#...and it showed me that i have a broad community even if i didn't always feel it

[uncanny-tranny]

Comparing oppression can sometimes give you insight as to what other groups of people go through. It teaches you what you have in common with people seemingly different than you are, and teaches you how you are different and how you can ally yourself better with other peoples.

However, if your goal is to prove you suffer the most between you and another person, you'll likely find that there is no conversation, just an endless barrage of back-and-forth to prove which of you deserves to be listened to.

The reality is that you don't have to be in the most pain in order to be listened to. So often, we are inundated with this idea that the person suffering the most is the only one who ought to be listened to, and it sends the message of "holy shit, I guess I don't matter. I guess I deserve to suffer if others are going through worse," and that's just unreasonable and unfair. Who has it worse is entirely contextual and changing, and sometimes it is subjective - as in, something that is earth-breaking for you is an average tuesday evening for the guy next to you.

Kill the cop in your head that says your voice will only matter if you prove yourself. Listen to other marginalized people and know it isn't a competition to see who can prove themselves most worthy of tine and energy. Our resources can (and should) be multifaceted and able to help a variety of peoples.

[dukeofankh]

Trying to find progressive masculine community is so exhausting.

I've flipped through local men's groups, trying to find places to explore masculinity in a chill, progressive setting. First of all, they mostly seem to be modelled after AA, and like, my gender isn't a debilitating addiction, it's part of my identity actually, but also, the invite and description of the event have maybe a short paragraph tops actually waving vaguely in the direction of what the purpose of the group is, and then ten to twenty paragraphs breaking down the rules. One spent longer talking about the hand signals he would use to direct conversation than he did describing what the conversation would be about. Another had a full paragraph explaining that if the group thought you were evading what they thought your "real" problem was, they'd probably "call you to take accountability". Like...I don't even know who these people are yet and they're already letting me know that they view it as their right, no, their duty, to bully me into seeing things their way. Like, this is in the invite.

...and this warning is there instead of any sort of breakdown of like, I dunno. Whether you should be a feminist to show up. Whether it was a safe space for queer men. What the hell they wanted to talk about. Joining a men's space is on some level inherently submitting yourself to the authority of the leaders of that group, and you don't usually get a particularly clear breakdown of what the values and goals of those leaders are, because on some level the answer is always going to be "whatever I want"

And like, unfortunately you do need to filter men to build a men's space. You do need to remove or chastise men who act in ways that are toxic or disruptive or misogynistic. If you don't things turn into an MRA chapter pretty quick. But the sort of emergency powers that leadership takes on as a result of that...just kind of naturally end up reproducing masculine heirarchies.

MensLib, the only online community of progressive dudes talking about masculinity that I'm aware of, is...on Reddit. So there is a moderator system. In theory, a moderator is there to...moderate. This is a space where people are going to be talking, and mods are there to make sure things don't get too toxic or off topic.

The issue is that, on some level, that is technically a leadership position. In a sub trying to rehabilitate masculinity. So you've got a bunch of folks who view themselves as the leaders of this bastion of goodness standing against the depredations of the misogynistic internet, guiding the hapless smooth-brain neophytes towards The True Way.

In practice, this looks like 95 percent of the posts submitted for the subreddit being rejected. That isn't hyperbole. On average, the sub has about one new post per day. Almost all posts directly relating a personal experience are deleted immediately, in favour of articles written about masculinity in traditional media publications, which are considered more trustworthy than the sus lived experiences of the guys in the sub. The post I wrote here about the effect of purity culture on male sexual shame that's sitting at about 15K notes was based on a 10K word post I wrote for Reddit that was deleted because "I didn't cite any sources to prove that there is a link between purity culture and male sexual shame, or that my experience was anything more than anecdotal". I get comments deleted on a regular basis, and after paragraphs of protesting in modmail that my comments are both fully in line with feminism and not against the rules, the mods have just finally told me that the rules don't actually drive their actions as a team. They delete anything they feel leads the conversation in a direction they personally feel is unproductive. The rule cited at the time of deletion is really just the broad category of why they decided to hit the button that says nobody is allowed to read what I wrote.

The issue is kind of twofold. First of all, progressive men do not trust other men. A good dude knows that he, individually, is a good person, but literally any other man external to him is on thin ice. Do you really want to tie your wagon to that guy? Do you trust him, really? How do you tell the difference between a guy criticizing an article because it's factually incorrect and criticising it because a woman wrote it? Probably best to play it safe and delete it. Weight of the odds, he's probably a misogynist, right? This is the internet.

And thats the other half of it. If you view yourself as part of the leadership of The Good Guys, and you're getting hatemail from incels and facists all day, you get to the point where most of the time people challenge your authority it's because they're a terrible person. It is very, very easy to get to the point where someone challenging you is seen as evidence that they are a bad person. And now someone is challenging you (and therefore bad), in an environment where you are in charge, and you have a "make your opponent disappear" button.

I know. A Reddit mod was rude to me and now I'm butthurt. It's petty and stupid. I'm just feeling like there's nowhere else to really go, and I'm pretty despondent that literally every space I've seen that even looks like it might be for progressive men has the same deeply hierarchical structure and constant status-oriented squabbling as patriarchal spaces.

[ace-and-the-rpg-horrors]

the Dandelion Sprites were necessary in the show because otherwise, Niko Sasaki would have had exactly zero canon haters, and they needed to balance out the ecosystem...

Crystal fell head over heels the very second she saw Niko's face. "it was just the parasites-" shush. it was also a certified yuri moment. my evidence is... trust me <3

one of Edwin's very first lines to Niko was, "honestly, i just find her so charming." and he maintained a surprisingly affectionate friendship with her throughout the show!! this is Edwin Payne, who believes he does not mix well with other people. yet, he clicked with Niko immediately. the power of autism to autism communication.

not as often as his partner, but Charles seemed similarly fond of Niko, always smiling at her various whimsical ways. it's also notable, and really funny, that Charles had been shown to get very jealous of anyone else who got too close to Edwin. he disliked both Monty and The Cat King for flirting with him. but Niko regularly hugged and held hands with Edwin? Charles didn't even bat an eye!!

after that traumatising date that Niko accidentally caused, of course, Jenny avoided her for a bit. but she couldn't stay upset at her for long, could she?

their interactions were very brief and limited, but Niko did seem to be the person that Monty was nicest to, after Edwin. he disrespected Charles in broad daylight by innocently refusing that handshake with a grin, ignored Crystal's entire existence, but he was friendly enough to Niko. even though it was probably fake </3

Tragic Mick gave Niko the charm that saved her.

even The Cat King showed respect for Niko!!

truly, our dear Niko would have been completely immune to haters. so they had to throw in a couple for stability </3

love is stored in Niko Sasaki.

[yok00k]

coming down

pairing: non-idoloc! x idol!jk

genre: angst

“i always want you when i’m coming down”

sypnosis: although you sleep next to jungkook every single night, it feels like you’re million miles away from him.

wordcount: around 1,000

warning: in 1st pov, it’s a little sad (for me), open ended ending, one sided love, allusion of cheating, oc’s world revolves around jk (don’t be like her)(lowkey im her), toxic relationship, lack of communication

author’s note: this did not go as I initially planned help-_- i was gonna make light jealousy oc/jk drabble idk how I ended up with this. i hope yall sob w/ me or lmk ur thoughts

an absolute ideal.

his performance. the concept. the way he sang his new released songs flawlessly. how smooth his dancing movements were. how the stage composition and development were so sumptuous.

and most importantly, how romantic the live performance was, given the fact that there was an actress involved in the show.

calling Jungkook an amazing artist would be an understatement. He’s creative, unique, and original in his masterpieces. Everything he does, no matter what, is just mesmerizing and astounding. He’s indeed a true performer.

Jungkook dedicated several months to work on his solo album. The time and effort he had put to his work is just admirable. On most days, he stays up late, trying to come up with so many possible ideas and options he can add on his album.

and I was there by his side. I chose to be.

I was there, waiting for him to come home every single night, or usually midnight, in our noiseless living room, wrapped with a thick blanket and loneliness. He would arrive home, but as night by night goes, I was accompanied by nothing but solitude. it feels like it’s taking over me.

I was there, in bad days where Jungkook is focusing on the negatives and having doubts in himself. Days where his standards for himself weren’t being met. both of my shoulders were closely next to him if he needed something to lean into. Reminding him that it’s okay and he’s doing wonderful.

I was there, even in times when he didn't want or need me to be there. times where he just wanted to be by his own with no distraction. but here I am, continuously showing him my undying love and support for him.

I chose to stay there. on nights where he stopped saying “i love you” back before going to dreamland. I hugged him closer as I convinced myself to believe that he just didn’t feel like saying those three words at those moment because of all the stress he undergoes through day to day.

I gave all of myself, I’ve done my part as his other half. Just like how Jungkook produces his works, I poured all my love and time to him, leaving not a thing for myself. It sounds foolish, but that’s just how I love

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

we’re both lying on the massive bed, only inches apart from one another’s body yet it feels like he’s millions of miles away from me as I stare at his cold, broad back that’s facing me.

I’ve got to used to this upsetting scenario at this point but that doesn’t mean it hurt less.

The whole bedroom feels chilly. I’m freezing, solely due to the fact that his warm arms weren’t wrapped around me like they used to be. as i’m not hearing his snores, I know that he’s still awake

“Do you still love me?” I manage to ask out loud and clear, immediately regretting the words that came out of my mouth even though it’s simply an inquiry.

a question that’s been going around my head for quite some time now. a question that i’m afraid to know the answer to because his response might be the response my heart doesn’t wish to hear or else it will shatter into millions of pieces.

my hope for an answer rapidly decreased as seconds went by filled with silence. The absence of noise that surrounded me was deafening; abundantly mocked the emotions I was feeling at the moment, screaming at me that my feelings didn't matter.

It's alright.

I did nothing but wipe the single tear that uncontrollably rolled down my cheek.

it’s stupid. I should’ve just kept it to myself. maybe that would be less embarrassing. less problematic. less painful than I was feeling minutes ago.

I turned my back against his as I accepted my defeat. maybe I’m just tired. maybe drifting to sleep will make me feel okay although I know deep inside that I won’t take the pain away. this is not some type of feeling i’m unfamiliar with to begin with.

I shut my eyes, as I try to put myself to sleep. but in that process, i felt his body moving, turning around, and finally snakes his warm arms around me. a pair of arms, the same ones I longed for so many nights.

“____, why would you ask that?” he giggly asked, sounding like he just heard a silly question. as if i was just being clingy and wanted some piece of his attention.

‘because i don’t feel like you love me anymore’

the man waited for a response, waiting to see if I was just fooling around or that was really genuine. the noiselessness, just like all times, answers the question we both interrogate to each other.

the heavy feelings just got worse, if not heavier. even so when he talks more. “i won’t be laying next to you if i wasn’t.” as if that makes me feel better.

indeed, he’s physically here by my side yet distant. Jungkook is so far off that I’ve lost him. numbness was all I felt as I heard his words. I couldn’t be more content now that I have my answers.

his indirect answer to a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question is enough for me to know where we stand.

I can’t help but to turn my body to face him, just to stare at his doe eyes that I easily get lost in due to the fact that they hold thousands of stars, if not a whole world in them.

regretfully, my eyes should’ve just maintained contact with doe-like eyelids. but rather, they drop their focus on the side of his neck, detecting a foreign lipstick shade that he might have forgotten to wipe off. a shade that will be tattooed in my brain and will forever hate.

Inhale. Exhale. I chose to shrug it off, bringing my attention back to his worn out face.

“I love you” truthfully and whole-heartedly confessed to him once more just like I always do. although this was a little bit different because I don’t expect him to say it back anymore.

and with that in mind, this was also the last night that I will to express my love for him.

[k9emote]

My final response to every accusation made about me.

Hi. As basically, the entirety of emoteblr knows, I have had a lot of hatred, misinformation, and vague angry paragraphs thrown towards my community and me. Barely anyone has communicated what they're so mad about, but I'll try to stitch it all together from a few people who've spoken to me and answer the best I can. "You spread misinformation about number names! Not all number name trauma is RAMCOA!"

You're right! I misworded that because I hadn't known that RAMCOA wasn't the only source of number-name trauma. Because no one told me. I am a RAMCOA victim and have only heard of number-names related to RAMCOA. I didn't know other forms of abuse used number-names. I know that now thanks to a kind person who opened a ticket in my server, and I will edit my server rules accordingly. My opinion stays the same; people who haven't been abused/tortured etc with number names should not use them. I have met countless other victims who agree with me. You can call that an opinion of mine, sure! If you disagree, kindly block me. I am sorry to anyone I said "You can only use number names if you're a RAMCOA victim." to, I had meant that only people with number name trauma can use them to reclaim the name, I assumed RAMCOA was a broad enough term that it covered all types of number-name trauma, but I was mistaken. I'm sorry. That's all I will say on that matter.

"There was a misinformative carrd in your server that didn't explain RAMCOA correctly!" It's been spread that the carrd was mine! that is not true AT ALL. It was taken down a long time ago and replaced with a much better resource. I hadn't personally looked at the carrd because topics of RAMCOA often trigger me, my partner was the one to send the carrd. My partner had seen the carrd sent elsewhere and had no idea it had misinformation. It was used as a quick resource for someone to know what RAMCOA was, and as soon as a kind server member pointed out it wasn't a good resource literally minutes after it was posted, it was taken down and replaced. People make mistakes, and my partner fixed his almost immediately. If you are angry at that, then I'm sorry but you are REACHING for things to hate me for. "The guillotine (public ban) channel you have in your server encourages hate and death threats!"

I am deeply sorry to anyone who recieved any threats/hate/harassment from my public bans. I have always stated to never contact the people I ban , and it was listed in the channel description as well.

No one had EVER told me that they were receiving hate or threats after being banned, otherwise, I would've taken this channel down much sooner. I have yet to receive any proof of these claims or even speak to the victims themselves. I have only heard this passed around from outside people. When I have asked, I am refused evidence for the "sake of anonymity" which I respect but unfortunately cannot ban any individuals without user IDs or genuine reasons. The only thing I could do in response to this is take the channel down, which I have done.

On the topic of death threats, people have claimed that one of my mods was sending them... but refused to show any evidence or tell me who it was. I have spoken to my mods and all of them have said they would never, so I genuinely have no idea what to do. If anyone has further evidence, please contact me. Most of my mods don't even have an active account on tumblr.

A trend I am seeing with the people who are typing up long paragraphs on how I am toxic and immature are people I've banned for going against my boundaries, reposting hate towards me even after said hate was asked to be taken down by both me and the person I had wronged, and other vile behavior in my server. I have not been given descriptions or details on who feels wronged, so I can not apologize for any actions because I genuinely have no idea what I did. I have not come out to say anything not because I am hiding, but because I am lacking SO MUCH evidence or even witness testimony on what I've done wrong. I have no issue apologizing to people I might've hurt, but I cannot do so without a proper conversation with said people. The one person who offered to tell me things refused on multiple occasions to give me evidence, screenshots, direct conversations or any other sources of people explaining why they hate me. I was only given vague reasons and "maybes" To some individuals I know are spreading the hate about me; To Proxy. You were banned from my server because you were creating a story incredibly similar to RAMCOA experiences while not being a victim of any sort of torture yourself (which you stated.) You said you were allowed to have an OC with a number name because it was based off a media that did the same, and that it was a "lab rat character" and therefore didn't count. When I, a victim of the torture you were using for roleplay, tried to educate you on why it was still wrong no matter your intent, you threw a tantrum and refused to listen. You were clearly uneducated on all forms of numbername trauma and refused to understand when not only I, but multiple other victims were trying to explain why it was wrong. Your roleplay OC was more important to you than a victim asking you to stop. The way you spoke to me was vile, invalidating, belittling and triggering. I am not sorry for the anger I displayed when I was spoken to like my own abuser would speak to me. I had a right to be angry and I started off extrememly understanding and polite despite your actions. Your OC was also affiliated with Nazis and the holocaust, which is fucking disgusting. I don't care what comic/media/etc it's based off of. I don't care if it's fiction or if you don't intend to base it on real life matters. Fictionalizing things that are rooted from real trauma and genocides as someone who has not experienced either is a horrible thing to do. I hope you realize how sickening you've acted.

Proxies messages were accidentally deleted when we banned them, but heres a screenshot my partner took during the arguement. Oh and before I forget, Proxy claimed to be "proshipper neutral" because it was "just fiction." despite knowing what it entailed. They have since been educated, but I wanted to share that their opinion on "fiction does not equal reality" mind set is extremely harmful.

Their reasoning on why they thought it was fine! (both is proxy) ^ Proxy also sent something in my inbox that I responded to publicly, ignoring all that they had done and completely going against my DNI of them. You can see that on my blog. To Alexfroppy. You were banned because my mod pointed out to me that you had reposted a tumblr post promoting the hatred towards me and my community, between an issue I had with another creator who has since forgiven me. Both me and Lemon (the creator) asked the Original Poster to take it down. You still reposted, directly supporting something going against the boundaries of both creators involved. You say "well I also posted something against the threats." Great! That's the bare minimum and resposting something that got me threats in the first place completely contradicts and cancels out you discouraging it. We pulled you into a ticket and tried to politely explain what you did wrong, to which you replied carelessly and with an incredibly dry tone. It was clear to me you didn't care when you stated "I'm only here for the emojis" and never apologized. That is why you were banned.

This is the entire ticket conversation. They were not banned for "just liking and reblogging a post". They were banned for purposely reblogging something that went against both creators boundaries which inherently encourages threats and hate towards me no matter your intent. People say "Hey your guillotine/public ban channel is getting people threatened!" and I apologize and quickly take down the channel. I say "Hey your reblogs are getting me threatened" and I don't get an apology, nor did they take down the reblog and ended up joining the hate train and calling me immature and toxic for being terrified for my safety. To FleurDeMort / Pierce. I don't know if you're directly involved in any of this, but with how open you are about hating me and claiming I ban unfairly, I think It's safe to assume you are. You were originally banned for being involved in a drama that was making me break down and shut down as quickly as I could. I apologize for acting quickly out of fear, that is my fault, and I would've been more than happy to apologize to you directly just like I did the other person involved. However. I, after calming down, apologized for my passive agression and panicked actions a day or two afterwards. I unbanned the person I had directly spoke harmfully to, and apologized as did they. You typed out a message for the other person fighting me to send. It was filled with misinformation, was invalidating, ignored all my points in the debate, and was disrespectful.

If anyone wants more information on my view of this, I made a post here stating all the points that I made in this ticket that they completely ignored. You are an adult. You can be mad at me for being immature, but what does that make you? You , afterwards in anger, claimed that my ADULT MOD was "Jacking me off" for defending me.

That is fucking disgusting NO MATTER YOUR INTENT. I could give less of a fuck if that's an expression. I am an AMAB 16 year old and commenting that an adult who defended me was "jacking me off" at your grown ass age is fucking vile. There were a MILLION different expressions you could've used, but you chose that one. You have not apologized, you've only defended yourself in my friends servers and claimed that I am taking things out of proportion. Instead of apologizing and realizing that your angry statement was weird and sexual no matter your intent, you've chosen to defend yourself and throw a tantrum in partnered servers of mine about how you did no wrong.

Here's them opening a ticket in another server and defending themselves, so that people don't claim I'm not showing the full story. I acknowledge me and my mods didn't handle the situation correctly, I was dealing with a lot of stress and made bad decisions. That's my fault, and I am sorry. I have been forgiven by the person I hurt ( V ). They have forgiven me and are a happy active member in my server, and one of my main defenders. Here is all context provided to the "jacking k9 off" statement, just incase anyone wants to claim im not giving """Full context""" like Pierce has claimed.

This conversation wasn't even about me. They brought me up in a single sentence to say that my mod was "jacking me off" for not siding with them. I don't care what emotional state you were in, you're 19 saying that about an 18 and 16 year old. You should be ashamed. "It's an expression" does not give you an excuse to say that about a child just because you're angry. I am an AMAB 16 year old. Imagine if the roles were reversed and you were to say "They'er fingering k9!", you would get a lot more hate. My body as a male should be held to the same standard, expression or not. I make mistakes and apologize for them. You make mistakes and defend yourself. That is the line of difference.

Here's them being manipulative to V after V had forgiven me, and trying to excuse saying sexual things about a child because it was "taken out of context". Saying sexual things about an adult and minor is pedophilic. I know that's a heavy word. I mean it. Your intent doesn't matter. Think before you speak.

For my final message about this drama; The amount of hypocrisy in the accusations about me is hilariously pathetic. I am not here to defend myself, I am here to state the facts of what happened, to share my story with these banned members, and to state that still even after all the hate sent to me, I do not understand what I've done wrong besides ban people who have wronged me without remorse and make a few accidents in my communitcation. I have not ever used my age or mental state as an excuse for my actions. There is a huge difference between "I'm not sorry, It's not my fault, I'm a child and I'm mentally ill" And "I'm really sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone, I am still growing and not in a good place mentally. My actions have been influenced my by current mental health and I've made mistakes. I have apologized and will try my best to grow" which is my statement and what I've stated in the past. If anyone who I have wronged wants to DM me on tumblr or discord to explain their side of the story and be apologized to, I am completely open for that. I want nothing more than to fix my mistakes and make people happy. That has been my wish from the start. I never act on malicious intent, I've never encouraged threats towards those who have hurt me, and I will never do either of those things. I have over 1,000 members in my server who are constantly telling me how safe they feel in my community, how it's the only place they've actively spoken, how much they love my art and me, and I love them back. To all that have treated me like human and been unbiased in your view of the drama thrown at me, thank you. I love you all. You uplift my life and I couldn't possibly express my gratitude in words. I will continue making emojis for verbal accessability and I will continue to grow, be better, and mature in my responses to threatening or scary situations. You say I'm toxic for being confused and angry, for not reacting well to proofless accusations of my character as a person, of ignoring people who have no evidence or who wont even mention what I've directly done wrong. Yet you chase after my every mistake, you grab at my flaws that I work on every day to improve, and you use FORGIVEN ISSUES against me. This community is toxic because of people like you.

How hard was it for a single one of you to politely DM me and inform me on what I was doing wrong? How hard was it to maturely speak to me about what you think isn't okay? You call me immature yet you spread lies about me like a childrens game of telephone. I am sorry for anyone who I've hurt. I am not sorry for being human. Do not harass anyone I have mentioned in this. I do not condone hatred, even if they have encouraged it towards me. I am sorry if anyone takes what I've said as hostile. I am tired and angry of people demonizing me with little to no proof of what they claim. I am tired of sleepless nights wondering if someone is going to send me more threats or dox me. I am tired. /nav Thank you for reading.

[suuuupernovaaa]

kawnglan

kawnglan [ˈkawŋ.lan] adj. malicious, bad hearted

Anonymous Request: Can I request a fic where Neteyam is being teased by Aonung and Lo'ak for not choosing a mate. It leads to the three making a bet that Neteyam has to court someone within 3 months and have the person fall for him. Neteyam does it just to get them off of his back, but eventually falls in love with the Metkayina reader, only for the bet to be exposed, making the reader feel like a game and a laughing stock to the boys even tho Neteyam's feelings became real.

The moons are high in the sky when I return home late that evening, a smile spread widely across my face that I don't think will ever fade.

The last few months have been the best and strangest of my life. Never had I imagined, when the Sully family had arrived on our shores, that they would effect my life so deeply.

One of them, in particular.

Though I was an orphan in the Metkayina clan, that didn't mean I'd grown up alone. I had an entire community around me, supporting and loving me. I had my tulkun sister and my friends, plus my aunt and uncle, to help guide and keep me safe as I grew.

But something was missing. I had always hoped that, when I was of age, I would find a mate to truly become my family.

I had just assumed he would be Metkayina - but Neteyam, the oldest son of the Sully family, had caught my eye the moment he set foot on our beaches.

He was tall, as tall as his father, and broad-shouldered, with long braids and a stern face, until he smiled, and then he became soft and kind; you could see who he truly was.

It was a long time before we spoke for the first time, but I spent time observing him and wondering how to introduce myself. Eventually, he did it for me, walking up to me on the beach and asking about the net I was using.

He asked me to teach him, and from that day on... Neteyam was always there, nearly everywhere I went. I couldn't remember the last time someone paid such attention to me, listened so intently, made me laugh so hard; it was a joy to spend every day with Neteyam.

On this night, just three months after that first time we spoke, I finally told Neteyam how I felt - that it was as if that missing piece of me was replaced, that he filled a hole inside of me that had been aching for so long.

And he told me he loved me.

I practically skip home, lighter than air, tears of joy on my cheeks, so proud to have earned the love of such a kind and gentle Na'vi.

"Y/N!" I turn to the right, and see Kiri coming my way. I wonder what she could be doing out so late, when most of the clan is asleep. I try to wipe the tears from my eyes, embarrassed by them even if they're happy tears, but she notices as she reaches me.

"Oh crap," she says, her shoulders slumping. "Did they tell you about the bet?"

I tilt my head to the side. "The bet?"

Her sad look turns to shock - eyes wide, mouth open - and she takes a step back.

"What bet, Kiri?"

As she tells me a story, a rage rises within me more powerful than anything I've ever felt.

I don't make it home that night.

--

Neteyam is up early the next morning, despite being up late the night before, eager to find Y/N. Last night was the best night of his life - but today, he has to tell her the truth. He can't stand it anymore; it feels like lying to her.

The bet on the beach that day was so stupid. Aonung and Lo'ak, both younger than him and happily mated, continued to tease him for not having shown interest in a woman.

Neteyam, hurt and embarrassed, chided back that he could have any woman he wanted.

Lo'ak challenged him, pointing to the closest Metkayina woman, and telling Neteyam that if he could get that woman to fall in love with him in three months, he'd tell their mother who truly destroyed her favorite necklace years ago.

Neteyam had been taking the heat for that one for too long - and he readily agreed.

He had not really thought the bet was something anyone would follow through on. He thought he would make a show of talking to this woman, and everyone would have a good laugh and forget everything... but things had turned out so differently.

He hadn't expected her. Of course she was beautiful, but you could tell that from a distance. It was up close, talking to her and spending time with her, that quickly made Neteyam fall in love.

The bet was far from his mind when he approached her every day. He wasn't doing this to get Lo'ak to confess to some teenage crime - he was doing this because he was infatuated with this confident, strong, fierce, talented woman.

"Neteyam, I must tell you something," she had told him last night as they sat on the beach, holding each other close and looking out at the waves. He felt a pang of panic in his chest, thinking someone had revealed the truth of their first meeting to her, but she went on to say, "I've always felt like something is missing. My parents died when I was little and it sort of felt like I missed out on a family. I always hoped, when I met my mate, I would feel sort of, you know, complete... and I do. I feel that with you. Whole again."

Tears sprang into Neteyam's eyes. She was whole without him, but he was still so happy she felt this way. He told her immediately that he loved her, that he wanted her to be his mate, and that he would never let her feel alone again.

And now, he has to tell her the truth - that this started as a silly bet, but it's so much more.

--

I have not slept the entire night, despite trying. I thought the crying would wear me out eventually, but sleep never comes, and I continue to cry through the night, until I'm all out of tears.

When the sun rises the next morning, I stay curled up against the wall of my mauri pod. I am too embarrassed to face anyone again.

Though my anger is mostly focused on Neteyam, I also feel betrayed by Aonung and Lo'ak, who instigated the bet and never thought to tell me that I was being tricked the entire time.

I was walking around like an idiot in love! And it turns out, I was just an idiot.

There will be no family for me. The hole I feel inside my heart is widened now, and I fear there's nothing that could fill it.

The tears start again, and I hear his voice. "Y/N?"

He's at my archway, and I huddle against the wall. "Go away."

His footsteps approach, and I feel him kneel behind me. He places his hand on my shoulder, and I flinch away, crawling to the other side of the pod, crouching down to glare at him.

"Go away," I reply with a hiss, and his face falls.

The expression is unmistakable. He knows that I know.

"Get out!" I scream, hissing once more, crouching as if to attack, though I barely have the strength to stand.

Neteyam surprises me by leaping forward, grabbing me by my upper arms, and forcing me to look into his eyes.

"No! You will listen to what I have to say, and then decide."

"Decide what?"

"Whether you want to speak to me again."

I stand up, breaking free from his grasp. "Speak, quickly."

He rubs his forehead, clearly not prepared to explain himself. "I don't know what you heard, but... here's what, this is what actually happened. Lo'ak and Aonung, they were making fun of me, telling me it was clear no woman was going to be interested in me, if they weren't already. Joking about how, I couldn't talk to women. So I, I said some dumb stuff, about being able to get any woman I want."

I scoffed, stepping away from him. Did he think this story was going to help?

"Just listen!" he insisted. "Lo'ak made a bet, said if I could get a woman to fall in love with me, he'd tell our mom the truth about something stupid he did years ago. Anyway... Aonung pointed you out. I figured I'd walk up to you, make a big show of talking to you, and everyone would forget about the bet. It wasn't serious, and it wasn't nice, to take it serious. It wouldn't... be fair, to anyone. So everything after that first conversation was real, Y/N." Neteyan drops to his knees in front of me, reaching out to grip my thighs. I want to shove him away, and I want embrace him, so I stand there, as still as possible. "I wasn't trying to convince you to fall in love with me to win a stupid bet. That's how I ended up speaking to you... but it isn't why I kept speaking to you. I fell in love with you, Y/N, almost immediately. Everything about you is... so impressive.

"You're the most talented, smart, and strong woman I've ever met. You are fierce, almost terrifying, and I was so proud that you taught me to make that net, so proud you wanted to keep talking to me. I almost forgot, about the dumb bet that brought me to you. I wish I could forget. I wish I could make you and everyone forget."

I sink down to my knees before him, and see the tears in his eyes, the way his lips are trembling, and he places his hands over his heart.

"I felt so foolish, when Kiri told me... I felt embarrassed, and hurt. To have told you that, that you are my family, and to find out it could all have been a lie," I reply. I take one of his hands from his heart, and place it over mine. "Promise me, Neteyam, that you do not wish to make me a fool. Promise me, Neteyam." I thought I could not cry anymore, but the tears fall down my cheeks freely again, and there's a burning in my chest.

"Y/N, I promise that I have truly loved you every day since the moment we met. I should have been honest with you right then and there. I will never forgive myself for hurting you. Never."

His fingertips press into my chest, and he is crying as hard as I am now, and I know that this is truly Neteyam.

Honest. Kind. Thoughtful. He would never have led me on for three months, and he would not be crying before me now if I did not mean something to him.

I lean forward, pressing my cheek to his chest, and he wraps his arms around me.

"Be my mate, before Eywa," he whispers. "Let me make this up to you every day, for the rest of our lives."

Through the tears, I smile. "Yes," I whisper back. "Just make me one last promise."

"Anything," he says, and I lean back to look up at him.

"Tell me what stupid thing Lo'ak did years ago."

A wide grin spreads across his face, and we both laugh. Just like that - the hole is filled, and I know everything will be okay.

[artificial-transmutations]

Rick's Reality

Richard Thompson, or "Rick" as he was known to everyone in his small Midwestern town, had always been a figure of certainty. A solid, unchanging monument amidst a world that was too often in flux. His voice, amplified by the local radio, was a constant stream of opinions and advice that echoed through the homes and cars of his listeners each weekday morning.

Rick was an imposing man, in both stature and belief. Standing tall at six feet two inches, with broad shoulders and a deep, resonant voice, he was the picture of traditional, rural masculinity. His dark hair was always neatly combed, his clothes crisp and clean, and his boots spotless despite the dust and mud of the local landscape.

His radio show, "Rick's Reality," was a beacon for conservative values and traditional perspectives. It was a platform from which he would confidently espouse his views, his deep baritone voice resonating with a fervor that drew in even the most reluctant listener. Rick had a particular disdain for the LGBTQ+ community, seeing them as a challenge to his idea of 'normal.'

"There's a certain way of life, a right and a wrong," Rick would assert, his voice crackling over the airwaves. "Men are men, women are women. That's how God intended it."

Rick had been born and bred in this town, his life as firmly rooted as the old oak tree in the town square. A divorced father of one, his life was a well-trodden path of work, hunting, fishing, and beer with his buddies at Joe's Bar.

That Monday, Rick sat behind the microphone in his small studio, a cup of black coffee steaming beside him. He had a familiar fire in his belly, the one that fueled his daily tirades. Today, his ire was directed towards immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.

"Folks," he began, his voice stern and unwavering, "our great nation is being undermined. We've got immigrants coming in, not respecting our culture, our way of life. And then we got these... these... folks who can't decide if they're men or women or want to marry their own kind. It's a disgrace, I tell ya."

The phone lines were lighting up, as they always did during his heated monologues. He gestured to his assistant, who patched through a caller.

"You're on 'Rick's Reality', what's your reality today?" Rick asked, a smug grin on his face.

"Hello, Rick," the caller began, their voice calm, measured, and anonymous. "I've been listening to your show for a while. I've heard your views on immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. I wonder, have you ever challenged your beliefs? Have you ever tried to see life from their perspective?"

Rick was taken aback. He was used to angry rebuttals and passionate agreements, but this? This was new. He stuttered, before finding his footing. "Well, I... I know what's right. And it's my job to stand up for what's right."

"But what if 'right' is subjective, Rick?" the caller continued. "What if the 'right' you know is not the only 'right'? Have you ever considered that?"

Rick was angry. Angry enough to hang up. But something stopped him. He knew he needed more information about this mysterious caller. So, he stayed on the line, listening intently as the caller continued.

"I'm just curious, Rick," the caller said, "what would happen if you met someone who thought differently than you do? Wouldn't that be interesting? What if they didn't think like you did?"

"I'd punch them out," Rick replied. "I don't need no faggot or immigrant around me thinking he's better than me."

"Interesting," the caller mused. "So, you wouldn't try to understand them? You wouldn't try to learn from them?"

"Nope," Rick said. "I'd punch them out." He had enough of the caller and cut the line. This was ridiculous, why did people with these deviant opinions even bother calling into his show? He had to get back to ranting about the evils of immigration and the perils of same-sex marriage.

He returned to his monologue, but his mind wandered. He couldn't shake the strange feeling he had when talking to that caller. Their words had struck a chord within him, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was like a small voice in the back of his mind that was so very different from himself, that was curious about what that guy had said, curious about the very idea of being different. It was only miniscule though, and Rick quickly dismissed it, continuing his show.

The rest of the callers were good, normal people calling. People agreeing with him and encouraging him. The day went by smoothly until the end of his shift. He was heading home in the bright noon sun, when he felt like he could do something different today. The route he usually took when walking home was down the main street, passing Joe's bar and into the residential area with the neatly trimmed lawns where he lived. There was, however, another route, a quicker one that went through the bad parts of the town. The parts where those Latino gardeners and pool boys lived, where there were shady clubs and even the dreaded local 'rainbow' scene. Normally, Rick wouldn't even think about entering those parts of town, but the comment from earlier was still gnawing at his mind. Perhaps he should take that way today, just to see how much better life was when you were normal. There was nothing going to happen, after all. If he met anyone who bothered him, he'd just punch them.

So, Rick turned off the main road, making his way towards the seedy part of town. As he walked past the bars and strip joints, he saw men and women going about their businesses or sitting around, taking a break and smoking a cigarette. So far, nothing out of the ordinary except the slightly darker skin color of most people here. He passed a few men playing socker in an alleyway between buildings. A man sat on a bench outside a corner store, drinking a beer and watching some kids play basketball nearby. He made eye contact with a woman wearing a tight red dress as she exited a convenience store carrying bags full of groceries. She was probably wondering why he came here - a question he asked himself.

He kept walking, trying to ignore the looks he was getting as he got closer to the gay district. Well, district was a bit much. There was a bar and a club with rainbow flags in the windows, nothing more.

The bar was closed, as it was just noon. However, the club was apparently open, which was surprising considering the time of day. Rick stopped. Maybe he should go inside. There would probably no patrons in there and he was kind of curious what that godless place looked from the inside.

He pushed open the door to the club and stepped inside. The place was empty, as he thought, apart from a bartender cleaning up. The guy was a fairly muscular and about the same age as Rick and greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Oh hi! Welcome to Club Rage!" he said. "What can I get you?"

"I don't want anything", Rick said with a reserved tone. He didn't even want to speak to that guy, but now that he was in here, that seemed to be less and less of an option.

"Ah, then you're here for the job opening!" the other man beamed. "Name's Miguel by the way."

Of course, an immigrant, Rick grimaced. "Richard." he said noncommittally.

"Good! I didn't expect someone like you to apply, but sure, let's see what you've got! Follow me!"

Why didn't Rick just say he wasn't interested in the job, whatever it was?

Miguel led him to the big dance floor of the place and pointed to an elevated cage with a pole in it. "This would be your workplace."

Rick looked at him dumbfounded. "What did you say was that job again?", he asked cautiously.

"You'll be dancing," Miguel replied. "It's not a difficult job, trust me. You won't have any trouble keeping up with the crowd. Come on, show me some moves, Richard!". He patted the cage floor with his hand.

Rick wanted to say a lot of things, shout at the guy or storm out of here, but another part of his brain saw this as an opportunity. There was no one here but Miguel to see him and he would never, ever do something like that again, so he might as well try it once.

Rick nodded slowly and hoisted himself up into the cage with some effort. Miguel was looking up to him expectantly and Rick tried some careful, stiff dance steps.

It must have looked ridiculous, but Miguel was nodding. "Yeah... you need some beat, man. Hold on."

Miguel disappeared for a moment and shortly after, a driving, thumbing rhythm filled the room, way too loud for the empty room.

When Miguel reappeared, he gave Rick thumbs up: "Okay, Rick! Try it with this!"

The rhythm actually helped a bit, and Rick found it easier to get into it. His dance moves became more sweeping and quickly, Rick was sweating from the unfamiliar workout.

Apparently, Miguel had also noticed and shouted from below: "Come on! Show me that body a bit, don't be shy!"

Rick gritted his teeth and moved his hips faster, feeling the sweat running down his face. He could hear the music pounding in his ears, drowning out everything else. He felt good about himself, better than he'd done in years. While dancing, he unbuttoned his shirt and quickly disposed of it. His torso was looking different from what he was used to: It was smoothly shaven and more toned - not trained or muscular but toned and lean. His skin had a darker complexion than he was used to, and the glistening sweat gave his moves a smooth and fluid quality.

Down below, Miguel was cheering. "Yeah, come on, Rico boy! Use the pole!"

Rick, no, Rico shook his head and smiled. While he grabbed the pole with his right hand, his left hand unbuttoned his pants, in a well-practiced movement. As he twirled around the pole, he used an upward movement to strip the pants completely from his legs, revealing his very tight purple hotpants that accentuated his bulge nicely. Rico noticed that Miguel was clapping to the beat now and decided to give him a special show, turning around and shaking his ass to the rhythm right above Miguel’s face. Rico smiled. He had no doubt that he would get the job - he was just so damn good at it. Every man loved him, and he knew how to hone and groom his body to just tease them the right way. He was a living wet dream, with both an impressive ass and an ample bulge in the front of his pants that he knew just how to shake in a way that made the patrons drool. A boner factory, an ex-boyfriend of his had called him, and there was something very true about it.

Finally, Rico finished his gig and slid down the pole without even panting much, planting an impish kiss on Miguel’s mouth. He couldn't resist to cup the other man's groin with his hand meanwhile... yep, he was going to get that job.

Ricardo Torres was happy - this would be perfect for him, a chance to put his body to good use and get familiar with this new town quickly. Besides, that Miguel guy was really cute, perhaps it was time for a new boyfriend in this new town!

[bittersweetcreep]

Conception Part 1 Red Luna!Darling x Yandere! Damian

Part 2 here

Summery: Damain was taking Luna out on a nice dinner date. She thought this date would be like their many other dates, but being drugged was a first.

WARNING: Being Drugged, Slight Minipulation, Unprotected Sex, Sexual Content, Intentionally Conceiving a Child

Author's Note: Things to know before reading. Luna and Damian are both young adults in this time period. Luna wasn't educated on sex or that sex is used for reproduction. Also, a reminder that Luna is a mute who communicates through sign language and morse code. I'll use °theses° when she's "speaking."

Standing in front of the mirror was a young woman with long (h/c) hair that reached past her tailbone, (e/c) eyes scanned over her outfit. She was wearing a black sparkling halter neck mini dress with an innerside boob window with chains. Long black gloves covered her arms while thigh-high pantyhose adorned her legs, and to pull it together, she wore a pair of black sparkling open toe heels. Luna didn't bother to put on makeup (mostly because she doesn't know how to), so with one last look in the mirror, she walked out of her living quarters and up the elevator.

Opening the doors to her 'home', she was greeted by Damian, who was wearing a black tuxedo leaning on a limousine. Walking into the raven-haired man's arms, she great him with a kiss, which he deepened as he placed a hand on her hip and the other behind her head. Patting on the man's broad chest in a pattern that's coded °Have you waited long?°. Breaking the kiss, Damian replied with a wolfish smile, "If waiting long means I get to see you dress like this, then I'll gladly wait for you as long as it takes." With one more peck, the Wayne opened the door for his girl, once inside the limousine they took off.

Arriving at their destination, their chauffeur opened the door for them. Damian was the first to step out and offer his hand, which Luna took. They were greeted by a young man with brown eyes and curly hair with freckles wearing a server uniform. "Greetings, we've been expecting you. I'll be your host for this evening, now if you'll kindly follow me I'll show you two to your table." He escorted them to a private room where he took their orders.

After finishing their food (and dessert), they just talked/signed to one another. The topic? Art supplies, specifically Luna's interest in trying out graphite sticks and pencils. °I'm just trying it out Damian, there's no need for you to buy me a whole graphite kit. You just got me that charcoal set.° all he did was give her that wolfish smile she loves with a hungry look in his eyes that always made her knees weak. Feeling herself slowly starting submitting to his command, she tried one last time to stand her ground.

°I'm really grateful for the gifts truly, but there's no need for you to buy me things that I can easily pay for myself.° she thought of all the times he would pay for her charcoal art supplies, buy her more sketch books when she used her's up, paying for all of their dates too and declineing her many offers of paying or even splitting the bill. But paying for all of her groceries and utilities is something he shouldn't be burdened with. °I have a stable income, and it's not your responsibility to take care of me.° "But you are my responsibility. It's my job to take care of you, on and off the battlefield." He reached over to take the (h/c)'s hand, giving it a light squeeze. "I love you, Luna. I want to take care of you. I want to spoil you every day, so please trust me to take care of you. Trust me to provide everything you need so you don't have to worry about anything."

Seeing his coy and heartwarming smile with that passion filled gaze made her heart flutter. She loves this man, the man who lets her sit on his lap to draw while he silently watches. The man who taught her how to use a sword in combat, the man who has her back when going on missions together, the man who bandages her wounds after fighting a criminal. He's the man she loves more than anything else, and she knows Damian loves her too.

The ravenette couldn't help the smile that crept on his face when he saw Luna's adorable lovestruck expression that she's unknowingly wearing. 'So fucking cute.'

Lightly rubbing his hand with her thumb, she finally submitted to his charms °I'm no match for you.° the moment was ruined when their waiter came in carrying a tray that had a pink wine bottle and two wine glasses. This annoyed Damian, but he held his tongue. "I hope you two are enjoying your evening tonight, my i Interest you in pink moscato rose wine?" °I've never had wine before. From what I can tell, wine is usually bitter, no?° with a customer service smile, the waiter reassured her. "Yes it is, but Pink Moscato is a deep, luscious wine known for its signature sweetness and fruity flavor. It typically tastes sweet and can taste similar to apple or grape juice. it can be served with the dessert course of a meal."

(E/c) eyes lit up when the word 'sweet' was mentioned, and as the waiter continues talking about the wine, Luna listened intently hanging on every word he said "Would you like some?" Nodding her head enthusiastically, the waiter placed both glasses on the table, opening the bottle he tilt it towards her glass, and a translucent gold liquid began to fill her glass.

°I hope this isn't too much to ask, but my I know the brand of the wine?° the waiter's eyebrows knit together, his smile a little strain. With a nervous chuckle, he showed the label on the bottle to her which read 'Sweet Bitch Moscato Rose'. Confused she look towards Damian °What does bitch mean?°

Their poor waiter looked mortified while Damian brushed out in laughter. Once his laughter died down, he reassured the (h/c). "Nothing you need to worry about." He received the cutest confused puppy dog look ever. She did the head tilt and everything too! Deciding to drop it, Luna turned her focus to her glass of wine (their waiter made a break for it when attention wasn't on him) picking it up. She took a tiny sip. A sweet and fruity flavor took over her taste buds just as the waiter said.

She continues to sip from her wine glass with a satisfied smile, really liking the taste of the wine. 'Sweet Bitch Moscato Rose huh? I should buy a bottle for myself sometime.' "Don't even think about it. I'm the one who's going to buy you a bottle." Luna's surprise was clear on her face, Damian told her with a cheeky smile."I know you too well to not know the expression you're wearing. It's the same expression you make when eating sweets."

She blushed at the thought of him watching her eat without her knowledge. In an attempt to cover her blush, she chugged the rest of her wine. Setting her glass back on the table, she noticed a strange throbbing in between her legs.

Her body instantly started heating up. She felt tingly all over, clenching her chest where her heart would be. She could feel it pounding like crazy. A clear wet fluid dripped from between her legs, soaking her panties and inner thighs, as well as getting all over her seat.

Leaning down, she rested her head on her arm. Her mind was staring to fog up, and her brain became scattered. Questions raced throughout the (h/c)'s head. 'What was happening to her body? Why is she getting wet? How is she getting wet? What was in that drink?'

It was a real treat seeing Luna's usual calm and composed expression turn into something erotic. Her pupils dilated, her cheeks were flushed, and she was shaking and panting heavily, too. Damian's lips curled upward into a feral smile, ready to devour her. He felt his own arousal, causing his pant to tighten around him.

With a weak hand, Luna grabbed her spoon and started to tap it on the table. °Damian, what kind of drug did you give me?° 'Clever girl.' Damian, though, with a cocky smile. "You catch on quick, my dear Luna." Weakly, she sat up in an attempt to show no weakness in front of him. °what purpose is there for drugging me?°

Getting out of his chair, he made his way over to Luna, picking her up bridal style. Damain replied with a simple "You'll see." Then carried her out to the limo. Their chauffeur opened the door for them, getting in the ravenette place Luna on his lap.

The (h/c) heard the sound of the driver's door opening and closing, then the sound of the limousine starting up. Next then she knew they were taking off. Luna tried to look out of the driver's weindshield window in the hopes of searching for familiar surroundings, but her view was cut off by a black tinted window rolling up, blocking her view.

Damain grabbed her by the chin, turning her attention towards him. "Keep your eyes on me, dollface." Feeling his hand snake in between her legs he began to rub her clit through her panties. She gasped, she couldn't believe he's touching her there! But the way his touching her feels so damn good. 'Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop, don't stop, please don't stop Damian!'

Luna has become a maoning mess with her tongue hanging out while making lewd sounds as best she can. Throughout all of this, she didn't take her eyes off of Damian. He loved it.

Damian shoved his tongue in her mouth and began to explore it. He slides his tongue over her teeth and then teases her tongue. Luna responded back by teasing his tongue, too. their tongues began to twirl around one another. Luna gasped when he pinched her clit and gave it a little twist. The (h/c) was drowning in her own lust to the point she forgot they were in a limousine and barely noticed it stopped.

Fighting through her foggy haze, Luna pulled away from Damian's lips. A string of saliva was the only thing connecting them. Catching her breath, she quickly composed herself as best she could and began to sign. °I should get out. Thank you for tonig-° she yelped when he pinched her clit again interrupting her "Who said I was dropping you off at 'home'?" He moved her so she was straddling him Luna felt something hard pressing up against her cunt and for some reason feeling how large it is made her body produce more slick.

The door was open by their chauffeur, who stepped aside as Damian got out of the limousine, all while never letting go of Luna once. Turning her head to see they were at a nice luxury hotel, (e/c) eyes looked at the large glowing sign that read Red Royalty Love Hotel. Before she could even ask him what they were doing there, Damain carried her into the hotel, passing the front desk and straight into one of the rooms.

The room's walls were painted a crimson red with a black tile floor and a large white rug. In the middle of the room was a large round bed with red sliding chiffon curtains. The pillows and bed coverings are pure white, and the bed itself was covered in red rose pestle. The only source of light was the million of candles scattered around the room.

Using his foot, Damain kicked the door close and moved forward towards the bed. Gently sitting Luna on the bed, he gave her a deep passion kiss. "I'm going to make love to you." She gave him this pure look of innocent confusion as she signed °Make love? What's that?° If Damian didn't know any better, he would have assumed she was teasing, but he knew she genuinely didn't know what sex was, but not for long.

"Love making or sex is an activity two people who love each other do to express their love for one another." Giving her another passion kiss, he continued."You do love me, right Luna?"

°Yes you mean everything to me, and if you want to have sex we can. Anywhere anytime. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it to the best of my abilities.° giving a dark smile to the (h/c) Damain stood up straight and started to unbuckle his pants, once undone his cock sprang out to stand tall and proud.

Looking at him Damian was about 7 inches and is pretty girthy with a large cockhead, you can notice a few veins popping out as well as pre cum leaking from the tip.

"Luna, this is my cock. We're gonna need it to have sex." With a curious look, Luna began to inspect the part of Damian she's never seen. She placed her hand on his thigh for support while she used the palm of her free hand to slowly slide up from the base of his cock all the way up to his tip letting her fingernails glide across his shaft.

This action earned her a deep groan from Damian and the words "Fuuuck baby~, If you use your nails like that, I mean just cum on ya~." Looking up at him then down to his cock Luna realized touching him there brings him pleasure. 'Cum... if I pleasure him he'll cum. Whatever cumming is he wants it.' Seeing his face filled with pleasure Luna now know what she needs to do 'I'm going to make him cum. But how?'

Not knowing what to do or where to start, she looked up towards Damian with this lost and pitiful expression that screams help me. 'Poor thing' gently stroking her head, he gave her a soft smile. "Aww, my poor baby girl~. Here's a tip, use your hand to strock it." Looking back down, Luna wrapped her hand around his shaft and did what he said.

Damain started to moan and groan, loving how soft her hand felt around his dick. "Yesss~, just like that baby. Keep going, keep going, up and down up and down, that's it. God damn your hand is soft.~" This reaction encouraged Luna to keep going. Filled with confidence, she continued to stroke him.

While stroking, Luna paid close attention to Damian. Listening to his moans and looking at the expressions he would make to find out what pleased him the most. The (h/c) notice the veins on his cock are quite sensitive and everytime she touched them Damian would spew out curses while his cock twitch with arousal.

Focusing on those sensitive veins, she continues to strock him, making sure to glide her hand across every vein. Feeling the pulsing of his veins and the twitching of his cock underneath her touch make her pussy wet with arousal and it seems she wasn't the only one. Her fingers were drenched in precum, and when she pulled her hand away, there were many strings of sticky precum connecting her fingers to Damian's cock.

Without thinking, she placed her lips on his dick giving it a kiss, then started to leave a trail of kisses starting from the base and trailing her way up to his tip. Then she trailed her tongue up his shaft by once again, starting from the base. Damian's eyes were rolled in the back of his head in pure bliss, his body consumed by pleasure. Without warning, Luna put his dick in her mouth deep-throating him in one fluent motion, stopping right at the base, which caused Damian to let out a long, drawn-out moan.

Without stopping for a second Luna started to suck his cock. While sucking him off Luna felt him getting harder inside her mouth. Precum filled her mouth. "Fuck Luna-! I'm gonna fucking-! Cum!" 'He's cumming!' Determine to make him cum she picked up the pace sucking him faster. Suddenly, Damian roughly grabbed the (h/c)'s head, pushing her to take all of him in while her mouth filled with what she assumed was his cum.

Not knowing what to do with his cum Luna swallowed it all. Pulling away from his cock she took a minute to catch her breath but that didn't last long as Damian pushed her on her back and spread her legs. "Your turn Luna~"

He pulled her panties off, but before Damian could get a good look at her clit Luna quickly covered herself with one hand while she quietly signed with the other one in a panicked frenzy. °What are you doing!?° Giving her a reassuring smile, Damian explains,"You made me cum it's only right if you cum too." °I can cum too?° leaning forward he gave Luna a reassuring kiss "Yes you can and when you cum you'll feel really good. So don't you worry, just lay back and I'll take care of you."

Relaxing her muscles, Luna lay down on her back, resting her head on one of the pillows. She moved her hand away, exposing herself to Damain. Spreading her legs apart he started by giving her pussy a little kiss earning a small gasp for Luna, spreading her lips he used his tongue to make slow, broad licks, widening his tongue as much as possible.

Luna couldn't stop her whimpering from escaping her lips, but how could she be quiet when she's feeling this hot tickling sensation coming from her cunt, it just feels so good. 'Did Damian feel like this when I was pleasing him?'

Moving up, he began sucking and licking her clitoris. Letting out a loud mewl, Luna thought, 'That's sensitive!' He continued to play with her bud. Damian then pushed his middle finger inside of her cunt , causing Luna to gasp loudly. It was a foreign feeling to have something inside of her, a foreign and pleasurable feeling.

The ravenette added a second finger inside of Luna, causing her to whimper. In an effort to loosen her up, he moved his fingers in a scissoring motion. Feeling her insides being spread apart made Luna shake like crazy. At first, he pumped his finger in a slow and gentle pace, but he picked up the pace when he felt her walls clinching around his fingers. Thrusting his fingers at a hard and rough pace, he noticed Luna began to shake while panting heavily. "Come on baby, cum for me."

With a long, drawn-out whine, Luna came. A milky white liquid oozing from her pussy dirting the bedsheets. Damian beg to lap up her cum, once satisfied he began to take off his and Luna's clothes throwing them to the side.

Lining his dick up with the (h/c)'s entrance, Luna signed, °Will it fit?° "Yes, but once I put it in, I'll give you a moment to settle. My cock isn't exactly the size of my fingers." Giving the ravenette a nod Luna mental prepared herself but when she felt Damian's cock going inside of her her mental preparation was thrown out the window. 'So deep.'

Like he promised, Damian gave her a moment to settle. Although all he wanted to do was to start fucking her 'She's so fucking tight!'

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Luna gave him a kiss. When she pulled away from the kiss, she nodded her head, giving him the ok. Damian tried to hold himself back from fucking her like an animal by forcing himself to thrust slowly. Luna was grateful for the slow pace, but soon, she wanted something faster, something rougher.

Placing her hand on Damian's back, she patted it in a coded pattern °Faster, harder.° Roughly grabbing her legs, he pushed them around her head, folding her into a mating press. Then he started to ram his cock inside of her furiously thrusting downwards into her pussy. Damian loves the way how her pussy keeps clinches around his cock and how it sucks him in deeper inside of her fighting to keep him in when he pulls out for another thrust.

It wasn't long until Damian came inside of Luna filling her up with his cum. He thrusted a few more times, shoving his semen inside her cervix. When Damian pulled out, he moved both of them under the covers. Pulling the (h/c) into his arms, he gave her forehead a kiss. "Get some rest. I'll take you home in the morning." Before she closed her eyes, Luna signed one last thing. °I love you, Damian.° "I love you too, Luna."

After Luna fell asleep, Damian began rubbing her stomach, thinking of when and where they'll have sex next. 'Just until I know she's pregnant.. maybe.'

[chthonic-cassandra]

what vampire musicals are there? asking bc of the tag meme you posted a few days(?) ago where you said it was pretty accurate aside from no vampire musicals... i know wildhorn dracula, but what else? (and which are good?)

Thank you for asking a question which allows me to indulge myself by recounting all this. The question of "good," however, is rather fraught, and I ask everyone to remember that these opinions are just my own.

The (probably) first, and the only one to achieve significant success, was Jim Steinman's Tanz der Vampire/Dance of the Vampires, first stage in 1997. Tanz was an adaptation of Roman Polanski's comedic vampire movie The Fearless Vampire Killers, and features "Total Eclipse of the Heart," a song Steinman always intended to be about vampires. Tonally, the musical veers wildly between the broad comedy of the source film and something approaching sincerity and the comedy sections have never really worked for me, but it's certainly the most musically sophisticated of the vampire musicals and at its best, like in the major ballad sung by the lead vampire character about the loves he has killed (here sung by original cast Steve Barton, and here by Drew Sarich, who is in all the major vampire musicals and who we shall have more to say about anon) it's spectacular gothy camp glory.

Tanz was incredibly popular in Austria, where it was first staged, and then throughout Europe and in Japan. However, when it was brought to Broadway it was drastically rewritten, partly at the behest of Michael Crawford, starring in the show and anxious about changes in his body and being compared to his career-making performance in Phantom of the Opera. The comedy was foregrounded and the show was constantly being rewritten, to the point that the actors didn't know how their parts might change performance to performance. I didn't see the Broadway production, but it is accounted by all to be a colossal failure. The show remains popular worldwide to this day, but has not received another major staging in North America.

Next comes the Frank Wildhorn Dracula the Muiscal, which I know you know about, but as it is vital to this narrative I must give some explanation. Wildhorn is a sort of mid-tier musical theater composer, known for melodrama and period pieces. After the popular (though not critical) success of his Jekyll & Hyde musical (1997 on Broadway) he co-wrote Dracula with lyricist Don Black, premiering on Broadway on 2004.

While I maintain that Dracula the Musical has been unjustly maligned by comparison with some other works of musical theater, it is admittedly a mess, and the Broadway production, which was, despite highly publicized special effects, shockingly static, did it no favors. It tries to do far too many things, combining sections of relatively close novel adaptation (Christopher Hampton's book is often quietly strong) with a messily shoehorned Dracula/Mina romance. The score is variable, ranging, even just in Dracula's material, from the rousing "Life After Life" as Dracula welcomes the transformed Lucy, to his cringe-inducing "The Longer I Live". (I still think almost all of the music and lyrics are better than those of Les Miserables but then again I think most things are better than the Les Miserables musical.) The Broadway production had a reasonably strong cast, including Melissa Errico as Mina and Kelli O'Hara as Lucy, but it failed nearly as badly as the American version of Tanz had, if not quite so dramatically.

Wildhorn subsequently brought DtM to Europe, where it enjoyed significantly more success, first in a stripped down modern production in St. Gallen starring Drew Sarich and then in Vienna where the role of Van Helsing was expanded for popular star Uwe Kröger. It's continued to be performed in Europe and Asia, and in some USA community theaters.

Next up was Elton John's Lestat in 2007. One would expect that this musical would have been wonderfully over-the-top glam rock, but somehow Lestat ended up being one of the most staid things I have ever seen. Filled with forgettable music (even if we all do want to see Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson doing "Embrace It". It was further brought down by a lackluster performance of the title character by Hugh Panaro, previously known for his mediocre (sorry Panaro fans!) turn in Phantom. It was enlivened slightly by Carolee Carmello as Gabrielle earning one of the show's only Tony nominations and Drew Sarich (there he is again!) playing a decidedly not book accurate but very entertaining Armand. It also involved a Buddhist monk Marius de Romanus, but I constantly question whether this was a fever dream of mine. Lestat was yet another failure on Broadway and, as far as I can tell, has had no real subsequent afterlife, though I've been wondering if that might change with the IwtV show (and Sam Reid's evident enjoyment of the musical!).

Those are the major vampire musicals, for what they are! But there are also some others which never got even this level of attention, including:

Two dueling French-language Dracula musicals with almost the exact same name, Dracula - L'amour plus fort que la mort and Dracula - Entre l'amour et la mort

A Nosferatu musical which is a strong contender for the worst lyrics I have ever heard but also entertains me

another mysterious Dracula musical made in the UK with songs of wildly varying qualities, but containing the only Mina hero ballad with which I am familiar

There are also edge cases like Bat Boy and Rocky Horror Picture Show, which I would not call vampire musicals but someone else might.

Anyway! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share some of the truly disproportionate amount of information I have about this topic in my head. I hope this brought some entertainment.

[wolven91]

Beers With The Fellas

"Hey guys, you coming round to mine tonight? Got a bunch of drinks in." Asked the human suddenly, surprising the work crew.

The rest of the crew looked up from where they were packing away their tools to the diminutive creature. The 'new' additions, that were the humans, were still finding their feet in the wider society despite it being over a year since their disastrous debut. It had to be admitted that they had taken to it rapidly now that they had given a proper opportunity.

That said, they often had odd ideas that left the other races scrabbling to react correctly.

The crew was a mixture of races, none of which really mixed outside of work. It wasn't that they specifically didn't like each other or had unfounded prejudices, it was just... not done? The various races had multiple clashes with one another. Everyone present hadn't been involved in the fighting or even knew someone involved, but it was s still a fact that their respective governments had a cold relation, if at all. The slender taurian, looked to the robust ursidain, who looked to the towering ssypno. When a new species joined the wider community, it was required, expected or demanded that they be given an opportunity to show how they can add to the community, how their culture reacted to others.

It was just good sense, a fresh set of eyes on established processes. Especially saying of just how much the galaxy had stagnated over the last few hundred years. There were rumours that nothing had changed, not even a new recipe in all that time. At least not until the humans showed up.

In the distant past, some races like the vulptanis had interesting technology to add, or others, like the esquinines, had an inspired governmental process. But the humans? Well, they had none of these overt boons.

But what they did have, was ideas. Odd ones, but every now and then a tiny change here or there had a ripple effect that confounded established processes down the line. Some good, some bad.

So, when the human was stood there, arms wide, a broad smile plastered over her face and offered the team to come to her domicile for 'drinks', the crew hesitated when they realised their first gut reaction was to say no. Afterall, you didn't invite practical strangers into your nest, den or home, colleagues or not it was done.

"Sure?" replied the taurian, always first to side with the human, even to his detriment. Male taurians were meant to know how to handle any social situation after all, it was why he oversaw managing the haphazard group.

The ursidain, a male who hadn't quite decided if he liked the tiny, stick thin creatures yet, rolled his eyes whilst facing away from the group, he'd wait, let the rest of them decide before throwing in his own choice with the popular choice. The ssypno clapped his hands together with a joyful look plastered across his face.

"I've never seen a human home before! Of course! Do you need me to bring anything?"

"Only if you want something specific to drink, a friend of mine works in logistics; a bunch of beer, or rather what was described as beer. The kegs got damaged and the snooty sluggat who they were for refused to accept them. They were paid for so he basically gave me a bunch as he needed the warehouse space, should be enough to tide you guys over and I made sure to have plenty of food in so-"

"What time?" Asked the ursidain, not intending to interrupt the human, but to be fair he'd need to go and get washed first. At the mention of food his head had whipped round, ears perked.

"Soon as you're ready, all I'm going to do when I get home is get changed. Apparently, the comet that flew by earlier today has a tail that'll give us a bit of a light show." She explained. It was as a good excuse as any, the ursidain would get to eat, the ssypno would get to satisfy his curiosity and the taurian would suffer through, but watch, monitor and learn what he could.

The team broke up and went their separate ways. It was barely a few hours later, that the trio of aliens met up with one another again as they navigated to the human's apartment. It was an interesting travel, the human's home was a secret, they were banned from revealing it and were escorted at one point by a squad of canids to ensure they weren't being followed. As the 'B' repair team, they were used to getting the crap jobs, the jobs the rest of the teams didn't want. So the fact they got an escort and were brought to a very nice hab-block with all the airs and graces that came with that life?

It stroked their egos ever so gently, endearing them to the human for this opportunity. No rich citizen would invite 'their kind' here normally. Not unless a toilet was broken.

Stepping up to the door, they scratched their claws down the metal plate to announce themselves and moments later their human colleague let them in with a smile and a flourish.

"Hey! Come on through, I rigged up an ice bath on the balcony so if you got anything that needs cooling down, you can stick it in there. Foods next to the doors too!" The female human finished with a chuckle, lightly elbowing the ursidain in the rotund belly. The giant brown bear grinned at his weight being acknowledged; he'd tried hard to ensure he kept up appearances, it was nice that someone other than a fellow ursidain finally paid him a compliment. To the ursidains, to be accused of getting thin was on par with the worst insult one could think of after all.

Stepping through the door, the home wasn't too far removed from the standard template, but the home itself had some odd styleistic choices. The ssypno made no effort to hide his curiosity, moving around, running his fingers over the counter tops. Everything was too small, but he loved the rugs that tied to room together, plus it was nice to have something other than the cold floors beneath him.

He shamelessly stole the idea of rugs everywhere for his own meagre home.

The whole team eventually settled on the balcony that overlooked 'The Great Glass Ceiling' that was the ceiling and sides of all the spinning circular station that residents this side of the station enjoyed for an unobstructed view of space. At first, conversation was hesitant, the nervousness of meeting co-workers outside of a work environment was alien, but with drinks and food available, eventually the walls came down. They settled into the banter they had during the day, realising that they were no different from who they were at work, just more relaxed.

The comet's 'tail' was a sight to behold as micro-meteors lashed the station's shielding creating a display of shooting stars that were hard to come by outside of specific planets. Even the shield added its own glowing display that coloured the darkened residential district.

What came from this evening was a noted high cohesion of the team by upper management and the taurian manager. All of a sudden, during work hours they were far more in sync with one another and became even more so over time. Their efficiency skyrocketed from a lower end of the average to being classed as 'ideal' by the station AI. Upper management, obviously wanted to recapture this lightning in a bottle. So began their plan to enforce 'team building exercises' for all workers outside of work hours. This initiative ended as a unmitigated disaster and almost universally hated when employed with the various other races.

The Administrator of the station instead decided to recreate the original environmental settings while instructing nearby stations to do the same and see what would happen. Several food and drink deliveries were 'refused' for various false reasons and marked as 'free to be taken'. The human, and other humans on other stations, time and again, took the opportunity to share their wealth with their colleagues. Each time the various races took part with these 'drinks with the guys/girls' there was a noted positive increase to their work-life interactions.

Mind bogglingly, they invited near strangers into their homes or to established bars to simply 'make friends' with any species, not just their own.

The social engineering of humans, seemingly unintentionally, was a boon to any workplace should they have access to what was needed, meaning free booze and food, and placed with staff that were openly welcoming to newcomers. It was quietly designed that this would happen should a human appear in a station and request work.

Humans were excruciatingly rare still, but if one enquired about any open positions, a role was created in rapid order where the 'recommended' settings of human friendly crew were available. Each time and every time, the overall productivity, morale and team cohesion increased once the human began making friends in their own strange alien way.

The various AIs of each station communicated with one another and simply made the conditions easier for these humans to work their magic. For the cost of a single delivery of consumables, these humans made work teams who were struggling into top notch employees.

[alteredsilicone]

Attempt at putting my feelings about Jade Shadows in a Long Post

I was never a big Stalker fangirl so I did not have any expectations or desires for this quest, I fully saw it as filler to distract me before Tennocon and the wait for Warframe 1999.

I was worried about some things, thinking DE might add/retcon lore about the Rebellion and Night of the Naga Drums, but that didn't happen haha

The quest itself did not elicit an emotional response from me, at some points it even seemed weird and absurd. They really went there, huh?

I see now that there is a LOT of tension and opinion flinging and accusations and such and such and I also fell victim to getting maybe a little bit too angry and incensed.

To me, the hype didn't live up to the payoff, this is basically Angels of the Zariman 2.0 for me. Where I expected one thing (Tenno Rebellion, Stalker lore) but got something else (Warframe Baby). I feel this is the kind of quest that expected me to have one specific emotional reaction ("aww!") so it didn't try to... elicit that reaction. Sympathy-bait. Like showing a little kitten to make you "aww" and stop thinking. If you don't "aww" then you won't like it but the people who "aww"-ed will think you are a heartless weirdo.

Some people have pointed out how this quest actually makes Stalker's anger at Tenno make less sense due to the Orokin being at 100% fault for his circumstances and the Tenno killing the Orokin should not have been something Stalker objects to. Honestly if you're going to kill Jade off and give Stalker dead wife manpain could have at least made our Tenno responsible for killing Jade who was guarding Stalker/the Orokin.

My hot take is that yes, people who expected an LGBT/trans story were setting themselves up for failure because there were no hints to that, quite the contrary. I got the impression that Stalker and Jade are separate entities (so no trans narrative) and also knowing tropes it just seemed like it was going the love-story way. Opposites attract and all that, plus Warframe's queer themes are more... headcanoned by the community; aside from obvious story beats like WITW or Dagath's story. Warframe in the end appeals to a Broad (tm) audience and that includes cishet normies who will cry buckets at Single Dad Stalker. Which is happening right now and making me feel like a heartless weirdo.

Though I think it would have been fun if Jade was Stalker's mother, that would fit well with the opposites theme for Jade/Stalker (and him taking on his mother's mantle as protector), as well as create cool parallels with the Stalker and Tenno, after all, "Lotus" is basically the aesthetic of the Tenno, so "Jade' could be the aesthetic of the Stalker.

Oh well.

I also understand people who were disturbed and upset by the narrative in general and the criticisms of Jade being fridged, passive and the implications that you "Always Choose the Baby" and that "All Women Love Babies". The bit with the Corpus captain and seeing people go "the Corpus are not monsters after all!" made me cringe because... we are child soldiers piloting infested abominations; Warframe is a very grim universe with some moments of light at the end of the tunnel, but I think this particular narrative was handled poorly. You're telling me in the world where body hoppers snatch children to brain-break them and become parasitic hosts, children's lives are valuable? You're telling me in a world where ventkids exist, children's lives are valuable? Nelīmējas kopā.

You COULD make this a story of light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel in terms of a child's life being precious - we should have fought the Corpus, maybe the Tenno jump in as help to protect Stalker. Putting a newborn into danger? Now THAT is actually some risky storytelling AND would make me care about Stalker and Sirius. You want that kid? Fight for it, because the world hates you and hates your kid. LOVE MUST TRIUMPH HATE, isn't that what Hunhow tried to tell you?

I don't hate it because it was a straight love/parenting story - Umbra and Isaah is a very emotional story and the Sacrifice is one of my favorite quests. All I needed was more backstory/flashbacks on Jade and Sorren. Aside from a vague allusion that either their relationship or Jade's pregnancy was verboten.

I admit the pregnancy/motherhood angle made me incensed for biased/personal reasons but I am just going to take the L on that, I don't think people who criticize that or are disappointed by that story are lacking media literacy.

Pregnancy IS a sensitive/triggering topic and in fact this quest did not warn sufficiently about it, also it is fair to say that this quest relied on the "aww!" factor and it's fine if people find it cheap. Some people find "aww!" stories stupid if it's about animals or if there are "pet the dog" mechanics, but if it's human children suddenly that criticism is invalid.

Oh well. That is all.

tl;dr

Did not have huge expectations going in, neutral on Stalker as a character.

Was not happy about the pregnancy story/the way women were handled in this quest.

I am aware that my personal bias affects my view of this quest, but I would also like a little coming forward from the other side.

Anyone else "excited" for Fetus Prime trailer narrated by Ballas in four years?

[khaire-traveler]

hello stag how do you communicate with lord hermes? I have no idea how and it's frustrating 😢

(Ignore the account its showing and pretend it says @divine-thievery lol)

Hey, Mika!

Deity communication can certainly be frustrating in the beginning, especially when it's so hard to find trustworthy sources about it. I've found this post pretty helpful; it's a very specific form of communication you can try. Other than that, I'll make a list of some methods you can try below.

Divination. This is probably one of the most common methods of deity communication I've seen. I actively do this myself! Divination is a very broad umbrella term that includes a wide variety of things. Tarot decks, oracle decks, pendulums, pyromancy, candle wax readings, and even smoke readings - these are only a few of the many methods of divination that exist. Being a god of communication, I've found that Lord Hermes tends to give very clear and direct divination readings. He's pretty good at getting the message across and will typically help you interpret it if you ask him to. I have a section in my pinned post dedicated to different divination methods that you can check out.

Dreams. For this, I suggest you specifically ask Lord Hermes to provide you with dreams as a form of communication between you. Keeping a dream journal will help immensely with this, otherwise, we're prone to forget our dreams. Start keeping track of recurring symbols and the context they're often mentioned in. See if you associate specific meanings with specific symbols. Try to keep track of your interpretations of each dream.

Prayer. This has always been the most reliable and effective form of communication for me. Prayer is a direct link to a deity, and if you ever feel a lack of presence, know that's entirely normal, especially if you're not feeling well emotionally. You can call on a specific epithet, or title, of Hermes to get his attention in a specific way. I typically use epithets if I'm looking for a certain kind of help from him. You're always welcome to pray to Lord Hermes. Even when I've felt anxious that he's not listening, he's always answered my prayers in his own way.

Letters/journals. Instead of prayer, you can write him letters or write to him in a journal. If you struggle with prayer, this is a great alternative! It can also feel a bit easier to be vulnerable when writing, in my opinion. While this form of communication isn't always "back and forth", it can still feel good to write everything you want to say to him.

I know I didn't offer too much here, but my forms of deity communication have changed drastically throughout my practice, and people are always coming up with new and creative ways to communicate. It's difficult to keep up with everything that's out there. I hope these ideas can at least give you somewhere to start. Take care, and best of luck to you! May Lord Hermes speak clearly with you. <3

[jessjad]

Unexpected

Chapter 3

Summary: After a Halloweenparty Y/N actually didn't want to got to, her life seems to be turned around. The reason is a very stubborn Supe that seems to have her in his visier. Is it just a coincidance or more?

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x Reader

Word Count: 2016

Warnings: maybe slow burn?, some language (it's a given at this point)

A/N: And here we are again. Yup, I think we'll have a little slow burn in the beginning too. But it won't stay that long, I can promise you. 🤭 Also, I'm not gonna tell you that I changed directions for this story again. No, I don't. 😌 My brain is just not braining anymore with these two. 😂 Like always, all mistakes are mine.

My Masterlist Series Masterlist

"This is ridiculous! I bought it here last week, it's already broken and now I want a refund!"

In this very split second, Y/N had to take a deep breath to calm herself down. Why was she still doing this job anyway? Oh, yeah, because she needed the money.

"Ma'am, like I said, I need a receipt. I can't find this product in our system and just to be sure that everything is done correctly, I..."

"Can I talk to a manager?"

The woman seemed to have enough of this and was trying to be her best Karen at this point. But what she didn't know, was that Y/N had also enough of this.

After everything that happen while she had a break off work, she didn't feel herself anymore. Soldier Boy really went up with her into the aparment. Eventhough she did her best to not show it, it made her feel really uncomfortable. The tall man with the broad shoulders took up so much space, she was not used to that anymore. His neutral look on his face while he was taking in her home did not help. Not that it was important to her if he liked it or not.

Y/N had needed a drink after that day and the supe helped himself to one too. He also took out a small plastic bag with some white pills in it, but that was where she had to draw the line. He obviously did not like that at all, but she told him, that this was her apartment. Again, that didn't make it better and so they compromised to joints.

"If you would live in your own apartment and not here with me during this whole... charade you could take so many drugs you want." Y/N tried to lure him, with no success.

"Yeah, I would. But my... house... is not here in New York. And it's fucking clear that I'm not gonna move into the damn Vought Tower. This is doing just fine." a smirk deep on his face, knowing just very well what he was saying.

The rest of the evening was a mere blur. Mallory would be contacting her again in the next couple of days. She would get a second phone to only communicate with Mallory if needed and to get every further details in the next time. Soldier Boy would giving her the payment they agreed on, with the apparent thought in mind, that she could not continue her job at a certain point in this story. At first that scared her a little. But now, it sounded heavenly.

"I'm the manager here. And this is not the way our policy works. I'm sorry."

"Are you serious?" the woman asked in anger.

"You can call our customer service, if you want to. They will find another possibility to refund you."

"You're unbeliveable! I will NOT be treated like this! I'm a paying customer of this store!"

Y/N wanted to turn around to call for a co-worker to help, which made the woman only more furious. She was about to reach over the counter to grasp Y/N's hair or shoulder, but she didn't get far."

"I would think twice about that." a deep voice rumbled over their heads.

With surpries Y/N turned her head and looked right into the green eyes of her looming shadow. He was holding the wrist of "Karen" infront of her who too looked with incredulously up to the man next to her. Was it already time? She thought she still had another couple of days.

"Hello, darlin'." Soldier Boy drooled in his best manners and Y/N needed a second to comprehent.

"Hi! What... what are you doing here?"

Her co-workers appered and the customers in the store started to murmer. In the corner of her eyes she heared people asking if the man was really Soldier Boy. Others were slowly pulling out their phones, taking pictures or even making a video. Now she knew they had to be quick. Soldier Boy's face signalizing the same thing.

"I'm picking you up. Ready to go?"

"Yeah! Yeah, we... can go." she turned to the young woman next to her. "Stacey, can you take over? This... this is getting serious."

Stacey just nodded, already seeing what was happening in the store. "Don't worry. I'll cover for you. You only had one hour left anyway."

"Thank you. I will call tomorow."

Y/N grabed her purse and jacket and went around the counter. The supe let go of "Karen's" wrist who was still fuming and still not believing what was happening. With an heavy arm over her shoulder her now knew boyfriend escorted her out of the store.

"I think it would be better..." he whispered into her ear. "...if you start calling me Ben now."

"... today around one o'clock. There are multiple sidings of Soldier Boy. Some pictures online went up for speculation until videos of him appeared. He was walking out of a store with a unknown woman by his side..."

The news of Soldier Boy being back went viral within minutes. The mayhem that followed was something Y/N would've not expected. She knew it would be crazy, but not that kind of crazy. People online started to argue with eachother if the pictures and videos were fake or not and the more Y/N stared at the screen, seeing herself on the side of the supe, she also tried to not believe it.

"Smile a little. There's no fucking going back now anyway." Ben chimed in.

"You think?"

To that, Ben just huffed. But he was right. This was it, now the world knew, that he was back. And that Y/N was a part of it. She had to sit down. The anxiety that started to creep up her spine was new. How would people react when they saw her on the street? How much would her life change? How big would the dangers be that surely laid ahead of her? Y/N couldn't imagine at the moment.

Her phone started to ring and the sudden sound startled her. Ben looked annoyed but didn't say anything, focusing back on her tv. When Y/N saw who the caller was she would've wished she could put it off. But she knew it was better to face it now than later.

"Hello Mum."

"Y/N? Are you ok?" The panic in her voice evident.

"Yes, Mum. I'm fine." Y/N tried to calm her down.

"Are you sure? I... I just saw the news and there were you. With this supe."

"Yeah, I know. I've seen it too."

"This... this is not real, right?"

Hearing the voice of her mother so full of worry and disbelieve she wished it would not be real. That all of this was just a cruel joke. But it was not. And she was sure it would break her mother's heart again.

"Daughter? Tell me that this is NOT real!"

"Mum, I..." she tried.

"No! I cannot believe this! Y/N... how could you?" The tears in her voice unmistakable.

"It's not that easy, Mum. I tried to stay out of it, but I didn't succeed, I quess." Y/N looked down on the floor, feeling really bad about all of this.

"Y/N, you should know better! After what happend to Jenny, this..." her voice broke completly and Y/N felt the tears build in her eyes too.

"I know, Mum. I have not forgotten about it. And I wish... I would have thought about this twice... but it all went so fast. I swear I never wanted this in the first place!"

The silence that followed was so loud and rang in Y/N's ears, that for a moment she thought her Mum had hung up on her. But a deep sigh proofed her wrong.

"Is it something serious?" Her small voice full of emotions.

"Mum..."

What was she supposed to answer now? The truth was not an option. It would only put her into more danger, than she probably already was in. But Y/N could not be to loose about the situation, since it was going to be something long term. She drew a glanze over her shoulder to the man sitting on her couch.

"Honestly? I don't know, Mum. But it feels like it."

And that wasn't even a lie. It was surreal, yeah, but it also felt serious. In more than one way. Because from now on Ben would be living here with her.

"I know, that I have no right to tell you what to do or how to live your life, but under these circumstances... Y/N, please. Be careful and take care of you! And whatever happens, you can come home to us. You know that, right?"

"I know, Mum. Thank you."

Hanging up was so hard to do. Giving up her last sliver of hope for her normal life felt so final. With a deep sigh she went over to the couch and sat down. On the screen infront of her were still pictures shown of her and Ben and the uneasiness did not leave her.

"Who's Jenny?" Ben asked all of a sudden.

"What?" Y/N returned with furrowed brows. "Were you listening in on me?"

Ben shrugged his shoulders. "Comes with the territory."

That upset her. "Okay, let's make one thing clear. I don't want you to eavesdrop on me!"

"Don't pee your fucking pantys. I can't do anything about it."

"But you could at least try! Don't make this any more difficult as it already is!"

"I liked you better, when you didn't talked to me..." Ben grumbled to himself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry that you don't like me anymore. Guess what? I don't care!"

And with that Y/N got up and stormed into her bedroom.

With dread in her eyes, Ashley Barrett watched the screen in the Vought Headquartes. Seeing Soldier Boy flashing his smile to the woman by his side was not good. She could already feel her stress level rise with each second that passed by.

"Oh well. What do we have here."

Ashley's eyes widened in shock and slowly she turned around.

"Is that really him? Soldier Boy?" Homelander asked and Ashley, could only nod.

"Did I not tell you to report everything to me, Ashley?"

"Yes! Yes, you did. But I just saw it too. I did not had the time to..."

"It's okay!" Homlander interrupted and focused on the screens infront of him. "So, he really made it out..."

With a stoic face, the blonde supe crossed his arms behind his back and went over to the window. This was definitly not what he expected or even wanted to happen. His "somehow" father, the man he had looked up to before he new the full truth, was not someone he wanted to see ever again.

But since he didn't find his body outside the Vought Tower after their fight, he had a feeling that this was not the last time he'd seen him. The question was, what he'll be doing now. Because one thing was for sure. They still had a score to settle. And this time, he would not be the one to loose.

"We need to find him." He said to himself, but Ashley felt like she needed to answer to that.

"We can observe him. With this woman he had on his side, it will probably be pretty easy to find him."

She started to scramble through her purse to find her phone and unlocked her Computer. She didn't had it in her to look up to Homelander, who had turned around, and tried to look busy. But he made his way over to her, stopping behind the woman and laying a hand on her neck.

He leaned forward and whispered. "Then you better make this your top priority right know before someone else finds him first. Or else..." he applyed a little pressure but not so much that it really hurt. "... we have to talk again."

And with that he left the room and Ashley had to fight the urge of pulling her hair again.

A/N: What do you think the world is going to do next with these news? Let me know! 🤭

@lyarr24 @leigh70 @k-slla @deadlydivergentgirl

[mikeysbabygirl]

Ken Wakui could have created healthy, mentally stable characters honestly, ones that would communicate with each other easily but he chose the most toxic of them all.

So what ? You gonna tell me I'm wrong ?

He chose to create Mikey, who clearly has that soul crushing overwhelming guilt, the one that makes him think he doesn't even deserve to live, that everyone always ends up dying or wanting to kill him. And instead of coming to you, and having a decent conversation with you about his secret anxiety, that guy would just manipulate you until you're none but a puppet on his string.

-" You're my fucking Achilles heel, 'kay ? Tell me how the hell am I supposed to let m'baby go out without me ?"

The scars of falling in his lures wouldn't even be visible for you, as he brings you closer to him and holds you like there's no tomorrow, far away from anyone's eyes, he was still him, Manjiro.

-" I know I'm fucked up, but you'll stay, hm ?"

-" You'll stay with ya man, wontcha, love ?"

You gonna tell me I'm wrong?

He created Rindou, who feels like the strongest, the smartest, and anything else until Ran's in the equation. Don't get me wrong, he loves his brother from the bottom of his heart, yet alongside all that love and admiration, he had never felt... Enough.

Ran's flirty nature around you would get to him, and instead of coming to you and talking about his insecurities like a big strong man, this guy would just have you understand how much you need him.

-" Rin', please, please, please... " You whine, hands on his broad shoulders as you tried to ride his length, whilst he has his arms behind his head and watched you wearily.

-" Uh uh, baby, your man's not gonna help ya. Wanna see how this tight lil pussy can take my cock, show me, please ?"

And though his erection would be painfully hard, watching tears gathering in your lashes line so beautifully as you make a mess of yourself on him, he would smirk slyly, waiting until you collapse on him and beg him to fucking ruin you.

-" See? Who's gonna fuck you like me ?" He has you in a mating press, slamming his cock deep inside you until he has you crying his name. " No one's gonna treat my princess better than I can. Shit, babe, easy o'mme " he hisses, grinning discreetly with how your walls wrapped him in.

I'm deadly serious, these men are the most fucked up, don't even get me started with SANZU FUCKING HARUCHIYO.

Sanzu deserves a whole psychology book of his own, but a whole new pathology would be created the day he meets you. Yes at first he wouldn't even glance your way twice, too busy with Mikey anyway. But just the way you randomly smile whenever his eyes cross yours, and didn't even flinched the first time seeing him without a mask, just how you rushed to ask about him seeing some blood ( that wasn't even his ) on his shirt... That's a game changer.

Indeed because no one ever truly cared about him, not even his own family, so when you, a perfect stranger whom eyes shine with admiration whenever he walks in the room, show up in his life...

-" Haru, that's folly and you know it. " You argue, your wrists starting to hurt from all the rubbing against the ties . And you swore at some time, you've seen some genuine humanity flicker behind his blueish hues, one that was soon replaced by something more animalistic once he presses his forehead against yours.

-" I know, babes, I know... " His voice came in a hoarse whisper, making you swallow as his other hand roam higher up your bare thigh. "But I told you. Talk about that out of town job once again and I'll have ya tied to my bed, haven't I now ?"

Contrary to what you would think, his touches and kisses on your skin are feathery, light, pressing open mouth kisses on the skin between your thighs.

-" Shhh, easy, easy... swear I'm gonna take good care 'f my pretty girl, y'trust me ? Why the hell would i hurt the best fucking thing to ever happen t'me ?"

I could go like this all night, but I have to get up early tomorrow. If I need to end up on a quick note, I'll talk about Draken.

Draken and his insecurity of not being good enough, of losing you like he did to Emma. Understand, you're so nice, so smart and kind, so pretty, and what does he has for himself, if not sharp edges, rough manners and inappropriate actions ?

But Draken loves you, and he truly never felt that way, never had a girl, or anyone else steal his mind from gang fights and motorcycles like you do, but you do. And his ways are... Controversial.

-" Ain't ya gonna take all of me, pretty ?"

He gives slow, deep thrusts though he's only dying to fasten that pace, but he can't have you scared of his own strength, not yet.

His hands gently apply deep pressing on your waist, whilst his kisses lingering on your neck make you fall deep in his games.

-" I... " You hesitate, and he knows that, but as soon as he starts slowing down his pace a little too much, he has you crying for him. " Yes ! Yes, Ken, gotta take it... Gonna take your kids !"

There, he has you exactly where he wants you.

-" What a good girl I found myself, ain't ya ? Look at this pretty lil pussy tryna take all of my fucking cum, you gonna make me a daddy ? Stay with me whatever, yeah baby ?"

Yes, nothing better than breeding to make sure you would never leave him, right ?

Tsk, and people think these guys are healthy lol.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing.

[happybird16]

•Chapter Three•

Naga!Levi Ackerman/Fem!Reader

Summary: Growing up, the forest's edge always darkened the far corner of your small village. The giant, twisted branches overhead rendered the forest floor a terrifying, pitch black. You shouldn't be here. There's creatures here, dangerous ones.

Overall warnings: Past references to child abuse, blood, scars, gore, mystery, eventual sex, inhuman genitalia (Levi is a snake man), horror vibes.

Chapter warnings: Horror vibes, mystery

Chapter length: 4.3k

Ao3 Link

The most special of shoutouts to my beloved friend and beta @theferricfox!!!! Also, credit to @the-milk-anon for the snake banner!!

Note: a chapter 3 is a go!!! hehe

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The sheer awkwardness of the situation makes the silence painful. How do you communicate, let alone share a living space, with someone who had just threatened your life and then decided on a whim to keep you safe?

He settles back into the same spot as before, his bare back facing the entrance. The light flickers off his alabaster skin, casting shadows that play across the bulge of his muscles and highlight the curve of his spine and the broad expanse of his strong shoulders. This time, he isn't as tightly curled up, and the long length of his tail spreads out across the bedding.

"I... I am sorry for intruding, by the way," you begin, settling shakily near the fire, as far away from him as possible. To avoid touching him, you have to tuck your knees up to your chest. Adrenaline and anxiety still pulse through your veins, and you speak rapidly, "Even if I really didn't mean to."

Your feet accidentally slip forward, causing your boots to bump into the closest portion of his tail. He flinches, coiling up further into the wall with a quiet hiss. "Don't fucking touch me."

The sharpness of his tone makes your breath catch, and visions of sharp white teeth flash in your mind's eye. Filled with remorse, you quickly wrap your arms around your knees. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm so sorry."

He grumbles loudly, shifting in place. "Do you ever shut up?"

"I sorta can't right now. I'm too freaked out," you truthfully explain. The words make his shoulders visibly sag. "Not that I'm not grateful, but w-what made you change your mind?"

Will you still kill me later?

He twists his head over his shoulder, giving you a heavy, exhausted look. You can't be naive and assume that he's planning on sparing you entirely. Still, now that he's calmer, his presence seems almost peaceful. It's almost comforting. Mostly, he appears sleepy, with heavy eyelids and dark purple bags under his eyes.

Rising onto his forearm, the man twists over to face you. Resting his head in his hand, he looks almost cute in an odd way. With a huff, he points at you with a sharp-tipped claw. "You helped me."

He states it so simply, his words short and clipped. Even in the flickering light, it's impossible to read his expression, but he seems cautious. There's a tightness in his face that betrays wariness, though you're not entirely sure of what.

"Yes," you start slowly, mindful of his previous rage. "I found you buried in the snow not far from here." Waving a hand, you gesture towards the opening, as if to show him where. "I thought you were going to die. Hell, it was so cold that I thought I was going to die too!"

"I led you here," he hums, tilting his head to the side. You can see the gears working in his head. "I remember now. I was hunting when the temperature dropped."

"So, what?" you wave your hands exaggeratedly, attempting to inject humor. "You decided, 'Hey, why not take a nap in a snowdrift?'"

His eyes light up in response to your barb, and his face briefly opens up. Shaking his head, he purses his lips in thought, then points at you once again. "Earlier... I scared you. I didn't know humans could feel fear."

Surprise floods your features. It almost sounds as if he's... apologetic? There's an underlying current of curiosity in his words. "You didn't? But you said that you've killed humans before?"

His lips thin, but he doesn't answer your query. When he speaks, his eyes become distant, and his mind seems to drift away. "You were shaking and cowering..."

As he trails off, his voice carries a deep sadness. It's as if he's describing something else, something buried deep within his memories. "Are you apologizing... or..."

The Naga doesn't seem to hear you. His silvery eyes are glazed and distant, as if he's looking through you. Suddenly, he startles, shaking himself from the depths of his memories. The claws of his free hand dig into the pelt below, twisting the hide tightly beneath his sharp nails. His gaze locks with yours, sharp and focused. "You're different. From them," he asserts firmly.

Them. That sounds ominous. "I'm hoping that's a good thing?"

"I'm still undecided," he tells you with a shrug. The wariness in his demeanor has dissipated, replaced by a sense of ease. He yawns, his eyes pinching tight and his sharp teeth spreading wide. With a big stretch, he rises, shifting to sit upright against the adjacent wall.

Undecided. The word hangs in the air, leaving you with a mix of uncertainty and apprehension.

After all that has transpired, it's surprisingly easy to relax in the presence of the Naga. Engaging in conversation with him feels effortless, even though his responses are often brief and curt. There's something about the way he listens attentively, allowing you to speak before offering his own thoughts. Perhaps it's his seemingly relaxed demeanor, with heavy eyes and slow movements.

His chin dips low, almost resting on his chest. Despite his weariness, his gaze remains intense, piercing you with a simmering intensity. It's as if he's teetering on the brink of sleep, struggling to keep his eyes open and focused on you. Yet, his glare remains unwavering, his shoulders tense and guarded. Cautiously, you break the silence, "You don't like humans then?"

"Humans..." His lip curls in disdain, and he hisses the word angrily, his eyes gleaming red in the flickering firelight. "They are greedy parasites. They do nothing but take, kill, and torture for their own benefit."

You can't really disagree with that statement. Not after what you've been through. Not after what you did. “Not all humans are like that, though…,” you defend earnestly, “a-and you hurt humans too. People disappear all the time..”

Ignoring your interruption, his voice rises to an angry accusatory hiss, “We aren't all WildOnes, mindless and hungry.”

WildOnes. So that's what they're called, the creatures that torment your village from the forest's edge. The ones that occasionally wander into peoples homes to gorge themselves on human flesh. Countless hungry mouths for which the forest is named.

He gestures towards himself, saying, “We don’t hurt the innocent, unlike you people.”

You people. “So.. the humans you.. killed before.. were bad?”

“To say the least,” he replies with a snarl, his voice laced with defiance. “We only hunt and kill to survive, or to protect ourselves and others.”

As his words sink in, a sense of relief washes over you, and you find yourself taking a deep breath, releasing some of the pent-up tension that had been gripping your shoulders. The realization that you might be safe in this unfamiliar territory brings a glimmer of hope.

“Oh,” you breathe, the weight of fear slowly dissipating. “So I’m safe here?”

His eyes narrow, studying your face, and a trace of annoyance flickers across his features. With a dismissive tsk, he responds, “I thought I made that clear. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not a monster.”

The word “monster” echoes in your mind, reminding you of the countless times you’ve heard it before. There’s that word again. Between the two of you, you’re the monster here.

Feeling a sense of ease settle in, you decide to make yourself more comfortable in this unfamiliar environment. Carefully, you remove your coat and gloves, folding them neatly and placing them beside your bag. The crackling fire radiates warmth, and with the increasing heat, you realize that shedding some layers is a welcome relief. A faint sheen of sweat begins to form on your brow.

One by one, you loosen your boots and place them with precision near the entrance, mindful of maintaining order in this space. As you perform these actions, your eyes glance towards the man seated to your left, attempting to decipher his inscrutable expression. His gaze remains fixed on you, his thoughts concealed behind a veil of mystery.

Left with only trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, you wiggle your socked feet into the soft pelt beneath you. It's difficult to determine the exact origin of the fur, but its sandy tone and short, stiff bristles offer a comforting texture against your tired feet. The man beside you has curled his tail slightly, allowing you a bit more room to maneuver. Taking advantage of the cozy space, you cross one leg over the other, stretching your feet to alleviate the ache that had settled in your toes. The soothing sensation brings a momentary respite to your weary body.

His gaze locks onto your toes, captivated by their wiggling motion, and his head tilts slightly in curiosity. Meanwhile, you work the pad of your thumb into the arch of your foot, eliciting a soft hiss of relief. The boots you wore didn't provide the level of protection you had hoped for, resulting in aching discomfort that extends from your toes all the way to the small of your back.

"I don't think I've ever walked so much in my life," you remark, a mixture of exhaustion and humor lacing your voice.

His expression displays confusion as he asks, "Your feet... hurt?" The genuine curiosity in his tone reflects his lack of understanding, perhaps not fully comprehending the physical toll that extended travel can take.

When you spread your toes, his eyes widen with a touch of surprise. It's an endearing reaction, reminiscent of his behavior when you first encountered him. The thought amuses you, and you have to stifle a laugh from bubbling up.

Noticing the amusement flickering across your face, he quickly averts his gaze, diverting his attention to the furs near his hip. "How's your head?" he inquires, shifting the focus to your well-being.

As the sensation of warmth slowly returns to your extremities, you realize that you had almost forgotten about the slight headache lingering in the background. Your focus had been consumed by the pins-and-needles sensation in your toes and fingers, a welcome sign of thawing from the frigid cold.

"It's not bad," you inform him honestly, referring to the state of your head. "Just a bruise." With your hand raised, you carefully explore the back of your head, tracing your fingers over the bump that has formed. The texture beneath your hair feels uneven and bumpy. Prodding it lightly with a finger, a sharp pain shoots through your head, making you hiss in discomfort.

Concern creases his brow, and he leans forward, his expression difficult to decipher. He appears almost genuinely worried. Wincing at the sharp pain, you wave him off, assuring him, "It's just a small bump."

Apologies seem unlikely to come from him, but his concerned demeanor and the way he hovers with a slight distance from the wall offer a sense of comfort. "Do you mind if I use the fire?" you inquire, seeking permission to utilize the warmth provided by the crackling flames.

Eyebrows scrunching up in response to your question, he gives you an odd, slow double-lidded blink, as if trying to make sense of your request. After a moment of perplexity, he squints with a hint of confusion and simply shrugs, settling back against the wall. "Do what you want."

Taking that as permission, you reach for your bag and begin extracting several items from within. A village head had kindly provided you with a small bag of supplies before your departure. Among the contents are a modest amount of food, a flint for starting fires, a compact metal cooking pot, and a couple of sturdy metal cups. Considering the earlier rough treatment, you appreciate the durability of the metal cups over delicate ceramic ones.

With a clear plan in mind, you set up the tripod over the crackling fire. Then, shuffling over to the entrance, you scoop up quick handfuls of snow, swiftly depositing them into the cooking pot. Soon enough, the snow begins to melt, transforming into water as it heats up near the fire.

Watching you work, the Naga’s eyes droop further down, his shoulders slumping forward. As you continue with your tasks, you observe the Naga’s weary state, his eyes drooping further down and his shoulders slumping forward. Curiosity prompts you to ask, “Are you feeling better then? You aren’t shivering anymore.”

He blinks, his movements slow and deliberate, his arms still tightly crossed. His nails dig into his own skin, a display of tension. “I’m fine,” he replies tersely.

Concerned for his well-being, you glance at his bare shoulders and offer, “Are you sure? You can have my coat back if you want.”

“I said I’m fine,” he retorts sharply, his patience visibly thin. The tone of his voice carries a hint of irritation. “I clearly remember telling you that I don’t need your help, Human.”

The word "Human" lingers in your mind, creating a sense of discontent. With the water now at a low boil, you serve yourself a cup and extend the offer to the Naga, asking, "Do you want some water?"

He grunts, muttering something under his breath, before relenting with a grumpy hiss, accepting the cup. Clasping it from the top, he gently dangles it from his long and lethal talons, while the pink of his forked tongue peeks out, lapping softly at the rim.

"Careful, it's hot," you caution, but he seems unfazed. He drinks from the cup, flicking his tongue oddly into the liquid before taking a solid sip. Meanwhile, your gaze drifts to his scales, each one tiny and no larger than your thumbnail, covering his elongated form. In the warm glow of the firelight, they shine with a polished sheen, reflecting a mesmerizing array of swirling rainbow colors. Naga scales are believed to bring good luck. Shaking yourself from the thought, you smile eagerly and take a sip from your own cup.

"You mentioned 'we' earlier, so there are more of you? More Naga?" you inquire, curiosity lacing your words.

The Naga’s eyebrows raise, his expression hardening. “You know what I am?” he questions, a hint of surprise in his voice.

“The village heads never liked us speaking about The Maw. It was always sort of hush-hush, as if talking about it would only result in the bad things creeping out of the forest. Still, stories got around. Kids whispered to one another,” you tell him, “I don't remember much, to be honest. I was small so the memories are.. fuzzy at best.”

A vivid recollection emerges from the depths of your mind—a memory of an older girl who had shared knowledge of the Naga with you. She had been several years your senior, seeming wise and mature beyond her years. In the shade of a small tree at the far corner of the schoolyard, she had braided your hair while divulging myths and legends like forbidden secrets. She spoke of distorted, deranged creatures twisted by the magic of the forest, as well as intelligent beings who possessed both human and animal features—fur, scales, and feathers. However, shortly after sharing these tales, she had mysteriously vanished.

The memory carries a sense of nostalgia, the bittersweet remembrance of a lost connection and the forbidden knowledge that was imparted to you.

She'd been your friend and you don't even remember her name. The teen had seemed so much older and wiser than you at the time, but she'd only been a kid. She had been a small, curious girl, and the loss of her friendship weighs heavily on your heart. At her funeral, the haunting remark of one of the village heads, “curiosity feeds death,” still resonates in your mind.

"Children's tales," he snorts, crossing his arms. Your eyes bounce, fighting against you to lock onto his chest. "Go ahead, tell me, what do the village children think of my species?"

It feels as if he's humoring you, like this is some sort of halfway-entertaining joke to him.

"Obviously, half of the stories aren't true," you start with a laugh. "After what you said, I don't think Naga are bloodthirsty beasts who eat babies whole."

He only grunts in response, rolling his eyes and muttering something under his breath. You think you hear an unhappy curse alongside a disgusted 'humans.'

“Uhh,” you struggle to think back. “Oh! Naga are said to always be decorated with intricate jewelry! Earrings and bracelets and necklaces all in bright shiny colors!” Glancing at his fur coat, still folded neatly by the fire, the mismatched furs make you frown. They never said anything about clothing, but the dull tans and rich browns are far from the bright jewel tones described in your childhood. “That's obviously not true either.”

“Not exactly,” he supplies simply. Features flat and guarded, you can't tell if he's happy with the correct assumption. “It isn't really the ideal weather to wear metal.”

Remembering the stinging chill of your daggers pommel, you nod your head in agreement, “That makes sense.”

Quirking an eyebrow, he holds out a hand in askance, “Anything else, human?”

“I have a name,” you frown, disliking the way he spits out the word ‘human’ with a hateful snarl. You can tell it's just a habit, but still it's not exactly pleasant. Giving your name, you assert forcefully, “I'd prefer if you used it.”

“You shouldn't give that out so freely around here,” he advises coolly. Finished with his drink, the cup rests carefully by the curve of his hip. It doesn't feel like he even tried to process your name. “Some WildOnes gain power from names.”

You frown. It doesn't feel like he sees you as equals. It's almost like you're just a nuisance that he can't wait to get rid of, which isn't exactly untrue. He's just humoring you, not even really listening. “You're supposed to tell me yours.”

“Am I?” He hums with a smirk. Long nails drumming thoughtfully along his arm, he pauses a moment, pretending to give the idea thought. “I don't think I will.”

So much for getting to know him. “You're kind of an asshole, did you know that?”

“So I've been told,” he chimes back smoothly, smirk widening. In the blink of an eye, his jaw hardens and his lips fall back down into an unhappy scowl. Every bit of playfulness falls away, his face stony and serious, “Now, human, do you know anything else?”

Why does it feel like he's testing you? Quizzing you in hopes of uncovering a specific line of knowledge. It's easy to guess exactly what he's searching for. You fight not to break eye contact and glance at the length of his tail, its tiny diamond shaped scales glittering enticingly like obsidian.

Your mind scrambles, trying to dig up an obvious, innocuous fact. “Shouldn't you be hibernating?”

Gritting his teeth, the Naga shifts in place. His tail shudders, the end unhappily slapping the ground near the entrance. “I don't hibernate.” From the way he says it, you can tell it's something that's been brought up before. It's a sore spot, not quite an open wound.

“You don't hibernate? So do other Naga?” You ask rapidly, eager to dig into the opening. “Aren't you cold blooded? Or something like that? Is that why you passed out in the snow? And you seem so tired…”

“Are you done now?” He cuts you off aggressively, “Is it my turn to ask questions?”

“Oh!” you start in surprise, skin crawling and heart hammering at his sudden intensity. “I didn't realize you had-”

Cutting you off, he leans forward with a stern bark, “Why are you here?”

"Well, I-" you start to reply.

Fangs on display, he interrupts you at a fevered pitch. "What's a human doing this far in The Maw? What do you want?"

"I'm on a mission," you start quickly before he can continue, your voice far too loud. His eyes widen at your shout, and his nose lets out a sharp huff. You continue, "There's another village, far on the other side of The Spine. You might know of it? We have to go around the entire wood any time we have to work with them. The journey takes at least a month, even in ideal conditions, and that's by horseback."

As he listens, his lips purse. "I don't give a shit about human trade routes. Why are you here?"

You huff, "One of my village heads has a message for someone. It's urgent."

Lies. All Lies. They fall surprisingly easily from your lips.

His eyes narrow, “What could be urgent enough to send a small girl into the jaws of death?”

Small?

Your mind whirls, and the idea comes to you as it forms from your lips, “It’s a bit personal. And medical…” Pausing dramatically, you watch his nose crinkle up in disgust. You had expected as much, given his opinion on human affairs. “You see, there’s an actual real doctor in that village, and the old man’s got a very worrying rash on his…”

"Fine. Fine," he cuts you off with a raised hand. His eyes flicker down, trailing across your form. "Why you, then? You don't seem to be some sort of warrior. Or a soldier? Why would they send you?"

"Well..." Before you can forge an answer, there's a large thud outside. It's loud enough to make you yelp, shaking the cave hard enough to bounce you in place. "Did a fucking tree just fall?" The wind has been crazy, but the trees are enormous. Is that even possible?

"Shush," the Naga hushes you quietly, his head twisting to face the entrance. His forked tongue flicks out, tasting the air. "Should have sensed him sooner."

“Him?” You shout again, the panic evident in your voice, as there’s another deafening crash that reverberates through the cave. The ground trembles beneath you, causing your heart to race even faster. The sheer power and force behind each impact fill you with a sense of dread.

“A giant,” the Naga informs you in a hushed tone, attempting to calm you down. His voice carries an air of resignation. “A big bumbling idiot. He’s early today.”

The next crash is even louder than before, sending shockwaves through the cave and making your ears ring. The sound is enough to make you instinctively cover your ears, hoping to block out the overwhelming noise. The mere thought of this giant’s immense presence outside fills you with a mix of awe and fear.

“He comes by every night?” you manage to ask, your voice quivering with anxiety.

The Naga nods solemnly, his expression revealing a blend of weariness and caution. “He's just looking for a midnight snack.”

Something large and pink presses into the entrance, bulging slightly past the rough stone lip. It twists, desperately pressing inward, a large scraggly nail scraping along the edge of the opening. Bits of stone fall free as the digit pushes and pushes into the small opening.

Fear grips you like a vice, and a scream involuntarily escapes your lips. Instinct takes over as you scramble onto your hands and knees, desperately trying to put distance between yourself and the encroaching intruder. With adrenaline coursing through your veins, you maneuver your way up and over the coiled mass of the Naga’s tail, propelling yourself towards the far end of the cave.

In your haste, you find yourself pressed shoulder to shoulder against the wall next to the Naga. The tight space and the shared proximity with the enigmatic creature intensify your trepidation. You can feel the heat radiating from his body, a stark contrast to the chilling fear that grips you. The Naga’s presence offers a sliver of reassurance amidst the chaos unfolding before you.

Together, you both watch as the mysterious entity outside continues its relentless effort to breach the cave’s entrance. The pressing appendage and the scraping sound grow more unnerving with each passing moment.

It’s a finger! The giant is pressing the tip of his finger into the cave!

The Naga hisses at the contact, his serpentine eyes narrowing as he twists his head to give you a stern look. “I said not to touch me,” he admonishes, his voice laced with irritation.

Your heart races as you realize the enormity of the situation. The giant’s finger protrudes further into the cave, its presence both fascinating and terrifying. The sheer scale of the appendage dwarfs everything around it, including the Naga and yourself.

“Is that a WildOne?” you manage to stammer, your voice barely above a whisper, the awe and apprehension intertwining in your words.

The Naga’s expression shifts, a mixture of resignation and bitterness crossing his features. “Not exactly,” he replies, his voice tinged with a hint of disdain. “Giants aren’t exactly Wild; they’re just stupid.”

As another chunk of stone falls away from the trembling entrance, your fear intensifies, prompting you to act on instinct. Frantically, you reach out and grab onto the Naga’s arm, your nails digging into his shoulder in a desperate attempt to find some sense of security. Why isn’t he as alarmed as you are?

“Shut up,” he barks under his breath, shaking his shoulder to fight off your grip, “If you’re just quiet he’ll forget what he's doing and fuck off.”

“How-” How are you supposed to calm down in such a dire situation? Your chest heaves with each breath, the primal urge to scream building within you.

“Calm down,” the Naga urges quietly, his voice strained as he fights to keep it low. “I don’t know how you managed to make it this far, but once the storm ends, this ugly idiot will be the least of your worries.” His words hang in the air, their ominous weight casting a shroud of uncertainty over the cave.

A profound silence descends, broken only by the relentless scratching of the giant outside and the deafening roar of your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. The reality of the situation sinks in, and you can’t help but question your own choices and the path that has led you here. What have you gotten yourself into?

[ca-suffit]

Rolin Jones saying he made the show for neilcfreak doesn't absolve her of her racism and general unpleasantness. It proves two things. That Rolin doesn't know anything about fandom and if he does doesn't care. And two that even the most wretched white people get good things. They get to slip into spaces they shouldn't even after being terrible while Black people who are more deserving don't.

Also let's not kid ourselves. Rolin makes this show for Lestat and the huge boner he has for Lestat. When he found out AMC had bought the books he begged to be put on the project and had his own production company come up with a brief to present to AMC.

He's said repeatedly that he can't wait to do the Lestat season and that he enjoys writing Lestat. By the way I have no problem with him loving Lestat because that hasn't stood in the way of Season 1 being as good as it is.

I'm just saying he didn't know Gorrei before he spent money to pitch the show. So let's take that with a grain of salt.

I'm p sure Rolin says a lot that he doesn't read stuff online. he's also a white guy in his 50s with a long history of working in television. it's ttly different worlds. I don't expect him to know shit lol.

but ya that's the point ppl don't want u to focus on. ppl want u to think if I was nicer then we'd all sit down and solve racism in an hour and I could stop being so "jealous" and "have fun" too. lol but that's not real. all of this happening isn't v surprising because this is already what's been happening and will continue to happen. the white fandom ppl the show seeks out or who buy access to these spaces aren't more deserving or smarter (def not that lol) they're just white. anne rice was also just white. if she'd been anything else she'd have lost her job instantly for opening her mouth the way she did.

this is why white ppl need to be the ones saying things more because a lot of white fandom bs relies on white ignorance and appealing to white emotions. rn white fandom here isn't even mostly white ppl anymore and that's made it worse tbh. cuz they rely on usually showmey0urfangs or maybe keybearer to shout down at ppl how they're black and won't be spoken over.....while literally they have no community with the black fandom here anymore at all lol. neither one of them is american either btw. there's not a single well known black american fan here despite that being the main character of the show rn and plenty of fans fitting that description. if neilcfreak wanted to scream so loudly about "I'm (white) jewish so understand the struggle" when talking about racism then where tf is her solidarity for speaking on racist shit lol. couldn't possibly be that was only a way for her to avoid apologizing for saying racist shit? never....

white fandom only cares about protecting its own and having a specific identity only when it can be weaponized to avoid accountability. that's all anne rice did too. arguing with ppl and being a constant victim is a basic manipulation technique meant to exhaust the other side and "win" without needing to provide any real argument. these ppl can't talk about the themes of anything with any depth so u'll notice even when talking about the books, it's always broad mentions of "dark themes" without discussing them ever. they're only smart to themselves and that's why they're in my asks screaming I'm jealous of them. u can see how maven and them talk how superior they feel for this despite the majority of the fandom knowing they're stupid. ur just white, that's the end of it. u have never proven ur deserving of anything and I already know that's how the world works so lol. scream it at me as much as u want but it doesn't make it more true. ur just white and whiteness gets rewarded when u also promote white fandom shit. this group works together to promote each other for this reason but it's still usually only the white ppl getting the full benefits. ur bland af catering to the widest appeal possible. ur challenging nothing but needing to get in my asks to show off about it because ur so angry I'm not kissing ur asses lol. the lestat parallels never end I stg.

the one thing I think white fandom isn't prepared for tho is that maybe the Rolin's lestat won't be the version they expect him to be either lol. if ur familiar with stuff Rolin does I don't think he's gonna be what they want and that's gonna be so funny.