#if there’s a chance to draw cad I’m gonna do it.

[moonwarde]

clone wars screencap redraw 22 - 3.08 | evil plans

#cad bane #star wars #the clone wars #my art #sorry to the droid i cut out 😔 #if there’s a chance to draw cad I’m gonna do it.

[levi-venn]

The First Toothpick

Chapter 3: A Fistful of Carrots

Gen Fic - Mentor/Protege

Characters: Cad Bane, Crosshair (the kid), Jango (flashbacks).

Summary: Cad Bane teaches Crosshair how to be a sniper. The kid picks up some other habits as a result.

Chapter Summary: The kid experiences dry land for the first time. His reaction surprises Cad...but it also gives him an idea.

Chapters: Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch7 | Ch8 (Coming soon)

Available on AO3 here

“It’s just grass.” 

“The hell it is,” Cad said, retreating back up the ramp of the Firespray.

“C’mon, Cad, have a little faith in me. Watch.” Jango hopped out of the ship, landing waist deep in the field of golden brown wheat…

…like a damn fool.

So much wheat…stretching for as far as his scarlet globular eyes could see.

And that much wheat meant that many more places to hide.

“There’s things in there,” Cad warned, pointing to something rustling near Jango’s leg. 

“Just critters. Predators don’t come out until nightfall and they prefer Fabools to humanoids. You’re safe, I promise.”

“Uh huh…” Cad took another step backwards. “...I’ll just stay here.”

It wasn’t that he missed his homeworld - fuck Duro - but at least he knew and accepted it for what it was: A world that had traded its soul for industry long before Cad was born.  Clouds weren’t supposed to be white and fluffy like this. They should be oily and black belched from rusty smokestacks.  Even the sky here was wrong, too blue, too bright, missing the stains of putrid orange and green.  He’d been on this planet for less than a minute and already had his fill of the buzzing insects and…where the hell was that croaking coming from anyway?

“We got work to do, Cad. Don’t make me throw you over my shoulder like a bag of meilooruns.”

Cad sighed and stood on the edge of the ramp, staring down the untamed wilderness of what was supposedly a very tame ranch. The wheat stalks swooned in the breeze, like long fingers coaxing Cad into unseen jaws.

He sank one boot into the grass.

Something shrieked and shot up into the air.

Cad stumbled backwards, drawing one blaster only to have it slip from his fingers, sliding noisily down the ramp and out of sight into the wheat field. He pulled the second blaster and fired at the monster.

The convor flew away, unscathed.

“Aaaand this is why we’re here,” Jango frowned, picking up fumbled blaster and handing it back to Cad. “You’re jumpy as hell and can’t shoot for shit. If you want to keep calling me boss, get your shit together, Cad.”

“Yeah, boss,” Cad mumbled, holstering both blasters, embarrassment warming his face.

“Alright, enough lollygagging. Let’s go check on the Fabools.”

“What the hell is a Fabool?”

Cad found the kid curled up asleep in Bossk’s chair, cheek pressed against the scope of his rifle and a half-eaten protein bar in his hand. 

Beneath the chair was the kid’s duffle bag, half-open. Cad nudged it with his boot. Jumpsuits, protein bars, packs of water purifying tablets. No toys, no music discs, no personality. Not a single candy bar.

Jango loved caramel Starsbars; always kept one on him, in a pouch next to his thermal dets. He also loved fried eggs and bacon, nerf stew with extra carrots, peach-flavored tihaar cocktails (though he always claimed he drank tihaar straight), and he bobbed his head to Figrin D'an And The Modal Nodes when he thought no one was looking. 

Did all his clones experience the same joys he did? Were they even given a chance?

He kicked Bossk’s chair. “Get up, kid. We’re here.”

The kid sat upright, eyes still closed, a long, textured red line from the scope denting his cheek. “Where are we?”

“That’s classified,” Cad smirked.

“Haha, funny,” the kid yawned and slithered out of the chair. He took another bite of the protein bar, then tucked it back into his jumpsuit’s pocket.

I told him to find somethin’ to eat, Cad thought. Does he prefer his own rations?

“This hideout was Jango’s before it was mine. He taught me all I knew here n’ I’m gonna impart some of that know-how onto you.”

“I know how to shoot."

“Yeah, slower than molasses on Vandor,” Cad sneered. “We’re gonna fix that, but for now…” Cad activated the ramp. “...let’s just start with gettin’ out of the ship.”

The kid’s expression didn’t change.

Not when the door slid open.

Not when seeing, probably for the first time, an ocean of golden brown wheat, a clear sky, and a world alive with natural wonders.

Except that wasn’t exactly true. The kid's expression did change, if you knew where to look. Cad watched the kid's glassy brown eyes dart around the narrow view of the scenery, not like a frightened kid like Cad was all those years ago, but with a curious feline studying his new territory.

The kid ventured forward, standing on the edge of the ramp scanning the wheat field.  He didn’t move for a long moment.

Cad stood beside him, studying his face. The kid didn’t look scared, but something was holding him back. 

Finally, he looked up at Cad, brow knitted slightly.

Cad tilted his head. “What?”

“...is it safe?”

“C’mon, Cad, have a little faith in me,”

“Yeah, kid,” Cad said, Jango’s exasperated sigh burned in his memory. “It’s safe.”

As the kid took that first step forward, Cad leaned against the ship and popped a toothpick between his teeth. He expected to be here a while as the kid grew accustomed to the planet. 

But the kid jumped in with two feet. Literally. And then took off like a blaster bolt, running through the fields like a wild lothcat and twice as silent, maneuvered through the grass with practiced efficiency. 

Huh…engineered for stealth…created for war…

The kid chased some unseen varmint for a while before stopping to catch a butterfly in mid-air. As he cupped it in his hands, peeking through the fingers, a frog leapt onto his leg.  The kid gasped, but even that was subdued. He eyed the frog with round, emotional eyes, then lifted his leg to show Cad. 

Created for war…but still just a kid.

The frog disappeared into the kid’s pocket only to leap back out again as soon as the kid’s attention turned to a flock of ducks flying overhead.

“Believe it or not, Cad,” Jango said, arm draped loosely over Cad’s shoulder as they walked through the grass together. “There are some planets in this galaxy that aren’t a kriffing nightmare to live on.”

“Pretty planets can be dangerous too,” Cad mumbled.

“Hey,” Jango stopped in his tracks and made the sulking duros look him in the eye. Human eyes were always too emotional for Cad's liking. Jango's eyes weren't bad to look at though. Still, he scowled stubbornly. “I promised you a quiet place to train you and I meant it. You’re safe here. You’re safe with me.”

As the kid stood transfixed over a grasshopper crawling along his arm, Cad slung the kid’s rifle over his own shoulder, grabbed a few more bags, and exited the ship. He was halfway to the house when he realized the kid was following him, silent as the grave and his arm still extended giving the grasshopper a proper runway.

“Just goin’ to the house. Go play, kid.”

“I’m not playing,” the kid denied. “I’m here to learn.”

Cad sneered. “Like a good little soldier, huh?”

“I’m not just a soldier. I’m an elite-”

“Just be a kriffin’ kid today, okay?”

The kid’s neutral expression melted into something teetering on panic. He looked around again as if searching for something or someone to explain “playing” to him.

Made for war...

“How about this,” Cad sighed. “Do some recon. Get familiar with the territory. The perimeter extends to the barbed wire fence and the border of the lake. Report back when yer done.”

Seemingly satisfied with this “mission” he nodded and bounded off, the grasshopper flying behind him. 

Fuck you, Jango, for givin’ just one special little Boba a childhood and leavin’ the rest behind.

Cad headed to the house and hoped Todo 360 had ordered the extra carrots for the nerf stew.

***

Cad remembered being disappointed when he first arrived at the hideout. 

The word “hideout” made him think of a beaten up shack filled with illegal artillery, chests full of credits, and a bunch of mean-looking mercs he’d be glad to have on his side.

But this hideout was a farmhouse. A quaint home perched on a hill overlooking the wheat fields. Over the front door was a wooden sign with hand carved, flowery aurebesh reading: “The Stars Shine on This Home”. Rocking chairs moved with the cool breeze on the porch. Cheerful tulips welcomed bees in the front garden. Inside the house, there were floral quilts on the plush couches and horseshoes over every doorway. There was a ubiquitous scent of cinnamon and aged wood. 

“Doesn’t look like much of a hideout,” Cad sulked, eyeing the pie cooling on the windowsill. 

“And you don’t look like much of a mercenary,” Jango sneered, pulling out two plates and a pie server. “Looks can be deceiving.”

Three hours later, the kid showed up. Dirt caked his cheeks, burrs stuck to his jumpsuit. There was a scrape on his hand, and a few bugs and a frog peeked out of his pockets.

From the kitchen, Cad slid a heap of carrots into the simmering nerf stew and watched the kid carefully stalk the living room, eyeing everything, but touching nothing. 

Well, almost nothing.

Cad’s wide-brimmed hat hung on the rack near the door.

The kid reached up for it. 

“Take a seat, kid,” Cad said, his tone sharp. “Food’s almost ready.”

The kid snatched his hand back and scurried to the small table in the dining area. He sniffed the daisy bouquet centerpiece and looked shocked to realize it was real.  He put one of the grasshoppers on one of the flowers.  The grasshopper immediately hopped away.

Cad set the bowl of hearty nerf stew in front of the kid and brushed the grasshopper onto the floor. “Eat up. It’s tastier than those shitty protein bars ya got stowed away.”

The kid’s spoon poked experimentally at the stew.

“I like the protein bars,” he said, watching the hearty chunks of nerf bobbing in the sienna broth.

He took a bite of just broth at first, his face remaining neutral, but his brow rose a little lighter.

The second bite was a little more adventurous with a piece of nerf added to it.

The third bite was all carrots…

…and the kid immediately spat them out in his napkin, wrinkling his nose.

Cad nearly snickered.

Under any normal circumstance he would’ve found it funny.

But the disappointment hit his gut like a cheap shot.

It was just carrots.  What would he care if the kid hated carrots and Jango ate them like candy?

Because this ain’t about carrots. If these clones ain’t like Jango, then they got free will, don’t they?

And if they got free will…

…what happens if they decide they don’t wanna be soldiers?

Questions far above his pay grade, but like Jango always said: “The day you stop asking questions is the day They win.”

Is that what you did, Jango? Cad wondered, bringing his own bowl of stew to the table. Did ya just stop askin’ questions?

Halfway through the quiet meal, Cad realized the kid was staring at him.

“Somethin’ on yer mind, kid?” He asked, not looking up.

The kid silently picked another carrot off his spoon and added it to the orange pile on his napkin. 

“I asked ya a question.”

“I didn’t find any Fabool,” the kid murmured.

“Didja know where to look?”

“No.”

Cad raised his brow ridge. “Didja ask where they were?”

The kid shook his head.

“So? Ask me.”

“Where are they?”

“Behind the house. Finish your stew and I’ll show y-”

The kid dropped his spoon, grabbed the bowl and, in record time, gulped down the rest of the stew, chewing the last bits noisily and spitting out a final piece of carrot.

“Ready.” he said, deadpan, though his eyes sparkled as bright as Jango’s whenever Cad handed him a Starsbar.

Need Todo to order more Starsbar, Cad reminded himself. Just in case.

***

Behind the house was a square, quarter acre of land, sectioned off with a two meter high fence covered in thick brown wool. From the outside, it just looked like an extra storage shed, but as Cad and the kid drew nearer, it was evident something was moving around inside the enclosure.  

The kid pressed his face against the fabric barrier trying to see through it without any luck. The Fabools snuffled inquisitively on the other side.

“Whats with the blankets?” 

Huh…first question I didn’t have to pry outta him, Cad mused. 

“Fabools are about as sensitive as they are stupid. In the wild they’re liable to get stuck on thorn bushes n' deflate, makin' 'em easy pickin's for predators. The goal is to keep ‘em safe n’ happy in here so they produce more eggs."

"Eggs?"

"These eggs ain't for eatin'. Not for us anyway. They fetch a pretty price on the black market since the egg whites got hallucinatory properties to 'em.” He unlocked the door but held it closed, his eyes narrowing at the kid. “Walk carefully n’ don’t bring anythin’ sharp in here. You deflate ‘em, I deflate you, got it?”

“Okay,” the kid said, with enough earnestness to ease Cad's mind. "Wait," he added suddenly, pulling out a small vibroblade from his boot, and stuck it in the ground outside the enclosure. "Okay, ready."

“Good kid,” Cad nodded.

The kid immediately looked away, but not before Cad noted the faintest trace of a smile in his cheeks. 

Soon as the gate opened, the kid slipped through it and was immediately overwhelmed, disappearing beneath a bouncing avalanche of furry Fabools.

Fabools were balloon-like creatures in every way imaginable, perfectly round, airy and gentle, and navigated the world through bouncing and floating with vague intent on their destination. Short gray fur covered their bodies, and their two webbed feet may have once been used for swimming eons ago, but that evolutionary branch had long since broken off. Their flippers remained as an imperfect guidance system, and Fabools tended to flap out of sheer excitement than for propulsion.

While they didn't exactly have heads, their face was located flush against the upper hemisphere of their round form, a tiny upturned mouth sandwiched between two, round black eyes which blinked adoringly at the kid.  

The kid sank into the grass in wide-eyed wonderment, opening his arms to gently hug however many Fabools he could while the rest rolled and bounced all around him.

Cad couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard the kid hiss out a small, brief laugh.

“What the fuck, Jango?” Cad growled, backing up as the creatures bounced closer and closer. “Get ‘em away from me.”

“They’re harmless.”

“Then why’re they chasin’ me?” He climbed up the fence, the little monsters hopping in the air obviously trying to bite him.

“They don’t even have teeth. I promise you, they're not dangerous, just curious. Trust me.”

"Trust me..."

Something clicked in Cad’s mind.

…Well shit. Now I know why Jango asked me to train this kid. Snipin’ isn’t this kid’s problem. Trust is.

Not trust in other people. This kid seemed to have an abundance of blind trust for authority figures…something Cad would train out of him in a heartbeat if he wasn’t getting paid for this job. 

The thing is, the kid had trust for everyone outside of himself. 

That’s why he shoots so slow. That’s why he’s so damn hesitant to speak his mind. He’s got that spark in him, but Jango hired me for one specific reason: I got trust for no one but myself. 

“They’re so…helpless,” The kid said, watching one of the males roll by, webbed feet kicking uselessly in the air. The kid gave him a little push to help him to his feet.

So are you, kid, Cad thought, popping a toothpick in his mouth. But don’t worry. We’re gonna fix that. You may hate me afterwards…

…but either way you’ll be stronger for it, and I’ll get paid either way.

#bad batch crosshair #tbb crosshair #the bad batch #cad bane #star wars the clone wars #jango fett #tbb cad bane #The First Toothpick

[saphirered]

Can We Go Yet

Here it is; another instalment  in the Eldritch Knight series and because I can’t keep to a word count it seems there’ll be another part. Enjoy 😘.

-

Essek swings his heavy cloak over his shoulders, connecting the clasp keeping it in place and rolls his eyes. He knew it was a bad idea letting his brother stay with him during his time in Rosohna instead of just dooming Verin to stay with their mother but when Verin showed up on his doorstep a week before he was expected claiming he had some extra days off and couldn’t do anything but dedicate them to some good old sibling bonding. Verin had showed up the night after he’d ask you out and the next day, today he’d be taking you out on your date. 

“Come on, brother. Let’s go out for some drinks, cause some mischief. Someone has to breathe some life into the Firmaments.” Verin clasps a hand over Essek’s shoulder interposing himself between Essek and his path to the door with a grin that said enough about the problems he intended to cause.

“I have other obligations for the day. Besides, you are perfectly capable of pushing the Firmaments into chaos by yourself. I would not wish to get in your way.” Essek tries to brush his brother off and manages to get around the taller drow, the door opening with a wave of his hand, letting the subtile hint show that he will not hesitate to make a fool of his brother in public should he try to stop Essek. 

“You and your obligations.” Verin rolls his eyes. “I could simply join-“ 

“No!” Essek may have spoken a bit quicker and intensely than he intended and he knew for sure he had when he sees the gleam in Verin’s eyes. It takes one to know one and that’s the look of a challenged Thelyss. 

“As you are so adamant. Fine. I will behave and I won’t stop you from going wherever you are.” Verin shrugs and Essek doesn’t know wether to be relieved his brother didn’t push further or scared because one thing’s for sure; he’s suspicious. Nevertheless, expression neutral and proper he bids his brother goodbye and leaves. Despite not being a devout follower of anything but his own practices he finds himself sending prayers to who or whatever is watching to be merciful and keep his brother’s antics from ruining today. Any day but today. 

Verin watches Essek depart staring him down before he closes the door. Quick as he is he rushes to a window looking around the corner and sees just the tiniest bit of his brother’s facade slip. Essek is relieved. He really shouldn’t be. Verin wouldn’t be a good and loving brother would he not cause his brother a generous level of embarrassment and trouble on his first day back home. From the top of the tower he sees Essek leave and once he’s sure Essek won’t be as alert he takes to snooping around his study. The usual arcane stuff, some paperwork from the Bastion and some notes, no a list. What are you planning Essek? He takes the list and accompanying notes and takes off to follow where Essek went.

The road leads him to a two-story mansion, a tree of green leaves growing out of the tower. Verin doesn’t think he’s ever seen a green tree in Rosohna. Ever. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that whoever would put such an ostentatious beacon on their roof would be affiliated with Essek. He does not, however see why Essek would willingly affiliate himself with them as he prefers not to draw attention. He watches as Essek knocks on the door. In a matter of seconds the door is opened, bell ringing, by a blue tiefling it seems who pulls him inside by the arm with a force and determination he hadn’t expected. The door is slammed closed behind them. Deeming it safe and trusting his skills Verin trails closer and finds a vantage point to spy on whoever these people are and begins to plot and plan what mischief he’ll cause. 

“Essek, Essek, Essek!” Jester bounces with excitement as the door slams closed behind him. The tiefling pulls him into the common area where Beau’s lounging on a couch giving him a nod of acknowledgement. Caleb’s seated in a chair bend over the table scribbling notes, undoubtedly amidst transcribing a new spell. The wizard gives him a look of pity at the tiefling hugging his arm and blabbering on about what fun he’s gonna have and how much you’re gonna like everything he does and how romantic he is for taking you on a date and giving him tips on how to be even more romantic until Fjord takes mercy upon him and pries the girl away from him allowing him some space to compose himself. 

Essek takes off his cloak revealing the clothes better suited for warmer weather when Yasha offers to take it while he waits for you. Gratefully he hands it to the woman who unceremoniously tosses it over the back of a chair, giving Beau a stern look who was on the brink of making some kind of remark. Jester is getting inpatient and rushes to the bottom of the stairs. 

“Are you done yet?!” She shouts up and half of the Nein wince at the sheer volume. The longer he waits the more nervous he gets and the more difficult it becomes to repress that feeling but he’ll wait patiently still. 

“Beauty takes time, dear Jester.” Your voice sounds from upstairs and the fine sound of your light steps hitting the floor approaching the stairs reach his ears. Jester getting the first view from her position gasps, fanning herself and this must have been the first time he’s seen the girl at los of words. 

And then you come into his view, little by little as you walk down the steps. Essek has trouble putting words to the vision as he much like Jester has lost all ability to speak in that moment. Divine. You look absolutely divine. The fine light fabrics fit in all the right places creating an elegant and complimenting silhouette while still being practical in its cut to allow you complete freedom of movement and not get in the way should a fight ever break out. He couldn’t see them but knows you wouldn’t go without some kind of weapon on your person but has no doubt a dagger or two and some throwing knives are hidden between the folds of the garment. Your hair is elegantly styled in the same practical way you usually have it but small flowers have been pinned and weaved in to bring even more to the ethereal vision you already are and when you look at him, eyes bright and a smile to match, he feels himself unable to breathe. 

Caduceus follows behind you, giving you a chance to walk down to Essek while he quickly clears the mess left in the wake of his work. He had claimed he used to do this with his siblings, finding new and creative ways to add flowers to their hair and weave them in by braiding and twisting, tying and simply pinning them in. It had brought him comfort he said, and with the knowledge of your date night he’d offered so you accepted happily. Your feet hit the ground floor and you look at the others, a quick inspection of the room to see they hadn’t been torturing Essek or hounding him for the details of your date you wait for Caduceus to join the others. 

“Thank you, Cad.” You give the firbolg a quick side hug as he passes to sit down next to Beau. He’s about to ruffle your hair but quickly decides against it as to not ruin his good work. You walk over to Essek with a smile, the space between you a little closer than he’d have allowed with the others and while normally you’d reach out for his hand you refrain because of the company. Essek notices your eyes fall to his hand and to your surprise he entwines your fingers with his, squeezing softly. Your smile brightens and his matches as you forget about the audience for just a moment.

“How do I look?” You flounce out the fabric letting gravity have its way with the feather light material taking half a step back to allow Essek better view of you. 

“Radiant. Like a divine being.” Essek breathes. Words have a difficult time formulating but he collects himself and veers away from the complete mind blank you’ve caused him. Not that he’s mad about it. It’s rather the opposite. It’s not even about the way you look, even though you had truly outdone yourself, he’d still thought you the most gorgeous person in the world in rags or sweaty training clothes. It’s about the confidence you radiate, the warmth like an embrace and the affection in your eyes. 

“Oh, such a shame. I thought you didn’t affiliate yourself with deities.” You jest with a chuckle as you step back to where you stood before. Beau makes a gagging sound and you send her a death glare over your shoulder that shuts her up and has Yasha cover the monk’s mouth with her hand to prevent any retaliation to leave her lips. 

“I better start now, then.” Essek whispers when you face him once more. He whispered for Beau’s sake and maybe even more so to stop Jester from gushing, the girl having already taken out her sketchbook and writing down everything you say and do for some reason. Then, you’re interrupted by the door to the study slamming open, Nott stepping out, a cloud of smoke dissipating from the room behind her and the smell that accompanies it just absolutely terrible that you reach up to cover your nose and subconsciously take another step closer into Essek’s side as if he can keep it at bay. 

“Momma’s got a little gift for you two before you depart.” She proudly holds up two vials of some kind of brown-is dark green liquid sloshing about and it seems that these, more likely the crafting of the contents within are definitely the cause of this smell. 

“What the hell is that?” You speak, slightly muffled trying to hold back the urge to gag. Even Essek is struggling at this point with the woman stepping closer and closer, doused in this rancid acidic chemical scent. 

“I’m glad you ask!” A gleam in her eye makes you not so glad. “These babies are some proper rhino sex potions. Or they should be and you two can test them out on your little date. Make momma proud.” The goblin grins widely teeth exposed. You watch a blush creep up Essek’s cheeks as Nott in uncertain terms explains exactly what it does and how it’s supposed to work. She also mentions they’re untested but it should be fine. Perfectly safe. Maybe Essek would have preferred just dealing with his brother instead of listening exactly how these rhino sex potions should affect the drinker. 

“You don’t bone on the first date, Nott!” Jester exclaims as if she knows best and Nott’s attention falls away from you and Essek turning to the tiefling instead. 

“We’re adventurers, Jessie! We do things a little differently.” Nott defends. 

“I mean, no. But yes, I’ve had sex on plenty of first dates.” Beau perks up siding with Nott if only to torture Essek further because she’s definitely loving the response she’s getting out of him, even though you’re comforting the man throughout it all. The argument continues, the rest of the Nein also getting into the mix of wether or not you should have sex on the first date weighing in all sorts of variables of your specific situation. 

“Let’s go while they’re bickering if you want to make it out alive.” You mutter under your breath, just loud enough to hear and Essek catches on looking between you and the Mighty Nein as you keep your eyes on them pretending you didn’t do or say anything. He decides to take your word for it and doesn’t even bother contemplating the consequences of not saying goodbye to them instead speaking the words to the spell and you’re whisked off to another place far far away from the Xhorhaus and eternal night of Rosohna. 

“Wait. Where did they go?” Yasha asks noticing the drow and their friend gone. The argument falls silent and eyes turn to the space where the two of you had been standing mere seconds before. 

“They left when you started talking about wether or not their prior outings counted and if they’ve ever slept together afterwards when they had some privacy.” Caleb doesn’t look up from his work and keeps transcribing. When he doesn’t indulge them in the continuation of their argument and it eventually ends he’s on the verge of finishing up his new spell. 

“You spoke with Essek yesterday before he left. Spill the beans Widogast.” Beau all but threatens. There’s a clearing of the throat midway up the stairs and while they first expected it to possibly be Dairon but the sound was too heavy and pitch different. 

“I think I can help with that.” A drow sharing a striking resemblance to Essek although more muscular and taller holds out some papers. The Nein is on guard immediately ready to attack. 

“I think we can be of use to each other.” Still wary it quickly becomes clear they do have a mutual goal and with the Nein’s ability to get into someone else’s business they had it covered. It took them exactly half a second to figure out what the list was; places in Nicodranas. Jester was already gushing on about them and ranking them in order of how romantic they could be. 

Essek had taken you to Nicodranas and it just so happens that the Mighty Nein has a friend with a teleportation circle there. Caleb can spare the spell slot so how couldn’t they go for a night exploring the city, say hi to Jester’s mom and Yeza and Luc and better get to know their new friend Verin. It would be their down time while you and Essek went on a date. Or at least that’s their excuse because it’s pretty clear they just need to spy and snoop. 

#critical role x reader #critrole x reader #mighty nein x reader #essek x reader #essek thelyss x reader #critical role #mighty nein

[thebountyfucker]

Sharing is Caring

18+ ONLY - NSFW

Embo/F!Reader/Cad, minor Embo/Cad

Tags: PiV sex, voyeurism/exhibitionism, choking, deep throating, Embo and Cad are sorta buddies, lots o' cum, overstimulation, shibari, slightly feral Bo

Here's the link to my masterpost

This one is for the group chat. Love you hoes

“I got company comin’ over, so ya better behave.” Cad drawled as he ran the rope he was rigging you up with along your waist. You met his gaze, your eyes shimmering nervously. You were too damn cute, he’d give you that.

“C-company?” You asked as he tied off the rope and took a step back to admire his handiwork.

“Don’ get all shy now. It’s just Bo.” He muttered as he turned to dig around in his dresser drawers for one of his numerous toys. He pulled out a wand vibrator, and turned it on with a smirk. He threaded the wand through the rope around your waist and angled it so it hit your clit just right. You gasped softly as he patted your cheek. “Keep quiet fer me, okay? I’d hate fer him to know dat yer in dis state.”

You nodded frantically as he slipped out the door. Your legs shook already. It was going to be a long night…

-

Cad poured Embo a drink from the bar, watching the other hunter with a keen eye. They were tentative allies, sure, but Cad would hardly say that he trusted the other hunter. Given the glances Embo shot him in return, the feeling was mutual. They had to be. One always had to be on their guard around other hunters. One could never guess where the others' loyalties lie.

Cad made his way toward Embo with drink in hand. Embo accepted it with a nod, not saying a word. Cad didn’t mind. Embo’s silence was one of the reasons he was tolerable compared to the others. Cad set his own drink down on the table and moved toward the panel on the wall, raising the oxygen levels so his company could drink without the risk of suffocation. Cad’s breathing tubes went to work filtering out the extra oxygen.

“Hear anythin’ interestin’ from de Guild?” Cad drawled as he eased down into his chair and gathered a pack of playing cards in his hand. Embo grunted as he set his mask aside and took a sip of his drink.

“There is a job coming up. They will not say who is hiring, but the payout is roughly five million.” Embo replied, and Cad whistled in response.

“Damn. Any interest?”

“Of course there is interest. But they need someone of a higher caliber than most within the Guild.”

“So who’s a serious candidate?” Cad asked as he dealt out a hand of cards. Embo grabbed his cards, and fanned them out in his hand.

“Bossk, Aurra…”

“You?”

Embo chuckled as he glanced down at his cards. “Yes.”

“Guild-specific hiring?” Cad asked after taking a large swig of his drink.

“Unfortunately.” Embo reached for his drink and took a sip. “But I could get you in on it. 65/35 split sound amenable?”

“Sixty-five percent in my favor?” Cad teased with a quirk of his browridge. Embo rolled his eyes.

“No, mine. I would be getting the job, after all.”

“Doesn’t seem like getting de job is worth dat much. 50/50 split.”

“60/40.”

“Are ya really tryin’ dis wit’ me?” Cad managed with a chuckle. He downed his drink and laid out a card. Embo glared down at the card, before looking at his own hand.

“You do it to me all the time. I think it is only fair to return the favor.”

“Oh fuck you.” Cad managed between snickers as Embo laid down a card of his own. Cad leaned back. “Now dat was a dumb play.”

“I still do not get this game.” Embo muttered as he finished his drink and set his cards down on the table face down. He gestured to the bar. “May I?”

“Go ahead. Bring de whole bottle while yer at it.” Embo nodded in understanding as he stood and approached the bar, before pausing halfway across the room. Cad frowned and leaned forward. “Somethin’ wrong?”

“It sounds as though someone is in pain.”

“Oh dat’s just my fuck toy.” Cad replied nonchalantly, and Embo blinked over at him.

“Should I… leave?”

“Nah. Just let ‘er be. I’ll take care o’ ‘er in a bit.” Cad leaned back and put down another card. Embo came over with the bottle of booze and set it down on the table, before looking at the card Cad put down.

“Why did you do that?”

“Wanted t’ give ya a chance.” Cad smirked as he flicked the cap off the bottle and took a swig, much to Embo’s dismay. Embo settled back in his chair, a look of discomfort on his face.

“You are not usually so generous.”

“What can I say? De prospect of two-and-a-half million makes me feel all warm an’ fuzzy.” Cad fiddled around in his pocket and produced a pack of cigs. He offered one to Embo, who took it and perched it between his lips. Cad leaned over to light it for him.

They thoughtfully smoked in silence, taking turns laying down cards until Cad inevitably won. Embo seemed distracted, though, and Cad wasn’t sure why until he heard you whining for him from the room nearby. Embo shifted in his chair, trying to ignore your calls, but Cad could see they were getting to him. His eyes brightened, his body went lax… he fidgeted with the cards as he tried to think of anything else. Cad was almost certain that he was hard.

Cad set down his cards and stood, slowly approaching Embo. Embo put out the cig on his hand and looked up at Cad.

“What?” His voice was husky despite himself. Cad chuckled as he gripped Embo’s chin between his fingers, and tilted his head back. He could feel Embo tense beneath him, unsure of Cad’s intentions.

“Do ya want ‘er?”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

“Come now… ya can’t fool me. Yer eyes give ya away. Dey always do.” Cad chuckled as he released his grip on Embo’s chin; he instead patted Embo’s cheek. “Go on. Take ‘er.”

“I… do not understand.”

“Like I said, dat much money gets me feelin’ good. My only demand is dat ya aren’t doin’ dat gentle shit. Fuck her so hard she can’t walk. Got it?”

“And if she does not want that?”

“She will.”

-

The vibrator against your clit was pure torture at this point. A puddle of your fluids covered the floor beneath you. Your legs could hardly hold you up. You needed Cad to free you. He was so close by, you knew that he could hear you. You knew he could! You cried out his name once more as the door slid open and in walked… well… not Cad. Embo’s glowing eyes pierced through the darkness, and you shuddered, suddenly embarrassed by your nudeness and obvious arousal. Cad entered the room behind him, pushing Embo toward you.

“Cad, what are you-?” You asked as Cad came over to switch off the vibrator.

“I’m gonna let Bo take care of ya.” He hummed as he stroked your cheek. You leaned into his touch with a small sigh.

“If you do not want this, you are free to say so.” Embo muttered, and Cad chuckled, tangling a hand into the hair at the base of your skull.

“She’s a lil’ slut. She won’ say no.”

“You like to put words in her mouth.” Embo muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest. Cad went about untying you, before leaning in close and whispering in your ear.

“Go on, den. Speak t’ him. Settle his anxious lil’ mind.”

“I would like that.” You nodded, stretching your limbs as Cad untied them. Cad tossed the rigging rope aside, before sitting down in a nearby chair to watch.

You turned back toward Embo, who hadn’t moved from his position. He was waiting for you to make the first move. Ever the gentleman. You sauntered toward him, less gracefully than you were intending since your legs felt like jelly beneath you. He watched as you approached, unmoving.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be shy.”

“I am not ‘shy’.” He muttered as he glanced over at Cad. “He wishes for it to be rough. Speak now if you are not amenable to that.”

“Cad knows how I like things.” You fiddled with the latches of his armor, surprised at how easy they gave under your ministrations. The armor fell to the floor. You pulled him down so you could whisper in his ear. “You should really listen to him.”

“So he says.” Embo muttered as he swatted your hands away so he could remove the rest of his clothes. You would have assumed he was displeased with the situation given his tone and… well… general demeanor. But a deep, loud purr rumbled from within his chest, and you knew that he was thrilled. Cad leaned back, watching with keen eyes.

Bo hardly finished undressing before shoving you down onto your knees. Your gaze landed on his cock and you swallowed hard; it was larger than you were expecting. You looked up at him, and then down at his erect cock.

“I don’t know if I can-.”

He brought his cock to your lips and you opened wide anyways. He tangled a hand in your hair and guided your mouth down his length - well, as far as you could without completely choking on him. He held you there, at your limit, watching as your face got red and tears welled in your eyes, before easing you off. You only got a moment of relief before he guided you back over his length, this time much faster. You gagged around him. He pulled away. He shoved you back onto his cock, much more forcefully. Tears streamed down your cheeks. When he pulled away, you let out a deranged little laugh.

“Come on, I’ve fucked ‘er harder den dat!” Cad called and Embo growled in response.

“Shut up.” He released his grip on your hair and instead started thrusting into your mouth, driving hard and deep. The slick sounds mixed with your gagging filled the room, and you cast a sideways glance toward Cad and he leaned back, legs spread open like the whore he was. A hand rested on his thigh, easing toward the obvious bulge in his pants.

Embo wrenched his cock out of your mouth and bent over to pick you up straight off the ground. He tossed you face-first onto the bed, and was quick to box you in against it. He leaned down, pressing his cheek to yours.

“I am going to fuck you now.”

“Please do.” You lifted your ass to press against his cock. He growled lowly in your ear as he rutted his cock along your rear.

“Good. Good girl.”

He lifted his weight off of you and pulled open your legs, before drawing the head of his cock along your swollen cunt. You mewled and whined, rocking your hips in an effort to push him further into you. You got your wish, much faster and harder than you were expecting. The air was wrenched from your lungs as you fell face-first against the comforter on the bed. He submerged himself to the hilt, and your toes curled at the sensation of him filling you up. You moaned his name, and turned your head to glance at Cad.

Cad offered you a wink as he palmed his bulge through his pants. Cad’s face was tinged with green, and his eyes were hazy with lust. You knew that he’d want to get involved somehow. You wondered if Embo would let him. The last thing you wanted was for them to get in a fight over you… though that would be pretty hot…

A hand went to your throat and the other went to your lower stomach as he fucked into you, fast and hard, like a frenzied animal driven to breed. He muttered something in his mother tongue, something so heavy with lust that you can’t translate it. The hand on your throat tightened. Your head lolled forward into the comforter. He lifted you, holding you in the air as he drove into you. You moaned, your legs shaking around him.

You managed to turn your head to watch Cad shedding his clothes and approaching. He put a hand to Bo’s back, and Bo’s head shot toward him, a feral look in his eyes.

“Easy dere.”

Bo replied in his native tongue, and Cad’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’ sass me. If ya remember, she’s my lil’ fuck toy.”

Again, Bo replied in his native language. His grip on your throat tightened until you stars filled your vision and you were gasping for air. Warmth pooled in your belly, threatening to spill over. Cad muttered a response in Durese, which eased Bo’s grip on your throat. You took a deep breath as he picked up his pace, fucking harder, faster. You hadn’t known that it was possible for a person to thrust that fast. Your whine pitched up.

Cad’s hand slipped underneath you, rubbing the area around your clit. It was swollen and hot, and your whine pitched up even higher as he chuckled.

“What a filthy lil’ slut, takin’ another man like dis.” The pad of his finger ghosted over your clit and your entire body seized, on the precipice of orgasm. “Won’tcha cum, lil lady? Hm?”

His finger brushed over your clit again and you were done in. You screamed out his name as your body went stiff and you squirted all over Bo. Fireworks sparked in every nerve, drawing euphoria to wash over you.

Bo pulled out of you, panting but not yet sated. You listened to his breathing as you came to, your gaze immediately drawn to him. Cad had a hand wrapped around Bo’s cock, and was stroking it lazily. Bo’s eyes were half-lidded at the touch, and he reached out to wrap a hand around Cad’s neck, though Cad was not about to let that happen.

“Don’tchu think about dat.” Cad growled, and in a flash Bo had somehow managed to lift Cad and toss him down onto the bed. He straddled Cad’s waist and pressed his hands down on Cad’s chest, not initiating anything sexual but letting the Duros know that he was trapped. Cad’s eyes were wide and his mouth was agape as Bo leaned down.

“You do not command me.”

Cad stared up at him a moment longer, before gathering his wits about himself and pushing at Embo with a growl. “Get off o’ me, ya lug!”

Embo obliged, moving off of him and setting his gaze toward you once more. You shivered and reached for him, begging for more.

“Hey, yer takin’ my cock now. He can watch.” Cad muttered as he moved between you and Bo, driving into you without another word. Bo’s eyes flashed and you knew he was displeased by this. Something about Cad pushing him to be rough had activated this feral aspect of him you had never seen before. He growled in his native tongue and Cad growled in response. “She’s mine, remember?! Now stop actin’ like some beast and let me fuck ‘er, ‘kay?”

“Don’t be rude, Cad.” You muttered as you reached for Embo, wrapping your hand around his cock and giving it a few strokes. Cad rolled his eyes but didn’t fight you as he thrust into you, not nearly as fast but just as hard as Bo had. At the same time, you pumped Bo’s cock, feeling it quiver within your hand. Embo wrapped a hand around your wrist, and helped guide you. He was rambling on in his native language, and you weren’t sure if he knew that you couldn’t understand him. You just nodded along as Cad growled and rolled his eyes again.

“Won’tcha shut up? Stars, I give ya booze and let ya fuck my girl and suddenly ya have so much t’ say ‘bout everything.”

“Make me.” Was all Embo said in response. Cad’s eyes narrowed as he continued to fuck you, grinding his hips against yours.

“I’ll bite chu.”

“Oh, so frightening.”

You managed a chuckle between your moans, and you leaned forward to lap at the head of Embo’s slick-covered cock. You delighted in the taste of yourself as you wrapped your lips around his cock. This drew him from his squabbling with Cad, which then allowed Cad to focus on fucking you. The room went quiet, save for the pants and moans of the two men. Perfect.

Cad drew his devilish finger around your clit, and you whimpered, the noises reverberating into Bo’s cock. He moaned softly at this. His eyes slid shut as he gingerly rocked his hips. You could tell by the quivering of his cock that he was close.

Cad pinched your clit, drawing an even louder whimper for you as the heat pooled in your belly once more. Bo hissed and eased out of your mouth, stroking himself as he neared orgasm. With a small gasp, he came all over your face and neck. You moaned in response, and Cad moaned as well.

“Yer so hot all covered in cum…” He muttered as his own pace grew erratic. He rubbed at your clit as he ground his hips against yours, and you orgasmed once more. Ecstasy coursed through your body as you twitched, dousing Cad with your fluids. He pulled out and orgasmed onto your stomach as you slowly came to. He panted, and moved to the side to allow you to sit up.

It was silent for a while, before Cad turned toward Bo.

“I’m gonna bite chu now.”

“I will bite you right back.” As if trying to prove it, Embo reached up to touch his mask.

“Wouldn’t be de first time.”

“And likely not the last…”

[wanderinginksplot]

Loved your Hondo and Aurra one, can you write something with cad bane being enamored by a new bounty Hunter or something of the like?

Okay, so this ended up almost a thousand words longer than I meant it to be! Still, I hope you enjoy!

The Bounty

Bane hated Coruscant. The whole cursed planet was a city and the teeming life made the reptile in him want to get as far away as he could and just curl up in the sun. But bounty hunters - even the best ones in the galaxy - had to work sometimes, and the Triple Zero had more prime targets than any other planet.

He was walking down a side street on one of the mid-levels in search of his current bounty. Despite Todo’s fretting, he and the droid were safer here than anywhere above or below. He had to give his target credit: they knew how to hide. The level was high enough that there was no need to watch your back just so no one would stab it, but disreputable enough that someone hiding from the authorities wouldn’t stand out.

Still, Bane was in a foul mood, and it was only getting worse as he continued to be unable to find his target. After he circled the same filthy block for the fourth time, Bane let out a blistering curse.

“Are you Cad Bane?” 

He whirled, hands resting on the butts of his blaster pistols as he cursed himself. How long had it been since someone had managed to sneak up on him? Too long to start making stupid mistakes now. 

“Who’s askin’?” he growled, scanning the dark alleyway. His red, slit-pupiled eyes adjusted better to the gloom than those of most other species, but even he had trouble picking out the speaker until they moved.

As the shadowed form stepped closer, Bane noted with some distaste that it was a human female. Duros had invented hyperdrives and had settled all across the galaxy, but it was the humans who were the most prevalent species. Nothing in the universe was fair.

This particular human looked to be nothing special. Her hair hung in limp strands - probably due to the humidity from the steam vents several buildings away - and her clothes looked like they had seen days in levels a lot lower than this one.

“I have some information for you,” she said, her voice pleasantly low and pitched to avoid being overheard.

“I’m sure,” Bane snorted.

“It’s good information,” she assured. “Worth a credit or two?”

“Dat’s not how dis works, girlie,” he said with a menacing chuckle, drawing one of the blasters and aiming in less time than it took to breathe. “Tell me da information an’ I’ll decide what it’s worth.”

She looked frightened, but nodded. “Th- There’s another bounty hunter after your target. I was sent to warn you that the guild gave out t-two biometric fobs.”

“Who sent ya tah warn me?” Bane demanded, absolutely livid. First, he was ousted as the Fett brat's godfather, and now the guild had issued another fob for his target? Ridiculous and insulting. Maybe that's why he was pressing the human female so hard, and why he hadn't put his blaster away yet. 

“I don’t know, I swear!” she answered quickly. “He just pointed you out to me, gave me some credits, and told me what to tell you. Please don’t kill me!” She fell to her knees with the plea. Her actual skragging knees. 

Bane shot her a disgusted look and holstered his blaster. In a few steps, he was at her side and tugged her roughly to her feet. She was heavier than she looked, but he had no problem getting her to stand - or keeping her close, even when she had started to struggle in an effort to get away from him. 

"Are ya lyin' tah me, girl?" She shook her head frantically, but he noted with a spike of deep-buried interest that she had glanced at his mouth. It wasn't uncommon for people to mix up fear and interest, especially on a lower level of Coruscant. 

Bane knew he had nothing to fear from this small human. He could read her every thought in her wide eyes and the expressions on her honest face. There was no reason not to have a little fun.

He pulled her closer, so close that the brim of his hat brushed her forehead as he continued, "So ya just thought to trick some extra credits outta me?"

"Uh, Master?" Todo chirped irritatingly.

"Shut up, droid," Bane snapped irritably as her gaze slid over to the techno-service droid instead of being fixed on Bane's own red eyes. He missed their weight, their heat. "D'ya know what I do tah people who try tah trick me?"

And there it was, her gaze flirted to his mouth again and lingered, just for a moment. 

"How ‘bout ya earn those credits a different way?" 

Offense crossed her face. "I'm not a-"

He lunged in for a kiss before she could tell him what she wasn't. 

Duros didn't put much stock in kissing as an expression of anything, but it was the best way Bane knew of getting humans in the right headspace for more… inter-species recreation. 

"Master," Todo said urgently and Bane fought a sigh. He hated the droid sometimes, but it was right. He had a target to find and now, there was a deadline.

He nipped at the human's lower lip with his sharp teeth and pulled away. "I've gotta go take care-a dis. See ya around."

She blinked up at him, looking rumpled and more than a bit confused. "But-"

"Master!" 

"Shut up, droid," Bane snapped. "Can't ya see I'm goin'?"

When he turned back, the female was leaving. Bane spared a single thought for her, wishing momentarily that he had gotten her name, but he had bigger things to focus on. He had to find his bounty, cause some pain to the guild member who had issued a second fob, and figure out why he couldn't feel the vibroblade in his boot.

Wait…

Bane patted himself down and found that he was missing the pouch with his credits, the vibroblade from his boot, and the tracking fob. 

"Master," Todo said again. "I've been trying to tell you: that girl was stealing from you!"

Bane hissed, whipping around to fix his gaze on the female. She was just rounding the corner of a building and saw him looking her way. Rather than the fearful look she had worn through their interaction, she grinned and sent a triumphant wink his way.

"Next time, just tell me!" Bane snapped, running after her. "Now I gotta track an unknown through da planet!"

"I traced the water from her hair while you were… occupied," Todo volunteered. "I believe she came from the steam vents three blocks west."

Bane changed directions and picked up speed, Todo soaring through the air beside him giving directions. At a certain point, he slowed, “I cannot go further. The steam will short out my circuits.”

“Fine, just wait dere,” Bane ordered over his shoulder. “Dis won’t take long.”

When Bane got to the steam vents, he immediately recognized the female's silhouette standing next to a nondescript, illegally parked ship. She was facing the opposite direction, speaking into a comlink hidden under her grimy sleeve. 

"Well, keep me updated," she said, clearly disappointed with the person on the other end of the line.

Bane was on her before she could lower her arm, twisting her around. However, her reflexes were better than he had expected, and she turned and kicked him away in the same moment. Still, Bane hadn’t lived this long being taken by surprise. He grabbed her shoulders as he was pushed back, and levered her along with him. In the end, his balance was caught by a wall, and his grip pulled her against him until there was not an inch of space between their bodies. 

"Gimme one good reason I shouldn't blast ya to pieces right now," he snarled in her face, one blaster already drawn and pressed to her temple.

Though this was a lot less friendly than the last time they had been so close, she wore a crooked little smile. “Because I can give back everything I took?”

“Yeah? An’ how is dat gonna make up fer da fact dat ya thought it’d be smart tah steal from me?”

The smile widened and took on a saucy look. “I think I more than made up for it back there. And there’s more where that came from. But first! Credits, fob…”

She hesitated before handing over the vibroblade. “I really like the knife. Any chance I could keep it?”

“I could shoot ya right now an’ no one would blink - least of all, me,” Bane hissed.

She pouted a bit, but passed the blade back. “Now, where were we?” she purred, moving as if to slide her hands up Bane’s arms.

Bane knocked her hands away and her comlink went off. She hit the button that allowed it to transmit, and Bane was less than thrilled, “I didn’t tell ya tah answer that.”

“We’re clear,” the comlink said.

“Who’s clear-a what?” he asked suspiciously, the end of the question muffled by the human female’s lips meeting his mouth once more. He obliged her, taking control of the kiss with a hand in her hair, holstering his blaster so he could use the other to angle her jaw.

“Bane,” she moaned at the contact.

Bane broke the kiss and tried not to pant as he said, “Ya got me at a disadvantage, darlin’. Ya know my name, but I never caught yers.”

“Oche,” she told him, giving a mischievous little smirk. “And that’s not the only thing you didn’t catch, bounty hunter.”

He was already furious by the time he tried to reach for her and found his wrists caught in magnetic binders, attached to the wall behind him. 

“Well, that was lovely,” Oche said chipperly. “I do wish I could stay longer. I would love to see if all the rumors about you are true.”

Her gaze drifted downward and Bane growled at her, knowing full well what she would find if she looked too closely.

“Anyway, looks like we’re both done here.” 

As she began to root through his jacket, Bane glowered. “So, ya were tryin’ tah steal my bounty all along.”

“Not really,” Oche said after a thoughtful pause. “It’s more like… a partnership. You found the guy, I got the fob, and Embo got the bounty.”

Embo. Bane should have guessed that the Kyuzo would be one to steal a bounty. He had already tried to steal Bane’s signature wide-hat style. Aloud, he just said, “And when am I gonna get my share-a da payment fer this little partnership?”

“Well, your portion was done on more of a volunteer basis,” she hedged.

Before Bane could tell her how little he cared about volunteering anything, she said, “I’m taking some of your credits, the fob, and the vibroknife. I really did like it.”

As she stepped away, Oche added, “Embo said to tell you thanks for the bounty. He didn’t know if he could find them alone, but you were a big help. And don’t worry, those cuffs will come off as soon as my ship leaves the atmosphere.

With that, she scampered off, climbed into her ship, and blew him a kiss goodbye through the viewport. Bane bared his pointed teeth at her in return.

Oche was right, though: the binders fell off only minutes after her ship had risen through the air. Bane spent only a moment glaring at the sky before he walked back in the direction of his own ship, lost in thought. 

Fett had Wesell, Embo had Oche, even Ohnaka had Sing. Was he the only bounty hunter left in the galaxy who still worked solo? Where was his apprentice?

“Master!” Todo cried, hovering beside the Duros’s face. “Did you find her? Did you get the target?”

“Oh, I gotta target, all right,” Bane said darkly. “An’ I’m not gonna stop ‘til I get ‘er.”

He would find Embo and Oche, he would get his money for the target he had found, and then… Bane and Oche would finish what they had started. 

Whether it would be finished with blasters or something more primal, he wasn’t certain, but it would be finished either way.

#fic request #anonymous fic request #cad bane #todo 360 #bounty hunter #cad bane is easily distracted #for a bounty hunter #original female character #mentioned #embo #jango fett #zam wesell #hondo ohnaka #aurra sing #threats of violence #dubious consent #sfw though #just kissing #and death threats but whatever

[salamanderskin]

For the anon who wanted Caduceus + Sniffles

Thanks for ask, fellow Caduceus fan. This is brought to you by my obsession with Cad saying ‘uh-oh’ before he sneezes, Team Cleric and found family taking care of each other.

The kitchen in the Xhorhaus is bright and warm, populated by one familiar firbolg who is tackling the enormous pile of dirty dishes. Caleb had only meant to grab a glass of water before returning to his books but it is impossible not to pause when Caduceus calls out, "Hey Caleb, there's tea and cookies on the table."

No matter how long he lives with his friends, Caleb will never, ever get used to this. It always makes him warm inside as he takes one and sits at the long wooden table, reading forgotten for now. "Did you make these?" "No, Jester did." "And you are cleaning up after her because-?" Caduceus just shrugs and is soon up both elbows in washing-up.It's very calm in the kitchen, though not quiet. The part of Caleb's mind that is always alert tracks the slight sounds of sloshing water, dishes in the sink, creaks on the floowboards above and soft sniffles from Caduceus every few minutes. 

-snf snf-- as Caduceus carries a stack of pots over from the stove. 

A more insistent -snfSNF- followed by the clatter of pans put down quickly and-

His first panicked thought is that Caduceus might be crying. He hears the chaotic gasps of breath, sees his broad hands reaching to hide his face

."heh… heh-- 'chsshoo!  'scuse me." Ah, it was only a sharp little sneeze, half-smothered into the cup of Caduceus' hands.

"Gesundheit."

"Thank you." The firbolg runs the back of his wrist under his muzzle and sniffles again before returning the washing up.Caleb is paying closer attention now. It is a little comical, the way Caduceus can't itch at his nose because both his hands are soaked with soapy water, forcing him to scrunch up his muzzle and sniffle. His progress is hindered by sudden, flinching sneezes which he tries his best to direct away from the sink. 

"Uh oh… uhhCHshhhoo!- CHsshoo!" 

Despite his efforts, soap suds drift into the air. Those plus the steaming water can't be helping at all, Caleb thinks.

The third time it happens, Caduceus actually has to stop what he's doing, dry his hands on a tea towel and pinch under his nose under the sneezing stops. He looks so uncharacteristically frustrated that Caleb comes over to place a hand on his shoulder.

  "Are you feeling alright?"

 "Yeah, just…" Caduceus scrubs at his nose again, "sniffles."

 "So I hear." "I'm sorry, it must be very annoying." 

"Worse for you, I think- gesundheit!"- Caleb finishes as Caduceus sneezes another sharp IIiSshhoo! that rocks him back on his heels. 

"If you keep this up I will set Jester on you." 

"Hah." Caduceus laughs. "I'm sure there's no need. I'm gonna go grab a hankie and take a tea break and I'll be good to go."

"I'll hold you to that." Caleb affirms and takes the rest of his tea back to the study where he can drink it in peace.

. ……….

They share dinner that evening. Caduceus is really getting the hang of cooking the unfamiliar foods available in Rosohna and most of it is quite delicious, though perhaps heavier on mushrooms and lighter on rats than the rest of the party might prefer. After the meal Caleb looks to his friend to offer thanks and finds him looking distinctly worse for wear. Caduceus clears the plates away as if on autopilot, his eyes looking somewhere else. When the human taps him on the shoulder, Caduceus starts in surprise. 

"Oh, sorry, I was somewhere else." His voice sounds soft and hoarse, punctuated by a few rogue sniffles. Caleb is no cleric but even he can see that Caduceus looks tired and unwell. He raises an eyebrow.

 "You look done in. Sit down, someone else can do the dishes. Possibly Jester"

"Did someone say my name?!" 

As if summoned, everyone's favourite blue tiefling appears out of nowhere to lean against the counter.

"Ah, I was just suggesting that you could do the washing up."

 Jester huffs and rolls her eyes theatrically but grabs her apron nonetheless.  "We really, really need to get some servants or something. I shouldn't be expected to- oh, what's the matter with Caduceus?"

"I'm fine." Jester shares a glance with Caleb as Caduceus chooses that moment to double over and sneeze  "heh-- 'chsshoo!" into his elbow as discreetly as he can manage. 

"Come here. Let me look at you."

"Just a -snf- just a s-seh-cond-" His voice cracks. "hah-chIISShoo! Oh dear."

"Bless you. Now come here." 

Caduceus casts a wary glance at Caleb who pats him firmly on the back. 

"I'm not letting you escape this one, my friend. Let her do her job for once." 

"Yeah, let me--- hey! Cay-leb!" Jester's cheeks colour in outrage at the gentle jab. "I'm a very good healer, actually. It's not my fault that normally Caduceus gets in there before I get a chance. You just watch."

 It's a little comical: Jester rising to her tiptoes to try and examine a seven foot tall firbolg who does not look at all convinced, until he concedes and kneels to let her examine his features at her own level. He actually blushes a little, which only draws more attention to how red and sore his nose looks.

"Aw, your ears are all pressed back against your head. Like a sad puppy." Jester mourns.

"They do that." Caduceus sniffles.  "Say aaah." Caduceus duly opens his mouth and gives them both a good look at his tonsils. Jester's hands wander to the side of his neck, feeling his temperature and probing for sore glands. "How do you feel?"

"Nothing serious. Tired. Throat's a little sore. Runny nose."

"Aww." Jester coos and presses a kiss to the crown of his head, into the soft pink hair. "You're sick for sure." 

"Is that your diagnosis, High Priestess Cleric?" Caleb laughs. "What about treatment?" She sighs. "Well, I didn't actually prepare any restoration spells today and I'm assuming you didn't either, Caduceus, or you'd have healed yourself already?"

 Caduceus nods and returns to standing, coughing to clear his throat. 

"That's true, though for minor illnesses my family usually just let it run its course. It builds your immune system."

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!" Caleb can only nod in agreement. "From what I understand, the theory is sound, but we may need you fighting fit at a moment's notice. Besides, I do not want to see you uncomfortable. None of us do."

That makes Caduceus smile even as he sniffles. 

Jester nods, making her mind up. "Caduceus you should go and sit down, Caleb will do the washing up and I will make hot chocolate for you."

 "I already have some tea-" He protests.

"Yes, but what you really need is hot chocolate. Cleric's orders." Jester gives him a stern look. "Do I argue with you when you're healing people?"

Before the firbolg can protest that yes, she often does, he is taken by the arm, led into the common room and pushed gently onto a sofa between Yasha and Fjord. 

"Caduceus is getting sick so everyone has to be really nice to him, okay?" Jester announces to the room at large. Beau laughs from her place beside the fire. 

"Aahh, I was considering beating him up, but it can wait."

 "I wasn't planning on being anything else?" Fjord says a beat later, bemused. 

"I will return with hot chocolate for everyone. It's medicinaaaal," Jester sings as she disappears back to the kitchen, leaving the rest of the Mighty Nein blinking in surprise and Caduceus looking embarrassed but pleased.

"Are you really sick, 'Deucey?" Veth asks cautiously.

Caduceus can only sigh and nod. The cracked edge to his voice speaks for itself so he just adds, "Just a little sniffly. Jester is determined to take very good care of me and it's in everyone's best interest to do what she wants."

"That sounds wise." Veth nods. "And hey, hot chocolate! I'm gonna put booze in mine!"

"Can I put some in mine too?" Yasha pipes up.

 This devolves into a heated discussion about whether whiskey or rum would be a better choice. Caduceus lets it wash over him and leans back onto the sofa. He does feel tired now, the joint aching tiredness that comes with a cold. His throat feels sore and hot, his sinuses full and itchy but he is too comfortable to reach for a handkerchief just at this moment.

He can feel the half-orc's body heat and is grateful for it. Without thinking leans until he rests against Fjord's shoulder, his long hair sweeping over them both like a veil. A shiver runs through him and Fjord responds by tucking an arm around him. It's really, really nice. 

He has to ruin the moment by wrenching upright to sneeze away from his friends and over his lap. 

"huhhKShh!- KKShh!- ehhKSshoo!"Ugh, he can't stop and the others paused in their conversation to stare at him. "Heh- s'cuse mbe- KKHssshhoo!" He is vaguely aware of Fjord rubbing his back as he sneezes a few more times. "Ugh. Sorry," he excuses himself and flops back into the sofa with a groan.

 Fjord is still looking at him fondly, unphased. "Can I say Wildmother bless you? Is that a thing?"

"I guess so. Thadk you, Fjord."

 At that moment Jester and Caleb reenter the living room carrying trays of steaming mugs. Jester looks positively joyful as she takes in the crackling fire, her friends gathered round and her patient resting on the sofa. Even Caleb looks somewhat at peace. Frumpkin is around his shoulders, purring. "This is nice, isn't it guys?" Jester says for all of them.

 "It really is." Caduceus says, and means it. He'd put up with a lot of sniffles for this.

#salamanderskin's fic #sneeze kink

[eldritchtickles]

This is the fic for that request I got sent a little while ago for a tickly ic between Fjord and Caduceus of Critical Role! Honestly I haven’t written anything in so long, but this was super fun to do. And while I’ve like 2 weeks of nothing to do, maybe do some more if people are interested! I also added Jester into the fray just for the sheer energy she brings lmao. Hope yous enjoy!

Insight Check

Fandom: Critical Role

Word Count: 1558

Caduceus was a perceptive person, everyone knew that. He wasn’t nosy or anything of the sort, he just took in things that grabbed his attention. A flower in bloom, growing slowly into something beautiful. A new type of fungus growing on the side of the road that he hadn’t seen before, doing its very important job of bringing those plants that had went to the other side back into the embrace of the Wild Mother to be reused. Sometimes it was more in people. Seeing Caleb and Nott’s private conversations and purposefully keeping out their whispers from his ears, or maybe a pining look from Beau to Jester that she imagined no one else would ever notice.

Today as the firbolg was making some tea by the campfire, he couldn’t help but notice a brooding figure on the edges of the Nein’s camp. He smiled softly, listening to the arguments and jokes the rest of the party was involved in as he made his way over to the sullen half-orc looking out into the darkness of the night. The Mighty Nein was making their way back from the Menagerie Coast and toward the Empire for the next leg of their journey, and the soft sounds of distant lapping waves still reached the camp.

“Hope you don’t mind me joining you Mr. Fjord”, Caduceus said, before sitting cross legged beside the man. “I brought you some tea.”

“Oh, Caduceus!”. Fjord immediately replaced his sullen expression with a soft smile, taking the cup from the taller man’s hand and blowing the steam away. “Thanks, I could probably use it right about now..”

Before Cad had a chance to pry further, the excited bounding of feet approached the duo with a shout.

“Caduceuuuuuuuus, can I have some tea too?”, the ever joyous Jester shouted as she ran over to them. She had taken off her armour in preparation for bed, as the other two had done.

“Heh, of course you can.”, the firbolg said, pouring another cup for his blue skinned compatriot. “It’s from the Esren family, they always make a nice blend.”

The three sat and chatted for a little bit, sipping their tea as Jester recounted tales of The Traveller and his amazing miracles while Cad and Fjord shared knowing glances over cups when Jester added her usual embellishments. Though Caduceus’ natural insight kicked in as always, catching the sad, almost fearful glances Fjord cast to the ocean a bit away. With his close relationship to the Wild Mother, Caduceus could hardly imagine what it would be like being tied to a being of such malice as Uk’otoa… 

“And THEN”, Jester continued, showing her latest drawings of the day, depicting Frumpkin doing a little dance. “Caleb sent Frumpkin to cheer up Beau with a little dance, but she only reeeaaaally started giggling and smiling when his little whiskers nuzzled into her neck and it was so cute, and after that-“

Hm. Caduceus had seen that happen too… It did cheer up her usual demeanour, even if it was because of a little tickle.

Oh, hang on. That could work! With a sly smile not often seen on the pastel cleric’s face, he sidled up to Fjord side and continued to listen to his fellow cleric’s enthusiastic storytelling.

“That’s nice Jester, sounds like you’ve had a real fun day!”, Caduceus laughed, ruffling her hair as the tiefling giggled with a big smile up to him. Then he looked to Fjord, who had once again went into his own thoughts out at sea. “Mr. Fjord, are you even listening to Jester’s stories?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah course I- AH!!”

Fjord got quite the surprise when suddenly, he felt Caduceus’ giant fingers scribbling along his ribs through his thin shirt. He just managed to hold in a chuckle before he leaned away from the hand assaulting him. He could feel his face flush at his almost outburst, before it went an even deeper green hearing Jester’s gasp.

“Fjord!!”, the girl gasped, eyes alight with wonder before a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes and her lips gave a teasing grin. “Are you ticklish~?”

Before Fjord could stumble over his words to try find an out of this situation, he felt Cad wrap an arm around his shoulder and pull him in close.

“Don’t tease Mr. Fjord, he just got surprised is all. Should’ve maybe tapped you on the shoulder instead hm?”, Clay said, looking down on Fjord with a soft smile. Fjord didn’t trust that smile… But the cleric was hard to read at the best of times. So instead he just leaned into his friend’s arm, happy at least for the warmth.

“Yeah, that’s right.. Sorry Jess, go on. I’m listening!”

Jester side eyed the two boys across from her suspiciously, but continued her story nonetheless. Fjord on the other hand tried to be as attentive as he could as Cad talked away to the blue tiefling.

“And do cupcakes have to be there to help The Traveller?”

“Obviously they do Caduceus! They need to be tasty, and delicious, and-“

“Ah!! Caduhuhuhuceues, lemme gohohoho!!”, Fjord suddenly shouted, squirming around half in the other man’s lap.

“Could you quiet down? Ms. Jester and I are trying to have a conversation~.”, Caduceus said with a teasing lilt to his voice. He talked as if he wasn’t aware of his fingers scurrying around Fjord’s tummy and sides, scribbling and squeezing the warlock’s apparently sensitive flanks. “Go on Jester, I’m listening.”

Jester watched Cad shoot his fingers under the half-orc’s arms, before wiggling his fingers all around which earned a spluttering laugh from his mouth. Caduceus kept up his conversation with his fellow cleric, looking down every now and then to the giggling boy in his lap to shush him. Jester, being a cleric of a trickery god, was more than happy to join in.

“Yeah Fjord, keep it down!”, she giggled, delivering a few pokes to his tummy that brought an embarrassing cackle before he swatted at her hands. “You’re not too ticklish for this conversation are you~? Gods, you’re so giggly!”

“J-Jester dohohon’t encourage hihihIHIHIHI HEHEHEY!!”, Fjord shouted, before falling back against Cad’s chest as Jester’s almost talon like tiefling fingers vibrated between his ribs. Still Caduceus dug in under his arms, finding that harder tickles worked well on the poor green skin. “DOUBLE TEHEHEHEAM IS FUCKIN’ CHEHEHEHEATING AND YOU BOHOHOTH KNOW IT!!”

“Aw, c’mon now don’t be like that.”, Caduceus laughed, nuzzling his cheek into Fjord as his pastel pink beard brushed ticklishly off his ears. “You’ve been mopey all day, we’re just trying to cheer you up is all!”

“IHIHIHI’M FIHIHIHINE, NOW GEHEHEHET!!”, the warlock shouted, but Caduceus knew better. After all, he was fairly insightful. He watched as Fjord’s hands latched on to Jester’s wrists, but didn’t actually push away. He squirmed in Cad’s lap, but didn’t roll away. But the most telling of all signs… Not once had the giggly half-orc said stop.He was enjoying it~.

“Ooh what about here~?”, Jester squealed, fingers darting to squeeze Fjord’s thighs with quick, repetitive pinches.

“No no Jester, I think here is better.”, Caduceus chimed in, large firbolg fingers wrapping around his companion’s waist to squeeze and dig in to his hips.

The combined effort of two holy clerics on one poor pact tied warlock was too much for the man, as his deep belly laughter started to become interspersed with the most embarrassing of shrieks and whines. Tears started to well in the corners of his eyes as his legs kicked to dislodge the clawed fingers latched to his legs, to no avail. His hands shot to hold on to Caduceus’, but didn’t push them off yet again. The grave cleric smiled fondly down at the laughing, genuinely happy face of his friend. He was proud of his work here.

“YOHOHOHOHOU TWO- EEEHEHEHAHAHAHA!! AHAHAHARE SOOOO GETTING IHIHIHIT!!”

“Alright, alright… You’ve had enough here tough guy~”, the firblog said before releasing his wiling captive. Jester let go too, albeit more reluctantly. As soon as they did, Fjord slumped against the chest of the taller man with an unrestrained happy grin.

“Now, you feeling better Mr. Fjord?”

“Yeah, you gonna stop being grumpy and sad and stuff now?”, Jester asked, a devilish smirk on her face.

“Phew…. Ha… Yeah, almost…”, Fjord huffed, making his way off of Caduceus and between the two clerics with an embarrassed glance to Cad, who just smiled back sweetly.

“ALMOST?!”, Jester cried incredulously, scooting closer to Fjord and Cad. “What more could you need?!”

“Well, for one…”

Suddenly, Fjord pushed both the healers to the ground with a surprised squeak from Jester and a cheerful laugh from Caduceus. Just as quickly, his nimble sailor’s fingers dug in to both their tummies with squeezes, spidering, clawing, and poking. Jester was lost in a flurry of wild, girly giggles as she rocked side to side, sweet little snorts and squeaks filling the spaces between breaths. Caduceus lay there and laughed freely, curling up slightly but without a speck of fight against this onslaught.

“I’ll be much better when I get my revenge on you two dumbasses~”, Fjord laughed, smiling wide down at his two previous assailants with tusks on show.

Caduceus had seen this coming a mile away. But who was he to deny his friends a bit of fun?

#sorry if this is taking up peoples dash #know fic isnt everyones thing akafahljkf #tickling #tickle fic #ticklish

[unwiltingblossom]

Queen’s Favor (Mysme Jumin/MC AU 10/?)

Summary: Being a maid would be much easier if the cat would just let her do her job.

AU - Instead of joining the RFA via random text, MC is hired on as one of the maids assigned to Jumin Han’s penthouse. Nothing else about the setting has changed, the messenger and the RFA still exist, only the MC’s position has been altered.

His grin was just as amused as it was beautiful and frankly she had the immediate urge to shove her plate of food in his face just out of an instinctive self defense measure. 

"I can't believe this..." She groaned right on through her fingers. If she didn't open her eyes ever again she theoretically didn't ever have to believe it.

A voice way more charming and soothing that it had any right to be cut through her attempt. "Babe, don't worry about it! I would have insisted on paying for it anyway. I'm sure you'll find it at home."

She peered through her fingers and yes, he was as gorgeous when mostly obscured as when fully viewed. Also, he was struggling so hard to smother some kind of laughter that she couldn't decide if she should be flattered or offended. Was there a combination? A happy middleground between the two?

"I've been downgraded from princess to babe."

He winced, and placed a hand to his heart. "My heart would stop if I ever tried!" After a moment, he seemed to decide to try again, expression softening once more. "I just want you to relax. You can't find something if you're too flustered to think about it."

That'd be much easier to agree to if the person who saved her from an embarrassing end didn't just have to pay for her lunch, and she couldn't even get the haircut she'd been planning on. It's embarrassing enough to misplace her wallet at home and not realize it until she was nearly to where she'd need to spend from it, but having someone like the one sitting across from her be the one to catch her do it was...

What kind of terrible luck did she have?

She sighed and waved her hand finally, slumping back in her seat. No use worrying about it any further. Mortifying though it may have been, just being upset about it wouldn't make it reappear.

"...I'm paying this back double next time." She still had her pride, even if it was in shambles.

"Oh~! So I've already earned a second date!" He grinned, altogether too pleased with himself. "I'm on a roll today."

...That.

Well, she could have just paid him the money directly but-

Now she'd just feel rude trying to correct him.

She scoffed, finally, shaking her head. "I wouldn't be too flattered. If you knew the kind of company I've had recently..."

His smile was way more charming than it had any right to be, given how cheeky it was. "Oh, I'm better than anyone else you've met lately? Flatter me more, babe."

"I think you're flattering yourself just fine on your own."

He tutted, touching a hand to his chest and ducking his head, as if she could actually buy the sad act he put on when she was halfway certain birds would come and settle on his shoulders if he went outside and sang. "If not me, than who?"

She tapped her chin with her fingers and arched a slim brow. "Every other woman in this place?" They were all certainly staring pretty closely at him. It was kind of hard to miss, since he'd left her sitting facing all of them while he sat opposite of her.

He flashed her a devilish grin just as the food arrived, and it was for the best the food interrupted him, because she'd hate to have to smack her dazzlingly pretty rescuer right after getting conned into agreeing to a second date with him. She made sure to pay special attention to the food she didn't pay for, rather than let him be a cad right in the middle of lunch.

It was actually pretty good, for being food she bummed off of a stranger after almost dying.

She sighed, planting a hand on her chin, and glancing out the window of the restaurant. Where in the world had she misplaced the wallet in, anyway? Her apartment wasn't really that big, and she'd been so tired last night after hiking halfway across the city and back that she hadn't gone around and done anything creative before bed. Now she had to back track all the way to her house and scour the place to find it, before going all the way back just to get her haircut.

Her day off wasn't made of infinite hours.

Maybe it was better just to abandon the haircut and let her shoulder-length hair grow out? It's not like Elizabeth really targeted it so that it'd be a problem-

"I'm really gonna have to start giving myself compliments to feel better if you feel this bad about the date."

 -oh.

She blinked and looked back over at him. "Who ever said this was a date? You've only been talking about a second one."

He leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin. "If that means I get to see you three times, I accept the correction."

She leaned right on back, elbows on the table. "You know, just a minute ago I was implying I was desperate for a date..."

"Look at that, I'm incredibly desperate for a date." He said it without missing a beat. Without even a shadow of shame.

Therefore, it's only fair that she laughed in his face, because what else was she supposed to do? He was, surprisingly, not deterred. His grin was just as amused as it was beautiful and frankly she had the immediate urge to shove her plate of food in his face just out of an instinctive self defense measure. Mortal women weren't meant to experience that kind of wattage of beauty so close.

But, no, no she wasn't about to give up yet. Two could play this dirty game, oh yes.

"You know..." she chewed her lip, put on her best sultry voice, and tabbed the look on his face that briefly appeared in response for...later. "Now that I think about it, if we're talking about being desperate...every time I come back home from work, I can't help but wish I had a boyfriend there to draw me nice, long, hot bath we could share together...because I'll be absolutely covered in cat hair."

He sneezed directly in her face.

Fair.

But also, it was self defense, because flirting with someone as pretty him quite that close to her face was more than a simple girl like her's heart could take. He had both impressive dedication and reflexes to immediately shift gears from shifting uncomfortably in his seat to his weird cat sneeze allergy, though. Allergies still didn't work like that, though.

Despite the underhanded trick, once he managed to regain his composure, he shook his head and gave an almost dainty smile. "Well. If Romeo and Juliet can survive being on opposite sides, then-"

"They didn't survive, though."

For a man who'd just saved her life, paid for her food, and...honestly, just put up with her for the past hour or so, his smile was amazingly patient. If she didn't know better, she'd think he really was actually desperate for a girlfriend.

She did know better, however, because she had a working pair of eyes.

She twirled a fork in her fingers, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Alright, I'll make you a deal." Because clearly she's the one in the negotiating position here, and not the one embracing her crazy cat lady future prematurely and spending her days all alone cleaning up a ludicrously expensive penthouse whose closets made her apartment feel claustrophobic. "You explain why on earth you're so desperate for a girlfriend, and I'll...consider going on those dates with you."

Ah, yes. She'd successfully negotiated herself from two or three dates with a dazzling movie star looking man into 'possibly nothing'. How was she not already as rich as Jumin Han with skills like hers?

His laugh was good-natured, despite her...everything, and he swept the fingers of one hand through his hair in a little flourish. "That's an easy answer, babe. I'm actor."

It was so good she hadn't reached down to take a bite of the food as she'd been considering, because she'd have probably choked on it or spit it on him, and honestly they'd shared more than enough bodily fluids today as it was. It wasn't exactly a surprise, though. It was more...how much it wasn't a surprise. Him being an actor made perfect sense, given that it looked like he'd leapt right off of the movie screen, makeup still intact, and onto the city streets. The only unbelievable part was why he was wandering around a poorer end of town and just happened to come across her right before she got herself killed.

That was just-

what even were the chances?

His smile was bashful all over again - that bashful but proud thing he did, where he pretended to be shy about praise but really just preened over it. "Is it really that much of a surprise? I mostly do stage and musicals at the moment, though, it wouldn't surprise me if you haven't heard of me."

She pursed her lips then, squinting at him, "okay, but that didn't answer my question. Being hot and gainfully employed should make you a magnet, not a loner."

She had a feeling that sparkle in his eye was all about the fact that she'd called him 'hot', even though that was not the point of her statement, but at least he didn't say anything about it. Instead he sighed mournfully. "Aaahh...well, strictly speaking, I'm not supposed to have a girlfriend, you know?" His hand pressed to his chest. "But my heart needs to beat alongside another heart! Right or wrong, I was born for romance, and for love!"

He was born to be in drama was what.

The fork in her hand tapped her lips then, brow arching once more, this time considering. "Hmm...so no one wants to be the hidden mistress of the beautiful and glamorous actor."

He brought that wink out, like heavy artillery. "Y'know, I've got a coupon for a public relationship special offer in my pocket."

She waved her hand, conveniently blocking his face partly from her vision. Which, as previously established, didn't really diminish his unearthly attractiveness. "Oh, I couldn't possibly bear to take any more charity from you."

"Aaahh..." He sighed and shook his head. "Success is such a lonely life. Even so, let me at least walk you home after this. I couldn't bear to turn on the news tonight if I don't."

She honestly couldn't tell if that was shade or flirtation.

Probably the latter, all things considered.

Did she really negotiate herself out of follow up dates with a gorgeous and successful actor with a hero streak and a penchant for just, excessively complimenting her? She's pretty sure that she did, and honestly...that was too embarrassing for her to try to follow up on or confirm, so instead, she just focused on the lunch that she blundered her way into not paying for, and there was little in the way of conversation for the rest of the meal.

True to his word, though, he stood up just...immediately when she did.

Hm.

Yes.

She'd forgotten how tall and...princely he looked standing up.

Also why was it this man was always somehow in her personal space?! She took a quick step backward, and studiously ignored if her cheeks reddened at all. "...Well, if it'll make you feel better, I guess I'm obligated to let you walk me home. Just try not to...look at my place. Honestly, just wear a blindfold when we get there, maybe cover your ears. There's a guy that's always spoiling for a fight and will probably try to stab you immediately if you accidentally make eye contact, if the couple down the way aren't in a screaming fight they're probably screaming obscenely instead, and also there's just a lot of trash so you'll probably feel better if you don't look at all."

"...Every word you say is worrying me more."

She sighed and waved her hand dismissively, heading for the door. "It's really not so bad if you get used to it."

"That's making it worse, babe!"

Despite it not being a date, and him being such an outrageous flirt - and that she honestly didn't need an escort - he fell into the role of being a gentleman escorting his lover back to her place after an evening out in a way that had to feel so natural simply because he was an actor and had practice pretending that kind of thing. She assumed. No way a director would waste that face on a horror movie.

When she glanced up at him, he happened to be smiling thoughtfully down at her, and she broke into an immediate coughing fit, body clearly rejecting the close proximity of charm. Or maybe the glitter that she spotted here and there hidden on him - left over from some scene he played, maybe? He patted her back. For being some random stranger that saved her from getting flattened, he was really quite thoughtful. Or she was starved for non-feline attention. She wouldn't completely rule out that possibility.

He declined the blindfold.

Knife Man wasn't present, however, so it didn't end in violence. His expression still looked like he was witnessing a murder. Well. To be fair, some fancy actor like him probably lived somewhere much more like what her employer lived in than where she did. But that was fine. She might not have a glamorous job, but as long as she kept the house clean and the cat happy, she'd make pretty good money forever. Which meant, eventually, she'd have a way better place to live, too.

"Anyway, this is my stop and look at that~!" She turned toward him and spread out her arms, as if it were a big reveal that she was, in fact, still not dead. "I didn't get hit by even one truck on the way."

"I'll consider that a job well done." The look of horrified disgust melted into a much more pleasant smile once his gaze turned back to her.

So. This was where they parted ways, and the pretty actor fellow went off to his...whatever high society life, and she likely didn't bump into him again until she saw some movie poster with him on it.

She hesitated a moment, chewing her lip, and then drew in a breath. "Well...I guess you know where to find me now, but...if I'm gonna repay you after all, I should have some way to contact you, right?"

His phone was in his hand with a surprising combination of grace and speed. "It's fine, I'll give you my number. I saw you still have your phone, right?"

"Hm-?" Oh, right, yes, that made sense. After only blinking for a moment - really she was just caught off guard by how well prepared he'd been for that - she dug out phone. "Okay, so...let me give you mine first..."

"Before that, though." His smile quirked up into a playful smirk. "There's one last thing I need to know."

"...What?"

Her apartment number? Was that really necessary? It wasn't like the complex was that big.

"Your name, Princess."

#mysme #mystic messenger #mysme fic #mysme zen #mystic messenger fic #jumin x mc #ooc #fic

[ohblackdiamond]

little t&a (paul/gene, nc-17) (part 5 of 29)

part 1   part 2   part 3   part 4   part 5   part 6   part 7   part 8   part 9   part 10   part 11   part 12   part 13   part 14   part 15   part 16   part 17   part 18   part 19   part 20   part 21  part 22   part 23   part 24    part 25   part 26   part 27   part 28   part 29 Four weeks before KISS gets back on tour, Gene discovers that Paul’s been cursed by a groupie. For the sake of KISS’ finances, Paul’s comfort levels, and Gene’s libido, this crisis must be resolved. Sexswap fic. In this chapter: Gene tries to reason out some deep-seated denial, and Peter defends Paul.

           Normally, Paul could spend hours in clothing stores. Tight jeans, platform boots, designer blouses and ascots. Feathery jackets and animal print coats. He’d dressed as wildly as possible from the time he was twelve or thirteen on, saving up every dime to buy new clothes, always hoping they’d be the ticket to feeling—oh, like they did. Like other people must. Confident and swaggering. Gene had been like that from the very start, even though, when he’d met Gene, Gene had been easily forty pounds overweight and was wearing overalls that only emphasized his gut.

           That had been a pretty rude awakening for Paul. He’d realized it wasn’t in looking the part. Confidence was something inherent. Offstage, he couldn’t ever seem to purchase more than small slivers of it. And he didn’t think he could purchase it now (well, on Gene’s dime), in a mid-tier boutique, self-consciously shoving his way through racks of bras. Gene hadn’t told him to pick one up, but he hadn’t had to, either. He’d known he needed one from the start; it kind of hurt to run up stairs without any support, and the nightclub would be fucking awful without a bra, but he’d just kept putting it off. As if this female body would go away if he refused to acknowledge it, like a groupie left to linger in the Coop until morning.

           Speaking of groupies, he was still wondering about the one who’d cursed him. He could sort of remember her face as Suzie had described her, but it was puzzling. The S&M bit had been relatively light, no whips or toys, and she hadn’t come across like a nut. She’d said he’d had her before. That didn’t mean much, either. Especially in certain areas, he’d end up with some of the same groupies again. Sweet Connie, for one—the only girl Paul knew for a fact had fucked every single member of the band, and half its roadies—and there were plenty others. It was almost a wrestling circuit; the girls all knew each other, even if he didn’t know them.

           But what could he really have done to make that girl that mad? He couldn’t remember promising a chick much of anything in several years. Sometimes he’d get a bit sloppy with it, toss the girl some cab fare as he asked her to leave (she’d think he meant it as a tip, and throw it back at him), but he didn’t get off on humiliating them like some guys did. They came with the room, that was all. Stress relief. God knew he’d heard of plenty of rockstars and movie stars who’d Quaalude the hell out of whatever girl (or guy) they wanted. But he’d never done something like that. Fuck, his chicks were actually sober.

It really didn’t add up. Gene was triple the cad than he was, and he still had his dick. Peter and Ace cheated constantly on their wives, but Lydia and Jeanette hadn’t joined forces and sent a sex-changing demon after them. Whatever. He exhaled, taking four bras of slightly different sizes back to the dressing room and trying on each in turn, wishing he’d let the shopgirl help. The clasps were annoying enough that he ended up having to fasten the bras in the front, squashing his chest in the process, then turn the whole thing around just to put it on. The third bra out of the stack seemed to fit the best, a cream-colored underwire one that wasn’t too padded or too heavy on the lace and flowers. It looked okay reflected in the dressing room mirror, if a little stupid, paired with the boxers he was still stubbornly clinging to.

           After another ten minutes or so, he’d also picked out a few pairs of underwear and a pair of fishnet stockings. Another half an hour and he had a fake leather jacket, graphic tee, cut-off jean shorts, and a pair of boots. He didn’t really dig the ensemble in the mirror. More that he didn’t dig the unhappy girl in the mirror any more than he dug the unhappy guy he usually saw there. But maybe he’d look punk enough for CBGB. Would he need more clothes than that, though? On the chance that she didn’t show, or, worse, didn’t reverse the curse? Paul’s stomach churned at the thought. He got another dress, two blouses, heels, and a pair of jeans, deciding he’d write Gene a check for everything once this was all over.

           By the time he headed to check out, Gene was already waiting for him with his own bag of already-paid-for clothes. Paul tried to get a peek—he didn’t think Gene could go believably punk without intense help—but Gene held his two bags closed, pulling out a credit card to cover Paul’s purchases.

           “Hey, that’s not fair. I could use the laugh, show me what you bought.” Aggravating enough to have Gene watch the clerk ring up the bra and underwear.

           “Later.” Gene looked positively amused. Paul grabbed his own bags of clothes as soon as they were paid for, oblivious to the raised eyebrow the clerk threw Gene’s way for not carrying the bags for him.

           “If you won’t show me, don’t expect me to drive you anywhere for lunch.”

           The clerk perked up.

“Your girl’s driving? She’s got you by the balls.”

           “You have no idea,” Gene said.

--

           They ended up going through the McDonald’s drive-thru for lunch without Gene having to divulge any of his purchases. Paul had dug up enough change from the middle console to pay for it, and he was chatting up a storm about CBGB’s semi-resident bands—Blondie, apparently, was a pretty good act—between handfuls of French fries.

           “It doesn’t hold a ton of people, either, so if the groupie’s there, we’ll know pretty quickly. It’s not wall-to-wall like at Studio 54.” Paul shook his head. “Have you gone over there yet, Gene?”

           “Not yet.” He’d meant to. The disco had just opened when they’d gotten off tour. The big stars had already marked it as their territory, people like Mick and Bianca Jagger, Diana Ross, and Liza Minnelli. The prospect of being in their league was its own intoxicant. “Have you?”

           “Yeah, once. Y’know, I saw Andy Warhol there. He said he wanted to paint me.” Even through the food, Paul sounded pleased. “I kinda blew him off, I think he was just trying to come on to me, but hell, it might be fun.”

           “Getting with Warhol?”

           “Getting painted by Warhol. Jesus, Gene.” He paused. “He’s not my type.”

          “You’re not his type, right now.”

          Paul looked a little stung, but didn’t retort for a second or two.

          “What do you care, anyway?”

           Gene stuffed about a third of the burger in his mouth and shrugged.

          “I don’t.”

          “Remember when he did the Marilyn Monroe screen prints? Everyone in my class was trying to make their own versions, and our teacher…”

          Paul kept trailing off about his art magnet high school. Gene was only half-paying attention. Something strange and almost possessive had curdled in the back of his throat. He took a swig of his cup of Coke, but the feeling persisted. Maybe it was the dissonance. Girls worth talking to didn’t dismiss fucking so casually. Paul wasn’t really a girl, sure—well, he was, but—

          “You’re not listening.”

          “I don’t know anything about art, Paul.”

          “You do. You draw. You used to show me your comics. Everybody knows something about art. Everybody knows what they like about it.” Paul exhaled. “Look, you’ve gotta be getting tired of my place. I’ll take you home, meet you at the club tonight?”

          “You really want to do that?”

          “Yeah, of course I wanna go to the club. I’m not losing my whole life because of one groupie.”

          “You’d be okay getting there by yourself?”

          “I—yeah, I’d be okay.”

          “Just take us back to your place.”

          “I’d be fine, really—”

          “No, take us both back.”

          “What, you think I can’t drive over there by myself?”

          “Maybe I like your company, Paul.”

          Paul reached for his soda cup. The edge of his mouth was starting to twitch up.

          “Yeah? Maybe I like yours.”

--

           By the time Paul pulled into the driveway, Gene was feeling a little sluggish. Two Big Macs, French fries, Coke, and most of Paul’s Sprite sat heavy on his stomach. He figured he’d take a nap on Paul’s couch or in his guest bedroom. Maybe play some records after, if that didn’t tear at Paul too much. Maybe get a quick dinner at a restaurant before heading to that nightclub—he almost thought he could talk Paul into it now.

           Paul seemed to have about the same idea. He kicked off the tissue-stuffed heels and headed to his bedroom, leaving the door open. Gene watched him hang up all his purchases before doubling back to the door.

           “I’m gonna sleep for a bit,” Paul called out. “You can turn the T.V. on if you wanna, I don’t care.”

           Gene nodded, and Paul shut the door, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He shucked off his own shoes and stretched out on the orange velour couch in the living room, feeling weirdly nostalgic. The last time he’d really been at Paul’s place for more than an afternoon, Paul’s place had been his parents’ place. They’d be at the kitchen table, talking about records, bumming their way through Beatles songs on their acoustic guitars, while Paul’s baby niece squalled in the background. He’d never admit it, but he envied the noise in that apartment. The coiled-up tension Paul assured him lay just beneath the surface was something he never saw.

           Paul had rarely gotten past the door of Gene’s house when his mother was around. His mother thought Paul was the Lampwick to his Pinocchio, eagerly leading Gene into a world of sin he’d already partaken in and a world of drugs he’d never touched. Paul’s ego had been sufficiently bruised by the assumption that he never tried to convince her otherwise. But Gene was sort of wondering now. If Paul had been a chick instead of a guy when they met, some mousey, bitchy friend-of-a-friend that played a little guitar and wanted to start a band, would his mother have liked him any better? Would Paul being a Jewish girl, if nothing else, have been enough to save him, her, whatever? Probably not.

           Would he have gone after Paul then?

           Probably.

           Anyway, it didn’t matter. He didn’t plan on going after Paul now. They’d get this reversed soon enough, and once the tour started back again, he’d be up to his neck in Playboy Playmates and groupies, all way easier on the eyes and the wallet and the brain than a girl with a gap tooth and a terminal case of nerves. Yeah. Yeah.

           He watched the cuckoo clock on the wall for a while, the one that Paul had gotten during their last Europe tour, waiting for the bird to pop out from the little hatch. But it, like everything else, seemed to be taking its time. Gene sighed, getting up from the couch and heading for the T.V.—what was on this time of day, anyway? Gunsmoke reruns? The only thing that stopped him from finding out was a knock on the door.

           He opened it without thinking, figuring it was the mailman delivering another of Paul’s occult books. Instead, he was met with Peter, wearing his version of casual—jeans, a vest, a pinstripe shirt, and a handful of necklaces—and a bewildered look.

           “You’re still over here?”

           “How’d you know I was over here?”

           “Ace told me. Where’s Paul?”

           Shit.

           “He’s not in right now.”

           Peter looked him up and down suspiciously.

           “Then are you gonna let me in?”

           Despite himself, Gene’s glance went to the bedroom door almost on automatic. If he could get rid of Peter fast enough, Paul wouldn’t wake up.

           “C’mon,” he said finally. Peter stalked in without hesitation. Gene had half-expected him to take a seat, but he didn’t, looming in the living room like he was certain he was being let out of the loop, without being told.

           “Look, maybe Ace can write off all sorts of shit, but I can’t.”

           “What do you mean?”

           “He won’t see anybody, he won’t talk to anybody. He gets into fucking voodoo. He has you call up Ace for his psychic. Says you’ll make sure Paul calls me back and he doesn’t. But everything’s cool, everything’s great—”

           “Pete—”

           “Something’s the matter. Paul ain’t that kind of a nut! Now, either he lost his mind or you’re pulling one on him, but either way, something’s screwed-up here. I’m not leaving until I talk to him.”

           “You’ll be waiting awhile.”

           “I’ve got time.”

           “Pete, really, he’s gonna be out until pretty late, don’t you think—”

           “No, I don’t. I’m staying. You want me out, call the fucking cops. Get a real nice headline going—"

           The bedroom door creaked open. Peter turned around immediately, Gene following suit. Paul was standing in the doorway, still in that floral dress from earlier that afternoon. Gene bit his lip.

           “It’s you again!” Paul seemed to cave in on himself with every word out of Peter’s mouth, stepping back. “You—I see how this is!”

           “Peter,” Gene started again, “Peter, listen, it isn’t—”

           “You fucking asshole!” Peter grabbed Gene’s arms, oblivious to or maybe just not caring about the weight and height Gene had on him. “How the fuck could you do that to him?!”

           “You’ve got it wrong, I’m not—listen, Pete, I—”

           “You’re fucking his girlfriend! Your best friend! Paulie’s fucking losing it and what do you do, you move in on his girl! Move in on his house! You motherfucking pig!” Pete advanced, or tried to. Gene twisted away his grip, grasping his wrists. Pete yanked himself free easily, stalking forward, forcing Gene back, closer and closer to the wall.

           “Pete, calm down.”

           “I won’t! This ain’t stupid band shit, Gene! This ain’t fucking solos! You got no right to do this!”

           “Stop it.” It was Paul. Gene stared, stunned, as Paul stepped out of the doorway and into the living room, face pale. Peter was watching, too, looking disgusted. “He wouldn’t do that to me.”

           “He wouldn’t?” Peter started to laugh. “Baby, he’s done it to every chick that got within three feet of him.”

           “Pete, please.” Paul was biting his lip, breaths hard. “Pete, I’ve gotta tell you, listen—”

           “Don’t,” Gene cut in, but Paul didn’t listen. God only knew why. Gene could tell Paul was scared as hell, even as he stepped between them, taking Peter’s arms. Even Peter had about an inch on him now. Surprisingly, he didn’t pull back. “Don’t do it, you don’t need to.”

           “I’ve got to. Peter, I—” He let go of one of Peter’s arms, pulling down the right shoulder of his dress to expose his tattoo. “I’m... damn it, Peter, you know who I am.”

           Peter’s face contorted.

           “What the hell are you doing? What’s that supposed to prove?”

           “You and me, w-we went on vacation together last year. To Hawaii.”

           “Bullshit, I went with Lydia! I’ve never gone anywhere with you in my life!”

           Paul was staring at Peter like he’d just been slapped, but he kept his grip on Peter’s arm like a lifeline. Gene didn’t know how to help him. Part of him wanted to just go straight between the two of them and scream at Peter to get out of there, never mind the fallout on both sides after. But he didn’t. Instead he just watched as Peter tossed away Paul’s hold like it was nothing at all, shoving him back, hard enough Paul stumbled backwards, hitting his leg on the coffee table. Peter turned to Gene.

           “You think you can do anybody any fucking way, don’t you? Fuck Paul, right? Fuck him and his crazy broad. That’s the way you are. Loyalty don’t even matter to you.”

           “Peter—”

           “Forget it. I’m out of here.”  Peter stalked to the door, shouting as he yanked it open. “Don’t think I won’t tell him what you’ve done! I don’t give a shit if it splits us up!”

#kiss the band #kiss fanfiction #gene simmons x paul stanley #paul stanley #gene simmons #peter criss

[tinybewitchedgilnean]

Amanessa Pt. 2: Sharing- A Guide for Gypsies and Witches Who Aren’t Good At It

(Continued from Pt. 1!)

Ama stepped out of the tub, and for a few seconds, Rin forgot she was frustrated. With dirty clothes and caked on mud washed away, she stood there, stark and gorgeous. Rin felt her heart pulse.

Thankfully, Ama asked to borrow a shirt from Rin, which gave the younger woman a chance to collect and set the grimy armor outside where its stench could harm no one. When she returned, Ama had not yet grabbed a shirt and was still looking at her scarves, blissfully topless. The two returned to friendly conversation, but Ama could feel the shift the mood.

"I know you're frustrated." She bluntly stated, sighing while beginning to scrub her scarves clean. "I'm sorry for causing it. I know this was all sudden and unexpected. All I could think of when I left for home was making sure you were okay... " Ama's lips pursed, hands pausing their scrubbing. "I was worried about leaving so suddenly and I didn't want you to think you'd lost your friend or that I'd abandoned you in some way. I know what it's like to be abandoned... not fun, aye?" She chuckled, returning to her scarves. "So I came  to you right away. Until I'm called again, I can help you with your shop. Shava is in the woods hunting... ski she wont eat the merchandise... or your furniture. I might though."

Rin forced a smile. "Well, yer help and yer company are welcome, regardless of the consequences."

"Thank you, Rin."

After a pause of consideration, Rin spoke up. "I'm not angry with ye for leaving. It did kind of hurt when ye vanished without a word, though." Her eyes were trained on the floor. "I'm not trying to be selfish or needy. I just want to be a real part of yer life, Ama. I guess I felt like a guest that is only part of the fringes of yer life."

Anger was the reaction Amasheri was used to. Hatred, even tears, screaming or outright silence. But quiet acceptance and the want to be involved...? No, this was new. The gypsy licked her lips, pale eyes averted to the side suddenly. Guilt wasn't an emotion she was used to, nor handled well. She didn't know if she should be angry with it, or let the upset curdle her stomach and draw out her emotions.

Swallowing, Amasheri let out a small sigh. "I don't think my life is meant for good hearts like yours, Rin..." She admitted quietly, giving in and letting her shoulders slump. "But you are a part of my life... A good part. One I don't want the Hellwolf to destroy."

Rin bowed her head, understanding where Ama was coming from. "I get it. I know ye're not just the sassy, free-spirited woman I get to see. I know there is that part of ye I don' see... that Hellwolf." Even the name she gave herself made Rin nervous.

She did not want to let nervousness get the best of her. "Ye're the only person I want around the way I do," she admitted. She stepped up to her friend, ignoring her toplessness to meet her eyes. "I don' want ye afraid to let me in. I want the chance to be there for all of ye. I get that may not be something ye can offer me." Disappointment touched her tone.

"I guess I just want to work on that. But I also won' force my way into those parts of yer life." She rubbed her arm, feeling awkward at what had unintentionally monologued. "So... yeah."

"You don't want to see that part... I don't want to see that part!" She huffed in frustration. Why did the girl have to be so agreeable? Why did she have to understand? That just made it harder to protect her, keep her out at a safe distance... crush the small flicker of emotions that stuttered her heart and made her want to pull the woman into her arms and not let go-- NO!!

Amasheri was trapped between wanting to shake sense into the tiny witch, tell her she didn't want to be that close to her, that she was cursed to lose everyone she brought close, and simply bolting out the door. But that disappointment, the way Rin looked up at her. Amasheri couldn’t leave.

Instead, the gypsy gave another frustrated sigh, folding her arms over her chest and clenching her jaw. "I --" She stopped, mouth agape and not sure what to really say at this moment. "I'm sorry..." The gypsy finally copped out, giving the only answer that seemed to work for now.

Awkwardly, Amasheri reached over and gave Rin's shoulder a gentle squeeze, trying to be reassuring, even smiling softly. "I like you, Rin. I don't... I don't want to hurt you, or see you hurt... I just... it's..." She frowned. "You know what, how about that shirt, hmm? It's a bit chilly without one. Afterwards we can go dance on the roof."

Sometimes it felt like Rin was clicking with Ama. It felt like progress was made, and then she inevitably ran into a wall. She just wanted to be as close as she could be to Ama; what did she have to do to earn that chance?

Rin was disappointed, but what more could she do for the night? Ama almost gave her a window to make another case, but then the subject was changed. She sighed; maybe another time.  "Aye, we can get ya somethin. I think I have a long shirt that might e'en cover that bottom of yers. Then... I'd love t' dance with ye again." At least things felt simpler dancing with her.

Amasheri felt like cad. Rin's disappointment was almost palpable, and each look the girl gave her felt like a punch in the gut. Rin seemed so innocent. A sweet heart, shy demeanor, trusting and understanding. Briefly, the gypsy wondered if she herself had ever once seen the world the same as Rin did. If she had ever been as innocent, Amasheri couldn't remember it.

"I have my scarves..." she managed quietly, smiling and giving a small wriggle of her hips to show her rear was mostly covered, though Rin would point out that mostly still left plenty on display for Ama. It seemed a hollow jest even to her. Gods dammit, why can't I do this right?! she cursed to herself, chewing her lip with her teeth before giving in and heaving a large sigh.

"Rin... listen... I like you, alright? I truly do. I'm an arse at showing it, I always have been. This time it's different though. I don't want to hurt you in any way... and I know I'll just end up doing that, or worse...." she ruffled a tattooed hand through her hair, looking to the tub. "I'm cursed, Rin. Not--" she waved a hand at the bite on her side. "-- this curse... I mean cursed." Her shoulders slumped beneath the admission, pale gaze following and dipping to her own feet.

"I just dont want to lose you too."

It was like watching Ama fight herself internally. She wanted Rin to know how much she cared, but she was too scared to care as much as she did. The way she just looked defeated when she called herself cursed broke Rin's heart.

Sighing, the young woman moved closer to her redheaded friend and placed a hand on her cheek. "Ye're not gonna lose me, Ama." Her smile was weak, but sincere. "Don't ye know witches are good at handling curses?" It was a lame witch joke even Roxlyn would have been proud of.

Amasheri froze beneath the warmth of Rin's hand, pale eyes watching her friend with quiet intensity. Emotions warred within her, struggling to dominate the other and come to voice. The gypsy's internal battle pinched her features, though she didn't flinch away from that palm, even managing a small smile at the witch joke.

"I'm not just gonna run or leave. I like ye, too." Her hand was still on Ama's cheek, feeling her warmth. "I like ye a lot. I... Ama, I have never liked someone like I like ye." Rin felt almost guilty admitting it after all Ama had gone through, but the admission slipped.

In truth it stopped Amasheri's heart. The idea of being liked the way she had claimed warmed the gypsy. She longed for that affection, craved it. I like a rare gem the gypsy treasures what love she could get, clutching to others with desperate fingers. And yet like sand, each one slipped through, falling away with pieces of her in tow.

And that's what stopped her. Fear coiled its icy fingers about the remains of her heart, freezing her tongue and stealing the breath in her lungs. Amasheri was terrified of that witches warning. You're not blessed by the gods, girl. Ye be cursed by 'em! Ye lose all ye ever love. Always alone. By yer own hand or theirs, they'll always leave... or die.

Embarrassed, Rin pulled her hand away and folded her arms. "M-maybe we're both a wee bit taxed tonight. Forget I said anythin. Sorry."

Rins hand moved before the gypsy could jerk away, swallowing heavily and forcing air into her lungs. Rins embarrassment added a different twinge of fear. That fear of loss-- "No!" She blurted out abruptly,  reaching for the girls hand. "No... not forgetting. And no sorry." She struggled to say more, brows furrowing harshly. "Never apologize for what you say and feel. Not to anyone, especially me. I just... need time...."

Amasheri’s hand took Rin’s own and the young witch froze, meeting her friend with wide, uncertain eyes. Rin was upset with herself for putting her own feelings ahead of Amasheri’s feelings. The girl had just ended her engagement, so the last thing she needed was Rin blurting out a confession.

Time. Ama needed time. That was understandable. It made sense that she would need time to sort herself out and decide what she wanted. “Okay.”

Ama’s hold on Rin’s hand remained desperately firm as Rin’s acceptance echoed in her mind. There was no argument, no tears, no shoving out the door. Just a reassuring breath and the simplest,  strongest word Amasheri had ever heard. 'Okay'.

She was just coming to terms with that quiet acceptance when the warmth of Rins lips found her own. Amasheri froze in surprise beneath the lingering press of that kiss, eyes widening. This was no the first kiss they had shared,  though she was only marginally more clothed than the last time. No, this one held something else to it. It wasn't the fast, friendship styled kiss Ama had classified the first one under, no, this one was loving and warm.

Rin pulled away and nodded, feeling her cheeks pinken. “Take whatever time you need. Like I promised, I’ll be here. We can figure things out together one way or another, but only when you’re ready.”

Rin stepped away but kept Ama’s hand in her own. “So what do you say we share one dance beneath the stars before we go to bed?”

Ama could still taste the girl on her lips,  feeling her heart drumming harder and harder within her chest, the sudden heat as her own cheeks flushed scarlet, swallowing her freckles in a sea of red that almost rivaled her hair.

"Huh?" Ama blinked, coughing softly. "Dance?- oh! Uh, yes... that would be good. Besides, there’s more for you to learn, aye? But maybe I'll nick a top from you first. This looks like a nice neighborhood and having a gypsy in it is considered bad enough; having a half naked one might start a street war.” She smiled, thinking a moment before giving a tug on Rin’s hand to pull the girl in tight against her, deciding 'why the hell not?

She held for a moment, briefly wondering if this was a good idea. It didn't last. Impulse spurred the gypsy on, drawing Rin into a strong, passionate kiss.

Rin was already flushed from her act of boldness, but she was starting to come down from the emotional moment. She was not expecting the tight embrace or the heated kisses on her lips. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped as she melted when faced with Ama’s fire. How could she resist? The woman brought heat to her blood and made it harder to think. She did not want to think. It was a moment she wanted to lose herself in.

And so she did.

#amasheri #rinnessa #amanessa #rp

[itsmesherilyn]

Here's my review on SKETCHUP 

What is SKETCHUP? 

                       SketchUp is an intuitive 3D modeling application that lets you create and edit 2D and 3D models with a patented “Push and Pull” method. The Push and Pull tool allows designers to extrude any flat surface into 3D shapes. All you have to do is click an object and then start pulling it until you like what you see. SketchUp is a program used for a wide range of 3D modeling projects like architectural, interior design, landscape architecture, and video game design, to name a few of its uses.

The program includes drawing layout functionality, surface rendering, and supports third-party plugins from the Extension Warehouse. The app has a wide range of applications, including in the worlds of architecture, interior design, landscaping, and video game design. Sketchup has also found success with people who want to create, share, or download 3D models for use with 3D printers. 

What Are the Different Versions of Sketchup? 

                          SketchUp Make, SketchUp Pro, and SketchUp Free, The difference with these 3 are their capabilities, flexibility and their value.

SketchUp Make is a freeware version that you can download after signing up for a free account. This is free-to-use for home, personal and educational use and it begins with a free 30-day trial of SketchUp Pro.

SketchUp Pro is the premiere version of the software. It contains added functionality and all the things that you can't do in SketchUp Free

Sketch up Free: This is the free version of the application. In this version the only thing that you can do is to build and view 3D models for personal use.

How Did I Use SketchUp? 

In this part I'll try to explain what are the experiences that I acquired while using SketchUp. First I'm going to discrete the pros and cons of this Software. 

Pros: 

• It has a free version

• It has a direct editing push and pull technology

• It is good for those people who wants to try 3D modeling and interested on 3D printing. (SketchUp Free)

•It contains layout functionality, surface rendering, and third party plugins. It can save a lot of time from building a 3Dmodels. Especially if you know the basic tools and functions of it. 

Cons:

• User interface • Price • Usability • Has a limited file type of compatibility. • Not a beginner friendly • Complex and Complicated especially if you don't have any background on a CAD softwares,

MY OPINIONS

                      For me. SketchUp is Complex and Complicated Software to use, especially in drafting. Since SketchUp is more focus on modeling tools and building 3D objects. I don't think that this software has a friendly UI when it comes to its tools, I basically failed a lot of times using this software mainly, because I don't have any knowledge or any experience building a 3d or 2d models in this software. But I think if an architect or an interior designer will build something in this application, I presumed that they will nail it. 

MY RATINGS

                       I'll give it a 6 out of ten since, this is my first day using SketchUp (and it was really hard since I don't have any background using this) and If I would be given a chance, I'll prolly gonna learn this and try all the possible things that this application can do. 

TOOLS

                       One of the best ways to get to know a program like SketchUp when you’re first starting out is to understand the essential tools. Here's the 10 top tools that you should look and try first, when using Sketchup.

1. Line- The Line Tool gives you the power to simply connect a series of line segments together, close loops, create surfaces and edit and refine those surfaces, and it provides the vehicle for nearly every other command, operation or tool to function.

2. Eraser- The eraser tool maintains the organic flow of the model-making you’re doing in SketchUp. It affords you the freedom to make mistakes and is essential to keeping the good vibes flowing as you work.

3. Rectangle- When it comes to building a model meant for architecture, the Rectangle Tool can help you manifest rigid forms that emulate real building materials at no time at all.

4. Orbit/Zoom/Pan- With a simple roll of the mouse wheel, you can zoom the camera toward and away from your camera’s subject. If you click and hold down the mouse wheel, you can move the mouse itself and let the camera view “orbit” or track around the subject. If you do that and then hold the SHIFT button down at the same time, you can ‘pan’ or move the camera back and forth in the same plane without moving closer to the subject itself.

5. Position Camera- The Position Camera Tool is extremely important when you’ve been floating above the SketchUp model at any number of positions that only birds typically have vantage points of. It gives you perspective of what an actual person could see from a fixed location.

6. Offset- If the Line Tool and Rectangle Tool help you generate your creations, the Offset Tool is perfect to begin manipulating them into more complicated forms. This type of command is great for creating things like frames (windows, mullions, etc.) or measuring a given distance from the original shape in several directions at once. 

7.Push/Pull- It’s essentially an “extrude” operation that lets you copy a surface into or away from the original surface while creating surfaces for all of the resulting edges at the same time. The effect is quite similar to when you force Play-Doh or clay through a cookie cutter. You end up with the shape on either end and the extrusion of the shape over the span you’ve created.

8. Follow Me- The Follow Me Tool is particularly fantastic for things like stair railings and handrails. You simply create the profile you want, attach it to a line about which you’d like it to be extruded and watch as the Follow Me Tool does the rest.

9. Paint Bucket- The Paint Bucket turns your SketchUp model into a paint-by-numbers picture. You select the color or texture and then simply select the faces that you want it to be placed on. Once selected, the faces will fill their entire surface with the texture you designated.

10. Make Group / Component- The Make Group command will allow you to combine multiple lines, surfaces and volumes into singular forms. Doing so allows you to organize your model into a series of objects rather than a million tiny lines and surfaces.

References:

SketchUp guide: The top 10 essential tools to master first - Architizer journal. (2018, July 30). Journal. https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/sketchup-guide-the-top-10-essential-tools/SketchUp guide: The top 10 essential tools to master first - Architizer journal. (2018, July 30). Journal. https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/sketchup-guide-the-top-10-essential-tools/What is Sketchup (and how do I use it)? (2018, September 4). How-To Geek. https://www.howtogeek.com/364232/what-is-sketchup/What is SketchUp?

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