#when it's blatantly stated in the text to be red in a way that contains no implication of them lying

[honestlyvan]

Y'know, I don't think it's accurate to say that you can do fandom "wrong", but I do definitely think that there are people out there doing fandom things that are totally cromulent, except they're based on a blatant misreading or at least directly contradict aspects of the texts, and unless they're explicitly labeling their doing of fandom as "adversarial" or otherwise, I would feel comfortable saying they're doing fandom "incorrectly".

[lilxberry]

Perfectly Oblivious - Zach Dempsey

Synopsis;

You are certainly oblivious to Zach’s feelings towards you, as he is with yours. A misunderstanding leads to a confession from both ends.

Warnings: lil bit of angst maybe, language, low-key slow burn. I dunno, Bryce lmao. May be shitty due to this being my first bit of writing.

Words: 3,139

Pairing: Zachery ‘Zach’ Dempsey x Reader

_______________

With an aggravated groan, Y/N stretched her limbs out whilst throwing a deadly glare towards their phone, which continuously blared out the awful sound of their alarm. Exhaling a long, sleep ridden sigh, she threw her warm, comfy covers off and proceeded to remove their fatigued body from the mattress to turn off the overly annoying tone that continues to taunt them and start their day.

Finally turning off the alarm that so rudely awoke them from their dreamy slumber, Y/N notices the text from her best friend Tony, notifying them that he'll be there to pick them up to head to school in 15 minutes.

Which was sent 10 minutes ago.

"Shit."

_______________

Just as Y/N finished running around like a headless chicken trying to get ready for their day at hell, ahem, I meant school, the purr of the famous 'stang accompanied with a quick double honk of the horn could be heard just down the driveway of their house, notifying her of Tony's arrival.

Quickly doing a mental checklist, she gave herself a small nod of approval and ran straight through the door, speedily locking it behind them and sprinting down to the car.

As Y/N reached the red, metallic stead, she noticed a certain leather jacket clad friend not so successfully hiding his amusement over his friends' rushing about. Playfully narrowing her eyes at the boy in the drivers seat whilst settling into the front, Y/N spoke in an unamused tone. "Shut up."

"I-wha-I didn't even say anything," he spluttered slightly whilst trying to keep from bursting out with laughter when replying to his friend whose appearance was slightly dishevelled. Starting the engine of his car back up, he smirked slightly as he pulled off, side-eyeing his company for the ride. "I see you've had a wonderful morning."

"Fucking brilliant," she replied, rolling her eyes, trying to hide her own amusement.

"Hey! Watch your fucking language, kid!" Within moments of Tony's reply, they simultaneously exploded with boisterous laughs, so much so that if Y/N threw her head back any further, their skull would be through the headrest of the car seat.

Soon calming down from the ridiculous early morning banter, Tony glances towards his best friend resting her elbow on the car door, dangling their arm out the window and enjoying the breeze, he smiles and speaks up, breaking the blissful silence. "Sooooo, when are you going to ask out Dempsey, huh?"

Y/N flushes slightly, a soft pink tint rising up her neck and onto her cheeks, the tips of her ears feeling uncomfortably hot. "I am NOT asking him out, I'll look like a damn idiot T." they reply, shaking their head vigorously. "It's just friendly banter and homework talk between us anyways, no actual indication that the tall bastard likes me."

"Tall, handsome, bastard." He blatantly 'corrects' her, as if stating a well known fact, which it most definitely is. Chuckling slightly, he continues. "You haven't seen the way he looks at you when you aren't paying attention. He's got it bad, baby and so do you. So God help me, if you don't do something soon, I sure as shit am going to interfere like you won't believe." he finishes, shaking his head slightly with slowly pulling into a parking spot in the lot at school.

Letting out an exasperated yet sad sigh, she grabs her bag and gets out of the car, waiting for her 'short-stack' pal to exit the vehicle himself before linking her arm around his and make their way towards the entrance of the school.

_______________

As they walked through the doors together, arm in arm, they are greeted by the regular bustling school body of Liberty High, occupying both sides of the hallways as they either loiter or obtain their textbooks needed for their classes of the day.

Once further into the busy building, Tony and Y/N part ways and head to their respective lockers to collect their own books for the day. When Y/N reaches her locker, she feels a gaze upon her as she focuses on collecting her books. As she's about to close her locker, the one and only Zachary Dempsey  appears beside her with a blinding smile that makes her swoon and weak at the knees.

She meets his eyes and notices the bright shine behind them, filled with happiness but also a hint of something else she can't quite put her finger on. Brushing the thought off, she returns the smile, beaming just as brightly at the taller male.

She chuckles softly, containing a hint of amusement and nervousness as she greets him. "Hey Dempsey."

"Y/L/N."

"And what do I owe the pleasure of being graced by your immaculate presence?" She giggles softly at her over dramatized question.

Zach shares a small chuckle with the girl. He looks down slightly to hide the inevitable flush of colour to his face. Though she quickly notices, she neglects the idea to bring it up and the corners of her mouth turn upwards more so slightly, smiling to herself victoriously.

"Well I was wondering you'd allow me the honours of walking to class with you fair maiden." He replies in a cheeky tone, speaking with just as much of a dramatized tone, looking back up to meet the gaze of the girl in front of him again.

She snorts out in laughter but quickly flushes with embarrassment, eyes widening slightly at the action. As she avoids his gaze, nervously playing with her fingers in hope of it comforting her in her time of embarrassment, his smile widens, believing it's the most beautiful and quite possibly the cutest sound he has ever heard a human make in the entirety of his existence. He gazes upon her adoringly but of course, she doesn't notice.

Deciding to help her out, he stands from his leaning position against the locker and looks at her expectantly as he speaks. "Well m'lady, will you allow my to escort you to communications class?" He raises an eyebrow as she looks up at him with a soft smile, blushing even more profusely. She nods her head and finally closes her locker as she starts walking along side him. He smiles victoriously and slings his arm over her shoulders as they continue walking to class, pulling her into his side.

'This is going to be a great day', they both so happened to think to themselves as they head towards their destination for first period.

_______________  

As the weeks progressed, Y/N noticed a slight change within Zach's behaviour around her. First came the sweet, kind gestures like carrying her bag as they walk to class together, then the flirty comments, making her blush madly as she would smile up at the basket ball player. But then it soon developed to more shared touches, his fingertips lingering on her skin, goosebumps rising along her arms and making the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

His touch feather light and delicate, as if she was the most precious, fragile thing in the world, sending a tingle up her spine every time they came into contact.

Y/N also noticed the way his jaw clenched whenever she laughed at Foley's jokes or when she became engrossed in a conversation with Atkins and gave him her undivided attention. He wanted that attention so badly for himself but that's something she certainly didn't see.

All these actions between the two often put the thought of "Does he actually like me back?" into her mind but she is just as quick to dismiss them with a shake of her head.

Surely he only likes her as a friend. Right?

_______________

Y/N was heading towards the parking lot to meet up with Tony, her ride home, when an ear studded Jeff in all his decked out in letterman jacket glory jogged up to her and slung an arm over her shoulders, taking the poor, unsuspecting girl by surprise and making her jump slightly.

Looking up, she meets Jeff's gaze and gleaming smile as he chuckles. "Jesus Jeff, you scared the shit out of me." She huffs and pauses momentarily, holding her hand over her heart before resuming with walking, Jeff still slung over her two shoulders.

"Sorry Y/N/N." he laughs boisterously at her pouty expression.

"We need to put a fucking bell on you or something so you can't sneak up on people like that." She suggests playfully.

Jeff continues to chuckle, responding with a small shake of his head in amusement. "Are you saying I'm a pussy, Y/N?" He retorts back, giving her a slight smirk. "I wanted to know if you're coming to the party tonight at Bryce's."

"Yeah, I'll be there. For some reason, Jess and Hannah are actually pretty excited for it so they're forcing me and Clay to go. They've even roped T into going too somehow." Rolling her eyes, she smiles up at the boy.

"Glad to hear it. I'll see you later then." He winks at her and starts to walk away when he shouts back with a mischievous glint in his eye. "AND WEAR SOMETHING SEXY!"

She laughs loudly as she finally gets to Tony's car and climbs in, throwing her back on to the back seat and heading home ready to start preparing for the party later that night.

Throughout their interaction, Zach watched the whole thing from his spot in the parking lot next to his car with furrowed eyebrows and a clenched jaw. His fists balled up so tightly by his sides that his knuckles turned a ghostly white. To say he was pissed would be an understatement. Jeff knew of his not so little crush on Y/N and wanted to know what he was playing at. hell, he encouraged him to ask you out most of the time.

One way or another, he was finally going to ask you out tonight at the party. 'Before someone else does first', he thought bitterly to himself.

_______________

Y/N gives herself a final once over in her full body length mirror, admiring her outfits that accentuates her features perfectly without being to revealing and uncomfortable. She beams at the handy work of her hair that works beautifully with her outfit for the night. With a pleased smile and a nod of her head, she grabs her phone and heads downstairs to wait in the living room for Tony to finally pick her up.

As she waits on the sofa, viewing her friends snapchat stories, she notices a certain tall, dark haired basket ball player in the background of Monty's snap talking to who she deducts to be Jenny. She notes how blissfully happy he seems to be while Jenny grasps at his biceps, pushing her breasts up and towards his arm, obviously flirting immensely.

With a disheartened huff, she locks her phone and continues waiting for her friend in silence.

'I knew he didn't like me, she's obviously his type'. Her saddening thoughts consumed her mind until the familiar rumble of an engine snapped her out of her revere. She grabbed her phone, making sure she had everything she needed before heading out the door, locking it behind her and hopping into the car, NOT looking forward to watching her long time crush have a girl hang off his arm all night like the worlds most irritating koala ever.

_______________

Walking into the party, the music reverberated throughout the room, adding a thumping pressure on her chest. The music pounding loudly in her ears, she heads towards the kitchen, ready to have her first taste of alcohol that night, which will hopefully help her avoid him.

Upon entering the kitchen, Bryce, who was surrounded by a few other jocks, including Scott and Monty, took notice of Y/N and beckoned her over with a loud greeting and use of her name.

She looked up at the boy and gave him a small, sheepish smile. "Hey Walker." She may not like him greatly but she sees no harm in being civil as he did so too.

"Glad to see you came." He gave her a slight smirk, pulling his bottom lip in-between his teeth.

"Looking good Y/L/N!" Monty complimented loudly over the high volume of the music, giving you a once over with his eyes, looking you up and down. Scott seemingly doing the same.

"Uh, thanks guys." She flushes, more so from feeling uncomfortable under the stares of the jocks she had no interest in sticking around by. "I'm just gonna-uh-get a drink." She gives a tight lipped smile as she squeezes past and gains access to the beverages.

Finally finishing grabbing a drink, she makes haste towards the backyard where she assumes her friends would be. She unfortunately didn't find her friends and was greeted to the sight of a overly tipsy Zach playing beer pong with irritatingly loud Jenny cheering him on. Y/N rolls her eyes at the sight and speedily heads towards the opposite end of the yard.

Sighing, she sits on one of the few sun loungers surrounding the pool, starring sombrely into the amber liquid in her red solo cup. If the drink was a few shades darker, it would be like staring into his eyes, the eyes she wished would look at her filled with love and adoration.

Taking a big gulp, she chances a glance over towards where they had set up the game of beer pong, hoping to get a peek at the guy in question, although she didn't know whether she would like what she'd see.

To her surprise, Zach was already looking over in her direction with a sour face to match her mood. She quickly glanced back down, returning to glare and her drink in hand before taking another big gulp. She felt his gaze burn holes into her and she shifted uncomfortably.

Without so much as a warning, Zach had apparently made his way over without her noticing and sat down beside her on the sun lounger, startling her slightly.

"Hey." she greeted softly, fiddling with her nearly empty cup, basking in the awkward atmosphere, feeling the air surrounding them thick with tension.

"So, where's Jeff?" He questioned bitterly, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in confusion towards the boy sat beside her.

"What? Why would I know where Jeff is?" The confusion she's experiencing crystal clear in her tone of voice just as much as her expression, staring at the boy quizzically.

His jaw clenches slightly and he downs the rest of the liquid within his cup. Sighing heavily as he turns his body towards her, he has an unreadable expression on his own perfectly sculpted face, causing her to frown. "Because you're dating. Or are you messing with his feeling just like fucking mine." He snaps at her slightly. You open and close your mouth repeatedly, shocked by what you're hearing. Before you can ask what he means, he continues, slurring slightly from his consumption . "Yanno, I really like you, like really like you but you clearly just love messing guys around and fucking with their heads. First you lead me on, then you claw your way to Jeff. You've probably lead on half of the fucking school. You're just a bitch like the...rest..."

Zach trails off as he sees the tears building up and threaten to spill from your eyes at any second and he realises what he's done. He shakes his head vigorously with a sad expression upon his. "I-I-I didn't..I didn't mean that...I-I'm sorry..."

He kneels in front of her, taking Y/N's small hands into his larger ones and kisses her knuckles repeatedly, muttering apologies, so quietly that she barely hears them escape his mouth.

"Wh-uh-why wou-would you say tha-at?" She hiccups as she questions his hurtful words. She sniffles slightly and allows some of her tears to fall and roll down her cheek. The sight breaks Zach's heart and he berates himself in his head for hurting such a sweet and an amazing person. In truth, he knew she did nothing wrong but with his overthinking combined with his alcohol consumption, he couldn't help himself.

"I'm an idiot, I don't know, I am SOOOO sorry." He brings his hands up to cup her cheeks and wipe her tears away gently with the pads of his thumbs. "I've definitely ruined my chances now, huh?" He chuckles dryly, a lump forming in his throat.

She looks up at him shocked, cheeks stained with tears that slowly start to dry up. She sniffles and gives him and incredulous look, shaking her head. "You've got to be kidding me." She chuckles softly at his confused expression. "Do you know how long I've wanted to be with you. Jesus fucking Christ Zach. I thought you didn't like me so I sure as shit didn't make a move. I thought we were just friends with weird interactions and banter." She shakes her head, hiding her face in her hands as she lets out a small frustrated groan.

Zach removes her hands from her face and smiles up at her. "How could you seriously not realise that I like you? I made it way too painfully fucking obvious." He lets out a breathy laugh as he slowly moves closer to you. "You are so perfectly oblivious, you know that right?"

Y/N flushes a light pink as she giggles softly, slowly meeting him halfway, alternating between looing into his eyes and staring longingly at his lips.

"Are you sure you want this?" He asks, barely above a whisper, afraid that he would ruin the moment if his voice raised a decibel higher.

Without answering, she closes the gap, pushing her soft, plump lips on to his slightly chapped ones, savouring the moment between the two. She slowly moves her hands up and around to the back of his neck, playing with the hair on his nape as his left cupped her cheek and right gently held on to her waist.

Cheering and wolf whistles sounded not too far to the side of them near the house. Breaking apart slightly, the two saw a small gathering of their friends being over excited about their kiss. Y/N caught sight of Tony and he sent her a cheeky, sly wink. She giggled softly as Zach shook his head, trying to hide his beaming grin.

"Yeah! Get some Dempsey!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP BRYCE!" Everyone simultaneously shouted altogether, silencing the perverted party host.

Y/N and Zach go back to looking at each other, both of their eyes filled with adoration for the other sat in front of them. The share a cheek splitting grin before leaning in a sharing a final kiss before Zach stands up and extends his arm out, offering his hand to Y/N. "Come on m'lady, I think we need another drink."

_______________ . . . . . Okay, so I know this wasn't the best, I honestly didn't know where I was going with this. I'll probably be able to formulate a better story if I have an idea on what my story is actually going to be about lmao But seriously, if you've read this, then thank you. I'll be uploading as often as I can (when I'm not swamped with college work), and that means I'll slowly improve. I'd love to get some requests. I can work on them in my spare time and I think it'll be fun to see what others want.

Constructive criticism is gladly welcomed :D

[jjk-anime-horray]

Meetings and Misfortune

Dazai Osamu x reader x Oda Sakunosuke

Series Summary: While Dazai finally gets over the death of his friend and moves on with his life, he has to watch him unnaturally return into the would, and now he has to watch him turn twisted and into everything he hated in a way.

Chapter Summary: Dazai finally reveals to the agency the situation they are dealing with, but their important meeting is interrupted by a public incident.

Trigger Warnings: Emotional trauma, mentions of extreme violence, mentions of emotional distress, mentions of illegal activities, and strong language.

Previous Chapter: Needed Connections

"Dazai, so you are saying that the usual agency's level of vigilance may not be against your undead associate if they choose to attack us, and the new unknown group radicals I presume." Voiced the president in his authority laced tone after Dazai finished explaining to the agency the new situation they are in.

"Not maybe, will not be, everyone should travel in at least teams of two, the unknown group we do not have any information on, other than the fact that they can raise the dead an control them, whether it's one person with the ability or one person with a necromancy ability and another one with a mind control ability, I have no idea. We do know that we could very possibly see more revived assassins in the coming times until we find the ability user or whatever is resurrecting them."

"Alright, everyone pay attention!" The president doomed, but mostly at Ranpo eating snacks in the corner. "I am going to make it official that everyone stay in a group of two or more at all times for everyone's safety for the time being, the groupings will vary from day to day based on daily assignments, but it's going to be a new rule that you cannot leave the building unless you have a partner with you. Dazai and (Y/N), shift your investigation to work on finding the new radical group, everyone is dismissed."

With that everyone rushed to go to various activities and investigations, but not without an eerie uncertainty that wasn't present before. Whatever it was is was definantly keeping you on edge, and you had a feeling that something it wasn't going to go ideally today at all, but you didn't know why, the classic hunch.

"Hey Daz, do you have any ideas where to start with looking for this new group, I have one, but it's something neither of us are going to like."

"If you mean anything other than asking the port mafia if they've had any rival groups show up than no, but it's quite the possibility that we could ask mutual-boom...... Did you hear that (Y/N)?"

"Yeah I did.....Do you know where that came from? It was kind of faint so maybe it was someone dropping something like a BUZZ BUZZ...wait a second Yosano just texted me."

Check the news. Was all that flashed on your phone's screen, and now you're curious so you check the news app, but the headline was far from pleasant.

BOMB SET OFf BY UNKOWN ROBBER GROUP AT BANK TO ESCAPE, MORE DETAILS TO ARRIVE SHORTLY.

"Oh shit, Dazai I know where we're heading next."

-----

"Well this is definantly not what I wanted to do today." He said staring at an computer, occasionally making a little clinking sound.

"You never want to do anything Dazai." You said as you were going through they bank's filing system.

The two of you were currently going through the bank's resources to find out what exactly the robber's stole. When you got to the crime scene it was blatantly obvious that this was not the usual heist considering that once you got there the two of you were told that no alarms were set off during the thieves stealing process. Meaning that they got in undetected. What was even weirder is that no money was actually stolen. The current bank you were at also offered an high-end, state of the art security vault to filthy rich buyers, with that being said the robbers most likely didn't use the bomb to escape, but to get into the vault instead.

So, the two of you were figuring out what they stole because clearly they went through a lot of trouble to get to it, and it had to be something more than just high value considering that the vault looked completely full, and all the items currently resting in it were family heirloom jewelry, paintings, and almost virtually anything a rich person would want to keep safe.

But, due to the bank's privacy policy there is not master list of all of the items in there, instead they kept in portfolios of the buyer's, so they two of you had to cross check every item in there until you figured out what was missing. While Dazai was checking the security footage, you were checking the items.

"Do you see anything on the security feed that hints to who these guys are?"

"Unfortunately the group of three were smart enough to have their faces completely covered, so the answer to that would be no. Also unfortunately there is no feed useable after the bomb was set off, but given the fact that they didn't bring any bags with them means that they stole something that could fit in their pockets. Maybe like a flash drive or something."

"Actually not a flash drive." Is all you said to cause your partner to turn around, then you elaborated. "It was a key, but unfortunately the buyer paid the bank extra money to keep their name anonymous, so we don't have any leads from that."

"Well, we know what the key looks like or do we not?"

"Yeah, there's a picture right here." You hand him the file containing all the information given about this key.

Unlike most keys it has two heads meaning that it's meant to unlock two different things. They key itself is made out of silver, engraved with some sort of writing all over it but you don't recognize it. It's also tarnished, meaning that it's probably very old along with pretty beaten up.

"It's kinda funky looking, wonder if someone shoved it down my throat it would kill me or not." With that you give your partner a classic glare. "Or not."

"Uh huh, that's what I thought, it does say that key was previously owned by a private collector, while it doesn't say their name, it does say their gallery if you could even call it that is 'Baroque.'

"Wait.....that's the auction that a bunch of filthy rich people go to quarterly, and some of the port mafia go there as well, but how are we going to even get in it's by invite only. We definantly not on the list, and last time I checked it's in about a little less than a week, do you have a miraculous plan. We could always steal someones invite....."

"We aren't going to steal anything! I have a plan, but it's stupid, and it would be a miracle if it worked."

"What might that be?"

"Ask Chuuya to see if he's willing to take me as his plus one."

At this point in time Dazai was the one staring at you, but not in they death glare way, in the way like did you literally just say that to my face sort of way.

"I'm so betrayed (Y/N)."

"Well do you have any better ideas?"

Truth be told he didn't, and he knew that his rival did have an invite because he saw him go to that auction in the past. He knew if he asked he would most definantly be killed in a matter of seconds, but you actually had a slim chance of actually convincing the short red head to help you, even if it's only temporary.

"Do you have any tips before I go Daz?"

"If you want the annoyance to actually give you a chance, you should bring some high-end wine as a bargaining chip."

While nodding in agreement, you stood up, and rushed to find the port executive. Walking into what would most likely become a complete disaster, but it's the only shot you got.

[softomi]

The Little Things

If there was one phrase that could describe Miya Atsumu, it would be “all talk, no action.”. Of course the only person who ever said this about Atsumu was his brother Osamu. In the way Osamu put it, “He’ll say that he has the biggest dick but won’t participate in the dick showing contest.”. When you heard this, you couldn’t contain the laughter from spilling out of your mouth. Atsumu, banging his fist on the table, stood to his feet with a scowl; hollering in his brother’s restaurant that he’d gladly do the dick showing contest with him right then and there. But Osamu’s description of his brother was spot on when the male sat back down, crossing his arms to grumble about the fact that his dick was indeed bigger.

All in all, when you look at your boyfriend. The phrase definitely suited him well.

“I’m not coming to the party.” Atsumu states blatantly in the middle of dinner.

Your news of a promotion at work brought initial excitement in the both of you, but as soon as you mentioned the celebration party your coworkers were throwing for you, distaste sat on his tongue. Many people painted Atsumu as a party goer, but unlike his teammate Bokuto who joined any party regardless of the occasion, Atsumu only loved parties centered around him. That’s just how he preferred it.

“Okay.” You lifted the spoon to your lips.

Atsumu lays his utensils down on the table, “I’m serious.” He crosses his arms, “I’m not going, so don’t expect me there.”

Your lips curl, sending him a reassuring smile, “Babe, it’s okay. You don’t have to come, I brought it up in case you wanted to. But if you don’t, then that’s fine.”

He narrows his eyes as if he’d detect some sort of lying in you, “Okay.”. It’s all he says before he continues to eat.

But you knew him all too well.

Ten minutes after the celebration of your promotion started, you spotted him. Awkwardly standing at the entrance of the restaurant, looking out of place and lost, a big bouquet of roses in his hands, Atsumu can’t hide the way the tips of his ears turn red when you notice him. You stood from your seat, skipping towards him, your hands tucked behind you as you land on both of your feet in front of him. Your cheeky smile as you grab the roses from his hands makes him flustered.

“I thought you said you weren’t coming.” You send him a look, one that he knows too well as you teasing him.

Atsumu clears his throat, checking the nonexistent watch on his wrist, he attempts to look suave, “Well, I had some time and thought I’d just pop by for a bit.” He sees the way your eyes sparkle, “and well, Osamu wanted me to tell you congratulations on your promotion and that he’s very proud of you.”

Your eyes fall onto the roses before looking up towards him, “Well, tell Osamu thank you very much and thank you for stopping by, it means a lot to me.” Your fingers drag themselves against his cheek, softly pulling him by the ear to place a soft kiss near his lips.

Atsumu is quick, he captures your lips as you attempt to pull away. He manages to steal a kiss from you, “But, I’m proud of you more.”

“I know.” You smile, “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”

“Please stay!” Your coworkers squeal from behind you.

You turn to hiss as the sqealing females but Atsumu wraps an arm around your shoulder, “Well, if they insist, then I must.” He nearly dodges your attempt to elbow him in the abdomen.

Atsumu was the best at hiding behind his words. Osamu says that this was a trait that Atsumu grew into. This made Atsumu terrible at communication about anything he really wanted. Sure, he could voice when he was hungry or when he was trying a new move at practice. But he made a terrible communicator when it came to anything serious.

“I don’t like it.” Atsumu grumbles as you place a bandaid onto his cheek.

You frown and he hates it when you look so disappointed at him, “It’s okay.” Your voice whispers.

Atsumu doesn’t like the words come out of your mouth, “It’s not okay. Would it be okay if I flirted with some girl in front of you? You’d hit her too if you were in my position.”

You nod, your thumb rubbing against his cheek, “You know I wasn’t flirting with him.” Unlike his heated demeanor, you were calm, trying to quell your lover of the flame in his head.

“Whatever.” Atsumu pushes you off him to make way to the bedroom. The slam of the door causes you to jolt in your spot, “Don’t bother me.” He practically shouts at the closed door.

Your head falls in a tilt, letting out a sigh as you follow to the bedroom door. When you open it wide, you can see him, huffing and puffing, as if preparing himself for the worst; as if somewhere along the line, you had decided that you no longer wanted to be with him. As if, in his mind that never stops thinking, you had suddenly decided that other men were far more superior than him.

“I said don’t bother me.” He huffs, his chest rising and falling, “I want to be alone.” He puffs as a small tear falls down his cheek, “Go away.”

And yet, the moment you sink into his chest, he wraps his arms around you, nuzzling himself into the crook of your neck, “You’re such a big baby.” You whisper into his ear.

If you combine his two traits, all talk no action and his inability to communicate properly, it creates a conversation that even he doesn’t understand.

“It’s a big dinner party.” Atsumu follows you around the house, “Only for the member of the Jackals and their wives, fiance’s, long time partners and such.”

“Oh.” You say, holding the laundry basket in your hands while turning towards him, “So girlfriends aren’t allowed.”

Atsumu prompty lifts the basket from your hands, “Well Omi is bringing his girlfriend, but they’ve been dating for years now and the dinner party is supposed to be ‘bring a plus one that’s a relationship type’ thing.”

“Ah.” You nod your head, “Makes sense makes sense. We’ve been only dating for what, two years now.” You take the basket from his hands, “Yeah, we’re definitely not relationship material. In fact.” You abruptly turn at the bedroom door to look at him, “I might just find myself a new boyfriend.”

“Babe.” Atsumu calls out, “That’s not what I meant. The invitation just says serious couples only.”

It didn’t take long for the dinner party to be a drag. Maybe if he had just admitted to you that he thought a serious relationship meant more than two years together, just maybe, you’d be standing right next to him. Instead, you had sent him a series of texts, photos of you in your pajamas, showing him that you indeed were not in a relationship. And just as he’d about to relent and apologize, your call fills his cell phone screen.

“Hey.” He answers the call a little too eagerly, “Look, I wanted to say sorry.”

“For what?” You state innocently.

Atsumu looks amongst the crowd of couples in the venue, “What I meant was, do you think this is a relationship?”

He can hear chattering from your end, it causes slight confusion in him as you speak, “Well, what do you think?”

“Me?” Atsumu notices the faint outline of familiarity amongst the crowd, “I think.” Atsumu straightens up, a smug tug on his lips when you turn in the crowd to look at him, “I don’t think I could go a day without you.”

You walk amongst the crowd and he follows, “Are you proposing?”

“Are you running away from me?” He holds the phone to his ear, watching as you turn once more in the room just to stick your tongue out at him.

“I don’t think I could go a day without you.” You tease into the phone.

“Oh, you’re so going to get it.” Atsumu ends the call.

You squeal as he wiggles his way to you, barely clutching you by the wrist to pull you into him. Your arms find themselves around his neck and his around your waist.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Atsumu’s lips barely hover over yours, “I know a place.”

“Is it the onigiri place two blocks down.”

Atsumu presses a kiss to your lips, “God, you’re perfect.”

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @vyxynheartssterek!

Happy Holidays! Hope you enjoy :)

Read on AO3

*****

Soulmates and Coffee

Beacon Hills, it seemed, hadn’t changed at all. It took Derek twenty minutes to make it from the airport to the town limit. He watched as the buildings of the bustling city merged seamlessly into trees; their long shadows cast against the road from the occasional streetlight.

If he tried hard enough, he could smell the familiar scent of home through the dirty air filter of the rental car.

The car lurched as it hit the first pothole.

Derek smiled at the familiarity. He could still hear his mother cursing up a storm when she had hit the same one and got a flat tire. He and Laura had been stranded in the back seat with nothing but a yo-yo to keep themselves amused as she tried to figure out how to put on the spare.

No matter how many times the darn pothole was paved, it came back each year with a vengeance and had become an unfortunate landmark amongst the Beacon Hill community.

He merged onto the main street.

It was still dark this early in the early morning. The redeye flight had been the only one available on short notice. His eyes burned, but the thrill of home kept him going.

It’d been a long time since he last drove these streets. Four years at a university in New York with mainly phone calls and Skype to keep in contact with his family. Of course, they all came out to see him graduate last spring, but that seemed like a lifetime ago.

Laura had stayed with him for a couple weeks a few years back. He had showed her around the city, taken her to all his favorite places, and even some that weren’t his favorites but that he thought she’d enjoy. She liked the city in a distant sort of way, saying that it was pretty but not for her, and that she was needed back home.

He flexed his fingers around the unfamiliar wheel of the car.

Laura’s trip was the first time he’d heard about their new emissary, Stiles. She told him he was nice, and friendly with a mischievous streak a mile wide that kept everyone on their toes. She was supposed to spend time with him since she was to be the next alpha. She needed to trust him and his judgement, and he her.

He was looking forward to meeting this new person. Having been born and raised out here he felt like he knew everyone, at least in passing. But the name Stiles didn’t ring any bells. And no one in his family elaborated on who exactly he was.

He smiled, gently weaving between a string of potholes, proud of himself for remembering where they were. Maybe he could save a little bit of damage to the poor car.

The clock on the dash flicked to the hour. 4am.

He tapped his thumbs against the wheel.

The pack wouldn’t be awake yet. Even Peter wouldn’t be up for another hour. But, he supposed, that just meant he’d have time to unpack in peace before getting ambushed with attention. Cora was convinced he was bringing her something back from New York.

He smiled, imagining her face when she opened the bag containing a T-shirt stating that someone who loved her went to New York and only brought back “this shirt”.

He passed the high school on his right. It looked the same, yet off at the same time. He squinted for just a second longer as he placed the oddity; the building had been extended. He could see the off color brick where the new portion started.

Just past the school, a building complex came into view. This one hadn’t been there when he was here last. He frowned, trying to make out which signs were posted above the doors when the car lurched.

Derek swore, gripping the wheel and jerking it to keep the car straight.

The steady thumping of a flat tire filled the air.

He slapped the hazzards, pulling into the parking lot of the complex he’d been examining.

The cruel irony made him grimace. He sat, listening to the hum of the engine and the chirping of crickets. He’d have to put on the spare.

He tugged the key from the ignition and brushed his thumb across the soulmark on his left wrist. It was a habit he’d developed when the mark appeared, a romantic at heart, the slight touch calmed him, reminding him that someone special was out there, somewhere. It was a couple shades lighter than his skin tone, the triple spirals he knew represented him were tucked inside an explosion of lines, each one fanning outward in a different direction. He used to call it a firework.

The mark had appeared when he was sixteen, like it did almost everyone else in the world, and he would be blatantly lying if he ever said he hadn’t hoped of meeting his soulmate in New York. Beacon Hills seemed like too small of a place to meet anyone that significant, and a part of him believed by moving to a bigger city the chances of running into them were greater. But here now, nearly ten years later, he still hadn’t met them. Which was fine, he supposed, some people didn’t meet their soulmates until they were older. His mom was in her thirties when she met hers.

He opened the car door, stepping out into the cold air. Whoever his soulmate was probably wasn’t out at this hour anyway and he wanted to get home.

He walked to the back of the car and popped the trunk, levering out his rolling suitcase so he could access the compartment that held the spare. He lifted the flap, and stared into the empty space.

The jack was where it should be, tucked away in the crevice that looked designed to hold it, the tool to loosen the bolts was also there, and even some reflective cones. But there was no tire.

He sighed and tugged his phone from his pocket. He didn’t want to wake anyone up, he’d specifically told them all that he was familiar with the area and was more than capable of driving himself home. He glared at the back tire.

With only a second’s hesitation, he called Peter. He frowned as the phone continued to ring. More than likely Peter had his phone on Do Not Disturb. Even the gentle vibration of phones would wake any of them up, but Peter was usually up before sunrise anyway and would get the message soon enough. If he were desperate, he could always walk.

The phone kicked him to voicemail, Peter’s voice told him to leave a message if it was something that couldn’t be sent through text.

He smiled. “Hey, Uncle Peter. I hit one of the potholes on Main and apparently a spare tire is extra in the car rental industry.” He chuckled. “But, uh, yeah, I’m in the parking lot outside-” he squinted at the closest sign on the building. “Merry Meet Coffee and Tea, if you wouldn’t mind picking me up when you wake up, that’d be great. Thank you!”

He hung up and looked back at the sign. Merry Meet Coffee and Tea was new, and the blue and red neon sign proclaimed they were open. Sitting inside and drinking coffee sure beat sitting in the car for an hour.

He loaded his luggage back into the trunk and shut it, then began his way across the lot.

A bell tied to the inside handle jingled when he pushed the door open.

The cafe was simple with a woodsy feel. Wooden tables sat scattered throughout the room, their legs twisting and reaching out and down to the floor like tree roots. The tall back chairs were styled similarly. Plants hung from holders on the ceiling, and a few paintings of forest scenery decorated the walls.

It was a fitting theme for Beacon Hills.

A short haired young man looked up from a stack of books at a corner table. His brow twitched just slightly as he tried to orientate himself back to his surroundings, having been yanked from his thoughts at Derek’s entry.

“Hello,” he greeted from habit. Then his expression lightened and he smiled, rising from his seat. “What can I get for you?” He left his books on the table, careful to check the page number of the book he was on before closing it.

Derek watched as he made his way around the counter and over to the register. He could now see the small logo of a tree and the name of the shop embroidered on the chest of his shirt.

“Just a cup of black coffee, please.” Derek smiled, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He handed over his debit card and looked around again. “This is a nice shop, it wasn’t here last time I was in town.”

“It’s my mom’s, I help her out sometimes and come in early.” The young man swiped his card, then looked back at him. “Where are you from?”

“Here.” Derek smiled, watching the way the man’s eyes narrowed in thought as he tried to place who Derek was. “I was born and raised here, but I’ve been studying in New York for the last four years. I’m Derek Hale.”

The man’s eyes widened sightly in surprise, then a smile lit his face. “I can see that now. I knew you back in grade school.”

Now it was Derek’s turn to frown; grade school had been a long time ago.

The grin slowly widened across his face. “Back then I went by Mischief.”

“Scott’s friend!” Derek announced, sudden memories of the two boys hanging out with Cora coming back to him. They had come to a few of her birthday parties, and if he remembered correctly, had been suspended together at some point for disrupting class with a prank on April Fools Day.

“That’s me,” Mischief grinned, reaching down to grab a cup.

“How’s your mom doing?” Derek asked, stepping down the length of the counter out of habit; it wasn’t like there was anyone behind him.

“She’s great! She’ll actually be in shortly, I have a class that starts at seven.” He grabbed the carafe and filled the cup. “She’s excited to see you again. The whole pack’s excited you’re home.”

Derek nodded. “I’m excited to be home.”

Claudia had been Talia’s emissary since before he was born; the two had been childhood friends growing up and once Claudia came into her spark it seemed only natural for her to take the roll.

Mischief held the cup out to him.

Derek took it, then jolted back when their fingers brushed, a shock reverberating through his soul, causing all the hair on his arms to stand on end. There, on his outstretched wrist, his soulmark flared silver.

Mischief leapt back as well, gripping his left wrist in shock.

They stared at each other over the spilled coffee.

“Well,” Mischief said softly, eyes still wide, “I certainly wasn’t expecting that.” He uncurled his fingers, twisting his wrist to see his soulmark.

It was the same triple spiral and firework that marked Derek’s own skin.

“Same,” Derek nodded. He righted the cup that had fallen and tipped when they’d jerked back, and looked around, scanning the room for napkins.

“I got it,” Mischief said.

Derek looked back at him in time to see him raise his hands. The spilled coffee shifted, beading into hundreds of droplets, and rising into the air. He watched as they hovered across the counter to a sink and splashed inside.

“You’re magic?” Derek asked, belatedly chastizing himself; what else could that have been? A stage trick?

“A spark.” Mischief swiped the cup off the table and into the trash, reaching for a fresh one. “Like my mom. The class I’m going to later is about control, hopefully I’ll be learning more complex spells soon, but magic is tricky.” He poured Derek a cup and reached for another for himself. “It’s like magic has a mind of its own, that’s why it takes so long to learn.”

Derek nodded. “My family just took on a new emissary, he’s supposed to be Laura’s emissary when she becomes alpha. Magic is a lot of responsibility.”

Stiles stilled, his head tilting just slightly as he set the kuraff back. “Do you know who it is?”

“No.” Derek took a tentative sip of the drink, wincing when it burned his tongue. It was good, it made the airport coffee taste like swamp water. “I didn’t recognize his name, and I’m pretty sure I know everyone in Beacon Hills. He probably moved here recently.”

Mischief chuckled. “What’s his name?” He stepped out from behind the counter, motioning Derek over to his table of books.

“Stiles. Do you know him?”

Mischief’s eyes gleamed. “I’d like to think I do.”

“You’re close then?” Derek asked, ready to seize the moment and ask about what his family’s new emissary was like.

“Oh yeah.” Mischief stacked his books and placed them on the table behind them. “Scott and Cora are friends with him.”

“What’s he like?”

Mischief hummed. “I think he’s pretty smart, and clever. According to Laura sometimes sarcastic.” He sipped his coffee. “You planning on staying in town just long enough to meet him?”

Derek shook his head, running his thumb along the leaf pattern on the cup. “I’m home for good now. Living out there was a good experience, but I’d like to be home for a little while now.”

Mischief nodded, setting his cup down. “I’ve thought about traveling.”

Derek looked up quickly. He wouldn’t dare ask his soulmate to not pursue his dreams, but the thought of him leaving soon after meeting stung. He wanted a chance to get to know him. He made sure to keep his voice even when he asked, “Why don’t you?”

“I’ve got a lot of things going on here. Someday I’ll travel, but for now I’m happy learning magic here.” He smiled, flashing just a hint of teeth.

Derek relaxed, relief flooding him, quickly followed by guilt at his reaction. If Mischief wanted to travel, he could damn well travel. Maybe Derek could even go with him.

The jingle of the bell made both of them look up.

A lady walked in, her long hair pulled back into a ponytail.

“Hi Mom,” Mischief said, then motioned at Derek. “Derek’s back.”

Claudia’s eyes lit up, a smile creasing her face. She stepped up to the table, wrapping Derek into a warm hug. “Welcome home.” She released him and turned to Mischief, hugging him as well. When she was done, she looked back at Derek. “You’re mom invited Stiles and I over for a pack dinner tonight, but if you don’t feel up to it let us know and we can do it another night.”

Derek nodded. “I’m sure I’ll be fine after a nap, I just had an incident with the rental car and that slowed me down getting home.” He smiled. “It’ll be nice to meet him.”

Claudia frowned, casting a glance at Mischief, who looked up at her with total innocence.

“Would you mind if Mischief came as well?” He turned his wrist over to expose the soulmark. “I’d like to catch up with him.”

Surprise flooded Claudia’s face, quickly replaced by a grin. “Congratulations.” She looked at Mischief, her expression dropping into a scowl. “And you should have told him.”

“Told me what?” Derek asked, glancing between them in confusion.

Mischief wilted under her look. He looked up at Derek, smiling slowly. “I go by Stiles now.”

“You’re Laura’s emissary?” Derek blurted.

Mischief- no, Stiles held his hands out. “Surprise?”

Derek opened his mouth to reply when the bell jingled again, and Peter stepped into the cafe. His button up shirt and slacks made it look like he was on his way to a meeting rather than to rescue his nephew from a flat tire.

“You said you could get from the airport to home without incident.” Peter frowned only half-jokingly as he crossed the room to their table.

“On any normal day, I can. I’ve had a long night, Uncle Peter, just take me home please.” Derek shook his head slowly.

“Are you alright?” Peter asked, concern rising in his tone.

“Of course.” Derek shrugged. “I hit one of the legion of potholes on Main, reconnected with a friend of Cora’s only to find out he’s my soulmate and Laura’s emissary, and now you’re being all Peter. But I’m good.” He smiled, trying to joke back, but his muscles were aching and tired; the sun was now creeping through the windows and he didn’t even want to look at a clock in case it confirmed he’d been awake for over twenty four hours. He needed sleep.

“Go get some rest, I’ll see you at dinner.” Stiles rose, holding out a hand to him.

Derek stood, taking it in his own. “Looking forward to it… Mischief.” He winked and sauntered past Peter; he had a feeling he wasn’t going to be bored anytime soon.

[kariachi]

Another commission! This time over 11k of Martin Mystery/Ben 10 crossover for @thenixkat.

A young man walks calmly through the forest. It’s been a nice afternoon, so far- hot and muggy with little cloud cover to prevent the summer sun from streaming through the trees. There’s a notable lack of birdsong, and just a quarter mile down the path he’d found a crow lying on the concrete, but he’s not worried. It’d winged off as soon as he nudged it with his shoe. Anyway, birds were supposed to call when predators were around, and if something was wrong in the park surely an alert would’ve been put out by now. It’s too nice of a day to waste time worrying over nothing.

Something glints in the sunlight, off to the side of a curve in the path near a large outcropping of rock and the man’s curiosity gets the better of him. A glass bottle maybe? Some loser littering out here, ruining things for the wildlife and the guests? He comes closer, hand resting on the stone, focused on the shining object. Yes, definitely a loser, but not as much a loser as him. After all, anyone littering here probably has a job, an education, a lover, isn’t living in their parents’ basement like he is. They’ve never ruined everything for everybody, but he has, hasn’t he? Just one failure after another starting with being born at all, such a waste….

He’s so caught in his own head, he doesn’t even see the teeth.

~~

“-but of course the police don’t believe them, because what civilian cop is going to believe the person in the house you were breaking into was murdered by donuts-”

“Hey guys!”

“Oh thank God.” Diana just about collapsed with relief right on the moving walkway at their alien friend’s timely arrival. Martin had been talking about this movie for two days and now that he’d realized she wasn’t going to watch it with him he’d decided to just recap the entire fucking thing. “Hi Billy.”

“Hi Billy.”

“Hey Billy!” The grin on Martin’s face could not be removed, only turned to new victims. “I was just telling Diana about this new movie that came out- Attack of the Killer Donuts.”

“Ooo,” Billy grinned back, “sounds interesting.”

“It is! It’s got almost all the classic B-horror tropes! I’ll stream it for you after we get back from this mission.”

“Speaking of which,” Diana interrupted before her only shot at a moment without breakfast foods as a main topic vanished into the ether (Java wasn’t helping, he’d given up and watched the film within the first two hours and was now on Martin’s side, the traitor), “any idea what we’re getting into?”

“MOM’s got the details,” the alien said, “but I do know Osmosians are involved, so I printed off these pamphlets.” As he spoke he distributed the pieces of paper. The whole team’s brows raised as one at the first item listed. ‘Bring food.’ “Security Chief Jones was involved in their original production, so you can trust the information to be accurate.”

“Uh, thanks, Billy.” They were all still focused on the pamphlets, reading through the surprisingly short list of safety tips. They mostly seemed to boil down to ‘don’t let them get hungry’ and ‘don’t piss them off’.

“Don’t worry, Eva says they’re really nice people.”

~~

For once MOM didn’t appear to have some experiment going, no guests hanging around, and Martin was visibly thrown off by it. Instead she was checking three backpacks stuffed to the brim with gear, from water canteens hanging off the sides to what were probably area maps and what looked like way too much food.

“Jones not kidding,” Java said as they watched her shift things in one of the packs so another Ziploc of trail mix could be fit inside.

“Hi MOM,” Martin then said, coming forward with a grin and snatching up one of the packs, hefting it over his shoulder. “What sort’ve mission have we got today? Saharan zombies? Jungle werewolves?” MOM just raised a brow, zipping the pack she’d been fiddling with shut and circling her desk to take a seat.

“Not quite, Martin.” She picked a folder up off the desk and handed it to Diana as she and Java joined them. “You’ll be investigating a series of missing persons cases at Star Ridge State Park in the eastern United States.” The boys peered over Diana’s shoulders as she flipped through the folder, grabbing packs for herself and Java with her tail. Inside were numerous police reports describing the disappearances of nine people, including photos of the missing. A pair of girls no older than her and Martin. A man in his mid-twenties. Middle-aged, elderly, children, there didn’t seem to be any pattern to the missing.

Only one particularly stood out, and the team all glanced at each other when they got to them. The photo showed an adult, they supposed, with short antlers, a muzzle, and tufted tail. Their skin was thick and tawny brown, covered in scutes, and they had teeth like something out of the Ice Age. One eye, the left, was marred with scarring and left a milky pink.

“I take it this is why Billy was talking about Osmosians?” Diana asked, and MOM nodded.

“The park contains a large pack,” she said, “and a good portion of it is their territory. You’ll have to be careful and respectful when inside, Martin.”

“Hey!”

“Osmosians do not suffer disrespect well, especially not established packs. They and the local tribe have happily agreed to work with us, so don’t make either one regret it.” Her tone turned sharp on the last portion, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Of course,” Diana said, and Java nodded beside her. MOM just hummed back at them.

“The pack has called in a team themselves,” she continued, “you’ll be meeting them at the Greenwich Entrance.”

“Wait,” Martin said as she opened the door out, “why would they call in someone else if we’re already coming?”

“It’s an Ossy thing.”

“Is even in pamphlet,” Java said, holding his own copy up, and he was right.

#9. It’s an Ossy thing, roll with it.

~~

The trip in was uneventful, and mostly consisted of Martin trying to work out what sort’ve paranormal mess they were walking into and Diana- who at this point wasn’t even going to argue about the paranormal with him, he was right over half the time and she just ended up listening to him gloat about it- trying to make him drive like a person who knew how. Meanwhile Java appeared to have tuned them both out about an hour ago, pulling out a novel and burying himself in that for most of the drive.

Entering the park revealed a lovely sight. Everything was in full bloom- green vines with trumpet-shaped pink-orange flowers creeping high on the red brick archway that marked the entrance, native flowers a mass of color beneath the entrance sign. Trees all various shades of rich greens. Bees buzzed, butterflies fluttered, and in pride of place sat a large fountain topped with a sculpture of a doe and fawns.

Two people who were probably human stood at the base of the fountain, a distinction made because most of the people they were watching off to the side very much weren’t. One was, an elderly man with dark skin, but out of the other three one was clearly an Osmosian, like the victim they had the photo of, while another’s blue fur blatantly marked him as alien, and the last had teeth they could see flash when they talked even as they came to a stop several yards away. At their feet was a large blue, dog? thing? maybe? There wasn’t that much time to dwell on it, because one of the humans was a girl their age and so as soon as the keys were out of the ignition Martin practically teleported to her side. The redhead looked both surprised and unimpressed by his sudden appearance.

“Hey there, I don’t think we’ve been introduced. My name’s Martin-” True to form he didn’t seem to notice how the girl and the brunet beside her were side eyeing him. He also didn’t notice his sister storming over until she had him by the ear and was yanking him away from them.

“I’m sorry about him, he’s a moron,” she said, holding out her free hand to shake. “I take it you’re the other team that got called in?”

“More like Kevin got called in and we came along for the ride, but yeah,” the girl replied with a firm handshake. “Gwen Tennyson, this is my cousin Ben- also a moron-”

“Hey!”

“-and over there are Rook, Kevin, and the dog is Zed.” Diana nodded, gesturing to her own team.

“I’m Diana Lombard, this is my brother, Martin Mystery, and that’s Java.” Java waved with a smile and Ben waved back.

“Wait, ‘Martin Mystery’?” Kevin and Rook were returning to the group, a map clenched in Rook’s hands and Zed at their heels. There was a toothy and slightly sinister grin on Kevin’s face. “The Martin Mystery and company?” Java and Diana shared a wary look as Martin puffed up like a rooster and held out a hand, gaze lingering briefly on the tight shirt and monstrous teeth.

“The one and only.” Kevin’s toothy grin only got more worrying, even as he accepted the handshake.

“I’m Eva Jones’s son.” And Martin deflated like a popped balloon, which was always amusing for the others. There was no way the Chief of Security’s son was going to be in awe. Something that was all but confirmed when he continued talking. “Mom has told me so many stories about you.”

“What kind of stories?”  Martin asked, eyes narrowing slightly, and Kevin shrugged.

“Varies. Sometimes I stop by for dinner and get to hear about ‘Agent Lombard beat a slug-fucker with brains and a saltwater fish tank’, others I get a text in the middle of the night thanking me for having enough sense to not let a werewolf wound go untreated.” And there it was, Martin was on the edge of pouting. Fortunately- or unfortunately, if you were Diana and loved watching your brother wallow in his own dangerous stupid- Gwen was merciful.

“So, what have we got to go on?” Rook seemed as happy to get to work as Martin and smiled at all of them, immediately going and laying the map he held out on the fountain wall.

“Aaron and John were good enough to provide us a map showing the general area of each disappearance,” he said, pointing out a series of red spots on the map. They were all clustered over a large area with no discernible pattern. “If we make our way onto the Aspen Trail, then cut onto the Blackcap Trail, we should be able to do a partial circuit of the area.” Stepping back, Martin stretched and grinned.

“Sounds like a plan.”

~~

They’d been walking an hour and Diana was in hell.

“I wouldn’t call Attack of the Killer Donuts the best B-horror of our time, I mean have you seen Ice Spiders?”

“Really, Benji? If you’re going with Syfy-style you could at least go for Attack of the Killer Lampreys or something.”

“Ooo, that one was awesome! I’ve watched it four times!”

“Java big fan of Lake Placid sequels.”

“Hold up- Two? Or three and four?”

“Three and four.”

“Good man.”

It was a nightmare.

“I was really hoping Martin would leave this discussion behind.” Gwen patted Diana on the shoulder, joining her in sighing.

“Men, can’t live with them and if you kill them you have to deal with their mothers.” Diana almost joked about having a shot then, then remembered that much like she was, despite all attempts, clearly their father’s favorite, Martin and their mother had bonded like no other, and it was entirely likely that if she killed him Mom would disown her and start again with new children.

She sighed once more.

“So,” she said, pulling her eyes off the boys walking ahead of them to look at Gwen, “the pack brought you guys in?” Gwen nodded.

“Kevin’s Top Ossy on the planet right now, and the missing Ossy is his brother-in-law’s cousin, so when the pack couldn’t figure out what was happening he’s where they turned. The rest of us didn’t want him running into who knows what kind of trouble without back-up.” She could understand that. Apparently, nobody knew what they were dealing with, other than that it probably wasn’t a natural phenomenon (score- one Martin, yay). There weren’t any sinkholes found or anything, and Diana couldn’t imagine large predators had much space to come in with a whole pack of them already living there. But then, why was it…

“Does it seem eerily quiet to you?” Diana asked after a moment. There was still the boys’ conversation, but under it was, nothing.

“Oh thank god, it’s not just me. Shouldn’t there be birds or bugs or something?”

“Yeah…”

Up ahead, Zed sudden froze and began to growl.

Nothing appeared off about the area they were heading into, but still the group stopped where they were and carefully took stock of what was ahead. It was a small valley, not particularly deep but still notable. The path went in, followed the edge of the river, heavily laden with plant-life, then went back up the cliffside a few acres along. At first look, purely innocuous, but as they closed in on each other protectively experience told them they weren’t so lucky.

“Prime ambush territory,” Ben said, and the others all nodded.

“I say we risk it,” Martin added, and Diana sighed.

“Of course you do.”

“What are we going to learn if we don’t go in? Nothing, so we go.”

“It makes sense.”

“If we die, the Center’s paying for the funerals.”

“Deal.”

Which was about the point where a massive head came out of the undergrowth, straight at them, at speed.

“Shit!” Nearly as one mind they scattered, Gwen instinctively hurling a mass of pink energy at the creature as they dodged its fangs. The damn things were easily the length of Diana’s arm! The girls, Kevin, and Rook scrambled away from the creature as more of it emerged, Kevin’s hand tight on Zed’s collar.

It was a massive serpent, with a head easily as wide as Java. The scales along it’s body were a deep, deep black with dark blue banding and shone with a rainbow of iridescence, its head crested with a rack of long, tined antlers. High on the head, between its eyes- one a deep brown and the other a milky beige- sat a diamond crystal that blazed in the mid-afternoon sun. It was beautiful, so beautiful. Surely this would be the best way to die, here to something lovely, rather than later to some slime creature, or ghost, or whatever horrible thing she would be made to face next. A miracle, the fact she’d survived this long, how much longer could luck last before something else ate her, possessed her, best for them not to have the chance-

A flash of pain as she hit concrete and Diana was knocked from her daze, looking up to see Rook laid overtop of her on the trail as the serpent surged forward above them. It turned on itself, clearly drawing back for another attempt and giving Kevin and Gwen just enough of an opening to rush back in and haul them to their feet. The two bolted back up the path, Zed just ahead of them and Kevin behind, as Gwen blasted the beast again, sending it reeling long enough for Martin and Java to come running back out from where they’d tumbled into the valley, Ben over the caveman’s shoulder.

“There’s two of them,” Martin yelled as they ran passed, grabbing Gwen by the arm and shoving her ahead of them. “Two!”

True to word another of the beasts slithered behind them, whole and hearty and quickly joining with the first in chasing them down. All they could do was keep running, running despite the realization these things were fast, and large enough that they all knew any distance they might gain would be lost if they tried to head into the trees. These things could probably eat the trees. Relief only came when Ben finally came back to himself, vanishing in a flash of green light that had Java dropping him in the path, only to appear again as a plantperson.

“Time to bring the heat,” he said, shooting seeds from his hands into the earth along the path. Almost instantly they sprouted, bursting forth as thick vines that joined together to form a wall blocking the way. He then lit the vines on fire, just in case. “Hah! Let’s see ya get through that!”

“Don’t tempt the dragons!” Swampfire squeaked as Kevin got him by the back of the neck, having doubled back once he realized what was happening, and dragged him along with the others.

They may or may not have been being chased anymore, but they sure as fuck weren’t stopping.

~~

“I can’t believe we almost got eaten by an Uktena!”

“Two Uktena.”

“Even better!”

For the most part they were all collapsed at one of the outlook spots on the trail. Martin, though, was pacing back and forth with a grin because who else did Diana know who would think nearly dying via giant snake monster was cool?

“Okay, Martin,” Gwen said, “glad you’re happy, but if you could fill the rest of us in.” He stopped and turned his grin on the group.

“Uktena are horned serpents from Cherokee myth, formed out of people unhappy with their lives,” he said. “The crystal on the head? It’s called an Ulun'suti- I probably butchered that… Anyway, it’s mildly hypnotic and eventually creatures who stare into it just give themselves up to be eaten!” A look of mild confusion came over his face. “They don’t normally hunt humans though, that’s weird…” Off the side, where he was lying in the grass, Kevin shook his head.

“A dragon made out of people, with a blind left eye, that’s just suddenly showed up?” He lifted his head enough to look at the others. “That was Dalen.” His head thudded back down. “Also explains why she’s hunting humans, we aren’t picky eaters.”

“Alright,” Diana said, “that explains the one then. What about the other?” Everybody shrugged.

“Who knows,” Martin said, “could be another one of the missing people, could be one that just showed up around now. Maybe having the other one here attracted it.”

“Knowing our luck it heard we were coming and decided to join in.” Ben heaved a sigh. “Why is it always things with scales? We have not met anyone decent with scales!”

Diana was happy to see everyone except Ben sit up and give him the stink eye. Kevin doubly so.

“Excepting present company.” She continued to glare, tail twitching in aggravation. Was it cool to smack one of somebody else’s boys?

“Uh-huh, yeah..”

“And all of my siblings? Just not a thing now?” Kevin asked with a sneer, before falling back to the ground. Zed whined and curled up against his side. “Just, will somebody kill him and save me the trouble?”

“No killing my cousin,” Gwen said, flopping back down herself.

“And you all see why we broke up.” While Kevin huffed, Ben turned a pleading gaze on Martin, in clear hopes of back-up. Instead Martin gave him a sharp look and went to collapse beside his sister and Gwen.

“Not cool, man.”

~~

They decided, in the end, to turn in for the night and pick the mission back up in the morning. The reasoning being that it was getting late and since so far all known attacks and attempted attacks had happened during the day odds were good the Uktena were at least primarily diurnal. An unoccupied cabin was found along the trail, outside of what Martin and Kevin had deemed the ‘Dinner Zone’ as well as the pack territories. That second bit was important because once everyone was inside Kevin had gone out and rubbed his scent all over the trees surrounding the building, just in case that helped.

It was an Ossy thing. They rolled with it.

~~

Dinner options were slim. The Center had provided trail food- mixes, jerky, dried fruit- and a few tins of canned meat and fish for each agent. The Tennyson team turned out to be at least a little more prepared, mostly because Kevin had managed to fit a corned beef into his pack (“We just don’t ask anymore, last time it ended with a two-hour explanation of space-time and dimensional rigging that went over everybody’s head”) and Rook had brought a collapsible pot and portable range (“You would think the park would stock these, but apparently no”). Most of the corned beef went to Kevin and Zed, something the Tennysons and Rook didn’t begrudge them and Martin, Diana, and Java- keeping in mind the pamphlets- decided to follow their lead on. They weren’t certain what happened if an Osmosian got hungry, but they didn’t want to find out.

Eventually, the group split into two, with Java, Rook, and Kevin taking over the kitchen while the others hung out the whole ten feet away in the living room. If nothing else the cooks seemed to be enjoying themselves, laughing and chatting and exchanging tips and tricks and recipes. And at some point Kevin’d put his hair up, the end result of which was Martin watching them over the back of one of the couches, eyes narrowed, mouth open, and head tilted to one side as Ben patted him consolingly on the shoulder.

“I swear,” Diana said quietly as she watched this, leaning in close to Gwen, “I can feel his heterosexuality combusting from here.” Gwen nodded.

“Yeah, that happens sometimes.”

~~

“You know, I never thought I’d enjoy canned sardines.”

“It is amazing what you can make work by cannibalizing the right packs.”

“And working with a guy who’s used to making a single ingredient into a million distinct recipes.”

“You are welcome.”

~~

“Ooo, spellbook!” It was a testament to the sort’ve thing she was used to that Gwen didn’t jump when Martin unceremoniously dumped himself into the seat beside her. She’d figured getting some studying done couldn’t hurt, not when they were trying to deal with a pair of giant, magical snakes, but as soon as she’d pulled out the book and cracked it open there he’d been.

“Into magic?” she asked, looking at him critically, eyes narrowed. Martin puffed up proudly.

“Runs in the family,” he said, “I can’t even remember when my Gran and aunts started teaching me spellwork.” Gwen snorted a quick laugh.

“Lucky. I had to teach myself. It’s only in the last few years I’ve gotten any actual teaching, or access to new books.” She raised the one in her lap slightly for emphasis and watched Martin light right up.

“Wait here! Java!” Leaping to his feet he crossed the space between himself and the caveman, immediately digging into the front of his shirt and pulling out a large book before practically diving back for the couch. “Check this out.”

The book wasn’t as grand as the one Gwen held, and it was certainly in worse shape. There was water damage, scorch marks, and places where dirt had clearly been ground into the parchment. As Martin flipped through it Gwen was fairly certain she saw evidence that it had been rebound at least once. But it was stuffed to the brim with spells and notes in what she had to assume was his own handwriting. Half of the spells weren’t even in the same languages, she counted at least six. Three of which she didn’t recognize.

“Okay,” she said after about the third spell in what she would later learn was Etruscan, leaning over to dig through her pack for some pens and paper, “you can copy from mine if I can copy from yours. Deal?”

“Deal.”

~~

“Okay,” Rook said the next morning while they all gathered over a breakfast of cereal bars, jerky, and dried apples, plus plenty of instant coffee for Martin and Gwen (“It’s your own fault for staying up till four am”), “let us review- what do we know?”

“That we’re dealing with two Uktena,” Diana said, “one of whom used to be an Osmosian.”

“Because of course Ossys aren’t scary enough,” Ben added and got swatted for it because she and Kevin were both too tired for him to start.

“Hunting here,” Java said, pointing at the map laid on the table between them, “in valleys.”

“They’re ambush predators,” Martin said around a bite of cheerio bar. “Plus, their breath is poisonous.”

“Oh joy.” Sarcasm was just dripping from Kevin’s voice. “Hypnotic and poisonous.” He sighed, snatching up a handful of jerky and chewing it with open aggravation. “Roy can never hear about that, for his own sake.” Gwen patted his shoulder and passed an apple ring to Zed before leaning forward to inspect the map.

“So, what do we do then? Are we catching them or-?”

“The Center can move them somewhere they won’t be a threat to any people,” Diana said. “They’ve done it before with larger creatures. We just have to subdue them first so they can come in and get them.”

“It’s safer than trying to kill them anyway,” Martin added. “They’ve only got one vulnerable spot, on the seventh stripe, and it’s tough to hit without being in eating range.”

“Okay,” Ben said, “so all we have to do is catch them.”

“Easier said than done,” Diana replied, leaning back against the couch. “How do we catch them?”

“If you guys can get them to stay still,” Gwen said, “Martin and I both have sleep spells we can cast on them. I don’t know for sure if they’d work on these things, but it’s worth a shot.”

“I don’t know, Gwen,” Martin said, rubbing the back of his head. “Supposedly seeing these things asleep causes your family to die.”

“At this point,” Kevin tossed in, “I would be impressed if something managed to kill the family I’ve still got.” The table went quiet, everyone rolling the risk around in their heads, blindly watching Zed sneak food.

“Alright,” Rook eventually said, “how about this- Ben, do you think you could use Diamondhead or Swampfire to subdue them?” Ben hummed, leaning back in his seat as he considered the idea.

“Diamondhead, Swampfire, Wildvine, all could lock them in place from a distance. Maybe Gravattack? And if need be I could always possess them one at a time with Ghostfreak…”

“How about we avoid possession?” Diana asked, shivering. She’d seen and experienced enough possessions in her life, thank you, she didn’t want to play witness to any more than she had to. Java laid a supportive hand on her shoulder. The Tennyson team gave her a questioning look, but Kevin soon nodded, and the rest followed suit.

“Yeah, that’s a trauma I think we can all forgo reliving if we have the chance.”

“So,” Rook continued, “we draw them out into the open and Ben subdues them. If that does not work, then Martin and Gwen put them to sleep. Agreed?” Everyone looked at each other, then slowly began to shrug.

“It’s the best plan we’ve got so far,” Ben said. “So, Martin, you’re our expert, where should we look for these things?”

“Well…” Martin leaned forward, looking over the map. “They’re ambush predators, so they should probably hang out in places where they can jump out at people… Caves, valleys, deep water, dense foliage, large rocks…” Again, the table went silent as everyone considered the information.

“So,” Kevin finally said, “the entire Dinner Zone, basically?”

“I wish you guys wouldn’t call it that…”

“Pretty much,” Martin answered. He hummed contemplatively, tapping his fingers on the table as he considered the map and their options. “They are snakes though, maybe we can catch them sunning. Then they’d already be out in the open.”

“Good idea,” Java said, and the others nodded.

“We’d still have to find out where they sun,” Rook noted, but Kevin was already on his feet.

“Leave that to me,” he said, pulling out his phone and stepping off to the side, “the local pack should know every decent sunning spot in the park.”

“Okay then. Everyone,” Ben said with a grin, also rising to his feet, “get your shit together, we’ve got some snakes to catch.”

The cabin became a buzz of activity, as everyone scrambled to get their things back in order and clean up after themselves. Trash was shoveled into bins, counters were given a final wipe down, books and writing supplies were carefully tucked away into packs. Dinner and breakfast had cleared enough room for extra things to be stowed inside them, such as Martin’s spellbook and some of the canteens, which the group took the time to refill at the sink. It was the height of summer, even in a temperate region you didn’t want to run out of water if you didn’t have to. At some point Kevin returned to the couch, snatching a pencil from Martin so he could mark various areas on the map, chattering away with who they had to assume was Aaron in languages nobody understood. Occasionally the Omnitrix would pick up something in Imperial Osmosian, but other than that…

“We have sunning spots!” he finally called out, as everyone was finishing up packing, snatching up the map triumphantly and rocketing to his feet. “The hunt is on!”

~~

The journey wasn’t exactly arduous, but it sure wasn’t easy. For one thing they had to move at a steady clip, as fast as they possibly could. Nobody knew how long it took for reptiles that size to get up to temperature, but they didn’t want to miss them and have to search the entire area. Even still, that wouldn’t have been so much to ask if there hadn’t been five different sunning spots recommended in and around the Dinner Zone, each of which was only accessible by narrow paths through the trees, half of which were overgrown with foliage. These were places the pack occasionally used, but which were far enough out of the way so as to not see regular visitors. Perfect places for monster serpents to catch the morning sun.

“I have a question,” Ben asked as they made their way down from a tall outcropping. It had been the third stop, to no avail, and while all of them were athletic and well hydrated they also were soaked with sweat. “How does someone even become a snake monster?” All eyes turned to Martin who was, as usual, glad to share his obscure knowledge.

“Well, according to Cherokee myth a guy turned himself into one while spending the night alone in an asi with a pair of deer antlers, but I’ve never seen anything detailing exactly how that worked. She probably didn’t need the antlers though, having her own.”

“Honestly I’d be pissed to have lost a pair,” Kevin said, grasping onto trees to slow his descent down a particularly steep area. “A lot of packs are really tied closely to neighboring communities, especially ones native to the particular region. Tribal land’s close enough, if there’s a trick to the transformation Dalen probably learned it from a Cherokee parent or cousin.”

“Or grandparent.”

“Same diff.” The group went quiet again, mostly to focus on not slipping and falling, something only Diana was immune to. Turned out the tail was useful for balance and for catching herself on branches and the blackcap bushes that had clearly given the trail its name, the scales even protecting her from the thorns. She kept throwing Ben smug looks over it, and Rook, Kevin, and Martin kept giving her thumbs up when the hero wasn’t looking. None of them had forgotten or forgiven his ‘no decent people with scales’ comment yet.

It wasn’t until they found the path again that they returned to talking.

“So, she probably did it to herself,” Gwen said. “That’s sad, and worrying.”

“In her defense,” Rook replied, “I am sure she did not expect to start eating passersby. Right?” Eyes went to Kevin, who shrugged.

“Don’t look at me, I met Dalen once and we didn’t exactly get close. If she was anything like Roy probably not?”

“Still not know about other snake,” Java pointed out. He was right too, they had no clue what was going on with that one. The best case scenario was that it was another of the missing people, bringing the Presumed Dead count down to seven, but they just couldn’t know. For all the information they had it could be a male attracted by Dalen’s presence, or a newcomer that prompted her own transformation. The worst possibility was that somebody had made them against their wills, but since so far Martin had said nothing about that being an option everyone was setting it aside. He and Gwen were the magic users around, after all, and surely they would’ve let the others know if that was something that might have happened.

“Hopefully,” Diana said, “the Center can figure out who they are.” If they could give some sort’ve closure to the families, tell even one mother that their child was alive even if they’d never come home, then that would make the effort of learning, of catching them alive, worth it. Idly she wondered if the pack had already been told of Dalen’s fate.

“Sure they can.” Martin’s grin was bright, though behind it was dead seriousness. He may have been a goofball, but his job was important and he treated it as such when the chips came down. “With all the stuff we’ve got access to? There’s no way they can’t.” Up ahead on the path, Rook nodded.

“Or at least no reason we cannot find somebody who can.”

~~

Four turned out to be their lucky number. Both the Uktena were there, their bulk coating the surface of a massive stone jutting out over one of the area’s many streams. Their scales shone in the sunlight, dark and rainbowed and beautiful, while their Ulun'suti glinted and seemed to almost glow in the light. Under better circumstances it would have been a wonderful sight, two great dragons warming themselves. A sight for life long memories. One for photos.

Thankfully they didn’t seem to hear the click of a phone.

“Kevin!” Half the group hissed as one, careful to keep their voices down. They were gathered in the shrubbery near the bottom of the stone, just far enough away to avoid being immediately noticed.

“What?” he whispered, replacing the phone in his pack, “Her mom will want this.” With a round of sighs the others shook their heads, turning their attention back to the Uktena pair.

“Is this normal?”

“Maybe? Who knows, I’ve only read about these things and one of them is an Ossy.”

“Okay, do we all remember the plan?” Rook looked around at the group as best he could- Java had been forced to hide further back due to his size, and Kevin would’ve been too if he and the girls hadn’t been first to the spot, which meant he had to somehow check around that bulk on top of all the foliage everywhere- and was glad to see nodding and thumbs up all around. “Alright. Spread out, make sure they cannot slip away if they get loose. And be careful.”

They all were as quiet as they could be as they acted, avoiding loose stones and twigs, taking their time now that they could confirm that the snakes weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Gwen and Ben headed one direction, while Martin, Diana, and Rook headed in the other. Kevin and Java stayed more central, a solid foundation behind the targets. As soon as everyone appeared to be in position, Ben dialed the Omnitrix and slammed down his selection, erupting again in a blaze of bright green light that faded away to reveal Wildvine already digging his roots into the stony shores.

At the sudden flash the Uktena both leapt into action, rearing straight up as their heads swung to see the source. A hiss left the one that was Dalen, body tensing as her companion tilted their head. The action caused the gem between their eyes to glint and gleam, and the group all were careful to avoid looking at it, keeping their eyes on the antlers, the jaws, anywhere else on them. Except for Wildvine, who simply laughed at the attempt as the reflection off the crystal played across his face.

“Got you there,” he said with a wide grin, “Wildvine can’t be hypnotized!”

The pair seemed to be surprised by the new development, though with snake faces who could tell. Still, they didn’t surge forward in vicious strikes like before, but instead stayed in place, eyeing the young hero with caution. Wildvine took the opening. He reached over his shoulders, tearing seed pods from his back and hurling them towards the snakes. As soon as the first few hit the serpents took action, moving to put distance between themselves and this strange foe they couldn’t bring to heel, but it was too late. The moment they began to move the seedpods sprouted, issuing forth thick, knobby green vines that wove themselves around Uktena and rock both.

“See? Easy!” The rest of the group crept out of hiding carefully, eyes locked on the captured serpents.

“I’d feel a lot better if that hold was tighter…” The grip didn’t look secure. Dalen was held mostly to the stone as she struggled, but the other one, not so much. It strained upward, and though it didn’t get far one could imagine the sound of vines creaking and straining against its strength.

When they finally failed it was one after the other down the creature’s back, like watching a zipper come undone.

“Shit!” Everyone scrambled back again as the vines on the Uktena fell away and it surprised them all by turning not towards its attackers but towards Dalen. In two massive bites it tore through the vines holding her head and neck, leaving her free to repeat its earlier vine bursting maneuver. That job done, it finally tuned back to Wildvine, lunging forward in an attack he was just barely able to dodge, and twisting back on itself to trap the Tennysons in the coil of its body. Dalen, meanwhile, surged in the opposite direction, throwing herself among the rest of the team with a loud hiss and a brandishing of fangs and antlers. Everyone who could scattered, trying to avoid being victim to either the weapons or bulk of the beast.

She lashed out with tail and fang, swung her antlers in wide arcs when too close to lunge, thrashing like she wanted to get at all of them at once. Probably she did. It was impossible to get a bead on her, not when she was moving about so wildly, not when she was staying in such close proximity to them, not when they were trying so hard not to be caught in the shine of the Ulun'suti in the sun. Java caught Martin as a swinging tail launched him into the air. Rook’s call to fall back was almost lost in the sound of heavy scales on stone and the splashing of all these creatures in the water.

“A little help here?!”

“We’ve kinda got our own problems!” Zed at least was able to come to the Tennyson’s aid, charging forward to drive her teeth into the tail of the other Uktena while the others were too caught up in not being eaten by Dalen, and keeping a tight grip even as it tried to fling her off and into the woods. If nothing else, it gave the cousins an opening- for Gwen to distract it with blasts to the face and belly and for Ben to dial up an option that would hopefully have an easier time subduing the creature. In another flash the roots and greenery of Wildvine disappeared and were replaced with the shining form of Diamondhead.

“If somebody could get them on the ground, this time it should work!”

“It better!” Martin dodged another swing of Dalen’s antlers as he and Rook bolted for the other serpent’s tail, leaping up to try to drag it down with sheer weight. Diana and Kevin ran to try to do the same with the head, the hybrid reaching out to get a thick coating of the stone as they cut under it on their way to where Gwen was using her magic to drag the thing into their range. Java, meanwhile, was taking on the dangerous job of trying to keep Dalen from going after the rest of them.

It wasn’t working.

As soon as she realized her companion was being dogpiled she surged back over the top of the stone, mouth gaping wide to snap up somebody, anybody, in front of her. Java clung to her middle, digging in his heels as best he could, Gwen throwing up a quick shield to prevent her from managing the foot of distance more she needed to reach the rest of the team. Quickly she was in on the battle between caveman and serpent, Java doing his best to slowly drag Dalen backwards away from the group while Gwen used her magic to keep her from doubling back and tearing into Java like a ripe fruit. It was a vicious game of tug-of-war, where a slip by either of the heroes could easily get all of them killed.

On the other side of things, Operation Dogpile was working. Kevin and Diana had distracted the snake long enough for Martin, Rook, and Zed to get his tail to the ground, and together their own weight was enough to keep its head on the ground as well. Diamondhead, through this, solidified each little victory with a barrage of crystal, a preliminary cage as the massive shards briefly cut off movement away from him. This wasn’t a solid solution though. The crystals were stronger than vines, yes, but here and now was not the place to take half-measures. Once the snake was under some degree of control he began phase two, calling up huge, thick sheets of crystal from the ground. Five locking the head in place, with one before the snout, while hordes of others ran down the serpent’s length, with gaps between them only large enough for those clinging to it to slip free.

At which point Dalen went ‘fuck this’. Where before she had been struggling to pull herself free of Gwen’s magic long enough to tear Java off her midsection, now she instead suddenly surged forward towards the girl, shocking her into breaking her hold and Java into loosening his grip. She almost soared over Diamondhead’s head, curling herself around her companion’s and trying to bite through the crystal holding them. Inside the crystal cage, Kevin and Diana were beginning to lose the breath they’d been holding in an attempt to not be poisoned and Diana, much like Dalen, immediately decided to take action.

That action was punching the Uktena in her dead eye.

With a violent hiss the beast pulled back, giving her head a brief shake and what could only be a glare to those assembled before disappearing into the forest as suddenly as she had first appeared the day before.

They were alone again. Sort’ve.

“Everyone in one piece?” Ben asked in unison with Java’s “Martin and Diana alright?”

“Fine over here,” Martin said as he, Rook, and the dog all slid free of the cage. “Sis?”

“We’re okay,” Diana responded.

“Nice jab.” Kevin gave her a grin as she helped him squeeze free of the crystal and she gladly returned it.

“Thanks, my mom taught me.”

“Awesome.”

“So,” Gwen said, heaving a sigh as everyone gathered on and around the rock to check their injuries- only scrapes and bruises, thank god, though Kevin and Diana worried everyone with some coughing they insisted was nothing major- and look out over their catch, “what do we do now?”

“We call the Center,” Diana said, she, Martin, and Java lumping together protectively as the Tennyson team did the same, “then we go find the other one.” As one the group looked at the Uktena they’d already caught. It wasn’t struggling anymore, having seemingly accepted that there was no escape from it’s current predicament, and instead was staring them down with it’s dark, dark eyes. Ben took a deep breath as, in a flash of green, he turned back into himself, and fixed the team with a self-assured smile.

“We’ve totally got this.”

~~

The team split up. Not for long, just so somebody was there to wait for the Center’s monster transport squad to show up while the others made sure they had a trail they could follow. In theory it wasn’t difficult, she was a sixty-foot snake for fuck’s sake, but she was a sixty-foot snake that had been an Osmosian, which was the universe’s way of challenging a hunter.

“How did she make the trees here hold her?”

“I don’t know. I saw Kay do that sort’ve thing once, but he’s never taught me.” Humming under his breath, Java stepped away from Kevin and Rook and began scaling one of the trees that appeared to have greatly suffered under the weight of what they were assuming was Dalen. At least, the damage appeared fresh enough for that. He was careful with his steps, even as the other boys gathered at the base of the trunk to break his fall should he do so, and stayed mindful of the damage already done. When he reached as far as he felt he safely could, the caveman cast his gaze at the trees around them.

“Trail go,” he said slowly, pointing, “that way.”

“Alright.” Rook nodded, gesturing Kevin forward. They had Zed with them, and hopefully soon they would find a spot where Dalen had returned to the ground and the Baskurr could pick her scent back up. “Are you staying in the trees, or rejoining us down here?” Java took a moment to think about it, looking over the path through the trees. It seemed solid enough. Hopefully.

“Java stay in trees, keep others on track.” Another nod from the alien and a smile.

“Lead the way then.”

~~

Everyone was back on the ground when the others found them again, having tracked them with Gwen’s magic, as planned, and made a beeline rather than following the Uktena’s path. Zed was back on the scent and tense at Kevin’s side as they all reconnected.

“The other one taken care of?” he asked, trying to keep the dog calm with long strokes down her neck. Gwen nodded.

“They’re going to find a space for them in the jungle,” she said, “and for Dalen once we get her.”

“Good.”

“Okay everybody,” Martin said, smiling and stretching, “get ready for Round Two.”

“Electric Boogaloo.”

“Rook, please don’t.”

~~

The moment Zed started growling was déjà vu all over again. It wasn’t the same little valley, not the same river, and there was no concrete path leading ominously down into the shade, but it certainly felt the same. There were no trees down there, only dense underbrush. Thick masses of green bushes, grasses, vines, waist high and more, coated the bank on both sides. The river itself was deep, dark, and fast moving. No birds or insects sang.

In the center of the water, one could just make out the tips of antlers sticking out into the open air.

“So, Diamondhead again?” Ben asked, careful to keep his voice down. They were all fairly certain they were out of striking range, but that didn’t mean they wanted for her to notice them before she absolutely had to. Gwen shook her head.

“I’m not sure that would work,” she said. “I mean, they’ve already proved they’re smarter than your average snakes.”

“Or at least more social,” Martin added.

“It might be easier this time,” Rook said, “with only one for us to dogpile on.”

“And then we can worry about getting poisoned and maybe drowning,” Diana pointed out. “The last plan worked, but if we can avoid anyone having to lie over this thing’s nose I think we should go for it.”

“I’m with Diana,” Kevin chimed in, “holding the head down by hand is too risky.” Martin was the first to nod, followed by the rest.

“You’ve got a point,” he said, then held up the U-Watch. “U-Watch has a grappling hook, I might be able to hold her in place so Gwen can put her to sleep.”

“My proto-tool also has one,” Rook added, “we can each go for an antler.”

“Okay,” Ben said, “but can you two hold her on your own?”

“Java help,” the caveman said, and Kevin piped up along with him.

“With the four of us, it’d be, well not easy but not impossible. Then you and Diana can hold the back end while Gwen works her magic.” Nobody looked entirely comfortable with the idea, but then that wasn’t something that had ever stopped any of them from doing their jobs before. Ben gave a short, empty laugh.

“Probably be easier to just kill her.” Kevin huffed.

“As long you’re the one to tell her mother.” The team went quiet for a beat, two beats.

“Let’s go with the grappling hook plan.”

“Good idea.”

~~

Zed was sent down into the valley first, as bait, despite Kevin’s vehement protests. The thinking here was that 1) she was small and fast and more likely to outspeed Dalen than any of the rest of them were, and 2) out of them she had the most experience with this sort’ve thing thanks to her old owner. They hoped she would lure the serpent out of the river and into the open, so they could have an easier time getting hold of her without running such a high risk of getting pulled under and drowned.

The plan worked. Dalen surged out of the river as soon as Zed was in range, just barely missing the Baskurr on the first strike (and the clenching of Kevin’s jaw was nearly audible at that). In an instant Zed was twisting on her heels and charging back up the snake-made trail towards Gwen with what felt in the moment an endless mass of magical serpent close behind. As soon as the alien dog had reached Gwen’s side Phase Two of Operation: Rescue Dalen From Herself went into action. In a flash of light Ben was replaced with Four Arms and he leapt down from where he and Diana had lain in wait at the top of the near cliff acting as the valley wall, landing heavily by the tail of the beast and grabbing hold. Dalen, of course, couldn’t be having with that and began to turn on herself to strike at him, only for the rest of the boys to jump into action.

From their positions hidden in the brush on either side of the trail Martin and Rook sprang forward, each taking quick aim and launching their grappling hooks at the nearest antlers to themselves. The response was vicious, with Dalen immediately trying to rear back and take them off their feet, only to be stopped by Kevin and Java’s intervention, grabbing hold of the other boys and the lines tethering her and digging in their considerably heftier and stronger heels. Between the pairs- Martin and Kevin on her right, Rook and Java on her left- she soon found herself struggling to move her head more than a half-foot in any direction, each attempt causing the opposing pair to yank back as hard as they could to keep her in place.

That was Diana’s cue. It had been decided, just before the plan went into action, that using Four Arms meant Ben wouldn’t need the help keeping Dalen’s back end under control, which freed her to help in other ways. Such as making sure nobody was sunken into despair by the gem on the Uktena’s head. Leaping down from the top of the cliff, she landed squarely on the serpent’s back, using the extra balance her tail gave her to scramble up to her head. Once there, she wrapped legs and tail around Dalen’s throat as well as she could before hefting Gwen’s now empty pack across her face, quickly stretching to catch the second strap and hold it tight so the Ulun'suti was suitably covered. Now, truly, the creature was as subdued as the non-magic-users could safely get her, and it was up to the only magic-user let unoccupied to finish the job.

Backing up to get a better view, Gwen opened her spellbook to the appropriate page. Thankfully it was a simple one, requiring her to trace what to a novice would’ve seemed an intricate pattern in front of her, one that rested in the air in a series of glowing pink lines, and pushing it gently towards the serpent alongside a single word incantation.

“Quiescis.”

It was like the entire valley went still, silent seconds stretching into something that felt like hours. The others kept their tight holds as the Uktena just, sat there, unmoving. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she slowly began to lower her head to the ground. They let her, each carefully releasing the breathes they’d held in anticipation as they loosened their grips and she curled in around herself, settling into a quietly coiled form in the brush. Nobody said a word for several moments. Diana slid from her back. Everyone watched the creature as if she may leap back up at any moment.

She didn’t.

“Yes!” With a series of whoops the whole team burst into massive grins. Java lifted Rook straight off his feet in a hug. Gwen burst into laughter, doubly so as Zed jumped up to lick at her face. A flash of light turned Ben back to himself in time to share a high five with Diana. Kevin threw an arm around Martin’s shoulder in a tight side-hug, a gesture Martin returned for about five seconds before realizing ‘proximity’ and ‘Kevin’ and trying to carefully edge away (it didn’t work) (“Have your crises on your own time, Mystery”). The relief that flooded the small valley was palpable as they crowed their victory, relishing in their safety, the Uktenas’ safety, and the public’s safety.

Everything was going to be fine.

~~

“Good job, everyone,” MOM said as behind her Center employees carefully moved Dalen into a transport container, “thanks to you both Uktena will be moved to a reserve in South America where they won’t be any further threat to the public.”

“I’m sure Dalen’s family will be happy to know she’ll be safe, at least,” Diana said. Ben then chimed in.

“And, the other one, you’re going to find out who they are, right?”

“We’re going to try,” MOM said. “We can’t promise we’ll succeed, but we’re going to try.” The Tennysons didn’t look convinced, but before they could say anything Kevin tossed in a quick

“It’s better than the Plumbers have ever managed.” -and there really wasn’t a way for them to counter that.

“You should all be very proud of yourselves.” And with that MOM simply turned away, a final compliment before she gave her attention back to the people doing the transporting, leaving the team to their own selves once again.

“About that,” Martin said, grinning and holding out a hand for a professional shake, “great spellwork, Gwen. A resting spell rather than a sleeping spell, nice last-minute switch.” She laughed and accepted the shake.

“Thanks,” she said. “Kevin’s family may be tough enough for him not to worry about, but I really didn’t want to risk mine. And since you were so happy to see it in the book last night it was pretty close to the front of my mind.” Somehow Martin’s grin got wider.

“Awesome!”

“You guys all were great,” Ben said, stepping forward with Rook right behind him in action and word.

“We would love working with you again.”

“Hopefully with something involving less hypnotic snakes,” Gwen made sure to add. With a grin of her own Diana laughed.

“Tell me about it,” she said, “if I never see another one in my life it’ll be too soon.”

“And what about Osmosians who aren’t snakes?” Kevin asked, “‘cause I still gotta go fill in Dalen’s family, if you all wanna join me?”

They kind of did.

~~

Turned out to find the pack you had to go down a well-hidden back road into an area of the park you could hardly even see from the main roads. Eventually you came to a dirt parking lot, half full of pick-ups and SUVs, and from there followed a trail down into one of the park’s biggest valleys. There were plenty of impressed whistles as Kevin pointed out things like the likely primary sunning spots for the pack, or explained how this massive cliff was likely run through with miles of tunnels and dens given the size of it and the age of the pack who lived there. At the base of the cliff, at the end of the trail, they found a large clearing with buildings built against the stone and so, many, people.

It wasn’t the whole pack by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still more than most of the group had been expecting. They’d figured Aaron and John- who were there, so at least they had those familiar faces- maybe the poor woman’s parents, mates perhaps, but it seemed that whole family branch was waiting on them. Everyone, from fluff covered children to the elderly, and in a variety of combinations from ‘totally all Ossy’ to ‘what are humans doing here?’ Most of the latter turned out to be relatives from the tribe, joined with their family to catch the news about their missing cousin.

The mood hadn’t been good when they arrived, everyone already knowing the news wasn’t likely to be happy. In fact, it’d improved slightly when they’d explained that Dalen wasn’t dead or kidnapped, just, well, turned into a giant snake and gone to live in the wilds and eat people. This was, apparently, considered at least semi-reasonable by the Osmosian side of things, even if the humans involved were very concerned and needed to be reassured that she and the other Uktena were being moved somewhere they couldn’t cause any problems. At which point they’d then had to reassure everybody that the Center could be trusted to move an Ossy, giant horned serpent or no.

Half an hour they were, just on “no, really, it’s cool, she’s gonna be fine, and we’re keeping an eye on it just in case anyway”. Paranoia apparently didn’t just run through the blood, it galloped.

The group found themselves invited to an early dinner, which quickly proved itself to also be a sort’ve wake. It seemed everybody had a story to tell about Dalen as they clustered at the edge of the clearing, drinking homebrew and eating a meal featuring heavily salted meat. A good meal, to the point Java and Kevin were both clamoring for some of the recipes (Martin and Diana had resigned themselves to a lifetime with regular bean bread from the caveman’s first bite), though it would’ve been better if they hadn’t all been served enough bear to kill a man. Apparently, it was the highest calorie food there and they were ‘all still growing’.

By the end of things more of the pack had come out to join them and the stories stopped being just about Dalen. Everyone had some tale to tell, whether they were traditional stories, tales of strange happenings, or the group telling story after story of their adventures. About wars, about hauntings, about survival in desolate landscapes and mad science gone horribly wrong. And when the stories got too scary for the little ones there were Java and Rook, off to the side telling them Revonnahan fairy tales and reciting Shakespeare comedies.

Half of the kids refused to go to bed until Java promised to come back sometime with his sock puppets and tell the stories properly. Another quarter had to be reminded that no, they could not go to Canada or Revonnah immediately, their families would miss them.

Again, the group stayed the night in the park, this time set up in a guest house that pointedly did not open into any of the tunnels or dens. Nobody even considered being offended, not with the (apparently reasonable?) paranoia, and their hosts made sure they had plenty of good food and water to keep them into morning. Many thanks followed them when they left the next day- for their stories, for coming to help, for not turning immediately to killing one of their own like so many outsiders would’ve done. (“I’m still not sure about that, I mean an Uktena-” “Pack.” “…...why do I even try?”) It was a great service they’d done both pack and tribe and there was no way they could leave without their gratitude having been made blindingly clear.

Still, nearly all of them agreed that the whole smoked turkey each was given was maybe going a bit overboard.

According to Kevin it was another Ossy thing.

So, they rolled with it.

~~

Everything always seemed boring after a mission. Didn’t matter if the team was settling back in at Torrington, or at home over the holidays, that juxtaposition between being off in amazing places experiencing new things and fighting monsters and magic and returning to normal life was always jarring. Like stepping off a boat only for your body to suddenly realize that the ground was stable. But if he had to come back to anywhere, he was always glad when it was home, where he could retreat into his own little haven of weirdness.

His room at the Lombard-Mystery house made the one at Torrington look like Diana’s.

Their parents had long given up on being able to see the floor and now just accepted that it would always be ankle deep in everything from dirty underwear to magical talismans to rogue Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Though not food, not since the day their mom had actually brought out a flamethrower and brandished it in the direction of his door. Every square inch of wall space was covered in posters from various B-movies and sports events, and one massive mural of Hedorah he’d painted when he was twelve and was still way too proud of. The shelves strained under the weight of comic books, reference books, horror stories by everyone from Lovecraft to Ravenheart, and figurines of Digimon nobody would’ve ever expected to be able to find figurines for. Truly the only mostly-clear surfaces in the room were his bed, which was only half storage, and his desk, which held only a lamp flanked by figures of PlatinumNumemon and Raremon.

That gave him just enough space to continue his various studies into the weird and unusual and, most importantly, the magical, as he was doing at the moment. He’d come home, greeted his parents, regaled them with the story of he, Diana, and Java’s adventure (while Diana stood to the side, butting in every time he was explaining how awesome he was, the spoilsport), and ever since had been buried in his spellbook. There were so many new spells in it thanks to Gwen and he was absolutely enraptured. There was nothing quite the same as learning new magic and it would’ve taken a miracle to drag him away.

Or his phone going off, as the case may be.

Honestly even that didn’t really work. He didn’t even put down the turkey sandwich he’d made himself (they had too much turkey, somebody had to get rid of it), just pulled his phone out of his pocket blind, eyes still locked on the book.

“Hello, Martin Mystery speaking.”

“Hey Martin.” Finally, his attention was got. He didn’t look away from the book, but at least he stopped hunching over it.

“Tonio! Hey, how’s it going man?”

“Boring, for the most part. I might actually be starting to miss your antics.”

“Ouch. Terminal boring then.”

“Yep. If I don’t make it to the end of summer I’ve asked Mom to send you my comic collection.”

“Truly you’re the best friend.”

“I know.” There was a pause and Martin could’ve sworn he could hear the creak as Tonio leaned his chair back. He steeled himself, that always came with added teasing. “So, Diana said you guys went out of town.” Wait, since when did Diana have Tonio’s number? Since when did they talk? Exactly what sort’ve stories were they exchanging behind his back, and he knew if they were talking they were.

“Yeah,” Martin said, not letting on the sudden wariness he was feeling, “was pretty cool. Food was great, Java’s probably gonna be serving it in the cafeteria for half of next year.”

“Nice, nice,” he could almost see his friend nodding along in his mind’s eye, “she also said you met a cute guy.” No. Nope. Nada.

“I did not.” He was going to kill her.

“Really? She said you practically drooled.”

“That’s because she’s a liar. I know you don’t know this, but it’s a chronic thing with sisters.” She could forget college, she wasn’t even going to last to fall.

“It’s cool, man, there’s nothing wrong with you finding a guy you like. I was happy having a straight friend, but I can deal.” Scratch that, Martin was going to die, of embarrassment, right there at his desk. “Just don’t start flirting with me or anything.” He scoffed, huffed, and tore into his sandwich with feeling.

“Oh please, you couldn’t handle this much man.”

There was a loud thud on the other end of the line as Tonio fell to the ground laughing.

~*~

~*~

In the mid-afternoon a young Osmosian wanders the game trails that crisscross his pack’s territory. His dark and striped skin blends him in well with the mottled sunlight coming through the leaves and fragrant berries and flowers help to cover his scent from the prey he stalks. The goal is a deer, a plump young buck at best, to present as a gift to the object of his affections. A fresh kill, his own lone work, to show his attraction and dedication.

He can taste the remnants of one as easily as he can smell it. Somewhere in the area, he’s certain, is a spot where they sleep, and if he can find it and hide himself properly there then the kill will be easy.

What he doesn’t expect is to catch the scent of something else, something familiar yet unknown, running across the trail. Despite every warning his family has drilled into his head- about other packs, about poachers, about being seen without a disguise- curiosity wins out and pulls him off the trail and into the underbrush as surely as a hook through his nose. The tracks are old, the trail cold, but there’s still enough for a talented youth to follow. Enough to lead him onward, and onward, until nearly an hour has passed.

There’s a cave at the end of the trail. Not suitable for starting a new denning site, the roots of nearby trees are too thick and too close, there’s no room to expand. But still, inside he can taste life. Familiar life. Strange life. It’s with great caution he inches forward to see what there is to find.

The sight is one he knows well from checking on his relatives, on his sisters. A good dozen spheres of speckled grey rest in a depression in the dirt. Each is the size of a basketball, easily the largest he’s ever seen. There may even be more in the darkness, though he doubts it to look at them. Space there may be, but nothing else. Still, more or no, this is something for which he’ll need help, that the older members of the pack should know about, and so he turns and runs back down the faint trail with all the speed he can gather.

Several of the eggs are still glowing.

[lasorciereviolette-blog]

On Witch

(So RP’s are a bit slow right now so I might as well continue down the saltapalooza that has been opened up due to a post on how Sega’s flanderized Amitie over the years. 

This one’s kind of all over the place, because it’s not a strict flanderization argument per se and since Witch is my favourite I like to gush about her. I’ll try to keep on topic as much as possible though.

So I’ll start by saying that honestly, this could be a lot worse in several ways. Sega’s done at least a little homework on Witch. It took them nearly a decade to put Witch in one of their games (no, 7 does not count since she has no lines) but it looks like she’s here to stay seeing as she was kept on the roster for both Tetris and Chronicle.

But... Now what? See, my analysis has led me to the conclusion that Sega have absolutely idea of what to do with Witch.

I didn’t always have that viewpoint. At one time I thought Sega had done a pretty good job with Witch. She showed up, her story was reasonably funny, and she was actually allowed to behave like a selfish jerk unlike certain characters. 

However, a little while ago I came across a translation of Yon’s cutscenes. And I came across an unfortunate discovery: Witch’s campaign in 20th is nothing new at all. Nope. It’s just a copy-paste of her few scenes in Yon, and one cutscene in Sun.

Let me elaborate. See, in 20th Witch is trying to collect ingredients to create a potion in one of Wish’s spellbooks. Collecting these ingredients involves taking parts off of certain cast members, namely Draco’s tail, the Acorn Frog’s eye, an imp’s horns, a ladybug, a dark wizard’s hair, and a fish’s scales. On the surface this isn’t a bad premise. I didn’t mind it too badly before I knew anything about Yon. Except in Yon, Witch’s goals are almost identical. She needs Draco’s tail and Seriri’s scales, and wants to collect Carbuncle’s finger grime (... somehow) just in case she ever needs it. When she comes across a sleeping Dragon, she also tries to seize the opportunity to grab some snot.

The details aren’t exactly the same, at least. Which is nice, because if the scenes were word for word the exact same I’d be even more peeved. I can at least give the writers that much. The thing is, after waiting so long for a beloved character’s comeback, why did they decide just to recycle half the cutscenes from other games? I suppose this can be forgiven since it’s an anniversary title, but it’s still a little odd.

And then we get to Tetris, where Witch has a total of... One scene. When DLC was released, she got another very short scene. While these were both original, there... Really was nothing to them. All she wants to do is perform an experiment with blocks in one, and in the other she mocks Draco, which would have been absolutely unsurprising if you had played either Saturn or Yon in the past. Witch’s appearance is very much a token one and she doesn’t even really interact with other characters besides Draco Centauros when there was an opportunity to have her bounce off of the members of the Starship Tetra, or Amitie, or Ringo. Or maybe to put her in Primp and have her hang out with some of the people she used to. Talk about a waste. Witch is a fun and dynamic character who has been allowed to remain a bit of a jerk. There was plenty of room to have her interact with new characters, but instead they threw her into space and called it a day. Hell, she’s a comet witch and she doesn’t even notice she’s in space!

Which leads me into the next part of this rant, the fact that Sega only really seemed to look at Yon and one cutscene in Sun and determined her entire character from there. Before Yon Witch was primarily a comet witch. While she did make potions in Seriri’s Happy Birthday, Witch’s gameplay was focused more on flight and spellcasting. Based on her moveset in other games, Witch not only shares most of Arle’s spell set (being proficient in fire, ice, and lightning magic, as well as being able to cast Brain Dumbed and Jugem) but has her signature Meteor spell and a few other comet style magics such as Big Bang. These spells have a distinctive star theme when she casts them, distinguishing her from Arle.

Pretty cool, huh? She is also somewhat of a melee fighter, not being afraid to swat people with her broom. (this isn’t the greatest of examples but it’s cool so)

Coming back to her broom flying, a whole game was built around it called Comet Summoner. It didn’t have much of a story, but it did feature a bunch of cute levels and a powerful boss that may or may not have been Witch’s future self. And this future self was strong, with a huge red aura, several health bars, and the ability to not only zip around the stage at high speeds, but cast spells of her own and combo you with a mix of melee and magic if you fuck up and get too close to her.

Witch would make a good fighting game character. 

This is getting a bit off topic, but point is, Witch is versatile. But unfortunately it seems that apart from her spell names Sega can’t be bothered to remember her versatility and just wants her to make wacky potions. I’m not opposed to her making wacky potions, it’s not necessarily bad, but at one time she was a lot more than that.

She was more complex as a character than she seems to be in 20th or Tetris. Maybe not in Yon, where she appears very little, but in Madou Monogatari she got some attention. Yes, Witch is selfish. Yes, she’s pretty power hungry. Yes, she’d probably sell quite a few people out for a single corn chip. But there are some people who are dear to her, like for example her grandmother Wish. While again, I can’t read Japanese, Witch Leeroy Jenkins’s into a room when she sees her grandmother’s body on the floor in Tower of the Magician. Afterwards, Witch’s body language is pretty clear to see.

She’s clearly very worried about Wish and does not appreciate any harm coming to her. Even jerks have loved ones, I guess?

Let’s give Sega the benefit of the doubt, maybe that one trait just hasn’t come into play yet. After all, Wish hasn’t appeared (but she has been mentioned). Sure. However, there are other traits that the Sega games ignore when it comes to Witch’s character.

First, Sega has arguably made Witch into an even worse jerk. In Compile’s games, Witch is often abrasive and rude, but she will defer to an expert’s judgment in a situation she doesn’t understand. Case in point, Saturn. Upon coming across the Yog smoke, she avoids possession because she immediately listens to Arle and Rulue’s advice. She doesn’t argue, she just does it. 

Contrast this with 20th. 

In general, Witch is crafty and rather full of herself in Saturn, but not so much as Rulue. She has a low opinion of martial arts and so that makes her play well off of Rulue (It probably also explains her animosity towards Draco), while she has a high opinion of her magical skill and loves to soak up praise. Witch also shows little ill will towards those who quit the tournament after a Yog presents itself, which might hint at some sensibility the character doesn’t tend to have much of after this. 

Witch is also a bit of a snarker in this game:

There’s character here besides her excitability, or getting pissed off when things don’t go her way. Now Saturn does bring up Witch’s legendary temper, but we don’t really see the results of that in-game. 20th really pushes that informed attribute into the spotlight, where all her thoughtfulness and cleverness go out of the window for her to make a bad potion that obviously contained too many substitutions, to the potion not being useful in the first place, to her beating up Lemres for stating the blatantly obvious. Witch doesn’t really come off any smarter than Draco at the end of this, because all of this was obvious! She just comes off as an even worse ass than usual because of Sega’s wackiness mandate.

I also really don’t get what the point of her fighting Lemres even was. Lemres seems disappointed at the end that he didn’t get to talk to Witch more, but the story just ends. There isn’t any kind of payoff or character growth here. Just... Nothing. Again, a total waste of potential, having the two comet mages meet and then do absolutely nothing of value. Love it, Sega.

Oh yeah, there were two more things Sega forgot about. First, this.

Witch is probably an actual pervert, to contrast with Schezo’s fake perversion (which may or may not be real perversion too sometimes, because Saturn’s fun like that). So that’s another thing Sega forgot, for better or for worse.

Which leads me to the last bit that Sega’s forgotten. This too I can’t really say if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. I like that it exists in Compile’s games, but if Sega remembered it would likely devour what remains of Witch’s personality. In certain games, there are implications that Witch may have a crush on Schezo. She fawns over him in athletic clothes in Puyolympics and as seen above, asks if he’s cool and wants to touch him in Saturn. Then of course there’s the whole “I want you” scene that solidifies the thing. For all I know there could be evidence for or against this in Tower of the Magician, which is a game where the two spend quite a bit of time interacting with each other, but since I haven’t learned to read Japanese in the last few hours I can’t comment on that, as much as I want to.

Now whether this is a good or bad thing for Sega to ignore really depends on your interpretation of this trait. I’m personally torn, because again I’m glad that Witch has not been reduced to a lovesick one-note failure. On the other, it’s a facet that a more competent writing team could have explored with some success. So it sucks that it’s been abandoned completely, but the end result could have been really terrible had Sega noticed this, so... Yay?

Okay, so I’ve written blocks of text. What does it all mean? Well, it means Witch isn’t immune to being flanderized in Sega’s works. It could be a lot worse, but there’s plenty of Witch’s character that’s been left out of current Puyo and plenty that has been aggrandized into a worse person. Right now Witch reminds me of a mixture of herself and Saturn’s take on Rulue, which... Really sucks, because no wonder Sega can’t figure out how to make Rulue stand out if they give her traits to other characters! Poor Rulue. Give her some love, Sega. She doesn’t deserve this kind of shafting.

As for Witch, you’re not going to get a total sweet kindhearted girl out of her. She was never that kind of character and that’s not a bad thing. But throwing on Rulue’s most boastful traits and making her a worse jerk, then giving her cameos because you don’t know what to do with her isn’t a good way to characterize her. Return some of that sense into the mix! Like I said in my Schezo comments, not everyone needs to be a wacky joke 24/7.

[miscosas96]

Work Text: “Lexa, will you come home early tonight? I got something to tell you.” Clarke left a message on the voicemail machine of her office. Lexa’s assistant, Nylah, was diligent in passing important messages through for her boss, and to the Alpha, nothing was considered more important than her mate’s requests. As soon as she got the voicemail, Lexa dialed her girlfriend, “Clarke, honey is everything ok?” “Umm, yeah, I’m making us a special dinner tonight, will you come home early?” From the phone, came a soft voice that contained a beaming smile. Clarke could barely withhold her excitement. It was contagious, the utter happiness in the Omega’s voice. Lexa smiled into the phone too, and confirmed, “Sure, I’ll be on my way soon.” That was how the brunette found herself sitting at a candle-lit table, watching Clarke stuffing her face with sauté lemon fish and olives. Her favorite. But now the blonde was devouring the dish, unable to spare a second to ask if she liked it. She swallowed upon the sight of Clarke’s glistening lips, oily fingers, and curled blonde hair framing puffy cheeks. There was a sweet, docile, and homely scent in the air, comfortably enveloping them. It made Lexa shut her eyes tightly in joy. And when she reopened them, green eyes softened as they rested on sky blue, and small red flames danced in her black pupils, her mind momentarily slipped away and traveled back in time. ******** Six weeks ago… A bead of perspiration, boiling as it seeped out of her pore, glided down the back of her neck. It disappeared into her collar, and eventually smeared at the lacy material of her bra, just like many previous drops. Lexa squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, and typed at her computer a little faster. Footsteps appeared outside of her office, her ears perked in vigilance as she snapped her head to the sound. It was becoming irritating and distracting, her hypersensitive hearing. But quickly guiding her attention back at the project that was approaching its deadline, Lexa clenched her jaw and forced herself to focus. Suddenly, the door was busted open. The Alpha leaped off from her seat, barely oppressed a growl from the base of her throat. A whiff of fresh air and smell of Betas brushed over her, and she shuddered a little, goosebumps rippling on the path of the sweat rivulet. Her boss, Indra, was at her doorstep. And whether it was to add a humorous tint to her suffering, or just to show her how bad it really was, the woman had stuck two tampons up in her nostrils, her voice was comically flat as it came out, “Lexa, you fucking stink. Every Alpha in this building probably wants to rip you apart and the Betas are piling up in the hallway.” “I know, I’m just finishing up this last—” “Shut the fuck up and go home.” Indra looked like she was about to run out of oxygen and faint to a miserable death. She waved at the younger Alpha impatiently, “Connor will take care of it.” Instant relief washed over her, Lexa nearly leaped over to the exit. On her way out, she had never felt so ashamed. Eyes were following her, some out of curiosity and some out of disdain, and to top it all, whispers were directed to the unneglectible bulge in between her legs. The thing was getting even bigger as it rubbed against the inner lining of her jeans, not even a bit sympathetic to its owner’s embarrassment under the scrutiny of so many bystanders. “Humph!” She groaned out of excruciating pain from the confinement of her pants, regretting her decision to come in for work today. “Clarke…” In the morning, Clarke was reluctant to climb out of their comforter, hugging her pillow and thrashing in bed, “Lexa,” she mumbled, “I think it’s close… I think it’s today.” Her stomach had been churning and aching since yesterday, and her skin had become feverish. Lexa also woke up to a formidable morning wood, acknowledging that her cycle was up soon as well. If they had calculated it right, this would be their first time, synchronized, and they wanted it to be perfect. “I just need to finish up a proposal so I can take my leave, be right back, babe.” She painstakingly tucked herself into a pair of stiff tight pants and rushed to work, wishing there would be another day of delay. But life rarely goes as planned. And no matter how hard she tried to convince her body out of this, she was in rut. Arrived at their driveway, Lexa scrambled out of the vehicle, and almost forgot to kill the engine. She could already smell the provocative sweetness in the air. Tincture after tincture of inviting pheromones, coated in sweat and moist, escaped from every small gap of their window and door. The source of that sweetness inside their bedroom, her destination, her purpose, her sun and stars and everything, was beaconing her, calling her. The Omega smelled slightly different than before they were bonded. Not the kind of shy and timid sugary scent that could harvest an army of unmated Alphas from a five miles radius; instead, the fragrance was more prominent, even a little coquettish, blatantly coaxing her, and her alone. “Fuck!” Hands fumbling at the lock, Lexa was trembling from head to toe. When she finally barged in, the protrusion in her pants had stained the front of her jeans a darker shade of blue. “Lexa?” A whimpered meowing welcomed her home. And the sight in their bedroom had her completely frozen in her track. Clarke was lying lazily in the mess of their mattress, half of her pajamas peeled off from glistening pale skin. Blonde hair spilled all over Lexa’s pillow, blue eyes hooded with a thin sheath of wanton fog, nostrils flared to take in the Alpha’s alluring pheromone floating in the air and meeting with hers. She was hugging the brunette’s tank top with one hand, the other hand disappeared into the waistband of her own pants. “Mmm…Lex, I missed you.” Thumb gently grazing over her pulsing clit, she arched from the bed, another puff of air densely charged by hormone rose from her soft torso. In a begging voice, she cooed, “I need you…” “I need you. I need you inside me, Lexa.” The words reverberated in her head, Lexa suddenly remembered the night in jail when they first mated. Clarke was wrapped in her leather jacket, pleading for her love. An overflowing sense of protectiveness flooded in her bones. Lexa stalked over to the bed and knelt beside her girlfriend in a humble posture, grateful for fate and whatever god in the universe, that she could mate with such a wonderful creature, to claim her, to love her. “Lexa…” Like a peevish kitten, the Omega clawed at a fully clothed body, hissing at the scarce touch of Lexa’s overheated skin. Clarke was too weak to even pull down the zipper. Abandoning the small metal hook, her hand again snuck inside her pajamas to appease the maddening need for pressure. Lexa thought she would explode. The knot building at the base of her member continued to swell, threatening to tear apart the thick material of her jeans. It did, with a little aim of her hands, the cloth flew open at her waist after a ripping noise. The unbelievably lengthened phallus leaped out, looking overly eager. The skin was stretched to its maximum around the girth, so taut that the entangling veins were showing, and the head, leaking, swollen, heavy, bowing to the center of gravity. Clarke audibly swallowed, terrified at the thought that she had to fit that monster into her tenderest part, as well as rapturous to be filled so tightly not a single drop could escape. She craved penetration. Her innermost muscles clenched and unclenched, a puddle of her anticipation gathered in between her thighs. More of the unique aroma permeated the thick air and she could actually smell her own arousal. But there wasn’t time or energy for her to be shy, “Lexa, ta-take me… please!?” Though wanting to take her time and appreciate the slender body before her, Lexa was unable to withhold any longer. She tackled the Omega into a desperate embrace, trapping the fair woman under her sinewy body. “My love…” The whisper was shaky when her steaming breath puffed against Clarke’s cheek. And when the hot mess of a blonde thrashed up and down to meet her hips, Lexa groaned out loud in exhilaration. Her member twitched once, and tilted up straight it almost slapped at her own belly, but it seemed to have a mind of its own and started to gravitate toward the drenched material that was Clarke’s pajama. “You have…no idea—Sss!” Hissing, when she almost blew her enormous load of love and devotion when her item met the outline of her lover’s hand tucked underneath the mere barrier, Lexa shut her eyes so tightly that she could see extraterrestrial patterns behind her eyelids. Clarke squirmed under her Alpha, absolutely in a blissful state as she melted into a sticky pool. She darted out her tongue to trace a wet line on Lexa’s neck, tasting the raw and salty perspiration with scented pheromone seeping out from the supple smooth skin. Peppering her kisses softly up to the brunette’s ear, she took the fleshy lobe in between her teeth, “no idea…what…?” “Hmm?” Lexa was lost in the sensations, her mouth watering, lips tingling and gum itching. It was when she realized that she had not given her partner a kiss since she returned home. How unbelievably uncourteous of me! She chastised herself, and tipped the Omega’s chin upward, bringing their lips together. A sloppy kiss they shared, teeth clattering and tongues merging. Lexa gently swept the roof of Clarke’s mouth, while Clarke suckled on slick piece of muscle. Moaning into each other’s lips, the heady desperation was tuned down by a negligible notch. Lexa relaxed a little as she found a cozy spot on a warm thigh to rub her attention-craving prideful length against. Her mind slowly came back to the sentence she left unfinished, “You have no idea how much I want you, my love.” To have such a distracting object grinding and plowing at her, Clarke swallowed her longing thickly. As the brunette established a rhythm, dry humping the creamy thigh, Clarke could smell the Alpha’s sex spilling out preluding juice. It drove her absolutely insane, she flipped her palm up in her bottom wear, and coiled her fingers around the strutting head along with the thin layer of cotton. The wetness, stickiness, hot and shivering as it seeped through the material and lubricated her hand. She guided her lover closer, inch by inch, toward where she wanted her most. The twitching length often grazed over her aching clit, and threatened to charge in on numerous occasions. Lexa was trapped in a haze where she couldn’t stop thrusting, and couldn’t really register on how she wasn’t let in already. Her throat bobbed as she hummed in distress. “I want you, Clarke. I want you…” After a whiney growl, the Alpha seemed to have discovered the problem. She hooked her fingers on the waistband of Clarke’s pajama, and started to stretch it downward. “I’m yours,” Clarke pushed the loose-fit pants down to her knees, and kicked it off, not minding if it slid off the bed, “it’s all yours, Lexa.” It was Lexa’s undoing. The Alpha pulled her lover’s hand away, exposing a sacred sight that she would never grow tired of visiting. She held herself, stroking it a couple of times before pointing its head to where all the sweet honey dribbled out. Clarke braced herself, relaxing every last fiber of muscle in her body to be ready for the maddened “commander” to claim her fertile lands. However, she still chocked out a pleasant yelp when Lexa pushed inside, because lord-have-mercy that shaft was gigantic. Only with its head poking her entrance, she felt stretched to her limit, and when it slowly, but confidently and determinedly glided into her, she shuddered violently. The motion itself wasn’t too difficult, for the Omega was already flooding and slippery. However, tendons and veins still stood in the strong arms when Lexa guided her hips forward, burying herself all the way up to the knot. The girth of her member threatened to tear the tender folds and Lexa was terrified that she would inadvertently hurt her precious mate. She backed out, and lifted herself up slightly to observe Clarke’s expression. It did pain a little, but at the same time she felt incredibly satisfied to be filled up so completely, so fully, to hold such a spectacular part of the Alpha in her body, to have, to be had. “I want it.” She said breathily, and pulled her lover into a tighter hug. Her legs spread and wrapped at Lexa’s behind, aiding the strong sword to penetrate her again. And when it did, the previous dull ache of being stretched dissipated, orgasmic friction, intoxicating pleasure, and a silent promise for an explosive release were all that was left. The stronger body quaked. Lexa dipped in again, nibbling the thin pink lips. A lithe hand snuck on her back, and short nails dragged down the length of her still clothed shoulder blades. Clarke was like an insatiable feline, purring, clawing, urging her on to pump in and out. “Mmm baby… you feel so tight.” Lexa murmured into their connected lips, and threw shallow thrusts, her inflated knot grinding against the entrance that was yet to be able to take her all in. “That’s because, Lexa,” Clarke was cut off by another powerful push, “you are enormous…” “That a good thing or bad thing?” The brunette grinned wickedly as their parts slapped together, the pumping of her hips drew out gurgling liquid that streamed down their thighs. She was quite certain about the answer though, seeing her Omega attempting at a small laughter at her inquiry. Clarke failed miserably. The laughter turned into a squeaky snort that was not in a very graceful or attractive way. Reddened to her neck, she buried her face in her palm. Lexa found it the most adorable thing, nevertheless. She rolled her hips harder, to the point it was virtually impossible for Clarke to remain embarrassed. “Hmm? Is is a good thing,” her voice was coarse with lust, thick in harmless threatening, “or a bad thing?” The blonde gulped down thickly, burying her nose in the crook of her partner’s mighty shoulder as she unraveled. Her innermost walls instantly clammed down when Lexa pulled out, and then struggled to open up again when the straining head dragged along her sensitive flesh. “Uh…Lex…” The words were jumbled with vibration in the back of her throat. “It’s good! It’s good… I’m gonna…Lexa!” Correct answer. Lexa dedicated herself into pleasuring her precious Omega as well as pacifying her own itching despair, “I know, baby. Come, come for me. Come with me.” The iron hard item tautened in her core, tilting up to graze the bundle of nerves every time it retrieved to the tender opening. Tingling heat, stemming from the base of her knot, traveled up to her stomach, her spine, and her limbs. Lexa bawled, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the blonde tresses in her hand and held Clarke tightly. Finally, heat collided with electrifying current, and like a severe chemical reaction, the explosion was instant. The brunette practically collapsed on top of her lover, stomach fluttering, thighs convulsing, and heartbeat driving overspeed. Lexa came, for the first of many times to follow. The heavy texture of the silky fluid had Clarke tip over the edge. She screamed, and palmed the Alpha’s behind till her fingers dug into the luscious fleshy cheeks. “Humph…” Lexa twitched from head to toe when the faint pain blended into pleasure, aiding and amplifying her senses in the entire thirty seconds of her orgasm… ******** “Where are you?” Lexa snapped out of the memory and blinked quickly. It was significantly hotter in their living room, her face felt warm, her stomach felt funny. Clarke was looking at her suspiciously, having had finished a full plate of the delicious dinner, and was reaching for the third mini quiche in the last ten minutes. She shook her head slowly, hid her blushing face behind the curtain of her thick brown mane. “I’m right here, babe.” ******** Five minutes of absolute silence after heaving breathes and thudding heartbeat receded to normal, Lexa could finally peel herself off the buzzing softness that was her partner’s body. She looked down, and crashed into the pools of dazzling blueness. They were of the purest color of the sky, they held the sun, the stars, and a bazillion words of affection, of love. She always saw flashbacks in those blue waters, the first time they met (she was incredibly drunk), the first time they were introduced (hungover), the first time their bodies pressed together (she had a fucking embarrassing erection), the first time they kissed (in a jail cell)… None of those first times would be seen as “perfect”, but they were, for her. Now the Omega was curled in her arms after a messy orgasm, no candlelights or music playing in the background, their clothes were not even all shedded away, and both were lying on top of a set of sticky beddings. And it was perfect for Lexa. I’m so lucky to have you. Green eyes slid close, and the brunette woman submerged into an overwhelming sense of happiness. A lithe, pale hand traced at the strong jaw. Clarke whispered, “Where are you?” “I’m here,” Lexa realized her mind had been wandering for quite a while, “I’m right here, babe.” Clarke bursted into a fit of lazy chuckles, “no you’re not! You totally spaced out. Thinking about the hot ladies?” “Just one.” A wink. Blonde brows creased teasingly, the Omega untangled herself from the restriction of her pajama. As Lexa did the same with the shackle that was her work-appropriate suit, Clarke wriggled on her four and climbed away. The still extremely sensitive and hard item jumped when it slid out of her entrance, a dripping pool in between her legs was making a squishy noise. Lexa struggled out of her tank top and ditched her bra. She caught Clarke moving toward the other side of their queen sized bed, and like a stealth and sex-starved panther, she stalked over in no time. “Where do you think you’re going, hot lady?” With one arm snuck around a creamy thigh, Lexa gently pulled her lover back into her laps, and pressed her other hand between the prominent shoulder blades. Although the request wasn’t spoken, the force was as dominant as it was gentle. Clarke gladly obeyed, and bent over to rest her face on a pillow. Lexa sighed contentedly at the sight, marveling, worshipping, as her fingers dusted the exquisite lines of rippling flesh on the blonde’s naked back. Her fingertips would make a detour to the front, rounding a set of pebbled nipples, before they returned and dipped in the cute shallow dimples sitting on top of the voluptuous buttocks. Clarke squirmed, when she purposefully parted the cheeks to take a peek at the most exotic scenery. She browsed from the shy little reddened clit pulsating at the joining of soft folds, to the glistening slit that was tainted by a coat of her milky release, then to the tender entrance flexing and shivering a little in seek of fulfillment, and to a tight, secretive hole that she was yet granted permission to visit. Just out of curiosity, she wrapped her hand around her erect girth, and touched its head to the mysterious garden. A smirk tipped the corner of her lips. Clarke thought it was an honest mistake, she guided her hips upward slightly to coax the mighty thing back to where she needed, “Again…” She needed it it, until she was stretched so hard it pained, until she was filled with everything Lexa had, until she was impaled on the formidable knot that would tie her to the Alpha for hours on end. But the second time the meaty tip rimmed around the tight ring of wrinkles, she shuddered from the implication. “Lexa, stawwwp…” A whiney groan met a husky chuckle. It obviously wasn’t going to happen today, Lexa knew that. Clarke was not prepared and she was too big. Actually, the Omega would allow it, as long as she insisted, because of how easily persuaded and submissive a heat could make her—she would give what her Alpha asked for. But if Lexa was anything, she was a respectful lover, she would never take advantage of that agreeableness and vulnerability. Clarke was hers to claim, hers to dominate, as well as hers to protect and take care of. “Maybe another time. We’ll talk about it.” She whispered, and abandoned the idea for then. Nodding, the blonde sighed in relief. And soon enough, the shaft thrusted inside her a second time, a sigh became a moan, a moan became a squeal. “Oh! Lex… mmm…” Pushing and pulling and strutting and pumping, her member was even more swollen than it was just moments ago. But magically, the warm core accepted her entire being. Every time she pushed all the way in, her knot shoving and sliding for a tiny bit, and the distal end of her shaft would hit a second door that hid further inside the velvety tunnel. It was like a little mouth, flexing and opening just a little upon her knocking, and suckling at her item once in a while. Lexa had her suspicion on what would happen, it happened once. “De-deeper, Lexa.” Clarke plopped herself up on her elbows, and let out a breathy noise that was similar to a growl but too soft to be considered one. She spared a peep between her legs, where the Alpha was going back and forth untiringly, and her stomach crumbled at the feeling of an enlarging knot threatening to enter, “I need your knot… I wanna… come… on your knot…” Too greedy for the pleasure that frantic friction brought her, Lexa was reluctant to be tied up and unable to move. She ignored the small whimpering pleas and kept going. Just one more time, she told herself, just another unhindered orgasm before succumbing to her lover’s needy request. She did not get what she originally intended. Clarke clawed at the bedding when her internals completely dissolved, and a swirling vortex stirred the waters. Lexa almost lunged and knock into the boneless body. Practically pulled inside, swallowed, and consumed by the insatiable hollowness, her knot was engulfed into the circular cavity. Her waist tensed, she backed in surprise, only to find herself having no space to back away. “Clar—Ke!” She gnawed at her teeth and fumed a little, having been interrupted from an impending climax. To punish the now giddy little Omega, she lapsed over the contour of Clarke’s back, barring her canines and latching her mouth at the smooth patch of skin over the scent glands on a slender neck. She sunk in a bite. “Huh!” The moment Clarke yelped, Lexa panicked in regret. The metallic taste of blood splattered on her pallet, and she instantly let go. “I—I’m so sorry, baby…” She pampered thousands of small kisses around the wounds in an attempt to soothe the pain and lick away the blood. Clarke arched into her embrace, and she hooked her arm across the full breasts to hold her there, apologetically. The blonde was not in the slightest mad. How could she? As soon as the slobbery tongue grazed over her nicks, saliva contacting her bloodstream, some unexplainable chemical reaction bubbled in the bundles of nerves buried deep inside her core. When Lexa forfeited her instinct to dominate and cooed her humble apologies beside her ear, Clarke nearly thawed into an even softer puddle, if she wasn’t already. Her head turned toward the hot breath, and muffled more guilted words with a wet kiss. “Oh my gawd…!” Lexa had to terminate the acceptant kiss with an exclamation. A ring of muscle around the ridge of her shaft’s head was convulsing, and though she couldn’t move, the suckling entrance was jerking her. She was so excited her entire being quaked. A full load of her overflowing energy shot from the base of her knot up to the length, then squeezed through the tightness around the end, exploding into the safety of Clarke’s womb. “Fuck!” Some rare profanity echoed off their bedroom walls, when an unrelenting orgasm wiped every last bit of pain for the Omega. ******** Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t quite figure out why a knot was necessary in sealing the semen in the uterus. Just the head of her pride alone was a sufficient plug to prevent any spillage out of the quivering Omega. Indeed, they did not waste a single drop that time. Lexa tapped her chin, and beamed a victorious smile to her lovely partner. “What are you grinning about?” Clarke had moved onto the dessert, a creamed fruit cake that she bought for the special occasion. “I love you, Clarke.” Lexa blurted out. Clarke smacked her lips and giggled into the cream. ******** “I love you…Clarke… I…really, really do.” Giggling when the Alpha was unable to control her trembling body, Clarke threaded her fingers with the larger hand that was placed across her chest. They had collapsed together to their sides, and Lexa was spooning her from behind. Whenever she tightened her belly and inhaled deeply, Lexa came, flooding her inside with a steady trickle. It seemed that the smallest stimulus was too much for the Alpha, and Clarke was swooning in the satisfaction of making her mate so happy. But she also noticed that over time, the amount of hot liquid reduced, and Lexa was emptying out all her storage, the knot deflated along the progress. “I really love you…” The exhausted Alpha murmured again, burying her nose into the lush blonde threads and the cozy smell of her lover. Clarke raked her nails lightly along the muscling bicep, alluring the brunette to a short nap before another long-lasting, steam-filled session of mating ritual. She herself was drifting off as well. It was a good thing, because they would be needing all the energy they could gather. “Lexa?” “Yes, love.” “I wanna see you.” She made her request. In their current position, making out for a long period of time was tiring and she had cramps in the back of her neck. Reluctant to pull out from the heavenly warmth hugging her, Lexa whimpered in return. “Next time.” “’k…” Before she surrendered to a restoring, dreamless slumber, Lexa contemplated to herself, when was the last time Clarke received a booster birth control shot? Was it due last week? Did she forget? And as the Omega tucked her arm in between a splendid cleavage, and whispered, “I love you too”, Lexa smiled, I’ll take my chances. ******** A chance she took, and the reward was such a heart warming scene right in front of her keen green eyes. “I love you too. Ok, ok, as I was saying, Raven took Sophie over. She loves her so much she’s even paying more than the market price.” Clarke continued to tell her lover that she had made the decision to sell her maroon colored convertible “Sophie” to their friend. She was ranting a little and procrastinating from telling Lexa the reason, because she didn’t know how the brunette would react. It was her negligence, after all, to miss the booster dose of birth control shot before the inevitable frenetic ritual. “Mmmhmm?” And all Lexa cared was how adorable Clarke looked when she talked with her oily fingers gesturing some numbers in the air. Feeling she had run out of things to say about the great deal she nailed with her mechanic friend, Clarke breathed in through her nose and pursed her lips anxiously. With a wet clothe twirling in her fingers, she wiped off any residual of dinner from her hands. But she could pretend to take interest in the cleaning process only for so long. She needed to do this, she needed to tell Lexa, she had been wanting to tell her since two weeks ago she started suspecting. “Lex, I…” Sensing the truth was going to come out, Lexa straightened in her chair, leaning as close as she could across the small table. “I sold Sophie, because…um, I mean… I’ve been meaning to tell you that…” Her sky blue eyes danced atop the candle lights, and searched for the steady gaze from the steady forest green. Lexa was on the edge of her chair, and biting her bottom lip in anticipation. Despite the effort she tried to hide her excitement, it was too evident in the numerous sparkles blazing in the center of her black pupils. And Clarke saw it. Realization washed over her. She sucked in a gasp and wailed, “Awww you knew alreadyyy!!!” She palmed her face and whined. Of course she knew! The Alpha had olfactory senses acute as a wolf, she probably had sniffed out the abnormal hormonal fluctuations since the second it happened. “Wait wait I can act surprised.” A small laughter escaped her throat, Lexa pulled her chair to the spot beside her girlfriend. “Lexa! Why didn’t you tell me!??” “I was waiting for you to be ready.” The brunette slid off her chair and knelt before the Omega. “I saw you struggling a little last couple of weeks, and I don’t want to pressure you into anything, my love.” She pulled the lithe hands to her lips, and printed soft kisses on the knuckles. “Now you’ve sold your car, and I take that as a decision that we’re keeping it?” “Would that be ok?” Clarke stared timidly at the top of the brunette crown, still feeling guilty because she skipped a doctor’s appointment. Lexa lifted her chin, and reached to cup a handful of blonde tresses in her hand, guiding her partner into a peck, “It’s more than ok. It’s perfect.” And she suddenly remembered what she was ready to share. Fishing out a small black box from the pocket of her shirt, Lexa knelt back on the floor. Clarke covered her mouth with both hands, blue eyes quickly welled with a coat of moist fog. The box slid open, a simple circle, made of iron and a little greenish blue pebble laid on top of a small feathery pillow. No gold, no silver, no diamond. An iron ring with a blue green stone. Lexa welded it herself, and burned the tip of her index finger because of that. “I know it’s pretty cheap of me, but a baby is going to be expensive.” She picked it up and held it to the astounded woman, “Clarke Griffin, will you take my last name?” It definitely made Clarke cry out a laughter, doubling over in tears. Lexa knew how the blonde could never take her dirty dirty last name “Woods” seriously. And from that reaction, she had succeeded. “Oh Lex! Of course I will marry you, you big silly dork!” Even if it meant to change her “prime and proper” last name for such an unique choice, Clarke did not hesitate for a heartbeat. “Oh my god put it on, put it on!” She gave Lexa her hand, and squealed when the band slid on her left ring finger. It fit her perfectly. When Lexa stood up, Clarke locked her arms behind the taut neck and threw her legs around the mighty waist. Lexa was a tree, a canopy from blazing sun when the days were draining, a shield when she needed a safe haven from brutal winters, a root when she became tired of drifting, a home, a protection, a comfort, a place where her heart rested safe and sound in the nest made of the strongest branches and the softest leaves. She cupped the Alpha’s face, to plant thankful kisses on the plump lips, and moaned when the brunette demanded deeper connection. Neither noticed when Lexa had carried her lover—her fiancee—to the spacious sofa right beside their dinner table, had scooted and sunk into the giant fluffy cushions, and had engrossed in a good ten minutes of slow, passionate, attentive make-out session. Sweet, cozy, and distinctive scent kept invading her sinuses. Albeit not as soliciting, it was still arousing. Lexa’s nostrils flared to bask in the glory of her pregnant fiancee’s pheromones. Her pupils blown as they trained on the glowing skin where her moist lips had been trailing. And she gulped down a surprised whimper when lithe fingers caught her wrist, and placed her hand on a slightly fuller mound. Pebbled nipple grazed the lines on the inside of her palm. She fondly massaged the soft breast before sliding her hand up to hold the Omega’s neck, and her kisses became innocent pecks raining on the rosy tainted cheek. When Clarke threw her a questioning glance, she printed a feathery kiss on her forehead. “I just wanna kiss you. That’s all.” “Liar.” Clarke nudged at the Alpha’s nose, took Lexa’s kiss swollen lip in between her teeth, and pulled the tender flesh gently but punitively. Lexa shot up a brow, amused. The blonde mimicked the expression, and rubbed her thigh against the way too obvious bulge that filled the gap between their bodies. “You have an erection.” A combined result from Lexa’s daydreaming about their lovemaking over dinner table and the irrefutably tantalizing smell. “I do not.” Teasingly pulling her hips back, Lexa denied with an equally gentle bite in return. “You do too!” Adrenaline rushing, mingled with her hazing hormones, her body harmonized in accord with Lexa’s subtle buzzing. She fumbled a little at the tenting protrusion, and grinned to see her lover’s hips buck under her cunning maneuver. “You are so hard now, Miss Woods.” “Mmm… and you, are playing with fire, Missus Woods.” The Alpha warned. She had much more self-control now with her protective concern over the well-being of her child—as long as the cheeky woman stop provoking her. It didn’t stop Clarke from pulling down the small metallic zipper, and setting her lover free. The hardened appendage looked much more amicable, tamed and polite than it had been during their cycle, the skin not fully retracted and veins barely inflated. Still strong and thick though, and she absolutely adored it. Her own body unabashedly reacted to the beautiful, alluring creature that grew in her hand. Cheeks flushing, belly fluttering, Clarke tugged down her panties with the other hand, and a glistening line of viscous fluid stretched on in the gapping distance of the underwear and her sex. “Come here.” She murmured, and melted in the glueing embrace. “Clarke, sweetheart… you sure it’s ok?” Lexa asked, but her curious shaft was already testing the wet folds. Nodding, Clarke opened up her thighs a little bit wider, to bait the scouting head inside for a visit. Lexa slid in, just half of her length, and felt perfectly contented to be held in the warm humidity. She never went further, never thrusted or pounded, just rolling her hips shallowly, grinding and rocking to please her mate. Clarke’s lips trembled to announce the approaching orgasm, so she snuck her hand down and pinched the swollen knob to draw the climax out. Then when the tight tunnel spasmed ever so softly, pushing her out, she flattened her palm on Clarke’s still tight stomach and ejaculated on the back of her own hand. Clarke laid sluggishly in Lexa’s musky, sweaty fragrance, and eyed the Alpha who was busy tidying themselves up with a piece of fabric that looked suspiciously like a table napkin. She weaved her hand through the brown mane, and smiled to lock her gaze with the tranquil lake green eyes. In the shy blue ripples, Lexa could sense a glimmer of fear of a mother-to-be, but mostly hope, pridefulness, and happiness. “We’re having a baby…” The hesitance in Clarke’s voice was still present, but she was not afraid, not anymore when Lexa knelt closer and rested their foreheads together. A confident confirmation was her answer. “We’re having a baby.”

[nongmobro-blog]

The Hunter and the Fox (revised)

A breezy dusk, within the wind of the days ending, there was a light scent of floral in the air as the Hunter stared at the sun, still peaking above the dunes, miles away. A faint sliver of bright, red orange quickly receding as the sky quickly changed from auburn to a brilliant shade of purple. As still as a tree the Hunter sat staring at the spectacle with a deep expression of raw thought crossing it’s pale face, it was in the eyes..

This is how the Fox wandered upon the old Hunter, the Fox had never seen the Hunter like this before. In fact, the Fox never bothered coming near the Hunter, as a result of it’s reputation of killing wild animals. The Fox was rare, a light, silver blue coat covered it’s athletic frame. A frame made strong by staying alive in the wilderness, being hunted by both human, and animal. The Fox was also wise and adept. Something was different in the Hunter this night. The Fox could smell it, like the fading scent of smoldering embers, this Hunter had a faint scent, not at all like usual. The Fox crept close to the Hunter and stared into it’s thoughtful eyes.

“I witness your stare.” Spoke the Hunter. “If you’ve come to kill me, I suppose I deserve it, though maybe a worse fate is designed, after what I have done..” The Hunter paused. “.. I care not.” The Hunter added as it went back to staring into the darkening night sky.

“You speak unlike I thought you would. Do you not wish to kill me?..” asked the Fox

“I do not.” The Hunter simply replied.

“What has happened to you? This seems so unlike you, you have spent your whole life, and your forebears as well, hunting wild and rare animals.”

“A Hawk..” The Hunter said without pause, speaking with a choking whisper, barely able to contain it’s sorrow. The Hunter cleared it’s throat and focused. “A Hawk,” the Hunter repeated clearly. “A Hawk I have known, since I was but a wee child, with my pop gun and a hungry pair of eyes for anything that I could shoot at. I have known this Bird since I can remember. I spent my youth, admiring the beautiful raptor, it was unlike any of the others!” The Hunter ended with excitement. “It had a beautiful, gold coat of feathers, silver at the tips. It was perfect. It flew unlike the other Hawks, with purpose, and compassion. Like it knew it was different, which I sometimes wondered if it did.. I was always taught to think they were so stupid..” The Hunter paused at that, getting lost in a moment of deep thought, it’s eyes glazing over with nostalgic memories.

The Fox waited patiently, this was the most incredible change it had ever seen in any living things, a Hunter at that. “I saw it..” The Hunter continued in a cold, dry tone of regret. “I saw it after not seeing it for almost 5 years. I had thought it dead and lost memory of it. Until yesterday, when I saw it..” The Hunter stopped and began to breathe heavily, the Fox sensed much stress from the poor Hunter and it was perspiring now. “.. I saw it but the sun was in my eyes and I only saw the silhouette of the Bird and I shot it down.. I killed the bird I admired so much, mindlessly. I had gotten so used to hunting that I woke from a sleep and shot at the beast without even thinking..” The Hunter inflicted with a heavy burden of guilt towards itself and paused again, breathing deep.

The Fox could smell the rage building in the Hunter, let alone see it, however, the Hunter exhaled loudly and threw it’s arms up lazily. “I killed it..” it said blatantly. “I aimed, fired, and destroyed one of the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen. I used to draw pictures of it, paintings.. I grew up adoring this wonderful creature!” The Hunter finished with a yelp, with the pinch of guilt causing it to choke on the word. “Walking upon the corpse, I saw what it was. My Bird, I named her Flyer, cause she was the best of the bunch!” The Hunter spoke aloud in sarcastic tone, berating itself. It then went cold again, staring into the now indigo sky.

“You regret killing this Bird.” The Fox simply confirmed. “You are sad because you did not want to kill this Hawk.” It added. “I knew her. I called her Swiftwind, because she always glided on the breeze, so very well..” The Fox paused now, having a memory of it’s own.

The Hunter began to weep then. “I did not need to hear that..” it pleaded, low and desperate.

“What do you mean?” Asked the Fox

“It stings my..” The Hunter grasped at it’s chest and was choking for breath, going through waves of personal agony. Many moments passed before the fit subsided, the Fox waited, dumbstruck.

“I do not understand what just happened.” The Fox admitted. “Although, the sight of you just now, and the smell reminds me greatly of my dear love, Shel.“

“Why do you call her that?” The Hunter asked instantly, in a bland tone caked with a dry curiosity, blowing it’s nose and interrupting the Fox.

“She lives in an old tortoise shell on the plains..” The Fox replied dryly. The Hunter began laughing, loudly, at this, for a long moment. The Fox did not understand this either, eyeing the Hunter with it’s head tilted to one side.

“Forgive me..” The Hunter begged in apology. “Please, continue..” It prompted.

“It is where I mated with her..” The Fox continued. “.. and where she kept our litter. Her stress was great, She cared for the life of the young with a ferocity unmatched by anything I’ve ever seen. Terrible to behold, truly..” The Fox trailed off, looking off into the sky.

“Aye, I know what you mean.” The Hunter said after a moment. ���My wife and mother both had a temper one learned to regret tempting, if and when they ever made the mistake of doing so..” The Hunter said rolling it’s eyes. Time passed, a long moment, as both sat staring at the stars twinkling in the night sky.

“What will you do now?” The Fox questioned.

“I am dropping the hunt, no more killing, save the protection of my family.” The Hunter added sternly.

“That seems drastic, is it not your business?” The Fox wondered genuinely. 

“I.. no.” The Hunter said. “No.. I vowed the end of my life killing, after wandering upon the landing zone, and grave, of her babies, that had fallen from their perch..” The Hunter seemed about to pass out, swaying in guilt. It continued in a harsh, quiet whisper, splitting it’s sentences in between quick gasps of fading breath, it’s lungs clenching up from inner turmoil. “They had the same coat as their mother… gold and silver the tip… They looked old enough to fly, or just about..” It paused again bobbing it’s head, trying to keep balance, allowing the pain to fully rush through it’s emotions. A very long moment passed and even though the Fox could not understand the grief the Hunter was exuding, it could imagine from it had just heard, that the Hunter was very disappointed in itself.

“I see now..” The Fox said at length. “I see.” It repeated

“Yes..” The Hunter replied with a forced hiss, resonating with pain as it inhaled deeply. “Now you see.. I am a murderer..” It replied.

“Well now.” The Fox said. “You shouldn’t say that, you didn’t know any better, you were raised to kill the animals, yes?” It asked with a stern, emboldening tone. “You did something wrong, made clear within yourself, a reflection of your regret that seems inescapable.” It added wisely.

“You make it sound so simple..” The Hunter stated with a wry expression. “I feel like dying..” It plainly stated.

“There is always hope, old Hunter..” said the Fox. “This will pass and so long as you do not do any more harm to the animals, so too will you come out of this, the stronger, eh!” The Fox quipped with enthusiasm. “Maybe you can learn of a way to help the animals, I could use a covering for my Fox hole, it’s drips when it rains.” The Fox said with a serious tone, the look on it’s face reflecting it’s distaste of getting wet during the storms.

This made the Hunter smile. “Perhaps I can.” It said, then it gave the Fox a light scratch and stood up. “I can start with getting a tarp for you, I can rig it u-”

the Fox stopped paying attention to the Hunter then, not understanding a single thing the Hunter was saying. It looked excited though and this made the Fox feel good, seeing the change within the mood of one it thought only capable of hunting. After the Hunter was finished rambling on about it’s plans, it looked at the Fox. “Thank you.” Said the Hunter with gratitude.

The Fox was very flattered, and impressed. “You are welcome.” It simply replied. “I live next to the brook, near the waterfall, next to the red rock.” The Fox admitted. “Be well..” The Fox said, turning to walk away. “And forgive yourself.” It added.

The Hunter nodded it’s head at that, it’s heart warming as the sun was rising over it’s favorite mountain, off in the distance. “Wait on!..” The Hunter blurted out turning it’s head wildly, scanning for the Fox but, it was gone.. “never got your name..” The Hunter said low.

The Hunter then stared at the sunrise in awe, a flood of emotions rushing through it as it wondered on the possibilities at all of the assistance it could provide the animals now, swearing to never harm them again and forgiving itself with watering eyes of hope.

The phone vibrated on the Hunters hip, tearing it out of the deep session of meditation and it peeked down, clicking on the screen to see the text, sent from it’s wife. “Jason got in! Kelly was so excited she slipped and fell dancing! :-) I wish you could have seen it! LOL”

The Hunter breathed with a compassionate gratitude of relief, Jason had been trying so hard to get into that school! “Yeah!” The Hunter screamed aloud. “Whoo!” The Hunter saluted to the wind, bowed low to the earth and vowed to never kill another living thing. It never had to and never did. -Fin