behind him as he awkwardly stands near the side of the bed where you’re resting. Swiftly, you lift up the covers, moving back a bit before patting the free spot on your bed.

“Come on. We can talk about it in the morning if you’re ready then.”

He almost immediately jumps into your arms upon crawling up into bed with you, wrapping his own around you while burying his face away into your shoulder. One of your hands glides up, finding its way into his hair, tangling with strands of it, stroking his hair, massaging his scalp - doing simple things to try and get him to relax a bit more.

Which works.

He’s out once more, arms wrapped around each other.

Imagine: Giving little gifts to each other with small letters of affirmation written on little post it notes. Even if that small gift is just an article of clothing one of you guys borrowed from the other.

‘You’re doing amazing, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you. Keep the good work up, Dai. :)’

- (_____)

Daisuke reads the note attached to a bag of sweetener with a cheeky grin, clearly pleased with this. I mean, he’s been told he’s useless, that he’s just an idiot - but you see through that. You see the effort, the time it takes. Even if it fails, at least he tried to do it.

Quickly he looks around his room for a moment, trying to find the perfect thing to give you.

When he finds it.

.

Upon arriving back to your room from the medic bay, helping Anya with Curly and a few other errands she needed - you’re greeted with the sight of a hoodie somewhat neatly placed on your bed. You furrow your brows, confused for a moment before you approach your bed, now seeing the post-it-note attached to it.

A small grin slowly graces your lips as you tilt your head at the sight, gently taking it off the hoodie.

‘Know that you matter to me! You’re so incredibly awesome, I don’t know how I got to date with someone so cool >:D’

- Daisuke

As your smile grows larger, you realize 2 essential things:

You’re so thankful to have him.

And

He’s the best boyfriend ever. (Even if a bit silly at times).

You love him.

[holylulusworld]

Their little maid (1)

Summary: Mafia business is dirty. The brothers need someone to clean up their mess and more.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader x Nick Fowler

Warnings: shy reader, flirty brothers, mafia business, money trouble, Walker is the worst, injured reader (nothing serious), blood

Their little maid masterlist

Catch up here: Their little maid (Prologue)

The brothers flank your sides, while you try not to hiss with every step. Your knees hurt, and you can feel blood dry on your skin. They told you to follow them down the hall and to their office.

Honestly, this house, or rather a mansion, is a maze. If you get the job, you’ll need a floor plan to find your way back outside.

“So, how did you find our job offer?” Bucky asks. He dips his head to watch you wring your hands. “Doll, you don’t have to be nervous. Walker is an ass; forget about him.”

“I found your offer on a website and applied to the job offer,” you cringe at the sound of your voice.

“What did you do before you decided to become our maid?” Nick throws in, stealing your attention when he places his warm hand on your shoulder. “Do you have experience in cleaning private homes?”

“N-o,” you sigh deeply. Of course, they’d ask about experience first. “I mean, I cleaned my home, and I helped an elderly lady before she moved into a nursing home. Does that count?”

Bucky chuckles because you look like a lost lamb surrounded by two big wolves. He watches you squirm under their gazes, feeling something more than amusement.

“I think that counts,” Nick furrows his brows at his brother. “Right, Bucky?”

“Yeah, sure,” Bucky clears his throat. He unlocks the office and holds the door open for you, murmuring your name as you walk inside. You stop in front of the large, mahogany double desk. Expectantly looking at the desk, you wait for Bucky and Nick to sit in their comfortable chairs.

“Have a seat,” Bucky gestures toward the leather couch. “Do you have your job references, resume, and cover letter with you?” He asks, looking at your empty hands. You start to sweat. Fuck, no. Out of all the days you could have messed things up, you chose this one.

“Oh-no!” You hide your face in the palms of your hands. “I left the Manila folder on my bed when I looked for a different shirt, and then I had to catch the bus and forgot about the folder.” You cringe because you’re so pathetic; the men try to calm you.

“Hey, that’s not the end of the world,” Nick says and places his hand on the small of your back, making you feel warm. “You can just tell us what you have done so far and bring us the folder next time. Don’t worry about a thing.”

Nick guides you toward the couch. He sits next to you, eyes glued to your knees.

“Before we begin, let’s get your knees clean. Maybe you need a bandage.” Bucky is fast to open a drawer in one of the cabinets to get a first aid kit out.

“No—no!” You raise your hand. “I can do this at home. I don’t want to waste your time, Mr. Barnes.”

“You can talk while Bucky cleans your wound. He likes playing nurse,” Nick teases while his hand moves up and down your back. You whine, feeling hot all of a sudden. “So, what was your last job?”

“Librarian,” you hastily say before your voice fails. “Uh—that’s the only job I ever had. Oh, and I sold ice cream during college, and I had a lemonade stand when I was a kid.” You curse under your breath. Why do you always have to babble and tell people things they don’t want to know about?

“A librarian,” Nick almost purrs the words. “Bucky, she was a librarian.” He hisses his brother’s name when Bucky doesn’t respond. Said man just stares at your bruised knees, lost in thoughts. “Buck, did you hear?”

“I got a problem to handle here, brother,” Bucky bites back. He doesn’t mean your bruised knees, though, but the twitch in his pants. Bucky knew the moment he laid eyes on you that you were the one they were looking for.

“I can see that,” Nick laughs, watching Bucky tug at his slacks. “You should finish what you started. Fix her knees, and we can talk later.” Nick moves a little closer, his hand dropping to the couch to brush your bottom. He hums when you squirm the moment his brother starts cleaning your wound. ���Shush, sweetness. It’s all good.”

You wince because the sanitizer stings like hell. Biting your lower lip, you watch Bucky crouch down in front of you to get a better look at the damage Walker caused.

“Did you like your job?” He asks while swiping a cotton ball over your wound. “At the library.”

“Yeah.” You nod. “I liked it very much, but,” you heave a sigh. “They had to close because no one came to the library any longer.”

“You will like your new job too,” Bucky murmurs as he puts a bandage on your wound. “We need someone to clean up the mess we make daily. The house is huge, but don’t worry. We only want you to take care of our bedrooms and our clothes. The rest of the house is not your problem. We have people take care of it.”

“Oh—” you wrinkle your forehead. That’s odd. Why do they need someone to clean only their bedrooms and to take care of their wardrobe?

“You see,” Bucky grabs your hand to stop you from fidgeting. “We don’t trust anyone near our bedrooms or with our clothes. You’ll get a room next to your bedrooms, so you can take care of this part of the house and sleep over a long day of work.”

“Sleep…here?” You splutter. “But...I got an apartment...and...you want me to live here?”

“Oh, that’s part of the deal,” Nick whispers in your ear. “You must prove to us that we can trust you, sweetness. If you live here, you cannot tell anyone about our secrets.”

You still don’t understand a thing but nod. If you get the job now, you can ask questions later. Your landlord won’t wait another week for you to pay rent.

“That makes sense, I guess,” you lie. This doesn’t make sense at all, but you’re willing to do almost anything to get this job.

“It’s settled then,” Nick claps his hands. He looks at Bucky for confirmation. Well, the bulge in his brother’s pants tells him he’s more than willing to hire you. “Buck?”

“Yes.” Bucky looks at your knees one more time. He hums and gets back up. “We can discuss the details tomorrow. Welcome to our team, Y/N.” He holds out his hand, and you eagerly shake it. “I’ll call Barton and Romanoff to get her things.”

“Get my... what?” You stammer. “You want me to move in today?”

“I told you,” Nick places his hand on your thigh and flashes you a stunning smile. “Do not worry about a thing.”

Tags in reblog.

[ms--lobotomy]

Happy Fulgrim Fucker Friday. "It's Saturday!" Shut up I will maul you.

Summary: Daemon!Fulgrim finds a human sacrifice he particularly likes. Word count: 1260 Content Warnings: SMUT, Human Sacrifice, tried to balance being in character with keeping consent in check, permeating feeling that something is Wrong, biting, a shit load of cum, drugs, kidnapping probably Image Credit: @squishyowl

The cold air brushed against your skin, threatening to leave goosebumps. Your wrists were tied over your stomach, which heaved up and down as you looked around for someone, anyone. The people who had finished the ritual had long disappeared, likely to go back to their families. The cavern was pitch black.

You remembered the faceless person in violet who'd grabbed you on your way back from your job at the factory, residue and grime accumulated on your skin. No one had batted an eye as you were taken down through the dark alley, winding between buildings down until you made your way below the underhive. By then, you'd given up on screaming for help.

They cleaned you, chanting in tongues you'd never known, and read some text before they left you on the altar for what must have been hours. As far as you knew about rituals, this was rather tame. You tensed your fists up and relaxed, trying to at least free your hands from the restrictions. It was lonely in here.

"My," you heard from the darkness, "what a specimen!"

Your head snapped to the other side to see two eyes reflecting what little light there was, the glimmer of a violet tail and two? Three? Four arms.

"Who the fuck are you?" you asked, shaking in your restraints.

The figure laughed. "Fret not, darling," he said. "As far as Daemon Princes go, I've been told I'm rather tame."

You tensed up again. "Daemon Prince?" you asked. "You're... not here to eat me?"

He laughed again, his voice reverberating through the large space. "Not unless you give your express permission, no," he said. You felt him come closer, something warm yet wrong. A finger slid across your side, bunching up your work clothes on the bottom.

"My... permission?" you asked, sighing. You looked at him. He seemed to radiate his own light, almost--he was violet like your captor's robes, but there was a vague friendliness to his eyes that you hadn't quite expected.

"Unless you'd rather not--"

"Please," you said, shuddering under him.

He chuckled before snipping your restraints with a clawed finger, and you reached for him instinctively. He wasn't clad in anything, and you already felt not one but two cocks poking between your legs. Your face went warm and you buried your face in his warm, slightly violet flesh.

"Mm?" he asked, rubbing your back. His claws ripped at the back of your shirt, ripping it apart along with any underthings you may have been wearing.

"'M yours," you mumbled, rubbing up against him. Something in you was screaming that this was wrong as you looked up at him, his face too perfect and his body exactly the way you liked. Something was wrong. But he was the only one you'd seen in hours.

"Yours," you begged, "yours any way you want me. Please?" you asked. You couldn't believe the words coming out of your mouth, your face went warm as he took the shreds of your clothes and tossed them aside.

He placed you sitting up on the altar, admiring you for just a moment before he pulled you in close, pressing kisses all over you. It was excessive, how he pressed his lips on your face, breasts, stomach; you could feel his teeth against you, threatening to break skin.

He looked up at you as he tugged your pants and underwear off without effort. You were a breathless mess now, covered in marks that would have let anyone know who you belonged to now. You nodded, laying back on the table and throwing your legs around his face.

"Looks like you know what to do," he chuckled. "Good girl."

As he descended upon you, all you could do was cry out and grasp for the two hands that weren't holding you down. He eagerly took them, grasping them as if he were feeling how much smaller you were than him. Was he even bigger now...? you thought to yourself before your thoughts were liquefied under him.

"Mm," he said into you, his voice silvery and nothing short of beautiful. "You feel so nice around me," he said, moving from your clit towards tonguefucking you.

You cried out sharply, bucking your hips into him. "Oh, oh!" you cried out. Half-thoughts swirled in your brain. You didn't even know this thing's name--but he pressed into you so expertly, you didn't even care at this point.

"Mmn! Mmn!" you cried out, grasping for him. "More, more, oh-!"

"More?" he asked, moving away from you. He towered over you, his twin cocks apparent above your face dripping precum. The room was a little warmer now, you swore, and your legs dangled above nothing instead of hitting the floor as if it had gone away.

"More!" you cried out, grasping for his hands.

He readily took them, grinning while he leaned down to press one of his leaking cocks into you. "That's what I like to hear," he mumbled as you stretched around him like he was the only one you'd ever be able to take.

"Mm," you mumbled dumbly, wrapping your legs around his waist. You felt his other cock hard between your legs. He pressed his way in, grunting all the way. His long, white hair fell over his shoulders and over you, a comfortable curtain between you and the pitch black.

He started to fuck you, his pace expert and his eyes trained on you. Your eyes were half-shut, drunk on everything about him. You knew him intimately now, and you didn't even know his...

"What-- oh! What are you, mmn, what are you called?" you asked between thrusts.

"Little songbird, why should that matter?" he asked. "I'm here to free you, after all."

Your face went even warmer with every "ah, ah, ah-!" you cried. Your eyes squeezed shut, but you could feel the smirk on his face with every thrust before you felt something even larger prod at you.

"Forgive me," he said as he slid his second cock inside of you. "but I know you can take this."

You cried out, grasping for his large hands. He took them, pressing his twin cocks in and out of you. He went faster, and faster until you lost track of time. You tilted your head back, and he went in for the bite, sucking on your pretty neck.

"'M close," he mumbled through your skin as he thrust into you three last times. He'd pressed into you, his cocks visible in your distended belly as he came. It started to trickle out as he pulled out. You shivered underneath him. He chuckled, looking down at you.

"You look spent," he said. "How about we come back to my realm?"

You nodded as he took you into his arms. His skin was firm against you, smooth and nothing short of beautiful.

Your eyes drooped half-open while he slid off with you. The room grew violet, while you saw nude beast things lounging around. Some had rolled up bits of paper on them, while others were engaging in other forms of personal entertainment. There were even faces melded into the walls, shrieking quietly and writhing like they were trying to escape.

"Where are we?" you asked as he sat down on a throne-chair big enough for him. He positioned you on his lap, turning your head up towards him.

"We're in the Palace of Pleasures," he said. "My name is Fulgrim, and I am in dire need of a consort. Would you take that honor?"

Taglist: @bispecsual @justeverythingnothingelse @bleedingichorhearts @nekotaetae @historitor-bookshelf

And last but not least... thank you @astrohymn for the c0mm!

[advisorykitty]

Meal for all

Russian!Reader x Everyone

♡I have russian heritage myself and thought. this would be a cute fic!

------

The pile of blankets you called a bed—aka a large laundry basket stuffed with mismatched throws—creaked slightly as you stirred. It wasn’t the comfiest of arrangements, but somehow, it had become your spot in this strange house. Who needed a real bed when you had a cozy pile of blankets and a basket that made you feel like an oversized kitten? Well you kinda are one... anyway! You groaned, still half-asleep, as the morning sun filtered through the windows, lighting up the living room.

Your hair stuck to your face, damp from the long, drawn-out shower you'd taken the night before—fully clothed, as usual. You had a habit of soaking in the water with your MP3 player still blasting music in your ears, which had once again led to you falling asleep in sopping clothes.

The sound of your stomach growling snapped you out of your daze. Food. Right. You hadn’t eaten anything good in... well, you couldn’t remember the last meal that wasn’t a snack or a bite stolen off someone else’s plate. Pushing yourself up out of the basket, you rubbed your eyes and glanced at the others.

Nyen wasn’t there to glare at you, thank god, but the place was too quiet. It was almost peaceful, except for the faint noise of Randal’s game coming from another room. A memory popped into your head—something warm, filling, and... Russian. Something your grandma used to make on cold days like this. You couldn’t exactly make it the same way she did, but the thought alone made your mouth water.

Deciding today was the day to try cooking something, you grabbed the towel still wrapped around your wet hair and slumped into the kitchen, trailing water all the way there. Luther was already standing by the stove, just staring at it. Like he was thinking really hard about something that no one else could possibly understand.

“Master Luther,” you said, voice still groggy from sleep, “do you mind if I cook something today? Something Russian.”

Luther’s eyes flicked toward you, a slow, unnerving smile creeping across his face. He had a way of smiling that always left you wondering if he was genuinely happy or if he just enjoyed messing with people. “Russian, meine Katze?” he asked in that soft, almost monotone voice of his. “I wasn’t aware you had Russian roots.”

You scratched the back of your neck, shrugging. “Yeah, I never really talk about it, but my grandma- I mean , I made these cabbage rolls—golubtsi before. I was thinking of making them again. You know... for old times’ sake.”

Luther nodded slowly, his gaze lingering a little too long on your still-soaking clothes. “Golubtsi, ja? That sounds... intriguing. You may cook. But perhaps a change of attire first, yee?”

You blinked, glancing down at your dripping shirt and pants. “Uh... yeah. I’ll get on that.”

Before you could leave the kitchen, though, Nyen appeared in the doorway, looking as if he'd just stumbled upon a crime scene. His sharp eyes narrowed at the puddle forming under your feet.

“You’re still wet,” he grumbled, arms crossed, his tone borderline pissed. “How long are you gonna drip all over the damn house?”

“It’s water,” you shot back, rolling your eyes. “Not like the place is gonna flood.”

Nyen’s scowl deepened, and you could practically hear the sarcasm dripping from his next words. “Sure. Because cleaning up after you definitely isn’t something I’d rather avoid.”

Before the situation could escalate, Luther’s soft voice cut through. “Nyen,” he said, his smile never faltering, “perhaps you should assist them in cooking, since you seem so concerned.”

Nyen flinched, his scowl shrinking just a bit. “Master Luther, I—” he began, but Luther’s gaze, though still calm, silenced him.

Nyen grumbled a few more unintelligible curses under his breath but finally gave in with a quiet, “Whatever.”

You turned back to the stove, already thinking about what you needed to get the food started. You caught a glimpse of Nyon hovering by the kitchen door, eyes flicking between you and the stove. His face was, as usual, totally unreadable, but he stepped a little closer.

“Golubtsi,” he said in his slow, accented voice. “You cook that?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. You know it?”

Nyon gave a slow nod, his hat casting a shadow over his eyes. “Da. Russian food. My... before, I ate that.”

For someone who didn’t usually talk, that was practically a full sentence. You grinned. “Well, if you don’t mind waiting, I’ll have it ready in no time. Want to help?”

Nyon blinked once, then twice. “Nyet.”

You chuckled. “Didn’t think so.”

---

As the food simmered on the stove, the kitchen began filling with the scent of cooked cabbage and spices. It wasn’t exactly a gourmet meal, but it was comforting in a way you hadn’t felt in a long time. Nyon sat quietly at the table, eyes still fixed on the stove. Nyen hovered nearby, clearly impatient and less than thrilled about the whole situation.

Randal, still only seven, wandered into the kitchen, holding his game controller like it was glued to his hand. “You’re cooking?” he asked, genuinely puzzled. “Aren’t you, like... a cat? I thought cats hated water.”

You blinked. “Yeah, well, I’m a complicated cat.”

Randal stared at you, clearly not getting it, then shrugged and wandered off again, muttering, “Weird.” (despite being wierder himself)

Nyen, who had been leaning against the counter, shook his head and snorted, something about 'even randal thinking your wierd' or whatever he said.

You didn’t even bother responding to that, too focused on making sure the rolls didn’t burn. “Just wait. You’ll be thanking me when you taste this.”

Nyon’s blank expression didn’t change, but there was something almost like approval in his silence. For him, that was the equivalent of a thumbs-up.

---

Luther sat at the head of the table, watching with that unsettling, ever-present smile as you placed the dish in front of him. “Ah, golubtsi,” he mused, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “It looks wonderful, meine Katze.”

Nyen muttered something about “poison” under his breath but still pulled up a chair. You knew he’d eat it—he always did, even if he complained the whole time.

Nyon was already sitting at the table, his blank expression never wavering, but you could tell he was quietly pleased. He didn’t say a word, but his body language was a little more relaxed than usual. For Nyon, that was practically ecstatic.

Sebastian, awkward as ever, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn’t part of these kinds of gatherings usually, but Randal had dragged him in. “Russian food, huh?” he said, stiff as a board. “Never tried it... before.”

“First time for everything,” you grinned, serving him a portion.

Sebastian gave a stiff nod, clearly trying not to look like he wanted to bolt from the room. It was awkward, sure, but at least everyone was seated together.

The meal wasn’t anything fancy, but it brought a rare sense of normalcy to the house. Even Nyen, who had complained nonstop, was chewing thoughtfully, though he’d never admit he liked it.

Luther’s smile stayed plastered on his face as he ate. “Sehr gut,” he said softly. “A wonderful addition to our meals, meine Liebe.”

You smirked, sitting back in your chair. “See? Told you.”

You smiled and went back to eating your cooking. Hmm, some syrniki sound good right now...

[thebearer]

I was curious about the erogenous zones for men so I looked it up and it was was I expected but one place that I was actually surprised by was the lower back! So can you write a fic about Carmen and his reaction with the reader messing with his lower back? Like biting it, kissing it, licking it, pinching it etc.

"Jeez, Bear," You mutter, heels of your hands digging into his lower spine, working out a rather large knot there. Carmen tensed under you, body going rigid and breathing staggering. "This one's bad. Does it hurt?"

"N-No, no." Carmen shook his head, face pressed into the mattress, hands balled onto the sheets. He hoped you couldn't see the way he was flushing. "It just- ah- it feels..." Carmen's groan stopped his sentenced, hips wiggling, grinding into the mattress.

He was desperate for friction, for something. You straddling him, hands working down his spine, over his sore muscles, pressing sweet kisses over the spots when you got done- "to make them feel better" you told him.

Carmen had been fine, relaxed, even, until you got to his lower back. This 'knot' you were so diligently working out was making him squirm, cock throbbing and teeth gritting.

"Are you sure it's not hurting you?" You asked, frowning at the way his body squirmed.

"Yeah, I-I mean no, baby. Feels good. So fuckin' good." Carmen groaned, eyes rolling back when your thumb pressed into his spine, cock rushing with pleasure.

"What?" You asked, lifting a brow curiously. "Carmen are you-"

"-don't stop, please, don't stop." Carmen panted, white knuckled grip on the pillow beneath his head. "'m so close, baby, so close. Keep goin', please."

You blinked, a little appalled that he was so turned on by this. It wasn't your intention, really. You were trying to help, make him feel relaxed... you supposed this was a way to relax.

Your fingers moved back into his spine, right between his hips, hands rolling and kneading the flesh there. Carmen's strangled moans filled the room, his face shoved into the pillow to conceal them. It made your own cheeks burn with excitement.

"Fu-uck, ohmyfuckingod, yes. Just like that. I-I'm-" Carmen grunted, heavy huffs out his nose, hips jumping and grinding into the bed.

You stilled, hovering over his thighs, watching as his body settled, still shuddering in tiny waves. Breath ragged and puffs of air that he tried to hide, barely looking out from the pillow.

"I, uh, I'm sorry about that." Carmen muttered, blushed with embarrassment. "I, uh, I-I didn't... I don't know why that, uh, that happened."

"It's ok." You bit back a smile. "Do you feel relaxed?"

"Yeah." Carmen nodded, a hint of a laugh ghosting on his words. "Feel like I probably need to take a shower."

"Why don't you take a bath?" You purred, nails raking lightly down his back before you rolled off of him. "I think that would be more relaxing, and I can sit with you."

"Yeah? O-Ok." Carmen muttered, awkwardly waddling towards the bathroom. "I, uh, I don't think any got on the sheets. Sorry if it did."

"I'll lick it up if it did." You grin, playfully, tossing him a wink that had his whole body flushing. You knew it would, always did when you'd say filthy things to him- it's why you did it.

Carmen grinned, chin tucking to his chest to hide his red faced smile. "Easy." He warned, eyes still glossy and starry from his release. "You want bubbles?"

"Whatever you want. I'll grab a candle." You hum, swiping Carmen's lighter next to his cigarettes and the half burned candle off the bedside table. "Really set the mood, hm? Keep this romantic night going." You winked at him, smirking at how he blushed, cleaning himself up with a hand towel.

Minutes later, you were sunk in the bath, you on one end, Carmen on the other. Legs intertwined under sudsy, warm water, your foot playfully slipping between his legs to make him jump. The candle flickering on the vanity was the only light, a warm, soft light casted over the small bathroom.

"That was really relaxing though." Carmen muttered, a hand running over your knee in the water.

"I can tell." You hum, grinning wickedly over at him.

"No, I mean- yeah, that- but the whole thing before. Really helped. My back feels better." Carmen smiled softly at you.

"I'm glad." You smile back.

"Think I should return the favor, huh? Think that's only fair?"

"Yeah, I would hate to disagree with you." You rasp, squealing when Carmen shifted, the bath water sloshing over the edge of the tub when he shimmied towards you.

"'s only fair." You whisper, his lisp hovering over yours, hands pressed by lip of the tub to cage you in.

"Only fair." Carmen hummed, his free hand slipping between your legs under the water.

[shira-cosmic-star]

Your Wish Me Mell reader headcanons were really cute. If it's not too much trouble, could you write a part 2 for this but with the Jabberwock boys + Lyca + Sho?

Have a cookie for your hard work 🍪

Wish me Mell pt2 

Tags: Gn! Reader, 1,737 words, & Fluffy

Warning: None

(Image credit to the original artist)

Haru: 

He spends his time and money taking care of the animals. MC also comes by and assist with the animals too. Though, Haru mostly allow them to take care of Peekaboo. Feeding him, bathe him, and put him to sleep inside his pin or in their own arms. MC did try to help Haru with more task. Unfortunately, MC’s clumsiness got in the way. Spilling the animal’s food, tripping over equipment, dropping things, and more. So, Haru has them to do super easy and simple tasks.  

When MC would often come by to not only help out. But they needed documents signed and turned in. On their way there, MC would take care of Peekaboo. 

While fixing the bottle for Peekaboo, MC accidently made a mess by spilling a little bit of the formula. 

They quickly went to find a wash rag to clean it up. As they run around to find one in the kitchen. They keep on running into the edge of the furniture. The kitchen counter, the stool to reach things in high places, the small table and the chair. 

After cleaning up the mess and began to feed Peekaboo, Haru came back inside. He looks over to MC and Peekaboo, they were sitting on the couch. He noticed that MC has a bruise on their arm. 

He had asked them what happened and they told him. He smiled and shook his head. He could image how frantic they acted when it happened. 

Haru was used to Mc being extremely clumsy. Yet, He knew how kind, gentle, sincere, and positive they are. 

He even remembers how shy they were at the start. 

Sometimes MC would misplace things. Their phone, the documents, Peekaboo’s bottle, just about anything. Haru would find random things that he knows belongs to MC. So, he created a box for Mc. If they ever forget anything. They might find it in the box. Haru makes sure it is out of the animals reach too. Also, he knows that his dormmates wouldn’t touch it. 

______________________________________________________________ 

Towa: 

MC loves to hang around with Towa. As for Towa, he feels the same way. When Mc comes over, they made sure to bring flowers for Towa to munch on. Mc knows that most of the ghouls has an awful habit of not eating. So, Mc makes their lunches and brings it over. That, or she buys flowers and already made meals for the boys. 

Both of them would sit under a large oak tree and eats their lunch. Shortly after they eat. 

Towa place them between his legs and hug them from behind. Mc blushes as they try to get used to the cuddles. Lucky for Mc, they can soothe their anxiety by reading a romance teen book. Something cute and PG for both to enjoy. 

As they read out loud to Towa. He hums happily and holds them tighter.  

When Mc is helping out with whatever someone needs. They tend to be horribly disorganized. They start to freak out about where an item is. Rather that’s their phone, keys of their own or belongs to Haru, and etc. 

Mc begins to panic while Towa smiles and taps their shoulder. He had the keys and Mc’s phone. They thanked Towa and hugs him. He ended up demanding cuddles again. Of course, they couldn’t say no to him. 

Towa thinks Mc’s personality is extremely cute. Clumsy, Gentle, kind, and a bit of a scatterbrain. 

He enjoys their reactions and when he does talk. He tells them that too. Just a small teasing way. 

Also, when he does talk, he holds more of a conversation with them. They talk for hours until Mc falls asleep. Towa would let them rest on him as he admires their face before he falls asleep too. 

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

Ren:

Mc had volunteer to help Ren at the Mystery Diner. Boy, he regrets it. Even though they barely get any customers. Mc and Ren still had to clean up and get ready to take orders. Mc would accidently spill the mop water from the bucket. They would drop cups and plates on accident, trip from hitting their foot on the edge of the booths and chairs, slip on the water, accidently slipping the food or drink onto themselves, Ren, other workers, and even the customers. Mc, now sits on the floor behind the counter. Away from the eyes of the customers. Now, they were hugging both of their knees as they held back their tears. Ren sighs and thinks about how to comfort them. 

Ren heard that Mc’s was clumsy, he had no idea it would be that bad. 

Sure, more work was added for him. Though, he’d be lying about how interesting Mc had made his day. 

He was assigned to train them just as he was first trained. Ren saw the excitement their eyes. So, he began to teach them the things he knew and showed them where everything goes. 

When the first set of customers came in. The mess begins, Ren had to clean up the mess because Mc dropped the food. Their hands were slipper due to their nerves. They were confident at first, but then when people started to enter. Mc got nervous and that's how the tray of food slipped from their fingers. 

Halfway through the shift. Mc felt discourage, they were making things harder for everyone around them. So, now they sit behind the counter. Hugging their knees close to them. Ren tells them to take it easy and write down the orders. 

He also tells them, when the payment comes in. To place it in the system.  

Mc did get hurt during the shift, but nothing too major. Just scrape their knee on the floor. Ren got the first aid and attend their injury. 

Ren isn’t good with words, but he tells them to not worry about much and he’ll take care of most of the work. He fully knows that Mc’s tries. 

During their breaks, they would have their own lunch from outside the diner. They would also play video games or watch videos together. Ren usually does this when they come over during his lunch.  

When the shift ends, ren as them to watch movies with him to cheer them up from a hard day. 

______________________________________________________________

Lyca:

Mc was tasked with teaching Lyca. So, now they were at Rui’s bar. Lyca told to wash the cups as Mc had to hand out the drinks to the customers. Mc would try do give Lyca pointers on how to greet people and what tone to use. When Lyca spoke too roughly or aggressively. They would correct him kindly. Lyca noticed something though, Mc would accidentally trip over their own footing or bump into the edge of the bar. They even hit their elbow on the tables and walls. He grew concern and at the end of the night, he would ask them if they were okay. Of course, Mc tells him that there wasn’t anything to worry about. They have always been clumsy. He grumbles something, but Mc couldn’t hear it. 

Lyca started to pay more attention to Mc. He ends up tell Rui about them bumping into things and tripping on rugs, carpets, and their own footing. Rui freaks out a little and ask Lyca to check their arms and legs. It was just bruises, but Rui hands over an ice pack to help with any pain and swellings. 

When they are walking together, Mc trips over a root. Lyca, with his sharp reflex. He quickly grabs their arm and holds them up. 

Mc thanks him and he scolds them to pay attention. He huffed and pouted about how they could end up getting hurt with he wasn’t there. 

Once Mc come over to the dorm to visit Lyca. They recently fell down the stairs after missing a step. Their hands were full of paperwork and their school supplies. 

Lyca, saw that Mc was limping. “Oi! Why are you walking funny?” He asked. Mc told him what happened while nervously laughing. 

He had them to sit down as he takes care the tasks. 

To make it up to him, they would make him food and help him out with understand human’s language. 

Mc would also read to him. Showing him the pages while pointing out each word. 

When they are working and just hanging out. Lyca would ask them to read him to sleep. Sometime, both would fall asleep. 

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

Sho:

Mc loves Sho’s food, so they would often come over to buy lunch or dinner. Over the weekend, Sho said that he needed help prepping up in the morning. So now, they are at his food truck early in the morning, getting everything started. He did most of the cooking, while Mc did the dishes and wiping down the area. Mc knows how to simple things, but nothing fancy. Sho decided to teach her how to prepare the most common order. Though when he tries to teach them, many things went wrong. They burnt it, put the wrong ingredients, spilt it, or forgot something. He smiled and sighed, he even teased them and called them a scatterbrain. 

Mc struggled to make certain dishes because they learned out to do it in a different way. Or they were never taught how to use certain equipment. Sho never held it against them and remain patience. 

When Leo would come by, he taunts Mc into missing up a bit. Sho would tell him to leave them alone. 

He then tells Mc to not pay any attention to Leo. Causing Leo to roll his eyes and walk away with his lunch. 

Mc continues to work hard with Sho. At the end of the day. Sho treats them with their own favorite food as a reward for helping out. 

Every now and then Mc would help out Sho, if they see a huge crowd in front. Of course, Mc would still ask when he isn’t busy. He would agree and ask them to take orders and hand them to him. Mc would also hand the food over to the customers.  

Sometimes, both of them would walk together if they were heading the same direction. 

Sho feels grateful to have Mc around to help him since he could use another pair of hands. 

He really appreciates the kindness, thoughts, and efforts Mc puts in.

______________________________________________________________

(Finally finished! This took a bit to do, and I hope you all enjoy this. Please Like, comment, and Reblog. Reblogging helps a lot with getting my work out there. Also feel free to request in the " ask me anything" box.)

(Unedited)

𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚍𝚊𝚣𝚣𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜☆

[late-to-the-party-81]

Birthday Gifts

AN: So Alpha Nomad Steve won the birthday ficlet poll. Enjoy the fluff, which also means that this set of stories is officially a series now. Find Need You Now and Surprise, Surprise here.

Beta’d at speed by @indyluckycharlie

Dividers by @firefly-graphics and banner by me

Master list

Series Master list

Summary: It’s Steve’s birthday and you have the perfect gift all ready

Relationship: Alpha! Nomad Steve and Omega! Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

CW: Breeding Kink, Fluff, Explicit Sexual Content, Lots of kissing, Non-graphic descriptions of pregnancy, labour and delivery.

28th June

“Steve, I’m as big as a house!”

Your Alpha wrapped his arms around you from behind and nuzzled into your neck and the slightly scarred flesh to be found there.

“A sexy house.”

You playfully slapped his arm and let out an equally playful cry.

“Hey! I’m not gonna disagree with you. That would be dangerous to my health.”

You couldn’t help it. You giggled. Which had probably been his intention.

“Big, strong Captain America, scared of a pregnant Omega?”

He rubbed his bearded face against your neck again, inhaling your scent.

“Only because you’re my Omega.”  

You turned in his arms, your large baby bump - a bump that you now knew did hold twins - getting in your way. Luckily Steve knew what you wanted and ducked his head down to kiss you.

Although you had a few weeks until your due date, the fact that you were carrying twins meant they were probably going to show up sooner, rather than later. But it was Steve’s birthday in a week, and you hoped they’d wait until afterwards - you’d hate to miss his birthday by being in hospital.

Once the shock of being reunited and the reveal of your pregnancy had worn off, Steve had revelled in your situation. His Alpha hindbrain preened at the fact that his Omega was pregnant, and if he’d had voracious appetites before, your rounding belly just made him insatiable. 

When you were too tired to do anything, he just asked you to lie naked in front of him and he’d jack off, praising you, looking at you, covering your bump with his spend, before cleaning you up, and kissing you until you fell asleep in his arms.

However, when you did have the energy, he liked to perch you on top of him, so you could control the depth and speed. His broad hands held your hips, helping you move - grind - until you came. There’d still be the praises though, the electric gaze, and the aftercare.

Steve deepened the kiss, and then suddenly he lifted you up into his arms. You squeaked and clung onto him, and he let out a low growl in response that went straight to your core. You were glad you weren’t feeling tired today.

July 1st

Your hands held onto the headboard, curling your fingers into the wood as you swivelled your hips.

“Alpha!” You whined as you neared your peak.

“I know, ‘Mega. You can do it, baby. Look so beautiful when you cum. I’ll be right there with you.”

Steve’s right hand dropped from your hip and his thumb delved between your folds, searching out your slick bud and rubbing tight circles over it. The tension in your body snapped like a rubber band and you threw your head back, keening as you trembled above him. His hips thrust up gently under you and you could feel his engorged knot brushing your entrance, and you wished you could take him deep enough to feel it inside you. He groaned with you as you rode out the waves of pleasure, filling you to the brim with his cum. 

As you drew in ragged breaths, your arms shook under the exertion of holding yourself up. Sensing your weariness, Steve helped manoeuvre you so you were lying on your side on the bed. He pressed a kiss to your sweaty brow before darting to the bathroom and coming back with a wet washcloth. He wiped down your face and chest, before gently cleaning you between your legs.

You smiled up at him.

“I must look a complete mess.”

He dropped another kiss on you, this time to your lips and shook his head.

“Nope. I meant what I said - you look beautiful. I don’t think I could want you more, and then I remember that once the babies are here you’ll be a certified MILF.”

You grabbed your pillow and threw it at him, but he easily avoided it.

“Perv!”

He dropped down, facing you, tangling your legs together and dropping an arm over your thickened waist.

“Only for you, Omega. Only for you.”

He kissed you again, deeply this time, and stroked your hair until you fell asleep.

July 4th

You groaned, and rolled over, an outstretched hand reaching for your phone to check the time. The screen lit up, bathing your face in its glow and mocking you with its answer.

1:17

You let out another groan and shifted, trying to get comfortable. It was Steve’s birthday today and you were determined it was going to be a good one. If only this damn backache would calm down. You closed your eyes and willed your body to relax, which is of course when the twins decided to start up a kicking war with each other, with you caught in the crossfire.

You rubbed your palm over your bump, trying to calm them.

“Quit it, you two.” You kept your voice low, but having an Alpha with enhanced senses means that it didn’t matter how quiet you were. A hair covered arm, corded with muscle came over your bump and pulled you close to the human furnace connected to it.

“They causing you problems, ‘mega?” His voice was roughened from sleep as he pressed his lips to your mating scar.

“Just waltzing around in there.” You suddenly winced and rubbed your hand over your belly again. “Okay, that was a little hard. I’ll be having words with them when they come out. Let’s try and go back to sleep, so we can enjoy your birthday later on.”

You turned your head over your shoulder to give Steve a brief kiss, and then snuggled back against him, pulling the comforter up and hoping the heat from his body would soothe your back ache.

You woke up a few hours later as the sun started to rise, golden rays finding the gap between the curtains of Steve’s - your - compound apartment. Your back was still killing you and the twins were obviously headbutting your bladder. You were glad that your last scan showed both were head down, but sometimes you couldn’t make it 10 minutes between toilet visits. 

You carefully pulled yourself from bed, noting that the time was only 4:33. At some point Steve had rolled away from you, and the comforter was tangled around his legs. The early morning sun lit up the hairs on his body with a golden sheen and you smiled to yourself, before waddling off to the bathroom at the insistence of your unborn children. By the time you’d finished and washed up, despite still being tired, you were too awake to go back to bed.

You slowly made your way from the bedroom to the small living room cum kitchen of Steve’s compound apartment. You got yourself a glass of water and took two tylenol, hoping to ease your backache. You then moved towards the TV, snagging the throw from the back of the sofa and rolling your birthing ball out from the wall with your foot. Settling down on the bouncy rubber, the throw draped around your shoulders, you switched on the TV, making sure the volume was down low, and started to channel hop. There was bound to be some kind of mind-numbing rubbish on that you could while away the hours with. Then you’d have a nice nap.

At 7am you were resigned to the fact that you weren’t getting a nap, and you had a sinking feeling that all your plans for today were getting put on hold. 

Normally, Steve would have been up an hour ago, to get in his morning run, but he’d agreed to forego the alarm this morning, accepting your suggestion that he have a lie in. Theoretically you should still be there with him, ready to help him out when awoke, but it appeared that the universe, and your twins, had other plans.

You were walking laps of your living room and trying not to accept the fact that your backache and slight twinges had morphed into the early stages of labour when a painful tightening of your womb caused you to moan out loud. Before the sensation had even fully passed, Steve was by your side, an arm around your back and the other holding your hand. There was a look of panic on his sleepy face.

“Are you okay, baby? What’s going on?”

You raised an eyebrow and swayed from side to side, the movement helping to ease your discomfort.

“Steven Grant Rogers, I’m 35 weeks pregnant with twins. What do you think is happening?”

He looked at you and you looked at him, watching as the realisation hit him. The panic on his face didn’t lessen any. In fact, it seemed to get more intense.

“They’re coming? Now? We need to get you to the med facility!” He dropped your hand and ran back to the bedroom, still talking. You rolled your eyes and restarted your perambulations.

“We need your bag, and the pups’ bag. And my bag. I need to call Buck. And Sam. And Tony…”

He reappeared, hopping on one foot as he tried to pull his sweatpants up the other leg.

“Should I carry you? Or do you want to walk? Maybe we could do both? Oh, and you have to remember to breathe, and…”

“Steve. Alpha. Please shut up.” 

He came to a grinding halt, watching you as you walked around him.

“It’s not that time yet, Steve. I spoke to the doctor about this last week. I need to wait until the contractions are regularly 2-3 minutes apart or until my waters break, whichever happens first. We’ve probably got hours to go yet. Now, relax, will you? Make your phone calls and get the bags near the door, but as the med facility is only on the other side of the compound, I don’t think we need to worry about getting there.”

Steve shook himself from his panicked stupor and moved back to your side, taking your hand and joining you in your circuit of the room.

“How are you so calm, Omega?”

You stopped and tugged on his hand to make him bend down so you could press your lips to his.

“Because I’m built for this, and because I will have the best Alpha by my side, supporting me. And let’s face it, if I’m squeezing your hands later, I’m not going to hurt you.”

The mental image made him laugh and he kissed you back.

“Bring it on, baby. Do your worst.”

20:05

“I’m never letting you and your knot near me ever again, Rogers! Aaaahhhh!”

You were on your hands and knees on the bed in the medical facility. One of Steve’s hands was trapped under yours - you weren’t letting him go anywhere! - and you were swaying back and forth as another contraction washed through you. 

There was a midwife - Penny, a calming Beta - standing at the end of the bed, keeping an eye on proceedings, although to your mind she’d spent longer placating Steve’s fears than helping you through labour.

“I’m sorry, Omega. But you’re doing so well. And it will all be worth it when the pups are here. It won’t be long now.” He turned and looked behind you, towards Penny. “Will it?”

“No, in fact, Twin A is almost ready to be here, their head is starting to crown.” You turned your own head to look at her and she smiled at you.  “So with this next contraction I want you to push as hard as you can, okay. And Mr Rogers, I need you to hold up that water bottle so Mama can take sips when she wants.”

It was a good thing your mate was a military man, because he didn’t hesitate, and just did what had been asked of him. You didn’t have long to appreciate it, however, as your next contraction hit.

“Here we go,” Penny said, brightly. “Give me a nice big push…

“What time is it, Steve?” You were exhausted, your eyes heavy and your blinks getting longer and longer. Your Alpha turned away from the window, where he was watching the fireworks explode across the sky. In his arms was a wrapped bundle with a scrunched up nose. An almost matching bundle was in the bassinet next to you. 

Sarah and Joseph, after Steve’s parents.

“Just after 10pm. You should get some rest, Omega mine. I can’t believe how well you did. You made it look easy.”

You gave out a little snort.

“I can assure you, it wasn’t. And I’ll get some rest in a moment. But I need you to come here.” You held out your hand, beckoning him over. With baby Sarah in his arms, he perched on the edge of your bed, the biggest smile you’d ever seen on his face. You pushed yourself up and pulled him into a kiss.

“Happy Birthday, Steve. I hope you liked your presents.”

“The best presents I could ever wish for, Omega. Thank you.”

Tag list: @jobean12-blog @sidepartskinnyjeans @flordeamatista @goldylions @luxeavenger @wheezy-stucky @doasyoudesireandlive @chemtrails-club @seitmai @marvelstarker-mha98 @peaches1958 @pono-pura-vida @writing-for-marvel

[ichangedmycornyahhname]

Spider-man!Hobie Brown x Reader

Side note: I did my best to keep reader gender neutral for everyone 🫶😍. Also made it more friendly than flirty. 😔 sorry y’all. (Basically more platonic, BUT if I make another I may make it romantic.)

Summary: Just reader and Hobie hopping dimensions and taking out bad guys.

Warnings: None? A little violence ig. Just reader and him bickering. Not proof read 🙁 I got lazy as hell.

“Yo Hob, where’s my mask at?” You asked as you watched yourself in the mirror. Your tooth brush sudsy with toothpaste as you quickly brushed at your teeth.

Crashing with Gwen and Hobie was certainly a risky decision to make, but with you always traversing the multi-verses you never stayed anywhere for too long. Which is why you were staying with the two. Well, staying with Hobie. Gwen was currently out on the hunt for a new anomaly, and you were eager to get to work with her.

“Didn’t you leave it on the couch?” He responded as he slipped his ripped leather jacket over his shoulders. The man was already geared up and ready to go. “I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.” You retorted with the roll of your eyes. You soon rinsed your mouth out with water and tossed your toothbrush into a cup. As you went to exit the bathroom, you took notice of the lack of toilet paper (courtesy of living with two other people), and sighed. “We need more toilet paper Hobie, we’ve already run out.”

He peeked his head throw the doorway, taking a glance at what you had mentioned and laughed. “Ain’t that something. We’ll buy some from a different universe, I’d rather not provide to this crappy economy. Now hurry it up mate, we’ve already got a mission.” You scoffed at his stubbornness as you headed towards the cluttered living area. Per-usual, it was a mess. But you didn’t have time for that now. You dug under piles of junk and gadgets until finally you got your hands on your mask. “Ew..” You grumbled as you stared at the ink stain on the side of your mask. Shooting a look towards Hobie, he only returned it with a grin before pulling his mask over his face.

“We’re cleaning this place up when we get back. Now let’s go.”

The two of you departed, a portal appearing in front of you. The dynamic shapes and colors had grown to be something of a norm to you, though you couldn’t say the same as you hopped through it and shot through the tunnel. It still managed to twist and turn your stomach up.

-

“I believe this is the place.” Hobie chimed as the two of you clung to a building side. “Ya think?” Hobie only chuckled at your sarcasm, having already grown quite used to it.

The evening sunset was almost as mesmerizing as the large mountain of houses. They followed along a road that spiraled all the way down to where they stood. It was like staring up at a giant version of the Aztec temples. “Sometimes I forget how different these universes can be. Alright Hobie, you know who we’re looking for so lead the way.”

He gave you a pat on the back before shooting out a web and pulling himself in the air. You could only smile at his playfulness and follow his movements, now swinging yourself towards the top of the mountain. The area was vibrant with warm colors, reds, blues, and green accenting the bright gold of the buildings. You’d been to plenty of universes, but none quite as beautiful as this. Smells of food, and seasonings flooded your nostrils, as well as the chattering of the busy streets. “Cool innit? Went here once with Gwendy, was a little preoccupied though.”

“With?” You questioned as you worked your way to the top of the mountain.

“This wild variant of the lizard. He was huge! More of a crocodile I’d say.” His enthusiastic attitude seemed to infect you, another smile creeping it’s way onto your face. “That sounds cool as hell. Yo is that who we’re looking for?” Your eyes widened as your spider sense raised your alert. Up ahead stood a large statue, though unlike usual statues, this one was moving. It worked at ripping a large jewel that stood at the very top of the mountain. Hobie, who had been swinging backwards, spun around, the lenses of his mask widening. Then they narrowed. He pulled his guitar from over his shoulder, holding it in one hand as he swung himself towards the golden statue. “Taking that as a yes.”

You webbed the side of two buildings, tugging at the webbing and slingshotting yourself towards the chaos. “I’ll get its legs, you- do whatever. I know you don’t like to listen.” You huffed out.

“You know me so well, love.” He said as he went to taking out the giant. You went to do the same, now swinging your webs around the statues legs. While at first your idea was working, the giant seemed to have a mind of its own. It ripped the webbing in half, but in doing so lost its balance. It tumbled, falling backwards and heading straight for the edge of the cliff. You tried not to panic, and Hobie was now joining you in stopping the giants potential destruction of the golden city. You worked at making a canopy between two poles, the wide wall of webs ready to catch the giant in its grasp.

Hobie stood at the top of a building, webs shot out to slow the giants fall. He strained, pulling back at the web lines. And it worked. The giant was caught in their web.

The two of you met up, now standing in the orange dirt with a victorious look. Then you glanced at one another. “High five?”

Their hands met, the sound of victory ringing in their ears. “High five. Hell yeah Y/N!” His arm found its way around your shoulders, tugging you closer as he spouted jokes. However, you interrupted, “We still have to clean up when we get back.” Hobie’s jubilant expression turned unamused, and he sucked his teeth sighing at your seriousness.

“We really gotta loosen you up love. Now let’s get this guy back in his universe.” His thick accent made it difficult for you to comprehend at first, but once you did, you nodded. The two of you had completed your mission, unscathed, and with time to spare. You were certainly impressed with your efficient work.

[queenhunter102]

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (Part 2)

(Part 1) (PART 3)

Why are they not red? Hmm? Why do your hands not bleed, if My Lady asks you to clean something do so until you bleed” he spits, you close your eyes a drop of his spit hits your face, making you grimace from the feeling. “Yes Master Staell, I will do it right away Master Staell,” you said, trying to appease the man he grunted at you, as he dropped your hands “No I will get one of our civil girls to do it, no need to stain our halls with your filth,” he said, as he walked away from you. You nod your head as you lower it, you knew if you looked at him he would strike you with the force of the gods, so you watched from the corner of your eye waiting for him to leave. He growled again as he threw a fork at you, one you narrowly missed, “Why are you still here? Hmm? I gave you an order to leave!” he said, as he picked up another fork throwing it at you as you narrowly escaped. You dashed up the servant’s hallway heading to Prince Aemond’s room, it wasn’t often you were allowed to clean rooms often having to clean halls and the kitchen at the highest parts of the night, you relished the days they allowed you to clean the rooms, Prince Aemond’s room being your favourite to clean. He was a rather clean man, or at least the very few times you had seen him roaming the halls late at night, but his room was always a rather different matter he had a desk that was tucked away into a corner stacked with papers and maps, his books strewn across the desk, old ink pots lying across the desk broken Quills, snapped in half from his frustrations, you often like to run your hand over his dried writing, enjoying the way it felt under your touch.

you often tried to keep his desk as clean as you could, taking his ink pots away to be refilled, and stealing the broken Quills and stashing them in your quarters to touch and fiddle with later, you try and pin the maps he has finished with, back on their walls to be proudly displayed, you delighted when you found that his desk had divots from where his arms had rested.

You often rearranged his books into better order, but you still struggled to read with the common tongue let alone attempt to read in High Valyrian, so you tried your best to place the same books with the same author, or so you assumed, most of the words either looking the same or looking like they had the same scribbles, the only thing you noted that was the same was the initials on the inside, A.Targayen you smiled wondering if anything of Aemond’s had ever been given to Aegon accident. you walked across the room to his wardrobe always being careful not to take anything or move anything from here, knowing Aemond’s clothes were his pride and joy, you knew he was always very clean and very meticulously put together, you held out one of his sleeves as you eyed it, it noting that it should likely go to the tailors soon, the cuffs looked as though they might fray soon. you would sit and polish every shoe, every buckle, every eye patch, everything you could you did, you often stitched buttons back onto his tunics and garments when you had your sewing items with you, glad that your mother had at least had the chance to teach you something useful. You sigh as you see one of the buttons on his tunics is loose, you lightly touch it, hating that you couldn’t fix it for him, and you close the door to his wardrobe before walking into his bathing chamber avoiding the rather large elephant in the room, as you walked into the bathing chamber you found it a mess, his lotions and herbs thrown everywhere, like he was trying to find something specific, you inhaled deep to find that smell that just seemed to be his smell, It was of old books, fresh linen, drying ink as well as flowers, you closed your eyes enjoying the smell, it wasn’t often that you were allowed to nearly bath in that smell. it was like an addiction to you, letting out a slow breath, you picked up his lotions and his dried herbs, placing them back onto their shelves, tightening the lids on them as you went, you scrubbed the bath until your finger bled, once done you reached for his drying cloth finding it hard…You scrunched your face up, your hand recoiling from the texture, you touched it again, picking it up slowly you found that the drying cloth was stiff, and had an odd hard feeling to it in certain places, you shrugged your shoulders as you picked it up, bring it with you into the bed chamber again, you dumped his dirty clothes to the floor as you turned to his bed. You hated it, it felt like that was his private area, you felt like you were invading the most private parts of him, sometimes it felt like you were doing something dirty as you would peel back the covers to find something as dirty as his sleepwear or a women’s corset, you sighed as you approached the bed, noting that there was a lump in the bed, you prayed you weren’t about to uncover an unsuspecting prince who was trying to take a mid-day sleep, but when you pulled the covers back you found a stray pillow was just in the centre of the bed. You blew out a breath as you fixed the pillow moving it back to its rightful spot, striping the bed of its covers and blankets, as well as putting on fresh coverings for the cover and pillows, you chewed on your bottom lip as you thought wondering would he like it if I put decorative pillows on his bed? You continued to chew on that thought as you made his bed and picked up his dirty clothes giving the room a once last glance over and when you were finally happy with what you had done you walked out of his bed chamber heading towards the wash rooms. Unbeknownst to you, a guest was watching from the walls of his bed chambers as you took great care of his things taking the time and patience to carefully polish, wipe, and meticulously return to their rightful place, watching as you carefully made his bed, carefully eyed his room when you believed it was clean and perfect.

Taglist: @prettykinkysoul,

[daydreamgoddess14]

For a fluffy River fic maybe have an OC fix him up when he gets back to Slough House a bit worse for the wear. You know he’d hate the fuss of it.

I looooove this!! Just for you lovely, hope you enjoy! 🥰

Stitches

The last horse had bolted at exactly 5.03pm - Standish - she’d at least called out a goodbye on her way past but you were still eyeball deep in the files you’d been working on all day. You assumed that somewhere in the upper echelons of the building Lamb was asleep with his feet up on his desk. You didn’t mind, he didn’t bother you and you didn’t bother him - there was a mutual ignoring which was working well. Head down, get the work done, don’t cause trouble. No one else seemed remotely capable of abiding by that though. Your officemate, River, hadn’t been seen since god knows when (11.06am). You weren’t particularly on speaking terms since the thing you liked to call the incident. Some idiot had suggested drinks after work one night and you’d managed to make a total fool of yourself and were hereby serving a vow of silence. You were one step away from a nunnery. Maybe in the Alps… you could do a great Maria Von Trapp. You absentmindedly hum ‘Climb every Mountain’ while you work. You don’t know when it got dark but the glare of your computer screen is starting to hurt your eyes. You take a break, pressing your palms into your eye sockets. There’s shuffling on the other side of the door and you assume it’s just Lamb. Until the swearing starts. 

“Ow shit fuck shit,” River hisses. You stay rooted to your chair. The vow of silence must be maintained. There’s a clatter of what you think is the first aid kit so you cautiously get to your feet and peer around the door to the kitchen. “You’re still here?” He asks, surprise evident in his face.

“Finishing some files.”

“They don’t pay overtime, you know.” There’s an awkward silence when you don’t respond until you can’t ignore the blood he’s dripping onto the floor any longer.

“What have you done?”

“Ahh, s’nothing. I’ll ermm, get that cleaned up. Don’t let me keep you.” You consider leaving but if he really died in this kitchen, it’d make a hell of a mess so you step further into the room and take the half unwrapped bandage from him.

“Show me?” He lifts his shirt and there’s a three inch gash on his side, just below his ribs. He wobbles just a little on his feet so you turn him just slightly and push him to lean on the table in the middle of the room.

“You don’t have to-” he starts. You shush him with a wave of your hand.

“I know I don’t. Take off your shirt.” There’s a pause while you both process the words you’d just spoken. As a gesture, you turn your back on him but it’s mostly to compose yourself rather than give him privacy. You find a fresh out of the packet j-cloth from under the sink and soak it in warm water, glancing into the poor excuse for a first aid kit to work out what - if anything - is usable.

“Honestly, I can manage this, it’s just a scratch.” You turn back to look at him, really look at him. As well as the gash on his side, he’s got a split lip, a cut above one of his eyes and bloody knuckles.

“You’re a mess.” You say, matter of factly. He has the grace to look sheepish. “This might sting.” You careful place the cloth over the cut, stemming the blood flow and cleaning the surrounding area. 

“That’s enough now, I’m fine.” He tries again, his large hand covering your smaller one. You stop what you’re doing to look at him and you realise that even though you’ve barely looked at him since the incident, you know every freckle.

Roddy has an arm slung over your shoulders, making you both sway very ungracefully and not at all in time to the music that blares out of the speakers across the room. He’s saying something to you but you’ll be damned if you know what. It’s so unbelievably loud, your ears ring. Louisa and River are deep in conversation and you catch them looking over at you before looking back to their drinks. They probably think you’re desperate if you’re letting Roddy put his arm around you, but you think, you think, he’s trying to tell you about a girl he’s into.

“I’m sure she likes you too Ho, maybe just be a bit less… incelly?” You hope you say it kindly but honestly, you’re about 4 double g&ts in so who knows.

“You think I’m incelly?” He asks, a little hurt.

“Well… a bit. Lay off the Andrew Tate podcasts, yeah?” You suggest, patting his hand while he looks glumly into his sickly Smirnoff Ice. Time for a break from ‘the Ho’, you tell yourself, following the signs for the loos. There’s a couple of steps and you’re not quite sure where you’re going so you nearly lose your footing until someone catches you. River.

“You ok? Is Ho bothering you?”

“Nah, just lamenting his love life. I told him he needs to be a bit less incelly.”

“Huh, that’d be a good start.” River says with a grin. He still has a hand on your waist and yours is still resting on his chest. Emboldened by the confidence only several strong gins can provide, you reach up on tiptoes and kiss him lightly. You’ve fancied him since the second you walked into Slough House but you’re sure he’s never even noticed you. Meek and quiet, you keep to yourself and endure the punishment of being a Slow Horse just like everyone else. It takes half a second, but he responds. He definitely responds, holding your waist a little tighter and kissing you a little more deeply until suddenly there’s fresh air between you both and your waist is cold. “Sorry, shouldn’t have done that. Sorry.” He says, and then he’s gone. Back down the steps and across the room where Louisa is watching with curiosity. Your cheeks flame, you don’t bother with the loos. You have your bag so you head straight for the exit before anyone else sees you.

“You’re not bleeding to death all over this kitchen.” You tell him, sternly, banishing the memory of the incident to the back of your mind. “Hold his tight, please.” You move your hand from under his and put his back down more firmly onto the wound. 

“S’not that bad.” He replies gruffly.

“It needs stitches.”

“Does not.”

“Yes River, it does. Back in a sec.” You leave him alone under the harsh fluorescent light of the kitchen and retrieve your own first aid kit from your bottom desk drawer along with a bottle of vodka. Slightly more generously packed than the one in the kitchen, you have surgical needles and thread and proper dressings. You wash your hands thoroughly, though you’re not sure it matters given the state of the kitchen.

“Where’d you get all that?” He asks.

“The vodka?”

“The first aid kid.”

“Old job. I’m going to stitch that up.” You tell him. He laughs but quickly realises it hurts too much and it makes the wound bleed again.

“Fuck, shit-” he curses as you move his hand and replace it with your own. “Thank you.” He mumbles gratefully. You gesture to the vodka with a nod of your head.

“Have a bit of that, and try to hold this without moving this time.”

“Yes boss.” You blush, looking into the first aid kit to set up what you need.

“Ready?”

“Am I going to have a horrible scar?”

“Not if you sit still.” You warn him. He stops shuffling, suitably admonished. “Might hurt a bit. I’ll try not to.”

“I know you will.” He uncovers the wound again and you quickly apply a few steri-strips to hold it closed while you work. “That looks fine? We could just leave it like that?” He tries, though he can already see the blood pooling in the wound again.

“I’ll be quick.” You assure him. “Drink.” You're not sure if the grimace is from the neat vodka or your first incision with the needle, but he takes the pain well. You hear him breathing heavily through gritted teeth and it’s going well until he holds your left hand, the one you’ve got resting just above the wound while you stitch with your right hand. He grips your fingers tightly. “You’re doing really well, keep breathing through the pain,” you soothe him softly, your breath on his stomach raising goosebumps. 

“You’re good at this,” he says, surprised.

“I know I am.” His grip is less tight on your hand as you get closer to the end of the wound. “Nearly done.” You finish up and carefully clear the dried blood from around the wound before covering it with a large self adhesive gauze pad. Your cool hands brush over his skin as you press the edges of the adhesive down. “You could do with keeping it dry for a day or two.” You tell him, clearing your throat. Now you’re not concentrating on the stitches, the proximity is intoxicating. Searching for purpose, you turn your attention to his face. “You’re a mess.” You say.

“I know.” You turn away and wash the blood from your hands and then check the tiny freezer compartment of the fridge. “What you looking for?” You turn, victorious, with an ancient ice lolly. You wrap it in a clean cloth and place it against his swollen split lip. “I’m fine now, really, no more blood. You don’t need to do this.” He protests.

“I know.” You reply and instead begin cleaning the cut above his eye. To get close enough, you have to stand between his knees and you wonder if he can tell your heart is pounding. The cut just needs a couple of steri-strips so you apply them and step out of his orbit, happy to put some space between you both. 

“About before?” He starts awkwardly, messing with the wrapper of the ice lolly he’s moved away from his mouth. You feel your stomach drop to your knees.

“Please don’t-” you don’t care if your voice is pleading.

“I wanted to tell you,” he tries to catch your eye but you’re determined to look anywhere except at him until he takes your hand and pulls you back to him. “I wanted to tell you I was sorry.” He explains.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, nothing at all. I made a horrible mistake. I just want to forget it ever happened.”

“That’s why you’ve been ignoring me?”

“I wouldn’t say ignoring exactly-”

“I would.” 

“Fine,” you huff. “Yes, that’s why I’ve been ignoring you. Please, River, can we just forget it?” His eyes drop to your lips.

“Is that really what you want?” He asks. You nod unconvincingly. Very unconvincingly. He raises his good eyebrow in disbelief, a sure sign he’s about to argue with you. “Really?” He asks again, quietly, almost pleading with you to change your mind. This time, your head shakes ever so slightly from side to side.

“No.” You whisper.

“No. So can I kiss you now?” 

“I’m not sure,” you begin, your fingertips lightly brushing his swollen lip, “I don’t want to hurt you?”

“I don’t think you could.” He smiled, leaning in to claim a long awaited real kiss.

********

[awkwardgtace]

Almost Stranded

Another prompt for @gtgotcha4gaza this time an anonymous donor! Donations are still open until June 30th 2024!

Rare occasion of fanfic. We got fire emblem with Saber and Celica, hope I did the prompt justice!

Saber goes inland to look for people and resources after a shipwreck. He returns with something very different.

Almost Stranded

Saber had only signed up to help the lass and her group cross the sea. Not to wind up on some island with no way off. The ship was damaged, enough they couldn’t just find a way to put it back in the water and move on. The hole from the rocks near this island would just make them sink. They needed to repair it. Which meant they’d need food and water.

“Lass,” Saber said. Celica turned to him, she wasn’t panicked like the others. “I’ll head inland, see if I can’t find some help. The rest of you start setting up a camp for us. Can’t run the risk on the boat if a storm rolls in.”

“Saber, wouldn’t it be best if we all sought out help or a solution?” she asked. He sighed, they’d merely slow him down. He knew places like this. 

“That will be later, lass, for now I’ll go see what I can find. I’ll move faster on my own.” Saber turned to walk away, pausing a few steps away. “Besides, we’ll need to be able to rest after the pirates we already fought. If we all tire ourselves out we’re ripe for an ambush.”

“That is a good point, be cautious Saber.”

“I will be lass.”

Saber walked straight into the brush. There would be something to find inland. At least clean water. This wasn’t what he’d expected the pirates to do. The choice to strand them wasn’t unheard of, but he thought they’d rather see him dead. It was all too likely they’d show up once supplies had run low. A fight he didn’t want to see.

He let out a heavy sigh as he kept walking. Deeper into trees that felt out of place. Not the right kind to be near the water. Too tall for the island too. Wrong. If he let the others out here they’d likely get lost. He’d stay close to the lass, make sure he got his payday once they reached Valentia. That golden dagger had to be worth it after all this.

Trees kept getting taller. Saber huffed as he started to find vines he could barely step over. He’d never seen plants like this. He didn’t want to risk his life out here in a mess. Just before he turned back he heard a sound. A kind of screech that almost reminded him of metal being sharpened. That wasn’t something to ignore.

Saber found a path between the massive plants. It almost seemed to clear out for him. Saber grumbled a few curses under his breath. The screech grew louder, he prepared for a fight. Sword drawn he walked and walked until leaves bigger than he was tall blocked his view.

With a deep breath, Saber pushed through the leaves. The sight before him made him freeze. What looked almost like a desecrated place of worship for Mila sat before him. Statues broken, pieces turned to dust. Vines, trees, weeds, undergrowth of all kinds grew over the marble. If he didn’t know better he’d assume they’d arrived at Mila’s temple a few thousand years late.

“What do I tell the others?” he whispered. “The lass won’t be happy to see this.”

The screech of a sword sharpening died down. Saber took the silence to inch forward. Investigate the ruins that appeared to grow as he walked. Statues bigger than he’d seen made by the most skilled artisans. Roots and vines that were thick enough to reach his waist. He tried to cut a vine next to him; his sword barely scratched it.

In an attempt to find the source of the sound he no longer heard, Saber kept moving. The place almost seemed to get bigger. The statue of a hand sat on the ground, partly disintegrated, but still bigger than him. Bigger than anything he wanted to picture. That didn’t deter him. Someone who might be after him or the others could be here. He was going to damn well earn that payday.

A swish that reminded him of an arrow shot from a bow came from a large cavern. Part of him considered retreating. If he left he could warn the others. Prepare for battle when they’d have a bunker prepared. That didn’t sit well when he hadn’t seen the enemy. It could lead them all to death when a minor army marched on them. He wasn’t dying on some forgotten rock in the middle of the ocean.

Saber entered the impossibly large cavern. Almost missed the rubble that looked eerily like a door. The sound of arrows flying didn’t stop. In fact it increased. As though a battle raged inside, one he’d witness at least. 

“Remember,” he whispered as he stepped through the darkness, “you were paid to protect them. Can’t earn your pay when you turn tail at the first sign of trouble.”

That reassurance spurred him on. Step by step into a darkness that left him on edge. A green light began to coat the hall he was in. Another part of this place that reminded him of Mila. Maybe some long forgotten blessing could get them out of this mess. Back to the mainland where he could get his pay and move on.

Either way the sound of arrows grew louder. It was joined by the swish of swords. Quickly met with the clang of metal clashing. Saber slowed his pace. Moved beside the wall, stuck to the shadows. Prepared to escape.

The green light grew brighter. The noise louder. He swore there were voices echoing in front of him. Yet the source was found and the room empty.

Saber found a room so big he couldn’t even see the other side. The ceiling above him was merely darkness. In the center sat a glowing green light. One that felt inviting. Against his better judgment, he walked forward. 

The sound of battle surrounded him again. An all too familiar sound. Saber could picture his last major battle. Before the duel, before he ran. It pushed him forward. Towards the glowing in the center. A promise to fix it. To change it. To become what he needed. To protect those under his care.

Before he knew it, Saber stood in the green glow. Inside was a gem. A brilliant emerald. Shaped like the mark the lass had on her palm. This place was too dangerous to bring her. Even with her allies. He reached out to it. The gem looked gigantic next to his hand. Impossible to hold, yet it was easy to grab. Almost… small after the fact.

The light died. The noise gone. Saber moved to leave. His body felt strange, light and heavy all at once. The room felt smaller than when he’d first entered. All of it had to be a trick. The light of Mila’s artifact merely made it feel huge. Even the presence of the artifact itself could be it. Gods were powerful, she could make that happen… probably.

The entrance hall through the cavern felt shorter. The dilapidated statues looked  more as he expected. The vines up to his waist made it just over his ankles. Strange, but clearly the work of the magic he held. Once he brought the gem back there’d be an explanation.

Saber kept repeating that thought as he walked. As the impossibly tall trees felt more normal. As they started to feel small. As the ones he had recognized in the beginning only reached his knees. The island had greenery because of Mila’s power. The gem was the source. He’d taken it, but someone would know the best option. The lass was a priestess after all.

His denial ended at the beach. When the boat looked small enough he could hold it in one hand. As prepared as he usually was, the surprise made him stumble back. Which brought out screams from where he now saw the tents he’d told the group to set up. Too small… or was he too big?

“Stay calm everyone!” the lass called. Her voice was still easy to hear at least. Saber crouched down, arms on his knees as he tried to get a look at them. The red hair stood out to him first. The others were more of a blur. “Saber?! Is that you?”

“Lass, I don’t suppose you’ve heard of any strange artifacts Mila left behind,” he said. While squinting, he could see the arms move to cover small ears. How the books held in Boey and Mae’s hands shook. The staff Genny held painfully close. All prepared for a fight, one against him that he knew they couldn’t win. They knew it too.

“Saber, I couldn’t quite understand you.”

Still polite. Collected. He didn’t have to see her clearly to know she was likely more terrified than the others. Saber held his hand in front of his face. In the center of his palm he could see the gem. The one that he thought was a remnant of Mila’s strength. That changed him, not the world. Maybe did change the world until he took it for himself.

As carefully as possible he set his hand down. Tensed at the way all his charges stumbled. He was still on the job. Paid to protect this group. Whatever did this to him wasn’t going to change that. Although that gold dagger wouldn’t do much when he was too big to even see it clearly.

“Lass, I found this inland. Do you recognize it?” he whispered this time. The weapons stayed ready, but the lass didn’t let that stop her. She approached him, too collected. The small shake of his head was too obvious, but he couldn’t hold it back. That made her pause.

“I… can’t see it from here, Saber,” she said. A simple nod from him. 

He tilted his hand towards himself. There wasn’t a chance he’d risk hitting the lass. The gem didn’t move. Saber lifted his hand off the sand. Shook it a bit in the air, but the gem stayed. He used his other hand to pry it off, but couldn’t get a grip. Reached for his sword only to realize two things. He didn’t remember sheathing it and if it was there it was too small to be of use.

“I can’t get it off, lass,” he said.

Silence. Unending silence. Until suddenly, “Then you’ll need to put me in your hand.”

“Lass, what are you thinking?” 

“I can’t see it on the ground and if it’s something from Mila I might be able to help. I can’t leave you like this.”

Saber thought about it for a bit. He could try grabbing her. The idea of her small body held between two fingers. Dropped on his palm that made her look as big as a bug. A part of him was confident he could do it safely. A part he’d ignored for too long wasn’t willing to risk it. So he took another route.

Saber reached over her to the boat. Lifted it out of the water with ease. Set it down next to her, or rather close to her. Then placed his hand down beside it. This was safer, no need for him to pinch her to get her on his palm. To risk a bad estimate of his own strength and killing the one he’d been hired to guard.

“Climb on by using the boat. It’s safer, lass,” he said. The others looked almost calmer when he said that. Maybe trusted he hadn’t lost himself to the sudden change in his size. At least this way… “Wait… Lass we should look at this later.”

Celica had already started to climb up the ladder to the deck when he spoke. The way the rope ladder acted like his voice was a storm wind bothered him. At the same time, his task was easy. Like this he couldn’t fail to protect his charges. The faint promise of the green light echoed in his head. He couldn’t fail.

“What do you mean?” she cried out once the ladder stopped. Saber used his other hand to put a finger under her. Lift her up and onto the deck. She weighed nothing against his finger. Nothing could fight him. He could defeat the gods like this… That might be pushing it.

“Lass, there’s no way off this island. You were in a rush. I can get us to the mainland,” he mumbled.

“What if you need something from here to get back to normal?”

“We’ll add that to what you owe me for the protection.”

“Saber, are you sure? We could repair the boat.”

“If you want to spend the time here we can lass. I thought you had some mission to see through.”

He could feel her stare from the deck. A glare that burned him. She was feisty. Strong, determined. He didn’t mind working for someone like this. Maybe he’d stick around after the job was done. Especially if they got him back to normal.

“Boey, Mae, Genny, climb on the boat.” Celica called. “Saber’s right, we can’t wait for rescue here.”

Saber smirked. The other three kept wary gazes on him. They’d get where they needed to go. Maybe not to a port town, but near enough. Although it wouldn’t be easy to hide himself from people on the coast even avoiding cities. That was a problem for later. Might even get the pirates off his back.

The three were slow going. The finger closest to the ladder twitched. Quiet screams came from the three. Clearly he couldn’t lift them as he did the lass. Rather he could, but he didn’t want to see how a mage’s spell would react to him right now. If they were unlucky it could bounce back and hurt the one who cast it. 

As soon as they were on the ship, Saber stood up again. Like this he couldn’t imagine being the size of the others. The ship fit in a single hand, hearing and seeing them didn’t even make sense. The magic that changed him had to be the cause. 

A quick stretch for his back before bending over to grab the ship. All four of his charges watched him. The idea of this seemed like a strange dream. He’d wake up to the lass telling him to get to the deck. Watch for pirates. Question himself how he’d fallen asleep in the first place.

That wasn’t the truth. Cemented by the prick on his skin of the splintered wood of the ship. Saber placed the part with the hole on his palm. Over the gem that had gotten stuck to his skin. His other hand wrapped around to keep the three safe from water and air. He brought the ship up to his chest. Near his heart where he could make sure they were safe from the water.

“Lass, I put the hole over the gem. Feel free to take a look, but I wouldn’t try anything until I tell you we reached land,” he breathed. This close he tried to keep his voice as quiet as possible, worried it could hurt the others.

“I’ll take a look,” she yelled. It made him smile. The lass showed no fear.

Saber wasted no time in starting his trip. His steps small and slow. Until the waves were under his feet. He’d never considered the depths of the ocean. His guess was he could walk them to safety, but there was no guarantee. He could try holding the others and swimming. Abandoning the boat completely.

Those thoughts didn’t matter as he waded into the water. It stopped rising just above his waist. He barely repressed the shiver that sent down his spine. His eyes widened when he felt a tickling sensation on his hand. Near the hole in the boat.

Saber focused on his steps, not the tickling. He knew it was the lass, her friends too probably. It was lucky he knew these waters. Knew the dock they needed. Steady focused steps. Every other step he tested the area ahead, making sure he wasn’t about to drop into the sea. He begged for the tickling on his hand to stop. He wanted to curl his fingers in to stop it.

It wasn’t clear how long he’d been walking when the tickling stopped. It was more of a relief than he wanted to admit. A bigger relief was the sight of the coast he wanted. Valentia was in sight. The sun was low already. Saber decided it was best to wait for nightfall. The others would ask if they got concerned, but it wasn’t far off. Maybe an hour of standing in the water before he moved again.

Careful, soft steps to reach the mainland. Ones to avoid drawing too much attention. He paused near the coast. He had to find a cove, a place where he could sit to hide. They could deal with the rest later. A few sweeping glances found what he wanted. Saber took long, gentle strides to the area. Scanned for signs of people before resting his own back against a cliff.

A sigh left him. They made it. He just had to get his payday, which would hopefully include fixing his size. Carefully he lifted the ship. He planned to set it down next to him. He paused when he found the source of the tickling on his hand. All four of his charges sat near the gem. Papers and books spread all around.

Boey had fallen asleep hugging a book tightly. Genny and Mae hugged each other. Celica had fallen asleep on the gem. In a way that didn’t look comfortable. Saber gently put the ship down nearby. Hole on land, the rest in the sea. Then brought his free hand close

“Lass, that can’t be comfortable,” he whispered. All four stirred for a moment then returned to a blissful rest. He smiled to himself as he brought his finger up and gently pushed the lass off the gem. She curled up quickly. “We’ll deal with my payment tomorrow.”

Saber chuckled to himself. Held his hand with the four near his chest. Used his other to protect them from cool air. If he could at least get smaller maybe he’d hang around. The lass was reliable. Could use someone who saw through her collected nature. That was something for tomorrow.

[tinydefector]

Laboratory logs 4

Word count :3.5k

Shockwave x oc

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_________

When Tiny wakes it's with a start, his eyes frantically looking around before finally settling again. Pulling the cloak closer to his body as he looks around the large house. There's papers thrown across benches and desks. Compared to the lab he had been in, this place felt less professional. He slowly stands moving around looking at the different things, it looked futuristic and large. “What is this place?” he mumbles softly to himself as he tries to figure a way off the bench. He moves to the edge looking at the drop distance. He uses the leg of the table to help slide down onto the floor.

Tiny takes in the vast size of the room. He moves quietly as he admires the structure. When he walks into the next room he is met with the form of Shockwave slouched over onto a desk as if asleep. He takes a nervous step into the room before looking around again. But once realising that no one else was here it made him settle slightly as he continued his exploration of the large living space.

Shockwave's optics online with a start when he hears something loud dropping followed by the sound of small squeaks. Helm snapped towards the direction. He's quick to move from his spot. Joints and gears aching and hissing in protest as he quickly moves to try and locate the source of the sound. As he walks into his washer and paint station he sees it. The human standing there trying to wipe the bright blue paint off themself. It had coated not only them but part of the wall where it had fallen.

“What trouble have you gotten yourself into?” he asked with a chuckle. Tiny's eyes meet his optics in a frantic stare, realising he had been caught red-handed somewhere he shouldn't have been. He steps back only to slip and trip on the tile as Shockwave slowly walks towards him. The senator holds his servos out in offer to help the young man up off the ground. “let's get you cleaned up” he hums still rather amused over them getting into his paint. He'd take care of the mess after he had gotten his guest cleaned up.

Shockwave was rather cautious with setting up the washer for them, rather worried over how the aqua solvent would react. But when they held Their hands out to test it he was much more confident leaving them to enjoy cleaning.

Shockwave hums to himself as he filters through the messages on his HUD. The message from Proteus sits there taunting him; he deletes it before proceeding to make calls. Looking for clothing, bedding and fuel for his guest. “Hello Skids, this is Shockwave. I'm looking for particular items that I need delivered discreetly and within the cycle. I'm forwarding you a list.” He was thankful that Skids wouldn't ask questions, he was discreet when delivering. “Thank you Skids forwarding you Shanix now, comm me if more is needed, thank you again”

Tiny sighs in relief As the water falls from the roof. Blue paint swirls and twists as it runs down the drain. He scrubs the cherry red soap into his skin as the water helps remove the paint sticking to his skin. The large shower itself made it feel like he was standing in the rain, it was a rather calming sensation. It took Tiny a while to finally get all the paint off. Once finished he walks out from under the water, grabs one of the large clothes that Shockwave had placed down in reach for Tiny, wraps it around his body as he heads towards the door. “Hello?” He calls out hoping it would get the large bots attention.

Shockwave's steps echo on the floor as he looks around the corner to where Tiny stood. He lets out a deep rumble from his chassis as he moves into the washer to turn it off. Tiny followed him back through the house not far behind him. It honestly would have been funny if it wasn't that Tiny didn't want to be alone and this bot so far had been rather gentle with him and was trying to help.

Tiny ends up curled back up in the large robe and the cloth due to not having any clothing on hand after getting them covered in paint. He lays there watching as the white, blue and green bot moves about talking with someone from what Tiny could guess eventually he settles into napping

Later that cycle Shockwave met Skids at his front door. The other mech looked rather confused over the strange collection of items he had been requested to grab for Shockwave. “got the items you asked for but if I may. What exactly are they for?” he asked only for Shockwave to shoot him a smile. “Working on a project” is the only intel he gives and Skids shrugs. The exchange is quick with Shockwave even shooting Skids, another lot of Shanix as thanks.

A small head peaks up from the cloak as Shockwave walks back into the room with a large crate of equipment, and a few other boxes that he slowly brings in and places down. Shockwave carefully sets down the box of clothing, his optics glancing over the fabrics with a mix of appreciation and discomfort, he had a quick glance at some of the outfits after skids had left, he had said that he got them in a bulk Mix so he didn't quite know what was in it but said it was old clothing from some high class mechs pet who had passed. The idea of referring to his guest as a "pet" unsettles him. However, he recognizes the beauty and craftsmanship of the garments.

Shockwave's attention immediately shifts to the human. He approaches, his movements slow and deliberate, ensuring he does not startle him. He's gives a small hand gesture as if to let Tiny know it was his to look through and pick items out of. "Ah, there you are," he says softly, his voice filled with warmth. " They may not be tailored to your exact size, but I hope they offer some measure of comfort."

Tiny picks through the clothing scrunching his nose up at some and even laughing at some of the ridiculous ones. Eventually he finds what looks like a black turtleneck and sweatpants. He takes them back to the cloak and climbs under it as he dresses. When he climbs back out his eyes lock On Shockwave

watching him as Shockwave sets up stuff, his eyes widen slightly as he sees what looks like a very large bed larger than a king size. He lets out a squeal as Shockwave picks him up and places him on the soft material.

"Is it to your liking?" Shockwave inquires, a soft smile creeps not his face as he watches the young man sprawl out on the soft material

Tiny tilts his head slightly still not understanding the large bot, He points to the bed then to himself as if to ask 'is this for me?'

"Yes, the berth is for you," Shockwave affirms, his voice gentle and reassuring. He gestures towards the bed, with a small nod. indicating that it was indeed intended for Tiny.

The young man smiles back at him before snuggling into the soft fabric. His eyes shut for a moment just enjoying laying there until he feels something placed beside him. His eyes flutter back open to see a bowl of different coloured fruits. Many of them looked alien to him along with a few other things which he couldn't name. He reaches out grabbing one of the strange fruits looking it over, if he had been someone else he probably would have bitten into it without a care but instead he slowly scratches the surface of the fruit trying to gain some Sap or juice. He rubs it onto his wrist and waits patiently to see if he would have a reaction or not.

Shockwave sits not far off watching with interest. After a while Tiny takes a small bite of the fruit slowly rolling it around in his mouth waiting another few minutes before he decides it's safe enough to eat. It makes Shockwave chuckle softly as he notes now the fruit so he has some sort of an idea what else he would need to get in the future.

“What a strange little thing you are, extremely self aware. Hmm but what are you?” he mumbles mainly to himself. He'd get samples next cycle.

___

Traixes hums softly to himself as he moves around the lab helping Perceptor. It wasn't much but the fact he had finally been allowed into the laboratory to even help made his cycle so much better. "Where would you like these Slides and Beakers?" He asked the older mech.

Perceptor glanced up from his work, his optics focusing on Traixes. " Please place the beakers on the far table and the slides next to the microscope station," he directed. Traixes moved to follow his instructions, Perceptor couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the younger mech's enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

As Traixes returned to his side, Perceptor offered a brief nod of thanks before returning his focus to the task at hand. "What are you working on?" He asked politely. His optics flicker over to Brainstorm who is working on taking notes over on his own desk. The young mech's optics seem to almost brighten as he sees some of the plants that Perceptor had over germination in another room.

“ You have plants here!Primus that's Hedera helix, that Prunus cerasus” he states rather excitedly.

Perceptor glanced up from his work, his optics meeting Traixes' with a smile at his enthusiasm over the plants. “ We have quite a few different Terra flora here, we do a lot of the germination and propagation of the human crew's vegetation.” Brainstorm states with a chuckle.

Traixes continue to look at the different plants. “woah you also have cyber flora too!”

" an astute observation as always. The plants you see before you are indeed a mix of Cybertronian flora and Earth botanical specimens. I have been conducting experiments to study their growth patterns and potential applications in our ecosystem here in the gardens." Perceptor states only for Brainstorm to chime in right after

"Yeah, and let me tell you, the data we're getting from these babies is fascinating! The way they interact with Cybertron's unique energy signatures is unlike anything I've seen before. I've got some theories about hybriding some of the Earth and cyber flora to see if it can be done, Perceptor has been working on grafting." He states also rather excited that the young bot had taken such an interest in the plants.

Brainstorm grins behind his faceplate but the smile can sfill be heard in his voice "Plus, they add a bit of colour to the lab, don't they?” Perceptor chuckles softly at the statement.

"Oplinium Lithia Ciprua," Traxies states almost breathless as he sees the crystal flower. It felt like a memory of something he didn't know when he looked at the plant. "I thought these went extinct after the fall of cybertron, where did you get one" Traxies asked almost stunned to see the plant in the scientist collection.

"Oplinium... Truly a remarkable find, Traixes. Your knowledge of Cybertronian flora is quite impressive. The crystal flower you see before you is indeed a rare specimen that was thought to have gone extinct. I've had this one in my collection for a long time. They tend to grow best when in a stable condition"

Traixes gazes at the crystal flower with a mix of wonder and nostalgia "I... I feel like I've seen this before, like a distant memory calling out to me. It's strange, but they are such beautiful flowers, I remember getting to read documentation of them when I was still a bitlet, the only way OP and Prowler could keep me busy."

It makes Perceptor chuckle a little watching the young mech focus in on the flower before he finally spills the information. Despite the flower being near extinct they needed to be clipped to propagate. That's how Perceptor had one. He had read some study over it millennia back

"The Oplinium Lithia Ciprua is indeed a rare and precious find. Despite its near-extinction, I was able to procure a clipping through careful propagation methods. The process was delicate and required precise handling, but I was able to ensure its survival and growth in our lab."

Traxies continue to stare at the flowers. When he finally breaks line of sight with the flower he goes to respond “ that's so Cool Percy!, maybe you could te-” he cuts his sentence off. Optics going wide as he looks around the small collection of flowers on the ground. Panic begins to set in as he looks around the terrain. "Perceptor!" He calls out in Panic only to see no one around. “Frag, Frag, where am I, stupid slagging fusion core” he shutters as he looks around trying to figure out where he hd jumped this time

The vibrant shimmery colours of the crystal flower now seemed to cast a haunting glow over the surroundings, his optics look up at the sky taking in the moons they looked untouched with no marks of war on them. It was cybertron. He was on cybertron. Before the ravages of war struck, it hit him like a thunderclap, sending a chill down his circuits, he had never blinked back in time this much.But then, a sharp sound pierced the stillness of the air, drawing Traixes' attention to an aircraft soaring through the sky his optics could make out the colours of it, the base colour was white with blue and lime green accents.

His optics shutter closed and he feels the fusion core active again as he blinks back. Both Perceptor and Brainstorm look relieved to see him until he collapses into Preceptor's arms shaking and sobbing, the static energy radiating off Traxies has the scientist panicking. "Get Ratchet!" Perceptor shouts. the young mech's trembling form sending a jolt of concern through Perceptor "Traixes, what's happened? By the Allspark, your energy levels are fluctuating erratically."

Brainstorm moves swiftly.

Ratchet muttered curses under his breath as he follows Brainstorm's panicked form back to the labs. Whatever fool idea those two scientists had gotten up to now, it always ended in his medbay. Still, the medic dropped what he was doing and burst through the door at top speed, medical kit in hand.

"Out of the way, let me through!" he barked, elbowing Perceptor aside. His seasoned hands swiftly assessed Traixes' condition with practised efficiency. "Energy fluctuations, erratic spark pulse - what in the Pit did you do to him?!" Ask almost in a snarl, Ratchet's scowl softened with concern as he looked down at the young mech. "Traixes, can you hear me?."

Under his touch, Traixes' frame sags into his touch. With a sigh of relief, Ratchet pinned the scientists with a glare. "One of you better start explaining. And it had better be fragging good." But his anger hid deeper worry.

"He was looking over some of the flora pieces we have here in the lab, took an interest in the Oplinium Ciprua, one moment here was here and the next it was just void space. I'm aware of his outlier ability to time jump but he was gone longer this time, two breems and 7 kliks " Perceptor states while running his servo across Traxies helm, it had scared Perceptor.

Ratchet frowned at Perceptor explanation, concern deepening. "Easy now Traxies, you're safe. Can you tell me what happened? How far did you jump?" The young bot was clearly shaken, clutching Ratchet like a lifeline. He spared a brief glare for Brainstorm and Perceptor. "Out - give us some space. I'll take care of him." Once they'd departed, he turned back to Traixes.

"Just focus, listen to my voice. But I need to understand what went wrong so we can prevent it from happening again." Gently, Ratchet tries to coax the story from Traixes' frazzled mind. Whispering soft reassurances. Traxies presses his face into Ratchet's plating shuttering as he just holds onto him. "I... I don't know. But the moons..the moons weren't scarred I've never seen them without the scars'' he states.

Ratchet's optics widened at Traixes' words. Moons unscarred - impossible, that was millennials back. "Shhh, it's alright." He held the distraught mech close, gently rubbing his back struts. This jump had clearly shaken Traixes to his core.

But the implications were profound. Had he glimpsed Cybertron in a different time, before the moon scarring of the Great War? The idea both fascinated and terrified Ratchet. "You're back now, that's what matters. You are going to have to talk to Optimus about this you're aware?." He pulled back just enough to meet Traixes' optics. "You're a brave bot - we'll figure this out together. For now though, rest. I've got you." As Traixes took shaky vent cycles, Ratchet sent a comm to Perceptor to let the two scientists know that Traxies was alright.

—---

Tiny watches as Shockwave run more diagnostics, Shockwave's optic focused intently on the diagnostics readings, Shockwave's attention fully immersed in ensuring that Tiny's levels were stable and that the integration of the various cybernetic components was functioning optimally. The sight of Tiny drinking dilute Energon and mineral supplements brought a sense of satisfaction to Shockwave,Tiny was recovering.

"Whose parts are these?" He asks while looking over the various metal limbs and plating merges that meet with his skin.

Shockwave paused in his work, considering the inquiry with his usual analytical precision. "The components you currently possess are a combination of Maximal and Predacon parts," Shockwave explained, his voice steady and informative. "They have been carefully selected and integrated to optimize your functionality."

He continued his diagnostics, his movements precise and methodical as he monitored the readings and made any necessary adjustments to his notes.

"You used other bots!" They state in shock. Their whole body tense up as digs his fingers into the seams of the plates. The tension in Tiny's frame did not go unnoticed, "Yes, I utilised components from other bots in the creation of your cybernetics, along with the blood energon to stabilise your body " Shockwave confirmed.

Tears begin to well up in his eyes again. "Were they alive when you did it?" He asked while shaking. Honestly he didn't want to know it wouldn't make him feel any better knowing if it was a dead mech or not. Shockwave's optic dimmed slightly as he observed the tears welling up in Tiny's eyes.

"The bots from which the components were sourced were no longer functional at the time of the integration," Shockwave stated calmly, his voice tinged with a hint of empathy. "Their parts were repurposed. If that eases your mind"

Tiny sits there just stewing as he digs his fingers into his skin making it start to bleed. He felt dirt. He hated it, everything hurt from his mind to his heart. "Where is Proteus, Sentinel " Tiny nearly snarls, he wants to kill them, to make them feel some semblance of the pain he had when he was handed off to the mechs who tortured him in front of Shockwave, he wanted his child, his life back.

"Tiny, please refrain from causing harm to yourself," Shockwave urged, his voice firm yet tinged with a note of worry. "Self-inflicted injuries will reverse the effort I have put in to ensure your cybernetics take to your system."

"Proteus and Sentinel are dead," Shockwave replied, "Seeking vengeance will not change the past," Shockwave states. He knows he should be gentler with his words but he was stressed. Something he hadn't felt since before the Emputra and shadow play. He was stressed because his lover was in pain.

Tiny finally snaps. "Why are you not angry!Look at what they did to you! Fuck they… do you even remember what they did to me!" He screams, it goes deathly silent before he begins to sob. "They nearly got Traxies, they nearly caught me before I got to Orion. Do you remember them skinning my arm opening. Slowly ripping parts of me open and then smashing them, burning them!, Do you even fucking Care!" He shouts while glaring at Shockwave before he begins to sob again.

Tiny's accusations and cries pierced the air, Shockwave stood silent for a moment, processing the barrage of emotions that cascaded forth. "I... I do remember, Tiny," Shockwave admitted, his voice strained with emotion. "I remember they left my helm until last because they wanted me to watch. I remember being pinned there not being able to get to you because they shut my systems down.” His voice is almost holo from the memories” he rest a servo against Tiny's cheek wiping away the tears

. "What are your plans now?" He crockes out, he felt exhausted, his body hurt and screamed at him. "My primary objective remains ensuring your well-being and supporting your recovery and integration with the cybernetics, after we will be leaving Delphi."

__________

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[villainsview]

Chapter 2

The Blood Under My Nails

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Five days can be a long time when your only companion is a teenager who keeps sobbing about his friend. I couldn’t keep him gagged all the time, it was a waste of tape, he could choke in his sleep, and I still had to keep him fed and hydrated. After three days I managed to convince him he was allowed to ask other questions, so long as they weren’t related to his friend.

“A-any news, sir?”

I rolled my eyes. He asked the same question several times a day, ever since I revealed my client was struggling to collect the ransom demanded for him. Honestly I was surprised Allard hadn’t called asking for ears of fingers yet, but I wasn’t in the mood for another crying fit, so I kept that to myself.

“They’re still trying to contact him,” I said, “let me guess, dad never paying much attention to you?”

“H-he’s always busy…” Erick said quietly, “sir.” he added.

I scoffed, laughing a bit at the irony of it. I hoped Allard wasn’t going to draw this out on purpose. I was already bored out of my mind, and I was getting tired of hiding my face one way or another every time I let him use the bucket in the corner, removing the blindfold for that so I didn’t have to clean up any messes.

“Let’s do something to pass the time,” I said, putting the book I’d been trying to read aside and getting up.

“...how much time has passed, s-sir?” Erick asked.

“Too much,” I said, finding a large knife in the back of my van, taking it out its leather sheath to check its sharpness. “And I’m bored shitless…”

“S-so like…a game?” Erick asked.

“Oh it’s a game alright,” I said, ignoring his slip-up, “one of my favourites…”

Erick gulped visibly, and I smirked as I picked up a new coil of rope and approached him, pressing the flat end of the blade against the teen’s cheek.

“Don’t. Try. Anything.”

“Mnn…y-yes sir!” Erick quickly said.

I pressed a bit harder as extra warning, before pulling away and using the knife to cut his hands free. He didn’t dare move beyond the trembling which he had no control over. I pulled his hands in front of him and began latching them to the armrests of his chair, using as much rope as I had available, so he couldn’t move his arms much more than an inch.

“W-what are you doing?”

“You’ll see,” I said, “or rather…you’ll feel.”

After tying the final knot, I lit up a cigarette, taking a long draw before moving back over to my van to gather the right tools. Erick seemed to sense something was up, as he began sobbing and struggling more. I didn’t grace him with a response, for now, I was looking for a better knife.

When I found one that wasn’t too big and handled nicely, I searched my van for something to clean it with. I had to settle for some bleach, pouring it into a cup and letting the knife soak for a minute before drying it off with a paper towel.

My cigarette was almost at its end, but I held it between my lips, breathing in the last bits of smoke as I picked up a pair of pliers and approached the teen, one tool in each hand. I put the pliers in his lap, eliciting a fearful gasp from the kid, before taking the cigarette and pressing the lit end against his exposed collarbone to extinguish it.

“O-ow!” Erick choked out in a terrified sob.

I chuckled, tossing the remains aside and putting my free hand on his shoulder, slowly feeling up the tension in his muscles, the cold sweat on the back of his neck, the tremors in his upper arm… I moved as slowly as I could, trying to draw out the moment.

Fear of the unknown, it was my favourite moment, just before I would have to make my hands dirty… The boy’s breath picked up as I slowly trailed my hand down his right arm. I could feel my own heart rate rise as I pried his index finger from his hand and put some pressure on it, keeping it flat and still on the armrest.

“P-please,” Erick said quietly, “p-please don’t…”

I ignored him, dragging the cold blade of the knife down his finger and towards his nail, not putting enough pressure on to cut it, I just wanted him to know I had something sharp in my hand, now slowly following the lines of his nail bed with the tip.

“N-no…no, no! P-please— AH!”

He cried out more in shock than pain as I started cutting the edges around his nails. Very slowly, very deliberately, not too deep, but just deep enough…

“You think that hurts?” I said, just loud enough to be audible over the boy’s sobbing, “let me show you what real pain is…”

I picked up the pliers from the boy’s lap, eliciting a fearful cry as he could guess what was about to happen next. Using the tip of the knife, I lifted his nail slightly, still moving slowly, drawing out long cries of pain and terror. Then I clamped the pliers on the end of his nail, and began to pull.

“Holy shit,” I said to myself an hour later.

I had stepped outside for some fresh air, enjoying the last cigarette of today’s pack. I could just about hear the boy sobbing through the closed garage door, or was that just his voice echoing in my head? I looked down at my hands, realising they were still covered in blood.

It felt like I was coming down from a very rare kind of high, the kind I’d only managed to achieve maybe once or twice before. I felt the sticky blood between my fingers; tasted it as I took another drag. The strong iron taste brought me back to earth a bit. I shook my head and walked over to the maintenance building near the entrance to wash my hands.

When I returned the boy was immediately on edge, his bloody hand shaking uncontrollably, ropes around his arms dug in so deep they drew even more blood, the blindfold stuck to his face, wet from tears and sweat, his voice raspy and weak.

“N-no! Nononono!” he sobbed, shaking his head as he fruitlessly pulled against his restraints.

I approached him, watching him freeze up when I stuck out my hand and brushed the side of his face, grabbing a hold of his blindfold and taking it off. Fresh tears rolled down his cheeks as he squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden light, trembling as he leaned away from me. I grabbed a hold of his jaw, squeezing until his lips pursed.

“Look at me.”

He slowly cracked them open, grey, watery eyes peering up at me. I loosened my grip a little, but didn’t let go yet.

“I’m going to cut you free,” I said, “you’re going to behave and I’ll patch up your hand a bit, understood?”

“Y-yes, s-sir…” the teen whimpered.

I gave him a last warning squeeze before letting go, finding a knife and beginning to cut him free. He flinched as the knife sawed through the ropes easily. How tempting it was to let it slip, cut him up just a little bit more — But he was hurt enough for now, and the knife wasn’t sterilised. I wasn’t going to risk infection, Allard wouldn’t appreciate him being dead.

“Shut up,” I sighed as a few more pathetic whimpers crept free from the boy, until I pulled the last of the ropes off of him, discarding them on the floor.

“Don’t move.”

It seemed the fight had been ripped out of him as he didn’t dare lift a finger even after I stepped away to grab a first aid kit from my van, checking it for disinfectant.

“Hold this.”

I placed the kit on his lap so I had my hands free to pull over a small stool so I could sit down before getting started.

“This is gonna sting,” I warned, allowing him to whine all he liked as I dripped the disinfectant on his fingers, shushing him a little when he got too loud.

“Just hold still,” I said, trying to bandage his fingers, “you see that box of paracetamol? If you let me finish, you can have one.”

I’m not sure how effective that bribe was. The teen still seemed torn between following my rules and pulling away from me, blubbing something that sounded like ‘yes, sir,’ whilst barely daring to look at me still. I ignored him for now, fixing the bandages into place before letting go and putting the first aid kit back into the van.

While in there, I looked inside one of my bags, pulling out a length of chain. It was fairly long and only a little heavy when all bunched up, but it was sturdier than ropes, I’d been using it for years. It had a sturdy shackle on one end and a decent padlock on the other.

I carried it over to Erick, making him jump as I dropped the chain on the floor with a loud clatter. He pressed back in the chair, holding his bandaged hand against his chest as he eyed me and the chain at his feet.

“Relax, it doesn’t bite,” I said, rolling my eyes a bit as I crouched down to untie his feet and shackle his left ankle to the chain. Granted, it might’ve pinched him a little, but I wasn’t going to start feeling sorry for him now.

“Get up,” I said, tugging on the chain a bit to get the kid to follow me.

He stumbled to his feet, sheepishly following. There was some piping by the back wall. I wasn’t sure what it was for at first glance, but it seemed sturdy enough. I looped the chain around the piping, guesstimating the distance to the van and making it short enough that the teen couldn’t reach my van before padlocking it in place.

“There,” I said, walking back to the van, “you behave yourself, okay?”

I picked up my pack of cigarettes, sliding one out and lighting it, glancing back at the teen to see him standing by the piping, looking a little lost and unsure. As if not being tied up felt foreign to him.

“Did you hear me, kid?”

“A-ah, um… er…y-yes sir,” the teen uttered. I decided to let it slide for now. My phone was ringing anyway.

“What do you mean it’s two weeks now?!” I snapped.

I had stepped outside to take the call after seeing Allard’s name on the screen. I could swear I could hear his smug fucking grin in his voice as he explained.

“Mr James seems to think we’ll get bored if he ignores us for long enough, but I decided to give him another week to respond. Maybe he’ll do better with some motivation? You don’t mind getting your hands dirty, don’t you~?”

“Uh…yeah that’s no problem,” I said, thinking back to earlier for a moment, “what did you have in mind?”

“Nothing too extreme,” Allard said, “but certainly something we can send.”

“As long as it’s bloody, right?” I said. Good thing I hadn’t tossed out the nails yet.

“Yeah that’ll do,” Allard said, probably having even less savoury ideas.

“Fine, but the extra week is gonna cost ya,” I said, “at least half of the current amount extra.”

“I’ll let my bookkeeper know,” Allard said, “ta~”

I rolled my eyes as he hung up, putting my phone back into my pocket, taking a last drag of my cigarette before heading back inside. The teen had taken a seat on the floor by the piping, not daring to stray too far from where I had left him, peering at me fearfully as I cleaned up a bit more before preparing Allard’s stupid reminder.

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[skyward-floored]

Aftermath

@telemna-hyelle this one’s for you :)

A sequel to a whumptober I wrote last year, I’ve had a few requests to do a little something more with it so here we are! This isn’t too long, but it’s something, and I especially hope you enjoy Tellie <3

The previous part

(And before anyone asks, no, Legend and Fable aren’t siblings here. thanks.)

————————————————————

The fight was over.

Legend let out a sigh of relief as he leaned on his sword, wincing at the dirt and blood coating both it and himself.

The sorcerer who had attempted to overtake Hyrule Castle in Legend’s absence, imprisoned Zelda and killed so many of her guards, had been destroyed, and the kingdom was safe... again.

Legend felt a burst of anger, and took out a cloth to begin cleaning his sword. I leave for a few months and every insane mage from here to Holodrum decides its a good time to kidnap Zelda.

They weren’t even sure the sorcerer had been a hylian, since he’d bled black whenever Legend had struck him in the fight. And when Zelda had finally managed to hit him with her golden light, he’d disappeared with a shriek into a cloud of dark ashes. Zelda had confirmed he was gone when she’d disintegrated the pile with a flick of her finger, but that didn’t mean all of the monsters the sorcerer had brought along with him weren’t still around.

Legend sighed, and looked over at the rest of the Links.

They were deciding now whether to split off in groups to make sure the castle was truly monster-free, taking a moment to patch up any injuries before leaving. Legend watched as Hyrule came over to him, and asked if he had any preference as to what group he went with.

“I’m staying with Fable,” he said simply, glancing at where Zelda stood. She hadn’t moved much since the battle had finished, and Legend had been about to go check on her.

“Would you like some of us to stay with you?” Hyrule asked, and Legend shook his head.

“I’ll be fine. Go make sure there’s no more of that filth’s army hiding in here,” Legend said as he wiped off his sword with more force then necessary.

“You’re sure you and Fable will be okay by yourselves?” Sky asked gently from nearby, “today was a lot... for both of you.”

Legend glanced at Zelda again, then back at his sword.

“We’ll be fine,” he repeated after a moment, wiping away one last streak of blood. “We’ll join you at some point.”

Hyrule and Sky both hesitated, then nodded, Sky glancing once at Fable before they both joined the others. They filed out of the room, having finished their preparations, and Legend and Fable were left alone in the uppermost tower of the castle.

Legend breathed out, suddenly feeling rather tired as he sheathed his sword and joined Fable’s side. She continued to stare outside as he approached, and Legend studied her as a breeze from the broken window blew her hair around her face.

“Hey,” he greeted, and Fable hummed in reply.

Sunshine caught the dirt and grime still coated on her dress, lighting up the fabric and showing just how filthy it was. Legend could still see the remnants of tear tracks on her face as well, along with dark circles under her eyes, and he hesitated as he looked at her. Fable seemed exhausted, and Legend shifted his weight, wondering if she would prefer to be alone.

But he wasn’t keen on letting her out of his sight any time soon.

Not after she’d fallen to pieces in his arms only a few hours ago.

“Zelda?” he asked eventually, when the silence had stretched on for a long time between them. “You weren’t hurt at all, right?”

His voice sounded loud in the large space, despite how quietly he’d spoken, but Fable didn’t seem to hear him, her gaze fixed on the view.

Legend frowned. It was unusual Fable would be so quiet, even after such a mess. She was usually so lively, quick to offer a smile or a comeback to a quip, and he hadn’t seen her this downtrodden since... probably since he’d been reported dead after nearly dying in a shipwreck.

Ahh, not today, he thought as red-haired memories tried to push their way to the front of his mind. There’s been enough reliving the past lately around here.

“Zelda?” he prompted again after it had been a little while, and she swallowed, then turned and smiled at him, her eyes still a little red from her earlier tears.

“I’m fine, Link. I don’t believe any of his or the monsters’s attacks hit me. None of this blood is mine,” she said with a little chuckle, looking at her skirt.

She brushed some dust off, then looked at Legend, meeting his eyes with an unreadable look in her own.

“How about you? I think I saw him hit you once or— oh, you are hurt!” she suddenly exclaimed, eyes widening as she noticed the blood on his sleeve. She immediately drew closer, taking ahold of his arm, and Legend swallowed at her sudden proximity.

“It’s not that deep Zelda,” he tried to protest, but she was already rolling up his sleeve by his injury.

Legend winced as the fabric pushed against it, and blinked down at the cut on his forearm, his arm smeared with red and still sluggishly bleeding.

Hm. Well maybe it was a little deeper than he’d thought.

“Not that deep— Link, how did you not notice this?” Fable asked in dismay, and Legend shrugged, wincing again as she turned his arm.

“I was kind of busy with some other things,” he pointed out, but Fable wasn’t really listening to him, and ran her hand along the skin by his slice. Legend almost jerked away from the touch, but Fable was careful, and he did his best to hold still as she wiped away some blood.

“I have some bandages in my study,” she sighed, leaving his sleeve rolled up. “Hopefully nothing was disturbed in there.”

Before Legend could reply, Fable took him by the hand and led him out of the main tower, her fingers tight in his. After the initial shock and scramble not to drop it, Legend held it just a little tighter as they walked, relieved, even though it was encrusted with dirt and blood, that it was warm and alive in his.

While they’d been fighting the sorcerer, he’d revealed he’d been planning to sacrifice Zelda to try and bring back Ganon— which, wow, what an original plan there— and he’d turned most of his attacks on Legend, angered that Zelda had been released from his clutches and foiled his plans.

Like Legend would ever let her be used like that again.

He was only glad they’d made it before any kind of sacrifice had taken place. If he’d had to watch anything like what Agahnim or Yuga had done to her again...

Legend shook off the angry thoughts as Fable pulled him into her study, the usual mess of papers coating her desk. It didn’t look as if the sorcerer had made it into here, and Fable tugged him over to her chair and sat him down. She then opened a few drawers, mumbling under her breath about where her medical kit was.

“Zelda,” Legend tried again as she rooted through her desk, “I could just drink a potion, you don’t have to bother, really, it’s not that—”

“If you say “that bad” again, I’ll put bandages over your mouth so you’ll stop,” Fable threatened, then pulled out a box with a small smile. “There we go. And even with a potion, it still needs to be cleaned.”

She pulled an extra chair over next to him, and opened the box, pulling out a cloth with which she wiped the rest of the blood away. Legend watched her in silence as she worked, feeling a little tingle every time one of her hands ghosted along his arm, but focused on ignoring the feeling. He could have easily done this himself, and probably shouldn’t be troubling her, but was nice not to have to clean it up himself.

It didn’t take Zelda long to clean and then bandage the slice, but she didn’t completely pull away once she’d finished, her hands still holding his arm.

“This’ll probably scar,” she said quietly, an apology in her voice. “Even with a potion.”

Legend shrugged. “What’s one more?” At least it wasn’t one from a dumb accident.

Zelda swallowed, and looked down at where she was still holding his arm. She carefully let go of it, and Legend looked at her eyes, the normally bright blue stormy with emotion.

“...You’re certain he didn’t hurt you?” he asked after the silence had stretched between them for a while, and Fable nodded, brushing a hand across her cheek.

“He didn’t. Just locked me up, Link. And he’s gone now, I’ll be fine,” she continued smoothly, placing the unused medical supplies back into their box. “Why wouldn’t I be? Just because I was kidnapped again and almost sacrificed again so that Ganon could be brought back again, and couldn’t do a thing about it, that doesn’t mean I’m not fine, why wouldn’t it? I’m perfectly—”

“Zelda,” Legend interrupted, raising an eyebrow at her. “You were sobbing into my arms not three hours ago.”

She wilted a little, and tugged both arms around her waist, lips pressed into a thin line.

Legend had the distinct feeling that had been the wrong thing to say, and mentally kicked himself. Now what did he do? He wasn’t good at this touchy-feely stuff, that was Sky’s job. What was he supposed to say?!

He waited a minute for Fable to speak, but she didn’t say anything, and he swallowed.

He and Fable has known each other for years at this point, dealt with one crisis after another together, but even after all of that, he still wasn’t sure how close they were. They were friends certainly, close friends even, but their relationship had always been a little unusual. Especially after Mar— the shipwreck, it had been hard for Legend to spend much time with her, too many similarities at play.

But they were still friends. What could he say to her now?

He hadn’t really been thinking earlier when he’d grabbed her into a hug, he’d just seen her panicking and crying and done what he thought was best. He wasn’t sure if that would be the best option right now... but then again, Fable looked truly awful, and she could probably use another hug. But would she want one from him?

Goddesses preserve me, I’m hopeless at this.

“Link?”

He shook his head, banishing his messy thoughts, and looked at Fable, meeting her eyes again.

“Thank you for saving me,” she said quietly, and Legend blinked in surprise, not expecting her words. “I’m sorry you had to do it yet again. And calm me down, I have no excuse, it was just... it was too much, all at once. Too much like that night.”

Legend’s own memories of that night flickered in the back of his head, his throat tightening at the memory of his uncle’s dying words, a bloodstained sword pressed into too-small hands.

“I know. It’s okay,” he replied in a gentle voice. “Besides, it’s in my job description to rescue you, isn’t it?” he said with a cheerful smirk.

Fable almost laughed, and he felt something warm in him at the sight of her smile. But it soon faded again, and she squeezed her eyes shut a moment, not looking at Legend when she reopened them.

“Link, do you mind if..?” she whispered, leaning forward a little, and Legend found himself nodding before he could truly think through the request.

Fable leaned over and squeezed him, resting her head on his shoulder as he blinked in surprise. Legend belatedly raised his arms and hugged her back, and something warm settled in his chest at the touch, soothing the leftover storm of emotions from the day.

He sighed, and rested his head on her shoulder as well.

“We did it again,” he said, voice coming out more tired then he wanted it to. He rested a hand on her back, and felt Zelda relax a little. “We stopped the bad guy. Ganon didn’t come back, and we’re okay.”

“We did it,” Fable repeated a little shakily, her voice muffled in his shoulder. “Again.”

Legend swallowed, and tightened the hug, Fable doing the same.

He still wasn’t sure how he felt about everything that had happened today, and would probably be replaying some moments in his nightmares for a while. But being here, hugging Zelda, both of them still reeling from the reality of yet another attack on the kingdom, it felt... okay.

Like even if another crazy Ganon fanatic tried to bring him back tomorrow, they would have each other to lean on.

And it would be okay.

Fable squeezed him again, and he squeezed her back, neither of them caring how they were only getting each other dirtier.

It would be okay.

[nat-20s]

For the ask meme: pov?

POV — something that’s already happened, retold from another character’s perspective

MARTHA TIME BABEY!! this is set in season 3!! also this got longer than i was anticipating so uh readmore time <3

Martha knew about the (in her opinion, a bit on the nose) rosebush that resided splayed across The Doctor’s ribs, and how it didn’t used to have thorns wrapped around it. She obviously knew of and thought fondly about the caduceus snuggled to his clavicle that matched her own. (and oh, how she remembered that day, him and his confusing heartbeat and his eccentricities, including pulling down the collar of his shirt with an enthusiastic “This one is you, isn’t it!”.) She was even aware of the swirling vortex wrapped around his wrist that faded in and out, belonging to one Captain Jack Harkness. That one was..interesting, to say the least.

But The Doctor tended to stay rather bundled up. Logically speaking, it was entirely possible that he had several more marks that she would never bare witness to. She just kind of assumed otherwise, though. The Doctor hardly seemed the type to accumulate soul marks willy nilly, and even when he did, they didn’t seem like they would be all that private. Definitely not a soul mark on the upper thigh type bloke, by any means.

Then he had to go and get himself shot. Sure, she wasn’t an expert in xenobiology (yet- she had some plans), but generally speaking, large wound treatment was the same regardless of species. Step 1: get them into a position where you can accurately assess the wound, for the love of god, Doctor, stop being a baby, take off your shirt, and stay STILL. Step 2: Stop the bleeding. Luckily the shot through the shoulder had been from laser fire rather than a bullet, cauterizing the wound. Clearly meant to injure rather than kill, thank god. Step 3: If bleeding is under control, clean the wound. She didn’t have all the resources she’d like, but the Tardis did provide a fairly extensive first aid kit, including sterilizing wipes that The Doctor, uh, probably wouldn’t have a bad reaction to. Hopefully. Step 4: Make the open wound no longer open: aka bandage it up and threaten to put a cone on him if he starts messing with it.

The final step, which was really only in this specific case, was stop focusing on the wound and see a large dark spot out of the corner of her eye. Curious, and just a tad worried that there was some Other thing going on, Martha actually studies the blotch between his shoulder blades. It’s not a blotch, or a wound, or a rash, but rather the spitting image of a beetle. Oh, interesting. Clearly a soulmark, though the color is slightly faded, and she couldn’t think of who it might go to. Swallowing down just the ever so slightest twinge of jealousy over The Doctor being connected to yet another someone, she couldn’t help but ask, “So who’s this one then?”

She even threw in a slightly cheeky grin, because she genuinely was more curious than anything. Instead of direct response, of course, The Doctor only replied with a “Huh?”

“The beetle? Smack dab in the middle of your back? You know the one!”

With a scoff, The Doctor hastily puts his (first) shirt back on, and sucks in a breath through his teeth as he pulls on the brand new bandaging. “I most certainly do not know the one. I don’t have a mark on my back!”

Martha rolls her eyes at him. “Do you really not know? It’s not exactly subtle.”

The Doctor turns to face her, stares for a moment, then...sonics his own back. Apparently that does something for him, because as he squints down to the readout? he lets out a classic, “What?”

“I mean, it’s not that odd of a mark, is it? Almost terrestrial, for you.”

“No, that’s not. It’s not the mark itself, it’s, well, I don’t know who it belongs to.”

“Wait, I thought you had this sort of thing all, I dunno, cataloged out? Filed and color coded and everything.”

“Yeah, I mean, it could be her-”

Martha’s eyebrows raise and she covers up another of the littlest, ittiest, bittiest pang with a teasing, “Oh her? You’ve got a mystery woman out there? Or should I say another one?”

“No, no, no, not like that, just someone I ran into-”

“Yeah, right, someone you ‘just ran into’ is someone you have a soulmark with.”

He grimaces ever so slightly, at it’s not from that stupid shoulder of his. “Yeah, you’re right. Can’t be...Well, should be interesting to find out, anyway. Now, where were we? Trensalor, right?”

He’s dashing off to the Tardis console before she can respond, and she lets out a sigh. She knows full well this conversation isn’t getting anywhere any time soon, so might as well go with it. Privately, she hopes that whomever this mystery person is that is now written on The Doctor’s skin is decent. Maybe even someone she could get on with, ideally.

She hasn’t yet discovered the beetle wing on her back.