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#trigger half nudity mention
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ways/methods to torture your fictional character in a medical setting
♡♡♡ for writers to use as an inspiration for their novels/fanfictions only, I’m not a psychopath ♡♡♡
medical whump never fails to give me all the best whumperflies!
trigger warnings: description of abuse, dehumanization, nonsexual nudity and blood
physical restraints (chains, handcuffs, straightjacket, strapping them down to the bed by their wrists and ankles, etc)
I should just mention that straightjacket is one of my personal favorites
electroconvulsive therapy aka shock therapy
force feeding (via a plastic tube through their nose or mouth into their stomach)
shock collar
being forcefully shoved and held down to the ground, cheek against the cold floor
ice pick lobotomy
character getting stripped against their will
strong jets of water assaulting the character’s skin through a hose as a way to clean them
rough handling from the orderlies results in the character getting bruises all over their skin
waterboarding
getting their nails trimmed so they can’t hurt themself or others
character getting put into a hospital gown against their will is so underrated, actually
intubation against the character’s will — bonus if the character is still somewhat conscious
doses of anesthetic into the character’s bloodstream via an injection or through an iv drip to render them unconscious so that they can’t hurt themself or others
when the character is so drugged out of their mind that they’re too groggy to fight or struggle as things are being done to them; they’re half conscious still, they just can’t fight, even though they’re not restrained physically
blood draws — bonus if it gots to the point the character feels dizzy, cold and generally disoriented from losing too much blood
vivisection :)
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agentjackdaniels · 3 months
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Title: Cowboys & Closeups (Jack Daniels x f!Reader)
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Rating: Explicit
Word count: ~2.2k
Summary: You’ve got a long day of work ahead of you — at least, that’s what you think until Jack sends you a text that has you running home to him.
Warnings/Triggers: Dirty talk; nudity; body worship; flirting; fingering; nipple play; oral sex (f receiving); PiV sex; discussion of birth control; Jack makes a couple of terrible jokes and probably deserves a completely separate warning. No description of Reader except that she is female, younger than Jack (though no specific age is mentioned for either), and has a vagina. No use of Y/N.
Notes: For the Space Sisters Secret Santa event, and for my Secret Santa @epicrainbowsheep!! Happy Holidays, and I hope you enjoy!! 🩵🤍
(mdni banner by @arminsumi & cowboy hat divider by @saradika-graphics)
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You’re settled in for what’s promised to be the world’s longest meeting, and you’re not exactly thrilled (though the chance to zone out and daydream is much more appealing than actually doing any work). You lift your thermos to your lips, letting the hot drink shock your system, and open your notebook, pen in hand, ready to fake your way through.
You’re half listening to Maggie droning on and on about projections for the new year when your watch buzzes on your wrist. A glance at it shows it’s a message from Jack, but the content hasn’t loaded. Confused — he never texts you while you’re at work — you surreptitiously slip your phone out of your pocket and tuck it under the edge of the table as you unlock it.
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You are very glad you made that choice when the image finally pops through.
It’s Jack, spread out on the bed like that infamous photo of Burt Reynolds, bare-ass naked except for his black Stetson, perched on his head, tilted up from his face by one finger as he rests on his elbow.
You click the screen off so quickly you nearly drop your phone.
“Are you alright?”
Shit. “I’m fine, Maggie. Just…” You try to come up with an excuse for your fluster. “Landlord sent a message,” you lie. “There’s a burst pipe in the apartment.”
“Damn. Do you need to go?”
You try to keep it cool. “If it’s alright. Should probably make sure nothing gets damaged.”
You’re not the type to leave early or call in sick, and that plays to your advantage now as Maggie looks genuinely concerned. You’re almost sorry. “Yeah, of course. Go on. I’ll email you the minutes after the meeting.” She nods. “Good luck!”
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The snow has been building up as you make your way home, and when you get to your door, you peel off your wet sneakers before slamming it shut behind you. “Jack?”
“In the bedroom.”
His voice is deep and smooth, lending a weight to his nickname. It’s why he calls you “Cherry” — you’d never let it go once you found out he was called “Whiskey”, so he named you after your signature lipgloss. “Besides,” he’d said, nipping at your lip. “You deserve a name as delicious as you.”
You pass through the rooms until you get to the bedroom door, and there’s Jack. Still spread out on the bed, still naked as the day he was born — though now his beloved cowboy hat is resting over a certain other part of his anatomy.
“Hey there, gorgeous.” His brown-black eyes are shining, his lip curved in a smarmy smile.
You almost fall for it, but you’ve made your choice to be annoyed first.
“Jack, what the hell?”
He pouts, but he doesn’t move. “What?”
“You sent me a naked picture of yourself while I was at work!”
“You didn’t have to look,” he argues.
You raise an eyebrow at him. “So you sent the photo, then waited here for me just like this assuming I wouldn’t look and then try to come home to you?”
The smile returns to his face. “I mean, I hoped you would, but if it started to look like you weren’t comin’, I’d have just gone on with my day.”
You take a step further into the room, arms still folded over your chest. “Naked?”
He shrugs. “Why mess up clothes if I’m home alone?”
Shaking your head, you rub your hand over your face. “What am I gonna do with you, Whiskey?”
“I can think of a few things, Cherry.”
Without much warning, you reach over and snatch the hat away from him, parking it precariously on your own head as your eyes take in the full effect of Mr. Jack Daniels.
He’s a bit older than you, but — in your experience — no worse for the wear. And certainly the age suits him well in the looks department: his black hair is full and thick, as is his moustache (though you do occasionally tease him for the sprinklings of grey in it now); his freckled skin is still taut and firm around his muscles and even over his gently softening middle.
He really is the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen — and that doesn’t just apply to when he’s naked in your bed.
“You gonna stand there starin’, or are you gonna do somethin’?”
You grin, your fingers moving to the buttons of your shirt and working them through, never once taking your eyes off Jack’s. You watch as his gaze goes soft, then hard as you peel away layers of clothing until you’re just as bare as he is.
“Fuckin’ Christ, woman.”
“See something you like, cowboy?” you tease, moving to kneel on the edge of the bed.
Jack squirms — you’re just out of reach and it’s driving him crazy. “Come up here so I can kiss you.”
You shake your head, sending his hat falling over your eyes. You tip it up with a finger, much like he’d been doing in the photo, and smirk. “Mm-mm. Nope. You nearly got me in trouble at work and you think I’m gonna reward you for it without an apology?”
“Jesus,” he groans. “What do I have to say?”
“Do you not know what an apology is?”
He rolls his eyes, but it’s playful, not judgy. “Listen, darlin’. I really didn’t think you’d check your phone in the office, so I sent it more for you to see when you went to lunch or somethin’. I’m sorry. I was just tryin’ to be spontaneous.” He juts out his lower lip, and you bite back a laugh. “Please forgive me.”
“You realize,” you say, inching slowly up the bed, “that anyone could have seen that photo.”
His eyes glitter. “Got nothin’ to be ashamed of.”
“True.” Your fingertips flit over his thigh and you watch the muscles tense. “But I don’t wanna have to share you, either.”
“Oh, Cherry, I’d never ask you to do that.” You’re close enough now, and his hand comes up off the bed and grabs your wrist, pulling you — just a bit roughly — up against him. “I’m all yours.”
You finally give in, letting him kiss you as his hand slips up over your arm to catch your face in his palm. His other fingers press into your spine, holding you close as his tongue parts your lips. “So,” he murmurs, his teeth scraping your lip as you settle yourself onto his lap, his cock hard against your belly. “How’d you get out of work?”
“Mmm,” you breathe. “Told them a pipe burst.”
Jack laughs. “You seriously,” another kiss, “told them,” and another, “you needed your pipes fixed? What is this, a terrible porno?”
You groan. It hadn’t even hit you, but you’re not going to let him win this one. “Keep it up and I’m putting my clothes on and going back to the office.”
Jack’s fingers grip you just a little tighter. “Oh, darlin’, you ain’t goin’ anywhere.”
Left hand still pressed against your back, he lets his right one slide between you, down to the apex of your thighs. You gasp as his middle finger finds your slit, inching through it so slowly that by the time he touches that sensitive little nub hidden beneath, you’re sure you’re going to scream.
“Mm, yeah, that’s it,” he murmurs, his mouth edging along your jaw. “C’mon, baby.”
Jack’s hat falls off your head and tumbles to the floor as he presses down a little and you jerk towards him. He keeps you steady as he slips another finger against you, down and down until he’s teasing at your entrance.
“Can I come in, Cherry-girl?”
You nod, your body already starting to tremble just at his words. “Jack, please.”
He shifts you both in one easy move, laying you back as he gets to his knees between yours. His fingers press into you — one, then the next — slowly, slowly, until you’re slick enough for him to increase his speed. As his hand fucks you, he bends down to take your nipple between his teeth, his tongue grazing over it, and you drive your hands into his hair, holding him in place as you squirm beneath his touches.
“Feel you flutterin’ around my fingers, baby,” he groans, his thumb finding you again as he moves his hand faster. “You want more?”
“Yes, Jack, yes,” you gasp, fighting to keep your legs from closing around him, even as they shake.
To your surprise, though, even with your positive response, he pulls his fingers from you and slips them into his own mouth before kissing you, your tastes mingling on your tongues. He drags his lips from yours, leaving you panting and whimpering as his nose traces down the center of your body.
And then you realize exactly why he stopped fingering you.
His tongue takes the place of his hand, curling and thrusting into you before he licks a stripe up to your clit and back again. Evenly-paced, evenly-pressured, like he’s made to do this.
“Fuck,” you whisper, clinging to his head as he eats you out, occasionally introducing the slightest scrape of teeth and making you jump in arousal. “Jack, I’m gonna come.”
“Mm,” he replies, not moving. “Do it.” He moves and seals his lips around you, nose nudging at your core, his tongue driving into you so hard and fast you can’t control yourself and you explode, drenching his lips and his moustache in you.
“Oh, shit.”
He takes his time, lapping you up, before lifting his eyes to yours and grinning wickedly. “Mercy, Cherry, you taste incredible.”
Once again, he gives you no time, only allowing you to whisper, “Yes, yes, please,” as he slips upward and notches himself at your entrance.
You’re overstimulated and soaked and it makes Jack’s thrust into you both the easiest and the most pleasurable thing you’ve ever felt. You nearly come a second time just from his first push, but you hold back, willing yourself to keep going.
“That’s — ohhhh, fuck — that’s it, Jack,” you urge him, looking up into his face as he moves to find a new rhythm that works for both of you. His cheeks are already reddened, his freckles popping under the flush and his facial hair still glistening with the remnants of you. His eyes are cloudy, half-lidded, but they find yours and the sparkle of his love is still there, bright as ever. He lets his lips fall open, your name spilling from them as he makes that final connection, you moaning and him crying out as you lock together.
For the next few minutes, the room is filled only with the sounds of your breathy groans, his soft grunts, and skin on skin. Everything else is as silent as the snow falling ever more heavy outside the bedroom, and in a moment of clarity you think that this might be the single most erotic moment of your life.
Jack’s movements are growing less steady, his breaths more erratic, and you know he’s close — you’ve been consciously trying to hold your own peak at bay but now you’re desperate to come together with him.
“That’s it, love,” you murmur, pressing your lips to the side of his nose as he drops his forehead to yours. “Come on, fill me up.”
“Baby, I — ”
You shake your head, desperate to keep control of your voice for this. “It’s alright. I want it. I’m protected.”
You and Jack had been sleeping together for a while, but even with the knowledge that you’re on birth control, he’d been so hesitant, the painful memories too much to bear should something fail.
“Please, Jack. Come inside me, please.”
Your voice, the hitch of your hips, the way you wrap your ankles around his knees — you’re not sure which of them, or what combination, does it, but he stutters to a stop, his hips slamming into yours one last time as you feel him paint you with his spend. The sensation mixed with his breath ghosting over your throat as he collapses is enough to send you over the edge a second time, your muscles clenching around him and draining him dry inside you.
It’s a while before he catches his breath, rolling off you. You feel the emptiness acutely, and try to make up for it by curling into his side and wrapping both of your legs around one of his thick thighs. He almost immediately slips his arm under you, pulling you close and burying his lips in the front of your hair.
“You’re amazing,” you whisper, your thumb tracing over the definition of his chest.
He chuckles slightly, pressing a rougher kiss to your hairline. “So,” he rumbles. “Four stars on fixedmypipes.com?”
You poke him in the ribs so hard he folds in half laughing.
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anniebear-92 · 1 year
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Paw Prints
Thank you to everyone with your kind words on part one! Here is part two and I think it's a tad longer than the first one. Still thinking about 3 - 4 parts and possibly a special one for NFSW if anyone really wants that one that won't add to the story in anyway other than require a trip to church or holy water... >:) Go off Sinners.
Synopsis:
It's been a few weeks since Bakugo the cat moved into your home. You've gotten to know him as a cat and as you return to university classes he finds himself unsure what to do with himself. Stay tuned for life as a poor college student with a petty cat... He's a cat right?
Warnings: SFW, Trigger warning: mention of cheating against reader, Swearing. Slight mention of partial nudity nothing NSFW though.
Link to: Part One
Part Two: Poor College Student Meet Petty Cat
You had learned several things during the first few weeks of having Bakugo the cat in your home. One of those things, is how highly intelligent this cat was. He would sit nearby and listen as you chatted away at him like he was your best friend. He had his ways of responding, huffs or swipes of the paw, smirk like expressions when he's extremely smug and the ever present judging glare. Along with this, it had been a struggle getting the cat to take his antibiotics for the required timeframe the vet had set, as soon as he saw that bottle it was if the cat never existed. He would hide until you either gave up or finally found him after a long game of hide and seek. Even hiding the medicine in the food was not enough, as he had started to turn his nose up at any and all cat foods provided to him. Which led to another thing you learned, he was picky.
You had bought and tried almost a dozen brands of cat food at this point in order to make the snooty feline happy. Wet food, dry food, mixture of both… nothing seemed to work… except your own food. He would sit across from you and try to eat from your bowl or the pan if you left it out just a moment too long. You had tried to deter him from this habit, however stubborn was his middle name.
After several days of trying to deter him from eating your food, you had thrown in the towel and just started preparing him his own bowl. Originally you had attempted to give him portions without spices as per your research online, however he too turned his nose up and swiped at you with those large paws until you added in whatever was in your own. You had conferred with the vet upon his check up and they had told you it was an odd behavior but to monitor him closely and which food were okay/not okay for kitties.
Bakugo was given a clean bill of health a week after he had first seen the vet. He had his up and down days where he would be super lethargic, barely getting up to do much. However by the time he finished his medicine he was known as a very energetic little ball of fur with a bad case of the zoomies… at the worst hours.
The first time it happened you were woken up to the largest crash in the living room. Fearing you were being broken into, you had grabbed a baseball bat from underneath your bed and slowly snuck out to see who dared break into your apartment at this god awful hour.
Flipping on the light with a brave face you were met with a very messy living room, your favorite vase now smashed to pieces on the floor with the flowers and soil all over your nice carpet, papers you had been working on for university were strewn all over the floor and sitting in the middle of the chaos… Bakugo. He froze with his paws laid out before him, his top half lowered to the ground and his rear in the air as his tail flipped dangerously. His eyes met yours with wide blown out pupils before he suddenly sprinted away into the spare bedroom, almost in shame.
Taking a deep calming breath you had simply cleaned up the mess and returned to bed, grumbling about a little gremlin cat living in your home. This continued almost every night for a week until you had threatened to lock him in a kennel at night, you weren't serious but it had some how did the trick. He had limited his zoomies to more decent hours and avoided breaking anything else… on accident that is.
The little shit had a habit of getting payback on you for anything he seemingly didn't like. You didn't feed him fast enough? Your mug was on the floor, shattered and coffee everywhere. You step on his tail because he was zooming under your feet to beat you wherever you were going and it was his own fault? You had a nice pile of feces in your shoes later that day.
This became the normal for you for the first few weeks, though at night when the little terrorist was done being a little gremlin, the biggest thing you learned…he was quite the lover. He would crawl into your lap while rubbing all over your hands and up into your neck, against your cheeks. His low rumble purr soothing you as he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep after scenting you as his own with your fingers massaging his fur.
Though it took quite some time after that first time he laid with you for him to come near you again, he was truly a hot and cold cat. Even with that, it was on HIS terms, not yours. If you wanted to snuggle and he didn't? Oh boy wrong move. You had the scratches to prove it.
Today was a new occasion, you were returning to school after a break so Bakugo would be home alone for the first time for more than a few hours or minutes. You were unsure how he would take it as he would normally greet you at the door even for a short trip and demand cuddles before you could do anything else. How dare you have a life without him!
You were mid packing your bag with supplies when Bakugo hopped up next to you, tilting his head in question. 'The fuck you goin?' You tapped his nose in a boop, his ears laying back in annoyance and eyes scanning you for the audacity you had to treat him this way. "I'm going to school today bud so you need to be a good boy." He huffed in answer, his head turning to lick at his paw. 'I'm always a good boy dumbass.' He paused mid lick, turning his head with ears flattened as he processed what you said. 'School?' Now all packed, you swung the bag over your shoulder and made for the door.
Dropping the bag beside you as you crouched in order to put on your shoes, an interruption known as the fur ball from hell rubbed against your legs. He let out the most pitiful meow as his carmine eyes locked with yours.
"Aw don't give me that look. I'll be back later sweet pea." He scrunched up his nose at the chosen term as you ran a quick swipe of your hand over his forehead. He hopped onto your bent knee, rubbing the length of his body against your chest in the attempts you'll chose to stay. Finishing your laces you picked him up and snuggled him close. A low warning growl was let out by the spicy kitten until you planted a soft kiss between his ears. The noise ceased suddenly as he looked up at you in surprise. This was the first time you had done anything like that, even during snuggling sessions.
Placing him on his paws you began gathering up your coat and bag once more as Bakugo licked his hide out of embarrassment. Now all geared up and ready to leave you gave him one more glance and a smile that squeezed the small cat's heart. "See you later handsome boy."
Exiting the apartment left Bakugo in a state of shock. Now what did he do? How long would his food giver be gone? Would he be here by himself forever? No more scratchies? Or kis- No he couldn't think of that one. He huffed and padded himself into the living room, hopping up onto the couch in HIS designated spot. He began moving around the blanket, paws pushing and pulling like he was making a batch of biscuits to get comfortable. Satisfied he plopped himself down and curled his tail just below his eyes, glaring at the clock hanging over the television. 'Guess I'll just nap until they get home.'
You arrived on campus just in time, parking your modest piece of crap next to some fancy car you could only dream of owning one day. Strolling along the path a voice broke you from your la-la land train of thoughts.
"Hey! Over here!" You were met with an energetic red head with the widest smile who was steadily waiving you down towards a group of people. Shining a bright smile you wandered over and greeted your friends. The redhead threw an arm over your shoulders and you laughed. "Hey Kirishima, how are you?"
He shrugged before addressing the raven haired boy beside him. "Sero! You know F/N right?" The ravenette nodded before sticking his hand out in greeting, "You're in Aizawa's lecture class right?" You nodded in response, giving your first and last name as you shook his hand. You had met Sero quite a few times but never formally introduced yourself during friend gatherings. You were suddenly yanked from Kirishima's grasp by a curly pink haired girl. "Bestie! I haven't seen you in so long!"
"Mina, we just got off break! Don't be so dramatic." You pushed her face back by a finger to the middle of her forehead as she whined. "That was forever!"
The group made their way to your respective classes, Mina following you into the lecture hall as you took the usual seats near the back of the hall. "So anything new happen?" She leaned over the tiny desk in anticipation of even a crumb of gossip or drama. With a shrug you open your writing tablet and flipped a pencil between your fingers. "It was mostly uneventful really. I called it quits with what's his face within the first days."
She gasped heavily as she slammed a palm down. "I knew it! Kiri owes me ten bucks!" The pencil in your fingers stopped, "You bet on my love life?" She shrugged in response, sitting back against the chair. "Kirishima was dead set you two were end game. I knew for a fact you weren't. Your chemistry was all off. So we bet on who would be right. I just didn't realize it was so soon… Damn I'm good."
You snorted in response as the loudest teacher on campus walked into the hall to greet everyone. "Good morning students! We'll be learning something new today!" Mina leaned over and spoke in a hushed tone, "So what happened that you called it off anyway?"
Rolling your eyes you whispered "So nosey… He was texting some bitch right there on the couch next to me while we watched a movie saying some shit about how he loved her and couldn't wait to see her. I called him out and he claimed it was his cousin. When I told him to call her so I could say hi, tell me why the bitch answers "Hey baby!" and he just looks at me like a deer in the headlights. Turns out he's been seeing this girl during our entire relationship."
Mina's jaw dropped as she gasped loudly "No way! The whole time??" You nodded somberly, "Would you two like to share with the lecture hall what is so riveting we're interrupting the main show?"
The both of you froze like children caught in a cookie jar and gave a shy no sorry when Mina frowned. "Sorry Professor Mic." He nodded and continued on about whatever it was he was saying before lecturing you both. The rest of class was spent in silence other than the scratch of pencils against the paper taking notes, the other classes mostly 'welcome backs' and here's your new topics for this semesters.
At the end of your classes you groaned heavily at the added weight of a few new books and papers that were sure to set you further into debt. An arm hooked you against what felt like a brick wall once more as you looked up to see the shining red head once again. "How were classes?"
You shrugged, wrapping an arm around your friend's waist in support. "Lame, Mina got us in trouble during Present Mic's lecture because she had to know about my break. By the way you owe her ten bucks."
He growled "You and that guy broke up?" Nodding in affirmation he huffed, "Dammit, I owe that girl so much money at this point. Sero better not split up with his partner or I'm kicking his ass." Letting out a loud laugh you ruffled the red spikey hair to his dismay. "Quit betting on people's love life and focus on your own, you might not be in debt to the resident love guru."
He let out a soft breath through his nose as he hugged you closer with the one arm. "Nah, it's too much fun when I do prove her wrong and win it all back."
Your best friend released you once you stopped near his shiny new truck. You sighed in realization it would be years of paying off debt before you could own something that nice. He gave you a hug and told you he'd be by some time since he missed his best friend. You nodded and told him that'd be awesome before making your way over to your shit box… I mean your car. Getting the thing to start you pulled out from the parking lot and made your way home wondering on the way what state your home would be when you arrive home.
Bakugo's ears twitched at the familiar sound of the tumblers turning of the lock at the door. He yawned widely, showing off those sharp canines before hopping down and racing to the entrance. He quickly stole a glance at the clock and realized his human had been gone for eight whole hours! The gall they had for leaving him so long!
His human stepped through the door, their eyes locking as she gave him a bright smile. "Hey my handsome man! How was today?" He huffed in response, he had spent the entire time asleep save for the few minutes he had wondered the apartment looking for something to do while he waited for the food giver to return.
'My food bowl is empty. Fix it!'
He flicked his head towards the kitchen where his bowl indeed sat empty from breakfast. You ran a hand over his ears before removing all your gear, the smell of something foul hit him like a ton of bricks and he shrunk back with a loud hiss. You pulled your hand away quickly in shock, watching him eye you like you had just spit on his ancestor's grave.
"What's wrong bubba?" He began sniffing heavily as he inspected your entire form, weaving around your body as you finished placing your shoes away. He had smelled something simliar many times, why couldn't he put a place on it now? He should remember that stink anywhere.
You sat on the couch as your shadow followed close behind, still trying to discern the nasty smell. You set your bag beside the couch and began pulling out your tablet and pencils so you could begin on the assignment for the day when he shoved his face into yours. Sitting back in shock his eyes narrowed as he sniffed loudly once more.
'Dog! You smell like mutt!' He hissed loudly as you attempted to console the pissed off feline only for him to shrink back and swipe at your fingers with his paw. How dare you come in here smelling like a mutt!
"I don't know what I did Bakugo… Did I leave you too long?"
He huffed before hopping across to your lap, rubbing himself all along your arms, chest and legs. He made sure not to miss an inch when he realized the strongest smell came from your neck. Who dared touch what belonged to him? He hoped onto the back of the couch as you ignored him, now used to his tsundere actions of love and hate. He began rubbing his cheek against the back of your neck in the attempts to get rid of the horrible smell.
'Stupid fucking dog, I'm going to need a damn bath after this one!'
You were half way through your assignment when Bakugo was finally satisfied that the strange scent was gone. He trotted off before bopping at his bowl with his paw. 'Food servant! Food!'
You sighed heavily before standing up and pulling out some left overs you had made just for him. Bakugo had knocked a container of spices into the pot on "accident" and he had ate it so fast he had demanded more by batting at your head until you finally dumped the rest into the bowl. You placed it into his bowl as he nodded in approval. 'About fucking time, I'm going to waste away!'
Bakugo got used to your routine very quickly once he realized you would be going to this university for at least eight hours a day until the weekend hit. However to his dismay, most days you came home smelling like the same mutt each and every time. Where was this stupid dog that you kept meeting? Was he not good enough?
You also quickly got used to being scented heavily when you got home each and every day though some days were different as if you didn't smell as bad. (You didn't because you didn't see a certain someone that day.)
The day that changed your life started like any other day. Bakugo had been living at your place for a couple months now and you were approaching quickly one of the most stressful times as a student…
Finals. Currently you were holed up in your room, the door shut and messy hair up out of your face as you furiously scratched away at the paper in preparation. Soft thumps and scratches came at the door as the demon that lived in your home indicated he wanted into the room. You had shut him out as he had distracted you from studying so much that you had made the decision to put him out. His loud yowling in protest had you placing ear bud to tune him out with your favorite band.
The scratching finally stopped as the cat huffed, stalking away to take his spot on the couch. He lay there batting a ball the twinkled with the bell inside until he fell asleep, only to be woken when you finally exited your room in the wee hours of the morning. You wandered out to get ready for class that day since you would be starting finals and had not changed into your clothes for the day yet. Bakugo watched as you passed in the tiniest shorts he had seen yet and an oversized hoodie that had slipped to the side so your shoulders were clearly visible. He felt his face heat as he turned away and hid under his tail in embarrassment.
She's just the food giver! No bad thoughts! You've seen her naked, she's not much to look at!
Yeah, okay Bakugo, whatever helps you sleep at night… I'll stop.
Any way, you prepared a small breakfast as your nerves for the day ahead left you with no apatite that Bakugo ended up with the majority in his bowl. You returned to your den to make yourself presentable for the day and once satisfied you didn't look like a homeless crazy cat person you returned to the bright living room to start the day officially.
Bakugo had finished every bite of his meal, happy as a lark he followed you towards the front door while you laced up your shoes per usual. He sat impatiently waiting for his goodbye scratches and totally not his goodbye kisses. He had his dignity…
When you packed up your things and left without even acknowledging him his tail flailed in annoyance. What the hell? He began pacing back and forth, did he do something wrong? Did he cross a line somewhere? He wasn't that bad was he? Was he being abandoned… again?
He spread out in front of the door his ears pressed back against his head that rested on his paws, his tail dropping to the floor as he huffed. The door clicked back open and a desperate you rushed back in to see the dejected cat laying by the door. Your heart squeezed as you got down and pressed a kiss against his tiny nose. "I'm sorry handsome I forgot your goodbye. I'm just so stressed this morning. Have a good day my little prince."
Rushing back out the door the cat's fur bristled as his tail twitched in excitement. The fact that you came back and gave him kisses had zero to do with it okay! He pads away to his spot on the couch where he spent most his days waiting for you, he closed his eyes happily and dreamt of how his life had changed.
The day was extremely stressful as you began the first round of finals for your classes, sitting as away from your pink haired friend as possible in order to not distract you from the important task at hand. She had pouted that she couldn't peek over your test when you shot her an apologetic smile. The test went smoothly and you strangely felt prepared regardless of the anxiety that flowed through you. Today would be longer than most since each class was given extra time to complete their final, so you would be late getting home that evening.
Hours and multiple tests later you were finished for the first day of finals, trudging your way back across the quad towards your car. As per usual a strong arm Shepard hooked you into the wall of muscle. "How did you do short stack?" You pushed him away lazily, to which he let you since there would be no way you would normally be able to move him under normal means. "I'm not short, you're just ungodly tall."
He snorted before leaning down and rubbing his cheek with yours. "You know I love to tease." You snorted and let out an exhausted sigh, too tired for his golden retriever like energy. This is why you were a cat person, less energy… Even though Bakugo made you want to pull your hair out with his zoomies sometimes.
"If you must know I think I did better than you."
His lip jutted into a pout, ruffling your hair which earned a groan of annoyance from you. "Kirishima stop that!" He chuckled before releasing you finally to simply walk beside you. "Alright, I'll quit. That was mean though…" You cracked a smile at his dejected look almost like a scolded puppy.
"How did you do Kiri?" His bright smile was back, "I think I passed this time! Those extra study sessions we did as a group awhile ago really helped!"
You nodded as you found yourself back at your car, his truck parked just a few spots away. "Well this is me. I'll see you guys later." Kirishima pulled you in for a hug, releasing you to make his way towards his own.
The engine on your car whirred over and over without turning over, sounding like a wounded animal. You tried a few more times before a rasp on your window caught your attention with a startle. Your red haired best friend leaning down with a concerned face. You rolled down your window as he crossed his arms and leaned in on the door.
"Your car won't start?"
With a nod he tilted his head to indicate for you to try again, listening intently as the dying vehicle failed once again to turn over. You popped the hood at his prompt and he gave the starter a good couple knocks after messing with your battery wires. You tried once again to no avail when he sighed, hands on his hips. "Your starter is out, needs replaced."
Your head fell back with a low groan, like you had the money for that right now. "You want a ride home for now?" You agreed seeing as it as now dark out, hopping into the passenger seat of his stupid truck. You grumbled under your breath about wishing you had the money he did until he got in and you thanked him for taking you home.
"Don't worry about it darlin'. I got you, by the way if you want me to fix your car I can grab a starter later and swing back to fix it." You blinked and shook your head "No that's too much. I can get it."
He shook his head before turning the radio up just a bit, one of your favorite songs slowly coming into existence. "It's nothing. My parents left me a lot of money to go to school with, I can't leave my best friend without a car."
After arguing it would be too much half way home you finally agreed to let him fix it with the agreement you would pay him back eventually. Though you had a part time job you were starting soon, being a full time student didn't always account for the extras like car repair. He pulled in front of your building and turned off the radio with a snap of the dial. "Ill have the car fixed for you by tomorrow and I'll pick you up for class."
You gave him a soft smile and took his hand, thanking him. His smile lit up the truck as he told you it was nothing and he'd see you tomorrow. With a pep in your step you skipped up the stairs to your door. Slipping the key into the lock you opened it and dropped your bag right away.
"Bakugo I'm home!" You called while slipping off your jacket and hanging it on the hook.
"Well it's about fucking time! You reek of that mutt again!"
You turned quickly at the sudden deep voice, coming face to face with strangely familiar, narrowed, vermillion eyes. Though a complete stranger was slowly standing up from the couch, the blanket your cat always wore wrapped around his bare hips. On top of his head sat a pair of sandy blonde cat like ears and a tail swished back and forth behind him. You backed into the door with a thump earning a confused expression on his extremely handsome face.
"Who the hell are you??"
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iceysghost · 2 years
Note
Hiii! Could I request a White for Artem? If you're still doing your colors of romance of course!
Thanks a bunch! 💕💕
WHITE 》 softness, purity, safety
◇ Bright light shines through the windows as you share an embrace under the pearly sheets.
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COLORS OF ROMANCE EVENT
Artem Wing x Female! Reader
Word Count: 400 words (sorry if it's a bit short)
Trigger/Content Warning: mentions of nudity, kissing
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Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, incessantly ringing through your ears. As your senses became clearer, the sensation of his arms grasped around your nude figure made you coil up like a plant shuddering and closing from someone's touch.
ARTEM's naked chest was pushed against your back. His fingers were gripped onto your body, pressed against your waist, holding you in a tight embrace, your legs intertwined under the soft sheets.
He pulled away, rolling onto his other side, and turning off the annoying alarm. You tried to follow him, turning towards him, but the sun had risen already, and a ray of it came through the curtains and hit you perfectly in the eye.
You wince, rapidly turning back to your old position, shutting your blinded eyes in a stinging kind of pain. He pushes himself towards you again.
"We have work today…" you mumble.
"Ten more minutes, please."
He cuddles closer. Artem buries his head in your neck and kisses your skin. Over and over again, fleeting, ticklish kisses. Sweet kisses.
You attempt to turn towards him again, this time using your hand to shield your eyes from the sunlight. He welcomed you, holding you tightly, covering your eyes before leading your face straight in front of his.
You're greeted with half-lidded breathtaking blue eyes, eyes full of gentleness and a glint of giddiness too.
He leans closer, kissing your forehead, letting it linger. He whispers:
"You're gorgeous."
You can smell him, the faint scent of sandalwood from his perfume yesterday, the perfume he's worn for so long and will probably wear for months or years to come. You reach a hand out to his face, and wipe off a glistening bead of sweat about to fall from his hair.
He holds tighter, and kisses you on the lips. Soft, gentle, quick; it was enough to leave you breathless, a quiet gasp escaping your lips.
His face was a subtle shade of pink, a slight smile plastered on his lips. You smile back at him. Now that there was no alarm, you could hear the faintest of sounds, even his slow, steady breathing. You moved closer even further and placed your head on his chest.
Ba bump, ba bump, ba bump, went his beautiful heartbeat. The heartbeat that gave life to your beautiful husband was now thumping in your ear.
"I love you, Artem."
"I love you too, darling."
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All works belong to @iceysghost on Tumblr. Reblogs and shares are allowed. Do not repost on other social media platforms without permission. Do not reproduce or plagiarize any part of my works in any shape or form.
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ezra-iolite · 1 year
Text
One Last Wish- A Pirateformers Story
Chapter 3: Old Wounds
(TRIGGER WARNING: A LOT of deadnaming and misgendering of poor Asya here, some mentions of nudity (but only in a cultural sense rather than anything sexual), and some violence up ahead)
Elbent and Verglaust belong to @tigracespace
Starhawk belongs to @dimorphodon-x
Blue Heron belongs to @hyraxas (also let me know if it's still too hard for you to read, in case your neurospicy brain needs more breaks)
Asya, Conduit, Azaan, and the denizens of the kingdom of Joka Ardhi belong to me~
Docking their boat at the pier, right next to a small flight of barnacle infested wooden steps touching the surface of the water, Starhawk jumped up onto the pier and tied the rope to the nearest post before he helped Elbent and the others off the boat and onto the creaking pier with him. The moment they all got off, the stares they could feel from the passing Jokani fishermen and dockworkers, who all had the same rare dark ebony skin-tone the crew had only known Asya to have, they could immediately be sensed like daggers cutting through them. And yet, it did not phase their captain, as Elbent led the way up the wooden pier and past the rickety market stalls bearing weathered but colourful drapes for rooftops, towards a rising flight of stone steps at the end of the docks, built into a wall surrounding the low pier that hid the city ground level from view. The moment Elbent reached the top, she paused to take in her first sight of the Jokani port city.
“Wow… So this is Wajiri? Everything here is so huge! I’ve never seen so many colours and bright buildings before!” Elbent looked around in awe, as the team joined her side to truly take in the sight of the strange land they were in.
Towering before the six of them, they could only gawk in amazement at the layers of buildings made out of flat roofed, rectangular, yellow and red sandstone that grew taller and bigger the further into the city the gang peered towards. Each street and alleyway they could see was decorated with drapes of vibrant colours that hung as fabric eaves over doors or between narrow alleyways, with glimmering and silky transparent curtains swaying gracefully from open arch-shaped windows and doorless entrances to invite the cool breeze from the scorching heat, and the occasional passing Jokani that wore equally colourful togas and veiling shawls, be they the human natives or the Dragonkin with individually unique horn shapes and vibrantly colourful scales upon their hands, clawed feet and long fluffy tipped tails, some tail tips even bearing dyed colours made of red clay that matched their half red-clay tipped dreadlocks or braids.
Their eyes couldn’t help but follow the rising layers of buildings further upwards, until the crew spotted a massive fortress in the distance, the castle at its heart bearing massive billowing tapestries of crimson with a black dragon spreading its wings before a large, white seven-point star behind it, with smaller versions of it dotting along the fortress curtain walls that wrapped protectively around the city boarder on the far horizon. But it was all easily overshadowed by the towering stone statue before them, of a male Dragonkin looking heroically upwards with a spear in hand, also bearing the same royal symbol on another smaller version of the tapestry that fluttered in the breeze, the symbol of the kingdom’s forefather that stood watching over the city from its very heart… a Dragonkin forefather who appeared eerily similar to Asya.
“Wow… so that’s what Alunnui looked like. Damn… It’s like looking in the mirror and seeing your reflection, Asya. Weird though, isn’t it? That you only look more like him after you took that final transition potion I made, to fully alter you face and physique into a more feminine look,” Elbent leaned back to properly peer up at the overshadowing statue that towered over the entire city like a titan. “But by Primus, look at all these Dragonkin! And they’re all… Opal, right? The Opal species?”
“Opal is right, with Alunnui here being the first Ruby Dragonkin of his entire species, I believe. I wonder if he was actually Sun Blessed, which is why all others of Asya’s family selectively breed their next heirs to bear the same gene?” Kevin pondered.
“Maybe. We’ll never know. But just take it all in now, guys… These are all Asya’s people. And this is her culture… A thing no one else beyond the equator has ever seen in nearly four centuries. Amazing isn’t i-,”
“KOMA!!”
“AH!! What the- Oh… Uh oh… I think we might be in trouble, you guys.”
Marching over to the six of them, a spear wielding human Jokani in a red toga and gold half-plate armour glowered before the crew, his mere presence sending chills down every spine before him. The left side of his form was covered by a short red cape that reached below his knee, going around to his back that had the royal “wyvern on a seven-point star” emblem on it, all pinned to his breast plate strap by a gold and ruby dragon claw brooch, the four pieces of ruby forming the claw hinting at his higher status. Despite his face being hidden by a gold dragon-scale shaped layered helmet, with the visor bearing fang shaped vents leading down into a pointed dragon snout-like chin and a dark red fabric covering the back of his head like a short veil, the gang could still feel his glare through the almond eyes of the visor. With a low growl, he slammed his metal spear onto the stone path with a loud clang, drawing the crowd’s attention towards the tall Moran and the crew.
“Oh crap, I forgot Asya’s first rule… Those of pale skin are a rare sight in Joka Ardhi, and as such they’re considered dangerous upon first glance due to the Primus-ban. Just… stay calm, everyone.” Elbent whispered over her shoulder, as the Moran guard glared at her.
“Hamna haki ya kuingia katika nchi hii, wageni! Kwa nini uko hapa? Hm?! ZUNGUMZA!!” The Moran barked his orders at the baffled and frightened crew, as Elbent stammered anxiously for a possible response to his foreign, or rather native, language.
“Uh… Well, we uh… Um… K-Kevin, help me out here!! You’re the one more fluent in Jokani than the rest of us!,” Elbent hissed. “And where the hell is Asya?!”
“She’s still saying goodbye to the kids, give her a minute. It’ll be ok, Ellie … I got this,” Kevin stepped up as he held his arm out protectively in front of his equally short wife. “Let’s see… AHEM… Tuko hapa kama ra- Oh, no, uh… Oh! M-MA- uh… marafiki.”
“Rafiki, unasema? Hm… Ni nani?” The Moran inquired with a slower tone, standing taller with a tilt of his head.
“Ok, we’re doing good so far,” Kevin whispered to translate for the gang. “He’s just inquiring the usual “Why are you here?” shtick for a guard, so I told him that we’re here for a friend. I… couldn’t remember the word for wife. Heh… Uh, crap what’s the word for royal?”
“WHY DOES THAT MATTER?!” Hawk hissed.
“Ok, ok, I get it! Uh… I’ll try heir. Um… Yule mrithi wako... Uh… aliyepotea? Heh heh.” Kevin nervously shrugged in his struggle to form the right words.
Seeing his cluelessness, the Moran suddenly sighed with a shake of his head as he lowered his gaze into his palm, which slid down along his visor as he groaned.
“Ugh, by the gods… You outsiders are all the same! Seeking our lost prince just for the wealth on his head, over and over again. And despite my warnings over the years, each and every time you still come here. Well, let me once again assure you, as I have these last forty years… He. Is. DEAD!! Now begone with-”
“Waitwaitwait- Hold on!! HOLD ON!! Please!! Just wait, I… Y-you can… speak Common?” Kevin asked in shock.
“Hmph… Most of us in this city can, but only when we need to. This port is our biggest trading hub, after all. Now… I’ll ask again in your tongue, and you’d best not make me repeat myself…,”
The Moran suddenly kicked the bottom of his spear with his heel and spun the heavy metal pole over his arm skilfully, before he gripped it in both hands and pointed the tip downwards… right between Kevin’s eyes.
“Why are you here, outsider? And who are you friends with that makes you think you’re allowed to trespass into this kingdom?”
“Allow me, Kevin…,” Elbent gently pushed the sheepish redhead away from the spear to stand with a determined glare before the Moran, the spear now touching her forehead. “Forgive us, sir, we’re all a little rusty with our Jokani, and I think we got off on the wrong foot due to our lack of knowledge on Jokani law. Allow me to introduce myself, to hopefully clear the tension a little… My name is Elbent O’Murchadha-Mutheru, captain of the Immortal Sun, and we’re here on a mission to-”
“Wait a second… Did you say… M-Mutheru? As in… the late Queen Gasira Mutheru?”
Looking between each other, while Blue and Hawk shared a confused glance between them, Elbent answered the Moran, as he once again spun his spear within his hand before he held it upright at his side.
“Yes… she would be my mother-in-law, were she still alive today. But, I bear her name through her child… Who now goes by Asya instead. We are here on a mission sent to her by… Uh…. What’s the title she goes by, again? Mwonaji Kamaria?”
“The Kifalme Mjuzi? But she… Oh, I see, that sneaky old Seer… But who is this Asya you refer to? Is she this friend of yours who… Oh… Oh by the Evenstar, you couldn’t possibly mean Prince Andres? But he… Is he really still alive?” The Moran suddenly lifted his visor up to reveal his middle aged yet youthful face, bearing red painted stripes over his eyes that were holding back visible tears.
“Her name is Asya now, and… I think she can answer that for herself~” Elbent smirked as she stepped back to look behind her.
Following her gaze, the Moran and the crew looked back towards the ship far off in the distance, just in time to see a bright fireball leaping from the ship and soaring through the air, heading straight for them. Surprisingly, the crowd that had gathered to watch did not panic, but instead murmured in curiosity and awe as the orange flame neared the pier and suddenly swooped upwards to rise into the sky, vanishing into a puff of smoke and embers to reveal Asya as she flipped back down towards the pier and, with another puff of flame slowing her descent, she landed gracefully before the crew and the Moran, her arrival earning them a low murmur of caution and amazement from the crowd that watched. Paying them no mind, Asya approached the gang as she gave each person she passed a warm and thankful smile.
“You lot better not have gotten arrested already, cause I don’t even know if I have the… money… to bail you… By the Evenstar,” Asya froze as her eyes met the Moran’s, her once proud smile immediately falling as she stared in teary eyed shock, until she attempted to speak with a voice that came out warbled as tears immediately began to flow, not just from her but from the Moran as well. “No it… it couldn’t be … A-Azaan? Is that… is that really you?”
“Andy, I… I thought you were dead. I… I saw what those bastards did to those Dunefarers… But I saw your mother’s ship missing, so I could only hope when they… I honestly lost hope when the first decade passed. But here you are, after all these years… And going by Asya now, you said? Ah, I think I can see why… It means “reborn through grief”, right? Heh, fitting… Very fitting for what you went through.” The Moran wheezed out a weak laugh, as he took off his helmet to reveal his half-shaved head of long braids and his short full-faced beard, with grey roots in both the beard and the braids, as he quickly dried his tears before they could ruin his face paint.
Asya laughed through her sobs as she carefully brushed past the crew to pull the shorter middle-aged man into a tight hug, his helmet and spear falling onto the stone path with a clatter as the two softly cried in their embrace. It wasn’t until Brynjolf cleared his throat that the two finally pulled away, with Asya’s arm around the Moran’s shoulders as she turned to face her team.
“Darlings… This is my childhood friend, and… kinda my first boyfriend… Guys, this is Azaan Sayyid. He was there for me during the worst years of my life in the palace, when I was training for my coronation day and Azzie here trained in the palace as a Kifalme Moran or Royal Guard. Or… should I refer to you as Captain Sayyid now?~,” Asya laughed as she gently nuzzled her cheek against the shaven half of his head. “You finally earned your ruby claw, huh?”
“I did, just like I promised I would when we were children… But I hope you can forgive me for not being there when you left. I was in the capital then, but if I had known you were escaping that day, I would have left days before and helped fend off the Lord’s Hand while you escaped. I could, at long last, have become your Shadow, like those before me to the sun chosen heirs… Like I swore I’d become to protect you. But look at you now, my friend! Finally broke through that awkward phase, you late bloomer~ Ay? Heh heh~ You finally got the horns and the fire, huh?”
Asya laughed her tears away as she playfully pulled Azaan into a headlock to ruffle his hair. “And you finally started going grey, you old fart! How old are you now, Senior Captain?”
“Hey!! I’m only looking forty, thanks to the magic you let me absorb from you, over the years! Still well within my position as Captain of the Royal Guard, and candidate to becoming your Shadow, so I’m certainly nowhere near retirement age!” Azaan laughed, managing to shove Asya off.
“HA!! You should be in your sixties and feeling it, you granddad!” Asya chuckled as she suddenly tackled Azaan… only to suddenly yelp when he flipped her over like a tossed coin with surprising agility, hopping onto her back when she landed on her front to sit on her waist to keep her down.
“Damn… I think Asya might have a type~” Hawk whispered to Blue, the two snorting behind their hands to hide their laughter.
“So… Who am I to thank for bringing my old friend back home?” Azaan looked back up to the gang as Asya huffed in defeat under him, her tail wagging in annoyance… or possibly joy.
Elbent chuckled as she stepped forward and offered her hand to him, but the moment he took it, she pulled the Moran off and helped Asya back onto her paws once more, before the siren finally turned to face him and replied,
“Like I said, my name is Elbent. I’m Asya’s wife. And these are a few of my crewmates from the Immortal Sun, that ship you see just before the sea boarder, with some of my crew here being mine and Asya’s husbands, none of which might I add were born on Primus… This is Kevin, Brynjolf, and Verglaust, the husbands, and my son, Conduit. And these two are members of my ship’s crew, Starhawk and Blue Heron.”
“Not part of your polyamory, I presume?” Azaan teased, winking to Starhawk and Blue.
“Uh… N-No, sir. I’m married to someone else, with a son of my own, back on the ship. And Blue Heron here is tied to no one. We just work for Elbent.” Hawk explained, clearing his throat to hide his blush from the smirking Moran.
“I see… Well, on behalf of the Kifalme Morani, I welcome you as guests to our kingdom. Welcome to the Dragonlands, folks. Now, if you’ll follow me… You’ll need to blend in if you’re to truly return home, my Lady Asya~”
Travelling up along the city streets of central Wajiri, with Asya and Azaan taking the lead as they covered up their faces with their hoods, Elbent and Kevin followed close behind them as the others followed right after, with Conduit needing to use his lion-like tail to hold Hawk’s hand as he looked around in complete awe like a child starstruck by a new world, occasionally jumping up to tap the drapes tethered across the alleyways just to see if he could. As they slipped through one alleyway and cobblestone street after another for what felt like an hour, the Moran captain led the crew into what appeared to be a market square, its buildings and stalls all blissfully shaded from the desert sun under a giant archway right under the statue of Alunnui. However, as Azaan started explaining what the others could wear to help them blend in and adapt to Jokani culture, Elbent and Hawk suddenly froze when they spotted the more vibrantly dressed mix of human and Dragonkin noblewomen passing by and giggling at their whispered gossip, hidden by their shawls of silk draped over their heads as veils and along their arms and hands, their every step fluttering their layered dresses of golds and rainbow colours. Elbent suddenly squeaked as she quickly hid her face behind her hands, earning the mocking laughter from the noblewomen.
“Oh Primus, Asya!! Why didn’t you tell me your people wear such… r-revealing outfits?!” Elbent whispered in a hissed tone, running behind her Dragonkin wife to hide.
“That’s uh… Is this normal for your culture?” Hawk muttered as he too hid behind Verglaust to cover his sight as well.
Asya snorted as she giggled at the sight, seeing Conduit and Brynjolf averting their gazes as well, while Verglaust merely watched his family and friends with an arched brow in confusion, alongside an equally unphased Blue Heron, before Asya finally replied,
“Well, darling… What did you expect people to wear when it’s constantly hot? I am sorry for not mentioning it sooner, but… Well, what is there to be ashamed of? We all have the same body as women, so who cares if we show some of it off, right?”
“Fair point, Asya, but I am so glad I have a husband. ‘Cause man, Roddie would freak out if he saw thi- Oooohhh that’s a big one!”
Just as Hawk finally gathered the courage to peek out from behind Verglaust, he immediately squeaked and hid again as a human Jokani merchant passed by, carrying a large box on his shoulder in one beefy arm with ease, as Hawk noticed him only wearing pants and a headscarf loosely wrapped around his shoulders and face. Blushing at the brief sight Hawk managed to peek at, he only noticed Verglaust’s teasing smirk long after the shirtless merchant passed them by, causing Hawk to double-take his glance upwards in shock before he grumbled and shoved him away to hide his blush, as Verglaust and Azaan barked with laughter.
“Oh, you northerners never fail to amaze me~” Azaan chuckled as he ducked his helmeted head to enter the bead-curtained doorway of a shop next to them, the glittering incense smoke of jasmine and lavender wafting outside.
“Pfft, holy crap! Asya? Ellie! Heh heh, look at Kevin~” Blue pointed towards the short redheaded doctor, giggling beneath his hand.
To everyone’s surprise, the Unicronian watched in awe as many more noblewomen passed by, his eyes wide and his smile growing, before he finally turned to Asya and Elbent. “Ok, this is amazing! Ladies… Please tell me you’re wearing those.”
Elbent let out a loud audible gasp as Asya sputtered out a loud bark of laughter, before Elbent responded first while her wife bent over in a giggling fit as Heron, a grumbling and flustered Hawk, and a brightly blushing Conduit and Brynjolf entered the shop.
“KEVIN!!! I… How…. What?! PRIMUS, NO!!! I’d never be able to pull that look off! It’s FAR too revealing!! They… they literally have nothing covering their chests, Kevin!!”
“Oh come now! This culture clearly doesn’t have a strong view on women or how they should present themselves based on their bodies, like they do so conservatively in the north! I think you’d look beautiful with all those layers of colours showing off your physique~”
“Kevin, I swear to… Wait, it’s the colours that you like?”
“Oh yes, I think something mixed in with your usual shade of blue would look radiant on you, my dear… And that corset style to help draw the eye to your figure would just be divine!”
“Huh… I honestly thought you were thinking about their-”
“Oh yeah, that too~ It would be amazing seeing you relax a little with your-”
“NOPE!! NO!! NO THANK YOU!!” Elbent finally rushed into the shop, followed closely by a giggling Kevin and Asya.
Upon entering the shop, Elbent’s flustering was immediately forgotten and replaced with excitement and awe as she saw dozens of rows of wooden boxed shelves lining the walls from floor to ceiling, each box containing rolls of fabric and layers of folded cloth full of bright dazzling colours, each and every piece appearing either glittering, shimmering, soft or vibrant, while the front and left side of the shop presented its merchandise on full-bodied wooden mannequins posing in regal or reserved positions to show off their dresses, both with and without cleavage coverings of chiffon or silk, loose fitting suits for both men and women alike, harem pants and long tops of every type, alongside veiling shawls, headscarves, and many more outfits better suited for travelling through the desert, with one mannequin nearest to the door holding a silver tray up high on its flattened palm to allow the incense to burn and let its ash fall into the tray safely and undisturbed, its sweet, musky and floral aroma calming yet exotic.
“Wow… these are beautiful! I finally understand why you always dress so colourfully now, Asya!” Elbent assured, approaching a mannequin wearing a deep blue jumpsuit with golden vine and floral embroidered outlines along the sweetheart neckline, a corset outline on the belly, and more golden vines going down as straight lines along the sides of the legs.
“Colours are how we express the truest parts of ourselves, no matter our culture, yes?~” Came a croaky and heavily accented voice from behind the door at the back of the tailor shop.
A short and elderly Dragonkin with bright green scales stepped out of the doorway at the back of the shop, flicking her long and chunky black braid over her shoulder to show both sides of her head shaved just under her long, ash coloured horns that curved over her head like a mountain goat’s, as her braid formed a subtle mohawk between them. Her long, navy chiffon dress swayed around her reptilian digitigrade legs, her petite form framed by a light grey, sleeveless shawl vest that exposed her arms entirely to reveal the hint of thin pink scars on the back of her shoulders and biceps, alongside the colourful woven beaded armbands of triangular patterns between the gold metal rings around her biceps. Fixing the fabric measuring tape over her shoulders and the circular silver spectacles on her large nose, the older Dragonkin stepped towards the crew and the guard captain with a smile that flashed her fangs from her underbite that peeked slightly over her upper lip, only when she smiled and spoke.
“It’s oh so rare to have light folk in my shop, so please allow me to properly welcome you all….,” Bowing with a hand on her heart and her head lowered to reveal more of her horns, her green tail swayed with a rhythmic chiming of chunky gold bangles that rattled above the short fluffy tip of black fur at the end of her tail, her every wag echoing with a bell-like chime. “Shikamoo, my honoured guests, to “Mariamu’s Natural Touch”. I am… well… Mariamu, but you are welcome to call me Mari! So, how may I help you, hm? And is there anything I can do for you as well, dear Captain?”
“I’m here to help these folk better fit in with our kind, so if you have anything fit for wasteland travel, please help these fine folk be fitted with whatever they choose from your travel-gear selection. I will pay for all their expenses.” Azaan assured, placing his spear next to the door to let him hold his helmet at his hip.
“Oh? Will you all be journeying to Alunn’nchi? Many who hail from the north often head straight to the capital, so you lot are not the first. But, you did come at just the right time of the season for the safest journey there. The weather and the sun will be in your favour… Just do be mindful of the sandstorms,”
Mari toddled over to the mannequins nearest to her register desk, her every step making the chiming of her tail bangles sound even more melodic as she stopped right in front of the nearest mannequins and gestured to the first four, all of them having loose fitting or haram pants.
“These are the newest of my line, designed mostly for Dunefarers, or simply those who journey often through the crimson sands, so every piece on this side aims to help you be completely covered in the sun, but remain warm in the autumn nights to come. For you, my raven-haired friend… I think these will benefit you the most~”
Mari reached up to a shelf behind the mannequin she was presenting to give Hawk a pile of clothing, which included a dark mustard-yellow pair of baggy linen pants and a white loose-fitting shirt with a low scoop neckline, paired up with a black sash belt embroidered with tiny blue stars.
“Oh… Um… Heh, thank you.” Hawk awkwardly smiled, earning him a smirk from the old Dragonkin.
“Try them on, dear. There are fitting rooms down the hall, through that door.”
With a bashful nod, Hawk hurried away with his picked out attire, just as Mari presented Blue with his own picked out parcel of clothes; light grey haram pants, a sky blue sleeveless blouse with a low v-neckline, paired with a chiffon sea blue shawl with subtle gold feather patterns embroidered all over it, which could be worn as a headscarf or like a belt that could cover the entirety of a hip or thigh.
“Oooh, pretty! I love the feathers! Thank you!” Blue cheerfully gathered his gift and bowed graciously to Mari, before he vanished into the changing rooms with Hawk.
“Now… what shall I do with you three?” Mari turned to Verglaust, Brynjolf and Conduit, who were all somewhat struggling to fit inside the room due to their equally large heights and size.
“Oh uh… I-I’d rather not trouble you, miss,” Conduit stuttered nervously, hiding his arms a little with his crystal-covered gargoyle wings. “I know my size can be rather-”
“Nonsense, child! Clothes do not define a person’s form, they help to express it and the body’s beauty. Though, if I may… you have quite the unique body. Are the crystals… a part of you?” Mari lightly traced a claw over his wings, feeling the crystals that sprouted along the arms up to the thumbs of both wings, her gaze following down his back to the main source of his crystals.
“Y-Yes, miss Mari. I was cursed as a child with this form, and every time I use my powers, these crystals grow all over my body. They are handy though, since I am technically a gargoyle. And for some reason, if I have no crystals on me, I do what gargoyles do and turn to stone at the first light of day. But the moment I have enough covering my back and wings… I am free to move about during the day or night.”
“Your crystals act like moonstones, then. Amazing… I know a chieftain on your way to the capital who would love to document your curse. Perhaps she could cure you of it too, hm?,” Mari suggested, gently patting Conduit on the cheek. “We’d best fit you and your fathers in something formal yet practical, ay? Heh heh, dear Faizah would simply love to meet you~”
Chuckling mischievously, Mari snapped her fingers to form a spark of green fire, which was soon followed by the creaking of wood scraping along the wooden floor that echoed the shop. Bursting out from behind the door, three wooden mannequins floated their way to the middle of the shop as their flat disc bases dragged slightly under them, the veins and knots of their carved wooden frames glowing bright green with magic, which then pulsed with a low hum as they each stood to attention in front of the three gargantuan men.
"Whoa... Is that..."
"Opal fire... Green flames can summon and control flora of any kind. Including wood, it seems~" Asya chuckled from the wall she leaned against, as she answered Elbent's question before it could fully form.
"Now then... You're the biggest, so I shall need your measurements first." Mari pulled her tape off her shoulders as she stood before Verglaust and slid her pinched fingers over it to straighten the fabric tape out, covering it in green flames.
The moment she aligned the tape across Vern's shoulder width, the mannequin in front of him suddenly groaned with the creaking of wood as its glowing veins hummed louder and its torso began to grow bigger and wider. Pulling the tape down to his hip, the mannequin grew taller until its head was at Verglaust's eye level. With each limb she measured, the mannequin altered its appearance to match the required size, with its pole even splitting apart to form legs, until a perfect replica of Verglaust's entire body stood before him, leaving the man gawking in silent awe.
"Wow... When I said I could climb you like a tree, I never thought it could become literal~" Kevin chuckled, earning him a snorted laugh from Asya as Elbent immediately smacked the redhead upside the head.
"Fire is not just a burning force of destruction, my cheeky friend~," Mari winked as she began to measure Conduit beside him. "Fire is unbridled life, magic's most wild physical form that is born within my kind. For a wielder of the Flora Flames such as myself, it can hold the spirit of nature herself, and with it... She can form the physical presence I need to build my visions and projects onto."
"So... Wait, can any other colour of Opal Dragonkin have any fire type, and not just the flames that match their scale colour?" Conduit asked, as the tailor began to measure his arms.
"Oh, but of course! It would be pretty boring if we all had fire the same colour as our scales, now wouldn't it?," Mari chuckled, as the mannequin in front of him shifted and groaned as it grew to his size. "No, the type of fire we are born with is based entirely on the parents, mainly the Dragonkin ones. Luckily, both of mine were just that. My Baba was light brown and had green flames that could summon vines of flowers, but desert roses were his usual type, making him a perfect garden architect and city flora gardener. My Mama was white and could use her yellow flames, or normally her bare fists, to lift entire house sized blocks of sandstone or control the very sand itself. I'd still like to believe that she might have been Sun Blessed, but she never did show any signs of it. But then again... She was the royal architectural builder of Lord Alhaadhi. So who could dare question her strength when she regularly fixed the walls of the royal palace itself, and could move an entire house and the ground beneath it on one shoulder~"
"Oh yeah, I remember her! Zira was her name! By the stars, she was nearly as large as you, my friend!" Azaan chuckled as he patted Brynjolf's arm.
Chuckling at the blush blooming on Brynjolf's face, Mari guided her tape along Conduit's wings, causing the mannequin to suddenly sprout branches on its back that took the form of bony wings without the webbed skin between the fingers, as rings of buttercups bloomed exactly where Mari measured the girth of the very base of Conduit's wings on his back and tiny angular branches formed where the crystals were along the arms. After measuring his digitigrade legs and tail, Mari flicked her tape to extinguish the flames on it and waved her hand towards the wall, commanding the mannequins to stand in a row against it. 
"Now then... Tell me what you'd all like to wear~"
As Mari guided the three giants to her desk to begin crafting their tailored outfits with some help of her now more mobile newly formed mannequins, Azaan approached Elbent as she viewed a regular mannequin wearing blue haram pants and a sky blue and gold sleeveless, v-neck long top, with the hem going down into a drape that covered the lap of the pants and ended in an arrow-shaped point.
"So.... Is And- Uh... Is Asya usually this quiet?" Azaan whispered to the siren, as he peered at the orange Dragonkin from the corner of his eye, watching her admire a glimmering red gown.
"Only when she has a lot on her mind."  Elbent answered bluntly, feeling the fringes of the drape and the gold floral themed embroidery between her fingers.
"Mm, as I suspected.... She's here to face her father, isn't she?" He inquired in a hushed tone.
"She is, yeah. The Royal Sage you mentioned, Elder Seer Kamaria, I think Asya called her… She asked for her help. She sent her a letter a month ago, telling her only two lines....... "Come home. Our people will follow in your shadow." I can easily tell she's dreading the day. But tell me, honestly, Azaan... What is her father like? Who is he, really, and why does Asya fear him so much? What did he do to her?"
Looking around cautiously, the Moran captain leaned against the wall beside Elbent as he began his tale.
"His name is Jhamal, and he is the middleborn of the three sons of Alhaadhi, Asya's grandfather and the last Dragon Lord of the previous era. Jhamal is.... He's always been jealous of his brothers, from what I can remember growing up in the court alongside Asya. With his oldest brother, Amani, being the heir apparent and a Sun Blessed child of orange scales, while their younger brother, Bomani, grew to become a gifted Healing White Flame wielder and a General of both branches of the Morani, Jhamal felt more like an afterthought than a prince."
"Wait... Asya's older uncle had orange scales? Like hers?" Elbent asked in a hushed tone.
"He did, and you’re welcome to see for yourself. There's a portrait of him on the royal family tree mural in the palace, where every member born of Alunnui’s blood is preserved in imagery and shown who became the heir apparent, and a preserved wall painting is here in Wajiri, near Fort Imamu, of when the three sons were younger and newly crowned princes. But from what I can remember of his coronation portrait….
"Lord Amani was the tallest of the three brothers and had scales the colour of carnelian, and it was said he could bring just as much joy to others as the gem's spiritual property could, and his mastery over his birthright flames was claimed to rival the Burning Prince’s level of power. He was a gifted warrior that could end village rivalries with nothing but his word alone,"
Smiling warmly in nostalgia, Azaan's gaze briefly fell onto Asya, who was admiring Conduit's outfit while teasing Starhawk about how "handsome and shapely" he looked, purely to make him blush.
"He was.... The perfect Dragon Lord. A kind and patient man, or so a great many claimed... But he and his General we're both slaughtered while out on a hunt, leaving only Jhamal as the surviving offspring of the late Lord Alhaadhi to inherit the throne."
"I see.... I think I can understand why he might have targeted Asya, then."
"No, dear Elbent. It wasn't her inherited colour and Sun Blessed power that made Jhamal despise his only heir.... The current Dragon Lord has only ever demanded sons from his late queen, not just as his heir but as his entire brood. A son to carry his bloodline and many more to inherit his views and workload, alongside his belief that... That women should be trained to become docile wives who are seen and never heard or given anything a man should always gain freely. And in light of our dear Queen Gasira's open mind towards the dreams of her child gaining the identity she deserves to have in her own homeland, I.... I rarely saw my old friend coming out of the throne room without bruises. Both on her and her own mother."
"All that.... And Gasira's neglectful death by a mere fever.... All that was just because he didn't want Asya being her true self, despite it clearly not affecting her ability in becoming a good and wise leader? That's absolutely ridiculous!!"
Azaan quickly hushed her before anyone could hear, as he led the siren outside the shop to ensure the murmur of the crowd amongst the market drowned out their voices.
"Elbent, you must remember, this man has since embraced his title of "Jhamal the Tyrant", long before the death of Asya’s mother. He knows we called him that the moment he formed the Lord’s Hand, but it has never bothered him, as he continues his public executions and conquering villages on the islands surrounding this kingdom just to make them remain loyal to the crown. The damn bast- I-I mean our Lord… He has since increased the number of men in his personal guild.
"It's now gotten to the point that neither me nor the entire Morani can truly do our job without being sent away by the Hand, due to their so-called higher status… When in fact I am the highest ranked Moran in all the kingdom, and I made sure it happened to allow me to protect this kingdom in Asya’s place. So now, we must be careful how we speak when we are in public... The Lord's Hand have eyes and ears everywhere."
"So how the hell are we supposed to free the people if we risk hurting them by the Hand's wrath? She already did the “Hair Sacrifice” thingy!!" Elbent hissed angrily.
"We just have to..... Wait, what did you say? Do you mean she… she performed the ‘Dhabihu Demand’? That.... Oh that is perfect!," Azaan suddenly laughed, earning him a few fleeting stares from the passing crowd. "I knew our long nights of studying law together would come in handy! "
"What's going on, you guys? Is everything alright?" Hawk suddenly peeked his head around the door's beaded curtain towards Azaan and Elbent.
"Oh it's more than ok, my friend! Your… Huh. Nice outfit. Uh, sorry- I now know what we must do!," Azaan excitedly rushed back inside the shop, finding everyone now wearing their new clothes. “Asya, your wife just told me what you did, and I know how we can make your plan work!"
"You... do?" Asya's hidden face under her new red, sleeveless hooded cloak turned to her wife and her old friend, fixing the string that held it together into a bow above her orange, silk toga top that hung from one shoulder to only cover her chest, while her tail’s slow swaying caused her chiffon, ash grey haram pants to ruffle slightly, revealing that they only reached to her hocks or ankles on her scaley feline legs.
"I must first see if my theory is correct, for if it is.... We may be able to do exactly what you have planned by performing that rite. Mari, my dear.... May I ask you something?"
"Anything, dearie." The tailor cut the thread of her needle with a claw as she finished the last stitch on Vernglaust's shawl vest, handing it to him before she approached the Moran captain with a kind smile.
"Do you know who this is?" Azaan gestured to Asya, who immediately froze up and wrapped her tail anxiously around her haram pants leg.
"Azzie... Az, what the hell are you doing?!" She hissed under her breath at him, as Mari tilted her head in confusion, a look that was shared with Hawk beside her.
"Trust me, Asya... You're safe here. I know she'll side with us," Azaan whispered, before he spoke up once more. "How would you feel, then... If I told you that the lost prince was here in Wajiri?"
Mari's long ears rose up slightly in surprise as she looked to Azaan and Asya, before she replied with a cautious and serious tone, "Then I'd tell you that he would be a fool to come back here without an army. And he’d be an even bigger one for thinking he would be safe by him… self…,”
Her words slowed slightly as she noticed Asya’s claw tightening its grip on her arm as she crossed them, her tail tip now visibly hitting her leg repeatedly in an attempt to stop the entire limb from moving in a now obvious show of discomfort. Her tone rose into her usual friendlier pitch as she looked back up at Azaan.
“… However, it would certainly be a relief to see him all grown up and doing well, after all these years. I mean, by the stars, I still remember that dreadful night! I was there when the Hand and those brave Dunefarers fought along the pier, as the prince made his escape on that boat his mother arrived in, all those many years ago. I can still remember the awful smell from the bonfire as they burned the bodies, and of the corpse of their leader they left on display. He’s still there, you know? Nothing more than a skeleton now… Ugh, it’s simply barbaric!”
"Mari... Do you remember the prince? Or what he looked like, perhaps?"
"Why, of course I do, captain!! He practically grew up attending every Council meeting, after all! Last I remember, the poor child looked like skin and bone, surely from all the years he was forced to spent in the wastelands for his exile! But despite the cruelty of the sands affecting his health… He looked every bit as radiant as his mother. And he was the only one that could make those icy eyes of his father’s look so kind and warm, clearly something he inherited from the good Lord Amani. May the Celestial Maiden protect his soul.... Oh!! And I remember how his flames made his scales look just like Amani’s too! In the same shade of Sun Blessed... carnelian?,"
Mari looked down at Asya's paws and orange scaled legs, before her astonished gaze rose up to meet Asya's eye level as Azaan suddenly pulled her hood down to reveal her face, much to Asya’s disapproval shown only by her ear twitch and low cat-like growl as she refused to meet Mari’s gaze. The tiny old Dragonkin tailor let out a sudden gasp as she staggered back.
"By the stars, it couldn't be... Lord Alunnui? No, no, he... Oh! Oh my... Prince Andres?"
"It's... Asya now." Sheepishly looking away, Asya's gaze was finally brought back down when Mari took her orange claw into her own green pair and pressed her orange-scaled knuckles against her spectacles in a gentle bow.
"Oh thank the Evenstar you're alive, child! I feared the worst when... Oh it doesn't matter now, you're here! And you... Well, I honestly should have expected such a radiant change from you, when you wore that dress I made for your mother at the Council ball. And I must say... It's good to see another woman of royal blood again,"
Chuckling to herself, Mari stood back up and gently cupped Asya's cheek to wipe her tears with her thumb. "And I... I recognize that cutting style along your hair... The Dhabihu… You've come to free us, haven't you?"
"I have... Do you think our people will-"
"Oh hush! Of course we will, my Lady! You've been gone long enough for your father's tyranny to finally reach our wit's end! My daughter, the new Chieftain of Wajiri, will gladly help you in your endeavour! I told her, time and time again, that the prince-”
“I’m… a-a woman, actually.”
“Oh, my deepest apologies, dear! The princess will return one day, and we had best be prepared for the rising chaos to come, when that... Well, that bloody, good for nothing, heartless brat… is finally dethroned!!"
The room soon lost all tension when everyone started to chuckle at Mari's choice of words, but just as soon as it settled when Mari hugged Asya around the waist, the tension came again in the form of fright when a bell began to toll the hour and echo across the city.
"Oh, is it that hour already?," Mari looked outside to see where the sun was, as the sky began to turn pink and red. "The Hand will begin their rounds soon, so you all had best pick your clothes now and head through that door! I take it you don't have a place to stay for the night?"
Elbent hesitated as she pawed at the mannequin she was looking at earlier, before Mari suddenly chimed in again. "Hm! Thought so. Go on now! Pick something! It's on me, so don't worry about paying for any of it, Azaan. You all deserve something nice to help you blend in.”
“Oh, right, sorry! Thank you, Mari, for trusting us. And for helping us.” Elbent smiled warmly as she began to strip the mannequin.
“I’m doing this for more than just your good natured company, my dear. I was chieftain when Asya here was still without her horns or her tail’s full growth. I knew her mother when she still had her Embolet name, a little toddler so eager to wear the dresses I made for my daughter. No, rather… I’m doing this for Gasira, and not just the queen she was… but for the explorer that arrived here so long ago, eager to learn and truly study our culture, and the woman I called a friend,” Mari smiled with a heavy heart , but quickly shook it off as the final toll echoed outside. "Now, we should really get out of here before the Hand spots us in their rounds!!"
Quickly grabbing their things and heading into the back of the shop, Mari locked the door behind her before she grabbed a lantern nearby, lit the candle within it using a match, and once everyone finally had their new clothes on, she began to lead them through another door at the very end of the changing rooms and onto a street.
"Now, keep your heads down… Asya, your hood up, please. And remember, everyone… Whisper only and follow me. And whatever you do, don't look at any men in black hoods or capes with a red handprint. Those are the Lord’s Hand, and no one survives their capture, should they deem you light folk as a threat.“ Mari instructed, leading them by candlelight down the street and towards the east side of the city.
“Mari… How long has it been like this? Needing to sneak around, fearing the guild… How many have died because of them?” Asya asked in a whispered tone, pulling her cloak tighter around her body and over her horns.
“In the last twenty years since they truly began to run rampant… Thousand, by now. Mostly in the smaller villages amongst the more rural areas of this side of the country.”
"And... How do you get by in such circumstances? How are you even able to be so happy and kind in all this?"
Mari smiled as she gently held Asya's claw behind her. "Because, my dear.... There will always be a source of light to every shadow."
The old Dragonkin winked at Asya from over her shoulder as she turned towards a wider street that opened into a wide hilled area full of cottages and houses amongst sectioned short walls of chunks of sandstone, their shape weathered yet held together by their ornate ways they locked together to form the walls. As they neared the edge of the outskirts and began to enter the grassland outside the city walls, a chilling laugh suddenly pierced through the silence of the dusk to come, as more joined in from a nearby house… followed by a child’s scream for help. The fur on Asya’s and Mari’s tails immediately rose like electricity coursing through their veins, the moment they rushed into an alleyway to hide, just in time to see a group of black cladded cloaked men kicking a young human woman out of the house and onto the sandy road, her stumble from the literal kick sending her rolling over onto her side and caking her in sand and dirt.
As the laughter filled the night air once more, now revealed to be from the black hooded men, the last of the small group emerged from the house, revealing one of them to be holding a Dragonkin child of pink scales by the arm, who wriggled and clawed aimlessly at the arm of her captor.
“MOMMY!!” She cried out towards the fallen human, who struggled to sit up as she coughed and clutched at her side.
The closest hooded figure approached the human, with his back now turned towards Mari and the crew to reveal a large red handprint on his cape, before he picked up the Jokani human by her hair and held her up to grip her throat to silence her scream. As he growled in Jokani to her, Asya whispered to translate his threat for the crew.
“Kulipa sasa, mbwa... au kusema kwaheri kwa binti yako~”
“He… He’s threatening the daughter if the mother there doesn’t pay him. Is this… a loan shark threat? Seriously?! The Lord’s Hand are mere fucking mobsters? This is ridiculous! We have to help them!”
“Don’t, my Lady! If you threaten one of them, you’ll send them all after you,” Mari whispered, gripping Asya’s arm to stop her from running towards the Lord’s Hand. “They flock together like cattle, and if you are caught, they will easily outnumber and overwhelm you and imprison you in the Fortress. If you go there… there is no escape. Man, woman, child… They all go to Imamu, the moment a rule is broken or a deadline reaches its due day. There. Is no. ESCAPE… Trust me, my dear, I tried fighting them from the inside… There is no way to breach their ranks or to sneak into the Fortress and come out of it alive. Your father’s loyalists are too tightly knit for spies… The Fortress is unbreakable for even the strongest of mages. I’m sorry… We cannot help them.”
"I'm sure we can think of something, right Mama?," Conduit looked to his mother with a reassuring smile, which quickly vanished when he saw the seething look in her eyes. "Uh.... Mama?"
“… Nothing is unbreakable, Mari. Not even courage or toxic loyalty can withstand everything. And I refuse to let another suffer because of him!!” Asya snarled, gripping the edge of the wall as she slowly sank down onto all fours, her body now more animalistic in position as she began to prowl towards the woman and the lone Hand assassin.
“Asya! ASYA, GET BACK HERE!!” Verglaust hissed, quickly hiding when one of the Hand from the group holding the child looked over their way.
“Mkuu!! Nyuma yako!” He called out, making the nearest assassin turn, the woman still in his grip, just in time to see Asya suddenly charging with her horns out and rammed into the man’s chest.
The Hand and his captive woman fell onto the road, as Asya flipped and landed on her paws to bear her fangs at him, her tail flicking wildly behind her and making her cloak come off and flutter over onto the stone wall to reveal Asya’s full form. The Hand group leader groaned as he slowly got up, allowing the woman a chance to scramble towards the wall next to Asya’s cloak, before the fallen leader looked up and froze at the sight of Asya.
“Nini… Mtoto wa Jua?,” He tilted his head in confusion, before he staggered back when Asya’s horns began to glow with magic surging and ready within her veins, her aquamarine eyes glimmering as she growled again. “Miungu yangu... Mfalme!!”
“Mfalme? Je, ni kweli mfalme?!” The rest of the Lord’s Hand group began to repeat the same word over and over in question and disbelief, as Mari slinked back even more in fear.
“Oh no… They recognize her. They know she’s the prince. We… What should we do?” Mari turned to Elbent and Azaan worryingly.
“We let her handle it… Until more come. We’ll save them, you have my word. No one will be going to the Fortress tonight, Mari. Not on my watch,” Elbent assured, just as the Hand all crowded together to surround Asya, completely forgetting about the child and the woman as they both ran into each other’s arms and hid behind the wall surrounding the house to watch in fear. “Ok, there’s our chance! Blue, Hawk, help the mother and child and bring them here! Ryoma, Azaan, be on the look out at the end of the road there for more of the guild! Let me know the moment you see reinforcements! Conduit, stay here with me and get ready to protect the woman and her child!”
Nodding to their orders, the group split up as the five members of the Hand began their attack on Asya, charging at her in pairs as some took out their scimitars while others only used their claws or fists. Stepping aside to dodge the first wide swooping attack from a scimitar slicing through the air, Asya used the momentum of her backstep to swing a right hook into the gut of the curved-sword wielding assassin, knocking the wind out of him immediately as he was sent flying above the group and landed a good few feet away on the road, bouncing upon impact before rolling to a stop on his front, his lost scimitar clattering nearby. With a spin on her paw and a loud whip that rang through the air, she swung her tail at another Hand and sent him flying into three more, knocking them down like bowling pins as they tumbled and crashed into the wall near the mother and child, two crashing against it while one broke through it, falling unconscious next to the screaming child within her mother’s arms. Managing to dodge the flying trio, Hawk skidded to a halt beside the mother as Blue grabbed the fallen scimitar and stood protectively in front of them.
“Miss, come with us! We’ll protect you. Follow us over there, where it’s safe!” Hawk called over the battle cry of one of the Hand, who Blue ducked for as Asya sent him flying over their heads with a kick and could only watch as the man skidded across the road and into the grass.
Following to where he pointed towards Elbent and Mari in the alleyway across the road, the mother held her Dragonkin child close and nodded in understanding, before Hawk held her shoulder as he guided her around the wall and with Blue acting as their shield, he led them towards Elbent and Conduit, who used his wings to cover them all.
“Thank you, Hawk. It’s going to be ok, miss. Wewe ni salama. You’re safe with us.” Elbent assured, using what little Jokani she learned from Asya and Kevin to comfort the two, as Brynjolf and Kevin led them away to a safer distance while Conduit stayed beside his adoptive mother to shield her with his body and wings.
Just as Elbent turned around to look back over Conduit's shoulder at Asya, she found two of the five Lord’s Hand bleeding on the ground, their throats and chest sliced open and gushing crimson that drowned them where they lay. The three remaining assassins, now battered and bruised with ripped cloaks, circled Asya as she hissed like a cat at them. Upon seeing Elbent giving her a stern nod, Asya smirked as she rose onto her paws once more, the rings of her horns starting to glow brilliantly like embers above a bonfire.
“If any of you survive… Tell my father that his daughter is coming home. And his people will rise against him before I’m anywhere near the palace doors.” Asya snarled, as her chest up to her throat began to glow bright orange with heat.
Her growl rippled through the air in an increasing and ear ringing volume, as she sucked in more and more air and made the fire within her throat glow brighter the more air she took in. Well prepared with their scimitar and cloaks wrapped around them to protect their bodies from the heat, Asya suddenly swallowed and chuckled as she used her tail to toss a lost scimitar into the air in front of her…
And with a yell and a thrust of her palm forward, orange and red flames shot out from her hand and sent the sword zipping towards two of the remaining Lord’s Hand, the wave of fire pushing the sword forward as it spun rapidly in the air and straight through the neck of one of the remaining Lord's Hand, the flames engulfing them both as they vanished in the cloud of fire while the third managed to jump out of the way but landed roughly in a crumpled heap against the wall of the house. A sudden yell broke through the roar of the flames, as a surviving Hand ran out and tossed his burning cape aside to charge with his scimitar raised, his companion revealing with the cloud now gone to be headless and burned to a crisp on the floor, spurting blood that now covered the entire right side of the charging Hand.
Swinging madly at her, Asya dodged with a low duck to stand behind him, her hand raised once more with glowing orange veins along her entire arm as she blasted a thin stream of yellow fire straight into the Hand’s back. His scream echoed only for a split second, for the moment he turned to swing blindly behind him and face the Dragonkin, his yell was abruptly cut off as Asya gripped his sword wielding arm and bit his throat, his abruptly cut-off scream now becoming a drowning gargle as blood began to pool in his mouth and trickle over his lip.
“ASILI, NO!!!!” The last Hand screamed as he finally clambered up the wall back onto his feet, before he too charged with a yell.
Ripping Asili’s throat out and spitting the flesh out of her mouth, she dropped the dying Hand onto the road as the light faded from his eyes, watching in his final moments as the last member of his group ran towards Asya and managed to punch her in the gut when she went to dodge, but the moment he swung for her arm, she caught the scimitar on the scaled side of her arm, revealing its armour-worthy strength and her hungry glare as she easily but shakily pushed the sword away from her and charged her fire into her throat once more. Screaming with pure terror in his eyes, the last man of the Lord's Hand tried to flee, but he was soon grabbed around the jaw by Asya’s other hand and was forced to look at her square in the aquamarine eyes as red flames flickered within her mouth.
“No, no, please no!! Rehema!! REHEMA!! MERCY!!!” The Hand pleaded, tears trickling down his cheeks that immediately boiled and burned his cheeks from the heat coming off of Asya’s breath as she finally released her flames.
It shot down into his pried open mouth in the form of a bright red glowing stream, cutting off his blood-curdling scream before it could even begin as his body glowed red from the heat inside him, cooking him from the inside out as his already dark skin turned at first dark pink, then black and gravely as it began to burn and turn crisp. His limbs flailed in silent agony before they fell limp and turned crispy black with the rest of him, his clothes soon catching fire and falling apart to reveal nothing but charred, distorted flesh. The moment Asya stopped to catch her breath, a loud wet pop came from the man’s now bubbling and crackling cooked body, and as Asya dropped his charred corpse onto the road, Elbent and the others watched in horror as his eyes popped out to make way for the fiery blaze that emerged from his now hollow sockets, just as Verglaust and Azaan ran back up to report to Elbent.
“Oh my god…” was all Azaan could say, before Hawk turned away from everyone to vomit into a large bush.
Turning to face everyone, panting breathlessly and bleeding from a good few cuts along her arms and on her cheek, Asya scanned over the gang and the rescued woman and child, before she approached them slowly and knelt down to the woman and child in Conduit's protective hold.
“You two ok? Je wewe vizuri?” She asked them softly, wiping the blood of her own kind off her mouth.
The woman slowly nodded, still in a daze as the child hid her face and clung tightly to her mother’s shawl. “Ndiyo... Sisi wote ni sawa. A-Asante, Utukufu wako… Kwa kutuokoa.”
“No need to thank me. They deserved what came to them,” Asya assured with a warm smile as she stood back up, allowing the woman to fully take in her appearance. “Can you stand? Unahitaji msaada?”
“H-Hapana. Nadhani naweza kusimama.” The woman shook her head with reassurance as she slowly stood up while cradling her child close to her chest, with Asya, Azaan and Brynjolf all helping her anyways as they led her back to her house, blocking her view of the dead bodies while Azaan helped carry the child and used his cape to hide her from seeing the bodies they passed by.
“By Alunnui's grace… She truly is a Child of the Sun. Oh gods… How am I going to clean all this up without anyone noticing all this blood?” Mari began to fidget with her tail in both hands nervously as she gazed in gut wrenching horror at all the bodies across the road.
“We’ll sort this out for you, Mari. Sand is, after all, an excellent absorbent material,” Blue assured, making his way onto the road to start picking up and dragging the bodies towards the grassy field, kicking sand onto the blood to hide it. “Hawk, Conduit, can you two lend me a hand?”
“I… Heugh… Ugh…. In just a sec, Blue.” Hawk groaned with his face still in the shrub behind the crew.
“I got it. You just stay with Conduit there and… get some water, buddy. I’ll tell you when the eyeballs are gone.” Kevin assured, as he and Verglaust began to help Blue with the mass disposal, picking up the eyeballs off the road to toss them to the nearby vultures and dogs that had gathered during the fight to feast upon the dead.
“We’d best hurry home, dearies. I know these five will be reported missing soon, and we’d best get away while the scene of the crime is still fresh,” Mari warned, pointing to the top of the hill in the distance. “Travel along the edge of the grass to hide your footprints. I’ll tag behind you and hide our tracks on the road.”
“Leave mess to me,” The woman suddenly announced in broken Common, emerging from her house alongside Asya and Brynjolf as the woman handed Asya her cloak back. “You saved me… saved us… from Fortress fate. Allow me to help. Please, friends.”
“Thank you, ma’am. It would really help if you could cover our tracks here, while we hide our prints the rest of the way,” Elbent assured, spying the meek pink Dragonkin girl hiding at the doorframe in the house as she held Azaan’s hand. “And perhaps it would be best if you found somewhere to hide out for a while. Somewhere safe and far from here. Do you have a friend? Family? Somewhere to go?”
“I do… Sister in Ma’Mwezi Temple. Sacred to women. No men may enter, and big no to Hand’s presence. Mzuzi and I safe there.” The woman assured.
“Good idea. Pack your things as soon as possible and leave before the next hour. I’m sure some of the Morani under Azaan’s command can be your escort.”
“Gladly. I’ll help you pack and escort you to the gates myself, miss. As for the rest of you, I’ll meet you all here tomorrow morning to discuss my idea for how we can begin your uprising, Asya. Stay safe… and if you need help, go to the statue and light the drape. I’ll find you.” Azaan assured, briefly kissing Asya on the cheek before he headed inside with the pink Dragonkin.
Elbent giggled at Asya’s blush and the sudden surge of blood trickling down her cheek from her cut, as the orange Dragonkin approached the crew on the now clean road. “Fire lily? Do you need me to patch your wounds?”
“No, I’m ok. I just… Huh… I thought he’d fear or be repulsed by me after that.” Asya confessed, touching where Azaan’s kiss was.
“How could anyone be repulsed by you, when you literally went feral to protect that woman and her daughter? That’s just you already acting like a true queen you’re destined to be~,” Elbent assured, kissing Asya on the other cheek. “Now come on, let’s go and get you patched up somewhere safe. Ry’, honey? Can you carry Hawk, please? I don’t think he’s ok after witnessing that final strike.”
“No, no! I’m fine! I’m fi-AAH!!,” Hawk blurted out quickly, only to be suddenly lifted by Verglaust over his shoulder. “HEY, COME ON, YOU DUMB GREEN GIANT!! I SAID I’M- Uuuuggghhhh, who am I kidding? I’m tired, anyways.”
“That’s the spirit, bird-brain~,” Asya teased, playfully patting Hawk on the rear as Verglaust past her by to journey up the hill, giggling as she spotted Hawk flipping her off with both “birds” while blowing a raspberry at her. “Pfft, oh grow up!”
“Says the one who touched my ass!” Hawk called back.
“Says the former mighty thunderbird, who threw up at the sight of eyeballs~” Asya stuck her forked tongue out at him with a smirk.
“I… SCREW YOU!!” Hawk flipped her off again, ending their banter with Asya laughing as she and the others followed Mari up the hill to her house, the woman watching with a chuckle as she began to sweep their footprints away with a large palm branch.
~*~
As the night brought its comforting chill across the crimson sands, from deep within the palace in the heart of Oasis, a loyal fleetfooted Lord’s Hand knelt with his head low before the wall of ruby shards. Upon the crystal carved throne attached to it sat its blood hue-cladded sovereign, a crown formed by snarling dragons of gold clutching rubies sat upon his furrowed brow, his glare icy cold from deep within the scorching heat of his mere presence. His black scaled claw tapped impatiently upon the arm of his crystal throne, his other claw fidgeting with the golden lunula of square sunstones and rubies over his half bare chest, before his voice finally broke through the heavy silence with a spine-chilling growl.
“Speak, worm. What news have you brought for me this time?”
“A ship has been sighted on the boarder, near Usiku Island, your Highness,” The assassin reported, his gaze finally meeting the Dragon Lord’s. “It is not of Primus make, nor does it bear any kingdom’s colours, but my spies report that a boat came from it and docked at Wajiri. My Lord, there has also been word spreading since the boat’s arrival that… a-an orange Dragonkin was seen around central Wajiri. A female reincarnation of the Burning Prince, they call her. She is travelling with a large group of light folk and one of foreign equator-based descent. What shall we do with them, my Lord?”
“Orange, you say?,” A pearly fanged grin spread across his scarred face, all three claw scratches forming said scars rising with his smile as he chuckled. “Interesting… So, my worthless runt has finally dared to return home. He will most likely send his sacrifice our way, to demand my dethronement. Whether it’s only his or the people’s, it matters not. I’ll finally be rid of him all the same.”
“Uh… m-my Lord. The orange one is a female, actua-”
“WHATEVERFORM HE TAKES, YOU MINDLESS FOOL…,” The Dragon Lord roared at the top of his voice to silence his servant, the flames within the mouths of the pillar marble dragons flashing red and filling the throne room with red light and sweltering heat, before he sat back into his throne with a sigh that dimmed the lights back to a warm yellow. “… He is still the runt that escaped his overdue punishment.”
“F-Forgive my slip of the tongue, my Lord. Shall I fetch h… the orange one, then?” The loyalist stammered.
“… No. He will come home, one way or another. And when he does arrive at my door with his fruitless demands… I shall be waiting, my claws ready to rip his throat out, to finally put an end to this migraine,” Rising to his black scaled, bejewel golden band-covered paws, the Dragon Lord spoke with a voice that echoed throughout the palace. “Let it be known, by my decree, that no harm shall come to the exiled one or his followers!! For should he perform the Sacrificial Demand and challenge me, only I shall answer it, as the old ways demand of us! Until he comes here to Oasis, no one is to challenge him!! Am I understood?”
“Yes, my Lord.” The faithful follower bowed his head once more.
“Then get out of my sight, worm, and keep a close eye on the runt and his pack. Notify me the moment he nears the outskirts of Koyar.”
With a lazy wave of his hand, the now standing Lord dismissed his followers from the hall, watching those who stood guard by the dragon pillars following him through the door and leaving the Lord alone at last. Gazing up at the mosaic windows high above the wall to his left, at the story of the kingdom’s founding within them, he looked towards the first pane depicting a spear wielding human stabbing a red serpent dragon bound in gold chains, a halo of gold and ruby shards around his head.
“For now… I am curious to see who you brought with you, son. It is so rare that we have visitors, after all~” Jhamal chuckled, as he made his way down the hall and out of the throne room.
Climbing up multiple flights of stairs and up a final spiral staircase of stone, he soon reached the astronomy tower, being greeted upon opening the grand doors bearing the seven-point Evenstar by a strong gust of cold wind. The draping sleeves of his robe fluttered behind him as he stepped towards the railing, peering out towards the north. Touching the large sunstone centrepiece of his lunula, he drew a deep breath as red flames covered his entire body, before the flames became red smoke and it rose with the wind to fly over the capital, past the towering city gates of stone and guardian statue dragons atop of them, and soon gained rapid speed over the wasteland of crimson sand, flying faster and faster under the guise of night as the smoke soon reached the shore and continued onwards over the sea… towards the Immortal Sun.
To be continued…
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About (under the cut)
Here’s some info about the blog and the person who runs it:
Blog:
This is a side blog I made for me to post about Pizza Tower, Sugary Spire, Antonblast, and other related topics. 
I’m mostly just here to hang out and have fun talking about my latest obsession.
I am somewhat aware of some of the things regarding McPig. Just to make it clear, I don’t support him or any of the things he has said/done. I also am aware of the presence of problematic enemies in the game. Again, I don’t support any of that and I hate that an otherwise good game has such enemy designs in it. Also, please don’t bring up those topics here, thank you. I am choosing to continue to enjoy the game while also being critical of the game and its creators.
This blog is safe for LGBTQ+ members.
I currently tags a few different tws. you can find these below. I also tag for flashing and eyestrain. If I forget to tag a post that should have one of these tags please let me know and I’ll fix it. Also, if there are any other things you would like me to tag for, please let me know. I might sometimes forget my tagging convention so it might be best to block trigger warning tags with the tw at the start and the end just in case (e.g. blocking both #tw blood and #blood tw). 
Asks are always open, feel free to drop by and say something! If you have any further questions about my blog, please feel free to either send an ask or dm me and I’ll try my best to answer your questions. 
Usual DNIs apply (Do not interact if racist, homophobic, sexist, transphobic, etc, if you are a pedophile/“minor attracted person”, TERFs, radfems, etc)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tags to block if you don’t want to see these sort of things:
#mild nudity (chest or nipples showing/half naked) #nudity (completely naked, but with no genitals visible) #nsfw text and #suggestive (for any posts mentioning sexual topics, most often something silly like a dick joke or whatever) #gore tw + #tw gore #blood tw + #tw blood  #tw animal death #tw suicide + #tw suicide mention #horror #body horror #tw animal death #flashing and #flashing tw for flashing lights, flashing gifs, flashing images, etc. #eye strain Any ship tags for ships you don’t like or care for (Of course if you’re a minor or just don’t care for that stuff, please be sure to block the #mild nudity, #nudity, #suggestive, and #nsfw text tags) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ships that you might find on this blog + the tags used for them:
Gustavo/Peppino -  #pepstavo
The Noise/Noisette - Not sure if there’s a ship name for them so it’ll remain untagged for now
Pepperman/The Vigilante - #pepperlante
Peppino/Dynamite Anton - #peppiblast
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Me:
Hi my name is Bethany, but if you’d like you can also call me Beth, Sand, or Sandstone, either one is fine!
I use she/her pronouns
Although I am over 18, don’t be weird or sexual towards me, I will probably block you.
My main account is @sandstone72. You can find me posting about anything else I’m interested in over there. I often post about TF2, Half-Life, hlvrai (including y2kvr and hlvrv), animals, Deltarune, Eddsworld, Pokemon, Minecraft, Minecraft servers, and more!
Here is my twitter if you'd like it. I don't really make posts on it or use it much but I retweet a lot of pizza tower fanart (and other fanart) on there. I'm more active on tumblr though
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newpathwrites · 4 months
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Series Masterlist Main Masterlist
Chapter 13 - Holding Space
Din honestly felt like he might die, waiting to know the fate of the one he considered his other half, one of less than a handful he would claim to love, alongside only his parents and his foundling. Whatever happened to you… may just as well happen to him , too…
Summary: Cyar’ika has a potentially serious medical condition that may change the way she views her body.
Note: I got this idea from a scene in The L Word of all things, and it goes a bit beyond, intimately speaking, what we have seen from Din and Cyar’ika so far in my A Marriage of Convenience universe. I’ve been stewing a lot over this one trying to get the level of physical intimacy in the right place for them - taking a significant step forward but a small enough step that it makes sense for where Din is at this stage.
Please, please heed warnings. Though all ends well, this chapter deals with a potential breast cancer diagnosis and its physical and psychological impact. Please do not read if you think this may be triggering for you.
Personal note at the end.
Warnings: Anxiety while awaiting a diagnosis, breast cancer mentions, body image mentions, non-sexual nudity, references to self-pleasure, physically intimate (but non-sexual) activity.
Read on AO3
————————————————————————
It had been five long days…
Five days since you’d come barreling out of the fresher, not even bothering to secure your bathrobe, and pulled his fingers to your breast just above the scar from your old knife injury.  “Can you feel that?”  Yes, he could - dank farrik…
Five days since he’d called Cara to ask if Nevarro’s new medical clinic was equipped to handle breast disorders.
Five days since Karga called on your behalf to get you in before the week was done.
Five days that you’d refused to discuss it further, acting as if nothing potentially life-changing was happening.
And now, these five days later, Din was seated in the local medic’s exam room, watching their face turn from that of the impassive professional to one of cautious concern as they examined you.  It was a subtle shift, but Din knew at that moment that he needed to prepare himself for the worst.
And then they told you both as much.  
You wouldn’t have any answers today.  Imaging and biopsy would be scheduled within a day or two, and once the diagnosis was confirmed, you’d take it from there.
You remained rigidly stoic throughout the encounter, expression oddly blank.  And even when the medic left the room and Din approached you with your clothes in hand, you stared straight ahead, motionless - like you didn’t even know he was there.
He moved to stand in front of you so that you’d have to look at him and pressed the bundle of clothing into your hands before taking off his helmet and placing it on the exam table behind you.  
“Cyar’ika…” he said as he loosely gripped your shoulders.  “Are you alright?”
Finally you registered his presence, looking up but not quite meeting his eyes.  “Can we just go home?”  Din could tell that you were holding your emotions in check - you did that sometimes, keeping your feelings contained until you had the privacy to let them out freely.
“Okay.”  He’d do whatever you needed right now.  “I’ll go make your appointments while you get dressed, and then we’ll go straight home, alright?”
You nodded in understanding, the first evidence of a tear forming in the corner of your eye before you steeled yourself against the emotions once again.
—-------------------------------------
You didn’t say a single word on the trip home, save for a compulsory ‘thank you’ to the elderly lift driver.
And the moment you stepped into the house, you walked immediately to the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind you, your concerned husband clearly not invited.
That was okay.  If you needed to be alone, then Din would let you have that.
So he sat at the kitchen table after he’d removed his armor for the night, just… waiting… for the sign that you were ready to talk or cry on his shoulder or go out back to shoot some trees… whatever needed to happen to get you through this day…
But it had been 30 minutes now, and no sign ever came.  He’d expected to hear some outburst of emotion or at least a few sniffles, but only silence emanated from the bedroom.  What were you even doing in there?  Were you alright?
He half expected to find you asleep or catatonic when he finally opened the door - you’d not even responded to his gentle knock.
And he had to force himself not to reflexively turn away when he finally saw you, staring at your own half-nude form in the mirror, your tunic and chest bindings at your feet.
Your reflection in the mirror was unreadable, which was in itself exceedingly unusual for you, and you barely noted his presence.  It was out of character for you to appear so devoid of emotion.
You weren’t sending him away, though, so he figured that meant he was welcome to stay.  He had to fight the urge to offer you a blanket to cover up - you were going through something here, clearly.  This wasn’t about his own sense of modesty.
He gently held your shoulders and made eye contact through the mirror.  “Hey…”
You gave in then, just a little bit, responding with a warm tone, more typical of your nature.  “Hi…”  
Then, without even a moment’s hesitation, Din wrapped his arms around you, hugging you from behind, and you absolutely melted against him, allowing him to carry some of your weight.  
Somehow the fact that he was willing to touch you right now shifted your entire emotional state.  Why had you been hiding from him?  Having him with you was always better than not…
He eventually pulled away from the backwards embrace and moved his hands back to your shoulders, caressing soothingly up and down your arms, your body still leaning back against him.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, Cyar’ika.”
“It’s stupid… and vane…”  People had much bigger problems than this.  What kind of person were you, that when facing a possible cancer diagnosis, all you could focus on was your own vanity?
“Well,” he said, before repeating your own wise words back to you.  “It’s a good thing there’s no shame between us, then, isn’t it?”  He kissed the back of your head.  “I won’t judge you.  I’ll just listen…”
You closed your eyes for a minute, just releasing the judgment you’d already passed on yourself.  You were allowed to feel however you wanted - it was your body and your life on the line after all.
Finally, you looked back at yourself in the mirror and started talking.
“I’m afraid I won’t look right…”
Din refused to interrupt you, so he only nodded in understanding.  This was your time - he would not invalidate your feelings by disagreeing.  But the truth was… you were beautiful to him no matter your outward appearance.
“And what if I don’t feel like a woman anymore?  I like being a woman.  But sometimes I think my breasts are really the only feminine thing about me…”
Din really couldn’t relate.   He didn’t think much about his manhood.  It just wasn’t that important to him, maybe a result of growing up in an effectively genderless Mandalorian culture.  But if your femininity was important to you, then he would try to understand.
“And…” you faltered, seemingly hesitant to continue with your next thought, so he gestured for you to continue.
“Go on, Cyar’ika.  You can tell me anything.”
“Uhmmm…” you hesitated, looking up briefly to meet his eyes in the mirror.  “I’ve never really talked to you about this exactly, but… I have a very active solo sex life… if you get what I mean…”
He chuckled in spite of himself.  He’d never thought about it before, but it wasn’t surprising, considering…  “I do get what you mean, and if it helps… me, too…”
You managed a small, amused huff at that - and yeah, it did make it easier to talk to him about this.
“Anyway… Stars , this is weird to talk about… but… I rely pretty heavily on-,” you gestured to the general vicinity of your nipples, “to reach… you know…”
He nodded - no need to embarrass you further by demanding precise vocabulary here.  “And you’re worried that you won’t be able to...”
“I know that’s a ridiculous thing to care about…”
He shook his head.  “No, it’s not ridiculous.  There’s no shame in wanting to preserve that.  Life is too short.”  And honestly, he would gladly help you with that if you ever asked.
Din seemed to make a decision then, suddenly taking a step back and grabbing the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head.
“Din… no…” you said quickly, turning around to face him.  This man never went shirtless, even in front of you.  
But he cut you off, framing your face with his hands after tossing the shirt away.  “If this is what you need to do right now, then I’m doing it with you…”. He wiped the first small tears from your cheek as he went on, “because I will be with you through all of this - no matter what happens… we’ll figure all of this out together… ”
You’d made a similar pledge to him once, years ago near the beginning of your marriage, when the burden of Bo-Katan Kryze and an ancient weapon he’d never wanted threatened to break him.  In the end, you’d not been held to the task, but even so, you had meant it with every fiber of your being.
Finally, the dams broke.  It was safe to let the feelings take you.  Tears streamed down your face as you wrapped your arms around him, and he embraced you tightly.  He held you like that for a long time while you cried, rubbing your back soothingly.
You would get through this together - because Din never spoke words he didn’t mean.
————————————————————
Eventually, the sobbing quieted, and Din spoke into your hair, “You need to eat, Cyar’ika.   And then we can sit on the porch… or blast a few shrubs… or just go to bed… whatever you want…”
You nodded against his chest, still softly sniffling.  “Blasting away the backyard sounds excellent.”
He chuckled lightly, having anticipated your choice.  “Alright, but we should probably put shirts on first…”
“ Oh, kriff… ” you exclaimed in mortification as you fully recalled your own bizarre behavior - culminating in your bare chest pressed up against his.  You’d unintentionally advanced your physical relationship by several steps in the last half hour.
“Hey, hey,” Din reassured you quickly, pulling just slightly away from you and reaching down to pick your tunic up from the floor.  “It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry, Din,” you apologized as you pulled the garment over your head.  “I know it makes you uncomfortable.  It was an impulsive thing - I was a little out of it.”
He shook his head as he pulled his own shirt back on.  “Really, Cyar’ika… I’m not used to it, but with you, I’m fine - you know that.”
In truth, neither of you were really that uncomfortable with occasional nudity at this point, more than ten standard years now into your partnership, at least half of that spent in a more intimate and committed relationship, but Din still found skin-on-skin contact and his own bareness in particular a bit overwhelming.
He’d really surprised himself just now, though.  It was shocking sometimes how easily his boundaries shifted when it came to you.
—-------------------------------------
The overgrown shrubbery in the backyard was well and thoroughly destroyed by the time you were done with it.  There was no greater stress relief for an aging bounty hunter than making good use of a blaster.
Din certainly knew you well.  You were still scared and frustrated… but the chaos in your mind had settled after releasing some of that negative energy.  Maybe you could even get some sleep.
But no such luck.  You kept Din from sleeping, too, tossing and turning all night for a week while you awaited all of your results.
Despite Din’s desire to hold up his promise - to do all of this together - you refused his company at your diagnostic appointments.  You needed to deal with this part on your own.  The anxiety evident even in his armored posture as you were scanned and prodded would only serve to magnify your own.  And kriff, you hated to see him suffering on your behalf.
You wouldn’t talk about it, either.  If Din tried to bring it up, you’d simply tell him you didn’t want to discuss anything until you knew for sure what you were dealing with here.  
Din honestly felt like he might die, waiting to know the fate of the one he considered his other half, one of less than a handful he would claim to love, alongside only his parents and his foundling.  Whatever happened to you… may just as well happen to him , too… 
The call from the medic couldn’t come fast enough.
—-------------------------------------
You were huddled together on the couch in your small living room when the call came in.
A secretary had messaged ahead of time to expect results by late afternoon, and Cara had come by to offer support and distract you both with friendly conversation while you waited.  But she was certainly suffering from nerves a bit herself.  You were family…
When the ringtone came through on the datapad, though, she was the only one with her wits about her, watching as you and Din froze in paralyzing fear, making no move to answer the call.
She leaned forward and hit the button to connect, giving you a small nudge to encourage you to speak.
The medic blessedly didn’t waste any time on pleasantries, getting right to the point.
“Alright - your biopsy came back benign.  That means no evidence of cancer.  Do you understand?”
You exhaled the breath you’d been holding, relieved tears stinging your eyes.  “Yes, that’s wonderful news.”
“May I ask about the scar I noticed just under the area?”
You were confused as to why this mattered now , but you were more than happy to answer.  “Oh, I was stabbed… about five or six years ago.”
“Ah,” the medic replied knowingly.  “That explains it.  Your biopsy showed fat necrosis, something we sometimes see after trauma to the tissues.  It tends to become fibrosed with time and can eventually form a lump, even many years later.  I think your old injury probably caused this.  Anyway, you've got nothing to worry about, alright?  Any questions?”
You looked at Din who shook his head, smiling broadly.  “No, no, we’re good.  And that makes perfect sense - now that I think about it, I had a big bruise right there for weeks after the injury.  Thank you so much.”
You sat back as the call disconnected, stunned by the good news.  You had fully expected the worst.  It was a wonderful but otherworldly feeling.
“You okay?” Cara asked, concerned by your seeming lack of emotion.
You turned to face her, noting the happy tears in her eyes, before standing and pulling her into a tight hug.
And soon you were being passed into Din’s waiting arms.  His forehead was pressed to yours, and while he didn’t succumb to tears, his voice quivered with emotion.  
“I was so scared, Cyar’ika.  Maker , I’m so relieved…”
You moved your hands up to frame his face and moved in closer, whispering against his lips, “I know…” before pressing your mouth to his in a lingering kiss.  “I’m sorry for how much it worried you.”
“No, don’t be,” he spoke against your forehead, pulling you in against him and fully wrapping his arms around you.  “I can’t help it, anyway.”
Cara watched in fascination, a warm smile forming on her lips.  She had never had the privilege of seeing you two together quite like this, soft and intimate, with no beskar between you.  She wasn’t one for mushiness… but stars it was really kriffing sweet.
Din did recover his faculties enough eventually to remember that he had an audience, though.  Cara was family, by his own determination, but allowing this part of him, the one reserved for you, to slip through around others still made him self-conscious.
Cara wouldn’t let him wallow in it, though, taking him by surprise with a brief hug and a meaningful clap to the shoulder.  She hadn’t realized just how much her stoic friend had been suffering under that visor these last few days, and it was as much a relief to her to see him relieved of that burden as it was to be relieved of it herself.
—-------------------------------------
Cara had been in your fresher for a long time…
But just as you made to get up and go check on her, she ambled back into the small living room, a satisfied smirk playing at her lips.
“ What , Cara?”  Clearly the woman had something to say.
“ You… ” she pointed in your direction.  “Are going to go sit in the bath I just drew for you.  And you… ” she pointed at Din.  “Are going to pour two cups of spotchka and go keep her company in there.”
Ah, a warm bath sounded exquisite.  You couldn’t help but laugh, though, at Din’s bewildered reaction to his expected involvement in said activity.
“Don’t you look at me like that,” Cara admonished him.  “You two only relax in each other’s company, and you both certainly need that right now.  And don’t get your britches in a bunch, Din - you can keep your clothes on if you must.  Just sit in there with her - talk, relax… whatever you two do… It works…”
You supposed she did mean well.  “You’re amazing, Cara,” you thanked her with a peck on the cheek as you rose to head to the fresher.  “Din, you don’t have to… but maybe you could just come and sit with your back to the tub?  It sounds nice, doesn’t it?”
Well, as long as he wasn’t expected to get in the bath, then this whole thing was perfectly comfortable.  “I’ll be there in a minute, Cyar’ika.  Go get settled.”
“You really love her, don’t you?” Cara asked with a wink and a warm grin as he stood to walk toward the kitchen in search of the bottle of spotchka he’d brought back from the last visit to Sorgan.
What a ridiculous question.
“Of course I do.”
—-------------------------------------
Din seemed much more comfortable with this situation than you had expected, slinging one arm across the edge of the tub and resting his head against his hand as he maneuvered to face you in conversation only a few minutes in to this new adventure.  His gaze remained pointedly trained on your face, but still, you hadn’t expected him to be quite so casual about it.  Maybe his obsession with modesty was beginning to fade after so many run-ins with your nude upper half these last couple of days.
And he was honestly more relaxed than you’d seen him in quite some time.  Perhaps the good news… the alcohol… the warm, steamy air around the bath… was working wonders on him, too.
You eventually reached a small lull in conversation, and he turned somewhat pensive, looking like there was something more serious he needed to say but was perhaps holding back due to the relaxed atmosphere.
“What is it, Din?  You look like you want to say something.”
He looked at you, almost appraisingly, before shaking his head slightly.  “You know you’re beautiful, right?”
“I…” you faltered.  “Well, I know you think so…”
“Yeah, I do,” he sighed.  “But that’s not what I mean…”
He paused for several moments, gathering his thoughts.
“I really don’t understand what it’s like to be seen - not that way you do, especially as a woman.  But… you are beautiful in so many ways that have nothing to do with how you look…”
You took his hand in yours where it rest across the tub.  “That’s very sweet, Din.  I appreciate the sentiment.”
But he wasn’t finished.  “We have a word in Mando’a - it describes an aruetii who lives the spirit of our tenets - strong, brave, honorable… and I would use it to describe you… ”
Clearly this was a response to your concerns about potentially losing your breasts and worrying about how it might alter your appearance.  And it was rare that Din felt the need to proselytize like this - so you kept quiet and allowed him to continue offering reassurance.  This was how he was taking care of you - something he needed to do to process all that had happened.
“ Those are the ways that you are most beautiful to me…”  He paused and took a deep breath, preparing his next point.
“And you and I are alike in many ways, but the things that are different about you… and better… are the qualities that are feminine.  You’re gentle… and kind… and the way you are with Grogu… I could never be that for him…”
You stopped him there, never wanting him to follow that particular line of self-deprecation, squeezing his hand affectionately.
“I understand what you’re saying, Din - my femininity isn’t really about having female parts - and you’re right…”
Gosh, he could be really sweet… and profoundly articulate… when the spirit moved him.
“Can I say one more thing?  I’ll never get it out if I don’t say it now.”
Wow, he was really outdoing himself in the ‘talking’ department tonight.
“Yeah, of course.  Go ahead.”
For the first time he shifted his gaze, looking anywhere but your face, suddenly appearing a bit uncertain.
“In regards to your concerns about… self-pleasure…” he started hesitantly.  “I just want you to know that I’m here… if you ever… need anything…”
Your eyebrows shot up in surprise at his words.  “Are you offering me sexual favors, Din?”  You struggled to keep the amusement from your voice - his demeanor was deadly serious right now.  But this was an issue you’d mutually taken off the table many years ago.
“No!” he replied quickly, eyes wide.  “It’s just… if it’s important to you , then it’s important to me… and if something ever did happen that makes it difficult… you shouldn’t be afraid to ask me for help… No strings…”
“You’d really do that?” 
Truthfully, Din had admitted at the beginning of your marriage that he was open to the idea of trying sexual things if you were ever interested - there was nobody he trusted more or felt so comfortable with - but you weren’t in a mental place back then to consider it, still very averse to sexual activities after a traumatic experience.  And honestly, you weren’t sure if you were in a place even now to reconsider.  But it was still nice to know you could talk to him about this - that it could be an open discussion.
“You know I would,” he responded seriously.  But his demeanor changed a bit then, becoming lighter, a small embarrassed grin forming on his face.  “I can’t necessarily say I’d be good at it…  Foreplay wasn't really involved in the few encounters I had in my younger days - so exactly what that entails is still a bit of a mystery to me.”
“Well, then,” you huffed.  “I’ll have to give you a lesson in female anatomy one of these days.”
Now he was surprised.  “ You would do that ?”
“Din,” you chuckled.  “I’ve been sitting here with you completely naked for almost an hour.  And I think the lothcat’s out of the bag at this point in our relationship, don’t you think?”
“Interesting word choice...”  He snickered as you splashed a bit of water his way.  The man was surprising you all over the place tonight.
“Don’t be crass, Din.  Hand me the towel?”  The water was getting cold, and your warm bed was calling.
He left for a moment as you stepped out of the tub to dry off, returning shortly with your favorite robe, the softest thing you owned, and helped you into it, pulling you close as he wrapped it securely around your body.
You realized right away what he was aiming for and embraced him firmly, tucking your head under his chin.  His arms came around you immediately, warm hands moving to draw circles on your back over the soft material.
You sighed contentedly.  This was all you ever needed - just to be together like this.
“I love you, Cyar’ika,” he murmured against your hair.
“I love you, riduur,” you whispered into his shirt.  “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
“Well, you’ve got to let me do it sometimes .”
—-------------------------------------
“It feels surreal…”  
Your eyes followed Din as he joined you in the bedroom and slid in next to you. 
You’d plopped yourself down on the mattress, hands cradling the back of your head while you’d waited, casually pondering the strangeness of the day.
“I woke up this morning expecting the worst - that my life was going to be completely different… and now… it all just… went away…”. You turned your head to look at him.  “I don’t really know what to do with myself…”
Din turned on his side to face you, responding simply.  “We take a breath… and we move on… take our next job…”  He paused, shrugging slightly.  “Easier said than done, though, isn’t it?”
“Hmmm… might take a few days to feel normal again, I guess,” you agreed.
He brought his fingers to fiddle with the edge of your robe.  “Can I?”
You nodded in consent.  It was wildly uncharacteristic, though, for him to initiate such a thing.
He opened just the one side and brushed his knuckles over the area of concern which was still bruised and mottled from the biopsy procedure.  “Does it hurt?”
“Not much.  It looks worse than it feels.”
Next, he ran his fingers over the scar from the old knife injury which lay just beneath, one he’d attempted to patch up himself all those years ago. “I never imagined this would come back to haunt us.”
You gave him a little wry smile.  “I know, right?”
His hand moved to the center of your chest then, over your heart, as he leaned his forehead down to rest on yours.  He was still processing this averted crisis just as you were.  It was hard to accept that the entire ordeal was over.
You took one hand out from behind your head and grasped the side of his face, pulling it down until his mouth met yours in a brief kiss.
He didn’t pull away when you let go, merely shifting his face down a few inches and pressing his lips instead to your sternum.  His thumb ran over the swell of your breast as he placed his lips lightly there, too.
It was such a surprise to you that Din would do such a thing so spontaneously that you nearly laughed despite the seriousness of the moment.  His boundaries were shifting almost absurdly by leaps and bounds tonight.
You were barely holding back a smile when he looked back up at your face, a mixture of amusement and pride clear in your expression.
“What’s brought this on, Din?  When we last discussed this sort of thing, you were very reluctant… and now you’re joining me in the bath, and I’m practically nude in our bed, and you’re kissing my breast…” 
He huffed and grinned bashfully, suddenly a bit self-conscious, a slight blush rushing to his cheeks.
“I’m not poking fun at you,” you added softly, reaching over to run your fingers through his hair.  “I’m just surprised.”
“Well…” he paused, gathering his thoughts.  “I want to be more intimate with you, like we talked about… But even when I work up the courage to try something, I can’t help holding back, because it just feels unfair… that you so willingly share yourself with me when I can’t do the same…”
“But you’re not holding back tonight…”
He shrugged.  “I’ve been reminded how fleeting our bodies can actually be… and I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with yours these last few days…”  He hesitated a moment, adding, “I wish I was more comfortable with my own…”
“Din…” you replied, your face taking on a much more serious expression.  “I never want you to feel guilty for respecting your own limits.  Trust me - I know how significant it is that you’ve allowed me certain privileges at all… I’m very comfortable with this,” you said, gesturing to your mostly unclothed form.  “And you’re not… and that’s perfectly okay…”
He grinned unexpectedly at that, turning an endearing shade of pink once again.  “There is one thing I think I could try… now that we’ve broken the ice…”
“Whatever you want… no pressure…”
He let out a long puff of air before moving into a sitting position and offering a hand to pull you up, too.  “Uhmmm… you could… help me take off… if you want… or I could…”
You saved him from his own awkwardness, quickly reaching your hands out to grasp the hem of his shirt and waiting for a small nod of assent before lifting it up and over his head.
“Still okay?” you questioned him.
He nodded, leaning forward to rest his forehead on yours for a moment.  
“May I…?” he whispered as you nodded against him, an affectionate smile plastered on your face, before using his fingers to push the still-open robe fully off your shoulders.
He finally moved to lay back down on the mattress, and you followed suit, scooting your body close again to his.  “Tell me if you get overwhelmed, sweetheart.  Alright?”
“I will…”  He hesitated only briefly before his free hand began running over the skin of your back and up your side.  “You are so soft and smooth and warm… I had no idea what I was missing out on all my life.”
“It is quite tragic, isn’t it?” you smiled at him lovingly.  “But we can make up for lost time.”
You didn’t make any move to touch him in kind - one step at a time .  You’d get there eventually.
Once he seemed satisfied with this first, very tentative exploration, you snuggled against his chest, wrapping your arms around him in a tight embrace, and he sighed blissfully before drifting off to sleep, content with the day’s good news and this newfound intimacy.
—-------------------------------------
You stayed tangled up together like that all night, warm skin pressed up against warm skin.  And when you woke in the morning, he found the courage to explore a bit further.  
It would be quite a while before you would get around to that oddly chaste anatomy lesson, but in the meantime, Din enjoyed getting to know every detail of you - the softness of your breasts, the rolls of your stomach, the dimples in your lower back, every scar and wrinkle…
And very slowly, you took the liberty of exploring him, too.  He recounted the story of every scar.  He laughed as you noted that part of his abdomen where hard muscle gave way to rolls of fat in his middle age.  He exclaimed surprise when your fingers ran over one nipple - he had no idea this part was sensitive on him, too.
He wasn’t quite ready to bare the rest just yet, not so intentionally and completely, anyway, though he did graduate to removing the pants, at least, his underclothes the only remaining barrier when you went to sleep at night.  
He wanted to get there eventually… and he would… and you were perfectly content to wait for him…
—-------------------------------------
Thank you for reading!
End note: I won’t reveal my exact specialty here, but I do spend my days intimately involved in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, so in addition to losing a loved one to the disease, it is constantly on my professional mind, as well.
Like Cyar’ika, I am an asexual woman and don’t care for sex with others, but the ability to enjoy physical pleasure on one’s own (if they desire) is important even if that might seem frivolous in the face of a cancer diagnosis.  We don’t talk openly enough about the direct sexual impacts of breast and gynecologic cancers, as if it’s not really that important (thank you, patriarchy), but it is!
So finally, here’s my tangentially related PSA: If sexual function is important to you, feel empowered to discuss it with your doctor if you ever face a medical condition or treatment that could compromise it.  Don’t accept a loss of function without knowing all of your options.  If you don’t know how it could be affected, ask .  Sometimes there is no other option, but you deserve to have and fully understand that information.
~J
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Note
🛳 for Alex and.......Emmeline. The prospect of this crossover excites me more than Scooby-Doo.
Send 🛳 to rescue my muse from a shipwreck
THAT'S HIGH PRAISE, ANON. I’ll do my best to be worthy of Mystery Inc.
Content warnings: lady whump, shipwreck, washed ashore, broken bones, bruising, head injury, blood, choking on water, coughing up water, immortal whumpee, implied starvation, implied drowning, coming back to life, magical healing, painful healing, male rescuer, demon rescuer, caretaking, brief mention of non-sexual nudity
----
Each morning of their vacation starts about the same: Alex wakes at sunrise for a jog on the beach while Arinn sleeps in. By the time Alex returns Arinn is up with coffee ready, looking like a treat in one of Alex's rumpled t-shirts.
In his new life Alex has become a lover of routine. It helps him stay grounded and less anxious. So even with that tempting sight waiting for him, he makes the full route to the cliffs and back this morning just like every other.
But unlike every other morning, something new has joined the craggy rocks scattered about where the cliff meets the beach. Alex skids to a stop, panting warm puffs of breath into the cool morning air, and blinks several times to be sure he's awake, not dreaming.
A large boat - or, part of it - has washed ashore, trapped in place by the rocks. Debris floats around the overturned hull and waves continue lapping against its side.
Holy shit...
Alex removes his sneakers and slowly approaches the boat. A hole in one side is just large enough to step through into the wreckage, which creaks around him and rocks with the waves. It's really, really stupid to be in here. A strong enough swell or rising tide could sweep the vessel away and Alex with it in an instant.
Fortunately it isn't particularly interesting. The boat has been gutted. Anything that wasn't bolted down, and probably a few things that were, has been washed out to sea. Water drips from above into the shallows, the sound echoing through the hollow space.
Alex takes it all in, shrugs, and turns away. He's halfway through the opening when suddenly a cough rings out.
He freezes...then slowly steps back in. His heart pounds, senses on high alert.
"Who's there?!"
The only response he gets is more coughing. Worse coughing that turns into retching and choking.
Could it be...
Alex's steps splash loudly as he hurries to follow the voice around a bend in the twisted metal. His first instinct is confirmed - someone has survived.
That someone is a young woman around his age, maybe a little younger. She is sprawled across the rocks, facing up, half submerged. Her soaked, torn clothes cling to her convulsing body. She's barefoot and has seaweed tangled in her hair.
As she continues hacking up water Alex creeps closer to get a better look and finds the survivor is badly injured. One leg is twisted at an awkward angle, her entire right side is bruised, one shoulder dislocated and swollen, and blood tinges the water around her.
She finally stops coughing but her breathing remains labored. And then...as she breathes...
Alex is just a few feet from her, looking right at her and he still hardly believes it when with a series of muffled cracks her broken and twisted limbs start to mend themselves. The woman groans hoarsely and it triggers another fit of coughing.
The healing stops halfway, leaving her still swollen and bruised but not so misshapen. She goes limp and her head lolls to one side. For a moment Alex thinks she has either passed out or died. He nearly forgets what he just saw and sloshes to her side.
"Hey. Hey, wake up." Alex drops heavily to his knees beside her and presses two fingers to her pulse.
He nearly recoils. She feels dead, cold and lifeless. She even looks dead, her face drawn and pale. Yet somehow still he feels a feeble pulse.
When he pulls his hand away her eyes slowly open. They're bleary and bloodshot but he can tell she sees him.
"Don't," she rasps, "don't hurt me."
The fragile plea sounds so like Arinn that it clenches his heart. Even when he reminds himself that Arinn is safe at their cabin, the concern and pity remains.
“I won’t,” he says, as softly as he would to Arinn. He holds his hands up to show his hands empty. “My name is Alex. I can help you. Get you to a hospital.”
“NO.”
The sudden exclamation sends her into another fit of coughing. Alex realizes that the source of the blood is where her head has hit the sharp edge of a rock. He quickly cups it and lifts it up before the deep cut can get worse. Tangled hair and blood slip through his fingers.
“Ow...” she whimpers when the coughing finally ends and she goes slack. Her eyes open again and she peers wearily up at Alex.
“Guess I can’t...stop you. Can’t even...move.” She blinks slowly. “Please don’t hurt me,” she whispers again. “I’m so...so tired...”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Alex promises again.
He gets one arm behind her shoulders and hooks the other under her knees. Even soaked and limp in his arms it’s barely an effort to lift her. Her head lands on his shoulder.
Alex shoves his sand-coated feet into his shoes and hurries as best he can on dry sand with a bundle in his arms.
No hospital. It’s something Arinn has also insisted on, a necessary risk to keep what he is a secret. Whatever her reasons, he can’t bring himself to ignore the young woman’s request. So when he finally reaches their cabin he heads for the door and not his car.
“There you are, babe, I was getting w - what is that?”
Arinn stands from the small round kitchen table, eyes fixed on the stranger Alex has just carried into their temporary home.
“Found her,” Alex pants, “Boat crash. She’s alive.” He takes a few breaths and looks Arinn in the eye. “No hospital.”
-
Arinn and Alex are sitting in chairs at the end of the bed when their guest wakes.
While she was out they cut away her shredded clothes, dried her off and dressed her in a pair of Arinn’s pants and one of Alex’s shirts. Now she’s covered up to the shoulders in the comforter and the morning sun helps her hair finish drying.
Now Alex knows he isn’t crazy, because Arinn saw it too. As they doted on her, the young woman’s remaining injuries faded away like nothing, until the only indication she had been in the wreck at all was her pallor.
And when she wakes a tinge of color is already returning to her skin. Her eyes are sharper and she even manages to prop herself up to look at her rescuers.
Still, she’s weak and shaky as she glances nervously between them and then towards the window. 
“We aren’t going to hurt you,” Alex says. Recognizing his voice, she fixes her gaze on him.
“You saw it,” she replies hoarsely. “You must have.”
“Saw what - “ Alex starts, but Arinn cuts him off.
“We did.”
The woman looks at Arinn now, eyes widening with fear.
“It’s okay,” Arinn adds quickly. He stands slowly and moves closer. “We did see, but he’s right. We aren’t going to hurt you.”
“...why should I trust you?” She asks in a weary way that belies a lifetime of broken trust. Her arms give out and she settles back onto the pillow, but keeps her eyes on Arinn.
Arinn lowers the veil of magic that disguises him as human. In doing so he reveals his small horns, smooth tail and brighter eyes.
“Because I’m different, too.”
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snowhashira · 2 years
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𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐇𝐈 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐙𝐔𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐀 : 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚑𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚊 , 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐞.
please read the information below before interacting !
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LADY OF THE HOUSE : INTRODUCTION.
my name is moe (she / her) twenty-three. black and cherokee indian.
my character ( asahi shizukana ) is the half sibling of Uzui Tengen -- sharing the same mother but having different fathers. With that in mind, I don't do exclusives and will be interacting with multiple Tengen's instead of just one. If that or having original characters related to canons make you uncomfortable, you can go ahead and unfollow me / not interact with my blog. No hard feelings.
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I'm a multi-shipping / crossover friendly puppy. If a dynamic or fandom interests me enough, rest assured I'll find a way to make them work.
SIDEBLOGS : shizucursed ( demon slayer oc ) --
HER WORD IS LAW : RULES.
kimetsu no yaiba (demon slayer) contains an entire plethora of dark and triggering content and since I'm writing a character connected to the yakuza and organized crime during the 1920's -- that content will be present on this blog. The following includes : death, murder, political corruption and assassination, child abuse / slavery, interrogation torture, limb dismemberment, sex work environments, xenophobia / racism (mentioned only), etc.
𝙵𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙾𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙶. I don't always follow everyone back, it's absolutely nothing personal. I just don't see how our muses could interact. If you want to plot with me please come with an idea of some kind -- otherwise I won't be interested.
𝚄𝙽𝙵𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙾𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙶. coming soon.
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FAMILY ARCHIVES : RESOURCES
( extreme disclaimer as some links may include graphic images along the lines of nudity or violence / torture. A ⚠️ will be put infront of the link for that content. )
History Of The Yakuza (1612 - Present) : coming soon.
Yakuza Traditions, Business and Rules : coming soon
Yakuza Terminology : coming soon
Yakuza In Literature / Film : coming soon.
The Triads / Cartel / Italian Mafia / Snakeheads, etc. : coming soon
Women In The Yakuza : one | two
WINTER BUTTERFLY : INFORMATION.
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here are some important bullet points , friendly disclaimer for trigger warnings : death , assassination , parental death , blood , etc.
SHORT NOTES
Asahi Shizukana's canon is connected to / influenced by demon slayer, marvel cinematic universe kakegurui and disney's frozen
Asahi is half japanese and half white (specifically british). Her parents are Reina Shizukana and Abraham Montegui.
The half sister of Tengen Uzui. In regards to Asahi's age and the time period she was born in -- she was born a couple of years after Uzui. I'd say it's a difference of 5 years at best making her 18 years old in the show's current timeline. Those two years of being a demon slayer and becoming a Hashira happening at the same time as Tanjiro and Nezuko's journey in season one.
BIOGRAPHY : THE SNOW HASHIRA
coming soon.
coming soon.
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PHASES OF WINTER : SNOW BREATHING.
Asahi's ice and snow breathing are real elements in her sword. Her mutant gene is connected to her demon slayer mark and so they go hand in hand and both a blessing and a curse. She uses a combination of insect and snow breathing techniques.
coming soon...
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UNDER THE MOONLIGHT : POWERS / ABILITIES.
Coming soon.
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queenclaudiabrown · 3 months
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She'll Be Coming With Us | Chapter Four: Thereafter
Content warnings: uncensored cussing (contains: ‘hell’ [not the place] and ‘balls’ [not referring to genitalia]); canon-typical violence and triggers (such as the Gorgonopsid’s death); mild alcohol consumption and referenced drunkenness; food; infected blisters and associated pain and medical care but no needles; mentions of sweat if you find that triggering; minor nudity (character takes a bath but it is not descriptive or sexual); brief mention of menstruation [supplies, brief and vague]; Lester being a canon-typical arse; mentions of the Gulf War; mentions of jail/arrests, public urination, brawling, and mild vandalism; very brief mention/threat of murder but it’s kinda??? in jest (is it though?); I think that’s everything but if I missed something notify me and I will rectify it Word count: 9,613
Series Masterlist
Friday, May 19th, 2006
19:58 / 7:58 p.m.
     Claudia, Nick, and Ryan crashed through the anomaly, back to home and safety, in a harsh reversal of their entrance into the Permian.  Bright evening sunshine switched to the blackness of night like a switch being flipped, the glow of the dying anomaly and the freestanding lamps set up at the campsite inconsequential.  The intense heat and cloying humidity changed to the chill of a spring night in England, although the underlying dampness in 2006 seemed infinitesimal in comparison.  Claudia gasped as she tumbled and rolled across the ground; damp but packed soil and dead pine needles.  The musty, earthy smell of the Forest filled her lungs, and the scent of rain felt like coming home.
     They were swarmed by civilians and Home Office scientists alike, a cacophony of overlapping questions and camera shutters clicking exploding in her ears.  She couldn’t make any of it out distinctly, too entangled in the shift between worlds and her relief at escaping to absorb anything else.
     The anomaly snapped closed, fizzling into oblivion.
     Someone helped her stand.  Blinking, she struggled to adapt her vision to the change in location.  After a few moments, her eyes caught on Abby Maitland, the yellow-white light of the lamps glowing in her hair.  Her lips moved, but Claudia’s ears were still ringing and too overwhelmed to parse what words they framed.  She thought she might be sick.
     Abby, bless her, seemed to understand and led Claudia away from the anomaly, guiding her to sit down on a case of some kind, where she sat shivering.  The blonde disappeared, but reappeared a few moments later with a paper cup of water.  Claudia took it and gulped it down in a few seconds, but her mouth and throat still felt burning dry.
     The hubbub around her was muted entirely by a growling, throaty roar like nothing Claudia had ever heard before, like a hybrid of a lion’s roar and a wolf’s growl but somehow even more terrifying.  A fresh pandemonium erupted around her, and eyes that hadn’t quite adjusted caught a huge form galloping on all fours toward the site.  Everyone was moving, a flurry of panic and fear and survival.  Soldiers abandoned their stations and ran toward the beast, half-cloaked in shadow despite the blinding lamps, and fired on it.  The adrenaline from the mad scramble back into 2006 hadn’t even begun to fade from Claudia yet, but it spiked even higher at the animal war cry and broke her from her terrified paralysis into a terrified run.
     A scientist clad in all white nearly toppled her over as he raced by, and the sickening realization that about half a dozen civilians and several dozen non-military government officials were present hit Claudia.  “Ryan!  Clear the area!”  She shouted hoarsely, whirling on the spot in a desperate attempt to locate the civilians- Nick, Connor, Abby, and Stephen.  The motion caused the muzzle of the rifle still strapped to her chest to bump into her knee again, and in horror she registered that Ryan had only a pistol to defend himself with; the other soldiers likely had all the other guns.  She glanced down at herself, briefly contemplating whether or not she should take up the weapon and join in defending the camp.
     “Brown, move!”  Ryan’s voice cut through the din of screaming and gunfire and roaring.  She whipped her head toward the source of the sound and caught choppy glimpses of him moving through the hysterical crowd.  She pushed her way toward him, hands coming up to loosen the strap holding the rifle to her.  They met in the middle and she quickly pulled it over her head.  He took it from her with a grateful nod, and then they were apart again, dashing in opposite directions.  He ran toward danger, doing his duty, relying on his training just as she did, although hers dictated that she evacuate to a safer location to allow those trained and equipped to combat a threat to do their job without risk of hindrance or collateral damage.  She was smart enough to know there was naught she could do to help the soldiers except get out of their way, and if her instinct to flee agreed with her training, so be it.  A modicum of relief sliced through her panic as she caught sight of Connor and Abby in her peripheral vision, fleeing in the same direction she was, and Nick Cutter himself less than a meter ahead of her.  Stephen was nowhere to be seen, but she was sure that if he was at the site, he was also fleeing.  She probably just couldn’t see him in that dark coat of his with her eyes still not fully adjusted.
     In spite of its power, adrenaline can only do so much.  Her feet were sore, throbbing with every step, and probably bleeding by now.  Disorientation still had a firm grip on her, and she was paradoxically sweating and shivering together.  Her aching head was spinning with the change in lighting and the commotion encompassing her, the darkness of the Forest at night like gazing into a black hole and the lamps somehow both too dim and too bright all at once.  Her heart had never gotten a chance to stop pounding since she, Ryan, and Nick had staggered up that last hill toward the anomaly.
     Claudia tripped, vertical and moving one moment and flat on her stomach and definitely not moving the next.  “Cutter!”  She called, his name an instinctive cry.  He reversed direction immediately, shouting her name.  His hands came down on her arms and she turned over as she started to get up.  Her and Nick’s eyes landed on the creature at the same moment- the creature that had ceased moving, and was now staring intently at them.
     They began to scramble away.  The heels of her boots dug into the earth as she struggled to propel herself backward, her upper body suspended by Nick’s grasp alone.  But Claudia knew they were moving too slow.  All she could see was the lamplight glinting of saliva-dripping saber fangs and menacing orange eyes focused and fixated on her.  Its low grumbling growl emanated from deep in its throat, disturbingly audible over the pounding of her heart that thudded like a drum in her already overstimulated ears.  The ground vibrated with every impact of its clawed feet as it prowled toward them, stalking toward its kill.  She saw the cow, heard the description of the gouges torn into the side of a shipping lorry where it was photographed.  She knew what those claws were capable of, and she knew that she was next.
     She wished for a moment that she hadn’t cried out, that Nick hadn’t heard her, that he hadn’t come back for her.  Especially with a death as gruesome and unstoppable as the one that awaited her, she would much prefer to die alone than share her gory fate with someone else.
     The shrill beeping of a car or truck hooter was the most unexpected thing that could have happened in that moment, and yet it did.  Claudia’s head snapped to the left, mimicking the creature.  A silver Hilux barreled through the trees, headlamps bright.  In a way that distantly reminded Claudia of an aggravated bull, the beast charged the truck, and the breath caught in her chest as she watched the two collide just a few meters away.  The truck halted, and the creature bounced off and hit the ground solidly.
     The driver’s side door opened, and none other than Stephen Hart climbed out.  He stared down at the creature with an expression Claudia couldn’t properly decipher in that moment- guilt, she supposed, for the kill, and some measure of shock as well.  She swallowed and brought her legs up under her, reaching up to grasp the upright collar of Nick’s wool jacket for leverage.  His hands went to her waist, steadying her as she stood.  Her eyes remained glued to the creature where it lay but a couple meters away.
     And then, one orange eye shot open- dear God, would this night ever end?- and the creature began to rise with a roar, like a horror film’s killer being resurrected for the millionth time.  “Stephen!”  Nick shouted.  His hands still on Claudia’s waist, he swung her around himself on stumbling and sore feet, moving her out of danger.  Her arms flung out to steady herself as she watched Nick grab a machine gun from a small rack of them within arms’ reach (she would need to have a conversation with Ryan about that).  “Catch!”  He called, tossing the firearm through the air into Stephen’s waiting hands, as if they had done this a dozen times before.  He shouted again, but she didn’t catch his words over the din.
     She reached out, grabbing at Nick’s shoulder to pull him back as the beast advanced.  With a grace that made the move look practiced, Stephen dropped to one knee, bringing the automatic rifle to his right cheek and opening fire on the advancing creature.  Blood spurted out in a small vermillion geyser from the creature’s side, but the injury didn’t seem to deter it.  Stephen continued to fire, another burst of rounds, and it fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.  It drew itself up again, one last struggling attempt to get to its feet, but the life went out of it and the creature went limp as it finally, finally died.
     It was not an easy thing for Claudia to process that it was dead, having been just seconds away from being consumed by what was now an unmoving, utterly harmless lump of dead flesh.  Her eyes remained affixed to the creature, unable to look away from the corpse.  Blood still flowed through its veins, carried by inertia; the body, should she touch it, would still be as warm as it was two minutes before mid-rampage.  But it was dead, as dead as the Canadian soldier whose bones Claudia had touched.
     “That was bloody close.”  Nick broke the silent aftershock, the thick burr of his accented voice muffled in Claudia’s ears as the unblocked sound of gunfire still rang in them.  But his words served to shake her out of the nigh-catatonic paralysis that had overtaken her.
     “Too close.”  Stephen agreed, and the unruly tumult of feelings drowned out the shock and lingering fear.
     She stepped away from Nick, still unsteadily, and took two aggravated steps toward Stephen before she no longer trusted her stride.  “Where-” Claudia began, her chest heaving with more than just adrenaline, “-the bloody hell have you been?”  She demanded.  Stephen shrank back slightly from the vexation in her eyes.  “Well?”  She pressed.  Stephen opened his mouth, floundering visibly, but she cut him off before he could speak.  “No, actually.  No.  I am going to speak to Captain Ryan and ensure that he has everything under control here and that we are not needed.  Then we are going back to the hotel, and I am going to change my clothes and eat something, and then we will discuss this.  That means all of us.”  She directed pointed looks at the professor, Connor, and Abby.  “Have I made myself clear?”
    Abby nodded, eyes wide.  “Yup, sure have, sure have.”  Connor stammered awkwardly.  (She’d feel bad for frightening him later.)  Nick looked the picture of innocence, but nodded as well.
     “Good.”  Claudia ended the discussion, if it could be called that, curtly.  Seeing that they were still standing there awkwardly- a little nervous of inciting her wrath, no doubt- she snapped, “In the car.  Or cars.  That truck’s not safe to be driven.  I’ll join you shortly.”
     They dispersed like fish fleeing a shark, but Claudia was to exhausted and worked up to really care.  She glanced around in search of Ryan and finally found him on the other side of the space, near where the anomaly had been.  He looked relatively unharmed, but was crouched beside the prone form of another soldier.
     “Medic!”  He called out.  Claudia started toward him, concerned for the welfare of the fallen man, but skirted well around the corpse of the creature.  She knew, realistically, that it couldn’t hurt her anymore, but blood was still freely flowing out of the wounds, and the body would still be as warm as life should she touch it.  Which was not something she had a desire to do.
     She made her way over to Ryan and the others who were grouped around their comrade.  Her shadow, cast long by one of the lamps that hadn’t been knocked over, fell over Ryan, and he lifted his head to look at her.  “He’s alive.”  He reported.
     “Good to hear.”  A voice at Claudia’s shoulder responded, and a Home Office medic stepped past her to squat at the soldier’s side.  “We can take it from here, Captain.”  She told him, casting glances about at the others.  Taking the hint for what it was, Claudia and Ryan stepped back, echoed by the others.  The other medics began streaming over, swarming around the unconscious soldier and tending to him.
     Ryan made his way over to Claudia.  “Ms. Brown, glad to see you’re alright.  I saw the creature heading your way before the fellow in the truck dealt with it.”
     “If Stephen hadn’t arrived when he did, I wouldn’t have been.”  Claudia admitted, looking at her dirty hands as she rubbed them together for warmth.  “Do you believe the site to be secure?”
     “So long as the brain trust thinks there’s no more creatures, yes.”  Ryan replied, gesturing with his head toward the vehicles.
     “I’ll ask them.  We’re heading back to the Eddington Hotel to get out from underfoot and debrief.”  She weighed her words carefully.  “If it does not interfere with your responsibilities, I would appreciate it if you retired to the hotel as well.”
     He cracked a light smile.  “Because I was on the other side with you and the professor, I assume?”
     “In part.”  She admitted.  “I am not military, but I imagine you’re entitled to a break after the completion of your mission.  You executed it quite well, and-” she cut herself off, smiling sheepishly and dropping her gaze to her now filthy shoes.  “And I’m very grateful for what you did to get us all out of there alive.  You saved the professor’s life, and mine, and I’ll never forget that.”
     “I’m not so sure I saved yours, Ms. Brown.  You seem to have a sensible head on your shoulders.”  Ryan replied.  “I won’t contradict you as far as Professor Cutter goes, though.  Bloody fool.”
     Claudia laughed despite herself, not expecting that.  “Well, I couldn’t have dragged him all the way back; I doubt I could even have knocked him out.  And I wouldn’t have left without him.  But you did knock him out, and you carried him on your shoulders all that way, and then you convinced him to come back here.  I do owe you my life.  And for heaven’s sake, call me ‘Claudia’.  I think we’ve moved past that formality.”
©
     The ride back to the Eddington Hotel was silent, a combination of exhaustion and shock blanketing the occupants of the Hilux.  Claudia was in the backseat this time, with Connor in the middle and Abby turned toward her own door, holding her jacket and a bright purple scarf bundled together to her chest like a child holds their favorite stuffed animal.  Distantly Claudia wondered if the blonde was experiencing some sort of flashback to a childhood trauma, given her position and newfound- what was the word?- shyness, almost.  She’d been very quiet all of a sudden, and had shed her jacket despite the night’s chill and the short sleeves of the top she wore underneath.
     Upon returning to the hotel, Claudia ordered herself a plate of bangers and mash before heading upstairs to her room to freshen up.  She stood in front of the full-length mirror and looked at herself, top-to-bottom.  Her once neatly braided hair was now an unkempt, half-undone mess of frizzy copper.  Her dark eyes were dulled with exhaustion even to her gaze, seemingly sunken into their sockets above dark bags that were visible after she’d sweat her makeup off.
     Dark earth was streaked on the knees of her trousers and the front of her white jacket and powder blue top, and it was caked in the soles and on the backs of the heels of her horrid sneakers.  They looked better covered in dirt, she decided, with their clashing neons muted by sediment. 
     The soreness that lay under those smears and stains would remind her of how she got them for a while yet.  She shuddered involuntarily as her mind turned back to those harrowing moments, the mindless terror swallowing her as she ran on weary legs.  She was very lucky to be alive.
     Claudia owed Stephen her life; there was no doubt about it.  Between ramming the creature with the truck and shooting it dead, he had been the reason she and Nick had escaped being torn to shreds or eaten alive.  Nick’s efforts would not be forgotten, of course; he had risked his own life and come back for her, dragged her away from that animal when her own legs had failed her.  As much as she hated to admit it, she had at once felt safe in his arms, sheltered by his strength and courage.
     That was a dangerous path of thought to go down, and Claudia knew it, rebuking herself for allowing it to happen and blaming the exhaustion, stress, and trauma of the day for a slip of that nature and magnitude.
     She did her best to put her mind in order as she took a quick shower, keeping the water lukewarm to avoid staying under the spray for too long.  Fortunately, she still had her old clothes that she’d changed out of before heading through the anomaly, so she put them back on, along with her loafers.  After drying her hair to an acceptable level and braiding it, she put on just enough makeup to make her look less exhausted than she was and headed back downstairs.
     The small lunch she’d eaten with Nick and Abby in the Home Office canteen seemed so long ago now, and nearly moot, as if she hadn’t eaten at all.  Her hot supper was ready and sitting before her on a white (material) dinnerplate within five to seven minutes of her returning to the combination bar and restaurant portion of the hotel, and she found herself sitting in the same place she had been when she had first laid eyes on Nick.  Mercifully, there was no nameless, arrogant sleazebag blathering away and sitting across from her this time.  Actually, there was no one sitting in the same booth as her at all, which was probably the best for her image, considering the way she ravenously wolfed down her dinner despite it being far too hot to eat.  She tasted very little of it through the burning sensation as she shoveled it into her mouth, but it was a balm to her painfully empty stomach, and what flavor she did glean from it she certainly enjoyed.
     Her hunger satisfied and her bad mood somewhat abated, Claudia leaned back against the overstuffed leather back of her bench seat and arranged her dishes neatly to make things easier for the busser when they arrived to clear her table.  She might be exhausted, irritated, and moderately traumatized, but that was no excuse for a lack of manners.
     She found the others all together; Nick and Abby at the bar drinking and Connor and Stephen sitting in the nearest booth, the latter with a beer in his hand and two empty bottles in front of him.  “Abby, gentlemen.”  Claudia drew their attention to herself.  “We have some things we need to discuss- privately.  Come with me.”
     Nick and Stephen exchanged a look that Claudia did not miss, and in tandem they threw back the rest of their respective drinks.  Sensing the tension, Abby mimicked them, and Connor got to his feet as the others did, though he kept a tight grip on his mug of… cocoa, judging by the scent.
     Claudia led them upstairs to her room, which she had neatly tidied before heading downstairs.  The bed was made, and her personal items were packed up, save for her dirty clothes which now temporarily resided in the loo, hidden from sight by the closed door.
     “We’ve all had a long day, so I’ll be brief.”  Claudia began.  “This morning, Professor Cutter, Ms. Maitland, and myself returned to London to sign the Official Secrets Act.  Sir James Lester, who far outranks me, is acting as our overseer in London; he’s coordinating the soldiers and so forth, I won’t bore you with the technicalities and jargon.  Testing of the lizard Rex confirmed that he was a Coelurosauruvus, if I’m pronouncing that correctly.  Sir Lester authorized a trip through the anomaly to search for Mrs. Cutter and return Rex to his own time.  We were accompanied by Captain Tom Ryan.  On the other side, we released Rex and began exploring.  We found the remnants of a human campsite, and… human remains.”
     Steadfastly ignoring the others’ shock for the sake of continuing her tale, Claudia also squashed down her memories of the emotionally-tumultuous events that had occurred next.  “We found one body, a man, wearing Canadian dog tags.  We know nothing further about his identity yet.  I’ll have to inform Sir Lester, but other than him, I would very much appreciate it if we kept the discovery of the tags among ourselves, given the potential international implications.”  The others nodded, much to her relief.  “Thank you.  I do have the tags, and I’ll have a friend of mine at the Home Office take a look at them.  Beside the body, Captain Ryan found a camera that Professor Cutter has identifies as belonging to his wife.”
     Stephen, surprisingly, had the strongest reaction to this.  “She was at the camp?”  He queried, face suddenly brightening with hope.
     “We won’t know for sure until we develop the film in the camera and see if it contains any clues.”  Claudia explained.  She filed away his reaction- one she would’ve expected from Helen’s husband- for further contemplation.  “But considering the camera was buried right next to the body, it’s a reasonable guess that the two are connected.  At that point we returned to present day, which the rest of you were there for.”  She let out a breath.  “Now that I’ve explained what happened in London and the Permian, I’d very much like to know what happened in the Forest of Dean while I was gone.”  She fixed Stephen with a look she’d inherited from her mother, Samantha Brown, the same one that she had unfailingly pulled the truth from her husband Clarence and young Claudia with.
     Stephen swallowed uncomfortably, shifting nervously in place.  “Y-You want me to explain?”
     Claudia huffed out an incredulous breath at his uncertain tone.  “Well, Stephen, considering you left without checking in with either me or the Home Office security forces present at the anomaly site before going to hunt down a dangerous creature that hadn’t even been identified yet, sent Connor back to us after he identified it as powerful and destructive, and then lost contact for several hours only to come careening back at the eleventh hour with your kamikaze rescue plan that I’m frankly surprised worked at all, I think you’d better have a bloody good explanation for your actions.  I want to know why the hell you thought it was a good idea to face down what Connor called a ‘compact killing machine’ with ‘incredible power’ alone and unarmed without so much as ringing to inform someone of your plans, or that its trail had led you to a fucking school!”
     “…When you put it that way, it does sound bad and… poorly-planned.”  Stephen admitted.  “For what it’s worth, it didn’t seem so reckless in the moment.”
     “Foolish and irresponsible actions rarely do.”  Claudia replied, clipped.
     “Just for the record, I sent Connor back because I didn’t want to put him in danger.”  Stephen said.  “I didn’t know where the Gorgonopsid was headed and I didn’t want to bring him into a situation that I might not be able to safely get him out of.  I’ve dealt with a lot of dangerous animals before, and I’ve always been able to handle them better if I’m alone because I don’t have to look out for anyone else.  I wasn’t planning on directly confronting the Gorgonopsid until I realized it was how much danger the kid and his teacher were in.  When I did… there wasn’t even a question anymore.  It was breaking down the door to their classroom.  If I hadn’t intervened they would both be dead.”
     Claudia sighed deeply.  Stephen seemed like an intelligent man, and she had firsthand seen how good of a tracker he was.  And it had been her who had called in reinforcements on account of innocent lives- Ben Trent’s life included- being at risk.  She could hardly criticize him for risking his life for a kid and another civilian bystander when she had mustered the troops for the same reason.  She had gone through a doorway in time, seen impossible things, and violated a grave; meanwhile, he had tracked a living fossil through the Gloucester woodland and nearly been killed by said creature while saving a child and his teacher from it.  They had both had a rough day, their lives and the lives of two other people with them hanging in the balance.  She couldn’t find it in herself to be angry at him anymore.
     “What happened to them?”  She pressed.
     Stephen gave a light shrug.  “Well, after I managed to draw it away from them and it threw me through the fire doors and knocked me out-” Claudia, Nick, and Abby all made strangled noises at his words as he rushed through them with a wince “-I woke up eventually, not sure how long I was out for though, and it was gone.  There was a car parked outside when I got there and it was gone when I woke up, and when I went inside the classroom door looked like it had when I last saw it, and there was no blood or anything inside.  I’m guessing they escaped while I was unconscious.”  Abby’s sigh of relief completely covered the sound of Claudia’s.  “Then I ran back and found the truck where I’d left it- I’m guessing Connor either walked or hailed a cab- and drove back to the anomaly site, and… well, you know the rest.”
     Claudia nodded.  “Well, It’s apparent that neither you nor Professor Cutter possess a single shred of self-preservation, but at least you seem to not be mulish about it.”  Nick squawked offendedly, but she paid him no mind.  “I’ll make some calls and find out for sure if Ben and his teacher are in fact alive, but given what you said I’m inclined to believe that they are.  I’m not going to yell at you anymore, not now that I know what happened.  Thank you for explaining.”  Stephen nodded in response, no longer wild-eyed like a skittish deer.
     Nick let out a deep sigh.  “Bloody hell, Stephen.  And you say I’m reckless.”
     “Well, you are.  Just because I’m reckless doesn’t mean you’re not.”  Stephen refuted sensibly.  “You pick fights any sane person would’ve walked away from much before.  I’ve bailed you out of jail more times than I can count for brawling and disturbing the peace.  And that’s not counting the times I’ve physically kept you from pissing on somebody’s lawn… or house… or car… or the person themselves… because they got you cheesed off.  Or the time I got arrested because I lied and said I threw that stone angel porch decoration through that bloke’s windscreen when it was actually you.”
     Nick’s mouth was opening and shutting like a fish as several emotions passed tellingly over his face.  “…I don’t remember that last one.”
     The expression on Stephen’s face was stony and unamused with Nick’s picture-of-innocence antics.  “I did nine months community service for that.  Would’ve actually gone to jail if we hadn’t both been balls-to-the-wall sloshed.”  He tilted his head.  “You passed out in the squad car on the way to the station, if I remember correctly.”
     Though she had been silently listening and observing during this conversation, Claudia had felt her blood pressure rising and her headache worsening, and she pinched the bridge of her nose.  “Alright, no more misdemeanor stories, thank you.  You’re both bloody menaces and unless you want to be murdered by my colleague and friend for raising my blood pressure an unhealthy amount, you’ll never consume alcohol around me.  If you do, there will be consequences.”
     The professor and his laboratory assistant/technician exchanged looks and gulped, then nodded dutifully.
     “Good.  Now, all of you get the hell out of my room, and don’t let me see you again before a reasonable hour tomorrow morning unless there is an actual emergency.”
     Connor nearly ate the carpet and the doorjamb (in two separate incidents) as he tripped over his own feet in a mad scramble to get into the hallway, and the others followed quickly behind, albeit in a more orderly fashion.  She shut the door behind them with a decisive click and rested her forehead against the polished amber wood of the door, shoulders sagging as she expelled all the air in her lungs with a single longsuffering sigh.  She was not getting paid enough for this.  Could she ask for a bonus- hazard pay, or something like that?  It was worth looking into, at the very least.  Maybe she could haggle an extra week of leave time.
     She locked the room door and sought out her mobile, and pressing her second ‘emergency’ contact, the one and the only Lorraine Wickes.  Flopping backward onto the bed, she put the phone to her ear and waited for her friend to pick up.
     The answer came exactly eight seconds later, like it always did.  “Hello?”
     “Hi, Lorraine, it’s me.  I just wanted to let you know that I’m alive and in one piece, although I think I left my sanity and patience in the Late Permian.”
     “You’re speaking coherently; you’ll be fine.”  Lorraine replied primly despite the late hour.  Despite her crisp, professional tone, Claudia knew that Lorraine was being kind.  “Are you injured?”
     “Bumps and bruises.  When we came back through, we were attacked by a Gorgonopsid, and I tripped and fell trying to get away from it.  We’re all okay, though- although there’s one soldier I’ll need to check in about later- and the Gorgonopsid is dead.”
     “Good.  You do know that if you had died or been trapped back there that I would have found a way to drag you back kicking and screaming?”
     A chuckle burst from Claudia’s lips despite herself.  “I would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t.”
     There was a quiet bang in the background, followed by a muffled shout of pain.  “Cállase, por favor.”  Lorraine called to someone on her end- her voice bland but tinged with the faintest hint of irritation, like it was an inconvenience to have to say it.
     Claudia did not speak Spanish barring the basics, so she wasn’t sure what the first part of what Lorraine had said meant.  She decided she didn’t want to know.  Best not to ask – ‘ignorance is bliss’ and all that.
     “Do you think I can get a raise?  Or hazard pay?”  She asked instead, twirling a lock of hair around one finger lazily.  “You know I’m not the type to ask for that lightly.”
     “Indeed not.  Prehistoric times must have been quite the experience.”  Noted Lorraine, and Claudia knew that it was her way of asking if she was okay.
     “It could’ve been a lot worse, and I’ll fill you in on all the details when it’s more convenient, but I thoroughly disliked it, and I would very much like to go back to my old workload.  Desk duty has never been so appealing to me before as it is right now.”  Claudia confessed.
     “I see.”  Lorraine replied, voice tight and hard to keep it from trembling with concern.  “Well, given your excellent record and the nature of the situation, you probably have a good chance, especially since you’re asking for some form of compensation for your troubles and not a promotion or even a transfer or reassignment.  I’ll see what I can do, but you know I can’t promise anything.”
     “Of course, I understand.  Thank you.”  Claudia turned her head away to yawn in a most undignified manner.  “Well, I’m bloody knackered and I’m sure you’re quite busy, so I’ll hang up now.  Do you think I’ll see you tomorrow?”
     “You’d better.”  Replied Lorraine cheekily.  “I will be finished with my present situation shortly and there is no reason to not be at work as usual tomorrow.  Get some rest, now.”
     “Goodnight, Lorraine.”  Claudia replied.  She knew that her friend could not return the pleasantry as she was almost certainly in a setting where she could not show affection, so she hung up.  She let her arm drop so that it was extended over the edge of the bed, and loosening her fingers she let her mobile slip from her fingers and hit the carpeted floor.  Toeing off her shoes, she let them land by the foot of the bed with a twin set of muffled thumps.  Her hands went to her face and she rubbed her eyes, which were sore from the stress and strain and lack of sleep over the last few days.
     She really hoped Lorraine could get her some kind of compensation for her efforts.
©
Saturday, May 20th, 2006
08:14 a.m.
     Sleeping in was a rare thing for Claudia, but considering all that had happened over the last few days, she didn’t feel the slightest bit bad about it.  The last thing she wanted to do was get up, drive for two and a half to three hours, and then deal with Lester and her colleagues (except Lorraine; she was wonderful and never unappealing to deal with) and enough red tape to mummify a Gorgonopsid.  Unfortunately, those were the cards that she had been dealt, and it was her turn.
     Fortunately, Claudia still had the loafers she had switched her other shoes for earlier that day while Nick and Abby signed the OSA, as well as a two-day-old office outfit.  It wasn’t ideal to wear again, but she didn’t really care.  After a brief shower that morning, she changed into that outfit, packed up the rest of her things, and ate a quick but satisfying breakfast.  After verifying that everyone’s rooms, meals, and drinks had been paid for, the group got into their respective vehicles (Connor riding back with Nick and Stephen as he had come to the Forest originally a few days ago) and headed for London.  Claudia hooked up her iPod to her car’s stereo and started a lively playlist on shuffle, hoping it would keep her awake and alert.
     Upon returning to the Home Office nearly three hours later, Claudia sent Connor and Stephen off immediately to sign the Official Secrets Act.  The next three hours passed in a blur as she debriefed Lester on everything she had witnessed and experienced- including the dog tags and that she was going to have them analyzed, then sent Nick and Abby in one at a time after her to do the same.  She sought out Cerise Carroll, Lorraine’s assistant, and gave her the task of taking the dog tags directly to Lorraine with discretion.  She knew that Cerise admired and respected Lorraine, and that Lorraine was fond of Cerise and had high hopes for her.  As such, Claudia trusted her to manage her task correctly.
     When Connor and Stephen were finished with signing the OSA, she corralled them and Nick and Abby, recently finished with Lester, for an overdue lunch.  By the grace of God, Lester didn’t materialize and bark orders this time around, so they were able to finish eating in peace before Stephen and Connor had to debrief Lester of their own personal experiences.  As they arrived to Lester’s office, Claudia caught sight of Captain Ryan leaving, his face the kind of stony that was meant to hide exasperation and irritation.  She sympathized.
     Finally, finally, the majority of the legal t’s were crossed and i’s were dotted, and all that Claudia had left to do was write her report- after she spoke to the Trents and Ben’s teacher, of course, but she wasn’t going to do that today.
     Lester called Nick into a conference room shortly after Connor’s debriefing was finished, and the others assembled outside in a show of support.  Claudia followed and watched as the Scotsman sat down at the large round table, slumping with exhaustion, supporting his head with one hand.
     “We developed the film in the camera you brought back.”  Lester announced.  An image appeared on the monitor, and Nick straightened in his seat.
     “It’s her.  It’s Helen.”  The Scotsman said, the final confirmation.  There was a click as the next picture came up, very similar to the first.
     Claudia studied the image.  It was taken up close, the main focus being an attractive woman with brown hair and eyes in her forties or early fifties, the unmistakable Permian landscape serving as a backdrop.  But despite being trapped in a threatening landscape and time period, Helen seemed unbothered, even cheerful.  She smiled happily, livelily, at the camera, as if enjoying herself immensely.  Claudia couldn’t fathom how anyone could actually like being there, under the scorching sun and constant danger.  She wore a green button-down tank top with several of the top buttons undone and a white bandana around her neck.  Despite the large amount of exposed skin, she didn’t appear injured in any way, and although she was slim, she looked more lean than gaunt.  Of course, this picture could’ve been taken shortly after becoming stranded there, before starvation and the elements truly affected her; or if she had met up with the soldiers at this point, she would have had access to their food and medical supplies.  Hope, or company, would’ve kept loneliness and despair at bay.  Still, there was something about the pictures that bothered Claudia.
     The screen went dark after that, disappointing Nick and Claudia alike.  There were no pictures of the military camp or of the soldiers that established it- no way of discerning their objective or home time period or identities.  Keeping her thoughts to herself, she directed her gaze to Nick, who looked utterly lost, his bright eyes still locked on the screen.  She felt sorry for him, but not in that sickeningly pitying way.  The man had spent the last eight years believing his wife was dead, grieving and moving on as best as he could, and now before him was the proof that she hadn’t perished on that night, that she’d lived on afterward.  But perhaps the pictures were only giving him false hope – it was entirely possible that Helen had died soon after they were taken, and there was no way of knowing how long after she had disappeared that they had been taken.  She could have gone through the anomaly, met up with the soldiers, gotten her pictures taken by one of them, and then died within a day or so.  But now any closure he may have found in the near-decade since her disappearance was gone, voided, and if she was dead in some other time period, it was highly likely that he would never know and forever wonder what had happened to her.
     “I’m sorry for your personal loss, Professor.”  Lester said, placing the screen remote on the tabletop.  Claudia couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or not.  “This camp you discovered- there were no clues as to who made it or what it was for?”
     Nick shook his head.  “Nothing conclusive as of yet.”  Claudia responded.  “There was a chocolate bar in one of the cases, and its packaging was in English.  And the dog tags I took off the remains we found seem to be Canadian, but I haven’t heard back on their analysis yet.”
     Lester nodded.  “Inform me when you do.  The thought that someone’s been there before us is far from reassuring.  And I used to think the EU Common Agricultural Policy was far-fetched.”  Nick and Claudia exchanged matching looks of irritation.  “Still, at least the immediate crisis is over.”
     The paleontologist pushed to his feet, striding over to the window.  “Some force out there ripped the boundaries of space and time to shreds.”  He began, his accent thick.  “Maybe it’s happened before, in which case, every single thing we thought we knew about the universe is wrong.  Or, this is the first time, in which case, what changed?  What happens next?  Believe me, it’s very, very far from over.”
     With that, he marched out of the room, breezing past both government officials and leaving them to contemplate the fallout of his statements.  She wanted nothing more for him to be wrong.  She wanted to go back to her boring government job where she did mundane task that made plenty of sense in the normal world order and logic and protocol served as her autopilot.  She never wanted to see another anomaly again, or a prehistoric creature outside of a museum.
     But Claudia was a lot smarter than she appeared to be, and she did not appear to be stupid.  She knew that this had happened before- Helen Cutter had gone through it eight years ago and been stranded and photographed in the Permian.  Once is a fluke, a bizarre improbability.  But twice is suspicious, and even if that anomaly only ever opened every eight years in the same place, it would happen again, Claudia was certain of it.
     She knew that Professor Nick Cutter spoke the truth: it was very, very far from over.  Phenomena of this magnitude- with this consistency, dubious as it was- were no minor inconvenience, no laughing matter.  It would require a substantial amount of government funding, the involvement of at least half a dozen (ideally; realistically, at least ten or fifteen) high-ranking government officials (higher ranking than her, that is), a large and qualified team of scientists, and an at-the-ready, well-trained military contingent.
     It was going to be a bitch and a half to cover up.
     “Scottish.  They’re mad, all of them.  Always making mountains out of molehills and blaming everyone else for it.”  Sir Lester griped.  “A twinkling doorway in Gloucester and a paleontologist thinks the scientific laws of the world have gone mad!”  Lester ranted, laughing with a mix of incredulity and annoyance.
     Claudia found herself echoing what she’d told the professor barely twenty-four hours ago.  “You didn’t see what we saw.  You don’t know what we know.”  She murmured, looking down at her fingernails.  A few stubborn grains of Permian earth had remained jammed underneath them, which she fully intended to remedy later.  No amount of reports, of photographs could have the same impact as standing under that younger sun in the blazing heat of the Late Permian, surrounded by ferns and pines and Scutosauri and Coelurosauravus; or as pawing through prehistoric earth to discern the identity of a long-dead soldier out of time, touching his bones.
     Claudia didn’t regret going with Professor Cutter and Captain Ryan.  She stood by her decision and her reasons for it.  She may have played a part in getting Nick (and, by extension, Ryan) back alive, and she doubted giving the timing that either of them would have recovered the dog tags without her.  But that hour spent two hundred-something million years ago had changed her.  She had seen impossible things and experienced a significant shift in her worldview, and quite literally gotten her hands dirty and touched death in that place.  She had never been as aloof as Sir Lester (who was actually quite down-to-earth, hardworking, and caring compared to some she’d met), but from the moment that her teenage self had decided firmly that she would work for the government, she hadn’t been soft either.  Calamity and crisis could not be allowed to affect her; hysteria and death must bounce off her with no impact.  Calm and level heads were essential when chaos struck, rising above the emotionally tumultuous public and shaping events into the best possible outcome for Great Britain and her people.
     “You disagree?”  Sir Lester asked.
     She nodded.  “I do.”
     “Alright then, Miss Brown, what is your view on these anomalies?”  Lester queried.  His expression indicated he was humoring her for the hell of it rather than actually being interested in her opinion.
     “Well, if we’re very lucky, the anomaly only opens every eight years or so, and in that same area every time.”  Claudia began.  “But if Professor Cutter is right and anomalies are tied to ancient myths from all across the world, this may have only been the tip of the iceberg.  We could have found one of hundreds, perhaps thousands of anomalies that have opened over time.  This anomaly has opened at least twice; the photographs of Helen Cutter prove that.  What if every anomaly opens twice?  Or three times?  Four?  What then?  Three creatures that we know of came through this time- the Coelurosauravus Rex, a Scutosaurus, and a Gorgonopsid.  Two of them were deemed harmless and Rex was mistaken for Draco Volans, but the Gorgonopsid nearly killed several people.”  She swallowed.  For a moment, she was back in the dark Forest, a lamp blinding her from above and a monster stalking toward her.
     “Claudia?”  Sir Lester’s voice broke her from her reverie.  Her head snapped up, her eyes and ears filling with the Home Office again.  Her eyes darted to Lester, who was watching her carefully.
     “Apologies, sir.”  She said.  Immediately their respective masks slipped back into place once more.  “As I was saying, although we were very lucky, we may not always be.  We need to be prepared for the entirely plausible eventuality that this will happen again, with a greater and far more negative impact than this time.”
     Sir Lester nodded pensively.  “What then do you suggest?”
     “A response team, sir.  Someone from the Home Office coordinating, a military presence, and experts that can study the anomalies and at the very least identify any creatures that come through them.”
     The faintest edge of a smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth.  “And I suppose you’ll be suggesting Captain Ryan, Professor Cutter, Stephen Hart, Connor Temple, Abby Maitland, and yourself?”
     It was a little embarrassing how easily he’d deduced that.  “Not out of any desire for self-aggrandizement, sir.  I’ve seen those creatures; traveled through an impossible doorway to hundreds of millions of years in the past and seen- touched- the remnants of a campsite there.  Captain Ryan saved Professor Cutter and I from the professor’s… dedication… to his wife; Ms. Maitland has knowledge and practical experience with animals; Mr. Hart is a skilled tracker, proficient with weapons, and seems to have some knowledge of prehistoric times; and Professor Cutter and Mr. Temple are both even better-versed in the past and its inhabitants.  I think it would be… counterproductive… to dismiss the experience and knowledge already available to us.  Also, they’ve all signed the Official Secrets Act; the more people we bring in on this only further expands the web, whereas utilizing those already involved would be more resourceful.”
     He nodded again.  “Thank you for your input, Claudia.  You may go.”
     She didn’t need to be told twice, rushing out as professionally as she could.  The others had all disappeared, which she couldn’t blame them for.  She longed to go home, but there was just a little she had left to do.
     Lorraine was sitting at her desk as usual, dressed smartly and typing rapidly.  Her eyes never left the computer monitor as Claudia approached, though a soft smile spread across her pretty face.  A few seconds before Claudia reached the desk, Lorraine ceased typing, saving and closing whatever she was doing with a few clicks of the mouse.
     “So, how was the Permian?”  She asked as Claudia stopped beside her desk.
     Claudia blew out a very unladylike breath, grabbing a chair from an unoccupied desk and dragging it over to sit in.  “Hot.  Dry.  Pretty, I guess, but I like England better.  I know I should be disappointed that the anomaly closed and we can’t send in a science team and learn more, but I’m glad it’s shut.  There were none of those Gorgonopsid monstrosities on the other side that I could see, but we weren’t safe there.  I didn’t feel safe there for a moment, even before we found the camp.  I didn’t think that Captain Ryan was incapable of protecting me, that’s not what I’m saying,” she clarified, “but one man- even one highly trained man with two guns- cannot fend off all the dinosaurs of that era.  He cannot surmount volcanoes or other natural disasters.  I’m glad to be back.”
     Lorraine smiled, genuinely.  “And I’m glad you’re back- in one piece and not in a body bag, that is.  I would’ve been quite cross with you if the disclaimer I’d printed out for you became necessary.”
     Claudia chuckled.  “Only because it would’ve been a lot of paperwork, eh?”
     “Oh, of course.”
     “The soldier who accompanied you and the professor into the Permian, Captain Ryan,” Lorraine began, “I’ve met him.”  She tapped her pen against the desktop, irritation twitching a muscle in her jaw.  “The Gulf War didn’t even last seven months but it inflicted such a deep impact… I won’t tell you what he told me when we met at the OVA, but I know it scarred him.  He joined the Army when he was only seventeen.  But he’s a good man, kind.  Funny, too.  I’m glad it was him that went with you.”
     “I’m glad too.”  Agreed Claudia.  “He was remarkably calm about the whole thing.  I’ve felt like I was tumbling down the rabbit hole ever since we came across that Scutosaurus, but he acted like he went through anomalies every day.  It was nice to have a levelheaded presence – God knows Professor Cutter wasn’t going to fill that role.”  Lorraine snorted in amused concurrence.  “I trusted him to get us back safely, and he did.  Deserves a bloody medal for convincing Cutter to leave of his own volition.  All the medals.”  She shook her head, banishing the memories of the chest-tightening panic she’d felt as she and Ryan had desperately pressured and coaxed and bargained with the Scotsman to not condemn them to that terrible fate.  “Did you make any discoveries with the dog tags?”
     “I did, actually.”  Lorraine replied.  “They’re Canadian, as you said.  They belong to one Major Daniel Douglas of the Canadian Army.  Unfortunately, like all things involving military, government, or foreign affairs, it’s not that simple.”
     Claudia frowned.  “No?”
     Lorraine sighed.  “No.  He’s still very much alive, and a Lieutenant, no less.  Like in our Army, that’s two ranks lower than Major.”
     Claudia pulled out the nearest unoccupied office chair and sank into it.  “Is it possible they’re just covering up his death?”
     Lorraine shook her head.  “No.  I talked him and a dozen or so others into letting him have a video call with me.  He matches the pictures I found on the ‘net perfectly.  I asked him a handful of obscure questions, like the names of his teachers or classmates.  He got them all right.  I went through CCTV footage in the towns and cities he frequents and picked him up hundreds of times.  I scoured the web for obituaries of men who looked even vaguely like him and explored all those avenues thoroughly.  It’s him, Claudia.”
     It was Claudia’s turn to sigh deeply.  “So whatever led him through the anomaly to the Permian to die in that camp hasn’t happened yet, and probably won’t for several years if he needs to ascend two ranks before he does.”
     Lorraine nodded sagely.  “I’m going to put into my report that there were no definitive or informational findings, which is true enough.  We still don’t know why he was there, or when.  We don’t know if one of these doorways opened in Canada and led to the Permian, or if he got there from England.  We don’t know what year of the future he will have achieved the rank of Major.  We don’t know enough to risk negative relations with Canada.”
     She picked up the dog tags, wrapping the chain around the tags themselves, and extended them to Claudia.  “Take them.  If you face consequences for having them, you can blame me for it.  That should silence most.”
     “And you’ve got favors and blackmail to silence the rest?”  Claudia guessed with a knowing smirk.  Lorraine’s answering smile was deceptively sweet.  “Thank you, Lorraine.  For everything.  I’ll make this up to you.”
     “Legally, please, if only to spare us both the paperwork.”  Lorraine replied primly, and shot her a more genuine smile as she returned to her work.  Claudia returned the grin, heading back down the hall again.
©
17:16 / 5:16 p.m.
     Claudia had not finished writing her report, but she had gotten a good chunk of it done, and when she’d talked to Ben Trent and his teacher she would add that to the report and finally be done with it.  She had included the discovery of the tags in her report, but mirrored Lorraine’s by claiming there were no informative or definite findings.  They sat in a resealable plastic bag in the menstrual supplies pouch at the bottom of her purse, safely hidden from detection.  She would hide them better when she went home.
     She took the tube home, holding her purse close to her chest and leaning against one of the poles with half-lidded eyes for fear that if she sat, she’d fall asleep in her seat.  Mercifully, it was a Saturday, so it was neither as jammed full nor as unpleasant as it was during weekdays.
     The station was a fifteen-minute walk, if she was somewhat brisk, from her house, but her battered feet and exhaustion compelled her to take a cab.  Nearly falling asleep in the backseat, she was glad she hadn’t driven herself home.
     A frozen pizza went in the oven, and Claudia rinsed herself off in the shower before pouring herself a glass of wine, lighting some candles, and settling into a relaxing bath in her clawfoot tub.  It was so cliché and stereotypical that Claudia had initially been against it, but when she tried it with the intention of disproving its comfort, she ended up loving it.  She drew the line at bubbles, though.  They were a pain in the arse to clean up.
     Claudia propped her feet up at the other end of the tub, wiggling her toes gently to stretch her blistered foot out of the cramped position it had spent the last few days in.  Scrutinizing them over the top of her wine glass as she sipped from it, she halfheartedly considered painting them.  It’s not like anyone would see them if she did as she always wore close-toed shoes and nylons or stockings, and there were no office rules against toenail or fingernail polish, as long as the latter wasn’t ostentatious.
     The wine was expensive, but its flavor far bested the cheap middle-shelf wines most people bought, and she only drank it on special occasions or stressful days, like the last few had been.  Claudia was no connoisseur of wines, nor could she list out the different notes and flavors of her drink of choice without reading them off the bottle’s back label, but she enjoyed its rich taste and how it sat on her palate.  It relaxed her, and relaxation was her goal tonight.  She could face work and the chaos of the last few days again in the morning.    
     The dog tags- which she’d taken to mentally referring to as ‘Schrödinger’s tags’ as they didn’t exist yet, did exist, and had existed for a very long time all at once- had been secreted within her house.  She had dragged one of her bedside tables away from its place in the corner of her bedroom, used a knife to pull up the carpeting in that spot, and laid the tags underneath.  She’d then pressed the carpet back down, going to far as to glue it into place once more, and slid the nightstand into its previous spot.  For good measure, she’d slid a photo album under the nightstand.  Now a four-inch-thick compilation of her youngest years guarded the tags.
     The timer she’d set for the pizza went off in the kitchen, and with a sigh she left her bath, padding in slipper-clad feet into the kitchen to keep her dinner from burning.  She plated three slices on a medium-sized platter, forgoing traditional plates, grabbed her wine bottle and glass and sat down on her sofa.  She swaddled herself cozily in a thick fleece and flannel blanket and turned on the telly, switching to BBC One.  Last she recalled, the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey along with several characters on a parallel Earth were about to be deleted by the Cybermen.  It would certainly be interesting to see how they got out of that one.
Author’s notes: The SOLE reason I included Claudia canonically tripping and falling was so I could later say that she had felt safe in his arms. The OVA is the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and is a branch of the Cabinet Office, according to Google.  I believe the American equivalent is the VA (Veterans’ Affairs). A headcanon of mine is that Claudia is a Doctor Who fan.  If you look up the original UK airdates for the episodes, Series 2 Episode 6 ‘The Age of Steel’ premiered on May 20th, 2006. If it wasn’t obvious, the friend and colleague Claudia says might kill Nick and Stephen is Lorraine.  Gee, I wonder what was going on during that phone call…. What Lorraine says in Spanish: “Shut him up, please.”  I am not a native Spanish speaker and I used Google translate so if I’m wrong please forgive me and let me know.  I’m definitely of the same mind as other fanfic writers when it comes to Lorraine, and it’s actually kind of nice to write a character as powerful, for lack of a better term, as more of a side character than the main character. According to an interview with Lorraine’s actress, Alexandra Afryea (who acted under the name Claire Spence while filming Primeval for reasons I don’t know), she actually knew Mark Wakeling (Captain Ryan) from The Actors Temple, and she started watching Primeval to support him.  This fun fact inspired me to make Lorraine and Ryan have at least crossed paths before, and I look forward to combining the Claudia/Ryan and Claudia/Lorraine friendships I had already planned on writing. Also, primeval.fandom.com has a whole page dedicated to Nick’s green jacket.  Why?  I don’t know.  It’s handy though. Cerise is a very minor but entirely canon character from Primeval; she appears in a few episodes of S4 and S5 and is Lester’s assistant.  Lester calls her by name in S4E1 when they’re picking up the mess that Princess made in his office (“Just collect them in a pile, Cerys, and I'll sort through them later.”)  If you’ve read Ocean Eyes, my MerMay 2022 AU, you may recognize Cerise’s name from Chapter 14 and the epilogue.  She’s not very important right now and I don’t know if I’ll really take her character anywhere new, but at the very least we know that Lorraine’s assistant will one day be Lester’s assistant at the ARC.  She’s portrayed by Jacqui Carroll, which is where I got her character’s surname. ALSO, a timeline note: The newspaper photo of the Gorgonopsid has the date 05/17/06 – May 17th, 2006.  I went with the assumption that since the episode starts in the morning, the picture was taken the day before, so the present-day portion of the show starts on May 18th.  The next day is the bulk of the episode, and then the last day of the first episode (featured in this chapter) would therefore be the 20th of May, which I mentioned briefly above in regards to the Doctor Who episode.  Now, this won’t matter unless you’ve seen Primeval: New World (SPOILERS AHEAD!), but I found it interesting.  In Truth, Ange says that 05-20-80 is Brooke Cross’ birthday, meaning that this episode takes place partly on her birthday.  In the finale, we find out that Brooke died in September 2006, which means that the third day of this episode takes place on Brooke Cross’ last birthday.  I’m sure it was a coincidence, but I thought it was interesting.
@witchofthemidlands @whatkindofnameisvolta @chocolatesawfish @whispers-of-gallifrey @thegingergal
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fatesurvived · 7 months
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Sydney Sage: Re-Education + trauma
TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CONTAINS MENTIONS OF TORTURE, INHUMANE ACTS, FORCED FEEDINGS, FORCED DRUG USE, AND FORMS OF AVERSION THERAPY.
To really get into the TRAUMA we must get into the poor conditions the Alchemists kept traitors in. Sydney was kept in a cell for three months before being moved upstairs with the others for the actual re-education aspect. The cell was described as a small, cramped stone cell. Within the cell, it held a sink that dispensed ice-cold water that smelt of rust and a toilet. She had no bed; she was expected to sleep on the hard and cold stone ground. When she had been placed in the cell she had been stripped of her clothes and left naked, a tactic to break her. They kept the lights off, she was in complete darkness for most of the day, and her only form of communication was with someone through a speaker in the ceiling, asking her if she was guilty, trying to find new tactics to break her, bend her to their will. Not only was she tormented by the mystery voice, the nudity, and the bone-chilling cold conditions, they taunted her with objects of comfort; a real bed, warmth, clothing, a real bath or shower, even her cross that unbeknownst to them was made by Adrian, her vampire boyfriend. The catch was she had to admit that she was guilty of going against their values, beliefs, and morals. To admit that she had sinned against her own, that she was TAINTED. 
When Sydney first was put into the cell she woke up in the darkness, naked and afraid. She knew where she was (re-education) but she had no idea what was going to happen. Her heart raced and they kept her there without making contact for several hours, presumably seeing what she would do. The darkness was overwhelming, she found herself in weaker moments wondering if she would survive this, if fighting this was worth it.
The food she had been served while in the cell was described as a fortified, tasteless, hot cereal however it was lukewarm at best. When she refused to eat it, going on a hunger strike they forced her to eat through disgusting measures. After that, Sydney learned to eat the food for fear of being subjected to another forced feeding.
Another tactic in their arsenal was to pipe drugs in through the ventilation system daily to either keep her groggy or a stimulant to keep her awake and irritable. The brain can’t function accordingly on such disturbed “sleep”. 
Around a month and a half to two months into her three months stay in the cell, they had offered Sydney a paper-thin sleeveless shift that provided no warmth - a gesture of goodwill. She accepted it to try and preserve some dignity as if they weren’t watching her with a night vision camera at all hours.
For much of the three months, Sydney endured their games by thinking of Adrian, all their escape plans and all their stolen moments together. Playing through every conversation that she could remember. Sometimes it became too much, so she’d turn away from the camera and cry until she couldn’t any longer.
When Sydney finally gives in, agrees to re-education, a chance to get proper sleep, to talk to Adrian, to find a way out, she is permitted a 5-minute shower, where khaki scrubs were given. It’s there in the bathroom that she catches a glimpse of herself, her body. Due to malnourishment, she had described herself as having a hollow look, intensified by dark shadows under her eyes and a paleness to her skin from the lack of sunshine.
DURING RE-EDUCATION:
One of the main torture elements is purging: being strapped to a chair and injected with a serum that made you feel nausea that took over the entire body, throbbing of her head, and the internal body temperature skyrocketing, resulting in sweating. After being injected they show images or ask questions about the moroi, dhampirs, and Strigoi. If you answer incorrectly (against the Alchemist way) it gets worse. If participants close their eyes to avoid having to watch the screen, there are methods meant to keep the eyes open.
The first time Sydney was sent to purge she felt so sick to her stomach, not only from the injection but from the agony, the not knowing, the ever so slightly fading of her hope.
The other form of torture is while she was strapped to a chair, Sheridan, the lady in charge of the facility would press a button and part of the arm rest sliding back to reveal a clear liquid. With another click of the button and the armrest would move down into the liquid. The chemical was described as if her skin had touched a pot of boiling water, searing her skin, and setting the nerves on fire. When Sydney refused to say that the Moroi on the screen were evil creatures, Sheridan would lower her arm in for longer periods of time, not relenting despite her screams of pain.
When Sheridan showed Sydney a picture of Jill and Adrian, expecting her to call them evil creatures, Sydney couldn’t do it. She tried to blink away the tears of pain, reminding herself to be strong, that this was just a game. That didn’t impress Sheridan, lowering her arm deeper and keeping it submerged Sydney finally gives in, calling them creatures of darkness. Whether she believed it or not she had to play the twisted game, to survive this torture.
During an attempt to shut off the gas and find a way out, she was caught by Sheridan and struck with a taser. When she came too, she was strapped to a cool table with her extremities and head strapped into place. This would be known as persuasion. The table had been rigged to produce a pain like electric shock, paper cuts and bee stings all wrapped up into one uncomfortable feeling going nerve deep. When Sydney wouldn’t answer, they brought in her roommate, Emma, and began to torture her with the same methods until Sydney told her what she wanted to know.
When Sydney admitted that she was using human magic, she had no clue that Sheridan and the other Alchemists could be so cold. That she was essentially the enemy now and that they had no trouble increasing the intensity.
POST RE-EDUCATION & HER ESCAPE:
I’ve touched on this in another HC but I really want to re-iterate it. The trauma that she endured for four months simply does not disappear as quickly as the novels depict. Trauma like that can take months, years or may never actually disappear.
For Sydney, her healing takes a long time. She has nightmares regularly and can no longer sleep in the darkness, afraid that she will wake up back in that cold cell. Even after her deal with the Alchemists for her freedom, she can’t shake that horrible feeling that it’s going to be ripped away at any moment. The first night outside of the facility, she stayed awake until she could no longer hold her eyes open, her sleep is short lived. Waking up covered in sweat, heart racing and feeling utter panic and fear. 
The second most important aspect of her recovery process is her diet, she’d always been obsessed with her figure, one that her father hadn’t helped dissuade. She’d lost an incredible amount of weight and putting it back on was hard. She would try one day, eating as normal as she could and the next in tears because she couldn’t bring herself to eat. It was a source of conflict between Sydney and Adrian. 
Sydney will NEVER utter a word about what she endured to a single person she loves for fear of them doing something stupid. She keeps quiet about her trauma aside from what Adrian and Eddie had seen, she doesn’t like to talk about it.
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bielbraganca · 3 years
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special delivery ; @margotstuart​ / january 2st, 2021.
the ache that hit his entire body as he rolled on the bed to turn off the alarm of his phone, could only mean one thing, gabriel has gone past his limit and a hangover was now a reality. it’s almost impossible to open his eyes, even the small beans of light that finds its way past the curtains of his room makes his eyesight hurt and sends a shiver of pain to the back of his head  ─ happy fucking new year. at least, this could only mean that last night was a good one, but as the memories starts to play on his mind as his eyes flickers open to catch a vision of the person laying next to him. “shit” he thinks, rolling off from his side of the bed to catch the white shirt from the ground. it wasn't a sight to be hated when the beans of lights start to invade more of the quietude of the room, and illuminates the traces of woman lying in there, but this wasn’t just another one night stand where he could just walk away and not looking back. 
“hi - “ a softened syllable falls through his husky voice as gabriel moves the falling hair from her face. "i'm going to order breakfast, any special requests?"
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She’s the Man (Fellowship x Disguised as Boy! Reader)
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Requested by anon
Warnings: mentions of domestic/sexual assault, nudity, awkward public bathing. Might trigger a gender identity crisis in some of you folks, but don’t worry, join the club—we’re getting jackets made.
Synopsis: after having run away from your noble family and horrid husband, you cut your hair short and start dressing like a boy, presenting yourself as one throughout all of Middle-earth. This becomes hard, though, as you start travelling with the Fellowship, where they start to suspect something is up with their young “boy” comrade.
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Restrictions, restrictions, restrictions—that’s all you’ve ever known. You first noticed the tight chains on your soul when you were five, when your mother forbade you from playing with the local stable-hands.
You next noticed it when you were ten, being forced to wear tight corsets to shape your body before it even began blooming.
The final nail in the coffin, however, was when you turned fifteen, and were married off to a local, and quite old tradesman.
Though he dealt in silken fabrics, he was anything but smooth or soft. The night of your wedding was painful in all regards, for at fifteen you weren’t even sure if you were allowed to remove the tight corset during the act.
Five years more of total misery accompanied you, as you were forced to attend noble banquets and celebrations.
You encountered a wide range of people, from the likes of Denethor and his two sons, to the sickly Rohan King. Of course, they did not encounter you, for you were not allowed to speak unless spoken to, which was rare.
The two sons of Denethor and King Théoden’s own son, Théodred, as well as his two cousins, Eowyn and Eomer, were the only ones to initiate conversation with you.
You quickly realized they were better-spirited than their parents, but didn’t have the chance to explore more. A tight grip on your wrist from your husband silenced you, as he tore you away from the circle of new acquaintances quickly.
That night, life in your guestroom with your husband was a living hell, as he reminded you whom exactly you belonged to.
That was the night you snapped.
Bruised and sore, you wept into your sheets. Your husband had long-gone to drink more wine at the party, leaving his young wife alone in a state of mess.
It was around the third hour of crying that you studied the tapestry on the wall above your bed. With hair wettened by your tears clinging to your puffy cheeks, you ran your reddened eyes along the art.
It depicted a strong soldier atop a horse, riding into battle. A sword was drawn, and his short hair flowing in the wind behind him.
Subconsciously, you reached up to your own hair, long in length—your husband’s desire—and pulled on it.
As mounted in every room, two swords crossed each other over a shield, making a pretty decoration above the mantle.
Looking between the bruises inside your thighs, the tapestry and the sword, your jaw quickly set. Your eyes hardened, as you threw the sheets off your frame and stalked towards the mantle.
Glancing over your shoulder, you ensured no one was entering your room. With an emotional mind made up, you removed both swords from the shield.
Hastily, you used one to bar the door shut, and walked to the centre of the room with the other. With no candlelight around, you knelt on the fur rug under a square beam of moonlight, which poured in through the bedroom windows.
You looked at your reflection in the sword, and studied the state of your misery. Despising your parents, your husband and your life, you quickly put the sword to your hair.
With only a second to build the courage, you sliced all long locks from your head, springing forward a boyish look—instantly freeing yourself from your lifelong chains.
Breathing heavily in shock, you looked at the clump of hair on the floor, and picked it up. One hand ran through your now very short locks, and the other fingered the cut clump.
However, shocked breaths soon turned into joyous laughter, as your chest swelled with pride and your eyes watered.
Standing up swiftly, you ran towards the bathroom and opened the drawers. Finding a pair of scissors, you got to work and began styling your hair further.
Soon, you were left looking like a boy, by Middle-earth’s human standards. Your hair barely scraped the nape of your neck at the back, and in front, you had a fringe swooping to one side.
Grinning brightly, and now on a roll, you ran back to the mantle. Opening your husband’s drawers, you quickly discarded your nightgown and slipped his tunic on.
Shrugging the loose fit over your form, you secured it with a thick brown belt, trousers and used your own boots.
Studying yourself in the mirror, you realized this must be how you would’ve looked if born a boy, and you were surprised within yourself over liking it.
Throwing your clump of cut hair into the fire, you soon began tying sheets together. That night, you escaped down the window and fled the city atop a stolen horse, riding towards your new life.
Five years passed by, and you had been on the run ever since. Life was never easy for you, but at least now you were calling the shots.
You had taken to your new life as a boy, like a duck to water, presenting yourself as the rather quiet and distant “Arlo”.
You kept your head down and worked hard wherever you went, whether as a blacksmith’s apprentice, baker’s boy or stablehand.
Your most favourite part of the road, however, was learning to use a sword. With a book stolen from a library and five years’ worth of nights to practice, you had become quite skilled. The spite drove you forward.
You vowed no one would ever best you in combat again, pushing you harder every day. Your best friend and only companion was your horse, Paxton, and together the two of you explored Middle-earth to its very ends.
Along your travels, you had taken to competing in swordfight competitions, where you earned most of your cash. Swindling them, you presented yourself as a weak and frail boy, but in the end ultimately beat them all.
You gained a reputation quickly, and were slightly infamous for your swordsman skills, despite being so small.
It was this reputation that led you to Elrond’s secret council in Rivendell.
Your eyes had gone wide in alarm upon entering the petal-strewn area—where the council was set to be held—for Boromir, one of Denethor’s sons, was there.
You almost turned and ran, but he caught your eye quickly. You didn’t know whether or not to avoid his gaze, but that would bring about suspicion.
He instead smiled warmly at you, and thought nothing of your appearance. You nodded back tightly, and took your seat far away from him.
You ended up sitting next to an elf, for you knew their gender worked differently from yours. He himself looked a little girlish, so you believed he’d think nothing of your appearance.
He studied you with a side-glance as you sat down, and nodded curtly. You clenched your jaw and nodded back, moving your eyes forwards again.
You discreetly let out a sigh of relief, as you found the coast to be clear. No one figured you to be a girl.
Soon, Elrond joined the council. You felt your breath hitch in your throat, as you realized his puzzled eyes lingered on you a little too long.
Worried he’d rat you out, you looked away. Knitting his brows, Elrond slowly tore his eyes away from you, and began the council.
Long story-short, you had been invited to participate on a dangerous quest, all food and expenses paid for. Unable to pass up such a good opportunity for you and your horse, you reluctantly agreed, offering your sword to the hobbit sworn to carrying Sauron’s ring.
The first few nights you kept to yourself, as an awkward air befell the Fellowship—none really knowing each other nor knowing how to interact.
Very quickly, cliques formed.
The hobbits kept to each other in a pack, Gandalf joining them. Aragorn and Legolas joined forces, and Boromir, Gimli and yourself found ranks in solitude.
However, this was not to last forever.
Boromir had attempted many times to strike up conversation with you, as besides Aragorn, you were the only other “man” there.
You kept it short and courteous, but made it apparent very quickly to everyone there that you were in no position to begin friendships. This was a job to you—nothing more, nothing less.
That still did not stop anyone from trying, though. After Boromir, Gimli was next. The topic of the night around the campfire was “women”, as they all discussed their perfect partner.
The conversation divided the group in half, over those choosing to go more physical in nature a direction, and the other half preferring emotions.
Gimli laughed heartily and elbowed you in the shoulder. “Forget this lot, eh? I bet you and I are exactly alike, laddie! Thick thighs and body hair all over! Am I right?”
Laughing nervously, you rubbed at the back of your neck. “Uh…not really…”
He blinked up at you in surprise for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders and pressing on in the conversation. Legolas studied you from across the fire, and made a mental note of your words.
Later on, when you were all setting up your rugs, Legolas approached you. He crouched down by your side and began helping to unroll your pack.
You recoiled from him slightly, and stared up in alarm. He looked back down at you briefly with a tight-lipped smile, and spoke.
“I agree with you from earlier,” he said. “I believe partnership should be about romance and emotions, not physical acts. How about you, mellon nin? Have a lady waiting back at home for you?”
You sputtered up at the prince, before averting your eyes and rolling your pack out faster. “No, I…uh, that’s not really my area…”
Legolas knitted his brows for a moment in confusion, before his lips parted in sudden understanding.
“Oh. Oh! Well, um…do you have a gentleman waiting back at home for you, then?”
Snapping your eyes up at him once more, you flushed.
“No! No! I, look—I’m really kinda tired.” You made a show of yawning loudly. “And I think I just wanna get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning, though…brother?”
Legolas blinked down at you a few times, before speaking and rising to his legs. “Oh! Uh, sure…that’s no hassle. Rest well…brother?”
“Will do,” you drew out, laying down.
He threw a glance over his shoulder at you, before walking away. He caught Aragorn’s eye as he walked past, with the ranger sat there puffing away on his pipe.
They both tightened their lips, looked away and raised their brows, figuring you were just a moody boy.
The most awkward situation of all, however, came a few weeks later. Having managed to sneak away from the Fellowship, you found a nice river, of which you could bathe in.
Paxton followed suit, keeping your towel wrapped over his saddle. He snorted in worry as you began to undress, revealing your body to the running river.
“It’s fine,” you laughed, girlishly. Your voice had returned to its normal pitch, for the first time in a long time. “Just because I’m pretending to be a boy as I travel with them, doesn’t mean I have to smell like one!”
Paxton snorted, and you knew he was telling you to hurry.
“All right, all right,” you laughed again, stepping into the water. You hugged your chest as you dipped below, submerging yourself fully.
Rising again, you exhaled a sigh of relief, and began washing the grime from your hair and face.
You were only in there for so long, however, for soon boyish laughter came from up the forested incline.
“Out of the way!” Pippin called, stripping off his clothes.
“No! You move!” Merry shouted back, also stripping down.
Behind them both, was the rest of the entire Fellowship, save for Gandalf.
Your eyes grew wide in alarm, as you watched them all meet the river’s bank. They then began undressing—Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, Legolas and the hobbits included.
Soon, they each all jumped into the water, splashing one another and laughing loudly. You found a large boulder within the river nearby, and swam behind it.
Peeking out from the side, you watched them all swim closer in a group to where you were. They began cleaning themselves, and soon just started to wade around—relishing in the cool feeling.
However, as you tried to swim away discreetly, Legolas’ elven ears caught you. He narrowed his eyes, and began swimming over to your rock.
Knowing you would be caught if you tried to flee, you pressed your back firm against the rock, lapping up against it.
Legolas was now upon you, and looked around the corner to find what was behind it. Once he saw it was only you, he beamed brightly.
Rising up out of the water, he folded his arms over the rock and leaned over, looking down at you.
You tried to not let your eyes drift or slip, as you stared back up at him. However, mistakes were made (but clearly not on his parents’ behalf).
“Hello, Arlo!” he announced merrily. “We didn’t know you were also in here.”
Upon hearing your name, the rest of the Fellowship waved you over, asking you to join them.
You chuckled nervously and began swimming backwards and away, speaking as you did so. “Oh, no…that’s quite all right! I, uh…just remembered I actually have something to do—”
“Oh, no! Don’t be like that!” Boromir chastised. He grabbed your wrist gently and reeled you back in towards him and Legolas.
Your shoulders went rigid, as you nearly brushed up against their bare bodies.
Soon, the hobbits, Gimli and Aragorn swam over to you, and you were more thankful now for the darkness of night than you had ever been.
Though, with one slither of moonlight in the right spot, you’d soon be exposed.
“Please don’t leave on our behalf, Arlo,” Aragorn encouraged, placing a hand on your wet shoulder. “It is good for team morale to bond like this. Besides, we’re all men here.”
“Some more than others!” Gimli announced. You looked up in the direction of his voice, and immediately covered your eyes.  
Gimli was stood with his hands on his hips, proudly naked atop your boulder.
“I am the king of this rock!” he announced. “Any competitors who’d like to have a go at pushing me off?”
“Please,” Legolas rolled his eyes, before he, too, swam over to the boulder and climbed atop it. “This will be the easiest fight of my life.”
Catching more than you wanted to see, you made a squeal of rejection, before forcibly pushing your way through the group and heading towards the bank.
Paxton met you quickly, and you swiftly wrapped the towel over your shoulders like a cloak, as to not make it obvious what you were covering, but doing so nonetheless.
“I’m sorry,” you said to them, “but I truly do have something else to do…literally anything else. I’ll see you all back at camp.”
They watched as you left in a hurry, and shared glances with one another. Thinking nothing of it, besides your usual mood, they shrugged and returned to what they were doing.
This continued on for quite some time, throughout the entire Fellowship journey. Though, you never again attempted to bathe with them all around.
Fortunately, your travels soon took you out of the woods, and into the cities. Many fights had passed your small group, smaller now than before, by.
The most recent of battles saw many great feats—the “Battle of the Pelennor Fields” it was called.
In this battle, you had fought formidably. However, the true victory for women that day went to Eowyn. She had removed her helmet in the middle of the fight, pronounced she was “not a man”, like you had wanted to do so many times, and slayed the Witch-king of Angmar.
You were inspired greatly, but also so furious at yourself. You were also slightly jealous over the attention she got.
“What a brave woman,” Gimli would say.
“I’ve never met a woman so bold,” Merry added on.
“Truly remarkable,” Legolas agreed.
The six of you were sat in a stone courtyard together, camping out in the aftermath of the fight. Your jaw was rigid with fury, as you listened to them praise Eowyn over something you had been doing for the past few months.
Rolling your eyes, and making a show of turning over in your sleeping bag harshly, you quickly gained the Fellowship’s attention.
“Oh, and what is your problem, laddie?” Gimli snarked.
“Upset you were outshined by a girl?” Legolas taunted as well.
“You’re not that misogynistic, are you?” Merry chortled.
Aragorn glanced between your turned back and the laughing boys, before taking his own turn at scolding you.
“Arlo, Eowyn was a great asset today, and we are guests in her company. I will not see you sulking towards her remarkable feats.”
You glared at him over your shoulder, before huffing and returning to sleeping on your side. Your arms were folded over your chest, and your body burning in jealous rage.
“Gosh, what is the matter with you?” Legolas asked next, truly fed up with your attitude. “Why are you always in a bad mood?”
“Wouldn’t have taken you for a misogynist either,” Gimli remarked, smacking his gums as he ate a chicken leg.
You stayed on your side with your back turned to them for a few moments, glaring at the wall. However, the rage in your chest soon gave way to a lump in your throat, as you soon felt your secret burst within you.
“I’m not a misogynist…” you spoke up.
“Poppycock,” Gimli called you out.
Sighing, you sat up and looked at them to your side. “I’m not a misogynist, because…I’m not even a boy.”
Silence echoed around the courtyard, as your travel companions blinked back at you.
“What?” Pippin asked, squinting his eyes. “What do you mean you’re ‘not a boy’?”
Groaning through another sigh, and rolling your head, you pressed on. “I mean I’m NOT a boy! I’m a girl, for Eru’s sake…I’ve just been…presenting myself as one, for…reasons.”
“What reason could you possibly have to lie about something like that?” Legolas asked, not entirely believing you.
Feeling the urge to cry rising within you, you inhaled a deep breath and answered. “Nothing you men would understand.”
“I’m sorry,” Merry laughed, “but I don’t believe you at all. There’s no way you’re a girl.”
Glaring at him, you knew his words to be true. Knowing how to prove you were indeed a girl, you reached into your loose tunic, and began unwrapping the bind around your chest.
Pulling it out, you threw it down in front of the now gaping group. Without a shred of chivalry, still disbelieving you to be a girl at all, they glanced between the fabric and your chest, which indeed proved your gender.
“I don’t believe it…” Pippin whispered, staring with wide eyes.
In fact, they all did. With six pairs of male eyes on your chest, you felt very vulnerable and covered yourself.
This seemed to jolt them back to their senses, as they coughed uncomfortably and looked away.
The only one still looking into your eyes, was Aragorn. “Why did you feel the need to lie, my lady?”
Being called a “lady” for the first time in five years opened up a floodgate of emotions, as you wept into your hand.
“Yep, definitely a girl,” Merry rolled his eyes. A swift punched to his arm from Legolas silenced him.
Now knowing exactly how to deal with you, Aragorn stood up and crouched before you. He placed a tentative hand on your shoulder, and encouraged the other boys to come forwards, until they were sat all around you in a comforting circle.
“What is your real name, young maiden?” Aragorn asked softly.
Still sniffling into your hand, and bearing a downcast head, you spoke up in a barely audible voice.
“Y/n…” you revealed.
“What a beautiful name, Y/n,” he smiled warmly.
Like a turn of the tides, the boys all around took you under their wing, as if you were their own little sister. Everything about you now made sense, and they felt at ease with you instantly.
And, surprisingly, you found the same about them, regarding yourself. You didn’t at all feel threatened by their presence, but instead protected.
“I’m sorry,” you wept, shaking your head. “I had no choice, they made me marry him, and I-I couldn’t stay there, and then I had to make money so I ran with the lie and—”
They shushed your incoherent crying quickly, and rubbed at both your knees, back and shoulders comfortingly.  
They gained more information about your previous life in those few seconds than they had before in the last few months. They didn’t need to know anymore, nor wanted to, from the sounds of it all.
“Please don’t kick me out of the Fellowship…” you sniffled.
“Why would we do that?” Gimli laughed. “We now have TWO remarkable women in our ranks! Eowyn AND Y/n!
“A great win for us, indeed!” Legolas agreed brightly.
A smile broke through your tears, as they shook you softly and commended your swordswoman skills excitedly.
This carried on for a few moments, before you spoke up again, now smiling around at them through almost dried tears.
“So…you don’t mind about me lying? Or being a…woman?”
They shook their heads and returned your smile. “Not at all, lassie.”
Before the conversation could progress, however, Legolas suddenly recalled something.
“WAIT!” he gasped loudly, thinking back to the river. “THAT MEANS YOU SAW ALL OUR—”
“Let’s agree to never speak of it again, okay?”
“Aye, never again…sister.”
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with-love-from-hell · 2 years
Text
Vermillion Skies
{part Twelve}
Fandom: Obey me!
Genre: hurt, comfort, angst, some fluff
Pairing: Mc x Lucifer (pre-established relationship)
Written for F!MC
WC: ~5k
Music Accompaniment
TRIGGER WARNING FOR ALL PARTS: graphic depictions of sexual assault / rape, gore, and violence.
CW: catatonia, PTSD, dissociation, panic attacks, anxiety, swearing, nudity, death of a pet, mentions of past instances of sexual violence, spoilers for lessons 16+, mentions of sex / sexual arousal, excoriation, mentions of self-harm via skin picking, negative self-talk, self-blame
>> Though I have a Masters Degree in Psychology, I am not your therapist. If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, assault, or harassment and are in need of help, please utilize the RAINN sexual assault hotline or online chat service, or find additional help using the NSVRC website. <<
You can find any future parts by searching the tag #vermillion skies on my blog! I have added it to all parts!
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Read part 11 here
Read the headcannon post for parts 1-9 here!
"Mc?"
You jumped at the sudden closeness of Lucifer's soft voice. You looked up to see him squatting next to you. As he stared, you could see the concern overflowing from his expression. The towel was still wrapped firmly around his waist, now damp from the shower that continued to patter over your bodies.
You didn't know how much time had passed since he went out to talk to Levi. You were sure it was probably no more than 5 minutes, but it felt like so much longer than that...time seemed to feel different in this moment, going exponentially slower for you than it was in real time.
You unfolded your arms from on top of your knees and wrapped them around your core, hugging yourself gently. You looked down at the floor, feeling the hyperawareness of how vulnerable you were return.
Lucifer noticed the change in movement before, knowing it was indicative of you needing some sort of physical comfort. He stretched his arms out, welcoming you into his warm embrace. He scanned your facial expressions, as if trying to figure out what you were thinking.
You glanced up at him again after feeling his eyes trailing you, and felt your heart skip a beat at his gesture. You practically throw yourself into his arms. Tears immediately welled behind your eyes and you cried softly into his chest while he held you. You weren't sure why you were feeling so depressed in this moment, but the sudden whirlwind of emotions just felt overwhelming.
Since the assault, your mood had kind-of been all over the place. There were some days you felt okay, but others you would be spiraling into a deep well of sadness as your thoughts raced with blame and accusation toward yourself. You felt uncomfortable in your own skin, desperately wanting to claw your way out of it. It was as if your brain and body had turned on you, intentionally sabotaging your perceptions on reality.
You felt his large hand sift through your hair gently as he whispered words of reassurance to you. Lucifer wasn't quite sure of what was going in your head, but he did his best to try to calm your woe as you quietly cried. He was a firm anchor that you could seek out in these moments, and though he would never quite truly understand what was going on inside your head, he was able to somewhat eease the ache that had now just become part of living.
Lucifer lifted you into his arms as your sobbing slowed, wrapping your legs around his waist and supporting your lower half with one arm. He turned off the shower and grabbed some fresh towels for the both of you, carrying you gently back to his bed before setting you down and wrapping you in the large bath sheet.
You watched him dry himself off and dress in silk lounge pants. Realizing your clothes were packed away somewhere among the numerous boxes in his room, he offered you another pair of his underwear and one of his button ups. You put them on slowly, relaxing into his scent that was now embracing you from all sides. You weren't mad that you didn't have your own clothes to wear, relishing in the soft material that made your body feel less disgusting.
As if he could guess what you were thinking, Lucifer gave you a small smile. He cradled your face in his hand while he spoke. "Perhaps I should just leave you my wardrobe."
You smile sheepishly and play with the tail of the shirt that hung loosely off of your body. Something about the looseness of it made you feel secure and less vulnerable, and it was able to further sooth your emotions back to a reasonable baseline.
Lucifer observed you carefully, deciding now was the right moment to discuss with you his intentions. "Mc, I have something i need to propose to you."
You raised an eyebrow at him, unsure of where he was going with this conversation. "Oh?"
"I've been thinking lately..." He gave you a gentle smile. "Wouldn't it be a grand idea for you to reside in my room indefinitely?"
Your eyes widened in surprise. This sort of thing was not something you expected from the eldest brother. You knew how much he valued his space, and though you did spend many nights in his room anyway, you figured he would want to keep some sort of separation in place...at least for now. Surely this was large step for him, and it showed by how seriously he treated the proposition. You also found yourself wondering if this was perhaps some kind of joke- a prank like this would be so unlike the Lucifer you knew so well, but surely he couldn't be being sincere?
He shifted his weight nervously as you sat in silence, your eyes glossing over as you became lost in thought. "Uh- its not like you are obligated to do so...but I wasn't sure how returning to your own room would be after...all that."
Ah. That was the reason. You felt your heart sink slightly at his words and the sadness from before snaked its way through your chest, clutching your heart in a vice-grip. Though you still appreciated the sentiment, you had hoped that he would want you to move into his space because he wanted to move forward in your relationship- not just because he felt bad for you.
Lucifer noticed your changed expression and realized he maybe should not have phrased it quite like that. "Obviously that's not the only reason I want you to stay with me. While I want you to feel safe, I quite enjoy your company. I have become accustomed to the space in my bed being taken by you, and it makes me feel secure knowing where you are." He hesitates, looking away from you as a deep blush brushes his cheeks. "Besides, It would be nice to wake up to your beautiful form every morning."
You blinked at him, awestruck. He chuckled at your response and brushed his thumb over your now reddened cheeks. He was reassured by your involuntary reaction that you understood the request and were trying to collect your thoughts enough to say something.
You finally clear your throat and look deeply into his eyes. "I...I would really like that, Luci."
He beamed at you, his heart swelling with a fullness that overflowed in his every action. He lifted you into an embrace and spun you around once, before placing your feet gently on the cold wood floor. You grinned widely and squeaked in response to his giddy demeanor, causing him to flush in slight embarrassment. Though...he was pleased to hear such a sound pass your lips.
He gripped your hand delicately, placing a soft kiss to the back of it before stroking it over gently with his thumb. "I'm glad you agree. We can relax tonight; tomorrow we can start organizing your belongings."
Lucifer tenderly brushed your still moistened hair from your face, staring longingly in your eyes. His finger tips lingered on your jawline as he surveyed your expression, contemplating the decision to kiss you. After seeing your gaze drop to his mouth, he brought his face closer to yours, connecting your lips in a passionate, but gentle osculation.
The kiss was soft and sweet. He was sure not to press too hard, or linger in the moment for too long. The faint hint of cinnamon on his lips made yours tingle slightly, and you found yourself melting into the gentleness of the intimate gesture. After a long, tender moment, Lucifer pulled away, though his face lingered only centimeters from yours.
Lucifer's warm breath brushed your cheeks as he stared deeply into your eyes. He smiled at you warmly, absorbing the love-struck look radiating from your face. Butterflies swarmed in your stomach; It was almost as electrifying as the first time you two shared a kiss. The connection of your lips left you dazed.
Lucifer pulled you close and rested your head on his chest. He stroked your head as he held you, and you were able to feel his heart thump rhythmically against your ear. You sighed, closing your eyes and savoring the aura that enveloped the both of you in a sense of security and calm. Such a small act of intimacy- something that signified a step forward in your relationship after the plethora of awful happenings- made you feel whole for the first time in weeks.
----------------------
"Mammon, be careful with that!" You squawked, bolting over to where he was standing. In his hands he held a small crystal orb with a preserved black lily inside. You snatch it from his hands and grip it closely to your chest, fondly remembering the moment Lucifer gave you the gift on your anniversary earlier this year.
~
You were sobbing hard into Lucifer's shoulder, gripping him tighter than you ever had before. You sat with him in a small white room surrounded by images of animal anatomy, the vet having just taken the still body of your beloved pet out of the room
Your parents had called to inform you that your childhood pet was sick- very sick- and was to be put down. They made a comment about not being willing to pay for surgery, and by the time they had informed you of their decision, it was nearly too late. You had made it just in time to say a quick goodbye to your old friend- the only one to really be there for you through all the bullshit you faced in the human world.
Lucifer held you as you shuddered in his arms, cursing your parents for the audacity they had at not giving you proper notice- telling you only hours before the euthanization. He knew you were not only grieving the loss of your pet, but also the fact that you felt the farewell was not appropriately given. He gripped you harder, reminding himself that there was indeed a reason why you decided to take Diavolo's offer to stay in Devildom.
Two days after the animal was cremated, you had slipped when dusting your shelf in your bedroom. The urn shattered on the floor, ushering in a new wave of despair and sadness. Lucifer helped you clean it up, but he knew that there was no salvaging all of the shattered clay and ash. He took you back to the human world to spread the ashes over your pets favorite place, but unbeknownst to you, he saved a bit of the ash.
On your anniversary a few months later, he had presented you with the orb. The flower he picked for it was one that grew near by where the ashes were spread. He cast a spell to give it color-changing properties before encasing it in the crystal. Though the solid color was black, it glistened in various colors when you held it tightly in your palm, aligning to your mood at the time you held it. The best part of it, was that the flower was speckled with flecks of grey ash- the remnants of your beloved pet from the human world.
~
It had hurt your soul to see Mammon mindlessly tossing it up to the ceiling, catching it on its way down with one hand- like a child would with a soft ball. Of course he should know better than to handle breakables in such a way, but he didn't know how truly important the gift was to you.
"Oh, sorry Mc." He cringed when he saw the look on your face. The way you cradled the delicate ball with such urgency and fear made guilt fester in his chest. Perhaps he should be more aware of his nervous habits- especially when handling your belongings.
He dug through the box he had been going through and handed you the small display podium. You looked around the room slowly, deciding the perfect place for your most treasured possession. Your gaze stopped on the fire place, and you felt something align in your heart that told you this was the spot.
You placed the ball right in the center of the mantel, whispering inaudibly to it as you relinquished your hold. You stood back, admiring how the orb glistened in the light, the flower flickering in a turquoise hue.
Mammon raised from his position on the sofa and trotted over to you. He took a look at the orb, seeing it glisten in the low light of the fire burning intensely in the hearth. He then turned his attention to your face- now realizing there were tears in your eyes. Before he was able to speak, Lucifer returned with a tray of hot coco in hand, as well as a bottle of human-world Irish cream. He gave both you and mammon a mug, topping it off with the alcohol before serving up his own.
"How much progress has been made?" Lucifer sipped from his mug, his eyes now locking onto the gift now displayed proudly on the mantel. He smiled at the sight, remembering the tears of gratitude you shed when he presented it to you.
"We're still working through the first two boxes." You smiled sheepishly. Though you and Mammon had been working on organizing your belongings for the past three hours, you haven't made much progress besides going through your clothes. Once you finally got to the boxes of other belongings, you kept getting distracted by the pleasant memories that came with the things unearthed from the boxes.
After all, you hadn't even seen the contents of the boxes for well over 2 weeks.
Lucifer smiled back at you. "There's no rush, Love. I want you to go at your own pace."
You blushed and turned back to the hearth, smiling at how your crystal flower looked right in the center.
"Oi, Mc!" Mammon dug through the box he had been working on, taking out a small leather-bound journal. "What is this?"
You walk over and take the journal from his hands, brushing your fingers across the smooth cover. You smiled, remembering it was what you had used for numerous purposes after first arriving in devildom- sketches, small drabbles of writing, poetry, random ideas and thoughts that filled your head, and more. You open the nightstand drawer next to what has now become your side of the bed and place it delicately inside. Mammon and Lucifer both watched you quizzically, figuring it was perhaps some sort of Diary.
As the three of you continue working through the boxes, you stumble across a photo album of pictures from your life in the human world. Mammon and Lucifer sit on the bed next to you, sipping their drinks while you tell them various stories of your life based on the pictures captured in the book.
Though you only got through about one fourth of the boxes, you found that the slow-organizing of your belongings was somewhat healing. It was a reminder to you that you were something beyond a victim, which is all you had felt about yourself since the attack. Part of it was because that's how everyone had been treating you, but another larger part of the feeling was self-inflicted.
You had begun to experience a significant amount of hopelessness in the days following the attack. Despite the obvious signs of improvement in your condition, you had felt that there was no hope in you ever truly healing. Further than this, you felt unworthy of the love that was shown to you by your own partner.
Was it because you felt as if you couldn't trust him, or maybe it was because you thought of yourself as damaged goods?
Perhaps it was both.
You knew deep down you could trust Lucifer. Since Belphie had killed you, Lucifer had repeatedly proved to you that he would go to the ends of the earth if it meant you would be happy and remain by his side. He reminded you time and time again that he would easily lay down his life in favor of yours, and he treated you with a gentleness akin to a bumble bee pollinating a delicate flower.
So why was there this lingering feeling in the back of your brain that screamed at you when you saw him get the least bit angry, or when you found yourself naked and vulnerable in front of him? Perhaps the the lingering fear of being violated a second time was the true culprit for these emotions. However, the feeling caused you to be a bit paranoid, guarded, and hypervigilant of everything he did.
And truly, Lucifer did his best to reassure you that he loved you. But somehow, you still felt a lingering emptiness more often than not...Not that it was his fault. Quite the opposite; he did everything right. Lucifer validated your every concern, gave you physical comfort, and made you feel content and happy. But there was a piece missing. You weren't sure what that piece was- and maybe you would never know- but that made you feel as if you were more trouble than you were worth.
On top of all that, you felt a deep shame at the fact that your virginity had been thoroughly spoiled. You hadn't done anything beyond kissing and hugging with Lucifer, wanting to wait until you were sure you were ready before delving into more sinful matters. But the decision was stolen from you- and even worse, you no longer had the gift of your first experience to give to Lucifer.
You knew how excited Lucifer was to be your first, despite the fact that he reiterated that he would love you even if you had a million partners, but there was a piece of you that doubted that to be true. Surely his pride wouldn't allow for that. After all, he had a reputation to uphold.
"Mc?" Mammon's voice was shaky with concern as he waved his hand in front of your face.
"Hmm?" You blinked. Apparently you had become lost in a daze, distracted by your own thoughts.
"I asked if ya wanted to watch a movie or somethin'." He played with his fingers, looking up at you through the breaks in his snowy-white hair. "You look like you could use a break."
"Oh. Uh- sure. Could we all do that?" You asked, hopeful to spend some time with everyone, since they all continued to fight to divide your attention.
"Yeah, Lucifer is invited too." He raised an eyebrow at you, as if that fact was obvious.
"I mean everyone- like all of your brothers." You gave him a small smile, but it fell when you noticed the scowl that formed on his face.
"Tch." He turned his head away and gritted his teeth.
"Of course they call all join." Lucifer interjected, placing a hand delicately on the small of your back and shooting a glare at Mammon. "I believe a movie night would be good for all of us."
You smiled warmly at him as he took your hand and led you down to the common room. Mammon hesitated a moment, before following slowly behind the two of you. He still wasn't wanting to spend more time with all of them if he didn't have to...but for you, he would try.
----------------------------------------
Mammon sat in the farthest chart from the couch where the rest of his brothers crowded around you. Lucifer ensured they maintained at least some distance to prevent them from suffocating you, but even so, they got as close as he'd allow. Mammon felt annoyed at the sight, feeling as if his suggestion to spend more intimate time with you was squandered.
You were curled up into Lucifer's side, clearly fighting sleep as the bright glow from the television illuminated your face. The drowsiness in your eyes was heightened by the pale light, making you look almost sickly.
Mammon found himself paying more attention to the language of your body movements and facial expressions than the movie. He has witnessed numerous instances of discomfort throughout this time, each more upsetting than the last.
He watched you flinch when Asmo attempted to hug you when you came downstairs, earning a growl from Lucifer. The 3rd youngest really should have known better than to attempt to embrace you without warning- and Mammon knew he would definitely get a scolding from Lucifer for that type of behavior.
He noticed the small jump as Lucifer moved to put his arm around you when the movie began. He found himself surprised that you were even startled by your him- your boyfriend- but he couldn't say it came as that much of a shock. After all, you seemed to be terrified of most sudden movements.
And about half-way through the movie, he saw how you hid your face from the screen and covered your ears when the inevitable sex scene came on the screen. Satan was usually pretty intelligent and had a good memory, but apparently he failed to remember the fact that this movie contained a few hard-core scenes where two characters really went at it. All of the brothers the room were uncomfortable as well, but none had the same expression of repulsion that Lucifer had as he stared at the scene before him.
Once the credits rolled, Mammon found an excuse to leave the room before Belphie put on a lighter cartoon to cushion the blow of the previously suggested movie by Satan. He made the excuse of being tired despite being visibly wide awake and vigilant, but no one questioned him on it. Levi stole a quick glance at him, but looked away when Mammon met his gaze.
Mammon sulked up the stairs. He silently gritted his teeth through the envy that welled in his chest at how easy it seemed all of this was for his brothers to adjust to. Mammon found himself jealous at how relaxed the others seemed to be able to be around you, and how they went on with their usual treatment toward you as if they weren't holding your body down while you were being violated only a few days ago.
What a crock of shit. He snarled to himself.
Instead of going to his bedroom, Mammon went to your old room. He had decided to sleep in here since coming home- finding an odd sense of peace at the scent of you that lingered on the sheets of the bed. It was almost as if he was feeling you hug him tightly- the reassuring touch reminding him that things would be alright, just like you had numerous times before.
He sat cross-legged on your bed, staring wistfully out the window into the Devildom night. His thoughts trailed around a longing to have things return to normalcy, but at this point, he wasn't even sure if he knew what normal was. He felt a wave of sadness wash over him at the realization that he nearly couldn't remember how things used to be.
From his pocket, he retrieved a photo he had swiped from your room the other day. It was a photo of you, Diavolo, and his brothers smiling widely at the Demon Lords castle. It was an old picture- over a year old by this point- but it was still special none the less. He brushed his index finger across all the smiling faces in the picture.
He sighed, pausing on the wide smile that was present on your face while Lucifer stood proud behind you, and Mammon gripped his arm around your shoulder. You look so content...so happy. He wondered what it would take to get you back to looking that way, though felt a looming sense of dread at the thought that he wasn't sure if you could ever feel like that again.
Tears welled in his eyes as he felt himself longing to go back to that moment. Before the assault. Before you and Lucifer began dating. Before you had initially left Devildom after the end of the exchange program...
Back to when things were easy.
He squeezed his eyes shut, letting the tears flow from behind his eyelids. He clutched the photo to his chest, his breath shuddering as he tried to remember what life had been like without the pain of the trauma lingering over his head like a thick fog, breaking hes perceptions of reality piece by piece.
"M-Mammon?"
The sudden voice calling to him from the doorway made him jump in surprise. He quickly swept his hand over his face to rid himself of the tears before turning to see the individual who had interrupted his woe. To his unfortunate surprise, he was met with the sight of the 3rd eldest brother.
Leviathan stared at the floor, nervously picking at his skin. He had wanted to talk to Mammon much sooner than this, but was advised by Lucifer to wait until the 2nd oldest had gotten his anger under control. However, he knew that if he continued to wait, the guilt would eat him alive. He anxiety continued to mount as he witnessed Mammon purposefully distancing himself from the other brothers, but watched in longing as they all bonded without him...especially in their relationships with you.
Shoulds, coulds, and woulds, found their way through his head at most every moment he was conscious. He had sat back and watched as the brothers shared jokes and teasing remarks with eachother, though left Mammon on the outskirts of their kinship. Guilt continued to plague him. Every moment was filled with intrusive thoughts, placing blame on him for the procedure going wrong and you being hurt again, and for dismantling the relationships you had worked so hard to repair.
I shouldn't have ever agreed to help Solomon in the first place. If I would have just told Mammon what was going on, he wouldn't feel so betrayed. If I could have just been stronger, more aware...if I-
"Whattaya want, Levi?" Mammon growled, finally acknowledging his presence.
Levi jumped, almost forgetting why he was there in the first place. "Can...c-can we talk?"
Mammon rolled his eyes, laying back on your bed and kicking his left leg up onto his right knee. "I dunno- are ya gonna spit lies at me again like the last time we 'talked'?"
Levi felt his face grow hot in shame, remembering the phone call where he transparently lied to Mammon about what had been happening to you. He stood unmoving in the doorway, picking harder at his skin as he thought of what to say.
Mammon glanced over at him and noticed the severity of the nervous tick. His arms were coated in small lacerations from the excessive digging of his nails into his skin. He felt pity rise in his chest at the site of the wounds. Levi's habit had not been this bad since they had initially fallen, betraying his attempt at a confident façade.
Mammon looked at the floor and sighed. "Fine. We can talk- just for a minute though."
Levi's expression lit up at Mammon's words. He hurriedly entered the room, but still stood a good distance away from the bed. Mammon watched him as he shifted his weight between his feet, though he remained silent.
"Well..?" Mammon grumbled, gesturing for Levi to speak.
Levi gulped, feeling sweat begin to trail along his brow. "Uh...I...I..."
Mammon sighed, again rolling his eyes before positioning his body upright. "C'mon. Spit it out. I'm not gonna sit here all damn ni-"
"I'm sorry." He blurted out, interrupting Mammon's thought. His speech was rapid, as if he would never be able to speak again unless the words came out like a string of vomit. "I'm sorry for hurting you, I'm sorry for hurting her, I'm sorry for lying to you and going behind your back, I'm sorry for making you feel like you can't trust us, I'm sorry that everything I've done has made it so you can't be close to use, I'm sorry for not apologizing to you sooner, I-"
"Whoa, whoa, slow down!" Mammom was now standing, his arms flailing as if to signal for Levi to stop. "Ya gotta breathe, man. if ya keep talkin' like that you'll pass out from the lack of air in your lungs."
Levi felt his chest heave as the anxiety continued to pulse through his body. Mammon glanced up to Levi's face, meeting his wide-eyed and fear-stricken stare. His eyes were glossy, as if he was about to cry.
Mammon sighed as he looked at the floor, rubbing his hand along the nape of his neck. "Look. I- I still need some time to get over all this, ya know? But..."
Mammon paused stealing a quick glance up at Levi's eyes. He remembered what Barbatos had said to him about putting you first, swallowing the anger he felt, and reminding himself his brother's intentions were good, despite the harm caused. He felt the resentment begin to fizzle at the sight of how pitiful Levi looked in this moment. For the first time, Mammon realized that his intentions were worn obviously on his sleeve. He truly was sorry for all of the things he had just now apologized for, and the regret of his actions was apparent.
While Mammon was far from ready to forgive, he could start to accept the attempts at making ammends.
He cleared his throat before speaking. "I accept your apology...that doesn't mean everythin's fine, but- gah!"
Mammon felt the wind get knocked out of his chest as Levi ran at him and squeezed him into a tight embrace. Mammon felt his face grow pink with embarrassment as his brother embraced him tightly, tears staining his jacket.
"T-t-thank you..." Levi stuttered between sobs.
"Aw-right, aw-right, lemme go." Mammon muttered, pushing Levi off of him. His face was bright red, and he tried to hide it by turning into his shoulder. "Enough of that sappy crap. You're gonna ruin my jacket."
Levi smiled through his tears as he released his grip from Mammon, the picking at his skin finally ceasing. Mammon turned away, letting out a "tch," but the smirk present on his face told Levi that he was another step closer to mending the wounds caused by the procedure, and his actions from before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 13
Tags for those who requested: @kairikazu05 @siniy606 @yukariutena @raeraekubs @hobin-gnoblin ​ @shawnmendeslmfao @hatsunemiku2025 @katesatterfield @sg-artem @theeonlyroman @luvlyash @wonder-alien @ryuksexlover @svnflowery
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angeloroki · 3 years
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tiktok towel prank with shoto;bakugo;izuku & denki
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— character ; aged up!shoto x gn!reader ; aged up!bakugo x gn!reader ; aged up!izuku x gn!reader ; aged up!denki  x gn!reader 
— request ; Could you do Shoto, Katsuki, Izuku and Denki (or any other character you have inspiration for!) react to the towel prank? Where the reader pretends to undo their towel so they would be naked in front of the camera but actually they are wearing clothes. Just thought their reactions would be amazing!
— warnings ; nudity mentionned 
— a/n ; here you go sweetheart, thank you again for your request ♥
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SHOTO TODOROKI 
« i need to prank shoto with this », you whisper to yourself half hilarious 
a video had just pop up on your foryou page where a girl was pranking her boyfriend by pretending to show herself naked in front of the camera,
you just wanted to see your boyfriend's reaction
you were mentally planning to do it tonight when you’d be together in the bathroom
finally it was time !
you were getting out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, when it was shoto's turn to enter.
except you already had clothes on, shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. something he didn't know.
he was quick, as you were now both standing in front of the mirror applying your after shower products
you put your phone down in front of you, then started the countdown
he glanced at you, amused and busy brushing his teeth
you started dancing on a doja cat music
he watched you through the mirror, enjoying your little improvised show
when you started to take off your towel
you saw his eyes widen
and just as you took off your towel, shoto threw himself on you to take you in his arms and hide you from the camera that was still rolling
« what the hell baby !? »
you burst out laughing before shifting from his grip
he looked at you with red cheeks, and the toothbrush still in his mouth
then he noticed your clothes
you continue to laugh before taking your phone
« it's a prank baby! oh my god, i can't wait to see it on video. » you say between laughs.
he grunted before putting his face back in the mirror
« you know very well that this body of god/goddess is only for your beautiful eyes » you say a malicious smile on your face.
« you're unbelievable y/n. » he said, finally smiling.
« that’s why you love me, baby », you winked.
« mmh, i’m not sure anymore... » he smirked.
« HUH ? »
you took his face in your hands to cover it with kisses
which provoked a radiant laugh from your boyfriend
you always loved his laugh
obviously his reaction made the video go viral, with just under 200k likes and 50k comments
“ IT’S THE CAT REFLEXES FOR ME LMAO “
“ SHEESH HE WAS QUICK “
KATSUKI BAKUGO
you were in the kitchen, your phone in hand, scrolling through your foryoupage
wrapped in a big towel that covered the clothes you were wearing under, you were waiting for katsuki to come back from his patrol so you could give him the prank you've been waiting to do since this morning
you had seen a video of a prank when you were at work, which made you want to do it too
« oi I'm home! »
« hi baby ! » you say from the kitchen.
he comes to join quickly before putting a kiss on your forehead, he took something to eat and sat in front of the kitchen island
you got up when your coffee was finally ready
well, you could start
you put your phone down so that your boyfriend could see the camera and then you started the countdown
then you started your show and started to dance on nicki minaj music
you saw through your screen, katsuki watching you enjoying your dance show
then your hands came to rest on the knot that held the towel around you
you were making your future move obvious
katsuki let out a hoot of surprise and stood up abruptly which spilled the food he was eating on the floor
then you felt big arms moving you so that you were no longer in front of the camera
« OI Y/N ! NOT IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA »
he wasn't angry but his cheeks were all red which triggered a huge laugh from your side
then he quickly understood that it was a prank
he let go of you slowly, before growling
« did you really jump through the table for this? » you say with a howl of laughter. 
he returned to his place after picking up everything, looking grumpy.
« yes and i would do it again without hesitation. »
you blew him a kiss before saying "aww".
« this app will drive you crazy. with me by the way. »
the tiktok blow up in a few hours with almost a quarter of a million views, and thousands of comments.
“YOU WERE HERE AND YOU JUST DISAPPEARED” 
" the mess he made to come and cover you lmaoo"
IZUKU MIDORIYA 
your boyfriend was sitting comfortably in the chair, typing up some important files for work.
he had been totally engrossed in his work for some time now.
he needed a distraction
so the prank you had on tiktok could only do good
while he was silently typing on his laptop
you stood in front of him, in a towel, and secretly dressed underneath, putting your phone on the shelf
without waiting you started to dance on some rihanna music
your hands went dangerously up to the knot that held the whole towel over you
deku was giving you little amused looks, totally in love with you, he had almost given up his work
then your hands landed on the towel that you tore off with a sharp blow
a horrified expression was painted on his beautiful face
« y/n the camera is still on, your followers are gonna see you naked ! »
he took you in his arms, and in an awkward way dragged you with him on the sofa, him above you
you could see that his eyebrows were frowned
« i'm not letting you go until the camera is still on ! »
you bit your lip to keep from laughing at him
his face was a mess like no other,
red cheeks, wide eyes, and especially his lips that were rolled up
her expression meant confusion and shame in itself
you finally burst out laughing and then you got out of the way so you could show him the clothes you were hiding under the towel
he blew softly and let out an embarrassed laugh.
« baby calm down it's a prank ! »
you had to hold on to his arm to not fall on the floor hilarious
he gave you a flick on the face, a smile on his lips.
« you are not the best comedian for nothing. » he said ironically.
you kiss him on the cheek. 
« i know right !»
the tiktok went viral on twitter and tiktok leaving you with countless notifications
“ HE LOOKED GENUINELY SCARED POOR BOY “
“ THE LOOK OF TERROR LMAO “
DENKI KAMINARI
you and your boyfriend denki were lying quietly on your bed,
he was reading while you were hanging out on tiktok
it was the perfect moment to make this prank that was viral on tiktok
you were ready, dressed under your towel you put your phone on the furniture in front of you
making sure your boyfriend could see the screen
he followed you with his eyes, a mischievous look on his face
« oh, a surprise dance for me i see. »
you giggle before starting the countdown
you knew in advance that his reaction was going to be way too funny
you started to dance on a music of megan thee stallion
denki was used to do the dances you did to post on tiktok
and he loved watching you have fun
you finally put your hands on your towel that you took off with a sudden move
you saw denki's shocked reaction on your screen
« y/n ??? »
and suddenly you saw your phone burn out
« HUH ? » you reacted with a gasp
denki had just thrown electricity with his quirk to turn off your phone
you turned around half pissed off and half laughing
then he understood two things :
that it was a prank
and that he had burned your phone
"oh sorry, i was just supposed to turn it off  »
you finally burst out laughing
« you're really unbelievable.»
he comes to take you in his arms
« and what about you? with all your pranks you make me lose my mind ! »
he smiles gently at you, but it’s before you gave him a peck on the cheek
« for the moment it's you who owes me a new phone babe. »
he sighed loudly
« oh hell nah, you're the only responsible for this incident. i’m not going to pay for anything ! »
« in your dreams »
with a little luck your phone wasn't completely dead, and you were able to post the video.
which went viral with 1 million likes 
"THE BEST ONE BY FAR LMAOOO”
“ ELECTRIC BOYFRIEND ”
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themoontoyourshine · 2 years
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Thanks again to Lin, @ssahotchswife , for inspiring me and answering all of my questions.
SUMMARY: What happens when Aaron’s neighbor has a bad dream? Will he see just how much she cares about him and his son?
PAIRING: Aaron Hotchner x Neighbor(fem)! Reader
WARNINGS: Some content may be triggering so please read before continuing. 18+ Minors DNI
INCLUDES: This chapter includes strong language and partial nudity. The word ‘blood’ is mentioned once and so is ‘stroke’. One line eludes to a minor but there is no minor in this story. Jack is mentioned but is out camping with the scouts. Is the reader more of a brat than we thought? Is Aaron more of a flirt than we thought? Who are the six people at the foot of the bed? Please let me know if I miss anything. This chapter is a little lighter and hopefully you laugh. This chapter does contain a steamy make out session.
WORD COUNT: 3,533
A/N: This story is probably going to have 5 chapters. I initially broke it down so it wouldn’t be too long all at once. Chapter 5 will be the smut chapter and I’m still currently writing it. I may have messed you guys up because now it’s looking like chapter 5 will be lllooooong. I don’t want to break chapter 5 down because nobody wants their smut cut in half lol. It might not be too bad. We’ll see. I’ve never done anything like this so please be patient with me. Feedback is always appreciated. AGAIN, I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I’M DOING!!! As always, I love you guys. Without further ado, chapter two!
Link to chapter one:
Taglist: @ah-blossom
Daydreams and Nightmares
Chapter 2
“Guys, what the actual fuck? Why are you all standing in my bedroom?”
“You were supposed to meet us for breakfast but you never showed.” a tall, skinny blonde woman answered.
“We tried calling but we couldn’t reach you.” said a pretty brunet woman.
“We were worried, sir.” a colorful blonde stated.
“I used my spare key Aaron.” an older man with a goatee admitted.
“Who is your friend?” said a muscled man in a teasing tone with a smirk plastered on his face. Your cheeks heated and for the first time you and Aaron looked at each other.
“How old are you?” asked a tall, skinny guy looking right at you. That earned him a look from Aaron that you had never seen before as well as a nudge in the ribs by the muscled man.
“Oh, uh, I-I’m 21.” you managed to stutter out. Aaron ran a hand down his face and pinched the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes. “But this isn’t what it looks like. I can’t even imagine what you all must be thinking. I’m Aaron’s neighbor, y/n. Last night I had a bad dream that he was in trouble and I needed to see that he was safe. He let me tell him about my dream but then I must have fallen asleep on accident. Nothing happened. Nothing has ever happened. Aaron is a complete gentleman. Y’all must know that.” You were talking 90 miles an hour and you hadn’t taken a breath. Everyone was looking at you with wide eyes. You didn’t want them to tease Aaron.
“Y/N,” Aaron said, putting his hand on your shoulder. “You’re rambling. This is my team, JJ, Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, Dave Rossi, Derek Morgan, and Spencer Reid.” he said going down the line and pointing to each one. They all offered you a smile and small wave.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’ve heard a lot about each of you. Aaron always speaks so highly of y’all. I wish it were under different circumstances” you say through a nervous laugh.
“Y/N, do you mind going in the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee so I can have a moment alone with my team?” It was at this moment that you remembered that you were only wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt and a pair of Harry Potter underwear.
“Sure,” you said, “I’ll even make everyone breakfast seeing as how ya’ll didn’t eat. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not wearing pants.” you admitted, slinging your legs off the bed and standing. Your shirt almost covered your ass. Everyone’s eyes followed you as you rounded the foot of the bed to get to Aaron’s nightstand where you left your keys. When Aaron saw you, his eyebrows shot up to his hairline.
“I thought you were kidding when you said you weren’t wearing pants”.
“Sorry,” you whispered with a guilty expression. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep here, and I certainly didn’t think I’d be meeting your team.”
“Ugh” he groans, running his hands down his tired face. “It’s too early for this shit” he swore. With your keys in hand, you turn and head for the door. “Wait, what does your butt say?” Aaron asks.
“I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good.” a man you now knew as Spencer replied. The team tried to contain their giggles. You were mortified and Aaron looked like he was on the verge of a stroke. Yap, it was going to be one of those days.
You were pouring the fourth cup of coffee when you heard voices coming down the hall. “Hey, lil’ mama, boss man wants to see you” Derek said while wiggling his eyebrows. After you finished pouring the coffee, you passed out the 6 cups and placed the cream and sugar on the kitchen table. Taking a deep breath, you slowly walked back to Aaron’s room not knowing what to expect. When you walked in, Aaron had put on a white t-shirt.
“Aww, come on Aaron. I can’t be the only half naked person at breakfast” you teased. He huffed a laugh through his nose.
“You won’t be” he said, turning to face you with a pair of blue plaid pajama pants from his dresser. “Use the draw string to tighten the waist and you may need to roll the bottoms up a bit.”
“Not exactly how I imagined getting in your pants but it’ll do” you smirked.
“Y/N,” he said in a warning tone “I need you to solemnly swear to be up to good around my team.”
“And when we’re not around your team?” you deadpanned with a cocked eyebrow.
Suddenly he took your chin between his thumb and pointer, raising it to look you in the eyes. “Don’t be a brat.” That shouldn’t have made your stomach do cartwheels like it did. Getting a hold of yourself, you walked yourself back until the backs of your knees hit his bed. You sat down and began putting on his pants.
“How bad was it?” At his confused stare, you elaborated. “The teasing. I’m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I’m sure they gave you a hard time.” He sat down beside you and gently squeezed your knee to comfort you.
“It really wasn’t that bad. You have nothing to apologize for. They don’t really have any room to talk. None of them. They’ll tease me for a few days before something similar happens to one of them. My money is on Dave.” You chuckled at that.
“Do they hate me?”
He turned to face you and grabbed both of your shoulders. “Look at me” he said in all seriousness. “These people are my family and I love them. They love me so if I like you, they’ll like you…and I do like you. They thought it was funny. They are the least judgmental people in the world. If they tease you, they like you. It’ll all be in good fun. It’s when they’re nice to you that you have to worry” he said with a wink.
“Gee thanks, that makes me feel a lot better” you laughed playing with his messy bed head. “I really like morning Aaron. No suit. Crazy hair. I could get used to him. I also didn’t hate waking up in your bed” you said playfully. Before he could answer, Dave appeared in the doorway.
“If you two could solemnly swear to behave, I’m hungry and we were promised breakfast.” You and Aaron exchanged glances while standing up.
“Dave, I can behave, it’s Aaron you have to worry about.”
“Don’t I know it, kiddo.”
Just then you felt a slight tug on your wrist causing you to fall a couple steps behind. “Don’t make me spank you” Aaron warned.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time” you retorted, making your way through the living room and towards the kitchen.
“Aww man, Hotch, why did you give her pants?” Derek said with a smirk as he noticed you.
“This is your only warning Morgan!” Aaron said, pointing a finger at Derek. Derek raised his hands in mock surrender. You couldn’t help but blush, both at Derek’s comment and Aaron’s reaction.
“So, y’all call each other by last name?” you asked, after hearing their exchange. The team nodded around you.
“I tell everyone to call me Hotch instead of Hotchner.” You just look at Aaron and nod in understanding.   
Picking up the remaining two cups of coffee, you offered one to Aaron. “Alright, what does everyone want for breakfast” you asked the seven people sitting at Aaron’s table.
“What are the options?” Emily asked.
“Good question” you said, opening Aaron’s pantry door. “I see oatmeal, bran flakes, and pancake mix in here.”
“Oh, I’ll take pancakes love. Now seems like a good time to mention I’m a vegetarian” Penelope said.
“Good to know. Any other dietary restrictions I should know about?”
“No, that’s it, but I’ll have the pancakes too” JJ said.
“Me too” Emily echoed.
“I’ll eat some oatmeal” you heard Dave say. Just then you felt Aaron’s hand on the small of your back.
“Here, I’ll help you” he said, grabbing the cereal he clearly wanted as well as the oatmeal. “You don’t have to do this” he whispered.
“I know. I want to. It’s my fault they’re hungry.”
“They are capable of feeding themselves.” Following Aaron over to the island, y’all set everything down. You made your way to the fridge next.
“In here we appear to have orange juice, eggs, facon, and fauxsage. Aaron, what the hell is facon and fauxsage?”
“It’s meatless bacon and sausage” he answered.
“You’ve got to be shitting me” you mumbled under your breath.
“I’ll take some facon” Penelope said with enthusiasm.
“Me too, please” Spencer said.
“What’s good enough for my baby girl is good enough for me” Derek chimed in.
“What the hell, count me in” Dave said.
“Alright,” you shrugged “I guess I’m taking a gamble with the fauxsage. Anyone brave enough to try it with me?”
“Me” you heard Emily and JJ say at the same time.
“I’ll take fauxsage too” Aaron said as he carried the orange juice and eggs to the island before getting out all of the dishes you were going to need to cook breakfast.
“Who wants orange juice?” you asked. Seven hands went up at the same time. “And eggs?” Spencer and Derek both kept their hands raised.
At that point you told Aaron to have a seat and leave you to it. He had laid out everything you were going to need. You had something going on every stove and you were terrified of messing this up. You wanted to make up for the teams first impression of you. 
You were flipping pancakes when you felt a presence beside you. “Hey, I’m sorry if I offended you earlier.” You looked over to see Spencer. “I didn’t mean anything when I asked your age. I don’t know how much Hotch has told you about us, but I’m not great with social cues. I know Hotch would never have an underage girl in his bed. I guess the whole situation took me by surprise.”
“Spencer, you have nothing to apologize for. I was embarrassed and overwhelmed by the whole situation but I was never angry. You guys seem great and it’s amazing how much better I feel in pants” you joked.
“Well that’s good, because we all really like you. Hotch hasn’t been this happy in a long time. I know you are not seeing each other romantically but you seem to make him smile which is no easy feat.” That thought warmed your heart and made you smile.
“Go take a seat Spencer. I’m ready to dish up plates.” He nodded with a tight lipped smile as he walked away.
“Ok, I have two plates of facon and eggs” you said as Derek and Spencer raised their hands. “Here y’all go.”
“Next up, two plates of pancakes and fauxsage” JJ and Emily were pointing at themselves.
“Penelope, here is your facon and pancakes” you say, setting her plate down in front of her.
“Dave, here is your oatmeal and facon. Aaron, last but certainly not least, here is your bowl of cereal and fauxsage. I’ll be right back with your milk.” You came back to the table and sat down the milk and orange juice. You sat your oatmeal and fauxsage down next to Aaron. “Does anyone need anything else before I sit down?” you ask, standing behind the last available chair.
“No sweetheart, this looks amazing” Dave said.
“Yeah, thank you so much cupcake” Penelope beamed.
“We really do appreciate it.” Aaron smiled at you as you sat down beside him. You just winked at him.
“So sweet cheeks” Derek began “how long have you lived in the building?”
“About four months” you responded.
“And there really is nothing going on between the two of you?” JJ asked.
“Aaron is just a great friend and I am lucky to have him and Jack in my life. You can ask him. He’ll tell you the same thing” you reassured her, pointing to Aaron.
“They’re profiling you” Aaron said, looking at his team.
“I’m sorry?” you said, confused.
“We’re all professional liars. We have to be for the job. They know if they ask me about us, they wouldn’t be able to tell if I was telling the truth or not” Aaron said, not taking his eyes off his team.
“I see” you said, suddenly feeling nervous about saying the wrong thing.
“But you do like Hotch, don’t you?” Emily inquired. You couldn’t stop the nervous laugh or the way your eyes fell to your oatmeal.
“That’s enough, Prentiss.” Aaron retorted.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” she replied, sheepishly.
“It’s fine, really.” you assured her.
“It’s not like we didn’t get the answer from her giggle.”
“Damn it, Dave, you too?” Aaron bellowed.
“You’re right, I apologize.” he said.
“Ok, Ok, new topic” Spencer proposed.
“Good idea pretty boy. Let’s play two truths and a lie with the new girl” Derek suggested.
“Alright, I’m in” you agreed. “One, I grew up in Nashville. Two, I have a cat named Garfield. Three, growing up I took dance lessons and was part of a competition team”
“To be fair,” Penelope said, standing up “I’m going to grab a pen and everyone is going to write their guess down on their napkin.”
“Ok, but Aaron can’t play because he knows the answer” you inform everyone. “I’m not playing either” Penelope said, sitting back down with a pen. “I’m not a profiler, I’m their technical analyst.”
“So you’re the brains of their whole operation?” you ask.”Basically!” she says with her signature smile.
You watched as the pen made its way quickly around the table. “Alright everybody, wow me!” you said with a hint of skepticism in your voice. Five napkins went up all revealing the number two on all of them. Your jaw hit the floor.
You felt Aaron’s arm around your shoulder. “Close your mouth, it’s giving me ideas.” he whispered in your ear. Your head jerked around so fast you thought you might have whip lash. Aaron had never been this forward with you. He had the biggest smirk on his face you’d ever seen and you had never blushed so hard in your life. You knew he was proud of himself for that one. You quickly averted your eyes back to the team, remembering what was going on.
“Ok, how did y’all guess my lie?”
“You broke eye contact when talking about the cat like you were having to think of something to make up” Spencer answered.
“Well color me impressed,” you said “I’m officially sold on this whole profiling business. I’m genuinely fascinated by y’alls ability to do this. The fact that y’all use this to hunt down the worst of the worst is mind blowing to me” you confess.
“Well, we appreciate you fussing over us but I think it’s time we head out Bella” Dave said, standing and pushing in his chair. Everyone seemed to agree and follow suit. You appreciated everyone taking their dishes to the sink and putting any trash in the trash can. It was going to make cleaning up easier. You really did enjoy meeting his team. Aaron was right, they didn’t judge you. They shared their embarrassing stories and even teased you a bit like Aaron said they would. The girls didn’t leave without giving you their number and within minutes you were part of a group text. Everyone hugged you bye including Spencer.
Turning around to look at Aaron, he already looked exhausted. “You want to take a nap old man?” you teased.
“Keep it up, see where it gets you.” You smiled at his threat before facing the sink and turning on the water. “Nope, you’re not cleaning up after you cooked” he said.
“Watch me” you hollered over your shoulder, already loading the dishwasher. All of a sudden you felt him pressed up against your back. Both of his hands were on the counter on either side of you effectively caging you in.
“Bold choice of words, care to try again?” You had never felt anything like the shiver currently shooting down your spine.
“Aaron,” you began, “please just let me finish what I started.”
“Fine, but I’m helping” he said, grabbing a dish.
“Your friends are great” you say after a few minutes of silence.
“They are” he agreed “and they really seemed to like you.”
“Were you worried they wouldn’t?”
“I honestly didn’t know what to expect after the way we woke up.”
“I’m sorry. You have no idea how bad I feel.”
“I thought I told you not to apologize again. Everything turned out fine.”
“I know. I just can’t help it. If it hadn’t been for that stupid dream. Gosh Aaron, I still see it all so clearly. I’m awake and I know you’re ok but I still see everything so vividly. I hate it” you say, exasperatedly, handing him the last dish to load in the dishwasher.
After he started the dishwasher he grabbed you in a tight embrace. “That’s how nightmares work. I probably share too much of my work life with you. Combine that with all the blood you see on a daily basis and it’s a recipe for disaster. I’m glad you felt comfortable talking to me about it though and I’m always here if you ever need to talk some more…about anything.”
Pulling away, you grabbed his hands in yours. “I know and I appreciate that” you said looking into his eyes “but I don’t want you to have to censor yourself around me. You can tell me anything. Besides, for every horrific thing you tell me, Jack tells me 10 silly little things to make me laugh. I absolutely adore him. I tolerate his dad” you joke.
“Oh, so now you just tolerate me? I’ll remember that.” he says, putting his hands behind his back, forcing you to hug his waist.
“I’m kidding” you laugh, burying your head in his chest and inhaling his intoxicating scent “but I should probably get going. Can I bring you your pants back later this evening?”
“Sure, or you can just keep them. Although they don’t seem to fit. You have them cinched as tight as they will go and they are still sitting dangerously low on your hips. Plus, you’ve rolled up about a foot of material on the legs.”
“Aaron, if I were going to steal an article of clothing from you, it’d be a hoodie. Or maybe one of your button ups.”
“I’ll keep that in mind” he says as y’all reach his door “thanks again for everything.”
“Oh, you mean embarrassing you in front of your team?”
“I told you that was no big deal. I meant the breakfast.”
“I know, and you’re welcome. Thank you for the pants” you said as he opened the door.
“Anytime” he said as you leaned up on your toes to kiss his cheek. It was at that exact moment that he turned his head and your lips collided for the briefest of seconds. It was like you had been struck by lightning. Instantly you apologized.
“Aaron, I am so sorry. I went to kiss your cheek and then you turned your head and I”
You were cut off by Aaron grabbing your face with both hands and crashing his lips to yours. If you had been struck by lightning before, this was Heaven. He ran his tongue across your bottom lip and you instantly parted your lips. One of his hands slid down to your hip while the other snaked behind your head allowing him to deepen the kiss. Your arms were on his shoulders both to keep him closer and ground yourself. This was the definition of euphoria. This kiss was all consuming. He was in complete control and he knew it. You don’t think either of you would have it any other way. Just as your lungs were beginning to burn, he pulled away with your bottom lip between his teeth. You whimpered at the loss of contact. He rested his forehead against yours as you both took in a much needed deep breath.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you like that” he apologized.
“It’s fine” you reassured him “I didn’t exactly try to stop you.”
“I shouldn’t have lost control like that.”
“Aaron, it was a great kiss. I’m not complaining” you say trying to ease his guilt. He let out a sad chuckle. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go home and write in my diary” you tease.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“I have a list of things in my diary if you need inspiration” you say, winking over your shoulder from the hall. He just shakes his head at your antics with a grin. He waits until you shut your door before closing his.
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