#writober day one

[siliconforbrains]

I keep forgetting Tumblr is a thing I use and disappear from existence for days at a time, sorry people.

Also, it's Writober and I have no impulse control so you're getting two whole fics today, as a treat 😎

[happyely2]

Pairing: Portuguese D. Ace x Fem!Reader

Rating: 18+ | The rating will be red this time, so if you are a minor skip this reading or highlight your age in your bio.| sex scenes, cuddles, and much more very explicit.

Summary: 31 prompts for 31 days of October. Life on Moby Dick is always hectic and has become more so since Ace boarded this ship and became part of the family.

✒️Prompts taken from the contest (even if I don't participate) organized by the Italian Fanwriter page. I only translated the prompts into English, I hope you like it.✒️

🌊Writober PumpSea🌊 #day 2 - Stump

The newspaper had arrived as usual early in the morning and had been dropped onto the main deck.

"They upgraded the new kids sizes!" Halta had said as he quickly entered the dining room with the new wanted posters.

In a short time the bets had already started.

"Who is this straw hat?" Satch looked at the poster of a new novel that roamed the northern sea.

"Did you say straw hat?" You asked, taking the poster from Satch’s hand and looking carefully at it, a straw hair, a thirty-two-tooth smile you knew well, a wound under your left eye. That was Luffy, Ace’s younger brother.

"ACEEEE! Your brother just got a new bounty!" You shouted to get the attention of the guy who had just entered the kitchen. You knew how proud Ace was of his little brother.

"I can’t believe it! The wretch did it in the end." Ace said, taking the bounty you gave him and smiling at you. Yeah, even if they weren’t blood brothers, that smile was the same.

"Sooner or later you’re gonna have to introduce me to all of you, brother." You said by leaving a kiss on his naked shoulder. Ace had started spinning shirtless, partly because of the amount of muscle he had put on at that time by training with the other commanders.

"I hope as soon as possible, you two will get along just fine." Ace said kissing you on the forehead.

"Avoid them early in the morning or do them in private." Satch threw himself on you two, holding you warmly and Ace with a little more strength.

He hadn’t gotten used to the idea of you two. Or rather, she still didn’t want to accept the fact that her little sister had found a boyfriend and had grown up as a woman.

"Satch!" You both called him and laughed at each other.

"Little sister! You must come here now!" The voice of one of Dad’s nurses distracted you for a moment and allowed you to remember the commitment you made with them.

"I have to go, see you at lunch, Ace." You said by getting out of Satch’s grips and kissing Ace on the lips, you went to the nurses to help them with the inventory for the medicine.

"See you after Love." Ace said earning an increase in strength in Satch’s iron grip.

"What did you do Ace! Before he greeted me too, now only you exist!" Satch was playing the exasperated, overprotective older brother.

"Satch isn’t just our little sister anymore, she’s Ace now." Izo had slapped him on the shoulder and laughed, he was the most normal of all.

"ACE!" But Ace had turned into a flame and slipped away, had taken a fast sandwich and had gone out at great strides: "I’m going to show Dad the size of Luffy." and he had gone away among the other companions.

"These young people of today."

"Satch we all know that you want to go back to their age stop." Marco had said by hitting the chef with the newspaper. The room was soon filled with laughter over laughter.

The hours had passed quickly and you the girls had decided to take a short break with the tea that you love brought a few minutes before.

"Today I did not have time to read the newspaper, have you seen the photos?"

"What photos?" You asked closing the notebook of your notes. You had to make a large supply of medicines at the next landing.

"Shanks the Red! Look here, little sister." His size had arrived in front of you and you couldn’t help but say that the photographer in question had been very good at capturing the close-up of Shanks' face.

"There’s a whole picture in the paper."

All the girls rushed to see him and soon began to sigh.

"Have you seen what a man he is?!"

"The scar looks great on him! When I would give to kiss him."

"Just kiss her? Honey, I could do anything with this man."

And then the comments started to arrive, you were used to it and you weren’t shocked.

"But the L rule? This man absolutely spoils it!"

"Of course."

L rule? Now what were they inventing at that time? Your sisters were pretty gossip about sex and most things and you had learned by listening to them.

"Sis, what do you think?"

"Me? Hmm, Shanks is a handsome, mature man, maybe he can do a lot of things... even though he’s missing an arm." You answered by looking at the photo. No, he wasn’t ugly at all, he was handsome and dangerous, he was still an emperor.

Maybe you shouldn’t have made such a strong comment, also because the girls had gone crazy and you got caught between gossip and shrieks of euphoria for that detail of the missing arm that generated allusion without any censorship for all the time that the newspaper was opened and for every photo that came from there to little, All this lasted until lunchtime when you finally got out because you had your date with Ace.

And there too there were comments. You would have wanted to kill them for what they told you, they needed a man in their life, a good one to satisfy them to avoid things like that.

You wouldn’t have expected, as you walked, to be grabbed by the arm and brought into Ace’s room.

Ace had just kidnapped you and shut your mouth, his look didn’t promise anything good, he seemed to be pissed.

God, what happened? What did Satch do? Did he say too much?

You tried to say something, but Ace’s hand was pressing on your lips, and what came out was just a bunch of wadding sounds.

"Why is that?" she asked, looking straight into your eyes.

What the hell he was talking about.

"I heard you with Dad’s nurses." He then said by locking the door behind you and releasing your mouth but not the arms that were anchored to the door.

"Ace what do you want..." You realized shortly after what Ace was talking about and you were speechless.

You did not expect to see Ace so jealous, in short, everyone knows that Shanks is a big deal and you spontaneously said it while chatting with other nurses of Dad (they also gave you right) Now you find yourself on the wall with your hands pinned over you by Ace: "So that guy with his Stump could give you the same pleasure that I give you?"

Fuck.

He’s jealous as hell.

"What are you thinking, Ace!" You said trying to free yourself. Or you would have fixed it properly, starting from those soft cheeks that he found himself, as he dared only think that you would bang Shanks the red, He could be your real biological father for how long you deferred age had.

Ace weighed you down and carried you on his bed, tying your hands with his red pearl necklace. If you wanted to stop him, you could have freed yourself easily, that’s what he wanted to tell you with his gesture.

"Ace... Honey listen, we were just chatting with the girls. It’s obvious that I prefer making love to you than to Shanks!" You told him to jump off the mattress and face him right in the eye.

"Sorry, and that... I overheard the comments and I don’t know what got into me." In the end, Ace wasn’t angry, like he could be with you, but he felt such jealousy while you were talking about the emperor and he got a little carried away.

You smiled at him, rubbing his nose with his and he kissed you passionately until brought back on the mattress.

"But still, I can give you more pleasure than that." It had become a matter of principle.

You laughed softly while you hooked your legs to his and kissed him again.

"I don’t know, why don’t you show me?" You deliberately provoked him, because you liked his possessive and dominant side in some situations, but you loved his sweet and passionate side.

Ace took the challenge on the fly, grinning and starting to kiss your neck, biting a little bit harder into the soft skin and leaving a showy mark on your white neck. Her hands slipped on your blouse that was opened without too much ceremony revealing the swimsuit that you were wearing as a bra that day, a piece with two small triangles that did not cover even a quarter of your busty breasts.

Ace looked at you with a slightly more perverted smirk and you brushed against him in response.

"Did you have an appointment with someone?" He whispered to you in your ear, her warm breath gave you little chills of pleasure.

"Who knows, maybe you, maybe not." You answered by holding back a groan when her hand pulled off a triangle of your costume to tightly squeeze the breasts underneath it. You found yourself standing on the side with your hands still tied by the necklace, staring at the bedroom door while Ace was behind you.

You settled back with your hips and felt his presence touching your butt and a groan came out of your lips.

God, he was hard and big.

Ace smiled at you as he bit your neck and another groan left your lips, he was playing dirty, so dirty because he went to get your sensitive points.

"Aceee..." His name was the only thing you could say when you heard her never touch your breasts and play with them. Your boobs were taken, squeezed, lifted, rubbed against her rough palms, and not to mention her nipples, Ace knew they were your weak spot, so weak.

He had pinched them a little with his fingertips and they had become hard in a short time, you needed more attention but they were slow to arrive.

You protested in the kiss he gave you by turning your neck and slightly pulling your hair.

And then he went down to kiss your breasts and other moans came out of your mouth when he started sucking one nipple hard and squeezing the other between the middle finger and index finger while his other hand was going down to your shorts to get him out of the way.

You pulled him by the hair to cut yourself some slack, but Ace bit you harder, leaving his teeth marks around your reddened halo.

A trickle of saliva still connected it to your nipple.

"You’re a brat." You said pulling his hair again, with your hands stuck, you couldn’t do anything else, you could only scratch his back.

"You provoke me so much love, you need to be punished for talking about another man and not just me." Jealous, he was jealous of you and your thoughts.

He kissed you thoughtfully as his pants and boxers reached your clothing on the ground, along with your shoes.

And now you’re standing there, under him in just a costume and a blouse that won’t last much longer, while his erection is pressing against your entrance.

And Ace at that point took more time to act, going down with your fingertips along your hips and scratching and biting them properly, until you get to the laces of the white costume you were wearing.

You were soaked you could see it from the stain that had been created and on which his cock pressed hard.

"Aceeee...." You called his name again eager to continue.

Your fiancé smiled devilishly as he turned you upside down, you ended up on your belly, your ass on deck, and his hands wandering on your ass and your back.

"Who has only one arm could do this?" He asked you while with one hand he squeezed your breast and with the other he penetrated you to prepare. You saw and stars at that time and your scream of pleasure was the best answer for Ace, he prepared you for a while, until he established that you were quite lubed up.

"I can go on or you can’t go on anymore." He asked, kissing your shoulder and bringing your arm to support your pelvis. You haven’t done it that way yet.

"I can go on." You responded by rubbing your sex on his erection and snatching a moan of pleasure, that was your own little victory.

And then Ace didn’t hesitate, he squeezed your hips hard, and he came in with one push in you.

You squeezed the sheets until your fingers whitened so as not to scream too loud and crash half the ship into your cabin.

Ace kissed your back, your shoulders, your neck and rubbed you on your clitoris to make you feel better so you could get used to him. It burned worse than before, maybe because it was a new pose that allowed him to touch deeper points that you didn’t even know you had.

"Can I?" He asked you, whispering in your ear, and then his tender side emerged again to lull and cuddle you.

You nodded by pushing your hips back against him and biting the pillow because your notes had touched shades you didn’t think you would reach. Ace supported you by starting to move slowly within you, at a slow pace to allow you to get used to it, he held you by the right side, while with his left hand he crept back in and your folds to give you more pleasure.

You started to indulge him after a while when your inner walls got better used to his presence and his urges started to get deeper and more confused.

You were dangerously close to the edge, you could feel it from his heartbeat and how Ace had bent over you, resting his chin on your shoulder and pushing deeper and deeper.

"Only you can give me a pleasure like this." You whispered in his ear when the last push came that allowed you to come together.

The bed was a mess of displaced blankets and your liquids, you stayed in that position for a while, until you found a minimum of strength and lucidity. Ace separated from you, getting rid of his column and putting it back around his neck, drew you into a warm, sweaty hug, getting rid of your now-ruined shirt and swimsuit.

And Ace had started to pamper you like only he could, caresses, scratches, little kisses on the skin.

You smeared yourself on him at one point, you on top and he on the bottom and started playing with his rebellious ebony clumps.

"Ace what the L rule?" You asked out of the blue.

"You really don’t know?" Ace was a bit surprised because he knew that the old man’s nurses were gossips to death and laughed heartily as he began to explain that infamous rule: "Those who are tall have small, while those who are short are very gifted." He explained by showing you the two ways of getting L with index and thumb.

"Then you dispelled the myth." You said as you grabbed his hand and kissed him.

Your Ace turned red for that statement but at the same time he was struck by a rush of pride that prompted him to kiss you again.

You both laughed, cuddling a little bit more, until you both remembered lunch with everyone else.

"Oh my God, we’re not gonna be okay today." You said jumping in the air and running into Ace’s bathroom to check for bites and hickeys, that was a lot.

"We could always sneak into the kitchen and get food on the sly." Ace said as he reached out and grabbed his hips.

Two shots to the door made you turn, before this was opened by a kick of Satch.

Or if you were dead.

"So it’s lunch time and we all eat together!" The cook said, looking at you and closing the door a second later, "Have the decency to cover yourself, not to keep us waiting and to be a little more discreet."

And nothing would save you from the gossip you thought while you were quickly recovering clothes to wear from Ace’s closet.

"Little sister but that..."

"Izo please it’s not the time." You told your brother you could cover your neck with your hair.

"We hadn’t seen Ace in a shirt in a long time." The long black-haired man whispered to you, bringing a hand to chuckle, while Ace took yours to calm you down. Satch’s screams were heard all over the ship.

And the whole thing had happened by a simple allusion to a stump, you thought while crossing the threshold of the dining room as if nothing had happened.

[vulcan-bourbon]

writober 2023

Day 16 - Patron

Grian felt incredibly awkward being a freshman transfer in the middle of the school year. An unpleasant turn of fate in the form of the loss of accreditation of his own university and an emergency transfer to a completely unfamiliar (by all measures) educational institution forced him to catch extra weak attacks of anxiety that did not allow his brain to calm down.

And now he tiredly wandered along the corridor, looking for the right office, completely lost in the walls of this building. Everything could have been better if he had turned on his inner “social devils” and made friends even with the first one he came across, but due to the current situation, there was absolutely no strength and “spoons” for unnecessary social relationships.

Violet eyes, full of lack of sleep, glanced wearily at the vending machine. The taste of synthetic instant coffee automatically reflected on his lips; this is not the most pleasant drink, which he would prefer to drink exclusively for emergency purposes when he is broke. For example, unfortunately, now. Due to the unexpected relocation, as well as unexpected expenses, it was worth not spending much until a way out of this unpleasant financial hole was found.

But, as luck would have it, the vending machine itself stood at the entrance to the chain cafe from which came the pleasant aroma of freshly ground coffee, the knocking of the holder, and the pleasant sound of espresso, which could now be flowing in his body instead of blood.

Xelqua lets out a sad, quiet groan looking towards the intersection of the machine and the cafe at the same time.

- Hey, new guy, are you looking for something hotter? - He heard giggling next to him and, shaking his shoulders slightly, he automatically turned towards someone else’s voice.

Standing nearby was a thin guy with blue eyes and blue-blue hair that looked like fire when he moved slightly. He was a head taller than Grian, from which the feeling of his elevation clearly made itself felt. His strange dark clothes, reminiscent of a black thin raincoat, some kind of stupid turquoise sweater, pale skin and smile evoked the vibes of some villain from a comic book. The ones about super heroes...

- Suppose? - Grian said thoughtfully, drawing out the words and looking away from the guy towards the coffee shop and sighing heavily. — I doubt you can offer me anything interesting.

- And I think I can. To begin with, — the guy holds out his thin fingers stained with red and blue ink, — My name is Tango and I know that you are new here, I want to introduce you to our university.

— Grian, — Xelqua tries to grin in response, as if trying to inflate his worth and pretend that he is a self-sufficient adult guy and in general such an acquaintance for him is like rubbing two fingers on the asphalt.

- So, Grian, what about finding you a patron within these walls? - Tango giggles, lowering his palm and crossing his arms over his chest, smiling contentedly.

- Do you offer this to everyone? - Grian snorts quietly, looking at how self-confident Tango becomes before his eyes after such phrases.

- No, only such handsome handsome men. — Tango winks, making Xelqua try really hard not to blush. It's not often that such hot guys flirt with him.

- Oh, Tango. Let's buy me some coffee first, I refuse to flirt with my sleepy brain. - Grian jokes, nodding towards the machine gun. If he saves a couple of coins, it will be better.

- No problem. - Tango smiles contentedly, nodding towards the machine, but walking past it and heading towards the coffee shop.

- Hmm, Tango. I can get by with synthetic coffee.., — Xelqua says hesitantly, internally not believing that he can be treated to real coffee.

- Well, first of all, this is my friends’ coffee shop and I can buy a drink at cost. Secondly, I heard that sad sound that you made literally looking towards the coffee shop, well, and thirdly, I can’t afford to kiss someone’s lips that just touched artificial coffee. - Tango jokes, not hiding his laughter, - Okay, the last one was too much. I can simply afford to treat a person that I like coffee. How do you like that?

In just a few words, Tango managed to get upset at how stupid he was, to be touched by how cute he was, and almost roll his eyes at his cute nonsense.

-Are you always this stupid? - Grian snorts, hiding his smile and walking ahead of the guy into the cafe.

- No, only with such handsome guys who suffer from caffeine. You are the easiest victims. - Tango giggles, from which he immediately receives an elbow in the side from Grian, but sees how Xelqua is pleased with such stupidity, he only smiles guiltily. On the other hand, how else can you approach handsome strangers?

// I carefully remind you that еnglish is not my native language, I’m just learning and thank you for your understanding,,,,

[danielsarmand]

writober 2023 | DAY TWO · stump

Buggy is many things. The Clown, the Flashy Fool, the Genius Jester. A trainwreck waiting to happen, a bomb about to go off, always a step away from something that could either ruin him or make him whole again—or both, in no particular order. He’s abrasive, determined, rough around the edges, but he knows how to show people a good time. When he wants to. If he feels like it.

Buggy is many things, yes, and considerate is not one of them. He acts first, thinks later. Touches first, asks never. So that’s what he does now, with Shanks—he reaches out to grab at his stump, a mad glint in his blue eyes.

Part of him is expecting the other half of his arm to fly back to its owner, like his does all the time. Part of him hopes it will. Yet, it doesn’t. Shanks’ stump is just a stump, and there is no making it into something else.

And Buggy needs to know who.

Not who did this to him, that is irrelevant—at least for now. What Buggy needs to know is who was important enough for Shanks to lose an arm over. And after he knows, though he’ll never, ever ask, he needs to take them out himself.

Shanks doesn’t shake him off. As unnerving as ever, he simply waits for Buggy to be done. Lets him do whatever he needs to. He doesn’t wince or grimace as Buggy runs his fingers along freshly-healed skin. Instead, he looks at him with that unbearable, fond smile of his, the one that makes Buggy want to crawl out of his body.

A while later Buggy falls asleep against his chest, hating himself and Shanks and the whole entire world. He misses the weight of Shanks’ arms around him, keeping all of his pieces together as if the Chop Chop Fruit had never taken them apart.

When he wakes up to an empty bed, as per usual, Buggy hates even more fiercely. He hates, detests, loathes. He swears he’ll never fall for it again, knows without the shadow of a doubt that he will, and supposes that stump will come in handy then as well.

One less limb to worry about disentangling.

One less limb to greedily keep to himself until their next meeting.

One less limb for Buggy to feel around the mattress for, eyes closed and unseeing, heart full, heavy and ever so slightly more broken.

[aramis-dagaz]

Writober Day 10: Bats, Roots

((Jacky is from Faded Scars and used with permission))

They halted, immediately pressing against the walls the moment they heard the squeaking sounds echoing faintly from up the tunnel.  They braced themselves, waiting for a swarm of moths to rush them, but none came.  Jacky strained her ears, trying to identify where the noise was going, but the echoing stone walls confounded her senses and rattled her already jumpy nerves.  And yet, there seemed to be something different this time, though she had a hard time determining how as her pulse pounded in her head.

Rails, however, had a look of intense concentration in his eyes, which softened into pensiveness.  He cocked his head, as though in vague recognition.  Finally, his eyes widened into cautious excitement and he motioned for Jacky to cross over to his side of the tunnel.  She hesitated, then slowly made her way to the other wall, her revolver in hand and pointed down the tunnel even though she knew it would do nothing against the moths.

Rails leaned in close and whispered one word: “Bats.”  For a moment Jacky was not sure what he meant, but then hope sprang forth in her chest.  Bats.  Which meant that they were close to the surface and a way out of this nightmare.

They advanced cautiously, but as they drew closer and the bat-like squeaking more distinct, they started to rush forward more and more.  Some part of Jacky’s mind screamed at her to slow down and be careful, but all she could consciously think of was getting away from the horrific monsters and dread beings lurking in the dim, crimson shadows and heavy air with the weight of the stone cliff looming over their heads.  She would’ve happily thrown her life away for a gasp of fresh air.

Her whiskers felt a breeze.  The reek of guano and saltwater filled her nostrils.  A distant crash of tides against rock and sand.  Jacky never wanted anything more in her life.

They stopped when they turned a corner and saw the bright hole in the dark.  A cry of joy turned the squeaking up ahead into shrieks of fright as tiny, flittering shadows flickered in front of the pinprick of sunlight.  They ran, so desperate to see the sun again and feel its warmth upon them.

They nearly crashed into the wall surrounding the narrow gap, barely large enough for Rails to stick one of his thick arms through.  The sight of the craggy coast beyond beckoned them tauntingly.

Rails growled and began tearing at the rock and dirt around the gap, the thick roots holding the earth in place styming his progress.  Jacky whirled about the small cave, hoping to find another way out.  They were so close, she wasn’t about to give up so easily.

Her eyes alighted on part of the wall where the hard-packed dirt gave way to stone.  It wasn’t natural or hewn rock, but stone brick.  A closer inspection revealed that these weren’t the cyclopean, red-tinged blocks far below, but smaller and more crudely cut in comparison.  More normal, as though made by ordinary mortal hands.

Recognition dawned on her: these were the bricks of the lighthouse basement.

She pressed her hands against the stone blocks, giving them an experimental shove.  To her surprise and excitement, the wall bowed outward with ease, held back by something from the other side.  She called over to Rails, who had made little progress despite his frenzy, and the two of them shoved, kicked, and tore at the brick wall.

They felt something slowly give and then snap, sending the wall tumbling into the chamber beyond.  They were in the root cellar, illuminated by the cracks in the door leading up and out.

The sight within froze them in place.  Thick roots and vines clung to the walls and surrounded the crushed barrels and sacks of preserved victuals.  Nearly buried out of sight was a skeleton covered in tattered rags, tendrils woven through ribs and eye sockets.

None of this was present when they made their first search of the lighthouse for the missing keeper.

Despite the gruesome sight, they weren’t deterred from heading towards the cellar doors.  Thick, dark roots covered the exit, blocking their escape.  Jacky started sawing at the roots with her broken knife while Rails tore at them, but the tendrils were too strong to be removed so easily.

Finally Rails roared in frustration.  “Zog dis!  Jack, get outta da way!”  He drew his hand cannon and fired the moment Jacky was clear.  The roots fell away under the deafening onslaught, as round after round punched holes in woody stem and reinforced plank alike.  Rails finally punched the doors open, letting the blessed sunlight spill in.

They both leapt out of the cellar and flopped onto the ground like exhausted swimmers onto land, reveling in the blinding light and sounds and smells of the world above.

[thereosheep]

Writober - Day 1 - You are Who You Eat

Inspired by @/Stychu-stych cotltober prompts.

"Eat me."

The tyrannosaurus looked up at the towering black goat in tired disbelief. Ever since he had been exiled from his tribe, the furred creature had been his constant and only companion throughout the scorching desert. And ever since he found out about their identity as the God of Death, he had wondered why they had let him live, instead of quickly and swiftly ending his suffering. And now, that he was sure he was on the brink of death from the heat and starvation, they hit him with such a request... He couldn't help but figure he was hallucinating it. One last delusion before his mind gave out. "I beg your pardon?"

"Eat me." the goat repeated, same nonchalant tone as before. As if they hadn't simply asked him to commit the highest crime against natural order.

"... That's sacrilege."

"Do not call impure that which I called pure, little one," the goat chuckled, a sound he had been so used to throughout their journey. A sound that seemed to shake the very earth. A laugh directed towards what he couldn't understand. He couldn't even muster up the strength to be annoyed, like all the other times the goat reminded him of the fact that their godly body was taller than his, "I am giving you permission to act. You are not stealing my flesh from me."

"... Why now?

This he couldn't understand also. The god had listened to his countless complaints against his hunger. Had listened to his stomach growl as it ate itself for sustenance. Why were they offering an out now that he was too tired to even move? Now that the hunger was sure to kill him?

"Because you will die today." they replied, crouching down so as to be closer to him, as if ready to whisper a secret unheard of by the rest of the world, "Whether that death is through hunger or through a grander path, that is up to you." 

"And here I thought you were trying to save me 'cause you liked me." the dino chuckled back without any mirth. 

"Foolish is the one who thinks death's flesh can bring life." his displeasure and confusion must've been visible on his face, for the goat giggled before continuing, "but while it might not allow for you to live, it'll help you survive."

"I... I don't understand..."

The god sighed before standing up, looking into the horizon, where mortal eyes couldn't follow, "The other gods have become complacent. Some believe that just because they saw the beginning of time and the birth of the stars, that they will also live to see their end." They then focused their gaze back at him, the light in their eyes seemingly fading as eons of existence, those lived and those to come, swirled within their rectangular pupils, a pit of dark despair that was in sharp contrast with their golden eyeliner, "I want you to show them wrong. I want you to devour my body, consume my station, and make yourself a god that embodies their end."

The T-Rex's eyes were wide, despite the scorching sun of the desert. The goat had just spoken of grander things, of a destiny too big for any mortal. A sacrilege of the highest order. And even he, exiled for his disrespect of the laws set, couldn't help but shake with fear at their certainty that he would take up that station.

"... Why me?"

"You are willing." the goat smiled, the emotion hitting their eyes for the first time since they met.

+++++

The goat's blood burned as it went down his throat, the golden ichor staining his teeth, his lips, and his hands. The only liquid he had access to in days. And it was the most refreshing thing he'd ever tasted. 

The goat's hands held tightly to his forearms, if in pain or in a last bid to make sure he followed through with his promise, that remained unknown. The dinosaur, in a bid to make his benefactor's death painless as possible had gone straight for the neck, biting through flesh and bone. The goat's head rested unmoving to the side, it's features bearing the looseness of the freshly dead while glassy eyes bore witness to the feast.

The dinosaur pondered between bites if having their head severed from the body was enough to kill the god of death. Or at least give them some rest. But then his teeth met flesh and reason was lost to the sanctified, sacrilegious ritual.

The devouring felt eternal and yet fleeting. If it wasn't for the setting sun, the tyrannosaurus might not even have realized that time was passing beyond the dwindling meat and his increasing hunger. Soon, too soon, he found himself licking his own fingers of their remaining blood. His soul craving more of the satisfyingly sweet flesh. His eyes turned to the discarded head and, his hands gripping on its horns, brought it closer to his mouth.

His teeth met with bone, the cranium of the god harder than stone . The exiled's hunger unrelenting, his teeth continued to grind against the calcium. Slowly but surely, the crack of bone could be heard throughout the desert as he finally managed to make way and with a CRUNCH-

+++++

Memories slowly fluttered away like the sand around his new figure. Where once stood a strong, if scrawny due to starvation, warrior and their companion in exile, now sat a truly impressive figure. Wide hips, chubby arms, and a belly so large you'd think he lived among the most exquisite of banquets for his entire life. Balamah gnawed on a goat's horn as he contemplated his own existence.

Promises to make others remember, though what exactly did they forget was lost on him. A name whispered and secret, now unknowable. A new one, Balamah, defining his existence. Warnings of bloodshed and danger, lost within the blood coating his own form. And a hunger beyond anything he'd ever felt in his short (how short?) existence.

Space rippled behind him and he turned his eyes to see a bull stepping out of nowhere, his size impressive to many, but still pitifully short if the dinosaur were to stand up. The bull's eyes widened as he saw the scene, his arm reaching out to keep even smaller figures (though all bigger than they were supposed to be) behind himself.

He was afraid. Balamah could smell it. And he couldn't help but grin, his tongue lapping at the blood in his lips, some brain matter stuck between his teeth. Balamah stood up, his flesh jiggling with his movements, and spoke with the authority given to him by the first dead god.

"Are you my dinner?"

[thecourtjester12]

Smoon Writober highlights!

I FINALLY am fully done with my Smoon Writober/inktober series!!! I know it's a few days past October...but I was just adding in a few missing doodles! Anddddddd....now tis the time to share my favourite drawings of the 29(1/2) i did!!! Of course I'll also be saying which prompts were my favourites to write!! : 3 Starting with the drawingssssss listed are for Prompts #2 whisper, #9 Shade, bonus for #12 Holographic (Wet floor bots are too cute!!!), #13 Tattoo, #20 for Petrichor, #22 Ghost anddddddd #25 Wings! (art will be below!) As for the writing side which was the main partttttt I'd say #2 whisper yet again cause it's one of my absolute favs overall, #5 prohibition, #8 promise, #9 Shade, #10 enemy #13 tattoo, and #17 Music! Loved messing around with prompts and doing challenge, this was tough but so worth doing!!! (link to that is you want to check it out below!! :3)

[kitchenlittle]

My Writober Story

I thought I'd share a story of something that happened to me a few years ago, that gave birth to my mask kink. I debated posting this but whats a better time than now?

Warnings: Mentions of (hot) scare actors, underage teens (don't worry nothing bad), flirting, general depictions of haunted house attractions and hay rides, mentions of weapons/fake blood/alcohol/bullying/cursing, revealing costumes, sexual fantasy, sex in general, and mentions of arousal.

Every year I go to a Halloween attraction, so far over the last few I've only gone to 2 haunted houses. (I have a habit of visiting the history museum or pumpkin patches instead since I'm a big scaredy cat) 'Safe to say I don’t think I’ll ever forget the second time ..3 years ago…an event that opened up Pandora's box for my poor mind…a day that changed my brain's chemistry forever. Many thoughts about that evening dig their heels into my nerves every time I see the pumpkin decor take over at my favorite stores. One specifically has plagued me for ages since..…I should’ve asked that employee to fuck my brains out. 

I remember it being chilly outside, likely because I decided to go on Hallows' Eve. The leaves were crunchy, hued with reddish-browns and mustard-yellows. I could hear the shrills of nearby people being driven hellishly down a sketchy dirt road. The lines were long but luckily the faint smells of fair food and an excited group of chatty teenagers complimenting my costume kept me sane. Slowly I watched as  each large group of people were packed into the school bus and taken to some unknown destination. Soon the familiar wafts of gasoline washed over me and not much later I shuffled my way down the isles of the vehicle, sitting in the back where I thought I was safe from any scares. That was my first rookie mistake, my second was trying to take in the scenery of the bus rather than keeping tabs on the Micheal Myers clad employee that was about to scare me shitless in a few minutes. When the bus started rev up I expected a mediocre experience, maybe some light scares here and there, rock music, maybe some funny lights. I was wrong... I realized that after the announcer asked that we all screamed as loud as we could. I don’t remember if he was dressed up like the rest of us guests but I remember his monotone voice as the lights flickered. 

“Alright everyone give us a nice scream before we make our journey!”

You would have thought he hated he hated living with the way he spoke, his energy energy even carried into our screams as they were low and uncaring, mine were muffled due to my rubber mask's unforgiving room for me to breathe. I saw him visibly roll his eyes and got a bit depressed at the thought of at least not getting a good jump that night. Well... I got one while I looked into the window to my right to distract myself. Suddenly my body jerked as the loudest blood curdling volume of Rob Zombie's “Living dead girl” blasted my ear drums, the door slammed shut, the once jittering lights above turned red, and the bus took off at a breakneck speed down the unfortunately UNEVEN, CURVE FILLED, DIRT ROAD. Memories of my favorite Child's Play movie flooded every crevice of my mind and a forgotten childish  terror bubbled up in my chest. We all really screamed then, which only added to my fright..As the lights turned turn on and off, blood started to pound in my eardrums. I remembered a crucial detail that would make my night just that much worse. It rained the day before, meaning the ground we were driving on was still soft and probably muddy. I panicked though, no one gave a fuck about my little panic attack since they were abou to have one of their own, a famous slasher decided he was going to be the first thing I saw as my eyes tried to escape the visual of the fleeing dirt paths infront of the bus. I ducked my head down like the scaredy cat I am, looking out to the side when I realized that there were more actors tugging at the windows, reaching in at guests, even walking and riding the top on the roof, banging at the metal and yelling every insult imaginable. My shock and feelings of wanted to piss myself finally subsided when I closed my teary eyes...and then the bus stopped. Surprisingly, the slashers were gone, everyone stopped screaming, and the scene was replaced with the sight of an impressively decorated haunted house. One that of course had another long line. In my boot heels, WW1 era nurse’s uniform, and a plague doctors mask I waddled out onto the sweet stationary grass under my trembling body. I swore that the bus driver's attitude was a ruse to get our guard down,especially after I saw his lazy smirk behind the glass. I'd never judge a book by it's cover again. Crazily enough after all that that wasn’t the life changing event....

I stomped through broken small twigs and branches to get close to the entrance of the haunted house.. With the groups of people waiting in front of me it was safe to assume I atleast had about an hour before I could enjoy its horrors. Another group of teenagers started to chat me up. Unfortunately they were drunk. They taunted me, while putting their beer stained hands on my mask, trying to get me to scare them…I was assumed to be a scare actor. Unfortunately knowing the climate of the people in this area of the South they'd likely to have a reason to be violent with me if I obliged. My nurse's uniform was figure hugging so at least if they did there was no way they couldn’t claim they didn’t know I was a girl. Luckily I wasn't dumb enough to provoke them or have sudden moves. A masked employee patrolling around came to my aid, hiding his effort to make sure they didn’t escalate as a way to have a close up stare down with me.  Like two slashers betting each other to make the first move I held eyes contact with him. Hw was fairly tall, clad in all black except for a halloween mask and machete thrown over his shoulder. Despite his stare down I had to be silly and tilt my head to the side at him.

“What's going on?”

I giggled out to him through my words. I saw him roll his eyes playfully before giving me another look and walking away. The drunk teens had turned their attention to something else. Silently I thanked him l Despite him having a nice voice and towering over me that wasn’t the mind bending event either. I went through the line with no issues, walked up creaky wooden steps already showing wear and tear after being trampled on for weeks. It was a typical haunted house in the way that it did its job well enough. You know, doing it's job well enough scare the living hell out of me! Especially since their main gimmick was actors acting as decorations instead of being hidden behind walls and behind doors like I expected. The scares I got that night had me clutching my nonexistent pearls as I stumbled about. I unfortunately had to get into another line afterwards. The line was situated under a wooden pavilion, a lot of people were packed in like sardines but there were televisions tucked into corners playing, ‘Friday the 13th’. That pacified me enough to endure the snail paced walking for the next hour. Though I couldn’t help but listen in on the conversation of those behind me. Once again another group of teenagers but nicer and way more excited than I was expecting for a  simple hayride. Bored and heels digging into my ankles I decided to ask them about the hayride and what was so good about it. Eagerly they word vomited out a story of an infamous employee that worked on the ride.

“NO, NO, YOU DONT UNDERSTAND HE’s SO...FUCKiNG ...HOT!”

“Listen girl you will get  it when you get on, I’m asking for his number. He’s so fine that we had to get on twice!”

I stared at them. I thought, ‘how hot could he really be for them to think it’s worth waiting almost 2 -4 hours in the cold to see him again?’ No shade but as a southerner I've noticed that what some people consider hot is a lot of time mediocre  as there aren’t a lot of choices in the small town I’m from. I’ll admit I was skeptical. At most I was expecting some muscly guy dressed as Michael Myers or something , maybe even some Ghostface  dude with a cool voice. The group behind me practically squealed as we were seated on the wooden carriage to the woods. I sat on the hay and stared out onto the scenic path ahead. It was honestly inevitable for the first 3 minutes to not look around and just enjoy the gorgeous view. It was so pretty. One thing I can say about living in the country is that you can’t beat a full moon and a lush forest. Coupled with nice folks and delicious smells of the distant food court the weight seemed worth it. The blasts of cool air on my hot face was short lived as he came up to the first attraction, or theme? Zombie Hillbillies with what looked like oddly realistic guns? Yeah that scared all us when a zombie ran at a full sleep and a actor let off an actual shot near our heads as our carriage hightailed it out the premises. The track of the walking dead playing was unmistakable. Next? A Succubus den. A bunch of pretty girls wearing leather skin tight suits, beckoning my fellow riders and I to stay long enough to have our souls taken. Screaming, sighs, and even the cracking of a few whips overwhelmed us. We moved away, the red and purple lights we were basking in started to fade away and their siren song with it. They killed their roll, too bad I wasn't feeling it as much as some of the other guys and some girls on the wagon. I was feeling good, today had been fun but not too scary, something I preferred to just plain unfiltered fear on my favorite holiday.

We trudged through some more scenic forest until I heard the unmistakable melody of a circus music. I quickly reversed the direction of my gaze only to see what looked like a box with red light bleeding through its cracks. Two men with clown costumes opened its doors. I braced myself as I was sure this would be the last attraction of the night. I really couldn't miss the squealing of the teenagers I was seated next to. They were practically falling over themselves, grabbing at each others clothes and hyperventilating while giggling manically, though incoherent ramblings I heard words like ‘hot’, ‘fine’, and ‘he’s almost here!’. I had to tilt my head at them out of slight second-hand embarrassment and pure confusion. No one was inside, which was a uncharacteristic for this ride so far. It was until I heard the rattling of a chainsaw that I realized how close they really were. Most of the actors had been chilling behind the ride staring at us, it gave me the jumpscare of my life let's say. We were then bum rushed by a bunch of clowns, laughing and pulling at the ride to rock it back and forth. A contortionist showing off her skills on a nearby side stage. Some got uncomfortably close but then walked away quickly as I could tell they were trying to decipher if I was a fellow actor or not. For whatever reason they kept flirting with the woman sitting adjacent to me, despite her being enclosed in the arms of her husband. I quickly realized I was being a complete hater because she loved it and her husband was being a good sport about it. Regardless I still didn’t see anything extraordinary like they had promised. I simply shrugged my shoulders. Maybe the clowns were the main attraction of the night? Yeah some of them were fairly hot, as hot as a few guys in Halloween masks while cursing us all out could be. It seemed like the hay ride's shenanigans were wrapping up since the clowns were leaving. That was until the wagon we all were sitting on threw itself into overdrive. Gunning it, moving faster than it ever cared to before. I saw trees ride past me the same way it did on the bus, but the manic laughter continued . 'WAS IT NOT OVER?! TRACTORS CAN’T MOVE THIS FAST!…or at least it shouldn’t be…?Right?' Suddenly we came to screeching halt, but not really a stop more like a moderate slow down. My panic wasn't given any time to settle in before I felt a particularly sudden shift of weight on our wooden vehicle. I could barley see through my now foggy plague mask's goggles but it was an unmistakable figure. The squeals of my counterparts turned into full blown shrieks as the statuesque shadow entered our ride with a particularly large rifle, a clown mask on its face, and a particular malice in its stance. He didn’t need bullets since all of us were already floored. A sight to behold, curly dirty blonde locks peeked from behind the face covering, miles of freckled, pale, skin peaked from underneath his ripped overalls, and his attempts to subtly catch his breath sent chills down my spine. He was mouth watering, but honestly if the modest muscle exposed at his biceps and underneath his dungarees were a climax then his voice was the final act. One of the perks of living in the South to me has always been southern accents that some men have…but lord the sweet honey dripping from this man lips made me want to set my black ass to my factory settings. For some brief seconds I thought being barefoot and pregnant were the only way to live happily the minute he spoke. There wasn’t an instrument in existence that competed with the octave his baritone vocals were set on. I was slack jawed and flabbergasted. If my fellow southern black women in my area were to describe a man like this we’d say he said he had that ‘cowboy walk’. Meaning he was the perfect representation of why America was so smitten with the farm-hands throughout the decades. I couldn't say a word if I tried. I watched a particularly bold and familiar girl muster up the courage to speak to him as he was getting ready to point his gun at one at one of the riders.

“H-hi, do you remember me?”

Completely breaks character and acknowledges her presence. 

“Oh? Oh yeah, it’s you…*comes to a realization as he turns* *chuckles*  don’t tell me you came back to see me?”

“I-I did, um…so um.. -you have a girlfriend?”

Now everyone got quiet, even if the wagon was still high, telling down the moist dirt road. Now I knew the girl was young but she shouldn't be too much younger than us considering we were the same height. A dumb assumption I know but I assumed that she and her friends wouldn’t get this far only to be a kid….right? He seemed to have the same idea. 

“Depends…how old are you?”

Sheepishly I saw the surprise and disappointment spread like a virus from her face to theirs. Her porcelain fingers tremble around her phone as the prospect of getting his number become a a fleeting wish…surely she didn’t go this far and was-

“I’m…14…*nervous laugh*”

“Oh hell no”

He didn’t even give it a second thought before sighing and moving his rifle to his shoulder. He gave us all a reassuring nod and proceeded to backflip off the moving cart. She pouted while her friends comforted. I just stared back  into the abyss only to make eye contact with  the mysterious stranger. This is going to sound terrible, but I feel like that was a needed experience for her. (First all, she just ruined the  chance of anyone legal to get a taste of this guy, like me! Jk Jk) Even when I was her age, mind you I’m 21 now, no matter how many crushes I ha on my older peers , I still knew better not to ask them out. You had to be 18 or older to even work at this place. Though, I still felt terrible for her and my maternal urges wanted to go over there and comfort her since I knew that kinda stuff took a huge blow to one’s ego, and I knew she didn’t know any better. I had the chance to ask her if she was older before the little caravan came to a halt. They didn’t drop us off  exactly at the drop off spot though, we’d have to walk a quarter of a mile back to the lit up crowns in  the distance. Never in my life have I needed to walk more, being hot and bothered with a bunch of people around isn’t ideal ( for me at least). That cold air was doing more than its share at cooling me down, too bad the nearby lights were only coaxing me further into a daze as it neared.   I walked on the path  and stumbled through the bush. A recognizable voice poured itself a molasses-like tone right into my ears. 

“I’ll see you later right?”

I knew what he was referring to, he thought I was a fellow employee too, the workers would congregate after the attraction closed down, eat, intermangle, and then go home. I wish I could be there and see what he looked like and maybe a little more since he was single as long as whoever he was talking to was legal. I couldn't be happier that the rubber mask covered my lovestruck expression. 

“Of course”

He did his famous nod and retreated back into the leaves, to unintentionally seduce another group. Of course I didn’t go, I didn’t work there it was already 1 am, I needed to get home unfortunately. I still wondered though ‘what if I did go?’ and ‘why did he care if I was there or not?’. It wasn’t until I turned around in the mirror later on that I realized the culprit for his curiosity. Lets just as historically bum pads were made to take some weight off the back side  and  rear end look more ample and rounded, maybe even stand out a bit under heavy garments. Let's just say I’ve never needed one. 

Happy Halloween Everyone. Remember that despite this story, they do not harass scare actors, they are just doing their job and don;t deserve to be sexually harassed.

[avocate-assia-dazai]

Day 4: I hate so much loving you

Author's note: Okay I said I want to get out of my comfort zone? I lied. I think this is a masterpiece. Truly I m proud taking two days for this one and be late for the writober if it s mean writting this. Truly people enjoy. (Don t read the synopsis I swear it s better without it)

Synopsis: Someone you live desapear lefting with a lot of remorses.

Number of words: 2,5k (a bit less, anyway it s so easy to read I swear)

A beautiful autumn day, the air was cool and pleasant. In fact, it wasn't cold, it was a perfect temperature, the trees still had all their leaves filled with warm colors, the sun's rays making everything magical. I looked down at the grass beneath my feet, the sound of dead leaves taking me back to old memories, everything was so beautiful, so soothing. My gaze landed on a leaf falling from a tree, fluttering in the wind, I followed it with my gaze and it fell on the hair of a woman I knew all too well. It was her mother, which reminded me of where I was and made my stomach knot. The contrast of white and orange was so beautiful that I'd lost sight of why I've come.

I knotted my tie and took the deepest breath I could muster, everyone was seated on these magnificent white chairs on the floor, there was this beautifull white archway blending lily flowers and autumn leaves, all paused on this little dais perfect for three. Cutting through this uncluttered setting was an equally clear path, one might have thought it was the way to the promised land.

All this was so much like her, all this was simply her. Autumn was also my favorite season. For it was in this soft, colorful time when nature bows out and gives us a final flourish that she found me just when I thought I'd disappear. A hand on my shoulder, while I was lost in thought. She was leaning over, her face inches from mine. Her smile was so radiant I thought it was summer. I couldn't answer, so she sat down next to me without any shame. Yet in class she was always so transparent that her warm side almost made me believe she was someone else. "Well then, who are you hiding from?

- I'm not hiding."

I replied, almost resentfully at the insinuation that I was running away from something. She almost laughed in my face, her expression telling me "Yeah of course". I should have asked her what she was doing there, maybe she was running away too. We sat for hours on the damp sole while she talked almost to herself, I didn't think you could talk so much to say nothing, let alone someone who looked so self-effacing.

I don't really know how we got there, but I had too much pride to change my hiding place just because she came to it, and she had too much pride to give up. I'd put so much effort into ignoring her that it was laughable, but she never seemed to mind. I'd got to the point where I went there every day at the same hour, and I think she knew it because she was expecting me. I pretended to ignore her, sometimes almost insulting her, but she kept talking, opening up to me as if I were some kind of imaginary friend. At school, she was so quiet and self-effacing that you'd think she'd be shy, but apparently her friends were the problem who make her introvert at school. I don't know how I'd come to take such an interest in her life, but the more violent the arguments at home became, the more I looked forward to that moment in the day when she'd give herself up to me as if I were the only person capable of understanding her impatiently. I don't even know how I came to answer her. In fact, within a few months, winter had set in, and my world began to revolve around her without asking me.

In the mornings, I hurried out early before my parents could start arguing. I was very careful about what I took with me. I always arrived too early, and there she was, in hindsight she must have noticed that I was there early in the morning so she had to do her best not to miss me. She was always slumped over her desk, half-asleep despite the cold, and she always went out so unprepared, without coat or umbrella, I don't think it was possible to be more careless. But those moments when we were alone in the classroom together were the most precious to me. I'd shake her awake and wrap a scarf around her neck, but it wasn't even mine at that point, her hands were still cold and she complained so much about hunger that I got used to bringing her something to eat on the pretext that my mother was forcing me to take it, even though I hated it. I think she knew very well that I was lying, but she was also lying about why she was there so early in the morning. We both lied, and I think the truth is an ugly thing, because if I could lie to her again, I would.

Even during the day I couldn't ignore her, I was always on the lookout for her, listening to her every word. I spent my time waiting for when we'd meet again in that little secluded park, for those false quarrels and confessions no one could hear. Everything was about her, and I hated that. And it didn't take more than a day for this hatred to explode. She'd only been absent for one day at school, but don't get me wrong, she'd never been absent in half a year. Everything seemed so empty without her that I became obsessed with her absence. Spring was here, and just as I was heading home, turning the knob to get through my own hell. Suddenly the budding scent of flowers filled my lungs, the sunset blinded me and somehow I found myself running with all my might. "She's capable of getting lost along the way, falling or even being kidnapped. She's a born idiot", these extreme thoughts betrayed just how I felt. I stood breathless in front of her door, trying to catch my breath as my lungs contracted, my heart pounding, she was there, in front of me, pale but present. An almost mocking smile that made my blood boil: "Heh you can’t ev-. But I didn't let her finish and grabbed her by the shoulders.

- Are you stupid! You could have warned me!"

I don't know by what sorcery, but when I saw her surprised, almost shocked face, I realized how ridiculous I'd been. And the silence that settled in made me die inside. "Ha, but I don’t even have your num-

- Shut up please just, forget it".*

I turned on my heel, ready to leave, and she grabbed my arm, forcing me to stay, our eyes analyzing each other's every emotion. I don't know why this little woman unable to take care of herself hugged me, but I thought I'd never be able to let go. It was too late, without a word, a thousand promises had been saddled. We spent the night together, in the purest, most innocent way, watching a movie, talking about nothing. She was just sick and her parents were out of town. I remember every little moment, where shame gave way to a new feeling warming my heart as I cared for this child far too stubborn to care for herself.

After that evening, I lived the most beautiful years of my life. It was my Garden of Eden. I don't even think I went home anymore, my days at school were spent admiring every curve of her face, every laugh of her melodious voice. Paying attention to every blonde lock that disturbed her in class, watching her eyebrows furrow when she didn't understand an exercise. And I can't think of a more beautiful moment than when she was bored with her friends and her greenish eyes met mine. Nothing could spoil my joy; every discovery was a godsend. She loved sweet things, she adored the cold but was very sensitive to it, she got into everything she came across and said that every blue one was a mark of war. I loved teasing her, ignoring her, kissing her, hugging her, playing with her hair, listening to her talk, helping her, laughing at her, drying her tears.

For me, my high school years were an unstoppable laugh, because as soon as you look at that person, it starts all over again. Yes, my high school years were euphoric, a breath of oxygen in the middle of the ocean. In the summer of my senior year, when I'd already chosen my university, my parents finally divorced and I was forced to follow my father across the country, so I was forced to finish a story I'd loved every chapter of and open another book. But Lucie wasn't just another first love. She was the woman of my life. For five years, every thought in my head was devoted to her, and the mere memory of her smile or that little frown she was so good at was enough to make me climb any mountain. I had only one idea in mind, the promise of our farewell, that it wouldn't be one, that of becoming a man good enough to marry her. I worked so hard for it, and when I came back she was there, she hadn't changed, she was still the woman I loved.

The applause as the little girl carefully walked along, throwing autumn leaves in place of the traditional flower petals, woke me from my nostalgia. She was so cute and seemed so proud of herself, she could be. She pulled up with the bridesmaids to the side, and moments later, there she was. The woman who made my world go round arrived. Her hair had been cut for the occasion, that golden blond highlighted by the wreath of flowers she wore. She seemed so focused, it was laughable as always, she could have fallen over at that moment and I wouldn't have been surprised. She seemed nervous, as she was, fiddling with her little finger discreetly, a habit she's had since childhood. She moved forward with angelic steps, positioned herself on the dais and tried to smile naturally. The man from the town hall began to recite his best wishes as the rings were exchanged. She'd always been petite, and her fingers were just as delicate as she was. How could you not love every part of this woman?

The final sentence was spoken: "If anyone wishes to oppose this union, let him say so or forever hold his peace.” And as the traditional silence paused, our eyes met. I swear on everything I hold dear that her eyes filled with tears for a brief moment, begging me to get up from my chair and oppose her, not to let her go. My nails dug into my palms, and I held on to this contact that seemed like an eternity, so much left unsaid. Pardon. I'm sorry because I thought about getting up and calling it a day. What did this man have that I didn't, what did he know about her? Did he love her even half as much as I did? Did all these people here even know who I was, did they know how much I loved this woman, that the last eight years were devoted to her, did they even know what pure, true love like ours was?

Sitting around her coffee table, I could feel the anxiety rising in me, I could hardly contain my joy. She returned with a bottle of wine and sat down beside me, serving us both a glass. I admired her, every moment was dedicated to her. After five long years I could look at her again, I never thought the mere sight of her would make me melt so simply. And as usual, after a long silence and a few sips of wine, she began to talk, telling me about her life without me since our separation, she never thought she'd see me again. And I hadn't noticed that she was talking, not because she was a tireless piplette, but because she was beating around the bush. It wasn't until the morning after I'd spent the night with her, wrapping my arm around her waist, that tears began to flow. I innocently thought they were tears of joy. I gently took her wrists between my hands to move them away from her face, before carefully running my thumbs over her cheeks, brushing her eyelashes to wipe away any trace of moisture from that face I'd grown so fond of. Nothing destroyed me more than when she told me she was supposed to get married in just a few days. Nothing was as painful, as hard as this confession. My world destroyed beneath my feet as I ran away from her to think. How could pain be so poignant, how could my heart hurt so much, I wished it could be ripped out of me as quickly as possible, that a car would run me over, that God would make me disappear. I was in so much pain, suddenly so alone, that I banged my head against the wall for hours trying to make the pain go away. But no, nothing could be as painful. Nothing could compare, and if anyone reads this and has the slightest shred of humanity, they'll come and kill me to shorten my agony.

She exchanged this kiss with the man with whom she'd built her life, and a tear rolled down her cheek, only we knew it wasn't one of joy. I left without a word. I wanted to tell her I'd wait for her all my life, that I'd always be somewhere, ready to be the one to take care of her. But I said nothing. Because I knew that if I said a single word, I'd always have hope that she'd come and find me. And she'd always have that doubt that she could throw it all out the window because I'd be there. I told myself that I had to consider her dead so that each of us could live. But even in death I still cherish every painful memory, and I've never loved her as much as I do now.

Second author's note: honestly I wish you ve enjoyed. Every little comment will make my heart bump since i work so hard on it. I just wish it s at your taste~

[tvrningout-a]

writober | day 01

does your muse celebrate halloween? do they celebrate something else in the month of october?

so!! the way i write chiyo, she can live in japan ( as i originally imagined ) or in the u.s. ( most commonly ), and regardless, the answer is yes!! while halloween is celebrated a little differently in japan, chiyo still participates in dressing up, often putting great effort into her costume, as well as her companion's ( aka whoever she convinces to walk around with her ) costume. chiyo loves the spirit of halloween, all the cheesy scares, the spooky movies, the costume parties and contests -- it's one of the few times that you'll find her jumping at the chance to participate in social gatherings.

when she was in high school and possibly college, too, chiyo always set up haunted houses for the school festivals whether they took place in october or not :' ) as an adult, she absolutely loves going to haunted houses as a guest, though it's rare that she's genuinely scared and not laughing immediately after she screams at a jump scare.

autumn festivals are common in japan during october, and chiyo is once again a fan! she enjoys festivals in general, so if they're nearby, she tries to attend them whenever they pop up. aside from that, chiyo also celebrates her birthday during this month! she typically has a special meal with her parents, grandmother, and naoki's family, but she and naoki also spend the day of her birthday goofing off at an arcade or theme park. it's a yearly tradition that's been going on since they were little!

[lumineescente]

hi! 2, 11, 15, and 23 for the fanfic asks! <3

ooh!! hello! thank you so much for this<3

2. how many fics did you work on this year? (they don't have to be finished or published) 7 published fics (one was two chapters from my multi chaptered fic!), and I've worked on at least 10 wips that will maybe or maybe not see the light one day! plus there was the drabbles I wrote during writober on my twitter account!

11. what fic was the most satisfying to finish writing? this fic (milcob/tbz) because i wrote it during a very stressful time for me at that moment and i could not sleep at all because of that... i had so much in my head and this fic was so cathartic to write and when i finished it I was so proud of myself, it's one of the rare fic i read again and again. But writing it took a bit of my soul tbh lmaoo so i felt so relieved when i ended it

anyway i love this fic congrats June me!

15. rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023 the fic i just mentioned is a good rec but i'll allow myself and rec another one! it is a minsung that i wrote early during the year and it was an idea i had in my draft for years, so it was soo nice to write it entirely and i think it came out very good and interesting!

23. share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. What about it was challenging? Are you happy with how it turned out? i'm not gonna share it entirely because it's a very long scene but the beginning of fourth scene when they're having their first date in the restaurant in that milcob fic (i can't remember my fics titles.. so yeah) was extremely challenging, i found it too cliché and like something was off in the rhythm. Or that it was not believable, and with this fic I wanted to challenge realism as much as possible so this scene made me frown a lot while writing. I thought about cutting it out but at the same time there was something meaningful to me to write about what it is when you are a privileged person and you never had to put yourself into the shoe of someone else so you think the way you live is the norm for everyone else. If you don't trigger it the questioning will not happen by itself.

I kept the scene, keep reading it again and again until I liked it. My friend reading it also helped me because they found nothing wrong with it so I think I had been overthinking it a bit too much! And I adoore the way I ended the scene tho :)

thank you for the ask it was so fun to answer it and reflect on my writing year<3

[allenbloom]

Day 28: Nascondere / Hide

���Did you really have to come all the way?” The shorter boy asked the taller once they were out of sight, talking to each other in the backyard.

“Do you not want to see me?” the taller asked with a laugh at the end.

“No! It’s just…” the shorter said, with a pause, looking to the side for a moment before facing the taller man, “You’re studying really hard at the city, I don’t want to bother you” 

“It’s not a bother if it’s my little brother” said the taller, “besides, when was the last time you had any guests to a birthday party?” the shorter one looked down and the taller quickly added, “It's rhetorical”

“I know” the younger sighed, “you’re right, it's just, I hope you do well on your tests once you’re back”

“Sure I will” the older reassured.

The creature watching them through the bushes moved slightly after taking a deeper breath, and the rustling of the leaves caught the attention of both people. The shorter one sighed, while the taller one kept himself on edge, “Did you hear that?” he asked. The shorter replied under his breath something along the lines “must be hiding in the bush”.

“Don’t let them distract you” the shorter said, “let’s go back inside”

“Them?” The taller asked as he followed the shorter inside.

If you liked what you read, feel free to check out the rest of the writober promps, and if you're feeling generous please consider supporting me on my ko-fi

[happyely2]

Pairing: Portuguese D. Ace x Fem!Reader

Rating: For everyone, this time there will be only a slight hint of the Smut, very very light.

Summary: 31 prompts for 31 days of October. Life on Moby Dick is always hectic and has become more so since Ace boarded this ship and became part of the family.

✒️Prompts taken from the contest (even if I don't participate) organized by the Italian Fanwriter page. I only translated the prompts into English, I hope you like it.✒️

🌊Writober PumpSea🌊 #day 7 - South

The southern route was so quiet that you had to stir it up a bit, and Ace had half an idea that made your mouth water when you felt his presence behind you, by now you had learned to know well.

Ace hugged you from behind and left a kiss on your neck that meant one thing.

You smiled for those sudden cuddles, but for once you were granted, in essence the situation was quiet on the ship, there was no enemy on the horizon and even your fellow travelers seemed to be calm and taken by their chores: Izo read the newspaper, Satch locked himself in the kitchen in order to experiment with a new recipe, while Marco was helping in the infirmary. The other commanders played cards, or chess or arm wrestling and White Beard participated in their challenges and enjoyed the tranquility of the day.

Going south meant peace and quiet. And for once, you all deserved it after the previous weeks when you didn’t have any breaks, repairs to do, aid allies, rescue friendly ships and fight the Marines.

It had been hectic weeks in which you had slept yes and no a total of ten hours and in which you and Ace were separated for too long, to optimize the time you were sent with Satch to solve problems, while Marco, Ace and Izo were sent somewhere else.

Not seeing you for so long created a tension between your two bodies that you absolutely had to eliminate.

"Shall we go to my cabin?" Ace whispered to you as he slowly dragged you to his room.

"I don’t think they’ll notice we’re gone." You responded by backing up with him, or rather you knew that White Beard would catch you, but the old man was very often your accomplice and covered for you most of the time you disappeared. You were his favorite couple and you had brought so much joy on the ship, a joy that had been lost in time, sometimes your father looked at you with a nostalgic look and a bitter smile and did not know why.

Sooner or later, you were gonna talk to him about what he thought when he looked at you.

So you disappeared without too much ceremony, but you couldn’t resist and you crawled into the library, making sure the door was locked and nobody was there.

You didn’t expect Ace’s urge to look for your lips and kiss you like there was no tomorrow.

Ace grabbed your ass and put you on a shelf full of books, and he didn’t stop kissing you.

And you have reciprocated that kiss that you so desired in recent times.

You bit his lips and tasted their softness and she sucked greedily, making him moan with pleasure.

Ace started unbuttoning your shirt until a suspicious noise brought you back to reality.

"If it’s Satch, I’m gonna roast him this time." Ace said as he squeezed at you and waited for another sound, by now Satch had the radar to interrupt you at the least opportune moments - not that he would come looking for you on purpose, but he would always catch you and you couldn’t understand how it was possible.

Another blow stronger than the first left you puzzled.

Because the route was south and had to be quiet.

"Whatever it is, they’re all grown-ups who can get by without us." When you were aboard the Moby Dick, it wasn’t easy to cuddle, not with all the big brothers asking for your help on something, not with Ace running the second fleet, not with the thin walls dividing the cabins.

Both you and he agreed to try not to embarrass everyone, but even abstinence was felt after weeks of plenty and a quickie would not solve anything and there was not even how to wait to get off the ground, The next island for supplies was three weeks' sailing.

So Ace caught you kissing and opening the shirt you were wearing while you were fiddling with his belt. Her hair was on your head, you don’t know how, and both laughed and between caresses, stolen kisses and some bites here and there.

The third suspicious blow had not bothered you so much, they could also organize a fight upstairs but Ace did not care because he was engaged in a much more profitable and important battle.

There were priorities in her life and loving and making love to you were at the top of the list.

"Have you started wearing more bra without cups?" Ace noticed your new underwear, a soft lace bra in lilac color this time.

"I don’t really get the old ones anymore." You answered by licking Adam’s apple.

"Then I’ll have to buy you new ones." Ace replied between sighs. Oh my God, what you were seeing was beautiful. Ace’s muscles tensed to your touch, contracting and highlighting everything and his cock grinding against your groin made you daydream.

Besides, the bookstore was a new place you hadn’t done it yet.

A shock knocked you both out when you were about to continue. Ace locked you with his body to prevent you from falling to the ground, the books were still on the shelf you were sitting on.

"What are they doing?" Now you couldn’t take it anymore, there must be something that didn’t add up because the noise started to feel, and it was too close.

Then the library door was kicked in, and by the bang, you hooked up to Ace like a Koala.

"What are you doing here!" Satch was challenging another pirate in a sword fight to the death.

"What are you doing here!" You blurted out in less than half a second looking crooked at the man who was facing your older brother. You weren’t worried about Satch, nor was Ace, he would have beaten him in a few moves.

"Did we interrupt a quickie?" Satch was laughing under his mustache as he stood up to his opponent.

"Satch." Ace’s tone didn’t allow for replicas or even his gaze. The brown man winked at you and started fighting again, then threw the man out the window, "More are coming." He added, preparing for the incoming enemies: "Unfortunately they broke the door." He added by grinning and throwing himself back into the fray.

Further on you heard the shots of Izo’s guns and other enemies coming towards the library.

"Good God, you can’t even have a little privacy!" You blurted it out with your face in Ace’s chest.

"Come on, let’s go knock some enemies out and then no one will bother us anymore." Your boyfriend told you when he punched a man who was about to attack you.

"But I say, there is a code of manners." You said pouting while Ace walked away from the gun, you were still in his lap, and you didn’t want to get out. Ace squeezed you with his free arm while with the other he hit enemies that came towards you.

"What do you want me to tell you love, not everyone is a polite pirate." He told you by knocking out two more people and then using his Haki to knock them out ten more.

He wasn’t happy about being interrupted either, not after you both got into the mood.

Or they’d pay for it.

You came down from Ace when you climbed on the bridge and a sigh of exasperation came out seeing all the amount of enemies that were attacking you, many but small fish.

If only he was strong.

White Beard laughed at the show and if he did not intervene he meant that those who were attacking were really small fish, but maybe he wanted to enliven that quiet day.

"I could go to Dad and play burraco with him." You said as you walked across the main bridge ignoring the enemies present. Ace was behind you, "It won’t take long, I’ll catch up with you later, honey." He said, leaving your hat and throwing himself into the fray.

Ace wasn’t even using his devil fruit, just punches and kicks that would knock out a bison.

"Dad, who’s attacking us?"

"We ran into an enemy fleet treasure, but don’t worry soon calm will return." The old man answered you as you sat on his knee to see the fight better.

"Whoa, always fighting." You said pouting and making your father laugh.

"At least in your time the enemies were strong, these are sardines and fish read." You said laughing again. White Beard loved your frankness and candor.

"In my day we had more respect, more discipline and more determination." The man agreed by drinking his favorite sake.

"It offends me that you think this of my subordinates, they were recruited recently but at least appreciate the courage." An unknown voice had made you turn and the fight had been stopped abruptly. A man was floating in midair, instead of his legs there were two swords and a piece of rudder was embedded in his head.

Marco is perched on your father’s throne and gradually all the other commanders have arrived.

"I heard you were coming south and I took the liberty of a small welcoming committee." He said the man continuing to float and addressing directly to White Beard. You came down and approached Ace, there was something about that man you didn’t like at all.

"Shiki the golden lion." You whispered to your boyfriend, Ace took your hand and looked at the enemy, you could feel from his warmth that was tense, for sure his not Garp had talked to him about the man in front of you. In the past, his father Roger and his crew had faced him several times.

Shiki was an unpredictable man, he valued both Roger and White Beard but he had never existed to attack them when he had the opportunity, ruthless and cruel.

There was a rumour that he had escaped from Impel Down, but there had been no news of him for years. To find it before your eyes was something absurd.

Izo was close to you and Ace, the guns still in his hand and held tightly. None of the commanders had left their weapons and at that point you wondered what would happen.

The man was part of the older generation of pirates who had terrorized the seas before you and his fame, his thirst for power and his irascible character preceded him by pointing out how dangerous he was.

Ace stood before you when the gaze of the Golden Lion rested on you.

"So she’s the baby you found on this route." And the Golden Lion laughed.

White Beard had it in his eye, Ace had activated his flames, and you had to keep him from screwing up.

You knew you were found in a chest 18 years ago, and you never cared to find out why, but knowing that man knew you was something that upset you.

"Newborn not so much, now she is a young woman." He continued to speak your opponent by going down on the bridge and walking towards you.

"I don’t want to do anything to her." Shiki turned to Ace.

"Ace..." A warning from Dad, who partly reassured you and partly upset you. If Dad allowed him to get close to you, he meant one thing, one wrong step and Shiki the Golden Lion would lose his life.

Ace moved, even though he stood by you and didn’t back much.

"You remind me so much of an acquaintance of ours many years ago." He said the man take a lock of your light hair and drop it right after.

"Do it again and you’ll burn this time." Ace’s tone was filled with anger, and a shiver descended down your spine. All the other commanders were tense.

"Portuguese Commander..." A call that had illuminated Shiki’s eyes.

"Portuguese... yes, there can be no doubt about it." Shiki laughed, a laugh that no one was sharing. Ace was tense and you were no different, if that man had said one word against Ace’s mother you would have jumped him. Legend or no legend, he wouldn’t dare say a word.

"Newgate you really found the copy of Roger and Rouge. Boy you have the same murderous look of your father, you look so much like him!" And Ace had tended even more to hear the names of his parents and the comparison that had been made.

Izo tried to calm him down but couldn’t.

"The welcome committee is not the best, you should review some etiquette." You said interrupting the man’s laugh. Satch held his breath and Marco prepared to intervene.

Ace had clenched his fists and the flames that you saw with the corner of your eye did not wish anything good.

Shiki stopped laughing and looked at you for a second, grinning.

Bastard.

"Oh, you remember her not only in appearance, but also in character. Rouge was the only woman who feared none of Roger’s enemies." He said the Golden Lion chewing the cigar in his mouth.

Ace used his devil’s fruit, the cigar burst Shiki’s face and the man laughed.

"Jealous like your father. I don’t know if you’re capable of razing an entire island though, Roger did it for Rouge once."

"Ace is not his father!" You blurted out your way to the enemy, "If you’ve come here just to talk about the old days, review your ruddy manners." You said electrocuting him.

"You..."

A blaze of fire had come between you and Shiki, the man had withdrawn to avoid the flames of Ace.

"Oh, that murderous look! You two could do great things, join my crew."

"NEVER" You and Ace yelled.

And Shiki grinned and laughed.

"I’m not going to have a fight with you today, White Beard. But know that those two boys I took will be mine." And then White Beard had taken his Taglianuvole against Shiki. Moby Dick shook with a gash, and Ace grabbed you before he fell.

"Enough now!" He had thundered White Beard with his voice and starting to hit Shiki: "You would never have my children."

Shiki dodged several shots and floated in the air, calling his men to himself.

"You won’t be able to protect them forever Newgate." And as he appeared, he was gone.

Only then did you breathe a sigh of relief, but you didn’t leave Ace’s side for anything.

You could feel your soft legs and your head spinning.

"And you had to see them in your golden days." Satch said as he sat next to you to defuse the tension. All the other commanders nodded and laughed before going to check on their subjects.

Ace sighed heavily before leaning on you. He hated when compared to his father, but this time nothing bad had been said about him.

Mark had joined you and offered you a hand to get up: "In golden times, as Satch says, the battle would be raging for weeks and you had to see Roger." He said Marco dragging you and Ace to the library where you two were interrupted.

White Beard smiled bitterly and was headed to see the damage the ship had suffered.

You took Ace’s hand to calm him down.

Everyone on the ship knew that it was a painful speech of his family, but you were sure that Marco knew what he was doing, he was among the greatest and among those who had sailed the longest with Dad.

"I remember the time Rouge was captured, Roger and Dad had met on an island to discuss the problem of the fish men, and an opposing crew had thought that this would get Roger." Said Marco opening an old photo album and starting to browse it.

"Oh they never did." Izo said taking the photo that portrayed the enemies on the ground with the crews of Roger and White Beard winning.

"My God, Ace, this is your father!" You said looking closely at the photo, Roger was holding Rouge in his arms and smiling victoriously at his crew.

"I don’t know what the fire boy told you, but they loved each other very much." He said Satch took more photos of a party and Ace’s mom dancing in one with Roger and another with White Beard.

"I’ve never seen her in pictures."

Ace took Rouge’s picture and looked at it carefully with you.

"You took his freckles." You said, pointing out the detail: "And I think the cut of his eyes." You added by ripping out a smile.

"Here are many photos, in that period we sailed together for a long time and all of us can tell you that your father was crazy, crazy, adrenaline and lover of adventures, but he loved your mother so much. I’ve never seen a feeling like there was between them. " Satch had dragged you into a suffocating embrace, and both you and Ace were protesting for respite. Oh, when he was playing big brother.

Izo laughed with Marco and then his eyes fell on a picture of Roger and Rouge together and he couldn’t help but notice the resemblance to the two of you, even Roger used to wear his hair, first straw and then captain’s, on Rouge’s head during a fight.

"And your mother, oh boy was the only one who could get both crews to leave." The voice of White Beard had joined you and you had smiled, beginning to understand a little that nostalgic joy that had invaded his eyes when you and Ace had told him you were engaged.

Ace was incredulous at what he was feeling, you could well imagine the whirlwind of emotions that was passing through his mind as you went into his cabin.

You had talked a lot and seen many photos.

And now you were lying on the bed, the album on Ace’s bedside table, the two of you with no clothes and you on Ace.

"Your mother was a beautiful woman." You said as you caressed her chest slowly.

"I had never seen her in pictures, I knew she was a beautiful woman but it’s strange..." She said Ace while stroking your hair and playing with your locks.

"Strange what?" You asked, stroking his chin and playing with his adam’s apple.

"It’s strange to know that they loved each other and that... that my dad wasn’t actually an asshole who got her pregnant and got himself caught right after." You had perceived the tone full of anxiety of Ace and with a caress you invited him to continue talking: "Garp always spoke to me as a marine, but he had never said those things or made me see photos. Now I feel like I don’t know who I am." Ace said stroking your back with his warm palm.

"I know who you are." You said lightly and shoving your elbows on the mattress. Ace looked at you perplexed and you smiled at him lovingly.

"You’re Portuguese D. Ace." You said kissing him on the lip. Ace laughed in the kiss and squeezed you, harpooning your flesh with his fingers.

"You’re the man I love, and that’s good enough for me." You said sitting on him, Ace lifted his torso, and he didn’t stop squeezing your butt. He kissed you, because at that point words were no longer needed among you.

You could feel his heart beating strong, following the rhythm of your heartbeat.

Your tongues danced among them, constantly searching for each other in a kiss that forced you to take oxygen for how intense it was.

More kisses followed as Ace entered you and began to push without respite.

You held on to him, and you let your instincts guide you.

You didn’t object when Ace had you placed on the mattress, you opened your legs better to welcome it all inside you. And he smothered his pleasure as he bit your breasts.

You bit his shoulder so as not to scream when you went back to being on him and started fighting back at his push, until you were both seized with satisfaction.

Three hours later you were lying on the bed again, drenched in sweat with a crumpled sheet to cover you and with your breath short and your pulse racing.

Ace’s lips leaving a kiss on your forehead kept you from falling asleep right away.

"The South route won’t be as quiet as it used to be." Ace said, starting to play with your locks of hair. He was right, the appearance of Shiki meant only one thing, the old systems had started to move.

Your eyes were full of sleep and exhaustion, which is why you fell asleep under Ace’s caresses.

Your boyfriend noticed it and smiled, he decided not to wake up because of the worries there was still time and enjoying your relaxed face was a vision he would never give up.

Ace looked at the picture of his parents, the one you had put inside a frame, and smiled bitterly, he did not know the details of their love story, but of one thing he was sure he would never give up on you to pursue an ideal or a dream.

He would not have done as his father, maybe he had even gone away to protect his beloved, but Ace would never have acted like that, on the contrary he would have fought until his fire had gone out.

And he would burn the world for you.

The route south had become more dangerous, but he didn’t care, Ace had you by his side.

[vulcan-bourbon]

writober 2023

Day 8 - Recklessness

— What’s the most reckless thing you could do for me? — Grian said thoughtfully, looking at his beloved guys sitting next to him.

Scar and Mumbo looked at each other.

Mumbo looked at Scar with the eyes of a man who had worked all night. His black suit, hair and even his mustache were covered with a thin coating of red dust, which shimmered in the weak light of day, making Jumbo, with his pale skin, resemble a vampire.

Scar sat in his green robes as an elf prince, running his fingers through his long brown hair and twirling it around his fingers. Emerald eyes full of wisdom and catastrophism at the same time, and a sly smile on her lips.

- What would you like, my dear bird? – Scar drawled sweetly, turning his gaze to Grian and resting his chin on his palm.

- Something reckless! — Avian’s eyes light up with a playful fire.

— Explosion of the entire server? - says Mumbo thoughtfully. — Xisuma will kill us.

- It is naive to think that our personal catastrophism will not want something that could cause us problems later. - Scar laughs in response.

- Let's marry each other! - Grian suddenly says, jumping on the spot and looking from one guy to another.

Mumbo blushes in response, not expecting such a turn, and Scar laughs loudly:

— I wouldn’t say it’s reckless, but why not.

// english is not my native language, I hope for your understanding,,,,,,,,,,,

[danielsarmand]

writober 2023 | DAY ONE · rustle

The rustling of leaves wakes Gale up, as it does most nights.

Before Mystra, or rather before the Orb, he’d never had trouble sleeping. Even after, his constant search for a cure often left him exhausted well before dinnertime, head aching from all the information he’d forced himself to take in during the day. He slept heavy then, if not easy—a deep, dreamless slumber that temporarily stopped his body from craving, demanding. Threatening.

But tonight, as most nights as of late, he wakes.

Astarion approaches his bedroll shortly after. Gale doesn’t bother opening his eyes.

“You seriously have to stop that,” he mutters, low enough that the others don’t so much as stir in their sleep. He hears Astarion huff, and he can almost picture him rolling his eyes with it. He smiles a little, despite himself.

“You’re no fun,” Astarion says, backing off. He settles down in front of the fire then, his thirst mostly quenched from his nightly walk in the woods.

They’ve talked about this, more or less. And really, it’s not that Gale doesn’t want to let him drink. He wouldn’t mind it, he thinks. He would even, to an extent, enjoy it—not that Astarion needs to know. But at this rate his blood is no better than a sewer rat’s, he’d estimate. So really, it’s for the best.

“Oh, Astarion,” he says, turning on his side to finally look at him.

His pale skin glows in the moonlight, flames burn in his eyes. He’s untouchable in all the ways that matter, yet still somehow less so than Gale.

“I fear you'll have to live with it.”

[aramis-dagaz]

Writober Day 9: Veil, Cute

((Jacky is from Faded Scars and used with permission))

It was like entering another world the moment they stepped inside.  Jacky could identify the exact moment her nose was enveloped by the heavy scent of spices, incense, and exotic wood.  Shelves and tables everywhere held all manner of artifacts, art objects, and who knew what else from lands far away.  Carpets, tapestries, and billowing lengths of gossamer cloth threaded with gold, silver, and other metallic threads covered just about every other surface not displaying wares for sale.  They all could’ve been mere knicknacks in their home country, but Jacky couldn’t tell just by looking at them.  They might as well all be valuable treasures, any one of which could be hers for the right price.

They walked further into the shop, the tables and shelves seemingly guiding them deeper inside, the wares on display becoming more ornate and otherworldly to further entice them.  Jacky had never been inside this place, but had heard plenty of stories and rumors.  It was indeed as wondrous as they said.

A short, slender feline stood against the back wall, whittling away at a piece of wood with a simple knife that nevertheless glittered in the soft, warm light.  Compared to the breathtaking sights around them, she was dressed in a comparatively simple tunic and trousers, though the subdued embroidery of her clothes revealed their foreign origins.  She looked up at them as they approached, a thin cigar or incense stick in her teeth wreathing her scowling face with heavily spiced smoke.  She silently pulled back a gauzy curtain, revealing an open door leading into a dark room.  She jerked a hand with two thumbs on it into the back room.

Jacky glanced back at Rails, who seemed to be less entranced with the place than she was.  He curtly nodded at the feline and ducked his head as he stepped through the doorway.  Jacky followed him, the door closing behind them and leaving them in momentary darkness as their eyes adjusted.  The cloying scents of incense and spices were stronger here, along with a strangely alluring perfume and what smelled like…coffee, unlike any she had ever smelled before.

“Welcome, friends,” a voice purred in the dim light.  A soft red glow appeared, briefly illuminating a dark feline face and glittering golden lines around ears and half-lidded eyes.  The glow dimmed, and thin, exotic-smelling tobacco smoke billowed out towards them in intricate, graceful curls.  “Please, have a seat.  You’ve come a long way and faced many dangers to return my cargo back to me, so make yourselves comfortable.”

They stepped towards the low table before them, settling down in low papasan seats filled with lush cushions and pillows.  Laying back in them gave Jacky the sensation of being gently enveloped by the arms of a tall, handsome man dressed in fine silks.  She cleared her throat nervously and leaned forward so she was sitting upright.

The dim light from several lamps and lanterns around the room grew slowly brighter, revealing their host and the shop’s proprietor, Polgara the Antiquarian.  She lounged languidly on a low couch dressed in a white silk dress trimmed with turquoise beads and golden thread.  Her black fur was highlighted by golden paint around her eyes and arms, with simple golden rings tattooed around the extra fingers and thumbs on her hands.  One such eight-fingered hand held a thin, straight pipe made from gold and ebony, trailing thin lines of smoke into the heavily-scented air.

Polgara gave them a smile that was both sly and warm.  “Refreshments?  I imagine you are still weary from your journey.  Tea?  Coffee?  Something stronger?  Or perhaps more soothing?”

“Tea, ma’am,” Rails said.  “Surprise me, I have a feeling you have quite the variety.”

“Oh, most certainly,” Polgara replied.  She turned to Jacky.  She suddenly felt she was simultaneously being given the slender feline’s full attention while she was calculating several moves ahead.  Jacky felt more than a little ill-prepared to engage with this woman about the weather, let alone any kind of business dealings.

“Er, uh, I think I smelled some coffee coming in here.  I’d like some of that, if you don’t mind,” she said, feeling a bit awkward.  “Uh, sweet, if that’s okay.  I’m not a fan of bitter coffee.”  She hoped she didn’t insult their host with the particular request.

Polgara’s thin, gold-painted eyebrows rose, impressed and intrigued.  “Ah, a very good nose you have.  I think I have just the thing for you.”  She gracefully turned the bowl of her thin pipe down, gently tapping it against a shallow, polished brass bowl, sending a beautiful, bell-like chime ringing throughout the room.

Jacky shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  Rails spoke and dressed properly and carried himself like a gentleman, even after hopping off a train that escaped a running gun battle.  She was just a rough gunslinger whose only good quality was that her manners weren’t quite as coarse as others of her ilk.  She hoped they would get paid soon after the drinks so they could be on their way.  She didn’t belong in circles like this.

The scent of sweet cream and coffee filled her nostrils and she looked over at her elbow.  Resting on a small tray was a delicately ornate cup filled with a frothy dark liquid.  She looked around, but couldn’t see where the cup had come from.  She glanced back over at Polgara, who gazed back with eyes touched with silent laughter as elegantly inhaled from her pipe.

Jacky picked up the cup, inhaling the steam deeply.  It smelled heavenly.  Sweet, but not excessively so, with the warm, earthy scent of exquisite coffee.  This was such a far cry from the swill she normally had in tin pots over campfires that were practically burned into bitter tar.  This was truly something else.  She could just sit here and smell it without tasting a drop and it would be a wondrous experience all of its own.

She took a sip, and nearly sighed in delight.  Whatever was used to sweeten it was amazing in its own right, rich cream heightened by just the right amount of sugar and vanilla.  But the coffee itself, she was used to having to counter overpowering bitterness with overpowering sweetness.  Though strong and robust in flavor, it complemented the sweetness, seemingly welcoming it into itself.  It was a brew that she had been seeking her entire life and resigned to never finding.

“Everything to your liking, I trust?” Polgara said, her purring voice gently interrupting her reverie.

“Exquisite, as always,” Rails said, his rough voice sounding smoother and content.

Jacky started when she realized she had been spoken to.  “Oh!  Uh, it’s…it’s very good, ma’am.  My, um, compliments to your–”  Dangit, what was that fancy word?  “–to whoever made it.”

Polgara smiled and nodded her head to them in a seated bow.  “It’s the least I can do.  After all, you’ve done a great service for me.  Speaking of which…”  She tapped the spent tobacco from her pipe, the brass bowl ringing again.  The scent of exotic wood and a muffled jingling of coins drew Jacky and Rails’s attention to the space between them, revealing a small chest of reddish brown wood and golden metal.  Rails carefully picked up the chest and opened it, revealing a pile of shining silver pesos.  Jacky couldn’t help but be awed: she’d seen the silver coins before, mostly chopped up into smaller bits, but never so many in one place.  They looked like they were straight from the mint.  She was expecting to be paid with a stack of banknotes.

“Everything we agreed upon is there, though feel free to count them if you’d like,” Polgara continued.  “And keep the box, to help you carry it all.”  Jacky tried to keep herself from choking on her coffee.  The box alone was likely worth half of all the coins contained within.

“Thank you for your generosity, and I trust everything is as it should be,” Rails replied.  “You’ve dealt with me fairly before.”

“And such pleasurable and profitable dealings we’ve had, my friend,” Polgara said with a warm smile.  “In fact, I have another proposition for you.”  She glanced over at Jacky, her eyes enigmatic and calculating.  “For both of you, if you are interested.”

Rails looked over to Jacky, gauging her interest.  She shifted in her seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the attention.  “Well, I’m willing to hear you out, ma’am,” she finally said.

“Wonderful!” Polgara said, as though refusal hadn’t entered her mind.  “You see, the cargo I had you retrieve is already sold to a customer up in San Lantros along with several other items.  After this…debacle…with transporting it here I need to make sure the shipment is well protected by people who are capable, people who I can trust.”  Her eyes flicked between Rails and Jacky.  “You two are more than capable, and if Rails trusts you–” she gazed deeply at Jacky “–then so do I.

“Of course, you won’t be doing this without ample compensation, thus my proposal.  As it turns out, the railroad company that owned the train had written off the rolling stock and cargo as a loss and sold the salvage rights off to recoup said losses.  Given that you recovered everything almost entirely intact, said salvage rights amounted to buying a fully-loaded train for a song.”  She inhaled from her pipe, smiling deviously.  “Oh, and what a song it was.  It’ll stay within my heart for quite a while.”

She leaned forward, slowly twirling her pipe in her many-fingered hand.  “I’d like to give this train to you, my dear friend.  The cargo I’ve already sold back to their owners, but I know that you’ll turn even an empty train into far more than I can pay you for a simple delivery.  Just make its first run to my customer in San Lantros, and it’s all yours.  What say you, dear friends?”

Rails was quiet for a while, his face pensive under his mask as he quickly calculated the business he could conduct with such a gift.  Jacky suspected it was merely a formality for his own sake, as when he finally answered it sounded like what he wanted to say right from the start.  “With such generosity, how can I say no?”  He looked over to Jacky, his mismatched eyes sparkling.  “Of course, I can always use someone who can handle themselves in a fight as a guard.  Up for another job, Jacky?  We can make quite a bit just from a single cargo and mail run up to San Lantros and back.”

Jacky quickly took a long drink from her coffee to give her time to think.  “Well, how much are we talking here?” she asked cautiously.

“Easily two thousand pesos after coaling and maintenance costs, and that’s just from farming and household goods,” he responded with no hesitation.  “You’ll get an equal share of that with an additional crew of about four and a double share going to the operations fund.”

Jacky tried to calculate what that would amount to, but settled on trusting that it would be a lot of money.

“Okay, I’m in,” she said, hoping she hadn’t signed herself up for a world of trouble.  She looked over at Polgara, who was looking exceptionally pleased.  “Any particular trouble we should know about with this shipment?”

Polgara waved a many-fingered hand dismissively.  “It is very valuable, of course, so your standard risks of robbery and other dangers of transporting expensive goods.  If you’re worried about more exotic dangers, well, sorry to disappoint.  I can recommend a few good penny dreadfuls if you want to experience the dangers of running cursed cargo, though.”

“Uh, no thanks.  I’m fine with little excitement in my work.”

“Boring is good, sometimes,” Polgara agreed.  “Now, it will take a week or two to fully transfer the train legally over to you.  The B.R. Central Railroad Company is trying to renege on what amounted to selling their train to me, as is expected.  However, I have a few lawyers who owe a favor or two to me, including a couple on the railroad’s retainer.”  Her grin became downright diabolical.  “Take the time to relax and prepare.  I’ll let you know when your train is ready for you.”

She then leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of her hand.  “Now, tell me how you managed to retrieve this train and its crew from the Lowry Gang,” she purred eagerly.  “I’m certain it was quite exciting…”