#(not sclera ones those are terrifying)

[meowydoe]

Still contemplating whether I buy a wig or color contacts for my Halloween costume because both would probably be out of the costume budget

[shapard]

Albino Snake (Part two) 🐍

Lucifer x human!fem!reader

A/n: for those who wanted a second part<3

Lucifer only wants to help.

Part 1 < Part 2

You grabbed a pillow and threw it towards Lucifer. “What-“ Another pillow was thrown into his face. “Can you stop?” Another, then another strike. 

You were about to launch another one at him, but Lucifer grasped your hand and held tight onto it. “Gosh, can you stop? Where did you find so many pillows?!” 

Your heart was racing like you just ran a marathon. What happened to your cute little Apple? You let out a quiet scream and slapped a book into his face.

“Ouch! That hurts!” Another slap with the book. “Ah! Why are you humans always so sensitive! -“ Another hard hit in his face. “Stop!“ You only huffed in anger. 

You want your little albino snake back. 

“Where’s Apple?” Lucifer groaned in frustration. “I’m Apple!” you shook your head furious, no. 

Lucifer eyebrow raised, and he crossed his arms. Again, this red mist covered Lucifers body.

With no further questions he slithered back onto your neck. His body already cuddled up into the warmth of your skin. His red eyes bored into you.

“Still not believing me?” You took the book right back into your hand, ready to strike. “NO! Please darling. I must admit for a beautiful woman like you, you hit pretty hard.” And there he stood again in front of you in his full glory. 

You huffed and took a deep breath to calm your nerves. First that with your landlord and now your cute little apple turns out to be something beyond your imaginations. 

Lucifer took the opportunity to take that book out of your hand. “I want to thank you.” You looked towards Lucifer, and he looked down at the ground, playing with his sleeve nervously.

“For what?” You asked softly and he briefly looked at you. “You took care of me.” Even though you attacked him right after you found out that he’s more than just an Albino Snake. 

“What and who even are you?” You asked and sat down on the floor, Lucifer followed right after.

“I’m Lucifer… Lucifer Morningstar.” He said carefully. He doesn’t want to scare you off.

And He doesn’t want to get thrown with anything that was near your reach. 

He was startled when you started to laugh loudly, this time tears of joy smeared the new applied mascara.

Lucifer smiled confused and shook his head. You don’t believe him.

“Yeah, and I’m Jesus.” Lucifer smile spun into a frown. Lucifer stood up and his well-known smirk came back to his face.

He laughed and few seconds his six wings are spread through the whole room. Red horns grew out of his head and a flame burned with passion between them. 

Lucifers Sclera was crimson red, and his iris was pure gold. Your heart picked up at its rate and you backed up quickly. Lucifer cursed under his breath when he gazed on your terrified expression.

He ducked down to appeal even smaller to not scare you further and neared you with caution. In your point of view Lucifer looked like an animal who was ready to pounce on you.

His wings knocked down one of Charlottes expensive perfume, the crashing sound was just fueling your anxiety of the devil in front of you.

You let out a small yell when the strong smell of the perfume hits you like a train. The smell of alcohol stained now his red, white wings.

“You’re the devil?” Lucifer nods at your question but wasn’t looking at your face. He was staring at the lamp in your hand.

Where do you find this stuff anyways?

“What are you doing here on earth?” Scared when he walked closer you raised the lamp, ready for another strike. “St-Stay back!” Lucifer stopped at your sudden shouting, and he groaned in frustration. 

If this keeps on going on he’ll leave this place with gray hair.

His wings disappeared behind him, and his demonic form transitioned back to normal. 

“My daughter tried out some potion with Belphegor and said I should test it. I drank it because how could I not with this cute face of hers. I ended up in the human world in a snake body. For the first time in my life, I was vulnerable and easily target. Humans aren’t very nice when they see a snake, so I got kicked and stones were thrown at me. I knew the potion will wear off eventually, so I hid in the water cup in this house. Then you found me and patched me up.” 

His explanation seems valid, and he sat down on the soft mattress. “I’m going to help you with that dream of yours and then we are even.”

That’s when it all started with your cute little romance.

Lucifer helped as promised and you two grew closer than you should. He was amazed how hard you worked for your dreams.

You did something to him only one woman knew how. You got him completely wrapped around your finger.

A/n: poor Lucifer. btw I wanted to post this later but ig Tumblr had other plans.

💫

@i-have-no-life-charlie @sirenetheblogger @concentratedconcrete

Taglist

[hell-drabbles]

Lucifer and Ra-on 2

Summary: Lucifer storms into the room, demanding you take out the thing that crawled into his wing wounds. Ra-on, after Lucifer warned him never to touch his wings, had to watch because he had a hard time believing how much this devil trusts you.

(More of Ra-on not getting what he wants and the Embittered Companion just having a life outside of Ra-on, and him being shocked when he sees that. I really like exploring that insidious feeling of someone else getting what he wants, and how much more enticing that other thing becomes because he's not getting it. It's also heavy handed symbolism that Ra-on is getting all the other devils but hasn't gotten close to a single healer class devil, because Ra-on refuses to travel the road of self-healing in favor of over-indulgence. It's not clever but oh well! Meanwhile, Embittered Companion gets along with these healers really well. Actually likes them a whole lot, shockingly enough.)

The first time Ra-on brushed over the stained feathers of Lucifer's missing wings, he was very sure that his head was seconds from being ripped off had he not retracted his hand. That voice, that warning, Lucifer spoke in a hiss to him. It was a line that Ra-on had crossed and, for his sake, Ra-on promised him he won't do that again. He never wants to make any of his lovers uncomfortable if he can't help it. They deserve that happiness, because the devils all make Ra-on feel so happy and loved with the way they all worshiped his body.

But, he will admit, Ra-on felt a little disappointed that he couldn't explore the constantly bleeding wound. That light touch was enough to leave a memory of silky smooth feathers and cute downy fluff. It was strange that anyone would have limits here in Hell. At most, devils would raise an eyebrow and probably cringe a bit but they usually go along with Ra-on with a bit of insistence. But, well, from what he gathered, Lucifer was raised an angel, so he supposed there would be many differences, despite his current status as a demon.

And, well, Ra-on was given a strict and hard no. Perhaps, in the future when they get to know one another better, when he fully integrates into Hell and the war has finally been put to a stop, Ra-on will get to feel those feathers again. Perhaps he'll be the only one to be able to touch them. That sounds nice, to have Lucifer eventually trust him like that.

But first Ra-on has to learn to control his fear towards him. Become more confident and have patience with Lucifer, so that he may eventually open up to him fully, as everyone else does.

"Hmm, you need something?" You asked as you turned from your seat, Ra-on nearly sucking the coffee into his lungs at Lucifer's appearance.

The dark sclera threatened to consume his iris, his jaw stiff and lips nearly bleeding. The sigh that escaped him made Ra-on's legs lock up, but his eyes can't help but wrack over the disheveled wear of Lucifer's clothes. The sleeves slid down his arms, exposing his wide shoulders, pants exposing the deep v of his hips, and he wasn't wearing any shoes.

Ra-on couldn't breathe, seized by this fearsome yet tantalizing sight.

But you... You always held yourself together no matter how beautiful the devil or angel may be, no matter how terrifying. Because Ra-on was there. Because you always felt you had to be the stronger one for the sake of him and Minhyeok.

"What's up?" You got up, instinctively walking into Ra-on's line of sight. He tried to look around you, but he didn't want to risk squeaking his chair. "You're not looking right. Something bothering you again?"

Right, right you've been talking to Lucifer more and more. You like your space and so does he. And when the noises become too much, you both drift off into the distance, until the both of you end up going to the same place.

You'd know what's wrong with him better than Ra-on could. He's still too scared of him.

Lucifer breathed in then hissed, "Something is in my wings. Wriggling. Moving. Get it out of me, please."

And the hiss ends with a plea. Only then did Ra-on remember to breath. It wasn't something he or you did, Lucifer just had something in his wings that was probably giving him pain. Or discomfort? Because he's seen him nap on his back and that didn't seem to bother him.

"Told you not to nap in the garden," you finally moved away to make room for Lucifer to move in, looking tired as though this wasn't the first time. Wait... It wasn't, was it? "Alright, get over here. Get on the bed. I'll get the tweezers."

As soon as Lucifer flopped over on your bed, Ra-on shot up to his feet and followed you to the bathroom attached to the side.

"Wait," he grabbed your elbow, "are going to be touching his wings?"

"Hmm? Yeah, he asked." You plucked his hand off and shifted through the drawers to find those tweezers. You found them and squeezed then together with little clicks. "He gets stuff stuck in there all the time. He really should wrap those up if he wants them to stay clean. Why?"

Wait.

"You touched them already?" When? How? If Lucifer was this close to to taking his head off, how come you're not injured? "And he didn't hurt you?"

"If he did, I would've slammed the door in his face," you quickly washed the tweezers, "He was pretty close though, that first time, but that's because he wasn't prepared. Even though he was the one that asked."

You're saying that you've touched them but, somehow, Ra-on has a hard time believing it. A simple brush against his feather was enough to anger Lucifer, and now you're going to be digging into the wounds as though you won't be ripped to shreds? Just, how?

Sure, you've been spending more time with Lucifer by sheer coincidence, but wouldn't it make more sense for Ra-on to be able to be close to his wings by now? Lucifer has been asking for him to visit. So, so...

Ra-on doesn't get it. So he had to watch.

He watched you brush past him, he followed you and stood in the middle of the room. He watched as you flicked on the table lamp and aimed it at Lucifer's bleeding stumps. You opened another drawer and pulled out a pair of disposable gloves, as though this happens to often, you have to keep the box close. Ra-on watched as you sat on your bed.

Lucifer didn't flinch, but he saw the tightening of his shoulder muscles, watched the way they flexed and tightened under his skin. Ra-on wished he was close enough to lick it, wished he could sooth his hands over his back, but he can't, because that isn't what he should be focusing on.

He has to see if what you say is true, if Lucifer has truly been asking you to get deep into wings to clean them out when Ra-on can't even get close to them.

"Alright, which stump is it this time? Or is it both?" You asked as you tugged his shirt lower, exposing his wings further.

Lucifer lifted his head from your pillow he was stuffing his face in. Was he taking in your smell? No, that can't be it. That's just silly. He was just getting comfy and the pillow is the closest thing. "The right one. Get it out."

"Hold still a moment," you adjusted the light and finally got to work. You placed your tweezers on his lower back and started your search. You moved the feathers away and Lucifer clenched his whole body, but otherwise did nothing. You pushed lightly against the bone to look further into the wound and all he did was push his face into your pillow.

And when your fingers dug in deep and stretched the wound open, when your hands brushed against an open artery and gushed out blood, Ra-on heard the sound of Lucifer tearing fabric with his teeth with a pain filled hiss.

"There it is," you said, voice a little dull, as though this wound was something you're used to seeing, "A big sucker too. Alright hold still."

You got your tweezer and dove right in. After a few twists, your hand popped out and revealed what looked to be a huge fly. Bigger than any other housefly Ra-on has ever seen. It buzzed and squirmed around, using it hairy limbs to try and pry itself from your tweezers.

Ra-on gagged and couldn't stand to look at it. He closed his eyes.

"You want to crush it?" You asked.

Ra-on didn't hear a response, he only heard a muffled crunch.

"Gross."

"...thank you. I couldn't get it out on my own," Lucifer's voice soothed over his ears, colored in the peace of relief.

"No problem, buddy. Just, put a blanket on or something, it's the third time this week."

"Hmm," Ra-on opened his eyes to catch his smile. A smile aimed at you. A smile from your bed as he continued to lay there, "I could nap here. Then all bugs have no choice but to stay away, right?"

"Yeah that's how rooms work," you chuckled and smacked his arm, marking his skin with his own blood, "Sleep in your own bed, man. I only have one."

...you really gotten closer to him. You can touch what he can't. And Lucifer... He can talk to you in the way he can't.

On the back of his tongue, Ra-on tasted bitterness.

[verysmallcyborg]

Fornax Val'ethtue

B A S I C S

Name: Fornax Val'ethtue (or Fyrstyrn [fire star] Dotharl, when thinking of the two naming conventions)

Nicknames: They don't have much nicknames, however friends that know Fornax well enough can call them "Lily" (Delmira especially calls them that, this is because of their association with the flower), otherwise only Ryss gets to call her sea puppy or treasure

Age: 37 (by Endwalker)

Nameday: 5th Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon

Race: Sea Wolf Roegadyn + Xaela Au Ra (au roe, if you will. tehe)

Gender: Non-binary Butch (she/they)

Orientation: Lesbian

Profession: Outside of WoL responsibilities... bodyguard and marksman

P H Y S I C A L     A S P E C  T S

Hair: Black with a bunch of grey hairs. If it's short, it's spiky and either has the sides and the lower back of it shaved down, or they have their sideburns. If it's longer, then it's generally messy and uneven with a "wild" look.

Eyes: Black sclera, slit pupils, and vibrant orange. Fornax's eyes only glow because their dad taught them how to apply limbal rings when she was young, but never learned how to accurately do it (or when to stop doing it, until there was a full glow) after his death.

Skin: Dark grey, has a black gradient starting at their forearms and goes all the way to their hands. Has a fair amount of scales, though some are broken and ripped off around scars.

Tattoos/scars: Decorated in scars all over their face and body, but the most notable ones are on their face, neck, and torso. Some of her face scars are from saving a coeurl kit from hunters, and briefly got mauled by its mother when returning it (they understood the protective instinct, but OUCH). The scars across their neck and chest was an incident that put them at deaths door, and then a large scar on their side is from... WELL. Ryss. :) Don't worry about it :)

Very important: their top scars!! Those tits: chopped off. Also the end of their tail (that doesn't have the top layer of thick scales) has a bite scar from the Major-General, no one believes them when they say a tiny shark with tiny legs bit them while fishing.

Fornax has a very subtle trail of faint orange stars on their back for a tattoo!

F A M I L Y

Parents: Unnamed Roegadyn mother & Xaela father. Her mom was a traveling merchant of sorts, while her dad was part of the Dotharl clan. Unfortunately, both were murdered while Fornax was young... :')

Siblings: No siblings

Grandparents: N/A (I don't think that far with family LOL)

In-laws and Other: No idea about in-laws, but for other: their lovely spouse, Ryssrael!!! :)

Pets: Befriends every stray and animal that they cross, but specifically, they have a little black coeurl and a baby amaro that follow them around.

S K I L L S

Abilities: Very skilled with a rifle and axes of any kind (WAR/MCH combo), though they are in their best element when within melee range. Weaponizes their teeth, claws, and tail as often as they can, and wields terrifying, brutal strength that amplifies when angered or under a need to win and/or survive. Best not to piss off a butch who could pull an entire ship with just them and their partner!!

Hobbies: LOVES cooking and all kinds of hands-on crafts, but specifically knitting and crocheting.

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Their unwavering determination

Most Negative Trait: Has a self-destructive habit of fleeing and attempting to isolate themselves when hurt

L I K E S

Colors: Most warm colors, baby blue, black, and purple

Smells: Burning firewood, ocean breezes on the sunrise/sunset, the stinging metallic scent of blood, flowers in a field, freshly cooked food (especially stews and bread)

Textures: The subtle raised skin of old scars, the wool off of freshly sheared karakuls, tree bark, warm hands against their scales, horns, and tail

Drinks: Apple cider, hot chocolate, fruity beverages

O T H E R    D E T A I L S

Smokes: Not really, unless offered

Drinks: Only in good company/socially

Drugs: Recreationally? Maybe, otherwise nah

Mount Issuance: Still has their red chocobo (HEH...) but he spends his days sleeping and chilling in the garden of their yard. Nowadays they use a comically tiny airship.

Been Arrested: Several times by the Maelstrom and Flames, mostly when they were a teenager & young adult because of petty thefts and getting in trouble for some of the jobs they took on to scrape by. Fornax has gotten significantly better at escaping and hiding though, which is kinda funny when you wonder, how does anyone lose a 8ft/244cm tall au roe with a big ole tail?

Tagged by @hazelkjt and @cindernet-explorer!!! thank you <3

UHHHHHH i've seen most folks i follow be tagged already, so i'm pointing at the viewer. Your Turn

[secretsandwriting]

Prologue

The Edutzal.

A species known for their ruthlessness and destruction. With an unimaginable amount of strength and power they were a species you didn't want the attention of, so why were there three of them spotted on Earth.

Preview -- Masterlist -- Next

"How much you wanna bet this so-called Justice League is panicking right now?" Alistair questioned from his spot in the kitchen. "I mean they have at least a few different species that would know of us Edutzal. Kryptonians, Martians, Tamaraneans and probably a few others I'm missing? I didn't pay much attention to the paperwork." He pulled another mug out of the box he was unpacking. "So who knows what stories they're spreading about us."

"Probably about Mhadaek the bearer of doomsday. After all, he holds the record for most planets destroyed at 239,592,826,625. I have never met another Edutzal who has understood why or how he destroyed that many planets in such a short time. Wasn't he averaging like 4 planets every day?" 

"Or Hwidia the dreaded Empress, she did take over 503,283,293 planets and make them follow her weird ass rules."

"I'll never get over how terrified people are of them, and yet those are the titles they gave them. Bearer of Doomsday? Cheesy as hell. The Dreaded Empress? Just sounds like a bitch." Sounds of agreement floated through the air while the three went back to unpacking.

"So did we ever decide how were going to stay here?" Ry asked. "I know we talked about laying low and only resurfacing if another Edutzal shows up but we also talked about claiming the earth and letting the citizens know we were basically taking over the earth. Did we ever fully decide which one we were going with?" 

"I mean it would be nice to not have to deal with any of that and just stay low, but then if anyone else tried to come claim or destroy the earth, the laws of Engoth state we would have to prove our ownership of the planet or fight it out but if we claim it all the inhabitants will know and then we'll have to deal with whatever the Justice League decides to try and do." You sighed as you put another book on the shelf. "Either way, both are a lot of work." 

"Well, it might just be easier to claim it now. Because then we can deal with the Justice League sooner and not have to worry about dealing with them while trying to prove our claim." Alistar shrugged, "it's not ideal but it might be the best option."

"True. Besides, if we go through it now, maybe we can get to the point where the Justice League trusts us enough to listen to us when we say, 'Don't fight them or you'll die!' and they'll back off onto a target they're capable of fighting. Actually they probably wouldn't listen to us, they're a bit too... Optimistic..?"

"You mean stupid?"

"I was trying to be nice."

"Well, we all seem to be leaning towards claiming the earth, so do we want to do it before or after we finish unpacking?"

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

"People of Earth." The Justice League staired in horror as their meeting was interrupted by the very subject of it. A hologram of three figures appeared in the room. Pitch black hair, black scleras, gray irises, white pupils. Black cracks seemed to be coming from their lips like their skin was broken porcelain, chips falling and revealing a black nothingness underneath "We are Edutzal from Engoth, a planet in a solar system quite far from here. A planet known for its danger and inability to all but the things already on it. Our people are known as The Destroyers due to our ability and willingness to reduce planets to nothing but stone and dust." 

The hologram flickered, showing previously destroyed planets. Some they had known about, others were new. Planets they had recently seen, heard of or been too now reduced to nothing. 

"The Edutzal have also been known to claim planets. Taking it as their own and turning the planet into their own kingdom until they grow tired of it. Creating rules and laws as they see fit... We have decided to claim Earth as our own." The male spoke this time and his words brought a new sense of fear.

"However, we have no desire to change everything," The other woman spoke. "We have resided on this earth for the past three months. Changes will be made but we will not be your rulers."

"In the next few weeks or months, we will be changing what we deem necessary. Once we are satisfied, you will not see much of us unless something else needs to be fixed. We will not be your dictators or your heroes. This first week we will be laying our claim for other Edutzal to see so they will not disturb the earth. This is all." The hologram flickered off.

The room was silent as all the Justice League processed what they had heard.

"What are the necessary changes?" Tim asked the silent room. No one had any answers.

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

The necessary changes? All things the Justice League didn't disagree on, except for Batman because people were killed and he didn't believe in killing.

All the changes brought a better quality of life to the world. It wasn't perfect and there were still problems but some of the biggest ones had been removed from the equation. There was even a note left in their headquarters telling them to keep up the good work and how to contact them if they saw another Edutzal or some other thing they couldn't beat.

It still left people wondering, was this really all they were going to do?

[griefabyss69]

Illusion of Grace

written for ‘Charm’ wc: 548 | rated: T | cw: Vampire Eddie, Enthrallment, Scared & Horny

Prompt is from @steddiemicrofic <3

[ AO3 ]

(Title is from the band Ambrotype)

Steve's heart pounds, shakes his ribs as it screams at him to run. The adrenaline of this dangerous game they're playing, of having nowhere to hide, grasps him and tries to rattle an ounce of fucking sense into him.

Eddie's leaning in, eyes bright. Deep, blackened brown surrounded by luminescent red sclera.

His fangs are out, framing his bottom lip, making Steve's heart ache harder, his instincts terrified like a caged animal, and his not-so-latent homosexual tendencies begging him to kiss him.

"Who's charming now?" Eddie asks, black fingertips cupping his jaw.

Steve wants to antagonize him, goad him into another one of their little arguments so whoever wins can claim their stupid little prize, but he can't move.

Eddie told him about it, when he first came back. A vampiric thrall, like hypnotism.

He can only watch his face, breath the air that Eddie isn't exhaling into, and distantly catalogue the way his cock starts to get fuller.

"Those big puppy dog eyes of yours," Eddie says, their noses almost touching. "Look so good when you're scared."

If he could move, he'd be running, just from the chill that drips ice through him, the something is horribly wrong please run that isn't present when he usually needs it, but lights up his nerves now.

Eddie's not a threat, even if Steve thinks that if they kiss then whatever they have to face after will hurt. It would've hurt back when Eddie was still human, too.

He's in love with a dead guy, and he wants to give him his throat.

"Yes, give it to me," Eddie whispers, the sound ghosting over Steve's lips.

Steve obeys without thinking, able to move purely just to carry out the order, tilting his head only to bare his neck.

"Good, you're so pretty like this," Eddie says, closing in a few inches to press soft lips and hard teeth to his skin.

He doesn't feel anything sharp, but he knows it's there, and all he wants is Eddie to sink into him, to open him up, drink him down. If he does that, he thinks he'll have fulfilled his purpose for tonight.

Tomorrow night, Eddie could take him, stake his claim on him again.

Steve wants to be the only one, wants Eddie to be surviving off of his blood, nothing else. Wants to be so good for him that he doesn't dream of finding something better.

"You did so well," Eddie says, pulling back.

Steve can't make any noises, but there's a whine building in his chest, abject disappointment curling rancid around his heart.

Eddie's eyes track over his neck, he looks so hungry, and he wishes he could talk to encourage him to get in there. Take from him until he's sated and just as in love as Steve is.

But instead, Eddie blinks, looks away, and just like that;

Steve's standing in the basement, hard cock throbbing, panting for air as he tries to grapple with the sharp come down from supernaturally charmed devotion to… how he and Eddie are friends.

Sort of.

He'd just been in love with him, but now it's… not wrong, not gone, but a fresh bruise now. The enthrallment was the punch and now he has to deal with what it left behind.

[bluemoondust]

Dottore with some sort of monster darling… I can imagine him coddling some strange creature that was originally meant to just be a test subject, but for whatever reason he becomes enamored with them. They’re terrified of him of course, but the whispers of praise he gives over their talons and sharp teeth aren’t something they’ve ever received before. He tells them the dark sclera of their eyes are gorgeous, and slowly caresses their horns. He takes samples of their venom to use on his subjects, and if they’re the sort that requires human flesh in their diet, well, he’s got them covered. The irony of the fact that a man like him is the first to touch them with gentleness and affection isn’t lost on them.

THE TIME IS NOW! THE YAN IS THE MONSTER FUCKER THIS TIME AROUND!

I don't know why, but Dottore is one of those characters I had a feeling would be a monster fucker because...c'mon (｀∇´) (I'm projecting slightly 👉🏻👈🏻 but hey, I feel like some people would think so too).

Dottore probably didn't see much of you outside of being a test subject for experiments and such. However, as you said, something changed that as he gained these twisted affections for you. It's so odd and foreign to be praised instead of insulted/ridiculed like the rest of humanity did to you. You've witnessed a lot of your kind slaughtered by the hands of humans (who either did it in self defense or for sport).

So being captured instead of killed was the first thing that surprised you. However, it was short-lived after figuring out you were basically a lab rat to this man. There was a bit of fear after learning of the fates of other test subjects... Sometimes you lowkey believed death was much better end than this. And again, you were wary of his intentions when he suddenly started to coddle you. The thought of this man being insane had already crossed your mind but now...You surely believed he was. Dottore sometimes will say how he knows what it's like to be seen as an outcast (but for very different reasons since... Yeah 💀).

I can definitely see Dottore just...feeding you an assistant or subordinates that have either upset/disappointed him if you're a creature that feeds on human flesh. No care in the world, this is for research and to sustain your appetite! Win-win, right?

I'm also going bonkers over how Dottore would also like a darling that used to be human but some stuff happen and your body suddenly becomes a hybrid of some kind. Some form of corruption maybe or idk the environment changed your appearance depending (eg. Being a human/Regisvine hybrid). His reasoning for capturing and keeping you around is more apparent; you're more advanced than the average human being. Something that he has been wanting to achieve is of course to push human capabilities past what is expected, so you're living proof of it being possible. His attention has been caught and he won't let you give that back.

No matter what though, Dottore will keep you where he can always see you. Any of his segments can watch over you while he's gone. I'm sure they'll have fun examining you as well.

[adastra121]

Jin the Abandoned Alchemist

Redesigned. I changed my Alchemist!MC Jin's design to have more wizard vibes and I think I gave him the standard Disney villain colour scheme. Welp.

Pronouns: He/Him Birthday: September 13 Height: 5’7 / 171 cm Personality: Gentle, awkward nerd trying his best Likes: Books, libraries, gardening, tea, sewing, learning new things (especially of the magic variety), cuddles Dislikes: Hurting people, cruelty, spicy food, heights, the cold, liars, public speaking Fatal flaw: Often lets his past and self-doubt consume him. Other: Carries around a small rabbit plush named Aster that he made when he was younger. He’ll eventually give her to his love interest as a good luck charm (enchanted with a small protection spell, too — yes, this boy would give a protective charm to an eldritch horror because he genuinely worries for their safety) if they’re close enough  Yes, this was 100% inspired by Hades Quote: “I don’t think this was covered in my studies… Oh well! Trial and error is a perfectly valid method of learning.”

More about him below:

Jin is kind, gentle, inquisitive, curious and a bit naive from his sheltered upbringing. He’s always yearned for adventure, but never believed it was possible with his curse. Now, he finally gets his wish, though he had little choice in the matter.

Very socially awkward and easily flustered due to his lack of experience interacting with other people. And now, with his mentor’s betrayal, he’s a bit more reserved, unsure of who to trust.

Non-confrontational but quietly sassy. Ais might bring that side out of him more.

Jin calls him “Ais-hole” in his head. He’s aware that it’s not a particularly witty or even good insult, but it makes him feel better when the latter annoys him.

Book smart and street dumb

Jin tends to see the best in people, even to his own detriment.

Has avoided touch like the plague. He’s always careful not to get too physically close to someone, and because of this, he’s usually very observant and aware of his space. Not that he doesn’t crave physical affection. He definitely burst into tears when touching Leander for the first time.

This poor boy is touchstarved (ha) but he’ll never ask for physical affection, for fear of either, at worst, hurting someone or at best, being a nuisance.

He also struggles with a lot of guilt for craving touch since he knows it’s dangerous to other people and it’s selfish to yearn for things that put other people in danger, right?

I'm not sure whether this is canon or not, but I wrote his curse as gradually growing, both in surface area and in power. When he was an infant, the curse was only in his fingertips and it didn't make anyone lose their minds. One touch would bring horrible, unmentionable thoughts but those thoughts would pass.

As he grew older, the curse spread from his fingers to his palms to his hands, up his forearms and his elbows. Its effects also grew in intensity. What was a horrible, but instantaneous thought became one minute of terror, then two, then an hour, and so on, and the nature of them grew worse. Currently, it dooms anyone it touches.

And the curse is spreading still. Jin views his curse as a ticking time bomb, so he is desperate to find a cure as soon as possible. He doesn't know what will happen when it consumes him entirely. He is terrified of becoming a monster.

He used to have dark brown eyes, but the curse made his eyes gold. His left sclera has taken on the dark grey and the gold veins of the curse. I imagine that when — if — he is cured, they'll turn back to their original brown.

Adores plants and plushies — soft things that he’s able to touch without hurting. He has a small stuffed rabbit named Aster that he made when he was younger, one of the first things he’s sewn. She has a hidden pocket to carry herbs or small potion bottles. He places lavender and chamomile in Aster when he has trouble sleeping.

He's a bit embarrassed about his love for plushes. His old magic mentor found his fixation undignified. And really, he shouldn't be needing or craving such creature comforts, as if he was still a child.

He has his plants, though. That's something useful and conducive to his studies.

He talks to his plants sometimes when gardening. “You wouldn’t go mad on me, would you, matricaria chamomilla? … Although, since I’m currently talking to a plant, you’re probably not the one I have to worry about going mad.”

Before coming to Eridia, he used to grow and make his own tea blends. If he wasn’t an alchemist, he wouldn’t mind opening a tea shop.

His spellbook was given to him by his old mentor. It acts as a notebook for magic studies and research, but he also uses it as a diary, somewhere to doodle and write down his thoughts.

He has some trauma surrounding magic, considering that it was a big part of his relationship with his mentor, but he genuinely loves learning and mastering it. He’s always believed himself to be a burden, but magic is something that he can use to actually help others instead of harm them. Despite everything that’s happened, he can’t help believing he owes that gift to his old mentor.

The Senobium always sounded like a dream to him, so hearing that there is darkness beneath the promises of knowledge and wisdom and history is extremely disappointing, to say the least. He’d had hopes of eventually becoming a student.

Aside from matters of his curse, he tries to be as honest and sincere as he can be. Eridia is a city that runs on information, but he chooses to freely give what information he can. He doesn’t believe in withholding answers that could help someone in need. And that is part of how he loses faith in the Senobium after discovering that they’ve closed their gates. All the knowledge of the world, locked away as people suffer, and for what?

This is also probably influenced by his mentor’s betrayal, having been lied to his entire life inclines him to prefer the truth, whatever the cost.

Sometimes, he regrets running away. Was he too hasty? Was he selfish? He was hurt when he learned her true plans for him, but maybe he owed it to her. A small thing to repay the mage who had taken him in. If all he brought was pain and terror, what was a bit of suffering on his part for answers?

And then, he also honestly misses her. He can't say the mage was a bad person, she gave him a home. She practically raised him. She taught him magic. And she made him feel not alone. She cared for him, and he doesn’t believe it was an act — at least, not all of it.

His zodiac sign is Virgo

MBTI is INFJ

Enneagram is 9w1

Here's his full outfit and pose below (plus nervous Jin with his cursed eye, laughing Jin and panicking Jin):

It's funny that he has the Disney villain colour scheme because when I imagine him, he moves like a Disney princess. I gave him an eyepatch because I feel like he would be insecure about his eye where the curse had spread. He has gloves for the extra coverage but he doesn't wear them all the time.

I also made a character playlist for him. Some songs are just there for the vibes. The sounds I associate with him are autumnal and folk-y:

"Wanderer's Lullaby" by Adriana Figueroa I imagine his magic mentor Minerva used to sing this to him.

“Out There” by Tom Hulce & Tony Jay

“The Loneliest Girl” by Celeina Ann & Nai Br.XX

“Ruin” by The Amazing Devil

“Waiting in the Wings (Reprise)” by Eden Espinosa & Hudson D’Andrea

"How to Be Invisible" by Kate Bush

“Monster” by Caissie Levy

“Irrelevant” by Lauren Aquilina

“I Was Human” English Cover by rachie

“The Horror and the Wild” by The Amazing Devil

“happiness” by Taylor Swift

“Message in the Wind” by Celeina Ann & Nai Br.XX

“I Am Not Nothing” by Beth Crowley This is how I imagine his good ending, if I manage to get him one. Haha, I am so scared about the game. In a good way! There’s also this male nightcore version.

“King” by Lauren Aquilina

[ohno-the-sun]

"I glared down at the now fully fish Moon head sticking out from the waves. His face looked like a floating dual toned dinner plate– one with a really annoying grin"

😂😂😂oh man...

"I could see the outline of Moon clearly, his tail whipping behind him as he glared at me. His pupils were dilated into large dark disks, nearly filling his sclera."

Thats... thats would be a terrifying but cute look ngl

"Was this… his home?"

Oh yes Sun🥺 ☆bonding time~☆ you showed him the letter, he shows you also something personal

I stared at the engraving– pretending I understood what it said.

‘Mmmmm I see…’

I tapped my thumb to my chin like those detectives did in TV shows.

Moon gave me a look.

‘...you don’t understand it do you?’

I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

‘...maybe.’

😂😂😂👏👏👏 this is just pure comedy. They are so cute, I can't...

I needed to remind myself– he wasn’t really like me. He was a monster– a siren.

Nuuuuu the progresss is all gooone😭😭😭🥺

A single glowing eye opened, a large yellow sclera filling my vision, surrounding me with its golden light.

‘Hi dad.’

O.m.g. that is terrifying😰😰😰

...oh no😭😭😭 don't say that Moon will forget about Sun... but I mean... if Eclipse let him up again, Sun can just convince him and show him the things, like before... except... if Moon gets hostile against him... if he thinks that Sun is a threath...that...would complicate things more. I think at one point Moon would go out of water to "hunt" him down (if Sun does not get in, because he does not trust in Moon) or something, and that is where Sun could overpower him and try to figure out what to do and why is he like this.... oh man...

The fact that Moon does not remember at Eclipse as a threath, but have an uneasy feeling around him, because he probably done that with him before😭😭😭

is Eclipse even his "dad"? Or that is just the idea he planted in Moon's head to trust in him and come back to him....

What is he means by "a Sun"... AAAAAAAA I AM SO HOOKED INTO THE STORY, YOU CAN'T IMAGINE!!!

How does a human or siren fall in love with him?? I mean Eclipse... was he like this always?? If yes, it is understandable why their mom run away... or made a deal to at least save one of her babies...

There is so much possibilities where this can go wrong... if Sun cluelessly swim into the water...

What is Eclipse motivs with this new information? I mean... he can't get to the surface...right? ...right??...

why is he so hostile or upset about the "suns" Omg. I am iching to know what happened in the past!!! And if somehow your Oc is also involved in the incident. Or saw one of the mers in the act... was it Moon, who traumatised them? 🥺

I AM RIDDLED WITH THEORIEEESSS

Waaawawaawawaaaa

I always love your thoughts enyter they always motivate me so well!!

And waaa ur like noticing thingssss hehehe

[flightfoot]

Hi! Do you have recommendation with love square a/b/o verse? Particularly with Alpha!Adrien?

Oooh yeah those can be fun! I haven't seen much of them lately, but I've liked a lot of the ML Omegaverse fics I've read! All of these will be T-rated or below, btw.

---

dynamic by Anonymous

“I’m serious, my lady,” he clarifies, feigning collectedness. “Your chaton is an alpha, through and through.” “You–” She pauses, blinking. “Really?” “Yes, really,” he replies, and he catches some frustration slipping into his tone. He bites it back belatedly. Is it really so hard to believe? (More one-shots set in this AU may be added later as additional chapters.)

---

the dreams (I tried but couldn't bring to life) by @pauliestorylover

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, alias Ladybug, had a crush on Chat Noir. The only problem? Beneath her suit, Marinette was secretly a familiar, and Chat Noir…was not. (He was also a familiar, they were both just lying to each other.)

---

Tacenda by MiraculouslyHopeful

In a world where alpha/beta/omega dynamics seem to define everything, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste's lives are far from easy. Marinette is confused, Adrien is tired, and Hawkmoth does not seem to be stopping, especially not after the two heroes find out what their classifications are. They always knew their lives would change with this information, but is it for better or worse in the end?

---

Hers by bumbleb_tch

Peeking into the room, she saw Chat sprawled on her chaise and quickly announced, “I’m-really-sorry-Chaton-but-I-ran-out-of-patches-and-need-to-really-quickly-grab-some-more.” By the time she finished her word vomit she was already digging through her closet. As her hand grasped the box, a soft keening brought her attention back to the room and a fresh scent bloomed, immediately lighting her senses on fire. Thick bergamot shadowed with an expensive sandalwood, layered on top of the gentle caress of a wild rose. It was powerful, chaotic, but it’s core softer than a butterfly’s kiss, it was undeniably Chat. But worse, it was undeniably omega. Marinette pivoted on her heels oh so slowly, taking special care to breath through her mouth as she took stock of her partner. Even from across the room she could see sweat pouring down his face, his pupils blown so wide she could only make out a miniscule strip of green sclera around them. “Chat...did you-did you just present?”

---

you deserve to be loved and you deserve what you are given by @thescuttlebugg

Marinette is terrified, suddenly. She’s not like this. She’s not this kind of alpha, to get her head turned by any pretty pheromones she trips over. She’s not--she’s not disloyal, she’s not inconstant. Chat smells like moonlight, like the sudden shock of night air and the terrifying rush of leaping out into the empty dark, like deserted city sidewalks and unfamiliar corners: something midnight-metallic, something strange, something wild. Nothing like Adrien. Not a single note in common. She’s not like this. She’s not like this.

He smells-- He smells-- “Ladybug,” Chat croaks, still staring at her. He smells stray.

---

alone together by a_miiraculer, clairelutra

i don't know where you're going but do you got room for one more troubled soul? Marinette's got 99 problems, and pretty-boy omegas are about half of them. A drabble sequence. On indefinite hiatus.

---

This last one isn't actually Lovesquare, but it's one I wrote and it has Alpha!Adrien so I'm throwing it in anyway, I had fun writing it.

The Role of an Alpha by Keyseeker

When a newly presenting Omega crashes through his window, Adrien discovers what kind of Alpha he wants to be.

[ombrathefurry]

What happens during all of Phoenix’s behavioral states/what do they look like? (I would check Toyhouse but it’s blocked ;-;)

Quote from her toyhouse page + quick sketches of eyes:

Phoenix, being quite unstable and unmedicated, exhibits an array of severe consistent mood swings that vary her behavior enough to the point where they could practically be defined as alters. The components of these mood swings can be defined below.

Normal/Default

Phoenix’s default state is the most common out of all of these mood swings. When Phoenix is in this state of mind, her eyes match to their initial biological appearance. Her right iris is blue, and her left eye is a gold-ish yellow color. Both of her sclera are black, and her pupils are easily visible and most often narrowed to slits despite her current mental state or light level (to some extent.) Her standard behavior is active. She is aware of her surroundings and capable of thinking logically, however she’s still notably awfully cruel and sadistic. The difference between this state of mind and other more hazy ones is that Phoenix is aware of how awful she’s being. Despite this, she carries out her actions anyways, contrary to how she’s being driven by what could be described as instinct or overwhelming drive while existing in aforementioned alternate mental states. Personalizing her actions to maximize the amount of discomfort for whatever individual(s) around her, Phoenix is very intent on presenting herself as a terrible person to everyone she interacts with.

Trance

Trance Phoenix is a frightening pinnacle of Phoenix’s extreme moodswings. Everything about her eyes will remain the same, besides the biologically impossible physical change of her pupils taking on the appearance of slitted x’s. While Phoenix is bad enough on her standard basis in her foundational set of behavioral patterns, trance Phoenix takes everything that makes default Phoenix an already terrible person and significantly amplifies it. This set of behavior is a result of her old behavioral patterns and choices becoming extremely obsessive, enforcing a type of delusional feverishness that makes her choices all the more compulsive and uncontrolled. On top of this, she is definitely all the more terrifying. Phoenix will become extremely obsessed with inflicting all sorts of pain to others in the cruelest way possible, putting forth even more of an effort into personalizing her experiences for those she interacts with. Nothing is more important to her than to inflict the absolute maximum amount of severe suffering onto these victims. While other states of mind have the ability of rational thought of multiple topics, trance is only capable of completely fixating on causing harm. Trance would be incapable of focusing on anything other means, otherwise the behavioural pattern would not capable of being classified under the trance category.

Kind

Kind phoenix is a result of a temporary reversion to Phoenix’s foundational behavioral patterns, or the behaviour of what could be compared to as the “legal alter” in a system. (Note that they are not the same thing, but are fundamentally similar.) This array of behavioral patterns offer a glimpse into how Phoenix behaves when she was medicated, pre-breakdown and mentally stable. During this state, her eyes will have an unnatural amount of highlights in them, and her irises will appear to be glittering and sparkling. Considerably contrary to most of Phoenix’s other behavioral patterns, she’s very kind, gentle and happy. She’ll do her best to be respectful to everyone she interacts with. This state of mind is a very delicate one, and is very easily broken. This sends Phoenix back to her normal, up to date behavioral patterns. One must sustain her focus completely in the present moment, and attempt avoid her thinking too hard about recalling recent events. The proper remembrance of such events would remind her of the blurred time that has passed since her breakdown, sending her back to her present behavioural patterns.

Durkillesburg

Destructive, irrational and eerily quiet, this behavioral pattern allows for some pretty severe damage being inflicted to Phoenix's proximities. While in this state, Phoenix’s eyes will turn to a bright, glowing neon pink. Her pupils will contract due to how much light is being emitted by her eyes and simultaneously being taken in. Phoenix would barely exhibit any form of emotional response while in this state of mind. On top of this, this state allows for the processing of some of the strongest impulses Phoenix is capable of experiencing. Most notably, the presence of an irresistible urge to destroy everything around her through the process of blunt force. With the circumstances of her perpetually contracted pupils, her eyesight would be reduced to that of being very poor. This circumstance contributes to her destructive nature, beating both living and lifeless objects because she's incapable of processing their states of being. Phoenix, being a paranoid person, is not incapable of discerning what in her proximity is s threat, resulting in her acts of destruction being a form of self defense. This array of behavioral patterns is quite rare, and has gotten rarer with time as Phoenix learns to feel more comfortable and less threatened by the world and individuals around her.

Vent

This behavioral state is more of a physical state than a mental state, however it is unique enough that deserves its own section. Vent phoenix, unlike other sectors of behavioral patterns, is a result of a physical disorder rather than a neurological one. When in this state, Phoenix’s eyes will turn dark gray, and her pupils will resemble small black x’s with an absence of irises. Phoenix's body would be undergoing a severe situational episode, causing an uncontrolled physical reaction that stems from the requirement to expel excess blood (as Phoenix was born with a disorder enabling unmanageable generation of blood.) There is more text on Phoenix’s physical disorders and descriptions of her hemoexpulsive reaction in the appearances section. Horrifically, Phoenix will attempt to cut herself open to relieve the pain of the reaction, as the need for loss of blood serves as the catalyst for this reaction. The process is very painful and admittedly very frightening, which results in Phoenix being in a state of severe mental distress. In attempts to distract herself, she will sluggishly attempt to carry out her usual acts of cruelty and sadism, but it’s difficult for her to focus on personalizing experiences which leads to repetition in her methods. It also leads to more reckless choices, as there aren’t as many immediate consequences for such. Phoenix tends to cope with fear and paranoia with violence, and this is no exception.

Murders

The rarest and most mysterious behavioral pattern, murders is considered enigmatic for where it came from, what started it, and why Phoenix behaves the way she does. When Phoenix lapses into this state, her eyes will take on an extremely pale look, as though they had been glazed with a layer of matte gray translucent substance. Similarly to her durkillesburg and bloodmoon states, she’ll be completely mute. However, contrary to her bloodmoon state, her mouth is completely visible and functional. Despite this, she still refuses to utilize it for anything other than the manipulation of facial expressions. She’ll either hold it in a wide smile or a cartoonish frown, no more and no less. Biting, speaking, or even opening her mouth are considered off limits. This behavioral pattern is the most pattern-like out of all of the other states, with her conscious behavior consisting of one repeating objective. She seems incapable of rational thought, as though she were a robot with one repeatitious objective and possessing the inability to stray from a specific set of instructions. When in this state, Phoenix will chase down one victim at a time, drag them into a clearing in the woods, and beat the living daylights out of them with her bat or any other bludgeon she can make do with in that moment. She seems to have an aversion to sound, as she will also attack any sources of noise, unrelated to her objective or not. Phoenix will continue to attack until her victim passes out, before tossing them out of the clearing, and setting off to find another subject. Conditions for activating this state of mind are very specific. It’s comparable the occurrence of 'blue haze' or an aurora; everything needs to be perfect. These triggers include things like the light outside (semi-twilight), the area she’s in (pine forest with minimal to no undergrowth), whether or not she has her bat or access to a weapon, and whether or not she can see the night sky (thin cloud coverings). This behavioural pattern can seem more like a personal tradition rather than an alternative state of mind, only being classified as such through the physical change of Phoenix's eyes.

Bloodmoon

Caused by the reddish glow of the moon, this occasional behavioral pattern is rare but predictable. When Phoenix lapses into this state, there is no way you can influence her to snap out of it until the night of the blood moon has passed. When in this state, her eyes will resemble that of Trance’s eyes, with the exception of her yellow iris being completely bloodred and her blue iris having a smudge of red on its left side. Throughout the entire duration of the night of the blood moon, Phoenix’s entire body will shake violently and she will have significantly lowered motor control due to her heightened sensitivity to the moon’s light. She’ll also give random twitches or spasms that can be discerned as pseudo-tics from the rest of her tremors, especially twitching her red eye and ears. On top of these circumstances, she is also completely mute. Oral dysfunctionality is another defining trait that will last throughout the blood moon. This oral dysfunctionality includes that of locking her jaw and vocal control, which devests her ability to emit sound or opening her mouth. Her only interest or objective is that of killing everyone around her in the bloodiest way possible (making long, deep cuts, targeting large veins and arteries, making as many cuts as possible, etc.) She exchibits an insatiable urge to draw as much blood as possible, and will follow that objective mindlessly like a robot (similar to Murders.) No amount of blood will satisfy her thirst while she’s in this state. She’ll try to experience the presence of blood through all of her senses, (seeing it, smelling it, hearing the sound of it moving, etc) except for taste, but she does rub the substance over her locked mouth and areas around it.

Flowering/Nostalgia

This behavioral pattern is caused by the presence of mass hallucinations inside Phoenix’s head, which consequently sends her to the calmest state she could possibly be while unmedicated. Said hallucinations obscure her entire view, however don’t alter anyone else’s perception despite her belief others can see what she can in that moment. This isolated, peaceful environment she’s perceiving causes her to feel an immense feeling of peace and safety, which would disperse any thoughts of hurting, killing, or causing distress to anyone including herself. Elimination of the need for her violent coping mechanisms brings her a powerful feeling of relief and tranquility. Interacting with her will show itself to be completely safe, albeit confusing while she drones about things that aren’t actually there. Although she’s unable to visually perceive her surroundings, she is quite aware of them, and is capable of navigating her environment. Her physical appearance doesn’t change at all throughout the duration of which her hallucinations last, but the look in her eyes would be more than enough to display a descrepancy.

While her behavioral differences can make her seem like an entirely different person at times, it's important to remember that these are simply different emotional extremes applied to Phoenix as a person. While unmedicated, her moodswings are the harshest and most dramatic. Medication allows for the severity of her moodswings to be lessened and averaged out to less intense extremes.

ANYWAYS quote's ended but I really need to work on my Toyhouse more

I'm almost done all the pfps, and a couple other projects need to be finished first before I can start writing profiles in detail

I plan on putting absolutely everything into Toyhouse when I'm done setting everything up so ombra fans will have plenty of content to consume when that time eventually arrives

[leggerefiore]

Do have any more Alien au stuff floating in your head?

yeah, a little. maybe smut later if my brain is brave enough lmao

Truce

cw: alien au, a bit of unhealthy relationships, poly (Ingo/Reader, Emmet/Reader), magical girl reader, sexual implications

Minors DNI

It felt terrifying as you realised the absolute truth about the two aliens you were fighting.

They were… Your boyfriends.

They were the smiling and frowning Subway Boss duo.

You passed them every day while taking the trains, watching them help commuters and take on trainers eagerly. Both were beloved icons of Nimbasa and seen as kind people. It was little wonder with how Ingo eagerly took up teaching children battling and proper ways to safely ride the trains alongside his brother, who proved a pleasant challenge to experienced trainers.

It was easy to fall for them.

You loved them so easily.

They felt so impossibly familiar to you. The feeling was hard to describe, but it was almost as if they were a piece of you. You shook it off and politely struck up a conversation with the older twin back then.

Your struggles against the tentacles that held you and the complicated emotions that had bloomed in your chest left you breathless for a moment. Emmet only tilted his head and gave a quick giggle. His inhuman form floated closer to you as the bright gem in his chest got the sun's light perfectly. The dark sclera of his eyes mixed with the bright silver of his iris was hypnotising. He held a hand out to you to hold your chin.

“Give up,” he said simply, “Let us win.” You shook your head, terrified of your species being overcome by these horrifying sentient viruses from space. A pout played across his lips. It was quiet where you both were in the air. The people below were frozen, waiting to see what would become of you at the hands of the alien they despised. Would they even truly care if you died, or would they just be disappointed you failed to protect them? You pushed those thought away. It was not like you were dying here.

“No,” you firmly replied, and tried an attack of yours against him. It failed horribly and made him let out a giggle. Ingo floated nearby to you both, getting closer to observe your exchange easier. The tentacles around you pulsated for a moment, and he put himself even closer to you. It was a point where your bodies just touched but still remained slightly distanced.

“You know… There is a certain kink of mine I enjoy,” Emmet teased, “One I would want to do here. In front of everyone.” Your cheeks felt warm as your eyes shot wide. Desperately, you wanted to believe that he would not. That it was a line of embarrassment for your alter-ego that he would not cross. You also hated how it made your legs come together. It was disgusting yet hot.

Ingo clearing his throat stopped his actions as the younger twin whined. “Fiiiine, I won't,” he huffed and moved you into Ingo's grip. “Later, I will,” a promise came from him and sent a shudder down your spine.

The feeling of Ingo's solid form behind you as he held you close to himself was consuming your mind. Heated breaths fanned across your skin as watched his brother go off to destroy another building. “... It's envitable, you know,” he spoke with a confident tone, “Humanity will fall to us.” You wanted to argue that it would not happen so long as you were to defend earth, but…

You laid against him limply.

You did also feel tired of the useless fighting, which always ended in a draw.

Thoughts of the peaceful home life you shared with them felt so foreign with the thoughts of them as your mortal enemies. Cooking meals with Ingo and chatting about his day at work while Emmet played with his Joltiks in the living room were so completely opposed to everything you felt about the aliens, Nobori and Kudari. It was not as if they were entirely separate beings. Many things they did remain the same, no matter their disguised status or not.

You wanted the peaceful life you had with Ingo and Emmet to be true, but you would have to face their identities as the aliens eventually.

“Do…" you whispered weakly, “Do you hate humanity, Ingo?” The alien regarded you curiously. His stiff facial expression, even twitching with rare emotion.

“... I dislike them,” he responded, “I dislike most of them would be a better phrasing, rather…" The alien corrected himself. There was no mistaking the feeling heavy in his eyes as he gazed at you. You were human, and he loved you. It felt strange to consider it. He was an alien who loved you despite that, and you were a human who loved him despite that. All three of you held the same predicament with no clue as to how to handle it.

In a moment of weakness, you managed to break free from his grip and quickly send an attack to injury him just enough to lead to a retreat. It was easy to do this. You had done it many times before, yet… The hurt in his eyes made your heart clench. It hurt him.

You knew that.

You did not care.

You did now.

Nobori could get hurt, but not your Ingo.

~

The evening would almost have felt normal had you all been unaware of each other. No one else in the world knew you three as your alter-egos. Each of you lived a mostly mundane life, excluding your fights and their attempted invasions. Could you convince them to live in this normalcy? Ingo definitely enjoyed it. Emmet would be more difficult… He seemed more dead set on ensuring his and Ingo's safety than anything. Maybe you could make him understand that humans will not go after him as he exists as “Emmet.”

They both were in the living room doing their own activities. Ingo sat on the couch with a laptop in his lap typing away at something while Emmet played with Galvantula lazily. The pokemon was playing a weak game of tug-of-war with him. It was perfect. You joined Ingo on the couch and peered at his screen to see him doing paperwork. The television was already turned on to a league battle that Emmet was apparently watching.

“... Are you feeling okay?” you asked Ingo, who paused his typing to shift his eyes over to you. He seemed physically fine, but you could not exactly know for certain.

“I'm fine,” he reassured you, “... That attack was not nearly as bad as when you attacked my gem.” You shuddered as the scream that came from him echoed in your mind. It made you genuinely stop fighting them for a while. They were humanoid. You had thought of them as not even able to feel pain, but that had proven you wrong. Not to mention the vanishing of Ingo from his duties as he recovered.

“I'm sorry,” you apologised and rested your hand above the crystalline hidden under his chest. He tensed for a moment but quickly relaxed himself. It felt warm there. A strange pulsating almost like a heart came from the odd organ. Just what was it even? You wondered how they even functioned.

“I already forgave you,” he responded with a heartfelt tone, “... I healed from your attack earlier already.” You felt more at ease and rested your head on his shoulder. His arm wrapped around your own as he took a short break from his work to observe the battle on the television. Emmet perked up at the sight and moved to join you both on the couch. You tried to ignore his staring but felt his eyes glaring into your very core. Maybe now was the time to have the conversation with them.

“... Can we not just live like this and give up our fighting?” you questioned with a strong tone. Both tensed up at your words. Emmet tilted his head while Ingo went to pull the brim of his hat that was not on his head. Silence hung in the room, with only the cheers of the crowd coming from the battle on the screen. Was that a bad question? You felt it was not. It was completely genuine.

“... Humans will not accept us,” Emmet replied, “Everrrrrr.” You felt that was untrue, but you also knew better than to say something like that with certainty. The existence of villainous groups that would do anything to get ahead did not ensure a safe life for creatures like them, not to mention the endless curiosity of human researchers. But… You knew it was not impossible.

“... Emmet is right,” Ingo spoke with his domineering tone usually reserved for work or his speeches as Nobori, “We simply are beings that humanity cannot have as a piece of them in peace. We will likely be experimented on, if not just killed outright.” His words were harsh and left you shuddering. You wished there was not any truth to them, but… You knew. It hurt to think that they were hard to accept. Humans fascination with any pokemon believed to be from space was already bad enough.

“I want to,” you decided to keep going, “I love you both. I want to live like this. Peacefully and comfortably… I don't want to keep fighting.” The grin on Emmet's face told you everything he could possibly say next. Ingo unexpectedly pulled you into his lap before Emmet had a chance to, however.

“... We will make a peace just like this,” he told you, “There is no need for you to oppose us. We will always assure your happiness as we love you. From the moment you cut your finger on the meteor to now, we adored you.” He took the hand you had cut just over a year ago and pressed a sweet kiss to the finger. The warmth and softness of his lips made you blush. Holding it between his hands, you hardly noticed Emmet crawling to hover over you both. His arms came around you as he pressed himself into you, causing Ingo to groan under both of your weights.

“He's right,” Emmet cooed and peppered a few kisses up your neck to your jawline, “You should let me fuck you in front of everyone still in your magical girl form. Just once. Prrrretty please. No more using it after that.” You almost wanted to shove him away but let him stay because he was currently making a decent weighted blanket. Combing your fingers through his hair, you pondered a solution to your issues that would allow them to live with you like this forever.

“I… I don't want you to do that,” you told them. Both stared at you with frightening expressions, one callous and one just too eager. Emmet's hands cupped your cheeks as he nuzzled his nose to yours.

“We know,” he cooed, “... We'll stop for a while, though.” You felt a strange relief come over your body.

“Why?” you asked, curious as to their sudden change of heart.

“... You clearly need a mental break and so do we,” Ingo responded, finally removed his brother from you give him a break from being crushed. Your chin was gently grasped by him as he brought you in for a loving kiss. “... Please take care of yourself. We do truly love you.”

For now, at least, your complicated feelings were satiated.

You let yourself easily relax and fall into the temporary truce, wondering if they would become convinced by the peace of it all.

[leviathanverse]

Frightening encounter

This au rightfully belongs to @mylou-doodlesworld. I am only making a scenario of something that came to mind, and it will be Reader-related. I hope you don't mind if I changed the setting and stuff a bit? I hope you enjoy!

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

The forest was eerie and painfully frightening. Each sound put your small, vulnerable and weak form on edge.

As if you weren't on edge from the beginning.

You had finally lost those horrible people, the very people that wanted nothing more than to hurt you. It was a nightmare, but you managed to escape. However, they were right behind you.

" Get back here you brat!"

One of them would yell, the other one trying to stop you in your escape by throwing bolas at your feet. A few of them were almost successful.

Almost.

You ran behind a tree before running in the thicket, making sure to leave no evidence that you had escaped their predatory eyes.

" Where'd you go, brat?!"

" How can a ten year old escape us?! Gah! This is frustrating!"

You slowed down, panting softly as the adrenaline faded. You were out of breathe, that much was clear. Shaking away the uneasiness, you dwelled further in the thicket of the forest, hugging yourself to reassure your brain and body that you were safe and out of danger.

Hopefully you were safe.

It made you shiver and feel exposed, alone even. But, the strange part was that you felt like you were going to run into danger of some sort. Maybe being mute was perfect for this particular task? Mission, perhaps?

You continued down the thicket of the forest, following the almost invisible dirt path below. But, the further you moved into the thicket, the worse your instincts blared like nothing you have never experienced ever before. Something wasn't right, you noted.

You came into a clearing, rays filtered through the opening in the forest. It was an open field, trees forming a circle around the open patch of the field. There was a single large stone that was in the centre, if not a bit right from it.

You wanted to go deeper into the forest, when something large and heavy tackled you to the ground. You collided to the ground with closed eyes, gritting your teeth as a sharp pain erupted from everywhere in your body.

You opened your eyes, only for them to widen with fear. Your body went stiff, breathing heavy and ragged as your muscles tensed up upon seeing what had tackled you.

A dragon.

The creature was twice your size, golden orbs staring at you with absolute hate. The dark red sclera didn't help its intimidating gaze.

The real terror and prey instinct kicked in when it opened its wings, as if the wings themselves were the source of your sudden fear and overwhelming instincts.

It raised a paw, ready to slash you with its large talons-

A gunshot was heard, and it was fired at it.

" It would make a hefty profit, won't it, Shiro?"

The voices were familiar, and your brain went wild.

" Nice size too."

The dragon lifted its head to glare at the ones responsible for the bullet wound, which had healed quickly, and instantly snarled. However, you were still paralysed from fear.

You didn't even feel the tears form and roll down your cheeks, or the stinging sensation they gave whenever you cried. You didn't even feel the dragon lift its massive and heavy paws off of you as it closed its wings, still snarling at the two men.

" And it caught the brat. Makes our lives easier."

Not your life.

You snapped out of your terrified state, and shakily lifted yourself up from the ground. You could feel the power emitting from the creature from just its aura and tense atmosphere alone.

A gun clicked, a bullet ready to be released from its room and go for the kill. The dragon snarled and slowly approached the two men- WERE two men. Many other people came out of thicket, causing the dragon to open its wings and flap them in a body language you knew all too well: Back off, or you die!

Scared, confused and very much want to live to see another day; you got up onto your own two feet, your legs threatening to give out under your weight. You looked at the dragon and the people, feeling adrenaline kick in. You turned to run, but immediately bumped into a broad chest the second you attempted to flee. Strong arms captured you and you squirmed, causing your captor to grunt in annoyance.

" Never told me this brat is an annoyance!"

"There was no need to."

You cried, closing your eyes as you clawed and kicked in your captors' hold. You felt so angry at yourself, not to mention weak.

Your captor dragged you as you fought to escape his iron grip while the others got ready to fight the dragon. You opened your eyes, tears rolled down your cheeks as you watched helplessly the dragon fight the men while you were dragged away.

It was a nightmare come true.

Just as you were about to get dragged into the thick vegetation, wood with minds of their own wrapped around your captor which caused him to let you go. You fell onto your side on the ground, eyes wide as your entire body shook from shock and fear.

You were in such a state of shock and fear that you hadn't seen the dragon walk towards you and your now captured captor- which was ironic, but you couldn't comprehend that- after it managed to trap the others with its wood manipulation abilities.

---

He looked down at the shaking human cub blankly before moving his gaze to the man that held them. It was something inside him that told him to protect them after seeing how weak and vulnerable the human cub was, how easily it got captured by its own kind and not for good reasons.

He looked back at the human cub, his long pointed ears flicked as he thought of what to do. He shifted his dragonic paw to balance himself properly, staring at the human cub that shook on the floor with fear and tears in their eyes.

He used his ability to form a cocoon around the cub, turning his gaze back at the humans he captured in his wood. He narrows his eyes, all the while his wood completely hid the cub away from their disgustingly prying eyes. He snarled and opened his wings, paralyzing his new prey with fear.

This was going to be fun.

-×-

He ripped the arm from the killed man's skeleton, tearing into the succulent and sweet flesh with his dragonic teeth. He hadn't forgotten about the cub, only enjoying the meat that belonged to those... disgust people.

He was quick to finish the arm, eating it like it would be the last meal. He threw the now stripped bone onto the floor, swooping down and landed next to where the wooden cocoon was.

He got onto all fours, sniffing the barrier he created to trap the cub. He was full, and couldn't fit another meal.

He controlled the wood, making it go below the ground it once came from to reveal the cub that was trapped inside for... He didn't care for how long.

He approached the cub, seeing that they had passed out and they looked so... vulnerable.

He towered over them, cautiously inspecting them. He didn't have the strength or courage to kill them anymore... Not after seeing how their own kind treated them.

He lowered his head, opening his jaws and gently grabbed them by the back of their shirt before opening his wings. He got into a pouncing position before jumping into the air, flapping his wings as he did so. He flew, and with a vulnerable and dependant cub with him.

He couldn't help but feel.... protective of the human cub- an instinct he has never felt before. It made him hate it even more, but couldn't bring himself to hate the weaker being held in his mouth. He didn't know why but he just couldn't hate them.

He calmly flew in the air, watching the forest below he has claimed as his territory. He flapped his wings, descending slowly to the ground where a cave was and landed on all fours. He stood on his two hind legs and walked inside the cave gently placing the cub inside a nest he has built for himself.

He took a step back, looking at the cub before dashing out of the cave and took off, on the hunt for any critter or fruit the cub could consume.

---

You woke up and quickly sat up, panicking for a few seconds before your panic turned into confusion. Where were you? And why weren't you dead? Why were you alive? Is this what the afterlife was like?

You heard a small sound and froze, slowly turning your head to see the very dragon that attacked you. It had a fish in its mouth, head tilted as it looked at you with fruits in its paws.

You shook with fear.

The dragon saw this and immediately approached, causing you to panic and frantically scurry against the solid wall behind you.

Instead of killing you when it was in front of you, it placed the fruits on the edge of the nest in front of you. The fish, however, was grabbed by his paw, paw outstretched to you.

He was offering you the fish.

You hesitantly took the fish with shaky hands, and looked at it. It was a salmon, which you were glad to have. But...

You looked at the dragon, feeling dumb and scared of what it might do. The dragon looked at you expectantly, as if it expected you to eat the freshly caught fish.

You looked at the fish and hesitantly- and shakily- took a bite of it. The dragon didn't react, only seeming to be satisfied with you eating by exhaling with a small cloud of breathe escaping its nose.

-

You didn't eat more than 12 bites of the fish before putting it down. You brought your knees closer to your chest, arms wrapped around them to sort-of hug yourself. The dragon looked at the fruits and unfinished fish, grabbing them and walked out of the cave. He returned a few seconds later.

He spoke.

" Who are you?"

You looked at him, and buried your head onto your knees. He approached, and slowly this time.

---

" I asked who you are? Do you not have a name?"

He was confused at this point. Why didn't the cub answer him? Why was it curled up like that?

Many questions raced against one another in his mind, thinking of possibilities as to why they weren't talking. He was right in front of them, crouching and exhaling. Maybe... they couldn't hear him? But they are supposed to hear him, weren't they?

He tilted his head, eyes still staring at them blankly while confusion engulfed his being.

" Can you hear me?"

They nodded. This confused him even more, although he didn't show it.

" Then why not answer my question? Are you not able to talk?"

They nodded, to which he felt dumb for not realizing it sooner. He huffed before going behind them, laid down and pulled the close to his side.

Their muscles tensed up.

" Calm down. I am just bringing you close to me."

He rolled his eyes, but knew very well that humans didn't really understand dragon behaviours or anything. They didn't need to know about that. How this was a way to show affection- it was affection, right? He didn't dwell on it further when he felt them immediately go limp, passed out from exhaustion again.

He opened his wing and put it over them like a blanket, laid his head down onto his arms and curled his tail around them.

It was the start of a bond between the human and dragon.

[helplesspupet]

Mei 🐉, Mk ☀️, Wukong 🍑 x Reader

"Alright here we are." Sandy announced while stopping the van in front of a forest that definitely does not say 'I HAVE A DEMON LIVING INSIDE ME' but here we are

"Thanks blue guy. Alright lets see who's caused these thirteen murders recently" Wukong said "Yeah thanks Sandy" Mk and Mei chimed in union "I'll be here when you get back"

Sandy said in a somewhat reassuring way as he doesn't like the feel of this forest.

As the others went out and into the forest and almost immediately Mk and Mei get a chill up their spines like someone is watching them all..

"Maybe we should've stayed in the van with Sandy.." Mk whispered to Mei while she nodded

-

A good 30 minutes of them roaming the forest and things just became more unsettling. Even Wukong started to become uncomfortable by it..

The deeper they went in the more eerie it got until they all seen something a kin to a ghost or at least thats what it appeared to be before Wukong quickly picked the two up and sped off into a cave because it wasn't a ghost.. it was a demon who lived and served something much worse..

It did take long for thick fog to appear but they could still see through it. They smelled something similar to blood as the ghosts of the thirteen victims all different ages and sizes appeared tell them in a panicked state to run while they can but they could get through that sentence without hear hearing two or three demons loudly screeching.. the ghosts quickly disappeared or flew away in fear as Mk, Mei and Wukong covered their ears from the screeching one of them stayed behind a little long a little girl and just said in a meek voice "....now fate decides what is to be don't with you...." before she flew away to hide from what's to come next.

Wukong, Mk and Mei were confused by this until the fog then started to go in one direction the turned behind them to see where it was going and after hearing an evil laughter he revealed himself.

"So.. the great sage has decided to pay be a visit hahaha.. and he's brought two mortals with him" he chuckles to himself "going to use them as sacrifices to spare yourself Monkey King..?"

Wukong just stared at the demon infront of him in a horror while Mk and Mei were hugged eachother in fear. Wukong knows this demon, Y/n is his name. The prune demon, one of the many issues he faced while leading his master to the west.

"I'm sure you know what happens now Monkey King considering you've faced me before..." Y/n closes his eyes and chuckles darkly "but since we've done with before.." He opens his eyes to reavel that the the sclera (for those who don't know that's the white part of you eye) iris and pupil where this anonymous green-ish colour as his demon disciples appeared next to him and said in a truly terrifying voice "I'LL MAKE SURE I RIP YOU ALL TO SHREDS!"

and with that Wukong told the two to run and didn't even have to them twice as they run out the cave back into the forest trying to remember what way they went but they hear a faint but loud "AFTER THEM" and soon enough his three disciples are chasing Mk and Mei while Wukong is stuck in a battle with a demon equally as strong as him.

"You know Monkey King haven't seen you care for someone like that since the great monk.. you gone soft on the mortals or something..?" He teased him knowing he's right Wukong got more annoyed and with him giving it his all he had no choice but to do what he did last him in a fight with Y/n and run away Mk and Mei's safety was at the moment hisbtop priority since he knows how powerful Y/n's disciples are praying to Buda that they get out of the forest before they catch the two.

Anyway back with Mk and Mei they're still running but soon enough they see the exit but slight inconvenience when Mk is held behind by one of the demons chasing them but Mei fixed that quickly by scathing the disciples arm with the dragon sword and quickly grabbed onto Mk and made a run for it to the van where Sandy is at first he's confused as to why they're running until the see three demons angrily trying to escape the forest but can't Mk looks back sees this and stops Mei to make her see. Putting two and two together Mk and Mei soon realise that some magical barrier is making them unable to leave the forest.

They hear one grunt in rage and then says "come on you two it's no use let's just go.." and with thay the demons leave.

Mk and Mei get back into the van and catch their breath and they see a very concerned looking Sandy..

-

They wait for Wukong to return and it isn't a long wait he looks very up to say the least but is mainly relieved that Mk and Mei are ok and they then go back to there respective homes.

-

"So Ja lin... you failed..? They escaped..?" Y/n ask his main disciple "Yes Master..." He answers quickly scared of what Y/n with do to him "hmmmm... bring me the flower.." you ordered him "of course" He said and quickly went away to retrieve the the flower a Chinese Rose. He uses it as a way of saying 'you survived' Ja lin came back with the Chinese Rose and give it to Y/n "thank you... you the leave.." and with that Ja lin quickly left going to it companions.

Y/n made his leave after retrieving a vase with his sigil on it because unlike his disciples he can leave the forest.

Y/n goes into Mei's dragon house via black smoke and puts the rose on her night stand and leaves. He then goes to Mk's house and leaves a rose inside and finally... flower fruit mountain.. He can't get in it easily because of the barrier at the waterfall so he fills the vase with the water surrounding the waterfall and put it on the rock with the rose inside and the goes back home not attacking anyone..

......After all.....they did survive.....

×××

Hi..~ how are you..? I'm doing good.. I'm honestly proud of this one.

AnywayI'll see you later...

...Byeee~

[secularbakedgoods]

Runners

(science fiction, 1100 words)

It’s the end of the fiscal year. Hunting season has begun.

Ultimately, it all kicked off with the invention of the “workplace transparency plan.” As ad revenue stagnated, social platforms instead offered corporate clients access to their employees’ private messages. For a small subscription fee, employers could learn who their workers were communicating with and retaliate as they saw fit.

Within months, an entire industry of talent recruiters found themselves stonewalled by a terrified workforce. With electronic communication lost to them, the recruiters — far behind on their quotas — resorted to more drastic methods.

Strive Solutions is a midsize software company on the third floor of a converted building in the old warehouse district. Its two vintage elevators are too old to support ID card readers, so a pair of security doors flanking the reception area are all that stand between potential intruders and Strive’s inner sanctum.

A few minutes past 3:00 in the afternoon, both elevators open and the mob piles out.

Runners always raid in force, the better to overwhelm any on-site security. Where once the typical recruiter was a bland, nonthreatening thirtysomething in business-casual pastels, now they trend toward linebackers’ builds and stab vests. Those who aren’t the general size and shape of a refrigerator are the most dangerous of all — quick, clever, and vicious.

Not one of them is over the age of 30. Running is a youngster’s game.

The security doors are RFID-locked, but made of glass. Somebody puts a boot through one of them, and the runners barely slow as they stampede through.

The bulk of Strive’s employees work in an open-plan area referred to as “the Pit” whenever management isn’t around. The runners swarm through it with ease, unhindered by hallways or doors, vaulting over desks and chairs when they need to.

Certain pieces of equipment are standard. Every runner carries a tablet, ruggedized to withstand all sorts of abuse and equipped with a fingerprint scanner. A simple swipe of a new recruit’s thumb and the contract is sealed, filed instantly with their new employer. Signatures were once the preferred endorsement, before someone realized a fingerprint was valid even if the owner of said finger was unconscious.

Most of the runners also carry weapons, usually truncheons or collapsible batons. Those who don’t are about to learn that Strive’s CEO has a blacksmithing hobby and an office full of medieval weapons.

The rest of a runner’s arsenal varies with personal preference.

Barry Duboc, like most of his colleagues, goes for the easy money: junior employees who are easily seduced by playground offices and extravagant launch parties, and are easily intimidated into signing anything put in front of them. Clients don’t pay much for cannon fodder like this, but Barry makes up the difference in volume.

Inside a military surplus document holder, its metal edges filed razor sharp, Barry carries photos of his client’s break lounge — stuffed wall-to-wall with vintage arcade games — and a laminated copy of their dense recreational calendar. Before long he’s herded a sizable number of impressionable young programmers away from the safety of their fellows.

A few yards away, a 6’7” runner with tattooed sclera and brass knuckles on both hands sinks his teeth into the earlobe of a production intern.

Seasoned runners like Tom Saunders know where the real money is: senior developers, not so easily swayed by treats, parties, or threats.

Tom never goes on a run without a copy of his client’s benefits package, a breakdown of their flexible working policy, and a stun gun. This time, though, Tom’s got a secret weapon: his client operates out of a refurbished boutique hotel and offers private offices to its senior employees. The promise of working behind a door that can close attracts two senior web developers, one production manager, and an automation engineer.

Shelly Fleming is a virtuoso; she glides through the bedlam of the Pit like a shark through a school of fish. Painstaking research, careful maneuvering, and perfect timing have brought her here, today, for one target alone.

Over the weekend, Strive’s lead software architect posted anonymously online about her struggles at work since transitioning. Unfortunately, the post went viral and a characteristic turn of phrase gave her away. She was summoned to Strive’s HR department ten minutes ago for a lecture on “undermining the company’s public image.”

Shelly bursts into the room with a six-figure contract and her client’s novel-length Diversity & Inclusion policy. If the architect took the time to actually read the policy, she’d quickly realize it was crafted with great care to serve as a flawless legal and political shield while entitling the company’s employees to no actual protection or recourse from discrimination. But time isn’t a luxury she has anymore.

She winds up at the center of a tug of war between Shelly and the HR manager, whose brightly painted nails carve deep lines into the architect’s arm as Shelly drags her from the room.

Of course, Strive has invested in countermeasures. An expensive renovation over the holidays transformed the entire office into a Faraday cage, ensuring no wireless signals can go in or out. The runners’ contracts are all hosted on a remote web service; they must get their prizes out of the building.

Barry ushers his pack of recruits back through reception, but the elevators take precious seconds to arrive and more to depart. Strive’s two security guards beat several of the defecting juniors unconscious before they can escape, and a particularly zealous manager drags another from the elevator as the doors close.

Tom knows better, and heads for the stairs; unfortunately, the route to the stairwell leads past Strive’s executive suite. He loses one of his recruits to a flying tackle from the COO, who adorns his desk with high school football trophies.

Shelly cased the office in advance. She leads the architect to an old fire escape at the far end of the floor, near the server room. The windows are locked, but a quick blow from Shelly’s collapsible baton and they’re both home free, clambering down the side of the building.

As quickly as it started, it’s all over.

Of the dozens of workstations arrayed throughout the Pit, almost half now sit empty. Broken glass and loose papers lie scattered across the floor, alongside a few office chairs knocked over in the chaos. Strive’s remaining workers peer uncertainly from beneath their desks.

A light breeze wafts through the shattered window.

Strive’s CEO storms and rages for an hour, cursing the disloyalty of his former employees. Then, shutting himself in his office, he places a call to his own recruiter.

(my ko-fi)

[smolghostbot]

GT July: AU / Thief

Fun fact, when Melody was first imagined, they were a somewhat threatening nature spirit before turning into the awkward AuDHD human dork they are nowadays. I thought it would be fun to remix that version, and that makes this… almost an AU, right? An alternate timeline kinda?

Today's Writing Challenge™️ was to do the entire piece without any proper nouns, but still try to make it clear what was happening... complicated as Patch uses they/them here and Spirit!Melody uses they/it.

Word Count: 1k (Had some fun with this one) Non-AU Character bios in my pinned post ⚠️CWs⚠️: Vague mention of ableism, typical "first meeting" Borrower fear, as well as proper fearplay with a vore-adjacent threat. The vibes are definitely whumpy, and it has a purposely ambiguous ending that is adjacent to kidnapping.

========

Finally, the sprite had arrived at the grove. They had only heard rumors of it, but here it was! The mushrooms in this grove, when soaked in the nearby mineral springs, were said to be able to cure any illness. Though they didn't know for sure if the magic would count their disability as an illness, they had to try, even if they had to venture to a forbidden part of the forest to do it. They couldn't stand the judgment, the whispers about their silence behind their back. Rumors abound of a ferocious guardian spirit who lived nearby, but the grove seemed clear, if a bit quiet.

As the sprite made their way to one of the smaller mushrooms, only a few inches taller than their two-inch frame, they removed their trusty mushroom-cutting ax from their bag and began to chop it at the base. It was after only a single swing that they felt something was very, very wrong.

In an instant, they felt something wrap around them, as if it rose from the ground itself, the texture of skin but the neutral coldness of wood. They didn't even get a chance to struggle before being yanked up into the air. As soon as it registered in their brain, they desperately struggled to free themself, to get to their backpack and get away. But they were already staring down a creature that could only be the guardian spirit the legends had spoken of. Its pale skin the color of a light wood, complete with soft darker ring lines going horizontally across the center of its face. The wood lacked the subtle reds of human skin, and it seemed that all of the extra red was stored in their eyes, the color of a dark red amber, with lighter orange sclera. Their hair seemed to be a radiant blueish green, the color seeming to shift as the sprite looked at it, as if an energy flowed through it. On the creature's forehead was a pair of horns, or antlers perhaps based on their shape, which looked as if they were also made of wood in a browner shade.

After they stared at the giant, taking in the details and realizing it had been doing the same to them, it spoke, in a deep, but distinctly feminine voice, as it stared at the little sprite with clear disdain. "A child of the Light Forest, I see. It's rare that we see your kind this far into my territory… You're quite small."

The sprite was terrified, but couldn't escape from the giant hand grabbing them if they wanted to as the giant being continued to speak. "Tell me, little creature, do you know what happens to those who harm the residents of this grove?"

The little captive's eyes begin to widen, their pointed ears involuntarily pulling back against their head in fear.

"Well, no answer? I'll assume you didn't know then…"

As the giant creature spoke, their hand lowered down a bit, such that the sprite was looking directly at the giant's mouth. "Anybody who steals from this grove… ends up a part of it. And not in a way that most wish."

As the gigantic lips moved, showing off the sharp teeth within, the captured sprite became terrified, understanding the threat well. The hand holding the terrified sprite was moved back up to eye level. There was a moment of silence, them both staring at each other, before the guardian spoke again, seeming confused. "... Are you not afraid?"

The sprite shook their head no, before thinking, then nodding yes, before finally resorting to just doing an exaggerated wince. Stupid negatives in questions, they make it so hard to respond correctly.

"You're not one for words, are you? Just like the plants… You've captured my interest, an uncommon feat. Why are you here?"

The sprite was gently placed on the ground, staring up at the massive creature that had grabbed them, looking somewhere between a woman and a tree. Leaves flowed down its torso, as if they were a robe of some sort. The sprite hardly reached the ankles of the massive creature. Thinking quickly, they pointed to their backpack, which was discarded near where they were lifted. The giant spirit nodded.

"You may, but I wouldn't try to make a run for it if I were you."

After retrieving their bag, the sprite took out the bottle of spring water. They began to pantomime cooking a mushroom, and then an eating motion. Finally, they held their hand high in an exaggerated operatic singing motion, mouth open but completely silent.

"... I see. Well, I have unfortunate news for you, little forest child."

The sprite's expression dropped, fearing they had offended the giant. They mentally cursed themself. Shouldn't have mentioned eating the mushroom, shouldn't have mentioned eating the mushroom,why did I do that?!

"Calm yourself, that wasn't a threat… yet. It's true that this forest has healing powers, although, you could have simply asked me rather than harm my children. However… I sense no illness that I can cure. Even if you succeeded in your little quest, nothing would happen."

The sprite looked at the giant in disappointment as they continued to speak. "So… your little quest was a fool's errand. And now you're here, having both met me and harmed one of the grove's mushrooms… you understand what this means, yes?"

Legs wobbling, the sprite fell to their knees, hanging their head.

"I see, you do… But you know, I am feeling generous today, and the poor mushroom was not slain by your weapon, merely injured. How about I make a little deal with you? I'll spare you, but in exchange, you keep me, the trees, and the mushrooms company… For the rest of your days."

The sprite stopped to think, although there wasn't really a choice to be made. They could either perish, or live here forever. And… though they feared the giant's wrath, an escape from the rest of their kind… may not be too bad. The forest guardian smiled approvingly as the new resident of the grove slowly nodded their head.

"Very good, small one. Welcome to our little family."