#will say. the spooky village. that was good.

[bosspigeon]

Very Beautiful, Very Powerful

[slashmagpie]

Break Like an Artist

My fic for @hermitadaymay's Solstice Social Collaborative Fanwork Event! I was paired up with the wonderful @eydilily to create something spooky, dramatic and contemplative featuring Gem and Pearl, and it's been an absolute blast putting this together. Please go check out Eydi's art for this AU, it's absolutely gorgeous. CWs: description of a corpse, dismemberment, loss of awareness, fire/flooding/destruction, and depiction of a panic attack. Wordcount: 5.8k

There is a plague sweeping Pearl's hometown.

One by one, she watches as her friends fall to the infection, the colour and life drained out of them and leaving hollow, apathetic husks behind. Even with the devastating loss of her friends, her village, and her regular life, the worst part of this situation is not the infection.

It's that Pearl knows that Gem is the one spreading it.

[Read on AO3]

It’s a grey day in the fishing village that Pearl calls her home. Not that it’s ever not a grey day, at least not anymore. She stares out of her window at the thick encompassing fog that’s claimed the bay, at the desaturated buildings that dot the shore, and she twirls her paintbrush in her fingers. 

The canvas is blank, of course. She doesn’t remember the last time she sat down to paint and didn’t end up with a blank canvas. It must have been—months ago, at least. Back when the last monster from the depths had attacked, and not a single person had had the heart to fight back. When Tango’s house had been shattered in two, and Tango with it.

(He seems to be dealing well with the loss of his arm, at least. Or, as well as you can deal with anything, when the only things inside of you are all-consuming numbness and apathy. Pearl feels it in her chest, the yawning emptiness, and thinks that if she were to lose her arm right here and now, she also wouldn’t be able to summon the energy to care.)

She’d painted after that, though. She remembers it vividly, waking from a nightmare and running to her studio to capture lashing tentacles and inky waters and splatters of crimson blood. It’s a frenzied piece, a disturbing piece, and the moment she’d finished it she’d been filled with so much dread that she’d turned it around to face the wall and refused to look at it since.

The dread’s gone now. Along with the anxiety, and the uncertainty, and the fear. It’s all gone, and Pearl’s left sitting here, paints drying on the palette as she stares at an empty canvas.

Across the house, she hears her front door swing open and closed. A familiar voice shouts, “Pearl? Pearl, where are you?”

“Studio,” Pearl calls back, her voice flat. She continues to twirl the paintbrush as she waits for Gem to trek her way across the house to find her.

“Studio,” Gem echoes as she pushes open the door. “Oh, Pearl, are you painting again? Oh, I’m so happy for—oh.” The joy in her voice vanishes as she takes in Pearl, sitting on her stool, paintbrush raised and canvas empty. “Oh, Pearl…” 

Sympathy. Pity. Concern. Pearl can pick apart the emotions in Gem’s voice, even if she can’t feel them herself. She stares back blankly, because she can’t find it in herself to care about either aspect of the situation, whether it be her own inability to paint or the way that Gem’s looking at her like she’s a wounded animal.

“Come on,” Gem says softly, crossing the room and gently prying the brush from Pearl’s fingers. Pearl lets her. She’s not really painting, anyway. “Let’s get you to bed, shall we? A nap will do you some good.”

Pearl lets Gem help her up, lets Gem allow Pearl to lean on her for support as they make their way back to Pearl’s bedroom. It’s not like Pearl has any difficulty walking. She’s not sick, she’s not injured, she’s just…

Cold. Empty. Not quite lifeless, not in the way Mumbo had been when she’d last seen him, skin and eyes and hair all the same shade of grey-white-nothingness as he’d stared into the distance, completely unresponsive. Listless, maybe, is the better word. She’s halfway to a fate worse than death and she cannot find it in her to care at all.

She feels colder where Gem touches her. She looks down, and she’s not sure if it’s her eyes playing tricks on her, or if her skin is more desaturated where it brushes against Gem’s. She lets Gem help her into bed, lets Gem fluff the pillows and fuss around her, lets Gem sit next to her as she hands Pearl a bowl of soup (“Your favourite!”) and watches her to make sure she eats.

If Pearl were more herself, she would care about what Gem’s doing to her. Care enough to stop it, maybe. Care enough to—no, not to confront her. Every time she’d tried, the words had gotten stuck in her throat. Because she’s known for a long time who’s been behind all of this, behind the corruption leeching all colour from their village, their home, their friends—

And she’d never said anything. Too worried about Gem’s feelings. Too worried about their friendship.

…Pearl realises, as Gem goes to take the empty bowl and brushes her hands against Pearl’s, that she’s not worried anymore.

She waits quietly as Gem washes the bowl in her kitchen, chattering to fill the silence as she does, updating Pearl on their friends’ conditions. Her tone is bright and optimistic, even as her words are dour. Scar seems to be doing the same. Grian’s getting worse. Joel’s down to communicating only in broken phrases—but he should be fine. It definitely won’t be like Mumbo, or Cub, or…

Gem returns to Pearl’s room, regarding her for a long moment before bending down to give her a hug. “Get better soon, okay?” she says into Pearl’s ear. “It’s not the same doing my rounds without you.”

Pearl knows that she’s not getting better. So does Gem, so Pearl doesn’t bother pointing it out. She just nods, lets Gem withdraw, lets Gem run one last hand through her hair.

“You should rest, Pearl,” Gem says, stepping away from Pearl’s bedside. “I’m going to go check on Impy now—”

Pearl’s moving before she’s even properly registered it, grabbing onto Gem’s wrist with force, holding her in place. Gem freezes. Pearl looks up at her through strands of greasy, greying hair.

“Gem,” she says, and it’s the first thing she’s said in days, and her voice is hoarse and her throat sore from the strain.

“...Pearl?” Gem replies, and she sounds almost scared.

“Gem,” Pearl repeats, getting used to the sound of her own voice in her mouth again. “I know.”

Gem laughs. It’s a nervous, tittering sound, the laugh Pearl remembers from when they’d gotten into trouble together as kids. “Know what?” she asks, voice strained. 

“That it’s you,” Pearl says flatly. 

Gem stares at her.

Pearl stares back.

Gem swallows. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says. “Pearl—”

“I know you’re the one doing this to us,” Pearl says, more specific this time, choosing her words carefully, and Gem—

Gem tries to pull away.

Pearl tightens her grip. 

“Pearl,” Gem whines, eyes wide, tugging. “Let me go—”

“Why?” Pearl croaks, and Gem snaps her mouth shut.

---

Pearl’s in the midst of mixing a particularly tricky shade of green when there’s a loud, frantic knock on her front door. She sighs, setting down her brush to rest, and gets to her feet. “I’m coming, I’m coming, hold on!” she calls as the knocks continue, echoing through the house.

She pulls the door open and Tango’s there, a nervous ball of energy, just about ready to bolt. “Pearl!” he calls. “Pearl, come on, we gotta go—” 

He grabs her by the arm and drags her off. Pearl just barely manages to close her front door behind her.

“Wha—? Where are we going? What’s going on?”

“Something washed up on shore,” Tango explains. “The whole town’s there, c’mon.”

Accepting that she’s not going to get an explanation out of him, and now deeply curious about this something, she lets Tango lead her down to the shore by the lighthouse. Sure enough, the whole town is there, a chattering crowd gathered around a spot on the shore that Pearl can’t quite see. Impulse is standing on the edge of the crowd and catches sight of them, raising his arm in a wave. Tango makes a beeline towards him, ducking under the crowd, and Pearl follows behind, apologising to False and Keralis as she bumps into them.

“Did you decide what to do with it yet?” Tango asks as he comes to a halt and finally lets Pearl go.

Impulse shakes his head. “We’ve decided it’s Gem’s call,” he says. “After all, she’s the—”

He doesn’t finish his sentence as the crowd suddenly goes silent and parts for Gem, her hair wild and eyes wide behind her thick-rimmed glasses. She’s got her lab coat pulled on over her day clothes, clearly not prepared for this in the slightest. She reaches the front of the crowd and stops dead still, staring at the thing that has washed up on the shore.

Pearl follows her friend’s gaze, and sees it for the first time.

It’s a body. Of course it is. A corpse, taken by the sea and ravaged by the waves and washed ashore by the brutal bay currents. The body’s clothes are torn and sodden, the skin beneath so pale that it could practically be paper. Pearl is stricken, for a moment, with the mental image of her taking a brush to this canvas, filling it back in with colour, painting contours back into its skin, breathing life back into the body.

She shakes her head violently, banishing the thought. Where did that come from? This isn’t a canvas, it’s—

It’s a person. A person who was alive, and is now dead, washed up on the beach like a dead whale and just as much of a spectacle. His eyes are open but rolled back, only the whites showing, and his hair is white too, just as pale as his skin. It stands as sharp contrast against the dark fabric of his torn clothes, a mask wrapped around the bottom half of his face.

Pearl swallows hard and averts her gaze back to Gem, who looks just as disturbed by the body as Pearl feels. It takes Gem longer to pull her eyes away, to glance around the crowd. “I’ll—I’ll take it back to my lab,” she says. “Investigate, and—and give him a proper burial.”

The words reassure the crowd, a low chatter beginning up again. 

“Skizz, will you help me carry him?” Gem calls.

Skizz does, stepping forward from the crowd and helping Gem maneuver the bloated corpse. Pearl finds herself looking at it again, noticing dark striations in the skin, caught in glimpses between the tears in the clothing as it’s moved. 

She shakes her head again, forces herself to look away as the body is carried out and the crowd disperses. The image of the body lingers in her mind. Something settles uncomfortably in her stomach, and she wishes that she’d never opened the door.

---

Things go back to normal after that. Or, well, as normal as they get in the village, at least. False monitors the currents and warns of any incoming floods or monster attacks. Impulse and Tango work maintenance on the fishing boats that Grian and Skizz and Keralis take out into the bay. Mumbo runs the fish market. Cub and Scar come and go along the trading routes. Joel maintains security, or at least the illusion of it.

Gem hides away in her lab running experiments she never explains, and Pearl paints.

She tries to return to her usual fare, brightly-coloured landscapes with fantastical features, but something about her paintings rings hollow when she looks at them. She decides she needs a change, to switch things up and just relax, so she pulls out her paints and a blank canvas and begins with no intentions. Her movements are fluid and free and thoughtless and she falls into a flow state that lasts hours, until she blinks her eyes and awakes to find a portrait before her, a colourless face in full saturation.

The corpse’s visage, so alive she can’t believe it’s not breathing, stares back at her from her easel, and Pearl flinches like she’s been burned.

She hides that painting away, face turned towards the wall, and returns to painting landscapes. They come easier now, and for a time Pearl feels normal, as long as she ignores the canvas in the corner.

It’s Impulse who notices that there’s something wrong first. It’s not surprising that he’d be the first to pick up on it, really. Skizz is his best friend, after all. Of course he’d notice when Skizz stopped laughing, stopped joking, stopped drumming out tunes with his fingers on the side of his boat. And when Pearl sees him, she notices changes too—his skin paler, like he’s spent several weeks locked inside a basement instead of out in the summer sun, his eyes no longer their regular bright blue.

“Hey, Skizzly,” she greets brightly, trying to play at normal, throwing him a bone to grab onto.

Skizz just glances at her before responding with a flat, “Oh, hey Pearl.”

Pearl’s smile falters. “How are you feeling? Impulse told me you’re a little under the weather.”

Skizz shrugs. “Fine, I guess. Did you need something?”

Pearl swallows, something cold sinking in her guts. “No, no, just checking in on you.”

“Gem already checked on me,” Skizz says. “She said I’m not sick.”

“Gem’s not that type of doctor,” Pearl reminds him with a weak smile.

Skizz shrugs again. “She’s the only doctor we’ve got.”

Pearl tries her best not to let that unsettle her.

---

It’s not just Skizz.

It starts with him, but it doesn’t end there. Keralis is next, and then Grian. Mumbo gets sickest the quickest, going from his anxious, affable self to a nearly-unresponsive husk within a week. That scares them all, because even Skizz is still responding when spoken to, still moving when instructed to, even after nearly a month of being infected with… whatever it is that’s going around.

False gets sick without anyone noticing, sequestered away in her lighthouse until she comes into town for groceries looking like a photograph that’s been left in the sun for too long, and that’s when people really start to panic.

And that’s when Gem declares, with all the authority that being a doctor of anthropology afforded her in a tiny town with no real doctor, that she’s putting everyone into quarantine until they can determine the source of the illness. 

“I’m not sick,” Pearl tells Gem when her friend knocks on her door, dressed in full lab gear, her hair out of its usual ponytail and falling forward around her face. She’s pretty sure she isn’t, at least, having hyper-analysed the shade of blue in her eyes in the mirror every morning for the past month. 

“I know,” Gem says. “I want to—I need to—can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Pearl says, stepping aside. “Of course.”

Gem enters, heading down the stairs into Pearl’s living space and staring at the paintings on the wall. Pearl watches her for a moment before stepping closer, resting a reassuring hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“What’s eating you?” she asks.

Gem snorts out a laugh at that. “I’m not a real doctor, Pearl,” she says.

“I know that.”

“They all need me to be a real doctor for them. I—” She breaks off, runs an anxious hand through her hair. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I need help.”

Pearl raises her eyebrows. “I don’t know how I can help,” she says. “I’m even less of a doctor than you are.”

“I know,” Gem says. “But you’re my friend, and I trust you, and I need—please?”

She stares at Pearl, bright green eyes magnified through thick glasses lenses. Pearl has never been able to say no to those eyes.

“Okay,” she agrees, letting out an uncertain breath. “Okay. What do you need me to do, Dr. Tay?”

Gem laughs again, high-pitched and anxious, and Pearl feels hot and cold all at once.

---

They do house calls. Once a day, Gem and Pearl, and sometimes Impulse, will make a round of the village, checking in on everyone. Gem brings some of her lab equipment and a notebook, where she scribbles down all the readings she takes from her instruments and any observations she makes. After the first week or so, Pearl also takes to bringing a sketchbook and a small travel painting kit, attempting to record the desaturation rate in her friends’ colours. 

It doesn’t matter which way they look at it—the situation is bad, and rapidly getting worse. Most of the town is infected now, and Skizz is approaching Mumbo’s level of deterioration. Cub fell ill two weeks ago, and Tango—

Well, he’s not quite grey yet, but he looks washed out where he sits at his table, especially next to Gem, all bright copper and ocean blue and forest green. His voice is flat, all of the emotion in it gone, and while he responds in full sentences to Gem’s questions as Pearl attempts to capture the moulded-straw colour of his hair, none of his words sound like him. 

Gem wraps up her check-in, and Pearl follows her out, paints packed away in her bag and sketchbook held carefully so as not to smudge the paint. Impulse is waiting for them outside, staring out into the bay, where a low-lying fog has been hanging for days. 

He glances over at them, voice shaking as he asks, “How is he?”

Gem hesitates. “About the same?” she offers. 

Pearl shakes her head. “Worse,” she says, offering her sketchbook to Impulse, pointing out the differences in values between the colours she’d sampled from Tango two days ago to the ones she’d taken today. 

Impulse’s hands are trembling as he hands the sketchbook back to her. “What do we do?” he asks. “They just keep getting worse—Gem, what do we do?”

Gem’s eyes are fixed somewhere out at sea. Her expression is so scarily blank that Pearl would worry she was infected if not for how bright and vibrant she looks against the backdrop of the village. (Are the houses getting greyer? Surely not—surely it’s just the fog, and the fact that the sky has been overcast for a fortnight now—surely—)

“We look after them best we can,” Gem says. “I’m trying—every night I’m working on a cure.”

“And do you think it’ll work?” Impulse pushes.

“I have to,” Gem replies. “It has to.” 

Pearl swallows, and does not voice what all three of them are thinking: what if it doesn’t?

---

Impulse turns up one morning a shade dimmer than he had been the day before. Pearl notices immediately, her stomach lurching at the sight of him. He offers her a smile that’s smaller than his usual ones, a greeting that’s a little flatter than it would usually be. Pearl’s not sure if Gem even notices.

But Pearl notices, and her eyes sting, and she throws herself at him in a way that catches all three of them off-guard.

“Uh, Pearl?” Impulse says, stiff and uncomfortable beneath her. “You okay?”

“I’m sorry,” Pearl mumbles against his ear.

“Pearl?” There’s a peak of distress in his voice but it’s not enough. Gem hears it, too.

“Oh no,” she breathes.

“Okay, guys, seriously,” Impulse says, pushing Pearl away. “What’s going on?”

They just stare at him.

Realisation dawns across Impulse’s face. “No.” 

“Maybe…” Gem sucks in a breath. She reaches out to take his hand and squeezes it. “Maybe you should go home, Impy. Get some rest.”

“I’m fine,” Impulse protests. “I’m…” His protest crumbles under their gazes. He slumps, and Pearl knows that he would normally never crumble like that. He’d protest and fight back and keep working until he passed out on the docks and had to be carried back to bed.

“C’mon,” she says softly. “I’ll help you home.”

Impulse doesn’t protest that either. He knows, as well as the two of them do, how this ends. He knows that there’s no fighting this.

Pearl, very valiantly, does not cry about it.

---

With everyone except the two of them infected, Pearl manages to convince Gem to split the rounds, with her taking half of the houses, and Gem taking the other half, swapping halves every couple of days. Gem is reluctant, but she has no good argument against Pearl’s that this is more practical, and so she agrees.

And that’s when Pearl notices.

She thinks she’s imagining it at first, but the colour swatches in her sketchbook back up her suspicions, damning evidence she can’t ignore.

When she visits her rounds, she finds that the people she’s visiting appear to have stabilised, at least for a couple days, no greyer today than they were when she saw them the day before. And then she swaps with Gem, and notices that Gem’s half of the rotation are far paler, far less responsive, than they had been the last time Pearl had seen them. They stabilise for a couple days, and then they switch, and Pearl’s original rotation have deteriorated massively in the several days since. 

There’s really only one conclusion she can draw from that, and she doesn’t want to draw it. She doesn’t want to believe that the one responsible for this is—

The fog is a permanent fixture of the village now, blanketing the bay in a thick blanket of quiet. Pearl finds it hard to sleep, even the familiar sound of waves muffled by the mist. Kept awake into the early hours of the morning, she finds herself in the studio, a brush in hand, letting the paint take her where it will.

And where it takes her is familiar: the village, desaturated and coated in fog, dark looming shapes in the mist beyond, rising out of the ocean. And there, in the midst of the painting, a bright spot in all the gloom, is Gem, so vibrant she practically lifts off the page.

Pearl stares at it for a long, long time, and then places it face against the wall and tries her best to forget about it.

---

In all the dread, they’d forgotten something important.

The sea isn’t safe. It never has been. Growing up in the bay you learn how to weather the storms, to predict the tides, to flee from floods. You learn how to build barriers, and you learn how to rebuild once the ocean drags them down. 

Pearl knows that her village can handle the sea: she’s seen them do it time and time again over the years. Together, they move as a well-oiled machine, responding to threats from the depths with weathered ease. That’s why she doesn’t expect it, she thinks. 

There’s never been a monster attack that False didn’t warn them about.

But False isn’t capable of doing much of anything at the moment.

And so when the tentacles rise from the waves, there isn’t a warning.

Just a deafening krk-crash that wakes Pearl from a dead sleep with a bolt of adrenaline that’s nearly nauseating. She scrambles from her blankets, still in her pajamas, and rushes up the stairs to throw on her boots. It’s edging towards winter now, the weather much milder than the summer months, and though it’s not cold by any stretch of the imagination the chill of the air still makes her shiver. She grits her teeth, racing from her front door to the village proper, and there—

There’s a sea monster, dark purple tentacles reaching out to the shore, destroying everything in its wake. The fish market is half gone, and it’s awful, but it’s a relief, in a way, because nobody lives there.

“Gem!” Pearl screams into the night.

“Pearl!” she hears echo back, followed by distant footsteps, growing ever-closer. 

Gem’s face is flushed, her hair wild, her eyes wide. She’s also in her pyjamas, her lab coat that’s been ever-present for months now gone, and Pearl finds her eyes drawn to dark striations in her skin. They look like—

“Pearl,” Gem says again. “We need to get everyone out, away from the shore, up to the research centre���”

Pearl nods. “Got it,” she says. She points towards the docks and says, “I’ll head over there.”

Gem nods. “Be safe,” she says, and then she’s off again, pelting in the direction of the lighthouse.

Pearl doesn’t bother knocking as she throws Impulse’s door open. He’s still lucid enough that he’s been startled awake by the noise, though it hasn’t driven him to do much more than put his shoes on and stare out of the window at the dark shapes rearing up out of the fog.

“Impulse!” Pearl cries.

“Pearl?” Impulse says, glancing at her with dull eyes.

“We need to get people out,” she says.

There’s an extended pause, then, “Okay.”

“Can you get Skizz?” she asks. “Tango, too, maybe? I need to go to the beach, help everyone down there.”

Another extended pause, then a nod. “I can do that,” Impulse says. He moves too slowly, not driven by the same panic flooding Pearl’s veins, but it’s good enough. It has to be. Pearl doesn’t have time to consider the alternative.

She goes racing off for the beach. She throws open Keralis’ door first, relieved that he is, at least, wearing underwear when she drags him from his bed and into the night. She leaves him there while she grabs Grian from his hut, and then takes them both by the wrists, pulling them along behind her while she races for the cliffside.

It feels like hours that she races back and forth, grabbing her friends from their homes and dragging them in various states of comprehension to the safety of the cliff before running back into the danger zone. Grian’s hut is gone, and so is a large portion of the road. The tentacles have taken a chunk out of the farms further up the coast. Gem’s been taking the people she rescues a different route up to the research facility, the path that Pearl’s taking cut off to her by debris.

Once she’s got everyone on her side of town, she collapses panting on the grass, her lungs aching with the strain. There’s a fire somewhere down on the shore, someone’s lantern knocked astray by swinging tentacles. Her eyes burn just from looking at it.

A voice says, “I got him.”

Pearl looks up.

It’s Impulse, manhandling a colourless, greyscale Skizz.

Pearl goes cold.

“Where’s Tango?” she asks.

Impulse blinks. Slowly. Too slowly.

“Oh,” he says. “I’ll go get him.”

Pearl shakes her head, rocketed up to her feet by panic once again. “No, I’ll go,” she gasps. “You stay here.”

And then she’s off running again, beelining for Tango’s house, praying to any higher power that will listen that she’s not too late. Her lungs ache. Her legs burn. She can’t quite catch her breath. She’s shaking.

And then she’s knocking down Tango’s door, grabbing him from his bed against the far wall, dragging him away—

The roof coming down sounds like thunder, like the sky split open and gutted for parts. Pearl goes down hard, stars bursting behind her eyes, her breath coming out empty and then as a whine. She blinks, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark, for her ears to stop ringing, and that’s when she hears it.

It’s—not a scream. More of a whimper, or a wail, stretched out and awful and pained and punctuated by short, desperate gasps. It goes straight to her stomach, straight to making her sick, and she doesn’t want to look. Doesn’t want to move.

But, god, she has to, doesn’t she?

She wiggles her fingers, her toes, and lets out a deep groan as she pushes herself up onto her hands and knees. The world has narrowed in on itself, the open air of Tango’s house reduced to a crawlspace, and she shuffles down it, rubble and debris tearing her skin open and leaving bloody red marks on desaturated wood. It is a far cry from the blood she finds, practically brown with how much colour has been leeched from it. 

“Oh, my god,” she chokes. “Tango…”

Tango just moans in response. She can’t tell if he’s pale from blood loss or pale from the infection, but either way it has the effect of making him look half dead. He’s half buried beneath the rubble, body jerking with what she can only assume is pain, barely felt beneath the weight of numb apathy.

“I gotta get you out of here.” The words taste acrid against her tongue. Or maybe that’s the smoke. She can’t tell. “I’ve got you.” She grabs Tango by his good arm and grimaces. “It’s gonna be okay.”

It’s not a reassurance for him. Not really. Pearl’s familiar enough with his condition by now to know that he can’t really care about being okay at this point.

It’s more for her as she does her best to get leverage in the small space and pulls. 

When Tango screams, she knows it’s completely involuntary, an animal howl of agony that stops her short. Pearl gasps, tears on her cheeks, head spinning. “Please, no,” she begs, and she doesn’t know if she’s talking to him or the higher power that’s been ignoring her for weeks. “No, no, I gotta—I—”

“Pearl?”

“Gem!” Pearl cries. “Gem, please, I need—it’s Tango—he’s—”

“I’ve got you,” says Gem’s voice, familiar and close as footsteps pound across rubble. There’s a series of grunts and clunks as rubble shifts, and then there’s light pouring into the crawlspace, which is no longer so much of a crawlspace. Gem stares at the two of them, Pearl in tears on her knees and Tango half buried and lying in his own dull blood. 

“Okay,” she gasps out, and she sounds terrified. “Okay,” she repeats, steadier this time. 

Pearl wants to be relieved, but she’s just on the other side of hysterical. Gem’s holding an axe, which she must have used to clear the rubble, and she steps forward with it held between white knuckles.

“Hold him still,” she tells Pearl.

Pearl swallows. “Gem?” she whispers.

“Please.”

Gem glances down at Pearl, and god, she never has been able to say no to that, has she?

She shuffles forward, puts her weight against Tango, holds him still. Squeezes her eyes shut.

It doesn’t make it any better.

It doesn’t stop her from hearing the sick crunch of the axe cutting through bone or the blood-curdling scream Tango lets out.

It doesn’t stop her from feeling the sudden lack of resistance as she pulls Tango’s bleeding body away from the rubble, leaving his arm behind.

---

Pearl manages to hold it together until they’re able to get Tango safe and stable. Once the wound has been cauterised and disinfected and bandaged, and he’s left sitting with a mostly-unresponsive Skizz and an Impulse who’s just aware enough to be awkward about how little he feels for his friend, she walks away from the town’s refugees on the hillside until she can no longer hear them, and they can no longer hear her. She stands for a moment, surveying the damage below, the sun rising over the sea and the flooded streets and destroyed buildings, and she sucks in a breath that knocks her to her knees.

The panic attack comes in quick half-breaths and waterlogged wails, her hands gripping at her hair and pulling it hard enough to hurt. The world blurs around her as she chokes on saltwater and bile, her ears ringing with screams and funeral bells. When the hands settle on her shoulders she barely feels them—only feels them when they rise to her wrists and untangle her fingers from her hair.

“—earl? Pearl. Look at me. Come on, I know you can do it.”

“Ge-em,” Pearl chokes out. “I can’t—I—”

“I’ve got you,” Gem soothes. She takes Pearl’s hands in hers, squeezes them tight, real and grounding. “See, come on, that’s it. Breathe with me.”

Pearl blinks tears from her eyes as she tries to time her breathing to Gem’s. She’s not very good at it, her heart too quick and Gem’s too slow, but it helps, dragging her down from the high of panic. 

“That’s it,” Gem breathes. She lets go of Pearl’s hand, reaching up to push the hair out of Pearl’s face, cupping her cheeks in her palms. “See? Nice and calm. Everything’s fine, see?”

“Yeah,” Pearl agrees, and the words feel hollow. Her panic feels hollow, somewhere above her body, her soul sunken to somewhere below her knees. She sucks in a breath, lets Gem wipe tears from her eyes with her thumbs.

Gem is so bright. A searchlight in a storm, a ray of rising sun through the dark. The world seems to grey around her. 

Pearl reaches out, splaying her hand against Gem’s cheek, a clumsy echo of Gem’s own reassuring, grounding touch. Gem is still so bright, vivid enough that Pearl doesn’t think any paint could capture it. 

And Pearl, held in comparison, is grey and dull. A shade, drained of life.

She swallows. Lets out a shaking breath. Looks up into Gem’s green eyes, sees the fear and regret in them, and can barely summon her own panic or hurt in return.

“Oh,” she says, and the word falls like a stone, plunging into the depths.

---

Pearl lets out a breath. “It was the body, wasn’t it?” she asks, loosening her grip. “The one that washed up. It did something to you.”

Gem swallows. She pulls away, holding onto her own wrist where Pearl had dropped it, clutching it to her chest. “I’m so hungry, Pearl,” she whispers. “I fade so fast now. I need… I need…”

“You’re going to kill us.” Gem flinches at the words. “You know that, don’t you, Gem? You’re going to kill us. You are killing us.”

“I just need your colours,” Gem replies, a whine in her voice. “I just…”

“What happens when we’re gone, Gem? What happens when you’ve taken all the colours? What happens then?”

Gem stares at her. There are tears in her eyes. They don’t quite fall, but Pearl can feel them drip into her hollow heart. There’s an ocean between them now and Pearl doesn’t have the wits to cross it. She doesn’t care enough to cross it, and she doesn’t feel enough to care about that. 

“I have to go and check on Impy,” Gem repeats, her voice thick. “I’ll see you later, Pearl.”

“You won’t,” Pearl calls after her as Gem hurries for the door.

Gem doesn’t reply, just slamming the door shut in response.

Pearl sits in bed for a long time, staring at the wall with hazy vision. Her thoughts are muffled under the thick fog that chokes the village, and so when she finally stands, she’s not entirely sure why. She lets her body carry her back to her studio, picks up a canvas from against the wall, and places it on her easel. She sits down in front of it and stares.

Gem’s face stares back at her, the only alive thing in a dead and colourless world.

[llamagoddessofficial]

hello llama

i have been thinking and headcanoning about vampire bad sanses lately, so i was curious if you have any thoughts about or interest in vampires of the nightmare and crew variety? (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

"do i have interest in vampires", he asks

ok, i will share my extensive vampire brainrot. but in return..... you have to write that vampire fic.... oooOOooO look into my eyes you know you want to write it ooOoOooo 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

I very much like the idea of Nightmare's castle being Castlevania-style. Lots of spooky architecture, lots of ancient magical passages that haven't been seen in centuries.

Horror can be summed up in one word. Bloodlust. There's a constant hunger inside him he can't ever seem to fill, driving him almost to the point of madness. He is more beast than man. When he smells or tastes blood, he loses control of himself, becoming little more than a starving wild animal - his capability for slaughter is limited only by his appetite. So unless Nightmare requires it, he generally abstains from blood. He doesn't like losing himself so entirely.

Something about you makes him forget his hunger. Is it your voice? Your scent? He has no idea, but oh, it feels good to feel whole. When you're around it's as if he'll never be hungry again... he follows you like a dog, grinning intensely every time you look at him. This is one hound that can't be shaken.

Despite his 'condition', he finds a lot of solace in cooking. Nothing will give him the same drug-like rush as blood but human food is nonetheless warm and filling and distracts him momentarily from the emptiness. He enjoys the process of making it, too, doing something with his hands. Let him cook for you, please? Watching you eat brings him vicarious joy.

Dust's backstory is one of legend. Something resembling a story can be spun from the loose whispers. A vampire invaded his peaceful isolated village hundreds of years ago, intending to turn the helpless populace into enslaved vampires. Dust, the first to be bitten, turned and slaughtered them all himself - and despite being a vampire for barely a week, the equivalent of a stumbling newborn, he killed the centuries-old invading vampire in single combat.

No one's quite sure why he's joined Nightmare. Perhaps Nightmare was keen to take this uniquely violent creature under his wing, and Dust just didn't really care where the wind took him. Or perhaps he has some other motive, hidden beneath that silent face. Who knows.

... Dust might be quiet, but it's obvious he's fixated on you. Which is a big deal. This is a creature who hasn't mustered a second thought for anything but blood for decades; but somehow, you've excited him. He's very clearly interested in you, silently watching your every move, listening intently to every word you say. Too bad he's not much for conversation.

Killer's backstory, on the other hand, is shrouded entirely in mystery. No one knows where he came from, who he is, or what he's done. He simply appeared one day - right within the coveted inner circle of Nightmare himself. He's the Night King's most trusted weapon, and the closest thing he has to a friend.

Killer seems very clear about what he wants. He thinks you're adorable, and he says you'd make such a pretty vampire. He talks (at length) about how much he wants to bite you, and how if it were up to him you'd already be one of them. A lot of his flirting involves calling you things like sweet treat and honeyblood. However... despite all the taunting, all the talk of seeing you as food, Killer is the one in the castle who treats you with the most respect. The others seem to see you as an object, a cute toy, something to squish and own. Killer talks to you like you're a real person. You can't help but like him for it.

Nightmare's inferiority complex has driven him to declare himself the king of the vampires. No one contests - Nightmare is royalty by blood, and vampires place a lot of emphasis on blood. But even if he wasn't, Nightmare frequently murders those who won't bend the knee. Plenty of powerful vampires have fallen embarrassingly fast at his hand.

... Nightmare's goal is to make you agree to be his spouse. A pretty little human partner would be excellent for his image. It would not only demonstrate his incredible self control as such an ancient vampire (not to mention his control over his warriors), but it would also show that his power is so great he doesn't need to strike a political marriage with another powerful vampire. It might also convince some of the pesky rebellious human groups to settle down.

His pride means that he won't force you. Not yet, at least. He likes to think he can seduce you. He's a royal vampire, after all, and you're just a simple human - isn't it only a matter of time?

... But it seems like, as time goes on... he's the one falling.

[jazzthatonewriterchick]

Your Screams Are Like Music (Incubi!SatoSugu x Black!Fem!Reader 18+ One Shot)

Pairing: Satoru Gojo x Geto Suguru x Black!Fem!Reader

Synopsis: In which Reader accidentally summons two demons when she gets drunk one Hallow’s Eve night in her village. But not just any demons: incubi. And in order to be satisfied, they need her or else they’ll haunt her forever…but that may not be such a bad thing. 

Warnings: Smutty Smut; 18+ (MINORS DNI); Incubi!SatoSugu; Sex Magic; Summoning; Drunk!Listener; Dubcon; Dom!SatoSugu x sub!Reader; Edge Play; Degradation; Choking; Cum Play; Daddy Kink; Spanking; Unprotected DP; Oral + Analingus; Fingering; Double Deepthroat; Marking; Bruising; Breeding Kink; Creampie + Throatpie; Facials

Writer’s Note: I’ve had this idea for a looooong ass time & figured there’d be no time to write it like now for spooky szn! Just as a note: This takes place in a medieval time period (think 17th century). I thought this would be fun to write since I’ve NEVER done a fantasy-based time period fic. I hope y’all enjoy it! -Jazz 💋💋

********

“Shot for the road, anyone?!” you holler at your friends, both old and new…new as in those who you just met an hour ago and have gotten drunk and danced all night with. 

“I think you’ve had enough to drink, girl,” Nobara says, snatching your jug of addictive red berry wine from you. “You can’t even stand up!” You stick your tongue at her and try to prove her wrong by standing up from the barstool, but you nearly trip over your own two feet in your boots and have to grip the bar for balance. 

Nobara cracks a smile, snickering to herself as she sips her third beer of the night. The girl can drink anyone under the damn table. “Lightweights,” she chuckles. 

You gape at her, offended. “Hey, you’re the one who was pushin’ shots at me just an hour ago!” you scoff, referring to the shots of Bourbon infused with the taste of fall baked goods, including pumpkin pie, caramel, and apple strudel. You may have overdone it by slugging down some berry wine too, but damn, can’t you live? This is a celebration! And a bar with drinks half off, no less. 

You turn towards your other longtime besties that you’ve been celebrating all night with. “Yuji, Megumi, tell her to stop bullying me!” You shout, pouting your glossy lips at them. 

Megumi’s emo, I’m-too-good-for-this ass sits next to you, nursing the same Jack Daniel’s he’s been sipping on since he got here. “I’ve got nothing to do with this,” he grumbles. “I’m just waiting for this idiot to pass out so I can carry him home.” 

He juts a chin at the tall, muscular, pink-haired guy currently dancing around on the floor with the rest of the crowd, skirts spinning, boots stomping, and bodies twirling to the live band playing outside. “Y/N, come dance!” Yuji shouts, waving you towards him. “Maki needs a dance partner!” 

One of the Zenin sisters is twirling for her life in the crowd that has made space for her, cheering her on. Maki, the oldest, sternest, and whom Nobara calls ‘Ms. Four-eyes’, is literally letting her hair down tonight. Her long, dark green locks spin around her as she dances, drunk and giggly.

“Oh, shit!” you giggle, immediately moving to join her. It’s not every day you see such an uptight person let loose for the night. 

But Nobara stops you, grabbing the skirts to your pretty, ruffled dress. “Nu-uh,” she says. “You need to get your ass home and in your bed before you pass out too.” You turn to her, fixing your dress. It’s the kind that falls off the shoulders and exposes just a bit of cleavage, giving you a very sexy but classy look.

You picked it out just for this occasion. “But it’s only midnight!” you whine like a child. “And it’s Hallow’s Eve. I haven’t even been out here long!” 

That’s a lie and Nobara knows it because she, Megumi, and Yuji have been with you since the Hallow’s Eve Festival began at 6 PM sharp…but everyone in your village knows that festivals don’t start until nightfall. That is when the drinks start flowing and the real entertainment begins. 

Hallow’s Eve aka Halloween is a big holiday in your small village. Hallow’s Eve is considered the peak of autumn and a time of fun in your village…but it is also a time of caution. Traditionally, all of the villagers gather together in the town square to set up vendors, have costume contests with cash prizes, and drink alcohol at cheap prices. It is your way of building community and celebrating the holiday. 

But behind all of that fun is something less bright and cheery. Home-cooked goods from bakery and tavern vendors are set up beside statues and burial sites as offerings. Candles are lit. Garlic is set outside windows and on door knockers. The festival is shut down after midnight and everyone is home before dawn. 

Your village is very superstitious. Almost everyone here believes in ghosts, ghouls, evil spirits, or one of the three. Hallow’s Eve is considered a night where all spirits and creatures, good and bad, are at their most powerful and rise from the depths of Hell to wreak havoc on those who do not heed warnings. 

But you don’t believe in that bullshit. You never have. When you come home at night, never have you been snatched up by a ghost or spooked by a demon. You work at your favorite herb shop making good money, you date, you pay your bills, and you mind your grown-ass business. You don’t indulge in any kind of superstitions that your fellow villagers do.

Besides, da fuck you look like cutting your Hallow’s Eve night short all because of some supernatural BS when you should be drinking, flirting, and forgetting about your ex?

“You’ve been out here since 6 PM, you drunk!” Nobara argues. “And I won’t be dragging your ass home like I did last time at the summer solstice fest!” Megumi doesn’t wait to interject and check on his friend. “Actually, that was me who dragged her home,” he sassily says. “You just carried her purse.” 

Nobara scoffs, rolling her one eye since the other is behind an eyepatch. “Oh, same thing! I still helped!” Megumi runs a hand through his spiked, black hair and tries to argue, but a jug of ale slamming onto the bar stops him. 

Mai, the youngest Zenin sister and the flirtiest of the two of them takes a seat at the bar beside Megumi. “Leave the girl alone, Nobara,” she scoffs. “Besides, she still has to look for some fun to take home tonight…unless she already has.” She turns to you with a smile playing on her red lips. “Give me the deets, girl! You scoop up a hot guy with your fine ass yet?” 

“Why, thank you,” you giggle, twirling your hair. “And no, definitely not in his tiny ass town. I swear, I’ve either fucked or dated half of the men here!”

Nobara rolls her eye while Mai laughs into her drink. “She’s exaggerating. But I agree, hon; you won’t be finding your next prospect here in his shitty little village.”

Mai titters, winking at you girls. “That’s why I travel.” 

You don’t want to tell them that you won’t travel just for a quick fuck. You don’t want to tell them that every single one of your prospects in your little village has been lackluster or below average leading to your sex life being nonexistent at this point.

Luckily, Maki comes stumbling over and tosses her arms around Mai and Megumi. “Heeey, you guys,” she hiccups. “What are we talkin’ about?” 

“Why Y/N hasn’t found a hot guy to replace her garbage ex yet,” Mai replies. “Honey, that man wasn’t anything short of trash!” The buzz from the alcohol suddenly dissipates a bit, leaving you feeling tired. “Tell me about it,” you grumble. 

Megumi and Nobara instantly glare at the youngest Zenin sister. “Read the room, Mai,” Nobara whispers. Mai gasps, covering her mouth with a dainty hand. “Oops! My bad, darling.” 

You crack a smile despite your stomach flipping at the mention of your ex-boyfriend who dumped your ass almost a year ago for a new prospect in the next town over. As a traveling writer looking for his new big break, your ex often told you stories of women who flirted with him…but you didn’t expect it to work one day. 

After two years of dating, he came to you, admitted that he wasn’t happy, and a week later, you found him on the front page of the newspaper with a famous singer’s daughter. You were devastated, to say the least. Even more so when you realized just how toxic, immature, and horrible of a lover your ex really was. 

After that, you bounced from guy to guy, dating some, fucking some, ghosting some or some ghosting you. It was a hit or miss, really, but you’re tired of hitting or missing. If you didn’t get something that would knock your socks off, you didn’t want it. Life is too short for mediocre romance and sex. 

“It’s cool,” you reply to Mai, passively waving your hand. “Plus, I’ve done the dating and hookup thing. It’s all getting old for me. I want someone who’s really gonna satisfy me, y’know? Someone exciting. Someone who will make every boring man in this town look subpar.” 

Nobara snorts, tossing an arm around you and squeezing you close to her blouse. “I don’t know about that one, but if you want romance, you’ve always got Todo.” She nods at the hulking, fine-ass man with biceps the size of watermelons currently in the middle of an arm wrestling contest. 

You scoff as the Zenin sisters laugh. Even Megumi cracks a smile. “What?! Girl, you know good and damn well that I am not his type! He likes skinny, white girls.”

You down the rest of your wine before slipping out of Nobara’s hold and grabbing your cloak. “Aaaand on that note, I’m headin’ home. Thanks for tonight, y’all! I’ll see y’all in the afterlife.”

Yuji swoops in on you from the dance floor and wraps you up in a big, sweaty hug. “Be careful out there, Y/N!” he yells in your ear over the music. “Ya never know what’s out there.” 

Your friends bid you farewell before you leave the cramped tavern and travel through the throng of vendors, entertainers, and guests meandering among the closed-off streets coated in orange streamers, carved pumpkins, and colorful leaves from the trees. The air is crisp and fresh with autumn and the night is dark, only lit by some gas lamps lining the streets. 

“Hon, you don’t have to follow me,” you say, not even turning around. “I literally live right up the road.” You can sense Nobara behind you despite her quiet footfall in her ankle boots. You opted for the sexy, heeled knee highs to pick somebody up, but that plan fell through. 

“No, it’s not that,” she argues, catching up with you to stand by your side. “I wanted us to chat! Real talk, Y/N, and be honest: do you really not wanna date anymore after your ex?” 

You keep your eyes trained on the trail as the festival gives way to quiet businesses closed for the night. “It’s not that,” you sigh. “But he’s part of it. I don’t wanna waste my time and get hurt like that again.” You cross your arms under your cloak where your leather clutch is, hugging yourself. 

“Then what about just sticking to sex?” Nobara asks. “When’s the last time you hooked up with a guy?” You heavily sigh, depressed by the thought. You gave up on all of this a month ago and haven’t been with any guy since. “A month ago and that was all I needed to see that hookup culture ain’t for me anymore. He was awful, girl! He didn’t even try to get me off and had the nerve to use my shower without asking when he was done bending me over.” 

Nobara giggles despite your sob story. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want good sex. I want great sex! I want someone to take me on a bed and do me in a way that’ll make me see God.” 

And God, do you. Though you manage to get yourself off fine, your fingers and erotic books can only do so much for a girl. Humans need sex, right? It’s essential to survival and lately, you feel like you’ve been failing miserably without it…especially sex with a partner who is interested in pleasure YOU, not just themselves. 

“Well, that’s a testimony if I ain’t heard one before,” Nobara laughs, her footfalls falling in line with yours on the cobblestone. You nod, looking up at the clear, starry sky above. “I guess I’m just….waiting. I’m tired of searching and getting disappointed.” 

Nobara stops suddenly and so do you, turning to her. She places a comforting hand on your shoulder and squeezes.“Well, just know that you deserve better than anyone I know.” You smile at your friend and press a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll take that with me on the way home.” You turn, walking away with a click of your boots. “And don’t follow me! I’m a big girl!” 

Nobara listens and watches you trot away down the path to your home. But just as you’re about to turn the corner to go through the woods, she stops you. “Y/N!” she calls. You turn, looking at her expectantly. Her lips press into a thin line. “Just…be careful, okay?” 

You scoff, cocking your head at her. “Oh, not you too! Is Yuji’s superstitious ass rubbing off on you?” You laugh, but Nobara doesn’t. “Look, I’m just sayin’! It’s Hallow’s Eve and you know people can get crazy…plus, you never know what’s lurking out there.” 

She looks into the woods, her expression uncertain and…scared. You’ve never seen her look like that before. But then again, living in a village where people believe in the supernatural will condition you. You strut towards your friend and hug her close to your body. “Kusaki, I’m fine. I’m just up the road and I promise I’ll go around the deep, dark, scary woods. Now go back and scoop Yuji up.” 

You release her and give her a wink before strutting off down the path, your boots clicking across the cobblestone. “Hey,” she calls after you. “If you happen to see a hot piece of ass on the way home, take him back with you.” 

You turn around and blow her a kiss. “Will do,” you laugh. “I’ll make sure to send him to you when I’m done!” She laughs and waves to you as you depart, heading home. 

You feel bad for lying to your friend, but the last thing you need is a lecture or to be afraid of a trail you’ve taken thousands of times. The trail cutting the woods is easier than going around it, so you find yourself doing just that, humming a tune as you do. You don’t pay attention to how the forest looks like something out of a horror film, like how the leafless branches on the trees look like skeletal fingers stretching towards the sky or how the stars are now behind ominous clouds that hang above you like— 

Crunch. 

You skid to a stop, looking behind you. All that moves are the branches in the autumn breeze. Could that have been you? Maybe you stepped on a branch you didn’t see. Though a bit frazzled, you continue on your way until you hear distant voices. As you get closer, the trees give way to a clearing where five kids decked out in Halloween costumes stand. “Fuck,” you sigh. Just what you need tonight. And it’s just a coincidence that this is happening on your trail home. 

You conceal yourself behind a nearby tree, peeking through the leaves. Four are standing in a circle while the other stands in the middle of some kind of drawing in the grass. You can’t make out what it is, but you know that it’s suspicious. Any kid outside past midnight is up to no good.

“No, no, Billy!” one of the kids dressed as a vampire yells. “You’re supposed to pour the pig’s blood before you say the words!” Billy, the big kid in the middle wearing a devil costume, turns towards the vampire, holding a bucket. “Shut up! I know what the fuck I’m doin’!” 

You come out from behind the tree and walk towards them as they bicker. “Hey,” you say, putting some bass in your voice. “What are y’all doing?” Each boy looks toward you, shocked to see you there. Billy scoffs, smirking at you with a face full of freckles. ”None of your business, grandma.” The vampire and poorly-made werewolf snicker at their friend. Billy must be the leader. 

“Grandma?” You scoff, putting a hand on your hip. “What are you, eight? Obviously, since you’re still wearin’ costumes at your big age.” Now all four of the boys, including a cowboy and a bedsheet ghost, laugh. Billy turns as red as his cape. “Shut up!” He snaps. “I said get lost or you’ll be sorry.” He glowers at you, tossing the bucket aside. 

You aren’t at all fazed. “Bitch, I live over here. This is how I get home and I’m not about to let some knuckleheads terrorize my neighborhood with…” You motion a hand over them. “Whatever this is.” 

“It’s just a game,” the ghost says. “That’s all we’re doing.” You raise a brow at him. “What kind of game? One that calls for pig’s blood and some type of speech?” The boys grow quiet, especially when Billy slips a pocket knife out of his cape. “I said. Get lost, lady. Now. Or I’ll gut you like a—“ 

“No, you get lost,” you growl, trying to sound and look as menacing as possible. “And take your little friends with you. My mother is a witch and I know some ‘speeches’ myself that can make your eyes bleed and your skin peel.” 

Billy scoffs and defiantly rolls his eyes, but when you begin to chant something in a nonsense language, he just about shits himself. “Shit, man, run!” The cowboy yells as he and the others take off. Billy stares at you wide-eyed before finally running off, leaving the bucket. 

Once they’re gone, you stop chanting and laugh. “Idiots,” you chuckle. Now alone, you check out the scenery for yourself and walk towards the drawing. It is big, crude, and written in red liquid with multiple lines, each one connecting into a big star you stand in the middle of. 

You scoff when you realize what it is: “Seriously? A pentagram?! Those little shits were tryna summon a demon!” You then giggle drunkenly. “Maybe I should conduct a ritual myself, see if I can summon some good dick. That’s a damn shame: me summoning a whole demonic being just to get laid.” 

You’re aware that you’re talking to yourself out in the woods like a crazy person, but you’re so drunk that you can’t stop. “It’s just so hard to find someone exceptional,” you groan. “Damn men. Damn my ex. Damn this small village. Damn this shitty dating pool! All I’m asking for is a great romance if not great sex. How much longer can I date myself?” 

You turn to the overcast night sky and spread your arms wide, lamenting to the Gods above. “I’d give anything to have someone put me through the mattress! I’d fuck a ghoul, a goblin, hell, even a fucking demon! Anyone—just please FUCK ME!” 

Your voice echoes across the clearing before fading away, replaced by a lone owl hooting. You truly are alone. 

Crunch. 

Or are you? You abruptly turn around and stare into the dark, lush forest, peering through the trees. “Hello?” You call. Nothing responds. “Listen, if you caught any of that, just know that I’m drunk and I didn’t really mean it, so…please don’t follow me. I really do know some spells.” 

They’re really only spells to make your herbs grow at work that your mother, an herbal witch, taught you, but ‘they’ don’t know that. Still, you get nothing but the wind. “You’re losin’ it, girl,” you whisper to yourself. “You’ve gotta lay off the wine.” Quickly, you tighten your cloak around yourself and hurry down the trail, your footsteps brisk and fast. 

When you finally get home to your cozy little cottage, you lock the door and kick off your shoes, finally freeing your tired feet. Cinnabon, your pet cat, greets you with a meow and you return the favor with some scratches and treats for her. You don’t even remember going upstairs to your bedroom. All you remember is darkness. 

You never usually wake up in the middle of the night. You’re usually out like a light. But this particular time on this particular night you do…and you don’t like it. When you awaken, you’re still in your clothes from the festival with a splitting headache and in total darkness. Only the silvery moon shines through your bedroom window. 

You don’t know what makes you wake up or why you feel so on edge, but you do. The fine hairs on the back of your neck stand up and your heart won’t slow down. It’s as if something is lurking within the darkness of your bedroom and you’re just waiting for it to reveal itself. 

Then you hear it: running water. Like something—or someone—is in here with you. “H-Hello?” You stammer, staring at your bedroom door. “Cinnabon, is that you?” 

Then you hear something else: a very soft moan. You gasp and quickly turn around, finding a lump under your duvet. It shifts and finally moves, taking the warm cover off of it. Beneath it lies a very beautiful and very unfamiliar man. Shirtless. With nothing on him but briefs. 

When he sits up out of his slumber, you realize how tall he is—he is at least a head taller even though he’s sitting down. He’s also big. Big pecs where two silver balls glitter on his nipples, big arms where one is inked in dark tattoos; big hands, big arms sinewy with veins…probably even bigger below. Your eyes trail down to his muscular thighs and washboard stomach before trailing up to his handsome face, snow-white hair, and ice-blue eyes that are framed by long, white lashes. He is gorgeous. Truly a beautiful man…a beautiful man who is also a stranger in your bed with two big horns jutting out of his head and a pointed tail that curls around your thighs. “Cinna-who?” he groggily asks. 

A scream bubbles up in your chest, but you can’t release it. It’s like your brain won’t let you. All you can do is freeze and stare in horror at the stranger, trying to piece together the past events. Did you meet him at the festival and forget? Did you take him home? Did you— 

The water shuts off and the sound of creaking footsteps makes its way to the bedroom door. Creeeeeak. The door opens, revealing a very big, horned, shadowy figure standing in the doorway. When he enters, you don’t know whether to be afraid or aroused. He is just as attractive as the white-haired stranger in your bed with long, black hair tied into a bun and violet eyes that gaze into yours across the room. 

He is big and misdialed too—big pecs the size of watermelons; big arms and biceps inked with tattoos and pierced nipples; thick, tree-trunk thighs that lead up to toned, mouth-watering abs dripping in water; big feet and hands that grip one of your bath towels around his slim waist. He, too, also has giant horns jutting out of his scalp and a pointed tail that sways between his legs. 

“Sorry,” he sighs, his lip ring glittering as he gives you an apologetic smile, “but I think I used up all of that shea butter soap in your shower. Is that what makes you smell so good?” 

Finally, the scream inside of you escapes you. You jump off of the bed in horror and snatch the bat that you keep by your bed. Both men react in total confusion and alarm as you cower in the corner, holding the bat out for protection. “Stay away,” you warn. “D-Don’t come near me!” 

The long-haired stranger puts his hands up in defense. “Alright, alright, let’s just calm down, sweetness.” Neither one of them moves, probably afraid of scaring you even more. “Don’t call me that!” You demand, pointing the bat at him while glaring at the sexy ass blue-eyed man kneeling on your bed. “And don’t tell me to calm down! Who are you?! How’d you two get in here?!” 

Both men look at each other questionably. “Don’t you remember, baby?” The blue-eyed stranger asks, albeit flirtatiously. “You called for us. You specifically said you’d let even a demon fuck you.” His soft-looking lips curl into a seductive, teasing smile that fills your stomach with warm, fuzzy tingles that you ignore. 

Your brain, still slightly fogged from your slumber, tracks back to when you were in the forest. You damn near facepalm yourself. You did say that…very loudly. And someone clearly heard you because now they’re both standing in your bedroom. “And here we are,” the blue-eyed hottie chuckles. “Lucky for you, we like our humans desperate and needy. Ain’t that right, Sugu?” 

The fine-ass long-haired specimen standing in your towel that is dangerously low on his narrow hips slowly nods his head. He doesn’t speak, but his eyes, so molten hot and lustful, say everything. “Oh, by the way, I’m Satoru,” the white-haired hottie says, flashing you an award-winning smile. “Last name Gojo. That’s Geto Suguru, just in case you like to scream names during sex. Pet names work for us too though! I love being called ‘Daddy’ or—“ 

“Wait, wait,” you interrupt, putting a hand out to stop him. Your brain is trying to process this newfound information as quickly as possible. “Are you telling me that y’all two…are demons?” 

The two slowly, silently nod, sizing you up with their intense gazes. But they grow confused when you begin to laugh, practically doubling over from it. “That’s funny,” you say in a fit of giggles. “C’mon, stop playin’ and just leave, okay? I know it’s Hallow’s Eve and all, but to break into a single girl’s home isn’t—“ 

Suddenly, you find yourself pinned against the wall and Suguru’s big, clawed hand wrapped around your neck. You don’t even have time to gasp because of how fast he is. Did he teleport? The scent of your shea butter soap and something spicy wafts off of him, flooding your nostrils. “Does this look funny to you, sweetness?” He whispers, his lips close to your ear. 

You don’t speak, your mouth frozen in a frightened O. Slowly, Suguru takes the bat from you and sets it down. You let him. Satoru comes over too, smirking. “This isn’t fake either.” He takes your hand and places it on his horn which is smooth like granite. “We’re the real deal, little girl, so you’d better show us some respect since we’re here to please you.” 

It’s like a record scratches as soon as he says it. You close your mouth and blink away your terrified tears. “P-Please me?” you ask, confused. “You’re not here to kill me or e-eat me?” 

The two demons look at each other again and begin to laugh. Even their laughter is sexy. “Nah, we don’t get down like that, baby,” Suguru chuckles, gently releasing you. “Some bloodthirsty demons are, but not us.” 

“Mmm-hmm,” Satoru hums, his eyes seductive. “We would rather eat you up in another way that will satisfy both of us.” You can’t deny the way your body reacts to his bold words. Your nipples grow embarrassingly tight under your dress. Your stomach flips with need. And your pussy? A damn flood. 

“We’re incubi,” Suguru explains. “Sex demons. We feed off of humans’ sexual energy to survive and gain more power.” Your eyes widen, your stomach dropping. “Sex demons?!” You yelp, pushing yourself further into the wall. You press a hand to your head as if that will help. “Oh, God, I really fucked up. This has to be a dream or I’m unconscious.” 

Satoru takes your hand off of your head and places his own bigger, calloused one on your face. Your cheeks blaze at the contact and the ocean blue of his eyes. “If this is a dream then it’s the sweetest one, dont’cha think?” He teasingly coos. “Havin’ two men all to yourself? I’d be so thankful if I were you.” 

His smile drops as his thumb begins to caress your bottom lip. ”Are you not thankful to have us here, baby?” He asks, actually sounding saddened by the idea. Even Suguru looks disappointed, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth. The sight is damn near erotic. 

You feel bad about letting the incubi down, but this CANNOT happen to you. “Um, listen…Satoru? Suguru?” Gently, you take Satoru’s hand off of your cheek. “I appreciate the offer, but I didn’t really mean all of that. I was just drunk, plus I don’t feel comfortable doing this being that y’all are demons and all.” 

Satoru raises an eyebrow at you and crosses his beefy arms over his best. “Are you discriminating against us?” he pointedly asks. Suguru rolls his eyes, nudging him in the side. “Ignore him. We can understand your hesitation, but we’re not gonna ask you for your soul if that’s what concerns you…however, you automatically created a contract with us the moment you summoned us.” 

The mention of a “contract” scares you out of your wits. A contract does not belong in the context of a demon. “How?” you whisper, but you’re not sure if you want to know the answer. 

A humored smirk slides onto Suguru’s lips and you think he even pulls his towel down farther to show off the snake tattoo slithering up his left hip bone. You’re embarrassed to think about how far it goes down. “You said you’d fuck a demon, babe. It’s as simple as that. Us incubi always go for desperate mortals who are unsatisfied with their sex lives and need to be laid down and filled up. You fit the fuckin’ bill.” 

His violet eyes roll over your form, making you feel exposed. “And disagreeing isn’t an option unless you want us to haunt you for the rest of your days,” Satoru adds. “When you summon a demon, you have to successfully complete your end of the deal or else they stay latched to you.” 

And that’s what you were afraid of. Curse you and your alcohol intake! “What’s my end?” you sigh, pinching your sinuses. 

The two big, sexy demons towering over you smirk in your face. “You fuck us till we’re satisfied,” Satoru smirkingly answers. “And we do the same for you. You cum as many times as we want you to because we know your body needs it while we feed off of your orgasms until we get our fill. Then, and only then, will we leave.” 

Suguru’s gaze grows soft, understanding of your reluctance. “No funny business. No taking your soul. None of that. We just want you to feel good tonight.” His voice is soft yet sexy, promising you endless pleasure. “So do we have a deal, little human?” The demons raise their brows expectantly, waiting for an answer. 

You’re still unsure about fucking a sex demon…let alone two! You’ve never had a threesome before, but you’ve fantasized about them. Plus, the idea of being sandwiched between two men much bigger than you who are devoted to your pleasure doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Two soft lips. Four veiny, calloused hands. Two skillful tongues. Two big, fat, throbbing c— 

“Okay,” you huff. “If I agree to fuck you both, you won’t show up here ever again?” Satoru shrugs, nodding. “Unless you summon us again, but yeah, essentially. We don’t show up where we’re not wanted, baby.” He gives you a lopsided smile, cocking his head to the side. It’s ridiculous how sexy it is. “We can give you exactly what you want and need. All you need to say is yes.” 

You don’t want to be haunted forever, so what choice do you have? Plus, though you’d like to admit it, you need some dick ASAP. And you’ve got two right here that are ready and willing to give you some. “Fine,” you scoff defeatedly. “You’ve got a deal. but we need to go over some rules. I don’t fuck demons, let alone have threesomes, so this is new to me.” 

Suguru looks pleased while Satoru cackles. ”Oooh, this will be fun!” Suguru shushes his partner before giving you a sweet smile. “What are your rules, sweetness?” 

They stay completely silent as you count off each rule on your fingers: “Number one: we use a safeword. Number two: no biting or clawing unless I say so. Number three: I like spanking, hair-pulling, choking, and spitting, but you need to warn me first. And number four: I’d like to be fucked without a condom, but NO cumming inside me. I refuse to have a demon baby like Rosemary.” 

Satoru looks bored but nods regardless. “Understood,” Suguru states, and you exhale, glad that this is starting off so easy for you. Maybe this won’t be as horrible as you thought…until Satoru gives you that wicked smirk. “Now get your ass on that bed,” he demands. His tone is so sultry and low that you can’t resist. 

The demons part to let you through and you slowly climb onto the bed, one vertebrae at a time. The incubi look down at you, the silver moonlight illuminating their lustful eyes, delicious muscles, and silver balls glinting from their hard, suckable nipples. Their pecs are so huge that they’d make great pillows AND motorboat material. “There now,” Satoru coos. “Comfy?” Silently, you nod, adverting your gaze. 

Satoru doesn’t like that. He grips your chin, forcing you to look at his illegally handsome face. “Good girl. Now come here; let’s give that mouth something else to do besides talk back.” He presses his lips to yours and though you initially tense, your body melts into his finally as you fall victim to the kiss. 

Satoru’s kiss is the best you’ve ever experienced. His lips are soft and sweet as they move against yours, dancing with you. There is no fight for dominance because you instantly give him that the more his spell works on you. He begins to moan into your mouth like he can’t handle how perfect this kiss is. You begin to moan as well as his tongue licks your bottom lip, asking for entrance. You allow it and his skillful tongue slides against yours.

As you French kiss, you realize how different Satoru’s tongue feels against yours. You know he has a tongue piercing due to the metallic taste, but you feel something else. Something pointed. 

Satoru has a forked tongue. 

‘Oh, God,’ you think deliriously. You find out that Suguru has one too when he comes behind you and begins gently licking and kissing along your neck, giving you a feel of his soft lips combined with his lip ring. You can only imagine how these silver balls will feel on your pussy. 

“We've never had one be so bratty,” Suguru whispers against your neck. He attaches his lips to one sweet spot there, gently nibbling and sucking on it, intending to leave a mark. Satoru hums in agreement, pulling away from the hot, salacious kiss.

You whimper from the loss. “That’ll make breaking you so much hotter,” he chuckles. “Now wasn’t that nice, baby? C’mon, you can say it. I know my kisses are good.” 

You’re completely breathless and dazed. Your skin is hot and buzzing. Your nipples are stiff and your panties are just about soaked…all from a kiss! “She hasn’t had me yet,” Suguru gruffly replies behind you. He gently turns your face toward him and begins kissing you too. His lips are just as soft and taste like ripe, juicy berries. You moan and whimper into his mouth, his large hand cupping your cheek. 

You feel the bed dip as Satoru sits down and begins kissing your neck, nuzzling your hair, teasingly moaning in your ear. “Hey,” he coos, “whose kiss is better, I wonder? Him or me?” Suguru growls against your lips, irked. He pulls away, a string of saliva hanging on your bottom lips. “Shut up, Satoru. This isn’t about inflating your ego. This is about making this pretty one feel good.” 

Pretty. It’s been so long since you’ve been called such a thing that you shudder. The two demons continue to leave trails of fire on your skin as they kiss up your neck, shoulders, and jaw, until they too grow impatient. “Can we take this off, sweetness?” Sugu asks, tugging at your dress.

Though he is respectful, you can see the wildfire in his eyes imploring you to say yes. “Y-Yes,” you stutter, licking your parched lips. “Just be careful. I like this dress.” 

The demons chuckle, but respect your request and gently begin to undress you. No ripping or tearing despite their long, pointed claws. When you’re finally naked except for your panties, the two demons look ravenously at you in the moonlight. “Just as I thought,” Suguru sighs, a pink blush on his cheeks. “You’re damn near perfection.” 

The two immediately sandwich you between their big bodies, hands groping your soft skin. Fingers stroke your sides, stomach, back, and legs, leaving tingles and goosebumps along your body. You moan and gasp, indulging in their bodies as well with your wandering hands. You can hardly remember enjoying foreplay this much! Your pussy is practically sobbing now, wanting so much to be stroked the way the rest of your body is. 

At some point, the two begin using their big hands to massage and grope your juicy breasts, using their thick fingers to pinch your hard nipples. Feeling their forked tongues and cold metal piercings against your sensitive peaks is a pleasure beyond words. It’s intense and explosive. You squeak in pleasure at the delicious sting, earning two tongue baths in response against your nipples. “That’s it, little lady,” Suguru murmurs. “Cry out for us. We’ve got you.” 

Coaxing you to do so, Satoru slowly slides a hand down between your thighs and presses his long fingers against your wet pussy. You gasp at the zing of pleasure that shoots from your core up to your head and throughout your fingers and toes. All he has to do is pull the thin fabric to the side to sink his fingers in and— 

Satoru takes a nibble of your ear, sucking on your earlobe, and one last squeeze of your breast. “Bend over, baby,” he orders, his blue eyes ablaze with mirth. “Get that prey ass in the air.” Under his and Suguru’s spell, you assume the position: face down, ass up, much to their enjoyment. 

Spank! 

You yelp in surprise at the burning sensation of a hand slapping your asscheek. You turn to look at a sheepish Satoru. “Sorry, baby, but I had to sneak a surprise one in.” You can’t be too mad at him when your pussy is so wet from the assault. “It’s okay,” you whisper. “Just ask next time.” 

The demon smiles, gently running his hand down the cheek he smacked. “May I spank that pretty ass of yours then?” He asks, his tone teasing and sultry sweet. Jerkingly, you nod and the demon hums in satisfaction before raising his hand up again. 

Spank! 

Surprising both yourself and the demons, a loud moan escapes you at the sweet burn. Satoru laughs, jiggling your asscheeks and enjoying the recoil. “Oooh, there’s a moan!” he cackles. “You like that, naughty girl? You want another one?” You weakly stare up at him, your body aflame from the spanks. 

Suguru, however, stops him. “Stop hogging her, Satoru. I want a piece of that too.” His big hand trails down your ass to give it a squeeze. Soon, both demons are massaging your ass which translates well with your already-wet pussy. “Let’s have a little competition then: whoever makes this cutie louder wins,” Satoru says, a teasing glint in his eye. 

Suguru gives him a smile that mirrors the exact same glint in those blue eyes. He then raises his hand above your butt and then brings it down hard against your asscheek, making it jiggle. Satoru follows suit, bringing his palm down a little harder each time to one-up his partner.

Spank! Spank! Spank!

The same sharp sound of their palms hitting your soft globes of flesh fills the bedroom along with each gasp, moan, and whimper that escapes you. 

You can’t believe you’re getting sobbing wet off of getting hit. Neither of them are even touching your pussy yet…until they do. Satoru decides to give your ass a break and experiment with your pussy instead. He gives it a light love tap over your soaked panties and both demons find enjoyment in the adorable yelp you let out….literally. If you could see them, you’d notice how hard they’ve become just from the sounds you make. 

“Ooooh, you like getting spanked here too, baby?” Satoru chuckles. “So fuckin’ cute.” He does it again, humming pleasurably at the way your body jumps and your pussy twitches.

“Mmm, that’s enough, I think. Her pussy certainly thinks so.” The tension in the air has grown thick as the scent of your arousal wafts through the air, intoxicating the two horny demons. 

Satoru does the honors of pulling your panties to the side, revealing your glistening, puffy, soft pussy to them. The demons practically groan at the sight. “You’re so pretty down here, baby,” Suguru murmurs. You feel two of his thick fingers caress your sensitive lips, causing you to moan at the soft touch. You’ve never been this sensitive. This needy. This desperate. 

“Please,” you whimper. Satoru leans in to hear you better, his lips toying with your ear. “Please what, baby? We can’t give you what you want if you don’t ask for it.” His forked tongue slithers out to caress your earlobe, sending chills down your spine while Suguru toys with your pussy, gently rubbing your clit around and around. 

You know you’re going to regret these words, but you’re too desperate to care. You rise up on your arms and look back at them, desperation all over your pretty face. “Please…taste me, Daddies.” Now you can see the two matching tents appearing underneath Satoru’s boxers and Suguru’s towel. The duo looks at each other before smirking deviously. “Oh…you want both?” Satoru chuckles. “Freaky. I like that. How do you feel about getting two forked tongues, hm?” 

You don’t have time to agree or refuse…not that you would refuse. You need something to give you relief and the idea of having two tongues in your pussy is tempting, to say the least. You let the two flip you over onto your back and spread your thighs apart, their greedy eyes glittering at you in the darkness of your bedroom only illuminated by the moonlight cutting through your window. 

Unfortunately for Suguru, Satoru takes up most of your cunt at first. He’s a greedy motherfucker, massaging your ass as he tongue fucks your pussy, filling you up and tasting you in a way unlike no man could ever do. You can’t explain it—the way the forked tips of his tongue tickle and stimulate each sweet spot inside of you; the way the sensitive bundles in your clit sing when his nose swipes against it; the way your body squirms and your thighs quiver under his hands as he spreads you open for him. 

“Oh, fuck!” you whine. “Fuck!” Your voice echoes throughout the bedroom, mingling with the lewd, wet sounds of Satoru’s sloppy eating. His blue eyes pierce up at you through the V of your thighs, staring into your soul as he drinks your pleasure. “That’s it, baby, scream for me. You sound so, so pretty.” He pauses to give your pussy a long lick, his forked tongue sliding against your puffy lips. “I bet no man has tongue fucked you like this, have they?” 

You weakly shake your head, your eyes rolling from the immense pleasure. Sweet Lords in Heaven and Hell, this man can eat pussy! You see stars and space behind your eyelids as Satoru slurps on your cunt, spitting on it before slurping it back up and resuming his eating. 

Tired of watching him have his fun, Suguru shoves him out of the way and kneels between your thighs. “Greedy bitch,” he scoffs. “Move out the way. It’s my turn to taste that pussy.” The demon gives you a wink before he dives between your legs. 

You were wrong about no man having eaten your pussy like Satoru. Suguru takes the cake with that. His lips are pillowy-soft and feel like satin against your sensitive pussy lips. Even his lip ring, as cold as it is, feels good on your needy clit as his forked tongue slides between your lips to explore your little hole. “Shit!” You moan, gripping the sheets for dear life. “Fuck yes, Suguru! You’re so good at this!” 

The long-haired demon smirks up at you, his chin and mouth glistening in your juices. “Thank you, baby,” he coos, ignoring Satoru’s smoldering glare next to him. “Hey, no fair!” He whines. “Y/N didn’t say my name while I was down there!” He forces Suguru to move over. “C’mon, Sugu, scoot over. We need to share.” 

Much to his dismay, Suguru shares your cunt and soon, you have two sets of skillful forked tongues and lips on your pussy, making you feel things you’ve never felt before. Claws dig into your skin, fangs nipple at your lips, and moans send vibrations throughout your pussy that you shake, quake, and ache. “Oh, my God, yes!” you wail. “Like that! Keep going!” 

Your hands grip the demons’ hair and horns, causing their cocks to grow harder. The amount of wetness and sounds you’re giving them are fulfilling every ounce of power they need as well as increasing their arousal. “So vocal,” Satoru chuckles. “I love my girls extra slutty like that.” He pauses to press a kiss to your mound, making you twitch. “Speakin’ of slutty, does my baby need somethin’ else?” 

Yes. God, yes, do you. “After we make her cum,” Suguru growls, tongue still licking away. “I want that orgasm first.” Together, the two of them work to bring you over the edge, their tongues flicking wildly against you and inside of you. It doesn’t take long for you to reach your peak. Your clit begins swelling and the knot in your core tightens until it threatens to snap. 

Your back arches off of the bed as loud wails leave you. “OhmyGodI’mgonnacum!” you sob, speaking so fast that your words become one jumbled, messy sentence. Satoru lifts his gaze to stare at you, his blue eyes glowing. “What’s the magic word, baby?” He teases. 

Suguru looks at you too, his violet eyes drawing you in further until your mind is mush. “Please!” You nearly scream to the heavens. “Please, Daddies, make me cum!” 

That’s all the demons needed to hear. They work their jaws faster, their tongues slashing across your clit and against the underside of it inside you while pressing down on your pelvis. When your orgasm hits you, it hits you like a ton of bricks. You don’t make any noise as it washes over you, but when it finally settles into your body, you let out the loudest moan you’ve ever heard yourself make. 

You’ve never felt something so intense before. It spreads throughout your fingers and toes, and courses through your veins and bones. Like you’re coming for Mariah Carey’s career, you sing high notes that are so loud that you’re sure the Devil below can hear it. The demons slurp up everything you give them…which is a lot. Your pussy gushes around their tongues and on their soft lips, more and more leaking out because of your grinding hips. 

It is the best orgasm you’ve ever had…so far. When it finally fades and you’re soaring through the clouds, your hips lower and your soul re-enters your body again. Satoru and Suguru finally finish cleaning you up, they look 100% rejuvenated and replenished, licking your essence off of their lips. 

Satoru sighs, stretching his arms over his head. “I feel better already,” he sighs, “but now I’ve got an even bigger problem.” Suguru concurs, staring down at the tent forming beneath his towel. Satoru fixes you with a lustful gaze, a playful smirk on his lips. “You wanna see what a real cock looks like, cutie?” He asks. 

Slowly, you nod, panting from the intense orgasm. 

With lust and mirth in their eyes, the demons slowly strip themselves in front of you. Suguru unwraps his towel while Satoru pulls down his briefs, showing off their lickable V-lines and happy trails. Then, finally, two big, fat, throbbing, rock-hard cocks pop out from their hiding spots and present themselves to you. Each pink head drips with pre-cum, begging to be licked and sucked, and two big veins cascade from the bases to the tips. 

Though they are equally big, they have their differences too: Satoru is slightly longer than Suguru and has a hook while Suguru is much girthier and has heavier, mouth-watering balls. Either way, both will probably fuck your absolute brains out. 

You don’t realize that you’re staring at them with your mouth open until they crack up at your reaction. “Awww, what a cute look!” Satoru laughs. “She can’t believe her eyes!” Suguru hooks two fingers underneath your chin, making you look up at him. “Think you can take both of us, sweetheart?” He asks, his tone sultry and soothing. 

Something takes over you in that moment. A cock-hungry whore jumps into your bones and takes your place. She uses your body to get on her knees between the two demons, one cock in each of your hands. You watch as your hands begin to gently stroke their shafts from the tips down to the bases, up and down, up and down. 

The soft, sexy sounds leaving the demons’ lips encourage you to keep going, their hands lacing in your ear. “Nice and easy, baby,” Satoru huskily whispers. “Get to know ‘em. There’s no rush.” 

You find yourself falling in love with their cocks, especially once you get them in your mouth. You start with Suguru first, peppering his dick in kisses before taking him into your mouth and gently sucking on him like you would a lollipop. A big, thick lollipop. “Fuck,” he sighs, his head lolling back at the feeling. Your wet tongue. Your soft lips. The way your cheeks hollow and cushion him as he slides in and out of your tight little mouth. 

After some time, you switch to Satoru and give him the same treatment. The demon watches you through hooded eyes, his bottom lip caught between his teeth, as you bop up and down on his cock. “Good girl,” he moans, caressing your scalp. “Such a good girl for me.” You moan in response around his cock, stroking him in time with your sucking. 

You begin to switch between the two every so often, stroking one while blowing the other, massaging one of the pair of heavy balls while you slurp on one of their thick, pink heads, licking up the pre-cum. You’ve never sucked two cocks at once before, but surprisingly, you get the hang of it quickly…and you realize how much you enjoy it. 

Satoru chuckles, wiping spit from your mouth that you’ve accumulated from sucking so much. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you want us to fuck that pretty face of yours. Is that what you want?” He grips your chin, tilting your face up to look at him. “Tell us what you want,” he orders, his thumb playing with your bottom lip. 

The words flow out of you so easily: “I want you to fuck my mouth,” you softly say. “Both of you give me your cocks…please.” The demons smile down at you, their cocks twitching in your hands. “Well, since you asked so nicely…” Satoru tilts his hips forward and slides his cock into your mouth. 

You nearly gag as he slides into your throat, but keep telling yourself to breathe through your nose as your throat stretches and flexes around Satoru’s cock. Spit drips down your chin as he begins to bump and grind against your mouth, sliding himself in and out. He is very vocal about how good you’re making him feel, full-on yapping as he fucks your face. 

“Oooh, look how deep you’re takin’ me, babe. And you thought you couldn’t do it.” He slides in deeper, his pretty face screwing in pleasure as the walls of your throat flex and clench around him. “That’s it, gag on that shit. Such a good fuckin’ girl!” He fucks your mouth like it’s a toy, pulling you on and off of him as much as he wants. 

Once he’s had enough, he passes you off to Suguru who is way more gentle and slow with his facefucking. He allows you to get used to his girth, your jaw stretching as he slides into your throat, filling your entire mouth up with his cock. “You’re so good at this, sweetness,” he coos. “You must’ve done this before…though the way your body is movin’ makes me think it’s been a while.” 

You don’t realize that you’re grinding your pussy against the bed until he points it out. Getting wet off of a blowjob? That’s NEVER happened to you before. With a moan, Suguru slips out of your mouth and Satoru yanks you toward him to slide back in. “No one’s been fucking this pretty body right?” He tuts as he fucks your mouth. “What a shame. Nobody could’ve done it better though.” 

Suguru fucks your hand while he watches his partner turn your mouth into a fleshlight. “How long has it been since that trash ex of yours?” He asks. You blink up at him in surprise and he laughs. “Yeah, we know. Soon as we were summoned, we were able to see everything about you and your little life.” 

“And boy, did you dodge a bullet with that asshole,” Satoru laughs. Slipping out, he taps his cock against your lips and then your tongue before jamming himself back inside. “Not even eating you out most nights…not that he could do as good of a job.” He gives you a cocky smile as he slides out, allowing Suguru to have you again. 

The long-haired demon taps his cock along your wet tongue, keeping his eyes locked with yours. “You’ve been waitin’ for us to come along and slut you out, haven’t you?” He whispers. “Just the way you need to.” You have. You absolutely have waited for this. “Y-Yes,” you exhale and dive back onto his cock, sucking and slurping as much as you can. 

Suguru is loving it, his clawed hand gripping your hair and his eyes screwed tight. The feeling of your tight, wet mouth combined with how pretty you look with his cock stuffed between your cheeks is too much. “Fuck, keep going,” he groans. “Don’t stop!” His hand clings to your hair desperately, luscious moans and gasps escaping him as you swallow his cock. 

Satoru laughs, watching in interest and lust as you stroke him with your hand. “You’ve got some skills, little human. Sugu isn’t ever this loud unless I’ve got my dick in him.” Suguru glares at him, sliding his cock out of your mouth. It bobs slightly, nearly hitting you in the nose. “Shut up,” he growls. “Someone else definitely needs a dick in ‘em too.” 

You do. Your pussy is clenching around air and gushing all over the bed. You need them like you’ve never needed anything before. Satoru cups your face and lovingly strokes your cheek. “You ready to take us now, baby? How do you want it, hm?” They’re leaving it up to you? Your mind is so foggy from your arousal that you’ve forgotten your first name! 

But you know one thing for sure: you want them. Right here, right now. “I don’t care,” you find yourself answering. “Just fuck me.” The two handsome demons smile like two wolves who have successfully captured their prey. “Yes, ma’am,” they reply in unison. 

They take their time getting you into position. To them, there is no rush, but to you and your pussy, they couldn’t move any slower. They set you on all fours, your back arched and your ass presented to them. After deciding who goes first, Satoru gladly positions himself behind you while Suguru kneels in front of your mouth again. Both of their cocks begin sliding against both sets of your puffy, soft lips, emitting soft moans from both of you. 

“That’s it,” Satoru coos as you begin grinding back into him. “Show me how much you want this. Tell me with your body, baby.” He takes his hand and spits into it before applying it to his cock, making it shine in his saliva. 

“Careful, Satoru,” Suguru warns. “Humans are fragile.” Satoru rolls his blue eyes as he slides his cock against your clit and sobbing pussy. “I’ve done this before. Chill! Besides, she’s wet enough to take me.” Finally, he lines himself up with your entrance and slowly, sloooowly, slides in. 

You can’t explain what you feel when Satoru slides inside of you for the first time. Your mouth falls agape and your eyes widen as he stretches your walls inch by inch, filling you up with all of him. “Just relax,” he whispers, stroking your backside. “Let me do all the work, baby.” 

Suddenly, your entire body begins to feel…different. Your nipples tingle and tighten as if stimulated and your pussy grows so wet that your juices drip down your thighs. You know this has everything to do with whatever powers Satoru possesses as a demon. Whatever he does helps you take his cock deeper until he bottoms out inside of you, his balls tapping your clit. 

Satoru and Suguru begin to fuck your holes with you squeezed between them, their big hands raised above your head to form a triangle. You serve as the bottom half of this Eiffel Tower, swallowing Suguru’s dick as you try to focus on pushing yourself back and fucking yourself on Satoru’s cock too. “How’s it feel, mama?” He teasingly asks. “Is that dick big enough?” 

His clawed hands snake down your ass to squeeze and massage it, his rough palms swatting at your cheeks. You mumble around Suguru’s thick cock in your throat at the sting just as one clawed hand caresses your scalp. “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” he pants. “You look so goddamn pretty with my cock in your throat.” 

He pushes deeper, filling your throat with him. You nearly gag around his length, but manage to accommodate his size and breathe through your nose as he guides your head back and forth along his shaft. Satoru laughs, pistoning into you so roughly that you see stars. “Y’know, you’re right, Sugu: she does look cute gettin’ stuffed like this…but not stuffed enough.” 

You suddenly feel his spit-coated finger gently swirling around your asshole before gently probing it. “Mmm!” you yelp around Suguru’s cock, but the demon shushes you. “It’s okay, babydoll,” he coos, still feeding you his cock. “Gojo’s just gonna get that ass ready for him.” 

Helplessly, you take Satoru’s finger in your ass, the digit penetrating the tight muscle until he feels that you’re ready. As soon as he pulls out, something else goes in. You yelp as your asshole stretches around the foreign object, making you feel full beyond belief. “Like my tail, baby?” He chuckles. “Your ass looks so fuckin’ good right now.” 

He begins to fuck you harder, gripping your ass so hard that his claws dig into your skin. You wince at the sting, but strangely enough, it adds to the pleasure. Your body has a mind of its own, straying away from your brain as it begins pushing back into Satoru’s cock. ”Bounce on that cock, baby,” he coaxes. “You’re such a good girl for us.” 

You are, you deliriously think. You are a good girl. Taking two big cocks at once is definitely something a good girl does. 

When Suguru takes you, he is just as big and just as thick as Satoru. He grips your hips and pounds your pussy from behind, his moans and grunts so delicious in your ears. Speaking of delicious, Satoru can’t enough of your delicious, sweet, dripping little cunt. He’s so pussy-drunk off of it that he volunteers to get underneath you and eat you out while Suguru fucks you from behind. He’s such a glutton, swallowing everything you give him. 

He hums delightfully as he licks and slurps at your puffy lips and needy clit, even licking at Suguru’s sensitive balls and cock while he slides in and out of you. “You taste so good here, baby!” He mufflingly comments from between your thighs. It comes out more like, “Ywou twaste swo good hewe, babwuy.” 

His skillfully, forked tongue intensifies your already-stimulated nerves, making everything so wet, slippery, and sloppy. Suguru fucks you like you’ve never been fucked before, going at just the right pace that makes your pussy sob and whines of pleasure come out of you. “How’s it feel?” He asks, pressing his lips to your ear. “Tell me how that dick fuckin’ feels.” 

His hand comes around to squeeze your throat, causing a choked sob to escape you. “So-S-So good!” You cry out. “You feel so fuckin’ good, Suguru!” Happy with this, he speeds up his tempo, emitting chants of “Yes, yes, yes” from you as Satoru licks wildly at your clit, digging his claws into the soft flesh of your asscheeks while his partner dicks you down. 

But neither of them makes you cum…yet. That comes after each of them have had their fill of your pussy when you find yourself squished between them again. You straddle Satoru’s lap while Suguru kneels behind you, peppering your back in kisses. “Let’s fuck this bunny until she’s dumb,” Satoru suggests, his tone low and saccharine sweet. 

Suguru only nods and suddenly, you feel two thick, hard cocks sliding into your tight holes. Your eyes water and your mouth widens as you feel your body being stretched open. Your holes feel warm and tingly, the feeling only increasing the more the demons push inside of you. You know that they’re using their powers on you to make this more pleasurable, but it’s intense. “Too much!” You cry. “It’s too much!” 

You drop your head onto Satoru’s chest, whining and panting at the sensations. “Aw but you’re doin’ so well for us, baby,” he coos, bumping his hips up into yours. “Don’t give up now. This is what you wanted, right?” As if coercing you into agreeing with him, he rocks his hips up and hits that spongy part inside of you that makes you nearly lose your voice moaning. 

Suguru rocks his hips too, molding your hole into the shape of his cock. You feel too full, like a balloon filled with too much air. You begin to scramble and squirm in Satoru’s lap, but Suguru holds you firm against him, pressing himself against your back. “Don’t fuckin’ run from this,” he growls. “You want it and now you’ve got it. Hold fuckin’ still.” 

His demanding, no-BS tone turns you on more than you can express. Like a puppet being controlled by strings or a slave by her master, your body relaxes and succumbs to the overwhelming, intense pleasure. The two demons begin to fuck you harder once they find their rhythm, digging their nails into the flesh of your ass. “So fuckin’ tight!” Gojo grunts, fucking up intoyou like it’s his profession. “So fuckin’ wet. Such a good little slut for us.” 

He latches his lips around a nipple, sucking roughly on the sensitive bud. Geto attaches his lips and tongue to your neck, licking and sucking on your skin until he leaves hickeys. Their hips pump faster, their cocks moving in and out, in and out, stretching your holes until you’re sure that they are molded into the shape of their shafts. 

You grip Gojo’s shoulders as they bounce you against them, making you take everything they give you. Oh, my God!” You scream. “Oh, my God!” Your voice rips out of you, satiating the demons. Gojo turns your face to meet his glittering blue eyes. “No God here, baby; just us,” he chuckles. 

Geto presses his lips to your cheek, nuzzling his nose into your sweet-smelling air. “Keep screamin’ for us. We wanna hear more of that pretty fuckin’ voice.” As if to persuade you, he switches up his tempo and moves out while Gojo moves in until the both of them are moving in tandem with each other, filling you up after one pulls out. 

Wet sounds of their cocks in your sobbing pussy begin to fill the air, mingling with your moans, bedsprings, and the sound of skin slapping against skin. The sound of sex. It doesn’t take long for your second orgasm of the night to peak like the moon high in the sky. “I-I’m gonna cum!” You pathetically sob, absolutely losing all self-control. “Please let me cum!” 

Gojo’s hand wraps around your neck, firmly squeezing your throat. His eyes glow, turning every strand of control and restraint you have into putty. “Tell us it’s ours then,” he demands. “Say this fuckin’ body, this ass, this pussy, is ours.” Geto slows down a bit to give you a chance to answer, his eyes all on you. 

You know what you’ll be doing if you say it. You know you’d be giving yourself over to these two demons from the depths of Hell who could damn well be tricking you…but you’re so desperate to cum that you don’t even care. If you truly become theirs then you just hope and pray that the same hot, mind-blowing sex you’re getting now will be in the plans. “I-It’s yours,” hou whimper, the words barely escaping you. “My pussy is yours. My ass is yours. I’m yours, Daddies! I wanna be yours!” 

You can practically feel the two demons teem with joy and power as the words leave your lips. Gojo breaks out into a big grin as his cock drives up into you harder and faster, making you bounce up and down on him, your tits jiggling in his face. 

“Now you definitely can’t get rid of us now, baby,” he chuckles. “You’re ours now. And don’t let this go to that pretty little head, but you’re the best I’ve ever had.” 

Suguru presses his lips to your ear, his big hands gripping your body as his cock drives into you. “Cum for us,” he growls. “Give it to us, gorgeous. Cum.” 

His voice is like a button that triggers something inside of you. Immediately, your body clenches and so do your holes around the big cocks inside of you. Your orgasm crashes into you like a tidal wave, sweeping you up in an ocean of intense pleasure. 

With a loud moan, you cum around Satoru’s cock, triggering his own orgasm. “Gonna cum!” He warns, gripping you tight. “Gonna fill you up. Gonna give you all of these fuckin’ babies, baby, I promise.” 

He holds your eyes with his, showing you desperation and the loss of control in them. It’s so, so sexy. “You’re gonna take all of that cum for ya Daddies, aren’t you?” he coos. “Yes, you are.” 

He answers for you and so does his cock. With a loud moan and a swear, he sinks his claws into your ass and fills your pussy to the brim with your cum. Suguru leans down to kiss him, sloppily swirling his tongue with Satoru’s as he, too, cums. You gasp and shudder as you feel Geto’s cum fill your ass and then wetly drip down your inner thighs. 

The two don’t stop there. They continue to fuck into you without abandon, pushing their cum deeper into your holes. “Shit!” Satoru hisses, his face flushed pink. “C-Can’t…stop…cumming!” 

Suguru moans in response, nuzzling his face into your neck, his hair tickling your skin. He and Satoru rut into you like it’s the last time they’ll do so, hugging you between them. “Take it,” Satoru demands. “Take all of it.” 

You do. You have no choice. You weakly moan as your orgasm draws on, growing more and more intense as the seconds pass. You feel that you may faint if this goes on. You begin to feel dizzy and light, like you’re not grounded. You’re somewhere in the sky floating among the clouds. 

“Y/N?” Suguru’s hand is suddenly on your face, gently tapping your cheek. “Talk to me, mama. You okay?” Weakly, you nod. You can’t find the words to speak. Even as your orgasm fades, the tingles remain. 

“Lay her down,” Suguru demands. “I wanna mark that pretty face and those tits too.” You weakly moan as the two demons pull out of your wet, sensitive holes and lay you on your back. 

You stare up at the two sexy, horned men and their still-hard cocks as they pump them furiously in your face. “Hold still now, baby,” Satoru says, his tone saccharine sweet. “Just let your Daddies mark you up.” 

Muscles clench, faces screw, and cocks swell as their second orgasms build. You watch with lust-blown eyes as your demons toss their heads back, exposing their necks to you, as their orgasms wash over them. Delicious moans escape them as their cum escapes their cocks. You gasp as you feel warm liquid splash onto your tits, stomach, and face. 

Your eyes shut just in time to avoid getting any in your eye, but you can taste the salty substance on your lips and tongue. It drops down your breasts and chest; out of your cunt and ass, coating your thighs. You are now completely theirs. 

The two demons sigh in exhaustion and satisfaction, their cocks soft and their toned bodies slick with sweat. Satoru wipes seat from his forehead, a smile on his face. “That…was needed. I feel better already!” 

Suguru’s nods, agreeing, before his attention falls on you. “How do you feel, baby?” he whispers, gently stroking your thigh. “You okay?” 

All you can muster is a soft mewl in response. You sit there, winded, achy, and coated in cum. Satoru snorts, gently wiping a droplet of cum from your lips. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he laughs. “Now, baby, how do your friends feel about demons? You should probably introduce us soon.” 

Suguru tsks and elbows his partner as he gently scoops you off of the bed. “Shut up and help me run a bath, asshole.” 

The demon holds you to his chest and carries you to the bathroom. He gently kisses your forehead, soft and loving. “You did so well for us tonight, sweetness,” he coos. “So, so good. We hope we made you feel just as good as you made us feel.” 

You want to tell him yes, that you’ve never felt so rejuvenated and alive, but the post-orgasm sleepiness won’t allow you. The shea butter and lavender-scented bubble bath Satoru runs for you only makes it worse. 

The two demons don’t talk as they sit in the bath with you, wiping their cum off of you and letting you soak. There are only soft sighs and light touches that relax you even further as you sink back into Satoru’s chest while Suguru washes you. 

Two incubi in your bathroom. Who would ever believe this? 

The rest of the night is slow, sweet, and involves a hot bubble bath, oil massages, and getting snuggled between two sex demons in your bed. 

Suddenly, with your body aching deliciously and your bed warm from the two men slumbering in it, you start to think that maybe having two incubi haunt you for the rest of your days won’t be such a bad thing after all… 

Just as long as this night is like every other night after. 

THE END. 

[callmecrazy4u2]

Aventurine x Reader x Sunday

My Jewel, My Dove Series

My Jewel Side - Childhood friends! Aventurine x Reader

Caught in the Facets

Preserved in memory shining bright like jewel Aventurine could not forget as he twirled his crystal glass that encapsulated the familiar yet so different view of his childhood friend singing on stage.

The clattering of casino tokens gave way to thrown dice. Aventurine mused over his past when porcelain dice on a ritzy casino board gave way to wooden dice thrown on wooden board in dusty desert as a child. Where he was pronounced the winner of child's game on a dusty windblown world.

A desert that stormed but never rained. The avign and katicans homeland where harsh winds blew and the tribes were outcasts to wastelands. The avign were constantly feuding with the Katicans for the few resources imperative for survival in harsh conditions like thiers.

Savagery and stereotypes abounded. It was whispered that the avign's sweet cravings could lure people in with dashing good looks and hypnotic eyes with shady caravan dealings. That the katican tribe was a warlike and brutal race that razed tribes to the ground for resources. The sand smudged the truth on both sides and was worsened by the constant fight for survival in barren land, while the elites stood safe on the sidelines protected by bountiful, richer, and greener lands.

In every village, if one was a blessed child there must be a cursed child.

However, to two small innocent children those were adult problems. Both prepubescents were bright eyed and golden haired and were currently concerned with a game of dice on the dusty ground.

"Aha I won again" crowed Kakavasha

"You must've cheated" the girl pouted stamping her foot and puffing out her cheek in consternation.

"Nah It was my blessing" cheekily put Kakavasha's eyes shining.

"Or your curse" rudly put in a group of bullies that had

Excuses curses don't exist silly don't listen to the bullies

The outcast y/n was the one dubbed as a cursed child as she had no blood family . Her mother died in childbirth and she was taken in by Kakavasha's family welcoming her as one of their own.

"My luck will drive the bad luck away don't listen to what they say" Kakavasha promised grasping her hand in solidarity as he pulled her alongside him into their family tent.

"Don't worry about that silly superstition. we are still standing after all " teased his older sister while their mother more wary of superstitions shsuhed her.

"By the grace of tricerotops may it not be true ....but a blessed child can surely counter a cursed one." Mama fugue spoke as she was superstitious. However his mother was still softhearted and couldn't leave a child alone so practically adopted y/n her as her own

They were the closest of companions since Kakavasha defended her from bullies,

" Ew don't hang around her she cursed your better than that because your blessed Kakavasha" coaxed the kids crowding around him

"Yea she has eyes that can see into your soul " spat another.

"I heard thats why the katicans keeps attacking us the cause of her cursed eyes." whispered even some of the adults from whom some of the children heard the rumors from.

"How spooky I heard she sees a future full of flames" gossiped the superstitous elders in hushed tones.

"Don't listen to them and even if it true my good luck will balance out your bad luck" promised Kakavasha convinced of his mother's daily assertions of his luck.

They were side by side doing chores and playing games. Whether it be brushing a camel, drawing water from a well or exploring the desert.

One of their favorite pastimes was hiding behind flapping laundry ,that was hung up to dry and playing hide and seek among the sheets.

It was peaceful life quirt with some night rumbling stomachs but overall a happy childhood were they knew no other life than dry derst sand. With activities that ranged from Counting the milling birds in the air, rolling their dice for made-up games, sitting by camp fires for stories, and watching the merchants haggle over goods.

Then the Katicans attacked.

War had broken out for the scarce resources for basic survival food water clothing goods that the avign traded.

Kakavasha's sister even headed out the warfront saying "We have to fight or lose everything "

The tent was engulfed in flames. Fights broke out mayhem waged and screams rang out.

"You are a blessed child so you must survive. RUN!" with a push Mama whispered grasping his head tenderly with a kiss before running in the opposite direction to face their enemy.

Small Hands grasped each other tightly together but were lost when confronted by an enemy warrior. To avoid the blows they were forced to split their hands apart and separated by falling debris and a world on fire. The two children in terror both ran lost in the chaos

only to be later to find shelter by allies, caught by enemies

bound by slavery, chains,

sent to the IPC, to jail

meeting, topaz, diamond, jade the ten stonehearts

meeting gopher wood, robin, sunday, the family

only to rise, to fall.

Aventurine defending himself in court against the ipc,

y/n participating in penaconys prison riot

losing old names to be reborn as new

Kakavasha rising to become Aventurine one of the stonehearts

Y/'n becoming Dove a star on the Penacony's stage part of the family

The blessed and cursed child were separated but who really was cursed or blessed? Both? None?

In the turmoil of the avign massacre both having slipped by and somehow survived to live different lives

Only to meet again in Penacony.

A singer on a stage and a gambler in his den.

Hypnotic eyes caught each other and could not look away.

Reunited at last for the start of a play another game.

Who will win this time?

[muffinsin]

hello muffin! in case you don't see this until later: happy halloween!! I hope that, amidst writing and other blog-related activities, you have a great holiday and enjoy some spooky festivities!

I was wondering: how do you think the sisters would react to their significant others having pierced nipples?

Please and thank you!!

Did I move this to the front of the editing queue? I might have…! XP

Hey hon! :) Happy-late Halloween! XP Does it still count? I think it might!🎃 Awhh, thank you, hon! I had a fun time🙌 how was y’all’s Halloween, if y’all do anything fun?

My, my, as of now I can already say they’d be quite thrilled…let’s get into it though, shall we?

Masterlists

Bela

While Bela finds your nipples cute without the piercings, she can’t deny the feeling she gets when looking at them

She isn’t a fan of too much or too big piercings

She likes them delicate, almost like subtle pieces of jewelry

Elegant

She likes little silver rings a lot

When wearing them, you can be sure she will hold you down, her skilled tongue working around your nipples and flicking them and the rings a little

She rather sees it as decoration, a piece of art

Her favorite colors are silver and red, and occasionally golden piercings for your nipples

She doesn’t like anything too dark or too big

Her favorite, though, is a set of red nipple piercings in the shape of red jewels at either side of the nipple

She loves to add more red to it, occasionally bite at your chest and lick it back up

Never too much, just enough for your body to match the red of the gems

Her red

The first time she sees your pierced nipples, she’s reasonably surprised

It’s incredibly rare to see one with such…accessories…at the castle, or the village either, really

You’re rare, intriguing

Of course, she’s curious too

She drags her tongue over them and likes to play with your breasts until she figures out just what grants her which reaction

She loves to see you squirm and writhe on the bed below her

Pinned by her, licked

Caressed

Your body hers to explore

Your breasts sucked and groped, your nipples played with

When sporting the metallic rings she likes, she might bite and gently tug your nipples by them

Likely, she will leave you sore, but she’ll take good care of you after

Bela very much so enjoys sucking your breasts, too, and dragging her tongue across whatever piercing you have in at the moment

Like with earrings, she’ll personally ensure you have a variety to choose from, some selected by her, others by yourself

And when you undress, it always serves as a nice surprise to her to see which you’ve picked out

Cassandra

Cassandra loves nipple piercings for various reasons

Of course, as a sadist, she likes the thought of using them to torture you

At many points has she begged you already

Please, oh please, allow her to pierce your breasts and privates, too! Your nose, ears, lip, whatever you like!

She wants to see you squirm!

She wants it so bad

And really, if you do allow her to add some more piercings, she’ll do an amazing job

Often, she tends to put specific piercings on your nipples

Light rings, connected by a light chain she loves to tug at times

Never too hard, just enough for you to fear and squeal for her

Never enough to tear through the little buds

Only ever enough to add more pressure

If she could, she’d have nipple piercings herself, really, as well as a clit one

Sadly, her body is far too quick to regenerate to properly allow this

At times she could keep you tied to the bed for hours

She’d tug your nipples and lick across them, kiss you and run her razor sharp nails across your sides

With every pull of your nipple piercings she gets hungrier, her pupils dilating, her mouth watering

Occasionally, she’ll bite into your breasts, just around the piercing

And she’ll eagerly lick the blood away, moaning and sucking at your breast

She’d lick across the piercing, dip her tongue into the wounds she’s caused

And lastly, she finds it thrilling to put a little larger ones on you

She loves to rock your body, to get a strap and use it on you

To watch them bounce with your breasts with every move into you

The first time she sees them, when she practically tore your shirt off, she’s taken by surprise

So beautiful, so perfect

So delicious

You’re sure she’s ready to eat you alive

And she might just be

Instead, she grabs your breasts and licks your nipples, her strong tongue rolling over your piercings

So eager, so hungry…

Daniela

Daniela loves nipple piercings!

Multiple times she’s tried to have one of her own, squirming and whining and crying out when her nipple got pierced

Her excitement when she got to sport a piercing too, though!

And, far too soon, her annoyance and frustration when she had to take it out for her body to heal the small “wound” left by the needle

How frustrating!

You, however, don’t share these struggles

The first time she finds out about your nipple piercings is, funnily enough, when she kisses you and gets a little too excited

Reaching up with her hands, her lips gently moving against yours, her fingers suddenly flinch back when she feels something odd under your shirt, just where your nipples are

You giggle at her shocked, surprised reaction

She’s adorable, really

And when you eventually pull up your shirt and let her see, you can see her eyes go wide

She lowers her head immediately, lapping at your pierced nipples with kitten-like licks

Still, she does so, almost every time she gets near your chest

She loves to suck your nipples and to feel the piercing under her tongue

At times, you help her pierce her nipples again, despite how they never stick for more than a few hours until she needs to remove it again

She squirms adorably beneath you as you do, whimpering, gasping, whining in pain

But, when her pierced nipples rub up against yours, it usually ends with her orgasming harder than ever before

She likes to try matching sets in those times

At other times, she likes to buy you piercings to match your underwear or any toy of hers

She thinks it’s cute

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Thinking About Evie (Ace!Tav) Growing Old with Astarion

A/N: It's the spooky season and with it some melancholy. As always thanks to @leighsartworks216 for letting me ramble.

Consider this a pseudo prequel to some of these headcanons: How Astarion and Evie (Ace!Tav) Would React to Each Other Dying

For all Astarion has tried in so many ways to keep his Evie alive and safe, there is nothing he can do against time

At first, it feels like something to be celebrated

For a long time Evie didn't expect to grow old

Her life was so focused on surviving to the next day it never occurred to her that some day she'd look in the mirror and find her hair streaked with grey and crows feet around her eyes

Astarion can't help but be caught in her joy

He never expected his life to end up like this; he's married! He owns a shop and never has to worry about where his next meal is coming from. Gods he's even happy.

Of course there are the downsides to growing old

Evie can't help but feel it as Astarion stays ever as he was

She knows she's slowing down. They settle into a village outside Baldur's Gate and she's afraid she's holding him back. She can't really adventure anymore, but that doesn't mean he has to stop. He can go on without her, but Astarion stays, setting up a shop with odd hours and settling into domesticity the likes of which neither of them dreamed they would have.

Her eyes start to fade, and he helps her find a pair of glasses teasing how her eyes are so beautiful it's about time they got them framed.

More grey comes into her hair and he takes the strands between his fingers claiming they're made of silver.

The wrinkles of her face get deeper and he kisses the corner of her mouth taking full credit for all the good ones and maybe even some of the bad ones

The crease between her brows he knows for a fact was his fault.

Even when it gets the point when the stairs up to their room start to get a bit much, he picks her up; "I never was the prince charming type, but for you, my love, I'll make an exception".

She knows he's trying to make her feel better, to make her feel like less of a burden, but she knows it hurts. She knows it's hard for him to watch her start to fade.

She tells him as much, saying that when it starts to be that time, when it becomes too much, he doesn't have to stay.

Astarion actually gets angry when she says this, she can see it flash in his face and it's a testament to just how much he's grown that he doesn't immediately lash out only asking her why in the hells would she even think that.

Yes, it hurts. Yes every day he is more and more aware that their time together is limited. And yes, when she does go, he's not sure what he'll do. But he's not leaving. That vow he made on their wedding day wasn't idle talk. He promised til death do us part and he meant it. No matter how much it might hurt, he will not rob himself of a single second of life with her in it. 

He tells her, perhaps her out living him is a good thing. He personally condemned 1,000 souls to hell and ruined countless others besides. Maybe he needs that extra time to make up for it so that when he does finally die, he'll actually be able to find her in the next life

But, on a lighter note Astarion teasing Evie for having a sexy trophy husband when he's four times her age

[luckyarchivist]

Touchstarved LIs and Fanfiction AUs They Should Be In

Haven't been able to stop thinking about the people who said Ais is "always the tattoo artist in tattoo shop/flower shop AU". I don't even like tattoo shop/flower shop like that but it was such a correct thing to say and I have to acknowledge that. So here's that plus AUs I've seen that I think the LIs should be in.

Ais

Flower shop/tattoo shop, as mentioned. This one is TOO good. Come ON. Ais as the hot-ass owner of the local tattoo shop? Him listening to your idea for a tattoo and then smoothly and easily inking it into your skin and telling you you're good when you don't cry? I don't even need to explain this one. It makes sense in like every way.

NASCAR/Formula One AU. The idea of him getting out of that car sweaty as hell in the full racing suit after crushing a track record? Like, taking off the helmet and shaking his hair out and looking like he couldn't give less of a shit about winning first place? Yeah. I am not immune to vroom vroom

Mermaid AU but he's a bull shark or an octopus, not a fish. IDK if I want his claspers or his tentacles more, but either way he should be lurking in the briny deep and protecting me from the real ocean monsters and threatening to eat me even though he probably doesn't mean it, probably.

Vere

Magic/Witches AU. - C'monnnn, he's already so witchy! He's got the sleeves and everything. And yes I know TS already has magic in it, but you know what I mean. He, like, lives in the spooky forest and the people of the village are deathly afraid of him, but you need his magical help, so against the wishes of family and friends you seek him out. And he forces you through a series of dangerous illusions as a trial and, when you successfully pass them, finally agrees to help you for a price...

Royalty AU as either the capricious king of a powerful nation or that king's advisor, formal or informal (smart concubine). I've never seen Game of Thrones but that kind of castle politics, shadowy backstabbing shit seems right up his alley.

Modern AU as an artist: I already talked about this with Vere as an artist and game dev, but I think it'd be so funny if Vere was just sitting in a coffee shop (local, Starbucks is below him) trying to finish his commissions in peace because his roommate(s) are annoying and/or distracting. Honestly, Vere would also rock as a modern AU witch, like urban fantasy type.

Leander

Barista/Bartender AU. He's so extroverted and congenial I have to put him in a drink service AU. He definitely has a "time to mix drinks and save lives" type of work ethic behind the counter. He remembers regular customers and their drink orders, he is LIBERAL with discounts, and he leaves little notes to the people he thinks are cute.

Serial killer AU. I am so basic and even though I have no desire to watch or listen to true crime now, I was raised on the Investigation Discovery Channel and I've never lost that. Look at his fucking face. He's asking for it to be covered in blood. Even better if this is combined with the above AU and he's a sweet server by day and a ruthless murderer by night but he keeps the same wide, pleasant, and genuine smile on because both things are things he loves to do. Even BETTER if he has an obsession with one of his regulars and starts killing people around them in an attempt to get closer with them.

Theatre AU. Siiiighs. Yeah, I'm a theatre kid. And I just know this guy would be one of those actors who wants to be a mentor/older brother figure for any new troupe-members. He's walking you through all the vocal warmups. He's offering to help you run lines. He's driving you home after rehearsals. He is a triple threat, but he doesn't prefer musicals because he doesn't like singing in front of an audience (even though he's an amazing singer). And I just know props absolutely hates him because he keeps touching shit that isn't his.

Kuras

Hospital AU and Angels/Demons AU is too easy. Instead, I'm giving him the flower shop owner in flower shop/tattoo shop AU. Anyone here like KurAis? Anyways, I think it would be sweet to have him be the super-tall, kind but a little awkward and very knowledgeable owner of a flower shop. He probably enjoys crafting bouquets that have meaning in flower language. And yes, he knows about the nice meanings and the rude meanings, so you can get a "fuck you" bouquet from Kuras.

Detroit Become Human AU as an android. I barely remember D:BH but it was one of the first things that occurred to me when thinking about AUs for Kuras. Maybe because he'd be the kind of android who was like, "Don't worry, I'm not a real person, it's okay if I get shot repeatedly," and wouldn't understand why someone would be concerned about him anyways.

Elementary school teacher/single parent AU but I don't know if I want him to be the teacher or the parent. Do I want him to look after a group of children, making efforts to understand their silly little words and communicate with them so they learn and feel cared for? Or do I want him to be the struggling single parent who is so happy to see their child finally getting the attention they deserve outside the house? IDK, but I'd be happy either way.

Mhin

Superhero AU. They're kinda already halfway to superhero gear with the hood and the cape and the tight pants, but I think it be cool for them to dart from rooftop to rooftop, saving civilians and fighting crime. IDK if it'd be cooler if they were half-hero half-villain (controlled by their bird-monster side and wreaking havoc) or if it'd just be nice to have a crow hero motif. Anyway they save me and I'm a reporter who uses my reporter contacts to try and track them down not knowing they're actually my upstairs neighbor who I bring shepherd's pie and strawberry cupcakes to sometimes.

The other tattoo artist in tattoo shop/flower shop. You know how there's always some other character working in one or both of the shops? Ayeah that's Mhin. Number one, I think it'd be hot if they had tattoos. But even if they don't they're still hot when they give the tattoo because focus and skill are attractive. They're talented enough that Ais keeps them around even though they hate him. They never talk to him even though he's their boss. Over the course of the fic Mhin and Ais get closer b/c Kuras is friends with both of them and he wants them to like each other.

Angel/Demon AU as an angel because I want them to be corrupted :) I want them to be forced to submit to their own worst impulses :) and eventually realize that being evil makes them feel good and more importantly liberated and in control :) also maybe they can get wrecked by a demon please :)

Aaaand the DLC cast gets one as a treat!

Sen

Pacific Rim AU but PLEASE don't ask me why. I don't even REMEMBER Pacific Rim. But the clarity with which I could imagine Sen in a Pacific Rim AU is startling. She's gruff and she doesn't want to partner up with you, a rookie, but somehow you have perfect chemistry in the mech she doesn't want to acknowledge. She's too reckless out of disregard for her life, and you reel her in; you're inexperienced, and she fixes your mistakes. Then one day she starts to notice that she's guarding her own life more fiercely than ever before...because of you.

If that's not what Pacific Rim is about shhhh don't correct me /j

Elyon

Easy answer is pornstar/industry AU or camming AU but I'll never take the easy way out. And I know we don't know shit about the guy but I think reincarnation AU would kinda hit with him. His promo talks about wanting things money can't buy? Like possibly the ability to save his soulmate from dying and forgetting him over and over while he retains the memories of every life they've both shared and lived separately, as friends, lovers, enemies, and strangers? That would go hard imo.

If you read all of that, thanks! I hope you enjoyed~

[kiss-me-muchoo]

𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 || 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐎’𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲_ In an earth from the 1600’s that still hunts witches, you and your friends are sent on a mission to catch an anomaly. When the villagers catch you and are about to burn you, Miguel has to go and save you. The act, will lead to you and Miguel having a heart-to-heart talk, solving your problems. 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬_ witch!reader, implied short reader, legal age gap, violence, witchcraft, religion mentions, some horror, angst, fluff. 𝐀/𝐍_ I did something bad, that’s the song for this.

♪ ♫ My Miguel O’Hara playlist ✰ Index (+ fics here) ➪ bookstagram acc (in need of friends)

_____________

Maybe you exaggerated the sparkles in your eyes.

The black eyeshadow with glitter on top was scandalous, and the red gloss on your lips only made it look more exaggerated.

But someone knocked on the door when you were about to wipe the gloss.

“Coming!” You let your guests know.

When you open the door, there are a lot of interesting sights.

Miles and Gwen are dressed as Frankenstein and his bride, Hobie is dressed as a zombie policeman, Pavitr is dressed as a pirate, and Baby Mayday is a fairy.

“OH- all of you look so cute and cool” you squeal, stealing Mayday from Pavitr’s arms.

“You are the prettiest fairy!” She coos and giggles, playing with the feathers on your cleavage. You were the black swan. Yes, from the movie, with pointe shoes alike shoes and all.

“You look so pretty!” Gwen flatters you, as you step aside from the door to let the group in.

“Thanks. So… uh-… Where’s Peter?” You ask once the door closes, and your adult friend is nowhere nearby.

“Jess. He was about to come but she took him to guide a briefing” Miles says, and you roll your eyes. Sometimes you hated how devoted Jess was. No wonder why Miguel trusted her a lot.

“Oh. That’s okay. We can start without him…” they all nod.

The plan was simple. Your friends decided to have a little gathering at your place. Halloween was around three weeks away. A night with spooky movies (Mayday friendly), pumpkin pie, ghost stories, and more sounded good.

'`We bought pumpkin cheesecake and cinnamon bread pudding’ Miles adds. Your mouth waters at the smell.

“You can place them in the kitchen. Thanks…"Soon Miles and Gwen are making nachos in your kitchen, Pavitr and Hobie are playing over what movie they should pick, and you are playing with Mayday on the carpet of the living room.

“Dude…y/n, can you tell Hobie that The Exorcist isn’t an option to see as a movie with Mayday here?” You laugh, stopping your little hide-and-seek game with the toddler to see the pair of boys.

“I have to agree with Pav. We can see a cartoon though?” Hobie huffs but nods smiling at Mayday trying to walk.

A sudden bang startles you, Pavitr, and the little kid. It came from the kitchen.

“SORRY” Gwen yells. You wonder what the hell they did.

“The olives can almost explode…” the blonde explains, poking through the kitchen door.

Casper is quickly the most-voted movie to see. When Dr. Harvey is giving an interview on TV and Casper watches it, Miles and Gwen appear with two giant nacho bowls.

They sure did an amazing job. At the bottom, tons of chips. Covered in loads of cheese, tomato, onions, beef, jalapeños, black olives, crema, and more cheese.

“I’m gonna need a diet after this…” you say, making them laugh.

“No worries, my aunt makes this fermented tea that will make you stay in shape with your usual exercise” Pav was that emotional friend you were so grateful to have.

“Really? Aww. Thanks, Pav” he nods, taking Mayday to snuggle with her.

The only sounds in the living room are Casper talking with his uncles, the crunch of the nachos, and some farts from Mayday.

An hour later, the movie is done. There are no nachos left, most of the bread pudding is gone and the rain has started. Oh, and Peter was still at the HQ dressed as a pirate.

“So as the little girl walked through the woods, soon she found a hanging man… the corpse was already rotten…” Hobie’s deep voice made his narrowing of a horror story more thrilling.

By that time, nobody had a costume, only pajamas. You hold Mayday tightly to your chest. She can’t understand the story at all, but she can tell it is about something spooky.

“She sat next to the corpse, and placed the flowers she had in his chest.”

“That’s so creepy,” Pavitr admitted, listening to Hobbie.

“The sun was almost gone, and the little girl had to go back home” As your punk friend continued with the story, Gwen, Miles, Pavitr, Mayday and you became sandwiched.

“She continued playing with the rotten fingers of the corpse. And suddenly… a branch cracked, startling her, but she remained still…” you gasped, feeling your heart beating faster.

Even the thunders seemed to have increased, adding more suspense and terror to your dismay.

“She slowly turned back to see.”

BANG!

“AHHHHHHHHH!” Everyone screamed. Even Hobie jumped to be in the safety of Pavitr’s arms.

Peter entered your living room through a portal.

“PETER B. PARKER, WHAT THE FUCK?” You yell at him.

“Don’t curse in front of my baby…” it’s the first thing he says, swiping some stuff from his gizmo.

“Where’s your costume?” Miles asks, making everyone realize the older man is in his suit… No pirate costume.

“Sorry, Miles. Actually, I’m here to ruin the party” Everyone looks at each other. You worry something wrong happened back at the HQ.

“Miguel wants us to go on a mission… Now” the complaints start. Including you.

After almost a year of being part of the Spider Society. You barely talked with Miguel O’Hara. To be honest, you actually thought he disapproved of you. The only reason why he accepted you was for the pressure of having Miles and everyone on his side after the events with The Spot.

“Bruv… Are you for real?” Hobie asks, sounding pissed. Even Mayday seems to frown in your arms.

“I know! I wanted to have some pictures with Mayday for her scrapbook” You swear Peter was about to cry out of complaining.

At the same time, the hologram of Miguel popped, immediately rolled his eyes at the sight of Peter being dramatic.

“Enough of that. We’re losing time and all of you are still dressed like clowns…” you frown.

Sometimes Miguel was so annoying. So, you tested him by disobeying him from time to time. Just because you felt some resentment towards him because he always seemed to dislike you.

“We’re dealing with a violent and big Green Goblin attacking Earth 36363. The time course is in the mid-1600s, so we have to act in disguise. There’s a village that is dealing with some witch trials, and the canon will be disturbed if they find out about the Goblin” everyone hears as they activate their suits.

You, on the other hand, grew worried. Folkloric lands sounded scary. And you knew witch trials weren’t only a show of the villagers to send innocent people to stake. Witches existed, and the old ones were the worst.

“Uh… Miguel? I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go…” you admit shyly, placing Mayday on your couch.

The man, in hologram form, finally turned to look at you. He must’ve been paying attention to your exaggerated makeup and crown.

“Do us a favor and do what you’re supposed to do, please.” you accept he’s looking deeply at you. Which makes you hesitate whether you are growing mad or nervous.

“Why are you so mean to me all the time?”

“I’m not mean. But you are the newest here and the laziest. As your mentor I-“

“Jessica is my mentor.” You interrupt him. Everyone grows quiet, and the tension is evident.

Miguel’s dark eyes seem to get even darker, probably his talons are out. But you don’t care.

“I’m not repeating myself, y/n. So, unless you want your gizmo gone, you’re gonna go to that earth and beat whatever is there besides the goblin.”

“If anything happens. I’m gonna blame you…” Hobie is smiling. He took a preference for you since you weren’t afraid to face Miguel when he tried to impose. And he recalls accepting to rejoin the society because you befriended him.

“Uh-huh…” Miguel shrugs, spitting sarcasm. And it makes your blood boil.

Gwen places a hand on your shoulder, and her eyes tell you to relax. So, you smile at her, accepting you’re obeying Miguel once again, and battling against the nervous feeling setting in your stomach.

“Okay. So… we’re out in a minute” Peter calls, placing his kid in his chest.

“Good. I’m monitoring with Jess…” and with that, Miguel’s hologram vanished. You roll your eyes.

“Asshole. Why doesn’t he go with Jess? He knew it was our free day” Pav, Miles and Hobie nod at your words.

“You said it. Miguel has changed but…” Peter started.

“Peter, he’s still an asshole. Especially with y/n” the blonde girl speaks, and you can’t help but feel slightly emotional. You were good… Why did he dislike you so much?

“He would be better if I was gone. He dislikes me for not being a spider. And probably he recruited me only because of your trust, especially Miles’s. After what happened…” the boy patted your shoulder.

“Hey, screw what Miguel thinks. You’re special… you’re one of us” his words cheer you up, so you smile brightly.

“Oh- I love you all so much…” Their giggles set you in a better mood. Even with the nervousness and dissolving anger.

With a brush of your hand, your usual suit appears, and you join the little circle to wait for Peter to open the portal.

“So… y/n, it’s gonna be fine, we’re sticking together no matter what. Okay, earth 36363, here we go…” you breathe, and once the portal is open, everyone starts walking in.

…

When you’re on the other side of the portal, the first thing you notice is that the sun is nearly gone. It’s a giant landscape of woods. With tall trees, lots of nature, and a river that can be heard but not seen.

“Everyone here?” Miles asks, counting you and the other to confirm to Peter. It was a protocol that when large groups assisted in missions, they had to ensure everyone landed and exited the visited earth safely.

“Yep, four teens, a young woman, an old man, and a stinky baby” Gwen calls, Mayday in her arms.

“Oh no, Mayday. Again?” Peter had been dealing with a stomach-sensitive Mayday, so he had to carry diapers everywhere.

“Here’s your daughter” everyone laughs, including the little girl.

And as Peter changed Mayday, everyone wandered around, searching for clues to the anomaly.

“Miguel said the goblin was hidden in the forest” the man reveals from a giant rock, where Mayday was laying. And certainly, she looked like a gift for a ritual, which unsettled you.

“Look… a baby rabbit” Pavitr cooed. You followed his eyes, landing on the grass trail in front of you.

Indeed, there was a baby rabbit, dark brown looking directly at your friends and you. That wasn’t a normal rabbit.

It was a woman, transformed into a rabbit.

You can’t be nervous. And you use Miguel and his words. you’re gonna go to that earth and beat whatever is there besides the goblin. Your eyes deepen as you look at the rabbit. Like protecting your friends and saying to that witch; back off bitch, these are my friends.

“That’s not a rabbit, Pav. It’s a witch…” you admit once the rabbit starts running into the woods. At the same time, all of your friends look at you confused.

“She was spying on us?” Hobie asks.

“Likely. Which makes me uncomfortable because What if she tells her coven and they attack us?” Peter finally is over with Mayday and soothes you.

“We’re here too. Besides, Aren't you a witch too?” He asks calmly.

“Yeah, but this kind of witches works with dark magic. They don’t fight, they don’t have to. Using dark magic makes them… powerful” you admit.

“And what do you use?” Miles asks.

“My instinct. I’m not ruled by any magic. Just me…”

“That’s enough for us, y/n. Don’t worry” Pavitr joins to soothe you.

It’s officially dark. The woods seem creepier, and every sound makes you uneasy. Your magical sparkles are the only light on the way.

Peter and you are going to the front. With the teens behind. Mayday is asleep. And there’s no sign of the Green Goblin.

Out of nowhere. You start hearing a woman sing in the distance. It wasn’t an actual song, it was just a humming, which made everything scarier.

“Are you hearing that?” You ask once the humming is even clearer.

“Hear what, y/n?” You won’t panic. But it’s getting harder.

“A woman, humming…”

“I can’t hear anything,” Hobie admits.

“They must know I’m here. Usually, they get rid of witches outside of their coven” you add, capturing everyone’s attention.

“How do you know?”

“In the 1600s, that’s how it worked. But I just know it, I felt a connection with the rabbit. But it felt wrong. So, what I’m hearing must be a warning or a way to distract me” You can’t help but curse Miguel. It was all his fault. And the worst part hadn’t started.

A high-pitched laugh was heard, startling everyone.

“Now I heard that,” Pav admits.

“That’s the goblin, we’re getting closer…” Maybe Peter wasn’t afraid of many things, but he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable on that earth. It had a sad and dark atmosphere. And before you, he didn’t believe in witches. But now…

The moment was stroked by some explosions. It sends everyone flying away. But all of your friends had spider senses, which made them slightly aware of what was coming.

You land in the grass, with dry branches pinching you in the arms. There’s a pitch in your ears that makes you so lost. And just as your eyes focus around, you see Miles and Hobie attacking the Green Goblin.

“We have to go, y/n” Pavitr and Peter scream, but you hear them so distantly.

You nod, and however you can, you start chasing the goblin with your friends.

This goblin is ugly and on the verge of being scary. His green wrinkled skin and red eyes look horrible in the dark. His flying board and orange bombs make him look like an actual Halloween villain.

“Block him, y/n” Gwen yells as she balances and swings through the tall trees.

You suddenly remember you can levítate and you have to end the anomaly. So, you do, you float and leave your friends behind. And as you chase the goblin, you hope to throw him away with your magic.

“Keep in line” Peter advises the spiders. The chase is longer than expected. And while you’re not tired, you’re growing impatient. Until you are fast enough to end up landing on the goblin’s flying board.

His claws threaten your face, but you are able to sneak behind him and throw him.

With your magic, you give him a giant punch in his face.

“WE GOT HIM!” Hobie yells. But as soon as you are about to handcuff him, the goblin throws another explosion.

And this time, you’re not knocked.

…

You know you’re conscious, but there’s only darkness. You don’t dare to run because you have a bad omen.

It was a spell. The witches wanted you down.

Not even the sounds of the woods seem to help. But you make an effort to calm yourself and breathe slowly. You really cursed these witches; you had tried hypnosis once and it was so exhausting. And these women hadn’t even shown their faces but were making you so uncomfortable and in panic.

And that’s when you finally see something, a goat. It’s grey, with deep eyes that look at you with so much curiosity. In folklore, the devil usually was a sheep. You really hate being there. Earth 36363 is cursed, you affirm.

The goat starts moving towards you, and as much as you are calmed, you are scared. So you move back, and there must’ve been a branch, cause you fell backwards. And the hypnosis was gone at all. You can see some of the woods, although it’s extremely dark to see clearly.

You push yourself upwards by the elbows, hoping to see the damn witches. You hear a distant laugh, it’s not like the one you heard from the Goblin. It’s a female voice. The dark silhouettes of women in a dress around you make you finally attack.

“Y/N!” You hear Miles screaming at you. That’s enough to end up confused as hell. The woods are clearer, and you are fighting beside your friends.

“What the fuck happened?” You yell. The boy and Hobie make some time to talk to you.

“We’re fighting the Goblin. What do you mean?” You wonder if you had been physically fighting the goblin but mentally you were fighting with a witch.

“I- don’t know” Peter, Pavitr, and Gwen are higher, away from you.

Making a new bomb of the goblin to send you Hobie and Miles even further away. This time, you know you have to be faster. So, you create a shield for you and your friends. Even when you end up on the ground, nobody is hurt.

“WITCH! AYE, A WITCH!” You frowned, and once you and your friends turned back, you were met with a large crowd of people with torches.

“Bloody hell…” Hobie curses. You learn that there were no more woods behind you, it was the entrance of a village.

“GET THAT WITCH!” And before you can even stand, two men are holding you, dragging ypu towards the crowd.

“NO. Y/N!” Pavitr and Hobie try to attack the villagers, but you are mentally immobilizing them.

“GO BACK WITH THE OTHERS AND TAKE DOWN THE GOBLIN. I’LL FIGURE THIS OUT. GO!” You yell desperately as the villagers celebrate and cheer because they got you.

“Oh, boy…” Pavitr worries, but they start going back with the others.

“Call Miguel…” Hobie suggests. And both know it’s the right thing to do.

…

Miguel gave one last bite to his beef and vegetable empanada. He savored the flavor of the broth and wanted to lick his fingers, but he resisted the urge. Instead, he wiped his mouth and returned to his office.

The sound of emergency made him pace faster, and he was confused when Jess was nowhere to be found, nor Lyla.

“Lyla!” He called her, but there was no answer. So, he ran to his desk and the screens.

Emergency call from Gwen’s gizmo.

Miguel sighed; he could already hear the complaints. Always calling for reinforcements when there was no necessity.

“MIGUEL!” Gwen sounded worried, and Peter could be heard fighting with the goblin.

“THIS PLACE IS CURSED. THE GOBLIN IS VERY STRONG. AND Y/N WAS TAKEN BY THE VILLAGERS” Miguel’s eyes widened. He thought it wouldn’t be as bad as it sounded.

“What?” He asked trying to sound calm, but he was feeling regretful already. As he remembered your words and how unsure you were of going.

“We need reinforcements. There are witches, they’re doing everything to finish y/n. You have to go and save her. The villagers will burn her.” Miguel couldn’t help but feel anxious as he listened to the teen.

It had been a long time since he went into panic mode for someone.

“Calm down. I’m coming with help. Send the exact coordinates” With that, he finished the connection.

Jess and Lyla appeared, talking like nothing.

“Where were you two?” Jess shrugs, looking at the wide man annoyed.

“Helping Lyla and Margo. What happened?”

“The mission is going bad. They can’t contain the anomaly and y/n was taken by villagers who saw her using her abilities” he explained, activating his mask and leaving the office in a hurry.

“I’ll send help myself too. Where are you going?” Jess replies.

“I already sent help. I'm going to save y/n.” The woman and the AI looked at the man until he disappeared through a portal.

“Save y/n? I thought he disliked her” Lyla giggles.

“Are you kidding? Y/n is Miguel’s crush. He’s in denial about his feelings for her.” Her jaw dropped at Lyla’s words.

“I wasn’t ready for that punch” Lyla rolled her eyes, finally leaving with the woman to help.

…

Escape? The villagers would hunt you and that would take more weight on your friends already fighting the goblin.

Leave to the HQ? You couldn’t leave your friends behind. Plus, you won’t give Miguel the satisfaction.

It’s a hard decision to make when the villagers are tightening your feet and arms. The curse you and some men spit. You want to attack them, but that would also go against your morals. Their ignorance wasn’t a reason to kill or attack them.

The reverend of the town is a young man, corrupted by power and corruption. He has the torch that would kill you.

“May thy town abolish the dark magic of this witch today. No more witches!” He yells lifting the torch. And you finally panic.

There’s anger, anxiety, and desperation as the reverend speaks. The coven of witches surrounding the town had to be very powerful and ancient. How they easily tricked you and made you feel scared. Soon, you fall and get captured.

But as much as you want to fight, these people are not the correct target.

“Last words? filthy witch.” The Reverend asks you, pointing the torch at you.

You sigh, thinking what your last words in case you didn’t make it and died. There are a lot of questions and doubts, but you opt to look at the dark sky.

Even the stars seem weird on the earth. Green stars and burned violet sky. And Spiderman-2099 with his bright red webs coming from the ceiling of a house.

“MIGUEL?” Your eyes widen, and somehow you can’t believe you’re seeing the man there. The reverend turns around to encounter the tall spider. Pointing at him in horror.

“DEMON! THE WITCH BROUGHT A DEMON!” At that point, you only roll your eyes.

“Jesus, I can’t stand these people” But you ignore when the reverend dropped the torch, setting the fire on your feet.

“Fuck…” you had to gasp. But luckily, Miguel landed on the little wooden stage set for you.

You can feel his eyes on you, even with his mask on. However, his regret is even more evident.

The villagers run and everything is chaos. Only the reverend and some random men stayed.

And with what probably was one of the first rifles in America, one of the men pointed at Miguel’s back.

‘Miguel. Watch out!” He listened and skillfully avoided the bullet. Then turned again to set you free.

“I’ll be fast,” he said. And with that, his talons ripped the tight in your hands. Which confirmed how sharp they were.

“Thanks.” Apparently, the reverend was losing patience, so he took the rifle and pointed it at Miguel again, but he failed again.

And the fire touched your feet, burning your soft skin as Miguel set you free.

Your scream caught everyone off guard. You fell to your knees, and the look you sent to the reverend and his men was enough to tell them you were totally pissed.

The anger flooded your body, and an expansive wave of your magic pushed everything away. Including some of the houses and trees surrounding the village.

“It’s time to go, kid,” Miguel said. But once he saw you couldn’t stand, he took you in his arms.

Even if you hate it, you end up crying because of the pain.

“It’s okay, y/n. I’m here, it’s over now.”

As Miguel took you in his arms, you realized something. It wasn’t only the physical pain. It was the whole trauma of being on that haunted earth.

…

“I wonder if this whole earth is cursed.” You think loudly looking at the stars once again.

“I doubt it. Okay, no. I’m not sure at all” Miguel admits.

He could have been faster with his webs, but he preferred to walk by the fields of chamomile to have you closer for a longer time.

Of course, he couldn’t dare to admit it.

“So…you think you were simultaneously fighting the goblin and the witches?” You nod, playing with your fingers.

“I guess so. It was so weird and scary. This kind of magic is dark, they use cruel things to scare you away.”

“What kind of magic do you use?” You are surprised, as this is the first time you have been talking with Miguel for real.

“I like to believe I don’t use anything. But I know it is chaos magic.”

“Powerful…” he admits.

“But also, dangerous. That’s why I regret…uh-” You suddenly quiet down, forgetting it’s Miguel O’Hara who you’re talking to.

“You don’t have to tell me…” he would never push you to anything. He barely knew you, even with all the confusing feelings.

“No, it’s okay. I-, discovered my abilities when I was an early teenager. I had two brothers, a baby, and a kid. My babies…” As Miguel carries you through the darkness, he sighs quietly, already sensing where your story is going.

“And I don’t what I did, I would never hurt them… It just happened. I disappeared them. They were gone…” your voice shatters slightly.

“My parents hate me. I haven’t seen him since then. I’m alone and I just- I just loved them so much. That it breaks my soul that I unintentionally killed them” the man stops. He places you so gently on a rock near the end of the fields.

After that, he kneels in front of you.

You know you shouldn’t have over-shared. But you don’t know what possessed you to spill everything with Miguel.

His masks disappear. And you can’t describe what kind of look he’s giving you. So, you avoid it.

“Look at me, y/n” his hands grab your chin, and slowly you rejoin to meet his eyes.

“I know how it feels. You know why” Of course you knew. Peter told you the details, but everyone knew. How he lost his daughter and how he blamed and that’s why he had changed so much.

“Even if you feel like that guilt will never stop chasing you. You have to keep going. For them…” you want to cry again so badly, but you refuse. Even your pulsating burned feet seem to hurt less.

“Why do I feel you tell me exactly what you refuse to do?” He can’t help but chuckle.

“Because you’re right…”

“No, Miguel. You’re so young and bright. You have to go out, meet new people, and be happy…” Nobody had said to him something like that in a long time.

“I’m not the most social person” This time you chuckle.

“Oh c’mmon, there must be someone you could hang out with.” He keeps quiet. Even when he's on his knees, you barely face him.

“What about Anya? Betty? Peter J?” You suggest to him some spider mates.

“What about you?” His question shocks you.

“Me?” You blush and thank the moon of the earth for not being too bright that night.

“Forget it. Sorry…” he replies, you know he’s embarrassed. So, you stop him from standing up.

“No, wait, Miguel. I would hang out with you. It’s just I never thought I was even contemplated as an option” he nods.

Just like he didn’t know why he was so careful and decided to talk about his trauma with you, he dint know what had possessed him to ask you out. Probably the witches, he thought.

“Well, you were the first option, actually.”

Both of you smile, and both of you know it. Slowly, he got closer, than you. And finally, inches away from each other face, waiting for a first kiss to happen.

“Are we interrupting?” Hobie’s voice makes you and Miguel turn. His mask comes on again, and he takes you in his arms again. Oh, you want to die out of embarrassment.

Miles and Gwen behind him seemed shocked.

“Did Pavitr and Peter take care of the anomaly?” The trio nods.

“Good. Gwen, open the portal, please” she does, and in seconds, you’re back home.

…

This time, you’re in a long grey tube skirt and black sweater, with a witch hat.

“Coming” again, Peter was late for the gathering. Even Jess, Margo, and Ben were in your place that night.

“Look who I brought…” Peter said smiling once you opened the door. Behind him, Miguel was also there. Your face blushes immediately.

Peter has gone inside your house to greet the others. But you stay on the porch with the taller man.

“You came.” Miguel nods scratching the back of his neck, probably embarrassed too.

“Peter insisted.” This time you nod.

“How’s your feet?”

“Better. I Can walk now…” you share, smiling.

Since the night on Earth 36363, since your almost kiss with Miguel and your almost day of death, you hadn’t seen him. It’s only been three days, but the awkwardness had settled.

“So…Did you mean everything you said the other night?” You ask, opting to break the ice.

“I did” he confirms to your surprise. Well, not surprised at all because you know he's a man of word.

“Te ves bien bonita” Miguel O’Hara saying you look pretty in random clothes and a witch hat at a Halloween gathering was so hard to believe.

“I- Thanks” he’s smiling. During the past three days, he slowly came to accept he had some feelings for you.

“Girl… Make a move already” Gwen yelled poking through the door with Margo. You turn to smile at them.

“Kiss him!” Miles screams from inside the place, with Mayday babbling too.

Miguel chuckles, finding the moment very silly. Especially because he knew you were embarrassed.

With your magic, you closed the door and turned to see Miguel again.

“Do you want to kiss me?” You ask him, shyly.

He rolls his eyes and leans to meet you in a kiss.

From inside the house, through the window, of course, everyone is looking at you and Miguel.

You can’t believe what’s happening. You haven’t even thought about the meaning of Miguel kissing you. You never thought about him in other way than just being your boss. But now, you like the butterflies he’s making you feel.

He has to almost kneel to meet your face and keep kissing you. And you find your way to hug his neck, making your witch hat fall.

“Even their outfits match” Peter points out. You had a black sweater, and Miguel had a grey one. You had a grey skirt, and Miguel had black pants.

“This is so weird…” Jess can’t believe it.

“Yes.” Everyone agrees.

Meanwhile, you were still kissing the man. You could easily end up falling in love with him.

…

Part two is coming.

[peakyswritings]

Abomination || Tommy Shelby x OC

Summary: where Tommy’s stay in Sicily takes a dark turn.

Warnings: supernatural elements, mentions of violence, mentions of killings, English is not my first language.

A/N: didn’t make it before midnight, but here it is! My writing is a bit rusty to be honest, but I really wanted this to be out. Originally this was supposed to have three parts in total, but I’m not sure whether I’ll fully write the other two or write something short about them. I’m leaning more towards the second option, since it’s late already.

Nina Ferrante is the OC from my Tommy Shelby x OC series Heart, Body and Soul. This is a spooky!AU.

AU MOODBOARD

A shiver shook Tommy’s back as a gust of wind entered from the open window, the night breeze carrying the smell of wet grass and jasmine. He took a deep breath, trying to let the scent soothe his raging nerves, but the way his undershirt was uncomfortably sticking to the sheen of sweat covering his body made it a rather difficult task. It seemed to him that his nightmares had become even more frequent since his arrival in the small Sicilian village.

A marriage of convenience, the union of two families to avert a war so bloody it would easily wipe both of them off the earth. A mechanism Tommy knew too well, but which until then had never involved him personally. He had taken too high a risk, travelling there on his own. But much to his surprise, he hadn’t been killed the moment he had stepped on the Italian territory, and the Ferrante family had treated him nicely enough. As for the girl he was supposed to marry - Agnese, his former enemy’s niece who lived in the adjacent house -, she was kind, and beautiful. Things could’ve been much worse. They were disconcertingly good, in fact.

Yet, Tommy couldn’t shake off a weird feeling. It would come without warning, taking the shape of a tingling sensation on the back of his neck, or of a weight sitting in the pit of his stomach. A terrible anguish would fill the air, engulfing his whole body, wrapping around his throat, making it hard to even breathe. And then it would fade. Maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him, maybe it was his instinct trying to tell him there was a danger lurking in the corner, one he hadn’t taken into account. Maybe he just needed to get out of that place.

Another shiver shook his frame as he walked barefoot down the hallway, passing the room of the only member of the Ferrante family he hadn’t had the pleasure to meet yet.

Her door was open.

He had never seen her, nor had he ever heard the sound of her voice. There were no photographs of her around the house, and no objects belonging to her. He had even questioned her existence, at some point. Until she started to make her presence known. She seemed to only come out at night. Sometimes the faint sound of her footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, only to fade as she walked down the stairs. Sometimes the sad melody of a piano reverberated through the walls, breaking the silence of the night.

Her family never spoke about her. Her name was like a curse, a forbidden word no one in that house dared say out loud. The only things he had heard about her came from her cousins, but those things he could hardly believe. They ranted about malevolent powers and deals with the Devil, they told tales of horror and dread so preposterous he often questioned the girls’ sanity. They had an impressive imagination, that was for sure.

The conclusion Tommy had come to was that the poor girl was probably mutilated. That was the most plausible explanation for why she was so isolated. And considering how superstitious those people had shown to be, it would also explain the malicious things her cousins said about her.

Tommy squinted his eyes, but the darkness on the other side was too thick for him to get a single glimpse of what was inside. He shouldn’t pry, he knew he shouldn’t. But there was some sort of magnetic pull luring him, enticing him to get closer, to take that forbidden step and cross the line that separated him from the unknown. It was calling him. He had always had a taste for the forbidden, after all.

A sharp noise coming from downstairs pulled him out of his trance. Tommy had got so distracted by his musings he had almost forgotten the reason why he had come out of his room. The nightmare had left him with a throat so parched he felt like he had swallowed sandpaper. And it appeared he wasn’t the only one awake in the house. He walked down the imposing stairs, step after step, his heart starting to race, his stomach starting to churn. There it came, that feeling. But it didn’t stop him.

In the dim light of the kitchen, a young woman was standing near the window. A cascade of dark hair fell down her slender back in rebellious waves, almost shining in the warm hue. She was holding a steaming cup in her hands, and although Tommy couldn’t see her face, she seemed to be deep in thought. He walked further into the room with slow, hesitant steps. After all the questions he had racked his brains with, there she was, in the same room as him. He didn’t know what to expect.

For a moment he thought about saying something, not wanting to scare her with his sudden appearance. But she sensed his presence before he could make it known.

“Blood moon,” she noted, tilting her head.

Tommy tried to catch a glimpse of her face from the reflection in the window, but the glass offered him nothing more than a blurred image. As if capturing his unspoken prayer, she turned around to face him, the white robe she was wearing brushing slightly against the floor. His breath hitched in his throat.

She was beautiful.

No, not just beautiful. Enthralling. Captivating. More than words could ever express.

Bringing her cup to her lips, she carefully took a sip, but her eyebrows furrowed immediately. Grimacing, she placed it on the table with a thud. “Not sweet enough.”

Tommy observed her as she added an impressive quantity of honey in her tea. It was strange, to finally be able to put a face to someone who up until then had been almost an abstract entity, a name without a shape.

Her brown eyes looked him with a glint of amusement. “You want tea?”

“No, thank you,” he shook his head, his throat feeling even drier. “I just… I just needed water.”

“Help yourself.”

Still somewhat muzzy, Tommy filled a glass with tap water, glancing at her from time to time.

God, he needed to get ahold of himself.

He cleared his throat, pondering his next words. “How come I’ve never seen you around, eh?”

She picked up the cup with both hands, taking her time to take a sip and test the sweetness. “I’m a lonely creature,” she said, the hint of a joke in her voice. “And I enjoy my nights way more than I enjoy my days.”

It made sense. In the Ferrante property, night was the only time someone could get some quiet. “They’re peaceful.”

“Peaceful,” she hummed, as if tasting the word on her tongue. “Yes, I guess they are,” she conceded, shrugging slightly. “Until they’re not.”

Tommy blinked, trying to make sense of her words. She spoke cryptically, following a thread she had woven in her own mind. She was unusual, he had to admit. He could almost see why there were certain whispers about her.

“Your cousins say some interesting things about you,” he said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“I know,” she raised her eyebrows. “It appears I am some… abomination.” She flashed a smile, and for a moment Tommy got the impression that her white teeth looked a lot like fangs.

He really needed to sleep.

A heavy silence fell into the room. Putting down her cup, the young woman approached him with light, measured steps. The scent of lavender and something sweet filled his nostril, making his head spin. A magnetic pull even stronger the one he had felt before washed over Tommy, and it took all his self-control in order not to reach out to her. She placed a hand on his arm, causing a chill to run down his spine. Despite having held the warm cup for a while, it was icy. Freezing. He could feel the cold through the long sleeve of his shirt, it set deep into his bones, leaving him almost paralysed.

“Go to sleep, Mr Shelby. It’s a dangerous night to wander around.”

When Tommy walked down the hallway the morning after, her door was closed again. The conversation he’d had with her felt like a distant dream, like a figment of his imagination. He also vaguely remembered the melancholic music of a piano had woken him up at some point during the night, but even of that he wasn’t sure. He felt so numb he couldn’t tell the difference between what was real and what was not.

Some important news had shaken the Ferrante property, that morning. The papers reported Stefano and Vito Spinietta had been found dead in a field in the outskirts of the village. An animal attack, they said. The Spinietta family had many enemies, but it would’ve been impossible for a human being to cause the damage that had been caused to the two brothers.

Sitting on the sofa of the living room, Tommy looked at the photo printed on the journal he couldn’t read. The sons of the Ferrantes’ biggest threat, dead. He wouldn’t be surprised to find out his hosts were behind it.

Suddenly, something else caught his attention. The majestic, untouchable piano placed just a few feet away from him was open. And it looked dirty. He furrowed his brows, getting up to get a closer look.

Crimson marks stained the white keys.

Heart, Body and Sould tag list:

@zablife @queenofshinigamis @raincoffeeandfandoms / @justrainandcoffee @call-sign-shark

@kmc1989 @babayaga67 @kmhappybunny240 @diorrfairy @mariaelizabeth21-blog1

@gaslysainz @brummiereader @loverhymeswith @fairypitou @prettywhenicry4

@mysticalbouquetwolf-posts @woofgocows @girlwith-thepearlearring @goblinjnr @outlanderuniverse

@citylights31 @neonpurplestars89-blog @outlanderuniverse @red-riding-wood @evita-shelby

@look-at-the-soul @gathania93 @wonderlanddreamer @thelastemzy @meadows5

@mischievouslittlecreature @seedlings-stuff

General Tag list: @iamngoclinh08 @lilywinchesterlove @fandom-puff @capitanostella @caelys

@lucillethings @peakyxtommy @queenofkings1212 @lyarr24 @kmc1989

@call-sign-shark @jomarch-wannabe @ce1iat @areyenotfondofmelobster @red-riding-wood

@optimisticsandwichgladiator @lunarubra

Tommy Shelby tag list: @50svibes @bellabarnes1378 @jbrownta

[librarycomic]

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable. First Second, 2023. 9781250195036. 364pp. http://www.powells.com/book/-9781250195036?partnerid=34778&p_bt

A teacher writes the word "eerie" on the chalkboard in front of her class and then asks the young students to tell the class the eeriest story they have. Their stories are strange. Alvin tells the first, "The Village That Vanished…", about two men who follow a map to a field filled with sheep where they meet a strange dude who tells them what happened to the town of Wattersbug. It's not horribly graphic, but it's also not a story I'd expect a kid to tell, though his teacher seems excited. Alice's story, "The Face In The Forest…" features a girl named Luanne who's expected to do everything for her aunt and uncle, though they don't seem happy that she's so helpful. When she goes into the forest in search of wood she meets a sympathetic head. Will it help her, or does it mean her no good? It's hard to say at first though the head seems very friendly, and it says it wants her help.

More stories follow. They involve drones, ghosts, spaceships, aliens, grandparents, and demons. When you're reading the book, don't jump ahead -- it has a fun ending, but you have to read every page to really enjoy it.

This is my favorite spooky kids' graphic novel in a while. I know a few kids who would have enjoyed it in grade school, but it's probably got more appeal for older students and adults, it would make a great read-aloud.

bookreview #graphicnovel #graphicnovelreview #yagraphicnovel #school #horror

[p-artsypants]

The Pale Rider (7) Using the Old Boot Straps

The Isle of Berk is cursed. Like, extremely cursed. It has been for generations. The extent of the curse has been forgotten over time, but no descendants of the original village are able to leave the island, lest they suffer a gruesome fate. Three years ago, the Blacksmith invited the Pale Rider to town. He’s a creature that’s haunted the forest and childhood campfire stories for centuries. Now, he arrives every day at noon. One day, Astrid Hofferson decides to be brave and talk to him. He’s actually really nice…for an eldritch abomination. A Beauty and the Beast AU.

Ao3

Even after a week, Astrid still had bruises. Her side hurt, but she could get around. 

It didn’t mean much. She had no cart to sell flowers from. Luckily, she had a handful of orders come in. Anniversaries, well wishes, congratulations, these tried and true events could be planned for. She was just missing out on the spontaneous purchases. On people walking by and seeing the beautiful blooms and thinking, ‘oh I want some of those.’ 

As Astrid was out in the garden, assembling a bouquet for an older couple, a friendly voice greeted, “getting right back into it, huh?” 

Astrid looked up and smiled. “Good morning, Snotlout. What brings you to this side of the village?” Oddly, he wasn’t wearing his guard uniform either. Just a green tunic and leggings. The Rider’s gifted sword was still on his hip though, along with a satchel. “And where’s your armor?” 

His smile turned sordid. “I guess I forgot to tell you, huh? I had been meaning to, but uh…well, Dagur got me. I was relieved of duty.” 

Astrid’s heart sank. “Oh no!” 

“But it’s okay!” He put his hands up. “‘Cause honestly, I didn’t wanna do that job anymore anyways. The guards are all stooges for Oswald and Dagur.” 

“So what are you going to do now?” 

“I’m a pioneer, you know. I’ve made my own niche in the village, and it’s going very well.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah! Mailman! Mailman! Oi Oi Oi!” He cheered, pumping his fists. 

“Mailman, hmm? I can see it.” 

“Viola!” He handed her a piece of paper. “My going rates. And I’m here to offer my services to you, for say…delivering bouquets to clients, or perhaps saucy love notes to your spooky boyfriend in a certain haunted castle on a certain forbidden mountain?” 

Astrid decided to ignore the ‘boyfriend’ part. “You’d go up there?” 

“Sure,” he shrugged. “Maybe not a month ago, but now I know the Rider’s a total teddy bear. Nothing to worry about! Just a little hike!” 

Astrid bit her lip. She really hated the way things ended the last time she had seen the Rider. Even just a letter would help. “Okay, I’ll take you up on that!” 

“Yes!” He pumped his fist again. 

She quickly picked a few flowers and finished the bouquet. “Okay, these are for the Sorenson household. They’ve already paid me for them.” 

“That would be 5 copper fee.” 

“Okay, and for the letter to the mountain?” 

“That’s another five copper.” 

“Really? Even with that hike?” 

“Yep! Because I know he’ll want to respond and I can charge him as much as I want!” 

“You’re terrible.” 

“I can still decline your delivery, missy!” 

She laughed. “Okay okay, why don’t you take the bouquet and then come back? Then I’ll have the letter and the silver piece for you.” 

“Done!” 

—-

Rider,

I hope this letter finds you well, though I can only imagine how lonely you’ve been. It hasn’t been the same around here without you. 

Heather says Dagur has gone completely out of control. There’s chaos in the village. As much as I hate to admit it, I believe it is best you stay away for now, for your own safety. I want to keep in contact with you, and I will let you know when it’s safe to return. Hopefully that will come soon, as Oswald is bound to get Dagur under control once he feels better.

I can’t help but feel this is my fault. I pushed you too quickly, pushed the village too quickly. We should have taken things slower. Maybe then Dagur wouldn’t have been so emboldened. I don’t know, I just feel awful about all of this. You didn’t deserve any of this treatment. 

I hope you bear no ill feelings towards us, or me specifically. We all miss you.

I miss you. 

I hope to hear from you soon.

Love, 

Astrid. 

—

True to his promise, Gobber went ahead and got to work on building Astrid a new cart. This one would be financed by the Rider, and would solely belong to Astrid. She wouldn’t need to pay anyone back. 

Though, she had yet to receive the invoice from Oswald for the cart that Dagur burned. She hoped that when the old man felt better, he’d make Dagur pay for it instead. 

Astrid visited the forge, eager to see what Gobber had come up with. 

It was a beautiful dark wood, picked specifically to enhance the beauty of the bright flowers put on it. The surface was smoothly lacquered, almost feeling like glass. 

“Like it so far?” Gobber smirked. 

“It’s so beautiful! It’s perfect!” 

“I still have to add the awning, and I want to put a rack with holes around the sides so you can display more bouquets! I’m pretty happy with the turn out.” 

Astrid fondly ran her fingers over the surface. “You…put a lot of time into this.” 

“Sure! I wanted to make it good for one of my favorite customers!” 

She smiled, albeit sadly. “Is business down?” 

He waved her off. “Sure, but it won’t be forever! Dagur’s threatening people, but sooner or later, someone’s going to have a toothache!” 

“Or need a blade sharpened, or a deer cut.” 

“That too!” 

“I’m sorry, Gobber.” 

“Don’t worry about it, Lass.” 

“I am, though. If I hadn’t jumped on Dagur’s back…” she rubbed her arm.

“Aye, maybe that wasn’t the wisest thing you could have done—”

Her shoulders sank further. 

“But the Rider needed to see someone fight for him.” 

Was it really worth it? People were being punished for her actions. 

She checked in on the others. At Fishlegs’ bookstore, things were the same. Business was down, but neither Ingerman were worried about it at the moment. Fishlegs assured that the book that the Rider had brought would be plenty to keep them a float for a while. The Twins were similarly optimistic. They had even joked about going up to the castle to ask for retirement funds. 

Though, knowing the Twins, it was hard to tell if it was a joke. 

Heather was a different matter, however. She hadn’t been seen since the Rider was banished, and there was a ‘permanently closed’ sign nailed to the front door of the cafe. 

How Dagur could be so cruel to his own sister, Astrid couldn’t imagine. 

—-

Two days went by before Snotlout returned with a reply. He knocked on the cottage door, grinning mischievously. 

“Afternoon,” she greeted, cautious because of the smile. 

“He wrote back!” He sang, waving the black envelope at her. Even from here, she could see it was open. 

“You little snoop!” She scolded. “And how much did you charge him?!” 

“Enough that he wouldn’t mind me snooping,” he drawled. 

“That’s not how it works, Snotlout!” 

“Okay okay…I just wanted to see what kind of writer he was. You know, if he was literate.” 

“And is he?” 

He chuckled, “is he ever!” 

She snatched the envelope away from him, but didn’t want to seem too eager to read the reply. Instead, she asked, “what’s the castle like?” 

“Boy, I’d tell you all about it, but my feet are killing me.” 

She sighed. “Would you like to come in for tea?” 

“Oh Astrid, that is so sweet, of course I’ll have some tea.” 

She fondly rolled her eyes and let him in. 

“Afternoon, Mrs. H!” He called upstairs. 

“Good afternoon, Snotlout!” She called back. 

He flopped into a chair, kicking his feet up on the hearth. “Ahhh…much better.” 

Astrid put the kettle on. “So…the castle?” 

“Oh! Right! Well, first of all, I didn’t see that much. Just the foyer. But let me start from the beginning.” He sat up and gestured with his hands like he was surveying a canvas. “The path there is actually a lot more clear than I thought. It’s not a hard walk, but it is long. It kinda spirals around the mountain. Then there's these huge iron gates and as I approached, they slid open, and these two huge cauldrons of fire ignited at the top!”  

“Just by walking up?”

“Yep! Super creepy, but super cool! Then, there’s this long bridge you have to cross, and it goes over a giant gorge with a river at the bottom.” 

Astrid leaned over the counter, chin resting on her hands as she got lost in the picture he was painting. 

“And the castle…wow! And I mean wow! Like, we can kinda see it from down here, but that’s only the tip of it. It’s huge with probably a hundred spires! And I swear, some of them were twisted!” 

She narrowed her eyes in skepticism, but didn’t stop him. 

“So, I go over the bridge, and there’s another iron gate, right? Same deal, it opens on its own, big flames at the top, yada yada, inside that gate is a courtyard. And, you know I don’t care about flowers, right?” 

She nodded. 

“The courtyard is beautiful. Roses, vines, big trees, plants that you could probably identify immediately and I’m not doing it justice, at all. And in the center, a big huge stone fountain in the shape of a dragon!” 

“Sounds fantastic,” she hummed. At least the Rider wasn’t living in squalor. 

“Okay, so then I get to the front door, right? I knock using this huge iron knocker, which, by the way, is still in the shape of a dragon. Then a few minutes pass by and our friend opens the door and greets me. He was pretty confused why I was there, but then I handed him your letter and he thanked me and asked me to come back so he could reply.” 

“And that was the first trip?”

“Yep! Second trip, I arrived and he let me in, but had me wait in the foyer. Astrid, I have never been in a room this big. You think the Grand Hall is big? No way. That’s a closet compared to this room! It had arches! And chandeliers! And two winding staircases! And huge black and red curtains everywhere! Actually, next time I go there, I might ask him about the decor choices because there was some unpleasant artwork in that room.” 

“Like what?”  

“Like, right front and center when you walk in, there’s a painting of a guy who’s been stabbed and he’s bleeding all over the place.” 

Astrid felt her lips tighten. 

“Then he came back with the letter, and I left.” He shrugged. “I may have stayed longer, but I wanted to give you that letter…and I got a weird vibe from the place.” 

She leaned forward more, crossing her arms. “What kind of vibe?”

“Call me crazy…but I’m pretty sure the castle is alive.” 

Her eyes widened. “What?” 

“Yeah. I was looking around while I waited, and I swear the walls were moving, and I could feel a deep thud every once in a while.” He wiggled his fingers. “Like a heartbeat.” 

“Now you’re just messing with me.” 

“I’m not! I swear!” He held up two fingers. “You’ll just have to go up there yourself.” 

Astrid had thought about it a few times over the week. Figuring that once her ribs felt better, she could probably make the climb. But she had a fear of leaving her mother for long periods of time. It was one thing to work outside all day, but to be away from the village?

“At any rate, thank you for bringing this to me.” She held up the letter. 

“Your friendly neighborhood mailman, at your service.” 

He stayed for a little while longer after that, drinking tea and talking about how his service was going. He seemed happier than she’d seen in a while, and deep down, she was proud of him.

Though she’d never tell him.

She waited until after he left to read the Rider’s letter. Even though he had already read it, she wanted some privacy. 

The paper was black as well, but the ink was white. His handwriting was elegant, with clean, even runes. 

He evidently still knew how to write, even with his too-long fingers.

—

My Dearest Friend, 

Words cannot describe the joy in my heart I felt when I saw Snotlout standing at my door, with a letter from you. Though I have been lonely, thinking of my reply to you has made my day go by swiftly. 

As much as it pains me, I will stay away from the village as you suggest. I would never forgive myself if you were hurt on my behalf. 

Dagur’s words hurt, yes, but what truly hurt more was seeing him hurt you and not knowing what to do to help. I chose then to leave, hoping in my absence, his rage would subside. Was it successful? Are you still tormented? What more can I do?

Astrid, does the moon hate the sun for casting light upon its face? Does it hate that it is brought from the shadows and made known to the Earth? So why then would I hold any ill will towards you? You’ve only shown me kindness. You have given me what I asked for, and more. 

We will see each other again, I promise. 

Please tell the others I said hello. 

I miss you too.

Your humble servant, 

The Pale Rider.

[kustas]

Do you have reccs for "ugly" art (manga, comics, movie, etc.)? Thanks for the Tekkon recs btw I really liked it

That really depends on your own personal media landscape and what your definition of "ugly" is! As a random example, I've seen many people call ONE's art ugly because of the wobbly linework when I think it's lovely. Ugly could also mean something a bit shocking/crass in its themes. Etc, etc... I'm going to go with the definition of "something that's a bit jarring to look at or go through" here :)

Disclaimer: a lot of these tackle sensitive topics, sometimes for fun and not always tastefully. If there's themes you really can't handle in media, do your research before looking into them.

Manga

I keep recommending yes because it rules but Dorohedoro and its scratchy messy art and gore galore. talking about the manga exclusively here the anime is too polished for my taste

God's Child (Kami no Kodomo): tbh this one is for the art only I hated the writing. very gruesome & unique looking short story

I hesitate to recommend this one because it's edgy as hell but I shan't lie I had a lot of fun with Hellsing. it's "bad" in the same areas as something like berserk but unlike that one it does not take itself seriously

if you liked Tekkon i strongly suggest trying out more stuff by its author (saying this with immense biais). the most ugly/messy thing i've read of his, which isn't a lot because i find his work very delicate, is No. 5 which i would less describe as "good" than "very compelling to me". i also recommend this wonderful essay tearing it down

Comics (non JP)

FLEEP: a short story about a man who wakes up in a phone cabin seemingly encased in concrete. one of the comics i always recommend for its length and storytelling. (link leads to the artist's website where you can read it for free!)

The Astonishing Exploits Of Lucien Brindavoine: a young artist gets drafted in the first world war and goes through a series of almost supernatural adventures. beyond the adventure book aspect, a harsh criticism of nationalism/patriotism that's still awfully relevant

Animation

Ruben Brandt: Collector: a psychiatrist suffers from strange art related nightmares ruining his life. his clients, a bunch of high profile criminals, decide to help him fight off his demons by organizing one long vacation where they steal every painting involved. extremely unique visually, a fun heist movie with thriller elements.

Junk Head: goofy post apocalyptic movie about a man on a quest to save, who keeps losing sight his goal because cartoony violence episodes have his head tumble into new lows, literally. this is, perhaps, one of my favorite animated films ever, it's earnest and fun and lovingly crafted. very unique of a watch

The Apostle: freshly escaped from prison, a thief is on a mission to find treasure hidden by his old cellmate, and finds himself stuck in an ancient village who's strange looking elderly inhabitants are way too insistent on his stay. classic spooky folktale with its millennial curses and foreboding warnings, it's also a nice peek into the culture of Galicia and old world medieval weirdass catholicism. you can buy a DVD on their website

MKFZ: dumb as hell high adrenaline animated B movie with excellent animation. there's a plot about alien living undercover in fantasy california but you don't watch this kind of film for the plot. fair warning this is adapted from a french comic so of course, it's crass and racist

Blow to the Head - Lightning bolt: awesome music video (YT link)(warning for flashing/strobing lights if you're sensitive to that!)

Canon Fodder: from the Memories omnibus film. little slice of the life of a fantasy war obsessed industrial nation

with its new movie on the horizon, it's a great time to get into Mononoke, despite traditionally pretty visuals its got a unique style and gets pretty offputting

Live action cinema

7:35 in the morning: short film about the fear in improvised musical numbers where you don't expect any. it's on youtube in bad quality

The Draughtsman's Contract: an artist is hired by a Lady to draw several vistas of her house, in exchange for money, good drawing condition, and the Lady. follows a good hour of cunts in powdery wigs being awful to each other for their own gain. if you're into dark humor it's a good test, otherwise it has a really satisfying murder mystery to follow too.

Three Kings: during the gulf war, a group of US soldiers decide to steal Hussein's gold for themselves under the mighty standard of kuwait's loot repatriation. extremely caustic take on good ol murican international politics. i was shocked at how far it goes and it's express, low budget treatment which i did not expect from a hollywood film. the movie tires itself fast and becomes less good in its second half but the it's opening acts are interesting

Delicatessen: a sliver of humanity survives in an old timey stone building in the middle of nothingness on top of a functional butcher's shop. gossip follows the arrival of a new roommate. how does one even maintain a butchery in a no man's land? weird film with a unique(ly goofy) take on the post apocalyptic genre

Other

For traditional artists, I like the works of Beksinski (<3), Schiele, Giger. For modern artists Oleg Vdovenko (heavy gore warning for that one), Jeff Simpson

I'm less a fan of the MV and live performances they got infamous for than their music proper but I really like the band Cardiacs, who's judged by many of my friends to be extremely hard to get into lol.

[fairy-writes]

Vampire!Viktor x Female!Reader 01

i’ve been having brain rot about vampire!viktor and a female!reader, and just—

this is now a series i’ve dubbed cryptid!viktor! here’s a little blurb about merman!viktor :) linked HERE

you first meet him when you go to explore a decrepit old mansion on the hill of your little village in the middle of the night. the year is 18th century something, and you hike your skirts up as you scale the tall wrought iron fence surrounding the estate. except as you climb the wall, you realize it’s basically rusted steel.

why was that? wasn’t steel more expensive than iron?

this was a bad idea, but you were always curious and liked old things. they made you sad. but in a good way.

the estate is just as drab and creepy up close as it was far away. but you are astounded by the detail. gargoyles and griffons positioned at the tops of the corners keep watch over the massive house, and their stone eyes seem to follow you as you approach the large front door. 

the door is made of wood, and there is a large cast iron (again, you realize it’s steel) knocker in the shape of what looks like a demon with horns. is it a bad omen? you clutch your necklace tight in your fist as you reach for the door knocker and knock twice. 

nothing. 

the door is unlocked, and you have to put your entire body weight against it in order to open the beast of a door. inside is almost pitch black, and you hoist your bag that’s been strapped against your torso until now, and pull out a packet of matches. then feeling along the wall, you find a candelabra and use the match to light the dusty candles. 

the room is illuminated by the warm glow, and you swear you see glowing golden eyes in the corner. but as you look closer, they simply disappear. 

talk about spooky.

cobwebs hang from the chandelier, and the air is thick with dust, making you sneeze and almost blow your candles out. a breeze comes through the open door, and the flames flicker and go out. 

suddenly you get a very, very bad feeling. 

“who are you?” comes an accented voice, and you jump, whirling and feeling your skirts swish against your heeled boots as you look up to the top of the massive staircase. 

the man is dressed immaculately in a cravat, a pristine white long-sleeved shirt with puffy sleeves, a wine-red vest, and slim trousers that hug his legs all the way down to his shined shoes. his hair is a dark chocolate brown, and his eyes are that glowing golden color. 

the eyes from before. 

“i did knock,” you say hastily, and he scoffs,

“i heard you. now who are you?” is all he says in return, and you spin on a heel, dropping the candelabra and sprinting for the door. 

only for it to slam shut, leaving you beating against the wood. 

“let me out!” you shriek and turn back to face the man. he’s descended the stairs now and is but a few paces away. somewhere in the back of your mind, you realize he’s beautiful. with porcelain skin and two beauty marks dotting his cheeks. his eyes aren’t exactly gold, but a pretty amber that seemingly glows gold with unnatural power. 

“no, i don’t think i will. what is your name?” he says, and you swallow as he gets closer, stuttering out your name. 

but there’s something on his face that you can’t quite define.

“what are you going to do to me?” you whisper, and he tilts his head,

“that i am not sure of yet. but seeing as you trespassed on my property, i think i’ll figure out something,” he says and reaches for your throat. 

only to recoil with a cry of pain and clutching his steaming hand. 

you look down to see your silver necklace in the shape of a cross steaming as well. you weren’t particularly religious, but it was given to you by your father on his deathbed, and you had promised never to take it off. 

it looks like even now; he’s watching over you.

but then the dots connect, and everything makes sense.

“are you a vampire?” you ask, and he glares with bared teeth. the sharpened incisors are proof of your claim. 

but instead of fear, you feel curious. 

but you don’t get the chance to ask any more questions as he turns and disappears without another word. literally, one second, he’s there, and the next, he’s simply gone in a wisp of the wind. mysteriously, the door opens, and you are let out without any more trouble. you all but run to the steel gates but turn back at the last second. 

and see the man in the window, watching you as you scurry away like a mouse running from a cat. 

as soon as you get home, the sun begins to rise, and your mother descends on you like the worried parent she is. 

“where were you?! i was worried sick!” she all but shouts, and you flinch at the noise. you had scarcely opened the door when she had been up from her chair and across the dirt floor to grasp your elbows, scanning you up and down for any injuries. 

which save for a minor burn mark against your skin from the necklace; you are just covered in dirt and minor scratches from running through the brush surrounding the mansion.

“i’m fine mother, i just went on a walk to the mansion up on the hill,” you say and realize quickly it was a mistake. 

her face morphs into one of terror and anger. her grip on your arms loosens, and she frantically holds your face in her calloused hands. they’re worn with years of washing laundry in lye. she was a servant in baron silco’s estate as a laundry maid. you were a seamstress and tailoress who made clothing for noblemen and women who traveled through baron silco’s land. 

but your job was beside the point. your mother looked like she was about to pass out from fear. 

“you know that a monster haunts the mansion! you mustn't go up there ever again! promise me!” she chastises, and you nod in a daze. 

for some reason, you can’t get that man out of your head. 

and realize why as you sew the clothing of a noblewoman named caitlyn kiramman.

he looked old and lonely and oh so sad. 

you resolve to yourself that you are going to visit again and try not to get killed. 

you manage to sneak out a week later when your mother is fast asleep. it’s always been just the two of you ever since your father died, so at least you don’t have to worry about siblings or grandparents like many of the other peasants in your village. the trek up to the mansion is shorter than you remember, the worn dirt leading the way as your eyes adjust in the bright moonlight. 

again, the door is unlocked, and the windows are empty. you ease it open, wincing at the squealing hinges echoing into the night. if he didn’t know you were coming, he certainly did now.

he’s waiting for you at the top of the stairs. his eyes widen almost imperceptibly when he recognizes it’s you.

“what are you doing here? here to kill me?” he asks, and you stop in your tracks.

“what? no! i’m here… well… i’m here because you looked sad.” you say, trailing off at the end, realizing how ridiculous you sounded. your skirts are clenched in your fists, and your apron is rough against your fingertips.

“you’re here… because i looked… sad?” his tone is colored with shades of confusion and curiosity. but he didn’t seem angry, and that was good. so you nod, 

“it sounds stupid i know—”

“it is stupid. leave now,” the man commands, and you freeze at the commanding tone in his voice. it booms through the large room, making you feel as small as a dust mite in his presence. he turns to ascend the rest of the stairs toward one of the mansion’s many corridors, and you panic. you didn’t want to come all this way for nothing. 

“wait!” you cry and hurry up the steps after him, hiking your skirts up and scurrying up the stairs after the retreating man. he doesn’t stop, doesn’t slow down, if anything, he speeds up slightly. the halls are dark and filled with more cobwebs, but you find as you get closer to the heart of the mansion, they grow less prominent, and the torches are actually lit. the man shuts a door behind him, and you open it before he can lock it.

“i just want to talk!” you say, and he turns to look at you. before he can say anything, you get a good look around the room. 

it’s lit by oil lamps and candelabras. papers are strewn about between two desks, and they’re also covered in various gears and gadgets. you spy a few handkerchiefs covered in grease in under a few papers. a bed is in the corner and neatly made blood-red bedsheets are spread over the mattress. it looks comfier than anything you have ever seen. 

abruptly, you realize he’s started talking.

“—want you to leave,” he says curtly, and you bite your cheek.

“aren’t you lonely?” you ask quietly, and he freezes, his back to you. 

you seize your chance and ask another question,

“what’s your name?” you ask, and he turns his head slightly, looking at you out of the corner of his eye.

“it’s viktor.”

[connectionterminated13]

May I request headcanons for your scooped Mike so that our village may survive the winter?

-@drinkinboilingcoffee

Yeah finally someone asks me!!!

- Well he was being used as a skin suit Michael was stuck in some horrible nightmare realm that looks and has the same vibes as shark boy and Lava girl, Where he was stuck in a horrible pile of screaming melting souls clawing for some way out but never reaching anything. This along with the incredible amount of physical agony he felt from his body being broken end actively rotting made him go a little bit crazy....

- When he woke up on the sidewalk and ran home to henry's house he attempted to end it all When Henry wasn't there and there was literally no one to help him and then he realized he couldn't die and just curled up on a ball and cried for like 3 hours.

- Lucky for him Charlie found him and like calmed him down and the 2 of them decided on the arson quest where they'd go and light fazbear establishments on fire until the company no longer exists (they have an eternity after all!!)

- Despite being zombie Michael still has a good relationship with his cat foxy. Foxy doesn't see anything different about him and loves cuddling up to Mikey and he's always very cute even when foxy decides to sit on Mike's stomach and accidentally falls into the stomach hole

- My Mikey never stitched himself up there was no need really. His body kind pulls itself together due to the remnant and his ghost and all that garbage.

- He is terrible with people who aren't Charlie. Like he just stares and sometimes says cryptic lines about them going to hell or doom is coming and so he can't interact with like anyone

- He loves scaring people he never hurts them but he does like stalking down Dark streets to spook people with his spooky little face.

- Michael Has to deal with hallucinations of his dead family postscoop. This happened like twice a month and usually Mikey just smokes a cigarette and talks to Charlie or pets his cat in order to calm down but sometimes they can overwhelm him and he just like completely shuts down.

- Michael liked smoking before the scoop but now he absolutely loves it! He only has one moldy gross lung but it's enough to Wease out a cigarette. In his head smoking and cigarettes are one of the few things that the world can't take from him. It makes him feel human...

- He doesn't really try to cover himself up ever when he goes outside, Most people are too absorbed in their own lives to notice him for that long but when they do He just ignores them.

- He's got no meat on his feet :(. His legs are completely bone And bits of scrappy muscle he has no idea how he walks normally at all.

- He has like a giant fear of technology made after the 1990s due to sister location. Charlie has to handle all the computer stuff or else Mikey will have a panic attack

- Michael doesn't think anyone other than Charlie could ever care about him. He is an ugly stinky monster, a brother killer And all around horrible person.

- The plans that Mikey and Charlie have post burning down every remnant of fazbears is to go up and flame together and finally move on

[inventors-fair]

Improved Imitations: Modified Copies Winners

~

Our winners this week are @10001gecs, @fractured-infinity, and @levelzeo!

@10001gecs — Pea-Pod Fields//Silent Suburbs

Immediately what sticks out to me is what I guessed to be—and you confirmed in your submission—a very direct reference to classic horror film Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). For those who haven't seen it, aliens invade by way of strange vegetative pods that slowly kill and replace humans, thus the use of pea-pods as a stand-in. I do think calling it "Suburbs" might be a bit too on the nose, as it's difficult to fit that concept into any of the existing Magic setting, and could easily be achieved with something like "village" or "district" in a more urban plane. I've been really excited to see new Room designs after their strong initial showing, and this really hits the spot. Both doors synergize perfectly while still standing up fine on their own. Pea-Pod fields is a bit harder to quantify on its own, but a slightly more expensive Rampant Growth that thins your deck an additional card is perfectly serviceable. Though, it could feel like the order you want to unlock them is a bit fixed. The land coming back as a creature as well is very clever, and the wording on Silent Suburbs means it works extremely well with effect that let you relock doors.

@fractured-infinity — Boon of Sakashima

I want to preface this by making clear that I say this with the greatest respect, but: what? This is immediately so delightfully off-kilter that I'm instantly transfixed. A one mana Clever Impersonator is certainly absurdly powerful on its own, but both stripping away power and toughness from creatures it may copy and attaching it at the hip to a creature to make it easier to remove are both very smart. It's not flawless however, and I do have a few gripes. Copying another Aura removes most of the downsides and is thus noticeably more powerful that its other applications, so I think it could use a "non-Aura" rider. Similarly, if the intention of being an Aura is to make it more vulnerable, being able to enchant creatures you don't control feels rather against the spirit of the card. Having said all that, though, I'm still a very big fan of the card.

@levelzeo — Vengeful Shadows

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the vast majority of cards submitted this week were blue. After all, blue is the primary color for copying things, but any color can do it if it feels sufficiently appropriate. That's what draws me to this card, then, which does copying in monoblack in a way that just feels so right. Black is already plenty good at bringing back creatures that die, so this really just functions as an extension to that, and tacking the Quietus Spike effect to whoever wronged the creature feels so delightfully devilish. The restriction to your opponent having to intentionally remove something prevents it from being too easily abusable, while the flash enables it to still be a "gotcha" moment against an unwary opponent. The flavor is just delicious too, really epitomizing "vengeance" while fully selling the really cool shadow angle. Part of me is kind of sad that the copy doesn't have shadow, but I'm fully aware that that would be both too cute and too strong, so I don't hold it against you.

~

There's another post coming shortly, except it's the runners up! (It's not the winners.) —@spooky-bard