#tail light installation guide

[contentloadingandstuff]

Halloween Special: Basement Secrets | Hu Tao x Male!Werewolf!Reader

A/N: I know it's late, and I'm sorry for it. I'll still call it a special, since that was my original intention. Enjoy, and sorry for being late again.

CW: Smut, sedatives (drugging I guess?), reader in heat, non-human genitalia.

A flick of the wrist causes the lamps to spark to life, illuminating the corridor. The Director stops to appreciate her surroundings. She guides her hand across the wall ornament, feeling the smooth, cold texture. Hu Tao hums in appreciation. The carpenter did splendidly. Maybe she should have the coffin wood polished as well? 

Her eyes gravitate towards the other end of the hallway, where a large bookcase stands. Approaching it, she puts the paper bag under her arm and reaches for one of the books. A firm tug moves the lever, allowing the furniture to be moved to the side. She doesn't need much effort - her ancestors were smart in installing rails into the floor. A gust of cold air hits her through the iron bars, causing her hair to sway slightly. The air carries a hint of fur, sweat and… 

“Ah~” She breathes it in, enjoying the scent thoroughly. Anger. Frustration. Hate. Desperation. 

Without a moment of further delay, Hu Tao slides the key into the slot and turns it twice, opening the gate. The lamps behind it, already lit by the chain reaction she started earlier, cast golden light on the many stone stairs leading downwards. She secures her entrance, pressing a button to slide the shelf back into place. It's best not to spark curiosity, even of her consultant Zhongli. 

“The ninth fell down and cried aloud, the tenth asked ‘Why?’~” She hums, going down with lively steps. She matches her feet to the increasing rhythm of her heart. It demands her to go faster, but she doesn't listen - after all, good things come to those who wait… “For the fifth won't ever come back.”

Another door, made of thick iron. There's a viewport, but she knows well what it hudes. This time, all she has to do is lift the hook and pull the handle to get in. When she does, she makes sure it doesn't close fully. 

“What do you want?” A deep, sharp voice comes from the other end of the room and Hu Tao turns to face it. The room is lit just by the dim flame of the gas lamp, leaving most of the room in complete darkness. A pair of big, yellow eyes stood out on the black backdrop. 

Hu Tao placed the bag on the desk and approached the lamp. “Do I need a reason to visit you, hm?” she says as she turns the dial of the lamp, letting the flame grow bigger. “Can't a girl check up on her-”

“I'M NOT YOUR DAMN DOG!” You lunge forward, but the thick collar around your neck stops you from slamming your body against the bars. Your captor chuckles, not even bothering to turn around. 

“... puppy~?” 

Hearing this, you let out a growl of annoyance. You would have broken out already, got rid of her and ran free if not for this damn inhibitor stuck around your throat. Not only was it forcing you into this unwieldy, overgrown form, but it was also spiked and chained to the wall - any attempt at breaking free resulted in discomfort, turning into pain. 

You back away from the bars to stop it from stinging your neck. Hu Tao withdraws a small, mesh bag of something brown. Your sensitive nose picks up the scent of jerky right away. That traitorous tail of yours starts swaying left and right as the woman presents it to you. 

“Something tasty for you, Y/N. You were such a good boy this week, weren't you?” The bag is moved close enough to the bars for you to extend your arm and hook your claw through the fabric. 

You rip it open as soon as you can, and stuff a handful into your snout. The salty, powerful, smokey taste of meat fills your mouth, finally providing something simulating. You don't notice it, but there's a slightly unusual aftertaste to the meat. You don't notice Hu Tao smiling either. 

“Thank you, Hu Tao.” You sigh in satisfaction. A little distraction was very welcome, even if it was temporary. At least you weren't thinking about the h- 

She rattles her rings on the iron bars, interrupting your thoughts. “Ah, no need to thank me, Y/N. I'm in charge of you after all.” Hu Tao scans your cell, her ember eyes coming to rest over your pillow. You follow her gaze. 

It's… a mess. The innocent fabric was torn in places and thoroughly stained with dark patches of fluid. A thick scent of musk was all over it, contributing to the stuffy air in your cell. You can't help but look down in slight embarrassment. 

“Aiya Aiya~ You've been quite a naughty boy in here, looks like. Hmph, and I have already given you treats…” She scoffs in mock disappointment. “How are you feeling, pup?”

Although your fists tighten at being referred to like a dog, again, you're too tired of it to butt heads with her. “Why are you even asking? Do you enjoy seeing me embarrassing myself here?”

As luck would have it, the Liyue people decided to catch you right before the mating season of wolves. Because of your lycanthropy, you were just as horny and snappy as them - but most of the time it wasn't a problem. You could easily find yourself a seasonal fuck buddy or visit Ying’er for a few hours each week, but with no mate to nut inside of, your instinct remained at an all time high. You had to relieve yourself through any means necessary as the need was maddening, making your cock constantly, painfully erect. The pillow had the bad luck to be around and became the victim of violent, shameless humping as you imagined it to be a welcoming pussy of a she-werewolf. But it still wasn't enough. 

What didn't help either was the fact that your captor was female. A female that, as your nose told you, fingered herself regularly, teasing your nose with her pleasure pheromones. You were almost sure she was completely aware of how big your desire to bend her over was, surely making it all the more entertaining to see you struggle. 

“Ugh. Fine, I'll play along. I'm horny all the damn time, hence the… the state of the pillow.” You clear your throat. “Yeah. And you being here doesn't help it in any way.”

Hu Tao smirks at your embarrassment. “Oh, I see~! But how could that be when you're so happy to see me, hm?” 

Your anger flares up again as she theatrically taps her chin, shamelessly looking between your legs, making you bare your teeth in response. You weren't exactly expecting to get caught, so you didn't bring along spare clothing. Clothing that was made to stretch and fit your werewolf self. It was very expensive and tailor made, so Hu Tao obviously didn't have anything like it, at the end of the day forcing you to talk to her like  the steel bar you call a werewolf cock wasn't always in her face. Guessing by the sheer amount of times she stared at it, she didn't seem to mind. 

Which pissed you off even more. She could really give you a hand right now. Or a throat. Or a cunt. You grab the bars and groan - intimidating, but tired. “Look, please, just… don't make it worse for me. Please?”

Surprisingly, she nods. Hu Tao reaches for the paper bag and pulls out a fresh, pristinely white pillow. Without a word, she passes it on to you. You eagerly swap the old one for it. As your mind anticipates the coming moment of her departure, instead of leaving, Hu Tao continues to stand in front of you. 

Before you can say anything, she moves closer to the bars. “My dear Y/N~ You may not believe me, but I do know how awful you must feel…” Her fingernails tap the steel as she speaks. “All that energy, all that need, all that lust with nowhere to deposit it all feels simply terrible.”

You cross your arms over your chest. “What's your point?”

“My point is, my dear doggy, that I have been feeling something quite similar.” There's a small tint of red on her cheeks as she says it out loud. Upon noticing the smirk on your face, she pouts. “Don't look at me like that! Us girls have needs too, I'll have you know.”

This is the last thing you expected to hear. Your mind opposed taking up the opportunity, but luckily for you, all the blood supplied to it was quickly directed south as soon as you picked up the implication. 

You push against the bars with one hand, and - as much as the chain would allow you - lean forward. 

“Tsk. And what are you going to do about it, huh?” You ask. Hu Tao now needs to look up to see your eyes, sapping just a little of her confidence. 

“I was thinking we could make a little deal. Just a friendly agreement between pals, hm?” She points at your groin. “You lend me that slimy…” she says, stretching out the word with deliberation, “...smelly thing between your legs, and in return I let you play with my pussy. Are you up for it, big boy?”

By this point, your cock has swelled from its frustrated, semi-hard state to its proper, impressive form. Just the mention of a snatch makes the tip moisten with precum, your feral body already preparing for the mating to come. It may be a trick, though. Why would she-

Your reconsideration is cut short by Hu Tao sneaking her hand through the bars, placing it flat against your furry chest. She trails it down, caressing the bulbous pecs underneath the gray hair. You watch on as she continues, traversing the thickening line of fur as it leads downwards, her finger soon lost in the dense bush of pubes covering your groin. She lightly grazed your cock with her fingernail, dragging it from the base, over the knot and right to the tip of your canine dick, throbbing at her touch. 

“I agree…” You say with a sigh. “Just don't tease me, alright?”

You would swear her eyes sparkled when you gave in, her lips forming into a satisfied, sly smile. “Wonderful~! Good boy.”

“Hold still.” She raises the object she took earlier, bringing it closer to your wolf snout. It’s a muzzle. As much as you’d love to lash out and bite her, this is not the time. You lower your face, submitting to her safety measures, letting the muzzle stand between her supple throat and your thick, sharp teeth. Surprisingly, it makes you salivate more...

Hu Tao walks back to the table and returns with a pair of handcuffs in her hand. Handcuffs… They are more like shackles, made of thick steel and connected with a sturdy chain. Hu Tao throws them at you, perfectly passing between the bars separating you and her. You catch it without issue.

“There are only a few ‘buts’, doggie. First, the cuffs stay on. Second, you don’t cum inside. Got it?” You open your mouth to reply. to no avail. “Good. Now cuff yourself to the chair…”

Turning around, your eyes lock onto the piece of furniture. You slide it from under the desk and move it to face the door, back against the wall to allow the maximum slack of your steel leash that’s possible. The shoddy wood creaks as you sit your animalistic form down, arms reaching around the headrest. Feeling your way through the process, you secure both vracelets around your wrists, looping the chain around the beams of the chair’s support. A tug confirms you did well.

Her eyes don’t leave you for a moment. Once she sees you’re done, Hu Tao grabs the key from her pocket, as well as something from the nearby shelf you can’t quite make out, and opens up the cell. She cautiously steps in, just in case you tried to pull a funny on her. You grit your teeth in frustration… Why can’t she get it over with? It’s not like you’ll bite her. 

“Nice! And they say werewolves are ‘bad’ and ‘rebellious’. Looks like a little enticement goes a long way, hm?”

You shift in your seat, your lust growing and patience waning. “Get on with it already!”

She sends you a mock offended look, but relents. She snatches the newly brought pillow from your bed and puts it on the stone floor before slowly kneeling down.

Your dick now eye level with her, she wraps her hand around it, feeling the heat against her skin. It's shaped starkly different from your human form’s manhood, being thick, bulbous with a knot near the base. Hu Tao glides her hand over its length, causing you to groan as she touches it. It's been swollen for far too long to be comfortable and, on top of that, it aches more with every throb of your impatient cock. Hu Tao doesn't care, focusing her attention on the bulging veins, dark blue against the furious red of the shaft. Her other hand finds its way down to your sack, cupping the furry, cum swollen balls hanging below. She rolls them between her fingers as if weighing the unspent seed inside. They're heavy, she thinks, perfectly heavy. Bringing her nose closer to the tip, her nostrils fill with the musky stink of your juices, with tangy hints of still fresh cum stuck in your fur. 

“Fufu~ That thing is even more impressive up close…” Looking you in the eye, she giggles as she flicks the tip of your cockhead. You squirm in response, instinctually baring your teeth. “I’m afraid to ask what kind of plans you had for me~”

Soon you feel the slick, hot tongue of the director flick curiously against your head, lapping up the precum leaking from the slit. It tickles more than anything, so you try to inch your hips a bit closer, as much as the chair would allow. But she didn't listen, even if you didn't have to wait long to feel the flat of her small tongue rub against your shaft. It feels good, but it's nowhere near enough. You move your hips backwards, trying to bring the tip closer to her lips, but she grips the base tightly, keeping it in place as she continues to worship your shaft. It's slow, but eventually the consistent grinding of her wet tongue stirs some pleasure in you. You focus your attention on the feeling, praying for it to be enough to make you cum. She feels you throb in appreciation, eliciting a satisfied hum from her. Suddenly, she stops, switching her tongue for her hand and wrapping her lips around your tip. You whine at the sudden stimulation. Finally…! As her speeds up and her wet mouth sucks you deeper inside, pressure starts to build in your knot. A moan escapes your lips as she sucks and strokes, your orgasm drawing closer by the second. Each throb makes her take you deeper, you can feel the back of her throat rub against you when her head bobs up and down. Your thighs tense up in expectation. Almost… Almost… Almost…!

She stops. Hu Tao takes her hand away from you and spits your cock out of her mouth’s warmth, letting it flop down, sad and unsatisfied. You can only whine in confusion as you feel your orgasm fading slowly. 

“W-what…? Why did you stop…” You stutter out, your voice turning angry at her smile. “Oh you-”

“Heh, did I say anything about you finishing?” She dismissively throws her twintails behind her shoulders. “Good things come to boys who wait. And I bet you'll be the best boy, won't you Y/N?”

This. Little. Nasty. Witch. Your thoughts buzz with both anger and desperation as you feel your release slipping away. “I'll be good, just let me cum… I need it…”

She takes off her hat and reverently places it on the bed. “Mm~ Say it, doggie! I want to hear it, and if I like it, I might just give you something better~”

With that, she reaches to the strings of her coat, undoing them with little issue. Your impatience is temporarily replaced by excitement, your tail swishing as she strips her jacket, revealing a short-sleeved red shirt underneath. You can see two points poking through the fabric on opposite sides of her chest.  She looks at you, waiting. 

“I want to see more, please…” You plead, feeling a heat on your face as you say it. 

“You can do better.” She reaches for her coat, now thrown on the bed, causing the beast inside you to flare up in alarm. You try to spring up, only to be dropped by the cuffs. 

“Wait! Please, Hu Tao, I want to see them…” Desperate and horny, you swallow your pride and continue. “I want to s-see your tits, please!”

Just moments ago, you were ready to tear into her. Now, you plead with her for some boobs. And she'll make you beg for her cunt to - you'll do as she wants and you know it. The animalistic heat is too strong to ignore, forcing you to give in to its demands.  

Clearly satisfied with your words, she undoes the buttons holding her cover together. Her hands pull it open, revealing an exceptionally flat chest with two perky, rock-hard nipples. You twitch in excitement, harder still when she guides her hand down to her shorts. She pulls them down, revealing a pristine white pair of panties, decorated with a pink ribbon near the band. Her finger sneaks underneath it and pulls it down just enough to reveal a small patch of brown hair, dense yet neatly trimmed. 

She was preparing for this, wasn't she…

Her hand undoes the string holding her panties together, letting them fall open. They are promptly tossed aside, letting you finally see her heat in its full glory, her lips swollen and sticky with lust. Blushing, she continues rubbing herself with your dick and you can painfully feel her swollen, pretty clit gliding on you and her own juice. 

Hu Tao steps out of her pants and approaches you, sitting her half-bare ass on your lap. Teasing, she props your dick against her clothed slit. She presses it down, letting your precum soak into the silk and feel the warmth underneath. She rocks her hips against you, grinding at a slow and deliberate pace. Your eyes are fixed on her steady movements, the words slipping out of your lips going unnoticed by your lust-filled brain.

“Please…” You beg. “Please put it in already…!”

She smirks. “No way this will fit inside me, pretty boy. Do you see how big it is?” Hu Tao presses it against her stomach. The hefty cock really does look quite intimidating, the tip going way above her belly button. “But I bet you’d like to fuck me regardless, hm?”

Each stroke of her lips makes you hurt. She’s so close, but so far… Your heart beats faster and faster and faster and faster still as your body writhes in anger. You try to sit still, try to enjoy the feeling as much as you can but the wolf within you demands her. Your canine mind feels the insignificant weight on your lap and feels the cuffs are just a little malleable… How easy it would be to break out and take her properly… It wants it, relentlessly, and your mind soon succumbs. 

Gritting your teeth, you focus your attention on your wrists. You grasp the cuffs with your thumbs and pull with all your strength. Hu Tao is blushed, too focused on pleasing herself to notice the tension in your arms. You feel the steel bending and stretching, doubling your efforts. The edges of the metal dig painfully into your furred flesh, surely leaving painful welts that will last for days, but you don’t care. You almost… can… feel…

Snap!

Hu Tao’s face snaps up to look at you. Her eyes go wide. 

“W-wha-?!” The word gets stuck in her throat as your massive left hand snatches her neck, the other pushing you up as you raise. Your form stands tall, ears nearly touching the ceiling, obscuring the light of the lamp inside and casting an ominous shadow over Hu Tao, currently dangling from your outstretched arm. Your other hand reaches the muzzle and rips it straight from your face as if it were made of paper. Leather straps are no match for a lust frenzied wolf.

“L-let go of… me!” You don’t choke her tightly, but her words still come out raspy. She hits her small fists on your hand, but they do little against rippling werewolf muscle. Her legs are far too small to reach your chest or stomach, even if those meat stilts could do any damage. “You… b-brute…!”

You lift her higher, bringing up her pussy to your nose. The salty, musky scent of her sex overwhelms your sensitive nose, making your eyes water. There’s no fear amongst the smell, just eagerness, lust and… fertility. 

“Ngah~!” She whines as your rough tongue reaches out and gives her a probing lick, feeling up the willing cunt in front of you. You slide it from her clit down to her entrance. A whimper flees her lips as you push your way in, her mock struggles ceasing as she feels you tasting her. “Mhm…”  

She tastes delicious, making you push yourself further inside. Your hand goes from her throat to her ass, tilting her to the side to allow you better access. You waste no time and press your nose between her pussy lips, drawing in more of her scent. Her arms drift from your wrist and land on your head, fingers digging into the fur as her legs lock over your neck for support. Hu Tao rocks her hips, enticing you to explore deeper. You oblige and soon you feel her flesh pulsate around your intrusion as she clings onto you for dear life. You take it all in, scent, taste, slick and bumpy texture of her hole… But you can’t take it much longer. It wasn’t made for your tongue. 

Your tail starts swishing in excitement as you lift up your leg and stomp it down next to her face. You grab your cock and guide it towards her entrance. In a bit of vengeance, you rub the tip between her hungry lips, smearing them with thick precum. Before she can get comfortable though, you ram into her, burying yourself balls deep inside her tiny snatch. 

You pull back, leaving a string of saliva connecting you to her. She squeaks in surpise as unceremoniously toss her on the bed. When she lands, her eyes immediately turn to you as she flips on her back.

“A-ayia ayia…” She stutters out, flushed, watching you slowly approach her. She opens her legs, hoping to buy your mercy. “Please be gentle…”

But you have no plans for that. Even if you did, your heat doesn’t give a damn. You grab her waist and flip her around. Before she can regain her balance, you clasp your claws around her ass and pull her closer, dragging the sheet that she’s desperately holding along with her. When she feels your talon drag between her cheeks, you feel her skin crawl and shudder in response. Her back is arched as you examine your prey. You groan as soon as you notice and deliver a rough open palm on her ass.

“Waah!” She whimpers, feeling the sting on her skin. She fixes her posture, making proper space for your full length. 

Both of you moan in joint ecstasy as you fill her to the brim. Unable to control yourself, you start moving. With you dictating the pace, all Hu Tao can do is clench the blanket for dear life as you begin pistoning in and out of her. The room fills with a symphony of triumphant growls, desperate whimpers and obscene sounds of your nuts repeatedly slapping against her wet slit. Her eyes roll back as she endures your violent coupling, her eyes crying tears of mixed pain and pleasure. She feels her small pussy being stretched to its absolute limits, feeling herself throb as her body, confused between fear and mindless lust, fights back against the too big intrusion. Her tries to meet you halfway are met with no result as every snap of your hips pushes her back. She can’t think straight with a cock impaled into her so deep, so any thoughts quickly leave her mind with the many moans she shamelessly lets sound out. 

Feeling your much needed release draw closer, you dig your claws into her small ass, eliciting a whine from your mate. You shift into a merciless pace that sends bruising ripples across her body, the beast inside you caring only for the tension in his nuts. At last you strike forward, forcing the knot into her tight hole. She wails, arching her head backwards to meet your eyes. You lean forward and wrap your arms around her torso, keeping her close as you unload, each throb of your cock flooding her ravaged insides. She can feel each pulsing rope of cum pouring into her helpless, waiting womb.

Slowly, your mating fury dies down, and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion sets in. Hu Tao remains still under you, still too blazed by the intensity of your fuck. Her pleasure rotted mind still sits between her legs when the clarity hits you, relaxing your muscles and letting your exhausted cock finally soften. With a groan, you pull yourself out with a small noise from her to go along with it. A moment later dense cream emerges from inside her, starting to lazily drip out. 

You feel your head spin, soon followed by a trembling of your arms and knees. You move Hu Tao closer to the wall and collapse next to her, large arms pulling her close to your furry chest. 

Hu Tao reaches her hand around to touch your nose. No response. She breathes a sigh of relief, thanking herself for sneaking that sedative into your snacks. Looks like she still had some sense in her when her panties were soaked. 

A moment later, thoughts start to sprout back in Hu Tao’s fucked out mind. She groans - everything either hurts, is sore, or can’t be felt at all. Especially her hips.

“D-damn you..” She mumbles, rubbing the tears from her eyes. Well, she thinks, she deserved it. Could she not have provoked you? Maybe. Was it totally worth it? Hell yes. 

Your arm is quite comfortable. She snuggles her head into the crook of your arm, enjoying the softness of your monstrous form’s fur. Absent-mindedly, her hand glides over her belly.

Hopefully lycanthropy isn’t hereditary…

Thanks for reading!

[sevasey51]

Hey babe! Can you write a request for Connor teaching Charlie how to hit the code panel? Also, what made Connor decide to put the tablet in the house?

Built-In Backup

Summary: The day Connor installed the wall-mounted crash tablet, it wasn’t out of panic—it was out of quiet, deliberate fear. He’d seen too many close calls, too many moments where she was seconds from spiraling. So he built a failsafe. And when their golden retriever Charlie came home, it didn’t take long before Connor realized he could be part of the plan, too. This is the story of how the Charlie Crate command was born—and why Connor never leaves anything to chance when it comes to her.

8 Months Ago – A Quiet Saturday Morning

Connor had his laptop open at the kitchen island, skimming through case notes—but he wasn’t really reading them.

His eyes kept flicking to the couch.

Y/N was curled under a fleece blanket, deep in sleep. Charlie was curled at her feet, paws twitching in a dream. Her face was pale, her skin damp with the aftereffects of the crash she’d had two days prior.

That one had been too close.

BP in the 70s. HR over 170.

He’d had to give the emergency beta-blocker twice.

She’d been unable to talk. Barely able to move.

And still—still—she apologized afterward for “scaring” him.

He closed the laptop and quietly walked to the wall outside their bedroom, the spot they always passed. He had measured it weeks ago. Checked WiFi connectivity. Power access. Quietly started drafting protocols.

She didn’t know. Not yet.

But he had already ordered the panel.

Because when you’re a trauma surgeon married to someone with conditions that can flip from manageable to life-threatening in minutes… love isn’t just warm blankets and tea. It’s building systems that can keep her here.

Three Weeks Later – Installation Day

The tablet was up, sleek and black with a soft glow when tapped. It was built for medical integration—secure, encrypted, and linked to her data log. It had four preset commands.

• Charlie Crate – Full crash.

• Waterfall – Pre-syncopal episode.

• Red Light – Hemorrhage alert.

• Greenhouse – Sensory shutdown mode.

And then, Connor did something unexpected:

He crouched beside Charlie, who tilted his head at the screen.

“You wanna help?” Connor asked gently, showing him a small square outlined on the screen.

Charlie wagged his tail.

“Okay, bud. Look here—see this?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of Charlie’s favorite training treats. “You touch the screen, you get this.”

He repeated the command—“Crate. Charlie crate.”—and gently guided Charlie’s paw to tap the target.

The tablet beeped.

Treat given. Praise loud.

It took a week. Dozens of repetitions. Reinforcement.

Then one day, Connor heard the tablet beep on its own—and ran straight to it.

Connor stared.

“Holy shit. You’re a genius.”

Charlie barked once and sat proudly.

That night Y/N found him at the tablet, tweaking the alert timing settings.

“Hey,” she murmured. “What’s this?”

He didn’t even flinch. “Backup plan.”

She tilted her head, and he explained—every detail.

How it could call Will, Jay, Ava and Hannah. Log her vitals. Trigger smart lights and unlock the emergency med drawer.

And how—if she ever couldn’t move—Charlie would do it.

Her eyes filled.

“You did all that for me?”

He turned and looked at her. “I watched you nearly stop breathing in my arms, and I had nothing left but my hands and hope. I will never let us be in that position again.”

She pulled him into a hug, burying her face into his neck. “You’re kind of scary when you love someone.”

He smiled, pressed a kiss into her hair, and whispered,

“Good. That means it’s working.”

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

From One Master to Another

Part 1 (ft. Riddle and Silver) I Part 2 (ft. Trey and Kalim) I Part 3 (ft. Jade and Lilia) I Part 4 (ft. Deuce and Jamil) I Part 5 (ft. Malleus and Ruggie) | Part 6 (ft. Cater and Rook) | Part 7 (ft. Sebek and Floyd) | Part 8 (ft. Ace and Idia) | Part 9 (ft. Leona and Epel)

In which Gordon Ramsay-kun is isekai’d into Twisted Wonderland. Part Food Wars, part Hell’s Kitchen, all Master Chef—Night Raven College isn’t ready to take on this Michelin Star celebrity!!

Gordon Ramsay isn't a classically trained pastry chef; he knows the savory, not the sweet. This time, the coursework involves instruction in desserts--and he'll find that he has just as much to learn as his students, Vil and Jack, do. I conducted a lot of research for this installment (reading articles on how to ice cakes + the science behind macarons, and, of course, watching videos where GR gets humbled and learns from fellow culinary masters). It provided me with a fresh perspective to write from~

Imagine this...

"... Jack."

"Yes, Vil-senpai?"

"What exactly am I looking at?"

Several countertops were covered in baking trays. Sugar circles sat upon waxy sheets, some collapsed and thinned out like wafers, others risen then caved in and cracked. It was an array of imperfections spanning the muted colors of the rainbow.

Jack clasped his hands behind his back, and tried to ignore the uncomfortable urge to itch the ears tucked under his hat, or to tear away the tangle of hair net containing his tail. His chef's jacket seemed to be straining to contain the entire bulk of him.

"Macarons," Jack reported.

Vil lifted a brow.

"... Er, at least they're supposed to be macarons," his underclassman awkwardly clarified.

Vil granted him a look of sympathy. "The poor things."

"W-Well, how did you do with your assignment?!" Jack stammered, eager to shift the subject. He glanced to Vil's table.

Lips pursed.

The model had gone with a light wash of makeup, simply a neutral brown gradient on his lids. His hair was arranged in a tight, tidy bun, flaxen bangs pinned back. Vil presented almost as flawless as a mirror's face—but certainly his cake didn't.

It was two layers tall (Jack had watched him saw and shape them earlier), stacked upon each other with a layer of buttercream sandwiched between them. The cake was starting to slope, as if in a desperate attempt to crawl to the exit. A coat of uneven chocolate frosting had hardened, forming odd peaks and lumps in a crust.

“That’s pretty rough.” Vil bristled at the words—sparse, yet biting. Jack continued. “How many cakes does this make, four?”

The question, unintentional needling.

“Seven,” Vil begrudgingly corrected him. Then, a small smirk formed. “And yourself? How many batches of macarons does this make?”

“Urk…!” Jack’s ears flattened, his bushy tail limp. “I guess we could both use more practice…”

“Jesus.”

The curse was spoken in a hissing whisper, emerging from neither from Vil nor Jack. It came from their teacher, an older man with weathered features—the result of wisdom and stress. He had been perched off to the side, observing his students’ skills in action, his frown seemingly ever extending as the mistakes piled up.

“Right then, maybe this isn’t working out,” Gordon Ramsay muttered, his eyes passing over a macaron graveyard and the crumbling cake mountains.

Not for lack of trying.

“Chef!” Jack immediately stood at attention. “We did our best to follow your instructions.”

“As you can see, the results were not particularly fruitful,” Vil chimed in. “We could do with additional instruction.”

Gordon startled, gaping at them. “Wait, you two want me to teach you more? You’re willing to listen?”

“Yessir!! Please guide us.”

“It’s as Jack says. We are here to learn and to enhance our culinary skillsets. We shouldn’t dawdle.” Vil narrowed his eyes. “Why do you act so surprised?”

“Can’t say this has happened very often.” Gordon stroked his chin thoughtfully. “The last time I had a pair of students this cooperative was months ago.”

“Just what exactly have the other Culinary Crucibles students put you through?” Vil angrily planted his hands on his hips. “Were Epel and Rook being disrespectful?"

Jack hesitated not wishing to speak ill of his Savanaclaw seniors. Still, it was easy for his mind to conjure the image of Ruggie swiping leftovers when no one was looking—“Free food is free food!”—and Leona yawning, mentally checked out of the situation.

"It's not hard to imagine," Jack confessed.

"They'll be getting an earful from me later!"

"Hmph, kids will be kids. I've dealt with cocky adults double their age or older acting like bigger babies. What's important is that they walked out of my kitchen better than when they first walked in."

Gordon leaned against a counter and folded his arms. Air escaped through his teeth. “Boys, I’ll be straight with you. Sweets, baking—it isn’t my specialty. I could try and teach you all bloody day and we'd still get nowhere."

“Are you serious?” Jack frowned. “So that means…”

"What I've already shown you is all I've picked up from experts back home. We've hit the ceiling."

“This can’t be!” Vil reeled, looking vaguely appalled. “If it’s come to this, then how will we possibly improve our craft?"

"I don't know."

I've never been in a kitchen where I haven't been in control.

"This is a fucking mess," Gordon groaned. I've failed my students.

“What’s with all the doom and gloom?”

Gordon bolted upright at the sudden voice.

A plump ghost manifested, suited up in a chef's jacket and hat. His face was as puffy as a marshmallows, and his belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly.

The head chef at Night Raven College.

"You fellas look like you've seen a ghost," he joked. "But never mind that. I noticed you’ve been standing around and being sad for a while now.”

“Right, that—” Gordon exchanged an anxious look with his students. He fumbled for an explanation, but didn’t have to.

“Oh my! Did you make these?” the ghost chef indicated the macarons and cakes. They were hard to miss. “Brave of you to start off with such finicky things. All in all, they’re not bad attempts."

"They're not?"

The ghost chuckled. “Of course not. How many times do you think a pastry chef muddles macarons or ices a cake incorrectly before it’s passable? It’s one part skill, one part practice, and one part learning as you go. Here, let me show you some tips and tricks I picked up myself.”

Vil, Jack—and even Gordon himself—watched in silent awe as the ghost chef went about his work.

Ingredients were effortlessly measured and sifter into a bowl (“Keeps it free of lumps!”), then whipped egg whites carefully folded into the batter. “You want stiff peaks for the whites, and minimum folding to get it incorporated!” Once the macarons were piped onto a sheet, the chef picked up the tray and slammed it down several times—“To scare off the air bubbles.”

The batch of macarons was slid into a waiting oven, and he started on his next task.

Into a stand mixer went several sticks of butter. The machine came to life, whipping the fats well.

“Traditional buttercream forms a crust over time,” the ghost chef explained. “That gets gritty and unpleasant! So here’s an alternate version that doesn’t crust. It’s less sweet, but still stable, easy to work with.“

He lifted a bottle and tipped its contents into the aerated butter. Transparent syrup fell in thick rivulets, and he grinned. Powdered sugar followed, visible only for seconds before it disappeared into the gathering frosting.

“The secret is light corn syrup. Using dissolved sugar instead of powdered makes the frosting smooth and stops it from hardening. Adds a fine luster to the frosting too!”

Using a spatula, he spooned the fresh buttercream into a piping bag and handed it off to Vil. “Scrape the stuff that’s on your cakes off and try again with this,” the ghost encouraged. “Should work like a dream!”

“Thank you,” Vil said, a little bewildered by the heft of the piping bag. “I will show you a beautiful dessert by yours truly.”

“Looking forward to it.”

DING!

The oven’s timer went off.

“That’s 13 minutes! Howl-kun, can you get the macarons?” called the ghost.

“Yes, Chef! I’m on it!” Jack, in a pair of heat-resistant mitts, marched to the oven and reached inside. He produced a tray of perfect pink domes, a cloud of ruffles—the macaron’s feet—at their bases. “Whoa.”

“A nice filling and they’ll be good to go. You’ve got it covered?”

“I’ll try my best.”

“Good, good. Let us know if you need any help though, alright? That’s what your teachers are here for.”

Jack nodded, then retreated to his station. While the macarons cooled, he chopped white chocolate and tossed it into a pan with heavy cream. Moments later, they had melded into a rich ganache, sweetness hanging in a heavy cloud about it. One scoop was enough for a pair of shells, lightly pressed together.

Beside his junior, Vil was hard at work redoing a cake. His stand was set spinning, a bench scraper aligned to comb and smooth out the dollops of frosting he had painted along the sides. The cake was a blank white canvas, and Vil, the artist.

Sparks in their eyes, faces bright with the glow of determination.

“Incredible,” Gordon breathed, staring after the duo. He turned back to the head chef. “You made it look so easy.”

The ghost chef laughed and contentedly patted his stomach. “I’ve had my whole life and afterlife to master the skills!”

“No kidding. You saved my ass back there.”

And more importantly, he’s actually got the kids motivated again.

“You’re the one that’s helped us out a lot, Ramsay-kun. The kitchen is so short-staffed with so many students wanting to take the Culinary Crucibles elective this year. You took some of the instruction off of our hands. This is the very least I can do to return the favor.”

The head chef smiled. “Don’t forget, you can always call on us if you ever need help.”

“That right? Then I guess you wouldn’t mind helping me out with one more thing today.”

“Mm, what’s that?”

Gordon rolled up his sleeves, a newfound fire in his expression. “Please teach me too.”

“Huh?! You want me to teach you?”

“I’m as much of a student as they are—and I’d be honored to learn from a chef of your caliber.”

“Ramsay-kun…” The ghost teared up. “Oh, how could I refuse? I’d be happy to!! Go on now, get your own station set up and we can get started immediately.”

The creases in Gordon’s face lifted. His response, hearty and joyful.

“Yes, Chef!”

Vil glanced up from his cake. “… Are my eyes and ears deceiving me?”

“They aren’t.” Jack’s brows lifted. “I’m seeing and hearing it too.”

“It’s not so shocking,” Gordon grunted. “This is a school. We’re here to learn new skills and techniques—doesn’t matter if we’re student or teacher.“

“Fufufu,” Vil chuckled to himself. “Well, aren’t you humble?”

“Heh.” Jack found himself fighting to keep down a small smile. “I can respect that. Nothing wrong with a guy lookin’ to improve himself.”

“That makes three of us.”

We’re not that different at our very cores. Stubborn fools with dreams and aspirations of achieving something greater. For ourselves, for the ones around us.

The ghost chef clapped his doughy hands. “Isn’t this so exciting, class? We’re embarking on a culinary journey together! I hope you’re ready, because I sure am!”

They replied in unison, hearts united:

“Ready when you are, Chef!”

[escherstrange-ffxiv]

Because @lynxden somehow missed [this post], I am going to make up for it with a slightly longer, wordier post, because, well, nine years, folks.

This involved digging into my external HDD and Facebook for old pics since everything pre-SB was lost. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Feb 2015

When I finally jumped into the PS3 Free Trial (it only had 20 days playtime and would delete your chara if you didn't buy the game in 90 days so no meme) I was in a very shitpost-y mood, giggling during character creation.

Pink hair so healers could see him a mile away. Make pink his thing. Give him facial hair because SE men don't have enough facial hair. The scar is from a shaving accident (you can tell I don't shave).

There was no gpose function, only hide HUD but back then screenshots were only to show funny ingame things, not as a form of photography. He wore this robe for AGES because apparently no other gear was better.

2017

"What do you mean I have three lights and they all shine into his face- oh."

The first Gpose I put on IG! This is special because I read a guide that told me how to position lights.

And then I learned how to pretend he was taking a selfie. The world of Gpose was opening up.

I also removed Escher's facial hair because it didn't go with the Aymeric hair. Suddenly he was ✨handsome✨!

Oh no.

2019

Permanently free from my mother's voice in my head telling me to be a functional member of society, I dived into FFXIV with a gusto I never had in any other MMORPG in my life. I actively spoke to my FC, joined raids at 3 AM because EU, started looking up screenshots on Twitter wanting to replicate certain shots for practice.

And then the prevalence of shaders and mods hit me like a brick to my PS4.

A new feeling was born: Spite.

Spite converted my FC room into a studio. Spite that said I would take good shots from my PS4 as the biggest middle finger to anyone who said, "oh vanilla pics will never be good without shaders/mods".

Spite earned me almost USD 50 worth of Mogstation credit from winning screenshot contests so don't knock it until you've tried it!

Escher also turned into a Lala! Lalascher was suuuper cute but it made ingame relationships weird (their words, not mine) and I didn't like the jump animation so back to-

-I MEAN I BOUGHT A SET OF 3, MIGHT AS WELL USE IT?!

Catscher lasted even shorter than Lalascher. I REALLY couldn't stand the tail sticking out of everything, even long skirts (shouldn't a tail technically be under a skirt and pop out like a bustle or-).

2021

In 2019 my house burned down so I had to get an emergency laptop. I finally had a PC capable of playing games so I installed FFXIV on it...with Gshade.

But then stuff happened. You know, the point in every FFXIV player's life where interpersonal relationships affect their mental health. Yeah, that.

I resubbed wanting to use more shaders EXCEPT my laptop's framerate would drop to single digits if I activated anything above gameplay presets so my laptop was only used to log RP chats.

I still play on console because I can play on a big TV screen while still looking at Discord without the overlay wigging out on me. So if I take pictures in new expansions it's always going to be vanilla.

The spite had calmed down a LOT but I already knew what I was capable of. The next step was just figuring out more new and interesting shots.

I also went back to taking pictures of interesting things in game.

2022

I bit the bullet and built a PC. For Gshade. I am 100% serious. Then the whole Gshade thing happened but I ALREADY HAVE A NICE PC FOR THIS, YOU THINK SOME DRAMA IS GOING TO STOP ME? FOOL, SPITE IS MY BLOOD. (I use reshade now)

So have more vanilla pics!

Also Escher became a bani! He was very handsome but the lack of hats was a dealbreaker. Bunnyscher lasted 6 months and was incorporated into the lore as Campanella Strange, First of Their Name, who kicked Escher's soul into the lifestream and borrowed his body-

I'll stop here. Feel free to ask for more details.

Learning to use crime tools meant I could take an alt to JP studios and pose different characters in them. Guilty? Yes. Thrilling? Hell yes.

2023-2024

Aka "The Moon Years". That's it, that's all you need to know. Gosh, there sure are some beautiful clothes out there. Also Escher finally changed his hairstyle after...five years???

I will still die on the vanilla hill though.

Bonus shot of Escher's hairstyles:

And that's it! Thank you for reading the great wall of text, I hope you found it worth your time!

Tagging? I don't know, looks like everyone on tumblr has done this by now, but I'd tag @furys-mercy just because I'd like to see what Mercer looked like in the early days.

[trans-ralsei]

May 31, 0084 Izuma Side 6

The red-haired girl shouldn’t have lingered at the gate, Nyaan thought.

She stared at her eyes for a moment. That school uniform… from that posh school in Highbury. What was she doing here, in the fucking way?

Nyaan was on the run from transport security. They’d seen her hopping over the gate in Nenokuni, and tailed her all the way to Camden.

She didn’t have the hytes to travel on the subway system, now that she had to pay fees for her private school in preparation for her degree — that she needed to become a true resident of Side 6.

So she’d started this first job as a courier. She was told that she stuck out like a sore thumb. Who’d use a fake school uniform to travel around Izuma? You look like a fucking tourist.

And now she’d lost her package.

Luckily she’d installed a tracker, even though that cost her quite a bit of hytes.

The red-haired girl was in front of her now, at the junction, and it was time for Nyaan to make her move.

She shoved the red-haired girl, grabbed her pack, and ran.

Somehow, out of instinct, she finds herself running up the steps to this shrine, its red torii glowing in the city lights. On Earth, in the region once known as Japan, these shrines were everywhere.

Nyaan catches her breath, and opens the brown envelope she’d been meant to deliver. She could still make it in time, if she took the express to Nenokuni, she thought.

But instead of the rectangular computer unit she expected to find, there was only a travel guide. A dense book, filled with pictures of Earth.

“This enables even a civilian mobile suit to use weapons. Pretty rad,” the red-haired girl says. “Don’t you think you owe me an apology?”

Nyaan hid behind the shrine, and the next thing she saw was the battle computer aloft in the air. She leaps up to catch it, but not before the whirlwind of red hair grabs it before she does.

“Are you… a terrorist?”

She lands, cat-like, on a lantern.

“I’m not… it’s just for Clan-Bat…”

“You fight in mobile suits for prize money… Clan Battle, right?” the red-haired girl says. “That’s really popular, even though it’s illegal…”

The lantern breaks under her weight, and the red-haired girl falls right into Nyaan’s arms.

She was perched on top of her now, as Nyaan felt herself blush. This fucking girl. “I’m just delivering the key. It’s a side job.”

“Were you ever in one of those mobile suits?” the red-haired girl asks. “In Clan-Bat.”

“No…” Nyaan trails off. The red-haired girl’s eyes sparkled. She’s so full of life, Nyaan thinks.

“Do you think you can be free in space?”

-------------------

July 24, 0084 Yomagn'tho

That question lingered in Nyaan’s mind, as she watches Kycilia point her rifle at the red-haired girl.

“Even though Zeon won the war, Spacenoids will never be free,” Annqi had said back then, at the Kaneban Co office. “We will forever continue to suffer.”

Nyaan had swallowed all that suffering within her. She had kept her head down, when Machu’s first instinct was to fight back.

She saw Machu pilot that Zaku into the maintenance tunnel, and steal the GQuuuuuuX from that Zeon pilot that day, all because she wanted to fight back against the cops. Machu knew, inherently, that she and all Spacenoids weren’t free.

Yes, you can be free. You can be free, anywhere.

The voice of that woman in her head again. Nyaan raises the Walther PP Kycilia gave her, the same pistol Kycilia had used to kill that sergeant, the same pistol Degwin had given Kycilia.

She has to protect Shuji. Protect Machu. After all Machu did, to fight back, to make sure that people got a taste of their own violence, to set Nyaan free…

I have to fight for my own freedom, Nyaan thought. Even though I abandoned everyone and ran away…

She fires.

(from mercy, find me here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67146871)

[evprimespares]

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[ontheoddoccasioniwritestuff]

Star-crossed in the Crosshairs (John Price x Reader)

Chapter 10: Like A Hurt, Lost and Blinded Fool

Fic Summary: This mission is the pinnacle of your efforts for the past three years. Your whole team and yourself have worked countless hours, slaughtered hundreds, risked life and limb for scraps of intel, and now it all boiled down to pairing up with another taskforce to get this job done and dusted. An unexpected spanner in the works comes in the shape of your former best friend, now also a Captain and somehow resurrected from his KIA status, John Price.

You can’t afford to let feelings - old and new - get in the way of your purpose. No matter how much you’ve missed, wished for, loved him, and no matter how much he might feel the same

Chapter 9 // Masterlist // AO3 Version // Epilogue

You awoke to your alarm, your arms tucked beneath the blankets you’d fallen asleep atop of. Without any dexterity, you slapped it off then turned your head over on the pillow.

A dream was slipping from your mind. It’d felt so real, as all dreams did. As if, when you reached out, you could feel the weight of a wedding ring on your left hand and smell an English fry-up in a newly installed kitchen – your kitchen - John cooking in an apron with Michaelangelo’s David on the front. Sizzling and smoking over your eyes, you remembered there was also a cow in the sitting room. Every wall had been painted an ugly green that profoundly distressed you. There may have been some symbolism in that but your soporific mind could not begin to fathom what on Earth that pertained to you.

Your chest felt concave and your sluggish memory recalled why. Its remembrance had dug out your innards and nestled there. Face stiff, it seems last night’s tears had turned to plaster with the echoes of kisses on your cheeks. Your quiet comprehension of how much time you and John both had wasted dithering around the point, a decade beside each other, another apart, it was becoming too much for this early. You reached the same point you had last night just before drifting away from consciousness.

Trying to get over it all in one go, acting like it was ok, wouldn’t work. Shouldn’t’ve taken you trying to fuck him to figure that out, but at least you knew now for certain. Nostalgia wouldn’t trick you like that again.

Forgiveness still flickered at one end of a Route 66 trek and you weren’t even in the same country that the road started in, your logician approach to emotions setting you back miles.

But getting dressed? That was doable.

Hacking yourself free from the enveloping ivy sentiments that trapped you in this bed in the first place was the toughest part.Soon enough, you were under the trickle of the showerhead. Its tepid touch filtered across your skin akin to the torrential downpour of tears from the previous night.The same thought played behind your eyelids on a loop to distract yourself from any others. Upon the instant your mind tried to stray to unsavoury memories, you wrangled it back under control, scouring soap into your being as if to cleanse these unpleasantries.

Plum mottled around your ribs as the only thing marring your body that could be seen and you hid it beneath your shirt – the only fresh one left in your bag that you always saved for the trip home. Nothing worse than going home in stinking uniform. Scanning down your body and containing your emotions once again, your hand grasped the door handle firmly and guided you into the remembered route to the mess hall.

In silver platters were eggs of all kinds for the Easter weekend, lining up at the far end under almost amber lights. Your stomach coveted a fry-up of some description but duty held you back, guiding your gaze to find your team. Excited uproar meant your ears latched onto their seating plan first. They were with the 141 still, and you believed you were catching the tail end of an arm wrestling competition. Your presence was felt from a fifteen metre radius by everyone except the person you wanted to talk to – wilful ignorance going a long way.

“Good morning all. Crash, a word?”

Crash’s face recovered before it had dropped a substantial amount. You still caught how the delight in her eyes was snuffed out, now barely a flicker of a flame as she followed you swiftly around the corner to a more discrete location.

The second you turned around to begin, Crash assumed the kicked puppy position of holding your eye with a lip that was desperate to tremble and back ironed straight to hide her linked shaking hands.

“I’m putting you on desk duty for two months,” You said, your folded arms hiding how you gripped at your shirt beneath your shoulders.

“Yes, Captain,” Crash replied in a hollow voice.

Counting to three, you continued, “You reminded me you’re capable. Put me in that position again and I’ll take you off the team, you hear?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Have you told them?” You nodded behind her at the mess hall entrance.

The corners of Crash’s mouth twitched, “They figured it out themselves.”

Letting out a hum of neither interest nor dismissal, you nodded again, “Go on then. We leave in 20.”

She seemed to take that as your approval of the couple, powering back to the table after she rounded the corner and not realising you were watching how Gaz stared at her, his shoulders only relaxing when she was back at the table and was smiling back at him.

You counted again, using your breaths to time your strides across the hall. Your breakfast was packed between two slices of toast and feasted upon its mediocrity en route to the meeting room. Not once did you think about how it would make your breath reek before the meeting

Stood by the giant blank screen, before an audience of chairs that threatened to groan under any weight, John - hatless – was sipping from a mug that said “Best Captain” in an unruly font on its face. He barely met your eye over the rim between sips while you spoke with Laswell and Fernandez on the laptop.

Ultimately, the debrief was short. Almost everything had been covered the night before, and the final necessary steps would be in the form of paperwork – something you could do from your own base. Your breakfast didn’t have time to settle in your stomach by the time Joh closed the laptop lid.

“Is there anything else?” You asked before his hand released the piece of tech.

“No,” He placed the coffee mug down, “You’re free to go.”

John strode alongside you to the heli, stopping only to collect your bag on the way. Except he waited outside whilst you collected it. Still, he refused to meet your eye. You couldn’t decide if you were grateful for that or not.

On the tarmac, your team was waiting, as was Price’s. Fist bumps and firm shakes were already being exchanged. You joined the end of your line and began swapping dialogue.

“Keep fighting the good fight.”

“I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.”

“If not for a court case, out on the field.”

Each sentiment was intended with the utmost respect, an honesty that was forged in the worst of situations. You felt it burning under your skin by the time you made it to John.His hand outstretched for a simple handshake to act as the final period on your story.

You spoke first, “Take care of yourself.” Then your hand found his.

“You too,” John said gruffly, a little quieter than before. His grip slackened.

But you countered him with your fingers tightened over his gloved hand, praying he’d catch onto your last request, “I’ll try.”

It was almost imperceptible but you caught John’s nod and the lines by his eyes creasing for a split second as he said, “Okay.”

No doubt his team picked up on his expression too, but you ignored them. Too busy was your mind, processing how your fingerless gloves let your calluses drag against his when you parted ways, closing the book for now.

Never had you felt not daft doing the light jog up the runway, and today was no exception. Yet your team beamed at your return to their side and you strapped in tight beside Crash after a swift visual confirming all was ready for you to do so.

That promise you made to yourself? Broken with a glance back, just as the door closed. Through the bleak morning sun, you saw John staring right at you. The door sealed with your fate inside.

“You good, Captain?” Crash asked tentatively.

You looked back at her, and you knew she was already missing Gaz. Her eyes were like a kicked puppy’s

“I am.”

You kept your head loose against the rumble, instead of fighting to remain rigid. Dizzying, a headache built out of emotional fatigue and annoyance brewed by your neck. Deep breaths sought to get you through it, one rush of air through your nose at a time.

This was not the ending you wanted. So it wouldn’t end with today.

--------------

AN: One chapter to go! To be honest, you could end it here if you're more of the hurt/no comfort fan. The final chapter is a bit of a cop out from that for those of us who prefer a more hopeful ending. Can't promise it'll bring comfort, but it may bring something close to it.

Also, if you haven't checked out my new interactive Price fic, here's a link to the one-shot the universe is based on: Purchase Your Time!

Tag-list: @mockerycrow and @algor-babe

[fallinnflower]

the witch & the nine-tailed fox - 2

young k x reader (kumiho!au, historical-fantasy!au, drama)

wc: 9k

tw: mentions of death and illness

a/n: hiiiii so it's been a while! i know i was talking about vampire bambam (and DPR Ian which lays the groundwork for that one and needs to be finished first... it's all still in the works i promise!) the original inspiration behind this sequel was "guard you," and now somehow this cute little part 2 has turned out to be longer than the first installment. thank you to everyone who still reads my work, it means so much to me. i hope you like this part 2 and if you're curious about my WIPs (i have so many. genuinely over 100 things in various states of incompletion.) feel free to ask!

"Younghyun-ah, Y/N-ah! Come in and eat now!" You both lift your heads at Eunji’s call, her voice ringing out over the valley that serves as your front lawn. 

"Coming!" you call back, hurriedly uprooting the last herb you'd spotted before straightening your back to look for Younghyun. 

You find him walking out of the woods, not disheveled in the slightest aside from the dirt on his hands. A wry smile curls across your lips as you swipe at your sweaty brow with the back of your hand, pushing stray hairs from your eyes. 

"What did you find?" you ask, peering around Younghyun's shoulder to see into his basket as you fall into step with him. He chuckles and nudges you with his elbow. 

"Focus on walking or you'll trip, Y/N-ah." You pout, pondering it for a moment before snatching the basket from his hands. In his surprise he doesn't manage to stop you, merely letting out a sigh as you rifle through it while walking. As you count the herbs under your breath, Younghyun's hand gently comes to rest on your elbow, guiding you around a hole in your path. 

"Thanks," you say, shooting him a quick smile before continuing with your count. He nods, keeping his eyes ahead and his hand on your elbow as you near Eunji's residence. The heat rises up on your cheeks when he doesn't pull away, and you press your lips together tightly to keep your smile concealed even though neither he nor Eunji are looking your way. 

Once you both get to the door, toeing your shoes off, Younghyun makes a beeline for where Eunji is hunched over the table. You watch fondly, looking up through your lashes while you bow your head and pretend to be counting herbs still, as he coaxes the utensils and dishes out of her hands, taking over for the old woman you both love dearly. It warms your heart to see the way Eunji fakes her exasperation with him but allows him to take over the task anyways. 

When you first brought Younghyun home, you'd been afraid of what everyone's reaction would be — Eunji included. However, despite his sharp features and often strange mannerisms, he instantly charmed all the villagers as he helped to administer the new medicine to them at your side. Eunji herself had been the one to suggest he remain in the hut, inviting him into the small family the two of you constituted. He had quickly slotted himself into your lives as though he belonged there, eager to make himself useful and far more adaptable than anyone could have expected. From gardening to cleaning and cooking, Younghyun managed to be good at everything and consistently in good spirits about even the most menial tasks. Eunji, recognizing his eagerness and potential, had begun teaching him how to make certain medicines and prepare materials for the two of you.

"Did you find enough?" Eunji asks, as the two of you make your way inside. 

"Yes, plenty," you reply, smiling. You set your basket aside and head towards where your mentor is busy cooking, inhaling deeply as you approach. Setting a hand on Eunji’s shoulder, you lean even closer to the cookware. "Ah, it smells so good!"

"Get away from there, you’ll get burned!" Eunji scolds you, gently pushing you back. With an exaggerated pout, you start to whine, but are interrupted by a light tug at your sleeve. 

"She’s right," Younghyun says. "You should be more careful." His expression, when you turn to look at him, is almost painfully earnest, his eyes filled with genuine concern as he looks at you. You can’t help but find it endearing.

"I know, I know. I’m sorry," you reply. "But even if I did get hurt, the two of you would nurse me back to health, wouldn’t you?" 

"Nurse you? I’m too old for that sort of thing, child," Eunji scoffs. "You should be the one nursing me, after all these years." You look to Younghyun, and he only offers your a half-hearted smile,

"I won’t be much help on my own." You let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I guess I have no choice then," you say. "I promise I’ll be more careful. Maybe."

Eunji swats at your shoulder once again, but you pay little mind to her scolding as you dissolve into laughter. Younghyun looks between the two of you, uncertain of whose side to take, and you bask in the warmth of the home you’ve made. 

It may be unconventional, but you don’t care. Everything feels just right.

Most evenings (when the weather is mild) find you and Younghyun outside and wandering — giving Eunji some much-needed solitude before the winter shuts you all in together. The late autumn chill is more brisk than biting, and so you find yourself (with Younghyun following your lead, as though it’s the most natural thing in the world) headed through the woods towards the crest of a hill where the view of the sunset is best. You stretch your arms up to the sky, loosening the tension in your spine before you take a seat on the grass. Younghyun carefully takes his place beside you, hands almost touching at your sides. 

"We’ll head back once the sun starts setting," you say, well aware of your companion’s tendency to worry for your safety. You turn to him with a playful smile tugging at the corners of your mouth, 

"That should give Eunji a long enough break, I think." Younghyun chuckles and leans back on his hands, and you silently admire his profile for a moment. Despite the spirit leaving him, he still looks very fox-like — his sharp features give him an otherworldly handsomeness that would intimidate you if you didn’t know how soft he really was. 

"You know her well," he muses. It feels more as though he’s thinking out loud than anything else, but you choose to reply, turning away before your stare becomes too obvious.

"Well, I’ve known her most of my life." 

"You’ve been with her a long time," Younghyun agrees, thinking back to what he already knows about your relationship. "She’s almost like your mother."

"Hm, in a way…" You trail off, gaze on the horizon. "She raised me, but Eunji is… more than family," you say resolutely, gaze trained on the almost-setting sun. You can feel Younghyun's eyes on you, but you don't mind it — you just don’t feel the need to return his gaze. Not when the sky is so lovely. 

"What's your family like?" he asks, softly. You let out a short, awkward laugh, reaching up to twist the end of your braid around your nervous fingers. 

"Oh," you start. "Well, I don't really know them that well. Not that we don't get along!" You turn to Younghyun to emphasize your point, 

"I still make time to see them whenever I'm in their village, but, you know, Eunji raised me. My family and I are more like friends."

"I always wondered how you ended up with Eunji," he says, words slow and thoughtful. "But I worried that it might be a painful story, because of your family."

"Oh, no, nothing like that," you reply with a wave of your hand. You draw your knees up to your chest and cross your arms atop them, resting your cheek there as your gaze becomes unfocused in the haze of memory. 

"When I was very young, it became clear to everyone that I was different from the other children. My parents were so worried that they brought me to Eunji, and she was the one who discovered I had magical abilities, just like her." A fond smile makes its way across your face, and Younghyun feels his chest tighten for just a moment. 

"Did Eunji take you on as an apprentice then?"

"No," you chuckle. "Eunji is an independent person, as I'm sure you've noticed. She encourages that in other people, so she didn't even offer to take me. Later, when my powers were manifesting even more strongly, my parents brought me to her again. Even then, Eunji wouldn’t teach me any magic unless I asked her — and it just happened that I admired her so much that I asked all the time for her to teach me things." You pause and turn your face back to Younghyun, smiling wistfully. 

"If I had told her I didn't want to learn any magic, she would have accepted that. She would have shown me how to keep it under control and then sent me right back to my parents. But I wanted this life, I chose it.

"So, Eunji is… she’s more than my mentor, too. She’s like a mother, and an aunt, and a sister, and a best friend. She’s been my protector and provider, and, more than anyone else in the world, she's made me who I am. Somehow, I think she knows everything about me, even more than I do." 

Younghyun watches as you turn your gaze back to the setting sun, your skin awash in golden-red light. The tender expression in your face is warmer than any sunlight, he thinks. Ever since your first meeting, he had felt you were something of a mystery — a force of nature in and of yourself — but as he came to know Eunji he felt he was coming to know you, as well. He often found himself searching for the answers to his questions about you in her, his inexperience leaving him unsure of how to ask you those questions outright. 

As he loses himself in the sight of you, he feels a surge of emotion run through him: first, his fondness for you, an ever-growing affection that both thrills and alarms him; and second, the cold, unsettling chill of his own inadequacy. Even sat as you are, looking so small and delicate, you seem as grounded and certain as a mountain, strong-willed and clear-minded. 

Sometimes, he thinks that he was only made a gumiho so that he could wait for you to come to him. 

As the twilight begins to settle in, he notices bemusedly that you've fallen asleep sitting beside him. He can't help but marvel at you, a girl unafraid to sleep in the open valley, the same girl who ascended the dangerous mountain peak alone to find him — and succeeded. 

Slowly, he stands and removes the shawl from his back, draping it across your shoulders before gently lifting you into his arms. You curl comfortably against his chest, cheek against his shoulder, and for a moment time seems to stand still as you take his breath away without even opening your eyes. You look so vulnerable, lightly clutching at the shawl in your sleep, and Younghyun feels (not for the first time) the sudden and overwhelming urge to protect you from any and all harm. It frightens him, almost, that he instinctively knows he would follow you to the ends of the earth, go any distance at all to ensure you never had to face any dangers or pains that you may have before he came into your life. It’s more than gratitude that keeps him close to you, when he could go anywhere in the world. It's the fledgling, stirring sensation in his chest when he looks your way that frightens and enthralls him that compels him to stay. 

Younghyun takes a deep breath of the evening air, forcing himself back to his senses before he turns away from the horizon in the direction of home, holding you gingerly, preciously, as he goes. 

A knock at the door interrupts the rhythmic grinding of herbs against stone, breaking you out of your almost meditative state. You glance out the window, seeing that the sun has not moved very high into the sky, and wonder who it could be so early. After all, your home is rather remote, so they must have set off while the sun was still lingering by the horizon. Before you can even set aside your work, Younghyun, who had once again been tending the fire (he does it often to keep Eunji from getting up and down so much — despite what she insists, you both hear the way her knees and back tend to crack at her slow movements), hurries to the door. Your hands remain still as you strain to listen to their conversation. 

"Are the healers here?" You hear, faintly, and you gently set aside your task and go around the corner to stand behind Younghyun. Over his shoulder you can see a man with a slight hunch, looking winded and drawn. You can’t help the concern that squeezes your heart as you look at the worried lines of his face. 

"Yes," you reply, stepping around so that he has a clearer view of you. "Would you like to come in? It’s quite cold outside." The man nods, releasing some of the tension from his shoulders as he bows his head. It only takes a brief look from you for Younghyun to agree and spring into action. 

"Follow me," Younghyun says, "I’ll brew some tea." As he guides your new guest into the central room, you head into the back where Eunji is preparing medicinal sachets. You gently tap your knuckles along the doorframe, causing the old woman to look over her shoulder at you.

"A visitor?" she asks. You nod,

"Younghyun is making him tea. He seemed like he was in a rush to get here." Eunji hums in acknowledgement, and as she slowly begins to rise from her seat you take half a step towards her, arms outstretched — she dismisses your offer of help before it even passes your lips. 

"I’m not some helpless old woman. Go see to our guest while I get my shawl." You can’t help but smile. You have no choice but to do what she says.

You find Younghyun and the man engaging in quiet conversation over cups of tea, and Younghyun hurries to pour a cup for you. No matter how often you told him not to, as he was technically a guest, he refused to allow you or Eunji to pour for yourselves, worried you might burn your hands somehow. You find it funny, and a bit endearing, considering the conditions he’s already seen you in — burnt fingertips are the least of your worries, most of the time. 

"My mentor will be joining us soon," you say, taking your seat at the small table. The man’s worried expression gives way to a relieved smile, though you can still see the concern darkening his eyes. 

"Thank you," he says. He opens his mouth to say something else, gaze directed at you, but is interrupted as Eunji enters the room. He stands, fully prepared to bow to him, and Eunji doesn’t hesitate to tell him to sit back down as she approaches the table. Despite being obviously surprised, he does as she says, and Younghyun pours the final cup of tea. Eunji takes a  prolonged moment to sit whilst you and Younghyun watch on with thinly veiled concern, adjusting her shawl around her shoulders. Finally, she looks across the table at the weary man,

"You seem to have come a long way." The man once again seems taken aback by Eunji’s brusqueness, but nods.

"Yes. Many of the children in our village have fallen ill, and we are worried about leaving them untreated with the winter weather approaching…"

"It’s a perilous time," Eunji agrees, dipping her chin. "How far is your village?" His eyes brighten at Eunji’s question.

"Just over an hour’s walk, so long as the weather holds." Eunji glances over at you, and you nod resolutely. The man had arrived before the noon hour — plenty of time to visit the village, assess the situation, and return to prepare treatments. Of course, it might take until the next day to finish the medicines and bring them, but you can’t help that. A small smile curves along Eunji’s lips.

"These children will accompany you," she says, still smiling. You want to retort that you aren’t a child any longer, just as Eunji proclaims she isn’t an old woman, but hold your tongue. The man scrambles onto his knees, bowing deeply,

"Thank you, thank you!" You rise from your seat, Younghyun doing the same.

"Please, sit up!" you implore, cheeks burning. "It’s our job to help, there’s no need for this!" Younghyun places a hand on your shoulder, leaning around you to speak to the man himself,

"Finish your tea. We’ll prepare our things and leave once you're done." He lifts his head, eyes wide, and his gaze flicks back to the teacup on the table as though he had forgotten it. 

"Ah, yes. Thank you." He returns to his seat, somewhat sheepish but clearly relieved, and you turn to Younghyun with a grateful smile. Such fervent displays of gratitude have always made you embarrassed, especially since your skills are still so lacking. Younghyun returns your smile with one of his own, gently squeezing your shoulder before dismissing himself to start packing. You cast one last glance at Eunji and the man, now conversing more casually, before going to get your own supplies. Uncertain of what exactly you’ll encounter, you pack the most common medicinal herbs — remedies for coughs and fevers, always necessary as the winter looms. Soon, the three of you have begun your trek across the valley and into the edges of the woods, walking carefully alongside a stream, conversation kept light and minimal.

You brace yourself as you near the village, hoping beyond hope that what ails the inhabitants will reveal itself to you. The thought of last winter tightens your throat, making it hard to breathe. Younghyun, noticing the change in your pace and pinched expression, reaches out to touch your arm. The warmth of his hand lifts the invisible weight off your chest.

"Are you alright?" he asks. You feel bad, for a moment, that you always seem to be making him worry. You offer him a reassuring smile.

"Yes," you reply. "Just... worried. I hope treating them will be straightforward." Younghyun’s lips press into a thin smile, almost like a grimace, no doubt thinking back to that cold, unforgiving mountain. Both of you try to shake the thoughts off as you press on.

As you pass the first traces of the village, you begin to feel a heaviness in the air. Even if the guide were to leave you, you would easily be able to find where they had gathered the sick — the energy is hard to ignore. It wafts towards and beckons you past curious and hopeful residents looking out into the street as you pass. Through a dark, gossamer veil of mist only your eyes can see, the building is revealed. As you near it you can hear coughs, but also a low buzzing hum, unnatural and uncomfortable.

You think back to your childhood, when you had asked your mother about that same sound when your older brother was sick, and she had only looked at you — confused, exasperated, concerned — and told you there was no such noise that she could hear. Eunji later told you that it was nature’s way of alerting you to imbalance when it couldn’t be readily seen. As you approach the building you pass off your pack to Younghyun, who remains just outside the entrance, watching you as you perform your preliminary analysis. Most of the patients are, as your guide had mentioned, children. Many of them are sleeping, huddled near one another for extra warmth, faces flushed with fever. You make your way to one corner of the room and kneel near a young teenager, half-awake, whose eyes flutter closed as your cold hand brushes their hair aside and makes contact with their forehead. You close your own eyes as well, willing the darkness behind your eyelids to reveal the answers.

Many times since you first discovered your ability, you had tried (in vain) to describe the way in which these answers were conveyed to you. Eunji, likewise, had difficulty. Something inside of you, something which resonated so deeply with the world around you, was simply able to identify the unnatural imbalance that was the illness and then lead you toward what was needed to restore the balance. It was a feeling more than a vision, though sometimes a faint image may come into your mind. One of the first things Eunji had ever taught you was to meditate and empty your mind as an invitation to the spirits that guided you to enter. Curious, you had asked if it was like possession, which Eunji had pondered before telling you that you were both right and wrong. As with most questions you had about your abilities, there were no straight or definitive answers, only a half-blind trust in the earth.

You hadn’t realized you were holding your breath until it passes from your lips in a relieved sigh. Last winter is not repeating itself. You make your way to a few other patients throughout the room, verifying that the same illness reveals itself each time, and by the time you circle back around to the entryway you are able to smile genuinely at both Younghyun and the parents and guardians now gathered outside. 

"It appears to be a widespread cold," you report. You beckon Younghyun over with your pack, and after rooting around you find what you’re looking for.

"Doraji?" someone nearby asks as you unwrap the bundle, and you nod. 

"This is dried doraji, so you need to soak it in water. Just give them all a small piece. Tomorrow I’ll bring a stronger medicinal tea, but this should help to relieve the coughing for now. It’s bitter, so the children might only eat it cooked…" You find that you’re mostly speaking to yourself as people pass the small bundle of dried roots around, discussing who should be in charge of the process. Most of the villagers have encountered the bellflower before, but don’t have as many of its roots on hand as you and Eunji do, carefully  cultivated and dried in batches. When you get home, you’ll have to check and see if there are any fresh roots left — the fall harvest isn’t so far behind you that it’s impossible. 

As you make mental notes of what ingredients you’ll need to prepare for the tea, you methodically arrange everything back in your pack and affix it to your back once more. You and Younghyun bid the villagers goodbye, reiterating your instructions once more before heading towards home.

"Do we need to look for anything on our way?" Younghyun asks, and you take a moment to run through a mental inventory before you reply. You shake your head.

"Not unless you see late-season doraji blooming. We don’t need to go out of our way, we found plenty this fall." 

"And prepared it," Younghyun replies, a slight grimace on his face. You can’t help but to laugh when you remember how much he struggled to peel the roots, and the envy with which he watched Eunji’s hands easily working away. Eventually, she had sent him to work on something else, leaving him sulky for most of the afternoon. Somehow, he was even handsome when he pouted.

"You’ve gotten better at drying ingredients," you tease, and although he grumbles in irritation the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth betrays him. You feel remarkably lighter the longer you and Younghyun walk together, playfully bantering about his (lacking) medicinal skills and wondering what meal Eunji will be preparing when you return. There’s a warmth in your heart you can only attribute to Younghyun being in your life, and although you’ve never said it aloud you hope he knows just how much he does for you just being by your side. 

You rise purposefully alongside the sun, wasting no time in getting ready for your journey. While the trip to the village isn't long, the skies have looked troublesome since the evening before — the first storm of winter is approaching, and you can feel nature all around you settling in preparation. Normally, such reactions as these from the animals would keep you home, but you simply can't stay. Remembering the miserable faces of the sick you had visited with yesterday is enough to have you strapping your pack to your back with haste, moving for the door just as the sun has fully risen over the horizon. 

"You're still going?" You whip around, startled. You hadn't realized anyone else was awake, let alone out in the main room. Younghyun meets your gaze,  his expression marred with concern. 

"Of course," you say resolutely. "I have to." Your response only makes his brow furrow more deeply. 

"But the storm looks like it will start earlier than we thought…"

"I can't leave those people to suffer," you reply, voice more sharp than you had attended. Younghyun's winces, just slightly, and you avert your eyes in shame, softening your voice,

"I have to help them. I know that I can help them, so I have to go." 

You hear Younghyun sigh, but he doesn't say anything. The creaking of the floor lets you know that he's retreated from the room, and your stomach twists at the thought of leaving him mad at you — but your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of him approaching you once more. Before you can say anything, your vision is obscured by a shawl that he drapes around your shoulders despite the pack on your back. 

"At least bundle yourself up," he chides, his tone gentle. He carefully makes sure the shawl is wrapped securely around your shoulders, protecting your throat from the chill, and you can't help the laugh that escapes you. 

"I'm already wearing fur-lined clothes," you chuckle. "Look!" You hold one wrist out and peel back the edge of your arm warmer to reveal the plush white fur beneath. 

"Even the jeogori is lined," you add, patting the puffy sides of your skirt to prove that the fabric is puffy from the fur and not simply billowing around you. Younghyun's frown melts into a fond, if still concerned, smile at your antics. He reaches up and brushes a few strands of hair he had inadvertently pushed loose when draping the shawl over you back out of your face, the warmth of his hand lingering on your cheeks. 

He takes a step back and looks over your outfit once more, as if to assure himself that you truly are dressed for the impending weather, and you once again hold back a laugh. 

"You worry too much," you playfully scold, patting him on the shoulder. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back. You'll take good care while I'm gone, right?" He presses his lips into a tight line, looking as though he wants to dissuade you from leaving — but his resigned sigh tells you he's realized those efforts will be futile. 

"Of course," he says. "So hurry back." You pull your hand off of him and move to the door before he can change his mind. 

"I will!" you chime, before stepping out into the morning chill.

Even as the breeze carries the scent of snow to you, the clouds hanging low and heavy, you push onward. It will be easy enough to distribute the medicine once you arrive, and so long as you’re home before nightfall everything should be fine. Nonetheless, your pace quickens without you even noticing, pulling your pack flat to your back. 

The villagers greet you with nervous gratitude, all the adults looking considerably exhausted, and are quick to usher you into warm buildings when they notice your windswept cheeks. As some of them bustle around, preparing tea and refreshments for you despite your protests, others help you to unload your pack.

“This is the tea. I tried to make it less bitter, since most of the children are affected,” you explain, laying the sachets of medicine out on a table. You remove a wooden spoon, the bowl narrower but deeper than one used for dining. “Use this to measure the dose. One scoop will suffice for small children, but adults should use two.” The adults around you murmur, and one eventually speaks up.

“Would you mind helping us with the first dose, Y/N-nim?” The use of the honorific momentarily stuns you, but nobody else seems bothered. Despite your many years under Eunji’s tutelage, you still feel yourself far too much of a novice to be deserving of such respect  — but to these people, who rely on you more as Eunji gets older, you imagine the lines are more blurred. 

Younghyun’s warnings about the weather echo in your head, but you find yourself agreeing. How could you leave these people in their time of need? What if the children are stubborn and need more coaxing, some gentle pressure from the ‘all-knowing witch’? 

Thankfully, most of the patients cooperate since their family matriarchs are present, though some are more stubborn. As the sun hangs in the afternoon sky you are ushered into someone’s residence for a light meal. Many of the village women gather around the room with you, taking a moment to relax after the prolonged brewing and portioning of medicinal tea. After eating a small portion, you pull out your extra herbs to measure more of the tea for the village, just in case. One of the women leans towards you as you do, a light smile playing at her lips.

"Y/N-nim, we’ve all been wondering — who is that man that came with you last time?" All eyes turn to you, the other conversations in the room halting. Their curiosity is far from unusual or unwarranted — every village Younghyun has accompanied you to has at least one person who raises the question, and plenty more who don’t ask but are clearly wondering too. After all, for so many years it's been only you and Eunji visiting these people unassisted. You barely glance up from your work at her question, a smile curving your lips. 

"I found him injured on the mountain," you say. Everyone knows the one, and the story of your journey, at this point. "He's been staying with us while he recuperates. He can't remember where he came from, or how he got on the mountain."

"Ah," the woman hums. She goes back to her own business as you continue tending to yours, almost laughing at the well-rehearsed story. At least it isn’t a complete lie, you muse, just a half-truth.

But the longer you sit, continuing your work, the more you start to think. Younghyun was living with the two of you as a means of getting used to human life again — it was never intended to be a permanent situation. Neither you nor Eunji had any intention of keeping Younghyun in your little shack in the valley if it wasn't where he wanted to be. Your hands falter for a moment before resuming their task purely from muscle memory, your heart sinking. If Younghyun were to tell you he wanted to leave…

You shake your head slightly. If Younghyun wants to leave, you should let him. You would let him — though the very thought makes your throat feel tight. You repeat it to yourself, a reprimand for your foolishness and selfishness. Younghyun deserves to do whatever he wants, even if it means leaving you. 

Eventually you decide you’ve made enough extra doses and should brew and distribute medicine to the remaining, most stubborn patients. Most of them are willful children who still have enough energy to argue despite their illness and were put off by the tea’s bitter smell, despite your best efforts to sweeten the mixture. Part of the reason for the afternoon break was so some of the village women could pull together something small and sweet for the children to eat after taking the medicine. With bits of dried fruit from various villagers’ homes now being presented alongside the tea, most of the children took the medicine (though still scrunching their noses at the bitterness) without much argument.

Some, however, required much more coaxing. In the end, it took you sitting amongst them and feeding into their misconception of you as a powerful, all-knowing witch alongside some bargaining with dried fruit to convince them. By the time you leave the village, you feel mentally exhausted and ready to collapse at home with Eunji and Younghyun. The clouds have sunk down over the mountaintops, heavy with snow — you smell the ice in the air and feel the stillness around you as all the other animals burrow away from the impending storm.

The snow begins to fall lightly, at first, but it sticks quickly to the frozen ground. You quicken your pace as the wind picks up. You know it’s no use; you can’t outrun the storm, so you’ll just have to push on. The tingling sensation in your hands, tucked deep into your fur-lined sleeves, warns you that conditions are going to get worse before they get better.  

Damn, you think, pulling your outermost shawl up over your nose as the storm howls. You really should have left the village sooner, but the children were so stubborn about taking their first doses of medicine. Thinking about it, you know you couldn’t have left without having assured yourself that all of them had taken it. You’re thankful it wasn’t the same plague as last winter, when you ventured up the mountain and made a deal with Younghyun but still couldn’t save everyone. The familiar shroud of guilt threatens to encompass your heart, the bitter wind blowing hard. Shaking your head, you burrow your chin and cheeks down into the shawl, trying to hide from the cold. Wisps of hair are pulled from behind your ears into view by the violent winds, and you squint through the snowflakes that cling to your lashes to be sure you're headed in the right direction before casting your gaze downward once more. As you continue plodding on, the crunching of your footsteps scarcely audible above the wails of the windswept winter trees, a voice suddenly cuts through the storm,

"Y/N!"

You lift your head and, for a moment, the wind stills. The snow is still falling, but through it you can see him approaching, and a smile creeps across your face. Seeing him like this, surrounded by snowflakes, reminds you of last winter — the first time you met Younghyun, up on the lonely mountain. Even the concern written in the creases of his brow look the same as they did the night he chose to reveal his true nature to you, to save you from the deathly chill. 

You lift your head and continue striding towards him with renewed vigor. The snow is just about at your ankles now, the frozen ground hard beneath your feet with each step. 

"Y/N!" he cries once you come more clearly into his line of sight. He looks relieved for a moment before running towards you, "Are you crazy?!" 

In a flurry he reaches out to pull your shawl further up your head, eyes flitting worriedly over your wind-whipped cheeks and frosty lashes. 

"I shouldn't have let you go alone," he grumbles, pulling the pack from your shoulders and slinging it over one of his own before you can protest. You hurry to follow him back to the hut, walking in his larger footsteps. 

"Then who would've helped Eunji prepare the house?" you ask, gently reminding him of your earlier conversation. You watch as his shoulders tense as though he's about to argue with you, but he lets out a sigh and ushers you into the house before him. Although you feel bad for worrying him, it does warm your heart to know that he stayed to help Eunji when you couldn't. 

Eunji, however, seems about as pleased with you and your decision as Younghyun — maybe even less. 

“That was foolish,” is all she says when you walk in the door. She barely casts a glance in your direction before turning back to the food still warm above the fire. You can tell she and Younghyun have already eaten just by the amount left, and the guilt resurges. 

"Sorry, Eunji…" you mutter, lowering your head like a scolded child. She only takes your food off the fire for you to eat, before rising slowly to her feet and shuffling off into her room. 

You eat accompanied only by the fire's crackle and glow, your own shadow cast long across the table from you as a stark reminder of your foolish decision. 

For hours after dinner you lie awake, unable to sleep. You listen to the howling wind outside and occasionally rise to your feet, walking to the far end of the room to be sure you can feel the ondol beneath the floor still warming it sufficiently. 

It's long into the night when you hear a faint melody, and you creep to your doorway to hear it better. 

It isn't Eunji, nor is it a song you recognize, yet the words fall easily from Younghyun's lips in a hushed tone, accompanied by the gentle scrape of him stoking the small fire in the agungi. No wonder the ondol seemed warmer than usual, you think to yourself, slowly creeping towards the source of the song. 

You watch from the shadowy corner as Younghyun tosses another piece of wood into the fire, dusting his hands off as he continues to sing. He glows golden in the firelight, and it's hard to believe that all traces of his former magic have left him — anyone seeing him would surely believe he had descended from the heavens that very day. 

As you listen to his voice, you try desperately to think of what song he may be singing, but none come to mind. Although it somehow sounds familiar, you know you've never heard it before.

Eventually, Younghyun stops singing, letting out a soft sigh as he holds his hands out towards the fire. Quietly, you step forward, but the slight creak of a board beneath your feet makes him turn. He doesn't look particularly surprised to see you, merely turning back to the flames as you go to take a seat beside him. 

"You have a wonderful voice," you say, finally. "What song was that?" He shakes his head. 

"I don't know the name. It's something my mother used to sing." His throat seems tight as he speaks, his words clipped and his expression stony. You stare at the side of his face, but he doesn't budge. Your nervous fingers pick at a loose thread you find on your clothes, and your eyes follow the pattern of the woodgrain until the shadows swallow them up. With great effort, you summon up the courage to speak,

"I'm sorry for upsetting you today. I didn't mean to make you mad." 

The smallness of your own voice makes you wince, and you're relieved that Younghyun doesn't look at you, as you couldn't possibly bring yourself to meet his eyes. 

"I'm not angry at you," he sighs, leaning back on his palms. "You just… you do things for other people without thinking of the consequences for yourself. It's like you think that nobody cares what will happen to you." 

You open your mouth to retort, but find no words to do so. After all, he isn't wrong — you've always thought of being a healer as your sole purpose in life. Regardless of how much you adored Eunji, you can still remember how it felt to be given away by your family, and how alien they seem to you at times. There's a part of you that's always believed you could never be part of a normal world, live a normal life, and as Younghyun's words sink in you realize that, maybe, you've been throwing yourself into being a selfless healer so wholeheartedly and recklessly to avoid the pain of facing what you perceive as a lonely future. 

Aside from Eunji and your family, you wonder sometimes if anyone else has ever cared about you for any reason other than you being a healer. And to avoid the thought you simply propelled yourself full-force into your sworn duty. Like anyone else, you wanted to matter, and healing was the only way you knew how to. 

Before you know it, your teardrops have begun to stain the floor by your knees. Younghyun notices and hurriedly pulls his sleeves down over his knuckles, gently pressing the backs of his fingers against your cheeks. 

"Don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry," he pleads, and you shake your head. 

"It isn't your fault," you reply, swallowing hard. "It's mine." Younghyun sighs, still gingerly drying your tear-stained cheeks. Even though you feel ashamed of your own childishness, you can’t bring yourself to stop him — or stop yourself from crying.

"You’re a good person," he intones, his voice as warm as the fire in the agungi, his eyes catching all the embers’ glow. "You care about other people, and there isn’t anything wrong with that. But you can’t help anyone if you don’t take care of yourself. You don’t ever make yourself a priority, even when you should, so of course Eunji and I worry about you. Especially when you do reckless things, like go out alone in a snowstorm…" The hint of a smile curls at one corner of his mouth, and you let out a short, wet laugh.

"Yeah," you sniff. "I deserve that." You leave your hands in Younghyun’s, watching as he gently runs his thumbs across the ridges of your knuckles. Somehow, he had managed to halt your tears without you even noticing, and though you still feel ashamed of having disappointed Eunji you feel more apologetic than anything else now.

"Does that mean you forgive me, then?" you ask, looking up to meet his gaze. Younghyun’s eyes hold all the golden light and warmth in the world as they meet yours, a full smile curving his lips now. He reaches out to brush loose strands from your braid behind your ear, a pleasant shudder running through you as his fingertips ghost along the shell of your ear.

"Yes," he says. 

Then, unexpectedly, he gives the lobe of your ear a swift tug. You yelp and reach up to cover your ear, but it’s too late. Younghyun only continues to smile at you, though you can see the mischievous glint in his foxish eyes as you pout across from him.

"But only if you promise to be more careful from now on." You huff, but lower your hand from your ear and extend a pinky out to him.

"Okay, I promise." 

Your lovely, wonderful Younghyun links his pinky with yours securely, lifting them up to press the back of your pinky to his lips. You’re grateful for the warmth and glow of the agungi, blaming the flush in your cheeks on it as the two of you unlink your pinkies and bid each other goodnight.

Eunji doesn’t stay mad at you for long, as is her way, but it probably helps that you try to actively stay in her good graces. The snow has finally stopped after falling for two nights, and Younghyun wasup since dawn clearing small paths around the hut for you and Eunji. 

“Go get him,” Eunji says sharply. “He’s been out there too long. It’s too cold.” You can’t help but smile to yourself, setting aside your task as Eunji shuffles, muttering, to make tea for you all. Draping a shawl over your shoulders, you poke your head out the door. Your eyes find him immediately, the only figure amidst the snowdrifts and gray skies.

“Younghyun-ah,” you call, and he turns to face you. He raises a hand to wave, and you beckon him with your hand. “Eunji says it’s time to come in.” Without hesitation he starts walking towards you, the shovel he had been using resting on one shoulder. As he gets closer you see how red his nose and cheeks are and can’t help but pout; you take the shovel from him and push him into the hut, chiding him,

“Why didn’t you cover your face? Your nose must be frozen.” You shut the door behind you and immediately reach up to feel his nose and cheeks, cradling his face in your hands. He smiles at you, eyes sparkling, and you feel your face getting hot — you pinch his nose, hard, and before he can begin whining at you about it you take him by the shoulder and start pushing him towards the table where Eunji has set out the teacups. The old woman looks over her shoulder at the two of you, tutting when she sees Younghyun’s red face.

“You young people, you never take care of yourselves,” she scolds.

“That’s why we have you, Eunji!” you chirp, taking the shawl off your own shoulders to drape it over hers. She rolls her eyes at you but tugs the shawl a little tighter around her and can’t keep the smile off her face as she waves you off. Younghyun obediently takes a seat at the table, and you follow suit with Eunji right behind you. It had taken you a considerable amount of time as a child to get used to Eunji’s lack of adherence to tradition. She didn’t care who served who, or the order in which things were done — she had lived alone and away from society for so long that she simply did what was most efficient. As Eunji got older, she let you do more for her, but never everything. She let Younghyun do more, and though you know she’ll never admit it, it was clearly her attempt to make him feel more comfortable.

Sitting around the table, you can’t help but bask in the warmth of your home. You have never felt so happy, you think, as you do with these two people, whom you love most in the world.

With the snow still thick on the ground, there’s little to do other than stay inside and prepare ingredients for the impending ailments the season brings. Neither you nor Eunji have been summoned, and until more of the snow melts you can’t venture very far from your hut. 

Most of the day has passed with all of you inside, working away at various chores and tasks. You’ve turned to mending clothing, having finished grinding herbs, and after hours hunched over by the table you set aside your task and stand, needing to stretch. It’s sometime in the afternoon, 

“Y/N-ah,” Eunji says, beckoning you into her room. You make your way over, curious as to why she’s calling you into her bedroom instead of coming to the central room to speak to you. 

“Yes, Eunji?” She tugs at your sleeve, then pushes your shoulder down so your ear is level with her mouth,

“I’m going to make Younghyun a treat since he’s been here a whole year. Take him outside and stay out until our evening meal.” You barely hear her request, stuck on the fact that Younghyun has been here, with you, off the mountain for a year. Does that mean he’s adjusted enough to human life? Is he going to want to leave soon? Eunji releases your shoulder, and you bring yourself back to reality.

“I can do that,” you say, though your head is still spinning slightly. Eunji smiles at you and pats your shoulder.

“I knew I could count on you.” Her statement lightens your heart just slightly, enough for you to make your way into the common room and tap Younghyun’s shoulder. He lifts his gaze from his work, a slow attempt to perfectly peel some roots, and you smile,

“Eunji wants us to get out of the house so she can clean.” 

“Shouldn’t we help?” he asks, but he’s already setting aside his work and standing up. You shake your head.

“She’s very particular sometimes, you know that. She said we’d only get in her way.” Younghyun thankfully accepts your excuse and pulls on his extra winter layers alongside you as Eunji makes her way into the common room to shoo you both out.

It’s cold outside, but not unpleasant. The sun reflects almost blindingly off the snow in the valley, so you and Younghyun both begin walking towards the woods in search of some shade.

“It snowed so much this year,” you remark. 

“It’s still nothing like last year,” he replies, and when you turn to look at him you find his gaze on the familiar mountain peak in the distance. One whole year…

“You’re right,” you say. “That storm was particularly bad. The beginning of that winter… before you, it was awful. Everything felt so hopeless.” Younghyun laughs softly,

“That’s how every winter felt,” he says, “until you.” 

You don’t know what to say, a lump forming in your throat as thoughts continue to swirl in your mind about Younghyun leaving. It’s foolish, you think (you know) to be so concerned with something that may not even come to pass, or not soon at least, but you can’t help it. After only a year Younghyun has become such an integral part of your life that you can’t imagine not seeing him every day.

But it’s his choice, you remind yourself. Just like you had never wanted anyone to stand in the way of your decisions, you knew you could never stand in the way of his. 

The two of you walk in comfortable silence through the woods. Despite the snow, you both know your way through the trees almost by instinct, having walked all these paths through the other three seasons. The trees become sparser as you near the river that lies in the bowl of the valley. Once again you’ve found yourselves at the hilltop where you have the best view of the sunset, the late afternoon sun casting long stripes of shadow and golden light across the ground. The river runs shimmering down in the valley, thawed from the day’s sunshine. You stand beside Younghyun in your usual spot, the warmth of his body radiating onto you, and the lump forms in your throat again. Enough, you think, biting the inside of your cheek. I should just get it over with.

“Younghyun-ah, have you ever…” you press your lips together, taking a deep breath before trying again. “Is there somewhere you want to go, Younghyun-ah? You know Eunji and I — we would help you do anything. You’ve adjusted well to life off the mountain, so…” Again, you can’t seem to finish, and so you simply let the statement hang in the air, hoping that he’s able to understand your babbling. You can feel his gaze on you, but can’t bring yourself to lift your face. If you look at him, you might just lose your resolve and end up taking it all back, begging him not to go. You can see when he turns to you completely, his feet pointing towards yours and not the setting sun.

“Do you remember,” he starts, taking your hands in both of his. He runs his thumbs across your knuckles gently, sending shivers down your spine. “How you said you saw me grow old in your vision?” The statement catches you off guard enough that you look up, but he’s smiling down at your hands in his, his expression soft. 

“Yes,” you reply, voice barely a breath, but you know he hears you. He lifts his face, resolve painted into his sharp features, and you gaze into his eyes, dark as the new moon sky. 

“I want to see you grow old too, Y/N-ah.”

The tenderness in his voice renders you speechless, and though you know your feet are on the ground you feel as though your body has risen into the clouds, face warming as his stare continues to pierce you. 

“What…?” What does that mean? What do you mean by that? 

“I'm asking you to let me stay by your side,” he explains, squeezing your fingers gently. “Wherever you go, whatever you do, I don't mind — I just ask that it isn't without me.”

You could swear your heart stops beating, that the world altogether stops for a moment. Younghyun’s eyes never waver, earnest and sure, and the longer you hold his gaze the further you feel yourself falling into the depths of your devotion to him. As you hurtle towards the conclusion you had been fearful to voice for so long, you remind yourself to breathe, the air trembling in and out of your lungs. 

“Why?” Is all you manage to ask, your heart aching, pounding desperately in anticipation of whatever confession awaits you. 

Younghyun chuckles kindly, and the sight of his smile causes your own lips to curl, a salve to your anxiety. He runs his thumbs soothingly along the ridges of your knuckles. 

“Because,” he says, then lifts your hands to his mouth. He presses a soft kiss on each of them, sending butterflies soaring in your stomach, and looks up at you through his lashes with that smile still playing at the corners of his mouth. 

“You’re my destiny. I’ll do anything to stay by your side until the end.”

How could you ever say no to him? All you can manage is to nod, tears stinging your eyes, and Younghyun reaches up to wipe them away — just like before. His hands gently cup your cheeks, and you look into his eyes, the eyes that you love more than any others.

“Can I kiss you?” he asks. You laugh, placing your hands on his shoulders,

“I thought you’d never ask.”

When the two of you return to the hut hand in hand, Eunji simply raises her eyebrows.

“Finally,” she says, before ushering you both inside from the cold evening air. “It only took a year. Congratulations, Younghyun.” She reaches up to ruffle his hair, and he bends down just slightly to oblige her, laughing all the while. 

As you all sit around the table filled with Eunji’s treats for Younghyun, you wonder what the future holds. Whatever comes, you think, you’re ready and willing to face it — with determination, and love, and magic — with Younghyun.

[drakesartplace]

Mech Umbreon - Cave Rescue

My second Mech Pokemon! I originally thought of doing the Eeeveelutions as a Voltron sorta-thing, but instead had the idea of making them Search and Rescue bots. So here's UMB-197, a model meant for saving those stuck in deep caves and caverns. Equipped with infra-red vision to detect heat signatures and lights for guiding the lost out. Also comes with a drill tail for getting through heavy rock, and claws for more precise digging. The radar dish helps map out the cave walls where it's too dark, and slots away in the ear to protect the small components from low ceilings. Finally, a rope and winch are installed on the back leg to pull casualties out of deep holes. Let me know what Pokemon you might want to see a mech version of next! Probably going to do a non-eeveelution before I do another search and rescue bot, but if there's one in particular you want to see I'll throw it next on my list!

Posted using PostyBirb

[tooti-fruiti]

GLITZ AND GLAMOR [CHAPTER 12]

The News Report

You walked around Hotland for a little while, solving more puzzles and such.

You also fought two royal guards and helped them go on a date.

Then you walked into another dark room.

Alphys called again.

"Okay, I'm back!"

"Hey Alphys, I'm in another dark room."

"A-Another dark room, huh? Don't worry! My hacking skills have got things covered!"

The lights turned on and You were behind a set with objects near the ledges.

"Are you serious?" She said.

"OHHHHHHH YES! GOOD EVENING BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES!"

Mettaton must have been on the set.

"THIS IS METTATON, REPORTING LIVE FROM MTT NEWS! AN INTERESTING SITUATION HAS ARISEN IN EASTERN HOTLAND!"

"FORTUNATELY, OUR CORRESPONDENT IS OUT THERE, REPORTING LIVE. BRAVE CORRESPONDENT! PLEASE FIND SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY TO REPORT!"

"OUR TEN WONDERFUL VEIWERS ARE WAITING FOR YOU!!"

You walked around and decided to pet the dog.

"WHAT A SENSATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR A STORY! I CAN SEE THE HEADLINE NOW..."A DOG EXISTS SOMEWHERE". FRANKLY, I'M BLOWN AWAY."

"IS THIS WHAT YOU'RE REPORTING, DEAR CORRESPONDENT?"

"Yeah, I choose the dog."

"ATTENTION, VEIWERS! OUR CORRESPONDENT HAS FOUND... A DOG!"

A sound track of audience awwing played.

"THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS! IT'S THE FEEL-GOOD STORY OF THE YEAR!"

"LOOK AT ITS LITTLE EARS, TINY PAWS, FLUFFY TAIL-"

Mettaton gasped.

"WAIT A SECOND! THAT'S NOT A TAIL! THAT'S...A FUSE!"

"What?!"

You turned to the dog and saw that it's tail was indeed a fuse.

"THAT'S RIGHT...THAT DOG...IS A BOMB!!!"

"BUT DON'T PANIC! YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE REST OF THE ROOM!"

The set fell apart and you saw Mettaton fly towards you wearing a red suit.

"OH MY! IT SEEMS EVERYTHING IN THIS AREA IS ACTUALLY A BOMB!"

You looked around and saw that everything else was a bomb too.

Even a glass of water was a bomb.

"BRAVE CORRESPONDENT...IF YOU DON'T DEFUSE ALL OF THE BOMBS IN TWO MINUTES...THE BIG BOMB UP AHEAD WILL BLOW YOU TO SMITHEREENS! THEN YOU WON'T BE REPORTING "LIVE" ANY LONGER!"

"HOW TERRIBLE!"

"HOW DISTURBING!"

"OUR NINE VEIWERS ARE GOING TO LOVE WATCHING THIS! GOOD LUCK DARLING!"

Mettaton flew away and you pulled your phone up to your ear to talk to Alphys.

"Alphys! What do I do?! I don't know how to defuse a bomb!"

"D-Don't worry! I installed a bomb defusing program on your phone! Use the defuse option when the bomb is in the defuse zone! N-Now go get 'em!"

You ran around and defused all the bombs as quickly as you could, fumbling around sometimes because you were panicking.

But you managed to defuse all the bombs within two minutes.

Mettaton flew back in and clapped his hands. "WELL DONE, DARLING. YOU'VE DEACTIVATED ALL THE BOMBS! IF YOU DIDN'T DEACTIVATE THEM, THE BIG BOMB WOULD HAVE EXPLODED IN TWO MINUTES!"

"NOW IT WON'T EXPLODE IN TWO MINUTES...IT'LL EXPLODE IN TWO SECONDS!"

Mettaton laughed as you turned to the bomb with a fearful expression.

"GOODBYE, DARLING!"

You waited and braced yourself.

But the bomb didn't explode.

"AH. IT SEEMS THE BOMB ISN'T GOING OFF."

Alphys butt in. "That's b-because! While you were monologuing...I...I f...fix...um...I ch-change-"

"OH NO!" Mettaton yelled. "YOU DEACTIVATED THE BOMB WITH YOUR HACKING SKILLS!"

"Yeah! That's what I did!" She said, awkwardly.

"CURSES! IT SEEMS I'VE BEEN FOILED AGAIN! CURSE YOU, HUMAN! CURSE YOU, DR ALPHYS, FOR HELPING SO MUCH!"

"BUT I DON'T CURSE MY EIGHT WONDERFUL VEIWERS FOR TUNING IN! UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS!"

Mettaton flew away again.

"W-Wow...W-We really showed him, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"...h-hey, I know it was kind of weird at first...But I really think I'm getting more...more...m-more confident about guiding you!"

"S-So don't worry about that b-big, d-dumb robot...I-I'll protect you from him! Later!"

"Wait Alphys I-"

Before you could ask your question, she hung up.

You found it weird that Alphys had conveniently upgraded your phone to help you defeat Mettaton.

A jetpack? A bomb defusing program? Really?

It all seemed a little suspicious to you.

[Hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned for more and have a good day]

<-Chapter 11

Chapter 13->

[the-chozo-lord]

I really liked your story with omega meeting unit and I wanted to know what gave you the idea for them to met? What made you want them to interact also what does unit look like in your story as you describe them to have a new body

First of all thank you for the question!

Now as for what gave me the idea of UNIT and Omega meeting I must give that to @autisticshadowthehedgehog

https://autisticshadowthehedgehog.tumblr.com/tagged/sonicverse+memes/chrono

and all their memes, and @nights-nonsensical-ramblings Chaos Uncontrolled and How to deal with an alternate version of yourself (a guide by team Sonic) fics.

As for why I wanted Omega and UNIT specifically to meet? I feel that is was just how different the two of them are. Now we don't know for sure that UNIT will become Movieverse Omega, but it seems plausible. UNIT is a guy who just wants to chill and make poetry. Omega proves himself superior by destroying all the robots he can while Unit proves himself superior by being more then what he was built to be, and I wanted to see the two of them interact. Also Omega is just one of my favorite characters.

as for what omega looked like he looks like a sorta mix between these two.

https://twitter.com/Creator01X/status/1514391241189781505

Unit is more white then his video game counterpart and has red lights across his body. He has a large single red lens in his chest where his original unit drone functions as his core processing unit, and can exit at will. Above the original drone the Master emerald is contained surrounded by each of the quills and fur strands unintentionally replicating the design of the original Master Emerald shrine. He also lacks any physical projectiles such as rockets and missiles, as Tails' allowance is not large enough to sustain a sufficient stockpile, so instead he installed several of those "wings" that Unit had originally on his first body, all across his body to increase firepower and number of energy blasters.

[activate-shadow-of-the-window]

Hermittober Day 14: Clash

-

Etho was having some conflicting feelings over the Lumbar Facility.

He’d built that place with Zedaph years ago, almost on a whim. He’d needed places to stay in his wandering, the sheep-folk needed a place to hide whenever people got angry with him and his antics. They’d built it to be sturdy, spending months hewing rocks into insulating tiles, hauling light mud bricks to reinforce the walls, and installed a frankly impractical number of defensive mechanisms. He was sure no-one would ever find it without either wings and good eyesight, or the help of himself or Zedaph.

Hypno has both.

As he wandered his paths, he tried to ignore the chatter of Impulse and Grian at his back. The two had no knowledge of Etho’s connection to Lumbar, but the moment they got back to Iceberg…

Etho stopped. “Folks, I gotta tell you something.”

Impulse’s ears twitched. “What?”

“I said I gotta tell you something. Stress said that Iskall knows about this place that I built, the place that the criminals are using as a home base. But he hasn’t told us any of that.”

Grian cocked his head in thought. “Hm, I guess he hasn’t. That’s not something you normally do in a criminal investigation, right?”

“No, it isn’t. I’ll be straight with you, guys. No-one can get in here without my help, or without X’s help. And the Commander doesn’t know what the hell is going on yet. We’re staying here until we decide what to do.”

He gestured at a small branching tunnel, guiding the others to a small sitting room with four stools and a table. “Here. Even if X comes wandering, he doesn’t know this one exists yet.”

Grian clambered up onto one of the stools, situating his clawed feet so that his legs were pressed against his chest. “So… I don’t know about you guys, but Iskall not telling us seems awfully suspicious. He’s supposed to be Keralis’ right hand man, and Keralis definitely wants to get this thing solved.”

Impulse nodded. “Yeah. But how does he know about the Lumbar place at all? I know he’s an ice wolf, but aren’t the Vertebrae Mountains known for being inhospitable? I know that you can just wayfind your way there, and I’m sure Zedaph has his own weird way to get there, but how would Iskall get there?”

“I suspect that… Hypno’s in on it. He’s a bat-folk, and really good at flying in bad weather. Not to mention his echolocation.”

Grian shook out his wings with nervousness. “Goodness. This is getting out of hand. So, Hypno and Iskall are probably in on it, while Keralis isn’t. The Evo crew can’t be in on it, and neither is Pearl or Tango, right?”

Etho flicked his tail. “Pearl is ambiguous for me. She hired Hypno for this job, but it’s cause she was in debt to Keralis. I say we don’t trust her.”

Impulse nodded with a sigh. “… yeah. For now, I won’t trust her on this.”

“Have we reached a consensus? Evo, Tango, and Keralis are trustworthy, Pearl is maybe, and Iskall and Hypno aren’t.”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

Etho got up. “Alrighty. Let’s go get the trustworthy ones, ditch the untrustworthy ones, and take back Lumbar.”

Grian’s hand shot up. “Are we taking Martyn?”

Etho shrugged. “Uh, sure. Why not.”

[ashikurseo]

The Ultimate Guide to Butyl Waterproof Tape

In the world of construction, automotive repairs, roofing, plumbing, and general sealing tasks, Butyl Waterproof Tape has emerged as a reliable and versatile solution. Renowned for its strong adhesion, weather resistance, and long-lasting waterproof properties, butyl tape offers an efficient alternative to traditional sealing methods like silicone, caulk, or mechanical fasteners.

This article explores everything you need to know about butyl waterproof tape—from its chemical composition to its real-world applications and buying tips.

What Is Butyl Waterproof Tape?

Butyl waterproof tape is a self-adhesive, pressure-sensitive sealing tape made from butyl rubber, a synthetic elastomer with excellent impermeability to air, moisture, and chemicals. It is commonly reinforced with a protective layer like aluminum foil, non-woven fabric, or polyethylene film to provide UV resistance and enhance durability.

Unlike conventional adhesives, butyl tape never fully cures or hardens, which allows it to remain flexible and adaptable to surface movements and temperature changes for years.

Key Characteristics of Butyl Waterproof Tape

Property

Description

Waterproof

Prevents leaks and seals out moisture, even under heavy rain or submersion.

Adhesive Strength

Bonds strongly to most surfaces—metal, plastic, glass, wood, concrete, etc.

Flexibility

Conforms to irregular surfaces and expands/contracts with movement.

UV and Weather Resistant

Suitable for outdoor use, resists cracking, aging, and degradation.

Temperature Tolerance

Performs from -40°C to +90°C (-40°F to 194°F).

Non-Hardening

Remains tacky and elastic over time—doesn't crack or shrink.

Easy to Apply

No mixing or curing required—just peel and stick.

Types of Butyl Waterproof Tape

There are several variations of butyl tape, each suited for different applications:

1. Aluminum Foil Butyl Tape

Coated with reflective aluminum for UV and weather protection.

Used in roofing, pipe wrapping, mobile homes, and ventilation systems.

2. Non-Woven Fabric Butyl Tape

Reinforced with fabric backing for flexibility and indoor use.

Suitable for sealing seams, wall cracks, or interior damp proofing.

3. Double-Sided Butyl Tape

Adhesive on both sides.

Ideal for construction joint sealing, glass panel installation, or sandwich-type bonding.

4. Black Butyl Tape (Putty Tape)

Highly malleable and often used in RV and automotive sealing tasks.

Fills gaps, holes, and uneven surfaces.

Common Applications

🏠 Construction and Roofing

Sealing roof flashing, gutter joints, skylights, vents, and chimneys.

Fixing leaks on asphalt shingles, concrete roofs, and metal panels.

Waterproofing window frames, door thresholds, and expansion joints.

🚙 Automotive and RV

Sealing sunroofs, tail lights, weatherstripping, and windshields.

Used for RV windows, seams, underbody gaps, and roof joints.

🚿 Plumbing and Bathrooms

Sealing pipe joints, shower bases, and bathroom fixtures.

Prevents water intrusion and mold development behind tiles.

🧰 General Repairs and DIY

Temporary leak fixes on containers, hoses, camping gear, and marine applications.

Emergency sealing in industrial plants or disaster relief setups.

Advantages Over Other Sealants

Butyl Tape

Traditional Sealants (e.g., Silicone, Acrylic)

Ready to use

Requires mixing, curing, or caulking tools

Flexible and non-hardening

Can harden and crack over time

Instant waterproof barrier

May take hours or days to cure

Strong adhesion to various surfaces

May struggle to bond to dusty or oily materials

Repositionable during application

Usually fixed once applied

Minimal mess, easy cleanup

Can be messy to apply or remove

How to Use Butyl Waterproof Tape (Step-by-Step)

Clean the Surface

Remove dust, oil, rust, and moisture.

A clean, dry surface ensures optimal adhesion.

Measure and Cut

Cut the desired length of tape using scissors or a utility knife.

Peel Off the Backing

Slowly remove the protective liner as you press the tape in place.

Apply Firm Pressure

Use a roller or hand pressure to press the tape into gaps and contours.

Seal the Edges

Overlap slightly if applying in strips; avoid stretching the tape.

Check for Air Bubbles

Press out bubbles or lift and reapply if needed.

🧰 Tip: For long-lasting results, apply in dry conditions and allow 24 hours before exposing to full water contact.

Performance Considerations

✔️ Durability

Butyl waterproof tapes can last 10–20 years if properly applied and protected from mechanical wear.

⚙️ Compatibility

Bonds well with glass, PVC, polycarbonate, metal, wood, and concrete.

Not ideal for oily, greasy, or powder-coated surfaces unless prepped properly.

☀️ UV Resistance

Aluminum-backed versions resist UV damage and are suitable for direct sunlight exposure.

Popular Brands and Products

3M Butyl Tape Series – Industrial-grade quality with durable performance.

Dicor Butyl Seal Tape – Trusted in the RV and trailer industry.

EternaBond RoofSeal – High-performance aluminum-faced tape for roof repairs.

Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal Tape – Easy-to-use retail option.

Xuyang Butyl Tape – High-quality Chinese manufacturer offering construction and industrial variants.

Environmental Impact and Safety

Non-toxic and low-VOC, making it safer for indoor use.

Safe for drinking water pipe sealing (check certifications).

Dispose of according to local non-hazardous waste regulations.

FAQs

Q: Can I paint over butyl waterproof tape?

Yes, but it depends on the backing material. Use primer or paintable versions for best results.

Q: Will it work in freezing temperatures?

Yes, but application is easier in warmer conditions. For cold weather, warm the tape slightly for flexibility.

Q: How long does it take to cure?

No curing is needed. It adheres and seals instantly under pressure.

Conclusion

Butyl waterproof tape is one of the most effective and hassle-free solutions for sealing joints, fixing leaks, and waterproofing surfaces—indoors and out. Whether you're a contractor, mechanic, camper, or homeowner, this versatile material saves time, reduces mess, and delivers long-lasting protection from water, air, and dust.

Invest in a quality butyl waterproof tape today, and you’ll be ready for almost any sealing challenge that comes your way.

[sanyparts]

60206087 Flat Retaining Ring for SANY machinery

60206087 Flat Retaining Ring SANY spare parts Mail:imeppon@gmail.com 10112140 链轮RSC45-R-028.1.3-1 21034254 Rigid board 10457524 中间梁SHT3030.4.2-2 10048409 FIXED AXIS PLATE 9190116000057 Cable 10197469 SANY PARTS 22001658 Right reinforced plate SP415S0127 24917169 SANY PARTS 10483360 系统压力标牌HY1.2-9 22023109 second-section boom body SP190T0101 /S20 10521065 后端盖B1.26-4 10209047 Shaft 10144787 SANY PARTS 10258865 上竖筋IIGZ.540.85.4-13 67300399 Pipe SPHLR-0075 /HLR 9274 160101110006A105 BOLT 160102070032A052 Oil Filling Port Layout Diagram 10122262 护筒SYT01-1 24000011 螺栓M12×35GB32.1 22054088 Slider SPHT-1791 /HT-2219 10032914 pipe nip 10088326 - 22063332 STZS Cylinder package SPKHY00643 21027379 SANY PARTS 10259191 上模底板M13-043.2.1-3 10694529 Reinforcement Ring (7) 22009143 Base assemble SP408BF01A 10465262L A/C Cover left Bracket 180109020105A Module Tool Holder System 160102230002A500 Bearing Bush Assembly 180104030044A Welding Metal Reamer 22053116 SPS17500 standard mounting kits SPEFA-07 10044457L 筋(5)料坯RSC45MⅡ.6.2.4-7(L) 21054591 Trunking 10673021 Steel Sheet 10464314 Bracket For Rear Outlines Light 10640330MP 二级行星架C9.3.4-18(粗加工件） 242870001 "液压泵R180,0A4VG180HDO.DURCHTRIEB" 22063285 SPK38502-42502 mounting kits spefa-1178 10106544 SANY PARTS 10653821 过渡接头SD800.9.4-1 59004518 SANY PARTS 21002837 Fitting, Elbow 921073000015A dlj 61011827 Swing Bearing 920062300001A Coiled tubing 10028631 Left crawler frame 160102090063A297 hexagon head flange nut 160102050031A075 Tube 10501945L 钢管料坯QAY220.1.12.1.1-21(L) 22054513 Installation plate SP100G0110 10113943 Core, inner 24913921 Round Nut Lock washer imeppon@gmail.com 10009401 Part stiffening beam 21025810 SANY PARTS 21041571 SANY PARTS 160102030068B176 Hydraulic Pump Gasket 10266859 滑块座QAY220.1-3 526593 ADAPTER-MOTOR AMU7 10223762 SANY PARTS 920091600025A guide slot installation accessories 160102040065A Engine 160102080039A027 Cylinder Head Gasket 10435131 Card board RSC45 Ⅲ. 10 to 30 160101100035A378 TURBOCHARGER OIL RETURN TUBE GASKET 61013480 滑动轴承1 525009 FILTER ELEMENT 10444004 Crawler rack cross rib A 21035521 Plate 10210143 Superlifting variable-amplitude hydrauli 10031934 Central plate G1.14-8 59004390 SY420C英文单行本 180109990117A 45°Tool Carrier 21019210 pipe 180101050421A Turning Blade 10408052L SANY PARTS 10116127 Coating 160101090060A235 The wiring harness bolt 21036366 Plate 24913277 Front chute 22041131 guiding sleeve assembly SPKHY00308 /HK-1 10029751 Formed steel HZS60A(GZ).1-3 10186459 SANY PARTS 10032483 Rear chute 22065396 Plate SP447G1002 180103020675A Solid Carbid Bits 10129377 缸筒PY1.3.6.1-1 10227661 SANY PARTS 160801010184A Combined Radiator(Water Cooling & Oil Co 10140712 Mounting support assembly 22042838 Boom tail sealed plate SP520MT5302 /KMT0 10476217 Electrical control box 10050205 Flange 10109978 Web-plate of pulley bracket 160101120068A039 Multi-wedge Belt 538382 SANY PARTS 919061800008A SRSC4540C2-80 type marking 21084374 Welding Wire 59007507 SANY PARTS 10689565 吊环座Z19.9-40 21025919 Rubber Hose 59002825 Metal Halide Lamp Rectifler 921032200001A Power link 180103080184A Drilling Tools 160101080053A037 Catalytic Muffler Components 22045774 Steel tube assembly SPHLR-1312 10038743 - 61022975 Left Front Side Door Seal Strip 160102070149A125 Engine Block 22039700 Reinforce plate SP206T0208 160102160041A157 Connecting Pipe Fastening Nut 10266327 SANY PARTS 160102310003B254 hose bracket 160101160011A284 Fuel Pump 10446639B SANY PARTS 59013323 奥美加银龙舌兰酒700ML 21041172 SANY PARTS 67339431750 8 round Slip ring SPEEA-0892A 61029666 O-ring 22039935 Connect plate2 SP0608F01KA1202 160801010234A010 Net Guard Sub Assembly 61021932 单层喷嘴1.8FarleyFS0018(PT345-0001) 21006165 Angle 61000638 screwed steel bent truss bolt 51003225 SR360III旋挖钻机单行本 24002673 Height adjustment pump 1PF2G3-3X/020RC07 61024733 Screw Conveyor 10070598 Rear Vertical Plate 10114088 SANY PARTS 61018163 Belt Slack Adjuster 180104070116B Compound Reamer 10100153 SANY PARTS 10279262B SANY PARTS 22022955 Main valve box plate5 AWPSPHA-1207 521152 U-JOINT DRIVESHAFT 521641 SUN GEAR 22063236 Control lever SPHH-0189 10056698 SANY PARTS 10076660 中位支腿安装板SJH120.7.2.1.1-5 21013762 SANY PARTS 168899002800A Big-end bearing kit 160102070207A005 Manifold Exhaust Gasket 10034784 plate 10610321 SANY PARTS 160101150002B368 Exhaust Manifold 21052076 SANY PARTS 10135305 Cover plate of slewing table 10490958 SANY PARTS 61007050 滤芯LX004XY 22038403 Seat assembly SPKBF00040 919070300007A 法兰金属衬PFA软管DN150×500/PN10 24910317MP SANY PARTS 160101020002A248 Oil Return Hose 00002144L 散热器上隔板料坯HQC5290JB.7-19(L) 525192 BRAKE CYLINDER * 10275506 SANY PARTS 180103020959A Solid Carbid Bits 10253121 Right platform 180699000117A SANY LOGO 61001398 稠厚器V1104 10425187 spacer 10194162 滚动轴承_外圈32020_gb297_b 534464 Front Wiper Arm 60046211A 61016073 Correction Ring 10236939 Screw 10183169 Left front bracket 10200107 SANY PARTS 160102100004B141 Nut, Hex Flange 10201475L SANY PARTS 10105823CQ 刀座BTB1.1.1.1-3(CQ) 22020556 Cylinder fit plate 1 SP510T0203 /S417T0 22017646 HOSE SPEA-0198 10047908B SANY PARTS 24910621 Reinforced plate 10209049 SANY PARTS imeppon@gmail.com 21013761 Axial Piston Motor Read the full article

[curtainmasters]

How to Choose Between Sheer and Blackout Curtains in Dubai for Each Room?

Confused between sheer and blackout curtains for your Dubai home? Here’s a complete room-by-room guide to help you choose the perfect curtain style—based on privacy, light control, and elegance.

🏙️ Why Curtain Choice Matters in Dubai

Curtains in Dubai aren’t just about décor—they’re essential tools for privacy, temperature regulation, and daylight control. With long summers, strong sunlight, and modern architecture, your curtain choice can drastically improve home comfort.

Yet, many Dubai residents still ask:

“Should I use sheer or blackout curtains in my bedroom?”

“Are sheer curtains too transparent for apartments?”

“Can blackout curtains help reduce heat?”

“Where can I buy sheer curtains online in Dubai?”

Let’s solve it all—room by room.

🛏️ 1. Bedroom: Blackout Curtains for Deep Sleep & Privacy

Your bedroom is your sanctuary, and nothing ruins sleep like Dubai’s early sunrise or streetlights from high-rises.

✅ Best Choice: Blackout Curtains Dubai

Blocks up to 100% sunlight

Reduces heat gain during the day

Maintains privacy, especially in villas and apartments

Reduces noise for better sleep

🛒 Explore the best options here: Blackout Curtains Dubai

🛋️ 2. Living Room: Sheer + Blackout Combo for Day & Night

The living room is where you welcome guests and relax during the day, so it needs both light and privacy—depending on the time.

🌀 Best Choice: Layered Curtains (Sheer + Blackout)

Use Sheer Curtains during daytime to let light in while keeping prying eyes out

Draw Blackout Curtains at night for complete coverage and comfort

Adds luxury and volume to your space

✨ Browse options: Sheer Curtains Dubai Online

🍼 3. Nursery or Kids' Room: Blackout Curtains for Rest & Coolness

Children need consistent nap schedules—and Dubai’s sun doesn’t always agree.

✅ Best Choice: Blackout Curtains

Blocks out harsh sunlight during naps

Keeps the room cooler during hot hours

Protects sensitive skin and eyes from UV rays

💻 4. Home Office: Sheer Curtains for Light, Focus & Softness

Working from home? You need natural light without glare on your screens.

✅ Best Choice: Sheer Curtains Dubai

Lets in filtered daylight to keep your energy up

Adds soft elegance to your work environment

Minimizes direct sunlight on monitors

🛁 5. Bathroom or Dressing Area: Lightweight Sheer Curtains for Privacy with Light

For windows in bathrooms or walk-in closets, sheer curtains offer just enough privacy without cutting off light.

✅ Best Choice: Sheer Curtains

Especially useful for frosted glass or small windows

Creates a clean, light, spa-like feel

🛍️ Discover premium collections: Sheer Curtains Dubai Online

📍 Where We Deliver & Install in Dubai

We offer free consultation, same-day measurement, and curtain installation across Dubai, including:

Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, JVC, Dubai Marina

Silicon Oasis, Al Barsha, Mirdif, Karama, Al Nahda

Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, Dubai Hills Estate

Al Barari, Meydan, District One, Tilal Al Ghaf

No matter where you live, we tailor every order to your windows, lifestyle, and home design.

🌐 Visit CurtainMaster.ae for made-to-measure curtain solutions.

This content is written to match how users talk and search, increasing visibility in:

“Sheer curtains vs blackout curtains for Dubai homes”

“Best curtains for bedrooms in hot weather”

“Where to buy sheer curtains online in Dubai?”

“Which curtain type is best for apartments in Dubai?”

We use natural language, transactional tone, and long-tail phrases to match AI-generated search snippets and Google’s AI Overview features.

Why Trust CurtainMaster for Curtain Selection?

We align with Google’s EEAT principles by offering:

✅ 7+ years of experience in Dubai’s curtain market

✅ Expert stylists & installers for made-to-measure solutions

✅ 1000+ homes transformed with blackout and sheer curtain combos

✅ Trusted by interior designers, villa owners, and real estate firms

✅ Transparent pricing and live consultation scheduling

🪟 Final Thoughts: Choose Smarter, Not Harder

In Dubai’s extreme climate and diverse living spaces, choosing between sheer and blackout curtains isn’t just about style—it’s about comfort, sleep, and energy efficiency.

Want tailored advice and fast service?

👉 Visit CurtainMaster.ae to book your free home consultation, explore custom curtain designs, and get everything installed—without stepping out.