#hope you all enjoy!

[creamsickle-writes]

Swimming with Sharks: Arlong x F!Reader

Tags: nsfw, unhealthy relationships (Reader is delusional), Reader is kept as a "pet", masturbation, size difference, double penetration, oral sex, Arlong-typical degradation

There had to have been something wrong with you.

You were enamored with a pirate, which was bad enough on its own, but the situation was even more twisted than that, as the pirate you lusted after was the man who had been holding your village captive for the past eight years. 

Arlong was a horrible, terrible man.

You felt disgusted with yourself. This wasn’t normal, and it certainly wasn’t healthy. This man had killed villagers, recruited a child to join his slimy crew, and was very open about his views on the “inferior” human race. To him, you were nothing more than a piggy bank, offering your tribute as often as he requested.

But whatever god exists is cruel and loves to play jokes.

You couldn’t help but be enchanted by him. Maybe it was his power, tall stature, or something else entirely, but you wanted him more than anything.

To be his was all you ever desired since Arlong arrived years ago, awakening something inside your teenage heart. You had hoped it was just the hormones acting up or some sort of weird phase, but no, you were in your twenties now, and the fish man still made you hot and bothered.

And as much as you wanted to hate him, to loathe and despise him, you couldn’t.  

So when collection day came, you were jittery in anticipation instead of shaking and cowering in fear like an average person would. It was the rare occasion where you got to see him up close, and while he wouldn’t speak with you directly, you would hear his gruff voice ordering his underlings around. 

And today, you were very fortunate as Arlong would grace you with his presence once more. 

When the fishmen enter the village, the place becomes a ghost town, everyone making themselves scarce as they wait for the pirates to bang on their door. 

You peek out the window, your heart racing and your head spinning as you watch them approach your neighbor’s house. You observe in interest, your eyes raking over each man before your eyes finally catch on Arlong, who seems to be conversing with one of his men.

When they head for your door, you’re on the porch before they even get the chance to knock. On the porch are several fishmen, but Arlong seems to be missing. Your face falls in disappointment.

“Well, you’re eager for us to drain your pockets,” one of his crewmates laughs, leaning in to sneer down at you, “Just make sure you hand it all over, or else we’ll have to sic our Captain on you.”

Your ears twitch at that.

You knew what you were thinking was dumb, reckless, and really dangerous, but this was an opportunity to get his attention, and it couldn’t be thrown away.

“Ah, I don’t have any money this month-“you smile nervously, “But maybe I could talk things over with your Captain and-“

As you try to talk your way into meeting with Arlong personally, the fishman you’re speaking to glances over your shoulder, seeing your purse lying on your kitchen table.

“You have nothing, you say?” He asks, clearly not believing a word, “Then what’s this over here?”

He shoves you aside roughly, and you hiss in pain, rubbing the area where he pushed you. 

The man starts digging around in your handbag, retrieving enough berries for his month’s payment and then some. 

You grow hot in embarrassment as he waves the cash in the air before walking towards the door, “Looks like humans are just as dumb as I thought! They can’t even count properly.”

Shit. There goes the money for food.

As the fishman passes the threshold, you hear him call out, “Hey, Arlong! This human was trying to get out of handing over our money!”

And when he emerges from the rabble of men, your heart races in your chest.

“What’s this now?” His low voice inquires, talking more to you than to his subordinate. 

You try to muster the courage to speak, but nothing comes out. Arlong steps forward, crowding your space, and your heartbeat grows louder.

“And why would you ever think of doing that, little human?” The question is definitely more of a threat, and because you are clearly some sort of masochist, your insides throb excitedly. 

You answer honestly, “I-I wanted to get your attention-“

His crew bursts out laughing.

“His attention?”

“It’s like a child!”

“What a strange wish!”

Arlong lets his men laugh for a while, but eventually, he raises a hand, making them quiet down. 

“And why do you want my attention, pitiful little creature?” He smirks, “Maybe you plan to distract me while your fellow humans attempt to attack my men, is that it?”

“N-No sir, I would never!” You exclaim, “I-I just- well-“

Your stammering wears Arlong’s patience thin, “Out with it already.”

“I-I am entranced by you-“you confess, “A-And I- um-“ 

Your sentence trails off as he begins pacing around you in circles, his eyes never leaving you for a moment as if he were appraising you, which, in all fairness, he probably was. 

“So,” he takes some of your hair, allowing it to fall between his fingers as he assesses you closely, “You’re entranced by me, are you? A human that desires a fishman- now that is something I have never seen before…”

Arlong hums, and you squeal as he hooks a finger under your camisole straps, sliding it past your shoulder as if examining the skin underneath. But clearly, he wasn’t; he was just hoping to get into your head.

And it was working, but in a different way than he anticipated.

“For a human,” he starts, “you’re not terrible looking… I’d even say that you are somewhat attractive.”

“T-Thank you,” your voice quivers, “It’s such great praise to hear you say that, sir.”

“Tell me,” he’s behind you now, leaning down to whisper in your ear, “Do you fear me?”

“Y-Yes sir,” you choke out, “Very much-“

“And yet you are aroused by me. Your logical mind tells you to stay away from me, but you listen to your body instead. Humans are such foolish, primitive creatures.” He chuckles darkly before pulling away from your ear and pacing again so he’s in front of you, his dark eyes glued to your face.

Without taking his eyes off you, he speaks to his crew, “We’ll take this one back with us. I’ve always wanted a pet.”

He wickedly smiles at his words and motions for you to follow when he turns on his heels. You hear several fellow villagers sob when they see you leaving your house with the pirates. They must believe that you are about to be killed, and for all you know, their beliefs could be correct, but in your heart, you don’t believe Arlong will slaughter you.

You hope and pray that your instincts are correct.

The walk to Arlong Park isn’t long, and soon you’re in front of the towering structure. You’ve never seen it up close before, and the building’s intense aura washes over you; the once faraway symbol of your oppression was now directly suffocating you.

“Come,” Arlong orders, and you scurry to his side, “This will be your new place of residence. You will eat when I say so and sleep only where I allow.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

He laughs, “Finally, a human that knows their place.”

He enters the pagoda, and you try to keep up, walking briskly to keep time with his long strides. Arlong leads you upstairs to a rather large bedroom, a bed built for a man of his stature sitting in the middle. 

He sits at the edge of the bed and beckons you to come close. You obey without question, standing before him, your hands placed timidly in front of you. 

“Remove your clothing,” he commands suddenly, “Make it quick.”

You scramble to remove your top and slide your shorts off your thighs, kicking them to the side. You’re left only in your underwear, your bra never touching your chest today. You hesitate momentarily when your fingers brush over your underwear’s waistband. 

“S-Sorry, I’m a bit nervous-“you confess, “No one’s ever seen me naked before-“

“I don’t care about your sentimentality. Although,” Arlong smirks, his eyes raking over your body, “the knowledge that I am the first to lay eyes on you is quite amusing...”

His tone’s clear hunger flusters you, and you slip your panties off, stepping out of them and tossing them aside with your other clothes.

He stands up, towering before you as he looks you over. Without warning, he roughly grabs one of your breasts, causing you to gasp.

“Your breasts barely fill my hand,” he scoffs, squeezing the flesh almost painfully tight, “but what else did I expect? Your body is so pitifully small.”

He huffs and releases you, kneeling before you to examine your exposed pussy. You’re about to cover it up, but Arlong beats you to the punch, using his webbed fingers to spread your lips instead. 

“But because you’re so small, I imagine you’ll feel much better around me.”

Your face burns with embarrassment yet anticipation as he slides a finger over your slit. You let out a soft gasp, jolting upright at the touch. He lets out a booming laugh.

“How sensitive!” He mocks you, “I barely graze you, and you jump like a scared cat!”

He removes his hand from your body and stands up, humming to himself, “Yes, I think I’ll make quite good use of you.”

That’s all he says before he walks past you, approaching the door. 

You stutter out, “I-Is that all?”

“For now, yes.” Looking over his shoulder, he simply states, “I have more important things that need my attention at the moment.”

And with that, he leaves, slamming the door shut behind him. 

You were now left alone in what you assumed were his personal quarters. 

And the reality of the situation finally sets in: you were taken as Arlong’s plaything. You would probably never get to go back to your regular life ever again. You had signed yourself, body and soul, over to him. 

The thought both terrified and excited you.

___

Days pass, and you slowly adjust to your situation, if only slightly. You don’t see Arlong often, and when you do, he barely acknowledges your presence. You figured the unspoken rule was that only Arlong could treat you poorly if desired and that anyone else injuring or degrading you would end in disaster. 

And while you enjoyed their kind treatment, you were still chasing after Arlong’s approval and attention.

You wanted him to want you, desire you, maybe even love you. You felt stupid for even falling for a man like him in the first place, and yet here you were, throwing yourself at his feet like a dog.

You sighed as you thought this over in your bed; life wasn’t terrible here, but you wished things could be different. You had your own room but wished you could sleep in his. He wasn’t abusing you, but you wished you had his praise.

The night drags on, and you lay awake in bed, the sounds of the fishmen drinking and laughing rising from outside to your window. You didn’t attend the party tonight, the smell of alcohol and loud conversations not sounding appealing to you today. 

You tried closing your eyes to get some rest, but you weren’t tired.

And your mind suddenly remembers that day.

You remember how he touched you the day he took you in, how he grabbed your breast. Your hand slides up to your chest, squeezing harshly to recreate the feeling. It’s not the same, but the sensation reminds you of that moment.

Your body grows excited at the memory.

You bite your lip as your other hand slips between your legs, teasingly sliding over your clothed slit. A moan bubbles up in your throat, and you don’t bother quieting yourself; everyone is outside at the party, so certainly, they wouldn’t hear you. 

You rub slow circles into your clit, your back arching slightly as pleasure runs through your body. 

Tired of the teasing, you pull your pajama shorts off your body, your underwear following soon behind, and spread your legs eagerly. As your fingers slide over your slit, you imagine Arlong above you, his fingers teasing your most intimate area. 

You slide a finger inside but quickly opt for two, trying to replicate how full his fingers would make you feel.

You finger yourself, curling your fingers upwards to stimulate your g-spot. Your mind goes crazy imagining the dirty things he would say to you, and you move your fingers even faster, mashing your sensitive spot the way you imagined he would. 

It doesn’t take long to cum, and you’re embarrassed when you realize the thought of him made you orgasm so quickly. 

You pull out your fingers, your cum coating them completely. You go to your personal bathroom and prepare to wash your hands and clean your slit.

But for some reason, you feel as though you’re being watched. 

You timidly walk back into your bedroom to check things out and jump as you see Arlong sliding open your bedroom door, inviting himself into your space. 

You scramble to cover your exposed lower half with still dirty hands, your cum smearing over your pubic mound as you shield yourself, “A-Arlong- sir! I didn’t know you were back-” 

“I heard you made yourself scarce,” Arlong hums in an uncharacteristically soft tone, “Everyone was asking about you.”

“About me?” You point to yourself in disbelief.

“Yes, but…” his eyes rake over you, “now I can see you were occupied…” 

You shake your head, “W-What? No-“

“Don’t deny it; I could smell the filthy scent of your arousal before I even entered the room.”

His words send a jolt down your spine. You look away in embarrassment, refusing to look him in the eyes.

Arlong smirks, approaching you slowly, his fingers finding their way around your chin and jerking your head upwards so you would look at him.

His voice lowers, his eyes boring into your soul, “And just what were you imagining that aroused you?”

You stutter, unable to answer him, but Arlong expected that you wouldn’t respond in the first place.

He takes your hand, lifting it up to see the mess you had made moments prior. You want to hide it, but fighting him would only test his patience.

His finger swipes over the cum that covers your digits, the webbed appendage collecting the fluid.

He lifts it up to your lips, demanding, “Open.”

You obey immediately, taking his fingers into your mouth. Your tongue slides against his skin, cleaning his digits as thoroughly as possible. 

“Disgusting human,” he smirks, “You’ll even lick your own cum off my fingers- absolutely revolting.”

Your face heats up at his insult, and despite his degrading words, you keep licking, sucking them clean. Hell, you keep sucking even when you know nothing is left on his fingers. And when he growls lowly, you can tell the sight affects him. 

“Disgusting human indeed,” he hums, looking down at you in disdain, “Look how you react to the mere taste of my fingers… Do you desire more of me now?” 

You nod eagerly, pulling his fingers from your mouth, “I-I want you more than anything. I’ve wanted you for so long-“

He growls at your words yet again and presses his body against yours; however, with his height, his crotch is pressed against your chest. 

“Desperate thing. You spend all night with your hands in your panties, yet you still crave more.” Arlong tsks, “But it’s no wonder; you were left with only those small fingers of yours. There’s no way something so small can satisfy anyone, not even a human.”

You whine as his words rile you up, your pussy aching for more stimulation, “N-No, I need something more… m-maybe something that only a man your size could provide...”

“Is that right…?” He chuckles a bit at your words.

Your tongue darts over your lips quickly as you reach for the waistband of his pants. He looks down at you with a glint in his eye and a smug grin. He isn’t stopping you; you take that as a good sign. 

And if that wasn’t convincing enough, he even says, “Go ahead, pitiful thing…”

You nod and pull his pants down along with his undergarments and gasp in shock. 

You weren’t exactly familiar with the differences between fishmen and human anatomy. Of course, you knew they had gills or lungs that were different from yours; they might have tentacles or webbed fingers or things of that nature, but.. you never thought that something like this would be different.

Your mouth gapes in surprise as you see not one but two appendages between his legs. They’re shaped differently than you anticipated, the shafts slender with a slight curve. After he steps out from the discarded garments, you curiously reach a hand out and grab it, testing how the lengthy appendage feels in your hands.

It’s warm, and you gasp when you see the precum dripping onto your hands; its consistency is watery, and it seems to come out like a faucet. You blush at how it effortlessly lubricates your hands, allowing you to stroke even faster. 

As you stroke the cock that is on top, you nearly forget the other shaft until it twitches excitedly, hitting your hand and smearing the cum over your wrist. You hurriedly grab the other cock, trying to stroke both simultaneously. 

“Ah, I can barely get my hands around them…” You laugh nervously, “They’re huge-”

Arlong gives a cocky, lop-sided smirk, looking down at you as you struggle to wrap your hands around his two shafts. 

“The sight of you struggling is pathetic, but…” You gasp as, in an instant, he grabs you, lifting you in the air, “I can’t deny some part of me finds it rather endearing as well.”

Your face lights up in a bright blush at the surprising praise. Your legs wrap around his waist as he sits on the bed, leaning back until his head hits the pillows. Your body is pressed against his, and you gasp as the slick appendages slide against your thigh.

“Go on and finish what you started,” He growls lowly in a seductive tone, “Prove to me just how badly you need me, and if you do well, I’ll reward you.”

You whimper as he takes your chin in hand, tilting your head so you look directly into his eyes, “Does that sound exciting, little one?”

Your heart stops at what sounds like a term of endearment. 

“Y-Yes-” You breathe out, almost in a trance, “Yes, I’ll earn that reward, sir. I’ll do my best.”

“Good,” He hums, “Remove your shirt. I wish to see all of you before we begin…”

You nod and grab the bottom of your shirt, lifting it over your head and off your body.

You leave little kisses in your wake as you crawl down his body. Each kiss shows reverence as you worship his body, your lips trailing from his chest to his stomach and finally to the base of his first cock. When you reach it, you gulp as you ponder how to approach this. You’ve never pleased a man before, and definitely not a man with not one large shaft but two. 

But you had to try.

You bite your lip as your hands attempt to wrap around both dicks at the same time. Now that your face is level with them, you realize they’re both larger than your head; you begin to wonder just how they’ll fit if Arlong decides to claim you. Will he be merciful and only fuck you with one?

You abandon the thought as quickly as it came; clearly, he wasn’t the merciful type.

You would have to be able to take both at once.

The idea terrifies and excites you.

Your grip is firm as you begin stroking them, glancing up at him with nervous eyes before your gaze flickers back to the task at hand. You moan softly as you watch his cocks jolt and throb under your touch, your pussy growing wet again as you imagine how they would feel stuffed inside you.

“Don’t keep me waiting,” He growls, but you’re surprised at how soft and affectionate it sounds. It almost sounds like a gentle suggestion instead of a command.

You nod and lean forward, taking one of the cocks into your mouth slowly. You take it a bit farther than you anticipated, but probably because of how tapered the tip is. You bob your head slowly, stroking the rest of the shaft with one hand while your hand continues coaxing precum out of the other.

Arlong hums in appreciation, and you melt when his hand pushes back your hair, encouraging you to keep going.

You switch to the other shaft, attempting to take as much down your throat as possible. 

In your overzealous attempt, you gag around his cock, and you grow embarrassed. You pull off instantly and begin profusely apologizing: “I-I’m sorry, sir! I-I really am just as disgusting as you say I-”

He cuts you off, “That’s bound to happen. Keep going until I order you to stop.”

Your eyes widen in surprise; was gagging like that normal? He didn’t seem put off by it at all…

You bite your lip before trying again, this time sucking on the cock that rests above the other. You try pacing yourself for your second deepthroating attempt; even though he wasn’t angry about the gagging sounds, you didn’t want to actually throw up around him.

You slowly bob your head, ensuring both hands are full of him, and begin hollowing your cheeks, attempting to make a tighter hole for his pleasure. You inevitably gag again as his cock hits the back of your throat, but soon enough, it gets easier, and you’re able to take him down even further. You hit the halfway point before deciding not to push your luck, determining this was your limit. Soon enough, you find a rhythm, bobbing your head for some time before pulling off his shaft, your tongue swirling around the tapered head to coax out more precum. Eventually, you switch back and forth between the two dicks, trying your best to give both an equal amount of attention.

As you please him, you can’t help but sneak glances at his face, ensuring he’s enjoying himself.

Each time you look at him, his brows are furrowed as his eyes are shut tight, quiet grunts escaping his throat. Your pussy throbs as he gets more vocal, and you can’t help but to whine around his shaft, voicing your frustrations as your holes feel terribly empty.

Your needy sounds don’t go unnoticed.

“Oh,” he coos, clearly belittling you, “It sounds like you’re growing antsy… Was there something you wanted, little human?”

You pull off his cock with your tongue lolling out of your mouth. You breathe heavily, your eyes pleading as you beg, “Please, sir. I need you in me-”

He gives a cocky smirk, “I’m already in your mouth, and yet you want more? You’re a greedy little thing…”

“Please, I’m begging,” You whine, “I need you inside me- Please, sir, fuck me-!”

He hums, his interest clearly piqued by your desperate begging, “And why do you deserve it, hm? What have you done to deserve such an honor?”

You part your lips to answer, but your mind goes blank.

“Go on,” He puts on the pressure, “Speak.”

You finally stutter, “I don’t deserve them, but I’ll do anything to earn them. I-I’ll swallow all your cum, I-I’ll let you use my body any way you like, just please- please fill me up and fuck me until I can’t think-”

Your face radiates warmth as you realize what you just said; you hadn’t meant to sound so desperate, but god, as your slick drips onto the bed under you, you can’t lie: you really will do anything for him to take you. 

Arlong makes an amused little sound; it seems your babbling has caught his interest.

You give one final push, “Please give me a purpose; please let me be useful to you, sir. I’m begging you to use my body- I want to please you- please, let me be a good girl for you-“

“Mm, what a good little human you are,” he hums, his tone patronizing as he looks down at you, “So eager to please… It would be a waste to not take advantage of your devotion and desperation…”

Your eyes light up, and your heart races, excited that he’s finally accepted you.

“Now…” He hums, “How should I take you…”

You shudder as his eyes rake over your body before he motions for you to sit on him. You straddle him and gasp when he holds your hips, his large hands encapsulating your waist. Your heart pounds as he lines one of his cocks up with your pussy, your juices dripping onto him. He laughs a bit when he feels the slick oozing onto him but doesn’t say anything, not about your arousal anyway.

“While I may be a demanding master, I am not heartless…” He says, rubbing the tip of one of his cocks against your entrance, “You’ll take just one first before I add the second…”

Your throat goes dry, but you nod, steadying yourself by planting your hands on his broad chest. 

You wince and hiss in pain when he begins to lower you onto his shaft. Even though it’s barely inside you, it already feels like it’s too much to bear. But you attempt to endure it and keep your pained sounds to a minimum, not wanting Arlong to get annoyed by your discomfort. 

Your thighs shake, and eventually, you feel his pelvis pressed against your mound. You whimper as you feel completely stuffed, your stomach bulging slightly as he finally sheathes himself within you. A shaky sigh leaves your lips as, for the first time, you’re filled by someone else.

You’re surprised when he doesn’t order you to move immediately, giving you a few moments to adjust.

It’s almost like he actually cares about you.

As you’re seated on top of him, his hands reach out to knead your breasts, his thumbs sliding over your hardened nipples. You whine shamelessly, rocking your hips back and forth as you grind your clit into his pelvis. 

“Look at you,” He chuckles, “Rubbing your needy clit against anything you can… I’m starting to think it’s not humans as a whole that are this desperate, but just you in particular.”

Your face burns in shame as he calls out your slutty behavior, but that doesn’t stop you. In fact, it only encourages you to begin riding him, sliding maybe an inch or so upwards before slowly sinking back down. You try to move slowly and carefully as you’re stretched beyond your limits, the pain still stinging as you begin fucking yourself.

And after some time, you release that it actually feels really good-

Your mouth hangs open as you take him with deeper strokes, your hips lifting up to the halfway point before slamming down. Your loud moans and whines fill the room as you fuck him, his cock hitting all the right spots. You begin to drool as his cock slams against your cervix, making your legs feel weak. You start to melt atop him, your thrusts growing sporadic and sloppy.

Arlong tsks as he watches you fall apart, your face nuzzled in his chest as you pathetically grind and frantically slam your hips against his.

“Is this really your best effort?” He teases, “I thought you said you would please me… and yet here you are, only using me for your pleasure. How selfish, little human…”

“I-I’m sorry, sir. I promise I can be useful-” You begin to babble, “I can be a good girl- I can take whatever you give me- fuck me- please- use me-”

Arlong clicks his tongue before gripping your waist and slamming into you on his own. You gasp sharply as he hits your furthest walls and begins his relentless assault.

“You are so pathetic,” He growls, “I’ll just have to fuck into you myself as if you were an object.”

And he does precisely that, his thrusts from below causing your body to jolt and jostle above him. You feel your brain go numb, every thought you could possibly have leaving your head. Your body works purely on instinct, grabbing his shoulders as your face rests on his chest, your drool beginning to leak onto his skin. The sounds of skin smacking against itself fills the room, along with wet squelches. 

“I’m so close-” You say dumbly, “Please, let me cum! Please-!”

“Good girl, asking for permission,” He grunts, “Go ahead.”

Your legs shake violently, and your back aches as your cunt squeezes him tight, attempting to milk him. But he doesn’t climax, not yet; You’re the only one reaching that beautiful high, your voice growing raspy as you cry out for him. Your nails dig into his chest and shoulders as you try to grip onto something, anything, to keep you grounded. You feel as though your soul is floating out of your body.

It’s the most intense orgasm you’ve ever had in your life, without a doubt.

As you’re left panting, attempting to recover from the intense experience, Arlong laughs at you; but to your surprise, it’s not malicious. He seems genuinely amused, even proud, at how he caused such a reaction from you.

“Look at you…” He hums, his hands raking over your body, his palms running over your hips and chest before reaching your cheeks, “You’re exhausted, and I’ve hardly begun using you…”

Your body feels limp as he lifts you up, attempting to place you on your hands and knees before him. But you can’t do it; your knees wobble, and your thighs shake as a warning before you fall forward, falling flat on your face. You try to lift yourself up, but even your arms feel boneless.

Arlong lets out an amused sound, “It seems you can no longer hold yourself up… It looks like I will have to support you myself…”

You let out a drawn-out groan as Arlong picks you up like a doll, flipping you around and holding you close to him as he stands beside the bed. Your legs dangle as your thighs are pressed to his sides, one of his shafts poking against your sopping wet entrance.

“I let you off easy earlier,” He whispers, “But you’ve proven that you can handle one, so now you will take both…. I expect that you won’t complain.”

You nodded your head; while you were exhausted, you were also more than eager to cum again. Though, as you feel them both press against your hole, a feeling of uncertainty pokes and prods at you.

But you ignore it.

Arlong is able to lift your body with one hand, balancing you in his palm as if you are weightless. With his other hand, he takes both shafts, lining them up before pressing them both inside. 

At first, it isn’t difficult to accept them both; his dicks are tapered at the top, meaning the initial stretch isn’t too bad. But then he keeps pulling you down, inch by inch, penetrating you. You grit your teeth as the feeling nearly feels unbearable, your hole clinging to his shafts as you are stretched more than ever. 

You throw your arms around his neck and bury your face into his shoulder, biting your lip as you whine. 

Your sounds grow louder as he lifts your hips, guiding you up and down on his cocks. He thrusts into you fast, not giving you time to adjust the way you did before. You feel as though you could split in two, but there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.

You moan desperately into his shoulder, babbling and whining as you’re tossed around like an object. The whole ordeal is so humiliating, but you can’t deny that you are enjoying it all the same.

“I knew you were greedy,” He grunts, “But this is ridiculous; You’re stuffed full, and all you can do is whine and beg for more. You are the most shameless human I’ve ever known.”

Your lip quivers as you try to form words, but your vocal cords fail you; all you can do is whine and moan, clinging tight to his body. 

He laughs at your desperation, “Though, it’ll be nice to have a toy so eager to be used. I’ll keep you for quite a while, I imagine..”

He continues his fast and harsh pace, bringing you closer and closer to the edge once more. Your legs quiver, and your body grows terribly hot, sweat building on your skin. You hold your breath as you ready yourself for your climax, the lack of oxygen making your head dizzy. And, in your dazed state, you lift your head and smash your lips against his. 

And, to your surprise, he actually kisses you back.

With your lips pressed against his and your fingers tangled in his thick, dark hair, you finally release.

He grunts loudly into your lips, and with one final forceful thrust, you feel your insides flood with warmth. His hips slow, and with your cavern too stuffed for anything else to fit, his cum begins to dribble out of you. 

Your lips part, and you stutter, “I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to kiss you without your permission!”

He only rolls his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips, “And yet I feel as though you’re only apologizing because you did so without permission, not because you’re actually sorry.”

You avert your eyes, and you feel yourself slowly lowered onto the bed, your back caressed by the soft sheets. 

“I will say,” He begins, “I enjoyed your sudden display of boldness; it just shows how excited you were in the moment… I will allow it for now.”

Your eyes widen at his pardon, and you nod slowly, “Thank you, sir.”

“Now, rest easy, little human.” He says quietly, stepping back once you rest entirely on the bed.

“Wait,” You interject, propping yourself on your elbows, “You’re leaving?”

He laughs as if dismissing you, “Were you expecting me to stay with you?”

Your heart feels a pang of pain, and you visibly deflate, clearly disappointed. Of course, this entire thing meant nothing to him, and while you should’ve expected this, it didn’t make it hurt any less. Your eyes trail off, looking down at the edge of the bed as you fill with this indescribable loneliness. 

His eyes linger on you for a moment and you can’t help but look up at him, trying to discern why he hasn’t abandoned you yet.

“Most masters don’t sleep in the same beds as their pets. But…” he hums, “I suppose for humans, it is a fairly common occurrence…”

You perk up at his words. 

Is he saying what you think he is…?

“I will allow it just this once,” He insists, “But never again, do you understand?”

And that’s good enough for you because you knew owners who insisted on such things never kept their word.

#cream's fics #arlong x reader #arlong #one piece smut #x reader #fanfiction #it ended up being longer than anticipated #hope you all enjoy!

[falllpoutboy]

they'll talk about us, all the lovers

JB to Sober II (Melodrama) by Lorde

#jaime x brienne #braime #jaime lannister #brienne of tarth #my edits #game of thrones #asoiaf #sorry to those who voted for batb a few weeks ago lol #hope you all enjoy! #a fanfic update and a new edit within a week im just too good

[soranatus]

Bruce/Talia + The Heart

Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight // Detective Comics #1071 variant cover by Ivan Reis // Justice League: Mortal // Detective Comics #1061 cover by Ivan Reis // Detective Comics #750 // Batman: Masterpieces by Dermot Power // Batman & Spider-Man: New Age Dawning

#dc comics #Detective Comics #batman #bruce wayne #talia al ghul #Brutalia #art #words #writing #poetry #my edit #comicedit #web weaving #my first crack at one of these #hope you all enjoy!

[thevoiceofdesertbluffs]

The Solar Eclipse: Night Vale Edition

unblurred Cecil

+ ceciless kevin

#wtnv #welcome to night vale #cecil gershwin palmer #kevin wtnv #wtnv fanart #gart #i am a very fan of this drawing... #happy w the idea of it + the result! #anyways reblogs very appreciated! meow meow #hope you all enjoy!

[black-and-yellow]

It's here.

Have you ever wanted to pat Mic like a drum? Have you ever wanted to press his nose and have it make a squeaky toy noise? Have you ever wanted to spawn in a tiny Aizawa and poke him? Have you ever wanted the background to change depending on the time of day? Well great news! With Present Mic Patting Simulator: Redux now you can do all that, and more.

Check out the shop, check out the wardrobe, explore all of Midnight's dialogue options (all 5 and a bit!). Follow the link in the title and explore all the wonders of PMPS-R.

Thank you to everyone who made suggestions, especially that one anon (you know who you are (but I don't)).

#present mic patting simulator #scratch game #bnha #mha #present mic #hizashi yamada #shouta aizawa #kayama nemuri #i may keep adding stuff in the future so if anyone has any ideas #you know what to do #also let me know if you find any bugs #hope you all enjoy! #PMPSR

[kithtaehyung]

6 YEARS WITH AGUST D (2016) ⤷ doolsetbangtan ; ig , twt

#FINALLY DONE :'))) #bts #btsgfx #bangtan #suga #yoongi #agust d #trackofthesoul #houseofddaeng #bangtanbathhouse #btshoneyhive #usersky #shirleytothesea #annietrack #tuserjay #*latest #*gfx #hope you all enjoy! #had to pull out quite a few stops for this one lol #also i recorded the whole process!!

[tizniz]

Fuck It Friday

Tagged by: @theotherbuckley, @diazsdimples, and @jesuisici33

I decided to share some of Cupid!Buck because I'm desperate to share. And I love this universe. And think I need to start posting soon.

Here we go 😈:

The lust that rolls off of them hits him in a wave and he nearly stumbles backwards. He rips his gaze away from them and down to the floor in front of him. Now that he’s noticed the one though, it’s like the other high fly emotions have noticed and are pelting him with renewed vigour. Before he can even blink, they're inside of him. His eyes flutter as the lust and heat washes over him. He feels himself grow tight in his pants. The warm sensation in his chest explodes and spreads through his entire body. He bites his lip to stop himself from moaning. These fiery emotions are coming from every single direction. From the large gathering people in this building.  It’s lust, want, desire, need. It’s a dangerous cocktail that has his head spinning. With effort, Buck opens his eyes, blinking heavily as he does a sweep of the room. Everyone looks like they’re moving in slow motion. Hips grinding against one another, hands exploring curves and lines of bodies, lips moving along sweat-tainted skin. He’s not close enough to anyone to hear the moans and groans of pleasure, the whispered words of intimate promises, the pleas and desires that can only be expressed in the darkness of the room. But it doesn’t matter that he’s here and they’re there, because he can hear it. He can taste the lust like fizz on his tongue, he swallows it down, feeling it slide down his throat and coating his insides with the sensation. He’s burning up from the inside. His fingers twitch at his side, his own desperation growing. And Buck knows if he’s not careful, if he doesn’t get out of here and reign in his control, that it’ll slip out. That he’ll feed into the emotions swirling around this room. “Buck.” He leans into the heated touch on his shoulders, tilting his head to blink over at Eddie. Brown eyes catch the lights, reflecting the yellows and greens back, captivating Buck’s already scattered attention. He feels himself swaying into Eddie, who frowns back at him. “Wh-wha?” Buck chokes out, shaking his head. He needs to get himself under control. He needs to get his hands on Eddie. “You good?” Eddie says, barely heard over the loud music. Buck blinks back at him, staring at Eddie’s mouth. What would it taste like? What would it feel like?

Tagging: @steadfastsaturnsrings, @disasterbuckdiaz, @monsterrae1, @hippolotamus, @daffi-990, @l0v3t0hat3y0u, @cal-daisies-and-briars, @eddiebabygirldiaz, @spotsandsocks, @loserdiaz, @housewifebuck, @evanbegins, @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove and anyone else who wants to join!

(Lemme know if you wanna be added or removed. Some people have already done but want to be tagged for Cupid!Buck)

#this was a fun one to write #hope you all enjoy! #also should i start posting on a03? #cupid!buck #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie #911 fic #911 fanfic #buddie fic #buddie fanfic

[mrsaltieri-real]

Good Boy, Meeks (Mickey Altieri X Randy Meeks)

Words: 2.8k

Warning/s: language, smut, slight dom/sub dynamic, handjobs, blowjob, teasing, cum eating, cum play, filming/sex tape, hair pulling, Randy’s a nervous wreck, Mickey’s a teasing ass, implied stalking, frenemies to fuck buddies.

A/N: SO this is my first fic that is two canon characters. No reader insert, no OC. Just Mickey and Randy. The Film Bro’s™️. This was ridiculously fun to write, I’m definitely going to do stuff like this more often. I love them so much. Thank you @bisexual-horror-fan for beta reading and editing! You’re such a massive help dude!

I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Mickey had always found Randy sweet.

In a lot of ways, they were the same. Film geeks with an unfiltered passion for cinema and the art surrounding it, constantly looking for a deeper meaning, both there and in real life. Then again, they were more different than similar.

Randy was a small town boy still reeling from the series of murders that rocked him a year back. He never showed it, but he lived in a constant state of unease, glancing over his shoulder and never letting anybody but Sidney in. Even then, he couldn’t talk to her about this stuff. She was healing, getting better. He was happy for her, but when she began dating Derek, he realized that he truly was all alone.

Mickey, on the other hand, was from the city. Eager, outgoing, confident. He wasn’t scared about people finding him arrogant or full of himself, he lived his life with no regrets. He was being bankrolled through college by Billy Loomis’ mother to help her finish the job he and Stu Macher couldn’t. Mickey was violent, in more ways than the obvious. His ambition made him all the more magnetic, especially to Randy.

They had a fun frenemy vibe going for a while, though they both knew it was more affectionate than anything. Mickey liked Randy, he thought he was simply adorable. Randy liked Mickey, he enjoyed arguing with him even though most of the time he knew he was just saying opposing views on cinema to get a rise out of him, like when he’d sat in front of him and blatantly said that Superman 2 was better than Superman 1. Randy could see the amusement in his eyes as he argued back, but decided to roll with it.

Anything to stretch out the conversation.

Randy wasn’t gay. He knew he wasn’t gay, he’d been in love with Sidney since before he even knew what love was. But sometimes, just sometimes, he’d glance over at Mickey in class or in the cafeteria, watch his head tip back as he laughed, the dimples in his cheeks. His eyes would drift to his strong, muscular arms, watch his huge hands run through his hair or drum against his thigh, and it was almost impossible to look away.

But no, he wasn’t gay, he wasn’t bi, he was straight. Right?

“Randy!” Fingers snapped in front of Randy’s face, and he blinked, shaking his head before his blue eyes tentatively met light brown. “You okay, man?”

“Fine, why?” Randy cleared his throat, adjusting himself in his seat and looking down at his paper. He and Mickey had been paired for a project on cinematography in horror, and it bugged Randy that the moment their names were spoken out one after the other by their professor, he’d felt his heart flutter a little.

“Well, I was talking to you and you were just… Staring at me.” Mickey’s tone was light, almost playful. He didn’t look away from Randy, his grin spreading wider as he saw the rush of colour flood to the boy's cheeks. How cute is that?

“Fuck off, Mickey, no I wasn’t.” Randy scoffed, shaking his head. “Stop fucking around, what were you saying?”

“C’mon, Meeks! Tell me what you were thinking about.” Mickey leaned forward in his own seat, his hand reaching out and playfully pushing Randy’s shoulder. Randy swatted at his hand, only making Mickey chuckle and hold his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay!” He shook his head, still smiling as he grabbed his camera from his desk, flipping the small flap open and holding it up. “Don’t wanna tell me? Tell the camera.”

“Mickey, I swear to God, fuck off.” Randy held up his hand, turning his head to the side and burying his face into his shoulder. “You’re such an ass, dude.”

“Aw, I know.” Mickey didn’t drop the camera. His eyes were fixed on Randy through the tiny screen, his head tilting just slightly to the side. His smile had changed into a somewhat affectionate half smile, watching as Randy peeked up at him. “What?”

“You like me, don’t you?”

The question took him by such surprise, Randy let out a laugh that was a little too loud, a roll of his eyes that was a little too dramatic and stood to his feet, pushing the chair back a little too hard. Mickey watched the ordeal with an amused expression and a cocked brow, the camera still focused on Randy, “I think you’re a dick.”

“And I think that you think I’m blind and stupid.” Mickey retorted, finally looking up from the small screen, his eyes settling and Randy’s awkward stance. “It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone. I wouldn’t do that.”

Randy looked away, as he says, “I don’t like you. Not like that.”

Mickey presses, “Like what?”

“Like- Oh, shut up.” Randy muttered, beginning to walk toward Mickey’s bathroom.

Before he could get past him, Mickey’s large hand that Randy had so often admired shot out, wrapping around his forearm easily and holding him next to him.

“Don’t make it weird, Meeks. We can fuck if that’s what you want.”

Mickey said it so matter-of-factly it took Randy a little by surprise, his eyes shooting to Mickey, who still gripped the camera in his other hand, the band around his wrist and his arm resting beside him.

“But you’re not…” Randy’s voice trailed off and Mickey let out another laugh.

There is that infuriatingly dazzling smile as he asked, “I’m not what? Gay?”

Randy stumbles over his words as he responds, “I mean… Yeah. I’ve seen you with girls and stuff.”

“Yeah, so? What, you're a film major and think people can’t branch out a little?”

Randy frowned, this isn’t as simple as making a movie in a different genre, at least not to Randy. His eyes darting from Mickey’s hand wrapped around his arm and to his face. He couldn’t deny, when Mickey touched him, he felt an uncomfortably strong wave of arousal flow through his body and stab him straight in the stomach.

Fuck, he hated that Mickey made him feel this way. Fucking Mickey Altieri of all people. It was no surprise really, though. Randy had seen first hand, he could pretty much fuck anybody he wanted. He was outrageously attractive, magnetic and just downright charming. He couldn’t deny he was attracted to him, and had been for a pathetic amount of time. And now, here he was, telling him he wanted him.

Randy didn’t move, caught in a hesitating limbo, so Mickey helped him, tugging on his arm and pulling him in front of him.

He had no idea what he was doing. He’d thought about this, this moment more times than he cared to admit whilst he was fisting his cock in the shower, thinking of Mickey. His hands, his arms, his smile, his cock, and more often than not, his lips. He was always filled with guilt after, wondering how Mickey would feel if he knew that Randy touched himself to thoughts of him on his knees with Mickey in his mouth.

This was fucking unbearable.

Mickey’s brown eyes were fixed on Randy’s torn expression, watching the vast array of emotions pass over his face. Suddenly, it wasn’t so amusing.

“Nod if you want me.” Mickey said, his voice unnaturally soft and tender.

Randy’s final thought was simple.

Fuck it.

He nodded his head, eyes, watching as Mickey released his arm and gently palmed over himself. Randy hadn’t noticed before that he was already half hard. Did he know? This entire time that Randy wanted him this much? Did he want it as long as he did, too?

Mickey didn’t speak, but he stood to his feet, placing the still rolling camera down on his desk, the lenses facing them, a light smile on his lips as he leaned forward, his hand moving from his own aching bulge in favour of Randy’s. The two of them were wearing sweatpants, and Mickey smiled in satisfaction at how fucking hard Randy was for him. He could feel his heat, feel the throbbing before he even made contact.

Mickey’s other hand cradled Randy’s flushed cheek, finding it sweet how panicked Randy looked, as if he was afraid this was all some big joke to his expense. But this wasn’t, Mickey wanted Randy, had done since the first day the little geek challenged him in film class.

Randy found that focusing on the beauty spot just beside Mickey’s eyes calmed him down slightly, humanizing the other boy a little more.

Mickey wasn’t going to kiss Randy first, however. He felt like that was something Randy had to do, and it didn’t take him anywhere near as long as he expected.

The minute Mickey’s head ghosted over him, Randy bit the bullet, closing the space and pressing his lips against Mickey’s with a passion that took Mickey by surprise. Randy let out a shaking moan into his mouth, pushing himself greedily against Mickey’s hand in desperate need for friction, to which the other boy eagerly obliged, his hand moving to frail his fingers down Randy’s happy trail and slipping smoothly into Randy’s sweats and boxers, eagerly kissing him back as he did. Mickey tasted like mint, his lips were unbearably soft and something about them seemed like home, the rough feeling of Mickey’s stubble scratched against Randy’s face, so satisfying and just how he dreamed it would.

The moment Randy felt Mickey’s well worked hand wrap around his cock, he was worried he was going to cum then and there. His hips thrust a little as he gasped into Mickey’s mouth, feeling him smile against him as he did. Randy’s hands were fast and eager, but he was stopped sharply by Mickey, who pulled back, shaking his head.

“Oh, God I- I’m sorry, fuck, I-“

Randy began rambling, his face flushing a deep red. Mickey simply rolled his eyes, bending down to pull Randy’s sweats and boxers down before pulling his own shirt over his head, tossing it to the side. “Shut up, I thought it would be easier this way, no?”

This was the first time Randy had seen Mickey shirtless. He momentarily marvelled at the hairs on his chest, his toned stomach, and swallowed thickly.

Before Randy could reply, Mickey kissed him, deeper and with more vigour than last time. Randy’s leaking cock pressed between both of their stomachs. Mickey’s hands gripped Randy’s hips, pulling him even closer to him and forcing him to grind against him before he pressed him firmly up against the wall, his lips beginning to drift from Randy’s lips, to his jaw, to his throat.

“F-fuck.” Randy’s moan was unsteady, his hands unconsciously moving to knot in his thick dark hair, his hips beginning to grind against him by themselves. The friction felt incredible, but what felt even better was Mickey’s hand beginning to slowly pump Randy’s cock as he kissed his neck, the sensation making goosebumps rise on his skin.

Mickey used Randy’s pre-cum as lube as he allowed the boy to messily thrust against his hand, his simpering whimpers and moans fucking music to his ears.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve thought of you like this, Meeks.” Mickey breathed into Randy’s ear, twisting his hand expertly and relishing in the gentle whines flooding out from Randy’s lips. “A leaking fucking mess just for me.”

“Just for you.” Randy echoed Mickey’s words, his hands gripping his hair even tighter as his pace began to steadily increase.

The feeling of his rough hand gliding up and down his shaft, his messy cock aching and throbbing, it was nothing like he’d had before. His first and only time with Karen Kolcheck back in Woodsboro seemed pretty much laughable compared to how Mickey was making him feel right now with just his hand. Randy knew he was close, his balls were aching, and he could feel himself ready to unload all over Mickey’s stomach, but he didn’t want to. He knew that once he did, it would be over.

Fuck, he didn’t want this to be over.

“You gonna cum for me, Randy?” Mickey asked. Randy let out a soft whine, flinching in effort to avoid doing just that.

“N-no.” He groaned out, the grip on Mickey’s hair tightening.

Mickey let out a breathy laugh, his hand slowing to a gentle pump. “Why not?” He asked.

Randy didn’t answer, his head falling forward, so his forehead pressed against Mickey’s shoulder.

Mickey wasn’t having that. He pulled his hand away from Randy’s sloppy cock, knocking his arms out of the way so he could pull Randy’s head back before gripping his chin between his long fingers.

“Why not?” He asked again, his tone a little harder.

“Because I don’t want it to be done.” Randy blurted out. He felt Mickey cock twitch against his from the confines of his sweats and briefs and felt an overwhelming desire to touch him too. Mickey looked at the hungry expression on Randy’s face and smiled affectionately, releasing Randy’s jaw and sliding his hand into his hair.

“Okay, on your knees then.”

Before the words were completely out of Mickey’s mouth, Randy was on his knees, pulling down Mickey’s remaining clothes.

Randy had only seen his own dick and dicks in porn. No pornstar cock would ever compare to Mickey’s. The only word that came to mind was mouthwatering.

After Mickey spent a little time talking Randy through it, Randy took him greedily into his mouth, moaning at how delicious he tasted, his eyes fluttering closed.

“Fuckkkkk.” Mickey groaned, his head tipping back and one hand still resting on the top of his head. He glanced at the camera, picking it up and focusing it down on the adorable sight before him; Randy greedily sucking his cock as if his life fucking depended on it. Randy made a sound of disapproval at the sight of the camera, but Mickey shook his head. “Thought you might want to watch this back when you fuck yourself thinking about me.”

A brief thought of how the fuck does he know I do that? Crossed his mind for the briefest of moments before he forgot all about it, focusing on the feeling of Mickey’s thick, heavy cock in his mouth. He bobbed his head obediently, feeling Mickey begin to thrust harder, pushing his way down Randy’s throat.

“Yeah, good boy. Look up into the camera with my cock in your mouth, Meeks.” Mickey instructed, voice heavy and dripping with arousal. Randy did just that, feeling Mickey begin to twitch in his mouth as soon as he did. “Mm. You wanna get off?” He asked, smiling at Randy’s muffled yes. “Go on.”

Randy quickly took his own sensitive cock into his hand, realizing quickly his pre-cum had dropped onto Mickey’s hardwood floor. Mickey angled the camera, zooming in on the sight and watching it intently, his hips snapping against Randy’s face urgently.

“Fuck, I’m close.” Mickey grunted, halting his movement. Randy’s nose pressed against Mickey’s skin for a moment, beginning to splutter slightly as Mickey began to release hot ribbons of white down his throat, before pulling back to fill up Randy’s mouth.

The delicious taste, along with Mickey’s gorgeous expression, his head back and his chest heaving as he came, sent Randy into a convulsing mess, cumming all over his own hand, stomach and the ground beneath him. Mickey pulled out of his mouth quickly, relishing in the sound of Randy’s gasping moans as he finished.

It was silent between them for a moment, Randy trembling on his knees, not looking Mickey in the eyes. Mickey still had the camera rolling, looking fondly into the small window of it, before he glanced down at Randy pointedly.

“You made a mess, Meeks.”

Randy let out a sigh, relieved at the broken silence, before he asked, “What?”

Mickey nodded down beneath him at the cum staining the floor. Randy blushed, moving to shakily to stand up, only to be stopped by Mickey’s large, grounding hand.

“Clean it up.”

“I- I was going to. Was gonna get some paper towels and-“

“No, Randy.” Mickey cut him off, the cheeky smile back on his face as he knelt down in front of him. Mickey’s finger dipped into the impressive pool of white, before he raised it to his own mouth and licked it. Randy watched intently, his once softened cock twitching at the sight. Fuck.

“On your hands and knees-“ Mickey stopped, moving the camera and angling it down at the mess. “And clean. It. Up.”

Randy stared at Mickey for a moment, before nodding his head, and doing exactly what he was told.

He got on his hands and knees, dipping his head down, and began to lap up his own cum from the hardwood floor. Mickey watched through the camera, teeth sinking into his bottom lip at the sight.

“Good boy, Meeks.”

#mickey and randy my darlings #no one can tell me they didn’t canonically fuck at least once #I love them #this was ridiculously fun #hope you all enjoy! #scream #mickey altieri #randy meeks #mickey altieri and randy meeks #m x m #mickey altieri smut #randy meeks smut #mickey and randy smut #scream smut

[pinkcords]

where the tide takes you, i will follow by pinkcords

40K / explicit

There’s no way around his departure, their inevitable fate. Harry will leave and he will return to London and when he sits in his new flat, wherever it might be, he will think of this summer and the warmth the sun brought him and the way it felt to be loved. He will compare all his future relationships to Louis and when they fall short, he will be disappointed. Harry knows this.

Or, Louis lives in Gloucester and Harry tries to find a way to stay.

written for the @bhficfest

#fic #my fic #summer au #louis isn’t a fisherman #but kind of #just all the summer vibes #did i write another fic after two years? #yep! #hope you all enjoy! #trackinghappily #trackinghome #hljournal #hlupdate #hlficlibrary #hlcreators #hlsource #thelarriefics #1dsource

[what-big-teeth]

Unearthed (Male Dragon Boyfriend x GN Reader)

Note: GN = gender-neutral

With some magick and a bit of luck, your family has lived comfortably for generations, serving as guides for numerous travelers the realm over. But the truth behind your inherited life lies under your feet, waiting to be found…

The weather was promising, as the year’s almanac assured. No need to pack more than just the essentials this time around. A readied torch, rations, directional markers—

“Hail, friend!”

Your eyes met the statuesque figure approaching you with a wave. Bronze skin glowed around a bright smile as he adjusted his bow sling. It was your temporary employer. You returned the gesture with a pleasant smile and focused on your pack again.

“Was the tavern to everyone’s liking?” you asked.

“Very much so! The food and drink reminded us of home, even though we’re all from different parts of the realm.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” 

With one last nod to yourself, you closed the flap of your pack and stood. 

“Can I ask more about your group’s mission? You mentioned something about the Duke of Rapan in your letter…”

“Milord asked for a general survey of his lands. To learn of any new going-ons from the last venture.” 

“N’ that better include some valuables for the takin’, Lockon!”

And on that boisterous note: you watched as the rest of Lockon’s teammates approached. A female elf with pale skin, two other humans with deep brown complexions (the married couple, you recalled), and one gnome, none other than—

“Bradrol the Breaker has never returned home empty-handed! This guide better be worth their damn weight in gold!”

Lockon flashed you an apologetic smile then turned to his comrades. As he calmed the others with gentle reminders to focus, you slung your bag onto your back. He wasn’t the first loudmouth traveler you’ve dealt with and he wouldn’t be the last.

“Apologies for the delay, friend.” Lockon stepped forward towards you, assuming his leadership position. “We are ready when you are.”

You nodded, letting your eyes scan over each person.

“As Lockon has told you, the Labyrinthine Path is the only way to press forward. But as the name implies, there’s more than one path. Some are viable, some aren’t. And all paths grow more confusing over time. It’ll be my job to guide you without incident, just like my relatives have done for many others numerous times before.”

“So ya say,” Bradrol chimed in. He tugged at his wiry, red beard. “None ‘a my dwarven contacts ever heard ‘a your folks. Favager…kinda family name is that?”

“Bradrol…” Lockon began; he was quickly ignored.

“Where’s ya proof?”

Gods above if this wasn’t your favorite part of your job. Reaching into your tunic’s breast pocket, you pulled out a small, intricately cut gem. Sending a frisson of magick into the stone came naturally to you.  

A projected image of the reigning queen forced Bradrol’s mouth closed with a sharp click. The way his face reddened and his eyes twitched as her undeniable penmanship praised and heralded her approval of your family’s profession was a lovely bonus, too.

“Do you have any other concerns, sir?” you ask.

There was no reply. You smiled beatifically. 

“Shall we begin our trip?”

Once Lockon agreed, you began leading the way.

The trip past the massive entrance and into the tunnel system fared well, as the others did before. Following the magicked pigments, the signs only you could find, left behind by your ancestors was simple in task. When it came to the happenings further inside, however… 

You’d never seen one man look so utterly embarrassed…and near ready to kill another. Lockon did everything in his power to keep Bradrol under control. Bribery, power dynamics, begging. But every attempt was met with arguments, snide remarks, and blatant stares of hostility. The latter was aimed at you, mostly. He was probably still sore about the queen’s praise and all. Somehow, perhaps through the gods’ grace, your group pushed forward over the next two days; sleep was quick to claim the shorter traveler due to his excessive doings, allotting everyone else a needed break. 

Apologies from the others filled your ears as pallets were unfurled and the campfire was snuffed out. You accepted each one, all while assuring the group you’d dealt with worse before. Still, Lockon’s offer to increase the amount of gold owed you was tempting. You wanted to sleep on the proposal, maybe see if Bradrol would let up since the exit was so close at hand. Or rather, you would have, if not for the strange, muffled clang needling your ears. 

With the embers of the campfire having died out, you gathered just a bit of magick into your fingertips. As the shape you wished took form mentally, the energy reflected your desire. Wisps of light curled into little glowing motes in your palm. All were large enough to illuminate but not so harsh as to wake the others. With the stealth gained from traversing this dangerous trail, you followed the sound until you found its source. A sharp heat bubbled up to a boil inside your body.

“What in the seven hells are you doing?!” you hissed.

Bradrol blatantly ignored you, continuing to chip at the very unstable wall in front of him. Tantrums and childishness you could handle; blatant disregard for safety you could not. The well of magick inside you flooded your body, coursing through your veins and over your skin, charged, until it released from your opposite, pointed finger. A bolt of energy flew at Bradrol, barely missing his cheek to strike his small pickaxe. With a yowl, he dropped the tool, now glowing red-hot and sizzling. He quickly stuffed his fingertips into his mouth.

“Ya owe me a new pick, ya brat!”

“Shut it! If you’d kept chipping away at that wall, you’d soon be trapped under boulders and rubble. And who knows how long it’d take to get your sorry ass out!”

“Bah! Just an excuse to hoard away all the gold! Guide my ass,” he said, standing up. “Everyone knows there’s treasure somewhere in this damned maze. And your family knows where it is!”  

“I thought you didn’t give a damn about my family! And there is no gold, you fool!” 

“A likely story, brat!” He reached down, grabbed a standard pickaxe, and hefted it high. “Now tell me where it is ‘fore I start swingin’!”

“Bradrol!”

He froze, the fire in his eyes dying until nothing was left. Lockon slowly yet steadily closed the space separating the gnome and himself, anger gouging his face.

“I’ve given you courtesy enough, old friend. The Duke will hear about this and any punishment he deems worthy I will support. Completely.”

“But Lock—”

“Enough. Head back to camp. Now.”

With one last huff, Bradrol relented. Lockon heaved a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his wide nose. 

“How much?” he asked.

You lifted your mote-filled hand to assess the damage. Chips and cracks riddled the uneven stone, many which could grow with time given any minor shifts or drastic weather changes. 

“It wouldn’t be enough,” you said. 

“Still, you’ll be doubly compensated. I’ll ensure it. And my apologies again, friend. Shall we?”

With a shake of your head, you led the way back to camp. 

The final day was blessedly uneventful. Lockon paid you double the original amount without issue. As you accepted the sack of gold coins, he stated loudly and clearly that any additional funds would be earned through odd jobs. Many, which he implied, would be done by the most boisterous of the group. Giving their thanks and farewells, Lockon’s band ventured forward, leaving you to return the way you came.

The morning sun shone from just above the horizon in a sky unmarred by cloud cover. A welcomed sight, but you couldn’t enjoy it fully. Bradrol’s mining attempts needed a deeper assessment.

Traveling the Labyrinthine Path alone had its perks. You intimately knew how much your body could stand when undertaking large distances. And the few shortcuts you memorized, ones you rarely shared with other travelers for safety’s sake, recouped enough time for you to arrive home early. This time depended on what could be done by the unexpected damage glaring back at you.

Your innate sense of timekeeping estimated it to be midday. Early enough that hunger would resurface soon, but far off to not be an immediate concern. Just enough to see and decide. 

The deep breaks in the tunnel wall and floor had spread as you feared. Simple pocks and breaks in the stone now gave way to thin, long cracks; even down onto the tunnel floor. The integrity of this area was horribly compromised with no way to repair it. Brilliant magickians your ancestors were, but their talents lied mostly in specially coded directions and signs. 

You clicked your tongue, ignoring the bitter twinge skirting the back of your mouth. A quick, viable path was now lost to future customers lost thanks to one self-assured idiot. You edged closer to the damage. You’d have to add a new magically imbued marker and update the family’s maps, but for now, all you could do was—

Crack. 

“!”

You were falling before you could even react. Your backside collided with rough, slanted stone; you yelped. It acted as a slide, funneling you down deeper. Stale air whipped at your face. You tried to dig your heels into the stone to no avail. Down, down, down until your back slammed into icy wetness. Your addled mind drudged up the word “water” just as your body started to sink…

Your eyes flew open. 

Deep warmth and calming darkness greeted you instead of drowned clothes and rushing water. And, even stranger, you felt comfortable, as if you belonged where you were. But that shouldn’t have been possible. So how…?

“Finally awake, are we?”

You froze. The voice echoing in the cavern was much too deep, too powerful to belong to a human, let alone another humanoid. But a creature…

Something right next to you breathed audibly. Yawned, actually. Tendrils of golden light lit up the darkness above your head and illuminated the pitch black, scaled leg cradling your body in its bend. The razor, white claws attached to the massive trunk scratched at the ground, chipping away at stone. Why were they so sharp?

“Prior maintenance, mainly. And my kind’s hibernation can be useful when necessary.”

“...Did I say that outloud?”

The creature beside (on was it below?) you hummed, low and deep.

“I certainly didn’t read your mind if that helps.”

“Ah,” you breathed. You focused on your pulse attempting to leap from your throat. Breathed in for four counts then out four more. Peered out into the lit surroundings, filled with piles of gold, silver, copper. Towering stacks of jewels and gems, sprawling numerous tomes and scrolls; sumptuous undefiled silks… Gods be damned.

“The bastard was right.”

“As cute as you are, I was hoping for a more riveting, eye-to-eye conversation. It’s the least you can do since I fished you out of the lake.”

You swallowed your fear and gingerly sat up. No aches or pains; not even a single sign of a scrape. Magickal healing, perhaps? You weren’t sure and you didn’t know if your rattled mind could handle any more surprises. Shuffling your body, you turned to face your rescuer. Molten gold met your gaze straight on, the centered slits widening slightly. The same pitch-black scales covered his entire body, save for the brilliant ivory horns adorning his reptilian head and the folded wings resting against his back.

A dragon. You were staring a living, breathing dragon right in the face.

His regal bearings faded when he grinned to reveal large, sharp teeth.

“Hello there.”

…Shit.

“Um, hi.” Do not freeze in front of the dragon, do not freeze… “Have you seen my pack?”

He paused. Breathed deeply then snorted. He burst out laughing, his head rearing back bit by bit. The noise alone shook the cavern. You climbed to your feet to stand on shaky legs then continued (massive predator before you be damned).

“It’s very important! All of my supplies are in there! My magickal pigments are useless if they get wet…a-and the torch! Do you know how much I had to spend on getting the right oil to prepare it?!” 

Instead of relaxing in the comfort of your home, here you were: squawking up a storm instead of talking. But at least your fear was slowly subsiding. As fierce and massive as he was, this dragon hadn’t tried to harm you. So far, so good. With one last long heaved sigh, his maw clicked shut.

“I haven’t laughed like that in centuries,” he said. “But yes, little traveler, your items are here and unharmed. But in return for their location, may I know your name?”

You told him, sighing out one last calming breath and brushing gravel dust from your shoulders. The rest would have to wait until a proper bath. He repeated your name, and it sounded as if he were savoring each syllable. Best not to think about that now; your mind was still working to understand the circumstances so far. 

“I am called Masin. And this place…let us call it my temporary abode.”

From what few records you came across concerning dragons, they preferred to claim and stay in one place. Moving was rarely an option, if ever.

“Not permanent?” you hedged. “Even with your hoard here? Unless there’s more than one…”

The last bit was a muttered thought, but Masin’s snout edged closer to you. What a heavy stare to have focused directly on you.

“This is it,” he said plainly. “The only so-called ‘hoard’ I possess, locked away here.” 

Like you? Was the unspoken question. You shook your head to rid yourself of the thought. 

“Thank you,” you said, instead. You honestly meant to express true gratitude and hope he heard it.  “For your help.” 

No reply. Not surprising since you were trespassing in some way. You quickly inquired about your pack’s location. Hunger was gnawing at your body and jumbling whatever coherence you still had. He directed you to its general location with a pointed claw. As promised, your supplies were completely intact. But the leather bag itself would need replacing sooner than later. And did you even have enough pigment to note all of this for future generational knowledge? Probably not. Yet another issue to tackle in the days to come. For now, your stomach needed quelling.

But leave it to your past self to want a ‘treat’ during another guiding job. Your pre-made rations would stretch best with the aid of a stoked campfire. However…

“Is there…” You licked your dry lips and commanded the knot in your stomach to loosen. “Is there somewhere I can safely build a small fire? Maybe with some kindling around here?”

Masin yawned massively and flicked the tip of his tail at one of the massive, sprawling piles off to the side. Lots of parchments and papers; that looked promising. Nearing closer, your eyes scanned over a series of sealed, massive scrolls, tomes, journals, ledgers (?). All of it was haphazardly thrown together and towered over you. But from your vantage point, not a bit of rot or age stained the seemingly-new parchment. That wasn’t impossible; just very improbable. Time and age ravaged many things…save for those affected by magick. 

“Is something wrong?” 

Your fingers reached out to touch the pile but stopped short. Right, your tinderbox….

“Just how old are these?” you asked, rummaging through your pack.

Masin huffed out a golden plume of warm air. You were fairly sure a muted chuckle was hidden beneath the action.

“Younger than me, but old enough to lose my interest. They’re little more than tinder to me. So go on.”

You held your flint and firesteel in hand, but didn’t stoop down to continue.

“This feels sacrilegious.” 

A quick glance over your shoulder found Masin grinning.

“An astute observation. They’re religious scriptures,” he says. “From the Neo-Eredian Period…give or take a millennium? They were never meant to end up in my grasp, if I remember correctly. But an offering is an offering.”

“I’m about to destroy lost, historical artifacts?!”

“Either that or let your adorable self starve. Which would be both a shame and a waste, in my opinion. But the choice is yours.”

Heat flooded your face as your shoulders lifted, horribly stiff. 

“S-seriously? We literally just met!”

“And yet I speak the truth. Which is best due to our respective situations, yes? By the way, if you need aid staying warm—”

The sparks from your toolset couldn’t work fast enough. Which is stupid, because they did so wonderfully earlier. Eventually, the sparks caught onto the small pile of paper you gathered and carefully arranged for maximum control. Blessedly, as you heated up your rations, Masin remained quiet. But you felt his weighty gaze on your back. It added more heat to the fire crackling before you, surrounding you completely. 

Warmed food in hand and your canteen at your side, you turned towards Masin. He held your gaze, having seemingly shifted and craned his neck around to watch you earlier. 

“So,” you began. “I’m…not meant to be here. Or rather, I’m not meant to be in this part of the tunnel system. I didn’t even know it existed. All of this is new to me.”

“As it is for me.” Masin curled his tail around his body. “I didn’t want to be trapped here, yet I was. Waking up here wasn’t part of my original plans, either. And I assume a great deal of time has passed since I fell asleep?”

No hints of joking or teasing; that was good. You provided the day, month and year for reference. Without warning, Masin’s front claws gouged the ground as if it were paper. You flinched. With a low, long growl, he relaxed and released the chunks of earth he held.

“My apologies. It seems I was asleep much longer than originally thought.” His line of sight dipped down, breaking his focus on you. “How much things have changed…it’s unfathomable.”

“Then how about a trade?” You honestly weren’t sure if this idea would work, but being stuck with no one coming to your aid, what did you have to lose? Living alone was the main risk of your inherited job, one your late parents always reminded you of. “In return for trespassing and using your space, I can tell you about the world outside. And maybe, if what I say is interesting enough, then we could go?”

You nibbled at your food as Masin’s gaze fell onto you again. Took a sip of fresh water, realizing just how parched your throat was. If this cavern wasn’t his true dwelling, then maybe he’d be interested in finding his true home.

“Interesting as you are charming,” he said. “I agree. However, you need to rest and I need to fully awaken. When we meet in the middle, let’s see what the future holds.”

You nodded, blaming the fire behind you for the excessive heat.. 

With your hunger and thirst dealt with, you settled in with some reading while Masin dozed. The scrolls you spared from becoming kindle were very interesting. The offered dogma explained some of the realm’s current religious trends and beliefs, but not all. You’d probably have to dig deeper into the mountain of documents to gain more historical context. But you were much too tired for that and had your fair share of safety hazards for the day. A post-lunchtime nap sounded amazing, honestly. But first, the proposed trade.

“Are there any questions I can answer for you?”

One of Masin’s eyes slowly blinked open. 

“Are dragons still common? Have any others been spotted?”

Quick and right to the point, unfortunately. But not surprising, if your assumption about this place being his prison was correct.

“No, they aren’t. And there hasn’t been any word of any others like you.”

That bleary stare shifted off to the side as a strange groan emanated from his chest. It sounded somewhat sad.

“But honestly,” you continued, “they could be hidden away from sight, like you were.”

Even with the numerous shadows flooding the space, you caught the edges of Masin’s mouth lifting slightly.

“A fair guess, one that may be true.”

And that’s how you and Masin began spending your time together: sharing stories and mentions of the similarities between the two different worlds you inhabited. At times, Masin would thank you by explaining the place and lands of origin concerning his hoard. Yet once, only once, he called the many riches “offerings”. You tucked that piece of information into the back of your mind. 

Nighttime fell, at least according to your body and its growing sluggishness. At Masin’s encouragement, you created a bed from the numerous silks and fabrics gathered in the cave. It was ridiculously soft from the feel alone, and therefore, costly; maybe more than the Queen’s entire treasure trove. As you settled in, you managed to wrap up your story for the night.

“...That’s only the summary of the royal family’s lineage, though. There might be better documents I can borrow later to show you, if you want.”

“My own personal, cute historian. An intriguing idea,” he hummed.

You rolled your eyes, not minding the slight tingle that swept across your face and neck. That was a first.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally said.

The last thing you heard before falling into slumber was Masim gently bidding you a good night’s rest, a greeting you returned. 

The following day, since you first met him, Masim stood up. He stretched out his limbs as you finished up your lunch, releasing a series of thunderous pops and cracks. The results of literal fatigue for a thousand years, according to him. You grinned.

“Since you’re more awake, are you up for another story? Or maybe more questions?”

“Not now,” he said. “But I am feeling hungry.”

“And that’s good, right?” No matter how much you inquired, Masin didn’t divulge much about draconic biology. Only the bare minimum. Mainly how he was warm-bodied, what determined the coloration of his scales; things like that. The rest, to your disappointment, he kept to himself. 

“Yes. It means my body is finally catching up with my awakened mind. We may be leaving soon enough, after I fill my belly with fish.”

“Good hunting, then,” you bid. 

Masin stalked away with a strange grace to his movements further from your shared space. Your own hunger was sated, but you were now alone and there wasn’t much to do to pass the time. You could check out the various piles of “offerings” dotting the areas. The tomes hadn’t been disturbed, and you could find a cozy spot to settle in. Everything about this space just felt calming.

Comfortable, as if you belonged. 

With Masin gone, the remnants of magick you felt remained. Originally, you believed he was the source as you woke up without any injury, thanks to him. Because the many items in his hoard were free of any decay or rot. But Masin’s magic only extended to those riches; the sensation his personal magick gave off felt entirely different. For the first time since you’ve been inside this deep cave, now that his body was no longer blocking the area, you looked down.

Dulled, yet colored pigment stared back at you. An intricately mesh or reds, yellows, blues, greens, whites! And stemming from the pigments as they all harmonized to seize hold lull sedate sleep. This was your family’s innate magick. The way the intricacies from the spell sang to your blood, coaxing it to flourish, and how it in turn did so was proof. So was your body healing from its fall into the lake. Family ties through magick ran deep; all users worth their power knew that. 

Your want to explore the rest of the cavern swiftly faded into nothingness.

When Masin returned, his black scales glittered from the water clinging to his body. The few campfires you made earlier to better illuminate the area proved that true. 

“...What is this?” Your voice sounded so weak, much to your growing anger.

“You know of your family’s magick, don’t you?”

“Not that, damnit! “The ‘offerings’, you being trapped here, you being asleep for so long! You wanting to know more about the outside world but not saying anything about you being here! You’re hiding something and it involves me!” You swallowed around the ragged breaths your lungs managed to pull in. “ Masin…please tell me what’s happening.”

Instead of going back to where he once lay, Masin sat down before you. Leaving the magickal array out in the open.

“As you wish.” His gaze fell down to the array that separated the two of you.

“With luck and time, certain lineages can last thousands of years down the line. You’re proof of that. But you’re not the first of your line I’ve met. A thousand years ago, there were two others. A pair of brothers. The notion that we dragons were considered living gods never sat well with them. How easily followers divested themselves of their personal riches in hopes of receiving luck, love, fertility, good crops, and many more things. 

“The final offense for your ancestors was losing everything, as they angrily informed me. Their homes, their families, their riches—all these things they refused to forfeit as offerings were forcibly taken from them without warning. Mind you, my kind never condoned murder or thievery.”

“But you didn’t stop the offerings before it got to that point, did you?”

A tense silence.

“No…I didn’t. When power is given freely, it is difficult to cast aside. I understand that now.”

A part of you noted how sincere Masin sounded. Another, questioned how a thousand-year-long sleep could do just that. You quickly regained your focus.

“Keep going, then.”

“As a result, the families of the brothers were given to me as gruesome, unwanted sacrifices. I won’t…divulge the details. Just know this final offense spurred the brothers to act. Together, they vanished from the land only to return years later wielding a new magic they carefully developed. They used it to lure me here, deep into the tunnels, and sealed me inside. 

“To keep myself from aging, I forced myself into a deep magickal hibernation, unaware of how long I would have to sleep. That same magick I cast, it would seem, affected my immediate surroundings. The rest from that point onward is unknown to me.”

Your mind swiftly filled in the blanks from there. One of the brothers moved on and re-wed, beginning a new familial line. From there, your family’s detailed history helpfully provided the rest. Someone of that line returned to these lands, supposedly to use their magicks to aid travelers through the dangerous Labyrinthine Path. But in reality, it was to keep Masin locked away. To ensure he remained trapped deep beneath the earth. 

Yet down the road, thanks to mishearings and misunderstandings, somehow, the lie became the truth. And Masin was left to be forgotten and cast away with the other myths of the realm. Until now.

You stared at the magickal array sitting before your feet. Dulled as it was, it was still there, doing its job. But magick could decay with time if it fought against another type of magick. Masin’s own magic. If he tried, Masin probably wouldn’t be able to leave, even if he wanted to. But by having a descendant of his captors from so long ago…

“So was it all a lie, then?” A searing, fissure of heat flooded your body. “Once you had a once-in-a-lifetime chance, you decided to take it so you could be freed?!”

“Not at all.”

Masin said this with no hesitation, no signs of playfulness. This was probably the most serious you had seen him.

“Sorry, but I’m having a hard time believing that. Even if you are telling the truth.”

“Then allow me to prove myself for however long it takes. Let me start anew. No more secrets, no more omissions.”

You held back a bark of bitter laughter. But it was aimed at yourself, not Masin. Because as stern you needed to be for your livelihood to be successful…now, you felt yourself going soft before this massive, living myth. All because of a few heartfelt words and the truth. 

…Gods damnit all. You shook your head, ignoring the sharp inhale coming from across the way.

“Your nature as a dragon isn’t something that can be hidden so easily. Unless there’s something you can do about that.”

“Once I’m freed, it will be dealt with. I assure you.”

You slowly sat down before the array and crossed your legs. 

“I don’t suppose you have a knife in that hoard, do you?”

Instead of replying, Masin moved. He deftly leapt over you and the array. You watched as his claws stabbed int the piles of the jewels and gems. As he rifled through the wealth, coins, gems, and other valuable items flew through the air to dot the area. Some were even flung into the campfires you’d made over time for lumination. But Masin made no attempt to save them, leaving them to their fates. 

With a new mess spread around the cavern, Masin returned to your side and presented you with an ornate dagger. You took it and examined the fingers of your opposite hand. Masin quietly called out to you, but you shook your head.

“It’s alright. I just have to pick the lesser of the most annoying fingers and…!”

Carefully, slowly, you pricked the tip of your chosen finger, hissing. As a bead of blood welled up, you held your outstretched hand over the array with the injury facing down. 

“Blood calls to blood and magick to magick,” you said. “It’s part of what saved me, alongside you. With the right command at the right time, it can be changed to perform another task. And now, because of that…”

You turned to face Masin as the array began to glow with its respective colors. You smiled up at him. 

“I get to help you.”

A bead of blood hit the array. It shattered like glass, a literal showing of just how weak the magick had grown over the years. As it faded to leave the plain ground behind, Masin gasped, huddling into himself. You shot to your feet.

“Masin! Are you okay? Can you speak?”

As Masin trembled, his form seemed so small to you. No, not seemed. It was smaller. With each passing second, the giant, regal dragon before you shrunk down to a much more familiar form. Humanoid. Deep brown skin accented with a golden undertone gleamed in the firelight. He no longer bore a tail or ivory horns, but the mass of intricate, pitch-black tiny braids brought his scales to mind. And his hands were tipped with thick, white claws. Even curled in on himself, you knew he’d tower over you if he stood to his full height. The trembling continued as you knelt down, your hands clasping at his bare shoulders. But the trembling didn’t keep your attention. It was his laughter.

Joyous, boisterous laughter filled the cavern and nearly threw you off balance. As you swayed, Masin’s muscular arms wrapped around your torso and pulled you close. 

The same golden eyes from before, just a bit muted, met yours as he grinned widely with slightly, sharpened teeth. 

“As much as I like my draconic form, this one is useful in many ways. If you’d like to later learn how—!”

You swiftly lifted a hand and muffled his next words. 

“If you have the energy to flirt, then you have the energy to walk. Let’s get going, shall we?”

But Masin’s arms didn’t budge. They actually tightened, but not enough to be painful as he whispered your name. 

“Thank you. For this second chance.”

You settled in his arms. There was something more to Masin’s statement, which remained unspoken. But it encouraged you to return his embrace all the same. 

As you worked together to emerge from your sudden entrance point, and return to the true entrance of the cavern tunnels, daylight greeted you. As you stepped forward, Masin walked beside you. 

You couldn’t wait to see how that second chance would play out in the end.

#dragon #monster boyfriend #monster romance #exophilia #terato #hope you all enjoy! #and shoutout to those that can find my Elden Ring reference #I'll properly link this story to my masterlists later on

[falllpoutboy]

sydcarmy | is there someone else

#sydcarmy #carmy x sydney #sydney adamu #carmy berzatto #the bear fx #the bear #my edits #listen with headphones!! #ayo edebiri #jeremy allen white #hope you all enjoy!

[imarvelatthestars]

Motion Sickness

Pairings: Moon Knight system x Reader

Warnings: hurt/comfort, depiction of depression, will-they-won't-they vibes, OOC Marc; not a warning, but the boys all switch easily so this is kind of an au or post-show setting where they're all on the same page and sharing their lives

Inspired by 'Motion Sickness' by Phoebe Bridgers and my depression lol.

"What's wrong?"

Jake's gruff voice catches your attention. It's just loud enough to sound over the music blasting through your headphones. He's watching you in the rearview mirror, cap pulled low over his eyes but you can still see them and the way his eyebrows are furrowed and wrinkled above them.

You push one of the speakers away from your ear so it rests against your skull and you can hear him better.

"What?" You heard him fine the first time, but you need that extra second to collect yourself.

He points to your headphones with a look that says he doesn't want to deal with any of your bullshit. "What's wrong?" he repeats and it's not a question this time.

You hitch your voice up a bit, put on that fake tint that makes you sound a little more normal, the one that usually works on everyone else. "Who said something's wrong?" Your smile doesn't quite reach your eyes, but you try hard all the same. "I'm just listening to my music."

He knows you too well for you to pull the wool over his eyes. You can see it in the way his shoulders are hard, jagged lines extending past the driver's seat, how his jaw tightens and his nostrils flare ever so slightly. Damn him.

"Don't bullshit me," and then he says your name all rough and exasperated and it sparks tears in your eyes. You turn your head so you're looking out the window. "I'll pull this car over."

"Just drop it, Jake." If he pushes too hard, you'll break, shatter all over the backseat of this stupid fucking Jeep and you don't think him and all his alters would be enough to pick up your pieces. Not this time. "I'm fine."

"You're not."

And your heart slams into your spine. Steven's voice is gentle, firm, knowing. Your eyes flicker to the mirror, catch a glimpse of that little upward quirk of his brows, the thing that only Steven does, that warms your heart and stomach and soul like nothing else.

"I'm fine." But your voice quivers at the end.

The car swerves, throws you against your window, and your stomach plummets to the depths of your torso. The freeway guardrail comes up fast and for a second you think Jake's going to drive you both right through it, but he doesn't. Of course he doesn't. He's the designated driver for a reason, but that doesn't mean he's not reckless. The outside of your door almost scrapes against the metal as the car comes to a halt.

"Jake," you start. Now you're just tired. You don't want confrontation, you don't want peering eyes, invasive questions, or overtly curious glances in the mirror. That's why you sat in the back in the first place. That's why you put on your headphones and started blasting miserably angsty pop ballads. "Please don't."

"You're sad."

Fuck you. But you're impressed that he figured it out.

He almost smiles when you finally find the courage to meet his eyes and there's a softness to him that steals your breath. "You really thought I wouldn't notice, bonita?" Then his shoulders shift and that softness in his eyes stays. "We always notice."

You have to close your eyes. This kindness is too much, it's cutting into your gut and bleeding you dry. He's so attentive, so attuned to you that of course he noticed. It was stupid to think none of them would. But God, you'd really hoped they'd ignore it. Everyone else was either fooled by your act or didn't pry. Not him, not them. Never them.

"I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed." You can hear him click his tongue and you're sure if you sneaked a peek, he'd have his head tilted to the side and that one eyebrow raised in the way that always drives you crazy. "Seriously. I'm just in a mood today, okay? Can we drop it, please?"

There's your name again, gentle and tender on Marc's tongue and it nearly does you in. Your chest is physically aching from all the pain and memories and piercing shards of your depression rubbing against your ribcage. You don't remember when it all started to crumble in on you, but it's come to a head today and now you feel half like you're drowning and half like you're not even here.

His hand comes down on your knee and the sob that's been building up in the back of your throat finally crests, slams you forward into a blubbering bundle of tears. His seatbelt clanks on the window, the car jostles, and then he's in the back with you; you're not sure if he climbed over the seat or went out the door. He has his hands on your shoulders, soothing over the arch of your neck and down your spine to your shoulder blades.

"Hey, hey," he coos. You collapse into him and the scent of his cologne washes over you. "It's okay, baby, it's okay."

He's never called you baby before. You hate that this is what's prompted him to do it. And you cry even harder. Your gut still aches from where the kindness of this mountain of a man, always covered in blood and desert sand and his own regrets, has ripped you open.

A few broken phrases stumble out of your mouth as you dribble all over yourself, something along the lines of "I'm sorry" and "I promise I'm okay" and "thank you" and "please don't go", and Marc holds you even closer. He mouths at your hairline, wraps a hand around the nape of your neck.

"I knew you weren't your usual self," he whispers and his breath is warm on your skin. "You don't gotta push me away. I hate it when you do that."

How do you tell him that you were just trying to keep yourself safe? Trying to protect whatever it was your relationship had become? "Didn't want to bother you," you sniffle between little hiccups. It's easier to say the words to the curve of his pectoral than to his face. "Didn't want you to worry or think I was stupid. It'll pass, it always does, I just-"

His hand slips down your cheek, thumb brushing your jawline as his finger curls under your chin and tilts your head back. God, if that doesn't make your stomach twist. You're breathless. You couldn't breathe if you wanted to, if you tried. You're caught under the weight of his gaze and there's nowhere else you'd rather be, but it's not fully comfortable either.

"You're not stupid." He's breathless too.

You're struck by the realization that you love him, which isn't anything new, but it's never been so deep and consuming as it is now. Because you feel safe.

"Should've just told us. We would've understood, I would've-..." He sighs, shakes his head, and you're still caught in his grasp and it's making you cry again, but not because you're sad. "I'm not always an ass, you know." And when he smiles, you smile too. "Can't say the same about the other two."

His body jolts forward into yours and your noses bump as Steven pushes his way to the front. "Oy! I'm the nicest one of the lot, you!" he protests. And Jake shoulders him to the side with a muttered, "Watch it, hermano," but there's no bite. "Of all the cheek," Steven adds before pressing a kiss to the spot between your brows. His hands are on your cheeks and you're sure he can feel how warm they are.

"We're here for you, dovey. Always. You never hafta hide from us."

#jake lockley x reader #steven grant x reader #marc spector x reader #moon knight #moon knight x reader #marvel #steven grant #jake lockley #marc spector #i'm not sure where i wanted this to go but.... this is certainly something #i've just been feeling really out of it lately and hoped that if i wrote about it it would help #hope you all enjoy!

[ooachilliaoo]

I See A Trap

“Careful!” he said, his voice strained, an edge of panic in it. “Careful, careful, careful.”

She glared up at him from her position, kneeling on the ground, and blew a stray curl out of her face with an annoyed breath.

“I’m being careful,” she told him, trying her best to keep a leash on her temper. “You need to stop squirming.”

“I’m not squirming.”

She didn’t deign to answer that. Just as, so far, she had refrained from pointing out that she had called out to them all – very clearly, before the fight had even started – that there were traps littering the ground.

And then the stupid fool had put his foot directly in one.

Before the darkspawn were even upon them.

She was reliably informed that usually darkspawn weren’t smart enough to set traps, but the presence of the archdemon had changed that. Recently, their journey across Ferelden had been interrupted by pockets of darkspawn setting surprisingly clever ambushes on a fairly regular basis.

It wasn’t a problem per se. Thanks to the taint, both she and Alistair were always able to detect the darkspawn and warn the others in plenty of time. Plus, they were never in high enough numbers to pose a real threat.

But it did mean that even if she hadn’t called out about the traps, he should have known to be careful about where he was putting his damn feet.

At least Morrigan wasn’t here. No doubt her comments on his clumsiness and lack of awareness would only serve to further irritate him, and then he would be twisting to spit back at her, and she’d have an even more difficult time getting him free.

Thankfully, the trap in question was only a standard leg trap. If it hadn’t been triggered, it would have taken her less than a second to disarm it. If. But since he had triggered it, she was now faced with the problem of disarming it when, firstly, she couldn’t really reach the mechanism, and secondly, the teeth of the thing were embedded in his boot.

She didn’t think said teeth had gotten far enough through the metal and leather to make him bleed. But, if she made a wrong move, it soon could.

“Stop. Squirming,” she growled through gritted teeth.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised, sounding so genuinely contrite that she paused in her efforts to clear the trap of the leaves and mud that had been used to disguise it and glanced up at him. “Really genuinely. I am. I should have been more careful.”

“It’s all right,” she said, returning to her work. It wasn’t all right, of course, but one of the most unfair things about her prince was the way you just couldn’t stay mad at him. She couldn’t, at the very least.

“Am I going to lose my foot?”

She snorted a laugh and very nearly triggered whatever part of the mechanism she had uncovered.

“Not if you stay still,” she reminded him. “And quiet.”

“Sorry! I’m just… nervous.”

“Well, try not to be.”

“It’s not that easy,” he whined. “You may not have noticed, but there’s not much to look at around here. I need distracting from my possible amputation.”

“How about you count the number of Elfroot plants around?”

“That’s boring. Can’t you talk or something? Talking to you is a much better distraction.”

Read the Rest on AO3

#alistair theirin #dragon age origins #dragon age #alistair x cousland #dragon age alistair #alistair x fem warden #Alistair getting stuck in traps IS the DAO experience #seriously #so many times #Hope you all enjoy!

[drrav3nb]

Something More, Something Holy, Something Sacred

Since returning to Númenor, both Elendil and Tar-Miriel had become the target of Ar-Pharazôn’s true ambitions. By using the late King’s death as an excuse to dethrone the Queen Regent, as well as the enormous losses incurred in the Battle of the Southlands, Ar-Pharazôn hoped to prove that Tar-Miriel was unworthy of holding power in Númenor. But in a moment of fierce resolve, she managed to challenge such a notion in court, proclaiming that if she could not turn such transgressions into gold then she would willingly relinquish her title and abdicate the throne. Believing that she would fail and humiliate herself beyond repair, Ar-Pharazôn agreed to her demands but allowed her only one month to prove his claims to be false. And so, since then Elendil and the Queen have convened at sunrise every morning, hours before court was held, in order to get ahead of matters concerning the public, the economy and military endeavours. But outsmarting such a devious politician was a task unlike anything Tar-Miriel had faced before, one in which she was severely unequipped.

Read the fic here

#elendil #elendil x miriel #elendil the tall #tar-miriel #queen miriel #lotr #trop #tropedit #lloyd owen #cynthia addai robinson #lord of the rings: the rings of power #the rings of power #lotredit #lotr fic #trop fic #lord of the rings fic #the rings of power fic #ao3 #this was a struggle to write but i'm happy with how it turned out #hope you all enjoy!

[shadowy-suitcase-herring-neck]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Undertale (Video Game) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Nightmare Gang (Undertale), Star Sanses - Character, Undertale au characters and oc's Additional Tags: Dreamtale Nightmare Sans (Undertale), Bad Sanses | Nightmare's Gang (Undertale), Horrortale Sans (Undertale), Dreamtale Sans | Dream (Undertale), Killer Sans (Undertale) - Freeform, Dusttale Sans (Undertale), Error Sans (Undertale) - Freeform, _____tale Sans | Ink (Undertale), Xtale Sans | Cross (Undertale), Age Regression/De-Aging, Alien Planet, World building is immense and i have no self control :D, Fluff, dadmare, Parental Dreamtale Nightmare Sans (Undertale), Nightmare has no idea how to care for a child, neither does Dream, they need help Summary:

It is the end.The multiverse has collapsed. But then... some have survived somehow. Now they must start from total scratch. On the planet of Novus

#YE chapter two is hereeeee :D #it took much self control to wait for the day i decided to schedule updates #i will post some drawings of the boi's later #hope you all enjoy! #herring writes #also cross is smol and i love him

[missroller15]

new fic!!! NEW FIC!!! hope you all enjoy this one heheheheh <333 🫶🫶🫶

reader warnings: this is definitely going to be a little different than my usual brand so…. i’m sorry <3, and it’s pre-acftl…

#acftl #ouabh #tbona #evajacks #evangeline fox #jacks prince of hearts #evajacks fanfics #!! #hope you all enjoy!